A Fresh Start

[Alexia Vance]

Alex was thus far entirely unimpressed with this school. Sure she had heard wonderful things about it from her parents and older brothers, but it wasn't Durmstrang and therefore wasn't a good school.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Alex's eyes scanned a fairly deserted common room. She'd been disgusted by the fact that she'd been required to go into the dungeons to find where she would be sleeping, however this place seemed mildly comfortable. At least there was a fire in the grate and comfortable looking couches around. And everything seemed to be... green.

Not that Alex minded green of course. It was better then the yellow of Hufflepuff or the red of Gryffindor. Bright colours just didn't do it for her.

Stepping further into the room now, Alex adjusted the strap on her backpack. Her brothers had told her about this place. Both her older brothers and her parents had attended Hogwarts, all had been in Slytherin, and all had assumed Alex would make them proud by doing the same. Alex however, had chosen to stray from the beaten path and had chosen to attend Durmstrang. Were it not for the school's apparently like in the Dark Arts her father would never had allowed it. And yet somehow she still found himself here of all places. At Hogwarts for her final year. That had been the deal... Durmstrang for 6, Hogwarts for 1.

When making the deal Aelx had of course assumed that her parents were just kidding around. Looking around the common room she realized now that it was painfully obvious they were not.

With a deep sigh Alex fell into the extremly soft couch, dropping her bag to the ground near her feet. It was only for a year. She could last that long… right?

[Sarah Night]

Sarah walked down the stairs from the dorms. She headed down towards her usual set in the comman room. She looked around for anyone she asosiated with. She found non their at the time. Mainly younger students. She was glad to have a free period, after what had happed the night before she had to make up on her sleeping time.

As she scanned the comman room she noticed a girl sitting on the couch that she'd never noticed before. She'd been here for many years herself, and beater on the Quidditch team. 'She must be new' She said to herself, knowing she couldn't be a first year. Much to old looking for that.

She walked over to her and took a seat on the couch with her. "Hello." she spoke evenly. "I don't recall seeing you before." she told her. She pushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face as she looked at the girl.

[Alexia Vance]

Alexia looked over to the girl that seemed to appear and adress her out of the blue. "Thats because you haven't." She answered shortly, returning her gaze to the fire that roared in the fireplace infront of her. She wasn't sure what the blonde wanted from her exactly, but she was sure she didn't plan on sitting here and making pointless conversation with her about things like her favorite color.

"Just transfered in." She added slowly. She propped her feet up on the coffee table that sat about a foot away from the couch. She let her arms fall limp on either side of her and relaxed. She had only been in this school for what, 5 minutes, and her solitude was already broken.

She was sure the girl was probably worthy of her time, it was just that Alex was quite tired and quite irritable.

[Sarah Night]

Sarah smirked at her coments. She crossed her legs and fooled around with her finger nails as she admired them slightly out of boredom. She smirked again as she remembered the insident that happened on this couch. "Well then, welcome here, I guess." she told her.

"Names Sarah, I'm a 6th year." she told her in her usual evenly toned voice. Sarah was reaking with boredom. "So where did you transfer from?" she asked her. There wasn't exactly too many people that transfered around the school, or none that she seemed fit to speak with.

Sarah took her eyes off of her nails as she thought she saw a glimps of someone edging behind her. She turned, no one. She had been feeling this feeling several times latly as if some one was watching her. She ignored it, thinking she was just paraniod about the silly stunt she pulled earlier in the week, and figured that she had been caught in the act. Afterwards she set her gaze back to the fire as if nothing had bothered her.

[Alexia Vance]

"Alex." She said plainly, not removing her gaze from the multi-colored flames. Fire really was a beautifully destructive thing. She looked sighed deeply before continuing. "7th year." She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair repeatedly, putting it up into a loose pony tail.

She leaned down and began to dig through her bag, looking for something in particular. She pulled out a medium sized pad of drawing paper and a muggle pencil, setting it on the table till she could shove everything that had fallen out of her bag back in. Once everything was in order again she picked up her pad and pencil, leaning back into the couch. She flipped open to a new page and began to draw the first thing that came to mind. Usually Alexia drew how she was feeling, and this picture would be no different.

