Closed You Can't Run Forever

[Jatin Tiwari]

Jatin was a very active person. Although he was not into gymnastics and dance like his brother was, he was interested in running and Quidditch. Quidditch was still new to the boy, but he felt like it was calling him, and Jatin did not know how else to prepare for that call other than go for a run. The boy ran all the way from the Gryffindor common room to the Great Lawn, where he decided to take a break. He took a seat under a tree and set his notepad next to him. Sometimes he liked to write. It was something even his siblings did not know that he did. At home, he was mostly being annoying and doing anything for attention. However, he did not feel like he needed to do that here. Jatin often felt hated at home because his father blamed him for his mother's death. However, he did not like to think about that.

 

[Shale Night]

Shale hadn't expected to feel at home here, but she hadn't expected just how unsettled she would feel at Hogwarts. Even though her real home no longer existed, had long since been rented to new tenants, every trace of Shale's old life erased, something about there being an entire world between her and the last place she had belonged seemed to put an awful pin of finality in the situation. There was really, truly no going back to her past life. It made Shale hurt and ache and yearn for better. She felt strained with emotion, wishing there was something she could take it out on. Though she couldn't stand all but one of her roommates, Shale didn't actually have anyone she was terribly keen to fight at school yet, so she settled for inanimate objects. Storming over to a tree, Shale didn't notice a person on the other side of it at all as she thumped her fists angrily into the bark, growling slightly as she vented her frustration on the tree's trunk. After a moment she glanced down at her bruised knuckles and sighed heavily, looking out towards the lake. That hadn't helped at all, and Shale wondered if anything ever truly could.

 

[Jatin Tiwari]

Jatin admired the scenery as he continued to stay into his thoughts. There were times like this that he enjoyed just being. It was times like this where Jatin felt like he was a person worth being. At times he felt like he was quite one dimensional, often relying on his energy to get himself to where he wanted to be. However, he knew that he was more than that. He felt the tree moved quite a bit, and Jatin knew that it was not the wind. Of course he stood up, carrying his notepad at his side and he looked around the tree trunk to see a girl. He did not really assess the situation before opening his mouth to speak to the girl. "Are you okay? Was it you making the tree move?" he asked curiously.

 

[Shale Night]

Shale hadn't seen anyone around when she started punching the tree, and there was a strange pang of embarrassment when she realised she had been observed. Tucking her hands into her pockets quickly, Shale shrugged. "I'm fine." She mumbled, eyeing the boy warily. "Where'd you come from?" Shale asked, trying to figure out how she had missed seeing him. She had to pay better attention. Though she didn't often engage people in conversation, it was a small relief at least to have something else to think about.

 

[Jatin Tiwari]

Jatin was still a little skeptical about the girl. However, he tried to push that away so that he could be nice to her. He was rarely ever mean to people. But, he did not do when well people were mean to him. He kind of clammed up when he encountered people who were just not nice. He pointed at the tree as he answered her question. "I was sitting behind the tree." he told her simply. He felt like she needed a walk. A good walk always helped him when he was having a hard time. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked her with a bright smile on his face.

 

[Shale Night]

Shale didn't quite know how to handle what she was faced with. She had met people who were unneccessarily chirpy before, and they ranged from intolerable to just kind of weird. It was harder to deal with in her already frustrated mood, so Shale folded her arms, eyeing the boy uncertainly. "Why would I go on a walk with you?" She snapped, his tone reminding her of the counselors and teachers who had failed time and time again to make her feel any better.

 

[Jatin Tiwari]

Jatin was taken aback at the girl's words. Why wouldn't she go on a walk with him? He wasn't a mean person. He was very nice! However, he did not want to push her into doing something she did not want to do. "Well, you don't have to. But I always like a good walk!" he told her with a smile. "I'm Jatin Tiwari!" he introduced himself kindly to the girl, hoping to get her name.

 

[Shale Night]

Shale just stared at the boy blankly as he spoke, her arms still folded defensively. The overly perky manner he spoke with was dragging Shale right back to memories of countless offices of countless adults who had never solved a single problem for her. Nobody could. No misguided counselor, and certainly no annoyingly peppy boy. But she was in this conversation now, and there wasn't much getting out of it, it seemed. "Shale." She said shortly, choosing not to bother including her last name. She didn't know if this boy knew Eggy, or Jasper, or any of the other obnoxious Nights, but she definitely didn't want to be associated with them. "Why do you care if I go for a walk with you? You don't know me."

 

[Jatin Tiwari]

Jatin was going to admit it. He was getting a little frustrated with the girl. She wasn't annoying persay, but she didn't trust him, and that was frustrating. Jatin had no reason to betray the girl. He hardly knew her, and he was just trying to be nice. "Well, I am not going to stand here and convince you to do something you don't want to do. I'm sure I will see you around." he told her as he turned on his heel to walk towards the lake.

 

[Shale Night]

Any fluttering chances Shale may have felt of finding this boy even a little bit tolerable evaporated all at once as his cheerful demeanour vanished. "Whatever." She snapped, turning and storming in the opposite direction. Figured. Everyone gave up on her. Better to get it out of the way early, Shale supposed.