Open Some Much Needed Down Time

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

(Open after @Hunter Robinson Posts)

Emmaline had been beyond focused on her classes lately. She had spent every night up late reading her textbooks and almost every free minute taking notes. This young Gryffindor was determined to succeed her at Hogwarts, but she could tell she was already getting a little burnt out. This morning she woke up at her desk using a Charms textbook as a pillow. That was enough for her to realize she needed to get out a little and clear her head. But where to go? Emmaline had made a point to want to explore the castle and map out all the passageways, but even that seemed like work right now to the brunette. Instead, she needed something calmer. Nature always calmed her down. Plus she had seen the killer view of the lake from the top of the towers her first week here. The lake seemed like the perfect place.

Emmaline gave Nova a little kiss on the kitten's nose. "I'll see you soon Nova." Emmaline said to the young kitten who was sleeping on her bed cuddled up in a cocoon of blankets. Nova gave a little 'meow' and went right back to sleep. Smiling at her new little friend, Emmaline quietly walked out of her dorm room, letting her feet take charge of where she was going. The lakefront was actually a quick walk. The young Gryffindor stopped almost out of breath from the view in front of her. Yes the lake looked amazing from above in the towers, but up close, Emmaline could even see the glisten of the water, the slight movement of the wind hitting the lake. It was beautiful, to put it lightly.

Emmaline swung her bag off her shoulder and unzipped it, revealing a comfortable blanket she had brought from her room. She laid it down neatly on the ground next to the lake. Zipping her bag back up, the young Gryffindor threw it aside and took a seat on the fuzzy blanket. It certainly would need washed after this since the ground was slightly muddy, but Emmaline did not care. It was worth it for a moment of relaxation. Laying down on the oversized blanket, Emmaline closed her blue eyes. She listened to the noise around her and focused on her breathing. Now this is what I needed. She thought enjoying the peace and quiet. It reminded her very much of when she would sneak out at home after putting River to sleep. Although Emmaline was outgoing, she would say at least, she did love some time to just be in her own thoughts.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter was just leaving the lake with some people from his house when he saw a girl sitting on a blanket, it seemed like the girl from his Charms class that partnered up with him. He told his friends to go on without him as he wanted to speak to someone who was there.

Hunter came from behind the Gryffindor girl, he didn't wanna scare her but he was being kinda sneaky so he was probably going to unintentionally. He got closer as he kept walking, he didn't knew what to say to her since he didn't knew her name.When he got closer to her he noticed she was with her eyes closed.

"Very calming isn't it? I just wonder how you can truly appreciate the view with your closed" he said with a chuckle and looking at the horizon, one hand covering his eyes so the sun wouldn't directly hit them.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline had completely cleared her mind of all her thoughts and worries. She, for once, was not overwhelmed with everything she had to do to keep up this perfect illusion. Instead, she was living the moment as it was. Perfect She thought to herself taking another deep breath, listening to the noises around her. She heard students talking, birds chirping, and the slight sound of the lake as if their were fish jumping out of the water. She felt the breeze blowing her wavy hair around slightly. With just how comfortable the young girl was, she wondered if she would fall asleep, nap here right by the lake front.

However, her silence was broken when she heard a student's voice closer to her than expected. Emmaline jumped slightly, almost as if she had experienced one of those dreams where she was falling. The voice jolted her back into reality as she opened her blue eyes. It took a minute for Emmaline to readjust to the world around her as she sat up, running her hands through her hair and looking up at the familiar boy.

"Oh hey." She said with a small laugh as she recognized the boy. This was the Hufflepuff boy who had been her partner in Charms. "Way to sneak up on a girl!" She added joking with the boy. Emmaline usually did not startle easily, but she almost was never this relax either. "It's a pretty stellar view, isn't it?" Emmaline said looking towards the lake. She had always wanted a lake in her backyard, now in a way she had that. "I guess I was imagining a view just as amazing in my head." She added knowing that sounded lame. Sometimes Emmaline was not sure why she said the things she did. "So what brings you out this way, other than scaring innocent Charms Partners?" She asked the young boy. "Oh and you are more than welcome to take a seat. This blanket is massive." She added spreading the blanket out neater in case the boy chose to sit for awhile.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter couldn't help but smile and chuckle when he saw the girl jumping, it was obvious that she was going to react like that as she seemed lost inside her own head and thoughts.
"Sorry, didn't meant to startle you" he said still laughing, he turned his head around looking at her properly for the first time since he arrived. She broke the gaze turning her head to look at the lake and Hunter did the same after.
He decided not to answer the girl's question as he thought it was a rhetorical one, she concluded saying she was imagining it in her head. Hunter couldn't exactly do that, he wasn't the most imaginative person besides he couldn't imagine all the details that reality had but imagination also lets you add some more things that are not there actually making it usually look nicer than it real is, so it has its perks.
"Oh I actually made my ultimate goal to scare you, like scary movie type of scare so yeah just here for you" he said trying to be serious but he couldn't hold his laugh for much "I'm just kidding, I was here with some friends from my House, we were right there" the Hufflepuff boy said pointing at a spot on the shore of the lake nearby "Just enjoying the view and the water, which is very cold by the way, I was taking notes on some pretty plants that I was seeing since I signed up to the Wild Patch Club and I just wanna start impressing them with my notes and knowledge".
He then accepted the Gryffindor girl invitation and took a seat beside her in the blanket, it was a fluffy blanket coloured with a red palette, probably she took it from her room. He then grabbed his bag and started unzipping it, he took a tupperware and opened it, holding it out to the girl "Want some? We went to buy some cakes earlier and I brought these cuties, we Hufflepuffs are morning people" he said winking at her "I don't know if you ever had any, they are called Cauldron Cakes. I had one earlier and it was just the best. Take one, they are still warm"

