Night Time - 2 August 2022

Nicholas had been devious in choosing his bed. The bottom bunk closest to the door, the one that made it the absolute easiest to steal away into the night. Yes, he was sharing a tent with a prefect, and more than a few nosy individuals, but that did not concern him in the slightest. For, he’d developed a plan. One that had been months in the making. Not four months prior, it had been his birthday, a joyous coming of age that had heralded his teenage years. Generally, he’d not bothered to make an occasion out of it, after all, he’d hardly consider himself among the more popular at the school. Yet, one Aurora Ranvier had seen fit to deliver him a series of gifts and well-wishes. Perhaps that was what having a girlfriend meant, he honestly didn’t know, he barely understood the concept at all, truth be told. Most of his knowledge centred around the fact that she was cute, and that when he saw her his heart beat ridiculously fast and he found himself stumbling over his words. That was more than enough for him.

So, as thanks for her surprise for his birthday, he’d devised a cunning plan, one that centred around paying her back for the favour. She was born in August, and that meant that they’d be at least somewhat close to one another, what with the school’s summer camp and all. Of course, they’d ended up in different tents, but he supposed in part that was due to a lack of communication on his part. He’d agreed to bunk with Mozor, she had agreed to bunk with Harper. What exactly she saw in the irritating pureblood was entirely beyond him, but he supposed Aurora was capable of seeing the best in everyone.

As dark settled over the camp, and sleep overcame the London Quidditch Stadium, Nicholas forced himself to remain awake. As midnight approached, and he was close to certain that his tentmates had succumbed to the sweet spell of sleep, he sprung into action. As gently and quietly as he could, he withdrew a small rucksack from beneath his bed, the contents within the gifts which he was to bestow upon the second-string seeker. Then, weight pushed on to the balls of his feet, he snuck out the front of the tent, careful to make as little noise as possible.

The night was warm, yet he pulled his flannel jacket tight around him, as if the wool would serve to hide his silhouette against the night’s sky. The tents were numerous and gaudy, but he knew well enough which one was his target. The shark tent was filled with all sorts of folk, but only one drew his interest.

As quietly as he could manage, he approached the entrance to the tent, and spoke in a course whisper, “Ro… Ro! Come on…”

He only hoped that the letter he’d sent her just before the commencement of camp had reached her.

Ro
I’ll meet you at your tent on Tuesday night (before your birthday). Don’t tell anyone, YES NOT EVEN WINNIE.
See you then
Nick

@Aurora Ranvier

Her hair is in its natural colour

Mentioning None

Interacting with @Nicholas McCowan

Days after the mysterious letter arrived, it still was the highlight of her days. Exactly a year ago, she and the other ravenclaws received ominous letters from an anonymous sender, maybe some knew about their identity but to her it was and forever going to be unsolved. The difference was this one had her nickname. Ro. Not everyone called her by that name. It was often Rora or Rory. Her father used to call her Roe, like fish roe, but it was all in the past. To convince her even more that this wasn’t a shady business, the letter was signed by the alleged writer, which was him. Nicholas. A clandestine meeting when the moon was high. What she had signed up for was a copycat right out of the typical teenage romcom movies. Those who could unrealistically make your stomach turn upside down, both for good and bad reasons.

She didn’t know what to wear. Preppy outfit to look smart, but there was no point to hide the reality. The boy knew the quality of her brain already. Cute in a floral dress, cottagecore aesthetic, but the night wind would make her sick the next day. Whether this was going to be a midnight stroll date or trashing people’s tents, both were illegal since they were out after curfew and she was the new prefect with a responsibility. The possibility of her losing her new status was up in the air, but if there were even a large-scale risk, she’d cross the line for him. The bush costume she wore to sneak into Hogsmeade was out of her possession in a time where she needed it the most, ending her up to the final decision. Black hoodie and black wide track pants, paired with a black sneakers. A perfect affordable DIY bulgar cosplay for the halloween. Her usual colourful hair was kept in its natural colour to avoid being easily identified by unwanted people.

For once she was glad Lucifur stayed back home, otherwise he would wake the other with his noisy collar and meows. That cat couldn’t be separated from his owner at night, and the risk would be higher for him to get lost especially in a place where he wasn’t familiar with. She sat on the corner, near where the tent entrance was. Very stealthy, indeed. Actually, she was ready eversince the sun went down, feeling giddy for the secret meet up. Constantly back and forth peeked through the little opening of the fabric searching for a certain someone and nervously hoped that no one was awake. But then again, none of them would care if Aurora was missing from her bed since the majority of them either never interacted with her before the camp or were probably plotting her demise.

