Chilly Winds -Open-

[icymorpher]

The creek of the old wood, the swaying of the pier, the wind through her hair. This is what surrounded the second year as she sat alone on the pier. She had heard about this place which was located at the lake, but had not had a chance to visit it yet. It was a cooler day, much cooler that the recent sunny hours that had been passing by at a slow rate. Clouds now obscured the suns rays that shafted through the gray masses, for which she was grateful for. She was done with summer and wished for fall to arrive.

With a sigh, she pulled her feet back over the edge of the pier and crossed them beneath her. It had been a slow day, not one that she had enjoyed. Classes were over and yet no one could be seen around the lake. What a shame. She was in the mood to have a conversation with someone, anyone really.

A sudden blast of cold wind swept over the grounds, causing goose bumps to rise on her pale arms. Guess it was not the smartest idea to wear a black t-shirt. Her jeans were torn and faded but it was enough protection from the sudden angry wind. Her hair swirled around her shoulders and into her eyes as she inclined her head toward the sky.

[cremefilled]

Sev decided that it was officially autumn. He had been trying to deny it for quite a while but now, as the leaves were changing colors and a cool breeze was starting to make him shiver, he really had not choice but to accept the change in seasons. Winter was coming soon and Sev was not really sure how to react from this. Normally, winter meant the approach of Christmas and that was the time Sev would get together will all his siblings that his father produced. It was a fun time but it was also awkward. His half-siblings would always make fun of him for being the only wizard in the family. They always thought he was weird.

Walking down toward the pier with his hands in his pockets, Sev caught the eye of a girl. Upon walking down further, he recognized her as Ally. Grinning and glad to see someone familiar, he sped up his step and eventually he was standing next to where she sitting. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, quietly.

[icymorpher]

Her eyes fell upon the trees across the lake. They were all changing colors and would soon fall from there massive branches. She loved fall, winter not so much. Too cold for her taste. She was also unsure if she would return to her home for the holidays. Too many things had happened and she was not prepared to face her parents and her little brother.

"Mind if I join you?"

A familiar voice broke thought her thoughts causing her to jump a bit. She was not expecting anyone to be out here. She looked up to find Sev standing beside her. A smile instantly appear across her lips as she set her eyes upon him. "Not at all," She replied, glad to have someone to talk to. "What might you be doing out here?" She inquired, tilting her head slightly.

[cremefilled]

Sev nodded greatfully and sat down next to her. Letting his legs swing over the edge of the pier, he folded his hands and placed them in his lap. The breeze came through again and Sev could feel the goosebumps on his arms even though he was wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt. He glanced at Ally whose arms were exposed and probably colder than he was feeling.

"What might you be doing out here?"
Sev shrugged. "I was just trying to get away from the normal routine and activity going on inside the castle. I'm sure there are a lot more people inside this time of year just because it's colder. But as for me, I'd rather be outside enjoying the outside before it gets too cold to even bother. And it's a lot quieter out here. I'm not used to all the noise yet," he said. He glanced out at the lake and sighed. Then he turned back to her.

"And what brings you out here?"

[icymorpher]

A shiver ripped through her body as another breeze blew past them. Why did it have to become so cold all of a sudden? Her arms, which had been beside her, crossed over her stomach and began to rub the sides of her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. "Chilly huh?" She asked quietly, her eyes shifting from him out to the rippling water.

"And what brings you out here?"

She shrugged before answering, "Same as you I guess. I don't have many friends here so I usually spend my time alone." She turned to him as she continued, "I don't really like crowds either so I try to get out as much as possible. I love the fall anyways," She added with a small smile, "It's probably my favorite season." Ally would probably have to come out to the lake a lot during the winter despite her lack of kindness for the cold. Her friend, Ashley Lovegood, figure skated and always used to drag her along as she practiced at him. A light smile crossed her face at the thought of her home. She missed it.

[cremefilled]

Sev noticed that Ally seemed even colder than he felt. He nodded when she commented on the temperature. "Do you want to wear my sweatshirt?" he asked sincerely. "I don't mind the chill."

"I usually spend my time alone."
Sev nodded. "I really don't mind being alone, though that's probably because I was raised as an only child. I rarely see my father's kids as I live with my mother and grandmother most of the time. So I'm used to the quiet and the solitude," he admitted. Rubbing his hands together, he glanced back out at the lake. He could not wait until the lake froze and they could all skate on it. Perhaps he could finally try out that game Leandra, his half-sister, always told him about, broomball.

"But it's always nice to have someone to talk to," he said, grinning.

[icymorpher]

"Do you want to wear my sweatshirt?"

She turned back to him, surprised by his generosity. That might just have been because she was usually was not payed attention to, therefore not used to people offering to do kind things for her, like let her borrow there jacket. "I don't want you to get cold because of me..." She said quickly, she would feel bad if he was cold just so she could be warm. It was her fault anyway for not wearing something more suitable for the weather.

