Give Me A Break

Oh great.

Walking. Walking, walking and more walking. Trudging up and trudging down. Sweating, of course. And the all encompassing, ever-confusing walls of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Rika took a few more, staggering steps, pushed open the door of a random room and collapsed. God, she was so tired. Who's bright idea was it to ah, explore this madhouse of a school?

Yours, I believe.

Rika scowled, laid her head back against the cool stone-lapped walls and started muttering the Twelve Uses of Dragon Blood, apparently great for calming one self down. "Dragon's blood is a great preservative, often used to keep delicate, explosive potions ingredients stagna-"

Here's an idea. Since everyone already thinks you're mad anyway, why not do something which doesn't involve talking to yourself, for a change?

"You do realise that includes talking to you right?"

Ah, right. Carry on.

"Much obliged. Dragon's blood also has strong healing properties-"

Why am I not outside?

That was all Kate could think as she walked towards the Trophy room, glancing longingly outside the windows to the bright Spring day outside. She loved sunny days; lying down and daydreaming on the grass was one of her favourite pastimes. But she had wanted to practice her dancing, and the Trophy Room was always empty this time of day.

It wasn't a secret per say, her dancing, but she knew others stared at her when she practised in their company, so she preferred to do it alone, and the Hufflepuff common room was only free very late at night.

She trotted up the last set of stairs, and pushed open the Trophy Room door, only to find that, to her surprise, it was occupied.

Kate stopped still and stared at this girl, who looked about her age, whom she did not recognise. She'd interrupted this girl, who was talking to...herself about Dragon's Blood. Maybe revision for a test? Kate thought.
She regained her posture and smiled, the first words she could think of blurting out of her mouth.

"Oven cleaner and potion strengthener." Kate immediately blushed, and added hastily, "They're also other dragon blood uses. I'm sorry, I didn't expect anyone else to be here and when I'm nervous I babble."

"Oven cleaner and potion strengthener."

Oh, lookie. Someone after your own heart.

The girl, with a yellow tie Rika noticed with some relief, was now rambling on about something or the other. Of course, logic told Rika that she should immediately get up and leave before getting embroiled with another crazy witch (one in her own dorm was quite enough), but her lactic-acid filled muscles were slow to cooperate. And if this was an old student, maybe she could help her to find her way-

Whoa there. Help? So you've stopped thinking that wizards are cannibals?

"God, I'm tired of you." Rika groaned, then remembered the girl standing in front of her and interjected quickly, "I mean uh...I didn't mean that." An unsure smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm Erika Dixon."

Wait, should she have said that? Wasn't that an invitation to say more? To get acquainted, friendly even? And wasn't her policy of 'no magical friends and enemies' violated by this? Her mind flitted back to the winding corridors and moving staircases, and recoiled at the effort required to traverse through them again. Without a sense of direction, or a map. Maybe having a wizarding acquaintance wouldn't be that bad.....

Kate eyed the other girl, Erika, sceptically. She'd never seen her around before, but then again, she wasn't expected to know everyone, especially someone not from her own house. But this girl was quite pretty, in a quiet, unassuming way and so Kate was sure she would have noticed her. She looked like a dancer, long body and legs, thin figure. Kate especially noticed Erika's long tangled hair tumbling down her back, and the way her eyes seemed guarded at Kate's arrival. It was almost like...

Stop that, Kate warned herself, you don't think about girls like that, remember? It's not normal. And you try so hard to be normal, so this isn't helping.

"I'm Kate van Der Wyle." She said politely, not wanting to be silent for too long. "I'm Fifth year. Hufflepuff, obviously." Kate shuffled a bit on her feet, restless to start dancing, but she didn't want to be rude and make this other girl leave, as it was a public space.

"I haven't seen you around before." She offered instead. "Are you new or do you just keep a low profile?"

Kate scolded herself. Erika looked wary enough as it was, and hadn't Kate just told herself that she hadn't wanted to seem rude? "I just meant, that I haven't seen you around, ah, yeah, and its nice to meet you."

Just shut up. You're making it worse. Kate told herself, and she kept the smile on her face, hoping that she'd get some dancing in before dinner.

The girl- Kate - was observant. Her eyes flitted over Rika quickly and efficiently, as if filing away details for further perusal later. She was also rather polite.