A tall frame and a flannel jacket, look at him. He didn’t know the consequence of being that good looking. She’d smile like a little kid in a candy land once their eyes met. How do couples greet each other? Hug? Kiss? Gross. “NICHOLAS!” Instead, she shouted his name, breaking her quiet and secretiveness then ran out of the tent. Dating her would mean subscribing to her dramatic life update as well. If the magic thing wouldn’t work out for her in the future, there will always be an opening to be a podcaster. “I am having really bad days, I am in a tent filled with people who dislike me! Jeremy! You remember jeremy? The guy who kicked me off a cliff? And Mathias? Winnie’s boyfriend, and that scary slytherin beater that held your hands! And some other people that I forgot the names of but they all look old.” The only reason she agreed to Winnie’s offer to share the tent was because she didn’t mention anything about her dear boyfriend's cousin being there. Asking Nicholas was never the plan since she didn’t want to appear like an overprotective girlfriend who didn’t want her significant other to have a life that doesn’t involve her, but of course she would say yes if he were the one who proposed the idea.

Aurora clasped her hands together, still with her smile sealed like an envelope. “How’s your tent? Nice people?” She’d hope at least he had great tentmates. Knowing how grumpy he could be, it wouldn’t be healthy for his poor heart to pump his blood if he were constantly angry and annoyed. “Also, why tonight and today? I’m also available every other day, you know?” He wanted to meet exactly the night before her birthday, and yet, nothing crossed her mind. Birthday surprises were basically absent in her life, usually it involved some little presents, hugs, and a dinner at home with Naomi. Nothing shocking and extraordinary, no sprinkles of glitters or confetti popper at midnight, birthday was just another day with slightly more colour. Not many Hogwarts friends cared about it last year either, and she was fine with it. Funny how time can change a person, it was always the least expected. Nicholas had told her that he gave no shit about her birthday and yet, though it took roughly a year, there he was with whatever plans up his sleeve.

Sta - 5 | Eva - 15 | Str - 5 Wis - 8 | Arc - 4 | Acc - 10 Terrible Presence Evasive Maneuvers ● Components

-

Outfit Reducio Black hoodie and black trackpants

Night Time - 2 August 2022

Nicholas had gone out of his way to sneak up to the tent, doing his best to avoid suspicion not only from his own tentmates but also from the assembled students and professors as a whole. He’d kept his profile rather discreet, and in parts had even gone out of his way to tiptoe through the tents, lest he awaken any of the light sleepers. So, naturally, Aurora shattered all of that hard work in less than a second. She shrieked his name and darted out of the tent, causing the taller Gryffindor to visibly cringe.

“Shhh,” He hushed her, pushing a hand to her mouth in a hasty attempt to cut her off before she could give away their clandestine meeting.

Of course, he didn’t dare do so for long. She was a talker, and that meant allowing her to ramble on about her worries and woes. Thus, he took to his natural position, that of a stoic listener, as the technicolour prefect provided the details as to just how terrible her camp experience had been thus far. He’d not expected Hess to make a return, at least he assumed that was who she meant, Aurora had many talents and remembering names was certainly not one of them. His stoney mask crumbled slightly at the mention that she was also sharing a tent with Ryan. Christ defend, what kind of tent had she found herself locked into?

“Christ, Ro,” He spoke as much, shaking his head, brown locks flying each and every which way, “Why’d you even agree to tent with them?”

His own tent was inoffensive in comparison. Sure, some of them were far too pastel for his liking, and prone to fits of excited talking. Actually, the more he thought on it, the more it seemed as if his own tent was tailor-made for his girlfriend, and less so for himself. Still, debates as to the wall colour were certainly less worrying than having to deal with gits like Hess, or heaven forbid, Ryan.

“It’s nice enough, ended up bunking with Mozor and Decipio, and then a bunch of Slytherins and Haven in the year above us, no one’s died yet so that’s a plus,” He shrugged.

But his expression of indifference was replaced by one of utter confusion when she asked as to why he’d chosen that particular night for their meeting. He blinked, trying to read her face. Of course, such a plan was rendered useless from the beginning, for he swiftly found himself getting lost within her eyes. He shook his head again, bringing himself back to the moment.

“Because it’s your birthday tomorrow? I… I said so in the note?” He asked dumbly, “I- Y’know- I wanted to surprise you?”

