Building a snowman ((anyone))

[durnina]

Elyce pulled on her gloves as she just finished getting ready to go outside. Most of the students were home for Christmas break, however Elyce decided to stay in the castle for Christmas. Having been bored and a tad bit homesick, she sought for something to do. After realizing it had been snowing, she proceed to put on her winter garb to go outside.

When she stayed at home, Elyce and her younger brother Eli spent most of the winter season building snowmen and playing around in the snow. The twang of her childhood memory made her homesickness even greater. As she walked out of her room, she adjusted a photograph of her brothers and shut the door.

Outside the ground was covered in a heavy white snow, perfect for snowballs and snowmen, her brother would say. She began packing snow together, finally she had a big enough snow-pile for the base of her snowman. Thoughts of her family consumed her mind as she built the midsection and head of her winter masterpiece alone.

While adding the final details to her snowman, Elyce was surprised, as she was struck in the head by a snowball. Turning to see who hurled the snowball her way, Elyce saw another student laughing. With a temper boiling hotter than the summer sun, she packed a snowball and sent it soaring toward the unknown student.

[ashley5656]

Bailely had been wandering alone outside, her thick fur jacket not nearly enough to keep her warm in the icy winter air. The white snow that blanketed the ground crunched beneath her feet as she slowly walked, thinking about nothing in particular. It had been nearly three days since she had been back at the castle after break, and each day she had grown weaker, each day just a bit more tired. She wasnt worried, just irritated. Perhaps she was coming down with a cold, perhaps something more serious? Either way, she was not afraid. Just curious as to what was wrong.

Bailely's beautiful reddish brown hair fell into her perfectly round hazel green eyes that scanned her surroundings hungrily for something to entertain her. She was rather bored and was hoping to find some younger student or mudblood to torture. Maybe that would raise my spirits. She thought with a wicked laugh. She let a smirk spread across her face as she spotted some other third year building a pathetic snowman. How old was she, 5? Bailely bent down and collected a handfull of wet snow in her green and silver designer gloves. She packed it together tightly, and threw it with impeccable aim at the girl. It hit her square in the head, and Bailely let out a cry of laughter. "Whoops, it slipped." She sneered, walking towards the girl at a fast pace. She eyed the snowman up close and smirked. "I see you've built a snowman. Well isnt that precious."

[mongaj]

Landon pulled his new black fleece over his head. It was a Christmas gift from his aunt and uncle. They had his last name sewn on the back in yellow, and there was a patch with a badger on it sewn on the front. He had seen many muggle teenagers wearing clothes similar to it, and he didn't really have a preference on what he wore. It was warm, and that was all he cared about. Grabbing his gloves and beanie, he ventured from the Hufflepuff common room and out into the snow.

Today he planned on sitting alone somewhere and just thinking. He brought his notebook in case he decided to write. Already full of short-stories and random thoughts, his notebook was something he carried with him almost everywhere he went. He loved writing, and most times the best ideas came when he was alone and relaxing. It was a bit cold and snowy, but he figured it would keep him awake at least.

Walking through the snow, he spotted to girls who appeared to be building a snowman. He smiled, and thought, although a little childish, it seemed like they were having fun. That is, until he got a little closer. It appeared that neither looked very pleased, and the one seemed like she was very upset. Both were younger than him, or at least he expected, but they didn't look like they were enjoying their time together. He recognized the one from his house, and judging by the other's arrogant demeanor, he assumed she was a Slytherin. Not wanting to intrude just yet, he ducked behind a tree and decided to watch a little longer to see what might happen. He knew he may have to intervene eventually to settle any disputes, but he wanted to wait just a little more. Might get a good idea for a story, he smiled to himself. Nothing better than some teen drama.

[durnina]

Elyce peered at the figure taking shape against the snow white background. Her eyes narrowed as she realized who the upcoming student was. Bailely Diego, she thought. She'd known Bailely for while, and she most definitely hadn't liked her for even one second. That's the way it was for Elyce and most of the Slytherin girls, she just couldn't stand them. She wondered if the air smelled any more pure up where they stuck their noses.

"Hey, Bailely" Elyce said, staring directly in Bailely's eyes, "It's awful to see you... I mean, it's awfully nice to see you again." Elyce stood up straight and looked her bully in the eyes. "Bailely, why don't you just leave me alone, ok?"

With that, Elyce chucked a tightly packed snowball straight at Bailely. "At least my life doesn't depend on ruining others."

