Alan had arrived in New Romney with his parents not too long ago and was sitting at the beach on a towel as his gaze drifted off to the horizon behind the sea. He was all too sure that the time would pass faster than he could anticipate it, like it had happened during the summer camp; summer break just was like that. It was over before it really could begin to be relaxing but in a way the near fourth year also did not really mind it, he was looking forward to meeting all of his friends again. He had already sent a letter to a friend of his, San, who he had not talked with in a while and missed. Yet there were a lot more friends he was missing but he knew that he would see at least some of them at Jake's birthday party by the end of this month about a week before school would start again. He knew he would also see Santario there and obviously Jake. He assumed that George and Jack and possibly Willow would be there too. To be fair Alan was not all too sure what people Jake spent his time with aside from those he had already listed but he was about to find out, or eventually he would in a couple of weeks. A deep sigh left his mouth as he let himself fall backwards onto the towel, the tips of his hair hitting the sand beneath it as he stared at the deep blue sky with only few lonely clouds wandering along. It was a nice day, pleasantly warm and accompanied by a light breeze that would cool him off enough to make the warmth endurable. Tiger was curled up in a small depression of the sand not too far from the Gryffindor as the feline minded its own business. Both of them were quite relaxed and Alan wondered if heading into the water at one point could be a nice change of pace as he lazily closed his eyes, his breath calm and steady.

@Thomas Lestrange

Time has slowed, each day contained a stillness that contrasted the rigorous routine at Hogwarts. There was always something happening, whether the many school functions to participate, daily classes, or the occasional life threatening event. Well, not occasional--there was a dangerous consistency weaved into many lives. It warranted a general fear for what’s to come. Despite counteracting procedures, danger always seemed to prevail. What would be next? Surely not a reenactment of Chuck Palahniuk’s famed novel in the grandest of Quidditch stadiums. No no, that would be preposterous.

For Thomas, all this free time was a double edged sword. The peace and quiet was nice for a moment, but it did not take long for these internal demons to take flight, grasp each arm and pull him back into the void. A particularly somber afternoon where Thomas sorted through some of his father’s old belongings. Fueling the inevitable breakdown that was only subdued with therapy sessions and reconvening with his best friend, the be all end all person in his life--his mother.

One thing his mother excelled at, was detecting the truth of Thomas’ feelings. Short and soft-spoken responses, combined with a demeanor of general dissociation led to an easy conclusion for Adalynn. The day was bleak for him. So she opted to counter it, not with words but a change of scenery. To escape the confines of his home in the countryside of New Romney, and spend a day at the beach. What she did not know--which was no fault of her own, was how the water has developed to be a trigger point for the boy.

As one would come to expect in the sparsely populated town of New Romney, there were not many others on the beach. Thomas parted with his mother shortly after their arrival, walking down the wooden dock that exceeded the shore line. Once he reached the end, he found a spot to sit, letting his feet dangle below. It did not take very long, as he stared at the still waters. The impending release was near, it was only a matter of time.

The near fourth year was still laying on the beach, his towel sprawled out over the sandy ground as he rested his back against it, shielding his eyes from the sun that had made it its goal to blind him by directly shining into his face. But all this calmness as relaxing as it was, activated his need to move and do something more than just lay around so he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position as he caught sight of a boy not all too far from him. It was still before noon so the are was rather empty so Alan had not expected any sort of company but perhaps this was even more perfect. After staring at the boy for a few seconds he finally pushed himself all the way up and headed over to the kid, his feet sinking into the sand lightly as he made his way over. The feeling of the sand between his toes made him wrinkle up his nose for a moment.

The sand slowly gave way to wood as he reached the dock and Alan would make halt for a few moments to breathe in the fresh air that, which was no surprise, smelt like salt and sea an oddly comforting smell. The dark haired boy was now only about twenty meters away. Stretching his tired limbs over his head he finally took the a couple of steps towards the boy, dropping his arms to his side as he was approaching. He was walking determined but careful as to not slip on the wooden dock that occasionally would be hit by waves that crashed against it, causing drops of sea water to splash up.

As he reached the boy finally he would tilt his head slightly, giving the kid a curious smile. "Hey," he greeted his curiosity showing within his eyes as they sparked in a rich emerald green. "Who are you?" Alan would add the question, curious as he was the first person he had met since they arrived that actually was his age. All in all it was a relief for the soon to be fourth year as clearly this meant that he possibly could make a friend over here after all. As he glanced back to where he had left Tiger, he could see that the feline had not moved much probably enjoying the sun warming his pelt too much, but the cat was also facing their reaction so Alan was sure that the curious cat was secretly watching them too. For that split second, the Gryffindor would give a soft smile before turning back to the boy. "Can I sit down?" he asked as he motioned to the part of the dock next to the boy, the water calmly moving below as the sound of waves and ripples of water filled the air.

The drum beat of Madame Lestrange's only son steadily approached a halt, leaving the boy time to reflect on a two-year series of tribulations that left him fatigued. Upon his return from the Hogwarts summer camp, his mother had not allowed for much alone time. Clinging to her own son as you'd expect, furious with his vacant communication, yet overjoyed she could wrap her arms around her son that was still alive.

