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Gryffindoll · 06-14-2015, 04:52 AM

Everybody loves Hogwarts.
Students couldn’t be prouder of the beloved castle they get to call home for most part of the year, and those unfortunate enough not to receive an invitation, dream of racing the moving staircases and finding secret passageways behind talking portraits.
Enchanting as it may be, Hogwarts remains, above all: a school. Which means that Hogwarts students don’t necessarily spend all their time at the castle joking with nearly-headless ghosts, sneaking into forbidden forests, or enjoying a cup of hot chocolate by the fireplace. Like any other student at any other school, magical or otherwise, they have their fair share of responsibilities: homework to get done, tests to study for, grades to improve. Overall, Hogwarts students tend to be hard-working, smart individuals who surpass challenges set by each and every lesson, moving on to higher levels.
There are, however, those classes that are just IMPOSSIBLE for some to pass. And for some Hogwarts students the main culprit tends to be:
Muggle. Studies.

These students can perform a perfect patronus, handle a crying mandrake, predict your untimely demise in a teacup, but they simply can NOT figure out the workings of a “TV remote” no matter how many times they press all the bloody buttons. It looks just like a tel-uh-phony, what is even the point of this thing!? GAHHH.
For these students, a special summer lesson has been put together by Professor Willoughby, Hogwarts’ one and only Muggle Studies master. These students failed all exams and either didn’t turn in their homework, or turned in something that made no more sense than a two-headed dog with chicken legs and fire breath. If these students don’t want to end up repeating the class next term (and I’m more than certain they don’t), they MUST pass the summer lesson, which, in consequence, will take up a good half of their summer break.

So, what is Professor Willoughby’s challenge?
Surviving one month in suburbia.

The worst Muggle Studies students in every House and every year must pack their belongings (without the help of magic) and move to a standard, uniformed suburban home in the middle of a friendly muggle neighbourhood in the outskirts of London. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Well, there’s a catch: the students must give up their wands to Professor Willoughby at the end of term, and they may only retrieve them after successfully completing all challenges set up by the professor. So, absolutely no magic can be performed during the entire month the students spend in this home, performing their daily tasks without the aid of their wands. They must learn to live life… the muggle way.

It’s not all so bad, though. The house is large and comfortable, there’s a pool in the backyard, they get a mini van to drive around, and there’s other youths in the neighbourhood. Just next door is a house occupied entirely by muggle university students, who our muggle-challenged witches and wizards must interact with without raising any suspicion to complete some of their tasks. If they’re nice enough, they could maybe even get the muggles to perform some of these tasks for them. …Long as they’re not caught by the Professor’s ~~pet~~ assistant. There will be one student, the best student, in fact, who is already familiar with all things muggle and will be in charge of making sure that all tasks are completed by his classmates. Should anyone be caught cheating, this student will be in charge of reporting them to Professor Willoughby, and they may permanently lose their wand in consequence.

To help the students stay on track and remember all the tasks they must complete, a chalkboard has been set up in the living room area of the home. Here, the professor’s assistant has listed all the tasks the students must complete, in the order they must be performed. Also, all students have been equipped with the muggle version of a wand - a cellphone. Each cellphone is activated with its own phone number and the students are free to use them as they please, the more they play around with the gadget and experience first-hand muggle technology, the better! But please do try to take it easy on the selfies.

And so, girls and boys… welcome to suburbia! Have fun and try not to get electrocuted by that tricky muggle invention - electricity!

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Hello everyone!
So, since the general RP section of the site is pretty dead, The Amazing Ru (pinecone) and I have decided to start something new that will hopefully get more members involved in RPs outside of the school!
If you’re interested in joining, please just post a bio for your character(s) and we’ll add them to the list below!
You may RP students, muggles, or both. Ru and I will be taking care of the professor and his assistant (we may or may not have some surprises in store for you… ). You may also bring in any necessary extras if a certain scene asks for it, the more realistic we make this, the better! If you have any ideas of extra characters you’d like to add in besides the students and their muggle neighbors, tell us! Want to be a gardener that’s onto them? A thief that breaks into the house at night? A troublesome child that rings the bell and runs away!? ALL CHARACTERS ARE WELCOME. BE CREATIVE!

And for your reference, here is a shot of the board listing all the kids’ challenges. Below is a link to see a larger version.

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VERSION!

Please remember to follow all SS rules while RPing, and, most of all, don’t forget to have FUN!!!

__________________________________________________ ___

CHARACTER LIST:

- Allegra Reynolds
- Serina May Souza
- Leonardo Huntley
- Adam Nicholas Kipling

Gryffindoll · 08-15-2015, 02:21 AM

In her panicked state, Serina snatched the paper and pen from Allegra and scribbled what the person on the other line said. She slammed the receiver down, picked it up again and began to dial the number she had scribbled down.

Except it was completely unreadable.

Taken over by the rush and the panic, Serina had scribbled down something so illegible even she, as the author, could barely decipher it. She had also not been focused enough to even remember what she’d heard. “UGHHHHHHH!!!;JLKJGLJLKJVBHDKFGHDFG!!” After three different tries on what the number she wrote might be, the Slytherin FINALLY made contact with The Wolseley.

But, just as she blurted out her reservation, Adam was hanging up his own phone, reservation already confirmed at the same restaurant.

“TIME!” Willoughby announced. “Boys, you win this round.” The blackboard, which had once contained the kids’ names and their individual points, now held only two titles - “GIRLS” and “BOYS” both with a “1” next to them.

Serina slammed down the receiver of her phone, livid. “WHAT took you so long?!” she hissed at her silent teammate. But, without giving the Ravenclaw a chance to respond (not that she expected her to, anyway), she turned around to face Willoughby once more, arms crossed and gaze drifting off to glare at the two stupid boys.

Adam flashed her a smug, crooked smile, to which the Slytherin girl responded by rolling up the paper she’d scribbled on earlier and throwing it straight at him. The boy looked past her then and at the Ravenclaw beside her, his smile straightening and becoming more sincere while he shrugged his shoulders as if to say “sorry and not sorry.” It was weird, this situation. Because regardless of whether the girls won or the boys won, team Adegra would still get to keep half of the winning points. So, in a way, they couldn’t really lose.

“Ms. Souza! PLEASE!” They were doing SO well, why couldn’t they behave for five straight minutes?! “Now, for your next challenge……..”

( Willoughby’s tears)

Serina had lost one of her fluffy slippers, her once-straightened hair was in a puff around her head, and at some point she had managed to scrape her left knee and chip the paint on one nail. Adam, on the other hand, looked much of the same, except there was dirt on the knees of his jeans and at some point he had managed to stain his green t-shirt with white paint. But, 457384634 hours later, they were all still alive.

The scoreboard in the living room read:
GIRLS - 72
BOYS - 72

A breathless Willoughby, even more exhausted than his young teenage students for obvious reasons, despite the fact that he wasn’t even participating in these challenges, squatted slightly, hands on knees. He took a moment to catch his breath before standing straight. He couldn’t do this anymore. The kids had been tied for the past six hours, their competitive nature was so fierce that it had reached a point where they just synced, completing or failing the same challenges at the same time.

It wasn’t only the challenges that had worn out the old man. It was their constant bickering, too!! They were like a bunch of fickle old ladies at the country club, finding the stupidest of excuses to throw someone else under the bus! He’d never seen humanity sink so low!! He was done with it, fed up, ready for it all to end. And he was certain the kids were too.

“One challenge…. ONE LAST challenge… and this is over.” He made a gesture, crossing both arms through the air, to signify ‘over’. There was no way they could tie on this one. There simply wasn’t.

Serina was almost bouncing from one slipper-clad foot to the barefoot other, hazel eyes wide, alert, waiting for the sand clock of doom to be turned over. Adam was still, arms crossed, silently listening.

