Having Baldur go first along the train corridor had been a mistake as Sasha discovered when he stumbled against the wall, his bag slung heavily over his shoulder.  The shepherd was still very socially non-selective and clearly oblivious to the intricacies of student social dynamics.  He seemed to find any train compartment with signs of life inside acceptable - whether the compartment was filled with obnoxiously loud first year Hufflepuffs or menacing, scowling seventh year Slytherins. 

He kept stopping, without warning, in Sasha's path, at every single compartment door, staring expectantly at the handle until Sasha ushered him forward. 

Finally, halfway down the third car Sasha found a relatively non-crowded car with a familiar face inside.  One he was supposed to find on the trip back, anyway.  "Do you mind if we...?"  Sasha asked, using a leg to block the shepherd who seemed to care little if the Hufflepuff minded or not. 

He let the dog wiggle through when they were given the go ahead and stashed his bag on the luggage rack.  Head lowered and tail wagging, the dog trotted over towards Rayven, sitting promptly between her feet.  After tugging a couple books and notebook out of his bag, he settled himself in a seat on the opposite bench and glanced out the window at London fading into suburbs. 

Between the ill-fated opera[1] and getting ready to return to school, the last few days hadn't been restful.  But, Sasha was becoming far too used to circumstances similar to these.  Sleep was far from being a regular occurrence, still, but the two weeks leading up to the return to school had helped. 

"How was the rest of your holidays?  Are you ready for the new term?  Five more until NEWTs."  Not that he was counting.  Not at all. 

1.	Winter's Tale - events still playing out IC

Rayven was sitting in the train cart reading a book and smiling. It had been a wonderful break. She got to spend her birthday with someone she was beginning to care about, had gone on a marvelous date, and gotten to spend a bit of time exploring London. She had been able to spend time with her friends and family and had made a few new ones. At least she hoped she had.

Even though she had enjoyed her time at home, she was ready to be back at school. She loved learning and adored some of her teachers. She was looking forward to the new semester for another reason as well. She had gotten her prefect badge and was going to take on the duties. She was happy about being such a big part of the school and happy about being able to work with a certain special boy.

Rayven closed her book when Sasha and his dog made their way into the compartment. She laughed as Sasha was having such a hard time controlling the dog. When the dog plopped down between her feet, she immediately reached down to pet, cuddle, and sweet talk the dog. She loved all kinds of animals. It was one of the reason she was taking Care of Magical Creatures. She was trying to talk her parents into letting her get a pet, other than her owl of course.

"My holidays were wonderful actually. I had a lot of family time. We even started planning our camping trip for the summer. And I got to fly to America to see my brother and sister off to school. That was an adventure in itself. How was the rest of your holiday? Have you been getting any rest? What with circumstances and all." 

It was a good thing the Hufflepuff wasn't bothered by dogs since it never seemed to occur to the shepherd that some people might not like canine-kind.  Perhaps it was a side effect of that boundless canine optimism.  But, Sasha stopped worrying about it once it was clear Rayven was enjoying the company and relaxed into his seat.  He set the books and notebook down on the table between the benches. 

The Hufflepuff was already planning her summer holidays?  Sasha dropped his gaze, briefly, as he pursed his lips.  He didn't even have any idea where he'd be living over the summer holidays, let alone what he'd be doing.  There were a few options - staying with Professor Storm.  Alternatively both Professor Storm and Johann had, more than subtly, hinted at the idea of just setting out and traveling.  Admittedly, it wasn't an entirely unappealing idea.  Except there were classes to take and horses to work and estates to be managed. 

"Where do you go camping?" Sasha asked, curiously.  "America sounds exciting.  Where did you go?  Your brother and sister, they're muggle right?"  He assumed as much.  Rayven, he knew, was muggleborn and he assumed if either of her siblings possessed magic than they'd be going to Hogwarts, not America.  But, that wasn't always the case - stranger things had happened.  "I was supposed to go their for shows last summer but it didn't work out.  I've always wanted to, though.  Other than the class trip to Egypt, never been outside Europe." 

The Ravenclaw shrugged and shook his head.  "I got more rest than usual," he confirmed.  Not that that said much.  Sasha's tendency to skip sleep for studying was well known in his own house - he hardly slept in his own bed in the dorm room the previous term.  "But, it was nice.  I enjoyed staying at Professor Trishna's.  Even with, you know, circumstances, it was better than I'd expected." 

