Bird calls ~Viona

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It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and that made Maddie happy. It was pretty easy to make Maddie happy in general, she generally found it easy to see the joy in things. Sunny days and bright weather made it particularly easy for her. There weren't many better feelings than running around barefoot on the grass on a beautiful spring day, that was for sure.

She had come out into the grounds with her lyrebird, Lucy, and had now settled on a comfortable patch of grass not too far from the Forbidden Forest. Close enough to it that she could hear the sounds from the forest, but not so close that it could be dangerous. "Oh, try and imitate that one," she said excitedly to Lucy as she heard a particularly exotic bird call. Being a lyrebird, Lucy was naturally very capable of mimicing almost anything she heard, and she replicated the bird call almost perfectly. "Oh, well done Lucy!" she said affectionately. The skill of mimicry was a fascinating one and Maddie often wished she could do it herself. She had tried her hand at doing impressions a few times before, with some element of success, but it was a bit too challenging to do regularly. She much preferred singing and performing instead.

@viona

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Viona was very careful not to move about too close to the Forbidden Forest. The stories she had heard were definitely enough to cease her curiosity. She wanted to talk to a Centaur one day, but wasn't going to take the risk of running into anything dangerous while on the way to meet one. She was sure at some point that Hagrid would introduce her.

She was a good ways away from the forest when she saw Maddie, a girl from her House, along with her lyrebird Lucy. In her hands, Viona held her rabbit Gusifus. She felt she could get close enough to the forest to visit with Maddie, and smiled as she approached.

She stopped and watched the interaction between the two before she spoke up.

"Lucy is so talented," she said. She then stepped over and hugged Maddie. "How are you today?"

Viona then heard the sounds from the Forbidden Forest and sighed.

"I bet there are lots of really nice creatures who live in there too," she said. "It's a shame we can't see them because of all the dangerous ones in there. Plus I couldn't imagine me Gusifus hopping off and getting lost in there."

@maddie

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Maddie looked up when she heard a voice, and beamed when she saw Viona. Viona was one year younger than her, but she was always so lovely and friendly, and Maddie had taken an instant liking to her when they had first met. Maddie returned the hug happily and offered for Viona to sit down with her. "It's so nice to see you, Viona. And yes, she is, but we mustn't let it go to her head," she chuckled. Lucy looked at them both curiously, as if wondering what that meant.

"And hello to you too, Gusifus," she gushed as she reached out and stroked him behind the ears.

As Viona turned her attention to the forest, Maddie glanced over there as well. "I'm sure there are some beautiful animals in there. It really is a shame it's so dangerous. I would absolutely adore being able to meet a unicorn someday," she said dreamily. "So how are you, Viona? All ready for the summer break?"

@viona

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Viona giggled about the the compliments going to Lucy's head.

"Or like mum says, you don't want her go all diva on you," she giggled. Viona liked that expression, but she didn't use it much because she was afraid she might insult someone by joking about them being a diva.

Gusifus seemed to enjoy the petting. The rabbit was of course use to people by now, and didn't draw back when someone wanted to pet him.

Viona looked out into the woods again when Maddie spoke of the unicorns.

"Hagrid showed the Magical Creatures Club a unicorn one time," she said. "But she was very nervous and not used to being around people so we couldn't pet her or anything. She stayed very close to Hagrid. I think it's because people have down bad things to them because of their blood."

Viona then smiled again as Maddie asked about her break.

"Aye, I'm ready," she said. "Me family and I are going home to Scotland for a little while, and I'm also helping out in my dad's bakery. You should come by there. Me dad likes to meet me friends and he always gives them free tarts or danishes or whatever you'd like."

@maddie

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Maddie found the diva comment very amusing, and her laugh demonstrated that. "That's really funny. Maybe she'll start to steal my performances from me," she laughed. Maddie had a regular performance slot on Friday nights at the Three Broomsticks that she absolutely loved doing.

Maddie had never been a part of the Care of Magical Creatures Club, and after that comment she wished she had been. "Aww, really? I missed out! That's so sad. I hope we get a chance to see one in Care of Magical Creatures class sometime," she lamented. It was so sad that unicorns felt that they couldn't trust people because of what some horrible people had done to them.

At Viona's invitation, Maddie looked at her in surprise. "Really? I'd love to come and visit! I'm going on the Rome trip, but I could come by before or after that. Are you sure that would be okay?" she asked. "Are you going on the Rome trip at all?"

@viona

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Viona smiled and shook her head when Maddie said Lucy would show her up.

