Abate Solitude (Open)

[gabriel0gruev]

Gabriel was bored, he had been at Hogwarts only a little while, and since none of his friends from Durmstrang had come to the foreign school, he felt alone, and vulnerable. He didn't like that feeling. He knew of Viktor but had never really spoken to him. Honestly he felt a slight twinge of jealousy at the other boy. He knew that Viktor was only so popular because he was talented on the Quidditch pitch. Gabriel could play too, but he wasn't famous for it. He did play for Durmstrang however, usually against Viktor as the opposing seeker. He checked out his surroundings and grew suddenly anxious to leave the ship and explore the grounds.

Gabriel slid off of his bunk and into his shoes. He slid his glasses back on and stood up stretching slightly. It was nice to be here, Hogwarts was a beautiful school he had to admit. He walked to the deck of the ship and looked out over the port side railing allowing the wind to blow through his neatly combed hair. It was a nice day out. He could see people milling about on the lawn and decided that he'd go on out there.

As he disembarked from the ship he slid his hands casually into his pockets and walked down the boarding ramp onto the soft grass. He wasn't sure exactly what he was expecting, just that he didn't feel like being cooped up inside anymore. Gabriel decided to walk along the shore and watch the waters, just hoping that someone, anyone, would come and talk to him. He looked down at his wrist to see the watch he wore. It was funny, every time he looked at it he couldn't help but to smile at the one word on it's face. 'Sylar' his middle name. The watch had been damaged and repaired by him so many times it was like an extension of him. He always wore it now. It reminded him of his father, Martin. He wrote him a letter just before coming here, to let him know where he'd be, but sadly still hadn't received a reply. His mom however, wrote him daily. He missed her dearly as he walked along the lake reminiscing.

[Mikah LaVerne]

Mikah had walked out to be black lake on a whim. It just happened to be where his feet took him at this moment. There didn't appear to be anything to actually do there, but it wasn't like there was anything to do anywhere else either. Walking until the water swirled around his feet, he looked out at the Durmstrang ship floating on the surface. He was mildly interested in the students that lived on it. If he entered the Triwizard Tournament they'd be the competition. Not that he'd ever get in in a million years.

He saw movement on the ship, and before long one if its occupants was walking around the edge of the lake in his direction. The other student appeared not to notice him, but Mikah turned and watched him approach. He looked like he was at least a seventh year. Some people said Mikah looked young for his age but he was in fact a seventh year as well.

When the boy with the glasses got within speaking range Mikah stepped back out of the water. Anyone who knew him wouldn't think that was anything odd. The Durmstrang student just looked bored, so why not entertain him and try to be friendly. Mikah got on with most people and would give anyone a chance. Well, unless they were beyond trying.

"Hello." he said in a friendly voice, taking a step in the other student's direction. "I'm Mikah Lovegood." with that he extended a hand for the other boy to shake.

[gabriel0gruev]

Gabriel stuffed his hands back into his pockets. Time had no relevance to him right now anyway. And thinking about his mother made him feel even more lonely. Maybe when he returned to the ship he'd re-read some of her letters if he was still bored.

He looked up at the sky and was watching when he caught movement out of the side of his eyes. It was blurry of course because he couldn't see out of his glasses at that angle. But in a moment he heard a voice speaking.

He glanced around to see if there might have been anyone else there that the other boy may have been speaking to. When he realized that there wasn't he knew the boy had been talking to him.

He raised a brow at the other boy and threw him a quick smile as he took in his appearance.
"Hello. I'm Gabriel Grey." he said, then noticing the hand the boy had extended for him.

He took the boy's hand in his and shook it with a relaxed, yet somewhat firm grip. "Nice to meet you." he added politely.

[Mikah LaVerne]

Mikah flashed Gabriel a smile in return as he watched the other boy glance around even though they were alone. It didn't matter to him if people reacted that way to his appearance, as long as they weren't being rude about it. He supposed he certainly was worth a raised brow or two, having been standing in the water with his light attitude, long and slightly unkempt dyed hair, and a single dirigible plum earring dangling from one ear. It was just his nature. He preferred to think of himself as simply the artist type, and not a mere crazy idiot.

It would be a mistake to dismiss him as such. He was no fool. He wasn't stupid, far from it. When people didn't think much of him it only made proving them wrong all the more nicer. Everyone has a light side and a dark side, its merely which one you choose to display that counts. Mikah would be as worthy a competitor as any in the upcoming tournament. But for now that was irrelevant as he was his usual self and willing to get to know the newcomers from the other schools.

"Nice to meet you too." he replied, humming very softly to himself as he looked out over the lake.

[gabriel0gruev]

Gabriel looked around once more just appreciating his surroundings and not wanting to be rude and make Mikah believe that he was staring at him. He looked back at the other boy before speaking again.

"I hear tell that there's a giant squid out there, is that true?" Gabriel asked in curiosity. He was fascinated by the idea of there being such a creature so close by. In fact a lot of things about Hogwarts had fascinated him. The school he had gone too before finding out he was a wizard had been in such bad shape that he had been jumped daily due to his nerdy clothes, and coke bottle glasses.

