Muggle Studies PV Alec Finished

Their scavenger hunt dreams had been a bust. Alec had let himself get distracted with what he viewed as a much more important matter than a scavenger hunt. He was surprised at how quickly his digging into words and the conversation had lead to hearing something so personal from George. The feeling of not fitting in; in his own house. Alec tried not to reflect on it to much. George was interesting, so what if the scavenger hunt didn't turn out? Alec wanted to get to know him. Alec invited George to drink tea, as well take the alarm clock apart and put it back together. There was many little pieces. Alec figured it was the best way to figure out how the alarm clock worked

They'd dumped the remains on the alarm clock from the plastic bag and onto the table. The two would both worked on it for a while, they were persistent, eventually Alec would find himself alone in his alarm clock duties. Persistently he worked on it, he'd been able to do a thing or two here and there but never got it exactly right. George had brought tea for the two by this point and Alec nodded gratefully as the cup was placed in front of him. “Thanks,” he spoke, immediately going to take a long sip from the cup. George wanted to know how he was faring, Alec shook his head, “unfortunately, no,” Alec would be left to puzzle and work on the alarm clock alone while George busied himself as he sat near Alec.

The other boy asked if Alec had any friends at camp. Sighting it was odd that Alec would drag George into the scavenger hunt and afterwards spend the rest of the day with him. “Hm, is the fact that I enjoy your company odd to you?” Alec asked, he chuckled and raised an eyebrow while he continued his work on the alarm clock. Looking through the pieces Alec decided sorting them could be helpful. “You're nice company, you're interesting, fun, and I get along with you.” Alec stated matter-of-factly, shrugging as if to say 'get used to it'. “Most of my close friends aren't attending camp but it wouldn't change my spending time with you if they were.” This was going to take forever, Alec didn't know if he was ever going to finish putting the alarm clock back together.

Alec glanced towards George. “What surprises me is that we haven't hung out before. I blame it on how shy I used to be.” He paused his eyes falling into George and the nail polish he was holding. Alec grinned his eyes lighting up. He looked back towards the table, “I give up on the alarm clock. We can cast reparo to fix it later,” Alec said brushing his failure off to focus back on George and the nail polish. He'd only been able to do two nails by this point. “It's glittery,” Alec commented, tilting his head as he looked. “Can I do the rest of your nails? I've done it before, I'm not going to mess up.” Alec asked and informed George.

@George Henry

"Pity," George said, looking down at the pieces of clock on the table. Maybe Serena would be able to understand how the clock worked, although she might think he was an idiot if he asked. In an ideal world, she would not clock him as an idiot until at least after their first official race. He took in a deep breath, enjoying the scent of the tea before he took another tiny sip.

George squirmed in his chair as Alec spoke. It was suddenly impossible to sit comfortably when the other boy was complimenting him. A hint of suspicion revealed itself in George's expression, eyebrows furrowed and eyes slightly narrowed as he gazed at Alec through the steam rising from his tea.

"Do you know Jake Morris?" he murmured. This would be Jake's type of friend. Alec was kind, gentle, and sensitive. Like Jake and Alan. Very much unlike George. Still, George's expression softened and he slouched back into his seat, willing to look past his unease for the good company. He even managed to smile as he spoke again. "Well, I'm glad you think I'm interesting and fun. I..."

The words got caught in his throat as he tried to think of some joke to make. It was too hard - he couldn't say anything mean about himself, because it would hurt Alec's feelings again, and he would get another speech about self-confidence. George kept his gaze down into his teacup, wondering if the leaves would arrange themselves to tell him what he should say next. It didn't matter either way. He couldn't even see them yet.

"I'm surprised too... I normally meet my friends through class. I've got a few friends outside of my year now, though," he said. Unconventional methods were required to meet under- and upper-classmen. Joining a sport for Serena... throwing a girl into a lake for June. He'd had to resort to some strange options to make up for the friendships he'd ruined in the same span of time. "We could also just not fix it. I don't really know whose it is... I don't need it."

