Dan was breathing deep as he ran. He was a little out of shape, but on the other hand, he was pushing it. Sprinting still gave him the same runners high as always. It was bitterly cold, so he didn't get too hot. He stopped to take a breath. He wore long gray sweat pants and a red plain t-shirt.
He sat down on a bench, trying to smooth his breathing, smiling. He was happy for the first time in a long time. It was such a nice place. The grounds were beautiful, the people were nice, and the teachers were amazing. He had learned so more in the last week than he had in seven months of homeschooling. God, he felt like such a freak back then.
He still sat admiring the grounds, and breathing in the cold winter air.
Alexis stood in the forest, the slow breeze swaying her hair around in the wind. Her bare feet stepped lightly as she walked, making the only noises being heard was the soft blowing of the leaves in the air. She took in a deep breath, the scents of the forest filling up her lungs, making her feel alive.
Suddenly Alexis sounded like what seemed to be footsteps in the grass. She scanned her green eyes through the clearing, not noticing anything out of the usual. Still, she didn't seemed convinced that she was really alone. She took a few steps and walked out of the forest near the clearing and the school grounds.
Alexis first noticed a boy around her age sitting on a bench panting as if he had just finished a run.
"Hey." Alexis greeted him casually.
"Are you new?" She guessed, walking over to him.
Heather walked out of the castle, she was wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with a darker blue sweats.. Her hair had been left down, and natural. She watched a teenage boy, who looked about the same age as Heather, running across the grounds. She rubbed her arms from the cool wind of winter. It instantly rid her of the sleepiness of waking up. She loved the way where all she had to do was step outside in the cool air, and she would be woken up.
She then noticed that the boy had been joined by a girl, which Heather recognized a little. She walked over there to get a closer look, to be sure that she was right of who it was. When she came closer, she said "I thought it was you. Hello Alexis. Long time no see." She then turned to the panting boy that sat upon a bench. She says "Hello, I'm Heather Drakson. You are?"
The large snow leopard prowled trough the trees silently and unseen. Her footprints left no marks in the frozen grass. Snow had melted and left everything damp, but it hadn`t had a chance to snow again. Even without snow, however, it was colder than it had been. She remained undiscovered as she moved, the only sign of her passing the warm cloud of her warm breath.
Soon she reached the edge of the trees and she crouched down, shoulders rolling in under her glossy coat. A sort of grin crossed her furry face, and she slowly stood and jogged over to the bench where she recognized two students, and one stranger.
As she got closer to the bench she slowed and turned her bright blue eyes to Alexis, trying to catch her attention. Alexis would be the only one that knew the snow leopard was really Stacey, and she always liked to see the surprise on the others` faces when they saw her as a predatory cat.
"Yeah, I got here two days ago. Dan Miles." He stood up and stuck out his hand for Heather, and the girl whose name he had not yet learned. He smiled at them. So welcoming already. He didn't really think that most people would be that kind to him, before they even knew anything about him. Not even his name. Hogwarts might just be his chance, his one last shot to make something of himself.
Alexis grinned, giving him a high-five instead. She sat on the ground next to the bench the boy named Dan sat on. The cold wind blew her hair around violently, but she felt relaxed and warm despite the weather.
"I'm Alexis." She introduced herself casually with a small grin.
"Do you like it here so far?" Alexis asked softly, her green eyes looking at him.
It wasn't until then she noticed the pretty snow leopard who walked over to them. She saw those bright blue eyes and grinned at Stacey, recognizing her sister-in-law. Alexis wondered when Stacey would change back, or if she would at all. The weather was cold and the leopard's thick fur was much more suitable for this sort of weather more likely.
Dan grinned as Alexis high-fived him. He looked back into pretty green eyes, almost the same shade as his. "Oh yeah, everyone's been so welcoming, and the teachers here are brilliant." He sat back down on the bench. The nice breeze was slowly turning into a full on wind. His short brown hair grew wilder in the wind.