"All the people there? I know they had -a lot- of company over. I know there were a lot of people there over break. I'm glad it was at least somewhat pleasant. I'm glad you got some rest too. You really needed it. Especially with the new semester starting and all. Best to get all the rest you can over break." Rayven knew Sasha didn't sleep well at school. It was great to hear he slept better over break. He really needed it. She had been concerned about his health when it came to that.

"There really isn't a specific place we go to camp. My parents usually just pick a place that sounds interesting and we go for it. We don't do, like, the luxury camp things? We actually go out in the middle of the woods with tents, cook our food over the campfire, boil our water to bathe, and all that stuff. We take our food to keep in coolers and we take jugs  of water to drink, but the rest is all on us. It's so refreshing doing it. I like to reconnect with nature like that."

"My siblings -are- muggle actually. They are both going to school in Florida. It was beautiful there! It was so warm! I almost didn't want to come back here! They had swamps and alligators and such everywhere! I've never seen anything like it before it was amazing!" Rayven had fallen in love with the state as soon as she set foot there. She was hoping she would be able to go there some during the summer and explore the camping areas and the other swamp type places.

"Are there any classes you're excited about this semester? With the transfer teachers helping out and all? I'm excited about Charms. It should be an interesting experience."

A soft, shy smile tugged up the sides of Sasha's mouth and he shrugged, awkwardly.  There had been a lot of people at Professor Trishna's and they'd all been cramped into a very small space.  Okay.  Not single-room, London flat small.  But, still, small.  "With that many people, it was easy to stay distracted.  It was a bane during my muggle exams but, after that, it wasn't ... it was actually kind of nice.  Very different than I'm used to." 

"That sounds like it could be fun," Sasha commented on the camping, his mind wandering to the atlas[1] tucked away in his bag.  "I love getting out to ride in the mountains around my other home - especially up to the ... cabin."  It was very likely they were speaking about two very different levels of rustic; the cabin on the Waldgraf estate had few of the modern conveniences of the other residences, but it still had a fireplace.  And bed.  And, comfy leather couches. 

"Florida?  Are they there for university?" Sasha asked.  He didn't know where Rayven lay in the family in relation to her siblings so he didn't know if they were older or not.  But, that seemed to make the most sense.  Florida seemed a long way to go for school children headed to boarding school.  For a six-year-old Sasha, school had seemed awful far away and he'd just been traveling to York.  "What are they studying?" 

Given the Ravenclaw's considerable dedication to his studies and schoolwork, it might have seemed surprising that Sasha wasn't very quick to answer which classes he was excited for.  He was driven to do well in classes - quite often for the sheer sake of doing well.  And, he was good at learning and academics.  It wasn't always out of a passion for the material he was covering.  Divination was a fine example - he certainly didn't enjoy Divination but it bothered him so much that he had yet to earn an "O" in that class. 

"Astronomy, of course," Sasha offered.  "And, Defense Against the Dark Arts."  An answer that surprised Sasha, especially given on more than a few occasions in the previous term, Sasha had considered dropping the class.  But, after spending time with Professor Storm outside of school, Sasha had grown more comfortable around his father.  "Of course, continuing with the muggle stuff as well.  You?"

1.	For Christmas, Johann Storm gave Sasha a wizarding atlas with travel notes written throughout the maps

"I like to go riding too. Sometimes we find campsites that have ranches close by. I love to go ride on the trails. Sometimes I wish I could just take off and let the horse go where it wants to, but I think the ranchers at those places would be a little upset. That and I wouldn't want to get lost or anything. Riding up to a cabin sounds lovely and relaxing."

Rayven thought for a minute. She had only been to a cabin one time and that was in the winter with her family. Her family really didn't do cabins. They preferred using the tents. It was one of the reasons they only went camping in the summer. That way they didn't freeze in the winter.

"My brother and sister are both older than me. My brother is nineteen and my sister is twenty three. My sister actually went to school in London to get all her basics. She's gone to Florida to study marine biology. She's always been fascinated with oceanic life and such. It's a different world to her and she wants to experience it all she can. Liam is going for graphics design. He didn't want to be at home with just our parents with me coming here and Acacia going to Florida, so he decided to go with her to study there."

