June 1st - June 19th
It's almost summer! The last few weeks of school have come, and students will need to study hard for their final exams! Don't let up yet, or your grades won't be what you want them to. Of course, the weather is almost perfect and pristine, in attempts to lure students away from their studies.
Nothing Better [3/14/09; ISO: Lianne]
March 14th. Merlin. It was already March? Things had been moving so quickly that Devon hadn't even realized how much time had passed. But he supposed that was a good thing, for when time seemed to go quickly, it meant that he was having a good time, which he was. While studying for his O.W.L.s was a pain in the arse, Devon was doing pretty well and he didn't find all the studying as unbearable as he'd thought it would be. Perhaps part of the reason was because this time, he had someone rooting for him and it gave him strength and energy. Well, good energy, not the usual, nervous energy Devon Singer was known for. It was a good feeling to know there was someone behind him than just his friends and his brother and it was putting the younger Singer brother in a very good mood. And everytime he wasn't in a good mood, he'd run off and find Lianne and he'd feel much better. Perhaps that was what having a girlfriend was all about.
A girlfriend. Merlin. When was that last time Devon had one of those? Never, he supposed. At least not a serious one. But now he had a girlfriend. A serious one. And today was their one month anniversary. One month ago, Devon and Lianne had coincedentally run into one another at the Valentine's ball. It had been one month since Devon had lept onto the bench and told Lianne that he liked her. A month. March 14th. Today was definitely a day to celebrate and Devon had every intention of doing so. And luckily enough, March 14th was a Hogsmeade weekend, so he and Lianne would be able to do something together in Hogsmeade rather than just at school. Devon supposed this would be their first "official" date. It was rather funny how they'd been together for a month now yet they hadn't been able to find the time to actually go out on an official date.
Meet me at the gate in front of the Shrieking Shack, said the note Devon had sent to Lianne before the group of older students had met to go down to Hogsmeade together. Cleverly, Devon had made sure to stay out of Lianne's sight, ducking behind people and in general just making sure he was lost in the crowd. He didn't want to ruin anything by bumping into Lianne yet. There would be time for talking later. Right now, Devon just had to make sure he could sneak down to the Shack first so he could set things up.
Unfortunately, Devon Singer hadn't had the time nor the resources to set up anything big or spectacular this time around, but he'd aimed for sweet, nonetheless. Of course, he wasn't sure if Lianne would consider it sweet, but he supposed he'd find out. And if she didn't particularly enjoy things, well, he'd learn from his mistakes and would make sure he didn't do anything similar. This whole going out thing was a learning process, after all, and Devon had to learn what kind of things Lianne liked and didn't like and then grow from that. But one thing for sure was that Devon wasn't one for anything traditional. He'd probably die before he took his girlfriend to Madame Puddifoot's for an anniversary. Watching couples sitting there sipping at cups of tea and looking at each other with mushy, corny looks was just disgusting and Devon would never stand for it. Now, a picnic in the Shrieking Shack was more Devon's style, and that's exactly what he'd set up.
Devon had gotten a hold of some candles that he set up inside the Shrieking Shack. On the floor he'd set down a blanket with a box (he'd been unable to find a proper basket) full of food and a thermos filled with hot chocolate. Unable to cook himself, Devon had gotten some of the house elves in the castle to whip up some sandwiches and cookies and whatnot for the two to munch on.
After he'd made sure everything was set up perfectly, Devon rushed out of the Shack and took his post right outside of the Shack by the gate and waited for Lianne. He looked rather pleased with himself and was happy that he'd mananged to get everything done before she'd arrived. Now, if only she'd appreciate what he'd done, things would be perfect.
Lianne looked up through the maze of twigs and branches, and into the sky beyond. It was a rare day right now that it wasn’t raining, but today, she’d bucked up, grabbed a wool blanket and trooped outside. Having situated herself under one of her favourite Hogwarts trees, she was quite content to sit, read and observe for the first part of the day. She had a few small pieces of homework to complete, but other than that, she was completely caught up, and felt that she deserved a break.
She smiled. Things were going particularly well, these days. Not only was her schoolwork flourishing and her friendships growing, Lianne was in a dedicated relationship. Exactly a month ago today, she and Devon had confessed their feelings for each other on Valentine’s Day, both of them having taken a breather from the craziness of the ball. Honestly, Lianne couldn’t think of a time between the day she had heard of her brother’s death and now that she had been happier.
