Hit Pause and Take a Moment PV Haley Rose F

meeting @Simon Kincaid in the corridors

Haley was still not sure what to think about this evening. She had been very happy and it had already been more than worth it. The time she could spend with Simon, how good he looked in his suit, that they could dance together again and of course the short kiss. All that had made this evening special but also the atmosphere felt a bit strange. It seemed like there was some drama going on that no one was aware of but still affected the mood. Paige and Simon hadn't returned, so Haley suspected she was right in her feeling about Paige.

After Simon left, Haley chatted here and there, using the time with her thoughts, not that she really needed them. But as she sat there in the chair, resting her feet, her thoughts took on a life of their own. What would happen to her and Simon now? No question, she had been happy about the kiss but could one go so far as to say that it had changed anything? Was anything supposed to change at all? Haley's thoughts drifted for a while longer until she looked at the clock. Simon was surely already waiting for her, so she quickly made her way out of the ballroom.

Haley was curious if she would really meet Simon, maybe he would still talk to Paige and had forgotten the time. She wouldn't be mad at him by any means, because if Paige needed him now, it was important that he would be there for her but she would still be sad, even if she didn't want to admit it herself. There was little that could lighten her mood like the meetings with Simon, or rather like Simon. She was so grateful for how their friendship had developed and wouldn't know what she would do without him. After all, it was always him who supported her through the most difficult times.

But what if things change now? What if her feelings for him ruin everything. He had kissed her, but that didn't mean anything. She took it upon herself to hold back her feelings, the friendship was too important to her to want to ruin it.

Before Haley could rack her brains any more, she arrived at the agreed meeting place and looked at a burgundy back. On Simon's back. She walked the last few meters toward him while speaking to him, "Sorry, I hope you're not waiting that long." And grinned broadly at him.

"Not too long," he admitted. He had been there some time so to say it hadn't been long at all would have been a lie and he had no intention on lying to anyone - especially to Haley Rose.

He turned around and smiled because she still looked beautiful. At this place in time it didn't matter how many words he knew or how many books he had read that described some immense sort of beauty to him because he couldn't ever put into words what he was thinking. Speechless. That would be the word but it didn't even begin to touch on it.

"I hope I haven't upset you tonight," he said, his eyes shifting just barely down the corridor. Not that he was looking for someone or any anything but because it would be hard to say that and look into her eyes. He meant the Ball itself, asking her and in essence inviting that perhaps this friendship grow into more. Then there was the dressing up, the dancing, the kiss, the abandonment.

It was all a lot to take in.

Behind it all was the fact that this wasn't just two friends standing there, at least not in his mind, but what of hers? His apology was a blanket, for anything that happened that night - anything he did that might have upset her, but he didn't know how to approach it so boldy as to just openly say if they were okay.

His eyes came back to hers. They had to be okay though. They had to more than be okay. He slowly reached out, taking her hand in his, feeling the tap of her ring against his. Somehow that always seemed to be an unspoken way to tell him that all was okay.

He had placed too much of himself into Haley Rose that if she was upset, or if she just up and walked away from him, he would be devastated. It was crazy how that could happen so young or so quickly, but here he was. This girl literally had control of a part of him but he would trust her with it.

No need to worry @Simon Kincaid

Haley was more than happy that Simon wasn't waiting for her for very long. She hated unpunctuality and she hated it even more when she was the one who was unpunctual. She knew that Simon is always honest with her, so she was also sure that he didn't lie to her and so she didn't go further into the subject.

When he turned around, her grin widened into a big smile that went all the way to her eyes and they radiated her joy. Simon always looked good but especially in a suit. At this thought her cheeks warmed and she hoped that he could not see it on her face. But she kept asking herself what she had done to deserve this wonderful person in her life. Simon was not only beautiful on the outside but truly on the inside as well.

Her eyebrows drew together, what could Simon have done to upset her? "No! You didn't! What could you have done to upset me?" Haley looked at him, startled. There was nothing that Simon Kincaid had done that would have upset her in any way, and she wanted him to know that. Haley had been having a hard time and the meetings with Simon and especially this evening had been an absolute highlight for her."There's nothing you've done that could have upset me."

