Snowy Days {Ferret}

[ash]

Ash headed outside to spend some time tromping through the snow that had fallen the night before. It wasn't overly deep, but it was deep enough to have blanketed everything with white. The lake had frozen too, which he had every intention of making the most of.

He would be heading home for the holidays in just a few days time and he wanted to make the most of what little time he had left at school to just enjoy the peaceful freedom of parent-free life. He loved his parents no doubts, but going back to their rules after the freedom of school took its toll sometimes.

It looked like it was going to snow again as Ash headed down to the lake side. Sinking down onto the snow he flopped back, feeling the coldness hit the back on his neck where even his coat wouldn't cover. His hat did little to keep the cold off his head either but he didn't move, just lay there, looking up at the cloudy sky. He had no idea why he felt so reminiscent all of a sudden...

[talls]

Ferret sighed as she walked out towards the lake, extremely discontent. She had planned on going home for the holidays then head to America to visit Emric to receive an owl that morning telling her things had changed. She was to stay at school.

The fifth year cursed softly as she approached the lake. She was happy to see that the ice looked thick enough to skate on. Toeing off her boots, she quickly put on the muggle ice skates. Snow was cold but she was pissed; she had no reason not to be sick.

But as she got onto the ice, she felt like her troubles faded into the ice. Gliding on the surface, she let out a content sigh as she moved across the ice. She wasn't very good and stumbled a few times, but she was good enough not to fall. She laughed and smiled, even as she stumbled. If the lake was going to be frozen for the entire holiday, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

[ash]

A noise caught his attention and drew his gaze down from the clouds, and back to the lake. Sometime in the past few minutes someone had come down to the lake to ice skate and their clumsy stumbles made enough noise to make him notice them.

A girl, that was clear, but it took a few seconds for his brain to finally click in enough to realize that it was, in fact, Ferret skating around out there. If Ash had had skates he probably would have been tempted to join her, but he didn't, so he'd need to find something else fun to do. And he wasn't known as a prankster for nothing.

Slipping his wand out he faced it towards a pile of snow not far from him and waited until Ferret had her back to him. Then, while she wasn't looking, he levitated the rather large pile of snow up and quickly over to where she was, before dumping it neatly over her head. He waited to hear the scream, biting down on his lip so that he didn't burst out laughing and give his position away. He was still fairly well hidden right now.

[talls]

Ferret found herself actually getting the hang of skating thing now, stumbling less. That is, until she felt a pile of cold drop onto her head. She let out a sound of surpise that sounds like "EEE!" before falling backwards on her ass. Her head hit the ice and swearing came fluently from her mouth.

Groaning, she turned and looked behind her, clutching her head with her eyes watering. There she noticed Ash. Damn him.

"Ash you-" some not so nice words. "Did you do that?! You made me fall! That hurt!" She sat up, groaning out "ows" clutching her head. She checked a hand to make sure there was no damage. There was no blood it seemed but damn, her head hurt and her vision kept going in and out of focus. She was sooo going to get him back for this.

[ash]

Ash heard the squeal the second he let the snow drop and he tried not to laugh as he hid in the snow. What he wasn't planning on, however, was her falling hard on the ice and slamming her head down. It was impossible to miss the string of expletives that left her mouth on contact with the cold ice.

His head shot up from she snow as he looked over to see if she was okay. Ferret noticed him there but he was more concerned over whether she was alright after that fall than keeping from sight after his prank.

Ah... Ash winced. She definitely was creative with some of the curses flying out of her mouth... Though some of them he definitely needed to remember for the next time he needed to use some himself.

He pushed himself to his feet at the same time as she was speaking, and made his way cautiously onto the ice. His shoes didn't have the best grips but at least they didn't let him fall.

He reached her in time to see her pull her hand away from her head and look at it. He stopped in front of her. "Don't worry. The only puddle you're lying in is one of melted water." The lakes' surface was frozen, sure, but there was still layers of water in places where the ice wasn't completely even.

Holding out both hands towards her he sent her a smile and motioned that he'd help pull her to her feet. Ferret was a tough nut - a little bump like that wasn't going to keep her down for long.

[talls]

Ferret groaned and felt Ash's hand in her hair, checking for blood like she did. She was revealed when he found none either. Looking at his hands, she took them, a soft smile crossing her lips. It was impossible for her to stay mad at Ash. As much as she wanted to, it was impossible.

She moved across the lake with Ash, before falling into the snow.

"You know that I am going to get you back for that right? I don't know when, and I don't know how, but I will get you back...when I stop seeing double." She rubbed the back of his head again, letting out a soft curse again.

"Damn that hurts..."

[ash]

Ash pulled Ferret to her feet and didn't release her hands straight away, making sure she was steady and balanced on her feet first. That fall had looked quite hard. The last thing she needed was to fall again because she was still dizzy from the last fall.

When he was convinced she wasn't going to fall he let go of one hand and started making his way back to the edge of the lake again, taking small steps to make sure that he didn't slip over and add a bump to the back of his own head to match the one she was bound to have on hers.

Upon reaching the side, Ferret flopped straight down the snow while Ash just stood over her, an amused look on his face.

"The whole 'revenge is sweet' thing? I'm a class-A prankster. You don't want to start that war with me. Believe me." Ash had more than a few tricks up his sleeve these days.

Ferret cursed again and muttered about how her head hurt, to which Ash laughed and rolled his eyes, dropping into the snow next to her and grinning, bumping his shoulder against hers. "Oh stop complaining - you're too much of a tough cookie to let that bother you."

