Sitting alone after a tiresome day((open))

[shalita]

Shalita was completely worn out and tired from the long harsh day at school. She had loads of homework she had just finished. Now she was left with nothing to do, on the hot day. After finishing her homework she had decided to go down to the lake and maybe swim, or just sit and talk to someone. At this point she didn't care who she came across, just as long as she had someone to talk to she would be fine. In school everyone was walking around and talking their heads off. A little quite time with just one person around sounded better then listening to loud mouths all day.

She neared the lake, and walked over to a tree. Leaning over, she made sure nothing pointy or prickly was under the tree. She seen nothing so she sat down and leaned against the tree. There where many more people outside then what she had expected. A few where on the other side of the lake chatting with their friends. None of them seemed to be swimming, at least in sight anyway. It was peaceful so peaceful.

Luckily, the tree was tall and provided plenty of shade to block out the hot sun. Shalita closed her eyes and listened to everything around her. A gentle breeze blew some of her fallen curls across her face. She pushed the stands of hair behind her ears and opened her bright blue eyes. She watched the ripples in the lake and gently smiled. She did have a thing for nature. It was so peaceful and lovely.

[cleo]

((Hope you don't mind me joining. I can delete my post if you do.))


Cleo was leaning her back against a thick oak. She would have been occupying herself with reading if not for Kris who had dropped his head on her lap and was cheerily stopping her from doing so. Well as cheerily as he always was. Which meant that at the very most his lip-corner shifted quirkily for a moment from time to time. Barely for long enough to be noticed. But that was what Cleo loved about him, wasn’t it? Not that Cleo would ever admit it. Kris had a big enough head as it was and Cleo would need to take care of her heart. She would have to go on living with what was left of it for the rest of her life still after all. She could not afford to give into every whim she ever had and Cleo was relatively sure Kris wouldn’t care back for her the way she wanted it for the rest of his life. She would just have to take the little she could while she could.

“You know, your hair is a nice background for my nails today,” Cleo commented after closing her book and placing it on the side after memorizing the page-number where she had stopped reading. Cleo let her finger glide through Kris’s hair that was loose today and grinned down at him, even if Kris couldn’t see the smile on her face. “Well, it is. I have my nails a nice blood-red colour today with black flamed on it. I even charmed the flames to move a little. Very gothic-looking. Or punk. Or well something, cause I don’t have a clue what any of those styles are called. It’s stupid anyway to lable people by what they dress in.”
“Sure. And you just happen to fall into the category of rebel, who doesn’t care about such labels? We need the labels to be able to handle people with some preparation as to how to handle them,” came the drawled reply and Cleo sneered while letting her hands drop away from Kris’s hair as she let her fingers dance over Kris’s rib-cage. Only to be forced to let out a shriek as Kris didn’t seem to be the least bit affected. So Cleo found herself suddenly turned over with Kris sitting on her legs as he pinned her arms together over Cleo’s head.

“I’m not ticklish you know,” Kris whispered with a tantalizing smile that almost made Cleo’s breath caught. At the very least it made her attention waver so that Kris could easily jump to his feet, grab Cleo between his arms and run up the couple of steps on the small cliff at the late Kris and Cleo had pretty much claimed as their. “You wouldn’t,” Cleo hissed narrowing her eyes towards the Slytherin who was holding her over the Hogwarts lake that was at the base of the cliff. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to deliver your books to you,” Kris said with one more quirk of his lip-corner before letting go. “Kris! I’ll slaughter you!” Cleo yelped before the rather chilly water of the Hogwarts surrounded her. It took a moment for Cleo to regain her sense of direction before she resurfaced and brushed back her now wet hair. Great. She would have to wash her hair again tonight. Cleo scowled but knowing that by the time she would get back on top of the cliff Kris would be gone Cleo rather turned and started to swim towards the shore a bit farther away. The knee-high red boots Cleo was wearing did hinder her movements in the water a little but Cleo would not take off her favourite pair of boots! Finally reaching the shore Cleo climbed to it watching with distaste how her black mini-skirt stuck to her legs.
“Bloody Slyth,” Cleo mumbled despite some girl sitting under a tree near-by. Limping forward Cleo took a seat near a bit more flatter rock to take off her boots and pour out the water in them. She would hate to go back to the down with her boots making odd water noises with each step she took. Starting a small fire with a flick of her wand to avoid catching a cold Cleo wrinkled her nose a piece of wet twig fell out of her right boot.

