[Lake] Lonely by the lake.

[Sarie Thimble]

Sarie was lonely as always. She headed to the one place where she always went. She loved the lake, it was where she had made all of her friends. Most of her friends have left to get on with their lives. She fell backwards in the grass.

It was sunset, the sky was all different colors, red, yellow, and orange. She loved it. She just wished she had someone to share it with. She sighed and wished she could find a friend that wasn't so much other than the ones she already had. She closed her eyes.

[Effy & Claire Wynn]

"I really don't want to go outside." Effy said as she lay on her back on her unmade bed. Her stood next to her, folding the clothes that Effy had left carelessly on the ground. She sighed as she placed a black t-shirt on the top of the pile she had already folded.

"Please Effy, I can't stay in this room anymore. Please." Claire pleaded. She had spent the last two days going from class to class to studying to sitting and waiting for Effy to come back to the room from where ever she went late at night.

Effy turned on her side and looked at her sister. Effy knew that Claire didn't really have much stimulation in her day. Effy would disappear most nights and go to the dungeons where she a a small group of other rebels would drink the night away in a blaze of glory. It was one of the only things Effy could say that she loved. Feeling numb, but during the day, it all came back to her and she would much rather ust stay out of the radar.

"Ok, Listen, if you leave me alone I'll bring you tonight." Effy tried to compromise. Claire put down the dress she was folding sat down next to Effy, who sat up.

"Ef, I don't want to go with you. I don't really fit in with your friends." Claire said. She really didn't want to know what Effy was getting herself into, she knew she probably wouldn't like it and it would only cause her to worry. Not that Claire had any say in what Effy did, but she held onto the thought that Effy would at least listen for Claire's sake. But Claire didn't even what the issue to arise, knowing that she would probably be let down.

Effy looked out the window, which she had tried to pull the curtains over, but had failed as she stumbled in that morning. "Fine." Effy said, standing up and looking through the folded clothes that Claire had just worked so hard on. She pulled on a pair of tight black jeans and a black and white t-shirt. Over this she pulled on a grey sweater and her leather jacket. She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to wipe away her dark smudged makeup. It was hopeless. She grabbed her scarf and gloves, pulled on her black boots and looked at her sister. In the mean time Claire had pulled on her converse sneakers which she folded her light wash jeans over. Over her blue sweater she pulled on her jacket. She was grabbing her own gloves and scarf and pulling on her hat when Effy nodded toward the door. Effy lead the way out of the castle.

Claire felt the cold air hit her face. She smiled as she followed Effy. Effy walked down the hill toward the lake. The snow, which was think up toward the stone building, had started to melt near the water. Grass had made its way back to the top. Effy went and sat alone on one of the rocks which jutted over the lake. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it with the tip of her wand. She blew the smoke over the water and watched it as it floated away.

Claire watched this and shook her head. She wandered farther down the lake, seeing a body laying on the ground. Claire walked over to the girl and sat next to her. "Ever wonder how far is too far?" Claire said looking out at the lake.

[Sarie Thimble]

Sarie looked over in surprise, she wasn't even sure how the girl had seen her. Most people didn't even noticed her while she was sitting in the common room. "It depends on what you mean by too far. I mean when we the sky is to far away for us to reach. In rebellion you could rebel till you either kill yourself or someone else. Going too far in love can be bad too. I've never reached too far in anything so I really wouldn't know."

She thought about what she had just said. No wonder she didn't really have friends. She thought about what she had just said. She wondered what kind of answer the girl had been looking for. "I'm Sarie," She told the other girl. "The Sun looks really pretty doesn't it."

Again she needed learn to talk to people better. She wonder if this girl was going to think she was weird. Sarie knew she was weird but other people had moved passed that. She wondered why she always coming down to the lake. She waited to for girl to reply.

[Effy & Claire Wynn]

It had been a rhetorical question, Claire hadn't really expected an answer from the girl, especially not one with such a long duration. As the girl spoke, Claire didn't really catch her meaning. She was talking about some strange things, and Claire had just meant that her sister was pushing her buttons yet again. Claire had to remember that not everyone understood her the way Effy did, sometimes a little explanation was necessary.

Claire was a little open mouthed when the girl finished, and then kept going with an introduction. Claire could see in the girl's eyes, now introduced as Sarie, that she realized she had probably given a bit too much of an answer back for such a simple question. Claire smiled. "Claire." She said. "Yes, the sun is nice today. Hopefully it will start melting all this snow. It would be a lot easier to convince Effy to go out if she didn't have to trek through the snow." Claire said with a smile.

Claire always ended up talking about Effy, it was as if she didn't have any other interest in life. It wasn't that, it was that Claire felt safe talking about Effy. It was something she knew all about, and Effy was just a lot cooler to talk about then herself. Claire looked at the girl she was sitting next too. She was small for her age, by Claire didn't really notice. "Getting out of the castle as well? I hate it in there, but Effy likes to lounge around, the walls were starting to cave in on me though, I had to get out."

