13 Oct 2023, 22:22
When It Rains
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For all of Rory's vices, listlessness was the one which made itself most apparent. It would be rather surprising for the young boy not to take a nap during the day, or to wake up irritable. He could not fix on the time that these habits begun, but it had been years at least since his need for idleness emerged. Often, he retreated to the comfort of his room -- plush blankets, a large teddy bear, and less noise to bother with.
Yet, there were always exceptions, and a lovely day could not be ignored. While some students would occupy their time outdoors with sports or conversing with friends, Rory would curl up under a tree and let the world drift away. He required but a gentle breeze and relative peace to be satisfied.
Drop. He blinked himself awake, rotating his hand to examine the place where he felt a wet sensation. There was a slight sheen. Drip-drop. His blue irises looked upwards to examine the sky beyond the tree. Gray, much darker than when he arrived to the location. Uh oh.
Rory groaned, verbalizing his discomfort to no one but himself, "Ugh, no... How am I even supposed to know without the weather app?" The complaint was a bit hypocritical since he never checked the weather, anyway. But usually, one of his parents were there to sneak him an umbrella before he went out. Did he even bring an umbrella to Hogwarts?
Well yes, the brown one with little puppies adorning the fabric. Tucked away in the safety of his room. It was not going to be put to good use, however, until the boy learned to prepare for circumstances like the one currently facing him.
As the rain was growing in intensity, he weighed his options. The situation was most unfortunate, as his clothes were already dampened. Should he continue to hide under the tree? The coverage was far from desirable, although better than nothing. But he could also make a run for the school building. It wasn't, really, too far away, but his general lack of athleticism would do no favors.
One thing was for certain: the sky had no consideration for Rory's predicament. Rain continued to fall, darkening his hair from a honey blonde to light brown. The boy reluctantly stood up, realizing that the rain may continue for a while. He might have to run, after all.
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Private to @Rebecca Lark
15 Oct 2023, 21:42
When It Rains
𝓣he advent of October had arrived, and with it the last of summer's affectionate heat was slowly slipping away, fading into the dreary sort of grey chill that usually permeated the autumn and winter months, at least from Bex's perspective.
Case in point: what had started out as a sunny, if rather brisk, autumn morning had, almost without warning, changed it's mind and begun to rain down on all the remaining Hogwarts students who found themselves unlucky enough to have missed the signs. Bex, no surprise to anyone, happened to be one of these unfortunate few.
She'd been taking every opportunity she could over the past month to spend as much time outside as possible before the weather really began to turn, going so far as skip multiple meals in the Great Hall, opting to have some almost-picnics out by the Lake instead. Today, though, she'd been working on a response letter to her mum and step-dad, the same one that she'd been working on for the past two weeks. It had reached the point that her dad had owled her with a not so subtle hint that her mum and Leo would love to hear from her, which if nothing else highlighted the intensity of their shared concern. If her mum and dad had managed to conduct a civil, non-lethal conversation with each other about this, then they were most definitely worried about her.
She just didn't know what to say to them. "Sorry that I'm magic, and also, sorry that I'm not even very good at it" were not exactly finishing school approved conversation starters. Unfortunately her mum was not nearly as content as her dad to just talk about Quidditch.
As the rain began to fall in earnest, Bex cursed her lack of forethought this morning in leaving her hair down for the day, and quickly pulled the hood of her dark blue sweatshirt up over her head. She gathered up her quill and accusingly blank papers and shoved them quickly into her bag, removing her umbrella in exchange. After a nasty bought of illness brought on by forgetting to bring a jacket or umbrella with her to an away match for football last year, Bex had taken some precautions to avoid a repeat of this fate, including keeping an umbrella with her in her bag.
She couldn't help but wish, though, that she'd thought to pick out a more mature, sophisticated umbrella before she'd gone away to school. As she began her mad dash back up to the castle, she received more than a few stares, presumably due to her rather hard to miss frog-shaped muggle umbrella. Ducking her head, out of hopes to dodge both the rain and the judgement of her fellow students, she quickened her pace and kept her eyes on her feet, doing her best not to slip.
Perhaps she should have focused a bit more on her surroundings though, as she almost managed to run smack into another student, a blonde boy in a green sweater who appeared to be just standing there as the rain came down around them. She managed to just barely skid to a stop before crashing into him, causing her to slip and have to grab onto the tree next to the boy for balance.
Grimacing at the thought of embarrassing picture she was sure she made (a weirdo with a frog umbrella almost running some poor boy over before she ingloriously fell onto a tree) Bex did her best to try to salavage the situation. She attempted to rearrange her limbs so that she was leaning against the tree casually, umbrella in hand as she addressed the boy, trying to radiate the energy that this had all been on purpose.
"Hullo. Enjoying the weather?" She asked.