[ashley5656]

Bailely sneered at Elyce's weak remark. Stupid Hufflepuff. No wonder their house is known for being talentless. But then her sneer was instantly replaced as the girl reached down and began to grab herself some snow. Bails knew what she was doing, she just wasnt quick enough to prevent it. In two seconds flat she had an icy cold snowball in her face. Bailely didnt waste a second reacting however. Forgetting about her wand, she tackled the girl to the ground. "You little--" Anger boiled inside of Bails chest as she burried the girls face into the snow. If there was one thing--heck ANOTHER thing Bailely was good at was fighting. And she was about to teach this girl not to mess with her ever again...

[mongaj]

Landon watched attentively as the girls shared a few bitter comments. Then, he noticed the Hufflepuff girl form a snowball and whip it at the presumed Slytherin. As it hit her right in the face, Landon couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. He was far away however that the girls wouldn't be able to hear him laughing. Plus, they seemed too involved in their spar that he was sure their attention was not on him.

Before he knew it, the Slytherin girl was on top of the other, shoving her face in the snow. Figuring that this was far enough, he decided it was time to break up this brawl. While running clumsily through the deep snow, he shouted at the girls, "Hey! Break it up you two. Playtime is over. You won't want to lose points for your houses now do you?" he questioned. Deep down however, he wouldn't mind Slytherin loosing some points. That was always something to smile about.

The Slytherin girl didn't seem too keen on ending the fight, so Landon had to get involved by force. He pulled the girl off the Hufflepuff and spaced himself between them as to prevent further confrontation. He kindly held a hand out to the girl on the ground and he helped her to her feet. "Now," he said authoritatively, "what is it that could possibly have you two girls fighting in the snow instead of working together to finish this lovely snowman?" He highly knew the answer to his question, but he wanted to give them a chance to explain, in case his assumption was incorrect. "Do I need to stay and settle this encounter, or will you two be able to get along now?" Landon looked from girl to girl as he was waiting for an answer. He didn't much like being the center of attention, but he found the predicament rather amusing. He never had got to break up a fight before, and conflict was something he despised. Avoiding it was one thing, but getting to be involved in solving it was another. He was enjoying every moment.

[ashley5656]

Bailely was just getting into smashing the Hufflepuff's face into the ice and slush, when hand hand pulled her back. He had said something before but she hadnt heard. She had been having too much fun. "Dont touch me!" She yelped, revolted and irritated at the same time. "I wasnt done here." She looked back down at the girl whom she had left lying in the snow. "And your not the boss of me. So therefore I will not be answering any of your stupid questions. I dont see a prefects badge on your robes. So why dont you move along and let me finish whats been started." What angered Bailely the most was when others tried to act superior to her. And she did not like the way this guy was talking to her. Like she was some misbehaving child that needed reprimanding. How insulting! She shot a glare towards the entruder than turned back to the girl.

[durnina]

Elyce collapsed into the snow under the weight of Bailely, who had just accosted her violently. Elyce wasn't much of a fighter, but fortunately, she learned from her brothers just how to defend herself. She was about to gain the advantage in the fight or so she had hoped. Suddenly, Elyce saw a hand grip Bailely and pull her off.

Elyce propped herself up on her elbows. The boy who pulled Bailely off of her was talking to the both of them, conflict resolution kind of stuff. Elyce didn't answer his questions about the fight, she was too busy giving dirty looks to Bailely while she was getting smart with the boy who rescued her.

Elyce wished that Bailely and the boy would just leave her alone. On second thought, Elyce thought it wouldn't be so bad to have the boy stick around. She was tired of keeping to herself, as it wasn't really something she practiced often. He seemed nice enough anyway, he reminded her of her brother a little. Elyce regretted staying at school over the break, maybe making a new friend could make this experience a little brighter.

Elyce stood up and looked at Bailely, and then at the boy, and hoped he'd do something, anything to make Bailely leave her alone- for good.

[mongaj]

((OOC: Bailey if you are reading this, I figured it would be okay to god-mod your charrie since you are now a guest and unable to post. Assuming you won't return, I will quickly god-mod Bailey to leave. Let me know if this is a problem))

"Prefect or not," Landon sneered, "I still know that stopping you two from fighting is the right thing to do, and so that's what I'm doing." He gave Bailey an equally disgusted look as she stared at him. "So I do believe that your business here is done," he commanded. "Get on your way and leave this girl alone before I cast a spell on you," he threatened emptily, hoping to scare her off. Landon knew he had no power in this situation, but didn't hesitate to try and scare the bully. He was surprised as she got up and actually listened to him. She walked off without another remark.

