Julia's first week of school went by very quickly, and before she knew it,
it was the Hogsmeade weekend. During the week she hadn't really met anyone
knew, people seemed a bit shy. She'd met two Slytherin's, the Gryffindor
girls and Daniel, and then some Hufflepuff's, but she'd mainly been hanging
around with her little group of friends.
"I've never been to Hogsmeade before," Julia said as they walked along the path, she could see Hogsmeade just ahead. People were bustling all around her and soon she lost her friends.
"Julia, are you lost?" Asked Professor Granger.
"No, I just lost my friends."
Professor Granger looked around, on her tip-toes, and then came back down. "There are some Gryffindor girls your age just ahead, would you like to meet them?"
"Oh, yes, I know them, but I'll hang around with them if they want." Julia followed as Granger pushed through the crowds. "Thank you," she said once Granger had pointed them out. Julia went up to them.
"Hello," she said.
"Hi," Sarah grinned at her and draped her arm over Julia's shoulder. "Want to hang with us?"
"Yes, that's what I was hoping," Julia admitted, grinning back. Sarah was really pretty, and she had a beautiful personality.
"Cool, well, we were going to go to the Three Broomsticks, which is a pub if you want to come?"
"A pub?!" Julia exclaimed. "But we're not old enough!"
"Well, it's not exactly a pub. Underage wizards can only buy Butterbeers..." Sarah said. Alicia, Gemma and Lily, the other Gryffindor sixth year, were all chatting away. They hadn't even noticed the arrival of Julia. "Hey girls, we've got another one," Sarah said, pulling Julia into the group more.
"Oh, hey Julia!" Alicia said. She was one of the Prefects.
"G'day," Lily said, in a really bad Australian accent. Gemma just laughed.
"Hey Julia, is Lee Smith one of your friends?" Sarah asked.
"Yes, why?"
"I was just wondering, because Robert Weasley, you know him? Yeah he's got a date with her, is this true?"
"Yeah, she's been really nervous. You should have seen her this morning trying to find something to wear!"
"Another question," Gemma said, Julia didn't like Gemma that much, but smiled all the same, "is it true that the Ravenclaws think the Gryffindor's are the best?"
"In a way, I guess. Apparently it's an honour to be a Gryffindor, but I don't think so, I think everyone has good things about them," Julia said. "Even the Slytherin's are nice, when you get to know them."
"Yeah, but I guess you're in Ravenclaw, so they would like you."
"No, I'm not," Julia said, looking a little confused, "I don't have a house."
"What?" Sarah piped up. "What do you mean? Why are you in Ravenclaw then?"
"I spend a quarter of the year with each house," Julia explained, "I'm in Gryffindor next."
"Wow! That's cool," Lily smiled. "So you'll get to see more of the school than anyone else, that's like... wow!"
Julia laughed. The Gryffindor's were quite different from the Ravenclaws, yet they were so amazingly alike, if they got to know each other the wizard world would be a better place.
"Yep, it's pretty cool alright."
Hogsmeade was such a cute little town, and Julia tried to imagine it in winter covered in snow. This was somewhere she could live.
"It's really beautiful here," the other girls didn't seem to see it the same way she did.
"Yeah, it's alright," Sarah said. "Hey," she turned to the others, "have you seen Daniel?"
"Nope, we've been with you all morning, remember." Renee said.
"Oh yeah, that's right," Sarah replied. She started looking around.
"Is that him over there?" Julia had noticed David, and then saw the taller dark haired guy next to him, she pointed to them.
"Yep. Come on. They'll probably want to drink with us." Sarah dragged the others all over to David and Daniel. Julia felt her stomach squirm with butterflies. She had never actually talked to David yet. Trying to calm down and get the silly grin off her face she shook her head, trying to shake it off.
"Hey guys!" Sarah said. "Dave, this is Julia." David shook her hand and Julia smiled at him sweetly.
"Pleased to meet you."
"And you, too," David said.
"Aww, isn't that just sweet?" Daniel asked, elbowing David in the ribs. "So, what are you girls doing?" he asked after successfully making David blush, which made his small amount of freckles disappear entirely.
