Chapter 13
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Chapter 13 :: Hogwarts Grounds :: Stables and Arena :: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
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 AuthorTopic: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton) (Read 436 times)
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #15 on Jun 6, 2005, 6:12pm »
[Quote]

"Well, you're probably right. Perhaps he has more appreciation for me than I realize."

"Of course I'm right," Linton said loftily, eyes sparkling; he was joking, of course, though at the same time there was almost a ring of truth in his words. He wasn't normally an arrogant young man, but being around a House full of arrogant people had the tendency to rub off on him. Giving Rebel and Sophie a grin, he added, "I'm sure he loves you, if only because you feed him." It was that way with horses, it seemed - at least, sometimes like that. Horses did get attached to thier riders sometimes, he supposed, but the way to win a horses heart was through food.

It was that case with a lot of animals though.

Ceallach flicked an ear back at Linton again, as though he could tell that his owner was thinking about food, and then looked briefly toward Rebel, flicking his tail and hurrying up. Rolling his eyes Linton reigned Ceallach in, wondering if the warhorse found Rebel frightening or annoying - or perhaps a bit of both. He didn't really think about it for long, however, as Sophie giggled. Giggled. He wouldn't have thought of Sophie as the type of girl who would giggle, but clearly he'd been mistaken.

"Well if that's the case, I'm very sorry. Especially since you've already offered to spend time in my company, and there's no way I'm going to let you back out of it now."

"I though as much," Linton said with a laugh; she'd seemed rather enthusiastic about being told whether or not she was riding properly, and he hadn't thought that she'd have let an opportunity like the one he'd offered go. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he'd offered, however - it had been an impulsive action, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it yet. "You probably aren't going to let me forget, either. Do you have clothes to wear while we ride?" It was almost a complete change of subject, but it made sense - to Linton.

((ooc: Short, apologies.))
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #16 on Jun 7, 2005, 5:37pm »
[Quote]

"Of course I'm right,"

"Well, I'm glad to see you aren't full of yourself or anything," she teased in reply. From what she could tell of Linton, he wasn't the high-and-mighty type, so she didn't mind his play acting. Besides that, even if he had been extremely arrogant, it wouldn't have warranted any complaints from her as long as he was going to continue to give her riding lessons.

"I'm sure he loves you, if only because you feed him."

"Yes, he most likely does," Sophie agreed, "And I don't think he minds the fact that I take him out to exercise, either...even if he does get a bit overenthusiastic sometimes."

She wondered at the way horses seemed to live for their food. Food was all good and well, but it just didn't seem important enough to make the basis of whether or not you liked somebody. Then again, she wasn't a horse, even if she had wished she was when she was five. Their minds were bound to work differently, and she supposed it wasn't as if they had other things to do, like go to school or have a hobby. It was basically the only thing they did.

"I thought as much. You probably aren't going to let me forget, either. Do you have clothes to wear while we ride?"

The topic change didn't phase Sophie in the least. She was perfectly content to babble about anything. "Yes," she replied cheefully, "I have a split skirt that will be fine." The only reason she didn't wear it more often is that it would warrant some strange looks walking down the hallway and it would violate the school uniform, seeing as it was green. She had tried to convince her father to only buy her crimson clothing, seeing as it was the only thing she was allowed to wear to school, but he hadn't been able to convince Ms. Marchbrooks, and she had insisted that red clashed too terribly with Sophie's hair, buying her green instead. What was supposed to have been a skirt for school had quickly been turned into a makeshift riding skirt that suited it's purposes quite well.

(( OOC - that's okay, mine's pretty short, as well. >.< ))
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #17 on Jun 7, 2005, 6:09pm »
[Quote]

"Well, I'm glad to see you aren't full of yourself or anything,"

"Me? Full of myself?" Linton tilted his head back slightly, arrogantly. "Hardly. I'm as amazing as I think I am." He couldn't help but snicker slightly, however, and that ruined the effect he'd been going for. Oh well; that was alright. He'd pull through; after all, he was amazing - at some things. Hopefully, however, he wasn't arrogant about it. He didn't think that he was arrogant, but he supposed that some people could have seen him as such.

For a moment he was tempted to ask Sophie if she thought that he was arrogant, but realized that she probably hadn't known him long enough to say. His thoughts then went to asking his siblings, but he doubted that they'd give him an honest answer. Who did that leave? The other Slytherins? Right. The chances of another Slytherin being totally honest with him were slim to none, just because they were Slytherins. Being their Housemate meant nothing. If anything, it meant that they'd be more likely to lie to him, because he was apparently the type to take advantage of anything. It would be safer to lie.

"Yes, he most likely does. And I don't think he minds the fact that I take him out to exercise, either...even if he does get a bit overenthusiastic sometimes."

"True," Linton agreed. "Rebel probably gets out less than the other horses because he's so enthusiastic. I know if I was a horse I'd appreciate the little exercise I got." He shifted slightly, adjusting his reigns slightly and grinning. It was a good thing he wasn't a horse; that would be odd and besides, he wouldn't have been having this conversation. Perhaps all Gryffindors weren't as bad as Linton had thought they were; the majority of them were loud and obnoxious, but thus far Sophie didn't seem to be too bad in those areas.

Of course, he hadn't known her for very long. Perhaps she was on her best behaviour; if this was her best behaviour he would have been worried, but he was more prepared to handle irresponsible or odd female behaviour than many other Slytherins. After all, he'd actually been raised in a barn, and he wasn't quite so bound by the rulings of society. That was hardly saying much, though - society was strict and even a lowly stablehand was bound by unwritten rulings and all of those fun things.

"Yes, I have a split skirt that will be fine."

"Oh, good," Linton said, blushing slightly again; he wasn't quite sure how they would have solved the problem otherwise, and he wasn't really into seeing girls flashing their legs everywhere. It was embarrassing - she was hardly his wife, after all! Clearing his throat slightly, he continued quickly. "Hopefully that will be good enough - it would be awkward to try and buy proper clothing during the school year, because you'd have to wait for a Hogsmeade weekend." He wasn't quite sure when the first Hogsmeade weekend was, but he didn't think it was in September.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #18 on Jun 9, 2005, 9:52pm »
[Quote]

"Me? Full of myself? Hardly. I'm as amazing as I think I am."

Unfortunately for Linton, the snicker at the end of his statement ruined the haughty effect. Sophie couldn't help but laugh at this. Putting a hand over her heart, she feigned swooning. "How can anyone resist the oh-so-perfect Linton?" she asked dramatically. Rebel, though, apparently decided that as long as they were being dramatic, he might as well have a part in it, as well. He very suddenly pretended to shy at a rock on the ground before using that as an excuse to break into a trot. Sophie managed to get her free hand back on the reins quickly, but he gave his head a stubborn toss when she gently tugged at his mouth, telling her that he was in no mood for walking.

