Grounds: The Great Lake

[MadAlice]

Graphic credit: Felixir

The large freshwater lake of Hogwarts is located just south of the castle. About half a mile wide in diameter, the lake dominates much of the school's landscape, a steely and ominous mass of icy water in the winter, yet an inviting and refreshing sight once the weather starts to heat up. On one of its banks, a towering beech tree stands sentinel, and is a popular location to meet and relax. Castle-side of the lake stands the boathouse.

You may swim in the lake, but be careful, and also mindful of the creatures that reside here. Merpeople, grindylows, and the Great Squid, to name but a few, call these watery depths their home. You would do well to leave them in peace. If they feel like it, they'll come to you; the Giant Squid, who goes by the name of Bartholomew Henry, has been known to bask in the shallows on sunny days.

OOC: Please do not RP for the Giant Squid.

[Charely Potter]

Kion loved the fresh air and the view of the lake. It was one of his favorite spots on the grounds, alone and not alone. Today he was with his girlfriend, Maria, holding her hand and in the other hand holding a picnic basket and rolled up blanket tucked in. Words couldn't express the care he had for her, well, he did manage one word over the summer towards her that still left him blushing at the thought of it.

"Do you want to sit here under the tree or by the edge?" The sixteen year old turned to face her. He was fine with either spot and who knows maybe they wouldn't just stay by the water.

[Nordic Witch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charely Potter

Kion loved the fresh air and the view of the lake. It was one of his favorite spots on the grounds, alone and not alone. Today he was with his girlfriend, Maria, holding her hand and in the other hand holding a picnic basket and rolled up blanket tucked in. Words couldn't express the care he had for her, well, he did manage one word over the summer towards her that still left him blushing at the thought of it.

"Do you want to sit here under the tree or by the edge?" The sixteen year old turned to face her. He was fine with either spot and who knows maybe they wouldn't just stay by the water.

After a week of being cooped up in the castle for most lessons Maria was glad for the chance to breath some fresh air outside on the grounds. The Great Lake was pretty to look at too, but she was here with her boyfriend, and that was the priority. Tugging a little at their entvined hands to not loose her grip Maria thought about the L word that Kion, had blurted out to her over the summer which caused a blush to form on her cheeks. It was amazing that someone other than her dad's, and little brother could feel that way about her.

Letting her eyes wander from the tree Kion had suggested to the lake she decided with a smile. "Let's sit by the water's edge. It's nicer plus the giant squid might pay us a visit then." She wasn't an expert swimmer, but with Kion by her side nothing bad was going to happen. Taking the blanket and putting it out on the sand Maria said as she sat down. "I wish we could stop taking subjects we dislike or are bad at...I really don't want to go to more potions classes." As was evidenced by quite a few burns that she had accquired over the summer on her hands while trying to practice brewing a few simple potions with poor results.

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

It was a fairly pleasant day, not too warm but also not quite cold, with a light breeze in the air, and thus it was a great day for some cloud gazing. And, potentially, some swimming lessons, assuming they didn't get too caught up in the clouds. Who knew that looking for shapes in the clouds and making stuff up about what it meant could be fun?

Or maybe it was less about the clouds and more about the company?

Either way, Ezra was looking forward to hanging out with Anna today. He flopped onto his back on the grass, not too far from the edges of the lake, eyes already on the sky while he waited for her to arrive.

Hmm...did that cloud look kinda like a giraffe?

[sweetpinkpixie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl

It was a fairly pleasant day, not too warm but also not quite cold, with a light breeze in the air, and thus it was a great day for some cloud gazing. And, potentially, some swimming lessons, assuming they didn't get too caught up in the clouds. Who knew that looking for shapes in the clouds and making stuff up about what it meant could be fun?

Or maybe it was less about the clouds and more about the company?

Either way, Ezra was looking forward to hanging out with Anna today. He flopped onto his back on the grass, not too far from the edges of the lake, eyes already on the sky while he waited for her to arrive.

Hmm...did that cloud look kinda like a giraffe?

Always delighted to spend time with Ezra, Anna had quite literally written down a list of things she must not forget to bring with her down to the lake today. Only problem being that the bag she had packed with her had been forgotten at the foot of her bed initially and she only remembered it when she had stepped outside into the crisp autumn air. Thankfully the Hufflepuffle common room was not far away and thus a quick dash there and back mostly easily accomplished. There was yet another unfortunate incident involving the barrels and her complete lack of rhythm, therefore a bit of vinegar splashing her shoes and socks, but she was able to retrieve her bag and make her way down to the lake without being too terribly late. Her eagerness (and desperate curiosity), in fact, may have even caused her to be on time.

