[Lake] Summertime [Ellie]

[Lucas McGuff]

Being June, it was bound to be excruciatingly hot and sunny during this summer month. Lucas and extremely hot weather however, did not mix well and so here he was, sweating like a pig on the lawns with his jeans rolled up to his knees and his legs floating in the water. As his white shirt stuck to his back with the sweat, he pulled at his collar in attempt to get some air to him without it being constricting. After a moment of trying, he gave up and pulled at his shirt, getting it stuck over his head and ravelling his arms up in the sleeves. Mumbling and struggling, he twisted this way and that trying to stop his shirt from eating him when he slipped into the water, immersing him to his neck, arms still entangled around his head.

As his mumblings got louder, the struggling became more violent, and he thrashed about in the water quite similar to an octopus, with less limbs. Eventually he broke free of his restraints and pulled his shirt back down, quickly spinning around to see which way he was facing, and to see if anyone had just witnessed his tomfoolery.
Catching sight of a few faces laughing at him, he just grinned back and bowed, but it was too late for him to realise he was dipping his head into water, and lifting himself back up shocked, his hair and face now soaking wet, he spluttered as the water dribbled down his face creating a great cooling sensation compared to the harsh warmth of the sun.

“Why didn’t I think of this before?” he said quietly to himself, reaching under the water and pulling at his shirt, finally able to take it off before throwing it onto the embankment and onto someone’s feet.

[Ellie Rook]

Summertime... and the livin' is easy...

The living was in fact, easy. Ellie couldn't believe it. June, summer, and the end to all OWLs! She had rejoiced, skipped down the halls and thrown herself on her bed in a fit of joy. Sadly, she didn't have anyone to celebrate with at the moment. She and Bray were still avoiding each other, and Ellie didn't want to talk to Fay about it. The Hufflepuff's best friend didn't need to get in the middle of something as stupid as Ellie and Bray's fight.

Ellie tried not to think about it. It made her head spin. Or was that the heat. It had to be at least 95 degrees outside. Ellie, without another moments thought, shed her black robes, horrible uniform in heat, and dug through her trunk looking for cooler clothes. Winter's sweaters and jeans still found a place at the top of her trunk, but after a rather intense dig, in which Ellie could feel a seat breaking, The soon to be sixth year found what she was looking for. A bath suit and a nice cool sun dress and flip flops. Instantly, she felt better.

Now, where do you go once your all dressed for the beach. The beach of course! Ellie suddenly had a burst of energy brought on by the lack of studying to do for a whole summer and the hot weather in which she could look absolutely adorable and have fun at the same time.

With that burst of energy, Ellie grab the nearest bath towel and ran down the stairs to the common room and then out toward the lake. The sun was high in the sky, Lunch had already passed, as big most of OWL examinations. The rest of the school had already congregated outside, but no sign of Bray or Fay, a good thing actually.

Ellie happily walked down to the beach and spread out on the soft grass, her towel underneath still a little wet from that mornings shower. Her wavy hair shone in the sun around her shoulders. She laid back and took in the sun. She was thinking about taking off her dress before she got strange tan lines when she was hit, randomly in the head with something. She reached up and picked the white T-Shirt off her face, sitting up as she did. The shirt was slightly sweaty and smelly. Ellie looked out in front of her. A boy, well, Lucas McGuff actually, was in the water in front of her. She laughed as she held the shirt up by two fingers.

"Nice shot."

[Lucas McGuff]

As the water rippled around him as his hands shot out from the water, flinging his shirt, the splat it created as it landed on someone was pretty great, and just the sound made him laugh, that was until he saw who it landed on.
“Bloody hell, if it isn’t EAR!” he chuckled as he struggled through the seaweed and mud to lean on his elbows on the edge of the embankment. Smiling at her, the sun caught his eye, making him pull an odd facial expression and close his eyes rather quickly to stop himself being blinded. As he began hovering his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun, he looked back to her and looked her up and down before smirking.

“You’ll catch your death of cold like that woman!” he joked as he looked at her holding up his shirt. As the dimples became deeper on his face and his mouth curved up into a huge cheesy grin, he stood there in the cool water, hands on hips in a triumphant pose before saluting her and returning back to his position once more.

