By the igloo

[Connor Manning]

Finally, it had happened. A free moment in his busy schedule, a free afternoon, to be exact. Connor couldn’t think of anything he’d like to do more than absolutely nothing. He felt like his brain might possibly explode if he tried to study or do any more homework. He couldn’t find Celina after his lessons and decided to maybe head down to the courtyard. How long had it been since he had been down there? At least a while, a couple weeks or so before the snow started to fall.

Connor knew it would be advisable to bundle up, so he did. He had to toss his entire trunk onto his bed to find his winter coat. Once he found that, there was the task of finding his work boots. It wasn’t like he ever really needed them for any other time than winter, but every year he brought them to school irregardless. Better safe than sorry. Connor was glad that the Slytherin common room was located so close to the ground floor, otherwise he would have felt rather stupid walking around the school with his coat, hat, scarf, gloves and boots on. Other than that he had on his thickest, most warm pair of jeans. Comfortable, yet durable and easy to move in whilst in the snow. He was good to go.

People must have thought he was going to make an igloo, and essentially, that was exactly what Connor was planning on doing. During the night, over a foot of snow had miraculously fallen onto the grounds of Hogwarts. An igloo, large and spacious was his plan.

Before actually heading outside, Connor stopped by one of the random broom cupboards around the school, grabbing a couple of pails, and two shovels. He was only one person, but there was always the odd chance that someone would want to help. He didn’t know why, but someone might be willing. He would, of course, share the igloo. Maybe. The Slytherin knew it depended on the person if he would share or not. Picking up the shovels and pails, Connor exited the doors into the courtyard. It appeared to be relatively empty, which would be good for working on the makeshift igloo. Now he just needed a spot to put it…

( JAXXXXXXXX. and open too )

[jacquelynchaput]

Relatively empty. Key words. On top of one of the overlooking roofs where Jax had once seen Drew sit, she crouched down waiting for her prank to unfold. Oh, how she had missed doing anything to anyone, and finally this was her chance. Snow, on the ground? There was. But now, as one would not even notice, the snow was covered completely in a pure sheet of ice. Why would one not notice the ice, you may ask? Well, that was a simple enough explanation. Before freezing the ground completely, Jax had made a huge pile of some of the soft snow and pushed it to the side. After she froze whatever was left over, she carefully placed the piled snow back over the ice so that it was about an inch thick, and looked as if the snow was still just that… snow.

Now it was just time to wait. Someone would eventually be coming out of the castle, and Jax could only wonder whom the prospective victim would be. Jax could see her breath, and as she waited it only became more and more shaky. It felt like forever before she heard the door open that exited out to the corridor… she giggled under her breath and crouched down even further on the roof. What Jax didn’t figure on, however, was not only who was coming out, but the ice that was on the roof all by itself. One small movement, and she was sliding down the side. It wasn’t a far fall, but she let out a bit of a scream and landed with an ‘oompfh’ on her back. “Damn… that hurt…” she sputtered out between trying to catch her loss of breath.

[Connor Manning]

Crunch. Crunch.

Connor was unaware of the ice under his feet, even as he walked around the courtyard, deciding his spot for the igloo. It couldn't be too close to the trees or icicles would fall on it, and it couldn't be too close to the benches as people would probably mess with it. Finally choosing the spot in the very middle of the courtyard, Connor tossed the pails aside and one of the shovels, taking the other one in his hand. He pushed it down into the snow, or rather, what he expected to be snow. With the miscalculation of what exactly was under the layer of snow, and hearing someone screaming, Connor attempted to spin around and see who the person was.

This clearly wasn't a good idea, as it only resulted in Connor sliding on the ice and landing harshly on his bum. He completely forgot about the person who had screamed as he swore loudly and lay back against the cold ice. Ice.. He thought bitterly, now discovering what it was. He cursed himself as he looked up to the somewhat cloudy sky. Of course there would be ice... it was winter. He hadn't anticipated so much ice though.. Finally remembering why he had fallen in the first place, Connor lifted his head a bit and looked around. He couldn't see anyone. Had he imagined it? It wasn't until he heard someone say, ' Damn, ' that he knew he wasn't imagining it.

[jacquelynchaput]

For a few minutes, Jax just looked up at the sky as her chest expanded and compressed slightly, her breathing returning back to normal. It had hurt to fall on the thick ice she had created, and as she slowly pushed herself from off the ground, she rubbed her back slightly, then rubbed the back of her head. "Why did I freeze over here, too?" Jax asked out loud, and mostly to herself. It didn't make any sense to freeze the whole courtyard, now did it? But she had, and therefore, her fall as a lot harder than it could have been. Sighing, she looked around and tried to notice that whoever it was that had come out, had already fallen... and she missed it!

