Sunbathing

[Dymphna Butts]

It was a surprisingly warm day, and Dymphna was making the most of it. Blanket spread on the grass beneath her, she lay stretched out on her back, soaking up the blissful sunshine and letting her mind drift off to some peaceful place where exams didn't exist and her troubles seemed far off and unimportant. The birds were singing, and a gentle breeze rustled the trees on the bank. In the distance she heard children playing. Part of her wondered whether to get up and join them, but though she liked the company of others, she was equally content by herself, and the ground was just too comfortable.

She smiled to herself, eyes closed to shield them from the afternoon sun. It was hard to believe it was almost Christmas already, and that soon she would be returning home for the holidays. She almost wished she could stay. She missed her mother, but she was sure she would miss the school even more when she left. Still, it wouldn't be for long - then she'd be back, ready to start several brand new subjects. How could anybody not love Hogwarts?!

 

[Alice Holland]

Spring was definitely Alice's favorite season, so it was no surprise she would be found outside at any free moment during this time. Today, the weather was especially wonderful, and Alice was happy to abandon her heavy school robes for a cute sundress she had found in her trunk. She had matched it with a flowercrown she had made last week, and happily wandered around the grounds looking for something interesting to do. Alice had met many of her classmates already, but she was always eager to make more friends. Maybe she could hang out at the Wild Patch Club? Everyone there had seemed very friendly.

But her feet had taken her elsewhere, and Alice found herself at the edge of the lake. She had wandered around here before, and had really liked it. The water was beautiful to gaze at, and a lot of pretty flowers were blooming around here as well. Maybe she could gather some to make another flower crown, one she could gift to someone else. Perhaps to Ava? Her friend had beautiful blond hair and it would look nice. She had to think of some gifts to get her friends for Christmas, and maybe this was a good idea for a few of them. But before she could decide on something to do she spotted a blanket with a person on it. She recognized the girl as Dymphna, a girl in her dormitory. Alice hadn't spoken to her much, but she had seemed very nice. She had kept an eye on the girl since she heard her last name, as she had worried it would make her a possible target for bullies, but so far Alice hadn't noticed anything like that. If she had, she would have done something about it. After a moment of hesitation, she headed over. "Hi Dymphna, are you sunbathing?" She asked, hoping the girl didn't mind being interrupted. "It's such a nice day, isn't it?"

 

[Dymphna Butts]

At the sound of a familiar voice, Dymphna opened her eyes, raising a hand to shield them from the sun. She smiled as she saw it was Alice, and propped herself up on her elbows. "Yes! Do you want to join me?" she asked, already shifting over to one side of the blanket in case Alice wanted to lie beside her. They hadn't spoken a great deal, but it didn't take a genius to see that Alice was friendly. Her first year meet-up sprung immediately to mind. "I love your flower thing, by the way. Did you make it yourself?" Dymphna had never had the kind of patience or precision it took to make things; she was far more likely to accidentally squash her flowers than she was to fashion them into a crown. "I know! Spring's my favourite time of year, besides summer. Summer can be too hot sometimes, don't you think? I burn so easily. I have to stay indoors until it's cooler."

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice had just been about to ask the red-haired girl if she could join her, when Dymphna offered on her own. Beaming, Alice nodded. "I'd love to, thanks!" She said, taking a seat on the blanket before shifting to lie down next to her. She looked up at the sky for a moment before turning her blue eyes to the other girl. "Thank you, I did! My older sister showed me how." She said proudly, reaching up to adjust her flower crown a little. Maybe she should make one for Dymphna too, if she could find the time. Alice took a mental note to make a list of possible flower crown receivers. She was surprised to hear Dymphna say she liked Spring best out of all the seasons, just like she did. She grinned at the girl. "I know!" She said, lifting herself slightly to gesture around at the surroundings. "Spring is clearly the best time. It's warm, but not too warm, and everything starts blooming and living. It's like magic from nature." She sighed softly, settling down on the blanket. "I love the grounds at Hogwarts so much. It's so wonderful to explore. I don't think I'll grow tired of it." She glanced at the other girl. "Have you found a favorite spot yet? Mine so far is the garden. Have you seen it?"

