A rumble of thunder woke Ivy from her dreamless sleep. A smile crept onto her face as she looked out her porthole of a window in her cavernous bedroom. The waters of the black lake were stormy, just the way she liked it. She could almost imagine The Giant Squid smiling at her and telling her 'get up and go fly now'. Of course with as dark and stormy as they were, she'd be lucky if she could even see a leaf of seaweed, but that was of no matter to her. She smiled at her imaginary conversation with The Giant Squid she wasn't sure even existed. "I plan to do just that." She said, hopping out of bed. One of her dorm mates groaned in their sleep, mumbling for Ivy to be quiet. She rolled her eyes as she slipped out of her silk pajamas, climbing into a pair of black skinny jeans. Rifling through her trunk she found a simple blue t-shirt and a black zip-up sweatshirt and threw them on. She folded her pajamas neatly and laid them on the bed underneath her pillow. She pulled up the covers neatly and sat back on her bed, grabbing two socks from her trunk. The one she put on her left foot was black and bright blue, the one on her right was black and bright green. Quickly she slipped on her favorite pair of black converse, lacing them up tight. She stood up and closed the curtains on her porthole window, even though there was hardly any chance that light would get through it today. Taking one last glance at her area of the bedroom, she was satisfied at the cleanliness and slipped out of the room quietly.

The climb up the stairs from her room to the common room felt like it took forever. She raced through the common room and up the stairs towards The Great Hall. When she finally reached her destination only small bits of breakfast food scattered the table, for at this time on a Saturday, hardly any student was awake. Ivy grabbed a piece of toast, biting into it and chewing carefully so as not to hiccup from eating too fast. She sipped on a bit of pumpkin juice before finally grabbing an apple and running out the doors of the castle.

Outside the rain poured down in buckets, and Ivy was quickly soaked to the bone. She didn't mind, and took off at a sprint. Her race to the Quidditch pitch was quick. The distance was long, but she was too excited, ready to fly. The run was good for her tiny body, warming her up for her own set of training. Running always made her feel good, especially in the rain. Her hair dripping and flying every which-way. She made a mental note to pull it out of her face when she reached the pitch.

At the pitch she grabbed her broom from the closet and released her favorite snitch. It was the first one she'd ever caught. Snitches have flesh memories, so this one knew it belonged to her. She smiled fondly, rolling it in the palm of her hand before she released it. "Take your time, friend, I won't chase you for a while." Closing the closet door, she turned with her broom in hand. The field was muddy, her black converse turned brown from the mud. Remembering her mental note, she leaned her broom against the closet door, and pulled her long hair into a quick braid. Finished, she grabbed her broom and ran out into the field. A crack of thunder caused a large grin to creep onto her face as she mounted her broom and kicked off the ground, flying high up into the sky towards the dark and stormy clouds.

Along with the expected flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, there was the faint, yet unmistakable sound of another broom whizzing about, the rider using this unpleasant weather to his advantage. The thick fog and dark clouds kept him hidden from sight, for in this sort of storm, one could hardly see their own hand in front of their face, let alone a fellow flyer. This is why he had always loved playing Quidditch during storms - it increased the danger, increased the thrill, and added all new elements to the game that he found to be very, very exciting (such as the limited visibility).

He could feel his curls sticking to his forehead and neck, and he would periodically reach up and slick it back so it wouldn't obscure his vision all the more. His black leather jacket was keeping him remotely warm, though the thin Beatles tee he wore underneath was still rather damp. Neon orange and blue-striped fleece pajama pants accompanied these (had he been too lazy to change? Why, yes.), said pantlegs tucked into muddy combat boots, laces barely tightened enough to keep said boots from falling off. Although they were not visible, he was wearing obnoxiously yellow socks, completing his ridiculously bright outfit. His pants were, of course, soaked through and sticking to his legs, the thick material slightly heavier when saturated by rainwater. Basically, he was drenched, save for a slight lack of water around his chest and back due to his leather jacket.

Remus or James would definitely make a comment about him smelling like a wet dog when he returned for breakfast, but this was totally worth it.

Deciding to reveal himself and locate this early-morning flyer, Sirius Black buzzed through the clouds towards the sound of another broom, his enhanced hearing picking up the sound easily. Raindrops splattering his face, he jerked sharply left and flew right in front of this most interesting character, curving around her and falling in line beside her. He hunched over his broomstick, knuckles white against the wood, effortlessly keeping up with her.

"Well, good morning to you, too, gorgeous." Was his form of greeting. He was fairly certain he recognized the girl from somewhere, but he couldn't quite put a name to the face, especially with the rain obscuring his view. "Enjoying an early-morning flight?"