Landon turned back to Elyce and gave a small grin. "Well I didn't expect that to work," he admitted, "but at least that bloody little brat is gone now. So what do you say we finish this fine looking snowman," he added. Landon knew Elyce was probably mad at him for stepping in for her, as she seemed to be the type to prefer fighting their own fight. However, Landon could tell she was also the type who may get irrational at times when angry. He figured it best that he handled the situation with his calm manner that he usually portrayed. Plus, it was more likely that Bailey would be scared off by an older student. But she was a Slytherin, so this assumption was lucky to have been correct.

"So what's your name?" he asked the girl. "I know you are in my house, but I don't recall ever meeting you before. I'm Landon by the way," he said, pulling his glove off and offering his hand for the girl to shake.

[durnina]

Elyce smiled hesitantly as she watched Brook walk away. Her eyes turned back to her hero. She was thankful he'd rescued her, but a little embarrassed to have not been able to win her own fight, especially in front of him. He seemed like a decent person. She looked back at her lousy snowman, and was again slightly embarrassed by her childish creation. She wouldn't let her embarrassment show however, that was definitely not her character.

The boy introduced himself as Landon, and as he stuck out his hand for her to shake, she gave it a slight look of resentment, it was after all, the hand that kept her from winning her own battle fair and for herself. After examining his extended hand for what seemed like a good while, she considered his act of heroism and shook it. "I'm Elyce, nice to meet to, and...uh, thanks for your help with her. I didn't really need it, but I guess it was a nice gesture."

Elyce gave a thought to his offer to finish working on her snowman and thought about it. It couldn't hurt she guessed. And plus, if she had some company maybe that would help her get her mind of home. Elyce walked back to the snowman and started patching up some areas in the midsection, hoping Landon would follow her initiative.

"So, Landon, what's your family like?" Elyce inquired, hoping to spark some conversation.

[mongaj]

Landon gave a small laugh. "Elyce... pretty name," he commented, "I'm sure you could have handled her, but the main thing is that she's gone now," he said, grabbing a handful of snow to mold onto the sculpture. He bent down to pick up another ball of snow, as Elyce asked about his family. "Well," he answered, "I have a twin sister who is nothing like me. I guess she isn't totally opposite of me, but for the most part we are like day and night. And as for my parents, they died when I was young," he said without emotion. Enough time had passed since his parents' deaths, and he knew there was no use grieving any longer. "We live with my aunt and uncle," he continued, "they are very nice people. They pretty much accepted Lexie and me as their own children since they had none," Landon explained.

Taking a step back, Landon admired the almost complete sculpture of snow. Forming a small ball of snow, Landon rolled it around until it had grown to the size of a head. "Wanna help me lift it?" he asked Elyce. Placing the head would finish the basics of the snowman, and all that would need done would be a little more sculpting and the addition of facial features as well as the possible clothing accessories.

"So, what about your family?" Landon asked, reciprocating the question, "What are they like?" He knelt down, ready to pick up the head of snow once Elyce was ready to help.

[durnina]

"Hey, thanks" Elyce remarked at his comment about her name. Elyce watched Landon as he began to mold the snow into the form of a ball. She thought it was interesting he had a twin sister. Elyce always wished she had a sibling her age, she imagined that would be cool.

Elyce listened as Landon told her about the death of his parents, she noticed the blank expression on his face and wondered how it had affected him. "Oh...I'm really sorry about your parents, that must have been rough. You're lucky to have your aunt and uncle. How come they never had their own children?" Elyce asked.

Elyce looked up at him as he questioned her about her own family. "Well, at home I have my mother, brothers and one sister. I'm kinda close with my brothers, especially Eli, he's here at the school. But, my...uhh.. Dad died a few years back. But it's ok.

Landon had asked Elyce for help placing the head of the snowman, his asking kind of reminded her of before her own father died, how he used to hold her up to put the star on the tree. Elyce took his offer and soon the snowman was complete.

[mongaj]

"My aunt never really wanted young children," Landon answered. She and my uncle enjoyed traveling a lot, so it was convenient for them to adopt us as children once they settled down a little more. Plus now that Lexie and I are in school, they can still travel a little during the school year. I guess it all worked out timing wise," he concluded.