Effy was completely uninterested in what her sister was doing. She was sitting on the rock yards away. She could see their mouths moving, but she couldn't hear any of the words that were coming out. Effy knew who that little girl was anyway, she was the small fry a year below them, and the prefect. Effy hated that the prefect was younger then her, but the girl was obviously horrible at her job because Effy had snuck out of the common room every night for three weeks straight. Effy snuffed and turned away from her sister. She would let her have her fun but it was getting late and Effy had a date.

[Sarie Thimble]

"It's nice to meet you. I guessing Effy is the girl over there." She point to the girl a few yards away. She could they they where twins even from this distance. "You would think she would be less likely to go out in the snow. You have to fight your wait though."

Sarie wasn't really sure what to say. She kept her eyes on the sun. She knew she was never good at talking. She had learned that along time ago. The only one thing she could talk about was potions her best class. She wondered what classes this girl liked.

"I come out here, to think mostly. I don't mind the castle the paintings are always up for a chat. I do agree I don't like staying in one spot to long unless I'm reading." She wondered if she had said that. Lots of people thought her reading habit unhealthy. She bit down on her lip maybe she should stop talking to people, it would make her life easier. MUCH EASIER! She knew better though.

[Effy & Claire Wynn]

Claire was looking out at Effy as Sarie correctly pointed her out. "She's not that bad, she is my sister after all." Claire said, standing up for Effy, not that she needed to take offense in anything Sarie had said. "She just, has a different view of fun." Different, but secret. Claire really wished she knew what was fun for Effy. Maybe she would try it out, but it was a rare occurrence when Effy invited her anywhere. Claire had gotten a chance earlier in the dorm, but her need to get out of the stuffy room had taken over her sense of curiosity about her sister.

Claire listened to what Sarie usually did. It seemed that she enjoyed doing the things that Claire had been forced to be content with because of Effy. Claire didn't have many friends, but that was because Effy turned so many people away, and Claire would never chose someone else over her own twin. She hadn't stooped so low as had conversations with the paintings. She thought them actually really contrived, seeing as they could only really think about themselves and the perpetual world they were going to be stuck in forever. But, whatever tickles your fancy, Claire thought.

"I do a lot of reading myself." Claire stuck in the conversation after another short little awkward moment. "Mostly for classes though, I don't remember the last time I read a book I chose to read." Claire laughed. "But I guess that' the price you play for being smart."

[Sarie Thimble]

"I wouldn't know about being smart. You do even books you like over breaks. I don't have time free read all of time during the school year." She said. Sarie didn't know if she was smart or not. She was good at potions but didn't mean she was smart.

She didn't know what to say. She sat there, she placed her chin on her knees at least the girl hadn't asked if she was a first year that happened a lot. She really hated when that happened. She bit her lip. She was trying to think about what they could talk about.

She decided to talk about school. "What classes do you like?" She asked. She didn't know what else to talk about. Sarie wondered if her being unable to be comfortable around people was so sort of condition. She didn't know if this girl even liked her. Did she cared that she was a fourth year prefect? Did the girl even know?

[Effy & Claire Wynn]

"Yeah, I guess I do read at home during break." Claire said, thinking of the home she came from. The constant fighting and crying broke her down. She spent many days locked in her room just reading and writing her own stories, while Effy was off dealing with the pain in her own way. "Yeah, during school, I just stick to the text books."

Claire shifted her feet in the silence that fell over them. Well this was certainly awkward. Effy was usually the one to come up with a witty remark or joke poking fun which would start some kind of conversation, but Claire wasn't the best at it. Claire looked over to see her sister was now standing on the rock contemplating the water. She considered going over to her, but was stopped by the next question from Sarie.

"What?" Claire said, being snapped back to the conversation. "Oh, well, I don't really have a favorite. I prefer the ones that we don't have to use our wands. Effy's better at that. I'm better at reading and writing. I like Ancient Runes the best I guess." Claire said, playing with the cuff of her jeans as she talked. Well this was a pleasant little conversation. The fifth year was contemplating bringing up the weather next, and after that they would completely run out of things to talk to.

Instead, Claire decided to go for the throat. "Do you have any friends?" she asked.

__________________________________________________________

Effy snickered as she watched her sister make a new little friend. Good for her, Effy thought, Maybe now she'll get off my back. Effy sighed and shook her head. No matter how much her sister annoyed her, she would always feel obligated to protect her. On the other side, Effy hated her love for her sister, her need to be there for her. It was the only emotion she had left that held her grounded. Without it, Effy could become totally numb. Claire kept her sister human.

Effy stood up and shuffled her feet to the edge of the rock. She lean forward gently and looked down into the water. The drop was less than three feet, but a thin sheet of ice still frozen on the top of the water made the fall look more ominous. Effy was thinking about just jumping in, hearing the sound of the ice beak under her weight, feel the cold water strike her. She would feel something then. She leaned back once again and looked toward her sister. No, she felt enough for one day.