theodore is nott here to comfort you (cleverloner) wrote in thispurgatory, @ 2011-01-27 21:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! 1997-november, ! complete, ! log, susan bones, theodore nott |
Who: Theodore Nott & Susan Bones
When: 27 November
What: Susan names Theodore's plant and they share a moment.
Theodore was already in their spot before Susan arrived. He had brought his Flitterbloom along because he didn’t trust leaving in the dorm. He wouldn’t put it past anyone in his house to dispose of it if it started crying in his absence. As it was, he had coaxed the plant in a calm state, so it sat peacefully where he’d put it on the window seal. He was slightly apprehensive about seeing Susan, but at the same time, looking forward to it. Their run-in with Blaise a few days ago had been... curious. While he was determined not to pry too much in personal matters, he did want to find a way to figure out what exactly she was up to. The idea that she simply fancied him was something he vaguely wished were true, but knew it was too simple of an answer. Despite his growing fondness for her, Theodore was well aware that actually acting on those feelings was beyond the realm of possibility.
For the first time, he wasn’t reading when she arrived. In fact, he hadn’t brought any books at all. He’d only packed a small chess set in his backpack, which he’d set up on the space beside him. Theodore didn’t play frequently, but he occasionally enjoyed the challenge of strategy. He’d decided to play against himself while waiting for her, and he was deep in thought as he stared the board by the time she approached. He was vaguely aware of her presence but continued his focus, before finally asking a white knight to move. After the piece had destroyed a rook, he stood up, turning to acknowledge her.
“Hi,” he said, slightly anxious. Despite his efforts to keep his mind occupied on other things, the fact he’d told her what Blaise had said came to the forefront of his mind, causing his cheeks to pink slightly.
If Theodore was a bit apprehensive to see her, it was nothing compared to how Susan felt. She had been on edge ever since she had escaped from their public conversation, and while her talk with Neville had helped, until Theodore had warded to her she had been anxious about where they stood on a personal level. While Blaise had been the one calling the questions, Susan knew Theodore was just as perceptive, if not more so. At least he appeared to have come to the right conclusion when it came to her motivation, and as Susan walked through the hallways she reminded herself that he had agreed to meet as friends. There was no reason at all for her to make this into a big deal.
Having a Flitterbloom to take care of had turned out to be a good distraction, and as she walked Susan smiled a bit at the plant, holding it tightly. Perhaps it was because she was the mothering sort, but Floris (as she had dubbed it) hadn’t give her much trouble at all. It probably did help it had been taking up a lot of her attention.
Stepping into the alcove, Susan was surprised to see Theodore engaged in a game of chess, and while he contemplated his move she made use of the opportunity to observe him. “Hi,” she returned shyly, her own cheeks feeling a bit warm as well. It made for an awkward situation, and she was glad to have Floris to focus on, who had curled one of its vines around her wrist during her walk here. Putting her plant down next to his, she gently unwrapped it. “Yours is doing well?” she asked, more curious about him than about the Flitterbloom, which seemed to be in good condition. Having calmed a bit, she turned to face him again.
Theodore watched as Susan set the plant down, carefully removing the vine from her wrist. The gentle way in which she did so reminded him strongly of how she handled the books he’d given her, causing a small smile to spread across his lips. Stepping closer to the window where both Flitterblooms now rested, he nodded. “It hasn’t been giving too much trouble. Occasionally it can be rather... irritating,” he said, shrugging slightly. Herbology wasn’t really his favorite class because he didn’t enjoy getting his hands dirty. He had only elected to continue with it because Potions relied heavily on vegetative ingredients. Understanding the properties of the plants they used to brew seemed like a logical way to enhance his knowledge of potion making, itself. “It does sometimes remind me of the many reasons I do not own a pet,” he added, a little wryly. “I wonder how Professor Sprout intends to grade our projects. It seems a bit difficult to evaluate care when she isn’t present to witness the majority of it.” After all, the Flitterblooms could cry at any moment, depending on what they wanted. So the chance of trying one it mid-cry seemed high. Surely she couldn’t base their mark simply on the state of the plant then. Theodore had been reading up more on them but it seemed each plant had a unique temperament, making the information available only generally true.
