A day without sitting in the library staring at homework papers was a day to cherish in Bella Connolly's book. Opening the door to Honeydukes and stepping over the threshold a smile immediatly formed on the teen snakette's lips. Who couldn't be happy in a shop full of candy?

The darkhaired fourth year quickly picked up a packet of droobles before she went off in search of the bertie botts. Was the beans in the oddeties section or the speciality section?

"Don't forget to buy some chocolates. It's sinful to walk in here without getting chocolate." Apollo drawled lazily at the best friend figuring now would be a good opportunity to speak up for her to notice him.

Speaking of chocolates, he needed to pick some up himself. Apparently that was the thing to do if you wanted to attract the ladies was to provide snacks. So he was here at Hogsmeade for a specific mission of obtaining all the snacks. Perhaps it would work. Maybe he should have inquired more details and specifics as to what snacks, but maybe it was also dependent on the whom? He frowned, eyes searching the shelves at the various sweets and things. He should speak to Margaret more on the subject, though the faux date was helpful in clarity for what might be expected. Although he wasn't sure that faux anything would provide the clarity needed when compared to the real thing. If there was one thing Apollo learned throughout his almost fifteen years of life it was that planning never seemed to work out as anticipated.

Hearing her BFF's voice behind her back Bella shot a glance over her left shoulder at Apollo with a bright smile. "Hi Apollo, I was actually planning to grab some fudge after I've found the bertie bott's beans. Any idea where they keep those?"

Letting her eyes travel around the shop she asked as she went over to fetch a packet of jelly slugs for herself. "Want to go with me to grab a butterbeer after this?" Bella talked to Apollo on most days, but he was being secretive lately and she wondered why. Going over to the chocolate section Bella stopped by the milk chocolate before she asked her friend as she eyed the chocolates on sale. "What are you getting? The chocolate dragon perphaps?"

“Everything in this room is eatable, even I am eatable! But that is called cannibalism and is in fact frowned upon in most societies. Yeah, Enjoy!” Reagan recited in her best Willy Wonka voice as she surveyed all of the goodies this delightful shop housed. What should she get? Her gaze stopped at the Cockroach Clusters, making her grin mischievously. “I’m going to owl one of those to you, daddy.’’ Reagan Aurora Anders enjoyed pranking her father; Connor was always such a good sport about it.

“And for mother loveliest… chocoballs!” Fifteen of those should suffice, and if she knew Addison as well as she thought she did, her mother would share with her father. So in a way, Connor wasn’t only having a Cockroach Cluster.

What about the siblings? Rea expected Jude and Keigh would be along to get their own but Koen… she was yet to reply to his latest letter. It would be a good time to send him a treat as well. “Chewing gum is really gross. It's what I hate the most.” Still with the Willy Wonka voice, the Gryffindor eyed the Drooble’s Gum. She didn’t really hate gum. No… she just didn’t want to get gum for the older brother.

What sweet then?

Stepping into Honeydukes may have been the first moment all term that Cooper felt any true pull of nostalgia since the term began. Yes, there had been certain pulls in seeing his youngest siblings go through their Sortings, but there had also been a certain disassociation since he had not been a first year during his own as a fourth year. Fourth year and, so he liked to think, already had a good sense of self and where he thought (read: yearned) to be placed. Ravenclaw, like dad. And he had...and now he was in his final months as a student of Hogwarts...

But what REALLY got him in the moment was pulling a box of chocolate frogs off the shelf and turning it over in his hand. He remembered his first trip to Honeydukes and how much bigger these boxes had been in his hand then...how...reasonable it felt in it now. He could also remember Celyn wanting to 'free' all the chocolate frogs and he had just gone along with it despite it being a bit of an irrational desire. He would be purchasing a few of these today, absolutely.

Shuffling back down the aisle to grab a basket, Cooper resumed his observation of the chocolate frog display and began making some haphazard selections. He no longer collected the cards and had given his collection away to some under classmen who were part of the club at Hogwarts and far more passionate than himself, but there was still that naïve wonder and excitement of maybe juuuuuuust maybe there would be a rare one inside.

