Hide and Seek {Open}

[Terra Aetara]

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions had been the intended destination of the day. Pernicious had been utterly convinced that her daughter needed even more dress robes. Extravagant ones that could empty a Weasley's bank account ten times over. For what? Well, that was a secret being kept from even Terra herself. The trip had been nothing short of tear-inducing, at least for Terra. She wasn't one to shop happily or be forced into fittings. It was just too boring.

So the intended destination wound up being a failure to the Matriarch of the Aetara family. While a miserable Terra often gave Pernicious great pleasure, when her daughter disappeared, that was a miscalculation that she just could not abide by. While various fabrics and chairs were hexed into oblivion all throughout the shop, Terra was sneaking around Diagon Alley, enjoying her brief moments of freedom.

Somehow she ended up in Fortescue's, a giant bowl of ice cream before her and a dreamy smile on her face. While she felt bad for bringing her mother's wrath upon an innocent shopkeeper, it was so rare she got freedom during the summer. How could she pass up the chance? Besides, Pernicious couldn't do much in public without having to pay a hefty fee, and the woman was so attached to her galleons that she wouldn't dare cause too much of a ruckus.

But still...

For a brief moment her smile faltered as her spoon hovered over her bowl. She remembered the days when she didn't have to deal with Pernicious' whims on her own. When both she and Maelstrom had often snuck out and come to Fortescue's, spending their allowances all in one go on sweets and ice cream. But Maelstrom was too busy these days trying to kill himself for a purpose that was just... just... ridiculous.

It was only a brief moment that she let herself slip and show her worry, as in the next moment she was shoveling ice cream into her mouth one spoonful after another. Call it eating like there was no tomorrow. But in truth, she was just trying to ignore her stress, and also enjoy her ice cream before she was found and then dragged back home.

[James Potter]

James sighed slightly, a rather large yawn escaping him. He grumbled, his right hand coming up to scratch at his head. He was out doing his shopping. Now, why hadn’t he done this earlier? Well, because he was trying to drown out the fact that he had been made Head Boy. Yeah . . . the only thing he had ended up doing was accepting it. He could now see what Sirius was so happy about. Although he had to admit, he wasn’t looking forward to it.

He made his way back to Fortescue's for another ice cream . . . It was amazing that he didn’t have any fat for as much as he ate. When he was there, he noticed a Hufflepuff of his year there. He grinned, walking over to her table with his own large sundae. “Hey, mind if I sit here with you?” he asked her with a smile.

[Terra Aetara]

'Mind if I sit here with you?'

Terra glanced up at the question, her spoon hovering just a bare inch from her mouth. First reaction? Shock. Definitely shock, if the slow tilt to her spoon and the glob of ice cream that suddenly fell towards the table was any indication.

"Um... Um... sure. I mean, yes," she said, her head tilting a bit to the side. "Company is always great. Excuse the um, sudden lapse in brain cells. I'm just easily startled."

She glanced down at the melting ice cream on the tabled, her cheeks reddening as she quickly grabbed a handkerchief from her bag and wiped it off. "Also, note, I am not very observant apparently. Whoops."

She laughed briefly at herself, before shoving her spoon back into her bowl and sticking another bite in her mouth. What could she say? She liked the ice cream here. So what if it could make her fat? At least it was something to enjoy.

"You're, um..." She trailed off, quickly swallowing so as not to be rude, before continuing on, "You're James Potter, right? I'm not hallucinating? Sorry, just didn't expect to see you at my table, is all."

[James Potter]

James smiled slightly as she stared at him with her mouth open. If he was going to let his ego grow, he would have smirked and thought something along the lines of ‘Yeah, today is your lucky day’. But seeing how he was actually slightly mature now (call the Prophet!!!) He just waited patiently for her to answer.

"Um... Um... sure. I mean, yes. Company is always great. Excuse the um, sudden lapse in brain cells. I'm just easily startled."

