` ` getting things together (open.)

[Devin Reed]

The Black Lake had always interested Devin. He never knew how water could be so incredibly dark, like a hole leading into the depths of hell. On nice days a light color contrasted with the dark mirrored the sky, usually a shade of plastic blue. The image of the castle loomed on the surface as well, as if it was a graceful swan drifting across the water. On sunny days when the wind was still the lake was smooth like a stone, no ripples disturbed the surface. It was like black glass. Devin found his eyes drifting from the sight of the grounds in front of him to take a glance at the lake. Today the picture perfect lakeside view wasn't happening, instead it was blotchy and grey.

A sharp chilly rain flew like blades along with the wind, piercing any open skin when someone left the safety of the building. The skies overhead were a pale grey color, symbolizing a coming rainstorm, and perhaps colder weather, with more wind. The clouds were as grey as a stormy sea, or grey mashed potatoes, as it loomed over like an angry curtain. No sign of sun with the ability to breach the resisting converage. One would think any amount of clouds would be gone within a short time judging how quickly the wind was traveling. It had been raining all week, and though his hopes of a lack of rain on this very day had been crushed, Devin managed to look optimistically upon the situation. As optimistically as he could, anyways, there wasn't much good to cold, or grey, or anything about the weather. But truthfully, he was a bit occupied at the moment.

Not so much occupied as he was distracted. Though he only had his loose school robe around his shoulders to keep him warm, no coat, no sweater, no scarf, just the uniform, he found his mind stray away from the chill. Many a papers were located in his hands, with bent corners and ripped edges, some folded in a way that suggested it hadn't been on purpose as much as it had been uncaring, were being thrown into his bag as best as the task could be done at the moment. While still trying to walk briskly inside, for the potential sicknesses were in the air, Devin shoveled his supplies anywhere it could go to make his job easier. Inside books(harming those as well), the inside pockets, within notebooks with similar pages that meant he would most likely never find them again... That's when he tripped. Over his own shoe. And hit the ground. It took a moment to register what had happened, as once the ground that was just five feet below him was now within an inch of his face.

Fifteen minutes previous to the situation, Devin had been trapped in his dormitory, wondering if it was actually possible to die of boredom. Due to the absense of events occuring at that very moment, he had chosen to deepen his ponderings into a train of thought, and came up with an answer: yes. A dryspell of tasks for the mind could cause one to bash their head upon a table, wall, or any other flat surface, as if it was better than simply waiting around for what was hopefully coming. The unfortunate would continue until a large amount of brain cells had suffered an unneccisary death. With a good portion of deceased brain cells, and the living cells probably attending funerals, one was doomed to suffer from, well, being an idiot. Images of moronic students had filled Devin's mind. Students who stumbled, tripped, and crashed down stairs, some accidentally running into fireplaces or falling on candles. So yes, he had concluded, it was definately possible to die from boredom.

Okay, Devin had stopped himself after he mentally recited the potential death-by-boredom situation once more. I need something to do...before I accidentally walk into a fireplace... Was it just him, or were those walls getting closer together? That settled it, he was going outside before this room was the death of him. Devin had swiped some papers off a flat surface of choice and skimmed them over quickly. Had they been from last year, this year, Charm's class, note from a friend, it didn't matter. All Devin knew was that they were all in his handwriting: chickenscratch. Distinctive 'E's were scattered about the paper in a dark blue color, or were they 'J's? He didn't dare stop to think about it, he could organize them in a moment when he was outside. Like a rocket, Devin fired his way to the front door, never once had he bothered to look at the weather outside...

See where that had gotten him?

Oh, the rain was a terrible thing. In some instances, such as a hot and humid summer afternoon where the clouds stood like soldiers awaiting an order to resemble the air's stillness, rain was wonderful. In his current situation, however, Devin would have to have chosen the hot and humid summer day, where he wouldn't have had nearly as much trouble with those blasted papers. Though a few months previous to the event it had been a hot and humid summer afternoon, and the boy would have easily preferred the current weather: cold and blustery with hardly any signs of dry ground because of the rain that pounded it into a carpet of slippery grass. It was then that Devin realized just how cold he really was, and how idiotic he had been to brave the weather without any sort of coat. He thought back to his dormitory, where both a selection of hooded sweatshirts and Gryffindor scarf were laying around in plain view. If only he could turn back time. Hadn't they learned anything about that yet?

