Welcome!

At the center of this cobblestone clearing is a stone fountain that spills frothy, bubbling water in a babbling manner. The terrace is laid out and large with plenty of room for wandering around. Come here if you're wandering or meeting up with friends.

His footsteps were not average Finn-steps. They were steps of greatness. The granola crunch of gravel beneath his feet was august, with a hint of 'lightly springy'. Still, the posture would make you want to whack him between the shoulder blades with a fireplace poker. Hard. Finn ambled down to the courtyard, not yet building up the pluck to consider taking Sparroe's arm. The abstract, foreigness of a female walking beside him was something he had to step back and take it in. Similiar to an abstract painting. All he now saw were to colors. Bright, variant shades that stood out sharply. All he knew: he was happy. Judgement over what to do and say came later. Preferably, not at all.

His jaw did this funny locking thing. "Nice...er...weather? Full moon's out tonight." The sentences tottered out, poking fun at the throat that locked up as soon as he'd said them. Finn hesitated looking at her, but found the sky's comfort placating. He knew the sky. He spied on it from the comfort of his dorm on many nights. The sky beamed down on him, distracting him, and wishing him luck with the girl.

As it was, he needed it. Bad.

Sparroe peeked at the boy out of the corner of her eye and held her hand up to her mouth, stifling a giggle. She cleared her throat and skipped over to a bench in the corner of the courtyard.

"I like the night sky. The stars and the moon..relax me." She nodded and plopped down on the cold stone bench. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She sighed and stared up at the sky, trying to think of something to talk about with Finn.

"Would you prefer being out at night or in the day time?" She asked, her voice barely abover a whisper.

Finn bit back a retort that he didn't have. He noticed. Her bid to mask laughter. Stopping short, he slitted his eyes, making an excuse that it had to do with the light. It burned him. Down or up wasn't to say. At least she knew proper courtyard manner. What was a courtyard, anyway? Finn peered around with a colorless eye, trying to match the outdated stone structure with a purpose. Did they hold court here? Where would the judge sit? His eyes traveled to the forbidding, flinty rafters. Did they hang people here? Wriggling, to shake the company morbid thought, he pressed his glasses against his nose (notice, he does this when he's nervous), and moved on to the fairer thought. A COURTyard. Like courtship? Courting was that fancy name for getting a girl. Alternatives: going steady, dating. He gulped, observing Sparroe sit for a blissful moment.
Definitely didn't apply.
Rinsing a hand through his dark hair, he faced the inevitable and made his way toward the half-empty bench. Not too fast. The spasms in his knees made sure of that. "Really?" he queried, considering this another of the litter of coincidences. "Uh--I am an astronomy person. Liking it is a given."
Uncomfortable chuckle. He sat stiffly, wishing that filling the empty half of the bench didn't feel so symbolic.
"Y'know, I don't care, really." He meshed his hands together, twidling the thumbs. "Most say they have a preference, but I like the sky regardless." The sky beamed at him a little extra for the good word. Not many stopped to look there anymore. "What about you?" He shot her a wry glance. She looked cold. A fine contrast when the back of his neck burned.

She turned towards him and smiled. "I'm a night owl." She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "You like astronomy?" She asked, somewhat suprised. She blinked and smiled again. "Wow. Not many guys like astronomy. That's really cool." She nodded and sighed, the loose strand of hair coming to a rest on her cheek.

SHe watched him twidle his thumbs and giggled. "Am I boring you? Or are you just nervous?" She asked, setting her hand on his. "If you're nervous, you don't have to be."

Somehow, perhaps the universe was turning tricks, but it got a little more comfortable when she subtly turned to him. He could smell her. She mostly smelled like the musty library, but she carried it off nicely. "Night's not bad." Finn's smile was contemplating. Night was nice. A lot of nice things happened at night. Shooting stars, lunar eclipses, the moon. Somehow, he imagined her swooping from tree to tree, an owl, the big brown eyes fitting nicely. He made a playful hooting noise. Perhaps, he was too dazed by the overwhelming spin in his stomach, his kind face managed a smirk. Right now, she looked so small, tucking herself into a ball like that. Quite the opposite from her brimming confidence. Finn hunched deeper in a turtle-like manner. "Yeah." His voice grew pride. "Yes, I am---uh---I do." The pride died. "I like astronomy."

Her kind, yet surprising mouth had told the one truth he held dear to himself. He shrugged. "I'm not most guys."

