Casual Reading (open)

Artemis fell to her knees and stared back at the alcove before seeing the blood on David's shin. Shaking her head, she ripped the bottom of her shirt for a makeshift bandage and put it into the water before looking up at David. ''You're bleeding...Stay still so i can wrap it up.'' She commanded with authority vibrating in her tone before wrapping the cold makeshift bandage around his shin. ''I am sorry for dragging you and never call me Arty again.'' She told him before standing up. Artemis ran a hand through her hair and remembered seeing Mio hit his head. Lifting her hand, she placed it on the side of Mio's face, checking out his forehead. ''Are you alright, Mio?'' She asked, her fingers lightly touching around the red mark on his forehead.

Mio rolled his eyes at David's remark and hugged him back with a crooked smile. "Glad to see that you haven't lost your charms." he said smirking. He watched worriedly as Artemis wrapped his friend's injury, hopefully he wouldn't get an infection. How knew what kind of germs were in that water.
He blinked slowly in slight confusion when the Slytherin asked him, if he was okay and carefully took stock of his injury. His head was still pounding in a dull way, but at least he wasn't bleeding. "I think I'll be okay. Just no more running, please." Mio said and smiled sheepishly at her.

Artemis smiled at Mio and sighed in slight relief. ''Just some swimming when we have to get out but i think we should wait a bit in case your head is worse than i believe it to be. I've had my fair share of head wounds and i just know..they can be unpredictable.'' She said softly before stepping away from Mio. ''Is everyone alright?'' She asked. Her elbow was stinging from a slight scrape but to Artemis, it felt like nothing compared to what she has had. She looked the boys over with a tilt of her head and nodded, satisfied to see no open wounds.

David smiled as he stepped back "Me.. lose my charm? Why would you even think it?" He chuckled softly. He then winced when Artemis placed the cold bandages around his shins. It stun slightly. He then said "I won't call you Arty any more, on one condition.. you never..NEVER breath a word of how my life was saved by a Snake." he smirked slightly.

he then took his turn to look at his mate worriedly "are you sure its okay?" He asked, just to make sure. he had only had 1 head injury before, and it wasn't bad, but he still knew it hurt like the dickens.

Artemis smirked. ''Oh fine. You're no fun.'' She teased and looked at Mio's forehead. ''From what i saw, it didn't seem that hard of a hit but you may end up with a nasty headache. I have some lollipops for headaches with my robes. They're laced with headache potions...I get a lot of them so it'll help when you get yours.'' She told him. ''My mother has really bad headaches so i know they work.'' She explained with a sigh. She knew how to treat wounds after her mass amounts of training. ''Oh and David. The moment we get out of here, i will have to replace those bandages and will give you some so you can change them. Can't risk anything bad.''

Ian looked at the other three and smiled in relief when he noticed that none of them had a serious injury, though he was slightly worried about Mio's head. Maybe a short rest would be good after all. "It's so sad, isn't it?" he said softly, his face still slightly pale from their narrow escape.
"I really though that we could get back to the alcove whenever we feel like it, but now it's all gone. And the books too!"
He was really sad about it, they had sounded so very interesting.

Mio smiled gratefully at Artemis for her offer. So far he didn't yet have too bad a headache, but in case it got worse it was good to know she had something with her to take care of that.
"Thanks guys." he said and looked back into the cave they had just escaped with a worried expression.
They really had quite a narrow escape there. The thought of what would have happened if they had been still inside no made him feel slightly nauseous. Mio looked at Ian and inclined his head thoughtfully. "I agree. We could have made a really cool hide-out in there." he agreed with the Hufflepuff.

Artemis nodded slowly. ''We still can have the hide out. I'm glad the alcove is the only thing destroyed though. We still have this.'' She gestured to the large cave that was filled with moss. ''It'd be nice.'' She admitted. Touching her stinging elbow, she smirked and stared at it to see a slightly deep wound. ''Yes...another scar for my collection.'' She whispered to herself, sounding very pleased with that fact. ''Now...What do we do now?'' She asked, giving the boys a smile.

Mio sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right." he agreed. "Still, I wish we could have saved some of the books..." he trailed off and leaned against the hard and slightly damp stone wall of the tunnel. Maybe they could still do something with this cave after all. At least they would be away from all the other students and teachers down here.
Looking over to Artemis, he winced slightly at seeing her injury. "Don't you think we should put a bandage on that as well?" Mio asked her worriedly.