“That, dear Ellie” he smirked before becoming silent. Leaning over to her, he whispered in her ear.
“Is the smell of a brutish man” he said, before standing back upright and continued to grin at her before flexing his biceps, admittedly not the biggest ones in existence, but enough for him to take care of himself.

“You may want to keep hold of that, get used to the smell and all that jazz... it smells better than wet cat” he laughed, splashing her slightly with water. It was Lucas’ way of trying to make light of her terrible situation with her boyfriend. It was no secret about her and Bray having an argument due to his feline status, and it was definitely no secret that Ellie and animals did not mix.

[Ellie Rook]

EAR!

Ellie pursed her lips as she heard the dreaded word come out of his lips. Her eyes narrowed. She stayed holding the shirt with two fingers, but her free hand she placed on her hip. "You're absolutely hilarious." Ellie said, the serious look from her face not changing. She hated her initials. Most people knew not to bring it up, but Lucas, goodness, that boy brought it up every single time they came in contact.

Ellie had to crack a smile. "I think I'll manage." She said, forgetting about the whole initial crisis. "I usually don't get cold until it hits about 92 out." Ellie said, placing the shirt lightly on her towel. It was dirty anyway, or she might have given the action a second thought. She laughed at his smile. It was nice, relaxing.

Ellie looked at the shirt on her towel. "Brutish, ehh." She said, wrinkling her nose, the smell seemed to be attracted to her. She giggled at his show. "Ahhh...Brutish." She said, skeptically sarcastic. Ellie picked up the shirt again and moved it over a couple more feet away, when she felt a small bit of water splash her.

Instead of getting mad, she figured it was time to laugh at the situation. She grinned and sighed. "I might have to get used to it." She said under her breath, looking sheepishly up at Lucas. "What was that supposed to mean, anyway?" She said, a smile still on her face.

[Lucas McGuff]

Oh how Lucas loved to wind people up, especially the ones who got really riled up by things he said. Of course his teasing and mockery was all in good fun and never meant in malice, and he always had a smile on his face to show that he meant no harm. Hell, everyone knew he was just an idiot and wouldn’t know what to do with nasty if he was handed it in a pretty box complete with a nice pink bow. He was a softie at heart, but it was on the odd occasion where if someone nitpicked at him enough then fists would fly. He would usually win the fist fights too, but magic duels were not his thing. Of course being a muggle he knew how to fight better without a wand getting in the way.

“So you finally admit I’m so funny then do you?” he grinned, his dimples showing once more. It was hardly ever you would see Lucas without a smile plastered across his face, and he liked to think he could cheer people up without trying. Ellie seemed to be no different as a smile soon spread across her face, breaking the stern look she was giving him moments before.

“I knew it wouldn’t be long until you cracked” he continued, sticking his tongue out at her in yet more triumph that he had actually broken her less than impressed features and softened them slightly. As he realised where he was, he gave a playful smirk before swimming backwards a few steps before stopping and floating on his back.

“I didn’t mean anything by it of course, you know me, thick as pudding... but it’s hard not to hear about you and your feline friend” he replied back to her as he stood up in the water once again, raising an eyebrow in protest. He waited to hear from the horse’s mouth so to speak if the rumours were right for once. Seeing the look on her face, he pushed his fingers through his short hair, wiping it backwards to get off the excess water.
“So it is true”

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie laughed. "Oh, you're funny alright!" She said, rolling her eyes at the Gryffindor in the water. As her eye returned back to normal, the Hufflepuff's face broke into a wide smile, accompanied by a giggle. It was a fact that unless someone died, it was very hard for Ellie to keep a smile off her face. Seeing as her situation with Brayden was hardly as serious as someone dying, Ellie didn't feel too bad about being cheerful for ten seconds.

Ellie watched Lucas swim about, she smiled and got up and got closer to the edge of the lake. Here, Ellie sat down, her stripe bathing suit reflected in the water she now dipped her toes in. The lake was cold, but Ellie just figured it felt that way because it was so hot outside. Her toes tingled for a few seconds, but then got used to the water. It was rather refreshing. Ellie smiled as she watched Lucas float on his back.

"Please don't call him that Luca." Ellie said, using her pet name for the boy, starring at her reflection in the water. She looked at her thin frame and her pink cheeks, which even seemed pink in the water. She sighed and moved her foot around, causing the water to ripple and the mirror image go out of focus. Ellie hadn't realized her problems had become so evident to the rest of the school. Ellie wasn't sure she liked being the center of some gossip, especially at Hogwarts when if it was a secret, everyone knew. the ripples had stopped and the Hufflepuff could see her reflection again. She kicked at the water, harder this time, creating a splash.

