Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
|
Post by Susan Matthews on Aug 20, 2007 21:40:58 GMT -5
Today, unlike most of the days Susan had chosen to spend outside was cloudy. Swirling gray clouds filled the skies, and a chilling breeze created ripples in the lake. Hardly anyone dared roam the school grounds on this day, for fear of getting drenched in a sudden down pour. As many of the students made their way toward the castle, Susan pushed past them. She made her way quickly to save a comfy spot on the cool grass by the lake.
She was careful not to trip as flew across the gravel path. Sporting her favorite pair of shiny yellow ballerina flats, she slipped a few times, always regaining her balance just in time. Susan might have opted to wear tennis shoes every once in a while, if she'd had a pair. Ever since she completed her fifth grade gym requirement, she hadn't bothered to go out and buy a new pair that fit. Tennis shoes were usually plain anyway.
Despite the hiding sun, it was still rather hot and humid out side. The breezes from the lake were short and hot as well. Susan didn't care however. She had on her new bright blue summer dress. Even underneath her heavy black cloak she was kept cool.
Susan found her favorite spot by the rather small-ish tree. The small-ish tree offered little shade, but also happened to be covered in honey suckle vines. Reaching the tree, Susan sat herself down set to lean with her back against the trunk. She positioned herself to be able to reach up at random, and casually pluck one of the sweet-tasting flowers when ever she pleased.
As the minutes passed, slowly the pile of torn honey suckles to her right grew and so did the clouds in the skies above her.
|
|
|
Post by thomas on Aug 21, 2007 15:39:51 GMT -5
Thomas looked up at the sky and decided that he liked the look of they day. It might rain at any moment and was humid, and there was very little chance that anyone would be outside. Not the perfect day for a run, but the perfect day for archery practice. Few people appreciated the sport and so Thomas hated the looks they gave him when he did practice. What did wizards and witches have against mundane hobbies? Did they think that everything had to be magical? Admittedly his bow and string were magically enhanced so that they were impervious to water, but that was a minor detail as it hardly effected the bow at all.
Grabbing his bow and quiver, Thomas opened the window of his room and jumped out onto the damp grass beneath, before jogging to the lake. He liked the lake for various reasons, including the fact that there were fewer people there than other places in Hogwarts and that on a day like this there would be even less people there.
When he reached the lack, slightly sweaty from the humidity more than the heat, which wasn't a big problem for Thomas as he found it rather cold, Thomas noted that there seemed to be only one other person. Sticking half his arrows point down into the damp earth, Thomas muttered an spell and a target appeared about fifty metres away. Notching an arrow from his quiver onto the string, Thomas drew, sighted and fired. It fell short, as did the next two. On the third arrow, there was a tiny thud as it hit the target.
Shivering slightly as the last of the sweat evaporated, Thomas switched to the arrows on the ground. Within thirty seconds seven arrows thudded into the target, all spread out, but most were closer to the bull's eye than the outer edge.
"Accio arrows"
Thomas sighed. He hadn't practiced in a while and as a result he had lost his accuracy. It looked like he wouldn't be doing much study today.
|
|
Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
|
Post by Susan Matthews on Aug 22, 2007 17:32:10 GMT -5
As the skies swelled with the prospect of a heavy rain, Susan turned to see that someone else had joined her somewhat of a secret spot by the lake. She recognized him as a Hufflepuff. She watched from a distance as he brought out his bow and quiver and set up a target. Susan recognized the muggle sport as archery.
Susan remembered back to when she, herself growing up as a muggle-born would practice archery at summer camps. She was never any good of course. But it was fun to pretend to be an Indian. She would imagine that if she practiced hard enough, she could be an Indian princess and would be able to go hunting and help support her tribe. But that must have been at least five years ago. It was very refreshing to see another sport besides quidditch being practiced.
Susan saw it was a good time to approach the boy once he had spent all his arrows. She wouldn't have to worry about startling him. She quickly moved over to where the boy was standing as he conjured a summoning charm to retrieve the arrows.