How decidedly unlike her. A year prior she had demanded that he remember her birthday, and to his great displeasure at the time, he had done exactly that. Sure, that distaste had morphed into happiness as his own feelings for the girl had developed, or rather had become much clearer and more understandable.

“Come on,” He gripped her hand and all but dragged her away from the tent, “God only knows if you woke up Harper, and besides, there’s something I wanted to show you.”

Not waiting to take no for an answer, he would rush back through the line of tents, dragging Aurora behind him, hand in sweaty hand. His planned destination was clear, as far away from the camp proper as they could possibly get, to a much quieter and darker part of the quidditch stadium. From a vantage point from which they could hopefully see the stars. Upon arrival, he would release her from his grip and grin broadly, genuine laughter behind his eyes.

“I guess I do give a shit about your birthday,” He giggled, “Who’d have thought?”

Fortunately, the relative darkness of the night hid the blush that grew slowly over his cheeks as he spoke, “I just, y’know, wanted to be the first person to wish you happy birthday and to give you presents and y’know, that’s how it is, nothing special, yeah?” As he spoke, the words grew faster, like a runaway horse escaping from the control of its handler.

@Aurora Ranvier

Her hair is in its natural colour

Mentioning None

Interacting with @Nicholas McCowan

How can someone look so captivating even under the low lighting. Maybe that was the answer, low lighting, it increased the beauty of Nicholas McCowan. But the new Ravenclaw prefect would disagree. The craftsmanship of his face, no matter the lighting intensity, was enough to make Aurora’s heart running like a child scared from the clown, in a good way. The way he shook his head, his brown locks fell into places so perfectly, she needed to keep her composure otherwise she’d melt like a snowman in the summer. “Winnie only mentioned her boyfriend being there, she didn’t tell me about the others” He was right. Why would she agree to be in a tent where Mathias is involved in. How in the right mind did she think Mathias plus anything equals safety? More like a safety hazard.

Although she was happy that the boy didn’t have to be in the same situation as hers, she couldn’t help but wonder about who this Mozor and Decipio person was. What kind of slytherins? Were they gifted with pretty faces you can only find on the screens? But again, even if they were, he walked with his head down and walked to her, in the middle of the night. Surely Aurora had something they didn’t, like cool hair and personality. “I’m glad only one of us has to suffer” Something about her birthday and a surprise he said. Why would anyone want to give someone a heart attack on their birthday? “Huh? But it’s midnight! If someone catches you, you’ll be in trouble-HEY!” Then, two probably sweaty hands clutched together, and there they went to the abyss of the darkness.

Nicholas was not the same person she knew. Perhaps they were right, feelings really messed you up sometimes. And once again, she was lost for words. The quiet night, the dimness of the moonlight, and maybe the inconspicuous creatures or ghosts who whether or not was present seemed to mock her for the redness that creeped up on her face. She understood completely what the ‘shit’ meant in that context. But maybe it would be fun to remind him about what she said last year, exactly word by word. “Don’t give me shit, give me a present.” She’d be grateful if someone acknowledged her birthday. It was like a plate of food sitting on the counter all day, not great, but somewhat edible. She didn’t mind that not many people cared about her birthday, nor wished her a happy birthday since it wasn’t well known. However, it’d still be nice if people did. That was why she mentioned it to the boy the first time they kicked each other arses. She only had one friend outside Hogwarts and she too sometimes forgot about it. Being in different schools and what almost felt like different realms, the wizarding world made it hard to communicate with the muggle friend religiously, slowly but surely put more distance between the two. The conversation once flew naturally, now it was a little forced. One or the other tried to fill the silence, the same quietness that used to be utterly comfortable. And Nicholas’ kind gesture was showing her that some actually still do care no matter how things seemed to change for worse or for the better.

Then she would hug him, if he’d be okay with that, and sob just a little. “Thank you. Really, I don’t know what else to say, thank you so much”

Sta - 5 | Eva - 15 | Str - 5 Wis - 8 | Arc - 4 | Acc - 10 Terrible Presence Evasive Maneuvers ● Components

-

Outfit Reducio Black hoodie and black trackpants

“Give you shit?” Nicholas baulked, genuinely confused at his girlfriend’s continued lack of comprehension of basic modes of speech. It was only after a few moments too long that he actually understood what she had meant, she’d been teasing him, repeating their exchange from the year prior. Comprehension crossed his face, and his bewildered expression changed to one of confused understanding, “O-oh.”

The hug shouldn’t have come as a surprise, not knowing the girl and her enjoyment of sudden actions fueled by emotion and raw excitement, but it did all the same. Again, he was stiff as a board for a moment, as the surprise of the action settled over him, “O-oh.”

