catching up with friends

Vincent sat at the leaky cauldron his eyes slowly drifting around the room, as he hoped to see a familiar face... he thought to all the people he had met so far.

Charlotte smiled softly as she hung her commissioned painting on the wall of the establishment and she wiped her hands on her paint covered denim shorts which she wore with thick tights because of the cold.

"Excellent baby girl! Heres your money, wanna drink?"

At the offer of a drink Charlotte nodded frantically and took the free butterbeer gratefully, looking around she spotted a boy, a bit younger than her, and walked over to him, hoping her bright red eyes and snake bite peircings wouldn't put him off.

"Hey there, want some company?"

He watched as the older student hung her psinting up, he always enjoyed powerful artworks
"yes, that would be nice, miss?" He waited for a name but none the less continued, "that's a nice painting, and a free drink... this is your night he joked" as he looked up from her paint covered pants he realised her eyes "they are awesome contacts, did you get them from a muggle store?"

Charlotte grinned and sat down in the chair across from the boy, noticing that she had baby blue pain stuck into her nails, sighing she made a note to change that later and she looked up politely at the boy.

"Charlotte, Charlotte Matthews, but most people call me Char."

Holding up the bag of money Charlotte giggled a little then placed it back in her bag, she was a famous artist, but of course she worked under an alias because of her age, but hopefully not one day.

"It sure is! You want a drink?" she asked kindly

Widening her eyes Charlotte grinned and shook her head:

"No no, these are my fathers eye colour, and I have my mothers White hair."

He grinned and replied "that's very nice of you, yes thanks a butterbeer please"
He was shocked "thats a natural colour!? Wow"

Charlotte grinned and caught the eye of the bartender, and he nodded at her, a few minutes later bringing over a butterbeer and as Charlotte dug for the money he declared it free again and she smiled widely.

"Well there you are then."

Nodding her head Charlotte bit her lip, metal peircings scraping her teeth.

"It doesn't bother you does it?"

He watched as he was brought his butterbeer, he smiled with gratitude at the bartender and then at Charlotte,
As he brought the drink to his lips he realised something, quickly putting his drink down he said kindly
"Sorry, my name is Vincent Furtell, First Year Ravenclaw... Thank you very much for the drink" he then filled his mouth with delicious butter beer and swallow gratifyingly. Charlotte was a nice girl.

He watched as he was brought his butterbeer, he smiled with gratitude at the bartender and then at Charlotte,
As he brought the drink to his lips he realised something, quickly putting his drink down he said kindly
"Sorry, my name is Vincent Furtell, First Year Ravenclaw... Thank you very much for the drink" he then filled his mouth with delicious butter beer and swallow gratifyingly. Charlotte was a nice girl. After he out his drink down she bit her lip hiding her piercings that suited her so well
"and no, your eyes are very beautiful and suit you perfectly, if anything I want them"

Charlotte smiled, she didn't know that this boy was so young, he was so toned, so muscled and she found herself blushing a little bit but quickly got a hold of herself again, after all she had a boyfriend even if she hadn't seen much of him.

"It's nice to meet you Vincent, I can't help but notice just how toned you are, it made me think you were older than you were, im in my fourth year."

Blushing softly again Charlotte winced slightly as her metal studs caught on her teeth and she checked to see if they hadnt ripped which thankfully they hadn't.

"They're like marmite, you either love them or hate them."

Charlotte sipped at her drink and looked up at Vincent and smiled gently: "What brings you here?"

He noticed Charlotte blush and he didn't know why... was he doing something?
He to blushed when she said he looked older and toned
"Thanks" he said with reddening cheeks
"It took quite sometime but it's all payed off, I'm Briony Romain's apprentice in Muggle duelling" he smiled he was so proud of it
After gulping down another mouthful, he realised how bad it must look, like he'd never had a drink in his life. So he placed his cup down and continued
"I came, just incase I saw some familiar faces, but it seems I've met a new face... something I was not expecting, but I'm glad it happened, your a lovely girl, Charlotte"

Charlotte smiled widely when she heard that Vincent had done all of that for an apprenticeship, he must be really dedicated to learning under Briony, she knew why, she was an excellent teacher.

"That's wonderful Vincent! I'm sure you'll have a good relationship, despite her mean outside Brionys a sweetie, but don't tell her I said that shed crucify me."

Winking at Vincent Charlotte sat back and couldn't help but blush again and she felt her hair begin to tinge pink with the ferocity of it but she managed to get it back to her normal White hair colour.

"Well, gosh, thanks Vincent. You're not half bad either." she grinned, of course not knowing him fully yet she couldn't say for sure

He chuckled when she mentioned Briony, it was all true
"I first met her here, she was having a drinking competition with professor Moody... she was nice to me straight away"
he hoped he didn't look rude when he cast his eyes across the room hoping for someone to arrive.
"So, Charlotte what classes do you take?" he asked, only sipping from his cup

Charlotte smiled softly and she knew that Vincent was hoping for someone else to come in and talk to him and Charlotte bit her lip wondering if she was actually wanted here, she didnt want to intrude.

"So...um...who are you waiting for? Want me to go?" she whispered

Smiling lightly Charlotte thought of all the classes that she had taken and she thought that was pretty much it, shed only taken four classes after all:

"Defense against the dark arts, Transfig, Potions and History of Magic. You?"

Kirsten stumbled - with a rather unladylike manner - into the Leaky Cauldron, uncharacteristically out of breath due to the haste in which she'd needed to try and escape the awful outside weather.