“…There is no time limit for this,” started Willoughby. “You may have noticed there is a mailbox just a few yards down the frontyard. First group to get the mail and bring it back to me wins.”

Normally, such a trivial challenge would have puzzled and offended Serina, and she would have argued over the relevance of it with the overall competition, but she just wanted to be DONE with this already. So she said nothing, and instead waited quietly through the next excruciatingly long five seconds before Willoughby shouted,

“GO!”
And with that, the old man collapsed on the couch.

pinecone · 08-15-2015, 02:28 AM

72 to 72!?

After so many different challenges, both Allegra and Leo were done. This was too much for one day, too many small issues that required muggle knowledge. Too many tiny things that Willoughby could do easily that they struggled tremendously to defeat. They were hours in and it felt like it might never end -- every corner of the house seemed to have a challenge!

Allegra hated this. Her knee was scraped, her hands covered in paper cuts, and during a particularly nasty battle with a vacuum, she accidentally hit herself in the face, forcing her bottom lip to bleed. Go here to do that, go there and see to that, all working with Serina no less who was treating her better than normally but turned vicious at the slightest mistake. After the pen incident, it only got worse. Their small alliance for this event only was deteriorating before her very eyes. More than anything she wanted a long shower, pajamas, and to fall asleep anywhere immediately.

But she couldn't, because Willoughby was torturing them. She understood they messed up yesterday, but this was really over the line. He wasn't really hurting them in any way, but these tedious tasks were exhausting on the mind more than anything else. Everything was a panic, everything had a time limit. Perhaps he was trying to teach them about muggle game shows more than anything else...

Leo, too, was exhausted. His shirt was now even more torn up and his golden hair ruffled beyond recognition, looking more like a mop than a haircut. He knew he had wronged Willoughby but this was truly annoying. Doing all of these tasks just to end up TIED, of all things?? As he waited for the announcement of the last challenge, he cringed, assuming it would be the worst one yet. Like... y'know, make a muggle radio from scratch or claw your eyes out, both sounded equivalently painful to the young man who found it difficult to remember why he had joined this competition. He hated Muggle Studies.

Oh, right. The semester off. Willoughby's grand prize was an A+ for the entire spring semester, awarded to the last person standing in the house. If you won, you'd have an automatic A. No homework from his class, no tests, no papers, you didn't even have to attend. Just win this competition, and you were free of Muggle Studies for the rest of the year. And Leo wanted to be out of this class. But these kind of challenges were not fun. He thought they'd all be like the car racing, that he could do whatever he wanted and at least touch muggle things and be fine. Maybe he assumed he could goof around until everyone got bored of being stuck in the house and ran off. But it was clearly not going that way for him, the other students only seeming to root themselves into the competition all the more with each passing day.

He was exhausted and he hated these meaningless tasks. Who cared how to replace a light bulb when you were a wizard? He was never going to need to do that in his life after this school, and after hours of doing such tasks, he felt awful. TIME FOR SLEEP WILLOUGHBY. The time has come for you to LEAVE. Get out. Go. Please. Night time. Toodle-loo. LEEEEEAVE. He wanted to scream it at the older man but they were so close to being done. One last competition for the day. One last tie-breaker.

Everyone got silent as he opened his mouth to announce it. And then, as casually as ever, he told them:

"First group to get the mail and bring it back to me wins.”

No. That was too simple, that was too easy. It had to be some kind of trick, Allegra was sure of it. Why would he have them do all of these complex muggle tasks only to have them get the mail as the tie-breaker. She spent just a moment too long contemplating this, as she soon found herself being shoved aside as Leo ran past EVERYONE and used his long legs to stride out of the front door. Allegra bolted after him, a blur of pale skin and brown hair. She was NOT going to lose to Leo, like THIS.

Gryffindoll · 08-15-2015, 02:42 AM

When Willoughby announced what the (EXTREMELY ridiculous and pointless) final challenge would be, Adam considered sitting it out. Leo had already shot past all of them at the speed of light, and if he won, that meant that he, as his teammate, won as well. Perfect. Except Willoughby had sat up on the couch only to glare at him and mutter between gritted teeth, as if reading his mind, “Mr. Kipling, if you don’t move, you’re officially disqualified.”

Fiiiiiiinnnneeeeeeeeeee.

And unlike the boy, Serina needed no threats to get moving. She’d already been bouncing on her feet, ready for whatever fast-paced challenge Willoughby would throw at them, and before the man could even fully finish his sentence, she was already halfway through the door. All he’d needed to say was “mailbox,” the rest was a given.

She didn’t make it very far though, as only a second later Leo came out of absolutely NOWHERE and shoved her right out of the way, like some insignificant peasant. HOW DARE HE?!?!?!?!?! Growling and suddenly re-energized with a burst of fury, the tall girl sprinted past her teammate and right behind the Gryffindor boy. “STOP. RIGHT. THERE!” She clung to the collar of his shirt from behind, practically choking the boy. “MOVE!!!” She pulled with all her strength and shoved him aside, moving past him.

Adam was meanwhile somewhere in the back, running only when he caught Willoughby looking through the window.

pinecone · 08-15-2015, 02:55 AM

Leo was winning, he was running in slow motion like a track star, he felt like he was flying towards the mail box. No one could stop him! No one could keep him from the victory that was his! -- That was, until he felt a claw grab the collar of his shirt and jerk him backwards abruptly. He then heard Serina's voice and he knew immediately that the Slytherin girl had caught up to him and was now trying to CHOKE HIM. "GRAAAAAAAH!" he groaned as he was shoved aside, rubbing his throat momentarily before zooming after her. If there was one thing his long legs were good for, it was this.

Allegra, on the other hand, did not have long legs like Serina or Leo. She had short legs, as she was a short girl, and though the distance to the mail box wasn't far, it was still more energy than she could muster to try and fight Leo off of Serina. More than likely she'd get the brunt of the Slytherin girl's injuries on accident, just by being there. And so she slowed, panting softly to herself and padding to a half-hearted jog, not seeming to really care at this point anymore. Her lip was bleeding, her knee hurt, and she was tired. It was time for this to be done.

Leo wanted this to be done, too. And he wanted Serina to lose, more than anything else in the world. He had every intention of tackling the smaller girl, all pride and sense of courtesy out the window, just to drag her down so he might reach the mail sooner. Perhaps it was karma catching up with him for the mere idea, or maybe he was just too clumsy and tired to accomplish such a thing, but a rock tripped him as he leapt towards her.

A rock.

A stupid, tiny, annoying little rock jutting out of the grass just a foot from where Serina was ahead of him, and he tripped over it, not even able to grab her ankle or anything as he fell. It was a short distance to the mail box and he seemed aware of what this stumble meant, Adam nowhere in sight. The girls. Had. Won.

"NOOOOOOOOOoooOOOooOooOOooOOooo!"

Gryffindoll · 08-15-2015, 03:15 AM

HA!!!
HAH!!!!!!!!!
HA-HAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE MAILBOX WAS HERS. HERS AND ONLY HERS!!!! The stupid Gryffindor boy had fallen, her partner was somewhere 98 miles behind, and Sloth Boy was, well, moving like a sloth. VICTORY WAS HERS.

It is safe to assume at this point that Serina had finally cracked and fallen into a mental breakdown. One eye twitched and her hands were jittery as they sloppily opened the tiny mailbox door so forcefully, she ripped it off completely. She grabbed all the junk mail inside, bundled it up, and hid it under her robe as if afraid some coupon-loving burglar might come out of nowhere and demand the booklet with all of Costco’s latest offers.

Moving in long strides, at the same dizzying speed as before, Serina hopped over Leo’s body on the floor, past Mute Girl, past Sloth Boy, and through the front door of the cottage. She stumbled into the living room, collapsed, crawled the rest of her way to where Willoughby sat, dumped the mail unceremoniously on one of the cushions, got to her feet, and crawled her way up the staircase. Not a single word leaving her lips. Her legs felt like they were made of jello; she was an athletic girl with a lean build, it was true, but even an Olympian couldn’t keep up with the amount of pressure Willoughby had placed on the students that painfully long day.

