Waving the White Flag

[Emma Wickham]

Hiding. That's what she was doing, she was hiding. Emma had completely given up on finding her last class of her first day. What was the point anyhow? It had been such a ruddy day that it was better to concede while she was still in one piece. Home schooling was nothing compared to an actual classroom. There were participation efforts and group discussions. All of which she had been pretty much left out of since she came smack dab in the middle of the term. Everyone had pretty much already found their friends, she was the outsider. Emma shuddered at the thought of staying that way. It wasn't as if she were a clam, but she didn't exactly have the gusto to declare her self part of a group.

The worst parts of the day always came when the professor introduced her to the entire class. Completely ludicrous! If they wanted to know who she was, they would have asked. Now, she was lost for what felt like the millionth time that day. The castle was a maze that just kept changing it's ways. The staircases moved. Moved! It was like they were in on some sick joke that she was oblivious to. At thirty minutes past the hour that her last class began, she had come to the conclusion that the school was a complete madhouse. Emma found her self on a vacant fourth floor corridor when her will finally broke.

"What the-?" Emma said aloud. Frustration etched throughout her body as she came to a stop in the middle of the hallway.

Across from her stood an old statue of some random person that she didn't know. Yanking her school bag off of her shoulder, she threw it behind the statue and took a seat. A sigh slipped through her clenched jaw and Emma briefly wondered if there was any chance of her getting used to Hogwarts. Ever.


[Closed]

[Derrick Breckenridge]

Derrick for all intents and purposes was not to sure how he felt at the moment. It was as if he was in limbo emotional and he wasn't enjoying it on any level. Sighing he stopped adjusting Francesca on his back and motioning to Niwa to do the same. Staring out the window he inhaled deeply letting out he large breath slowly. The day had been hectic to say the least from the morning to now. His last class had been fine but before that for the first time in years he had overslept and then on his way to the class he managed to pull a vintage Derrick move in ripping his bag. The oversleeping though he couldn't be too mad about after all it had been about that wonderful girl. Derrick shook his head returning himself to his limbo state. He had to stop dwelling on Maddyson and the dream was a rare oddity seeing as Derrick usually didn't dream. Staring out on to the grounds Derrick took the scenery in. The glimmering lake, the full fields of grass, and the Forbidden Forest which he had found to be nothing more then a place of wonder. Turning he motioned for his cat to move with him and he strolled down the set of stairs.

He loved Hogwarts and the way that the castle was its own living entity. The way the staircases moved, the pictures spoke, and the way it seemed as if the walls breathed. All of it left him in a constant bliss when he strolled the halls. At this moment it was pulling him out of limbo and back into a good place but Derrick knew that it would take more then just the castle to do such a thing. He was doing his usually rounds at the moment to find somewhere to play. He had already ruled out floors seven through five and was on his way to the fourth. Turning the corner into the hall he watched as Niwa strolled, or at least the cat version of strolling, in front of him and the air he carried gave Derrick the idea that this was to be the floor that he would play on. Silently he saw an open bench next to a statue and sat down calmly bring Francesca to his front. Derrick took note of the bag behind the statue and brushed it off thinking that someone had simply forgot it there. There of course could be someone on the other side of the statue but what did he care they could listen if they pleased. Sighing Derrick quickly tuned his guitar and began to play steadily smiling as his cat curled up to the lone leg that was touching the ground. For whatever reason it made it easier for Derrick to strum the first chords.

"I guess the most that I can do is make a call and tell you the truth or sing the words in melody and hope that you'll believe me. Here is another song for you. So this one, this one makes two. I still don't know where to begin. I'll just leave it at this. I'm sure you always feel my eyes on you but I hope that you will never feel unwanted. Wait for me to move out West. It's OK if you don't; I hope you know you're my favorite thing about the west coast. I wish I stayed, I hope you wait. So here I am counting down the days until California comes. This is the least that I can do, you know I'm bad at calling you, the best way I can extend the lonely words "I miss you." I'll say it but I'm sure you knew. You're what I look most forward to in coming back to where I've been. I'll just leave it at this. I'm sure you always feel my eyes on you. But I hope that you will never feel unwanted. If you feel unwanted...Wait for me to move out West. It's OK if you don't; I hope you know you're my favorite thing about the west coast. I wish I stayed, I hope you wait. So here I am counting down the days until California comes."