[talls]

Ferret snorted and shook her head. "I remember Ash, and I have helped you with said pranks before, if you remember right. I can totally get you back."

When the boy laughed at her, she punched him in the shoulder. Playfully. "Don't laugh at me I could have been seriously hurt! Or fell through the ice!" she exclaimed, but she smiled all the same.

"Even tough cookies can get soggy when dipped in milk."

Smiling more, Ferret leaned her head on his shoulder. She liked feeling close to him, it was comforting.

"So what are your plans for the holidays oh great prankster?" she asked, smirking up at him.

[ash]

Ash flopped down into the snow beside her as she spoke and he grinned. "You may have helped a time or two, and while you learned from the best-" He winked at her. "You can never beat the master at his own game. I know how you work."

When Ferret shoved his shoulder he only laughed more and shoved her back. "You'd have to have a tougher noggin that yours to crack that ice. Besides, your butt would have kept you afloat." Again he grinned and winked at her. They always took digs at each other and it was all in good nature.

"Even tough cookies can get soggy when dipped in milk."

Ash just laughed and shook his head, a look of amusement crossing his face as, once again, she came out with some really weird and random comment. "You're cookie alright." He muttered. When he'd been younger his parents had always called them 'cookie' after they did or said anything completely crazy, thought it was only when Ash got a little older that he actually twigged on that his parents were calling him a little loopy and insane, and more than a little crazy. Still, the word had stuck.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Ash rested his head against Ferret's and simply stared out over the lake for a minute. Snow was just starting fall again and was dancing in white circles to the ground, and it was quite a mesmerizing sight.

He didn't miss the smirk on her face at her question, and merely raised an eyebrow in return. "Going home with a case full of... 'fun' presents for everyone." He grinned quite manically. Oh yes, he was going to have a lot of fun on Christmas this year... A lot of fun.

"Looking forward to America?" Ash asked her, remembering her mentioning a few times about going to see her brother. "And all the Yankee gals and greasy macaroni and stuff?"

[talls]

Ferret frowned then and turned her gaze back to over the lake, feeling a bit sick now.

"I'm not going to America," she told him. "Or home at all for that matter. Got an owl this morning telling me so." She sighed. "So, I will be here, being bored." She felt her depression settling in again and tried her best to keep herself in her current shape, the last thing she needed was to change in front of everyone just before the holidays.

And to her, Ash was everyone.

He had been her friend for so long. And yet, she had not told him her biggest secrets, what kind of friend was she?

She sighed. "I feel so...wrong right now," she muttered. "Like I don't belong in my own skin."

[ash]

Ash frowned. ”Why would they change the plans now? Christmas hols start in just a few days…” That really sucked for her, and he could see just how much it do so on her face. He knew how much her brother meant to her and how much she’d been looking forward to going to see him again. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in to his side. ”Want me to keep you amused from afar?”

Already, an idea was forming in his mind of a little something that he could do before he left. Treasure trail anyone? And he’d send her the envelope once he was on the train home for her to follow… maybe one that would take her a while to be able to follow… Hmm…

When Ferret spoke again Ash frowned…again. ”How’s that? He didn’t like seeing her so down and unhappy. He was so used to seeing her as someone bright and bubbly. He wanted to see that side of her back at least for a little while before he had to leave for the holidays, no matter what he had to do to get it out of her.

[talls]

"Because my family's goal is to make my life miserable these days," Ferret muttered sinking into her coat. But she smiled as Ash wrapped his arm around her.

"Nah, stay here. Its easier to keep on eye on you here." She nudged him gently with her elbow.

Ferret frowned, unsure how to explain this to her best friend. Looking around, she checked to see if anyone was around. Not seeing anyone else, Ferret took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"I can change my appearance at will," she explained, talking quickly. She hoped he understood her, she didn't know if she could say it again.

[ash]

"With a choice between Hogwarts curfew and my parents strict ruling, maybe staying here would be more fun. But. If I back out now my parents are likely to come here and drag me home by my ears."

He sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He didn't want to go knowing that she'd be here and alone and upset for most of the holiday, but he didn't really have a choice. He'd just have to think of something to do from a distance.

"I can change my appearance at will,"

He looked at Ferret and frowned.

"What like... transfiguration?" What other way was there? This didn't make sense. Every time he'd seen her Ferret had always just been... well... Ferret. "How hard did you bump your head?" He grinned.

[talls]

Ferret giggled and leaned into the boy more. This was way he was one of her best friends. He always made her laugh, even when she didn't feel like it. Merlin, he was probably the few reasons she didn't go crazy in this school.

"No...not with transfiguration..." She took a long deep breath. Her lips tightened and she glared at Ash. "This is no joke! I can chance my appearance without the use of external magic! And it is driving me insane!"

He probably didn't believe her, but he deserved to know the truth about her.

[ash]

Ash raised his hands in a sign of surrender. ”Okay, okay. No jokes…” He looked at Ferret and sighed. She’d been his best friend for years now. He thought he knew her so… what could she be telling him now that he didn’t know before now? Was there a secret she’d kept from him all of these years? He didn’t know what to make of it if that was the case. More than that though, he was stuggling to understand what she could possibly be talking about. Change her appearance at will without the use of magic…

Ash struggled to get his brain around the idea of it being possible and he couldn’t think of anything that he knew of that would explain it. ”How? How can you do that? You’ve always just been… well… Ferret, to me.” He shrugged, not sure how to say what he wanted to say. She said she could change her appearance at will but over all the years she’d always just been her, no… other appearances or something. ”Is this something that’s just happened?” Maybe that would explain it…