A Cool Afternoon

It was a quiet afternoon, and Riley-Ann was happy to see that there were few people around. She loved muggle parks, where everyone was blissfully unaware of the entire world that existed parallel to their own. This park in particular was a favourite of Riley's, with one side grass and the other side a forest. It was close to her childhood home, and she had been there many times in the past.

Sitting on a bench and looking around, the girl felt relief in the spare time. She was free to do anything for the rest of the day. In fact, to simply sit in the park for the entire time would make it a wonderful day. Someone joining her on the bench didn't even phase her and in her good mood, she smiled and said a cheerful but quiet, "Hello!"

Sophie was tired of sitting at home all day so she decided to take a walk in the nearby park. It was a Muggle one, so she wasn't expecting to see anyone from Hogwarts there. But as she was walking and looking at people around her, she noticed a girl sitting on a bench that looked familiar.
She took a second glance at the girl and came to a conclusion she's seen her at school. The girl was alone there, so Sophie went to sit by her. She smiled and wondered if she was in her class, but she couldn't remember.
"Hello." she replied. "How are you? And don't worry, I'm not a creep, I won't kidnap you or anything." Sophie smiled.

Grinning up at the woman, Riley's mind worked overdrive for a few seconds, trying to remember where she recognized her from. When it finally clicked in her mind and smiled even wider, "Professor Nott!" Covering her mouth and looking around, finding that the few people around didn't even notice her words, Riley lowered her voice, "I'm good. I'm having a wonderful holiday. What about you, professor?"

Shaking her head in amusement, the girl added, "And even if you do kidnap me, I'm sure that I wouldn't be too hard to fine. I tend to make a lot of noise when I'm frightened." Playing with the hem of her dress, the Ravenclaw wondered what the older witch was doing in the muggle park. Deciding to ask her, Riley smiled and questioned, "Why are you here.. in a muggle park, I mean?"

Sophie grinned as she finally remembered the girl's name. She wondered how she could forget it, it was quite unique. She chuckled at Riley's reaction, but still looked around if anybody thought anythign suspicious was going on. Noone seemed to even notice them, which made Sophie happy. That's why she loved being around muggles, they rarely seemed to notice anything.
"That's really nice to hear. I'm good too, thank you."

The witch chuckled. "Good for you, Miss Mackenzie." she grinned. She crossed her legs to make herself more comfortable and answered the question. "It's quite close where I live and I had a glass of wine with my lunch, it wouldn't be safe to Dissapparate. Plus, I like it here. Noone knows what we really are, they're just living their lives." she smiled and looked at the girl. "And you? And why are you all by yourself?"

Riley nodded, tugging on the ends of her hair as she moved around on the bench. She was eleven and she almost always had trouble staying still. Her mother, however was almost constantly telling her how impolite it was to fidget when she had someone's attention, so she forced herself to say still and smiled, "Yes, it is good. I am loving the holidays. Did you know my mummy is having a baby? I hope it's a boy. Breydon, that's my twin, he wants it to be a girl. He says he likes having a sister. I think my brother is nice and..." Trailing of, the blode realized that she was rambling, not something foreign for her, but some people found it frustrating.

"Oh, that's why I like it too, professor. They don't know that there are magical people around them. It is kind of sweet, in it's own way, don't you think?" Riley knew to lower her voice as she said certain things around muggles, in the case that they be listening. The eleven year old gasped dramatically, but totally seriously at the woman's words, "That is very clever of you, Professor Nott. Mummy always tells daddy not to apparate after he has had his gold-coloured drinks." Frowning slightly that the question, Riley considered for a moment how or if she should answer. Deciding to just glaze over it, rather than saying My parents are too busy to take me anywhere, and they send me out so that they can have their friends over, she said with a smile, "My mummy and daddy are very busy. I don't live very far away."

Listening to Riley talk, Sophie's grin grew wider and she was once again reminded why exactly she loved being a teacher. She loved being around children, no not in the creepy way, but they always said what was on their mind, they weren't so corrupted from society as most adults are and they weren't troubled by proper behaviour as grown ups were. She saw Riley couldn't stay still for a very long time and she smirked, thinking back to a friend of hers.
"That's very nice. So I guess you're excited about having another sibling? Do you want to take a walk, perhaps?" she added her suggestion.

