Open Howling Winds

[Marnie Frogg]

Open after Jess posts with Emrys

Marnie had done it. She'd actually completed her assigned reading before class for once. She'd decided a change of venue was the only way she was going to get anything done and coming out to the gardens had magically worked. She'd been reading for hours, only stopping right before curfew as it became too hard to see. The only problem now was that Marnie had just spent the past few hours cramming her brain with nothing but werewolves for defense against the dark arts. And now it was dark. And she was alone. And there could be werewolves any where.

Marnie flinched as a cool wind blew, scatter leaves of the garden path with a scratching whisper and sending her scurrying closer to the castle with a 'yeep!'. She was sure she could hear something breathing in a patch of shrubs near by. Was that just the wind or was something moving in the trees too? Clutching her book to her chest, Marnie moved faster, relieved when she nearly bowled over a familiar figure as she turned a sharp corner around a hedge. "Emrys! Phew am I glad to see you I mean it's still kind of winter-y and it still gets dark so early and I was just thinking like oh my god what if I got lost in the garden and no one knew I was out here and I got eaten not that I think there's anything that could eat me except maybe mosquitos and I'm sure Penny would come looking for me but you just never know you haven't seen or heard anything out here right?" She said, wrapping an arm around Emrys' arm as another gust of wind caught her robes, tugging them and against her back and making her jump again.

 

[Emrys Connelly]

Emrys had found while at school that if he wasn't reading, he just really enjoyed walking around the school, exploring the grounds. The grounds were really beautiful, really grand. He liked the ambiance, even as the sky grew darker. He liked the night- it was beautiful in a whole new way, and he felt no need to go back to the castle, seeing how the grounds reacted to the night.

He thought he heard someone, so he turned to investigate. He was almost bowled over by Marnie. He smiled softly, just letting her ramble. He liked listening to Marnie talk. "I've seen things," He offered easily, knowing it might be a little bit mean. He bit back a laugh as she jumped. "Do you want me to walk you back?" He offered gently, letting her hold onto his arm.

 

[Marnie Frogg]

Marnie's eyes widened as Emrys confirmed he'd seen something out in the garden, head whipping back and forth, expecting to see werewolves crouching in the flower patch. "Things? What things? Not werewolves right it's just I know there shouldn't be any werewolves at school but I just spent all evening reading about them for class and I'm just like what if there WHERE werewolves like we wouldn't even know until it was a full moon right and plus I'd heard some older kids say they used to hear howling sometimes out in the gardens and I don't think any of the plants can howl so what else would it be Aotearoa doesn't even have dingoes so it'd have to be werewolves like I'm sure some werewolves are fine they take their wolfsbane and just have a nap and stuff but what if-" Marnie started, getting herself worked as the sun continued to set before Emrys offered to walk her back. "Oh Merlin yes please thank you I'm not scared or anything but you know over active imagination and everything I'd probably run into someone's cat and cry and the poor cat doesn't deserve that," Marnie babbled, glad that Emrys let her carry on as they started back towards the castle, arm in arm.

"What are you doing out here anyway where you reading too apparently my dorm is waaay too distracting for me to get any work done but out here was alright you know, minus the werewolf freak out," she said, checking over her shoulder just one more time. Just in case.

 

[Emrys Connelly]

Emrys smiled, just letting Marnie go on and on. He liked listening to her, she had a sweet voice. "I was just walking, I saw a few birds and a squirrel." He told her with a simple smile. "I like to walk during this time. There's a whole new world to see at night." He brought his free hand over to rub her hand gently. "Tell me, Marnie, how is the arts club?" He asked. It was a simple question, but he was pretty sure that all he had to do was give her a new direction and she would take off running, maybe even forgetting her worries about the werewolves.

 

[Marnie Frogg]

Marnie was glad to have Emrys to talk to, nodding her head along vaguely as she tried to focus on what he was saying and not the weird sound the leaves made as they skittered over the garden path. "Woah, did you say a squirrel that's so cute I wonder if it got out of the transfiguration classroom or something I wish I could turn things into a squirrel I've never seen a real one though I've seen plenty of birds have you been up to the owlery there's sooo many up there I'd stay up there for ages and try to draw them if it wasn't so drafty and also kinda gross but I guess there's a whole school's worth of birds up there," Marnie chattered, jumping a little as her own hair brushed against her ear as the wind changed direction, grateful for her arm in Emrys'. "Oh the arts club? It's great you should totally come by some time if you're curious Sky is super cool and I mean I love any excuse to do art stuff but sometimes I wanna do too many things at once you know and I can't pick and then I end up doing none or trying to do them all and never get anything finished so it's nice to come in and they'll be like "today we're painting tiles" and I'm like okay great I have a cool thing to make and show everyone seriously if you're curious you should come to a meeting sometime I don't think they mind," she said enthusiastically. "Are you in any clubs? I'm also on the school paper if art or music stuff isn't you're thing either that's a bit more intense though and we have deadlines which is really hard but I'm still glad I joined even if some of the other reporters are a little scary and I have to deal with Emery urgh I'm so glad you're nothing like him even if your names are kinda similar," she added, pulling a face.

