(Hogsmeade) Snow Covered Streets

[Mark Alméida]

It had been a while since Mark had set foot outside. In fact it had been a while since Mark had done anything. One could say he'd been having a lazy few months. Mark would say, he had been chilling out. Well chilly is definatly what it was out here and now he found himself thinking he should have brought his scarf. Like always, he was wondering what Maxi was doing for christmas, though it was obvious as the snow covered ground what he would be doing. Spending it with Ashton. Mark sighed, he knew he was happy for Maxi deep down, but lately, it felt as though their friendship was losing grip because of Maxi's busy schedule. Maybe i should get a girlfriend he thought to himself. Then stopped and shook his head, Naa... Im happy the way i am. Which was true, Mark wasnt one for relationships, but he supposed if it happened it happened, though he couldnt see it happening, he was far too much of a joker for one thing. For seconds, he wasnt one you could take seriously, let alone be serious about.

He had decided to spend Christmas here, instead of going home, which he knew Belle and Alexis would be doing and in all honesty, missing one out of sixteen family christmas's wouldnt kill him. Though if he was entirely honest, spending a christmas with his dad wasnt exactly was he would call high time fun. More like home schooled violence. You could guarentee that Mark and his father would argue at least a dozen times, and Mark knew that it would spoil it for everyone else.

Leaving footprints in the snow and feeling it crunch underneath his feet was one thing he loved about this season. He remembered in France, it was always thick with snow. He used to take Belle outside to play in it when she was younger, he taught her how to make a snow angel, even Alexis joined in. The three of them making snow angels and snowmen outside their home. Now they were fun times.

He stood outside the three broomsticks, his hands in his pockets, wondering how he was going to spend christmas. Well however he spent it, he was going to make sure it was the best christmas he ever had. Christmas presents... Dyanneabelle should be easy. I just get her some form of stuffed animal or something. Alexis i'll just buy her some jewlerry... But Max... What to get Max.. And the card? Should it be to a special couple? I used to know what to get him, but now i dont... He's changed so much i barely feel like i know him... On the other hand Mark... You have changed too. Trying to figure out what to buy people for christmas was the hardest part of all. Especially when it came to buying for girls. He never had a proper clue what to get them. Leaning against the wall, he sighed. "I hate christmas sometimes... Or at least the shopping part anyway"

[Maeve Malfoy]

Yack yack yack. Was that all her friends ever did? Okay, so maybe they weren't friends, but, really, she had to call them that to look good in her house. How she hated the rules of being a Malfoy.

She tugged her black coat around her tightly. The wind blowing snow at her made chills run up her spin. Though she liked it in a way. She looked up at the clouds and smiled as the snowflakes grazed and melted on her cheeks. She quickly covered it up as a smirk if her 'friends' turned around to her.

Noticing that they were now not paying any attention to her, Maeve thanked Merlin. She could easily sneak away in this weather, especially with their stupidity. I really need smarter friends. she thought to herself, making a mental note to make more Ravenclaw friends.

Than a certain Ravenclaw stuck out in her mind. Hm... I guess I should get Ashton something this year. He keeps getting me things every year I've known him, I just haven't known what to get him. she sighed. What do I give him? She had actual friends,and they weren't Slytherins. Ashton was one of them. Although she couldn't be kind to him in Slytherins' views, she thought of him as a brother almost. And her other friends.... What would she get them?

Quietly walking off in a different direction, Maeve was about to suggest things that a Ravenclaw boy might like when she heard someone mutter something to themselves. "Or at least the shopping part anyway."

Maeve turned around and saw a boy she instantly recognised as a Gryffindor, but couldn't put a name to his face. Looking around cautiously, she sauntered over and leaned on the wall beside him. "Shopping definantly sucks. Especially the Christmas shopping." she agreed, gazing at the sky.

[Mark Alméida]

Mark had just about given up even bothering. Maybe if he sent a note apologizing and say he forgot it was christmas, he thought it had been cancelled. No, Alexis would murder him where he stood that was almost certain. I hate christmas, officially he thought as he leant against a wall, his hand on his head, he could feel a headache coming. Shouldnt think so much Mark.

The snow still falling all around him, landing on his face, tickling the end of his nose and landing in his hair, which he ruffled to get it out. "Damn snow, stop snowing on me!" He said and shook his head, he'd either lost his mind or was just feeling crazy, in what sense, he didnt yet know.

