Open Fish out of water

[Eoin Armati]

Eoin had basically grown up around marine life and water. His father was always taking him out on his boat when he was working and the boy had grown up more amphibian than human. So imagine how pleased he was when he learned there was a huge lake at Hogwarts. Sure, it wasn't the same as the ocean, but it was good enough for him. So, as soon as he had some time off, Eoin was rushing down towards the lake, shorts on, and a comfortable hoodie keeping his arms warm as he came to a stop right by the edge of the water. Then he was kicking his shoes off, pulling off his socks as well, and wading right in until the water was sloshing around his shins. And there was nothing but a smile on his face as he peered down at the ripples his feet were creating, ending to try and see what interesting water plants he might be able to find, or even any cool fish he could write back and tell his father all about.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

Lucie had been enjoying her time at Hogwarts so far. She was happy with where she was placed, mostly because it was a house she was familiar with as her sister had also been sorted there. It was also no surprise. Her mother had been telling her for years that Slytherin would be the best house for her, and so she was confident that it could take her places. The girl made her way out of the castle during the spare time she had to try and familiarise herself with it. She enjoyed the outdoors and hoped that it had good things to offer her. She walked over to the lake which looked nice and blue, and Lucie wondered if perhaps people were allowed to swim in there when they pleased. She doubted this however, as no one was doing so, and it just seemed like a nice and peaceful place for one to clear their mind. But as a boy Lucie recognised from the sorting ceremony made his way over to the lake, took off his shoes, and stepped into it, she watched with a raised eyebrow. Was he allowed to do this? Was it safe? Lucie made her way over there, keeping herself a good way back from the water just in case something jumped out at her. "Um, hey!" Lucie exclaimed to him. "Is that allowed?"

 

[Eoin Armati]

Nothing made him happier than when he was in the water, even if it was just a little bit sloshing around his ankles he was quite content. And not even the cold bothered him, simply crouching down so he could get a better look at what was under the surface. By the end of the year he wanted to explore the whole lake, he might have to write to his dad back home and ask if he could send over his snorkeling stuff from his room so he could properly explore the bottom of the lake and really see what kind of creatures were down there. But then he heard a voice from the shore, blinking as he stood up again and turned around to see who it was. A girl he vaguely recalled from the sorting and she was asking if he was allowed be in the lake. "I guess?" There weren't any signs telling them they couldn't and he didn't remember being told anything at the welcoming feast, either. Though he was not worried it was actually against the rules. The last thing he wanted was to get into trouble so soon.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

Lucie never had much experience swimming as her parents didn't own a pool and there hadn't been much opportunity for it, and so she was a little bit weary about it. She knew that swimming in unknown terrain could be dangerous though and folded her arms across her chest as the boy replied to her. It definitely didn't sound assuring, and her siblings never mentioned the fact that the students had their own lake to swim in. It was a bit unbelievable to the first year, who barely knew enough about anything to know if that water was safe. The only way she could find out was if she kept watching the boy, and it definitely seemed as though he was willing to take that sacrifice. "Okay then, go swim." Lucie said to him, gesturing out to the water. Perhaps if it was completely safe then she would join him.

 

[The Golden Eel]

The winter months were hard. It was cold and the sun was away for long periods of time. But in the cool darkness, it was quiet. The shore-dwellers were not around much in the winter, and the eel was free to do as it saw fit without distraction. Now, the sun was coming back and the lake was warming ever so slightly, and with it, came the noises.

The splashing and yelling caught the eels attention where it had been sinuously basking near the shallows. Quietly, so quietly, it slunk closer. The eel knew better than to make its presence known too often, but it could not help but wish for the quiet just a moment longer. Taking a sharp turn, the eel flicked its long body, sending a wave cascading into the shallows where the splashing was coming from and swamping the shore. Content that perhaps that may teach the noisy shore dwellers a lesson, the eel slunk away, back into the dark depths and out of sight.

