Open Soaking Your Feet

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper wandered out to the lake. He always missed being at home, being near the sea was so much more calming. He took a seat near the water, taking off his socks and shoes before rolling up his pants legs. He set them aside before stretching and dipping his feet in the water. It was a bit chilly but calming. He opened his calculus textbook and began to read, enjoying the feel of the water between his toes.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper kicked the ball forward, then ran after it. It wasn't as cool as playing Quidditch, but Jasper did enjoy football occasionally. Today he had been a bit bored, so he was glad to run around outside for a while. He was nearing the lake, which meant he had to be a bit more careful with the ball. Jasper frowned when he saw a figure sitting by the lake, their feet in the water. As he approached, Jasper realized who it was. "HEY, JASPER!" He called, kicking the ball in his direction. "Catch!"

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper looked up, startled, and tossed his book into the grass as he caught the ball to the stomach, falling back into the water. "Hey!" He protested, sitting up and shaking the water from his hair. "Are you trying to kill me?" He whined, standing with the ball under his arm and pushing his wet hair back out of his eyes. "I was attempting to study, you know," He chided, though he wasn't really angry. He trudged out of the water before kicking the ball back to the other Jasper.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper roared with laughter and then cheered when he saw he had hit Jasper in the stomach and made him fall into the water. "GOAAAAL!" He called, raising his hands into the air in celebration. Then he headed closer to the lake to help Jasper out of the water, though he stopped when it was clear the boy could make his way out of the water himself. "Nah, if I had been trying to kill you I wouldn't have used a ball." He said with a grin. "That was a pretty impressive dive, though. Very elegant." He joked, stopping the ball with his foot as the boy kicked it back to him. "Uh, are you very cold now?" He added a little sheepishly, remembering the water was probably still pretty cold this time of year.

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper rolled his eyes, wringing water out of his shirt. "Freezing. I should tattle to Lily," He grinned impishly. "It would be fun to see her scold you again." He teased, undoing his tie and tossing it into the grass. "Alright, come on," He trotted away from the water and back towards the grass. "You got my attention now, let us play," He clapped his hands and rolled his neck as he turned to face Jasper again.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper shrugged. "Go ahead, she'll understand I scored an awesome goal by kicking you in." He boasted, though he wasn't so sure about that. He hadn't even really known Jasper knew Lily that well, though he wasn't surprised. He was surprised when the Gryffindor agreed to play with him, as he tended to be a bit of a grump in Jasper's experience. He grinned, kicking the ball up into the air before letting it drop into the ground again. "It's on." He said, then kicked the ball at Jasper's feet quickly.

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper smirked. "Is that so? I seem to recall someone being scolded in the middle of class when Etienne smacked himself with a broom and someone else laughed at him." He chuckled. "I also recall someone slapping Tyler for insulting Elliot. For such a soft girl, she's surprisingly bold. I think she got it from her sister. You have met the youngest Lockwood, have you not?" He grinned, teasing Jasper lightly. "I think she would be the one that punched you," He caught the ball easily, batting it around a bit before kicking it back. "I like the brother better. Ren? He's a Gryffindor, much more laid back. He reminds me more of Lily, only he draws instead of baking."

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper snorted as Jasper started to bring up all the times Lily had scolded him, and was honestly surprised at how much he knew about Lily's family. "What are you, her fanboy? How do you remember all this so well?" He asked skeptically. "And who told you about her sister? That wasn't what happened." He lied, rolling his eyes. "It wasn't a punch." He stopped the ball with his foot and shrugged. "I don't know her brother." He muttered. He hadn't known Jasper was close enough to Lily to know all this family history, and it was kind of annoying him for some reason.

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper chuckled. "Family friends. The eldest Lockwood cousin adores my older cousin, so Sapphire made sure when Ren and Rose were put in Gryffindor to tell Onyx and I to watch out for them." He shrugged. "I am more familiar with the Gryffindors- Ren, Rose, and Arthur. The Ravenclaws I do not know as well, Avaria and Emily. I feel a little sorry for Lily- she is alone in Hufflepuff. Though there is Elliot, I suppose." He smirked lightly, running his hand through his hair. "Amaya makes sure I know who is related to who where she thinks it matters. Am I correct that you have some cousin or the other in Ravenclaw?" He questioned.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper nodded when Jasper told him they were family friends. He only vaguely knew Rose, but didn't really know Ren or Arthur. "I know Emily a bit." He admitted with a shrug. Jasper scowled. "It doesn't matter if you're the only one in your family in a certain house, if you have friends you can rely on, and Lily has those." He said, mostly meaning himself. He nodded at the question. "I do have a cousin in Ravenclaw, but also one in Gryffindor in the same year and an older one in Hufflepuff." He said, though he didn't expect Jasper to know them. "But let's play instead of talk about boring stuff." He added, kicking the ball back at him.

