Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

[Katalina Harker]

Though the temperature outside was cold the sun was shining brightly up in the sky. It was definitely much too pretty of a day to stay cooped up inside the castle so Kat pulled on an old pair of jeans, her Gryffindor sweatshirt, and a pair of sneakers and headed out for a walk. Their was a slight breeze blowing which caused Kat's dark brown hair to whip about her face so she pulled it back with an elastic band to keep it out of her eyes.

The first week back to school was always pretty laid back, but she knew that starting next week lessons would get more intense, but at least this term she had two days without classes which she was most thankful for. Last term had been a bugger of a time as far as classes went causing Kat to spend most of her time locked away in her dorm room studying and whatnot.

She thought back to the end of last term. She'd been a complete wreck and had nearly alienated everyone she cared about, barely spending any time with her friends. Then Kat thought about the Yule Ball. It had been a perfect evening with a really great guy whom she was pretty sure she had developed a big crush on. Christmas break had been wonderful, spending time cutting up with her sister and just enjoying being with her family, but as always Kat was glad to be back at school. She had a feeling in her gut that this term would bring great things with it and she was desperately looking forward to whatever things were to come.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner threw his book side in disgust and got up from the blanket he'd brought outside with him. He'd felt awkward in the common room with his fellow Ravenclaws. He hadn't quite memorized names and didn't know where he fit in with them. Right now he didn't care. He just wanted to grab some peace and quiet. Lose himself within his book. He'd sat there for thirty minutes until he stopped. Restlessness overcame him and he had to stretch his legs.

His wand out, he shrunk the blanket and book, tucked them into his jeans pockets. His mum would hate what he wore and probably order the house elfs to burn his clothes. Tatty jeans with a big hole in the knee, a rumpled blazer with the patch ripped off, a vintage shirt from his crazy muggle aunt and some old Chucks on his feet. Items safe in hand and wand away he turned and almost ran into a pretty girl obviously from Gryffindor.

"Hey," Sumner said, his eyes touching on her features in appreciation. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting with them. This new school was bringing out all of his bad habits.

 

[Katalina Harker]

As she was completely lost in her own thoughts Kat wasn't paying much attention to where she was walking, which really wasn't any new turn of events for her. She was shocked when she was brought back to reality and heard someone say 'Hey' to her. It was obvious that she had nearly run into the boy as she was standing extremely close to him.

Her face went pink with embarrassment as it nearly always did when she met new people. Old habits die hard and her shyness around strangers was one thing that Kat was sure she'd never get over. Kat had never seen this boy before, but he was definitely not a first year...he looked a fair bit older. "Umm, hi! Are you new here?" she asked him curiously.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner grinned slowly. She was even prettier when she blushed. She's as shy as I am. "Hello," his british accent making it sound out as 'hullo'. "I just transferred here from Scotland. Sumner Reine, Ravenclaw, fourth year," he grinned, holding out his hand to shake.

 

[Katalina Harker]

"Nice to meet you Sumner! I'm Katalina Vanderhol or well...Kat for short!" she said with a bright smile as she shook his hand. Another transfer student...seems like HNZ is the place to be she thought with a slight smirk on her face. "So did you just transfer in this term? I don't remember seeing you around here before winter holidays." she added, curiosity sparkling in her blue eyes. Of course he could have been here all year and Kat probably wouldn't have noticed after all the time she spent in her dorm last term.

 

[Sumner Drage]

"Kat," he said slowly, his lips twitched. He grinned, "It suits you." His thumb rubbed at his cheek as he looked away. "I've only just arrived for the term." His tone made it clear he wasn't in favor of the change. Glancing back at her he decided to start making the best of it. "Don't suppose there are any Quidditch games soon?"

 

[Katalina Harker]

There was something about this boy that was odd yet fascinating all at the same time. She could tell by the tone in his voice that he really wasn't too fond of being here, but she didn't guess she could really blame him...it would suck having to move to a new school after four years of being somewhere else. Kat's ears perked when he asked about quidditch. Chace didn't really seem to be that enthused about flying so she never pushed the subject of wanting him to play quidditch, but now right here in front of her was someone who was curious about it. "Well we don't really have any official games planned as of right now, but a few of us always have just short friendly games every now and then. You play?" she asked, hoping that his answer was going to be yes because she had greatly missed being on the pitch.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Although disappointed at the news there were no games to watch he found himself grinning again. "Oh yeah. I play," he smirked. When he was his brother's age, he'd cracked his collar bone practicing a move he'd seen at a Quidditch match his dad had taken him to. Since then he'd pushed himself harder and harder to excel at the game. He wasn't arrogant enough to claim he was the best. But he knew that through vigorous practice he very well could be one day. "Are you on a team or just like to watch?"

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat cocked her head slightly to the side, still trying to find out exactly what it was about this boy that had her enthralled. It was almost like he seemed extremely confident without being cocky about it, but she wasn't sure if that was it. "Umm, I play chaser for Gryffindor house, but sub in for whatever positions are needed. What position do you play?" she asked curiously, also wondering if he would be trying out for the Ravenclaw team. I'll have to fill Lily in on this guy she thought as she still stared slightly stupidly at the boy.

 

[Sumner Drage]

"Chaser hm?" He couldn't help the quick glance from head to toe then back again. He admired female quidditch players but had never really played on a team with any. He'd like to play with Kat. "I play beater. Nothing better than a trying to bloody up an opponent." His grin was a bit blood thirsty. Back home or at his former school he may have been a book worm but he was formidably known as an aggressive Quidditch player.

