Befuddlements for Breakfast, for the lovely Fabiiiina! <3

[Eviny Brannagh]

[SCREW QUANTITY.]

Duelling may not have been at the top of Eviny’s list of favourite things to do, but food was. She loved cooking, and people who could cook, and spent a hefty amount of time chatting with the house elves when she could. Granted, the tiny creatures could contribute the majority of their cuisine to magical ability, but Eviny preferred the hard work and good palette portion of the job. That was part of the reason Potions was one of her favourite classes at school – there wasn’t as much wand-work involved and she could rely on instinct to point her in the right direction. Thankfully, it tended to work most of the time. Potions was the only class that she wouldn’t fall miserably behind in if she left off practising even for a moment.

Food was the main reason why she so often found herself lounging in the Great Hall, but there were other motives as well. Here she could relax, enjoying the tender aromas that drifted – almost through the tables, it seemed – up from the kitchens below, while working on the various assignments that demanded so much of her time. If she were a more studious person, she may have preferred the library for work – but she was a social creature who enjoyed the gentle buzz of voices around her while she toiled. It was comforting for her, which made the classes just a tiny bit easier.

People came in and left, bustling around her as she poured over a book, scratching answers on smudged pieces of parchment. To be honest, the room could have exploded around her and she wouldn’t have noticed, the way she was focused. Her rosy mouth was contorted into a frown, brows furrowed together as she stared at one of the questions for her Transfigurations homework. It may have been her worst class, for all the effort she put into it, but she never seemed to be any nearer to doing well.

Glancing up, she looked around her, a small pout on her lips. She was a very fair-minded individual, but she couldn’t ignore how that class just annoyed the living daylights out of her. It definitely made her think the most un-Hufflepuff things, which was upsetting in of itself, but there was no dispelling the feeling once it set in. The only hope for it was finding someone smarter than she, not all that difficult, who could help to explain the infuriating concepts in simple terms that she could understand.

[Fabian Prewett]

Food and laughter, the two things that Fabian Prewett needed to properly survive life. He was hard pressed to imagine a life where he couldn't stuff his face with free food or being able to have a good laugh with a friend. Of course, he was realizing that in a few short months he would have to face the reality and live without Hogwarts. Now though he was taking full advantage of the great hall and the snacks that the house elves offered them through out the day.

Grabbing a sweet bun from off of the Gryffindor table, Fabian was quick to take a rather large bite out of the sweet leaving his mouth occupied with chewing as he idly scanned the crowds looking for either a familiar face or someone to pull a joke on. He lucked out and found that in one person along something possibly more entertaining.

Eviny Brannagh had to be the cutest girl that Fabian knew and it wasn't just in looks though she most definitely had those. No, he enjoyed more the fact that she could take his endless teasing with good spirits and then return his jokes. Finishing his current bite, the seventh year Ravenclaw took another, this time more civilized than his last, and sauntered up to the main object of his romantic affections.

"Careful. Don't try to give yourself a uni-brow for too long. You might actually succeed." He grinned down at her as soon as he was standing next to her, reaching out to flick a piece of her hair lightly from her cheek where it had stuck. "Transfigurations?" He asked though he had already taken notice of the book she had recently been pouring over. "When was the last time you took a break?" He asked as he settled down on the bench next to her, looking at her curiously and in concern. Right now Eviny was reminding him of Emme though thankfully she wasn't working half as hard as his fellow Ravenclaw.

[Eviny Brannagh]

The point of looking around for someone to help was only effective if one was looking in the correct direction. Unfortunately for Eviny, she was facing directly opposite Fabian as he approached. Jumping a bit, she turned her head sharply, frown reversing as she took in the image of the brilliant fellow standing next to her. If anyone could help her – while simultaneously subjecting her to endless trickery – it was most definitely the one and only Fabian Prewett. He was a remarkably smart Ravenclaw with a passion for life, whose zest never failed to amuse her, despite his constant application of his actions to her. Had she been slightly less oblivious, she may have suspected something – but as it was, ignorance was bliss.

The feel of his touch, brief though it may have been, was warm against her face, leaving a faint red tinge in its wake. “Oh hush, you,” she retorted, though her face had visibly relaxed the moment she recognized him. She did pout quite a lot when she was studying, but could she really be blamed? If teachers didn’t make the work so abysmally complicated, then she wouldn’t have to frown and fuss over getting it done. Sure, she was become a learned witch with each completed assignment, but the early onset of frown lines and crows feet wasn’t worth the knowledge, in her opinion. It was yet another clear indicator that she should not have been, and gladly was not in Ravenclaw house.

“Yes,” she whined, more playfully than as a complaint. As far as mild-mannered people went, Eviny did not enjoy unnecessary moaning, and only indulged herself when it came to a certain class – or in playful mockery. Now was perhaps just a slight combination of both occasions. Her face easily slid into a thoughtful expression and genuinely, given her inability to force her features as many older students did. “Err—maybe about two hours ago?” she answered, biting her lip and bruising the soft flesh. It darkened against her teeth, though she was unaware. She offered him a sheepish grin as she looked up, smoky grey eyes flashing her innocence.