Artemis shrugged. ''It would've been nice but hey...We can always get our own books.'' She told him with a smile and saw him wince a little. ''Nah...I've had a lot worse. I can handle this.'' She told him with a smirk before lifting up her shirt a little to reveal three large scars on her side. ''Fell off some training apparatus and landed on a sword rack. That's my worst,'' Pausing for a moment, she tilted her head and smiled. ''So far.''

Mio shook his head and whistled in surprise. These scars really looked quite back and he could imagine that it must have hurt to receive them. "You had training before you came to Hogwarts?" he asked her curiouly. It did make sense, as the Slytherin seemed much more experienced in taking care of injuries than the rest of them and she also seemed tougher than most of the other girls he saw around the castle. "I bet you could teach us guys quite a few lessons, huh?" he asked jokingly.

Artemis chuckled and nodded. ''Since i was five.'' She admitted before letting her shirt fall back into place. Leaning against the wall, she traced the scars on her arms and tilted her head. ''I guess i could. I mean...we're only young. It's best to keep yourself fit for fighting.'' She explained and smiled. ''Fighting is in my blood as it is in my family's.''

"Wow!" Mio felt his eyebrows raise into his hairline when she told him that she had started training when she was only five. He imagined his little sisters in that positions and shook his head. He just couldn't. "My parents only taught me some spell and potions, but nothing more. I think they would get really mad if they caught me around knives or swords or things like that." he grumbled. Actually, he always had been fascinated by people that knew how to fight.

Artemis smiled at his reaction. Most people usually thought it was weird for someone so young to be quite skilled with weaponry. ''My friend's uncles taught me and her everything. Spells, potions, hand to hand combat and anything to do with weapons. In fact, there was even a time her mother taught us how to make our own weapons but she prefers to make them for us.'' She explained. ''Well..your parents aren't here now.'' She smirked and pulled out the dagger from her thigh sheath and flipped it in her hand, holding it by the blade so the handle was pointing towards Mio.

David nodded at Artemis "Fine" He wasn't particularly pleased at being injured and at having Artemis fix him up. he then nodded at Ian "I know right.. that book.. the one about Animagi.. that would have helped us out greatly.." he sighed in sadness. Mio was also right, it would have been perfect to hang out in.. they could have furnished it, made it nice a homey.

Artemis then dared to make a great point, but David perked up anyway "yes, that is true, we could furnish this just as easily as the alcove, easier, in fact. i think we have found our spot" He grinned at his mates.

he then listening to Mio and Artemis's exchange. He winced at her scars, then butted in saying "I never got any training.. having lived with just my muggle mother.. all i know i learned from books.. I guess my fathers side were good wizards, otherwise i probably would not be able to keep up with you guys" He shrugged. Ernest must have been a good wizard, to be able to get into Voldemort's inner ring.. and to survive Voldemort for longer than 3 seconds in their duel that David witnessed, in a dream.. He was not about to admit to his friends that his father had been a voldemort supporter, even though Mio would probably understand, given his father and his attitude.. maybe he would tell Mio one day..

Ian had been watching the exchange between Mio and Artemis with a surprised expression on his face. The girl really had been taught all these things since she had been five? That was so amazing!
"Oh how cool!" Ian bounced forward in excitement when Artemis pulled out a dagger. His parents had never trained him in anything before he came to school, so he was very eager to learn as much as possible.
"Could you really teach us how to use this weapon, Artemis?" he asked curiously.

Artemis smiled lightly at the boys. ''Yes i could..I could teach you with every weapon.'' She told Ian, smiling at his adorable excitement. To Artemis, he was like a little puppy. Extending her other hand, it revealed a glove with wolf like claws. ''These are my weapon of choice of course.'' She admitted and wriggled her fingers, showing that the claws moved with them. ''I'm only a halfblood...but my family's friends are pure. They taught me everything i know...and i can teach you some of what i know, if you wish? Not all...as some are secret.'' She winked with a playful smirk.

A mischievous grin spread out on Mio's face at Artemis' words. "You're quite right. What they don't know, can't hurt them ...or me in that instance." he said chuckling.
The thought of going against his parents backs was somehow very aluring and he slowly reached out to take hold of the handle. His hand sagged a little, as the dagger was heavier than it appeared, but he kept his grip on the handle and he made a smooth motion with the weapon.
"I have to admit, I actually like the feeling of it in my hand..." he said slowly. It somehow made him feel stronger, safer as well.