[shalita]

Shalita looked up and watched amused as some boy dangled a girl above the cliff. She was glaring and yelling at the boy. The boy looked like a Slytherin but he didn't really look like he was trying to be mean to the girl. He looked like he was just playing around. I doubt he'll even drop her. She watched as he continued to dangle her, obviously trying to freak her out. She tried not to double over with laughter as he dropped the girl into the water. She wasn't expecting him to do that. Finally something entertaining to watch during the day. Now she half expected the girl to start cussing him out. Which if Shalita was in her place, she would of done. The guy wouldn't have got away with it. She would of yelled, but later she might apologize and just laugh with him for the craziness...but that was her.

Shalita watched as the girl surfaced from the water. She looked up at the boy and yelled "Kris! I’ll slaughter you!” Shalita smiled. Kris? That name is familiar, most defiantly a Slytherin. The girl climbed out of the water and made herself a fire. She mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "Bloody Slyth.” She smiled to herself. The girl was freezing though the water shouldn't be that cold. It was summer and still very hot out. Perhaps it was a good thing she didn't decide to just dive in and go swimming after all. If she did she might be in the predicament this girl is in.

After sitting boredly there for too long Shalita finally decided to say something tot he girl. She got up from her relaxing shade under the tree and walked over to the fire. "You know you should of just cussed him off. Might of taught him a thing or two in manners." She said, trying not to seem like she was laughing. The girl might just react seeing she was a Slytherin, and yell at her as well as the Kris boy.


occ: Sure I'm glad you joined...sorry the post was so short.

[cleo]

(( “It was summer and still very hot out.” Don’t forget that Hogwarts is in England and there it is only early spring, about 8 C / 46 F. And the water is colder so it’s not that overly warm. It is far from summer yet. Why, there was snow only a couple of weeks ago.
And I hope you do know that cussing isn’t allowed on Proboards, and especially not so on 4 Houses. )

Cleo checked her boots to make sure they were as dry as possible, before using a couple of charms on them as well. She most definitely didn’t want to put her feet into boots that would squirt out water with every step she would take. Cleo glanced at her nails and was pleased to see that she hadn’t broken any of them after all. And her clothes… well, those would survive. Even if they stuck to her skin right now, but Cleo felt herself quite comfortable in her body, so why hide it too much? Her hair was an entirely different matter though. She would have to wash it later on, but as there was almost icy water dripping down her back from her hair, then Cleo fished out her wand from under her belt once again. Transfiguring a near-by leaf into a towel Cleo leaned her head forward and rubbed her hair for a few times with it, trying to get most of the water out.

Hearing someone speak to her Cleo glanced up lazily measuring the girl for a few moments. Slytherin. A young one still. And by her arrogance she was yet to get her fingers burned to learn the bonuses of working subtly. “Cussing isn’t very becoming and I do prefer to make sure I’m on my best behavior and look my best daily,” Cleo replied a bit chillily eyeing the girl, “And with all his good breeding, Kris can afford the manners he has.” Cleo sneered and mentally shook her head. Since when was she so protective of what people said about Kris? He wouldn’t be bothered the least bit by this comment, yet Cleo was a bit touched. Cleo raised her towel and continued rubbing her hair while gazing at the younger girl with a coldly arched eye-brow. Was arrogance coded into Slytherins genes? So that even this, 12 or 13 year old, or however old she was, dared to come and try to teach Cleo how to handle boys.

“Now was that supposed to be an insult or were you trying to teach me? Oh, what do you know? Even if it was a teaching, that would make it an insult. Why don’t you grow up a little before you try to tell others how to socialize with boys?” Cleo drawled out, knowing using a patronizing tone of voice. Something you would use to tell your dog he was good, if he fetched your slippers and didn’t drool on them. But really, she would have expected something better than this form a Slytherin. Something that would have at least require some intelligence to understand that it was an insult. Then again Cleo wasn’t very bothered. The girl’s faith in herself was much too amusing to be infuriating. Cleo would just want to know how long before she would get herself burned because of her behaviour.

