You are...who, again? {Ryan}

It might have been a tad immature, but the candy shop in Hogsmeade was Eleonora's favorite spot in the whole town. She never seemed to grow out of her sweet tooth, which as a child her parents figured was just a phase, as many children cannot get enough sugar. It stayed, though, and so here she was spending a rare free Saturday restocking her supplies of sweets. Her hands were already full of such treats as blocks of fudge and brittle when she walked by the table showcasing all sorts of exotic and novelty foods. Her eyes settled on what appeared to be a blood lollipop. She almost picked one up, wondering if she should bring one to Sorrow or if it would be seen in an ill light.

With the thought of Sorrow in her mind her hand rose and rested on a spot right above her sternum, where even through the fabric of her shirt she could feel the raised and jagged edges of the scar left that night in the woods. Sighing, she turned away and headed towards the counter.

After making her purchase she stepped out of the warm colorful building, bag of fudge and sweets clasped tightly in her hand. With her free hand, Eleonora brushed a few wild strands of red out her face and back behind her ear. Instead of the brief smile that would usually adorn her face as she strolled out in the sunlight Eleonora instead continued her walk with a far away look in her eyes. Though she tried her best, there was still a lingering melancholy that she could not shake after the death of Vega. Before leaving the castle today she thought a quiet trip into town would help distract her from it but it was proving ineffective.

After a long debate with himself Ryan had finally decided to get out of the house. It had been a long time since he had actually been out and he knew he needed it. Ever since he left school he had become distant from society. He barely went out unless truly needed.

As he walked down the streets he realized how much he had been missing. He walked slowly down the cobblestone looking at his surroundings.  He had slowly began to forget what it was like to feel the outside air. He kicked a few pebbles now and then and whistled as he walked.

Her mind was elsewhere as the streets around her unfolded. She noticed the vague shapes of others walking by and the bright warm entrances to the shops lining the sidewalk but did not fully take them in. It was as if she were walking in her own dim tunnel, her destination set only as the next farthest point she could see.

When a loose pebbles thudded into her boot as she was taking a slow step Eleonora stopped, jerked her head up from its misty place among the fog and looked around. She noticed a man standing some feet in front of her, the obvious source of the rock on the ground. He must have been kicking it as he walked, which meant she must be right in his way.

“Sorry,” she said, knowing full well she had no need to apologize. The word just left her mouth out of habit and she stepped aside for the man to continue on his way.

Ryan heard the pebble hit something and stopped. It had slightly brought him out of his trance and back to reality. He slightly looked up and saw a woman standing not far in front of him. He years her speak an apology but became confused. Why was she saying sorry. She hadn't done anything wrong. She was merely walking down the road nothingwrong with that.

"Iit's quite alright. There is no need to be sorry. Really." As he continued to look at the woman a spark of recognization seemed to instantly hit him. He couldn't quite put when and where but he somehow knew he did. " Pardon me Miss, but you look rather familiar and I was wondering, have we met before?"

Oh, not again... Why did so many people lately think they recognized her? This was an exception in her life so far; she had gotten used to passing everyone by without anyone taking notice of her. So why all of a sudden was she being stopped and spoken to? Maybe it was the hair...maybe she should dye it something more inconspicuous.

Eleonora looked over at the man standing in front of her. He might be someone she had known once, there was a faint shadow of something familiar in his poise, but it was not something she had the energy to think about too hard.

“Maybe, I don't know....maybe.” She repeated, her voice soft and carried away in the slight breeze. She chanced another glance at him and felt the corners of her lips turn up in a very slight smile, as the polite and friendly thing to do.

"Time has slipped away from me haha"

Ryan tried to see into the back of his mind where he had seen her but the memory or thought never surfaced. He slowly extended his hand not knowing if she was the handshake type.

"Well, since it seems we haven't met my name is Ryan Kingsley. And your name would be?"

A light breeze picked up and the leaves seemed to dance around in a rhythmic way making him realize how much he had missed it and meeting this woman probably wouldnt turn out to be such a bad thing. She seemed nice enough but so very familiar maybe that's why he seemed drawn to her. He had an urge to get to know her.
He smiled at her with a truly genuine smile. Something he hadn't done since schooling. It felt foreign and soon slowly faded.

“Nora...” She said as she gently placed her hand in his. Her thick mittens kept her fingers warm and away from his hands, a protective layer that let her feel more comfortable. Ryan Kingsley...it may have rung a bell in her memory, but it didn't explain why he was speaking to her now. Why didn't he just go on his way as all the others around them were doing? Did he want something from her?