He slid his spectacles off and wiped them clean on his shirt before sliding them back on and joining Mikah in watching the water in hopes to see the squid surfacing somewhere. He wondered if any of the triwizard events would involve the lake or not.

[Mikah LaVerne]

Holding in a laugh at the question, Mikah decided he liked Gabriel well enough. For an answer he nodded. Hogwarts was a pretty interesting place, a lot more than just school seemed to go on there. He'd never been to a different magic school or know anyone well that did, yet, so he didn't know if it was just Hogwarts or if they were all like that. Certainly the other schools would be interesting to see if the tournament had been held there instead of here.

"Yeah, it's true. I've seen it.. I've heard there are other things in there too, water demons and even merpeople. Surprised they haven't bothered your ship already."

He glanced over at Gabriel at the last bit, then out at the ship with a smirk. No, the giant squid wasn't actually dangerous or people wouldn't swim in the lake, but it could still bump into the ship. Gabriel looked like he was interested in seeing it. Well even if they didn't now it was only a matter of time if he was staying out in the lake.

[gabriel0gruev]

Gabriel noted the nod that Mikah gave him in answer to the question, and watched the water. He smiled slightly and looked over at him as he spoke.

The smile broadened when he heard about the water demons and merpeople. He wondered what each would look like. He thought about what Mikah had said about them bothering the ship, and glanced over at it.

"No, we haven't had any incidents with water creatures, yet." Gabriel stated with a half smile emphasizing the word yet. "Is it safe to swim in?" he wondered aloud.

He imagined himself swimming around in the water and suddenly being pulled under by one of the 'water demons' something he wasn't too fond of. He wasn't really a strong swimmer, but he could hold his breath for a long time at least. He examined the lake scanning it's surroundings and contemplating on drawing it.

"This would make a nice scene for a sketch." He thought out loud before realizing he had actually spoken instead of thinking the words.

[Mikah LaVerne]

Mikah looked out over the dark water, but it appeared to be quiet at the moment. A return smile twitched on his youthful face. "Hm." Yet was definitely the key word in what Gabriel had said. Maybe the water creatures were being cautious of the strange thing that had appeared in their midst, but when they got used to it that was sure to change.

"As long as you stay to the edges." he replied to the question. The lake was a great place to swim on warmer days. But if you ventured out deeper than the shallows, even if the giant squid didn't grab you something else more malevolent might. At least that was what he'd been told. If he'd been alone he might have had half a mind to go in further for a swim now. There was something luring about the lake water swirling around their feet.

Mikah turned to look at Gabriel again at his comment. "It would." he agreed. It was a peaceful scene, especially with the added interest of the ship. "Are you an artist?" Mikah could be called one in a sense, at least he looked it. It wasn't an obsession though, since he found that drawing from life like that too often could get boring. Unless it counted as drawing when you covered all of your school stuff with doodles so thoroughly that you couldn't even read your own notes. That was something Mikah found impossible not to do.

[gabriel0gruev]

Gabriel nodded, making a mental note, not to swim too far into the lake if he ever got around to enjoying the waters. He was brave, for the most part, but he still didn't like the idea of drowning in a strange lake at the hands of an unseen creature.

He shook the thought off as Mikah seemed interested in his last statement. So he had assumed correctly. The younger looking boy did seem to have the appearance of an artist. In fact he had reminded Gabriel a lot of one of his friends back at Durmstrang. Gabriel tried not to think about him too much right now, seeing as he missed them terribly.

He nodded in response to the other's question. "I am, actually. I was going to bring my sketchbook out here with me, but it slipped my mind." he answered trying to remember where he had even left it. Maybe he would retrieve it a little later if the occasion called for it, and if it wasn't too dark by then.

Gabriel loved to draw, he didn't really have a preference but some things were just too beautiful to not put into some form of artwork. He wished he had his canvas and brushes, but he couldn't bring them with him. He'd settled for a sketchpad and a few charcoal pencils. He could always add more color to the works when he returned to Durmstrang.

[Mikah LaVerne]

Mikah nodded and smiled at Gabriel's answer. That was a good thing as far as he was concerned. Much better than being a Quidditch jock at any rate. He had some friends who were but.. Mental eyeroll. He had never really saw the point. There was a brief silence as he thought of something else to say, and then he looked at the other boy with interest.

"What's it like at Durmstrang?" he asked.

He really was somewhat curious about the other schools, or at least what it might have been like if he'd gone to one of them. Everyone's answer to this question seemed to be a little different. Of course there were rumors among the Hogwarts students, some dark and some silly. The people who actually knew what it was like, on the other hand, all either seemed to be able to go on arrogantly forever about how much better their school was than Hogwarts, or sullenly refuse to say anything, thinking it was a complete secret. Mikah hoped Gabriel was neither.

[gabriel0gruev]

Gabriel frowned slightly at the mention of his school. How could he explain it really? He only went there because his mom didn't want anyone in America to know that her son was a Wizard. She told them that he was going to be a foreign exchange student in Europe before they up and left everything behind. However, he did miss his friends. They were the only reason he ever returned to the school.

