well, say something (dastan)

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Andy was making her way through the village of Hogsmede. She was alone. She couldn't walk around with anyone right now, she couldn't bring herself to. She had been avoiding her friends. Susan had been... around, but she was better off by herself right now. As she walked, she wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering a little but not only because of the cold. Because of the whomping mess she had gotten herself into.

She had attacked her own brother, Desirae, and now she had the address to the men who had called Susans father. What was she going to do with that information? Was she crazy?

Eventually, she found herself just outside the Shrieking Shack. But, standing near the fence, was a boy she didn't recognize. She stopped in her tracks, unsure whether it was too late to pretend she didn't see the guy.

@dastan
(takes place Nov. 28th)

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Dastan needed a breath of fresh air. A little bit of time to himself, as well. It was interesting being in a new school, surrounded by new people and surroundings and for the most part, he enjoyed it. However, there were those moments when Dastan wished for something familiar, or wished he could have his own space. Sure, the carriage was spacious enough, but there wasn't all too much privacy. So he decided to take advantage of this trip to Hogwarts to get some personal alone-time. 

He'd heard the students talk about something called the Shrieking Shack and it sounded interesting, so once he arrived in the village he asked someone to point him in the right direction before setting off alone. It was perfect, exactly what he'd been searching for. No one was here, so he just leaned on the fence and looked at the landscape, enjoying the silence.

That is, he enjoyed the silence until he heard someone walk up behind him. "Hello," he said with a smile when he turned around to see a girl standing there, alone. Why was she coming out here all on her own? "I'm Dastan, what is your name?" he added after a second.

@lestrange

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The boy turned around and said hello, so it was too late to run now. She gave him a polite smile and a nod. "I'm Andy," she replied, her small smile still in place. "You're not from Hogwarts," she added, noticing that she'd never seen him before. She was pretty good at recognizing people, even if she didn't make a lot of friends. This guy was close to her age, therefore if he was a Hogwarts student she should recognize him but she didn't. She found herself wondering why he was out here all alone as well. Either way, she knew it wasn't her business and both of them were out here making conversation anyway. At least, trying. She wasn't the best at that part.

@dastan

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She was smiling a little, but the girl seemed hesitant, or nervous, or something. Maybe she was more shy and didn't like talking to people. He chuckled when she said he wasn't from Hogwarts. That was kind of obvious, but he didn't mind. "No, I'm from Beauxbatons," Dastan told her with a shrug. "What are you doing all the way out here? I thought most people do not like the Shrieking Shack." At least, that was what he assumed when no one was out here when he arrived. That and the fact that she was the first person he'd seen out here, even though he'd been here for a while. "I was just looking for a place to breathe and relax," he confessed, feeling like if he asked that question, he should answer it himself. "Do you want to join me Andy?" Dastan gestured to the bit of fence beside him, feeling oddly uncomfortable.

@lestrange

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He was from Beauxbatons. All right. He asked what she was doing all the way out here and she shrugged softly, taking another step forward. "I don't mind the shack," she muttered. Then he said that he was just looking for a place to breathe and relax, offering for her to join him and gesturing beside her. She took a few steps forward, nodding as she did so, until she was right beside him. She looked toward the shack, "I think it's peaceful, not scary. There's nothing wrong with somewhere being haunted. Most ghosts just need someone to talk to," she muttered, keeping her eyes on the shack. "Do you like it here? At Hogwarts, I mean," her voice was small and uncertain. She hadn't talked to any of the new kids yet... at least not one on one.

@dastan

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Dastan wasn't particularly surprised when she said she didn't mind the shack. Honestly, Andy looked like the kind of girl that liked solitude and being alone. When she walked forward until she was standing beside him, Dastan turned his attention back to the ramshackle building in front of him. "It does look peaceful," he agreed after observing it for a moment. Sure the building was run-down, but it wasn't falling down before his eyes and it fit in with the scenery around it. He smiled at her question. "I do. Your school is very large and interesting and most people here are very inviting," he answered. "Do you like having so many visitors at your school?" Dastan asked in return. He didn't want to be the only one talking, after all.

@lestrange

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Andy was surprised that he agreed with her. But then again, he might just be acting polite. It didn't seem that way, though. He seemed honest, though. He said he liked their school and talked about how large it was. She didn't know that they were inviting, but she was glad for it. "It's nice, I guess," was her response to his question about visitors. "I don't normally... well, you're actually the first one I've talked to," she admitted. She was never one to go around making new friends. "I'm glad we're welcoming enough, though. Our professors are great," she said with a nod. The adults were doing most of the welcoming, weren't they? Still, Andy knew a lot of students who were thrilled about all this, even if she was indifferent.

@dastan

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Dastan's eyes widened when she told him that she hadn't talked to anyone else. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Did she want him to leave, or was it just a coincidence that he was the first foreigner she talked to? "Why is that?" he asked without thinking. Then he realized that might not be the most diplomatic question. "I mean, do you not want to talk to us, because I can leave if you'd rather be alone ..." he trailed off, really just wanting to smack himself in the head. Why was he acting like such an idiot? Dastan was normally very good at being calm and composed no matter what situation he was in. But with this girl he was behaving completely unlike himself and he didn't know why. Normally he would think it was because he liked her, but he already knew that he had feelings for Gwen so it wasn't that. He smiled, "I haven't met very many of the professors, but they all seem nice," he answered, finally proud of himself for not saying something ridiculous. "Is there a reason you're out here by yourself? It seems like most people from Hogwarts go places in packs," Dastan tried to explain the reasoning behind his questioning, but he was truly curious. She was pretty and seemed nice enough. Why was she out here all by herself?

