Far From Home

"If she can get you to talk," Savannah grinned, giddy with happiness, "Then she can't be all that bad. Besides," she added with a shrug, "She's family. She does care about, you know."

Grinning, she blushed a deeper red, covering her face with her hands as she laughed nervously, "He - he's amazing. He's a second year at Beauxbatons, and he's the sweetest, kindest, most caring guy I've ever met." Blushing again, she whispered, "I - I kissed him."

Glancing around in attempt to calm down the blood rushing to her cheeks, her eyes fell on her trolley. Standing up, she headed towards it, pulling out Ross from his cat carrier on the top. Snuggling with her fluffy grey cat for a moment, she glanced at Katie, "You're not allergic to cats, are you?"

Katie smiled a little bit. “ Yeah what little JJ told me about Hogwarts, it is just a little bit different.” She then tried to think of her favorite thing about her school. This shouldn't be that hard, but it was something that she never thought about. Katie really didn't like her school, and really didn't want to say anything bad.

“ I like the cliff by the water. Very nice to go out and think about problems.” Katie then smiled as she seen the grey fluffy kitty. " No I am not, I love cats."

"Yeah," Savannah nodded, swinging her feet, "I bet the classes are different too. But Hogwarts is full of interesting people, and th secret passageways are always fun to look for. And the school's huge." Merlin, why wouldn't she shut up? She was just spewing out words, "I remember getting lost. That's how I met JJ here."

Grinning at JJ for a moment, she turned back to Katie, resisting the urge to grimace at the mention of water, "Relaxing. It must be."

Running a hand through Ross' thick fur, she beamed, "So do I. I got Ross for my tenth birthday." From my dad. Biting her lip, she shrugged off that feeling of despair. God, she missed him.

Katie was learning more and more about Hogwarts. “ Yeah classes are just a little bit different. Not really sure how.” She knew that there was a secret passageway in her school. For just a second, she was missing Durmstrang. When she was there, she didn’t' like the school. But this year was going to be different. She would be at a school that she didn’t' know a whole lot about. And this made her nervous.

She smiled a little bit. “ Ah yes I can still remember standing on the edge and having someone trying to get me to jump.”

Katie smiled as Sav was petting her cat. “ Wow that sounds really nice of him.”

J. J. had to resist letting out a squeal. Instead in a completely girlish move - she wasn't entirely sure where this peppiness was coming from - possibly the same place the anger had been hiding too.

"You didn't! Vannnnnaa!! I want to meet him. And he better be the sweetest most kindest uberly awesomelyest, or-or-or-or he'll have to deal with me."

She nodded severly before disolving into giggles.

J. J. smiled at the cat, before turning back to Katie.

"Cliffs? I'd definetly manage to fall off those," she grinned a little before frowning. "Why on earth would someone want you to jump?"

"Well, don't you guys learn dark magic? We definelty don't." But she couldn't help but find the topic of dark magic rather fascinating. No, Savvy, she thought firmly, you are not going to learn dark magic and corrupt your soul and become a monster.

"Some people are monsters," Savannah muttered, her eyes rather blank and devoid of emotion, "Who does that?" She added, speaking louder this time, "Why would anyone try to get someone to -" Cutting herself off, she swallowed hard. Her mother. All she could see in her head was that empty bottles of pills and her mother lying there on her bed. "To jump?" she finished feebly, meeting Ross' amber eyes.

Flickering her gaze up to Katie, her brow creased. Had she spoken out loud? Well, it wasn't like that was foreign to her anymore. "He - my Dad - yeah." She said softly, nodding, "Amazing."

Giggling at JJ, she blushed again, "He really is. He really is perfect. I - I can't wait to see him again."

Didn't you say you wouldn't? Remember Savannah, you don't want your bad luck to rub off on him, do you?

Holding Ross closer, she smiled softly as he began purring.

Katie tired to smile, she knew that she was going to have to expalin the whole cliff. “ I was battling with depression. And all I was doing was just standing, another student was the one who keep egging me on to jump.”

“ Yes we learn Dark Arts, but I haven’t' taken it. You have Defense Against the Dark Arts.” She smiled a little bit. “ Maybe you will come to Durmstrang and be an exchange student. I would be glad to show you around , that would be part of my job. I found out that I was made a prefect before coming.” Katie knew that she had already answered Sav questions why anybody would want to jump.