"Hey!" Susan called, "You're pretty good! It's been awhile since I've seen anyone with a bow and arrow. Do you come out here often?"
|
|
|
Post by thomas on Aug 23, 2007 1:49:28 GMT -5
"Hey! You're pretty good! It's been awhile since I've seen anyone with a bow and arrow. Do you come out here often?"
Thomas looked up at the girl who moved from where she had been sitting. She was fairly tall and about his age. The fact that she was commenting about his archery skill suggested that she was muggle-born or half-blood, but probably a muggle due to the fact that half-bloods tended to be more enmeshed in the magically world rather than the mundane world. Few people appreciated archery and so Thomas' voice was slightly less monotonous than normal.
"Not recently. I used to come out about once a week, but since I've been a Fifth Year the work's kept me from practicing."
Thomas looked at her briefly and then asked,
"Would you like to have a go? The bow's draw weight is probably too strong for you, but I can easily modify that."
|
|
|
Post by Dylan Cooper on Aug 23, 2007 3:24:20 GMT -5
The sky was a blanket of cloud as rain threatened and made Dylan slightly hesitant about venturing outside. Noting a breeze, he decided to go out anyway and found his favourite jacket. Pulling it on, he exited the Ravenclaw common room and journeyed down the drafty corridors, passing only a few students and the Hufflepuff ghost who was humming merrily under his breath as he floated on past. Reaching the golden Entrance Hall, he strode down the main staircase and out into the menacing weather.
Pulling a navy beanie out of his coat pocket and putting it on, he wandered towards the lake, not aiming on heading anywhere in particular. Watching the willow trees and various other plantlife sway slightly in the moderate breeze, he saw the tip of a tentacle pop above the water and sink back down again, leaving only a circle of ripples behind. Wondering what the squid was doing on this fine day, he grinned slightly and then movement caught his eye. Noticing a bullseye a little further around the edge of the lake, he also saw two other students talking to one another.
Biting his lip and hesitating for but a moment, he decided to head over, figuring this random trip into the wilderness might as well not be completely in vain. Taking his sweet time, he walked towards them and his eyes remained wholly focused on the lake's surface. When he was just metres away, he approached them and faintly recognised the both of them as being in the year above him, in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff; maybe both. He wasn't too sure about the houses, but knew they weren't in his or Slytherin.
"Hey.." he said in a voice that was faintly audible over the shaking of leaves and branches. "Nice day out."
|
|
Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
|
Post by Susan Matthews on Aug 23, 2007 8:13:08 GMT -5
Susan smiled at the boy. She hadn't expected him to offer her a turn. She thought a moment, maybe it wasn't such a good idea. The last time she had tried archery was a good five or six years ago. But then again, what was the harm in trying again? Just as she decided to accept, Susan noticed a Ravenclaw heading toward them.
"Sure," she laughed, and then told the boy, "Why not?" After a moment she added, "I'm Susan, by the way."
"Hey.." he said in a voice that was faintly audible over the shaking of leaves and branches. "Nice day out."
Susan heard the Ravenclaw boy speaking, and waved gleefully at him, a welcoming gesture. Suddenly her attention was drawn to the lake. Across the water on the adverse side of the lake, a thunderstorm had finally begun. It was still miles away from where the three of them stood. The low pressures in the air where evident. If you looked closely you could see the rain ripple the water on the other side of the lake. If the wind didn't change directions soon, they would stay dry for long.
|
|
|
Post by Dylan Cooper on Sept 9, 2007 4:27:33 GMT -5
In response to his initial comments he got an extremely friendly and enthusiastic wave, and he smiled. Noticing her attention diverted over his shoulder, he turned his head to face the same direction. Seeing the menacing storm clouds he spoke up once more. "Looks like rain, huh?" he said, a grin appearing at the corner of his mouth. He peered behind her, seeing a boy who appeared to be slightly older than him as well as a bullseye full of arrows. This made him flash back briefly to his alternative, non-wizarding life, and he saw in his head some of the many arrowheads that he himself had made. Shaking his head ever-so-slightly he reverted back into the present and introduced himself. "I'm Dylan, by the way."
|
|
Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
|
Post by Susan Matthews on Sept 9, 2007 10:31:16 GMT -5
"I'm Susan," she told the Ravclaw. Looking back to the lake again, she heard Dylan mention the rain.