Turning, she looked straight at the boy, only to realize that it was another of her friends from Slytherin and she couldn't help but laugh in between the shots of pain that where going up her back. She'd obviously pulled a muscle or something, but she wasn't about to let that slow her down. Crawling over to the kid, Jax plopped her bum down next to Connor and winced again from the pain in her back. "Can you do that again..." she smirked at the Slytherin, and crossed her arms playfully. "I totally missed it when I slipped off the roof."

[Connor Manning]

Connor let his head fall back down to the ice slowly, taking special care not to just drop his head back onto the ice. He wouldn't want it to be as sore as his bum was feeling at that moment. He thought about the voice he had heard and tried to recognize who it was. It was familiar to him, but he just couldn't place it. It was a girl's voice, he knew, but it wasn't too girly. Connor closed his eyes, letting the cold sweep over him as he lay there. He was tempted to never get up, but as he heard laughter coming from somewhere, he looked around again.

This time, though, he spotted the source of the laughter and the source of the scream - Jax. Connor watched with amusement dancing in his eyes as he saw the Ravenclaw girl crawling her way over to him. He laughed at her comment, his lips curling into a half smirk. " I'll do that again, if you fall of the roof again. " He was willing to play fair, especially for a friend. With a grin, Connor leaned forward, supressing the urge to wince at the pain of moving. Feeling like he had to say it, he punched Jax lightly on the arm and said, " You're an arse. " He meant it jokingly and this showed through by his laughter. What a good prank.

[jacquelynchaput]

Jax smiled brightly, all teeth showing ear to ear as Connor punched her in the arm and called her an arse. "I know, but you can't help but wish you'd thought of it first, can you?" Again she laughed, nudging him with her elbow, her blond eyebrows wiggling up and down as if to say, huh, huh? You know you do... Sighing loudly, she stretched and put her hands behind her head, her chest puffed out like a rooster that had just called up the sun all by himself. Yup, it was turning out good, after all. Even with her falling off the roof...

"I totally meant to fall off the roof, too," she said cockily, nodding her head and giving the older Slytherin a smug look. "I mean, I needed to do something to make you walk a bit faster," she rose only one eyebrow this time as she turned her brilliant blue eyes back to Connor's hazel. "You were walking much to carefully... not falling, pffft..." she shook her head. "Course, I quite look up at the right time...." she muttered to herself as if she were thinking really hard, before again laughing.

"So, what were you doing anyways?" Jax looked at the bucket, grabbing one and put it on her head as if it were a helmet. "You should have worn it... not that you hit your head or anything, but it could have helped somehow," she snorted and shook her head, the bucket wobbling back and forth on her small head. What the heck could the Slytherin be up to with a bucket and other things? Didn't make sense for snow in Jax's mind.

[Connor Manning]

' I know, but you can't help but wish you'd thought of it first, can you? ' When she was right, she was right. He gave the girl a crooked grin. She either knew him too well, or knew that anyone would be jealous of such a well thought out prank. Minus this bit about her falling off of the roof. " Yeah, yeah. Maybe next time you could inform me of this and get me in on it instead of me being the victim, eh? " He said, nudging her back as he talked.

Even with his plans of an igloo falling on the wayside, maybe the morning wouldn't be completely wasted. He shook his head, not believing a word Jax was saying about ' meaning to fall off the roof. ' Sure. " Uh huh. Of course you meant to fall off the roof. Such a dramatic entrance and all. " He took her smugness as a sign of what else? Friendship. Connor appeared to have wierd greetings for his friends. Hello, how are you? - fall on ice - It was interesting, of course, but not always safe for his health.

' So, what were you doing anyways? ' He gave a shrug of his shoulders and answered her. " I was thinkin' about building an igloo, actually. " He turned back to look at her just as she put the bucket onto her head. He sighed in a resigned sort of manner before laughing at her next comment. He picked up one of the shovels and tapped the bucket on Jax's head lightly with the end of it.

[jacquelynchaput]

Jax smiled brightly at the Slytherin and laughed to herself. Let him in on it? Eh, maybe. But it was far too fun to watch him be the victim, especially when he was such a good sport from it. "Maybe. Depends on what my next genius plan is first." She laughed to herself and laid back slightly in the snow, her hands clasping together behind her head to make a small resting place for them as she lay on the cold ground.

"I did!" Jax exclaimed about meaning to fall off the roof, still laying back in the snow and laughing as she did so. "How else would you have turn so drastically to slip? I mean, who walks so carefully in the snow?" she shrugged smugly and gave the guy a sly smile. "Plus... how else would you know that you're one of my best mates?" Yes, Jax was slightly sad. She didn't have many friends, and the ones she did have, she classified as one of two things: best or acquaintance.

