The Morning of the Rain (open)

[Kellie Whitmore]

It was a cold, rainy Saturday morning at Hogwarts, the kind of day most students hated and dreaded. Only a few weeks into the term and it was already cold and miserable, and they were stuck inside on a Saturday. Many students hadn't even bothered to get out of bed. Those that had went off to the library to begin studying. So at the moment, Kellie was alone in the common room, sitting in front of the window with a book in her lap.

She honestly loved days like this. It was the perfect weather to curl up with a good book and just get lost in its pages. She was close to the fire, but also close to the window, so that she could hear the tiny patter of raindrops against the glass. She was warm, but could see the cold dampness outside if she cared to look up. But as always, she was far more interested in her book. Today she was re-reading Jane Eyre, one of her favorites. She had lost count of the number of times she'd read it, which was how it should be for a good book. It was the gift she could open over and over and always feel the same delight, the same magic, the same wonder.

She was just reading the part where Jane's best friend, Helen, died of consumption, and the tears were starting to build in Kellie's bright blue eyes. But at that moment, a gust of wind blew against the window pane, creating a harsh whistling sound that startled her from her book-induced haze, causing her to drop the book.

She must have been more startled than she realized, because the book flew several feet away, to the bank of chairs next to the fire, and landed at the feet of the person sitting there.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she replied with a sheepish grin, wiping at the tears in her eyes. She stood up to retrieve her book. "I didn't drop it on your foot, did I?"

[Arabelle Rawlings]

Arabelle could not be happier to wake up and find that it was raining outside. Yes, that might make her a bit strange but she loved the rain on a Saturday. No class and nowhere to be but lost in her books. The rain was always a good reason to stay inside and read without too many people thinking she was strange. It was the same book she had read countless times this summer but it always managed to comfort her. She grabbed her copy of The Princess Bride and slipped on her slippers heading down to the common room.

Everyone was mostly out and about in the castle but she did notice the girl sitting by the window with a book of her own. Now, she has the right idea she thought to herself as she walked quietly to the fire and sunk deep into the chair closest to the fire. Taking a breath of the fire she sighed and opened her book. It was easy for her to get completely lost in a story. In fact that happened quite often. She was so wrapped into her story she had completely forgotten there was anyone else in the common room until a book came crashing down on her foot.

She jumped slightly when she felt it hit her foot causing her to drop her own book. She bent over to pick up the girls book and her own. She smiled at her as she sat up holding their books in her hand. “It’s alright really. If anyone knows about being clumsy it’s me.” When she went to hand her the book back she glanced at the cover and then back at her “Jane Eyre? I haven’t read it. Is it any good?”

[Kellie Whitmore]

Kellie smiled warmly at the other girl, feeling an immediate kinship with her. Clearly, they both loved reading and rainy days, and weren't quite so obsessed with studying, like most of their fellow Ravenclaws.

She accepted the book from the other girl's hand, and of course, couldn't help but notice the title of the book the girl had been reading. The Princess Bride... it actually didn't sound familiar! This intrigued Kellie instantly, because discovering a new book for Kellie was like uncovering a hidden treasure.

"It's one of my very favorite books ever," she admitted happily. "It's sad sometimes, and suspenseful, but so romantic. I've read it at least a dozen times, I'm sure. But tell me about your book. I've never heard of The Princess Bride... It sounds wonderful."

[Arabelle Rawlings]

Arabelle liked how this girl talked about books. It reminded her of herself a lot. She glanced down at the book her hand and then back up at the girl with a grin. She loved any excuse at the moment to talk about The Princess Bride. Since she discovered it this past summer it had become her new favorite. She sat up a bit taller as she spoke “Well, It’s wonderful. It’s got a bit of adventure and romance. I have read it more times than I can count by now. I can let you borrow it if you want to read it some time.” She loved to pass on a good book to someone she knew would love it as much as she did.

It was good to finally meet someone who didn't think she was strange for wanting to spend her free time reading and studying. Yes, most in her house did like to study but she still managed to stand out around them. She then realized she did not even know who she was talking to. She smiled at her “My name is Arabelle. You can call me Belle if you like. Or mum calls me Arie sometimes. She says it’s because I am a bit flighty. “ She stops and looks at the expression on her face. “Sorry I tend to ramble a bit…”

[Kellie Whitmore]

Despite being a self-avowed bookworm, Kellie was not shy when it came to talking to other people. Maybe it came from so much reading, but Kellie knew how to talk to all different kinds of people and got along with almost everyone... except her sisters.

"We should exchange books sometime!" she said excitedly. "Although, of course, we should finish reading them ourselves first."

Kellie definitely understood what it was like to stand out among the rest of her family. With three blonde-haired sisters who cared more about their looks than books, Kellie was the mutant redhead who loved reading and studying. No matter what her mother said, Kellie was convinced she'd been adopted.

"It's nice to meet you. Arie... I like that. It's cute. I'm Kellie."

[Arabelle Rawlings]

Arabelle did not find talking to others as easy as most did. She was a bit shy but between that, her clumsiness, and her head always in the clouds it was hard for her to keep friends on a long term basis. Most people got annoyed with her nose constantly shoved in a book. Arabelle liked that Kellie loved reading as much as she did. It was refreshing to meet someone that didn't completely go running when she started to ramble on about non sense.

She sat up on her knees tucking her legs under her. “Thanks. Nice to meet you too Kellie.” She looked down at her book and then back at her “You can borrow it now if you want. I have read it only about a thousand times or so” She grinned at her.

“It’s nice to see know I am not the only who likes read on a Saturday morning. I was beginning to think I really am weird….”

