Drawing by the lake ((Flo))

[leon]

That morning the sun was too bright to even glance at. The air was cold, and as Leon walked to the lake he hugged himself from it. He was wearing a blue and silver Ravenclaw scarf, a black jacket and some dark trousers. These were some of the warmest clothes Leon had, but he was still cold. Almost running to keep him warm the boy reached the lake, watching as several of the school owls flew over it, dipping their brown and white wings into the water and annoying the creatures that lurked in it’s depth. Sitting down on the green grass dotted with silver dew drops, Leon took from a small bag at his side a large sketch-pad and some charcoal pencils. Just as he set a pencil to the paper, a large barn owl flew over his head, dropping a bundle of wet and gritty leaves onto his blonde head. Leon threw down his book and pencils in anger, almost ready to blow. The day had not been good so far- he had mislaid his wand, only to find it under his cat, who he had to fight to get it off. Then his hair had just refused to stay down, resulting in copious amounts of gel being smothered into it. And, finally, he had snapped one of his pencils as he left the dorm.

Controlling his anger with trouble, Leon calmed himself, bending down to pick up the sketch pad. Suddenly, he noticed in the tree a large white snowy owl, sitting perfectly still. Quickly, Leon sketched the rough outline of the bird, knowing it would soon move. After it did, he continued to add detail from his memory, watching happily as the picture grew.

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo had awoken that morning, to find her stupid brothers rat, burring in her covers. Flo squealed and jumped out. Scoobers sniffed at her and looked Innocent, ten scurried away. Flo's hair was all over the place. The rat had probably made a nest in her hair or something. she was going to kill her brother...or get her cat to kill his rat. Either way, she still over-powered him. After having a shower and managing to put her hair together, Flo got dressed and grabbed her bag. It was full of her usual stuff, her book, which she had read twenty-million times, her sketch pad that she had drawn creatures that probably didn't exist, her pencils, and a bracelet, that Flo had never worn, because it was too small for her, and because it wasn't hers. it was just something that she found on the ground one day, and had forgotten to find whoever had lost it.

Flo knew it was a little cold, so she put on her beanie, that showed to butterflies, just, flying, doing nothing really. Flo loved it. Flo walked outside, slowly, but as a gust of wind flew by, Flo decided to walk a bit faster. She had no idea why she had gone outside in the first place. She saw someone crouched over, doing something. Flo was curious, so she walked up to them, and saw that it was Leon, someone she knew was in her year. She looked over his shoulder, seeing that he was drawing what looked like an owl. Flo looked closer. It was pretty good. She noticed something though, something was missing from the picture. Leon was looking like he had finished. "It needs a beak." Flo said, very casually. "You forgot to give it a beak."

[leon]

Just as Leon began to carefully sketch in the detailed beak, a shadow carefully passed over his work. Almost growling for the discretion, Leon looked up to see Flo from his year. His anger fading, he grinned happily at her and patted the ground beside him for her to sit. As he did so, he noticed the excellent beanie hat that was perched on her head. Butterflies were embroidered upon it, flying around but somehow still facing the front at the same time. “Excellent hat Flo- shows you perfectly.” Then Flo spoke, and Leon looked down at his work. The wings were perfectly detailed, and the eyes almost looked as though they were really watching you as he shaded in a last corner on their pupils. Careful not to make a mark on the artwork, Leon pointed with his pencil at the beginnings of the beak. It was barley recognisable so far, though if you looked very close you could almost see the rough outline. Grinning at Flo’s mistake, Leon noticed she was carrying a bag.

“Hmmm… it’s a cold Saturday morning, not right for reading, terrible for sports and only right for drawing. Am I right in guessing that’s what you’re doing?” Leon, while waiting for her answer, took his time in starting the shades of the beak from his memory.