Gabriel shrugged in response. "It's nothing special really." He looked around to make sure none of his school mates were listening in. "To be honest, it focuses a lot on the dark arts. I don't really trust Karkaroff. If I had a choice, I'd have gone here instead." he answered truthfully. "It's a dark school, not much of interest, makes it hard to be happy there, unless one is surrounded by people like themselves." he added feeling that he hadn't quite explained it too well. "Not to mention, it's hard to be yourself when everyone else is your polar opposite. Forces one to be someone they're not." he added thinking about how different he had been when with his friends then when alone.

[nevillelongbottom]

Neville walked through the grounds of Hogwarts thinking, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately. Tonight was a beautiful night, and Neville breathed in the cool air, as if savoring the moment, before coming back into reality. Whenever Neville was unsure about something, or he was upset, he would sneak outside (Gasp! Neville breaking a rule;) and sit along the bank of the Black lake, so that was where he was heading toward. Of course, there was a little over an hour before curfew but that did not stop Neville from heading there.

Neville got to the lake and sat, with his knees to his chest and his long arms around them. Neville leaned his head against his knees, gazing unseeingly out into the open waters. The lake had ripples from the night air, and Neville’s hair whipped about his face, his lightning bolt shaped scar making an appearance every so often. This was how Neville liked it. He may not have many friends despite being the Boy-Who-Lived, but Neville sure did enjoy his alone time, especially if the night was peaceful.

That did not mean Neville did not mind talking to others, but he wasn’t a rude bloke. He had seen two figures talking, even if he didn’t look their way, and from the looks of it, one of them was Luna’s brother, but Neville did not recognize the other guy; probably a student from another school no doubt. But at the moment, Neville was enjoying the peace and serenity around him.

[gabriel0gruev]

Gabriel continued his glance around the lake, and while doing so, spotted a very familiar face sitting under a tree by the water. A small smile played onto his face as he came to realize just who it was. Just his luck, he had been wanting to meet the famous boy, wanted to get to know him. He wondered how it was that 'the-boy-who-lived' was sitting outside without a large group following him, like Krum. Then again he supposed it was because he hadn't asked to be famous. Gabriel felt a slight twinge of sorrow for the boy he saw.

Gabriel didn't really know his real parents either, he had been raised by his aunt mostly. His father had left when Gabriel was only 8 or so. He couldn't really remember much before that, he supposed he had repressed it. He glanced over at Mikah and wondered if he noticed the other boy under the tree.

With a slight smile he looked back towards the-boy-who-lived and decided he'd introduce himself. Mikah could follow if he so wished. He walked over to the younger boy with a determined step full of confidence. He was finally going to get to speak to the famous younger wizard.

When he reached the other boy he smiled down at him. "Hello Neville. I'm Gabriel Grey, from Durmstrang." he introduced himself hoping that the famous boy would respond to him.

[Mikah LaVerne]

Mikah listened as Gabriel told him honestly about Durmstrang. "Oh." he said, and frowned a little. "I don't think I'd like that either." They didn't learn the Dark Arts at all at Hogwarts, just the defense. Honestly he wasn't opposed to the idea of learning them. He wasn't interested or anything but all knowledge was knowledge and could be useful. But Mikah would never fit in at a school like that. It was enough to fit in here. There was nothing dark about him. At least Gabriel got to get away from it this year. Mikah had never been anywhere else and had lived in this country all his life.

Seeing that Gabriel's attention had been caught by something else the Hufflepuff followed his gaze and soon spotted the source of distraction. Neville Longbottom. He didn't know Neville too well personally, but he was so famous that he wasn't hard to recognize. He trailed behind the Durmstrang student a little as they walked around the edge of the lake toward the boy who lived. Being a loner because you were different was something he understood completely, even if he had friends now.

"Hi Neville." he said, stepping forward when they reached him and greeting the younger boy in turn.

[nevillelongbottom]

Neville had spotted a four leave clover and picked it up, looking closely at each pedal, trying to spot something that no one else probably would understand. Deciding that it was just an ordinary four leave clover, Neville threw it out into the lake. He sighed, wrapping his arms around his legs again lost in his own thoughts.

Neville heard footsteps heading toward him, but paid no mind to them. Nobody except a very few ever talked to him and the ones that did were already in bed most likely.

"Hello Neville. I'm Gabriel Grey, from Durmstrang." he heard a voice say from above him.

"Hi Neville." came another voice. Neville had jumped when he had heard the voices and looked up, looking nervous and scared one minute, and then looking unreadable the next.

“Oh…er…hello Mr. Grey. I’m Neville Longbottom. Er, sorry you just said that didn’t you?” he said nervously, before spotting Mikah. "Hello Mr. Lovegood.” He added smiling nervously at the two older students.

He looked from Gabriel’s eager face to Mikah’s bored expression. Neville wondered what they wanted with him. Who’d want to meet him? Sure, he was the boy-who-lived, but that was just a name. He was no one special here at school. Then again, what if they wanted to hurt him? After all, if he heard right and if what his grandmother told was true, then Gabriel would be a dark wizard. And Mikah just looked scary. Never mind Neville appreciating his sister, but come on.