Shelter from the storm (open)

[francesca victoria thomas]

Frankie really didn‘t like rain. She didn’t hate it but she didn’t like it either. The only time she did like rain was when she was warm and dry, looking at it from behind a pane of glass. And even then she only liked it a little because the rain was preventing her from going outside. But right now she wasn’t looking out from behind a window. Right now she was glaring out at it from beneath an old oak tree, a shelter she’d been forced to take when a light drizzle suddenly became a heavy downpour.

The Gryffindor had spent the better part of her day in Hogsmeade with a couple of her girl friends. The weather hadn’t been bad then. The sky had been gray but it hadn’t started to rain until they were close to the school. Once they’d reached the school, two of her friends had gone off back to their house whilst Frankie and Alyssa, another Gryffindor, cut across the lawn in search for Alyssa’s boyfriend. And that’s when the torrential rain had hit. Alyssa had squealed and bolted in the opposite direction whilst Frankie had taken the closest shelter she could find. Which left her stuck and alone.

A shiver tickled its way down her spine and Frankie automatically wrapped her arms around herself. Ugh, this could not be happening. Normally she’d make a run for it, she was already wet after all. Except the rain was falling so hard and heavy that it was hard to see anything beyond the old oak tree. All that she could see was a sheet of gray. She’d probably end up running in the wrong direction, further away from the school. Or she’d end up injuring herself somehow. So, for now, she had to stay put.

“Might as well get comfortable..” she mumbled to herself as she backed up to sit down a the base of the tree.

[aspen calliope cooper]

At some point in the future, Aspen knew that she was going to be a Healer. Of all the possible career options that she could take on, that was the one thing that stood out to her as something that she absolutely wanted to do with her life. She was the type of person that liked to help people, it was just a part of her nature, and that was the best way that she could think of to accomplish that. Not to mention, she had something of a personal stake in the matter. Both her father and her younger brother had passed away in a hiking accident which, had she known any semblance of healing magic, wouldn't have been fatal. It was, perhaps, that moment in which she had decided that she didn't want to do anything else with her life. If, somehow, she could manage to help enough people, perhaps it would cancel out the fact that she could do nothing for her own family.

It was for that reason that Aspen found herself out in the greenhouses, finding and taking clippings of various plants that the Hospital Wing would be able to use in their medicines. It was a long and fairly tedious job that also got to be rather disgusting when it came to the plants that liked to throw pus at your hands, which is precisely why the official healers didn't bother to do it themselves. It's also why Aspen did it. She was the type of person that would do anything, for anyone, at any time, no matter how inconvenient it was for her. She was the kind of girl that would drop everything just to lend a hand, even if it was someone that she didn't know, or someone that had been consistently mean to her over the years. She was, perhaps, one of the few genuinely good people, in that she expected nothing in return.

As she finished off with the last of the plants, tucking the clippings into the small satchel at her side, Aspen looked down at her work with a satisfied grin. Sure, her hands were covered in an odd green pus and she had scrapes on her arm from the more vicious of the plants, but she had done a good job and these things would help a number of people. All in all, it was a successful day for the young woman. Most people were probably out having a good time with friends for the weekend and going out on the town, but there was Aspen, doing extra duties to help the school. It didn't bother her much, that she spent more time on other people than herself and you would never hear her complain about it, even on the darkest of days.

Which, as she looked out the window, it was starting to shape up to be. Not wanting to get stuck there in the greenhouses, Aspen made a beeline for the door and quickly started to make her way back to the castle. She was, however, too late for that. By the time she was a few feet out into the middle of the lawns, the rain started to pour down on her mercilessly. She wouldn't have had a problem with it on most occasions, but she was afraid that if she stayed out in the rain for too long, the plants that she had so carefully collected might get hurt and that was the last thing that she wanted. Quickly darting around a few fleeing students, Aspen tumbled into one of the trees to take cover and wait out the storm.