[Flo Murvac H4]

"Thanks!" Flo replied, sitting down and smiling. "I got it last time i was in Australia." As Leon pointed to the beak he was starting to shade, Flo leaned over and saw that he was starting to draw the beak, it just wasn't finished. "Oh, silly me." She said, and leaned back. "I guess i didn't see it." Flo looked at the drawing again. "It's very good." When Leon asked if she was there draw, Flo shrugged, then shivered. It was really cold. "Well, I thought of drawing at first, but, my brain doesn't seem to want to help me draw, so i just..got bored and came here." Flo said, grabbing her bag, and getting out her sketch pad. "Swap?" Flo asked Leon, handing over her sketch pad.

[leon]

Leon watched as Flo shivered, then offered her his large jacket that lay abandoned beside him. He often didn’t really feel the cold, and the jacket was merely a cover. It was Ravenclaw blue, with black stripes running down it, which contained tiny brown swirls almost impossible to see. As Flo took out her sketch pad and asked for the swap, Leon happily handed his over. The owl could wait, and Leon was eager to see some of Flo’s work. She was a fun girl and he imagined her work to be the same. As he handed over the pad, he quickly took the pencil out from one of the bindings on the side. It was not a normal pencil- the rim was plated in white gold, though many didn’t know it, and it was spelled to never go blunt. Also, carved in an odd blue metal in spidery fine letters, a word Leon with more than enough flourishes on the L lay. It had been given to Leon by his Mother’s mother, now dead, who often felt it needed to spoil Leon with unnecessary trinkets. But Leon did end up loving the pencil, and if he lost it would be very disappointed.

“What’s yours full of? Butterflies?” Leon teased, not unkindly. His own was full of some animals- several of his adored cat Zaphani, many of his younger sister who held that eleven-year old innocence and was so quiet he could draw several of her and she wouldn’t mind.

Also he had drawn some from memory- one of Maryn as she stood in the corridors. The picture made her look beautiful, as that was how Leon saw her. She didn’t know about the picture and as it was far into the book Leon hoped Flo wouldn’t reach it. One was of the whole owlery, with a flock of the wonderful birds rising in flight. A few of the lake with its wallowing squid, and one of the Castle itself. All contained great detail and Leon had never really shown the pad to anyone. Let alone his father- who highly disapproved of Leon’s hobby, wanting him to be more manly and less ‘feminine’. So as Leon handed over the pad, he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo took Leon's jacket and thanked him. He asked if what she drew mostly was Butterflies."Butterflies? Yes, a few...hundred." Flo added. She really did like butterlies. She had always wanted to be one. Just to flutter about, not a care in the world. Get to see great views, and colourful flowers. She knew that Leon was teasing, but Flo had drawn lots of butterflies. Some with colour, some without. Small, big, Flying or still, Flo would draw them. That and some other creatures. just mixed animals. Her last one had been one that she had just finished during History of magic. It was a goat, mixed with a mouse. Although, Flo's favorite one was the rabbit/lion one. It filled the whole page.

Flo took Leon's sketches and looked at them. they were really good. Flo noticed he liked to draw his cat. Alot. "Aw! what a cute cat!" Flo said as she saw the first one. She kept turning the paes, carefuly looking at each drawing. She saw the picture of the owlery, several owls flying in and some just sitting beautifuly. "I like this one." Flo told Leon, and looked over to where Leon was looking at her drawings.

[leon]

Carefully, makeing sure he didn't smudge the pictures, Leon flicked through the book. The first one that puzzled him- in a good way, was one where about seventy butterflies filled the page. They were so close to each other that it looked like a butterfly puzzle. Deciding that he liked that one, he told Flo that it was excellent then carried on. After the immense pages of butterflies, Leon found that Flo had drawn some mixed animals- here a Goat crossed with a mouse, and there a lion with a little rabbit. Grinning at the latter, Leon closed the book and looked over to see where Flo had got to on his.

"Yeah, that's my cat Zaphani. Yours are excellent by the way- the butterfly puzzle i think is best. Oh- thats my sister Katie-May." Leon said. On the page, his sister was sitting at the dinner table, a fork in hand. She looked like a miniture angel with her blonde, almost white hair and her little white outfit.

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo kept looking through the pages, looking at all the beautiful drawings. She turned page by page, Making sure to comment on everyone. As she turned to another page, Leon told her that it was a picture of his sister. She looked very angelic, and so cute. Flo had always wished she had a little sister, instead of an annoying brother. "Shes very cute. Its a really good drawing, Leon. did you take classes?" Flo asked him. She looked at the picture. If he didn't take classes, then he was a better drawer that Flo. She learned from books.

