Lake

[*~Silvypoo~* (Chaser of Artemis), Witch of Rebirth]

A large, dark pond that holds as many secrets as there are different rumors about it. There is said to be a large squid just under the surface, and swimming is prohibited, unless you would like to spend forever swimming with the mermaids.

[Kat]

Plop, Kat looked up from her book. A casual evening, a surprisingly light amount of homework and nice weather amounted to her and her worn copy of Vampire Academy relaxing on the beach. She wore a dark sweater draped around her shoulder. Her blond hair was fashioned into ringlets, soft looking from slight dampness concealed in the gel. A clip fastening them away from her face.

[Kat]

((:) All good))

An arched brow answered the question. "Excuse me, this is a public place, if I'm not mistaken. I want nothing from you-" She scanned her robes, following with a snort. If this girl wanted to play rude, she could follow. "And I doubt I ever will."

[Kat]

"All's fair in love an war, right?" She replied, fluttering her eyelashes with an acid smile. "Anyway, I didn't say anything. I was just enjoying my sweet time here, you're the one that flipped out into piss ant mode on me."

[Kat]

((Things like this have happened to me before. So I know exactly what I would say. ;) ))

"You're excused." She challenged, standing and brushing off the previously-dark color of her jeans and kicking a stone with her converse. The robes were fine, but sometimes she only wore it ontop of her regular clothes.

[Kat]

((Talk to Kat about your ideas))

"Nice kicks." She gestured toward's the other girl's shoes. She had spunk, and cool style. She could respect that.

[Kat]

((XD Jade.))

She nodded, not showing any enthusiasm. She had a pair from Journey's with sick zippers on the sides. Her cool gaze cast out onto the equally calm reflection on the lake. Not a ripple in sight.

[Kat]

The second plop in the time she had met her. Unability to remain still, possibly? Picking up a rock, she casually skipped it. One, two, three, plop

[Kat]

Not saying anything or even making eye contact with the girl, she rubbed her thumb over the cool semi-flat surface. Turning to the side she whipped it out, five skips before it plumetted into the bottom.

[Kat]

She nodded, a simple bow of the head. Taking a stone and chucking it to the middle of the lake. The ripple grew, then faded right before it reached the sand.

[Kat]

((? plan?))

[Kat]

((kay))

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Atalanta led Sam down by the water, walking along the shore in a sort of half-path used by many students taking walks by the lake. Soon, the castle was behind them and the Forbidden Forest loomed closer, threatening to envelop the lakeshore entirely.

[E.J.]

Sam followed behind her, keeping close enough that he wouldn't get lost. ((GTG to play practice soon))

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

[Cool. What play? And bye. :)]

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

EJ Luv Zombie wrote: "Sam followed behind her, keeping close enough that he wouldn't get lost. ((GTG to play practice soon))"

Atalanta looked around her. Not a soul in sight, although some other Gryffindors may have been practicing out of sight. Soon, they reached a bend where the path snaked away from the lake, turning gently to the left and into a dense copse of trees.

[E.J.]

((Bye, and the play is: Done to Death))

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

EJ Luv Zombie wrote: "((Bye, and the play is: Done to Death))"

[Fun. I wish I could act. :( Hope you enjoy yourself!]

[E.J.]

((Everyone can act... you just need to find the right character!))
Sam followed this new girl he'd met without a second thought, but now that he thought about it, he seemed rather a fool. Here he was, following a girl he'd never met away from the school to a place he didn't know so that they could duel. In all honesty, he thought, this could be a well-devised trap. He could fight his way out easily, but he had to give her props if it was a trap. Not easy to trick a Ravenclaw.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

EJ Luv Zombie wrote: "((Everyone can act... you just need to find the right character!))
Sam followed this new girl he'd met without a second thought, but now that he thought about it, he seemed rather a fool. Here he w..."

Atalanta smiled as they rounded the final band ad came upon a clearing. Although they were around the lake, the path had looped back and they were actually much closer to the school than it had originally appeared, but still enough out of sight to duel without interference. The clearing was well-worn from generations of duels, with logs magicked to resemble benches set up around the edges.

"Well?" she asked, turning to Sam with a proud grin on her face, "what do you think?"

[E.J.]

"I think this place is one of the most wonderful I've seen! Do you know who made it?" the clearing was marvelous! it was genuinely clear, but for a few trees nearby that could be used during a duel for spells.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Atalanta shrugged. "I dunno. It's been here for quite a long time, so I'm told. I can't remember a time when it wasn't. But it is quite beautiful, and practical."

[E.J.]

"Shall we begin?" he said as he flourished his wand.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Atalanta pulled hers out, the tip already buzzing with magic in anticipation. "Do you know your basic form?" she asked, steppin a few paces back to give them both some space.

[E.J.]

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," he said as he took a few paces back too.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

"All right, so in a duel, there's a basic form you must follow. A dueller's etiquette, if you will. First, you start a few paces back like this;" she demonstrated, facing Sam directly, about six paces away.

[E.J.]

Sam had already walked a few paces back, he took a few more steps to make it six though, "Okay."