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper smirked a little as the other Jasper kicked the ball back, catching it easily. "Careful, Jas, I might think you like Lily," He kicked the ball around a bit before sending it back. "She is pretty cute, with those big blue eyes. I prefer Ravenclaws myself, though. I actually just asked Arinna to be my girlfriend," He smiled widely. "You are the cool one, how do you impress girls?" He inquired, shooting the other boy a large smile.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper flushed as Jasper accused him of liking Lily, and he kicked the ball back hard. "Do NOT." He said with a glare. "She's my friend. That's all." He added quickly. "You sound like you like her." He added as Jasper described her as cute. He blinked as Jasper said he'd asked someone to be his girlfriend. "Who?" He asked, trying to remember if they had a girl with that name in their year. He snorted when Jasper said he was the cool one, sure the boy was just making fun of him. "I don't know. I haven't had a girlfriend." He said, making it sound like something ridiculous.

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper almost laughed as Jasper kicked the ball back. "Oh my gods, you do like Lily," He almost laughed. "Oh, Jas... that is not good." He shook his head, catching the ball easily and kicking it around. He grinned as Jasper asked who Arinna was. "Arinna Desai. She is a Ravenclaw a year above us." He stated simply, kicking the ball back. His brow furrowed. "Well... you could have," He told Jasper honestly.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper frowned and put his foot on the ball, crossing his arms. "No." He said. "I don't." He had definitely liked Lily, and maybe that feeling wasn't totally gone, but at least he knew better than to think about it. He wouldn't risk their friendship. Jasper shrugged as the other boy explained who his girlfriend was. "I don't know her." He said carelessly. He then frowned in confusion at Jasper's next words, keeping his foot on the ball. "What are you on about?"

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper hesitated, shaking his head. "I do not really like assuming things. Kick the ball back, come on, it is nothing." He tried to hedge. Lily was dating Clifton now. Telling Jasper what he had heard was probably just going to be painful. Or it would be nothing, he wasnt sure.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper crossed his arms. "You don't like assuming things but you're assuming I like Lily." He argued. "What are you talking about?" He wasn't going to let this go easily. Jasper always acted so superior, and now he wanted to know what the boy was hinting at. This whole conversation had made him feel uneasy.

 

[Jasper Michaels]

Jasper stuck his hands in his pockets, fidgeting nervously. "I was only trying to tease you a bit," He replied, looking out over the water. "I... I am not entirely certain. But... a few days after the last Valentines dance..." Jasper sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was having lunch with the twins, and Avaria came over to see Sapphire. Apparently, Lily was upset and Avaria wanted Sapphire's advice on how to help. All Avaria knew was that Lily had gotten a rose, and the boy she liked actually spoke to her. Lily said that he kissed her, but before she could tell him how she felt he took it back, and it hurt her. She was worried that he would not want to be her friend anymore but she would not tell Avaria who it was." Jasper sighed, looking up to Jasper. "There are only three people in the entire class that Lillian would be afraid of losing, and two of them are dating each other."

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper frowned as he listened to the other boy's story, trying to keep track of it. He felt himself freeze up when he mentioned what Lily had apparently said, though he had to remind himself that this was a third-hand account at best. He qas silent for a long moment, then he grabbed the ball and tucked it under his arm. "And you claimed you don't like to make assumptions." He spat at Jasper. "I didn't kiss her, so it's obviously not me." He lied. He turned away. "Maybe you should mind your own business." He added, before walking away. His mind was reeling with the information, but he couldn't ignore one important aspect of this all. It could be him, but it also could be someone else. He knew that Lily had gotten a rose from someone else last year too, and it was possible she kissed someone else too... so maybe that was it? But it was perhaps too much of a coincidence. He felt anxious and uncertain, and headed back to the castle where he could puzzle this over on his own. Even if Jasper was right about it being about him, he knew that he'd messed up badly. There was no way she still liked him, if she ever had.