Forgiveness is Divine }{ Dani

[Dominik Michaels]

Dominik walked into the Great Hall and looked around for the interesting and ... well ... honest, Hufflepuff. He felt terrible about not saying anything after the ride on the carriage. He felt terrible for throwing out the Slytherin. He had written a formal apology for doing so and had left it where Rabastan Lestrange normally sat for him. He knew that Rabastan would not take the apology and would despise him for a rather long time, Dominik did not care about Rabastan to be honest. He cared about Danielle Dawson, the fiery young Hufflepuff he insulted with the way he reacted toward the Slytherin. Dominik was intent on making it up to her, apologizing to her, doing something so that when he saw her she would not seem so upset with him.

Dominik caught sight of where Danielle usually sat and he smiled. he pulled out a light yellow rose that he had tied a black ribbon around it, the Hufflepuff colors. Dominik was pleased with the symbolism that followed with the rose, he looked at the small piece of parchment that he had tied to the rose with the bow and he sincerely hoped that Danielle would forgive him for the way he acted. Dominik re-read the note to himself to make sure he had worded it properly.

Dearest Ms. Dawson,
I am terribly sorry for the way that I reacted on the carriage, toward you and toward Mr. Lestrange. I have indeed written him a formal apology that you may notice him reading around the same time that you read this. I truly hope that you can forgive me for the way that I treated Mr. Lestrange and how terrible I made you feel. Please accept my deepest apologies and please forgive me for how I was. I do hope that you enjoy the rose that I have attached with this note, its sweet and subtle scent reminded me of your skin when I was near to it. Again, I am sincerely sorry Ms. Dawson, Danielle...

Dominik Michaels

Dominik sighed. "It'll have to do, I hope she forgives me." He walked over to the Hufflepuff table and nodded to some of the students that had gathered there already. He smiled to them and bid them good morning before setting the rose down and walking back over to his table. He sat in his usual seat and poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice and serving himself some bacon and eggs.

[Danielle Dawson]

Danielle Dawson had always been a morning person. There was just something about the morning that the youngest Dawson sibling loved. She loved that it was a start of a new day, and she was usually in a good mood during the mornings which annoyed some people. that she could be so bright and cheery in the morning. Risi however was not a morning person, and Dani's friend had slept in this morning. After Risi insisted that she go ahead and go down, and that she'd catch up with her later (be it a few minutes or during their first class), Danielle had gone the two flight of stairs and made it to the Great Hall with ease. The short blonde was dressed in her uniform as required, and her hair was down and stick straight like she usually wore it.

She made it to the table and sat down in her usual spot, but the Hufflepuff was surprised to see a pretty yellow rose sitting on the table. Yellow roses happened to be her favorite. She was sure someone must have left it, and that they'd be back. She was going to sit a few spots down from it, but curiousity got the better of her and she decided to see if their was a card on it. Perhaps she could take it to it's owner. She knew she'd be sad to lose something like that. It probably came from someone they care about. She was completely surprised when she saw her name written on the outside of the folded piece of parchment that was attached to it. She looked around wondering who on earth could have given it to her. She didn't spend more than a few seconds looking before she untied the paper and picked it up to read it.

She read the note, and was surprised by what she had read. It had been nearly a week since that incident and she hadn't heard anything from either of the two. She figured that at least she had been dropped from the fight. (After all, the Slytherin had to be more irritated at the Gryffindor who had pushed him out rather than the Hufflepuff who had said nothing you would think.) When she had told Risi that night in the dorm, she said both guys sounded like jerks, and that Dani should forget about it. She was pleased to read this note though. Apparently she had made an impression on the Gryffindor. After he had said nothing in the carriage for the rest of the way she was sure he must think she was an irritating, ungrateful Hufflepuff. His note was... sweet though. (Even if the comment about her skin was slightly creepy.) She was glad to see that he had apologized to Sebastian as well, and that apparantly he realized he did something wrong.

She sat down, and looked across the tables to the Gryffindor table and saw Dominik Michaels (she had forgotten his last name when talking to Risi, she'd have to remember it if the brunette asked her again) and smiled and waved at him. She looked around at the not very crowded Great Hall, and then looked back at him and motioned for him to come over.