Fabian could be such a sweetheart sometimes – a thought she couldn’t help but consider as he stared at her concernedly from his place on the bench. It was a tad out of character for her to devote so much energy over an extended period of time to the same assignment, she simply couldn’t focus for that long, but she chose to ignore it for the time being. She wanted this work finished, and when a Hufflepuff wanted something done it was going to happen, regardless of how long it took to do it. “It’s just this problem,” she explained. “It makes absolutely no sense to me, though you’ve probably got the answer in your head without knowing the question.” She wasn’t afraid to tease him, especially the way he toyed with her – and it was nice to have someone who responded so well to the jest.

“Help me?” she pleaded, eyes wide in her face as she looked at him, only slightly pitiful considering the way she begged.

[Fabian Prewett]

A small smile had spread across Fabian's features as he took in her jump to his presence though the fact that a light blush rose to her cheeks after he brushed away the strand of hair only widened the smile. Relaxing back against the edge of the table, obviously settling in for a good visit, he almost idly reached out to spin a piece of her hair around his finger though he was certainly thinking quite hard about what he was doing, and what she was saying.

"Two hours? Eviny that's too much time…What were you thinking?" He frowned, pausing as he stopped playing with her hair though his fingers still held onto the strand. He wasn't meaning to be so harsh in asking that of her but he was quite concerned about her and he realized that she could push herself too much; damn Hufflepuffs and their need to make sure everything got done.

Sighing softly, his attention was distracted to her lips as the blood rushed to the lower after she bit at it and he found himself hard put to stop staring. "Yes…yes of course I'll help you." He answered, just barely catching onto her plea as he managed to tear his gaze away and continue twirling her hair as if nothing had happened. "I doubt that I already know it. It's been a bit since sixth year Transfiguration for me." He tried on a grin though it was a bit shaky. Naturally he still remembered everything he had learned the year before from every class.

"Here. Let's look at this last problem together and then you're taking a break." He scolded like a parent, dropping her hair as he swung around to face the table, sliding so they were sitting right next to each other. Grinning, he reached around her shoulder to tilt the book more in his direction though he could have just reached with out pulling her into his arm. Leaving it there, resting casually on her shoulder, he propped his other elbow on the table as his finger scanned over the text, quickly taking it all in. "Now, which one is it that you're having problems with?"

[Eviny Brannagh]

Despite his forwardness, Fabian’s closeness had never really bothered Eviny. She recognized him as a friend – a very good one in fact – and just put down his odd behaviour to an even more odd nature. It wasn’t particularly out of place, Fabian was as different from the typical Hogwarts student as she was to a cockatoo, and perhaps more. The added attention did embarrass her, but she was a shy sort of creature anyway (perhaps she wasn’t so different from an exotic bird), so she dismissed the nervous feeling and just let him have his fun. It wasn’t so bad, he had a fondness for playing with her hair – which seemed irrelevant even to her innocent eyes.

His tone, however, was something entirely new. She didn’t enjoy being criticised, particularly by her friends – but for some reason it hurt even more coming from him. She immediately assumed, from her own good-nature, that he hadn’t meant to be so brutal, but that didn’t lessen the sting. He had been unnecessarily sharp, and in turn she pouted, hazy grey eyes carrying a distant, sad glow. “I, well—” She couldn’t form a full sentence, a common occurrence when she was put on the spot like that. Words weren’t her forte, and being asked to explain herself only made it worse.

She wouldn’t look away from him, keeping his gaze even as he sighed and answered her pleas. A more clever individual might have associated the tension to her own actions, but she remained in the dark – assuming instead that he had come to terms with his sudden attitude. He picked up toying with her hair as though nothing had happened, and though she frowned at his sudden change – without addressing his temperament, he had agreed to help, and she was desperate. Pursing her lips, it was her turn to scold him. Sarcasm was an art she had never mastered, and the use of it while she was within earshot only confused her – as Fabian’s did now.

“A bit,” she scoffed. “I’m sure the two months and one summer since you were in sixth year hasn’t depleted your knowledge too terribly.” Still, his grin was relaxing. Being the social chameleon that she was, she found it difficult to maintain one emotion while those around her clearly felt differently. At least, it seemed clear to her, though the sentiments could have been false and dancing naked in front of her and she wouldn’t notice. When he scolded her again, she ignored it – preferring to keep to her cheery nature. Whether he was following her lead, or just personally bipolar, she noted a similar grin on his face as he scooted closer to help.

