No Spells, No Charms, No Problem. PV Bloom Finished

@Howard White

Nerves ran down Bloom's spine. Never had she spent time with any friends from Hogwarts outside of Hogwarts. When at Hogwarts among their peers, they were in a bubble. The bubble was the magic of being children and learning the new world around them. This idea of spending time with someone from the magical world into the muggle world popped that bubble. It made things much more real. And that felt odd for Bloom, but not necessarily uncomfortable. She greatly enjoyed being Howard's company.

"Remind me who you are meeting?" asked Bloom's father, Adam, in the car on their way to the nearby mall. Bloom, sitting in the front seat wearing jeans and a warm, white winters coat, rolled her eyes. "A friend from school. His name is Howard. We're just friends," she said, knowing her father was skeptical about one of his three daughters going to the mall alone with another boy. She saw him silent for a moment and nodded. Was that approval? Who knew.

When they arrived at the mall drop-off, Bloom got out of the car and waved at her father goodbye. "I'll take the trolly back home," she said, knowing that both her parents would be working and would not be able to pick her up. He nodded and gave Bloom the look to be careful. Bloom smiled and waved goodbye again to her father, who drove off.

Bloom put her hands in the pocket of her white coat. All that was inside was a wallet, no wand. They had decided that they were going to be muggles through and through during their day's adventure. Plus, doing any sorts of magic at their age was forbidden. There was not a reason to have a wand in the first place. As she was making her way towards the entrance of the mall, she heard her name. Looking around, she saw Howard.

"Hey!" she called back and walk up to him with a big smile on her face. "I hope you didn't wait long," she said, giving him a hug, and wondering how long he had been waiting by the entrance of the mall for. Unlatching the hug, and looked at him for a second. He was so snug in his outfit but she wondered how much was it to hide himself than to be warm. She wondered if this was hard for him or not to be out in the open among muggles. Tearing her eyes away, she began to make things as normal as possible.

"So I searched what movies are out now. The action movies in theaters are the Matrix and Spider-Man," she said, remembering his comment of liking action films. "I'm fine with either," she said, shrugging.

Bloom began to walk towards the movie theater portion of the mall while waiting for Howard to determine which movie he would want to see. The movie's themselves were sequels of other movies, but Bloom did not care that she did not keep up with Spiderman or the Matrix. It was going to be fun nonetheless.

@Bloom Silverton

"Nah, just got here too." Howard opened his arms and bent down into the hug. It was nice to have someone to embrace like that. Until they had become closer friends it had been sometime since he was close enough with someone to be that open. As they separated, Howard would give one of her shoulders another quick squeeze. Just a nonverbal way for him to show extra appreciation. What they had planned for the day might seem trivial to some, but as he had thought about it more he had come to realize just how important it was to him. The chance to reconnect with his past and explore a part of himself that had long been pushed aside meant more to him than he had initially realized and who better to do this with than Bloom. She understood him on many different levels and this presented yet another opportunity for them to deepen their bond.

"Do I look alright?" Howard asked in a whisper as they took a moment to look each other over. The question could seem like just a teenager worried about their appearance as many his age would in similar circumstances, but he was confident that she knew what he meant. Of course he was being overly cautious. At Hogwarts his different appearance stood out, but many would know why. However, in the Muggle world even if someone got a really good look at him they wouldn't know anything. Just another weird kid going through a phase, but to him he stuck out like a sore thumb. Fortunately for him, Bloom would take the reigns and help make the situation as comfortable as possible.

"They made another Matrix?!" Howard's thoughts were quickly diverted by the news. "Why?" It was a legitimate question. The original had come out before he was even born, but he had seen them all. It just seemed a little weird to make another after all this time. Could be fun though. Plenty of special effects! Although Spiderman could be fun too. The Marvel movies had always been a good time before super powers became just a fact of life. "Spidey could be cool though. What you reckon? Or better yet." Howard reached into his pocket and pulled out a Galleon. "A coin toss!" He offered with a big smile. "Heads for Matrix, tails for Spiderman. You call!"