Derrick knew the chorus was supposed to be repeated twice but declined to do so. It was an odd habit he had but felt that it wasn't a bad one or at least he hoped so. Silently he continued to strum the chords of his guitar. Strumming still he moved his foot from the ground up to the bench. Now sitting cross legged he watched as his cat gave him somewhat of an annoyed glare but then joined Derrick on the bench. Leaning back now he realized that the owner of the page was in fact on the other side of the bench and paused briefly to give her a small wave. If she cared to talk to him Derrick would let her make the first move. Derrick was never the one to do so in situations such as this and if he did it was only on rare occasions. Especially with people whose name he did not know.

[Emma Wickham]

Emma looked up curiously at the sound of footsteps. Legs crossed on the floor, she leaned forward and peaked over the side of the statue. A cat's face greeted her and then she found the source of the footsteps. A guy holding a guitar was walking down towards her. Quickly she ducked back under the dress of the witch before he could see her. A part of her told her it probably wasn't right to listen in on the boy, but when he started playing his guitar she didn't want to interrupt him. There was no way she could escape without being seen. Stuck, she simply sat there.

The melody he played was very good and when he started to sing, she was in awe. "Impressive," Emma thought. At first she had been a bit confused by the lyrics but caught on that the song was talking about the United States. She recognized the mentions of California and vaguely remembered it to be in the U.S. As she listened to him play she felt strangely calmed. Music seemed to be therapeutic. Emma quickly forgot what exactly she had been angry about or that she was even angry at all.

After he finished singing, she heard him play a few more bars of something and pondered whether she could sneak by without the boy noticing her. Emma had begun to rise on to the laurels of her feet when he leaned back and noticed her. At his wave she smiled embarrassed that she had been pretty much hiding behind him. Giving a short wave back to him, she pulled her self up to her full height.

Grabbing her bag off of the floor, she walked around the statue to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…ermm…to be so rude.” Emma fingered the edge of her robe bashfully.

Beginning to walk away, a thought struck her before taking a fourth step down the hall. She turned back to him a kind smile crossed her face and she curiously heard her self saying, “You know, that was really good.”

[Derrick Breckenridge]

Awkward was a very large understatement for the moment that ensued even by Derrick's standards and awkward was exactly what Derrick Breckenridge was. The girl emerged from behind the statue apologized and then seemed to be locked in a battle with her mind on what to do. It seemed she intended to leave first but then wanted to stay, leaving cropped up once more and now she seemed at a midpoint between the two. Derrick knew the feeling to a certain extent so he wouldn't criticize the girl but it was odd to feel a bit normal in the situation. Derrick stopped playing and placed Francesca next to Niwa and began to pet his cat gently. Smiling simply because he could relate to the struggle she was having at the moment Derrick gestured with his free hand not to worry about it.

"You weren't rude at all. Had you not acknowledged me or thrown something at me maybe then but you apologized. Hardly rude."

Derrick knew that up until this year most people barely acknowledged him let alone apologized to him for any reason what so ever. Had he bumped anyone in the hall or caused someone to spill their stack of books in the library the blame had solely rested on his shoulders and no one else's. This though came with his inability to defend himself in most cases though because he just wanted to be left alone. Now though he had changed all because of that one girl. Derrick wasn't entirely to sure if how he was reacting to the way Maddyson was making him open up was normal but he would just have to assume so. Who was to tell him otherwise? It wasn't like he would actually discuss it with anyone. Derrick moved the tips of his hair from his eyes and made contact with the girls own.

"It was really nothing I was just kind of playing around. Thank you though."

