Skipping Rocks {open}

Gwyneira slowly made her way outside. It was a chilly day, but nothing all too special. The sky was overcast, gray from all the clouds. The cold didn't bother her though. She wore a halter dress, white at the top and turning into a flower patterned on the skirt. Overtop of that she wore a pink sweater to keep out the chill. Her yellow flats made a little bit of noise on the stony path as she made her way down to the Black Lake. That had been one of her favorite places here at the school when she was a student.

The water moved in small waves, lapping up onto the shore. She stood close, but not close enough to get her shoes wet. Gwyn took in a deep breath before exhaling it, moving her light green gemmed ring about on her ring finger mindlessly. It smelled the same, reminding her off all those days that had been spent out here.

Gwyneira glanced her greenish-brown eyes downward and she tilted her head to the side slightly. She leaned down, picking up one of the smoother rocks. She turned it over in her hand before glancing back out at the lake. "Let's see..." she murmured to herself. "Do I still have it?"

She moved her arm back and then, with grace and force, she threw the rock out at the water. One. Two. Three. Four. Plop. A small look of dissatisfaction formed on her face. No, perhaps she didn't. Her highest had been ten once. Oh, what a glorious day that had been. She let out a sigh and leaned back down. She'd keep doing this until she got ten skips. That would be her goal.

Belle hated the cold, personally. She was like a plant in that retrospect, needing warmth and sunshine to stay perky. The only time she liked the cold was when Christmas came around, but that was long past. Now there was just lots of snow to deal with, which meant the plants in the greenhouse needed lots of extra care. Of course, there were spells to help out with her work, but it still took a bit of effort. Luckily today though, there wasn't any snow on the ground. Just a cold wind that blew every now and then. As Belle made her way past the lake, she spotted somewhere near the shore, skipping some rocks. It took her a moment to remember her name. Adela Sinclair, if she recalled correctly. She taught Divination. But other than that, Belle didn't know anything else about her. She couldn't remember if she had talked to her during the staff party at the New Year's Ball. Well, better to introduce herself now than not do it at all. She made her way over, the grass rustling noisily under her feet. "Hello there," she said cheerfully. "I can't remember if we've met. Belle Mallery, Herbology Teacher." She gave a friendly smile as she stuck out her hand.

Gwyneira could hear the footsteps approaching and, out of habit, she initially stiffened. She had to fight back the urge to turn and kick. She had been so accustomed to that sort of lifestyle that it took everything for her to simply look over her shoulder. She saw a young woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. She took in a deep breath before turning around with a smile on her face.

"Hello," she greeted, holding her hands, clapsed, out in front of her for a while. "It's very nice to meet you Belle. I'm Adela Sinclair, Divinations professor." She had gotten better at producing her false name, having practiced it for hours in her room. She extended her hand to grasp the other woman's and shook it lightly. "So, Herbology huh? Can't imagine you like the cold then, so what're you doing venturing out here by the lake?" She questioned lightly, smirking a little bit. Gwyn reached up and brushed her bangs out of her face. Her hair may have been short, but her bangs had a tendency to get in her eyes.

((Lol, now I can't help but think how it would have gone if Gwyn had karata-chopped Belle or something. XD))

Oh, good, she had been right in the woman's name and teaching position. There were so many new teachers here, Belle was having a hard time keeping track of things. Then again, names hadn't really been her thing. She laughed a little at her question. "I was just coming back from the greenhouses. The plants needed more looking-after to stay healthy, and, well, alive. But there are some that need to die a bit during the winter so they can re-bloom in full glory in the spring. Some of them are like that: they need to get a little ugly first before they become truly beautiful." Belle always liked plants like that, that changed their appearance as the seasons passed.

[omg. it would have been freaking hilarious xDDD]

"Ah, I see," Gwyn smiled. It had seemed like so long since she had been to the Greenhouses. Perhaps she'd visit one of these days. Herbology had been one of her favorite classes when she attended here. She loved plants quite a lot and even kept a few in her office.

Neira nodded; yes, she had remembered learning that. "It's quite remarkable, I would say," she commented. Too bad that didn't work for humans. Once they show their ugly little heads, they can never be truly beautiful - metaphorically speaking of course, as appearances had nothing to do with that. "I'd say they were some of the strongest plants. Able to come back from the brink of death with a vengence, outshining all the others." She grinned widely.

"Well, I guess it isn't too terrible," Belle said. "There are always those students who are willing to help and are really interested in the subject. They could probably spend all day in there if they could." She laughed. They acted much like she had when she was a student. It was always nice to meet students who shared her passion. "That is a rather good point," Belle said. "That could probably be turned into a motivational poster of some sort." She smiled.