19 Oct 2023, 02:36
When It Rains
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Rory hoped that the undesirable weather would not lead to sickness. Although the rain had only just begun to earnestly pour, the boy's immune system was rather weak. He remembered many, many sick days in his childhood thus far; however, he imagined it would be much less nice to be sick at Hogwarts. His parents were like his personal nurses -- showering him with care and attention, catering to his every whim, usually involving sugary treats or watching television. Ah, just another thing that he couldn't do now.
Rainy days were dull, sometimes frightening if accompanied by lightning. While he didn't mind the occasional downpour come springtime, often excited to go splash around in the puddles, autumn rain was cold and dreary. It made you want to do nothing but crawl into bed.
Apparently his mind had been occupied for too long, as a flash crossed his vision before stopping -- almost crashing right into him, and barely missing. He stumbled back a bit, feeling his back hit the tree. The stranger -- a girl -- seemed to slip to stop herself, clinging dearly to the tree. The boy blinked in surprise.
It was like they were both suddenly made aware of the presence of the other. Rory stiffened up, looking around the grounds to realize that most everyone else had already retreated. She quickly scrambled to move -- leaning against the tree as if she intended to end up there. Feigned coolness -- as if the circumstances of their meeting weren't delightfully absurd, albeit a bit awkward.
Then he noticed her green froggy umbrella. It was incredible, and he probably would've noticed it instantly if not for the commotion that led to their encounter. Rory's puppy umbrella certainly had competition now, especially since this umbrella was actually being used rather than sitting unbothered in the protection of four walls and a ceiling.
It seemed that she would be the one to break the silence, fortunately for Rory, who had yet to determine how to proceed. Enjoying the weather? A rosy hue rose to the boy's face, both at the chill of the weather and embarrassment at being caught without an umbrella.
He scratched his neck, smiling. "Um, hi. And... no." His response was light, acknowledging that the scenario had some humor to it. "I definitely would've stayed inside if I had known better."
He pushed his hair out of his face, as the strands had begun to drip slightly, "I'm not used to this place at all. It's not like I've memorized the forecast." He snorted, remarkably calm considering he was speaking to a stranger. His fingers tapped against the tree.
It seemed so inconvenient. The weather app used to be a click away, providing answers to any concerns he may have. But no service, no phones. Forget it -- the internet was magical, not potions or spells.
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Private to @Rebecca Lark
21 Oct 2023, 20:22
When It Rains
Mentioning: @Helena Rose
𝓣he blonde boy appeared to blush at her question, and Bex internally cringed. Enjoying the weather? What kind of question was that? Now he probably thought she was either dumb, or just plain rude. So much for playing it cool.
His admission, though, that he wasn't used to Hogwarts yet either allowed her to relax a little bit. Maybe he'd grown up in the Muggle world as well? Bex had spent this past month feeling like she was playing catch up, as it became increasingly clear that, despite her dad being a wizard, her Muggle upbringing had in no way prepared her for Hogwarts. Every time she talked with Helena she had to fight the urge to take notes.
"That's fair." She replied, "You'd think without any weather apps that like, a spell to check the weather forecast or something would be the first thing they taught here. Instead we get the Dancing Feet Spell."
As she spoke, a loud crack of thunder sounded above them, and, as though it had waiting for permission, the rain began to come down on top of them with a sudden increase in vitriol. A strong gust of wind threatened to blow Bex's umbrella away, but she held firm. Looking up at the sky, Bex could see that it was quickly growing darker, with bolts of lightning visible in the far distance.
She'd been terrified of storms as a child, and had hated the loud noise and bright flashes of lightning. She had had an unfortunate habit of hiding in closets and under beds whenever a storm rolled in, which would then send her parents into their own panics as they tore the house apart looking for her. What had finally allowed her to get over this fear was her dad casting Metelojinx in the backyard and well, anything that her dad could just stand there and conjure in his bathrobe couldn't be that scary.
So while Bex was no longer actively afraid of storms, she still adamantly hated rain. She hated wet socks and the squishy feeling of the Earth as you walked on it, hated the smell of petrichor, and hated the grotesque funeral processions of earth worms crawling towards their fate. She also hated how the rain made her mom and step-dad have the urge to play board games. Bex loathed board games (this was mostly because she was objectively terrible at them, though she'd never admit it.)
"I think we're going to have to make a run for it!" She called to the blonde boy, stepping back away from the tree where the two of them we're huddled and getting herself in position to make a break for it. "Do you want to come under the umbrella? We'll go slower, but you'll get less wet."
26 Oct 2023, 04:49
When It Rains
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Despite the chaos of it all, the rain made a rather pleasant sound as it fell to the earth -- quickly evolving from a sprinkle to a downpour. He shivered, already making plans to change into comfy pajamas when he got back to his room and to snuggle in with his cat and stuffed animals. Oh, hot chocolate would be nice, too. Just another reason he wished to be home rather than at this school of magic.
