tilly dawlish. (curleh) wrote in caged, @ 2013-10-12 13:06:00 |
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Tilly had been excited about the announcement at breakfast, and had been especially giddy for a good portion of the day. Sure, it had been kind of annoying to to hear everyone mope about Muggle Studies and the Squib from the previous day, but at least it was the weekend! She had originally planned on napping after lunch, just because she didn't have enough sleep the night prior, but she eventually nixed the idea when she saw a particularly tall Ravenclaw boy exit from the Great Hall. Though she had talked to him over the journals regarding Ursula (who was partially the reason why she didn't sleep properly), Tilly wanted to speak to him about it some more. She hated fighting with Ursula, but Brian did bring up excellent points. She was alarmed, though, but her alarms were subsided when she spoke to Brian yesterday; he had been nicer and sweeter than he normally was, which only caused Tilly to flirt with him more than usual. But she appreciated it very, very much. "Oi!" Tilly called after Brian, as she followed after him. Once she had caught up, Tilly flashed him a grin, crossing one arm over her stomach, as the other dangled on her side, her fingertips going just below the length of her skirt (which she had shortened just a bit). "Did you leave enough food for the rest of Ravenclaw or did you eat it all to satisfy your gigantic stomach?" “Oi, yourself,” he shot back with a smile, eyebrow raised in amusement as he looked down at her. “Well, I can hardly let my own house starve. Don’t worry, I might have left you a crumb or two.” Brian brought a large hand to his stomach, patting the surface contently. “I need that food, I am a growing boy and all. I still think I have a few inches left in me.” Brian was quietly glad that Tilly had bothered to wave him down. He had been talking to her more than usual since his fight with Ursula. It wasn’t that he was avoiding her, he was simply not making any effort at all to talk to her. She was walking a line he wasn’t comfortable with, and while he hoped it never came to the point where he had to chose his standing or their friendship, he knew which one he’d pick. Tilly didn’t come with all that concern. She might be a Gryffindor, but she wasn’t being bullheaded about the world around her. He appreciated that about her. “I was just thinking about going for a stroll to walk some of my lunch off. Want to join me?” "A few inches!" Tilly exclaimed, mockingly. "Yeah, sure. I think you've got half a foot to grow still. You're right." She rolled her eyes, but she did manage to kick his foot gently with hers. However, she hadn't anticipated that question so she smiled at Brian and nodded. "Sure, I'd like that." And so their little stroll began, as they headed outdoors. Tilly wished she had brought out her sunglasses, but she didn't think that she would be outdoors then, either. She settled for squinting, as her eyes adjusted to the bright light, but she finally relaxed once she grew accustomed to the light. "Were you paying attention to the announcements this morning?" Tilly casually asked, her head turned away from his direction, and instead she was staring at the opposite direction. She wanted to remain cool and collected, and not come off like a moron. “Someone has to be tall enough to clean the ceilings. Why should Hagrid have all the fun?” Brian made a face as she kicked, acting wounded despite not being hurt at all. “Are you violent towards everyone or am I a special case?” Brian didn’t mind the burst of sunlight, angling his face up to catch whatever puny rays were offered to him. There was a reason he went running every morning, granted he was lucky to get any sun at all in those early hours. The castle was nice, but being outside was far less restrictive. “Vaguely.” He knew what she was referring to, it was all anyone could talk about. “You’re talking about Hogsmeade, yeah? I wonder how many of our esteemed classmates will attempt a runner.” "I'm violent towards everyone, but," Tilly paused, with half a grin appearing on her face. "You're just extra special, when it comes to my violent streak." She laughed it off, now that they were apparently talking about Hogsmeade. "Yes, yes, Hogsmeade," Tilly nodded, looking over at him, with a confused expression. "What do you mean 'attempt a runner'?" Tilly had no idea what Brian was talking about, and her face expressed just how uninformed she was, regarding this topic. Her brows were knitted together, and she looked up at him, as though she were waiting for him to clarify. “Lucky me. When you finally go and murder me, be sure to return my body to my mother. You know how she fusses.” It