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

"Now, we both put our wands up, like this," Atalanta explained, moving her wand so it was right in front of her nose, pointing straight up into the enclosing canopy above.

[E.J.]

Sam copied her movement, it seemed familiar, but he never really used proper etiquette now that he thought of it. His friends usually just stood a little bit apart, and then they had their duel. This would prove interesting.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

"Then we bow, to show respect to one another, take about five more paces back, and start duelling," Atalanta said, bowing and stepping back, waiting for Sam to copy her movement.

"Do you know any curses, Sam?" she asked, waiting patiently. She'd taught many first-year Gryffindors to duel, but never someone older than third year. This should prove interesting.

[E.J.]

"I do know quite a few dueling spells, but like I said before, I'm more of a defensive dueler. My expertise is distraction and confusion," he wondered what she was. He bowed to her and stepped back five more paces.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

"Well, you'll probably be fine. Most wizarding duels strictly prohibit any curses or jinxes that might permanently harm your opponent." Atalanta said, satisfied that Sam was ready.

Holding her wand arm out, she calmed her body into the ready state she usually took for duelling. Mind calm, adrenaline soon to be pumping, she looked Sam directly in the eyes as she thought for a moment about what curses she should avoid for a newbie like him, all the while watching his wand arm for any hint of a curse coming.

[E.J.]

She didn't know how good he was at dueling. He wasn't the best, but so far no one had hit him with a jinx. They normally ended in a stalemate because he didn't want to hurt the other person so he yelled out draw.
"Ready?"

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Atalanta nodded. "Ready."

In a heartbeat, the curse rang out in her mind. Although she wasn't particularly good at nonverbal spells, some she knew by heart.

"Stupefy!"

A jet of bright red light sped across the clearing towards Sam. Atalanta wasn't too worried about it hitting him. But she wanted to gauge his reflexes and skill level.

[E.J.]

"Protego!" a bright blue shield burst out of his wand in front of him. It launched the red light back towards Atalanta. "Muffliato" he cast the silence charm over himself so that she couldn't hear his spells.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Atalanta cast a quick shield charm, watching as the red light lost its speed and intensity, bouncing between both shields, before fizzling out.

Atalanta cocked an eyebrow at the Muffliato. This one was tricky. She waited, wand at the ready, gaze steady on Sam's lips. She might be ableto anticipate his curses, but him being a Ravenclaw it was likely he was proficient in nonverbals.

[E.J.]

He pointed his wand over his head and without speaking cast the smoke screen charm " Fumuscus! " he shouted in his mind. Inky black smoke billowed from his wand, hiding him and his surroundings from view.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Atalanta silently cursed. He was trickier than she'd thought. But she wasn't about to be beat by a Ravenclaw, no way. Thinking carefully, she whispered "Ventus." A small breeze kicked up, spiraling around the clearing, and growing stronger by the minute.

[E.J.]

" Avis " a flock of ravens burst forth from his wand. " Serpensortia " Snakes joined the birds. He pointed his wand at Atlanta. " Oppugno! "
Their eyes turned red as they flew and slithered towards her.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

"Impervius!" Atalanta cried, and with a flick of her wand, the creatures slowed to a staggering crawl, the ravens magically suspended in midair, the wonderment clear in their beady little eyes.

"Incendio!," she muttered, twirling her wand as a spiral of flames jetted out of its tip. Most of the creatures were incinerated instantly, poofing into little clouds of smoke, and the rest were singed by the flames.

And the wind kicked up, blowing harder now towards the smoke surrounding Sam and pushing the ravens towards the Forest's edge.

[E.J.]

" Langlock!" he shouted the tongue-tie curse to stop her from casting spells. " Expelliarmus!

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Atalanta winced as she felt her tongue glue to the top of her mouth. Curse that Ravenclaw! Her wand flew from her hand, too, landing a pace behind her in the grass. She whirled around, snatched up her wand, and pointed it towards Sam, who was becoming even more visible as the wind blew his smokey haze away.

While she hadn't nearly the repertoire of nonverbal spells as she did verbals, many first-year curses were easy for her to cast without so much as a whisper. With a smirk, she thought, Tarantallegra!. Let him cast some spells with dancing feet!

[E.J.]

Sam's feet started dancing. It was difficult to cast spells, but not as bad as what was going to happen to her next. "Petrificus Totalus!" he whispered.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

At that same moment, Atalanta quickly cast the spell Confundo before a Finite Incantatem to get rid of the Langlock. Just then, the Body-Bind hit her, and she was frozen where she stood.

[E.J.]

A shot of light was nearing him, "Protego Horribilis!" he shouted just in time, launching up a powerful shield. He pointed his wand at Atalanta again, " Expelliarmus!

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

Finite Incantatem, she thought again, freeing herself of the curse. Atalanta then, anticipating the Disarming spell, ducked quickly before shooting another Coulnfounding Curse.

[Maggie, Disapparition is my middle name.]

[I gotta go to church now. ]

[E.J.]

He cast up another shield and decided upon a different tactic, "Diffindo!" he launched it at the tree behind her. " Carpe Retractum " he began to pull the cut tree down towards her.

[E.J.]

((BYEZ))

[E.J.]

((Back...))