"Exactly. At school, everyone's practically the same. Here it's not like that, it's much more secret...When I was a kid, I felt like being a secret agent when I was around Muggles." she grinned, saying the last word quietly. Even though Muggles had no idea what a Muggle was, it wasn't a word everyone said in a normal conversation. Luckily, people around them were too concerned about their own problems to notice anything different.
"You have a wise Mummy." she commented. Watching the girl's face, she noticed there was something else behind her coming here alone, but she wasn't going to pry.
"Later, I can escort you to your house, if you want. Don't want anyone doing you any harm on your way back."

"Yes, I am. I can't wait. I want to name him Bob. But Mummy says that I might get to pick a middle name and that Breydon might. too. But only if her and daddy like the ones that we pick. I think that I will call him Bob anyways, and he will love it. If it's a girl.. well, I want to be the only girl." Pouting slightly for just a moment, it quickly switched back to a wide smile. "I will love my little brother, and my... same age brother very much. They are my favourites. I will get to meet the baby in five months when mummy is done being pregnant."

Standing the very moment that a walk was offered, Riley nodded. She was a smart girl, and usually not so talkative but she- "I think my daddy accidentally put the sugar in my breakfast again. Don't tell mummy, because she'll tell him off. Daddy says that mummy is going to be super moody and bit- I mean... She's not going to be happy all the time for a while." Biting her lip, she started to walk off, and was about ten meters away when she realized that Professor Nott was not coming with her. Turning and waiting, she smiled when the woman did start to walk.

Tilting her head to the side, she grinned and nodded again, "You are right. I think it's wonderful. It feels like when you know a different language, and most people don't know it. My and Breydon like to speak French when there are other people around. Not everyone knows French, so it is like we are spies then too." Thinking of her mother, Riley bit her lip and nodded again, "I would love for you to take me home later. But I'm not done outside yet."

Sophie nodded along to Riley's words, but couldn't comment on anything, the girl was just rambling on. But the older witch didn't mind, she loved getting to know her students. And what better way to do it but to let them talk? When Riley stood up and started walking away, Sophie wanted to get up aswell, but the hem of her cloak got stuck in the bench. She didn't want to say anything and keep Riley waiting, so she just silently fought the war by herself. She won eventually, but the little girl had noticed she wasn't by her side.
She smiled apologetically and hurried to her side. "I'm sorry, it seemed the bench wouldn't let me leave." Sophie told her. "What were you saying? I heard something about sugar..."

"You know French? That's impressive. I never understood a single word any french person said, but I do know Italian.. Anyway, seems like you and your brother get along really well. Is he going to Hogwarts, as well? I don't remember seeing him, but there are a lot students there..."
"Oh, of course, I didn't mean right away. But when you'll want to go home, just say so. I've got all day, if you want to." she smiled.

Riley looked back at the bench wide-eyed. How had it tried to prevent her from leaving with the girl? "I would want to keep you too, if I were that bench, Professor Nott," she said with a smile. Tilting her head to the side, the Ravenclaw tried to remember what is was that she had been saying. "Oh! My daddy gave me sugar in my breakfast. Mummy would be made if she knew, but I like to taste the sugar. Breydon has sugar every day because he doesn't act weird with it like I do. I talk fast, they say but I can't even tell." Taking a breath, she nodded and continued to speak, "Yes, professor, I speak French. My brother does too, my daddy learned.. taught it to us when we were little!"

"Daddy says that me and Breydon can help teach Bob French as well." Pouting, Riley shook her blonde head, "No, he doesn't. Mummy wanted him to go to Durmstrang, even though daddy wanted him to come to Hogwarts with me. Of course, he went to the other school like mummy wanted. I hope Bob comes to Hogwarts, because I know that I love it there." Nodding rapidly, and remembering to keep her voice quiet, she smiled and said, "Okay, that sounds good."

Sophie chuckled at the girl. "Thank you?" she replied, a grin still playing on her lips. "Ohh, sugar... it can be dangerous, yes. But you're young, you should be living life at it's fullest, so what's wrong with being a bit hyper?" she grinned.
She also nodded along to Riley's words. "Sugar tastes great, I agree."
"Well, that's very good to hear, I don't think I ever met an eleven year old who could speak french." Sophie complimented her.

"Oh...Durmstrang, that's...lovely" she smiled and tried not to think about how many evil wizards were taught in Durmstrang...Then again, some really wicked children were taught at Hogwarts, as well. "I'm sure he'd love it there. Good to hear you like Hogwarts." she smiled.
"Do you have any pets at home?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation alive.