[Dominik Michaels]

Dominik focused intently on his table and his conversations with other students until he saw the young Miss Dawson come into the great hall. He had to admit, he was a little nervous, he had never given anything special like a rose to someone outside of family and he was not sure it was the kind of situation that one would give a rose to a beautiful young lady. His mind flashed back to his cousin, so frail, she had fallen again. He had walked over and helped her up, afterward they walked to the edge of the trees and he picked her some fresh honeysuckle. That was about as far as endearing flowers as he had gotten when anyone, and his little cousin was family, even if he had not seen her since they were young.

Dominik was lost in his thought until one of his friends tapped him on the shoulder. He looked to his friend and raised a brow when he pointed to the side. Dom looked over and saw Danielle reading the note. A slight smile touched Dom's face as she watched her expressions as she read through what he said. It was interesting to witness, considering the fact that he could read the letter in his mind by only the lady's expressions. He was hoping she would forgive him. Dominik Michaels was not the kind of person to let something like this go. He was not an over charmer, he was not someone who had more than one woman under his sleeve. He was just the kind of person who did not like someone like her mad at him.

Dom noticed her smiling at him, she then motioned him over. He looked to his friend and shook his head, he already know what said friend was thinking. He stood and straitened his uniform slightly as he walked over to her. He smiled down at her and bowed slowly, low enough so that he could tilt his head strait out and look into her eyes. "I am terribly sorry for the way that I acted Miss Dawson. It was uncouth of me and a rather barbaric notion on my part. Please forgive me." He said calmly before straitening back up before taking a seat next to her, his legs on the outside of the bench so that he could get up easier later. He looked at her intently for a few moments before smiling and speaking. "You look lovely this morning."

[Danielle Dawson]

She watched as he looked to his friend and shook his friend wandering what that was about. However the Gryffindor stood up and started heading over towards her. She found herself rather pleased that he was coming over even though she hardly knew the boy. The corners of her lips twitched at his apology. So he certainly seemed remorseful. She certainly hoped so, and she wasn't going to hold it against him. As a Hufflepuff it was in her nature to forgive and forget. Besides, he hadn’t done anything to her. “Well I forgive you. Sebastian LeStrange might not forgive you she said glancing over to the Slytherin table to see if she could see him, she didn’t. “I’m sure that can’t be helped though. He didn’t seem like much of the forgiving type,” she said her nose wrinkling up a little bit at the end.

A surprised look reached her face when he said she looked lovely. She looked down at what she was wearing. “It’s just the school uniform,” she said slightly confused. She shrugged anyways and said, “Thanks though,” she said with her happy smile. Since she hadn’t gotten her breakfast yet she began to load her plate with the usual. She took a normal size serving of eggs, a piece of bacon, and a piece of toast. “So,” she said after taking her first bite of eggs. “Tell me about yourself,” she said looking at the sixth year next to her. Some would find this odd. It was a normal response for Dani when she met someone in a situation that demanded small talk. She took a sip of orange juice and waited for his answer.

[Dominik Michaels]

At the sound of her voice and her act of forgiving him, Dominik could not help but smile. Though, at the name from her lips he nearly choked. He cleared his throat and chuckled, shaking his head. "You must not have been in London long Miss Dawson." He looked to her and smiled, a small sort of charming smile that could have been called a smirk if people did not know Dominik. "His name is Rabastan LeStrange." He looked over to the Slytherin table and frowned slightly. "He is the younger brother to Rodolphus LeStrange, the heir to the LeStrange fortune and the poster child for pure blood mania." Dominik almost spat, if he was in fact the type of person to spit about an issue. Though he wasn't so he didn't. It was just that sort of feeling with him, that taste in his mouth.

Dominik turned to Danielle once more and sighed. "Sorry, I suppose I harbor a slight..." He paused for a moment to ascertain an actual response before continuing, "ill will." He nodded. "Toward the LeStrange family and their like. Pure blood mania is highly over rated and yet they find themselves living in the past and thinking that it is the best thing in the world to bash people who do not deserve it." He looked to the side, his mind flashing back to his cousin, he sighed. "It is bad enough that some of the muggle borns get bashed by their own families for being what they are, but their own kind must do it too... It is disgraceful." He sighed and shook his head, this was not the type of conversation he should be having so early in the day and likely not one that Danielle would like to hear...