He laughed slightly, sitting down opposite of her. “Company is great, isn’t it? And don’t worry about it. What brain cells I have left have to work triple overtime to make up for everything.” he said with a wink. He took a spoon full of his Sundae. Sundaes were the best!!! Ice Cream was good! He waved off her comment of lack of observance as if to say don’t worry about it. “Trust me, you’re talking to one of the least observant guys ever.” he said to her.

"You're, um... You're James Potter, right? I'm not hallucinating? Sorry, just didn't expect to see you at my table, is all."

He blinked, looking at her in slight surprise as she said his name. Wow, now he felt bad. He wasn’t aware of her name. It was one of the bad things when everyone knew your name. You didn’t know theirs, and it made you aware of everything. He smiled slightly at her, offering a tanned hand to shake. “Pleasure to meet you . . . Your Aetara Right? Hufflepuff in Seventh year?” he asked. Well, he at least made an effort to remember last names . . .

[Terra Aetara]

Terra couldn't help but laugh good-naturedly at his words. It was good to know she wasn't the only one killing brain cells sometimes.

"You can just call me Terra. Aetara's my mother. Ew." she said with a grin, extending her hand as well to shake his. "And yep, I'm a Hufflepuff."

She was a little confused as to why he looked so surprised when she already knew his name. He was one of the most popular guys at Hogwarts, wasn't he? Of course everyone would already know his name, if nothing else. Eh, well, she wouldn't bring it up.

"So, what brings you to Diagon Alley on such a nice day? Aren't teenage boys usually out playing during the summer months or something?" Well, at least that's what her brother used to do when he was back in school, so she thought other boys would be the same. Possibly.

[James Potter]

"You can just call me Terra. Aetara's my mother. Ew. And yep, I'm a Hufflepuff."

He grinned slightly as she shook his head. “Let me guess . . . Dark Arts supporter?” he asked. There were a lot of families like that out there. Most of the Purebloods were all for this new Dark Lord ‘cleansing’ the Magical world. James thought it was a load of rubbish, but oh well. Some people were just freaks . . . Like Sirius’s cousin Bellatrix. She was a complete and total nut job!!!

"So, what brings you to Diagon Alley on such a nice day? Aren't teenage boys usually out playing during the summer months or something?"
He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Shopping. I wasn’t in the mood to do it a few days ago, so I decided I’d better do it today. Wouldn’t due for the new Head Boy to get to Hogwarts and not have any of his books.” he said, looking at the bags he had next to him. He took another bite of his ice cream. He’d have to go get Robes next. He had grown a few inches over the summer months, and he had developed more muscle. Needless to say his robes were feeling a bit . . . tight. “So what are you doing out here? I thought girls did all their shopping early.” he said with a smirk.

[Terra Aetara]

'Dark Arts supporter?'

Terra shrugged, frowning slightly. "Eh, more like a Personal Supporter. She tends to follow whatever side she'll get the most out of. And she's a big fan of showing off her wealth," she explained. By the tone in her voice, it left no doubt that she was very unhappy with the way her mother ran things. "Don't get me wrong; I love my mother and everything... I just don't love the person that she is... Er, I'm not really making much sense am I? Sorry."

She trailed off for a few moments, taking a quick bite of her melting ice cream. Sugar and chocolate solved all of the world's problems in her opinion.

'Shopping. I wasn’t in the mood to do it a few days ago, so I decided I’d better do it today. Wouldn’t due for the new Head Boy to get to Hogwarts and not have any of his books.'

"Oh, so you're the new Head Boy? Really? Promise you won't get the Hufflepuffs in too much trouble! Pretty please?" She gave him her best pout, the corners of her lips twitching to keep from laughing. Trying to act serious when she was anything but was definitely a hard task for her.

'So what are you doing out here? I thought girls did all their shopping early.'

"Pfft. My shopping was technically done the day I got my supplies list. Not my fault. I'm really lazy. Don't like shopping, but mom likes everything in order and done promptly. I was supposed to be stuck getting fitted for dress robes with her today, but... well... I escaped with my life. She'll find me soon enough and then there'll be the nagging... but at least I get ice cream out of it!"

