An old friend

Nixen kept his head down, his eyes on his feet, as he walked carefully through the streets of Hogsmeade. He had left the safe haven of his home for the bright streets of Hogsmeade for one reason. He was hungry. He had run out of groceries the day before, but hadn't gone out to get more yet. He had been working on a new piece, and hadn't noticed the absence of food in his house until it was all gone. Mid afternoon, and he glanced up at the sky, his hands deep in his skinny jeans.

Reaching up he ran his hand through his insane hair, and glanced up at the sky, kicking up dirt as he walked. It was still hot, even for September, and he was hating the itchiness of the sunlight on his skin. His eyes fell on the first door that he could find, and he quickly walked to it, his eyes on the ground still, his back hunched slightly. Walking into the cool shade of The Three Broomsticks, he was surprised by the amount of noise that invaded his ears. Was it a Hogsmeade weekend? He looked around and squinted, shying towards the door again, but a rumble in his stomach reminded him of what he needed.

Going to the counter, he lay a few precious coins on it and waited for his food. Glancing around nervously he looked at all of the students in the bar. Had it really only been last year he had been among them? And only a few years before that he might have been smiling and laughing at what they said too. He ran his hand through his hair again and made his way over to a table when his food arrived. Finding a good one hidden away in a corner, he scanned the crowd. It was possible his sister was here, and he wouldn't be surprised if she was. He would like to see, her at least see if she was okay, but he'd go search for her a in a bit.

His eyes scanned the crowd for two different shades of hair. The beautiful black/brown of his sister's, and the short cropped red hair of his friend Jack. Who he had only got to know last year, and then he had had to leave. Get a job, and raise his sister by himself. His parents didn't give a Hippogriffs ass, and he didn't care about them. They could eat Wartcap Powder for all he cared. His hands clenched into fists, and then relaxed quickly, taking a quick drink, he continued to scan the horizon for an old friend.

Hogsmeade was a lonely affair for Jack, and if it had not been for the temptation if visiting Zonko's, she may very well have decided not to come. What was the point in it really? Hogsmeade was dedicated to spending time with your friends outside of the school, but at this point, Jack no longer had "friends." She had her acquaintances and her classmates, but no one to talk to, or confide in... Okay, so Jack wasn't one to confide. But she had no one asking her for their help, no one begging to copy her notes, no one saying they were going for a stroll and they wanted her to join them.

She was not sure why she was missing social normalcy so much, having never really had it before. She had had a few friends before Andrew and Chase, but they had almost always been in different houses, and she had not had to run into them as often as she did with Chase and Andrew. No, it was different now, and Jack would never admit that a loneliness had settled onto her.

She finished perusing Zonko's and found they had no new products, though she replenished her stock of the usual- dungbombs, Fanged Whizbees, the usual. She made her way back out onto the street, shaking an angry fist at the sun, aware that several first years shot her looks that said they were quite sure she was deranged. Had they asked she would have smiled and continued on. Instead, she scowled to herself and continued on, leaving them to stare in her wake.

She felt her feet turn her towards the Three Broomsticks for no particular reason. She usually avoided it because of how crowded it was, preferring the Hog's Head, no matter the uncleanliness. But she knew there was a good chance she would find something to do in the Three Broomsticks, so she slipped inside.

The noise buffeted her slightly, but she just rolled her eyes and pushed her way towards the bar, not being stingy with the use of her elbow. She finally stumbled to the front and ordered a Butterbeer. She received it quickly and she handed over the coins, beginning her escapade back out of the crowd. As she was jostled between people, she caught sight of a familiar face and felt the first genuine smile for weeks unfurl onto her face.

She made it to the table and plopped down across from him. Still smiling wildly, she said, "Nixen Everwood! Long time no see!" She beamed at him and took in his appearance. She had become quite good friends with the guy during his last year at Hogwarts and had not seen him since. Not only that, it was nice to be see someone who did not know the name Vito Dee Symons.

Nixen looked up when he heard his name, and was surprised as Jack came up to him. He had just been thinking about her, and here she was. He felt a smile fall into place on an otherwise sunken in face. This last summer had been pretty bad on him, and he looked a bit skinnier, not that he hadn't been overly skinny before, but his body didn't take in the fat it needed to keep him at a normal weight. His Hogwarts bulk seemed to have melted off of him in the summer, and he sat rather thin and weightless in front of Jack.

"Jack!" He said with a grin, the shadows under his eyes seeming to face, the recesses of darkness lightening up. This was why he had come to live in Hogsmeade, this was why he bothered with the town at all. First he could be near his sister, and see her on days like this, and he had no doubt in his mind he would see her later on today, probably at his house. But also this, the unexpected surprise of friends you had, and missed because they were still in school and you weren't.

He eyed the bag she was carrying and grinned wider. "Got any new pranks planned?" He looked up at her and realized that the surge in his heart was happiness. The happiness he hadn't experienced for a while, ever since his sister had started school. Granted it was easier to live when you were alone. But Salem needed him, and he needed her just as much. She was the reason he was still alive anyway. "Jack, I've missed you." He said completely forgetting about his food, and leaning forward slightly, running a hand through his hair and grinning at her, an old sparkle appearing in his eyes. He half thought he could follow her up to the school, join in on her pranks, see his sister again. Sure it was tough at that school, but he didn't realize how much tougher the real world was.

