Faint Memories

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Before Hogwarts she had met someone and they had talked a bit. Len wondered if she would see that boy again and talk to him. She knew he was sorted in Ravenclaw, she had watched the sorting ceremony. They also shared some of the classes so that was a telltale sign that he was at this Hogwarts. Only she hadn't spoken to him or really interacted with him. Maybe she should talk to the Mitchell so they could hang out. Not that had enough confidence to talk to him, what if he had forgotten about her. He was a Ravenclaw after all, he had more things to do than to follow part abomination. Lenore had mastered the art of hiding her extremities and today that job was done with a brightly coloured beanie.

Lenore walked to the lakefront and sat down on a stone. She had a good view from here and she could document the reeds. Which seemed like a really boring thing to do for some people. Len wondered if Chloris was watching, Chloris is the greek goddess of plants. Another really nerdy thing Lenore liked. Greek mythology it was a bit sad. Like she asked being a nobody. She had made some friends at Hogwarts, but it still didn't feel really safe. Now being on her own, she finally had some space to think. She was getting sunken in thoughts.

 

[Mitchell Lowe]

Mitchell had been lost in the pile of books he'd been reading ever since returning to the school from the break. There was so much to read that half of the time he didn't know with which book to start first. He was having the same problem today, finding it impossible to choose which one he'd bring with him to the lakefront to read and enjoy the warm weather. Eventually, the Ravenclaw had made his choice and put a book about medieval sorcery in his bag.


As he walked up to the lakefront with his shoulder bag full of books, the Ravenclaw noticed a familiar someone sitting on a stone near the shoreline. His lips curled into a smile. Mitch had known that the girl was attending the school as well but never had never really taken the initiative of walking up towards her and say something. Perhaps seeing Lenore all by her lonesome was a sign from the universe to go and talk to her. She'd been quite nice to talk to after all. ''Fancy seeing you here,'' the boy said whilst approaching the Gryffindor. ''I would have brought my deck of exploding snap along if I had known that you'd be here,'' Mitchell added

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Still sunk in thought she heard a voice. It did sound familiar and Lenore couldn't really pinpoint to where she had heard it before. Then again she didn't have to guess for long, Mitchell was here. He was right in front of her, if you spoke of the devil he appeared. Not that he was a devil, he was rather cute. Lenore shouldn't think that way, who would like a part something. Everyone wanted a pure soul, not one that was tainted with bad blood.

''Likewise'' Lenore smiled ''I still don't understand the game nor am I any good at it.'' Lenore looked up, she hadn't grown an inch since they had last seen each other. Maybe just an inch, but nothing more. ''Have you become a champion in the months I haven't seen you?'' Lenore smiled, she actually hoped he had learned the game and knew it well. Maybe he could teach her, that seemed like a fun activity.

''What have you been up to at Hogwarts?'' Lenore asked, she was curious what he did. She had barely seen him, but that was also because they were in two totally different houses.

 

[Mitchell Lowe]

Mitchell grinned when she told him that she still did not understand the game. ''Well, luckily for you, I do,'' he said. To be fair, he didn't understand it either when they'd been watching the group of wizards play it back in the pub but thanks to his father, who had been so kind enough to teach him the game when he got back home, he now knew most of the rules and how you were supposed to play exploding snap. ''I wish I could tell you that I've become an exploding snap champion in the meanwhile, but unfortunately I cannot. I haven't encountered anyone who also plays it,'' he said with a chuckle. ''I can teach you so we can play together sometime?'' Mitch suggested, hoping that she would want him to teach her how to play.

''Reading, mostly,'' the Ravenclaw answered. ''There are so many interesting books in the library that I've spent most of my time between classes there,'' he added. ''What about you? What have you been up to?'' Mitch asked in return.

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

When Mitchell said he had the cards with him, she smiled. It was funny that he actually had a pack of cards with him. He still wasn't a junior snap exploding champion, so that meant Len could still play with him without getting beat in the first second. ''That would be lovely, do beware I am a very bad student'' Len giggled and smiled. When she adjusted her beanie Len looked at Mitchell. She wondered what he would do if he found out what she was. There were too many dangerous possibilities so Len decided that exploding snap was way more exciting.

''I can't even reach most of the books in the library'' Len smiled and maybe Mitchell could reach them for you. She knew some spells that she could use, but they weren't allowed for firsties. ''I have been drawing flowers and plants outside'' Len smiled ''So you have been inside, I have been outside we just missed each other.'' Len grinned and looked Mitchell in the eye. ''Maybe we should meet in between'' Len winked and hoped he would catch her not so subtle hint.

 

[Mitchell Lowe]

Mitchell smiled when Lenore said that she was a bad student and said, ''There's no such thing as a bad student, it's really easy once you know the basics so don't worry about not understanding it - it took me a couple of tries before I even had the faintest idea of what was going on.'' the boy was happy that she wanted to learn how to play exploding snap because he was genuinely excited about the game, and the more people he would find that were willing to play with him, the more fun it'd be. He opened his bag and took the deck of cards out of it and sat down on the ground in front of Lenore.

Mitchell grinned slightly when she mentioned that she couldn't reach most of the books, it was rather cute. ''You draw?'' he asked, looking up at the girl. His cheeks turned a reddish colour when she winked at him and said that perhaps they should meet in between rather than keep missing each other. Mitch nodded his head in agreement and said, ''All right, where do you think we should meet then.''