Gywn chuckled. Yes, she could very well believe it. When she wasn't spending her days out here, in the kitchnes, or in the Divination's Tower she had a tendency to gravitate towards the Greenhouses. Professor Sprout had always been incredibly kind. "Oh yes, I can imagine," she laughed. "Too bad Divination's doesn't get similar reactions. I get a few kids who want tutoring, but that's only if I'm lucky." She shrugged, her smile still present on her face. She didn't take it much to heart; she knew that when signing up for the position.

Neira let out a snort. "Well, that is what I do in my spare time, Miss Mallery. I make motivational posters. How in the world could you have guessed such a thing?" She questioned in a teasing manner, raising one of her thin eyebrows up as she did so.

"Oh, that's a shame," Belle said. "I always thought Divination was a bit interesting, even if I really couldn't See much. But the whole process of how everything works always interested me." She could never really see things in the crystal balls or anything, but the tea leaves were always fun, even if the predictions she and her friends came up with were a bit ridiculous. But hey, at least you got to drink tea, and Belle loved tea. She laughed along with Adela. It looked like she had a nice sense of humor. Belle always like that in a person.

Gwyneira now raised her eyebrows for real. She had yet to come across someone who had taken an interest in it, even if it was a small interest. "Really?" She questioned, not being able to hold it back. "Yes, I suppose it might be a bit frustrating for those who cannot See things, but... I don't know. I was always a bit fascinated with it myself. Attempting to figure out the future... it's what we all seceretly want, isn't it? To know? Though, I suppose it's not always pleasant." Gwyn shrugged her shoulders, but then, everything had two sides to it. It was just how the world worked.

Gwyneira smiled as Belle laughed along with it. It was so refreshing to laugh with someone. She had done so the other night with Miranda, and it felt good. The last time she had laughed was with James, and even then things were tense with her stepmother trying to figure out their every move. Here, she felt a little more relaxed... safer, that was for sure.

"Well, just a little bit. I never really got good at it since, well, I didn't have the gift. But I was worse at Defense Against the Dark Arts, believe me. I kept getting scared whenever any scary creatures were brought into class. I'm afraid I still scare easily sometimes." Her mind went back to the incident in the Hospital and she resisted the urge to cringe. Everyone else had kept their heads in that situation while she had flipped out and started losing it immediately. She had felt more like a hindrance than actual help, and that bothered her. But she shook those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to think about them. She was here, laughing with a new friend. That should be more than enough to make her feel happy.

Gwyneira let out a small chuckle. She hadn't thought Defense Against the Dark Arts to be particularly hard, but then she wasn't quite scared of it though earlier. Not much frightened her, save for death. "Well, we can't be good at everything, now, can we?" Gwyneira asked, offering a small smile. "I myself was quite horrible at Arithmancy. Hated that class... and Transfigurations; not quite sure why, but nothing ever transformed the full way - the poor animals." She shrugged.

"Divinations, though, that was always my strong suit. Definitely scored better than anyone else in my class," she smiled. Though, she had done really well in just about all of her classes. She had received some of the highest marks in her grade, if not the highest. All she had to do was study almost twenty-four / seven. "But, I suppose it came more naturally to me than others." She shrugged. "What made you decide to teach?" She questioned, blinking rather innocently. She hoped that she wasn't intruding; it could be a very personal question. "That is, if you don't mind me asking."

"I think Arithmancy gave us all a run for our money," Belle laughed. "I remember only a few kids in my class actually understanding what was going on. The rest of us just wrote whatever we could come up with and hoped we would at least pass." Those were the days of practicing the art of bullshit, to put it lightly. That seemed to be a tradition that never died out among students. "Oh, no, that's alright," Belle said, smiling. "I really had no idea what to do with myself when I graduated, really. Was kind of a wallflower for a little while. All I knew was that I liked Herbology. That was when my parents suggested that I become a teacher and it sounded like a pretty good idea to me. And so here I am." Of course, there had been quite a bit of studying to do to become a teacher, but Belle considered that to be the boring part of the story. "What about you?" she asked curiously.

Gwyneira laughed. "Yes, I suppose it does," she nodded. She had only barely passed that class and that was with help from those who were able to understand it. As much as she missed attending classes and school, she didn't miss that class whatsoever.

