Let It Snow ((Jaquin and Jasmine))

[Parvati Patil]

Parvati grabbed her jacket, sketchbook, and a scarf before she made her way to a place quiet enough for her to sketch something. She had been neglecting her sketching, actually she had ran from it. It brought too many memories and too many tears to her brown eyes. The thing with Padma had been resolved, but there was still some rocky edges in which they had to work around at times. But, other then the normal sibling bickering that happened in the Patil household, everything was alright.

Sifting through her shoulderbag for a pencil she found some candy but, shoved it aside and continued to look for that pencil. Parvati bit her lip and pulled out an inkpen, but no pencil. She sat back a moment and retraced her steps, her mind searching through the past events. Then she remembered. Her hand moved up to her hair and she pulled out the pencil that she had neatly tucked in to the bun she had thrown up that morning.

The pencil began to sketch and her hand merely followed. Her eye stared intently at the paper and her hand moved swiftly over what seemed to be her last page out of her sketchbook. You would think for not drawing as much she would have loads more paper, but she really didn't. Parvati was so interested in her art that she didn't even realize someone approach her.

[anderson]

Jasmine found herself sitting on a bench reading her book on potions she bought in Diagon Ally while shopping for Christmas presents. Jasmine than turned the page of her book as she finished the last chapter on love potions. It was quite interesting the facts were endless. Since Jasmine went to an orphanage she found that reading and doing experiments in her room took up most of her time. Maybe that was the reason why she loved potions more than Charms. Jasmine sighed and closed her book lightly and put it in her Ravenclaw colored shoulder bag. She stood and put on her warm light blue jacket and walked down the long empty quiet hallway in search of a friend to talk too.

Jasmine walked down the hallway and looked out all the windows as she passed by. She really wonted to go on a horse sleigh ride because she normally went home for the holidays. When ever she went home she would teach lessons, sing carols, and go to near by horse shows. As Jasmine walked by a hallway she stopped in her tracks and noticed a girl a year older drawling. Jasmine wondered if she should head over towards to girl and talk but she looked like she wonted to be alone and drawl. She took a deep breathe and walked over towards the sixth year Gryffindor. "Ummm...... hi my names Jasmine Anderson Ravenclaw Fifth year who are you?" "Jasmine said taking a seat next to the girl and smiling brightly at her.

[Jaquin Prokenstien]

Snow burst off trees as Jaquin and one of his Ravenclaw buddies zoomed through the forests on the mountain side on brooms. The sun hung high in the sky as its heat pierced the atmosphere but was stopped by the impregnable shield of clouds. As a result, the air seemed frozen. Traveling at a prodigious speed on his Nimbus 2001, the mountainside was all a blurr to Jaquin as the cold air whipped across his face. Jaquin focused with great concentration as he neared a large evergreen tree. taking both legs off the broom, he kicked off from the tree and ran along, leaping from tree to tree, as the path narrowed. His friend did the same and they both ended up at the end, shoulder to shoulder. After they reached the end of the forest, the trees melted away behind them into a blanket of fast falling snow. He saw the Enchanted Castle near and Jaquin flew onwards, dodging bush after bush. Finally, Jaquin stopped abruptly as they reached the Castle Entrance. "That was a great race, Tom!" Jaquin exclaimed to his dismounting friend. He whipped out his wand and summoned his trunk to him, which flew out of a 5th story window. It landed with an almighty thud next to him and Jaquin placed his broom inside meticulously before heading inside.

He was windswept and was covered from head to toe with flaky snow. There were tumultuous throngs of students spread all over the lounge/entrance room, playing games or conversing with interminable loquaciousness. The sounds resonated from room to room. It seemed awfully Cimmerian, because of the lack of sunlight during the winter. Torches were lit on every wall and the penumbrae they created flickered eerily. Jaquin had a plethora of impressions of the castle even though he had only stayed for three days. He felt that the castle was both intriguing and repugnant; intriguing because of the many mysteries it held and repulsive because of the secret passageways it possessed that were full of dead rats. The owner seemed to have done a good job in taking care of the structure itself. Although the stones that comprised the structure were primeval, it still seemed as if the building had no structural weaknesses.

