Enjoying the Winter Air {Open}

The day was overcome with a cold chill. Frost still settled on the once vibrant green grasses and the crunch of it under footsteps seemed to echo as Marlene McKinnon made her way down to the Black Lake. It was a weekend, and despite having homework to do, Marlene found herself wanting to simply take in the cold, wintry nature scene. She could always do her homework later, anyway. That is, if James and his crew didn't set up camp in the Common Room, making every kind of noise imaginable.

Marley sighed, running her fingers through her pale blonde hair as she finally made it to the water's edge. It was too cold to go swimming, not that Marley enjoyed swimming in the Black Lake - she had gone in once or twice, but you never know what you're going to find in there. She reached down, adjusting the boots she wore. She wore the simple uniform, with thick black stockings, a grey pleated skirt, white shirt with a thick grey vest over it and a matching jumper. On top of all that, she had her thick black robe and her Gryffindor scarf wrapped somewhat loosely around her neck.

A small smile formed on the rather newly seventeen year old's face. She enjoyed winter a lot and love to see the nearly frozen water before her. It was the best when it actually froze over, though, and you could go ice skating. She enjoyed ice skating quite a lot, actually, and hoped for one more time this year that the lake would freeze over - before the weather started to get warm and spring would arrive.

Regulus wandered out onto the lawn of the school. He wanted to get out into the cool clear air away from the dinge of the dungeon common room and being away from his relatives at the moment. Bella and Cissy were arguing again and he didn't want to take the chance at getting pulled in right now.

He was dressed in his pleated pants, thick socks, shiny shoes. He had his long sleeve white shirt untucked with his think vest and his untied tie. He had his cloak wrapped around his shoulders and his Slytherins colored scarf hanging over his neck.

He walked over and looked over the frozen lake. He love ice skating but he didn't get to do it often. It looked like the lake would be solid enough for that soon.

He looked around and a little ways away stood a lovely blond girl. He walked over looking curious why a pretty girl would be out here in the cold.

He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Hello?"

Marlene had been lost in her own thoughts and not noticed another student approaching the lake. She probably should have, as she normally was one to notice just about everything, but it seemed that her thoughts and the cold must have numbed her senses or something to that effect.

She was startled slightly when the boy talked and turned her head to see a boy not too much younger than her from Slytherin, according to his scarf. Marley tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and smiled somewhat. "Hello," she greeted back. It wasn't that she didn't like people from other houses, but Slytherin's tended to make her a bit cautious. They didn't really like half-bloods or the fact that her mother was a muggle born. Most of them, it seemed to Marley, were dead set on pure bloods. Which was a shame, but maybe this boy was different... perhaps.

"Uhm," she grasped for words to say, mindlessly playing with the end of her scarf. She supposed she should introduce herself... and maybe ask him for his name, if he felt up for giving it. "I'm Marlene... and, uh, you are?"

Regulus blushed slightly this girl was beautiful. He saw her Gryffindor colored scarf but while he didn't agree with everything they believed in silently he felt the live and let live philosophy was better then attacking those that didn't agree with you.

He extended his hand to shake hers. "I'm Reg." He introduced himself. When meeting someone for the first time he usually preferred to give them his nickname. His last name and even his first full name were both highly recognizable and he hated being judged by just his families reputation. He was so many different things. He was Sirius's little brother, Narcissa, Andramida, and Bellatrix's cousin. He was always talked about in connection to someone else. So whenever he meet someone who didn't know who he was he would introduce himself with Reg so that at leas for a few minutes he could just be him.

"It's nice to meet you Miss." His training made it so that out of instinct he always called people by titles unless told he could by themselfs.

[Sorry for the long wait, darling, last couple of days have been busy~ <3]

Marlene couldn't help but notice his blush and tried to hold back her amused smile. It was endearing when the young Slytherin blushed. She didn't think she had ever seen a Slytherin blush before, so it was kind of nice to see something out of the ordinary.

"Reg," she repeated with a smile, committing the name to memory - though it did sound more like a nickname, but it wasn't as if that bothered her or anything. She extended her own hand, placing it in his and giving a small shake. He was polite, too, it would seem. Though, that wasn't really unusual among Slytherins - as they were normally raised on politeness... it just depended on who it was too. "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you too." Her ears turned slightly pink when he called her Miss, but she tried to hide it behind her pale blonde hair.

"So, Reg," she glanced out at the water for a minute, pulling her thick robes together. She peered at him through the corners of her blue eyes and continued, "what brings you out here to the lake this fine cold day?"

For a moment Regulus thought he saw her blush but that couldn't be right, pretty girls blush around his brother not him. Regulus shook his head. As long as he didn't mention names he wouldn't bring 'shame' to the family, besides it's not like Bella or Cissy would ever know.

"There was an argument I wanted to make sure to avoid. I would be expected to agree with both and end up with both of them mad at me for saying something wrong. Better to not get involved." He chuckled.

