Hear The Snow Crunch (Ana)

[Deleted]

Making her way to the small village of Hogsmeade, Kinsey looked around with interest. She'd been there the day before, the day of the dragon attack. Her arm in a sling was evidence enough of that. She'd been on the wrong side of a dragon, thrown through the air and into a building. Of course, magic always helped with bones healing and such, but the healers still wanted her to be careful and not use that arm for a day or two, which was annoying. Still, walking through the village and seeing some of the damage that hadn't been fixed yet ... Kinsey was a little surprised that all she had to show for the attack was a broken arm. So much of Hogsmeade was broken down, though they weren't stopping the festival because of it. 

The most annoying part of all was that the attack messed with her plans with Ana. They were going to go to a game together today, but after the attack Kinsey wasn't supposed to leave the village. Apparently the school wanted to ensure that the students who stayed for the break were okay. So security was tighter. 

It should be okay though. Iliana agreed to come to Hogsmeade and spend some time with Kinsey, which Kinsey was glad of. She wanted someone to talk to and let loose with a little. Why not do so with her new friend? Especially since they couldn't go out today. She went to the Three Broomsticks, where Iliana suggested they could meet. Kinsey looked around with interest, curious to see if her friend was there yet or not. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

only dust settles.

JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE ANA HAD BEEN EXCITED about a football game and a date. That had been the extent of her worries - what would she wear, for both the game and the date. With the game, it was easy. She always wore a piece of team merchandise and her favourite Hufflepuff scarf - respectively. The date had been a little more complicated, but she'd managed. And now, just a single day inbetween had changed everything. Yesterday, she'd stood alongside Jack and fended off dragons. It was funny how things could change in a moments notice.

Arriving back at Hogsmeade was odd, and Ana felt a little trepidation as she exited the station and made her way across the street towards the Three Broomsticks. They'd done wonders with repairs, it almost looked normal if she squinted. But, her eyes kept darting to dented rooftops and missing slates were claws had once grappled and ripped at their bottoms. Ana ended up slowing so much that she was late to meet Kinsey - whom she'd arranged to meet for a butterbeer given the fact that they'd both been in the thick of the attack. Neither of them were capable of attending the game after all.

Kinsey, it appeared, had turned out a little worse than Ana. Sure, she had a bruised jaw and a burn on her right forearm, but it could have been worse. Kinsey's arm looked so small in its sling and Ana pouted as she approached her from the side unseen. "Kinsey!" She said loudly, stopping to look at her injury with a visible shake of her head. "Oh, this is just awful!" She declared, reaching for her friends arm and then letting her hand drop before she touched her. Instead, she hugged Kinsey one armed, forgetting that it might hurt and pulling away quickly. "Sorry!" She blurted, cringing slightly. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Sometimes, Ana forgot to think before she acted. 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ana wasn't there when Kinsey arrived and she looked around curiously for her friend. She wan't sure if Ana was the type to be late or not; Kinsey didn't know her that well. The thing was, Ana was happy and cheerful and energetic, but Kinsey had no idea if she'd been here yesterday for the attack or not. That probably changed things a bit. 

When Ana did appear, Kinsey actually didn't notice her at first. She was watching some wizards as they walked down the street, repairing things and trying to make it seem like an attack never happened. Magic was amazing. Kinsey already knew that, but watching this reaffirmed it in her mind. She jumped when she heard her name called loudly, turning toward the sound and then smiling at Ana. "Oh, hi Ana!" Kinsey greeted, glad that the other girl made it and something didn't happen to her. The hufflepuff declared that this was awful, pulling Kinsey in for a hug. A second later she pulled away apologizing. Kinsey shook her head, "No worries, you're fine. It's not broken really anymore but they wanted me to wear the sling to make sure everything heals the right way." She looked at her friend more closely, "Are you okay? That looks like a bad burn." Kinsey actually didn't know anything about burns, but she did want to make sure her friend wasn't in too much pain. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

NODDING WITH A RELIEVED SMILE, ANA LOOKED at Kinsey gratefully. "Oh, good!" She sighed, having been terribly afraid for a moment that she'd been too eager and had hurt her friend. But, Kinsey seemed in better spirits than Ana had anticipated. Her friend seemed to have the same thoughts as her eyes immediately spied the burn on her arm. She pulled her sleeve down at the wrist and waved it off. "It's fine!" She assured her, "I've got burn paste for it." Though it was a bit of a nuisance.