[leon]

Embarrassed a little, Leon smiled at Flo. He had never known where his creativeness came from- certainly not his mother, and not his father.

“I’ve never had any lessons in my life. My father would die before it happened, I’m guessing. None of my family are creative, so I guess it’s a lost talent- although May is very, very good at singing. I can’t sing, only draw and I’m not the worst at dancing either.” Smiling again, Leon handed back Flo’s art, brushing a falling leaf from the top. “Those are great by the way. And I have a few more in mine, you can look if you want. One…one of Maryn too, which you may see if you don’t tell anyone.”

He settled the book beside her, decidedly. He didn’t mind if Flo saw it, he trusted her enough not to tell Maryn. And she too was arty, which was a plus, and Leon hoped she’d understand.

[Flo Murvac H4]

"Oh. Well thats a good thing. You might start something in your family. When i got interested in Acting, my brother Tim," Flo rolled her eyes." Started to act as well, because at every show he would come to see, he would tell our mum that he wanted to be up there and take the glory."

Flo took her book back,a dn placed it next to her. She was about to hand over his, but then he said that she could look at a picture that he had drawn. Of Maryn. Flo had met her before. She was a realy nice person. Flo turned to the page that Leon was talking about.

"Oh Leon, this is really good!! Have you showed it to her" Flo asked. It truly was a good drawing.

[leon]

With a little smile, Leon looked over at the picture he had drawn that evening in his dorm.
"No, she hasn't seen it- and don't ever tell her! I cought her standing like this in the corridor once, and from memory drew this. Now, i'm going to finish this owl. Yoink!" Snatching the pad from Flo's hands gently, Leon took his special pencil and began drawing again. He looked beside him, waiting for Flo to react.

[Flo Murvac H4]

"You should tell her. It's not nice to keep secrets." Flo thought. Or is it? if its for the persons own good. Ohh too confusing! brain freeze! Flo was about to look at it again, but just as she looked down, he book was gone. "Hey! I was still looking!" She saw that Leon was probably to busy drawing to give the book back. "Well then fine. I might do some drawing myself!" Flo giggled and picked up her sketches. she turned to and empty page and started to draw. Butterflies. What else?

[leon]

Grinning at Flo's obvious annoyance, Leon sketched in the tree’s that towered behind the snowy owl, drawing with straight precision the way the leaves turned as the wind blew them, and after a thought he blurred the owl’s feathers, giving them a slightly ruffled image. Once he had the outline of the trees he began to shade in the rest of the leaves, lightly on the sunny edges and a little harder on the dark. As he did so, he looked beside him, watching how the light gusts in the breeze blew a little hair from Flo’s head around her neck, wrapping it round like a blanket. Flo’s eyes were downcast, and if you just focused on her head she looked very much in thought, almost ethreal. Trying not to make a noise, Leon carefully turned to a new page in his sketch pad, and began to slowly draw Flo. Making sure all the time that she couldn’t see his work, he kept his left hand over it as he drew with his right.

“Ok, only once both of us are finished can the other see that person’s art. Agreed? Because I’m working on something great, and if you see it before it’s finished it’ll be ruined.”

Keeping his eyes on Flo and the white page as he drew, Leon spoke with a calm voice, his eyes sparkling as he did what he loved best- portraits. Always looking up, Leon first began with the head shape, then sketched in a prefect outline of Flo’s eyes, keeping them locked on one moment when she had looked up to the sky at a passing owl. The picture slowly developed as they sat, mirroring Leon’s exact view of Flo like a photograph.

[Flo Murvac H4]

"Ok. But dont expect mine to be any different to all the others.." That was a give away to what she was drawing. So Flo decided, since Leon like the Butterfly puzzle so much, she would draw another For him. With something in the middle. Someing really cool. Something like..a..another butterfly? So many butterflies!! everywhere! Flo couldn't escape them. She grinned and started to sketch out a butterfly ing the corner. She was just starting on the other wing, as she came up with what she was going to have in the middle. Leon's name. Flo was also good at making little signs and stuff, but that was all in another book. Flo had left it in Australia. She didn't know why. Maybe she would get it when she goes back to visit.