(( askdjk that wasn't nearly as good as I wanted it to be. Sorry. ;-; ))

Ivy had been flying without pursuing her snitch for quite a while, not caring how soaked she was, her brilliant blue eyes instead focusing on the dark clouds around her. The rain was the only sound she focused on, so she was completely unaware of the handsome young man following her. Out of nowhere, a streak of gold caught Ivy's eye and she smiled, speeding after it. Apparently her snitch thought it was about time for a chase, and she quite liked the idea. However, it wasn't quite ready to be caught and was lost back in the black clouds. Just then a voice caught her attention. "Well, good morning to you, too, gorgeous." Ivy's head jerked sideways, to check she wasn't imagining the voice. Her pulse quickened when her eyes locked in on the figure flying beside her. Sirius Black. He'd just called her gorgeous. Why had he done that? Surely he knew who she was? No. She realized it was a blue t-shirt that was peeking from underneath her black jacket. Perhaps he thought she was a Ravenclaw, and therefore would have no prejudice against her. But how could he not know who she was? They were both in the same year, been in Slytherin and Gryffindor mixed classes for 6 years now. Certainly he was messing with her. That was the conclusion she had come to when he spoke again. "Enjoying an early-morning flight?"

Ivy flashed him a quizzical look. She couldn't quite figure him out, but she gave him a very small smile anyhow. "Does it look otherwise?" She gripped her broom with her knees and let go with her hands, opening her arms wide and leaning back slightly, tilting her head up for the rain to fall directly on her face, closing her eyes. She flew like that for a few moments before gripping her broom again and turning to face him. "Storms are the best weather for flying." She stated. It was then that Ivy caught another glimpse of gold, and without another word, she shot off after it, leaving Sirius Black behind her. She was certain he could catch up to her in no time, but she wasn't concentrating on him. Her intense eyes were focused on the golden snitch flitting about ahead of her. She climbed higher and higher into the massive dark clouds, not bothering to worry about the ominous ones that were flickering with bits of electricity.

It was an adrenaline rush. Soaking wet from the rain, shooting through the air, chilled to the bone. Ivy was used to being cold, of course, being a Slytherin she lives in the dungeon. She has to be used to cold. Ivy had always loved storms. When she was little she used to lay out in the grass when the rain would pour down. She used to sit on the windowsill and watch the lightning strike. Once she even watched as lightning struck a tree and split it right down the middle. Her mother wanted to have the tree removed after the incident because she thought it looked ugly, but Ivy begged and pleaded and even shed a few tears, saying that it was her favorite tree and to please leave it alone. Her mother, though frustrated, let the tree alone just to make her daughter shut up. As Ivy stared into the electric clouds she remembered the tree, and dodged in-between the clouds that fizzled with electricity and those that didn't. Eventually, she lost sight of the snitch and slowed down, frowning.

The dog-Animagus watched the mystery girl out of the corner of his eye, which was slightly squinted due to the heavy rain attacking his face. Unlike Ivy, he remained bent over his broom, fleece-covered legs locked tight around the wood. He was content in this position, for it was both comfortable and keeping his shirtfront mostly dry. When she mentioned how fond she was of storms, he reached up and slicked his hair back again, the corner of his mouth curving upwards into a small smile. "I've always loved flying during storms. There's nothing like it. It's so..." He paused, bringing his bottom lip into his mouth and biting down upon it, trying to think of the proper word. It was a few moments before he spoke again, smile returning with a vengeance. It was one of those cocky, dog-like grins he often wore, showing off his teeth. "Exhilarating. Yes, yes, that's the word. Exhilarating. We could be struck down at any moment! It's so thrilling!" The mere thrill of it is what drew him to this sort of thing most, really. He loved the adrenaline rush that came with taking risks and, of course, the wonderful feeling that came along with emerging victorious.

When Ivy suddenly surged ahead, Sirius jerked to a stop and watched her disappear for a few moments in stunned surprise before darting after her. It was moments before he caught up with her, as the seeker had assumed, and he effortless kept up as she wove her way through the clouds. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was chasing a snitch, and the tiny little gold thing flying about was kind of a giveaway.

The sight of the nasty grey thunderclouds caused his pulse to speed up just a bit and he was grinning again, the danger involved in this situation pleasing him very much. I like this bird's style. She seemed confident, as well as willing to take risks...if she wasn't at least a little brave, she wouldn't be out here during a storm like this, nor would she be flying this high.

Well...let's just see how brave she is, shall we?

Her apparent loss of the snitch was the perfect opportunity. He slowed a little himself, deep grey eyes flickering about, searching the dense clouds and fog for that little gold sphere. He was, yet again, glad for his enhanced senses, using said senses to his advantage in this situation. With that helpful little bonus, the snitch was sighted within a short amount of time, and Sirius rushed towards it without warning. A beater he was, yes, but he'd be damned if he didn't take advantage of this.

Come and fly with me, dollface.

"I've always loved flying during storms. There's nothing like it. It's so..." Sirius paused, clearly searching for the right word. Ivy could have provided one for him but she let him puzzle over it instead. "Exhilarating. Yes, yes, that's the word. Exhilarating. We could be struck down at any moment! It's so thrilling!" Ivy had been about to let out a laugh when the snitch had caught her eye and she raced in pursuit of it. When it was lost to the blackening clouds she stopped and frowned. Sirius had caught up to her by then, a grin plastered on his handsome face.

