"And vhy's vhat?" Erik continued, pretending not to notice the woman's discomfort with discussing centaurs. Had she had a bad experience trying to ride one? He really wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. If anyone were fool enough to try riding a centaur, Callie would be it.

He tried to picture her working in Diagon Alley but his mind drew a blank. "Vorking vhere...in a shop?" Look at him, asking all these questions as though he cared. Ivy must have been rubbing off on him. "Sorry, I just find your subject interesting," Erik added as an after-thought. Who knew you could find talented and qualified professors just every day in the Alley?

Divination was, yes, mildly interesting, but he also thought it was completely full of lies. Maybe the professor was the same....interesting and full of lies...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik Vinteren

"And vhy's vhat?" Erik continued, pretending not to notice the woman's discomfort with discussing centaurs. Had she had a bad experience trying to ride one? He really wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. If anyone were fool enough to try riding a centaur, Callie would be it.

He tried to picture her working in Diagon Alley but his mind drew a blank. "Vorking vhere...in a shop?" Look at him, asking all these questions as though he cared. Ivy must have been rubbing off on him. "Sorry, I just find your subject interesting," Erik added as an after-thought. Who knew you could find talented and qualified professors just every day in the Alley?

Divination was, yes, mildly interesting, but he also thought it was completely full of lies. Maybe the professor was the same....interesting and full of lies...

Why did Erik seem so clueless when it came to Centaurs? Did they not have them where he came from lucky? Were they really not featured in any History of Magic textbooks? He should know these things and how they...act. She certainly did after that trip that resulted in one of her University classes. "I don't think that the Centaurs represent a well-rounded respect of Divination that my students deserve." She said a tad on the defensive side. She didn't want it to seem that she disliked them blindly or anything. "They tend to think that the most important things are Astrology and the ways of the forest and tend to disregard all the thousands of years of progress Muggles and Wizards alike have brought to the Noble Art." Her cheeks were a tad pink more from her rising passion for the subject she taught rather than the cold.

But enough of that right now, Erik's interest in her hiring turned her mind from the horses running around the forest. A shop? Did her wagon count? He was a foreigner, maybe he would believe her. "Oh, no it's alright." She looked at him for a moment. "I actually was working on my own doing readings and other diving practices for patrons in a wagon that I bought from a witch in Edinburgh." She said calmly. "I started from the bottom and now I'm here." It had been a rough journey but Calista was proud of her past work and the fact that she had worked her way up.

The snow continued to fall after Elwood finished her back story. After the pause she turned back to look at his blue eyes. "Erik, what do you mean by that, that you think Divination is interesting?" She was legitimately curious.

Aha, so she had definitely tried to ride a centaur, then. Silly woman likely got bucked from the thing, heh. Erik tried to hide his amusement. Yes, sure, centaurs thought Astrology was the only important thing when studying the Noble Art...Noble Art...he almost scoffed at the phrase, but covered it by coughing lightly into his gloved hand. "I see," was all he said instead. "You seem to feel passionately about this topic, Calista." Was her face getting red or was it just cold outside?

His eyebrows went up, he couldn't help it, when she said she had been working out of a wagon when she was hired for Hogwarts. Well. They really did hire just anyone then. "Vhat is certainly true," he mused, not meaning to sound mean but it came out anyway. "You could only go up from vhere, I vould think."

He shrugged a little at her question and turned back to looking at the tree. "I'm not sure I believe in divining vhings." He wasn't sure it was a real art, the Noble Art. Scoff.

Ronnie nodded. "I understand how that is." she said. It wasn't quite like that for her...not yet, that is. "But it'll probably not get so busy at times, too." she said reassuringly, nodding. "Mine is pretty good. I'm trying to really make it last...yet this year feels like it's going by too fast for me." she said, gesturing to the snow around them. "I mean it's already winter." she said with a sigh. "But...it's great. Did you hear that Jory and I are together now...?" she asked, turning to look at Ella with a small smile. This was the first person she was telling this, and she had been dying to tell someone.

She grinned, and carefully stood back up and jumped off her snow angel and spun around to face it. It was still in perfect shape! She then stuck her hand out towards Ella and helped her out of her snow angel. "They look awesome!" she said with a nod of approval. They sure did!

