Moor Estate

Chase was dunked under and then came up laughing. Watching him she giggled. "I've been here for a while."She said slowly. "I guess I don't get out much around here, I knew you lived there but never saw you."She said smiling at him. She ran her hand through the water in front of her watching the ripples it made. She smiled and looked up at him her hair left in tendrils around her shoulders and neck.

Thomas shook his head "Yeah, I don't usually come out a lot. In fact the only reason I came out today was because my parents have gone crazy ever since my little brother died. They just stay locked up in their room all day and moan, and I just don't like being around it." He stopped talking for a few seconds looking down at the water, he remembered vividly the day his brother died.

Chase watched him carefully. "How did you're brother die?"She whispered moving closer to him in the water. Her eyes were wide and the look of pure innocent curiosity could have felled any tough hearted man. She touched his hand in the water cautiously. "I don't know what I'd do if my little brother died...he's so close to me."She said glancing up at the house.

Thomas was zoning out and did not even notice her coming close to him. He was reliving that day over in his head. They were in London and Thomas told James to wait outside. Thomas just had to go inside for a few minutes. He had to go and have a meeting with the Death Eaters. His parents had asked him to take James out for ice cream, and Thomas told him they would go after he went to this place. When Thomas was done, he could not find James anywhere. Then, after an hour, he found his limp body in an alleyway.

He was brought back to life suddenly when he felt her hand touch his. He looked up to see her staring at him with a look of pure sadness and caring. He stared back at her with a look of despair in his eyes, no one had ever cared about Thomas. No one, not even his parents. Sure they gave him whatever they wanted but all he wanted was for them to be home and spend time with him.

"He fell off a carriage one day when we were all out riding, when he did the carriage behind us trampled him and killed him. My parents blamed me for not watching him, they still think it is my fault." His story was convincing and he looked away from her eyes. The sadness was welling up inside of him again, in both stories he had been responsible. Even in the one he made up.

Chase took his hand softly in hers. "I'm so sorry."She said looking at him carefully. She looked down at his hand carefully and then let it go. "I don't know what it's like to lose a loved one, so I can't say if it'll be ok or not.'She said slowly. "But I live right down the road...if you ever need to talk."She said slowly her eyes on the water in front of her her cheeks slightly pink. "I mean..I'm here all summer, and even in Hogwarts, I could take off my Gryffindor stuff for a day and we could talk."She said glancing up at him.

Thomas could not believe her kindness to him, it was just beginning to overwhelm him. He was so used to people getting upset at him for being rude that this kindness was a mystery. "Well, I appreciate that, I really do." He was already missing the feeling of her hand on his hand, but he did not push the subject. It would never work, besides she probably already had somebody, but that thought only angered him. Quickly he let all of it slide away "But I am killing the mood. Lets hear some good news."

Chase looked at him carefully. He had a look in his eyes. She smiled slightly and without thinking moved closer to him and hugged him around the neck. "Whenever I'm in a bad mood, a hug always makes me happy."She said softly hugging him around the neck happily. Sure he didn't seem the type to like hugs, but he sure looked like he needed one.

When she hugged him Thomas almost pushed away, the feeling so unfamiliar to him he could almost not stand it. He could not remember ever being hugged, so the feeling of her around him was almost to much, but trying to keep his thing going, he slowly gave her a light tap on the back with bot of his hands, not knowing really what to do. Still, after a little bit it began to feel good, like someone cared. Then the thought of what she would do whenever she found out he was a Death Eater, the thought almost upset him, but he could not let it.

"You are a weird person..."

Chase let him go and then smiled at him. "I know."She said holding up a peace sign with her fingers. "I get told that a lot."She said giggling at him. "Anyway!"She said and then dove under the water. She came up face first so as to get her hair out of her face. She turned and looked at him, then splashed him. "Race you to the island in the middle."She said pointing and then taking off.

When she went under water his face turned to a look of sadness, all of this was going to be gone tomorrow and it was all going to be even worse when she found out. When she came back up he had a smile on his face and when she started to race he swam after her quickly, reaching the island right behind her. He quickly pulled himself onto the beach and sat on the sand and stared around. "So why are you in Gryffindor? What makes you so special?"