Family Friends PV - Avery Gray

Interacting with: @Cinder Blaze Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 445

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Avery didn't know what to expect when her father said that he was taking her to meet some old friends on his and my mother's. He had said they had a daughter Avery's age, but Avery couldn't recall ever meeting the girl. Avery herself had even visited Beauxbatons the year prior. Then again, she wasn't in her best head space at that time in her life, so maybe that was why they had never met. Avery didn't know what to expect. She had only been to France once before, so would her father's family friends be able to speak English? She remembered an old friend of hers named Claire from France that could speak English, but that didn't mean everyone could. Avery pulled on a nice sweater of hers. Red. Of course. Then she pulled on some nice black dress pants and simple yet nice-looking sneakers. It was as informal as she could get, so she hoped she wouldn't be out of place. Beauxbatons had seemed fancy, so. . . maybe she was under dressed? Avery made sure to pack a couple of her nice dresses in her trunk. Just in case. Who knew if she even needed them, but better safe than sorry. Taking a deep breath, Avery brushed her hair out as she stood in front of the mirror sitting atop her desk. If her clothes were informal, then her hair had to at least look nice. It had gotten wavier over the past year. Maybe because of all the stress and anxiety she had been through or maybe it was just part of getting older. Either way, frizzy hair wouldn't do. Avery had to make a good first impression, so she carefully straightened it. The look of the silky straight hair had become normal for her when she was too busy to manage her wavy hair. Finally satisfied with how she looked, Avery walked out of her room with her trunk in hand. Of course her father was already standing at the door ready and waiting. Avery huffed out a sigh in his direction and followed him out the door. Their relationship still wasn't the same after the summer. It was still just as broken if not more. The ride to France was long. Avery leaned against the window as the scenery flew by. It was so weird to her to see the scenery of France that was so different to her home in Wales. Finally they had arrived. Avery couldn't believe how magnificent the house looked. It was beautiful. Avery followed her father up to the door and watched as he knocked. She took a deep breath. The time had finally come.

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Me | Thomas | Flame | Marie

After a few moments, there was a knock on the door, so I took a deep breath, before standing up and walking through to the home, where Aunt Flame was opening the door, to reveal two people. The was a man standing there, with a pretty girl standing next to him.
I smiled at them, and waved a little bit, slightly nervously, and watched as Uncle Thomas said, "Nice to see you, Arthur. And I suppose this is Avery."
"It's good to meet you, Avery." Aunt Flame said, smiling.
My grandma turned to me, and said, "Cinder, why don't you show Avery up to her room, while us adults catch up?"
My eyes widened, being slightly nervous about spending time alone with someone that I'd never met before, but, not wanting to disappoint my family, I nodded, and said, "Okay."
I beckoned Avery to follow me, and started walking towards the stairs, and started going up them. Hoping she was behind me, I asked,
"Have you ever seen a dragon?"
Then, hoping it didn't sound awkward, I turned back, and carried on going up the stairs, until I got up to the landing, where I walked over to where the bedroom doors were, and gestured at the doors as I spoke.
"My aunt and uncle are in that one, my grandma in that one, and your dad will be in that one. They're all at the front of the house. On this side is my bedroom, and yours, next door to."
I threw open the door, saying,
"Even if you haven't seen a dragon before, you will have now - you've got a good view of the sanctuary from your window. If you wake up quite early, you can see my Grandma feeding them."
I walked into her room a little bit, and pointed out of the window.
"There are a few rules though. We're not allowed to go up to them for obvious reasons." I pointed at my eyepatch with a grimace, "That's what happened last time I didn't listen to the rules. However, if you want to come into my room at some point, I've got a balcony, where there's an even better view of them."
I paused for a few seconds, and looked around for something to say.
"There's a new Welsh Green. She's really pretty. Quite noisy though. But, she shouldn't bother you, unless you sleep with the window open."

