Closed Useless Water

[Charlie Madison]

There were pros and cons of being at Hogwarts, but the one thing that really got to Charlie was the lake. It was bothering her even more now that Emily was at school. Charlie enjoyed swimming fine, but back in Australia and even at home in the school holidays, surfing with Emily was one of her favourite things to do. A lake just couldn't compare to the rush of the ocean. Walking along the lakeside, Charlie kept her head down, kicking stones occasionally as she did. Crouching for a moment, she picked up a stone and tossed it into the water, watching the ripples from where it landed. She really shouldn't spend time out here. It only ever made her homesick, something Charlie had never experienced before coming to Hogwarts. The only downside of finding a real home.

 

[April Ward]

April had really enjoyed her time at the talent show, but now that it was over she was a little sad. Practicing for it had filled some of the time she would usually spend practicing for quidditch, but now she had nothing left to spend her time with when she didn't feel like studying. Around exam time, April tended to avoid her dad and stepsister because they kept trying to help her study when she would rather avoid it a bit longer. Today, she decided to go outside and see if she could find anything interesting thre. The girl wandered around idly until she approached the lake. She saw a girl sitting there who she didn't really know, but that was never a barrier for April who really wasn't shy. "Hey." She said as she approached. "If you're trying to skip stones over the water, you're doing it wrong."

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie rarely let her attention drop from her surroundings, so she realised someone was approaching her before the girl spoke. Charlie had hoped that she was just going to walk by, but those hopes were quickly dashed as the girl started talking to her. Charlie glanced up at the girl as she spoke, quickly realising that the solitary moment she had been enjoying was over. "I wasn't trying to skip it." She said slowly, tone dull. Hopefully this girl would just go away. Everything that had happened on Valentines day still stung, and the part of Charlie that had been opening up to the idea of making new friends at school had shut down as quickly as it blossomed.

 

[April Ward]

April noticed the girl’s tone, but didn’t let it scare her off. Sometimes people were a little grumpy for some reason, but April thought she was pretty good at cheering most people up. The girl seemed around her own age, but April didn’t recognize her from her year. That meant she was probably in the year below her, as she didn’t seem as old as October either. April crouched down next to her, picking up a pebble of her own. “What’s your name? I’m April” She said, tossing the pebble up into the air before catching it in her hand. Then she tossed it at the water, smiling as it skipped twice before sinking. “Do you want to skip stones? Because I can teach you. I’m really good at it.”

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie suppressed the urge to pull a face as the girl didn't back down, her perky tone unsettling Charlie somewhat. On the one hand, she had seen plenty a person with such a cheerful persona turn around and treat others horribly. On the other hand, it reminded her a little of Emily. "Charlie." She grunted, hoping giving her name wouldn't be the wrong move. She watched April skip a stone, a slight frown creasing her brow at the girl's next questions. "I know how to skip stones." She said bluntly. "I wanted to throw one."

 

[April Ward]

April could tell the other girl still wasn’t exactly thrilled by her presence, but she elected to ignore that. This conversation was already more interesting than her studies, so she planned to try and extend it for as long as possible. “Cool name.” She said with a nod. When the girl admitted she knew how to skip stones, April promptly handed her one. “Prove it.” She said with a cheerful grin. “Let’s see who is better at it.” Her competitive nature might put some people off, but April hoped this girl wouldn’t back down from a challenge. She hoped she was better at her than this, but if the other girl really knew how to do it maybe she could teach April a thing or two herself. It was practically a win-win situation, unless Charlie got so annoyed with her that she left.

 

[Charlie Madison]

The longer this conversation went on, the clearer it became to Charlie that this girl wasn't just going to leave her in peace. That was... fine, Charlie supposed, but she still questioned the girl's motives for approaching a stranger unprompted. She nodded silently in response to April's compliment, and took the rock she was offered, turning it over in her hand thoughtfully. "Fine." Charlie said shortly, and shifted her position a little. She knew she should know better than to take a challenge from a stranger, but Charlie didn't like people thinking she wasn't capable of things. So she took a good stance and hefted the stone in her hand, choosing her angle before sending it skimming across the water, managing an acceptable amount of skips before it plopped down into the depths. "See?"

 

[April Ward]

April was happily surprised when the girl accepted her challenge. She was aware that many people would probably have reacted with anger or annoyance to such a sudden challenge about their abilities. April watched as the girl took the stone, focused on the lake and threw it. Her eyes widened as it soon became clear that the girl really did know what she was doing. April felt a little jealous, and a little annoyed that she had been outshone, but that quickly faded. “Wow, you really are good at this!” She said, grinning. “Can you teach me how to do it better? I bet I’ll beat you in no time.” She was aware she had implied she was better earlier, but a girl had to be flexible and accept when she was defeated. At least until she could get better and defeat the other person in turn.