The Snowman in the Courtyard PV Alyssea Brown Finished

"No shame in that. I've been curious about you for a while, I'll admit."

So she had noticed him in class. He was happy to hear that the feelings were mutual. Although he was not as verbally active as Alyssea during class, when he raised his hand he usually had a well-prepared answer. Perhaps that had been enough to give the impression of being somewhat of a history nerd. Simon liked the idea of sharing this interest with Alyssea. She seemed smart, well-read, and cool for going against the stream with such a unique interest and not being ashamed of it either. He always looked up to people who walked their own paths – much like he himself was trying to do while avoiding falling in the footsteps of his father.

"Not everyone enjoys history to the same extent, especially if it's a compulsory subject. Besides, life's pretty boring without some chaos, right? Not much would happen in the library, let's be honest. Gotta 'spice up life' as they say."

Simon chuckled. "Yes, well, that could literally be a motto of mine. But... don't tell the other Ravenclaws" , he whispered with a smile.

The joking tone made the whole situation a little less uncomfortable. Apparently Alyssea was not just a bookworm; there was a little bit of adventure in her as well. Maybe she even appreciated these unexpected series of events? But being locked in a closet with someone was perhaps not a situation you would want to get caught in. Rumors spread easily.

"Okay. This has been fun and all, but I think we need to get out of here. I may have an idea..." He paused for a moment, while considering the possibility of actually succeeding. He knew he was both taller and stronger as compared to only a year ago, so maybe he could actually do it, with some help from Alyssea as well if she was up for it: "We kick the door open."

interacting with @Simon Tilia

After a few laughs, Simon shuffled around. "Okay. This has been fun and all, but I think we need to get out of here."

Alyssea nodded. "Yep. I think so, too." Simon probably thought about the rumours that could come up just from this moment. She also felt relieved; she wanted to go find her book with the hope that nobody had taken it yet. They didn't have a 'lost property' area at the school, did they?

"I may have an idea... We kick the door open."

Alyssea froze. What? Kick the door? She knocked on the door lightly to get a feel for the wood they would be up against. It didn't sound too thick, so it could probably be broken down with enough force. And at least, once they do get out safely even with a broken door, she could Reparo it as if nothing ever happened.

Alyssea shrugged as if he could see her in the dimness of the closet. "I guess. I'm not that strong though, sorry. I could fix the door, though, once we get out."

"But I do know that you shouldn't try to take it down shoulder first," she said.

She had experienced her brother's trip to the doctor after he was locked in the bathroom and nobody was home. He tried to break down the door as if it was from a movie scene. Stupid? Yeah, it was, but he was still young so he healed well. After that, he talked with Alyssea about the best way to break down a door if you needed to. Who knew that talk would eventually be useful?

"You should kick the door by the lock where it's weakest. Not directly on the lock or you'll hurt your foot."

She stood up and sighed in relief when she could stand comfortably in the space. Her ankle shot another aching pain again and she winced. Maybe it was worse then she realized.

Simon stood up comfortably, it seemed. Then she heard an "ow!" and she knew he might be a bit taller.

"Bend your knees so you don't hurt yourself when you kick."

Alyssea kicked first. Her kick wasn't particularly strong but the sound rang out heavily. Hollow, but still strong against her weight.

Simon kicked and she heard it! There was a crack in the air and she squealed in glee. The door had splintered. If Simon kicked the door one more time (carefully), the door could swing open as the lock broke away. He took her reaction as a sign and kicked again.

Crack!

The door swung open and light flooded in. Alyssea could feel both the cold, fresh air and relief flood her senses. Simon walked out first with Alyssea following soon after.

She chuckled. "Never thought I'd have to remind myself how to kick down a door, but hey! We made it!"

Simon listened carefully to Alyssea's instructions and advice. He figured it was for the best to put any potential pride aside and do as she said, mainly because he did not want to fail or hurt himself. That would have been an anti-climax for the records, since it was his suggestion to kick the door open.

"Broken out of many closets, have you?", said Simon with a smile. "First time for me. Okay... Let's do this."