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline rolled her eyes playfully as the Hufflepuff boy mentioned he wanted to scare her like a scary movie. He was funny. Emmaline enjoyed the company of individuals that had a good sense of humor. "You need to add your own scary movie soundtrack next time. Add something to the jump scare." Emmaline said with a small laugh. "If I don't hear the Jaws soundtrack next time you try to scare me, I'll be sorely disappointed." She added with a laugh and warm smile.

Emmaline glanced over to the direction that Hunter pointed to. She listened as he explained he was hanging out with friends and also taking notes on plants. Emmaline nodded gently as the boy spoke. It was nice to hear about his interests. Emmaline had never really known much about plants. She could always determine what was a beautiful flower, but nothing more than that. "So you're going to my go-to person when I start Herbology classes next semester." Emmaline said. The young Gryffindor tucked a piece of of hair behind her ear as the breeze once again blew it out of place.

Emmaline scooted over slightly making room for the boy as he sat down next to her. She did not want him to feel crowded. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as the young boy took out some sort of tupperware. Curiously, she turned to listen to him. He had brought cauldron cakes, a dessert Emmaline had not had before. She had of course heard of them and seen them in shops, but her family never really had extra money for sweets. "I would love one!" She said excitedly reaching into the container to take an adorable little sweet. "I've never had one, but I'm always up for something new." She said holding the cake in her hands feeling the warmth of the sweet on her palm. "Thank you! It's like a little picnic" She said happily. This day was not as she had planned, however it was a great way to keep her mind off all the classes and work she had to do to stay on her path.

Emmaline took a small bite of the cake she was given. Instantly she knew she could get used to this. Covering her mouth with her other hand as she chewed the dessert, she swallowed happily feeling a slightly warmth in her stomach. "Now these I could eat all day!" She said as she took another bit of the cauldron cake.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

"Wouldn't the music kill the element of surprise and just give me away" Hunter said laughing and taking a mental note to download the music from Jaws for the next time they get together.
"Way to go, taking advantage of our friendship to get better grades at Herbology" he said teasing the girl, of course he wouldn't mind to help her "I actually already have Herbology this semester so I presume you'll learn the same that I am learning right now. What about you? What Is your best subject, besides Charms which I've already seen that you rock at" he said. He made a throwback on his head of when he first started to be into plants, it all started when his neighbour, Mrs. Jackson, asked his parents to watch over her precious orchid while she was in vacation, she said they should talk to the plant and take her to the park for a 'walk' which was very strange considering it was a plant but Hunter talked to it for hours and actually started making some research on how to take better care of it. When she arrived Mrs. Jackson taught him the basics about gardening and suddenly he started to loving plants, Hunter was really glad that there was not only a class but also a club dedicated to plants.
"Have you ever tried something from the wizarding world?" Hunter asked, he knew that some people were from muggle families so not every student knew their way around wizarding world foods "I come from a muggle family so, this is also my first try trying these". He smiled when the girl mentioned picnics, he loved picnics even though he didn't make as many as he would like to.
"I'd seriously advise you not to. If you eat them all day you'll end up with a huge bellyache. The food might be magical but the effects are the same as in the muggle word" he said chuckling like he had just invented the joke of the century.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline couldn't help but smile at the young boy's comments. For a moment, Emmaline worried that Hunter was serious about her taking advantage of him, but luckily that fear disappeared as she noticed the teasing tone. It was a pity that Hunter was already taking Herbology. Emmaline could always use more friends in her classes. Although that may actually make her lose focus, depending on the friend. Emmaline could not afford to lose focus. The pressure of classes really were a bit much for this young girl who still was not doing enough to make her mother completely happy.

