Chapter 2: First Encounter
The next morning Lena wakes up to the sound of birds singing outside, she gets out of bed and walks towards the window, she gazes at the beauty of the sunrise. The sky is painted in a gradient of warm oranges and pinks, and the sun has just peeked over the horizon. She takes a deep breath, it’s moments like these that make her grateful for being alive and experiencing the wonders of the world. She turns around and takes in the sight of the cozy dormitory room they share, with the morning light casting a warm glow over everything. She can hear the faint sound of Jasmin's soft breathing, and it's comforting to know that she's not alone. She slowly walks across the room to Jasmin's side and sits on the edge of her bed.
"Good morning," Lena whispers to her roommate.
Jasmin blinks and rubs her eyes before looking at Lena. "Good morning," she mumbles sleepily, running a hand through her messy hair. "What time is it?" she yawns.
"About eight o'clock," Lena answers. "Get out of bed already we wanted to explore the castle together." Lena tells her and Jasmin quickly sits up. "Oh right, I'm sorry let me get dressed quickly." Jasmin rushes to the bathroom and soon comes out wearing a white t shirt and black shorts.
"Lena hands Jasmin her Blue and silver robe representing the Mist house and after helping her putting it on the two girls leave the dormitory and walk through their common room and down the long round staircase.
Lena and Jasmin reach the bottom of the staircase, and Lena pushes open the large wooden door to the left-hand side leading to the outside world. As they step outside, Lena and Jasmin are immediately struck by the stunning view that greets them. They stand on the east side of the castle, facing the vast forest that stretches out as far as the eye can see. The early morning sunlight filters through the trees, casting a dappled shade over the forest floor. The air is crisp and cool, and they can hear the distant sound of birdsong mingling with the rustling of leaves in the breeze and they both take a deep breath, feeling the cool morning air fill their lungs.
To the right (North) of the castle, they can see the small village of Castlehaven nestled in a valley. The roofs of the buildings shimmer in the morning light, and smoke curls lazily from chimneys. In the distance, they can make out the glittering expanse of a lake, its surface rippling in the gentle breeze.
On the left side (South) of the castle, they can see the rolling hills of the countryside, dotted with fields and patches of wildflowers. In the distance, a herd of horses can be seen galloping through one of the fields, their manes and tails streaming behind them.
The girls take it all in, feeling invigorated and excited to explore the beauty that surrounds them.
"This is truly a magical place." Jasmin says.
As Lena and Jasmin continue walking, they spot a lone old tree.
"Just look at this ancient old tree!" She adds amazed and points north-east at to the edge of the forest where an old large and wide tree stood.
It's thick trunk and twisted branches make it look like it's been around for centuries. As they get closer, they notice something odd about the tree. There's a pile of what looks like discarded objects leaning against its base.
Curiosity gets the better of them, and they decide to investigate. As they approach the tree, they can see that the objects are actually personal belongings - a backpack, a notebook, a scarf, and even an old watch. Lena picks up the watch and turns to Jasmin. "Do you think someone left these here?"
Before Jasmin can answer, they hear a rustling behind them. They quickly turn around to see a bulky guy standing there, a wicked grin on his face. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he sneers, eyeing the two girls up and down.
As the bulky guy, who they would later know as Dante, pulls out his wand, he flicks it with a swift motion, and a red spark shoots out of it. Lena screams in pain as the spark hits her hand, causing her to drop the old watch she was holding. Jasmin immediately steps forward to shield Lena from the bully's next move.
"Stop hurting her!" Jasmin demands, her voice shaking slightly and pulling her right hand into a fist.
Dante pauses for a moment, looking at the watch on the ground, and then back at the girls. His voice loses some of its previous menace as he says, "That watch... it's important to me. Don't touch it."
Lena grits her teeth, clutching her injured hand. She feels a surge of anger towards Dante for hurting her and for trying to intimidate them. "We didn't know," she says firmly, taking a step forward to stand next to Jasmin.
Dante's expression hardens as he takes another step closer, pointing his wand directly at the two girls. "Just leave it and get out of here," he says, his voice low and dangerous.
By accident, Lena steps on the notebook, that was lying next to Jasmin on the ground, causing Dante to snap. "Depulso!" he shouts, casting a strong Depulso spell that sends Lena flying.
She feels the blast wave from the Depulso spell knocking Lena off her feet and through the air next to her. She looks at Dante, who watches Lena fly through the air. In that moment, Jasmin turns slightly and starts to swing her right fist.
Lena slams back down on the ground and cries out in pain just as Jasmin's fist meets Dante's nose with a firm cracking sound. She can feel bones break under her knuckles as she watches Dante fall backward, momentarily stunned, bleeding all over his face from his broken nose.
Jasmin takes a step back from the unconscious bully, staring at him in shock. She hadn't expected her punch to have that much force behind it, and she's momentarily taken aback by the sight of him lying on the ground, blood trickling from his nose.
She turns her attention to Lena. "Lena, are you okay?" she asks, kneeling down beside her friend.
Lena winces as she moves her arm, clutching her elbow. "I'll be okay," she says, her voice shaky with pain. "It hurts, though."
Jasmin nods, looking worried. "Let me see." She gently takes Lena's arm, examining the bruises. "They look pretty bad," she says, frowning.