"So..." She said, looping her arm in to Kinsey's good one and leading them towards The Three Broomsticks. "How're you, really?" Kinsey appeared to have had a much worse time than Ana had. She had seen just how awful it had been for some, but Ana had been lucky, she hadn't been hurt too badly at all. "I mean..." Her lip curled slightly in uncertainty. "Have you read the news?" She didn't usually, but her father had pointed out the article in the paper over breakfast. The dragons appeared to be the least of their worries. 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey lifted an eyebrow as Ana insisted that she was fine and she had paste for her arm. It still didn't look super good, but Kinsey didn't want to get questioned on her arm either. She wasn't going to bother Ana to talk about it if she didn't want to, like she didn't seem to. She smiled, "Good. I'd feel bad if you came out when you shouldn't just for me." 

Okay, apparently Ana did want to talk about it. She laughed a little and then shrugged as Ana started leading her around. "I'm fine. More mortified that in happened in the first place than anything." That was the crux of the matter. If she hadn't been an idiot, she wouldn't have gotten injured. If she would have listened to Riley she would have been fine, but no. She insisted on going to look for her sister and that was what got her hurt. Then Ana continued, talking about the news. Kinsey's eyebrows furrowed. What was Ana talking about. "The news? What, the news of dragons attacking Hogsmeade?" Why would she need to read about that? She was there.

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

KINSEY HAD A KIND OF SOFTNESS THAT ANA admired, but it sure did make her worry too much. She waved off her concerns. Ana would have come if her entire arm had been burned. They were witches, they were born resilient. Or, so she told herself as she lead them both cheerily toward the little pub. It was looking a little worse for wear, but much better than some of the surrounding buildings. Ana had heard it was being used as a hub in the aftermath.

"Don't be silly," Ana said, shaking her head as she turned to catch Kinsey's eye. "Lots of people got hurt." She felt sure that Kinsey had been brave. The people who stayed long enough to get hurt had to be, right? Ana liked to think she was a little brave. And if Kinsey had something to be embarrassed about, then so should she. And Ana didn't do embarrassment as a rule.

"No..." Ana said gravely, unlooping her arm to clasp Kinsey's hand comfortingly instead. "It was all a distraction." She dipped her gaze and drew in a breath. "There was an attack on Azkaban at the exact same time." Ana had only heard the depth of the news because of her father. "I heard prisoners escaped." Gnawing on her lip, she searched Kinsey's eyes for some reaction. "The dragons are the least of our worries, I think."

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey shrugged and smiled when Ana said it wasn't a big deal, that lots of people got injured. That was true, but most of them got hurt because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she'd listened to Riley, nothing would have happened to her. He would have kept her far away from the danger, but she made them go into town. Her only relief was that he hadn't been the one to get hurt. If that happened, she probably wouldn't have been able to forgive herself. As it was, she just felt ridiculous. "That's true," she answered softly. 

Her eyes widened when her friend explained that it was a distraction. "What?! I- I didn't hear about that at all!" How did she not know any of this? Probably because she hadn't looked at a newspaper this morning, but still. She felt very uninformed. She'd have to do better about that. "Prisoners escaped? All of them?" Hopefully not. Suddenly, Kinsey was worried for her family and glad she'd chosen to stay at Hogwarts. She'd be safer there, at least. "Is everyone freaking out?" 

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

ANA DIDN'T READ THE PAPER BUT HER FATHER did. They'd all been warned to be extra careful in these trying times. It was a lot for some students to even attend Hogwarts at all. With so much unrest among various factions, attacks of all shapes and sizes were becoming more and more prevalent. Ana had heard how people spoke about it. As if it was another Civil War in the making.

"Yes, that's what the papers said." Ana said with a grave expression. She did not relish being the one to pass such information on. "Not all of them I don't think." She said, though she wasn't entirely sure. "I think I heard that it was a small breach, but-" She dipped her head and sighed, so unsure and unhelpful. Ana felt like all she was doing was passing on more bad news. That wasn't how she had wanted their little meet-up to go, at all.

"Let's not worry about that right now." Ana declared, patting her friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "There's nothing we can do about any of that as we are." Though, surely there were people all around them doing their part. Ana wondered if there would be another gathering like old times. What had it been called? Headmaster Dumbledore's Collective? She couldn't remember. "We'll drink butterbeers and talk about all this fresh snow!" Ana said, pasting on her best smile as they entered the repaired little pub. "First rounds on me!"

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey frowned as Ana confirmed what was in the papers. Prisoners being out and about definitely wasn't a good thing. She started to think of her family, but they would likely be fine. Dustin was in another country, Diana knew how to take care of herself, and the rest of them were at home for the moment, right? They should be fine. She nodded thoughtfully, "Well, I guess it's good that not all of them got out," she said with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood a little. This was definitely something to think about, but not right now. She wanted to enjoy herself and the chance to do something with Ana. 