"Boring." His eyes grew owl wide. "No!" he protested flatly, quickly separating the offending thumbs to their separate corner and telling them off. "Not boring. Definitely not boring. I was just wondering..." the insecurity knife cut him there. He was wondering what other drawbacks...or the things he found and blamed as drawbacks would she compliment on. "Just wondering if you were cold." His voice got nervous and shriveled at the end. He flared again. "I'm not nervous either," he taunted dryly, trying his hand at a poker face. Didn't work. Wait...what was that feeling? Something was on his hand! Bloody hell! Please don't let it be a spider! Finn's toes went numb---eyelids sliding down reluctantly....no, not a spider. His breath caught somewhere in his pancreas. But. That. Was. Her. Hand. His toes went past numb. Finn imagined taking off his shoes and finding his toes absent. Running for the hills. Or to find a news camera. Nothing, he repeated dubiously, nothing so bizarre and wonderful every happened to Finnley Kher.
Yet. It did.
"I'm not nervous at all." Genuinely. A small smile lit up his eyes. Hesitantly, butsurely, his thumb swiped upward and stroked the outer region of her hand. Her skin was soft. Like petals. Let her get up and slap him from this magical reverie, but Finnley was awkwardly, in a 'not really' way, holding a girl's hand.

"I like the night." She nodded, hoping he wouldn't notice that she had already said that. She blushed slightly and looked away. "I'm glad that you like it. It gives us a shared interest." She smiled and looked at him again, hoping that he couldn't see the pink tint on her cheeks. "I know you're not like most guys. And I like that."

"Oh, okay. I thought I was boring you. You must be.." She smiled and nodded. "I am a little cold. I forgot to bring a sweater with me. I usually have one, but I didn't think I'd need it." She shivered again and wrapped the arm she had free around herself again.

She stared down at their hands, giggling at the tingling sensations that was going through her hand. Boy, was she feeling brave tonight. She wrinkled her nose and blew out a puff of air, aiming it at the offending srtand of hair. It fluttered and landed on her cheek again. Atleast, it wasn't near her nose. She didn't think it would've been polite to sneeze all over the boy in front of her.

Elan strolled around the courtyard. He saw other people around, including Sparroe, but they were involved and he didn't want to interrupt. He headed to a bench that was away from other people, a place where he could be alone. He had been alone a lot since he got here. He just didn't seem to be able to make friends. That Slytherin girl had seemed promising, but in the end, like all the others, she ignored him.

As he sat, he took out his book and began to lose himself in the world of elves and dwarves and ogres as they warred amongst each other. At least no one could ever take away this world, the one he felt most comfortable in, in the world's created by his mind.

Ryder finished off a conversation with one of the Professors, packing up his things as they said their goodbyes. The teachers at Hogwarts loved him. The other students knew this as well, some even called him a "Teacher's Pet", others knew better. The only reason he was close to them was for the information. Who's on Night Corridor Watch, what sort of assignments are going to be given out - the list goes on; however, the most useful sort of things Ryder learned from the teachers were the secrets of Hogwarts. The secret passages and the passwords to them - all learned from different Professors over the years.

Walking quietly from the room he pulled his book bag over his head and shoulder, letting it drop to his side and bounce against his thigh as he walked. Most of the students were already at the Library, or in their common rooms doing homework, thankfully Ryder had finished all of his homework for the first few months.

Breathing in the fresh air that surrounded Hogwarts he made his way to the courtyard. Not many of the younger students cared to hang out there, so it was a great place for him to relax. A small group of what looked to be four years gathered around a game of Gobblestones, not making too much noise except for the occasional excited yelp of either winning or losing. There was another guy, sitting on one of the benches which Ryder passed as he seemed pretty intregued by his book. Ryder searched his memory for his half hidden face. He looked to be older so Ryder must have known him. Landing on a few names he came to the conclusion it would come to him at somepoint.

Finding a spot on the cool grass, along the wall, in the afternoon shade Ryder pulled off his robe and rolled up his sleeves, loosening his tie so it was comfortable. Pulling a book on Time Tunners from his bag he opened it to the marked page and began reading, glancing up form it every so often to see who was winning.

The blush was rescue. Finn grappled for that life preserver and clung to it. Sparroe's inhuman cool was finally shattered. Pieces littered his feet and all mirrored up at him, wishing luck.. "The night is nice," he spoke, his words holding off, getting lazier. Not as high-strung. He could hold himself and graduate from this senior awkwardness. Smoothing his tie self-consciously still, he leaned back and rested his elbows comfortably against the back of the bench figuring he'd be less likely to faint if this got overwhemingly unbelievable. He'd already braved this far. "An interest shared?" He treasured the sentence, especially since there was no map to go by as it was. "You'd be surprised." The inspiration frothed and bubbled, flowing around them freely. He challenged her. "There are a lot of things people never know about me." His lips pursed smugly, clumsily, but smugly. The blush did it.