Gywn smiled. "That's rather lucky of you, I'd say... to be able to figure it out so young. Most aren't as lucky. I met someone who was, like, in her fifties who still didn't know what she wanted to be." Gwyn pursed her lips for a moment, trying to remember the story she had come up with for herself. She gave a small shrug. "Oh, well, I haven't been so lucky with jobs myself. Been in and out of a few here and there... then I heard that the Divination's position was open and so I came to Dumbledore. Figured I could offer my services and maybe I'd find a permanant position." Neira smiled.

Belle nodded in understanding. It felt like everyone had at least one person in their life like that: people who never figured out what to do with their lives. Belle knew that she was lucky to have found her passion so early on, and that she had been relatively successful so far. Sure, she probably wasn't going to be a legend like Dumbledore, but at least she was helping kids out while she was here. That was always something she strove for. "He's been pretty kind, letting us all in to work here and stuff," Belle said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I hear some headmasters can get pretty stingy when it comes to hiring teachers. They practically squeeze the life outta you to find out if you're fit enough to be a professor." Luckily, Dumbledore wasn't one of those people.

"Yes, I'm so grateful for him. He really is one of the kindest people I've met," Gwyneira smiled. She couldn't imagine what she would be doing now if it hadn't been for Dumbledore. She'd still be in hiding... running for her life from town to town. It would be exhausting. She glanced back out at the lake. She was very thankful to be in a familiar place... a safe place... She could never thank Dumbledore enough.

"So," Gwyneira started, a smile on her face, ready for a change in subject. "What exactly do teachers do around here for fun?" She questioned. So far she hadn't done much. She hadn't really been looking forward to another large group of people - that seemed to unnerve her a little bit, but what could teacher's do around here besides wondering out to the Black Lake to skip rocks.

Belle nodded. "Mmm-hmm. He's changed more lives than he probably knows." She knew that Dumbledore's influence affected a lot of people, and it usually made them better than before. "Well, there's always Hogsmeade. It's still enjoyable, even as a teacher. Butterbeer never loses it's flavor." She smiled. "The Quidditch matches here are always fun to go to, even if the students can get a little rough with each other. But what else can you expect from a bunch of teenagers flying around on broomsticks while chucking balls at each other?" She laughed. "Um, oh, and there's always the library. Although I guess that's just fun for me since I'm a bookworm. But I could spend hours in there if I had the time."

"Ah, yes, Hogsmeade. Haven't been there since I was seventeen," Gwyneira smiled. She had quite enjoyed going there and buying sweets, clothes, and butterbeers. Though, now as an adult, the Fire Whiskey had a bit more appeal to her, but butterbeer was always tasty.

"Haha, yes. Quidditch is a very rough sport, but that's what makes it fun," Gwyneira snorted. The physical contact of it was very exhilerating. Gwyneira had broken a few bones playing and the bruises she got had been incredibly nasty. Still, Quidditch was fun, even simply watching it.

Gwyn nodded. She quite enjoyed the library as well. "No, I get it. I'm quite the bookworm myself. Give me a stack of books and I'll be content for hours," She smiled warmly.

"Aw, I'll have to take you there sometime," Belle said, smiling. "And I'll be sure to invite Miranda too. Have you met her? She's the Care of Magical Creatures professor here. Really sweet." Heck, she, Belle, and Adela could probably make a pretty nice trio. Maybe a quartet if Sachika joined in on the fun. Belle could already feel herself getting excited. "Fun to watch, yes. I was never good at it though. I always ducked or dodged balls rather than catching them." She laughed at the memories. She had tried getting into the spot a few times, but she eventually settled for just watching it. Besides, there was plenty of fun in that. She could cheer on her favorite team without worrying about a Bludger knocking into her head. "Really? Thank goodness I'm not the only one. I have a pile of romance novels back in my room. And some on plants as well."

"Yes, I have met her. She seems very nice, very sweet," Gwyneira smiled. She was glad to have been reuinited with her friend from her school days, though, she had to keep that a secret. TO everyone else, they had only just met. It would be a little difficult, to not want to break out their horror stories from school to everyone else, but she was sure they would manage quite fine.

Gwyn laughed. "It can be a difficult sport to get into. I love playing it myself. Playing a chaser occasionally," she couldn't simply state that she played Chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team... she didn't know whether or not Belle would remember anyone who looked like her back then. So, she'd go for playing occasionally off the team. "I was the target of most of the balls. Those bludgers really hurt like hell." She chuckled, scratching her head before shrugging. "But I loved it all the same. Probably took too many bludgers to the head or something."

"I'm very studious and I love a good novel here and there. I suppose that's one of my Ravenclaw qualities showing through, though," she chuckled.

