Cuz I Can

She - she was happy.

Everything was going well. She and Chris were - well, she wasn't sure, but everytime his name came up, Savannah couldn't help but blush. Even now, just thinking about him sent a creep of a red colour into her cheeks.

Sighing happily, she bounded down the forest path, her usually straight hair a mess of curls. She just knew, today would be a good day.

And if it wasn't, someone was going to pay.

Storm was running away. She couldn't stand another beating. It was all too much for her to handle.

The girl hadn't really taken much. She didn't care if she died, and it was in her head that nobody would. Storm had put up with being bullied for too long. When she got to go to Hogwarts everything was perfect, but at summer her brother had a lot of spare time.

Long ago, Storm had learnt to make the tears go inside her, so she never displayed that it was hurting her, both mentally and physically.

She stomped around angrily. Her parents were also stupid. They didn't even suspect Marcus, and thought their daughter needed therapy. The redhead did have problems. Anger management was a real weak point.

When Storm saw somebody, she almost ran away. But taking a second look, even her twisted part recognized the person.

"Well, well Savannah Lerran," Storm smirked, leaning against a tree. "What would someone like you be doing out here now?"

Humming softly to herself, Savannah was too caught up in her own thoughts to notice her fellow Gryffindor until she called her name. Snapping her gaze up to the redhead, she observed her for a moment.

Honey was being - well, persuasive. Sighing softly, she made her way towards Storm, raising an eyebrow, "Someone like me?" she repeated softly, "Tell me Stormy, what sort of person am I?"

Storm laughed gently. "I asked first. You only get to ask me another question when I've gotten the answer to mine."

She scowled for a moment. "Don't call me Stormy!" It did seem childish, but the girl got so many bad memories from the nickname. So tell me, Stormy, her brother would say, Are you gonna run like a coward, or take the pain like you should. You deserve it, anyway. After that, the first punch usually came, followed by more and more. Storm shuddered. Her hand went to her red hair, that she'd chopped shorter to not be recognized that easily.

"You have a point," Savannah grinned, shrugging slightly. Why was it that the two of them never talked? They had practically every class together and were in the same house. Twirling around, she hummed softly, "I don't really know why I'm here. It's just nice, I guess."

Raising an eyebrow at the redhead, she shrugged, "Alright, just as long as you don't call me Anna." The only person who'd ever called her that was dead. Frowning slightly as her thoughts travelled towards her father, she sighed softly.

Storm nodded, before drily answering. "I always have a point." She sighed. "You seem in an awfully good mood. What's got you so happy?"

She laughed humorlessly. "Don't worry. I have no reason to call you Anna, so I won't." Storm shrugged. Some part of her wanted to go back to being the old Storm, the tough- yet oddly friendly- girl who was fascinated by everything and wanted to talk to people. The part longed to learn about people. But Storm was never going back.

In her strange head, new Storm was there to stay.

"Sure you do," Savannah giggled, shaking her head. Shrugging the question off, she glanced around them for a moment. "I really don't know," she finally said, frowning. "But then, being happy is a good thing, so it doesn't even really matter."

Nodding in finality, she hummed again, "Good." Cracking her knuckles, a sly smirk spread across her face, "It wouldn't end well if you did."

Storm rolled her eyes to the heavens. "Whatever you say." In her opinion, being happy wasn't good. Happiness hardly existed in her world.

"Oh, please," Storm snorted.

Raising an eyebrow, her upbeat mood temporarily broken, Savannah tilted her head, eyes clouded in curiosity. "You say that like being happy's a bad thing. Care to explain?"

Raising her eyebrow higher, she smirked, "What? You don't think I could take you?"

"Being happy makes me feel weak," Storm said. "I don't like feeling weak, so happiness is a no-no." She was pretty sure that almost every person in the world would disagree with her. It didn't matter, let them think what they wanted. She certainly didn't care.

Storm frowned. "I really don't care if you can or not. Well, how am I supposed to know, anyway.?"

Staring at the girl, Savannah blinked rapidly, eyes widening. Was this girl crazy? Happiness was a good thing. "That is the most insane thing I've ever heard. Do you even hear yourself speaking?"

Now, now Savvy, you should calm down.

"Don't tell me what to do," she muttered, frowning up at Storm for a moment before her expression cleared and she smiled, her eyes shining. 

"We'll have to see, won't we?"