just a breeze .. open

[Bryan Kelley]

Time continued to pass by. There was no stopping time, one could either go along with it or fight it kicking and screaming. It was usually better to go with the former as there was nothing the latter would or could do that would stop time from going on. It was a never ending, never stopping force. It seemed few gave it really any thought. It was just a component that made up their world. It was just there, sometimes not even noticeable.

However, as Bryan sat by the lake he could tell that time was moving. Weeks ago, snow was in an abundance but now the touch of spring had graced the grounds. The snow was melting and in its place were little piles of mush and puddles. The ground was still frozen but even it was beginning to thaw. However, this all made for very wet grounds. Before he had seated himself down, Bryan had magically clear away the water to give him a dry spot to sit down. He had not really wanted a wet bottom, a cold one would be enough for him. So he sat in a clear spot, his legs crossed with his sketch pad on his lap.

His pencil he held in his left hand, however he wasn't using it to draw. It was just in his hand, sitting there. His blue eyes were trained over the lake before looking down at the pencil. His mind was wandering over the shadow wars and his position in it. He knew he was the Elemental Master of Wind, but right now that was all he was. All he had was the title. He didn't feel like he was one. He had no training, and he had never tried to manipulate the wind yet. He could feel its presence. He knew it was around and how at times it would move around him as if to comfort or give him strength, but that was it. Bryan was rarely a person to get angry, so he could not even say what would happen if his ire were to grow. Would the wind become fierce and uncontrollable? These were things to contemplate.

For a moment, Bryan glanced over his shoulder in both directions. He did not see anyone around. The morning was still early. He pursed his lips for a moment before he twirled his pencil, consciously thinking to draw the wind to it. It came with little problem. He attempted to select a small breeze and release the rest. This was done. Bryan now knew he had a small breeze wrapped around the pencil he twirled in his hand. Anyone watching would not really see anything wrong with the picture. However, if Bryan stopped consciously moving the pencil with his fingers, the wind would continue to do it for him.

A snap was heard behind him. Bryan released the small breeze he had been toying with and the pencil fell from his hand, from the release of the breeze and with the fact he had stopped moving his fingers. He turned to look over his shoulder in the direction of the sound.

[lydianowan]

Lydia Nowan slowly made her way toward the lake; eyes hazy and vision slightly blurred. Although she'd been awake for some time it took a lot for this Nowan to fully wake up. She indefinitely was not a morning person. Although not easily irritated and bitter like many other individuals in the morning, Lydia simply reacted to early times by appearing extremely tired and "out of it". She could not be easily angered, for in her morning state, she could hardly grasp what was going on around her. Typically, she would be simply enthralled in her own world upon arise. This Lydia was a sharp contrast to the energetic, competitive, girl that mostly surfaced.

Now that she'd been awake for a little while, she was beginning to come out from her isolated world. Yet still, she did not possess her characterized cheerfulness that she so frequently held. Usually, Lydia's routine was to get ready and then head down to the Great Hall for a good amount of breakfast. Food woke her up, if not her energetic friends. By classes she was usually completely characterized and awake. But she'd taken a detour today.

She hadn't intentionally woken early, Lydia Nowan thrived on her sleep to keep her energetic body going. However, to her dismay, she simply could not get herself to fall back asleep and had deemed the task pointless because she soon would be getting up early anyways. So, she'd risen a little earlier than before, and decided to take a detour while on her way to the Great Hall. She was sort of in one of those reflective moods; something not too frequent for Lydia. The morning made her more quite and less extreme.

She'd ended up by the lake, a little chilled. Her eyes were wide, trying to make out the sights of the place. With a sigh, she quickly stopped, standing on a rock and staring out at the lake. She did not particularly enjoy this weather; the overcast skies and melting snow was not pleasing to her. It made her subconsciously feel trapped; just as the climate was, from cold to warmth. Lydia Nowan didn't like feeling put in the middle of anything. She chose her sides clearly, yet this weather could not.

