A lazy Afternoon by the Lake

[Phoebe Underwood]

Phoebe followed Tallai through the two sets of doors and into the fresh air. She took a deep breath and was relieved that the ceiling during breakfast had been correct though she had not doubted the weather. Walking down the steps she made her way south towards the lake. They were not the only one out and about in the grounds enjoying the weather and on occasion there would a shout of greeting to herself or one of her companions.

“She said that she was being watched and in turn followed so we used to move every couple of months or so. Of course she never told me why she thought that even though I asked many times especially when I didn’t want to move because I liked where we were and had made a couple of friends,” Phoebe said in rely to Tallai question about her mother paranoia.

It was one of these times and the last that she met Bryony who was 11 at the time and living next door and Phoebe had been nine. Though Bryony always had something going on Phoebe had become friends with her and on occasion would tag along with her to what ever she was doing that day. Phoebe also recalled that they had left the town of Penarth, Wales rather hurriedly when her mother has seen someone at the Lang’s door when calling Phoebe inside.

Thinking that she better reassure her friend herself she looked towards the caramel toned Bryony and smiled.

“Everything is fine Bryony and they have been nothing but friendly and helpful,” she said and realising that she knew Tallai as they were both in the same year she wondered if Bryony knew or had met Liam, TJ, Eddie or Lucy. “I guess I better introduce everyone. You know Tallai of course but this is Liam, Lucy, Eddie of Gryffindor house and TJ of Ravenclaw and they are all second years.”

She wondered if she should mention that TJ’s name was also Underwood like her own but considering that she didn’t know they others last name she thought that it would be a little odd. She looked at TJ and wondered what he was thinking as he still not responded to her introducing herself fully.

[Deleted]

Eddie followed the others out through the entrance hall and down the path that woudl take them to the lake. Somehow they had managed to pick up another girl on the way and byt hte time they got there the group was getting a bit larger. It had been oK when it just been him, Laim, Tallia and Sophie but Sophie had taken off with Mitch and now with all these people he really did not wish to play anymore. Plus there was no way he was takign them to his special place where the harmonics took the music to a new place.

He was about to ask Lucy something when Phoebe introduced them to the girl. "ahh, pleased to meet you" he said to the new girl though Phoebe had failed to give her name. Maybe she had said in conversation but he had not been listening to their conversaton on the way down.

He noticed a nearby tree where they could sit down. It was cold out here and snow lay everywhere but under the dense leaves the snow had not yet reached the ground. He took of his guitar and laid it against the tree trunk then took a seat on the ground.

"Hey Lucy, you know there is another Hogsmeade weekend in a month, do you wanns go in with me" he asked her. That she had agreed to coem with them to the lake had give him hope and sense of confidence.

He was glad to have thought to wear a jacket, it was damn cold out here and he gave a shiver. "So what does everyone think of the new Professor? " he asked meanign off course Professor Crittendon. Eddie had been the only one to talk him thus far and apart from the mans eagerness to tell Eddie what he used to do, Eddie had found him to be polite and was looking forward to taking his first class with him.

No doubt they would all get to meet him later, surely he would pop into the dorm. Hopefully he would grace them with his prescence. He was keen to see what their new HOH was made off.

[Deleted]

(( think you meant does there Eddie LOL))

Lucy was not sure if she would go outside with everyone but as they all got up and she could not see any of her friends, gave a shrug and thought why not. As they reached the Entrance another girl joined them, one she did not know but the third year Ravenclaw girl seemed to know her. Getting quite a crowd she thought as they stepped outside and she wrapped her arms around her for a slight chilly wind had sprung up.

She watched her step as they made their way down to the lake. Be so embarrassing if she slipped over in these icy conditions . Phoebe introduced them all and she gave the older girl a smile. "Nice to meet you " she said then seeing Eddie take his guitar off and sitting down she followed him over to the tree and sat down beside him, tucking her legs under her as she did.