Yes, she was finally assured the boy was not dead in mid-april, shortly after his thirteenth birthday. Though the strain on her grey-bluish hues indicated the overwhelming sorrow when she looked upon him once again. The emotional reunion had a bittersweet twinge, but her swift elimination of the boy's resentment allowed Thomas to initiate this release of guilt for putting her through this pain.

Thomas desired to embody strength for his mother, as his father would request him to do in his absence, but when the door closed and he was left to this thoughts--there was no escape. The boy was forced to consider the wealth of predicaments in a dark cloud over his head. The release was approaching, and after distancing himself from her this afternoon on the dock-- perhaps today was the day it all came out.

The water has continued to be a trigger of thought, as it's where everything started. His meeting with a strange creature, the vision of his father's unsettled story. It was the domino that led Thomas on this pursuit, and not much would counter his hunger to learn the truth. Though damages accumulate with each action to serve himself: ravaged relationships and reputation, scarred tissue, and a bind created that would not easily be broken.

The boy's features denoted this solemn reflection. Slightly masked from the squinted blue eyes to battle the bright sun that mostly escaped the sparse cloud coverage. His legs hung below the side of a wooden deck that stretched beyond the shoreline, completely alone...or so he thought. A faint voice would call from the rear. Thomas titled his head to the side, glancing from the corner of his left eye back towards this new presence.

A harmless query to join Thomas left a scoff across his visage before looking away from the boy and back towards the waters. He did not see the boy's face yet, but if he had--perhaps he would have recognized him. "I will not tell you what you can or cannot do." Thomas left the boy to choose if he'd like to accompany his tattered soul on the cusp of a bitter release. "There are many places to sit." The words left his lips in typical fashion, mostly disinterested and devoid of life. This was Thomas Lestrange after all.

@Alan Vanes

Alan was not all too sure how to take those words but he knew that he did not take them as a no, therefore he sat down and let his legs dangle from the edge of the dock, feeling the cold sea reach the tips of his toes and with a soft smile he would lightly wriggly his toes as waves would come and go. That was until he realized that he was not alone and indeed sitting next to another person. He would shyly glance over at the boy, not sure how to read his expression. He did not want to make it obvious in any way so he would glance back to the sea every now and then as he watched merchant and passenger ships pass by across the horizon. Despite the sound of the sea crashing softly against the dock, the Gryffindor felt it was too quiet, they were two people after all, so once again he would glance over to the boy he was now sitting next to. "What's your name? Do you live here?" Alan himself was here only on vacation and he had liked it so far, so what was wrong with making a friend along the way?

Alan had yet to form an opinion of the boy next to him as he lay in front of him like an unwritten book with an inkwell next to him, eager to yet be written. Alan wondered whether the other boy was curious as well, or not. He did seem quiet and Alan hoped not to annoy him or pull him out of his brooding mood. Yet he was sure that the question he had asked was light enough to perhaps withdraw an answer and open up a conversation. That was not too far of a stretch, right?

The elder boy was not deterred by the moody Lestrange, opting to share his company for the time being. A trend Thomas would likely squash within minute. If anything, the boy's presence could delay the approach of his mother. Not that Thomas had any quarrels to address, but he was simply craving the rare solitude after adjusting to the dorm life at Hogwarts.

"Thomas Lestrange." He stated plainly, eyes still fixed on the horizon. The sun's reflection against the restful waters, only interrupted by birds gently grazing the water's surface, and the soothing sound of gentle waves making contact with the beach. "Sometimes." It was true, New Romney only a partial residence for the boy. The Castle his primary residence, but a development he would not reveal to a commonplace muggle(yeah, you. XD)

Thomas turned to glance over at the boy, a ring of familiarity arriving upon the visual. "Have I...seen you before?" Blue eyes narrowing in an attempt to discern where he's seen this boy. "Your name? And do you live here as well?" Thomas asked calmly, his curiosity clearly piqued with a slight adjustment to his eyes. Even if opposed to idea, the result of a taxing year has left Thomas with this desire sourcing from his subconscious... the desire to simply have a friend to turn to.

Alan smiled lightly, not scared off by the other boy's moody behavior. He often seemed a little oblivious to when a person actually preferred no company whatsoever. He would be a little puzzled when the other boy said he only sometimes lived here, it made him wonder about the meaning of it, but he shrugged it off, not really further questioning it, despite how odd it at first had sounded.

Then the other boy would turn around to face him and Alan actually did not recognize the boy, however he seemed to look familiar to him, which was more or less impossible, if the other boy, a muggle, lived here as Alan hadn't been here in years. "I'm Alan, its a pleasure to make your acquaintance... Alan Vanes?," he tried to make the wheels in the other boy's head turn, against all odds. "And no, I live in London and study abroad, I doubt you could have seen me around these places before," he hummed slightly, cocking his head as he glanced before a puzzled expression overshadowed his features. The 'sometimes' resonating in his head, "Do you per chance study abroad too?," he asked perhaps a bit too piqued by his curiosity. It could be a far shot, but it wouldn't expose anything as it was a valid question, he hoped. The soon to be fourth year could not help the prickling sensation of excitement and hope coursing through him at the mere thought of defying the odds with this acquaintance.