[shalita]

Shalita sat down on the ground and stretched out. This girl was obviously older then her. She didn't seem to please with her, though that might be a understatement. She sighed. It was rather chilly. Perhaps being stuck in a freezing room for hours upon end made her feel warm when she came out here. Dealing with all those papers was a hassle. The girl kept giving her icy looks. There was definitely something in her features that was showing her dislike for her. Does every person she met seem to ct like She was that much of a bad person. She tried to be nice, she was even friends with people from all the houses. Though the other Slytherins don't exactly like that much, they always seemed to be yelling at her. But she didn't exactly enjoy being yelled at by some girl she didn't even know.

"I wasn't serious you know. I was just joking about cussing. Personally I have a distaste for foul language. I wouldn't ask you to use it." She sighed and looked at the girl. She must of took the comment seriously. Why wouldn't she? She don't even know me to know I was just joking. "I'm sorry. I forget my place sometimes. I was joking though. I'm not much of a rude person unless you truly give me reason to be rude. Will you forgive my rudeness?" She asked. She knew that truly didn't make much sense up at this point she wasn't sure if she ever made sense int he first place.

Shalita walked back over to her tree and sat down. She shivered a bit from the breeze. You should of thought before you came out here. Now your cold and the only warmth you can get is from a fire. But the girl who made it don't like you because your rude! It was her fault wasn't it? She seemed to bring anger to everywhere she went. She needed to lighten up every now and then. Shalita decided to watch the lake and try to ignore the complete silence. Silence was eerie to her sometimes. It freaked her out. Especially when you have a full conversation with someone and then suddenly no one is talking. Shalita's first reaction was always, did I do something wrong?

[cleo]

((Don’t forget Slytherin nature, with friends from all houses as that’s not Slytherin-ish. Slytherin is a very hard house to play and it’s especially hard if it’s your first character on the site. Cleo is only half-Slyth with her personality and we expect our Slytherins to be very strong characters. )

Cleo glanced at the girl as slaid donw on the ground. Didn’t she want to have kids one day? The ground was cold. And he dirt would ruin her clothes. Cloe had to fight back the urge to tell the girl of that before telling her to stand up. But she couldn’t really. She wasn’t the girl’s mother. Did mothers even say such things out so frankly or did they have smother ways to get their children to behave properly? Cleo wasn’t really sure. Her grandmother had never been able to take on a mother-role so Cleo had raised herself in a lot of ways. Of sure, she had had an old nanny and she had had dancing and music and etiquette and history and whatever classes, but she had learned how to handle people and growing up herself.

“What were you doing if not advising me to curse? Maybe you should practice your joking skill a bit,” Cleo injected wit an arched eye-brow between the girls words but listened to her words and was surprised. She apologized? And ask for forgiveness. Since when did Slytherins beg for something? Cleo almost gaped as the girl returned to the tree where she had been sitting under and resumed her previous position. Cleo turned a little stopping even drying her hair as she stared at the girl. Maybe this was also the reason why she noticed the SLytherin shivering and was even more shocked. The Slytherin had voluntarily eft the warmth the magical fire she had produced gave off. And older ones would have bit their tongues of or done something but would have never showed such weakness for cold. How did the girl survive living in the dungeons under the Hogwarts lake?

“Since when to Slytherins apologize and beg for forgiveness! You are still young and raw at the art of being a Slytherin, aren’t you?” Cleo exclaimed while shaking her head curiously, “How do you know? I might be a mudblood or a half-blooded freak, like you guys so blatantly put it, I might be bankrupt, or a mudblood-lover. On what basis did you even start to talk to me unless you knew I was a Hardwick and thereby a pureblood. But really, I do have muggleborn friends, so aren’t my priorities wrong for you to try and socialize with me?”

[shalita]

((I hate being new. You can so easily mess up on topics. Drives me crazy. But thanks for the helpful tips. By the way what year is your character?))