His nail-polishing paused when Alec stated a fact about his choice in color. Yes, it was glittery. George narrowed his eyes, his mind storming to come up with reasons to justify why he, a boy, would have nail polish at all, let alone such a gaudy color. He just liked looking flashy! But then, something very unexpected came out of the other boy's mouth.

"Huh?" said George, blinking. He was offering to help? George nodded and offered the brush over to Alec, holding his hand out to let him get to work. Showing enthusiasm for George's stranger hobbies (which were makeup, advanced charms, and gobstones) was a way to get him to start babbling more than he intended to. "Yeah, I like the glittery stuff. I went on a shopping trip before summer camp and got new stuff for my face, and perfume, and stuff for my lips, in case-... no reason."

Though Alec tried, he was unable to hide the surprised look that crossed his face as Jake Morris was mentioned. Jake Morris was certainly not a name he'd expected to hear, then again he was in Hufflepuff, it only made sense he would bring up Jake who was in Hufflepuff as well. “He's a Hufflepuff duelling captain right?” Alec didn't need to ask to know who he was. At this point Alec was just making conversation. Alec's memory of the duel with Dealla and Sam, Jake as the one watching over, Alec cringed internally at some of the things said. He usually wasn't the type for trash talk, nor trash talk turned vicious insults. It was unlike him. At least he'd been able to have apology tea with Sam, and he did make an attempt to apologize to Dealla.

The young teen would give George a stern look as he suggested they leave the alarm clock in pieces. Alec folded his arms across his chest, "Isn't taking the alarm clock morally ambiguous enough?" Alec asked, he supposed if he didn't think about it, it wouldn't bother him as much. “Some poor soul is going to be out looking for their alarm clock and their going to find it in shambles,” playfully Alec would feign disappointment, shaking his head and letting out a sigh followed by some tutting.

Glittery nail polish, cool, and George was more than willing to hand the brush for the nail polish to Alec. His right hand held onto George's hand to make sure the other kept his hand steady when Alec applied the nail polish. “It's a pretty shade,” Alec commented as he began to apply thin coats of nail polish to George's nails. The other had already begun rambling, Alec didn't mind. He nodded as he listened to George talk about a trip to the shops before summer camp. What Alec didn't expect was what he'd mentioned he'd gotten. Stuff for his face? And uh... stuff for your lips? Alec was confused. “Obviously there was a reason, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to.” It was the first thing that came out of Alec's mouth despite his confusion.

Finishing George's first hand Alec would glance up, “does it look okay?” Alec asked, he was holding it together surprisingly well this time. Alec had been so nervous when painting Hanako's nails, worried about messing up, it was easier not to worry each time he did it. Besides Alec did think he'd done a good job, it wasn't as if he'd gotten the nail polish anywhere besides George's nails.

To clear up his confusion, Alec remember that was also important. He didn't know if it was the whole being pureblood and clueless thing again, or a situation where this time Alec was genuinely. “Um so... It's probably not helpful if I don't know what your talking about. What does stuff for you face and your lips mean?” Alec assumed this was going to become as usual thing. Where George spoke about something Alec didn't know and he was going to need George to explain it to him. Alec bit back his pride and glanced back down at George's nails, starting on the other hand.

“Do you usually paint your nails?” Alec used to paint his nails quite often, he'd been doing his nails less frequently ever since the summer. Last year Alec's emotions had been erratic, he'd needed multiple outlets and areas for self expression, nail polish was one a some point. “You wanna know something, George?” He looked at the other in a sheepish manner, “you continue to get more and more interesting by the second. We should hang out more often,” Alec wasn't going to terrorize George with painting his nails every time they hang out, no, of course not! But yes, totally, he would, and besides Alec has so much nail polish he practically collects them by this point. Alec needed to get some use out of all the nail polish he had!

@George Henry

George furrowed his brow as he caught that odd look from Alec. He knew Jake, for sure, but not in a good way. He felt the urge to pry and find out just what the problem was that Alec had with the little badger... but that wasn't his place any more. Jake could take care of his own problems, if he was so grown up. "Yeah, he is. We used to be friends," George said, trying his best to act like he didn't care. He had his own history of shouting things he'd later regret.