When he smiled, though, Eleonora felt her unease at their exchange lessen. It suited him well and she thought she saw a glimmer in his eyes that only sent out feelings of genuine curiosity and good intentions. Of course, she could have been mistaken; she was not known for judging the ways of others with any certainty. Still, when it faded she felt sorry to see it go.

Averting her eyes, Eleonora looked down the street again, not wanting Ryan to think she was focusing too intently on him. Her hand found the curls of her hair, running her fingers through them self-consciously as she pondered over how to proceed. She could make some excuse and scurry back to her office, spend the day locked up with her books and work, alone. The image was inviting, a safe haven, but wasn't her intention today to get out of the castle and distract herself? What better a distraction than a handsome stranger, one who knew nothing of her or her recent ordeals.

“Um...It's nice to meet you. What...brings you to Hogsmeade today?” As the words left her mouth she turned her eyes back to his and felt an unwanted blush creep up her cheeks, knowing full well the way she spoke was telling of her shy nature but forcing herself to engage anyway.

Taking in her shy nature he slipped his hands into his pockets and took a small step back. He had missed a lot being away and he was still trying to get used to the fact of learning how people reacted and interacted with each other. It didn't seem that difficult but he always liked a challenge.

"All the same to you. I just needed to get away and what a more better place than Hogsmeade.You never know, you might find someone worth meeting."

He let out a soft chuckle and winked. "What brings you here, besides just coming to see such a beautiful place?"

Come to think Hogsmeade was such a wonderful sight. Everything seemed right in its place.

Eleonora was relieved as Ryan stepped away from her, letting her regain her comfortable bubble of personal space. He seemed to be polite, up until the wink he gave her. The way he mentioned meeting someone worthwhile paired with that gesture left her feeling an odd mixture of uneasy and embarrassed, uncertain of what exactly he meant.

It was difficult for her to tell what peoples intentions were, especially when she was caught off guard in a situation such as this. In most cases she would not care to attempt an interpretation, instead letting the words pass over her and not take any meaning away. Now, though, a small part of Eleonora hoped there was something more beyond the man's casual words. He might be right, there might be people worth meeting out today and she would never know if she never tried.

Determined to be sociable and not come off as some sort of frightened child, Eleonora smiled back at him, her mittened hand running through her hair mindlessly. “Oh, I was just restocking some things I need. I work up at Hogwarts and, well, it's good to get out of there sometimes...”

Not having heard Hogwarts in a while made something click in his mind. He thought back for a second of his years there. He felt himself zoning out a little and for a split second he forgot where he was. All at once flashes of past years flickered in his mind. Something triggered the memories that seemed to be under lock and key. He quickly shook it away afraid that he would frighten her like so many other people. He didn't want to go through that again, he couldnt be the outcast anymore.

"I know what you mean." He cleared his throat before speaking again.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you teach?"

He didnt want to come across as nosy he was just curious.

“I teach Care of Magical Creatures,” Eleonora responded, this time with a genuine smile as she recalled how much she enjoyed what she did. “It's great, but a little dangerous sometimes. It's kind of hard to keep an eye on all the kids and make sure they don't hurt the creatures or themselves. Oh! But that hasn't happened, so...” She added on quickly, not wanting Ryan to think she was a neglectful professor whose students were in unsafe hands.

Moving to the side as other visitors to the town walked by them in the street, Eleonora thoughtlessly rubbed her hands together and burrowed a little deeper into her scarf. While she was starting to slowly warm up to Ryan, with his polite but insistent questions, her body was still feeling the chill of the clear day around them. While it wasn't so bad walking from place to place standing still let the cold seep in and become uncomfortable.

“What is it that you do?” She asked after a moment, returning her gaze to his face with a slight shiver.

Ryan was glad to hear that she enjoyed what she did and was able to handle it so well. It wasnt surprising but he never heard it a lot. She caught him slightly off guard when she asked it what he did. He didn't know what to say and he tensed up a bit. He didn't want to tell her he did nothing since he was in school.

"  Well, I work around a bit. Nothing big." He rubbed his neck and pulled his collar up. It had gotten colder as the wind started to pick up. He noticed that she as well noticed the cold. You really couldn't miss it.

" Would you mind joining me for a drink?, if it isn't too much of a bother for you." He slightly avoided her gaze to not see her expression. He knew he had only just met her but he thought that this could be a chance to get to know her better. It was also the only way he knew how.

A fleeting look of unease came over Ryan's face when she asked after his career and when he gave a vague answer Eleonora did not press the subject but instead just nodded kindly. She knew well the feeling of wishing to keep silent on certain subjects and would respect that trait in others.