Some people would tell him that in such cases Derrick was being modest but to be honest he didn't think he was all that good. Some people told him otherwise and others agreed it was to say the least a mixed crowd. Derrick himself particularly didn't care he just wanted to play music. What was the point in caring what other people thought of how he played. It was after all for the most part for his enjoyment. Sighing Derrick lifted Francesca back into his arms and began to play again. Nothing fancy just simple chords and notes. Pausing for a brief moment he patted the bench beside him and motioned for the girl to sit. Picking back up his strumming he spoke calmly and confidently something that he only usually did when Francesca was in his arms.

"So what brings you to the fourth floor?"

It was a lame question Derrick knew but it was the best he could do. He was still getting the hang of this conversation thing and for the most part his conversations had been limited to certain people. Dealing with the general public wasn't something that Derrick was used to just yet but as of right now he felt that he was kind of getting the hang of it. It was after all better then nothing he supposed. Had it been last year he probably would have ignored the girl completely and just continued to play. It wasn't him being rude in those cases it was more that the guitar had consumed him. Keeping pace though Derrick waited calmly for the girl to sit and give a reply if she in fact intended to do either of those things.

[Emma Wickham]

Emma nodded curtly and supplied a "You're welcome."

She looked down the hall past the statue that she had been hiding behind and the bench that the boy was sitting on. It was just as empty as it had been before. She came to the conclusion that there might not be any classes on this floor. Which would probably stand to reason of why she couldn't find hers earlier. She knew that her answer to his question would sound completely stupid. She was new though. That had to count for something. If anyone could get used to this place in two days, she would definitely like to meet them and interview them on how exactly they did so. Because it just wasn't working out well for Emma.

But at least someone had spoken to her. That was a plus.

"I kind of got lost," Emma began and comfortably took a few steps back towards where the boy sat. "I just arrived like three days ago from Northern Ireland. Not that easy to get adjusted to a huge castle with everchanging stairways in seventy-two hours."

She let out a chuckle at her flowing words. It was easy to be outgoing when someone was willing to talk to her. However, when no one wants to talk to you there's an entirely new level of awkwardness. Talking to this random boy that had seen her pretty much hiding behind a statue wasn't that difficult. She found that the words seemed to spill out. Not to mention, he had asked.

Closing the gap between her and the bench she extended a hand toward the boy she spoke to, "I'm Emma Wickham."

[Derrick Breckenridge]

The battle in the girl's mind seemed to have ended with his words. She seemed cautious though as she approached slowly as if he was some sort of threat. At least she seemed to ease up though as she spoke. That was comforting. Derrick while he could appreciate others awkwardness found then when talking to people he didn't like too much awkwardness. It made him even more self conscious then he already was. Scratching his head he listened to the girl thank him and explain her plight. Understanding what she was saying wasn't hard seeing as the castle did seem to have a mind of its own. That was what he liked about the place though even if most of the other students didn't. It was comforting that he knew all it's quirks and tendencies and Derrick felt that it knew his.

"Yeah the castle can be tricky but you'll get used to it. If you ever need help figuring it out let me know I pretty much know it from top to bottom."

It was an offer and a simple one at that but that's all Derrick thought he really was. Despite some of his odd quirks and awkward actions he just wasn't all that complex or at least he hoped he wasn't. Being complex lead to too many questions and while he kept things about his life at home pretty close to the chest and was sure to skate around such subjects Derrick knew that being a complex person could lead to such questions. Seeing a hand appear in front of his face he sat back a bit startled. It was another introduction something he was no where near getting used to. Extending his own though he shook the girls gently.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Derrick Breckenridge."

It was casual and loose just like him but what more could you want. Shifting around Derrick hoped she would sit because the whole set up made him feel some what awkward. Derrick though wanted to attempt conversation because some form of dead silence just wouldn't feel right at this point. Derrick sighed and did the best he could to try and be friendly.

"So you just started coming here? What caused the transfer?"

