(Lake) Avoidance

[Maria Turolia]

Maria walked out toward the lake. With the new term beginning, Maria found herself unusually depressed about it. Reaching the edge of the lake, she sat down with a sigh. She had spent her summer with her whole family in Barcelona. Coming back to school had meant an escape from her parents and most of her family.However, as usual she had promised to write regularly. Something she had neglected to do already and honestly had no intention of keeping up with.

Also, she found herself not taking Dragonology, a subject she was very fascinated in, because it was taught by her aunt. Not that Maria didn't like her aunt. It was more that she didn't want Aurora to see how she behaved at school, because Maria was a completely different person at Hogwarts than she was when she was with her family. Ever since the new term had began she had been watching out for her aunt and avoiding Aurora, whenever Maria caught a glimpse of her. She sat staring out at the lake with a distant, far away look in her eyes as she contemplated this.

[Alexis Heart]

Alexis had thrown on some work out clothes and headed outside to run laps around the lake. Most people looked at working out as something they had to do, but she loved doing it, to her it was soothing, relaxing actually. As she made her way down to the lake jogging slowly to get her heart rate up she noticed that there was a girl out there already.

Not sure of her name Alexis knew that she was an older year. She looked as if she was lost in thought and Alexis didn't want to intrude on her alone time. Being polite or what she thought was polite Alexis coughed to let her know she was there and then asked, 'Hey I um don't want to bother you or anything but I had come down here for a jog. If you want to be alone I'll find somewhere else to run. I don't want to disturb you.'

She felt kind of silly, she stuttered a bit and she hated herself for it but she was a shy one sometimes and she didn't really know this girl she just hoped she wouldn't be upset.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria heard the girl cough, but wasn't able to pull her focus back for another few moments. She looked at the girl, who had seemed rather shy, and noticed that she was in fact in exercise attire. Maria sighed a bit and turned back out to the lake. She knew the girl was younger than her and a Ravenclaw, if she remembered correctly from seeing her around the school.

She shrugged a bit before answering. "It doesn't really matter...." Her mind started off again to contemplate, when she realized that this was probably the first time that she had met someone completely new and been somewhat rude to them. At least she was usually polite to new people she met at school, anyway. She sighed and turned back to the girl.

"Sorry...I'm just a little distracted, but, please do not let me disturb your jogging. Your presence won't bother me at all," Maria said attempting a smile, although she could tell it hadn't been very convincing. Turning back to the lake she listened so she would be able to hear when the girl had went back to jogging.

[Alexis Heart]

Alexis was keen to get to exercising but something, probably the way the girl had answered her at first held her back. For some reason Alexis was always the type to want to help someone in need. It had been like that since she was a little girl. If someone needed her she would do whatever it took to be there for them. Granted she didn't know this girl at all but that didn't matter not to her anyway.

Moving over to her she sat down some yards away not wanting to invade her personal space. Deciding to just get on with it she asked her, 'I don't mean to pry but you just seem so upset. I know that we don't know each other but if you want to talk to I might be able to help. I'm a good listener and all that. Plus since you don't really know me it might be easier to talk to me.' She looked at her once more feeling a bit awkward but if it would help someone then she'd deal with a few minutes of not being comfortable.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria once again had to take a few moments to pull herself out of her thoughts. She turned her head to look at the girl who had sat down a few feet away. Her gaze stayed on the girl as what the girl had said sank in. For a few moments that seemed longer than they actually were, Maria just sat silently looking at the girl and thinking.

She didn't even know this girl's name, did she really think that Maria was going to spill all her troubles to her. The look on her face became suddenly skeptical as she remained silently looking at the girl. Finally, she spoke. "I don't even know your name." Maria stated the fact simply. There wasn't much more that needed to be said. It was true that she had no one to talk to and that it would probably be nice to talk to someone, but she just wasn't sure.

[Alexis Heart]

Alexis sat there waiting. For some reason it seemed like it took forever. The girl was taking her time and Alexis wondered why for a while, then she realized that they didn't know each other at all this was the first time the two had ever actually spoken to each other. Why in the world would she tell her anything. The thought of leaving had occurred to her, since it seemed that maybe this girl wanted to be left all alone with her problems.

She had started to move when finally she spoke, she pointed out that the two didn't even know each other's names which was very true so Alexis made to rectify that as quickly as possible. 'Sorry about that, I'm Alexis Heart, third year Ravenclaw. You are?' Perhaps with their names given she might feel more inclined to talk.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria's eyes had never left the girl, and she had noticed the girl's slight movement that indicated she was considering leaving. "I'm Maria, Maria Turolia, sixth year Hufflepuff." She looked considerately at the girl for a few moments.

Her mouth opened as she considering speaking, but quickly closed. She just wasn't sure yet. Talking about her family, and her life outside Hogwarts wasn't something Maria did often and it definitely wasn't something that she particularly enjoyed.

[Alexis Heart]

Alexis heard her speak her name and she smiled. They were finally getting somewhere, at least that's what she thought. Maria looked at her and it looked several times like she was going to say something but she stopped herself. Alexis knew that whatever was bothering her probably wasn't easy to talk about, and despite now knowing each others names she was still a stranger to the girl. Alexis tried to think of a way she could make Maria feel more comfortable with her, perhaps if she tried to let her know that talking to whomever wasn't a bad thing if it might help.

