Closed Home Sweet Home

It was nice, to be back at Hogwarts. Though Rowan had returned for a short time at the end of last school year, she certainly was still unfamiliar with the whole place; yet, the wizarding school still felt like a home away from home. Though she had done a lot of exploring the labyrinth of corridors and rooms inside Hogwarts, it had occured to Rowan that she didn't know much about the school's stunning surroundings. Now, as it was early in her second year and (hopefully) her first full year here, Rowan has taken it upon herself to lose herself in the beauty of the mountains and forests that spanned from the castle in all directions. From the Slytherin common room as well as her dormitory, Rowan could look out into the murky, yet strangely peaceful Black Lake; which is where she found herself walking on this particular Autumn afternoon. The leaves, painted all different colors of the sunset, crunched lightly beneath her feet, and filled the air with their scent. As far as the young Slytherin could tell, there was nobody else around: she had found that this side of the lake tended to be much less occupied then the unforested shores closer to the castle. The sun shone above through the half-bare autumn trees, creating a mandala of shadows beneath Rowan's feet. It was so peaceful here, and Rowan felt content. She danced a little bit, twirling over the leaves and leaping into the air, laughing to herself. She was quite a horrible dancer, but it was fun nonetheless. Eventually, the girl came across a particularly large tree, with most of its leaves still stubbornly hanging on to its branches. The branches and boughs were perfect for climbing. In a moment, Rowan thought, excited at the prospect. But for now, she wanted to set her things down and write. She ducked beneath a bush and sat with her legs crossed in the center of the little clearing beneath, still able to see the lake's sheet of water, glistening in the sunlight, through the foliage. The slytherin set down her satchel and retrieved the parchment and ink, as well as a clipboard to write on, on the ground in front of her. Then, she closed her eyes and allowed nature's voices and ideas enlighten her.

After what might have been about twenty minutes, Rowan heard shuffling from outside her bush. Though the bush's branches and leaves were thicker on this side, she could still barely make out a figure, complete with flashes of red from whatever they were wearing, leaning against the tree. Rowan sighed silently; no more being alone. She supposed she should reveal herself, for it was quite awkward to be sitting in this bush with the other person having no idea she was there. Slowly, Rowan began to move, pushing her things neatly back into her bag (luckily, the ink on the parchment had dried), and manouvered her way out of the bush so that she was on the opposite side of the tree from the other person, whom Rowan had caught a better glimpse of now. She was another girl, a first year- Rowan recognized her from the sorting ceremony- a Gryffindor. The other girl was now approaching the bush suspiciously, and Rowan sighed, straightened her back, and stepped out from behind the tree.

Almost immediately, the Gryffindor girl spun around with her wand pointed at Rowan, only a few inches from Rowan's nose. Quickly, Rowan raised her hands in surrender. "Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," the young Slytherin said, looking at the tip of the wand. "I'm Rowan Sallow," she replied to the other's question, simultaneously taking the tip of the wand between her forefinger and thumb and lowering it slowly away from her face. "Who are you?" Rowan asked, stepping further out from behind the tree to get a better view of the girl who stood in front of her.

The air was crisp and full in Daniel's lungs as he stepped out into the grounds from the castle, from Hogwarts. He always found solace in his loneliness in nature, and today was no different. With the silver pendant resting against his chest and his wand securely in tow, Daniel decided to head around the Great Lake, a place that he had heard so much about but actually never really went into.

He wanted no other sound but the crunching of leaves under his footsteps as he strolled along. The colors of the foliage—orange, red, gold—were so brilliant in intensity as to make the scene that lay before him both tranquil and invigorating. The lake was quite still and black, beckoning one toward it like a haven from the bustle of the castle.

Daniel washed up to the shore and went a little way out into the water to stand there and gaze. The sky was such a mirror that it was almost as though the vista before him stretched forever. He could understand why people might come often to their thoughts in such a place. Along the shore, a few large trees tipped their branches low, in an attitude of devotion to the lake. Among these, one took his special attention: its leaves are still hanging down the branch even if it's already fall.

He became aware of slight movements as he drew near the tree. He squinted a bit, and instinct spoke up from years of being warned by his father through tales about the need for vigilance. There was the form of somebody sitting underneath a tree, lost in something—probably a book or some other quiet type of reflection. He did not think he should bother the person but found his own spot a little way down the shore.

He leaned on another tree, taking a small notebook from his robes. He had fallen into the habit of noting down every thought, idea, or observation; it helped him to get some sense out of the constant flux of ideas he had in his mind. Today, he simply stared at the blank page, his mind wandering toward the soft lapping of water at the shore.

Then he heard a sudden rustling. He jerked his attention back into the present and gazed warily around. The noise seemed to come from a nearby bush whose branches seemed to shake a little as if something, or rather someone, moved behind it. Daniel's hand instinctively reached for his wand but didn't draw it just yet. He had learned very early that not every noise required a defensive spell.

In a few seconds the rustling died, as did Daniel, thinking it was only the breeze or at worst some critter working its way through the brush. He looked over to where he thought he saw the person before. They were up now too, and seemed to be looking around to where the noise had come from.

Realizing that he was not in any danger, the young man turned his attention back out onto the lake, allowing the calmness of everything to wash back over him once more. He was still on high alert, however. Feeling every single disturbance and quiet reminder of lessons his father etched into his mind. This place, though quiet, held mystery, much of which he knew was bound to make itself known with time.

Reducio Mentions:- @Giulia Nisi@Rowan Sallow

Reducio Location and Time:- 17:15

Reducio Current Outfit:- Casual School Uniform

As soon as she reveals her identity to me I lower my wand, I must have seen her somewhere... But I don't remember where, she's a Slytherin, that's for sure, my cousin must have told me about her, he told me about many people he knew among the Slytherins, maybe she is one of them, to his question "who are you?" I have to answer quickly I'm Giulia, i'm a Gryffindor, and you're a Slytherin, right? i say it in an obvious way, I'm sure she's a Slytherin, now we should somehow converse, in short it would be unpleasant and embarrassing to remain silent as much as I don't like conversing Why are you here? I thought no one came here, especially at this time, I say this from experience maybe this wasn't the best way to converse, but it was the only thing that came to mind.
Meanwhile my book is still resting on the ground, the waters of the lake are calm and the waves that are thrown onto the shore create a relaxing background, an almost surreal atmosphere, I would say that it has remained as always, I always find this place fascinating every time I I come there more than before, it's a quiet place where I know I can be myself without problems, at least until someone comes to bother me, but even if they did I feel at home, yes I'm sure of it.

This is my Home.

Rowan didn't answer Giulia's question of whether she was a Slytherin or not, thinking that it would be quite obvious due to the Slytherin uniform she wore. "I think that this side of the lake is nice- and usually less crowded," Rowan added with a slight emphasis. She had rarely if ever seen other students in this area. Though- she figured- it was still the beginning of the year, and this girl was obviously a first year. Rowan had to remind herself that Giulia was indeed on the same plane as herself, because Rowan was retaking her first year. However, she still was a year older than the other girl, which gave her at least some bit of confidence. Rowan hid her scoff in her cloak as the Gryffindor girl stated that she didn't think that anybody came here, especially at this time in the evening. "You have only been here for less than a month," Rowan couldn't help but point out. The two girls stood in silence for a little while, watching the gentle waves of the Black Lake lap up against the shore. Rowan thought back to how she had felt last year; how out of place and lonely she was. At least in the lake's woods she had felt somewhat at home. She wondered if this is how Giulia felt, too.