He had landed almost flat on his face, having an unplesant close-up view of the ground surrounding the Black Lake. Other than slightly embarrassed, he felt fine. Unfortunately the little tumble he took managed to get the entire front of his body wet, making it seem like he had spilled something, a very large something, on himself. His bag, though lucky enough to salvage his textbooks and the majority of the loose sheets of papers, lay upside down and open. It let a few sheets fly like ghosts escaping in the wind current, probably being wrecked by the rain. All of the others that had still been in his hands had somehow disappeared as well.

Oh yes, the rain was indeed a terrible thing. Although frustrated, and a little embarassed by the klutzy move, Devin had never been one to cry over spilled milk. He simply pushed himself up to a standing position. From there the boy proceeded to scan the area with sharp brown eyes, seeing if he could recover any of the 'lost souls'. If he hadn't been so suddenly annoyed with the weather, and himself for choosing to come outside, he may not have just shrugged the situation off. But Dev decided it was more work than it was worth, and there was always another piece of paper and a quill in the common room. On to the next precaution. He glanced around one more time, looking for people this time. It was just better if no one saw him fall. But then, who was crazy enough to go outside in the pouring rain? Oh yeah... he thought. I am.

[/blockquote][/color]

[Dawny]

OOC: O O ..............Holy cow.................*hides* ><

IC:
Tucked into one of the corners between the frozen stone walls beside the main entrance, protected from wind and most of the rain, sat Jasper. The red-headed Ravenclaw sat awkwardly, attempting - and failing - to keep his rear end dry. He wrapped his coat around himself more tightly, tucking his nose under the scarf around his neck, his strange, violet eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on the 'homework' before him.

Blinking sharply each time a fat, seemingly sharp rain-drop landed on his head and shoulders, he twisted his body once again. A sharp gasp of pain escaped him as the movement sent painful lightning strikes down his back - all of them aimed at the old scar on his lower back; for there, the pain continued down his legs. Some other would have cried out at the sudden pain, but this was nothing unusual for the thin boy. His violet eyes disappeared behind their lids as he slumped back against the wall, giving up on the attempt to keep himself somewhat dry.

He had ventured out into the blasting weather in an attempt to find somewhere to do unfinished school work in peace. His dormitory was warm, but all his dorm-mates were up in the room, talking loudly about things their family used to do in such weather. The talk of mothers had slowly plucked at his heartstrings, his mind drifting to the dim, few memories of his mother he had. Also, to be in a room full of boys was defiantly a hard place to concentrate for a person such as himself.
The Common Room had been no different. Loud and a place where ones mind would wander all too easily.
The Hallways were quiet, but much too so. Silence in that extent was not something Jasper enjoyed.
So, the only other option was to brave the raging winds and pelting rain to get the work done.

Jasper raised a pale, freezing hand to brush his wet, red hair from his face, a frustrated frown prominent on his features. He was about ready to give up here, too. He looked around, finally opening his violet eyes, to squint through the sleeting curtain of rain. He was sure he'd heard something hit the ground...

[♥ xx~{J}e{n}~xx ♥]

A red-headed Gryffindor pelted into the rain. She wasn't in a bad mood. She wasn't exactly in a good one either. No - mostly she was just annoyed that it had started raining now. She'd decided to go do some work outside - it had been a clear day earlier.

Now the rain was blurring her vision, covering it in a dense fog. Now she was scared. She sincerely hoped thunder wouldn't come. That was her biggest fear - thunder. But sure enough, she heard a small rumble in the distance. She clenched her teeth and pushed her legs hard against the ground. Her breathing became fast and fearful. She wanted to be in the castle before the lighting came - all that did was ad more fear to the effect of thunder.

It wasn't until she was a foot away did she realize Devin was also out here. With a gasp, she skidded to an unsteady halt, her feet spraying mud in front of her. She saw droplets of the sludge splatter against the leg of his cloak and pants. "I'm sorry!" she shouted over the roar of the rain which seemed magnified ten times in the bare grounds.

Her face betrayed her embarassment, her apology, and her fear. She swallowed noisily - of course, Devin wouldn't be able to hear it - in her need to get in the castle. She just wanted to get into her dorm, dry off, and do her homework or something.