Chocolate Mint if you please, For the lovely Snaps

[Emmeline Vance]

Everyone has a sweet tooth, or at least that was what Emmeline Vance believed, but she had suspicion that no one had a sweet tooth like hers; a sweet tooth that insisted she satisfy it sometime in the middle of the night. Typically Emmy had enough candy stocked up from the summer or a trip to Hogsmead that she could last until the next one but Septembers always caused a problem for her seeing as she always somehow managed to run out of sweets in the dorm room.

It was for this reason that the Ravenclaw prefect found herself padding quietly down the silent hallways of Hogwarts headed for the kitchen. If it weren't for the fact that her jaw was literally aching and her stomach was rumbling Emmy probably would have skipped descending six flights of stairs for something sweet from the kitchens but those things were hard to ignore. Besides, she had only been out of the common room for five minutes and she was already passing the statue that lead to the Hufflepuff common room, something she eyed enviously but continued past anyway.

Descending into the carpeted and highly food decorated hall, the smells of the beginnings of breakfast met Emmy's small nose bringing a smile to her face. Inching along the corridor, taking in the portraits of fruit that she knew quite well from many a wander down here for food, she stopped in front of the even more familiar painting of a very prominent pear. Reaching a finger out, she tickled the widest part, and what she felt was its stomach, which kindly produced a handle for her. Turning it, the entire painting swung open much like she imagined the Fat Lady doing, something that revealed a hole in the wall which she promptly crawled through.

The smell of breakfast was only naturally stronger in this large kitchen that was manned by the smallest of beings. Glancing around, she had only a moment to take in the motions of preparing a meal before her attention was drawn to squeaking voices around her knees, all asking what they could do for her. Smiling again she had to wait a moment for the noise to die down before her request could be heard. "Hot chocolate please, with mind and a candy cane added to it if you have it." Of course they did, the house elves always did but Emmeline always felt the need to be kind to these creatures.

As her order was filled, another elf guided her over to a chair next to the fire which she sank into thankfully with a small nod to the elf that now turned to get back to work. Sighing lightly, Emmy ruffled her bed-head hair some and leaned back into the chair, soaking up the warmth that penetrated her night gown. Sighing happily, she was sure after this hot chocolate she could fall straight asleep.

[Benjy Fenwick]

The excitement of the last few weeks was getting to Benjy. He’d started off his summer, thinking it was going to be a blast. Come to find out, most of his Muggle friends had jetted off to some foreign part of the world to vacation. That simple twist of events twisted the future, in his eyes. His summer had been long and uneventful, and it couldn’t end fast enough. Even though his first few weeks at Hogwarts for his seventh year hadn’t exactly been remarkable, they were much more interesting than his summer had been. It was enough to keep him awake, on this night. He hadn’t slept one wink since he’d laid down for the night. Benjy couldn’t see the sun from the position his common room was in, but he could assume it was early morning. It sure as hell felt like it.

He did have to admit that the comfort of his bed was hard to pry himself from. This bed felt more comfortable than the one at home. That probably didn’t have anything to do with the thread count. Hogwarts was very much his home, and he knew there were multitudes of students who harbored the same sentiments. Barely audible snores reached Benjy’s sensitive ears. There was no use in trying to sleep now. Lazily, exhausted but frustrated at the absence of slumber, Benjy folded himself out of the bed. The cold of the floor was a shock the bottom of his bare feet. He quickly acclimated to the unwelcome cold, and stood up completely. With the selection of a blue robe, he was on his way.

The Hufflepuff common room did not hold anything worthwhile either. It was a fun place to be when he was coherent and there were friends to talk to, but it simply wasn’t the case at this time of night… or morning? Benjy darted out of the entrance to the common room. He told himself he didn’t care if a prefect came along, but the slight paranoia of being caught hung around his body. Benjy did not like to be reprimanded, particularly when he was about ready to drop. The boy looked to his left and right; still not sure where he was going to go now that he was out of bed. A noise drew his eyes towards the entrance to the kitchens.

It was not likely a prefect would find him. It must be too late for them to still be patrolling. The boy loped along the hallway at a quick pace. The door was closing just as he arrived in front of it. Benjy tickled the pair, watching as it sprouted a door handle. This never ceased to amuse him, no matter how many times he’d seen it. Being that his common room was mere meters away from the kitchen, he’d seen this trick a lot. Benjy yanked hard on the large portrait, and stepped into a very warm kitchen.

Breakfast must be happening soon. There were gaggles of house elves at every turn. The kitchen was hot with the heat of many ovens. It was warm and comforting, particularly in the crisp fall. There was something else he noticed, upon entering. A slim figure stood with (what he guessed was her) back to him. Blonde, he noted. Benjy made his way over to where the figure sipped at something. “Emme.” He said quietly, trying not to shock her. He couldn’t see her face clearly, but he’d seen her so often in the last few years of his life that her profile was as recognizable as anything.