[Sarah Night]

"Pleasure." she said to the girl. She was watching her dig threw her things wondering what she was up to. Sarah noticed her pulling out a sketch pad and pencial. Never something she was to good at. She was much better at writing and potion making. She doubted she could even congor a stick person with out magic.

"Inpressive." she said to the girl. "Don't think I could draw something worth while to save my life." she added. "I'm more of a writer myself." she told her. She wasn't trying to pry in her buisness she returned her gaze apon the fire as if something was about to jump out of it and destroy the room.

[Alexia Vance]

"Well I've had alot of time to practice. I'm not much of a sleeper and my school work has never taken me much time." She explained plainly as she continued to go at her drawing. She wasn't sure why she all of a sudden choose to talk to the girl, but it didn't matter much. It's not like she said anything of importance anyways.

"So what do you do to keep yourself busy in this place if you don't draw?" She was sure she had to have some sort of talent. She didn't really care if she told her or if she even had one, she was just trying to be a decent person and keep some sort of conversation going.

[Sarah Night]

She listen to the girl as she kept her gaze on the fire letting her thoughs wonder. "Yeah sleep I haven't had much of lately." she said regreting it though. SHe needed more sleep especially know that she was helping alongs the lines of the Dark Lord Draco.

"Well I love to write, and to make potions, and quidditch." she told her. "And when I get the chance I like the piano." she smiled. "Writing is mainly what all I do to stay buisy around here when I'm bored." she told her.

[Alexia Vance]

"Writing is always a good talent to have." She said as she began to shade an area of the picture, which was beginning to look like a face. "Takes just as much creativity and talent as drawing does." She added evenly as she glanced up to the girl for a minute, taking in some of her features.

"And as for the piano, its one of my loves as well. Right up there with singing." She quickly looked back to her drawing pad, not wanting to catch eyes with the girl. There was something about this girl that made her feel like maybe she was friend material. It was weird to feel this feeling, especially since not long before she had thought she would be alone for the rest of her year here.

[Sarah Night]

"Yeah well I guess I have an over active imagination thast for sure, and it helps me release my feelings without showing them, or telling htem." she told her. She was proud of her writing. She had been writing since the age of nine.

She was amazed that she played the piano as well. "Really you play? I've been playing since I was four." she told her. She loved it so much, it was her life basically, but not many people knew that about eher. "Singing? Never was much of one to sing, I was always told I couldn't carry a tone, but ohwell I can write the song at least." she smiled slightly.

[Alexia Vance]

"See, I do the same through drawing. I have never been one to show much of anything when it came to emotions myself. " She didn't understand why exactly she had said any of that to this girl she had met only minutes prior. You need to watch yourself Alex, you've only been here a day and you're already losing it. She shook her head and returned her gaze to the glowing fireplace.

"And as for singing, I'm not the worst." She didn't want to sound like she was gloating or anything, but she was good and she knew it. "But when it comes to writing songs.." She shook her head than continued. "Definitly not my strong point."

[Sarah Night]

She smiled at the girl. She sounded like an interesting person. "Yes well, I put my two favorite things together, writng, then I just add music, but I do wish I could sing." she told her. "I've always wanted to sit down and play and sing my songs, but I'm afraid of people hearing me, because the only time I did such a foolish thing I was made fun off." she said to her recalling the time when she was a second year and started singing in the comman room her song she wrote, and was made fun of by a seventh year, and she found the room of requirement when she was running from him after attempting a jinx on him.
"I'd like to hear you sometime. I bet you are good." she said to her.

[Alexia Vance]

She shrugged slightly. "I'm rather shy when it comes to singing around people I don't know. One of the very few things that I'm actually scared of." She said as she readjusted herself on the couch so she could be in a better position to draw.

"But when it comes to creativity and writing, thats something you can't be taught. So it's a wonderful talent to be born with." She added as she went back to her drawing, her eyes following her pencil intently.

[Sarah Night]

"I know what you mean by that. Ever since my second year here, I've never played, or sang again in front of anyone, nor have I showed my work." she said. She to was scared. "I think I'm just afraid of what others might say." she told her. "But not everyone thinks that creativity like we artist have is anything to be proud of, and that annoys the shit out of me." she siad frustrated as she kept thinking of Keith, the idoit she despised.