@lestrange

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Andy wasn't actually expecting him to ask why, but that was okay. He went on to be a little... strange? That actually made her smile just slightly, his awkward behavior. "I just haven't found the opportunity. But it's fine," she explained, "you were here first," she finished. She kept on smiling politely, glad when he responded to her comment about the Professors and how they all seemed nice. She didn't answer him in time, though, before he asked why she was out all by herself. "I normally keep to myself, even among my own classmates," she explained, offering a small shrug. "I don't really make it a point to join in groups. I don't really enjoy crowds," she went on, "and my boyfriend is in Brazil studying abroad, so I haven't spent much time with his friends either. It's fine, though. I don't mind it," she added.

@dastan
(these two are hilarious)

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He couldn't be sure, but Dastan thought he saw the hint of a smile on her face. She was probably smiling because he was an idiot, but whatever. He smiled, "Alright," he said, aware that he wasn't doing anything to help the awkwardness of the situation. It made no sense, but the cool, suave part of him that was normally in charge seemed to have stayed behind today. He was acting like a buffoon and Dastan didn't like it one bit. Then she explained why she was alone, and Dastan finally understood. She wasn't one for big groups and crowds. To be honest, neither was he. He nodded, "I can understand that. I'm a bit ... competitive" That was an understatement. Not that she needed to know it though. "So over the years I've realized that I tend to do better on my own than I do in groups too." Were their situations similar? It sort of sounded like it, but Dastan wasn't really sure. "I guess I decided to try and be better at making friends this year, especially since I'm not a champion, but it's not as easy as I thought it would be." Why was he telling her all of this? She probably didn't care. She probably just wanted him to leave her alone. "How long is your boyfriend in Brazil?" he asked her curiously. Mostly he was just trying to change the subject from his previous topic about friends.

@lestrange
(for reals though. So much awkward. )

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He smiled and Andy's own smile grew, just a little. He had a nice smile. He admitted that he was a bit competitive and that he was able to do better on his own than in groups as well. "It's never easy," she agreed, "but there isn't anything wrong with being competitive. You just need to find other competitive friends. They'll play games with you and stuff... are you more academically competitive or is it like... quidditch?" she guessed. Most of the competitive people she knew were Quidditch people.

He asked about Phil and she looked back toward the shack, "oh, he's just there for this semester, he'll be back in January," she explained.

@dastan

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Dastan grinned wryly when she started talking about how being competitive wasn't a bad thing. That was true, for most people that labeled themselves as competitive. However, Dastan had a habit of taking competitive to a new level. The question was, would she care to know about that? Probably not, but she was asking questions, so he might as well answer them. His smile widened as he watched to see her reaction, "I am competitive in everything. Academics, Quidditch, and everything in between." That wasn't really specific, but he wasn't sure he wanted to go into specifics. He was competitive about ridiculous things at time, like eating more food than others or healthier food, or talking to more people in a day, or no people. Really he was constantly competitive, but it wasn't necessarily in a negative way and most of the time he didn't tell people that he was competing against them. Generally it was an inward competition. "But with Quidditch and academics it is easier to tell how competitive I am," he confessed after a moment, hoping that would explain enough for her.

Dastan looked at her curiously. January wasn't too long to wait. "At least it is not until the end of the year," he said, trying to make the mood a little lighter. He did not want to make her sad. "How long has he been gone?" Really, Dastan knew he should probably change the subject and talk about something else, but these questions just kept on slipping out, so he pretended like they were intentional while inwardly cringing at himself. Way to make things awkward.

@lestrange

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Everything? Well, that was intense. "Awe, well, that's good," she said. Then he said it was easier to tell in quidditch than in other areas and she nodded. "Well, that makes sense because other people have to pay attention to you. In classes you're more on your own so they probably don't notice that you're doing so much better then they are, unless they're like you," she guessed. "I don't really have that much of a competitive side... unless it's just for fun, like playing a game with friends or something," she added.

She nodded at Dastans exclamation about how it could be worse with Phil being gone. "Since August. He did this whole term," she said with a soft smile. "It's a really good program, actually, so I think it's a good thing. Did you... leave a girl back in France?" she tried to guess. Maybe they had that in common?

@dastan

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She actually understood? Dastan was surprised that someone was actually at least pretending to understand his competitive side. From his experience, actually telling people about that was one way that was almost guaranteed to make them not want to talk to you. Granted, that could very well happen with this girl. She could just be one of the polite people that will end the conversation before they start to avoid you. Still, that wasn't the kind of vibe Dastan got from her. He smiled when she said she wasn't too competitive, "Most people are like that, I have noticed," he told her with a nod. Really, he was the strange one when it came to being competitive. "I'm the one who goes over the top."

He shrugged a little when she told him that it was a good program. "Well, I guess as long as you are both happy about it," he answered after a few seconds. Then he laughed, "No, I did not leave a girl in France. Most girls at Beauxbatons avoid me. Or they did before I came here." It was true, but Dastan wasn't particularly sure why. Sure, he was competitive, but he didn't understand why that meant most people did not want to talk to him, especially girls. He gave her a sly smile, "If I had a girl, do you think I would be out here alone?" That was the truth. If someone else was interested in him, he would have brought them with him. As far as he could, anyway.

@lestrange

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"Well, I commend you for it," she complimented. She went over the top in other areas of her life, not necessarily in competition. Like attacking people behind her families back, that was pretty over the top.

At the next turn of topic, to her question about a girl back home, she tilted her head to the side. "That's not your choice, is it? Who gets to come? So, logically, you could have left someone back there," she debated. "You could have STAYED with her, but not brought her with you. Not unless your Headmaster wanted her to come, too," she said flatly. Then she realized she was getting a little argumentative. "Anyway, she doesn't exist so it doesn't matter. Anyone at my school catch your eye? Maybe I could give you some pointers," she half joked.

@dastan