Rayven looked down at the dog again and scratched behind it's ears. She was going to miss her siblings. They were going to be gone for years and she could only mail them now. She hoped her parents would let her get a dog to keep at home. She only had one more year of school left after all. With her siblings gone, she would only have her parents.

"I can't wait for Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic. I love creatures of all sorts and the magical ones are so amazing. I use to read about them all the time when I was younger, before I found out I'm a witch. That's the reason I'm looking forward to History of Magic too. There's so much to learn!"

She sat back up and smiled at Sasha. She knew he liked muggles and muggle things. She didn't understand herself. It was probably because she was raised muggle so nothing sparked her interest or fascinated her. It was the world she grew up in. The magical things; however, she only knew what she had learned at school. She knew there had to be more. The magical world was much more interesting to her anyway. So many possibilities and things that defied the muggle worlds outlook on things. She loved it and couldn't be happier she was a witch.

"I'm sure you'll do well in your classes. You always do. I didn't want to take Muggle Studies. For that all I have to do is go home," she said with a laugh. "I do wish the muggles were tolerated a little more. I think I do well in class and I'm muggleborn. I hate when people call me mudblood behind my back when I think I've shown I'm more than capable of doing things. More so than some of those people. Then they turn around and take Muggle Studies. Psh. Hypocritical nits," Rayven huffed, blowing her bangs from her eyes. She took a deep breath to calm herself and blew it out slowly. "Sorry about that. I heard they may have another field trip this year. That could be fun."

Rayven smiled. No one at the school had ever seen her actually mad. She usually kept herself calm and under control. She rarely got heated about anything. When people questioned her magical capabilities though, that was a different story. And all because her parents were muggle. She couldn't help that. It's what the creators had decided for her. If they decided she was to be magic, why was it up to anyone else to decide if she was worthy or not? You don't argue with the higher power! Muggles caught so much grief just for their birth. It wasn't right. There was nothing she could do about it though.

The Ravenclaw shrugged and grinned.  "Well, you're welcome to come by sometime and go riding.  If want to get on and let a horse go where it wants, that is  There's more space for that at my home in Germany, but I don't really know where I'll be this summer.  I do plan on having a few of my horses with me." 

Though, if he did find himself staying with Professor Storm over the summer, that could lead to a few awkward conversations.  Explaining why he'd spent the winter holidays at the Trishna's had been easy - most of the school knew Sasha spent a lot of his extra time studying in the Astronomy tower.  There was no such intuitive explanation for why Sasha might stay with the Defense professor. 

A hurdle for another day.  There were still two terms to get through between now and then. 

"Marine biology must be fascinating.  I haven't had a lot of opportunity to study macrobiology, but I'd like to spend more time with it one day.  So far, I've pretty much just done what I've needed for exams."  Given his potential area of focus, studying fundamentals had made more sense though, in reality, he hadn't really had time to study much beyond exam prep.  "I'm looking forward to starting university.  It'll be a whole different world." 

"Do you know what you hope to do after Hogwarts?" Sasha asked, curious to hear how (or, perhaps, if) Rayven hoped to tie Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic together. 

Sasha grew quiet as Rayven vented about purists and muggleborns.  He understood where her frustration came from, of course.  He'd been raised by muggles and had assumed he was muggleborn until recent discoveries had proven otherwise.  Those that knew Sasha was, officially, halfblood by birth were limited to Johann Storm, Jacoba Professor Trishna and Abby.  And, of course, Professor Storm.  Beyond them, most assumed Sasha was muggleborn and many probably still remembered Sasha had been forced to hide his magical ability from his family[1]. 

"It's mostly ignorance," Sasha finally commented, with a slight shrug.  "They don't understand so they separate themselves.  My family did the same thing, in reverse, when they learned about magic.  I don't know.  I take muggle studies because -" 

The Ravenclaw's voice trailed off.  He didn't really have a good answer to that question.  The class varied so much based on who taught it.  With Professor Frasier, it had made sense - Sasha was able to garner information from the class that would help him, despite being raised in a muggle home.  "I just still don't know what I need. Or don't need.  Now, I suppose, it's habit." 