Making her way quickly over the grounds, Anna spotted Ezra rather easily and approached him at a skip until she was a couple feet or so away and then she was crawling on her hands and knees so that she could hover over his head in an uncompromising manner. Hands tickled by the grass on either side of his shoulder, she smiled down at him while the sun dance upon and illuminated her curls. "Hi! See anything interesting yet?" she asked cheerfully. "You're looking quite peaceful and untroubled."

Which was VERY nice to see and MUCH better than the memory of him from History of Magic living rent free in her head - which had everything to do with that desperate curiosity, by the way.

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Always delighted to spend time with Ezra, Anna had quite literally written down a list of things she must not forget to bring with her down to the lake today. Only problem being that the bag she had packed with her had been forgotten at the foot of her bed initially and she only remembered it when she had stepped outside into the crisp autumn air. Thankfully the Hufflepuffle common room was not far away and thus a quick dash there and back mostly easily accomplished. There was yet another unfortunate incident involving the barrels and her complete lack of rhythm, therefore a bit of vinegar splashing her shoes and socks, but she was able to retrieve her bag and make her way down to the lake without being too terribly late. Her eagerness (and desperate curiosity), in fact, may have even caused her to be on time.

Making her way quickly over the grounds, Anna spotted Ezra rather easily and approached him at a skip until she was a couple feet or so away and then she was crawling on her hands and knees so that she could hover over his head in an uncompromising manner. Hands tickled by the grass on either side of his shoulder, she smiled down at him while the sun dance upon and illuminated her curls. "Hi! See anything interesting yet?" she asked cheerfully. "You're looking quite peaceful and untroubled."

Which was VERY nice to see and MUCH better than the memory of him from History of Magic living rent free in her head - which had everything to do with that desperate curiosity, by the way.

It was easy to lose track of time when he was down by the lake, but he was pretty sure he hadn't been there for very long before he heard some footsteps and shuffling movement behind him. Ezra didn't move, figuring it was either some random student passing by or the person he was waiting for. The latter was quickly confirmed when a pretty face and curls eclipsed the sky above him.

He grinned. "Yeah, s'pose so." Both that he'd found something interesting and that he was feeling peaceful. He wasn't sure if that comment was just a general comment or if it was directed at anything in particular, having convinced himself that his seating placement in History of Magic had probably gone unnoticed. He hadn't even really analyzed or thought about those feelings afterward. But it was surely no big deal.

"Do you think that one over there looks more like a giraffe or one of those long-neck dinosaurs?" He pointed toward one of the clouds over the lake.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Ezra's grin elicited an even wider smile from Anna and relief filled her heart to make it whole again. Maybe whatever it was had been something fleeting and she need not fret anymore...maybe not even worth prying into? Then again, sometimes it was easy to make yourself forget and ignore something icky when you were surrounded by so much natural wonder - the sort of things that were all over the school grounds. Certainly a loaded question met with an even more loaded look in her eyes as she shifted from slightly hovering over him to laying in the grass beside him with her bag discarded overhead and, essentially, forgotten.

Ezra had pointed out a unique looking cloud, after all.

"That's great," she chirped while wiggling closer to him until they were arm to arm and the back of her hand rested against the back of his. "Hmmm," she hummed while resting her chin on his shoulder so she could see where he was pointing a bit more clearly. "...hmmm...the breeze is kind of making it dance between the two isn't it...hmmmm...I THINK...I want it to be a Longneck." No, she did not remember the name of the dinosaur but it had a long neck so it was now and forever more a Longneck. And speaking of necks, hers was moving away from his shoulder so she could rest her head on the lush grass - her curls also serving as a magnificent pillow. "I wonder what colors they were...did they have irridescent sheens like ravens or were they colorful like parrots or did they have countershading like penguins..."

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Ezra's grin elicited an even wider smile from Anna and relief filled her heart to make it whole again. Maybe whatever it was had been something fleeting and she need not fret anymore...maybe not even worth prying into? Then again, sometimes it was easy to make yourself forget and ignore something icky when you were surrounded by so much natural wonder - the sort of things that were all over the school grounds. Certainly a loaded question met with an even more loaded look in her eyes as she shifted from slightly hovering over him to laying in the grass beside him with her bag discarded overhead and, essentially, forgotten.

Ezra had pointed out a unique looking cloud, after all.