She hadn't really expected anyone else to be there and therefore was quite surprised when she looked down to see none other than Frankie Thomas sitting there under the branches. "Hey, Frankie! Whatcha doin' out here in the rain?" she asked, her typical cheerful grin plastered on her face, despite the fact that she was sopping wet and had rain dripping down her face. Aspen was a hard person to get down and a little bit of rain was hardly enough to deter her spirits. She hugged her satchel up close to keep it hidden from the storm, backing back out into the rain when she realized that Frankie was there. "Mind if I share the tree?" she asked, looking back in over at Frankie. Aspen was, perhaps, too nice for her own good a lot of the time and something so simple as barging in on the tree without making sure that she was welcome was something that she avoided. Even if it meant standing out in the rain for a bit longer, and even if Frankie was one of her best friends,she wouldn't fail to be at her utmost best.

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[francesca victoria thomas]

Ok, being stuck beneath a tree in a torrential downpour was kind of rubbish. Not only was Frankie wet and shivering (because the rain had managed to get her before she'd reached this shelter,) but she was also all alone. Which was a problem because usually, with torrential downpours came thunder and lightning, two elements Frankie was terrified of. The last place she wanted to be if any lightning were to strike is out in the middle of the rain, alone.

"Rain, rain go away..." she sang the childrens rhyme under her breath but of course it had no effect. If only it were that simple. "..come again another day." Another day when she was dry and warm and safe from the thunder and lightning.

Frankie hadn't been paying too much attention when she was joined under the tree, so when Aspen spoke it took her completely by surprise, causing her to jump and curse under breath. "Merlin, Aspen! You scared me..." shaking her head, the Gryffindor looked up at the Hufflepuff and smiled. Frankie was definitely glad that Aspen had turned up. Out of all the people who might have stumbled under the tree for shelter, Frankie was glad it was her BFF.

"Of course I don't mind." She frowned disapprovingly at Aspen. Frankie had told Aspen many times before to stop asking for her permission to do things, they were friends after all. Frankie was sure Aspen would have wandered off to find another tree if she'd said that she couldn't join her.

"Sit your cute butt down," Frankie half grinned and patted the ground next to her.

[aspen calliope cooper]

When Frankie jumped back in surprise, a worried expression took over Aspen's face. She was the type of person that doted on other people more than was necessary and tended to assume that she had done something wrong even when, in all reality, she hadn't done a damn thing to feel bad about. However, it was just a part of her nature to always be concerned about other people over herself and that was just how it was with her. "Aw, oh my goodness, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to, I was just trying to get out of the rain see, I have the plants I harvested for the Hospital Wing and I didn't want them to get ruined and stuff and I'm sorry," she rambled on, apologizing profusely, as per usual. Aspen was most definitely far too nice for her own good.

Though Frankie said that she didn't mind, the frown on her face made Aspen hesitate slightly when moving back under the tree. However, she felt that at present, it was probably best for her to stop standing in the rain, as it was risking the plants that she had in her satchel. The thought that it could be bad for her own personal self didn't even slightly occur to her, as she quite honestly didn't think that she was important enough to worry over. It wasn't that she didn't care about herself, it was just that she tended to put everyone and everything else before herself. She'd pretty much always been the same, selfless and giving person that she was today and odds were that she wouldn't ever change from that. At least, she certainly hoped that she didn't.

Waiting a few more moments out in the rain for some sign that Frankie was okay with it, Aspen gave her a gracious smile when she told her to sit down. Aspen hopped back under the cover of the branches and settled down on the ground next to Frankie. "Thanks, mate," she said, appreciatively as she snuggled up next to the back of the tree. As much as Aspen generally loved everything, she couldn't say that she was particularly fond of being doused with rainwater. Of course, she probably would never voice her displeasure, as that just wasn't something that Aspen seemed to be capable of doing. She was the kind of girl that would sit there and silently suffer through all levels of unpleasantness, simply because she didn't want to offend anyone by saying something negative.

