Might As Well ((Rachel))

[Dylan Caoimhe]

His footsteps echoed throughout the empty corridor, which had wide beams of brilliant sunlight peering through the high windows that stretched across the stone floor in even, slanted horizontal lines. Today, was it. The second to last day of the last term. Tomorrow, he'd be getting on the Hogwarts Express to take the journey he found he didn't dread anymore. And seeing the sight before him as he steadily walked, only made him smile a bit. Today was even more beautiful than the last, as if Hogwarts were teasing him. Tempting his new and surprising attitude towards his colorless, melancholy life. As if the walls themselves couldn't believe that Dylan Caoimhe, who at the end of his first year tried to hide in the Owlery because he didn't want to leave, was embracing his life and accepting it for what it was. Even he didn't, at first, but he was older now. Wiser even.

After a while, Dylan found himself entering the Courtyard, and looking around, he had never seen it look so, splendid. The fountain gleaming in the sunlight, the flowers and the statues. ''Your only going to be gone for a couple months,'' he reminded himself for what felt like the thousandth time. He was going to miss this place like crazy, like he always did during summer break. This was his safe place, his haven, his sanctuary, his escape. The only place where he felt like he was at home.

He slowly walked over to a bench and sat down, sighing, and he heard something fall out of his pocket and hit the ground. He looked and saw that it was his wand. He stared at it for a moment before picking it up and twirling it between his fingers. ''Might as well,'' he said looking around. That was one of the many things that frustrated him about summer holiday. No magic. Spotting a small pile of bricks, he aimed his wand, and one by one, levitated each so that they were in front of him in a single line. He figured he'd overdose on spells and charms while he had the chance, and proceeded to change one of the bricks from brown, to gold.

[Rachel Cohen R6]

It was killing her. She hated how much not flirting with anyone was killing her. She hated how hard it was, because it shouldn’t have been. It was supposed to be simple. She was supposed to be a good girlfriend, and it was supposed to be effortless, because she really liked him …right? Didn’t things like loyalty and devotion come with the package? Here she was in the library and she felt her eyes drawn to the sixth year before her. He was asking her a question anyone would have known the answer too, but it was a conversation starter, and she was Rachel Cohen, the least she could do was flirt with him, but she gritted her teeth, put on her most innocent smile and told him the answer instead. No smirk, not even one lingering gaze, no replies with double meanings, she was being a good girlfriend and it was hard. The boy moved on looking confused, she knew what he expected, and if he would have approached her last week, AJ or no AJ, she would have flirted with the poor guy. Yet things were different now. Turning the page in her book she read what it said “…own identifying physical traits. Some think of Leos as being usually tall, with thin waists, trim athletic legs, strong physical features …” She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. This was not happening. She was not going to think about this, about him, she needed out, she needed air, and she knew just the place to find it.

She gathered her things, leaving the book on the table. She didn’t want to touch it. Her silver shoes clicked against the floor, the sound caused a few heads to turn, and if it wasn’t that, it was the rest of her. Her wavy dark hair was down, brushing her shoulders and back. Today she had decided against her uniform, and had changed before heading for the library. Her headband matched her Nicole Miller Pintuck Pelted Skirt Dress perfectly, under that she wore WolFord Mystic Lace tights with Platform Slingbacks from Velvet Angels, so of course she turned heads. She smiled beautifully at the people she passed, even greetings a few, but mostly she counted the tiles on the floor, or counted the steps of the stairs so her mind wouldn’t wander to where it almost did in the library. The girlfriend duties where much simpler when her boyfriend was actually there. At least when she was on his arm she couldn’t be tempted too much, she could just look over and it was easy. Right now AJ wasn’t with her; he was probably at Quidditch practice or with Noalan. She sighed as she turned in the direction of her destination. She could almost hit Leo Keane for putting her in this position, and then … she went there. All her hard work trying not to think about the Gryffindor was for nothing, she let him venture into her thoughts at that moment. As much as she claimed to hate him, she couldn’t help to wonder, why did she want to see him more then ever?

