Catching Up- Private- Nora White and Justin Cole

-Private-Justin Cole, Nora White-September 7th-8 o’clock pm-The Lake-

::Justin headed out to the grounds, tired of being cooped up inside for everything except for Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Quidditch. His studies were taking most of his days now, leaving him little free time so that his usual walks around the grounds of the castle had been rudely stopped. But it was too nice a night to pass up a walk. The half moon was out, shining down and lighting up the grounds and stars were beginning to appear in the darkening blue night sky. There was a cool autumn breeze that ruffled the leaves of the trees of the Forbidden Forest and the hair of anyone outside as well, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Not keeping track of where his feet were taking him, Justin soon found himself nearing the Herbology greenhouses.::

::He knew that he shouldn’t be here, not this late. It wasn’t safe to be outside alone anymore, he knew. The professors hadn’t warned them about staying out; it was just something known throughout the school. And there were some things he just knew without ever being told, like that Death Eaters were bad and anyone that opposed them was good, that the fifteenth step on the hidden staircase connecting the third and fifth floor would trap your foot if you stepped on it, you could walk through ghosts, to never mention Nora’s father around the Whites, that he belonged in the wizarding world, and that he needed to get his head on straight and figure out what to do with his life before it was too late. He sighed, leaning back against on a chest high stone wall circling around the greenhouses and looked out at the peaceful grounds. Yeah, he needed to get going on that last one soon- it was his seventh year at Hogwarts and he had yet to think of an occupation he was fit for. It wasn’t like he didn’t have talent; he was in Ravenclaw, after all. But there was just too much he still didn’t know about the world he found himself in. His mother was a witch, father a Muggle, and so for his first eleven years he had no idea there even was real magic. Until then he had wanted to be a policeman when he grew up, but police here had a much more difficult job, what with underage wizards running around with wands at all hours. Not to mention the threat of You-Know-Who returning to power.::

::He was a good flyer, he knew that, but didn’t feel that Quidditch would be enough to keep his mind busy for the rest of his life. And there would inevitably come a day when he would be unable to fly. An Auror? Justin had no intention of turning to the “Dark side” so that was an acceptable possibility.::

::Okay, enough of that, he thought, shaking thoughts of the future from his mind. Don’t you wanna enjoy yourself while you’re out here? Can’t do that with worrying, he reasoned, pushing himself off of the wall. He turned his path towards the lake, deciding that maybe he would go and have a visit with the giant squid or just throw rocks in the lake like any other seventeen year old guy would do while trying to puzzle something out.::

”What’re you doing out here all by your lonesome?”

::Justin's head whipped around to see his old friend Nora coming up behind him. Opening his mouth to reply, he was cut off as she continued-::

“I fancied a walk as well. Where you headed? Now that we’re both out here we might as well go together. Unless you’re on some secret mission, of course.”

::She then poked him in the side which was completely unnecessary...so of course he had to yank on a lock of her dark brown hair. She let out a high pitched yelp and narrowed her pretty brown eyes at him but he only laughed which made her scowl deepen.::

"Well," he said, ignoring her, "I'll just say that I was planning on going to the lake. I would ask if you would care to join me but you've already decided that. And about the 'secret mission,'" his voice suddenly lowered so it was little more than a whisper, "how did you find out? I'll have to tell them I need to reschedule since I can't let you tag along and you'd only follow me if I tried to escape."

::He grinned, his dark brown, nearly black, eyes shining in the starlight. Justin shrugged and said, "I just wanted to get out of the castle, it's been driving me mad, being inside nearly all day. So, what've you been up to since last we met? It's been a whole four days already. Who've you dated in that time? Last year it could've been at least three, did you beat that?"

::Knowing that something much worse than a poke in the side would occur because of that if he stayed within reach, laughing hard, he leapt out of the way and took off at a run towards the shore of the lake. They had been near already and so the decline of land leading to the shore was under his feet within moments. Justin could hear her racing after him but wasn't worried. He came to a stop on the rocky shore, his school shoes sliding on the slippery rocks, and turned to face a very angry Nora with as innocent of an expression on his face as he could manage.::

(Don't worry, Lannie, I can be forgiving )

"As a matter of fact I've managed to stay single for the entire year so far and am not planning on breaking my record...Hogsmeade trip coming up, though. I'll need to find someone to go with for that. Brave enough to ask out Sara?" She grinned, taunting him. "I have a plan, you know. You don't have to do anything but smile and be attentive, if you're up to it. But if you keep being like you are I'll just have to let you fend for yourself."

::Now it was Justin's turn to scowl. He had told her of his growing feelings towards Sara Marsh and she wouldn't shut up about it. Yeah, he had asked for her help, but come on. She should be able to tell him no matter what he did, that's what close friends did.::

::She sighed and looked up at him to say, "And it's a good plan, too, flawless really..."

"Shush, Nora," he muttered, mind racing. He could try and deal with Sara on his own, but without Nora's help if he got stuck he'd be hopeless. But teasing her was so fun! Trying to make this seem like a huge deal, he stayed silent for a while, aparently thinking hard.::

"The clock is ticking."

"I'm thinking, geeze woman," he said irritably though the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "I can either try and set up something myself and keep teasing you or go hear your idea and have to stop. Decisions, decisions," he said, shaking his head back and forth. She cleared her throat loudly, looking at him expectantly. "Fine," he said. "I guess I need your help...So, what's the plan?"

::Justin walked over and sat on a boulder next to hers. He put his feet up onto hers so that they poked her in the back, crossing the ankles, just to annoy her a little bit more, and mimiced her posture otherwise, leaning back, arms supporting the upper body's weight, and the smile, of course. What have I gotten Sara and I into? A plan coming from Nora's mind? This should be interesting...::