 

[Eoin Armati]

"I'm not going swimming," he explained, frowning just a little at the girl. He was still wearing his hoodie so it was not like he was about to start doing any laps. "I'm just looking for plants or anything interesting." He was only planning to go a little deeper than he was already standing. The swimming would come for when it was a little warmer and he was a little more familiar with the lake and what might be in there. His father always told him it was foolish to go swimming in a body of water you knew nothing about, so Eoin was planning on doing his full research before risking anything. But then he saw movement, eyes widening as he straightened up, trying to get a better look at the shape under the water. He was about to open to his mouth to ask the girl if she was seeing this, but then the creature was gone, sending a wave towards them as it went, causing Eoin to have to backpedal towards the shore to avoid getting completely soaked. "Amazing," he breathed, the grin growing on his face before he excitedly turned to the girl, "Did you see that? It was huge. It must have been really old. Did you see where it went? Oh, my dad is going to love hearing about this."

 

[Elara Chatelain]

Elara was finding Hogwarts an interesting experience. There was always something to do, and the castle was bustling with students in classes and clubs as well as enjoying the days they had decent weather. Elara wanted to find a tree to attempt and hang some silks on, just so she could hang upside down if nothing else. She was sure it would be difficult to find a place that allowed her a ton of room to hang around. She slung her back on her shoulder and made her way across the ground near the lake as she spotted a tree that might work. She noticed a boy and girl nearby, one of them actually in the water, which she thought was interesting seeing as she didn't think it was that warm out. As she pulled her belongings out of her bag, she heard some commotion from the boy about seeing a creature in the water. She didn't know which creatures lived in water, but it seemed like a plausible idea. "You probably just saw a merperson?" she called with a questioning tone, unsure of what the boy actually saw.

 

[Eoin Armati]

He was just a little surprised at the sound of a new voice behind him, turning his head to find another girl had come and shown up as well. But she was wrong. Whatever he had seen it was not a mermaid. Eoin was still struggling to come to terms with the fact they were supposedly real in the first place, that there was a scale of one in his wand. "No, it wasn't one of them. I think it was some sort of freshwater eel or something," it made the most sense from what he had managed to glimpse of the creature before it had vanished into the murky depths again. "But it was absolutely massive! I don't think I've ever seen an eel get that big before," not the ones he had seen out on trips with his father, at least.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

Lucie was a bit disappointed when the boy said he wasn't planning on going out for a swim there. It would have been fun to watch him go swim in there, but each to their own. As a big wave of water came towards them both, it came unexpectedly to the Slytherin. Luckily, she was a bit far from the water anyway, and only the front of her robes became wet. She chuckled a little bit at this, however it would've been more funny if the boy was swimming in the water. "Whatever it is, I don't think it wants you standing in its water." Lucie told him matter-of-factly, trying to see if she could see it underneath. But she wouldn't dare stand any closer. As a girl came towards them, Lucie felt a little bit annoyed at the fact she started assuming it was actually a merperson. From what Lucie had known, merpeople would've done much more than splash them with some water. After all, it could've just been an accident. It made more sense that it would've been an eel. "An eel seems far more likely. I assume its lived here its whole life." Lucie admittedly was interested in the eel, wanting it to splash water again and hopefully see it with her own eyes.

 

[Elara Chatelain]

Elara listened as the boy and girl suggested that there had been an eel in the lake. She figured it could have been an eel, but she agreed it would have had to be bigger to make the water move like that. She threw a wire over the branch of the tree and tugged on it so she could slide her silks into place. Once she got things into place, she began climbing up a little bit and maneuvering herself so she was holding herself up but still in a sitting position. She looked out over the lake and thought she saw the water moving again but realized it was just her imagination. "Well, aren't you going to go find the eel?" she called to the boy. It couldn't be that big, and she couldn't imagine that there would be something super dangerous in the lake. Otherwise, they would have been told that it was off limits just like the Forbidden Forest.