As Jaquin rounded a corner, he spotted his new friend, Jasmine and an old acquaintance; Parvati. He grinned and strolled over, still caked in snow. "So, how have you been doing, Parvati? Drawings coming along all right? How about you, Jasmine. What have you been doing all day?" Jaquin inquired.

[anderson]

As Jasmine waited for a reply from the girl and she took out her potion book and rested it in her lap. She than touched the book lightly itching to read but she didn’t wont the girl to feel like she would rather read than listen to her. Just than Jaquin came around the corner and she smiled at him as he asked her what she had done today. "Well I been reading this potion book I got in Diagon Ally while shopping for Christmas presents for everyone." Jasmine said smiling at the older boy and assuming that the girls name was Paravti.

Jasmine than open up her book and started to read more. She didn’t care what the two people thought of her she wanted to read the book. Jasmine turned the pages of her book as read a section on potions that can cure the sick. It really interested Jasmine to read about the many potions that can help many people. She than pushed back her brown hair and continued to read. As she finshed this chapter she sighed and put the book back. Jasmine than took out her note book and started to write song. She was going to give it to some one she really liked for a Christmass present. Jasmine humed to herself lightly as she wrote down the lyrics. She was going to let Vanessa look over it for her because she was more of a writer than she was.

[Parvati Patil]

Parvati jumped, at least four inches when a girl acknowledged her. Dropping her pencil on the ground, Parvati turned to say hello, but realized what had just happened.

"Oh, dear. Um, hold on a second. Thanks." Parvati said as she stood up and pushed aside a chair, she crawled after the rolling pencil and smiled when she saw it stand on it's eraser and start to hop into the fire. She grabbed it before anything could happen to it, and put everything back where it was. She then sat down, grabbed her sketchbook and looked at the girl, who said her name was Jasmine.

"Hi, I'm-" Parvati started. But, just then Jaquin came in covered in snow. Parvati giggled slightly and smiled at him.

"My drawings are fine thanks, a little neglected but none the less, good. What about you?" Parvati answered in greeting as he asked about her drawings. She placed the sketchbook down and curled her legs up under her to get into a more comfortable postion.

"I've been chasing a run-away pencil. I hate what Padma did to them, oh well. I'll live." She added with a sigh as she tucked the pencil in her hair once more. Padma had put a spell on the pencils, Parvati did not know which one it was, or else she would have already reversed it. But, considering her sister was so much more clever then herself, she figured there was never going to be a day when she could figure it out.

"I'm Parvati by the way, in case you hadn't already figured that out." Parvati smiled warmly at Jasmine and thought how nice it was to be back and be able to talk with friends. She had missed that. There was a lot she had missed when she went into her depression, and she was glad she was out of it.

[Jaquin Prokenstien]

"Oh, I'm getting along fine. I haven't missed a point in any of my tests or homework assignments with the exception of History of Magic and Transfiguration. The charm has got to be one of them repulsing spells. Remember when you used the spell to race your quills in Charms class last year? Well, I'm betting Padme just decided to extend its effects to annoy you......" Jaquin said as he looked up in thought. "So, are you two looking foward to the tour? I'm betting that they've got lots of Hippocampus in there. Have you two gone skiing yet? I broom raced with lots of my buddies. It's great fun out there in the snow....." Jaquin smiled with euphoria as he reminisced the great times he had with his friends over the past few days. He stared outside at the magnificent, snow-covered hills that were littered with multifarious species of coniferous trees.

Turning to Jasmine, Jaquin saw that she was reading a potions book that seemed pretty advanced although he himself had read it in his 4th year. "You know, you and Perseus could probably have a really long conversation about potions....." Jaquin said with a grin as he watched Jasmine begin to write something on a peice of parchment.

