A new friend?

Avis missed Hogwarts. She wanted to learn, read, sit in the comfortable Common room and watch out of the window and enjoy the view of the stormy weather while she sat near the fireplace, warm cup of tea in her hands. She also missed the friendly atmosphiere of the Hogsmeade and the picture like view that she got when she visited this place with her housemates many times a year.
She got the permission from her parents to visit the Hogsmeade. Sadly, the school was closed for the students during the summer – she'd visit it as well – but right now she was satisfyed enough with the warm cup of butterbeer in her hands and silence that surrounded her. People came and went. Some of them stayed for longer to chat with their friends who also came here to talk abuot old times and just enjoy the summer in this charming place.

Avis ordered herself a plate of cookies and another bottle of butterbeer. While she waited for her order to be accomplished, she took a book from her bag and open it. Book was something that every teenaged girl would read. Filled with romance and tragedy and yet it was with an happy ending that warmed her heart.

It was a cold, snowy evening the wind was as sharp as a needle piercing through your jacket as if there was nothing there. Icicles formed underneath every tree and building. Caiden quickly walked through the door of the Three Broomstick and closed the door behind him. 'Whoo cold!' he murmured mostly to himself, shaking his head to shake off the snow that landed on his head.

He quickly dugged into his pocket and pulled out his application for a job application as chef for the Three Broomstick. Then he made his way to the counter and placed the application on the counter. 'Can you give this to the manger please?' he asked the bartender. 'Right away,' they said, taking the application. 'And one butter beer please,' he added after wards, putting the coin on the table for them. He looked around for around for a bit and noticed a girl reading one of his favourite book that he was reading at the moment. 'I see your reading Jane Eyre too,' he spoke to the girl hopefully she heard him. 'I am reading her too,' he grinned.

Avis recieved her plate with delicious cookies and her new bottle of butterbeer. She placed the book on the table and bent now over it to read and eat at the same time. For a moment, when door opened and closed, she shivered but the cold went away as soon as she took a sip from her warm drink.
One cookie after another, she finished the chapter where Helen Burns had died and Jane Eyre was found next to her. In this case, she felt really close and related to the heroine of the book. It was almost the same with Mina. Avis almost like felt that the time was running out and she was there when her sister took her last breath and left her alone.
She shook her head, feeling how sadness flowed over her. She had to stop this mourning. Mina wouldn't want that. She enjoyed life to the fullest while she was alive – why can't I do the same? she asked herself. Avis looked outside. No one was around.

“What?“ she asked when someone spoke to her. Avis looked at the counter to see one slytherin standing there. It was Him who spoke to her? She couldn't hide the surprise that appeared on her pale face. Since when slytherins spoke to her? “Oh yes, it's really interesting and well written...“ she replied quietly. It surprised her that boys at this age read such books. „And do you like it?“ she dared to ask.

Caiden pulled off how coat and pulled up his sleeves as it started to get warmer. 'Thanks,' nodded Caiden to the bartender. He took a small sip and sighed with satisfaction, nothing was better then a warm cup of butter beer in a cold windy evening like this. Then he turn his head and gazed at the girl who answered him. 'Are you kidding?' he rose and eyebrows as he walked over to her with his butter beer and coat hanging from his arm. 'I love the book,' he answered. Caiden was a book worm when it came to books, he'd read it over and over again if he liked the book. He probably read Jane Eyre about three times already, he loved the book. 'I'm sorry so rude of me,' he said. 'I am Caiden,' he held an outstretched hand in front of him.

At some point, Avis feared that the Slytherin might laugh at her and embarras her somehow. That's what snakes did to the poor lions who, in their eyes, didn't deserve any better treatment. But on the other, she hoped that this time, when they weren't at school, things would change and she'd be able to speak with another reader without any complications.
His answer surprised Avis even more and she also raised her eyebrows. Now she studied him with bigger curiosity. „That's... nice,“ she said quietly, still feeling slightly afraid of him. She watched as he came closer to her and finally was standing right infront of her, his hand reached out at her. Hesitating only for a moment, she gently touched his hand and shaked it:“Avis,“ she introduced herself.
Maybe he didn't know who she actually was. Hogsmeade was popular enough for the turists to visit. Many wizards from other countries have heard about this little village. „I'm really pleased to know that I'm not the only one who is into classics,“ she added after a short while, releasing Caiden's hand from her gentle grip.