Derrick hoped he wasn't prying or being too nosy with his questioning but at the moment he just didn't know what else to ask.

[Emma Wickham]

Emma smiled happily as he shifted to make room for her on the bench. Walking around the cat that had taken up camp near Derrick's feet, she settled her self beside him. Her frustration had been etched away by memories at the sound of his quetion. It wasn't a complicated story and not nearly as dramatic as she had made the situation out to be. Emma had trouble coping with change which made for quick and drastic decisions on her part.

"Well, I decided that it was time for some good old public schooling." Emma supplied with a laugh.

Her own tension while talking to the boy was eased. It wasn't hard for her to adjust quickly. That wasn't the part that bothered her about change either. Adjusting was the easy part. It's what you had to do. Being able to let go of what was. That was just annoying and, when things were perfectly fine, unneccessary. A crease developed between her eyes as she recalled the last few days that she had been at her home. Wickham Estates had definitely been a boring place when only three people occupied it.

Emma continued, "When I turned eleven, I was offered a chance to come here but turned it down. Then, when my older brothers up and left a couple of weeks ago I decided that I didn't like being the only kid in the house all day. Extremely boring. So I asked to go to Hogwarts."

It didn't bother her at all to unload details of her life to the boy she had just met sitting next to her. As far as she figured, they were just facts and nothing too extreme. Although, she did hope that she hadn't lost him in explanation.

"How long have you been at Hogwarts?" Emma asked genuinely curious. She figured that since Derrick knew it from top to bottom that he had been here a while. However, he was around her age which gave her hope that she might have the castle down in the not too distant future.

[Derrick Breckenridge]

Derrick listened to the girl and grew a bit jealous as he did. He really couldn't help but do so as he heard of her family and how she had siblings. Both things Derrick didn't have and was denied. Sure he had his step-parents but they weren't real flesh and blood family like Emma had. They loved him of course but it wasn't the same thing as his mother shaking him awake each morning to come and help her make breakfast or his father playing guitar with him. Now there were servants, a much longer dinner table, and solitary nights playing alone. It wasn't that servants didn't let Derrick cook but it didn't bring about the same feeling or sentiment. While they talked at the dinner table and his step parents certainly loved him it just wasn't the same. Derrick for this reason had trouble sharing her sentiment. Well that and he explored enough on his own that he felt he didn't need to leave the area to do so. Derrick found himself in another scenario where he could not relate to the situation at all.

Derrick didn't address her first two statements but still dwelled on it for a while. He wouldn't have ever considered not going to Hogwarts even had his parents been magically and could teach him at home. Granted he still had plenty to explore there and would enjoy nothing more then to do so but this castle was so wonderous. Had he not come here he would have not known any of this but then of course there was the visit from the headmistress who in fact had described the castle so wonderfully that even had he considered not going that alone would have swayed him. Her next question didn't surprise him at seeing as on occasion Derrick did get mistaken for being a bit older then he actually was. Derrick gave a small smile remembering his time here so far and responded quite happily.

"I'm in my third year now so I'd say about two and a quarterish."

Derrick thought about the time he had spent here so far and couldn't help but smile a little bit more. Granted they had been two lonely years but even had he been at home they would have been lonely also. The adventure and things he had learned didn't make them feel so lonely though and he always had Niwa and Francesca and that made everything a bit better. This year though was so much better and held more potential then any of the previous and now he was in fact talking to people so that made it all the bit better. Turning though now he looked at Emma and asked a simple question one that he had just answered in his own mind.

"So what do you want to get out of this place I mean after all you did transfer here and what not for a change."

Derrick scolded himself silently realizing that maybe he was prying a bit too much and hoped that this wasn't the case. Was it really such a bad thing that he was interested in the girl and wanted to know more? Derrick wondered if he would ever in fact get a hang of this talking to people business or at least find out when was the right time or the wrong time to talk about certain things and if for that matter certain things were in fact off limits. He was still young though he had time to learn and that thought comforted him very much.