A bored trip to the lake Finished

Avery wandered quietly through the grounds, not sure where he was going. He spotted a largd lake nearby, and decided halfheartedly to investigate. He glanced behind him, hoping this was somewhere he was allowed to go.

Once he'd reached the edge of the water, Avery knelt down and dipped the tips of his fingers into the cold, blue water. He sighed. He'd hardly been here for long, and he was already starting to miss his family. This place, although interesting and beautiful, seemed incredibly lonely to him.

Avery stared into the distance, unaware of anyone being near him, whilst he thought about his new school. It was a place of opportunities, he supposed. He would finally get to see the wonderful world of magic that his mother had told him about. All of the new plants and creatures he would see. The spells he would learn. They felt overwhelming. And, at the moment, empty.

Avery sat down and folded his legs. He wondered what the other students thought of the school. He wondered whether or not they liked it here. Judging from the previous atmospheres, everyone else had seemed excited about this as well. He really hoped that Hogwarts would live up to his expectations.

Odessa continued to sit and think about her future. She envisioned herself becoming a prefect a Ravenclaw and doing important things in the community. At her home, she was the only child so she always got everything given to her. She never really felt like she had her own purpose or could do something herself. Her being a witch gave her a chance to finally become something by herself. She sighed out loud and opened her eyes now, looking out at the beautiful blue lake and seeing the reflection of the sky. As she looked, she saw a boy sitting on the ground by the lake.

“He looks lonely” she thought to herself as she slowly climbed down from the tree. “I usually don’t see anybody out here when I come down”. Odessa curiously walked over towards the boy. She didn’t normally just approach people but if he was down by the lake like her, then there’s a chance that they share something in common. She approached tk the boy and when she got up to him she spoke. “Doesn’t the lake look beautiful at this time of day?” Is what she went with. She sat down next to the boy with her legs crossed underneath of her. “I think it’s beautiful”.

Avery jumped when he heard rustling sounds, and turned to look up at the tree. He quickly got to his feet, his face turning red. He had had no idea that anyone else was there.

“Doesn’t the lake look beautiful at this time of day?”

Avery nodded and turned back to the lake, biting his lip. “Yeah… It does.” He stood there awkwardly for a moment, before deciding to sit back down.

“I think it’s beautiful”.

Avery glanced at her, finding it hard to reply. His dark eyes trailed over the surface of the lake. “I didn't see you there, earlier,” he said, his voice barely more than a soft mumble. He shifted his weight backwards, tilting away from the girl nervously. Avery was absolutely terrible at meeting new people.

"Um... Are you new here too?" He bit his lip again as he attempted to make conversation, brushing his hand over the grass. It felt comfortable and unusually soft. "I just got here... Like, yesterday," he said, trying to laugh. He glanced over at her again.

"It's kind of overwhelming," he admitted softly. "There are lots of people, and I never really know where I'm supposed to be."

“I didn't see you there, earlier,”

Odessa smiled at him and laughed quietly. She usually picked that spot in the tree because it gave a really nice view of the lake but it did also work for staying slightly obscure.

"Um... Are you new here too?"."I just got here... Like, yesterday,"

Odessa looked out at the lake and picked up a small rock she found next to her. "Yeah, I've only been here for a few days too" she said. Odessa stood up and threw the rock. The rock skipped twice against the surface of the water, slightly creating a rupture in the reflection of the sky. After throwing the rock, she sat back down on the ground. A light breeze swept through and blew her hair around slightly.

"It's kind of overwhelming," he admitted softly. "There are lots of people, and I never really know where I'm supposed to be."

Odessa giggled at this. "I know how you feel" she replied. "Usually I just spend hours in the library and when I'm not there, well, I just come here". She looked at the kids dark eyes and smiled because she hadn't noticed his nervousness. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Odessa, Odessa Amalfitano. I'm a Ravenclaw, nice to meet you." she said with a smile while looking at the boy with her wide brown eyes.

"Usually I just spend hours in the library and when I'm not there, well, I just come here".

“Yeah…” Avery smiled nervously. "I guess we kind of have something in common then, huh?” He bit his lip again, turning back to the water.

"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Odessa, Odessa Amalfitano. I'm a Ravenclaw, nice to meet you."

“Oh! Avery Gardner. Um, I'm in Hufflepuff. It's… nice to meet you too.” He gave another nervous smile.

Avery’s expression turned sullen again as he turned to watch the sky. “The weather is really strange here, isn't it? I don't think it's even real weather…” He pulled his legs closer to his body. “I don't really like it. I think I prefer the old weather.”

He glanced toward her again, his orange hair blowing into his face with a small gust of wind. He brushed it away, almost enjoying the calmness. “Honestly… I think I kind of just miss my family. My dad… my mom… even my brother… I don't usually spend much time away from home.”