She won. She didn’t care for announcements, for points on a board, she just wanted to lay in the bathtub with her favourite bubble bath and disappear for two years. And that’s exactly what she did. Except for the disappearing part. Sorry, guys.

Once the other students were gathered inside, Willoughby stood to greet them.

“Ah… Well! Congratulations to Ms. Souza and Ms. Reynolds! You are the winners of today’s challenge!” Willoughby announced with forced excitement. He was too tired, it was as if he’d been the one doing the running. “As the winning team, you get twenty-five points each. As for the losing team…” Willoughby turned to the boys then. He paused. “….Nothing, you lose.”

Honestly, he was too exhausted to even think of a punishment for them. To have gone through everything they went through that whole day, to not even benefit from it was cruel and unusual punishment in itself.

pinecone · 08-15-2015, 03:34 AM

Allegra watched with wide eyes as a crazed, exhausted Serina ripped the door off of the mailbox and grabbed everything inside, racing past them all without a second glance and crawling her way to the front of the group. Allegra herself couldn't care any less about this competition anymore, but she was suddenly concerned Serina might be having an actual mental breakdown. And she wasn't exactly a party in her normal mindset.

But by the time she entered the house, the Slytherin girl was up the stairs and out of sight, a gift Allegra was grateful for. Willoughby announced the girls the ultimate victors and the young girl raised a hand in a half-hearted show of excitement. Woooo, they won. After hours, they had won. She honestly couldn't have cared one way or another, but the mention of twenty-five points made her ears perk up. Still, it wasn't enough to make this better. Nothing could make this better.

Only a shower could make this better-- It was then, after the victory had been decided and Allegra prepared to cross the room and go up the stairs, that she realized where Serina had gone. The bathroom. She was going to take one of her two hour long baths, and force the rest of them to wait forever before they could clean up and fall asleep. This realization seemed to finally break the Ravenclaw girl, it was the last straw, and she collapsed in the middle of the living room, sliding onto the floor with a high pitched cry of desperation.

This was the end. She would have to die here, on this carpet, in the middle of the living room. She couldn't move and she couldn't even fathom the concept of arguing with Serina for the bathroom at this moment. And so she laid on the carpet, her entire body sore and exhausted, knowing it would be forever until she would gain the strength to get up again.

Leo could hear his fate from outside, where he still laid on the grass mourning his loss, roaring at nothing in particular. Nothing. He got nothing. And now he was so tired he couldn't move, Willoughby would have to peel him off of this ground because he was DONE.

Speaking of Willoughby, the older man cleared his throat with a sigh. "Right. Well. Goodnight everyone," he said, loud enough for Leo to hear even outside. "As you might remember, this coming weekend is a Hogsmeade trip for the students in the castle. I will be attending as a chaperone, and gone for most of the weekend. Unfortunately you're not allowed to attend, but there won't be any further challenges this weekend, so you'll get a break as well. Enjoy it and please don't kill one another. Goodnight." And with that, he was out of the door before anyone could complain to him or ask for more points or ask him to do anything, really. Multiple hours of a tie wasn't what he had in mind for his entire day. The sun was finally lowering in the sky and he was going to return to the castle and monitor these beasts from afar, where he could be safe. In fact, maybe he wouldn't monitor them tonight. Maybe he'd let the other students in the castle be his eyes and ears. Yes, that sounded like a good plan.

Gryffindoll · 08-15-2015, 03:51 AM

It seemed Serina’s eternal bath was breaking more than just one heart. Like Allegra, Adam too was in desperate need of a shower. He was still in yesterday’s clothes, for Circe’s sake! He wanted to burn this outfit, to never see it again. However, it was only one of three he’d brought with him to the house, so it would have to do until they were free to return to the castle. And also like his Ravenclaw housemate, the boy knew there was no point in trying to fight Serina out of the bathroom at that moment. Or ever, really. Also, he wanted to die. Well not literally but he was so tired he kind of just wanted to collapse and stop existing for a little while.

It was like Serina’s bath pressed a pause button on the rest of the house.

Adam found the strength at least to walk to the kitchen, where he proceeded to pour himself a glass of ice-cold water and drink it. And then another. And another. Aaaand another. AND another. He stopped drinking by the seventh glass. ALL THIS TIME running around the house and the surrounding area of it, Willoughby hadn’t even allowed them a snack break! A WATER break! NOTHING!!! They could’ve died, passed out, anything!

Almost zombie-like, Adam just stood in the middle of the kitchen for a long moment, staring out the window that offered a view to the Forbidden Forest. After a minute or so of just standing there, like merely standing still was a treat in itself, the boy poured yet another glass of water. But he didn’t drink it.

Glass in hand, Adam walked out of the kitchen and to the living room. He sat down on the carpet, beside Allegra, and gently placed the glass of water next to her. Then he laid down, closed his eyes, and gave in to sleep.

pinecone · 08-15-2015, 04:05 AM

Allegra's eyes only opened once more as she felt someone's footsteps approaching, turning her head ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of Adam sitting down next to her and setting something at her side. Then he laid down beside her and seemed to fall asleep near immediately. She had no energy to examine his face or study his expression, she barely had energy to do anything. She just barely managed to get herself up just enough to eagerly grab the glass of water, suddenly realizing she hadn't had a drop of water all day. Perhaps Willoughby actually was trying to kill them...

Moments later, the glass was drained of all liquid and she set it down on the nearest coffee table, laying back down with a silent wince of pain. Her entire body was exhausted. Mindlessly, she found herself invading Adam's personal space once again, closing the space between them quietly as per usual. Eyes already closed, the girl was half asleep already as she curled up against Adam's side, sneaking her way beneath his arm and burrowing her head against his chest. She couldn't even think about what this would mean or who would think what, all she wanted to do was fall asleep as comfortably as possible.

Leo, on the other hand, had just managed to get himself up. He wobbled towards the front door, his legs feeling like jell-o, and stumbled grumpily up the stairs. He ignored the annoying couple on the floor, he ignored the stupid scent of girly bath bubbles wafting from the bathroom, he ignored everyone and marched into his room, closing the door behind him.

This. Meant. WAR.

Gryffindoll · 08-15-2015, 04:38 AM

Two hours later, Serina emerged from the bathroom a new woman.
She smelled of lavender and chamomile, her shoulder-length hair was perfectly straight (some muggle tools she had no problems immediately getting the hang of? Hair dryers and straighteners), the colour back on her lightly tanned face, her lean frame in her favourite green silky PJs and her feet in a new pair of matching fuzzy green slippers (she never found the pink one that went missing, neither did she care for it anymore).

The girl was lightly humming a cheerful tune to herself as she walked down the stairs, only to find Adegra all cuddled up on the floor. The sight would have been cute, were they not a pair of weirdos and if they didn't look like a tractor had ran them over. SHEESH. Some people had no self-respect!

It seemed she didn't realize SHE was the reason everyone in the house still looked a mess.

Quietly and very carefully, the Slytherin tip-toed her way toward the couple. She pulled out her glass brick, shot a photo of them, sent it to her connections back in the castle, and walked away to the kitchen where she proceeded to pour herself a glass of pumpkin juice and prepare some toast with strawberries.

Sitting on a barstool by the kitchen island, she savored the first and last meal of the day (how none of these kids are dead from starvation is beyond me). Life was finally good again...

~*NEXT DAY*~

The sun had only been out for a little over an hour, washing the interior of the picturesque cottage with golden rays of warmth, beauty, and love... Ah, it was a brand new day, a day of leisure, far away from Willoughby and far away from responsibilities.

