Be As You Are

[Zara Cohen-Knight]

For all accounts, it was a reasonably beautiful spring day but the girl couldn't shake the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach when the crux of her day would be meeting Asaiah's friends. Zara had heard of them and how close they were but mostly how they all seemed to be Quidditch fanatics. It would not be strange to her if they immediately hated her strictly due to her firm stance on the sport. She wanted nothing more than to hide away and be with Lennon instead because at least then she would be comfortable but Asaiah had asked her to meet his friends and the girl could do nothing but oblige. She didn't know how relationships worked but she assumed that this was a big part in them - especially considering how close people became in Hogwarts. The group had decided on a picnic and to bring snacks of all sorts so she turned up a little early to set up the blanket and put the food out that she had procured from the kitchens and some of the sweets she had bought from Honeydukes. She knew she would be a bit early so she had brought a book in her bag to read as she waited but her eyes looked over the words while her distracted mind could not take them in enough to comprehend what was being written. It took four times of attempting to re-read one page for her to huff and give up, putting the book back into her bag and it left her wishing Asaiah would show up soon.

 

[Asaiah Murphy]

Asaiah was somewhat relieved that both his friends now knew that he had a girlfriend because he wasn't sure for how long he was going to be able to keep it just between him and Zara if Marisol had never told him about her boyfriend. Although he didn't like the idea of his best friend dating he knew that he could not do much against it as he was well aware of how Marisol thought about him and girls and how she would react if he mentioned that he didn't like it. Asaiah walked out of the Slytherin common room with a bag full of drinks and chips for them to eat at the picnic, feeling slightly nervous while making his way towards the lakefront. Asaiah was made clear on Zara's point of view on Quidditch multiple times now by both her and her brother and seeing that his best friends, and maybe Marisol's boyfriend too, adored the sport just as much as he did, the third year couldn't help but to hope that his friends wouldn't mention Quidditch during the picnic as he was sure that his girlfriend might feel uncomfortable talking about it with them. When he arrived at the spot where Zara had placed the blanket for the lot of them to sit on he dropped his back on the ground and smiled brightly at the brown-haired girl. ''Hey you.'' Asaiah said in a soft voice while lowering himself so he could sit next to her. He kissed her on the cheek and grabbed his bag to open it and put the drinks and bags of chips on the blanket. ''Sorry to keep you waiting.'' the boy told Zara. ''I was reading a book and sort of lost track of time.'' He hoped that she wouldn't mind that he arrived a little late because he had been caught up in one of the textbooks.

 

[Marisol Woods]

A lot had happened in such a short time for Marisol. One moment she was meeting an older boy and being asked on a date, and the next she was sharing her first kiss with a boy in a mask at the Halloween feast in front of an audience. That audience had included Cato, so now things between them had changed as well. Marisol would have accepted this loss if it had not been for the fact that she had already lied to her best friend about dating the older Gryffindor. To this day she still couldn't decide if telling him the truth about her lycanthropy would've been better or worse simply because she wasn't ready to share that secret just yet. So when Asaiah finally admitted to dating that Ravenclaw girl she had heard about, and suggested they all meet each other's significant others, Marisol was dreading the event more than anything. Under normal circumstances, meeting Asaiah's girlfriend would be the thing she was dreading most because she tended to get a little territorial with her friends, but whoever the girl was got lucky because Marisol was instead preoccupied on keeping up the pretense of her relationship.

Since she and Cato were both Gryffindors it was easy for them to just meet up in the common room and walk to the lakefront together, which eased Marisol's nerves rather than having to show up alone. They had stopped by the kitchens to make small sandwiches (Cato liked to make his own after all) and then headed towards the lake holding hands. As they approached, Marisol saw that Asaiah and his girlfriend were already there and her stomach twisted in knots out of worry for how this was going to go. She looked up at the older Gryffindor beside her and squeezed his hand gratefully for him agreeing to do this for her even after what had happened on Halloween, and then squared her shoulders. Marisol called out Asaiah's name and said "Hey!" as soon as they reached the picnic area. She let go of Cato's hand and went to go hug the Slytherin boy as she always did. She turned to the dark haired girl and gave her a small smile, trying not to look as nervous as she was, and said, "Hi, I'm Marisol." Then she turned back to the tall Gryffindor boy so he wouldn't be alone and said, "Everyone, this is Cato. Cato this is my best friend Asaiah, and his girlfriend..Zara, right?"
​