"That's great," she chirped while wiggling closer to him until they were arm to arm and the back of her hand rested against the back of his. "Hmmm," she hummed while resting her chin on his shoulder so she could see where he was pointing a bit more clearly. "...hmmm...the breeze is kind of making it dance between the two isn't it...hmmmm...I THINK...I want it to be a Longneck." No, she did not remember the name of the dinosaur but it had a long neck so it was now and forever more a Longneck. And speaking of necks, hers was moving away from his shoulder so she could rest her head on the lush grass - her curls also serving as a magnificent pillow. "I wonder what colors they were...did they have irridescent sheens like ravens or were they colorful like parrots or did they have countershading like penguins..."

There were no follow-up questions, so maybe it was just a general statement after all. But that thought didn't capture him for long, now that the attention was on the cloud. And her hand laid atop his.

Ezra didn't take his eyes off the sky, but that didn't mean he was any less aware of the warmth that spread through his hand and up his arm to his shoulder where her chin rested for a few moments. He glanced at her then, but managed to force himself to focus on the cloud after a brief moment, listening as she finally determined that it was a long-neck dinosaur. Whatever those were called. He couldn't recall their actual name either. Longneck seemed suitable anyway.

"I think it'd be cool if they were like parrots," he said thoughtfully. "But maybe that'd make them too noticeable to predators? Maybe they'd have something more neutral to their surroundings, so they could blend in among the trees." But that probably depended on the environment, so maybe it wasn't out of the realm of possibility for some that had brighter colors.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Considering the colors of dinosaurs certainly had not been on her BINGO card for the day, but it was a very interesting turn of surprises to be sure. "They surely had SOME sort of special coloration...I think I remember reading somewhere that only animals that don't have that sort of thing are the ones that, in nature, just don't get messed with too much. Then again...longnecks are so massive that they might not have been like...first choice of pickings for predators...but also...maybe dark earthy tones so that they blended in with the trees and then groups of them together might look like a forest and therefore predators not bother them," she mused aloud while getting comfortable in the grass and looping her arm around his so she could scoot a bit closer and share his specific view of the sky more easier still. "Wonder what that shape means...I reckon it's not in the book on Nephelomancy...or maybe it's just a really long shaped dragon...a dragon is probably in the book," she continued to wonder aloud, only half recalling how she had come prepared for their cloud viewing today but also still distracted as her thoughts dragged out the pondering on just what color dinosaurs were. "Maybe it's appearance will give insight as to what happened in class the other day."

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Considering the colors of dinosaurs certainly had not been on her BINGO card for the day, but it was a very interesting turn of surprises to be sure. "They surely had SOME sort of special coloration...I think I remember reading somewhere that only animals that don't have that sort of thing are the ones that, in nature, just don't get messed with too much. Then again...longnecks are so massive that they might not have been like...first choice of pickings for predators...but also...maybe dark earthy tones so that they blended in with the trees and then groups of them together might look like a forest and therefore predators not bother them," she mused aloud while getting comfortable in the grass and looping her arm around his so she could scoot a bit closer and share his specific view of the sky more easier still. "Wonder what that shape means...I reckon it's not in the book on Nephelomancy...or maybe it's just a really long shaped dragon...a dragon is probably in the book," she continued to wonder aloud, only half recalling how she had come prepared for their cloud viewing today but also still distracted as her thoughts dragged out the pondering on just what color dinosaurs were. "Maybe it's appearance will give insight as to what happened in class the other day."

As he listened to Anna, Ezra alternated between keeping his eyes on the cloud in the sky and glancing over at Anna. His eyes did linger on her a little bit longer than intended, but when she scooted closer, he quickly turned his gaze to the sky again.

She had some good ideas about the longnecks' coloration, though he wasn't sure which seemed most likely. He did really like the visual of thinking you were looking at a group of trees, but then one of them moved, and you realized you were actually looking at a group (herd? flock? parliament?) of longnecks amidst the trees. Very cinematic and stuff.

Would it be in the cloud book though? He didn't see why it would be left out; it seemed silly not to include it, but maybe it wasn't realistic for the book to have everything. It'd probably be as big as a longneck if it did. "I guess a dragon could work too," he mused, squinting at the cloud to see if it could be one of them, not fully registering the next comment until a few seconds later.

Uhhh... "Which class?" Of course, one immediately came to mind, but lots of things happened in lots of classes so...so maybe there was something else she was referring to. It was possible!

[sweetpinkpixie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl

As he listened to Anna, Ezra alternated between keeping his eyes on the cloud in the sky and glancing over at Anna. His eyes did linger on her a little bit longer than intended, but when she scooted closer, he quickly turned his gaze to the sky again.

