[[9:00 AM]]

In her hand, Adrienna held a package, one that had been sent to her originally and one that she was now sending back along with the original content.  The content was a book - Romeo and Juliet - which she had finished long ago upon the request of her father but, up until today, not had the chance to return it.  She somewhat dreaded the moment when the package arrived in her mailbox at home because it meant another muggle "classic" would be dropped in her lap at breakfast within a week.  Her father was pushy like that.  She sighed as she walked through rotting straw and stepped around owl droppings to the place where the school kept complimentary owls for students who did not have one of their own.  If it hadn't been for Andrew, she probably would have an owl.  But since he ran away to do... whatever... nothing pertaining to magic was even to be thought about at home.  No wand, no textbooks, and ceratinly no owl.  It wasn't particularly fun at home anymore, not without Andrew and especially not without magic, but Adrienna didn't like to complain.  She didn't even really like to talk about it. 

The story of Romeo and Juliet had been, all in all, depressing and ridiculous.  It had had an awful ending, in which both the main character killed themselves, thinking the other was dead or some rubbish like that.  Adrienna had marveled at what muggles apparently found to be entertaining fiction and, according to the front of the book, a symbol of true love.  Though it might sound heartless and insensitive, Adrienna had yet to come across a boy who she would die for - and not just die but die at her own hand.  And obviously muggles hadn't found anyone like that either or else there would be people dropping dead all over the place.  Completely bonkers, it was, Adrienna decided.

Attempting to shove these thoughts into the back of her mind, she spotted a light brown owl that looked substantial enough for the haul to Harlow and cute enough that maybe her dad wouldn't kill it if he happened to come within arm's length of it.  Gently, she secured the package with string to the owl's legs, gave him a piece of bread she had taken from the kitchens, and then sent him on his way by muttering her address.  She watched him flap into the distance carrying the bulky delivery beaneath him.  And not really prepared yet for the walk back to the school, she inspected a nearby ledge for owl droppings and then, finding that it was rather clean, sat down.

Josh walked up to the Owlery to send a letter. Why was he at the Owlery so early, most post being sent in the evening? Well, he hoped it would help avoid the owl being intercepted. While he doubted it would be, it was a letter to his father, and Josh was low-profile enough in his support of SAWS that interception on that basis was unlikely, Josh still liked to be sure, especially when the letter actually mentioned his opposition to Snark. Opening the door, he looked around, and briefly froze. There was someone in the Owlery. Then he saw it was Adrienna, a good friend of his and fellow SAWS member. “Hello Adrienna." he said, walking near to her and calling his owl to him.

She had only been resting on the ledge for a few minutes when Josh Harcroft arrived, letter in hand.  He called his owl - his own personal, nobody-else-can-use-it owl - to him and attached the letter to it. 

"Hello, Adrienna."

Adrienna grinned but only half-heartedly, considering she wasn't particularly in the mood for conversation. She wanted to avoid people all costs, to spare herself and them from her own irritability.  In fact, that was the entire reason she had come in the morning, as most students sent their mail after dinner.  She knew that she wouldn't want to talk to anyone after being reminded that she had an unsupportive father, about one billion muggle books scheduled to read before she kicked the bucket, and no bloody owl.

But she didn't want to be rude so she replied, "Hey, Josh.  What are you doing here... so early?"

Ooh... that did sound a little grumpy, she thought, embarrassed.

" Don't want the letter intercepted." Josh said, then elaborated " It's juts a letter to my father, but i mentioned my opposition to Snark in it. Don't particuarly want her to have proof." He said, seeing Adrienna looked unhappy. " Who were you mailing, anyway, if you don't mind me asking? The owl looked quite heavily burdened." Josh asked, wondering if Adrienna would tell him.

"Who were you mailing anyway, if you don't mind me asking?  The owl looked quite heavily burdened."

Adrienna looked up at the place where her owl had disappeared into the distance, as if expecting it to be flapping back to her.  Not that soon, thank Merlin, she thought.  If it had been anyone else asking, Adrienna might have been a bit offended, but Josh already knew more about her than most people did, since that day they had practiced quidditch together.  She had told him basically everything, about Andrew at least.  She didn't mind talking to him, and he didn't seem to be bothered by listening to her complain.

"Oh... yeah I suppose I did load the poor thing down a bit, didn't I?" she smiled weakly, thinking of that poor animal struggling on the way to Essex.  Perhaps, she thought briefly, it would die of exhaustion on the way there and never reach home.  Then she wouldn't have to worry about getting another book... Merlin-forbid.  "It was to my father... A muggle book.  He makes me read them all the time.  It wouldn't bother me if he didn't do it simply to impose his muggle...ness on me.  And honestly, not even the muggle part would perturb me if it weren't because he hates everything wizard-related."

