A Head Start

Fiona wasn't exactly the ice cream type, but she loved it nonetheless. The thing was she didn't have anymore money to pay for some. She'd spent the last of it on Kira, her new familiar. The money she would make at the local pub, the Leaky Cauldron, would have to go to paying off her stay there. All in all, she was having a great week in Diagon Alley.

The small raven she had named Kira was on her shoulder and Fiona was sitting comfortably at one of the tables outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. There were many people there eating at the other tables, but she had books in front of her instead. The light was perfect for reading, and she had taken the liberty of getting ahead on her studies before her first year started. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail as she read. Fiona had decided she'd need to make up for her lack of knowledge on the magical world by doing so. After spending so much time in Diagon Alley the last few days, she had often come here to read. She currently had open her Transfigurations book and was furrowing her brow as she read a passage about Animagi. An interesting concept to the eleven-year-old girl.

Fiona heard footsteps approaching, but she ignored them, thinking they would just pass her by.

Lachlan walked-- or rather bounced in the way that Lachlan normally did. Lion trotted along side her, panting in the heat. Lachlan's curls swung around her as she looked from table to table. None of the tables were open for Lachlan to sit by herself, but Lachlan wasn't shy and she was sure there was someone she could sit by.

Lachlan noticed a girl with dark brown hair and wise blue eyes. The girl was sitting by herself reading a book whilst a raven sat on her shoulder. Lachlan looked down at her familiar, Lion, and saw that he had also noticed the girl in front of them. Lachlan was surprised that Lion didn't bark at the bird.

Walking up to the girl, Lachlan plastered a bright smile on her face. "Excuse me?" she said politely, as her German shepherd began wagging his tail. "I was wondering if I could possibly sit by you?" Lachlan questioned, running a hand through her heavy brown curls.

Fiona's gaze went to an approaching girl, and her dog. They stopped right in front of her and the girl asked if she could with by her. Fiona's eyes were scrutinizing and skeptical as she wondered why the girl would want to sit with her rather than someone else. The girl seemed a bit bubbly, if you asked her, but her dog was quite cute. All animals seemed to love Fiona, which was why she was so good at handling them.

"Sure, if you really want to then go ahead," Fiona told the girl, removing the books from her table and putting them all into the messenger bag by her chair. She kept the transfiguration one, though, holding it firmly in her lap.

"I'm Fiona Millington," she introduced, looking back at the girl with less of a scrutinizing gaze, and more of a curious one. "This is Kira," she added, glancing to her left shoulder where her raven still stood. At the mention of her name, Kira's head turned towards the two newcomers and her beady black eyes seemed to glimmer as she took in the sight of another person, and her dog. Kira's eyes stayed trained on the dog for a moment before the bird looked away again. Fiona kept her own blue eyes on the girl. She wondered if the girl went to Hogwarts or not.

Lachlan smiled kindly at the girl as she sat down, glad she was finally able to rest her feet. The girl introduced herself as Fiona. Fiona, Lachlan thought, that's a pretty name. "Pleasure to meet you Fiona." Lachlan looked down the raven. "You too Kira." Lachlan almost laughed as she addressed the bird. Hopefully Fiona wouldn't think she was too crazy to be speaking to a bird.
"I'm Lachlan Normandy. You can call me whatever you want to though; people seem to love giving me random nicknames." Lachlan stated, patting her lap so Lion could sit on her.

Lachlan felt herself getting warmer even though she was now sitting down. She almost cursed herself for not taking Leigh's advice and chopping off her hair when Leigh did. Now, her long hair seemed like more of a curse than a blessing.

"So," Lachlan began after a moment of silence. "Is it safe to assume that you are going to Hogwarts?" Lachlan looked at Fiona. Fiona looked around her age. Not as old as Leighton. And yes there is a difference between eleven years olds and twelve years olds. You can just tell. "I'm a first year myself. Just starting out."

Fiona had never heard such a name as Lachlan. It was interesting, but maybe it was more common up here in the London area. After all, it was Fiona's first time so far from home. Not that she was scared or anything, being all alone here. She just thought it was an interesting experience. As for the nicknames, Fiona wasn't sure if she'd be able to come up with a good one for her. She didn't want to choose something that might sound weird, so she decided she'd just call her 'Lachlan'.

After a momentary pause, during which, Fiona's mind began to wander back to the concept of Animagi, Lachlan spoke up. So, she did go to Hogwarts, and a first-year, too."Yeah, I'm going to go to Hogwarts. I'm a first year as well, first time being here in London, too," she said, not seeing any harm in divulging this information to the girl. She seemed pretty harmless.

"Do you live around these parts?" she asked, wondering if she was talking to a local of London. She was just a little curious about the girl. After all, Lachlan was the first person Fiona had actually had a conversation with since flooing all the way to London and the Leaky Cauldron. Maybe they'd become good enough pals to be called 'friends', however unlikely to Fiona it seemed. She'd need someone to talk with at Hogwarts.

Lachlan blushed at Fiona's question. "No, I don't live here. I was born in Ireland and lived there until I turned ten. I then moved to America to live closer to my cousins. I currently live in Manhattan, New York. My cousin, Leighton; a second year Slytherin, lives in Manhattan with me." Lachlan stated, rubbing Lion's back.

