Open Hogbored

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

School days were zipping by too fast. Keeping up with dates and recalling aspects of her days became almost like a memory game to Chante. A dull memory game she'd opt playing before she tricked her mind thinking anything eventful happen. Nothing happen. Hogwarts, more like HOGBORED. Ordinarily, Chante lived her days in the castle somewhat exploring and getting into things to keep her occupied when she wasn't down in the kitchen experimenting with herbs and spices. That got old real quick for the young puff. There so much exploring one can do at Hogwarts, but then it's tiresome after a while. Honestly, Chante fell in a rut. Her routine became so predictable in the last two weeks, she quite surprised there weren't any tracks leading to the very spot that Chante stood. The tall puff's lips curled, hands tucked in her denim overall pockets. She huffed, sighing. Where did everybody go?

 

[Willow Cullen]

It was April and it was well and truly autumn. The school year was heading somewhere towards a close and willow was outside. She loved the feel of fresh cool air on her skin and the smell of the damp earth. she had dressed in leggings a baggy t-shirt and a hat and had been planning on going for a walk however as she reached the edge of the lake she no longer felt like walking. She started a slow jog around the lake admiring the view of the forest slowly turning golden and the view of the castle as she went. It wasn't long before she was getting warm. she took off her hat and carried it with her as she went picking up speed and loving the tingling feeling she got as the cool air and hot sweat met on her skin.
a while later she was back where she started the edge of the lake near the lawn and the garden. there still wasn't that many people around outside. This made the tall girl standing in the middle of the lawn more noticeable and familiar. she jogged over to her using the distance as a bit of a cool down. Hey Cuz. how you hangin? she asked as she reached her cousin. It had been a while since she had seen her cousin in anything but passing. and even longer since they had hung out together.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

She stood in the middle of the great lawn with no destination in mind once she realized she had become predictable. The problem she faced in the moment that no direction, no matter where she turn called to her attention. Lake, forest, castle and pitch. Chante stood awkwardly rooted to the grass. Getting a whift of mildew and tree leaves in the cool air washing over her. Her brown messy hair eventually blocked her view of the pitch. In the moment that she brushed bunch of it out of her way, she was greeted by a familiar voice. "Hey, Wills. Hanging pretty low." Chante shrugs, nodding at the redhead with a half smile. She took in the light sheen and faint rosiness in her Cousin's cheeks. Had she witnessed Willow leaving from the front door earlier, Chante would have seen the girl do a weird detour around the school grounds. No doubt Willow would've ended in the forest and that was just asking for trouble. "Beginning your training for the quidditch team or something? How's Hogbored treating you? Can't wait for the winter break."

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Leda was 'busy' (too busy to hang around with Mervyn - huh!), which meant Mervyn had nobody to pester and nothing to do. Sure, he could have studied, but winging his exams sounded much more exciting - and anyway, he'd done enough studying that week to last him a lifetime. While walking out on the lawn he spotted two girls chatting, both of whom he recognised, though he only knew Chante's name. "Awright, ladies?" he asked as he approached, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "'Choo up to?"

 

[Willow Cullen]

Willow hadn't expected to see her cousin in such a flat mood. She was used to Chante being happy with a sparkle of life in her eyes, Today there was something in her voice that sounded flat. "What's up?" she asked putting her arm around her cousin and giving her a hug.
unfortunately, before things could go much deeper Madlyn changed the topic. "I didn't think of it like that, it is just a nice autumn day so I went for a walk and ended up jogging. but I think I will join the team next year, I just don't know what position I should play." she said. it was then that she saw someone else walking towards them. she recognised the boy but didn't know his name. she knew that he was a Gryffindor and the year above her but not much else. "Hey" she said hoping he was just stopping to say hello before moving on as it had been ages since she had hung out with her cousin without someone else being there.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

"Eh?" She opened her mouth to say more before she felt Willow's arms wrapped around her shoulders in which Chante had to lean forward to return the embrace. Height differences between wasn't hard to miss. How much more am I going to grow by next year? Chante grumbled in silence. Then came another. "Hey Mervyn." Chante waved nonchalant at her fellow classmate. She did not want to feel like a downer, however, it's hard to mask how tedious and slow it's been the past weeks. "Nothing but nothing. Mostly wandering around when my nose not stuffed in a book, studying." Chante nose crinkled, she pokes her tongue out in disgust. Making a face in displeasure. "I mean, it's not bad out. I guess the day calls for it. I don't think I'm as active as you." She responded to Willow. "Chaser like aunty, duh. Gotta live up to her name, right?"