She smiled as she noticed his familiar touch and lightly squeezed his hand to reassure him that all was well. Her gaze was now on their rings and she loved the sight. Not only did they have an invisible connection, but a visible one as well. It was crazy that Simon could actually think he had upset her. There was nothing she would rather do right now than hold his hand. She felt safe in his presence and she wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

She laced her fingers with his and for a brief moment she was afraid that Simon wouldn't want that. She didn't want to misinterpret his politeness but she took all the courage she had and did it anyway. She walked a few steps and pulled Simon slightly behind her and turned him into a pirouette and made him dance once in a circle. This was harder than she thought because Simon was so tall and Haley had to stand on her tiptoes and almost jump a little bit and she found herself laughing.

"Good," he said, dropping it. Just as she had every reason to trust him, if she said she wasn't upset and that he hadn't done anything to upset her, then he would trust her word. He needed nothing more to convince him.

"So you didn't get enough dancing?" he smiled. "Between the punch, your date abandoning you, and the kiss, I guess the dancing did get quite neglected, didn't it?" The poor thing. He was just going to have to make it up to her now. They weren't at the PURE Ball anymore, so he didn't have to try and follow and of those old world customs of wizarding dance. He knew some old sorts of others from his aunt. Still, he wasn't used to this ballet stuff that Haley was doing but he did his best to place his hand on her waist to help stabilize her and give her some support. He smiled as she did this.

"Look at you go. I see how it is. Trying to show me up even if it is only the portraits among us." And Simon had no doubt that they weren't watching. Who wouldn't have their eyes on his date? Again, she didn't realize but she had him absolutely captivated that night.

It didn't matter if the evening began with too sweet punch or Ballroom drama because it was ending on a high note. Just him and just her. The two had planned to meet that night, getting dressed up, and to dance, and here they were.

"Thank you for tonight," he said to her, even though their evening wasn't over and they were still dancing. He wanted to try an express how this had been one of his best evenings at Hogwarts. He got to spend time with her, despite whether or not they were still just merely close friends or growing into more. He didn't know if he should broach the subject of the kiss or not, but in essence it really didn't matter. Both were there and they were still close and truly, that's what mattered.

where is the gryffindor bravery when you need it? @Simon Kincaid

"I never get tired of dancing with you Simon." She laughed her words and spun around once before he put his hand on her waist and stabilised her. Haley winced briefly at the mention of the kiss. Was it a good moment to bring it up with him? Probably not and at that moment she lacked the courage to do so, too afraid it would ruin the moment. She would have preferred to ask him, or better still, to repeat the moment, but Haley repressed those thoughts.
"You're too nice. YOU didn't leave me, it's more like I drove you away myself."

"That's my specialty, you know that." It seemed like all she ever did around Simon was laugh and it did her so much good. She could never show Simon up, whether in front of other people or in front of the portraits here in the corridor. "Or maybe I just want the portraits to spread the word around Hogwarts that you already have an excellent dance partner." She winked at him before breaking into a giggle. She was only joking, of course, and she was sure Simon knew that too. Still, there was no dance partner Haley would rather have by her side than him.

Haley didn't want this evening to end. She wanted more remaining hour for this evening than there was. She looked into Simon's eyes as he thanked her and didn't know what for. He had made this evening so special for her. He was always there for her and he did everything he could to make her laugh more than she had in a long time. Simon helped her so much with her sadness after what had happened to Ian and now he was thanking her. "Simon, I have you to thank!"

Her eyes were still fixed on his and it reminded her of the moment of their kiss just a few hours ago. It tickled her whole body because there was nothing she would have liked more than to kiss him and even though she was a Gryffindor, she wasn't brave enough.

He wasn't sure he ever felt the way he felt right now with her looking at him that way. He didn't want to move his eyes from her gaze but there was the sound behind her of clearing of the throat and he glanced up to see one of the portraits waving his hand up in the air and then back down to Haley. It was as if he was telling Simon go on, you idiot...kiss her!

Simon shook his head and took her hand, leading her down a ways so that particular prying eyes weren't upon them. "We make a pretty good team together, don't we? You and I." Simon debated within himself if he should bring up the Chamber of Secrets again. Was it too soon?

With so many other portraits now curious as the two walked on, and sometimes did a spin or two, he knew that they'd just be watching them the entire time. "One of the things I still have to look up in the library is the portraits. Who creates them, how do they work, how do they have this...identity?" It was perplexing to him. Another two in a painting began to imitate the way Haley and Simon were walking about but embellished the couple-like manners.

Simon smiled. "Hey, it is almost Valentine's Day, isn't it? I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to be my date," and he hoped that she understood that in him saying that he meant he liked her. It was hard to say those words though, no matter who one was or which house they belonged to.

thinking about a place to be alone @Simon Kincaid

Haley was confused when their gaze parted and she was brought back to reality. She was so lost in Simon's eyes and the thought of their kiss that she didn't notice what was happening around her. She still followed him, slightly confused, but she would follow him everywhere even without asking once. "More than a good team." Haley agreed with a smile and lost herself in the moment again.