Alec's disapproval only confirmed that leaving the alarm clock in pieces would be the funniest course of action. "We can leave it where we found it, completely disassembled. They'd think clock gremlins got it or something... it'd be a good trick," George said. Not the most creative prank in the world, but still strange and inconvenient enough to make a decent story. "Maybe we can hold it hostage and make them a ransom note. I have Enchanted Monthly magazine in my bag somewhere..."

His hand tensed slightly in Alec's, though he managed to force himself to relax. He'd been very sensitive to people touching his hands lately. Only one person had done it, but he'd been thinking about touch very differently since then, and had decided that all he would allow is the occasional hug if it was definitely platonic. Letting Alec hold his hand while he did his nails was a borderline case - but he wanted his nails done and Alec seemed excited, so he allowed it.

"Oh... um, you'll think it's stupid," George said, giggling as a red tinge grew in his cheeks. He'd already given himself away by mentioning all the cosmetics he'd accumulated - he might as well explain himself while Alec finished off his nails. He was doing neat work for a first-timer. "Quinn gave me a reading with... I don't know, some kind of Divination - and he said that..."

George could hardly bring himself to speak. Explaining what had happened made him feel ten times more stupid than actually doing it. Keeping that peachy complexion, he turned his gaze away from Alec, unable to look at him as he explained. "He said that I would be able to get a boyfriend this year if I went after someone, so I got a bunch of makeup and stuff in case... I wanted to like... make a move."

He shrugged. "But I didn't even have the guts to sign up for spin the bottle, so," he lamented. He lifted his hand up to inspect the work on his fingernails, humming and nodding thoughtfully as he considered it. "You're quite good. Have you done this before?"

Whne Alec told him he was getting more and more interested, George's gaze once again wandered off from Alec's eyes. Oh my god, was this what Quinn meant? Should he make his move? He was petrified by the compliments, only able to squeak out a little "thanks" as he presented his unpainted hand for Alec to do next.

Jakes Morris used to be friends with George Henry. Interesting. Alec wanted to ask why they used to be friends, why they weren't anymore but he didn't feel it was his place to pry. Alec wasn't close with George and he didn't deserve an answer. George suggested leaving the clock where they found it, in pieces, Alec frowned. Clock gremlins or not, it seemed slightly cruel. He would follow it be suggesting they held the clock hostage and left a ransom note. Alec would look at George with a face of surprise, then narrow his eyebrows as if he couldn't take the other seriously. “You think we should hold the clock hostage?” Alec repeated, needing to confirm what he had just heard. George was full of ideas, Alec couldn't help himself as he broke into a small fit of laughter at the idea. He smiled, “okay, that's funny, maybe,” maybe it would be a good idea or maybe Alec would feel bad about having a person go out and search for their clock. He would probably leave a little sorry note after the fact, even it was a fun and silly idea.

Alec asked about the reason, and George answered saying Alec would think it was stupid. The Gryffindor shook his head in response, and listened as George gave out an explanation. Something about Quinn(who's quinn?) and divination, maybe a reading... Quinn said that George would get a boyfriend this year if he went after someone. Meaning George got makeup and you know other unnamed things for making a move. “So you can dress up and stuff?” Alec asked, he avoided bringing up asking what makeup was, George seemed a little embarrassed and it didn't seem like a great time. Alec's eyes lit up having gotten idea, “I could be your wingman!” A summer camp wingman, or even a school year one depending on how long it took. Alec knew how to talk a person up, it couldn't be that hard.

However George would mention, seeming slightly disappointed that he didn't have the guts to sign up for spin the bottle. Alec couldn't help but feel confused bu such a remark. “If it makes you feel any better, and so you know for next time, there's no pressure. You don't have to kiss anyone if you don't want to and nobody is going to judge you.” It wouldn't be there place, not when everybody was in the same position, awkward teenagers. “If you change your mind I could always just sneak you in my group,” Alec suggested half-serious, if George wanted him to, he would, but it was said more for the purpose of lightening the mood.