Ellie looked up at Lucas. She sighed and nodded. She could only imagine the rumors going around. they were probably ten times worse then what really happened. Ellie wasn't sure she wanted to know about what he had heard. "What did you..." Ellie kicked the water again. Subject change, even if she couldn't get it past Lucas it was a good try. "Is the water nice?" Ellie said, looking up, trying to look interesting in the Hydrogen & Oxygen mixture in front of her.

[yay, you're sorted!! and all that was utter nonsense.]

[Lucas McGuff]

Lucas could tell he was treating on bad ground with Ellie, and the last thing he wanted was to anger or upset her. He didn’t do well with people crying on his shoulder and always felt highly uncomfortable when the comic in him couldn’t help matters. He couldn’t really understand the entire situation between them, but he didn’t know either of them to be able to judge them or understand fully what either of them felt. Even though it was extremely hot on Lucas’ back, he was cool and feeling refreshed. His skin was rather odd, and no matter how long he basked in the sun he would not tan more than a certain amount but he wasn’t one for vanity.

The whole time Ellie was speaking, Lucas inched nearer and nearer towards her, hardly noticeable by the miniature ripples he was creating in the teal water by his movements. His face was serene for once, and that should have caught Ellie’s attention as it was so unlike him to have blank face on for more than a few seconds. As he got close enough to her again, he pulled her by the wrists into the water, letting her fall into the shallow end. Grinning wildly, he began laughing as he wiped the splashed water from her fall from his face.

Smiling at the Hufflepuff, Lucas began to make ripples under the water with his hands out of boredom. Looking down, he jumped slightly as he saw something float past his foot. Hoping it was a piece of seaweed or even a fish he hoped for no reason as he soon found his big toe to be in pain. Wincing, he jumped up and down in the water clutching his foot before finally being able to lift it up high enough to see the cause of the pain. A crab.
“ELLIE, ELLIE, GERRIT OFF, GERRIT OFF!!” he pleaded as he screamed high pitched in between grunts and swearwords.

[Lynn, it was great! & yay for being sorted! ]

[Ellie Rook]

Just as Ellie voiced the question, she found out. With a little shriek of surprise, the Hufflepuff felt Lucas' hands wrapped around her wrists and pull her into the water. With an awkward splash, Ellie landed in the water, unable to gain her footing before she went under. She stood back up, her long, wavy hair, wet and plastered in front of her face. She looked like a monster from the deep. Unable to see Lucas, she reached up and wiped away her hair to reveal a rather stern face. Looking at the Gryffindor, she burst out laughing. "Oh, yes, it is rather nice." She said, walking into deeper water by the boy.

She was now waist deep. The water was nice. Ellie always had a thought in the back of her mind that the giant squid was going to feel her presence and reach out of the dark depths of the lake and grab her. Ellie turned her back on Lucas for a second to make sure no ripples were coming from the center of the lake. Seeing nothing, she sighed a breath of relief.

“ELLIE, ELLIE, GERRIT OFF, GERRIT OFF!!”

Ellie jumped at the sound of this. "Is it the squid!" She yelled over Lucas babbling! She quickly turned around to see the boy jumping up and down holding his foot, a rather small crab locked around his toe. Ellie hurriedly waded over to him and plucked the animal from his foot. Instantly it grabbed a hold of her finger. "Eww!" Ellie said, before flinging the animal ten feet away. "Ah, it got a piece of me." She said, holding her thumb up inspecting it. A small cut had appeared. She dipped it in the water and washed off the small amount of blood.

She looked at Lucas, remember his terrified face. She laughed and splashed him. "Oh mighty Gryffindor." She said with a smile. "I thought the squid got you the way you screamed."

[Lucas McGuff]

As he flinched, expecting a girly slap to land on him any moment, he was somewhat disappointed to find she hadn’t lashed out, realising he had flinched for nothing, he pretended water had splashed into his eye and wiped at his face vigorously before playfully sinking under the water, blowing bubbles with his head half submerged under the teal liquid and he began to do the ‘jaws’ music from a muggle film about a man eating shark. As he neared her, getting louder, he hoped she would make a girlish squeal as he poked her in the ribs with his finger onto to find himself making the noise he was wanting Ellie to as something snipped at his big toe.