[Emmeline Vance]

The kitchen had the effect of putting people to sleep when they arrived, especially when all of the ovens were running full blast. It was because of this that Emme wasn't surprised that she was startled into consciousness when a warm mug was thrust into her hands with a "Here is your hot chocolate Mistress." Blearily, she smiled and nodded her thanks to the female house elf and wrapped her fingers more securely around the mug, holding it her chin as it warmed her fingers in face.

Sighing softly, she smiled and took the stick of peppermint from the dark liquid and stuck it in her mouth, sucking for a moment on the lovely taste of peppermint chocolate before returning it to the mug. Forming her lips into a small 'o', she blew softly across the surface and watched as the steam skidded across the brown before shifting upwards to join the slight fog of heat that was hanging at the top of the room. Waiting a moment longer, she took a hesitant sip and winced slightly when the liquid burned the edges of her lips and the tip of her tongue.

Pulling it away from her lips, she sighed unhappily and instead removed the peppermint stick, sucking gently on it as she soaked in the sounds, smells and sights of the kitchen. Nearly almost asleep again, the feeling of her dark blue mug brought her back to attention which was a good thing because moments later a very human voice addressed her from behind.

Gasping slightly, she managed to not spill her drink though she had jumped slightly. Spinning around on her heels, guilt written all over her face, Emmeline couldn't have been more relieved to see it was just Benjy. Her shoulders slumping noticeably, a generous smile spread across her features as she tilted her head up quite a bit to meet his soft green gaze. "Good morning Benjy. Isn't this a bit early for you?" She asked in good humor having removed the now pointy peppermint from between her lips to place it back in the mug from which she attempted another sip of to find it was safe. "I thought you were one to stay in bed."

[Benjy Fenwick]

With his summer so dull, Benjy had a lot of time to think. All aspects of his life bubbled to the surface during the long, boring hours spent at home. There was only so much schoolwork could do to distract him. One of the things he though about most, surprisingly enough, was Emmeline. They’d been good friends for a number of years, and he thought about her often. However, it was an inordinate amount of time to think about anyone, let alone a friend. For the first month and a half, he just went with it. He couldn’t stop his mind from whirring, so why try? Besides, Emmeline was a pleasant topic for his thoughts. Soon enough, she became a distraction from the schoolwork instead of the other way around. Then, it hit him like a sack of bricks.

Letters came and went. He could have told her in a letter, but it didn’t feel right. Besides, he didn’t know quite how to praise it. Benjy was a strong believer in saying what was on one’s mind. This mind set was always so easy and wielded somewhat positive results, if not very good ones. Benjy was having a very hard time with this one, however. How could he tell Emmeline that he had it bad for her, really bad, when they’d been nothing but friends for years? He didn’t want to be rejected, and he didn’t really want to say it. He wished he could pass this event and get right to the end. That end, he knew, was completely up in the air.

Benjy was faced with her now. He didn’t think he’d have to see her so very soon. Of course he’d seen her, but he’d avoided hanging around with her for long amounts of time. He neglected to think what she might think of this. Benjy lifted his chin to smile at her when she acknowledged him. Perhaps she’d been scared of being caught out of bed as well. It was strange to think about: a Prefect scared of a Prefect. Or teacher or something. Benjy thought of all Prefects having a get-out-of-jail-free card to play whenever they wanted. He supposed he sort of had that too, being he was a Quidditch captain. Of course, he was captain of the bottom- ranked team, so that might not have been an issue.

"Good morning Benjy."

“’Morning to you, too.” He said, still with the same smile plastered on his face. The bottom of his stomach seemed to drop. He didn’t want to make things awkward, but weren’t things like this always just a bit awkward? Well Benjy wouldn’t know. He’d never quite felt this way. He couldn’t ignore it.

"Isn't this a bit early for you?"

“I had the hardest time sleeping, oddly enough.” It showed on his face. Benjy’s green eyes were weighed down with sleep, and he was sure they were glowing red. His body felt much heavier than it usually did. At the thought of his hair, Benjy reached up to brush it down over the tops of his ears. This was the hairstyle he always wore. He hated his Dumbo ears. It was a little hard to manage in sleep though, and he was sure it looked a mess.

"I thought you were one to stay in bed."

“I really wish that was the case.” Benjy smiled up at her, before looking down at his shoes. Now was the time, and now was the place. His mother had always told him that, and she was a smart lady, so he wouldn’t think to go against her words of wisdom. Should he? “Look, Emme, I need to talk to you about something…”

[Emmeline Vance]

The moment Emmeline really took in Benjy's face, concern wrote itself deeply into the corners of her mouth and shown through her eyes that were now carefully studding his face carefully for any other sign of sickness or the likes. To say that Emmeline cared for Benjy would be a horrible understatement. Not only was he her closest friends but deep inside she had the largest of crushes on him. She had thought that she had kept it well hidden from those around her but apparently Andromeda had seen right through the various whining sessions that Emme held about not having her 'play mate' as she called them.

And really that's where they were in reality when they were together. A pair of five year olds stuck in bodies that kept growing without their spirits, the pair caused daily mayhem on the castle that only five year olds could do – they had even chalked up a third floor corridor once with stick figures and flowers. This year had been different though, apparent in Emme's whining. She felt that Benjy had been purposefully avoiding her. In the classes they had together he would hardly meet her eyes and was only cordial in their few conversations. It was tearing her up inside and Emmeline was doing the best she could to simply brush it aside.

