Favorite Distraction
Credits to @Madeline Tomlinson
Interacting With @Lily Clarke
A week. That is all it should have took him to move on. Normally that is. But, for some reason, this situation didn't come even close to normal for him.
His mind just kept circling back to.....her.
Ryder was talking a walk in the Hogwarts grounds like he usually does when the castle feels too loud to him.
His mind went to different things mostly....Food War. Chaos. People laughing and all that.
He should’ve been annoyed.
But he wasn’t.
What stuck wasn’t the flying food or the prefect covered in mashed potatoes.
It was her.
The way she looked at him. The way he noticed when she blushed. The way it made him smile when she looked away. The way she expressed her words with her hands. The way she would get all flustered.
Ryder exhaled sharply through his nose, running a hand through his hair.
“Favorite distraction…”
That sounded too good on his tongue. That wasn’t normal.
He didn’t do people. Not like this. But yet-
Ryder pushed himself off of the tree thinking of what his parents would think. This is exactly the kind of thing his parents would call “distracting influence.” Something to avoid. Something unnecessary.
Pureblood lines. Expectations. Clean reputations. Elegant. Proper and Prim etc. That was the world they liked talking about.
Funny.
Because she was pureblood.
Just not the kind they meant.
She was.....free. Just… real.
Messier and just herself. Like she didn’t treat it like a title she had to carry.
Ryder just shook his head, nothing about her would fit in the rule of books he was taught since childhood.
But even then; his mind didn’t leave it behind.
Not her. Not Lily Clarke
Last edited by Ryder Hawke on 26 May 2026, 16:16, edited 1 time in total.
Say whatever you want about me. Just don’t touch what’s mine.
Favorite Distraction
Lily was sitting all alone in the grounds, from where she could clearly see the Great Lake. She sighed as she looked around, watching everyone be with their friends, laughing, running around. She was painfully reminded of her childhood, the fake friends she had in the past, the moments she had spent with them, and the love she thought they had for each other.
She let out a deep breath again. She had thought she would find real friends in Hogwarts, people like her. She had thought that she would belong there. And honestly, she did. That's what she thought, at least. But her cousin? Nope, not at all.
Lily had sent a letter to her sister the other day, after they had executed the food war. About the boy who had caught her eye, not because of his looks, but because of the way Lily felt heard when she was with him. She had written how free she felt here, how she felt that she had, finally, found her type of friends.
But unfortunately for her, her cousin, Nova, had read that letter, and she had sent an owl back to her. Now the letter sat inside her cloak, waiting to be read. As soon as she saw Nova's name, she regretted sending the owl, regretted not thinking twice about it.
Still, a tiny light of hope sat in her mind. The hope that Nova hadn't written anything bad about her. She took the letter out and began reading it.
She felt tears in her eyes. This was worse than whatever she had expected. She felt a tear slipping down her face. She wiped it instantly. She hoped nobody had seen it.Dear Lily,
Read the sweet little letter you sent to Isabelle. You really thought you fit in, right? Haha, I don't think that happened. They are just faking around you, just like I would have done, because frankly, you aren't cool, you are just a quiet little nerd who doesn't have any fun. Imagining that you have friends? Then you are delusional.
Oh, and that boy? Give up your hopes, girl. I don't think you will ever match his standards. So please, don't do anything that might embarrass you, if you haven't done that yourself till now.
Love, Nova
She hated Nova for destroying her childhood, for ruining every happy moment, and now for crushing her hope and optimism. This time, she felt a burn of loathing in her heart for her.
But what if what she said was real? If her friends weren't her friends, if he thought that she was crazy.
Lily stood up from her place, deciding to go to her dorm room. She had already decided on her excuse for her friends. "I am not feeling well.", which was partly true.
And then she saw him. Ryder Hawke.
|
You seem pretty sad For a girl so in love |
sta • 8 | eva • 6 | str • 5 | wis • 7 | arc • 5 | acc • 9 |
Favorite Distraction
Credits to @Madeline Tomlinson
Interacting With @Lily Clarke
Ryder exhaled quietly through his nose.
He should probably stay away from that whole situation before it turned into something complicated.
That would be smarter. Easier. Better liked by his parents and considered wise and ....Proper.
But then he spotted HER sitting alone near the lake and his feet slowed walking before he could say otherwise.
