Mind If We Join You? PV Gwendolyn Harmon Closed

It was a cold day but Gwendolyn had decided to go outside anyway. The grounds seemed like the only place that was calm out of this whole castle. There were kids everywhere and it got crowded quickly in the castle, but out here on the grounds, it was definitely less crowded. There was space so kids could disperse. Once she had reached the grounds, she pulled her cloak closer to her. It was cold, but Gwen did not care. As she walked around the grounds she could hear conversations of the other students.
"Did you hear about that fourth year?" one girl said to her group of friends with a small laugh,
"Oh yeah! I heard he got into so much trouble!" one of the other girls said before the group broke out into laughter. Gwendolyn sighed as she walked away from the group and went over to a part of the grounds that overlooked the Great Lake. Gwen really wanted to have friends like that. Friends that she could laugh with and gossip with. However, Gwendolyn felt like she was an outsider to the rest of the kids. She grew up in a group home her whole life while a lot of these kids grew up in a loving homes with families. Gwen didn't even know what her blood type was... Muggleborn...Half-blood...Pureblood. She didn't really understand what those terms meant, but she wanted to know. She sighed thinking about that as she leaned against the railing and looked out over the great lake with a small sigh.

She stood there for a little bit before she made her way over to the Great Lake and sat down at the sitting area. It was so peaceful out here. She sat there for a moment or two before she heard a boy's voice. She looked up to see a boy standing there with his friend that was an animal. She was a little confused why he said 'we' when he was clearly alone. "Yeah... sure... you can join me..." Gwen said quietly before turning back to the lake and staring out at it.

"This one would not stop whining until I said we could go outside," he said and gently placed down a hufflepuff colored scarf onto the seat beside him where a small gray rat stretched out upon it and began to get comfortable, glad to feel what little light rays he could from the cloud cover above. "I tried to tell him, later Rascal, a little later and we'll go out. But no. He just wouldn't stop."

Still though, he was prepared to do anything he could to try and make Rascal feel comfortable at Hogwarts again. The poor little guy had been through so much and he was determined to treat him like a prince. If the rat wanted to go outside, then by all means, here they were.

Simon glanced over to the blonde beside him, curious if he was intruding but she did say that they could be there. "I'm Simon. Simon Kincaid. Second Year, Hufflepuff," he said and brought his hand out towards her. What he was hoping to get was a handshake and to open up some interaction between the two and if she looked over his way again he'd smile kindly to her. Simon liked to get to know new people but he knew that some people just wanted their own peace and quiet. Everyone was different and that was one of the beautiful things about life.

Gwendolyn was honestly not really listening to him. It was a bad habit of hers. She just zoned out sometimes when people talked. It started when she was in the group home and new kids would try to talk to her. She didn't mean to be rude to them but after years of being in the group home, she learned not to be friends with anyone. They were just going to leave in a few months so why even try. A group home was only a temporary place for everyone... well everyone besides her. She was in the same group home since she was four. The same group home she was left on the steps on without a name.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by his voice and his hand accidentally brushing against her arm. She turned her head to him and looked at him for a while before looking down at his hand. She wasn't big on handshakes... Or touch from people she didn't know. It was a safety thing. "Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn Harmon" Gwen said as she put her hands in her pockets, "Ravenclaw... 1st year." Gwendolyn then gently smiled at him, letting him know that she wanted to talk with him even though she didn't want to touch him.

At first he wasn't sure if she was going to talk to him and she watched as she looked his way and slipped her hand into her pockets. Simon didn't really understand this because he was the complete opposite of the girl in front of him. He was super social, always smiling, trusted people so much, and was a touchy feely sort of person. Still, at least she gave a smile! That was something.

Simon decided it was probably best to sort of back down and he went and sat next to where Rascal was. The gray rat was now roaming on the top of the scarf, trying to get it just in the right position so he could get top comfort levels. "You doing alright there?" Simon asked the rat as he laughed a little. He reached out to smooth out one part and the Rat seemed to thank him by outstretching it's neck and touching his nose to Simon's hand in a way of saying thank you. "I mean it, we're not out here long. Enjoy it while you can."

