The forest was black, blacker than night. The trees were darker than the night. Stacey walked through the trees, not worrying which way she was going. She had been in the forest much more than other students. Most were too scared that they would get caught within the forbidden trees. But like she was worried about that.
She finally stopped rather suddenly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She loved the smell of the forest, and she was so deep withing the trees that there was no way she would encounter another person. No one she knew came out this far except Ginny, Lavy, and the vampires.
Opening her eyes again, Stacey raised bother of her hands slowly. She turned so her back was to the tree, and turned her hands palm-up. Ever so slowly, it began to get cooler and cooler until she was shivering, but she didn`t stop. She was sucking the heat out of the air, and she wanted to try something. The reason she had come so far out into the forest was because she didn`t want to be influenced by anyone`s powers, like she so easily was. She wanted to know what her powers were, no one elses.
Taking a deep breath, she flicked her hands together. Ice exploded from her hand, and she grinned. She had never been able to use ice by herself, with no one else nearby. Nodding to herself, she quickly moved her hands back apart. Air whipped through the trees quickly, as if a tornado had suddenly occured.
She grinned, flashing her white teeth. With a snap, the wind suddenly died. She sat sat hapily, her eyes shining. She put her hand over the ground, only a couple inches over the bare dirt. "One more." She mumbled to herself. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes.
In a few seconds, she opened them again and a red rose was growing from the ground.
She sighed heavily. She could control all four main elements. The thought made her giggle, even though her stomach felt hollow from being away from Aiden.
(is it okay if i join? i'm an animagus. raven so i could like pretend to watch or something???)
((Sure, go ahead. I forgot about this post. >.<))
(ok thanks)
Lexi flew over the trees of the forbidden forest letting her bird feet graze the tops of the trees. She felt free to be flying around like this. She loved the weightlessness of it. Then, as she dove deep into the trees, a strong gust of wind blew her. When it left she couldn't regain her balance and fell to the forest floor. In the distance she saw a shadow of a figure leaning over to touch the ground. She picked up her feet and flew to a tree right over head of the shadow to a low branch to see who the heck it was. When she landed she found she still could not see the figure so she bravely flew down to the floor and transfigured hoping that by talking to the figure she could find out it's identity. She gripped her wand tight and quietly procedeed to the black shadow.
Stacey`s ears twitched and her eyes flickered darker for a moment. Then, in a short second of movement, she had her wand in one hand and was turned around with her other hand outstretched, as if to call upon any element that she needed.
When she saw that it was a girl, she lowered her hand and her wand slightly. "Yes?" She asked in a clipped tone. If the girl was here to say something, she didn`t really want to hear it right now.
Lexi tensed and the "'Yes'" of the figure that stood before her. She hated that tone. It reminded her of her nightmares. Of that voice she couldn't explain. Then she heard the snap of a twig and it brought her back to focus. "Sorry. Just wanted to see who it was." She could tell the girl was angry and that made her a little ticked. She tried to breath to control herself. " Guess I won't bother you." she added careful to keep breathing.
"Oh, okay." Stacey`s voice was immediatly cheery and friendly. "Hi, I`m Stacey Gray." She slipped her wand up her sleeve and took a few steps closer to the girl, who`s name she didn`t know.
"You`re not a seventh year, are you. Third?" She asked, measuring the girl`s height against her own.
Lexi was a little taken aback by the girl's sudden warmth. When she recovered she realized Stacey had asked her a question.
"Uh...third." she replied very stupidly on her part. Then her mind fully recovered she realized she recognized the girl's last name.
"You related to Aiden Gray?"she asked looking at the girl for any signs of similar characteristics.
Stacey`s eyes flashed a bright blue at the sound of her husband`s name and grinned widely. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she spoke. "Ah, so I`ve see you`ve met Aiden. What do you think of him?"
It wasn`t hard to see that Stacey wasn`t related to Aiden. His hair was black, hers was light brown, almost blonde. Her eyes did change colors like his, but his changed only to two colors and hers changed to almost every color. They loved each other, though, and that showed in the diamond ring on her left hand that was glittering dimly.
Lexi recognized the difference between Aiden and Stacey immeadiately. Especially after noticing the sparkly ring on her left hand. "He seems like a decent person though I don't really know him all that well." She felt weird standing so she proceded over to a log not five steps away to sit. Flying and a little shock tend to make you a little tired.
Stacey sat down with her back against a tree close to the fallen log. "Yeah, he`s a really great guy." She said softly, still smiling brightly. She could sense that the girl had seen her ring, but she didn`t say anything about it.
"I`m sorry, what was your name?" She asked.
Lexi looked at Stacey then replied. "Lexi Darkwood." She said calmly. She was now in control of herself but was still struggling with the memories and feelings that decided to flood back into her mind at this moment.
