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Gryffindoll · 06-14-2015, 04:52 AM

Everybody loves Hogwarts.
Students couldn’t be prouder of the beloved castle they get to call home for most part of the year, and those unfortunate enough not to receive an invitation, dream of racing the moving staircases and finding secret passageways behind talking portraits.
Enchanting as it may be, Hogwarts remains, above all: a school. Which means that Hogwarts students don’t necessarily spend all their time at the castle joking with nearly-headless ghosts, sneaking into forbidden forests, or enjoying a cup of hot chocolate by the fireplace. Like any other student at any other school, magical or otherwise, they have their fair share of responsibilities: homework to get done, tests to study for, grades to improve. Overall, Hogwarts students tend to be hard-working, smart individuals who surpass challenges set by each and every lesson, moving on to higher levels.
There are, however, those classes that are just IMPOSSIBLE for some to pass. And for some Hogwarts students the main culprit tends to be:
Muggle. Studies.

These students can perform a perfect patronus, handle a crying mandrake, predict your untimely demise in a teacup, but they simply can NOT figure out the workings of a “TV remote” no matter how many times they press all the bloody buttons. It looks just like a tel-uh-phony, what is even the point of this thing!? GAHHH.
For these students, a special summer lesson has been put together by Professor Willoughby, Hogwarts’ one and only Muggle Studies master. These students failed all exams and either didn’t turn in their homework, or turned in something that made no more sense than a two-headed dog with chicken legs and fire breath. If these students don’t want to end up repeating the class next term (and I’m more than certain they don’t), they MUST pass the summer lesson, which, in consequence, will take up a good half of their summer break.

So, what is Professor Willoughby’s challenge?
Surviving one month in suburbia.

The worst Muggle Studies students in every House and every year must pack their belongings (without the help of magic) and move to a standard, uniformed suburban home in the middle of a friendly muggle neighbourhood in the outskirts of London. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Well, there’s a catch: the students must give up their wands to Professor Willoughby at the end of term, and they may only retrieve them after successfully completing all challenges set up by the professor. So, absolutely no magic can be performed during the entire month the students spend in this home, performing their daily tasks without the aid of their wands. They must learn to live life… the muggle way.

It’s not all so bad, though. The house is large and comfortable, there’s a pool in the backyard, they get a mini van to drive around, and there’s other youths in the neighbourhood. Just next door is a house occupied entirely by muggle university students, who our muggle-challenged witches and wizards must interact with without raising any suspicion to complete some of their tasks. If they’re nice enough, they could maybe even get the muggles to perform some of these tasks for them. …Long as they’re not caught by the Professor’s ~~pet~~ assistant. There will be one student, the best student, in fact, who is already familiar with all things muggle and will be in charge of making sure that all tasks are completed by his classmates. Should anyone be caught cheating, this student will be in charge of reporting them to Professor Willoughby, and they may permanently lose their wand in consequence.

To help the students stay on track and remember all the tasks they must complete, a chalkboard has been set up in the living room area of the home. Here, the professor’s assistant has listed all the tasks the students must complete, in the order they must be performed. Also, all students have been equipped with the muggle version of a wand - a cellphone. Each cellphone is activated with its own phone number and the students are free to use them as they please, the more they play around with the gadget and experience first-hand muggle technology, the better! But please do try to take it easy on the selfies.

And so, girls and boys… welcome to suburbia! Have fun and try not to get electrocuted by that tricky muggle invention - electricity!

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Hello everyone!
So, since the general RP section of the site is pretty dead, The Amazing Ru (pinecone) and I have decided to start something new that will hopefully get more members involved in RPs outside of the school!
If you’re interested in joining, please just post a bio for your character(s) and we’ll add them to the list below!
You may RP students, muggles, or both. Ru and I will be taking care of the professor and his assistant (we may or may not have some surprises in store for you… ). You may also bring in any necessary extras if a certain scene asks for it, the more realistic we make this, the better! If you have any ideas of extra characters you’d like to add in besides the students and their muggle neighbors, tell us! Want to be a gardener that’s onto them? A thief that breaks into the house at night? A troublesome child that rings the bell and runs away!? ALL CHARACTERS ARE WELCOME. BE CREATIVE!

And for your reference, here is a shot of the board listing all the kids’ challenges. Below is a link to see a larger version.

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VERSION!

Please remember to follow all SS rules while RPing, and, most of all, don’t forget to have FUN!!!

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CHARACTER LIST:

- Allegra Reynolds
- Serina May Souza
- Leonardo Huntley
- Adam Nicholas Kipling

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 03:18 AM

Adam dared tear his gaze away from their hands to meet Allegra instead, and immediately regretted it. This wasn’t fair! How was he supposed to focus and think about serious matters when she was looking annoyingly adorable?! He was rather endeared by the mix of confusion and determination written all over her features, by the seriousness with which she took all of this. Which honestly was the correct response to the situation, it really was just him who was being immature.

“I don’t know,” the boy finally responded, echoing his earlier response. But how was he supposed to know these things? It’s not like he spent his free time analyzing his own behaviour or reactions to certain situations, so he had no idea why he did things. He just did them.

