Like wildfire PV Colin

Attire: Usual weekend kit: Slytherin pride, neck ring, kilt, no shoes. Nothing fancy!

Reducio

Colin jogged up through the gate and into the courtyard. It was a cool morning for a run, mid forties and the wind had reddened Colin's pale skin noticeably. He was looking forward to breakfast with the lads and then perhaps study for a bit. Yes, a good trip to the library was what he needed! Would take his mind off of many things.

He felt something tickling his legs as he walked through the courtyard and was still working on buttoning up his shirt as he crossed the small hall. The flagstones felt curiously warm against his bare feet in stark contrast to the chill of the grass and stones outside. He looked down and saw that a couple tendrils of bright green ivy had gotten inexplicably stuck in his long whitish hair. Forgetting all about the remaining buttons, Colin reached up to try and disentangle the ivy.

"Ow!" He fingers landed in a small bouquet of dark green holly. A voice called out to him. He turned instinctively towards it. Looking more like an out of place woodland creature and his fingers still trying to work on the prickly holly, he gave her big smile.

Clair.

The sight of her was every bit as magical as any spell or potion he'd ever seen! He thought for sure he'd never seen a prettier sight in all the world than Clair standing in the small hall calling out his name! He blushed, his chest and face turning bright red.

"Hey Clair! What's with the two plates?"

"Why bother eating in there?" she asked. He was going to reply that's where folks normally ate. Colin gave up on the holly. It had gotten stuck somehow over his right ear. "Its too loud for a nice Sunday like this, care to join me for breakfast out on the grounds?" Whoa. Nice! A picnic outside?

Well, there goes brekky with the lads! he thought. "Sure!" Colin's eyes lit up. He didn't care what it was she had planned, so long as he was with Clair, that's what mattered! "Let me nip in and get something to eat ... oh. Er." Colin realised that she'd planned this. She already had enough food for both of them. He blushed again. "Heheh! I reckon ye're not eating for us two!" He turned to take his place at her side. She smiled back at him and his heart soared. "Alright, I'm with you, Clair! We'll be like two lovebirds, eh lassie?"

@Clair Fernandez

Clair smiled again, "I might be hungry." She looked at the two loaded plates, "But not this hungry!" She handed him a plate, and then with her free hand she picked the leafy thing out his hair and put it on his shoulder, "Your decorated now!"

Clair led him him outside, the spot she had in mind was a perfect place, it looked out over the great lake, but was sheltered by a tree so it was the perfect spot to sit and act like it was not muddy and gross out.
Clair spread out a blanket which she had been carrying and set her plate down and then sat herself down.
"Lovebirds eh?" Her mind wandered back to what her sister had said the day before, Why don't you ask him? Your lovebirds are you not? She tried to push the thought away, but it kept chasing her like a little kid chasing another in a game of tag. She snuck a quick glace at Colin, she tried to picture them as more then friends, she tried to see them as girlfriend and boyfriend, she tried to see them walking down the hall hand-in-hand, she tried to picture her coming into the great hall and Colin jumping on her with a hug, she tried to picture herself in a real relationship, a relationship where she had feelings that were returned. A relationship like Simon had with AF.
She jumped from her thoughts when she realized that her quick glance at Colin had turned into her full on staring at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just daydreaming." She said and turned to her plate.
But her 'daydream' was still in her mind, the image of them as a couple was in her mind.
(Wc 297)
@Colin McCoire

Colin walked beside Clair.

There was no other place he wanted to be. Here. Now. With her.

The thought hit him like a mountain troll's club. He hadn't expected it, but he had found his place. He knew it inside every fibre of his being. And that place was by the side of his girl. Clair. He began to hum a tune as they walked through the cool morning air, down towards the lake. Colin wondered what she was up to this time. He was beginning to realise that whenever Clair had something important to say, it was generally preceded by a game or plan of some kind. He was glad he didn't have to solve a riddle just to say hi to her!

At last she found her spot. Under a huge spreading tree by the lake side. Colin had already been in for a quick dip, and he half wondered if she wanted to go swimming or something. But no, she sat down on the blanket and Colin sprawled out next to her. This was such a nice spot, he thought. He breathed deeply, taking in all the scents that the breeze bore to his nose. The scent of water, of earth, of Clair, of forest beyond. And of course bacon! Well, Colin said to himself; what do you expect!? She brought us here for a picnic!