I’m living, Tim, she thought. I’m not crying for you anymore.
Lianne knew that a day would never go by that she didn’t think of Tim, but that was all right. He had been her best friend in the world, the one person she could always count on and, better than that, he was her beloved older brother. They both would have readily sacrificed everything for the other. For months after his death, she had been devastated, and few could break through the mist that surrounded her, but she felt like she was finally making her way.
Part of it was due to the people who had refused to give up on her; a slice of it was thanks to Tucker, who had finally let her make amends with him; but she couldn’t help feeling that some credit should go to the relationship she was in. Imagine that. She, Lianne Apsey, was in a relationship! It didn’t matter that she and Devon had yet to have their first official date, just knowing that he cared was enough.
She did wonder, though, if he realized what day it was today. It seemed likely, since he had chosen this day to ask her to Hogsmeade – the Shrieking Shack, more specifically – but perhaps he had just picked it because it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Well, either way, she had a feeling that today would be a day to remember.
Lianne glanced at her watch, and then gathered up the wool blanket and raced back to her dorm. Not bothering to fold it, she dumped it and her book on the bed, brushed her hair quickly to rid it of leaves, and dashed out the door again. It wasn’t long before she could break free from the throng of students and near the path that led to the abandoned shanty, and she slowed to a brisk walk so that she wouldn’t look red and out of breath by the time she got there. She was a good athlete, it was true – you had to be, to be a Quidditch Player, particularly a Beater – but a run that long would take a bit out of everyone.
By the time she got there, Devon was standing by the gate, looking rather cheeky. It was one of the things she found so endearing about him; she was never quite sure what mischief he had cooked up. Quirking an eyebrow, she approached him with her hands in the pocket of her red hoodie. She’d gone for a casual look – well, hadn’t really “gone” for it, since it was the way she usually dressed – with old blue jeans, a grey t-shirt, a hoodie and trainers, and she hoped that he hadn’t expected her to dress up.
“Hey you,” Lianne said, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before she looked at him again. He was definitely up to something. She cut to the chase. “Should I be frightened?”
Re: Nothing Better [3/14/09; ISO: Lianne]
Had Devon known he was making Lianne so happy, he would have felt rather good about himself. Well, more so than usual. But he was a bit oblivious to what was going on and, while he'd had a feeling something had happened before that Valentine's day, he didn't press. Devon wasn't all that good at dealing with serious stuff anyway, so he just gave Lianne her space. If she wanted to tell him or if she needed to tell him, she would. But if not, Devon wouldn't be nosy and try to figure out what was wrong. He was trying rather hard to be a good boyfriend (he was quite new at this), so he was trying to achieve balance between being somewhat protective but at the same time knowing when to back off. Well, he hadn't quite acheived that protective thing yet (Devon was used to having people be protective of him) but he was sure he'd get there eventually. Hopefully. Devon wasn't quite sure but at least he was trying.
Somewhat anxiously, Devon waited by the gate in front of the Shrieking Shack, glancing around every now and then to see if he could catch a glimpse of Lianne. He should have brought a watch, but he shook that thought of and just continued waiting. Sure enough, he saw the girl coming over in the distance and a smile lit up his face. She was dressed quite casually, but Devon didn't seem to notice. He was the type of person who really didn't think twice about clothing or appearance. Well, he supposed people always thought about appearances, but Devon, being as childish as he was, didn't really put much weight on appearance. If someone looked good, it helped, but it wasn't everything. He himself wasn't dressed all that formally, wearing a pair of jeans and a navy-colored long-sleeve shirt. He had his Hufflepuff scarf wrapped around his neck, not matching the color of the rest of his outfit at all, but he didn't seem to care.
“Hey you,” Lianne said, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before she looked at him again. Devon just smiled at her innocently, though he did have to admit, the little peck on the cheek did up his mood another notch. “Should I be frightened?”