Coming a little more into consciousness second by second, she caught the sight of a student sitting down a good amount of yards away. It only took her a second to realize who it was; Bryan Kelly. She knew that perhaps, giving his position and pencil in hand, he could want to be left alone. However, Bryan was a friend and his prior interactions with her seemed to fit the occasion now. It had been too long since she'd had a good conversation with him. And now that she thought about it, she missed that. She'd just been very busy with Quidditch these days, and her other friends had proven to be a great distraction. But she didn't need to let any of that effect her now.

She made her way over to where he was sitting, trying not to get her foot caught in a mud puddle. And, as if on que, as soon as she was in a talking distance, his face turned around, over his shoulder, to meet her. "Hey, Bryan." She said simply, coming over to his right. About to sit down, she quickly noticed that the ground was very damp. Quietly letting out an incantation, she used transfiguration to weave some of the small sticks by her into a blanket, which she set down in front of her at quickly sat on. With a sigh, she looked at him. "How are you?" It wasn't said out of courtesy, or as a simply conversation starter, she truly meant it.

[Susan Matthews]

Susan had awoken on this morning intuitively knowing that the approaching season of spring had at last made its first move. Maybe it was the slight increase in the temperature in the dormitory or the sweet breeze that wafted through the drafty window, or maybe something deeper. Either way, it didn’t take long for Susan to shake from her groggy, sleep state of mind to crawl out of her four poster to half run, half trip to the window across the dormitory. She easily unlatched the shutter like window, throwing it open much to the dismay of her sleeping housemates.

Warm natural light forced its way into the dark dormitory as well as the last traces of the cool winter breezes. Glancing down at the school grounds below, Susan was able to spot small patches of green here and there and it was evident the ice along the surface of the lake would be melting in time. Thrilled that her favorite season had at last decided to overtake the desolate winter atmosphere surrounding the recent months, Susan nearly fell over as she rushed to her things to dress for a trip outside.

Though the snow was melting, Susan was aware that it was still rather chilly outside. She had chosen chucks to protect her toes from the remaining snow as well as her grey winter pea coat, leaving it unbuttoned over her light sweater and jeans in her haste. Hardly running a brush through her hair, Susan was out of the Gryffindor tower in a matter of minutes. She didn’t pay much attention to who had remained sleeping or even who she might have disturbed as she clomped along her way to the Great Hall before she would head outdoors.

In her excitement she also did not bother to sit down for breakfast. Without stopping, she brushed by her house table, and picked up an apple where it was instantly, magically replaced thanks to the house elves down in the kitchens. With one juicy bite, Susan was satisfied and took herself as well as the apple out doors. Of course the lake was her destination. It reminded her slightly of Zane Bishop when she thought back to their conversation in the tower. The tower had been his location of happening, where the lake had been her own.

With one hand in pocket and the other still grasping the apple that she occasionally took a bite out of, Susan forced herself to breathe deeply as she approached the lake, to take in every bit of the changing season. Arriving at the lake, Susan was pleased with the progress spring had been making on the environment around the school. Walking along casually, she didn’t have worry about accidentally producing any flowers for her flower of choice had chosen to sprout on its own this morning.

Walking along the lake, Susan hadn’t expected to encounter many people, seeing as it was rather early still and although spring was indefinitely on its way the remains of winter were enough to keep the sensible person indoors at this hour. It wasn’t long however until Bryan Kelly came into view. Susan hesitated slightly as a first instinct, not sure if she should approach. Sitting next to him, she saw, was another girl, a girl with gorgeous blonde hair that rustled slightly in the wind.

Part of her wished to leave, but she realized she must have been spotted. Approaching at a slower rate than she had been traveling previously, Susan felt slightly sick to her stomach. Her thoughts were drawn to the Valentines Dance and the night she had spent with Bryan. How silly she felt now to see him here with Lydia, Susan now recognized; another Gryffindor, a year old than Susan, and by her judgment, gorgeous to boot. Finishing off her most recent bite of apple, close enough to speak and be heard, Susan looked to the both of them at their place on the ground. “Hey Bryan, hey Lydia,” she told the both of them quietly, gripping the apple harder than necessary.