"She's talented, but nobody plays and sings like you, Maddie," she said. "Your voice is so pretty."

Viona gave Maddie a comforting smile when the girl said she missed out of being in the club that year.

"You can join next year," she said. "It's very easy. If you love animals and are interested in magical ones, they're happy to let you in. And we get to bring our pets to all the meetings."

When Maddie asked about the Rome trip, Viona sighed and shook her head.

"Me dad said I could got, but I wanted to save me money for when me family goes to Scotland," she said. "There's a lot of places I want to go to in me home town, so it's always good to have the extra money. But I'll probably go on the school trip next year."

Viona then heard a noise out in the forest again, and then she turned and almost fell over at what she saw.

"Look, Maddie, look," she whispered excitedly. "It's a centaur." This was the first time Viona had seen an actual centaur. She just stared in awe and hoped he would look over so she could wave to him.

@maddie

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Maddie beamed at Viona. "Aww, that's such a sweet thing of you to say, Viona," she said happily. "Thank you." Maddie was confident in her voice, and loved to sing in front of people, but she was modest and always loved to hear that people appreciated her singing.

She had been quite sad that she hadn't joined the Magical Creatures club that year, but from what she heard from Viona, it would defintely be worth joining it in the future. "That does sound really lovely. I bet you all have a lot of fun! How many years have you been a part of the club for?" she asked. Viona seemed to love it enough that she must be quite comfortable there, so had likely been a part of it for quite a while.

It was sad to hear that Viona wouldn't be coming on the trip, but Maddie was also excited about the idea of visiting her in Scotland. "Well, it's sad that you can't come, but at least I'll get to see you if my parents let me go to visit your dad's bakery!" Maddie absolutely loved baked goods, so the fact that Viona's father had a bakery made it even more inviting to visit.

Maddie also heard the noise in the Forest, and she turned around curiously, gasping quietly when she saw the centaur as well. She had no idea what to do at all. Weren't centaurs quite dangerous? Especially when angered. But Maddie didn't even know what kind of things could anger a centaur. So she figured staying as still as possible was a good start. "What do we do?" she squeaked nervously to Viona.

@viona

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Viona sat back and remembered when she joined the club. It was a good ways into her Second Year, so it didn't quite count as two years.

"Hmmm.... about one and a half I think," she said. "I didn't join at the very beginning of me second year, but more just before the Christmas Holidays. Me dad and mum bought me a Magical Creatures book for Christmas to celebrate. It tells you everything you could ever need to know about them."

Viona beamed at the possibility that Maddie would visit with her parents' permission.

"We'll have lots of fun," she said. "We'll explore Diagon Alley. You don't really get to do that when you go there to just buy things for school."

When Maddie asked what they were supposed to do, Viona didn't answer because she wasn't quite sure. She supposed you could bow to one like you did a Hippogriff, but those were a bit different. Finally, the centaur spotted them. Viona didn't really over-think it and just smiled and waved at him.

"Hello there!" she said. "Me name's Viona and this is Maddie! It's lovely to meet you, sir!"

The Centaur stared for a moment, then gave a small smile and waved.

"I am Artax," he said, and that was it for the moment.

@maddie

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Maddie nodded. "It sounds great. I take the class but it sounds like that can't really compare to what you guys get to do in the club." With everyone there really wanting to see more magical creatures, it would be so great. Unlike in class when there were some people who didn't want to be there.

"Oh, that's really true! That sounds like it would be great. I've always wanted to take the time to explore some of the more obscure shops there, it seems like they would be really interesting. It's like every time we go there it's just in and out, you know?" she said a little sadly. But the holidays would be a great chance for them to check it out together.

Maddie was still frozen in fear when Viona waved. But then the centaur responded in a friendly way, and Maddie let out a sigh of relief, as if she hadn't breathed since she had seen the centaur. Maybe she hadn't, who knows. "Its... it's nice to meet you, Artax," she replied tentatively. "I am Artax," mimicked Lucy suddenly, and Maddie shushed her quickly. It was an almost perfect replica, again.

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@viona

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Viona nodded in agreement, though she did want to take the class next year. Still, she figured a classroom setting wasn't nearly as fun.

"We get to out to the forest with Hagrid and everything... well the forest we're allowed to go into of course," she said.

Viona was really happy to hear that Maddie wanted to walk about Diagon and explore. They could make a whole day of it.

"We could explore all day, and then you and I can have a sleepover," she said. "I can show you all me pets and me mum can make us dinner. She's the best cook in the world, and dad is the best baker. Well, I think so." Viona giggled at this.