"Rebel, don't," she told the bay as she gently tugged on the reins, his head bobbing in annoyance. She halted the big bay in order to wait for Linton and Ceallach to catch up, although he wasn't very appreciative of this, either. He stomped a foot impatiently, and set off at a definite speedwalk when she allowed him to venture forward again. Sophie hoped he didn't decide to buck her off - all she needed was to look like a fool in front of the person that was going to give her riding lessons. If she hadn't already made herself look like such, that was.

"True," Linton agreed. "Rebel probably gets out less than the other horses because he's so enthusiastic. I know if I was a horse I'd appreciate the little exercise I got."

"Me, too," Sophie agreed, "And I haven't been able to ride as much as I usually do this week because of homework." She paused in order to give a grimace. "So poor Rebel hasn't gotten out as much as he would like." She patted the bay's neck sympathetically, and he seemed slightly subdued.

She thought for a moment, her hand rubbing the gelding's withers, wondering if she was completely annoying Linton with all her chatter. "Do I talk too much?" she asked worriedly. "No, wait, I know the answer to that question. I do. What I mean is does it bother you? Because I can be quiet, when I really want to." She grinned slightly in his direction. The promise of riding lessons was enough to make her really want to be quiet, should he require it. Or, if she was really bugging him, they could just set a date for a lesson and she'd leave him in peace. It was hard to tell, because she was used to being around people that either chatted back to her or told her, quite plainly, to shut up. Linton wasn't exactly chattering, though he didn't seem to mind her company - but he could simply be being polite.

"Oh, good."

Sophie blushed slightly, as well, at this comment. It was a bit hard to discuss riding clothing, she supposed, when you were of different genders - and she had never had a female that she could discuss riding clothing with before, so she supposed she would have to get used to blushing at the mention of split skirts and long underwear. Not that she had brought up the latter, and she certainly didn't intend to anytime soon.

"Hopefully that will be good enough - it would be awkward to try and buy proper clothing during the school year, because you'd have to wait for a Hogsmeade weekend."

"Do you think I should buy proper clothing, when I get a chance?" Sophie asked curiously. 'Proper clothing', of course, entailed men's clothing, and she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to buy that without more than a few questioning stares. Which meant that hopefully, she would know Linton well enough by the next Hogsmeade weekend to know if she could con him into buying some for her. As unlikely as a good relationship between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor was - much likely a boy giving a girl riding lessons - she hoped that it would work out. So far, she had absolutely no reason to dislike Linton, and she hoped she hadn't given him a reason to dislike her.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #19 on Jun 10, 2005, 9:16pm »
[Quote]

"How can anyone resist the oh-so-perfect Linton?"

"You can't," Linton teased, placing a hand on his chest and doing a rather good imitation of the pose Godric Gryffindor had in one of the paintings hanging around the castle. It was almost like the position of a muggle knight when he was trying to look both noble and chivalrous at the same time - it was a challenge, as nobles tended to look arrogant, and at the current moment Linton wasn't trying to act arrogant. Not that he normally tried to act arrogant; sometimes, however, that was the best way to fend off annoying people who needed to talk to him. Of course he couldn't do that any more, since he was a prefect - when people needed to talk to him it was usually something to do with his position.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that, even after a year of being a prefect.

Linton liked attention; that was a fact. He was in this world for one person - himself. He wasn't necessarily a bad person, but in order to do well for himself he wouldn't hesitate to do what was necessary. If getting to something he wanted meant that he had to step on others to get there, so be it. He wouldn't lose sleep over the misfortunes of others. It was their fault that they got in his way - the world was based on the survival of the fittest, and Linton was determined to be the one who survived, no matter the cost.

His attention was recaptured as Rebel decided that the rock on the road was frightening and took off at a trot, leaving poor Sophie to regain her grip on the reins. Linton nudged Ceallach forward, and the warhorse picked up a trot gladly. As a result, it took but a moment to catch up with the now stopped Rebel and Sophie.

"Silly horse," Linton said, almost affectionately and with a definite grin on his face. He wasn't laughing at Sophie, since she hadn't fallen off yet - and even if she fell he wasn't sure if he'd laugh. He actually liked her, which was odd since she was a Gryffindor, and he didn't usually laugh at people he got along with. Now if it had been Mael getting bucked off he would have had a field day, but unfortunately Linton didn't think he'd ever see that happening. He didn't know if Mael rode or not, but if he did he was probably good at it.

That would be typically Mael. The older boy seemed to be good at everything, and that made Linton dislike him all that much more.

"Me, too, and I haven't been able to ride as much as I usually do this week because of homework. So poor Rebel hasn't gotten out as much as he would like."

Linton shared Sophie's grimace, tugging gently on Ceallach's mane absently and shifting a bit in order to make himself more comfortable. This saddle still needed to be broken in, since it was new, and it was a little larger than what he was used to - he wasn't used to being on horses quite this big either, though. If he'd gone on warhorses at home it had often been bareback, because that was the easiest way to sneak a ride. It was hardly the most comfortable way to ride a violent warhorse, and Linton hadn't hurt himself badly when he'd done it. He'd broken his arm once, but he didn't consider that a serious injury, especially since Philip's son's nursemaid had also been a witch skilled in medi-magic. She'd patched him up easily enough, with the warning never to do it again.

Clearly Linton hadn't listened, but she never found out unless she saw him from the castle somehow.

"I know what you mean," Linton turned his attention back to the subject at hand. "I had thought that OWLs year was bad enough, but the Professors don't seem to believe on taking it easy." He grimaced again. "It's just a good thing that I'm scheduled on night patrol often enough to do my homework then. I'm almost tempted to ask Mael or Rhona if they'll schedule me to work someplace like the rooftop or the basement corridors at night so that I actually have time to do my homework." Actually, that wasn't a bad idea. Of course if he asked Mael that the older boy would probably put Linton on the busiest hallways during the day, just to annoy him - Linton knew that he would do that if the positions were reversed - and as such it would probably have been his best bet to ask Rhona. He didn't know the Head Girl at all, since she was a Gryffindor, but that meant that she had to at least have some sort of idealistic sense, right?

Well, he wasn't sure. He didn't know much about Gryffindors in general, just that they were almost as annoying as the Hufflepuffs for different reasons.

