Alex waved goodbye to her Father, who turned and disapparated without acknowledging her gesture. It was hardly surprising, as their relationship had steadily deteriorated- not that they had had much of a relationship to begin with. She was slightly relieved that he hadn't insisted on coming to say hello to Raine, as she didn't know how Raine would respond. And anyway, she tried to avoid introducing friends to her Father, although in some cases it was unavoidable. She adjusted the strap of her bag before turning and walking down the street where Raine lived.

There was no- one else on the street, which wasn't unusual from her experience, as in all the times she had visited the house previously she had never seen anyone on the street. She wasn't wearing wizarding clothes, as she knew from experience that trying to fence in robes was only just short of stupid, and was instead wearing jeans and a t- shirt. She had a hoodie in her satchel in case the weather took a turn for the worse, but the weather looked good, so she wasn't overly concerned. Her shoes made almost no noise on the pavement, a habit from years of careful treading, and she listened to the noises of the muggle world. It was always so loud, a constant background hum that was almost everywhere. She reached the steps leading up to Woodstock, stopping and lifting a hand to knock on the door.

She paused, a thought occuring to her. She had missed Raine, and she really did want to see her again. Still, she could feel doubt- that maybe Raine wasn't ready to try this again? But that was just her being selfish, she knew, because if Raine had managed to write to her and suggest meeting again, surely she must be prepared to try again. She had never lost anyone that important to her- had never had anyone that important to her- and she was still unsure whether she was making the right decision.

She had seen Raine's attempts at returning to normal, her return to duelling club, but she hadn't tried to talk to her since the winter term. The guilt of that pulled at her, but at least she was trying now. But still, the uncertainty irked her. Normally, she could see the options spread in front of her like a map, but now she couldn't. It was always harder with people, she reflected. But that wasn't a reason to refuse to see Raine again, so she knocked, before adjusting her satchel's weight slightly. Seeing Raine was the right thing to do, and even if it wasn't, she had missed talking to her. The doubts in her head were the same as last minute nerves before exams, brief and pointless. Probably.

Almasy Residence, 10.50am.

"Raine, darling. Can't you do your pacing elsewhere?"

Draped in a pale silk dressing gown, Raine Almasy's mother sat in her study that overlooked the house foyer. Parchment and sheets of paper lay on the desk before her; all covered in elegant script. Mama rarely left home at the weekend. The red-haired woman was sitting back in her chair, quill at hand, and addressing her daughter who stood just outside the room.

"I wish you wouldn't be so trying," she added in an exasperated tone before returning to the letters of business.

Paying little attention to this, Raine only slowed her bare-footed pacing. Her wild hair was pinned back neatly today, and her lips set into a faintly anxious line. She looked altogether healthy with her summer tan and sunkissed legs stretching languidly in their denim shorts-- the very image of a gangly adolescent still growing into her limbs.

The witch fiddled absently with the bow on her sleeveless blouse and continued to pace until a single, solid knock came at the front door-- she halted.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Mama called out without missing a beat.

Not bothering to answer, Raine reached for the front door and twisted the handle. Whatever feelings of social apprehension she had entertained this morning vanished the moment her gaze found that of her Ravenclaw friend.

"Alex," she smiled almost eagerly, "You're here! Come in, I was just expecting you." Something that may have sounded like a derisive laugh could be heard from the general direction of Mama's study.

Raine shut the door behind Alex and turned around, her mannerisms cavalier but somewhat forced: "Which do you suppose we should do first- fencing or a drink?"

Alex was slightly surprised at the speed with which the door opened, but she didn’t let it show, instead smiling at Raine’s enthusiasm on opening the door. Last year, she hadn’t seemed to care about anything, but that aside, it was nice to see anyone so happy to see her. Raine looked well, her tan accentuating her hair without looking artificial, and she seemed as though she was happier- or, Alex amended, as though she was no longer trying to shut out the world.

Analysis aside, she stepped over the threshold, looking around with slight curiosity. Visiting other people’s houses always fascinated her, especially the clutter that was absent from her house, but she had been to Woodstock on more than one occasion, so she only scanned the airy hallway before returning her attention to Raine.

She stood awkwardly in the hallway, feeling out of place, as she did as much of the time when not at her house or Hogwarts. Her smile widened slightly at Raine’s complete lack of small talk. “I’d love a drink,” she began, “but maybe we could fence first? We’ll be much thirstier afterwards, and I’d like to put my bag down,” she suggested. “Oh- should I take my shoes off?” she asked, noticing Raine’s bare feet.

It was good to see Alex again. There was no need for pleasantries or polite smiles or, well, even shoes.

