| Details for The Not Date |
| Summary: | When is a date not a date? When its a 'not date'. Sybil manages to make one with Gerald which almost leads to misunderstandings when Lillian turns up. |
| Date: | 1939-01-30 |
| Location: | Library, Hogwarts |
| Related: | - |
| Characters |
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The Hogwarts Library consists of books filling shelf after shelf in a large sequence of twisting corridors that culminate at the hallowed Restricted Section. Books that cover a variety of topics no muggle could ever dream of, from Potions to Magical History to all manner of obscure, fantastical and abstract magical disciplines and creatures. Amazing as all these are, what knowledge is held in the restricted section is only spoken of in whispers. Books float across from one shelf to another, rearranging themselves back to where they belong as students never return them properly. Tables are positioned at reasonable intervals to provide students with a place to consume the vast knowledge found here, or to study whatever assignment they've waited until the last minute to complete.
Thursday. Thursday's aren't the /worst/ day of the week. They're a distant cousin to Monday, and a closer to Friday..which allows some leeway in the idea that Thursday is not /as bad/ as Wednesday.
Sure it's not the best thought-out theory, no..but it helps at least lessen the sting as one sits, bored in the library. A quill in hand, Gerald watches blankly as he presses it down in the corner of his parchment, the ink spreading slowly out, bleeding away into the corner of the paper, milking away his writing one tiny bit at a time.
Not that there's much written on the paper. Open beside him is a book, something concerning the defense against he dark arts..not that he's paying it any attention. Nor is he paying any attention to the kitten on the table beside him who offers the quill the occasional swat and hiss.
"I love kittens…" There's a pause in the step of the petite young woman as she's about to pass. "May I?" Sybil asks the question, then clasps the books she's carrying closer to her chest, fingers just curling about the edges of their bindings. Her words, carefully chosen, are wrapped in a voice that's warm and lilting so that they seem to dance as she speaks. Should Gerald look up, he'll find the Ravenclaw's eyes piercing in their intensity and firmly locked upon his, even though its the kitten of which she speaks. "Did you just get him? Her? I'd love to have a cat at school myself, but my parents thought it better that I bring an owl. Has it a name?"
Gerald snorts long before he looks up, though he does lift the quill a little to send the teeny kitten sputtering and batting intensely. "I love kittens too..somehow though I sended up with a pocket sized ball of aggression." And the kitten doesn't fail to deliver as he spats and hops back a few inches before lunching forward against to wrap his pawns around the feathered end of the quill. Still, somehow it's still cute. The curse of runthood perhaps. "I've had him a while." He then adds, "I bought a set for myself and my girlfriend at the time. Now it's just us. His name is Hexicus." He does look up, watching her curiously before he licks his lips. "You can play with him. He likes girls much more than he likes me."
A wide smile illuminates Sybil's face and she slides into the seat opposite Gerald, her books placed to one side. "Aww Hexicus. Are you being a bad, bad kitten then?", eyes just flicking up to the Gryffindor. She watches him a moment from beneath a fringe of dark lashes, before dropping them back to the kitten, falling into something that might be classified as 'baby talk' if a person were so inclined to give it a label. Its only a soft babbling of words the kitten's way as she twists a length of her hair around one finger and dangles it over the tiny thing's head. Its a little like teasing it with a feather, but quite a degree more dangerous since her finger's wrapped up in it. Still, she seems not terribly concerned, and once she has its interest, her voice returns to normal, addressing the boy across the table. "I've not seen you in forever, Cornfoot. You've not been hiding away, have you?"
Gerald chuckles, allowing the quill to drop once the black kitten has found new prey. It allows him to lean back, his arms crossing over his chest as he watches Sybil and his pet. "I have been." He admits with a small hum, possibly even the backend of a chuckle, "My last dating experience nearly gave me a brain hemorrhage." He allows, clearly joking. "I needed a breather. Anyway, I needed to catch up on some potions work." He pauses, "How have you been?"