Do I talk too much? No, wait, I know the answer to that question. I do. What I mean is does it bother you? Because I can be quiet, when I really want to."

"I'm sure," Linton said dryly before clearing his throat and answering her question for real. "No, it's fine - if you were talking too much I'd probably tell you in some subtle way or another. It's nice talking to someone who isn't out to get me so by all means, keep going. Unless you are out to get me?" His eyes were twinkling at the last question, and he grinned a bit. Most people weren't out to get him, but among the Slytherins one couldn't be too sure, and most people he talked to were Slytherins. Well, he did talk to professors, but aside from that - nope. He had no need to talk to anyone else.

He'd meant what he'd said, however, oddly enough. It was nice talking to someone who wasn't a Slytherin or male, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that Gryffindors - or at least this Gryffindor - weren't as bad as he'd been told that they were. Perhaps it was Sophie, who seemed to be a rather nice person, or perhaps it was just him. It didn't really matter either way. He and Sophie could have been getting along so well just because they shared a common interest: horses. He hoped it was more than that, however, as he really was enjoying their conversation.

"Do you think I should buy proper clothing, when I get a chance?"

Linton turned the question over in his mind before answering.

"It's hard to say. I mean, if you got caught in them I'd hate to think of the consequences, but if you would rather do that then wear a split skirt, I suppose that would be alright." It would take him a very long time, though, to get used to seeing a girl in breeches. That was just... odd. Almost too odd for Linton - he wasn't sure if he wanted to see any girl in breeches. Glancing at Sophie out of the corner of his eye, he added, "Would you feel comfortable in breeches?" He wasn't sure if she would, just because she had been wearing skirts all of her life; he knew that if he had to wear a skirt, he would have never been comfortable. Of course, he knew that that would never be the case, and felt himself turning slightly red at such an absurd thought.

Honestly! Where had that thought even come from?
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #20 on Jun 12, 2005, 10:23am »
[Quote]

"You can't."

Sophie gave a pointed roll of her eyes toward his ridiculous pose, but she couldn't keep up her serious expression for long, and as a result of trying to stifle her laughter, she erupted into giggles after a moment. "You look ridiculous," she informed him, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She wouldn't bring up the fact that she had probably looked just as ridiculous a moment ago, though she wouldn't put it past him to do so. She also wouldn't mention the fact that he had managed to look remarkably like a picture of Godric Gryffindor that was hanging near the Charms classroom. Poor old Godric, to be mocked by Slytherins...and have a Gryffindor giggle at it.

"Silly horse,"

"Indeed," Sophie agreed wryly, glad that he at least wasn't laughing at her.

Truthfully, she probably would have laughed at herself, especially if she had been riding a gigantic, gorgeous, even-tempered war horse. Good thing Linton didn't, then, because it would have embarassed her terribly. She had gotten laughed at quite a bit when she had first started riding, by her brother. It had been his idea to teach her to ride on a neighbor's pony, which had bucked her off more times than she could remember. It had also prepared her well enough for riding horses like Rebel, who bucked higher and were much harder to control. But she had soon tired of hearing his chuckling every time she hit the dirt, and had stopped her habit of sailing through the air often enough. She had even managed to astonish him when she had taught their gentle cart horse to be ridden - he hadn't put up much of a fight, mind you, being so compliant and all, but her brother didn't need to know that.

She had never gotten any serious injuries from riding, often enough. She seemed to be incredibly resilient, and after learning to ride on the crazy bucking pony, it had been rare for her to take a fall that she hadn't planned. She had once gotten it in her mind that she could travel with the circus and perform tricks on horseback, however, and her attempt to stand up on the back of their family's horse while it was cantering had ended badly. She had fallen off and tumbled down the hill into a stream, where she had gotten completely soaked and more than a few bruises, and when her family found her she was limping home in her brother's shirt and long underwear. They hadn't been happy, to say the least.

"I know what you mean. I had thought that OWLs year was bad enough, but the Professors don't seem to believe on taking it easy."

"No kidding," Sophie replied, thinking with a frown of all the homework they had piled on the sixth years.

"It's just a good thing that I'm scheduled on night patrol often enough to do my homework then. I'm almost tempted to ask Mael or Rhona if they'll schedule me to work someplace like the rooftop or the basement corridors at night so that I actually have time to do my homework."

Sophie laughed. "I don't imagine you'll catch trespassers in the basement very often," she remarked, "But the roof...it would seem like the roof would be a good place to go, wouldn't it?" She tilted her head, having never visited the roof before, since the idea had never occured to her, but now having an inclination to go. "I think it would be a rather romantic setting, wouldn't it?" she questioned. Of course, that was before remembering that she wasn't talking to any of her fellow Gryffindor girl friends, but rather a Slytherin boy who probably didn't want to hear about what she thought was romantic. Still, she made a mental note to visit the roof one day - or rather, one night. Assuming nobody would be put on patrol there, that was.

It was odd, talking to Linton with such ease that she had momentarily forgotten that some things just wouldn't be sensible to talk about. For one thing, he was a boy. She had had her share of boys that she considered friends, but in recent years their numbers had dwindled considerably, mostly because they were all either after some girl or getting married to one. Sophie herself wasn't sure if she was going to end up an old maid or not. She wasn't disgracefully ugly, but her family was poor - and incomplete, in a way. Families seemed to matter a lot to people, though she couldn't see why. Probably so that someone annoying like Theresa could get married to some handsome, strong knight and Sophie could simply watch in jealousy as she grew old continuing to knit her father and brother's torn clothes back together.

Then there was the fact that Linton was a Slytherin. She hadn't conversed with many of them, but that was mostly because she had gone through her years at Hogwarts believing they were arrogant, sneaky gits who were out to get Gryffindors. Linton didn't seem like the type that was out to get her, and if he was, he was certainly doing a good job of getting her to believe that he wasn't. He made her wonder why there was so much tension between the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses - they were, after all, getting along fine, where it seemed that many of their fellow housemates had failed before.

"I'm sure. No, it's fine - if you were talking too much I'd probably tell you in some subtle way or another. It's nice talking to someone who isn't out to get me so by all means, keep going. Unless you are out to get me?"

Sophie smiled, happy that she wouldn't have to devote all of her energy to keeping her mouth shut. Because it did require a great deal of energy. "Out to get you, hmm?" she asked, as if considering it, "Nope, I don't think I am." Of course, if she was, she probably wouldn't tell him so anyway. But he'd just have to trust her to be honest. Gryffindors were supposed to be chivalrous, after all, and honesty had to be included in there somewhere. Sophie couldn't say that she lied often. Usually, the only time she would was when she was going to be in major trouble if she didn't, and even then, she was absolutely horrible at it - not to mention the feeling it gave her in the pit of her stomach. It just wasn't worth it, no matter how you look at it.