@Avery Gray

Interacting with: @Cinder Blaze Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 496

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Avery was surprised when the door opened and she finally put the faces together that her father had talked about. Everything made sense now. "It's nice to meet you as well." Avery said politely with a smile on her face. "Thomas, Flame, Marie, good to see you all again! Raelynn unfortunately couldn't make it. Work has kept her busy." My father smiled. It was the first time that Avery had seen him smile like he was since her mother had disappeared. Avery also didn't let the fact that he left out the past year of her being swamped in work. Avery was about to open her mouth to say that simple yet very important fact, but then another woman spoke up. Cinder. So she was the girl her father had told her about! Everything made sense now. Avery smiled at Cinder. A bright smile that expressed her excitement at finally meeting the girl. Avery followed Cinder through the house. She was amazed at how different the house looked compared to her own in Wales, but, of course it would be different. This house was in a completely different country. France. France had its own architecture that was beautiful and very unique. "Wow. This house is beautiful." Avery commented. Avery was surprised at Cinder's question. It wasn't that the question shocked her or that it worried her, but it was the fact that the girl knew dragons. At least, Avery thought she did. "Dragons? Well, yes, I guess I have. My parents took me to see a sanctuary once when I was little, but I barely remember that now." Avery explained. Avery nodded as Cinder explained which room housed who. It was all a maze to her, but she was sure that within a couple days everything would make sense. It always did. Avery took a quick peek around Cinder's shoulder to see her room and upon first glance she immediately saw the window Cinder had mentioned. Avery followed closely behind Cinder. Her eyes never left the window as she finally got close enough to see. A gasp of awe nearly escaped her lips at the sight. There were dragons. Majestic, beautiful dragons. It had been so long since Avery had last seen one of the beautiful creatures. "Wow. I'll keep that in mind to stay away. Though just viewing them from a distance is a treat. I'd love to see them from your balcony if you'd let me sometime." Avery smiled. What surprised her the most was Cinder's comment about a new Welsh Green dragon. Welsh. Wales. Her home. Even all the way in France a piece of her home was there. Avery was grateful for that and made a mental note to wake up early the next morning so she could at least get a small glimpse of the dragon that originated from her home. "Wow. This is all so amazing. I'm so glad I got to come along." Avery whispered. Her voice barely audible.

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It was really nice to see someone who was excited to be in my house for the first time. I'd never had any friends over before, and particularly never anyone from a different country.
When Avery said that she was glad that she got to come, I smiled a bit, and said,
"I wasn't going to let my aunt invite your parents without inviting you along as well. I've never actually had anyone my age in this house before. Also, I was wondering, what jobs do your parents have? My grandma, aunt and uncle work on the sanctuary, and my mum used to as well. Not sure about my dad though."
I sat down lightly on the very edge of the bed, before deciding to ask the question that I'd been pondering ever since the visit had been arranged.
"How do your parents actually know my family? Like, was it my aunt and uncle, or my mum that they were friends with?"
The problem with asking that question was that I had no idea what I wanted the answer to be. If it was because of my mum, then I could ask some questions about her, but that could also make it a bit awkward.
I stood up again, and went over to the window, and pointed at a shiny silver dragon that was just a little bit closer than the Common Welsh Green.
"Can you see that silver dragon? She's an Antipodean Opaleye. Her mother was at the sanctuary when my Grandma moved over here. But, it's quite a surprise that she's the second generation one, as that breed is native to New Zealand, and they prefer to move around a lot." I stared out of the window for a few more seconds, before turning back around.
"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes. It's just some snacky bits, as dinner will probably be larger. What would you like to do afterwards, though? There's a few options. We could either stay here, go into the village, or possibly go to the fort. There's also loads of beaches, one particularly nice one, where the water is actually turquoise. Which would you like?"
I waited for a few moments to hear Avery's reply, before thinking of an even more important question.
"Do you play quidditch? I'm a Chaser for the Beauxbatons team, but we do barely any matches."
I felt that my eyepatch was slipping slightly, and the edge was digging onto my scars, so I turned my back to Avery, and adjusted it. My grandma had been telling me not to wear it, saying that the scars were fine to show to people, but I knew that I couldn't. At least, not until I learnt to fully trust the people I was surrounded by.
"Do you want to come down for lunch? We might eat it outside, if that's okay with you and your dad. I guess it's probably a lot warmer here than where you're from. That's one of the things with living on the South coast."

