Waiting, watching

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

It was a sunny, cheerful afternoon and Flavio had a mission to make the most of it. He wanted to spend his day outside, feeding the ducks instead of being cooped up inside finishing homework or any likewise school related tasks. As classes grew more difficult while the semester progressed, Flavio felt more weighed down and like his time was being wasted and he intended to change it that day. Though he was yet to go outside, the intention to eventually do so was there. All Flavio needed to do in the meantime was find Rory so they could spend the afternoon outside together. So the Chilean boy searched and searched, everywhere around the school but the dungeons because it seemed like such an obvious place to find the other boy and quite frankly the place scared him.

Eventually Flavio sighed and almost gave up searching for his friend. Rory seemed to be nowhere to be found and Flavio was too scared of the dungeons to ever consider venturing down there. It was just his luck and an example of Murphy's law that he would have probably found Rory if he wasn't scared to go any lower in the castle than the ground floor. Flavio wasn't sure what he could do, so instead of scaring himself intentionally he chose to wait by the entrance to the great hall, hoping someone would eventually walk past and find Rory for him. It wasn't an outlandish expectation but Flavio wasn't sure how successful it would be considering most of the students that left the dungeons were Slytherins and Flavio's experiences with that house weren't entirely positive. He didn't have the highest of hopes that any one he met would help him but he stood there regardless, staring into the distance and trying not to become too bored as he waited for someone to walk by.

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

If there was one thing Ainsley would never be accused of, it was wasting a sunny day. Wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, long, summery dress, and no shoes to speak of, Ainsley padded down the stairs from the Hufflepuff common room, a large book clutched in her freckled arms. An afternoon in the sunlight, reading and wandering, picking flowers and climbing trees sounded just ideal, and like the perfect break.

Life in the castle felt like nothing but busy busy bustle bustle, and though it was easy for Ainsley to get all caught up in everything happening and everything that needed to be done and the constant momentum of it all she found herself desperately missing her old life. Hobbies and playing and running around with no stress and making the most of every moment just because she wanted to. It felt like a million years since she had had time and space to be herself, and today was the day to take advantage of it.

Humming to herself as she padded across the great hall, toes curling on the cold stone of the floor, Ainsley's plans and daydreams dragged her away from her actual surroundings, consumed by thoughts of padding across tree branches and digging through leaves. She was so distracted by her daydreams that she stumbled right into a boy standing near the doors, tripping on an uneven section of the floor and bumping right into him. "Oh! I'm sorry!" Ainsley said quickly, stepping back and hugging her book tighter, hoping she hadn't accidentally hurt him with it. "Are you alright?"

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Flavio's reverie was broken when the body of another bumped into him. He flinched slightly at the unexpected contact and looked towards the culprit, noticing they where in his year instantly as they had been in the same classes. He didn't know her house but he quietly hoped she was in Slytherin as it meant she could help him find Rory. Or in the very least it meant he could ask her to help. Brow furrowing slightly, Flavio said "No, I am sorry." as he was previously too distracted by his thoughts to realize if he was the person in the way or not. It seemed a likely assumption that he was the one in the wrong because no matter where he went in the school people were crashing into him left, right and center. If it wasn't with a broom it was something else and in this case it happened to be a small bump in the entrance to the great hall. He made a mental note to focus more on his surroundings so he wasn't bumped into again or nearly impaled on a broomstick because that wouldn't be fun for him or anyone else involved.

"I am okay, do not worry." He then answered, moving the conversation to the girl as it was only polite to ask in return if she was okay. Though it was a small bump he would have felt terrible if she was hurt in some way. "Are you okay?" He asked, eyeing the girl for any signs of an injury and sighing slightly in relief when he didn't immediately notice anything off about her appearance.

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

Ainsley looked the boy up and down nervously through her curtain of hair, making sure he really didn't look hurt, but everything seemed fine. Ainsley nodded quickly when he asked if she was okay, clutching her book tighter to her chest. "I'm fine!" She said quickly, bouncing a little on her toes out of nerves. "I just tripped over a crack..." She said a little awkwardly, glancing down at the floor.

"Are... were you on your way outside?" Ainsley asked awkwardly, gesturing to the doors. She didn't want to push past someone going the same direction. "I'm just... going for a walk."

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Flavio breathed a sigh of relief when the girl admitted she was fine. As she mentioned tripping on a crack in the floor his eyes moved downwards in an attempt to spot it but it was to no avail. He hoped the same crack in the floor wouldn't cause him to fall over in the future as it would save him some embarrassment or not having the circumstance of bumping into someone repeat. At the girl's question about going outside, Flavio nodded. Though he was waiting to see Rory or to see someone who could help him find Rory, going outside was of course part of his plan to spend the day. The weather was too sunny and his cabin fever too much for him to not leave the castle. "I plan to go on a walk too, but I can not find my friend Rory." Flavio said. "He is in Slytherin, have you seen him?" It was a question that the girl may not have had an answer for but the Chilean didn't see the harm in asking on the off chance the girl was in Slytherin and could retrieve his friend for him.

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

Ainsley faltered, wracking her brain. She had only met a couple of Slytherin students, but names were far from her forte, and she struggled making them stick in her mind. Had she met a Rory? Ainsley thought for a moment of the red-headed girl she had met in the courtyard before the 'he' sank in. Ainsley didn't think she had met a single boy from Slytherin, and shook her head slowly. "I... don't think I know any Slytherin boys." She said quietly. "I'm sorry..."

Glancing at the boy again, Ainsley considered her options. They both seemed to have the same plans, and there was never anything wrong with making a new friend. Plus, the boy seemed a little lost without his friend, and Ainsley couldn't help but want to help him. "Um, if... your friend doesn't show up, you're welcome to come on a walk with me if you'd like, I was just going to be walking by myself so..." She trailed off, shrugging shyly.

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Flavio chewed on the inside of his cheek as the girl said she hadn't met any Slytherin boys. He was lost for a plan of what to do or how he should find Rory when he was so apprehensive about going into the dungeons alone, short of asking the girl to accompany him. But he wouldn't wish the experience of walking in the dungeons on anyone that didn't need to as the place was so cold, damp, and scary. He eventually shook his head, deciding to give up on finding his friend that day so he could walk with the girl when she suggested it as it seemed like the easier option. He wasn't against making a new friend and he was sure he could find Rory later on that day, if not at dinner. "Um. Yeah. If you're walking anyway, then we should walk together." He said. "My name is Flavio, by the way." He then introduced himself, unsure of what he was supposed to do next besides begin making his way outside.