((Stacey.))
It was nice not to see snow on the ground for once. The Winter had been rather bitter this year, with several blizzards striking the grounds and the local village of Hogsmead. Today, it was actually kind of warm. Well, in it's 40's, but that was warm for January, and residing at a place that rested near a lake.
Sky looked to the sea of clouds above her. The sky was like a canvas, with different shades of red, orange, and blue all blending together. She smiled to herself as she stuck her hands into the pockets of her black coat. She noticed that with every step she took around the school, the grass would make a light crunching sound. Sky hated how Winter effected the grass. She missed laying around in the long, soft, stuff in her t shirt and shorts, just staring up at the clouds. But someday the warm weather would return, and everything would go back to the way it was.
Stacey pushed open the heavy wooden door to the front of the school, breathing in the fresh air. She had always loved it here. Everything was so beautiful and neat. Very rarely were things out of place. She looked around as she jumped down the stairs. The only reason she had been back at Hogwarts-- and actually going inside-- was because she was looking for a healthier place for her to work, where she would have a normal schedual. And luckily, she had been tagged as the assistant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She didn`t mind the "assistant" part, she hadn`t ever really had any experience teaching, after all, but she had plenty of practice defending herself..
Looking to her left, she saw a familiar figure out a ways. Stacey grinned, and started off on that direction and a jog. She was wearing long black pants and a white top with a cute black jacket, completed with heels. They were only two-inches tall, but they weren`t exactly choice running material. But it was Sky. Ever since Stacey had found out that she was pregnant she had wanted Sky to know. Especially after she almost let it slip two nights ago at the Three Broomsticks, well, she needed to tell Sky.
"Hey, wait up." She called, catching up to her friend.
((Lol. You would be Virgil's assistant then. XD))
Sky turned at the sound of the voice, stopping abruptly. Then she saw her friend, Stacey, running towards her. And in heels. Sky shook her head, laughing. "Keep running with heels, and you're going to face plant in some mud!" Sky said, grinning.
She moved a piece of black hair that had gotten in her eyes away. "How are you?" Sky asked. "And what brings you to this neck of the woods?"
(( =O I changed it. =) ))
Stacey laughed too. "Hey, the ground`s hard enough. I`ll be fine." She said, finally reaching Sky. "And it`s not odd for me to be out here, you just never see me because I worked the night shift and came after that." She explained quickly, running her fingers through her hair and pullin git up into a ponytail.
"What`s going on? I`ve been feeling left out for the past two days."
Sky shrugged. "Not very much. Just walking around before I have to go set up a lesson. I have to teach tomorrow." She explained. "And I don't even have a topic yet." She groaned, looking up at the clouds again.
"You said you had something to tell me?"
"What year is it for?" She said first. "And, um, well... Yeah, I didn have something to tell you, but not here." She looked around, smiling. Stacey couldn`t really believe it herself, and when she told someone else it always made her feel all warm on the inside.
"Why don`t we go eat somewhere? The school will be serving dinner soon, anyway." She offered, lifting her head again.
"Uh...fourth. I think." Sky was really puzzled by how Stacey was acting. She seemed like she was glowing, and that she had this huge secret to tell, but couldn't.
"Sure. Lead the way."
Stacey grinned, fighting the urge to jump up and down. Hormones were becoming a really irritating thing. Sky would probably think Stacey needed to go to St. Mugno`s if she did jump around.
"Any place in particular you want to eat?" She asked, scanning her memory for potions fourth year kids could do.
"Not really." She said, shaking her head. "I'm up for anything. What are you in the mood for?"
What Stacey really wanted was Chinese food, which, of course, was impossible to get. She could get it when she was at her father`s house, but that`s because he lived as a Muggle, and right in town. But wizards didn`t eat food like Muggles did.
"I don`t care. Why don`t we just go to Hogsmead and eat?"
Stacey had researched pregnancy syptoms. Hormones could be noticeable after three weeks, and she was five now, but they shouldn`t be as strong as they were. She had asked her doctor about this. He said it was odd, but she seemed perfectly healthy.
"Alright. I'm buying though." She said, tapping her pocket that was full of wizard money. She always carried some around with her. Sky never knew where she would end up and always liked to be prepared.
((Shooortness))
((My posts with Jason are short. I don`t have him figured out yet.))
"No way. I invited you, I`m buying." Stacey replied as they passed the front gate of the school. She exhaled slowly. It always felt like something was being striped away when she stepped off the school grounds. Before she thought it was attatchment to the place, but she had learned that it was the shields pulling away from her.
