Deep Water Closed

Margaret stepped into the water next to the pretty, pale-haired girl. Margaret sighed out and closed her eyes, relaxedly. "How are you?" She asked facing up with her eyes shut peacefully.

The water was so cool and the sun was nice and warm. It felt good to stand there in the chilling water with the warm sun on her cheeks and her toes in the soft grains of sand that were warm from the hot air. It was like warm clay, it was so soft and smooth. Usually, she felt shy and anxious around new people but today was different. She took a confidence potion that day, that she had brewed in case she needed it and was feeling especially anxious but now she was feeling good. She just felt like she should go up to the girl.

She could sense that the girl felt indecisive about stepping into the water. "You really should step into the water." She said, not sure if the girl would take her advice or not. It was really nice being in the cool water on a warm day. She could see light shades of red and orange through her eyelids but unlike usual it didn't bother her. She was completely at peace.

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SAPPHIRE TUGGED HER HAND OUT OF HER HAIR, glancing at the redheaded girl standing in the water with trepidation. She wasn't used to social interaction, despite having been doing it for years. But the other girl was right. The water would probably feel nice. She nodded hesitantly, more to herself than anyone else. "Not a bad idea..." she murmured.

She took off her shoes and socks, since she despised wet socks and shoes above almost anything else, and stepped into the water. It rippled around her ankles, like the wind, but more solid. She went further, until the water covered about 7 inches of her leg. She didn't really know what to do with her arms, so she just crossed them. She smiled to herself. It was small, an expression that she didn't usually have, but it was... sweet wasn't really the right word, but it was nice.

"The outdoors are quite calming," she said, her voice quiet. She generally didn't speak very loud unless she knew the person well.

She puffed up her cheeks again, thinking about what she should do next. "What's your name?" she asked, words flowing smoothly even though the thought of instigating social interaction made her stomach churn. At the response, she would reply, "I'm Sapphire. Sapphire Riddle." Her blue eyes had a far off look in them as she gazed out at the water, travelling the edges of the lake and skimming across the trees, the grass, all the vibrant colours. The smile still hung on her features, faint and small, like most emotions. She glanced back at the girl, wondering what she could learn.

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"I'm Margaret... Burkhart" Margaret replied. "How's it going?" She asked. Sapphire seemed like a nice person and someone her she'd hang out with. Of course, she would never normally approach someone but the potion had really done well. She was glad that she had taken it, she liked feeling confident for one day. She liked being the shy kid but being confident once in a while was good.

Sapphire seemed like a person she might get along with or well hangout with before classes. "Do you come here often?" Margaret asked after Sapphire had answered her first question, she didn't want to ask too many questions at once.

She stepped closer to the center of the lake until the water went up to her knees. Margaret didn't go as far as Sapphire but she liked feeling her feet and leg in the water even though she knew they would be damp and a little uncomfortable when she got out of the water. The deeper the water went the smoother the sand got ad now it was like silt on her toes. She wondered how smooth it would be in the center, soon it would turn into mud then it would probably be a bit slimy and slippery in the middle, from algae or being worn down.

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"Hmm?" It was a simple question, but she still had to put a little thought into her answer. "I mean, I don't have any issues. The year has gone by a little fast, but everything has gone fine for the most part." She cocked her head to the side, looking at a birch tree whose trunk split in the middle like a Y.

Margaret's second question was much easier to answer. "Not necessarily often, per se, but I do on occasion. It's calming here." She gave an embarrassed cough. "Although I came today to get a song out of my head. It'd been getting particularly annoying," she said quietly. "What about you?" she asked. The girl sort of reminded her of her other friend River - both had red, curly hair. After she got an answer, if any, she would say, "What house are you in?" she would try to convey through her words that she didn't mean any offence, but she wasn't the best at that. Not that she ever betrayed many emotions, but she was afraid it would be exactly that which would set off the other girl.

"I'm in Slytherin," she would say, eyes trailing over to another peculiar tree. This one seemed to have odd pink tinges on the edges of the leaves. "I personally dislike the stereotypes given to the house," she said, going off the other statement. "It's unfair to declare us to be evil, when that isn't even one of the defining characteristics given to us. If you ask me, it's exactly those stereotypes that would either push a Slytherin to prove them wrong or show them what a mistake it was to call them that." She paused. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. I do that sometimes, though I always get embarrassed when it happens..." she trailed off, thinking she was doing it again. She was tempted to apologize, but she already had. Her eyes clouded over.

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"Some times I think it helps to sing the song in your out loud when it's stuck in your head," Margaret said, in response to Sapphire's statement about having a song stuck in her head.

"What about you?" Asked Sapphire

"I don't come here very often, I usually go to places I can be alone in silence. I feel like a lot of people come here. Today seems like a particularly slow day to come to the lake. Margaret replied.

She was quiet for a while until Sapphire asked what house she was in. The sh replied "I'm in Ravenclaw" she said proudly; Ravenclaw was the house she wanted to be in after all. "What about you?" Margaret asked.

"I'm in Slytherin" replied Sapphire, she pretty white hair flowing a little in the wind. She began talking about the Slytherin stereotype and Margaret agreed with her about the stereotype. "I agree, I hate it too. I've known very kind Slytherins and I think all Slytherins should not be classified as bad people and I don't think all Gryffindors are good people either." Margaret agreed with all of Sapphire's points and had hated the stereotype too. "Don't worry I'm not one of those people to judge a Slytherin on their house." She said reassuringly.