Howard would place the coin between thumb and prepare to give it a flick, but a sudden realization would wipe the smirk from his face. "Shit." He muttered under his breath. In his pocket was nothing but galleons and sickles. "Bloom, I completely forgot. I don't have any Muggle money." Where the hell did witches and wizards even exchange for that? Gringotts?! Howard's eyes would dart around as he thought of what to do. If his cheeks were still capable of flushing they surely would be bright red with embarrassment.

@Howard White

She felt a relief that he embraced the hug that she gave him. She was unsure of what level their friendship had taken. In the past, they would often wave at each other and then hang out. So hugging him was a large step in their relationship she thought. Within the embrace, she thought that she could smell a scent that was only his. It was a thing that every person had their own natural scent (not a body odor), and for a minute, Bloom had that experience. Typically, she would have never thought too much about it if it wasn't for the slightly long hug they had and the squeeze of her shoulder he gave. Without her consent, she blushed at the squeeze and smiled at him.

Asking if he looked alright, she knew what it had meant. If he could not blend in well at Hogwarts, how would it look with a bunch of muggles? He had eyes that were red and his skin was as pale as the white paint of the mall walls. He covered himself well though with all of his layering. If it were summer, he would have looked rather silly. She looked at him for what felt like a minute but was only a few seconds and reached over to fix his beanie by lowering it just a tad bit. "You're blending in just fine," she said quietly.

Bloom nodded in his shock or excitement about the Matrix. Questioning the existence of another movie in the series was more than accurate. Bloom had only seen the first two, unsure of why she could not see the third one, but to hear that years later they would come out with a movie... "In comparison to the other ones, they're going to look so old," she said, remembering her parents introducing her and her sisters to Lord of the Rings series and then watching The Hobbit. It was supposed to be a precursor to the Lord of the Rings but they looked old in comparison. It was odd.

A coin toss. That was the best way to choose something. Bloom was not a decision maker on her own and having a coin make the decision made her feel good. She nodded at the instruction and waited for him to flip the galleon that he had pulled out of his pocket. "Tails! No! Heads!" she called, realizing she couldn't make up her mind for the coin flip. "Wait, I don't have to call. Heads for Matrix and tails for Spiderman. It's called already!" she laughed, embarrassed that she blurted out heads and tails prior. However, the coin was never flipped. Howard had a realization that caught Bloom's attention away from the shiny golden currency.

"Oh that's alright," she said, thinking about how much money she would have in her wallet. Thankfully she brought more than the movie. She would have enough for two tickets, but that would probably be all. Money did not grow on trees in her family. They earned every penny they had from hard work. Her mother cleaned houses as a way to make some income while her father worked in the mailroom of the Ministry. They were not high end jobs in the economy, but they were at least keeping up with making their family financially stable. "I should have enough," she offered. "Have you already forgotten your muggle roots?" she teased playfully. Perhaps it was not the best joke she could have said. It was one of the reasons why they were doing this get-together. It was to get themselves acclimated back to who they were. "Sorry, poor joke," she quietly said quickly.

"Come on!" Bloom grabbed Howard's arm and tried to pull him excitedly to walk faster towards the movie theater. "Instead of flipping a coin, we can just see what movie is closest to airing. That's how my sisters and I chose a movie when we couldn't agree on one," she shared. While walking, Bloom realized that she did not know much of his family other than that they were bakers. "Do you have siblings?" she asked, wondering if he had any annoying blood relatives too.

@Bloom Silverton

Howard smiled as relief washed over his face. The worry over how he was blending in had been nagging him all day, but finally he could breath a little more easily. They had gotten to know each other well enough that he could trust Bloom to tell him the truth, even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear. Howard would have blushed too when she reached up to adjust his beanie, not that he was capable of doing so, but there was just something about being that age and sharing a gentle touch that could quicken the heart just a tad. It didn't help that Bloom was such a pretty girl. Regardless of whether this bond blossomed into romance or just a strong friendship there was nothing Howard could do to deny it. Freakin' hormones.

The moment was nice, but would pass as they began to discuss which movie they should attend. Apparently since Howard had been shipped away there had been a movement in the Muggle world to remake every movie ever made or find any excuse for some sort of sequel or prequel. As silly as it seemed, the marketing strategy was solid as Howard was excited to see either one. Hell, he'd be excited to see the next unnecessary of the Fast and Furious franchise at this point considering how long it had been. Which is why he thought it best to live the choice to chance.

