In from the rain

Chase shook her head. The rain had been pouring, but now she and Sterling were standing under an overpass. She smiled up at him. "That was fun, but I sure am cold." She said her teeth chattering. The overpass didn't exactly shield them from the cold wind that had come with the rain. "I don't have to go to the Gryffindor Common Room right away."She said smiling up at him.

Sterling's heart pounded. Chase still looked cold, in her meager sunbathing clothing. Sterling stripped off his cloak and handed it to her. "If you're not going back to the common room, at least stay warm," he said, smiling.

Chase smiled at him and gladly took the cloak, wrapping it around her shoulders. It was wet, but warm from his body heat. She smiled up at him. "Thank you, I feel better already!"She said smiling she she pulled it closer to her body. She shivered slightly and smiled at him. "That was quite interesting wasn't it?"She asked smiling at him her eyes partly closed.

"You mean the vampires?" he said, amused. "Yeah. What on Earth happened to the weather?" he asked. "I've never seen it change that drastically that fast."

"It's summer in London, we live by the sea what do you expect?"She asked smiling. "The vampires were a bit scary. But not to bad."She said with a smile. "I mean, it wasn't to scary."She huddled closer to the robe and smiled up at him. She hadn't brought her wand out with her so she didn't have anything to help dry off or look any better then a half drowned cat.

"I'm used to dry, mild weather." Sterling responded softly. She looked desperately cold. He offered her an arm for warmth. "You still look cold. Sterling said, concerned. Sterling muttered the incantation to a spell and sent a jet of warm air toward her. It made her robes dried and warm, as if freshly laundered. "Better?" he asked.

Chase smiled and moved into his arm. Then he sent the jet of warm air and she smiled looking relaxed now. "Wow, thanks."She said smiling. "I would have done that myself but I didn't bring my wand out with me."She said looking up at him laughing. Her eyes half closed, her mouth open. She opened her eyes and smiled gratefully.

Sterling felt warm for the first time since the clouds rolled over the glory of the sun. He thought back to his life back in America... where the sun would shine every day. The welcome smell of creosote in the off chance there was a storm enveloping the air... he missed it there, but was even happier here, where lush green was everywhere.

He remembered his sisters. The thought made him shed a tear. They had always seemed so hard on him... but now that they were gone he realized how special they were. They were never trying to break his self esteem, merely improve his personality. He had eduction, but what had he given up for it?

"Do you ever feel homesick?" he asked. He found it unlikely, as she was so close to home.

Chase looked a little startled at his sudden thoughtfulness. Smiling slightly she shook her head. "Not really, if I want to talk to my parents I just have to send them an owl."She said smiling. "I'm the oldest so there aren't any siblings to miss, Dad is constantly owling me..There isn't much to miss."She said smiling. "Besides, how can you be homesick when you're at home already? I mean, isn't Hogwarts just like home? You're here more then you're at home ever, so it becomes a new home to you. Only it's living with you're friends instead of you're parents."She smiled and pulled the cloak around her tighter. The wind was still cold but the cloak was still warm.

Sterling scoffed unintentionally. "Friends? All year... you're like the third person I met that I didn't start to duel with. And this is the first year I've spent at Hogwarts, it's not home yet." he said.

"You're an only child?" he asked after a moment's pause. "That must be wonderful..." he said longingly. He loved his sisters and his little brother, but he'd always wondered what life would be like... without them.