She wrapped her robe tighter against her damp flesh and shook her long, wavy locks out from a loose ponytail, taking in the sights of the room. She was still getting used to the idea of actually being at Hogwarts and all the iconic locations, and she planned to memorize as many details as possible.

Her eyes flicked about the room in a lazy manner as she walked, purchasing a Butterbeer as she went, and her eyes finally came to rest on a rather beautiful girl with astonishing white blonde hair ... and then her heart stopped as she noticed Vincent next to her; the dashing boy from the graveyard!

What a coincidence! Kirsten thought. She couldn't hold back a grin from her face, and with a flourish she set course to the table where her two fellow students were sitting. She brightened her smile, and said shyly, "Hi ..." she looked from the girl to Vincent and added hesitantly, "remember me?"

Charlotte looked up at the girl and she grinned, it was obvious that she liked Vincent but to her it seemed like he was totally in love with Professor Romain, so shed be lucky, smiling at her politely Charlotte gestured to a seat.

"No I do not remember you." she grinned cheekily "The names Charlotte, Charlotte Matthews."

He noticed the beautiful girl from the graveyard enter the Leaky Cauldron, his breath was taken when she undid her hair. She came to the table.
"Hi, yes... um" he thought back to the graveyard, how their was so much intensity and so much adrenaline, and yet she kept her cool, along with himself and he remembered asking her name... "That's right, your Kirsten... It's great to see you again, how have you been"
He noticed how drenched she was, and before she sat down he got up. Gingerly took his coat off and placed it over the top of her robes, he hoped it was warmer, he pulled a chair out and as she sat pushed it in, returning to his seat.

Kirsten giggled softly and nodded towards Charlotte, "I'm Kirsten Cresswell," she replied, "it's so lovely to meet you."

She was immensley glad that Vincent recognized her, and she fought down a blush as he chivalrously gave her his thick and warm coat. I must look like a drowned rat she thought. "Thank you," she said to Vincent, her eyes locking with his for an intense few seconds. As she sat down, butterflies were having a disco in her stomach, and she was glad that Charlotte was there so she wouldn't be alone with Vincent and turn into a stuttering mess.

When Vincent returned to his seat, Kirsten once again looked from him to Charlotte, a faint smile ever-present on her face. "So how are you both?"

Charlotte looked at the two younger students and blinked softly, she sighed inwardly, this was going to be so awkward, and then she was going to have to leave because it was so awkward which sucked.

Feeling totally like a third wheel Charlotte leant back on her chair and took out a piece of scrap from her pocket, beginning to bend and twist it into a new star shaped lip stud that she could wear.

"Obviously you two have met before, where was that?" she asked kindly

Shrugging her shoulders Charlotte didn't say 'Overwhelmingly awkward and I would like to leave asap' instead she just went with the usual answer:

"I'm okay, you?"

"I'm good thank you," Kirsten answered. She looked at the piece of scrap that Charlotte was fiddling with and smiled, "that looks interesting," she commented, wondering if she was trying to hard to make friends. I've never been much of a social butterfly, she thought remorsefully, however there was no time like the present to change that!

Still intrigued by Charlotte's handcraft, Kirsten continued, "So what year are you in?"

Charlotte smiled softly up at Kirsten and she noted that she seemed to be rather intrigued by what she was doing with the peice of metal and as soon as the last point was straight enough she showed her.

A new lip stud for her.

"I'm in my fourth year, Slytherin, what about you guys?"

She took another sip of butterbeer and grinned.

He watched Kirsten and watched Charlotte as they talked and he to was interested in Charlottes handcraft, he watched intently as she finished he gave her the thumbs up, he thought it was very creative
"Good job Charlotte" when she asked how/when they'd met he explained with slightly less information
"I was 'flowering' the graveyard" he hoped that didn't sound girly "it's how I pay respect to each person, who may not have anyone else" he quickly added
"Then.... some commotion occurred and Kirsten stepped in, she was very rational and level-headed... I'm glad she was there"
he smiled at Kirsten, he really was glad she was there, and that she was here.
"So after that we've been seeing each other alot more, which I hope happens throughout the year" he said with a grin.

Kirsten grinned at both of them. To Charlotte she tried not to stare too much as she finished her craftmanship, to which Kirsten said, "That's so stunning! Where'd you learn to do that?!"

And to Vincent she blushed yet again as he told the story of the events at the graveyard. "It was an intense couple of minutes," Kirsten said to Charlotte, agreeing with Vincent's retelling of events. "But I'm glad I made a new friend out of it!" She giggled, catching Vincent's eye once more and widening her smile.

"And I believe Vincent and I are both first year Ravenclaws," she continued. "What was your first year like?" she asked Charlotte politely.

Charlotte grinned as the two of them watched her craft, if she was less consistent she would feel odd but she knew she could do it, art was the only thing she could do properly and she took out one of her old studs and slotted the new one in.

"Well I learnt on my own, I had 10 years on my own and art was the only thing that I had to occupy me."

She smiled and looked at the two of them, maybe they were attacked and they both share that bond because of it? Either way, it was cute, and she smiled softly at them again, twirling a finger through her hair.

"Sounds thrilling! I had a boring summer...but there was always something to do each day I guess, like that painting."

Charlotte paused and thought: "It was unforgettable. You're in for a wonderful time."

Charlotte had an interesting story, even though she only had art she was good at it.
Finding that this year was unforgettable he grinned and said
"Thanks, I'll try to remember it"

Charlotte smiled at the two of them and finished up her drink, but then she sighed softly and sucked the last bit of butterbeer up from the bottom of the bottle.

"So, what do you guys like to do?"

She placed the metal stud away in her pocket and grinned softly.

"We all know I like art."