 

[Katalina Harker]

"Yup. I'm pretty fair if I do say so myself though my roommate Kiera is the one with all the fancy moves." she said thinking about the jumps and flips that her friend had performed mid-air on more than one occasion. "Some of the things she does would get 'normal' people killed! You should come play with us sometime!" Kat added with a bit of laughter. The look that consumed Sumner's face when he talked about playing beater was a bit frightening yet oddly alluring for some reason. He was definitely cute, but not your normal typical everyday kind of cute...their was something different. "Bloody up an opponent eh? Are you sure you're a Ravenclaw and not a Slytherin?" she joked, but then realized that she was being overly stereotypical so she added with a sheepish apologetic look on her face, "Sorry...that was rude of me." Kat's cheeks flushed bright red and she averted her gaze, looking off into space.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner stepped closer. "It's cool," he said, wanting to touch her shoulder then thinking better of it. He didn't normally want to comfort or assure anyone but something in Kat's manner drew him to her. He rubbed the back of his neck to check his first movement and grinned ruefully. "My little brother tells my parents that I'm really a Slytherin in Ravenclaw's robes. Silly git," he chuckled.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat stiffened when Sumner got nearer to her. Something about his mere presence made her tingly all over. This was definitely a new feeling for her and she had to admit that she liked it. "You don't really seem that much like a Slytherin to me, but then again I've only just met you," she said with a slight grin twitching at the corner of her lips. "So, umm what electives are you taking?" she asked not being able to think of anything better to come up with. Lame...way to go Kat she thought with a small huff.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner, not much taller than Kat, chuckled softly at her question. It was like in the muggle world and asking about the weather. "Not many. Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. You?" Her eyes were the bluest he'd ever seen. They reminded him of the sea after it'd calmed from a tempestuous storm.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat looked him straight in the face which was a big mistake because it sent the tingly feeling throughout her body again. She tried to tear her gaze away, but there was something that about him that had her just so damned captivated. "I, um, I'm taking..." Crap what am I taking? she thought to herself in a tizzy. "Oh, I'm taking everything but Ancient Runes. Bit maniacal on my part, but it's alright." She sounded like a rambling idiot, which for her was really nothing new especially when she met new people. "So do you have any other interests besides quidditch? What do you do for fun?" she asked knowing it sounded kind of stupid, but being genuinely curious as she wanted to know if they had anything in common.

 

[Sumner Drage]

His eyes widened slightly then he grinned slowly. This girl was smart as well as beautiful. He hooked his thumbs into his jeans pockets. Chestnut hair tilted to fall over his forehead. "Ambition is an attractive quality." Wind blew a light breeze their way. "I read Kat," he said with a wicked glint in his eyes. "Anything and everything I can get my hands on."

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat practically melted at the look the Ravenclaw boy was giving her and she started her nervous girly giggle that she sometimes did. Well that was two things they had in common. Quidditch and reading. Two of Kat's all time favorite things to do. He was definitely drawing her in more and more. "I read a fair bit too. Hmm a bookworm...maybe the sorting hat got it right afterall!" she said with a grin that made her eyes sparkle or maybe it was the present company that put the sparkle in her blue eyes.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner could feel himself fall under the spell of her eyes. They drew him in and although he knew he stared for a moment without saying anything he didn't care. He liked this girl. A lot. Back at Hogwarts in Scotland he hadn't felt like this with anyone ever. He wasn't sure if it was normal to have this sort of reaction upon a first meeting. He had read about it sure but never had he thought he'd experience it when he arrived at this new school. "Perhaps,"he said, recovering his tongue, "we could read together sometime."

 

[Katalina Harker]

They just stared at each other for a moment, the wind gently blowing across them. It was like some scene from a muggle movie. A few stray hairs brushed across her face as she said, "I'd really really like that. You're...different from other bo...I mean people at this school. There's just something about you and I can't put my finger on it." She nearly said other boys at this school, but then thought better of it as she didn't want to seem like the wishy washy teenage girl that she actually was. The apples of her cheeks went slightly pink, but she hoped he hadn't noticed.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner liked the way her skin tinged pink when she became shy near him. Being near her made his shyness disappear. He didn't give much thought to how he normally was near girls his age; awkward and stuttering. He didn't feel like that near her. He felt around Kat like he did when he was high up in the air playing Quidditch; confident and slightly aggressive. "You're different too Kat," he stated simply. His fingers moved a strand of hair that had blown across her face. "I saw we've a trip coming up for Brightstone Village." His hands shoved into his pockets. "Could I walk you there? Or,"he said as a thought hit him, "would your boyfriend mind?"

 

[Katalina Harker]

As his hand lightly touched her skin to move the stray hair away from her face Kat felt a strange electric current run throughout her entire body. She beamed and blue eyes twinkled when he asked if he could walk her to Brightstone. "I don't have a boyfriend and I'd love it if you walked with me," she said zealously. Her thoughts flickered to Chace for a moment. They weren't together so it wouldn't matter if she and Sumner went to Brightstone together. She had nothing to feel guilty for. "I, umm, should probably head back up to the castle. Do you wanna walk back with me?" she asked sweetly with a small smile.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner's pent up breath gently exhaled. His smile was lopsided. He ducked his head in a quick nod. "Alright then." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'd like that." He fell into step beside her and pondered on how quickly his opinion of his new school had changed so drastically in one day. He glanced at her and then away smiling. Things were looking up.