With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
Post by AIDEN VALENTINO on Nov 3, 2019 0:15:05 GMT
Grace, Meet me by the willow at the lake? As soon as the sun rises tomorrow. - A. V.
Of course it did not occur to Aiden, as he sent the note on down to the Hufflepuff basement, that there was at least one other student that shared his same initials. Still, before the sun rose he’d been down by the kitchens to pick up a small basket of breakfast food from the happy little elves and even answered a few of their questions before stepping out into the cold, crisp spring air. The dew that clung to the lawns made it sparkle like fire in the gentle rays of the sunrise. As Aiden stepped out, wrapping his Ravenclaw scarf tighter around his throat than before, he noted the mist rolling across the lawns.
Overhead, a few birds were already twittering away and Aiden missed the comparative silence of winter. Still, the brisk walk down to the thawing lake had warmed his body enough that he almost smiled. Beneath the willow, Aiden withdrew his wand and blew the ground with warm, dry air until he was satisfied that it would not leave the pair of sixth year students with wet bottoms.
Alana appeared shortly after and passed her brother a blanket. ”Honestly, brother, it’s as if you left your brain on your pillow this morning,” the girl chided as she set out the blanket. ”Grazie, Alana. Adesso... vattene,” he said shortly and Alana chuckled to see the minutes older twin so tense. With a flurry of her royal purple cloak, the petite vampire whisked herself away and Aiden paced under the tree.
Any moment now. TAG: GRACE LONGBOTTOM Notes: the Diet Coke hasn’t begun working yet so I apologise for the clunky ❤️
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Nov 3, 2019 2:52:56 GMT
When Grace had received the little note in the basement the other day, the one signed with the initials 'A.V.' she had almost spat out her tea all down the front of her out of sheer shock because... Aiden? Wanted to meet her? Or at least, she assumed it was Aiden because who else did she know with those initials? Well, there was Alana but... why would Alana want to meet up with her? She didn't think the Ravenclaw girl even knew her name and whenever Grace saw her, it was like she was made out of glass with the way Alana seemingly looked straight through her.
Making her way down to the lake as per the instructions listed on the note, Grace couldn't stop fiddling with herself (no, Roo, not in a dirty way), tugging at the waistband of her mum jeans, then the soft knitted sleeve of her jumper, and then finally the ends of her blonde hair that she'd tied back into a thick, long braid. Bypassing Alana on her way towards the lake, a split second of panic set in because this wasn't some... trick, right? But then she looked further and she saw him.
Standing by the shadows of the willow tree, the first beams of sunlight hit Aiden's angular cheek bone and made him look like some... some... prince that made Grace absolutely weak in the knees. Merlin's beard, he was just so... and he made her want to... to... rip off his - no, she wasn't going down that route already. She hadn't even spoken to him yet, and it was far too early to be having lewd thoughts that set her body on fire.
Drawing closer, fingers still tugging at the ends of her braid, Grace's brain didn't quite connect with her mouth as she got distracted by how flipping gorgeous he was again and she blurted out, "You're so pretty." As soon as the words flew out into the air between them, Grace was backpedaling because... well, she didn't want him to think she just liked him for his looks because that wasn't very nice, now was it? So she rapidly tacked on, "Not just... I mean, you are but you're also so... so intelligent and ambitious and... and... funny and charming and... I... I... I'll be quiet now. Sorry. Gosh. I told myself I wasn't going to babble and here I am, already... I'm shutting up now. Sorry."
Post by AIDEN VALENTINO on Nov 8, 2019 15:26:56 GMT
If Aiden hadn’t been so preoccupied with being nervous, the teenager might have had the bright idea of looking towards the castle - to watch out for Grace’s approach but alas that would be too fairy-tale perfect so instead Aiden was glaring at a bug that had dared crawl across his shoe. Yes, he was trying to weigh out the pros and cons of smooshing the insect into oblivion rather than watch the other nervous teenager make her final approach. So intent in the dark thoughts of insecticide was he that he very nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the footsteps and soft voice.
