| Details for Friendships Development |
| Summary: | Zayn and Esther decide that friendship is best. |
| Date: | 1939 - 01 - 08 |
| Location: | Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
  |
It's Esther's time again. She's set up her easel, infront of the fireplace, but she's not attending it at this point - The broadstrokes have taken definition since she last touched it, now revealing that it's a woman and a man, hugging amoungst the standing stones in the yard. Esther herself is wrapped in a blanket, wearing only her nightie, with her bookbag snuggled up close and a large muggle tome open in her lap - Construction Fundamentals. An odd choice of book, for those who don't know her so well. She's reading by firelight, yawning cutely as she pulls her blanket up around her shoulders, one slender arm occasionally reaching out to flip the page.
Ah patrols, how Zayn loves them, at least that is what his face says. He enters back into the Slytherin commons, rather silently, he has been doing this for a while, he stops and stares at what it is that Esther could possibly be working on now, he turns to head back towards the dorms, but thinks better of it, his footfall moving almost silently as he walks up behind Esther, looking at what she is reading for a moment, "Hmmmm." escapes his lips as he goes to poke Esther.
Esther is always working. The girl almost never sleeps, inscrutable eyes roaming over a page debating the benefits of slab versus sheet foundations in terms of cost and labour. Irrelevant, as she's using piles, but still. A sudden poke earns a yelp, and a dirty look that… Softens, for Zayn. "Oh… Zayn." She curls up a little beneath her blanket. "Hello again."
"Building something?" Zayn asks curiously, he leans in a bit closer as he says this, now his face inches away from hers, as his dark brown eyes move across the pages, "Hmm slab and sheet." he says with a small nod, "They used a slab sheet when, they built the Harpy Radio factory." he says with a small nod, "I remember my father talking about things like that when they where still building it." he explains with a small wave of his hand, "Oh and Hello Again Lowe." he says softly, his head turning his eyes looking at her, clearly in a better mood then what had him frustrated earlier today.
Esther presses herself back against the couch when she realises how close he is, too, a slight flush upon her cheeks. The man is good looking, and a charming, she reminds herself. "We're… Building using piles. Less expense, and less prone to flood damage. Plus we can excavate a basement with greater ease." She manages a smile for him. "In Hogsmeade… I'm 'technically' homeless until then."
Zayn's face obviously curls up at this, he doesn't say anything at first. He also doesn't comment on the flush in her cheeks. "I will write my father." is all he says, with a wave of his hand, "I will help however I can." he simply says with a small nod, tilting his head curiously at Esther, "You should smile more often." he says slowly with a small nod, "Those small smiles that come natural to you ar…" he says slowly, but his lips just curl, "They are nice." he says. Wait did Zayn Shafiq, say something plainly and not with his silver tongue?
"…. Thank you." Esther murmurs, looking down for a few seconds shyly. The poor girl bites her lower lip, then looks up with a shy little smile again. "You're too kind, Zayn." She's trying to tell herself that she's probably just a challenge to him. Or one of a dozen different things. "How are your patrols?" She struggles for aw ay to continue the conversation…
Zayn doesn't say anything for a moment instead he slowly moves away from her before he moves to where he can see her and he can see him and sits down on the floor, "They are going. People are not stir crazy after the break so it is normally quiet." he says softly, his hand moving up and rubbing his chin, "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asks bluntly, tilting his head curiously.
From afar, BadPenny hugs tight again "Back with lunch. Of course I missed you." :P
Esther nods to his first comment. And then nods again to his second. Slowly. "… I can't figure you out." The young woman admits, cuddling into her blanket. "… Are you sure you can deal with the truth, Zayn? S'not pretty… It's paranoia, I guess. I… I want to believe in the worst in you. To protect myself, from whatever it is you want. But… It's not fair by you." A pause. She's being honest. Let's see how that works.
Zayn just listens silently, tilting his head a bit in the other direction, the left now. "Hmmm." he says with a small nod, "Figuring out the Zayn Shafiq." he says flopping down onto his back with a deep sigh, "The believing the worst in me, to protect yourself." he says slowly with a small nod, "Whatever it is that Zayn wants." he continues before sitting up suddenly. "First you will never figure me out, since I myself have yet to figure myself out." he says with a small nod.
"The worst is often times the easiest to believe, since it is often the truth." he continues with a small nod, "I am a flirt." he says with a shrug, "The way I speak to girls, is always done in a way…" he says slowly, "It is for two reasons." he starts, "First because I like the way a girl looks when she feels good about herself." he says nodding, "The second is I like challenges and girls are flighty and confusing, so they are a good one." he continues, nodding at Esther, "Now what do I want." he says with a shrug, "I already told you the truth about me approaching you, I was forth-coming." he says with a wave of his hand, "I want your friendship, if something more develops I would be a lair to say it wouldn't please me." he says nodding slowly.
"But I do not ask for what someone can not give, so I have simply asked for your friendship." he says slowly, his dark brown eyes stare into her grey eyes, awaiting her response.
Esther draws herself in even closer, listening intently. "I… It's nice, Zayn. I'm just… I guess I'm not used to people not wanting more'n I want to give." The girl blushes softly. "… And I'm really not used to hearing nice things about myself. But I would greatly appreciate another friend. Someone intelligent, responsible, who can /dance/." The secret little smile crosses her lips briefly, at the thought, but vanishes again when she forces herself to continue. "Something more… Something more cannot develop." SHe's in love, after all.