He took her face in, sampling the aura and angling nearer. Her creamy skin sparkled. There wasn't a texture to it. Just smooth planes of a delicate shade. He caught her mouth move. Those sainted words. Few girls had hearts like Sparroe. He almost forgot what she said. Almost. His brows bounced in shock. She liked it. She liked that he was different. A definite deviation from the usual commentary of his personality. Finn choked, mammoth effort cajoling his heart back to normal rhythm. "You don't bore me at all," he stammered, resting his other perspiring palm across his lap. The fabric didn't resolve the condition any better. "You shock me quite a bit." Confession was painful. "You're so...lenient with me, I guess. I can talk, and you'd listen." Finn smiled thinly. "With me, that's a luxury. I like that."

Alright. Now the true test. The cold side of the bench pressed into Finn's thigh, urging him away. Just a few inches and he wouldn't have to have a drafting body temperature. He'd be closer to Sparroe, too. Coughing mildly, and tugging at his sleeve to look for an invisible watch, Finn managed to slide inconspicuously enough toward the girl. His stomach tied swift knots making him painfully alert. "So..." he began hesitantly, eyes never leaving her face. They always found something new to rove over. That pesky chocolate brown ribbon of hair. Finn's fingers incidentally developed a mind of their own. His eyes caught his hand, reaching up for the strand like it was a rope that could save them. Neatly, without a breath or sound, he tucked it behind her ear, observing the job and feeling quite proud. He'd chance it.

Sparroe raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Well, these things..will I get to know them?" She asked, looking up at him from under her eyelashes. "Why would I be surprised?" She asked, straightening up a bit. "Really, I don't surprise easily."

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes bright. "How do I shock you?" She listened to his words and shook her head, a grin spreading over her face. "Well, you should feel special. I'm not usually like this. I just had a good feeling..about you. And I'm glad you like it." She nodded and giggled.

She looked down at her lap when she felt him move closer. She knew that he was trying to be inconspicuous. She looked back up at him and grinned, her cheeks turning a brighter shade of pink. "Sooo. Did I ask if you had any pets? I..uh..can't remember." She giggled nervously.

She stared up at his face as he reached his hand out. She almost asked what he was doing, but didn't get the chance. He brushed the offending stand away and she shivered again involuntarily. She reached her hand out and her fingers brushed over his tie. She considered wrapping her fingers around it and pulling him closer, but she didn't want him to run away.

Elan finished with the chapter he had been reading and looked around. There were more students hanging out, a couple talking to each other, but he was kind of bored with this spot. He thought he might walk around some. He got up, carefully placed the book in the inside pocket of his robe and headed around the edge of the courtyard, slowly meandering as he had no where to be and no on eto be there with.

As he walked, he decided it might be fun to walk around the gate, to see what it looked like in the afternoon. They had been brought in during the height of the sun and told to go quickly, so he hadn't had a chance to really appreciate the architecture. He headed off in that direction.

Slater wandered out into the courtyard and looked around. Hmmm, no one that he knew in sight. On any normal day, he'd be willing to change that, and walk right up to the first person he saw and start up a chat with them, but today he was out here for a reason. He had to read a chapter in his Transfiguration book, and he was simply NOT going to do that inside. Even if it did look like it was going to rain. He had always kind of liked the rain anyways.

Elphaba stepped daintily into the Courtyard, peering around inconspicuously. It looked as if it would rain; she didn't care. She had a spell to keep herself dry. She wandered across the cobblestone ground, looking around. There weren't many people around. Perfect. Silently, she settled on the wall and pulled out the book she'd had hidden in her sleeve. The common room held too many distractions. She would have to study down here, or in the library, from now on.

Slater was bored. Reading had kept his attention for about...5 seconds, and then he got distracted, as usual. There was no one that he knew out here, but it wasn't like that was going to stop him. He was pretty sure that he couldn't go more than a few hours without talking to someone. Or himself, but that was only when he was REALLY alone.

He noticed a girl walk into the courtyard, carrying a book with her. Ahh, she looked like she was going to study too. Maybe she was bored, like him, and wanted a distraction. Why couldn't he be that distraction? Of course, there was always the chance that she did actually want to study and would tell him to get lost, but he was bored, and that was chance he was going to take.

Walking up to the girl, he sat down on the wall next to her, not too close but not so far away that they would have to shout at each other. "Hi there," he said with a friendly smile. "Whatcha reading?"