"We're going to the Three Broomsticks, and wanted to know if you guys want to come," Sarah said jovially. Julia kept shooting glances at David, that is, until she caught his eye, then she wasn't game enough to again.
"Sure," Daniel said at once, "C'mon Dave, we've got ourselves a date! Now Rob can't tease us," Daniel linked arms with Lily and smiled down at her. It was really quite adorable. David shifted nervously and walked next to Gemma, the farthest away from Julia, she felt slightly put out, but went back to admiring the town.
"So, Jules," Sarah started moving ahead of the group and walking backwards. "Do you have weekends like this in Australia?"
"Well, not in as good a setting, but we do have weekends in the only non- muggle town in Australia, and that's where the school is situated, right in the middle." Julia rambled on, well aware that she had David's attention. It was quite off putting, he was watching her closely.
"That sounds fairly different to here," Sarah said, she opened the door to a nice looking pub and waited for everyone to walk in. Inside it was nice and warm and Julia found herself falling in love with it quickly. "So, what's the different between Quidditch?"
"Well, I'll just say this, in the Quidditch World Cup, we play by your rules, but in National games we play by our own rules. There is an extra bludger, and it's a contact sport, so, there's like, tackling in the air, but there are also wizards that stand around on the ground, so if you fall off your broom they slow you before hitting the ground, no one has died in the last two decade's since that rule came in, but someone got brain damage because a bludger hit him hard in the head. There's another beater on each team, but they're different to the normal beaters. They have to be really good fliers, because the added bludger is really tricky... it's kind of hard to explain." Julia said, while Gemma and Alicia went to get their drinks.
"That sounds interesting," Daniel said, "what do you play?"
"I play seeker and also beater, the one that follows around the other bludger, which is yellow and green, but mainly seeker."
"I wouldn't mind seeing that!" Daniel said. Julia ignored him and looked at David who was glaring at Daniel, slightly.
"Dan, get over yourself," Sarah said crossly.
"Sorry sister," Daniel said, he smirked at Sarah and Julia felt a twinge of dislike for him. Sarah rolled her eyes and ignored him, thanking Gemma and Alicia when they returned with a tray of drinks.
"How much is it?" Julia asked.
"Don't worry," Sarah said, "this one's on me."
"No, really, I can-."
"You can drink it and enjoy it, good girl." Sarah said.
"Thanks," Julia laughed. She took a sip. "Wow, this tastes great! It's the first time I've ever tried butterbeer before."
"Wow girl you're mad!" Daniel said, David laughed.
"Really? I couldn't imagine life without this stuff!" David said, lifting his drink. It was then that Julia realised how strong his arms looked. She smiled slightly.
"I'll be back in a minute, can someone show me where the toilet, ah lavatory, is?"
"Yep, sure," sarah got up, "I'll be back in a minute." Julia smiled gratefully at her and followed her out through a backdoor into a small courtyard. It was really pretty, with lots of pink and blue flowers. In the middle was a block with the label 'ladies' facing their side. "Right there," Sarah said, "I'm going to go back in, are you ok?"
"Yes, thanks."
Julia walked back in and saw the group were a lot happier than they were when she was there. Well, not happier, but more open.
"Umm... Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"Can I talk to you?" The rest of the group were all laughing at something David just said.
"Sure," she said, still giggling slightly. Julia knew David was watching them and she shifted nervously as they moved over to a corner. "What is it?"
"You guys don't mind me, uh... hanging around with you, do you?"
"No, of course not! Why?"
"You just seem a lot happier when I'm not there."
"Oh, no it's fine, it's just that some of them, David and Gemma mainly, aren't quite as outgoing as the rest of us. And David's sort of been bringing us down for a while, because of, well, just some stuff, he doesn't know we know though."
Julia looked over Sarah's shoulder at David, who quickly averted his gaze. "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing, he's just going through one of them 'who am I?' stages. Of course, it's a bit worse for him, being an orphan and all."