Aiden hadn’t quite caught the first words that Grace had blurted out, though as he turned to face her, his face expressionless bar a quirk of the brow ... she devolved into absolute blubber mouth. ”... buon giorno to you too, Grace,” Aiden said with a hint of a smile after she had finished with showering him with compliments. ”Is that the standard Hufflepuff morning affirmation type greeting?” he paused and took a step a little closer to the girl, his palm outstretched to take hers if she would give it. ”Let me respond in kind - granted my Puff speak is a little rusty - you’re very pretty today. The brisk walk seems to have given your cheeks a pleasant pinkness,”oh Merlin, you can do better than that Aiden a heavy lump formed in the bottom of his stomach as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
”I ... well I thought maybe... since spring is slowly coming round, that maybe I could interest you in breakfast outside for a change. With me, of course. Unless ... you would prefer to eat alone,” Aiden hadn’t really considered that maybe she’d prefer not be around him but ... strangely he found he would be fine with that as long as she was happy. What was wrong with him?
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Nov 8, 2019 23:25:26 GMT
Luckily, Aiden's reaction to Grace's great, big rambling greeting was a smile that made her weak at the knees... and then the fact that he complimented her, nearly had her falling straight to them. In... in... a strictly PG-13 type of way, that is. A small, pleased smile tugged at Grace's lips, one that soon blossomed into an all-out sunny grin. It was just so lovely of Aiden to say something like that to her and so... romantic. Like something she'd read in one of those novels she'd so carefully stashed beneath her bed. Realising that yes, she had to actually say something back, Grace tried to return the compliment in kind. "I like your cheeks too - um, the ones on your - obviously. Because I wouldn't be talking about... anyway. Um. I suppose... it's... it's a... fairly standard greeting." Stop talking, Grace.
Glancing down, Grace's eyes widened imperceptibly when she noticed Aiden had outstretched his hand towards her. After a split second of allowing herself to be shocked, Grace intertwined her fingers between his. Merlin, she really liked holding his hand. It was so warm and large and just... comfortable. Really comfortable. "Thank you," she said, then immediately regretted because... thanking people for holding your hand really wasn't something people did, right? Shoot. "I mean, thank you for... er, inviting me here. To be with you. In - in a... what kind of way is this?"
It turned out in a breakfast way was the answer. Oh. Twisting around to face Aiden, her hand gave his a little squeeze as she nodded, trying to contain just how excited she was. "I don't like eating alone. I like eating other - eating with other people. I... although usually no-one is really up at the same time as me for breakfast," she said, moving towards the blanket he'd set out. "Is... I hope I eat in a way that you like." That was a weird thing to say, wasn't it? "I mean, I... I hope I don't eat really strangely. I don't think I do. Usually I eat like a normal person. I... I'm sorry, I'm really nervous. I don't - you just make me really... I think it's because... did you have fun at... at the party?" The kissing party, was what she was referring to but it almost felt embarrassing to call it that aloud.
Post by AIDEN VALENTINO on Nov 13, 2019 15:32:28 GMT
Somewhere not too distant from where Aiden stood basking in the sun-shiny grin on Grace’s face, a dickthissel whistle played upon the morning breeze. Aiden was too busy trying not to laugh as Grace stumbled over her compliment to consider if that meant his twin really had gone. ”Grace, were you by any chance accidentally trying to compliment my culo?” his ocean eyes gestured down to his side to assist the girl in understanding before he repeated, in English, ”I mean, I think you have a nice bottom too but it’s a bit early in the morning to be talking about such things.” Yes, because bottom talk was far more suitable over dinner, Aiden? Really?
The moment of hesitation from Grace when he offered out his hand almost caused knots to form in his intestines. Maybe ... Merlin, was Grace like his sister and her... fidanzata ... and it just took the kissing game and that Gryffindor lesbian with the magic mouth to turn her too? But then Grace’s hand fell into his and his ringed fingers closed gently around them. ”Grazie a te for coming, Grace. It’s in ... “I’d like to kiss you more kind of way he finished his sentence in his head as he swallowed and tugged briefly at the collar of his shirt, ”... a personal, let’s chat without worrying about duties or anything... kind of way.”You could have just said ‘date’, you stronzo, Alana’s voice echoed in his mind because Merlin he was making things awkward.
His hand felt the squeeze of hers and Aiden’s lips pulled into a small smile as he listened to her musings about eating breakfast. ”Well good, hopefully you’ll enjoy what the elves packed. Apparently they had a good idea about what you might like,” Aiden confided; he couldn’t take credit for the contents of the basket. He had many strengths but catering was not one of them. ”I... in a way I like...?” Aiden chuckled because yep. That was weird. ”I think that as it is a breakfast picnic, I won’t expect you to know how to use all three forks in the correct sequence. That’s for next time.” He gave her hand a reciprocal squeeze and even a slightly playful wink.
