Enjoyment of the Garden (Claire)

[Amanda James]

Amanda got out of bed early that Saturday morning. She dressed in a blue t shirt that had the Cossu crest on it. Since she was hungry, she got some candy out of the closet.

"Want one?" she said to her imaginary dormmate. Amanda wanted a real one really badly but couldnt get one, as her only school friend was Claire, a Rouerie. Her imaginary dormmate said that she was fine, and Amanda left.

Once Amanda had left the magnificent beauxbatons castle, she headed towards the captivating gardens with her lunch. She had brought a sandwich for her to share with Claire. Amanda sat on the bench and waited patiently for Claire.

[Claire Charrier]

Claire rushed quickly to the beautiful gardens. She ran past Beauxbatons couples and studying students, past the castle, and finally to the entrance. Her heart beating fast, Claire smoothed out her Beauxbatons uniform.

Claire ventured deep into the mysterious garden. She stared at the magnificent lilies and lush green shrubbery. The roses drew her attention as she sniffed the aromatic scent of the flowers.

At last, Claire found the bench her friend sat upon. She took a step towards it and sat down.

"Hi Amanda." she spoke calmly.

[Amanda James]

Amanda was actually a bit startled when Claire arrived. Amanda laughed after she had jumped back. That was what the girls didnt have in common. Claire had the ability to be calm. Not Amanda. She just can't sit still for very long. When she was waiting for Claire she had been practicing her dance moves.

Amanda smiled at her Rouerian friend and handed her a chocolate. She had brought it from a trunk in her dorm. She popped an every flavored bean in her mouth. It was a cotton candy flavored one.

"hi! How are you today, Claire? Wanna do something?" Amanda asked her friend eagerly. She really hped Clire would choose something active and fun. She listened closely to what
Claire said in reply.

[Claire Charrier]

"Sure," she began. Claire sunk her teeth into the chocolate her friend had given her. "Mmmm...thanks." She smiled and handed her friend a new every flavour bean. "It's Soap!" she spat.

Claire sat and stared at her jumpy friend. Amanda was so excited while Claire remained so normal and calm. It puzzled her. But, she didn't question it and just ate some more.

[Amanda James]

Amanda smiled she'd been wanting to do something, but didn't know what. It was like a puzzle to her. One with two gajillion pieces. One that Amanda couldn't solve easily.

Then an idea came to her! The girls could fly on their broomsticks! It was a perfect idea. Amanda would need yo get her broomstick though. And what if Claire didnt HAVE a broomstick. Could veelas fly? Amanda was only one sixteenth veela, so she wouldn't know.

" I have a broomstick. Do you? Can quarter veelas fly without one?" she asked her rouerian friend who was still looking at her calmly. "I have an extra one if you don't have one" she added to Claire.

[Claire Charrier]

"Umm...well, I can do this hover thing my mum taught me to to do. See?" CLaire whispered as she tucked in her legs and hovered only ten inches off the ground. "I have never been on a broomstick."

Claire whisked around the garden, almost ghostlike. "I think only quarter-veelas, half-veelas, three-quarter veelas, and full veelas can do this. But, you can try! Just jump and then tuck in your legs."

Claire smiled. She flew in circles until she was dizzy. "I could never do this at home."

[Amanda James]

Claire was telling Amanda about how third abd quarter veelas could hover in the air fOr seconds at a time. She clappe her hands really loudly when Claire had spun around and got obviously dizzy.

"I don't know if I can do it a bit. I'll try though!" she said in responce to Claire. Amanda jumped into the air and lifted her legs. She was up for three seconds! Amanda was so happy.

I could teach you to rid a broom if you help me hover" Amanda offered. "My broom is in my closet" she said. Amanda was so glad that the girls had an idea of something to do other than look at the flowers all day.

[Claire Charrier]

Claire smiled. "It's a deal, I suppose!" She winked happily at her friend. "The secret to hovering is believing you can."

She winked and recited "I can do this!" Three times. Claire tucked in her legs and floated. She flipped and swirled. "It's like being a bird!" she exclaimed excitedly. Her heart pounding, she stopped in mid-air, hover for a second, and gently let her thin feet down.

"You try, and if you get it, I'll hop on your broom and see what I can do."

[Amanda James]

"I'll try my best." she said. She told herself that if her grandparents could do it like Claire, she was only two generations away.

She slowly jumped up into the air and continued telling herself that it was broom riding without the broom. She finally floated down with a smile on her face. She was in the air for almost a minute.

"I'll go get my broom" she said to Claire. She came back with it in about three minutes. She showed Claire how to properly sit on it. She noted that she wouldn't actually sit on it 'cause of the invisable pillow caused by the cushioning charm.

[Claire Charrier]

Claire nervously sat on the broom. "I won't fall, right?" she stuttered. Her heart was pumping fast. Lub, dub, lub, dub!