[anderson]

Jasmine watched as the girl tired to get her pencil and laughed softly as she was settle in. She than took out her own pencil and handed it to Paravti with a cherry smile. "Here you go I promise it isn’t charmed in anyway." Jasmine said smiling and turning her attention to the parchment that lay on her lap. Why couldn’t she write anything? Was it due to the fact that she might sing it in front of him? Or she thought she didn’t have a good voice?

Jasmine sighed and looked up at Jaquin as he asked about the tour and going down the mountains. "I can’t wait until we go on the tour its going to be exciting and seeing all the magical creatures and now I have to sharpen up on magical creatures I am a little rusty in that subject now." Jasmine said nodding her head and thinking of book she could read. It was always like Jasmine to find books about something she was to go to and learn more about it. "Also I haven’t gone down the mountains I think I am just too lazy to get my snow board and head up." Jasmine said with a laugh and returning the piece of parchment.

She hummed to herself wonting to sing out loud a Christmas carol that was in her mind all day. Jasmine than turned to Paravti and looked at the sketchbook that lay on her lap. Jasmine respected people who can drawl because it seemed like a hard thing to do. Jasmine than smiled and return her parchment and started to think. "I sit alone thinking about the days ahead how could this have happen and how could I feel this way. I remember hiding behind the books wonting to escaped from the life I used to live." Jasmine sang lightly to herself thinking about the lyric. It helped her to sing and then tons of stuff popped in her head after words.

[Parvati Patil]

Parvati smiled and accepted the pencil, she then tapped it on the sketchbook. Her mind completely blank on what to draw. Looking around the room, she saw a perfect drawing. Moving so she could get the right picture, she started to draw the outline of a figure. Then darkened that a bit and added detail. Her mind worked furiousily and her hand was working even faster. Her eyes surveyed each line, dot, and shade that her hand created just to make sure it was absolutely perfect.

"I can't wait until the tour. I haven't been able to leave this place for days. I just hope that I feel at least a little bit better by the time the tour comes. It would be terrible if I didn't." Parvati said, not leaving her gaze from the sketchbook. She had been feeling quite sick for the past day or so. Her throat was sore and her eyes watery, she took a pill or two but nothing seemed to help. So she just wished and prayed. It might have been because, of the snow fight she had at school with Padma, but it could have been something else.

"Okay, one more touch and voila! I'm done..." She muttered with joy as she signed her name and the date. She smiled at the drawing and turned it to face Jasmine. it was of her, sitting and writing. A deep thoughtful expression on her face. Her eyes were looking intently into the corner of the room, as if to find some inspiration.

[Jaquin Prokenstien]

"That really is a masterpeice!" Jaquin said approvingly as he scrutinized Parvati's drawing. "So, do you guys want to go visit one of the Switzerland villages? I've heard that one of them stocks lots of books about potions and art....." Jaquin gave both Jasmine and Parvati a meaningful look. He looked around at the empty halls, built of primordial stone probably already thousands of years old. The castle seemed to radiate a sense of enigma, both parlous and safe. He stared outside the window in apathy and once again watched each miniscule flake of snow fall slowly to the ground, floating on the air because of their lack of density. The sky was an amalgamation of white and gray, the gray being the impassive clouds that seemed to stare at them with great melancholy.

When Jasmine brought up the subject of Care of Magical Creatures, Jaquin answered, "I'm sure I could help you on that subject; it's my specialty," Jaquin said with a hint of pride that was not usually heard when he spoke (he was usually extremely humble). "I got all Outstandings in my O.W.L.s except for History of Magic and Divination. I failed those two subjects." Jaquin turned his head very quickly as his owl flew toward him. His owl, Astinus had brought what looked like a large parcel of food. But, when Jaquin opened it, he found it to contaiin a watch that had planets instead of hands. "Excellent!" Jaquin thought. "I won't need to worry about keeping track of my time anymore......"

[Parvati Patil]

Parvati smiled as she closed her sketchbook and handed the pencil back to Jasmine. She then tucked her sketchbook away into her bookbag and leaned back in her seat. Her eyes closed a moment, before she thought Jaquin's question over.