"How`ve you been? How are you and Jason?"
Sky sighed, slightly aggravated. "Alright. I buy yours and you buy mine. Deal?" She suggested with a smile. As they left the grounds, she noticed the sky had already gotten significantly darker.
"I'm great. We're great actually." She said, the same warm lovey dovey smile appearing on her face. "We're going to live together."
Stacey grinned suddenly, seeing the look on Sky`s face.
"Wow, living together. that`s really a big step. You must really like him." She teased.
Sky made a funny face, sticking out her tongue.
"I do." She said. "Plus it'll be nice not having to live in a house by myself."
Stacey nodded, still smiling.
"It`s nice not to be alone, but it`s a lot different that you think it is." She said, her eyes getting a little distant as she thought about her life with Aiden.
"Yeah.."
They were just entering Hogsmead now.
"I bet it's going to be a lot different than I expect it to be. I'll probably be more insecure about things. I've been alone for years, excluding school. So this should be rather interesting." She said, sticking her hands in her pockets again.
"Don`t get me wrong, it`s amazing, really." Stacey replied, looking around. "You aren`t alone, you always have someone to talk to, someone to care about you. It makes you feel safe." Her voice was soft, but she suddenly looked up to Sky.
"He must be really special to you."
Sky nodded, looking at her.
"I kissed Virgil a few days ago. I didn't mean to, it just...happened. And you know how when you kiss someone you really do care about, you just...you get all warm and fuzzy?" Sky laughed to herself. Did she really just use the terms "Warm and Fuzzy" to describe how she felt?
"Well...it wasn't like that with Virgil. There was nothing. When I kiss Jason, there's fireworks. I get those feelings. He really is special to me." She was in love with the boy.
Sky realized that she was blabbering on and on about her love life and decided to drop it. "So where do you want to go?"
Stacey chewed the inside of her lip, thinking. What Sky had said about kissing Virgil made her think about the incident with Aiden and Avalee. Even though she acted like she didn`t care anymore, she was really self-conscious about it. She never really understood why he did it, she just knew that he regretted it.
"I don`t know, what about that place?" She nodded towards a small restraunt that wasn`t too crouded and seemed welcoming.
"Sure. That sounds good." Sky started for the door as some guy held it open for them. It was a nice little restaurant, not too over the top or boring. It had a nice casual feel.
Stacey quietly thanked the man that held the door open, walking in behind Sky. There was a woman that couldn`t be more than twenty that was leaning against the wall, dressed in black shirt and pants with a white apron, who was writing something on a small card and completely ignored them.
"I guess we can sit wherever we want." She told Sky.
Sky eyed the waitress before looking for a table. "I guess so. Is this one alright?" She asked, pointing to a booth by the window.
((I'm sleepy.))
"Sure." Stacey nodded, sitting down and running her hands over her arms. It had warmed up a little outside, but it was still cold enough to need a coat.
"So besides you and Jason, what`s going on up at the school?" She asked, opening one of the small menus set on the table.
Sky sat down and propped open a menu also, already knowing what she was going to get.
"Honestly, nothing really. Same old same old." She closed the menu once she was done looking and set it down on the table, leaning forward a little.
"So...you had something to tell me?"
Stacey looked at Sky from over her menu, grinning suddenly and her eyes flashing bright blue. Slowly she set the menu down and ran her hands over her, still smiling.
"Uhm, yeah. You probably haven`t heard up at the school, but um... I`m pregnant."
Sky tilted her head to the side, almost like she didn't comprehend what she heard. But then a smile grew on her face.
"Your kidding! Really? Oh my gosh, that's awesome Stacey! Congratulations!" She sat back against her seat. "Do you have any of those wonderful symptoms yet?"
Stacey laughed a little as Sky asked her the question. *Am I having symptoms? Ha.* She thought.
"Mm, yeah. Moreso than most pregnant woman should have. The doctors say I`m perfectly fine, and the reason for it might be because it`s twins." It was her turn to tilt her head. Most people freaked out when she told them it was twins.
"Twins huh?" Sky said. "Wow. Aiden must be pretty excited. He's gonna be a daddy." Sky smiled. She couldn't believe her best friend was going to be a Mother. "I hear pregnant woman get weird cravings. Like...pickles and ice cream."
Stacey smiled again, her eyes lighting up. Her hand moved to her stomach without her really thinking about it.
"I`m not really so sure. He seems... really stressed about it. I mean, it wasn`t planned or anything. We didn`t do anything to prevent it, and now we get that, but he`s really worried about me." She thought bout how sick she had been before she had found out, how sick she felt sometimes.