At her mention of a weather app, Rory raised his eyebrows, pleased to meet another person familiar with the Muggle world. By coincidence, perhaps, many of the students he had met were purebloods who simply couldn't relate to his woes. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards.
She continued on to question learning the Dancing Feet Spell. Rory let out a small chuckle, similarly confused as to why they hadn't been taught more practical spells at first. Sure, there were uses for the spell, but weather prediction would be great. He added, amusedly, "Yeah, or at least a transportation spell! The stairs in this place are dreadful. They should invest in an elevator."
Crack. The sudden noise of thunder cause the blonde to jump a little. His anxiety quickly returned from wherever it temporarily retreated. Sharp gusts of wind blew, causing the rain to change angle and assault the boy's clothing. No doubt, he was now completely drenched. The fabric clung to his skin in a completely unpleasant way, causing light goosebumps to form on his arms.
This was no longer fun rain, or even just inconvenient. It was the kind of stormy weather that had made Rory cry when he was younger. Not for his own wellbeing, however, he was worried about all the animals stuck outside. While his fathers tried to convince him that they would find shelter, he couldn't stop sniffling, insisting that they had to help. On more than one occasion, his fathers found a frog or other small creature in their living room.
His thoughts were broken by the raised voice of the girl, who suggested they leave. Not a bad idea at all. She moved, as if preparing to dash for it. But it seemed she had taken mercy on him, offering to share the umbrella.
While Rory was already completely soaked, he would not protest any extra protection. The rain was cold, anyway. "Um, yes! That would be great." He tried to project his voice, and it came out a bit squeaky.
The boy came closer, easily fitting under the umbrella as they were both rather small. His blue eyes, more gray in the gloomy scene, came to focus on the girl, attempting to anticipate her movement.
He suddenly realized he had never thanked the stranger, or introduced himself. It probably wasn't the best of timing, but no one was there to tell him that. "Oh, thank you by the way. I'm Rory. Rory Hara, but I don't know why you'd need to know my last name, I'm not from a prestigious family or anything." The comment was a bit random, but the boy had noticed more since he came to Hogwarts that people loved to introduce themselves with their full names, even in casual encounters. It might've just been a pureblood thing.
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Private to @Rebecca Lark
31 Oct 2023, 02:14
When It Rains
𝓖enerally speaking, Bex loved the outdoors. She loved sunny summer days and traipsing through creek beds, climbing up onto the highest branches she could find, and just laying out in the grass, enjoying the day. While her father often referred to himself as an "inside cat" there was little that was more stifling to Bex than being stuck inside all day. But the universe had cut off her carefree joy at the knees by making her completely weather intolerant, and once the rain or snow came out Bex lost most of her interest in being out in the elements, and resigned herself to afternoons spent indoors with her face pressed longingly against the window glass.
So no, she wasn't at all happy about being out here in the damp, chilly hellhole that was Hogwarts in October, but it was just so nice to talk to someone with a passing familiarity of muggle life that she wasn't even really that upset about it. She hadn't realized the toll that being surrounded by people mostly raised in the magical world had taken on her.
"Yes! I completely agree with you about getting an elevator. I know that the stairs are fun and magic or whatever, but I've been late to Charms twice, and it's only October."
She wrinkled her nose at the continuing thunder. It would admittedly provide a pleasant soundtrack as she worked on her homework tonight, but if it went on for too long she'd have trouble getting to sleep tonight, and her sleep schedule already wasn't the greatest. She once again longed for her phone, and especially her airpods. It would have been nice to have a backup plan if the rain didn't let up.
Thankfully Rory was quick to accept her offer of sharing her umbrella. There was nothing Bex hated more than the stereotypical politeness game of "Oh no, I couldn't possibly-" Things ran much more smoothly when everyone just accepted the kindness that was offered to them. She smiled brightly at the blonde boy as he introduced himself, and stuck out her (admittedly rather soggy) hand to shake, keeping the other one firmly around the umbrella's handle. The shock of almost literally running into Rory had made her forget to even consider introducing herself, so she was glad he'd taken the initiative.
"I'm Rebecca, Rebecca Lark. I go by Bex though, which is more important than the Lark part. I don't think my family's prestigious, though I'm not really sure how you determine that. My dad goes to Tesco in his pajamas though, so probably not."
Bex made sure that Rory was safely protected under the umbrella before gesturing out towards the castle. Ready to run?" The sooner they got inside and out of the rain, the less likely the both of them were to get sick. Though seeing as both of them were pretty soaked already, it was likely a lost cause. She'd have to change into something soft and warm once she was back in her dorm.