Devon gave Lianne a cheeky smile. "You'll have to decide that for yourself," he replied. "Now close your eyes. I have something I want to show you." He was acting quite giddy as he coaxed Lianne to shut her eyes before taking her hands in his. He held them tightly as he grinned. "Are your eyes closed? No peeking, okay?" he said as he began to walk backwards, leading Lianne by the hands. He turned to look over his shoulder every now and then to make sure he wasn't about to trip over something as he walked. But even though it was a bit difficult for him to walk like that, Devon never released Lianne's hands as he led her closer and closer toward the Shrieking Shack. "I'm going to let go of your hands for a moment, okay? But I'm still right here," Devon said as he released Lianne's hands momentarily to open the door. He then took her hands again and continued to lead her, warning her of steps or loose planks and whatnot until they reached the main room of the Shack.
"We're almost there. Just stay where you are. I'm going to let go of your hands again, okay?" Devon said as he slowly backed away from her. He did a cursory glance of the place to make sure everything was good and all the candles were on before standing behind the little picnic area, smiling broadly. "Okay. You can open your eyes now," he said.
Re: Nothing Better [3/14/09; ISO: Lianne]
Who knew that having a boyfriend could make the gloomiest of days turn into one full of metaphoric sunshine and daisies? The past month had been a whirlwind, between an increasing amount of schoolwork, her prefect duties, and Quidditch, but Lianne always knew that, somewhere in Hogwarts, there was someone who thought she was special. It was a strange feeling, really. Her relationship with Tucker, if she could call it that, had never been more than a … well, ‘fling’ wasn’t the right word. Literate as she was, she couldn’t think of a word that could describe it. Boys, dating … a year ago, it had been foreign territory, one that she hadn’t even considered crossing the border of.
This year had been one of the most traumatic and tremendous years she’d ever had. Her best friend in the world, her beloved older brother, had died, and she had come so close to shattering. She’d broken a boy’s heart – embarrassed him or hurt him, she still wasn’t quite sure which, so badly that he refused to speak to her for months. Finally, her aunt had died, leaving Lianne with only an emotionally-distant father for family and the knowledge that her family’s bad blood hadn’t died out with her grandparents.
It was enough to drive a girl insane, and probably would have, had she not been surrounded by friends who cared about what happened to her. Puck, Atticus … Lianne still wasn’t sure what exactly had been going on in that boy’s mind, but surely he had no feelings for her. She’d given him enough opportunities without totally throwing herself at his feet to tell her, and he hadn’t, so that was that. Besides, the first chance Devon really had to let her know of his feelings, he had!
He was such a sweet boy, and he was so charming, that Lianne didn’t even care about the year difference between them. She wasn’t exactly robbing the cradle. Devon was old enough to know what – or who – he wanted, and so was she. Besides, that carefree playfulness that so many teenagers deemed as immature and annoying was a quality that she admired so much in him. He saw the good things in life. Lianne wasn’t a pessimist, but after the events of this year, she wasn’t always Miss Mary Sunshine either.
She smiled at him as he said, "You'll have to decide that for yourself," She really had no clue what he was up to. He seemed excited about something, but what? She obeyed his command to close her eyes and felt him take her hands tightly in his. When he said, "Are your eyes closed? No peeking, okay?", she chuckled. “Devon, they’re closed. As long as I don’t walk into a wall, I won’t open them until you tell me to.”
Slowly, she felt him begin to lead her forwards, keeping a firm grip on her hands as they traversed what she thought was the territory between themselves and the Shrieking Shack. Honestly, what a place to meet! Were they going on a ghost hunt or something? Lianne felt herself stumble slightly a couple of times, but with Devon guiding her steps, she managed to keep from falling flat on her face. Briefly, she thought of the movie version of ‘Titanic’, when Jack helped Rose up onto the bow of the ship and said, “Do you trust me?”
This wasn’t exactly the same – big cruise ship, old abandoned house – but the principle was.
Lianne waited patiently whenever he warned her that he was going to let go of her hands, and relied on his guidance when he told her of loose planks and other hazards in their path. Her curiosity surged to the point where she was tempted to open her eyes, but he was so determined that she keep them closed, that she resisted the temptation. At last, he let go of her hands again. For a moment, there was only silence, until he said, "Okay. You can open your eyes now,"
Grinning in anticipation, Lianne opened her eyes. She blinked a few times to get used to the dim light, and the first things that she noticed were the candles around the room. The grin changed to a look of surprise as she surveyed everything he had done – the ambience, the box and blanket on the floor.
Carefully, so she didn’t disturb anything, she crossed the room until she could stand beside him and slipped an arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. “Devon, you did all this? Wait, don’t answer that,” she said, her eyes bright as she looked at it all. “Obviously you did.” She paused for a moment. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me. Thank you.”
