Starry Eyed Ire

she rolled her eyes , biting down on her tongue . “ fine ——- let’s play the pacifist card . but remember , my life is at stake here . i heard starving is a really nasty way to go out . ”

“I would never risk your life. I promise if asking doesn’t work we will take whatever your heart desires.”

“well–” she started, adjusting the scarf around her neck. “it’s going to be over soon– less snow and more damp misery i’m assuming.” always the bright and bubbly one in the room, sarcasm intended, alecto offered the other witch a smile, though there wasn’t much warmth behind it. 

“That’s true, but all the more reason to enjoy it while we can.” Irene smiled at the other witch.  She could sense the sarcasm from her, but she always found it best to ignore it.

lucinda barely withdrew her sight from the book she was holding before returning back to it . “ i suppose so . that is if you enjoy frozen fingers and chapped lips . ”

“Down sides for sure but there are gloves and lip balm. I’ve always found those help a lot.”

“if by beautiful, you mean cold. yeah.” glancing over at her house mate, she gives her a small smile. “i’ll leave the admiring to you, i think.”

Irene chuckled. “You do have a point; it is very cold. I think that adds to it though.” 

“That’s true. It does look nice.” He smiled. “And it does make you thankful for whoever invented heating charms.”

“Yes that’s also very true.  Warming charms are essential this time of year. What’s your favorite? Season I mean?”

“It is. Everything is just so… lovely. It’s like the whole castle just turns into a little snow globe.” Aurora agreed. “The frost is a little biting, but frankly, I can look past that.”

“It really does. We’re very lucky to get to enjoy it.” Irene smiled at the other girl. “I can as well. I think of it as natures way of weeding out those who can’t just enjoy the beauty of it.” 

“I suppose so,” Edgar said while he glanced out of the window. “Bloody cold though. As long as I don’t need to go out in it it’s nice.”

“Yeah it is cold, but that adds to it I think.  You know you don’t want to ruin it by walking on the new snow.” 

rarely would he ever show how nervous he truly was, but he was fairly certain he would fall on his ass at least once today. “yeah.. ‘right.” with both hands placed firmly on his seat, he pushes himself up. hand having to grab at irene’s the second he put his weight on the ice. “’m gonna fall… ‘m gonna fall..” he mutters to himself over and over, trying to gain a better sense of balance. “y’know..  i don’t think this ‘s the sport for me.”

Irene could see that Gideon was truly nervous.  She knew he would be able to do it if he stopped thinking he couldn’t.  She squeezed his hand tightly trying to comfort him. “You’re not going to fall. Look you’ve got the hardest part your standing up on the ice.” She hated to see him like this.  “If you don’t want to do this ,I won’t make you.  I just know you’ll have so much fun if you just give it a shot. If you fall I’ll do whatever you want to make it up to you.”

“ obviously we all remember the dog, but this is totally different. ” reg insists, gesturing at his latest creation –– a tiny metal hippogriff made from the paper clips he’d stolen off his mother’s desk when he was home for christmas holidays. complete with old quill nibs for a beak, he’d charmed it to carry little things around the castle. the dog he’d made last year had nearly taken his leg off, and aside from a few quill jabs to the fingers, the hippogriff was going far better. “ this one’s a lot more docile. ” as if to prove the exact opposite, the hippogriff nips at the top of his ear. “ merlin –– ” he jerks, swatting the metal creature away from his head. “ totally docile. ”

Irene looked in awe at tiny hippogriff. “He’s beautiful, truly he is.” She watched the hippogriff as it moved around.  “I don’t know the dog was nice too, granted a bit mean, but sometime animals are just like that you know?” Even after she saw him nip at the top of Reginald’s ear she still put her hand out toward hippogriff. “May I pet him?”

Just arching one of her eyebrows, she watched the blonde and sighed a little. “I have personally always been a fan of spring. I find the flowers coming back from the dead is.. poetic somehow” she mused and smiled a little.

“Spring is beautiful too.” Irene nodded, smiling at the other girl. “I never really thought about it that way.  You’re right it is poetic.” 

“ya say that like it’s not definitely going to happen.” he snorts, making a face of discomfort as he glances down at the skates. “if i didn’t know any better i’d think ya were tryna kill me..” he mutters, laces now tied poorly and feet firmly on the ground he shakes his head. “irene… i can’t even stand up.”

“I would never try to murder you, love. It would merely be a honest to Merlin accident, and I would truly be saddened to lose you.” Irene said, trying her best to keep her impish grin at bay. Irene had her skates laced and she stood up offering her hand to Gideon. “You can stand up, Gid.  I promise, I won’t let you fall. I never have before right?”

“ come on now , i’m starving . ” her voice was coming dangerously close to a whine as she looked at the person next to her , conjuring up her most convincing puppy-dog-eyed look . “ i’m sure the house elves will live if we steal one pumpkin cake . or two or three … ”

Irene sighed at the girl beside her as she smiled. “We might get more if we ask them instead.  I’ve found they really like that.” 

*open starter: location, hogwarts castle.

“i wouldn’t go outside if i were you.” the blonde shuddders, wet coat clinging to her shoulders. “it’s bloody pouring.”

“Yeah I got in just a moment ago.  One would think I would be able to remember my backpack, but here we are. Did you get caught in it or where you out enjoying it?”

He gave me a small smile before she sat down and he leaned his head on her shoulder with a sigh. “I’m jumpy, I’m nervous, I’m… another synonym I can’t think of right now,” he listed off. He closed his eyes, trying to relax. “I don’t like this. I really don’t like this at all.”

“Those are all good adjectives. They make sense too. I have the feeling a lot of us are on edge.” She rubbed his back as he leaned onto her shoulder. “I don’t either. Unfortunately I don’t know what we can do about it right now.  I wish there was a way to fix this.”

“you have got to be joking.” he snorts, wrapping his arms around the girls shoulders lazily. “i get on that ice and you’re gonna be dragging me to the hospital wing.” yet somehow, gideon had an itching feeling he was going to skate today, and oh merlin, probably break something too.

“Of course I’m not.  It’s one of my favorite things to do in the winter.” Irene grinned.  While she would never force him to get on the ice, she knew that he probably wouldn’t fight her too much.  “I would never drag you.  I’d levitate you silly.” She tried to sound as innocent as she could without making herself laugh.  “So are you going to lace up?”