"Oh, good! The three of us definitely need to hang out together sometime. I bet it could be so much fun. Maybe Sachika can come too. She's the Arithmancy teacher." Funny how she and Adela were just talking about the subject a few minutes ago. "You played Quidditch? Wow. Would have loved to see you in action." She wondered if Adela still had any moves on her, even though her student days were behind her. "Have Bludgers actually caused permanent brain damage? Anytime I see someone hit by the, I'm always like 'Oh God, we're finally going to get a student that will be disabled for life.' They always turn out fine, though. I guess that's because we have Sitka on the job." Sitka was one of the smartest doctors Belle knew of. Granted, he was the only doctor she knew, but he was still pretty intelligent. "People always joked I should have been in Ravenclaw since I loved to read so much," she said, laughing a little.

"Oh yes, that does sound very fun," Gwyneira smiled. It might be nice to hang out with some people. She may be here for a while and figured she shouldn't hide herself up in her tower. She'd really become the crazy Divination's professor then. Gwyn was desperately trying to avoid that. Maybe if she was a cool, nice, easy to get along with (yet still strict) professor than she could change people's outlook on the class itself.

"Well, if caught early on by the healers, it shouldn't cause anything permanant. I had a bludger hit me in the head pretty badly once, but I've seemed to turn out okay," Gwyn chuckled lightly. That had definitely been a painful experience. "But yes, I don't know, I wasn't the best player on the team." She smiled. She would love to play once more. It had been so long. Maybe she could borrow a broom from the broom shack and practice one of these days.

Gwyn pursed her lips. This was the second time she was hearing of Sitka. She hadn't seen him in years, and hadn't ever truly hung out with him when she had. He was Miranda's friend and she didn't particularly interact with him too much.

Neira chuckled. "Yes, well, we Ravenclaws are best know for reading," she smiled. You could often spot a Ravenclaw by the number of books they were carrying.

Belle smiled, glad to see that Adela was on board with the whole getting together thing with the two of them and Miranda. No doubt all of them could use some happy times to take their mind off of the bad things that had happened recently. Of course, Belle had no idea about Adela's past. She just assumed that she, like most of the staff, was troubled by the whole Imperius Curse thing. "Ouch," she said, wincing in sympathy. No doubt a bludger to the head hurt like hell. "Glad to see you survived that. Although I haven't heard of anyone actually dying while in a Quidditch game. Does it happen that much anymore?" She heard more about injuries than actual deaths. Maybe it was because anything death-related that could happen in a Quidditch game could be prevented with some magic.

Gwyneira nodded at Belle's 'Ouch' remark and chuckled slightly still. Yes, it was very, very painful. She then brought her pointer finger up to gently tap her chin, her brown eyes squinting in thought. "Hmn... not lately, anyway. I don't think that's happened in many, many years. Not with the types of healers we have today and the different types of potions they have. Magic too, has a wonderful effect on in. So, nope, no deaths that I am aware of," Gwyn smiled softly. "Which, I think, is one of the best ways to recruit new players. It's rough, but don't worry, you won't die." She joked lightly. Still though, injuries were high - not that they couldn't be mended easily with magic - but if you put in that with even the slightest possibility of death... your adrenaline skys through the roof and nothing feels quite as good. Though, maybe that made Gwyn an adrenaline junkie. No, it was only in quidditch that she didn't mind the rush of adrenaline.

"That's good," Belle said, smiling. "I know I hear students complain about how their parents don't want them to play Quidditch because they're afraid they'll fall off their broomstick or get hit in the head with a beater's stick or something. Maybe pulling out some statistics will ease their minds a bit." She laughed. "Not that I'm a huge fan of research. My teacher always got onto me because I read novels rather than reading books for class. Bookworm through and through."

"Yes, hopefully it wold reassure them and let their minds at peace. Quidditch is quite a brilliant game. It involves stragety, quick reflexes and thinking, strength, and so much more. It really is quite good for people," Gwyn shrugged, her smile still placed on her face. She couldn't help but laugh at Belle's remark about research. Gwyneira couldn't help but think that maybe that was why she was not a Ravenclaw. Gwyn, personally, loved to do research. It was one of the most fullfilling and pleasurable activities there were. "Ah, yes, research. I've quite missed having such a big library at my fingertips. I cannot wait to crack old and new books alike." She really couldn't. She was actually surprised she hadn't stopped in there yet. She had had quite some times in there, making out behind the bookshelves, throwing books at bullies, studying madly for her OWLs and NEWTs. Oh yes, she quite missed the library.