Bounding about in the water, he splashed around attempting to bring his foot up to view how big the culprit of the toe pain was as Ellie yelled over to him through all the noise he was making yelling and splashing. Lifting his foot up so he fell backwards into the water, relief washed over him as the crab suddenly let go. Looking up he found Ellie with it now in her hands, and it too got a piece of her.

Laughing hard, so hard that he swallowed some of the lake water before going into a coughing fit, he managed after a minute or so to regain back to normal and continue his normal laugh, instead of a gurgle.
“It’s the squid, it’s the squid!” he mocked, waving his arms about like tentacles. Pouting when she retaliated, he smirked back as he folded his arms over his chest.
“Hey, less of that missy! I am brave, and manly, and a brute!” he said the latter jumping up and flexing once again only to make a dive bomb splash as he landed back into the water. Chuckling away, he looked around to check that the floor to the lake was clear and that he would not be getting bitten again any time soon, before looking back up to Ellie.

“So why do you hate animals so much?”

[Ellie Rook]

[sorry I haven't been in an Ellie mood lately!!]

Oh Goodness. Lucas was such a character. Ellie couldn't help but giggle as he ducked half underwater, blowing bubbles like a two year old in the bath tub. Ellie smiled and tucked a piece of wet hair behind her ear. Jaws, Ellie thought. Good choice, really sets the mood.

Ellie imagined a giant shark coming out from the water and scooping Lucas up. It wasn't exactly a pleasant thought and she was slightly disturbed by her own mind. She thought her daydream had come true when Lucas let out a shriek.

Lucas had obviously gotten a mouthful of water as he laughed at the silly situation. "Are you ok?" Ellie said as Lucas sputtered through the water in his lungs. Ellie laughed. "Oh, shut up." And then retaliated against the mighty Gryffindor.

"Oh yes." Ellie said, sticking her tongue out at him. "I forgot, its incredible manly to shriek when a crab clamps on your toes, but its the brave brute in you that must have pleaded me for help." Ellie said, laughing so hard she slipped and fell into the water with a little yelp of her own. As she came up, seaweed had gotten tangled in her long mess of waves. She sighed, wiping water out of her eyes. "Lovely." She said, trying to pull the green plant from her hair.

Animals, Ellie thought, still trying to tangled the mess. "Well..." She said, able to pull half of the leaf from her hair. "I don't really dislike them." She sighed and pulled once more. "They just don't really like me." The seaweed relinquished its grip and Ellie threw it some feet behind her. "I see your not exactly fond of crabs." She said with a smile.

[psstt, Ellie is attempting to talk to Lucas at the ball...]

[Lucas McGuff]

[No worries me dear, I only seem to log on to charries when I know they've been replied to xD && Lucas has replied in the ball ;D]

Sitting happily on the floor of the lake, his head just reaching over the water, he gave Ellie the cheesiest of grins before letting a fountain of water squirt from his pursed lips. After the remains of the water had disappeared back to where it belonged, he continued his cheesy grin and began laughing when she slipped over into the water and emerged with a head full of seaweed.

"Alright there El? Doing an impression of medusa are we?" she joked as he wobbled himself around on the lake floor. He had put himself into a yoga position, folding his legs over one another so they were locked, and he waddled on the sides of his knees in circles and then began to pursue Ellie.

Getting bored rather quickly, he pulled he by the wrist further into the water, unlocking his legs so he could actually walk on the bottom bent legged instead of on his knees. Looking out over to the lake, that expanded to look like an ocean, he looked back at her with a mysterious look on his face.

"So what do you reckon? Think you can beat me to that rock over there?" he asked with a smirk, standing up and pointing to a far away rock halfway across the lake. He brought his hand up to his brow like a sailor, and puffed his chest out as he observed the rock for a moment, expecting a good whack in the stomach any time now. Looking back at her, he grinned once again before splashing backwards and floating while curled in a ball, keeping himself a float just by wafting his arms around in the water.

"Your not scared of the squid that much are you?"

[Ellie Rook]

"Oh, I'll show you an impression of Medusa." Ellie said, glaring at him. "You won't be laughing when your turned to stone!" She said, still struggling to get the weed out of her hair. Who invented Seaweed? Who thought it was a good idea for it to float around in lake for unsuspecting victims to get all tangled up in it. Ellie thought of one thing she hated more than animals. Seaweed.

