Part 19 *unbeta'd*
Kyle sat on the cold tile floor of the bathroom trying to find a small amount of privacy. The Buddhism book he'd been reading suggested finding a quiet place for meditation. So here I am, he thought, trying to follow its advice while hoping not to look stupid to my new friends.
The book had also suggested burning incense to improve the quality of the meditation. But since I don't have any and I'm clueless as to what raw or dried plants would be safe to burn in its place, I think I'll pass on that for now.
He sat cross-legged as he tried to focus his thoughts inward while he focused his eyes on a corner near the door. He tried banishing the disturbing thought of Roswell from his mind, but failed.
He tried a different approach. He started smaller. First he banished Max Evans from his mind. Then the other three aliens. Next was Liz Parker, his dad and finally his mother.
Then he followed the next step of the guidelines, to focus only on that room. What did he hear, see, feel, smell or know?
He heard the water first. The third stall had a trickling leak and ran frequently. He heard the soft rattle of the early morning breeze on the leading of the stained glass window. Then he heard the angry buzzing of a fly caught in a spider web in the far corner of the room.
He shifted to his eyes. He saw the soft glow created by the candlelight and also the fainter glow of the moonlight shining through the stained glass.
Suddenly the door opened and a very sleepy person stumbled in to the first stall. The noise of the door snapped Kyle back into cognizance.
He tried to rise quickly but the cold and the numbness in his legs from sitting so long not to mention the aches from the afternoon's Quidditch game prevented that.
His hands reached forward to steady himself as he untangled his legs and tried again to rise, successfully this time.
Harry stumbled out of the stall and was headed for the sinks when he noticed Kyle gathering his things. "How long have you been up here?" he asked.
Kyle looked at his watch and answered with a bit of surprise, "A little over an hour."
"Really? Why?" Harry asked confused.
"Um, well I've been meditating actually," Kyle answered truthfully.
"Why?" Harry repeated.
"It's supposed to release stress and help you gain perspective," he answered quoting the book.
"Really? So how is it going?"
As Kyle thought about it he realized that the burdens he'd banished earlier were back but not really as intense as they were before. "Well it actually does seem a little better," he admitted.
"Good. Maybe I could try that sometime too?" Harry half asked and half suggested.
"Sure. I'd be glad to help," Kyle said honestly. "But it is late and I should probably get to bed now."
Harry smiled and nodded sleepily before leading the way back to the dorm.
Late Monday evening Mr. Granger went to the special cabinet in his study and pulled out a small stack of newspapers that would be considered tabloids by most respected journalists. Checks and Balances was an American rag but it tended to cater to science fiction buffs with its fanciful stories and less than circumspect news articles. Another local dentist had sent him a subscription to it as a gag gift for Christmas about 5 years ago. When he found that he liked it very much for its comic value and conspiracy theories he continued the subscription.
He was fairly certain that he'd read about the Crashdown Café in Roswell, New Mexico sometime over the past year but the memory was sort of a blur or a vague recollection of something in the bottom left corner of the page.
After a couple of hours he was tired and stiff and a little cranky. He was about to stop for the night when he saw it on the back page of the October 3, 1999 edition, Roswell Waitress Survives Shooting. A chill ran down his spine as he read the article again. Could this be what Hermione was looking for? He wondered and set the paper aside to copy for Hermione.
Wednesday evening Liz sat at a table in the common room trying over and over again to perfect her Charms homework. After almost an hour she growled in frustration and dropped her wand to the table as her third feather of the night was in a smoldering heap on the floor.
She stretched and turned then swept up the mess. She stopped by the table where Fred and George were still working in her CD player and asked, "So any good news yet."
"No, nothing yet," Fred answered.
"That's ok, take your time. I'm grateful to you for trying," she said brightly, trying to seem sincere at least while she was screaming internally, Hurry up!!! I want my music.
Then she headed upstairs, feeling desperate enough to try Isabel's way of playing CD's. I just hope I don't send a laser beam through my head, she thought as she picked up her Dave Matthews Band Crash CD.
Ten minutes later, Hermione stumbled in the hallway giving Liz barely enough time to remove the CD from against her ear before her privacy was invaded.
Kyle strangely found himself more and more at home in the grime and steam of the greenhouses. He discovered it was one of the few places he could go to escape the frustrations and disappointments of the outside world. They also seemed to be a place of harmony and balance, which was something the Buddhism book recommended.
Sure he derived a great deal of satisfaction from the job well done, but also because he had found something that he did best. Liz could have her dank Potions dungeon and the complicated Transfiguration tasks, but he preferred the welcome feel of the soil between his fingers.
He finished potting the last of the Ghiradelli Ferns used in medichocolate and brushed the soil from his hands. As he checked his watch, he discovered he would barely have enough time to get back to Gryffindor tower before curfew. He grabbed his backpack and ran for the castle hoping not to be too late.
Two minutes later he made it to the common room with 30 seconds to spare.
A/N: I only know Hollywood's version on Buddhism. I hope not to offend anyone with inaccuracies. The mistakes are all mine.