The way he avoided her gaze when he asked for her company was endearing and Eleonora felt a warm smile grace her lips. He might have appeared more confident and open than her but it seemed he had a self-conscious side as well. It made her feel more at ease knowing she wasn't the only one who worried over the reactions of others.

“Oh, um...yes, ok. That sounds nice.” Eleonora felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she agreed, surprised by both his request and her answer. It was fully unlike her to agree to such an invitation. However the thought of returning to Hogwarts just yet was a dark shadow in her mind, promising more lonely corridors and memories that seemed to haunt her when she was alone in her office. A simple drink with the man before her could do no harm, she imagined. The forced interaction might even be good for her and perhaps Ryan was worth the trouble to get to know; he seemed to be friendly and well mannered so far.

Noticing she had been quiet and looking off for a moment Eleonora smiled nervously and motioned down the street towards the Hog's Head where a warm light was shining through the windows. “Is that ok? I think the Three Broomsticks is still closed...”

Ryan was pleased that she agreed. He had wanted to get a drink anyway but it was always better to have company than none at all. His eyes lingered on her for a minute taking in something so familiar yet so very distant. The mention of The Hog's Head sounded nice. He exchanged a smile and motioned forward.

"After you." He was really enjoying the evening and he was going to try to make the most of it while he could because tomorrow could turn out to be a bad day.


(Hard to type a lot on my phone sorry)

“Thank you,” Eleonora said, stepping forward past Ryan. She walked the short distance to the pub, eager to be warm once again.

Once inside the building Eleonora stripped off her gloves and coat, placing them on a chair beside the table they had walked to. As she unraveled her scarf her long hair tousled out from beneath it, falling in curls down her back. She absently ran her hands through it, bringing the mane of red to rest over her shoulders.

She gave a tentative smile to Ryan as she sat down. Now that they were here, sitting across from each other with the prospect of conversation looming in the space between them, Eleonora was quite uncertain how to proceed. She was saved an awkward pause as a waitress appeared, kindly inquiring about what the two would be having.

“Wine, please. A red.” She responded politely, already looking forward to the tart taste of the alcohol she hoped would allow her to speak more easily around her drinking companion. She then took a quick glance around the room while Ryan ordered his drink and the waitress flounced back to the bar.

Being inside the Hogs Head felt good. The laughter and mixture of conversation swirled all around him filling his ears and mind. He found him self sitting across from Nora watching as she ordered her drink from the waitress that had arrived moments before. She was being sensible with just a glass if red wine. He in the other hand almost never got anything like that unless it was an honest occasion. He order a Firewiskey and turned back to her with an intent look.

"I'm going to be fully honest, I'm not good at conversation but I would love to get to know you better so what do you say." He had never been so straightforward but first with the drink and now this. It was like something had been sparkedwhen he met her that made him want to put his walls that he held so securely around him down for a moment and let her know what he was all about.

The way he was looking at her, so intent with his brown eyes seeming to dig right into her, Eleonora almost couldn't look away. She knew again a flush was coming over her pale skin and she thought she might as well paint her face red and be done with it for as much as she seemed to be blushing today. It was hard to help when a stranger, and one so forward as Ryan, was trying to probe into her usually hidden personality. As uncomfortable as it made her to feel his firm gaze on her it also had a thrill to it, something she usually stayed far from.

“Well,” she started, nervously twirling her hair around her fingers as was habitual to her, “that sounds fine. But I'm sure you're better at conversation than you think. Why don't you start, though...I'd like to hear more about you.” Eleonora knew she was diverting the attention away from herself even though Ryan had just told her he wanted to know more, but she also knew she was a better listener than speaker. If she could listen to him, and be genuinely interested as she was,  then perhaps by the time he asked about her again she could already be drinking her wine and have an easier time with her words.

Ryan could tell she was trying to turn the conversation away from herself and onto him. He wasn't one to tell all about himself but sense it ended on his part he wouldn't leave her hanging.

" There isn't much to know. I grew up around these parts, I live alone,  this is one of the places I visit most often. How about you? I would believe that your life is far more exciting than mine."

The waitress had returned with their drinks and set them down. Ryan looked at Nora with interest while taking a sip of the burning liquid. Somehow he would have to get her to talk more.

“Oh, you grew up around here? Did you go to Hogwarts for school?”  

Eleonora graciously accepted her drink, wrapping her hands around the glass as she brought it to her lips. The dry wine, hinting only slightly at a sweetness within, felt wonderful as it passed over her taste buds and washed down her throat. She could feel the small shudder it caused and enjoyed in the way it seemed to go straight to her head, effectively warming her up as well as loosening the vice of shyness that was always upon her.