"And pickles and ice cream? Bleh." She made a face, wrinkling her nose.
Sky noticed the almost instinctual movement of Stacey's hand as it moved to her stomach. That little motion told her that Stacey would make a fantastic parent. She could tell Stacey already loved what was inside her.
"He's a guy. It's going to be hard on him at first. I mean, he's got to be kind of scared after all." Sky grinned. "Don't worry, he'll come around."
Sky laughed at the face Stacey made. "Yeah. I can't imagine anyone liking pickles and ice cream."
Stacey kept her hand against her middle for a moment before dropping it. She was onlf four and a half weeks-- way too soon to feel anything-- but she sometimes felt like she could feel them.
"I know he`ll come around. I think he`ll really get more comfortable when he gets used to the idea. I just think it`s a little early still." She sighed softly, her eyes flickering darker for a quick moment.
"And actually, I`ve really been wanting mint chocolate chip ice cream. I hate mint chocolate chip ice cream." She smiled and picked up her small menu again.
"Well, why don't we get some ice cream?" Sky suggested. "I heard that sometimes pregnant woman get cravings because its something their body needs. But, I doubt that's the case right now."
Sky looked at her menu but didn't really decide on anything.
"Do you...," She tapped her fingers on the table. "think Jason and I are moving too fast? Like...with the whole moving in together thing?"
Stacey smiled. "`Kay. Ice cream it is. Who cares about nutrition these days anyway?" She exclaimed sarcastically, grinning.
"Absolutely not. You should have seen your face when I asked you about him. You like him. That`s enough. If you wouldv`e seen your reaction to my questions, you would know that you`re ready."
Sky looked down at her menu, a smile growing on her face. She traced the letters of the restaurants title with her finger.
"My reaction? What was my reaction?"
Just then the waiter dropped by to see what they wanted.
Stacey grinned broadly when the waitress came up, her whote teeth flashing.
"I`d like a large bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream, please." She said, her eyes on Sky.
Sky snorted, by accident. A large bowl? Wow, she really wasn't kidding about the craving.
"Can I have a bowl of chocolate ice cream please?" She said, still chuckling. The waiter grinned and walked off to process the order.
As soon as the waitress turned away, Stacey stuck her tongue out at Sky.
"Shut up! I`m pregnant. And, girl, you are crazy in love." She raised an eyebrow, reminding Sky of her last question. "You blushed big time when I asked you how you guys were doing. And I mean big time. It was so obvious." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
"Hey! I didn't say anything!" Sky said defensively. She laughed. "Pregnant is such a strange weird." Sky lifted a small flip book of desserts off of the table and began looking at the pictures, not even bothering to read the captions.
"I did not." She mumbled.
Stacey laughed.
"Hey, I didn`t make up the word 'pregnant' so don`t look at me. And you were so blushing. Don`t even try to deny it; I`m married, I know these things." She tapped her head knowingly, trying not to giggle.
"Okay. So...maybe I did blush." She admitted, waving her hand off in the air. "But was it really that obvious?" Sky asked.
Stacey giggled, her eyes flashing a bubble-gum pink.
"Yeah, seriously. Way obvious. At least to me. But I am naturally perceptive." She said sarcastically, smiling widely.
Sky smiled, but didn't say anything. The waiter arrived to their table with two wonderful bowls of ice cream.
"Two ice creams for two lovely ladies." He said, setting each bowl before the right person. He set down a bottle of whipped cream and a small can of sprinkles down also. "Just let me know if I can get you anything else."
"Thanks." Sky said and lifted her spoon, shoving it into the soft chocolate frozen cow juice. ((XD))
The waiter nodded before walking off.
((Lol.))
Stacey`s eyes brightened as she saw the ice cream coming their way, and she made her eyes change blue, away from the odd pink.
"Thanks." She copied, grabbing the can of sprinkles. Her bowl was considerably larger than Sky`s, but she didn`t care. She turned the sprikle can over and dumped a bunch onto her green ice cream.
Sky brought the spoon to her mouth, enjoying the flavor of the chocolate. It didn't even need sprinkles or anything. "They have good ice cream." She said, already on to another spoonfull. "How is yours?"
Stacey lifted a large spoonful of the stuff to her mouth, brushing a few fallen sprinkles from her lap.
"Oh, gosh, it`s good." She replied, closing her eyes as the mint ice cream melted in her mouth.