Shifting slightly, Aspen adjusted herself so that she was sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head back against the tree. "It's a nice day, than, huh?" Aspen commented, a bit of a playful grin on her face. Even if she wasn't going to say anything less than positive about the weather, that didn't mean she wasn't apt to come out with a slightly sarcastic comment now and then. Of course, this was usually only reserved for those times when she was around people that she knew wouldn't mind it and probably even encouraged it. Frankie was most definitely one of those people. Though the two girls were a lot alike, there were things about them that set them apart completely, making them quite the pair of friends.

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[francesca victoria thomas]

Frankie offered Aspen another smile when she took a seat at the base of the tree. Of all the people that could have stumbled their way over here, Frankie was glad it was Aspen. Her best friend was like a glowing ball of warm sunshine, comforting and peaceful. It made being stuck out here in the cold, with the threat of lightning and thunder in the air, much more bearable. When Aspen made a sarcastic comment about the weather Frankie couldn't help but grin. She loved it when Aspen loosened up and said things she normally wouldn't, it was refreshing.

"Yeah, it's brilliant. Definitely sunbathing weather." Frankie replied, just as sarcastic, and turned her dark brown eyes to glare up at the sky. She quickly turned her head when something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. Was that a flash of lightning or was she just seeing things? The brunette quickly drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. 'Okay, okay... it's nothing..' She just needed a distraction, something to shake the worry and anxiety that was slowly creeping up her spine. The last thing she wanted was to freak out in front of Aspen. Sure they were close friends but Frankie really did not want to worry the other girl. It wasn't like there was anything that could be done if it were to thunder anyway. Frankie just had to cross her fingers and pray to merlin that it wouldn't.

Chewing on her lower lip, a bad habit that reared it's head whenever Frankie found herself feeling uncomfortable or nervous, Frankie shifted so that she was facing Aspen.“Uh.. Been wrestling with the plants in the greenhouses again?” she turned her full attention towards her friend and indicated at the scrapes that were running up and down Aspens arms.

[aspen calliope cooper]

Despite the fact that the weather was less than desirable in general, Aspen couldn't help but find herself enjoying it. Sure, it was slightly rainy and there was the potential of loud thunder and such, but she was with her best friend and she had a bag full of medicinal plants to show for her days work. All in all, it wasn't so bad. That was how Aspen saw just about everything, all the time. No matter what the situation, there was bound to be something good about it to make it better and she much preferred to see that part of the situation than the bad part. Aspen was more optimistic than the average person, which gave her an indefatigably bright and cheery outlook on life and everything in it. Some people found it annoying, but sometimes it was just what people needed when there were storms about.

Looking over to Frankie with a grin, Aspen nodded a bit in response and chuckled. "Yeah, you know. I should probably have remembered my swim suit. Too bad. Would have been a great day for some swimming in the lake, eh?" Aspen replied with a light grin. Aspen probably would have been the sort of girl to go out dancing around in the rain and swimming in the lake, though the lightening and thunder were a bit of a deal breaker there. Even if she was a big fun lover, she wasn't stupid. Though, certainly quite a few people would beg to differ. Her personality was so overwhelmingly cheerful and hopeful that people often mistook it for stupidity. Sure, she could be a bit slow when it came to a lot of things, but she wasn't stupid by any means.

Aspen tilted her head for a moment when Frankie asked about the plants in the greenhouses, not sure how she had known. That is, until she looked down at her own arms. "Ooh, aha. Yeah, I guess you could say that. The Hospital Wing was out, so I volunteered," Aspen nodded, smiling sheepishly. Taking out her wand from her robes, Aspen quickly set about healing her cuts. Since her second year, she has been completely in love with the idea of becoming a healer, so her skills when it came to simple healing spells were passable enough to clear up most of the cuts. "There, good as new!" Aspen said with a pleased grin. The fact that her talents were progressing as well as they were definitely was a point of pride, though of course she would never showboat about it at all and tended to keep that to herself.