It was cold outside, that was almost clear to anyone, his nose felt frozen as he put his hand on it, he removed it fast though, it was like he was in fear of his hand sticking to his face, which was stupid he knew it wouldnt. I'd kill for a coffee he thought.

His mind pulled from his thoughts when he heard a female voice next to him, looking over he spied a Slytherin, she looked like she would be one of Alexis's little friends. Of course, Alexis didnt bother to socialise with those of her own house, she found them tiresome. "I never thought i would see the day a female told me she didnt like shopping, i thought it was what you females lived for."

[Maeve Malfoy]

Tipping her head back, Maeve let the snow fall on her face. She slightly tilted her head toward the boy, taking in his looks. Maybe she could place a name on him?

Dark hair and eyes. How many boys does she know with those? Hm...Gryffindor, dark hair, dark eyes.... Wow, still nothing. She sighed in her mind. How can I not remember people's names? she wondered.

She smiled, reverting her attention back to the falling snowflakes. "The only shopping I like is for Quidditch. Other than that, good luck getting me out." she sighed aloud. That was the reason she came out here for. Besides getting out of the castle. She needed another Keeper's pads, seeing as how during try-outs she completely busted her bone through it, again. She just never saw the time when she could come back out here and get more.

Still watching the flakes fall on them, Maeve said, "I'm Maeve, by the way. I can't really remember names all too well, so do you mind refreshing my memory on your name?"

[Mark Alméida]

Mark sighed as he stood with his back leant against the wall, the snow falling down over him and the simple, yet charming fact that he was completly clueless when it came to shopping.

"I dont even shop for that" he told her, quidditch wasnt really his deal, he liked the sport but he would much rather be at a party of some kind than stood in a cold terrace watching people throw hoops through holes. "Well the Quidditch shop is that way" he said pointing across the street, thinking maybe this was her idea of asking if he knew where it was.

He finally looked over at the girl again and gave her a smile, maybe she was just being sociable, "Mark" he sighed again, "Your a Slytherin right?" he more stated than asked, "As for remembering my name, thats kind of difficult considering we have never spoken, though you may hae spoke to my sister since she's in your house" He wasnt being judgmental of her, he preffered to read the story before judging it.

[Maeve Malfoy]

Maeve's eyes went slightly wide, then back to normal. "A boy not shopping for Quidditch? That's about as rare as a girl not shopping." she joked.

Maeve's gaze stayed at his pointing hand for a bit before redirecting to his face. She smiled. "Trust me. I know where the shop is. I hide there a lot to get away from them." she took a slight hold on his pointing hand and moved it to the Honeyduke's shop where the other Slytherins were eating the candy they bought.

She smirked at him, letting go of his hand. "Ah, yes, we might have never met, but we do share some classes, seeing as we're both in the same year." she went back to smiling. "Mark, hm? Last name Alméida?" she thought of anyone who shared that last name. "I have heard of a fourth year with that last name, although, like I said, names don't stay very well." she tilted her head sideways a little.

[Mark Alméida]

"We'll what can i say? I prefer my feet to be firmly on the ground, and looking up too long makes me dizzy" Mark told her, though it wasnt quite the truth, when he had been younger he;d fell off a toy one and broke his arm, he'd never been fond of flying since.

Mark looked down at her and smiled, he was sure she knew where the shop was, it was just he felt like saying it anyway. He watched where she was making his hand move to as she made him point to what would appear to be a bunch of Slytherins, "Dont like them much i take it?" he asked, though it seemed slightly strange a Slytherin not liking their own.

"We do?" he asked, "Well i dont much partake in my classes, i very rarely go to them and do the homework even less times than i attend the class" he shrugged. Watching as the Slytherins seemed lost in their gaggle, like the own fluffheadedness of themselves, "Yes, thats right" he said looking at her, "Thats probably my younger sister, Alexis, or one of them at least, the other's in Ravenclaw"

[Maeve Malfoy]

She averted her eyes back up to the sky. "Really now?" she said, believing his story. "Looking up makes you dizzy? Do you ever go to the games and get dizzy watching us play?" she asked, curiously.

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand trying to conceal her grin. "Don't like them much? That's the understatement of this school year. I don't like many in my house. Maybe one or two, at most." she admitted. "What about you? Do you like your house mates?"