[Bryan Kelley]

Bryan was hardly aware of it, but he had been on edge the moment he had heard the crack behind him. He knew whoever it was had not been likely to notice him toying with the wind, which was thankfully transparent. The only apparent thing that happened was this pencil had dropped from his hand, which wasn't really that out of the ordinary by itself. However, at the appearance of his fellow Gryffindor and friend, Bryan inwardly relaxed. A smile appeared on his face as he reached down and plucked the pencil back up from the ground.

"Morning Lydia," he greeted her cheerfully. Bryan did not mind that his quiet time had been intruded upon. Part of him had been wondering how long he would be alone for. In a school it was only a matter of time before someone else joined one. Was there really any place one can be alone? It seemed all the great solitary places had already been found out, and hence nigh impossible to be alone there, as people already know about them. "Same old," he answered her inquiry with a shrug of his shoulders as he turned his attention back to his sketch book page, it blank from when he had flipped it earlier. "What about with you?" he asked her in return.

Bryan's attention had shifted once more to his sketchbook and already he was doodling a set of fallen branches that laid a few meters from them. In his pre-occupation he did not really notice much more. Not from the girl sitting on the ground next to him, or how another was slowly approaching him. Bryan did not notice that approach of another until her voice had broken through the silent air.

His head snapped up, his eyes resting on Susan. Unconsciously a smile lit his face, perhaps brighter than the one he had greeted Lydia with only moments before. Unbidden, thoughts of the ball entered his mind. They were never completely too far from his mind lately. However, at least he had the presence of mind not to draw anything of that nature in his sketchbook. "Hey Susan," he greeted, his smile still in place. "How's your morning going?"

[/color] he questioned her, forgetting about Lydia for a moment.[/size][/blockquote]

[lydianowan]

He was cheerful; that was good. It meant that she would have even more to help pull her out of her tired mood. Outside influences generally made a great difference in Lydia's behavior; her reaction was usually either a hot or light temperament. She then made a compulsive face in reaction to Bryan's own question, looking as if she were casually pondering what her reply should be. "Busy..." She said with informative hesitancy, her next words forced out with a light smile "...more than usual." She then paused. "You know me...I always find a way to preoccupy myself with things during homework time." She laughed a little, but it was done lightly and in such a way that it somehow possessed a tone of innocence.

She hadn't even noticed that someone was approaching them. Her senses were already working too hard to restore her back to her usual temperament, and she was laughing to herself as well. She was hardly in a place to pick up on the growing sound of someone coming closer. However, soon enough, she heard a voice, and she was forced to respond one way or another. At the sound of her name, her head quickly faced Susan's direction; her hair moving with the wind, and a happy smile still present on her face. But Lydia had not completely processed the information yet. However, as soon as she did grasp the concept that someone else was there, her smile fell into a visibly neutral look. Lydia quickly corrected herself with a light smile.

"Hi." She said, quickly and immediately after falling back into friendly countenance. She then listened as Bryan inquired of Susan's morning, and leaned back casually to support her body weight with her arms. Obviously, she didn't know Susan as well as Bryan but was open to making conversation with her. As Lydia's smile still held tact, and she looked over at Bryan and then back to Susan when she spoke.

[Susan Matthews]

As she stood before her fellow Gryffindors, Susan was easily able to recognize the sketchpad in Bryan’s lap before he took notice of her. She smiled in spite of herself as she saw the light doodles of the discarded foliage around them. Of course Bryan would be drawing, and as always Susan couldn’t help but admire his rare talent. Still suffering a slight bout of misplacement as she stood, she removed her hand from her pocket to turn it slowly with other as she waited to be noticed.