J. J. blinked at the girl as she explained the situation, "Well, thats-thats-that's Aweful."

She bit her lip as she felt that odd anger bubble up in her again. It was showing itself more and more now a-days. She wondered if it had always been there and she just hadn't noticed - refused to notice.

Now it was refusing not to be noticed.

"What is wrong with people," she spat rather bitterly, shaking her head.


Shaking her head, she shoved those thoughts and the anger away and let out another giggle and hugged Savannah.

"Yay!" she laughed for her friend. "You are bringing him to me next time, or else I shall just have to go to france and hunt him down myself."

"Prefect," J. J. smiled, "Congrats Katie - thats really cool."

Staring at Katie for a moment, she ducked her head, "I'm sorry," Savannah whispered, her thoughts careening back to her mother, "But - but at least you're better now, right?" she asked, flicking her gaze back to Katie, a pleading expression on her face.

"I don't think I want to be an exchange student, " Savannah shook her head, "I'd miss JJ too much," Grinning at the girl, she turned back to Katie, "I'd love to be prefect," she said, her eyes wide, "That'd just be awesome."

You? Prefect? Not a chance. Why would anyone choose you as prefect when they could have someone who's actually nice?

Inhaling deeply, Savannah grinned as JJ suddenly hugged her, banishing the dark thoughts from her head, "The next time I see him," Never, "We'll definitely plan something out. You'll love him."

Katie smiled. “ But it seems that I am all better now. I guess this year going to Hogwarts might help me. Well that is what my parents think.” She smiled as she watched both JJ and Sav talk. It seemed like they was talking about something much more interesting. And it involved a guy, something that she never did. She didn't think a guy would even look at her.

“ Yeah being a prefect sounds like it is going to be a big job. But I am looking forward to it.” She was still smiling at the thought. “ Well why don't JJ do the exchange. I am sure that it would be fun for the both of you. And I would really love seeing you again, so you around my school.”

J. J. smiled at Vanna, "No way are you allowed to abandon me for a whole year. I'd have to go about making all knew friends - taht would be such a hassle. We could Katie, except I have not talent for other langauges, and besides Vanna' here is just a little second year. We'd be eligable to exchange at different times I think."

"Good, I am glad that is settled." she nodded at Savannah then turned to Katie, "So, do you got yourself a boy?"

She was having fun teasing everyone else rather than being on the end of the teasing herself.

Katie laughed. “ We speak English there.” She thought it was funny, but she could see where they would think that there is a different language. “ I think that they are opening it to fourth and fifth year students. I am sure that you could think of something.”

She was smiling but it started to fade. “ No, not I don't.”

"Hogwarts will definitely help you," Savannah nodded furiously, "And if you ever want chocolate to cheer you up, you can come to me. My mentor's the owner of Honeydukes, which is this candy store in Hogsmeade, so I get free candy." Grinning, she continued petting Ross.

Grinning at JJ, she threw an arm around her, "And no other friend would be as great as me," she joked. "So don't even think of replacing me."

Looking at Katie, she thought aloud, "I always thought that you guys spoke Russian." Shrugging, she added, "Fourth year. That's such a long time from now. I'd be old." Savannah dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Grinning almost deviously, she clapped her hands, "Well, there are guys at Hogwarts. We could set you up with one of them."

"Of course they wouldn't," J. J. agreed with a laugh before she playfully shoved the girl off of her.

"Oh yes," she grinned impishly. "We certainly do have boys. We shall get you one. That is my knew self appointed mission. Find Katie a boy."

Katie laughed. “ Yeah that is what my parents thought, a different school for a year. It would just help me.” She then heard the magic word. “ Chocolate? You would be my best friend for life!” All she heard was free and chocolate. Two things that made Katie's world go round, we actually more bearable. And it made being around her more easy. She couldn't help it that she was a chocoholic.

“ I really don't think anybody could replace JJ, she is just one of a kind.” She smiled, she hoped that she would get to know Sav and JJ better before she had to leave. One thing that she didn't like about this was because she would have to leave at the end of the year. But at least she would have made some friends from a different school. And she knew that she could always keep touch with them.

She blinked. “ Yeah we speak in Russian, but we also know English.” Katie laughed. “ Because not everybody understands Russian. So it would be hard to talk, if the person you are talking to can't understand you.” Katie then started to laugh again. “ You won't be that old, you are only a second year. Just two more years to wait.”

