A relaxing place

[Mark Stone]

Mark walked through the chasm of tree's that seemed like the rest of the school to him, a maze. He followed the main path that he could see clearly so that he didnt get lost. He didnt know the school well enough yet to get lost.

Seeing that there was a break Mark walked over and saw a massive Lake. The tree's around the sides offered shade for him to sit in and he looked at the still clear water. A slow smile appeared on his face and he decided he would go for a swim. Looking around to see if there was anyone around he took his top and jeans off and jumped into the water. It was cold but not too cold. He couldnt help but let out a exasperated laughed as he began to swim around to warm himself up a little. He ran his hand through his hair and watched as the water flicked off and glinted in the sun making a rainbow effect in front of him

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar was doing some more exploring, this time outside the castle. Off to his right, he heard a strange laugh, and some splashing. He went to investigate. Coming out of the trees and upon the lake, Zar saw a familiar figure swimming. It was Mark, the guy he'd made a fool of himself in front of yesterday. He thought it a bit cold for swimming, considering it was the middle of winter, but the sun was out and Zar hadn't been swimming in a while. He peeled off his robes and uniform, stripping down to his old fashioned underwear, and jumped in, striking out in the direction of the Hufflepuff.

((Is the timing okay for you, have it after the North tower?))

 

[Mark Stone]

(yeah sure we can do that)

Mark looked over to see someone jump in the water. He didnt know who it was as he only saw the end part of the jump before they fell into the water. Mark moved out of the way when the boy struck out. He splashed the now familiar person. "Ewww look who it is." He laughed playfully. "You ok?" He asked as he made his feet touch the bottom, the water up to his shoulders now. He and Salazar may not have had the best of meetings but they were friends enough to talk now so it wasnt all bad, at least he had a friend to talk to in the school now

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar gasped in the cold water and struggled to stand up. He was only just tall enough to have his head above the water. "Flami... *gasp* Merli..." he breathed, trying to catch his breath back from the cold. Gulping a couple of breaths of air, he attempted a smile at Mark, "Yuh-p, I'h-m Fih-ne." Within a few more moments, he'd regained control enough to think of a warming charm. He'd left his wand in his robes on the shore, but anything to do with heat and fire was Salazar's specialty. He'd mastered wandless magic at an early age - but only for certain spells, some of which he'd made up himself. He thought of one now and felt his muscles ease as his body warmed up. Soon he was breathing more easily and began to tread water, enjoying the sensation of floating.

He was glad Mark didn't hold a grudge against him for what had happened in the north tower yesterday. It was good to have someone in the school he could talk to. "You do this for fun?" he asked, only half joking, not sure if anyone sane would go swimming in winter.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark laughed at Salazar's reaction to the cool water. He was used to this sort of thing as he used to jump from the cliffs into the freezing water in his old school in the winter. This was warm for him. Starting to swim around him ne nodded. "Yeah why not? Its fun once you get over your wimpyness and swim. It keeps you fit and keeps me in shape." He said as he stopping swimming and stood in his orriganal place. He liked to keep in shape, it was good motivation for him and he knew being fit was good and it would come in handy when he got a job once he left school. "Why what do you do for fun around here?" He asked curiously

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar nodded, only half understanding the desire to keep fit. His little brother Barnabus was obsessed with it, but 'Zar didn't really see the point. He was small and wiry and not unfit, but certainly not in peak physical condition. He just didn't really see why he needed to be more in shape than he was naturally. "Fun?" Salazar had been too busy freaking out about the possibility of breathing the same air as mudbloods to have much fun at the school yet. But Mark's question made him remember what he used to do for fun back home. "Wand painting. I haven't done any here, but back home I used to." Salazar was an artist. If there was one thing he wanted more than anything, it was to be recognised as such throughout the whole wizarding community. Of course, that was not something his Da considered appropriate for a Strayde.

Salazar took a breath and dived under the surface. He swum a short distance underwater and popped his head up on the other side of Mark. He needed to forget about home, and his family. They'd never have him back.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark frowned and bit his lip. Wand painting. He had never actually done that. Although he supposed everyone liked different things. He had met a boy in the holidays that liked riding his bike a lot. It made him smile when Mark a had flown a broom in front of him when the boy didnt believe he could fly one. "I dont think i have ever tried that to be honest. I guess its fun for you though." He answered as he watched Salazar go under water and come back up again. Mark ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Have you been going to any lessons?" He asked curiously. Mark had attended a few but he didnt really have that many that he needed to go to any more.