Now, for the snowman. "How big should we make it? And what should his name be?" she asked. Of course he had to have a name. That was always required whenever Ronnie built snowmen.

She seemed passionate? Was the man's brain frozen? She taught the subject, possessed the Inner Eye and had devoted most of her life to the stuff; of course she was passionate about it. "Yes you could say that." She said with a grin. She didn't know if he knew about her abilities or not though and she didn't quite trust him enough to go into it all.

....

"Yeah it is." She said looking at him, her eyebrows pulled close together and her voice rising just a bit. Hopefully there weren't any students around. "And I am glad that Headmaster Tate took a chance on me because it helped me out when I most needed it." She was fuming just a tad but she wouldn't let him see her upset. Her talents were better served in a school than the street regardless of what 'ole frozen head from ze North' thought. "I had a job at the Ministry before though." She added with a huff.

So take that Erik!

And he was a non-believer. By the way the conversation was going Elwood could have picked that up on her own. "Many do not believe because they don't see results as soon as they try. Divination is not made up of spells you can quickly master it takes years and years of practice and requires utmost concentration." That was what she was teaching her students.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point. Things will slow down eventually." And then pick up again, surely. That's just the way things went. The blonde looked around thoughtfully and nodded in agreement about what the red head had said. "And soon it'll be spring." This was said with a smile because spring was lovely and Ella couldn't wait for warm weather. Wait... WHAT? "Really?" She squeaked, bouncing a little. "That's brilliant, Ronnie. I'm happy for you both." Really! "When did this happen, hmmm?" Nudge. She wanted details.

"Nice skills," Ella said cheerfully, accepting her friend's hand and standing up a little more carefully than Ronnie had. "They do look great! Job well done." Mhm!

How big should they make the snowman? "Huge, of course." GRIN. As for his name...."What abouttttt...Merlin?" Yeah, Merlin seemed legit. "We can give him a beard and everything."

Ronnie nodded. "I hope it'll come soon for ya, Ella. And I'm sure it will." she said with a small nod. It always did. Well, for Ronnie it did anyway. She then chuckled. "Yeah, it will. I love spring." she said, looking at the Whomping Willow as its branches swayed in the breeze blowing past. "What's your favorite season?" she asked as she continued to study the tree. She needed to come down here and sketch it again and send it to her father. He'd always wanted to see what it looked like.

A grin spread across her face at Ella's reaction, her cheeks turning a bit pink. She nodded. "Thanks, Ella! It means a lot." she said. She then chuckled. "It happened a few days ago," she began. "We were just at the lake together and...then he told me he liked me which was a surprise. I mean, I've liked him for the longest time and had no idea he ever liked me. Turns out he had liked me for quite a while too." she said, laughing a little. "Anyways, I told him I liked him too then...we're together now!" she finished with a giggle. It was nice to have a friend to finally tell this too. She had been rather busy lately and didn't get a chance to tell all her close friends..

Ronnie grinned again. She liked the way Ella thought. "I was thinking the same thing. Huge is always good." she said. She then laughed at her idea, nodding excitedly. "That's brilliant! How about you get started with the bottom part, and I'll get working on the middle." She bent down and began rolling some snow into a large ball, and then rolling it around some more to make it larger.

"I'm sure you're right," Ella said confidently. Besides, she was getting used to the work load so maybe that'd take off some of the pressure too? She just really needed to stay organized and then she'd be just fine. "Spring is really nice." Really. As for her favorite season, Ella shrugged. "I'm torn between Summer and Fall. I know they're nothing alike but I love them both." For different reasons, of course. "Yours is Spring, then?"

Awww! The blushing was adorable and Ella BEAMED at Ronnie, poking her playfully. "Anytime and it seems like you're really happy about it!" Nodnod. "You're very smiley." Just saying. As she listened to the girl explain how this had happened, Ella let a slow smile spread across her face. "Funny how that happens, isn't it? The liking someone and them liking you back but not realizing it." Her and Alec had been so blind for ages before Bliss finally clued Ella in.

"I'm on it!" Yup, the bottom of the snowman was totally something she could handle. The sixteen year old started with a small snowball and began rolling it in front of her, picking up more and more snow as she went. She whistled while she worked, too.

Erik's brain wasn't frozen but it was maybe stuck on the setting for 'amused smirking,' as that was all he was doing at the moment. Watching Elwood, watching the tree, and smirking at his thoughts regarding this woman. What a basket case of kneazles she was, but at least she seemed to love her job.

