(G.Hall) When reality becomes clear…

[Girty Hubbles]

That was the problem with winter. It grew dark early and cold quickly, and it did not matter how beautiful the grounds looked glistening in snow in some way it made Girty miserable. There was only so many time she could put up with having snow balls thrown at her or enchanted snowmen chase her across the grounds. And the thing that annoyed her the most was she would normal be the one having that fun, she would be the one outside having a laugh with her friends. But that is where Girty has hit a problem.

In her lower years of the school Girty had made friends with those that were older then her, they seemed to understand her randomness more and she was able to laugh with them and now they had gone to Merlin knows where she was alone. Yes she still had Jac but Jac had her other friends Girty really did not have anyone else. There was Alex, they would met from time to time but things always seem to stop them from meeting, from being inseparable in the lower years they now exchanged nothing more the a smile.
So there sat Girty Hubbles, the Champion for Hufflepuff house, one of the best chasers the school had seen in many years and yet she was by herself at the dinner table. A half filled plate in front of her an empty glass of pumpkin juice and a hipflask that seemed to smell a lot like fire whiskey.

Puffing out her cheeks Girty turned he head to the staff table half expecting to see her brother sitting there, but alas there were two empty seats. He was clearly spending the time with Professor Owen again, most likely in the astronomy tower doing ‘marking’ together. A group of lower year Hufflepuffs entered laughing and joking and Girty looked over towards them with a smile but they sat down at the other end of the table without a second glance.
Yes Girty Hubbles was quite alone.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria walked into the Great Hall after most people were already sitting down and eating their supper. She looked along the Hufflepuff table, trying to decide where to sit. Maria had never had anybody who she regularly sat with, so she usually just ended up sitting next to a group of people she never talked to.

However, as her eyes scanned the table she noticed Girty Hubbles, the picture perfect Hufflepuff sitting by herself. That was odd. It seemed that Girty was the most popular Hufflepuff, but there she was alone at her own house table. Then Maria realized that most of Girty's friends had graduated the year before.

Walking over, Maria sat down next to the rather sad looking Girty. "Hello, Girty" she said in an unusually bright manner. Other than quidditch, Maria had not spoken to Girty very much, but it looked as though the girl needed a friend at the moment, so Maria was more than happy to talk to her.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty heard footsteps, and it was not the in the distance type of footsteps, but the good kind, the one that signalled that someone was coming towards her. Glancing up from her half eaten sausage Girty saw Maria with a beaming smile across her face and as she sat down next to her. That was a thing Girty always found, if someone was happy around her then it would slowly wear off onto her. And that is just what she needed.

“Afternoon Maria, have you been out enjoying the snow like the rest of us?”

Girty looked over at her fellow Quidditch player with a small smile playing across her face. The pure sense of happiness that was coming from Maria helped fight the sense of loneliness, after all talking to someone was abetter then sitting by yourself, but the problem was to make this casual conversation Girty had to make a white lie. She said she had been enjoying the snow, when really she was starting to loath the stuff.
Nervously Girty scratched the side of her nose and gave out a small huff that was one thing she hated about herself, even the smallest hint of a lie guilt started to fill her up form the inside. It made her feel down and that was one thing she hated for then anything, she had had enough of being downcast and miserable this year was meant to be different.

“You know what…I just lied to you. I hate this weather as I am jealous of those people who are having fun. I hate to sound like an old fool but that used to be me once.”

Mountain out of a mole hill? Maybe when you look at it in retrospective t everything else that was happening in the wizarding world but the one thing that bothered Girty most of all was that she was not laughing. She loved to laugh and that was something she had not done in a while.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria listened as Girty spoke and then giggled a bit at her confession. It wasn't surprising that Girty couldn't lie. She was just such a good person, and Maria admired her for that. "It's okay to lie a little for time to time, especially if it's only for the sake of conversation," Maria said with a nod. She frequently told lies and had gotten to the point to were it was no big deal any longer.

"And it's okay to be stessed and worried and whatever else you are. I mean honestly you're dealing with the stress of your seventh year and the fact that you are about to leave Hogwarts for the messed up wizarding world. Although, I do suppose that Hogwarts has become a center the messes of the wizarding world itself," Maria said as she realized she was going somewhat off topic she shook her head a bit. "Anyway, like I was saying, it's perfectly okay to be down sometimes. No one can be happy all the time, not even you, Girty," Maria finished with a small reassuring smile.