Jackie lay out on the cool grass, letting the dampness soak through her heavy gray sweatshirt. A light fog still misted the forest, and all was black. It was a new moon.
She pulled the sweatshirt tighter around her and gazed up, trying to connect the stars into patterns, but it was a lost cause. Jackie never could find the constellations, her eyes became moist, remembering when she was two years old...
"But Dad! I can't find the star lines!" She complained, frowning at the sky.
"Shh..." Her dad had said. "You have to use your imagination! Don't you see there's a princess, and a lion!" He said smiling and pointing.
She looked up and was ecstatic. "Look, a dog! And a fish! Ooh! A bunny rabbit!" She had squealed.
But her father was gone now, and so were the pictures in the sky that used to hold so much wonder for her. The magic disappeared when she got the letter, speaking of her fathers death. Now, she was lost. It was the end of life with her father. The beginning of life without him, it was a new moon.
A noise in the forest aroused her from her thoughts and she wiped away the tears that seemed to stream down her face in a never ending torrent. "Who's there?" She called into the blackness.
"It's me." Said a deep soothing voice. It was Seth Lockhart. The Ravenclaw boy. He appeared out of the darkness of the forest, wearing his school clothing. His forest green eyes matched the color of the leaves. He smiled brightly as Jackie. "I sense that somebody is sad?" He said, assuming more than asking. He walked over to her in slow, even steps. His large feet didn't make one sound. He sat down beside her, losing the nervous feeling. He spotted the tears and cupped his hand under her chin.
"Don't cry." He whispered. He wiped the tears away with his thumb, then removed his hand. "It'll be alright." He said in the same tone. Though he couldn't say that for certain, he wanted to believe it.
Jackie looked up, 'Oh, great, I must look pathetic.' She thought to herself, wiping away the tears also. "M-my dad. Hes.. dead." She sobbed, but just thinking about him broke her.
A fresh swell of tears broke the surface and she all but collapsed, leaning her head on Seth's shoulder. "It won't be alright." She mumbled, thinking of the past years when she had ignored him, and now, no way to make it up, no chance at all.
((Can I join here? I totally get it if I can't, because it would ruin the moment, but just let me know.))
"You know...," Seth started. "He may be physically deceased, but he is always with you in spirit." He ran his hand through Jackie's hair, trying to comfort her. Seth sighed. He didn't know what else to say.
Jackie looked up at Seth, tears continuing to stream down her face. "I'm sorry you had to come out here and find me like this, but I just-" She stopped talking as another sob welled in her throat and she buried her face into his shoulder again. She had never felt so helpless.
After another couple minutes she finally began to collect herself. She wiped the remainder of her tears on her sleeve. Then she looked at the small wet spot on his shoulder, and managed a weak smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Sorry 'bout that." She said in a soft voice. "I'm usually a bit more in control than this, you caught me at a really bad time." She apologized, realizing how silly she must look.
He smiled at her, his eyes looking at hers. "Don't apologize to me. We all have moments like these. Where we just need to cry every once in awhile. It's in our nature." He moved his hand over his shoulder as the water seemed to form into his hand. He fanned it into the air. He could control water, so it was no trouble for him. Seth wrapped his arms around her, attempting to comfort her in a hug. Even though they hadn't really known each other very well, he didn't feel nervous around her at all. It was strange.
Jackie looked up and met his eyes. "Thanks." Sh mumbled, but it was muffled by the sudden hug she was embraced in. She normally wouldn't accept being babied or taken care of like this, but she felt suddenly safe and warm. So instead of pushing away and insisting on being independent, she leaned into him and laid her head on his arm.
After a moment of silence, Jackie looked up at him again. "So why did you end up coming out here? Was I crying that loud?" She asked, blushing slightly.
"Not quite." Said Seth. He looked at the trees. "I was actually taking an afternoon stroll and had walked back here after dropping my wand. I found you like this by accident." He looked at her with a soft expression. "But then again, I tend to find emotions like these a little too easily."
Jackie smiled, relieved, at least she knew no teachers would be coming down, because of her noise. Then she sat up more, a flicker of confusion crossing her face, as he spoke. "What do you mean? By finding emotions like these? Those of sadness?" She said, looking at him a small dent forming between her eyebrows as she tried to comprehend.
As she waited she looked down and noticed her arms still around her and she was still leaning into him. She smiled inwardly and her face flushed a bright red, but she didn't move away, for fear she would crumble to pieces again.
Seth looked up at the sky, focusing on a particular cloud. Not really for any reason, he was only thinking. "I guess...," He put his index finger and thumb to his chin as he thought. "I just tend to find people that are....sad. Yeah. Or angry.." He shrugged. He looked at her and watched as she struggled to understand. It was a confusing thing.
He looked at her eyes. They were still full of hurt. He smiled. "I would love to see you happy sometime though..." He said. "Would you like to join me in the common room for lunch someday?" He asked her, hoping this might cheer her up. He also wanted to get to know her..
Jackie smiled politely and tactfully manuevered out of his arms which were embracing her. She sat on the cool grass looking at Seth, her eyes wary and sad, but with a different kind of sad. "I'd love to." She finally replied, thinking.
Her mind raced as she sat here and a face popped into her head. She cringed a bit, thinking of him, but pushed it away. It wasn't like she was going on a date or anything. "Thanks for coming out here. I really needed it." She said.
Seth couldn't help but notice her cringe. He slid away a few inches and looked at her. "Er...sorry. Did I say something wrong?" He felt the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach return. The same feeling he had with most girls. "Oh, sure. No problem." He said when she had thanked him. He scratched the back of his head and looked at the sky. "Well, you let me know when you want to hang out. I've got a class coming up." He said finally and stood up.
Jackie frowned, seeing a look flit across his face. She had made him feel uncomfortable. "No... You didn't say anything wrong at all." She said, smiling "And I'd love to hang out any time." She added.
"Well...let me know." Seth said. "Send me an owl if you're feeling a little lonely..." And with that being said, he began to walk off to his transfiguration class.