Morning Run, Morning Beauty -open-

[Gwen Lawrence]

If only she could sleep, she would enjoy waking up to the sunrise that was been showing to her by nature. These people did not understand how lucky they were, never having to worry about the important things of life, because they could live in a world full of peace. The sunrise was a beautiful thing to see, and every morning she would find a place to watch such an event, even if she was running between places. Today she was sat on a bench dressed in her running gear, this was her chosen spot to watch such a natural beauty. Gwen could watch it from Hogwarts, but then she like to leave the castle and explore. Silently she stood up and started to walk at slow pace, it was if she was walking through a dream, she could see every single little thing through her blue eyes, smell the scent of the grass after a rain storm. This place contained her peace at the moment.

Gwen did miss sleeping for a long time and the ability to be able to dream and forget the rest of the world as she drifted to another world. Coming slowly out of her trance, she looked around as the darkness in the sky faded to welcome another new day. She was seeing a brand new day start and a new chance to watch the sunrise she loved. The sunrise was a beautiful thing to see. Every morning Gwen would find a place to watch such an event, even if she had been busy. Today she continued to walk and calming her heart rate after such a run. The sun had raised now, the clouds soon covering it up the early sun.

Oh how the little things in life could progress into something much bigger than it should be. Now that was something worth considering when it came to that time in life where you had to make a choice on what needed to be done once alone in the big, wide world. But she had made that choice over twenty years ago and she did not regret it at all. It seemed that today she was thinking of the small things that had happened in her life. And the fact she was not teaching today since it was indeed the weekend and the marking of homework could wait a few hours. It was strange how much she enjoyed teaching, though she did miss her family in America, but England was her home now.

"Right, less moping and more happiness Gwen." She told herself out loud and she walked around at a slow pace, feeling the wind blow through her hair, which was pulled into a slick ponytail. Teaching Potions was something she really did enjoy, the ability to create something so complex and feeling good about completing the task. Once more Gwen moved and sat down on a rock. At the age of forty-one, she was not old at all my wizarding standards, but boy did she feel much older than that.

Someone had once told her that she would have to choose what you win and lose because she could not have everything she wanted. No matter how much she was unhappy being alone; Gwen was happy with every other part of her life. She had taken chances because she would regret them if she didn’t, Gwen could just stand on the side lines and watch as her life pass by. But she would not break down; eventually she would find a place she would be at peace no matter what that price was. Though there was one price she was never willing to pay - her family.

"You must stop dwelling Gwen. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.” She spoke to herself and she cursed a little.

[Samantha Snape]

Just as the sun began to peek over the horizon, Sam slipped out of the castle. As she was cold more-or-less all the time, she could be said to have an immunity to it, and so the fact that all she wore were black bike shorts, a Slytherin-green sports bra, and her running shoes didn't bother her. Slipping the green and silver hair band from her right wrist, Sam reached back and tied up her long, extremely choppily cut scarlet hair. The cut as so choppy, in fact, that a few pieces of varying lengths, but all too short to go into her ponytail, fell to frame her face.

This softened the almost skeletal look to her facial features.

Moving over to a bench close to the doors, and used it as an aid for her stretches. Once she was sufficently warmed up, the tall Slytherin girl rechecked the laces on her tennis shoes, her metalic silver and green nails catching the light slightly, before she faced down the gravel path. Slipping into a runner's starting position, she counted down in her mind; three... two... one - GO! And as if the real gun had gone off, she launched herself forward, her long legs taking her ahead of her imaginary competition.

As she ran and the burning set in, Sam just concentrated on the path ahead of her, and the glinting gold blur that was her cross as it bounced on her chest as she ran.

[Gwen Lawrence]

Now it was time to get back to her running, she had not gone as far as she would have liked since she had been looking at the sunrise. This was something she did every morning, she appriate away from Hogwarts after she left the grounds and come into the country-side. It was something she just enjoyed doing since she had been a student all of those years ago. Gwen needed to run, to keep herself in shape, as well as letting go of her worries for the day - teaching was stressful and she would steal a certain word from Professor Snape, some of the students were indeed dunderheads. But she taught with a firm hand, but if that students did well in her lessons, she had treats for them - if they did not... well it was not worth mentioning.