Feeling at last the glances of the others on her, Susan let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her previous sense of discomfort was left behind as Bryan returned her greeting and even Lydia offered a friendly “hi”. She noticed without saying, the drowsiness that still lingered over Lydia’s disposition. Obvious the change in weather didn’t have the same invigorating effect on her as it did to Susan. Susan was especially alert at the new energy provided by the reawakening earth.

As Bryan inquired about her morning, Susan allowed her smile to broaden significantly, further expressing her exhilaration this morning. “Great,” she answered before explaining, “winter’s nearly over.” Glancing around at the slush and muck from the melting snow as well as the few patches of green as proof, Susan was certainly pleased with the outcome of the morning thus far. She found she had stopped turning the apple in her distraction.

“And the both of you?” Susan returned carefully, allowing her smile to fade softly at the inquiry. No matter what she tried to tell herself, she was unable to decide how and why Bryan and Lydia were sitting together. Through jealousy or confusion, Susan couldn’t allow herself to remain as cool on the inside as she hoped she looked on the out; the apple began its rotation once more.

[Bryan Kelley]

Bryan was oblivious to any feelings of jealousy that Susan felt towards Lydia. Likewise, he oblivious of the blond girl besides him. Bryan didn't pay that close to attention to many things, unless he happened to be drawing them. True, he may see them but that meant very little when the brain wasn't processing what the eyes were seeing. However, as it was, Bryan had little reason to suspect such thoughts. Bryan had had his own moments of romantic crushes, but he never thought too much about them. He was the type unless sure there were some possibility of reciprocation of feelings, would just allow his own feelings to sit. He acted when he was given the opportunity, but sometimes those passed him by before he realized what they were.

A smile touched the Gryffindor's lips when Susan's enthusiasm from the coming spring could be felt in the air and in the tone of the girl's words. When the girl inquired after he and Lydia, "Just experimenting before Lydia joined me a few minutes before you," he told her, holding the pencil to the page. However, the boy meant experimenting in more ways than one. However, he knew his statement was subtle and vague enough that neither girl would probably pick up on any other meaning than pertaining to the sketches on his pad of paper.

Bryan went silent, allowing Lydia an opportunity to answer for herself in regard to Susan's question. As the girl made her own form of response, Bryan's attention turned back to his sketch book, and doodled a few more lines of the foliage before him. Only when a sort of silence appeared did the boy look up again to his fellow Gryffindor, the one standing that is. "Do you want to sit and join us?"

[/color] he asked her. "You'll have to dry the ground or sit on one of our laps," he then add with a slight grin. He did not really expect Susan to sit down either he or Lydia, but it was just a fun comment to add. Bryan looked down for a moment, to turn the page of his sketchbook to a new fresh page.[/size][/blockquote]

[lydianowan]

She had been listening, but it was as if their words weren't registering in the blonde Gryffindor's mind. Her eyes lingered absently on Susan as she spoke, and then slowly followed to Bryan as he replied. The actual meaning of his words were less defined to Lydia as Susan's were; Lydia was losing touch with the conversation, yet she was unaware of it. Perhaps it was the fact that it was still early in the morning. Or maybe it was because her subconscious was immensely preoccupied with something else...But what could that be?

It took an awkward pause for Lydia to realize it was her turn to talk. Bryan had concluded answering Susan...which meant it was her turn...she had no idea how long she had sat there in silence. But instead of bursting back into enthusiasm, Lydia struggled to find her words. In fact, she struggled to find a response at all. "Uh..." The sound came out quiet, low, and uncomfortable. Lydia took another second to ponder."Good." She finally settled on; the word coming out in a declarative way. Most would be embarrassed by such oddness of behavior, but not Lydia. After another second of straightening out her awkward facial expressions, she returned to a smile like nothing had happened.