WC - 509

Interacting with: @Cinder Blaze Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 479

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Avery smiled. She too had never had anyone come to her apartment she shared with her parents in London, but she had brought Lyanna to her real home in Wales a few weeks before. It had been one of the highlights of her summer having her best friend there. It meant that she wouldn't be alone. That was why she was glad to be with Cinder at the time. It meant that she was getting to know a new friend she knew she would have for a long time. Avery nearly winced when Cinder asked what her parents did. It wasn't the other girl's fault. No. She had no idea what had happened between Avery and her mother. She didn't deserve to be burdened by it. It was too much for someone to handle. "Wow. Your family has cool jobs! My father works as an auror for the ministry and my mother as far as I know works in the Department of Mysteries. Though I haven't seen her in about a year, so who knows what she's doing now." Avery explained. She surprised herself with how calmly she had spoken. That was not usually the case when her mother came up in a conversation. She was the mother Avery had lost a long time ago. Avery thought for a moment. How had their families met? Her father had never really talked about his life with friends at Hogwarts. That was why it had been a surprise to Avery that she was visiting France again. Then there was her mother. The woman would never explain what her life was like, so there was no hope there. "That's a great question. I'm not sure how they met. My father rarely talks about his life during Hogwarts. Maybe we could ask them later?" Avery was amazed at the beauty of the silver dragon. Its scales gleamed in the sunlight casting bright prisms of light around it. Avery was in awe. How could one creature be so beautiful yet so dangerous? "I'd be happy to go wherever you'd like. I've barely seen France, so I'm honestly open to seeing anything and everything!" Avery laughed. It was lunchtime already? Wow. Time flew by quickly. Avery's stomach growled at the thought. Then Cinder asked about Quidditch. "You play Quidditch? Me too! I'm the backup Seeker for the Gryffindor team!" Avery smiled brightly. She loved playing Quidditch. It was a break for her in her world of problems. Avery's stomach growled again after Cinder asked if she wanted to go down for lunch. "I guess my stomach has decided for me. Outside sounds so fun! I love being outside and I'm sure my father won't mind. It for sure is a lot warmer here! It's usually only during the summer that I can enjoy outside comfortably. Then again, it isn't as warm as here." Avery explained.

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It was obvious that I'd done something wrong in asking Avery about her family. However, when she answered, my eyes widened.
"An auror and a worker in the department of mysteries? That must be a lot to live up to."
When I heard about Avery's mum, I listened to what she was saying, before carefully saying, "We're sort of opposites with our mums. You've know yours, but now she's gone you miss her, I assume. I've never known mine, so I don't really miss her."
I was happy that Avery liked the dragon - it was my favourite breed.
I started out of the door, beckoning Avery.
"It's this way."
I walked down the stairs, and through to the living room, as that was where the door to the patio was. On the way though, I paused by a large glass tank, and reached in, before softly lifting out Sunflower, my lizard. I put her on my shoulder, and carried on walking towards the door. Then, realising that I probably needed to explain to Avery, I turned and said, "This is Sunflower. She's really nice, if you stroke her back correctly. However, she definitely has an attitude. Do you have any pets?"
I opened the doors, where my family were sitting on the patio. Aunt Spark had obviously been busy - there was a large vase of flowers in the middle of the table. I sat down in one of the spare seats, and saw that Avery would have to sit next to me. There was a large cheese board on the table, and I took a bit of one of my favourites - Roule, a soft cheese with herbs - and spread it onto a cheese biscuit.
"So, Avery," Grandma started saying after a few moments of silent eating, "How are your studies going? What's your favourite subject? I also hear you are in Gryffindor, like your parents were. All of our family were in Gryffindor - Cinder's the first to go to Beauxbatons."
I turned round slightly to my uncle, who was sitting next to me, and we both raised our eyebrows slightly, our silent gesture to show that Marie was speaking an awkward amount.
My Aunt was the next to speak, saying, "So, what are you girls planning to do after lunch? You can have as much freedom as you want, but you have to be back by eight o'clock for dinner."

