[Lawns] Quiet as a Mouse

[montez]

The good thing about being a Hufflepuff is the ability to slip past people without being noticed. You weren't the brains, so no one asked for homework help. You weren't the school jocks so you weren't exactly popular, and you definitely weren't the school bullies so no one sucked up to you. You were what they called normal and thats exactly the way Tessa liked it to be; Normal.

It was November now and soon the snow would fall so Tess made it a priority to be outside whenever she could. It was a nicer day outside and the wind blew softly, only enough to remind you it was fall. She was wearing her school robes and her hair was let down to rest past her shoulders in waves. In her hands, she clutched a popular muggle book, True Beleiver. Finding a bare spot on the lawns, she sat down indian style and set the book on her lap.

Staring around at the students around her, they were all gossiping with their friends. Friends. Something this shy girl barely had due to a personality flaw she never overcame. Tessa wasn't the kind to approach random people, she would wait for others to approach her, sometimes waiting ages. She had since accepted the fact that she was basically a loner and her only friends were those is stories, Like Jeremy Marsh and Lexie Darnell in her story. With a sigh, she escaped to her book and drowned out the noise around her.

[jamiecarron]

The Gryffindor pushed a fellow house member friendly and they all laughed as they group tumbled out onto the lawns. Looking around, he saw Tessa, a girl he liked. Poor thing was quite shy though. She looked bored and Lonely, so Jamie decided he'd meet up with his guy mates again later.

"Right guys, see you later" he winked and nodded over to where Tessa was sat. The mob all laughed and wolf-whistled, one even punching him on the arm in respect. Jamie just smiled and waved before he walked off towards Tessa.

He wasn't going to hit on her, but thinking about it, he realised it could look that way. She was a stunning girl, and he knew she didn't realise it herself. Another good thing about Tess, was that she was Muggleborn like Jamie, and they both liked to keep to their roots and be as normal as possible, which was kind of hard in a magic school.

Jogging over to her, he looked back at his rabble of friends who then disappeared.
"Hey Tessa, mind if I join you?" He asked, flashing her a smile as he looked down at her. The sun beamed off his blonde surfer hair.

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[montez]

Tessa heard the sound of faint wolf-whistles and figured one of the veela hybrids had walked past the group of Gryffindors. She knew half of them, not exactly personally, but by name. She had spoken to only one of them before, Jamie Carron. He was a nice kid, sometimes full of himself but really caring and probably one of the only guys that looked at Tess like she was something special. Tess just figured the guy liked to flirt, just like the rest of his buddies.

She returned to her book only to hear the voice of the guy she was just thinking about; Jamie. Looking up, she returned the grin, "Hey, Jamie," she said moving her long bangs out of her face. "No, not at all. I was just reading," she said shutting the cover of her book. A faint blush could be seen on her cheeks which was only normal for her as she found it hard to talk to someone let alone a guy.

Tessa cleared her throat and looked at Jamie, "What happened to your gryffindor posse?" She asked. It seemed as if that group were joined at the hip, never going anywhere without the others. It was quite funny how guys clinged to those that were like them. I guess girls were the same, but in Tessa's case, she had only her fictional books to cling to but she didn't find that a bad thing.

[jamiecarron]

Jamie smiled and sat down next to Tessa. He glanced at the book but decided against asking the typical 'what are you reading' question, as it was quite clear on the front cover.
"Oh them lot?" he pointed behind him, even though the mob had gone.
"I said i'd meet them later, I thought i'd come and keep you company" he said with a straight face as he looked out onto the lake. The sun was glistening off the little ripples from the wind and he could smell the lake from the random blasts of air that came from it.

"So, What have you been up to?" he asked, unsure of what to say. He knew she was shy, but he didn't want to send her running. A piece of his hair got into his eyeline when looking sideways at Tessa, and so he ran a hand through his hair, but it just kept popping back into view. He gave up eventually as going cross-eyed in the sun made him begin to see spots.

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[montez]

He thought he'd keep her company. This statement made her blush even more. Tessa usually never had company except in classes when you were forced to pair up, even then, her and her partner didn't talk much. Tess smiled, "Well that was sweet of you, Jamie." She didn't really know how to respond to that statment other than Why would you want to keep me company? but that would've made her seem rude, and Tessa wasn't.

Tessa shrugged, "Reading," she said holding up her book with a slight giggle, "Nothing really. I was frustrated over an essay earlier but I think I got the gist of it after the first hour." It took Tessa a while to do her homework, but not because she wasn't smart but because she was one of those people that learned from experience, not homework. "What about you?" Sure this converstation was off to a slow start but Tessa wasn't the one to have a huge conversation with a guy who she knew nothing about except his name, year and house.

