Closed Enjoying Sunshine

[Penelope Marshall]

Springtime was finally here, and Penelope was glad. While it was still a lot chillier here in New Zealand than she was used to at home, she was happy the sun was shining and she could actually go outside without shivering. She was still wearing a light jacket as she headed to the lake, but at least she could now leave her scarf at the castle. She had gotten pretty used to life at Hogwarts, and she was enjoying herself more and more with each passing day. The lessons were interesting and the people were nice. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, it was also rather nice not to have to worry about Holden misbehaving or her dad being sad. She still sent her dad a letter almost every day, even when he didn't write back, but Penelope had to admit it was easier to do that than deal with his unpredictable moods every day.

Penelope stopped at a nice spot near the lake, overlooking the water. She spread the blanket she had brought with her over the grass before sitting down. She was determined to enjoy the nice weather for a bit. Settling in, Penelope grabbed a book and started to read, glancing over at the water occasionally. She wondered if students ever swam in the lake. She frowned a bit, wondering if anything gross lived in the water. Maybe swimming wasn't a good idea.

 

[Birdie Atwood]

It was another beautiful day at Hogwarts, especially at the lake. Although cold, it was spring and the flowers were blooming and the lake was calling her name. It was still, like it usually was, and peaceful. Perfect for a nice sit down. As soon as she made it to the lake, she noticed a girl from one of her classes reading a book on a blanket. It looked heavenly, and she was annoyed she hadn't thought of it herself although she wouldn't do much reading. Strolling along the lakes edge, she found the courage to go up to the girl as she seemed friendly, "Hi...What ya reading?"

As soon as the words left her lips, she cringed. Really?, Birdie thought exasperated, That's your opening line? If you're trying to be bland, you're doing great! Not only was that stupid excuse of an introduction, but if someone is reading then they probably do not want to be bothered. But that blanket looked so nice and Birdie wanted nothing more than to sit on it and enjoy the lakefront.

 

[Penelope Marshall]

apologies for disappearing!!!

Penelope looked up from her book when she heard the sound of someone walking nearby. Penelope spotted a girl her own age, and right as she intended to smile at her and say a greeting, the girl spoke to her. Penelope smiled and showed her the book cover. "Just The Tales of Beedle the Bard." She admitted a little shyly, feeling somewhat worried the girl would laugh at her for reading children's fairy tales. "It's comforting, somehow." She explained with a small shrug, feeling the urge to defend her choice. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if the girl wanted to talk to her or had just said something to be polite. "You're not in Hufflepuff, right?" She asked, latching onto the first topic of conversation she could think of.

 

[Birdie Atwood]

“I don’t know that story,” Birdie admitted, somewhat embarrassed, “What's it about?”. It sounded familiar, something she may have read years ago but didn’t remember. Birdie gave the girl a small smile once she asked her house, “Yeah, Im a Gryffindor. You must be Hufflepuff.”

Looking out at the water, Birdie realised that she was talking to a girl she didn’t know. Not even her name . Putting her hand out, she said, “I’m Birdie by the way, it’s nice to meet you.”.

After they introduced herself, Birdie looked back out at the lake again, admiring.

 

[Penelope Marshall]

Penelope sat up slightly, a little surprised to hear the other girl didn't know the book. "It's actually a collection of stories." She told the girl, showing her the cover of the book. "Different fairy tales." She said, flipping through the pages to show the little illustrations at the start of each new story. "I see, Gryffindor sounds nice." She said. In truth, she always found the Gryffindors a bit loud as a group, but she did think it would be a fun house to be a part of. Penelope leaned forward to shake the girl's hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Penelope." She said, before gesturing to the blanket she was sitting on. "If you want you can sit with me?"

 

[Birdie Atwood]

"That's cool," Birdie chirped as she examined the cover and illustrations, "What story are you reading now?"
Birdie wasn't one to read very often, in fact reading wasn't something she overly enjoyed other than reading her own journal entries. The Tales of Beedle the Bard sounded fancy and fantasy filled, although she thought fantasy was magic and she lives that life now. What do magic people think fantasy is? Birdie thought.

"Yeah, Gryffindor isn't too bad, " Birdie agreed, shrugging nonchalantly, "I'm still not familiar on what the characteristics or how people are categorised in houses but I don't mind it. They're all friendly anyway, so that's enough."

"Pretty name," Birdie complimented, smiling at her new found friend, or what she hoped will be her new found friend. As the girl gestured an invitation to the blanket, Birdie was relieved. For a second she forgot why she walked over to the girl, caught up in their chat, and happily accepted it, "Thanks."

"Do you come out here often to read? Or is this a random occurrence?" Birdie asked, sitting on the blanket beside the girl.