He suddenly noticed a snow leopard approach them. This would have shocked, and possibly scared him a few days ago, but a few of his roommates explained some of the oddities of the school to him. That's what he got for growing up in the muggle world. He felt so closed in most of the time, so disconnected from who he truly was.
It still was astounding that a person could just transform like that. This world truly was magical.
Heather shook Dan's hand, and smiled at him. She inquired who the Snow Leopard was, she smirked, as she opened her mind to the thoughts around her. She realized that the snow leopard was a student here named Stacey. Heather smirked grew into a full on smile as the wind were wilder. Her hair blowing into her face, which she didn't mind at all. Heather's smile turned into a smirk, like always when she was reading someone's mind. Heather looks to Dan and says "You should get used to all of the magical things that happen here, due to all of us have many powers."
Alexis nodded knowing any muggle would be afraide of such a large feline standing but a few feet away from them, however they just sat here calmy as if it were nothing. It was odd how things worked here but yet it still felt comforting.
"Yeah, everyone may not be able to turn into an animal or read people's minds." Alexis began, nudging Heather playfully.
"Some of us are just stuck with our wands. Like me." She pointed out, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear.
Alexis leaned back turning to Dan.
"What about you?"
((Just a note to Heather, Stacey isn`t a student, and you can`t read her mind. Just so you know. =) ))
Stacey-- or rather, the leopard-- smiled again and nodded as Alexis noticed her. She didn`t exactly know her that well, but they didn`t really run into each other that much, either.
As the conversation went on and introductions passed, the cat stretched out and quickly morphed into a girl. Stacey, now herself, stood there with a smile.
"Hi." She said at the next pause and plopped down on the ground. Even though having a full coat of fur was nice and warm, she wasn`t always comfortable that way, especially around other people. She was warm enough, though. She wore jeans and black boots along with a heavy ivory colored coat. "I`m Stacey." She added quickly, her eyes sparkling brown as she greeted the guy she didn`t know.
"Well, I was home schooled by my Mum for years, my dad was a muggle, so we hid in our attic for lessons." He smiled. "I'm suck with my wand." His green eyes glistened, as he spoke.
As the snow leopard approached it turned into a woman. He guessed she was in her late teens, she had brown hair, almost the same shade as his, and was average height. He stood up again, and stuck out his hand, "Dan Miles, Nice to meet you, Stacey" He was being as polite as he could. Trying to make a good impression.
Stacey smiled kindly and shook Dan`s hand. She had a strong handshake for a girl, but that wasn`t exactly her fault.
"My mum was Muggle." She said, "And what else can you do? I can tell that you aren`t an Animagus and you can`t read minds. What about the elements?" She lifted her hands and rubbed them together. A few sparks fell from her skin and a small flame suddenly burst from her fingers. She hoped Dan wouldn`t ask how she knew what powers he didn`t have. She didn`t care if people knew or not, it just got old having to explain it to everyone she met.
"Stacey's always been a slight show-off" A low voice said with a joking twist to it. A guy who was about 6'3 and very well cut appeared He was weating a pair of black girl jeans and a soft grey shirt. He didn't wear a jacket and he still looked like he was sweating. The guy looked over the group that was standing there.
*Stacey, Alexis, and I don't know the others* He thought to himself. He suddenly looked over at Heather and immedently put a block on his mind. And since he was in his seventh year and not really a wizard he knew his thoughts would be safe.
"This is Pete, and I'm Billie" said a girl who appeared to be standing behind Pete. She was wearing a simple pair of black skinny jeans with holes in them and a slytherin shirt with only a light jacket on. She smiled as she saw her old friend Alexis, and Stacey who she knew when Stacey had first appeared at hogwarts. Her hair lighted itself as she got excited. She saw a nw kid who said his name was Dan. "He isn't scary, maybe a little gay though." She said as she joked. She could sense Pete's block and quickly blocked hers also.
