Warning: Mentions of drug use.


After having exchanged a couple of letters with Emmylou, Indica was thinking about how fast adulthood was approaching.  She didn’t typically give in to worry, but it was the first week of school and it was already over.  It was happening that fast – it was Saturday!  It was September 4, and that didn’t seem like a late date, but soon it would be getting cold at the castle and the leaves would be changing colors – the lake would freeze over.  She had to take advantage of every opportunity to be outside. 

Plus, she wanted to be able to use as much of her summer wardrobe as she could before she had to send it back home by owl.  It was bad enough that she had to put on a cardigan - it was barely 9 degrees.  It’d even been warmer yesterday when she’d been hanging out with Eli.  She was heading to the same part of the lake with the tree alcove. 

For her and many of her friends it was a place they made their own.  It didn’t seem like anyone else managed to make their way that far down  - which was a blessing, since she had a rolled paper and lighter in her pocket and she intended to use them.  It helped her think.  She had a parchment to work on later (not voluntarily) and it would open her mind to the possibilities.  Divination was perfect for an altered consciousness.   

Rubbing her arms as she walked along the edge of the lake, she wondered if she’d get to see the giant squid surface or any of the mermaids near the surface.  It was brisk, but the sun was out and that was about as rare as anything else it seemed up here.  She turned her head upward toward the sun, the edges of her hat blocking the more damaging rays and sighed: that was the best feeling. 

Well, next to the best feeling, she smirked to herself as she walked into the alcove, the water from the lake lapping up onto the shore.  Indi kicked off her shoes into the grass and dug into her pockets before she plopped down, making sure everything was still accounted for.  With the happy knowledge all was well, she sat down and flicked open the lighter, balancing the joint between her fingers and lips and lit, glad for the shelter of the trees before she exhaled. 

It was weird being back at Hogwarts, really weird. She never thought she would have stepped back onto Hogwarts grounds at least not as a student. She had resigned herself to finishing her academic education at home with her tutor. That all changed, and quite truthfully Ollie was not yet sure whether that was for the good or the bad. She was happy to be back for now at least, around her friends for what would be their final year of education. Soon they'd have to think about jobs. A prospect that Ollie was not looking forward to. It was hard enough as a student, and even harder still as a werewolf.

She had decided to look around the grounds, things probably had not changed much since she was last here but it was still worth a look. So she did. She went to the pitch first and figured her final stop on her tour would be the lake. It was a good place to just sit and think. She had always loved the lake it was easy to escape but also you weren't entirely alone as people did frequent the area. She kind of liked that.

As Ollie strolled down to the lake, she noticed a figure. Hidden by the trees she couldn't be sure who it was. As she neared the familiar scent hit her nose and she laughed. It was gonna be an older student she figured. "What are you up to," she said amused. Though as she noticed it was Indi she beamed. "Indi hey!" She immediately plopped down next to her.

 When a voice asked her what she was doing, Indica almost dropped the joint out of her hand and scrambled.  Even if she didn’t mind that people knew she smoked, she would have preferred to not get detention for it.  Honestly, it wasn’t as though it was going to deter her from doing it again. 

But, thankfully, her reaction time was not yet impacted and her head swung around, catching sight of a familiar face.   She recovered her hold of everything and let out a relaxed sigh, laughing quietly to herself.  “You nearly scared the high out of me,” she directed at Olivia in between bouts of laughter.  The fact that she’d been worried was absolutely ridiculous.

Since when did she worry about it?  Maybe it was a maturity thing… or a lack of desire to spend hours in detention.  Since Emmy told her about Storm’s… private life… she didn’t exactly want to stare at him for two hours and contemplating that.  It made goose bumps travel down her back with a sudden shudder.  That wouldn’t look weird at all.

Turning her hand, both joint and lighter in it, toward Ollie.  “Always good to share with a friend,” she beamed, trying to make eye contact (because it was the thing to do) before she looked back at the lake.  “Avoiding responsibility?” she questioned, seeing the flick of a tail on the horizon of the lake. 

Admittedly Indi reaction made the moment even better. "Who knew I could sounds so authoritative." Ollie laughed, "Scaring the high right out of people." Ollie sat comfortably and looked over at Indi as she handed the joint and lighter over. "Nah, I'm okay but thank you." Ollie noticed her make eye contact and well she honestly appreciated it. Sometimes Ollie felt people tried to avoid her eye contact and her in general. Did they know what she did to Sasha?  It was constantly on her mind and it was something she was still working on accepting.

"But please don't stop though," she  gestured to the joint. She was fine with people smoking around her. She just didn't like doing it to herself maybe she processed it different. "And yes, I am definitely avoiding doing anything." Ollie laughed. "I come back for an education and then try to avoid it." Ollie rested back on her hands and looked at Indi. "So how are you? Shirking responsibilities as well?"