When he finished with the first hand George lifted his hand to take a look, he asked if Alec had done nails before and the teen nodded. “Yeah, I used to paint my own nails a lot. Not as much anymore but it's fun,” he answered, Alec reflected on how many purple nail polish he owned, now tempted to paint his nails sometime and match it to this outfit. He'd be the world's most fashionable wingman, or fashionable to himself, Alec was never able to keep up with trends.

The other seemed flustered by Alec's compliments, Alec chalked it up to George being one of those people who wasn't used to being complimented and focused on finishing his nails, excitedly shouting “done!” when he had finished with George's last hand. Now he could ask the question he'd been meaning to ask. “Another question, it's a quick question, I promise, what's makeup?”

@George Henry

George smiled across the table at Alec as he giggled about being clock ransomers. Anyone who awoke to find their clock gone with a ransom note in its place and did not find the whole situation at least slightly humorous was a joyless hag who deserved to wake up late every day. Plus, Alec and George had probably given the clock more attention that it had ever gotten in its useful life. He'd never been more fond of a clock.

"We'll cut out the letters once we're done with this," George said, although the likelihood they would remember to do that was extraordinarily slim. Especially with Alec's curiosity about not only his makeup, but his plans with it. Again, he felt heat in his cheeks, giggling as Alec perked up and offered to be his wing man. "Oh, I could use one of those, yeah. The trouble is... I mean, you hardly really know me. And I don't know if you'd even know any of the boys I like. And I don't know whether they've got girlfriends or boyfriends or anything."

Fate's deck was stacked against him in this endeavor, as it was in all others. Alec's talk on spin the bottle was naive. Oh, no pressure to kiss? Because everyone signed up to sit in a circle and hug each other, surely. This was summer camp, not the Hufflepuff common room. George had seen firsthand how much making out that people were doing. Everyone but him! It was so unfair for Winnie and others to subject him to all their kissing when he had never so much as held hands in public. The idea of displaying his affection so openly made him feel sick. The first time anyone saw him kissing anybody would be his wedding, no sooner.

"Sneak me in your group? Is this for our secret identity swap?" George supposed, discarding the notion that perhaps Alec wanted him there so they could- no, no. Discarded the notion. He kept discarding it again and again, but the notion was in motion and could not be stopped. George blushed again. "I think the thing is that I do want to kiss someone, but I just don't know how... it goes. I've never done it. I don't want to just like, bite somebody's lips off on my first go. I'll die alone."

Lives were made and broken at Hogwarts. He had once laughed at Flash for treating the school like a career, but there was truth in his words. If his performance didn't impress, it'd go on his permanent (social) record. He'd be an unkissable pariah. He'd need to transfer to Beauxbatons and settle for smooching weird Swiss wizards with funny accents.

"Oh," George said, surprised that Alec was a regular nail-painter. But the true shock was yet to come. George's jaw dropped when Alec said he did not know what makeup was. George shook his head in disbelief. "Oh my god, how did you... you're so strange, Alec."

He'd chosen a perfect teacher for this subject, however. George kicked his bag toward Alec, nodding down to it. With his nails still freshly coated in wet polish, he was useless, though he started to shake his hands in the air in hopes of drying them a bit faster. "Go into my bag, in the front pocket, there's a little compact with a mirror. With it there should be a little thingy of lip gloss, and a little metal thing with a brush in it. Get those out now. You should try the lip gloss, it tastes like strawberries. Does make your lips sting though. Or maybe I'm just allergic..."

Clock ransom note, cutting the letters out of a magazine, this was the stuff Alec went to summer camp for even if he'd never expected it to happened. The Gryffindor nodded, “sounds like a plan,” a good one if they didn't forget about it. Not to mention there were many other things Alec was suddenly becoming busy with, like offering to be George's wingman. George mentioned Alec hardly knew him, didn't know if he knew any of the boys George liked, and didn't know whether they were in relationships or not. “I think I know the most interesting stuff. I am sure people go for the ones who like to hold alarm clocks for ransom. Anyway, I can't be the perfect wingman on day one, give it some time,” Alec was sure he could be the world's most excellent wingman. Considering how Alec always found ball dates on the spot getting George a boyfriend would be easy.