"That's alright," Raine wriggled her toes into the fuzzy material of the foyer rug as she smiled apologetically: "You can take yours off before we start fencing." Even, she thought, if only to avoid having her own feet painfully tread on while they were practicing.

Some noises suddenly erupted above them and she glanced up at the ceiling, expression falling sombre. Her Governess must have heard the front door close... ears like a cat, that woman. Raine took her friend lightly by the wrist: "Come, before McGregor decides to see who has arrived. You can drop your bag off in the kitchen."

Briskly, she led them through a short corridor that opened up into the breakfast space and then into sunlit kitchen. There was a sweet, flowery scent in the room; someone had been brewing a fragrant tea this morning. Two foil swords lay on the kitchen counter, alongside a pair of white vests that glimmered in the light coming through the windows.

Raine crossed the room and grabbed a vest in either hand before turning around to face Alex, "Shoes off, vest on!" She handed one of the garments to the Ravenclaw: "They were made to give a slight shock when a touch is scored against you..." her eyes met Alex's pointedly, though in good humour: "Nothing too dangerous."

Alex didn't say anything to Raine's casual comment,  but she nodded in agreement. She followed Raine's glance upwards automatically before looking back at her when she took her wrist. Her friend waisted no time in taking her through to the kitchen, which, Alex noted with appreciation, looked well- stocked. There was nothing quite the same as really good food.

She put her bag onto the floor next to the door, looking up when Raine passed her a fencing vest. She took it with a raised eyebrow, smiling as she said, "Too? I am not entirely sure that your comment was actually reassuring in any way whatsoever," before bending down and unlacing her shoes, tugging them off and putting them next to her bag.

That done, she picked up the vest she had been lent, quickly pulling it on and adjusting it slightly. When she had finished, she looked up at Raine, already in her vest and seemingly completely at ease. "So- are we going to poke at each other using swor- sorry, foils, in the courtyard, as advertised, or in the kitchen, which would doubtless have some kind of deep meaning that I will later work out?" she asked, a corner of her mouth curving slightly upwards.

The vest fit like a glove, failing only to hug Raine's figure at the waist... she scowled at this and wondered if her frame had changed any since last summer. The thought passed as quickly as it entered her mind, stolen away by Alex's poking fun at their use of the kitchen as a dressing room.

Raine matched the lopsided smile, a hand on her hip as she picked up one of the foils and pointedly aimed its tip in her friend's direction: "As advertised," she announced as she lifted her chin, her poise stuck in mocking imitation of their Dueling Club formalities: "We duel in the courtyard."

Then, relaxing, she dropped her hand and reached for the other foil before handing it to Alex: "Left the gloves outside. Shall we?" Not really one to wait for an answer, Raine led them out to the courtyard through the kitchen back door. The Almasy courtyard was not, in any sense, a garden. The entire ground had been bricked down by stone to match the three sides of the house that looked over it. A ten-foot wooden fence made up the fourth wall.

As they escaped into the summer air outside, the Gryffindor looked directly to her right. A tiny round table and low chair had been set out. She picked up one of the two pairs of gloves on the table and leaned her foil against the wall as she tugged them on. "So," she said as she did this: "How has your summer been? I hope you've kept up with exercising." Blue eyes glanced up observantly to meet her companion's.

Alex’s smile widened, and she took the foil without comment- which was, for her, hardly the usual. It wasn’t so much that she disliked silence, but it had grown into a habit to talk, enjoying the communication with others. Well, there were a few exceptions, but for the most part, talking was enjoyable.

When in the courtyard, she glanced up at the sky, checking to see that it remained free of clouds, before turning and picking a second pair of gloves off the table, looking at her already full hands for a moment before following Raine’s example and setting her foil down before pulling her gloves on. Bending down and scooping her foil up, she stood up before answering Raine’s question.

“It’s been alright,” she said, “although a bit quiet- I still need to hear all about Egypt, and I expect you to give me a full description when we have finished by the way, but, I have actually done some exercise. Boredom is a terrible thing,” she said, sighing dramatically. She would have made sure to do at least a little exercise anyway, but the slow pace of the summer had made her more active than she was otherwise.

“Have you?” she added, curious to know what Raine had been doing- even if it was, like her, absolutely nothing.

Gloved and armed, Raine made her way to the center of the tiny courtyard as she listened to her friend describe her summer. She turned, pacing backwards and shaking her head at the melodramatic portrayal of the month's general monotony. It never occurred to her when she was younger but Oxfordshire was a boring place to be. Peaceful... but they were young, what was peacefulness to either of them?

"Have you?" Alex asked and she nodded her head slowly , trailing the tip of the foil against the bricked ground.