The feel of his arm around her was comforting, rather than awkward, and she looked down at the book, rather than at him. If she had turned her head, she would have been centimeters away from his face – and though contact seemed to be normal thing for him, she doubted being that close would fall into the same luxury. “Gamp’s Laws of Elemental Transfigurations,” she recited, as if in class. “And I really don’t know who this Gamp fellow was, but I think he’s just trying to be tricky. There might be laws to magic, yes – but in transfigurations? Rubbish.” She pursed her lips, shifting lightly in his embrace. “How am I supposed to explain why food can’t be conjured if I don’t understand myself? I mean, beyond the ‘it can’t because it can’t’ answer they’re determined to give, which frankly bheith ag seafóid.”

She didn’t even notice the Gaelic as it slipped from her mouth, though she was visibly bristling. There were day when she just couldn’t hold on to the English aspect, too annoyed – usually by her studies – to bring the right language to the front of her mind.

[Fabian Prewett]

Frowning as Fabian registered exactly how much his words had stung her, he couldn't help but instinctively pulling her closer a little bit, squeezing her shoulder. "Awe Eviny I'm sorry. You know I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to tax yourself." He apologized, keeping his arm tight around her shoulders. He continued to watch her even as she looked away, a small unusual frown still playing on his face though he was working hard to wipe it away before she looked back to him.

It was the fact that she had yet to spot his sarcastic remarks that brought a grin to his face again as he glanced down at the book though she explained it himself. 'Gamp' was the only word that he had needed to hear to understand what she was having troubles with and the simplicity of the answer, if it was explained right, was what made him grin even more.

"Gamp's law states…" He started as soon as she was done speaking though he was cut off when it hit him that the last couple of words hadn't been English and he couldn't understand it. "What did you just say?" He asked instead, chuckling slightly as he looked down on her in admiration as he picked up playing with her hair again with the hand that had moments ago squeezed her shoulder.

[Eviny Brannagh]

She snuggled into his embrace, relaxing with the warmth that washed over her as it radiated off of Fabian. He was always so open around her, instigating this proximity and maintaining an affectionate closeness. She saw no fault in it, and felt no shame in returning a tiny amount of his friendliness by indulging him, and occasionally resting against him as she did now. But regardless of how tight he held her, the contact never went to her head or made her dizzy, or any of those other disadvantages of being smitten and fully aware of the romantic inclinations that Fabian was harbouring. As such, she listened intently as he started to explain – only to have the answer distracted by a sudden question, directed at her.

“Sorry, what?” she said, turning to look directly over her shoulder at him. As she did so, her nose brushed lightly against his. Almost immediately her cheeks lit up with a faint, red burn as she looked quickly away. Soft laughter escaped her lips as she faced away, recognition dawning on her as Fabian’s question hit home. “Oh, right – sorry,” she said again, turning slowly to look at him again. This time, she made sure there was a breathable amount of space between them before she answered. “Ehmm… said it was the equivalent of a load of bollocks.” A small smile spread across her lips.

“I get a bit distracted when I’m annoyed,” she replied hesitantly. “The Irish just sort of … slips, I guess.” The rosy blush reappeared in her cheeks as she struggled to explain herself. Convinced that just being forgetful when agitated was reason enough, her smile widened, smoky eyes meeting his. “Sorry,” she added again, more sheepishly than before.

[Fabian Prewett]

Everything that was in his mind at the moment was wiped away as Eviny's nose gently brushed across his. It wasn't the touch that practically took Fabian's breath away, but the fact that if he had been fast enough, and not totally afraid, but he could have pressed his lips to hers in a kiss. He was saved of the humiliation of the act though with her turning her face away and he couldn't help but letting out a relieved sigh as she did so; he didn't want to move fast around her as he wasn't sure of her feelings.

Using the pause, he shifted slightly away from her so something like that wouldn't happen again though he left his arm around her shoulders. He had heard plenty of rumors about he and Eviny of late, more so now that they had found more time to hang out, and there was no doubt in his mind now that whispers around them were speculating. He had to wonder if Eviny had heard them and if she had, what did she think?

"Why didn't you just come out with that then?" He asked with a grin, steadily meeting her gaze as he gently tugged on the piece of hair he had picked up again. "Save us all some time." He added cheekily, sticking his tongue out slightly to make sure she understood he was joking. "Maybe you'll teach me more sayings like that one?" He asked, slowly tearing his gaze from hers to glance down at the book, using that as a segway back into answer her question.

"Gamps law, well it's really quite simple once you understand it. Conjuring is really an illusion of sense. You're creating something out of nothing so you can't make something substantial, like food." He explained, not exactly sure if that would make sense to her or not. He hoped it would seeing as it was really the only way he knew how to put it, but if it didn't…well he would figure something out.

[Eviny Brannagh]

“Well, I think I did,” she said obstinately. “You’re brilliant – I’ll just teach you the language, and then we’ll settle all the confusion.” Despite the fact that she was joking, she had no doubts that Fabian could do it if he really wanted to. Sometimes his intelligence frightened her. Surely people weren’t meant to be that smart. In someone with less character than Fabian, it could have been just as dangerous as it was awesome, which made her all the more thankful that such wit and skill was being harboured in the mind of her long-time friend, and a very good man.