“Exciting? Maybe...I mean I do get to work with a lot of different creatures,” Her hand fluttered up to the raised scar still fresh on her opposite arm as her eyes lost focus for a moment. Exciting didn't always equate to good. There were many exciting things in her life she wish had never happened, things that would leave more than just physical scars.

Shaking her head slightly, her hair falling forward in an attempt to hide her face, Eleonora put her bleak thoughts far into her mind, instead trying to focus on the here and now and the friendly man sitting patiently across from her. There was no need to dwell on past misfortunes when something better might be right in front of her.

“I spend most of my time up at the school, or around the grounds. There's a lot to see around here if you know where to look...” What was she rambling on about? Surely Ryan didn't want to hear about her hiking explorations, but she found herself speaking more easily the more wine she sipped during the pauses in their conversation.

Ryan could see that she was opening up more the more that she took sips of her wine.  He was glad that she wasn't leaving the conversation only for him. He took another sip of his fire whiskey. The burn it left behind was pleasant and he was enjoying every minute.

"Yes I actually did. You went to Hogwarts I presume.? He listened to what she was saying and he had to be honest with himself. It was interesting. The most interesting thing he did during the day was get the Daily Prophet and that was about it.

He finished off the last of his fire whiskey and motioned for the waitress.
" Do you want another glass of wine Nora?" This was the most he had enjoyed something in a long time and he was not going to let it pass him by.

“Yes, please, I would love another drink.” With her glass nearly empty in front of her Eleonora was feeling the warm rush of the alcohol throughout her system. It was a pleasant feeling and everything around her was becoming more cheery as the outer limits of her vision began to fuzz while she focused on Ryan.

He certainty was friendly, and polite...and handsome. She was glad so did not refuse his offer for a drink. This was a great distraction from all the things, and people, that had been on her mind lately. Enjoying a drink and seemingly consequence free conversation was something she should really do more often.

As she had been thinking she realized her eyes had still been on Ryan and, catching herself, she laughed. That felt good, too, for it was not often lately that she had reason to. “I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare.” Her voice was slowly gaining confidence as she went on. “Well, we look around the same age; maybe we were at the school at the same time? You did say I looked familiar...”

Ryan could tell that the drink was loosing Nora up a bit. She seemed calmer and more relaxed. As they sat waiting for their second round of drinks he heard her laugh and looked over. She confessed that she had been staring at him. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at that.

"No need to apologize I didn't even notice." He leaned back in his chair a bit to get more comfortable and could relax more. He could feel the alcohol taking its course.

"Maybe we did. I feel like I know you from some where and since I haven't been out in a long time we must have."

"We have something in common, then...I don't really get out much either. I guess I, um...get caught up in my work.” It was true, mostly. She did tend to work with the creatures and in the castle most of her time, but the fact that she would rather be doing that than out among other people did not need to be mentioned. It would only make her seem like some sort of unsociable hermit, which she did not want Ryan to think of her as, even if it was the truth.

Swishing her glass in front of her lips, Eleonora took another sip as she pondered what to say next. Extended conversation had never been her strong suit and she feared she was already running out of things to say. It was hard to tell if she was keeping Ryan interested, the way he moved his eyes from one spot to the next, never staying on her for too long.

“Why don't you go out much, if its not too rude of me to ask? You seem...like the type who would be comfortable with other people.” Eleonora looked away from Ryan after she asked, afraid she had crossed a boundary and asked too personal of a question.

Ryan sat up and cleared his throat. He leaned in a little closer as if to tell her a secret. He didn't want to scare her just have her on edge.

"Let's just say people don't like to know me." He backed away and smiled. He took his drink lightly drinking it , his eyes not leaving Nora waiting for her reaction. Most people never wanted his company and this was the longest someone had stayed.

The people around them seemed to increase in noise as it became louder in the room.

Eleonora felt herself faltering under Ryan's cutting stare. He suddenly seemed like a viper to her; harmless when not threatened but turning deadly at a moments notice. It was an unsettling feeling and should have sparked a sense of danger from her, but she had seen that spark of heart in his eyes not long ago and couldn't let that fade from her memory just because something else replaced it momentarily.

Perhaps she could attribute her recklessness to the consumption of the wine in front of her but Eleonora did not make a rushed excuse to leave, did not look around the room for lack of anything to say, but instead kept her eyes on Ryan's and with a small smile and meek voice said, “I would like to know you, if that's ok.”