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There's three things that happened between the end of the school year and right now that Sage doesn't like.
The first thing is that Ripley's being a massive bitch. The two of them and Stevie hung out for a few days at the beginning of the holidays and Sage said one thing about Hermione and then Ripley made fun of her for the rest of the day. Now she keeps sending Sage nasty letters about boys and lipstick and girly things that Sage doesn't enjoy, and it's like Ripley's taking the piss out of her even more because of it. It sucks.
The second thing is that her dad had a visitor named Remus Lupin, and they sat in the kitchen for four hours talking, and then Remus left with puffy eyes and Arielle with chapped lips. She doesn't know what happened, but she knows she trusts this man her father once loved.
The third thing is this: she's on her way to the Grangers' house to pick up Hermione so Arielle can apparate them to the Burrow, where she's never been, so they can go and watch the Quidditch World Cup. And the thing is, Sage hates Quidditch. She doesn't understand it. Why can't they just play, like, baseball or something? Her dad would come watch her play baseball if she joined the school team; she used to play for the local little league team when she lived a few years with Flick in America before Hogwarts. She much prefers baseball to Quidditch, especially when her friends are playing it. But yeah. World Quidditch tournament.
"You ready, Sophs?" Arielle asks, touching her elbow as he pushes past her through the doorframe she's been thinking in. He's taken to calling her by her first name ever since Lupin's visit, which is another thing she doesn't like. She's always preferred Sage, because girls called Sophia wear pretty summer dresses and kitten heels and pink lipstick in the summer, and girls of the Sage variety wear paint-stained overalls and boys' school uniforms, and long hair in knots tied by broken quills. She's beginning to think that the name Sophia was something that came with Remus Lupin and left with him, as well.
"Almost," says Sage. "Do you know where my camera is?"
"Packed in your bag."
She beams. "I'll take lots of photos for you."
"I'll make sure I tape X-Files."
"I love you, dad."
He breathes deeply and reaches out to pull her into a hug. "I love you too, baby. Have fun at Quidditch."
She pulls a face and says, "Bet I will. Bet I'll have so much fun."
He sticks his tongue out at her. She sticks her tongue out back. Then he grabs her bag in one hand, her shoulder in the other, and they both disappear into thin air.
"So, you're... a wizard supply teacher?" asks Mr Granger, staring at Arielle intently.