Katie knew what they was up to. And she really didn’t' like what they was planning. “ I know there are guys at Hogwarts. There is guys who I go to school with. I mean I leave at the end of the year. I don't need to start a romance and then end it.” She knew that JJ wasn't going to take no for an answer. It looked like she really didn’t have much of a choice. Katie know knew that it was best to have keep her mouth shut. Or have lied to them, it wasn't like they knew about her before she came to Hogwarts. But she knew that lying wasn't the best way to start off a friendship.

Laughing along with JJ, she threw her a look of mock hurt as she was pushed away.

Grinning at Katie, she clapped her hands, "We shall be the three bestest friends for life and forever." She was being sappy. Ridiculously so. But she had to keep up the cheery facade, because she was beginning to think that if she dropped it for even a second, she'd never be able to feel happy again.

"That makes sense," Savannah nodded, "But what if some people don't speak English or Russian? Then what happens?" Grinning, she threw her arms out, "But two years is a long time!"

Clasping a hand over her heart, Savannah grinned knowingly, "But they say that it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all." But that doesn't it make it better than I'm going to lose everyone I love.

Katie smiled as she looked at Sav and JJ. “ I have really never had a best friend before.” She thought about that. Maybe because she never liked to socialize with anybody. She didn’t' even know the people that she shared a dorm with. But that would have to change since she was a prefect. She wouldn’t' have to worry about that till next year. Because she would be at Hogwarts this year.

“ I never really thought about it, maybe they would be speaking another language.” She laughed. JJ and Sav where cheering her up, and Hogwarts was the thing that she needed. “ I will come and spend the summer in England. I am sure that my parents wont mind. And then before you know it you can do the exchange. Both you and JJ can come and see my school.”

Katie smiled. “ Yeah I heard that before. Maybe if I do fall in love, I won't rule it out. Just let the pieces fall.”

"Well then, we shall be the first and only best friends you will ever need." Nodding furiously, Savannah grinned.

And ruin her life as well. You Savannah, are on a roll.

Biting her lip, she hissed slightly, rubbing her temples. Asking him to leave would be a lost cause. She knew by now that nothing she said could convince him to get out her head. She was going to have to track down Kirsten and get her to undo the curse.

"Then this summer will be absolutely amazing." Pausing, she knitted her eyebrows together, counting in her head, "Ooh, if you were made prefect, than you're a fifth year. And when I'm a fourth year and JJ a fifth year, that'll be in two years, and you'll be a seventh year." Clapping, she grinned again, "Maybe you'll be Head Girl!

"We shall find someone then." Savannah nodded, sounding deadly serious.

Katie smiled. “ Wow I know have two best friends. JJ and Sav.” She was smiling. “ It looks like this year is looking a whole lot better.”

“ I think this summer will be awesome!.” She then watched Sav, it was as if she was thinking. “ Yes I am in m fifth year. I am sure that there are other girls who wants head girl. But if I get it, I will be sure to tell you first.”

J. J.'s gaze got locked outside the window, and as the other two talked amongst themselves, she began to zone out, not really hearing what the girls were saying. She hadn't been quiet so 'dreamy' before the ... incident, but she supposed it was a habit that came from not being able to speak for so long.

She spent less time feeling the need to fill the space with her voice.

Instead, she got lost in a thought that just occured to her, but in all honestly should have come to her earlier.

Durmstrang... that was where those girls had come from hadn't it been? She bit her lip and glanced at Katie for a moment before going back to her window. What would she gain from bothering her anyways? Those girls -

J. J. thought perhaps they were better off left alone, at least by her...

After a moment she shook her head and grinned at the other two attempting to get back into the converstation.

"I don't know about you - but I'm always fun."

"This year is going to awesome." Savannah grinned, faking feelings she didn't feel. "With us, it's expected."

Continuing to pet Ross, she held him close, ignoring the fact that her clothes would be covered in grey cat hair by the end of this snuggle session with her pet. You Ross, are all I have left of Dad. "You'll get it," blinking up at Katie, she smiled, "I know you will." What was with all this hope she felt? It was good and all, but still. It felt - weird.

Grinning over at JJ, she nodded, "We're the funnest in the entire school." We're not the Thestral Twins for nothing.

Katie looked at JJ and she wasn't sure what she was talking about. But she smiled anyways, because she knew if all else failed just smile. She wasn't going to ask about it, because she didn’t' even want to finish her sentence.

“ I think some fun will do me good this year.” She was still smiling. “ Thanks for the vote of confidence Sav. If I do get it you both will be the first to know about it.”