She listened when Bryan continued to talk. "Yes." She concurred. "Do sit down." Such words were followed by a smile; warm, inviting, and sincere. She was on the verge of laughter, yet then again, so was Lydia frequently; it was a sort of trademark. She waited for Susan to respond; her eyes dancing. The Nowan twin was definitely beginning to wake up more, and once she would eat breakfast, she would be back to her usual, energetic self.

[Susan Matthews]

Susan nodded with what she thought to be understanding as Bryan explained without explaining he had been experimenting. His tone of voice was completely natural, ruling out any exceptional possibilities to his tricky phrase that Susan could detect. As he finished, Susan looked to Lydia, waiting for her response to the question she had voiced moments earlier. It was amusing to see that she had not been listening to the past comments and upon realizing it was her turn to speak, she found she had no idea what to say. She had at last chosen the neutral reply of, good, which thankfully seemed to apply to this situation. Susan cocked her head slightly to the side and smirked playfully, understanding that Lydia had not been paying attention in the least.

Susan’s gaze left Lydia and returned to Bryan as he spoke up once more. Feeling at last light she might be included, Susan agreed to sit with her two housemates. “I’d love to,” Susan told Bryan, and Lydia, if she was even listening in a faux formal tone. She hesitated though as Bryan continued speaking, giving her two options to how she might choose to sit. Susan laughed out loud as she considered the latter, obviously meant as a joke. “Tempting,” she replied, a smile still in place despite her efforts at a cool reply. “I think I can manage the ground, though,” Susan decided as she pulled out her want to remove the slush from the immediate area on the other side of Bryan, choosing to sit next to him while still keeping Lydia in view.

As she saw Bryan turning his sketchpad to the next page, Susan glanced across to Lydia and her vacant expression that slowly seemed to be becoming more and more focused on the present, but with much effort still. Leaning forward to wrap her arms around her knees, she met eyes with Lydia, “Still tired?” she guessed, sending her a look of sympathy, knowing what it was like to loose sleep, to feel completely exhausted some days. Glancing back to Bryan, next to her she saw that he had not yet begun the next sketch whatever it may be. “What are you going to draw?” Susan asked with interest, her eyes moving from the pencil in his hand poised at the blank paper to his face to see his answer.

[Bryan Kelley]

Bryan turned his attention to Lydia when it seemed it was her turn to contribute to the conversation that was on going, or at least trying to be on going. He looked on at her amused as the silence stretched before the other Gryffindor girl realized that she was suppose to be saying something. The girl appeared to struggle for some sort of answer that would suit the situation, a situation that Bryan was sure Lydia had no idea what had really been said. He had realized before when she sat down earlier that she was a bit wound down. After she spoke, Bryan watched with interest as her facial expressions changed before resting once more on an almost seemingly vacant smile.

He turned his attention back to Susan to issue his offer for her to join them and Lydia had managed to be present for this part of the conversation as she had accompanied his request by reinforcing it with a short phrase of yes, do sit down. Bryan felt the tickle of amusement again and turned his attention to Susan when she paused over the options he had given her. He was not surprised when she chose to clear a spot away rather than sit on one of their laps. Bryan squashed the small sense of disappointment with the choice.

As Bryan turned the page of his sketchbook, he heard Susan ask Lydia if she was tired. "I don't think Lydia is much of a morning person,"

[/color] he stated as he placed the pencil to the blank page. Yet his hand did not move over the page. He was drawing a blank on what he wanted to draw. As in truth, he had not really meant to draw but take a few moments to toy with his elemental abilities, yet now he couldn't really do that. Certainly not with Lydia present. He knew Susan was a fellow lightfighter so if it was merely her he wouldn't have worried. Yet, it seemed with Lydia in this state he wondered if she would even notice, but he wasn't really going to test it. As it was, when he glanced at the tired Gryffindor on his other side he could see the fog in her eyes starting to clear.