Apparently Ana was thinking much the same thing. She said that they shouldn't worry about it since they couldn't do anything about it. "Sounds good to me," Kinsey agreed, laughing as Ana changed the subject. "Yeah, because we haven't had snow for the last several months," she answered sarcastically, walking with Ana easily. "Are you going sledding or something at home, enjoying it in ways we can't here?" she asked curiously. What? Ana said she wanted to talk about the snow. Might as well start how she wanted. 

Kinsey exhaled when they entered the Three Broomsticks. It was so nice and warm inside, cheerful and cozy. She loved this place. "I can grab a booth if you want to get the drinks?" she suggested, already heading toward one in the corner. Kinsey preferred to be in a place where she could see the rest of the room. Easier to handle her ability that way. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

high-flyer.

MUCH LIKE ANA, KINSEY LIKED TO FOCUS ON THE positives. The breach was a terrible thing to think about, but Ana tried to rationalise that they should be quite safe at Hogwarts. "Exactly!" Ana said with a fraction of forced cheer, her smile thin but wide, creasing her cheeks. "Plus, they've been caught once, right?" She dipped her head with a slight shake, pursing her lips and trying to make light of the dire situation. "They'll get caught again." She did not mention the trouble they may cause in the meantime. That was a conversation for another day.

"Sledging?!" Ana cried, gusting out a chuckle. "Try snow surfing." She was exaggerating, but Ana was just relieved to be on a much happier subject. "Can't keep me inside on a good snow day." She snuggled down in to her scarf and tutted, shoulders shucked up around her ears - the tips were a bright red. "Have you ever played Quidditch in the snow?" She asked eagerly. "It's wild."

Ana began unravelling her scarf once they were inside the little pub. Its bracing heat toasting the tip of her nose as she nodded and then followed Kinsey to a little both along the back wall. She slung her scarf and coat across one side, yawning in the crook of her arm from the heat. "Back in a sec'!" Before she bounded off towards the bar in a bright red football jumper with her last name printed across the back in a bright white print. She ordered two butterbeers and two bags of crisps before headed back to the booth with the packets swinging from her teeth, the tankards foaming over her fingers.

Spitting the packets on to the table, Ana placed a tankard in front of Kinsey before sliding in opposite her. "I bought a packet of salt and vinegar for myself, and I don't know what you like, but cheese and onion usually works." Ana shrugged, slurping the foam from the top of her glass as she folded one foot under herself, shimmying down in to her seat to get comfortable. "So!" She declared, her tongue dashing across her upper lip as she leaned back in her seat. "What're you doing for New Years?" Setting her glass down she reached for her snacks immediately, tummy rumbling. Ana always had an impressive appetite. "I heard there's a party..."

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey nodded, pretending to be as confident as Ana was when she said that the escapees would get caught again. At least she knew that if any of them were nearby and had bad intentions, she'd be able to tell. Kinsey should be able to make sure that she and Ana- and everyone else in Hogsmeade for that matter- were safe for the moment. "Yeah, I think you're right." It might take a while, but she knew the Aurors would try hard to catch them. 

"Snow surfing?" Kinsey echoed, her eyes wide. "Doesn't it hurt if you fall off?" Not that Kinsey wouldn't do things just because they might hurt, but that sounded a little reckless. Then again, remembering how she and Ana met, Kinsey wasn't super surprised that the girl might be prone to doing somewhat reckless things. She chuckled, "I just go outside and make snowmen and snow angels." Childish things, but she didn't used to do a lot with others, so sledding and such was hard, especially in groups. She shook her head, "I haven't ... are you volunteering to play with me sometime after break?" Kinsey teased. She didn't play actual Quidditch, she wouldn't even try out because she didn't want to be close to Dom. 

Kinsey wasn't super surprised when Ana led her to a booth and then went off go get their drinks. She wasn't the type to sit around and let someone else do something like get the drinks. Kinsey didn't mind though. She sat down and saved the booth for the two of them. "That works great, thanks," Kinsey thanked her and reached to take her own drink so it wouldn't get everywhere. 

Ana started asking about New Year's and Kinsey blushed a little as she shrugged. "Nothing. I'm staying at Hogwarts this break, so I'm not allowed to leave the castle except to come here." Hopefully she'd be able to spend at least some of New Year's with Riley though ... that's what Kinsey really wanted to do if she was being honest with herself. She smiled, "Are you going to go to the party? I bet it'll be fun." Ana would probably love a party like that. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

h i g h - f l y e r.

ANA HAD BROKEN HER FAIR SHARE OF BONES IN her short life, so the prospect of hurting herself was almost a secondary thought. She shrugged her shoulders loosely at Kinsey. "Probably," She snorted, but that didn't dampen her desire for mad adventures. It never had. "I make a mean snow angel," Ana nodded enthusiastically. "It's better if you do like... a running jump." She spread her hands briefly, as if she might do it then and there. She didn't. She was impulsive, but not stupid.