But it wasn’t very fair to the little Ravenclaw who was clearly putting in most of the effort here, to receive nothing more than a chorus of ‘I don’t know’s. So Adam was silent for a moment, looking away from her and trying to gather his thoughts, to find an answer to her question. Or, at least, explain why he didn’t have an answer. “It’s just… When I’m talking to you, I just… My mind wanders, I guess. I can’t really focus, so I just… forget things, or blurt out the first thing that comes to mind even if it’s not the right answer…” He trailed off, brows furrowed, and met her gaze again. “Can you ask me something else? I’m sorry Moon, I just—I can’t really figure out why… why it’s like this with you.”

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 03:33 AM

Allegra certainly wasn’t well versed in matters of open and honest communication, in fact, she was possibly one of the worst people when it came to that. But she was determined and willing, which was pretty much half the battle. And beyond this, she was observant. She watched as Adam did his best to give her the most honest answer possible, and found herself rather endeared as he explained, roughly, that his mind wandered around her. She had absolutely no idea what that meant, or any of the other things that Adam had tried to communicate in the last couple of minutes, but she did observe him as he replied and she noticed something almost immediately. Whenever Adam really tried to tell her something, he couldn’t look her in the eye. Aha!

“What if I don’t look at you?” Allegra suggested cheerily as if this was in any way a sane next step. As if to prove she was up for the challenge, she closed her eyes and her eyebrows rose as though this heightened attention would help her hear him better. “Does this help?” Trial and error had to count for something. “C’mon, try to tell me something.” She grinned.

Allegra didn’t want to push him too hard, because deep down she understood that he couldn’t magically provide answers for her. And she didn’t need answers, necessarily, right now. She just wanted him to talk to her rather than picking one of two options he recently did in her company — distracting flirtation, or loaded silence. She just wanted him to talk, even if it wasn’t a solution — she just didn’t want to give up. And perhaps another part of her knew that as soon as they called it quits for the night, they’d need to separate, something else she wasn’t looking forward to.

Her smile faltered slightly at the brief silence that followed her bold suggestion. "Please?"

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 03:52 AM

Adam raised an eyebrow as Allegra suggested not looking at him, puzzled by this suggestion when, suddenly, the girl’s bright silver eyes fluttered closed. Was she… was she serious? Did she really want him to talk to her while her eyes were closed? Adam waited for her to reveal that this was all just a joke, poking fun at his inability to speak to her directly, but nothing happened.

“Please?”

She was serious! Adam’s eyes widened slightly with this realization, and slowly, confusion abandoned his features to leave room for pure endearment instead. She separated from him, she spoke softly, she held his hand, and now she closed her eyes… all just to receive something she shouldn’t even need to ask from him: communication. It was almost heartbreaking to witness, especially when he’d done nothing to deserve this sort of understanding. If anything, she should’ve allowed him to walk away when he’d first suggested it, to make as little effort for him as possible, to let him make up for his mistakes by leaving all responsibility up to him.

There were a few more moments of silence as Adam absorbed these realizations, his gaze fixed on Allegra’s hopeful and expectant expression. Ironically, her plan was actually successful in getting him to look at her while thinking. Eventually, the boy responded, but not in words. Instead, he undid Allegra’s first effort by moving closer to her, erasing all of the space she had created between them. Using his free hand, he gently cupped the side of her expression and leaned in, meeting her lips with his own in a loving kiss. It wasn’t another attempt to distract or to purposely undo her efforts, it was him answering her request. C’mon, try to tell me something. He could’ve just uttered the words he meant to share, but they would’ve done the feeling no justice. So he turned to the only other language they could both speak efficiently, the language of affectionate gestures and kisses, just to say I love you.

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 04:19 AM

This was supposed to be an attempt to allow Adam to be vulnerable in front of her, but ironically it was now Allegra who was feeling vulnerable. The longer she had her eyes closed, and the longer the silence grew, the more concerned she became that her plan wasn’t working. She couldn’t see him! She couldn’t read his expression and know if this was a comfortable silence or a meaningful silence or a I-don’t-like-you-anymore-please-go-away sort of silence, all of which crossed her mind the longer the quiet continued. But she kept her eyes closed, not going back on her word, not wanting to interrupt his thought process if this was suddenly going to lead to some kind of outpouring of communication.

She froze as she felt the swing shift just slightly beneath her. He was moving? Panic hit her chest as she worried, for a split second, that he was getting up to leave. But his hand never left her own and in the next moment she felt his touch on the side of her cheek, a gesture which caused her to jump just slightly, not at all prepared for it. He was still there. But he wasn’t talking. Her mind raced to find the answer as to what was going on and if he was upset with her and why he still wasn’t speaking and a thousand other concerns which ran through her mind until — she suddenly felt the gentle touch of his lips on her own.

Immediately, Allegra seemed to melt at the contact, her perfect posture and intense concentration completely abandoning her as she leaned into him. She returned the kiss lovingly, her questions puttering to a stop as she responded to him. For the moment, at least, she knew exactly what he meant. And she couldn’t deny the relief that coursed through her as she fell into the familiar comfort of Adam’s affection — alway straight forward, and simple. Easy to read. Finally, after what could have been minutes or seconds, Allegra separated from him with extreme reluctance, her eyes still closed as a dazed smile lit up her expression. She was quiet for a long while, biting her lip, struggling to find words as she wondered where that had come from. She kept her eyes closed, though it was unclear if she was still following her earlier game plan or simply too charmed to look at him yet.