He turned to look at Danielle and sighed. "I am so sorry Miss Dawson. I really should not speak of such things this early in the morning." He chuckled at her comment about it just being a school uniform. "Yes, but have to you seen the way that some people wear theirs? I did not mean to sound to awkward. I was simply complimenting the mere fact that you seem to take a wholesome pride in your appearance." He noticed a glass of orange juice had appeared right beside his hand and he smile. He took the cup and sipped it slowly as he kept his eyes on Danielle, who at this time was asking him about himself. Oh dear. He set his cup down and sighed softly before looking to her. "Well..." He shook his head, and leaned back slightly, getting comfortable. He had never really been asked this before.

He took one more sip of his drink before looking back at Danielle. "Well, I enjoy playing football. It has always held a special place with me. Because of my passion for the game I tend to spend a good deal of my time outside, which I also enjoy." He took another sip of his drink. "I enjoy reading but please don't ask me to help you with your homework because school work is not my high point." He chuckled and shook his head. "Aside from that, I do get decent grades. I like to help others and make things easier for them. Many would call me chivalrous, but you've already seen a little of that side..." He thought for a moment. "I can be very competitive at times and when I want something, I'll go for it." He smiled at Danielle. "Any specifics you wish to know?" He asked her with a slight smile.

[Danielle Dawson]

So she had gotten the name wrong. She felt terrible about it, but at least she hadn’t called him Sebastian in front of them. That would have been mortifying. Especially since he seemed to hate her already because of her family and ‘dirtied blood’ most likely. It seemed to amuse Dominik that she had gotten the name wrong though. When he began to talk about the LeStrange family she could see the anger rising in his voice. So she had been exactly right about who she thought the LeStrange family was, and what kind of people they were. He felt so passionately about this... it was kind of charming. He felt the same way as her father or her brother it seemed. Danielle had a feeling he was a muggleborn though. He seemed to be getting upset though, and instinctively Danielle reached out a hand placing it on his arm in a comforting sort of way. The blonde had never been shy and it didn’t take her long to feel comfortable around someone. When he mentioned muggleborns getting bashed by their families a sad look spread through Dani’s face as she thought of her best friend who had been shunned... and even abused by her own family for being a witch.

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I know what you mean. It’s really a terrible thing that’s going on here. Prejudices still exist in America of course, but it’s no where near as bad as it is here. People like that are pathetic,” she said with disgust shaking her head. She laughed when he commented further on his compliment about her uniform. She thought he was just being silly, but she didn’t comment further on it. She watched and listened as he told her bits and pieces about himself. Dani knew it was a strange question. It tended to make people think she was odd, but it was just her way. He played football. Risi had told her about that. It was a muggle sport. So that probably made her assumption that he was a muggleborn correct. She laughed when he said he enjoyed reading but he’d be hopeless at helping with school work. “I’m the same way on that. I love to read, but I shouldn’t be helping anyone.” That was the nice part about having an older brother in Ravenclaw. Her own personal tutor... sort of. She smiled when he said he liked helping others and some called him chivalrous. Yes, she had already seen a piece of that. She had predicted competitive. He was a Gryffindor after all.

“Hmm,” she said when he asked for details. “What about your family?” she asked him curiously. She took another bite of toast and looked at him curiously waiting for an answer.

[Dominik Michaels]

Dominik leaned back slightly and looked off for a moment, as if he was looking past Danielle while he thought about the question he asked her. "My family..." He ran his fingers through his hair before looking back to Danielle. "My mother's name is Dorthea, she is a muggle, like my father. We've lived in Scotland for a few years before a... falling out with my papa and nana... It was more of a conflict of interests than anything. I love my mother and father. They are really good to me and have blended well with the whole witch and wizard aspect." He chuckled softly. "I remember when they first found out about all of this..." He looked to the side slightly. "I was not the first to show signs in my family... My cousin, she was the first, she is a year younger than I, but two school years, born late... She showed when she was very young." He looked to the side.