She had some good ideas about the longnecks' coloration, though he wasn't sure which seemed most likely. He did really like the visual of thinking you were looking at a group of trees, but then one of them moved, and you realized you were actually looking at a group (herd? flock? parliament?) of longnecks amidst the trees. Very cinematic and stuff.

Would it be in the cloud book though? He didn't see why it would be left out; it seemed silly not to include it, but maybe it wasn't realistic for the book to have everything. It'd probably be as big as a longneck if it did. "I guess a dragon could work too," he mused, squinting at the cloud to see if it could be one of them, not fully registering the next comment until a few seconds later.

Uhhh... "Which class?" Of course, one immediately came to mind, but lots of things happened in lots of classes so...so maybe there was something else she was referring to. It was possible!

As much as she knew she ought to be practical with her assessment of colorization, it was a lot more amusing to think of dinosaurs in every shade of fantastical color and pattern. A long neck in neon fuschia and orange plaid with some milky white accents, T-Rex’s with dark ebony feathers that glistened like an iridescent rainbow in the sunlight…her adoration of color could indulge in her imagination for all of eternity and never grow tired howeeeeveeeer if she really did love all the colors of the wind as she believed she did then shouldn’t she also love dinosaurs for their more plausible colorings as well? Her compassion felt as though it had come to a weary sort of impasse - guilt for wishing dinosaurs were more fanciful than they likely were and disrespecting their legacy being that big ol’ boulder that had rolled onto her toe specifically - but was soon distracted by Ezra blessedly bringing her attention back to the present conversation and specifically the book that was in her bag.

“Oh yeah! I did bring such a book with me, speaking of,” she hummed before gently uncoiling herself slightly from his arm and fingers so she could roll towards her bag and pull it closer. All this did mean, unfortunately but necessarily, that she needed to sit up and turn her attention away entirely from the sky in favor of leafing through the library book. “We can check for both though. So we are nice and thorough in our investigation and analysis.” And if one of those was a bad omen then they could disregard it because the majesty of the sights they saw together surely would not manifest a negative outcome.

“Oh…well…” she mumbled as she suddenly wasn’t too sure what words to use. Things tended to go more smoothly when she did not put a ton of thought into what she was going to say - that very lesson in question being a pretty darn tootin good example of this exact sentiment - so perhaps she should just out with it. “During History of Magic…and the debate and all. I think my enthusiasm in speaking for the side the professor assigned me to ended up upsetting a few people… hurting their enthusiasm… and I noticed that you seemed especially gloomy but your dark rain clouds were gathering pretty much as you entered the classroom or maybe even before. So maybe it wasn’t my debating skills that had upset you and something else but…the forlorn look in your eyes and then how you seemingly were avoiding looking at me during class well…I can’t help but shake the feeling that I DID do something to upset you and I rather dislike the thought that I have unknowingly upset you because if I did, in fact, do something that hurt you and I don’t know what it is then I might do it again and that too makes my stomach all tie up in knots and…well…suppose I am making this more about me than you now, which is very counterintuitive to my intention and…well…” Needing to take a breath as she rambled on, Anna paused here and turned the book jelly side down on her lap to hold her place and swiveled a bit so she was facing him properly AND so she could look him directly in the eyes while she spoke perhaps the most vital part of her whole inquiry. “…are you okay, Ezra? If you’re not… or we’re not…or there is something that has been haunting your thoughts or anything…I just want you to know… or remind you maybe…that I will always make time to listen.” And there was another, softer and perhaps even a bit timid, pause while she reached forward to brush a bit of hair away from his eyes with just the tips of her fingers. “You’re someone really important and special to me, okay? So like...you know...seeing you distraught and a little, or a LOT, less Sir Daziling Grin Ezra of the Cloudchasers-y was a rather alarming...”

ESPECIALLY if she had something to do with the state he had been in. Then it was horrifying!

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

Text Cut: Anna

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

As much as she knew she ought to be practical with her assessment of colorization, it was a lot more amusing to think of dinosaurs in every shade of fantastical color and pattern. A long neck in neon fuschia and orange plaid with some milky white accents, T-Rex’s with dark ebony feathers that glistened like an iridescent rainbow in the sunlight…her adoration of color could indulge in her imagination for all of eternity and never grow tired howeeeeveeeer if she really did love all the colors of the wind as she believed she did then shouldn’t she also love dinosaurs for their more plausible colorings as well? Her compassion felt as though it had come to a weary sort of impasse - guilt for wishing dinosaurs were more fanciful than they likely were and disrespecting their legacy being that big ol’ boulder that had rolled onto her toe specifically - but was soon distracted by Ezra blessedly bringing her attention back to the present conversation and specifically the book that was in her bag.

