He felt her fingers lace between his own and he gently closed any gap between their hands. There was something comfortably familiar about this but also a kind of novelty-- just last term they were both here at this very spot but everything about them now seemed morr.... vibrant.

He pressed his feet against the ground as he helped push their swing while listening to her speak about her father. Her grasp tightened and his brows furrowed ever so slightly. He can hear her talk about her father but the subtle action of her hand tensing up as she recounts the episode speaks so much more than what her words can express. She didn’t want anything to do with that man, and him with her, no matter how well meaning he may be-- which of course Vickers has no idea of knowing for certain since he has never met the man. But perhaps he understands this defiance-- if one day his father suddenly sends him a greeting card out of the blue he’d probably end up losing it without so much as a care.

And then she let go of his hand. He took that as her being upset with him, but for the train incident. He felt worse now for it, even when Louisa said It was fine now, her actions spoke volumes more to him (unfortunately for the wrong reasons this time). He drew his hand back to his lap as he dejectedly shifted his eyes on them. Awkward pause and then finally this ”Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” he murmured ruefully, willing himself to look into her eyes to show the sincerity of his words....

.....It was then that he noticed that odd lopping of her hair as it cascades around her face. Distracted brow-furrowing. Was it just his unlikely faulty memory or did her hair not quite look like that when they were touring the Ministry?