The topic of classes continued as Emmaline thought about the classes she was taking so far. She blushed slightly at the compliment. "To be honest, the class I really wanted to take was Astronomy." Emmaline said wishing she did have Astronomy this semester. Sadly she would have to wait. "Nothing better than looking at the stars." Emmaline said thoughtfully. "I used to sneak out all the time back home once River was asleep and just lay on the roof watching the stars." Emmaline explained thinking back to her home momentarily. There were good times at home too even thought Emmaline often thought of the pressures that she had to deal with in her home life.

"But out of the classes I'm taking, Potions isn't too bad." Emmaline said thinking about her last potions class when she had to take a prank potion. It was not what she pictured a class to be, but she had more fun than she expected it. "Last class we had to test Prank Potions. I couldn't stop speaking in poetry the whole class." She explained smiling at the thought. Emmaline looked out over at the lake view for a moment. It really did take her mind off everything.

"So" She began again looking over at the young Hufflepuff Boy. "Is Herbology your favourite this semester or has another class stolen your heart?" She asked with smiling. She was curious how everyone else was managing in their classes. Probably not taking them too seriously like Emmaline was doing. A lot of her peers were not even doing the homework assignments, which honestly made Emmaline cringe at the thought of just coasting by in life.

Emmaline listened as the conversation turned to the delicious sweets. Emmaline laughed along with Hunter as he joked about the effects of the cauldron cakes. "I have had wizarding things before. My family does have magic, but we didn't really use it much." Emmaline began not quite sure how to explain her lack of enjoying the 'extras' in life. "We don't have a lot in our budget for sweets..you know.. no big deal." Emmaline said softly looking back out to the lake. She hated talking about money issues. She never wanted anyone to pity what she had missed growing up, instead she wanted to overcome it. Her mother worked hard and gave her and her sister what they needed. It was enough for Emmaline,

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter was really happy to hear that she was looking forward to Astronomy, he didn't have Astronomy either this semester so the chances of them being together in that class would be extremely high "I don't have Astronomy either so maybe we'll take it together" he said looking at her "I've heard the professor takes the students out to see the stars at night". Hunter was a guy that usually was carried by his dreams and if it was one thing that made him believe dreams could come true were stars, he never really understood why but stars always gave him hope, hope of a better future. "Who is River?" he asked noticing the girl opening up to him a bit but he didn't mean to pry.

Hunter thought a bit about her question about other subjects taking over his heart "I'm really looking forward to Divination you know? We'll only have it in a couple of years but I'm still excited. But if I had to choose one that I'm taking now maybe Transfiguration, the professor is an Animagus" he said remembering his first class when he saw a dog inside the classroom "He can turn into a Husky, imagine our surprise entering the classroom and see a dog in a teacher's vest" he said laughing remembering all the student's faces thinking that it was insane that the class would be given by a dog. Hunter figured the animagus thing pretty quickly but for a second he also had his doubts.

Hunter felt bad when the girl told him that her family was struggling with money. She wasn't the first person he met like that and if he learned something was that those people didn't like other people to feel sorry or anything because that would make them feel worse and everyone would look them differently, so Hunter just tried to joke about it and play it cool "Good thing you met me then, I'm making our mission trying all the sweets from the wizarding world. I'm gonna treat you with the sweetest things, starting by me of course" Hunter laughed, maybe that had been too flirty but honestly he didn't care.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

The thought of having Hunter as a friend during classes was starting to grow on the young Gryffindor. He seemed to have his head on straight, maybe it would be helpful. Plus Emmaline had always been a loner when it came to her nights watching the stars. It might be more enjoyable with someone by her side. This thought was new to the young girl, but it did not worry her as much as she would have expected. "That would be amazing!" Emmaline said looking up at the blue sky above wishing it was already full of stars. "I'd have to bore you with all the constellations I know though." She said with a small laugh turning to the boy. She wondered if she would bother him. Honestly Emmaline did not know exactly how this friendship thing worked. She had school friends before, but never anyone she hung out with outside classes, not really. She was always too busy to socialize like that.

"Oh" Emmaline said as she realized she had opened up a little bit without giving this boy too much back story. "River is my younger sister. She turns ten this year." Emmaline explained thinking back to her perfect little sister, always following mother's orders. Emmaline did not have room to judge, she constantly did the same thing. The difference is River never really seemed to mind. Even though she was but a year younger, Mother treated River like the baby of the family, always putting the major responsibilities on Emmaline. "She'll be coming to Hogwarts next year, hopefully" Emmaline said with a soft smile. She missed her sister, but she was enjoying this freedom of being her own person. She worried once River was here, Emmaline would once again have to fall into 'big sister' mode and constantly worry about her younger sister's well being. "Do you have any siblings?" She asked curiously.

