A Peaceful Morning

[serasera]

An almost eerie morning silence lingered upon the grounds. The sun had raised a short amount of time ago, and it was already illuminating the droplets of dew that were clinging to the green blades of grass and the tree leaves on the trees. Everything around looked so lush and green, including the forest, even though it was dark. The grounds seemed completely vacant of anyone or anything, for there was no movement at all. However, within moments, a young woman appeared from the castle doors as she walked down the sidewalk from the castle to the lake. Her destination was not really that important since she was just getting used to Hogwarts, and since she was new there. It had, after all, been a somewhat large adjustment for her to make. She could not believe that she had been talked into coming there by her own aunt, who had left and gone back to Colombia prior to her arrival. It made no sense to her, but she had come. Ace was going to be honest: She liked it there, but there were some things that were going to really bother her.

Ace had just awoken about half and hour prior to that present moment. She had her coffee before coming out there. She had also changed. Today, her chosen source of clothing was a simple short sleeve tee shirt with a very light-weight sweater over it. She was wearing a pair of rather loosely fitting, light blue jeans and a pair of slip-on shoes that did not really match anything else that she was wearing. Her hair was pulled back into one of its usual precarious buns atop her head. The bun looked as if it would fall over at any moment, but it seemed that the pins Ace had used to pin her hair up were doing their job very well. Even the rather heavy breeze that blew across the grounds and across her face did not make it fall from atop her head.

Upon reaching the lake, Ace stopped and blinked a few times as her two different colored eyes scanned the area around her. The morning sun was leaving colors in the sky as well as reflections in the water. The light from it also made the lake appear to have some sort of diamonds at the bottom of it, though she knew that it had nothing--at least not that she knew of. She let out a somewhat dreamed and dazed sigh as her two jewel-like eyes looked about the area before falling upon a large rock near the lake. She smiled faintly to herself and then walked over to it, lifting herself atop it as she sat on the smooth, gray figure. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them with her arms, allowing her chin to rest atop her knees peacefully as the morning songbirds sang a gentle song. She could have sworn that she recognized it. However--to her--that was seemingly impossible.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella had lain awake most of the night, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the sound of Voltaire's breathing. Her mind was still trying to absorb the previous day's events: inheriting so much money, learning that her mother was not her mother, and that her father's lawyer was her uncle, and that they had all conspired to keep it secret from her. How different would her life have been if she had grown up in Raphael's house. Would she have been fat and content from eating rich Italian food made with love? Would she now know all the lyrics to "Guys and Dolls?" Would she ever have been the angry, bitter girl she had once been? Would she ever have become a Death Eater, taken a job as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and met Voltaire? So many thoughts and questions were plaguing her mind. When dawn arrived, she slipped on some clothes and shoes and went out for a walk, in the hopes that the early morning air would help her clear her mind.

As she walked out on the dewy grass, there didn't seem to be a sound anywhere. Slowly the pervasive silence that hung all around her began to penetrate into her soul, soothing her jumbled mind. Her movements were slow and awkward, but still she kept going. She had always found that the gentle swishing of the lake seemed to relax her, and so she kept going. As she approached the big tree by the lake, she saw there was a woman sitting there. She almost turned back, but since the woman didn't seem like a Death Eater, she decided just to keep going. Finally she reached the tree and smiled down at the woman. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.

[serasera]

The outside that morning could not have possibly gotten any better. Ace could just feel a sudden amount of peace within her, especially when a cool breeze would blow against her face and rustle her brown-blonde hair and touch her golden skin. She could not help but to feel so relaxed and at peace at those very moments. Other than that, the air was fresh and of the spring, which was always the best time of the year to Ace. She loved the colors and the lushness of the grass. It rained often, yes, but she felt that it was best for all.

As the silence continued to remain among the grounds, Ace studied the water of the lake. It seemed dark, but it also had its light to it. She was not sure how that was possible, but then again, she did. She was somewhat into the artistic side of things and liked to think more deeply about them. However, she was not doing that at that very moment even though she would have liked to do it.

Ace still thought that she was the only one on the grounds until she heard a faint sound of footsteps and then a distinct female voice. She turned to look in the direction where the voice had come from, her blue and green eyes scanned the area as she noticed a young-looking woman standing near her. The woman had asked if it was okay for her to join. Ace nodded lightly and then offered a smile, though it was not large. Her smile was not extremely impressing, so she preferred not to make it a habit of giving large and friendly smiles, but rather, those that were small and welcoming.