 

[Dymphna Butts]

Dymphna grinned as Alice settled on the blanket beside her. It was nice to have the company - and even better that Dymphna hadn't had to get up for it. "How many sisters do you have?" she asked, closing her eyes again so that she wouldn't have to squint. "I know one of them, I think - she's a prefect, isn't she?" Dymphna was certain she'd heard the name Holland more than once before, and not just because Claudia was running for minister. She laughed at Alice's question. "You're lying in it!" she said. "I've been everywhere, but I love the water the best. It's so relaxing. But the gardens are nice, too. And it smells so good with all the flowers, doesn't it?"

 

[Alice Holland]

The sunlight on her face made Alice feel a little sleepy, but in a good way. She felt like she could relax, even with exams looming on the horizon. Alice wasn't too worried, despite Diana's attempts to scare her. Rose and Phoebe had both reassured her that they wouldn't be very difficult, and Phoebe even offered to study with her. It was nice to have so many older sisters, especially when they were willing to help her out with things. She smiled at Dymphna's question, closing her eyes to block out the sun just like she did. "I have three sisters. The one who's a prefect is Rose, and she's the one who taught me about the flower crowns." She cracked open one eye slightly. "Do you have siblings?" Alice laughed softly when the girl said this was her favorite spot on the grounds. Maybe she should have guessed it. "The lake is nice. I like the calmness of the water." She said with a slight nod. "I saw a boy going for a swim in it, though. I don't think I would go that far." She opened her eyes to glance at the surface of the lake. "Who knows what's in there!" She nodded eagerly at Dymphna's comment about the garden. "It does smell nice, and it looks wonderful too! It's also pretty quiet. I've used it as a place for studying a few times, though it's hard not to get distracted by all the beautiful flowers." She reached up to spread out her hair so there wasn't a bunch of it squished up behind her head. It was more comfortable that way, and secretly it made her feel a little bit like a princess to have her long hair fanned out around her head, even if she couldn't really see the effect herself. "Do you like the classes at Hogwarts?" She asked curiously, wondering what her friend thought of them.

 

[Dymphna Butts]

"Oh, I don't have any," Dymphna said, releasing a sigh. "Everyone says siblings are annoying, but I think I'd love one. Maybe my mum will have another baby one day - though she'll have to meet someone, first!" She nodded as best she could with her head on the ground, glad Alice shared a similar opinion about the lake - including swimming in it. There had to be all sorts of dangerous creatures in there. Dymphna had read about a few of them, though she wasn't sure any lived in this lake in particular. She didn't fancy taking her chances. "I love them!" she said. "Especially Herbology. I'm not very good at anything, but I've had so much fun, and that's what's important, isn't it?" That was what mattered most to Dymphna, anyway. She hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to voice the question on her mind. "Is Claudia Holland your mum?"

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice was actually quite interested to hear Dymphna had no siblings. She was a little sad for the other girl, especially since she seemed to want them, but it was also just... strange. As the youngest of four, Alice had never been without at least one of her sisters around. At least, until last year, when Diana went to Hogwarts and left her at home. But having none at all seemed hard for her to imagine. Almost as much as what Dymphna implied about her mother. Did she not have a dad? Were they divorced? Maybe her father had passed away... Alice pondered it quietly for a moment, biting her lip, but she was too afraid of hurting her new friend's feelings to directly ask. "I hope you get a sibling, it really is nice. Though I don't know if having a baby sibling is very fun." Somehow, Alice didn't think it would be all that great. She quite liked being the youngest. The Hufflepuff was glad to hear Dymphna shared a similar view of classes as Alice did. "I like them too! Herbology is also one of my favorites. I already know a bit about it, my dad's a Herbologist." She said proudly. But a frown appeared on her face. "But I don't believe you're not very good at anything. I bet you're good at a lot of things." She said, giving the girl's arm a gentle poke. "You're a good person to talk to, at least. I bet I can find a lot of other things too." The last question the girl asked was one that surprised Alice a little, but she quickly realized it really shouldn't. It was still startling that her mother was almost like a celebrity, at least someone well known. Of course Dymphna would know her name. "She is," Alice said with a nod, unsure what to add to the statement. This was new territory for her. What if Dymphna didn't like her mother's campaign? What would she say? It was a little uncomfortable to think about. She wondered with some trepidation what the follow-up question would be.