Rika raised a single eyebrow at her question. "New. Transferred here for my OWL's, so fifth year." If she hadn't been new, there was no way in hell that she could've maintained a low profile. She tended to attract people's attention. Usually in a bad way.

Kate embarked on another rambling sentence, and Rika smiled faintly, slightly amused. Was this how people felt when they talked to her too? Kate's smile was also a mirror-image of her own strained version, the I'm-trying-to-be-polite-but-I'd-really-appreciate-it-if-you-piss-off smile. She was fidgeting rather restlessly, so much that Rika had to clamp down on the urge to tell her to stop prancing around.

She's a lot like you, isn't she?

"She's fine I guess.....for a witch." Rika voiced that out loud, and then almost clapped her forehead. Just because the girl opposite her was her own age, and eerily resembled her own tendencies, didn't mean she was appreciative of lunacy. And talking to yourself was the first sign of.....well, you know what. A change of subject was in order, fast. Rika's eyes flitted to Kate's fidgeting feet again, "Are you....do you need to do something here? I'll leave...if you like." Rika pushed herself off the floor, inspite of the protest of her aching joints. She propped a hand on the wall to support her wobbly legs, eyes clouding over at the prospect of navigating those meandering halls again. Oh joy.

Erika was strange, for sure, but in a cute, harmless kind of way. Quite...fascinating; appealing. Stop letting your mind wander. Kate reprimanded herself sternly. Stop thinking.

Erika talked to herself, which wasn’t all that uncommon, although she did most of it out loud, which was unusual, as if she was actually speaking to another person. But, Kate didn’t know as much as others about the wizarding world, being a muggle-born, and so maybe invisible people we’re all the norm. Although she was sure that would have been in at least one of the textbooks, being a fifth year and all. Maybe she’d overlooked it.

Relief swept over Kate as Erika offered to leave, grateful she’d get some dancing in. She hadn't been able to all week, thanks to the tedious, overload of homework she had for classes, courtesy of the upcoming OWLS. But as the girl stood up, she was unsteady on her feet, and had to support herself on the wall.

“Do you need some help?” Kate asked, worried Erika would faint, which was something she really didn’t want to deal with, “You don’t look…okay.” Kate really, really wanted to dance, but she couldn’t let Erika leave alone if she wasn’t well. Sigh. Why couldn’t she just be a B****, for once?

Instead, Kate added quickly, “You can stay if you want. I’m, uh…, just going to be dancing. I need to practice.” She blushed, not used to an audience. “So if you don’t mind watching, you can, uh, stay.”

Soon into their sort-of conversation, Rika realised something was different. It niggled at the back of her head, frequently and annoyingly, and suddenly clunked into place as Kate edged in another glance at her.

Kate was- she was -

She was not freaked out by her.

Yes, she looked at Rika several times and looked away rather hastily, but that seemed to be more out of a disinclination for being thought rude and awkward, rather than the customary people looking away to avoid the sight of her, like insanity or 'looniness' as they liked to call it, was visually contagious or something. Rika saw nothing of horror or distaste in Kate's gaze, there was something there that she hadn't identified yet, but it was nothing negative. Rika's smile brightened ever-so slightly. Yes, a wizarding acquaintance wasn't all that bad at all.

Kate offered to help, and Rika smiled again- how nice - before freezing. Help probably meant propping Rika up, or supporting her, which meant physical contact, which meant...Rika felt the sweat bead rolling down her forehead turn cold. Her voice was not casual and smooth, not at all, "N-no thats f-fine, I'm fine, I'll just sit here and watch you-" There was a slight change in her voice as she realized the meaning of the word that just rolled off her tongue. "Dance."

A strange excitement coiled in her belly, as Rika looked at Kate with bright eyes. She liked dance. She was horrible at it of course, as she was at anything that involved physical activity, but it still held her interest, "What do you dance? Hip-hop? Popping and locking? Jazz?" Her eagerness dimmed a little when she recalled Kate was magical of course, she probably wouldn't know all those Muggle terms. Rika resisted a strange urge to laugh. Heavens, they were a strange pair of babbling idiots, weren't they?

Kate’s face lit up. Most people here didn’t know anything about muggle dancing, much less terms for it.