She looked at Josh, hoping she wasn't sounding too much like a wimp.  She didn't normally like to burden other people with her own problems, but Josh was so easy to talk to about things like this.  Plus, he had asked for it...

Josh frowned. "So, let me get this straight. Your father hates magic, so, despite the fact that I know you must be busy, my schedule not being much different to yours,  he sends you muggle books to read, reducing the time you have available to do other things. I've heard of relatives doing odd things before, but it's one of the worst I've heard." Josh said, looking angry, though not at Adrienna.

"I'm sure it's not the worst," Adrienna shook her head.  "There are plenty of people that have worse parents than me...  But, yes, it is rather ridiculous, especially since I know he only does it to distract from my wizard studies."

Sasha Schlagenweit hadn't even told his parents about him being a wizard, and she imagined that his situation was much more miserable than her own.  At least she had her mother to encourage her.  Sasha didn't have anyone.  And given his situation, Adrienna probably wouldn't have told her parents either.

"And then I know he is only ornery about magic because of... erm... you know... what happened with Andrew," she mumbled, reluctantly letting his name slide from her lips.

Sometimes it was hard to say his name without waking the memories attached to it, and Adrienna hated that.  It was almost like some part of her wanted to forget everything about him, to pretend he never existed.  That's what her parents had done and hoped she would do, no doubt, but she couldn't erase him, not after all the things he had been to her.  A brother, a best friend, a confident, a mentor, and so much more.  The dominant part her felt like forgetting would be throwing all of that away.

Josh listened to what Adrienna said, looking increasingly angry. He had a feeling that he knew what was happening here, and while not dangerous per say for Adrienna, in the sense that it was unlikely her father would ever get violent, it could be a problem for her. " Sweet merlin... he's blaming magic for what happened with your brother, isn't he? And taking action that, in his mind, would prevent the same happening to you, only he's got the source of the problem wrong. That and he's overreacting." Josh said, looking out of the window. "Adrienna, if you ever need to talk to someone over the holidays, or if your father gets impossible to deal with, then you can come over to Harcroft Manor if you want. I would say you could send me an owl, but you don't have one..." Josh offered.

Adrienna - thoroughly suprised at Josh's accurate answer - laughed without humor, "Exactly.  Yeah, he's definately overeacting..."

She was even more taken aback when Josh kindly invited her to his house if she ever wanted to escape her father at home.  She had never been to the home of one of her friends at school, not Hogwarts anyway.  There had never really been a need to see them, taking into acoount that she saw them every single day.  When she was younger and went to a muggle school, she visited other children's houses all the time, but that had come to an abrupt end after she turned eleven.  Still, she was appreciative of Josh's thoughtfulness and she smiled widely.

"Thanks, Josh, really," she smiled staring into the straw at her feet.  "I might just have to take you up on that offer..."

" It's no problem if you do,  Adrienna. I'd be good to have you there. If nothing else, it'd be nice to have someone new when the family's playing Quidditch." Josh said, knowing that Adrienna played on her house Team like he did. As a matter of fact, they had faced each other not two days before. “by the way, do you know how Klint is? It looked kind of nasty when he crashed during the game last Friday." Josh asked. a shot of the Bludger by him had caused Bea to damage her wrist deflecting it, but that could easily be fixed, but Klint had smashed hard into the pitch trying to do the same thing

"Aw... I think Klint is alright.  I s'pose he could be better.  His back is sore, but other than than , he was at least able to finish up the game."

Adrienna looked at the sky again, just wondering how far her owl had flown.  And suddenly, she didn't really care what her father thought of her magic.  She would much rather be what she was than what he wanted her to be.  She wondered absently if that's how her mother dealed with it and winced as she realized she had never spoken to her mother about it before.

She speculated that Josh was being very generous by offering her a place to go to when she needed one.  She pondered if it was typical of him to ask people over but decided it didn't really matter.  If anything, she would at least come over to play quidditch.  She couldn't pass up an opportunity like that in a million years.

“Yeah, that surprised me after a crash like that. I was sure he was out of the game. It's good to know he's not permanently injured though." Josh said, smiling at the news. While he and the Ravenclaw Beater weren't friends, he didn't want to permanently injure the guy. Josh watched Adrienna stare out of the window, his face not betraying his emotions. What he highly doubted Adrienna knew was that for a while, he'd had a crush on her, though he'd hidden it well. Hiding feelings was something his family could do well, though funnily enough, they only ever used it to conceal crushes. “How have mid-terms been going for you, anyway?" Josh asked Adrienna.