“Oh yeah! I did bring such a book with me, speaking of,” she hummed before gently uncoiling herself slightly from his arm and fingers so she could roll towards her bag and pull it closer. All this did mean, unfortunately but necessarily, that she needed to sit up and turn her attention away entirely from the sky in favor of leafing through the library book. “We can check for both though. So we are nice and thorough in our investigation and analysis.” And if one of those was a bad omen then they could disregard it because the majesty of the sights they saw together surely would not manifest a negative outcome.

“Oh…well…” she mumbled as she suddenly wasn’t too sure what words to use. Things tended to go more smoothly when she did not put a ton of thought into what she was going to say - that very lesson in question being a pretty darn tootin good example of this exact sentiment - so perhaps she should just out with it. “During History of Magic…and the debate and all. I think my enthusiasm in speaking for the side the professor assigned me to ended up upsetting a few people… hurting their enthusiasm… and I noticed that you seemed especially gloomy but your dark rain clouds were gathering pretty much as you entered the classroom or maybe even before. So maybe it wasn’t my debating skills that had upset you and something else but…the forlorn look in your eyes and then how you seemingly were avoiding looking at me during class well…I can’t help but shake the feeling that I DID do something to upset you and I rather dislike the thought that I have unknowingly upset you because if I did, in fact, do something that hurt you and I don’t know what it is then I might do it again and that too makes my stomach all tie up in knots and…well…suppose I am making this more about me than you now, which is very counterintuitive to my intention and…well…” Needing to take a breath as she rambled on, Anna paused here and turned the book jelly side down on her lap to hold her place and swiveled a bit so she was facing him properly AND so she could look him directly in the eyes while she spoke perhaps the most vital part of her whole inquiry. “…are you okay, Ezra? If you’re not… or we’re not…or there is something that has been haunting your thoughts or anything…I just want you to know… or remind you maybe…that I will always make time to listen.” And there was another, softer and perhaps even a bit timid, pause while she reached forward to brush a bit of hair away from his eyes with just the tips of her fingers. “You’re someone really important and special to me, okay? So like...you know...seeing you distraught and a little, or a LOT, less Sir Daziling Grin Ezra of the Cloudchasers-y was a rather alarming...”

ESPECIALLY if she had something to do with the state he had been in. Then it was horrifying!

Oh, great, she'd brought the book! Now they didn't have to wonder what a particular shape might mean. Ezra didn't really put a lot of weight into these things, but it was still a fun thought exercise. And he was actually curious to see if they included dinosaurs. It seemed like such an obvious thing to include - who didn't like dinosaurs? - but that was no guarantee. So then it would be interesting to see what the closest thing to it would be. Maybe they'd end up looking up giraffes too after all.

"Sounds good to me," he said, pushing himself up into a sitting position as well. He shuffled a little closer so that he could look at the pages as she flipped through them without crowding her too much.

It also helped to focus on the pages as she continued because...because, yep, it was about that History of Magic lesson. But even though his eyes were on the book, he was far more focused on listening than on whatever was on the pages.

It surprised him that she had noticed all of that. Maybe he wasn't as subtle as he thought he was, or maybe it was just because she really was that kind and thoughtful. That second one didn't really surprise him though. It was one of the things he admired about her. But for anyone to pay that much attention to him of all people? There was...something really nice about that.

But that feeling was swiftly overtaken by a much less pleasant feeling, his insides twisting into knots because of the knowledge that his actions had upset her. And that feeling amplified when she turned the book over, causing him to look up and meet her gaze. His face grew warm, though whether it was because of her words or the soft touch of her fingers or his own guilty feelings, it was difficult to say.

Merlin, he really was an idiot.

"I..." He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. He reached for her hand that had brushed the hair out of his eyes, to hold it gently in his own. "You didn't do anything wrong." That much, at least, Ezra was certain of, and he wanted to make sure she knew that. He had realized that when thinking about the lesson later on. Even if he couldn't identify why he'd been so affected by her close proximity to Solomon in that lesson, it didn't mean that it was wrong for her to be. They were friends, so it made sense. It shouldn't have bothered him at all.

But because he didn't know how to explain the reason for it, he wasn't keen to explain any of it. He was convinced that if he tried it would come across weird or make things awkward.