Emmaline listened to Hunter as he describe his excitement for Divination. Divination was not even a topic Emmaline had considered. She believed it had to do with telling the future in various ways, an intriguing but scary idea. Emmaline wasn't sure she wanted to know her future, she was so busy preparing for it constantly, it would break her heart if it did not turn out as expected. However, the young girl knew she would take the class when available. As scary as it was, it was another class that Emmaline could add to her School history.

However, Transfiguration sounded exciting. The young Gryffindor let out a loud laugh at the image of a dog in teacher's clothing. She had not learned much about animagus yet, but she was excited about the idea. How amazing would it be to turn into an animal? Emmaline would turn into a cat like Nova. That way she could spend more time with her beloved kitten. "Now that sounds like a cool class" Emmaline agreed wondering if you had to be born with that power or if you could discover it later on. It was something Emmaline was certainly going to add to her list of research to do.

Emmaline was relieved Hunter did not make a big deal of Emmaline's last comment about money. She never really wanted anyone to make a big deal of it. So what if everything she had was second-hand ,except her wand of course. That was one big purchase Emmaline cherished. She looked over at Hunter and gave a big smile. "I'll hold you too that! I have a big sweet tooth, just fair warning!" She said with a laugh. She was excited about the idea of being able to enjoy the non-essential things in life, but she would find a way to make it up to Hunter, even if she had to get a job when she was old enough.

The young Gryffindor rolled her eyes playfully at Hunter's last comment though. He definitely did have a good sense of humor. "We've got to hang out a bit more before I decide if you're sweet or not" Emmaline said jokingly, giving the young boy a small playful nudge. "So far so good though" She adding sticking out her tongue.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter looked at the girl, he could see the excitement in her eyes as she talked about astronomy "You won't bore me don't worry" he said laughing, he thought that it would be interesting to see her next semester in astronomy classes, he could see the Gryffindor girl in her element and he couldn't to see how much she knew of astronomy.

Hunter was surprised to hear of a sister but he was kind of excited when she mentioned that River was coming to Hogwarts next year, Hunter couldn't wait to meet her, he wondered how similar River and her were, both physically and psychologically. He hoped River was as cool as her sister, maybe she could even join them and eat all the cakes and sweets she never had. "Nah, I don't have siblings. I got an extremely extended family, lots of cousins but no siblings. Christmas at my place is crazy with everyone there." he says with a chuckle thinking about that time when his cousin Hope fell onto Christmas tree.

Hunter laughed at the girl's commentary "Don't worry, I think there are enough sweets to keep you busy for a long time" he said. He was really enjoying his time with her and he was not ready to leave to go to class, he wished for that moment to last forever, no worries, no responsibilities, cauldron cakes. "What do you mean you have to decide if I'm sweet or not?! I'm the kind of person that if I eat sugar I get diabetes just from how naturally sweet I am!" he said with a joke tone. He was really having a good time.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline smiled brightly as Hunter said she would not bore him. That was always good to know. Emmaline worried about people's impressions of her; her mother had ingrained that well. Even the thought of someone thinking poorly of her made Emmaline a little nervous. Out of habit, she smoothed out her uniform and adjusted her hair back into place. Between sitting on this blanket and the nice breeze blowing, Emmaline knew her appearance was perfect, strands of hair were out of place and her uniform had wrinkled slightly. Something the young girl made sure to fix before she continued with the conversation. How can everything be perfect if you are not perfect She thought, those words, her mothers words, always in the back of her mind. Even at Hogwarts, she could not shake the life motto her family had for so long lived by.

It was not hard to get lost in the conversation though. Hunter seemed to momentarily get lost in a memory of his family's Christmas. Holidays were always such a happy time, if not stressful. Emmaline enjoyed seeing another perspective. Although she was a little curious about Hunter being an only child. Emmaline had always wondered if her life would be different if she was an only child. She loved her sister dearly and would never trade her for the world, but the young girl had to wonder if everything would be different. Maybe there was a reality out there that Emmaline was an only child and her father had stayed with her mother. Maybe alternate timeline had them as the happy family of three. Honestly Emmaline liked how it was now, in this moment. She loved her little family, even if they had their issues. Didn't everyone?

Emmaline laughed at Hunter's comment. Once again she could not help but smile at her new friend, were they friends? Emmaline hoped. "Well I have to say if you're that sweet, maybe a wizarding world dessert tour isn't the best idea" The young Gryffindor said playfully. She knew she would soon have to go back to her work, but she was enjoying this moment. It was not often that she had good company and no worries. It almost felt selfish. She would have to get back to work soon. If not she would fall behind, she was sure of it.