“I have post-traumatic stress from all the hours I spent in detention last year,” she quipped at Ollie’s suggestion that she was authoritative.  Perhaps her voice was that, but once she knew it was her, Indi didn’t much mind – enough that she’d share.  But, the offer was declined.  Indi shrugged and readjusted everything to be more comfortable for her.  She wouldn’t smoke if it upset Ollie (she didn’t remember it doing that, but people changed from time to time). 

Letting her know she could continue though, that made Indica smile.  “As long as you’re sure,” she paused but a moment for her to say she wasn’t serious – and when that didn’t happen, Indi lifted the gillyweed to her lips and lit before another long, slow draw.  She listened while the smoke filled her lungs and she held on, raising her eyebrows at Ollie’s affirmation that she was avoiding the work they all had to do as well.  Indi exhaled with a smile, even coughing just a little from holding on too long. 

She reached up and rubbed her throat for a moment before leaning her free hand back behind her, so she could turn her shoulder toward Ollie.  “I’ve never been one for keeping up with responsibilities,” Indica joked with a bright smile.  “But… I find my divination work benefits from a little… external stimulation, so… here I am.”  She motioned to the landscape around them and then decided to slide her hand back, so she could lower herself into the grass, resting the lighter on her stomach and the joint still in her hand. 

She squinted her eyes and wrinkled her nose through the high sun, catching Ollie’s backlit face.  “How are you doing - outside of pondering the paradox of the work ethic of a boarding school student?”

"Detention can do that too you," she nodded her head as if from experience. "Especially when you have too much of it particularly with the same professor, or punishment." Ollie remembered her stints in detention and truthfully she hated every moment. But it didn't exactly put her on the straight and narrow. Example being her not caring that Indi smoked around her. She was pleased she took the time to double check though. "Yeah it was never really my thing."

"Ah yes," Ollie said as if come to a revelation. "I would think Divination was helped along with such an aid." Ollie laughed, "too bad it isn't a required school supply." When Indi leaned back Ollie gave her a once over glance out of habit. She did to Sophie more often than she thought was appropriate but she couldn't help it sometimes.

"Oh you know, just adjusting to the fact I am back here. Have a schedule and can't just do as I please and work at my own speed." Ollie pouted before lying down in the grass and also looking up at the sun. Her hand instinctively went up to shield her eyes from the sun. "It is a lot for a girl to get used too after over a year."

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Indica whined, putting her hand over her eyes in a gesture of mock-horror.  Detention was the worst and she didn’t want to go through it again, so she’d enjoy the ability to go pretty much unaccounted for outside before she had to find hiding places in the castle to open her inner eye, as it were.  She was glad she didn’t have to stop because of company though.  It didn’t bother her to be alone, quite the opposite really, but now that someone was here, it wasn’t her goal to drive her away.

Ollie was funny though, that was for sure.  She didn’t remember her being so funny, but there were tons of things Indica didn’t remember.  It was just as well, new memories to be made and all that.  She grinned widely, shaking her head.  “For me it is,” she pointed out and very pointedly took another puff of the joint.  It was rapidly depleting and she felt the warm and heavy feeling sinking over her limbs.  She audibly sighed (in pleasure) and closed her eyes for a moment, resting everything on her stomach. 

Once Ollie started speaking again, Indi’s eyes opened and she pushed the brim of her hat out of the way to look at her when she talked.  It was only polite, and if she didn’t have some sun on her face and her eyes open she would probably just fall asleep in the grass.  She certainly didn’t want that to happen – at least not yet.  “I didn’t even think of that,” Indica admitted, rolling her head as Ollie joined her in laying in the grass. 

“And to come back for seventh year,” she observed sympathetically.  She turned her head back toward the sky and took in a deep, fresh breath.  “We’re glad you’re back though,” Indica commented sincerely, “it wasn’t fair, what happened.  My parents sent howlers to the governors,” she glazed over – since it was a much longer story than all that and her mother was… her mother so that meant she couldn’t just let things go after she heard about it… Indica couldn’t either, at least in these circumstances.  She reached her free hand over and tried to find Ollie’s in the grass to give her a reassuring pat on the hand (she thrived off touch).  “It’ll be a good year.”

Ollie laughed a little with Indi and maybe a bit at her just thinking about her horror of detention. But as she lay there she continued to laugh at the very concept of gillyweed being a school supply. "Well I think a number of people want your school supply list." She chuckled shaking her head, "even the professors I'm sure." It had to be true, not all the Professors could be straight-laced. Ollie would never believe it, or maybe she didn't want to. If the professors were stuffy, well then that was just boring wasn't it?