”Does it help to know I’m nervous too?” Aiden asked as he held out his other hand as if to usher her to a seat on the blanket. ”I enjoyed parts of the game,” Aiden said cautiously. Was this outing because of the game? Mmm probably. ”How about you?”
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Nov 15, 2019 8:00:49 GMT
One word. He had said one word in Italian and Grace wanted to launch herself at him and pepper kisses all over his face because Merlin, he was just so... fit. "I... does culo - sorry if I'm saying that wrong -mean your cheeks on your face? Because... because yes. I was strictly talking about those ones. They're very nice. The light hits your cheekbones in just the right place, you know? It makes me want to draw you,"Grace yammered, wondering if it would be too out of place to retrieve the sketchbook from the floral-printed bag she had swung over her shoulder. She had pencils in there, and he really did look dashing in this light... but then before she could think on the idea of drawing him any further, she just about choked on her tongue because he thought she had a nice... oh. "Did you want to..." Touch it. Merlin, had the spirit of Zoë Valeria possessed her? She couldn't just go around, asking people to touch her bottom. "Morning time isn't... I don't think there's any time of day that's right to... I didn't mean to make you think I was thinking of inappropriate thoughts about your body. I'm sorry - it's not my bottom - I mean, my body, it's not my body to think about."
A personal kind of way. Right. "What, um... what did you want to talk about then? That we... we can't really talk about on duty?" Grace asked, reaching up with her spare hand to twirl a lock of her hair before pushing it behind the curve of her ear. When the conversation turned back towards food and the fact that the elves had helped to pick out what they were having for breakfast, Grace's eyes light up. She adored those elves from the kitchen and over the years, she had probably become one of their more frequent visitors. She loved to bake - mostly because it was calming and cathartic for her - and they often reaped the goods. "I think... gosh, I hope they packed scones with cream and jam and... and English breakfast tea as well. They're such wonderful cooks. We're so lucky to have them with us at Hogwarts."
When Aiden brought up that she'd have to use three forks for next time, Grace's eyes widened for two reasons - one, she only knew how to use one kind of fork, and two... next time? Floundering on what to say, Grace eventually ended up saying, "You'll... you'll, um... have to teach me. If you come to my house, I think you might be disappointed. We only have one fork meals, and usually it's pub food because we... spend most of our time in a pub. Not in a drinking way, but more of a... my mum and dad own The Leaky Cauldron type of way."
The admission of Aiden being nervous made Grace's eyes flick towards his face. He wasn't acting like he was at all, but maybe he was just good at pretending. "Why... why are you nervous?" she asked softly, going to take his other hand before realising that he was just showing her where to sit. Oh. "I, um... I enjoyed parts of the game too. Especially the... the part where we..." The realisation that he was holding her hand, that he wasn't utterly repulsed by her, was enough to give her the confidence to finish her sentence, "... where we... we kissed. I, um... I really liked... that part. Unless you didn't. Then we can pretend I didn't say this at all and didn't make myself look silly in the process." Grace's eyes met his timidly, teeth biting down into the plush pillow of her bottom lip as she awaited his reply.
Post by AIDEN VALENTINO on Dec 26, 2019 13:08:02 GMT
It took an amazing amount of self-control for Aiden to keep a straight face as Grace asked if culo was the Italian word for fascial cheeks. The devil inside him thought of the chaos that would ensue with Grace innocently complimenting people’s culos ... the scene that came quickly to the forefront of his mind was if she did so to Alana. Could he really do that to the sunny creature that looked as if she were a cherub painted by the great De Angelo? ”No... no ... a cheek on the face is la guance*,” he said carefully, his cheekbones rising with a small smile because he had definitely heard the compliment in amongst her rambling. ”Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Grace, and yours are very beautiful,” ufffffa, that wasn’t delivered nearly as well as his Italian Stallion cousins back in the home country. Kill. Me. Now.