She let the feelings run their course, but finally she was out in the courtyard. Rachel Cohen was a social butterfly. After all she was one of the it girls on campus. She didn’t normally go to the courtyard, even less so alone. It was a place for her to hide. She wasn’t in the mood to let anyone see her fighting her internal battles. Her life was charmed; she wasn’t supposed to be having any battles. Rachel stopped walking and leaned up against a wall. Her head was in her hands and she was breathing, using her soothing words. The words ‘I am in control, I am in control.’ Where being said over and over until they became reality and once they did, Rachel was back. Her little break down was over. In fact, she wasn’t sure what had made her so flustered in the first place. She did however know, she did not want to remember. Opening her eyes she looked around at her surroundings. It was actually kind of nice. There was a fountain in the center catching the rays of the sunlight. She watched the rainbows in created for a few moments before continuing observing the place. There where many flowers, she smelt its sickly sweet fragrance in the air. The ivy was climbing some of the statues, and she was sure it was on the benches she saw as well. Everything seemed well manicured and under control, but she had a feeling if those plants wanted to grow like crazy, they could and would accomplish it.

From her spot by the wall Rachel saw another student sit down on the bench she had spotted earlier. He seemed like he was getting away as well. Maybe her hide out wasn’t so secret. He was sighing just like her, she smiled to herself. It was always nice to find out you weren’t alone. She could almost tell what he was feeling. She then saw his wand all out of his pocket and roll on the ground before him. He picked it up and made a few bricks levitate and change colours; she smiled amused before making her way to his bench. Rachel sat down beside him keeping her eyes on the bricks. “Bored much?” She asked him, her eyes still on the bricks.

[Dylan Caoimhe]

''I'm not bored,'' he said barely audible, aiming his wand at another brick. At first he thought the voice was in his head, but that thought was quickly diminished when he felt someone sit next to him. It was a girl, by the sound of her voice, but Dylan didn't bother to look at her. With a quick flick, he transfigured the second brick into a small, brightly colored blue jay, and it almost immediately took flight into the clear, sunny sky. Dylan slightly smiled, and then sighed. He wished he could do the same thing, but not in the sense that he wanted to run away. He just wanted to feel, free. Like anything and anywhere was possible if he so desired. ''Just figured I'd use my wand until I made myself sick,'' he said still looking after the blue jay. ''You know, the whole 'Restriction on Underage Magic' thing. Drives me mad not being able to use my wand during summer breaks.''

When the bird was no longer in view, Dylan looked over at the girl sitting beside him. He recognized her, but he didn't know her name, and he was glad. He really didn't want to see anyone he actually knew before leaving. It would only make it that much harder to stomach the fact that he was going back, and the last thing he wanted to hear from any of his friends was, ''goodbye.'' He was finally doing alright with accepting that this was his life. He was afraid if he did see anyone, it would make him go back to who he was, and he'd start freaking out again. Part of him felt that he was thinking too much and that he'd be fine, but another part of him just didn't want to risk it. He liked the person he was turning into, and definitely didn't want to take a step back.

''Uh, I'm Dylan,'' he said with a small smile snapping back to where he was. Dylan aimed at another brick, but paused. He only had two more days of school left. Might as well try to have a little fun. ''You look like your talented,'' he said sitting up straight. ''Care to join me,'' he asked gesturing to the next brick with his free hand. ''Maybe you could even, I don't know, show me a trick or two?'' He really wasn't in the mood to joke around with anyone, but past experiences had taught him that sometimes, when you don't feel like doing something and you do it anyway, it usually turned out to be better than when you had meant to do it. Maybe having a good time with an almost complete stranger was what he needed.

[Rachel Cohen R6]

The weather outside had been lovely for the few past days. At least it hadn’t been raining, and the temperature had been climbing steadily, and you couldn’t tell the difference from one day to another, but you could tell one day to another a few days later. It was getting warmer, or rather hotter, everyday. Rachel figured that the concrete bench she was currently sitting on would have absorbed the sun and made it extremely hot, but was pleasantly shocked to find out this was not so. Instead the bench was very cool. And there she sat marveling about this odd development in silence, waiting for the boy to respond. Until he finally did, but his voice was so quiet she almost had missed his answer all together. She was sure she was the only person to have heard him; even there had been someone else in the courtyard. She took her eyes of the bricks for a moment and focused on him. No, he didn’t look bored. In fact he looked content. So she turned her eyes back to the bricks just in time to see that one of the bricks had been transformed into a blue jay, and she watched it fly away. It blended with the other blues in the sky; she didn’t take her eyes of the bird until she was sure she couldn’t see it anymore. It was no secret that Rachel had wanted to be a bird when she was little. It had begun before the death of her father, but after … it became more of a goal then a wish. On seeing that it would never happen, Rachel had hung up her wings, paper of course, pretending like that phase in her life had never happened. But seeing that bird brought on a familiar feeling, and a more familiar pang in her chest. It had to be all the AJ stuff that was bringing this effect on her, she sighed aggravated that she couldn’t just relax without thinking about AJ, or … him, for more then a few minutes.