Marlene nodded. "Ah, those. They can be a pain." She's been through a couple of them, but usually just sticks her nose in a book and ignores them all. That's what she's best at, ignoring people... or rolling her eyes. She tends to be indifferent to most people, or at least unimpressed or not amused. That's how she was with the Marauders and most of the other groups of similar affect.

"This is a good place to come, though, not many people venture out here in the cold... unless the lake is frozen over," Marley gave a nod out to the lake. She was right, though, it was only the two of them for as far as she could see.

Regulus nodded as he looked out over the lake. "It should be thick enough to ice skate on soon. Then the only protection will be the night to keep people away." He chuckled lightly. "I love looking over the lake when it's at this level. Don't get me wrong I like ice skating but I love how the water slips over the thin layer over ice and just sort of shines in the moon light." He sighed as he continued looking over the land scape.

Marlene continued to glance at him from the corner of her eye, but when he continued, she couldn't help but look at him fully. She titled her head to the side before glancing quickly out at the water. She ran her tongue over her lips and smiled. "Yeah, it is quite beautiful." Really, Marley, that's all you have to say about it? Psh. "I'm surprised there aren't more poets emerging from these castle walls, the landscapes around here give off enough beauty. It's really the best when you're flying above it all, though." She motioned her hands out about her.

Reg nodded. "I know what you mean, it is beautiful from above but there is something to be said for looking at the specifics, small areas over a whole. Anyway I think one reason we have so few poets coming out of here is that it isn't an 'appropriate' job to go into after school. Being a graduate of Hogwarts more is expected of us. And I do know that muggles have something like a writing class and we have nothing like that here. Perhaps some just don't know how to articulate on parchment what they want to say the way they want to say it." He shrugged not really sure.

Marlene nodded once more. Yes, he was quite right. It was really beautiful from all angles, really. Though, Marlene simply loved flying. Loved having the wind tug at her long air, feeling the clouds, watching people move like ants. To be able to see everything for miles and miles, as if you could see the whole world. It was something to behold, that was for sure.

"Psh," Marlene snorted. "I don't think that should hold them back. I say be what you want to be. If you want to be a poet, go for it. Actor? Break a leg. Beater? Break someone else's. I don't care about the prestige that is of graduating from Hogwarts. If I want to publish my writings, I'm going to." She gave a sharp nod. She herself didn't write much, just in her journal, but hell, if she wanted to, that would be her job. Instead, she'd probably do something to help people, because that was something that she wanted to do.

"Yes, that's true. My mum was telling me about those..." she trailed off for a moment. Her mother was a wizard, but she was muggle born. In her early years at a muggle school, she had had writing classes. Marley gave a small shrug. "Sometimes, though, it just comes naturally."

Regulus smiled and nodded. "That's true. If you promise not to tell anyone. I've always kind of wanted to take a class like that. Just to see what it's like. See things from the other side for once you know." He shrugged grinning at her.

Marlene couldn't help but chuckle a little bit before nodding her head. "I won't tell, I promise," she told him, her voice light and airy, holding a laughing tone. Marlene glanced back up at the sky, dull and overcast, but beautiful at the same time. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess I'm a bit lucky, knowing both sides... Wizard and Muggle." She shrugged. If he hadn't known before, he'd know now. She was a half-blood and if that upset him, he could very well leave; though, honestly, he didn't seem like he would.

Reg looked at the lovely girl. She didn't look like what his family had always said half-bloods looked. His family had always said they looked weak, and confused, like they couldn't understand what was going on.

He looked at her curiously. "Wow, you know I've never realized it but there must be a lot of Half-bloods around school but your the first one I know that is a half-blood. I guess people aren't comfortable telling a Slytherin that kind of stuff."

He looked out over the water and the crescent moon broke through the clouds momentarily shining off the lake and onto her golden hair. He watched her hair turn silver in the light of the moon and her eyes glitter. She was beautiful.

Marley couldn't help but let out a snort and nod, her jaw tightening slightly. She supposed he couldn't condemn him for saying such a thing, because he honestly hadn't seemed to mean it like that, but still... she felt that the poor boy was at a loss. He may have been so sheltered from the actual world to know these things. "Uhm, yeah... I believe most of the school is probably made up of half bloods. More common than people actually think..." She shrugged. "But you're probably right. With what's going on now... most people don't like to be out about it. I guess... well... I'm one of the more better known, seeing as my father became what some people call a blood traitor and married a muggle-born witch. The famous McKinnons." Marley shrugged once more. She had been taunted and teased most of her schooling from people like Travers and other Slytherins. It was the life she was used to, not that she liked it, but she could handle her own.

Marlene glanced over at Reg and caught him staring at her. She blinked her big blue eyes for a moment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before realizing that she must have been blushing quite madly about it. She wasn't exactly used to getting stared at.

Reg nodded. He recognized the name they had been well respected before this girls birth. He himself didn't care but her heard his mother and family plenty.

"Well since you've completely introduced yourself so will I." He gave an exaggerated bow. "Regulus Black. At your service." He cam out of his bow grinning.

"So Miss McKinnon, other than flying and looking at scenery what do you like to do here at school?" He asked curiously.