"Oh yeah!" Howard stuck his tongue out and pulled a funny face. No need for Bloom to call it when he already had! Silly boy. The goofy moment passed quickly as he realized his money would be no good here. Apparently he had forgotten his Muggle roots as the thought to exchange his coin had completely escaped him. The idea of paper notes almost seems foreign at this point. Another indicator that Howard had become just that more integrated into the Magical society. It was natural, but he didn't want to forget completely. He silently vowed to make more trips back now that he was a bit older. No matter though, Bloom would prove to be his savior as she brought enough to cover them both. "I'll pay ya back, promise." He said with a sheepish grin.

"Alright, alright!" Howard said with a laugh as he allowed her to guide him along. "Good thinking." Seeing whatever aired first was just fine by him, but her question would slow his pace sightly as they approached the entry. "No." He answered her question about siblings. Howard had always wondered what it would have been like to have a brother or sister. Would they have been magical too? Merlin! the thought of his father's reaction to two magical children brought a smile to his face. The sting of their troubled relationship having eased over the years he could now think of such things without getting upset. "What's it like having sister? Do you all get along? Wait! How old are they? Do they go to school yet? Woah! Are they magical too?" The thoughts came quick and fast as the notion stoked his curiosity.

"Hey! Spidey it is!" Howard made the now famous spiderman gestures with his hands. "Pew pew!" He was just being goofy now, but the excitement of what to come was getting the best of him. Then he realized he was staring straight up at the display that showcased the movie times. Blazing red eyes and all that. "Umm. Maybe you ought to get the tickets, yeah?" Howard suggested as he averted his gaze.

@Howard White

“You are beyond lucky to not have any siblings!” She said, sighing at the fact that her own siblings impacted her greatly. For the longest time, Bloom was the middle child who hardly got as much attention as her older and younger sister. It wasn't until a few years ago when her parents adopted a boy to help a family friend who was going through hard times. So now, she really did not have the attention. Bloom, however, did not strive for attention like some children would. While she often questioned her parents' love, she was happy to be a lot more independent.

"I have one older sister, one younger sister and a baby brother," she said, introducing the Silverton family. "My sister graduated last year," Thank Gd, she thought, "and my little sister started her first year this year," she added, realizing that she never even made an effort to connect with her younger sister at Hogwarts during her first year. Perhaps it was best as her older sister never connected with her.

"My brother is four years old. So far, us girls are. We are waiting for my brother's magic to kick in," she said, shrugging. There was always a chance to have a Squib in the family. Though he was only four years old which meant he had quite a bit of time for his magic to blossom into something more.

"We are half-blood, so our chances of being magical are above average." Bloom wondered if that was why he wondered if they were magical as well. It was more likely for PureBlood and Half-Blood, or wizard-born families, to have magical descendants than it was, obviously, for muggles. He was a part of a rare bunch to find themselves to be magical.

Bloom took some moments to look at stores they were passing by. There were so many different clothing that were coming into style that were adorable. She wished, however, that she had enough money to buy them. She was often stuck with her sister's old clothing and only once in awhile does she have a new article of clothing.

When they came to the movie theater, she looked at the times. He was right. Spiderman was the next playing movie. She smiled and nodded at his request which made sense. He wanted to be hidden from the muggle society as much as possible. His red eyes did not help as much. She was happy to support him as best as she could, and if it was standing in line for a few minutes and getting tickets, then so be it.

"Hi, two tickets for Spiderman," she ordered from the ticket master. Bloom gave money, and received change and the two tickets back in return. She thanked the man and went back to Howard, waving the tickets. "I'm so excited!" she said with a higher pitched voice and she tried to pull him to the entrance of the theater where there was a man ready to tear the tickets. Bloom gave the tickets to the man with a smile and when they were torn and given back to her, she walked through to the main part of the theater.

"We still have some time," she said, giving him his ticket stub. "Should we get some popcorn?" she asked, wondering if he was wanting to share food with her. Bloom had just enough money for popcorn, but that was pretty much it. She was glad to buy something delicious for their first movie together-- no, their first outing together.