Flo started to make the L shape. After she finished the L she started to put little lines in the inside edges, so it looked like patchwork. Flo tried to glance at what Leon was drawing, but he had his hand over his book, so Flo couldn't see.

[leon]

Leon kept his hand over his work as he sketched Flo, and his eyes constantly flitted up to see her. When he had drawn May, he had left her hair blank, apart from a rough shade which barely looked like it was there. Flo’s hair was considerably darker, so as he drew he added a darker shade. Her eyes were looking down constantly, apart from one moment when she tried to peer over at Leon to see what he was drawing. As he leaned back away from her so she wouldn’t see, he gave the eyes in the picture the little sparkle that the real Flo always had. On her face he dotted in some freckles, and as she was facing the side he could see behind her ear a round brith mark likea number six. Drawing both in, he continued his work. At one point he paused thoughtfully- should he draw her robe with her Hufflepuff house sign on it, or not? Decidedly, he pointed his wand at the paper, used a simple spell to rub out the shield he had started to draw, and replaced it with a single flying butterfly. Then he raised his head, grinning at the sheet before him. It was good; even he had to admit it. He had captured the girl before him at exactly the right moment, and in the background of the sketch you could see the light outline of the lake, an owl swooping over it. He grinned at the work, settled his arm over it and peered over at Flo.

“Are you finished? I am, and I think you’ll like it.” As he waited for Flo’s answer, he watched as one of those annoying school owls chased a white and brown tabby cat from the school grounds, stopping only when the creature fled into the trees.

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo had just started to finish, when a noise distracted her. Flo looked over to see a couple of owls chasing a cat. Flo turned back to her drawing. She had finished writing Leon's name, so she started to draw the rest of the butterflies. She had done them so often, that she could do them very quickly. She decided to draw some flowers in the drawing, just so it didnt look too fluttery.

Leon spoke and Flo looked over. He said he was finished and asked if Flo was. Flo nodded, and finished one of the butterflies wings. She put her pencil down and looked at Leon again, hoping to see Leon's drawing.

[leon]

The moment Flo settled her pencil down, Leon handed over his work. He was proud of it- it was one of the best sketches of a person he had ever done. As they swapped sketch pads, Leon looked down curiously down on what Flo had drawn. Upon the parchment was the word Leon, drawn in careful detail. All around the words were flitting butterlies, big and small, wings open and closed. Among the butterflies were some flowers, and the whole image was really great.

"Wow, this is excellent Flo! I like this little one-" He pointed to a tiny little butterfly with folded wings, resting in the curve of the O in Leon. "This is really great! Can-can i keep it? If so then you can have mine." He grinned.

[Flo Murvac H4]

Again they swaped. Flo handed her butterfly beauty, and Leon handed over his drawing. Flo looked at his drawing. It was beautiful. "Leon!!" Flo squealed. "I didn't know you were going to draw me!!" She looked at the drawing closer. He had even gotten the little birth mark behind Flo's ear. "I love it!" Flo jumped up and hugged Leon, then went back to where she was sitting, still staring at the drawing. "Keep it? Of course you can! And I can keep this? Thankyou!!" Flo cried and looked at the drawing again.

[leon]

Grinning at Flo's joy, Leon hugged her back, a little surprised. Carefully, so as not to crease it, he slid Flo's drawing into his own sketch pad and slipped it into his bag. He'd hang it by his bed later, as a reminder of the fun morning. Looking back up at Flo, still smiling, he began to talk. He didn't actually know that much about Flo, and thought it would be good if he did.

"So have you got any family here?"

[Flo Murvac H4]

Flo was still happy that he had drawn her. It was such a good drawing. Flo had no where to put it. For now, she was just going to put it with her drawings.

Flo looked up at Leon as he asked Flo a question. "Yes, My brother goes to this school unfortunatly. What about you?" Flo asked Leon.