"Lovebirds, eh?" she said. Colin smiled at the thought. The thought came into his mind that the two of them might be like Fyre Angel and Simon. He knew Clair was Simon's best friend, just as he was AngelFyre's. Those two were almost always together. He wondered what it would be like for Clair to just throw her arm around his neck and run through the corridors with him, playing some silly game between classes; or maybe race up to the high meadow together in the rain!

There were other things he wondered too. He opened his eyes and turned to look at Clair. Her beautiful sky blue eyes were already looking at him. Eyes of Sky! He blinked. He often stared at her across the hall at meal times. How long had she been staring at him?

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just daydreaming."

He wondered what she meant by that. Was she daydreaming about him? The same way he daydreamed about her? "Oh! It's okay lass! I daydream all the time! Er." He sat up then. "Um." She was looking at her breakfast plate. He lowered his own gaze and said: "A lot of times about you."

@Clair Fernandez

Clair stretched her leg out, and kicked off her shoe. It felt good to have her feet out of her shoes, sometimes shoes felt so restricting. At home Clair would walk around barefoot or in socks but here at Hogwarts the only place she was not wearing shoes of some kind was her dorm and sometimes her common room. She ran a hand through her hair slowly, calmly watching the lake. "Do you ever watch the sun go up?" she asked "I watch it every morning, In such a busy world sometimes it is just so calming. No matter what I'm doing I can put it down for the time it takes for the sun to come up. I can stop and just watch it and enjoy that few seconds of beauty, hot fire-y beauty." she sighed in a relaxed way, it was a beautiful day.

She picked at a slice of bacon for a moment and then plopped it in her mouth. "So rumor has it you met my wonderfully cheery sister the other day" Clair said brightly, "Is she not just the sweetest?" she asked it as if she really thought Izzy was as sweet as sugar, even though she knew far to well her sister was much more like a lemon than sugar. Clair and Izzy were anything but similar, they even looked different! Clair was much more natural and friendly while Izzy was more into slathering on makeup and city life and being better than everyone else. Clair was sure that if Colin had in fact met her sister he would most likely not think of her as a girl who is as sweet as sugar, unless his sugar was super tart or something.
(Wc 290)
@Colin McCoire

Colin watched with interest as Clair kicked off her shoes. That made him smile. She was looking at the lake, but Colin was watching as she finger combed her hair. Colin realised then that he still had straggly vines of ivy in his own hair. Plus the holly Clair had stuck to his shoulder. He stuck his own legs out so that his already bare feet were almost touching hers.

"Do you ever watch the Sun go up?" she asked. Colin's heart thumped. "I watch it every morning." Colin fell in love all over again. He realised, and not for the first time, that this Clair was such a precious girl. He wondered how it was that they could be put together like this. To his way of thinking, he was sure that they had been made for each other!

He looked over at Clair's feet. His were longer. He stretched out his toes and touched hers. "Ye've got cute feet, lass!" He blushed a little. Laddie! A part of him screamed inside: Cute feet!? Who tells a girl she's got cute feet!? She'll think you're weird, saying she's got cute feet! But another part of him said not to worry. It was likely all part of the McCoire Condition.

"Oh! Sunrise! Aye, lass, every day! Can't see it from here by the lake, but I run up to the high meadows above the castle. There's this stone outcrop there. I like to go there just to think about things. In the mornings I watch the Sun rise from there. Sometimes I wonder... I look down at the castle and wonder if anyone else --- if maybe you --- are watching the Sun rise too." My God! A girl that loves to watch the Sun rise! Colin's heart pounded faster.

He watched as Clair ate a bit of breakfast. He wondered at how calm she was. He could barely even think of food at a time like this, and here she was eating! Then she asked the queerest question Colin had ever heard --- about her sister Izzy! Colin groaned audibly. Here it comes! Clair's gonna let me have it for sure!

"Is she not just the sweetest?"