Now however, the sinking feeling of dread in her stomach over possibly loosing Benjy that she carried with her had been replaced by the feeling of butterflies dancing in her stomach and she could have sworn if they weren't in the bustling kitchens her heart would have been easily audible at it's tripled speed; she even had to try her hardest not to clam up and shy up around him – that wouldn't be like her at all and would no doubt cue him to her feelings and send him running.

Stepping forward a step, making it seam as if she were just trying to hear him better though she was trying to get closer, she made as to reach forward to brush his cheek but instead wrapped her hand around her mug and brought it to her face to give her time to make sure her voice would still hold up. "Of course Benjy, you know you can talk to me about anything." She reminded him, a soft, kind smile stretching across her face as she brushed a few errant strands of hair from her face.

[Benjy Fenwick]

Benjy had formally met Emmeline’s friend’s countless times. At first, he’d felt strangely intimidated by them. He wasn't quite sure why. Truthfully, they were all nice girls. Andromeda… while Benjy liked her well enough, she was strong- willed and unafraid to say what she meant. Those qualities were great, but he mostly liked them when the content didn’t make him flush something terrible. Benjy did not know the details of Emmeline’s friendships with her girl friends, and he preferred it that way. The working mind of a teenage girl, much less three or four, was something downright terrifying. He was contented to stay closer to Emmeline than anyone from that little group; one not-quite-adult lady was enough for him. He believed he couldn’t have made a better choice.

Around his circle of friends, Emmeline’s and his relationship undercurrents never seemed to hit the mainstream. Either that, or they just didn’t care which was actually nice. He’d endure teasing some of the time, though that didn’t bother him unless the girl in question was actually around. Benjy blushed quite easily. As if he didn’t look enough like a clown. Though, he was a clown around her. In classes, around teachers, doing homework, he had to be an adult most of the time. After all, he was of age now. He could get a job and even drop out of school if he wanted to; Merlin curse the thought. Though with her, it didn’t matter and there were perfect moments of being a simple child, one right after the other.

Sirius Black was obviously a popular man on campus. Benjy knew why; the boy was humorous in his own way. He was talented and everything a protagonist in a novel should be. Listening to girls talk about him made Benjy aware that he was the best looking person to walk Hogwarts grounds. The hero worship: it was enough to make Benjy question why. No human being could be as great as Sirius Black was made out to be. Of course, Benjy knew the boy had to be more extraordinary to merit all the fuss, but really. More than once, he’d heard of a little… interest Emmeline held for him. Benjy had never really worried about it. He didn’t see anything happening. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Well, he thought about it now. He was going to out his secret and make it known to her. Therefore, he should think about all the details. It was just a pity he decided to make himself crazy minutes before he’d decided to act.

His green eyes watched her hand begin toward him, or at least he thought. She went instead to reach for her mug, and Benjy tried not to show any signs of disappointment. Her touch had always calmed him. He’d never told her that either. Caught up in all these thoughts, he realized he was keeping her waiting with his explanation. He found himself staring at his feet. There was almost ten inches difference between their heights, so Benjy folded himself easily onto a stool that was behind him.

"Of course Benjy, you know you can talk to me about anything."

He didn’t know how to start, so he instead turned his attention to a plate of pastries. There was no house elf around to protect the platter of baked goods, so Benjy took one even though at the very touch of it, his stomach growled in protest. The sweet of the bread and the unexpected tang of berries woke him up the slightest bit. To lighten the mood just a hint, he smiled and held the thing into the air a bit. “Mmm. Good pastry.” He said cheerily, mouth still full of the bite he’d taken. There had to be a better way to do this than… well, not doing it at all. First, there was something he needed to know. “I actually was wondering if you were… y’know, seeing anyone?” Yes, he’d gotten it out, but he couldn’t face her while he did it. Again he was staring down, this time at his knees. It was a bit of an obvious question, a question that made the invitation that was about to come known… to him, anyway.

[Emmeline Vance]

He was stalling, and writing more concern lines all over Emme's face. She wasn't smiling anymore but staring intently at Benjy as if by looking at him for long enough every problem in the world would be solved. Taking a breath to start speaking again, she was cut off by him talking about a pastry – she didn't care about the pastry she cared about what had is wand in a knot.

Biting her lip, she furrowed her eyebrows and set her mug down on the table stepping closer to the now seated Benjy. "You're worrying me Benj…" She muttered, reaching out to fix his forelock, twisting it around her finger gently to make it lay flat – she knew how much it bothered him. Smiling softly down at him, his next question nearly wiped it away though she managed to hold onto it with a slight quiver.

"That's a silly question Benjy. I would tell you of all people if I were seeing something." Her voice was as steady as possible but there was a hint of nerves in it as she stepped away from him again and reached for her drink again now trying to distract herself. He mind was reeling over what he had just asked, something that was expected considering her feelings.