As the students back in Hogwarts castle began to prepare for the upcoming Hogwarts trip, Serina was deep in the most glorious of sleep. Never had a cheap, wooden bed felt as good as it did after a long day of torture. Even Adam, who awoke the next morning with an awful ache on every bone in his body, partially from the past day's activities and partially from having slept on the hard carpet floor, felt new and refreshed. Well, maybe not refreshed. This was the third morning in a row he was in the same clothes and it was getting ridiculous. But even that couldn't ruin the boy's spirits.

It was the WEEKEND.
Willoughby was GONE. They were free! No more stupid challenges, no more mystery notes on blackboard, no more cars, no more phones, no more NOTHING but peace and relaxation. Exactly the kind of lifestyle Adam lived for.

The Slytherin turned onto his back, stretched his limbs, and yawned loudly. But even after shaking the sleepiness off his body, he didn't stand. Instead, he turned his head in the direction of the girl that lay curled up like a tiny kitten beside him, the sunlight landing directly on her pretty face.

Adam smiled faintly at this, absentmindedly examining the length of her eyelashes. The curve of her nose. The fullness of her lips. Do not. Seriously do not, Kipling. He moved on to her tiny, cold hands cuddled up almost protectively before her. He wondered vaguely if they'd be as cold as the last time she touched him, but decided best to keep wondering, as it would probably look horribly creepy and awkward if she woke up right when he was doing an analysis of her fingers.

Instead, he turned his head and stared up at the ceiling. He should probably get up. Shower. Change out of these filthy clothes. But he couldn't be bothered right this second.

pinecone · 08-15-2015, 04:56 AM

Allegra couldn't be bothered to wake up any time soon.

There was just no opportunity for it, her body and mind were too tired to take any notice of the morning sunlight streaming through the windows and flooding onto the floor where she still laid at Adam's side. She seemed unaware of his being awake, unaware that it was even morning yet, her large eyes still closed to the new day and all that came with it.

But she seemed aware in some sense, vaguely understanding that the boy once at her side had now drifted somewhat away from her, just barely. Eyes closed and still very much asleep, she moved much less gracefully than was her usual habit, her sleepiness making her movements heavier. But still she managed to close the few inches between the two of them on the floor, scooting towards him, her brows furrowing ever so slightly in her slumber as her body grappled with the discomfort of the floor beneath them.

In the next moment she had nudged his arm up slightly so she might burrow herself beneath it and allow her face to poke up on the other side, resting now on his chest. Her lips parted in a soft yawn before they closed once more comfortably and very suddenly she nuzzled him mercilessly, cuddling up to the young man without sheepishness, still very much asleep.

Her legs had been curled up against her chest in the fetal position for most of the night, creating the slightest barrier between herself and Adam in the night. A protective barrier, a guard of sorts. But now her legs slipped down comfortably and allowed her to get as close as possible to Adam, cuddling up to his torso without embarrassment, something that would never occur if she was awake.

And somewhere in the depths of the upstairs landing, a lion slowly stirred.

Gryffindoll · 08-15-2015, 05:26 AM

Adam wasn’t sure what time it was, but he knew it was early (at least for him, who never woke up before noon on a weekend). So this is what it felt like to wake up like a normal person. At a normal time. Except normal people slept in beds, and he hadn’t seen his for two nights.

And slowly but surely, that inevitable feeling on uncontrollable hunger began to creep up on the boy, squeezing at his empty stomach. It was at that moment that he realized he hadn’t had any food yesterday, except for the few brief times Willoughby’s challenges included food, which had only been about two or three, and all the kids were able to take from it was a bite. Yearning for a cup of hot chocolate, Adam considered the idea of walking to the kitchen. But the thought left his mind as quickly as it had arrived, as beside him a tiny bundle of messy clothes stirred. Adam turned to look at his teammate, ready to wish her a good morning, when she began to nudge at his arm instead.

The boy allowed himself to become an adjustable body pillow, reacting to each of the girl’s nudges and sleepy commands by positioning himself whichever way was most comfortable for her. In the end, he ended up with a cuddly sleeping Ravenclaw using his chest as head pillow, the top of her head just under his chin, though when she nuzzled against him, her head hit his chin at one point and caused the boy to accidentally bite his tongue. Ow. Team Adegra for all the awkward awards.

Adam lifted the arm that Allegra had nudged a moment ago, and let it wrap around her back, hand absentmindedly rubbing her upper arm gently, keeping her warm. Once the Ravenclaw seemed content with her use of him as her own personal pillow, the boy looked up at the ceiling again. He had to make an exhausting effort not to laugh when he saw the lightbulbs they had changed the day before, remembering when Allegra eagerly turned on the electricity, only to nearly fry Leo’s fingers off.

Just thinking about it the boy almost burst out laughing again, but he settled with just grinning stupidly to himself in an effort not to disturb the sleeping girl.

Serina awoke about a half hour later. Feet warm in her slippers, the girl hurried downstairs, not for any specific reason to hurry but just because she could. She had her energy back, and every intention to use it.

“Oh, for Circe’s sake.” The Slytherin rolled her eyes as she walked past Adegra.

“Shh.”

“Whatever.” She disappeared into the kitchen and began to prepare herself breakfast, plates and pots and pans echoing loudly. Maybe it was on purpose. Or maybe it was just too quiet outside and the noise was therefore more noticeable. Whatever the reason, Serina was unapologetic.

pinecone · 08-15-2015, 05:46 AM

Allegra woke up to the sound of banging pans in the kitchen, their distant clanging creating a cacophony of noise that echoed throughout the house. It was the last thing she wanted to hear at this moment, she wanted to continue to sleep and also never see Serina's face ever again. Her intense competitive expressions from the day before were now burned into the back of Allegra's memory forever, she could do without looking upon the Slytherin girl's face for the entire weekend if it was physically possible.

But alas, as the sound continued, she was unable to fall back asleep and her large gray eyes finally fluttered open to find...cotton. She was...staring at someone's cotton...t-shirt? Confused, she slowly begin to stir, pulling her head back slightly until the image became more clear. A t-shirt, attached to a young man, a young man who was wide awake and allowing her to use him as some kind of pillow.

Her eyes widened and she immediately sat up, though she quickly found resistance. There was an arm around her! As she sat up she felt it fall back to the floor and she turned back to Adam with mild embarrassment and slight fear behind her gaze. She was right next to him. Like, as close as she possibly could be. And he was wide awake -- how long had he been awake for!? She had kept him on the floor! He was wide awake and he let her keep him there when he was probably hungry or in need of something which required getting up!

How long had he been awake, and seeing her like this!? The idea clearly seemed to frighten the girl who didn't enjoy the idea of not being in control of everything, and she opened her mouth as if to ask him when she realized.

He must've let her stay there for the show. For the cameras. Nothing was cuter than the dream couple cuddling after a long day of competition in which they'd been pitted against one another. And now here he was, continuing the charade.

But what frightened her was that the whole subconscious cuddling thing wasn't planned, she just -- well, she just felt very comfortable with him and she was tired, and she fell asleep! That was all. But it made her feel very vulnerable, to think that he saw her this way, unguarded and clearly not pretending, when it was more than likely he was only allowing her to stay that way for the sake of their fake alliance.

She continued to stare at him, not sure what to say or do, her brows furrowing ever so slightly before she quickly got to her feet and...well, she went and hid. Not the best power move, but she had to hide somewhere and she was long overdue for a shower. She disappeared for ten minutes or so and re-emerged smelling once again of lavender, her wet, clean hair falling against her shoulders as she walked down the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen.

It was around this time that a young lion emerged from his bedroom, looking much better than he usually did around the house. Dressed in a pair of well-fitted jeans and a dress shirt, his golden curls were combed and styled just enough to appear effortless, his blue eyes awake with an idea. Apparently he had snuck in a shower some time in the middle of the night, dressed, and been planning ever since. The tiniest hint of reckless abandon was shining behind his blue eyes as he walked downstairs and stopped at the foot of the spiral staircase, grinning.

