close call//closed - Johanna

[Johanna Lehner]

Though time was of the essence, Johanna was confident that the pair was going to make it to the Charms classroom right in the nick of time. Once they reached the end of the corridor, they would find a spiraling staircase that would open up to the floor that held both Declan’s class and Study of Ancient Ruins. He would likely be one of the last ones in there but at least he would be in there before the bell sounded. She would be sad to see him go. Hopefully, now that they were introduced to each other, she’d start seeing him around more. That tended to happen with new people, right? Once you made friends with someone, you were more observant. Actually taking notice of them when they were probably there the whole time.

”It is…” Her gazed moved back to him. ”Difficult. Da, it is difficult.” Johanna frowned. ”Adjustment.” She nodded slowly. “I’m sure,” she responded. “Is it much different from your own school?” She had never heard anything about the education in Russia. Honestly, she wasn’t familiar with the education of any other school other than Galaxia. Her mother had only ever talked about how wonderful Beauxbatons was. How the castle looked like it belonged in the sky amongst the clouds. The woman never really talked about the teachings there though. It seemed the only thing her mother ever knew how to describe what the appearance of something or herself. Johanna had often wondered if she had even learned anything at the school at all. Had figured that’s why she didn’t talk about her classes much. Maybe she had been so concerned with her vanity that she had no choice but to drop out and become a model. Wouldn’t have put it past the woman at all. If all Veelas were like her mother, then she wasn’t sure how it was possible for the race to graduate. Maybe some schools had special programs for them.

The two went into an awkward silence for a minute or two. Johanna didn’t really know what to say. School had always come exceptionally easy for her. Well, for every subject except for Potions. She definitely wasn’t the only one who felt that way though. Something about the measurements and the precise number of stirs always tripped her up. One time she had added too much wormwood and whatever mixture she had been concocting that day billowed up and over the side of her cauldron. She had caused a slight panic in the classroom as the green liquid began to run under desks and release a foul-smelling aroma. To this day Johanna still got made fun of whenever her friends found out they were in the class with her. ”You seem have lot friends?” She guessed Declan had heard all of the people who had said hi to her earlier. If only he knew that was just a normal part of the day. “I’d call them acquaintances,” she responded, looking around the bare slabs of concrete that were walls. Things were so dismal down here. The silence was nice but only temporarily. Hearing nothing but the echo of their footsteps or voices provided an unnerving feeling.

As they reached the foot of the stairs, Johanna placed her hand on the rail and looked back at him. “Just up here,” she said, pointing up. She then began walking up. “I have a few close friends,” she added a few seconds later, raising her voice as the sound of their steps grew exponentially. “People are so fake sometimes. And catty.” She had more than enough experience dealing with those types on her own. Especially with some of the Slytherin girls. “What about you? Hopefully you’ve had someone to help?” She had a feeling she knew the answer and almost immediately regretted asking him. While she waited for him to answer, Johanna quickened her pace. Could see a light not too far away now. Hopefully he didn’t think she was trying to get away from him. Was simply trying to get him to where he needed to be. Had to complete the mission she had placed upon her self to show Declan that there were nice people here. That he had just kept having chance encounters with those who were not. The light was even closer. Picking up the pace even more, she had almost begun taking the steps two at a time. Could imagine Declan thought she was running away. She just really needed to get him to his class.

The opening was only a few feet away. Smiling, Johanna closed the distance and stopped on the top step. Declan caught up and she issued a quick apology. “It’s almost time,” she explained, hoping that would suffice. She then led the pair out of the doorframe. “And it’s just going to be in the corner right over the…” Johanna stopped instantly. Her eyes widened. “Oh shit.”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

He probably should have been walking more quickly. He probably should have been paying less attention to the things that she was saying and much more attention on where they were going and how he was going to be able to use this to his advantage in the future. Should have been, but wasn’t at all. The lighting was playing pretty tricks on her features as they walked. “I’m sure, Is it much different from your own school?” Declan had to catch himself before he laughed at her. He didn’t wish to offend her but this was much different than what he had been learning, no sure. “Da- yes” He needed to be more careful, needed to watch what he was saying more often. “Yes, very different.” He pulled the wand from the inside of his sweater and held it out front of him in an improper fashion. “These for one,” He hadn’t attended a magical school before and he was going to need a lot more tutoring or perhaps more information than he was getting. Then again, perhaps he just needed to apply himself more. Put more effort in. He just kept trying to read the books over and over again, translating them inside of his head and then working to memorize information that was so absolutely fantastical to him. “‘Ze waving of sticks and the words are hard…” putting the one and the second together even more so. His father had been sure that any other letters sent in his direction had been taken away from him. Make more sense now, where they lived was far too cold for a bird to fly to him with their preffered method of communication.

“I’d call them acquaintances,” Another word he didn’t know. “What mean acquanitance?” Were they not her friends? They certainly seemed like they wanted to be if nothing else. He would have assumed that anybody who was calling out her name and making an effort to talk to her, would have been called her friend. He liked it down here. The colder walls, the darker surroundings and most of all the quiet. He had grown up around snow so he was used to the quiet because snow absorbed most sounds. Discomforting to some, but not to him. It wasn’t to last though, the inevitable oncoming of footsteps signaled that they were once again close to peopleagain. “Just up here,” Declan looked in the direction that she pointed and nodded. “I have a few close friends,” Declan jogged up the stairs beside her. He didn’t want to be around all of the people yet if he could have helped it, apparently not the case. “People are so fake sometimes. And catty.” Fake people. Took him another moment to understand what she meant but it tracked. He was absolutely used to it. Even more familiar having been raised around people that couldn’t be trusted. “What about you? Hopefully you’ve had someone to help?” Declan shrugged, pushing his hands deep into his pants pockets nervously as he shook his head. “Ah - no,” he cut his eyes to her with another shrug. “Not yet, maybe later?” He tried to keep any animosity out of his tone, and to keep from saying anything that he shouldn’t to make her feel like she needed to involve herself more than she already had. It was a nice enough thing that she had done for him but he didn’t want her to start making it a habit or anything. “It’s almost time,” He really did need to get a watch. Something, anything that would help him better keep track of the time. Again he was so used to using his phone for everything up until now. “And it’s just going to be in the corner right over the…Oh shit.” Shit? That was one of the words that he had learned first. Perhaps that was just always how it tended to go, with the words that were considered improper first. He was certain that was true for just about every language. “What the matter?” watching intently to try to see what she was looking out and coming out from around the corner to see the rapidly thinning crowd of people around them, right as the bell sounded overhead. “Oh...shit”