Leaning back into the tree, Aspen looked out over at the lake with a rather unsure gaze. The storm definitely didn't appear to be getting any better and the lightening was starting to crackle around them. "Bit of a crazy storm there, isn't it?" she asked, looking over at Frankie with a slightly worried expression. While Aspen was generally at peace with storms, she could tell that Frankie was starting to get a bit anxious about it. Certainly, they weren't exactly in the best of locations to wait out the storm, what with the thunder and lighting that was starting to fire up around them. "Hasn't been this bad in awhile.." she mumbled, trailing off a bit in thought. She wasn't sure if there was really anywhere else that they could run to quick before it got any worse, but even if that were the case, she was more apt to follow along with whatever Frankie wanted rather than taking the lead.

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[francesca victoria thomas]

Frankie had to admit that Aspen would make a damn good healer. The girl had a talent for it and it was evident when she cast a healing spell to rid her arms of the small scratches she'd gotten earlier. Plus, not only did she have the magical talent but Aspen was a genuine, down to earth, good person at heart and Frankie didn't think there was anyone better suited for the job of a healer. Too bad Aspen's pure heart couldn't chase away the evil storm.

Frankie gnawed on her lower lip, a habit that reared it's head whenever she felt nervous and or uncomfortable. At the moment she was feeling both, topped with a nice dose of anxiety. Her anxiety spiked and her breathing quickened when the sky rumbled, deep and powerful. Frankie shot to her feet, almost toppling over in the process and moved away from the tree. "I can't stay here, I can't." she rambled on and began to pace up and down. What had she been thinking taking shelter under a tree in a thunder storm anyway? If lightning were to strike, and Frankie was positive it would, then being sat up against a tree was not a bright idea. Eesh, sometimes she wondered where her brain wandered off to. Then again all she'd been thinking about when she'd headed towards the tree was finding some shelter to keep dry.

Frankie had to get inside whilst she still could, before she became immobilized with fear. It had happened in the past, when she'd been home and her father had to come looking for her because she'd been stuck at a park. She hated that her stupid fear still had such a strong hold over her, but it did and it was like no matter what she did, she couldn't get rid of it. "I'm gonna run" She stated finally, her frantic pace slowing to a stop before Aspen. Bending over, Frankie began to unbuckle her shoes, because if she attempted to run in her heeled boots she'd no doubt fall over and crack her head open. Pulling off one boot, Frankie started working on the other. Her fingers fumbled over the buckle and she cursed under her breath once or twice in her rush. "Are you coming with?" pulling off her other boot, Frankie was now left in her cotton socks, which was fine. Getting muddy was well worth it if it meant she could get inside.

[aspen calliope cooper]

The nervousness that Aspen was sensing from Frankie certainly made her worry a bit, not so much for her own safety, but for her friend. Clearly, the storm wasn't something Frankie was comfortable with and Aspen certainly couldn't blame her for that. It was coming in stronger by the second and the darkness had fallen upon the campus, with the only light coming from the lightening cackling through the sky. It wasn't at all weather that Aspen would ever have chosen to be out in, but she wasn't nearly as effected by it as Frankie was. Shifting a bit uncomfortably, Aspen looked over at Frankie with eyes full of concern. The last thing that she wanted was for Frankie to start freaking out and getting extremely scared, since Aspen wasn't sure just how much help she would be in the situation. She was, admittedly, a person you'd want to have around in a crisis, since she kept quite the level head- a surprising fact, considering her general personality.

Getting up slowly from where she was sitting, Aspen bit her lip a bit, trying to think of something to do. "Yeah, no worries, we can go. It'll be fine," Aspen promised, nodding her head as cheerfully as she could. She doubted that any comforting comments she could give Frankie at the moment would be of much help, but that wouldn't stop her from trying. "We could make a run for the greenhouses if you want. They're closer and I've got the key to get in," Aspen offered, hoping that this would help at least a little. The less they had to run out in the open, the better it would probably be for the both of them. Watching as Frankie took off her shoes, Aspen had to resist the urge to bend down and do it for her. Her own shoes were a pair of old trainers, so she didn't care if they got a bit muddied up from the run. Besides, they were already a mess from the garden earlier.

