| Details for Promise of a Picnic |
| Summary: | Augustin runs into Eibhlin while looking for his best friend. Apologies, art, and promises are exchanged. |
| Date: | 1938-11-04 |
| Location: | Great Hall |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
  |
"I could have sworn I saw Doug here not two seconds ago," Augustin says, coming up to Eibhlin. And then he really realizes who the redhead /is/, and his cheeks flame up. It is clearly a visible effort for him to keep his eyes on her face. Really, he deserves a medal. His hand twitches. "Er… hullo," he says awkwardly.
"He was," Eibhlin replies, "You just missed him," she adds before turning end up face to well.. Blue eyes lift to meet his darker ones. "Hi," she greets shortly, looking quickly back to the charms book she hadn't gotten to opening yet.
Augustin clears his throat, shifts from one foot to another quite awkwardly, and then sits opposite her. "So, I have been thinking," he says. "And, well, it doesn't seem right that I've… er… you know. And haven't even — I mean, we're not even dating or anything. Just seems wrong. So, ah, I made you this. By way of apology." And he passes over a carved wooden eagle, perched on a rock. It's really quite well done, about the size of her hand. "I actually started carving that a good while ago, see, but I thought it might do to make amends, and since you're a Ravenclaw and all, I —" he stops babbling and just kind of gives her a nervous grin.
Eibhlin blinks up, "I.." she starts before she looks back to her book with a shake of her head. "It wasn't your fault," she adds, looking up only to have eyes fall upon on carving. "It.. It's beautiful," she says though she doesn't reach for it, not yet. "But really, you don't have to. I'm sure you had someone else in mind when you started it." All the while pink creeping into her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she adds quickly, opening her book to look down at the random, and upsidedown, page.
"I — I know," Gus says. "But it did happen, and I do feel… well, sort of guilty." His own cheeks are pink, too. "Not really anyone in particular," he says. "I was going to sell it. Or try to. It's the best thing I've done so far." He pushes it a little closer to her. "But I don't actually need the money, my parents do alright. I just wanted to see if I could. I have others that are coming along nicely."
Eibhlin glances up, but its only a brief look before its back to the page she's rather obviously her focus isn't there. "Rousseau," she pauses, trying to find the right words, "You don't need to apologize. It was an accident." Wasn't it?
"Okay," Augustin says. He sits there in awkward silence for a bit. "So, heh, Medusa thinks I should ask you out, hah. Hah hah. Ehhh…" he says. He was sort of trying to make into a funny story, and rather spectacularly fails. "Isn't that… silly?"
Eibhlin lifts her gaze from the page to the Hufflepuff. "Medusa?" she questions, that bit of information seems to make things make so much more sense. "She- she thinks you…? Me?" A smile touches her lips at his laughter, awkward as it is just now. "No, that's ridiculous. I mean, what about Lillian?"
Augustin's smile sort of withers away. "Ah… we broke up," he says quietly. He drops his gaze to the table and starts using his thumbnail to scratch at an ink stain. "Last night."
"Oh.." Eibhlin starts, leave her to step in it. "I-I'm sorry Rousseau," her expression falls, lips flat, somewhere in that middle ground between smile and frown, and not quite certain what to say next. "I didn't.. You.. I'm sorry," she settles at leaving it there.
"It's… well, it'll be okay," Augustin says. "These things happen, right? We're all rather young, aren't we?" He picks up the eagle carving, inspects it closely, and sets it down again an inch or two closer to her. "So." He glances at her, and away again.
A look down her her book and she just shakes her head, "I suppose," Eibhlin replies with a sigh, "Still.." Beat. "It wasn't.." she waves in the general direction of the clocktower, indicating the previous night's incident. In doing so her eyes fall on the carving once again, "It really is good.."
"What? No. No, that didn't have anything to do with it," Gus assures her. "That was… well. Just incidental." He sighs a bit. "The rumors sure flew fast, didn't they?" he asks. He nudges the carving a bit closer to her. "Thanks," he says.
Eibhlin nods, "Good," she replies, "Not good good, just good it wasn't that. I mean I'd hate to have been part of the reason." She nods again at the mention of rumors, "Yeah, well that part probably is my fault. Douglas, Gerald, now you. Not that there's anything wrong with you," she adds quickly, which may not sound like she meant either though it does bring a blush to her cheeks again.
"The rumors are your fault?" Gus asks, looking confused. "What? Did you start them, you mean?" He tilts his head like a puppy trying to puzzle something out.
Eibhlin shakes her head, red hair brushing around her shoulders with the movement, "Of course not." She didn't start them by any means. "I just meant, oh, I don't know what I meant," she gives up with a sigh. "Just that things have been taken out of context lately. Gerald was helping me with some things and people for some reason people get him and Douglas confused and well.. you know what happened with us."
"People /do/ love a juicy rumor," Augustin agrees somewhat morosely. At the mention of what happened between them, Gus' eyes dart downward for a fraction of a second, and the blush rises in his cheeks. He clears his throat. "Yes, well. Ahem. Say, Shine…" he pauses for a second and then rushes on. "Is Medusa's suggestion really that silly?"
"Yeah.." Eibhlin agrees with a sigh, blue eyes dropping to her book once again. "I.." its not exactly a frown that meets him, "I don't know. She always seems to have some idea. Maybe its not so silly…" she replies, moving to stand and close the book in one smooth motion. "You've been really sweet Augustin," a touch of a smile offered his way as she reaches for the carving still sitting between them. "Thanks," she finishes, still a bit uncertain as she turns to go.
Augustin stands when she does, and gives her a little grin when she reaches for the carving. "You're welcome," he tells her, glad she's taken it. "I'll probably ask you out, soon," he says. "Maybe for a picnic or something." He's blushing, but smiling, too.
A glance back over her shoulder finds Eibhlin's face obviously flushed. "I.. think I'd like that," she replies, a smile touching her lips as she bumps into the door. "Um.. later," she waves before ducking out into the hall.