was amusing trying to picture Tilly harming him in any way. It would almost be worth experiencing just to see her try. “Run away. Flee for the hills. Join their muggleborn friends in hiding. You don’t think there are people here that would do anything to get away? Some people don’t appreciate what they have right in front of them.” Things were far from that dire, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to some of their classmates. He wouldn’t put them past ruining a perfectly good thing with dramatics. Her grin disappeared, and she took on a more serious and stern look. It wasn't a look that Tilly wore very often, but she was a little annoyed with Brian for using those choice of words, especially when the current political climate was the way it was. She frowned, and huffed quietly. "That's not funny, Brian," she said, with a slight pout. "Oh." She understood now, and she inhaled sharply, knowing full well that there were plenty of people who would do something idiotic like that, just to say that they've done it. But did they really think that they wouldn't be caught? She nodded, after a moment, but returned her attention to her tall companion. "I think the Carrows are fine as long as you just obey the rules, which is why I think it's stupid that some people do things just to spite them. And some other people help them achieve this stupid goal." “I wasn’t joking. Okay, maybe I was joking about you murdering me, but that’s it.” He was surprised by her reaction, not used to seeing her turn so sour. Apparently he had offended her, but he couldn’t imagine why. He was merely speculating. It’s not like he called them mudblood lovers. Brian’s confusion quickly turned to pride. She got it. It was stupid. Stupid and pointless. People acted as if the Carrows were these raging monsters, and while some of their methods may be a bit harsh, it was only those that provoked them that were forced to endure their wrath. If they learned to shut their damn mouths it wouldn’t be a problem. Brian wrapped his arm around Tilly, pulling her in for a tight side hug. “It is stupid, but luckily for us we’re incredibly smart.” "Can we just not speak about your death please?" Tilly asked in an annoyed tone, even though it was a rhetorical question. That was not the sort of thing she really wanted to think about and truth be told, she didn't really want to worry about more things than she was already concerned about. Her concerns and anger diminished when she suddenly found herself in a side-hug with Brian and she couldn't help but look up at him, slightly shy. "We are, aren't we?" A small smile followed, and she allowed herself to relax against his grasp when she brought her hand around his back. "At least we can rely on each other." The thought brought on another smile, though it was still one that alluded to how shy Tilly was capable of being. She had to admit -- she liked being in this position very, very much. “Don’t worry, Tills, I plan on outliving everyone in this castle. Even the first years,” he teased, reaching up to pull on a curl gently. He leaned over, kissing the top of her head briefly. “Don’t worry, I absolutely insist that you’re stuck with me.” “It looks that way, doesn’t it? If you go and have a personality change we might need to have a talk, but I have a feeling we’re safe.” Brian knew people changed, they developed different beliefs and followed different paths. That didn’t mean he had to put up with it. He could rely on himself, if he formed bonds with other like minded people all the better. He wouldn’t hold onto people because of who they once were, only for who they were now. Perhaps that wasn’t being particularly loyal, but he never claimed to be a Gryffindor. Tilly hadn’t always been his closest friend, but he was appreciating her more each day. “So who has the honor of escorting you to Hogsmeade? I’m sure you’re batting them away.” Tilly smiled once again, the grasp on his back tightening just slightly. "As if I'm ever going to change into a different person," she pointed out, huffing in a joking manner. If there was one thing Tilly was sure of, it was her ability to stay the way she was. She didn't like dealing with bullshit and she was pretty straightforward when it came to most things. She may have been a Gryffindor, but she wasn't a dumbass like she thought most of her housemates were. "Welllll," she dragged out, pausing for a few moments before speaking again. "I was actually thinking about asking someone, but --." Tilly abruptly stopped speaking then, suddenly serious. "I'm not sure if he would be interested in going with me. We flirt from time to time and he has been nice to be recently, but I don't want to misinterpret any signals, you know. I've done that enough