With a passion.

Had he said something to tip her from the passionate side to the angry side? Erik was extraordinarily good at reading people, it was part of his job, so he noticed when Calista's voice rose ever so slightly. Throw in her defensive quip of her old job, supposedly at the Ministry of Magic, and Erik could sense one feisty little Divination professor. He didn't have to have his third eye open to see that.

Heh. Heh. Heh. But why stop now when she was only slightly upset with him?

"Is it vorth it, in the end, after all vhose years of practise and concentration?" he just had to ask, seemingly in a sincere manner as he again focused his wide blue eyes on hers. "Vot if as much as you try you never see any results?"

Wouldn't that be frustrating? Maybe she wasn't a passionate little professor after all, but just a frustrated one. That could also explain her nuttiness somewhat...

Max headed out for the Whomping Willow..it was something that always made him feel oddly safe, someplace familiar. He had a lot of memories there, some good some bad..

He was a bit chilly, which was odd for him. He was used to the cold for the most part. He even took to it, preferred it to the heat but today was just cold..the slight bit of hair on his face itching as it sometimes did, he hadn't shaved today. No classes so why bother? He had the makings of a decent beard.

Taking a seat as close to the tree as he dared he leaned back and looked at the sky, it was grey, like the sun was hiding from him. He didn't mind, pushing his sunglasses into his jacket pocket he wondered about things, the future, his with Elliot...that of his friends. He didn't like to think that far ahead, but it wasn't so far now was it?

Michael made his way through the grounds, pulling his winter cloak tighter around him as he walked. The snow was soaking through the bottom of his pants, making him shiver.

With what he had planned, he wouldn't be cold for too much longer. That thought caused him to grin as the Whomping Willow came into view. He had been wanting to come down here since he had arrived at Hogwarts, but he with classes and trying to figure his way around the place, it was only now that he had managed to get here.

He noticed that Zahra wasn't here yet and he frowned a little. She had better come or he would find her and kick her butt. Just like he had done when he had gone home for Christmas and found her being a baby. Again.

Well.

So.

Maybe she had been a baby. So.

Zahra Kettleburn, with her fur-lined cloak and ear muffs, sashayed as well as a first year CAN sashay, PAST Mikey Toussaint. You know. CLOSER to the Whomping Willow than HIM.

Who was the baby NOW.

"So Toussaint. You going to touch it?"

He had been looking the other way when Z had finally made her appearance and he couldn't stop the grin from forming on his face and he stepped up beside her.

"I plan to do more than touch it Kettleburn." He turned to her and flicked her earmuff before taking hold of her hand. "Come on Z, let's see how good your balance is."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik Vinteren

Erik's brain wasn't frozen but it was maybe stuck on the setting for 'amused smirking,' as that was all he was doing at the moment. Watching Elwood, watching the tree, and smirking at his thoughts regarding this woman. What a basket case of kneazles she was, but at least she seemed to love her job.

With a passion.

Had he said something to tip her from the passionate side to the angry side? Erik was extraordinarily good at reading people, it was part of his job, so he noticed when Calista's voice rose ever so slightly. Throw in her defensive quip of her old job, supposedly at the Ministry of Magic, and Erik could sense one feisty little Divination professor. He didn't have to have his third eye open to see that.

Heh. Heh. Heh. But why stop now when she was only slightly upset with him?

"Is it vorth it, in the end, after all vhose years of practise and concentration?" he just had to ask, seemingly in a sincere manner as he again focused his wide blue eyes on hers. "Vot if as much as you try you never see any results?"

Wouldn't that be frustrating? Maybe she wasn't a passionate little professor after all, but just a frustrated one. That could also explain her nuttiness somewhat...

The man was quiet for a minute in which Calista just looked up at the snow-covered branches of the Willow; at least the ones that hadn't swayed and whipped too much knocking the stuff off.

Just as Callie thought the conversation was going to end there and she was free to continue her walk up to the Castle for lunch the History of Magic Professor spoke once more. Still the cynic.

"I believe so, yes." She stared at snow again for a moment, blank eyes as she remembered one of her first visions, the one where she saw her parents accident but not being able to stop it. "With more practice you will be able to harness your abilities or discover them if it takes longer than thought." Yes, there were differentiating length of development. "I do not claim that everyone will become an expert at all type of Divination but with practice and skill everyone should at least be able to succeed in easier types of reading at least with minute regularity."

