A Break From Everything! (OPEN)

[Cali Cole]

Cali knew she should not be in the forbidden forest that is why they said it was forbidden, but she always came here when something was bothering her. Usually there weren’t any students and she could just come back here and clear her mind. Not that having company would bother her, it really wouldn’t, but she just needed some time to get away and explore a little. With all the students and the hustle of the castle on a normal basis she just needed some time to herself.

Cali smiled taking in a deep breath as she passed the big tree, she wasn’t too far now. She looked around not seeing much of anything except a few squirrels here and there and lots of bugs due to the weeds being up to her knees. She knew she was disturbing their home, but she had to so she could get where she was going. She had a place back in the woods, a very pretty place that she often went to when things were bothering her.

Cali continued on passing the big rock taking a right and walking on, she smiled as she saw it. It was a huge lake settled back in the middle of the forest. It was always sunny and the sun would hit the lake just right making it near see through. She smiled walking up to it and sitting on her normal rock letting the sun hit her face as she leaned back on her hands letting the sun warm her body. She loved this lake and did not care if she risked getting into trouble to get to it or if she was in ‘danger’ by going to it, it was her favorite lake of all time.

There were not many people she had told about this spot and she planned to keep it that way. Today she had just got up and left the common room not saying a word to anyone, she just wanted to clear her head. Nothing in particular was wrong, except that she was thinking about a certain someone from her past a lot since she had run into him a few days before. But, she was overall happy. Everyone just needed a break sometimes and this was Cali’s break to get away from school without ever really having to leave.

Hogwarts was amazing really there was always so much going on and so much to do, not to mention all the new things that constantly could be found by going on an adventure or exploring. She loved every minute of being at the castle and could not understand how some people couldn’t. She layed down on her huge rock letting the sun fully hit her body as she let out a big sigh relaxing.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

It was chance, really, that had led her to this point. Though not exactly a model student behaviour wise, Tonks had nonetheless cultivated relatively warm friendships and even maintained them in the years following her time at Hogwarts, especially with those who had encouraged her through her NEWTs and onward to what she was today. An Auror. A young one, but a bloody good one. Good enough for Mad Eye Moody at the least, and that counted for a hell of a lot; she could admit that without being egotistical.

The chance that had led her to this point, though. She'd been visiting Professor Sprout, as it were, taking stock in a rare warm autumn afternoon and a weekend to check in with her old Head of House. She'd enjoyed Herbology as a student despite her clumsiness, and really, Pomona Merlin it was awkward calling a teacher by their first name and she were more than capable of sharing a good-natured chuckle over Tonks' years at Hogwarts, up to and definitely including her 'lacking the certain necessary qualities for Prefect'.

But as it were, she'd just happened to be leaving when this particular student had taken to the Forest - the bright blonde hair was hardly difficult to follow, and thus, Tonks had followed, more out of concern than a desire to get the kid in trouble. She'd served enough detentions with and visited Hagrid enough to know just how dangerous the Forbidden Forest could be, and she'd rather not have it on her conscience if the girl got hurt or into trouble and she, Auror Tonks, had known she was in the Forest in the first place. Yep, definitely didn't need that on her conscience. Kids were silly, they really were. She got the whole needing to be alone once in a while, but still; it was bloody stupid.

Stealth and Tracking had paid off for her in this case; she hadn't been noticed, and surprisingly, hadn't had a stumble or a fall like she was prone to. But then again, even the worst Auror in that particular field could probably make themself undetectable to a student; it was what they trained for after all. Still, Dora pursed her lips slightly in a way not unlike Minerva Mcgonnagal, wand loosely at her side and an ear out for anything untoward in the surrounding forest even as her eyes kept their own half-concerned watch on the girl now sitting at the little lake. It was a nice lake, it was; she'd passed it once or twice, even stopped here for supper one detention, because Hagrid was awesome like that.

But it was still in the bloody Forbidden Forest.

The last straw for the Auror in her was when the lass closed her eyes and leant back, completely neglecting her surroundings. Anything could have gotten her in this place, and it was something of a miracle that nothing had. It was enough to spike Tonks' protective instincts, and thus, morphing her hair from midnight black to a bright blonde not unlike Cali's (though just different enough in that she'd let her tips form the soft rosy pink she'd become more than a little fond of in recent times), the Auror made herself known to the younger girl, pointedly stepping on a small branch so it cracked under her combat boots.