He looked back to her. "My nana and papa found out... My mother said that my aunt and uncle moved to the America's to save her, but they came back when my cousin was only 10." He cleared his throat. "My cousin, she did not deserve what happened to her. They were horrible, thinking she was some sort of satan child." He stopped. "My mother saved me from that. We had already moved to London. We had hid what I had become, but my cousin, she was so proud of herself, she had to show them." He was quiet for a long moment before looking back to Danielle. He cleared his throat. "I am sorry, I should not have spoken about such things this early in the morning. I got carried away." He took a chug of his drink. "Anyways... My family, aside from my grandparents, are very loving..." He looked back to her. "And yours?"

[Danielle Dawson]

Danielle listened to him talk about his family with full interest. Family was an important thing to Danielle. She was the closer to both brothers than anyone else in the family was to them. She was really close to Cooper, but she wasn’t very close to Braiden. Nobody was though, and that’s why she was the closest. Her brother and father didn’t try, and her mother tried too hard. So she was the closest to Braiden despite their differences. She was a Daddy’s little girl, but she was also just like her mother. That’s just the way it had always been. She listened to his story, with interest, and a sad look spread over her face. She hadn’t realized this happened so often in the muggle world. She expected most were pleased to find out about magic like her own mother’s parents had been. This was the second story she had heard like that. In fact both stories were oddly similar…

She shook her head when he said that he shouldn’t have told her that story this early in the morning. “No, no, I’m glad you did. I like to know about my friends’ history. The good and the bad. Not to mention you shouldn’t keep stuff bottled up. Besides, I’m a morning person. The best time to tell me something is in the morning. I’m sorry that happened to you and your cousin. Practically the same thing happened to my best friend. You should meet her,” she said taking a sip of juice. When he asked about her family she smiled softly. Danielle loved to talk about her family as much as she liked to hear about other people’s family. Plus, he sounded like he could use the distraction. The story didn’t seem like one he told on a regular basis. She knew Risi didn’t. “My mother is a muggleborn, she was a Hufflepuff too. She’s a lot like me, in looks and personality. I talk more than she does though. People who knew her when she was younger say they didn’t think it was possible,” she said with a grin. “She’s a stay at home mum, and she loves it.” She paused before moving on to her father. “My dad’s an Auror, and he comes from a long line of Aurors. He was a Gryffindor like you,” she told him. “So he was talkative too,” she said with a grin, “they figure I must have gotten it from both of them.” She paused taking a sip of juice before continuing on to her brothers. “I have two older brothers. They’re twins and they’re in seventh year. Braiden is a Slytherin and into that whole rebellious teenager thing even though it runs deeper than that. My father considers him the black sheep of the family,” she said in a tone that said that was her father’s opinion and not her’s. “We’re not super close, but I’m closer to him than the rest of the family is. Cooper is in Ravenclaw, and he’s the oldest. I’m the closest to him. He’s my shoulder to lean on or to cry on if I need too,” she told him her tone very soft. “We tell each other just about everything.” She was silent for a few moments staring off into space. She snapped out of it quickly and turned to look back at Dom. “Well, that’s my family in a nutshell. I could tell you about the extended family, but I don’t want to bore you too much,” she said with a chuckle.

[Dominik Michaels]

Dom nodded calmly, keeping a level head about the conversation, not wishing to give too much away to someone he barely knew, especially the touchy subject of his family. He went silent for a moment and thought about his family. His mother and father were so kind to him and he had learned so much about kindness and even a little magic from his muggle father. His dad, when he first realized what was happening, was slightly scared, but after a while Dom's father worked to find out everything he could about the magic world. His mother did her best to hem the older robes she bought for him, making them look even better than brand new. It was the way a family should be like. Saorise's family must have done the same, at least her mother and father, but their grandparents... he sighed. She didn't deserve what they did to her, after everything she'd been through.