“Ballet and contemporary.” Kate beamed. “I’ve been doing it since forever. It was all I wanted to when I was a little girl; be a professional dancer, I mean. So I was a bit conflicted when I got my letter to Hogwarts, as I wanted to dance but magic was just so extraordinary and an impossible opportunity to pass up. I still want to dance, that’s why I still practise, so hopefully I can do it professionally later…”

Kate trailed off. She was rambling again. She barely knew this girl, yet he was willing to spill out her life story? Why was she so nervous?

You’re nervous because you like her, admit it.

Kate couldn’t stop the thought popping into her head. And she knew it was true. Erika was new; she didn’t have any preconceptions of Kate, she could see what this girl picked up, if she realised anything. Most other people at Hogwarts considered her straight, but since Erika didn’t know practically anything about her, Kate could test the boundaries of her conflicted sexuality; to see how much she actually seemed like…not straight. Beside’s Erika looked like she wasn’t too comfortable in the magical world, much like Kate herself. And people often find comfort in others like them; when they feel as if they are alone.

There was an awkward silence, as Kate realised Erika was waiting for her to start dancing. She’s used to dancing in theatres; with audiences of 100 plus, but for some reason, this one lone girl is putting more pressure on her than ever, simply by watching.
Kate takes a deep breath. She has no music, normally she just practises to music in her head, but she realises now that may seem a bit odd with an audience. But with no other music to go on, Kate starts dancing.

'Sort Of', by Ingrid Michaelson, that’s the song she chooses. Its one of her favourites. Nice emotions to move to. She feels as if she’s painting a picture with her body; every move must be seamless, otherwise the painting can be ruined by the strokes of paint.

Finally, Kate finishes. She looks at the floor embarrassed, unsure of what Erika will say.

Ballet. Wow. Ballet.

Her respect for this girl just skyrocketed.

Oh sure, anyone could move their limbs in a jerky, funny, somewhat coordinated way and have people call it 'dance'. But ballet was......it was difficult. It required practice. And it was absolutely beautiful.

Rika watched, absorbed, as Kate danced. She wasn't perfect of course. But she was passionate about it. You could see it in the way her eyes fluttered shut, her wrists and ankles twisted and flicked, her fingers and toes pointing straight outwards. Poetry. Kate gave a final, understated flourish and finished, then started staring at the floor awkwardly. Rika's lips quirked up in amusement. Heavens, what a contrast, between the seamlessly flowing contemporary dancer, and the awkward student gazing at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Brill. Just brill." Rika brought her hands together and clapped, quickly, enthusiastically. "You should definitely think about going professional. I mean, the lines weren't perfect of course and a few moves were...." Rika suddenly trailed off, realising she was sounding like one of those snotty-nosed judges on the dance shows she watched so avidly, but then dismissed her thoughts with a shake of her head. Honestly, both of them had blushed and stuttered enough to last the entire week, she had had enough of awkwardness. "Uh..anyway. It was great. Period."

Her mind flitted back to the rambling paragraph Kate had voiced before starting her dance, and her eyes widened. "When you got your letter....you mean, you were non-magical before...as in.." God, what was the bloody term for it..oh yeah! "As in, you're a Muggle-born? I'm one too! I was homeschooled by my aunt till this year."

Aw. How touching. You've discovered your soul-mate.

Rikaq suppressed a small smirk, voice barely above a murmur, "Jealous, Bren?"

Kate blushed again. It was nice of Erika to give her praise, especially since she had been so nervous about dancing in front of her. She knew she wasn’t perfect; her pirouette’s needed practice, and she still couldn’t get grand jeté just right. But hopefully Erika hadn’t picked up on any of that; as even though she did sound like she knew what she was talking about, she had said that she didn’t dance.

Kate scuffed the ground, and answered Erika’s question. “Yeah, I am. I’m from Wales; born there, grew up there, when to school there. I have a little brother and sister, and I’m hoping they get letters as well, since you know, not all muggle-born children have magical siblings too. And as I said, I was really hesitant coming here, since it turned my life upside down, but…” Kate hesitated. How much rambling would this girl take before she told Kate to shut up? She knew she must have been coming off as strange herself, with all these nerves. And it wasn’t normally like her. Why couldn’t she just have a normal, casual conversation with this girl?

Kate tried again.

“So, um, you got any other magical siblings or anything?”