Live Together, Die Alone ((Any))

[Kody Leuchten G3]

Kody walked into the courtyard in the early evening, long after classes had ended and even a few of the younger students had gone to bed. He sat down in as close to the middle of the courtyard as he could, so he could be hidden from anyone walking around. He didn't mind being found, but once in a while, he needed to be alone and reminisce about things.

Things and people, like his mother. She had been a valiant woman, playing professional Quidditch for so many years. How wrong it was that she had to die so close to the end of her career. Yet she had lived a full life, loved her husband and her only son, and it had been a rough time on Kody. Sometimes when he was alone, it was so hard to keep his mind off of it. His friends were always there for him though, and they were always open to listening if he needed to talk. However, that didn't happen with everyone.

Kody got up from his comfortable seat on a rock, walked through the lush bushes, and quickly realized it was getting dark. Better do something about this, he thought to himself. He took his wand out, and spoke the simple light spell, "Lumos", and end of his wand brightened the area he was standing in.

Suddenly, he heard a snap. He quickly jerked around, searching for the source of the sound. The light from his wand didn't find anything, as he shined it all around him, but he knew something, or someone, was there.

[Pagan Mason S3]

Pagan Mason, a 3rd year Slytherin, walked alone through the seemingly deserted castle barely paying attention to her surroundings. She'd been at Hogwarts long enough to know her surroundings and not be interested in the paintings any longer. She had decided to take a walk around the castle, and grounds, after dinner since she hadn't felt like hanging around with her friends, which wasn't surprising. In Pagan's three years of Hogwarts schooling Pagan hadn't made many friends, the people she hung around with were more like aquaintances rather than friends. It didn't help that her patience for other students was very short either.
She made her way out of the castle and down through the grounds to the bush where she curiously spotted a bright light coming from her left. She made her way towards it until she realised it was a person. She started to turn around and walk in another direction when she stepped on a twig and it's deafoning crack made the person jerk around staring for her. She jumped behind a tree and held her breath hoping whoever it was wouldn't notice her...

[Kody Leuchten G3]

As Kody was frantically searching for the source of the sound in the middle of the clearing, he heard another sound, and it sounded like a faint gasp, along with a short ruffle of grass and leaves. He pointed the wand with its bright light into the few bushes that were in front of him.

Seeing a tree near the bushes, he pointed the wand toward the base of the tree, and what should he find, but a set of girls' shoes. They were completely still, not trembling as he might have expected. Kody stood there for a brief moment, pondering what he should do. I could fake like I didn't see her, he thought. No, that wouldn't be right. What if she's a friend, looking for me? I know what I'll do.

Kody walked a short distance away from the bushes and tree, into the clearing he had been sitting at. He brought the wand to his chest, whispered the spell to distinquish the light, and the clearing went dark, with the moon as its only light. Then he said in a loud enough voice, "Well I guess there's no one in the bushes like I thought. Silly me to think someone might be spying on me. But if there is someone, and they just don't want to show themselves, they should know that I'm always up for making new friends, or acquaintances."

He hoped that what he had said would get whoever it was in the bushes to come out and introduce themselves. Who knows, it could be one of the female professors even, out on a stroll. Oh dear, I hope not, he thought to himself, shuddering at the thought.

[Pagan Mason S3]

"...Silly me to think someone might be spying on me. But if there is someone, and they just don't want to show themselves, they should know that I'm always up for making new friends, or acquaintances." the guy said in a loud voice making Pagan snort and roll her eyes, being the Slytherin she is keeping her mouth shut and staying quiet was something she had never been able to do.
"That was cheesy" she said poking her head around the tree and stepping out, "And I was not spying on you"
She crossed her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow at him leaning all her wait on her left foot.
"What are you doing out here anyway?" she asked curiously, once again not being able to keep her mouth shut and let it go.

[Kody Leuchten G3]

Well, at least it isn't a professor, Kody thought. He looked at the girl, realizing he certainly hadn't seen her around before at Hogwarts. He would have remembered that attitude. "Cheesy? I was just trying to get you out here. And who's to say you could just be saying you weren't spying on me? You could have been sitting back there for the past hour that I've been out here."

Kody eyed the girl, wondering to himself why she was out here in the first place. Was she doing the same thing he was, reminiscing about her family, her friends, and things she's gone through? Or was she just out for a simple stroll in the courtyard, and saw his light from far away, and got curious?

She took a stance that gave her attitude a huge boost, and asked why he was out here. At the same time, he kept looking at the girl, watching her, and realized that he could barely see her with only the light of the moon. Kody took his wand out again and spoke the spell, and the wand came to life once again. It brightened the clearing, and lit up the girls face, which he couldn't take his eyes off of, as he explained why he was out there.

"I was just walking through the courtyard an hour or so ago, thinking about the things I've been through. I'm starting my third year at Hogwarts, and I was just remembering the past couple years I've spent here, the friends and acquaintances I've made. My name's Kody, by the way. What's yours, and I guess I should ask what you're doing out here too?

Kody hoped that this girl wouldn't be put off by him, although he saw no reason why she should be. He figured he was friendly enough to her, even though she had already given him an attitude for being out here. He believed her, that she wasn't spying on him, but she had to be out here for some reason.