"Eh Sarah, Julia!" Daniel was calling them with a grin on his face, Sarah took Julia's wrist and lead her back to the table.
"Don't worry," Sarah mumbled under her breath, "they all adore you, they told me so!"
Julia felt a little better and smiled gratefully as she sat down.
"What were you two up to?" Daniel asked, grinning, David snorted into his butterbeer.
"Just talking." Sarah said, glaring at them both in turn. Julia was really curious as to what David found so funny.
"What's so funny?" she asked him. It was really only the second time she'd directed speech to him that day. She tried to fight the butterflies in her stomach.
"I honestly don't know," David said, grinning. Julia lifted up her right hand and waved it in front of his face, she then looked at her palm.
'Cheering Charm,' was written on her hand in red and it stung slightly. The more she used the spell though, the better it got. The rest of the table was looking at her and she looked around at them with understanding.
"What's going on?" David asked, still smiling happily.
"Nothing," Julia said, she showed Sarah her hand and Sarah smiled and nodded.
"How did you do that?" Sarah asked her. "You know, the whole hand thing."
David felt inexplainably happy as he watched Julia and Sarah talking, though he was getting a little impatient.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Nothing," Sarah snapped and went back to looking at Julia's hand.
"It's something that we learn in Australia, you don't need to use your wand, but you channel your magic through your hands, that's how, at the beginning of the year, I was able to enhance my voice before speaking to you all, if you remember that." Julia explained.
David could vaguely remember her rubbing her throat.
"Give us a demo," he said, grinning.
"Ok," Julia said uncertainly. She rubbed her throat with her right hand and then spoke loudly... really loudly. "Hello, everyone, would you please vacate the premises?"
Their table cracked up as people looked around trying to find where the voice came from. People were milling around as there was a rush at the door, waiting to get out. David's sides were hurting with laughter. "We better go, too," Julia whispered. The seven of them all left the Three Broomsticks with their half full Butterbeers.
"That was a classic!" Daniel gasped, David had to agree.
"I bet old Rosemerta won't be happy," David added.
"Is that the lady who works there?" Julia asked him, he nodded, grinning. That was so cool!
THERE YA GO! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, ALLIE!
"I've never been to Hogsmeade before," Julia said as they walked along the path, she could see Hogsmeade just ahead. People were bustling all around her and soon she lost her friends.
"Julia, are you lost?" Asked Professor Granger.
"No, I just lost my friends."
Professor Granger looked around, on her tip-toes, and then came back down. "There are some Gryffindor girls your age just ahead, would you like to meet them?"
"Oh, yes, I know them, but I'll hang around with them if they want." Julia followed as Granger pushed through the crowds. "Thank you," she said once Granger had pointed them out. Julia went up to them.
"Hello," she said.
"Hi," Sarah grinned at her and draped her arm over Julia's shoulder. "Want to hang with us?"
"Yes, that's what I was hoping," Julia admitted, grinning back. Sarah was really pretty, and she had a beautiful personality.
"Cool, well, we were going to go to the Three Broomsticks, which is a pub if you want to come?"
"A pub?!" Julia exclaimed. "But we're not old enough!"
"Well, it's not exactly a pub. Underage wizards can only buy Butterbeers..." Sarah said. Alicia, Gemma and Lily, the other Gryffindor sixth year, were all chatting away. They hadn't even noticed the arrival of Julia. "Hey girls, we've got another one," Sarah said, pulling Julia into the group more.
"Oh, hey Julia!" Alicia said. She was one of the Prefects.
"G'day," Lily said, in a really bad Australian accent. Gemma just laughed.
"Hey Julia, is Lee Smith one of your friends?" Sarah asked.
"Yes, why?"
"I was just wondering, because Robert Weasley, you know him? Yeah he's got a date with her, is this true?"
"Yeah, she's been really nervous. You should have seen her this morning trying to find something to wear!"
"Another question," Gemma said, Julia didn't like Gemma that much, but smiled all the same, "is it true that the Ravenclaws think the Gryffindor's are the best?"