His attention did not remain long on Lydia when Susan asked him a question and he turned to look at her. He looked down at the blank page. "I don't know ... any suggestions? Requests?"[/color] he then answered her. A light smile touched his lips and he belatedly looked at Lydia to include her in the question he had ended his answer in. He was open to drawing whatever the two girls came up with for him to do.[/size][/blockquote]

[lydianowan]

Lydia smiled in reaction to Susan's inquiry of own energy level, nearly giggling as she knew herself all to well a horrible morning person. Nearly every morning she was tired until she ate breakfast. However, this seemed to be her only reaction at the moment, which leaved Bryan to answer on her behalf. This, of course, made her smile all the more. She nodded in concurrent with Bryan, thinking that enough of a response. She then took a second to look at Susan, pondering a little about her now that Lydia was more awake. Although she considered Susan a friendly acquaintance, she had to admit to herself that she did not know much about the younger Gryffindor. Now she was finding that quite a shame. Susan seemed nice enough, and humorous, even; which was a trait Lydia particularly liked to find in people. For Lydia, of course, loved to laugh; or at least when she was awake.

She followed the conversation a little more closely now that she was coming out of her daze, listening to Susan's inquiry of Bryan as well as Bryan's answer. Lydia fought back a smile in her response, "Me." She said valiantly, taking a moment to pause before continuing. "Holding the Quidditch House Cup in my hands...Or better yet...the Quidditch world Cup." She laughed lightly, obviously joking. She now thought of Susan and Bryan...although Lydia admittedly wasn't the most attentive of people, she did not know since when or how Susan and Bryan had become friends...(perhaps more, even?) It was sort of confusing, although she had already taken a liking to Susan and could see why Bryan would...Well, she supposed that is what she got for not paying close enough attention to what was going on around her. She really did need to get better at that.
She leaned back on her hands, her body becoming more angled; staring up at the sky. Oh, how she wished it would just be a new season already! The thought of warm spring seemed all too exciting; more preferable weather for sports, a brighter sun, and more comfortable weather to spend outside in. Yet this overcast weather was not her forte. At least the thought of warmer weather could try to cheer her up. She then, of course, looked back at Bryan and Susan to follow their own reactions to her comment.

[Susan Matthews]

Her eyes moving from Lydia, from whom she was expecting an answer on the subject of her level of exhaustion, she turned slightly to focus on Bryan in time to hear him claim the other Gryffindor to be anything but a morning person. That much was easy to see as even Lydia could not supply the words to agree, only nodding enthusiastically on the verge of some bout of giggles that was very entertaining on Susan’s part.

As he asked for suggestions Susan smiled to herself, knowing that something difficult would be fun. Bryan was the best artist she knew a challenge could be interesting. She glanced in Lydia’s direction wondering what she would come up with. Susan lost her smile with the other girl’s initial response, not sure what to make of her suggestion. Susan made to look to Bryan for his reaction, yet before she could do so Lydia continued, obviously not finished. The Quidditch bit left Susan laughing, wondering what she had been worried about previously. It would be like Lydia bring Quidditch into a conversation where nothing Quidditch was present. She shook her head at the girl, knowing some how that the topic could not be avoided as much as she disliked it.

Though she wasn’t overly familiar with Lydia, from what she did know of her it was that she was big on Quidditch, where Susan on the other hand was absolutely not. Where Bryan stood on the matter was unknown to Susan, but she didn’t try to think about it too long. The thought of the zooming bludgers and weaving brooms made her head spin. From what she knew about Quidditch, Susan was able to recall that Lydia was both Captain and Chaser for Gryffindor and obviously an avid participant. Susan honestly didn’t know how the matches had been going this year and didn’t know whether to wish her luck in actually winning the cup or to shake her head in disappointment, knowing that it could not be achieved.

“Or,” Susan spoke up, “something a little more realistic,” she spoke in reference to the World Cup option, “You have to draw the both of us.” Already in motion, Susan stood from her spot next to Bryan, removing and recasting her charm removing the slush from her area, choosing to sit to Lydia now so that they would both end up in the picture. “And then if we win,” Susan continued referring back to Quidditch, “you can go back and add the cup in the corner there.. behind the tree,” she spoke not hiding her dislike for the sport and still attempting to satisfy Lydia with a compromise.

