Wildflowers down By the Great Lake Closed

Like Destrian had promised in his letters, he would walk the grounds at least twice a day. Between lessons, or just when there was nothing to do. He'd stare at the lake, the pasture of wildflowers, and there'd be no one. He half expected it to be the same that day. So he walked, listening to his own footsteps and the chirping of birds, and he stared at the lake like he did often those days. And then he saw someone. Destrian slowly came to a stop and hesitated. He wondered whether it would be her, or not. He stood there for several seconds, staring at her. She was Gryffindor, it seemed. And she was sitting among the oxeye daisies and the snowdrops. . . Wildflowers. 

He felt himself hesitating for a moment before he stepped off the path and onto the grass. It rustled beneath his feet with every step he took to approach her, until he stood just a few meters away from her. She had a sketchbook with her. "You've spotted a Fritillary," he mentioned awkwardly, forgetting to say hello. "It's an exotic flower, but it seems to be growing freely here. When the light shines through it, it almost looks like stained glass." 

Danielle jumped a little bit when she heard footsteps not thinking it was Destrian, she giggled and heard his voice, then boom she remembered his voice from a few times she had heard it. She turned around and saw his face, yep this is him... I know that face from anywhere, she had thought to herself. “I didn’t peg you for someone who knew flowers Destrian,” she said and got up putting her notebook into her book bag. Mostly because she wasn't exactly comfortable with sharing her art work just yet. It was one of the few things she was extremely private about really without knowing it. 
“A what?” She asked him “I wasn’t sure the name, just thought it was beautiful and be a challenge to draw,” she explained. Not sure what to expect him to say to her. She tried her best not to stare at him. 
Then she held out her hand, “nice to meet you officially,” she said “I’m Danielle Shafer, aka Gryffindors Princess.” She smiled up at the boy. Almost getting lost in the way he was talking to her. She was trying her best not to be creepy.  Seeing she didn't want to scare the boy away.  

“A Fritillary. My mother taught me some of the names of Wildflowers. This was one of her favorites.” he explained as he shook her hand. She was a beautiful girl, that was for sure. Het hair was brown and wild, framing her face nicely. And she had warm and kind eyes, where his own were more cold looking whether it was meant that way or not. “There’s no need to introduce myself,” he said with a hint of a smile. “I’m afraid that I’ve only seen you from time to time, but you’ll have to explain your nickname to me. I had not heard of the Gryffindor Princess untill your letters.” 

He wondered whether he just hadn’t paid enough attention. Was it rude of him not to know her name, while she had known his. He faintly recognized her, but he couldn’t place her at a point or time that they had met. She was just familiar to him, which made Destrian feel bad about himself. Even now that he knew her name and face, he had no idea who she was. “I hope I didn’t leave you waiting for too long, Danielle.” 

“Well, she obviously had some amazing taste in flowers,” Danielle smiled pretty nervously, not sure what to say when she realized his mother was gone. It was something she didn’t know about the boy.
She studied him looking at his hair and eyes, mostly looking at His eyes. They didn’t seem cold to her infact she actually quite enjoyed them. “No you didn’t keep me long at all, I was just trying to draw the flowers for my momma back home-“ she stopped herself looking down at her school shoes.
Then she heard the boy ask about her nickname, “oh t was a nickname my grandfather gave to me when I was younger. I guess he knew I was going to end up in Gryffindor, like my sister and him. My older brother is Ravenclaw, and my parents were Hufflepuff,” she smiled a bit blushing like an idiot surprised she’s actually talking to Destrian.  Then again Destrian didn't exactly ask about her parents or her family just yet. Nice job Danielle, why did you just share that? Not like he wanted to know this. He might just want to know about you. "Did you know that you were going to be a Slytherin?" She asked randomly

“She did,” Destrian agreed with a nod. For some reason it was comforting to talk about his mother. His father never had spoken a word about her. Nothing positive, at least. He had always told him that his mother would’ve been disappointed with him whenever he had done something that displeased him. But now Danielle spoke of flowers. He felt himself ease a bit in her presence. “Does your mother like flowers then?” he asked her when she explained what she was drawing. Destrian gestured towards the little notebook in which she had been doodling and said; “You are a good drawer. Better than I’ll ever be, that’s for sure.”