 

[Cato Rainsworth]

Cato wasn't sure of what he was doing, he wasn't convinced if this was the right thing to do but he didn't want to upset Marisol. The two went down to the kitchen as Cato made a little bit of sandwich. He went over to the storage in the kitchen, kind of like a cooler and took two bouquet of flowers. He smiled at Marisol and gave one for her. If there was one thing that Cato enjoyed it was gardening. It reminded him of how precious every living things are. With that in mind, the two went up to the lakefront to enjoy each other's company as well as nature. He squeezed Marisol's hands tightly and whispered in her ears "You look beautiful today he smiled at her. "I just wanted you to know that you don't need any man to validate of how beautiful of a person you are. So if all your friends have their own partners and you haven't got yours YET... Please know that you don't need anyone to validate what sort of a beautiful person you are". Cato meant every single words that he said. Marisol was indeed beautiful and it'll be his privilege to have her all to himself but he didn't want to start a relationship this way. If Marisol decided to give it a go with Cato, he would definitely be thrilled but it has to be in a proper way. No pretending, no lying, no nothing.

The two reached the lakefront as Cato pulled his 'girl' a little closer to him before letting her go to hug her friend. "Pleasure to meet you Asaiah" he shook Asaiah's hand. Normally Cato would kiss the women by the hand but he dared not to mess anything up today as today has to be perfect for the sake of Marisol. But being a sweet heart Cato couldn't help but to prepare the bouquet that he brought for Zara. Not because he was interested in her romantically but he was just trying to be a good gentleman. "And of course Zara" he greeted her as he held the bouquet with his left hand. "I was enjoying my morning with the house elves gardening, some of the flowers bloom and I thought it would be a perfect gift for my sweet heart and you. Please accept this humble gift" he handed the flowers to her. Cato hoped that Aisaiah wont mind, he was truly being nice... No other intention.

 

[Zara Cohen-Knight]

Zara was exceptionally happy when she saw that Asaiah was the next to come because she wasn't sure if she could handle meeting everybody without him at her side. She did a lot of things without help from anybody as she took pride in being independent but this was not one of those moments for the Ravenclaw teen who revelled in her boyfriend's company. She blushed a little when he spoke to her, even more when he kissed her cheek but brushed it off with, "Don't worry. I was reading just a moment ago too." She smiled and that was it until another couple approached. She had a thought to ask him about the book because she enjoyed a good read but this would have to wait for now.

Zara knew nothing of the older looking boy standing before her but knew that the Gryffindor girl was fiercely protective of Asaiah. Not through just word of mouth but also straight from the Slytherin too. As a bit of warning. A warning she appreciated because she just wanted to seem normal and she didn't want something that Marisol would this was weird to end her relationship. She nodded her head when her name was asked but was quickly distracted from one Gryffindor to the next when she couldn't think of something to say so she looked at Asaiah with wide eyes, then to Marisol and back to Cato who she politely said, "Thank you, Cato. That's so nice of you." She thought it was a bit suspicious if she was being truthful but some people really were wholesome and good apparently. Zara just had a hard time believing that. "I didn't realize house elves normally did the gardening at Hogwarts. I suspected that would be the Herbology Professors doing," she said to try to get away from the awkwardness of the moment and hoped that this would do as a conversation starter for now.