She nodded. "We do." she confirmed. "Maybe that's why I can't remember your name all too well, you're rarely to be seen." She looked up at him. "Ah, you're the oldest, I presume?" she asked. And all in different houses, as well? You must have a very interesting family." She wished she could say the same for her own. Though she wouldn't.

[Mark Alméida]

"Extreamly dizzy" he nodded, whilst looking away and down the street. "Yes, i watched your last game though kept going dizzy, i dont know maybe im just a wimp when it comes to heights" he shrugged, Mark wasnt at all nervous of heights, nor did he get dizzy watching a Quidditch game, he rather enjoyed watching Quidditch, though this seemed better to say than to tell her he fell off his broom and got broom fright.

"Well wether you like them or not, it seems they have spotted you" Mark said, nodding over to the corwd of Slytherins who, Mark could blatently tell, were giving him rather dodgy looks. Possibly due to the fact he was a Gryffindor, this just made him smile, though the Slytherins began to powerwalk over, "Oh dear" Mark smiled, "Looks like someones going to get an earful, and yes, i love my house mates, especially Maxi"

"It probably is" Mark told her, though the Slytherins who were trying to make their way over seemed to keep getting delayed due to people walking. "Yes, im the oldest and get stuck with babysitting, though now thankfully Alexis and Belle babysit Ricky, he's a right little.." Mark cut off and shook his head, "Interesting is an understatement too" In fact, to many people, Mark's family was just plain out weird. "Looks like they're breaking through" He said pointing over to the Slytherins, taking a hold of Maeve's arm he smiled, "Come on, id rather not be the only Gryffindor in a Gryffindor VS Slytherin slang match" he pulled her off and at a fast run turned a few corners, down a pretty much deserted street. He knew nobody came here, that was pretty much because nobody knew where it was.

[Maeve Malfoy]

Maeve tilted her head to the side again. "If you want, I can help you. I was afraid of heights when I was kid. Haven't you heard of to conquer your fears you must do them sort of speech from anyone?" she smiled. "Just fly around low to the ground for a while, the gradually work your way up to the sky. I'll let you borrow my broom if you want to fly anytime. But, only if you want to." She loved flying, she didn't see how he could be so afraid of heights with how tall the towers of, not only the Quidditch Pitch, but the Gryffindor Tower as well.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking over. Seeing the group glance over here, she sighed. She could never get away unnoticed, could she? "How do they always notice I'm missing, but no one else? I can easily see from here that Bu-- Did you say Maxi?" she interrupted herself, looking over to him. "As in Ashton's Maxi?"

"Ricky? Does he have the traits of a Hufflepuff? I think that'd be sweet having a sibling in every house, than you get to know what's happening with everyone." Feeling his hand wrap around her arm, Maeve let him pull her, keeping up with him as best she could. She looked up and down the empty street. "Where are we?"

[Mark Alméida]

Mark looked at her and smiled, conquering his fear of heights, well more to the point, fear of flying would be a good thing. It was just the whole making a total prat out of himself that he didnt love. Though despite himself he said, "Yeah, i would like that" Then of course mentally scolded himself for agreeing to such a thing. "I guess it could help, I mean, ever heard of a Gryffindor being afraid of heights when braverys meant to be one of the keys to getting into Gryffindor?" He laughed.

"Wha'ddya mean what do i mean?" he said, and pointed over to the group of Slytherins that she had already noticed had noticed her, "Well i guess its their job to notice, i mean they must look on you as their group leader or some rubbish like that" Mark looked at her, so this girl knew Maxi, man he was certainly making an impression, "Yeah, Maxi Hennerdale, Ash's boyfriend. He's my best mate and has been for near of ten years"

"Well Ricky's a little young to have the traits of anything, he's only eighteen months old but a right little nosey idiot" he laughed, "He's dead curious about anything, he got hold of my wand once and stuck it up his nose. Sneezing sparks for hours, it was quite funny"

"This is just a place i found, its quiet, quiant, and nobody knows about it so its an easy escape"

[Maeve Malfoy]

Maeve grinned an uncharacteristical Slytherin grin. She has been getting pretty bored lately with her free time, and this was just the activity she needed to keep her busy. "Well, then. Just name the date and time, and I'll be there at the Quidditch Pitch." Then, as if sensing his insecurity, she smiled softly. "It'll only be you and me. So, if you mess up, though I doubt you will, then only we two will know about it. And have you ever heard of a Slytherin being kind to a Gryffindor when they're suppose to be enemies?" she countered, laughing with him.