"Why not" she told Eddie after he has asked if she would walk in with him on the next Hogsmeade visit. She kinda liked him, but then his friend Liam was kinda cute too. "Will your friend be joining us" she asked indicating Liam. Might be worth getting to know them both she thought.

"He seems OK, time will tell I guess" she commented after Eddie had asked what they thought of the new Professor. She still missed Professor Knight but she would give this man a chance. "I hope he comes to see us tonight. He should shouldn't he what with classes starting in the morning. Wonder what his class will be like" she mused to no one in particular.

At least the sun was warm this morning but it was not hot enough to melt the snow. She had never been a winter person and this was on cols winter.

[Bryony Lang]

For one who grew up knowing exactly what she was going to do that day and keeping to a tight schedule, having her day changed and going with flow was not something that Bryony was used to. In her head she saw a list of things and a quill crossing them out. She knew that she needed to relax a bit as she was a little rigid and maybe this group of kids will help her loosen up a bit. She knew that her friends in her house, Phoebe was included in that, pretty much went with whatever she said they were going to do and learning to be less bossy was another thing that she needed to learn.

“Thank you for the invite and I am Bryony Lang, third year like Tallai though in Hufflepuff like Phe, and the lake sounds good” she said.

She followed them outside munching on the blueberry muffin in her hands thankful that she hadn’t picked up one with nuts in it. She had done that once when she was in a similar situation and instead of spending the day reading underneath one of the trees on the grounds she had spent most of in the infirmary while the matron Madam Perry administered potions and anointments to reduce the swelling in her throat.

She listened as Phoebe explained the apparent reasoning behind her mother’s paranoia, as it must have been a question that one of them asked prior to them joining the group. Bryony knew of it of course and had witnessed it first hand and had wondered about it especially after hearing Phoebe’s name called out during her sorting.

“I have often wondered about that actually,” she said aloud as they reached a group of trees. It was lucky that there was no snow under the trees and Bryony took her seat and decided to clarify herself. “Her mother’s paranoia, I mean. You see Phe and I lived next to each other for a few months just before I got my letter. They left the following day. It made me wonder if your mother had known who delivered the letter and was worried that she would be recognised or something and that is why you left so abruptly. Phe never even got to say goodbye. One day they were there and the next they were gone.”

She trailed off a bit at the end. The boy whose name was Eddie asked what they all thought of the new Professor and Bryony cocked her head to one side and frowned slightly.

“What new Professor?” she asked.

[TJ Underwood]

The bitter wind and sharp drop from his running mount onto his broom had yanked his hat from his head. The wind had picked it up and thrown it up over one of the frosty slate covered roofs, but he didn't stop to consider it. A determined grin formed on his face as tears forming and ran out the corner of his eyes as the cold bit his nose..

He pulled back on the broom to get it to level out, but the speed was addictive. Easing up on the leveling technique, he shot down the side of the building and wove around a couple balconies before leveling out and shooting out across the lawn. As he leveled out he eased up on the speed and sighed as the sunlight broke through the clouds and warmed him.

The speed, exhilaration of the fall and the invigorating air had him spreading his arms out and whooping out loud.

"WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!" He yelled (yeah that looks much more lame than how I envisioned it, but then how do you spell it?)

The lawn's terrain dropped off sharply as it headed down toward the lake. He followed the initial path toward the lake and landed a few feet further uphill from his friends. Dismounting from his broom, he shouldered it and shrugged off his messenger bag.

It looked as though the group was just getting settled in, including that first year... Underwood. He looked at her as she was engrossed in conversation. Surely there were many Underwoods about.

Eddie appeared to be settling down to play under the cover of a large tree.

Walking over he set his messenger bag down beside the guitar case and propped his broom beside it as well. Listening to the conversations that were starting up.

"Sorry about getting sidetracked. I had to go grab a robe." He said.

"Which new professor?" He said almost simultaneously as Bryony.

"JINX!!!" He said grinning at her.

He had been so fixated on scarfing down food fast and then catching up with the group that he had not paid attention to anything else.