"I don't mind that you sit with me," she said tot he woman, her accent thick in her voice as she shifted her position on the rock and made some room for the woman to be seated. She could not help but to notice the woman's bulged belly, which allowed Ace to make the assumption that she was pregnant. And, by the looks of it, she was probably due any day now. Though that thought was in her mind, she did not mention it or speak of it at all. She just remained silent, not having a single conversation in her mind to speak about. Perhaps the woman would grade her with decent and mature conversation? She could honestly admit that she needed it.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella lowered herself down slowly. "It's probably not the best place for me to be sitting right now... getting up isn't going to be easy." She put her hand on her stomach. "Yes, I am pregnant... about eight months." She looked at the woman carefully. "You remind me of someone... are you new here?"

[serasera]

Ace studied the woman carefully as she lowered herself down, placing a hand on her stomach. She smiled lightly as the woman had admitted that she was pregnant, and because of that, she was going to have a hard time trying to get up. Ace just gave a small reassuring smile and then blinked a few times, the sunlight getting caught in herrr jewel-colored eyes as she did.

"I can help you up when it comes time to get up," she reassured her and then nodded lightly as she turned to look at the water and the sun reflecting against it. She then heard the other woman's comment about how Ace reminded her of someone. Ace turned and smiled brightly, her teeth not showing.

"My aunt worked here before she went back home...Esmerelda Cifuentes. She told me that I should come here, but she left. I don't know how that was to work out though." She let out a small laugh. "She thought that she felt extremely out of place...I feel out of place. My accent is worse than hers, and I know nothing about this place. I rarely read informative things like textbooks. I am actually surprised that I passed school. Don't get me wrong though...I love books."

Ace fell silent and then blinked, her eyes taking in an enormous amount of light once more. She looked at the woman, almost intently, waiting for her to speak or make some sort of notation to show that she had been listening. Her mind was not impatient, nor was it worried--just expectant.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, Esme! I remember her. I was sorry that she left. I considered her a friend." She held out a hand. "My name is Isabella Rothschild. I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. I hope you like it here at Hogwarts. I personally find that I am happier here than I've ever been in my life." She leaned back and looked at the woman, noticing how one eye was green and the other was blue. It made for a striking contrast in her face. She noted that, much like Esme, this woman had a way of looking at a person very intently, as if she was listening to every word and trying to figure out everything she could about a person. This was new for Isabella, because she had never really paid so much attention to other people before. Not until Voltaire opened her eyes and her mind to the world around her. She smiled. "What's your name?"

[serasera]

The woman then exclaimed how she remembered Esme and how she had considered her a friend. She also commented on how sad she was that she had left. Ace did not look at her for a few moments, but spoke as her eyes were focused on the water. To her, it was just so intriguing, and it was the perfect time of day to look at it.

"Esme gets along with most people. She told me that she was sad about leaving...but she cannot stick to one thing for a long time. Sure, she loved teaching, but she found that it was not exactly what she had expected. So, she left and suggested that I come here. I was not sure why though..."

Ace saw the woman offer a hand to her as she introduced herself as Isabella Rothschild. She turned her head and offered a hand in return and shook the woman's lightly. She then retreated her hand and allowed it to sit in her lap with the other, her eyes looking at the woman for a few moments. She then directed her attention back to the lake, saying nothing for a few moments as she thought.

"I'm not sure why Esme never spoke of this place. There are so many things here, and she had classes and things, I guess. She could have at least talked about the people here or the scenery to tell us how beautiful it is. It makes me curious when I think about it."

She sighed lightly as she turned her head up to the sky and scanned the massive blue space above them that had few clouds in it. The clouds reflected in her eyes as she did so and heard the woman's voice, this time asking her a question that she could have answered once the woman had introduced herself as Isabella.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Ace..." she paused for a moment. "Um, well, Alejandra...Cifuentes Exitos, but I call myself Ace for short and encourage other people to do it too. It's nice to meet you," she introduced herself and then closed her eyes and bowed her head down in a gesture that said the words she just spoke. She then lifted her head from its light bow and opened her eyes.

"I am liking Hogwarts, especially where we are now. I am sure that I will be happy here, but it is nothing like home where it was always warm and welcoming. I will say that this place does have a way of making people feel at home, but I think it's because of magic--something I am not necessarily used to all the time."

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Ace. I do hope you'll stay around for a while. This spot in particular, is very popular with the students. They like to sit here while they pretend to do their homework." She chuckled. "My husband, Voltaire, works here as well. You'll probably meet him at some point. He teaches dueling." Isabella smiled and looked at Ace appraisingly. "If you talk to Esme, please let her know that I said hello. And to thank her for me. She was there for me at a very difficult time in my life. I hope that you and I can be friends. I don't have a lot of female friends, or at least, I didn't used to." Isabella shifted around uncomfortably, as her back was beginning to hurt from the slouched posture she had adopted. She sat straighter up, then put her hand on her stomach protectively. "So tell me about yourself. What are you going to be doing at Hogwarts?"