Ian smiled at the Slytherin witch, his green eyes sparkling quite a lot. He would definitely love to be taught how to use these weapons. That way he would be capable of protecting himself better and although he was rather fit already, from working with the animals at his parents' farm, he wouldn't really know how to actually fight someone.
"We wouldn't want you to spill your secrets of cause." he said laughing. Ian himself was a very loyal person and would never tell anyone's secret, even to his friends.
He leaned forward a bit to take a closer look at her claws. "They look really impressive. I bet you could kill someone with them." he said quietly.

David already knew how to use a knife, since his mother insisted that he had taken martial arts back in Canada. So when Mio took hold of the knife, he took the moment to show that metal weapons were nothing compared to human weapons. He jumped forward, grabbing Mio's hand and, by bending hus thumb back, made him drop the knife, which David caught in his hand, he then stepped back, holding the knife in an expert position and said "Miss Snake over here is not the only one who knows how to work these weapons" he smirked, then chucked the knife back at Artemis, making sure it hit the ground in front of her, as he was taught to do.

*Too lazy to switch so..*

Artemis chuckled lightly and tensed at Ian's quiet comment whilst watching Mio with the dagger. ''Yes you can kill someone with them. It's really easy too.'' She said coolly but also blunty, a way of saying don't ask. She then raised her eyebrow as David showed off his martial skills. Watching him chuck the dagger, she crouched down and picked it up seeing it slightly scratched. ''Bad move, little lion.'' She growled slightly and her golden eyes darkened before she breathed in deeply. ''Never throw a dagger. The blade is thicker meaning the weight of it is larger. Hard to throw seeing as you have to do it a certain way. You just scratched my dagger seeing as it's thicker. Daggers to hand over to someone.'' Artemis explained to David and sheathed the dagger.

"Ouch, damn it David! Give a man a warning before you jump at me like that." Mio growled at him and shook his head. He frowned slightly at Artemis's remark about it being easy to kill someone. He could really not imagine a situation were he could actually kill someone, except perhaps in defense of one of his friends or his family.
"So there are different daggers? For throwing them and for stabbing someone and so on?" he asked the Slytherin curiously.

He rolled his eyes at Artemis "That is how we are taught to give a dagger back to someone, so deal with it Snake" He then turned to Mio and said "sorry mate.. but warning you would defeat the purpose of the exercise" He then listening his question and said, which he was sure Arty would say as well "Daggers meant for stabbing are thicker, so they can get through armor without snapping in half, ones for throwing are thinner, for an easier throw, and meant to find the chinks in armor."

Artemis stared at the floor, clenching her jaw more a moment before nodding at Mio's question. ''Yeah there is. Throwing knives are for distance kills.'' She told him, remembering her first use and kill with a throwing knife. Her training was brutal but needed. Hearing David, she nodded slowly. Her pride of knowing what she knows slowly depleting. ''The little lion is right.'' She said, ignoring the deal with it, snake for it was annoy her if she bothered speaking about it.

Ian watched the exchange of words between the other three, carefully following their words. It was interesting to know what kind of weapons there were and what they could use. "I think, I would prefer a sword though. You don't have to get so close to your enemy like with a dagger, right?" he mentioned thoughtfully.

David answered this one as well "that is true Ian, but no two swords are alike, I doubt if you picked up a random sword right now and swung it at me, you could kill me, odds are you would misjudge distance, or you would be too awkward with it to give me more than a bruse or a small cut. that is why they call it the 'art' of swordplay. because it really is an art, something that only few people possess, doing it properly, at least. and it takes years of practice." he knowledge of swords did not come from martial arts, but from reading books. So he could have been wrong, but it was very unlikely

Mio smirked at David. "You seem to be quite the bookworm, huh?" he asked him teasingly. "Just make sure you don't turn into a Ravenclaw or something." He chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know what kind of weapon I might prefer, but I guess it depends on the situation. In a full blown battle, you would need others than when you attack someone from a hiding place." he said thoughtfully then turned to the others. "Have you been trained in archery as well? I have done that a few times already, but in a one on one fight it's rather useless."