"Busy," Sybil confesses with a smile, flicking her hair across the kitten's nose. "You know how it is, suddenly you're in the sixth year and everything just becomes that little bit more serious than they've ever been before. I swear, I seem to spend most of my free time with my nose in a book." Her smile turns to a grin and she shifts a little further forward in her seat, perching one elbow on the table so she can rest her chin on folded knuckles. "I've found that dating is a little like riding a bike, you know. You fall off, take a breather, then get back on. You might feel a little wobbly at first, but you'll get over it."
Gerald laughs, "I'm so happy your experiences have been less horrible than my own." He teases of course, though he maintains that easy but somewhat monotone pitch, "Personally I'm starting to view dating much in the same light as getting a lobotomy." He grins nonetheless, "I will admit that I'm very very happy that tomorrow is the weekend. I need out of this castle before my head explodes."
"Perhaps I've just not found anyone that I like enough that I feel like I'd rather have a lobotomy after we split up," Sybil replies, quirking another smile Gerald's way. "I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. A good thing, I suppose, though also rather sad in a way." A twirl of her hair just above the kitten's head has him wriggling his hind end before pouncing for it, eliciting a small squeak of delight from the blonde. "You know what this kitten needs? A pink bow. No kitten with a pink bow could ever be considered the monster that you paint him as." A twitch of her lips as she slides a hand beneath the distracted animal's tummy, lifting him just long enough to press a kiss between its ears. "See? Perfectly adorable."
Gerald quirks a brow at the behavior. "See no one in my house would put their face that close to him." He admits with a laugh, "Though he does like to piss in Macmillan's shoes. That's kinda adorable." His hand reaches once more toward the table, flipping the book in front of him, which proves to be his defense against h dark arts text. "Are you going into town this weekend?"
"Now what kind of a terrible, horrible question is that?" Sybil asks, rubbing the edge of her cheek against the kitten's head just as he starts to wriggle and squirm. She's not daft however, and sets him down before he gets his claws out, teasing him with a length of her hair again. "I'm mortified that you'd think I'd not. How could I bear to be left out of the troops of students that will descend for butterbeer and a little freedom?" There's a glance to his book and a scrunch of her nose. "You like studying that? Its not one of my better subjects."
Gerald laughs, nodding. "Fair enough." Is all he allows towards her mortified response. Her question about his preference of study earns its very own grin, one much more amused than most, "Are you kidding? It's my absolute best subject." He pauses, "Well, along with Charms. But if it makes you feel better, I couldn't divine my way out of a wet paper sack."
"Well that's comforting," Sybil laughs, dancing her fingers on the table towards the kitten as he flops onto his side, tired with her hair. She scritches at his tummy, taking care to avoid any unsheathed claws and nudges her foot forward, bumping the toe of her shoe to Gerald's boot. "If everyone were good at everything, it'd be a terribly boring world. Nobody would be special and nobody would need anyone else." A pause and a tilt of her head. "Maybe, if you aren't busy the whole weekend, we could walk into Hogsmeade together? I hate walking alone, its perfectly horrid."
Gerald smirks, watching the kitten with an almost critical gaze, "Traitor." He mutters for probably the tenth time today, and the kitten, tiny as he is, seems almost smug about the affection he seems to show /everyone/ but a select few (Gerald included much of the time). The toe bump only furthers the smirk her words manage to fish out. "Yes well, I suppose that's very true. In all honesty the class, Divination, the whole experience was almost laughable. If nothing else I gave the class something to smile about. I was /exceptionally/ horrible at it." He's barely a novice at best! "But, I have my uses." He then allows with a laugh, "And if one of them is walking you into town then so be it. I was conflicted with even going this weekend. I'll study myself into insanity if I'm left alone to long."