As another bolt of lightening struck, causing a loud crack of thunder to peal out over the grounds, Aspen quickly looked over to the greenhouses and decided that it would be beneficial for both of them to get there as soon as possible. Of course, she still hesitated to being at all forceful, but it was for a good cause. Biting her lip, Aspen grabbed on to Frankie's hand and started tugging her over to the greenhouses. "Come on, it'll be safe in there. There's an office there that we can hang out in," Aspen said as the two started to take off. The instant that they moved out from under the cover of the tree, the torrential downpour of rain started to pelt at their bodies, thoroughly soaking them to the core. Aspen felt terrible about it, worried that the package of medicines would be ruined, but at the same time she didn't want to leave Frankie out on her own in the storm. She'd just have to get Frankie to the office and then go back out to redo her gathering afterwards or something.

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[francesca victoria thomas]

Frankie fidgeted on the spot, her eyes darting from Aspen to the sky and back again. The relief she felt when Aspen agreed to go along with her was great but was quickly swamped with the anxiety and fear eating away at her insides. Frankie was getting to the point where if she didn't leave now she wasn't going to move at all. Luckily Aspen didn't want to stick around either and Frankie was only too happy to go along with the blond when she grabbed her wrist and made a run for it. The rain was merciless and for a brief second Frankie wondered where they were heading. She was sure Aspen had mentioned something about the green houses but Frankie's mind had been too preoccupied with her growing fear to have really paid any attention.

Squeezing Aspens hand hard, Frankie didn't spare a glance when she felt a boot slip from her other hand. Stopping was not an option and when the sky lit up with lightning again, Frankie pumped her legs harder. It didn't take long to reach the Green houses, which Frankie was immensely glad for. Skidding to halt as they approached the Green houses, Frankie stumbled and slipped her way across the mud and over to the door, almost falling onto her bum in the process. "Aspen.." she practically whined when she realized that the door was locked. Why the hell didn't she have her wand with her? Tears began to well in her eyes and were washed away with the rain as they rolled down her cheeks. Frankie knew that being so terrified of lightning was irrational but she really could not help it. Sometimes she wondered if she'd ever get over it but very much doubted it.

[aspen calliope cooper]

As they ran over towards the greenhouses, Aspen couldn't help but feel awful for Frankie and her fear of the storms. The lightening was cackling around them and getting worse as they neared the greenhouses. Feeling her hand tighten around her own, Aspen squeezed back slightly to show that she was there for Frankie. Reaching the door, she looked over at Frankie as she cried, a sympathetic look on her face. Reaching into the pocket of her robes, Aspen dragged out the key to the greenhouses, fumbling slightly as she attempted to unlock the door. By now, she was soaked to the point where she was shivering, making it much more difficult to get the key into the lock. However, a few seconds later the door was swinging open and they were both tumbling into the safety of the greenhouse.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she ushered Frankie into the room and closed the door behind them, locking it once more. "Are you okay?" Aspen asked her, biting her lip a bit in worry. Brushing her robe off, Aspen slipped out of the soaking wet mass and set it down on one of the tables, being careful not to disturb any of the greenery. Slipping her wand out of the pocket of her shorts, Aspen turned back to her robe and cast a spell to dry it off. Looking back over at Frankie, Aspen held up her wand to show that she was going to do the same to her friend. Flicking her wand, she watched as Frankie's robes dried themselves off, warming the room up slightly in the process. With a satisfied nod, Aspen put her wand back into her pocket and slipped back into her now warmed robes.

Now that they were relatively safe and much drier than that had been previously, Aspen had a bright smile on her face. "Well, that should be good than," she nodded, pulling her pack of medicinal plants from her pocket. They definitely weren't in the best condition, but perhaps some of them would be salvageable. "Would you be okay here for a bit if I went to the other greenhouse to get more of these?" Aspen asked. She didn't really want to leave Frankie there on her own in the midst of a storm, but she did need to gather more of the leaves for the Hospital Wing. What with all the weather going on, there was definitely a good chance of more injuries coming in, so they'd need the extra resources if she could get them.