[Johanna Lehner]

“This can’t be…” The words left her mouth slowly. This wasn’t right. Looking frantically from side to side, the pair were certainly in a corridor that held classrooms. Yet this was not the corridor Johanna had intended to take Declan. “No, no, no,” she whispered to herself urgently as she walked into the center of the room. They were in a tower as they should have been. She was certain she knew which one. Dread washed over her. Although knowing where they were, she took a few steps to the right to look in the closest classroom whose door was about to shut. She crossed her fingers at her side and peered in the frame, hoping to Merlin that by some chance her eyes were playing tricks on her and she had led the pair to their original destination. Sure enough, they were right where they didn’t need to be. Closing her eyes, Johanna cursed herself as the loud echoes from the both of the classroom doors shut. They were in the left North Tower. They needed to be in the right.

Bringing her hands up to her face, Johanna silently shook her head back and forth. She had led them down the path they needed to take. They went through the Courtyard like they were supposed to. They took those lefts, then the right and then the other left to get to the stairway. Looking at Declan had been distracting, but not enough to make her lose her sense of direction. They went up the stairs they were supposed to…the stairs. Groaning, she let her head drop back on her shoulders and moved her hands to her hips. The staircase must have moved. It was the only explanation. Was there nothing that stayed in place around this bloody castle? Johanna couldn’t count the number of times this had happened to her throughout the years. Fortunately, it tended to happen during the evening. Getting lost hadn’t been terribly inconvenient then. Granted there was one time she almost got detention because the third flight of stairs she needed to take to the Ravenclaw common room had moved down instead of up. She wound up getting lost for three hours, finding the portrait hole around midnight at the same time the current Head Boy was doing patrol. It had taken a lot of explaining, and some fake ditziness on her end, but eventually she was granted access to the room.

This was the first time a staircase had ever changed during classes though. And how convenient that was. It was safe to assume that since it wasn’t one often travelled it had freer reign then the other ones did. What awful timing for this to happen though. Couldn’t deny the embarrassment she felt alongside the dread. She had promised to get Declan to class on time, which she would have, had things gone the way they were supposed to. Now, not only was Declan going to be late, and quite a few minutes at that, but he was surely going to be so upset with her for causing that. Professor Alderman was a stickler for being on time. He was a kind man, but he wasn’t a pushover by any means. Maybe…maybe if she just politely explained what had happened, including the part about Jack taking Declan’s bag, he would grant some sort of leniency? After all, this was completely her fault. Declan had trusted her to show him a shortcut and Johanna had not delivered. Guilt now added to the mixture of emotions raging inside of her. He had trusted her. Declan had already had a bad morning from the scene with Jack which had caused him to be distracted and go the wrong way as it was. She had promised she’d help him out…to look out for him. He was going to be so furious.

Knowing she had to own up to what had happened, Johanna sighed and opened her eyes. Her head moved back towards its natural position. Rolling her top lip behind her bottom, she slowly turned towards Declan. “The staircase moved,” she finally said, blinking anxiously. “We went the right path. I promise.” She took another moment. “I don’t know if you’ve seen it. Things move out of place in the castle a lot.” She paused again. “It usually happens after classes though. Maybe this happened because its not used often?” It was getting more difficult to look at him. Averting her eyes to the ground, Johanna brought her hands together and nervously shuffled her feet. “I know where we are. I know the way to get there but…” She trailed off, really wishing she didn’t have to say what she was going to have to. “You’re going to be twenty minutes late but…” Forcing herself to look at him, she rubbed her hands together. “I’m almost positive I can get you out of detention.” That was a lie. A little part of her felt even worse for lying to Declan, but she needed to save her ass. She had no idea how he was feeling at this point. “I am so sorry. I didn’t do this on purpose.” Hopefully he would believe her.

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

“This can’t be…” The tone of the girl beside him had changed entirely. No longer the comfortable speak of a woman attempting to make more friends, and then now she almost seemed worried. What would she have to be worried about? It almost instantly put Declan on edge. She was looking around like she was lost but that couldn’t be possible, could it? This was her passageway. It all looked the same to Declan anyway. This sort of thing was just not his strong suit. “No, no, no,” Declan wanted to ask what was wrong but it was harder to translate his thoughts whenever it came to a point that he started to feel that tension in his shoulders growing. Whatever this panic was, it meant that he wasn’t going to be getting to his class on time. It meant that he was going to be facing even more detention and that was just what he was going to have to deal with. He was stuck standing here like a dolt staring at her like a lost child looking for some sort of explanation that would help assuage why she looked so concerned. Perhaps she was late for a class as well. Even still he just had this feeling that wouldn’t be enough to cause her the same level of upset, but he was basing that off of very limited information.

“The staircase moved,” Declan almost smiled. It was almost funny. He kept getting lost over and over again for exactly this issue and now it had happened to her. In a strange way, it almost felt like it justified to him that he was getting lost so easily. It was comforting in a roundabout way. Though, he wasn’t really looking forward to the long nights of writing lines that this was going to subject him to. That was going to be more than a little annoying. “We went the right path. I promise.” She certainly seemed very upset about the fact that she had taken them in the wrong direction. “I don’t know if you’ve seen it. Things move out of place in the castle a lot.” Yes, and it was absolutely infuriating. It was the most annoying thing since he had gotten here, hands down. He hated the stairs. “It usually happens after classes though. Maybe this happened because it's not used often?” Or perhaps it was changing in that way simply because it hated him. Declan was starting to think that the very castle was taking up war with him because it did not want for him to be here. “I know where we are. I know the way to get there but…” She had already said that. What was wrong with her? Why was she moving like that? She was moving like mama used to do whenever something she cooked came out wrong. Declan had tried to ask once and Papa had back handed him striaght across his cheekbone. Said that Mama deserved anything that she got for not following the rules. Though, he hadn’t understood that the time he certainly didn’t see why Johanna would be moving like that now. Did she think that he was going to hit her? He understood. Most men hit women in his family, at least all the men he had ever been raised around, but he never had.

