| Details for Valentine Cookie, Mysterious Promise |
| Summary: | Elise gets a valentine from Cillian, who won't say what the secret ingredient is… |
| Date: | 1939-02-15 |
| Location: | Great Hall |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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It's nearly the end of lunchtime in the Great Hall, on Valentine's Day, and Elise is sitting with her fellow Ravenclaws - those who are still eating. Many of the girls and boys at the table, and all around the Hall in general, are oohing and ahing over the cards and sweets they've received. But, aside from the animated chocolate monkey Elise got from the Pirates, she hasn't got anything extra. She's almost finished with her meal, and picks up her juice for a sip. Behind her, a pair of Slytherin girls walk slowly past on their way out.
"I feel so sorry for girls who don't get at least a card," one of them says pointedly, grinning at her friend and sliding a glance in Elise's direction.
"Oh, I know," agrees the other. "But then again, you have to think about the boys - why bother with a girl who's ugly or mean… or cursed?" They both titter and hurry off, and though Elise's face turns red, she just stares down at her plate and doesn't say anything.
Cillian makes his way towards the Ravenclaw table, holding a very large card, or it looks like a card at least…its actually two very big cookies being held together with licorice ribbon, and there's a giant 'E' on it as he holds a daisy in his other hand and frowns a bit before taking a deep breath and clearing his throat as he walks up behind Elise.
Elise turns a bit at the throat-clearing, and seeing Cillian, she twists even more. "Hello, Cil," she greets as cheerfully as she's able. Her dark eyes gravitate to the cookie card, and then the daisy, and then flick back to his face. There's a bit of hope in her expression, but she's careful not to ask lest her hopes are dashed. "Happy Valentine's Day," she wishes him.
Cillian's eyebrow raises as he chuckles softly and shakes his head, offering the cookie card and then the flower…sorta half shoving/half handing them over as he tucks a hand in a pocket and coughs softly. "'appy Valentine's Day Mousie, um." A pause. "Well…" He looks at the giggling girls and eyes some people who pass by before looking back to Elise. "Here. S'for you."
Elise accepts the cookies and the flower, and her face just lights up, positively aglow with happiness. "Thank you!" she squeaks. "I… I love it!" As daisies aren't really a fragrant flower, instead she settles the cookie on her lap and then tucks the pretty bloom behind her ear. Beaming, she looks up at him. "Am I pretty?" she asks. And in the next breath, "Would you like to share the cookie with me?"
Cillian smiles softly at Elise's reaction and he nods his head slowly. "Aye…yer the prettiest girl here today, luv." He declares before he nods quickly. "I'll share it with ye or ye can save bits of it, it's big enough after all…" He trails off. "I couldn't tink of anything better to be gettin' ye…and at least this way ye can enjoy somethin' sweet as well for a while…"
Elise blushes again, but looks happy with the compliment. "Thank you," she tells him quietly. She breaks the cookie in two, and then breaks off manageable pieces of about equal portions and gives him one. She pats the bench next to her. "Mm," she says when she takes a bite. "This is a good cookie." At least for now, just being next to him, eating something he got especially for her, and wearing his flower in her hair has her on cloud nine.
Cillian straddles the bench the wrong way beside Elise, accepting the cookie and smiling softly as he nibbles and takes a deep breath. "Aye, I put a special ingredient in it." He winks his good eye and then chuckles softly.
Elise looks thoughtful, and peers closely at the cookie. "Cinnamon?" she guesses, then looks up at him for confirmation.
As for the wink - how is she supposed to know it's not a blink, what with his patch, and all?
Cillian scratches the bridge of his nose before taking a bite of the cookie, chewing slowly and frowning a bit before sighing and facepalming as he laughs softly and shakes his head. "If I be tellin' ye…then it wouldn't be secret now would it?" He sticks out his tongue, teasing lightly.
"Oh, come on," Elise says, leaning a bit closer to him, her face eager. "Tell me!" she pleads. "I won't share it, I promise!" Scoot, scoot. She lowers her voice into a whisper. "You can whisper it," she prompts him, turning to present an ear to him - as it happens the one with his flower tucked behind it.
Cillian hmms softly as she moves closer and he lowers his eyes before looking back up before he leans in to whisper softly. "A promise…" Then he gets to his feet and blows a kiss before running off.
Elise giggles and stands up, cookie in hand. "Wait!" she says, and runs after Cillian, laughing. "Wait, tell me the secret ingredient! Please!" It's all in good fun, now.
Cillian laughs softly and turns to walk backwards. "I can't tellll yooou." He sticks his tongue out before laughing and shaking his head. "It'll make the cookies taste off!"
Elise catches up to him and reaches out to grab hold of his sleeve. "Impossible!" she declares. "They're delicious!" She rises up on her toes and then drops back down again. "Is it… is it nutmeg?" she guesses.
Cillian lets his sleeve get caught as he sighs and waggles his eyebrows. "Aye! But…it isn't nutmeg! I tooold you, the secret ingredient is a promise."
That brings Elise to a pause. "I thought you were just teasing me because I promised I wouldn't tell," she says. "So… the secret ingredient is a promise?" she repeats. "Well… what promise?" she asks. "Oh, please do tell me!"
Cillian just sighs softly and shakes his head as he eyes Elise and smiles a bit. "Iffen I tell ye what the promise is luv, it'll make it null and void in the magic." He hesitates. "But its a promise I intend to be keepin'."
Elise drops her hand from his sleeve and looks a bit frustrated. "That - that's not fair," she complains. "You know how curious I get about stuff. I'll just be wondering and fretting all day, now."
Cillian sighs and turns to look at Elise. "That's the point of a secret ingredient." He offers a hand. "Dun be wonderin' and frettin'…just accept that ye 'ave friends that love you very much and will always be there for you."
Elise's cheeks turn red when he says the word love, and ever so shyly, she takes his hand. Her hand is tiny and warm. "I… I'll always be there for you, too," she promises. "Until the day I die." She swallows. "Because… well, you mean ever so much to me, Cil."
Cillian squeezes the hand gently and flahses a grin. "M' glad, it would suck to 'ave given a cookie to someone who hated me guts now wouldn't it."
"Did you give anyone else a cookie?" Elise asks, quite obviously hoping his answer will be no.
Cillian just frowns and looks to Elise. "No…just chocolates and cakes a bit later soon." He hesitates. "But I know you like…biscuits ah, cookies if you are being all muggly American like…so I made a giant one."
Elise looks happy that he hadn't given anyone else a special Valentine, today… for all of about ten seconds. Then her elation fades a bit. She turns red, and looks down at the cookie in her hand. "It's a funny word," she explains. "I always want to giggle when I hear it. I think it would make a cute dog's name, don't you?" She looks like she really wants to ask something else, but holds her tongue for now.
Cillian just chuckles. "Aye…now luv, I need to get to a class." He hesitates. "We'll see ye tonight, alright? But without any cute dogs, just biscuits." He giggles and shakes his head.
Elise nods. Then, just before she lets go of his hand, she'll step closer and attempt to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for the Valentine," she says quietly.
Cillian tilts his head to the side to allow the kiss to the cheek before smiling slowly and nodding before waving a hand and turning to make his way for the exit, jogging a bit.