After a moment, she realised he was trying to explain the question to her and quickly focused on the work at hand. Regardless, it still didn’t make a lick of sense to her overworked brain. She twitched as a frown formed on her lips. “Illusion of sense?” she repeated, confusion spreading across her face. “If I can conjure a sponge, why can’t I conjure a sponge cake? Aside from taste, there really isn’t that much difference.” She sighed exasperatedly as she continued, “I mean, honestly. How is food more substantial than solid wood?” The pout returned.

She turned to look at him, wide grey eyes pleading. “There’s got to be a better answer than that. Or I’ll never understand this class.” She wasn’t one for indulging self-pity ever, but the looming possibility of seriously failing Transfigurations made the feeling almost worthwhile. The fact that she was almost sitting in Fabian’s lap strengthened her resolve. He was probably the smartest student in the school – if he understood it than surely it made sense. The fact that it was confusing to her was nothing new, but she wanted somewhat desperately for his explanation to clear up at least a little bit of the haze.

[Fabian Prewett]

Chuckling lightly, Fabian lightly squeezed Eviny's shoulder again a smile spreading widely across his lips at her cheek. "I'm quite serious though, it'd be nice to learn some of your language. I always enjoy learning new things." He said, almost wistful at the thought of new knowledge sitting right next to him. Excited about this prospect, he realized almost a second too late that his explanation hadn't done too much good for her. Sighing softly, he grinned gently at her, slowly shaking his head.

"Why don't you take a break with me, we'll come back to this later." He offered, reaching up to gently cup her face, his thumb brushing gently over her cheek in a lapse of his control over showing affection to her. He woke up some when he started leaning forward to kiss her but caught himself, withdrawing as quickly as he could without raising too much suspicion from her.

"Have you had a chance to have those sweet rolls the house elves have out today?" He asked, gently dropping his hand to his lap though he left the other around her shoulder. "They're quite delicious…I could do with another." He said with a small grin though it didn't quite meet his nervous eyes.

[Eviny Brannagh]

It was tempting to just let her head drop to the table, and not pick it up again. This class was never going to make sense to her – she was doomed to a life of miscomprehension and lackluster existence, all because of one lesson that left her reeling with uncertainty. Merlin, she hated school sometimes. Fabian could enjoy learning all he wanted. She enjoyed getting an answer to a question sparked by her curiosity, but this? This was too much. He obviously shared her sentiments, mirrored in his sighing. Even Fabian couldn’t teach her, and he was the smartest person she knew.

“Alright,” she responded, very dejected. “Anything is better than this. And food is better than everything.” That small spark of amusement lit on her face again. Moments later his hand was at her face, gently cupping her cheek as his thumb brushed over the bone. Beneath his touch, her skin burned – mirroring her opinion in a fiery crimson blush. Eviny Brannagh may have been the most gullible witch to ever set foot in Hogwarts, but even she was not so oblivious that Fabian’s caress didn’t register in her mind. She could have sworn that he dipped closer, for a brief second, but pulled back – as if he realised exactly what he was doing and had decided against it. Her heart started pounding in her chest.

Ignorance was bliss – and now she was just incredibly confused. Had she been wrong about him before? She had assumed he was just a bit overzealous, that it was just his way, being close and comfortable with contact. It wouldn’t have been out of sorts, she heard about plenty of guys – and girls – who were the same way, and to be honest, she didn’t really mind it all that much herself. She had never considered that Fabian may have been thinking of something more. It was uncomfortable, hearing all the doubts and questions that suddenly went spiraling through her head, leaving her a tad dizzy as she struggled to find an answer to suit at least some of them. Nothing came forward. She had no idea what his intentions were, or how he felt, or what she was supposed to do now – and it was miserable. There was a good reason she preferred to not get involved in the complicated things, to avoid them like the plague – it just wasn’t worth the headache.

“N-no,” she answered, shaking her head slowly in an attempt to refocus on his face. His hand had dropped to his side, but the other arm was still wrapped invitingly around her shoulder. There was nothing odd in that, right? If he had meant to be more affectionate than he was, he would have done something about it by now, surely. Fabian wasn’t the sort to hide these things for any reason, was he? “I haven’t, but I’m sure they’re heavenly.” She didn’t realise it, but her expression mirrored his exactly, with only one exception. Her smoky eyes were confused, as opposed to the nervous chocolate haze in his.

She had to be imagining things. He was a Ravenclaw, and brilliant, and a seventh year, and just a wonderful person. She was just a Hufflepuff, not very smart, a year younger than he was and quietly humble. There was no way Fabian could be interested in her, she was just deluding herself and being distracted by things she probably imagined in the first place. There was no other explanation. Her smile widened, some of the confusion melting away.