[jamiecarron]

Jamie smiled when Tessa said it was sweet of him.
"I know" he grinned jokingly. He liked to fool around and play the joker, he always seemed to make things into a joke but he knew when to stop and when seriousness was needed.

When she mentioned her book and doing homework, Jamie pulled an 'urgh' face. He was always up to his eyes in books at home as his father was an author, so reading never interested him much. He avoided his dad like the plague when he was in writing mode. Going off into thought about home, he jumped a little at the question Tessa just asked.

"Me? Oh, not much, you know, the usual...Reeking havoc" he joked. He looked down between his legs and pulled pieces of grass out one by one. Flicking his hair away from his eyes, he squinted at the sun.

"You know, you should take a break" he simply said. He shrugged at what he just said, and turned to look at her and caught eyecontact with her, and he gave her a genuinely kind dazzling smile.

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[montez]

Tessa rolled her eyes, "Typical Gryffindor, you are. Don't get a big head," she said opening her book once more and bringing to to her face. This was just a reaction when she felt a little overwhelmed but lets face it. She was sixteen years old, a seventh year and she still had problems speaking with boys. Tess thought for a moment, decided she was being rude by escaping to her story, closed her book and set it back on her lap. She decided that Jamie should get her full attention, no matter how embarassed she felt.

Teslynne smiled widely, "Go figure. Jamie Carron reeking havoc throughout the school. I would've never guessed," she said before sending him a wink. This was very un-Tessa like. She was actually flirting back. This action of hers made her blush. "What troubles have you been causing now?"

"Take a break? I thought that's what I was doing?" Tess looked at her book then pushed it away from her. "There, happy? I'm taking a break. What did you have planned for this break of mine?" she asked pulling a confused look. A break was exactly why she was out here in the first place. She was taking a break. Tessa clasped her hands together and waited for his suggestions.

[jamiecarron]

"Nah, no big-headedness for me Tess, just pure Gryffindor" he grinned. He hoped she'd find it as funny as he did, and he didn't make himself look more bigheaded that she already seemed to think he was.

"Jamie Carron reeking havoc throughout the school. I would've never guessed"

JP gave a loud laugh and allowed himself to fall backwards into the grass and onto his back. Closing his eyes from the sun, and from laughing to much, his jaw began to hurt from smiling.
"Your a funny girl Tess, you know that?" he laughed. He knew she didn't try to be funny, which made her even funnier in his mind. Well people just said things instead of trying to be funny, was the best sort of comedy. It showed what sort of person they were.

Finishing his little spirt, he leant himself up on his elbows, legs outstretched, and tooked at Tessa.
"Hmm, well you know, I don't class reading as a break, I class it as work, so therefore you arn't taking a break. Hmm, What to do...what to do Tess?" he teased and tapped his finger on his lips in his thought process.

"I could always throw you in the river!" he grinned cheekily. He sat up quickly and made 'creepy hands' towards her as if he was really about to pick her up.

[montez]

Tessa laughed, "I'm pretty sure almost all Gryffindor's have a big head. It appears to be a common trait amongst your house." Tess gave him a soft nudge with her shoulder.

Tess just stared at the Gryffindor as he rolled around on the ground clutching his sides. She didn't understand what was so funny about her comment, she definitely didn't mean to make him laugh so hard but seeing him in a fit, she gave a small laugh and shook her head. "Well, actually, I don't try to be funny. In fact, well, I don't think I'm funny at all."

Tessa smiled as she watched Jamie explain how he believed reading was actually work. "Well for your information, I enjoy reading these kinds of books and would easily class it as taking a break but, if you say different then I suppose I can't disagree." She raised an eyebrow, "I don't know what to do."

Teslynne looked at Jamie in shock. She raised her index finger at him and crawled backwards, away from him, "You would, JP."

[jamiecarron]

JP just open mouthed and gave a look of shock at the words that came tumbling out of Tessa's mouth.
"Gryffindors? Big-heads? Well I never!" He said in all seriousness. He turned his head dramatically and his body soon followed suit, and he began to walk off. After a few steps he quickly turned back around and scooped tessa up over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.

"Ha HA! You bloody Hufflepuff, we arn't all that big-headed ya know" he laughed, and playfully slapped her bum as he calmly walked over to the water's edge and turned to face the opposite way so she could see where her head was going to go.

"Right, I think it's time to dunk you in Miss Montez, for crimes against Gryffindors and, well, being damn sexy!" he grinned. Hell, he was a little forward, but he was never this bad with girls. It was just Tess that made him like that. The quiet little Hufflepuff, who looked like she should be a Veela.

"Now, should I dip your head in, or just throw you in?" he pondered while he teased her.