"Running. I go at sunrise, before the house is up." The Gryffindor jerked her head towards the direction of the kitchen: "McGregor doesn't like me out on my own," she explained, "But I can't go running in one of those muggle things. Treadmills. Merlin knows how they can walk for ages without going anywhere."

Just thinking about that made her want to shudder; she shrugged instead and motioned for Alex to join her at the center: "I went surfing and swimming in Egypt, too. It was refreshing," her blue eyes lit up fleetingly at the memory.

 Then, lifting her foil and placing a foot forward in the correct posture, Raine lifted her chin: "Positions?"

Alex smiled at that, saying, “I’m surprised that you could wake up every morning before sunrise. But then again, I never really understood the attraction of running for its own sake, so that might be part of it.”

"I went surfing and swimming in Egypt, too. It was refreshing,"

Alex watched the light fade from Raine’s eyes. She had always been slightly irritated when people described eyes as lighting up, but Raine’s expression had made it the only possible discription. The spark that had shown for a second really had been like a light. She blinked in surprise when she realized that she had been asked a question. “Sorry, I was daydreaming. But positions are indeed an excellent idea.”

She walked to the center of the courtyard, opposite Raine, her eyes moving to look at Raine’s feet, she carefully moved hers to the same position, she lifted her foil. “Position?” she asked hopefully, smiling at Raine. "I've forgotten everything. I blame studying too hard."

A fencing instructor might have deplored the lack of formality and method in today's session. They wore the vests but not the masks, the gloves but no footwear... not to mention, Raine thought as she watched her friend echo her stance, they weren't supposed to be dueling with the shockers on. But what instructors did not know would not hurt them. On the contrary, it was more likely to hurt the two girls instead.

"Position?" Alexandra queried in a hopeful tone: "I've forgotten everything. I blame studying too hard."

Her stance was perfect however, and Raine nodded civilly as she considered how to quickly summarize the rules of play. This was the simplest form of the sport-- elementary in its method but not any easier for it. She frowned for a second and then indicated her foil with a nod: "The objective today is for the tip of our swords to make contact with any part of our vests. It will not count if the side, or any other part of it, touches us. You may parry or sidestep to avoid me, and thrust to attack."

The Gryffindor paused and tilted her chin downwards, expression purposeful: "Like so." In two brisk gestures, she stepped forward in similar stance and thrusted the foil towards Alex-- only barely grazing her chest with the tip of the foil before pulling back. A blue spark broke out from the point of contact, a slight but detectable shock of pain.

Raine stepped back just as quickly and her eyes darted up to observe her friend with a faint look of concern: "Is that alright? I can adjust the shock level before we begin."

Alex would have been surprised at the speed with which Raine moved had she not seen it before. Nevertheless, it was still formidable, and Alex knew that a year of mourning had done nothing to decrease her friend's abilities.

"It's fine," she said in answer to Raine's question, "I'll survive the pain." She ran through the list of instructions- parry, sidestep, thrust. It sounded, in theory, simpler than fighting without a sword- foil, but Alex was aware that things were rarely a simple as they seemed, and that fencing was far more difficult than Raine made it appear. Hopefully her body would remember the lessons of previous years even if her mind didn't, although Alex thought this unlikely. And even if it did, she would still be vastly inferior to Raine.

She focused on Raine, aware that she was once again drifting off on a tangent, and that this was unwise as she was carying a weapon which while not deadly could certainly inflict some damage. Although it was more likely that she would be damaged by Raine's weapon. In her head, the three basic movements repeated themselves, thrust, parry, sidestep, thrust, parry, sidestep. Three simple actions.

"So, it's En guarde to get into positions- or is that to start?" she asked, the French rolling of her tongue easily. She had always enjoyed learning other languages, although there was little opportunity to do so at Hogwarts, and practice of them, even when limited to set phrases used in sport, was always a good idea. She wished she could recall something about fencing, but it seemed that her brain was incapable of recalling anything not written down beyond five minutes.

A shadow fell over the courtyard as Alex was going over her moves and Raine lifted her blue gaze skywards, examining a grey cloud that must have been blown in from further north of the county. Drizzle later, perhaps. That would break the pleasant weather they had been experiencing all week.

"So, it's En guarde to get into positions- or is that to start?"

The Gryffindor brought her attention back down: "Into positions. Shall we try a standard round?" She resumed her stance from before and cracked her neck with one quick jerk of the head, still a little stiff from jogging in the cold earlier. The foil was raised and Raine smirked at her friend, remembering their last attempt at the art of fencing. Today, it would go smoother. Hopefully.

"En garde..." she announced and lifted her chin slightly. "Begin!"

