3 Nov 2021, 17:40
A Grizzly Encounter
16th of September, 2021
16:19PM
It had been an eventful day, from the explosions that occurred during Potions class early in the morning, to the snoozefest that was History of Magic late afternoon. Enrico had already been exhausted from all the academic knowledge he was draining to sink deep into his brain, but once that little body of his ever so decided to shut down, then there was no returning back to diligence and effort. In fact, he spent the last fifteen minutes of class trying his best from slamming his head onto the table, as the need to sleep had taken over - eventually he gave up, and a strike of crimson red soon found itself almost permanently attached to his forehead.
Once the class had officially been concluded, to the majority's favour, the batch of first-year students all carried along to their common rooms to prepare for dinner. But Enrico had a completely different plan. He did not wish to take off his robes or rid off his silly tie that felt like it was clinging around his neck for its life. He wished to make a quick run to the school grounds, outside, where rumours had it that the green grass could come in touch with the sun's rays, wherefrom a safe distance one could see the tentacles of a giant Kraken twirling and splashing. There had been multiple opportunities for him to do exactly so, but his mind always seemed to spiral of to other things. This time, however, he was determined!
Making certain that the path was clear from the stirring eyes of prefects, professors or anyone who could snitch on him, Enrico made a run for it, sprinting through the courtyard like a busy bee. His cheeks flushed pink as he soon felt them going warm, his mop of a hair flowing in the air. He could see heads turning around as soon as he made his way past some fellow students, but that didn't stop him from further advancing until he reached a plain field of grass, with horizons stretching from every side he looked at. On one, he saw a group of students flying on their brooms, fetching and throwing a ball. On the other, was the still calming water of the lake. Though it was impossible to hear the sound of water from afar, Enrico did not fail to imagine how peaceful that could be.
The more steps he took forward, the closer he made it to a rather large tree, that provided him with a bit of shadow from the warm sun. The weather was still yet to take a freezing turn, and though Summer was now gone, the afternoon sun still persisted on embezzling everything beneath it with heat.
Feeling his short legs suddenly burst out like flames as they began to burn from all the vicious running, Rico clumsily sat on the grass, taking in a couple of sharp, heavy breaths. The ground felt cold and weirdly comfortable. But the earth and soil Enrico was so used to had always been so eager of his presence, maybe the natural life around Hogwarts thought of him the same way his family's farmland did. Willing to protect it - even if though sometimes, the little things that mattered most were collecting flowers for his diary. There had been a sense of enjoyment in picking flowers and collecting them, usually, those who were in charge of taking care of Enrico would complain about his irresponsibility, but believe it or not, this was his quietest activity and so, it was either stillness for a few solid minutes or complete chaos. The choice became easier for his mother as soon as she realised.
And that was partially why he was out here on such a common day. He had intended on collecting a bit of green life for his own personal collection. He had brought his collections from home, and to further expand the catalogue, edited in a 'magical collection.' Had he paid more attention to Herbology, he'd find it easier to remember and recognize all the flowers, but just picking them at random would do, the research could come after.
As soon as Enrico was ready to prepare to continue his journey, a sudden crack sent shivers down his spine. It wasn't just any crack, but a crack-crack. A hunch, a stomp. The Hufflepuff cleared his throat anxiously, remaining still, laid down on the ground, eyes looking up at the leaves that protected his sight from the sun.
"Who goes there?" The boy asked, his voice failing to make him sound brave.
"Did somebody follow me? I'm gonna get up now! I'll return to the castle, I swear! And then we can both forget about it, yes?"
@Ami Procoppio