[Bryan Kelley]

Bryan watched with amusement when Lydia appeared to giggle then nod vigorously after he had guessed that she wasn't a morning person. "I believe that would be an emphatic yes,"

[/color] he remarked with a slight laugh glancing at Susan before he had turned his attention down to the blank page of paper. It was rare that he wasn't really much in the mood to draw, let a lone stumped one something left to draw. The last time he had been so blocked was when he had been in the tower with D'rorah and she had guided him to relax his mind only for the symbol of wind to emerge under the tip of his pencil.

It was with some more amusement that Bryan turned his head to look at Lydia when she actually replied to his inquiry of what to draw. He had noticed she had been starting to leave the fog but he hadn't thought herself fully from the grasp to be thinking clearly, at least clearly enough to give a suggestion. He smirked at her suggestion. Leave it to Lydia to bring Quidditch into the subject. He was waiting for her to try and coerce him into joining the team again. Bryan liked the sport well enough but he was no player. His interest did not extend that far into it. He had told another Gryffindor girl that ... Bryan could not recall her name at the moment.

Before he could say anything in response, Susan chimed in, causing the Gryffindor boy to turn his head and look at her. He listened, his amusement still apparent, when she broke in with a compromise. Bryan did not usually draw portraits as he was rather self conscious in his drawing. He was always afraid if he drew live people and they ever saw the drawing they would end up hating how he had drawn them. That they would hate the way they were represented with the drawn medium. However, since Bryan had opened himself up for this, having asked for suggestions or requests he did not say anything on the subject.

Instead, he watched as Susan got to her feet and moved over to sit on Lydia's other side. As Susan moved, Bryan shifted his own seat until he was facing the two Gryffindor females. Even as he was situating himself he was already forming the composition of the piece in his mind. He decided upon realism, but only so far as the occupants, namely Susan and Lydia. Bryan decided he would not include their current background but go off something a little more personal for the two girls, where the backgrounds would intertwine together to show a sort of connection.

He looked at the two females. "Ready? Feel free to move as you want ..."[/color] he state. Bryan did not like restricting people he drew and most times he was drawing moving subjects anyway. Besides it gave him a sort of challenge. He waited until he received an affirmative until he began to sketch the two girls.[/size][/blockquote]

[lydianowan]