”I think that are definitely appropriate times for these things to be... discussed,” Aiden’s ocean eyes twinkled with teenage mischief and he could not stop the grin that came to his face at the thought of those appropriate times. ”Honestly, Grace, I am no legilimens nor can anyone hold you accountable for the thoughts you keep private. You don’t need to share them - even if they’re about my body and you don’t need to apologise.” Something about the idea that Grace thought of his body made him stand a little straighter because he liked it.
”Well.. I ... don’t really know. Perhaps without the pressure of keeping an eye out for other people kissing,” a light flush crossed his cheeks and he hurried to add, ”or misbehaving, of course, we might find more things to talk about. You just said that you’d like to draw me, for instance. Perhaps we could talk more about your art?” Bless him, this was not his forte... caring about people other than himself and Alana? As foreign as his parents were 16 years ago.
When he mentioned that the elves had packed them breakfast, Aiden noted how happy Grace appeared to be straight away. Thank Merlin she was not unimpressed by his lack of culinary prowess. ”I requested biscotti and a latte and whatever they thought you might like, so hopefully?” he gently lead her closer to the basket and motioned for her to have a look-see. ”Do you spend quite a bit of time with the elves? I find the kitchens utterly chaotic and feel like they try to trip me over so it’s not my preferred place to be.” In fact, there was a particular elf that he’d somehow pissed off in his early years and so this was 100% accurate: they made his life hellish when he went to do his rounds through the kitchen. Aiden being Aiden, however, he was unaware of the slight against the help.
Aiden wasn’t surprised that he’d have to teach Grace about proper dining etiquette. He gave her a soft smile and nodded, ”the trick that my Nonna taught us a bambini is that you start on the outside and work your way in with each course.” He hoped that he made high dining sound a little more approachable with a memory of his grandmother. He was chuckling when she said that she ate pub food but not because she was a drinker but that they owned the Leaky. ”Your family owns a public house and yet you do not drink. The irony,” he laughed and searched the basket for the thermos with the latte. ”What is it like to grow up in a pub?”
Why are you nervous? Aiden took a steadying breath because there was no real way to answer the question without being direct. ”Because it’s the first time I’ve asked a girl to join me for .. breakfast,” nope, apparently there was a less direct way left in him than: I’m nervous because we are on a date. Then Grace replied so bravely about how she had enjoyed the game, their kiss and she was biting her lip and... in a swift movement Aiden had cupped her gentle jaw in his free hand and brought his lips close to her own before he paused and flickered his eyes open to look for approval to kiss her. His body was flush against hers - how did that happen? He couldn’t wait too long before he closed the tiny gap between their lips to kiss the girl.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Dec 27, 2019 1:00:13 GMT
Oh. As it turned out, Aiden knew exactly what she had been complimenting before and reaching up with her fingers, Grace fiddled with the delicate chain of her necklace. He didn't seem offended that she'd complimented his bottom before, which was a relief, but it was somewhat embarrassing he could see right through her. The embarrassment mixed with a sharp heat shooting through her stomach as she heard the word 'la guance' leave from his pretty little lips and oh Merlin, she shouldn't have found him saying the word for facial cheeks so attractive. It was so strange. "I like it when... when you speak Itali -" The words died in her throat as all of a sudden, he was saying her eyes were beautiful and her breath halted. "I like yours too. They're like... like they're ocean. A green ocean. A - you know how oceans can be green and blue? It's like - er, that."
Aiden announced that there were appropriate times to discuss such things and Grace's eyes nearly bulged out of her head because, "Oh, no. That's not... I don't... I mean, lunch and dinner time aren't appropriate, and... and... and then there's no other meal times in the day to talk about that stuff because after dinner, you go to bed and it's not like you're going to bed with me so we can't talk about that stuff... um, hypothetically." Grace wondered if putting her foot in her mouth was another art form she could modestly claim to be semi-talented at because was most certainly practiced at it. The grin that remained on Aiden's face as he declared that he wasn't a legilimens, and that she wouldn't get into trouble for her thoughts, was so... "I... it feels rude. In a way. To... and I don't want you to think I'm being rude, thinking inappropriate things about you - I mean, not that I do that often." Liar, her brain and the expression on her face screamed. "Do... are you giving me permission to... I mean, I think - sometimes I wonder if it's polite to ask first before..." But asking if she could think about Aiden when she thought about inappropriate things to do with him was a thought that made her cheeks scorch red like she'd lived in the desert for a week.