He found it interesting when she explained how she had gotten her nickname. Her family had been sorted in many houses, which was something he himself hadn’t really experienced yet with the students around him. And his own parents were from Slytherin, like the rest of his family. It made him wonder whether that could possibly cause for issues within the family, being divided like that. But then again, Destrian had come to learn - though slowly and just slightly - that it mattered little from which House you came. He had found himself befriending more people outside of Slytherin than within. “I had a feeling, yes. My entire family has enjoyed the House Slytherin, so it was only logical for me to be sorted there as well. Besides, I’m afraid that Hogwarts would’ve received a rather angry letter from my father had I been a Gryffindor! - No offence.”

“May I sit?” he asked, gesturing towards the empty spot beside her. “If you’d like, I’ll just let you draw and be silent. I don’t mean to be bothersome in any way,” Destrian said as he raised his hand as if surrendering to her. But on his face was a rather kind and calm smile. He wasn’t as cool as he had told himself, he had discovered this year.

Danielle was trying her best to read this thoughts. She wondered what was in that brain of his, than again she was pretty afraid as well. Not only was she talking to a Slytherin of all people, seeing her family warned her about them. Not to trust them, not to befriend them. Then again she always went against family practices.   Of course, she also blushed a bit when he complimented her drawing ability.  "Thank you, it's one of the few things that don't require a wand," She smiled.

The moment she heard about Destrian's father being angry if he was sorted to somewhere else other than Slytherin, and Danielle couldn't understand that. "Oh, why would your father be mad with that? I mean, you seem more kind then shrewd and horrible like some of the others I've seen, that is if you asked me. But, I am wondering are you actually...you know...Happy with the sorting hat's choice?" Danielle had asked nervously. Seeing she didn't know what Destrian thought of her, and worried she was asking too many personal questions already. 

And when Destrian had asked to sit, Danielle couldn't help but giggle. "Of course, it's a free spot you goofball," She said and covered her mouth. "I mean of course Destrian you never have to ask to sit by me, I enjoy the company." She had said. She was used to being alone seeing her two younger brothers back home didn't care to spend time with her at all. And her older siblings were too busy to even take notice of her. So she felt alone for a while,  but with Destrian she at least felt a little more happiness than what she was given so far at Hogwarts.

"I am wondering are you actually...you know...Happy with the sorting hat's choice?"

Destrian had to think about it for a while. He wanted to say that he hadn't wanted anything else, and maybe it was like that. But a part of him wondered what it would've been like to be with another House. The brave, daring and chivalrous lions, crimson and gold, of Gryffindor; or the black badger on a field of yellow with its dedication, patience and loyalty; or the intelligent Ravenclaw, blue and bronze. Would that have changed him, he wondered. He knew he was ambitious and perhaps even cunning, but was that all he was? 

"I'm happy with what is chosen for me," he said, though still doubtful of his answer. "Ever since my family came to England and have studied here at Hogwarts, every single one of them has been a Slytherin. It's in the family. So I'm proud that I am no exception. And I think my family is relieved as well. My House doesn't define me." Though he doubted of that from time to time. Did it truly not define him, or were his fellow Slytherins influencing him more than he would dare to admit? 

Danielle laughed at him for his question. For a moment he was a bit confused, slowly seating himself in the grass, but then he found himself laughing as well. "Did you just call me a 'goofball'?" And as she started to 'correct' herself, he waved her words away. "There's no need to thread so carefully. I won't bite, I promise. Are you afraid with me, Danielle?" he asked, becoming a bit more serious. But he meant his question well. He was just wondering, because people seemed to act so extremely carefully around him. And she seemed like someone who could answer him honestly. 

Danielle laughed weakly at his answer, she found it interesting that Destrian was more happy with his choice where as Danielle wasn't. "I thought I would end up in your house," Danielle said rather nervously seeing she wanted to be Slytherin instead of Gryffindor simply to get away from her older sister. The exact opposite of  Danielle.She was more of the out going type but focused on school. Where Danielle was shy and quiet, avoiding school as much as she could. She was afraid she wouldn't do as well.

Danielle was shocked by the questions that Destrian had asked her, "Uh yeah, actually, I did call you Goofball, you seem to have a sense of humor," Danielle stated to the boy moving closer to him. "No, just nervous, you know? I haven't really been allowed neara boy or let alone talk to one. You can thank my old papa and brothers for that." Danielle laughed.

She turned to face him, "Well are you afraid of me?" She asked in return, "Or are you as shy as I'm trying not to be around you?" She giggled looking up at him smiling feeling calm around him, actually kind of happy at the moment.