“You’re going to be twenty minutes late but…” Declan looked at her curiously, not sure what to say because she was starting to speak more quickly as she got nervous. “I’m almost positive I can get you out of detention.” That..would be a nice thing to head. He wanted to know how to do that, was it a trick that only she could do because she was pretty or was this something that he was going to be able to do by himself? He bet it was the first once. “I am so sorry. I didn’t do this on purpose.” Declan shrugged, adjusting the bag a little bit higher up on his shoulder. “Is okay.” he attempted to flash her half a smile but the expression was strange on his face, something he clearly didn’t do very often. “Would have been late anyway, the stairs hate me.” Declan pointed backward as if he could find a human manifestation of the stairs standing behind them that he could fight, that would have been better. “I feel I will be regular in detention anyway,” Declan reached out and took a firm grasp on her shoulder. "No worry."

[Johanna Lehner]

Johanna was a people pleaser by nature. She liked being known as reliable. Loved to help out others and see through commitments to their entirety. Do to others what you would want them to do to you was her philosophy. Her father had instilled the message on to her at an early age. ”Johanna, we are fortunate to have things that other people do not. Always be kind and humble. Be respectful and patient. Don’t be afraid to lend a helping hand to those in need.” Johanna always wanted to make her father proud. His opinion was the only one that mattered out of the two. She always thought so highly of him. A man of his word who truly kept his word whenever a promise was made. The complete yin to her mother’s yang. She had never understood why, or even how, her father dealt with the infuriating woman for as long as he had. Even the few times he outwardly displayed his frustration, doing more so over the years then as far back as she could remember, he still showed the same compassion to her mother even when was being a total bitch and didn’t deserve it.

It was why she took it so hard when she failed someone, or felt she did. Even more so when her actions would be directly responsible for the plight of another, in this case, Declan. Of course he would have been late on his own accord since he had been going the wrong direction of the North tower in the beginning, but Johanna had assured him that she could get him there on time and provide a way for easier access the next time. She had failed him on both of those fronts. She could only imagine how frustrating it had been for Declan to feel like nothing was going his way here. He must have had a lot of patience for enduring the learning curve from here to back home in Russia. Probably needed as much assistance as he could get and here she was just adding to his list of troubles. Looking over at him, she bit her lip again. He hadn’t said anything yet. Maybe he hadn’t understood what she was saying. Maybe he had and was just trying to process how to respond. However he chose to, Johanna would do her best to save face.

”Is okay. Would have been late anyway, the stairs hate me.” Declan’s response, though kind, was not what Johanna would expected. Truthfully, she would have responded the same way. No matter the frustration, she wouldn’t have wanted whoever was helping her to feel as if they had been a burden. Accidents happened…which was exactly what this was, an accident. His lips contorted into what she took to be a smile. How were his teeth so white? It gave her a sense of reassurance that he understood about the stairs. Hopefully he had just seen them move and had not yet experienced getting lost in the castles for hours trying to find the right way to get to wherever he needed to as she often had. At least Declan knew she wasn’t lying about that. Johanna slowly inched her way back over to him. “I feel I will be regular in detention anyway. No worry." Also wasn’t expecting his hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t aggressive by any nature but it was certainly heavy. Had he found someway to work out the muscles in his hand as well? Did hands even have muscles?

Johanna couldn’t help but smile back at him as Declan tried to comfort her. It was amazing how he was so calm about this. So was the energy that seemed to radiate from his touch even through the thick lining of her school robes. “Right, well, onwards we go again then,” she finally said, finding it difficult to want to remove herself form his hold. Fixing the straps of her bag on her shoulder, she couldn’t help but to graze his arm with her own as she did. Sometimes she was too damn flirtatious for her own good. “Let’s head to the right.”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

She looked at his hand funny. Why? Oh, because he was still touching her. Right, he shouldn’t have been doing that. He didn’t know what had gotten into him. He normally wasn’t a touch type of person regardless of the situation. Alexsi was the toucher and he had always hated it. Whenever he had broken his leg playing football that one time when they were kids she had babied him almost incessantly for the entire time that his cast was on like he was in any was handicapped by it. He still ran faster than her even with that cast on. He hated whenever his mother always tried to rub those small circles in his back whenever she hugged him it made him feel soft and that just wasn’t something that he could afford to be doing. He had probably gone and made her just as uncomfortable as he had been then. Quickly, he pulled his hands back to himself and took a half step backward for good measure. He certainly didn’t want the same shit that had happened his first day here to start again. Apparently he had a face that said stand very close to him and attempt to pet him like some sort of animal. Just because he had ink in his skin didn’t mean that just anybody was free to walk around touching him because of it.

“Right, well, onwards we go again then,” She was probably just grazing his own arm to enforce that she really wanted to have him further away from him. Her hand was impossibly warm though. It would have been easy to misconstrew her actions as if they might have been something else though, and he certainly didn’t want to assume anything. He didn’t even know where they were supposed to be going. All of the towers looked the same to him. “Let’s head to the right.” Right, he looked one way and then the other and nodded, his arm lifted to geture that she should start walking ahead of him so that he could be sure they were going in the right direction. Though, at this point he was tempted to make a joke of some kind to the fact that maybe he shouldn’t be trusting her at all, but he didn’t want to ruin a good thing here that he might have going so far.

[Johanna Lehner]

Without wasting anymore time, Johanna began leading them away from the classrooms and down into another corridor. Moments like these only confirmed that one really needed to have some level of patience to deal with attending here. Not just the moving staircases but every aspect of the grounds. The campus was huge. Floors upon floors in the castle. An exorbitant numbers of rooms that she highly doubted even Headmistress LeGrand knew the actual number of. A sprawling outside scenery that included a lake, Quidditch Pitch and a forest system that she was positive stretched for hundreds of miles. It was certainly an intimidating place for anyone fearful of being just a small piece of a massive world. Johanna had never been that type. She loved adventure. Loved exploring. Had the Forbidden Forest been open to students she very likely would have made it a point to wander aimlessly in it weekly.