“Don’t tell me I distracted you again?” This time it was definitely his fault, if that was the case. She hadn't even looked at him!

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 04:32 AM

The daze that followed his kiss with Allegra broke as the girl spoke, her simple question causing Adam to respond with amused laughter. He allowed it to fill the air for a moment before finally speaking, amusement still sparkling in his eyes, “I told you you were distracting.” Unable to help himself, he leaned in again, placing a kiss on the cheek on which his hand had once rested. “I can’t focus when you’re… you’re being so cute, Moon,” he complained, unaware of a subtle irony in the situation: not once had he removed his gaze from her expression. He spoke to her directly. “I’m beginning to suspect you don’t actually want us getting anywhere, do you?” he accused playfully, raising their entwined hands to place a kiss on the back of her own. And though his amusement still lingered and the idea of falling back into a pattern of jokes and playful arguments was tempting, the Slytherin made an effort to remain serious, focused. He was silent for a moment, his eyes finally leaving Allegra to roam over the backyard of the little cottage absentmindedly, before finding their way back to her expression. “I really… This is—you’re—” he stopped abruptly, mildly annoyed with his own struggle to find words. “Thank you for doing this, Moon.”

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 04:44 AM

Allegra laughed softly, genuinely, as he did, her expression a little lighter now than before. But still, she kept her eyes closed. She listened as he complained about her cuteness, and she kept her eyes closed. And she listened as he struggled to find his way to his next statement, and she kept her eyes closed. Thank you? Her brows furrowed. "For doing what?" she smiled faintly, but her meaning was serious. It wasn't as though she were doing anything that required mass amounts of effort. She was just being there.

"I love you," Allegra reminded him in explanation, her light voice falling between them delicately, resonating with a new kind of warmth. "Where else would I be?" Did he think she had other plans? It was endearing and mildly concerning to her that he felt her interest and patience was worthy of a thank you. Some of Adam's sweetness she had missed this week was coming back. She squeezed his hand, completely unaware of how he was perceiving her but trying to ignore the self-consciousness that came with that. He didn't have to confess any big revelations, but she wanted him to feel comfortable. Better, around her.

"You can tell me anything," Allegra promised, knowing it didn't mean much right now. It sounded rather cheesy falling from her lips, making her feel all the more exposed, but she pushed through it. "Or nothing." That was fine too. "Just don't... leave yet."

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 05:06 AM

As Allegra questioned what he was thanking her for, Adam shrugged, forgetting for a moment that she couldn’t actually see that response. “All of this. For… moving away and closing your eyes,” he explained half-jokingly, smiling. “I mean, for tr—”

“I love you.”
He stopped abruptly, mildly startled by the statement, then smiled again. “I love you, too.” He absorbed her expression for another moment then lowered his gaze to their hands, listening as she questioned where else she would be. Without an answer, Adam remained silent, thoughts beginning to cloud his mind just as Allegra spoke again, assuring him that he could tell her anything. Or nothing. He smiled at this, looking up at her again, when she gently asked him not to leave yet. The boy’s smile faltered, an uneasy feeling washing over him.

“I won’t,” he promised softly, placing another kiss to the back of her hand. “Leave yet, I mean,” he clarified, just in case she thought he was replying to her earlier suggestion. Shifting his attention to that idea, Adam’s brows furrowed thoughtfully. “…You know you can tell me anything too, right?” he asked. “I mean, I know I’ve been lousy at listening this week… probably longer than that, but… I want to listen to you, too. I want—I want you to count on me too, Moon.” He knew it was an absurd thing to request after his recent behaviour, that it would take Allegra time to trust him again, but he just needed to let her know. To communicate.

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 05:36 AM

Allegra was rather enjoying this. When she wasn’t completely worried about how she was being perceived by Adam, she was enjoying the sound of his voice. It reminded her of their first days together, one of the first things she noticed about him. His voice, always warm, even when he didn’t know what to say. She was simply admiring it with her eyes shut when he spoke again, this time reminding her that she could tell him anything. She smiled faintly, but her mind wandered to the same place his went — she’d been trying to tell him things all week, and most of the time, he didn’t believe her. Or, at the very least, he didn’t listen to her. She was still a little bruised from that experience, as anyone would be, but appreciated him saying it out loud. He wanted to listen to her. That was a start.

“I want you to count on me too, Moon.”

Allegra felt like her heart might have melted just a bit, the genuine quality of his voice hitting her with surprising force. “I do count on you,” she assured him softly, wrapping his hand in both of her own. “I trust you more than anyone. Maybe too much.” She gave a sad sort of smile. That’s why this week had been not just difficult, but hurtful to her core. She trusted him wholeheartedly, something she didn’t do easily, and he threw it all back at her — the things they’d shared, the events of their relationship, the intimate details. That would take time to get over, but it wasn’t necessarily the problem here.

“I trust you,” Allegra assured him softly, hesitating and once again missing the ability to scan his features. Still, she kept her eyes closed. “But... I don’t think you trust me.” She faltered. "I guess I can't blame you."

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 06:01 AM

Adam mirrored Allegra’s less-than-happy smile, for once actually relieved to have the girl’s bright silver eyes out of view. With Allegra’s last words, his gaze dropped again, somehow able to feel the girl looking right through him even with her eyes closed. He sighed softly, allowing a small silence to settle over them. They were moving on to the subjects he had spent the past month trying to avoid faster than he expected.