“So…” Avery bit his lip again, “What’s your family like? Sorry if I'm, intruding, or anything. You don't have to answer...” He looked away, embarrassed, and trailed his fingers through the grass once again.

Nice to meet you! Odessa replied with a smile then looked out at the lake again and took a deep breath, taking in the relaxing and calming atmosphere around her. She heard the boy speak.

“The weather is really strange here, isn't it? I don't think it's even real weather…” He pulled his legs closer to his body. “I don't really like it. I think I prefer the old weather.”

Odessa looked over at the boy for a second curiously and met his eyes and she looked away quickly blushing. She wasn't good with eye contact , plus, she didn't quite understand what he meant. Not unless he meant the fact that there was what seemed to be an artificial sky in the great hall.

“Honestly… I think I kind of just miss my family. My dad… my mom… even my brother… I don't usually spend much time away from home.”

This, Odessa understood. Being a muggle-born single child, she had only known her home life for her whole life. She had never spent more than one entire day away from home and her parents and she was still adjusting to the feeling of being away from them and so alone most of the time. She chose not to reply to him as it seemed as if he was just getting it off of his chest. Instead she just nodded in understanding.

“What’s your family like? Sorry if I'm, intruding, or anything. You don't have to answer...”

It was like he was reading her mind in a way. His comment about missing his family had reminded her of her own family. She waited a little before she responded. "Well" she began, " I am the only child that my parents had, so really all they did was give me attention.". she said. I'm not one of those girls though she thought to herself. She continued, " Both my parents are muggles so they have no magic in their blood. They're good people though." she finished. She looked at the boy and smiled shyly. "What's your family like?" she asked.

"I am the only child that my parents had, so really all they did was give me attention."

Avery nodded. He might not have been an only child, but his father had spent a lot of time with both him and his brother. He leaned forward onto his hands while he listened to Odessa speak.

"Both my parents are muggles so they have no magic in their blood. They're good people though."

This made Avery think of his father. He was a talkative man, who expressed his amazement and lack of understanding toward magic quite often, but overall, still the nicest person Avery knew. Not that his mother wasn't nice, she was just a bit more… focused on other things, at times.

"What's your family like?"

Avery looked down at the grass in front of him. “My family is… very close. We all know each other really well, especially me, my dad and my brother. My mum is usually working though. She has to pay a lot of attention to her job.” Avery frowned.

“My brother is… well, we argue sometimes, but I think we get along well most of the time.” He folded his legs again, looking into the water. “My dad is the best though. He taught me everything I know, and I look up to him a lot.”

Avery turned back to Odessa, blushing slightly. “Um, hopefully I'll be able to go home for Christmas, though, right?” he laughed.

“My family is… very close. We all know each other really well, especially me, my dad and my brother. My mum is usually working though. She has to pay a lot of attention to her job.” Avery frowned.

Odessa watched him carefully as he spoke and noticed his slight frown at the end of his sentence. She decided to take note of it but not pry into his family life. She was curious as to what his mom did though.

“My brother is… well, we argue sometimes, but I think we get along well most of the time.” He folded his legs again, looking into the water. “My dad is the best though. He taught me everything I know, and I look up to him a lot.”

She smiled at the end. She was glad to hear that he had a good relationship with his father. It reminded her of her own father.

“Um, hopefully I'll be able to go home for Christmas, though, right?” he laughed.

The boy blushed as she spoke which made Odessa blush. He seemed like a really nice person. His question made her think of how different she would be when she got home after the first semester and how she would already be on her way to becoming a great witch.

Odessa laughed and blushed. "Yeah it'll be nice to go back after so long" she replied smiling. "Too bad we can't use magic or i'd scare the wits off my parents" she giggled as she stood up off of the ground. She looked at the lake and felt the breeze on her skin and sighed. "I wish I could stay down here forever honestly." she said. "Nature is so beautiful".

"Yeah it'll be nice to go back after so long"

Avery nodded. Christmas wasn't for a long while, and he would have to wait until then, whether he liked it or not. It wasn't exactly an uplifting thought, but he was sure he would get used to this place sooner or later.

"Too bad we can't use magic or i'd scare the wits off my parents"

Avery laughed at this— a short honest laugh —as he pictured such a scene in his head. His own father wasn't much phased by magic anymore, although he did tell stories about when he and Avery's mother first met, which always managed to make his entire family laugh.

"I wish I could stay down here forever honestly." she said. "Nature is so beautiful".

“Yeah,” Avery said in agreement. “It is.” He looked back at the castle. It would probably be getting close to curfew soon, and Avery didn't even know whether he was allowed out this far in the first place.

He stood up next to Odessa and met her amber eyes, brushing away more of his orange hair. “I guess we ought to go back now,” he murmured, suddenly feeling nervous again. “But, um, I'll see you around, sometime, or something… I hope so, at least.”