Mason was bored. It wasn't very often that he was, he just didn't have a good book to read and Han was in class. So he sauntered about the gardens, he was trying to remember some of the names from Herbology class, but failing miserably. He was surprised when he found large bushes of muggle flowers. He sat down on the stone bench and pulled a chrysanthemum from the bush. He twirled around through his fingers, wishing something would pop into his head for inspiration.

His small notebook sat lonely in his back pocket, yearning for inspiration. A thought popped at the smell of softbread wafted through the windows of the Elf kitchens. He whipped his notebook out like a quickdraw and started scribbling with a nub of pencil behind his ear.

As he was finishing up a stanza, he heard crunching footsteps in the gravel. Over the boxwood hedges, he saw a ginger pony tail bobbing up and down as the person attached to it walked towards him.

Chloe Harris

Mason smiled as her perfume drifted towards his nostrils. He said nothing as usual, but kept on writing, trying to make himself looked busied so Harris would come curiously over to see what he was working on.

Chloe was bored. She wasn't the kind of kid that got bored easily, but now, she was bored. No crazy inspiration to draw. She sauntered through the gardens on the somewhat warm day of october, trying to get fresh air after being couped up in the common room all day. Maybe I'll go read a book. She thought, but then shook her head. Not really in the mood. She just continued walking, taking her time to stop and smell the roses.

Just then, she saw the mousy brown hair of Mason, her fellow ravenclaw, who was looking a little lonely. She bounced her way towards him, her hair bouncing along. "Hey stranger!" She said, a smile on her lips. Chloe walked up to him, plopping down next to him. "How's it going?"

"Hey stranger!" ... "How's it going?"

A shy smirk passed across Mason's face before he replied, looking up from his poem into Chloe's face. "I am exceptionally pleased Chloe, daughter of Harris."

He was terrified, and when Mason was scarred he stuttered, his voice was surprisingly even as his first line popped out. Chloe made his fingers numb, his heart pick up pace, the neck on the back of his neck stood on end, and goosebumps[1] sprinkled his arms and legs.

"Wha-uh, what brings you t-to the gardens this illuminated afternoon?" He questioned, turning his head back to his boots, they were scuffed and ripped at some places, he needed to get new ones, but he didn't want to bug his parents about it, they were struggling with money as it was. he could live with them as long as they still stayed on his feet.

Mason rubbed his arms, he had forgotten a sweater when he came outside. His rapid breath was covered in a white cloud. It was a little early for him to see his breath but, the climate was different here than back home and somehow it was always colder in the wizard world.

"Carbon dioxide" He said, pointing at the puffs of air expelling from his mouth. He put his poem down next to him, next to Chloe.

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teehee

"I am exceptionally pleased Chloe, daughter of Harris."

Chloe laughed. "Well, that is extraordinarily great to hear." She smiled. He was a nice boy. Her and him had met a while ago, in their second year. They grew close, becoming great friends. Ever since then, they would study with each other, hang out, and generally be great friends. It was just the way of life for Chloe.

An awkward silence hung in the air, as clouds spun from their lips.

"Carbon Dioxide." he stated after a minute. And Chloe nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I know." She tilted her head. "It's kinda cool." After another awkward silence, She spoke up. "Well, this is awkward." She turned to him. "Question time. What is the baddest thing you've ever done?"

"Question time. What is the baddest thing you've ever done?"

Mason thought about it, then put his hand up to his chin. "Baddest thing I've ever done?" Mason thought, tracing his fingers around the bruise. "That's hard, considering I've never done anything bad worth mentioning in my life. How about overdue library books?" He shook his head. "Nope, how about sneaking out of the house so I could sleep in my car over Christmas Holiday. No I was in the garage."

He did a little bit of deep thinking, but came up with nothing. "Yeah, uh, no, nothing bad at all"

Chloe laughed. "Nothing? Really? Well." She said smiling. "Clearly you did something less than desirable to get yourself that bruise that you've been creepily stroking for the last minute." She smiled. "You can't leave me out in the dark forever, Mason!"

She playfully punched him in the arm. "Tell me a story. About anything. I seriously don't know what I'm going to do with myself, and I want to hear a story." She smiled.

"Nothing? Really? Well."... "Clearly you did something less than desirable to get yourself that bruise that you've been creepily stroking for the last minute." ... "You can't leave me out in the dark forever, Mason!"..."Tell me a story. About anything. I seriously don't know what I'm going to do with myself, and I want to hear a story."

