Blossomfest The Lake Event

{ Open to Interactions }

Serena strolled through the grounds, her hands shoved into the pockets of the red sports jacket that she wore for warmth. It was spring time and it was meant to be warm but... Scotland was always a little chilly, at the very least, it seemed and the Hufflepuff had not gotten used to it yet. She could only hope that the weather would pick up soon. She was dressed casually today, in the same sort of sports outfit that she would practice Quidditch in.

In theory, the Hufflepuff was determined to start exercising. She knew she needed to improve her stamina and strength if she had any hopes of survival in Hogwarts. She needed to be faster at running away or more accurate in her ability to throw a rock at the threat. Of course, she also needed to be better at magic but she was spending most of her free time locked inside her dorm, studying. It was tiring. Her brain was just exhausted.

Going outside in the fresh air might actually help. The second year walked towards her usual spot. There was a place that overlooked the lake and had beautiful scenery. She would always sit by the tree there, so she could appreciate the view and rest against the trunk at the same time.

Stopping abruptly, Serena looked around. There was some sort of event had that been set up. There was food around and students playing in the lake. Serena rolled her eyes, wondering why they were disturbing her peaceful spot. Though... now that she thought about it... a swim would probably be quite good for her. It would give her the exercise she needed and the water would help wake her up. She used to swim a lot as a child, before Hogwarts. Her primary school made her go every week, and her mother made sure she had at least two after school sessions.

However, she had not really kept that up since coming here... In fact, now that she thought about it... Serena had not actually swam at all since coming here. She stood silently near the lake, contemplating what she ought to do and what exactly was going on.

Strength: 2  |  Agility: 15 |  Control: 10  |  Stamina: 8

Interaction: open, shy child trying to interact with Serena Towers

Edric had to running since a few weeks ago. It wasn't that he particularly liked it - he'd much rather be at home and cuddle his friend Butterwing, or at least take a tour on his broom around the countryside, but unfortunately both options weren't possible for him at the moment. Running was boring and repetitive, just one foot in front of the other, again and again and again. His energy needed to go somewhere however.

He loved the castle, loved it like a third home right after his family house and the Wolff family's equestrian farm in Germany, but being inside the whole day made him feel itchy. That the Slytherin Common Room was beneath the Great Lake didn't help at all. If he'd lived in a tower he could have opened the windows and felt the breeze at least. In the dungeons however he couldn't even have that luxury.

So outside it was. Hogwarts didn't offer anything in the sports department that wasn't Quidditch, and without a season he couldn't even apply for the team. Practicing by himself was fine, but then he'd be limited to the stadium, which got pretty boring after you'd flown through it a hundred times.

Running was what was left, or at leats the only other outside activity he'd been able to think of. Therefore Edric had been running for weeks. Around the Great Lake, around the castle, around the greenhouses, as close to the Forbidden Forest as he dared, which wasn't close at all. Today was one of the good days: the sun had been shining brightly all day and there wasn't any icy wind for once.

Today he'd run around the Lake from the other side, starting on the far side and circling towards the shore closest to the castle. In hindsight he was happy that he hadn't put something over his white linen shirt and stuck to a pair of thinner trousers, because the sun was actually burning for an afternoon in early April.

"Hey, eyes up front!" a coice yelled and Edric turned his head away form the Lake just in time to avoid running straight into a Seventh Year Gryffindor student. "I know your brothers, Baby Banes, you better pay attention who you're running over."

Great. "I'm really sorry, it won't happen again," he told the older boy, a little less sincere than he would have been had the guy not mentioned his brothers. Why did it always have to be about Adair and Harry?

With a sigh he walked a few feet away from the Gryffindor student and his friends, and for the first time noticed that there was somethinig resembling a big picknick going on at the lakeside. A few higher year students were swimming in the lake - the former Prefect in him wanted to argue that they really shouldn't do that, but he knew better - and faint music could be heard coming from... ah, yes, the Blossom Ball. Edric had no intention of going there after the events of last year.

Most of the student were lounging around in groups. Some played a muggle card game, others toasted each other with butterbeer. That looked good, but Edric wasn't brave enough to go up to some unknown people and ask for a butterbeer. If they'd been Slytherins he knew, then maybe, but those were Ravenclaws.

Finally his amber eyes found another lone student, a girl about his age standing by herself, looking at the lake. He shuffled closer, curious what she was looking at. Was it the Giant Squid?

Edric squinted his eyes to better see the glimmering surface of the lake. There was some movement, but that could also be a fish, or a reckless student even.

He dropped onto the grass with a sigh. The weather was great, there was food and games, everyone was having fun, but he was sweaty and bored and maybe just a little bit lonely after spending the whole day by himself.

His stomach chose that moment to grumble. Loudly. Dammit. He shot the girl a look and hoped that she hadn't heard, even when she most likely had.

