Thirteen is an Unlucky Number PV Elena Closed

If there was one thing Elena Jones was good at, it was remembering important events. Bella's birthday was today and so she'd managed to get some wrapping paper (she still wasn't sure why the only colour of crafts items she could get was green), and carefully wrapped up the little dark wooden dragon she'd carved for her, Elena still wasn't sure how to buy presents, but she'd figured that it would be a nice gift anyway.

The only remaining issue was how to find Bella, she wasn't in the dorms, the great hall, the library, she wasn't anywhere Elena had looked. Eventually a couple of sickles later she had a definite location, a birthday cake, candles, and a carefully written card that was addressed to "Bella Hills, The Best Snek Ever."

As Elena neared the lake she saw Bella staring out at the water, this wasn't the way anyone should spend a birthday. Elena used to run away and spend hers alone because it was better than the gang that she hated, she'd watch the sky for hours and dream of the future. What she saw of Bella wasn't dreaming though, it was depression, she knew that hopeless body language anywhere. She'd worn it herself for a time.

Elena made it over to the other girl, "Hi Bella, want some company?"

[font=Times New Roman]She was interrupted by a voice cutting through the darkness of her thoughts. A smile spread across her face when she saw who it was. If there was anyone she wanted to keep her company now, it was the girl she met not too long ago at the South Africa vs Moldova Quidditch World Cup match. Elena Jones, the First Year Slytherin she had become friends with in a remarkably short space of time.

“I’d love some, thanks Elena. Here, pull up a bit of grass and sit down.” She patted the ground next to her, motioning for the younger girl to sit next to her.

It was weird that the girl had found her. She had come down to the Great Lake thinking that no one would look for her there. And no one had up until Elena had found her. The lake was a frequented place when the sun was out, but now that the clouds hid the sun underneath their blankets, the Great Lake had become a ghost town. She hadn’t been disturbed by anyone, nor had she disturbed anyone else. The only life that had been around her for the past hour she had been sitting down here was one brave bunny that had scarpered away quickly when she had moved her hand.

So, she conclued, the only way the younger could of found her was by seeking her out. She assumed it was because of the birthday she was down because of. Forgetting whether or not she had told her when her birthday was, she turned to the younger Slytherin. “So, what brings you down here into this lonely little part of Hogwarts?”[/font]

Cloudy days had always been the blue-haired girls favourite, the cold weather was nice, and she always liked the dark, bright light hurt her eyes too much. Didn't stop her of dreaming of the sunlit sands of Santorini, but days like this still brought her more joy than not. It made her feel more like herself for some reason, as if the clouds were claiming her as their own.

Elena smiled and sat, pulling the boxes and the messily wrapped gift from behind her back, "Your birthday of course. Good choice of a venue, nice and quiet."

Elena opened the box with the sprinkled cake and started to arrange the candles, "So what's got you down, and don't try to tell me you're fine, because I've seen that look before and I know for a fact that you are not."

She picked up the card and present and held them out to Bella, "Here's your present, you should open it first, better to start off with something happy before you tell me why you're spending your birthday crying by the lakeside. I'll even tell you some more of my tragic backstory, it'll be a good and proper bonding experience, baked goods and all."

[font=Times New Roman]She laughed at the younger girl. Shaking her head at her, with a smile on her face, she thought about how everyone needed a friend that could make them laugh on the cloudiest of days.

The smile became even wider when she saw the birthday cake, card and present Elena pulled out for her. Turning her attention away from the cake for now, she took both the present and card from Elena’s extended arm.

Opening the card, she blushed when she read what was inside. “You know, you’re name should be in here as well. Your the best snek as well.” Adding a small laugh on, she put the card aside and turned to the present.

While it wasn’t the prettiest wrapping, she was touched that Elena even thought to get her a present. Ripping open the present, she held in her hand a carved, wooden dragon. Marvelling at it like she had with the first carving Elena had given her, she turned around a hugged the girl. “Thank you, I love it.”

Pulling back after a few seconds and staring back out at the lake, she sighed. “You probably wanna know why I was out here being sad on my birthday. Well, it’s my first birthday without my brother here x and I guess I just sorta miss him. But that’s orobably normal thought, he hasn’t been gone for long - so this is probably just part of the greiving process. Christmas will be harder. It was his favourite time of the year.”

Looking at nothing in particular on the surface of the lake for a few seconds, she turned back to Elena. “How about we have some of this cake then? It looks delicious. And maybe you can share with me some of your tragic backstory while we eat it. It’ll be fun. Like a truth or dare or something.”[/font]

Elena smiled at her friend, "I know a few people that would disagree with you about me being a good person, let alone a good snek, but I'll take it. You have better judgement than they do anyway."

Bella definitely seemed to like her gift because Elena was quickly enveloped in an unexpected hug, the blue-haired girl hugged her back fiercely. It was nice to have a friend, especially one as amazing as this.

"I'm sorry about your brother, I might take you up on that offer to stay with you even if the blood test drags something up. It sounds like maybe having a friend around would make it easier." Elena started cutting the cake and putting it on the paper plates she'd barely remembered to bring.