"Books on art? How can I resist? What about you Jasmine? What do you say?" She asked, with a smile as she opened her eyes and looked at the other girl. She windered if Jasmine knew Katie, Jasmine seemed like one of those people who had met Katie, because Katie always left a little mark. She always left a smile on your face. Parvati hadn't heard from Katie since their stroll in the courtyard, she wondered how the girl was doing.

"Eh, Care of Magical Creatures, I am horrible at that class. Divination though is a totally different subject." Parvati said as Jaquin made a comment about classes. Care of Magical Creatures, Parvati just couldn't seem to grasp, but Divination was something that Parvati was always good at. She didn't like to brag, but before it just always slipped out and things like that. Her mouth would open and out would come the words of bragging, she learned how to control that now...and that was definitly a very good thing.

[anderson]

Jasmine closed her book lightly and turned towards Paravti with a smile on her face. "Yes it sounds great I need more potion books anyways and maybe a quidditch book." Jasmine said with a smile on her face. Owe how she loved quidditch now and thought it was one of the best sports in the whole world. She than placed the book in her shoulder bag and looked up at her friends as they talked about classes.

"Hmmm that sounds good but I personaly think Potion is a great class and i am pretty good at it. I think Divination is hard man and I failed that course as well." Jasmine siad in a little angry voice. She thought the subject was a joke and how could anyone see into the furture it just happens. Jasmine sighed and thought about where they could go in the village. There were book stores, candy stores, coffe shops, and many more. Heck there was a horse store that Jasmine loved to death and got herself a new pair of black leather riding boots.

[Jaquin Prokenstien]

"Excellent!" Jaquin said in great elation. "Let's go then.... It'll be the village of Rhone." Jaquin lead the way back through the gloomy corridors where eerie sounds resonated back and forth. The lamps flickered as the sky began to darken. Jaquin had not percieved the amount of time he had been discoursing with Parvati and Jasmine. As they strolled down the hall, horde of first years came flying towards them, laughing madly. Their tumultuous and rambunctious yells and shouts pounded against Jaquin's eardrums like a hammer striking on a nail. He flattened himself against the wall and watched them with great exasperation. It was not the first time that group of first years had aggravated him. The night finally settled and for a moment, the corridors remained Cimmerian. But, like a pheonix arriving abruptly, the torches suddenly flickered to life, sending penumbrae in every direction.

When they reached the entrance hall/lounge, throngs of students could still be seen, relishing the amount of time they had. The door closed with a slow creak behind them as they walked out of the castle. Dark purple, billowing clouds moved forth as the moon dissapeared from their view. It left the night pitch black with the exception of the multitudinous lights of the Enchanted Castle. "Ardorus Gyris Pharustis," Jaquin whispered. Out of his wand issued three orbs of bright yellow flames. They were like lanterns and Jaquin directed two for the two girls behing him. He himself held one orb as he explained, "These flames can withstand even the coldest of winds and are impregnable to water. So, they will be useful in this kind of a night."

[anderson]

Jasmine smiled at the two people next to her and stood up and put on her heavy black coat and other winter stuff needed for the harsh weather. She walked down the corridors letting her mind race. She normally thought about songs but at the moment she was thinking about Quidditch. Since Slytherin and Ravenclaw match was coming up Jasmine had been a little Quidditch fanatic and constantly talking about it. As the sounds of the corridors grew she heard a couple of first years talking rather loudly. She looked at the girls as they walked by them and thought they seemed quite rude and waking up the sleeping portaits in the hall. Jasmine turned to Jaquin who seemed a little disturbed by the girls and was about to say something but she continued to walk.

As they walked out of the castle cold air hit her hard and she felt goose bumps go up her back. She shivered but didn’t seem to mind. Jasmine squinted her eyes in the dark to see which path to take. She wasn’t a master of getting around yet and it just confused her a bit of how things worked here. Just then she sighed a relief and took the torch which Jaquin handed to Paravti and herself. She held it in front of her and continued to walk behind the group not saying a word. It was always like Jasmine to keep to herself and be very quiet.