She had to laugh when he mentioned the portraits. How could he think of that at that moment? Haley's mind was everywhere but in the library. She laughed some more and shook her head. She didn't take it negatively but from that she could tell they must be on different emotional levels. "You really need to explain it to me when you figure it out." Now that she thought about it she was interested too, but she couldn't think of an idea how that was possible.

"I'm glad to hear that, I can only return that." But it wasn't just Valentine's Day, it was Simon's birthday too. She had almost forgotten that again and she mustn't forget to give him a first small part of his present later. But at this moment, she wanted to continue enjoying his closeness for now. But now that he had brought up the portraits, it felt to Haley like thousands of eyes were pointing at her, watching them both.

"I wish there was a quiet place here at Hogwarts. You know, where you could really be alone, without other students, or..." she pointed her eyes at the portraits and grinned. She didn't want to offend the portraits but it was definitely creepy to have the feeling of being watched by portraits inhabited by dead wizards and witches. But Haley could think of no place in Hogwarts where it could only be Simon and Haley.

"Well, there's always a few places within the Library that's more out of sight than not," he said, but curfew would be hitting soon and it made very little sense to head there. "There's also that one area where we shared our first dance," at least it was free from the prying eyes of the portraits.

"I bet the Chamber of Secrets is rather secluded..." he tossed out there. It had been a little while since they last spoke about it but it never hurt to bring it up again. He wanted Haley to keep that drive because again, good or bad, this was part of who she was and he wanted her to understand as much as she could about it. Besides, wouldn't it be exciting just to venture out that way? That wasn't part of the castle that everyone got to experience. Some students probably didn't even know the Chamber existed.

"I am slightly curious though," he smiled to her and turned back to look at her. "For what reason does one want me alone, Miss Rose? What are your intentions on finding a quiet place here at Hogwarts, where we can really be alone, without other students or..." he quoted her and smiled. Hell, he didn't care if it was to continue dancing, to just talk, or even to get back to that kiss they began earlier. Like her he felt the same, that any time with Haley was one of comfort. Just to be playful, he gasped. "...Are you planning to murder me?!"

a proposal to @Simon Kincaid

The chamber, why hadn't she come up with this idea herself? She had actually sworn to herself to leave this whole subject behind her, but Simon's words had convinced her of something else after some thought. He had been right from the beginning that it would be wrong to forget it. It took her a few days to fully realise this, but since then she had been practising her skills daily and it had really led to small successes. She hadn't tried to open the chamber yet but Haley loved adventures and tonight would be the perfect moment for an adventure with Simon.

Haley smirked at Simon's remarks, "Mister Kincaid, let me surprise you." She winked playfully at him and a challenging smile formed on her lips. There are so many things she wants to do with Simon but no matter what, she just wants to enjoy her time with him and most of all she doesn't want this evening to end anytime soon. Therefore the chamber was the perfect place, no prefect or professor would catch them there, she was sure.

She played horrified at Simon's words, "But how could you think such a thing of me, Mr Kincaid?I am shocked." She held her hand in front of her open mouth and put on the worst acting performance in the universe. "Am I that easy to figure out?" and she couldn't hold it in any longer and started laughing. And before Simon could say anything else she grabbed his hand again and ran off. "Kincaid, the night is so young!" she shouted through the corridors, not caring if anyone heard her or not. As she kept running, pulling Simon behind her, she turned and took his other hand and now ran more slowly backwards down the corridor and soon they found themselves in front of the Girls Lavatory and Haley stopped, slightly out of breath.

"Tonight is a perfect night for a little adventure." She winked at Simon but wasn't sure if he knew what she was getting at. She knew she could be a puzzle and began to explain to him. "You know, when we spoke back then, after what happened with Ian, you were right. I knew you were right from the first moment but I had sworn to myself to put that behind me. But as you can imagine, I didn't. It took time but I started to practise. Every day, in every spare minute I had alone, I practised speaking in Parseltongue." She looked at him with enthusiasm in her eyes. She couldn't deny it, she was proud of her progress.

"What I'm really getting at, Simon, do you want to come with me to the Chamber of Secrets today?" She knelt in front of him and pretended to propose and started laughing. She laughed so loudly that it could certainly be heard all the way to the ballroom. Her eyes were narrow and she threw her head back while she laughed.