A Gentle Breeze Rustling A Restless Mind (Anyone)

[Caitlin Martinez G7]

She couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning. Her eyes stung. Caitlin rolled over and over in her four-poster. Her legs and arms flailing about, rolling off the side of the bed- brushing against the floor. Her brown hair sprawling out around her as she stuffed her pillow over her head. Her blue eyes followed the outline of the curtains that blew wistfully around her. A window was open in the dorm rooms. Caitlin groaned lightly as she pushed aside her blankets. The breeze blew past her again and brushed across her pale legs...she shivered lightly and pulled her robe onto her shoulders. She wrapped the tie around her waist and tied it in a knot. She ran her fingers through her knotted hair and tucked it behind her ears before looking around the dorm at the sleeping Gryffindors. This was her home. She wouldn't trade it for the world. Caitlin bit her bottom lip as she slipped her slippers on her feet and left the girls dormitories.

The soft snores of the girls filtered behind her as she stepped out onto the staircase that led down into the common room. She wasn't aware of the time, nor did she care. All she knew was she couldn't sleep and she wasn't going to be able to if she was locked in that room. Sometimes she felt it was suffocating her, squeezing her shut and make it hard for her to breathe. Caitlin inhaled as she passed the fire which was dying out slowly, it was later than she had thought it was. If she were to be caught out past curfew, Gryffindor would surely lose points. Actually, Caitlin didn't think much of the house point system Hogwarts had. She thought it to be odd. Who would want to make the houses even more competitive than they already were? She thought it absurd, and she would say something if she had the voice to. But Caitlin was only a mere child and pupil in Hogwarts out of many, who thought the opposite.

Caitlin left the common room, her feet padding gently on the stone flooring. Her soft little footsteps, her feet leading her to the empty courtyard which was illuminated by the flourescent glow of the moon. She stepped out into the light, and let the silvery beam wash over her. Her hair shown brilliantly, and she looked even paler in this light. Yet she looked beautiful. Caitlin took a seat on a bench near the fountain and ran her fingers gently across the top. Skimming the water and watching it ripple. Caitlin looked at her reflection, not sure if she was completely sure the girl staring back at her was in fact her. The water reflection had soft silky hair and a sweet smile appearing at the corner of her lips, and her actual appearance was far from that. Or at least, she saw herself that way. Tyler would disagree. Tyler... Caitlin closed her eyes as she felt a ping of pain hit her heart. She missed him. Her best-friend. He always made her feel better, too bad he couldn't be with her during the school year. She saw him over breaks and wrote him daily. But still..it didn't seem to be enough for her. She missed him too much for letters to just fill.

A noise from the corner drew her attention away from Tyler. Her blue eyes pierced the darkness, daring whoever it was to reveal themselves. Caitlin was brave, especially when she was upset about something. Her defenses were sky high then. She didn't and wouldn't back down. She sat, waiting. Like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey. She waited, silently. The wind blowing her hair off her shoulder and making it fly infront of hre face. She hurriedly brushed it aside.

[simone]

Simone sat by the lake as the wind blew her ponytail over her shoulder. If she were caught out after curfew and lost Ravenclaw points she knew their prefect Dana would go ballistic but she really couldn’t care less. She probably should care all things considered (all things consisting of the awful right hock Dana had inflicted upon Jaquin last Care Of Magical Creatures lesson) but she couldn’t sleep and knew the fresh air would help her. Besides it was incredibly peaceful out there in the silent grounds. She heard the front door open though and froze. After a moment Simone turned around and saw what must have been a student cross into the courtyard. Curious as to who else would be so blatantly disobeying school rules Simone pulled her feet out of the lake and picked up her sneakers.

Simone seemed to slip through the shadows as she made her way across the grounds and into the courtyard. Sitting by a fountain she noticed Caitlin – a girl in her year but a Gryffindor. The girl was apparently aware of Simone as well seeing as she was staring in Simone’s direction. A small smile found its way to Simone’s lips because she knew she would be ok to come out and say hi without having to put up with some annoying person who would talk her ear off.

Simone stepped out of the shadows and into Caitlin’s line of sight hoping not to startle her too much. “Hey, see you’re out for some night air as well. A little crisp tonight don’t you find? I fear fall will soon be upon us – should enjoy these summer nights for as long as they last.” Simone said as she took a seat on a bench near the fountain and put her socks and shoes back on her feet before sitting up and looking at Caitlin.

[Caitlin Martinez G7]

Caitlin allowed a similiar smile to cross her face as Simone took a seat on the bench as she spoke. Caitlin didn't Simone too well, but she knew her to be a Ravenclaw fifth year. So she wasn't expecting to get insulted or cursed from her. Caitlin brushed her hair back and looked up at the moon, "Yeah, it's slightly colder out here tonight than it has been lately. A sure sign fall is coming, but I'm kind of looking forward to winter and fall. I don't know. It's something about the atmosphere during those seasons. Not to mention the holidays. As odd as it may be, I already miss London." She looked back at Simone and smiled again.

"So," She said, letting her legs swing back forth. Her ankles were crossed and her hands were gripping the edge of the stone bench she sat on. Caitlin wasn't very good with conversations at all. Unless she knew the person very well, Caitlin didn't know how to talk to someone she didn't know anything more about then their name, house, and year. She was never good with small talk either, which was why she was struggling at the moment, "What are you doing out at this hour?" Back and forth, back and forth her feet were going. Caitlin let her eyes to flutter from Simone to the moon and back to Simone again. She was again...at a loss at what to say.