in the past few years." She wrinkled her nose, but there was no doubt that she was a bit nervous, now that the situation was out there. "What about you?" “If he’s not interested then he’s an idiot, a smart girl likes you deserves better than an idiot.” It was strange to see her acting so shy, as if she couldn’t have a bloke wrapped around her finger in a heartbeat. Maybe this whole Samson thing had gotten to her more than he realized. Already sour at the other bloke, Brian decided to resent him a little more on her behalf. “Some guys are a bit dense, that’s all. He’s probably worried you’re going to go break his unworthy heart. He should be, too, because then I’ll have to have a word with him.” “Honestly? I’m hoping you’ll turn everyone down so I can convince you to go with me,” he said simply, a small grin forming on his face. “Might as well hope for the best, yeah?” Tilly stopped moving for a few seconds after Brian had spoke, as she tried to comprehend what he had just said. He had hoped that she would turn everyone down so that he could convince her to go with him…. did that mean… was he … She narrowed her eyes and glanced at Brian, somewhat suspiciously. Was he just bluffing with her? She knew that Brian was prone to saying things to her, just for the hell of it, and she did the same to him, so it wasn't that big of a deal if he was just saying it to say it, but she couldn't help but wonder. She pursed her lips for a brief moment, as she eyed him once again. That grin seemed genuine enough, and she couldn't help but match it with a grin of her own. "Are you asking me out?" Brian was back to confused as Tilly stopped suddenly, wondering if she had a rock in her shoe or something of the like. “Everything, okay? Merlin, my conversation didn’t break you, did it? That would be a new low, even for me.” As she narrowed her eyes at him he returned the favor, wondering what had caused her change in mood. Surely what he said hadn’t been that shocking. There were very few people he actually go along with for extended periods of time, she happened to be one of them. Then she spoke. Well no, he hadn’t been asking her out, not really. It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about it, but she was always mooning over one bloke or another. Did she want him to ask her out? Was that the cause of her reaction “Yeah, sure, why not? We get along, don’t we? Why don’t you come to Hogsmeade with me?” Oh good Merlin, Brian Finkley was such a romantic. She tried her best not to roll her eyes -- good-naturedly, of course -- but she couldn't help but do so, anyway, as she retorted with a small laugh. "Well, see that works out very well because I was going to ask you and hoped that you would say yes." She wouldn't go into details about how Ursula had been the one to plant the "Brian" seed in her mind, because that was probably unnecessary now, anyway. "So, yes, let's go together. It'll be nice." Tilly smiled, though she ducked her head out of the view, suddenly interested in how great her shoes looked -- despite the shoes being part of the uniform. His grin turned into a full smile as she rolled her eyes. He appreciated that she didn’t bow to his shit, while playing along with it all the same. “Me? Now wait just one moment, I was this mystery boy you were talking about? I am an idiot. I guess this means you like me.” This walk had taken an unexpected turn, one he wasn’t minding in the slightest. He hadn’t given a relationship with Tilly any deep thought, not beyond the occasional musing on what it’d be like to snog her. Then again, they were hardly declaring their undying love for each other. Yes, taking her to Hogsmeade was exactly what he wanted to do. He brought a hand to her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Tilly liked him. Huh. “It will be nice. There isn’t anyone else I’d rather go with.” How could she doubt him after the wink he was giving her? "I'm telling you, Brian -- the idiot thing is a Ravenclaw male trait," Tilly jokingly started, and she was even smiling to prove that she was only joking around about it. Although, it was a bit hilarious that she was drawn to Ravenclaws like a moth to a flame. Strange how that really worked out. Tilly usually didn't get very nervous around boys -- even with Terry and Samson, she had been straightforward, and was very good at flirting with them. But for some reason, she felt herself being more nervous around Brian, and she couldn't even pinpoint why. Maybe it was because they had always been friends, whereas she didn't really know Terry or Samson that well prior to fancying them. But there was no time to analyze the semantics. Not when Brian's hand was on her chin, and she was being forced to look up at him, only in time