"Ha-um, okay then." Mason thought for a second, the birds filling up his silence. He thought of fables that were funny and that he thought Chloe would enjoy, he had one.

"Okay, this is a muggle fable[1]." Mason cleared his throat. He adjusted to his deeper, story telling voice: "Once upon a time... The end"

Mason looked at his hands, knotted together by his fingers, "What'd you think?"

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link

Chloe rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. "Lame. I'm sorry, that was lame! You've gotta tell a good story." She waved her hand, as though waving away a speech bubble. "Forget it." Just then, something dawned on her. "I'm so weird." She sat up. "No, really. I make gestures corresponding to my mood, like I just did!" She smiled.

"It's weird! When I'm nervous, I fidget. When I see someone hurt, I clench my fists and teeth. When I want to change the subject, I wave my hand! When I like someone, like you know, like like someone, I play with my hair, and cross my ankles." She laughed. "It's so weird!"

"Lame. I'm sorry, that was lame! You've gotta tell a good story." ..."Forget it." Just then, something dawned on her. "I'm so weird." ... "No, really. I make gestures corresponding to my mood, like I just did!"..."It's weird! When I'm nervous, I fidget. When I see someone hurt, I clench my fists and teeth. When I want to change the subject, I wave my hand! When I like someone, like you know, like like someone, I play with my hair, and cross my ankles." ... "It's so weird!"

"Um so, okay," Mason looked at her ankles, then were so thin, in  sexy, cute, girl way. He looked at her hands, if they were twirling her ponytail.

"So, you wanna hear the bruise story, okay. So I got this comic book from my parents, they had just mailed it. Me and Han used read them all the time together, so this time he wasn't really into it and I asked him why, and he said he didn't like Superman anymore."

Mason wanted to add in "He was crazy and gay, and AGH!!" But didn't think that it was now the appropriate time for that, and Mason wasn't comfortable with the subject yet, so he made something up.

"So we got in a fight and next thing I know, we're yelling at each other about blood purity and religion, and we're getting all nasty with each other and BAM!" Mason punched his other palm with his left fist.

"Han hits me in the jaw, not very exciting, I know"

Chloe was half listening as he droned on, until he said BAM louder, and that's when she paid attention. "So, you had a fight, and he socked ya. Well. that's not bad. It could be badder, but hey. It's good enough." She smiled. "I'm joking. Alright? Though I bet you deserved it." She said half joking.

"You are just a mess, aren't you?"

"I'm joking. Alright? Though I bet you deserved it."

"Yeah I know, I said stuff I wasn't supposed to, and I feel like a turd for it"

"You are just a mess, aren't you?"

"Yeah, " Mason ran his finger through his bowl of hair. "I really need to get a life. I just kinda got to get out more."

"No, no. You are just fine! You've got great friends, great grades,"  She tapped on the notebook. "Amazing poetry skill," She laughed. "You've got plenty of life!" She then gestured to the area around them. "And you need to get out more. Psh."

"We aren't cooped up in the commonroom, are we now?" She's smiled her white smile, before exhaling, and smiling. "I am so happy we're friends."

Mason smiled as Chloe gave him meaning. "We aren't cooped up in the commonroom, are we now?" ..."I am so happy we're friends."

"I'm happy we're friends too Chlo" He put his notebook back in his pocket and pulled another flower off the bush. "A flower miss?" 

He bowed and handed it to her. He pulled out his wand. "Accomplimento" He waved his wand. Classic waltz music flowed from the air around them. He had been working on that spell for a while.

Tucking his wand in with one hand, he stuck out the other, "May I have this dance, daughter of Harris?"

Chloe smiled as she took the flower, with a smile. "Thank you." She said formally as she could. Then, he played classical music, and chloe gave a smile. "You think of everything, don't you?" He then asked for her to dance. "Really? Dancing?" She shugged her shoulders.

"What the hell. It's been a while." She smiled, as she got up, taking his hand. "I hope you know I'm a terrible dancer." She said smiling.

"I have no clue what the hell I'm doing either,it was something to do, and I'm technically 'out', so bear with me" He put one hand on her hip and the other holding her hand. "I think it's a 1, 2, 3 step thing. Ready?" Mason asked, giving her a question eyebrow.