But this view was amazing, Emmaline looked out at the lake. "Do you think there are mermaids in there?" Emmaline asked randomly not sure why the thought crossed her mind. She did not know much about another in that Lake other than rumors she had heard. Rumors were always hard to believe without evidence though. They did make Emmaline curious though. There were always surprises here at Hogwarts. Emmaline honestly could not wait to discover them all.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter was smiling from seeing the girl so happy, in Charms class she seemed a bit...restless? No, no, not restless. Serious? No, not serious either. She seemed focused, like she had a goal and she wasn't gonna stray from it and now he was meeting a whole other side, a way more outgoing and social side of her. Hunter was enjoying that side of her quite a lot.
He was intrigued by the girl's question on mermaids so he took off his shoes, put his socks inside the shoes and since he was already wearing shorts he didn't need to pull them up in order to not get them wet.

He got up from the blanket and decided to walk into the water, he kept walking in the lake till the water almost reached his knees. He looked back to the girl who had stayed in the blanket and smiled at her giving her a a thumbs up. Hunter took a deep breath and put his face underwater. "Mermaids are you there?" he screamed inside the water. He got up again and waited, waited, waited but his answer was silence.

He walked back to the girl "The mermaids either find me intimidatingly attractive or they don't exist" he said chuckling. He then proceeded to shake his head because some of his hair was wet, he did purposely to splash the girl with a bit of water. He opened his bag and took out his beach towel so he could dry his legs and feet before sitting down in the blanket.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline watched almost in disbelief as Hunter began to take off his shoes and socks. At first she could not figure out what the boy was doing, but it soon became obvious as he made his way towards the lake. No way! Emmaline thought to herself as a fit of giggles left her mouth. This boy was definitely something. He almost had no fear. The lake had to be cold, it wasn't the sunniest of the days. At least it wasn't a frozen lake, however, Emmaline was not sure if Hunter would do the same even if it was.

The blue eyed girl watched as Hunter walked into the lake about knee deep. She had to give him credit, not many people would be so bold. It was a pleasant surprise for sure as the Gryffindor girl could barely contain her smile, laughing so much her stomach almost began to hurt. Her cheeks definitely started to become sore from the constant grinning. Two things Emmaline could not stop even if she wanted to. Almost all her worries were gone about school as she observed the young Hufflepuff boy call out to the mermaids.

For a moment, Emmaline hoped one would simply pop up, the chances were completely slim, but there was still a chance, maybe. The young girl honestly wasn't even sure if mermaids were real. She had read about them in books, even textbooks, but she had never seen one with her own eyes. There was only silence to the young boy's calls, expected. Emmaline was not even disappointed, she was impressed. A look she was not able to hide at the moment.

Once Hunter returned to their little 'picnic' area, Emmaline couldn't help but be at a slight loss for words, something that rarely happened to this first year Gryffindor. Before she could express herself, Hunter began to shake his head spraying water in every direction. The young girl attempted to cover her face from the water, but it was no use. He had gotten her hair and uniform slightly wet in the process. Normally Emmaline would instantly fret about this. Her hair was going to frizz up and her uniform would wrinkle, but for the first time in as long as Emmaline could remember, she just laughed it out. "You are crazy, you know that!" She said with a smile and a small shaking of her head.

She watched as the young boy took out a beach towel from his bag. Bold and Prepared She thought briefly, as she ran her fingers through her hair out of habit more than concern. "I cannot believe you just did that. Looks like your prepared though! Do you always travel thinking you'll be searching for mythical creatures?" She asked jokingly.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

The Hufflepuff boy looked at her with his messy hair and with his eyes slightly closed from the spontaneous will of the sun to shine brighter. As he closed his eyes a bit more his mouth made an involuntary smile in his face so it seemed like he was always smiling.
"I'd be lying if I said you are the first calling me that. I like to thing crazy people are the best and it's a fact. Tell me you wouldn't like to befriend Alice from Alice in Wonderland? She was completely coocoo inside" he said giving her a smile, even though he did not know if it was noticeable if his voluntary smile could be noticed by her.
Hunter leans back supporting himself on his forearms and enjoying the spontaneous change of mood of the sun "Oh yeah definitely. Usually I dive in a lot of lakes you know, every girl asks me if the lake has magical creatures whenever there's a lake around. It's like the lakes follow me!" he says trying to be as serious as possible. He then runs his fingers through his hair hoping it would make it less messy and it would take it from his eyes and eventually laughs "No, like I said I was in the lake with some friends. I prepared for the lake. It's like going to the beach and not bringing a volleyball ball or not building sandcastles or not burying someone in the sand or make a hole under someone's towel just so when they come back to lay down they fall inside it. And besides it's always good to be prepared, but don't think I carry beach towels often, that would be weird" he says laughing.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline smiled as Hunter mentioned Alice in Wonderland. This was a book, as well as 'Through the Looking Glass, that Emmaline had read to River during their nightly book readings. Each night Emmaline would read a chapter or two to River, depending on the intensity of the chapter and the sleepiness of her younger sister. "We're all mad here." Emmaline said taking one of the more commonly known quotes to heart. The idea of everyone being crazy in their own way was exciting to the young Gryffindor. She often wondered if she would find her own wonderland one day, Hogwarts seemed pretty close, just more stressful in a way that this Wonderland determined her whole future. "I would definitely follow Alice through the rabbit hole without a second thought. Its one of my favorite books." Emmaline added

Emmaline rolled her eyes playfully at Hunter as he spoke about lakes always following him. "Well I'm glad i'm not the only girl curious about the depths of the lakes and what they contain." she said with a bright smile. She was not sure why she was so content right now. It was just so nice to be doing nothing for a change, no requirements, no standards to follow. Emmaline could just be herself.