Stacey nodded in aknowledgement. She could feel the tensity coming from Lexi. She reached out with her mind and sent calming thoughts to her. She knew all too well what it was like to have dark thoughts.
She had more than enough of her own.
Al, lounging in another tree yet again, opened one eye.
'Great, conversations,' he thought. 'Isn't the Forbidden Forest supposed to be well... Forbidden?' He had been hoping to finally find some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, it didn't look like he would get it.
He leaped down from his tree, and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. As he opened them, exhaling, his spell took effect. He phased straight through the trees, searching for the conversing people.
Walking into a small clearing, Al focused on two girls. One seemed around seventeen, the other... he couldn't really tell.
Stepping forward, he waved, and smiled. Al was never really one for talking.
Stacey twitched her shoulders and rolled her neck. Someone was here, she could feel it. She heard him, too. Feeling him get closer, the thoughts got stronger.
*Not to me.* She said, gently pushing the thought into the boy`s mind. She had never seen him before, and his powers felt new against her mental wall.
"Hi." She said out loud, eyeing him.
Al turned and looked at the older of the two.
'She seems... Strong enough,' he thought. She did seem like she was new to her whole special power thing, though.
He extended his arm to shake her hand. "Al," he said shortly.
"And you two are...?" he asked. He smiled slightly.
Stacey just barely stopped her eyes from rolling.
*No duh.* She grumbled. *I don`t mean to sound rude, but what powers do you have?* She pushed the thoughts into his mind, willing an answer to come back this time.
"Hi, I`m Stacey Gray." She said, shaking Al`s hand firmly before letting it go. she shivered slightly, as she had no jacket and formed a ball of energy in her palm, rolling it back and roth to keep hand hands warm.
Al was a bit surprised. 'A telepathic. Nice,' he thought. 'I don't really have extra powers. Never needed them. My spells are powerful enough.'
He smiled kindly at her. "Nice to meet you, Stacy. Cold?" he asked, lifting his palm, creating a fire.
He examined her, and noticed the ring on her left hand.
"Ah, who's the man who has you?" he asked.
Stacey smirked when Al produced a flame. I don`t need that, but thank you. She thought to him. And she wasn`t really a telepathic, she had just stolen the power from being around Ginny and Lavy so much. The power had just rubbed off on her.
"Ah, Aiden Gray." She answered with another full grin, flashing her perfect white teeth. She flattened the ball of energy between her palms and it`s warmth filled her; it also made her hands glow faintly.
Al closed his hand, snuffing the flame out. He grinned at her.
"Aiden Gray, I see. And what is his special power, might I ask?" he asked.
Al looked around the clearing, and sighed after failing in his search for a stump or rock to sit on. He closed his eyes, inhaling. Al rummaged through him thoughts, searching for a spell. As soon as he found it, he opened his eyes and exhaled. His palm was facing the ground as he clenched his fist and pulled it up, as if he was ripping something. The ground above where his hand was cracked and rose, creating a makeshift chair that he sat upon.
Stacey`s eyes were slowly brightening, but not nearly as brilliant as they could get. "Uh, he can play with fire. Like I did. That`s how we kind of got to know each other." She answered softly. Absent-mindedly she lifted her hand and swept it in a wide arc.
Flowers of fire slowly rose from the ground, opening their petals and glowing brightly. "I can do quite a bit more htna he can, but he skips a lot." She shrugged and dropped her hand, making the flowers go out.
"Ah, I see," he stated. "Just fire though? Not all of the elements like you?" he asked.
His eyes reflected the fire flowers, making his eyes sparkle. Al hadn't seen a show such as that in quite some time. The Germans tended to use the earth to make their grand displays, and the French used ice.
"Well that's a drawback for him. Tell me about this 'Aiden Gray'," he said, smiling.
Stacey tilted her head, curious why someone wanted to know so much about Aiden. No, he has only fire. He skips class a lot, so he doesn`t learn much in the class room. I teach him sometimes, he learns a lot then. I guess it`s because I`m his wife and all." She shrugged.
"I didn`t start with all of the elements. You could say I`ve copied them from two of my elders and teachers. I absorb other`s powers, you see. But if I use them often enough they become my own. Aiden is amazing. He isn`t the brightest, but he`s caring and he`s honest and funny." Her eyes got distant and her voice trailed off. She could get so distracted by her love.
"Ah, I see," Al said, smiling. "Why does he skip so much? He could get much stronger by just staying in class..." he said, his memory trailing to his mere four years at Hogwarts. "Though it isn't always the case, I guess. I didn't stay here for long," Al said with a smile.
"You can copy powers? Wow, that's pretty good. Unfortunately, I don't have a power. I was just a sharp kid," he said, chuckling. "Sounds like a good kid. Stick with him. Keep him close," Al replied, with a twinkle in his eye.