She looked… off.
Not in the usual Lily way either. Not flustered. Not shy. Sad. Ryder frowned slightly to himself. He warned himself to stay away, to not get involved.
But his feet ignored him completely and kept walking anyway.
As he got closer, he noticed the letter in her hands. The watery look in her eyes. Then he heard it "I'm not feeling well."
The sentence went straight to his chest like someone very close to him got hurt. Ryder’s jaw tightened slightly. Who or What the hell made her feel that way?
A few steps later, his voice finally cut through the silence.
"Now, what in the world made you feel not well?"
His tone was quieter than usual.
Gentler.
Ryder stopped beside her, eyes landing on the tear she tried to wipe away too quickly.
And suddenly he hated that.
Hated seeing her upset.
Hated that someone or something managed to put that look on her face.
“You okay, Clarke?” he asked, softer this time. This wasn't him, not what he would do. Even he knew that, but something made him ask that. Genuinely too.
He leaned against the tree she was sitting under and looked at her,
“And don’t lie properly either. You’re terrible at it.”
Say whatever you want about me. Just don’t touch what’s mine.
Favorite Distraction
Lily's eyes widened as soon as she saw Ryder walking toward her. She quickly wiped her eyes, hoping he couldn't see that she was teary. Even though she knew it wouldn't be easy to hide from him, since he was one of the most observant people she had met, she tried to put on a mask of calm.
The mask broke when he stepped up to her and said, "Now, what in the world made you feel not well?" He had definitely heard her say how to convince others that she wasn't feeling okay and needed to be left alone. And although Nova's words had struck her, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat in front of Ryder.
Before she could lie and say she was all right and nothing had happened, he said, “And don’t lie properly either. You’re terrible at it.” Lily stopped speaking, gaping at him. Had he noticed that? Lily smiled a bit, despite herself.
"Well, someone just owled me something that was not expected even from her. Nothing much! No need to worry about it." Was what she said true? No. Did she really need someone to tell her that it was all false? Yes. But would she let him know that? Not at all.
Her heart was begging to tell him, someone, how hurt she was, but no, she didn't, thinking that they would judge her.
|
You seem pretty sad For a girl so in love |
sta • 8 | eva • 6 | str • 5 | wis • 7 | arc • 5 | acc • 9 |
Favorite Distraction
Credits to @Madeline Tomlinson
Interacting With @Lily Clarke
Ryder listened quietly as she spoke.
Nothing Much she says, but her expressions don't match her words. Ryder knew what she said wasn't true.
Growing up with fake smiles and all that pureblood things, he knew exactly how to spot out a liar. And Lily was far from even convincible right now.
His eyes flickered toward the letter still sitting in her hands. The way she held it alone told him enough. Too tight. Like it mattered more than she wanted it to.
Slowly, Ryder held his hand out toward her.
“Give me the letter.”
He saw her expression get nervous, she had not expected him to say this which was clear.
She protested a bit but Ryder just held his hand out patiently waiting for the letter, while keeping his eyes seriously locked in on hers.
Eventually, after a tiny protest under her breath, Lily finally shoved the letter into his hand.
This was pathetic, he just read the starting cut out Dear to let him know, this person was not worth Lily's attention.
Without saying a single thing, Ryder folded the letter once, stepped closer toward the edge of the lake—
—and threw it.
Straight out across the water.
Gone.
Ryder dusted his hands together lightly like the matter had been dealt with.
“Problem solved.”
Then he looked back at her.
“And before you say anything,” his voice softened slightly, “none of that whatever was written on that parchment was true.”
Permission to godmod was given by Lily Clarke
Last edited by Ryder Hawke on 13 May 2026, 12:34, edited 1 time in total.
Say whatever you want about me. Just don’t touch what’s mine.
Favorite Distraction
Lily was trying her best to hold her composure, to hold back her tears. She didn't want anyone to think that she was weak or sensitive or was just faking crying for attention. But hiding things from Ryder, who was a bit too observant, was nearly impossible. You had to be a skilled liar to hide things from him.
She saw how his eyes flickered towards the letter she was grabbing and how they narrowed upon seeing it. Lily gulped nervously as he held his hand out for the letter. “Give me the letter.”