The grass was some what cold but it didn't bother her. What really bothered her was all the looks she kept getting from the girl by the fire. The girl thought she was so much better just because she was older. Shalita had to bit her tongue before she said something she'd enjoy now, and regret later. the girl was completely judging her before she knew a single thing about her. Shalita couldn't stand people like that. People who thought that everyone who hangs out together is the same. She must go along with that saying 'birds of a feather flock together' which was a total load of crap because it wasn't even remotely true. Everyone is different they don't have to have the same personalities as those they hang out with. Why did it matter she was different from a few other Slytherins?

Shalita rolled her eyes at the girls comment about her making bad jokes. "Not everyone can tell good jokes, you know. Not everyone is perfect." Shalita couldn't believe she had apologized to that girl. Now the girl was criticizing her! At least Shalita actually had the nerve to be nice for once. Couldn;t the girl be at least a little respectful. It wasn't as if it would kill her. Shalita casted a look in the girls direction. She was starring again. Didn't she have manners? The coldness was getting to her. She'd have to get up soon and use th warmth of that fire even if the girl had a problem with it. Shalita didn't particularly care anymore. Her opinion didn't really matter because she honestly had no respect for the girl.

The girl started to throw insults at her and Shalita jumped up. She was now not in the mood to put up with the girls comments. "At least I tried to show you respect. But instead you throw it in my face. You yell at me for being immature and younger then you, but I think it's you that needs to grow up. You whine and bicker and me being nice, but it's you that sounds like a eight year year old whining about something that didn;t go their way." She yelled coldly. "Also why would a care that your a pure-blood? I don't know you and at this moment I don't think I want to know you." The girl made a comment about Shalita's priorities, and she gave a mocking laugh. "Since when do others care about some people's priorities anyway. I don't even think you care." Her glared at the girl and turned around in her standing position taking in the warmth of the fire. She turned again to face the girl.

[cleo]

Cleo snorted with amusement as the girl rolled her eyes at her. Now this was a first. Usually people were either too angry around her, too wary to remove their eyes from her wand or could over-come Cleo’s rather snappy character without caring much. Friends usually fell into the last category. But this girl rolled her eyes at her. Cleo shook her head with amusement and arched an eye-brow: “Who is perfect? Perfect is boring. But a joke that you can’t tell is a joke never works. Which isn’t good at all, because everyone needs some humour in their lives.” Cleo grinned as she eyed the girl calmly feeling amused she could get this much of a rise out of her. It was a new experience for her. She could anger people easily if she waished, but to have this jumpy reactions? Cleo almost enjoyed the situation.

But she paid close attention to the other girl words even if Cleo made it appear as if she wasn’t by starting to rub her hair with the towel again. Her hair was her pride and glory after all so it was all good. Glancing up as the girl raised her voice to a yell Cleo was sure to keep her own voice calm and at the level of a normal conversation: “Note that you are the only one who has yelled between the two of us? And an eight year old? Shame. I was aiming for someone at least half as young. As for respect and manners? You came to talk to me not the other way around. And manners usually mean that you start by introducing yourself. What am I supposed to think about you, as the only thing I do know on what basis to start is that you’re a Slytherin and a younger girl who came to teach me how to handle a boy I have managed with the whole previous year. As a Ravenclaw I’m stereotyped enough to take it as an insult to my mind.”

Pureblood. Cleo tilted her head. Purebloods were the so-called ‘nobility’ of the wizarding world. Cleo didn’t mind half-bloods and muggle-borns, but purebloods were nobility in her mind too. Not all pure-bloods, but those who could handle themselves. The level of etiquette in the Slytherin house was higher than anywhere else it seemed and for that Cleo respected them. But then again there were always mishaps in all houses. It told a lot about you from where you were born. It showed whether you know the muggle world or the wizarding world. It told something about the values you upheld for yourself, so actually this little fact was much more meaningful than most people gave it credit for. “I repeat myself. If you don’t want to get to know me, then why did you come to talk to me in the first place?”

Cleo chuckled a little glancing at the other girl and shrugging: “True, I don’t care. I don’t know you so you are far from being a friend, so why should I care? I’m just a bit amused on how much you contradict your house. It almost shows disrespect for your roots and yourself.”