[Kellie Whitmore]

"There is nothing weird about wanting to read a good book on a rainy Saturday. Or a sunny Saturday, for that matter. Or any day, really. Reading gives you a chance to experience things you might never get to experience... they can take you back in time, or into the future, or to different lands. And as Jane Austen said, 'The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.' Don't you agree?"

Kellie was rather used to being told that she was "weird" by her sisters, who didn't understand her love of books. But then, she rather thought they were weird because they didn't really seem interested in anything but clothes, makeup, and boys. How boring was that?

[Arabelle Rawlings]

Finally! Someone else that shared her same feelings. She could read every second of every day but her mother won’t let that happen. It’s not that she didn't get along with her they just shared very different views on pretty much everything. She grinned as she listened to Kellie reciting Jane Austen and she nodded in agreement. “Sadly, I think we are the minority on that opinion though”

Arabelle had only met a few people at Hogwarts that she really enjoyed talking to and Kellie was definitely on the list. She put her book down on the table as she looked at her. She was glad they had reading in common but what else did they share?

“So, besides reading on a rainy days what else do you like to do?”

[Kellie Whitmore]

"That's their loss, isn't it?" Kellie replied. "I know my sisters would pretty much rather pull all their hair out than sit around reading a book. Sometimes I'm not even sure they can read at all. They see me with a book and it's like I've got an alien object in my hands."

She rolled her eyes for effect. The truth was, she had lived with her sisters' disdain for her books for most of her life. But at least they usually weren't malicious enough to destroy her books or anything. They teased her sometimes, but most of the time, they just ignored her and her bookish ways.

"Well, I love reading above almost anything," Kellie admitted, "no matter what the weather is like. I like to walk, too... just explore the outdoors. I hope one day to travel to some of the places I've only ever read about in books."

That was what Kellie loved about reading... she got to learn about and experience new things. She longed for adventure, and until she was of age and free to go anywhere she pleased, she would have to settle for experiencing these adventures through literature.

[Arabelle Rawlings]

“I would love to travel and see the different places I read about or even places I haven’t read about. Although I doubt my parents would let me go anywhere or brother would tag along and as much as I love him I would rip my hair out.” It was nice to talk to a girl who wanted to talk about something other than boys, makeup and their hair. She could talk to some of the other Ravenclaw girls but they mostly wanted to talk about school work. That was better than boys and hair but could sometimes get a bit dull.

“I haven’t read too many muggle books. Mum says they put funny ideas in my head.” She rolls her eyes with a grin. For a while Arabelle was sneaking muggle books into the house but her mum completely lost it when she find them all hidden away. The only book she was able to save was The Princess Bride. It was part of the reason she held onto it so tightly.

“If you could choose any place to go where would you go?”

[Kellie Whitmore]

Kellie couldn't help but laugh when Arabelle said her mother thought muggle books put funny ideas in her head. How many times had Kellie heard similar comments from her own mother and sisters?

"My mum says all books put funny ideas in my head," Kellie said. "She says it's not good for a woman to read so much... That no boys will want to date a girl who thinks too much. As if I'd want to be with a guy who'd be interested in a girl who doesn't think."

Arabelle's next question was an interesting one, and Kellie stopped for a moment to consider. If she could go anywhere, where would she go? The trouble was, there were a lot of "anywheres" to choose from. And ultimately, what she wanted most of all was to be anywhere but here. Not that she disliked Hogwarts. But here she was stuck in the shadows of her brain-dead sisters and mother who expected her to be a certain way. She wanted to go some place where she could just be herself, where no one expected anything of her. She could re-create herself and be whatever she wanted.

"I don't know, really. Italy, maybe. Or the far east... like Thailand. Most of all, though... I'd like to go somewhere new... somewhere no one else has ever been before. But there's not much left to discover anymore, you know?"

[Arabelle Rawlings]

Arabelle laughed and shook her head when Kellie mentioned that her mother thinks no boys will date a girl who thinks too much because her mother says the same thing. “My mum says I’ll never get the attention of a boy with my nose in a book. Our mums should get together sometime. They could talk about how we think for ourselves too much and how we will never get a boy.” Although they may be onto something since she normally scared off all the boys with her reading and the fact that she actually uses her brain.

She grinned when she said she wanted to go to Italy. Arabelle would give anything to get out from under her mother and actually be able to go and see the world. That would be pretty unlikely with her mother watching her every move.

“I would love to go to Italy one day or maybe even France. I would really like to go anywhere that isn't with my mother.”

[Kellie Whitmore]

Kellie couldn't help but laugh. Arabelle's story sounded so familiar, it could have been lifted from her own life. It was like they were twins separated at birth, although of course Arabelle's hair wasn't vivid red, like Kellie's.

"It's like our mothers are sisters or something," she said, rolling her eyes. "My mum says that, too. You'd think she'd be proud that at least one of her daughters isn't a brain-dead mannequin. But no, for some reason, I'm the disappointment, and my sisters, who are all blonde, beautiful, and dumb as posts, are the ones she's proud of. And she keeps asking me why I'm not more like them..." She shuddered at the thought. "I can't wait until the day I can get out of here and travel somewhere... I don't even think my mum will notice when I'm gone."

[Arabelle Rawlings]

Arabelle couldn't help but shudder at the thought of there being two of her mother. She thought one was bad enough but two? That might actually drive her completely insane. Thankfully she only had to put up with the one. It was nice to have someone else who felt the same way she did and who dealt with the same mother issues she did. She was clearly not the favorite and as much as she loved her brother he is clearly her parent’s favorite. She is just a continued disappointment to them.

“I cannot wait to get away too. I have no plans of being someone’s trophy wife as much as that upsets my parents…” She gives a light shrugs and pushes her hair out of her face. “Maybe I’ll be a professor one day just anything but a trophy wife.” What it all comes down to is she did not want to be her mother.