Doubtful Friends and Certain Enemies (Ivy)

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Mercy crouched at the edge of the Black Lake, peering into the water. Classes were over for the day, and it was a nice day to be outside, so she had taken her things with her, fully intending to do some homework. So far, she had taken out her herbology textbook, opened it, and gotten distracted by a splash in the water. So she put the book away and raced over to see if she could spot the giant squid.

It may have been her eyes playing tricks on her, but she thought she saw some movement in her peripheral vision. She picked up a pebble from the grass, and lobbed it into the water. It dropped in with a small bloop and left a ripple, but got no reaction from the squid. She inched a little closer.

She reached behind her into her open bag, which was sitting rather forgotten in the grass, searching for her wand. Snatching it from a side pocket, she returned her attention to the glassy surface of the lake. Racking her brain for a spell she'd read at one point, back when she'd first gotten her school books and was skimming them over (sort of), she pointed her wand just above the surface of the water and whispered, "Vermillious." A jet of red sparks skimmed the water, and in the flash, she thought she could make out a shadow.

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It was too fine of a day to spend inside once classes had finished. The air, while cooler, was slightly warmer than the usual autumn air, and the sun still shone brightly on her face as she wandered through the grounds, simply taking in the sights. She'd missed Hogwarts over the summer, if she was perfectly honest with herself. It was the food, much better than whatever slop was served at the orphanage.

She eventually found herself wandering over near the Black Lake. Now that was fascinating. The view above ground was great and all, though Ivy much favoured the view from her common room. Under the water was just far more exciting than the above view. She'd even glimpsed the giant squid at one point, late at night.

It was then she noticed a girl, that was certainly not in her year, but was definitely younger, tossing a pebble into the water, before reaching back for her wand, leaving her school bag so open... She'd tried her hardest to keep her pick-pocketing under control, at least while in school. She didn't particularly want to find out what any sort of hex felt like due to her being caught taking a sickle or two from someone's pocket.

She cast some spell that Ivy must have forgotten the name of, the one that shot red sparks, just barely above the surface of the water. At this point in Ivy's life, what she was about to do was second nature, almost a reflex, one that she would have to actively suppress. She supposed the only people that understood that reflex were others in her position, ones that had lived with nothing.

Before she even realised it, she found herself approaching the girl's bag, footfalls lighter than feathers. She was incredibly quiet on her feet. But then she hesitated, just a moment. She'd stolen things from older kids, things from adults and stores, though she'd never gone younger, mostly because they usually didn't have much more than her. They usually weren't worth it. What would make this girl any different?

It was too late to turn back now, the girl'd probably see, ask about why she'd gotten so close or whatever. So instead, Ivy decided to play nice, for probably the third time in her life, that she could remember.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

Guest

Mercy started a little as a girl's voice spoke. She hadn't heard anyone approaching. Turning around to face the newcomer, she shrugged, instinctively pulling her bag to her side, though she had no idea why. She didn't think too much on it, trusting her reflexes. The girl before her looked a little older than she was, but not much. Mercy hadn't seen her before, but that wasn't saying much--she hadn't been at school long, the only people she really recognized were a few of her housemates.

"I thought I saw the giant squid," she explained. "I was trying to get a better look."

She pocketed her wand and scrambled to her feet to greet the other girl.

"Hi, I'm Mercy, what's your name? And how did you move so quietly? I had no idea you were there."

That would be a useful skill, she thought. She wasn't usually one for sneaking around--she was more of a "blast down the doors" sort of person--but she recognized its usefulness in not getting caught when exploring places you weren't supposed to be. Which she intended to do, before the year was up--she was creating a list of all the places she wanted to explore, chief among them being the kitchens, the Forbidden Forest, all of the other common rooms, every secret passageway, and Hogsmeade Village. Sneaking would probably be very helpful indeed.

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» Of Worms and Friends [Open!]