Sometimes you can't make it on your own (Ripley)

[Sophie Swann]

Sorrow is sometimes hard to explain because there are so many reasons for it. So many things can make people unhappy even though those things don't really even matter to them. Humans are vulnerable, humans are weak. Humans can't survive the life without friends or family who take care of them. Humans lives, our lives, depend on someone else.

This is what Sophie Swann had realized during those 17 years she has lived. She knew how important friends are and how important it is to appreciate them as long as they're alive. Unfortunately, Sophie hasn't always known this. One of her best friends, Cedric Diggory, died before she managed to tell him how much she really cared about him. Before she even realized that she, so-called princess, had learned to love that boy just like he was her own brother.

Years have passed by after Cedric's death but Sophie still kept thinking about him. One evening on her 7th year, she found herself leaning on a tree by the Black Lake and crying. She could imagine Cedric's handsome face in front of hers and it hurt. Sophie wasn't one of those girls who were afraid to cry in front of people but she didn't really want to show her sorrow to others. They didn't need to know. Still, when she stared at the lake, she hoped that one of her friends would come and cheer her up a bit. Sophie knew that some things were hard, almost impossible, to make on your own.

[Ripley Todd]

Night walker One of Ripley’s male friends drawled as she walked towards the Gryffindor portrait. She threw a quick grin over her shoulder, but didn’t answer as she slipped out, silent and stealthy in her muggle clothing. For the night she had worn jeans, hikers and one of many hockey tee shirts she owned. Something had been bugging her all night, what it was she didn’t know, yet. She had been sneaking out of the castle for near seven years now, starting around the end of her first year.

Looking left then right when she hit the third floor, she ducked behind a statue as Mrs. Norris went by, yellow eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Ripley made a face at the cats back and hopped down quietly, her boots thumping slightly on the flagstone floor. Quickly she moved into the shadows heading down the last two flights of stairs. Pushing open the great doors she met the cold air with a smile. With a small yip of joy she flew down the steps, long legs taking two at a time.

Her boots stepped onto the grass, the frost crunching underfoot. An excited shiver ran through her body, frost meant cold, cold meant ice and ice meant that she could play hockey...or at least skate. Her feet took her across the ground towards the lake, where she loved to be. Stopping sharply she listened, head tilted to one side, like a dog hearing a high-pitched sound. Someone was crying. With a cautious step she moved towards the tree where it was coming from. That gave weeping willow a whole new meaning. She looked around in the dark and found the source. “Sophie?” Her stomach jolted. “Soph!” She jogged over to her friend, and stood in front, slightly imposing, her brown eyes glittering with fury and worry. Fury at whoever was making Sophie cry and worry as to why she was crying. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

[Sophie Swann]

Sophie raised her head and saw her friend, Ripley, standing in front of her. Sophie smiled at her while saying:"Don't worry about me, Ripley. I was just thinking about Cedric, Cedric Diggory. Remember him?" Sophie was pretty sure that her friend knew who she meant but perhaps Ripley had forgotten already. Not everybody liked Cedric that much, or even knew him. Still, he had been one of the most important persons in Sophie's life. Actually, he had been the only guy who Sophie has ever really loved.

While waiting for Ripley's answer, Sophie turned to look at the Black Lake and its shimmering water. It reminded her of the lake which was nearby Swann's manor. She had often swam there with Cedric when they were kids. They had always had so much fun together and seeing Cedric wearing his swimming trunks hadn't been that horrible experience either. But she will never see him again. Not with his swimming trunks, or without them. He is gone and he will never return. Fortunately, he will somehow always stay alive as long as someone remembers him. Someone like Sophie Swann.

[Ripley Todd]

"Don't worry about me, Ripley."

Telling Ripley not to think was like telling a hockey player not to skate anymore, just stand there, and look pretty. The seventeen year old heaved a sigh; a cross between pissed off and utterly worried. Her friends were second best to the team, and most understood, you don't leave a man behind, if he falls back, you all fall back and defend him. One guy gets in a fight, you back him in it. Someone has a sucky day you do your god d@mn best to make it better.

"I was just thinking about Cedric, Cedric Diggory. Remember him?"

"Oh," Was Ripley's blatantly obvious answer. “Hmm.” She couldn’t do much more then that, she knew the guy, slightly arrogant Hufflepuff, but knew he had been a sweetheart, and that Sophie had been very much in love with him. She knew the feeling of losing the ones you love, but then again it had been her father, not a boyfriend type of person, though if you included the team, they were as good as any boyfriend or better.

“So, just being back here?” Rip finally asked after silence. Brown eyes shifted from the girl in front of her to the lake that the moon was reflecting on. It was better in winter, better with the ice, but then again it was Ripley’s opinion after all, and her mind revolved around hockey half the time.

[Sophie Swann]

Sophie could tell that that Ripley hadn't liked Cedric or hadn't known him well but she really didn't care about it. It was time to stop thinking about him, Ripley didn't have to suffer there with her. Sophie would think about Cedric when she was alone and free to cry as much as she wanted.

"Huh?" Sophie asked. She had heard that Ripley asked something but she hadn't catched the words. "I'm sorry Ripley. I really tried to listen, I just.. I just was deep in my thoughts, that's all." The words Sophie said to her friend, were a promise. She was now ready to listen to her and perhaps help her with her problems. Of course Sophie hoped that her housemate didn't have any, but still.

The big moon was painted on the sky. Sophie loved the moon, she always had. That's why she gazed at it or a while and made a wish. She knew how childish it was but she wanted to believe that when it was fullmoon, one wish came true. Sophie's wish was't so special but it meant a lot to her. More than no one will ever know.

[Ripley Todd]

"Huh? I'm sorry Ripley. I really tried to listen, I just.. I just was deep in my thoughts, that's all."

Rip shurgged, "It's cool, Soph don't worry, I've been that same way for a couple...well, years." She furrowed her brow staring at the moon, brown eyes comteplating the stars, "Diggory was a Quidditch player right?" She paired people with how she saw them the most, as much as she loved Hermione the girl was a bookworm, and Malfoy...well, he was such a sneak she had to call him a rat.

"Hufflepuff, I think." Ripley shurgged. "He was an okay guy, nice, I think I had poitions or some class I hated with him."

((OMG I'm sorry, I forgot about this thread, and my post sucks *headdesk))

[Sophie Swann]

Sophie smiled at Ripley, ignoring the fact that she still saw Cedric's face in front of her. "Yes, he was hufflepuff's quidditch captain. He was one of the tri wizard champions, remember?" Sophie said, not being able to believe that someone actually might have forgotten the kind and loyal badger.

"Let's talk about something else.. or someone else. Do you have a crush on someone, Ripley?" Sophie asked teasingly, smirking slightly. She had always enjoyed talking about this kinds of things even though she didn't like rumours. It was interesting to hear who her friends were attracted to and why. Sometimes Sophie found it very weird that she had so different kind of taste, when it came to guys.

While waiting for the reply, the lion turned to look at the large moon again. She smiled without a reason, whispering in her head "I wish I could turn back time and tell him what I felt"

((it's ok. I'm sorry about this post, it's so short. I just wanted to reply quickly))

[/font]