She took a deep breath. Claire pushed up on the broom and went soaring into a tree. "Ow." she murmured. The broom quickly stumbled out of the tree and hit the ground with a thud. "I think I twisted something." she cried. "Should we go to the hospital wing or try to repair it ourselves? We could use 'Episkey' but I am unsure if I am learned enough."

[Amanda James]

Amanda watched in horror as Claire fell off of the broom. Amanda remembered that she would always fall off of her broom back when she was younger. She once had actually needed to go to the hospital. She definitely hoped that it wouldn't be the same with her friend.

Thinking fast, she made a stretcher using magic and laid Claire upon it. Amy raised her wand and tried to lift it. When she failed to do so, she grabbed her friend's wand and succeed in carrying Claire to the hospital wing. She did of course need a fourth year's help part of the time.

She knocked on the door to the wing. A kind looking witch helped Claire onto the bed. Amy was relievedwhen she was told that it was just a twist and Claire would be able to move in about five minutes. Amy sat and waited.

[Amanda James]

Amanda came back in a few minites later. "Are you all right?" she asked her friend. Claire had a bandage around her ankle but was good otherwise. Amy hugged her friend. "Im so sorry! I will never ask you to ride a broom again" she said apologetically. "You have been a great friend teaching me to hover nd I shouldn't have made you ride".

The girls walked over to the garden with Amy helping Claire. They sat on the bench and Amy picked some flowers. She started to braid her friend's hair. "I hope you don't mind, your hair looks really nice" she said as she tied her friend's hair at the bottom.

Amanda asked Claire what she wanted to do.

[Claire Charrier]

Pain surged through Claire's leg . The numbness caused her to inhale heavily and she whispered, "You're a good friend."

Claire had never felt so ashamed. She had always done so well in almost everything, and to fail at something as easy as sitting on a broom crushed her deeply. Mama, if you can here me, I am sorry for everything bad I have done. I love you Mama very much, please let me be ok. Please. Mama I miss you. You were a good mommy., she thought, trying to hold back tears. Finally she could no longer hold it.

Glinting tears streamed down her face. Claire remembered her past and wished her mama could meet Amanda and that she never would've had to live with her horrible grandma who never loved her. She sobbed hysterically until she pulled out a mirror and saw her hair.

Beautiful lilies and sunflowers wove through her curly french braid. Claire touched a purple coneflower and smiled. "It's beautiful. You're my best friend!" Claire exclaimed and hugged her friend.

Her mother had always told her she was pretty, but Claire had always believed beauty was on the inside. She never thought of anyone as unattractive or gorgeous on the outside, but always on the inside. Claire stared in complete and utter awe at the marvelous weaving in her golden locks.

Amanda wasn't a good friend like she had said earlier. When she carried Claire to the Hospital Wing, Claire knew that Amanda and her would be friends for the rest of their lives. The pain Claire had felt was gone.

It was days like these Claire realized what friendship really was.

[Amanda James]

Amanda watched as Claire began to cry. Amanda couldn't help the tears that slipped down her face. She remembered that Claire's mother had passed away. She had no idea what she would do without her parents. Amy hugged her friend as another tear slipped down her face.

"I'm terribly sorry about your mother" Amy said. "Do you like how I did your hair?" She asked trying to change the subject. Amy knew that if she lost her mother, she wouldn't want to talk about it.

Amanda asked Claire if she enjoyed art. Amy did, and it was an activity that didn't require being too active.

[Claire Charrier]

Claire smiled happily at her friend and said, "I've never felt so beautiful before! And I love art! Let's draw! I brought a notebook and some quills."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a peacock quill and an eagle quill. Claire reached in deep and found a folder full of blank parchment. Her hands folded in her lap as she sat, thinking hard about what to draw.

A bird, elephant, anything! Claire sat dully, trying to find inspiration. She didn't want to draw a depressing sketch to show her inner tortured artist, nor did she want to draw a peppy-feel good drawing. Claire thought of her wonderful time at Beauxbatons and smiled. She thought of the splendid tale of how the school was founded. Claire frowned in thought until her face loosened into it's regular position.

Claire tapped her finger excitedly as a muse struck her. "A peacock for my head of house!" she shouted enthusiastically. Her heart pounding in happiness, Claire reached and grabbed the peacock quill. She began to sketch the majestic, curved body of the Rouerie peacock. Claire drew the gorgeous feathers and beautiful facial features. She shaded the art and stared at her masterpiece. It looked realistic and made Claire feel proud of being a Rouerie. Although you could tell it wasn't a photo, you'd be surprised a twelve year old had drawn it. It looked like a thirty-year old had.

I hope he loves it!, she thought in admiration. Claire had always admired her teachers and her friend, the groundskeeper. He was like the uncle she had never had. He was there to offer advice, which Claire constantly needed. She was happy to have made a few more friends than just Amanda, but nobody could replace Amanda.

Claire showed it to Amanda. "Do you like it?" she beamed.