Though having a sense of adventure and being open to the idea of new experiences was one she felt was vital in exposing one’s self to the real world, Johanna knew that there was always the possibility of repercussions. She was able to get lost easily. There had been more than one occasion when she was young, either out on shopping trips with her mom or at the park with her dad, and something had caught her eye. Her curiosity would always get the best of her and she would simply walk away, completely forgetting to ask either parent for permission or to tell them where she was going. On quite a few of THOSE escapades, Johanna had gotten herself lost but instead of panicking, she kept walking until eventually she was found. Her mother would verbally curse her into oblivion while her father, the poor man, would embrace her for minutes before telling her the importance of staying put. She just couldn’t help herself. Why should she stay put when there was so much out there to see and do?

It’s truly why Johanna loved being at Galaxia so much. She could never be bored here if she tried. She wondered if Declan had the same thrill of the unknown that she did. If he did, Johanna had always longed for a partner to go on quests with. As much as she loved her trio of girlfriends, Amirya, Liesel and Mady were as girly as they came. They’d go outside with her, but only in spots where the cute boys were known to congregate. They were more worried about the extra hour going into their makeup instead of going to the library and finding a new book to read and discuss in depth. She was as opposite as they came in regards to the three, but they all tolerated the other’s differences. Sometimes, as they got older, Johanna felt she was slowly drifting way from them. Different goals were coming to fruition. They were nearing the end of their sixth year so the talk of what life was going to be like after Galaxia was becoming a more serious topic. They weren’t all going to want to take the same paths in life. Once the start of the next school year rolled around, their studies were going to be gravitating towards their careers after graduation.

Although exciting, thinking of the future was terrifying for Johanna. She knew what she wanted to do, that much was certain, but none of the classes offered at the school were dedicated to it. She wanted to travel the world, taking pictures of her explorations and sharing them with all who shared the same knack of wonder she did. Galaxia prepared students for a job at the Ministry or set them up for training programs with other various careers afterwards. It would be her responsibility, and hers only, to seek out the programs that would hone in the skill she already naturally possessed. What would she do for work while she furthered her education? Would she be required to intern with the Ministry somehow? Apply for a meager job at a retail shop? That sort of unknown scared her. The closer she got to the end of her schooling, the more the reality was sinking in for Johanna. Mini-adventures like this with Declan were a nice distraction away from that uncertainty.

The pair approached another stairwell and Johanna led them down. Had gotten so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t realized the two had been in silence. “I’m sorry again Declan,” she said suddenly, holding on carefully to the rail as the steps were particularly narrow. He wouldn’t know she was apologizing for both the potential detention and for not talking. “At least you got to see a new part of the school?” From the left tower, there were two ways to get to the right side. This path tended to be the one most travelled but she wondered if Declan had ever ventured down the other side. “It’s so easy to get lost around here.” When she got to the bottom of the steps, she waited for him to join her. “If I could spend the whole day just wandering I would,” she admitted, beginning to walk again though making sure to stay alongside him. “There’s no other place I’ve been like it.” Pulling at the straps on her shoulders again, she looked to him. “Have you?”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

Declan almost made a comment whenever Johanna started walking again. He was considering asking if he should trust her or not leading him to another path. He could tell her that he wasn’t comfortable when she had so openly deceived him just moments before. Though, he wasn’t entirely certain that she would take it as a joke and he wasn’t willing to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. She seemed to be taking this small defeat very hard already. Besides, Declan was already following her anyway so it wasn’t like he really had any ground to stand on. She certainly walked fast for such a small thing. Although he had to wonder if she was actually taking him to class or not. He didn’t know what to think but he certainly doesn’t think that he has a right to be asking anything at all. She was the one doing him a favor after all.

She seemed a woman on a mission, not coming to a stop until they reached yet another staircase. He couldn’t stop looking over at her, the shadows flicking all over her features as they passed in the semi-darkness. She was so determined, playing over whatever thoughts were currently occupying her brain. “I’m sorry again Declan,” Another apology? He wasn’t sure how that was going to work if she kept apologizing it was starting to make him a little uncomfortable like he should have been apologizing for things as well. He didn’t think that he had anything to apologize for but he could be totally wrong. He was still adjusting to the way that people spoke here. He got it wrong half the time, theirs was a totally different breed of sarcasm than he was used to. “At least you got to see a new part of the school?” Declan was almost totally certain that was, in fact, a joke. Despite the way that her jaw seemed to be clenched and she seemed tenser than he would have otherwise liked. Somehow he wished that he could put her more at ease than she seemed to be. He hated to think that he was the reason for her being uncomfortable. “It’s so easy to get lost around here.” Declan grunted in assent. The stairs here were more narrow, it was harder to navigate for his large feet. Was it getting closer together as well? It seemed like it was perhaps starting to get more narrow. He was going to be forced to walk shoulder to shoulder with her soon. What sort of purpose did a staircase like this serve? It didn’t make much sense. Then again, not much here did so far. Moving staircases and being able to move things with magical sticks as well as all sorts of other things that one might not have ever thought of before. The books were just the tip. It was hard to read so many things all at once. There were more books in his backpack right now than he had seen in his entire life.

Declan hopped down the last few steps all at once. He had yet to find a good groove to keep himself in shape here but he was working on it. Really, he should have just started jogging the stairs. That would have been something. “If I could spend the whole day just wandering I would,” Wandering? Wandering where? Just walking around as she saw fit? Really he was realizing that he didn’t much care where they were heading. The damage has already been done. “There’s no other place I’ve been like it.” Declan watched her quietly. “Like Galaxia?” His tongue turned over the words strangely. “Have you?” What did she mean? Had he been anywhere like this before? “No...not ever,” pronouncing the ‘e’ was hard for him in her tone. “Back home...you do not walk where you don’t know….could end bad.” Declan grinned and shook his head yet again. “We don’t have things like this back home. Is all new, so I get lost all the time.”