 

[Emrys Connelly]

Emrys liked spending time with Marnie. "You know, you're like a walking story book," He offered the thought out loud. "It's nice listening to you talk." He gave her a soft smile. "I'm not in any clubs, but I'll sign up next semester. Are you working on any art projects right now?" He asked, trying to get her going again while they were making their way back. He could see the path back to the castle and the doors just coming into view. He smiled softly, glad that they could walk back up to the dorms. It gave him more time to listen to Marnie's stories.

 

[Marnie Frogg]

Marnie was briefly pulled out of where she'd been tensely watching a nearby tree branch by Emrys' comment, turning instead to look at him and beaming. "Thanks! That's so sweet like I know I talk a lot and it bothers some people but not everyone minds it like Penny seems to like it she's so quiet sometimes it's like I do the talking for the both of it but I know it can be hard to get a word in that's what my mum says anyway so that's really nice I've never had anyone describe it like that," Marnie said, rolling her lips in a fond smile and giving Emrys' arm in hers a little squeeze. It was true, no one had ever described it like that and Marnie was touched that Emrys seemed to think that about her.

"You should totally sign up next year I'll come with you to the club fair if you want I like it there even if I should probably stop joining clubs now I can barely get an article done for the Monthly plus my own stuff I have no idea how those people who join a bunch of clubs have time for anything like I forget my homework at least twice a week I even bought a remembrall and it barely helps oops though the red smoke is quite pretty actually..." She said, trailing off at Emrys' next question. "Ohh yes, you should help me I've been getting back into embroidery but I'm running out of stuff to embroider on you should let me do your robes I put a bunch of flowers on my pockets of one set and I tried doing my socks but it messed up the elastic so I don't recommend that but pants, robes, shirts, I'll do any of yours if you like, it's super cute!" She said excitedly, concern about werewolves briefly forgotten.

 

[Emrys Connelly]

Emrys chuckled softly. "Alright, I can bring you a few of my robes," He offered easily. "Maybe you should start a journal?" Or ten, he offered, though he kept that little thought to himself. "If you make some lists, it might help you remember?" He suggested. Though with Marnie, she might have better luck hiring a scribe to follow her around.

 

[Marnie Frogg]

Marnie beamed when Emrys agreed to let her fix up his robes, already mulling over a few good ideas. "Awesome, I'm excited what colours do you like or like, things do you like like I loove stars and rainbows and flowers and stuff but that's me I don't know maybe you like uhh fish or cats or something I don't think I've ever embroidered a cat but I'd totally be willing to try," she said confidently.

"Oh I have a tonne of journals actually that might be the problem I try writing notes for myself and then I forget where I put them or I forget I wrote a note and to go check it I found a journal in my trunk earlier that had a reminder for an essay due in my first year that I totally never did it was super awkward mostly I just have Penny remind me what we have due in the morning and try to get it done over breakfast it's not perfect but it kinda works though one time I got eggs on my potions notes and then I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to use in class it was a mess," she admitted sheepishly, mind already drifting away from her previous werewolf-based fears as the pair made it closer to the castle.

 

[Emrys Connelly]

Emrys chuckled. "I like ghosts and scary things," He told her easily. "Though the moon and stars are nice." He offered. "Maybe bats, rats, things like that." He smiled. He listened to her go on and on again, chuckling softly. "Could we hang out more?" He asked her as they got closer to the castle. "I like listening to you," He told her, moving his hand up to where hers was laced through his, putting his hand there and smiling.

 

[Marnie Frogg]

Marnie chewed her lip when Emrys explained that he liked 'scary things', thinking it over. "Ohh I could maybe do like a halloween themed thing for you with pumpkins and cute lil bats and ghost guys maybe is it okay if the scary things are still cute I'm not really good at scary but I can definitely do cute you just put big eyes on everything I love it," she said eagerly. "I don't think I've ever done a rat before but that'd be fun I love their little pink tails do you have a pet rat cause if so you should totally introduce me I mean for artistic reference and all and just so I can meet them I have a dancing daisy in my dorm if you wanna meet her she's great though I usually need help remembering to water her poor thing," Marnie said, already envisioning a rat meet up in the common room later, doubly so when Emrys suggested they hang out more.

"Oh! Yeah, totally of course I always look like I'm super busy but it's just cause I hate being bored I always have time to hang out any time I mean I love talking so I'm glad you like listening!" She said, feeling her face heat up both at Emrys' words and when he laced their fingers together. They were totally holding hands now, that was normal friend stuff right? She held hands with Penny lots of times, though something about this felt decidedly different and Marnie knew she had to immediately go discuss it in great detail with Penny as they reached the castle.