“No,” he finally confirmed, still unable to meet Allegra’s expression even if her eyes weren’t on him. “I don’t,” he continued, with surprising honesty. It was strange to hear his own voice saying this, but at the same time, he lacked the usual urge to run away from the conversation, to do everything possible to avoid it as he usually did. Perhaps Allegra’s tactics were working after all. “Not… not entirely, anyway. I mean, I trust you with—with nearly everything. It’s just that… that one thing.” He looked up from their hands to examine her expression, searching for any signs of understanding before continuing, consciously making an effort to be as clear as possible. He didn’t want any more misunderstandings, any more thoughts left half unsaid. Not only out of determination to begin the slow process of rebuilding his relationship with Allegra, but also because she deserved it. Because he owed it to her.

“I don’t trust you to stay,” he finally admitted, after weeks of denial, after days of behaving like the most awful person that he knew his girlfriend didn’t deserve. “And—I should. You can blame me, because… I should’ve—I should’ve known, when you came back, that… that it wouldn’t be the same. That the whole… situation would have an effect on our relationship now. But I was so blind—I just thought about getting you back, and I didn’t think about what that would mean. I thought everything would just magically go back to the way it was, and…” he trailed off, sighing softly. Slowly, the words were beginning to slip from his fingers, difficult to hold together long enough to complete a thought. Why was this so difficult? “I’m sorry, Moon… I should’ve worked on it, or at least… told you about it.”

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 06:36 AM

Allegra, too, was glad her eyes weren't open. She had no visual warning signs for everything he said to her, no signals from his expression or his eyes avoiding her own, and so it all just fell onto her bit by bit. And she was sure, that had her eyes been open, she wouldn't have been able to cover up the feelings that washed over her in waves at hearing Adam confess all of this in his beautiful, familiar voice. He didn't trust her. Not fully. He should have known things would be different after. He was sorry. She froze, listening, and didn't interrupt, her ears eager to hear more but her heart aching.

"I don't trust you to stay."

The weight of those few words alone made her facade crack. Her lip quivered and she froze even further as though to compensate, desperate not to let any tears fall in fear that perhaps Adam might see and stop talking for her sake. It hurt, relentlessly, but she wanted to hear it all. And for the first time, he didn't hold back.

His final words elicited a sad sort of smile from the girl at his side. "You didn't have to tell me." She brought up one of her hands to delicately run a fingertip along her lashes, as graceful as though attending to a particle of dust that had gotten in her eye. But of course, her eyes were closed. There was no dust. "I knew." Still, as uncomfortable as she was, she didn't open her eyes or turn away from him. "I mean, it was my fault. Of course I knew." She bit her lip, trying to find the words when an elephant seemed to be laying on her chest. This was difficult. Why did she suggest they do this?

Still, she went on. "I can't believe I messed up so badly." Every time she thought about it, it felt like a bad dream. It felt so completely separate from her, like some out of body self-destructive experience. And of course it hurt Adam, how could it not have? It seemed to be the end of her statement, but she suddenly spoke again, her light voice cracking with a bit of emotion she wasn't able to hide. "Tell me what I can do. Tell me how to fix it."

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 06:56 AM

Despite Allegra’s skillful attempts at concealing the damage that Adam’s words had caused, it was impossible for the Slytherin not to notice her hand traveling to her eyes, the gentle quiver of her bottom lip. He immediately regretted saying anything at all, he should’ve at the very least chosen his words more carefully, or not have been so blunt!

“I mean, it was my fault. Of course I knew.”

“Moon…” The guilt in her usually soft, melodious voice was heartbreaking to hear. It was part of the reason he’d avoided saying any of this, tried to avoid even thinking about it. She was too gentle, too kind, and too eager to take the blame. There was barely any space left between them, but still Adam managed to bring himself even closer to her. He released her hand to wrap his arms around her frame instead, with a gentle pull revealing his intention to bring her onto him, so that she’d uncross her legs and allow him to more comfortably pull her onto his lap. He knew this new proximity went against Allegra’s careful plan, that it might break the delicate line of communication they’d built, but that didn’t matter. Not when his words, for once spoken without any intention to cause harm, did just that anyway.

“Tell me what I can do. Tell me how to fix it.”

Adam sighed softly, examining closely the expression he could now appreciate so close. “Babe, look at me,” he requested softly, tucking some of her brown hair, which had dried completely by now, behind her ear.

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 07:07 AM

Allegra's last attempts at remaining stoic and neutral fell apart as soon as she felt Adam's arms around her. She couldn't pretend she didn't desire his comfort, his warmth and affection, she wasn't that good at pretending. Even with her eyes closed, she understood his intent and allowed herself to be pulled onto him, her legs uncrossing so she could get closer to him, curling up comfortably in his familiar embrace.

"Babe, look at me."

His warm voice now so close to her was incredibly tempting but -- "No." Allegra laughed softly through a sniffle at her own stubbornness, a hint of a smile sneaking onto her troubled expression. "It'll mess everything up."

