Whispers in the Hollow
Apr 22, 2016 15:20:00 GMT
Post by Ember Stonefyre on Apr 22, 2016 15:20:00 GMT
“Ugh.” Ember groaned a bit, her hand going to her spinning head as the world reoriented itself around her. She had never been one for apparating, much preferring her broom, but it had been the best way to get from London to Ireland in one fell swoop without having to locate another fireplace to floo through. It was easier though, with Sophia, because the other witch was already better at it, probably because she'd been doing it longer as she was a bit older in general than Ember. The Gryffindor regained her bearings quickly, a cock-eyed grin forming on her slightly freckled face as she turned around, her eyes trailing along the dirt lane trimmed with gorgeously green trees overhead. Dappled sunlight fell through the leaves as a soft breeze blew, though the lane opened up quickly to front yards and a smattering of different houses, not a single driveway to be seen. More smaller paths led into the trees, to more houses that weren't visible from here, but Ember's blue eyes didn't lock on any of them. No, they went straight for the little stone cottage towards the end of the road.
The cottage was a small thing, made out of grey stones, it's tiled roof covered slightly with moss in random places. The front garden wasn't large, but it was remarkably beautiful, overrun completely with flowers and grass, a small path leading up to the single front step from a vine covered trellis over a gate. A classic white-picket fence fed off either side of the trellis, disappearing into large lilac and hydrangea bushes. Ember turned, her eyes finally falling on the Hufflepuff beside her. They had spent the last week together at the music festival with Eveleen and a sheep they had named Bernice after they'd hit her by accident on their way to the festival. Bernice had been returned to her home, her wool covered in gorgeous pictures made from dye and Eveleen's pair of red, heart shaped sunglasses on her face. They had left a note for the farmer, making sure he knew exactly what kind of alcohol his sheep preferred, a mixture of chardonnay and vodka so strong it would have knocked a grown man on his ass, but not Bernice. Ember would miss that sheep, but she was extremely happy to be home. She rarely roamed anywhere except Hogwarts and tended to actually miss her mother quite a lot when she was away from her, even if they didn't always agree on every aspect of Ember's life.
The Gryffindor had spent the last twenty four hours in a pair of cut off demin shorts and a slightly billowy tank top, the naval piercing she had gotten over the summer always covered to the point where only Eveleen knew about it. In the summer sun, Ember had pulled her hair up in a ponytail, keeping it more off her neck that had been slathered with sunscreen because she was the kind of person who burned easily even if she sat in the shade. She smiled, reaching down and grabbing hold of Sophia's hand. After a week of dancing and getting drunk and chasing each other around with squirt guns full of alcoholic beverages, Ember was more than ready to spend some quite time with her favorite badger. She was both excited and nervous about it though, having not told Sophia of her feelings towards her properly, trying to quealm them when she was certain the other girl was quite straight and would have absolutely no interest in her like that.
“C'mon, love. We're almost there.” Ember laughed and then took off, tugging Sophia along, her sneakers hitting the dirt hard but going slow enough just in case the Hufflepuff couldn't keep up. As they came out from the trees, it became more apparent that the lane was actually quite a busy place. Lots of red and brown hair in the yards they passed, voices calling out a happy hello as the pair of girls passed. Ember didn't pay them much mind aside from the occasionally shout back, only pausing as they reached the gate to her house. She pressed through it with ease, the wooden thing creaking a bit with age and then she tugged Sophia under the trellis, shutting the gate and make her way up the front walk straight to the door. She paused, staring down at the front step, her head cocking to one side at the sight of a bucket full of water balloons and a pair of super soaking squirt guns.
Ember bent, snatching up one of the guns quickly and shoving the other towards Sophia. “She's here somewhere. Shhh… if you get hit, you're out. Take some of these too.” Ember pointing to the balloons, grabbing a couple and pinning them to her shorts under her belt. She kept low, eyes roving the yard as she pumped the squirt gun, getting it ready, just in case. “She'd probably hiding out back, I'll go this way, you go that way and we'll corner her.” The Gryffindor smiled, tuning and kicking off her sneakers, leaving her feet quite bare as she started around towards the left side of the house.
