Smoke || OPEN

Charlotte leaned back on the rock she currently sat on and admired the Enchanted Lake. She wasn't sure why it was named that way and she certainly thought it was a rather stupid idea.

"Why name something that's enchanted if you can't notice it's enchantedness?" She asked out loud as she took out her pack of cigarettes, popped one in her mouth and lit it up. "Rather stupid if you ask me."

She took off her coat and placed it right next to her and as she inhaled and exhaled the smoke. Smoking, until recently, had become a dirty habit of hers. Of course, she only did it when she was alone and the sun was coming down. Besides, it was her own stress reliever. She looked down at her cigarette and noticed the red stained lipstick that was left there. She laughed at her self and mumbled something about needing the coffee and it would all be perfectly fine.

The sun was coming down as she finished her cigarette, knowing that she reeked of it's minty smoke. She then grabbed a piece of gum from her bag and popped it in her mouth.

"Now, let's see what's so enchanting about this lake, shall we?" She said to herself as she placed her coat on and grabbed her bag. She began walking on the shore of the lake when she noticed that there was someone coming towards her from the opposite direction. She couldn't distinguish who it was because the sun was setting right behind them.


---


outfit.

Iris wondered to herself why the hell she even chose to come here in the first place. She had been to this lake so many times, yet still couldn't notice anything magical about it. Though, she did visit all the common places since she came back from Russia for half term break. She had owled her foster parents, letting them know that she'd come back to the States only at the end of the year.

She took out a bottle of vodka from her jacket and drank a long sip. Kicking some rocks into the lake, she thought about the meeting with her brother and her situation with Kait. Everything seemed to be so shitty and a part of her wished she could stay in Russia.

As she walking, she saw someone else on the opposite. She rolled her eyes when she saw it was West. For once, she was hoping not to get into an argument with the Slytherin. "Hey there West, didn't think you were a lake sort of person!" She called out.

"Fuck," Charlotte mumbled as she took notice that it was Grayson. She mumbled some other incoherent words as she tried to sneak off but it was too late considering Grayson had called her out. She turned on her heal to face her, giving her a slight nod to let her know that she had heard her.

"Hey Grayson," she greeted with her trademark smirk. "Didn't think you were much of a drinker," she nodded towards her vodka bottle and crossed her arms. "Fancy seeing you here, though."

"Drinking helps me in more ways than one," Iris shrugged and drank some more. "Though you smoking doesn't surprise me," she said with a smirk as she smelt the smoke. "Can't get addicted to smoking for some reason, though it has helped occasionally.

She looked around and nodded her head. "Yeah, don't ask me what I'm doing here. And what about you?" She asked.

"I find smoking a little bit more... relaxing than alcohol," Charlotte confessed nonchalantly, her voice was pretty monotone though. She was here to relax and not have a bad time.

She had a feeling if she had let the comment go with her regular tone, it would have come very sarcastic and Charlotte did not want to get into a fight right now.
Especially with Grayson.

Taking a drag of her cigarette, she asked the Gryffindor what type of alcohol she had.

"I didn't ask," she smirked. "But I'm just here, enjoying myself. Being back in England and what not before having to go back to dreary Russia."

"Smoking, drinking, partying; whatever gets our mind away from the shit, eh?" Iris asked with a smirk. She finished her bottle and threw it into the waters with great force, mostly in the mood to actually hit something.

She was already feeling light-headed and little more relaxed. Normally the alcohol takes a longer time to kick in, but things seemed worse now.

"The one I just drank was vodka," she muttered and wondered whether to start on her second bottle yet. "I have one more, but it's Firewhiskey," she said and sat down against one of the rocks that were there.

"Yeah, as much as I liked Durmstrang, I'm really not looking forward to go back to Russia. The place is too depressing for me," she remarked and shrugged.

outfit!