1.	Tinker, Tailor, Wizard, Liar - A lovely Rita Skeeter article, initially exposing Sasha for lying to his parents about attending Hogwarts

"I would love to go riding sometime! That sounds like so much fun! You'll have to OWL me over the summer and let me know where you are."  She understood that Sasha was in different places depending on what was going on. She thought it would be easier to let Sasha OWL her instead of her OWLing him if even he didn't know where he would be. "Thank you for the offer!" She was obviously excited about the thought of free riding.

"Are you going to muggle university? That would be interesting, especially after being at Hogwarts for so long. I would imagine it would take a bit of adjusting. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do when I'm done with school. I would like to do something with the magical creatures. Maybe be an understudy to the groundskeeper or something and learn about more things. I'm just not sure. I'll worry with it next year I think."

"There's nothing wrong with taking all the classes. I'm sure it keeps you occupied and busy. Just try not to overwhelm yourself or anything. Maybe you could talk to a counselor and find out what you need and don't need for next year or something? That may help you out and knock off some of your classes. I know you like them and all, but you need to have a little time for yourself, you know? All work and no play will make Sasha a dull boy," she said with a laugh.

"If you ever want a study buddy or anything, my schedule isn't too hectic this semester. I'll have to find out what my prefect schedule is from Walt, but I don't imagine it'll be too bad or anything. You and I have a couple classes together I think so we can figure something out," she says with a smile.

She liked Sasha just fine. She thought he was a little misunderstood, but she had fun with him during the double date over break. She thought he just needed a friend who wouldn't pass judgement on him or anything. She would feel bad if she didn't let him know that she would be there if he needed someone.

The Ravenclaw nodded his head, glancing down at the dog as the Shepherd finally crossed the compartment and flopped down across the boy's feet.  With a self-satisfied groan, the dog rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes.  "Cambridge, I'm thinking."  On Professor Trishna's recommendation.  The fact the man lived in Cambridge was also a contributing motivation.  "It won't be that much of an adjustment, though.  I guess I've always kind of kept a foot in the Muggle world.  I did a science program there for high school last summer." 

"And, you're not, you know, worried?"  Sasha could understand not knowing the path one wanted to take after school - he, himself, hadn't had a clue until partway through the previous year.  But, he couldn't quite understand being so ... casual about it.  Not knowing - not having a plan had been its own source of stress and worry. 

Sasha shook his head at Rayven's recommendation.  He appreciated her offering suggestions but talking to the counselor wasn't likely to help.  "I ... no.  We've talked about it before.  Problem is, I'm not sure anyone can really predict what I'll need or not need.  And, the more solid my Hogwarts credentials-" which, right now, were already in shambles outside of academics - "the more likely I am to be taken somewhat seriously.  And, not just dismissed as an insane Doc Brown-esque whack job." 

"Study together?  Even when we aren't assigned as partners?"  There was just enough suspicion - or simply disbelief - to reveal this was not a common offer.  Requests for tutoring, yes on occasion.  "I ... well.  If you want.  I mean, with my schedule I'm usually studying before breakfast, during meals or overnight.  But, I have a study period on Mondays.  It ... what are you taking?"

Rayven frowned a bit as the dog moved. She was enjoying petting it. Oh well. Sasha was it's master so it made sense. She smiled and laughed a bit at the cute sound of the dog. Maybe she could get one next year. "I guess it won't be that hard for you then if you still do things like that. What kind of science program did you do? Like, were you learning or doing a kind of intern thing?" Rayven had never been to school. He parents had home schooled her up until she got her letter. Muggle school was something that intrigued her.

"I'm not too worried. I know I need to figure something out and I -only- have a year left, but I suppose I'll wait and talk to a counselor next year. I'll let them know what my interests are and see what would be available. I still want to work in the Wizarding world, so it's just a matter of available positions and such." Rayven shrugged. She wanted to do something with creatures, but if that wasn't an option she was sure something else would present itself. Maybe she could find a job in the ministry doing something.

