Unexpected Surprises

Location The Courtyard
Date September 5th
Status: Incomplete
Open

Glancing out the owlery doorway, Karen Rosmerta leaned her bag against the wall. Already the sky was darkening as the air thickened with drizzle. Wrapping the oversized cloak tightly around her, Karen slipped the hood over her head and tucked her brown hair inside. She was late for lunch, but she was sure she could get some food in the kitchens later. After all, it was the first week of school. Surely they couldn’t be that strict yet. If she were to get in trouble, Karen could always insist that she was helping a first year find their way back to their house towers. Perhaps a Huffleuff since their tower is near the kitchens. As she picked up her bag once more, she glanced behind her at the golden barn owl clicking its tongue disapproving at her.

“Oh shush, it’s your fault I’m out here like this to begin with.” Karen murmured wryly as she hurried down the steps. If she wasn’t so intent on checking on Angora, she would have been inside the castle sitting cozily by the fire. Yearning at the thought of the warmth inside, Karen hurried along the path. Her shoes sloshed about in the mud causing the wetness to seep into her socks. Shivering slightly, she grasped the golden chain at her throat and kept her head downwards. The coat nearly enveloped her in its warmth granting her at least a bit of relief. At least for the moment her arms were dry even if her legs weren’t. The wind whipped the light drizzle into her face causing it to sting. Suddenly, Karen was aware of the approaching darkness around her as she heard a lone howl. Goosebumps rose on her arms as she glanced around in nervousness. Her hand automatically fiddled with the teardrop diamond on the chain as she always did whenever she was nervous. Grasping the necklace, she always felt a bit warmer as it was a gift from her older brother before he disappeared. She had found it among his possessions with a card stating that he was going to give it to her upon her graduation. Tears suddenly formed in her brown eyes obscuring her vision for the moment.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Karen blindly rushed toward the castle doors. Suddenly she ran smack into someone who was also heading toward the double doors ahead of her. Stumbling backwards, she slipped on a wet rock and fell heavily in her bum. “Ouch.” She said out loud with a frown. As she fell, water sloshed the inside of her cloak, disrupting the warmth she was so grateful for a bit earlier. Now she was slightly muddy, and drenched as a drowned cat. Knowing that she probably looked like one too, she swept the wet strands from her face. Wanting to see who she ran into, Karen pushed her hood back a bit, not caring that she was getting wetter at the second, and looked up.

James had had one of the busiest days of his Hogwarts career. Probably one of the busiest days of his life, even more than his and Sirius' jointly declared "National Lampoon Day", where between them they'd ratcheted a total of fifty six pranks in the space of ten hours, 18 of which directed towards a certain Severus Snape.

But unfortunately, today just hadn't been as fun as that. He'd had a morning full of exhausting lessons in Defence and Charms, working on joint projects between the two (spells for self-defence and banishment), and a morning briefing with Dumbledore on what had happened in the previous week and what was to happen this week. Lily had looked as fresh-faced as ever, and James was starting to wonder if she didn't thrive off of the stress and the workload. It wasn't that he wa slazy, he could work hard at something if he was required to with no problems, it was just the sustained pressure that was beginning to do him in, along with the fact that he only managed to see his friends after the day was done, which meant a few scant hours of sleep on top of everything else he was doing.

So therefore, he was preoccupied with reading a list of names off of a scroll that Dumbledore had given him, the membership of the Gobstones club for this weekend's tournament in the Great Hall. Quite frankly, James couldn't really give two shits about Gobstones, but such was the way of things. He'd agreed to take this on instead of the dance club, which Lily had gracefully accepted. He was about to tuck the list away and place it back inside his robes when all of a sudden a burst of pain spiked in hizs head as he collided into something solid.

"OW!" He exclaimed, rubbing where his forehead had impacted before looking up. "Sorry, Karen, you alright?" He asked, wincing as he held out a hand to her.