As Ivy searched for words, considering perhaps even giving him her name, Sirius raced off ahead of her in pursuit of HER snitch. At first she was irritated and then a sly smirk played across her lips. Oh so that's the game you want to play, is it? Bring it on. She increased her speed and caught up to him quickly, flying right beside him. "I thought you were a beater!" She called, doing her best to distract him while keeping a close watch on the snitch ahead. As she watched, the snitch entered a cloud that was buzzing with electricity. She stopped short, instinctively grabbing the back of Sirius' shirt to stop him as well. The cloud almost hummed with lightning and Ivy's pulse quickened. Her curiosity was intense. She wanted desperately to enter the could but a small bit of fear held that if she did, she would face certain death. "What do you think? I go in there, I die? Or I go in there, get the snitch and you lose?" She asked. A smirk was plastered on her face but her voice held true mixes of curiosity and concern. Before she could even make a decision however, the snitch popped back out from the could and was off again, buzzing in the direction from which they had come. Ivy did a back-flip in the air, shooting after the snitch without another word. Her pulse was still rushing, her thoughts racing. Did she honestly just almost risk her life for a silly competition that was only in her head? What would have happened if she had flown into the could and been struck by the lightning it held? Would she die instantly? Would she be knocked out and fall from the cloud to her certain death? Or would she dodge every bit of electric shock in an exhilarating chase. She was almost curious enough to go back and try it.

The dog-Animagus let out a bark of a laugh, still zooming through the skies, hair whipping every which-way with just how fast he was going. He would not be tricked by her attempts to distract him, however, keeping his eyes on the prize no matter what. When he locked in on his prey, he wouldn't be drawn away easily unless you had chocolate. Sirius just continued to watch the speedy little sphere flit about, determined to catch it, no matter where it went. "And you would be correct! But that doesn't mean I can't chase around a snitch every once in a wh-"

The Marauder, who had been fully prepared to barge into that cloud without a thought, let out a strangled noise at the harsh jerk to his jacket collar and came to an abrupt stop, nearly falling off of his broom. He reached back and removed Ivy's hand from his collar, shooting her a mildly disapproving look before adjusting his jacket so it sat normally on his shoulders again. It was clear he didn't enjoy being choked.

At her words and smirk, a cocky grin of his own appeared, the raven-haired teen giving her a quizzical sort of look. "You don't have the gu-" But, again, he was cut off, this time by the snitch exiting the offending thundercloud and darting off in another direction.

Sirius was not at all afraid to mimic Ivy's rapid backflip and pursue the snitch along with her, catching up quickly and training his eyes on the snitch. The cloud was equally intriguing to the dog-Animagus, but he was more concerned with the snitch (and winning) right now, for he wouldn't allow himself to lose over plain curiousity.

...He'd need to consult James and Remus on the risk(s) involved with such clouds, though. This was an idea he planned to revisit.

The snitch took a sharp dive all of a sudden and Sirius followed it without a thought, beginning to laugh again in that loud, almost musical way of his, gripping his broom even tighter. He followed the golden ball as it jerked back into horizontal flight, Sirius doing a bit of a barrel roll in the process. He was going to win this little battle of theirs - he was.

Little by little, he gained on the snitch, no longer concerned with his competitor as he zoned in. Keeping his attention on the snitch and only the snitch, he gave a sharp jerk forward and lunged for the little gold sphere, left arm outstretched, hoping to trap the thing in his fist.

Sirius quickly caught up with Ivy and she didn't like the looks of how close he was getting to her snitch. The snitch dived and Sirius dived after it. a possessive growl escaped Ivy's lips as she dived after it and opened her hand. "Come here my golden friend." She whispered softly. A smirk formed on her lips as the snitch jerked sideways closer to her hand. "Ha!" Ivy exclaimed, her small fingers clasping on the golden winged ball. She continued on her path, the snitch clenched tight in her fist, she dove down towards the pitch, certain the Gryffindor beater must still be following her. Ivy slowed down when she got closer to the field and kicked her feet out, coming to a standing position and gripped her broom in her left hand. She opened her right hand to reveal the snitch, which floated loyally right above her fingertips.

A smirk found its way to Ivy's lips. "Flesh memories." She muttered. "Couldn't let you win, Black." She called towards him, not looking at him, her eyes trained on the snitch. "Had to pull the trick out of my sleeve. Snitches have flesh memories, and this one belongs to me." She smiled softly. A genuine smile, one rarely seen from her, as she watched the snitch hover above her hand. The rain started to pour even harder and she shook her head, letting her hair fall out of the already loosened braid. She vaguely wondered what would happen now. Would Sirius Black ask her name? Or did he already know? If he already knew who she was, why did he bother spending time with her? She was, after all, a Slytherin, and she knew how much he despised them. Even if she wasn't the typical blood-purist type...though no one ever saw the real her.