Elyce then proceeded to tell of her family. Landon was surprised that her father had died. In a way, he could relate to the loss she must have overcame. She did however seem to be handling it well. She wasn't too over depressed.

Once the snowman was finished, Landon stepped back once more and took a final look at the creation he and Elyce had constructed. She had done most of the work, but he did help with the head and fine-tuning. "Just needs some facial features," he commented. "How about this," he said, taking out his wand. With a few quick spells, he had painted black spots for the eyes and mouth, and also a few to serve as buttons on the abdomen of the snowman. "I'd suggest that we give him a hat or scarf to finish it, but it's pretty chilly out here and I know I wouldn't want to hike back up that hill in all the wind without mine," he said with a smile. It wasn't like anybody besides the two of them would get to enjoy the snowman anyways. Hogwarts was practically empty because of the holiday break.

Landon rubbed his hands together vigorously and blew a breath of hot air into them. "What do you say we go inside and finish our conversation over a cup of hot cocoa?" he asked, hoping Elyce would agree.

[durnina]

Elyce listened as Landon talked about his aunt and uncle, in a way she always wanted to have a nice stable life like his, but after her father passed, it just was never the same. Elyce had hesitantly presented the information about her father, it's not something everyone at the school knew. She was relieved when Landon didn't make a big deal out of it, or ask questions, it just got old. She was however, glad to have found someone who could share the feeling of loss with with her, even if the situations were different.

Elyce smiled as Landon took out his wand to finish off the snowman, creating his final details. "That looks excellent, I don't think I could have done that any better myself, Landon. "Yeah, I don't feel like leaving my hat or scarf either," Elyce replied.

It seemed as though Landon had read her mind when he suggested that the two of them go inside for some hot cocoa. "I would most definitely like to go inside and get something to drink, I'm just about freezing out here."

[mongaj]

As the two walked slowly up the hill, back to the castle, Landon didn't say much. He just wasn't too sociable, and especially when the person wasn't a great acquaintance of his. He had nothing against Elyce, but it was just difficult for him to find something to talk about.

Glancing around as they walked, Landon admired the aesthetic scenery. There were snow covered trees and ice glistened everywhere, turning everything into a magnificent scene of crystal-like sculptures. He noticed many wonderful views that would produce amazing photographs, but he hadn't brought a camera. He did have his memory however, and he was sure that while writing later, the sights he saw would produce some sort of inspiration for at least a short poem or something.

Thinking back to Elyce, Landon realized he should probably at least try to keep there conversation going. It wasn't like they were totally opposite with nothing in common. "So what do you like to do for fun," he asked, saying the first thing that came to his mind. Simple, yet effective.

[durnina]

Elyce rubbed her hands together in the cold as the two of them trudged through the snow. There was a little silence between the two, she thought. But for some reason this didn't bother her much, she was simply content with listening to snow crunch under their feet. Elyce noticed that Landon was looking around at the scenery, she wondered what he was thinking about. She wondered if he'd ever caught himself thinking about the death of his parents, like she had the death of her father. It was something she wouldn't ask though.

The silence was broken by an inquiry of Landon's. She replied to him, " For fun, well, I like to read sometimes. When I get to go home, I love to hang out with my brothers, we have tons of fun. And I really love to be outside, no matter what the weather I always find it enjoyable," Elyce said with a smile, returning his question, she asked, "What do you like to do for fun?"

[mongaj]

Landon listened as Elyce explained what she did to pass time and then asked him the same question. "I like to write," he said instantly, thinking of the one thing he loved to do. A day didn't pass where he went without writing. "I write about almost anything," he added, "poems, short stories, random quotes. I just write whatever comes to my mind." The thought of writing made him even more anxious to get back and be able to write about the days events. Although some were of bad events, most of his writings were the result of something happy or exciting happening. During the time around his parents' deaths however, most of his writing was sorrowful and depressing. It almost served as his way of releasing the pain from inside. In all actuality, that was what writing was for Landon- a way to express his current emotion or attitude.

Trying to once again place his focus back to his new-found friend, Landon asked Elyce, "Have any worthwhile quotes or sayings that you could offer for me to add to my notebook?" He gave a small smile and leaned his head sideways, waiting for a response. The castle was just ahead, and they were almost back at the front door. Landon could almost taste the hot cocoa already as he licked his lips in anticipation.