"You know it," She said in answer, smiling mischievously at her friend. Of course she was offering, she was always offering when it came to Quidditch. The trouble was convincing Kinsey to actually do it. That would be the hard part, but Ana didn't mind the challenge. She'd get Kinsey on a broom if it was the last thing she ever did. In the meantime, she settled for a butterbeer and some over salted crisps.

Licking butterbeer from her fingers, Ana leaned back in her seat and smiled at Kinsey. No thought of dragons or attacks on her mind. Just mindless chatter - her favourite kind. "Oh," She frowned, feeling a stab of sympathy. She grabbed her tankard and asked casually and without thought, "Why don't you go home?" Krum's always celebrated together, and large. It was tradition. If something wasn't broken or lodged in a wall by the end had it really been Christmas? "Yeah, probably," She shrugged, thinking about it for a minute as she slurped sweet butterbeer until she had a foamy moustache. "Would've been better if you'd been able to go." She smiled sincerely. 

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey rolled her eyes at her friend's callous attitude to getting hurt. Somehow, Kinsey couldn't shrug it off so easily. She'd never really been seriously injured, except for at the attack yesterday. It was definitely not something she enjoyed or wanted to redo. Life was much easier when one wasn't injured, she'd decided. 

Then Ana started to explain the best way to make a snow angel. Kinsey tipped her head to the side, nodding in agreement as Ana explained her method. It made sense that running and jumping would make a more effective snow angel that walking towards the spot where you wanted to create it. "I'll have to try that next time," Kinsey answered with a firm nod. She was actually excited to try that now. 

Ana confirmed that she was offering to play quidditch with Kinsey, who smiled. "All right, then you just come find me when you're ready." Kinsey normally spent a lot of her time focused on her studies, but she also wanted to make time for her friends. This was her last year at Hogwarts. She wanted it to be worthwhile and to make memories that she could look back on later. Doing that with a good friend was a great idea. Besides that, she loved flying. She just didn't get many chances to play without Dom being there, which was what stopped her. 

Kinsey expected the question about why she didn't go home. She shrugged. "There's a lot of tension at home. I thought it'd be more of a break for me and my family if I wasn't there." She hadn't asked the triplets what they thought though. She just didn't go home. They were probably sad about it, at least, they'd be sad until Dustin and Diana came. That wouldn't happen if Kinsey went home. She knew it. Kinsey shrugged again, "Naaaah, I'm not really good at parties like that. I'm sure you'll hardly notice that I'm not there." Really, she normally didn't do super well in crowds, even though she was still working on that. The progress was there, but not enough for a long party. 

@iliana

[Deleted]

h i g h - f l y e r.

WHEN ANA HAD ASKED WHY KINSEY WOULDN'T go home for the holiday's, she had expected an uncomplicated answer. Her curiosity had stemmed from her relatively easy home life, she really had very little to worry about. So, she did not see the change in Kinsey's demeanour until she opened her mouth and it was too late. Ana sat a little straighter, her hands folding in front of her.

"Oh," She muttered, gnawing on the side of her mouth to stop herself from saying something stupid and vapid. "It's that bad...?" She felt foolish for asking, but the idea of finding refuge at school seemed pretty diabolical to Ana. She thought it must be awful to think such a thing. Hogwarts was a dream, but she'd hate to live there all of the time. It was pretty draughty.

"I'll notice." Ana said resolutely, crossing her arms, but not pushing her friend to come along. "But, I'll grab a goodie bag for you." She smiled, picking up her butterbeer and relaxing to signify that she wasn't going to be pushy about it. "It's an Ilvy girl, so the party favours are probably gonna be pretty good." She nodded her head, pouting as if she was trying to make her friend just a little jealous.

@kinsey

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Kinsey could tell that her answer was surprising to Ana. Honestly, she felt a little bad about that. She didn't want to upset Ana or do anything to make things weird, but she also wanted to be honest with her friend. She shrugged when Ana asked if it was that bad. "Yeah," Kinsey's answering voice was soft. "My ... brother and I got into a fight. He doesn't want to see me. He won't answer my owls or anything. If I come home, I'm pretty sure he won't. So I want everyone else to see him, so I'm going to stay here." Maybe Ana would think that was stupid, but it made sense to Kinsey. She didn't want everyone else to miss out on Dustin because of her. 

Anna insisted that she'd notice Kinsey not at the party and Kinsey smiled. "Okay, I'll be looking forward to that goody bag when I see you then," Kinsey answered with a laugh. She finished her butterbeer and looked over at her friend. "Well, I'm about done here. You want to go out and look at the shops or something?"

@iliana
(we wanna close this one? Maybe have a summer something with them ...?)