 

[Asaiah Murphy]

Asaiah looked up when he heard his name being called out and smiled when he saw his best friend approaching him along with her boyfriend. He hugged Marisol back and then shook Cato's hand while he introduced himself. Asaiah couldn't help to feel a little uneasy as he shook he older boy's hand because of the difference in height but did not show it as he did not want to ruin this for everyone since he had been the one suggesting that they should do something like this. He watched as Cato gave Zara the bouquet he was holding and closed his eyes for a brief second, hoping that no one had noticed. Why didn't he think of bringing flowers to the picnic to give to Zara? All he did was show up just before the two Gryffindors did. He looked at Zara while she looked at him and gave a little shrug indicating that he didn't know what to do as the flowers were handed to his girlfriend. When Cato called Marisol his sweetheart Asaiah looked down at one of the bag of chips lying on the blanket, feeling slightly irritated suddenly. While Zara tried to keep the conversation going with Cato, Asaiah moved his eyes from the ground to Marisol, nodding at the bouquet and giving her a look that said 'what is that about'. He wasn't the jealous type at all but this made him wish that it was him who had brought flowers instead of Marisol's boyfriend.

 

[Marisol Woods]

It pained Marisol for the fifth year Gryffindor to think she was so desperate for a relationship that she would lie about it. She liked to think she did not come off that pathetic, but she obviously couldn't tell Cato the reason she had lied to Asaiah about having a boyfriend was because she had chickened out of telling him about being a werewolf. No matter how cute Cato was, she had a feeling Asaiah would never talk to her again if she had told someone she barely knew before she told him. She knew as her best friend Asaiah deserved the right to know, but at the same time she was the most afraid of losing him. Marisol could do nothing but smile politely at all of Cato's kind words because she knew he genuinely meant them. After all, he had agreed to her crazy scheme and was playing along to do this for her out of the goodness of his heart, he didn't have a mean bone in his body.

As her 'boyfriend' gave Zara her bouquet of flowers, Marisol looked expectantly at Asaiah, a bright smile on her face. She looked at him happily to say, 'You see, I told you he was a total gentleman!' But then she noticed his facial expression wasn't exactly one of approval; she couldn't quite register what his expression meant. He looked at her, asking a silent question, and Marisol frowned slightly to reply non-verbally. 'What?' her expression said. She didn't know why Asaiah was questioning Cato's kind gesture towards her and Zara and she was curious as to why it seemed to bother him. Did Cato cross a line in giving Asaiah's girlfriend flowers? They thought it would be polite. Marisol looked away from Asaiah, not wanting to be rude to their guests by ignoring them. She carefully sat down at a corner of the picnic blanket, keeping a safe distance from where Zara was sitting to allow space for Asaiah to sit between them. She looked up at the Slytherin again and delicately asked, "Is Wyatt coming?" Lately she had gotten the feeling that Wyatt was avoiding her, but she didn't know if maybe he really was just busy as he kept saying. Was this how flaky Marisol sounded when she disappeared during full moons? Truthfully she wasn't expecting the other Gryffindor to show up so she wanted to get the disappointment out of the way sooner rather than wait for him throughout the date.​

 

[Wyatt Finch]

Wyatt hated that his two best friends were dating people. Not because he was jealous because it really kept them from having fun together and the boy thought it was all pointless. They were too young and it was too dangerous to kiss. The amount of diseases and infections that could be spread just because they were hormonal was disgusting and yet he was the odd one out. He didn't want to go and he hadn't much spoken to either of his friends lately either. Every time he had seen Marisol in the common room he had barely smiled at her so much as said hello before he rushed off to his dorm and Asaiah well... he was dating someone who hated quidditch! That was unforgivable. He could understand if she was bad or even if she supported a terrible team but she was actively against them playing and somehow his best mate had thought that this was a good person to date. Asaiah was likely to be just as bad as her just because of this. So he had procrastinated as long as he could, he had even gone so far as to try to call Vex to keep him preoccupied instead but the poltergeist was nowhere to be found as was the Gryffindor's luck. Begrudgingly he walked down to the lake front, walking as slowly as his legs would take him as he thought of all the ways this would be the stupidest thing he had ever done. Even more than the time he had tried to bike off his roof and into a pile of sand that he thought would break his fall but instead broke his arm.