"Ladies, gents," he bellowed loudly to the entire first floor, "I think I have solved our Willoughby problem."

Gryffindoll · 08-16-2015, 02:30 AM

Adam had fallen into thoughts of Ana and Elsa again, brows furrowed as he wondered of their origin and making. Maybe they WERE real people. Maybe some muggles just had perfect skin and beautiful buggy eyes. Normally this was a topic of little interest to the Slytherin, but in that moment, where his only distraction was the ceiling over his head, anything was up for debate, and anything could hold the secret to the meaning of life.

And then Allegra stirred.
The Slytherin turned his head, seeing only the top of her own as she moved, her silvery eyes fluttering open. As the girl sat up, it was confirmed she was officially awake. Serina’s kitchen orchestra must’ve done the trick. Adam smiled faintly. “Morning.”

And in the next second, the Ravenclaw had sprinted out of sight. ….Wait what?! “Wai—!” Adam sat up abruptly, successfully slamming his head onto a corner of the coffee table. “Ow!” Wincing, he placed a hand on his head and stood slowly. Seemed like today wasn’t a good day to be Adam Kipling’s lanky body.

The boy disappeared into the kitchen, where he received a maliciously cheery “Good morning!” from his fellow Slytherin. He gave into his earlier craving for hot chocolate and walked out just as Allegra passed on her way to the kitchen. Adam furrowed his brows at her, as if asking what’s wrong? as she walked past him into the kitchen. He continued and headed upstairs for a MUCH needed shower.

Serina was sitting at the dining table with a plate of waffles, strawberries, grapes, and a glass of orange juice when Leo arrived. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of him. This was probably the neatest he’d looked since this competition started, and it was a specially shocking upgrade when the last she’d seen of him was face-down in the front yard looking like a broken puppet.

“I think I have solved our Willoughby problem.”

Serina’s right eyebrow raised further.
OH, REALLY?
She was scared to, but asked anyway: “And how’s that?” If anything, the Lion cub struck her more as a problem maker, not a solver.

pinecone · 08-16-2015, 03:16 AM

Allegra tried to ignore him, but couldn't help herself as Adam passed by her in the kitchen, turning to watch as he made his way upstairs for what she assumed to be a shower. She didn't know what to tell him, what to say. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be acting around him all the time, if the cameras were the only thing she should be acting for.

But she became distracted as Leo waltzed down the stairs, claiming to have an answer to their Willoughby problem. She was just as upset about the day before as everyone else, but she wouldn't necessarily call it the Willoughby problem. This is what they signed up for, what they agreed to.

She leaned against one of the counters, gathering some damp paper towels so she might put pressure on her lower lip which was still mildly bleeding from the events of the day before. Allegra still felt exhausted, still entirely tired from the day before. The floor wasn't the best place to recharge, though Adam had served as a valuable companion...

She washed these thoughts from her mind as Serina broke the silence and her eyes widened slightly at Leo's next words. He leaned against the nearest counter top, a proud grin sweeping across his naturally tan expression: "What we need, is a solid, break," he announced to the two girls in the kitchen.

He paused for a moment, serving a glance to the nearest camera in the kitchen, before he calmly and quietly approached it. He smiled charmingly into its lens before climbing onto the counter-tops and grabbing it in his right hand, ripping it unceremoniously from its wiring in the walls. The camera disconnected ungracefully, but was disconnected nonetheless, covered in loose wiring as he dropped it to the floor beneath him.

He turned maliciously to the girls in the kitchen, pure mischief on his expression. "I think it's time we threw a house party for this little cottage of ours." He announced it loud and proud, knowing now that no camera could see him whilst in the kitchen, knowing that Willoughby couldn't hear him at least for the time being. "I think we deserve it." He flashed a grin to the two girls.

Gryffindoll · 08-16-2015, 03:28 AM

A break? A break? THAT was Huntley’s big plan?
Serina rolled her eyes. “In case you missed the memo, Willoughby already gave us a break. We’re not doing any challenges for the rest of the weekend.” SIGH. She knew she’d been naive to get her hopes up, thinking that the unpredictable lion might actually have a functioning, worthwhile plan.

The next bit, she did not expect. In one swift and sloppy motion, Lion Boy tore one of the cameras from its spot in a corner of the ceiling. Was he mad??!?!?!??!?!?! Willoughby was going to KILL him! ……..Or, better yet, disqualify him. Though that probably wouldn’t be happening until Monday, with Willoughby gone for Hogsmeade for the weekend.

“I think it’s time we threw a house party…”
Serina blinked.
Oh. Oh… Okay. THAT actually sounded like a plan. …………That actually sounded like a good plan. A wise plan? No, not at all. But a good plan nonetheless, one she could actually root for. “A party?” she mused, chewing softly on her waffle, thoughtful. She liked the sound of this, yes… But how were they going to get away with it? “How do we know Willoughby won’t crash it five minutes into it?” she asked. Did the lion’s plan go that far?

pinecone · 08-16-2015, 05:24 AM

Leo's eyes rolled as Serina predictably doubted him, wondering aloud how a party might work without Willoughby cancelling it five minutes in. As if he hadn't thought about that! Pfffffft.

He had been planning all night. Working on only a couple select hours of sleep, it was clear that Leo Huntley was a tad under the weather. He had dressed for the occasion, but soft bags under his eyes revealed his true state, the slightest madness shining behind his handsome blue eyes as he turned to look at the two girls in the kitchen.

Allegra rolled her eyes, not bothering to pay the slightest attention as she began to rifle through the fridge. If Huntley wanted to get himself kicked out in a particularly spectacular way, that was his business. She would have no part in it.

Leo turned to Serina, sensing she was his best audience. She had the most friends back in the castle; just like him, she had fans, she had a clique. She was popular just as he was, if not even more so. He could tell she was missing her posse just as much as he was missing his. "Didn't you hear him last night?" Leo mused, crossing the kitchen to lean against the table Serina was currently eating breakfast upon, "He's going to be gone all weekend for the Hogsmeade trip." He paused, letting this sink in on his fellow competitors. "Meaning..." He paused once more, waiting for one of the girls to fill in the blanks.

When they didn't, he rolled his eyes. "Meaning, he'll be away from the camera monitors..." he explained, his light eyes drifting between the two girls in excitement. "I have a number of friends who have been wanting to see how the muggle side of life works, I'm sure. A number of friends who won't be on the Hogsmeade trip..." His gaze flitted between Allegra and Serina. "A number of friends who will want to come over for a different kind of weekend...?"

He let out an exasperated roar to himself as he saw no immediate excitement arise, rolling his eyes once more before realizing one was missing. "Where is ADAM!?" Leo demanded, letting his voice ring through the house towards the upstairs loft area. "Surely he must be ready to get some other people in here. This tiny selection of girls has led him into the arms of a freak." Leo matched Allegra's gaze as he said it, winking seamlessly so it took a trained eye to even notice. It would seem that Allegra's resistance to jumping into his arms immediately led to a mild bitterness in Leo's normally carefree disposition.

Gryffindoll · 08-16-2015, 05:43 AM

Serina bit into one of her strawberries as the Gryffindor lion made a number of points clear: Willoughby was completely gone for the weekend, and he (Huntley) had friends who wanted to learn more about muggle life. At this, the girl scoffed, obviously not really understanding the hidden message behind it all and taking Leo’s words quite literally. “Your plan for this great party is to invite a bunch of nerds?!” Of ALL people Serina wanted to ever see again, nerds were NOT on the list.

The lion was freaking out now, doing his roaring thing and demanding the presence of the only other boy in the house. As if summoned, like a genie from a lamp, a freshly-showered Adam turned into the kitchen at that precise second, jumping a foot into the air when his name was roared to his face. “What—what???”