"And I'm really sorry for making you feel bad. I think I just...I was having an off day. Thinking about the OWL exams and...stuff, sometimes it gives me a headache. Not bad enough to see the Healer, but enough so that lesson got kinda...overwhelming." These things were mostly true, even if thoughts of the OWLs hadn't really crossed his mind that day. "So I guess I thought it was better for me to sit by myself. It looked like you had a partner anyway, so..." Er, wait, that second part wasn't supposed to be said out loud. "...so you had someone to work with if there was group work, which was good." Good save, Hensley??? "So...yeah. I dunno, it was a weird day for me. But I'm okay now."

[Wilber Winterbottom]

Spring was springing as February gave way to March. The birds were singing, the trees were blossoming and Headmaster Winterbottom was in a particularly chipper mood as he whistled his way down to the lake’s edge for his usual morning stroll.

Time had not been kind on the old man’s knees as they creaked and groaned while navigating the few steps onto the pebbled foreshore. The winter months in the harsh Scottish wilderness hadn’t been pleasant for his exercise but with the turning of the new leaf came the ideal opportunity to get himself back out there again. Besides, the voice of his dearly departed wife still rang in his ears nagging him to look after himself and he ALWAYS did as his wife told him.

Once he found the perfect spot to perch his (Winter)bottom on, he withdrew the small lunchbox that had been meticulously packed by Pips the House Elf from his extension charmed pocket and tucked into a jam sandwich.

[Zoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wilber Winterbottom

Spring was springing as February gave way to March. The birds were singing, the trees were blossoming and Headmaster Winterbottom was in a particularly chipper mood as he whistled his way down to the lake’s edge for his usual morning stroll.

Time had not been kind on the old man’s knees as they creaked and groaned while navigating the few steps onto the pebbled foreshore. The winter months in the harsh Scottish wilderness hadn’t been pleasant for his exercise but with the turning of the new leaf came the ideal opportunity to get himself back out there again. Besides, the voice of his dearly departed wife still rang in his ears nagging him to look after himself and he ALWAYS did as his wife told him.

Once he found the perfect spot to perch his (Winter)bottom on, he withdrew the small lunchbox that had been meticulously packed by Pips the House Elf from his extension charmed pocket and tucked into a jam sandwich.

The transition from winter to spring was always welcomed by Logan for a variety of reasons. It meant that the school year was on its last leg, which meant that his birthday and summer holiday were not too far off. But it also meant that he didn't have to endure the cold temperatures and could enjoy going outdoors without having to cast heating charms on himself. The latter was exactly what the Gryffindor was doing this fine morning on his daily trek around the grounds.

At the present moment, his routine run was taking him alongside the lake, which he had to admit was a far better sight to behold when it wasn't glazed over in ice. The blond wondered when the squid would break the surface again now that winter had come and gone. Or perhaps a merperson sighting would occur, though the boy figured he'd have better luck seeing one if he made a plunge in the lake later when the water was a bit warmer.

Such thoughts were soon diverted when up ahead he caught sight of old Winterbottom. Deciding that now was as good as time as ever to take a moment to catch his breath, the months-away-from-being-of-age wizard jogged his way over to where the man was perched. "Good morning, Headmaster," Logan greeted him when he was close enough. "Enjoying the weather?"

[Wilber Winterbottom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoe

The transition from winter to spring was always welcomed by Logan for a variety of reasons. It meant that the school year was on its last leg, which meant that his birthday and summer holiday were not too far off. But it also meant that he didn't have to endure the cold temperatures and could enjoy going outdoors without having to cast heating charms on himself. The latter was exactly what the Gryffindor was doing this fine morning on his daily trek around the grounds.

At the present moment, his routine run was taking him alongside the lake, which he had to admit was a far better sight to behold when it wasn't glazed over in ice. The blond wondered when the squid would break the surface again now that winter had come and gone. Or perhaps a merperson sighting would occur, though the boy figured he'd have better luck seeing one if he made a plunge in the lake later when the water was a bit warmer.

Such thoughts were soon diverted when up ahead he caught sight of old Winterbottom. Deciding that now was as good as time as ever to take a moment to catch his breath, the months-away-from-being-of-age wizard jogged his way over to where the man was perched. "Good morning, Headmaster," Logan greeted him when he was close enough. "Enjoying the weather?"

Just as Wilber had taken the first bite out of his sandwich, a voice called out from beside him. He swallowed it down, wiping at the small amount of jam that had dribbled out from the crusts and onto the Headmaster’s lap. The Elf was a little too generous with the filling today, not that he was complaining. He did have an affinity for food on the sweeter side after all.