Colin snorted. "Sweet!? Izzard the Lizzard? You've got to be joking! ---!" Colin's hand flew up to his mouth! "Oh crap! I didn't mean to say that!" He had no idea if she and Clair were close or not, but that most infelicitous of Slytherin nicknames slipped off his tongue all the same! Izzard the Lizzard. Yeah, no. She was about as sweet as vinegar. "Um." He looked up into Clair's eyes. He wondered at how well she didn't reveal what she was thinking. He knew that he was no good at keeping stuff in --- well, most stuff anyway. "Er. Y---Yeah? We, sort of, ran into each other?"

Come on lad! Better out than in! "We---I mean Luci and me were playing Hallway Hurling after class and he shoved me straight into a mob of older Snakes, right? I didn't know it was Izzy at first! Sorry lass! She called me a toad! And a loser." Colin didn't say that she wondered what Clair even saw in him. "She seemed very angry, Clair. I think I messed her hair up and smudged her makeup. I thought she might turn me into a newt! I wanted to help her, but she told me to get away. I'm sorry, lass, but I don't really think she's all that sweet? Her makeup and perfume smell." Colin wrinkled his nose at the memory of Izzy Fernandez!

This was not what Colin was expecting when Clair invited him down to the lake for breakfast! He half wondered if Clair wouldn't pull out her own wand and hex him for what he said about Izzy! What if they were super close and told each other everything!? Oh crap! What else did Izzy know? Colin groaned again.

"Clair! Please don't tell her about the Izzard the Lizzard bit! She'll know you heard it from me!"

@Clair Fernandez

Clair wiggled her toes, "Cute feet? umm, you too?" she replied, a little confused at his comment and wondering at the same time if it was some sort of code or test. She moved from the thought though and focused her attention back to Colin.

"I love to watch the sunset from my common room, there is the perfect view, its honestly super amazing, I bet you could see my home on a sunny day!" she smiled, "I mean, not really but you get what I mean! Carlisle is way to far way to see but I wish I could." On the sunny days Clair loved to just sit in the window and look out the view, she like watching the birds and would often draw what she saw out the windows.

When Colin said Izzard the Lizard Clair howled with laughter, "Oh my gosh, I'm so stealing that name! Izzard the Lizard, its so perfect!" she managed to control the giggles, "Believe me, she is anything but sweet! I'd say she is more of a lemon!" more giggles escaped ''Hallway Hurling? Do I even want to know what that is?" she giggled, she could only imagine what Colin and his friend could make up called Hallway Hurling, either way it sounded rather gross and Clair could see her sister getting upset even if she had not been run into. "You ran into her? and your still alive?!" she grinned and pushed a stray hair from her face.

"Your not a toad or a loser, if anything your a very cute toad!" She tore off a bit of waffle and added a raspberry to it.
"She could use her hair getting messed up! I saw her yesterday for the first time in a while and her hair is sooooo not her." Clair flopped onto her back looking up to the tree, just like she and her sister had done back at home when they were little, when they were just normal muggle girls with only one magic sister.

"Honestly though, I wish you hit her harder, maybe it would make her like the old Isabelle."
(wc 358)
@Colin McCoire

Colin blushed all the more when Clair said he had cute feet too! At least she didn't seem grossed out! He leaned back on his arms as she told him all about the view from her common room. He smiled wistfully as she talked about her home far away in Cumbria. "It sounds grand Clair! I hope I can visit some day! Where I live is pretty far too." He nodded towards the north. "Up in the Highlands. There's wizarding families around. Some are kin. But we've no muggles for miles around. Not even a village or a town!" Colin laughed. He was really happy. "We can't see anything from our common room. Just greeny grey water. Glas⁽¹⁾ we call it at home. Sometimes we see fish; and I've seen grindylows loads of times! They look nasty. One day I'm going to try swimming over to where our common room is and find out what it looks like from the outside!" Colin paused, his eyes opening wide. "I just hope none of our Prefects will be looking out of the window while I'm there!"

Colin was so surprised when Clair laughed at his housemate's nickname for Izzy. He laughed along with her when she said she was going to steal that nickname! "Hallway Hurling! Maybe we can play some time! It's great fun Clair! We just put our arms around each other's shoulders and rush like mad along the corridor! When you're ready, you just thump your hip into mine and send me sprawling towards your target!" Colin sat up straight and nodded sagely, as if he were imparting sacred knowledge of boy games. "You get one point for year the target is! Oh! And an extra point if the victim turns out to be a Prefect! I bopped Violet Grace right into Luci! --- I don't think she likes me anymore. She might be almost as pissed as Izzy! But Vee's a first year, so she can't turn me into anything, you know, unnatrual!"