[Fabian Prewett]

The look of confusion that wrote its self across her face gave Fabian the faintest glimmer of hope, something of which he wanted to deny. Seeing this made him think he had a chance and he didn't want to know that, he didn't want to risk their friendship on feelings that he wasn't sure existed. Frowning slightly, he decided to forget for a moment that he had offered her sweet buns and to help her figure out Transfiguration. Swinging his leg over the bench and dropping his arm from around her shoulder, he gave her every once of him attention for the one question he had decided to ask. Depended on her answer he would either just drop back to being a good friend or well, he didn't want to think of the other option.

"Eviny…" He paused, picking up the hand that was closest to him, gently playing with her fingers; it was like he was addicted to touching her now and all of this from one close encounter and a look of confusion. "What do you think of me?" The question was soft and he wouldn't meet her eye, a good thing at this point for if he had looked up he would have seen her fading confusion and probably lost the minimum amount of steam he had build up.

Pausing manipulating her hand, he frowned slightly and bit his lip. He had gone out with a couple of girls before but he could never remember being this nervous about his possible relationship with someone. He was hard put to decide if it was because he had gotten so close over the years and was afraid to lose the friendship, or if it was something entirely different. "What I mean is…could you possible, probably not but I mean, do you think you could see us…you and me…together?" He murmured, surprised that he had gotten that out as he finally raised his gaze from her hand to meet her grey gaze.

[Eviny Brannagh]

There was a certain tingling in her ears when he said her name. It wasn’t something she was accustomed to, being spoken to in such a soft, nervous manner, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it. The warmth of his hand as it spread over hers only added to the confusion that she had tried to subdue. There was no hiding it now, as her blonde brows furrowed yet again, biting her lip gently.

“What do you mean?” she asked, head tilting as he looked away, still toying with her hand. That odd heat continued to play over her skin, though she was starting to feel she couldn’t attribute it to just good will. This was decidedly odd behaviour for Fabian, she knew that now. “Fabian, what—” he cut her off before she could ask what was wrong, clarifying his original question and looking up at last.

Whether it was the will of Merlin or the beloved Irish gods, she suddenly had a moment of clarity unlike any she had ever experienced in her life. The expression in that lovely chocolate gaze made more sense to her than potions, than food, than karma – which meant more than she was capable of expressing. She understood now that his opinion of her was more than friendly; it had progressed to a full-blown form of affection. She could see, and hear, in the nervous tone of his voice, that he wasn’t joking; this wasn’t another one of his tricks. He was being perfectly serious.

She wasn’t sure if she could handle it. She squeaked.

Her heart was pounding in her chest – it sounded like thunder as it echoed within herself. Her breath caught in her throat as it closed tightly. Her mouth felt oddly dry, tongue paralysed as those beautiful eyes watched her – waiting for an answer. Cold air surged around her, flooding her mind with that horribly familiar feeling. It was as if she were in class and the professor had asked her a question, looking for an answer that she very obviously did not have.

But he wanted one. And he was such a sweetheart. Thoughts of Fabian rushed to fill the emptiness, images of his face, the gentle tenor of his voice, the warmth of his hands. Anything good and filling took over, forcing out the terrifying black that had consumed her seconds before. It had felt like an eternity, frozen in hell, but it vanished as quickly as it came – those rich, chocolate eyes drowning out the fear. What a remedy – how perfectly incredible.

The real horror had been her unwillingness to accept what he had asked. Not to say yes to the question, but rather – that she didn’t want to admit to herself that he had actually asked her such a thing. It was completely novel for her, and she wasn’t overly fond of new things. It didn’t matter that she was reasonably attractive, no one had made the effort to ask such a thing, or even just barge in and do something as innocent – or sensual – as kissing her. It had never bothered her before, but now it felt like her heart had been shocked back into rhythm.

What did she think? Could she see them together? Well, obviously she could – they were sitting together now, weren’t they? She knew that wasn’t what he meant, but her mind was still determined to reject any kind of change in her life. As long as everything progressed as it usually did, then there was no confusion, nothing to leave her bewildered and uncomfortable. But was being with Fabian, in the way that he was suggesting, really that bad?

No, she didn’t think it was. Fabian was smart. He was kind. He was sweet. He was everything she enjoyed in her friends, and more so. He had morals and humour and wasn’t afraid to do what he felt was right or what mattered, regardless of the public opinion or what someone else said. Of all her friends, there was no denying that she admired and respected him the most. Perhaps the only reason she hadn’t given it further thought was solely because of her unwillingness to recognize any sort of similar possibility. Fabian was as close to perfect as men came, and here she was deliberating whether or not she would like something of the kind. What sheer insanity.

“I—we—but…” Having admitted to herself that she was being stupid didn’t loosen her tongue at all. She still found it extraordinarily difficult to say anything, much less form a comprehensible answer. “Is ea,” she whispered, looking away suddenly. “Ar ndóigh, is cosúil go muid is dócha in éineacht.” She rambled on, quietly to herself, as if debating something, though to anyone near enough to hear her – who was fluent in Irish – there was no debate. “Fabian,” she said quickly, looking up again, eyes flashing. “In éineact, I can see it, ar ndóigh. You agus mé and tú agus us and—” She couldn’t stop the words from rolling out her mouth, now that the dam had been broken.