'Avis.' Caiden said, slowly absorbing the name into his head. He could vaguely remember a girl name Avis in his class, yes this was her. The Gryffindor who sat across the room from him in Charms. 'A pleasure to meet you,' he smiled, shaking her hand. He couldn't help but noticed the hesitation in the girl as she slowly gripped his hand and shook it. But he couldn't blame her for hesitating to touch him. His house - Slytherin were known for being jerks - always laughing and embarrassing others. Caiden was however wasn't like that, he felt no need to poke fun of others. He was in fact a victim to Slytherin bullying, they were always poking fun at him and teasing him for being scared of birds and being the the teachers pet. 'Oh, I love classical books, I read a ton of them,' he answered, slowly letting go of her hand. Hopefully he came off as friendly to her unlike all his other housemates who were jerks.

She didn't say anything when he repeated her name. Only stared at him, waiting for his reaction. She was sure he knew who she was. Avis, though unnoticed by others, saw everyone and everything that was going on in this school. She knew half of the people who had never heard of her before. „The pleasure is all mine,“ she said, feeling now much calmer as he, in her opinion, looked somehow calm and even friendly. Why else he'd stay that long with her there and even let her, a halfblood, touch his pureblooded soft and silky skin?
She looked now down at the cover of her book (she had closed it) and smiled softly. „Yes, well, big sum of people never realize how good they are and how well some books are written,“ she stated her opinion about classics. The library that she had at her home was full of such books. But there were not only classics, but also newer books as well. Anne Rice's novels for example – the words that filled the books almost rolled from her tongue when she read those books. Simply, but well written and consisted of such a great fantasy and amazing characters! „How rude of me... Would you take a seat and err.. if you want, of course, you can take some cookies,“ she offered with a smile when she realized that she's been staring at the cover for too long.

A pleasure is all mine.

Caiden smiled and nodded in response, he was glad she finally saw through him and saw that he was friendly and not a jerk. Another reason why his house always picked on him because he wasn't like the others, he spoke with other houses and befriended them. Some of his housemates tends to stick to their own 'kinds'. How boring, he thought, what fun is in that. Sometime he would think he's in the wrong house, he preferred to be in one of his best friends house and be with them but the hat had spoken. 'Yeah, some people just miss out. They don't see how good it is,' he smirked and laughed. 'But then everyone is different,' he shrugged his shoulders. He had a collection of classical books in his bookshelf back at his place, from Charle Dicken down to George Elliot and of course some newer books he liked as well. 'I'd love to take a seat,' he said, putting his coat around the back of the chair and shook his head at her offer for a cookie. 'I'm sorry I have to ask, are you Avis from Hogwart? Sixth grade? Gryffindor?' he asked curiously, as he took his seat next to her

Avis could see that he already felt really comfortable near her. She couldn't blame him for that – most of the people, who bothered to speak with her, sometimes found her company really nice. She always listened what others had to say and never spoke too much, allowing people inform her with their problems, dreams or just thoughts that were running trough their minds. And Avis, respecting everyone in that case, never spoke a word about what she heard to anyone.
She agreed with Caiden, giving him a short nod as a reply. As she remained silent, Avis watched how he took his seat and refused to take at least one cookie. „Dear God, I didn't poison them if you fear that,“ she said quietly with her lips turning into a smile. „Yes,“ she added. She didn't have to ask Caiden the same question, she already knew who he was.

(Sorry for late reply, I've been busy lately )

Caiden felt her company, truly warming and comforting and he could already feel at ease around her. He could see that she'd make a very valuable friend, if he was in fact able to befriend her later. We will see.... Caiden could tell she was more of a listening type, hardly a talker at all which at the same time made Caiden feel a little uneasy but what was he going to do about it.

Caiden took another sip of his butter beer and felt it warming him up after every sip. Warming up his body, warming up his numb ears and warming up his hand. It felt as if it was defrosting him. It was chilly out there. That reminds him he needed to buy some gloves, he swore he couldn't feel his hands out there. Caiden looked down at the cookies and chuckled at Avis comment. 'Okay, I'll have one then.' he smiled, taking a piece of cooking and biting it. 'Mm!' he said, chewing on his cookie. He could feel it crumbling in his mouth, watering it after every bite. He could eat this all day if he wasn't watching his weight at the moment. 'So whats bring you down here?' he asked the girl, hopefully to end this awkward silence and get her speaking.