[Johanna Lehner]

Looking at him was enjoyable. His side profile was so defined it truly looked as if he had been etched from stone. The Russian transfer from years ago certainly hadn’t looked like Declan. He was considerably scrawnier than the beast next to her. Their quiet and mysterious demeanor were the same but that was about all the two had in common. Johanna wondered if all Russian men fell into those two categories. If so, she would definitely be interested in meeting more like Declan. Didn’t even know she liked tattoos until seeing the ones creeping right below his collar and covering his hands and fingers. They only added to his enigmatic persona. She wondered when he had gotten them. If it was common for teenage boys to get them. The other transfer hadn’t had any that were visible at least. Also was insanely curious as to why he had gotten them. Also very interested in how Headmistress LeGrand approved his transfer with them. Maybe they provided a troubling backstory and he was sent here to try and better himself. Maybe the education at other wizarding schools just wasn’t good enough. Either way, it was strange he had transferred so late here.

For now, that was none of Johanna’s business. Actually, it wasn’t any of her business at any time. Although her interest had been peaked, it wasn’t anything she planned on acting on if Declan himself didn’t reveal any information about himself. At least she was certainly going to try to keep her questions to herself. She was an inquisitive girl by nature. She always liked learning new things and exposing herself to opportunities that would ultimately help her grow as a person while better understanding the way the world worked. Johanna liked to think she knew where to draw the line with her probing though. After all, she hated when people asked about her mother. Or when they wondered how a man like her father could snag an international supermodel with a low-end Ministry job. Even the thought of it now caused a frown to form from the corners of her lips.

As Declan begin to speak, Johanna snapped herself away from the path her brain was trying to take her on. ”No…not ever.” Her jaw inadvertently dropped at his comment. “Really? No magical buildings that play tricks on you?” She was suddenly dying to know what magic in Russia was like. ”Back home…you do not walk where you don’t know…could end bad.” She closed her mouth, biting down her bottom lip as her eyes travelled to the floor. What a dark statement to make. Granted, there were places all around like that. The Forbidden Forest was the first place to come to Johanna’s mind. She wondered if he would elaborate on it. Was it dangerous all the time? Had he lived in a place that wasn’t safe? Johanna’s answerless questions were interrupted though when he continued. ”We don’t have things like this back at home.” Moving her gaze back to him, she was happy she had as it was greeted with a smile. Merlin he had a wonderful smile. ”Is all new, so I get lost all the time.”

Laughing, Johanna veered them towards the right. They were approaching one of her favorite open corridors. It wasn’t very long, but it had a breath-taking view of the Great Lake and the edge of the Forbidden Forest. “Well, even though I haven’t proved myself just yet, if you ever need a bit of guidance, I’ll be more than happy to help you,” she offered, smiling as the smell of pine began to hit her nostrils. As they approached the corridor, she couldn’t help but to quicken her pace and leave him a few feet behind her. Power walking towards one of the open frames, Johanna rested her elbows against the stone. It was a chill Spring day with a light breeze, but the spot she had stopped at conveniently was in direct path of a ray of sunlight. Closing her eyes, her smile widened. She loved nature. Every aspect of it was extraordinary. In any free time she had, she always tried to enjoy the outdoors when the weather was nice. Even on the occasions it wasn’t, Johanna usually still found someway to get a few minutes out on the grounds.

Opening her eyes, she turned back to Declan. “It’s too bad you don’t have Care of Magical Creatures or Herbology right now,” she started, turning her gaze back to the lake, “it’s so nice out which is great since its been raining so much lately.” Johanna paused for a few seconds to not overwhelm him with talking. “Do you go on the grounds often?” Extending her right arm out of the frame, she pointed towards a massive boulder off to the side. “Over there is a great spot for studying. A lot of students go there, but there’s a few other rocks you can camp out on if they’re too distracting.”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

Usually, whenever people looked over at him this often, Decan would have started to feel uncomfortable. It was something that whenever he had been hanging around the houses back in his neighborhood that was more of an invitation to start a fight than anything else. Then again, Declan couldn’t really say that he had ever felt anything like the way that Johanna was currently looking at him. It was starting whole new feelings inside of him that he otherwise didn’t know how to place. There was a lot here for him to continue adjusting to and this might be the one on that rapidly growing list that he is to become the most comfortable with. He keeps finding himself casting those same sideways glances in her direction, the shadows playing across her features in pretty ways. Perhaps she knew how pretty she looked. Did women know how pretty they looked? Apart from his sister, Declan doesn’t have much experience with them. More things that he wouldn’t be willing to voice out loud for fear of being mocked or laughed at, or something much worse. He did like the way that she smiled though, it made him almost want to smile more, just to see that look on her face again. Skin like that was a whole other sort of strange magic to him.

“Well, even though I haven’t proved myself just yet, if you ever need a bit of guidance, I’ll be more than happy to help you,” Declan gave her a teasingly skeptical look given that she had already failed in her first task of getting him to class on time. Out of reflex, he checked the hallway that they were passing for any sign of teachers that might be of a mind to send them back up to detention for wandering the halls instead of attending classes. He has found that is something that bothers them even more than being late. If he had to hear another fast speaking lecture about how he lived on this campus that there was no reason for his attendance to be the way that it was, he was going to scream. The smell of pine needles started to waft down the corridor. A lot of people who were raised around snow tended to get sick of it after a time but not Declan. Not just snow but the cold, crisp morning air was also something that he loved very much. In his opinion, the closest that he could get to that feeling was being around pine. She couldn’t possibly know that, but it was one of his favorite things. Johanna seemed to bounce ahead of him toward an opening in the bright tunnel that she had brought him to. He wasn’t even sure when in their walk they had moved back above the ground because he was so distracted by her speaking, and following where she was leading him. The light seemed to be held by her skin. Kept just under the top layer and lighting her from within. Declan had never seen anything like it. He doesn’t have words for how pretty she looks. Awkwardly, Declan sits the heavy shoulder bag down next to the staircase, his muscled shoulders rolling to get the knot of tension out of it as he moved to see the view that she was looking at. Not wanting to invade her personal space, he makes a small effort to look into the one next to her. Not in the direct sunlight but he can feel the breeze pushing over his skin and ruffling the neck of his sweater, it was nothing short of amazing. He took a moment to enjoy the feel of the fresh air on his skin. Back home, the wood covering the roof in his room never sat quite right. His sister always complained about the fact that in the winter the weight of the snow would make the wood sag and it would always drip on the floor and keep her awake and freezing, but secretly, Declan had always loved it. When he opened his eyes next they rolled right back over to Johanna as she took in the scenery herself. This is obviously something that she enjoys very much, one of her favorite spots he assumed.

