[grindelwald] hymn for the weekend. [tag; adrien]

It was a pretty dire birthday.

An unbirthday, if she was feeling funny. Which she wasn't. It was a beautiful day, the sky a cloudless blue that stretched for miles and the only rain cloud on the skyline was the seventeen year old girl sat on the grass. Lyra wasn't sure why she was so unhappy. Seventeen. She was an adult now and the world was her oyster and all she wanted to do was go back to bed.

Her parents were busy working at the chalet which was still surprisingly busy in the summer. Rather than skiing, people came to hike and explore the little picturesque Swiss villages. If she wasn't so glum, Lyra might have taken a moment to realise how lucky she was. She was woken up by a stack of pancakes with a birthday candle in them, lots of balloons and a brand new snowboard which she was dying to try. When their home was also their business, her parents couldn't really take time off and she understood that perfectly.

When she told people she lived up a mountain, they laughed but she did. In the summer, Lyra cleaned and cooked in the chalet and in the winter, taught snow sports with her older brother, Julian. Apparently, they were doing something later on and she didn't really have the heart to tell her parents not to bother. She felt a bit off. She felt dejected and sleepy and really unmotivated. Maybe she was getting a cold or maybe she was just in a bit of a personal life mess.

Lyra sat cross-legged on the open grass of a mountainside glen, not too far from the chalet. She was wearing a thickly knitted jumper in a rusty red colour, a well fitting pair of jeans and well worn hiking boots, a pair of cream walking socks just poking out and visible. She'd been sitting in silence for about an hour but as always, time escaped from her. Though summer, it was still chilly due to the altitude. There was a brisk wind that tugged at her hair, a few strands becoming loose from her milkmaid braids in a messy fashion.

The grass was covered in little white flowers, a mixture of cow parsley and edelweiss. It was fresh and clean and all thoughts of the summer school and Beauxbatons and stupid boys should be left in France but they weren't. What upset her the most was that Maximilien hadn't even sent her a birthday card. That, to her, seemed to be the final nail in the coffin that sealed their ended friendship. He was being deliberately cruel to her now. It was long since past being labelled an accident, surely. Lyra was a sensitive girl and he'd known her for years so he understood how something so insignificant would hurt her deeply.

It was something so small but it had ruined her day, like a dead fly in a glass of chardonnay. Lyra pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them gently as she watched the flowers sway in the breeze absently, fluttering gently. Her company came the form of Thunder her huge but loveable Newfoundland dog. They spent a lot of time together, purely because he hassled guests at breakfast and terrified them by his sheer size. He was cute, though. Thunder was lazy and soft and liked belly rubs. He was currently curled up at her side, dozing as Lyra stroked his silky fur.

With a yawn, Lyra flopped backwards on the grass and folded her hands behind her head in a makeshift pillow so she could watch cloud slowly begin to creep in, dotting like candy floss as the minutes ticked by. She looked a bit like Shakespeare's Ophelia; surrounded by beautiful snow white flowers. Lyra could have easily stayed there for hours when a soft grown caught her attention. Sitting bolt upright, she squinted into the sun. "What?" She asked the dog who had stood to attention, still growling and looking like he was set to pounce. With speed, the dog set off, gambolling down towards the edge of the mountain.

"Thunder, no!" Lyra called, getting to her feet clumsily as she slipped on the grass, trying to get her legs to move quicker. It was probably a bird, she imagined. "Come back!" She shouted after the dog who was barking, suddenly out of breath and stopping suddenly, almost falling over the daft dog. She blinked as she saw a familiar figure climb the crest of the mountain and her heart gave a curious flutter. Perhaps it wasn't a bad birthday after all.



@Adrien Lachapelle <33

Adrien had been to Grindelwald once, maybe twice, before. He always enjoyed his trips there, as it was such a huge change in scenery from his home down in Dahliental. The boy had been getting ready all morning. Adrien had changed his outfit twice, second-guessed his present decision three times, and almost convinced himself out of going once.

The brunette sat on the end of his bed, his legs crossed with his hands tucked between his knees. He faced his full length mirror, staring at the outfit he'd put together. It was simple - a blue sweater paired with his black, worn-out jeans. His shoes were his dirty old trainers that were once a nice shade of white. Sure, he could clean them, but at this point, it was just too late. They had character now, anyways. How was he supposed to wash away the personality of the beautiful old trainers he'd worn on his feet for the past year and some odd days? Adrien didn't have the heart.

Brown eyes went to the box he'd put together for Lyra. It was wrapped in a minty green paper, with a pastel pink ribbon around it. Those were the colors that most reminded Adrien of his close friend. The box contained a series of portraits he'd taken of his friend over the past few years, with some of them being sketches or paintings. Lyra had made a really good model, and he wanted her to show her how much he'd appreciated it. That wasn't the only thing he'd gotten her, however.

Lately, Adrien had been into home cooking - he didn't know what had compelled him to start making food, but he reckoned he was getting rather good at it. His second present was something he supposed he and Lyra could do together, although she could do it if she'd wanted to. In a few jars, he'd put together the ingredients for cookies, butter biscuits, and brownies. Adrien employed his father to help him with a separating charm to make sure the ingredients didn't mix together in the little mason jars, which meant that they were secure until opened.