 

[Eoin Armati]

Just the prospect of this cool eel hiding in the lake was making him feel quite excited about things. If there were more creatures just like it hiding down there then maybe this Hogwarts business wouldn't end up being too bad and Eoin could easily imagine this being his favourite place to come when he had a bit of time away from classes and studying. And he didn't really care if the eel wanted him in the water or not, some big eel wasn't going to go and scare him away from his research. "It's already long gone now," he did have to admit with a sigh, "And I'm hardly equipped to go swimming right now." And it was still too cold, he wouldn't be able to do it for too long without running the risk of hypothermia or something setting in. He would just have to come back another time. But for now, he turned his head, about to say something else, but paused when he saw the second girl who had arrived hanging from a branch from some silk. "What on earth are you doing?"

 

[Elara Chatelain]

Elara had manuevered herself upside into a reverse split while the boy continued to talk about the eel and seemed to decide he wouldn't go look for it. She wasn't sure why, as it seemed like something fun to do on this cool day. It also wasn't like they would go all the way into the lake, just enough to try and see the eel from a distance. As she placed herself in a holding position, upside, the boy seem confused by her activity. She stuck out her tongue and laughed. "I'm just hanging around. Haven't you ever seen someone do this before?" She loved spending time practicing her gymnastic skills, but the silks were a passion all on their own level. She wasn't sure why she loved it, but maybe it's because she could see the world in a way you just didn't when you were flipping on your own through the air. Plus, the fabric made her feel pretty. She unwrapped her left leg and pulled it tight to her other, turning rightside up and sliding down so her feet touched the ground again. "Sorry, I guess a proper introduction is better than me shouting at you from a tree. I'm Elara, and those are my silks," she said matter-of-factly to the boy. The other girl was nearby, but she wasn't sure if she was listening or curious about her activities.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

The boy didn't admit it, but Lucie was very sure that he didn't want to go swimming because he was afraid. The Slytherin scoffed at this, folding her arms across her chest. As the Gryffindor girl began swinging all over the tree and hanging from the branch, Lucie gave her a dirty look, raising her eyebrow and upturning her mouth slightly in disgust. What the hell was she doing? Was she stupid enough to think she could find the eel up there when the eel was underneath the water? Lucie just didn't find this at all entertaining. She waited for the girl to respond to the boy's question before opening her mouth. "I cannot express how stupid that was." Lucie said to her with a chuckle, watching as she made her way back down. At least she wasn't up there for long. She introduced herself as Elara and called her stupid tree climbing activity a 'skill'. "Well, my name is Lucie and swinging around on a branch is not a skill." Lucie replied. She just wanted the girl to know the truth. After all, something really dangerous could have definitely happened and Lucie didn't want to be in the middle of that.

 

[Eoin Armati]

For sure he was going to come back to this lake, probably after speaking to his father to see how he would go about finding out more about this eel. Maybe a trip to the library was in order or asking some of the professors if they knew anything about the eel. And then he would come back with his notebook for some proper research. But currently, his attention was more stuck on the girl hanging around on some silk, tilting his head to give her a rather curious look. "Uh no, can't say I have," it looked like something you would find in a circus, but he never actually been to one of those. His mother, being an animal rights activist, had always been against supporting circuses. "But I am Eoin, I guess," if the other two girls were offering their names he might as well give his as well.

 

[Elara Chatelain]

Elara smiled as Lucie introduced herself and then Eoin but was taken aback by the girl's snarky remark to her silks. She looked back at the tree and pointed you to the fabric hanging down. "I wasn't hanging from a branch. I was doing tricks on my silk fabric. Have you never been to a circus?" she asked Lucie inquisitively. She knew that some people didn't realize how difficult it was on your body to suspend yourself in the air so so wasn't mad by the statement, just a little confused. "So, eel boy, are you two first years, as well then?" she asked generally as she took a seat on the ground near the lake, leaving her belongings up in the tree. She was enjoying the more relaxed lifestyle that school was providing so far. She knew it wouldn't last too terribley long once the schoolwork really hit, but for now, it was nice.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

Lucie was starting to get annoyed at the girl and she wished the girl hadn't come up and spoke to them in the first place, and perhaps just kept her business to herself. The girl corrected Lucie's words and Lucie was not happy about this. "I don't care what you were doing, that was extremely dangerous and stupid. You're too young to be experienced enough to do that properly." Lucie spat at her matter-of-factly. She knew the girl couldn't be a professional as she was just too young, and so maybe the girl should have practiced her dangerous stunts somewhere else. The boy introduced himself as Eion. "Oh, that's a nice name!" Lucie exclaimed, smiling at him. She wished her parents were more creative with her name as she didn't find it at all unique or special. "Yes, well, I am a first year." Lucie said in response to Elara.