"In a way, I guess. Apparently it's an honour to be a Gryffindor, but I don't think so, I think everyone has good things about them," Julia said. "Even the Slytherin's are nice, when you get to know them."
"Yeah, but I guess you're in Ravenclaw, so they would like you."
"No, I'm not," Julia said, looking a little confused, "I don't have a house."
"What?" Sarah piped up. "What do you mean? Why are you in Ravenclaw then?"
"I spend a quarter of the year with each house," Julia explained, "I'm in Gryffindor next."
"Wow! That's cool," Lily smiled. "So you'll get to see more of the school than anyone else, that's like... wow!"
Julia laughed. The Gryffindor's were quite different from the Ravenclaws, yet they were so amazingly alike, if they got to know each other the wizard world would be a better place.
"Yep, it's pretty cool alright."
Hogsmeade was such a cute little town, and Julia tried to imagine it in winter covered in snow. This was somewhere she could live.
"It's really beautiful here," the other girls didn't seem to see it the same way she did.
"Yeah, it's alright," Sarah said. "Hey," she turned to the others, "have you seen Daniel?"
"Nope, we've been with you all morning, remember." Renee said.
"Oh yeah, that's right," Sarah replied. She started looking around.
"Is that him over there?" Julia had noticed David, and then saw the taller dark haired guy next to him, she pointed to them.
"Yep. Come on. They'll probably want to drink with us." Sarah dragged the others all over to David and Daniel. Julia felt her stomach squirm with butterflies. She had never actually talked to David yet. Trying to calm down and get the silly grin off her face she shook her head, trying to shake it off.
"Hey guys!" Sarah said. "Dave, this is Julia." David shook her hand and Julia smiled at him sweetly.
"Pleased to meet you."
"And you, too," David said.
"Aww, isn't that just sweet?" Daniel asked, elbowing David in the ribs. "So, what are you girls doing?" he asked after successfully making David blush, which made his small amount of freckles disappear entirely.
"We're going to the Three Broomsticks, and wanted to know if you guys want to come," Sarah said jovially. Julia kept shooting glances at David, that is, until she caught his eye, then she wasn't game enough to again.
"Sure," Daniel said at once, "C'mon Dave, we've got ourselves a date! Now Rob can't tease us," Daniel linked arms with Lily and smiled down at her. It was really quite adorable. David shifted nervously and walked next to Gemma, the farthest away from Julia, she felt slightly put out, but went back to admiring the town.
"So, Jules," Sarah started moving ahead of the group and walking backwards. "Do you have weekends like this in Australia?"
"Well, not in as good a setting, but we do have weekends in the only non- muggle town in Australia, and that's where the school is situated, right in the middle." Julia rambled on, well aware that she had David's attention. It was quite off putting, he was watching her closely.
"That sounds fairly different to here," Sarah said, she opened the door to a nice looking pub and waited for everyone to walk in. Inside it was nice and warm and Julia found herself falling in love with it quickly. "So, what's the different between Quidditch?"
"Well, I'll just say this, in the Quidditch World Cup, we play by your rules, but in National games we play by our own rules. There is an extra bludger, and it's a contact sport, so, there's like, tackling in the air, but there are also wizards that stand around on the ground, so if you fall off your broom they slow you before hitting the ground, no one has died in the last two decade's since that rule came in, but someone got brain damage because a bludger hit him hard in the head. There's another beater on each team, but they're different to the normal beaters. They have to be really good fliers, because the added bludger is really tricky... it's kind of hard to explain." Julia said, while Gemma and Alicia went to get their drinks.
"That sounds interesting," Daniel said, "what do you play?"
"I play seeker and also beater, the one that follows around the other bludger, which is yellow and green, but mainly seeker."
"I wouldn't mind seeing that!" Daniel said. Julia ignored him and looked at David who was glaring at Daniel, slightly.
"Dan, get over yourself," Sarah said crossly.
"Sorry sister," Daniel said, he smirked at Sarah and Julia felt a twinge of dislike for him. Sarah rolled her eyes and ignored him, thanking Gemma and Alicia when they returned with a tray of drinks.