She listened to Hunter's description about being prepared, smiling at all the activities that he listed. Emmaline had never buried someone in sand or played a prank on anyone. She had always had to have a sense of seriousness around her, she was a big sister, a caretaker. She knew she had a lot she still needed to experience in life, in childhood. This was her chance.

Emmaline leaned back, resting on her elbows as she looked out at the view in front of her. For a moment she was lost in thought, in this moment of time. She felt the sun on her face and let out a content sigh. "I definitely need to get out more" she said more to herself than Hunter. The young Gryffindor hoped she meant this statement, deep down she knew it was true, but she was not sure if she could follow through.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter could help but smile with the girls words, she was strange and she had a vision of the world like she had never seen the world before and everything was new and exciting, Hunter liked that. There weren't a lot of things that spiked his interest like that so he admired that quality in her.
"Yeah if you are here to study that won't last long. Eventually your curiosity will take the best of you and make you go explore everything, so make sure to keep your curiosity fed once in a while and explore some parts you haven't before. Try sweets you never tried before" he said nudging her should and giving her a teasing look.
Hunter sat down there in a silence for a bit, he sighted, "What's your name after all? We've been together twice now and you haven't even told me your name"

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline smiled as Hunter nudged her playfully. He was right and she knew it. Her curiosity of this huge school was getting the best of her, her determination to do well always winning out. But how long could this young Gryffindor fight her two worlds. She did have to 'let her hair down' sometimes and just enjoy the day. She appreciated the boy for his help seeing that. Now she just hoped she would follow through. If I have the right company Emmaline thought happily. It did seem like things were falling into place, in a way.

Emmaline's mouth fell open slightly when she realized she had never introduced herself. I'm such an idiot She thought running her hand through her hair. All this time Emmaline thought she was making a good impression and here she was not even telling her new friend her own name. "I'm Emmaline" She said turning to the boy and extending out her hand for a proper handshake. It seemed only right considering the introduction took this long. "Emmaline Hopkins-Vance if you need the full name." She said with a small laugh. She knew her name was a mouthful, but it fit her in a way no other name could.

"You can call me Em though. It's easy." She added. Emmaline was not always fond of nicknames. She absolutely hated the nickname Emma, but Em was starting to grow on the young Gryffindor. It was a nickname that still seemed to fit her personality. "I'm sorry it took this long for a proper introduction. Usually I'm not this brain-missing." She said with a small smile. Maybe she had been taking on a little too much lately.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

"Hey don't worry about it" he said. He had some sort of vibe from the girl that she would probably overthink this moment and keep putting herself down saying how stupid she had been for not presenting herself "Happens to the best of us, besides you only wanted to keep the mystery going a little longer" he said chuckling.
Emmaline was the best company he had in a while, he wished to stay stuck in this moment and don't go to class but everything that's good has to end but he tried not to think about it.
"So what are your plans for the future? I definitely see you as the type of person who would work at the Ministry, no offense, it's just that you seem very...responsible" Hunter said doing a weird face like he was repulsed by the word responsible. He was still unsure of his future and he was also just a first year so he had a lot of time to discover that but Emmaline striked him as the type who had her whole future planned out to the tiniest detail.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline smiled almost shyly as Hunter told her not to worry about forgetting to introduce herself. It did make her feel better about the situation, simply because she had the feeling that Hunter was being honest. He seemed like a very trustworthy person, to tell the true, even if he did have a slightly sarcastic sense of humor. Letting out a sigh, Emmaline tried to forget her mistake, which was difficult for this young Gryffindor girl. One step out of line of being 'perfect', and her world began to collapse.

Laughing slightly at his comment about wanting to keep the mystery alive, Emmaline flashed a smile. "Unraveling my plans I see." She said in a playful tone. She tried to make light of the situation. She would dwell on her mistakes later, as of now she wanted to keep enjoying this moment. The young girl just had to push it out of her mind, momentarily.