Gwen picked up some speed as she started to run, he hair flowing behind her as she kept her pace going. She was not good at long distances as she was at sprinting, but it was something she worked on all the time, pushing herself just that bit further to a new record for herself. This Professor was wearing her black jogging bottoms and a vest top with a jacket tied around her waist. The colours were simple, but it was what she was comfortable in and that was that.

Professor Lawrence kept her heart rate up to keep toning her muscles. During the war, it had allowed her to survive because of the duelling and runnning she had to do. Her sister had hit the rough when she saw her sister in hospital after it had ended. Gwen now had scars to macth her stories, but she was proud of them because she helped make the world just a little safer for the next generation.

A smile appeared on her face at this thought - it was indeed time for their peace, to enjoy the world without living in fear. The worst she had to think about was the latest student that would almost blow themselves up in her class. Sometimes she would wonder what she had got herself into, but then again it was what she wanted to do, and it was worth it when she saw at least one of her students excel in her class, it showed her why she wanted to teach in the first place.

Gwen went back to her running, controlling her breathing as she kept up the pace she was maintaining. She was breaking into a sweat, but that showed that she was pushing herself and she was doing the best she could. Gwen could run off the edge of the world and the go further if she had the chance, but that was not possible. But one could wish and dream. This was who she was, forcing herself that extra mile all the time. Time was passing too quick in this lifetime.

[Samantha Snape]

Sam kept up her pace as well; she didn't run to get better, she ran to push herself - to get rid of what she knew shouldn't have been consumed in the first place. She knew that if she burnt more than she took in, she would get closer to the goal she desired. She may have been sick in the head, but as soon as those digits when double, she'd know she was close. Running got her closer to that goal, but it also gave her time to think. When she ran, it drowned out the voices inside her head. it allowed her to be free for more than a few moments. It allowed her to forget the constant battle she waged within her own mind.

It also helped her deal with her emotional issues. If she were feeling frustrated, she ran. If she were dissatisfied with something she'd done, she ran. If her father was being particularly cold, she ran. That was how she dealt with her emotions. She also ran when her heart got the better of her. When she looked at a beautiful woman for too long, or if she ached for her father to look at her with something more than indifference again. When that happened, she ran. She ran and ran and ran - she ran until she could run no more. She ran until her body gave out, and still she staggered to her feet and continued to run.

Some might have called her a coward, some crazy, but she knew that she ran for only one thing.

Progress.

[Gwen Lawrence]

Stopping she caught her breath, looking behind her she saw the distance she had covered. She was making progress and it was going to kill her one day, but it was worth it if she was going to stay in shape and not be killed by some students that were complete idiots. Gwen took a drink from her water, she had fallen behind her on her paperwork and knew that she should really head back to get it sorted before classes started. Time after time she felt like she was falling, but she would then recover. It was the story of her life but she was happy with what she had and she was certainly not going to change it since this was her dream job, though she had no idea what she was letting herself in for when she agreed to it. Gwen knew this job could make or break her and the fact she had enough working for the Ministry of Magic, it had no longer been a challenge for her, which was what she liked the most in any job she did.

Apprating back to the gates of Hogwarts, she pulled out her wand to allow the wards to let her pass. And soon enough she was walking across the grounds and back to her home. Gwen knew that this job was her life and she would not leave for anything in the world, she was selfish regarding her own thoughts, this was where she was meant to be, she needed to only think of happy thoughts and maybe in the morning everything would be different, she would find a way and it was time she put the students first and taught them like she had been hired to, even having the patience with the idiots that were in her class. There was so much she could do to help, even holding study classes to help those that could do with that extra bit of help. Gwen then had a few ideas on what she could do to help them pass her class. Now she was starting to think like a Professor and she was starting to see. A small smile appeared on her face again. It was a good feeling knowing that the students understood what she had been trying to teach them.

It was not long before she arrived at the entrance of Hogwarts and she was going straight to her quarters to draw up some extra lesson plans to help those few students. But first she was going to get a shower and change into her teaching clothes since she had a few classes to teach today. That run in the country-side had been something she needed and it had helped clear her mind. That was the sole purpose why she got up on a morning to go for that run, it prepared her mind for the day ahead. This was who she was, forcing herself that extra mile all the time. Time was passing too quick in this lifetime. But she always would do her morning run, it was the true morning beauty that made her live her life in this way.