Dinner at The Elderflower PV Paige Chase Closed

"You're welcome, ...but you also don't have to thank me. You're a great friend, too." And it wasn't just a statement but true. She was someone who he could talk to about important things but he could also talk to her about stupid nonsensical things. He could wave to her in the hall in passing and she wouldn't get upset or he could stop her for a longer conversation. That, and she did nighttime snowball fights - with flags. Simon knew that if he had something major he needed to talk about, he could go to Paige.

The two got their skates and headed over to a wooden bench where they sat down to put them on. "Have you ever been ice skating before?" he asked her curiously. He tried his best not to show his smile when he asked too. He wanted to surprise her with his skills as he had taken a few years worth of lessons at the Streatham Ice Arena in London.

In fact, until he got her answer on whether or not she had, he was being lazy with his lacing, acting as if he hadn't really any idea how to tie up skates...when actually he knew how to tie them up like a pro so they wouldn't hurt your feet. His aunt had encouraged lots of indoor activities for him over the years.

Paige shrugged and her face turned red as she laughed. "I'm about as experienced with skating as a baby is with walking." She had no idea why she had done this. Maybe it was because Simon had wanted to do it and he seemed excited. There was no way she could go back, not now. In fact, now that he was all happy... She should tell him. But what if he drops me? What if he avoids me and walks away? Or laughs in my face? If only he knew he was perfect. I mean, he's funny, kind, sweet, brave, a good listener... and okay, yes, handsome. Paige bit her lip as Simon took a while to tie his laces.

Finally she breathed deep and gathered her courage. She put her hand on her friends arm to get his attention. She shifted in her seat so that she was facing Simon. "Simon, the truth is, what I really wanted to tell you, is that I like you. I mean I really like you. You're kind, sweet, brave, and a good listener. And I know you won't laugh at me when I try and stand in these things."

With a red face, she tried to stand up, but found she couldn't gather her balance.

@Simon Kincaid

Quick reflexes and strength - both two things that were a benefit from being a dhampir even if he didn't realize he was one. Simon stood quickly as she began to lose her balance and brought his hand to her waist to help stabilizer her. "Easy, easy," he said to her and led her back to sitting down.

Simon then knelt before her and guided one of her legs in front of him so he could tie her laces better. Honestly, he should have done that in the first place. Her words played on his mind and he really wasn't sure how he should respond.

His eyes looked up to meet hers for a moment. "Paige, I really don't know what to say to that," he said honestly. He then moved that leg aside as he got her other one to tie correctly and more securely. "I mean, I'm still trying to make sense of school and that everything is real." He finished and now got up to sit back down on the bench beside her. "It's been a lot to take in and I don't know that my focus has been really anywhere else. But that being said, I hope you realize how important you are to me." Simon smiled to her and he stood out, holding out his hand this time to help her.

Shock. That's what she felt. She tried not to show it. What was she expecting anyway? She didn't know. At least he was kind about it. Paige regretted saying that at all. She grabbed Simon's outstretched hand and pulled her self up.

She managed a smile at Simon's words. Oh, and his saving her life before they even reached the ice. "Thanks. We're not even on the ice yet!" Then, making her way with her skates that were tied better by Simon, she walked to the ice.

"This is hard! I can walk in flippers, my moms heels, but not these. Hopefully I'll get the hang of this. I don't want to ruin your time by making you help me the whole time." Really she was just talking in attempting to cover up her embarrassment. She had been planning on asking him to go with the P.U.R.E ball with her, but now that she thinks about he's probably going to ask someone else. He might thing Paige is weird. Sure, he said that she ment a lot to him, but was it the truth?

Making her way to the ice,she leaned on the walls around the ice, throat stopped little kids from just running in there. She was starting to think this was a bad idea. She could fall and hurt herself.

@Simon Kincaid

“Ice Skating 101. First, take small little steps and don’t look down at your skates. That’s the biggest mistake a new person can make.” He brought out his hand again for her to take and helped show her what to do. Small little steps. Once she would be comfortable with that, she could try and trust the balance, allowing herself to glide a little.

One time almost around the ice they went and she hadn’t fallen. Now he helped guide her through the balance. Knees bent a little, trust, glide. She would be able to move now in a more ice skating motion and he held her hand the entire time. He wouldn’t let go until she felt comfortable.

Simon didn’t want to avoid things though either, the words she said. That was when he figured things got weird between people. “I spend more time with you than probably anyone at Hogwarts, Paige. And you know what? I’m glad. Im glad that we are able to be close and that you choose to spend time with me and put up with me.”

He hoped she realized that she was important to him. Even that evening was to help show that, with the trio to hampshire, the dinner reservations at the fancy restaurant, the ice skating.

She made sure not to look at her skates. Simon held her hand and guided her the whole way. She really was getting the hang of this. Well, she was so not even close to Simon, and it was only after what? Ten million rounds? She nodded to Simon. "Thanks." When she wanted to look down the most, she couldn't. So there was no where to look but at him or straight ahead. But she believed him now. It didn't matter if he didn't feel the same way, they were still really close friends.

She smiled. She really was getting this. They did a couple more rounds around. Slowly she took her hand away from Simon's. She didn't fall! "I think I've got it! I mean, I never will be good as you but I didn't fall!" This was really fun. She was enjoying it so much. She looked at Simon, with a sparkle in her eye. "You are a good teacher." But no matter what, she stayed by Simon. You never knew if she could fall. She didn't know how to stop, for one. Unless you count skating and then grabbing the wall. Because that's what others were doing. Then, a man can skating in front of them to get out one of the exits. It was so sudden, so out of nowhere, that Paige fell and landed on her bottom.

