Cold Hands, Warm Heart ((Sadie))

[Ephraim Eades R7]

((Note: This post is probably a bit soon for snow, but we'll assume it takes place in early-mid December, just before winter holiday.))

Snow. Ephraim had mixed feelings about it. First off, it was cold. He could quite well do without being cold. Lucky for him, this problem was easily solved. A knit cap, plenty of layers underneath his winter coat, a pair of mittens, and some wool socks, and E was more than ready to defend against the cold which came along with the snow. Secondly, snow meant that the warm fall coulours would be overtaken by a blanket of white. Winter just wasn't as aesthetic as autumn. Of course the ethereal glitter of an ice-covered landscape could be quite breath-taking. On the positive side, snow meant ice, and ice meant ice-skating. If there was one winter activity Ephraim loved more than the rest, it was ice-skating. Sure he would walk away with bruised elbows and sore knees, but the gliding feeling was something he enjoyed for reasons beyond his own explanation.

With his skates tied together and thrown over his shoulder, Ephraim's coat was buttoned as high as it could go to protect his face. His hands were layered beneath the knit mittens and the fur lining of his coat pockets. Still, just the sight of snow made him shiver as he walked toward the lake. It was late in the afternoon, verging on the possibility of getting stuck in the dark, but Ephraim hadn't planned on being out long. He'd make it back to the castle in time for dinner as he'd probably work up a bit of an appetite by skating around on the frozen lake.

When he arrived at the lake, he changed from his regular boots into his ice-skates. Then, he used his wand to cast a heating bubble charm over them to protect them from the snow. This would also made it nice to put them back on after he was done. Slipping his feet into the warmed boots usually helped to restore his normal body temperature after having dropped from the biting winds and the icy snow.

He made his way carefully to the ice. For a few minutes, E skated around, looping and zig-zagging, though careful to examine the ice as he went. There was no guarantee that it wasn't thinner in some places than others. You never could be too careful, especially when by yourself on the ice. If he fell in, it would be a certain... Well, let's just say it would be bad. Very bad. However, upon looking up, Ephraim realized he wasn't alone. There was a girl skating near the water's edge. She seemed occupied by something, but E couldn't see what it was. He skated closer.

"Good day," he said, swirling to a stop just metres from her. "What brings you out into the cold?" Ephraim flashed his usual smile of cordiality as he tried to recall if he knew the girl or not. He didn't. "I'm Ephraim. You can call me E."

[Sadie Rivers H6]

((Now with the way Sadie took her time, this post is perfectly in season.))

Sadie had brought herself out to try to get a glimpse of the first snow flake of the day. She knew it was supposed to snow again this cold winter day, and she thought that spending the day out by the lake would be a lovely way to find inspiration for her next painting. She needed to do a winter scene but had not been able to think of a new one lately. Everything she had thought of had been done lately. The thought of painting took her mind off of the fact that she needed to talk to her cousin, Adam. Sadie thought about the fact that her cousin was also a professor. This never made class any easier on her, and the fact that he was a Slytherin graduate made it sometimes difficult to talk to him. She had been able to do this with a little more ease than before. Many things had changed this year for Sadie, she had been chosen for prefect and she had found out, through her mother's now found diary, that she was actually a pure-blood. Sadie didn't let this change how she acted, she was determined to be herself.

She had gotten out early this morning, wanting to have some time to herself to find the first snowflake on the lake. She had gotten out just before the snow began to fall. Once she was done sketching the way the lake looked as the snow fell, she decided that she wanted to ice skate. It was a habit that she had picked up before she knew she was a witch. She used to love skating with her dad, having him spin her around the lake like she was flying was a memory that she would never forget. One she now wished that she had someone to share with.

Sadie skated for hours by herself, of course she didn't expect anyone else out at the crack of dawn skating. She had not realized how long she had been out skating until she realized someone else was out on the ice with her. He came to her and introduced himself as Ephraim. She heard him say that she could call him E but Sadie enjoyed the sound of his full name. "Hello Ephraim. I'm Sadie." She introduced herself softly. "I wanted to draw the first snowfall of the daylight." she said explaining why she was out. "With that done, I just couldn't stop myself from taking a spin on the ice, and I lost track of time. What brings you out today?" Sadie looked Ephraim over, his features intriguing. Sadie had never been so struck simply by the way the male students looked, but there was something about Ephraim, something Sadie saw just by looking at him, she just couldn't describe what drew her to him so. She had to get to know him better.

[Ephraim Eades R7]

“Oh, you draw.” he said, nodding his head as Sadie introduced herself and explained her motives for being out in the cold. In all reality, he was just happy to have found a skating companion. It was always more fun to enjoy with a friend, and Sadie seemed like someone who he’d easily call friend. “I’m here… well, just to skate,” he replied, shrugging his shoulder at the simplicity of his answer. Nothing more interesting had drawn him out of the castle except for his love of the outdoors (despite the cold) and his greater love of ice-skating. “Since you can only ice-skate on the rare occasion that it’s cold enough, I figured I’d bear the unfavorable winter chill and try to forget the biting cold as I skated across the pond. If only you could ice-skate in the summer,” he joked, smiling as he inched his way in a small circle around Sadie. He hardly could ever keep still for too long.

“I have an idea,” he said, figuring it’d be silly for them to just continue in separate ways after having introduced themselves. It wasn’t like there was much else to do alone except skate. Sticking together, they could do a lot more, and skate at the same time. “There’s a really beautiful outlook just past the other side of the lake, east of here. I can show you, and perhaps it can be a scene you might draw in the future when you come out again. On the way there, we can learn more about one another. Perhaps we share another similar interest besides skating.” E was hardly ever this forward, but his natural friendliness was shining through as usual.

“I guess I’ll go first,” he said, taking the lead as they skated across the lake. “My full name is Ephraim Eldridge Eades. And yes, that’s three E’s. I don’t know why my mother decided that was such a clever thing to do, but she did. So, my initials are EEE, which is why I’ve always just went by the nickname ‘E’.” Despite the simplicity in this explanation, it was usually the way he started after meeting a new person. His name was very much a part of him though, so it seemed to be a good conversation starter. “Aside from that, I love reading, Herbology, and competition. But winning isn’t as important as just the thrill of competing itself.” He made sure to add the last bit with a confident nod. He hated people who thought winning was everything.

“And now that I’ve given you the brief personal advertisement of all things Ephriam, it’s your turn,” he said with a grin. For some reason he felt an overwhelming sense of ease as he was skating forward with Sadie. Usually he was a bit more reserved, quiet, a listener. Today though, he seemed to be on fast-forward in his talking. He was almost excited, it seemed, but part of him sensed a similar feeling from Sadie. Maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him, but it was oddly easy to talk with her and feel like he had known her for more than just five minutes.