It was great timing when a Hogsmeade weekend coincided with her birthday. Ivy had no concrete plans for the day, but she appreciated having the additional option to spend some time in the shops.

Honeydukes seemed like a good one to visit first. She didn't plan on buying very many sweets here, considering there were only a few months left in the term, but stocking up on a few more sugar quills wouldn't hurt. They were nice to have for study session snacking.

Though she knew what she wanted, that didn't stop her from looking through the other aisles. The color and vibrancy of so many sweets and displays was a treat to look at even if she wasn't going to purchase them. And, of course, sometimes you also found a good friend to talk to.

She moved to stand next to Cooper, smiling. "Chocolate frogs, good choice."

Honeydukes was one of two reasons Evan Nam bothered to make the trek from the castle down to Hogsmeade Village. Was it nice they got to leave the castle grounds every once in awhile? Yes. But Evan didn't really deem it necessary. Hogwarts was home again, and it was comfortable now that there had been some distance between this term and trauma years. But... with the sweet tooth the boy had, it was inevitable he'd have to stock up at some point. Especially when he was a sucker for sharing with his sisters.

He made sure to head down as early as possible, intent on buying a ton of sweets before he'd make it somewhere to meet his brother. Hearing what his cousins and parents were up to was of interest to him, but he was primarily concerned about Noah who certainly seemed to have a lot on his mind. Which in turn, caused a fair amount of noise within Evan's own head as he entered the store and grabbed a basket to start filling up. Sherbert drops to begin with. He always ran out of his favorite first.

Passing by the gumballs to get to the drops, Ev paused for the smallest of moments in order to look towards what sounded like a recognizable voice in a rather odd tone. Reagan. Probably practicing her lines for something or another again. To say something? Or to continue on and hope she hadn't noticed him?

Clearly, he was a glutton for punishment. "Do you generally narrate everything you do?"

SPOILER!!: Evan! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Honeydukes was one of two reasons Evan Nam bothered to make the trek from the castle down to Hogsmeade Village. Was it nice they got to leave the castle grounds every once in awhile? Yes. But Evan didn't really deem it necessary. Hogwarts was home again, and it was comfortable now that there had been some distance between this term and trauma years. But... with the sweet tooth the boy had, it was inevitable he'd have to stock up at some point. Especially when he was a sucker for sharing with his sisters.

He made sure to head down as early as possible, intent on buying a ton of sweets before he'd make it somewhere to meet his brother. Hearing what his cousins and parents were up to was of interest to him, but he was primarily concerned about Noah who certainly seemed to have a lot on his mind. Which in turn, caused a fair amount of noise within Evan's own head as he entered the store and grabbed a basket to start filling up. Sherbert drops to begin with. He always ran out of his favorite first.

Passing by the gumballs to get to the drops, Ev paused for the smallest of moments in order to look towards what sounded like a recognizable voice in a rather odd tone. Reagan. Probably practicing her lines for something or another again. To say something? Or to continue on and hope she hadn't noticed him?

Clearly, he was a glutton for punishment. "Do you generally narrate everything you do?"

Reagan really could not make up her mind. She figured that since Koen was travelling so much, he could always grab his own sweets. Then again, he was travelling so much that he couldn’t. Siiigh. Maybe Koen would appreciate it if she got one each of most of the sweets? Or at least his fiance would? Yes, she’d do tha-

The Lioness froze, having recognised THAT voice. To ignore him or to give him some sass?

Clearly the latter debate won as Rea turned slowly around, a smug expression on her face. “Well, well, well.” She had dropped the Willy Wonka voice now and hers was back though there was a sarcastic tone lingering in it. “If it isn’t Evan ‘Jude’s only good enough to be my friend’ Nam.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Is there a problem if I practice my lines whenever and wherever I please?” There was an upcoming audition for a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory play which she intended to try out for that Easter holiday. But this Ravenclaw who hurt Jude needn’t know that.