"I don't think you're insane. Just a little quirky." She laughs. "I'm sure everything will work out for you and you'll do something amazing. As far as studying, I'm taking charms, herbology, creatures, and history of magic. It doesn't matter if we're assigned partners or not. Sometimes I feel better when I study with someone. That way I have someone to correct me when I'm wrong. I like to study with people who aren't taking my classes too. It feels like they're testing me so I can be prepared for the class. I really don't mind at all. If you ever need help with anything or feel like you're overwhelmed with something, I'll be glad to help." Rayven's smile was genuine. She liked helping people and really needed a better study partner. Someone studying with her would probably help her keep focused.

Sasha shrugged and pulled his bag closer to him to rummage through the contents for the brochure and application for the coming year.  Though, truthfully, there wasn't a lot of rummaging - his bag was far too carefully organized to require any real rummaging to find something. 

"It's an international program for high school students," Sasha explained, offering it to the Hufflepuff.  "It's a study program.  Summer school, really.  Just general ed but it offers areas of focus.  I can cover a lot of the muggle academic stuff during the term at Hogwarts but it's almost impossible to get an lab or experiment experience.  I've tried.  The results aren't normal.  At least I can get some lab time in during the summer with that program."  The Ravenclaw shrugged.  "I did an internship at the Ministry of Magic, as well.  In Translations in the Department of International Magical Cooperation." 

Sasha still couldn't imagine waiting until next year to worry about his future plans.  He still didn't know how, exactly, he was going to accomplish his goals but it was very much a relief to have identified what those goals.  But, he supposed as long as she felt comfortable about it, that was alright. 

"Four?" Sasha asked before he could catch himself.  Rayven was taking four classes?  "What ... what do you do in your free time?"  He had to assume she had a lot of free time; he couldn't even fathom how much time he'd find himself facing if he were only taking four classes. 

It was a terrifying thought. 

Truthfully, though, he wouldn't mind the company while studying - most tended to avoid doing so with him.  Unless it was getting close to finals.  But, the need for help definitely did seem to come more often from risking being overwhelmed than the actual study material.  More often then not, Sasha needed someone to tell him to stop studying. 

"I ... sure.  If you want to.  It's never too early to really start preparing for NEWTs. They're only eighteen months away.  How do you ... what's your usual study technique?  Do you work best off of repetition?  Recall tech..."  His voice trailed off as he glanced down at the dog.  It was probably best not to scare of potential willing study buddies. 

Rayven took the brochure and scanned it as he was talking. Muggle school looked interesting. She didn't really talk to her siblings about school. When they were all together, they would ask her about school but never seemed interested in talking about theirs. Not to mention they didn't get to see each other that often so the free time was typically spent as family time.

"This summer school program looks really, really interesting. I may look into it more. My brother and sister are going to be gone so I'm going to need something to occupy my time this summer. This looks like fun too!" She offered the brochure back to him, not wanting to keep it if he needed it. "How did your internship go? Anything really interesting happen?"
Rayven was genuinely interested in what he had been doing. It all sounded to different and exciting!

"What ... what do you do in your free time?"

"I do different things. I wonder around the halls or I go outside and sit by the lake or wonder around the grounds. Stuff like that. I like the breaks between classes but I'm starting to get bored. I think I'm going to take a few more classes next year. Not too many of course. Just enough so I'm not incredibly bored." Personally, she thought Sasha was taking too many classes. That would be so overwhelming for her. She didn't think she would be able to handle that kind of work load.

"Recall tech..."  His voice trailed off as he glanced down at the dog.

Rayven looked at Sasha confused. Why hadn't he finished his sentence. She looked down at the dog after him. The dog looked like it was sleeping. Had it made a sound she didn't hear or move a way she hadn't noticed and was crushing his food? Or had perhaps produced an unpleasant smell? She hadn't noticed a smell though.

"Are... you alright, Sasha? Something bothering you?"





 

The Ravenclaw took the brochure back, glancing over it with an uncertain grimace as Rayven expressed interest.  He hoped she was simply being polite and fulfilling that social obligation to express interest in what he'd presented her rather than actually considering applying.  Navigating the gap between the two worlds and not accidentally revealing too much or being in the socially awkward position of being considered slightly crazy was difficult even for him.  And, he had years of experience in straddling that line. 

"It can be a challenging curriculum," Sasha warned, slipping the brochure back in his bag.  "Even with some background in the material.  I've tried to keep up with what muggle students would be learning since my first year and I still have a lot to catch up with at the start of the summer." 

