Frozen Ice {Millie}

[charity]

Charity was glad to finally be back after the holidays, but there was a lot playing on her mind. She was still no closer to finding out the truth her parents had kept hidden from her all these years and had no reply to the letter she'd sent.

She was glad that she had a couple more days before she needed to go back to class again, even though the only class she really cared about right now was muggle studies, but even that wasn't enough to make her feel in the spirit of school again yet.

Heading down to the lake, Charity stared out over the still frozen waters. She missed skating. She hadn't had a chance to go this Christmas. Now though? Now seemed a good time to skate.

Heading out onto the ice, Charity cleared her mind of everything and just lost herself in the freedom of skating which she so loved. After a while though, movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye and she slowed to a halt, squinting into the distance to see who it was she'd seen moving. She recognised that hair...

"Millie!" She squealed, recognizing her and the cute Ravenclaw girl from the party several weeks back.

[Millie Croft]

Millie was extremely happy being back at Hogwarts, sure it had only been a couple of weeks but she'd missed her home a lot. Being back with her parents had been a horrible experience, she hated the pressure that came with being their daughter, their expectations, and the fact she could never admit who she really was too them...she hated it.

After unpacking she had decided a walk was in order, there was still a chill in the air so she wrapped up with her gloves, scarf and beanie hat. All she wanted was some alone time to enjoy the last couple days of freedom...Tay was no where to be found, which left Millie a little disappointed.

Somehow she'd ended up down at the lake, loving how it looked still frozen over. It was truly magical, and it filled her with a sense of immense peace. Seeing a figure moving along the ice Millie smiled, straining to try and see who it was as she drew closer, the figure also came to a halt.

"Millie!"

Millie smiled, recognizing instantly who it was and she felt the butterflies erupt in her stomach. It was Charity, the pretty girl from the Hufflepuff party. Chewing down on her bottom lip, Millie moved to the edge of the lake and waved at Charity, "Hey Charity...it's good to see you." she said honestly, unable to wipe the grin from her face.

Did she have a crush on this girl? Yes...there was no dancing around that, but she'd hide it, she always did.

[charity]

Charity watched as Millie recognized her and waved, and she waved back just as enthusiastically. She skated as quickly as she could over the ice to where Millie was now standing at the edge of the lake. She squealed in typical Charity fashion and pulled Millie into a tight hug. As usual, Charity and personal space didn't belong in the same sentence.

"And you, gorgeous!" She pulled back from the hug and gave the other girl a huge grin. "How was your Christmas?"

This beat skating any day.

[Millie Croft]

Millie laughed lightly as Charity skated over to her, pulling her into a hug she returned just as enthusiastically. Usually she wasn't much of a touchy feely girl, the only person she usually showed any affection for was Tay, but it seemed almost normal to act that way with Charity, the girl didn't give her much of an option either way.

Pulling back she shrugged lightly, holding her gloved hands together, "Christmas was...well normal for my house, nothing spectacular, I'm just happy to be back at school...what about you?" she asked, still smiling, glad she'd actually came out for the walk and not settled down to read like she had originally planned to do.

[charity]

Charity looked down at Millie's hands and then reached out to grab them in her own and grinned. This girl was so gorgeous that Charity was almost jealous. Okay, there was no almost about it. She was jealous. What a stunner!

"I wish the holidays could last a little longer. I'm not ready to back to lessons yet." Charity pouted as she looked at Millie, but it quickly turned into a smile again. "So... what did you get?"

She bounced a little before she remembered she had skates on and wobbled a bit, grabbing Millie's hands tighter and laughing. This quiet girl probably thought she was weird as hell.

[Millie Croft]

Millie was a little surprised when Charity took her hands in her own, and had to fight the urge to blush, it was a friendly gesture there was no point reading anything more into it, Charity was simply one of those people who was more touchy feely.

"I don't mind the lessons, I prefer them to being stuck at home if I'm honest." Millie said with a small laugh when she saw Charity pouting before smiling again. She sure had an infectious smile, it's part of the reason Millie couldn't stop smiling.