Squinting a bit, Karen realized the solid figure she bumped into was James Potter. Automatically her cheeks flushed a bit as she always did have a soft spot for him ever since she developed a crush on him a few years ago. Although the feelings had long since faded away, she still automatically flushed a bit when he was around. Besides, it would be her luck to run into an old crush when Karen looked like something the cat dragged in. ‘Must be karma for pointing that first year in the wrong direction earlier,’ she thought to herself with a sigh.

Realizing she was staring blankly at James for several moments without uttering a word, Karen mentally hit herself. As she gratefully grasped his hand and allowed him to help her up, she busied herself with wiping as much mud off of her skirt as she could manage. Karen picked up her bag which thankfully landed on some high grass and settled it over her left shoulder. Finally looking up, she smiled at James as the rain finally started to let up. It was sweet of him to wait for her even though the rain was drenching him even more.

“I’m sorry are you okay?” Karen asked with concern as she gestured toward him rubbing his head where she ran into him earlier. As she listened to his assurances that he was alright, she fell into step beside him. "That's right I'm Karen...Karen Rosmerta. And you don't need any introductions James, there's no way I wouldn't know about the famous marauder turned Head Boy." She said with a slight grin and a amused shake of her head. There had been quite an uproar in the compartment next door to her on the Hogwarts Express when Thomas MacMillian received the news that James Potter, out of all people had been made Head Boy instead of him. Karen swore her ears were still ringing even now.

Wiping wet dark strands off of her face, she nodded toward the piece of paper in his hands. “What’s that? Must be terribly important to have you outside in this downpour. Or is it just another one of your marauder plots to end the school year with a bang?” She asked with a curious look on her face. As they started toward the castle, Karen didn’t notice that her necklace had come loose and was hidden in the grass behind them.

James regarded her for a while with his hand still outstretched, a bemused grin lighting the corners of his outh as she flushed suddenly, even in the freezing cold rain. Although it was easing off slightly. In all honesty, James didn't care all too much about getting wet, it really didn't matter. That's what spells were for.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He replied, waving off her concern. "It's just a concussion, probably only fractured it. Nothing to worry about." He winked at her to let her know that he was joking, before moving off. "Yeah, I know who you are Karen," He said, grinning. "Famous? I wouldn't say that. Infamous, perhaps. Maybe even slightly feared in Sirius' case." He glanced over at her as the rain began to abate in earnest, a ray of sunlight poking out through the clouds overhead as they made their way past the bizarre griffin water features, James taking the time to cast a quick drying and scourgify spell on the two of them before placing a light impervious charm over their heads. Just before the rain hit them now, it scattered in different directions.

"Oh, it's nothing fascinating." He said, holding the soaked piece of parchment up. "It's just a list of names for the Gobstones club, not a secret plan by Malfoy and Bellatrix to take over the school. "So, what have you got next? I'm on my way to Herbology."

"It's just a concussion, probably only fractured it. Nothing to worry about."

A laugh escaped her lips causing Karen’s nerves to settle down a bit. “I’m sure it’s not that bad, after all according to Lily nothing can penetrate your thick head.” She teased with a shake of her head. Looking up as he cast impervious spell on the both of them, Karen smiled again. “Thanks. Are you sure it’s fear that others feel for Sirius? Because I know him and fear is not one of the words I would use to describe him.” She quipped as her thoughts wandered to Sirius for a moment.

“Gobstones?” Karen echoed with a wrinkle of her nose. “I’m not such a big fan of that myself. The ink was always so hard to rub off.” Hearing that he had Herbology next, she opened her mouth to respond when her stomach let out a loud rumble. Smiling guiltily, she laughed. “I actually have Herbology too but since I missed lunch I was going to run to the Kitchens and get something to eat first. Obviously as my stomach unfortunately already told you.” Hitting herself in the head, Karen checked her bag to be sure. “And apparently make a detour to the dorms as I’ve forgotten my Herbology book up there.” With a sigh, she glanced at her watch again, mentally debating if she had enough time to do everything.

“Maybe you can give Prof. Sprout an excuse for being late for me. Time of the month, girl problems always does the trick.” Karen said with a slight grin.