"It's hard to say. I mean, if you got caught in them I'd hate to think of the consequences, but if you would rather do that then wear a split skirt, I suppose that would be alright."

Sophie considered the choice. She really couldn't say whether or not she'd prefer it, because she had never tried it. As for the consequences - well, she was putting herself on the line enough as it was - she might as well go the whole way and see if breeches improved her riding more than long underwear and split skirts did.

"Would you feel comfortable in breeches?"

There was another problem. By herself, she'd probably feel perfectly comfortable. In front of Linton, probably not. "Er...I don't know," she replied, flushing slightly herself, "I suppose I'd have to try it out and see, wouldn't I?" Well, there, that was as good as saying that she was going to go out and get breeches herself. It was amazing the things she got herself into - even her father and her brother wouldn't be able to fathom this. Most likely, nobody else would, either. Of course, that wasn't to say that she wasn't going to be careful, because she had every intention of doing so.

Unfortunately, Sophie's idea of careful was often another's version of daring.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #21 on Jun 12, 2005, 11:29am »
[Quote]

"You look ridiculous,"

"Ridiculous? I?" Linton pretended to be completely offended by the comment, doing his best not to burst out laughing right then. It was odd, this entire conversation - not only was it with a girl, but a Gryffindor. He hardly got along this well with his housemates, and he lived with them; of course, that might have been why they didn't get along so well with each other. Living together revealed sides of people's personalities that were previously hidden. Linton, however, didn't think that that was the entirety of the problem, but wasn't going to think about it any longer than he had to.

Linton wasn't acting very Linton-ish - he hadn't really teased anyone or joked around with anyone with no ill intentions for a great length of time, if at all. At home he was a servant, so he only socialized with other servants; they were mostly busy with their own duties. He and his siblings had gotten along fine, and he'd had a few friends, but they'd played games such as tag and hide-and-seek. They didn't ride; he was the only one among his friends who even knew how to ride properly. A thought struck him suddenly as he was remenicing - How did Philip know that I could ride? It was most definitely implied by giving him a warhorse, and Linton knew that Philip wasn't the type to stick someone on a horse they couldn't handle. Linton hadn't ever considered the thought that he'd been watched when he'd snuck his rides on the horses when he was younger, and he didn't consider it now. He thought it absurd. He'd been careful!

"I don't imagine you'll catch trespassers in the basement very often. But the roof...it would seem like the roof would be a good place to go, wouldn't it?"

Linton shrugged a bit, shaking his head; it was true that he caught more people up there than he did in the basement, but that wasn't saying much since he'd never caught anyone in the basement at night. It was dark, and most of the younger students found it frightening. The older students had better places to waste their time, so they rarely ventured into it's dark damp depths unless they absolutely had to. That was the only reason Linton went down there; it was dirty, wet, and smelled like mold. In his opinion, the caretakers and House Elves needed to clean down there more often - much more often. He wasn't going to tell them that though, since it was their job. He hated it when people told him how to do his job - he figured that they would do the same.

Linton was unusually considerate for a Slytherin.

"I think it would be a rather romantic setting, wouldn't it?"

"It depends on what your perception of romantic is," Linton commented, rolling his eyes slightly. Romance; he hadn't put Sophie down for being concerned with things like that, but apparently he'd been wrong on that count. He wasn't sure what a romantic setting consisted of, and didn't really care either, but he said nothing to that effect. Instead, he said, "I usually go around the roof once, and then post myself in a place where I can both work on homework and keep an eye on the stairs. That way I can do both." He'd worked out patrolling the rooftop to an art, and he was almost proud of that. Most people hated patrolling the rooftop because then they recieved the brunt of the cold winter weather or the rain, or whatever, but Linton didn't mind it. He knew some good weather repelling charms, and had no problems with getting a little wet.

"Out to get you, hmm? Nope, I don't think I am."

"Oh, good," Linton grinned a bit, glancing at Sophie for a few moments until Ceallach decided that he didn't like Rebel for real. His ears went back and he edged toward the other horse, turning his head sideways in an attempt to nip at the other horse. Linton moved back over quickly, scolding Ceallach under his breath - stupid horse. Not that he wanted to be close to Sophie, exactly - he didn't want to be miles away from her, but he still wasn't sure what to make of the Gryffindor girl. Rather, he wasn't sure how he felt about her. He was most certainly warming up to her, and that worried him.

She was, after all, a Gryffindor.

"Er...I don't know. I suppose I'd have to try it out and see, wouldn't I?"

"Ah." A Gryffindor in breeches. Linton's face burned, and he studiously stared at the back of Ceallach's head, hoping that she wouldn't notice. The turn this conversation had taken was embarrassing him - and what was worse was that he'd brought the subject up! He fiddled with the reins and did his best not to think about it. After a few moments, he said,

"Well, perhaps we'll stick with split skirts at first, unless you think you need breeches?" He was slightly hopeful, and it was clear from the red colour of his face that he was embarrassed and uncomfortable.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #22 on Jun 12, 2005, 2:07pm »
[Quote]

"Ridiculous? I?"

"Yes, you," Sophie confirmed, "And very much so." She smirked teasingly at him. It really struck her as funny how open he seemed. She had always thought of Slytherins as reserved and quiet, not at all ones to joke around and tease, but Linton didn't seem that way at all. Which was good, because very serious people often confused Sophie. She didn't see what the point was in walking around not having fun all the time - it would...well...it would take all the fun out of life. Which she was fairly certain wasn't supposed to happen.

Nevertheless, she was a bit concerned about the fact that she was beginning to feel as if Linton was her friend. It wouldn't be so bad, except that she hadn't known him for very long and, well, she wasn't even going to start thinking about the whole House differences thing. She decided that it didn't really matter - if she and Linton got along, then she shouldn't always be thinking about how Slytherins were supposed to be sneaky and cunning and such, should she? It would be best to just forget about that, at least for the time being.

"It depends on what your perception of romantic is,"

Sophie caught the eye-roll and laughed. "Well, I guess so," she agreed, "Maybe it just seems romantic to me compared to a basement." Besides that, she had never really liked basements at all, anyhow. She had always made her brother go with her when they had ventured into their basement at home when she was young, and even now that she was older, she always left the door at the top of the stairs open, ran down to get whatever she wanted, and then ran back up as fast as she could without tripping over herself and falling back down the stairs. Her father and brother thought this extremely funny and tended to send her down there to get things they didn't really need, even though she yelled at them when they did that.