Ways This Was Stupid:
A mental list according to Wyatt T. Finch.
1. Dating is stupid at thirteen. Relationships don't last.
2. Marisol is dating someone weird enough to date a thirteen year old when he could go for someone his own age.
3. They'll get sick.
4. You'll get stuck taking care of them before you fall sick too.
5. Picnics suck and everybody knows.
6. The lake is depressing since that kid died.
7. Asaiah is a beater. His girlfriend hates Quidditch.
8. They'll probably talk about how 'great' kissing is. It's disgusting, not great.
9. Marisol should be dating y-

Wyatt quickly wiped away his last thought when he saw the group and tried to seem positive but he felt so tired just looking at them. He wanted nothing more than to go back to bed and pretend that he had been busy like he had told everyone lately. Marisol always pretended to be busy too when she was spending time with her precious older boyfriend so he couldn't see how this was any different except he wasn't abandoning them to spend time with less important people. He didn't greet anyone as he sat, even the two new people. Wyatt just sat and looked off into the distance for a moment as he thought of something to say but without creativity he just said, "Sorry. I was busy." He looked over at Marisol, deadpan, as he said it too because Wyatt could not care less if she knew he was lying as she didn't seem to care that he had been lied to about her time management. It was at this point that he saw the flowers and rolled his eyes, trying not to gag as he imagined Asaiah giving them to the dark haired girl. How pathetic and tragic they had all become because of biology. He was sure he would not be this way, ever.

 

[Cato Rainsworth]

Cato wasn't the person who gets nervous, but this is different. His heart was pounding faster and faster as he started talking to some of Marisol's friends. If he was selfish, he would've admitted everything and leave them but he had promised Marisol that he was going to help her out. "Libby the house elf and I have been friends since I got into Hogwarts and I asked her to accompany me. It was just a humble flower, nothing fancy" Libby had always been there for Cato, she wiped her tears when he missed his parents back in the first years, she comforted her when he was bullied by the arrogant older students, she had always been there for him. When he got out of school and since Libby enjoyed serving others, he would do whatever he could to bring Libby with him and treat her with kindness. "I wanted her to come and join us for lunch but she didn't want to come due to her shy nature" Libby boosted Cato's confidence, she wasn't like any other house elves, she acted as Cato's mother here in Hogwarts. Most people would view them odd, but Cato didn't care. He knew that their point of view wasn't as important as his friendship with Libby.

The fifth year Gryffindor sat beside Marisol and noticed Asaiah throwing her a look which Cato didn't expect. Then another boy came and joined the group. He wasn't sure what Marisol wanted him to do as her 'boyfriend', he wasn't comfortable with any flirty gestures to those he knew wouldn't be his. Hence he scooted a little bit, away from Marisol. He hoped no one noticed him proceeding the action. He could've said that he needed more space for his legs, no one will know whether or not he was lying because it did make sense. Cato remained silent and let Marisol handle this situation, she knew her friends better than him and he wouldn't want to ruin it, no... Everything has to be perfect.

 

[Zara Cohen-Knight]

Zara, in an attempt to be polite, smiled and took her wand out and carefully fashioned a vase from a nearby pebble. It was no great work of magic but it did the job to hold them. She was not exceptionally skilled in most forms of magic but she tried very hard so this was her attempt. "There," she said, satisfied now that it seemed that she had appreciated Cato's gift. It had been very kind of him to bring them but she felt that he was trying a bit too hard to seem like a good guy for the sake of everyone else there. He didn't need to impress her, after all. She listened as he told them about his friendship with a house elf and the girl arched a brow, listening to him and thinking that it was very weird of him to befriend one. They were so self-berating how could anyone want to be friend's with a thing like that and their grammar drove the girl mad. She only wished they could wear proper clothes and take their self-made punishments down a notch as it was unnecessary. "That's..." Zara struggled for a word to find so as not to offend Cato but also show that she was glad that the elf would not attend. "Nice. She probably had a lot of work to do with dinner though. I wouldn't worry," Zara smiled and shrugged before she looked over at the boy who had just joined them. Wyatt, presumably. She nervously smiled at him but it was for nought as he seemed to be distracted by something else.