And then he pulled her tight, returning the hug in equal measure, “S’nothin’,” he mumbled. Truly, the night was a blessing, the darkness of the sky would hide the blush that had no doubt risen over his cheeks. He didn’t know how she did it, but she continuously caught him off guard, brought down his hastily constructed walls of grumpiness and irritability, and left him a blushing, sputtering fool.

When the hug finally broke, he’d take to removing his flannel jacket, patting the pocket in the process to make sure that the remainder of her present was still there. A sense of relief washed over him when his check proved that it was, indeed, safe and sound.

“Here,” He put the jacket over her shoulders, the warm summer night surprisingly comfortable against his now bared arms, “I want you to have this… and uh, you know, it’s not all, I mean, I didn’t just give you a jacket of mine, y’know… Check the pocket.”

It wasn’t anything special, not really, but he’d done his best to try to match the sentiment of the gift that she’d given him. That had meant taking a very amateurish approach to actually crafting something. A trip to the shops back home in Belfast had seen him use a fair portion of his allowance to purchase seven strips of leather, before he’d used the colour-changing charm to enchant each to a different colour of the rainbow. Using incendio, he’d then melted them together at the ends. His application of the spell had been far and away from experienced, and they’d become somewhat blackened and warped, but the shape held well enough, creating a rainbow bracelet. His mother had been furious to find him using magic at home, especially the fire-making charm, but blessed be living in a wizarding household, for her own spells had covered up his illegal indiscretions.

The final piece had involved enlisting the help of a muggle cousin. Two charms adorned it, one of a slug, and the other of the ocean (he had been unable to source a lake). Allegedly, the charms had been delivered all the way from the Amazon. It was remarkable how muggles could so easily ship things from a rainforest half a world away, especially overnight.

If she found it, he would explain, “It’s ‘cos, well, we were at the lake and there were slugs… sorry, it’s not the best, I’m not great at crafts…”

@Aurora Ranvier

Her hair is in its natural colour

Mentioning None

Interacting with @Nicholas McCowan

Flannel was never her favourite pattern. It was just a bunch of squares being put together, no matter how many times she tried to find the beauty, all she found were more squares. But the jacket around her shoulders was his, and it shall be her favourite one. “What are you gonna wear?” She asked him, worried that he might be deprived of the existence of the plaid jacket. Knowing him for a year and a couple of months, he probably had identical or the exact same pattern jackets, one for each day. As far as anyone was concerned, he had nothing to lose.

The next thing he said put her mind on an adventure. Check the pocket. Would it be the scene straight out of wattpad fanfictions Naomi was obsessing over? She’d find a piece of paper with the ‘will you marry me?’ hastily written on it then the boy would be on one knee with a strawberry ring pop. A future with Nicholas would be a dream come true, but a wedding in London Quidditch Stadium at the ripe age of thirteen was not something she had expected and the thought of it was terrifying. Panic was all over her face, even the lack of light exposure wasn’t enough to hide it. She slowly put her hand inside the pocket, hoping it wasn’t a marriage proposal. And to her relief, the reality was far away from the made up scenario “Oh”

The rainbow bracelet dappled with the flickers of light from the silvery moon. It was true that the Gryffindor boy probably did not possess the gift of art and craft. Even so, he tried his best and it showed. The blackened lines between each colour somehow created a new kind of aesthetic. To her, the gift was an exquisite delicacy. A slug and a lake charm, he had put a lot of thought into it, the concept was immaculate and Aurora was taken aback by how thoughtful it was. There were four eyes in the darkness, two staring at the adorable ornamental band on both of her hands with glistening eyes, once again threatening to spill more tears. “You made this?” Emotional at it finest, she rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie, then finally looked at him again, “For me?”

The best unforeseen accident. They went from bludgers to the head, shrieking burrito madness, slugs from the mouths, to two blushing cheeks in the dark. Immense appreciation to the founder of slug vomiting charm and their geniusness to invent such a spell because not only it emitted the tiny adorable creatures out of Nicholas but also his hidden charm. Maybe her mother was always right after all. One thing that she remembered the most from her heart to heart conversation during the break other than her confession about having a boyfriend was when her mother said something quite heartwarming. The best sweet things come after you taste bitterness, therefore when you get that splash of sweetness, you will truly enjoy it and appreciate it. That sentence followed by her stating the day when Aurora was born as her best sweet thing, and of course, the angsty teenage girl cried in happy tears, not expecting that her presence can bring that much joy to someone else.