Had Reagan addressed him with anything but sarcasm, Evan might have had to go locate Jude to inform him he should probably get his sister to the Healer, so uncharacteristic it would have been. The words though, he merely turned to look at her, giving a slow blink and his what Lisa referred to as 'the signature dead pan Evan Nam expression'. He opened his mouth to mention that shouldn't she be happy about that given her clear dislike, but he also knew the words were more likely to just get some type of ice cream smushed into his hair again. Did Honeydukes serve ice cream? Perhaps he should make this trip quick. Either way, he was uncomfortable so he went with an unsolicited fact. "Koreans don't usually have middle names."

Was there a problem? "No, you do you. But I would imagine you should expect questions because not everyone else is going to know you're just practicing lines. They might just think you like to talk to yourself." He moved closer to a shelf, noticing a box of sweets he hadn't tried yet and reaching out to drop it into his small basket for collection prior to purchase. "Is the drama club doing something?"

SPOILER!!: Mr. Sweet Tooth! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Had Reagan addressed him with anything but sarcasm, Evan might have had to go locate Jude to inform him he should probably get his sister to the Healer, so uncharacteristic it would have been. The words though, he merely turned to look at her, giving a slow blink and his what Lisa referred to as 'the signature dead pan Evan Nam expression'. He opened his mouth to mention that shouldn't she be happy about that given her clear dislike, but he also knew the words were more likely to just get some type of ice cream smushed into his hair again. Did Honeydukes serve ice cream? Perhaps he should make this trip quick. Either way, he was uncomfortable so he went with an unsolicited fact. "Koreans don't usually have middle names."

Was there a problem? "No, you do you. But I would imagine you should expect questions because not everyone else is going to know you're just practicing lines. They might just think you like to talk to yourself." He moved closer to a shelf, noticing a box of sweets he hadn't tried yet and reaching out to drop it into his small basket for collection prior to purchase. "Is the drama club doing something?"

Evan didn’t get it; Rea disliked him for friendzoning Jude. It was the only reason. If she wasn’t annoyed with him before, then she certainly was now due to his lack of proper response to her snarky comment. Heck, that slow blink didn’t even count. Was this how he was going to be whenever Jude was mentioned now? Just ignore the mention? “Well, thank you for that bit of illuminating knowledge. I’m sure it’ll come in handy for me,’’ Rea replied sarcastically.

Reagan really couldn’t help the mounting irritation in her. She honestly wanted to scream at this infuriating Ravenclaw. What did Jude see in him anyway? Maybe this is what she should be asking herself instead of wondering why Evan couldn’t like Jude back in a romantic way. “I don’t care what people think of me.” The Lioness never did, nor ever will. Without putting any thought into the action, she grabbed a box of Drooble’s gum. “Not Hogwarts’,’’ she replied grudgingly. And then… right there and then, Reagan had an idea. “I’ve got extra competition this year because Jude’s boyfriend is going to audition as well. Bet Davet’s going for the lead role too. So, you know, got to practice as much as I can.” Reagan pretended to be surveying some of the products but in reality, was actually side eyeing Evan for his reaction. Reagan had no idea what role Davet might be auditioning for, or even if he planned on auditioning at all. She did know that Jude and Davet were not a thing (nor at that moment, at least). Her goal was to let Evan think that they were; maybe he would get jealous? Maybe he would think that he was losing his best friend to someone else?

Was Evan evan capable of feeling and realising such?

For someone who was not a particular fan of sweets, Benjee sure found himself frequenting their venders rather frequently. Every Hogsmeade weekend he had to dip inside of Honeydukes, sometimes spending the good part of an hour perusing the shelves, though he rarely left with anything in hand these days. Those Hogsmeade weekends of splurging his savings on Bertie Bott's were long gone now. Now it was all about market research.

His little pocket notebook in hand, the sixth year loomed over a display of licorice wands and jotted a few things down and underlined a particular section of his notes quite vigorously before moving on to the shelves of beans and plucked a box off it to examine its contents and including flavorings. His brow knit and his right eye feeling the strain from doing all the grunt work, the Slytherin pinched the bridge of his nose and massaged the spot in attempt to alleviate some of the exhaustion.

He should probably get back to finessing that eye potion he had been working on.

"Nerd." Victoria came to a stop next to Benjee, noticing his notes. Who took NOTES in a candy shop? What a nerd.