"Oi. You're not supposed to be out here, mate." Low voice, bland and entirely unaccusing, more making a pointed but unthreatening statement than anything else. Almost friendly, really, if the large, twinkling dark eyes, the pink-tipped hair and the lopsided little smile weren't friendly enough. Clearly, the young Auror wasn't here for a fight, and preferred not to start one. Because she didn't intend to get the girl in trouble - who looked vaguely familiar up close; she'd have to ask dear little Cousin Harry if this was someone she'd known of once upon a time later on - but nor was she entirely comfortable with just letting a student wander out here on their own.

[Cali Cole]

Cali jumped a little as a woman walked out of the bushes. She had not realized anyone had followed her and was not for sure if she was going to be in trouble although she doubted it. If this woman was going to get her in trouble she would have already done it. She knew she was not supposed to be in the forest though and knew that the woman was probably rather concerned for her. She heard the woman say that she was not supposed to be out here and Cali noticed that the woman did not seem upset or mad or anything of the sort really. "I know I'm not supposed to be out here, but it's so peaceful." She was not sure what else to say and that was the truth. The real reason she had come out here was to relax because her pre healer test were coming up soon and she had been putting a lot of time into the hospital wing.

It was not that she was overly stressed today she was more worried. She had not seen Gem in some time and was beginning to wonder if he had been avoiding her. She was hoping he was not but it was still something that bothered her a little and made her worry, so she came out here to this place so that she could relax and not have to worry about anything. "I am sorry if I concerned you in any way. I didn't mean to, it's just relaxing out here. I know you probably think I'm crazy considering it is the forbidden forest and all, but it's rather hard for me to relax at the school, almost everyone knows me and I usually get locked into conversations." Cali shrugged a little and continued on, "I know most people would not consider that a problem but sometimes I just want time to myself and it's impossible for me to do that at the castle." She gave the woman a small smile although she was a tad worried.

(OOC: Sorry if it is a tad short.)

[Nymphadora Tonks]

Tonks had to stifle a laugh. She couldn't help it - short of actually falling of the rock itself, the girl was behaving almost exactly like Tonks herself had been prone to doing at that age. And still did. The rushed words, bordering on babbling, the jumpiness, the wide eyes, even the completely insane ability to somehow not notice her Auror robes in the wake of being caught; it was all remarkably like her. Except, of course, the kid didn't have hair that behaved in the manner equivalent to that of a living Mood Ring, and thus, her hair hadn't changed like Dora's did on the occasion that she was given a good fright.

"Relax, kiddo," she said dryly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She probably should march the girl back up to school - and she would, in due time - right here and now, but there was no point beating the proverbial horse until you absolutely needed to. And for now, she figured she might as well be nice and not scare the kid. Besides, she was an Auror, and she knew her Magical Creatures. Failing that, she knew her surroundings, so if she so much as heard a sound that...er, sounded remotely wrong, she'd been running for it marching herself and the girl before her back to the safety of the castle quicker than a Kneazle on fresh tuna fish anyway. It was all good and well that the Forest looked nicer during the day, but it was still the Forbidden Forest.

Also, assuming, of course, a Professor didn't have the scary sense to show up here and throw them *both* in detention anyway.

"Y'might wanna think about choosing a better spot some time soon, though. Professors might not find you as popular if they catch you breaking the rules." Another shrug from the young Auror, though those distinctively wide, dark eyes of hers twinkled with the sort of amusement one could only ever find on an ex-mischief maker. She snorted, though, at the 'crazy' comment, pausing briefly before shaking her head slightly and taking a graceless seat beside Cali.

"I doubt it. The crazy, I mean. I've seen crazier." Faces changing into pig snouts, hair turning insane colours, mental-cases in Azkaban...falling in love with werewolves...that all counted as crazy, most definitely. Tonks couldn't help herself, either; it was hardly as if the girl was much of a threat. Hec, even if she did run off and tattle to say...Dumbledore, as an example, he was more likely to be amused at the news of an odd little Metamorphmagus shape-shifter hanging about the grounds. Thus, just to really emphasise that there was odder out there, Tonks let herself feel the familiar tingle in her scalp and with barely a moment's warning, Cali would see lush black hair shimmer to vivacious pink.