"An igloo?" this time, she got up from her laying position and cocked her head at the kid slightly. "You know, it works better with snow. Not ice..." again she cracked up laughing as the bucket wobbled back and forth on her head slightly. She never saw the shovel coming, for it tapped on a side that she was blinded from the 'helmet' and as he tapped Jax jumped, slightly squealing. "Ah!" she said, laughing as she did so. "Hey, now... don't make me proclaim war on you," again she laughed and shook her head as she crossed her arms. "Because, good sir," she paused. "...you will not win."

[Connor Manning]

Connor nodded, mentioning, " Well alright. But if I come up with something first, there is abolutely no way I'm letting you in on it. " He said all of this very casually as if discussing the weather, not plotting out a bit of revenge on his friend. Nice, well thought out, and fun filled revenge. He maintained his smile with a hint of innocence as he noticed Jax lean back in the snow. Connor remained sitting up, his hands to his sides on the ground, holding him up slightly.

" Apparently I walk carefully in the snow. I thought it might be slippery. And hey! Would ya look at that, I was right. " He said with as a joking smirk settled onto his face. " Well, gee Jax. You could always just tell me. Instead of... ya know.. making me fall on my arse. " He said, laughing at the sly smile she had at that moment. She was quite the character and Connor was actually glad to hear that he was one of her best mates.

The two didn't get a chance to hang out all that often, but the Ravenclaw girl was fun and obviously very lively as well. She was good company. " Yeah an igloo. If you hadn't made it icy, it might have worked, too. " He said with a confirming nod of his head, still holding the shovel in his hand. " War? Jax, whatever do you mean? " He asked, switching the shovel from his left hand to his right and tapping on the other side of Jax's bucket.. er.. head.

[jacquelynchaput]

Oh! He was fricken hilarious. Jax remembered now why she loved the Slytherins so much. They had spunk and wit that Jax found could match her own. Finally, something worth talking to… or rather someone. Connor kept talking and all Jax could do in response was laugh. She was laughing so hard by the end of everything, she had a hard time pushing herself off the ground to sit next to Connor again. It was obvious that Jax had begun a war, so proclaiming it was almost worthless. “Uh oh,” Jax said mockingly. “Did I make the little snaky mad?” Again she laughed, hiding her face in the bucket so she wouldn’t see his face. It could have been because she was red in the face from laughing so hard, or because she was sure that slight worry could be seen in her eyes.

You could always just tell me.

“Pfft… easier said than done. What if you don’t like me?” she snorted, and yet her voice shook slightly. What if he really didn’t like her? She moved the bucket up slightly and peered at him with one eye, just to make sure. He was smirking… that was a good sign in Jax’s opinion. She let the bucket fall again and laughed. “This bucket is flattening out my hair…” she said muffled like under the bucket. War? Jax, whatever do you mean?

He hit the other side of the bucket lightly and her head rattled. “Oh, there will be war.” Jax stood up and took off the bucket, looking at the older Slytherin with a smirk on her face. “And as I said… you’re up against a professional. But… I’ll accept your surrenders. You can kiss my shoes, too,” Jax put out her foot towards Connor, pointing her toe as she did so. “Well… I’m waiting.”

[Connor Manning]

Jax's laughter was incredibly contagious, as was her mischevious grin. Connor chuckled along with even though it had been his comments to her causing her to start laughing in the first place. So really, she was just making him laugh at himself. He nodded his head, confirming that she had indeed made the little snakey mad. But not really. Then he remembered the bucket on the girl's head and started talking. " Yes, yes you did. But don't worry. I won't beat ya too bad. "

He smirked slightly as he dug his fingers down into the snow, grabbing a clump of the stuff and picking it up. He began to form it into a tiny snow ball, about one or two inches in diameter. He gave a shrug at her next comment, forgetting once again that she couldn't exactly see through the bucket. " Well I do, 'cause your my mate. " He didn't mean it any romantic ways, and he was sure she knew it, too. He didn't think of her like that and he was pretty sure that she didn't think of him that way either.

He gave a short laugh, finding it funny that she would say something like that. " I didn't know you cared so much. " He was joking, because whether or not she did care it didn't make much of a difference to him. He loked down to her shoe as she thrust it out towards him and shook his head. " I'll take a reign check on that one. " He said, taking a large handful of snow and smothering it onto Jax's foot. " We need rules. No good war goes on without some ground rules. " He said to her after he was done covering her shoe with snow.

" Your shoes look awesome, by the way. Well... shoe. " He added as an afterthought.

[jacquelynchaput]

Jax snorted at Connor's comment about not being beaten too badly. Was he serious? She rolled her eyes, though he couldn't see them as they were hidden by the bucket, but she did it anyways. She had a tendency to underestimate people, but she didn't care. Frankly, Connor and her were friends and he even admitted it. It felt good to have someone to finally call a friend (other than Snake cause they'd be friends forever in Jax's mind), and just have a group. Yea, Connor wasn't really apart of her group cause he was an older student, but he was apart of her friends and it over joyed her secretly. "Ok, sure."