This was rather easy to do as Hunter asked about her future. The young Gryffindor rolled her eyes playfully. when he made such a face about being responsible. Responsibilities were Emmaline's life whether taking care of her sister, helping her mother run the home when she was off working, or making sure she was the 'perfect' daughter. Emmaline had never really know what it was like to not be responsible. "I've always been told if you make an odd face, it will freeze like that." She joked sticking out her tongue at the young boy. Emmaline knew it was only a tale mothers told children to keep them from making faces, in Emmaline's case rolling her eyes. But the image of Hunter stuck with that face, frozen forever, made her laugh a little harder.

As the escaped laughter stopped, Emmaline closed her eyes for a moment, picturing her future. She knew she was constantly working towards this future of success, but the final goal had never quite been outlined for her. "My mother would be thrilled if I worked for the Ministry." Emmaline said not sure how she felt about this, but the underlying tone was clear Emmaline did not think she would find this job enjoyable, successful yes, but not enjoyable. Did that even matter? She wondered to herself opening her eyes to turn to Hunter once again. "Personally..." She began not sure if she should even utter these words aloud, certainly her mother would not approve of Emmalines 'hobby' becoming her career. However, she trusted Hunter for some odd reason, even though they had only met a handful of times.

"Personally I think I'd like to design clothes" She said quickly almost embarrassed. Fashion was important to maintain appearance, but she knew her mother would not want a fashion designer daughter. "But you know.. We have a long time to decide." She added knowing the future always felt closer when she was constantly worried about it. "What about you?" She asked trying to sound casual, not thinking about her own admittance of truth. "What does your future look like?" She asked genuinely curious.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter never heard of the 'you'll freeze like that' expression for when u make a silly face but if that was somehow true Hunter wasn't really worried because he knew that even doing weird faces he still looked cute.
"Maybe you'll get the chance to freeze my face like that once you learn Immobulus" he said teasing the girl, he looked at her and winked "Now you have something to look forward" he said not being able to contain his laughter.
Hunter was right, if her mother wished she worked for the Ministry than she certainly was somehow pressured a bit or maybe her family just had high hopes for her, whatever it was Hunter didn't really cared. In his opinion everyone should follow whatever they want, with or without parenting approval "If you wanna make clothes then go for it!" Hunter said with a serious look "It actually would be helpful if I had something to help me with my closet and that would mean training to you! Even better! I dare you to design and make a t-shirt for me untill the end of year. You can even give it to me in the final banquet. Deal?" he said to the Gryffindor girl with a daring look, if he calculated things right she would be too proud to turn down a challenge to prove herself.
Hunter gave the girl'squestion some thought, he didn't even knew what he wanted to be, he was just going with the flow "To answer your question, you'll be the first to know how my future looks like once we start having Divination" he said joking "But I don't know. Like you said, we have enought time to decide"

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline laughed as Hunter suggested using an immobulus charm to freeze his face like that. "Don't tempt me or that will be the next charm I learn about. I could also use a practice dummy" She said teasing him playfully. Emmaline had not gotten that far in her textbook, but she was excited to keep reading and learning the vast amount of charms that were available to the young witches and wizards.

The young girl could not remove the smile from her face even if she wanted to. It felt nice to have someone support her in something that she enjoyed doing; it made her heart almost flutter. She felt lucky that Hunter had not laughed at her idea for a future, even if it was only a dream.

She listened as he dared her to design a tee shirt for him. Interesting idea she thought as her head filled with ideas. It was almost as if the gears in her mind started to turn, working out a plan. "I'll take that deal." Emmaline said proudly. "But I need to learn more about you before I can design something for your own personal style." Emmaline said. Hunter had already hinted about meeting up at the end of the year. To Emmaline that meant he didn't mind having her around. Maybe she did finally gain a friend in this big school. Plus this did mean Emmaline would grow to know Hunter better; she was very curious about the boy.

Hunter expressed that he did not know what he wanted to do in the future, smiling at the Divination comment. It must be nice not to have a constant plan, worrying about what had to happen to reach this. Maybe some of this would rub off on Emmaline, she could definitely use some of Hunter's relaxed nature.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter laughed, even though it probably wouldn't be pleasingit would be really funny to see the girl casting immobulus on him, and she might even succeed based on his experience as his charms partner.

"I wouldn't want it any other way" Hunter said smiling back at her, a new shirt, a friend and and now the shirt would be personalised? What could a guy want more than that? "Just don't use yellow. Being a Hufflepuff I think that that would be too much of a stereotype" Hunter said at her teasing, he hoped she understood he didn't mind if it was yellow.

"But tell me, how does knowing me better will affect the shirt? Besides my favourite color I don't know how could somethimg else be useful" he said looking at the Gryffindor girl with a questioning look. The fashion world was definitely not a Hunter had dedicated much time and thought to, so he was completely lost in this topic "It's red by the way"

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline listened to Hunter as he described the Hufflepuff stereotype. Emmaline often wondered why Hunter was a Hufflepuff. This young girl did not believe the rumours around the school, but she did often hear Gryffindors in the common room picking on this house. She wasn't sure why and not meeting Hunter, she definitely did not agree. Maybe it is just house rivalry She thought moving the idea out of her mind. She had no room for prejudices in her life. She was in no potion to ever judge anyone, she knew what it felt like to be constantly under a microscope.