Alyssea went first. With a loud 'Bang!', her foot hit the door. It was a pretty good kick. This was a completely new side of Alyssea that clearly departed from his image of her as this front-row student with her hand in the air. Simon was not entirely surprised though. The boys at his Muggle primary school always thought of girls as the weaker sex. Simon thought otherwise. His mother was one of his great role models. However, her strength was perhaps not of the physical kind but of the intellectual and emotional kind, and that was even more admirable, in Simon's view. But when necessary, he knew that girls could show exceptional physical strength and finesse as well.

Then it was Simon's turn. Alyssea seemed to have done a great job already. He did not have to kick particularly hard for the door to give a cracking noise. With one quick look at Astoria, he turned to the door again and with determination, he gave it his best. The door broke and swung open with an echoing noise through the corridor.

"There we go!" He took a deep breath and stepped out of the closet, proud of their collective achievement, while brushing his hands from the dust.

"Never thought I'd have to remind myself how to kick down a door, but hey! We made it!"

Simon chuckled. "Yes. Sometimes the 'Muggle ways' are the best, I guess. But when it comes to repairing stuff I prefer to use magic. Would you do us the honor?" He looked both ways down the corridor to be sure no one was coming.

interacting with @Simon Tilia

"Broken out of many closets, have you?", Simon said.

Alyssea shook her head with a grin. "Not me, but my older brother. He was always the mischief-maker at home, so I've picked up a thing or two from him."

She made a note to thank him the next time he owled her or when he returned from America.

Simon chuckled. "Sometimes the 'Muggle ways' are the best, I guess. But when it comes to repairing stuff I prefer to use magic. Would you do us the honor?"

He looked down both ends of the corridor which Alyssea appreciated. She might've gone and waved her wand without any foresight about getting in trouble. Maybe she picked up more than just a thing or two from her brother; it would explain her carelessness. But she shrugged it off. Life already got interesting, so what's the point in watering it down again?

With a nod, she took her wand from her robe, still pouting from the fact she was missing a block in her pockets, and spun it in a backwards 'G' motion as she said "Reparo."

The splintered wood rearranged itself around the lock. Once all the wood settled back in place, she walked up to the door and pulled it shut. She turned back to Simon and smiled while pocketing her wand. "I don't know the locking spell, but figured since we managed to get in, it wasn't locked to begin with."

She looked down the corridors and was relieved to find it empty. She hoped the boys would not come back the way they came and spot them now.

"Welp, I've got a book to find, so perhaps I'll start at the courtyard. Chances are it fell out when we got knocked down by the snowballs."

Would he still like to stay? They did intend to go to the library, but maybe this is where their interaction would end for the day. So much happened in, quite literally, fifteen minutes and she would enjoy sitting back down again to read.

Mentally, she shrugged. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Would you like to accompany me?"

"Not me, but my older brother. He was always the mischief-maker at home, so I've picked up a thing or two from him."

Oh, so Alyssea had an older brother. "I see. I have a big sister, but I guess I was the mischief-maker of us two. If you don't count her sneaking out at night to meet with boys or go partying when she still lived at home." He chuckled.

With a perfect-looking spell-casting, Alyssea repaired the door on her very first attempt. It was almost like a realization of how far they had come in their studies and how capable they were as young wizards and witches already. At this point, Simon was still learning how the various spells they learned could be used in practice. It was a new way of thinking; being creative to solve problems, but with the help of magic instead of the ordinary Muggle ways.

"I don't know the locking spell, but figured since we managed to get in, it wasn't locked to begin with."

"Maybe we should lock it, so that no one else makes the same mistake as us. To leave with a clear conscience", he said, before drawing his wand and pointing it to the lock. "Colloportus!"

There was a metallic sound from the lock and Simon felt the door handle.

"Yep. It's locked now."

"Welp, I've got a book to find, so perhaps I'll start at the courtyard. Chances are it fell out when we got knocked down by the snowballs." She paused for a short moment. "Would you like to accompany me?"

"Of course, Alyssea. Let's go back and look. I'm sure we'll find it. After that, we could go exploring or go to the library, if you're still up for it after this little detour", he said with a smile.