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Len smiled broadly when she saw Mitchell unpacking a pack of exploding snap cards from his bag. ''I see you want to start immediately'' Len giggled and looked at the cards. She had no clue what to do with them, but that was what Mitchell was for. When Mitchell asked her if she drew Len blushed. She grabbed her sketchbook and handed it to Mitchell. ''It is more of a documentation of everything that grows with detailed sketches on the side'' Len must have sounded like a complete dork.

When Mitchell asked where they should meet next Len laughed. ''In the inbetween of course silly'' Len paused ''Maybe a between the doors that leave to the outside areas'' Not that was practical, but it was more of a joke. ''What do you think.'' Len twirled a hair in her hand. Everything was still hidden and that thought made Lenore comfortable.

 

[Mitchell Lowe]

The Ravenclaw smiled at his friend and nodded his head excitedly at her comment. Now that he had found someone who wanted learn the game and play it with him, Mitchell was eager to get started. After the boy complimented Lenore on her drawings and handed the sketchbook back to her, he picked up the deck of cards and took them out of the package. "Okay," he said, "There are three known variants of exploding snap, but today we are going to focus mainly on one of the three." He paused, smiling brightly at Lenore before continuing his explanation of how to play the variant he was going to teach her. "I'll be teaching you the classical variant seeing as that is the simplest of the three of them, though I hope you have good reflexes because you will need to use them since the cards will shuffle faster after each time you've got a point." He said. "You will also need your wand to play exploding snap otherwise it's going to be a tad bit difficult to avoid the cards from exploding." He told his the girl in front of him whilst grabbing his bag and taking out his wand. Mitch placed the deck of cards in between them so both could reach them properly. "One for one, the cards will turn around and show you what's displayed on them. Your job is to find as many identical cards as possible before one explodes. If a card turns around a seven of hearts, and the next one after that is also a seven of hearts, you have to tap that card with the tip of you wand in order to get a point. But like I said, each time you get a point the deck will shuffle faster so you will have to be quick and not accidentally tap the wrong card otherwise it will explode and you will lose. The player with the most points once there are no more cards to turn around or when a card has exploded will be declared the winner." Mitchell explained, hoping that she was following him as he explained to her how the game worked.

He shrugged his shoulders when she asked him what he though of it and tried to remember a good spot in the castle for them to meet. The school was enormous and he figured that he had not seen half of it yet so to think of a place that would suit both of them was harder than it seemed. "What about the courtyard outside the entrance hall?" Mitch then suggested, "I like to sit and read there occasionally, especially after dinner when most students are heading towards their common rooms. We could meet up there?"

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

When the boy complimented her on her art her cheeks turned a faint tone of pink. After the complementing he went straight to the point and Lenore admired that. Only he started so fast and with a lot of information that Len was confused after a couple of seconds. Len was sure a confused look appeared on her face and she still tried to listen, but nothing was coming in. She understood that she had to tap the cards with the same number or pictures if they came right behind each other, but it still was a bit confusing. "I think I lost it at the second sentence'' Len smiled awkwardly ''Sorry, I might not be that good of a student as you thought I was.'' Len hoped she didn't look as pathetic as she sounded.

''Maybe we should just start and you can correct my mistakes?'' Len wondered why her parents were never doing the game, but that was probably they never played wizarding games. Somehow they loved the Muggle ones her dad brought home. Len smiled of the thought, it was odd to be in 'costume' for his students of theatrics, but being in 'costume' in the toyshop was way funnier. ''If you are there, I don't mind where we are'' Len smiled and looked at Mitchell. Hopefully he thought the same about her.

 

[Mitchell Lowe]

Mitchell grinned when Lenore looked as confused as his mother did when he tried to explain it to her and shrugged off what she said about not being as good of a student as he thought she'd be. ''Don't be silly, I do not expect you to get it immediately.'' he told the Gryffindor. ''As long as you get how it works eventually.'' he added with a playful wink.

He put his hand on the deck of cards to keep the wind from claiming them and sending them scattered across the lakefront and then nodded his head, ''Okay, but let's take this lesson inside.'' Mitchell said, wondering what would happen to the cards if they would be blown into the water. ''I don't want to have my Mom buy me a new deck of cards just because I wasn't careful enough with the first one.'' He smiled back at his friend when she told him that she did not mind where they would be as long as he was there, which made his heart flutter a bit. ''It's settled then, we'll meet in the Courtyard next time.'' the boy said.

 

[Lenore Harvelle-Ateara]

Len giggled and was glad he didn't shove her off as a stupid kid. ''Probably when this age comes to an end'' Len winked and poked her tongue out. When Mitchell said he didn't want to lose his cards Len nodded. ''That wouldn't be nice no'' It was cute that he got the first set from his mom. When the boy spoke about meeting at the courtyard next Len's heart skipped a beat.

''Maybe we should go inside now'' Len paused ''Less wind and then I can focus on the game'' It was getting a bit windy and Len was getting cold. Len stood up and waited for Mitchell to follow her. She wanted to put out her hand so they could together, but she was too scared and just decided to let her hands hang loosely next to her body. ''Coming?'' Len giggled

The end​

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