Colin let out a puff of breath and smiled as he remembered those moments. So much fun! I really would like to play that with Clair some time! he thought.

"Your not a toad or a loser." she told him. Colin looked up suddenly, into Clair's sky blue eyes as she said that. Her words uplifted him. There was always that shadow deep inside that tried to convince him he was nothing to Clair, that she was far too good for him. Colin knew she was awesome, of course! But to hear her say those words made his heart melt!

"If anything your a very cute toad!"

Colin laughed merrily at that! "A cute toad!? Is it my eyes? They are kind of toad green, like pond scum." Clair flopped back onto the blanket, so Colin did the same. Only he made sure to scoot a little closer to her. His foot touched hers. He hoped she wouldn't back away. Colin couldn't think of anything more perfect than just being with Clair.

There seemed to be something about Izzy --- Isabelle, Colin reckoned that must be her proper name --- that upset Clair. He wondered what could have happened. He knew very well that siblings sometimes fell apart. Didn't his own younger brothers despise him now? His heart broke for Clair all over again. It was just like when she told him her Ma had died. "Clair?" he said softly. "What happened to Izz---Isabelle? How did she change?"

He didn't know if she would answer that or not. He had no idea how to help, apart from thumping her harder next time! He just knew that if Clair was hurting in any way, he'd stand with her. Or in this case, lie sprawled out on a picnic blanket with her!

Glas is Gaelic for a spectrum of colours from green to blue to grey

@Clair Fernandez

Clair smiled as she thought of her hometown, Carlisle was perfect for the Ravenclaw.
"I live on the outskirts of Carlisle, in the rural parts, our farm's land touches one of Rivers, I love riding out and then in one of the shallow spots dipping my feet in." She closed her eyes at the many memories that she had of sitting with Spark or Blaze under the large Popular tree that grew by the river, whichever horse she had brought with her would wander around and graze to greedy for grass to run off, and Clair would pull up her pants and take off her shoes and socks and then wade into the cold water and dig her feet around in the smooth river bed until her feet were numb with cold and the water was too brown to see her feet, she would then climb out and wait for her feet to dry before she would pull her socks and shoes on and then unroll her pants and ride back home.
"You have to come to my house at some time, hey maybe over spring break you could come over!" She smiled, "I'm sure Belle would love to meet you! And the farm dogs too! Its mostly Muggles around my place, I doubt there is any other wizards or witches beyond my sisters and I."

Clair tried to picture what the Slytherin common room looked like, she figured based off her own common room, that the Snakes must have green walls and that the Common room and dorms would reflect the students' interests and needs. "Swimming in the great lake is dangerous! What if one of those creatures ate you? what would you do? What would your family do? What would I do?"
The idea of losing Colin was one she did not want to think of, she had lost so much losing a friend and love interest would be too much for her young heart.

Clair made a face, "I think I'll pass on your Hallway hurling, but thanks for the invite."
The idea of running in the halls was one that Clair would never be caught acting on unless it was necessary. Clair paused for a moment, before deciding that it was ok to talk about it, to explain what had happened. She rarely spoke about it, honestly it might not have hurt so much if she had of just decided to talk about it more.