"Looks like rain, huh?" he said, a grin appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Susan smiled too, "Oh yes." She laughed, the impact of the rain on the lake was evident. Soon they would be wet if not soaking. "I like the rain, don't you?" she asked. "Back home, we never got much rain," Susan explained, "we we're almost always in a drought." She thought a moment. "I hope it snows this year too." In the southern United States it didn't snow much either. It was always a treat to get out of school for an inch of snow. Of course here, they were probably used to the snow and wouldn't be excused from classes. It would still be exciting though, she thought.
|
|
|
Post by Dylan Cooper on Sept 10, 2007 23:23:27 GMT -5
(( OOC: Sorry my last one took so long, I wasn't sure about the new rule they enforced and didn't know what to do xD ))
"Nice to meet you, I hope." he said in a joking voice. "I do love the rain actually, but most people just tend to think that I'm weird when I walk into the Common Room soaked from head to toe and smiling." Smiling faintly, Dylan recalled the times back home. "We used to get a bit of rain back home. Not too much and not too little. Kind of boring, really. We never usually got snow though. My parents took me skiing a couple of times, but we stopped going because it didn't seem right without dad so.." Trailing off slightly, he then hitched a small smile back onto his face. "Want to go swimming?" he said spontaneously, an eager look on his face.
|
|
Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
|
Post by Susan Matthews on Sept 11, 2007 6:33:55 GMT -5
(OOC: I think it's okay because we started this before the notice, right?)
Susan laughed at Dylan. Or rather with him. He had quite a sense of humor and Susan like that, this guy was really nice. Susan noticed the uncomfortable mention of his father. She was curious, but didn't ask. He would tell her about it if he really wanted her know about it. Besides, she had her own troubles too and she knew how hard it could be sharing.
"Want to go swimming?" he said spontaneously, an eager look on his face.
It was a simple enough question and Susan hadn't been swimming in a while. She looked at the lake, the rain slowly making its way toward them. It wasn't often that you had a chance to swim in the rain. The rain makes the water seem warmer than it is and it's nice.
"Yes," Susan giggled, "I think I do."
|
|
|
Post by Dylan Cooper on Sept 13, 2007 0:36:14 GMT -5
(( OOC: Yeah it's fine lol ))
The memory of his father faded and a quick but fairly audible laugh escaped his lips. He smiled at Susan. "Great!" Hopping towards the lake and pulling off one of his shoes, he threw it aside and continued, pulling off its twin and tossing that, too, onto the green bank. His socks following soon after, he stood at the edge of the massive lake, staring out at it. Loving the fact that this was actually about to happen, he knew that he hadn't been swimming in a long time, let alone in the rain.
Pulling off his coat and then shirt, he had started to create a significant pile on the ground, despite his shoes being far behind somewhere. The lake waited, the far edge rippling with the impact of the rain. Deciding at the last minute to also take off his beanie, he dropped it onto the pile of clothing at his feet, and proceeded towards the lake wearing only his pants, which he promptly rolled up to his knees.
Anyone observing from a decent angle would have seen the near-perfect arc the boy made as he dove into the shining water, causing an uproar in the lake water that was until two seconds ago undisturbed on this edge. Emerging from the cold depths, his breath gone momentarily, he gulped in the air that was itself wet with moisture. Finding his bearings, he turned to face Susan and smiled broadly, exclaiming aloud. "Come on!"
|
|
Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
|
Post by Susan Matthews on Sept 13, 2007 6:36:45 GMT -5
Susan watched as Dylan proceeded to take his clothes off. Susan looked down at herself. A summer dress and yellow flats--Not exactly swimming material. Susan dug in her robe, pulled out her want and provided a spell that transfigured her blue summer dress into clothes more suitable for swimming.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Susan called after Dylan. Leaving her robe and shoes behind Susan ran toward the lake and jumped into a cannon ball formation, that resulted in a huge splash. The water felt great in comparison to the humidity. Susan watched the ripples on the water come closer and closer . . .