"So if we were really being muggles, this would be classified as a date, wouldn't it?" she joked with a smile and a laugh. "Just kidding," she said, though she would not have minded if it was. The last thing she wanted to do, however, was to make things awkward. "OKAY, so I'm going to get popcorn, whether you like it or not." Bloom then scurried away to the concession stand line.

@Bloom Silverton

Perhaps having siblings was overrated considering Bloom's reaction to his question. He had always wondered what it would be like to have a brother to sister to confide in. Someone who shared the same familial experience as you, to understand things in a way only a sibling could. As much as that may be nice Howard had seen plenty of his peers in open conflict with their family. How they could envy the older ones and how annoying the younger ones seemed to be. Being an only child was a lonely experience from time to time, but maybe it was best this way, though there would never be a way to tell for sure. The grass is always greener and whatnot. He shrugged away the thought before she introduced her siblings as all being magical. This was something he hadn't thought too much on before. Being Muggleborn, would his sibling have less of a chance of being magical? It had always seemed so random before, but now that he thought of it, maybe not. Contemplation for another time. For now there was so much of London to see and a movie in the near future!

Soon enough Bloom would be running back with tickets waving in her hands. "Yes!" Howard joined in with her excitement with an exaggerated fist pump. They were both being a bit goofy, but it was good for them. They had met and bonded during a time of darkness for the both of them. To share in something light and carefree was a much needed balance, especially for Howard who had a tendency of swinging too far in either direction. He allowed Bloom to pull him off towards the entrance and as they entered his senses would take in the scene. He had forgotten how much he loved the cinema. The colorful neon lights, the epic movies posters that lined the walls, the smell of sugary sweet and salty popping corn! "Yes!" Another overly excited confirmation as Bloom suggested popcorn.

However, this excitement would quickly shift to something else as she brought up the word date. She claimed to be joking, but it was honestly something Howard hadn't thought of. His feelings for Bloom were surely deeper than just a casual friend or classmate, but dating? He couldn't deny her beauty, not that he was that shallow, but it was certainly part of it. His fear however was that their bond would be jeopardized if they went any further than friendship. The thought of the girl he dated before came to him. They didn't even speak now, but perhaps that was just the way it was meant to be between people this age. Some would remain friends. Some would become lovers. Some maybe both, some maybe lost. The only thing they could do now was figure out how they felt for each other and go from there. Things would happen as they would and if he was being honest with himself, a date with Bloom didn't sound all that bad. Even if they were just joking.

Howard followed quickly as behind she went to the concession stand. Soon enough a fresh bucket of popcorn would be held between them. Prying eyes be damned as the scent filled his nostrils. He removed his glove and picked a few kernels in between his claw. "To first dates." Howard said with a wink before tossing the popcorn into his mouth. "Holy shit." He muttered through a full mouth and a grin. The taste was something he had almost forgotten and oh how sweet it was. Salty, buttery deliciousness. It rivaled the other substance a partially undead being yearned for. "Shall we?" Howard asked before another mouthful.

@Howard White

Did she really just say that to him? Her heart was pounding while she was in line getting the popcorn. She looked back what seemed like a few times at Howard and then back towards the line when she moved inches forward. Would her comment change the entirety of their hang out? What was he thinking about all of this? Did he take to heart of her comment? And if he did, would it have been good or to her downfall? I'm such an idiot, she thought to herself. "Miss?" Bloom looked up and saw that she was next in line. She asked for the large popcorn with butter and paid with the remaining cash that she had. Bloom came back to Howard with a smile on her face and popcorn in her arms.

She watched him cautiously take off his glove and grab some popcorn with his hands that ended with claws. Bloom never paid much attention to the details of his being a Damphir. Him having claws was different to pay attention to, but it did not bother her. When he grabbed a popcorn, he said the following words with a wink that gave Bloom a slight shiver of wonder.

"To first dates."

Wait... did he just agree to my joke? No, he was also joking. What did he mean by saying that? Did he just wink at me? What. Is. Happening? Bloom couldn't help but to have one question after another with his comment. Luckily, Howard's love for the taste of popcorn got her back into reality.