 

[Asaiah Murphy]

Asaiah was still looking at Marisol and shook his head at seeing her expression to let her know that he did not want to explain it to her with Zara and Cato there with them. Not knowing what to do next when she turned away from him Asaiah grabbed one of the bags of chips he brought and opened it, putting a handful in front of him on the blanket hoping that Zara would not mind that it would get a little dirty. He didn't listen to the conversation that was going on but instead stared at the peaceful lake for a moment. The Slytherin hoped that today would go well because he didn't want things to be awkward for his friends and his girlfriend. He was curious to know what Wyatt's reaction was to his best mate dating a girl that disliked Quidditch probably more than anything because he hadn't really talked to his friend much since he asked Zara to be his girlfriend. "I don't know." he said when Marisol asked him if their best friend would join the four of them but then noticed Wyatt approaching them. Asaiah smiled at his best pal but noticed that there was something off about him when he did not greet his friends nor the two others. He glanced at Marisol wondering if she noticed it as well but looked back at his best friend when he apologised for being busy. "Don't worry bro, it's OK." Asaiah told the other Gryffindor boy. Though he couldn't help but to wonder why now both of his best friends always seemed to busy with other stuff. Their schedules were mostly the same so it made him wonder what they were doing when they were busy.

 

[Marisol Woods]

No matter how well she knew her friends, Marisol wished she had been better prepared with Cato for today. She felt bad for the older boy because she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable and regret his decision to help her out but she understood if he felt a little out of place. Marisol briefly smiled at him in encouragement to let him know he was doing fine and he shouldn't worry. Cato was actually the least of her worries at the moment. Asaiah was being abnormally quiet and leaving Zara to fend for herself in conversation and just as she asked for their other best friend, Wyatt showed up. Marisol instantly smiled out of reflex, but it quickly faded as soon as she saw his sullen expression and watched him plop down on the blanket without any sort of greeting. She knew Wyatt did not approve of them dating because it was gross or it they were too young, or whatever excuse he had for them that day, but as their friend she expected a little more politeness in front of their guests.

Short tempered as she was, Marisol pursed her lips when Asaiah brushed away Wyatt's weak excuse, but she was not gonna let it go that easily. "Nice of you to join us," she said to the Gryffindor curtly. "Didn't think you'd actually show up." She looked over at Cato and Zara and said, "Sorry," as an apology of interrupting their conversation about house elves, though it was mostly Wyatt's appearance that had interrupted the double date and she was apologizing for his rudeness in general, and then said, "Cato, Zara, this is Wyatt." She didn't add 'my best friend' at the end of that introduction because 1) it was implied really, 2) they should know who he was in relation to Marisol and Asaiah without prompting, and 3) she was upset enough not to claim him at the moment just out of pettiness. Then, in an effort to try and ease some tension, Marisol decided they better change the subject to something else. "We brought sandwiches if anyone wants some by the way," she said, gesturing to where Cato had them, meanwhile she grabbed a few chips from Asaiah's pile, not feeling particularly hungry at the moment. "So Zara, you're in Ravenclaw right? It must be nice up in the tower," she said, just trying to make conversation. She was dying to ask the dark haired girl why she did not like Quidditch and how she could possibly be dating Asaiah at the same time, who was the biggest Quidditch fanatic of all of them combined. But Asaiah had asked them to keep the Quidditch talk to a minimum, so the Gryffindor was trying not to bring it up, except she didn't know what else to talk about.​

 

[Wyatt Finch]

