HOGSMEADE: Pieces coming together -- November 1997 (DONE)

That caught me off guard slightly.  I couldn't help but laugh a little bit while shaking my head.  "No, I'm not.  Actually... most of my house doesn't like me.  They don't understand why I don't act like they do.  I'm guessing that I'm what a Slytherin probably was like back before all the dark arts prevailed in the house.  To be honest, I don't go for the dark arts or anything like that.  I prefer things like Care of magical creatures... something that is extremely rare in my house."  I got made fun of a lot, but Dean and I tended to put people in their places now.  Especially after the one big fight that Professor Lupin had to split up.  That had been entertaining to say the least.

I raised my eyebrows at him.  "Oh really?  That's really good though... sets you apart from the crowd," I said, blushing a little bit.  I was glad that the wind was whipping our faces so that it wouldn't be noticeable since our cheeks were already a little flushed from the cold.  I had just paid him a really sweet compliment.  What was it about me going after the outcasts?  First I found Ayden and we hit it off instantly as brother and sister... and now I was starting to hit it off with Jetty.  I couldn't help but think that his blue eyes were really cute.  Maybe it would be nice to not fall for a guy that fit the normal persona of being a jerk.

Hmm... she thought it set me apart form the crowd?  Was that a good or bad thing?  "Well... I sure hope that was a compliment," I said to her with a smile.  I was almost positive it was a good thing, but one never could tell.  I thought it was entertaining to say the least.  No one ever noticed me -- apart from the crowd or not.

I grinned at him and nudged him with my elbow playfully as if I was walking and talking wtih Ayden.  "You should take it as a copmliment; it was meant as one," I said to him, looking up at him.  he wasn't much taller than me... but just tall enough to make me have to look up to look into his blue eyes.

"That's the way I was going to take it no matter if that's the way you meant it or not," I informed her playfully, looking down into her lovely eyes.  She was quite pretty; the wind giving some pink tinge to her face.  She didn't wear a ton of make-up, which was something a lot of girls here needed to get the hint on.  A lot of makeup wasn't attractive.  End of discussion.  "What brought you out to Hogsmeade to face this cold?" I asked her, looking ahead again.  I didn't want it to seem liek I was staring.

I shrugged and took another drink.  "I'm not really sure... I guess I didn't think it was going to be this bad outside," I said honestly.  "I would much rather be up in Ravenclaw tower in front of a fire in sweats reading a book than havin gcome out here today."  I shook my head at my own stupidity.  "But it turned out not to be all bad," I added, smiling.  I got to actually meet Jetty and he bought me a drink.  He was a sweetheart and I wasn' tsure if a lot of people realized that.

I raised my eyebrows at her.  "Not all bad?" I asked, smiling a little bit.  I couldn't help but think that it was because of me.  "Let me guess... when you get back to the castle you're going to get changed and read, aren't you?" I was thinking I had her pegged.  If she wanted to get warmed up a little bit, I was going to say that later today Dean wanted to get a little group together to have a snowball fight with the snow that had been falling.  There was none falling today, but there was enough on the ground to have fun with.  He was going to get Lucy and Addison involved.  So I figured I could always invite Ayden and Stephanie along -- though I was sure that Ayden would come with Lucy to begin with.

I shrugged.  "Probably... I don't really do anything exciting," I replied, laughing.  "Since when do you know of a Ravenclaw being the life of the party?"  I enjoyed dogging on my own house.  Because it was true... not many of us partied or anything like that.  WE enjoyed the more peaceful entertainment of books and whatnot.

I coulnd't help but laugh and agree with her.  "That's true... well, we're going to be getting a group together later to have a little snowball fight," I told her.  "If you wanted to join, you're more than welcome.  Ayden can come too, if he hasn't already been told.  Obviously, we're all going to warm up beforehand after being out in this already this morning."

We were nearly to the gates of Hogwarts now.  So I knew that we would both go our respective ways in probably ten minutes or so.  "And who are 'we'?" I asked him, wondering who all would be joining in on the fun.  Not that it mattered, I felt like I wanted to spend more time with Jetty.  So I would go either way.  I was just curious.

Wow... I can't believe I just said that like she knew who all I hung out with.  "Oh... Dean, Addie, Lucy... probably Elena will join in.  Will... maybe Ron, Hermione, and Harry.  Just a bunch of random people.  Mostly from Gryffindor, actually," I added, not sure if the houses were a big deal to her or not.  "I'm sure Lucy will want Ayden to come.  I know no one will object to someone else joining in," I assured her.  In fact, Dean would probably be ecstatic to have more poeple.

I laughed.  "How is it that you get in with a bunch of Gryffindors?" I asked him.  Not that the houses bothered me any...but a Slytherin and a Gryffindor?  Really?

I shrugged.  "Dean and I have known each other since we were kids; our mums are good friends.  So we just kind of became friends.  Obviously there were some issues with us in different Houses, but that all got put aside after awhile.  You know, we grew up," I said, alughing.  That was all the rivalry was anymore to me... just something childish.  There was no reason to make each others' lives miserable during school.  There were more important things to do.

I chuckled and nodded.  "I can understand that," I said.  I also thought that how extreme the rivalry was was kind of childish.  Keep it on the field is what I always thought about it... I didn't understand why they had to go to such extremes about things.  It didnt' make any sense.  We entered the Great Hall and I looked over at him.  "So when does this big snow fight start?" I asked him, throwing away my empty cup of butterbeer.