Before she could respond to Charity's question about what she'd gotten for Christmas, the other girl wobbled on her skates, making Millie tighten her hold on her hands just like Charity did before she laughed softly, shaking her head at the other girl in amusement. "Watch yourself..." she laughed, making sure she was steady on her feet.

Realizing she had yet to answer her question though, Millie's smile faltered but only slightly as she gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "I got a dress...few other little things. What about you, anything special?" she asked, eager to get the topic off herself. The dress had in fact been a design of what her Mum had planned for Millie's wedding dress...

[charity]

Charity wobbled and tightened her grip, feeling Millie do the same as she tried to keep her balance. She smiled up at her and didn't let go of her hands. Charity didn't like to be distanced from people. She was far more in-your-face and touchy-feely that most people were comfortable with, but that's just how she was.

Millie's smile faltered as she remembered Charity's question, and Charity wondered what was on her mind.

"Ooh, dresses! If I little pink hearts appeared over my words when I said things I like then they would be floating all over right now." She grinned and winked at Millie. "And my parents know me well enough to buy be party clothes to keep me happy." She laughed. Of course, what she'd really have liked for christmas was answered, but that wasn't about to happen any time soon.

[Millie Croft]

Millie chuckled at Charity when the other girl winked at her, "Trust me the dress was nothing spectacular..." she said with a smile, which was a complete lie, the dress was stunning. On anyone else she would have loved it, she just didn't want it for herself, she didn't want any of what they had planned for her. Why wasn't she allowed to make decisions for her own life...was it really fair to think it right she get locked into a loveless marriage.

"Party clothes...you'll have to let me take a peek, my parents are a little strict on things like that. Any party stuff I have I have to sneak in from Hogsmeade." she said, pulling a face before laughing lightly. Hogsmeade wasn't well know for it's party gear, really there was nothing there.

"Wish I had my skates with me...I'd join you on the lake otherwise.." she said with a small pout, it had been a long time since she'd gone skating. To her it always had a bit of a romantic feel to it...but she quickly shook that thought from her head, her and Charity were friends, that was all.

[charity]

"It's a deal," She grinned at the other girl, "But only if you show me your dress. I bet you'll look amaze in it." Despite not knowing anything about the dress, Charity was pretty sure she was right. This girl looked like she'd look fabulous in anything she wore. How was it humanly possible for someone to look as beautiful as this girl did?

Charity frowned. "Hogsmeade and party clothes? No thank you. They're terrible down there! Every thing looks like it's second hand brought direct from last century. I can think of just the dress for you..." She squealed again. "You have to come to my dorm some time. Must, must, must!"

Charity pouted. She'd have loved it if Millie could have stayed here and skated with her. "Well... you could try a summoning charm..." Anything to get this gorgeous girl to stay here a while longer, and give her a chance to get to know her better.

[Millie Croft]

Millie smiled and shook her head, not answering Charity when she said she'd love to see her dress. If only she knew, "It's not the kind of dress I can wear out but maybe one day." she said, not wanting to talk anymore about it, she shouldn't have said anything to begin with, though she really did wish she could talk to someone about it. When she did she was sure it'd be Tay, they were best friends after all.

"Exactly, though I have gotten lucky a couple times with clothes down there." she said with a smile, one that only widened when Charity spoke again, "I'd love to, just name the time and date and I can be there..." she said, laughing at how excited Charity seemed. This girl could easily make you forget your problems, her mood was just so infectious.

Before Charity even suggested the summoning charm Millie was already casting it, her wand between her fingers. "Already done...been a while since I've been skating so be ready for me to fall flat on my backside." she joked, looking over her shoulder when she heard the familiar whizzing sound, turning in time to catch her skates in her hand. Letting go of Charity, she sat down on a nearby stump before pulling off her shoes and slipping on her skates.