Alec chuckled, shaking his head when George asked if Alec's suggestion on sneaking George in to spin the bottle for their secret identity swap. “No, it's so you can kiss people, If you want,” a simple answer, the beginning of their secret identity swap needed some time it had to be at least a week in the making first. “I still want to play but I bet merlin's trousers nobody would notice an extra person. There's always somebody who doesn't show up.” That was a lie he didn't know if there was going to be somebody missing or not, even if there wasn't the chance an extra person would be noticed was incredibly slim.

George mentioned wanting to kiss someone, but not knowing how, he was worried about messing up. Alec paused, “you don't know how to kiss?” He thought everybody knew how to kiss. “It's easy, if you're nervous just follow the other person's lead.” Was Alec really the one that should be giving advice here? How many people had he kissed again? At least three, but it wasn't- “It's improbable you'd bite off somebody's lips on your first go.” Alec had never heard of another person biting off somebody's lips. You think you would notice before it happens.

Alec playfully rolled his eyes at George's dramatic reaction when Alec asked what makeup was. George kicked his bag towards Alec, nodding to it, telling him to grab out some items. “Why do I have to grab it?” George's drying freshly coated nails in nail polish stared back at him. “Oh right,” duh, how could Alec forget? Alec did as he was told reaching for the items within the bag by their descriptors. Alec set the items between George and himself. Staring down at the makeup Alec seemed hesitant eyebrows furrowing, as he inspected the items then looked back at George. “Strawberry? Why strawberry?” Alec asked confusedly, why flavor at all, what even was this for, he was just confusing Alec more. “Why- why would it sting?”

@George Henry

"Oh, yes. I'm sure that kind of behaviour is just... absolutely attractive, isn't it?" George said, wiggling his glittery gold nails to add to his irresistible mystique. The truth was, he knew he was a bit weird. It had helped him make a lot of friends. But he didn't expect that he was charming enough to ever get someone to have a crush on him, or even to consider saying yes to going out with him. There was Ivy who asked him to the ball one time but that didn't mean anything for his hopes with boys. "Alright. You're hired, I suppose. If anything, it'll give you the chance to get to know me a bit better. Just don't go wingman-ing me to everybody. I've got a short list of lads I've been considering..."

Clearly he'd been giving this more than just idle thought. This is what his brain got up to when he didn't have classes to focus on. In about a month's time he would be frantically comparing transfiguration notes with at least two other students, trying to wrap his head around it. "I don't just want to kiss somebody at random for my first kiss. I want them to actually want to kiss me, and for it to be... you know, special."

He blushed a bit. He'd only ever told his diary that particular thought, and although it felt good to get it out, he only hoped Alec wouldn't laugh at him. So far, Alec had been nothing but kind, though, so George felt like he could trust the boy with this. "I know I won't bite anyone's lips off, Alec. You're very lucky that you're cute," George said dryly. "It's called hyperbole."

Watching Alec handle his makeup made him nervous. The other boy didn't even know what it was! He just hoped he wouldn't try to eat it or something. He reached out to assist the other boy, moving over the discarded clock bits to pick up the small container of gloss. Daintily, with just two fingers on each hand, he twisted off the top and swiped his finger through the substance within. He raised his hand to his face, applying it gently to his lips.

"Och," he huffed, as he got a whiff of nail polish smell when he spread the gloss over his upper lip. He popped and puckered his lips, showing off the glossy finish to Alec. "It's flavored so that it tastes nice on your mouth, I suppose. For you and anyone else. You can try it if you want... if your hands are clean."

The slight stinging sensation set in and George wrinkled his nose. He wasn't sure if beauty was worth the pain, but he guessed that it had to be. Otherwise, why would they make and sell this crap? "I usually do like, concealer for pimples and bruises or whatever, and then a bit of rose for my cheeks. Makes me look cute. Disguises the horrors which lay beneath," George said, pressing his palms to his cheek and pulling down on his skin to give himself a bug-eyed, ghoulish look for a moment. Then, there was a pause. "Have you got your eye on anyone at spin the bottle?"