She never saw him pick up the snow until it was on her shoe. By then, her mouth dropped and she wiggled it so that the snow would fall off. "You're lucky I care so much... I'd make you my personal servant next..." Jax joked. "And you could help me take over the entire school. It'd be fantastic... I'd have even prettier shoes," not that she cared about shoes but thats what they were talking about at that moment.

"But of course... that's when I win this war..." Jax reached into her pocked for the topper of what her prank was supposed to be. "Just to let you know... you're up against a master," Without a second to spare, she threw up something in the air from her pocket. It expanded into a sticky net of sorts in the air, and her eyes opened wide as she turned to try and run before the net came down. She'd perfected her spider web trap. And now, if she was lucky, she wouldn't get caught again in the mess.

[Connor Manning]

The Slytherin shook his head at her doubting tone, it almost seemed as if the girl was skeptical about him being so confident in saying he would win. He stood up next to Jax, laughing softly as she swung her foot in a small wiggle so the bits of snow would find their way off and back on to the ground where they had formerly been. " Personal servant? " Connor scoffed with a joking roll of his eyes as he went on, "If anything you'd be my servant. Pretty shoes or not. "

Although he wouldn't have any qualms about ' taking over the school ' with Jax. Who knew, she might even prove to be a rather passionate leader. She was an animated person in general, and Connor took her comment as the jest it was, but that didn't stop him from taking it into actual context, either. Again, her confidence was slightly amusing, and he grinned at her, sliding his hands into his pockets.

' ... you're up against a master ' As she said this Connor reached down and grabbed a rather decently sized handful of snow, and he was completely unaware of the remaining tricks that Jax had up her sleeves. He stumbled back a couple of feet, surprised at suddenly being covered by a net that seemed to tangle him up, making it a little hard to move. " Jaaax. " He growled at the fourth year, and even though he was putting up an angry front, it was hard to hide his amusement. She was too good.

[jacquelynchaput]

Again, Jax scoffed. "How... may I ask," she said back at him rather defiantly. "..do you even figure that I'd ever serve you? After all, you were the one falling for me... remember?" Jax grinned and took the bucket, throwing it at Connor's chest without much warning that she was about to do it. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she backed up.

Between the bucket she'd just released in his direction, the fact that he was preoccupied by trying to get snow to more than likely throw at her, and her expanding sticky web that she'd just recently perfected since her last fiasco with it, Jax couldn't help but die laughing to herself. Of course, his growl was also slightly amusing as she slipped while walking backwards on the ice, re-landing on her bum, but never missing a beat with any of her giggles. It wasn't that she was perfect, for that would never be the case, but this plan was finally perfected.

"Now what'cha gonna do?" Jax had Connor right where she'd want him. All he had to do was say he'd serve her, and then he'd be let go... wait.... how did she defuse the web the last time? She thought to herself, her eyes widening slightly, for it was at that moment that she completely realized that she never could remember how to deactivate the indestructible spiders web. ....not that Connor needed to know that just yet...

"Yes?" she finally answered him, leaning back on her hands and crossing her legs out in front of herself. "Is there a confession one must make? I mean... you could go all Prefect on me," she rolled her eyes. "Course... then I'd have to re-evaluate why I like you so much." She again laughed and sighed... "It was a good day out to make an igloo though..." she snickered.

[Connor Manning]

" Falling for you or over you, eh? " Connor questioned the girl with a soft smirk as he glanced over her, throwing up his arms as a wayward bucket was sent his way. He managed to block it from hitting his chest, causing the bucket to fall back to the ground where it had originally been. Connor grumbled to himself as he tried, to no avail, to get the damned web off of him. Where did she get things like this? Zonko's. It was the only logical answer he could think of in his slightly... distressed state.

" I'm going to kill you, that's what I'm gonna do. " Empty threat, he couldn't kill anyone, let alone a good friend of his. But really, a web? One that was constricting the use of his limbs, at that. He couldn't help but laugh, though, as he noticed the girl sitting on the ground. He had missed her falling over, again, but he could put the two together and arrive at the conclusion that the girl had fallen over on the slippery ice in her haste to make fun of him. Nice.

He rolled his eyes at the girl, mentioning to her, " Well, if I went all Prefect on you I might be seen as a hypocrite, seeing as how I'm gonna kill you, once I manage to get out of here. " He nodded his head several times, moving his arms a bit to try and see if he could somehow flip the net / web thingy off of himself. He didn't very well see how he could maim and eventually kill Jax if he was still tangled up in this mess. He laughed at her last comment, agreeing with a light nod of his head. " Well, it was until you came along. " In reality, he supposed the girl had made things a bit more interesting, but he wasn't going to tell her that.