Since their plants both seemed at ease for the moment, he moved back toward his chess board, indicating that Susan should sit on the other side of it. “Would you like to play with me?” he asked, continuing to give her a smile. “I’m not a fantastic player, so you might have to go easy on me.” Despite the protest of the pieces, Theodore was already moving them back into starting positions so the game was fresh. He wasn’t sure whether or not Susan played much either but the activity seemed like something they could enjoy casually nonetheless.
Biting his bottom lip for a moment, he added, “The Lady always goes first.” Falling back into silence, he started thinking about the entire week, including the run-in they’d had after Potions. Theodore had come to the conclusion that perhaps she was trying to protect her sister Rae, but that didn’t mean he was any less curious about it. Of course, he had promised not to interrogate her, and on some level he wasn’t sure if he wanted to anyway. Still, with Blaise having been involved, he did want to make sure she wasn’t getting in over her head.
She was a bit surprised to find he was smiling at her when she turned around, but in a pleasant way, and it helped a lot in making her feel more at ease. “They say most young children are,” she said, quirking a smile back at him. “Although mine has been unusually well-behaved. Perhaps I should be worried.” She was pretty much doing things by the textbook, and Susan was generally pretty good with plants, but despite their efforts people like Terry and Zacharias had been less lucky. “Floris doesn’t seem to like it when I leave him alone, though,” she mused. “Anyway. I imagine Professor Sprout will simply look at the condition of our plants. If they haven’t been treated right, they won’t have matured properly. And there would be signs. For instance-” she cocked her head at Theodore’s Flitterbloom “-the shine of the leaves indicates yours is getting sufficient water and food, and the vines seem to be in good condition, but these small brown leaves over here could show you haven’t been pruning.” She shrugged, smiling a bit to show she wasn’t trying to criticise him. “Of course, I am almost afraid to see in what condition the plants of some of our classmates will be.”
Automatically moving to sit down across from him, Susan raised her eyebrows at the request. She hadn’t expected him to actually want to play with her, but she quickly nodded in reply. “I’m afraid I’m not much of a player either,” she said, ducking her head for a moment. “But I’d say it is worth an effort.” It had been a while since she had played. Her father was fond of the game, but she didn’t particularly enjoy playing with him, since he always seemed to be at least three moves ahead of her. The thought of him made her sigh, but hopefully it would look to Theodore as if she was merely contemplating her move. Wrapping her legs underneath her so she was seated more comfortably, she moved a pawn. It was a bit odd not to be reading for once, but perhaps after this week it was good to have her brain otherwise engaged.
Theodore was a little surprised to hear her describe the plant as a “young child”, but that combined with the name she gave it made him think she was actually rather attached to hers. He wasn’t so concerned with the well being of his own, except to keep it happy enough for a passing grade. Still there was something, well, cute about the way she talked about it. The fact that she had certainly been on top of her reading only furthered his impression, and despite some voice in the back of his head telling him he shouldn’t be so easily impressed, he found her berth of knowledge... appealing. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, when she pointed out he needed to prune a few of the leaves.
After Susan moved her first piece, he chose to move a pawn as well. Then, unable to help himself, he said as casually as he could, “So... Floris?” A small, playful smile tugged the corners of his mouth. Truthfully he was a little flabbergasted that she’d given her plant a name. He had no intention of actually trying to argue a point with her (clearly the plant had no idea it had a name) but he couldn’t exactly pass up the opportunity to mention it in jest. “And I do imagine that quite a few of our classmates won’t fair so well on this project. Mr Boot, Mr Smith, and Ms Jones have all publicly announced their... struggles.” He had to wonder if their plants would even survive the two weeks of ‘care’ but decided not to mention that. It seemed like something that would only upset Susan, who was clearly overly fond of hers.
Susan had been joking when she had compared the Flitterblooms to children, but it wasn’t far from the truth, and the whole point of the project was, after all, to help the plants mature. Hoping he hadn’t minded her splurge of information too much - perhaps it had been a result of her rather frayed nerves - she tried to focus on the game. She knew there were certain strategies, but she couldn’t remember much of them. Opening her mouth to ask another pawn to move, she quickly shut it again when Theodore repeated the name, and the blood rushed to her cheeks. “Oh hush,” she said, somewhat embarrassed. There were so many plants around it had seemed like the smart thing to do to name it. And really, she couldn’t keep calling it “plant”. “Naming helps with the bonding process.” While that wasn’t something she had read in a book, she did believe it to be true, and her Flitterbloom was testament to the fact it appeared to be working.
