* - - we will still be friends forever (raychel)

[ISABELLA SABRINA ACKERLEY]

Isabella loved the fall, to her it seemed to be the most colorful season with all of the leaves changing colors, and she didn’t even mind that it was slowly getting colder. Really Isabella loved every season the same since they all had some really good things about them. Right now she was sitting down on the school lawn with her back against a tree as she looked out at the lake. She watched the giant squid poke its tentacles in and out of the water. She wondered just how old the giant squid was as it was here back when her parents went to school, or maybe it wasn’t even the same one.

Isabella stretched her arms out before running a hand through her long chocolate brown hair and then she flipped a page in her divination book. She actually had many divination books and those who didn’t know the truth about her, usually never understood why she had so many. But if she had let it be known publicly that she was a seer then everyone would understand, but for now she had planned on keeping it quiet, it was just what she preferred for now.

She glanced behind her to look back up at the castle. She was waiting for someone and that someone happened to be her best friend, Raychel Entwhistle. The two of them spent very little time apart as they had been best friends since their first year at Hogwarts and Isabella knew that they would never grow apart even after they finished their final year at Hogwarts. She looked back down at the book and smiled as she turned the page once more.

[RAYCHEL MAE ENTWHISTLE]

Raychel just finished going over the prefect's schedule for the third time. Was she being fair to everyone, she wondered. It seemed like everyone had even amount of patrols and days off, of course if there were any mistakes, surely she would have picked them up by now. Pushing the chair out, she stood, folding the parchment, making a mental note to tell the prefects during their next meeting. Of course having the head boy in her house helped but he was hard to track down this day. Flipping her curly blonde hair over her shoulder, she pocketed the parchment and headed out of the empty classroom.

Where was Izzy, she wondered. Looking out the windows, Raychel knew she wouldn’t be up in the astronomy tower, it was too early; maybe she was outside. It never ceased to amaze Raychel about knowing where her best friend was. Heading outside and walking around the grounds, it didn’t take long for her to see the familiar head of brown hair poking out from behind a tree. A smile crept up to her lips as she neared the girl, taking a seat next to her. Picking up one of the books, she noticed the title. Was Izzy still trying to understand her ability better? Well she didn’t blame the girl, if it were her that had the ability; she would have wanted to know everything there was about it. Placing the book down, she turned to her friend, throwing an arm over her shoulder in an attempt of a hug.
"I'd ask what you're doing, but I think I might already know," she spoke as she turned her head to watch the giant squid's tentacles play in and out of the water.

[ISABELLA SABRINA ACKERLEY]

Isabella was turning the page in the books she was reading when the next thing she knew her best friend had came and sat down right next to her. Isabella returned her dear friend Raychel’s hug and then placed a marker in her book before closing it. “Well I am caught up on homework, so of course I would be looking up some more Divination books,” she giggled lightly. But it wasn’t like there wasn’t many of the Divination books out there that Isabella hadn’t read yet. She was nearing to the end of the books she had bought to read for this school year, and really she was just running out of books to buy. She knew what she needed to do that summer, and it was to get out in the world and see if somewhere out there she could find the answers to her gift. Sure she had slowly began to learn to control it, but really she wanted to be better at it then she already was.

“So what have you been up to dear Raychel?” she asked lightly as she stretched her arms up into the air. She really had been out there for quite a while and she was surprised that her back hadn’t started hurting from leaning against the tree.

She smiled at Raychel as she waited for an answer from her. The two of them had never been apart ever since the day they had met on the faithful Hogwarts Train right before the beginning of their first year. It was truly amazing how the two of them had gotten into the same house as each other and ended up being the two smartest students in their class. Many would probably have thought the two of them would’ve competed against each other with their grades, but instead they worked together making it so that the two of them stayed at the top of their class.

[RAYCHEL MAE ENTWHISTLE]

The smile that had spread across her face widened. Of course Izzy would have finished her homework just as Raychel had, in fact she liked that they worked together on the majority of their homework. Trust her thought to continue trying to find out about her abilities and if there was anything Raychel could do to help, she would. She made sure Izzy never forgot that either.
"You know, it's not like me to say this, but take a break, you look like you've been reading too much in such a short amount of time," she replied. How unusual for a Ravenclaw to be tell someone to take a break from studying, it was almost unheard of in their house, "Come on, just relax and enjoy the lake before winter comes and it'll be too cold to sit out here."

She leant sideways, resting her head on Izzy's shoulder, glad to see she had put a bookmark in her book before closing it. Good, she thought to herself as she stared out at the lake. How peaceful it seemed, even with the squid playing around in the water.

Raychel heard Izzy, what had she been up too. She didn’t have to think on that one.
"Well besides having to sit though classes with some that don’t actually seem like they want to be there, I’ve been going over the prefect roster and well I hope there won’t be too many changes to it now," she spoke, her voice soft.
"This is our last year, I’m sure going to miss this place," she spoke out loud after a while.

[ISABELLA SABRINA ACKERLEY]

Isabella loved how Raychel cared about her. Most would probably get mad at a person if they told them they should stop doing something, but Isabella knew Raychel was telling her to relax because, well Isabella really needed a break. She stretched her arms up into the air before taking her books and putting it in her book bag right next to her Dream Journal, something she had decided to start up this year so that she could keep track of her visions easier. She remembered the one she had before having to get on the train to Hogwarts, it was probably one of her more confusing dreams.