 

[Eoin Armati]

The two girls seemed to be getting into a bit of a fight about the whole 'hanging from a tree from silk' thing and Eoin didn't really want to get into the middle of things. He knew what stepping between a fight between two women could get like in the past when his sisters decided to squabble about something. Instead, he just coughed, kicking his feet in the water as he awkwardly shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "That's not my name," he did have to add with a sigh when the silk girl addressed him as 'eel boy'. It was not the greatest of nicknames and he would much prefer if people actually used the name his parents had given him and not one they had just made up. But at least the other girl liked his name and he did have to smile a little at her, "Thanks. Lucie is cool too." It was polite to compliment her back, he supposed. "And yeah, also a first year."

 

[Elara Chatelain]

Elara was surprised by how neither student seemed to be friendly to her. She didn't realize what she had done wrong and looked back at her silks when Lucie explained that it was not an appropriate activity. She had been practicing for the past 5 years and had just started getting good at it recently. "Right, uh, well, I meant it as a joke," she said to Eoin when he seemed unamused by her creative name skills. She shrugged off the negative energy she was feeling with a big breath and was thankful they were both first years. Maybe that meant they would easily forgive whatever faux pas she had committed. "That's cool. I don't think I've seen either of you around Gryffindor, but things are kind of crazy, you know?" She watched as the water moved again across the lake, probably from the wind, and then back at the kids. "Was the water really cold?" she asked Eoin, thinking maybe they could all at least dip their toes in if it was bearable.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

The Gryffindor girl didn't seem to want to say anything back, and Lucie thought this was rather odd. From what she knew, Gryffindors always stood up for themselves, and the girl didn't seem to want to do that at all. She simply apologised to Eion for calling him 'Eel Boy', and Lucie was glad that she did. She agreed that 'Eel Boy' was not a very good name for someone. Lucie smiled as Eion complimented her name, happy that at least someone had said it. As Elara began to try and carry on the conversation again, she couldn't help but roll her eyes a little bit. Of course she hadn't seen them around Gryffindor - they were all in separate houses. "Well, my common room is in the dungeons." she told her carefully, hoping she'd be able to piece it together herself. The girl then asked a stupid question, and Lucie was glad the question wasn't addressed to her. She really felt sorry for Eion now.

 

[Eoin Armati]

He was well aware of the fact that the nickname had been an attempt at a joke, but he hadn't found it very funny. "Yes, well I would appreciate it if you didn't call me that again, thanks." And hopefully, she would actually listen to his request and not just ignore him like some people were prone to doing. He had asked nicely, after all. And when Elara commented about not seeing either of them around the Gryffindor common room,Eoin just nodded his head. "Well, I'm a Ravenclaw, so that would be why." And it appeared, from her comment at least, that Lucie was a Slytherin. Or, he believed that the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons from what he had heard around the place. But then he glanced down at the water still around his ankles, thinking about it for a moment before shrugging a shoulder. "A little bit, but I suppose I'm used to cold water."

 

[Elara Chatelain]

Elara nodded when Lucie described her common room in the dungeons and assumed it must be Slytherin if the rumors were true. She found it interesting how secretive they made it to get into each other's houses, but she supposed it could be safety reasons - like locking your door at night. "Does it actually feel like a dungeon, or is it at least homey," she asked. She felt like the two houses had the worst ends of the deal. Gryffindors had to climb up the stairs to go to sleep while Slytherins had to climb up the stairs for classes. Neither was preferable, and Elara wished she had a happy medium.

