Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lady of the Lake 
Without further ado, Ari just nodded at Jory's question and suggested they go for a walk on the pathways. On their way out, she was uncharacteristically silent, trying to put her thoughts in order before they passed the noisy crowds and found themselves quite alone.
How should she start? How was your day sounded so inappropriate, not to mention cliché. But she couldn't start with I like you, either. 'I've been meaning to talk to you ever since we met that day on Diagon Alley last August.' Good. Doing well so far.
'I suppose you remember how I reacted when you admitted to not having a girlfriend?' Cringeworthy moment, that was. She had almost yelled Good, before making some excuse about spending more time with him and blah blah. Still, it was the logical place to start. 'Do you know why I reacted...the way I did?' How difficult was this going to be?
He likes you, Gwen said so. Ari kept repeating in her head, to try and stay positive about the outcome of this conversation.
As they walked, heading for the Grounds, Jory was as silent as Ari. He had no idea of what was going on in her head and wanted to know why she was unusually quiet. He smiled as he remembered calling her a chatterbox affectionately in Diagon Alley. He loved hearing her go on and on.
The boy racked his brains on how to begin this conversation.
"This is going to be the hardest conversation I'm ever going to have,'' he thought as he pushed his hands in his pockets- a habit he developed since he was at muggle school whenever he was nervous. He was jolted back from his thoughts as Ari began to speak.
"So was I,'' he began. Or at least until he spoke to Gwen in the library.
"I looked for you at the Gryffindor table at the feast but I hadn't seen you.'' He had wondered where she was though admittedly he had been lost in his own world then.
"Yes, I do,'' Jory responded remembering how he thought his friend had looked relieved and happy and had been puzzled by her reaction back then. Recently, that moment had been flashing before him a lot. Recently meaning after he had talked to Gwen. He had begun to think that maybe there was a chance for him after all but things could have changed in that time he had not seen Ari. Now that she was bringing it up that moment, Jory began to feel a glimmer of hope and now he wanted more than ever to tell her how he felt even if the outcome wasn't what he would hope for.
“Is it because you like me? I mean, as more than a friend?’’ he asked looking directly into her eyes. He had never noticed before how beautiful they were.