Zayn nods slowly, "First, I like saying nice things, especially about you." he says nodding, "Second, I will never ask for more then you are willing to give." he says with a small shrug, "That is greed and I am a very selfless person." he explains with a small nod, "Friendship will be great." he says standing up and extending his hand towards her, "Nothing more unless you ask." he says his hand outreached towards her, "Let's dance." he says with a warm smile, his eyes staring into her grey ones.
If anything could convince her to get out of her blankets and infront of the fireplace in a thin nightie, it's a new friendship and the chance to dance. "I haven't for nearly a month. Forgive me if I'm a little stiff…" She takes his hand, pulling herself out of the blanket nest and up close to Zayn in a moment, her other hand coming to meet his waist. Face lifted, a tiny little smirk on those lips. "Shall we?"
Zayn smiles and nod, even with out music he hears it in his head, taking her hand and his other hand moving to her waist, but he does pull her closer then he did last time. However this time, he is not dancing to impress, he is simply dancing holding her close and slowly moving, "You are truly a sight to see when you are sincerely happy you know?" he says slowly offering her a nod.
A slow dance? That works. Esther listens to the music in his head as well, stepping slowly with him, nice and close. It makes her blush, a little bit, but the smile keeps on lingering. "You're always a sight, Zayn. How is it that you're so busy being so much?" She seems genuinely confused. "I can barely be what I am without losing track." So esoteric, but kinda sweet.
"I have expectations and duties placed on me." Zayn confesses, "Sometimes…" he starts a weak smile creeping on his face, "I wished I wasn't a who I am." he confesses, with a small nod, "It is expected that as a Shafiq, I will have exceptional grades, positions, that when I graduate, while others peruse what interests them, I will open a business, to provide for less fortunate and provide livable wages." he continues still dancing with her, slowly holding her close.
"I'd go mad." Esther confides. "… Wilheminia wanted me to be what she wanted to be." The young woman slowly steps with im, nice and close. Thinly clad as she is, the warmth is comforting. It's odd to refer to Mother by her first name, but Esther's determined to do so. "That was crippling enough. Even being myself is hard enough somtimes. But I'm still just going to do the best I can… Build my house with Myrus, hopefully become a Healer. But… The weight of those kinds of expectations." Her head rests against his chest. "It must be crushing."
"It can be, but I simply remind myself, that being selfless, means to place others first." Zayn nods slowly closing his eyes, "I accept my duties." he says nodding, "I am sure you will do great." he continues, his hand moving and stroking her cheek for a second before his thumb pushes her chin up, "Just keep your chin up and remember to dance in the rain." he says playfully, "And Healer Esther Lowe has a lovely ring to it." he says with a small wink.
"The acronym makes me smile;" Esther admits, HEL. Hehe. "You need to place some worth on yourself, Zayn. Otherwise you'll give until there's nothing left. And then everyone loses." The touches have her blushing, so sweetly. She's a very shy creature, "I've got a plan. We'll see how well it works out. If you're interested, next time you're in Hogsmeade, you could always come see me while I'm building. Well, such as I can."
Zayn smirks, "That is what a Shafiq does, is give." he explains with a small wave of his hand, his eyes stare back into her grey ones, his hand reaching up and fiddling with her hair for a moment, "I do not generally go to Hogsmeade, but for you I would." he says nodding slowly, his hand running through his hair before returning back to her side and he pulls her just a bit closer, "A plan is the first step, you will overcome." he says reassuring.
Esther smiles, nestling into her new friend a little bit when his hand comes to her hair. The untamed locks respond well to touch, after all. "Exactly. Although I have to accept that it might change, and I'm prepared for that too. But…I can't wait, to get to enjoy my own house come the end of the school year." A slight smile. "That's selfish. Because it's just for me." Untrue, of course. But there's no way Zayn would know that.
Zayn nods slowly, "Well I will help however I am able." he repeats again, as he takes a deep breath, before he suddenly stops the dance and pulls her close giving her a soft hug, "It will be okay, Eshter. Trust me." he says before releasing her and taking a step back, his hand moving through his hair slowly, a warm smile on his face, "Just promise me, to keep that smile." he says with a slow nod, "It is what brings all your beauty together." he explains with a nod.
Long distance to Master: Esther giggles.
Esther shakes her head, and snickers. "I wouldn't dare give you more work to do. But I wouldn't mind some company from time to time." The hug is given and returned warmly, pulling her slight self away and secreting herself in her blankets, lest her thin nightie inspire eyes to linger. Once upon a time, she wouldn't have cared, but now she's beginning to learn that bigger isn't always better, and eyes can linger on her. "I'll try, Zayn. And you remember that I'll still like you if you take a little time for yourself, every now and then."
Zayn may be a flirt, but he is a gentleman, his eyes don't linger as he wouldn't wish to make Esther uncomfortable. "I am glad, as I that is exactly what this was, a little time for me." he says nodding at Esther with a nod, "I will try and make it that way." he says, his eyes moving across Esther for a moment, now that she is covered by her blanket, a soft smile grows on his lips but he doesn't say anything, about why he is smiling, "Goodnight Lowe." he says with a small nod, before turning to head towards the dorms.
"Goodnight, Zayn." Esther returns, taking her book back into her lap. She has much to learn, after all…