But the strawberry-blonde hadn't exactly come in here for sweets, either. She had come in to escape the outside world, so she wouldn't have to walk past certain people, especially since she had chosen to take the trek to Hogsmeade alone this time. "What could someone be taking notes on in here? I doubt it's school related," she said, her nosiness showing itself as she leaaaaaaned to see his writing. Was he writing down prices? Math??? NUMBERS? WHY? V found all of those things utterly awful. Terrible. MISERABLE.

She did grab some nearby jelly slugs, though. If she were IN a candy shop already, she might as well grab candy.

There were very few people who would speak to him so casually...casually and playfully insult him. Most insults came rather poignantly, and through ignorance, so the window was quite narrow as to who it was...something that did not disappoint when he confirmed his suspicions with a turn of the head.

"You know, Little Shadow," chuckles as he finishes this particular line of memo taking. "People throw that word around a bit too carelessly, I think. Unless you really find me to be an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits." Which, well, Brandon would consider him unstylish...and in a sense he was quite devoted to his intellectual pursuits...however finite they may be. Tucking his pencil behind his ear, he turned to give Victoria his proper attention and amused smirk. "Market research," he replied, having no qualms with showing her what notes he had been taking - a running list of ingredients and their measurements for various sweets in the establishment alongside a comprehensive list of Bertie Bott's flavors. "There are several holes in it that I intend to fill."

And had with a couple of private recipes...though both may remain close to his chest and never pitched. They were entirely too personal.

"Interesting...for some reason I am not sure I pictured you as a jelly slug kind of person."

Little Shadow, still, eh? V liked the nickname, and it never ceased to make her cheeks blush. She cleared her throat. “I thought nerd just meant…smart. But in a mean way. But I didn’t mean it actually, as you probably know,” she said with an eye-roll. “That….was a very long and pompous way of you saying you think nerds are ugly because they care about smarts. Rude,” more teasing, and she nudged him so lightly that he might not even notice.

Market research? As in…he wanted to sell candy? “You’re going to sell candy that doesn’t already exist?” She asked curiously. “Do you have any ideas in mind? That’s interesting. Hmm. HMMM. I have ideas if you ever WANT them,” she shrugged a little as she twisted the jelly slugs package in her hands.

“And why is that? What kind of candy would you have guessed?” Chocolate? Lemon? She hated lemons. And anything lemon flavored, something Lisa had learned really quickly over the years. BLEGGGHHHH.

Until the day came where she told him she hated the nickname, she was always going to be his Little Shadow. It amused him to think back and remember how irritated he had been when they had had their first conversation, him laying in that hospital bed and her visiting hia bedside like he was some ailing celebrity. He had not been particularly kind to anyone who had visited him during those days, but he had managed not to be too much of a jerk to her. Still had the card she had brought then too.

"A presumptuous assessment you've got there," he mused with a little rock on to his heels as he leaned slightly towards her, still very much towering over her. "I never said that that was my view. I was only reciting the more traditional colloquial definition of the word. Sometime around the turn of the century abouts...those who were labeled with the term began to take it back and reshape the image from a sociological standpoint." He paused and offered her a cheeky grin and small wink - and no, he had not really noticed her little nudge but had noticed the tiny sway she made to accomplish it.

Pocketing his little notebook, he shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Maybe...I've already worked on a couple of flavors not in the Bertie Bott's line up. One has been perfected, two others close to it." Those the progress on those two was likely indefinitely shelved. "I may just so happen to be open to suggestions, if you are willing to share." Which meant he ought to take his notebook out again, maybe. "Perhaps even some assistance in taste testing?"

"Hmm...I'm not sure. Maybe connected to thinking you too empathetic to be able to eat something in the shape of a creature." He knew people like that. "I was never a fan of chocolate frogs for partly that reason." The other being that he just was not all that enthusiastic about chocolate unless it was accompanied by a greater ratio of peanut butter. "But...maybe Toothflossing Stringmints. Would explain that bright smile of yours." Though it did feel a little like her smile was not as playful as it usually was, not that he was bringing attention to that right now. "Or...hmm...Fizzing Whizzbees ..." he added, stroking his sharp jawline and twisting the little bit of goatee he had been able to grow thus far.