"You were raised an only child?" She asked, interested. She had just recently become isolated from everyone, it was not exactly her choice, but she didn't mind. It was then she realized that he might not want to tell her about his past. She bit her lip, hoping he did not mind. "I have a younger brother. Very annoying," she added with a small laugh.

"But it's always nice to have someone to talk to,"

"It really is." She agreed, nodding. She could not remember the last time she had actually sat down and had held a conversation with someone.

[cremefilled]

Sev pulled his sweatshirt off over his head and handed it to her. It was not much colder in his t-shirt. But it was really no big deal to him. He could stick his hands in his pockets to keep them warm if needed. "I'll be fine," he said.

"Well, I was raised as an only child," he then explained. "I'm my mother's only kid. But my father has other ones from... other relationships. So I've got a bunch of half-siblings. All of them are muggle though, except me. I'm halfblood."

Best of both worlds Sev always thought whenever he told someone he was a halfblood. He was very proud of that even though he was not completely on one side. He really did not mind being in the middle.

"I wish I saw my little brothers enough to find them irritating," he laughed. "I only see them on holidays and get-togethers."

[icymorpher]

"I'll be fine,"

She hesitated before taking the hoodie from his hands. "Thanks... You sure?" Allison asked once more, before pulling the sweatshirt over her head. She was very grateful for the warmth that his jacket provided. "Thanks a lot," She said with a smile. Her hands were no longer frozen, yay!

"Oh..." She said in a quite tone, her eyes falling into her lap. She would hate not being able to see her little brother.... not that she had been seeing him much, even before she came to the castle. "So, your the only wizard?" She asked, looking back up at him. "I'm a halfblood too." She added with another smile.

She loved being a halfblood. She hated how some of the purebloods thought that they were better, and also felt sorry for the muggleborns who were thrust into the magical world. She was neither. She had someone who informed her of the magical world, and also got to experience what it was like to be a muggle.

"I'm sorry," She said sincerely. "Um... are you enjoying the term so far?" She asked randomly, trying to find another topic to discuss.

[cremefilled]

"Seriously, it's no problem," Sev laughed as Ally put the jacket on. "Better now?"

"Anyways, yeah. I'm the only wizard in the family so far," Sev shrugged. "I don't know if anyone else is going to end up muggleborn. It would be cool to see them a little more often then just a couple times a year. But they are the closest things to to friends I ever had. My mom always kind of sheltered me," he admitted.

He blushed slightly. It was the one thing he did not approve of his mom doing. Sure, he understood that she was just trying to keep him from becoming like his father but he was still mad that he really did not know to much in the social area. But being at this school was helping. The past couple weeks he had been here, he had talked more than he ever had his whole life.

Sev nodded when Allison changed the subject. "Yeah, the term's okay so far. I mean, classes aren't too hard, just because I know most of the stuff they're teaching but I'm not complaining. I don't mind an easy grade," he chuckled. "What about you? This is your second term here, right?"

[icymorpher]

"Better now?"

She laughed with him before grinning, careful not to show her fangs, over at him. "Yeah. A lot better, thanks!" She said, her tone a bit more cheerful. Yay! Now she would not turn into a popcicle. "If you get cold, I'll give it back," She promised with another smile. She could not recall the last time she had smiled so much. It had been far too long.

She noticed him blushing as he finished speaking. She wondered why. "Sheltered you?" She asked, slight confusion in her eyes. She pulled her legs out from underneath her and pulled them to her chest, hugging them there, her eyes still focused on Sev. An idea suddenly popped into her head. "I'll be one of your friends outside of your family if you would like." She offered with a smile. She needed new friends anyways and he seemed like a really nice guy.

"Yeah, I would rather know what they are talking about rather than not." She agreed, a faint smile appearing. "I'm a second year," She clarified before continuing. "It's ok I guess. Would be better if I actually knew people. But as far as classes go... I'm dong a lot better than last term." She concluded with a small laugh at the remembrance of her first year.

[cremefilled]

"I'll be one of your friends"
Sev smirked and nodded. "Thanks," he said. It was definitely something he enjoyed knowing. But his smile turned into a frown when Allison brought up the sheltering again. He sighed.

"Yeah, my mom homeschooled me both in muggle and wizarding ways. I rarely left the house unless I was working to help support my family. My father throws in some money here and there but it's not much," he said, shrugging.

He then laughed when she mentioned that she was doing much better this year. "I'm sure things get better with age," he said, nodding. "The terms gonna be ending soon, too. I can't believe I might actually be a second year soon. Though, I don't know if I'll be able to pass only because I came here so late in the term. It took a little bit to convince my mom to let me go."