Had news that she had a crush on Sirius Black gotten out into the school after she had tried so hard to keep it quite? Settling back into the chair across from Benjy, she bit her lip harder and stared down into the dark liquid. The only one who she guessed had known was Andy, it was hard to hide things from her, but the problem with telling Andy was the fact that she wasn't always the smartest in when to keep her mouth shut and apparently she had spilled.

Stirring her peppermint stick into the chocolate, she frowned and slowly brought her own grey eyes to look at his face, wishing he would look at her. "Why are you asking?"

[Benjy Fenwick]

"You're worrying me Benj…"

At this, Benjy looked up at her with confusion in his eyes. He certainly didn’t mean to worry her or anything of the sort. Benjy became more aware of himself in that moment, checking for signs that might cause her distress in any way. He sat up a little straight her and looked in her direction, though he couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact. Benjy wasn’t very good at reading people, admittedly, but he’d been picking apart the details of these pretty grey eyes since he’d first met her. She was one of the only people he cared enough about to even try to read. He feared if he met her concerned gaze, he would find something he didn’t want to know.

Benjy put his pastry back down on the plate, his wide eyes still facing her, but avoiding her own grey optics. The Hufflepuff took his time brushing the crumbs from his fingers on his pajama pants. The crumbs rolled off the blue fabric, landing on the ground. Benjy’s eyes followed them, feeling the heat on his forehead. Yes, it was hot in the kitchen, yet he was much too hot to only be affected by the ovens. “Don’t be worried, Emme. I’m fine.” He didn’t know if that was true or not, but he didn’t exactly have the time to sit and wonder about it. This conversation would make or break that judgment.

Benjy hadn’t exactly heard from an actual person that Emmeline had feelings for Sirius. It was more the look of her eyes when he was around. He knew it shouldn’t be anything to worry about. But… he’d heard a lot about Sirius’s past romantic histories. The very last thing he could stand was Emmeline getting hurt. There was a way to figure that all out right now. Benjy wouldn’t hurt Emmeline if the world depended on it. He couldn’t bring himself to if he wanted.

"That's a silly question Benjy. I would tell you of all people if I were seeing someone."

“Good!” Benjy said a bit too loudly, but no smile touched his face. He did, however, look straight into her eyes this time. He saw that concern that he’d heard earlier. The boy quickly looked away again, letting his eyes wander the kitchen. "I mean, yeah, that's..." There didn't seem to be anyway to cover up his outburst, or smooth it into the conversation, so Benjy merely let it drop. His eyes were drawn back, of course, when she twisted his hair around her finger. He was thankful for the action, as he couldn’t stand his hair standing up like that. Benjy was also thankful for the smack of heat he felt in his stomach when her finger made the slightest bit of contact with his forehead. In that moment, he had all the answers he needed. It was hard to imagine day to day life without Emmeline’s touch.

"Why are you asking?"

“Uhm,” He started, his voice cracking the slightest bit. He stared up at her, eyes wide. Benjy kept all the features of his face in line as he stared. “Well, you see…” He couldn’t spit it out. It felt like he was about to plunge off the end of the plank. Everyone was screaming for him to do it, but he was afraid of the outcome…ah, fuck it. “I wanted to know if you’d like to go out with me. On a date.” Benjy had heard his mates asking girls out, and followed their examples. It was out. Benjy tried not to let it show as he relieved a breath that had pent up during the question.

[Emmeline Vance]

Emme was certainly startled by Benjy's loud response to her proclamation of not currently seeing anyone. She had to wonder why he was so excited about it, though there were other things she was more concerned about right now, like why he wouldn't meet her gaze. "Yes, well I suppose it is good if you want it to be…" She said slowly, furrowing her eyebrows slightly as she tried to read his features. She was no Slytherin though and at best she could only guess that he was mildly uncomfortable about having brought up this topic.

Taking several small sips of her drink, she waited patiently for her best friend to spit out whatever it was that he wanted to get out. Still concerned, she watched him carefully wondering what was holding up the tongue of this usually talkative person. It was a good thing then that she had set down her drink moments before Benjy actually got his question out – she probably would have dropped it if she still had her fingers wrapped around the blue ceramic.

"Y-you can't be serious?" She asked quietly, shock written all over her face and in her voice as she stared at him. She wasn't flabbergasted because she wished he hadn't asked, but quite the opposite. She wasn't exactly sure when it had happened but around Benjy, and especially now, Emme came down with a major case of butterflies in the stomach. She probably would have asked him long ago if he would go out with her if she had known that he felt the same but she had never been sure so she never had. It also meant, to save their relationship that she had tried her hardest to try and keep her own feelings from surfacing. Surprisingly she had done well enough minus the occasional flirting, and had kept things under wraps.

Now though, she had to get her hopes up, let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, there would be a chance for them to actually work as a couple. Pulled from the fantasies, Emme realized that she hadn't given him an answer yet and could probably guess that he though he was about to turn her down – at least that was how she would feel. "I mean…yes, yes I'd love to go out with you."

