Foreign land being any land at all.

So... the end of term had come and gone, and her father had done nothing in the way of providing a place for her during the summer. She had ASSUMED that she would be boarding the ship for the summer, but had heard nothing from either her father, nor her best friend. She was a bit agitated with them, but her adventurous side could not allow her to generate any sincere worry. She was a bit anxious to get back on the boat while she still had her sea legs, but supposed she could manage until then.

The smart girl had both the key to her mother's vault at Gringotts, and permission to delve into her father's, as well as some money from her last cut from their most recent haul. So, she was not particularly concerned with what she would do. She didn't technically have any friends yet, strong ones anyway, but she could rent a room and make some in no time.

First, to pester and bother her father and Bryce until she knew when they would be returning. She knew they had been heading off towards the Indian Ocean, but her father had a tendency to up and abandon a plan at a whim's notice, so she could not be certain. If she needed a letter sent, she was going to need a hardy owl ready for a long journey, and a long search.

Cordella Quinn had stared at her mother’s dull features just that one time too many, ticking her over to the point where she hated being in her own home. So she left.

The wayward Slytherin didn’t tell her mother where she was going, per se. Hogwarts was as vague as it came in terms of pinpointing a position; and after packing a duffle and slamming the door, it was clear that for that summer, Della wasn’t going to be staying too long.

The girl took a train from Kings Cross up to Scotland, to Hogsmeade, to be precise. The train chugged along throughout the night and as she smoked and drank she allowed herself time to think and brood over some of the books she’d taken with her last minute. She counted out her money before making sure she had her Gringott’s key with her. She accounted for everything she had, even the ash in the ash tray. In the end, it all meant nothing and she knew that; but for now it mattered, it determined her short survival.

When she arrived in Hogsmeade it was already nigh the middle of the day and the first thing she knew she had to do was see if Gisele had replied to her. Dell had sent a letter during the night, half-asleep and feeling oddly romantic. Hung-over and using the benefit of hindsight, she was thoroughly embarrassed but decided she’d ride it out. If it got her laid, she wasn’t about to complain. First, though, she’d have to make sure her owl got back to the owl emporium – so it was there that she headed first with a crack of Apparation.

The bell on the top of the door screamed shrilly at her when she entered and the man behind the counter looked up, managing a smile for her as she strode in.

“Mornin’ Bob,” Dell greeted as she made her way to the counter. She scratched one of the loitering owls on the head and pursed her lips at it playfully before picking up a nut from the bowl on the counter and offering it to the animal. “Did Mags make it last night?”

“She did indeed Miss Della,” The man nodded and smiled brightly at her. “Awful tired though, she was. Still sleepin’ in the back. Why d’you need her?”

“Not yet. Just checkin’. How’s business?”

She had not made any headway in choosing the sort of owl fit to carry her letter. Darcy's head was turned when a girl came in, looking incredibly confident with the whole process, which seemed so very different from her. Darcy did not trust owls. She preferred using pigeons and her father's falcon for delivering important information, because too often owls had been beaten off their path when trying to cross the heavy winds that often separated Darcy from her ship.

Darcy was not used to be uncertain. She usually found that she adapted easily, but perhaps it was the importance of this task. She so dearly wanted to get in contact with her captain and her best friend that the entire process held that much more weight in her eyes. She was not willing to let the choice of a bird mess up her chances of getting on her ship.

The girl with the radiant smile and beaming confidence seemed vaguely familiar. Darcy found that most students seemed familiar. Darcy was never able to recognize them, but they always seemed to know her - apparently, her peers called her the Hogwarts Pirate. She knew how to quickly bridge the gap; such interactions had come with time.

She stepped forward, tapping the girl on the shoulder. "Hi. Sorry, it's just... we go to school together, right?"

The rapport between the two ended abruptly when a post owl landed on the windowsill. Politely, Bob excused himself and shuffled into the back room with a box that looked to be full of treats, all packaged neatly in bright purple pouches. Della smiled at his retreating back and moved towards one of the displays, her fingers immediately reaching to fiddle with some of the ‘Owl-Accessories.’

Not a moment after, Della’s concentration – if it can be called that – was broken up by a tentative voice calling out for an introduction. The Slytherin looked up, a dark eyebrow quirking into a slow curve of question, but upon realising who it was, the neutral expression folded into a smirking mask that was so very, very Rookwood.

“Aye!” She replied, unable to resist. “What’re ye doin’ on land; thinkin’ o’ becomin’ a lan’ lubber?” Della snickered to herself and shook her head before extending a thin hand to the girl. “Della-Quinn,” She said quickly, so her nickname and her surname sort of rolled into the same word. “Darcy, right? The Huff-Puff Pirate.” Della winked playfully before turning to look proper-like at the girl.

Unable to resist this pleasure also, Della flicked her eyes slowly over Darcy. It didn’t take her long – she’d already looked long enough on separate occasions when she’d seen Darcy. She didn’t exactly have land-legs, Della recalled to herself. Sort of walked as though she was on a boat, still. Weird – but understandable, she figured.

“Seriously though,” she drawled finally, her eyes finding Darcy’s again. “Shouldn’t you be coming out in hives being so far inland?”