“Yes,” she answered in a rush. “Yes, of course, I can.”

[Fabian Prewett]

Startled by her squeak, Fabian nearly withdrew from her, thinking, and fearing, the worst in that he had officially just lost a really good frown. Frowning as he watched her carefully, he tried to read the thoughts that were flashing across her face though things were moving to fast, leaving him feeling dizzy. Squeezing down on her hand gently, he half hoped that it would wake her up in a sense as the wait was killing him; he just wanted to know if he should get out, or stay.

As the gaelic started to flow, it was his turn to don a look of utter confusion, something that wasn't typically seen on his intelligent face. "Eviny." He voiced though it must not have been loud enough as her words continued to stream from her lips though he was able to catch the occasional English. "Eviny…" He said again louder before being cut off by her last phrase, one that he could entirely understand this time.

"Y-you can?" He asked, wide eyed as he looked at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. "I…I mean would you?" Fabian continued and then realized that maybe that wouldn't make since to her; no doubt it only made sense to him because he was inside his own head. "Will you go out on a date with me? That's what I meant…It would make my day, my year, my everything…"He rambled on, finally cutting himself by shutting his mouth and staring at hers, wondering if he could kiss her or if it would be too much just now.

[Eviny Brannagh]

She hadn’t heard him before, but not that she had shut up, there was no opening her mouth. Everything he said registered, and though it didn’t make sense at first – as Fabian had predicted – she came to her senses eventually, recognizing his intent, if not the actual words. She gnawed very determinedly on her lower lip, thoughts racing through her head, though she could no longer find the voice to express then – in any language.

“It would make my day, my year, my everything…”

To be honest, she wasn’t sure if she believed him. She, the girl that accepted everything people told her because there was no reason for anyone to feed her a falsehood, was finding it difficult to trust what Fabian was telling her now. And frankly – she had no idea why. He still wasn’t meeting her gaze, and the longer he looked away, the more quickly her fears came rushing back. She needed to see that merciful crown stare – that little bit of saving grace. If she was going to be able to deal with, much less comprehend anything, she needed that little remedy.

She made a very quick decision – and one she knew she would blame Benjy Fenwick for entirely later. Her hand, which had rested limply underneath his throughout the duration of her ranting now moved suddenly to his face – not in a sharp motion, only to lift his chin gently. She pushed his face up, silver eyes searching for that chocolate respite that she knew she needed if she was going to make any sense of this.

She was right. As soon as their eyes met, relief flooded through her. A smile spread across her mouth, putting an end to the emotional rollercoaster she had embarked upon. “I would love to,” she answered, face bright as she looked at him. She wasn’t sure what it was, what had caused her to feel so unbelievably sentient – but as the familiar calm washed over her, she knew it didn’t matter. What happened, would happen and karma would deal with the rest.

[Fabian Prewett]

The soft brush of her fingertips tilting his head up sent a bolt of electric pleasure across Fabian's body, stealing his breath for a moment though he was quick to regain it back. It was such a surprise that such a simple gesture, out of all the touches they shared, could cause such mayhem on his mind and body. As their eyes locked however, those thoughts were obliterated by the sense of calm that rolled to him from Eviny causing an ecstatic grin to spread across his features and light his eyes even more.

"Really? I mean…excellent!" He cried, unable to contain his joy as he leaned forward to peck her lips gently before recoiling quickly, falling silent for a moment, not sure of the response he would get from that. "What do you want to do?" He asked after the silence, trying to move things past it so it wouldn't get awkward though with Eviny he wasn't sure it was possible. "I mean…we could have a picnic and go flying one weekend, or there's another Hogsmead trip coming up and I know this cute little tea shop that I'm absolutely sure you would love." He rambled at top speed, his grin still wide across his face.

Pausing to suck in a breath, his grin took on a goofy aspect as he grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through her's as he stared at her in admiration. It was kind of like he was seeing her for the first time again, taking note of how her eyes crinkled ever so slightly at the corners when her lips turned up at the corners in a smile, bringing out the faintest hint of a dimple something adorable all in itself without the added beauty of the rest of her face and person. "It's all up to you." He murmured, unable to drag his eyes away from her now, something that could be blamed on the fact that he knew, if she agreed, he could have her all to himself. Still grinning, it would never leave his face now, he gently lowered his lips to her's again, pressing them together in a more lingering manor, something that should have been their first kiss but would certainly do as a second.

[Eviny Brannagh]

Eviny was dazed. There was no other way to describe the hazy quality of her brain at that moment in time. It was almost as if everything she had just experienced had become too much and her mind had shut down – leaving only the basest motor functions to process. Fabian’s words and actions only just registered, but she couldn’t find enough consciousness to react to any of them. The world continued to spin wound her while she recuperated, gathering her thoughts and piecing together the events of the last five minutes.