He looked to Danielle when she made a comment about one of her dear friends having the same sort of story. He blinked. "Really now? I did not think things like that happened all too often..." He said before looking around the room in thought. Could it be possible that it happened to more people than just his cousin, or was there the slight chance... a miracle... that Saorise was the friend Danielle was talking about. She had said something to him, the last time they met, about her having just moved back to Europe. She had said something about living state side for a few years. The very place that Saorise lived. Now, it was a rather large span of country, but that did not mean that she had never met her. There were many people from all over Great Britain that went to Hogwarts, so it was possible, probable... no, but it was possible. He turned his attention back to Danielle moments later. "It is sad to think that muggle borns are treated so harshly... in my highly unbiased opinion." He said seriously.

Yes, he was a muggle born but that did not mean that he would base all of his opinions on the hatred of pure-bloods toward muggle-borns or the muggles unacceptability of them solely on the fact that he was a part of the stereotype. "I wish that things were easier for all forms of witches and wizards... for proprieties sake... it is not just us muggle-borns that suffer any longer. I know a great many pure-blood witch and wizard that regard me as friend and I the same to them. Many of them have parents who believe it is foolish and uncouth to befriend one such as myself... It is a shame to think that I have lost some good friends and some even greater friends to the fact that their parents are not more understanding of the times... I mean come on! It is the 70's after all. We no longer need to bow and scrape behind those more 'pure' than we." He shook his head.

He did not really like talking about things like this, especially in mixed company and even more so because the company was as inviting as Danielle. "I am sorry." He said calmly. "Let's talk of better things..." He turned his attention to his half eaten breakfast and then back to Danielle, settling for grabbing his glass and taking a swig, as if washing the conversation from his mouth and his mind. It was not talk for the breakfast table and he might have taken it too far. He was so opinionated sometimes, it was terrible. "So, Ms. Danielle... How are you liking it back here? Hm? Have things changed much since you've been gone to the states?" He paused to take another swig of his drink before asking another question. "Speaking of the states, how is it there? I have always wished to travel there but have never really had the time." He chuckled and shook his head. "I hope I am not being too forward Ms. Danielle..." He smiled kindly to her.

[Danielle Dawson]

She nodded slowly. "Neither did I," she said quietly. Well if wizards had their prejudices it made sense muggles would too. Not that it made either right. Why was the world so judgmental? It really did seem rather odd that they both knew people who had such similar experiences. It was a small world. She nodded agreeing with him yet again. She was about to say something when he continued, so the blonde just closed her mouth and listened laying a comforting hand on his arm. She shook her head sadly when he mentioned it was the 70s and we should have grown out of this by now. "It's really only gotten worse," she said in a sad, quiet tone. "I mean, sure, muggleborns were looked down upon before. They weren't tortured or taunted nearly as much as they are now. It was more like they were a... lower class I guess you would call it in the muggle world. Many pureblood families had grown out of that. My father's family had been pure for generations when he married my mother, and no one except his grandmother even cared. She even accepted my mother before the wedding. Now though," she said pausing again, "With this Dark Lord running about it's only gotten worse. That's why we're back. They needed more Aurors."

She nodded her head in eager agreement. She was a morning person, and she hated talking of things so dark so early in the morning. She preferred to try and remain optimistic about all the dark things going on in their world. "Well," she said a smile returning to her face, "It's nice. Being so close to the rest of my family. And Hogwarts is of course amazing. I miss my friends though. I dunno what I'd do if my best friend and her family hadn't joined us here. I think it will be much easier to adjust." She ate the last few bites of her eggs. "Don't worry Dom," she said smiling again. "You're not even close to being too forward. The states, are well the states. They're interesting. So much different from Europe of course. The Academy is really different from Hogwarts too. It's way smaller. Their are about half a dozen schools throughout the states, so far less people need go to one school. Plus we're one of the smaller ones."

Danielle looked around and noticed the hall was starting to empty out. She glanced up at the big clock. Sure enough, it was time to go to class. She looked back at Dom and smiled biting her bottom lip gently. She had enjoyed her morning, even if part of their conversation had been rather dark. "Well," she said after sticking the last bite of toast into her mouth and taking a sip of orange juice. "I suppose we better go to class..." she paused for a moment. She really wanted to drag this out a bit. "Would you, would you like to walk with me to class? At least until we need to part ways?" Danielle wasn't shy, and she wasn't afraid to ask a guy to walk with her to class. Her voice still sounded a tad bit shy, and rather, well, innocent.