[simone]

When she looked up shoes now on her feet Caitlin seemed a little nervous for some reason. Not like a Gryffindor Simone mused but then nobody could possibly fit their house’s description exactly. “Yes I do rather miss back home too but I am still none too fond of the winter. There is just something about the cold that makes my blood curdle.” Simone responded.

Caitlin asked what she was doing out and Simone smirked. “I could well ask you the same thing. I needed a bit of air; I couldn’t sleep. Everything has been so hectic lately what with the Diagon attack then the universities. Then we all had to leave home and the train attack. That’s not to mention Azkaban being broken out of and all those psychos on the loose. And they tell us we are here and perfectly safe with the mini Death Eaters sleeping below the lake.” Simone said with a deep sigh. She knew not every Slytherin was a Death Eater in training and that other houses had produced dark wizards of their own but still… there was something she found unsettling about them all congregating down there like that. Times were just too crazy for her to put those ill feelings aside. “Plus now school work is picking up too…” Simone finished with a weak smile.

[Caitlin Martinez G7]

Caitlin inhaled and nodded in agreement. She felt a slight shiver go up her spine as she remembered the events that had happened recently. All the attacks, all the deaths, the injuries. It was too much for Caitlin to really comprehend. It was all too much blood, all too much pain for others, Caitlin never knew so much pain. She wasn't experiencing it first-hand like some were...but she didn't like sitting from the side-lines and watching all that was happening. Then again she didn't exactly want to be in the middle of it either. Caitlin just didn't like it...period.

"I know what you mean. I couldn't sleep either. I haven't been actually, for the past two days. It's a lot of things to comprehend, you know? Hogwarts isn't supposed to be like this...attacks aren't supposed to happen. It's supposed to be a safe place. Yet a lot of our friends and family members of our friends are harmed because of the attacks. It's...scary to think about." Caitlin bit her bottom lip and let the thoughts roll around in her mind. She didn't like to think of them a lot. They just made her worse than she was. Sadder and more upset about it. She didn't like to be that way. Caitlin liked to smile, but lately it had been getting harder and harder. Especially since her world was disappearing through cracks.

[simone]

“Hogwarts is safe though. I refuse to think differently. It’s when we get outside these walls that it’s not all too. I was always taught that if things got too bad I could just slip into the muggle world but they are certainly not safe it would seem with what happened at those universities.” Simone responded morosely.

She then dipped her left index finger into the fountain’s cool water and smiled. “But here we are safe. Except from school work and OWLs of course.” She added with a small laugh. “Only one more school year before we take them. Conversely – only one more year for them to shove things at us that they will put on there. Funny how they put five years worth of things on one test and then only two on the next set of major exams. Just goes to show how much more we are in for when we come to our NEWT classes. Do you know what you will be taking yet? I am telling you divination will be dropped from my schedule quick snap. I don’t know why I signed up for it another year… But what’s done is done am I not correct?”

[cleo]

Cleo didn’t feel like running. But she felt like walking. So she dressed in a pair of tight black pants, a figure-hugging soft red-sweater and a pair of black heeled-shoes. Perhaps not the wisest choice of outfit for a stroll outside on the grounds, but Cleo didn’t care. It looked great on her creating a perfect background for her hair – even if no one owuld be there to admire it at this time. And nails. Both were features Cleo was proud of. Her hair because her mother hda had the same colour hair – the only feature Cleo had inherited from her mother. And her nails because once agian they were covered iwth a colourful design. Dark-blue underpaint and the moon and a few stars on every nail. Nails didn’t have any practical use. So they might as well decorate.

Slipping out of the common room Cleo made her way down the hallways singing to herself quietly. Seeing that stinking cat mrs.Norris slinking on top of a staircase Cleo felt a sudden temptation to go and hit her. The wretched cat certainly deserved it for always crawling around in the shadows and snitching! Then again she was an animal and merely did what she had been taught to do. Filch should be kicked rather than the cat. A moment later Cleo’s inner struggles were cut to an abrupt stop however as the cat turned it’s head.
Taking off rather abruptly Cleo disregareded any ideas of going outside for a stroll. Not with Filch prolling along looking for someone outside of their common room. Nope, not a chance she would want to do it. Rushing down a few hallways and up and down a few different stair-cases Cleo finally stopped near a window over-looking the Forbidden Forest and whatever creatures lived there. Trying to gain control over her breathing once again Cleo listened to hear if Filch was anywhere near. When no sound but her own breathing was heard in a minute or two, Cleo finally decided that she was off the hook for this time. But she still doubted she would be able to get outside and later on back into the castle. Still she wanted a breath of fresh air, so Cleo started to make her way towards the courtyard.

Soon enough the door closed behind Cleo as she stopped before the door and breathed deeply for a few times. It was good to be outside. Cleo wasn’t afraid of the shadowy outside – it offered comfort in it’s own way. Calmness and peace that let your soul and mind rest. And the air was fresh. Most certainly a bonus. Sauntering down the few pathways slowly Cleo enjoyed herslef letting her mind wander freely. At least she did so until two figures came into view. At first Cleo thought it was a couple who had snuck out for a romantic evening watching the stars. A moment later Cleo discarded the thought as the figures obviously weren’t embracing. And they were both girls. One from Cleo’s own dormitory – Simone. And the other was a Gryffindor Cleo thought. Not that she had ever spoken to this particular Gryffindor as long as she could recall. Perhaps she was a bit judgemental, but for her Potter’s heroical - but suicidal - characteristics somehow standed for all the values Gryffindor represented. In her head Cleo knew that was not the case, yet at some sub-concsious level it was like that for her.

„Is this a private party or may I interrupt?“ Cleo asked with a small smirk flickering over her face as she stepped to stand behind the bench, leaning one of his hands on the back of it. „Didn’t really expect to see anyone else out here today.“