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 07:21 AM

Despite the overwhelming feeling of sadness and guilt that enveloped the couple at that moment, Adam couldn’t help smiling with Allegra’s stubborn response, somehow only more endeared with her because of it. He opened his mouth, ready to insist, when it occurred to him - was Allegra even keeping her eyes closed for him anymore? Somehow, he suspected, this technique may have facilitated things for her as well.

Still, he needed to see her. And it would be a lie to say the mere thought of it didn’t make him a little nervous, to deny that he was genuinely concerned their ability to speak freely would disappear with the opening of Allegra’s bright, silver eyes. “Please?”

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 07:37 AM

Allegra sighed as she heard a gentle 'Please?'. What was she going to do - ignore him? She couldn't even if she wanted to. Besides, did she really think keeping her eyes closed at this point would do any good? Probably not, but... She didn't want this to become about her. She didn't trust herself right now to put on a brave face, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than she had anticipated - perhaps a result of having her eyes closed for so long, ironically. And she didn't want him to feel bad for sharing his feelings; she wanted to hear them even if they hurt to hear. So it took a long moment for Allegra to consider his request, letting out a gentle sigh as she weighed her options.

And finally, after the better part of a minute, her eyes fluttered open reluctantly to reveal their bright silver color far more clouded with red than usual. One of the tears she had been successfully holding back now escaped, rolling down her cheek on its own accord. She quickly wiped it away, and offered up a weak smile. "Hi."

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 07:55 AM

Yeah, he definitely should not have insisted. Adam could feel his heart literally shattering inside his chest at the sight of Allegra’s cloudy silver eyes, their colour cruelly betraying the smile and voice with which she spoke. The hand that had tucked her hair rested gently on the side of her face, his thumb now a little wet as it distractedly stroked her cheek. And yet, as much as it hurt to witness this, the boy remained focused, his gaze never abandoning her own.

With some effort, he returned the weak smile she flashed him. He only abandoned her gaze for a second after that, closing his eyes for a moment as he gently placed a kiss to the girl’s forehead. Pulling away, he focused on her expression again. And the most ironic part of all? It was happening - just as he’d warned her, just as Allegra had managed to avoid by keeping her eyes closed: his mind was slowly going blank. He knew what he wanted to say, what he had to say, but it was like her gaze took with it every thought in his head.

Eventually, with much more effort than he would admit to the girl, Adam spoke, “There’s nothing for you to fix,” he said, going back to her earlier words. “Moon, I don’t… Despite everything—” he sighed, clearly struggling, but continued, “—everything I said in the past week, my lack of trust isn’t your fault. It’s not… it’s not something for you to fix, or take any responsibility for. Yeah, you might’ve…” he trailed off, wary of being too blunt, “You might’ve made a mistake, but… you’ve more than made up for it. I was the one who didn’t forgive you, it was me who… didn’t move past it.” His eyes dropped for the briefest second before he caught himself, immediately returning his gaze to her. He didn’t want her to have opened her eyes in vain. “You can’t make me trust you, Moon. I have to do that on my own.”

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 08:17 AM

Allegra nodded understandingly as Adam assured her there was nothing to fix, that it wasn't her fault. She knew this on an intellectual level, that logically there was nothing for her to do that could speed up a more internal process for him. But she couldn't help worrying that the blame wasn't truly all on him as he claimed, that it was shared. She appreciated his words, and they did comfort her, but she felt there was more than that.

"I didn't give you a chance to catch up, though," Allegra complained softly, shaking her head as one of her hands moved to his chest. How could he have moved past it when there was no time for him to process? "I realized, so suddenly, how big of a mistake I made and I ran back to you and tried to win you over, and I..." She bit her lip softly, considering her words. "I just thought about me, and how much I had already processed, and I didn't give you the time to catch up." She paused. "I didn't give you a chance to be angry with me."

They'd gone straight from misery to reunion, as if she'd just been on a vacation or something of the sort. But she had really messed up, and hurt him and he had every right to be upset with her. She didn't give him time to process it all back then and now here it was, weeks later, that same frustration bursting at the seams. "And you were right to be angry with me. I didn't give you any time."

Allegra suddenly realized the difference between this conversation and all the others. He was looking at her. She smiled faintly at the realization, admiring his blue eyes and trying her best to keep her thoughts straight. "But... you need time now, and you should take it."

Gryffindoll · 01-22-2017, 08:53 AM

Adam listened to Allegra’s words silently, thoughtfully, carefully. And though he hated the idea of her carrying any more guilt over something that she had already done everything in her power to fix, especially after he’d been so cruel about it the past week, he could see and understand the girl’s point. “I didn’t take the time either,” he interjected, just to clarify that his own inability to be anything more than a pathetic lovestruck schoolboy at that time wasn’t entirely Allegra’s fault. He should have known to pause, to think with his head instead of just jumping into something simply because he had wanted it for so long.

But Allegra’s understanding meant a lot. Especially after the awful week they’d just been through, her ability to empathize with someone who’d just broken her own trust amazed him. How did she find the strength to be kind, and forgiving, and supportive when she had her own healing to do? When her wounds were probably so much worse than his own? Again, that uneasy, heavy feeling washed over the Slytherin as he took in Allegra’s words and expression. It was difficult not to believe he had been unfairly fortunate, that he couldn’t possibly deserve any of this. He wasn’t sure if it was an objective observation or if it was insecurity teasing him.