[serasera]

"I will most assuringly try to remain here at Hogwarts as long as I possibly can. It seems like a really nice place to be and stay, and I am glad that my aunt told me about it. I honestly did not know that such a place as Hogwarts even existed," she let out a small laugh that seemed fake even though it wasn't. She then heard Isabella mention that the place where they were presently sitting was famous to students who pretended to do their homework. Ace could understand the reasoning for the liking of the spot. It was sort of comfortable as well as very relaxing and gave a large sense of concentration to those that sat there. Ace could at least say that it did for her.

Isabella mentioned that her husband also worked there and that Ace would probably meet him sometime or another while she was there. She nodded lightly and blinked slowly. "I'm sure that I will meet your husband in some point and time. We will see, though," she said in a somewhat positive and suring voice. She then heard the woman speaking to her, asking her to thank Esme when Ace was to speak with her again. She nodded in agreement.

"I'll let her know for you and send her your greeting and thanks. I still don't understand why she did not speak of anything, not even of you. This is getting to be confusing for me to understand." She let out a sigh and shrugged. "Ah well...maybe she...oh, I don't know..."

Ace watched as Isabella straightened her back and placed a hand on her stomach. She could not help but to smile as she gazed down at the woman's rounded stomach and remembered that she was pregnant. There was something about pregnant women that made Ace smile. She supposed that she just liked the thought of a new life being brought into the world. She was also a woman, and there was nothing so happy as being pregnant, despite all other things like morning sickness and the whole idea of childbirth. Out of the actions of Isabella though, Ace had to shift her body as well and straighten her back, whick cracked going from bottom up. Though it would have been odd and gross to others, it was a habit that she had where she had to pop her back to get the pain from it.

Ace heard Isa's question about what she would be doing. Ace thought for a moment, almost forgetting her job that she had taken up upon arrival. "Oh...um, I am the librarian. It is an effortless job, but that will give me more time to become acquainted with Hogwarts as well as its people and things like that. I think that my being introduced to a new area and a new "world" is a good thing. This is not something that I am used to, so it provides me with opportunities and such."

Ace then sat there, looking back up at the sky in thought. She was trying to think of a decent question to ask the woman since it seemed that she was doing all of the talking. Ace's head was almost empty, though she had a few questions in her mind.

"Do you now the sex of the baby yet? Or were you planning to wait until the time came before you found out what it will be?" she asked politely and said nothing. The woman did not have to answer the question, but Ace thought that it would be nice to ask, rather than having the whole conversation based on the woman asking questions about her.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella placed her hand on her stomach. "No, I don't know yet. We thougt we'd leave it for a surprise. I'll admit, I'm hoping for a girl... only because I don't really know what to do with a little boy. But technically, I already have two adopted daughters. My husband and I adopted his nieces, Anna and Rori. Both of them lost their parents, and we wanted to make sure they'd be taken care of. Both of them are students here." She smiled at the woman. "So I tihnk Voltaire really wants a boy, so he's not surrounded by women. Either way, though, he's going to be a great father. I wish I was as sure about myself as a mother. I came from a family that... well, it was complicated." She turned away and stared out at the water, feeling those old doubts and fears begin to creep in once again. Even though she now knew that the woman she had known as her mother was not the woman who had given her life, she still feared that the woman's bitter, emotionless treatment of her would have and effect on the way she would be as a parent. She sighed heavily as these thoughts threatened to weigh her down.

[serasera]

Ace listened to the woman's reasoning on why she wanted a girl and then the comment on how she had thought her husband wanted a boy. They were both understandable, and Ace had to admit that she would be one to agree with either of them if she were the one in Isabella's situation. The woman then said that she knew that Voltaire would be a great father and how she wished she could say the same about herself in being a mother. Ace frowned and then blinked a few times, shaking her head.

"You shouldn't say such things," she said lightly, obviously disagreeing with Isabella. I'm sure that you will be a great mother, despire things in your past. Just beacuse you were raised in a "complicated" family does not mean that motherhood will be complicated. As I said, I am sure that you will be great." Ace's tone was honest and quite reassuring. She reminded herself so much of her aunt that it was not funny.

