(Corridors) Tired of Being Someone Else.

[alvira]

Alvira was tired after a long day of pretending to be someone else. For Alvira the worst thing was that she had to pretend to be a nobody. Anna Lewis is nothing, pathetic, weak. Alivra knew her own strength. She knew that she was well trained and naturally intelligent. In a duel there were few people in Hogwarts she could not beat. Her mother had made sure of that before she sent her on assignment here.

Looking deep into the woods to her right Alvira rubbed her head. She was getting that headache she got when she was concentrating too hard. Trying to think in English was quite as easy as Alvira had been told. Her mother insisted that she did however. If someone was powerful enough to be able to penatrate her masterful grasp of Occlumency then she needed to do her best to prevent her secret from being know.

Despite her almost hero-worshiping love for her mother Alvira questioned her descision to send her only daughter here to somewhere she had herself described as one of the most dangerous places around at the moment.
It was madness.

Alvira's senses prickled. There was someone behind her. Swiftly she withdrew her duel wands and span round curling her body into her characteristic dueling pose her mother had devised based on the muggle art of T'Ai Chi. Acording to that art her body was at its most powerful when she drew the power of her body into a central controlable spot. This was precisely what she was supposed to be doing, maximising the impact of any spell. Her arms were crossed slightly at her wrists with her hands positioned just infront of her torso, her left leg bent and jutting forwards, her right let straight as a rod. She was ready to pounce.
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[effie]

Effie had been in detention, again. Before the previous few weeks her tally for detentions had the been the grand total of 2, yet now it seemed that there wasn't a night where she wasn't being punished. She kept getting in trouble for the stupidiest of things, from walking the "wrong way" in a corridor (since when had their been a wrong way) to apparently bullying one of the younger Slytherins (who had actually just tripped her up). It was funny how all this seemed to coincide with her mother recent criticisms of the ministry, though Effie knew it was no coincidence.

Effie started muttering cleaning spells as she walked back towards the castle. Mucking out for the care of magical creatures class hadn't exactly been the cleanest or funnest of jobs, though Professor Jones had seem quite apologetic about it all and offered to help. Finally conceding that a manual job might actually be more successful, Effie raised her head and caught a glimpse of someone walking near the edge of the forest up ahead.

After squinting for several moments, she realised to her surprise that it was another student. Well theres no point anyone else getting into trouble for nothing. The Ravenclaw had a quick look around to make sure there was no ministry worker patrolling before lightly jogging over to the girl. Stuffing her wand into her back pocket, she slowed as she got closer.

The girl suddenly span around, and before Effie could even think about reaching for her own wand, the Slytherin had hers pointed right between Effie's eyes. 'Whoa!' Effie jumped back and held up her hands. 'Watch where you point that thing.' Considering the speed and ease in which the other student had just moved, Effie realised that it perhaps was not the time for a smart mouth. 'I was just coming to warn you that you better watch out for all of Deitrich's lot. If you thought the Forbidden Forest was forbidden before, it sure is now.' She tried for a genuine smile with her weak attempt at the joke, though the slytherin merely seemed to become more unimpressed.

[alvira]

Alvira was strangely upset that the person standing in front of her had no intention of harming her. She hadn't realised that she had gone down to the edge of the forest with the intention of fighting something, be it a beast or a human. Her blood was boiling, itching to release a barrage of dangerous spells.

"My apologies." She said as she lowered her wands and relaxed her tight muscles.

"I thought you were..." Alvira began. "I thought you wanted to hurt me." Looking at the girl in front of her Alvira knew this would never be the case and she found this quite refreshing. A smile crept across Alvira's face which slowly grew into a soft laugh.

"I'm Al..." Alvira stopped and mentally chastised herself for this awful slip up. How often did anyone get their name wrong? Would this unassuming girl notice? Alvira dearly hoped not. She couldn't let her secret get out so early... She had yet to do anything her mother had instructed her to to.

"Anna Lewis." Alvira continued holding out her hand.
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[effie]

Effie relaxed as Anna finally lowered her wand. The Slytherin at realising she in fact was not being attacked, showed a small concoction of emotions.. amusement, calm, and strangely enough, something that resembled disappointment. I'll have to be careful about this one. Effie concluded before returning a smile.

'Lewis?' She repeated, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to remember where she had heard the name before. 'Oh, you're the girl thats transferred right?' She remembered one of more gossiping girls in her dorm telling them all about it, even though they hadn't asked. 'Effie Howard.' She replied, extending a hand for a formality she always seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with.

'I'm guessing you're not just on a walk back from detention like me huh?' Effie continued feign casually, chosing her words carefully as to not show how curious she actually was.

[alvira]

Alvira was feeling something she hadn't felt before. She could feel deep inside her a strange sort of respect forming for this girl. Alvira couldn't put her finger on it. Was this the feeling that you felt towards a friend? Alvira had never had a friend before. She was thrown.

She could be my friend. Alvira silently rejoiced.
Despite her best efforts she was still a teenage girl and she was still a victim of the same insanities as every other girl her age.

Images of laughter and enjoyment flashed through Alvira's mind. These things were so strange to her the fantasies almost seemed sordid. The pleasure Alvira now realised she could have through friendship felt almost illegal.

All thoughts of her mothers mission were almost gone from her mind. Rather than governing her every move Alvira could see herself completing the mission as some sort of afterthought.

As it does with all fantasies reality ruined Alvira's happy world. She was dropped down to earth, shaken of all dreams. ten seconds of peaceful interaction did not create a friendship. She could not afford to let these stupid adolescent desires for normality get in the way of her mothers mission. Her future was dependant on succeeding.

"My mother and I finally decided that home was... to small. I could learn no more." Alvira explained, offering her cover story. "Besides..." Alvira laughed. "Russia is very cold this time of year."

She paused for a moment wondering if telling the truth a little was apropriate. She didn't want to get tied up in lies just yet.

"There was no detention for me. I was... overwhelmed. People are good at asking questions here. I am not good at giving answers. My mother and I never really... talked."
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