*Azalea was walking- to be more correct, gliding- down a corridor on a chilly Saturday in December. She was heading to the library so she could study for a test that she would have in two weeks. She was very behind on her studying, and, according to her parents thoughts, she was sure to fail. She was wearing her school uniform, which had not a spot or wrinkle that shouldn't have been there. Her hair was in it's standard loose, blonde ringlets and a soft smile graced her lips. She walked with perfect posture despite carrying a heavy load of books.

She didn't notice that one of her books was slipping from her hands until it was on the ground. She let out a soft squeal and went to pick it up*

*Tristan was also on his way to the library. He was going there to find a good book to take with him when he snuck into the prefect's bathroom so he could try to relax and heal after the months on the run living in less than perfect conditions. He had on a green t-shirt that said 'Gluten Free' on it in white letters. It used to fit him perfectly, complementing his hair and eyes. But now....he was thinner than he used to be, so it was a little loose, and he was much paler, almost sickly. The black eye was healing, thankfully. He was improving, slowly but surely.*

*When the seemingly prissy girl in front of him dropped her book, he reached down to pick it up as well.* "I got it." *He said, his voice returning to it's old carefree tone. He was, after all, alone in the corridor with a small hufflepuff girl.*

Lea:"Oh! Thank you very much, sir." *the title
sir' was something her parents instructed her to use for every male, not only those older than her, but those younger as well. Her father had a strong belief in male superiority. She was flustered by the stranger's kindness, but smiled all the same*"That's very kind of you, thank you." *She held out her hands to receive the book rather than taking it from him. Another rule from her parents: Let others give to you, never take. They might not want you to have it.

Her parents were, needless to say, extremely strict. In fact, they were much worse than that. Lea was their little doll, almost literally. She had no idea who she really was, but that didn't bother her because she was under the belief that her parents' creature was her.*

*Tristan was thrown off by the girl's formal responce. He stopped and held out the book for her to take, putting it in her hands before letting go. He decided to strike up a conversation anyway to keep the situation from being awkward.* "Do you need help with your books? They look kind of heavy. And you're so...tiny..." *He smiled easily, not seeing her as much of a threat, and ran his hand through his hair, pausing to rub at his healing black eye*

*She would have accepted his offer, but she thought that it would be rude to let a stranger carry her books, regardless of if he offered.*

Lea:"No thank you, sir, I'll be fine, it slipped is all. Thank you for the offer. I'd best be on my way, though. I'm heading to the library to study," *she explained to him, but then realized (again) that it would be rude to simply leave him*"You may come with me if you'd like."

*Tristan almost laughed at how formal she spoke* "You really don't have to call me sir....I'm Tristan." *As hard as it was to keep himself from laughing, he couldn't stiffle a grin* "And I was going to the library anyway....My book's about 3 months over due." *He smiled and scratched his side, his fingers running over his ribs, making it obvious how thin he was*


ooc: I mewan that like, when he ran his fingers over his side, it was bumpy from his ribs showing...you know what I mean?

Lea:"It's an honor to meet you, Tristan, sir." *the sir was added merely out of habit*"My name is Azalea, but you may call me Lea if you wish. If your book is so overdue you have to come with me at once; Madame Pince must be furious with you. Do you have the book with you or shall we go and get it?"

"No, I have it." *He said midly, turning his body around and reaching into one of the pockets of his cargo pants and pulling out the book. It was a copy of George Orwell's Ninteen Eighty-Four. He wavedit a little and started walking with Lea towards the library.* "What is it that you're studying for?" *Despite the fact that the kid was a little weird, it wasn't like Tristan to turn down a new friend. And besides, who was he to judge someone for being different?*

Lea:"Oh, a History of Magic test. I've never heard of George Orwell, though, or 1984. What else did he write? Would he be in any of my books?" *she was interested both by Tristan and George Orwell. She knew nothing about either of them, but craved to know more.*



~Mel

"Ummm...he wrote Animal Farm.....he's a muggle author. The controlling government in the book kind of reminds me of The Family..." *He cut himself off and glanced over at her as they walked. She was little, but she could still be a family member.* "What do you think of The Family?" *He asked, praying she wasn't a member*

*Azalea shuddered. All of this Family talk always upset her. She didn't really understand any of it, but what she did understand was enough.*
Lea:"My mother and father think that The Family has the right idea since Vampires and Werewolves are both known for vicious killings."