"So stay away from yellow and stick with reds" Emmaline repeated liking that she learned the boy's favourite color. That was her goal honestly. Less on what she needed to design yet his opinion did matter. More on getting to know her new friend. "I'll see if I can work my magic." Emmaline said with a smile. She knew it was a lame joke. Sometimes she just could not stop words from leaving her mouth. She knew she had to work on this, but it was difficult when sometimes her mind just worked too fast and her mouth followed suit.

Emmaline could tell that fashion was not Hunter's favourite thing in the world. Not many people this age cared about fashion at this age. They were only eleven after all. Emmaline had just always be forced to keep it in the back of her mind, always having to look and act perfect. With all the pressure, she had decided she wanted to be the one in charge, even a little bit of control. That was probably the reason she was drawn to the fashion world of design. Maybe it wasn't for the best, but the young girl could not control what interested her, she could only push those desires aside.

"Everyone has a style" Emmaline explained. She herself wore neat clothing with a slight edgy look. She loved to layer clothes even in the hottest of days. She gave Hunter a glance up and down, searching for an idea of what his style might be like. "So we are just going to have to become better friends so I can check you out" she said the words once more slipping from her mouth without a thought. "I mean like check your style out. Figure out what's best for you, you know?" She finished not sure why her words were failing her suddenly. Emmaline knew her first phrase did not sound just right. Embarrasing She thought to herself, her eyes glancing towards the lakefront.

 

[Hunter Robinson]

Hunter couldn't help but burst out laughing when he heard the girl mentioning she wanted to check him out "Woah woah, easy there Casanova" he said still unable to hold his laugh "If you wanna look at my pretty face you don't need to make excuses, you can just send me an owl saying you wanna see me cuz you miss me a lot" Hunter said exaggerating on the cheesyness on purpose. He enjoyed messing with the girl just to see her frustrated look, especially when she so quickly after tried to look cool and correct herself. She was probably panicking inside, the voices inside her head, like in the Inside Out movie, where probably running from one side to the other screaming with the panick alarm activated.
"Don't worry, I'm joking, I totally get what you meant" he said hoping he would make Em more calm "So what would you say my style is?" he said getting up so she could take a proper look.
He didn't really like to use his uniform when he wasn't in class so right now he was wearing some light coloured jean shorts, and a bomber red and white jacket, buttoned up because of the morning cold. He completed the look with some red Chuck Taylors and gave a twirl in front of Emmaline "Almost look more of a Gryffindor then you" he said joking.

 

[Professor Emmaline Hopkins]

Emmaline broke into a fit of giggles as Hunter reacted to her slip of tongue. At least he found it funny. Emmaline could really appreciate his sense of humor and ability to turn her mistakes into something laughable. The young boy always had a way to make her smile even though her head was full of concern with every mistake. "I'll make sure to send an owl next time I miss your adorable face." Emmaline said playfully as she stuck out her tongue at the boy. She wondered if in the future she would send an owl, just to see how Hunter reacted. She was curious to know, sort of testing her boundaires. After all, this friend situation was new to Emmaline. She had of course had friends, but never someone she could see whenever she wanted. Oh he is going to get so sick of me She thought, for once not completely serious in this thought.

Emmaline smiled as Hunter got up to show his outfit. He was not completely fashion-missing to be honest. That jacket was amazing, Emmaline could see herself wanting a jacket like that one day, maybe in black though. Emmaline could tell her style was getting more darker in color as she attended Hogwarts. She could experiment more, leaning less on what her mother required her to wear and more so what she wanted to wear. This, of course, did not include the uniform.

Emmaline thought about the young boy's question. What was his style. "Well I've got to say you can't go wrong with those shoes." She said honestly. "And your jacket..well just hope I don't steal that." She added with a playful smile. "I'd say you have sort of a preppy look with a nice tough of skater boy." She said with a small laugh. Emmaline was surely not good at this yet. She knew fashion. She knew what she enjoyed and thought was fashionable, but she was not yet good at determining fashions for individuals. She would have to work on that.

The young Gryffindor giggled slightly when Hunter mentioned he looked more like a Gryffindor than herself. "I guess I need more red and lions decals added to my wardrobe to even keep up with you!" She added. Emmaline enjoyed the house she was in, took pride in it, but was not as obsessed as some of the other students seemed to be. Maybe Emmaline did not quite sure why she was sorted into Gryffindor, or maybe she still felt like it was the wrong decision. She was not brave, not really.