As things took a sympathetic turn Ollie's jovial mood diminished some. "Yeah, thanks." She trailed off pausing a while. "I think I'm glad to be back." Ollie wasn't even sure yet. Time would tell as it was early days yet. Depend entirely how she felt about interacting with some of the werewolf hating students. Interact with Sasha if it happened. Well, she sure hoped it didn't. It was nice to know people like Indi and her family were on her side. But sadly that wasn't enough and a year of self searching and help was what got her to this point of being here laying on the grass at Hogwarts again.

Feeling the touch of the other girls hand she turned the pat in her Ollie holding her hand, lacing her fingers through the other girls. Waiting to see if she'd let it completely happen or if she would pull away. "It will be a good year," at least Ollie hoped but she was trying to optimistic.

Looking over at Ollie, a sly look crossed her face.  Indi knew there was a bit of demand for such things at school, hell, she was often the one trying to supply – though it was never for profit.  Indica didn’t abide by the capitalist principle that she needed to sell it.  It grew out of the ground for goodness sakes!  That practically made it public property.  Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to let the comment go though.  “I’m pretty sure it’s more than the list they’re after, Ollie,” she winked and laughed – bit cheesy grin and everything. 

It was easy to laugh and smile for her, especially now that the real euphoria of a bit of gillyweed was setting in.  It just enhanced her natural mood, made her feel relaxed, and overall a more smiley human being (if it were at all possible).  The smile on her face barely faded as she closed her eyes and stretched her neck, squeaking a tiny bit as something popped – glorious feeling! 

Almost as good as Ollie taking her hand.  Indica was a touch driven person, she knew people were comfortable with her when they let her touch them and they reciprocated.  Their fingers laced and Indica gave the other girl’s hand a reassuring squeeze – letting her know that it was okay and she didn’t intend to let go, unless of course Ollie was letting go first.  It was just nice – like she didn’t even feel like she needed to take another puff. 

“Is there anything you’re looking to do?” Indica asked, curiously.  “Like a seventh year bucket list item you must cross off?”

"Well yeah," Ollie said shaking her head her hair mushing into the grass a bit as she did so. "I was just try not to out right say that." Of course there was demand and it was probably relatively easy to supply as long as you weren't stupid about it. The extra money wouldn't be bad, Ollie thought but then let that thought drift away as quickly as it had arrived. That was just a stupid idea when people worked as hard as they did to allow her to return. Plus, she didn't even like using the stuff herself so it would be pointless.

With their fingers laced together Ollie felt centered, and relaxed. She did this with Sophie and it was nice just knowing someone was there near her. That they wouldn't back off from her and run away scared. It was also a knowing comfort that someone would stick around if adversity arrived in that moment in the form of a person. Any person that was against Ollie being at school. Of course thee were some.

"Not really," Ollie mused with her eyes closed and just enjoying the warmth of the sun. Though the bright glow hitting her eyelids was kind of annoying, she really wished she wore a hat. "I think at this point the only thing on my bucket list is graduating."

“No need to censor yourself around me,” Indica laughed.  She was probably the most uncensored person she knew.  Nothing fazed her as something that couldn’t be said in front of people.  Facts were facts, and so it was frowned upon in Care of Magical Creatures to point out that rutting was practically the same thing as the Yule Ball.  It was also probably not within anyone’s best interest to mimic the time she announced to the entirety of herbology class in fifth year that Jack in the Pulpit Root was a natural birth control herb that her mother frequently recommended to mothers post-birth, should they ask for it. 

The detention for that had been… interesting and Indi spent the entire time trying to suss out what exactly she had done wrong, considering it was just a fact.  A fact from the very subject, no less!  It wasn’t her fault that they needed to harvest the root for the potions classes.  It’d been early in the year though and professor turn over being what it was… impression didn’t last long.  Despite saying none of this out loud, Indica laughed brightly and rested her cheek against the grass.

It tickled at her nose and Indi blew the little fingerlings of green away from her face.  They, of course, returned after the blow stopped.  Ollie had her eyes closed and she was all lit up from the sun.  Some people just looked good in nature.  Grinning, Indi turned a little to be laying on her side (only slightly uncomfortably because of the position of hand holding, not the act itself).  “I think the same way,” she wrinkled her nose.  “But I would really like to sneak out and take a night swim this year – you know, one last time sort of thing.” 

She paused, titled her eyes up and thought for a moment.  “It’d have to be soon though… It’ll get far too cold and…” her face screwed for a second, thinking of the unfortunateness that experience would bring.  “My body is not ready for that.”