As Allegra decided that he should take the time he needed, Adam smiled faintly. “Thank you, Moon.” He lowered his hand from her expression, taking her own little hand instead. It still wasn’t easy, the idea of separating from Allegra, even if she expressed understanding and it became more of a mutual agreement than a bitter, one-sided decision. But it was relieving to know she understood, that she didn’t think he was doing it to get away from her or because he didn’t want her. That it was simply another step in their reconciliation, one that had been long overdue and delayed.

Absentmindedly, the boy raised their entwined hands, pressing a kiss to Allegra’s as he often did, his expression cloudy with thoughts. “I think… we both need this time, y’know. You’ve got things to figure out too,” he pointed out softly, somewhat warily. “How… how do you feel?”

pinecone · 01-22-2017, 09:36 AM

Allegra leaned against Adam's chest comfortably, indulging in the silence for a long while and admiring the feel of the familiar kiss he placed on her hand. She knew all of this was for the best - that it wasn't an end, but rather a much needed refresh - it was necessary. But it was still difficult to put all of this out on the table, to hold his hand and look at what they'd been through and admit that not all of at it had been so pretty. Still, as exposed and sensitive as she felt, it was definitively better than before.

She stayed quiet, listening as he suggested they could both benefit from this distance, that she had things to figure out as well. Allegra nodded, wondering vaguely if he was thinking of all the same things she was. The fights that had happened over the last week. The harsh things that were said that she hadn't managed to brush off. The Gabe situation. There was still a lot to consider, her mind just barely considering reviewing it all when she was taken out of her thoughts as he spoke once more.

"How do you feel?"

Allegra sat up a bit as he addressed her, considering this question. How did she feel? Her brows furrowed and she paused. Tired, certainly. This week had been terrible for her sleep schedule. Relieved, that at least Adam was looking her in the eyes and that they were talking again. Confused, about how all of this fit together. And then, somewhere underneath tired and relieved and confused, there was a great deal of pain. Like a monster quietly sleeping, it was almost as though she'd forgotten it was there - so distracted by giving her love and support for Adam, so comforted by his arms around her. But it was there, nonetheless, waiting to be recognized. The weight of it seemed to land on her all at once and she sighed, suddenly now the one who was struggling to look Adam in the eye.

This week had hurt. And she knew that Adam was hurting, too, trying to figure all of this out but... some of the things he said... She never thought he would talk to her like that. She felt like the entire week was a battle she had entered without a shield, completely caught off guard. And she knew he didn't mean it all (she hoped he didn't mean it all) - that it was just fighting, what people did. But they'd never fought like that before, and the wounds were still new. Her justifications and perspectives didn't help her feel any less small right now, any less bruised. And on top of it all there was tonight's confirmation that her biggest mistake really had messed things up just as badly as she'd feared. Really, it had started it all, but even that felt a little bit better than before this discussion. At least now it was out in the open and they could address it together. It felt, in some ways, like their only real problem. In other ways, it felt like the tip of the iceberg. There was so much to think about.

Eventually through this thought process, Allegra locked eyes with him and instantly regretted it, suddenly unable to lie to him. "I'm sad, babe," she sighed honestly, offering him a weak smile as her gray eyes grew watery yet again. She blinked it away. "I'm just sad right now." She leaned back against his chest in the next moment, wiping her face with the sleeves of her sweatshirt and placing a gentle kiss on his jaw, no less loving than before. Things always had to get worse before getting better, right?

Gryffindoll · 01-23-2017, 12:24 AM

Despite the couple’s earlier playfulness, despite Allegra’s smiles and gentle gestures, Adam knew the answer to the question before he even asked it. Even so, it was truly heartbreaking to hear her response. Her words, brief and soft, hit him with a force he hadn’t anticipated. He knew it would hurt to hear, but he hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. Her words, her tears, her sadness. It was so easy to comfort someone when the source of their despair was an unfriendly outside force, but something else entirely when you were that reason, when you had caused the damage. It felt like a lie, to try to be a source of comfort for her when he was also heavily responsible for her pain.

As Allegra leaned back into him, Adam’s arms tightened around her frame, gently squeezing her into a hug. He kept her close for a long moment, blue eyes resting distractedly on the outlines of the Forbidden Forest and the lake beyond, its waters sparkling under the moonlight. He remembered the first time they’d snuck out of the cottage to swim in the lake, the storm that followed, climbing back inside through the bathroom window. He remembered being in the bathtub with Allegra as she broke down after literally facing her greatest fear. He wasn’t sure why his mind had traveled back to that specific moment; perhaps because part of the present resembled it slightly. At the time, he thought her fear was the most haunting thing he could ever witness. Now he knew her sadness was so much worse.

After what might have been a few minutes, the boy’s arms eased, releasing Allegra from the hug but still keeping her close. As if traveling back in time and switching roles, Adam echoed Allegra’s earlier words. “Tell me what to do, Moon,” he requested softly, turning his gaze upon her, though he couldn’t see her expression clearly with her head against his chest. “How…” he knew he was asking for too much, “How do I undo it?” The cruel words, the silence, the abandonment when she most needed his comfort. He knew it would be a long process to fix everything that had taken only minutes to break, that he’d need to work every day to make up for it, to earn her trust again. But if there was anything at all that he could do in just that moment that would ease some of her ache, even just temporarily, he wanted to do it. Needed to do it.

pinecone · 01-23-2017, 04:45 AM

With Adam’s arms wrapped tightly around her, Allegra felt warm for the first time in a long time. She was saddened and tired and a little confused, but she felt calm, like the settled quiet after a storm had passed — like she was finally in the right place, at the right time after so many days of missing the mark and struggling to find the same page as Adam. She could relax. And she did, leaning comfortably against Adam, listening to his breath and staring out at the familiar scene before them. Minutes went by in this silence until —

“Tell me what to do, Moon. How do I undo it?”