"Look!" Susan called and pointed. In an instant the rain was upon them, if they weren't already wet, they would have been soaked. The remaining students on the bank ran for the shelter of the castle. Susan laughed, "Oh my god, our clothes!"--they were soaking wet as well. "Oh well," Susan said and splashed Dylan with extra energy.
|
|
|
Post by Dylan Cooper on Sept 14, 2007 4:20:46 GMT -5
Seeing her change clothes and make a rather large splash, he laughed mirthfully, the lines around his mouth creasing and his eyes gaining a new light to them. At her exclamation he turned to see the rain coming towards them at a phenomenal rate, and in an instant it was all over them. Giving out a quick but enthusiastic laugh once more he dove under the surface of the lake; the water was an eerie kind of green and he could barely see his hands flashing out ahead of him. Almost as soon as he'd disappeared, he reappeared just as quickly, his head breaching the now rain-plagued surface once more.
Paddling his way over to her he smiled, genuinely happy at making a new friend this early in the school year. Generally being avoided and even shunned, the experience was fairly new. Already having made a new friend in Diagon Alley before Hogwarts had even started, he saw this year being a good one.
As she pointed out their soaking wet clothes, his attention was directed towards them for only a second, but in that second of inattention he got a face full of water that was neither sent by the rain or the lake, but by Susan. Gasping in over-exaggerated shock, he dove towards her laughing and threw a nice lot of water into her face.
|
|
Susan Matthews
Gryffindor
[red]5th Year Gryffindor[/red] Shadow Warrior of Earth
goddess, nymph, divine.
Posts: 505
|
Post by Susan Matthews on Sept 14, 2007 6:43:23 GMT -5
"Hey!" Susan screamed wiping the mucky lake water out of her eyes. She retaliated with an even larger splash of her own. "You know this means war," Susan told Dylan playfully and splashed him again. It was almost impossible to see with all the rain and the green lake water being splashed every which way. Susan attempted to dunk Dylan but just barely missed, resulting in she, herself being plunged underwater with the force meant for Dylan.
Susan forced her eyes open from beneath the surface of the water. The water was very dense. Susan looked around for Dylan, planning to sneak up on him, but instead caught sight of a large moving tentacle.
Susan kicked her self to the surface, "OmigodtheSQUID!" Susan screamed. She swam closer to the shore. "I swear I just saw the squid," she told Dylan. She wasn't sure if the squid was friend or foe . . . either way it was very frightening.
|
|
|
Post by Dylan Cooper on Sept 14, 2007 23:03:58 GMT -5
Laughing joyfully, Dylan entered the splashing war, his eyes soon clogged with water of a disgusting green shade. Seeing the girl fling herself at him only to have her plan backfire, he splashed around, his eyes wide shut with laughter. Her startled exclamation about the giant squid made him wonder slightly what the intentions of the great beast actually were. Knowing Hogwarts, he would say that it could very well be either friend or foe, but at that moment, he didn't much care, swimming towards Susan at a fast pace with evil intentions on his mind.
Closing in on her, as she herself closed in on the shore, he quickly ducked underneath the surface of the water, his traces lost amongst the already heavily disturbed surface. Seeing a faint outline ahead of him, he circled around behind her, using his childhood swimming lessons well. Rising slowly, so as to be as quiet as possible, he hoped that she didn't hear him as he closed in on her. Using one arm to act as a tentacle replacement, he slithered it up her back and shoulder, laughing silently as he went. Once reaching her shoulder, he jumped on her, sending her, as well as himself, under the water.
|
|