Meandering the grounds, yet again. ( Open, join )

[w i n t e r]

Al had gone off and done one of his favorite things to do around Hogwarts. This was, of course, to meander the grounds, read, sleep, and eat. Maybe today he'd go mess around with the squid, or find a nice tree to lay in. Today, however, he decided to simply walk. It was nice out, and, for once, had taken off his sweater. His black t-shirt was soaking up the heat from the sun, his eyes twinkling in the light. He walked once around the lake, and, exhausted from all the effort he put into briskly walking like that, sat down.

Al sighed, opening his bag and pulling out a thick spellbook he acquired in Germany last year. Cracking it open, he looked out and smiled at the lake, then returned his attention to his book and began to read.

[potter_fan122]

Stacey walked among the familiar trees of the forest, running her hands over everything she passed.  She grinned, and her eyes shone a soft green, the color of new grass. She would miss the forest over the summer, but she had Aiden, and he was better than any forest.

Aiden.

Just his name made her take a sharp breath in. Her other half. Her true love. Her life. She smiled, even though her stomach felt a little hollow. Aiden was inside, getting the last of his things. That`s what she sould be doing, but she had wanted to go for a walk.

Nearing the edge of the trees, she felt a new tingle on her mental wall. She stopped walking. This feeling of power was different. Was someone new around? She doubted it. The school was getting packed up for the summer. Stepping up to the brush that covered the edge of the forest, she blended in well with her dark green shirt.

[lexip.13]

Lexi sat there. Staring. She loved people watching. She loved how people looked so content but how, sometimes, you wonder if there' s something there boiling under the surface. She knew she felt that way. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave this place she had grown to love. Yet again she knew she'd be back but it seemed so far away. She had never hated summer more in her life.

[w i n t e r]

( Lexi - You could expand upon your part by describing maybe where you are, or what you're staring at, how your character looks, etc. )

Al looked up quickly from his book. His ears picked up the sound of a shaking bush. He looked around quickly, trying to find the source of the noise. He shrugged and returned to his book, smiling.

'Summer. Everyone leaves again.' he thought. With a small chuckle he, again, returned to his book as he ran his fingers through his hair, both messing it up again and scratching it.

He lost his spot in the book, just as his mind began to wander off into the distance. Memories, past years, past students, past friends... Al sighed. He looked back down at his book, attempting to once again concentrate.

Unable to concentrate, he carefully placed his book back in his backpack, tucked his arms under the straps, and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and thought of his spell. As he opened them, he promptly jumped high, landing in a tree.

"Oof!" he let out, as his but landed on the tree branch. He smiled, as he had forgotten how it felt to sit in this tree. Sprawling out on the branch, he hung his backpack on a nearby branch and relaxed a bit.

"Much better," he said, looking out of a gap in the leaves for a person to talk to.

[potter_fan122]

Stacey continued to watch the boy. He looked faintly familair, but she didn`t know him well, if at all. She was just wondering about what year he was in when he suddenly disappeared. Twisting her head around, she looked to see where he was. He caught sight of a figure in a tree.

She smiled. She loved this forest, and it seemed he did too, although she could almost guarantee that she liked it for different reasons.

"Hey." She said, just loud enough for him to hear. She stood up and leaned against a tree.

[w i n t e r]

Al nearly fell out of the tree he was sitting in. Leaned up against another tree, a student was looking directly at him, or was she a student? He stared at her, hearing her say, "Hey," but not really registering it.

"Hello," he responded with a smile. "Student?" he asked politely.

He blinked his glacier blue eyes, wondering what hapened to everyone else. Where did everyone from his last visit go? He assumed they simply moved on, but he was still curious.

[potter_fan122]

Stacey nodded. "Yeah. Seventh year. You?" She asked softly. Her eyes were a curious purple as she looked up at the boy.

"I don`t think I know you." She tilted her head to the side. "I`ve been here all my life, so I should know you, but I don`t." She pushed off of the tree and took a few steps forward to get a better look at the boy.

[w i n t e r]

Al looked as if he were to burst out laughing. "I haven't been a student here for quite some time," he said, almost letting the laughter out. "No, no... I teach here occassionally though. Never around for too long. I haven't been here at all for a while actually..." he said, drifting off into his memories.

His attention snapped back to her. "Well I guess I just haven't been here for your whole life," he said, smiling at her. "For how long have you been here, anyway?" he asked.

[potter_fan122]

"For seventeen years." Stacey answered absent-mindedly. Her eyes had grown distant, as if she were looking at something that wasn`t really there. This wasn`t odd, especially for Stacey. She shook her head and blinked quickly a few times.

"You teach here?" She asked, a new idea forming in her head.

[w i n t e r]

"So since you were a first year. You stayed here over the summers, too?" he asked. "I thought they never really did that anymore..." Al said, his voice trailing, turning his head to see where she was looking. "Lost in thought?"

Al smiled. "I did, but only for a bit. On and off kinda thing for a short period. But I liked it..." he said. "Why?" he asked, curious.

[potter_fan122]

"Well, not for the summers. But I have my ways." She asnweerd first. She flipped her hair over her shouder, turning her head to look at him.

"Nothing, it`s just..... nothing." Stacey sighed and rested her chin in her hand.

[w i n t e r]

Al was uncertain. "What do you mean, 'you have your ways'?" he asked. Al hopped off of the tree, landing on his feet.

Turning to look at her and leaning on another tree, he said, "Explain."

[potter_fan122]

Stacey laughed shortly, her eyes flickering from emerald green to icy blue. "Long story short, I have connections here that allow me to... how should I put this... see and hear what goes on." She replied as best she could. She couldn`t very well explain all of her powers and lifetime backround to  him.

[w i n t e r]

"And you didn't hear of me being a teacher? Because it was before your time. Long before you," Al said.

"What other surprises can you do? Elements, telepathy, other people's powers..." he asked, wondering about how she could do so many stuff.

[potter_fan122]

Stacey grinned. "I`m half-Muggle. My mother and father are divorced. I`m talented in French, ballet, piano, and love to read. I happen to have a lot of free time, though. Anything else?" She asked thoughtfully.