Magical Creatures Park #66
 

Ponessa took a deep-ish breath and walked up close to the gate. She said the password clearly and waited untill the gate was open just enough for her to get through before quickly steping in.
There were two other girls there, she noticed first. She looked all around her, getting 'farmilliar to her surroundings', so to speak, but did not move for now.

Dia carefully walked up to the gates, muttered the password, and entered. Passing by quite a few students, she went a bit deeper into the path and took a sharp right turn. There was the barn--the place she had memorized the path of last term. Slowly opening it ad stepping inside, she smiled as the slightly nightmare-ish looking, winged horses raised their heads to see who the newcomer was. Dia slowly made her way over to a large, powerful looking thestral and began feeding small scraps of raw meat to him. They really were amazing and beautiful creatures...what ever anyone else thought.

Xana saw that familiar tiny girl with long, flowing jet black hair enter the park. She spoke the password and followed her into the thestral area.

"Hey." she said softly. Her eyes were bloodshot with dark circles under them, her countenance tired and stressed. "Care to share?" she gestured to the meat, hoping to feed the thestrals while they talked.

Dia heard a familiar voice behind her and turned around, causing the thestral she was feeding to promptly grab a piece out of her hand. She glanced back over at the thestral and shook her head, obviously amused. The seventh year walked over to Xana, smiling. "Of course. What's wrong? Did you not get a good nights' sleep?"

"To say the least." she sighed. "I..."

Damn. A friend of Dia's came in.. since when was she such the social butterfly?? She could never seem to get a moment to talk to her these days. Oh well. She took a bit of Dia's meat and fed a thestral quietly, not knowing the boy.

"Why, good day, Hitachi." Dia nodded to him, walking back into the dark corner of the barn where she threw a particularly bloody piece of meat to the thestral, who ate it gratefully.

Dia looked to Xana, wondering what it could possibly be. "Ah...and by the way--Xana, this is Hitachi Jessy Suzuki. He's a Slytherin third year. Hitachi, this is Xana Venefica--seventh year Slytherin, like myself."

Jessy smiled. It was about time he met her friend. He bowed a bit deeply and greeted her. "Hello, Xana. I've seen your dueling skills, and I say, I'm most impressed with it." He said while smiling. He grabbed a piece of meat and threw it gracefully into the pack of thestrals.

She smiled and nodded politely. "Pleasure to meet you." She handed a thestral another scrap of meat, petting its snout.

"Ah, you haven't bothered. But...I suppose we can't stop you from leaving, can we? Until next time." she nodded to him, tossing another scrap of raw meat to another thestral, as all the others in the barn had been staring at the other enviously. Dia turned her attention back to Xana.

Xana continued to feed the thestral, in something of a fugue state, clearly exhausted and preoccupied. She didn't notice Dia's friend -- what did she say his name was? -- go.

"Erm...Xana? You were telling me something?"

"Was I? I don't recall..." Xana looked troubled, a she continued to feed the thestrals.

"Xana. We were just talking mere seconds ago. You alright? Perhaps we should go back up to the castle and see the nurse...?" Dia furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

"What? Yes, I'm fine. Really, I'm just really tired-- I haven't been sleeping well at night for some reason... " she sighed. "So what's been going on in your world? Anything interesting happening?" she fed a bite of meat to a baby thestral, who gobbled it from her hand, nearly taking her index finger along with it.

Dia watched Xana in interest, wondering if anything but lack of sleep was causing her current state. "Ah, not much has been going on in my world...after you left class, Hitachi and I did have quite an epic duel...he's quite good for a third year, I must admit. We even got to the point of controlling elements and shaping them into other forms to attack each other. Quite fun indeed." she nodded, grinning. "Oh--and also--there is a current plotting...you know Alex and Reese, right? Well, they are plotting to steal Veritaserum from Dresden's private stores," the seventh year said, lowering her voice. "I don't know if they've carried out the plan yet...but they must be stopped. We need Slytherin to win the house cup...and we have no idea who they're planning to use it on." Dia growled.

"I've also been keeping in touch with others more. A few days ago Dimitri and I owled back and forth--he told me to tell you hello, by the way."