Lily protested, not wanting to share the owl she had received with him. But he, being all patient, didn't give up and instead insisted that she give it to him. Sighing and muttering under her breath, she handed him the letter.
Lily closed her eyes, expecting judgment, maybe laughter. Instead, she heard a tiny splash. She immediately opened her eyes and saw that the letter was already in the water now. She gasped. Before she could protest, he spoke up.
“Problem solved.” he said, while dusting his hands lightly. “And before you say anything, none of that whatever was written on that parchment was true.”
Lily was still in a bit of shock. This was something unexpected of him.
"But you aren't really sure of that, are you? You don't know about others nor about how they feel about me." she asked him, a bit angrily, just to hide her pain. She wasn't really angry, though, not at him. She was angry with Nova for crushing her confidence, for making her feel unwanted, for ruining her life, basically.
She sighed deeply, her thoughts troubling her. Her mind was telling her not to trust anyone, whereas her heart wanted her to tell Ryder what had happened. She decided to follow her heart this time, as she had done several times before.
"It just hurts because I do think the same as she had written.", she confessed. "The thought that I would never be accepted anywhere stays with me. The fact that I don't think I am likeable enough. Even though I have friends but still..." she spoke and waited for his reply, for his judgement mostly.
|
You seem pretty sad For a girl so in love |
sta • 8 | eva • 6 | str • 5 | wis • 7 | arc • 5 | acc • 9 |
Favorite Distraction
Credits to @Madeline Tomlinson
Interacting With @Lily Clarke
Ryder stared at her the whole tie she told everything. He could see she didn't want to and also wanted to at the same time.
For once he didn't came out rude or anything he just looked at her like he was trying to understand how someone could make her believe something that cruel.
Then he scoffed softly under his breath, shaking his head.
“Clarke, you wanna know something funny?”
He looked at her to make sure she knew he meant every word,
“The people who spend their time trying to convince others they’re unlikable are usually the most insecure people in the room.”
Ryder shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning back slightly against the tree.
“And for the record? Your cousin sounds miserable.” There it was again, a little bit of Ryder.
His eyes flickered toward her again.
“You think your friends fake liking you?” he asked quietly. “Maddy is literally supporting you over me, her cousin who she has known longer than you half of the time”
He thought about how he didn't mind spending time with her and would also support her no matter what.
That one slipped out before he could stop it.
His jaw tightened a little afterward like he realized it too late.
“You’re not hard to be around, Lily,” he said more quietly this time. “You just spent too long around people who made you feel like you were.”
“Besides,” he added with the faintest smirk, “if someone writes nonsense about you again, apparently my solution is feeding it to the giant squid.”
And for the first time since he walked over to her. He reached up and lightly flicked her forehead.
“Stop believing idiots.”
He smiled lightly, one of his dimples appearing. This was something really rare. Since he doesnt smiles.
He just shakes his head, the smile disappearing to a smirk, as ge reached his hand out for her to hold onto, "Can I show you something?"
He looks at her, sitting beneath the tree, as his hand reaches out to her while the other one is in his pocket.
Say whatever you want about me. Just don’t touch what’s mine.
Favorite Distraction
Lily felt his stare while she was talking. And then there was silence for a second before he scoffed and shook his head.
“Clarke, you wanna know something funny?” Lily nodded her head. "The people who spend their time trying to convince others they’re unlikable are usually the most insecure people in the room." Before she could protest that it was not always true, or anything, he spoke up again. "And for the record? Your cousin sounds miserable.” Lily chuckled at this. She sure was the most miserable, horrible, terrible (and perhaps some more words that didn't end with -ble) person she had ever met. "Oh, that's definitely true. She's the worst person around."
"You think your friends fake liking you? Maddy is literally supporting you over me, her cousin who she has known longer than you half of the time." That was quite true, and Lily couldn't very well deny that.
“You’re not hard to be around, Lily. You just spent too long around people who made you feel like you were.” "I did, didn't I? You don't even know half of the stories, do you?" She thought to herself, but kept mum.
“Besides, if someone writes nonsense about you again, apparently my solution is feeding it to the giant squid.” he said, smirking a bit. Lily snickered. "Sure, I will remember to do that."