[shalita]

Shalita felt the corner of her mouth rising into a smile. Just as quickly as it started, she hide it away. "You know something. Coming up with remarks like that I believe you should of been a Slytherin." She said. Shalita sat down and placed her hands by the fire to enjoy the heat. Since the fire was there, why not use it? After all, it was obvious if she tried to keep her temper in check this girl might make a comment like 'your not a very good Slytherin,' or something along that nature. Shalita had the type of personality she could be mad one minute and happy the next, and even the other way around. The girls comment about being perfect was true. The fact that she had been so correct unnerved her. No one was perfect, if they tried to be then they were truly a boring person who probably had no fun in their life.

The girl spoke about manners. She said Shalita should introduce herself, or at least that's what Shalita thought she was implying. "Can she stop this bloody manners talk, hum? It's truly giving me a bloody headache. Also I don't have to introduce myself. If you wanted to know my blasted name you could of simply asked." She said bitterly. She sighed and turned her hands by the fire. The fire seemed to calm her nerves and keep away the bitter cold. She was so stupid for not bringing a jacket or something out here. At least this Ravenclaw was smart and made a fire. Otherwise, Shalita would of had to inside and have no peace at all. Being a Slytherin meant everyone wanted to know your business and you didn't have anytime to yourself. Everyone was always so curious about you. It drove Shalita nuts.

After a moments silence she decided to go ahead and say something. "The name is Shalita Braglin, and I don't have a problem with getting to know you. I didn't ask to get to know you and I don't exactly care if I do or not at this point. I was just bored and talked to you. Also I don't disrespect my house. I have a long family line of Slytherins. Being Slytherin is pride to my family and I have quite a reputation to live up to. So if you would be so kind as to back off just a bit about my bitter remarks, it would be nice." Shalita fell silent. Perhaps she had said a bit much, that feeling left her uneasy. What was it about this girl that made her timid and nervous. It was completely unlike her.

( Cloe sorry it took so long to reply. Grandpa has been in and out of the hospital and i've been trying to help him out. I'm sorry it took so long )

[cleo]

((It’s quite alright. No worries what-so-ever. Hope your grandfather is alright, or will be. Though I would most certainly appreciate it if you wrote my name correctly. ))

Cleo let out a snort of laughter. She knew something? Why, she had always thought she knew quite much. She knew spells, she could recognize constellations, she could speak a couple of languages and a number of other things. It was quite an insult actually, but it had been delivered with such surprise that Cleo didn’t feel very touched by the comment. Clicking her tongue Cleo smirked at the girl: “Never had anything against Slytherins. Quite the rope-dancers with words. Or rather – some of the older ones are. I’ll take it as a compliment though Slytherins are sometime so stuck in themselves that there are only two options: they are either the most intriguing people ever or they are so stereotypical it’s boring and not even fun anymore.” Cleo frowned noticing a piece of nail polish that had gotten loose as Cleo glared at the guilty nail as if willing to correct itself. She would have to redo her nails later on.

“You said bloody twice. Not only is it a style mistake, it also ruins the point of using the word. Which isn’t very lady-like anyway,” Cleo injected with a wide grin, “And while you might not care about manners – I was raised to behave correctly in all situations life might throw in my way. And you are younger and you came to me, so it’s only natural you introduce yourself first.” Cleo nodded slightly as the girl did introduce herself a moment later. Shalita Braglin. Pureblood brat, though the fact she’s in Slytherin told Cleo that already. “Cleo Hardwick,” Cleo replied with a slight shrug. If they were already introducing themselves, then she would join the trend so to say. Manners were important after all and Cleo would not shame the memory of her mother by not being polite.

Actually the girl interested Cleo at one level. She seemed to almost weary and tired. Listening to her words Cleo tried to figure out what she was weary of. Living up to her family’s reputation? Was there something more behind those words or not? “You don’t care to get to know me, yet you stay here and try to bicker with me,” Cleo commented with only half of her mind in her reply as she was still trying to decipher something behind Shalita’s words that might, or might not, be there. And I won’t pick on your remarks, if you stop trying to be original and make them biting as right now – you try too much to give them any effect. And what on earth gave you the idea I’m nice?” Cleo asked with a lazy smirk as she winked at Shalita just to see her reaction.