Closed A Meeting by the Lakeside

Ember breathed a sigh of relief. Classes were over for the day. There was no hesitation in considering what she would do afterwards- the lake had been on her mind all day. It had taken a monumental effort not to daydream in class, though it hadn't stopped her from doodling on the side of her notes. She had taken a moment to drop off her items at her dorm, grabbed a book, and made her way to the lake.

The wind lifted her scarf, which fluttered behind her in a yellow streak. Although there was the option not to wear robes outside of class, Ember found that she actually preferred them over her muggle clothing. They were much more comfortable. Of course, when she planned to do some more physical activities such as tree climbing it was a better idea to wear shorts. But she was not planning on that today. Today, she already had plans (which was rare for her, having plans) to relax by the lake. Though there was a lake near her home, it didn't compare with the sheer size of the Great Lake. And if this was still considered a lake, what would an ocean look like? That was something she would never be able to imagine. Not without seeing it.

Ember found an empty spot at the shore, away from other students. There was no shortage of such places by the lake considering how large it was. She sat down, setting her book in her lap. It was green, worn at the edges, and looked battered. Though the word she preferred was well-loved. And it was. This was the very first book she had learned how to read, even before she knew what reading was. She still remembered the hazy afternoons spent sitting in the meadow beside her house. Every flip of the page held new images to take in, snapshots of plants from far away that she wondered if she would ever be able to see in real life. But now that she knew how to read, it was the descriptions that enraptured her most.

It was this very book she read through now, even though she had read it so many times before she knew every word by heart.

@Ophelia Northwell