"Well, when Izzy and I were little we would play together, she is only three years older, technically its really two years because of our birthdays but that's a minor detail." She collected her thoughts and carried on. "When we were little we would spend a lot of time together, like hours everyday! Our interests were both the same and we stood on common ground. We stayed this way up until I was seven, that's when I met my friend Fern. I took my sister for granted after all she had been there my whole life I knew no different life than that of her pestering me to do things together, but alas Fern was my age and I found that she was even better of a playmate than my sister." Clair cringed inwardly at the thought of her wasting time with Fern of all people. "It was when I had just turned eight that Fern's mother decided I was no good for her daughter as a playmate which meant that I was left playmate-less and my sister was preparing to go to Hogwarts that would that both my sisters would be away. Izzy was still on friendly terms with me at that point, she was pleasant to everyone she cared about everyone and anyone, if you gave her your heart she would give you hers as well. That was what the problem was, she had always been very close to my father, our father. She was his little girl, his baby girl. It was hard enough for Izzy to move to a boarding school far far away from Dad, but then about halfway through her first year he passed away in a car crash. Izzy shut down, she closed herself off, the one person who she had really bonded with had died, leaving her. I don't think she really recovered from it, when she came home for the holidays she was angry, angry he had died, angry she had been unable to leave school for the funeral, angry that her heart had been broken. I was eight, yet I have a strong memory of the day she came back, I ran to hug her and she pushed me away the whole car ride back she sat in a curled ball with her headphones pushed into her ears as if the music she had been unable to listen too was going to save her." Clair sighed and took a few deep breaths, out of breath from speaking, "After that she had barely spoke to me, I think she fears that if she gives her love to another person they will die." Clair left out the fact that her Mother had also died while Izzy was at Hogwarts which meant both parents gone a d not being able yo pay her respects to either. "I don't know, maybe she will always stay this way, guarded, hurt, but at least she had friends right? I don't know if she even remembers how to be happy and nice."
It was hard to think of someone forgetting how to be happy, it was hard for Clair too see anyone forgetting their true selves, yet had she not been close to losing herself after her mum died?
(Wc 954)
@Colin McCoire

Colin listened as Clair talked more about her home. It reminded him of his place, only there were muggles around where she lived. Plus she could ride horses, which Colin considered a real plus! Oh, if only she liked fast motor cars too! "That sounds like a blast Clair! I don't ride very much, or very well really. I'd love to visit your place and ride with you some time! Of course, I'd just shuck everything off and jump in the river! I love swimming!" Colin nodded, already thinking of a way to try and convince his folks to let him go visiting Clair's place in the spring!

Colin started to laugh when Clair said that swimming in the lake is dangerous. He'd been swimming in the lake since early first year, after all! Never very far out --- his memories of Quinn almost getting herself drowned way out in the middle passed through his mind --- he liked the shallower parts that were more amenable to exploration. But he caught himself when she asked what she would do if he got eaten by something in the lake.

"W---Well, yeah, swimming is dangerous, but --- so is everything else? I mean, we're both broom racers, and didn't all us Basilisks end up in hospital after the last race?" Colin's heart thumped at the thought of racing at top speed through all the dangers of the course! He practically lived for the thrill! But still, her words fought against him. He didn't know quite how to respond.

What would I do?

Clair's words filled his mind, to the exclusion of all else in that moment. He knew that those words weren't just a shallow question. There were layers underneath. They filled his heart. If he got eaten, Clair would be more than just sad. Wasn't what she said just another way of saying I love you?

Colin pondered that as she went on to the topic of hallway hurling. Hmm. Clair didn't seem to be amenable to the concept. Well, she was a Ravenclaw after all! She probably revised her periodic table or something while gracefully walking along. "Pft. Well, okay! Maybe we can play a different game in the halls? I can quiz you on history and you can torture me with potions!"

He smiled as Clair talked about her home life when she was younger. He could hardly imagine Izzard the Lizzard being happy the way Clair was. He wondered what caused her to become snotty and stuck up. He winced when she said that one of her friend's mom said Clair was no good. "Well, that's bollocks for one thing!" he said. He remembered then how Clair had said basically the same to him when she learned that Izzy called him a loser. "I'd've loved playing with you, if I didn't live so far away!"

His mouth hung open as Clair described how her Da died. He didn't know that! He sat up suddenly, looking down at Clair as she continued. His heart stirred with a sense of pity for Izzy. He had no idea how hurt she was, nor how badly Clair was hurt by her sister. He felt bad for calling her Izzard the Lizzard. A little bit anyway --- she did call him a loser and a toad after all!

For a while, Colin had no idea what to say or do. He knew only that he felt the jab of pain as Clair told this story. He could feel tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Oh, Clair," he said. He shifted his position and laid down next to her on the blanket. He too looked up into the leafless trees and sky beyond. "I'm so sorry Clair." His voice was just about a whisper. "For all of you." He sighed deeply.

@Clair Fernandez