[charity]

"Soon. I don't know when, but soon." She stuck out her tongue at the younger girl. "Have been out in Hogsmeade for a night before?" It was always good for a laugh, but Charity much preferred it when she had company. Olivia had some thing in her head at the minute about how she absolutely couldn't go out after hours and it was annoying to say the least. Charity loved a good party.

As soon as Charity was mentioning a summoning charm Millie was already casting it. Charity grinned. "No you won't." She winked. "I'll catch you."

She watched as Millie sat down and started putting on her skates, and rather that waiting, she kicked off quickly and skated in a quick circle, picking up speed so that she could do a jump. She'd been skating for more years than what she could honestly remember. Jumps came easily to her these days.

She came to a halt in front of Millie again and looked to see if she had her boots on yet, grinning as she did so. She loved skating so much. It made her feel so free and light hearted.

[Millie Croft]

As she went about getting on her boots, Charity began skating again. Millie smiled, fastening up her laces as she watched the gorgeous girl, transfixed by the way she was moving, Millie was good at skating but she'd never mastered the jumps, partially because she never spent long enough on the ice to do so. Right now she was perfectly content to watch Charity, her laces fastened.

"I've never been out the school grounds after curfew..." she said as Charity came to a stop in front of her, realizing she had yet to have answered the question about whether she'd been out to Hogsmeade on a night out. She'd always been a little to chicken to go out after hours, she had no doubt Charity had though.

"You looked amazing out there..." she said sincerely as she stood up, slipping onto the ice, taking a moment to get her bearings on the skates before she skated closer to where Charity stood, a smile on her face as she held out her hand, "Just in case I fall..." she joked, wiggling her fingers.

[charity]

Charity pulled to a stop not far from Millie and she could tell that the other girl had been watching her, and a slow smile spread across her face.

"You don't know what you're missing." She grinned. "We'll orgainze that dress up for one weekend and we'll go into town for a night." Charity winked. "Call it a date, gorgeous."

Millie complimented her on her skating as she stood and headed onto the ice. Charity just grinned and winked at her, reaching for Millie's outstretched hand. "If you do, I'll fall with you so you're not alone."

Setting off at a slow glide, Charity turned to grin at Millie, excited to have someone like her out here to share the ice with.

[Millie Croft]

Millie smiled as she looked up at Charity, "A date it is..." she replied, unable to quell the feeling of excitement that rushed through her at the possibility of going out with Charity. Whether it was a real date or not she didn't know but she'd settle for spending any kind of time with the pretty girl in front of her.

She laughed slightly when Charity winked at her again, taking her outstretched hand in her own. Was it right how normal this all felt? At Charity's words her smile appeared again and she looked towards the ice, "Well I just became the luckiest girl at Hogwart's." she said, looking back up at Charity as they began to skate at a leisurely pace.

When Charity turned to look at her Millie smiled again, this was the first time she'd smiled so much all Christmas and it felt great, usually the only person she felt this comfortable was, was Tay, but Tay was her best-friend, Millie wondered if Charity would become more than that. "So tell me, what were you doing out here on your own...I usually see you around surrounded by a group of people." she said, enjoying the feeling of gliding over the ice.

[charity]

A date indeed... Charity wouldn't mind a date with this stunner, not one bit. She didn't know whether Millie was serious though, so she didn't ask. Millie was probably solely into guys... Most girls were. Which kinda sucked for Charity. She liked both and she didn't hide it.

The two of them set off skating across the ice hand in hand. Should this feel as normal as it did? Well Charity was always quite a touchy person anyway, but this felt like a different kind of right. And Millie had a gorgeous smile too. Was it normal for someone to be as beautiful as this girl? Charity was amazed at her beauty.

"So tell me, what were you doing out here on your own...I usually see you around surrounded by a group of people."

Charity laughed and squeezed Millie's hand lightly. "I escaped the wild beasts!" She grinned and turned so that she was skating backwards while standing in front of Millie, still holding her hand though. "Or at least, I decide to get away from every one who is suddenly obsessed with talking about school work again..."