Interacting with: @Cinder Blaze Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 428

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Avery smiled at the small lizard named sunflower. It was adorable though Avery had never really seen a lizard before. They were common around her neck of the woods, but that didn't mean she had seen them many times. In fact, she recalled only seeing them a handful of times under rocks in the woods. That was the only place she had seen them, but none were as beautiful or unique as Sunflower. "She's beautiful." Avery spoke softly so as to not startle the small reptile. "Pets? Well, yes, I do. I have a brown tabby cat. His name's Jasper though he's quite a wild boy. His favorite thing is to slip out of my dorm and terrorize the students of Hogwarts with his zoomies." Avery laughed. She remembered the many times she had been forced to chase her cat down the halls before he found a new victim to lay his paws on. Avery sat down next to Cinder once they had made it to the patio. The breeze was light and warm. Much kinder than the cooler summer days in Wales. It was then that Avery realized there was a cheese board sitting before her. It looked delicious with its vast types of cheese and crackers stacked neatly. Avery gently picked up a cracker and a cheese she didn't recognize. When she ate the combination, Avery was amazed by the burst of flavor that filled her mouth. Avery swallowed before she spoke. Her father gave her a curt nod of approval at that. She had to make a point to him that she had not forgotten her manners over her time spent at Hogwarts. If anything, her manners had become more refined than before. "My studies are going very well. I have taken special care to keep up with them and am proud to say that I made it through my first year with all O's. My favorite class? Well, that's hard. I guess it would either be Transfiguration, Astronomy, or Defense Against the Dark Arts." Avery smiled. It really was hard to choose between the classes. She enjoyed every single one of them, but those were her favorites above all. Avery thought for a moment? What should they do before dinner? Avery was open to anything. She couldn't wait to explore the world around her and learn as much as she could about France. "I'm happy to do anything, and don't worry. I'll make sure to be on time for dinner. This cheese board is delicious, and I wouldn't want to miss another delicious meal!

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OOC Note: I was so hungry writing this. I love cheese!

Sunflower lifted up her head as Avery said she was beautiful - she could definetly understand humans speaking.
I listened as Avery talked about her cat.
"Jasper sounds very cute. I would love to meet him one day. But, Sunflower would probably hate him! She believes she's the biggest animal in the world, and hates other animals proving her wrong. Do you want to hold her?"
Grandma Marie replied to Avery's favourite subjects saying, "That is a wide range of subjects. What job would you like to do? Those could lead to many different careers."
I waited until Grandma had finished speaking, before saying, "Maybe we could go down to the beach? We could go down to the secret cove? It's good for swimming there. Or, I could take you to the magical market. There's a good sweet shop, as well as an antique book shop. The books are very cheap there."
"Those could be fun!" Uncle Thomas said, smiling at Avery and I.
"But, you need to wait at least five minutes after eating before going out. I wouldn't want you to be sick." I rolled my eyes at my aunt's words - she seemed to have a strong belief that you couldn't eat before going out.
"Which would you like?" I asked Avery.
I polished off my cheese and crackers, before standing up, and going to sit on the soft grass next to the table for a few minutes. I put Sunflower on the ground, and she arched her back at the dragons, who were roaring in the near distance.
I turned to Avery and her father.
"I think that she thinks of the dragons as her relatives."

@Avery Gray - I'm sorry for the really long delay!

Interacting with: @Cinder Blaze Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 262

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Avery laughed hard. Yep. Sunflower would absolutely despise Jasper. Jasper was one of those cats that felt as if he was the ruler of the world. Especially when paired with KodoPodo. He was Mikey's ferret. Together, the pair were unstoppable. "I agree. Jasper thinks he's the king of the world. Especially with his ferret friend KodoPodo around." Avery nearly froze for a moment, her laughter forgotten. Had Cinder really asked if Avery wanted to hold Sunflower? Avery was amazed. Of course she would love to hold the cat! Above all other animals, cats were at the top of her list. This day was getting better and better already! "Of course I would love to hold her if you'd let me!" Avery smiled again. Avery then turned her attention to Cinder's grandmother. Pondering her question for only a moment Avery replied, "Well, I apsire to become an auror like my father. Though life does have its ups and downs, so who knows what I'll end up doing." Avery listened as the family spoke amongst themselves. So this was what a real happy family felt like. Everyone connected together and chatting as if nothing in the world could break them apart. Avery loved that and yearned for that same connection in her own family that had disappeared a long time ago. "Well, I would love to see everything! I'll happily go anywhere you go, so take me wherever you feel like going!" Avery grinned widely. It was true. This was her first chance to actually see France beyond the walls of a magical school.

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