[montez]

What happened next was enough to put the girl in Shock. She was watching Jamie walk away then not a moment later she was in the air over JP's shoulder. "Jamie!" she squealed, "Put me down!" she said kicking a little. She knew that if she tried to fight her way out of his grip, they'd both end up on the ground. Instead, she just kicked her feet enough for him to get the picture that she wasn't comfortable in the air, or just too surprised to enjoy it.

Tess felt herself stumble forward a bit as she felt a hand against her backside. It caught her off guard and she definitely wasn't used to how forward Jamie was with her. She usually made it a priority to stay away from guys for this simple fact, but for some odd reason, she found herself attracted to Jamie and just couldn't get her legs to run away from him.

Tessa followed him for a short distance, stopped and placed a hand on her hip, "Well, know this, Mr. Carron. If you take me down, you're going down with me." It was the simple truth. If he tried to dunk her, she'd try her best to make sure he got it too. Besides, it was fall, and the water was supposed to be freezing.

Tessa raised an eyebrow at JP as he continued to taunt her. Finally, she started off in a sprint in his direction. Throwing her arms around him, she took them both down into the cold lake. As the icy water collided with her skin, she let out a short scream and tried her best to stand up and get herself back on dry land.

[jamiecarron]

JP just stood, raised eyebrows at her with a smug look plastered across his face. His crossed arms over his chest made him look like he was being cocky, which he was.
"As if you could get me in there Lady! No chance!" He gave a pretend laugh and moved his shoulders up and down repeatedly in a mock way. He closed his eyes and began to chuckle when he shifted his weight to the other foot, Tessa had caught him off guard and before he knew it, ice cold liquid had covered him. Gasping a little at the shock, he realised she had pshed both of them in. Opening his eyes under the water, he saw her, and he shook his fist in a 'damn you vile woman' sort of way, playfully of course. JP couldn't hate anyone, especially her.

Pushing himself up into the air, he gasped again as the cold air hit his icy face. It was a little painful. Seeing Tessa re-surface and try and attempt to climb onto dry land, he pulled her ankle back towards him.
"Uh oh, No chance missy" He laughed, pulling her nearer to him so she couldn't get away.

[montez]

So maybe her move was a bit drastic but it had been done and you can't exactly take it back, especially when your practically over your head in ice cold water. She didn't much like opening her eyes under water so she missed Jamie's little fist shake at her but she knew that he must've been doing something to her for pushing him in.

She tried her best to fight against the water to get to surface and was doing pretty good until she felt a hand grasp her ankle. She turned to see that the hand belonged to Jamie and she grinned. She pretended to fight him as he pulled her closer, when in truth, she wouldn't mind the closeness for the simple fact that body heat was the best heat she knew of when you were nearing hypothermia.

Tessa laughed, "You can't deny that I caught you off guard," she said before her teeth began to chatter slightly. Yes it was cold and the November breeze didn't help it any, it made it worse. She was shivering and all she wanted to do was get dry but Jamie wasn't going to let her get to dry land. Tess laughed and brought her body close to his. It was better than freezing her behind off.

[jamiecarron]

"You can't deny that I caught you off guard"

"I merely lost my balance temporarily" was his reply. He flashed her a devilish grin before letting go of her ankle so she wouldn't drown or something. He saw her began to shiver, and he too copied her and started to shake. She neared him, and it was instinct for him to wrap his arms around her. They stood for a moment in the lake in silence, before he realised how comfy he was with her in his arms, and let go on her.

"We'll die out here if we s-s-stay any longer" his teeth chattered mid-sentence and made it sound like he had a speech impediment. Trudging along the hauled himself out and sat down on the bank with his feet still in the water, and extended a helping hand to Tessa to help her out.

[montez]

Lost you're balance, right. Of course this was not said out loud. Tessa didn't have the strength to say so. Her teeth were chattering enough to make it hard to speak all together, instead she simply made an "uh-huh" sound and left it at that. She felt Jamie wrap his arms around her and could feel his body shivering just as bad as hers. Tessa bit her bottom lip and refrained from any actions that could be done without thinking. They were in a freezing cold lake, her fault of course, and it wasn't like he was wrapping his arms around her as if he had feelings for her. That thought clarified it for her when he pulled away. Tess cleared her throat and looked away until she heard him speak.

She had to agree with him. It felt like they'd catch their death if they stayed in the water for another minute. Following him as he made it to the bank, she crossed her arms over her chest in hopes to keep in a little heat, only to fail and shiver more. She stared at the water to keep an eye on her feet, not like she could see them anyway, the water was that dark. Looking up, she spotted JP's hand and reached for it. Her wet robes make it hard to get out of the water and she needed all the help she could get. Once out, she sat besides Jamie and turned to her right. Pulling out her wand, she flicked it and muttered, "Incendio," instantly creating a small fire to help warm and dry them.