| Details for Open and Honest Advice |
| Summary: | Esther finds herself making the ill-advised decision to turn to Douglas for relationship advice. His thoughts? She could always have her cake, and eat it too. |
| Date: | 1939-01-15 |
| Location: | The Black Lake, Hogwarts |
| Related: | To Be Updated |
| Characters |
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Anthony has just left, and Esther sighs in his wake. Looking after the damaged boy as he makes his way back to the castle. And once he's out of sight, she reaches into her pocket, sliding a cigarette out of it, and placing it to her lips. "Incendio." She whispers, to light the stick, and draw upon it sweetly. A heartfelt sigh, this time, when she exhales.
Hands jammed deep into his pockets, Douglas makes his way down to the shore, passing Anthony on the way with a vague nod. But on reaching Esther, he claims the cigarette from between her lips, stealing it for long enough to take a drag, then offers it back.
Esther notices Douglas, offering him a nod. Almost expecting the theft, she welcomes it back between two fingers, with a smile. "Hey, you. Got time for a serious question? It's about girl-boy stuff, so I figure it's your domain." She teases.
"You've finally decided to embrace your undying love for me?" Douglas queries, looping an arm casually around her shoulders. "Well, it's understandable."
"Hah. Actually, so far, two more students have done me the kindness…" Esther blushes a deep crimson, drawing upon her cigarette. "And a third tried to touch me…" Trying not to explode when she admits that. "I… I think I have feelings for one of them too… Which is worse, because we both know that I'm committed."
She taps her ash out when she exhales, cuddling into Douglas a little bit. "… I am committed. I'm just… Confused. OVerwhelmed."
"How old are you, Lowe?" Douglas queries, pulling her in against his shoulder. "And how many boys have you actually dated? If you want my advice, get out there and sample as many as you want. Don't settle for the first or the second one who comes along. It's pretty bloody easy to decide you're in love and that's that, but it'll make you bloody miserable if you haven't sampled a few others to be sure along the way."
"Sixteen. Two, if you include…" Esther stops herself short of admitting /that/ to Douglas. "…Two. I don't need to play the field, Douglas… I'm not wanting for anything, physically speaking." She draws upon her cigarette again, and then offers it to Douglas, since they're nestled in nice and close. "I'm not confused because I 'want' them," Although GOD, Zayn is /pretty./ "I'm confused because I love Myrus… But the more time I spend with Zayn, the more I want to be around him too." The girl lets his name slip, almost unconsciously.
"Merlin, listen to what I've become." She mocks herself.
"I'd just shag him, if I were you," Douglas decides pragmatically, nodding thanks as he takes a drag from the cigarette, then blows out a smoke ring. "Get it out of your system. Just, obviously, y'know. Be careful and all that. Or get him to… y'know. Lick it. Doesn't even count as shagging, then, and there's not a girl alive who doesn't like that."
"And if it doesn't work?" Esther seems to skip over the moral complications of cheating and straight to how difficult her life could become. "… It's a great feeling, I know. Speaking of which… Where can I get the recipe for that potion?" A faint blush, before she returns to the topic of conversation. "I don't know what we'll do yet. I think giving into temptation is a bad idea… Otherwise you'nd I would've been done long ago." A cheeky smile.
"If it doesn't work, then at least you've got it out of the way and you can get on with being mates," Douglas advises, shrugging. "I mean, come on, all right, we seem to have managed to be mates without it, but you and I both know that if you wanted to whip it out and give it a bit of care, we'd neither of us object. But that's because we're mates."
"It'd be pretty fucking weird, Douglas… But you're probably right." Esther steals her cigarette back gently. "I meant… What if it doesn't get rid of the way I feel." She blushes, "What if it's genuine, and I just… Ruin everything?" A shy, sweet young thing right now. "I guess I'm just thrown by the attention. It's making me feel 'attractive'." She shakes her head, and chuckles. "Hell, I miss being fifteen."
Douglas half grins at her. "Och, if I had you I'd ruin everyone else who ever came after me for you, you know that. They couldn't compete. I'm a gifted man. But attention's pretty good, eh? Flattering. Make the most of it. Flirt. Enjoy it. You're not fucking married, so try a few things out."
"So you'd claim. I found Myrus pretty damn satisfying." Esther's boast engaged before her brain does, and leaves her hopelessly crimson.
"You must be easily pleased," Douglas shoots back amiably, grinning at her admission. "And what does Myrus think about you fancying Zayn?"
"Tell him, and I'll whip it out and use a severing charm." Esther's threat is immediate, although said with the kind of inflection that shows she doesn't really mean it. Right? "I'm… Not telling him. He doesn't need to know." Her other hand is protectively clutching her bookbag to her as she's talking, while drawing upon her cigarette again. OFfering the last drag to Douglas, with a bit of a blush. "… Right?"
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Douglas shrugs, taking the fag from her. "Medusa knows I fancy Rashley. And that I wouldn't kick you out of bed for crumbs, either. The thing is that we both know that at the end of the day it's Malfoy I want to go home to. It's Malfoy I'd step in front of a curse for. And part of the reason I know I love her is because I can tell her some other bird's fit, and she knows that she's still won."
Esther blushes again. "I… I guess." Maybe she should tell Myrus. "I… I should really think about this. I think what confuses me is that I feel like I have to protect Myrus… Guide him. Keep him safe.. And with Zayn, I feel like he'd do that, for me." A bite of her lower lip follows. "You and Medusa are truly good for eachother. You know that, right?"
"If you can't look out for each other, then it's not love, it's pity," Douglas decides firmly. "It goes both ways. It has to." A faint grin. "Aye, well, I'm working on making sure her parents know just how good for her I am."
'"Luck with that, Douglas." Esther smiles, "I don't think many people ever prove themselves to the Malfoy's." The girl shrugs a little bit, and slowly pulls away from Douglas. "I'd better head back to the castle. Much'n more to do."'