Smiling again, Lianne settled herself on the blanket and looked up at him. “Shall we?”
Re: Nothing Better [3/14/09; ISO: Lianne]
While his family hadn't gone through as much as Lianne's had, Devon's family couldn't have been considered perfect either. They had their various problems despite the fact they did whatever they could to put on a good image. Come to think of it, their family functioned much in the way Ashton did. In a sort of silent kind of way so that no one really knew what was wrong. But the family was part of the reason Ashton and Devn had come out the way they did. Their father was to blame for Ashton's somewhat rebellious nature and Devon's childish nature and refusal to look at the bad of a situation. So while their family didn't have any history of having connections with the Dark Lord or anything Dark Magic related, there were still a handful of problems in the Singer household. It just went to show that not all bad blood was related to Dark Magic and not all offspring came out the way their parents did.
Had Devon known about Lianne's situation, he would have told her that.
But as usual, the younger Singer boy remained quite oblivious to anything and simply focused on the now. He had that sort of ignorant way of not paying attention to the past or the future and just paid attention to what was going on now. And that, in a way, made him a fairly flexible significant other. Devon didn't desire complete commitment or a promise that this relationship would go somewhere. What he wanted was to just be around Lianne and to make her happy. Above, he just wanted to see her smile. His Hufflepuff loyalty was almost dog-like in that way. It was almost as if Devon existed to make others feel better and to be loveable without asking for much in return. While some girls needed more than just that, Devon had a feeling that that was exactly what Lianne needed at the moment and he was perfectly willing to give it.
“Devon, they’re closed. As long as I don’t walk into a wall, I won’t open them until you tell me to.”
"I can promise nothing," Devon said in a feigned serious voice. "Walls are tricky litte things." He cracked a grin but, of course, Lianne's eyes were closed so she couldn't see him. But he had a feeling she'd realize that he was simply joking. After all, there really wasn't a time when he was being completely serious. Devon played life as though it were just a big game and he played in that sort of reckless manner that would get him the most now without thinking about what could happen later on in the game. But he didn't care, and that was what seperated him from other people.
Of course, he found himself caring about Lianne. Despite the fact they had only been going out for a month and didn't see each other on a regular basis, Devon found himself wanting to make her happy even more than others. He wanted to keep her interested and entertained. He wanted her to keep looking at him the way she did. He didn't want that to go away and thus, however subconciously, Devon did whatever he could to keep Lianne interested. He knew better than to do anything too big, or else when he did small things they would seem far less significant, but Devon still liked to be different and he still wanted Lianne to be happy. He cared about her in a way that he hadn't really cared about any other girl. Even with Alex, who was his best friend the world, the care he had for her was different than the care he had for Lianne. Not better or worse, but just... different.
Devon watched, eyes sparkling as Lianne finally opened her eyes and looked around. She said nothing as she walked across the Shack, finally stopping beside him to put her hand around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. It was always a bit awkward when they were in that position since Lianne was a few inches taller than Devon, but he didn't seem to mind. He slipped his own hand around Lianne's waist, sort of relaxing into her embrace. “Devon, you did all this? Wait, don’t answer that,” she said, her eyes bright as she looked at it all. “Obviously you did.” Devon grinned. He wasn't quite sure what else he could do at the moment. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me. Thank you.”
"Hey, no problem," Devon said in a nonchalant manner, as though the whole thing was no big deal even though it was. Devon had wanted to make this day special and this was how he'd decided to do it. But as he stood there, he found himself looking at Lianne instead out at his work. The thought of kissing her suddenly entered his mind. Despite having gone out for as long as they had, Devon had yet to give Lianne a real kiss. They may have exchanged playful kisses on the cheek or whatnot, but Devon had refrained from actually kissing Lianne. It wasn't that he did want to, but being new at this whole boyfriend deal, he wasn't sure what the rules were for this whole thing, not to mention he wasn't quite familiar with Lianne's own rules for kissing. It wasn't as if he could simply ask.
But before Devon could think of what he should do, Lianne was no longer at his side and was, instead, sitting down on the blanket. “Shall we?” she asked as she looked up at him.