Looking back to how it was before, this could be her happy hunting ground. After being left out time and time again, she was chosen to be the racing captain, then a prefect not long after, her grumpy boyfriend who once was the equivalent of guzzlord turned into a jigglypuff. It was unknown how things ended up to be this miraculous, but these would be something she should hold on to. “Thankyou”, She said. “This is really amazing, thankyou” Another big tight hug with more sobs would be the next thing he got for being a caring person.

Every end is a new beginning, just like the midnights. It was the time for her to close the pages and open a new chapter of her life with him on her side. She then would whisper to him, not too loud, but loud enough for him to hear. “You’re my best sweet thing”

Sta - 5 | Eva - 15 | Str - 5 Wis - 8 | Arc - 4 | Acc - 10 Terrible Presence Evasive Maneuvers ● Components

-

Outfit Reducio Black hoodie and black trackpants

“I have other jackets,” Nicholas shrugged, “And it’s warm this evening.”

It was true, he did indeed have multiple flannel jackets, and at least a couple that were denim or some sort of military off-cut. He wasn’t particularly sure what it was about muggle second-hand stores that appealed to him so, nor did he know what it was about the fashion that he liked, but he understood that it made him comfortable and so he would venture forth into the wild world of muggle Belfast to locate clothing. Sure, he had barely any idea what he was doing when he left the wizard part of his hometown, and he was often forced to rely upon his mother or cousins, but he’d at least figured out what a pound was. Apparently it wasn’t just a measure of weight, but a currency. What it weighed, or why it was named for the weight of that particular good, he didn’t know, but he’d figure it out one day.

Just like how one day he would figure out girls, and Aurora in particular. There had to be some sort of logical reason behind what she did and how she acted. So far he had figured out that being nice to her, or doing things relating to cats or slugs, warranted positive results. Therefore, he wasn’t surprised when she launched another hug at him, at least not as much as he would have been a few months prior. The air was still somewhat knocked out of his chest by the impact of her body, and he didn’t know why she was sobbing, but he guessed that they were happy sobs.

It didn’t change his reaction, however, “Oh, uh, yeah… you’re welcome.”

Once again he was happy that the night hid most of his blush, the worst of it at least, no doubt at least some of the redness in his cheeks was visible.

All in all, the surprise date had proven to be an absolute success, he truly had come into his own with this whole romance and dating thing.

Her whispered words utterly shattered that notion. Whatever semblance of cool and calm that he’d maintained fell apart instantly, as his heart skipped a beat or two, then made up for it tenfold by increasing its pace to that of a beleaguered sprinter. He was so young, far too young to die of a heart attack, and yet that was all that he could imagine was happening to him.

“I- your- swee-” The words that left his mouth were sputters, and his face flashed such a shade of crimson that he likely could have filled in as a stop sign in a pinch. “Wh- wh- what do you mean?”

A moment of utter joyous panic washed over him, before calm finally washed over him and he recentred himself, at least to such a degree that he could respond.

“Whispering things to me in the dark,” He muttered, his voice a hoarse whisper, “Who knows what people would say, Ro?”

Honestly, he wasn’t all too worried about what it was that people said. He was happy with her, and he was pretty damn sure she was happy with him too, whatever it was that other people thought, they could go and get screwed. He’d lucked out and won over the most creative girl in the school, an absolute force, with a face as pretty as he’d ever known. Sure, their relationship had started with slugs and arguing, but that just meant that they were both passionate, and neither was a pushover.

“Will your awful tentmates worry after you?” He asked her, his eyes flickering to the moon, “Or can we enjoy the night just a little longer?”

@Aurora Ranvier

Her hair is in its natural colour

Mentioning None

Interacting with @Nicholas McCowan

There he was again, stumbling over his words. She liked the idea of the reasoning behind that was because of her, plus, it was adorable but not too much to the point he’s surpassing Lucifur’s level of cuteness. “Nothing” Still sobbing quite a bit but couldn’t help the grin to stop threatening to fill her whole face.

She couldn’t care less about what other people would say, moreover, no one was there except the two of them. They couldn’t talk about what they didn’t know. “Eh.. people will talk even if I don’t whisper anything to you in the dark”

Before all this, she was always wondering what it is like to experience the unexplainable feeling with someone just like the one in those exaggerated nauseating romcom movies and Nicholas somehow shed the light. It wasn’t too much, not too little either. Just enough. Truthfully she still didn’t understand how on earth the grumpy boy could change like flipping a piece of paper into this boy with the blood rushing into his cheeks constantly. And out of the classy high class kids in school, those who had better aim at duelling, exceptional keen eyes who can spot the snitch from a thousand miles away, superior speed and accuracy in broom racing, yet, he picked her, an utterly peculiar and eccentric girl who are sometimes kind to some extent. People said opposite attracts, maybe this could be the living proof. Or, maybe Nicholas had a bizarre taste.