"I usually go around the roof once, and then post myself in a place where I can both work on homework and keep an eye on the stairs. That way I can do both."

"That sounds like fun," Sophie replied honestly, "I mean, nobody comes up to the roof at nighttime really, do they? So you get to be alone. Or is it cold?"

She knew from experience that it was cold around the castle at nighttime, especially past curfew, and she assumed it was even more cold outside. There were always spells to keep oneself warm, but she had never used them herself for fear of attracting the people that patrolled the hallways. Her adventurous spirit had often led her to stroll around the castle at night, and oddly enough, she had never gotten in any trouble. She was of the belief that she could make it through the next two years without getting caught, if she had made it thus far.

She wasn't sure how Linton would react to knowing about her nighttime strolls, so she didn't mention anything about it. She didn't think he was the type to set out a special call for everyone to catch her, but she didn't want to take that chance. She enjoyed breaking the rules for the simple reason that they didn't seem to be created for anything else. What was the point of haivng a curfew if you weren't tired? Sophie had an almost endless source of energy, and it wasn't often that she found herself ready to go straight to sleep when it came time.

"Oh, good,"

Sophie barely had time to smile before Ceallach decided that Rebel was no longer to have the privilege of walking so close to him. Rebel, of course, didn't appreciate the look the other horse was sending his way, or the nip, and it was lucky that Sophie was used to riding him, or she might have come unseated when he promptly pranced sideways, pointedly turning his rear end in Ceallach's direction and giving a little hop. "Rebel, stop it," Sophie muttered under her breath as she turned him around again, ignoring the fact that he was still a bit jumpy underneath her. Ceallach was easily both bigger and stronger than Rebel, but Rebel didn't seem to realize that.

"Ah."

Well, he didn't sound particularly excited about that, and Sophie thought it amusing. All right, so she wasn't quite sure how she'd feel in breeches. Exposed? Maybe. But if they would help her ride better, it would certainly be worth the embarassment, wouldn't it? Then again, if Linton was trying to give her a lesson without looking at her legs, it would be kind of hard to improve. Split skirts seemed to be the way to go in this case, as was shown by Linton's hopeful question.

"Well, perhaps we'll stick with split skirts at first, unless you think you need breeches?"

"No, I don't need them now," Sophie agreed, "Besides, I have nowhere to get them." And she certainly wasn't about to go asking him if he had a pair that would fit her. Breeches would just have to wait for a better time, and perhaps she could experiment with them before she ever subjected Linton to the torture of seeing her in them. If she chose to, that is. But really, he had brought up the question in the first place, and how was she supposed to answer it if she had never worn breeches before?

She did think that a change of subject might be in order, though, if not only to spare Linton's face from turning the color of her hair, which it looked about to do.

"Hank said Hogwarts would be getting a new horse next week," she piped, "It was a gift from some big important someone or another." Though whatever the horse was, it probably wouldn't be nearly as gorgeous as Ceallach...still, she was very excited about the event, since she had been promised to be the first one to ride it.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #23 on Jun 12, 2005, 3:40pm »
[Quote]

"Yes, you. And very much so."

"Well, at least I now know," He remarked mock cheerfully, his voice airy and overly nonchalant. He was completely relaxed, his posture not giving away anything about his thoughts - which were mostly concerning Sophie. The Gryffindor girl was confusing him to no end. He wasn't sure what to make of her; a Gryffindor, yes, a girl, yes, but at the same time the conversation they were having was rather enjoyable. If he hadn't known any better Linton would have thought that he would have been dreaming, and as it was he was beginning to wonder if hell had frozen over. That had to be the only explanation for all of this.

Because Slytherin boys and Gryffindor girls didn't get along all that well. At least, they weren't supposed to.

Perhaps he wasn't as Slytherin as he'd thought he was, and she wasn't as Gryffindor as she appeared. He found it easier to believe that he wasn't especially Slytherin - or that Sophie had yet to see his darker side. He was intensely competitive, though he didn't really 'compete' with girls - that was hardly fair, and he wasn't going to take advantage of a woman. He didn't even think Mael would sink that low, though sometimes he wasn't so sure.

"Well, I guess so. Maybe it just seems romantic to me compared to a basement."

"I think anything would be romantic compared to the basement," Linton agreed, nodding; the basement was disgusting. Not frightening, because Linton wasn't afraid of the dark, just disgusting. In fact, Linton was not afraid of many things - losing, certainly, and definitely dying. But what sane man wouldn't be scared of dying? Losing was not a fear so much as an extreme dislike, almost to the point of fear. That was why he was so extremely competitive - it kept him on top, almost all of the time.

"That sounds like fun. I mean, nobody comes up to the roof at nighttime really, do they? So you get to be alone. Or is it cold?"

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say fun, Linton answered, glancing over at Sophie with a half-grin brushing across his features. "It's certainly more enjoyable than some of the places I have to patrol, especially close to the end of term. No one ever goes up there, or at least very rarely, and I've picked up a few charms here and there to keep me one." He grinned. "If there's anything I'm good at, it's charms." Well, that wasn't quite true; he was marginally better at Defense Against the Dark Arts. However, he wasn't going to brag any more than he already had.

Which was, technically, not very much, at least for Linton. After all, what good was being the best if no one knew you were?

"No, I don't need them now. Besides, I have nowhere to get them."

"True," Linton agreed, wondering how odd it would have looked for her to have purchased some in Hogsmeade. She would have to pass them off as a gift, and they usually had to be tailored. Unless she somehow convinced the tailor that she was an approximate fit, she'd have to find another way. The chances of her convincing the tailor of that were slim to none - she still had a girl's figure. Linton flushed suddenly, when he realized what he'd thought, and went back to studying his reins, and was very glad when Sophie changed the subject.

"Hank said Hogwarts would be getting a new horse next week. It was a gift from some big important someone or another."

"Really?" Linton's face lit up; even with Ceallach, he still couldn't help but admire other horses. They were all so pretty! The girly thought passed through his mind briefly and again Linton flushed a bit when he realized what he'd thought, though nothing that couldn't be mistaken for the blush that was still fading from before. Grinning, he asked, "You spend a lot of time in the stables, don't you?" His tone was lightly teasing, but at the same time serious, an odd mix.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #24 on Jun 12, 2005, 4:51pm »
[Quote]

"Well, at least I now know,"

"Don't worry, I'll be sure and tell you anytime you start acting ridiculous," Sophie replied teasingly. Which was true, of course, because she usually didn't hesitate to tell anyone that they looked ridiculous. Of course, Linton was purposely acting that way, so it didn't really apply to him. She didn't see the point in hiding it from people when they really were acting silly, though. She would want to know if she were acting ridiculous - though people did seem to tell her that she was quite often, it was mostly teachers or adults and never students, except for the ones that thought they were better than everyone else and anyone that didn't act like them was ridiculous. In which case she promptly told them to go mind their own business.