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[francesca victoria thomas]

Whilst unlocking the green house door had only taken seconds, it felt like minutes to Frankie. She fidgeted on the spot and was quick to tumble in with Aspen the moment the door clicked open. Nothing could describe the huge sense of relief that washed over Frankie the second she'd entered the green houses. Her fear wasn't settled, not by far, but she felt so much better being inside, sheltered and protected. Allowing Aspen to usher her deeper into the greenhouses, Frankie dragged her feet along the floor, leaving smears of muddy footprints in her wake. "I'm okay.." Frankie replied, though it was more of a reassuring statement for herself than anything else.

Following Aspens lead, Frankie peeled her robes off, though her clothes were still wet beneath, and held it in her hands for Aspen to dry when the other girl held up her wand. "Thanks.." Frankie offered her friend the best smile she could muster and hugged the now warm material that was her robe against her chest. Her eyes glanced around the area, taking in her surroundings. When the thunder rumbled and lightning struck, Frankie flinched but didn't feel the same suffocating fear that had been consuming her when she'd been outside. Being in the greenhouses was a much better improvement. Still, Frankie wished she had her music to drown out the sound of the thunder.

Jumping when Aspen spoke, Frankie nodded her head, still a little lost in her own world. "Sure, sure.. go ahead." she smiled and after looking around for a moment, found a spot on the floor to sit. Her nerves were still on end, sitting down and closing her eyes was what she needed to try to calm herself down. Once comfortable, well, as comfortable as you could get on a stone floor, Frankie looked up at Aspen. "Thankyou, Aspen" Her voice, though still a little shaky, was full of genuine sincerity and gratitude. "You're the best." she smiled and then moved her cloak so that it covered her like a small blanket. Who knew how long the storm would last, better to get comfortable and keep warm whilst they waited it out.

[aspen calliope cooper]

Even though Frankie was telling her that she was okay, Aspen wasn't sure just how much she actually believed her on that. However, she wasn't one to protest anything that a friend told her and so she accepted it without question. Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't still dote on Frankie a bit and make sure that she was perfectly fine before she ran off to do anything else. "Crazy day out there, huh? I sure wasn't expecting it to storm that bad," Aspen commented as they walked in a bit further. She wasn't sure how long the storm would last or how crazy it would get, so she figured that attempting to make some sort of conversation might help soothe things over and keep everything relatively calm. At least, that was what she was hoping for anyways.

She smiled over at Frankie when she thanked her and nodded a bit in response. "Yeah, no problem," she said, looking over at her with a worried expression. It was quite obvious that Frankie was still on edge and Aspen definitely wasn't about to leave her there like that. She could take care of the other stuff later, right now she needed to make sure that she was helping take care of Frankie. Hopping down onto the floor next to Frankie, Aspen offered her a grin as she settled down on the rather uncomfortable floor. It wasn't exactly the best situation, but it was the best that they could do for the time being. "Hey, you know. Maybe I should stick around for a bit, just in case. The weather is pretty bad soo," Aspen said with a smile. Mostly, it was to make sure Frankie was okay, but of course the whether played into it a bit.

Leaning forward slightly, Aspen wrapped her arms around her knees. "So, how've you been? I feel like we never talk anymore," Aspen asked, hoping conversation would help distract Frankie from the intensity of the weather going on around them. Pulling her wand back out, Aspen flicked it once, whispering a spell that would help muffle the sounds of the storm and make the room a lot more quiet. It wasn't her area of expertise when it came to magic, so it only helped deaden the sounds slightly, but it was her best effort to help make things better for Frankie. Satisfied that this was a good enough start to fixing the situation, Aspen pocketed her wand once more with a satisfied look on her face. It was already starting to feel more cozy in the little greenhouse. Sort of.

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