"So...got any names in mind yet?" Sky asked, wincing from sudden brain freeze. "Oww. Ate too fast." She brought her hand to her head and groaned. "Dang."
"Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Works every time." Stacey advised, taking another bite.
"We haven`t really talked about it much, since it`s way too early to find out. But I was thinking Will for a boy and Torrance for a girl."
"Those are really nice names." Sky paused to do the tounge thing and sighed in relief a moment later.
"If I ever have a baby, I think I'd name it Gavin for a boy and Emma for a girl. But I dunno."
Stacey nodded, shoveling more coldness into her mouth.
"I like those names. I dunno. I`ve just always liked the name Will. It sounds so... strong."
Sky nodded, risking another bite of the icey substance. It was just too good to resist.
"You want to give your kids a strong name. Something that means something." She smiled.
Stacey pushed her remaining ice cream around in the bowl with her spoon.
"I`m pretty sure William means protection and determination. That`s a good thing to be named for." Her eyes flickered purple thoughtfully.
"Will's a lovely name." Sky said. She pushed her bowl to the side, at least half of it still remaining. The brain freeze kind of ruined the dessert for her.
Stacey giggled again as she saw Sky push her bowl away. Her own bowl was practically gone, and she had had a ton more than her friend.
"I don`t know why, but I never get brainfreezes. Maybe it has something to do with my element being fire." She though aloud, finishing off her dessert.
Sky felt the lasting effects of the brainfreeze disappear and smiled. It was such an awful feeling.
"Maybe." She said. "I don't have any special powers, so I wouldn't know." Sky was born, as far as she knew, with no special abilities. Though she was incredibly gifted with the arts of magic. Maybe she had a hidden power somewhere. Who knew?
Stacey looked out the large window they sat by, watching people walk by.
"Have you ever had something weird happen? Like, something weird magic-wise that you couldn`t even explain with you normal powers?" She asked suddenly. She titled her head and looked at her friend, trying to observe her powers without looking into her mind.
Sky found herself looking out the window too, watching a family walk about outside, shielding their faces from the cold with their cloaks. Had she made anything happen? She couldn't remember.
"Not that I can recall." She looked at Stacey. "Maybe I just have to get really mad or something."
Stacey just shrugged and looked back outside. She didn`t feel any elemental powers in her friend, but that didn`t necessarily mean anything. They could just be burried under her other powers.
"Who knows, maybe you`ll get old then suddenly powers will pop up." It wasn`t often that that happened, but it didn happen. Stacey hoped that it would never happen to her. She had enough stuff to handle without adding more power.
Sky leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.
"Eh, I don't need any special powers anyway. I'm actually really content with myself." She said proudly. "Though...sometimes it scares me that I'll never be able to defend myself with all of these people having powers and such." One of Sky's fears was having to face the remaining Death Eaters, those who still served Voldemort despite the fact that he had died years ago. It was basically a cult. And the one who killed her parents was still out there somewhere.
Stacey looked back to her friend, not noticing that her eyes flickered a shade darker.
"You will be able to fight them. They don`t take the time to learn everything about their powers. They just fight and hope they don`t get hurt. You know who you are, and you`ll be perfectly fine." Her voice had a sudden darker tone to it.
She sighed and leaned back into her seat like Sky did. "These mood swings are going to kill me." She complained.
Sky nodded. "Thanks Stacey. You always know how to make me feel better." Sky moved her spoon around in the bowl, the icecream now more of a cold, brown, goopy soup. Yummy....
Sky chuckled at Stacey's comment. "Oh Stacey." She said. "This is only the beginning. You've still got what, seven or eight months? Wait until you start showing and people constantly start grabbing your stomach."
Stacey wrinkled her nose, but couldn`t help but to grin.
"I`ve got eight months left, thank you, and I do not intend on letting strangers pat my stomach. I`m sure they can`t pump enough hormones into me to let that happen." Her attention was draw to a guy sitting by himself at a small table behind Sky. He had overheard some of the conversation and had made a face. Stacey just rolled her eyes.
"Suuuuree." Sky said teasingly. "That's what they all say."
The waiter walked over to their table and collected their dishes, leaving the bill.
"I've got this." Sky said, reaching into her pocket to pull out some sickles.
Stacey rolled her eyes and set one sickle down on the table.
"Don`t you dare give it back, either. Keep it or use it to pay. You always tipped me way to much at the Three Broomsticks. And I do have eight months left." She sniffled and crossed her arms while she tried to hide her smile.