George closed up the lip gloss once Alec had had the opportunity to use some, moving on to the little metal thing of blush. The tin popped open and George grabbed his brush, sweeping it over the powder, which had a pale pink hue with some glitter mixed in. "Hold still," George said, before raising the brush to begin painting Alec's cheeks with it. "You're going to be beautiful."

Alec was having an amazing time, George affirming being the destroyer of clocks as an attractive behavior. Alec couldn't help himself as he once again found himself in a situation where his laughter bubbled up. The fourth-year nodded enthusiastically. If his enthusiastic response wasn't enough George hyped it up by agreeing to hire Alec as his wingman, mentioning it'll give Alec a chance to get to know George better, how he had a short list of guys he had been considering. In response Alec smirked, he maybe would listen, or perhaps he would wingman George to a few other people as well, you never knowing. Mushy things happen in the most unlikeliest of circumstances. “I'll consider it, who knows, it might open your dating options a bit more.” He spoke though he knew for the most part he was teasing, he wouldn't go against George's wishes if George simply wanted to stick to his small list.

Alec listened as George spoke about wanting his first kiss to be something more than just a kiss. He wanted it to be with someone special, someone who wanted to kiss him back. It was a pretty normal and average expectation, despite knowing this, Alec chalked it up to George just being the super mushy type. “Ah, so you're a hopeless romantic... uh I take that back, I mean I guess even people who aren't hopeless romantics want a fairy tale first kiss moment too.” Not fairy tale, but Alec was bringing George's expectations to new heights, why shouldn't George also want his first kiss to be in a beautiful place where he looked his best as if the fairy tale type magic had been worked on him.

The special first kiss comment was followed by George having to mention he knew he wouldn't bite of anyone's lips, and then mention of a hyperbole. He'd called Alec cute.. Which was kind of unnecessary if he planned to assume Alec lacked the knowledge to know what a hyperbole is. “Thanks... I think.” Alec spoke, unable to hide his bashful reaction to being called cute and feeling he needed to address it otherwise he wouldn't get over it. He didn't understand why people called others cute to begin with, but Alec remember getting that one often. Alec had claimed George to be the type easily flustered by a nice words, any compliment a person could muster up, not having been used to it. Truthfully Alec was the same way, he knew the reality of it far better than he would have liked. “I know what hyperbole is George.” Alec eyes narrowed “All I'm saying is, it's improbable that when you kiss someone for that picture perfect moment that you will somehow mess up in any disastrous way, or mess up at all.” The young teen shrugged as if it was that simple. It wasn't, he knew that first-hand, he just felt George should worry less about it.

Alec was relieved when George started to get involved with the makeup. Alec had been staring at it for a while, unsure where to go from here. George twisted open the lip gloss, followed by applying it to his lips. George did his best to answer Alec's question on the strawberry thing and let Alec know he could try the lip gloss on if he wanted. “Ohhhhhh, it goes on your lips, that makes sense.” Alec spoke, still seeming hesitant, he eyed George's glossy lips followed by the lips gloss. George spoke about something called concealer then rose, and Alec nodded like he knew what George was talking about. George made a silly face as he talked about 'the horrors which lay beneath' earning a smile from Alec. He was surprised when George asked about spin the bottle. Not expecting the question Alec was left slightly flustered, and would glance away as he spoke, “oh um- no, not- not really. I just sort of go for fun.” Alec spoke, physically shrugging in attempts to try and shrug off the question entirely.

Eventually despite his hesitance Alec would try on the lip gloss then watched as George closed it. More makeup, George grabbed a metal tin and a brush, sweeping it over the powder in the tin, Alec head titled curiously as he watched George. George raised the brush to Alec's cheeks, telling him to hold still and that he was going to be beautiful. Alec didn't know what to make of such words. He stared, blinking at George, “oh- well, uh, okay-” In truth he probably didn't need whatever power George was putting on his face, it was flushed enough from the whole makeup thing and his confusion, then the spin the bottle question.

@George Henry