When she needs a human companion

Iris walked in circles around the tree until she found a comfy spot. She likes to be alone. Always. This the only way she can reflect her thoughts, especially her dreams. Some are terrifying and dreadful, while some are the happiest. She kept that secret only to herself and her parents. She loved them so much and how everyday she misses them. How she grew up in the muggle world and actually encountered every muggle had. She silently laughed at that thought. She stared into the bright blue sky, she's still waiting what house she can be sorted to. She closed her eyes and brought back the memories. She wants a friend right now, a true friend who can understand her the way she is.

Alessa walked groggily across the castle grounds, towards the Enchanted Lake to where she planned to read this book about vampires that she borrowed from the library. She hurriedly skipped, as she was getting annoyed by the heat that was coming from the sun raised high. She muttered something unintelligent, stopped and sat for a moment.

It was when she saw a girl wearing a similar Slytherin cloak, sitting under a shady oak tree and somehow unconsciously smiling. It's been quite a while since she talked to someone of her age, she thought to herself. And this girl seems so... alone.

She ran towards the girl under the tree, stopped to a halt with a grin and said

"Hello! I'm Alessa. I hope you don't mind?"

[OOC: I really hope you don't. I'm so bored, I'm sorry. D:]

Alexis was watching the girl sitting alone beside the lake from her position under the birch tree. When the girl was joined by another girl she decided to go talk to them. Maybe it's time I get out of my shell and make some friends, she thought.
So she approached them. 'Mind if I join you?' She said,'I'm Alexis by the way, Alexis Hope.'

Alessa looked up and smiled. She stood happily and held her hand towards Alexis. "Hi! I'm Alessa. Alessa Romano."

"Pleasure to meet you" Alexis smiled and shook her hand. She turned to the other girl, "Hello, I hope you don't mind me joining you."

She was surprised to see two girls her age actually talking to her and kind of wants to be their friend. This is her chance. She wouldn't let go of it now. How fortunate. She looked them right in the eye and smiled, "Oh, Hi. It would be no problem if you join. I'm Iris Frances. I see you're both from the Slytherin house. What a coincidence." she answered in her most casual tone. "I'm sorry if I'm being too emotional. It's just hard to adapt in this new environment and be away from the people closest to my heart. Hope you don't mind also." She treated them now as her friends and that's how time flies, one moment you're alone and looking for a companion, and now here they are. She was so thankful, that made her cheer up a bit.

Alessa smiled. "It's usually hard to adapt, especially that you came from a completely non-magical environment but I reckon you'll probably get used to it sometime soon."

She looked around her surroundings and sighed. She took her book out and read it while Iris and Alexis talk to each other.

"Alessa is right you know." She told Iris, "You'll adapt in no time at all. Besides, there'll always be friends around you whenever you need help. So what it's like in the muggle world? My father is a muggle-born too, but we don't talk much."

"I do hope so. The muggle world is not much different here. Well except for the magic, of course. I'm used to like being independent and doing my stuff my way. Why don't you talk much to your father? Is there a problem? Can I help?" she was concerned of her new friend's situation. She just left Alessa reading and don't want her to be disturbed. Vampires she thought. One of her favorites during her stays in the muggle world. Funny.

"Oh no no, you misunderstand." Alexis corrected hastily, "My father is a busy man, but we are alright. I's talking about his relatives, you know. They grew apart I guess." But dad misses them sometimes, she thought.

She did misunderstood and answered fast. "Oh, that is alright then. It's sad to know that your relatives are not that pretty close. But let's just hope and accept that that's it. Sorry." She was indeed kind of embarrassed. At that moment, a thought struck her instantly and she spoke once again. "I almost forgot! I still have to owl my parents and tell them what's happening to me. They must be worried. I promised I'll write everyday if I get a chance, but I guess I'm still not busy with school work, so I'll try." She was disappointed to leave. But she has to. And besides, they'll be seeing each other soon. They're both from the Slytherin house - including Alessa, who was busy reading the novel. Iris stood up and tidied her robes. She looked back where her new friend was standing by the birch tree and smiled, waiting for her reply.

Alexis smiled, 'Yeah, see you later.'
She settled beside Alessa with her copy of Intermediate Potion Making, her muggle notebook, and a pencil. She felt at home with the companiable silence.

"See you both around. Common room, great hall, classes, Quidditch games, and everywhere." Iris said with a short laugh. She took one last sight at the scene where she was - by the lake, and heavily sighed with the soothing wind by her face. She won't forget about this. Not once. Never. She thought. "Tell me more about the novel soon, Alessa. I'm interested." She has improved her self-esteem because of them, which she considered now as her own friends. She was proud of it. "I will tell them about this fortunate encounter. Promise. Good luck with that Alexis!" She can't help but smile. She now believes in only one thing: fate, as they call it.