"Oh. Well. My art isn't something to write home about - not that you would write home about me anyway, but it's also... it's just drawing. With charcoals and... and... I'm trying to draw specific shapes of the human body right now." Aaaaandddd that didn't come out right. "Er, like - for example, I'm trying to focus on drawing the different ways that people's waists curve into their hips because everyone's different, and... the different lines of people's jaws, and..." Realising that she was on a rambling spree and that Aiden probably wasn't that interested after all, Grace's voice faded into a softer one as she said, "It's not terribly exciting, really."
"Do you find the coffee here similar to the coffee your family makes?" Grace asked, recalling a conversation they'd had about Italian coffee in the past. Willingly, Grace followed Aiden to the basket before peering inside, her face brightening. "There's scones." And by Merlin, did she love scones. "I visit the kitchens every now and then. I really like baking, and so sometimes they let me use the kitchen when it's not busy. It's awfully sweet of them." The thought of a house elf tripping Aiden had Grace blinking because... a house elf? Trying to cause Aiden to fall over? It seemed uncharacteristic of them. "I'm sure they don't mean to. Perhaps it's just accidental because they're so busy."
"The outside in doesn't sound too scary," Grace conceded, although she couldn't help but wonder... if Aiden ever came to eat with her and her family, would he be disappointed by the fact that they weren't as formal as his were when they dined? Would he be unimpressed by the fact that their home was rather average and small instead of some... mansion with huge staircases lined with banisters?Before she could find some way of asking if her upbringing was good enough for him, Aiden was questioning her about what he was like to grow up in a pub. "I know it's probably... well, it's definitely not as lavish as... as you probably grew up in, but it was nice. Arthur and I, growing up, we used to play hide and seek in the empty rooms upstairs, and... and well, we helped around the pub whenever we could. When I was little, mum used to keep me busy by making sweep the floors, but now that I'm older I help out a lot with the food and baking the sweets for the display cabinet and... and yeah. What was it like for you growing up?
The first time I've asked a girl to join me for breakfast. Hearing that, it made Grace's heart skip an entire beat as she looked up at him wonderingly because... really? She was - and then Aiden was moving forward, cupping her jaw, and instead of missing a beat this time, her heart stopped because was he... was he going to... and then he was, his lips pressing up against hers. Immediately, Grace turned pliant and let out a soft sigh into his mouth because yes, she wanted this. More than she'd wanted anything in her life, and she leaned into the heat of his body that brushed against hers with a shiver, kissing him back eagerly. She still wasn't... great at this kissing thing, still unpracticed, but if there was anything she'd learned from that party... as Grace drew break for breath, her teeth caught his bottom lip, gently tugging it before she released it.
Post by AIDEN VALENTINO on Jan 6, 2020 11:08:43 GMT
Moving right along from the buttocks talk, the corner of Aiden's mouth pulled up into the beginning of a small smile. He liked the fact that Grace liked when he spoke Itali... but that mere fact made him feel very... vulnerable for some reason. He shoved his hands into his pant pockets and found himself looking away from the Hufflepuff prefect when she went on to compliment his eyes. "Most people cannot tell the colour of my eyes from first glance," Aiden finally replied, his ocean eyes turning back to hold Grace's gaze at that moment. Without spoken words, it relayed the challenging question; have you been looking that closely, Longbottom?
"... I don't think mealtimes are the most appropriate, but then there's never been a particular person that I've wanted to discuss these things with," he said with the slightest of shrugs from his shoulders - his twin sister and her ugh girlfriend appeared to find every moment appropriate for "bedroom talk" but he blamed the entirety of that bad behaviour on the unruly, uncivilised snake Kaylie rather than his sister. "What other inappropriate things do you think about me, I wonder? They must be pretty hot from the looks of those cheeks of yours," he was a curious young man - it was all in the name of knowledge, not the fact that Grace thinking about him in a less than pure way made his chest puff out that little more. "Do you think them about others?"Why ask something you don't want to know the answer to, Aiden?