“It’s too bad you don’t have Care of Magical Creatures or Herbology right now,” Those were the two classes that he has found to be the easiest because it’s so hands on. He also liked the idea of a flying class but he had trouble balancing properly on the broom. Something about not being streamlined enough to make it make sense. He liked digging up the plants though, and then potions was almost like cooking and he was fairly decent at making soups. Though, soups never exploded quite like the way that he had seen some of the other kids do this year so far. Though, if he was really being honest he liked the creatures the best. They appealed to the baser side of his nature in a way that made him feel almost weak to talk about. “it’s so nice out which is great since its been raining so much lately.” Rain he didn’t much care for though. “Do you go on the grounds often?” Declan paused to think about it. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to go out onto the grounds but rather that he didn’t like going alone. The eyes that followed him, they tended to keep him on edge and that wasn’t always a safe place for him to be. “They stare at me when I go places.” This is the first time that the has seen the grounds so empty. With all of the students in classes, Declan was almost considering finding a way to do this more often just to be able to see the grass without people that he doesn’t like littering it. Declan tore his eyes from Johanna’s face whenever she pointed out across the grounds, squinting to see what she was pointing at a little easier. It seemed to be an overly large rock. “Over there is a great spot for studying. A lot of students go there, but there’s a few other rocks you can camp out on if they’re too distracting.” Declan almost laughed. “You like to sit on rocks to read?” it evoked a mental image of her laying out and a book somewhere near her but she was too busy watching the sky to focus on the thing she was supposed to be reading. Declan probably would have been the one sitting in the shade of the rock instead, staring up over the edge of it and waiting for the sun to set. He wasn’t a bright lights type of a person if he could help it. “What is your favorite?” he asked softly, hoping that she wouldn’t be offended by the intrusion. “Besides the rocks”

[Johanna Lehner]

Although at the forefront of Galaxia’s popular circles, Johanna often felt like she was about as much as a loner as it came. She related to her peers significantly. She and her girlfriends liked the same music and whatever was trendy that season. They liked to talk about boys and flirt with the ones they found cute. They liked their weekends in Somerset shopping at the quaint little boutiques and finishing up their days at Madam Azul’s Tea Room with a teenage version of every little girl’s favorite activity: tea parties. Johanna had always been able to effortlessly fit in with the group of friends she surrounded herself with. It certainly made her life easier and the time go by faster.

Yet there were still parts of Johanna that always felt they appreciated different things. She, for one, could spend hours in the library propped up in one of the old worn armchairs in the back right with a stack of books almost up to the armrest itself; true to the Ravenclaw stigma. She found her classes fascinating and was usually heavily invested in whatever lecture she was attending; barely taking notes and allowing her brain to absorb all the information instead as not to miss a single word. Johanna enjoyed thinking about her future, to an extent, and loved to fantasize about a lucrative career that made her both rich in wealth and happiness. She loved going for walks without the annoying clucking of the hens gossiping from both sides of her who were unable to appreciate the beautiful Earth that surrounded them. She remembered one time she had asked the girls to all describe how, when the grounds of Galaxia were covered with blankets upon blankets of snow, the elements spoke to them. All three of them had looked at each other and laughed before telling her how it was just snow and they hoped the boys would be out soon so they could watch them partake in snowball fights.

Such behavior in the past would have simply made Johanna chuckle and roll her eyes. Now, with the eye roll came a bit of resentment. She wasn’t quite sure why. There was no reason her friends had to like everything that she did. She had certainly made it apparent when she didn’t like what they were doing. She was yearning to find someone who saw the value in the scenery that she did. Someone who was willing to sit down for an hour or two and discuss a book or reflect on the day’s lessons. Johanna was not at all the smartest student at Galaxia, but she wished daily to find someone her intellectual level who didn’t fear social interactions or who wouldn’t assume that she wouldn’t know what she was talking about just because she was an attractive girl. One of her fellow sixth years, a girl by the name of Libby, had done a very good job of making her feel small two years ago when Johanna approached her doodling a fantastic sketch of the Quidditch Pitch. She had complimented the way she had shaded the stands to make it look like the sun was setting over half of it and Libby had jumped up, snapped her book shut and, rather crossly, informed her that she should probably spend more time admiring herself in the mirror then trying to act like she knew how to admire other people’s passions. They hadn’t spoken since.

The interaction had been upsetting to Johanna, even made her doubt if she knew what she was talking about, but she forced herself not to dwell on it. Unlike now where her eyes couldn’t break themselves away from the vast grounds underneath them. She knew that they really needed to keep moving otherwise Declan was going to be so much later then he already was. However, Declan didn’t seem to be rushing; whether or not that was because he was too polite to take charge or that he was also enjoying the view, Johanna wasn’t quite sure. She hoped that it was the latter. ”They stare at me when I go places.” Her brows arched, finally tearing her gaze away from the soft ripple of the crystal-esque waves of the Great Lake. She could understand why. Declan had a presence that seemingly commanded attention. He was tall, built and had looks that made her question if he was somehow part Veela like herself. That, added with his mysterious tattoos, he was a walking enigma that Johanna was wanting to decode more and more the longer she spent with him. “I don’t think all are bad though,” she responded softly, “you might be surprised how many of the girls around here think you’re cute.” Hopefully she hadn’t given herself away too much. Hopefully, Declan would take it as a boost to his self-esteem instead of thinking so many hated him.

