“ clearly you’ve never met my mum. “  the idea of tricking her brought a smile to pippa’s face.  her mum had a nose like a bloodhound, she always knew when something was out of the ordinary. she’d once washed her sweater three times and her mum had STILL smelled out the bonfire that she’d LIED about attending out.  “ she’d know. i dunno how but she would. it’s like her sixth sense, or something. “

“maybe it’s a mom thing?” alexandra definitely had trouble getting things past her own mother.  every time she did something she could count on a letter from her mother.  she just thanked merlin her mother was too proud to send howlers like some of her classmates got.  “i think everyone’s mom has the magical ability to tell if their children are trying to trick them.  i wonder if we’ll get that when we’re parents.”

“     no,     really.     i’m the one at fault.     ”     she should’ve been looking out before trying to exit her seat.     it was a rather crowded area.     “     but i’m okay,     i didn’t bump into you or anything so we saved ourselves the trouble of possibly falling to the floor.     ”

“how about we agree no one is at fault, accidents happen and all that.” alexandra didn’t want to waste her time with all the apologizes. “we’re both fine, so no harm, no foul.”

     “there are very few times when my slytherin instinct for self-preservation kicks in, but that’d certainly be one’a them.”

“weird, it’s almost as if the sorting hat actually has a reason for the houses we’re in. i was beginning to think it was random.”

   “  you think hufflepuffs growing their own plants is random  ?  ”

“in the common room? yes.”

 normally, pippa would have been the first to disagree.  boys – and by extension, love, were quite important.  in her seventh year, with a full plate, her priorities NEEDED to shift.  at least that was what she was telling herself.  in a few weeks, she might feel differently.  or the next occasion when clarence bagnold’s owl dropped another letter off at her plate before breakfast in the great hall.  “ potions are delightful. “  the witch had to agree.  “  much better than the wrinkle cream mum always uses.  i haven’t the heart to tell her.  “

“you could subtly switch them?” alexandra suggested.  “help her out but also don’t crush her dreams of muggle wrinkle cream?” alexandra didn’t particularly understand not just fixing the problem, but she supposed some people had better relationships with their moms than she did.  “or just subtly hint toward it without actually telling her?”

     “i’m doing fine, just   …   settling in for the school year still, you know? got to be prepared for the term and the newts and everything.” 

“i think that’s where we all are.  well, there or freaking out about it.  though i’m personally a bigger fan of preparing than freaking out.”

     “i’m not too keen on fightin’ a mermaid at all t’be quite honest   –   i’m perfectly content with mindin’ my own business on that front. just because i wonder doesn’t mean i actually wanna know, y’know?”

“that’s fair.  i don’t know, when i start wondering i get curious and really want to know.  though maybe that’s the gryffindor in me.  gotta explore everything.”

“     –––     all in all,     yes     healer training is hard work.     yes,     i am still training,     but what’s a career without a little sacrifice     ?     ”     her focus shifted from the person she was speaking to as soon as she spotted her butterbeer order.     “     if you’ll excuse me     …     ”     she stands up from her seat, nearly bumping into someone on her way out from the booth.     “     oh     !     i’m so sorry,     are you okay     ?     ”

alexandra smiled at the other girl, hiding her annoyance.  can’t ever show the world she’s annoyed, or any other negative emotions for that matter.  “it’s fine,” she assured daphne.  “i should’ve been more careful, but i’m more than okay.  and you?”

     “i do often wonder what else is in the water’s depth   …   but then again i’m also not too keen on finding out.” the blonde witch wondered past the shoreline until she was up to her hips in the water. 

“i’ve heard there might be mermaids.  which would be...interesting, at the very least.  maybe we should explore some time, when we’re actually prepared because i don’t know about you but i’m not keen on fighting mermaids in my swimsuit.”

overworked? pff. the witch couldn’t imagine a world where she’d buckle under the pressure of all the expectations riding on her shoulders. she prided herself on time-management above most other things so failing ? falling behind because she was too busy ?  aside from wearing the same outfit twice in one month, that was probably the worst thing she could ever do.  “it’s going to be a busy year.” she agreed. “between my head girl duties, n.e.w.t.s., the internship, and now the cheer squad … i suppose i can say goodbye to dating.  boys will have to wait, i have far too much to do.”  if something had to give, pippa was more than happy to sacrifice her love life to be successful during her final year of hogwarts.  besides, her heart was a little occupied these days. “it’ll be tough, but i can do it.”  she paused, frowning. “unless i start getting stress lines. ugh.  no thank you ! “

“boys are, by far, the least important of those things, admittedly.” her mother would be so disappointed in her for saying that.  after all, according to her the part of her schooling was to find someone to spend her life with.  “i’m sure stress lines won’t be a problem.  if you notice them you can just whip up a potion to take care of them and problem solved.”

      “       well,       it’s something that’s ours,       and easy access i guess.       pluck it off the tree and its yours       ?       ”

“i suppose.  it just seems so random, you know?”

     the ravenclaw frowned, rubbing the back of his neck.  “ah, okay   …   ? how are you then, i guess, alexandra?”

“lovely, and yourself?” she laughed, surprised the head boy seemed to have no idea what she had been saying before.

     “brilliant!” avalon grinned, quickly transfiguring her clothes into her swim suit. “most everyone else seems too scared of the poor thing to even attempt an understanding.” 

alexandra slipped into the water, having not even bothered bringing regular clothing.  “i woudn’t exactly call it a poor thing, but it’s nothing to be afraid of.  unless you’re going pretty deep into the lake, but even then there are so many other things the squid is the least of your problems.”

    “oh, hey!” avalon greeted the wix that had approached with a bright smile. “wanna join me for a dip? i’m sure the squid will leave us alone   –   seems like a sweet enough creature t’me.”

“you read my mind.” alexandra set down her towel.  “i wouldn’t call it sweet, but the squid and i have a pretty strong ‘you leave me alone, i leave you alone’ thing going so i’m not overly concerned.”  

“of course!” azaria smiles brightly, the redhead could never be mad at people too long– it just wasn’t in her nature. “oh no! ya didn’t not at all. so it’s alright. i get what ya mean, everyone does. i don’t know thinking about it tha way makes me sad, and i don’t want ta be sad about it yet. but it’s also good ta appreciate it more too.”

“we all look at it a bit differently, i guess.  we can drop it, though. let’s talk about something else.  what’s the thing you’re most excited for this year?”

     “well considerin’ that the nutter wanted everyone dead and not just unable t’study, i don’t think that woulda quite satisifed him.”

“i mean, if we’re honest, i don’t think anything would’ve satisfied him.”