MERLIN Benjee spoke so well. Like, his word choice was always so much higher of a level than V could understand. But she did her best. She also didn’t want to admit that she didn’t understand almost half of what he said. Also…if she was the shadow, was he still Peter Pan or whatever? How had the nickname come along? She remembered smudgy details, but when you were young, things seemed to all blend together sometimes. Even if that had been only last term or the term before, Victoria felt so much older than even last year. Things felt so different.

And now she didn’t know what a sociological standpoint was, so she didn’t how to reply. A head nod here and there to show she was listening, but she didn’t directly reply.

“Are you looking to make your own brand of jelly beans? Or different candies?” She asked. Taste testing sounded nice, but V DID have a figure to watch. If she wanted to be able to dance during the summers, she had to make sure she did her best to stay a decent dancer during the year. It wasn’t like she was worried about being thin - she wasn’t all that much. It was more about keeping her body’s stamina up and feeling nourished properly. “I would love that. What made you want to do that?” If they were talking about assumptions, V wouldn’t had taken Benjee as a candy maker person.

EMPATHETIC

HER?

V snorted. “I’m shocked you think that. I don’t think of myself as empathetic. I guess I could be if I care about something. Someone. I don’t care about slugs,” she stuck out her tongue in a disgusted way.

WHOAH THO

HER BRIGHT SMILE?

Victoria found herself beaming at the description. “You think I have a bright smile?” She asked shyly, batting her eyelashes just a little as she timidly tucked some hair behind her ear like the schoolgirl she suddenly felt like. Blegh. Also WHAT Was that giggle escaping her???? It was so involuntary that she felt EMBARRASSED when it happened, and then THAT made her cheeks turn bright red and- and-

Um.

Victoria tried to clear her throat to play it off. “Thanks.”

Things were different. Two sides of the same coin and yet Benjee felt like he hardly recognized himself some days - especially the times he was smiling and that smile reached his eyes. It was peculiar, sometimes, to think about how she had met him at his lowest point...had their first conversation when he felt like the most detached and foreign version of himself...and that, almost, had guaranteed that she got to know a more authentic Benjamin Aro Marchbanks. He probably should tell her, sooner than later, that the hourglass had a lot less sand left in it than she thought there was.

Maybe later. She seemed to be hiding a certain sadness behind her eyes already and there was no sense in adding to that.

"I'd need to bathe in Liquid Luck for a year to have a chance to compete with The Bott...but maybe at least add to their flavor list and reap the royalties from usage." Candy creation, being a confectioner, was more of a whimsy kind of hobby...something that utilized his talent for potions and alchemy in a way that made people smile. Hard not to smile when you taste something that reminds you of a specific memory or that is a particularly pleasing flavor. His thoughts were already prancing down memory lane...all the way back to first year where he had first learned about a certain Gryffindor blonde and her love of grass flavored Bertie Bott's and the serious lament for a lack of super sour lime flavored ones. "I..." he began, thoughts drifting to the at least half a dozen mason jars filled with grass flavored beans he had picked out from any packet he has purchased, previously stored under his bed...their absence, the reminder of everything, still a dull twist inside his chest. "...wanted to do something special...for someone...very .... very important to me..." He sighed, thinking about the second time he had done this...this time for a certain brunette Hufflepuff that a reminder of yet another painful twist. "...I found out I have a pretty superior palate and experimenting with flavors, the precision that the process of making confections requires, was well suited to my particular skill sets." Pauses and looked back at Victoria, a smile on his face that did not quite reach his eyes despite speaking with sincerity. "It is something I know I can do for others. Hard to be angry at someone who provides you with something delectable, right?" he teased, giving her a gentle jab with his elbow.

Grabbing something else off the shelf, this time with the intention of purchase, Benjee turned his whole body towards Victoria with an amused sideways smirk in place this time. "No? Curious...seeing as the first time I ever met you I was on my back in the Hospital Wing and you were trying to cheer me up while understanding my story." Sounded a lot like empathy to him...and he couldn't help but tease just a tiiiiiiny bit more. "Guess that means you must care about me then, am I right?"

