i'm like a bird

Paloma walked around Diagon Alley, though she knew she shouldn't. What would her parents think if they knew that she was skipping to go shopping? She didn't really care all that much at the time. Paloma was tired of being in that castle all day. She'd always been like that - sometimes she'd just grow tired of being in one place for too long and needed to get out for a while.

Distracted by her thoughts, she forgot to look where she was going and bumped into someone.

Technically, Iris wasn't supposed to be back in London for another few months, but she was impatient. She had managed to steal a plane ticket and find her way back here just for some days, before returning to Russia for classes. Even though things had been shitty lately, she couldn't help but feel like she was at her home place.

Looking at all the shops with a sense of familarity, she was about to go into one of them, before she felt someone bump into her. "Either you're blind or it's just ignorance," she commented with a raise eyebrow. "Or you know, too much of thinking...which is clearly a bad thing," she smirked.

Paloma turned around to face the girl, a sheepish grin on her face. "I'm sorry!" she apologized, making a mental note to pay more attention to her surroundings. Seemed like she was constantly bumping into people.

A bit taken aback by the girl's reaction - it was just a small bump! -, Paloma watched her carefully. The girl seemed to be her age, and was certainly pretty, with a bit of an attitude, obvious to Paloma from just that first comment. "I had my eyesight exam not too long ago, that's probably not it. And ignorance?" the Uchitel shook her head, "I don't think so. That just leaves us with too much thinking, which is actually very good. Except for, well, you know, when you're walking."

Iris looked at the girl for a minute for shrugging her shoulders. "It's alright. Didn't mean to sound rude...that much," she attempted a smile. "Seems like I haven't been getting on with people real well these days."

"Funnily enough, people only think too much when they're walking. Lame isn't it?" She chuckled and shook her head. "Places where you use instinct, you'd stand and think." Since she was used to getting to fights, thinking too much was never an option to her. "Where are you headed off to?" She asked.

Paloma gave her a small grin and shrugged, "That's fine. Everybody has their days, right?"

"Oh, so lame!" she said, rolling her eyes and chuckling, "But standing is boring. Walking is more. . . fun." The Uchitel shrugged once again, looking around, "I dunno. Nowhere, I guess. Just needed to breathe and get out of school for a while. What about you, anywhere specific you're going?"

"Hm, yeah. Except my shitty days have been everyday for a while now," Iris stated with a sigh, but managed to keep a smile on her face, not wanting to scare off the girl already.

Iris nodded her head in agreement. "Standing idly is even worse. Um, I'm guessing you're from Durmstrang?" She asked, leaning against the nearby building wall. "I haven't seen you around at Hogwarts." She shook her head in response. "Nowhere specific; was feeling a bit homesick is all. Just came back from Russia cause of the school exchange programme."

"That sucks," Paloma replied sympathetically, a bit of a frown on her face, "Is everything alright?"

"That's right," she nodded, "Though I've been studying at Hogwarts because of the school exchange program, as well." The Uchitel looked around at Diagon Alley, thinking of all the amazing places she'd been to during that year, and nodded. "I can see why you'd get homesick. The UK is simply amazing, and Hogwarts is just. . . wow."

"I'm Paloma, by the way," she introduced herself, "Paloma Poots."

"Oh yeah, everything's fine. Nothing a few days break won't fix," Iris replied casually.

She grinned as she listened to the girl. "Ah, so both have managed to exchange schools. Hogwarts is brilliant, isn't it?" She asked. "And Durmstrang ain't that bad either. The Professors seem to be a bit unusual and murderous, but other than that, it's alright," she commented. "Yeah, I don't usually get homesick since I live in the States usually, but Russia was something totally different," she admitted.

"I'm Iris but you're free to call me Grayson also," she introduced herself as well. "So which house are you in?"

"Oh," Paloma nodded, not wanting to pry into her life, and smiled, "It is." She laughed lightly and nodded again, "Unusal and murderous, that's Durmstrang professors for ya." The Uchitel raised an eyebrow, interested, "You live in the States? Really? How's it like over there?"

"Iris, that's a pretty name," she told her, "I'm in Uchitel, what about you?"

"Can't wait to return really, though don't tell anyone that," Iris whispered as though it was a big secret and grinned lightly. "I actually think some of them are escaped Azkaban convicts," she said, being half serious. "And some just seem inhumane." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I live there with my foster parents. It's pretty cool once you know the right places and people," she smirked. "But I just go to visit them once or twice in a year, so I don't spend much time there. Where do you live?"

She laughed softly and said, "Thanks, your name is different, according to me. And I'm Gryffindor, house of the brave," she told and winked.

"I'm pretty sure some are vampires," Paloma said with a small laugh, thinking of her old professors, "And others might as well just be escaped Azkaban convicts, yes."

"It's pretty cool, though. I've always wanted to visit the United States," she told her, "What part of it do you live in?" She played with the strings of her hoodie and answered, "I'm currently living in Germany, though originally I'm from England."

"Gryffindor, huh? Nice. Wasn't that Harry Potter's house?" Paloma asked the girl.

"Ah, glad to know that I'm not the only one who thinks that," Iris replied, mostly being serious as she recalled the Professor for weaponry class. "But it has been quite interesting, a bit more exciting than Hogwarts."

"I live in New York. My foster parents are Muggles, which is sometimes bad for me, cause there's always a misunderstanding when it comes to magic." She said, and looked around casually. "Oh, I'm from part England and part Greece," she grinned.

She nodded her head in affirmation. "Yeah, it was. I think I'm suited for it anyway," she shrugged. "And what does Uchitel stand for?"

"I liked Hogwarts," Paloma told her and shrugged, "But perhaps Durmstrang is a bit more exciting. I think that's just me, though, I didn't get to explore everything and enjoy as much as I should have."

"New York, really?" she asked with an excited smile, "Wow. I've always dreamed of going there, it must be really amazing." Her eyes widened and she gave the girl a small laugh, "Part English, part Greek, living in America, exchange student in a Russian school, alright then."

"It's home of the intelligent people, pretty much the Ravenclaw equivalent," she explained.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I love Hogwarts mostly because it's the only proper home I've had," Iris replied. "But it was just nice to go to Durmstrang and be with different types of people, you know? And no offence, but Russia is pretty much depressing," she shrugged. "Or maybe it's because I'm not used to the place."

Even she couldn't disagree with the Uchitel. "Yeah, it is really amazing. And you are English, living in Germany and going to school in Russia; not too bad Poots," she winked.

"Ah, alright. Most of the Ravenclaws are okay in my book and I didn't have any problem with the Uchitels either, so, lucky for you," she told with a chuckle.

"It is," Paloma replied in a heartbeat, "I've always thought Durmstrang was pretty depressing, everyone has so many problems- and not problems as in, mental problems or anything, like, issues at home and all. And while I'm sure a lot at Hogwarts do as well, Durmstrang being a . . . darker school makes it more depressing. But still, I think, maybe because of that, I don't know, people have more fun. Or at least they try to. It gets a bit crazy there, especially with the Seven Devils and all."

She chuckled , "That's true. It's nice being from all over the place - though it makes it a bit more confusing. I have no idea where I'll live after Durmstrang."

"Uchitel is the best house," the girl said with a small laugh, letting her house pride show, "I love it."