Renewing rain (Open)

[natalia]

Winter had been worse than last year. Last year a death hadn't shaken the school. Last year she had problems of her own to lose herself in. But this year, her life was good, and Natalia had realized coming out of her shell, she was coming into a world worse than what she had thought hers was. She'd realized she was selfish, all last year, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't allow herself to get close to those few trying to. She wrinkled her nose, entering the Owlery. What was that? The large windows were covered in the few patches of remaining snow. She felt it again.

Rain. It was warm enough that the snow tracked in by travel-weary Owls was melting, albeit slowly. She looked up. No, it wasn't from the cavernous rafters. She stepped closer to the window to see a light sprinkle dotting the sky. She tilted her face up, the rain cool on her burning skin. Why was she so flustered? It didn't matter. The rain seemed to wash away all of those idle concerns of hers as she grasped the cool stone sill, jutting her face up to the gray sky. Soon, it would be blue and full of life again. Spring was on the way.

The rain seemed to do more than relax. For the first time in a few months, Nat managed a laugh, just to laugh. Not to appear like she was having fun, or prove to Raug she wasn't letting her mind wander on the troubles the world was developing. The laugh felt great. Renewing. She heard footsteps climbing the stairs, and bit back the laugh. She was already quiet enough, she didn't need other claiming she was a nutter. Only a nutter would laugh at nothing. Maybe she was a nutter, but she was a renewed one.

[nixnight]

Nix was very happy with herself and her life for the moment, she had found a way to carry around James without having to hold the baby with one hand and her wand with the other. She smiled as she walked over the ground and she looked out over the forest and saw the flashes of snow still hidden under the trees, she had only a few other weeks before she could go in to the forest and in to the pack and see her old friends again and tell them about James and see if he was allowed to meet them.

She turned her head and looked down to the gift her sister and given her, Maya had bought nix a baby carrie that she could attach to her chest and so carry James against her and then have a wand in one hand and have one fee hand to do as she pleased. It was currently filled with a letter had held an application for a job in a broom shop in diagon alley where nix had been told there was a role and she was hoping to get a job there in a few months when we exams were all over.

She walked up to the owlery and James gurgled as she climbed up the steps and he was bounced softly which made nix smile before she paused at the door way, there were foot tracks in the snow and she could see a shadow inside the little building so she stopped. "anyone in there? You ok?" she asked as she took a slow step forwards and worry ran over her skin as she stepped inside the stone building

[natalia]

Nat turned around to face the girl. She didn't know what was more shocking, the concern this girl had for someone she didn't know or the baby strapped to her chest. An adorably cute baby. She gasped. It was clear by her robes that she was still a student. A student with a baby. Nat felt a load of respect for the nameless girl, who must be balancing her upperclassman status and mother status simultaneously.

"I'm fine," she shook her head, remembering the question. She looked at the baby, obviously favoring his mom. She blinked, hoping her gaping wouldn't be offensive. "What's his name?" She asked, hoping to keep a friendly tone in her voice. She couldn't imagine everyone in the school being so favorable of the idea of students with babies.

[nixnight]

Nix walked inside the owlery and heard a female voice answer her before she spotted the girl, nix smiled at her face as she saw the girl looking over James on her chest but she didn't have the face nix was most used to seeing. Most people looking at James and then rolled their eyes and nix knew what they thought, nix was one of "those" girls and James has more fathers than words he knew to say. Some people did look at him and seemed to think he was a teachers child that nix was caring for but they always seemed shocked when they found out it was nix's.

"he's called James" nix said with a little smile as the girls Eyes looked over James again and he gave a gurgle and then reached out towards the new person and nix chuckled to herself before lifting a hand and stroked his little tuft of red hair, "after I've posted my letter Jamie" she said with a smile in her voice

[natalia]

Nat felt her grin only widen more than she thought possible. Something about small children always made her happy. A sense of renewal, maybe. A baby with a chance to be someone who could make a difference. It was thoughts like that that came on the mild spring time winds floating through the stone tower. She listened to the loving mom talk to the little James. Good for her, Nat thought. Don't let anyone say otherwise. She was obviously a proud mom. Nat often found herself rooting for those who were often also the victims of bullies. Those who managed to keep a smile on their face gave her hope for herself.

"Oh, don't let me keep you," she stepped to the side, allowing the Gryffindor to send the letter clasped in her hand. Nat leaned on the wall as she stroked a tawny owl's soft head. It let out a soft sound of appreciation, weary after a long day's flight. Maybe that was what Nat enjoyed about small children and animals. They weren't as complicated as people, let alone teenagers. No drama. No fuss. No impossible equations of social behavior she was still determined to find.

[nixnight]

Nix smiled as the other girl moved to allow her to pass and she dipped her head in thanks before rushing over to a dark owl she knew well, he was a long eared owl and was totality back aside his bright talons and Amber eyes that watched nix approach him. He certainly seemed grumpy and aggressive which made nix smile as her own cat minx had become more grumpy due to the small James always hugging her and stroking her tail when she was trying to do things.

Nix attacked the letter to the birds foot before he opened his wings and did something seemly out of character for his mean look, he brushed his wings over baby James and then flew up to nixs shoulder and nipped at her ear in a Freindly way before he took off out of the window with a hoot. "that was phantom Jamie, he seems grumpy but that's just because he's a teenage boy" she said to James who's eyes were watching the dark speak disappeared in to the sky

[natalia]

Nat leaned against the cool stone walls, watching the owl she had always gone out of her way to avoid. There were several owls in here who she had never bothered to attempt to befriend, glowering with annoyance down at her from their sleepy perches in the rafters high above. The one who had just practically embraced the small child was one. She lifted an eyebrow, wondering briefly why she had allowed herself to judge. She pushed herself off of the wall, looking down at the adorable ginger baby.