[Liam Grace]

Liam was relieved just to get outside. It would be better if he was on his broomstick and looked towards the Quidditch pitch instead of heading towards the lake. There was nothing wrong with the lake of course but it would always be second in his mind to being in the air and having balls trying to knock you off your broomstick.

He took a seat not that far from the shore and from Eddie and listened to as the others talk. It seemed that Eddie had arranged to go into Hogsmeade with Lucy of Valentines Day and she had asked if Liam would joining them. He might not think much of her but Ed did and he had feeling that Ed might see this as date, even though it seemed that she did not.

“Not sure that I will be going at all. I might head to the pitch and do a bit of flying practice. I would really like to join the team next year. There will be a beater spot open next year and I really want it. Though I might be persuaded if I get a better offer,” he said sneaking a look at Tallai.

He turned his attention towards Bryony who was telling a story about when she got her letter and the fact that Phoebe had lived next to her but had moved immediately afterwards. Phoebe’s mother sounded really weird to him. Sure he had done a bit of travelling when he was younger but it must be hard to be uprooted every couple months on a whim.

TJ arrived then by broom and Liam grinned.

“At least one of got to fly today, mate,” he said and wished that he had thought of doing that.

Eddie was talking about the new Professor and asked them what they thought of him. Both Bryony and TJ looked confused and asked the same question at the same time.

Liam chuckled at them.

“New charms Professor and Head of Gryffindor House,” he said in response to them. “Seem an alright bloke but from what you told us about him he seems to have done a lot and could pretty much be doing something a little more exciting than be a Professor at Hogwarts. I wonder why Charms as well and not Defence Against the Dark Arts. If he was an Auror like he said he was wouldn’t that be more his thing?”

[TJ Underwood]

Prompted by Liam's chuckle TJ proclaimed to Bryony, "Since I called jinx, you owe me a pumpkin juice next time we've got a Hogsmeade Weekend." He said with a quick grin and then turned to follow-up with Liam's comment about the curious new professor.

"Ah ok. I guess I missed all that when I was off at the Library." He nodded at his friend. "Yeah I agree. Why teach charms when you can do Dark Arts." This actually made him think of his dad. Why pop chose to work at the Ministry instead of flying or working at the Hermitage was beyond him.

"You know adults make no sense to me. Sure seems like a safe job for an old auror. Maybe he sucked?" He asked raising his eyebrows in question at Liam. "Whatever dude. Maybe he'll do something different with class and we can quit levitating feathers."

Handing the broom to his friend he offered it. "Go for a spin dude. No reason you can't ride it as well. I snagged some toast to feed the squid. I figure we can drop in a couple pieces out in the middle where the lake isn't frozen." Pausing he looked out across the lake to the small bit of unfrozen water.

Then he looked to the older students. "You guys have had the Magical Creatures classes. Do you think the squid hibernates?"

Everyone seemed to be starting up conversations and settling in. The new girl, Phoebe seemed to know Bryony well. But then THAT made sense as they are both in the same house. The name thing still niggled at the back of his mind. Maybe he'd write his mom and find out about his dad's family. Pop's schedule was just too unpredictable.

[Liam Grace]

He had to agree with TJ’s assessment of the new Professor. It wasn’t like they had a permanent DADA teacher after all. He wondered if they would be getting one soon and ones for the other positions also. There wasn’t anything wrong with the temps but since they weren’t permanent he suspected that they didn’t want to be or the Head Mistress and/or the Governors didn’t think much of them.

He shrugged and said “Maybe he had a bad experience and teaching it would just remind him of it. But I have to agree adults don’t make sense most of the time.”

TJ offered to lend his broom to take a spin and to feed the squid through the hole in the centre of the lake. It was definitely a temptation that he could not refuse.

“Thanks TJ,” he said taking the broom and the toast. He placed the broomstick between his legs and rose up. He hovered for a while with his feet skimming the snowy ground before rising up higher.

