walking on sunshine

Lena loved sitting in bars and not drinking anything. Usually, she was drunk by this time of night, but being sober and watching the atmosphere around her... it felt amazing. Her grin was wide as she paid for every mug of Butterbeer she drank slower and slower by the sip. She had talked to a few people and they all seemed lovely. Everything was fine.

Tessa walked in with the help of Ariel. She was a little upset because she was missing Lena. But she had Afonka who tried to cheer her up. And she was so busy with her classes that she was sure the time would go bye quickly.

She just sat there.

Lena was beginning to get bored until she saw a little dog entering the bar. She pursed her lips, because she knew this dog. She had seem him, her, it, somewhere. She started racking her brains for a memory, a person, anything that could possibly help her remember.

She looked up at the brunette, who decided to sit on one of the tables, and she realized it was a face she hasn't seen in months. Tears started welling up in her eyes as she skipped, then ran, than jumped towards the person.

"Tessa!" she squealed, flopping down next to her with her mug of Butterbeer. She reached out to hug her friend tightly. "I've missed you so, so much!" she grinned, tears forming and falling, "how have you and Ariel been? And Afonka? How are you two? How's Durmstrang? How are the new Exchange Students treating you?" She then stopped herself. "Gosh, I'm sorry. I just haven't seen you in forever, that's all."

Tessa blinked as she looked around. But she recognize that voice, it was Lena. Lena!!! She then hugged her cause she missed her a lot. Tessa could tell that she was crying. This was someone that she hadn't seen for a while. “ I missed you so much, I can't wait till you are back. Phillie dead. I cried so hard when I found out.”

She laughed a little bit. “ I have been fine and Ariel is adjusting to life at Durmstrang. Afonka and I are doing good. We miss you. Durmstrang is different without you. There is one people that I like. Her name is Georgie. They are treating me good.” Tessa hugged her back. “ I know

Lena grinned, deciding to put an arm around her friend instead. "You have no idea how much I miss you! It's shocking," she chuckled. Her smile faded for a brief moment when Tessa had mentioned Phillie's death. "I know," she whispered, "I saw her body at the funeral. She looked peaceful, though. I hope she was like... happy when she died."

The blonde nodded, "It's nice to see you're making friends besides me, though you have to admit, I'm the coolest friend you have." She chuckled good-heartedly. "The people in Hogwarts are kinda boring, but they seem way nicer than the ones in Hogwarts. Or, well, most of them are, anyway."

Tessa grinned. “ I know I missed you so much. But Afonka did buy me the hunger games on audio. Which I have already read with braille. But it is the thought that counts. He is so sweet.” She then could tell that her smiled faded. “ I know I hope that she didn't suffer. I heard that there was this guy that she was seeing. And well she loved him.”

She was giggling. “ Yeah well you are the coolest. I mean I still had Ruby and Stella when you left.” Tessa was smiling. “ Maybe I can go to Hogwarts next year?”

Lena's mouth gaped open when Tessa mentioned what Afonka had done for her. "Are you serious?" she gasped, her mouth grinning from ear to ear. It took her a while to regain her composure and clamp her jaw together. Her eyes then widened when Tessa had mentioned Phillie was in love. "Phillie was in love?!" she half-shrieked, half-whispered, "why was I not informed of this?" She then shook her head. "I hope her lover is alright, though."

The Uchitel shook her head. "I thought you could only go to Hogwarts this year," she sighed, before brightening up, "hey - maybe when I grow up and I visit Hogwarts, you can come and visit, one day."

Tessa smiled. “ Yes I am serious.” She could tell that Lena's mouth was wide open. “ He was also the one who helped me pick out Ariel.” When she was talking to Lena she realized how much she really did miss her. She knew that she was shocked when she told her Phillie was in love. “ Yeah Kassidy move to Beauxbatons and said there was a professor. And one day she heard him talking to his sister about how he was madly in love with Phillie. Kass told me after her death he just wasn't the same.

“ Maybe they will let me go next year?” But she then started to grin when Lena said that they could visit Hogwarts when they grew up. “ Alright.”

Lena shook her head in disbelief, "Gosh, your boyfriend's amazing! If only I had a dog, but I have Camellia. So I'm good!" Her eyes widened. "Wow... I really feel sorry for him. I don't know what I'd do if the love of my life died," she whispered, shuddering at the though, "p-poor guy... I hope he's slowly moving on. And who's Kass?" The Uchitel tilted her head in curiosity. "Someone from our class?"