”You like to sit on rocks to read?” The way in which he questioned it caused her to chuckle. It sounded ridiculous when he said like that. “Yes?” She responded, crinkling her nose with a smile. “I mean, I usually bring a blanket to make it a bit more comfortable, but I like the vantage point. It provides for some amazing views when I need to break away for a bit.” Sometimes the stories of the books Johanna read were so intense she needed time to collect herself. ”What is your favorite? Besides the rocks?” She was silent for a few moments, needing to process exactly what he was inquiring about, but then remembered how she had brought up classes earlier. “Charms, actually,” she said very matter-of-factly. “I always feel so smart whenever I’m able to figure out a difficult incantation. I like making objects do things they aren’t supposed to.” Her chestnut brown eyes trailed up to the mesmerizing blue of his. “How about you?”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

This was something that he could get used to. This was something that if he didn’t find anything else interesting on this mountain then this was something good that was going to come out of all of this. The place that he grew up wasn’t high on the list of pretty things to see and do, he didn’t much care for communing with nature but that rock of hers, it was a good mental note to make of places that he would be able to find her at a later point, should he need to do that. Whenever he had accepted this schooling invitation Declan had to admit that he had been expecting something different. Naturally it wasn’t going to be like the military-styled bunker turned school that he had once attended in his younger years. Declan had assumed that his life trajectory had been all but signed for him until this random letter had come in the mail for him. Which, lead him here and doors that he never would have considered looking for were now open to him. Even still, this wasn’t exactly what he had been expecting either. Everything was so much larger than he had been expecting. The emotions that came with it were quieter up here, which was absolutely a positive. He couldn’t thank her enough for that. Declan could actually consider a job now. Assuming he caught on here, assuming that he figured out what all he was supposed to be doing. He just needed a better translator spell for his books he figured. One thing after another. Declan often felt like he was too big for these halls, and not just because he was physically larger than a lot of the other students. This, was a perspective that he badly needed.

The rest was going to cause an issue. He knew that his sheer size was going to be something intense to deal with because of the impressions that people tended to instantly form at the sight of him, paired with the fact that most of his body was covered in ink of one design or another and then his heavy accent. It was all going to be hurdles that if he manages to get it together and make the teachings of this school click that would have to be dealt with. There was magic in his body. It was a concept that was so beyond his capability to fully grasp what was even possible. Things that he never would have been so bold as to even dream about before coming here. It was the same thought that he kept coming to over and over again. “I don’t think all are bad though,” Declan’s head dipped lower with an effort to hide the smile that flicked over his features. He didn't mean to gush, but he appreciated the sentiment. He found himself hoping that she was one of those that wasn’t looking at him in a bad way. It was a strange thing to think, considering that he only just met her a short while ago. “you might be surprised how many of the girls around here think you’re cute.” That churned such a strange feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t really something he had considered. He had just assumed that they thought him strange. It wasn’t like he didn’t have eyes. Declan had grown up looking at the same handful of used up and passed around women that were close to his age and having all of this youth and beauty around him at all times was very distracting. Though none so much held the draw of the girl beside him now. He wanted to ask her if she was one of them. She had brought it up, and it felt like it might have been the perfect segue, would it be inappropriate to ask her such a thing? Very likely. Instead, he found himself casting sheepish side glances that made him ashamed of himself for not being bolder, for not knowing how to properly handle this situation as it was being presented to him. Just as quickly as that bright shining light of opportunity had been shown to him, it was gone again.

“Yes?” She was so very pretty when she smiled. In the sunlight it was almost hard to look directly at her. “I mean, I usually bring a blanket to make it a bit more comfortable, but I like the vantage point. It provides for some amazing views when I need to break away for a bit.” he wasn’t sure what she meant. He was still in ave of how much down time most of the student body here seemed to have. “Charms, actually, I always feel so smart whenever I’m able to figure out a difficult incantation. I like making objects do things they aren’t supposed to.” Charms, that was one of the harder ones for him to get his head around. “How about you?” Declan shook his head, finding it very difficult to tear his eyes away from her bright ones. She looked so free, even in just such a simple conversation, like she was weightless in her heart and might up and float off of this balcony. “This,” He couldn’t stop the flash of teeth as his joke because he couldn’t say that any of them were really his favorite. “I’m liking the animals...but,” he shrugged, because that was the closest that he could think of, then an idea came to him and it was impossible to keep the hope from his tone as he spoke, “Perhaps you could help me? With charms?”

[Johanna Lehner]

Perhaps she was crazy but Johanna swore he kept looking at her. Subtle movements that she would have missed had she been keeping her focus on the miles of ground beneath them. Even now, as she leaned against the stone arch staring at him, she was convinced Declan’s gaze kept holding her own for longer. She supposed it was likely she was just seeing what she wanted to. After all, it wasn’t terribly uncommon for people, adults included, to ogle her. It was solely because of the blood that ran through Johanna’s veins. The Veela curse as she sometimes liked to call it. She was just fortunate that her mother hadn’t married within her own race. The idea of turning into an angry little harpie like the matriarch of the Lehner family wasn’t something she wished for herself. It was bad enough that the few times Johanna did get very angry, her skin turned a strange shade of brown and her irises went completely black. It was almost like her body was attempting to turn into one of those awful-looking creatures but didn’t have enough power to.

She was not expecting the smile he flashed at her. ”This.” How were his teeth so impossibly white? What did he mean by that? Was he referring to the time the two were sharing together? Surely, he couldn’t be. Johanna really didn’t think she had done anything to warrant him enjoying her company. She had made him terribly late for his Charms class with a detention as a result if she couldn’t convince Professor Alderman that he had been helping her with something. She still needed to figure out what that something was. ”I’m liking the animals but…” Oh. So that wasn’t what he meant. Her smile didn’t falter though Johanna couldn’t deny the sense of disappointment. How strange to be feeling such a way for a boy she had only met not even an hour ago.