Stacey grinned brightly as he spoke. "I try to." She replied to his last comment, her smile fading. Even now her stomach felt hollow and empty; the hunger that she could feed for days, but it would only go away when she was near him. She shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around her knees.
"He... well, he doesn`t like classrooms much. I`m not for sure why, but he`s more comfortable outside." She said as an answer to his first question.
"Try to?" Al asked, uncertain. "Explain? Only if you want to. Don't wanna make you feel uncomfortable..." he said.
"Well... Teach him outside then. That's what his teachers should do... Adapt to their students," Al said.
Stacey shook her head. "The story is too long and complicated, and it goes back about ten years." She rolled her now dark eyes.
"Well, he doesn`t exactly have teachers anymore. I`m his teacher, I guess, now. And he learns a lot better. I think it`s because I push him to try, like teachers don`t." She explained quickly.
"I see," Al said, slightly put down. "Oh well, story for... well never," he said, laughing.
"They didn't push him? When I came here, if you didn't try, the teachers pushed you until you fell into learning the spell," Al said, smiling. "Back in the good ol' days...
Stacey sighed heavily. "No, things have kind of been going down from here." She said sadly.
Al was now thoroughly confused. "What do you mean? You're speaking in... well you're vague," he stated.
Stacey shrugged. "The teachers have gotten less persistent. The students have gotten slower. Powers have been lessoned in most, while some like me have a large amount. No one except the people with all of the powers know how to do anything. I could probably kill you quite a few ways that would amaze you, unless you`ve spent your time away training and learning.
Do I need to say more?"
"I can bet you definitely couldn't kill me, not without at least two or three of you. My life, since I got here, has been dedicated to learning. I could definitely kill you without lifting a finger, without saying a word, with just a single thought. Spells are a crazy thing to have. Most know the basics, but once you get into it, 'Avada Kedavra' isn't even close to the worst way to kill someone, nor 'Crucio' or even 'Imperio'," Al said. He smiled.
"No offense, but being around here longer than you have... I have a definite advantage. I'm sure you'd put up a good fight, with what you are at the moment. Give it some time, and you'll grow more powerful," he said.
[[ I don't know if I did, nor did I mean to, God-Mod. But really, even Ginny or Kiara said that the oldbies are more powerful. That's just the way it is. ]]
((No, not at all. Besides, I`m used to that king of God-Moding. Like I said in Dude, I`m an old-newbie. Newer than you, but older in days and mind than most others. I learn fast.))
"You needn`t teach me about that, trust me." Stacey smiled in a knowing way. "Remember, I take other people`s powers. Ginny and Lavy were my favorite and most beloved teachers. I was around them much more than I probably should have been. It was in Ginny`s presence that I learned of my unique gift. And with being so close to both of them, I`ve learned a few things they haven`t taught me. And that`s in addition to being forced into the Ministry now and then."
She rolled her eyes and rested her finger tips on her temple. "Going into the Ministry was one of the most horrible things I had to do. Can you imagine? Everyone`s thoughts. Everyon`s powers. It was horrible, and I had to hear and feel everything.
[[ Alright. Just checking. ]]
Al smiled at her. "That's the beauty of it. I don't have a special power anymore. I got rid of it. All I have is spells. Actually quite smart. I met another person a while back whilst traveling who could take powers as well. I gave mine up so he couldn't have them, so no one could. Better for the world... It was more of a curse than a power anyway," he said with a grim smile.
Al shrugged. "Learn to block it out," he said simply. "I'm sure Ginny and Lavy do. All the time," he said simply. "It'll come with time, and practice."
Stacey nodded absen-mindedly. "Yeah, I`ve had to do that to. It was just those first few times that really overtook me." She thought for a moment of the day when Rhyme had blown up that block. His powers had sent a high-pitched energy into her mind and she had collapsed. Ginny had just stood back and told her to get up. With the sound came pain, but Ginny had probably known that. She had just wanted Stacey to black in out, which she had, she just had never come into contact with the special powers Rhyme had.
"Yes, I know they do. They`ve helped me so much, from when I just learned how to use fire and it burned me often. Now I could light myself on fire and come out with not a scratch." She stated proudly. She had always been a little proud of her powers. Only in Ginny`s presence did that fade.
"Well with time comes practice, and with practice comes results. You'll learn. It happens," he told her.
Al sat down with his back on a tree trunk. "Well, that's good. You will definitely want to control your powers so you don't burn yourself," he said with a chuckle.
Stacey nodded again. "Yeah, I know. But... I can`t see when I have to learn something. When I meet someone with powers, it just is suddenly in my mind, wanting to be let out. I can`t exactly do that in pupblic, though, now can I?" She didn`t expect an answer to that.
She smiled, then. "Well, I didn`t exactly burn myself. The heat just built up under my skin for days at a time." She rolled her eyes. "I`ve been in the hospital wing much more than most."