She stood up brushing the crumbs off of her skirt and grabbed two apples off the table. "For my friend," she told him sticking them in her bag. "She rarely makes it down for breakfast, but sometimes I force feed her anyways," she said jokingly. Then she took the flower that he had given to her and smelled it once more before whispering a spell. The stem twisted and wrapped itself around the strap of her bag and she smiled at him. "Thanks again for the rose," she told him sincerely. "I love flowers, and yellow roses are my favorites."

[Dominik Michaels]

Dom nodded as she conversed about the States. His hope dwindling when she commented about the amount of schools all over the country. There was no way in Godric that his cousin and Danielle had met. The chance was one in... millions. He did not let the feeling reach his outward appearance though, he did not wish to give Danielle the wrong idea about things. He was listening and enjoying simply the sound of her voice and if she were to see his face upset he did not wish to make her feel as though she did something wrong. "I see, well... that makes things a bit easier I suppose." Dom said with a chuckle. "Hogwarts is a rather large school and though we have many students and it makes for making a good deal of friend easy, it is rather taxing on the nerves at times." He said pointedly, still jesting with her, but he knew that she'd catch the point of what he was trying to say.

With so many witches and wizards, one could feel lost in a crowd here. It was not a good thing to feel alone and if Dom didn't like it he was almost certain Danielle, a girl as gentle as she, didn't much like being alone in a sea of unfamiliar faces. "If you ever need someone to talk to..." He began. "Or just hang out with, this is of course not just an invitation for you but your close friends as well." He was beginning to ramble, he needed to calm himself a little. He took a soft breath before continuing. "Sorry, if you need someone, I know this school is rather large and you're, for lack of a better word, new here. You have an open invite to hang out with me." He said with a chuckle. "If you need help getting around or anything, don't be afraid to ask me if you see me. I'm here to help." Well, that was bullocks up terribly. He just really hoped that Danielle had gotten the point he was trying to me. He wanted to see more of her.

He smiled when she stood and asked him if he wished to walk with her. "It would be my pleasure Danielle, thank you for the offer." He stood and looked down at the rose he'd given her. "No worries. When I make a mistake I know that I need to apologize." He looked at the apples and chuckled. "Well, that is good, I know how it is not getting around to breakfast sometimes. Though it is not really healthy for one to skip the most important meal of the day. You are a good friend Danielle." He walked with her for a few moments before he just could not keep quiet any longer about her friend. He wanted to know about her... the chance was one in millions, but it was still a one. A one he was willing to look into, traverse miles for... his blood. "So, tell me more about this best friend of yours. Other than her horrid history, she seems like and interesting person. She from the states or did she move from some place else?" He asked walking out of the Great Hall.

[Saorise McCloud]

Saorise was running late, again. It wasn't really her fault. She'd had an episode the night before and had gotten very little rest. It was going to be rather hard for her to get back into the swing of things. Though this school was about three times the size of her Academy so it was going to be three times as hard to get used to it. At least she knew one person there... Dani... her best friend was here, and so was Cooper. She felt a rush of butterflies as she was reminded of Dani's elder brother and confidante'. He was so amazing, the only issue was... He thought of Risi as a little sister. There was no way a relationship could be built from that. She sighed as she rushed through the halls to find the Great Hall. She needed to grab a little something to eat before class or she'd not make it through until lunch. Eating every few hours was rather annoying but it was what her system required and if her father ever found out that she was doing otherwise. Oh boy! he'd personally inject her with food every few hours.

It was easy to see that Risi was not like all the others here at Hogwarts. She was alike in race, alike in power, but there was something different about her. Something few people knew, even Danielle and her family didn't know. Something Saorise had asked from her father when she became close with the family. Saorise did not want to risk the pain it would put Dani in when she found out about her illness, it would kill her to know that her best friend was terminally ill, so she stopped her friend from feeling that ache. She just didn't tell her, didn't tell anyone. She felt a sting in her heart and that mental note. What happened when she died? What happened if Danielle ever found out? She didn't know what she'd do. Dani was such a tender person and loss was not one of her strong points. What happened if Risi's father couldn't find the cure? What happened when Risi had to stop being a 'care-free' girl and come to the realization that she was never going to get better... What would happen when she lost her best friend?