Yes, there was a little added wink there for good measure.

Which was probably a bit of overkill considering how she was responding to him mentioning her smile. Oh well...he tended to lay it on thick when he fell into this side of his persona. The side most influenced and inspired by Uncle Milo. "I don't say things just for the sake of them," he chuckled with a light shake of the head. "Got something in your eye there?" Maybe an extra hair since she was just tucking it aside, which explained why he then waved a finger across her brow to brush aside any stray hairs that may be clinging to her brow and lashes. "And, bright smiles are also a sign of someone capable of empathy. For the record."

Glances back at the shelf again and feels the weight of his coin sack before glancing back to her. "Did you come in here for anything in particular? My treat."

“So like… you would sell your flavor ideas and recipes to them for money? Is that how it works?” She asked, tilting her head to the side curiously. Ideas could make money?! Who knew?! She supposed that made sense because all products had to come from ideas. And people had to come with those ideas and so on and so forth. Victoria didn’t think her career would be ideas, though. She wasn’t any good at them.

Someone special.

Something special for someone special.

Victoria’s ears perked. “Who is special to you? Who deserves the honor?” She smiled easily as she spoke, but her eyes were sharp, and she was wondering who she would want to fight after this conversation were over. Schoolgirl crush or not, she HAD to have beef with whoever this SPECIAL person was, right? Jealousy ran rampant in her blood, and she could already feel it flaring in her stomach. “A ploy to get people to not be mad at you, eh? Smart,” she tapped her head before grabbing a bag of beans. After all, they had just been speaking out them so much that she wanted a box now.

But they were still on this empathy conversation, and Victoria was having a hard time wrapping her head about it. “I….sometimes my smile isn’t real, Benjee,” she said softly, her beaming smile from his compliment fading slightly. “But I think that’s true of everyone. And I can’t tell when people’s smiles are fake. And don’t empathetic people know that kind of thing? I’m not good at that, or caring. I don’t think I think of others enough to be empathetic or whatever.” Her cheeks stayed red. “And I do care about you. You’re…my friend — right?” Her tone sudden, her eyes narrowed in at him.

Uuuhhhh. “I actually came in so I wouldn’t have to walk past my friend Lisa,” she said with a sigh. “But since I’m here, I’ll get candy. And you don’t have to buy it for me!” She shook her head quickly.

"A little more complicated than that, but at the most basic level...yes....essentially." He hadn't really looked into it too seriously as of yet, all career goals set exclusively on professional gobstones and maintaining his MVP and captain status with the Junior Hippogriffs. Candy making and market research were still...personal whimsy endeavors. Though Lana had rubbed him the wrong way a bit too much when she had questioned him regarding his motivations and confidence levels. He was like Autumn in this regard, all eggs in one basket and no holds back. His hand slipped idly into his pocket, fingers coiling around the Jack Stone from Uncle Milo and turns it over a bit while continuing his conversation with Victoria.

Better this than abusing his deadlocks.

"That person..." Persons, technically, but his Little Shadow was asking about the catalyst and that was a specific person. "...she...um...we're no longer in the same circles. So you can tuck those dagger eyes away now," he chuckled, trying to play it cool and get through this whole topic quickly. "...my initiation because...her rejection hurt...a lot...don't think I can go back to being the way I once was with her but..." Clicks his tongue a bit, gripping the Jack Stone tightly as a means to ground himself. "...dragon dung happens, and you just learn to scrap it off the bottom of your shoe and keep walking. I've moved on. It's fine." And he actually meant that. It was...freeing.

"And sometimes people are really good actors," he tacked on to her long stream of thoughts, he considered himself one of those. He was less acts now and more authentic but...well... they were not diving into all that today. "I won't debate you on how you see yourself. I'm just telling you how I see you based on how you have treated me." And it had been adorable kindness as far as he was concerned. "My personal empirical evidence, if you will." Her sudden shift to dagger eyes again took him aback somewhat, but only in the most amusing kind of ways. If she was trying to threaten him, she had a ways too go before she had a basilisk's state. "Of course, we are," he laughed, finally removing his hand from his pocket and placing it on her shoulder instead.