"I think anything would be romantic compared to the basement,"

"Yes, probably," Sophie agreed. She couldn't think of anything else that would be less romantic, though she was sure that if she thought long enough, she could. Still, she really wasn't in the mood for debating over the most and least romantic spots around, and she didn't think she would ever be. That was more a task for some of her friends, whom she was sure had lists of such places laying around.

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say fun,"

Sophie returned his grin a bit sheepishly. It sounded like fun to her, of course, because she wasn't thinking of it in terms of nighttime patrols when one would, no doubt, rather be doing something else.

"It's certainly more enjoyable than some of the places I have to patrol, especially close to the end of term. No one ever goes up there, or at least very rarely, and I've picked up a few charms here and there to keep me warm."

Sophie nodded, thinking that the rooftop would certainly be a good place to practice various charms - there was a very small chance of it backfiring on somebody in the process (which had happened to her quite a few times when she was trying charms that were more than a few levels above her), and you couldn't get in trouble for practicing magic in the hallways and whatnot.

"If there's anything I'm good at, it's charms."

"Really?" Sophie piped excitedly, "Me too!" Now this had to be very uncommon - a Gryffindor and a Slytherin with more than one shared interest. Could this encounter get any more unusual? "I love Charms - it's my favorite subject," she babbled happily, "When I'm not at the stables - or actually, sometimes when I am - I practice some. I really don't think the school teaches us enough, I mean, they're dreadfully useful, don't you think? And they're fun, too."

"True,"

For some reason, Linton's response was coupled with a blush. Sophie wasn't sure she quite wanted to know the reason, since after all, she had no idea how boys' minds worked, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. When she was younger, she had thought that it must be awfully exciting to be a boy, but she had never wanted to be one for the reason that they had to go to school for much longer, and school was utterly boring to her. Now that she was older, she thought that it all depended on the person as to how exciting they were. She liked to think that she lived a pretty exciting - or at least adventurous - life. She'd never become a female knight or anything (not that she would decline if offered the position), but she didn't think she'd ever really become a proper young lady. Which only added to the excitement.

"Really?"

"Yes, but he refuses to tell me anything about it," Sophie complained, "He said he wants it to be a surprise." She paused for a moment, contemplating on whether or not she wanted to reserve the right to be the first one to see the new horse for herself or not. She supposed that since Linton was giving her lessons, though, it was the least she could do. "It'll be here early Friday morning, if you want to come see it with me," she offered finally, and then, with a grin, "Hank said I could ride it first thing after classes." And make no mistake. After classes, Sophie was going to be at the stable, riding the new horse. There was nothing that could stop her.

"You spend a lot of time in the stables, don't you?"

"Probably most of my free time, actually," Sophie admitted with a smile, "I've always gotten along with horses, though, ever since I was little - it's like I can't help it." Truthfully, she understood horses better than she understood most people. They didn't mind that she rode astride or that her hair wasn't neatly placed about her head. They didn't care about the fact that she chattered constantly, and they even seemed to listen. Besides that, they were fun to ride. Who could blame her?
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #25 on Jun 28, 2005, 9:55pm »
[Quote]

((ooc: HAH! I finally replied!))

"Don't worry, I'll be sure and tell you anytime you start acting ridiculous,"

"I'm sure you will," Linton replied, very serious; he suspected that Sophie was probably too vocal for her own good. Thus far it seemed like she was. Not that that was a bad thing, in his opinion; if she had the brains and the passion, she should have been able to channel them into something worth while. He couldn't understand how some women could sit around all day stitching at cloth (even if tapestries were pretty and clothing was useful), but then, he also couldn't understand how some men could lock themselves in their libraries and spend their lives studying. Studying was all and well, but only if you were going to do something with it - that was the only reason he read so many books during the school year. His goal in life was to become an Auror, and that was hardly an easy profession; hell, among the Slytherins it wasn't a common one either, so he had no one to turn to for support or to answer his questions. Slytherins were the ones Aurors were hunting, for God's sake!

"Yes, probably,"

Except perhaps the lavatories, He thought with a smile, and nearly said that outloud before he remembered that Sophie was female - and that he hardly knew her. One conversation was hardly enough to base anything off of, even if it had been a good conversation thus far. Even if they'd known each other well, though, Linton wouldn't have said that because Sophie was female, even if she was outspoken for her sex. That wasn't an appropriate comment, and though Linton had literally grown up in a barn he knew better than that.

"Really? Me too!"

Linton couldn't help but share Sophie's grin; he was beginning to wonder if he'd been placed in the right House, or if she had been placed in the wrong one. This conversation was becoming entirely too odd. What was worse was that he wasn't sure if he wanted it to end.

"I love Charms - it's my favorite subject. When I'm not at the stables - or actually, sometimes when I am - I practice some. I really don't think the school teaches us enough, I mean, they're dreadfully useful, don't you think? And they're fun, too."

"They are indeed - the only thing I'm better at is Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I have difficulty finding a useful application for those spells. Now, at least - I plan on becoming and Auror after graduation." Well, that was the most he'd told anyone about himself in one breath; he hadn't exactly shouted out to his Housemates that he was good at Defense Against the Dark Arts - since that implied that the only reason he was good at that class was because he practiced the Dark Arts as well - and he didn't run around telling people he wanted to be an Auror either. It was the type of profession that people wanted to go into because it sounded flashy, though in his case he wanted to go into it for genuine reasons, not to further himself.

Well, he did want to do that, but that wasn't his only reason for wanting to go into the field.

"Yes, but he refuses to tell me anything about it. He said he wants it to be a surprise."

"Of course he won't tell you anything," Linton said with a grin. "It's not that he wants it to be a surprise - he just likes pushing people's buttons." Well, that was true, though he was a nice enough man; he just had the tendency to do his best to annoy people without getting them truly mad at him. It was an art, but if there was anything Hank was good at, it was that.

"It'll be here early Friday morning, if you want to come see it with me. Hank said I could ride it first thing after classes."