"I moved into Hogsmeade Jack!" He said smiling at her. "Gotta be closer to Salem, by the way... have you seen her around at school? I haven't seen her here yet, I want to make sure she's alright!" He said and then realized how much he had been talking. He pulled his hands back onto his lap and looked at Jack, the same light in his eyes as before, but a little more subdued. He smiled at her and then was forced to take another few bites of his food when his stomach gave a mighty growl and he dug in, knowing Jack wouldn't care.

Jack beamed at him, smiling her twisted smirk-like grin that always seemed to be more of a laugh than a smile somehow. At his question about pranks, she let out a laugh, saying through her laughter, "What do you think?" Anyone who had bothered to know her, knew that she always had a few tricks up her sleeve, sometimes quite literally.

At his next words, her face relaxed a bit and she calmed down, though the smile remained on her face, a little more subdued, her green eyes bright for the first time in awhile. Since some recent events, a dullness had settled into her eyes that could only be connected to a tired, fed up attitude towards life. Now she had a reason to wake up, to hold on a bit longer- to check in on her old friend. "I've missed you too, Nix." She grinned widely.

Her face cracked back into her obnoxious grin when he said he had moved into Hogsmeade. She knew his family relations were just about as happy as her own, as in, not at all. She felt happiness for him, and even a small pang of jealousy, though it was not spiteful towards him. He has escaped. She would too. "That's great!"

He asked about Salem and Jack remembered with a slight jolt the mute sister of her friend. Jack was not as cordial as she would have liked to admit to the girl, having only known her by name and face and only through the mentions Nixen had given. She was fairly sure that Salem was even in some of her classes. She made up her mind to make sure and reach out to the girl when she returned to Hogwarts. "Yeah, I have. Haven't got a chance to talk to her yet, though. She's in some of my classes. You know I"ll watch out for her." Jack grinned.

Jack smirked as he began to dig in, though she did not object. She sipped her own drink and noticed how small Nixen had gotten. She could probably fit her fingers around his wrist... Hmmm... Could I? Jack's had shot out and she fastened her index finger and thumb around Nixen's wrist comfortably. She let out a laugh and released him. "You need to eat more, boy!" Jack was unconcerned with the fact that she had just randomly measured her friend's wrist and was wondering vaguely why he was so diminished. Nixen had always been a twig, but seriously... She could probably snap him in two if she hugged him.

Nixen laughed lightly and eyed her bag again. "You have to tell me how it goes, I miss school." He said glancing around the people assembled again. He turned his gaze to her, and reached out, grabbing her arm and looking down her sleeve. "Nothing up there this time." He said with a laugh but it turned into a grin quickly, it almost hurt to laugh these days, reminded him of his sister's laugh. He missed her laugh so much. His eyes continued to sparkle though and he took a drink before turning his gaze back to Jack.

"How was your summer? Family give you any trouble?" He asked taking a few more bites of his food, his eyes locked on hers as he ran his hand through his hair again. It stood on end on a normal day, and it didn't help that he continued to muss it up every so often.

When Jack said she would watch over Salem, he felt his smile widen, at least there was someone watching over her. At least for another year anyway. Then Jack would leave school, and Salem would be by herself, unless she made a friend at school. But Nixen had a bad feeling about that. Maybe Jack would introduce her to someone her own age. It at least put Nixen's heart at ease, knowing she was taken care of for this year anyway.

Nixen looked up at Jack, seeing her hand around his wrist, he felt a patter of nervousness when he realized her little hand fit easily around it. He hadn't realized how thin he actually was. "Yeah.. I know." He said running his free hand through his hair. "I've had to put a lot of money towards rent... but I'll try and bulk up." He said and then let out a laugh, knowing that wouldn't happen anytime soon, and he knew she knew it to. He never gained weight, and always looked like the wind would blow him away in even if it was just a light breeze.

Jack smirked when he said he missed school, and a sort of lethargy appeared on her face to suggest she was already worn out by school, even if it had just started. "Trust me, you shouldn't." She sighed and said, "The school is run by Death Eaters, and they are not letting up." She shook her head and then realized she may be worrying him. She quickly added, "It's no worse than any sort of school though, I guess."

He patted her arm and she smirked at him. "Oh, I've become much more efficient at hiding my pranks. You would not be able to find them on me anymore." She gave him a mysterious look and laughed, not bothering to explain.

He asked about her summer and she felt a familiar ironic little smile come onto her face; people would not be asking if they knew what they would be getting themselves into if she decided to answer honestly. Luckily he asked about her family and she was able to focus on that instead. He knew, better than everyone, how unfortunate and dull life at home very well could be.

"Summer was terrible, though for usual reasons. It was interesting to say the least. My parents still haven't pulled their heads out of their arses, neither had Riley." She realized she had only seen her brother about a dozen or so times over the summer and felt a sad feeling settle onto her. It did not help that he had become distant. "Uncle Chip was cool. He let me stay at his houses and stuff while he wasn't there. One of the perks on an eccentric rich uncle, eh?"

She laughed and he said something about bulking up. She threw her head back and laughed even more heartily. "You and bulk in the same sentence just does not seem right."