[Benjy Fenwick]

To be totally honest, Benjy was elated to get this off his chest. Obviously, he’d been thinking about this very moment for months. He hadn’t often thought about her reaction, but there was no use pondering over that. He would see when he told her, he thought over and over. Telling her this exact way felt right. Both of them weren’t in their best form, it being so early in the morning and he especially, most likely looking like a zombie. When it came down to it though, it didn’t matter how either of them looked. The only thing that would make or break this move was her feelings. Following the proposal of a date, several emotions clashed within Benjy. The first was relief, and he let loose a visible sigh. The next was nerves. He hadn’t thought about her reaction as of late, but now it was all that mattered.

"Y-you can't be serious?"

Wow. That seemed like a very bad sign. Benjy frowned just a bit, not wanting to give away his disappointment. He wished like hell he could know what was going on inside her mind at that very moment. Was she panicked? Disgusted? Planning how to let him down easy? All of these seemed like the only answers when he saw disbelief scribbled all over Emmeline’s face. It had always been there, at least Benjy thought. Some would say, upon watching them, that there was always a bit of chemistry right under the surface. Granted, he’d always denied this fact when friends accused, but he was merely trying to get out of the teasing. The chemistry was right in his face now, as well as this summer when he’d realized how bad he really had it for Emmeline Vance.

Benjy mistook the look on her face completely, as expected. His stomach dropped low in his body, and he didn’t know what to say. He was uncomfortable now, the heat pricking at his forehead. Should he tell her no, he was not serious, and laugh because she'd fell for it? He became aware of everything in that room then, realizing just how stupid it was to ask her in the kitchens at Merlin-knew-what-time. Benjy knew though that the location, much like the appearance didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. “Look, Emme, I’m real-"

"I mean…yes, yes I'd love to go out with you."

Her statement cut him off, mid- sentence. There was a long pause in which Benjy just looked up at her with his wide, green eyes. His shock melted away after a moment, as did his disappointment and sadness. He knew Emmeline would never disappoint him. Now, there was just more proof to support that fact. Benjy couldn’t help but standing from his chair quickly. “Excellent!” He said loudly, causing every house elf to turn around and stare. “What… when are you free?” The words were barely formed in his brain when he spit them out. He was in a strange state of mind at that moment. One where he could not be held responsible for any of the things he said or did, but didn’t care because he didn’t feel like he could do any wrong. One of the smartest, sweetest, prettiest girls in Hogwarts had just said yes to a date with him, and a date was the beginning of something…

Benjy only had positive thoughts about a relationship with Emmline. They were such good friends, how could a relationship go anywhere but up? Benjy didn’t see any fights for them to have, or any reason why it shouldn’t go absolutely smoothly in all aspects. Of course, he’d been wrong about this kind of thing before. Who would want to think about anything going wrong at the very start of their ideal relationship? Not Benjy, and if he had anything to do with it (which he did) everything would be perfect. He was getting himself, and he didn’t care.

[Emmeline Vance]

Seeing Benjy's face light up like that when she answered lit Emme's own face more than it had been lately because of the school work. Giggling slightly, she picked up her hot chocolate once more and finished what was left of the liquid before setting it down next to the plate of pastries. "You'd better finish that." She mentioned before shooting him another happy smile, her eyes staying glued to his face this time – she was having a hard time believing what he had just asked.

"Well, I mean anytime really…I guess just let me know." She offered, almost shies right now as she bit lightly down on her lip and smiled softly. "What would we do though? I mean, the next Hogsmead trip is quite a bit away and there's very little to do here and what would people think and well…" She muttered, trailing off as a bright red coloring rose to her cheeks. As always she was over thinking things and there was no doubt that it was going to ruin the whole thing.

"I mean…you know me. I'm over thinking. Just ignore me, it's for the better." She muttered, dropping her gaze as she scuffed her slipper against the floor of the kitchen taking a big deep breath and letting it out rather shakily, hoping that she could get things under her again or things really never would work out.

[Benjy Fenwick]

The airy feeling that was inflating Benjy as he stood there was unparalleled by anything else he’d ever felt. In his mind, he knew that was a powerful statement, and he stood by it still. He was seventeen years old and would to have been blind to not notice girls while in attendance at Hogwarts. Yet, he only ever saw anything he liked with his eyes. There was nothing in any other girls voice or actions to suggest them more interesting than just an average friend. Emmeline fitted the bill on all the features that had previously eluded him. Case in point: they hadn’t been just good friends; they’d been the best of friends. This made sense.

"You'd better finish that."

“Finish…?” In all the excitement, he’d lost sight of his gnawing hunger. Want for food was easy to ignore while he was slumbering soundly in his bed, but then it rung clearly in his stomach. Benjy picked up the pastry that strangely enough hadn’t gone cold and proceeded to take very large bites until it was gone in under a minute. He hated to eat in front of people, but he didn’t think it would be a topic for discussion if he protested, and as stated earlier: he was hungry as hell.

"Well, I mean anytime really…I guess just let me know."