That done, Tonks let her elbows rest on her knees and her chin on her fists, as if she'd done nothing more amazing than pull her hair out of a ponytail or some such. "So...what's your name? I can't just go calling you 'kiddo'. Could go with 'Sunshine', with that hair; it's nicer than 'Blondie'."

[Cali Cole]

Cali let out a sigh of relief as she realized she wasn't really in trouble. "I don't really come out here too often, I'm generally too busy helping Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing." Cali told the woman as she mentioned being caught, She was glad this woman had in fact not been a teacher and now that she looked at her closer she realized that she had on Auror robes, Cali gave the woman an odd look and said "Are you an Auror?" She knew it was a dumb question as the woman would not have on the robes if she was not, but she felt the need to ask it anyway and maybe get the conversation off her rule breaking for at least a few minutes.

Cali smiled as the woman talked about seeing crazier, with her being an auror she was sure that she had seen crazier. She could not imagine what it would be like to hold such a job, it was far too crazy for her to take on. She would be happy with being a healer for accident catastrophes, that was about as crazy as her life would get. That was apart from Gem and trying to figure out his deep dark secret, but that was for another time. As she saw the womans hair change Cali's mouth fell open. She could not help it as she had never met anyone who was a metamorphmagus before, although most people had not met anyone who was a half veela either so it was common that she got reactions like that too sometimes. "Are you a metamorphmagus?" Cali asked being polite as she shut her mouth so as not to look so astonished. "My name is Cali Cole." She said as she finally answered the womans question, "What is yours?"[/b] She asked out of curiosity.

[Nymphadora Tonks]

got the radio on, my old blue jeans
and I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve

feeling lucky today, got the sunshine
Could you tell me what more do I need?
maybe i'm just a girl on a mission but i'm damn ready to fly

* * * * * *[/center]

Rather than think the girl stupid, like she apparently feared, Tonks grinned when it finally clicked that she was conversing with an Auror. Rather cheekily too, was the grin, but it was undoubtably a comforting response when you feared a negative reaction. Especially when you were a kid. Especially when you were a teenager. Because regardless of what they said or thought of themselves, teenagers were ridiculously, insanely, indubiably insecure creatures at the worst of times; she'd been one herself not too long ago. Though adults could be very insecure too. Nobody liked to be ridiculed.

"No worries. And yes and yes, to both questions. But the second bit is meant to be a bit of a departmental secret." Tonks lowered her voice to a comical whisper as she spoke the last bit, as if it were some Top Secret fact she was relating. Not that it really was, but in it's own way, you didn't want too many people going around identifying you more than you needed to be.

Not that her magic alone had gotten her into the position was now, but it had undoubtably helped. Not that she'd ever admit that; Tonks was furiously adamant that she'd gotten through her training based on her own merit, and not the novelty of her powers. It was one of those things she hated, entirely up there with being bullied as a student - 'freak. mudblood. shapeshifting nutter. untrustworthy.' - and, on occasion as a teen, she'd even willed her powers to leave her before appreciating them for the gift they were. Which, in all frankness, made life a great deal harder for a Metamorphmagus than it did other...certain halfbloods. Creatures. For one, even if the reaction was similar at times, she certainly wouldn't rate having Veela blood as a real source of angst - misunderstood, perhaps, but at least Veela didn't have to change to suit the whims of others. Say, a man. They couldn't change. They were exactly who they were, and no one was going to be asking them borderline rude queries about changing themselves to suit someone's tastes. And that was definitely a source of insecurity for Tonks, being made to change who she really was.

'Course, she had more reason to grin; she was all too familiar with Madame Pomfrey. In fact, she got on rather smashingly with the woman. Had even had her very own bed as a student; her mishaps were that numerous and that legendary. Thus, it wasn't hard even if Cali was in the wrong place to respond with a wider grin, dimples and all, dark eyes warm and friendly as she brashly stuck out a hand for the blonde Gryffindor girl to shake.

"Tonks. Just Tonks. Cali, is it? Betcha that's short for something you don't like." A smirk graced the young woman's heart-shaped features. "I won't ask if you don't ask me about my name."

and tomorrow's just a mystery, oh yeah

but hey, that's okay

Notes: Sorry peeps, testing my new pretty coding shizz. xD