Allowing her pawn to move forward, she mused on the situation of her friends. “At least Zacharias is trying,” she said, frowning a bit. She wasn’t so pleased with the way Terry was handling his plant, although it seemed Morag was looking after it, in any case. There was some comfort in that. “And it gives everyone something different to concern themselves with.” It was true for her as well, much as she had kept her opinions to herself. A project such as this at least served to remind them this was still a school.
Theodore chuckled slightly at her reaction to his mentioning the named plant. He noticed the color rise in her cheeks, smirking slightly. It wasn’t entirely difficult to get that reaction out of her, but that didn’t make it any less effective. “Maybe. They do seem to react in much the same way human babies do,” he commented, with a slight shrug. He really didn’t have all that much experience with children, but he did knew they tended not to do much more than cry, eat, or sleep... which was exactly what the Flitterblooms did. Truthfully he didn’t think naming the plant really did all that much to enhance it’s happiness in the long run, but he didn’t mind humoring her on the subject. There was nothing wrong with being affectionate, even if dirt and sunlight would produce the same result. “You could name mine, if you like,” he offered, as something of an olive branch.
Raising his eyebrows at Susan’s statement, he nodded. “Yes, it’s a shame the rest of the years didn’t receive a plant.” If only Theodore would be so lucky as to have the entire school occupied by these vine babies. Lately it seemed like just hoping for things to remain the same was as good as it was going to get. He was getting tired of seeing things like those fliers popping up, especially in Slytherin common room. The fact that he now felt he didn’t even have a protected sanctuary in his dorm room made everything all the more unsettling. He’d already decided he’d have to take his most prized possessions (old, valuable texts) back to the manor over the holiday break just to avoid the chance that someone might decide thievery was acceptable. On the other hand, part of him didn’t even want to leave... going home brought its own set problems. “I’m glad you’re reasonable,” he said at last, giving her an indiscernible look.
Susan couldn’t help but wonder if he was taking the mickey, although it was rather unlike him to do so, in such a way. She levelled a gaze at him, raising an eyebrow briefly before saying, “Are you sure you could live with my questionable naming talents?” She could, of course, pick a ridiculous name on purpose, but that wasn’t her style, and she couldn’t see the use of it in any case. No, if she was going to pick a name it would be something she had thought about. Her choice of “Floris” hadn’t been coincidental either, although it wasn’t much of a stretch to realise where she had gotten the idea.
“If everyone had a plant we would have to invest in earmuffs,” she remarked with an amused twist of her lips. “Can you imagine the first years running around with them? And I’m sure someone would come up with the preposterous idea to use them for a game of Quidditch, or something similar.” She almost shuddered at the thought. Normal games were bad enough. No, sad as it was, in the end even Flitterblooms couldn’t fix what was wrong with the school. It was hard to imagine anyone could, not on their own. All of which just brought her back to why she had approached him in the hallways a few days ago. “I’m not sure what reasonable is anymore,” she murmured, staring at the board only to realise Theodore hadn’t yet moved any of his pieces. “It’s still your turn.” And while she was referring to the game, perhaps the same was true in other aspects of their current situation. She looked up at him, smiling a bit sadly.
“I wouldn’t say anything against your naming talents,” he replied cheekily. It was unlikely he’d actually call his plant by the name she gave it, outside of her earshot, and especially if he wasn’t impressed by it. Really, the point in asking her if she wanted to was... well... it seemed like a nice gesture. The fact that it was mostly playful banter for the sake of engaging her was something he was well aware of but hardly about to explain to her. “Besides, I’m not sure you’re capable of coming up with something terrible. Floris is quite clever. Very... plant like, if ever a name was plant...-y.” He gave her a shake of his head, smiling at her before dropping his eyes back to the chess board. Mentally he chastised himself for coming off so unintelligible. Planty? Really? “Well, I think I might still have my earmuffs from second year,” he added after a moment of silence. Mandrakes had been another of plant with some life-like capabilities, but he supposed Susan had a point when it came to his wistful thinking.