Risi shook those thoughts from her mind. She had to stop thinking like that. She wanted to be happy, she needed to be happy. She looked around her, she'd neared the Entrance Hall, so she was on the right track. She'd have to rush into the Great Hall and grab something that was left for the stragglers, unless Danielle already had something for her. Risi smiled, it was likely, Dani always grabbed her something to eat when she didn't make it. She was more concerned about Risi eating than her parents sometimes, but that was the lovable part of Dani. She got under your skin and when she was there you never wanted her to leave. Risi rushed through the Hall to the entrance of the Great Hall, of course not looking where she was going, she ran right into something solid, but slightly soft. A person... fantastic. She groaned and rubbed her shoulder, looking up at whoever it was. "So sorry about tha---." She stopped, awestruck. Her breath catching in her throat. Silence echoed before she spoke again. "Dominik?!"

[Danielle Dawson]

She laughed. "I don't mind. I make friends easily. It's just finding my way around. I don't have the best of memories," she told him truthfully. She looked up at him with a hint of surprise and curiosity when he made his offer. Was he... hitting on her? The two had been flirting a bit, friendly flirting, but still flirting. Maybe it was just a genuine effort to be friendly towards her. He had mentioned she could bring Risi along. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. Did it matter? She was always willing to make new friends, and Dom was... charming. There was a brief pause of silence between the two as she digested what he had said. She blinked slowly three times before answering him. "That would be really nice," she said smiling brightly at him. "I'll be taking you up on that offer," she told him without mentioning Risi. Of course she'd introduce the two, and perhaps the three of them would hang out. If there were anything to read into his statement though, perhaps he would read the same into hers. That she wanted to spend time with him.

Her smile widened a bit when he agreed to walk with her. the two started heading towards the door when he brought up the subject of Risi. Another girl might have been upset or irritated about it, but Dani enjoyed talking about her best friend. "Oh she's amazing. We're so similar, yet opposites in many ways. She's more of a tomboy. She's completely a night person while I'm a morning person. She likes the rain, I like the sunshine. She's a brunette. She's not as... happy as I am. Her reactions are more violent then mine, and it's harder to upset her. As different as night and day our parents joke," she said with a grin. She really did babble a lot, but she wasn't bothered by it. If it annoyed someone then they could just mention it to her or avoid talking to her. She wouldn't be too bothered. "We're also similar in a lot of ways. We think along the same ways about many things, we're both a bit klutzy," perhaps more then a bit. She's my best friend," she said looking up at Dom smiling again. As she started talking again she turned to watch where she was going. "She's fr-"

Right in front of them, not looking where she was going was Risi. Her dark haired friend ran right into Dom before she could say a word. "Oh Ris," she said looking at her friend shaking her head. "Risi, this is Dominick. Dom this is Saorise-" Wait? Did she already say his name? Does she know him already? How could that be? She glanced back and forth between the two of them. "What's going on?" she asked confused.

[Dominik Michaels]

Dom smiled kindly at her when she agreed to see him more. "You never know... maybe during a Hogsmead trip we'll meet up. I'd like to buy you a drink sometime as a little welcome home of sorts, coffee, pop... you name it." He cleared his throat at little before turning his attention to the door, not wishing to bullocks this up. He wanted to make sure he was not going to run into anything and make fool of himself. Though, as Dani started talking about her friend he began to realize a little more that maybe being a dork was a good thing to her. He inwardly chuckled before making an outward comment. "Well, I can see why she likes you Danielle." He said gently before making another comment. "She seems to be a very interesting person, you say she is not happy all the time, I don't mean to pry and you don't have to answer, do you know why?"

She was running, she always loved to run, she felt so free. She loved the air, she said it made her feel weightless, like she had no problems, like she wasn't a sick little girl, a little girl who knew she was going to die at the age of 4... a little girl who was prepared to die at the age of 4. Something no little girl should ever have to deal with, no one period should ever have to deal with. She took it in stride though, her daddy was a doctor and if he could not fix her he could at least make the pain go away so she could go to heaven peacefully. At least that was what she'd said to him the night he found out that she had Aplastic Anemia. The night he cried for hours, his best friend, was going to die. She had held him close, with more composure than any little girl should have, that anyone should have.

