You can't buy happines but you can buy ice cream

Milena entered the Flourean Fortescue's ice cream parlour dragging a large bag with school books. Her parents, after a month of pleading, allow her to leave Minsk earlier and go to London. This was the first time she came to England alone, although they still felt that she was too young for a long train journey and thereafter carrying out two weeks at the Leaky Cauldron alone while waiting for the Hogwarts Express finally arrives at the platform and drive her as well as a other students to the school. She didn't share their opinion then, but today after a few days spent here, Lena's no longer so sure.

When she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, they told her that the room which she had been booked from Belarus has already been rented because she didn't send them an owl to give them another confirmation of booking, so Milena had to settle for a small dusty room that hasn't been used for centuries and which is located next to the pantry. That room or a cold stone of the street drenched with rain which did not stop falling for days, so the decision was pretty simple.

While she daily sightseeing shops in Diagon Alley, slowly buying the necessary things she hasn't seen anyone from their schoolmates, yet. She knew she was a bit early, but Milena thought she wasn't the only one, that she will bump into somebody at least for a few minutes. It seems to be wrong.
She walked to the showcase trying to capture a view of all ice creams they had. This had always been her most difficult decision, no exams but how to choose an ice cream. She bit her lip narrowing the choice to chocolate one or butterbeer and cherry ice cream. Chocolate is always a good choice… No, she decided, it's time for something new, this time the butterbeer and cherry ice cream won the battle.

"Butterbeer and cherry ice cream, please." She smiled to dark-haired saleswoman, put down a couple of galleons and went to find a table.

Francesca had taken a visit to Diagon Alley a week ago to purchase her school supplies, however things hadn't quite gone to plan. After spotting Christian Zabini Fran had found herself colliding headlong with a barrel of licorice naps in Sugarlumps Sweet Store and cut her chin open. Usually Fran wasn't this clumsy, in fact she was quite a together girl but having been cooped away in the muggle world for a couple of months had made her far too eager to rush over to her fellow Hufflepuff.

Leaving Diagon Alley empty handed the Hufflepuff found the energy to head to Diagon Alley a week later, hoping this time she would not go home with a graze on her chin but return instead with her set books.

Arriving at Diagon Alley Fran headed first to Gringotts Bank, exchanged her muggle money for a bag of galleons and sickles then made her way to Florean Fortescues Ice Cream Parlour where she ordered a chocolate and raspberry soft scoop ice cream decorated with chopped nuts. Why not start off her shopping spree with a treat?

Finding a seat at the window Francesca peered out watching the busy shoppers. There were a lot more students from Hogwarts this week, which wasn't too surprising owing the fact that the start of term was drawing nearer and nearer. Francesca smiled. She loved people, everything about that and people watching was one of the hobbies that would never grow old. One elderly witch was hobbling past a worried little boy who seemed to have lost his Mother, whilst a group of teenage boys had their faces pressed against the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies admiring the latest broomstick.

Just as she was about to get up to go and comfort the lost boy her big eyes caught sight of a familiar friend who had just ordered at the counter. The lost boy slipped instantly from her mind and instead all her attention was now on her fellow house mate: Milena Ivanova.

'Milena!' Fran called out, leaving behind her ice cream on the table by the window. 'It's so good to see you!'

The two girls, only a year apart, were on a first name basis. In fact Francesca would go as far to say they were friends. Not the sort of friends who would tell each other every one of their secrets but friends none the less. Perhaps it was being a part of Potters Army that had brought them closer.

Last year Francesca had joined Potters Army in an attempt to improve her dueling ready for her defense against the dark arts OWL practical exam- she wasn't the best and after a year still wasn't fantastic. Not that it mattered, the Hufflepuff had passed her defense against the dark arts OWL and was pleased not to have to carry on the gruesome subject in the upcoming year now she would be an NEWT student. In spite of not needing to practice duelling Fran knew she'd continue being a member of Potters Army, more for the company than anything else.

(ooc: sorry it's late! And Fran is a member of Potters Army, her sidebar just needs updating is all, just in case you were confused)

Milena turned around trying to find a place for her to sip but it was middle of the day, every table she spotted was full of people. Three little girls rushed near her trying to catch some blonde boy who ran away with a huge smile pasted on his face, he took their doll. They almost overturn her, she guessed some kindergarten choose this day to bring all the kids her for an ice cream, and all that kids on the same place? Some of them were laughing, others was screaming and talking. It was very loud and merrily in Flourean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour today.

The Hufflepuff stopped walking when she saw a boy crying. She liked people, but little children, much less. It was only because she didn't knew what to do with them. The blonde never had younger brother or sister so she never used on it. She was scared she'll mess up something and then the kid whom she, hypothetically, tried to help will look her with eyes full of hate, start screaming or crying. She never knew how to comfor people, she's that kind of people who will rather thought about next moves or of exit from situations then trying to calm someone. This young Belarussian though she's more efficient kind of people.

She raised her head as she heard someone calling her name. Milena couldn't saw the person who called her but she trailed voice to the window where she find Francesca, another Hufflepuff, a year older then her.

"It's good to see you too, Fran." Her lips parted into a huge smile as she set down beside her. Fran was one of the first people she met when she came to Hogwarts but they became closer when Francesca joined Potter's army last year. Milena became a member when she's on her first year, at first it was only because her parents were members of the Order and she guessed that Potter's Army was good practise for becoming an Order member, but then she started liking their meeting. Others are so friendly that she soon forgot the reason she joined. She was their member simply because she like it, now.

"It's been a long time." Milena added and took a bite of her ice cream. "I hope you had a wonderful holidays."

(It's okay, also sorry, mine's a little short)