"I would love to," Linton said with a grin. "Perhaps Ceallach will have some competition!" At his name the horse flicked an ear backwards, and seemed to decide that that was the cue for him to try and make a run for it. Run for what, Linton had no idea, but he didn't really care as he was forced to grab the reins suddenly and slow the over-excited horse down. He'd need to go for a good ride later, to let Ceallach expend all of his energy.

"Probably most of my free time, actually. I've always gotten along with horses, though, ever since I was little - it's like I can't help it."

"I know exactly what you mean," Linton said softly, and left it at that; he'd spent most of his time in the stables when he'd been a boy. He'd always been able to connect with the horses and at least they had been a silent, sympathetic listener when he'd needed to rant about Philip. It had been easier to talk to them, out in the middle of the field or at night in the stalls when there had been no one around to overhear him. Taking care of the horses had been perhaps the only duty he'd been assigned that he hadn't resented, and it was odd now that he thought about it. But then he glanced back down at Ceallach with a sad sort of smile, and decided that maybe it wasn't odd. Maybe it was just that horses were smarter than people...
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #26 on Jul 26, 2005, 7:38pm »
[Quote]

(( heehee, so did I ))

"I'm sure you will,"

Sophie only allowed herself a smile at that one - no doubt he had already figured out that she wasn't your typical sock-mending, scarf-making sort of girl. He didn't seem to mind, which was a good thing, because that probably contributed to his willingness to help her with her riding, but there were plenty of people who had already let Sophie know that they thought nothing of her unwillingness to let herself be made 'proper'. Her father, brother, and neighbors had all tried unsuccessfully to get her to leave the riding about the countryside to the men and focus on more 'acceptable outlets', as one had phrased it, but to no avail. Sophie was not one to be made tame, as she thought of it. It was a bit like horses, she supposed. Every now and again, you rode a perfectly trained horse who did everything you asked it to, but with a sort of indifference. Then, you would ride one that didn't do everything you asked it to, but when asked to do something it liked, it did so with passion. Surely the latter was more desirable, more tangible than the first - at least in her eyes, and why shouldn't it be the same way with people?

She nearly laughed aloud when Linton's smile matched her own - she knew what he was thinking. Either one of them was lying about their House, or this was a very unlikely alliance. She was inclined to think it was the latter.

"They are indeed - the only thing I'm better at is Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I have difficulty finding a useful application for those spells. Now, at least - I plan on becoming and Auror after graduation."

At first, it didn't register in Sophie's mind that this was the last sentence she ever expected to hear coming from a Slytherin's mouth. Instead, her mind filled with all the possible excitements that came with being an Auror. "Ooooh," she said excitedly, "That should be such an exciting job!" Rebel's ears perked at the excitement in her voice, and he sped up his walk considerably. "I mean, it's got everything, hasn't it? Catching the bad guys, getting paid - I bet Calleach will come in handy, won't he?" She could already see the handsome war horse stealthily galloping up a hill in her mind's eye, upon coming to the top, giving his rider (who, in her imagination, was, of course, her and not Linton) a full view of the camp below, where the enemies were stationed, unknowing of the presence of the highly trained team. For what couldn't be defeated with a beautiful horse by your side?

Rebel ruined her daydreams, however, by giving the reins a firm tug as he attempted to grab a bite of some brush to the right side of the path. She managed to get him away without having let him take a bite, and she swore that he stomped a couple of steps in bad temper before calming down once more.

"Of course he won't tell you anything. It's not that he wants it to be a surprise - he just likes pushing people's buttons."

Sophie laughed, picturing Hank's teasing eyes in her mind's eye. Oh yes, he knew how to push people's buttons, all right. "I think you're right," she agreed, "I'm still debating whether it's a natural skill or one borne of years of careful practice."

"I would love to. Perhaps Ceallach will have some competition!"

"Oh, I d-"

Sophie had been about to comment that she doubted that the school would be receving a horse as beautiful as Calleach, but at that moment the horse in question decided that it was time for a run, and she had her hands full convincing Rebel that it was not a race. She did allow him to trot to catch up to Calleach, though, although he refused to slow down until he was a nose ahead of the other horse.

"I know exactly what you mean,"

Sophie sighed contentedly as she petted Rebel's neck. It was nice to talk to someone who understood her love for horses and didn't criticize her about it, as people had been in the habit of doing lately. It wasn't that she let people get to her, because she really didn't, but certain people - such as her father and brother - had opinions that she held high. And when theirs clashed with hers, well...it just wasn't good. But here was someone who didn't seem to think her love of horses...more particularly, riding astride...all too bad. Or perhaps he did, but didn't want to say so. Either way, it was much better than being reprimanded - and it was odd that this was so, considering who they both were: a Gryffindor girl and a Slytheirn boy.

Still, why dwell on the fact when they both seemed more than willing to overlook it for their shared love of horses, and in this case, excited and energetic horses. Rebel was snorting impatiently, stomping as he walked, and Calleach looked as if he would very much like to get some energy out, as well. She knew that if she kept up trying to make Rebel calm down, it would merely result in a bucking fit or him trying to charge off with her.

"Would you like to go for a canter?" she suggested (though she suspected that keeping up with Calleach's canter would mean a gallop for Rebel).
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #27 on Aug 7, 2005, 5:35pm »
[Quote]

Linton smiled a bit, though mentally he was a little shocked with himself - honestly, how many people had he admitted his goals to? Very few, in reality. He could hardly talk about it with his Housemates, simply due to the fact that they were all Slytherin and honestly didn't see anything wrong with the Dark Arts. He didn't really think that any of the teachers truly cared, and he knew that he was already getting all the help he needed - he had no doubts that he would be able to continue in his chosen career. His marks guaranteed that, essentially, which was why he kept them so high. It was his goal in life to never have to depend on someone else, and that was one way to go about it. However, before he could take what he said back, Sophie spoke up.

"Ooooh, That should be such an exciting job! I mean, it's got everything, hasn't it? Catching the bad guys, getting paid - I bet Calleach will come in handy, won't he?"

"I never thought of that," Linton admitted, glancing down at his horse lovingly; it was quite true. A warhorse would come in handy - he supposed that, in a way, Aurors were the wizard's form of a knight. Brushing some stray hair from his face he shrugged mentally, glancing up. It didn't really matter - he didn't know much about muggles, nor did he really care to. He wouldn't have to deal with them, after all, at least not very often. Their way of life was rather... primative, and he didn't see how they could be any sort of threat at all anyway. He'd always have magic to defend himself with if it ever came to that.

"Though I can see how he would," Linton shook off his thoughts and continued his sentence before the pause went on for too long. "If he ever starts behaving himself," He added with a hint of laughter as the horse decided that it would be fun to misbehave - this time he was attempting to bite Rebel again.