Sybil laughs, a curl of her finger giving the kitten's tummy one last scritch before she's back to teasing it with a length of her hair. She's sitting opposite Gerald at one of the tables, the kitten doing that cute kitten thing of lying on its back, trying to catch things that are forever out of his reach. "Well thank you for the offer of keeping me company, but I won't hold you to it if you'd really prefer to curl up in a corner and study instead. I'm sure I can find another knight in shining armour to lend me his arm." A pause is given then, a smile dimpling one cheek when he utters treacherous words about her favourite subject. "Shame on you, though for your dislike of divination. Its definitely an art that you need to just allow to flow around you." And as she says that, she illustrates it with a subtle drifting of her fingers through the air. "Flow… See?"
Lillian enters the library quitely heading for the section on Charms and pausing when she sees Gerald sitting at a table with a girl she doesn't know. She bite her lower lip and turns away going to look for the book she came to find. She is within sight but she doesn't approach them leaving them to talk in peace. She does look over that way every now and then as if she is worried about something but she shakes her head softly and tries to concentrate on finding her book. Great it was on the top shelf. She is too short to reach it.
"Yes well, my flow went pear shaped pretty quick." He allows with a sigh and a laugh. "I don't mind going. Truth be told I need to get out and I have a few errands to run and stuff. And, I could use some socializing. I think I'm forgetting how to do that."
It's a moment before he spots Lillian, though as she passes his brows arch gently. "Hmm. Do you know Lillian?" He asks easily enough. It's a question that leads to him tilting his chair back, his head falling to watch the blond upside down from his vantage. "Hi Lilly."
Sybil nudges Hexicus a little towards Gerald before pulling her book in front of her. She opens it carefully where a faded pink ribbons marks her place and plonks an elbow to either side. "Then its a date," she says with a grin. "Not a 'date' date, just a date. As in, whatever the date is on Saturday or Sunday, that's the date when we'll walk to Hogsmeade together." She seems rather pleased with that, and she's just about to start studying what's in the book before her, when Gerald greets Lillian. Eyes refocus on the Slytherin girl and a friendly smile is offered before she gives a shake of her head, replying to the question asked. "Not really, no." And then to Lillian herself. "Hello. Its nice to meet you."
Lillian smiles faintly at Gerald. "Hello Gerald." She pulls out her wand and levitates the book she wants down where she can grab it. Once she has it she will head over to them. "Nice to meet you as well." This is said to Sybil before she asks them both. "Whats this about a date?" She looks between the two of them carefully. "Am I intruding on something I shouldn't?" She bites her lower lip and looks to Gerald a hint of worry and sadness leaking out of that calm mask she wears. Its not completely obvious but she is bothered by something.
Gerald watches her get her book, offering her a laugh, though he's visibly grateful when he can sit upright again. "No, you're fine." He allows a few clicks later. "We were planning on walking to Hogsmead Saturday or Sunday." He admits, clearly there was very little planning involved in this 'not date' date. "I'm hoping that time away from the castle can undo the horrible week I've had..and the fact that I seem to be turning into an over-studied hermit."
Sybil presses the flat of her hand to the centre of her book, fingers splaying over the writing. "I'm being a bully," she confesses to Lillian. "I guilted him into offering me his company when I go to Hogsmeade this coming weekend and he's just too much of a gentleman to turn me down." There's a sudden smile that just curves her mouth and she carefully tucks her hair back behind her ears before resting her chin in the curved palm of one hand. A glance from Lillian to Gerald with that, before her head dips, the girl to all intents and purposes concentrating fully on her book. Or she would, except Hexicus chooses just that very moment to attack her ribbon bookmark once more.
Lillian nods to Gerald and smiles a bit brighter now. "Well then I will just have to find a way to cheer you up then….would you mind accompanying me on the other day? I have been very busy as well and could also use a break." She looks to Sybil and smiles at the kitten who is playing with the ribbon in her book. She looks to Gerald and smiles. "Is the kitten yours then? He's cute…" She reaches a hand out slowly towards the small creature not touching but trying to see if he will approach her on his own.