"Definitely," Charlotte agreed. "Merlin, I hate thinking about shit. I'm so ready to graduate from Hogwarts... well, no, not really but I am ready for summer holidays. These shitty OWL tests are starting to get my goddamned nerve," she confessed as she took another drag from it, letting the small buzz from it make her feel better.

Charlotte couldn't help laugh at Grayson when she threw bottle into the lake, "Way to pollute the fucking world even more."

"Want one?" The Slytherin asked as she opened the package and leaned it towards Grayson. "Promise that I didn't jinx them or anything."

"Merlin, where do you keep it all?" She chuckled as she threw the cigarette onto the floor and stomped with her foot to put it out.

"Russia is fucking depressing, right?" Charlotte agreed as she pointed out in front of her with her hand, at nothing. "Seriously, how the fuck do these people do it for their entire lives?"

"Yes, summer holidays!" Iris exclaimed, just waiting for the stupid year to get over. She hated the fact that she had to go back to school after escaping from the kidnapper and she was looking forward to make a full recovery. "OWL's; something I know I'm going to hate next year," she groaned. "So are the exams a bitch like everyone says it is?"

She winked at the Slytherin and grinned. "One of the perks of being a bad citizen, I guess. I think you'd approve though," she commented.

Slightly surprised, she accepted the cigarette with a shrug. "Drinking and smoking; seems like we're on our way to being civil, West." She remarked, giving her a brief smile.

"A jacket with some pockets can do wonders. And magic," she responded. "Want a swig? Promise I didn't jinx it," she repeated the blonde's earlier words and smirked.

Iris nodded her head in agreement. "Fucking depressing indeed. The whole aura literally wreaks of broody and moodiness," she said and frowned at the thought.

"Oh those exams are a fucking bitch," she let out with a sigh. "And I am not looking forwards to NEWTs when they come up. I went fucking insane with OWLs, I don't want to imagine it when they're NEWTs."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte let out a joking scoff, "You still on about being a bad citizen? Merlin Grayson, thought you'd give up by now."

"Being civil? That's no fun, is it?" She replied with a chuckle as she put the pack of cigs in her back pocket and tossed her a lighter, "Because if you think that we're close to becoming friends, we're far from that."

Deciding to take a drink, she grabbed the bottle and drank from it. The taste of alcohol flooded her mouth as the dryness of it went down her throat, down her esophagus and into her stomach. Charlotte made a disgusted face as she handed it back to her, "That shit ain't good if it's not cold... but thanks."

Agreeing with her statement in Russia, she shrugged and decided on changing the subject.

"So, how's that cute boy toy of yours doing?" Charlotte said as he recalled the french boy. "He still around?"

"Just think about passing on to the seventh year, West and then you can think about NEWT's," Iris commented and smirked at the blonde. "Besides, you don't really be stuck in Hogwarts for the rest of your life, do you?"

She shook her head and looked pointedly at the Slytherin. "I'm pretty sure you're just as much of a bad citizen than me, perhaps worse. After all, there is so much we don't know about each other, yes?" She asked and raised an eyebrow.

Laughing at the girl's statement, she said, "You and me friends? I don't think we'd want to sabotage our well built reputation like that. Besides, you know what they say; keep your friends and keep your enemies closer," she smirked and caught the lighter. "Woah, this shit actually feels good," she muttered as she lit the cigarette and smoked a ring.

"The best part of really loving alcohol, you'll drink it whether it's hot or cold," she said and grinned in amusement at West's disgusted face.

It took Iris a moment to realize that the blonde was talking about Alec. "Oh, you mean Blanchard? He's not exactly my boy toy, you know," she smirked. "Yes, he is very much around actually," she replied as she exhaled some more of the smoke. "Any specific reason you're asking?"

Mel walked down to the lake with her sketchbook at hand hoping for a idea to hit her like a rock. Confused as hell she walked over to the two girls talking.

"Sorry," She said. "Am I interrupting something?"

"J'espère que je ne suis pas." She mumbled to herself.