Back...but not so happy *open*

[lily]

Ariana had walked up to the Owlery, actually she had stumbled. Her hangover still seared in her head and her vision was blurry. It felt better to be in clean jeans and shirt and to have washed her hair. It hung in shiny black curls at her butt. It was past curphew and the cool fresh air blew through the Owlery window. It was a perfect October night. Ariana placed her hands on the sill and stuck her face out the window, allowing her hair to be blown away from her face. She didn't hear the door open until a hand landed on her shoulder. She spun around, wand at the ready to face...

[igloogirl]

A rather exhausted Gabriella, who mustered a smile at the sight of her cousin. "Nice to see you too!" Gabriella said, pushing away Ariana's wand. "I'm glad your back, Ari." Gabriella looked out the window momentarily, the wind picking up her long hair.

[lily]

Ariana took a deep breath. She had been hoping to see anyone but Gabby or Angel. Angel had found her and she had been so rude to Gabby. She let out a shaky breath. "Thanks" She muttered.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella smiled warmly and gave Ariana a hug before letting go and looking back out the window. "What made you come back?" she asked quietly, her head turning back to her cousin, who looked a bit wary of her.

[lily]

Ariana shrugged. She didn't know exactly why she had come back. She had planned on leaving when her hangover had passed but Angel finding her had complicated it a tad. She had come back to Hogwart's, not wanting to keep everyone freaking out.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella inhaled through her nose and could smell the firewhiskey lingering on Ariana. "Drunk again?" she asked softly, not meeting her cousin's eyes this time. She had been guilty of the same thing before as well as Ariana, and unfortunately had liked it.

[lily]

Ariana considered a sharp response, but didn't have the heart. She closed her eyes and swallowed. It was hard to concentrate, especcially with her ex-boyfriends harsh words running through her head. The large bruis on her stomach from where he had hit her hurt whenever she breathed. Half the reason she had come back was because he had abused her, and she had been staying with him. "Yes" She answered softly, not meeting Gabby's eyes.

[igloogirl]

"I'm sorry," Gabriella said quietly. Still, Gabriella couldn't help but feel like Ariana had it easier than she thought. If she hadn't run away, things would be even more simple than she had them now, which was far from easy, but sometimes her cousin acted as though her life was one giant tragedy.

[lily]

Ariana bit her lip. She was trying her best not to go on a huge tirade. She closed her eyes but flinched at the thought of that hand coming down on her. She subconciously fingered her welt on her cheek. She took a deep breath. "You've got nothin to be sorry about" She sniffed.

[igloogirl]

"Yeah, sure," Gabriella replied, sarcasm coming out of her quiet words. "That's what you think." Gabriella stared out the window, watching a lone owl fly up and up, and higher still until it was buried in the clouds. Gabriella sighed, waiting for Ariana's response.

[lily]

Ariana had mean what she had said. She scrunched up her nose, trying not to lose her cool. Her head still hurt. She pulled out a bottle of muggle pain killer from her pocket and took more than the recommended dose. She had gotten into that habit and found it hard to break. She put the bottle away and watched her cousin. "So what's been going on since I left?" She asked casually, messing with her hair.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella watched Ariana's actions after turning away from the window. It was mysterious how she took more painkiller than she needed, but Gabriella allowed herself to not care for the moment. Her hand ran through the top of her hair. "A lot, a little," she said vaguely.

[lily]

Ariana nodded. She didn't have anything to say. She thought about Jacob, and what he had said. That others didn't have it as good as she thought they did. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, thinking of Jacob's arm around her. She couldn't help but smile at the picture of his face. She forgot that she was even there with Gabby. Right now, in her head, she was with Jacob.

[questionmarksrule]

Jenna broke the silence in the room by opening the squeaky door. She held two letters in her hand, the response to her father, and another that would inform her mother if she didn't already know. An owl flew to her instantly, but Jenna was distracted by the two people already in the owlrey. "Oh, hi Gabriella, hi Ariana," she said, smiling.

[lily]

Ariana was shaken from her thoughts. She straightened up and watched Jenna. "Hi Jenna" She said as cheerfully as she could. Now was a good time to escape. She began to walk toward the door, her stomach lurching. She still had a hangover and it killed. She ran from the owlery and conjured a bucket. She collapsed on the floor, her head in the bucket. With a flick of her wand, the bucket vanished and she wiped the corner of her mouth. She didn't bother to stand up, she just slouched against the wall.