'I know you don't know me from a huge hole in the wall that's enough to make anyone clam up real tight but I'm not a bad person I swear it. If you tell me anything I promise you from the bottom of my heart I won't tell a soul. I know if it were me and I needed to get something off my chest I'd tell someone even one I might not know that well. Sometimes an outsider might have a better understanding than a friend does since they don't know you or the situation that well.'

She just hoped that was enough for Maria to see she could open up to her if she wanted to.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria thought about what the girl had said. Truth was that if she had any good friends she might have actually talked to them about it, but she didn't have anyone that really understood her all that well. After another few moments of silently gazing at the girl, determining whether she should be trusted, Maria sighed.

She closed her eyes, thinking about how to explain this without having to talk about too much that she didn't want to. Finally, she opened her eyes and asked, "You know Professor Turolia?" she looked at the girl curiously. Maria didn't know if the girl would have met her aunt yet, or not since Aurora was a new teacher. Her hope was not, since Aurora wasn't really a nice person, and probably wasn't a very liked teacher by those students she had.

[Alexis Heart]

When she mentioned the name Turolia, Alexis looked at her. She did know who she was and could honestly say that at this point she wasn't particularly fond of the woman. In her very first class she started threatening people with the docking of house points, which was something Alexis seemed to think was completely unfair. She wondered if the woman had done something to her, she tried to think but couldn't remember seeing Maria in her class. Then she gave the girl a quizzical look wondering what the new teacher head to do with anything.

Figuring that there was only one was she was going to find out she said, 'Yes actually I do know her she's the new Dragonology teacher. I just had her not too long ago.' She was about to say that she hadn't liked her but for some reason she stopped herself, she didn't think that was something Maria wanted to hear, so she left it at that for the time being.

Now she gave Maria her full attention, she was just so curious as to why she was fretting over that teacher. Alexis thought she sure wasn't worth the effort.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria sighed at the fact that Alexis did know who Aurora was. She had been hoping of course that this girl hadn't met her very unpleasant aunt. The only thing she could hope now was that Aurora wasn't too horrible in her classes, but there wasn't much hope of that. Seeing the curiousity in the girl's face Maria realized that she hadn't put it together yet.

She thought that she had told the girl her last name, one she had in common with her aunt, but apparently this girl hadn't caught it. She bit her lower lip, hesitating to admit her connection to a professor she was certain most of the other students probably hated. "Well, she's my aunt," Maria said reluctantly. "And we'll just say I'm not too thrilled about her being here."

[Alexis Heart]

Alexis literally smacked herself in the forehead. She just had a disconnect. The girl had told her her first and last name and Alexis the Ravenclaw who was supposed to be smart hadn't even put it together. What a dunderhead she was. It was her aunt well with one like that Alexis could understand the girls fears. 'Sorry I'm not always so slow on the uptake I'll say that this is one of my off days. So she's your aunt, I guess I could understand why you wouldn't be happy she was here. I have to admit after that first class I didn't really like her very much. No offense or anything, but she didn't give off a very good first impression. Why did she have to come teach here? Didn't she know it would make you uncomfortable?'

[Maria Turolia]

Maria shook her head a bit as the girl hit herself in the forehead. While it was true that it wasn't that hard to put those two things together, she really hadn't expected the girl to be able to. As the girl mentioned Aurora caring whether Maria was uncomfortable, she couldn't help but let out a small snort."Honestly, does that woman seem like she cares about whether or not others are comfortable," Maria asked looking at Alexis skeptically. Maria wasn't surprised to find out that Alexis wasn't too fond of her aunt. The woman was brilliant, but she wasn't a good person.

"She came to teach here, because she thinks that that passing on knowledge is one of the influential things anyone can do, so she wanted to teach. Since my parents and I lived in Britain, she decided that she would try to get a job here, after she saw that there wasn't anywhere else for her to teach. Trust me, she would never choose Hogwarts over any school." Maria sighed. She hated that Aurora had come here. Mainly because she knew how her aunt thought and behaved and how her family expected her to behave. She put her head in her hands and shook her head at the thought.

[Alexis Heart]

As Alexis listened to Maria speak she tried to put herself in the girl's shoes. It was hard to imagine having someone from her own family here teaching but none of her relatives were as unlikeable as Maria's aunt. It was bad enough the students might not like the teacher but what happens when they find out you're actually related to her. They may take their frustrations at her out on you.

Alexis now felt doubly bad, but something Maria had just said made her curious. 'Just curious why did you say that she would never choose Hogwarts over any other school? What's wrong with Hogwarts?

It was such an excellent school she couldn't understand anyone not wanting to be there especially in the capacity as teacher broadening the minds of young witches and wizards. If she could do it she would in a heart beat.

[Maria Turolia]

Maria bit her lower lip as she thought about how to answer the girl's question. Aurora had always told her the reason that teachers should be respected is because there is nothing better a person can do than pass on knowledge to others. However, Aurora did believe that some people were more worthy of knowledge than others. In fact, most of Maria's family felt the same way Aurora did, except of course for Maria, but she would never let her family know that.

She sighed as she finally decided how to answer. "She feels that Hogwarts' standards are too low," she said choosing her words carefully. Aurora had never been very fond of muggleborns or even of halfbloods who weren't as talented as she thought they should be. "She thinks that they should be pickier about the students they accept." Maria didn't like to admit this about anyone in her family, but there was no other way she could think to say it that would make her aunt look not too bad.