"Well, you could," Al said with a shrug. "Not a good idea, but indeed possible. Just... learn to restrain them. Keep them quiet," he said.
"Sounds... painful," he said, smiling. "I bet you have."
Stacey laughed once and raised her eyebrows. 'Yeah, having voices in your head doesn`t help mush either. They`ve put me in the wing about five times now. And unfortunatly the injuries weren`t so minor." She went on before he could ask anything about what she said.
"So, you pointed out that I don`t ask questions. If you don`t mind me asking, where were you all these years?" She asked, changing the subject.
Al smiled. "Block them, too. You'll learn," he said, encouragingly.
"Ah, a question. First time for everything, I suppose," he said with a chuckle. "Well, I was around. Norway, Sweden, Finland at first, then traveled to Germany, France, and Spain. From there, I went to The eastern European countries like Albania and Bulgaria. Lots of fun, met some new people. Acquired a few more books, though very few new spells were introduced to me," he said.
Stacey nodded. "Have you been to France? My mother grew up there, so I can manage my way there well. I find their history quite astonishing." Her eyes flickered grey as she spoke of her mother. She didn`t think Carrie deserved to be mentioned, but that wasn`t the problem of this man.
"Yes, I've been to France. Beautiful country, especially Paris. The architecture there is outstanding beyond belief..." he said. "Their history is decent. The low war-winning streak is kinda... bad," he said blatantly.
Al noticed her eyes flicker a different color. "Reason the color of your eyes changed, or just messing with it again?" he asked.
Stacey chewed the inside of her cheek. She should have know he would nitice the color change in her eyes. He had said so himself that his eyes had once changed.
"Yeah, well.... long story..." She said, hoping he would question her further.
"Okay, I'll bite," Al said, adjusting his position to be more comfortable. "On with the story," he said with a smile.
Stacey squared her jaw for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, well... I might as well tell you the whole story...
You know that my mother was Muggle. She knew my dad was a wizard when they married and had me. But over time she and my father fought more and more." She waited a moment before she continued. she never had to tell the whole story out like this, everyone always knew what was going on when it happened.
After I`d been here a few years, she decided to pull me out whenever she and my dad had an argument. My father didn`t like that at all. He wanted me to stay in school so I wouldn`t fall behind. I never did, though, because Ginny made sure I caught up. My powers were more than I knew how to handle, and she helped me a lot with that." Stacey waited again.
"My mother was French. You made me think about her. She and I haven`t been on the best of terms. My parents are recently divorced, and that didn`t help." She sighed again.
"So you're half french?" Al interrupted. "Sorry for what I said then..." he apologized.
Smiling, he said, "On with the story, or is that it?"
Stacey nodded as Al asked if she was French. "I almost didn`t get to come to Hogwarts. I`m glad my dad persuaded her into letting me come."
She nodded again. "That`s my story. I could go into detail, but I boubt you want a minute-by-minute discussion on my live." she rolled her eyes. "Besides, I don`t think I can even remember all of the details." She muttered, running her hand through her brown hair.
"Beauxbatons instead, right?" he asked.
"Well, I'd prefer if you continued. Nothing better than stories. Except spellbooks, of course..." he said, muttering the last part. He smiled his brilliant smile, his eyes twinkling.
Stacey looked down to the ground, her eyes shifting to a darker grey. "I`d rather not go into detail, it you don`t mind." She said softly, scuffing her shoe against the bare ground.
She had hardly know this man for an hour and she had already spilled out her life story besically. She didn`t know why, she just fel like... she trusted him.
Al smiled. "Then don't," he said with a laugh. "A story for either another time, or never at all."
Al stretched a bit, and looked around.
"Do you have the time, Stacey Gray?" he asked.
Stacey watched Al as he stretched and asked for the time. She slowly looked to the sky and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"It`s just after one." She said, opening her eyes to the cloudy sky.
Al smiled. "That a power too?" he asked. "Or do you just excel at astronomy?"
He chuckled, and said, "Well, what now? You've told me about your love, your parents, your history, and your power. What's left to know about Stacey Gray?"
Stacey smiled and shrugged. "It`s a combination of astronomy and pure senses." She explained.
She looked down to the ground again, pushing her shoe against the ground again. "I have a nasty temper and don`t forget things easily." She offered. Why was she being so open with this man?
"I see. The sun is a little off from its midpoint. Your senses are great," he said.
"I can get the nasty temper, but your memory? I have a decent one, but only for things that matter. If it's unimportant, I'll forget. Never remembered to turn in homework, but I did it," Al said with a smile.
Stacey laughed softly. "What subject did you teach? You seem able to defend yourself enough from the Dark Arts, but you also seem to have a demanding accuracy and want things to be right and figured out. Potions maybe?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.