As the conversation turned a little more serious, he sighed slightly. Although they carefully skirted around issues most of the time, it didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate empathising with her. It was comforting to know that he wasn’t alone in feeling stressed or frustrated with what was going on. “This seems reasonable,” he said, giving half a wave around the little alcove. Playing chess with Susan was certainly reasonable, even if that was, perhaps, not the only implication in his words. Of course, he’d have to actually be playing to make that argument, and he felt slightly flustered at her pointing out as much. “I suppose it is,” he replied but didn’t actually command any of his pieces to move. “I’m just tired,” he said tentatively. Maybe it was his move. And it was a risky move to open up at all to her. But he wanted to.
Any suspicions she might have had about the motivation behind his offer evaporated when she realised he was simply teasing, and a soft smile slowly grew on her face. The unusual lack of eloquence was rather endearing, really, and while he looked at the board she regarded him thoughtfully, her head tilted slightly to one side. “Planty names are more regular than you might think,” she offered, purposefully using the same word but not lingering on it in any way that could be interpreted as mocking. “Susan means lily.” She’d always been intrigued by the meaning behind things, whether they were codes, implications, or language itself. Several years of Ancient Runes had taught her that they were similar in that regard, which was perhaps why their conversations generally were a case of saying more by saying less.
It was certainly obvious to her that Theodore wasn’t just referring to their game of chess, and she appreciated the implication. Even though she was being forced into certain situations beyond her control, they still had this little spot in the castle, and she was going to try her hardest to make sure it remained untouched. “I’m glad,” she said, preparing to break the severity of the conversation by making a joke about the game. His next words stopped her from taking that route, however, and she looked at him quietly for a few moments. “So am I.”
Biting her lip, she glanced at the chess board and then back at him. They were playing games, but for what reason? Weren’t there enough games going on already? Games with stakes that were a lot higher than a few chess pieces on a board. She really was tired. Making a decision, she levitated the chess board to the side with a flick of her wand, and after pocketing it again, she shifted closer to him, carefully allowing her body to lean against his side. It wasn’t the first time they had done this, but she still couldn’t be sure the affection would be welcome, much as it was for both their comfort.
“Oh I’m aware,” he said, unable to stop himself from revealing how much he knew, exactly. “In fact, depending on what language it’s derived from, it could also mean lotus.” Like Susan, Theodore had a need to know what was beneath the outward appearance. And while he wasn’t as up on names, in general, he did know quite a bit about those belonging to people he cared about. Somewhere along the lines since third year, Susan had crossed the line into becoming one of those people. It didn’t help that his own name, meaning ‘gift’, had left him with tantalizing thoughts about his mother, questions he couldn’t answer. She’d been a Ravenclaw and from what he remembered, and had been told, clever in her own right. That he possessed a name which could be taken literally, given her situation, was something he could only theorize about. He was certain, however, the name had been her selection and not his father’s. It was interesting to wonder how names could be fitting in their own ways. He could certainly see that Susan’s name was fitting.
Theodore was taken by surprise when she quickly but expertly removed the chess board that had been between them. They hadn’t gotten very far in the game but he hardly minded. The moment she rested up against him, Theodore wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer against his chest than she had initially been. He didn’t dare say anything, only hoping that perhaps she actually did feel the same way he did. Simply being able to hold her helped him relax some, with the tension between his shoulders slowly evaporating. They’d embraced before, but Theodore couldn’t help but feel like this time was different somehow. Perhaps because in the past he hadn’t noticed the way he held his own breath, or the fact that he was extremely aware of how soft she actually was. He didn’t know how long this would last but what he did know was that he planned to enjoy the comfort while it did. He let out a slight sigh, not at all unpleasant; content to sit that way for as long as he could.
While Susan hadn’t expected him to be so aware of the origins of her name, the fact that he was wasn’t all that surprising to her. It was a bit of information that would no doubt have been deemed useless by most of their peers, but she was pleased by it, nonetheless. If there was anything the past decades had shown them, it was that names held a great deal of power, fabricated or otherwise, even if she had no intention of using it for the bad. “I think perhaps I’d like to be a lotus,” she said, smiling a bit as the image came to mind. “Drifting on the water.” If she’d been aware of what Theodore was thinking she would have been curious to know why he thought her name was fitting, but as it was she was content to muse some more on the hypothetical.