"How much is it?" Julia asked.
"Don't worry," Sarah said, "this one's on me."
"No, really, I can-."
"You can drink it and enjoy it, good girl." Sarah said.
"Thanks," Julia laughed. She took a sip. "Wow, this tastes great! It's the first time I've ever tried butterbeer before."
"Wow girl you're mad!" Daniel said, David laughed.
"Really? I couldn't imagine life without this stuff!" David said, lifting his drink. It was then that Julia realised how strong his arms looked. She smiled slightly.
"I'll be back in a minute, can someone show me where the toilet, ah lavatory, is?"
"Yep, sure," sarah got up, "I'll be back in a minute." Julia smiled gratefully at her and followed her out through a backdoor into a small courtyard. It was really pretty, with lots of pink and blue flowers. In the middle was a block with the label 'ladies' facing their side. "Right there," Sarah said, "I'm going to go back in, are you ok?"
"Yes, thanks."
Julia walked back in and saw the group were a lot happier than they were when she was there. Well, not happier, but more open.
"Umm... Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"Can I talk to you?" The rest of the group were all laughing at something David just said.
"Sure," she said, still giggling slightly. Julia knew David was watching them and she shifted nervously as they moved over to a corner. "What is it?"
"You guys don't mind me, uh... hanging around with you, do you?"
"No, of course not! Why?"
"You just seem a lot happier when I'm not there."
"Oh, no it's fine, it's just that some of them, David and Gemma mainly, aren't quite as outgoing as the rest of us. And David's sort of been bringing us down for a while, because of, well, just some stuff, he doesn't know we know though."
Julia looked over Sarah's shoulder at David, who quickly averted his gaze. "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing, he's just going through one of them 'who am I?' stages. Of course, it's a bit worse for him, being an orphan and all."
"Eh Sarah, Julia!" Daniel was calling them with a grin on his face, Sarah took Julia's wrist and lead her back to the table.
"Don't worry," Sarah mumbled under her breath, "they all adore you, they told me so!"
Julia felt a little better and smiled gratefully as she sat down.
"What were you two up to?" Daniel asked, grinning, David snorted into his butterbeer.
"Just talking." Sarah said, glaring at them both in turn. Julia was really curious as to what David found so funny.
"What's so funny?" she asked him. It was really only the second time she'd directed speech to him that day. She tried to fight the butterflies in her stomach.
"I honestly don't know," David said, grinning. Julia lifted up her right hand and waved it in front of his face, she then looked at her palm.
'Cheering Charm,' was written on her hand in red and it stung slightly. The more she used the spell though, the better it got. The rest of the table was looking at her and she looked around at them with understanding.
"What's going on?" David asked, still smiling happily.
"Nothing," Julia said, she showed Sarah her hand and Sarah smiled and nodded.
"How did you do that?" Sarah asked her. "You know, the whole hand thing."
David felt inexplainably happy as he watched Julia and Sarah talking, though he was getting a little impatient.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Nothing," Sarah snapped and went back to looking at Julia's hand.
"It's something that we learn in Australia, you don't need to use your wand, but you channel your magic through your hands, that's how, at the beginning of the year, I was able to enhance my voice before speaking to you all, if you remember that." Julia explained.
David could vaguely remember her rubbing her throat.
"Give us a demo," he said, grinning.
"Ok," Julia said uncertainly. She rubbed her throat with her right hand and then spoke loudly... really loudly. "Hello, everyone, would you please vacate the premises?"
Their table cracked up as people looked around trying to find where the voice came from. People were milling around as there was a rush at the door, waiting to get out. David's sides were hurting with laughter. "We better go, too," Julia whispered. The seven of them all left the Three Broomsticks with their half full Butterbeers.
"That was a classic!" Daniel gasped, David had to agree.
"I bet old Rosemerta won't be happy," David added.
"Is that the lady who works there?" Julia asked him, he nodded, grinning. That was so cool!
THERE YA GO! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, ALLIE!