A twinge of guilt arose when Eoin asked her not to call him "eel boy" anymore. She hadn't meant any harm by it, but she also didn't want to risk the chance of making fun of anyone. "Gotcha," she replied to him. Since the boy had said the water was still cold, Elara thought it might not be wise to go swimming. However, she wanted to at least get a feel of the lake. She had already taken off her shoes when she climbed her silks and was still barefoot. She made her way into the water beside Eoin and enjoyed the refreshing feeling hitting her calves. "You're right, it's not terrible. Do you live near cold water?" she asked him and then gestured towards the Slytherin. "Come join us, Lucie. We might as well enjoy the outside on a decent weather day."

 

[Lucie Vernier]

Lucie hadn't really thought much about whether or not her dormitory felt 'homey'. It just felt like a dormitory, and Lucie didn't know how to answer Elara's question. She just shrugged. "It's where I sleep." she said simply, clearly not caring enough to have an opinion. As Elara took off her shoes Lucie watched in disbelief as she went to join Eion in the water right after Eion said the water was a little bit cold. "Are you actually that stupid?" Lucie replied when Elara suggested that she join them. "Did you guys not see the splash of water from the large eel before? He clearly doesn't want us in that water." Lucie just didn't understand what was going through Elara's head, but she also didn't want to leave them to it just in case they really did get eaten by something.

 

[Eoin Armati]

Hopefully, that would be the end of the 'eel boy' nickname and he wouldn't hear it again. That would be the most preferable outcome and it seemed as though the Gryffindor girl was at least going to try and honor his request and agreed to it. nd he supposed that was all he cared about, just so long as everyone used his name from here on out and no more nicknames then he wasn't going to have any problems. "I basically grew up in the ocean," he explained with a small shrug of his shoulder, "My dad was always taking me out on his boat when he was working." His mother used to say that he had learned to swim before he had learned to walk and even now he was always far more comfortable in the water than he was on dry land. But then the girl behind them seemed to not like the idea of standing in the lake with them, bringing up the eel again. "I think we just disturbed it was all and that was the retaliation. It's gone off now, it's not very likely to come back and attack."

 

[Elara Chatelain]

Elara shrugged when Lucie was rather short about her experience in her common room and then turned to listen to Eoin. She hadn't spent much time by the water in her travels and was a little jealous of the boy. "What kind of boat work does your dad do?" she asked him curiously. She was having a good time feeling the mud between her toes until she was taken aback by the Slytherin calling her stupid. She didn't feel she had done anything to warrant name calling, and for some reason, just a general feeling of dislike from the girl. She crossed her arms and looked at her as Eoin explained they were in no danger. "You're just kind of unpleasant. You do know that, right?" She wasn't sure what the girl's problem was and gave the water a little kick in her direction lightly enough that only a few drops would hit her even if they made it that far. She turned back towards the lake and walked in a little furthur so the water was up to her knees. "I wonder if the eel has a name. Or a family," she said dreamily, curious about the creatures that inhabited the water.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

Lucie couldn't help but find it interesting that Eion basically lived on the water for his whole life. He probably did have experience with water creatures then, and so Lucie nodded as he told her that it was probably long gone now, and it did make her feel a little bit better about getting in the water herself. However, she still wanted to know more about it before she did so. "But if an eel did attack, would it potentially be fatal?" she asked, wondering if perhaps Eion had experience with dangerous eels in the past.

Lucie chuckled as Elara definitely seemed bothered by her comment. She was sensitive, and Lucie could easily see that. She just smirked as Elara splashed the smallest amount of water onto her. It was pathetic really. After all, it was only water and it would definitely dry soon in the sun. "Well, Eion doesn't think I'm unpleasant, do you Eion?" she said, giving the boy a small wink. She had to admit that she was liking him. He wasn't as annoying as the girl, and so that was definitely a good start. It made Lucie laugh when she asked about the eel and whether or not it had a family. "Of course it has a family!" she exclaimed. "How else would it be living?" Lucie sighed as she took a seat on the grass. She knew she could be here for a while longer as she continued to observe the water and get to know more about it. "And, to be honest, I don't think it would have a name. Who would have named it? That's such a silly question." Lucie began picking at the grass in front of her.