Strength: 3 | Agility: 13 | Control: 10 | Stamina: 9

Open to Interaction

Glen had dreaded this event once he realised that there would be another Blossomfest Ball. Last year he had managed to hide and skip the event – seriously why were second years, let alone first years even supposed to attend? - but he had been a no-one then. He wasn't exactly known now, but some of the higher years had still noticed when he made no move to get ready for the ball when they did. He should've hidden in his dorm instead on spending time in the common room, he supposed.

It wasn't that he didn't like people or groups even (though large groups could be very distracting) but a ball? A festival was nice and good but weren't they (he) a bit too young to attend a ball? Oh, he was aware that compared to some pure-bloods eleven was already old to attend one's first ball, but regardless, it seemed a bit ridiculous to him.

Sighing he left the common room behind and followed a couple of fifth years listlessly. He would put in an appearance at the ball and if it was as stupid as he expected it to be he'd leave as soon as he could. Maybe, if he would even manage to leave before the event proper began?

Lost in thought as he was, he didn't realize that they weren't leading him to the actual ball area until he got splashed with water. He stopped short and blinked. What in.... Why was he at the lake?
He stared at the fifth year that had jumped past him into the lake in consternation.

He furrowed his brow and glanced around. It seemed that quite a few students had found their way to the lake, some where swimming in it (did they really think that was a good idea?) while others lazed around on the grass.

For a moment he wondered if he should say something but then he shrugged inwardly. Curfew was still ways off – he wasn't even sure if it hadn't been expanded for the ball – and it wasn't as if they were hurting anyone. Besides, he could definitely understand the urge to skip that event.

So he meandered his way along the lake looking for either a quiet place to sit (he couldn't just join one of the groups, could he? The prospect seemed a bit too daunting) or some other students to hang out with.

Stats: Strength: 9 | Agility: 12 | Control: 7 | Stamina: 7

Open to interactions

I guess these are my stats now:
Stam: 3
Str: 15
Agi: 6
Contr: 11

{ Interacting with Edric, mentions Glen & Marcia }

Serena quietly stood there, memorised by the glimmer on the water. She could hear the sound of faint music coming from somewhere. Bad music. The Hufflepuff frowned as she tore her eyes away from the lake and glanced over the Grounds, wondering what it was. She wrecked her brain for a good few moments before suddenly recalling that it had - somehow - gotten to April. Honestly, it still felt like September for Serena but it was already April and the Easter break was looming ever closer. This could only mean one thing: Blossomfest.

Yet another event that the school decided to host. Another ball, if she recalled correctly. Though in all honesty, the Hufflepuff could not work out why the Professors decided a ball would be suitable for this occasion when last year's one had gone so horribly wrong. Serena was lucky enough to have not been in attendance then. She entered late with Reid, luckily missing all of the action. However, she remembered seeing the evidence felt behind from the burnt table clothes, the angry look on the faces of the Professors, the scared looks on the students. That ball was one of the shortest events she had ever really seen. She entered and stormed out all within about two minutes, after angrily accusing someone of starting a fire.

She remembered it well though... It had taken place not long after she left hospital from the camp out... Those few months constantly had played in her mind for almost a year, till she could no longer think about anything else. Serena sighed, glancing back to the present moment as she did everything in her power to avoid thinking about it and falling into that cycle once more.

Was this another blossomfest event?

Her attention was caught by the sound of someone's stomach grumbling. Was it hers? N-no. it did not sound like her own but it made her acutely more aware of her own hunger. Glancing towards the right, she spotted a boy standing not too far from her looking awkward. Ah. It did not take her too long to work out who else was hungry from his expression. Serena frowned a little as her eyes fell onto his face. She knew him. He was a Slytherin that had been Prefect around the same time she had been Head Girl. Rick? No, that didn't sound right... uh... E... It was E something, right? Enric?

She should have known this. Of course she should have known this. But for some reason, she could not quite recall having a proper conversation with the boy... Perhaps she never did. At that time, Serena was too engrossed in trying to be the best Head Girl she could be. She wanted to prevent people from getting hurt, after feeling responsible for them. She wanted to do so much to protect them all... And she kept, constantly, failing. No one else seemed to care... But she did.

Edric! That was it, right? It could have been Enric though... Edric or Enric... Enric sounded right... Serena mentally facepalmed but nonetheless, she smiled at him, "H-hey, En- Ed- Hey! You okay there?" She started to say, deciding that they should grab some of that pizza, "Want some?" Serena motioned towards the pizza before turning swiftly and making her way to the group. She was pretty shy when she joined the school but if there was one thing it taught her, it was to step up and take action when she could. Being prefect taught her that, if nothing else. It forced her into situations that she did not want to be in - like talking to strangers.