to catch that wink. She smiled widely, and nodded. "Well, good, I'm glad. Now I don't have to throw mental daggers at anybody else." Tilly followed that with a brief smirk, as she brought her hand to touch his arm, though there were already plenty of butterflies flying around in her stomach. “I’ll have you know my house is known for its intelligence. It’s not my fault some of my classmates are trying to rebel from that stereotype to try and prove a point.” He knew Tilly well enough to know she wasn’t being completely herself. She wasn’t being weird, but rather nervous. It was oddly satisfying to know he could have that reaction on her. “You are a violent one, aren’t you? I like this side of you. Don’t worry, no need to go after anyone else. My attention is all yours.” He wasn’t sure how going on a date with Tilly would be, but it certainly was worth whatever relative risk there might be. She was a rationale girl, if it was a disaster she wouldn’t hate him forever. Probably. He’d just have to make sure it wasn’t a complete disaster. The smirk turned into something of a grin and she quirked a brow, a moment later. "I'm very pleased to hear that." And she really was, even though she didn't actually think she might have possibly had a thing for Brian until very, very recently. Truth be told, she may have gotten the idea from Ursula insisting that she may have had something for him, but -- well, there was no point in denying it now. Tilly was a Gryffindor beyond everything, so before she changed her mind, she stood on her tiptoes, as she leaned forward and pecked his cheeks gently. Her lips hovered over his skin for a brief moment, before she returned to her posture, and smiled at him. "If only you weren't so tall, kissing you would be a much easier task. Sigh," she stated, sighing dramatically just for effect. “Some things are worth the extra effort, don’t get discouraged now,” he teased her, leaning down so that he was closer to her face. “Besides, sitting down we’re practically the same height. Don’t worry, we’ll make it work, no need to rush.” Brian knew he would have to start thinking of something nice to do for her on their outing to Hogsmeade. He would be wanting those kisses. She wasn't sure if his leaning down meant that he wanted her to kiss him, but Tilly figured that waiting for an extra work would be better, so she innocently leaned back, with a knowing look on her face. She quirked a brow, and gave a brief shrug of her shoulders before speaking. "I suppose you're right." Tilly paused for a brief moment, smiling once again. "So should I start sending Hogsmeade itineraries your way, or will you be taking care of that?" Brian couldn’t help but look a tad startled at the idea of a ‘Hogsmeade itinerary’, but he quickly recovered. “Why do I get the feeling that I’m going to be tested on how well I do? Let me take care of it, I happen to enjoy a good challenge.” Bloody hell, he hadn’t imagined this would be at all complicated, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care too much. “I’ll do absolutely everything in my power to make sure you have a good time. I wouldn’t want you to regret being seen in public with me, even if I am a giant.” Tilly couldn't help but giggle at his alarmed state, even if it was just only for a moment. She gently pushed his arm, though not with much force, because it wasn't like she really wanted Brian to go away. "I'm only joking, Brian. We can just… you know, do something nice. I don't want to like -- hog up your entire day. I'm sure you'll want to hang out with your friends, as well." She paused, tucking some strands of hair behind her ear. "I don't think I'll have a bad time, regardless of what you have planned." “I can see my friends every day at school, I want to spend my time with you. Unless, of course, you’re trying to get rid of me already,” he teased, moving to brush a strand of hair behind her other ear. It wasn’t long before it freed himself, making his smile grow more fond. There was no controlling her hair as wild and unpredictable as it was, a bit like Tilly herself. “We’ll have fun, that’s all that matters.” "Okay," she replied, unable to stop herself from grinning once again. Tilly remained quiet for some time, just enjoying this little moment and she finally cleared her throat. "Well, I'm going to -- you know, go inside and catch up on some homework. But I'll see you later, okay?" She knew she wasn't going to do any work actually related to school; she needed to squeal to her friends about what had just happened, but she wanted to remain cool and collected in the present. “Yeah, I’ll see you later,” he assured her, his grin every bit real. Now he had to go and figure out what the hell he was going to do for Hogsmeade. |