Benjy paused in the process of picking up another baked good. Right, there were details to be ironed out. The boy took in her look, and thought calmly. Honestly, he didn’t have much planned after the point of actually asking her out had worked out smoothly. Benjy wasn’t a romantic. He didn’t know how to woo girls, and he didn’t think about it often. Perhaps he should have given it all a bit more thought before he rushed to do the deed. However, he knew exactly why he didn’t. He hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up, just to have them crash down again.

"What would we do though? I mean, the next Hogsmead trip is quite a bit away and there's very little to do here and what would people think and well…"

“Whoa, whoa.” He said, smiling at her haste. It didn’t occur to him that this might have been her way of getting out of the whole arrangement. She’d said yes, after all. “I’ll tell you what…” He began, one corner of his mouth pulling into a lop-sided smirk. “How about I meet you on the staircase, right outside your tower tomorrow evening?” Benjy had seen many a Ravenclaw enter and exit Ravenclaw tower before, and he had a pretty good idea of where it was. And if he didn’t… well, that worrying could come later. It all became very apparent to him that he was having fun, playing it by ear. “I’ll take care of the details.” As of that moment, he still had no good ideas.

"I mean…you know me. I'm over thinking. Just ignore me, it's for the better."

“I do know you.” He said, grinning. “And I’ll plan something out that you’ll like, I promise.” Benjy took a moment to take in her appearance, and her actions. He wanted to tell her not to worry; it would be fine and it wasn’t a big deal, but he didn’t know how much effect those words would have on her, if any, so he kept the reassurances to himself.

[Emmeline Vance]

A soft smile spread slowly across Emme's face again – she should have known that Benjy would figure something out; she just needed to work on stop being such an anal person about small things. "I'm too lucky." She muttered quietly, glancing down at her hands which were busy twisting around themselves before looking up to look over Benjy's face again.

It was like she was looking at him for the first time all over again. She had always thought that there was a bit of charm to his features but now that she was looking at him through different eyes almost and she had to admit that she rather liked it. There was only one thing standing the way of their complete happiness however and she didn't know how to even begin going about telling him.

The worst thing, she felt, was that she wasn't sure of his reaction. Emme had never known Tristan to be someone to associate with Hufflepuffs for longer than a one night stand and even then she felt they were few and far between. That was beside the point though; it was no rumor that Benjy and Tristan were quite close, best friends almost and that made her life all the harder. She couldn't help but blaming it somewhat on the later.

"Benjy, there's something I need to tell you though…" She said softly, her eyes moving to look over his shoulder now as a slight blush rose to her cheeks. "It's kind of important and well, you might not like it…" She muttered, failing to meet his eyes now.

[Benjy Fenwick]

"I'm too lucky."

The color in Benjy's face immediately rose and her surreptitious comment. There were so many things he could say, if he weren't him. He'd never been a romantic, and obviously never had a girlfriend. Benjy had virtually no idea what to do in situations like these, apart from a few romantic movies he'd seen. However, their current situation didn't much call for Benjy to do something wildly dramatic and take her up in his arms. Instead, he opted for a silent smile that had obvious thanks somewhere etched in it. He wanted to tell her she was amazing, and he was much luckier, but he couldn’t quite get his mouth to open, let alone speak.

Throughout their friendship, not too many details about Emmeline’s social life, apart from the one she had with him, had been leaked. Of course, he’d like to believe she would have told him if she’d gotten serious with anyone, but he didn’t think she had. He inwardly thanked her, because he wouldn’t want to know the details of her sex life, even if he wasn’t mildly crazed about her. She doubted she’d want to know anything of that sort about him either, and fortunately, there’d never been anything to tell her. Benjy wasn’t a fan of dating someone to pass the time. He wanted a one and only. He could only hope that this might be it.

"Benjy, there's something I need to tell you though…”

There wasn’t much that could spoil his mood. In fact, as he scanned his mind quickly, nothing could change the fact that he was elated. Her tone changed though, and the happy radiance didn’t flow through the room anymore. His slightly goofy smile melted off his face. There wasn’t much he could say to answer that, but he was ready to listen. Benjy leaned forward a bit, and put his hands in his pocket. The entirety of his attention was focused on her.

"It's kind of important and well, you might not like it…"

“Oh… okay.” As stated, what more could he say to that? Benjy braced himself for the absolute worst he could think of, hoping the actual truth would fall short of anything he was imagining.

[Emmeline Vance]

Emmeline never would have thought that sharing her past would be this hard to get out. She was trying to tell herself that it was no big deal but it wasn't helping. She couldn't being to guess what he would say, or think, when she told Benjy about her most recent relationship but the thought that she couple possibly lose him over it was freezing her up.

"Well…" She started in a mumble, frowning and biting her lip as she tugged nervously on a strand of hair. "I mean…" She continued, just trying to get the words working at this point. "You know Tristan right? Of course you do." She rushed, already correcting herself. "Well…about him…we…well we were kind of really a couple last year." She rushed out, the words running together at the end of the sentence as a heavy blush rose to her face.

She wasn't embarrassed because of the relationship but because of the rumors that surrounded the second half of it. She loved Tristan, he was a great friend, but there was a reason she wanted to keep it under wraps – she wasn't about to be called a whore or his bed warmer. Frown slightly, she tried to clear these thoughts from her head and turned to the side slightly, no longer facing him as she wrapped her arm around herself.