 

[Salazar Strayde]

"You've never tried wand painting?" Salazar laughed, "And you call yourself a wizard! Please tell me you've tried wand writing though... you know, the ribbon comes from the tip of your wand so you can write things in the air? Well anyway, wand painting's similar, but far more exciting. I can show you some photographs of my work sometime." Salazar smiled. Wow, he really should get painting some more. He hadn't done any in months!

When Mark asked about classes, Salazar nodded, "I've been to most. Transfiguration is my strongest. And, well, you'll probably think it odd after the way I went on about mudbloods yesterday, but Muggle Studies is fascinating. Did you know they play games? That's incredible. I had no idea they were so... human!" Salazar let his legs drift up to the surface of the water, and he floated star-fish style for a while. "How's your girlfriend by the way... what's her name?"

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark shrugged. He had never really been he artistic type. Things like painting never really appealed to him on a level which would make him want to do them. "Well im not very arty. It doesnt really appeal to me so much." He said as he bent his knee's so his head was the only part of him that was above the water.

Mark looked over to Salazar and laughed. "Well yeah they would do. Things like football and Rugby. They are just like us but without the magic." He said knowingly. Mark had met a fair few muggles so he didnt really dislike them. He knew a lot about them also. "I must say though i am a Rugby fan." He chuckled as he remembered when his friend had taken him to a game. Mark didnt know how to play very well but he liked to watch. "He name is Sara but she prefers Shilo." Mark didnt really like her nick name but she liked him to call it her and so he would, for her. "Do you have a girl friend?" He asked curiously

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar looked at Mark as if he were nuts. "But the colours... how can you not like painting?" He laughed and splashed towards the shore where his wand was, wanting to show Mark how amazing want painting could be.

As he went, he was still listening to Mark. "Gee, you know a lot about muggles. How does that happen, you being pureblood'n'all? Don't your parents worry? ... Football and rugby... we didn't learn those. I played a game called "Snakes and Ladders," have you heard of it? It was incredibly simple, and to be sure it could be made far better with magic, but it was a game, none-the-less! I just had no idea." He was half muttering to himself, full of wonder at the world of muggles that he knew nothing of.

He reached the edge of the lake and emerged from the water, his long old-fashioned underwear dripping over his thin frame. He shook his head and reached for the sleeve of his cloak, where he kept his wand. Shivering in the cold air, he cast his favourite charm - the bluebell flames, to float around him and keep him warm, and whispered the incantation for the hot air charm. As it emerged from the tip of his wand he pointed it at his feet, wanting to stop the stinging cold. "Shilo? Interesting name. No, I'm not attached, but I'll say this school is full of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen," he laughed. "Y'know my parents told me, and I think they believe this, that muggles are hideous beasts that'll attack a wizard as soon as look at him. You should hear the stories they tell. The reckon you can smell'em a mile off and some of'em are so ugly they'll strike you dead with one glance. They told me the reason we don't talk to mudbl- muggle-born wizards is that ye can catch things from'em. Nasty diseases wizards've never heard of. I certainly wasn't expecting 'em to be beautiful!"

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark nodded. He was fascinated by muggles and who cares what his dad thought, Mark didnt have a dad in his eyes. Just some liar who he had to live with for one more yerar then he will move out. " Well i have heard of it but again not really my thing." He said as he watched Salazar get out, he noted his old looking underwear, not that it was the usual thing for him to look at but they were long. He swam over to him and got out of the water, his body letting off steam because of his heat. " Well some people have different opinions on people with different blood status's. If a muggle came up to them and claimed to be pure blood then they wouldnt know any different. And who cares about what my parents think. I have never seen my mum and my dad is a liar and a cheat. Once i hit seventeen i will be moving out and leaving him. I dont need him. He told me that i didnt have a brother or a mum then i learn that i actually have two brothers and my mum lives in Europe." Mark said sighing inwardly. "Im not a family person at the moment." He said putting his shirt back on and ruffling his wet hair up. "The real question is, what do you think about people with lower blood status's that you do. Dont think about what your family think, they are not the one in control of your life." Mark said as he looked at the boy in front of him and sat down