| Details for Lemonade and Sandcastles |
| Summary: | Graham and Rhyeline are having a picnic on the Hogsmeade public beach when Shelley shows up on her broomstick. They watch as she weaves in and out of kitestrings before dipping her broomtail in the lake to sprinkle the pair with droplets. Graham then teaches Rhyeline how to build sandcastles. |
| Date: | 24 August 1939 |
| Location: | Hogsmeade Public Beach |
| Related: | Wet and Dry |
| Characters |
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The sun shines bright in a clear blue sky. A perfect day for a picnic. And with the end of summer so close at hand, the beach is sprinkled with witches and wizards out for a stroll. Children dash across the narrow crescent of grany stand and smooth pebbles, trailing kites or giving chase to each other.
In a quiet corner of the beach, Rhyeline smiles from behind her glass of lemonade as she watches and listens to their laughter. Looking to her adopted brother Graham sitting beside her, she murmurs, "This is lovely… thank you so much for suggesting this." The pair sit beneath a white canvas umbrella. Two non-descript witches stand a short distance away, surveying the pair and beach activity without expression.
The sky is clear - save for the kites. That is, until a broom and rider burst into view out on the moors, hugging tight to the earth. Shelley seems determined to get as long as she feasibly can - at speeds faster than one might (sanely) recommend. as she nears the lake and sees the kites, she settles on a new and challenging event - kitestring dodging.
Graham will watch the little ones run about the beach a bit it's good to see such lightheartedness when not so much things keep happening. He wont linger on all of that today though he turns back towards Rhyeline and smiles warmly nodding "It is quite nice, thank you for agreeing to come along." the auror has dressed down for the occasion actual shorts and he's removed the short sleved shirt he'd worn previously in case he wishes to swim. "I wonder though will you swim with me at all?" he smiles his hopeful brother smile.
He does glance up and spot a broom rider but until the other is closer perhaps he can only guess from past history who it may be.
Rhyeline blinks up at Graham, turning a bit pink. "Swim? With- with everyone watching?" She bites her lower lip. "Perhaps… if you want to swim, we- we could go to Berylwood afterwards…" Her toes curl in the sand. While the girl may be oblivious to the hurtling broomrider, her guardwitches certainly aren't. Their wands are at the ready, but remain lowered.
Shelley remains unaware of Graham and Rhyeline as she reaches the beach - instead, she's searching the sky for those kite strings. She pulls up - her speed reducing as she does so. Spotting the narrow strings is hard, but she hasn't hit any yet. It helps that the vast majority of the sky is open air.
The auror cant help but smile at the faint blush at his question. "I'm not going to make you, little Kitten. It was a question perhaps we can build a sand castle or something." the words about going to Berylwood gets a raised eyebrow perhaps not thinking it's wise, but he smiles again "Of course we can go swimming at Berylwood later if you prefer." he notices the movement howerver slight from the guard witches before he honestly concentrates on the flier "That's Shelley Prewett, shes an auror." he will say to them hoping this calms them given he'd never allow harm to come to his sisters either.
On the beach, children point at the broomrider weaving in and out of their kite strings. Adults watch with interest and some measure of concern. Rhyeline blinks and looks from Graham to her guards, and then lifts her gaze to the clear blue sky. "I… I've met her before… I… I didn't realize that- that she could fly so well." Her guards look to Graham and nod a bit, accepting his word. However, their wands remain at the ready.
After a short time dodging the kite strings, Shelley circles up and around - and finally seems to spot a familiar form. Is that Graham?
Meh - maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Does it really matter?
She drops abruptly to the surface of the water, and then pulls up just enough that the bristles splash along the surface - getting soaked and gathering up water. That accomplished, the broom picks up speed and altitude again, splattering water over some of the kids who shriek and giggle, as she makes a beeline for her target - a flyover of Graham (and Rhyeline) to shower them with a little water, as well.
Graham looks back to his sister next to him and chuckles "She enjoys flying fast and through the trees usually." The young man will look back up as she dips and his eyes widen as perhaps a moment before she does what she is about to do. He only has time to bring lean over and bring his arms up to semi-shield but likely not completely cover his sister from the water he himself is pelted but laughs though as it's harmless truly.
Rhyeline squeaks and hides against Graham when the water-soaked broom pelts them with droplets. The flyover is executed with enough control and precision that the guardwitches don't lift their wands. The little one peers after Shelley with a look of reproach. "She used to harass Zack a lot…" she murmurs.
The young man straighten up back over to his side of the picnic after covering his sister from the water attack. Graham is still laughing though he catches the words from his sister and will nod "She has an odd sense of humor, but she really is a good person I can promise that. Its probably only because of her being willing to support, and go with me to the ministry that allowed me the courage to "turn myself in" he does quote since obviously he was and is innocent. The explanation spoken more sincerely to his sister
Rhyeline bites her lower lip as Graham brings up the incident where he found Thomas Carrow amidst all those corpses. She lowers her gaze, but leans close against her brother's side. "You did the right thing… and I'm sure Cassius will do all he can to help clear your name."
Graham doesn't think it's over much he'll reach his arm out to put around his sister as she leans giving a squeeze. "I'm sorry shouldnt bring such things up on a day like this, just wanted to explain." he motions towards where Shelley had flown off The words about Cassius gives him pause a moment he still isn't really a fan at the moment giving another squeeze in protection of some unseen enemy? "I appreciate it." his humor returns though. "You didnt answer me about the sand-castle though."
Rhyeline can't help but smile up at her adopted brother. "I… I've never built a castle in the sand before. I didn't know that sand could make something like that…" This, despite the fact that she grew up in view of the ocean.
He will nod to her words "That's okay, i'm by no means a professional or anything." Graham says lightly though he shifts some drinks from a small bucket he brought into a larger case kept magically cooled. He will shift where he sits "I can show you what I do know however if you'd like to that is?"
"I'd like to watch," murmurs Rhyeline with a small nod. She shifts closer to the edge of their picnic blanket, folding her legs beneath herself. Bringing her glass of lemonade to her lips, she takes a small sip. The shade of the tilted canvas umbrella only just conceals her from the sun.
Graham will stand and move just a little past the blanket he turns back as he sees her wrap around herself he smiles warmly just stuck still a moment as he watches her before he will come back to himself. The auror takes his bucket to where the sand is a bit more moist though he isn't far away if he were to lean completely back he could touch her. He will start building the sand castle from the wet sand packing it down "You sure you don't want to help sister?" he looks up after a bit where he's built a foundation and part of the walls.
Rhyeline pauses and her cheeks grow a bit warm as her brother stands simply watching her for a moment. She offers him a soft smile before he heads off to fetch the moist sand. "Ah… it holds in place!" she exclaims softly. She tilts her head with a kitten's curiosity, watching with great interest. She hesitates at his invitation. "I… But… I might make it fall down…"
"It does indeed because of the water in the sand down here." Graham says grinning he will begin scooping more sand though he pauses as she speaks and chuckles softly "It may fall down, but that's okay if it does." he encourages her to join him he'll turn the bucket over into the space he's created tapping the bottom so he can lift it off leaving a formed tower in the place where had been nothing.
Rhyeline cautiously creeps out from under the shade and sits in the sand beside Graham. With her brother's patient guidance, bit by bit the little witch learns the noble and ancient art of sand castle making. Soon, the girl is eagerly constructing turrets and even begins construction of a moat. Her laughter is as sweet and impish as any of the children flying kites might make. The sun continues to shine bright in the clear summer sky. It is truly the perfect day for picnics and sandcastles.