Gerald chuckles, offering Lillian a nod. "Of course. I've..noticed you've been rather busy." Or something. Her attention to the kitten earns a second, much different grin, "This is mine.." he admits with a laugh, "His name is Hexicus. And he's normally very ferocious. Apparently he's girl crazy, because I'm the only one he's bitten today so far, and she's been playing with him for almost an hour now." Little beast!
Sybil pushes the kitten off her book, shoo'ing him gently Lillian's way. "Gosh thank you. I'm a 'she' now? Who is 'she'? The cat's mother?" There's an arch of one brow, though its tempered with a teasing smile as she looks back towards the other girl. "My name's Sybil," she says, amusement just catching in her words. "Sybil Pyrites. Ravenclaw. Honestly, you can never trust a boy to make the introductions." She pronounces her name 'Py-ree-tees', drawing it out so it doesn't sound like the mineral pyrite, or fool's gold, as some might have it. "I'm guessing from your uniform that you're in Slytherin."
Gerald parts his lips to offer the Slytherin a thought, though as he does she's quickly pulled away by a housemate, leaving the boy to stare at her back blankly before he turns his gaze back on the Ravenclaw. He also chuckles, lowering his eyes toward the floor below the table before his brows arch up and the blond receives an all too amused smirk. "So, Saturday then?" He allows easily, "Sundays are always depressing."
Sybil lifts her head, her eyes a startling blue that fix on his. "I quite agree. Sunday's are depressing. Sunday- and you're thoughts are already skipping ahead to how the next day is Monday and how you've not quite finished all that homework that you were meant to." There's a small shift of her attention in the direction that Lillian's taken before she pulls her focus back to Gerald. "It seems that my advice from earlier wasn't even needed, was it? You've already got your courage back and climbed astride your bike."
Gerald shrugs, chuckling. "In a way I guess." He allows with a sigh, "I like attention. That a sin?" He grins though, shifting to watch Sybil, seemingly especially amused by her description of Sunday. "You hit the nail on the head." He admits easily, "But, I guess it's just all the more reason to make the most out of Friday afternoon and Saturday, yeah?" he then pauses, "You still interested in going with me?"
Sybil laughs, the sound coalescing in a bubble about her. Were it louder, it might draw attention of the librarian or some of the more serious studiers here today, but its not. Its soft, warm and vibrant. "Of course I am, unless you'd rather not. I do hope that you don't change your mind on me though, I'm quite looking forward to it now that we've settled on the date that's not a date. Are you good at carrying things?"
Gerald laughs as well, much lower of course, "I am. It's actually one of my talents. Picking up and carrying heavy things for delicate girls who can't be bothered." He leans back in his chair again, his arms lifting to fold behind his neck as he sends the librarian and the chatting housemates a glance. "I wont cancel. I'm actually looking forward to it. I need something non-stressful."
Sybil smiles. Her smile is magic. She flicks the end of the book ribbon at Hexacus to gain his attention and leans into her hand, fingers curved about the angle of her cheek. "Well good. I do like a man that understands the things a girl wants. And needs. And in return I'll buy you a drink and flatter you with occasional compliments about how strong you are and how wonderful you're being." A push of her foot against his once more before she glances to the clock on the wall. Is that regret that show momentarily in her face? "I need to go, it was nice to have the chance to talk to you properly again though Cornfoot. Do I need to send you an owl to remind you about Saturday? Or can I rely on your inborn sense of duty to remember…"
Gerald snorts, "I wont forget." He assures her, his eyes lowering toward the kitten. "I should go as well. I enjoyed the talk." He stands, partially out of politeness and partially to beginning gathering his things. "Have a nice afternoon."
Sybil also rises to her feet, collecting her book as she does. "Don't forget your kitten," she advises, a small touch to Gerald's arm just given in her passing. A small tilt of her head and a lift of her chin so her eyes meet with his, and closer now, he'll just catch a drift of the scent that laces her hair; the perfume subtle, wildflowers and spring rain. "I'll see you soon." And then she's off. The voyeur might say there's the smallest sway to her hips, but perhaps her heels are just not quite even.