It wasn't a science or anything.

And he got a small smirk with his last comment. "Is that what it is Erik, you never got any results."

Harness your abilities, practise, practise, practise...right, Erik could tell she was practised herself at spouting this nonsense to people. Too bad he still wasn't buying into it.

"I vhink I am one ov vhose people who has to see to believe," he offered. "No, Calista, I never tried Divination myself. Vhat is vhy I don't believe in it. I haff never seen any results relevant to me."

Simple enough explanation. Yes, he was a cynic. Cynical until proven otherwise. He didn't even mind if his comments sounded egotistical; surely there was a large portion of the population that agreed with him. Divination after all was an art form, an elective course offered at Hogwarts. It wasn't even an important enough subject to be required. It certainly hadn't been required at his school in his heyday.

Zahra CACKLED and latched back onto Mikey's hand. She PROBABLY should have been keeping at least one eye on the ground below with all those jagged, protruding roots in their path - but this Gryffindor had her eyes on the PRIZE.

And also the limbs. She was watching those. They looked pretty mad. COOL.

"We're going to climb and ride, right? We shoulda brought a LASSO."

She hopped a root by instinct, but her toe caught the next one and she tripped... tripped...

Michael too was keeping his eyes on the tree. He had already spotted the branch he wanted. When Zara spoke, he tore his gaze away from the tree and looked at his friend. "Now you tell me." He would have gotten one bad brought it with him.

As they neared the flailing branches, Michael was once again looking at the branch that his name on it, when he felt Zara going down and because she had a tight hold of his hand, he followed her and hit the ground.

Before he could he eeven begin to start laughing however, one of the Willow's branches was heading in their direction. Michael didn't even think, he just strated pushing Zara. "Roll Z, roll!!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mell

Michael too was keeping his eyes on the tree. He had already spotted the branch he wanted. When Zara spoke, he tore his gaze away from the tree and looked at his friend. "Now you tell me." He would have gotten one bad brought it with him.

As they neared the flailing branches, Michael was once again looking at the branch that his name on it, when he felt Zara going down and because she had a tight hold of his hand, he followed her and hit the ground.

Before he could he eeven begin to start laughing however, one of the Willow's branches was heading in their direction. Michael didn't even think, he just strated pushing Zara. "Roll Z, roll!!"

"ROLLING," Zahra yelled, and she was.... she was ROLLING ROLLING ROLLING. She'd done this before,down the hill behind the cottage. Though, a tree hadn't been hot on her heels then.

Naturally, this was SO MUCH BETTER.


"YOU STILL ALIVE MIKEY??!!" She ALMOST got hit. The only thing that saved her was her pausing to yell at Mikey.

The now fifth teen year old claw girl was excited. There was no way about that. Heck it was mainly visible because she was practically dancing around the campus. SPIIIN here twirl there, skip there. Yeah and she wasn’t insane-dancing she was actually listening to music. Which was hard to do on campus.

But to her luck her mom had given her a little magical radio for Christmas that even picked up muggle music. So she spun, skip, and twirled her way to the whomping willow – the snow crunch crunching under her feet. The girl who was still confused about boys was unable to stop herself from singing.

Bopping her head a bit as she made her way to the tree, her face breaking into a giant smile as she came to the tree. The song causing her to giggle and then begin to smile. “When I’m drivin’ in my car” she giggled not really caring if anyone heard her “and that man comes on the radio – and he’s telling’ me more and more about some useless information supposed to fire my imagination….I can’t get no – oh no no no” she beamed and stopped singing as she glanced at the tree. “PERFECT!” She practically yelled – well she might have yelled actually.

She was so going to use a bite of the tree for her Runes project.

There he was, just sitting near that stupid, dangerous tree. Nashville had heard about this tree from some people and he just didn't believe them and with what had happened in the last couple of days he just needed to cool off and just think about everything. He hated how his "friends" were saying that he didn't want to be friends with them, mostly Minerva! It made him angry, friends weren't suppose to bring you down they were suppose to make you happy when the world was bringing you down.

