The Great Outdoors!

It was a beautiful spring afternoon. The grounds of Hogwarts looked lovely year round, but Will Sawyer thought it looked best this time of year.

Especially when there were no obligations to worry about. Despite the threats of N.E.WT.'s looming over his head, Will didn't care. It was a rare warm day in the mountains of Scotland, and Will inteded on not missing out on the best of it.

Curled up under the tree, Will was dosing peacefully. It was a good day for a nap.

None other than Matilda Silva was a few dozen yards over, working on homework of sorts. Fresh air helped clear her mind. She glanced up to gaze at the beautiful scenery (and resisted the temptation to break out her poetry scroll--that would be for another time). Looking around and enjoying the peaceful outside, her eyes happened upon a sleeping Will Sawyer. She reached into her bag, pulled out some parchment, crumpled it up, and threw it right at his face.

Will felt the scroll hit him, and his face wrinkled up in annoyance. But still, he did not sit up or open his eyes.

"You know, it's rather rude to interrupt someone like that while they're sleeping." he said sarcastically.

"You have a bed for sleeping," Matilda called over to him, going back to her writing. "If you don't want to be interrupted, I suggest you sleep there."

"Matilda, I am not about to hike all the way up to the Gryffindor tower, only to grab my bed and drag it all the way out there. That is simply a waste of energy and nap time." Will said in a simple voice.

Matilda swiveled her head and stared at him. "Wow. You really are retarded, aren't you?"

"No, I'm just trying to irritate you and distract you from your studies is all." Will finally sat up and stared at her, grinning.

"Hey, is it true Anthony pushed you into the lake?" he asked cheekily.

Matilda turned bright red. "He didn't push me!... I fell. Docks are slippery."

"Really now." Will sat up straight with interest, and he was still smiling at her.

"That wasn't what I heard... everyone's been talking about it, you know. Even Professor Brown."

Matilda rolled her eyes. "Please. They're just rumors. Such allegations are false and have, unfortunately, spread like wildfire."

"Oh, I see. From what I heard, Anthony actually picked you up and threw you down right into that lake. That would have been really frightening." Of course, Anthony only shoved her into the water. The rumors really had gone off the deep, so to speak. No pun intended.

Matilda actually laughed out loud. Now, that was preposterous. "HAH! Have you SEEN Anthony's arms? He's like a little chicken. There's no way he could pick me up, much less throw me."

"I don't know, Tilly. We have chickens at my house. And they can be really vicious if you rile them up. Once, when I was little I was playing with one of our Roosters, and he actually chased me around the place trying to peck at me! Would you believe that?" Will said, shuddering slightly at the thought of that monster Rooster.

Matilda snickered. "Boo-hoo, a little peck. That's going to do you SO much harm," she teased. "That chicken's, like, a fourth of your size. Same goes for Anthony and I. He couldn't pick me up if he tried."

"Well, I dunno. Let me check." Will stood up and looked down at her.

"From up here, you look pretty tiny." teased Will.

Matilda stood up. She and Will were roughly the same height, standing nose-to-nose. "How about now?"

"What!" Will took a few steps abashedly. "Why are you only fifteen years old and you're as tall as me?!" he said.

"Have you MET my parents? They're both tall. Both of your parents are short."

"You never know. Maybe there was someone really short in your family." Will argued, who knew nothing about genetics.

"Yeah. Alright." Matilda sighed, reaching down to get her things. "I've got to get going. Unless you have something wise and insightful to say, I... guess I'll see you later? Or something."

"Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens, Matilda! Remember that!" Will cried out dramatically. Hey, she had asked for something wise and insightful.

"Knowledge and wisdom aren't tangible, living things, therefore incapable of speaking or listening at all," Matilda retorted. "I vaguely appreciate the sentiment, though."

"You think too literally," Will countered. "It's supposed to be a metaphor. When we speak, we're spewing out various bouts of knowledge, but it takes true wisdom to listen and think."

"It's a cheesy, over-used metaphor. I told you to tell me something insightful, not cliche."

"Well, why don't you say something insightful, since you're so creative?"