Fiona seemed like the sort of person that she could talk to around Hogwarts, maybe even sit by her in their classes if they had them together . "How about you Fi? Can I call you Fi? Do you live around these parts?" Lachlan asked in her musical voice. Lachlan sorta hated how she always sounded like she was singing when she was talking.

She was slightly surprised by the fact that Lachlan lived in the US of A. It wasn't normal that Hogwarts would put down her name when she wasn't even living in those parts. Then again, Lachlan was native born to Ireland, so she might have been written down from the beginning. Her cousin also got the same treatment, apparently.

"I'd prefer you not to call me Fi, actually," she replied, wrinkling her nose a bit at the name. "Sorry if it sounds like I'm being a bit rude, but it makes me think of a French poodle named Fifi," she said, not really sounding apologetic. Then again, it wasn't really a rude comment. It was her name, after all. "If you want you could call me Holly. That or just Fiona," she said. "I'll respond to both; Holly is my middle name," she explained, leaning back a bit in her chair. Maybe she'd let the girl call her Fi if their friendship lasted a while, if they formed a friendship to begin with. She closed her book and setting it aside with the others, feeling like they were going to continue a conversation.

"And, no. I'm from the southern UK, and I'm going to be here in Diagon Alley for this week, since school will be starting soon," she said, a little surprised she was telling this girl so much and so easily. After a moment's thought, Fiona realized something. If Lachlan's cousin was also magical, that must mean her entire family was magical. Right? "Is your whole family magical?" she asked with some cleverly disguised interest, passing it off as just polite conversation.

Lachlan laughed at Fiona's disgust to the name. It didn't hurt her feelings that she didn't want her to call her Fi. Lachlan was living with Leighton at the moment and Leighton isn't the kindest person in the world. Far from it in fact. "I don't think you're being rude. I mean, I don't watch what I say half the time. Sometimes words just vomit out of my mouth." Lachlan hoped Fiona wouldn't mind her crude American humor.

"Yes, my family is magical. My father is a Pureblood and my mother is a Muggleborn. An unusual combination, I know. Leighton's family is all Purebloods. She is native to England, born in London." Lachlan hoped that she wasn't getting on Fiona's nerves. Lachlan was used to guarded people, but that didn't mean she knew how to deal with them.

"You don't have to tell me about you if you don't want to." Lachlan knew that there was a reason behind Fiona's personality. That was one thing Lachlan was good at; reading people. She knew that it probably wouldn't be smart to dive in and ask her about her life. Lachlan knew how to read subtle hints in a person's actions and personality. She just hoped she wasn't sounding like she didn't want to hear about Fiona, because she did. She just knew that sometimes her curiosity can get her into trouble.

Fiona cocked an eyebrow when Lachlan spoke, apparently trying to be humerous. She couldn't work up a smile, even for Lachlan's benefit. It was a strange form of humor, and maybe it came from living in Ireland or something.

Fiona then listened to Lachlan explain her family, and her cousin Leighton's families, and not without interest. She was very intently listening to her, and she was taken aback a little when Lachlan suddenly said something she wasn't expecting. Fiona became deathly still and a little stiff. She was right. She most definitely did not want to talk about it. It was something she never told to anyone, and she wasn't about to start now.

Kira sensed her master's sudden change in atmosphere, and she readjusted herself, flapping her wings a bit and causing Fiona to look at the bird on her shoulder. Fiona snapped out of it and suddenly stood up, pushing her chair back a little bit as she did so. "I live in an orphanage. I have ever since I was five years old, if that's what you wanted to know," she said, a little hint of ice to her tone. She didn't know how else to deal with it. No one had ever commented or even asked about her before, at least, no one that didn't already know she lived in an orphanage. "I've just remembered that I've got to get back now. Maybe we'll see each other again, Lachlan. It was nice meeting you," she said in a bit of a kinder voice as she hoisted up her rather heavy messenger bag, placing the strap on her shoulder and across her chest.

She finally turned to look at Lachlan, a forced smile on her face, but her eyes were sincere when she had said she hoped to see her sometime soon. "Bye, I'll see you later," she said, turning away from the table and walking away from the Ice Cream Shop. She sighed as she walked, unhappy with herself. She wasn't very good at making friends, especially since she never really tried. She never thought she'd be able to keep a friend, and now was no exception. With a downcast look, she headed back for the Leaky Cauldron without a second glance back.

[OOC: If you plan on posting one last time in this post, then do so and then I'll adjust the topic title once you do so it can be moved to the finished threads place ]

Lachlan knew that it took a lot of effort for Fiona to tell her that. Most people didn't go out and say "I lived in an orphanage." Lachlan wasn't angry at Fiona for leaving; Lachlan almost expected her to. Lachlan wasn't affected by Fiona's suddenly icy tone. Lachlan didn't take any offense from it. Leighton taught her many things. Fiona was a lot like Leighton in many ways.

Lachlan knew that she would get to know Fiona better. Lachlan could feel it. Lachlan would give Fiona time and maybe, once they were both at Hogwarts, they would hang out with each other again. Lachlan wanted to get to know Fiona and assumed that Fiona might want a friend herself. That was what Lachlan was good at; being a good friend.

Standing up, Lachlan felt a swell of empathy for Fiona. Lachlan knew that Fiona probably didn't want sympathy or pity. Pity never helps anything. Lachlan walked away from the table with Lion hoping that maybe Fiona would open up to her more at Hogwarts.