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Mervyn's shoulders fell as he realised the girls weren't doing anything more interesting than he was. He reflected her expression of displeasure. He'd done so much reading lately that his eyes felt permanently dry and tired, and everything looked slightly blurry. It became clear quite quickly that Chante and the other girl were having a conversation that didn't involve Mervyn, but that didn't discourage him. "Is you two related?" he asked, noting the way Chante said 'aunty,' and not 'my aunty,' though immediately after he asked he realised they were probably just close friends.

 

[Willow Cullen]

willow could tell that there was something on Chantes mind. she wasn't going to ask her here when the boy was around. She listened as her cousin greeted the boy. "yeah i don't blame you books are boring." she said screwing her nose up. The love of books was certainly not something that she had much of an exposure to. both of her parents were more practical people who were better at doing things hand on. when chante "Nice to meet you, Mervin, I'm willow" she said introducing herself to the boy.
as chante said she could be a chaser like her mum she pulled a face of disgust. "oh god no, that's the one position I don't want. I will never be good enough if I try for chaser, I think seeker or keeper" she said. She could see the boy looking at them as if trying to figure something out. when he asked if they were related she smiled "can't you see the family resemblance Chante's my cousin" she said looking between the boy and girl wondering how they would react. would chante try and clear things up, or would Mervyn pretend he could see some resemblance? yes, they were cousins, but through adoption, not blood.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

"Now I didn't say that, I'm more over the books you have to read for homework. It's long and it really drags on," the Hufflepuff moan and complained. If there was one thing she could change about the current curriculum at Hogwarts, it would be to do away with the books. Or the very least cut some reading and bring in more the visual and audio learning for a change. Perhaps hire a good story teller, like her grandmother, Iris. "You two don't know each other yet? Oh, I figured you would've met by now." Chante peeked over the redhead standing besides her. Brown eyes rolled in their sockets, as her lips spread across her face. Chante, playfully nudge Willow's arm. "We are in spirit and tribe. She my ioepaqgi, that means female cousin," she happily informed Mervyn. Chante loved Willow and aunty Briar, they were much closer than her actual family in America. Their strong family ties definitely passed down over to the pair. "Isn't seeker and chaser sort of the same thing? You're still flying like a swarm of pixies are chasing after you. What about you Mervyn, like qudditch? Willow here mum, aunty Briar used to play professional. Didn't she Willow?"

 

[Willow Cullen]

willow raised her eyebrows as Chante said that wasn't what she meant. it was what she meant. she was not a fan of reading. she much preferred practical magic. make her read about something and she would not remember. tell her something she may have the idea. show her something and she will get the gist. but if you made her do something she would learn it easiest.
when asked if they knew each other willow shook her head. "nope, I have seen him around but we have never actually met properly. she said. willow wasn't the most social person and whilst the did have some friends from different years, actually more friends from other years than her own year. she didn't know all the third years. Willow nodded when Chante confirmed that they were cousins. she opened her mouth to explain but thought the better of it and shut it again preferring to let the ambiguity hang in the air for a minute or so longer.
as the talk turned to quidditch willow shook her head, "no chasers are right in the action chasing up and down the field with the other chasers and keeper. a seeker is on their own keeping an eye out for the snitch. yeah, she played for a season or two with the macaws before she decided that she would rather work for the ministry" she said. she was sort of proud of what her mum did. But she also wished that she hadn't chosen that job. it would be so much cooler to say that her mum was a professional chaser than a ministry worker. besides willow was sure that briar sometimes cared more about her werewolves than her.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

"What's properly? I heard his name once in class and that was it, but now that I think about it..." Chante's lips perked as she tap right underneath her chin with a fingertip. Contemplating over their extension of her and Mervyn's encounter. There wasn't much to consider, however, she thought he was alright. The boy had a weird accent, Chante can do better at understanding him. It wasn't his fault anyways, she sure to him she sounded weird. Chante's accent was a mixed of New Zealand and some of Solen, North Dakota. Not far from weird, pretty different. "Nevermind," the taller girl shrugged. "Oh! I think that's the one I tried out for, I think. No, it was beater, because I remember a bat. I tried out twice and didn't get picked," the young girl puff, lips fluttered a bit. It had been a way to relate with Willow and aunty Briar. A change in something new and well, she didn't pass try outs.