Nashville looked around at his surroundings as he tried to clear his head. It just wasn't working, he just kept feeling worse and there was nothing that could or would change that at this point. Oh, lookie, Miiika was here.

He wished that she would roll a little bit faster, the branch managed to hit him. Twice. Sitting down was going to be uncomfortable over the next few days.

So worth it though.

"YEP! I''VE EVEN GOT BRUISES!" It wasn't a good day out unless you came home with bruises.

"Reckon you can grab hold of that branch when it comes around again? Mikey wasn't leaving until he had ridden the Whomping Willow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mell

He wished that she would roll a little bit faster, the branch managed to hit him. Twice. Sitting down was going to be uncomfortable over the next few days.

So worth it though.

"YEP! I''VE EVEN GOT BRUISES!" It wasn't a good day out unless you came home with bruises.

"Reckon you can grab hold of that branch when it comes around again? Mikey wasn't leaving until he had ridden the Whomping Willow.

Hmmm. Did she reckon... sounded like a challenge to HER! So basically,whether she COULD or not, or whether or not it was an actual good idea.... were moot. She was GOING TO GRAB...

... but only got smacked by a hulking limb. Limb to face. One bloody nose later,and several more rolls - "DID YOU SEE THAT?!?!?!" IT HIT HER IN THE FACE.

HAHAHAHA WHAT. "You TRY. I'm going to stuff leaves up my nose real quick!" Then she'd be right back to trying to grab on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImaBRE!

There he was, just sitting near that stupid, dangerous tree. Nashville had heard about this tree from some people and he just didn't believe them and with what had happened in the last couple of days he just needed to cool off and just think about everything. He hated how his "friends" were saying that he didn't want to be friends with them, mostly Minerva! It made him angry, friends weren't suppose to bring you down they were suppose to make you happy when the world was bringing you down.

Nashville looked around at his surroundings as he tried to clear his head. It just wasn't working, he just kept feeling worse and there was nothing that could or would change that at this point. Oh, lookie, Miiika was here.

Skip-skip-pause. She could feel someone looking at her and just stopped and turned around. What on earth? Did Nash have a freaking death wish. It was never smart to sit by the whomping willow – but, come to think of it the willow would be an amazing tree for her assignment yeah? It was a living tree yeah?

She remembered from her textbook that the Willow tree drew its power from water. Water, that was a calming element right? And somehow this tree was far from calming. She just smiled to Nash and sent him a wave before taking a step forward.

CREAAAAK

Oh god the tree! Picking up a long stick that was sitting on the ground she jabbed it into the notch on the tree. “Do you have some kind of crazy death wish Nash?” She asked as she glanced over to him. She didn’t want any of her friends doing crazy things and getting themselves hurt – even friends who punched her other friends.

"How are things in Hufflepuff going?" She asked nervously as she made her way over to him. "And ugh, we should move away from its branch-length for now or keep jabbing that notch."

If it had been anyone else, Michael might have been concerned about the bloody nose, but this was Z and he had seen her bloodied up plenty of times. So when he saw the tree branch smack her straight in the face he burst out laughing. "We should have brought a camera with us." He would be able to watch that over and over again.

While Zahra was sticking leaves up her nose, Mikey waited for the branch to swing his way and the moment it did he grabbed hold of it. He let out a very loud, "WOOOOOOT!!!! as the tree lifted him up in the air and before he could even call out to his BFF, he was flung twenty feet in the opposite direction.

He hit the ground straight on his stomach which knocked the wind right out of him. He rolled onto his back and put his hand in the air and stuck his thumb up. "I'M OKAY!"

In case she was worried.

Zahra was just about to start on her other nostril... WHEN MIKEY FLEW. It was so.... MAGICAL. And his landing, if one could call it that... was the BEST part. She CACKLED at him. It had to hurt, but that was just part of it.

Now she had to one up him. Do better. Fly higher and fall harder. There were a few other students around, but there were peripheral and entirely disregarded. Zahra had better and bigger things to DO. She stuff a quick leaf and a ball of snow up her nose -- and was OFF, chasing a LIMB, LEAPING FOR IT.....

...she only managed to grab it though, and go for a quick ride where she got tossed head over heels and landed more or less on her head in a heap in the snow.

Whoa. Whoa. "Did you SEE THAT?" Zahra called out, somewhat muffled cuz of the snow in her mouth and the dead leaves in her nose.