“I sure hope that Head Boy is helping you out,” Isabella giggled knowing that this year both heads came from Ravenclaw. It really was quite amazing for both Heads to be from the same house, it just proved how awesome Ravenclaw was. Isabella was determined that they win the House cup this year, just as she was sure that Raychel wanted to win both the Quidditch Cup and House Cup for Ravenclaw, of course Isabella could mainly only help with the house cup. “It really is quite nice out, I kind of wish it would stay like this year round, but we know that isn’t going to happen,” she smiled lightly as she leaned her head on Raychel’s shoulder. “You know, with the tournament this year there’s going to be a ball, maybe we could get a couple of guys as our dates this year.”

[RAYCHEL MAE ENTWHISTLE]

There was only one thing that could ruin the perfect moment with her best friend and that was the mention of the head boy. Urgh she couldn’t stand him. They were in the same house which made it worse, she had to see him every single day, no matter what. She remembered the first time she met him and remembered the sorting. She had hoped to Merlin that they were never put in the same house, unfortunately her prayers had not been answered and low and behold they were in the same house.
"Like the head boy would do anything but nag. I mean he tries and competes with me all the time, he just doesn’t get the hint that there are others better than him, it’s annoying," and it was even annoying to find that they were both on the quidditch team, couldn’t anything go her way for once when it concerned the head boy.

Raychel took a deep breath, calming her mind once more. She simply had to forget all about Jaycen Tate, annoying prat of Ravenclaw and focus on being here with her best friend.
"You and me both, warming charms in winter isn’t the same as sitting down in an autumn's evening," she replied, and it was their last autumn at Hogwarts too. Perhaps they could start a whole reunion thing, something muggles tended to do. A ten year reunion and find out what everyone was up to and who they had married, how many kids they had etc. It was a nice thought, although perhaps someone had already thought of it.
"Oh I completely forget about the ball," she pipped up. She'd have to go into Hogsmeade, or perhaps apparate to Diagon Alley one day and find a dress, and of course she'd drag Izzy with her.
"Well if we don’t find dates, we can always go together like we always do," there was just about nothing she didn’t do with Izzy, well event wise anyways.

[ISABELLA SABRINA ACKERLEY]

Isabella giggled as Raychel complained about Jaycen like she tended to do. But that was just how those two were since day one it seemed, especially the year they became prefects it seemed to get worse between the two. “Maybe one day Jaycen will realize that, but for now we must deal with his constant nagging,” she nodded lightly as she looked back out to the lake where the giant Squid was popping its tentacles out of the lake. She slightly wondered just how old the Giant Squid was or perhaps it wasn’t even the same giant squid that was there when her parents went to Hogwarts. For all they knew it could be the offspring of the Giant Squid back them, but then wouldn’t there be more than just the one?

Winter wasn’t far away and the two Ravenclaw girls knew that, but at least they had the Yule Ball to look forward to. Isabella smiled at Raychel when she had mentioned that Autumn was indeed better than winter and then went on about how the two of them should go to the Yule Ball together if they aren’t able to find dates. “Of course we would go together Ray, just the two of us. Besides who needs to have a date to attend the Yule Ball? Unless of course you’re one of the champions, they are always expected to show up with a date,” Isabella chuckled lightly before sighing and leaning against the tree some more. “You know, I slightly wish this wasn’t our last year here. I really do enjoy being at Hogwarts,” Isabella smiled lightly.

[RAYCHEL MAE ENTWHISTLE]

Izzy had no reason to put up with Jaycen and yet she had said 'we'. It just reinformed Raychel that no matter what, Izzy always had her back, just like she would always watch out for Izzy. A true friendship that nothing could break. Even if they happened to like the same boy, she would be happy to let him go for Izzy for the Ravenclaw was more important that boys, in fact she was like family, no she was family. Family these days weren’t defined by blood and she could always count on Isabella being there for her.
"Well at least we won’t have to put up with him next year," she replied, unless to her horror, he got a job at St Mungo's or moved into a house next to hers. Nope she was positive that this was the last year they'd see Jaycen.

The champions needing dates, well of course they would, they were the ones that kicked things off and she couldn’t help but wonder just who Jaycen would choose, not that she cared or anything, she was just curious as to who the poor girl was.
"Christmas is certainly going to be busy around here this year," she spoke softly, more to herself than anything although she was loud enough so that Izzy could hear too.

Raising her head she looked at the brunette and smiled.
"Well we could always come back here as staff, you as a professor and me as healer in the hospital wing, that way we could enjoy it here for years to come."

[ISABELLA SABRINA ACKERLEY]

Izzy smiled at Raychel again, it seemed to be all she ever did with Raychel when they were around each other. Whenever she was down it was Raychel that brought her back up again and it was definitely the best thing she could have in a best friend. That and the fact that they always backed each other up. “Oh I hope that doesn’t happen. But if it does, we should go somewhere else. If it’s St. Mungo’s, perhaps make him work on another floor,” she joked lightly knowing that the two of them would never do such a thing. There were always kind, no matter how much they hated a person. Sure they could be rude if they got annoyed enough, but for the most part the top two girls were perhaps the kindest girls you could come across.

Isabella nodded as Raychel mentioned that Christmas would be busy that time of year. It would be and she wouldn’t mind it one bit. She loved events like this and of course the masquerade ball that was coming up. She wondered who she would get partnered up with.

“Hmm… I could be the divination teacher, that would be pretty darn cool,” she smiled lightly as she imagined teaching a class of third years. “But our current Divination teacher will need to retire first,” she chuckled lightly.