“Makes sense actually.” She told him her attention away from the bird then back down to the bricks. “You’re not alone, I feel the same. It takes me twice the time to do things the muggle way rather then with magic, but you do what you have to do, right?” She told him. Not looking at him, this was one odd conversation. It was natural to look the person you where talking to in the eye, but not even looking at them felt weird. At least the conversation she was having with him made sense, rather then some she had previously. When both people would talk around what they where actually meaning, rather then coming out and saying it, those kind of conversation lost her completely. She sighed thinking about not getting to use her magic in the summer. It was always the worst part about vacation break. Especially when her mother had those crazy phases where she tried to do things more ‘normal’. Like when she told Rachel she needed some chores to be ‘well-rounded’ and told her to wash dishes. “Mom, we had a maid who does that for us.” Rachel had told her. Not anymore, it seemed, Rachel had to do the dishes for about two weeks before her mother was back to normal. She could have really used her magic then.

He then introduced himself as Rachel arrived back to reality and away from her thoughts. That was the last place she wanted to be. ‘Well, it’s nice to meet you Dylan. I’m Rachel Cohen.” She told him. Most people made the connection right away. Cohen, it was the name of the company, first of all, secondly she was Rachel Cohen. The last few days all the rumors at school had been about her and AJ. She was sure everyone had heard at least one. But that’s what happened when you where one of the ‘it’ girls on campus. The funny part about that was there where several ‘it’ girls, and none of them where friends, hardly acquaintances, well … she wasn’t friends with any of them. It was funny how these things worked out. The boys, well they where more banded. There where a few ‘it’ guys from each house. She was dating one of them from Gryffindor. ‘Lucky me’ she thought to herself, and a few months ago she wouldn’t have been so cynical and sarcastic. Now it was no longer her opinion, mostly the opinion of the rest of the female population at Hogwarts. Rachel had always been ‘lucky’. Dating the ‘it’ boy was no new achievement. She had dated plenty, and from different houses. She hadn’t found one yet that she was sure she was ‘lucky to have.’ They where the ones that where lucky to have her.

He invited her to join him in playing with the bricks. “We’ll see what I can do.” She told him reaching for her bag where she kept her wand. Finding it after she moved a book out of the way she closed her purse and pointed her wand at the brick he motioned at. She began by just levitating it first unsure what to do. But a thought came to her. She gave the brick a pair of legs and arms, and sat it down on the edge of the fountain and made it tap dance. This really was fun. She then knocked the brick into the fountain with a flick of her wrist, but saved it once more. It was again sitting lifelessly. “Your turn.” She told him with a smile.

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Chuckling, he crossed his arms across his chest, and watched the brick dance on the edge of the fountain. It seemed like an odd trick, but it was funny all the same. He was right, he was starting to have a good time. Or, he could feel himself loosening up a bit anyway. ''It is indeed,'' he said standing up and walking to the edge of the fountain where the brick layed lifeless once more. ''Would you join me over here, please,'' he said looking back at Rachel. Dylan grinned at her, and aimed his wand at the brick. ''That was very entertaining. But, watch this.'' And with a lazy flick of his wand, the brick split in two, a tiny puff of sandy colored dust rising from between. Smiling, he slashed his wand through the air in a swift motion, and the two wet brick halves turned into two small, pearly white seals, who dove into the fountain and began to swim and splash around in the water.

He watched them with interest as even through the water they gleamed magnificently in the sun. He suddenly remembered about five years ago, when Alanah had first told him that he was a wizard. Of course Dylan had the ever so popular doubt that everyone had when they were told they were magic, and he didn't believe her and thought she was messing around. But, he clearly recalled when she whipped her own wand out of her apron pocket, and transfigured her desk into a large, dark grey seal. Looking back, he wished he could've seen the look on his face when she did it, because if it was anything like he felt, then it was quite comical.

He remembered when he boarded the Hogwarts Express for the very first time, and before saying goodbye to Alanah, he told her one day he would be able to transfigure things just as well as she could. But, he never got a chance to show her what he had learned. Well, he had chances during the summers, but he never did because he felt he needed to learn a bit more. And once again, that stupid underage prohibition of magic thing. Dylan sighed. Two more years, and he would have no doubt been able to challenge her, but still gazing at the glowing seals, he couldn't feel any negative emotions. After all, even if she wasn't exactly here, in a way, he was still showing her what he had learned. Snapping back to where he was, he realized he had a lost look on his face and quickly straightened up, and cleared his throat. ''Um, sorry. Your turn, of course.''