"I know, I hardly remember any of her games or her playing of anything," aunty Briar playing happened years ago. Sometimes it sounded like Willow missed her playing, who wouldn't?! Although, Chante liked the indoors, mainly the kitchen a lot more than being outdoors, the puff didn't mind watching their moms bring out the quaffle, every once in a while. Chante would observed them from the ground near their home, both witches tossing the quaffle back and forth, reliving their days at Hogwarts from their roomy, backyard. Kinda nostalgic in some sense. "I'm not gonna try out again, I want to get into something else....more."

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

"Umm," Mervyn said, not wanting to answer yes or no in case it was some sort of trap. Fortunately, Chante explained before he was able to make himself look like an idiot. "Oh, nice." Mervyn would have liked to have a relative in the castle. Actually, he'd have liked a cousin or a sibling full stop. He probably did have cousins by now, but he would never find out for certain, nor meet them; and though he knew this was for the best, it still saddened him. "You're in Sapphire's year," he said to Willow, when Chante asked if they knew each other. Perhaps Willow knew Sapphire.

The conversation moved back to Quidditch - a topic to which Mervyn had very little to contribute. He didn't like playing Quidditch, watching Quidditch, or hearing about Quidditch, and only tolerated it because his best friend was the Slytherin seeker. Even then he cringed every time he thought about her getting hurt. "Somethin' else more what?" he asked Chante, suddenly curious what it was she wanted to do instead.

 

[Willow Cullen]

willow shrugged when Chante said that she hardly knew Mervin and had met him once in class, "If you take that to mean knowing anyone then we must know each other too." she said.
The redhead could tell that Mervin was a little confused about the family ties and hse had to laugh. "okay so there isn't that much family resemblance" she said most of their physical traits were quite the opposite, Chante was tall, she was on the shorter side of average, Chante was dark and she was light, chante had beautiful curly hair whilst herhair was boring and straight, and well the list could continue but as different as they are on the outside they were as close on the inside. "Yeah, Saphire is onyx's twin, they did that song at the talent show, I can't remember what it was called, but it was a good song, yeah we are in the same year." she said.
As the conversation meandered back around to Quidditch. "you wouldn't remember, she stopped playing a couple of years before we were born" she said. she had played on a local Australian amateur league and still did at times but nothing very serious. even the team she plaid for was werewolf related. the Wagga Wagga werewolves. It was not really her fault. it was the local team and it had been named after what the town had been known for for a while about fifty years ago. "yeah that would be the beater. you should try out next year then we can practice together" she said. "and as competitive as the team is I will try not to hurt you in games" she said. when Chante said she wanted to do something more she wasn't sure what it was, she looked at her cousin and raised one eyebrow as if inviting her to explain. the words did enter the air but not from her mouth it was Mervin that asked what she wanted to do more.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Chante shook her head in disagreement, "Well actually...knowing someone and knowing only their name is different....Yeah, whatever. Point is you finally met." Chante explained with a shrug and half smile reaching a cheek. Sometimes, she struggles to describe things more clearer. This happens when you ditched socializing for a few weeks for studying and spending most of your time in the kitchen. Experimenting with garden fresh crops and ingredients in the kitchen had been pleasant and much easier since everything was of normal size. However, besides the house elves popping in every now and then, Chante hadn't reveal to many of her passion. Len and Kengi were the privileged ones that knew. Willow had an idea. To what scale her cousin knew, Chante couldn't say.

"Oh, nothing! Sapphire, she the one that used to be around Oliver Foy? I didn't really like him, he was irritating. If only you knew what he did in front of Professor Pratt, almost got me in trouble. Yeah, she was good at the talent show but you were better, Wills," Chante would shout that out from the tallest tower, Willow nailed it. A legendary performance, she cannot wait tell their parents. If those words would come to mind when she get down describing the talent show. "Oh yeah, what was I thinking? Didn't aunty take us to quidditch game twice?" Chante nibbled her lips, recalling those games or were they just stories from aunty Briar's professional days? "I'll think about it. Maybe. What about you, cub?" Chante glance over to raven headed boy. He been the least talkative one in their small group. "What do you like to do?"