The boy looked at the time, and the clock told him it was time to stop worrying about anything that was happening. It was almost time for the portkey to Lyra's mountain to close. Adrien made his way outside with the box tucked under one arm, to the small statue of a gnome that was acting as his transportation for the day. With a quick pop, Adrien found himself on the side of Lyra's mountain.

The hike to the top was short, and waiting for him was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen in his life. Thunder, Lyra's dog, who reminded him of a lion in more ways than one, bounded towards Adrien. Soon after, he'd heard a voice that sounded like tinkling bells. "Don't worry, I've got him!" Adrien called out, smiling and waving to his friend. After petting Thunder briefly, Adrien started in a quick jog towards Lyra. He pulled the girl into a hug, resting his head on the top of hers. "Happy Birthday, Lyra."

"I uh... I got these for you!" He pushed the box her way after they'd separated. "Well. I made them for you, I hope that's alright. I think you'll like them. I hope you'll like them." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks turning pink. "How's the big one-seven been so far?"

Lyra grinned. The shock of seeing Adrien melted away almost instantly and softened into genuine pleasure. This was wholly unexpected but not at all unwanted. In fact, she half wanted to tell him to go home and not waste his time with her.

Thunder was happy to see a new person. He looked like a brute but behaved like an utter teddy bear. He, like his owner, was totally fixated on the boy. Thunder sat on the grass, staring up at him with big dark eyes as he wagged his tail frantically. She laughed. "You're such a flirt," she playfully admonished the dog who had replaced her in his affections. Looking up, she smiled at Adrien again. The last time they'd spent any decent time together was that afternoon where she'd accidentally tried to drown herself. It was a blip. She'd wanted the thrill, not the consequence but he'd been so wonderfully sweet and supportive.

Lyra absolutely did not resist the hug and reciprocated immediately. Her slim arms wrapped around Adrien's waist as she leant against him, the warmth of his body warding off the chilly air. He smelt fresh, like mountain air, grass and something that she couldn't put her finger on but was undoubtedly him. The embrace was lovely. She felt elfin and cute and a little surprised by the way their bodies fitted together and the nonchalant action of him tucking her head beneath his chin.

Her eyes were closed and she felt suddenly safe and she gave him an extra, affectionate, squeeze. "Thanks," she said brightly, shivering at the cool air met her and feeling oddly bereft in his absence. "Oh!" She gushed, her eyes wide as she managed to grab the box before it fell.

He made them? Like a kid on Christmas morning, Lyra ripped right into the paper but not before delicately removing the pink ribbon and tying it into her hair. Upon seeing the jars, she was momentarily confused but then she recognised the ingredients and she laughed. "Cookies!" The petite blonde gushed, clutching the box to her chest in glee. "I love them, thank you so much. That's really sweet of you," she told Adrien, looking awestruck and a little bit dazed. It was the perfect gift. Lyra wasn't one for jewels and fancy things. But what made it so special was the amount of thought and effort that had gone into it.

"Fine," the Swiss-German girl said with a little smile. It was so hard to resist saying something silly like it's better now that you're here, even if that was exactly how she felt. "I got some pretty sweet balloons," she joked. "I dunno," she said with a frown, feeling a tad uncomfortable and so, she began examining the various jars. "It feels pretty much the same? I'm not sure what I as expecting. Maybe a lightning strike or a rainbow or a chorus of angels to mark the occasion."  So she was seventeen, a legal adult in the wizarding world. And she felt exactly the same.

"Do you want to come inside?" Lyra asked hopefully, chewing on her lower lip as though worried Adrien might say no. "I'd love to make some of these," she added, holding up the box with a smile. Swiftly, she whistled to Thunder. Immediately, the hound stopped seeking validation from her friend and instead, licked her hand and bounded off towards the house. In response, she rolled her eyes fondly as they walked back up the side of the mountain. "He keeps hassling the guests," she added. "He can smell the fondue and he's getting annoyed that no one's feeding him any."

The chalet her family owned was actually a collection of six, each smaller than the one they lived in. They all looked the same, in wooden frame and each with a balcony and room for snowboards, skis and mountain climbing gear. It looked equally beautiful all year round and like a postcard and thus, was usually fully booked. They were all self contained, with kitchens and bathrooms but her mother insisted on cooking so everyone tended to hang around Lyra's house for breakfast. Thunder ran ahead like he owned the place, barking to announce his arrival, despite there only being Lyra and Adrien present.

Inside, the chalet was modern and clean, creams and neutrals with exposed beams and impossibly high ceilings. Spotlessly clean, it still felt homely and comfortable. There were throw cushions on the sofa, the air smelt like pine and fresh linen and there was a number of baby photos of Lyra dotted around. Her new snowboard was resting against the wall, next to a small collection of pink balloons and a half eaten birthday cake. "Come through," she said warmly as she slipped off her shoes to reveal mismatched socks.

She placed Adrien's present in pride of place on the kitchen counter carefully. There was so much glass and clean air in the chalet but it looked better from upstairs, on the balcony. "Drink?" She asked. She sincerely hoped her parents would let Adrien stay for dinner with them. "Or would you like the tour first?"