Just be smooth, she thought, taking a deep breath to herself. Bloom nodded with a smile and grabbed his arm, moving the popcorn away from his grasp. He was already taking handfuls and the movie hadn't even started! "Let's sit all the way at the top!" she said, heading towards the top-middle of the movie theater. It was always the best. There was no one behind them and most of the people were down below. In this theater, it was easy to see that most people were heading towards the bottom-middle than the top. The previews began moments after and after the movie.

Bloom kept the popcorn in the middle, between them. As the movie played, she began to keep comfortable and leaned her body towards Howard and the armrest in the middle between them. She could smell his scent and decided it best to just eat popcorn. She grabbed a handful and bunched a couple into her mouth. One popcorn, leaving her grasp and fell onto Howard's chest. Bloom went to grab it, and giving him eye contact, she took back the popcorn and popped the popcorn into her mouth. Her lips closed, she smiled and looked back at the film being played.

"You know, you have a lot in common with Spiderman," she whispered, realizing that they were one in the same. Peter Parker never wanted to change himself and become well... A spider. There was so much parallelism between Parker and Howard where he did not ask to be magical, and even more-so, to become a Damphir.

Bloom watched the movie intensely and when there came to be a scene that made her jump, she, without thinking, placed her hand on his arm and squeezed. She jumped ever so slightly on her chair and then gave a small chuckle as a sense of relief from the scare. "Sorry," she said, moving her hand on top of his hand, again without thinking. She was very much in the moment of the movie and did not know how or if Howard would take that her hand was on his.

"This movie is so good," she whispered excitedly with a bright smile staring at the large screen in front of her. It had been years since she had been to a movie theater and it felt just as magical as if she was casting a spell. This. Film. WAS magic for the muggles. To capture moments that make them feel certain ways.

@Bloom Silverton

Howard and Bloom would toast their first date with popcorn. Well, the first date that was a joke, but felt...like something, but wasn't. Was it? Howard filled his mouth with popcorn instead of filling his mind with that complex train of thought. Fortunately for them both Bloom would take command of the situation and pull him towards the theater. "Definitely!" He agreed to sitting at the top. It was just like old times. The slight burst of adrenaline that came with trying to find the best seats. Top row, center! With a plop that probably sent a few kernels flying Howard took his seat next to her.

Soon enough the lights would dim as the previews began. What was it about them that always seemed fun? The little whispers of "that looks shite" or plotting which one you just had to see next. The sense of nostalgia gripped him, squeezing his guts as a mixed bag of emotions fluttered their way through him. Memories of the life before quickly flooded through his mind. What used to be and how good they felt, then the pang of sadness knowing they would have to stay there in the past, but that was the thing with good memories, you had to leave them where they were and strive to make new ones. As his crimson eyes drifted back to Bloom he would catch her smile in the soft glow from the movie screen. Wouldn't be all that hard to do now would it?

As the film began they would relax more into their seats. The bond and popcorn between them would draw them closer together. Bloom would point out that Howard shared similarities with Spiderman, something he hadn't thought of but could not deny. Transformed at a young age, a feeling of loss, the weight of choice heavy upon their shoulders. How to use such a gift? How to resist the urge to use it for their own gain? Howard could easily slip away in thought given the subject, but he chose to stay in the here and now. "Does that make you my Mary Jane?" He half teased, hall flirted with Bloom as he gave her a playful nudge with his elbow. Soon enough thought eh movie would begin and both of their attentions would be glued to the screen.

As the action ramped up there would come a scene that caused them both to jump. "No worries." Howard reassured her as his eyes fell to her hand. The one she had squeezed his arm with in fright now rested on top of his. There was no denying that the touch was welcome. It even made his half dead heart beat just a little bit faster. He spread his long fingers to allow hers to intertwine with his, a nonverbal way to assure her that the gesture was welcome. "I know!" Howard whispered in agreement. It had been so long since he had almost forgotten how exciting a movie could be. They way your heart would race during the actions scenes or perhaps even move you to tears when a beloved character fell. There just wasn't anything like it in the Magical world.