Serina ignored Lion Boy’s meltdown and the startled Slytherin that stood beside him. “I support this plan,” she announced, as if the entire room had been waiting for her blessing. “BUT we’re not inviting nerds. Only people we know and trust can be here - that means no weirdos, no losers, no freaks. Normal people.” Having to live with Mute Girl and Sloth Boy was more than enough for her, she was ready to see normal people again, to see her friends.

Adam only frowned with confusion at the girl's list of orders. What in Merlin’s beard was she going on about?

pinecone · 08-16-2015, 06:14 AM

Leo only grinned as Serina mentioned she wanted only normal people at this gathering, no nerds, no freaks, just normal people. When she gave her blessing, Leo could've melted right there on the spot. The Slytherin princess had never been more attractive to him than at that moment. Someone who understood him!

A cheshire-like grin spread across his tan expression, his light eyes narrowing in on Serina in particular. "Someone finally speaks my language," he observed, gazing at her as if she'd answered his prayers with the one statement. "No weirdos, no geeks," he agreed solemnly, as if this was a reasonable thing to ask of him. He raised a hand as if taking a vow.

Allegra wasn't truly listening, used to zoning idiots like Leo out entirely. Instead, her light gray eyes focused on Adam as he entered the room, scanning his expression without realizing her gaze was focused on him. In the next moment she spotted something different about his face.

Was that some kind of red mark above his eyebrow? Her own brows furrowed, gray eyes zooming like a hawk. She hadn't been there to witness him hit his head against the coffee table, having run off before it occurred, but now her mildly concerned eyes zoomed in on the resulting issue. Allegra seemed to forget the only camera in the room had been ripped out, making it unclear if she was moving towards Adam because of their plan or something else.

But in the next moment she was at his side, removing the damp paper towel from her lip and gently placing it on the red mark above his eyebrow as if this alone would heal him entirely. Well, not this alone. In the next moment she leaned up and placed a soft kiss to the young man's cheek bone.

"THIS, is exactly why we need fresh blood in here!" Leo fumed in exasperation, running a hair through his perfectly disheveled gold hair. He gestured to Adegra in frustration, turning to Serina in hopes she would understand his pain.

Gryffindoll · 08-16-2015, 06:39 AM

Serina smirked in Lion Boy’s direction. For the first (and probably last) time in her short life, the Slytherin Princess found herself actually agreeing to an idea suggested by the Gryffindor boy. Not only did she agree with the idea, but she was willing to work on it with him. This was, of course, as much to her benefit as his. Actually, this party benefited everybody, and it was rather mental that Mute Girl and Sloth Boy weren’t acting a little more excited about it. Talk about ungrateful.

“Perfect.” Finishing off her strawberry with one last bite, Serina stood, her breakfast only half-finished. She had more important matters to tend to now. “I will go ahead and inform my people, you get in touch with yours,” she instructed to the Gryffindor, a sparkle to her hazel eyes. She seemed to see the boy at a different level now - as an actual teammate, the way she’d seen Allegra the day before. But of course, knowing Serina, these alliances were often short-lived and cut the second she stopped benefitting from them.

It was at that moment that Huntley pointed out Adegra, who were OF COURSE, being their usual mushy selves. Filth! Serina scrunched her nose disapprovingly at the nauseating sight. “Eurgh. Let’s not wait ’til sundown for this party.” She’ll literally cry if she has to witness another moment of affection between the two weirdest people in the house.

Adam was obviously paying no attention to the conversation between Serina and Leo anymore, and therefore remained totally out of the loop. His attention was on the Ravenclaw that had approached him instead, gently pressing a damp paper towel to the spot where he’d hit his head earlier, following the sweet gesture with a kiss.

The boy just stared at her, lips curving just slightly with the ghost of a smile. “Thanks.” He lifted his hand and held the paper towel in place, gently brushing his fingers over Allegra’s. He was quiet for a long moment, scanning the Ravenclaw’s expression similarly to the way she scanned his. If she was upset with him, as he’d earlier suspected, she didn’t show it. Still, he felt he’d probably broken a rule in their alliance that morning, though he wasn’t even sure what the rules were anymore. They certainly hadn’t included a fake relationship two days ago.

“Listen, I’m sorry I… Well, y’know, for the—this morning. I… I swear, I’m not a creep.” He chuckled awkwardly, a little nervous which was unlike the boy who usually didn’t care much about anything. “Won’t happen again. Promise.”

pinecone · 08-16-2015, 07:33 AM

"More than agreed," Leo affirmed as Serina demanded aloud that they shouldn't wait until sundown for this partly, looking at the icky Adegra as he often looked at them -- with disgust. Finally, the Slytherin girl was finding her way onto his page!

Allegra, on the other hand, was ignoring the Gryffindor boy and Slytherin girl with relative ease, well practiced at zoning people out, especially bullies. At this moment it would appear the two of them were ganging up to be some kind of bullying team, and her serene mind simply wouldn't allow her to listen to them at all. Instead, her large eyes focused in on Adam as he thanked her for attending to her wound, his fingers brushing her own, then stuttering out an apology for this morning.

Her thick eyebrows rose ever so slightly at his words, listening as he stuttered out his apology, assuring her that he wasn't a creep and promising that it wouldn't happen again. Allegra's eyes narrowed slightly as she attempted to understand him, reviewing every aspect of his face, from his blue eyes down to his chin. It was almost as if she had forgotten this morning entirely.

As he mentioned it, however, Allegra's pale cheeks flooded with soft color at the reminder and she evaded her gaze to give herself the opportunity to recover. He felt like he had to tell her he wasn't a creep!? He thought that she thought he was the creep?? That might've been a first in Allegra history. She was always the creep in most scenarios, according to others.

She returned her gaze hesitantly to his own, blinking without understanding as he spoke, promising it wouldn't happen again. Was he referring to waking up beside her? Did he truly not understand she was mortified at him seeing her so vulnerable and idiotic, rather than being near him all night? She shuddered, still, to think that he had seen her half asleep, cuddling closer to him, nuzzling his chest like some strange homeless kitten... But the embarrassment faded ever so slightly as she realized how he must've seen this morning. Perhaps he thought she didn't enjoy being near him in that way.

Her gray eyes stared up at his own fearlessly for a small moment, searching them curiously, and she finally shook her head silently as if to erase his unnecessary concern. Allegra didn't say anything, of course, but merely took a step closer to the young man, closing the slight distance between them. She tried to communicate a number of things in their locked gaze, but it was difficult with Leo and Serina whispering in hushed tones only just across the room. Communication didn't come easy to her. She wasn't used to having to explain herself in this way. Yet, still, she kept her gaze locked onto Adam's.

In the next moment her hand found his free one, her freezing fingers interlacing with his own very slowly. She stared at him all the while, her cold hand fitting into the larger glove of his own before she once again encroached on his personal space and placed her forehead against his chest in a sign of warm affection. She didn't know how to tell him it was okay, or even if it was okay, truly. She still couldn't decide if he had only let her stay that way for the sake of the cameras, but in the moment, she believed he was sorry for no reason whatsoever and she wanted to fix it.

Very gently, very softly, she touched her lips to his shirt to place a warm kiss on his chest that only he could feel and Serina and Leo couldn't see or mock. And for once, a camera wasn't around to see it either.

Gryffindoll · 08-16-2015, 08:26 AM

“Great. We’ll do… Five, then?” suggested Serina when Leo agreed to the idea of starting their party before the sun had a chance to set. The girl then pulled her glass brick from her pocket and began to prepare a message to her contact inside the castle, typing up very specific instructions to order everyone who had been planning to attend the Hogsmeade trip to cancel it and come to the cottage instead. If all went according to plan, almost every Slytherin in Hogwarts would be taking over the cottage later that evening.