She breathed a sigh of relief when Theodore returned her embrace with no hesitation, suddenly finding herself rather closer to him than she had anticipated. Not that she minded. Being held like this loosened a knot in her stomach she hadn’t been aware existed, and as she rested against his chest, her own arms wrapped around him without conscious thought. She should have been shocked by the very thought of this, cuddling up to the son of a Death Eater who was now Head Boy under the Carrows’ regime, but Theodore was none of that to her. He was a friend, and a confidant, and someone she cared for a great deal. A flicker of something burned in her chest as she breathed against him, the air coming out in a shuddering rush, but it was something she hadn’t acknowledged since the feeling had first popped up, and which had confused her in its quiet magnitude. All she could do was be relieved that her public statement hadn’t stood in the way of the friendship they shared... not just yet... and soak up every bit of comfort she could get out of this.
Theodore felt his body grow slightly warmer when Susan returned the embrace by wrapping her arms around him as well. And while he still felt mentally exhausted from everything it was easy to relax in the embrace, after settling into the comforting touch. Turning his thoughts back to her comment about gliding across the water, he half-smiled at her. He had, himself, mixed feelings about large bodies of water in general, but just like Thestrals, he was attracted to them in spite of the initial feeling of disdain. Dissonance was a familiar state for him, and the cause of many of his self-arguments. “Are you fond of the water?” he asked at last, wanting to focus the conversation on her, rather than revisit unpleasant memories.
The conversation was more of a pleasant background note for Theodore, who, for all intent and purpose, was enjoying the intimacy of the moment more than anything else. He’d been well aware of his growing fondness for Susan for some time now, and it was times like these that emphasised it. But even without that, he felt he could trust her, which was more than he could say for most people, including many of his friends. He’d considered the possibility that perhaps he wasn’t thinking too logically about their relationship, but he knew he couldn’t give it up entirely. His relationships in general were multi-faceted. Different people for different sides of him - and this was the one where he didn’t have to be Theodore Nott, Head Boy, or Theodore Nott, son of a Death Eater, or even Theodore Nott, purist.
Breathing in, the scent of her strawberry shampoo filled his senses, and he smiled, pressing his face against the back of her head. It couldn’t go any further than this, he told himself, but denying that he had begun wondering what it would be like if he kissed her was a fruitless endeavour. Instead he contented himself with the thought that at least he had this.
Curled up like this, it was easier to let go of everything else going on in the world and - just for a while - forget about all her worries. For the first time in months she felt safe and protected, even knowing that it wouldn’t be able to continue the moment they stepped out of the personal bubble they had created. Wearing a mask was second nature for Susan, who did so to hide from the world, her friends, and even herself. Perhaps against her better judgement, however, for once she allowed herself to truly relax. It was a trust that he would not use this moment to make use of her weakness, and closing her eyes, for a few minutes she just breathed. Her stomach fluttered as he rested his head against her, the unexpected tenderness of the gesture making her face grow warm.
When Susan opened her eyes again her mind felt clearer, and still in a state of lazy comfortableness, she replied to his question. “I’ve always liked the water. There’s just something about it...” She shrugged, shifting lightly against him. “Dad has this boat. It’s not really much, but he’s fixed it up himself, and he’s proud of it as anything. Anyway, he always takes me along when he goes out to fish. Did so even when I was little. Mum didn’t like it, of course, but he did anyway.” It was one of the few things in which she could remember her father directly opposing her wishes, but she was glad for it. “It’s nice, being out there on the water, just us. No need to even talk. There’s something calming about the water, don’t you think? There’s nothing right or wrong about it, it just is.” It was rare for her to be this open, especially since she and Theodore usually avoided anything too personal. She hoped he didn’t think she was being silly, and she glanced up at him carefully, trying to gauge his expression.
“Ivy,” she said, almost out of the blue, still looking at him. “You should name it Ivy. It stands for loyalty.” If there was something Susan held in high regard it was that, and perhaps this was her way of telling him that whatever might happen, she was still here. She smiled softly.
Theodore could only wish he had such pleasant memories as she did about water. He did, however, have to acknowledge that it was inherently neither evil nor good... as she’d said, it just was. He wasn’t sure how to respond to her anecdote but he found himself quite glad she’d shared. Perhaps, in part, because it felt like she was sharing a part of herself, which made him feel good in turn. It wasn’t like he could have this sort of raw connection with anyone else. Even with his cousins - who were quite dear to him - he didn’t feel this level of comfort. The only thing that put him ill at ease was the idea that they would be discovered. The thought was dismissed to the back of his mind where it lingered but didn’t bother him enough to move out of their embrace. He was well aware that if they weren’t careful the wrong person would stumble across them and assume things that weren’t, but at the moment it wasn’t a pressing concern. Perhaps he could just pass it off as a way to garner information - or at least, the conversation with Blaise had sparked that hope, should the need to defend his relationship with Susan ever arise.