When Grace brought up him writing home about Grace, he almost choked on his own saliva because... Jesú no, he wouldn't even think of doing such a thing. "You draw with charcoal? Like the stuff that you get from a burned fireplace?" Aiden asked with confusion, deciding that explaining to Grace that he'd not write home about her because his family would not find his dating life interesting in the least. "I must confess that I have never taken much interest in the shape of people's jaws. Or their... their waists," his eyes traced a line from Grace's jaw down to the curve of her waist to her hip and it made his cheeks flush a bright pink when an inappropriate idea flashed in his mind's eye. "It's interesting," he reassured her and added, "it's not a skill or hobby that I'd attempt for myself, but I can certainly appreciate the finished product. I have to admit that I find Renaissance-era art far more palatable than modern works. Still, one day I would like to see your art, Grace. Do you have any particular artist that you bring inspiration from?"
"The coffee we drink in Italia is made in a different kind of kettle, so I think that affects the coffee brew itself - the beans and roast are similar enough. Perhaps some time we can visit Italia and you can taste the difference for yourself," Aiden said as his ocean eyes followed the young lady as she discovered the scones in her basket. Ahhh, bene, Aiden very almost thanked the elves in his mind before he caught himself. It was their job to please the wizards of Hogwarts, after all. "Do you bake in there often then? Yes... it's probably an accident," Aiden's voice showed that he was wholly unconvinced but if Grace wanted to live in a happy little world where everyone got along... somehow he didn't have the heart to break that particular bubble this morning.
Aiden listened attentively to Grace's description of her childhood and it sounded so very wholesome. He wasn't entirely sure what the game was that she mentioned, but he could definitely see her and her crazy brother playing until it was bedtime together. They seemed almost as close as Alana and himself, despite the age gap and not having shared a womb. Like the twins, they seemed to be almost polar opposites as well - Arthur was boisterous and obnoxious, sure he was crowned the Class Clown when the Sorting Hat was placed on his head those 7 years ago whereas Grace was a calm river, lapping at the banks and making everyone cool whilst beneath the surface there was an undercurrent that could be dangerous under the right circumstances. "You both are very close. Will you miss Arthur if he graduates this year?"
What was it like for the twins growing up? Aiden glanced at their surroundings, acutely aware that his sister was probably still within earshot somewhere. "In Inghilterra, my parents own substantial amounts of land - the estates once held by Death Eater families became fairly cheap and my parents took full advantage of that. So Alana and I grew up on expanses of land - our favourite estates being in the Lakes District. Alana grew up on the back of a horse but I could never master the skill - it just held no appeal to me, if I'm honest. Instead, I was tutored in music and even now I play the guitar in the common room when I need to think," Aiden shared his rather... adult childhood. "I spent a lot of time with my father, learning the business of land and tenant management from a young age - as well as magic and potions with my mother."
Soon enough though, Aiden was in a tender embrace with Grace's soft lips against his and the fact that their childhoods were from two entirely different worlds... none of that mattered. The warmth that always seemed to emanate from the Hufflepuff felt like it spread from her body into his own cold being and he eagerly sought more of it. His hand was about to leave her jaw to draw her closer to him when he felt her back away, catching his lip in her teeth which sent a lot more blood south than Aiden could have thought biologically possible. His eyes flashed open in surprise and he took a quick step back to keep his own reaction as private as possible. "I've not been able to get your kiss out of my mind... and I doubt I'll be able to forget this one either," Aiden said with a nervous chuckle, running his hands up the back of his neck in his unruly brown curls. "Would you ..."like to sit and eat? the polite version of Aiden was demanding him to finish that sentence but instead, Aiden took her hand in his and pulled her gently forward towards him again. "Would you mind if we kissed again?" he had to fight every urge to pull her down onto the blanket and feel her body beneath his as he began to cover that stunning body in kisses because that felt like a bit much. Where did that urge come from? His free hand found her hip and his thumb brushed the small amount of skin that it found. "Unless.. of course you would prefer to eat your scones in this very moment?"
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Jan 7, 2020 9:55:35 GMT
All Grace could do in reply to Aiden's unspoken hinting that she'd given his eyes more than a glance was duck her head, humming because yes, yes she had. Quite often she found herself sparing glances at the Ravenclaw boy in class... and the halls... and... and looking at more than just his eyes too, but he didn't need to hear about that so instead, she miraculously kept her mouth closed.