“I don’t think they realised that I’m gone, I’m literally less significant than speck of dust in that tent” If one being faced with two options, first, go back to the tent of hell filled with people she didn’t know, the notorious slytherin beater, a couple who couldn’t stop flirting with each other, or second, spending more time with the Nicholas McCowan. No one but Aurora should pick the latter option because their life might end before they could blink, not literally. She basically would do anything if she could spend even one extra second with her dear boyfriend, but she wouldn’t show it. Like a probably wise person once said, don’t look too desperate. “Technically it’s not night, it’s morning because it’s a.m, or is it still night because it’s dark? but yeah I can stay until you’re tired”

No matter how magical the night was, she couldn’t deny the fact that it was eminently dark. Her mouth wondrously blabbered random facts she found on the internet, the most reliable source, tiktok, to get rid of the evil spirits that might be lurking. “Do you know that stars can turn into a black hole that sucks everything nearby once it collapses? Do you think the sun can turn into a black hole too and then we get sucked into it and will it lead us to another dimension where you could end up in an alternate universe of this world? And.. and.. Do you think there are magical aliens? What about the incantation? Beep beep boop boop!” She would try to boop Nicholas’ nose twice. “Ok I’ll shut up”

Sta - 5 | Eva - 15 | Str - 5 Wis - 8 | Arc - 4 | Acc - 10 Terrible Presence Evasive Maneuvers ● Components

-

Outfit Reducio Black hoodie and black trackpants

The boy scratched at the back of his neck, awkwardly aware of just how hot his skin had become. Jesus Christ, how furiously was he blushing? Aurora had a way of turning him to putty in her hands. For the most part, he’d always assumed she’d done it unknowingly, but that night had seemed different. The girl was toying with him, deliberately baiting reactions and abashed stammers from him. He should have been made, hell, had it been anyone else, on any other given night, he would have been. But he found himself unable to muster the rage with which to respond.

There was something about her that so utterly disarmed him. Maybe it was her eccentricities, maybe it was the way she was so unafraid to say exactly what was on her mind, but the boy found himself utterly smitten. Aurora Ranvier, for all her slug-covered and brutally honest faults, was genuine. She’d pulled Nicholas up on his own bullshit, and now the pitbull had become something of a lovesick puppy.

He knew that he changed around her, and yet he could not bring himself to stop it.

Nicholas shrugged, feigning indifference to her decision to stay. Yet, the smile that was plastered upon his face made it absolutely clear how he truly felt.

“Not going to complain about you staying, you know that,” He leant back once more, letting his weight sink into the grass beneath him, “We can say it’s morning and that way we don’t have to go back anyway.”

His smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a concerned frown, “You’re not insignificant, Ro, and if the people in your tent make you feel that way then they’re not worth the shit on your shoe. Uh, fuck, sorry, language.”

Her regular shouts of ‘swear jar’ had ingrained in him the idea that the rather short Ravenclaw was not fond of his more flowery use of language. It wasn’t a habit he’d intended to pick up, but it had rubbed off on him all the same, and he soon found himself utilising the words in much the same fashion that a rather ornery sailor might.

Nicholas let the girl talk, smiling dumbly as she went on one of her many tirades. Something about stars, magic, black holes, alternate dimensions and aliens. He struggled to follow her train of thought, in truth, but he wasn’t exactly trying. He’d become rather enamoured with merely watching her become animated, her tones excited. Of course, that did mean he didn’t see her boops on his nose coming.

He blinked, before shrugging.

“No need to shut up, you can talk enough for the two of us anyway, hey?” He told her, before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

A single kiss would be planted on the top of her head. She was prone to kissing him on the cheek, and he’d attempted a few rather haphazard kisses on the lips, but this was something different. Protective, he supposed, certainly fueled by emotion and caring.

“I just want to sit here with you and listen to you talk, y’know,” His voice was low, “I’m not good at talking really, or, uh, expressing myself except through hitting gits. But I like it when you talk, even if I didn’t always. Shit. So don’t go stopping now.

“We’ve got all night.”

@Aurora Ranvier