Dancing in the storm ((Kris))

[aryasillhouette]

Arya stood gazing out the window, the rain was falling so fast, and the storm raged on seemingly never to end. Arya pondered the thought of a never-ending storm and the thought of it enticed her very being. Arya always knew that she was meant to play in the storms like some crazy person would do, but she had never thought that any of the other pure-bloods would truly understand her if she ever got caught doing so. Making her way to the doors that lead out into the grounds, Arya never blinked and never took her eyes off the windows. She watched the storm more and more, she could feel the anger in each clap of thunder, the energy that filled the skies with each bolt of earth shattering lightening. She almost felt as if she could feel the refreshment that each rain drop left on the ground as it pit-patted into the earth. Arya was safe in the storms, she was the storm. It felt as if she were the one outside raging her anger at the world. This relaxation is just what I need. An escape from all of this, she thought to herself as she opened the giant doors to let the lively wind hit her in the face.

Taking a deep breath of the damp air, Arya felt most of her frustrations melt away. It seemed that it no longer mattered that she was in a school of mud-bloods, and other filth. Nor did it matter any longer that she hadn’t made many friends. Arya’s true friend was here now, the one who would always return to her. Arya listened, it was almost as if she could here the storm. As if the storm had a voice that could speak, not openly where the world could here it, but directly into her heart. Arya had never really fit in at home, and she knew she was too good to be surrounded by what she was at Hogwarts, but as the storm raged around her, soaking her through her clothes, and seeping into her skin, she knew that there was somewhere in the world that she belonged. There was a purpose for her still, even though she had yet to discover it.

Arya took a few more steps out into the storm, she felt more alive than ever before, as if new life had been breathed into her suddenly. She felt as if she could take on the world. Arya danced in the rain, she finally didn’t care if anyone saw her or not. She was drenched in rain water from the very tip of her head, down to the tiniest tip of her toe, and enjoying the freedom that came with the rain. It seemed to wash away her troubles, pains, and deepest fears, even if it was just momentarily. Arya was enjoying herself far too much to notice that she was being watched. She could sense it, but she paid that no attention, for many liked to watch the storms, but few would pay attention to a crazy fifth year dancing in the midst of such an angry tempest.

[kris]

Kris sometimes wondered why he hadn’t had Devil stay in Hogsmeade during his earlier Hogwarts years. Then again he hadn’t needed the dogs to roam the Grounds and the Forbidden Forest before this year. He had been able to see things for himself before this year, yet this was a topic Kris did not wish to dwell on. He did not want to think of the matter of the Hogwarts train attack while he had the company of his two favourite dogs who could be his eyes and nose and ears. A roll of thunder started somewhere in the sky that ended with a loud crash making Kris wonder if the sky had just been ripped to two by some lighting bolt. Shadow – being the younger one – let out a bark at the sudden sound making Kris tighten his hold on his fur for a moment. The dog was still young and while he wasn’t exactly afraid of thunder and lighting – Kris didn’t know for sure how he would react to it now and here. He could be sure of Devil to not bolt at any given moment, but Kris was too fond of Shadow too already to let him run into the Forbidden Forest only to loose himself in some pit or between the teeth of some bigger carniavore without finding his way back to Kris. The young dog had already suffered enough during his short life.

“Shadow?” Kris murmured as he crouched and raised both hands to Shadow’s head in a both comforting and questioning manner. Shadow gave another bark and Kris could feel his hot breath on his face before licking Kris’s cheek for a moment. It was as good of an answer to Kris’s unasked question as to whether or not the dog was alright that he would ever receive and it satisfied Kris. Moving Shadow’s head from side to side for a moment Kris let him go only to raise again as he continued on his rather directionless walk over the grounds. Kris stayed on empty ground however as during a storm a forest wasn’t a good place to be. He was soaked to the bone anyway, his perfectly fitting jeans even tighter around his legs now that they were wet and his black T-shirt plastered over his shoulder and back while raindrops were also gliding down his cheekbones. Kris just hoped that he didn’t look like a drowned cat like Morrigan was most certainly feeling, despite the kitten being curled up under Kris’s shirt next to his bare stomach. Morrigan would get enough body-heat off from Kris to keep her from freezing, so Kris didn’t worry about the kitten very much. She was a fiery spirit so no matter what happened she could take care of herself anyway.

Shadow reappeared at Kris’s side nudging his left hand with some tree-branch he had obviously found. Taking hold of it Kris accepted the wordless challenge as he tugged on one end of the branch while Shadow was pulling on the other. The fight wasn’t very fair however because after a few moments Devil jumped onto Kris, making both of them roll over a couple of times in the soil that had by now became mud. Wrestling with the dog a couple of times Kris idly thought of how much work it would be to get the mud and dirt out of the silvery-white coats of the dogs, but that was for later. For now he still wanted to have fun with his pets so Kris played tug-a-war with them, rolled on the ground on some occasions when he was swept off his feet and raced along.

Kris was currently pulling on some branch with Devil when the dog stopped moving and let out a low growl. Freezing in the half-crouch position he was in Kris understood the alert of someone’s presence. Tilting his head Kris tried to figure out who might be out here today beside him but there was nothing to be heard in the middle of the constantly pouring rain. The only thing that did let Kris know that there was someone here was the quiet growl from both dogs as they retreated to either side of him. “Friend or foe?” Kris murmured quietly as Shadow made some small sound at the back of his throat as if the dog wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Devil didn’t move and while he had also stopped growling Devil still stood alert. For him every stranger was a foe until Kris told him otherwise. Placing his arms around the necks of the dogs Kris remained in his crouch turning his towards the same direction as the dogs were facing as he tried to figure out who might be there. Some animal would have made some more sound by now and most likely wouldn’t have sparked such a reaction from Shadow and Devil so it was bound to be some human. The question was who?