"But what do you think?" *He urged, not really aware of the fact that she was her parent's little pet* "My parents are both family members, but I've been on the run in hiding from the family for the past two months." *He explained* "I just feel bad for my little sister.....She has to go to all the metings with our parents, but she doesn't wat to...she wanted to run away and live with me." *He sighed and shrugged* "But I didn't want her to get in trouble or sick or something. It wasn't like I was living in a stable environment or anytihng."

Lea:"What do I think? I think that...." *she took a pause to think*"Well, I...I don't quite know what I think. I don't have an opinion, I suppose. My parents told me that The Family was good, so I guess that is what I believe as well."

*Tristan stopped walkinga nd glanced around the corridors to make sure they were alone* "I want to show you something..." *He murmered, setting his book down on the floor. He reached and grabbed the bottem of his shirt and lifeted it up to shoe his chest and stomach. Tristan was thin to the point that his ribs were plainly visable. There were bruises, varying in color and size, all over his chest, stomach, and sides as well as a few cuts. After a few moments to allow it to sink in with her he put his shirt back down and bent to pick up the book, making eye contact with her* "That's what the family did to me." *He said quietly before starting to walk towards the library again, hoping that she would follow. He liked having her around. She seemed to be so naive...*

*Azalea gasped at the sight of the bruises and cuts*
Lea:"Why would they do that to you? You're not a werewolf, are you?" *She asked in a panicked voice. He was obviously not a vampire, he was too nice (that was a prejudice of course), so he had to be a werewolf. She began to back away from him, scared at the idea of this nice boy turning into a monster that could kill her.*

"No, I'm not a werewolf." *He said quietly with a small smile. He glanced at her as he turned around and kept walking, only now he was walking backwards so he could still watch her to gauge her reactions.* "I'm just not a family member." *He decided to leave out that he was gay. Tristan sighed and shrugged his shoulders, turning back around to walk the right way.* "They hurt anyone that's against them, no matter what."

Lea:"Oh." *she didn't know what else to say.*"Well, they probably have a reason for hurting their enemies. No one would hurt people because they feel like it. That's not how people behave." *she shrugged her shoulders, which almost made her drop her books since the only way that they were still in her arms was because of a very careful placement that was disturbed by the movement.*

*Tristan sighed* "If you say so." *They had finally reached the library.* "Well....it's was nice talking to you....good luck studying." *Tristan smiled a little at her and turned to go over to look for a decent book to check out after he checked in 1984.....which he intended to do later.*

*Lea was shocked by his abrupt decision to leave*
Lea:"You don't have to go, you can help me study if you wish." *she suggested, hoping that he would stay. He intrigued her...he was completely the opposite of what was 'right' according to her parents. It even thrilled her a little. She desperately wanted to know more about him.*

*Tristan paused and thought about it for a second before deciding he might as well and shrugging his shoulders* "Alright..." *Tristan walked back over to the table and sat down. He glanced around for the librirain, and when he didn't see her, he pulled out a bottle of water and unscrewed the lid, took a swig, put the lid back on, and then hid the bottle on the floor under the table* "Okay.....what would you like me to help you with?" *He asked, smiling. It was almost like how he used to smile*

*Azalea sat down, her posture remaining as near to straight as possible. She pulled out what looked like a novel of notes, all written in an elegant script.*

Azalea:"You can ask questions on my notes from class." *She suggested, handing him the papers*"If you could please skip around a bit, that would be lovely. I already know most of it in the order that I wrote the notes."

*Tristan sat down across from her at the table, slouching slightly. He brought his foot up to rest on the chair and rested his chin on his knee. Tristan wrapped his arms around his leg and began fliping through her notes* "You're really organized......." *He commented.* "Uhhh......Who led the goblin rebellion of 1672 and what cause it to reach an end?"

Azalea:"Ooh, that one is simple. It was led by Gomblum, but once his wife Smuffent negotiated a large, but agreeable, some of gold for the wizards to pay them, it ended." *she answered in a very matter-of-fact voice that made her sound stuck-up.*

"Hm." *He said, flipping another few pages* "I didn't know that one..." *He murmered, trying to find something else to ask her about.* "When was the Statute of Secrecy set, and what was it that motivated the decision to put it up in the first place?" *He looked up at her from over her notes and made a face, hoping to make her laugh, like he would have done to his little sister*

*Lea smiled, only because it was obvious that he wanted her to. Studying was a serious matter and joking shouldn't be permitted.*
Lea:"It was set in 1692 due to an increase in muggle witch hunts sparked by the Salem Witch Trials in the Massachusetts colony." *she answered, again knowing that she was correct.*

*Tristan looked up at her and closed the notes* "What's the point of studying if you already know it all? I mean, you're obviously a star student. You don't need to study....arn't there other things you could be doing? Snow ball fights?....Running around getting in trouble...annoying uper classmen in the common rooms? You know, with your friends and stuff."