If Grace thought she was about to burst into flames via her cheeks before, then that was nothing compared to now when Aiden was pondering what other things she thought about him. There was a lot but the starring role in her thoughts were - Grace's eyes flickered down to Aiden's hands, the long slender fingers there that had wrapped around her own once upon a time in the corridors - before swallowing hard. "Just... I just think about, um... your hands - you, holding your hand. Again. That's all." Liar. It was hot outside, and Grace blew a huff of air onto her face like that would help. It didn't. "I... I don't really - I mean, sometimes I think about people in general, but no... nobody in particular. I - do you?" The question flew out of her mouth before she could stop it, and she blanched afterwards. What a silly thing to ask when she already knew the answer was yes. Of course he did. He probably thought of people much, much more good looking than herself, ones who knew what they were doing and weren't fumbling Hufflepuffs.
At first, Grace let out a giggle at the thought of reaching into the fireplace and grabbing charcoal from it to draw with before she realised he wasn't joking. Oh. After a split second of hesitation, Grace leaned forward to grab her bag, retrieving a pencil case full of charcoals in a few different forms - pencils, sticks... all things she liked to experiment with. "It gets a bit messy using the sticks sometimes. I can't tell you the amount of time I've accidentally wiped charcoal on my face," she told him before suddenly, his eyes were... exploring, something that made her squirm where she sat because being stared at? It wasn't something she was accustomed to especially when the other person looked like that. "I... I, um... I don't think there's any particular artist. I like lots of different ones. I mean, I quite like Klimt works but I don't really draw much inspiration from it. I just think it's beautiful, and I adore the colours he used even if I don't use them much myself."
Perhaps sometime we can visit Italia. The use of 'we' had Grace almost choking on her own saliva this time because did he just - was he suggesting... surely he wasn't... it sounded like a lovely idea, but it was - gosh, it was unexpected. "I - yes, okay," she said, voice quiet as she nodded, a dazed look in her eye. It was clear by the way Aiden was speaking that he didn't believe her thought it was an accident, but Grace had never known house elves to be malicious. There was every chance it had been an accident. "I bake every... every now and then in the kitchens. Not too often, I don't want to get in the elves way."
It was somewhat rare that Grace actually got to regale tales of her childhood with Arthur to someone who actually wanted to listen, and she liked that about Aiden... that he always paid so much attention to what she was saying, like it was something important and worth listening to. When she drew and fell silent, he made an observation that they were close, but then he said something that turned her cold inside. If Arthur graduates. If. Immediately, Grace was shifting into a less relaxed position, a frown moving onto her lips. "He will graduate. I know what people say about him - that he's, you know... he's not particularly bright and maybe he isn't always the best at sitting still in class but he's not going to repeat a year. He won't." That she was certain of, her voice all confidence as she spoke because she believed in Arthur's ability to do well in his NEWTs.
At first when Aiden said the word Inghilterra, Grace's mind instantly went to 'oh, a place in Italy, that's so dreamy' but then he started talking about Death Eaters and the Lakes District and she went a bit pink because oh. That must have been the Italian word for... for England, not some beautiful place in Italy. Oops. "You play the guitar?" Grace asked, lips parting in surprise. She would have expected something... well, like a harp or a violin or - but a guitar was good. A guitar gave her visuals of his fingers plucking strings, moving lightening fast, and it made her throat dry because... she didn't to stop thinking about that. "That's, um - it's very clever. You must be good with your hands." That didn't sound nearly as innocent as she intended, and Grace shifted once more. "It's nice that you spent a lot of time with your parents... do you get along with them? I mean, I know that all people are meant to fight with them and - but are you on good terms?"
Aiden's admittance that he hadn't been able to get that kiss out of his mind, nor was he about to forget this one had Grace's stomach swooping because that was... it was crazy. That he - "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it either," she blurted out, eyes wide and sincere, letting the tug of Aiden's hand guide her forward until she was even closer. So close she could feel the warmth radiating off his body and onto her own, and it was so - it was so... Grace fought off the shudder that threatened to course through her, trying her best to focus on his words. But it turned out to be a Herculean task because his thumb was caressing the bare skin on her hip, and he was asking if she wanted to kiss him again. "I like scones a lot, but... but I like you more. A lot - I like you a lot more." Then in a show of rare confidence, Grace initiated the kiss this time, lips brushing gently against his before she just let herself go, let her body dictate her movements and she was climbing straight into his lap, her body pressed flush against his firm chest as she deepened the kiss. As it turned out, when you wanted to kiss someone this badly, wanted to do more than just that, it wasn't that scary after all.