Why had that memory come back to him? It was those eyes... those nearly intoxicating green eyes, filled with so much hidden pain, so much hidden power, so much darkness, fighting to gain control over the light. So much in those emerald eyes, those eyes of a summer feild, those eyes... his little cousin's eyes, staring back at him with shock and awe. Had she seen it too? Could this be possible? Was this really the person he'd spent nearly a lifetime searching for? Had he finally found the one girl he could never say no to. The one family member he'd been broken to find he could no longer see. His family, his blood... had he found her again? At last? It was his name, in a soothing, almost mellifluous voice, that shook him from his trance, that shotgunned the memories out of his vision and made the world of Hogwarts coming back.

Dominik stood there looking down at the slight tan skin, the dark brown hair, the small but strong frame, the eyes... those eyes... it was her. "S-Saorise!?" He didn't even wait for her reply, in that instant he swept her up into his arms tightly, lifting her clean off the floor that she had fallen onto, spinning her around. "Oh my God! I can't believe it!" He held her so tightly, fearing that she'd be lost once again if he ever let go. So afraid that she was a mirage, an enigma, a muse. Something that was not there, just part of his dreams. He feared losing her all over again. He could not and would not let that happen. She meant too much to him, she was blood, she was family. He'd never let her be lost from him again. He set her down and panted before looking at Dani.

He was entirely prepared to answer her question, he just had to figure out how to word it. "Danielle... Risi... Your Risi..." He paused for a moment and looked to her, a bright grin on his face, this was the happiest day of his life. He turned back to Dani. "My cousin, the girl who was so proud of her powers... who was hurt because she had them by my grandparents." Dom pulled Risi close to him. "This is her." He said softly, kissing her hair gently, it had been so long since he'd held his little cousin, his favorite member of his family. He pulled away and looked into those sharp green eyes. "Oh Ris... where have you been? It's been 5 years since I've even heard word of you! I was terrified I'd never see you again." He pulled her close to him once more, never wishing to let go.

[Saorise McCloud]

Saorise was flabbergasted. She could not believe it. How had she known? She was ten when she saw him last, she barely remembered what his parents looked like, but him, his kind eyes and surprising smile had stayed in her mind and she'd never forgotten it. It was her Dommy... her cousin, more like a brother to her than anything. He was her blood and he was home! Or well... she was home was more likely the statement. Actually, neither of them were home. Home was Scotland... well, actually, technically they were home. Hogwarts was in Scotland. So they were home in all reality of the sense, just not back in their homes. But they were together and that made anyplace they could possibly be home to her. She couldn't believe it! Dom! Her Dom! He'd found her! She'd found him! Whatever...

Risi's head was spinning as she looked up at her cousin. It'd been so long, he'd gotten older... taller... stronger. He was a Gryffy... That's great, she knew he'd be one if he ever got into Hogwarts. She looked to Dani and smiled. "Yeah..." She said simply, her mind still in a rush, not really knowing how to take all of this. Her only family who really understood was back into her life. It was something interesting yet totally out of her spectrum. It was odd in a way but amazing at the same time. She looked back to Dani and began explaining. "I was born in Scotland, you already know this. You also know that my mother and father rushed me to the States when I was little and that my grandparents found out when I was 10 what was going on with me and they hurt me..." She paused.

Risi sighed before continuing. "I never told you about my cousin because it hurt too much talking about him. He's my only cousin and he was like a big brother to me. You know how I am about siblings and loss." She bit her lip before speaking again. "Well, Dom and his family left ad we never knew where they went. At least I didn't. It seems that he's been here. " She turned to Dom and smiled. "Well, I went to the states as you know and I went to school there, mom & dad brought me here when Dani moved, she's my best friend." Risi gasped. "MOM! DAD! Oh, they'll be so happy to see you!!" She smiled widely. "I can't believe you're actually here... and Dani." She looked to her. "I can't believe you know him..." She paused for a minute, looking back and forth between them. "Wait... what were you two doing together?" She raised a brow.