A sigh escaped the twenty-five-year old's lips as her gazed returned on the water of the lake for the one-millionth time since she had been there. The sunlight reflected brightly in the water, and it would seem that Ace had been blinded since she blinked and rubbed her eyes somewhat frantically from the immense amount of morning sun that seemed to be quickly arriving in the sky.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella heard what Ace said and smiled slightly. "I know I shouldn't think that way... I just worry sometimes. I guess it's really just natural to have some fears about being a parent. It's such an important job, and it's not an easy one. I rather think there are some people who just shouldn't do it... they aren't cut out for it. My parents certainly weren't. But I'm determined not to be like them in any way. If anything, I suppose there's a greater chance I will spoil this baby, rather than be too harsh with discipline. I'm lucky, though, that I'm at least able to get used to being a parent by raising my two adopted daughters. Also, I think teaching has helped me a lot. I never thought I would be good at teaching until I came here. It's amazing how far I have come." She felt a little of the tension in her shoulders ease. "So did you just arrive here? I know it can be difficult to find your way around the castle."

[serasera]

Ace could only agree with the woman as she had said that she had those natural worries as a parent. It was understandable on any level, and she figured that, if she were to someday be married and have children, she would have the same insecurities. She did not, however, have a complicated youth, nor did anyone else in her family that she knew of since they were all so close knit and very loving towards one another. She knew that not all families were like hers, and apparently Isabella's was not one of them. Ace could only feel sorry for the woman.

"Well, I wish you luck for when the new baby arrives into your family. I am sure that you will do great, and with a seemingly-wonderful husband and two adopted daughters, things should be easy for you," she said in a very encouraging and sure tone of voice. She then mentioned how teaching helped her. Ace nodded, agreeing with her reasoning once again. Teaching was something that dealed with constant patience as well as close interaction with students, which was something most parents needed if they were to have children of their own, especially an infant.

Isabella then changed the subject back to something that dealth with Ace. She did not mind, but she had to admit that it did bother her some. It seemed that they had a decent conversation working. But then again, now that she thought about it, Ace thought that maybe Isabella felt somewhat uncomfortable speaking of becoming a mother due to her previous complications that she had mentioned. Ace respected this and simply answered the question.

"I just got here about a day or two ago. I am still learning my way around, and I will admit, things are very confusing. I have not done so much as leave the library. I have only left there to come out here on the grounds. This is actually my first real time coming out here. Other times were just to get from Hogsmeade to here, which was not that hard. I have not ventured about the castle either, though I suppose that I should or else I will not know my way about, nor will I know anyone here." Ace let out a small feminine chuckle. "I am sure that you can agree with me, yes?"

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella smiled. "Yes, it's definitely a good idea to walk around. It's the best way to find your way around. The grounds are particularly beautiful this time of year, it seems. There are some very nice staff members at the school, too. I'm sure you'll get along with them. I understand a young man named Trevor Sykes will be taking Esme's job as Care of Magical Creatures Professor, although I haven't met him yet. I'll admit, I haven't been getting out nearly as much as I used to. The baby makes getting around a bit difficult, you know. Have you been to many shops in Hogsmeade? There is a new nightclub there, and a restaurant. You should check them out; they are great for meeting people."

[serasera]

Isabella told Ace some things that might be of use to her for her stay there at Hogwarts. She listened intently on what the woman had to say and nodded as she had finished. She had mentioned a few important things that Ace would surely do as she was there at Hogwarts. It would be the best for anyone that was there, her especially, since she knew nothing about Hogwarts or its many surroundings.

"Well, I believe that I will give myself a self-tour at some point--maybe once I am settled in. Perhaps, afterwards, I can meet a few staff and students, which will be something that I am sure will benefit me more so than hurt me."

A mention of Hogsmeade was made, and Ace shook her head, somewhat embarrassed that she had not been there yet. She then blinked a few times and answered. "I haven't been there yet to see everything, only to get here. However, now that you have said what you said, I will probably go there soon. There is so much here that I never even thought of who knew about! And, as said before, I have no idea why Esme never spoke of this!"

[Isabella Rothschild]

"Well, I think some of these things are new in town," Isabella said reasonably. "I've never even been to the nightclub. It's not as if I'm in any condition to be out all night drinking and dancing." She laughed slightly. "As I said, I really haven't been out much at all lately. Especially at night. It's a bit dangerous out there, you know? Among other things, my evil cousin who hates me for reasons I can't even imagine has been around quite a lot lately, and I wouldn't put it past her to come after me. If you do go out, especially at night, you really must be careful who you talk to. Not everyone can be trusted." She frowned at the thought. "I don't want to scare you or anything, just be careful."