Alexis smiled and waved at her

Iris waved back and walked to the castle, delighted and still smiling.

Alessa, being busy with the new book, left the two and emerged inside her thoughts. It was fun being with new company, though she dearly missed her grandma giving her books and reading it with her.

Speaking of which, she thought, maybe eavesdropping wouldn't be so bad.

She pretended to read intently - vampires are very interesting creatures, but listening to others' conversations are not at the very least boring. She'd have time to read this book during term anyway, since she read in advance during her train ride.

Father issues.

Something inside her jumped. Suddenly, something felt missing. She's been always sensitive when it comes to her family - her father, especially him. Somehow she felt confided by Alexis and Iris' talking. She felt that she's not alone when it comes to family.

Alessa stared blankly at the moving words that she charmed with so it'd look like she's actually reading. She remembered those times when it was her first year at Hogwarts and her father wasn't there to cheer her up, nor was her mother. They were always busy with her twin. It was her twin here and her twin there. Instead of sending Alessa luck, he left her and went to France with her twin. The one that doesn't even appreciate anything they give.

And she remembered the time when her grandma - the only family member she trusts - died. She was 109 and accidentally did a spell wrongly. Alessa was there but could do nothing but watch her loved one die.

And what's worse is her twin didn't even care. And yet their parents still favor her twin other than the one who does care.

Iris broke her emotional chain of thoughts, telling her to tell about the book she's reading.

"Oh, yes, it's rather interesting. I've been reading about this since summer - have you heard about Twilight? This book says something about it being a myth. But we'll never know unless we meet a vampire itself, though, right?" she chuckled, being amused by her own failed so-called humor. "Well, take care!"

She was still waving when Alexis sat beside her and took a book out. She sighed, forced a smiled and thought about the possibilities of overthrowing her sister - for once.

Soon.

Alexis turned to her with a smile, 'I've read Twilight. It'd be nice to meet a sparkling vampire, don't you think? What was the spell by the way?'

Alessa laughed, a real one this time. "I've read Twilight, too. Although my cousin from Italy says that the book is too cliche - and it's funny how a lot of Muggles consider it as a romantic story! It's more of a parody to me - but that's my opinion so please don't get offended."

She looked at her book with the words still moving. After a few seconds, it stopped. And then after a few more, the letters are moving again. "It's a nonverbal spell my grandma taught me. She taught it to almost all of her grandchildren, actually. You just have to look at a word - nothing specific, just a word from the page - and through your eyes, make it look like you're pushing it. It's like you're dragging words using your vision."

Alessa stared at the page again, which made the words stop. "It's the same thing when stopping it. Block the words using your vision. It's quite complicated, actually. It took nearly a month for me to achieve it but I reckon you can do it in a couple of minutes. I was 9 when I first used the charm."

Alessa looked for a piece of paper in her bag and wrote something. Move these words, the paper said.

"It's best to start with a few letters. Here, you try." she said while handing Alexis the paper.

Alexis gulped, 'Um, I'm not so sure. Usually I'm good with spells, but I've never tried them non verbally before.'
She concentrated on the words, 'Tell me if it's working like it should.' She said, and tried to visualize the letters moving.

She smiled. "Well, the worst that could happen is ripping the words off the paper, but what's the good of not trying? Come on, you can do it!" she said, while giving out an encouraging smile.

Alexis furrowed her brow and visualized the word 'move' to move to the left side. Whoa! 'Um, Alessa? Was it supposed to move the word out of the paper? It sort of wiggled and shot out to the left, and left the paper altogether.'

Alessa stood up and gripped her wand with such force that could break it in two. "Accio word!" she said, with her right hand ready to hold the wriggling 'move'.

"It's okay. That happens a lot. The first time I attempted to move the words in a book, I set it on fire. But that's because my uncle was smoking beside me - no biggie."

She slapped the word into the paper carelessly, so it read "These move words". She handed the paper back to Alexis and said "Try again. You're doing great, actually. But try controlling this time."

Alexis comncentrated again, and this time the words moved according to her wish. she grinned, "I think I got it."
She started playing word games in the paper using the charm.
"I bet it's really useful to encode secret messages. Isn't it?" she asked Alessa, she had a feeling they will get along well in Slytherin.

Alessa watched Alexis move the letters written on the paper. "See?" she said with a grin. "My Uncle used that charm in an ancient cave once and rearranged the hieroglyphs. It was quite amusing, actually, when the Muggle Police came running to the wall and saw a cow swimming with an Egyptian."

She looked at the paper again. "Exactly! Before, my grandma and grandpa used that as a way to communicate during class, and they weren't even caught nor reprimanded! Maybe we could use this sometime soon, too."

'Sure' Alexis grinned. 'So, what's your favorite subject? And do you know what were the summer assignments?'