As Lydia waited for some sort of reply about her Quidditch tease, her eyes landed on some sort of strange cloud formation in the sky. She squinted her eyes to examine it further and stretched them into more activity. Was it...?... Well, it looked like some sort of whale about to swallow a fish...or maybe a Quidditch Player about to grab a snitch...or maybe a Dragon breathing fire? It was funny how clouds could appear in such diverse ways. But thankfully, the stimulation of her mind working to imagine them allowed her to wake up even further. She was doing remarkable well for having not eaten anything yet, and it was only getting better. Usually, at this time in the morning without eating anything she would still be in a state of tiredness. Smiling in an almost child-like manner, Lydia stared up at the sky, still gazing at the funny cloud formation.
But quickly enough she realized that Susan was speaking and looked back at her to take in her message. Her eyebrows heightened attentively as she listened to reveal a purely neutral look. She nodded a little, and then with a smile added, "Well, sounds good enough." She laughed a little to herself just after Susan took a seat by her. "I'm interested to see how things turn out..."
And that indeed was the flat out truth. True enough, she did not know the full extent of Bryan's drawing abilities, but knew well that he had never actually sketched her before...which was actually, when she thought about it...unfortunate. But now that she was finally going to see how he drew people she was mighty pleased and excited. She grimaced in reaction to Bryan's remark that she could still move. "Really?" She asked lightly, and then slightly tilted her head down to giggle a bit to herself. She then looked up to reveal a wide, happy smile. "Okay, ready." She finally said and closed her eyes for only a brief moment only to open them back up and stare back up at the sky. “You know….” She said leaning back on her arms, “Clouds are really…. Interesting...” These types of random comments were very typical of Lydia. In fact, some often accused her of having a mind like an open book, for very often she said what she thought. Usually, when she took time to ponder about something, she also took the time to say it. She didn’t really see the point otherwise. But this was not always the case. For perhaps people were right, perhaps Lydia was indeed the basic person they thought her to be; simple sports and laughs; a walking Gryffindor Cliché. But when it came to emotional issues, Lydia was at a loss for words. Internal problems of the heart and mind confused and troubled her, and she didn’t exactly know how to let such feelings out. She was better at cheering other people up, and even so herself, or fighting hands on against a problem; doing something about it. But her attempts at trying to reason her own emotional problems usually ended in failure; she just couldn’t understand. It was difficult to rid her heart of a problem when no real conflict was involved. And thus, she wasn’t usually identified as someone of depth or perception, which wasn’t so far fetched.
Lydia Nowan had no idea of the silent conflict both Susan and Bryan both were involved in. Even in her interactions with Caitlin Collins she had failed to see the extent of the Hufflepuff’s internal suffering and pain. Not to undermine her completely; the recent oddness of the happenings of Hogwarts did intrigue here, but not so much that she figured anything real out.
But here she was, content to be happy with life and wonder about the uniqueness of clouds. She was free to dream, free to laugh, and free to be herself. Yet, oddly enough, had Lydia known what really was going on around her, she probably would have tried to plunge herself head into the conflict; more of the type to want to get involved in a sort of conflict.

[Susan Matthews]

Unaware of Bryan’s discomfort in drawing portraits, Susan made herself at ease in her new place next to Lydia. As Bryan stated that the two girls could move naturally she was surprised. Having mentally prepared herself to sit quite still it was funny to think that she would be able to move as she was drawn. It was a fact that still objects were, in fact, easier to draw. Susan only nodded and smiled in anticipation, already eager to see the outcome. Susan followed Lydia’s concentration upward to the clouds. In the vast blue sky above them were several large fluffy white clouds, the kind that were painted in pictures and drawn in story books, cumulus by name. Susan watched in silent amazement at the ever changing cotton ball shaped clouds in the sky some six thousand feet above them. The clouds moved across the sky, ever changing, moved by an unseen wind at higher altitudes.

Susan allowed a smile derived from her plain happiness of the moment to form slowly on her face. Only did she return her gaze to her surroundings when she heard Lydia speak, of the clouds in particular. “Yes, interesting,” Susan agreed, “and beautiful too.” She smiled more consciously speaking first to Lydia and then turning to glance at Bryan before returning her gaze upward once more. Crossing her legs and leaning back onto her palms similar to Lydia, Susan pondered the clouds. It took her a moment, but soon she was able to see the head of an elephant taking shape before it was blown into a giant football. She laughed out loud, feeling carefree for the first time in a long while as she realized it had been even longer since she’d stopped to look at the clouds. Susan closed her eyes, wanting to remember this moment of peace the next time she was upset. As he eyes closed her fingers gripped the earth gently and the grass beneath them, dried by the charm spoke to her, feeding her bliss.

Opening her eyes Susan looked to Lydia only to see her still reveling in the clouds as well. She then looked to Bryan, her eyes fixing on the sketch pad in his hands. From the angle she was now seated his progress could not be seen and although she was curious, she didn’t tilt her head the extra angle to snatch a peek at his art. Instead she allowed her gaze to focus on the many patches of grass peeking out of the melting snow and the patches of daffodils appearing along the lake of their own account. “Spring is my favorite season, you know,” Susan told the other Gryffindors, “It’s like everything is new again.” She shrugged to herself, liking the fact that none of the upcoming beauty of the new season would have a direct connection to the conflict between light and dark. Susan found herself looking at Lydia, suddenly jealous of her ignorance in the war that was raging just beyond this realm.