Halloween Swim

[gabriel]

Gabriel stood on the shore, his arms folded as the fog dissipated slowly over the lake's surface. It was cold this morning, but the boy knew it would get warm as soon as the sun revealed itself to the Earth through the clouds departing slowly overhead. Gabriel wore only a pair of jeans and an A-shirt, wearing but only saddles, wanting to feel the dew, despite the freezing effect they were giving him, upon his toes. But he removed his A-shirt, tossed it aside, and began to wade into the cold water, shivering lightly. It would warm up to him if he stayed in for a certain amount of time, he knew. It always happened whenever he went swimming in a cold pool.

As he walked in further, the water reached up to his waist. He turned around and looked at the massive castle, deep in thought. It was rather beautiful, nice to live in and comfortable, but all the same ugly and scary. He could easily get lost, and that was something he didn't like going through in a new place such as this. He had gotten lost before when his best friend and he wanted to explore the woods behind Gabriel's house, and it took his parents and the neighborhood two days to find them, shivering and in shock, under a pile of twigs that the boys must've built - however, they didn't remember building it. Gabriel had always wondered how that had happened; if someone had built them a shelter when they had fallen asleep, but they never found any footprints other than their own, and their own parents'.

Gabriel looked back to the shore as he heard footsteps. He knelt so the water would reach up to his shoulders, not in the mood to be admired by a smaller boy, although he knew all other young boys would probably be his age; or a girl. He wasn't simply ready for a girlfriend, he supposed. Speaking calmly, he called out, "Who's there?"

[emmawinters]

Emma had been strolling by the lake, when she saw a boy, perhaps her age, wading in the water. Seeing that she had nothing else to do, she began to walk over. Almost reaching the water, she heard a voice call out. Yep, definately male.

She smiled silently and then replied in a deep voice, "You're worst nightmare!"

[gabriel]

"Oi, it's you." The boy rolled his eyes as he smiled lightly, "Are you stalking me or something?" He stood up now, the surface of the water up to his chest now. The fog was still here, slowly fading away, "C'mon in, the water's good." The boy grinned with a mischevious twinkle in his eye as he looked at the girl. "Truly, it is."

Swimming out a bit further, the water now reached up to his neck as he looked at the girl again, "It gets warm if you stay in for some time." The boy disappeared below the surface, taking in a deep breath before doing so.

[emmawinters]

Emma laughed. "No, I'm not stalking you, don't give yourself that much credit," her eyes shined. She glanced at the water and then back at Gabriel. "It looks pretty chilly to me, but if you insist..."

She took off her pullover dress to reveal a two-piece Muggle bathing suit. She dipped her toe in the water. "I guess it can't be too bad," she grinned and took a few steps back. Running, she leaped off of the pier, laughing as she hit the water.

[gabriel]

Gabriel sputtered as the girl jumped in close enough to him to make a big splash over his face, "Oi." The boy shook his head, frowning at Emma in a playful way before he quickly splashed her by slapping the surface. "Heh. Payback."

"So what are you doing wandering around this early?" The boy grinned. "If you're not following me around, then surely, you just wanted to come out here and get sick from the cold?"

[emmawinters]

Emma surfaced and got another facefull of water. "Hey!!" she cried and splashed him back.

"Oh you didn't hear?" she started sarcastically. "That's one of my hobbies, catch a cold once a week. I wouldn't recommend it though," she added. "The cost piles up, buying all of those tissues! Honestly though, I walk by the lake every morning." She shrugged, "It's just something I do. How 'bout you? What are you doing up so early mister?" she splashed him again.

[gabriel]

"Why are you accusing me of something?" The boy asked jokingly, "I'm just as innocent as you are, wandering in the morning. Today, I wanted to get a fresh start and come out swimming, even if it is late in the year. I don't mind getting a cold, or a fever every once in a while. Keeps me out of class, indeed." The boy winked as he splashed at Emma again.

"So what are your plans for today?" The boy asked casually, "I don't think I'm up for anything today, probably just going to sit under the sun and relax, maybe read." The boy nodded, speaking partially to himself.

[emmawinters]

Emma ducked under the surface of the lake, Gabriel's splash just missing her. Coming up again, she answered his question. "Actually, I don't know what I'm gonna do today," she frowned, trying to think if she had anything on her schedule. "One of my friends, Logan, is teaching me how to draw. Well, get better at it, so I have that later on today. I finished my book on Quidditch and I don't have any homework." She shrugged. "I guess I'll just sit in the lake all day and become a prune. That doesn't sound so bad, what do you think?"

[gabriel]

Gabriel only shrugged, "I don't know. Becoming pruney is bad for your health, and your skin. You could turn into a wrinkled girl for the rest of your life." The boy winked as he dove under the surface, and swam around for a little bit more until he came up to the surface again where he made his way to the pier and got up on it, sitting down.

Shivering, he wrapped a large towel around his shoulders as he picked his legs to keep himself warm, even while a cool breeze was blowing. "I haven't signed up for any classes. I don't know what to take."

[emmawinters]

Emma continued swimming around in the water, laying on the back. "Well, you could start with the Mandatory Classes, you have to take all of those. You've probably missed the first lesson, but those were all basically introductions. And then for the Optional Classes, we have to take Flying cause we're first years, and other than that I just signed up for Muggle Studies and Dueling Tactics. Just basic stuff I wanted to learn more about."

[gabriel]

"Flying?" The boy asked quickly as he looked at her, "I dun like heights." He shrugged as he lay on the cold boards of the pier, looking up at the sky which seemed to be cloudy today. "I think it's going to rain today. I might go back inside in a few minutes," He nodded as he stretching, outreaching as far out as he possibly could before relaxing, letting everything about him fall to the pier, his arms upwards so his armpits were visible; his legs were crossed, and he also used the towel as a blanket to keep him warm from above and below. "What are the mandatory classes?"

[emmawinters]

Go back in? No! He can't, I've only met him. Oh well, I guess I'll see him in the hallways... she thought to herself before answering his question.

"Let's see, Mandatory Classes. There's DADA, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Herbology...and I think that's it!"