[Pagan Mason S3]

Pagan eyed his wand as he lit it up out of paranoia before looking at him again.
“I wasn’t spying on you” she repeated firmly, “Like I’d have the patience to spy on anyone for an hour”
She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight onto the other leg. The look of hope she saw flash on his face when he asked why she was out there made her feel slightly guilty for being so mean so she tried to force herself to be nice, not an easy feat for a 13 year old girl, let alone a Slytherin.
“I was just walking around” she said uncomfortably, it had been a long time since Pagan had had a civil conversation with some, in fact the last conversation she’d had with any student was an argument about whether or not The Weird Sisters were still a decent band after they’d gone mainstream.
“I can’t stand the people in my house” she explained, “Actually I can’t stand many people”

[Kody Leuchten G3]

"You don't have the patience for people?" Kody asked, inquiringly. "Then why are you even talking to me?"

Kody was trying to see what was wrong with the girl, of which he still did not know her name. He knew he might have seen her one time around the castle, but wasn't even slightly close to being sure who she was. He hoped that she might open up soon, so that he could get to know her a bit better, but with the way the conversation was going, it seemed that was next to impossible.

She made mention of how she couldn't stand really anyone, so what was he supposed to say next? Kody wasn't sure, so he kept his mouth shut while she talked. She quickly finished, it seemed, and he was left without words. All he could think of saying was "I'm sorry you have it hard at home. I may not know your whole situation, and I don't need to, but I do have somewhat of an idea what you might be going through. I lost my mom a while ago, and it's made things rough at home before. If you need to talk about it, I'm here. Otherwise, I'll go back to my room and leave you here with your thoughts."

Kody wasn't exactly sure what the girl would say, but he hoped and secretly prayed that she would either open up or at least give him a chance. He was very cautious, just because of the way she carried herself, he expected the worst...

[Pagan Mason S3]

Pagan stood looking at him curiously for a while before smirking to herself. This guy wouldn't give up which for Pagan was a key indicator of someone who would most likely be very annoying to her but also someone who she wouldn't mind talking to.
"I hope you don't want a Rheter Skeeter type conversation" she said suddenly, "Because I'm not much of a reveal-all kind of person"

[Kody Leuchten G3]

Kody reacted suprisingly. He was surprised that someone wouldn't open up to him, but then again, did he ever fully open up with people? He didn't even usually open up about his mom at first meeting someone. What had happened between him and Bryce a couple weeks ago had been a fluke, at best. He barely ever told people right away, yet still, it had happened here, and he didn't even know this girl's name yet. What was happening to him? Maybe it was the fact that he was getting more comfortable talking about his mom, that made it easier to just flat out tell someone about her. Even so, this girl seemed to want nothing to do with him. Kody wasn't sure what to do, if he should leave her alone or try and continue the conversation with her. She mentioned how she wasn't an open person, and Kody understood that.

"Yeah," he said. "I've never really been that much of a open person as well, but over time I've found myself able to talk with more people. Not on a deep level, mind you, but I've just found the ability to start conversation." He thought back to the fact that she seemed annoyed by his presence. He asked, "So are you annoyed by the fact that I'm talking to you? I mean, I can leave if you'd rather be alone. I was just trying to make some nice conversation." He wanted to continue to talk with her, as she seemed like an interesting person, and he'd like to get to know her.

[Pagan Mason S3]

Pagan actually grinned at the third year Griffindor and flicked her hair out of her eyes.
"Dude I wasn't put into Slytherin for my charity work" She joked rolling her eyes, "Besides you don't need to know about people to talk to them"
"You shouldn't assume things about people either" she shrugged staring off into space above him, "People aren't black and white"

[Arywiel Coone G3]

There was a strange light in the middle of the courtyard. Ary was rushing back from the grounds through the courtyard and towards the school. She stood still and pricked her ears. Voices. She crept through the darkness towards the source of the light. Teachers? It was late, and they would certainly dock points off if they caught her out. Her curiousity pushed her onwards, and she slunk from tree to tree, her eyes peeled on the light.
There was an impatient but amused girl's voice, and another familiar voice. Ary squinted at the light. Wasn't that the third-year Gryffindor, Kody, she had chatted to earlier on that week? The other girl looked vaguely familiar. The pompous Slytherin she had overheard in the Lounge? The stepped towards them. "People aren't black and white." she heard the Slytherin say. "You'll soon be black and blue, if you don't put that light out." said Ary cautiously. "The whole cortyard can see you and its too late to be out." she whispered. Arywiel studied their faces. She didn't want to sound like a prefect, but they would certainly get into trouble. She tapped her foot impatiently...

[Pagan Mason S3]

“You’ll soon be black and blue if you don’t put that light out” a voice said cautiously behind her making Pagan turn around and raise an annoyed eyebrow at the person. She recognised her as a Gryffindor from her year and didn’t even bother to stifle a chuckle from her throat.
“You gonna beat me up?” Pagan asked looking dead straight into the girls brown eyes with her own.

[Arywiel Coone G3]

Ary looked the Slytherin up and down. She rolled her eyes. Beat her up? What a stupid idea! Next time she wouldn't even bother to sound smart. "No, silly! Of course I'm not going to beat you up!" She hissed impatiently. Ary couldn't be bothered to discuss anything with the girl. She was pompous and had a bad sense of humour. What should I care if she gets caught out after dark? She found herself thinking. She brushed the thought aside. "Look, just turn the light out." She whispered.

[Pagan Mason S3]

Pagan grinned to herself seeing that she was making the girl annoyed and once again flicked her hair out of her eyes.
"Silly? I'm not the one holding a lit wand" Pagan said not taking her eyes off of the girl, "Besides if your so scared of getting caught you shouldn't have been out here in the first place"

[Arywiel Coone G3]

"Well, as you like." Ary turned back to the castle, hunching her shoulders as she walked on.




((Kody has skidaddled now, so couldn't think of anything better If you want another post sometime, I'm up up for scheming!))