[James Potter]

"Eh, more like a Personal Supporter. She tends to follow whatever side she'll get the most out of. And she's a big fan of showing off her wealth. Don't get me wrong; I love my mother and everything... I just don't love the person that she is... Er, I'm not really making much sense am I? Sorry."

He grinned slightly, laughing out loud at her statement. “Ah, that’s actually worse!!” he said with a laugh. Of course he would see the humor to this. James tried to look at the bright side of life. It wasn’t much, but it got him through the hard times. He then shook his head. He understood. “She’s your mother. You can’t help that. I understand. My parents are as old as dirt. I love them dearly.” he said.

"Oh, so you're the new Head Boy? Really? Promise you won't get the Hufflepuffs in too much trouble! Pretty please?"

He grinned, giving her a wink slightly. “Promise noted.” he said to her. He laughed slightly at her. He then nodded his head as she mentioned her shopping habits. “Hey, as long as you get ice cream, why should it matter!” he said to her.

[Terra Aetara]

"Yeah, some would say so," Terra said with a grin herself. What could she say? His humor was infectious. "But either way, if it involves a selfish view and hurts others, it's pretty bad."

In her opinion, whether it was the Dark Arts or personal gain she found it terrible. Based solely on what it could do to other people, including it's followers.

"I suppose that at least one thing she has going for her is that she doesn't have to follow anyone's orders but her own, and doesn't have to bow to anyone."

She smiled, nodding slightly, when James mentioned his parents. "Sounds like you're pretty fond of them. Good people, I'll assume. Or at least hope."

And when he noted her promise, she couldn't help but giggle, clapping her hands in delight. "Not that Hufflepuffs really seek out trouble. We're just more likely to get caught out with our significant others after curfew... uh, I didn't just tell you that. Whoops. Um. Well. I'd better just stop now before I stick my foot any further in my mouth. Heh."

[James Potter]

"Yeah, some would say so. But either way, if it involves a selfish view and hurts others, it's pretty bad."

He nodded his head slightly as he swirled his ice cream around, mixing it together as it softened. “Anything for personal gain is bad. One of the Seven Deadly Sins, right?” he asked with a smile. Of course, James wasn’t any innocent pansy. He made his share of mistakes, but he was at least man enough to admit to them! He was proud . . . arrogant . . . a glutton for punishment . . . See! He admitted them!

"Sounds like you're pretty fond of them. Good people, I'll assume. Or at least hope."

He smiled lightly, thinking of his parents. He nodded his head once, taking a bite of his swirled ice cream. “The best. I’m proud to be able to say I’m their son.” He often complained about their old age to his friends, saying that they were too old to do anything, but he was actually worried about them. Worried that he might not ever see them again. James knew he was lucky to have every day with them that he had.

Not that Hufflepuffs really seek out trouble. We're just more likely to get caught out with our significant others after curfew... uh, I didn't just tell you that. Whoops. Um. Well. I'd better just stop now before I stick my foot any further in my mouth. Heh."

He laughed slightly at her comment. “Tell you what, I’ll start singing at the top of my voice to let you Hufflepuff’s know I’m coming. Give you a fair warning. How’s that sound? But you have to Freeze any other Ravenclaw or Slytherin, especially Slytherins, who are out after hours. Deal?” he asked with a grin.

[Terra Aetara]

Terra tried to stifle her laughter but it only proved to be unsuccessful. It took her a few minutes to calm herself down long enough to catch her breath, and even when she had stopped laughing there were traces of humor still apparent in her eyes and the corners of her lips.

"That sounds like a fair trade to me," she said, "I'll make sure to tell my housemates about the plan. They'll need to know more than I would."

She tilted her head a bit at the freezing the other houses. She didn't have anything against any of the other houses, so when rivalries showed between houses, she didn't really understand them. Like the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin thing. She knew Slytherins tended to turn out dark and all but... She supposed it was because her brother had been a Slytherin that she found it hard to hate others in that house.

"I'll tell them that end as well, but I do warn you, Hufflepuffs aren't much for the hex and run type. And the singing would probably alert the others. I don't know."