Serina smirked to herself as she hit ‘SEND’ on the glass screen, then proceeded to pick up the pen and notepad Allegra had brought to her the day before, during their second challenge of that awful, nightmarish day. Humming to herself distractedly, the Slytherin began to make a list of the people she would be inviting, and the ones she would punch anyone for bringing. AKA, the weirdos and the geeks.

Adam’s gaze filled with confusion as Allegra shook her head and merely stared at him. Of course, he didn’t receive any of the messages she was trying to send his way; it was true he’d picked up on her silent language surprisingly quick these past couple days, but some things were still lost to the boy. “…What is it?” And despite having learned the pattern of when the girl chose to speak or keep quiet, Adam still hadn’t figured out the exact - and very obvious - reason why.

When Allegra took his hand and rested her forehead on his chest, as she’d done before, when she was not upset with him, the boy received his response. And understood. She wasn’t angry with him, she wasn’t annoyed or irritated. It was okay. They were still Team Adegra, and the realization of it almost made him grin. He didn’t know why, it’s not like he really cared that much to win this competition, he’d only entered it as a stupid joke, simply because he could and ‘why not?’ He never planned to get this far, to actually care about passing the challenges, to keep an alliance. Suddenly, something was actually important to him. But as with everything else in his life, the dull boy couldn't quite figure out the reason why.

As Allegra placed her lips on the fabric of his shirt, Adam set the damp paper towel down, freeing his left hand to trace the girl’s soft jawline. Fingers beneath her chin, he lifted her face just enough to gently press his lips to hers for a long moment. Hardly long enough, really, but just because the girl was pretending to date him didn’t mean he could take advantage and snog her for hours. So the boy pulled away reluctantly, aching to kiss her again but covering it with a smile instead. He needed to keep his head straight.

He could not fall in love with his teammate.

It was with this realization that Adam finally remembered he and Allegra weren’t alone after all, and both Serina and Leo were still there, still an audience to their relationship. Fortunately though, it seemed they were too busy plotting whatever event they planned to host to notice Adegra anymore. Even if they weren’t being their usual condescending selves, Adam had no intention of keeping them company much longer.

“C’mon,” he said softly. Hand still wrapped around the shorter Ravenclaw’s, Adam led them out of the kitchen and away from Serina and Leo and the monster they were creating, and to the cottage’s backyard instead. It was the only place that felt far enough from the other two, and it had the added bonus that unlike every other room inside the cottage, the kids hadn’t had a chance to explore it yet.

Also, there were no cameras.

pinecone · 08-16-2015, 09:16 AM

Allegra hadn't ever been in a fake relationship alliance before, but she was pretty sure Adam had. He must have! He was really good at pretending to be someone's boyfriend. He was very warm and comfortable to lean on, and tall enough so she might hide behind him should anyone try to take revenge for her biting... He really held all the qualifications for a boyfriend, as far she was concerned.

She was just thinking about all of this, about how easily he filled these many small requirements, about his incredibly blue eyes, when suddenly she felt a hand on her jawline.

She froze at his touch, almost like a small animal caught in the headlights, as he lifted her face up towards his own and allowed her to get a glimpse of the blue eyes in question. It's almost like she'd forgotten he was truly there, spending the last few moments day dreaming as if he'd already left the room. An involuntary smile flitted across her lips at the sight of him. This only lasted a moment as in the next he was leaning down and pressing his lips to her own in a kiss -- as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do!

She couldn't get over this. One day she'd never had a boyfriend or anything like it, let alone a kiss, and the next day she had a fake boyfriend in an alliance who she got to kiss whenever she wanted.

...But it was fake. It was something she needed to remember, something she couldn't allow herself to forget. Fake.

But it was very difficult to remember in the next few seconds. It did feel natural to have Adam lean down and close the space between them in a kiss, it felt like he'd been doing it for years. His gentle confidence astounded her, it was something shocking she was sure she'd never get over. It was difficult to tell whether it came from him naturally or if the confidence was there because he knew it was all fake. For the competition. Things were much easier, less awkward, when both parties knew it was in pursuit of a win.

But it sure didn't feel fake when their lips finally met after what felt like a year in slow motion, and the frozen girl seemed to melt ever so slightly, relaxing from her fixed stance at his side. Before she had a chance to get over her shock and reciprocate, it was over, and her eyes seemed to be unable to open. As he pulled away from her, she leaned forward as if to continue, her gray eyes still closed as if suffering from some kind of delay. But things felt like slow motion with him, it was very difficult to pull back into the present.

Her eyes fluttered open as she heard a soft, "C'mon."

Dazed, she tried to focus on whatever he was trying to tell her, but it didn't really work out very well. Her brain felt foggy. If he hadn't been guiding her by the hand outside, she probably would've stayed in the kitchen all day, trying to recover from that moment and clear her mind.

She wasn't used to this yet. Sure, yesterday she'd had fun being the one to initiate a kiss, to freak him out a bit just to show him she was in control of this scenario. But every time he kissed her, it was entirely clear to her that she had no control over anything.

The fresh air outdoors seemed to help her re-organize her thoughts. It was a beautiful little backyard area, looking out onto the grounds and the forest, with a little porch swing to sit on. Thoughts clearly elsewhere, she followed him over to the swing and sat down with cloudy gray eyes out along the horizon.

Her hand felt warm. Her hands never felt warm. It was then she seemed to realize that her hand was still enveloped in his own, even though there weren't any cameras around to see. Perhaps he didn't know that. Maybe she should inform him, since she did know there weren't cameras outside, perhaps he'd want to know so that he could release her hand as soon as possible? She didn't know how this was supposed to work!

But he didn't necessarily know that she knew there weren't any cameras outside! For all he knew, maybe she thought there were cameras out here too. He didn't have to know that she knew they could release hands whenever they wanted to, under no obligation to their "audience". Perhaps she should have told him. Perhaps a stronger fake girlfriend would've done such a thing...

But then she remembered how cold her hands were. She was getting warmer but that probably meant she was freezing his hand from the inside out!

"There aren't any cameras out here," Allegra found her mouth opening to tell him softly, her voice, as always, just barely audible. "You don't have to keep holding my hand." But even as she said it she made no move to untangle their intertwined fingers. She didn't want to let go of his hand. But she didn't want him to sit there awkwardly, feeling obligated to keep hold of her icicle fingers, hating every second of it. She gave him an out! She did her duty. But she wasn't about to speed up the process any...

It was rather funny, actually, that she bothered to mention this. What was hand-holding when she was once again invading his space on the bench, as per usual? She hadn't even thought about it, she just sat down practically on top of him, glued comfortably to his side without thinking about it. What did it matter if they were holding hands when she was practically cuddling with him all over again like this morning? Allegra, of course, didn't seem to realize the hypocrisy of this very amusing picture -- perhaps she didn't even realize she was that close to him at all, it was just comfortable. How they sat.

Gryffindoll · 08-16-2015, 07:49 PM

It was the middle of spring and the grass outside was dewy. It had probably rained lightly at some point earlier that morning, when all the kids were still in the warm safety of the cottage. The sun was out and the gray clouds were slowly dispersing; it would be a clear night that night - perfect for Slytherin Princess’s & Lion Boy’s little party, should it spread to the outside area of their temporary home.

It was strange to see the outline of the castle in the short distance, it seemed like a faraway unfamiliar place now. Like they’d been in this cottage since the very beginning of the term months ago already. Adam wanted to say something, to assure the girl at his side that he’d only brought her here because they needed to discuss plans far away from Serina’s and Leo’s ears. That he hadn’t just basically snatched her away for no reason other than simply wanting to be with her. He might be wasting her time, perhaps she had other things to do, and just sitting around with a make-believe boyfriend wasn’t on her list of plans.

Fortunately, she spoke first.
But her words weren’t necessarily what he was expecting to hear. “You don’t have to keep holding my hand.” …Oh. Adam lowered his gaze to their intertwined fingers, and though Allegra’s lack of initiative in separating from him should’ve been sign enough that she wasn’t necessarily ordering him off, her words had already twisted into their own stern meaning in his head. To him, it was a reminder that they were supposed to be acting, but only when there was an audience.