Lena feels Jasmin's soft hands and looks up into her face as she's inspecting her bruises.
"Can I try something?" Jasmin asks and looks at Lena who has tears in her eyes and one running down her cheek.
"Okey." Lena says and rubs away the tear on her cheek with her free hand.
Jasmin holds Lena's elbow with her left hand gently holding it still while pulling out her Wand with the right hand and pointing it at Lena's wound and mumbles, “Episkey”.
Lena stares with wide eyes at Jasmin and how she just healed her wounded elbow. "Wow! Thank you, Jasmin." she says.
Jasmin smiles and gives Lena a quick hug. "You're welcome."
Lena returns Jasmin's hug and Lena feels really good being hugged by Jasmin and she rests her head against Jasmin's shoulder.
"Thanks again Jasmin." Lena says.
Jasmin blushes and says nothing but realizes Lena isn't breaking out of the hug. She seems to cuddle herself onto Jasmin.
Jasmin's heart beats faster as she feels Lena cuddling into her, but she doesn't pull away. Instead, she wraps her arms around Lena and holds her close, feeling a sense of comfort and safety in the embrace.
After a moment, Lena pulls away, wiping her eyes. "We should probably get back to the castle," she says, her voice still shaky.
Jasmin nods, standing up and offering Lena a hand to help her up as well. "Yeah, let's go."
As they make their way back to the castle, the midday sun casts a warm glow over the grounds, making the grass and trees look lush and vibrant. The air is filled with the soft chirping of birds and the distant sound of students chatting and laughing.
Jasmin and Lena walk in comfortable silence, enjoying the beauty of the day and the quiet companionship of each other's company. Jasmin keeps her arm protective around Lena's shoulders, providing a sense of safety and comfort as they make their way back to the castle.
They walk past the herbology greenhouse and continue on, passing a few other students, but for the most part, the castle grounds are peaceful and quiet.
As they finally make their way back into the castle, they head towards the great hall to eat something. When Jasmin and Lena arrive inside the Great Hall, they take a moment to scan the room for an empty table. The hall is bustling with students, and the smell of delicious food fills the air.
As they sit and eat their lunch, Lena notices that Jasmin doesn't seem as happy as usual. "Hey, Jasmin, is everything okay?" she asks, concern in her voice.
Jasmin looks up at Lena, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm fine," she says, but Lena can tell that she's not completely convinced.
"Are you sure?" Lena persists.
Jasmin nods, but Lena can see the uncertainty in her friend's eyes. Lena decides to change the subject and suggest something that might lift Jasmin's spirits. "Hey, why don't we go back to the common room after lunch and hang out? We can talk about our upcoming classes and maybe study a bit more before we explore again."
Jasmin's eyes widen at Lena's suggestion and sudden change of topic. "That sounds like a great idea," she says.
Lena finishes first and she watches as Jasmin finishes her plate as well before they both stand up and head towards the long round staircase leading to the mist common room.
Lena looks up at Jasmin and smiles gratefully. "Thanks again for everything, Jasmin," she says.
Jasmin smiles back at Lena, feeling a warm sense of happiness at her friend's words. "I'm glad you're no longer hurt." she says.
They reach the entrance to the common room, and Jasmin holds the door open for Lena, following her inside.
"Yeah, thanks to you." Lena says and she walks with Jasmin to the fireplace and sit down together on one of the bigger couches.
Lena takes a deep breath and looks at Jasmin. "So, what do you think about our upcoming classes? I'm really excited for Divination, but a bit nervous for Defense Against the Dark Arts while I don't think I need to explain to you my stance on potions class." She says and laughs.
Jasmin looks at Lena's green eyes and enjoys seeing her happy after such a day before she replies with, "I'm really eager to start Defense against the dark arts, learning and finding out about new spells is something I will always find fascinating. Especially if it’s for good." she holds on for a second before proceeding with, "I am not sure about divination if I'm honest, it sounds a bit boring but I'll give it a try and you know how many potions I made in my life, none." she smiles and the two girls keep chatting away and even started to study a little bit until the sun starts to set and the common room was illuminated with a warm golden glow through the big windows and Lena and Jasmin got up from the couch and walked over to the window to appreciate the beautiful sunset.
After the sun has disappeared Lena turns towards Jasmin, "I'm going upstairs, do you come too?" she asks her and Jasmin nods. they walk over to the wooden staircase and head upstairs to their dormitory,
Lena and Jasmin walk up the creaky wooden stairs to their dormitory, their footsteps echoing through the empty common room. Lena yawns, feeling the tiredness settling in after a long day of exploring and studying.
Once inside their room, they both start to get ready for bed. Lena pulls on her pyjamas and brushes her hair while Jasmin changes into her own pyjamas and takes a few moments to stretch and relax her muscles. Lena can feel her own muscles relaxing as well, feeling the fatigue from the day's activities.
As they climb into their respective beds, Lena turns to Jasmin with a smile. "Good night, Jasmin," she says, her voice barely above a whisper, feeling grateful for her friend's company throughout the day.
Jasmin returns the smile, "Good night, Lena," she replies, her voice soft and gentle.
As they turn off the lights, Lena feels grateful for Jasmin's friendship and the fact that they can rely on each other during tough times. She falls asleep with a sense of comfort knowing that Jasmin is by her side.