Ellie laughed as Lucas began to pull her into the water. Seeing as he was a couple inches taller than her, Ellie saw that Lucas was dragging her where she couldn't stand. She laughed as she put her arms around his neck, so she wouldn't drown. "Are you attempting to kill me Mr. McGuff?" She said with a laugh.

Race? Out there? With the Squid? Ellie unhooked herself from Lucas' neck and stood tippytoe in the water. "Uhh." she said. Lucas had pinpointed it. The squid. It would most likely find her, but then again, she wasn't about to stand down. With a worried grin she shook her head and gave Lucas that whack in the stomach he had been looking for!

"Last one there is a rotten dragon egg!!" Ellie said, before she took off, having a great advantage toward the rock. Ellie swam decently. She had always been a natural in the water. As she felt the rough surface of the rock, she grabbed hold and hoisted herself up, she laughed as she watched Lucas. "C'mon then." She said with a smile.

She pinched her nose as he got closer. "Smells like rotten dragon eggs over here."

[Lucas McGuff]

Lucas soon pretended to be scared when she threatened to turn him to stone, biting his nails and looking left and right in rapid succession and making whimpering noises.
"I better stop, I might attract the squidy-wid" he mocked before slipping under the water on a piece of seaweed, although as he was already underwater, it was barely noticable...Of course this was Ellie Rook, she would notice just to mock him even more so.

Getting bored of floating in the same spot, he began to keep himself afloat and twirl around in a circle so fast while he looked up towards the sky that he actually became dizzy and a little nausiated. Closing his eyes, he stopped and focused on his inner eyelids to stop from being literally sea sick. As he opened his eyes, he saw Ellie had already made a break for the rock. Suddenly focussing, he swam as fast as he could to catch up, merely seconds behind, but she reached it before he could. Latching onto it like a limpet, he sighed.
"You had a big headstart you cheat!" he smiled a toothy grin.

Turning his head around, he began to sniff trying to work out the location of the smell. Sniffing nearer and nearer to her, he pursed his lips together in attempt to hold his laughter in.
"Ellie, don't blame dragon eggs!" he smirked as he wrinkled his nose up and he sniffed her, soon pulling away and holding his nose.

[Ellie Rook]

"You'll wish the squid had gotten you after I'm done with you." Ellie said, the threat obviously completely empty. Her face was in a wide smile. She didn't mind that he was teasing her about her animal problem. Ellie knew Lucas was just a bunch of joke strung together to form a somewhat human being.

Ellie kept swimming as she heard Lucas shout that she had a big lead. She paused for a second and lifted her head out of the water, laughing. "Well pay attention slow poke!!" Ellie said with a laugh before she continued swimming. It was his challenge after all. The King of A.D.D. obviously had seen something shiny.

"Oh.." Ellie said as Lucas sniffed her. She lifted her arms and pushed him in the water. She laughed as she saw the splash. "Much better." She said, stretching out to sun herself on the rock. "Do I look like a mermaid?" She said, putting her legs together like a flipper and tilting her head back toward the sun, grinning in the rays that hit her face.

[Lucas McGuff]

Lucas tried to keep a straight face at Ellie's empty threat. The attempt failed miserably and he burst out into laughter unable to stop the twinging pain it was causing in his sides.
"Yeah because I can really see you being scarier than a huge squid that has probably got an infinate lifespan!" he grinned, eyes sparkling slightly with wetness due to laughing so hard.
"Come to think of it, how old's the squid?" he asked, even though she would have no idea. Simply shrugging the thought off, he watched her climb onto the rock.

She was just like a mermaid. Not the one's in the magic world however, but the one's in the old muggle fairytales where they would have long flowing hair that shined like silk in the sun and had shell bikini top and a beautiful spectrum of colour on their scales.
Lucas giggled slightly before answering her question. He raised an eyebrow and looked away, behind the rock and back to the shore.

"Mermaid's have stern faces..." he said before pausing, not daring to continue with the rest of the sentence. Although he was surrounded by water, his throat seemed suddenly dry.
"I think we should be getting back Ell" he stated.
"Someone will probably find it funny to steal our clothes...mine especially" he said as he began to start towards the shore in a slow swimming stroke.