Flying across the icy water Liam relished the feel of the cool air through on his face and through his hair. Finding the section that TJ was talking about he flew lower and hovered so that his feet was just above the water. Balancing precariously he tore the toast up and dropped it into the water. He waited for a little while and eventually he saw a tentacle snake up and grab some of the bread. Grinning he rose up once more and headed back towards the castle. He made his way back towards where his friends were seated but as he did so he scanned the grounds. His eyes landed towards the lawns closest to the gates where he could see some kids. There was a large dog in which the kids where petting. He recognised the dog and if the dog was there that meant that the Head Mistress would be around.

“Oh crap,” he said.

Spinning around he headed back to his friends.

[Tallai Cooper-Street]

As Eddie has suggested Tallai had headed towards the lake. It had snowed and Tallai was relieved to see that under the trees at least there was no snow. She wondered if they were going to practise and sing like they originally planned.

Phoebe responded to her earlier question and her mother’s paranoia and then Bryony had given an assessment of the situation as it turned out that they had lived next door to each other just before Bryony had received her letter. Putting on her logical Ravenclaw hat Tallai thought about it for a second and then shrugged.

“Well that could be correct but at the same time maybe it was all just a coincidence. Phoebe had said earlier on that they do move around a bit so maybe it just was just time to move,” she said.

The fanciful Ravenclaw in her loved the idea that Phoebe’s mother was a witch in hiding and didn’t want to get caught. It was all very romantic in a way but sometimes the most logical answer was the correct one.

Speaking of romance it appeared that Eddie and Lucy were going into Hogsmeade together for the Valentine’s visit and from the look that she caught Liam shooting her he would break his possible plans if she asked him to go. She ignored the look as it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. It was not that she didn’t like the Gryffindor, he seemed alright, but they had only just met and she wasn’t going to commit to anything just yet.

Luckily TJ arrived by broom at that time and realising that he probably came from Ravenclaw Tower she shook her head at him but didn’t say anything. She hoped for his sake that a Professor wasn’t about to see him do that. She however did giggle when both he and Bryony asked the same question as the same time to which Liam answered and put his two knuts in.

“Yeah, he seems alright to me also though I have to agree also that his choice of teaching Charms is a bit odd,” she said.

Boys being boys TJ offered his broomstick to Liam so that he could feed the giant squid through the loose ice in the centre of the lake though he wasn’t sure squids hibernated. Tallai shook her head.

“Nah, they don’t. I am not sure that it is possible for a water creature to hibernate. I could be wrong though.”
Liam took him up on his offer and Tallai really didn’t think that it was a good idea but she doubted that Liam would listen to her. He took off and she watched as he feed the squid before flying off towards the front gates of the castle before turning around and coming back. She found this a bit odd and stood up. Off in the distance she thought she could see what looked to two people walking their way and one of them seemed to have red hair.

“Merlin’s beard, I hope that isn’t who I think it is,” she said looking at her friends and in particular TJ. ‘Cause I think that you might be in trouble.”

[Deleted]

Eddie smiled when Lucy said she would go with him into Hogsmeade on Valentines day. IT quite made his day and he even though he asked a question he really paid no attention to those who answered. He could them chattering in the background but he only had eyes for Lucy at that time.

He frowned a little when she asked if Liam would he joining them. He looked over at his best friend just as TJ arrived on a broom. That made him frown even more for he knew they were not allowed to just fly around but no one else seemed to care, not even Liam who took the broom when TJ offered and zoomed off.

He jumped up and watched Liam as he flew over the lake and dropped the toast to feed the squid. "Bloody Hell" he mumbled under his breath. If anyone saw they were sure to get into trouble.

When Liam landed he started off to meet him but then something Tallia said made him stop and look in the direction she was looking. "Oh shit" he said a little louder this time for he recognised the new Head Mistress, but who she was with he had no idea. Another new professor maybe but he did not want to hang around to find out.

"LIAM" he yelled out to his friend who must have seen for he was heading back to them rather quick. "C'mon everybody, get a move on before she gets here. She can't have seen who it was, if we split up she won't know and let's meet in the library in half hours time " he said. Splitting up seemed like a good idea and without waiting for an answer, turned and grabbed his guitar. "C'mon Lucy lets get outta here " he said looking down on her.