“Goodness, is it still morning?” He asked the sixth year, questioning how time was moving so slowly and why he was already hungry enough for lunch even after a large breakfast. His wife would’ve told him off for indulging in his food too early but sadly she was no longer around to give such warnings. “It certainly is a pleasant one today, I have missed our fiery friend up there.” He pointed a stubby finger up to the sky where the sun was peeking out from behind a fluffy cloud. A sight that had somehow gone amiss over the long, bleak, wintery months.

Speaking of the sun… “Say Mr Paton, do you know why we should look to the sun for positivity?”

[sweetpinkpixie]

Text Cut: Ezra ♥　:3

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl

Oh, great, she'd brought the book! Now they didn't have to wonder what a particular shape might mean. Ezra didn't really put a lot of weight into these things, but it was still a fun thought exercise. And he was actually curious to see if they included dinosaurs. It seemed like such an obvious thing to include - who didn't like dinosaurs? - but that was no guarantee. So then it would be interesting to see what the closest thing to it would be. Maybe they'd end up looking up giraffes too after all.

"Sounds good to me," he said, pushing himself up into a sitting position as well. He shuffled a little closer so that he could look at the pages as she flipped through them without crowding her too much.

It also helped to focus on the pages as she continued because...because, yep, it was about that History of Magic lesson. But even though his eyes were on the book, he was far more focused on listening than on whatever was on the pages.

It surprised him that she had noticed all of that. Maybe he wasn't as subtle as he thought he was, or maybe it was just because she really was that kind and thoughtful. That second one didn't really surprise him though. It was one of the things he admired about her. But for anyone to pay that much attention to him of all people? There was...something really nice about that.

But that feeling was swiftly overtaken by a much less pleasant feeling, his insides twisting into knots because of the knowledge that his actions had upset her. And that feeling amplified when she turned the book over, causing him to look up and meet her gaze. His face grew warm, though whether it was because of her words or the soft touch of her fingers or his own guilty feelings, it was difficult to say.

Merlin, he really was an idiot.

"I..." He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. He reached for her hand that had brushed the hair out of his eyes, to hold it gently in his own. "You didn't do anything wrong." That much, at least, Ezra was certain of, and he wanted to make sure she knew that. He had realized that when thinking about the lesson later on. Even if he couldn't identify why he'd been so affected by her close proximity to Solomon in that lesson, it didn't mean that it was wrong for her to be. They were friends, so it made sense. It shouldn't have bothered him at all.

But because he didn't know how to explain the reason for it, he wasn't keen to explain any of it. He was convinced that if he tried it would come across weird or make things awkward.

"And I'm really sorry for making you feel bad. I think I just...I was having an off day. Thinking about the OWL exams and...stuff, sometimes it gives me a headache. Not bad enough to see the Healer, but enough so that lesson got kinda...overwhelming." These things were mostly true, even if thoughts of the OWLs hadn't really crossed his mind that day. "So I guess I thought it was better for me to sit by myself. It looked like you had a partner anyway, so..." Er, wait, that second part wasn't supposed to be said out loud. "...so you had someone to work with if there was group work, which was good." Good save, Hensley??? "So...yeah. I dunno, it was a weird day for me. But I'm okay now."

She had, in fact, found dinosaur in the index and was on her way to flipping towards the page...but that train of thought was obviously derailed by the very necessary emotional checking in with Ezra. The tightness in her jaw and strain to her eyes lessened considerably in thanks to the series of five words he initially spoke and fueled her impulsive behavior to scoop his hand up in both of hers. Her own relief was rather short lived considering she saw how swiftly she had unintentionally kind of sort of turned whatever was bother him to be about herself. Maybe she SHOULD have planned out her asking better and treated it more like a monologue for Drama Club rather than behave like someone who had ingested entirely too much Babbling Beverage.

"Stress headaches," she nodded sagely while rubbing both of her thumbs over the back of his head. "I think they are called tension headaches...maybe..." She was pretty sure she had heard that somewhere or maybe skimmed it in a textbook. "But I've also heard somewhere that a hand massage can help relieve some of that! You kind of follow the lines in your palm like you might while performing palmistry." Which was also sort of what she was doing now with her thumb over the back of his hand while also applying just a bit of pressure every now and then to the squishy bit between his thumb and index finger. She could hold his hand and give him little hand massages anytime he liked, if he wanted. Frowning ever so slightly, Anna wasn't sure what to make of his words towards where she sat and she REALLY didn't want to assume anything. Were he and Solomon NOT friendly?! That was quite the heartbreaking thought. Too heartbreaking for her to want to dwell on it - so she wouldn't! "I like working on classwork and projects with you too, Ezra," she smiled. "I'll save you a seat next time," Anna assured him before quickly leaning forward to leave a tender peck upon his cheek while the Nephelomancy book slipped off her lap and tumbled into the grass. "...okay?"

[Zoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wilber Winterbottom

Just as Wilber had taken the first bite out of his sandwich, a voice called out from beside him. He swallowed it down, wiping at the small amount of jam that had dribbled out from the crusts and onto the Headmaster’s lap. The Elf was a little too generous with the filling today, not that he was complaining. He did have an affinity for food on the sweeter side after all.

“Goodness, is it still morning?” He asked the sixth year, questioning how time was moving so slowly and why he was already hungry enough for lunch even after a large breakfast. His wife would’ve told him off for indulging in his food too early but sadly she was no longer around to give such warnings. “It certainly is a pleasant one today, I have missed our fiery friend up there.” He pointed a stubby finger up to the sky where the sun was peeking out from behind a fluffy cloud. A sight that had somehow gone amiss over the long, bleak, wintery months.

Speaking of the sun… “Say Mr Paton, do you know why we should look to the sun for positivity?”

The question about if it was still morning resulted in a slight raise of a brow, though ultimately the boy found amusement in the question. The answer seemed pretty obvious to him. Had he been a younger version of himself, like when he was a student at St. Woboldo's or in his earlier Hogwarts years, such a thing would have been made clear to the older man; in this moment, however, the question was simply going to go by unanswered.

His gaze followed where the man's finger was pointing, and he then nodded in response to the words that were being said. "I feel the same. It always is nice seeing the sun out and about." It, along with the nicer weather, was why he preferred this time of the year. Being in the outdoors was more enjoyable that way, in his opinion.

Logan's head then tilted to the side after he heard the headmaster's question. All the running he had been doing had his blood bumping, so the gears in his mind were turning. Thankfully this question didn't require him to think too hard (this wasn't like taking History of Magic when he had to retrieve some random detail from the deep recesses of his mind), and he was very much aware of the man's like for cringe dad jokes puns. "Because it's bright, sir?" He had a feeling that wasn't the right wording, but surely he was in the ballpark with that response.

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

She had, in fact, found dinosaur in the index and was on her way to flipping towards the page...but that train of thought was obviously derailed by the very necessary emotional checking in with Ezra. The tightness in her jaw and strain to her eyes lessened considerably in thanks to the series of five words he initially spoke and fueled her impulsive behavior to scoop his hand up in both of hers. Her own relief was rather short lived considering she saw how swiftly she had unintentionally kind of sort of turned whatever was bother him to be about herself. Maybe she SHOULD have planned out her asking better and treated it more like a monologue for Drama Club rather than behave like someone who had ingested entirely too much Babbling Beverage.

"Stress headaches," she nodded sagely while rubbing both of her thumbs over the back of his head. "I think they are called tension headaches...maybe..." She was pretty sure she had heard that somewhere or maybe skimmed it in a textbook. "But I've also heard somewhere that a hand massage can help relieve some of that! You kind of follow the lines in your palm like you might while performing palmistry." Which was also sort of what she was doing now with her thumb over the back of his hand while also applying just a bit of pressure every now and then to the squishy bit between his thumb and index finger. She could hold his hand and give him little hand massages anytime he liked, if he wanted. Frowning ever so slightly, Anna wasn't sure what to make of his words towards where she sat and she REALLY didn't want to assume anything. Were he and Solomon NOT friendly?! That was quite the heartbreaking thought. Too heartbreaking for her to want to dwell on it - so she wouldn't! "I like working on classwork and projects with you too, Ezra," she smiled. "I'll save you a seat next time," Anna assured him before quickly leaning forward to leave a tender peck upon his cheek while the Nephelomancy book slipped off her lap and tumbled into the grass. "...okay?"

Ezra could easily believe that what she said about hand massages was true. The feeling of her hands around his and her thumb tracing the back of his hand, he was sure it would chase away even the worst headache imaginable. "It does feel nice," he replied. So he most definitely wouldn't say no to it whenever he did have an exam-stress-induced headache. Or even when he didn't.

It was a relief that she also took the accidental seating comment in stride, and even doubled the relief that she liked working with him too. So maybe he had saved it there. He really didn't know what he would have said if she found that comment weird or asked further questions about it. Thank Merlin for-

!?!?!

His brain short-circuited when she pressed her lips to his cheek. It was only a couple seconds in real time, but everything seemed to stop for those few brief seconds, his cheek very warm and his mind suddenly blank.

What were they talking about?

Thankfully that book in the grass brought him back. "Okay," he answered with a grin, picking up the book with his free hand to offer back to her. "Thanks."