"Ah, avoidance," he nodded in deep understanding. "I know how that goes." There was a reason his sleeping arrangements were the way they were. Though all that had become abundantly easier over the past year. "So...you want to talk about it, Little Shadow? Or does that avoidance also entail speech too?" It may have come across like he was teasing, but it was a sincere question. She was under no obligation to share and he was known for being a good distraction.

He wouldn't push the purchasing for her. If she wanted to pay for it herself then she certainly could and he would save his coin for something else.

V was starting to realize that when you were an adult, you could find careers that were so niche compared to the “typical” career paths she usually thought of. Benjee’s hobby here could very well turn into a lucrative career for him if he so wished it to. She had very recently started to give some thought to her future after Hogwarts, and one of the jobs she had in mind she didn’t know if she was necessarily cut out for. It was why she had started lugging her journal with her everywhere instead of keeping it in her room and only writing in it before bed. She had to get used to jotting things down, to expressing herself in the written form. Had she seen any improvement? Slightly. She wasn’t as impressive as she wanted to be, though.

“That is pretty cool, Benjee. I can’t lie,” she said with a small, genuine smile as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Oh MERLIN she wanted to hug him tightly at this explanation. He looked so SAD and his words felt so sad, and Victoria found herself getting a little lost in the sadness of his eyes, both melting but also lamenting for him. Who could ever reject BENJEE? Were they stupid?! Victoria certainly thought as much. “Well..even if you’re fine, if ever need to vent…you know where I am. We share a common room, after all,” she shrugged. “My dagger eyes are here if you ever need them.” She had a MEAN glare. OK?

SIGH SIGH SIGH ALL THE SIIIIIIGHS.

Her shoulders sagged in one, and V ran a hand through her loose strands of hair before once again tucking them back. “Just…a lot of stupid stuff, really. People liking people other people like…someone asked Daniel to the dance before me, and I was going to ask him, but now I’ve bungled it. BUNGLED it. I wish I was old enough to go with you,” she let slip, and as SOON as she did she squeaked.

OH. NO.

Her cheeks turned ROOOSE red and she ducked behind a shelf of chocolate frogs very quickly. Inhwihdiehfierfuehrf

Should she run? She should run. But they were having a great conversaaaaation and he thought of them as FRIENDS and so did she and he was her “out of league” crush and Daniel was her “this could maybe happen” crush and her thoughts were all ramming together, and she thought about the fact she had never even KISSED someone before, and she flared up with embarrassment. Benjee thought of her as a little sister, probably, and she just didn’t want him to ever know juuuuust how handsome she thought he was. Nor that she doodled about him in her notes for school O_O

It was a good lesson to learn, or at least see. He had fought tooth and nail since he came screaming out of the womb to not walk along the same path as others...often times to his detriment and most of the time before he was a teen simply because he was being petty. Not wanting to pursue a career in astrophysics, for example, had been mostly due to his brother having an interest in astronomy as well and he had been insistent on doing nothing the same as his brother down to not even liking the same flavor of ice cream. Benjee took it one step further and had sworn off the cold dairy sweet, to be frank. He was much less that person now though. Mostly.

Smiling a little at her, he slipped his hands back into his pockets and rocked back on to his heels slightly. "Thanks." It was a side hustle he wouldn't mind dipping in to every now and then. His other was, well, less of a hustle and more charity work since he was not earning anything from it. Nothing to assist him financially at least...he was learning plenty of secrets from those whose dream journals he helped maintain through his philanthropy.

He couldn't quite help himself and draped an arm around her shoulder to pull her in for a little side hug. She was so sweet and protective. He had a feeling if she knew of whom he spoke though...her opinion would change. It always did. "I'll keep that in mind, promise," he assured her in lieu of not saying 'thanks' again. "If for some outrageous reason no one recruits be for professional gobstones in the future, I'll be sure to let you know so you can go terrorize them. Sound good?" He did not expect that would be the case, but he would enjoy watching her do it just to see the expression on some of these uptight and stuffy executives.