Then he flicked her forehead while saying, "Stop believing people." Her hand immediately went there. "What was that for?" she thought, glaring at him. But her anger evaporated the moment he smiled, one of his dimples coming. "Don't freak out. He is just smiling at you, nothing else. Don't go out of control." she begged her heart to stop beating that loud, afraid he might hear it. Her heart complained with a loud heartbeat. "This should be illegal."
Shaking his head, he smirked and put his hand out. "Can I show you something?" he asked. "Sure, go ahead," she said, holding his hand to get up. "Maybe it will be all okay." she hoped.
|
You seem pretty sad For a girl so in love |
sta • 8 | eva • 6 | str • 5 | wis • 7 | arc • 5 | acc • 9 |
Favorite Distraction
Credits to @Madeline Tomlinson
Interacting With @Lily Clarke
Ryder’s brain stopped working for exactly half a second the moment her hand touched his.
It scared and thrilled him with how much she trusted him which was ridiculous because all he did was help her stand up, yet somehow it felt bigger than that.
His fingers tightened around hers automatically as he pulled her up from beneath the tree.
As soon as she stood up Ryder started walking slowly. One of his hands still holding hers while lightly caressing it. While his other hand was in his pocket.
Ryder glanced sideways at her after a moment. “You know,” he said casually, kicking a pebble into the lake, “your cousin’s opinions would matter a lot more if she didn’t sound like someone people avoid at parties.”
This felt too easy. Like this was how it was supposed to be. Look at him. Comforting people now. Maddy would never let him live this down.
Ryder looked ahead toward the water instead of at her this time.
“When I said none of that letter was true,” he said quieter now, “I meant it.”
She was actually one of the only people he could spend time around without being annoyed.
After a few steps he decided to tell her something about himself too, since he didn't want her to be feeling lonely.
His grip slightly tightened on her hand before loosening again.
“When I was younger, I used to leave home. Not allowed. Obviously. But, the house elves would help me out. It was as if they raised me. It's just.....my parents were never really home ”
He kicked a small stone off the path without looking.
“Found the Muggle world a few times after that.”
He smiled a little at the memory. It was one of the best days of his life before it got taken away too.
"Learnt many things from there....."
He continued walking when an idea hit him. He smiled at her, his dimples showing again as he bowed down a little,
"May I have this dance." He held out his hand to her, "Yeah.....without music."
Say whatever you want about me. Just don’t touch what’s mine.
Favorite Distraction
Lily felt a little sensation in her chest, where her heart jumped up and down due to either excitement or anxiety. This time, it was excitement, making her heart race faster than ever.
Standing up with his support, they both started walking around, him still holding her hand, caressing it lightly. Lily felt something in her stomach, maybe butterflies, which was a first for her. Her ears turned slightly red at that moment.
"You know, your cousin’s opinions would matter a lot more if she didn’t sound like someone people avoid at parties.” he said, looking at her. "But nobody does... She somehow always manages to get their attention by creating some sort of drama." she mumbled.
“When I said none of that letter was true, I meant it.”, he continued. Lily was honestly feeling happy, not just because of him, but because of his words. The last time someone meant their words to her was just before her grandparents died. From then on, Nova had been insulting her at every chance she got. Christmas dinners, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dinners, she never let them be peaceful for her. So, hearing someone actually mean something they were saying warmed Lily's heart completely.
After a few minutes of silence, he started speaking again. “When I was younger, I used to leave home. Not allowed. Obviously. But, the house elves would help me out. It was as if they raised me. It's just.....my parents were never really home”
It was now Lily's turn to listen quietly and let Ryder pour his feelings. She couldn't help but feel abit sad for him; at least she had some people by her side. He didn't have anyone to open up to or someone to comfort him.
A tiny smile formed on his face. She listened as he talked about the few times he went into the Muggle world and learnt from there.
Then he smiled at her, not a tiny one, but a proper one, revealing his dimples. Lily's heart raced again. Holding out his hand, he said. "May I have this dance. Yeah, without music." Her heartbeat skipped a beat at this. But acting casual (even though she was dying inside) Lily agreed. "Sure! Though I must warn you, I ain't good at these things." she spoke. "Is this what it felt like to be heard?" she thought to herself.
|
You seem pretty sad For a girl so in love |
sta • 8 | eva • 6 | str • 5 | wis • 7 | arc • 5 | acc • 9 |