@Simon Kincaid

With her growing more confident and taking her hand away from his, he watched her. She was getting this! No one was going to go out their very first time and just be a natural but she was doing really good.
So good that in fact he felt more comfortable doing some of his jumps, his spins, skating on one foot. By now it was quite apparently this wasn't his first ice skating experience if anyone had thought it might be before.

He shouldn't have taken attention away from his friend though. He saw as the man crossed over so quickly that he threw off Paige's balance. He didn't intend for the girl to fall but down she went. Luckily, most falls on ice were pretty mild, as the cold slippery surface actually helped break one's fall. Simon quickly slid up to her side and again knelt down to her.

Why didn't he teach her how to stop? He should have taught her how to stop. He was a bit upset at himself for not having done so. "Paige," he said, bringing his hand out to help her up. Getting up on small thin metal blades on ice was not easy, especially if maybe you were hurt. "Paige, are you alright? We can stop now. Maybe get you some hot chocolate."

Paige pulled herself up. She smiled. "I'm fine, really I am." She laughed. "I'm so clumsy." She made sure to hold onto the wall as they got out. She went over to the bench. She untied her skates which took a while. When she pulled them off she took out her shoes. She regretted wearing the outfit she wore because now even with her jacket on, she was cold. Shivering, she returned her skates. "Yeah, hot cocoa sounds really good right about now." She looked into her purse to see if she had a scarf. She smiled as she pulled out a familiar one.

It was the homemade scarf that Paige and Simon's snowman had worn. She laughed. She pulled it out. "Look familiar?" She smiled and smiled. She and Simon had great times. Luckily, they had hot cocoa at that place. She took out her money. While they were waiting in line, Paige turned to Simon. "So," she casually said. "Are you going with anyone to the pure ball?" She held her breath. If he said yes, then Paige would probably being going with Michael, the owner. She met him when he tripped in front of her in the hall. When it was their turn Paige walked up and ordered hot cocoa with whipped cream and peppermint. "What would you like, Simon?"

@Simon Kincaid

"I'll take a water," he said and the woman at the stand looked to him, mentioning that they really only had hot water. "Sounds great," he smiled kindly to her. Granted, Simon never had hot water but that didn't mean it wouldn't cool down within minutes and it sounded much better than trying to stomach some hot chocolate. Hot chocolate was a drink that everyone seemed to enjoy but he just couldn't bring himself to drink it.

Should he be honest with Paige? The girl had just admitted to kind of liking him and now she was asking about a dance. Did he spill his honest thoughts on the matter or try and sugar coat it? No, honesty was always the best. He could try and recover any hurt feelings from his friend (if there were any), but breaking trust with a lie wasn't so easily mended. Truth always.

"Yeah, that's a pretty good idea, huh?" he said to her, not really expecting to talk about it. It was such a new organization at school that he didn't even know Paige had also joined but was very glad to hear that she had. "I like that it's so close to Valentine's Day too. Gets us a bit of that Valentine's Day stuff without really throwing Valentine's Day at us because it's not a Valentine's dance, it's a ball for a club." He didn't really know Michael, the founder, but the boy seemed to know what he was doing in starting a club.

Paige paid and the woman gave them their hot cocoa and then Simon's water and the two went over to a seating area where there were those large lit lantern type furnaces to keep guests warm. Simon looked down to the scarf and smiled. "That was one of my favorite memories of this entire school year so far. Even if I lost," he admitted to Paige.

Okay, time to talk. "I uhh, I don't really know yet. Well, I mean...I don't know if I'll have the courage to ask someone. When I first got the letter with the invitation and it said we could invite a plus one, there was someone that immediately came to mind. I'm just not sure I'll be able to bring myself to actually ask her." He didn't want things to become awkward for him and the girl if she rejected the invitation. "I think when we get back to school I'm going to give her a simple Christmas Card and go from there. See how a 'gift' persay is taken. I've already got the card at home. It's got foxes on it. Reminded me of her red hair."

Paige took one long sip of her hot cocoa. She sputtered when Simon replied. She wiped her mouth and coughed. Her eyes started watering. Finally she stopped choking. She was just surprised and she hadn't expected that. "I don't think I know her." Paige totally didn't. But she was definitely jealous. She did her very best for it not to show. She was good at hiding her feelings. It's a good skill to have when your belied a lot back at home.

Being a muggle was so hard. Words sometimes hurt more than spells. They stay with you forever. Paige knew it all to well. She had a best friend, than she left. She had a crush, and when she told the boy, he laughed so hard milk shot out of his nose. And years later, she found herself with a crush once more. She thought she learned her lesson, but no. Hey, at least Simon didn't laugh. She stirred her hot cocoa around with her candy cane. She felt warm, but... cold? Suddenly, she didn't feel hungry at all.

Not now. She had this thing. It was strange. But sometimes out of no where she didn't want to eat or drink. She slumped back into her chair. She pushed her hot cocoa away. She began to feel cold again. Slowly she forced herself to drink more. That's what she did every time this happened. A while later, she was fine again.

"So, I guess I'll get to meet her at the ball. She must be nice."

@Simon Kincaid