Wyatt couldn't help but find Marisol's anger amusing, that she dared to be so hypocritical after abandoning him and Asaiah regularly for a romantic entanglement when it should be clear that their relationships were doomed from the start. This was, of course, strictly due to the fact that Marisol and Asaiah were both being remarkably stupid as were their respective 'partners'. This was all so funny to the tired boy who, despite himself, stifled a yawn. Lately he had been exhausted though he admittedly did not know what had made him so tired as he had been in bed most of the day and most of every other day lately too. He loved Quidditch and medicine so he made time for the sport and his studies but he took no joy in them so he was not very busy at all. Still he allowed the farce to continue currently as he was the only one of the group to have any sense whilst still finding amusement in the idiocy of it all. Later when and if his friends came to their senses he would be there to regale them with the times they had said such stupid things and had even dragged him out to a picnic that was bound to be full of awkward silence if it weren't for his amused chortles. For the moment, however, Wyatt answered Marisol with, "I wasn't sure i could make it either." He stopped to shrug, he clearly did not want to be there at all. "So busy." He smiled, amused with himself because he knew that this would egg his Gryffindor comrade on into anger. As scary as she was when he deserved her anger, Wyatt knew he had done nothing wrong and could find it amusing if she directed it towards him. As he was introduced Wyatt barely took notice of either of them as they would be such temporary fixtures in his life but nodded as if he had. It wasn't their faults that they were idiots - it was biology. He leaned over and picked a candy from a clear plastic bag, unsure if it was muggle or wizarding until he popped one in his mouth and his ears began to steam like he was a boiled kettle before the affects had worn off, leaving a decent flavoured sweet while he listened to Marisol interrogate one of the new people as if their thoughts mattered.

 

[Cato Rainsworth]

Cato couldn't help but to notice the four leaves clover next to him, he picked it up carefully and placed it on his laps. He wasn't sure what to do as he knew nothing about these kids. A friend of his passed by and shouted a private quidditch match and Cato shouted back "Not today" he waved to his peer and looked back to the group. He listened to the girls speaking as his mind started to roam around the lakefront. The fifth year Gryffindor wasn't sure why Marisol would want him to be his 'boyfriend', what was she trying to state to these group? He wanted to help her out but he was lost, totally confused. Especially the boy named Wyatt, he wasn't in his prime and this made Cato even more confused, he didn't know what to do but to smiled back when Marisol introduced the boy to the group. "Umm... So what do you guys do for fun?" It's so much better to just ask a random question than staying silent.

 

[Zara Cohen-Knight]

As another person approached, Zara smiled and said, "Hello." She really was trying to impress these people quite desperately but he had barely nodded so she thought perhaps he was more of the silent type. At least that was until Marisol seemed to be upset with him so she looked over at Asaiah, worried that he would be upset too. He just seemed more puzzled so she subtly poked his leg and smiled playfully to give him a bit of affection before she turned back to Marisol as she asked about the Ravenclaw tower. "Oh it's great. I could do without the huge walk to classes every day but aside from that it's nice to be surrounded by books and huge pieces of art work of all kinds - plus it's easy to star gaze." Zara managed a smile at the last point because her last trip to the North Tower to do that had ended up with her being Asaiah's girlfriend. She hoped that no one else knew that part though as she a bit nervous with showing that sort of affection in public. To return the question she asked, "What is the Gryffindor common room like?" Zara had a vague idea of the Slytherin common room because her closest friend happened to be one and they spoke about anything and everything so something as basic as living quarters was bound to come up.

 

[Asaiah Murphy]

Asaiah looked from one friend to another as they spoke. He was slightly disappointed at the two of them; at Marisol for not accepting their best friend's obviously fake excuse and at Wyatt for not even showing interest in the picnic at all. Asaiah was aware that he did not like the idea of dating and kissing but he had half expected Wyatt to be normal around them especially in the presence of others, at least that's what he would have done if it was his best pal who had been seeing someone instead of him. He decided to ignore the two for now not wanting to upset them and turned his head to Zara when she poked his leg. Asaiah smiled at the girl and poked her back in her side gently before looking at Cato when he asked what they did for fun. He thought that's if the older Gryffindor was really going to be Marisol's boyfriend then he might as well start talking with him as Asaiah was sure that he needed to do a lot more of that in the future. "We usually hang out somewhere in the castle." he said, leaving out adventurous side of the three best friends because he didn't want Cato to join them just yet even though he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the older boy would help them find the Room of Requirement. "And with Zara I usually go stargazing." Asaiah added with a smile on his face. "What about you?" he asked in return, curious to know what Cato did while he wasn't studying for his OWLs.