His words were so genuine, they almost hurt to hear. “Babe…” she whispered, managing to echo his earlier words just as he was echoing her own. She didn’t mean to, but… what else was there to say to that kind of question? One of her hands gently traced along his forearm still wrapped securely around her waist, her light eyes cloudy with thought. Didn’t he know that it wasn’t just his to undo? It wasn’t as though all of this was his fault. As they’d just discussed, it all really started because of her mistake — these were just residual waves. And though he had said some awful things… so did she. She wasn’t proud of all of the things she threw back at him in moments of hurt and anger. All of that stuff about Jackie? Everything she’d said… Clearly she had plenty to figure out on her end too. But still, she could understand his current feeling, the desperate desire to fix things, to make everything all right again. It was difficult.

Allegra sat up a bit more so she was able to look at him properly, once again finding herself astounded by the loveliness of his blue eyes, taken aback by the emotion he was so easily able to draw out of her. She placed a hand on his chest, her fingertips absentmindedly stroking the fabric of his shirt as she attempted to translate all of the thoughts in her mind to the person next to her. “I think we…” Her brows furrowed. “I think, maybe, we should start… thinking of ourselves as a ‘we’.”

It was about time, wasn't it? Perhaps they needed to start actually acting like the team they claimed to be. She was clearly still thinking this theory through, her silver eyes still cloudy with thought. “We are going to figure it out,” she corrected his earlier statement with the hesitant hint of a smile. It wasn't about her fixing things, or him undoing anything - one person making it up to another. It was both of them. She scanned his familiar gaze, wondering vaguely if she was making any sense at all. "The two of us."

Gryffindoll · 01-23-2017, 06:25 PM

Adam’s brows furrowed, both curious and puzzled with Allegra’s response. Weren’t they already a ‘we’, a couple, a team? But then Allegra continued - “We are going to figure it out. The two of us,” and realization softened his features into an expression of understanding.

“That makes sense...” he replied softly, his lips curving slightly in an attempt at a smile. But he couldn’t help the nagging feeling of guilt that had decided to settle on his shoulders and take permanent residence in his mind. He couldn’t just push aside the fact that for an entire week he had been the worst to the one person who had never deserved anything less than love and care from him. Obviously there was no quick and easy way to undo that damage, and it would take time to prove that he could be better, that they could be better. But that determination and hard work had to be the result not of guilt or a need to prove something, but of genuine desire to be the best ‘we’, as Allegra put it, that they could be.

Adam was silent for a few moments after that, looking back on the past hour, the past night, on everything they’d said that they had been bottling up for so long. It was a bit overwhelming to look back on it, but even more than that, it was relieving. Things weren’t perfect, and they were never going to be. That was an unrealistic expectation to place on themselves. But they were getting better, and they would be even better than this as long as they put in the effort, as long as they remembered to take this as a learning lesson. This - relationships, love, even friendship, was still new territory for them, after all. It was a learning process, overcoming every obstacle together, neither of them ahead or behind but rather side by side.

“I love you,” the boy confessed suddenly, softly, leaning in just enough to place a kiss on Allegra’s rosy cheek. He smiled more genuinely now, a tired but adoring smile, still a bit haunted by everything they’d been through but more than anything just happy to have Allegra there. Relieved. If there ever had been a time he deserved her departure it was definitely now, but here she was, trying her best for them. Fighting for them. Keeping the team together and holding his hand through obstacles that seemed so daunting and impossible. And for the first time in a long time, they felt like the sun and the moon again.

pinecone · 01-24-2017, 04:09 AM

Allegra, whose expression for the past few minutes had been anything but happy, looked up with mild surprise on her features as Adam said three familiar words. Her eyes fluttered to a close for the brief moment she felt a kiss on her cheek, opening a moment later to reveal silver eyes just a bit more hopeful than before. In the next moment, her entire expression lit up with a genuine smile, offering a small glimpse of the joy that Adam usually provided her with. “I love you, too.”

How long had it been since they’d been like this? Since Adam offered her sweet words and warm gestures and welcomed her closer rather than pushing her away? It was only a week, but it felt much longer. She stared at him for a few long seconds, seeming to look for something in his familiar blue eyes. Allegra hesitated for a brief moment, as though unsure if this was the time or place to say this, clearly still a little vulnerable from the entire hours-long process of talking some of this out. After a quick pause, she seemed unable to hold it in.

“I really missed you.”

It came out like a sigh, an honest release of truth just barely above a whisper. She missed his company, she missed his voice, she missed his blue eyes and his warm arms and his hand wrapped easily around her own. There must have been a thousand times in the last week alone where something happened — good, bad, whatever — and she immediately wanted to tell him about it, talk to him first. But more than anything she missed having his company, just walking around together, holding conversations with just their glances and gestures to the mystery of everyone else around them. All of these little moments seemed to pile onto her shoulders at once — how much she really, beyond everything else, missed him. Just Adam.