Had it really only been five minutes? It had felt like forever. Her entire life had come and gone a hundred times in those seconds that he had whispered her name. That question must have taken longer than the birth of the galaxy. Her breath had been caught in her chest longer than all the ages of the earth. And all that time, had only been a few, very short moments. It was unbelievable.

For one thing, Eviny was a creature of habit. She did not change unless she had to, and generally, she didn’t. It was just easier to live in a routine, accepting things as they were. It was comfortable, and she preferred convenience to hardships and difficulty. Not to say this was hard – so far the only thing she really had to do was say yes, and nod her head. That was a daily occurrence for her, smiling and nodding, but this seemed so much more pressing than a simple expression. Perhaps that was a good thing. If it had been any easier, she would have had reason to doubt its veracity – thinking it nothing more than a very odd hallucination.

Try as she might, that brilliant chocolate gaze kept her focused on the truth. There was no lie in this. Fabian was real, and he had meant every word. As such, it left her mind with absolutely no doubt that this all was happening far too fast. Dates and relationships and kisses – all of it was complete novel for her, and Fabian was speeding through each one as though he’d done it a million times. Granted, he was reasonably more experienced on all accounts than she was, which said enough on that subject, but she had hoped after acquiescing that he might have a care for her side of the ordeal.

And these instant reactions: she wasn’t sure how fond she was of acting on instinct, considering how quickly it manifested, but in this case she was slightly thankful. The tilt of Fabian’s head a second time towards hers had caught her eyes, and before she knew what she was doing, she had turned her face away – blushing furiously. His lips connected with her cheek, a brilliant red and flaming hot beneath his cool touch. Agreeing to go on a date was one thing, but being subjected to her first kiss – ever – and the glossing over it as though nothing had happened? She wasn’t eager to let that happen again.

“Aren’t you supposed to make all these decisions?” she asked, a bit exasperated. She couldn’t look directly at him anymore, the clarity of mind was too much for her stubbornly hard-working ways. From what she knew of dating – which was a very limited knowledge collected in the wee hours as she drifted off to sleep in the dormitories, it was up to him to choose the location and plan the event, and to surprise her – which she had no doubt at this point she would be – with the results. Perhaps her ideas of such things were flawed, but it would take a great burden off her already over-taxed mind if she was right. With no experience, she was certain that getting involved in the details would just mess them up.

[Fabian Prewett]

Feeling his lips brush against brush across her skin rather than her lips, Fabian realized his mistake a moment too late and recoiled quickly, his own blush now coming to the surface as he made sure that there was room between him and her as he noted that she was no longer meeting his eyes. "Oh…wow, Eviny I'm…I'm so sorry. I should have asked, I mean…I'm not typically like this. Forgive me? I mean, I'm just so nervous…" He rambled, frowning and wishing she would meet his eyes again so that he could prove how sorry he was for doing that to her.

"I just…I want you to have a say in things. I know that like, you don't really like change." He muttered, completely abashed now as his own eyes dropped to stare at his hands. "It's just…with you, Eviny; I want everything to be perfect." He continued, his lips twitching in another frown. "And, to tell the truth, it feels as if I'm new to this. I'm not, it's just, unnerving. I want you to be so happy and I'm scared that I'm going to ruin everything with you." He finished, finally rising his gaze again watching her face for an reaction.

Now that his feelings were out in the open, he couldn't tell if he was relieved or even tenser. It hadn't been long that he had liked Eviny to this extent, or at least admitted it to himself; he had always thought it was just a special sort of friendship. Perhaps that was why he felt so right finally asking her out – they had always been on that level, or at least he had, so there was only a little step to making it official, or as official as she wanted to make it. From here on out Fabian would be moving at her pace, no matter how hard it might be for him to hold back his feelings.

[Eviny Brannagh]

She couldn’t look up. It wasn’t that she was appalled with his forwardness or that she found his face revolting, but just the opposite. Before, when it had been fear holding her back, those brilliant chocolate eyes of his had acted at a panacea for the confusion, bring the light out of the murky haze that swirled around in her brain. Now, she didn’t want to look. As wonderful as that blessed vision was, it left her mind oddly blank, which was both a godsend and the most uncomfortable experience of her life. As long as she didn’t see the worried concern in his eyes, and expression that made her feel like she was melting, she could listen, albeit distractedly, and try to piece together what was happening – however bad she may have been at it.

His stuttering over an explanation only made matters worse. Her face burned crimson as her attempted to give an appropriate excuse, listing the various reasons he had for his odd behaviour, though to her she found nothing uncharacteristically Fabian until after he struggled to explain himself. There was the obvious to be dealt with. He was a seventh year Ravenclaw – a genius and a god among wizards in his own right. She was a sixth year Hufflepuff – young, naïve and no where near Fabian’s talent with a wand, or anything for that matter. Why he would even be interested in her, something she did very well not thinking about for the last five or so years, was completely beyond her, though she attested it to her lack of mental clarity and his superior intellect.