She stood there silently for a few moments. "So how's Hogwarts going for you? I mean like what's your favorite class. Would you rather learn magic or muggle classes? Do you miss any muggle classes? She said trying to give her some examples of what she could answer with and hoping it didn't just seem like she was bombarding her with questions.

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WHEN SHE LEARNED OF MARGARET'S HOUSE, she was even more reminded of River. She was also glad that the other girl had a similar view of stereotypes, nodding along to what she said.

"I mean, I haven't met any bad Gryffindors, per se, but I've only really met two total," she said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. The conversation was a bit easier now, since she'd been able to continue talking. She was silent after closing her mouth, the clouds in her eyes clearing up. She listened to the questions Margaret asked, then tried to think of how to answer them. She'd been at Hogwarts for 2 years at that point. She didn't really think that much on the muggle side of education, but it was actually a good question.

"Hogwarts has been freeing for me. I'm opening up a bit more, whereas I could barely hold a conversation when I first arrived. Of course, my first year was a bit confusing, but that's a bit of a long story. My favourite class is either potions or charms. I particularly like the cool temperatures down in the dungeons, but that isn't the only reason I like it, of course. I like being able to mix things up, as well as playing with fire. You could say I'm a bit pyrophilic (is that a word?). I much prefer magic classes, though I would love if the school had a course on writing. I've got a bit of obsession with that, you see. I used to not be able to write a lot, but I've been able to do more in the last year. That's also probably the muggle class I miss most - writing, I mean." She stopped herself.

"Well, what's your take on Hogwarts? I don't really talk to many people, so it's nice to get other people's take on things. Refreshing."

After the answer, she would say, "What are your hobbies? You can probably guess one of mine from that tirade, but I'd like to see if there's any other things I can connect with."

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"I really love Hogwarts. I wouldn't say it's easier but it is by far more interesting. I guess some of the classes, like astronomy, are a bit boring, actually, it's just astronomy. I just don't understand it I guess, why is it necessary? It's just an incredibly dull class." She replied ]but of course, I don't mind if you like it.[/color] She added quickly. She hated astronomy but she didn't mind if others liked it. Margaret understood if other liked different classes then she did. "I like Herbology which I guess is a weird class to like, so I don't judge" she laughed awkwardly.

She was silent, listening to the quiet class of waves and the silent roar of a small breeze. "What are your hobbies? You can probably guess one of mine from that tirade, but I'd like to see if there are any other things I can connect with." Asked Sapphire. Margaret paused for a moment before replying. "I like reading and cooking and um... horseback riding. She also liked writing and (sometimes) drawing and going on A.T.V. trips but she didn't want to seem bland or like everyone else. She felt like everyone liked writing and drawing and didn't want to fall under another person who likes to read write and draw. "What are your hobbies?" She asked.

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SAPPHIRE FIDDLED WITH HER FINGERS, trying to think of what her hobbies were. There were quite a few, though she didn't get to invest in all of them very often. "Well, I quite enjoy art. I tend to do that when I'm bored in class, either that or write. I almost always have a notebook. I also do a lot of reading, and I view literature as one of my strong suits. I also like mechanical engineering, though I don't do that all that often. I play flute or piano sometimes, and I also sing, though I don't normally let people know that. I get a little flustered if I sing in front of people... I also enjoy camping," Any person with eyes could see that she was flustered.

She cast her gaze to the water, catching a glimpse of the giant squid further out. "I spend a lot of time trying to get away from the world, I think. I bury myself neck deep in other activities and don't give some aspects of reality time to sink in. Unfortunately, the parts I block out also tend to be the happiest parts."

The water felt pleasant, unlike the dark turn her words had just taken. She tried to take her mind off it by curving her fingers in a way she'd been shown years ago. It was something the girl had heard referred to as the snake. "How long have you been immersed in the wizarding world? I've known about it for only a few years, since I got my letter, but I knew that my parents weren't exactly... well, weren't exactly "normal". They-" she cut herself off. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell the other girl about her... family issues. Or, not exactly issues, but absences.

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(This will probably be my last post until the 15th because I'll be on vacation, sorry.)

"Sounds like we have a lot in common, I like to do those things as well." Margaret sighed happily, stepping further into the lake. She was right the deeper t got the smoother the sand. The sand now felt like soft clay. Margaret's legs were almost fully in the water now.

[color=#0000BF"How long have you been immersed in the wizarding world? I've known about it for only a few years since I got my letter, but I knew that my parents weren't exactly... well, weren't exactly "normal". They-"][/color] Sapphire cut herself off. Margaret knew she just didn't want to tell an almost stranger about her family life yet (she would also understand some secrecy even if they were good friends) and she understood so she didn't ask about it or pressure her. Margaret just moved onto answer her question, without asking anything else.

"I've been immersed in magic for almost my entire life. She replied "I'm only a half-blood but my whole family is exposed to magic even my mum and my brother, who can't use magic. I didn't know if I could practice magic until I was 9 though... So uh, are you muggle-born?" Margaret asked not knowing if she was asking too much "just from the context it sounded like you might be but at that last part I wasn't sure."