A hand reached out, grabbing hold of Sophia and tugging her rapidly into some nearby bushes. A woman, Ember's duplicate in every way except for a pair of shining brown eyes and gray specked hair, her height about four inches more than her daughter. Meghan smiled, her voice a whisper. “You must be Sophia. Emmie always wins at squirt wars, want to help me beat her this time?”
The cottage was a small thing, made out of grey stones, it's tiled roof covered slightly with moss in random places. The front garden wasn't large, but it was remarkably beautiful, overrun completely with flowers and grass, a small path leading up to the single front step from a vine covered trellis over a gate. A classic white-picket fence fed off either side of the trellis, disappearing into large lilac and hydrangea bushes. Ember turned, her eyes finally falling on the Hufflepuff beside her. They had spent the last week together at the music festival with Eveleen and a sheep they had named Bernice after they'd hit her by accident on their way to the festival. Bernice had been returned to her home, her wool covered in gorgeous pictures made from dye and Eveleen's pair of red, heart shaped sunglasses on her face. They had left a note for the farmer, making sure he knew exactly what kind of alcohol his sheep preferred, a mixture of chardonnay and vodka so strong it would have knocked a grown man on his ass, but not Bernice. Ember would miss that sheep, but she was extremely happy to be home. She rarely roamed anywhere except Hogwarts and tended to actually miss her mother quite a lot when she was away from her, even if they didn't always agree on every aspect of Ember's life.
The Gryffindor had spent the last twenty four hours in a pair of cut off demin shorts and a slightly billowy tank top, the naval piercing she had gotten over the summer always covered to the point where only Eveleen knew about it. In the summer sun, Ember had pulled her hair up in a ponytail, keeping it more off her neck that had been slathered with sunscreen because she was the kind of person who burned easily even if she sat in the shade. She smiled, reaching down and grabbing hold of Sophia's hand. After a week of dancing and getting drunk and chasing each other around with squirt guns full of alcoholic beverages, Ember was more than ready to spend some quite time with her favorite badger. She was both excited and nervous about it though, having not told Sophia of her feelings towards her properly, trying to quealm them when she was certain the other girl was quite straight and would have absolutely no interest in her like that.
“C'mon, love. We're almost there.” Ember laughed and then took off, tugging Sophia along, her sneakers hitting the dirt hard but going slow enough just in case the Hufflepuff couldn't keep up. As they came out from the trees, it became more apparent that the lane was actually quite a busy place. Lots of red and brown hair in the yards they passed, voices calling out a happy hello as the pair of girls passed. Ember didn't pay them much mind aside from the occasionally shout back, only pausing as they reached the gate to her house. She pressed through it with ease, the wooden thing creaking a bit with age and then she tugged Sophia under the trellis, shutting the gate and make her way up the front walk straight to the door. She paused, staring down at the front step, her head cocking to one side at the sight of a bucket full of water balloons and a pair of super soaking squirt guns.
Ember bent, snatching up one of the guns quickly and shoving the other towards Sophia. “She's here somewhere. Shhh… if you get hit, you're out. Take some of these too.” Ember pointing to the balloons, grabbing a couple and pinning them to her shorts under her belt. She kept low, eyes roving the yard as she pumped the squirt gun, getting it ready, just in case. “She'd probably hiding out back, I'll go this way, you go that way and we'll corner her.” The Gryffindor smiled, tuning and kicking off her sneakers, leaving her feet quite bare as she started around towards the left side of the house.
A hand reached out, grabbing hold of Sophia and tugging her rapidly into some nearby bushes. A woman, Ember's duplicate in every way except for a pair of shining brown eyes and gray specked hair, her height about four inches more than her daughter. Meghan smiled, her voice a whisper. “You must be Sophia. Emmie always wins at squirt wars, want to help me beat her this time?”