She sighed. "Group leader is just another understatement we can add to our growing list. Every Malfoy to ever walk through Hogwarts doors has been Prince, or Princess in my case, of Slytherin. I hate the title with a passion." she nodded. "Yup, Maxi Hennerdale. Although I don't believe I've met the boy to have a good conversation with him, I have heard much of him from Ashy."

She giggled. "Sneezing sparks? Well, sounds like you have fun with him. And being that young, he's sure to be a right little nosy idiot." she quoted him. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of a small baby sneezing sparks as Mark said.

She glanced around the street. "It's nice. It's good to be away from the noise every now and then."

[Mark Alméida]

"Well i suppose if i fall of a broom and land on my butt i will be grateful the only person im making a prat out of myself in front of is you" Though he rolled his eyes at this, Mark didnt relish the thought of making a prat out of himself even infront of Maxi and he had known that guy for a long time. "How about tomorrow, about sixish?"

"This listis getting bigger and bigger..." Mark laughed, he was finding it difficult to believe that he had found a decent person within the Slytherin household, especially one being a Malfoy. Bad reputation them lot had, he knew it, and yet this girl seemed to be different, "Well they were dominant at one point werent they? I guess the Malfoy legacy still runs strong, thought im assuming its just not as strong as it once was" he shrugged, Mark had always said 'dont judge a book on its cover' not original he knew, but he stuck to it. "How would your parents react if they found you had been down a deserted street with a Gryffindor Boy?" he laughed. He couldnt help it. "Well Maxi is one of a kind, you take him as you find im because he wont change, he wouldnt even change for Ashton."

"Well no, believe me i got into quite some bother because of it. The ministry came rushing through and all sorts, it was a mess and all because my kid brother decided to stick my wand up his nose, though it still had me laughing,"

Mark nodded and leant against a wall, "Yeah, its a little bit of perfection" he smiled, by perfection he meant the perfect silenced and relaxed atmosphere, it was like this place didnt even belong to Hogsmeade.

[Maeve Malfoy]

She put her hands on her hips and playfully made a face at him. "Hey, everyone makes a fool of themselves. It's normal. It's also normal to be afraid of making a fool of yourself in front of others. You just got to get used it." she smiled again. "And what better way to start then to make a fool of yourself in front of someone you just met who really doesn't care if you mess up or not?"

She nodded. "Very dominant. And all because each of them went by the 'Malfoy Rules of Being a Malfoy' rulebook." she shook her head. "Pretty stupid, if you ask me. Hence I don't go by it. And, yes, we're a pretty strong family name, just it's diminishing because of me and my un-Malfoyish ways." she thought about the scenario he had given her. "Well, not only would they kill me, they would first make me watch them torture and kill the boy." she replied quite seriously and frowned. But then she went back to smiling. "Ashy's definantly told me that. One of a kind, I hear Maxi is."

Maeve tried not to laugh harder at this new found information. "He still sounds fun, though, even if he causes a little bit of trouble."

She ran her ungloved hand across the cold stone of the building. "You must come here often when we're at Hogsmeade." she said, looking at the wall, tracing a small pattern with her finger.

[Mark Alméida]

Mark frowned, it didnt matter to him who, when, or where he made a fool of himself, feeling like a fool is feeling like a fool at the end of the day no matter which way you look at it. "Well you will find Miss, that i am not normal and therefor do not do, nor feel normal things" he simply said. "in fact, im as far from normal as you could ever hope for"

"You actually have a rulebook?" He asked raising an eyebrow, not sure wether she was being serious or not, "Man thats harsh... Malfoys rule of being a Malfoy, cant be that difficult. Worship dark arts, be mean to everyone, dont do anything less than pure or with anyone else but those of Slytherin... Blah blah blah. Hey id make a pretty good one, i know the rules already" he laughed, then thought of how much of an idiot, not to mention an embarrasment to the name of Malfoy. "Well remind me to make sure your folk dont find out, and if they do, be sure to let me know so i can either go into hiding or plead not guilty"

"A little bit of trouble?" Mark laughed, "Now thats the biggest understatement of understatements. Not a minute goes by when hes not doing something he shouldnt..."

Mark looked at the patterns on the walls and smiled, Mark had carved a lot himself when he had been here, "Its my escape, i told you that. Now it can be yours too"