"I think you're right. I'm still debating whether it's a natural skill or one borne of years of careful practice."

"I would hope it's careful practice - it wouldn't be fair if he was born that way. Imagine what he must have been like as a child!" Merlin, that would have been horrible; he didn't really like children as it was, but ones who knew how to annoy you? Well, annoy you more than usual. In his mind all children were annoying, and that was that. However, if he could push people's buttons he would have been more annoying that usual, and that was saying something. Ugh.

"Would you like to go for a canter?"

"If you feel up to it," Linton answered politely, though from the sparkle in his eyes and the grin on his face it was clear that he had little doubts about that. He didn't think that Sophie would have suggested it if she didn't think that she could handle it, and if she couldn't... well, they'd find out soon enough, wouldn't they? Gryffindors were famed for being brave, and that often translated into 'stupid', so it could have been one of those situations, but for a few moments there Linton had forgotten that Sophie was a Gryffindor. He shifted in Ceallach's saddle; he couldn't wait.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #28 on Aug 8, 2005, 11:45am »
[Quote]

(( OOC: Might be a bit short, but my mother is demanding me off the computer. ::) ))

"I never thought of that,"

Sophie smiled rather sheepishly. She tended to relate horses to almost everything, and could probably have found a use for Calleach in Linton's job even if he had wanted to be a Herbologist. An Auror simply made it easier for her to picture, though, and she thought the adventure would definitely be made all the more worthwhile with a horse. It was one of the reasons she loved reading Muggle books about knights on quests - to kill a dragon, to save the princess - it didn't matter that all of those things were highly overused. She just skipped to the parts where it described the horse (she would never read a book about a knight on foot). The horse, in all it's bravery and splendor and beauty, she thought, needed more recognition than it always got. How would the injured prince (for they had to be injured after defeating the dragon, especially if they had gone on foot) have gotten the princess home if not for the horse, after all?

As her million-mile-a-minute mind was contemplating the possibilities of that, her thoughts were interrupted by Linton's next statement.

"Though I can see how he would. If he ever starts behaving himself,"

Sophie gave a small laugh as Calleach chose that moment to attempt to bite Rebel, to which Rebel responded to by throwing his head up and attempting to angle his rear end at Cealleach. Knowing the power and force of those hooves was something Sophie had never experienced firsthand, but she had seen the battle scars of some of the horses out in the pasture, and she definitely didn't want Calleach - or Linton, for that matter - to have any of those scars. Rebel managed to settle himself down enough to merely swish his tail irritably and give Calleach dirty looks every few moments. Sophie patted the gelding's neck sympathetically. Oh, to be a horse and not be able to fight back - probably the same as to be a girl and not be able to ride properly...though she was making progress in that aspect.

"I would hope it's careful practice - it wouldn't be fair if he was born that way. Imagine what he must have been like as a child!"

Sophie grinned at the comment, but after a moment of imagining, she wrinkled her nose. "I suppose his mother would have had to have a lot of patience," she reasoned, "Or perhaps she just shipped him off to Hogwarts and wouldn't allow him to come home." She almost giggled again (but caught herself just in time), fairly sure that it was not the case. Hank had never really spoken of his mother with her, but he did write and receive letters from his family, so he couldn't have been too annoying as a child, or they wouldn't write him. Then again, she had always thought of the old man's habits as partially endearing. Unless there was a new horse involved. Then it was simply annoying.

"If you feel up to it,"

Sophie's eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked over at him. "Why Linton Amherst, I should think you would have figured out that asking me if I feel up to a canter is about as rhetorical as asking the clouds if it is to rain," she declared, and then, with a soft tap of her leg against Rebel's side, she added, "Catch us if you can!"

Rebel turned out to be more than ready to go. He leapt forward joyously, and Sophie had to struggle to keep her balance sitting sidesaddle. She let the reins have a bit more looseness, and he responded by giving his head a toss and attempting to fly into a full-out gallop. After a few snorts of contempt when she didn't let him, he settled into the pace, his nostrils flaring with excitement. Sophie knew that Calleach and Linton would have no problem keeping up with them, which was good - she had gone for a ride with a third year a while back who was riding a pony, and Rebel had not been content to keep pace with them at any gait.
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 Re: Early Morning Ride (ISO: Linton)
« Reply #29 on Aug 8, 2005, 12:20pm »
[Quote]

"I suppose his mother would have had to have a lot of patience. Or perhaps she just shipped him off to Hogwarts and wouldn't allow him to come home."

Linton laughed at that. The poor guy - stuck at Hogwarts all year round? As much as Linton loved the school, he knew that he wouldn't ever want to live there all year round. He wasn't especially fond of classes or uniforms, nor was he fond of the strictness of the rules. Home had it's drawbacks as well, of course, but those - namely Philip - could easily be avoided if he put his mind to it. Each place had it's own drawbacks, and that was that; if there was a perfect place on the planet, he'd yet to hear of it. If someone had found a perfect place, surely he would have heard of it by this point in his life - a perfect place was hardly something to keep quiet, after all.

Of course, perfection was rather relative. What he deemed perfect wouldn't have been perfect for say, Sophie, or Mael. Mael's perfect place would have lots of mirrors. Sophie's... Linton wasn't too sure. He didn't know her well enough to say yet. Of course, he hardly knew Mael well either, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that the older Slytherin thought far too much of himself.

"Why Linton Amherst, I should think you would have figured out that asking me if I feel up to a canter is about as rhetorical as asking the clouds if it is to rain,"

"Well, if you insist," Linton grinned, moving Ceallach just a little further from Rebel; his horse was eyeing the other horse hungrily again. The horse could sense his excitement and was getting jumpy, and almost seemed to want to take it out on Rebel - just because the other horse was there. Good God; Linton rolled his eyes at the thought. And he'd been so well behaved before!

"Catch us if you can!"

He grinned and took off after Sophie, Ceallach glad to get moving faster. It didn't really take them long to catch up to Sophie and Rebel, which wasn't very surprising. Grinning at the Gryffindor girl as he drew level with them, Linton wondered briefly if Sophie was always this... energetic. He couldn't think of the proper word, but that was the closest one that came to mind. Ceallach tried to speed up, getting rather excited, and as Linton reigned him in he called over to Sophie,

"We didn't discuss a time to meet to ride!" Well, they might have, but that was beside the point. That moment wasn't really the best time to bring it up either, but he was speaking before thinking. Whoops.

((ooc: Cruddy post, sorry.))
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