Fortunately for the two girls, the Almasy courtyard was not particularly large. Neither of them could go on sidestepping or back-stepping to avoid a thrust, something that would have caused a duel to drag on longer. Parry, thrust, sidestep-- Raine parried one of Alex's attempts to land a point and nearly backed into a wall. They went on in this pattern for a little longer before she was backed into another wall and decisively allowed an opening: "Point."

A sharp sting of pain spread from the point on her chest where Alex landed the thrust. Raine grimaced, flexing her free hand. "A good point," she added with a small smile before gesturing for them to return to their starting positions.

"Thank you," Alex said, smiling in relief that she had at least managed to keep herself coordinated. Although usually she had no trouble in that department, the quick footwork and extra weight of the sword tended to throw her off balance when fencing.

Alex took a few quick steps back, entering the centre of the circle again. She was almost certain that Raine had allowed her to score the point, as although she was perhaps not as strict or formal as a regular fencing teacher, she did take her role seriously- or at least, with a seriousness that Alex might not have felt in the same position.

Standing in position, Alex realised that Raine was waiting for some sign that she was prepared to begin, so she nodded slightly, and Raine repeated, "En garde."

They began again moving carefully round the courtyard that seemed so large for a meal, but shrunk when needed for sport, Alex carefully trying to keep herself from tripping up. Raine seemed more relaxed, her eyes focused as she moved with considerably more grace and co- ordination than Alex.

Eventually, Raine slipped easily through Alex's guard, pressing the tip of the foil to the vest, a small jerk of pain resulting as Raine repeated, "Point."

Alex smiled, "A better point." She was feeling at least a little tired, and she sincerely hoped that Raine would suggest getting a drink, as although clouds were covering the sky, the weather was still warm enough to warrant one.

Raine smiled silently at her friend, her breathing slightly quicker than before. They were working up a sweat and the vests, normally worn indoors, were helping. "A better point," Alex commented cordially and the Gryffindor winked as she raised her foil once more. Best two out of three.

... was what she wanted to say when a crashing sound from indoors interrupted the thought. She straightened instinctively and turned her head towards the kitchen side of the courtyard, where her mother's red-haired head could be seen through the window. Mama, at the sink? "I suppose she must have broken something," Raine murmured in an unimpressed voice, smile disappearing almost instantly. Running water, the taps, gentle chiming of shattered glass clinking against each other.

"We should head in for a while. Can't trust that woman in the kitchen," the foil was thrown aside in an irritable gesture and she caught Alex's gaze, indicating towards the open kitchen door with a nod: "It's going to rain soon, at any rate." She could almost smell the imminent drizzle, a damp scent being swept in with the breeze.

The two girls stepped up into the house, still in their vests but thankfully unarmed. Raine's eyes snapped immediately to the sight of her mother, slender and elegant, holding up her wand to levitate a mess of clear, broken glass. One of the jugs.

"What were you trying to do?" she asked as the witch neatly disposed of the evidence into a bin. Mama spared her a side glance, expression slightly surprised. "Something to drink, for you and and your friend, darling." It was an incidental tone-- as though it should have been obvious to anyone who'd walked in.

Raine shrugged and made a polite but dismissive wave: "I can do that. You needn't trouble yourself." It was irritating when she acted like this. Trying to be nice. Her mother stood silent for a second before murmuring something vague about letters and turning to leave the kitchen. When she'd left through the archway, Raine could feel her shoulders untense and she turned to look at Alex with a weary countenance.

"I don't know why she even tries. Lemonade or iced tea?"

Depositing her foil next to Raine's, Alex stepped through the door to the kitchen in time to catch the majority of her friend's exchange with her Mother.  She stood quietly, listening to the exchange with surprise. She had always thought of Raine as having good family relationships, although obviously they would have changed. Raine didn't seem to think it was out of the ordinary, though, so there was no point in bringing it up. It wasn't any of her business anyway.

"I'll have whatever's going," Alex replied, her voice cheerful in order to try and return to the more light-hearted mood they'd had while fencing. Well, not light- hearted, but she had certainly felt a little more relaxed. She walked over to a cupboard, pulling out two glasses and holding them out for Raine to pour into. Glasses full, she passed one over to Raine, then asked, "What subjects will you be doing next year? Have you decided?"

Alex knew exactly what she wanted to continue- or not continue- but most of the other people in her year were less certain. She understood why, technically, but to her the system seemed simple. You looked at which subjects you enjoyed, and dropped everything else. If you were someone who didn't enjoy anything, then you dropped the subjects you were bad at. Hardly complex, and yet many of her yearmates dithered about it as though to decide would result in death.