In some ways, he was relieved he had an arm around her shoulders as she explained, for a bit of empathetic support through touch. In other ways...he somewhat wished he had pulled it away and it was hanging back by his sides because it certainly felt like a familiar situation. The...waiting too long to say something and then feeling like it was too late. Relationships, friendships, weren't exactly a first come first serve buffet...and it was a bit wild how often we convinced ourselves that it was. But...before he could really say much to any of that and offer her his two knuts...she kept on speaking and dove right on in to another topic entirely. He was taken aback, obviously so, both brows arching and his good eye widening as it strained to focus on her a bit. There were a few ways to play this, one a little too exposing, and so he leaned into something she alluded to with her words. Plus...she seemed mortified by exposing herself. "Well...if you think you won't be too embarrassed with being seen with an old fart like me, I'll be saving you a dance...so I hope you save me one as well," he teased with a little playful wink - utterly and completely clueless that she may or may not be doodling Mrs Victoria Marchbanks in the margins of her notes or whatever. He let that moment marinade just for a little before turning a little more serious again. "But...this guy...Daniel? You like him, yeah? As in...like like him, right?" He paused again, swallowing and wetting his lips. "Let him know. Just because someone agrees to go to a dance together...doesn't mean they are off limits or that there is anything else going on but friendship. Life is...too short to leave feelings unspoken...and, well, in my experience...its the ones that don't get said that end up hurting." Even if saying them resulted in rejection, which hurt too, it was the years sitting on his feelings that had been torturous.

He gave her shoulder a quick but tender squeeze.

Her stock was becoming depleted, which was why naturally Vera had insisted their first stop of the day be at Honeydukes to load up on more candy. She was fairly certain the coins she'd received from Papa were meant for new ink and parchment BUT... who needed that stuff? Not her! She still had plenty from all the note taking she did not do.

Tugging Sable Ileana's hand along to come into the store with her (sorry if anything changed color, bestie!) she eyed all the shelves with WIDE eyes. It was... a little sad to enter a candy store and know that she couldn't just go up to the counter and ask to see Papa from the back, but she wasn't here to focus on that.

Though... she also wasn't sure WHAT to focus on. "Um, um. What should we get first? Jelly slugs? Chocolate wands? Blood pops?" Actually, she didn't overly love the iron-y taste of the last. "Fizzing whizzbees?"

Candy was always a given. It made everything better, really, and Vera’s stockpile depleting meant Sable Ileana’s had too. Since she sort of depended on her bestie for the best candy, while she focused on better things. Like their pirate plans, which the Peeves powers hadn’t curtailed at all. No, Sable Ileana was still hyper focused on their ship and everything else pirate-y. School stuff was less important. But first, candy.

She didn’t mind Vera pulling her along into the shop at all. It was their joint mission after all, even if she ended up partially rainbow for it. She could pull it off. The blonde was bothered by little these days, aside from the usual concern about not sounding like herself half of the time, or more. She was counting down the days til she could control that ability or it would just go away altogether. Control would be more fun though. Mimicking people was fun when it didn’t catch her off guard.

Focus wasn’t exactly her strength either. “Fizzing Whizbees are cool. Floating and stuff. Or chocolate. Chocolate’s always good”, she replied, scrunching her nose a bit at the thought of blood pops. Ew. Those definitely weren’t on the list.

Vera didn't mind being the one in charge of candy rations. Her Papa having been a confectioner made her a bit of a snob at times when it came to her candies. And while sugar was ALWAYS high on her 'love' list, she could be particular about what types. Specifically in regards to chocolates. There was a difference between quality and cheap, and she much preferred the first. Probably because she still had very little concept of what money really was - which was why her 'emergency' fund was jangling around in a bag on her hip with the intention of being used today.

Candy was an emergency.

"I do like to float. I just wish they lasted a liiiiiittle bit longer." And by that, a lot longer. "Canary creams are kind of fun too!" Were they supposedly a prank? Yes. Did she like them anyways? Absolutely. Why waste feeling like an animagus on a prank? There were a billion other options for if that were your goal. "Hey! Do you think we could find somewhere that would have like... some type of voice recording of an actual pirate? What if we could get your gift to mimic THAT!" The authenticity!