[icymorpher]

Allison didn't mean to pry, She opened her mouth to tell him that if he didn't want to talk about it then he didn't have to when he began to speak once more. She listened intently as he continued on. "That must have been hard." Ally could not imagine being locked up like that. Her parents were the total opposite. They let her do what ever, never really caring where she was or how late she got back. Don't get her wrong, they were good parents, but they did have many faults. She felt ignored half the time but they always apologized. They never really made a hard attempt to mend what they had done.

"Well I'm glad she let you come." Ally hoped that she passed her second year. She really didn't feel like staying in the same year for more than one term. That would be very bad. "My friend nearly failed her fourth year," She commented, shaking her head from side to side, "Never thought she would actually pass. I was amazed to come here and find her a fifth year."

[cremefilled]

"Yeah, I'm glad she let me come too," Sev smiled. "It was probably the best decision she ever made..."

Sev paused for a second. He realized how rude it was for him to say that. He always respected his mother and her decisions. Sure Sev was not planned. Sure Sev maybe should have deserved other siblings besides his half ones. Sure Sev could have gone to this school a lot sooner. In fact, when it opened... But those were his mother's decisions and not his own. And he should have not been so rude.

"So are most of your friends older years?" he asked, trying to go to another subject. "You said you have a fifth year friend."

[icymorpher]

Allison smiled before lowering her chin to rest on top of her knees. She stared out at the lake as a sudden silence pressed around them. She racked her brain, trying to find something else to say. She never really talked much which left her with a lack of subjects to talk about. She was glad when Sev spoke again.

"So are most of your friends older years?"

"Yeah. Ashley Lovegood. She's a fifth year and a figure skater. She was my best friend from my old home." A smile tugged at the corners of her lips at the thought. "Theres also Clair Crystal. She's a fifth year Mihael, and Rath St.Croix, a first year, Slytherin," She concluded, her eyes moving from the restless water to him. "What about you? Do you have many friends here yet so far?"

[cremefilled]

Sev shrugged for the umpteenth time. "I've got a couple of scattered friends. I'd say the closest one is Troy, who's in my house. That's cool though that you have made a lot of friends already."

Well, it seemed like a lot of friends to the boy who had no friend for the last sixteen years of his life. He tilted his head to the side and stared at Allison. His bangs fell over his pale face.

"That sounds awesome," he smiled, lost for what to say next, as he really was not used to talking to other people like this.

[icymorpher]

Even if she had only three mere friends, she enjoyed there company and was grateful for them. "I wouldn't say a lot.... but they are great." A sigh escaped her lips as she tilted her head to look at the cloud covered sky. Weak shafts of light filtered down upon the lake, but only when the dark clouds permitted so. She hopped it would not rain. That would be very bad seeing as she was terrified of thunderstorms. She could just imagine the humiliated feeling that would overcome her if a storm suddenly appeared. Especially in front of Sev.

"So...." She paused, not sure what to say next. She felt a bit stupid for not saying anything. Her older friends knew that she did not talk much and provided much of the conversation in a way that included her. "What... music do you like?" Music? Kind of a random topic. Oh well, it was all the could think of at the moment, it would have to do for now.

[cremefilled]

Sev looked up at the sky. The clouds definitely darker and more abundant. Another breeze came through and Sev shivered a little bit. But he did not want to make that obvious because he did not want Allison to feel bad about using his sweatshirt. "It looks like it's gonna rain soon," he muttered.

Music? It seemed like the generic question when one did not know what else to talk about. But it at least kept the conversation going and kept things from getting too awkward. He sat backwards, bracing himself with his hands.

"I don't really have a specific music taste," he said. "I pretty much listen to anything. But I think I mostly listen to alternative rock. MCR and whatnot. But that's about it. What about you?"

[icymorpher]

"Hopefully it will hold off..." She commented softly, her eyes still on the clouds. "I hate thunderstorms," She explained, a sheepish smile appearing as her gaze fell from the sky and back to him. The smile morphed into a concerned look. "You sure your not too cold? We could head in if you want..." She offered as the wind picked up once more.

Off in the distance the first roll of thunder could be heard echoing around the lake. A shiver ran up her spine that had nothing to do with the sudden gust of wind that began to whip past them. Ally raised her had to her hair and brushed the long strands out of her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

We like about the same music, Allison thought to herself before voicing her reply. "I like about anything... besides country."

((Crappy post. Sorry))

[cremefilled]

"I'll only go inside if you want to," Sev shrugged. "Otherwise, I don't mind staying out here. A little rain won't stop me." He actually prefered the chill over the stifling heat during the summer. Perhaps that was his favorite part of the fall season. The rain did not bother him and the only reason he would move is if Allison would do the same.

When Allison mentioned her music style, Sev pretended to be in a fake shock. "Don't like country?" he asked. "What kind of sad, sorry childhood did you have?" He then shook his head and smiled. "I don't really like country music either," he whispered.