"If you don't want to date me now… I don't blame you." She muttered, using her hair now as a kind of curtain to hid her blushing face from him.

[Benjy Fenwick]

It was a good thing she couldn’t see into his mind, as she might have been offended. Benjy’s mind had glossed over the ugly thoughts running through his mind, as he usually did when something wasn’t quite right. To be honest, he wasn’t paying much attention as she stumbled over her words and tried to make it sound right. Any other person would have been on the edge of their seat, but Benjy wasn’t any other person. He chose to focus souly on the good, and the positive. That may have blinded him some of the time, but ignorance was bliss, right? Benjy had a slight smile on his face as she stumbled over her sentences, but she had his full attention when she began to actually talk.

"You know Tristan right? Of course you do."

The boy nodded, unable to keep a certain about of amusement from his system. She was so nervous, and he’d always thought it was cute and alluring when a heavy blush fell over her face. It usually didn’t happen under these kinds of circumstances when he was with her, so he fought back the little smile he would have shot at her if she didn’t seem so distressed. Honestly, what could be wrong with this perfect situation?

"Well… about him… we… well we were kind of really a couple last year."

“Oh…” Benjy said. His face registered nothing other than slight surprise. He’d known Tristan and Emmeline were close friends, and now he knew where that might have originated. Beyond that though, there wasn’t any other thoughts occupying his mind. Actually, he briefly wondered how he’d missed that, but that was a ridiculous thought. Of course Emmeline wasn’t going to tell him everything about her social life. She surely hadn’t been trying to keep this from him, intentionally when it happened last year… was she? No, they weren’t that brand of friends. There were secrets, but not ones that were detrimental or meant to serve some long- standing purpose. It just felt a little odd… he’d told her everything. Not that there had been much to tell. He’d have probably told her if he had had a girlfriend… but Benjy wasn’t Emmeline and Emmeline wasn’t Benjy.

"If you don't want to date me now… I don't blame you."

As soon as that statement left her mouth, Benjy’s face took on a reaction of confusion. That thought hadn’t even begun to cross his mind, and he doubted it would, if she’d never brought it up. Not that he was thinking of it in the way she thought he was, but the words didn’t even make sense. “Why on Earth would you think I wouldn’t want to date you?” There were other things he could say, to consol her, but he thought this was the better tack. He was curious… Benjy wanted to reach out and touch her, but he kept his hands resting on the counter next to him.

[Emmeline Vance]

His words startled her as was only natural. She had been completely ready for their friendship to be ruined and her short lived romantic relationship killed with the small 'oh' that he had murmured but instead was glued to the spot. She would have left he had said that it would affect their relationship but as it was she was now glued to the spot, staring with watery eyes down at the ground as her arms clutched at her sides tighter.

"I just…I mean I'm…well…" She muttered, finding it impossible to get the words out as she sniffled quietly, trying not to draw attention to herself; she hated the fact that now on top of blushing, she would be blotchy from the tears that were horribly unnecessary but she cared what Benjy thought of her. "Maybe you'd just find me…used and disgusting." She finally managed to get out in barely a whisper as she shifted nervously from side to side, dropping her head down further to better use her hair as a curtain to hid her now running tears and blotchy face.

Biting down on her lip, Emme had to wonder what was going through Benjy's mind just now. She so hated that he might have a bad image of her either it being her weak or the fact that she was useless now that some other guy had touched her. Pulling in a shaky sob, she tried not to let tears roll tough one or two had already escaped. She could probably do with another hot chocolate…or something sweeter.

[Benjy Fenwick]

"I just…I mean I'm…well…"

It felt like the millionth time he’d changed his position during this conversation, but Benjy stood up when Emme tried to find her footing on her sentence structure. From years of knowing Emme, this was a sign that she was nervous, and he didn’t like things that made Emme feel uncomfortable. After just a moment, he realized that his reaction was out of protectiveness. He could have laughed at himself, when he figured out that he was the one making her nervous. It was also a frustrating feeling, and he wished this whole conversation they were engaged in would end so they could start with the… relationship.

That one also took Benjy by surprise. He’d never been in a relationship. He wasn’t sure of the rules, exactly. How many dates until you were exclusive? When was a kiss appropriate? Where did one get apparel for evenings with their lady friend? It was all too much; he didn’t want to have to take notes on something that was supposed to be fun. So, he wouldn’t. There wouldn’t be any ridiculous questioning and counting and fretting. On his part, anyway. But Emme was a practical girl, wasn’t she? She knew what she wanted… he believed.

"Maybe you'd just find me…used and disgusting."

His eyes grew impossibly wide as his mouth formed a not- so- delicate O. “Emmeline…” He said, trying to gather the words in his head so they would come out normally. “I could never even… associate those words with you.” Each word was strung out carefully, like he was afraid of dropping one. He wanted so badly to reach out and touch her face gingerly, but refrained. He wasn’t sure why, but it didn’t feel right; not at the moment, anyway. “Don’t think that.” Benjy said, his features hard- set. The boy rarely gave commands (duh, Hufflepuff) but this wasn’t a demand for himself. He hoped this would help her.