She sighed, "I promised a tragic backstory, so here goes. Only one student and a professor at the school knows this, and that was completely by accident. I was raised by a bunch of other street kids, and as I got older and read more, well, I realised that they hadn't been protecting me. They'd been keeping me from having a life, a home, they tried everything to stop me from finding out about little things like foster care and adoption. The only reason I stuck around was because I couldn't convince one of the younger ones, Eliza, to come run away with me. Professor Griffith sorted it all out."

[font=Times New Roman]"So if you were raised by them, does that mean you have no where to go if you run away? Where are you gonna live?" Her voice was one of concern as she spoke.

Concern rose inside her for her friend. While she wouldn’t want anyone without a roof over their head, it was different because she was such good friends with the younger girl. She couldn’t imagine what she’d do to herself if she just let her go along in life with no home. Even if she didn’t want to stay, and she didn’t have a home, Isabella would probably force her to stay with her.

Well, that was kidnap. But it’s the thought that counts.

Taking a slice of cake, she started to eat it. "You should really take up on my offer to stay with us if you have no where to go. I don't want you by yourself. Plus, it would be nice to have a friend instead of being alone. This cake is really good, by the way. Thanks. Did the house elves make it?"

The cake was really good, beyond anything she could of ever made. From what she guessed, a house elf at Hogwarts had possibly made the cake for them. They were always happy to help, and they were excellent cooks as well. So it didn’t really take a team of dectectibes to try and work this one out.

Thinking back over what her friend had said, she asked her a question. “You said before that Professor Griffith sorted it out. What did you mean by that? What did old Griffy sort out?” Looking down at her plate, she chewed silently her cake as she waited for an answer.

The reputation of the professor exceeded himself. From what she had heard, he was a grumpy and sour old man. A grumpy and sour old man who liked his own company. But still, he was a professor - and he must of been made a professor for a reason. Surely, if he could help the younger Slytherin, he couldn’t be all that bad?

f, at least, the rumours were true about him, she couldn’t be worse than the ugly haired box troll she had met at camp in the Summer. He was an adult after all.[/font]

Elena decided to go with the nice questions first, she tried to smile at Bella but she only vaguely managed a less-unhappy look. Damn, she'd meant to cheer Bella up on her birthday, but now it just felt like she was dumping her problems on her. The blue-haired girl wondered in passing if that's what friendship was, telling each other your problems and making each other feel better. It was an interesting idea, and she hoped maybe the making each other feel better would kick in soon, the sooner the better.

Elena nodded, "I'll definitely go stay with you if you want. It'll be fun, it'd be nice to have a proper Christmas, even if it is Summer there. Oh, and yes, the house elves did make the cake, when I couldn't find you I figured that you probably wouldn't have one."

Elena looked down, "Well, Griffith did something, one day their communications cut out completely. I think he saved Eliza but given the letter I got the other day." Elena flinched and started to shake a bit at the memory of reading it, "Well, I don't know what happened to the others, but whatever it was they're, uh, well, they're pissed at me."

[font=Times New Roman]"Well, it sounds like you've gotten yourself into a bit of a pickle there. I'm happy Griffith helped you out though, he sounds like a good professor." But, despite her voice telling the blue haired girl she was happy the professor helped her out, her brain was screaming something else. If the other kids were pissed at her, what would they do? From the reputation of street kids in London, they were hardcore and heartless when it came to their enemies.

From the little she knew about the kids Elena grew up with, she knew kids that had been brought up with a roof over there head wanted revenge on people they hated as much as the next kid. And if the ones Elena was talking about were as hardcore and heartless as she had heard, what lengths would they go to to get back at her?

Where would they draw the line? If they drew any line at all?

Rummaging around in the small bag she had brought along, she pulled out an old camera. "Hey Elena, my mum used to use this camera during her time at school to take photos and stuff. Then she used a special potion that she gave me to make them move. Wanna take a picture together? I haven't used it at all during my time here." Smiling a little bit, she moved the paper plate off her lap and tucked her knees under her.[/font]

Bella seemed to get worried about her again, Elena was starting to think that this must be what a real friend is like, someone that worries about you, and tries to make you feel better. It was odd, this feeling that people actually cared, and she wanted to keep it. Bottle it so she could see it whenever she was feeling down. Bella was definitely one of the best things to ever happen to Elena, and she didn't want to let that slip away.

Elena nodded, "He is, even if he pretends not to be."

She then looked at the camera and smiled, "I'd love to Bella. Moving pictures are so cool, I need to research more about them. It's a really cool system."'

Elena resisted the urge to poke at the camera and ask how it worked, she knew how non magical cameras worked but wizarding cameras were probably a bit different. Or maybe they weren't, Elena wondered if the magic was only in the fluid, or if it was a multiple stage reaction. Enchanted camera, then a magic developing potion, then a moving photograph. She also wondered if maybe she was getting hyper again, damn she really needed to figure out a way of relaxing.