Viona saw that the centaur was nice, but she still didn't dare go out to meet him. And Artax didn't seem to wish to exit the forest to meet them. Still, he was friendly from where he stood.

"I fear our meeting must be short, my friends," said the centaur. "I must return to my brothers. I wish you well in your studies." And with that, he trotted away. Viona turned and smiled at Maddie.

"That was so wonderful!" she said.

@maddie

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The club was sounding more and more interesting to Maddie, even if she may not have been as natural an animal lover as Viona was. Maddie absolutely adored birds, but other animals she was a little less comfortable around. But she still really enjoyed seeing them - just not so much getting right up close. "What was your favourite animal that you've seen through the club?" she asked Viona curiously.

"Sleepovers are so much fun! I'd love that. The food sounds absolutely amazing! Are your parents magical?" she asked. She always loved seeing how other families worked - especially ones that were more lighthearted than her own. She did love her family, but they could be quite rigid at times. "And which pets do you have?"

Maddie was still wide-eyed when the centaur declared that he had to leave. "Yeah... kind of scary, but at least he was friendly. He just looked so powerful." Maddie's voice was a hushed whisper.

@viona

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Viona knew the answer to her favorite animal right away.

"An Hippogriff because I got to become mates with him," she said. "We still see each other now and then too, and he remembers me."

Viona nodded when Maddie asked about her parents being magical.

"Both are," she said. "We're Purebloods, but we don't act like some Purebloods do, where we think we're better than everyone. Me dad says what makes you an admirable person isn't what flows to your heart. It's your heart itself."

Viona then went down the list of pets for her.

"Me rabbit Gusifus," she began. "Me dad's Scottish Terrier Oxford, me mum's iguana Piccadilly, two parakeets named Raz and Daz, and three guinea pigs named Nip, Pip, and Zip." And from what Viona had heard, there might be a new addition or two soon.

Viona agreed that Artax looked powerful, but she also knew centaurs were wild, but noble creatures.

"I think sometimes they are scary because people frown upon them and they are just reacting to that," said Viona. "You and I waved to him and talked to him, and he called us his friends. That's all you really have to do sometimes. Just show kindness."

@maddie

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"Wow! He remembers you?" Maddie exclaimed. "That is so cool. How many other times have you gotten to see him?" She wondered whether the Hippogriff lived near the castle or just came by to visit the club. If the latter, it would be hard for Viona to see it regularly.

"Your dad sounds like a pretty wise guy," Maddie commented. "I think what he says is really true. It's so nice that your family are so genuine to each other." Viona's family seemed to be more loving and relaxed than Maddie's own family- not that hers were bad, it just seemed that Viona's was better, maybe.

"We never had any pets at home," Maddie replied in response to Viona's pet list. "It was only once I was at Hogwarts that I was able to get Lucy. But I couldn't be happier with her, she is amazing." Lucy turned to her and nuzzled her a bit after that comment.

Viona's comment about the centaur struck Maddie a bit. "I think that's really true. He had nothing on which to judge us by, and he still treated us as friends. I guess I shouldn't have been so anxious when I saw him."

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(Probably should wrap this up because of the school closing)

"Quite a few time," said Viona when Maddie asked how many times she had seen him. "He lives in the part of the woods we're allowed to go into, so I can go and meet him. His name's Boldfeather. I recognize him by the colors on his wings. They're gray in certain areas. He's so sweet once I bow and everything. I sit and talk with him and sometimes I read me Margo Mindlepop books to him. I think he likes Dilly and the Dragon's Den as much as I do." Viona giggled.

Viona smiled when Maddie said her dad was wise. Viona thought he was the wisest man in the world. But she was bias there.

"Me family's the best," she said. "You'll love them!"

Viona smiled at Lucy.

"She's so pretty," she said. "She's lucky to have you too."

Viona patted Maddie on the shoulder when she spoke about being anxious over the centaur.

"It's okay," she said. "Meeting other creatures are the best way to learn about what they are truly like. Books only tell you so much." She then felt her stomach grumble. "I think it's almost time to eat. Would you like to join me?"

(Viona's done here)

@maddie

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Maddie loved to hear about Viona's relationship with Boldfeather. It sounded like they really got on well. "Maybe you'd let me come with you to visit him sometime? If he wouldn't mind," she said with a hopeful smile.

She was very excited to meet Viona's family, as well. It sounded like summer would be really great. Food was definitely calling though, so she got up with Viona and they headed to the great hall together.

**end thread**