“I like to sit by the lake,” he admitted. “The water is nice when winds are calm and the surface is unbroken.” It was a still sort of calm... and yet, one he knew hid grave danger. The image of his mother drowning was one that would haunt him forever, and even now the memory made him shift slightly in discomfort. “I’ve thought about buying a boat, though I’m not sure I could do the upkeep justice.” Sickened as he sometimes was, there was no denying his interest in being near it either. As he sat there with Susan curled up against him, he thought briefly of touching his lips to the side of her neck but fought the urge to do so. Acting so recklessly was not usually his style, and anyone could pass them by. Besides, their careful balancing act would be completely ruined if he gave into desire to kiss her. Instead he settled for tightening his arms around her.
He didn’t mind sitting with her like that, and in fact found the silence that had fallen between them comforting. Sometimes he thought the things they didn’t say were more meaningful than those they did. Especially this year, when he felt incapable of expressing anything he truly wanted to. When she spoke again, almost suddenly even, he was confused for a split second before catching on to what she was talking about. Quirking a smile he replied, “What a very Hufflepuffian suggestion, Ms Bones.” But he appreciated the gesture, joke aside. Which is why he moved one of his hands from around her body, and ran his thumb down her cheek softly instead.
Perhaps it was foolish to think that here at the alcove they would be safe from prying eyes, and surely Ernie would have had something to say about it if he knew, but Susan was tired of everything, and that included worrying about what she could or couldn’t do. She revelled in the comfortable atmosphere. Much like her description about water, right now there wasn’t anything inherently good or bad about them either, and they were able to just be. That they were able to share, even if the subject of their conversation didn’t really amount to much, all things considered, was more meaningful to her than she might have expected. Too often this year had she felt that a rift was growing between students, of any year or House, and to have this was like a confirmation that what they shared wouldn’t dissipate in the same way.
“Dad’s been wanting to buy a proper boat for years, but Mum won’t let him,” Susan said, her tone betraying her amusement. “But yes, it’s a fair bit of work, even with a small boat.” The dedication her father showed was admirable, especially considering he showed the same mentality when it came to taking care of the family. “There’s still time,” she added. She had to keep hoping that all of this would be over soon and life would return to normal, or what passed for it. She wouldn’t be able to carry on, otherwise.
She inclined her head at the accusation, knowing full well that he was right and refusing to apologise for it. Susan had her pride, and even if many did not think much of Hufflepuff, to her her House was family. She was hardly aware of the thoughts Theodore was entertaining, thoughts that would surely have made her see him in a different light if she’d known, but as he caressed her cheek her lips parted slightly as she breathed, and her eyes automatically rose to meet his.
Theodore’s interest in their conversation fizzled out the moment that Susan turned to meet his eyes. The space between them seemed scant and for a second, he wasn’t thinking at all. Consciously, he leaned forward, the hand on her cheek moving to the nape of her neck as his fingers dug into the strands of her hair. He returned her gaze, though his own eyes eventually drifted to her lips, lingering for a moment. Theodore felt that the tension between them could have been cut with a knife, but the more reasonable part of his mind reminded him that acting on his feelings would complicate things more than they already were. After leaning a fraction closer, he could feel her breath warm on his neck which was enough to make the hair on the back of it stand up. Taking in a slow breath of his own, he forced himself to sit back.
He felt like he should say something but no words came to him. The arm that still remained around her loosened as he finally broke their close embrace. He didn’t really want to but he had a feeling a line would be crossed if they didn’t tread more carefully. Biting his bottom lip, he glanced over to where their Flitterblooms still sat, noting that the two plants had apparently decided to embrace in a mass of vines. “Floris and Ivy seem to get along,” he said at long last, now avoiding eye contact with her.
Standing up, he moved to where she had lifted the chess board earlier, beginning to put the pieces back inside of it. After that task was done, he looked over at her finally, saying, “Thank you,” in a quiet voice. Even if he couldn’t express the feelings he wanted to, the gratitude he felt for her company was still genuine.