A Day by the Lake

It was a normal day. Classes had just ended and Olivia was outside as usual. The nature around Hogwarts was so incredibly beautiful. Olivia always felt peaceful when she was outside. She looked up at the sky, it looked like it might possibly rain. But that didn't bother Olivia. She loved rain which always had some kind of calming effect on her.

When she had taken a lap around the lake and started walking towards one of her favorite spots. A willow tree with a fantastic view. Then she saw that it was occupied. Olivia hesitated. The girl sitting under the tree seemed so peaceful. She was drawing and humming quietly to herself. Olivia really didn't feel like disturbing. So she stood there for a while and considered her options.

If she were to go up to the girl and ask if she could sit there, she would be disturbing her and that was the last thing Olivia wanted. But Olivia didn't want to leave either. Should she yell? Tell her it was her place and that the girl needed to move? No, that was the worst idea.

Finally Olivia made up her mind. She took a breath and carefully sat down next to the girl. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Olivia said, smiling gently. Then she looked down at her hands. “I usually sit here too. It’s very nice,” she said, and started fingering her bracelet. “My name is Olivia, by the way, Olivia Williams. What’s your name?”

@Kyra Banuelos So so so so sorry for the long wait!

With the day going splendid as usual, Kyra couldn’t help herself to keep focused on the drawing in front of her. A warm smile present and the soft tune of a song from their past escaped their lips all the while she was thoroughly enjoying the morning, specifically because classes had ended not long ago, giving the young girl time to do the things she loved. Nothing was better than a peaceful morning filled with the sounds of nature surrounding. It was beautiful, and Kyra would continue to come down to the lake daily just to experience the peacefulness that came with it when it wasn't crowded by students.

As the quill slowly circled the paper, Kyra felt the need to take a small break, and just when the young girl glanced up, a stranger spoke out to her, which caused Kyra to nearly jump up from the ground. The apology from Olivia was quick and certainly heartfelt, so Kyra nodded once with the same warm smile as always. ”Dear Merlin, I almost peed myself!” She paused for a second, catching their breath from the near death scare Kyra just experienced. This wasn’t the first time Kyra was scared by a student like this, making her very easy to scare and easy to prank.

Kyra put the quill away and closed the book, looking up and scooting over to ensure Olivia had room to sit if they pleased. ”My name is Kyra Banuelos, second year Slytherin. This is the first time I have been here alone, so if you want me to leave because this is your spot, I will gladly let you sit here in peace.” She spoke firmly, allowing Olivia to see that Kyra wanted her to know that she was more than welcome to take over the spot as their own. Either way, Kyra was excited to see someone who seemed friendly, so she didn’t mind being scared at first.

Olivia heard what Kyra said but shook her head. “No, you don’t have to go,” she said in her calm voice. “We can sit here… together.”

Together. That word sounded strange to Olivia. Olivia was so used to being alone. To having no one to talk to. It was probably because people disliked her. But Kyra seemed different. Kind. Olivia was going to give it a chance, but if things went wrong… Olivia pushed that thought to the back of her mind. It wouldn’t go wrong this time!

“Do you draw?” Olivia asked, forcing herself to meet Kyra’s gaze. Olivia liked to draw sometimes with her. It was a calming thing that let her mind escape from the voices.

Olivia thought carefully about what she was going to say. She didn't want to say anything that would be perceived the wrong way. But Olivia pushed herself, she wanted to be a little more open. What did she like to talk about? Well, magical creatures. "What do you think about magical creatures?" Olivia asked, forcing a smile. But stopped quickly because her fangs were showing.

“I find them very fascinating,” she continued. She had to control herself now. She hated talking about herself but this wasn’t selfish, she told herself.

It was pleasing to know that Kyra Banuelos did not have to get up and move from their current spot because Olivia was nice enough to share the view both of them had. With a warm smile, Kyra patted the ground before speaking. ”Please,” She spoke calmly, waiting for Olivia to take a seat. It seemed that this girl who approached Kyra was very talkative, which she did not mind one bit. In fact, it allowed Kyra to sit back and observe silently. ”Together sounds perfect.” Kyra smiled warmly again, letting Olivia know that she had zero intentions of being mean or hurtful during their conversation.

Kyra continued to lean up against the tree behind her with the sketchbook tightly gripped in their right hand. When Olivia asked if Kyra had interest in drawing, the young Slytherin girl nodded happily. ”Yes, I draw all sorts of things from brooms, wands, plants, statues, and so on.” She replied with a happy spirit and tone of voice. Something about Olivia attracted Kyra, but it was hard to pinpoint what it was exactly. Regardless of how she felt, Kyra was thoroughly ending the time spent with Olivia. It wasn’t often that Kyra was so inviting, but she felt that Olivia and others deserved a chance. Kyra knew better to judge a book by its cover, especially at Hogwarts.

As Kyra opened the sketchbook, she began to swipe through some of the pages, showing Olivia some of the work she had done in the past. She didn’t think it was anything great, but every artist starts somewhere, and Kyra had already been doing this for a few years. ”See, nothing too great, if ya ask me.” She said, while continuing to flip through the art. There were even some drawings of what Kyra pictured Lycans and dhampirs. Kyra never once met someone who was open about being a magical creature, so maybe she already stumbled upon some during their stay at Hogwarts?

When Olivia asked what she thought about magical creatures, that was when she smiled wider than before. ”Surprisingly with my blood status, I have yet to meet any in person that I know of. But my opinion will never change. Everyone deserves a chance to express themselves, even if they aren’t the same as others. But as you can tell, I love them, and hope to study every single magical creature there is in the future.” She replied happily, closing the sketchbook in the process. ”What about you?” Kyra asked curiously, hoping that Olivia would be open with her just as she was altogether.