Eventually the movie would come to a close, moving Howard enough to even let go of Bloom's hand and offer an applause. "That. Was. Epic!" Of course they had to stay put for any post credit scenes and as the lights finally came back on he would stand and make his way put with her. As they exited the theater Howard would put his jacket back on along with cap and scarf. "So, what now Bloom? Wanna walk through the mall or something?" He held out his elbow for her to take his arm if she wished. "We could see what the Muggles are wearing these days." If she took his arm, which he hoped she did, they would slowly walk together. When Howard wasn't looking at her his eyes would drift to the scene around them. It seemed like it had been forever since he left this world and at the same time its seemed like only yesterday. Then a thought would come to him.

"Would you ever live outside our world?" He hadn't ever given it much thought. Coming back to the Muggle world. It would mean a life of hiding and explaining away his features, but here in this moment it felt so good to be back in it. Graduation still seemed a long way off, but the first five years of school went so quickly, surely the next few would as well.

@Howard White

"Does that make you my Mary Jane?"

Speechless. Bloom had no words in response to that question. She only looked at him with a smile and glued herself back at the screen, though for a few moments, her mind was racing on the question rather than focusing on the premise of the movie. Maybe I'm over thinking this, she thought to herself. She opened the door earlier with a joke and now he was just playing the same joke throughout their hangout. That had to be it. Her focus went back to the movie, in awe of the beautiful tanned actress who was playing Mary Jane.

The minute his hand spread out, she realized where her hand had been. Was it spreading out because he was uncomfortable? A part of her wanted to take her hand off thinking that this accidental placement was going to be too much, but there was another side of her that wanted to keep her hand there. Just like in most Spiderman movies, there was a scene where the boy and the girl click. Just Bloom's eyes looked down at her hand over his. His was incredibly bigger than hers. Taking a deep breath in, she decided to take a leap of faith. If he doesn't like it, he could move his hand. She curled her fingers in between his and felt the coldness of his skin. Her heart beating fast, she focused back on the movie the best she could, hoping his hand did not move.

When the movie finished, Bloom sat down longer, and watched the credits roll by. It was always one of the best parts to finish the movie all the way to the end scenes which were after the credits. Though, she wanted to take in the actress who played Mary Jane. When she saw the name 'Zendaya' she kept a mental note of it. Even more-so, there was such a natural chemistry between the actor who played Peter Parker and Zendaya that made the acting in the movie even better.

Finally at the end, the lights of the movie theater turned back on, re-revealing the large and spacious room. Howard's hand slipped away from Bloom's as he applauded the movie. Although it was a good long time holding his hand throughout the movie, she wished her hand was still back in his.

Bloom stood up from her seat and stretched her body by having her arms reach for the ceiling. Sitting for nearly two hours can take a toll, but luckily it was for a movie and not a lesson in History of Magic that was making her sit for that long.

"We could walk around the mall, sure!" she said, taking his arm that he had offered her as they exited the theater. There was a connection that she could not understand but wanted to know more about. But a question roamed in the back of her mind: if things were going where she was secretly hoping, would it even work out? She was human and he was a Damphir. Didn't that complicate a lot of factors in the future? Why am I thinking of the future? I should think of the right now! I'm only sixteen. Bloom fought herself.

"Would you ever live outside our world?"

Welp. There goes the present. It seemed that his mind was also focused on the future. But his was a bit more focused than her thoughts. As they were walking, she took the environment around her, thinking. She loved both worlds, but never wanted to give up one for another. There were so many who would give up the magical world and just live like a muggle or vice versa. Perhaps there wasn't much a medium. Even in her home it was primarily living like a muggle than it was a magical person.

"I've lived like a muggle for most of my life. And to taste this other world these past few years have been breathtaking. I'm not sure where I'd end up. To be honest, I'm already a fifth year and with OWLS around the corner, I don't even know what I want to do with my life," she said, squeezing his arm ever so slightly from her distress. The future was hard to think of for Bloom. She wasn't skilled at magic and there's only so much someone can go upwards in the social economy of the muggle world. She was of lower-middle class which did not give her many options. "What about you? As a Dhampir, would you live in our world?" she asked, wondering what role he would take on in the future.