Devon grinned in response and nodded. "We shall," he said as he sat down before grabbing the box and placing it between them. He took out the two sandwiches, a baggie of cookies, and the thermos of hot chocolate. He handed Lianne a sandwich and poured her a cup of hot chocolate. He poured himself a cup as well and before taking a sip, held it up in a toast. "To us," he said with a smile. "Happy anniversary."
Re: Nothing Better [3/14/09; ISO: Lianne]
Lianne wasn’t delusional, though some might have disagreed during the period after her brother’s death – and maybe, at that point, she had been. She knew that not only was Devon fifteen, but he was also playful and somewhat childlike. Immature, one might say, but in a good sense. He had yet to lose the innocence that all children had and were so lucky to have; of course, they never realized that until later in adolescence, but it was truly one of the best gifts that could be bestowed upon a child. Some people had to lose that innocence far too early, whether they chose to or had to in order to live. Lianne, however, was seventeen. In one year, she would graduate from Hogwarts and enter the Wizarding World. That wasn’t to say that long-distance relationships couldn’t work, though it certainly made things more difficult, but that wasn’t the point.
The point was that he still had a lot of growing to do, and Lianne knew that the sad likelihood was that they were less likely to be compatible in the future. Besides, Devon was the kind of boy who would want to try his options, though she had a feeling he wouldn’t cheat on a girl just to “explore” another. It was a smart idea, really. Some teenagers got so caught up in the idea of forever love, and they forgot that they weren’t done evolving yet. That didn’t mean that commitment, going steady, was a bad thing – in fact, she rather liked it – but it didn’t have to be eternally binding.
Lianne just couldn’t stop rambling today! What she really meant was that she knew that in a year, six months, even three, she and Devon might not be together. It was the nature of most teenage relationships. What they could do though – and he had taught her this simply by being Peter Pan – was enjoy every moment while looking forward to the future. Lianne loved her relationship with Devon, and she couldn’t have thought of a better person to be her first real boyfriend – she no longer counted Tucker. She had even admitted in her journal of feeling the infamous “puppy love” for Devon. She thought of him every day, and just thinking of their conversations and what they did in their free time together made her smile.
"Hey, no problem,"
He made it sound as though this was something that he had done before, and maybe he had. Maybe that should annoy her, but it really didn’t. The simple fact that he had taken the time and effort to do it for her was what made it truly special. She meant what she said when she told him that this was more than anyone had done for her before – it made her feel … special. That was what he did, every time she saw him! Devon made her feel special, and that was a gift beyond value.
Lianne watched him sit down beside her with a grin and pull the box between them. She raised her eyebrows as first sandwiches came out of the box, then some cookies, and finally a thermos of something. She accepted the sandwich with a smile and a nod, and thanked him for the cup of – she raised it to her nose and sniffed it – hot chocolate! How endearing was that? “You thought of everything,” she said, setting the sandwich down carefully on her lip so that she could hold the cup with both hands, warming them.
She cocked her head as he held his cup up, seemingly for – a toast?
"To us," he said with a smile. "Happy anniversary."
A month ago, she would never have expected to be hearing those words any time soon. Hearing them now, in the midst of a – supposedly – haunted house that creaked and groaned in the smallest puff of wind, with a picnic box between she and her beau, sent a trill down her spine. Smiling, she tapped his cup with hers. “Happy anniversary,” she said before taking a sip of the steaming liquid that had been taunting her with its rich aroma. It was hot, but not unbearably. “Delicious,” Lianne said, setting the cup gingerly down on the blanket and picking up her sandwich. All of a sudden, she was unbearably hungry.
She raised the sandwich to her mouth, when a thought struck her. Before even taking a bite, she looked sidelong at Devon. Should she? Maybe not … but she really, truly felt like it … and the timing couldn’t be better. On their one-month anniversary, before she got her mouth full of sandwich, no matter how yummy it might be. It had been so long, though, and –
Cutting her thoughts off at the pass, Lianne put her sandwich down beside the cup of hot chocolate, brushed off her hands, and shifted so that she could face Devon. Without thinking, without hesitating, she raised one hand to his face and cupped his cheek while the other hand clenched somewhat nervously in her lap, and pressed her lips to his.
Quick, soft. More than a peck, less than a smooch. She pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes, then offered a small smile. “Sorry,” she whispered – she couldn’t manage more than that right now – “Just something I was thinking about.”
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