"I'm mediocre with fire, ok with water, but I'm fairly good at plant type stuff." He said, and in a nervous habit way, brushed his hand through his hair.
He saw two students approached, and smiled at them. "Nice to meet you."
((Who's gay?))
(He's not gay Jus it's her brother and she was kidding.)
"Thats sweet Dan!" Billie said with a huge smile on her face. She was a very friendly person, unless she simply hated you. "Oh and I'm an animagus to. But I'm not as pretty as Stacey is when she's in her form. But I can deliver messages without people screaming." BIllie said happily. "And Pete here doesn't know how to do magic with a wand so he mainly skips class, but has managed to be able to pass this year." Billie said.
He smiled at them, and their light-hearted nature. Funny and kind. Despite the cold weather, the atmosphere was warm, felt like home. Stacey, Billie, Heather, Pete, and Alexis... all of them, happy and kind to a new student. He was used to an unforgiving cold world, not the kindness of strangers.
He decided to show off his power with plants. He leaned down and put his palm on the ground. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The ground grew warm under his touch, and as he lifted his hand a small bush grew. With light green leaves, and purple flowers. The flowers bloomed one at a time. It was the only thing he could think of at the moment, and it wasn't his best.
Alexis grinned lightly as she saw the beautiful bush grow from the ground. After all the flowers individually bloomed she looked at Dan.
"Wow. You're talented" She said, looking back at the the plant.
Alexis took a few steps towards it, and she gently touched one of the leaves.
"Is it hard to do?" Alexis asked him curiously.
She held one of the green leaves softly in her hand. She admired it with a smile.
"Sweet they are so pretty! How did you get the pedals bigger then normal size? And will you look at this color! Its amazing!" She said as she stroked a pedal and looked around at the people standing. *We're kind of like a big group of strange, weird, and abnormal people. But we all fit in with eachother." She thought out loud and smiled.
He smiled at Billie. It was nice to be accepted. "It's not hard, but that wasn't my best." He shook his head. "As I said, I was home schooled" He looked at the ground. The wind blew some stray leaves by them. They were brown and dead, yet beautiful.
Stacey turned her head to watch the leaves dance through the air until finally landing on the cold, hard ground. She tilted her head to the side, thinking. After a quiet moment she stood and lifted her hands. An orange light formed around her hands and she slowly swirled them in a large circle.
Some sort of form appeared in front of her, and a warm wind blew through. The grass waved in the breeze, and the orange form pulsed brightly. With a sudden spark the blob collapsed in on itself and shattered into hundreds of pieces. They took the shape of leaves and slowly blew away.
Stacey shrugged and sat down. "I like autumn."
Dan was wowed by what she could do. He hadn't really seen that much, good magic. What his mother could do was ordinary, but this was extraordinary. He loved learning, he loved magic, he already loved this school. All schools need to be this amazing. He thought.
"Me too." He replied shortly.
"So, I haven't explored campus much, what's cool around here?" He asked, a topic that he had wanted to bring up for a while, but didn't want to sound like a lost first year in asking so.
Billie admired the leaves and Dan's power of the nature. "That is a wonderful gift" She said. Billie looked at Stacey and agreed with her about autumn.
"Well you want me and Stacey to show you around?" She asked him smiling. She knew lots about Hogwarts. And knew lots of places.
Stacey nodded in agreement and ran her hands over her arms.
"Yeah, we could show you lots of places. And if you want, I can even teach you some magic. I`me trying to get an elemetns class going, but I don`t have too many on my side." She smiled, remembering all of the random stunts she pulled when she had been in school, including practically living on the roof and never staying in her dorm after hours. She had hardly ever stayed in her own house, and knew every hall in the castle.
Dan crossed his arms, smiling, his eyes happy as well. "That would be great!" He said "And it would be nice to learn more elemental stuff." He said towards both of them.
The wind was blowing very hard. His hair moved around erratically.
"Yeah thats a great idea!" Billie said about the classes. She would like to learn more about others skills. "So where do you want to start?" She asked.