“Sorry,” he muttered, forcing on an apologetic smile as he released the Ravenclaw’s smaller hand. Immediately, his right hand itched in protest. It felt empty without hers, the outside air suddenly unpleasant on his palm.

It wasn’t until their hands let go, released from one another, that the boy was better able to read her body language. He’d been so focused on what she said, that he hadn’t really paid attention to what she did, and suddenly he began to doubt if he should have let go of her hand after all. The girl was snuggled up beside him, pretty much using him as a pillow once again, and not at all giving the impression that she wanted him away. Perhaps she was just comfortable with him. Didn’t mean she liked him or anything, she just found in him a comfortable, trustworthy pillow. And for now, that was good enough for the boy.

“So what exactly were Leo and Serina planning back there?” he asked, absentmindedly lifting the arm against which she cuddled and draping it over her small shoulders so she could rest her head on his chest if she wished. His hand positioned naturally over her upper arm, thumb distractedly caressing the soft fabric of her sleeve. He didn’t even think about it, it just felt like the natural thing to do when there was a tiny Ravenclaw girl curled up like a kitten beside him. And to be totally honest, he couldn’t care less what Serina and Leo were up to, he was just playing his role of alert teammate that cared about what the enemy planned.

It was probably the first time he actually acted around Allegra.

pinecone · 08-16-2015, 11:43 PM

Allegra immediately regretted her words as she felt Adam's hand release her own. She instantly wanted to snatch it back, claim it for her own and keep it forever, but that would've been the cruelest mixed signal of all time for the poor boy. Her fingers felt even colder without his hand around them. Guilt filled her pale expression as he muttered an apology.

Being around other people was so confusing sometimes. It was often simple with Adam, though, more simple than it was with most people. He was easy to interact with, easy to talk to, surprisingly. And that was saying something for the girl who rarely spoke more than a sentence a week around her usual classmates. But this entire competition thing was making everything feel much more difficult. She couldn't tell the difference between his acting and his real responses to her, didn't know if he was pretending all the time or if part of it was just...him and her being...them?

Allegra was hardly aware of how close she was to him, only seeming to truly notice as he lifted an arm and draped it across her shoulders comfortably. Her head instinctually fell onto his chest, as if they'd always done this. Her gray eyes widened slightly at this gesture, wondering why it was so effortless for her to be this way, comfortable, with him and why it hadn't happened with any other person before him. Was it just easy because it was supposed to be fake?

These weren't usual circumstances to begin with, and she'd never been in a real relationship, let alone a fake one. Was it supposed to feel like this? When you faked a relationship, was the other person supposed to make your heartbeat pick up every time they spoke?

Maybe she was just really good at this fake relationship! ...Or maybe she was really bad at it...

“So what exactly were Leo and Serina planning back there?” His voice cut through her internal thought processes easily, interrupting her as she attempted to understand all that was happening. She immediately grew distracted from his words, able to feel his chest reverberate as he spoke, mixing in with the soft sound of his heartbeat. Her ear pressed to his chest, it was all very clear, a symphony within his torso.

Before she could stop herself, or filter her words and actions, a soft, almost impish giggle escaped her lips and she brought her gray eyes up to meet his own blue ones without hesitation. "I can hear your heartbeat," she announced proudly, leaning back just slightly so she might properly meet his gaze. Her free hand found his chest, gently tracing it until she found the spot in question over where his heart was. "Your voice is very warm. If I listen to it through your chest, it sounds like a warm crackling fire."

She kept his gaze, her large eyes twinkling in some kind of soft excitement, her hand still placed over his chest. Her cold fingers were already beginning to warm up just slightly at the contact. Her smile faded just slightly as they fell into a silence, but mild contentment still shined behind her silver gaze. "You're very warm," she announced more seriously, her voice just above a whisper. She said it as a high compliment, and it seemed as if she was referring to his entire personality more so than his physical body temperature. "Like the sun. Or a star. I suppose that's the same thing, isn't it?" she rambled softly more to herself than to him. "But you're like the sun as in our planet's sun because you're much closer to me than the other stars in the universe might be, just like the sun is much closer to our planet than the other stars in the galaxy..." She then seemed to remember she was speaking out loud. Her eyes sheepishly found his own again. "You're the sun," she concluded softly with a tiny nod.

She seemed to forget he had actually asked a question of her.

Gryffindoll · 08-17-2015, 01:04 AM

Adam was looking out over the Forbidden Forest distractedly, watching as a gentle breeze made the leaves on the trees sway gently. He was waiting for Allegra’s response, expecting something about Leo and Serina, about how they could use whatever the other two were scheming to their advantage. Instead, the girl giggled.

Eyebrows furrowing slightly, the boy looked down at her. “What…?” It was then that she explained she could hear his heartbeat.

It took Adam a long moment to register and understand the words. It was so far from what he’d expected to hear, that it almost sounded like Mandarin to him, but eventually his brain caught up and he understood that the girl was simply pointing out something totally irrelevant to his question. He listened quietly and attentively as she went on, explaining how his voice was like a crackling fire.

Adam smiled faintly at the poetry of her words. “Is that so?” He’d never thought of his voice that way. He’d never thought of his voice at all, really, and her bringing it up actually caused him to pay extra attention to the sound of it as it escaped his lips. Whatever warmth she found in it, though, he couldn’t detect. Still, he understood what she meant, or at least what she must have been hearing. Because he heard it too, in her voice. He supposed ‘warm’ was the best way to explain it.

Her small hand on his chest felt soothing, calming, and he was finally able to stop regretting having let go of her hand. He liked when she reached out to him, whether it was to touch his chest, or examine the cut above his eyebrow, or the scrape on his elbow. She may or may not do it on purpose, he couldn’t know, but her gestures were always comforting, made him feel cared for. And he had to believe her intentions were genuine. There were, after all, no cameras on them at that moment.

Blue eyes locked on her pretty, silver ones, Adam listened quietly as she went on about him being a sun and a star, both of which ended up being the same thing anyway. He tried to stay focused, he really did, but it was so difficult when she was being so… so… He didn’t know what to call it. It wasn’t something he normally found in the people he passed everyday back in the castle. She was being really…….. cute. And as she went on about the planets and the sun and the galaxy, he found it increasingly difficult to focus. Her animated lips looked especially pink under the sunlight, her pale expression brighter as well. It increased with every gesture she made and every word she spoke, this desire to lean in and kiss her again, to keep her there for much longer than would be acceptable in this so-called fake relationship.

This was torture!
When did life start imitating art? When did he begin genuinely liking his fake girlfriend, genuinely wanting to hold and kiss her? This plan of theirs was getting increasingly confusing, and he wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to keep up.

Without the NEED to prove anything to an audience at the moment, Adam was forced to control the increasing need to kiss her. He forced himself to look away from her then, heartbeat picking up slightly. He hoped she wouldn’t catch it. “So, if I’m the sun because I’m closest…” he started casually, trying to keep his mind as wrapped in the topic at hand as possible. “What does that make Leo and Serina? Pluto and Neptune?” He looked at her again, amused with his own observation, but immediately regretted it.

Don’t look. Don’t look. Do NOT look.
He was looking at her lips again, leaning in, heart beating. If she didn’t think you were a creep before, she certainly will now. He stopped abruptly, only a couple inches from her face, and pulled himself back. Head in the game, Kipling. Head in the game. “And speaking of Leo and Serina,” he started again, admiring the view of the Forbidden Forest once more, as if he totally hadn’t been about to kiss the girl at his side just a second ago, “You still haven’t told me what they were planning.” He hated to sound so cold and businesslike, but if Allegra did or said one more cute thing he would seriously lose it and just snog her, cameras around or not. And he couldn't afford to break her trust like that.

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