“Just because I haven’t had a social life doesn’t mean I’d condemn you for yours.” The words weren’t harsh now; they were merely reassuring. He spoke the truth. “I like you… exactly as you are.” From his height, he grinned down at her. Despite her demeanor, he was still thrilled. A wide yawn left his grin even wider as he continued. "But now you're stuck. You said you'd go out with me, Miss Vance, and don't think you can worm your way out now." In an instant, it wasn't awkward anymore. It was just Benjy, joking around with his best friend.

[Emmeline Vance]

His words, and the way he carefully articulated them brought a smile to Emmeline's face despite the feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Slowly lifting her head, she turned back to him slightly as she finished his words, bringing back their typical joking manner to the conversation and significantly lightening the mood of the still bustling kitchen. "I don't think I'd ever want to worm out of this relationship Mr. Fenwick." She grinned and then suddenly reached out to wrap his arms around him in a tight hug that might have crushed one of her smaller friends but would probably do little to him.

"Can we…can we have something sweet to eat?" She asked after a moment as her stomach rumbled and her sweet tooth sent a slight pain through her mouth which made her giggle slightly. "I mean…that's why I’m here an all, sweet tooth and all." She grinned, pulling away from him and glancing at the plate of breakfast sweets he had been munching on earlier. "Do you think it's alright if we have more of those?" She asked, glancing up at him once before glancing down to the plate. It was kind of sad how addicted to sweets she was. "I mean…it's not like they aren't going to be eaten anyway and besides, they can always make more. Right?" She asked, looking back up to him again as she bit down on her lip, smiling slightly as her stomach rumbled again.

Emmeline couldn't remember a time when she hadn't needed a midnight snack; it was just something that was a part of her life. As for other people, they either didn't understand that her body demanded sweets regularly or laughed when she got hyper off of it. It wasn't her fault that sugar affected her easily – she had just gotten used to the no win situation. "You should have some hot chocolate. It's extra good today." She smiled, childish in her suggestion as she reached to take the last bite of her peppermint stick.

[Benjy Fenwick]

"I don't think I'd ever want to worm out of this relationship Mr. Fenwick."

It shouldn’t have surprised him, the feeling he got when she used the word ‘relationship’. But it did. The boy felt like the sun was shining out his fingertips, and he could do no wrong. He beamed in full down at her lovely face. Why had it not hit him until just this summer how crazy he was about her? It was probably always there, under the surface. Their mutual friends had recognized it long before he had, and that made him feel a bit dense. But with his newfound attitude, he realized that everything was coming together the way it was supposed to, and he’d helped to make it that way. That wasn’t so dense, was it?

Benjy wrapped his long arms around her, and his hands met behind her back. How tiny she was! It never ceased to surprise him. She was hugging him with full intensity that if he matched, he might crush her permanently to his chest. The idea was a little alluring, but it would be better if she could breath properly afterwards. So he settled on hugging her back fiercely, but reigned it in quite a bit. He caught the scent of her hair, and smiled fuller, if that was possible. How lucky she was? How lucky he was.

"Can we… can we have something sweet to eat?"

He stepped back at her words, trying to control the elation. “Sweet?” Benjy laughed to himself, immediately associating the word sweet with Emmeline. It was only natural that she would have a taste for sugar that couldn’t be quenched. “That sounds great.” Benjy picked up the plate after her latest request, and kneeled down to eye level with one of the house elves who must have also heard her. Benjy always tried to get down to eye level with the elves, as it must have been horrifying to stare up into a tall strangers eye and grant their request. “Could we have a bit more of these?” He asked warmly, with a smile. The house elf murmured a quiet thank you, and took the plate back to the ovens. Benjy rose with a quirk eyebrow. Thanking him for a request? What strange little creatures they were.

"You should have some hot chocolate. It's extra good today."

Benjy smiled. “I could tell. You might as well have had Cloud #9 in that cup when I came in.” He remembered her smile at her hot chocolate, then remembered how it grew when he walked in. He wanted to ask if she’d been thinking similar things about him, and a relationship with him. Perhaps she’d only thought of it when he asked. Either way, it wasn’t his business at the moment.

The house elf returned with the plate of baked goods, all piled on top of one another. In the elf’s other hand was a cup of hot chocolate with a peppermint stick sticking straight out of it. They had ridiculously good hearing. Benjy took the cup and set the plate aside. He curled his fingers through the handle of the mug and sipped. Dates, times, and Tristan were far from his mind as he drank because… it was a bit like drinking Cloud #9. He didn’t have the sweet tooth that Emmeline had. Sweets were a bit high brow for his family growing up, and didn’t have much experience with them. It was just infectous when he got around Emme. He knew her sweet tooth like the back of his hand.

After he finished sipping the hot chocolate, he took a pastry and held it out to her. He also had one bite of another in his mouth before a second had passed. “These are incredible.” The Hufflepuff winked at a house elf. “You should eat one… or several, looks like that’s where I’m headed.”