He looked out to the Lake but then looked away, not really wanting to focus on it right now. It used to be a nice place to venture out rarely to come to think but right now it held some painful memories.

Gwendolyn watched the boy as he stood up and went over to where his rat was and sat down. Did she say something wrong that made him move away? She understood that she could be cold and intimidating, but most people tried to talk to her. People who weren't in the foster care system for a long time that was. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stop staring at the boy and his rat. Unlike most of the girls here, Gwendolyn didn't run away screaming from rats. She used to play with them all the time when she was young.

After staring at the boy and his rat friend for a long time, Gwen got up and walked over to him, and sat down across from the boy. "What is your rat's name?" Gwendolyn asked as she looked at Simon's rat. The rat looked kinda cute... as cute as a rat could get. Then again Gwen was used to seeing the dirty street rats. "Can I touch him?" Gwen asked as she glanced up at Simon. She was really hoping he would say yes.

"Rascal," he said and Rascal sort of paused at the sound of his name for a moment and then looked to the girl who just sat down. "He's also known as the Prince of Hufflepuff. Royalty and all," Simon smiled. "...I think I'm the only one trying to make that catch on though," he smiled wider.

Rascal was curious about the girl and did his neck stretch thing, where he tried to extend himself out towards something without having to make his feet actually move. Curious little quirk of his or laziness? Simon wasn't sure.

"I found him here by the Great Lake not too long ago and still working on getting him back to his health - both physical and mental. He used to belong to one of my best friends who passed away over the winter break." He could tell his voice changed a little at the end of the last sentence due to emotion and he cleared his throat so he could get back on track. Alexa Mackenzie's death still hit him pretty hard right now - even if he had a lot of faith.

"Honestly, I don't know how the little guy made it from Iverness, Scotland to here, but it's him. I'm sure of it. I don't really know how he survived the crash but the newspaper said that the passenger window was down. I guess he was able to get out."

"Anyway, he's super nice. You can pet him if you wish."

Reducio

Outfit-
Shoes-

Gwendolyn was a little confused on why this boy was trying to get that nickname to stick. It was a cute nickname for a little guy like Rascal, but she was not sure how many people would actually call him that. Gwen watched the rat as Rascal kinda stretched towards her. But the rat didn't walk over to her. Maybe this rat was a lazy rat?

Gwen looked up at him when he mentioned that Rascal came from one of his friends that passed away and that he was helping the rat back to health. "Oh. I'm sorry" Gwendolyn said as she glanced up at him. She could hear the change in his voice so she decided not to ask any more questions. She understood what it was like. To lose someone you were close to.

"You will actually be surprised how strong and resilient rats are," Gwen said as she gently pets Rascal, "I have seen rats exactly like Rascal who have been through a lot worse who bounce back quickly," Gwen said as she stopped petting the rat and pulled out some hand sanitizer from her black leather jacket.

Growing up around rats her whole life, she knew how many diseases they actually carried. Though she did grow up around rats that lived on the streets, she always just carried some hand sanitizer just in case.

Reducio

Words - 228/200
@Simon Kincaid

Poor little Rascal. If his little rat mind could comprehend that the girl was putting the hand santizer on her hand immediately after touching him for the sole purpose that he was a rat - he would be highly offended. Luckily, he was just a rat and didn't know better and was just happy to be out in the sunshine and fresh air and in the company of others were it was safe. Finally safe.

"That's good to know. I think he'll end up pushing through just fine. I'm doing my best to help him I just got him," he admitted to the girl. "He belonged to a friend of mine and I'm going to take care of him for her. The best of care." That was the goal anyway. Simon wasn't really an animal person but he would certainly try. He had the will and the determination and in this case that would be enough. He would give Rascal the best of rat days.

"So how's Ravenclaw treating you, Gwendolyn? Glad you're there?" It seemed to be a house that most were happy to be in. He had a couple good friends that were Ravenclaws, like Clair Fernandez and Samantha Salwis. Personally, he shared their love of learning and adored their house colors.