"How old?" She couldn't bit back more questions, which was rare for her. She had once taken a twenty minute path around someone to avoid talking to them.

[nixnight]

Nix smiled as she saw the black disappear and then turned as she heard the other girl speak again and she smiled softly, "about two weeks, he's growing fast and the nurse says it's down to good stimulation which I guess is a good thing" she said with a little chuckle. It has been funny going to ask why James looked about 3 months old when we was only a week and the nurse trying to find out the issue when all James wanted was to play under the beds. Nix laughed at the memory before she looked over at the other girl again before an idea came in to her mind and she walked over towards her before unclipping James chest-carry, she held her son softly against her chest before looking over to the other girl with a smile. "you wanna hold him?" she asked as James gurgled softly, he had defiantly worked out what the word hold meant

[natalia]

Nat was a bit taken aback at the age. She would never of thought him so young. She studied the Gryffindor, wondering if there was something about her that caused her child to age so much. Figuring it would be rude to ask such a thing in the wizarding world, she simply nodded. Before she asked the next question. "You wanna hold him?" Nat raised her eyebrows.

"Is it okay?" She had to laugh as she asked. She adored children, and she had wanted to pinch his round cheeks the moment she had seen him. Of course, she didn't want to risk dropping him. She'd only ever held small animals at the shelter back in Dublin. A smile played across her lips as he expressed understanding.

[nixnight]

Nix chuckled at the comment coming from the other girl and she nodded her head ,"he only really seems to dislike males when he first meets them, he takes a while to like or dislike female so I recon you would be all ok" she said with another smile before she shifted herself so she was holding her son out loosely and offered him to the other girl. James gurgled as he was held out and then he turned his head to look at the girl he was being held out towards and he gurgled again before reaching a hand out in the others girls direction.

A small thought hit her and she paused in her mental thought pattern, she hasn't even known the name of the other girl and she didn't make a point to look for the house of the other girl. But something about her trusted the other person, she didn't mine allowing her to hold her son

[natalia]

Nat paused briefly, but couldn't resist as the small child offered his hand to her. She took him carefully, handling him as if he were an ancient, treasured book. She smiled softly as he gurgled. Even better than the kittens at the shelter. He was almost the spitting image of his mother, giving little clues to the father. She looked up "How in the world has he grown so fast?" She asked, shifting his weigh carefully. She wouldn't have thought he would be so heavy.

"I'm Nat, by the way," she never would have thought she could hold a conversation for so long without knowing the name of the stranger. Even stranger still she hadn't begun to panic or worry with the open Gryffindor. Nat felt normal. Almost.

[nixnight]

nix smiled at the other girls question and she decided to tell her the truth and that which both nix and the nurse suspcted, "well firstly, hes a hell of a fidget. the nurse thinks his moving around a lot has made his bones and muscles grow faster and so hes grown faster but he also is a pureblood baby and i've read before and been told that all magical babies do grow a little quicker than normal ones" she said with a small smile as the other girl took james from her.

"I'm nix, Nix Night, james is another night which is rather lucky as my father and mother died shortly in to my childhood and so our name would have been lost if it wasnt for him" nix said in a almost happy tone, she missed her parent like mad at time with james but it made her so happy to think she could get married and not worry about losing her name and heirtage totslly because her son could keep it and save it

[natalia]

Nat raised her eyebrows in interest. She never would have thought purebloods grew faster. She'd though it had only applied to natural Magical talent. But then again, she'd seen that proved wrong time and time again with the idiot Slytherins in her courses, some appearing to have the magical talent of a squib.

"Wow," she whispered, listening to the story. And she remained so happy through it all. Nat bit her lip, unsure how to respond. She had always figured it couldn't get much worse than what she had experienced, but she had been proved wrong, meeting the mute Grace in the gardens and now. She would rather have abusive parents than none at all. "That's a great name," she smiled at last. "Night," she repeated. It was the best she could offer, not at all good at social situations. She looked down at the little redhead, then to his mom. She smiled slightly as he gurgled in amusement. Many of the Slytherins made her resent purebloods, but neither of them seemed as arrogant or condescending at they were.

[nixnight]

Nix chuckled as the other took her words so well and she smiled to herself ,"it's been fun being a pureblood raised by squibs, no one ever thought I was one because of the way I acted and then it's amazing fun to turn to the stuck up slytherins and being able to annoy them by calling them cousin" she said with a dark chuckle. She loved her blood status and using it over other who assumed she was a muggle-born because of her ways of acting and now James would be another like her and she liked it even more, he would be able to be like her as he grew up. "not all us purebloods are stuck up, cocky morons" she said with a snigger as she looked over to the other girl before she lifted a hand ran it through her hair before messing it up a little more and then resting her hand against her side again

[natalia]

Nat hoped the surprise didn't show too much on her face as she felt her arms begin a gentle rock with the young pureblood. "I see that now," she admitted. She had hoped she hadn't come off far too prejudiced against purebloods. Several girls who didn't go out of their way to destroy her self esteem were purebloods.

"Squibs?" She asked in somewhat of shock. "I thought that was just a word they used as an insult," she hoped it didn't sound too rude. She had heard that they were people of non-magical abilities, even though they were born into it, and it had been an insult thrown to her many times. She had also figured they didn't exist. She bit her lip, hoping she didn't come off as rude to one of the few people as nice as Nix.