[TJ Underwood]

Watching Liam flying over the frozen lake, TJ listened to Tallai as she sad that she didn't think aquatic animals hibernated. Liam had dropped the toast and there it was. He grinned slowly as a tentacle appeared. He was too far away to really see much, but he was pleased that he knew now that the squid would come for toast. He was going to have to do that again.

Liam was still up in the air and kind of headed their way. Grinning he stood and dashed over to the undisturbed snow in the sun beside their tree. Scooping it up a bit he hastily made some loose snow balls. Stacking them by his feet, he squinted up and tracked Liam's return to the them. They might not get to avoid bludgers, but they could doge snowballs and that would be a fair good bit of fun.

Thinking Tallai might want to participate because she had gotten to her feet, he turned to offer a snow ball to Tallia. Her concerned glance at him and choice of words had almost all color draining from his face.

He dropped his snowball and looked up the lawn as well. Ok so a couple adults were headed their way. "I don't get it. Why am I in trouble?"

At Eddie's exclamation he got even more nervous and his stomach dropped. It must have been the flying over the lake! Looking to Liam he assessed the distance and hurried around the tree placing the tree between the incoming adults and his friend. Hoping the tree would screen the view of the adults and the identity of the flyer he gestured with waving arms for his friend to land.

It was one thing for him to get in trouble, but another for his mate. He'd been the one to suggest feeding the squid and Liam had good-naturedly agreed. TJ couldn't let Liam get in trouble.

"Land here! Land here!" He said anxiously under his breath while motioning frantically for Liam. Behind him he heard Eddie gathering things together and getting ready to disperse.

Still watching Liam, he turned slightly toward Eddie and said quickly. "You guys go, I'll stay. Just take Liam with you. You're right they wont know who it was and I was the one who got Liam into that." He nodded out over the Lake.

[Will Crittendon]

It had been some time since Will Crittendon, undoubtedly just Professor Crittendon to the young folks here at Hogwarts, had gone for a walk along the Lake. It had been even longer since he could remember taking that walk with his nephew, Jesse. The years he had spent here as a student, all six of them, had been the best years of his life. He knew deep down the same should be true for his nephew. He was afraid that they had not been. It just been the two of them in the States, and Will had had to hire a housekeeper and teacher to watch over Jesse while Will pursued his career as an Auror. Finally the day and opportunity had come where Will had hoped to escape that life, and maybe introduce Jesse to his past, and a good semi-public education with all the social contact that that implied.

He also hoped that it would mean that he would have more time to spend with the boy and bond, as well as teach him some of the things that he had learned about life, and some of the mistakes that he could show him to avoid. But who was he kidding. He was still quite unsure about most of the decisions that e had made, and whether they had been good or bad, or a mixture of the two. Will looked over at Jesse and saw how tall he was getting. Where had the first four years gone here anyway. He saw how Jesse dutifully followed him, and wondered if he did it out of duty, or respect, or actual emotional feeling, or a mixture of the three.

He was just about to ask Jesse a question as they began to move back around the Lake on their return trip, when he looked up and saw a figure flying in from the center of the Lake and some young people near to the shore motioning wildly as the figure ... the person landed. He thought that he showed some skill when it came to flying. He also heard some snippets of their conversation as well. If he had just been a staff member he might have ignored at least some of it, but now as Head of Gryffindor House he knew that he probably didn't have that luxury. All he heard was ..... "You guys go, I'll stay. Just take Liam with you. You're right they wont know who it was and I was the one who got Liam into that," and a reference to some unnamed adults that were approaching that they were obviously concerned about. "hmmmm ...... and just what were you getting Liam into ..... young man?". he asked.

[Bryony Lang]

Bryony had to admit that it was impressive what the boy TJ had done, as it was a great but dangerous piece of flying, but she was torn between enjoying it for what it was and the possibility of not only him but the rest of them getting into trouble for it. She couldn’t help but grin though when he asked the same question that she had at the same time and since he got in the jinx in before she had to buy him a pumpkin juice the next time they were in Hogsmeade.