 

[Marisol Woods]

Had it not been for their guests and not wanting to show them her bad side, Marisol would've continued her spat with Wyatt the entire time, but for the sake of the double date, she begrudgingly bit her tongue. Her hands were balled in fists and she could feel her nails digging into her palms deeply, if she wasn't careful she would leave herself small scars over the existing ones. In order to keep her hands from fisting up in anger, she gently reached over and took Cato's hand in hers, interlocking their fingers. This not only kept her from digging her nails into her own palms, but it would show Wyatt that they weren't going to die from romantic human interaction.

She looked over at Asaiah for help against Wyatt, as she was prone to asking the other friend for validation whenever she was mad at the other, but he wasn't paying attention to them anymore as he and the Ravenclaw girl shared a moment. Marisol looked away, ashamed at having seen and felt the usual jealous prickle in the pit of her stomach because she had a brief glimpse into what their friendship would be like now with other people in the mix. But the moment was fleeting and duller than her usual bouts of jealousy and she didn't know if it was because her anger with Wyatt was still at the forefront, subsiding, or if perhaps it meant she would be able to tolerate Zara around a little more than she thought.

Marisol briefly turned her head when some of Cato's friends called out to him for a Quidditch game. She couldn't remember if she had warned the fifth year about Zara's hatred of Quidditch which therefore made the subject off limits, but she was glad when the subject wasn't expanded upon anyway, for now at least. There was no way she was enduring this terrible double date without at least finding out that answer. Except now Asaiah was asking Cato what he did for fun and she was afraid it would come up again. She hadn't briefed Cato on what to say during the date so he was capable of saying anything and she wouldn't be able to stop him. However Marisol took this moment to hopefully answer both Asaiah and Zara's questions. "Our common room is super comfy and cozy, so it's nice that we're both in the same house because we get to lounge around and hang out together," she lied with a smile on her face, mostly addressing Zara, since she wanted to give Cato the opportunity to answer Asaiah on his own. Even if Cato was not really her boyfriend, it meant a lot to Marisol that Asaiah was at least trying, unlike certain other people, so she could do the same for him.

[Sorry I keep writing so much! ]​

 

[Cato Rainsworth]

Cato was quite surprised feeling Marisol's fingers all wrap up on his, he wasn't comfortable but he didn't want to upset her either. So he decided to just play along and caress her hand as he held it. He shrugged when Asaiah asked Cato what his hobby was. "Uhh... Gardening... Cooking" he shrugged and continued talking "And of course, quidditch. I'm actually going to attend the Australian quidditch league on our school break" he said excitedly. Cato had always been a chaser in private games, he didn't make it to the team due to the commitment that he would have to put himself into. He liked being unattached with any clubs and have his days all to himself. And after the Australian quidditch league the world cup will start playing, boy was he excited to go with his brothers and dad. Being a pureblood, quidditch had always been huge in the family since it's one of the most popular sports.

 

[Zara Cohen-Knight]

Zara fidgeted when she felt Asaiah poke her side in return but smiled, not bothered by the exchange in the slightest because she felt sure that he was at least not too upset with his mate for being rude for seemingly no reason except for the fact he was a fifth wheel. She could understand the Gryffindor's hesitance because of that, however she thought somethings were more important. If Darcy got a boyfriend it would make her feel uncomfortable spending time with the two of them as well but she would because her friend was more important to her then anything else - especially her pride. Still to make things less uncomfortable for Wyatt she didn't act extremely affectionate with her boyfriend and she didn't much see the point in public displays of affection more than hand holding but the girl instead went for a chip instead of Asaiah's hand. She chewed quietly as she listened to Marisol speak about Gryffindor house and smiled. She was sure that it would be nice to share that down time together or even have friends in the same house as most of Zara's friends were in Slytherin strictly out of coincidence or perhaps because she attracted more ambitious people. Either way the only person she really knew in her house was Lennon and she thought that her dorm mate, Sianna, was nice albeit blunt.