"Pft. Going to Hogwarts when we grow up is going to be better anyway," she remarked, smirking.

Tessa smiled. “ Yeah Afonka is amazing. I am lucky that he is dating me and I am lucky to have Ariel.” She really did miss Lena. “ Yeah I feel sorry for him even through I don't know him. To have someone that you love to die.” She then sighed. “ Kassidy used to go to school at Durmstrang and then transferred. She told me she is taking his class and he came to class drunk.”

“ Oh that will be better.”

Lena laughed, before her face turned into an expression of solemnity. "Remember to keep him close to you," she whispered, "don't let him - or Ariel - or anyone you love get away from you." She hung her head for a second out of sheer sadness before resting it gently on Tessie's shoulder. "At least this guy knows that Phillie died loving him," she sighed, fluttering her eyes shut, "it's better that living with that person every single day and having no idea whether they love you or not. The pain of not knowing... it hurts. It really hurts."

Of course, her being her, Lena couldn't help but think of her own pain.

The blonde firmly nodded. "I see."

Tessa smiled. “ I don't plan on leaving either of them. They are what gets me through the day.” She then blinked when Lena said don't let anybody love get away from her. Like this was something that happened to her. But she wasn't going to ask.

She then started to talk about how Phillie found love before she died. “ Yeah it was good that this guy knew that Phillie loved him.” There was sadness in Tessa voice. “ It is better to lose and love. Then to never have loved at all.”

Making a mock angry expression on her face, Lena abruptly crossed her arms. Her head quickly flew up to face her friend. "Hey!" she exclaimed, her voice screaming fake offense, "what about me?" She then relaxed, beginning to laugh.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, it's better to know you've been in love at some point in your love, isn't it?" She then remembered her Butterbeer was there and took a sip. "Though I wish to... well, y'know, have someone who reciprocates my feelings."

Tessa smiled. “ I would never trade you as a friend. I love you too much, and you are always there. And you sit by me when we had the same classes.” She then started to laugh when Lena did. “ I miss you so much at the school.”

She then sighed. “ I am sure there is some guy out there that has feeling for you. I mean I was lucky when Afonka found me when I was lost. And know we are dating.”

Lena sighed. Even though she had Anya, who was her best friend in the entire world, and Paloma, and Rhys, and... okay, perhaps Pandora, they couldn't replace Tess. Sure, they were a lot closer to her than Tess was, but... well, it was difficult to explain. "I miss you too," she replied sincerely.

The Uchitel's eyes twinkled. "I can think of one person... well, I used to love him, and he loved me back," she sighed, "we dated since first year, and we broke up because of something really, really stupid I did last year." A tear rolled down her cheek. "The problem is, I still love him. I broke down because of him."

Tessa smiled. “ I can't wait till you come back. I know someone told me they were starting up quidditch. I mean I couldn't go watch it, but maybe we could go to some of the matches together.” She smiled because she missed her best friend.

She then started to sigh after she had heard Lena story. “ Have you tired to get back together? Or if you want maybe I can talk to him for you. You are extremely nice and I don’t' know what guy wouldn't want to date you.

Lena's eyes widened, "They're starting up Quidditch again?" Merlin was she excited; she had always wanted to see Quidditch in any school - especially back home in Durmstrang. However, because of lack of interest - or perhaps Lena's own ignorance - that had never happened. It was probably the former: if there was a Quidditch tournament, Dylan or Rhys would have signed up, and she'd know from them.

"Uhhh... maybe... maybe I'll talk to him myself," the Uchitel admitted, her eyes twinkling for a second before going back to its unnatural shade of midnight again. "I don't know if we should get back together, Tessie. I'm the one that betrayed his trust."

Tessa smiled. “ Yeah I am excited about it. I have never seen a quidditch game before.” She laughed on the last part because she couldn't see. “ I don't think that I am going to join, I would be too scared to fly a broom.

“ You should could talk to him. You never know what will happen. Unless you want me to do it.”

Lena laughed good-heartedly at Tessie's reply, "Yeah, me neither; I've had bad experiences with broomsticks. Trust me." She winked playfully at her friend, taking a sip of her Butterbeer. "Gah. This sucks. I miss so much, and I'm going to be away from Durmy only for a year," frowned the Uchitel.

Giving in, the blonde sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll talk to him. When I get the chance."