Walks and Meetings ( Amber )

Amber had wandered with her father for the past two hours, and even she knew that it was simply so that he could introduce her to his shady friends. Which was fine, as they were all completely polite to her, but she only wished that she could be finally getting some of her pre-school shopping done. She'd outgrown some of her school clothes, and she desperately needed some ingredients to replenish the small trunk of potions that she usually took to Hogwarts during the school year.

It wasn't until half an hour later that she finally managed to escape. She bid her father a good afternoon and headed out of Knockturn Alley, into the much brighter and happier place that was Diagon. She took three quick steps down the alley before even looking where she was going and walked straight into someone. If she'd had something in her hands, she'd have probably dropped it, but otherwise it was only enough to cause her to stumble. "No, no," she said dismissively as she steadied herself with a light grip on his arm, "I wasn't watching where I was going."

Amber soon realised that she hadn't even apologised herself, and although not necessarily always nice, she was always as polite as was practical. "I'm sorry," she added, offering a weak smile, "I'm Amber. You were at Hogwarts last year, right?" She recognised the boy, and after hearing his name she knew enough to pinpoint his last name and former house.

"Shopping," she answered quickly, before sighing and adding, "my dad dragged me, and now I am shopping for school just to get away from him. What about you?" Her gaze flicked back to the entrance way to Knockturn and she had to agree. She didn't hate Knockturn, per say, but she did prefer the brightness of the main alley. The only benefit that Knockturn had for her was its limited sunlight.

Amber nodded at his question about whether she'd ever been into Knockturn, and she nodded sheepishly. "I just came from there, actually," she said, "it's the main place that my dad buys things. It's okay, your not rambling too badly. Have you ever been in there?"

Amber eyed the boy for a moment, releasing his arm once she was sure she wasn't going to fall. "Nice to meet you too," she finally replied with a smile, "I knew I recognised you from somewhere! I'm sure that the Headmistress will choose wisely." Amber was not yet sure on who had been chosen as the student heads of the school, but their Headmistress wasn't stupid. She wouldn't choose people who wouldn't do it right.

"Yes," the Slytherin replied, smiling, "I go to Hogwarts. And not at all. I'm a seventh year this coming term. It's sort of exciting, really, to be starting my last year." Amber tilted her head slightly when he mentioned his family- or people whom he considered to behind family. She was interested to know who he meant and if she knew them. She had never really paid a lot of attention to other people and their families, especially if they were in a different house.

Amber found herself faltering slightly at his question about her family. It was not something that she particularly enjoys talking about, but she figured that Teddy seemed like he was nice enough. "My family is.. small," she started slowly, "just me and my father. We aren't exactly close, but he's all I have. I would love to have a big family, even if not biologically related. You're lucky."

When he said that his parents were dead, she wondered for a moment why he brought it up. They were talking about families, she supposed, and it was easier to get it out of the way. "I don't even know my mother's name," she said, "it's not the same, I know, but yeah.."

"Ah, but does that not make you a good head boy?" she said, "if they don't hate you, then you're not doing your job properly." It was a joke, but at the same time it was the truth. It was hard to be in a position of authority and please everyone. "Besides, if they did they right thing, they had nothing to worry about," she added.

Amber smiled and nodded, completely agreeing. "It honestly feels like this year should only be my second," she said, "I don't really want for school to be almost over just yet, but I'm also excited to see what happens after school." She had every intention of going to university the next year, to study potions and healing. They were the two fields that interested her the most.

"Unfortunately, my father wouldn't agree with you," she said, her tone rather soft, "he has more important things to worry about, and I've learned to not let it bother me." The house elves cared for her more than her father did, and she knew it. She's learned to just live her life and let him live his. When she was little she would try and get his attention, but she gave up by the time she was old enough to play on her own.

Amber nodded, though she had never actually experienced such a family. "You're right," she said, "your family can be what you make it." Maybe someday Amber would find a family, or make her own, but for the time being she was fine on her own.

"There are plenty of people who clash," she said, "sometimes it's not a bad thing at all. Tends to make thing more interesting, really." She considered his words about his parents, and she decided being honest now was better than revealing later. "My parents were Death Eaters," she finally admitted, "that's what I know about my mother. That, and she ran away just after I was born. I've imagined everything else possible, but my father won't say a word about her, so I have nothing concrete. "You're lucky to have something to be proud of," she said with a sad smile.

"I do quite enjoy her lessons," Amber agreed with a grin, "and she seems do have done a great job with the school since she took over." Even her ever-stoic father admitted that Headmistress Shaw was a good head for the school. Amber had always gotten along quite well with her, too, which helped her opinion.

The red head had to agree with him, considering she had put so much focus on her future to stop herself from dwelling on her present. "I'm hoping to get into university," she explained, "and then decide on my two options after that. I also look forward to moving out." She didn't want to live in the house that should have been her home for any longer than she had to, and if she didn't happen to be accepted at university, she would simply get a job in order to get her own place.

"Yes, but the world is changing," she replied easily, "and they either have to adapt to this new world, or die in their old one. That's just the way it is, and it's always been that way. Things have always been changing, it was just never obvious to them until now." The girl flushed at her brief rambling, but smiled anyway.

Amber sighed, and shrugged half-heartedly. "I can't change the past, nor my family. So long as I don't follow them, then I've done all that I can. It's taken me a long time to accept that." It was very true- that she couldn't force her father to change his ways, nor could she bring her mother back. "He won't, and I stopped caring some time ago," she admitted, "if my mother cared, she would be here. But she doesn't, and so nor shall I."

The Slytherin raised an eyebrow at the mention of who families that she- and the rest of the Wizarding world- knew of very well. "You're much easier to get along with than other members of your surrogate family, then," she said, smiling in amusement.