 

[Dymphna Butts]

So there were some people who thought having siblings was nice! Dymphna was relieved to hear that. She'd begun to think it really was a curse, in spite of how much she longed for one herself. "I like babies," she said. "Well - I think I do. I don't actually know any babies, so I can't say for sure." She sighed again, but she was smiling. Alice's sweet comment made her laugh. "I am good at talking," she agreed. "And that's not fair! No wonder you're so good at Herbology. You've got a head start." Dymphna wasn't really annoyed, and made an effort to keep her tone playful in case Alice misinterpreted her remark. As the conversation moved on to Alice's mother, Dymphna couldn't help but notice her friend's short response. For a second she wondered if she'd made her uncomfortable, but then, unable to find any reason why she would have, she decided she hadn't. "That's so cool. Imagine if she becomes the next minister! You'll be, like, famous, won't you? I hope you'll still want to be my friend."

 

[Alice Holland]

Dymphna's statement about babies made Alice giggle. The way she talked about it made her picture the girl next to her trying to hang out with a baby the way they were hanging out, talking to it and trying to be friends. "I don't know any babies either, but I'll send them your way if I see any." She said with a small giggle, turning on her side to find a more comfortable position. "You're good at listening too." She said with a smile, then laughed at her next comment. "I guess I do, but I still learned a lot in class. Professor Carter seems to know so much!" She did think she knew the basics a little more than some of her classmates, but the head start probably wouldn't last very long. Mostly she had just helped her dad in the garden, he hadn't let her handle anything magical or dangerous. Dymphna's next words about her mother made her laugh a little nervously and shake her head. "I won't be famous. It won't really have anything to do with me." She said quickly, though she was unsure of how true that was. Her mother would definitely be kind of famous, and maybe some people would recognize her... but Alice wouldn't be doing anything special, it shouldn't really make anyone care about her right? "And of course I'll still be your friend! Even if I was famous, that would be a silly reason to stop, right?" She paused, thinking it over. "I don't know if being famous would be very fun." She knew Diana would disagree, but they disagreed on plenty of things, even if Alice didn't always let her know when they did.

 

[Dymphna Butts]

Dymphna giggled, glad Alice was only messing around; she liked babies, but she didn't think she'd ever want to take care of one. Being a parent seemed like far too much responsibility. "Listening isn't hard, is it?" she asked, mostly rhetorically, though she wondered whether anyone actually found it difficult to concentrate on what another person was saying. "Well, you wouldn't be famous famous," Dymphna continued, oblivious to the nervousness in Alice's laughter. "But you'd still be quite famous." She smiled, then tilted her head to look at her friend, considering her remark. "Really? I think I'd want to be famous. If someone said, 'Dymphna, do you want to be famous?' I wouldn't say no. But then I'd probably get bored of it. I mean, can you imagine what it would be like to have someone judging you all the time? What if I want to go to the shops in my pyjamas? Have you ever done that? You so should."

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice giggled too, enjoying her talk with her fellow Hufflepuff. It was always nice to make friends, and that was what this felt like. She grinned when the girl said listening wasn't hard. Alice knew that wasn't the case for everyone. "You'd be surprised. Some people have a hard time listening to anyone but themselves." She said with a small shrug. Diana came to her mind, and sometimes Phoebe did the same thing. It was always a little frustrating, especially because she sometimes felt like her ideas were ignored a little because she was the youngest. The talk about how famous she would be made her a little uncomfortable, though she tried not to show it. She shrugged without really saying anything at first, but had to comment on the last part. "I've never gone to shop in my pajamas. Why should I?" She was genuinely curious why that would be something she couldn't miss out on.