Gryffindoll · 01-24-2017, 11:25 PM

It had been so long since Adam and Allegra had been on the same page, that the boy became exaggeratedly impressed whenever Allegra mentioned something that aligned with his thoughts perfectly. “I really missed you” was one of those thoughts. The girl could spontaneously leave on a trip to Australia for the next three months and though he would miss her, it wouldn’t compare to how much he missed her now, even if she was right there with him. Because it wasn’t the physical distance that felt grand, it was their thoughts and feelings and the sudden inability to sync the way they used to.

“I really missed you too, Moon,” Adam replied softly, honestly. Absentmindedly, one of his hands found its way to her long brown hair, brushing some of it back and better revealing her expression. Seeing it up close, he couldn’t help the wave of adoration that crashed over him, probably only made stronger by being neglected for an entire week. And he’d never really stopped adoring her. He had just allowed his bitterness to be stronger.

A million thoughts and realizations raced through the boy’s mind at that moment, and though he felt an overwhelming need to share them, he couldn’t decide where to begin. “I…” His gaze dropped just as his hand did, gently finding its way around her own. “I don’t want to sound cheesy,” he quickly warned, flashing the girl a sheepish smile, “But… I’m really glad I met you, Moon. And… despite what’s happened, I’m really, really, stupidly happy that you came back, and that you… that you stayed.” Lost in his own stupidity of the past week and his guilt of the past day, Adam had never really stopped to think: what if he did succeed in pushing Allegra away? What if she’d left, what if he didn’t hear from her again (God knows she’s a professional at disappearing), what if summer came along and they parted ways… forever? An overwhelming sense of emptiness accompanied this thought, and though it felt awful, Adam was certain it couldn’t compare to the feeling of regret that would overcome him if things had turned out that way.

Gently, he raised her hand to place a kiss on her knuckles. “I don’t think I ever really told you that, and… you should know,” he admitted somewhat thoughtfully. It was true that it wasn’t very often Adam Kipling expressed his feelings for Allegra Reynolds in words that went beyond ‘I love you’ and ‘I miss you’. Mostly because he assumed the girl knew those things, that they went without saying. But that wasn’t a fair assumption to make, and sometimes, especially in moments like these, when everything felt so wrong, even facts he considered obvious needed to be said. And for her, heard.

pinecone · 01-25-2017, 12:24 AM

It was almost absurd how much one nickname affected her. Allegra hadn’t really evaluated it extensively before now, but hearing Adam call her ‘Moon’ had great significance to her. Of course, she always associated it with their first days in the cottage, and their first discussion of the sun and the moon and their relation to one another. It had always been significant to her, meant something. But it was only after an extended time of not hearing it that she seemed to really register how much she identified with the name. It was special. Rather, Adam made her feel special every time he said it.

And so as he spoke, she found herself torn between what to admire most — his confessions, his earnest blue eyes, or simply the word ‘Moon’ leaving his lips for the first time in so long. It was a short moment of indecision, as he only had to get to the word ‘cheesy’ before she became completely wrapped up in what he wanted to say to her. Mildly confused as to what Adam would be so hesitant to say, she stayed quiet and listened with rapt attention as he said… A lot more than he usually would have. Allegra didn’t mean to be so surprised, but she couldn’t really help it. Adam Kipling wasn’t exactly known for his eloquent expression of his feelings, and though it certainly wasn’t a novel of emotion by any means, it was enough to send a giant wave of relief over the girl at his side.

Allegra watched as he kissed her hand just as he always did, once again ensuring that her fingers were never too cold, her silver eyes filled with a mix of adoration, appreciation, and amazement. She wasn’t sure what to say, quiet for a long while as she evaluated his words. In the next moment, she managed to get even closer to him, somehow erasing the last remaining tension of the night by invading his personal space completely, as she always did. They weren’t truly comfortable until she was practically on top of him, with her expression no more than a few inches from his own. Perhaps it was a habit left over from the competition days when cameras were everywhere and this proximity was the best way to avoid being heard, or (more likely) it was just Adegra.

They’d only gotten closer by a few inches but Allegra felt somehow like they were more private now, as if even an arm’s length apart was somehow formal. Which, for them, it was. Cuddled into this new proximity, she considered his words again, her light eyes scanning his expression before making a confession of her own: “Sometimes I really need to know that... That you feel that way.” It was only through this last week, as the fighting went on, that she seemed to realized how quickly she was willing to assume Adam didn’t want her.

Gryffindoll · 01-25-2017, 12:47 AM

Adam smiled as Allegra closed the already small space between them, her pretty face now even easier for him to admire as she cuddled up practically on him. This joyous expression faltered slightly with her words, transforming from lovestruck to sympathetic. And though Allegra’s words didn’t necessarily surprise him, they were still a little sad to hear.

“Then I’ll have to let you know more often, won’t I?” Adam decided softly, traces of playfulness in his words though the promise was genuine. Everything they’d been through… it wouldn’t happen again. He—they couldn’t let it happen again. And for that, they needed to say and to hear these ‘cheesy’ or scary or sad confessions. It was only one of many steps they’d need to take, but it was a start.

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