That having been dealt with – accepting that it was just some odd quirk of his (after all, he had so many) – she could move on the next oddity. Fabian wasn’t what you could call arrogant, not when there was Lucius Malfoy for him to be compared to, but he was by no means shy in his actions. He was a man who knew what he wanted, and knew how to get it, and more importantly wasn’t afraid to do it. It was perhaps beneficial to the world that Fabian liked the good things, and only playing nice jokes, rather than something vicious or evil, but that didn’t change the fact that he was being very odd – and odd things did not sit well with her.

He was right. She did not like change, and this sudden difference in his behaviour was possibly the most upsetting, if not frightening, of all the many occurrences she had gone through in the last ten minutes, and for a Hufflepuff – that was a myriad more than most of their brains could handle. It had no other options – it was shut down, or risk a comatose state. To be honest, she preferred the shut down, it was easier to come back from.

It took several minutes, while he rambled on, looking for the world like Benjy Fenwick when faced with a wet white t-shirt, but she didn’t notice. Her heart slowed, stepping back from that thundering rhythm as it drummed against her ribcage, threatening to crack something. Her breath was steady and even, once she gave in to the knowledge that she hadn’t been breathing at all for several moments. Immediately, a feeling pf peace and relief flooded into her head, washing away the doubts and insanity, pocketing the important facts and letting the rest just flow by with the tides of time.

Only after everything had been cleared away did she look up through her dark lashes, smoky eyes filled with the peaceful wonder of a successful mental reboot. Now that she had carefully unwound herself from the predicament, her tone was soft and light, much more normal for her than the odd squeaks and courageous forwardness she had been forced into handling. Instead, she was demure and quiet, still red-faced, but all things considered that wasn’t exactly out of character as far as she was concerned. There was enough awkward insanity in her day to keep her blushing a steady rate from sunup to sundown, and surprisingly, it never ceased. This, however, was no longer awkward, just … surprising. Somewhat pleasantly surprising.

“Fabian,” she answered gently, voice soothing, if only to bring him out of the nervous soprano he had driven himself to. “You could never ruin anything between us, we’re friends because you’re a good man.” She paused, searching for the right words. “Romance won’t change that, even if… if—well, it won’t change the fact that I’m your friend, you know? If you really want to go on a date, I suppose that’s quite alright. I’m just a bit surprised, that’s all. I’ve never— I’ve never done this before, so it’s all actually new for me. I’m sorry for unnerving you…” Her lips twitched as she struggled to pull the right sentences into some semblance of order. Calm or not, purposeful explanations were not her strong suit.

“Don’t worry about making things perfect, I’m just a bit nervous myself, that’s all. I’m… I’ve never been kissed before about two minutes ago, so it’s all very new, you see? I don’t mind new, I just… it takes me a moment to adjust, that’s all.” Smiling sheepishly, she could feel the heat in her cheeks receding at last. She rarely spoke this much, but oddly enough it didn’t feel as unnatural as she had expected. Somehow, she felt Fabian was responsible, where he was aware of it or not.

[Fabian Prewett]

It seemed Fabian had been holding his breath himself, not breathing as she spoke and tensed as if he expected a slap or some sort of thing but it never came. Instead, the air he had holding rushed out of him in a sigh, pulling forth a grin that spread across his lips, flashing his teeth and lightening up his dark eyes. He couldn’t pull his gaze away from her now, taking in every inch of her blushing face as if he were memorizing ever crease and slight color discoloration it could hold.

Reaching out again, he gently twined his fingers around her own, his thumb tracing patterns on her skin as he sat there in silence for a moment, taking in and digesting her words. “That was a lot for you.” He couldn’t help but chuckle, marveling that she could convey her self that well after suck a hectic moment before. “Maybe you Hufflepuffs work better under pressure rather than long term.” He suggested quietly, his eyes dancing as he looked down at her and squeezing her hand; he hoped to convey to her that he was joking. “But then, we would all be in trouble because you would be too much like the Gryffindors and the Slytherins would run rampart trying to stop it all. I truly believe that we Ravenclaws would lock ourselves in our tower with a mountain of books if that ever happened.” He murmured, distracting her while he sorted out his own thoughts, a small chuckle slipping from his lips as he did so.

“But I’m serious about you telling me where you would like to go. I think it’s unfair to girls that they very well never have a say in where they go when they’re out with a guy.” He frowned, glancing away over her shoulder for a moment before turning his gaze back to her. “Tell you what, if you give me a couple choices as to what you’d like to do, I’ll pick something from that, or maybe something else, and surprise you anyway.” He offered, grinning widely at her as he raised an eyebrow mildly, questioning her for her input on the matter.