He wasn't, necessarily, trying to discourage the Hufflepuff but he wasn't sure he was thrilled about the idea of too many classmates joining.  Abby enrolling with him last summer had been one thing.  He liked her and she didn't have the Hogwarts connection.  There was something about slipping back into the muggle world each summer and finding his place that was comforting and familiar.  From classes to going to coffee houses with his lab partners to hanging out with his teammates.  He couldn't explain it and he wasn't sure he wanted to. 

"Just sit by the lake?"  Sasha hadn't meant to say that bit out loud and a slight blush rose in his cheeks when he heard his own voice.  "I'm sorry...I don't mean to be ... that wasn't meant to be judgmental.  I just ..." He simply couldn't fathom sitting there by the lake and not being wholly, 100% productive.  Thinking about it was enough to make him nervous. 

"Are... you alright, Sasha? Something bothering you?"

The Ravenclaw shook his head and shrugged.  "I ... no.  Not really.  I mean, I know I tend to get a bit overzealous about studying.  I didn't want to sound too nerdy.  Or ... whatever.  What classes are you thinking of adding back to your schedule?  If you need help getting caught back up, I'd be happy to share my notes."

Rayven shrugged when Sasha made the point about the curriculum. He did have a point. She wasn't up to date on any of the things the muggles were studying. She would probably be so far behind it wouldn't even matter. She didn't even know exactly what they were studying.

"You have a point there. I guess it would be pretty dumb of me to do anything like that when I don't know that much about muggle school or anything. It does sound really interesting though."

Rayven often wondered how Sasha had time for everything. He had taken on so many classes and studies and was doing muggle studies as well? There was no way she could keep up with that much work. It was something she actually admired about the Ravenclaw. His work ethic was beyond anyone she had ever met and he always did so well in his classes. It had obviously taken it's toll, given how socially awkward he was, but the  way he studied and worked was certainly something to appreciate. It actually made her feel like she was really slacking this semester. She definitely needed to take some more classes.

"I'm thinking about adding back Astronomy and Potions. I do spend a lot of time stargazing at night. I want to learn more about it all. I'm not the best at potions. If I take the class again, maybe I'll do better this time around. Learn what I'm doing and why I mess up so bad. I decided not to take it because I'm so bad at it, but I guess I -should- take it for the same reason. Are you sure you don't mind helping me get caught up?"

"Not ... dumb," Sasha insisted without hesitation.  He shook his head, offering Rayven a sympathetic and apologetic grimace.  In retrospect, the Ravenclaw suspected the comment had been a casual dismissal but he didn't want her thinking he thought she was dumb.  Or, anything like that.  Under other circumstances, he might have encouraged her - he was, likely, the last person who'd believe there was such a thing as too much schooling. 

"You could learn some muggle studies.  Not like at Hogwarts - not cultural stuff but, you know, the real stuff.  I mean, you've got siblings.  Some day, you'll have Chistmas Dinner with nieces or nephews and they'll start talking about Chemistry experiments and French influences in the American Civil War and ..."  Sasha's voice trailed off and he closed his eyes.  They liked to think that their worlds were separate and, by ignoring the other side, they could keep it so.  But, it wasn't that simple, was it?  Not unless you were pureblood.  Or, pure muggle. 

Not to mention, the world as a whole was getting more and more interconnected.  Did every country subscribe to the Statute of Secrecy?  In this age of international travel, muggle cell phones and photos that entered the internet and never came out, how long was it before some wizard performed magic on some island in the Philippines in the background of someone's cellphone footage?  Did the Accidents and Catastrophes department have a contingency plan for Youtube? 

"I decided not to take it because I'm so bad at it, but I guess I -should- take it for the same reason."

Sasha grinned and shrugged.  "I'm probably not the best one to ask.  I've had that same moral dilemma with Divination.  I'm rubbish at it but wouldn't dropping it because of that just be giving up?" 

"I - no.  I don't mind helping you catch up," Sasha confirmed.  "It'll be good review for end of year exams.  And, things won't be quite as crazy with my GCSEs behind me."  Except, of course, for those tiny details called A-Levels.  And, the agonizing wait for his GCSE scores.