After having ignored an earlier comment on Quidditch, Zara was surprised to hear it brought up again. She put her head down and bit her lip, trying to avoid her knee-jerk reaction to the sport and all the dangers it had. She didn't want to start something about it and ruin her relationship with Asaiah. He never brought it up in front of her and she was trying to do him a similar kindness in ignoring comments about the sport in front of his friends. She might later express her discomfort to her reliable Hufflepuff bug boy because she felt that she could say almost anything to him and he'd be oblivious or would keep it all to himself. He might have strange interests but at least she could pretty much say or do anything and he would go along with it and be as friendly and supportive as could be. She didn't show it well but she did really appreciate his sort of friendship in moments like these when she felt utterly uncomfortable.

OOC: I'm gonna skip Wyatt's post this round because I can't be bothered to post twice in a row but can we keep the order: Zara, Asaiah, Marisol, Wyatt, Cato just to make things separated and easier?

 

[Asaiah Murphy]

Asaiah immediately regretted asking the older Gryffindor boy what he liked doing in his spare time the second he mentioned Quidditch and couldn't help to glance at Zara to see how she would react. He was somewhat relieved to see that she chose to ignore the comment instead because he was sure that his girlfriend would point out the danger of the sport but instead she put her head down. Asaiah looked back at Cato and smiled. Because he did not want to talk about the sport any longer in the presence of Zara, Asaiah instead turned towards his best mate, grabbing a few chips for the pile and throwing them to him. He was fully aware that Wyatt did not want to be here at all but to make it less awkward for his best friend he thought that it would be good to give him some attention next to make sure that he wouldn't feel left out because he wanted Wyatt to have at least a bit of fun during the picnic. "Bro, what do you think of the Care of Magical Creatures?" Asaiah asked, hoping that this would brighten his pal up a bit.

Aye aye, captain

P.S. sorry for the short reply I lost it twice and didn't really feel like writing anymore after the second time

 

[Marisol Woods]

Marisol grew nervous when the subject of Quidditch came up, even though normally she would want to know more about other wizarding teams. She had no idea Cato played Quidditch and was somewhat excited at the prospect, but of course she couldn't ask him to elaborate on the subject out of fear of making Zara uncomfortable. But the fact that Asaiah didn't even ask Cato what his team was at all was so uncharacteristic of him since he was always the first to talk about the Macaws. His silence bothered her even though she knew why, but she begrudgingly didn't say anything either, smiling at Cato and letting the conversation change elsewhere. It was Marisol's turn to feel a bit uncomfortable as their CoMC class was brought up and werewolves had briefly been a subject, but she hoped it wouldn't be brought up especially since they had learned about so many other creatures so far. Despite the fact that she was mad at Wyatt she couldn't help but say, "Wyatt's flobberworm grew pretty big!" She smiled lightly at the memory, it had surprised her to see how gentle Wyatt had been with the worm; but then she remembered she was still mad at him so she turned away, letting him answer Asaiah's question. "What classes do you take Cato?" she asking, wondering if he took Care of Magical Creatures as well so maybe he could tell them what else they would learn about. She realized a bit too late that if he was her 'boyfriend' she should probably know stuff like this about him already.​

 

[Cato Rainsworth]

It was odd that no one responded to Cato's excitement of quidditch. If they came from a magical family they should know what it is and should be fond of it since it's one of the biggest games in the wizarding world. Cato chose to ignore it and stayed silent. His fingers started fidling, feeling uncomfortable with the group, he had never felt this way before. To get himself out of the situation he started to day dream about what he wanted to do during the break or even the brighstone weekend. He was going to get himself a new pair of shoes and a new bag, his current bag is filthy, it has holes on it. Suddenly Marisol shot a question at Cato, he stayed quiet and digested the question. "Umm.. Care of magical creatures and muggle studies though my favorite is of course Herbology" he answered without asking anything to the rest of the group. He thought it would be best for him to stay quiet and let Marisol handle the whole situation.