Sky couldn't help but roll her eyes as well as she put the sickle with her pile. It would make due for a tip anyway. She laughed to herself and leaned back in her seat again.
Stacey giggled again.
"What are you laughing at? I can`t help it that I`m all messed up and can`t remember what we were talking about five minutes ago or what I had for lunch yesterday." She smiled, her eyes morphing bubble gum pink.
"I just pictured two little babies running around. Their little bodies with your's and Aiden's heads on them and you two chasing them down trying to get a diaper on." She laughed again and ran her hand through her hair. "Too funny."
Stacey laughed, earning herself a few more glances which she ignored.
"You`re so random all of the time. Ugh, I can`t believe there`s going to be twins." She leaned forward and put her chin on her hand, also running her fingers through her hair. Her eyes weren`t pink anymore, but brown again.
"Lighten up. It's going to be great." Sky said, mocking Stacey's pose and putting her chin on own hand. "You're going to be an amazing Mother."
Stacey sighed. "You don`t know that. Everybody`s been telling me that, but how do they know? I could be a terrible mother." She replied darkly, suddenly far from laughing.
Sky tilted her head. "You could." She said. "But you won't. I know you Stacey. You would never purposely make someone you care about unhappy or hurt them." She sighed. "Are you scared?"
Stacey sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"Of course I`m scared. I`m seventeen, and we didn`t plan this. No matter how ready we seem to be for it, this isn`t something you could ever be ready for. Especially when you`re seventeen. I`d be stupid not to be scared. There`s so much that could go wrong, so much that could happen."
Sky didn't know what to say. She propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin between her knuckles.
"It'll all be okay." Sky said softly. "It'll all be okay."
Stacey sighed again and leaned forward.
"I`m sorry, Sky, I really am. I don`t mean to be all... pissy. Can`t help it." She apologized.
Sky smirked. "Your not pissy. You're scared nutsless and I personally don't blame you." Sky smirked. "I'd be scared too if I had two watermelons coming out of something the size of a watermelon in eight months too." She noticed an old man who was eating, gingerly put his fork down that still had food on it and wipe his mouth with a napkin. She grinned.
Stacey snorted and giggled madly.
"Gosh, Sky, did you have to say that so loud? That poor guy?" She giggled as he shot her a look.
((That was supposed to be the s word for dookie, just so you know. Not nutless XD))
"I'm sorry Mister!" Sky called over from their table. The old man glared at her and got him with his plate, moving to another table.
"He must not have children."
((Lmao.))
Stacey laughed.
"He probably does have kids." She replied, smiling despite herself and the old man`s obvious disgust.
Sky laughed. "I don't think I could have kids for awhile. I don't think I'm much of the motherly type anyway."
Stacey looked out the window again.
"It`s a really weird feeling. Like, you`re scared, but you feel like you have to protect them. It`s just... kind of odd to feel it all of a sudden." Her hand moved to her stomach again. "When the time comes, you`ll be a great mom."
"I never really got to see what a Mother was like since mine..you know. Died." For a quick moment, a hint of sadness showed on Sky's face, but disappeared as quickly as it came. "But it's all good."
"Like I had a good example to go off of." Stacey replied, rolling her eyes. "But it`s just kinda some feeling, you know? Like you know what to do." She looked down at the stomach and her hand.
Sky nodded, understanding. "Instinct, right?" She stared out the window. Amazing how humans had instincts. Like learning to walk, eating, sleeping. It was oddly interesting."
Stacey nodded slowly.
"Instinct, yeah. I guess it`s just been drilled into us over millions of years." She was silent for a minute. "You wanna go for a walk? It`s kind of stuffy in here." She looked around at the rest or the restraunt, which was darker and smoky.
Sky sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, let's go." She nodded and got up from her seat and waited for Stacey.
"Do you need help. You know, with you in your condition and everything?" She joked.
Stacey, being right behind her friend, stuck out her tongue.
"No, thank you. I am only four weeks, you know. I don`t show yet, and I don`t have ten extra pounds throwing me off balance."
Sky laughed to herself as she walked out the door. "Look out! Lady with a baby...or two, coming through!" She called down the street before looking for Stacey's reaction. Some people looked at Sky but then rolled their eyes and skoffed in annoyance.
Stacey rolled her eyes and kept walking.
"Seriosuly, Sky? I got married when I was seventeen. I don`t care what people think of me."
"Meh." Sky stuck out her tongue as Stacey walked ahead.
((YEAH! 1 Line baby!))
((I think we kinda played this out.))
((Ya. I'm just losing my posting potential for the night..))