Within a few moments, Serena had managed to ask some random students if she could take some of the food for herself and her friend. They seemed perfectly happy sharing and shoved a small box of pizza into her hands. The Hufflepuff thanked them before making her way towards Edric again with the box in her hand. It was moments like this when she acted more like a mum with a twelve year old and less like a twelve year old herself... Another quality that she had learned from her prefect days.

But this was Hogwarts. Danger, it seemed, always loomed around the corner. In this case, another student came running towards them. It was followed by the call of a female's voice, shouting stop. She recognised her too... "Marcia?" She muttered under her breath, recognising the other former Slytherin Prefect. At least she seemed to recall this one's name a bit better... Drawing her attention back to the scene, she saw the random person that she did not know running towards Edric and another boy not too far from them [GLEN], "Watch out!" She called out, raising a hand in the air as though it would help. It obviously did not...

Serena moved forward to try and help - though she was unsure of what was actually going on - but she was still holding a box of pizza in her hands and wasn't sure she wanted to fling it everywhere.

Strength: 2  |  Agility: 15 |  Control: 10  |  Stamina: 8

Interaction: mentions Serena, Marcia and Glen

It was relaxing to just sit there an stare at the Great Lake. The background music wasn't the best, but Edric had never been particular about what he listened to. If it wasn't the loud, incredibly obnoxious muggle stuff that Harry had taken a likening to he was fine with it. The ball was for enough way to barely hear tit anyway so he simply blocked out the noise and focused on the quiet surface of the lake and how it reflected the sunlight.

He was still hungry of course, and just maybe he was hoping for Harry to show up - he loved those kind of informal gatherings and the mischief that usually came with such parties - and get him some food from the older students. His brother was popular, he definitely would get whatever he wanted.

"H-hey, En- Ed- Hey! You okay there?" a voice called and when he looked up, startled, and recognized the girl he'd almost forgotten about again. Now that she was looking at her he actually recognized her face: she'd been Headgirl last year. Serena Something. Serena Turner? He didn't have time to muse about it, since she pointed to the pizza a group close-by was eating. "Want some?"

She didn't even leave him the time to nod in befuddled agreement before she'd already moved over to the other kids and started making conversation. Wow, Edric thought. He wished he was anywhere near as sociable as she.

Amber eyes watched as the girl managed to secure herself a whole box of pizza. His stomach growled again at the sight.

Suddenly there was a commotion coming from the direction of the castle. An older boy that Edric new form the Slytherin Common Room came running down the path to the Great Lake. There was shouting from multiple people and he saw Serena raise her hand, waving. What the heck was going- another, smaller, figure was chasing the boy. Marcia. Edric knew her from her hair color and cut alone.

The guy was holding an object in his right hand, it obviously belonged to her. He didn't really pay attention to Edric, but made to run past him and towards another student - Glen, another Slytherin Second Year, when had he showed up?

He was small, he was fast and already on the ground. It was easy to stretch out his leg to where he knew the boy would be passing him.

Edric didn't even feel sorry for him when he felt a foot connect with his shin and heard a sharp yelp come from his housemate. Maybe he'd make a good Slytherin after all.

Strength: 3 | Agility: 13 | Control: 10 | Stamina: 9

Interactions: mentions Serena, Edric & Marcia

If he ignored the other (partying) students, there was a certain tranquillity to walking along the lake. A tranquillity that was sadly broken by the need of weaving his way around the others.

He stopped again, getting lost in his thoughts, wondering if he should stay out here at the lake (which he would prefer if he couldn't just return to the common room) or if he should go to the Ball after all. He really didn't want to though. Besides, he was not particularly keen on getting burned or seeing someone else on fire.

Yes, he would stay here. The lake wasn't as big but standing on it's shore still always reminded him of home, at least a little. Sure, the (more or less) open sea was far more more than even the Great Lake could ever be but it was a nice substitute. (It probably wouldn't have inspired great-uncle Angus to write songs about it, but well... uncle Angus. Glen wasn't sure if his opinion counted.)

He came back to the present when he noticed the commotion behind him. Ugh. Why were people yelling? He didn't want to do any prefecting, he just wanted some time to relax. He turned around and blinked at the sight that greeted him. There were some groups of students ignoring the yelling, a girl waving (didn't she use to be a prefect or something if he recognized her correctly? He didn't think they'd ever spoken, really.), a boy sitting on his own and an older student running towards him (or towards the other boy?) and another running student (a girl?) further back.

Was that another guy about to jump into the lake with no regard to who he'd be getting wet when he made waves splashing into the lake? But no, that didn't explain the yelling... ah well, he shouldn't be surprised. With so many people here, of course there were some of them yelling around. He rolled his eyes. He'd almost blocked out how rambunctious they could be. The higher years were quite boisterous at times, he'd found. (Not that the younger years weren't, to be fair.)

Wait; was that boy tripping the guy?

Stats: Strength: 9 | Agility: 12 | Control: 7 | Stamina: 7