Wet meeting ((Dana))

[Melody Bang-Bala G6]

The spring showers had started in earnest now, but Melody was not allowing it to daunt her. She was out in the grounds, sitting on the damp ground by the lake in an old black skirt and red t-shirt, her arms wrapped round her cold knees, which were hunched up against her body. The rain was running down them, leaving water drops all down her bare arms, on which goosepimples stood up. But the world around her was just as much alive now as it was when the weather was sunny, in fact more so, because it was receiving its lifeforce - water. That was why Melody was out here. She wanted to feel and share that energy.

Melody stared at her reflection in the lake surface, the mirror broken a billion times as raindrops pierced them. Her distorted reflection showed a wide-eyed young girl staring back at her, looking rather wild with water dripping off her nose and eyelashes and her hair covered with a sheet of water. Melody sighed as the giant squid broke the surface further into the lake, sending great ripples across to break the reflection, the reeds by the water edge waving in the wind. She was pretty wet, actually. If she didn't watch out she'd catch cold soon. She had been reckless coming out here, but she loved the outdoors. She rubbed her knees again, trying to get some life and warmth into them, and stood up shakily from where she was sitting, ready to set out back to the castle.

[dana]

Dana swam up with long strides, breathing evenly. It had been fun – chilling, but fun to see what was going on in the lake. Dana smiled at her cousin swimming next to her as they broke the water-surface a bit away from the lake-shore.
Exchanging a couple of words with Kris, Dana watched calmly as he swallowed a some more Gillyweed he had bought – well, Dana didn’t really even want to know from where the GIllyweed came from.
As Kris dived once again, Dana turned and started to swim towards the lake shore, feeling the coldness still hanging in the air nicely enough, as the heating charm placed on her body was slowly starting to wear off.

Pulling herself out of water Dana was shivering and the light rain wasn’t helping any. Dana shivered and used her wand to cast several heating and warming and drying charms on herself and her swimming clothes. Quickly pulling on jeans and a thick sweater, Dana just now noticed a younger girl sitting on the ground. As not many people would be out with rain and sitting on the ground none the less, Dana was rather surprised by it.
“Er, you alright? Not freezing I mean?” Dana asked tentatively form the younger girl, not really sure how she should react or should she even react at all.

[Melody Bang-Bala G6]

Melody blinked through the rain as someone addressed her. On quick appraisal it appeared to be an older girl, looking a little dishevelled and with some bits of weed in her hair that made it look almost as though she had been in the lake. She brushed herself down and turned to answer her.
"Eh?" she asked, blinking again to try and clear some of the water that was dripping from her eyebrow into her eyes. "Well, I could ask t'same question of yerself. I'm not exactly toasty, no, but it's me own fault anyhow."

Having brushed herself off, Melody turned and looked back to the castle. It looked so warm and inviting, glowing light shining in the windows, battling against the general murky gloom of the day. She turned back to look at the girl, folding her arms as she did so.
"Well, is that all tha 'ad ter say?" she asked. "'cos if it was, it's a tad freezing, as yer pointed out, so we both of us should be gettin' back to t'castle."

((Sorry fer t'suckage, turns out t'pear wasn't much help. ))

[dana]

((You just didn’t meditate long enough. The PEAR rules all! All hail the Pear!!!))

Dana arched an eye-brow as the younger girl asked what she had wanted. Definitely a Gryffindor, Dana decided silently. Or a Slytherin. Other houses wouldn’t ask something like that from someone that much older than they and someone the didn’t know. No, a Gryffindor still – the girl didn’t have the air of arrogance and self-assurance around her nor the emotionless shield that were so regular for all Slytherins. But the girl had an interesting accent. To Dana who was used to hear the more melodic and quick sounds of French, it sounded interesting. There was a curious and rather odd rhythm in the way she spoke, but it just aroused Dana’s curiosity. Dana wondered briefly as she herself had an accent when she spoke, but shrugged the thought off. Dana usually liked different accents and as long as people understood her, it wasn’t a problem.

“It is wet out here today,” Dana agreed calmly, flicking her wand and muttering the correct charm as magical flames jumped up from the ground. Stepping closer to the fire, Dana warmed her hands over the flame that wouldn’t be put out by the rain an sighed contently, starting to pick pieces of weed out of her hair with a grimace, “I really have to wash my hair today. Don’t really feel like going back to the castle yet myself though.”<br>Dana looked curiously at the girl again and smiled politely: “Do you mind, if I ask where you’re from? I couldn’t help but notice your accent and it made me curious.” Dana looked at the girl, hoping she would answer. It would be interesting to know it and Dana hated being curious and not being able to find an answer.

[Melody Bang-Bala G6]

((T'pear sends its greetings, Dana.))

Melody looked round as she felt heat coming from behind her. It wasn't exactly singeing the hairs on the back of her neck but she could feel it as quite a strong force. Melody moved a little closer to it, the rain still forming droplets on her bare arms, but feeling a lot warmer. Still, she wasn't going to stay out here for too long. She had been out here for quite long enough already. Melody looked incredulously at the older girl as she asked where her accent came from.

"'ow can yer not know where it comes from?" she asked, genuine astonishment showing through in her voice. "I'm a regular Yorkshire lass. From Leeds. An' per'aps yer could return t'favour, ter tell me where ye've been gaddin' all this time that yer 'aven't come across an accent from t'great city itself?" Melody regarded the other girl with some surprise evident; how could anyone not recognise a Yorkshire accent? It was surely the most loveable, most distinct northern accent possible. "An' I would say that curiosity killed t'cat, save fer that I 'ave a little o' it meself, an' if me cat weren't curious it would nae know 'ow ter look after itself." Melody grinned at the older girl, again glancing back to the safety and reassuring light of the castle.

[dana]

((The Pear RULES!!!))

Dana smiled at the look that had risen on the face of the younger girl. A mixture of astonishment and almost shock, that Dana didn’t know. Dana felt a smile rising to her own lips as well as she listened how enthusiastically she spoke of Yorkshire. It was nice.
“Yorkshire sounds great. Especially if everybody there are nearly as friendly as you are,” Dana said cheerily, feeling that she would actually like some dry clothes and something warm to drink soon, “And the accent is brilliant. That would certainly make my days. Myself – I’m from France. Came to Hogwarts because my grand-parents – grandmother really – wanted me to come and even though it took a lot of paper-work – here I am as a result.”

Dana let out a soft chuckle as the girl spoke of cats and curiosity. It was an intriguing philosophy and Dana most certainly appreciated it.
“Cats and curious? I guess so. I like cats – they are independent and yet they know how to appreciate home and a good meal,” Dana muttered thoughtfully as she eyed the sky doubtfully, “I think I’ll start heading towards the castle now. I could really use a warm drink right now and I don’t want to catch a cold. Don’t really fancy a visit to madam P either. Still have a little of studying to do. Anyway – are you coming or staying here?”
Dana lowered her eyes to the girl and held out her hand: “Oh, and before you say you can’t walk to school with strangers – I’m Dana. Dana Coran.”