”Perhaps you could help me? With charms?” Johanna felt her cheeks began to burn as she forced herself to turn away from him. Her top lip rolled underneath her bottom, tilting her head at an angle in hopes the Declan wouldn’t see the girlish excitement on her face. She had flirted with enough boys to know that a statement like that was usually code for wanting to see her again. She had used it herself on occasion. Johanna was a smart girl, hence why she had been placed in Ravenclaw, but she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t used the ditzy card to gain more attention from a cute boy. There was no telling if that’s what Declan had intended but her gut was telling her that it was a question worth dwelling on. “Yes,” she finally said, once she felt like the color in her face had gone, “I’d be more than happy to help, which is what I really need to be doing now since you’re so late.” Pulling at the straps on her bag, Johanna stepped away from the arch and looked briefly over at Declan. “Only a few minutes more minutes, I promise.”

Walking backwards, she smiled at him again and tilted her head to the side. “Let’s go. If we don’t head out now there’s almost no point in you going to class.”

[Declan Gable Krumovitz]

Impossibly, she was prettier with the pink flushing underneath her cheeks. Was he making her uncomfortable again? Perhaps he has crossed a line in asking something of this of her? Was it difficult for her? Perhaps she is the sort of person who is simply far too nice to say no even if it’s something that she doesn’t want to do. He also knows that it’s rude to ask something of another person without having first offered them something in return. He has offered her nothing, he doesn’t even really think that he has anything to offer to her. He should have thought of that before the words came out of his mouth. He was just about to start looking for a way to carefully retract the order that would make her not feel so obligated to assist him. He should be more considerate. Things were more careful here and he didn’t think before he spoke beyond the need to keep his thoughts in this language.


”Yes” Declan couldn’t stop the happiness that he flet from her agreeing to help him from bleeding onto his features. Really, he needed to be getting a better grip on himself and his emotions if he is going to make anything of himself here. He needs to focus better, keep that poker faced locked down better. Declan knows this, and yet it’s more and more difficult by the moments spent with her. “I’d be more than happy to help, which is what I really need to be doing now since you’re so late.” Logic yet again, he should have been saying the same thing. It should have been him that was cutting the conversation short but it was just so nice being able to stand here with her and speak without having anything else to do. While he should have been in class, he should have been working or any number of things he wasn’t having to look over his shoulder while having this conversation. He wasn’t struggling to keep up with his notes, there was sunshine and fresh air and he couldn’t really ask for anything else. “Only a few minutes more minutes, I promise.” Only a few more minutes of what exactly? He wasn’t sure that he followed whatever she was meaning by this. Not until he noted the straps on her shoulders and the way she held them closer to her person. Must have been time to leave. The saddest part of it was the fact that it was going to be so very unlikely that he will be able to find his way back here again on his own. It wasn’t like he really knew where they were going in the first place. After their first secret pathway mishap, Declan had stopped attempting to track the twists and turns altogether. Something he was regretting at this very moment.


“Let’s go. If we don’t head out now there’s almost no point in you going to class.” Part of him wanted to argue with her. Part of him wanted very much to just shrug his large shoulders and lean further into the breezeway. Instead, he moved back to his heavy, book laden bag and hauled the thing up and over his shoulder once more. Didn’t stop him from moving slowly though as he followed her. Yet again, into that small and very cramped staircase. This time it is going to be more of an affort to keep from making jokes on the way back down. “Do you not have classes?” No, he shook his head. She had already told him that she had a free period. He wasn’t sure what exactly the free period was but he was certain that it is something that he wants in the very near future. “Nothing else we keep you from?” He can’t keep his eyes off of her. Locked on the pretty features of her face as she walked backward and attempting to rack his fogged brain for words to fill this silence out of no other reason that wanting to continue talking to her.

[Johanna Lehner]

Johanna was thankful she didn't have a watch on otherwise seeing whatever the time was would have made her anxiety skyrocket. Although she was thoroughly, thoroughly enjoying the time together with Declan, this was not the time to be meandering around the corridors. She'd curse herself later on when she was alone for wasting more of his time. Surely, he had just been trying to be polite when Johanna had forced them to stop and admire the view of the grounds. She had really given him no choice as he wasn't familiar with where she was taking him. Or he would shortly. Hopefully. They needed to go back into that small stairwell. Once they reached the bottom, they'd simply turn right instead of left and continue straight until yet another stairwell. This time, however, that stairwell would be the one that led them exactly where they needed to go. When they reached the top, it'd open to the Charms corridor and they could quickly hurry to get him in.

At the thought, Johanna frowned to herself. She had still yet to figure out what she was going to say to Professor Alderman to get Declan out of this without nothing more than a slap to the wrist. She most certainly couldn't tell him that the Slytherin was lost. He had more than enough time to learn his way around the castle. She also wasn't quite sure she could use the excuse of Jack bullying Declan which had ultimately caused him to lose his sense of direction. The broad boy in front of her probably wouldn't have taken kindly to the reminder of letting someone get the best of him. Honestly, Johanna wondered if Professor Alderman would believe that someone of Declan's size could have turned away from a fight so easily. Biting down on her bottom lip, a nervous tick that happened more often when she was stressed, like now, she wondered why it was so difficult for her to think of something. One of her greatest traits was being able to think quickly on her feet. Why couldn't she do that now?

Perhaps it was because her attention simply couldn't be taken away from the Russian boy staring at her. Johanna hadn't even been able to notice that the two were oogling each other without shame now. It usually wasn't difficult for her to feel comfortable in someone's presence quickly. Rarely were social interactions awkward for Johanna. She just had a natural gift in being able to interact with people. She was glad that Declan was no different. She was glad he was seemingly warming up to her. If not, then he was truly one of the greatest actors she had ever come across. "Nothing else we keep you from?" Johanna smilled, shaking her head no quickly as she continued walking. The stairwell was going to be coming up behind her any minute so she needed to be careful. "Nope. I was probably going to go to the library to catch up on some reading, but I'm going to have plenty of time once we get you settled."

The words had barely left her mouth before the back of Johanna's right foot stepped into nothingness. Apparently the stairwell had been considerably closer then she thought. Eyes widening, she could do nothing but panic as she began to fall backwards, arms flailing out to her sides as she desperately hoped her hand would find a rail before she broke her neck.