“Fairs fair,” she said with a grin.

The boy TJ, who now that she had studied him a little closer looked a lot like her friend, then offered his broomstick up to the Gryffindor boy Liam for a run.

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” she said. They were lucky that TJ hadn’t been spotted but a second kid flying around was pushing it especially in an out of bounds area.

Of course he hadn’t listened to her and had taken off and fed the squid before heading towards the front of the castle. He didn’t last long before heading back. Tallai had been curious and had stood up to check it out and noticed something and warned TJ who seemed oblivious to the danger they were in. Eddie also had stood up and saw someone and directed them all to leave and meet up later in the library while TJ wanted to stay and take the blame.

Before she could even stand up though a voice behind them asked TJ what he had gotten them into. She turned around to see a man she had never seen before and who she suspected may just be the new Professor they were talking about.

“Oh crap,” she muttered thinking that she should have stayed in bed.

[Jesse Crittendon]

Jesse had not known at first how to react to his uncle’s invitation to go out for a walk by the Lake. Was it really a choice that he was being asked to make, or was he being told to follow along. So, in fact, he felt like he was being pulled in more directions than one. This was mainly because his uncle seemed to be at least two people, and that’s the way it had been as long as he could remember. When he had been growing up in the States, Will Crittendon had been more a visiting Auror than an uncle, and here at Hogwarts he was more Professor Crittendon than he was his only remaining immediate relative. And now that he was head of House for Gryffindor .... and why did it have to be his House ... was he going to see even less of him in the future.

So when he got invited on this walk he had very conflicted feelings about it. they had never really been close, and had never really found it easy to talk to one another. However, as they walked, and got away from the school grounds, Jesse could see, just by his uncle's physical movements that he was feeling more relaxed, and Jesse himself felt better in the open air surrounding the Lake than he did feel confined in the castle. Suddenly it occurred to him why he liked Flying and Quidditch so much ... it was the freedom it represented. He thought his uncle enjoyed it as well. And just as he was about to say something, speaking of Flying and Quidditch, he saw someone flying over the Lake and it looked like a student.

He thought his uncle saw it at the same moment, and he knew whoever it was was in big trouble. It was a big no-no to fly outside of the pitch or in flying lessons. He couldn't tell if it was someone that he knew, even after they landed, especially since he really had few people he could call friends here. He just wasn't a very social creature, and he was just too shy, not just with boys but with girls too. Like one girl he saw in the group of students, just ahead, Bryony, but he was too reserved to even say hi to her. Jesse was just hoping that his uncle was not going to embarrass him out here and would just let any violation slide by. But then he saw the Headmistress approach, accompanied by a man that he didn't know, and he knew Professor Crittendon would do something. Jesse just wished he could hide right now. He was enough of an outsider already. They would probably blame him if any of them got into trouble. He just looked down at the ground hoping that it wouldn't be too bad.

[Liam Grace]

All Liam could hear was the wind in his ears as he sped back towards where his friends where sitting. Several of them had stood up and he was sure was TJ that was waving his arms in a way that directed him where to land. He took that advice and landed just as his new Head of House came up from behind them and asked what he was getting him into. Liam was sure that he was the only one to notice the boy behind the new Professor and saw that he was the new fourth year American student.

“Oh crap,” he said just as the Hufflepuff girl muttered the same thing though Liam didn’t enforce the jinx as TJ had thinking it not the time to do so.

“It is his broom, Sir, and he offered it up to me so that I could take a spin as I mentioned that I had wanted to fly earlier,” he responded. “He was also the one that suggested that I feed the squid…”

He trailed off and said the last part in an almost whisper as he was probably getting his friend into trouble. He was correct in thinking that Tallai had been standing by Eddie was too and by the looks on their faces he knew that they knew who else was coming.

“The Head Mistress is headed this way,” he said. “She definitely would have seen me but I have a feeling that she might have seen you as well TJ.”