*Lea stared blankly at Tristan. Snowball fights? Trouble? Friends? Her parents didn't allow snowball fights or trouble, annoying upperclassmen would be rude, and friends? She didn't have any. No one could tolerate her for very long, for obvious reasons, and besides, she didn't have time for friends. Studying was more important.*
Lea:"Why...." *she thought about it for a moment*"No. I must study because I must not fail."

"You're not going to fail. Be reasonable. You could resite this word for word if I asked you to, I'm sure. Look outside." *He said, motioning to the window* "Look at it snowing...and listen..." *He paused for a moment, listening to the laughing and thuds of snowballs outside* "Doesn't that sound like fun? And sledding and ice skating on the lake..."

*Azalea glanced out the window. She was truly in a predicament. It was like the devil tempting someone with wonderful, evil things in her mind. With all of her heart she wanted to go out and be a kid, but she knew that if her parents ever found out, she would be in humongous amounts of trouble.*

Azalea:"Well...I...I'm not allowed. I would get in trouble."

"It's not against the rules." *He assured her, thinking that she was afraid to break a hogwarts rule.* "I promise. Nobody is going to yell at you or punish you or anything." *He looked at her, begging with his eyes, wanting nothing more than to go have some fun. Actually, what he wanted more than to go have some fun was to get her to go have some fun.*

Azalea:"It is a rule, one of my parents'. If they find out that I wasn't studying my hardest they would punish me." *Azalea almost started to cry at the thought. When they said they would punish her, they meant it. It wasn't only being grounded or sitting in a corner, they would paddle her until they thought that she had gotten the message. It was borderline abuse.*"They would go as far as to come here to do it, too, they would.

*Tristan could sure as hell relate to that. Overbearing parents. However she was being ridiclous about it.* "Lea, they're not going to find out. How would they find out?" *He paused for a second to look at her pointedly* "You know this. There's no point to keep studying it." *He assured her. It was probably because he had lived away from his parents for a few years now that he couldn't relate to her fear of her parents* "They're not going to find out if you go out this once. Just this once." *His voice was soft and pleading. He knew that if he could get her to have fun this once and show her that she wouldn't get in trouble for it, that the next time she would be more willing to go with him.*

Lea:"They'll find out, Tristan, they always figure out when I've done something wrong, and it won't be any different on this occasion. I'm very sorry, sir, but I can't do it." *she apologized*"I do wish that I could go." *Azalea looked longingly out of the window thinking of how much she wanted to run around and have fun.*

"I'm not sir." *He said as he slid her notes at her from across the table and stood without pushing in his chair, just to bother her.* "Well, I'm not wating a perfect day sitting inside. Bye Lea." *He turned to go, walking slowly enough that she could still keep up if she chose to. He had a feeling she would follow. He hoped she would.*

Lea:"No, please don't leave...Tristan" *She had forced herself not to say sir and it had taken a few seconds. She quickly picked up all of her things and started after him, but she wouldn't dare run in a library. She would get yelled at.*"This was a very mean trick!" *she scolded him.*

*Tristan smiled to himself and turned around so he was walking backwards* "You're going to need to learn that it's possible to have a social life. This will me fun. I promise." *He reached out to take some of her stuff so he could help carry it* "Now. Do you have any ice skates or do we need to go buy a pair?"

Azalea:"No, but I don't have any money, how will we buy them?" *She asked.*"And I'll need to get my coat so I don't catch a cold." *she reminded him*"My parents will definitely know that I wasn't studying if I fall ill, because I'm almost never sick."

"I have some money. And I know the kid who works in the shop. I used to date him Anyway, we're still on good terms, so he'll lend me enough to get you a nice pair of skates." *He turned back around and started walking again.*

*Azalea stopped walking when he mentioned the boy at the shop.*
Azalea:"He?" *she inquired*"Don't you mean 'she'?"

*She had completely ignored the fact that he had offered to buy her the ice skates, which she would normally turn down in a heart beat.*



~Mel

"No, I mean he." *He said, his heart speeding up slightly.* "His name's Ben. we were together for a few months last year. He hadn't turned around to see her reaction*