Details for Fever-ish Confessions |
Summary: | Lara confesses her love to Colton and… ends up in the infirmary. |
Date: | 18 January 1940 |
Location: | Hogwarts, Path to Hogsmeade, in front of Higgins' Shelta Wagon |
Related: | (1940-01-17) Hogwarts Quidditch 1939-40, Game 03 - Ravenclaw vs Slytherin (at the very bottom) |
Characters |
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Lara is waiting on the path to Hogsmeade in front of the wagon, their - by now - usual meeting place for Hogsmeade week-ends. She is even earlier than usual. She had been looking forward to spending time with Colton again, but her self-confidence had taken a blow when she had seen him with Kimiko after the match. What did it mean? Just some harmless housemate chit-chat? But the way she had looked up at him, and the expression in his face… What if Colton chose not to show up? On top of it, a numb feeling in her bones and an increasing headache have not helped to improve her mood. Nothing Madam Spleen couldn't patch up in no time, Lara was sure, if only she had found the time to visit the infirmary. But today was important, she could sense it. Nervously she pushes her cold, sweaty hands deeper into her pockets, shivering slightly and playing with the stone she had picked up and 'tweaked' on impulse after yesterday's match…
Colton comes tromping down the path towards his wagon with his usual carefree swagger. A cigarette between his lips, eyes squinted to keep the trails of smoke from it from his eyes. The squint narrows all the more in bemusement when he spots Lara in the usual spot. He's pretty much been a bewildered mess since after the match yesterday. "'Ey pretty lady." He greets and shoves his hands in his pockets and gives an awkward rocking on the balls of his feet. "So…" What the hell happened yesterday!? is clear in the subtext of that 'So'.
Lara breaks into a relieved smile the moment Colton appears with his usual, infuriating air of nonchalance. She takes a few steps towards him before she hesitates, waiting for him to approach and giving him a quizzical look. Then, after an awkward moment, she carefully but deliberately removes the cigarette from his mouth, drops it on the ground and - without a word - pulls him closer, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his shoulder, feeling a bit dizzy.
Colton sighs, still extremely bemused, he wraps his arms around her and gives her a hug. "Wasn't done with that." He complains playfully, though he is a bit put out, he just rolled that and only had a few drags worth. Now it's all soggy and muddy, le sigh. "So… yee're nah going to be some crazy jealous bird, right? Cause…" That's a deal breaker for the flirtatious young man.
She interrupts him with simple statement, slightly muffled as she still clings on to him and her face is half buried: "You came." For now, it's all that matters to her. Especially as she is still shivering and longing for his warmth. Then, after another pause, she raises her head, searching his face. "Please be honest with me. Is there a reason to be jealous?"
Colton wraps her up in his leather jacket and continues to run her slowly for the warmth that comes with the gentle friction. "We were coming to /yee/ so we could go to Hogsmeade all together ye daft lil thing." He kisses her forehead and then starts to walk, slow and careful so they don't trip or slip up heading for the wagon. Seems to him that's a good enough answer to the question.
Lara does not object him taking the lead, she does not even seem to notice. Her forehead is hot and slightly sweaty. "I am sorry I did not see you after the game. It did not go particulary well for Ravenclaw, and… I just couldn't stand it that… she… is always there. I mean, she's so terribly sweet and she shares the same house and… I wish I'd have been sorted Gryffindor." She knows she is just rambling, but words continue to pour out of her as if a dam has finally broken. "I'm sorry, ok? I am not the jealous type. Well, at least I wasn't. I just… I care, ok? I mean… I really care. I… love you." There. It is out finally. She stops short, blinking in surprise, partly because she suddenly finds herself standing right in front of the wagon and partly for the words that had just left her lips. Impossible to tell if it was for the gentle way he treated her, his caring touch, his welcoming warmth, or the fact that she was feeling increasingly dizzy. And impossible now to enter the wagon without a decent answer. She holds her breath, waiting, her heart pounding.
Colton blinks a bit and uuuuuuhhhhs softly, mostly under his breath. "Thanks." Thanks!? He looks down at her and when he nervously licks his lips as he fidgits about he realizes that its sweat and not dampness from the air he got from her forehead and he reaches up to feel her head. "Feck, yer burnin' up…" How's that for a subject change? "C'mon. Back to the castle…" With a little grunt he leans in to scoop her up and carry her with only a few rest breaks between here and the school infirmary.
This was not the reaction Lara had expected - or hoped for - and it literally puts her off balance. Before she can react - before she can even protest - she is being lifted from the ground, her light weight apparently no hindrance to Colton's strong arms. She holds on to his neck for dear life, groaning inwardly as the world spins in front of her eyes and her headache explodes from the sudden movement. When her vision clears again she finds herself being half carried, half led to the infirmary. They remain silent on the way, and Lara feels a knot tightening in her throat. This was not the Hogsmeade week-end she was waiting and hoping for. When they arrive at the infirmary and Madam Spleen takes over, she secretly slips an oval and flat little object from her pocket into Colton's jacket before he is ushered out by the resolute nurse with a curt "Thank you, that will suffice, there is no need for you to stay." Obviously, she is not too pleased that young people head out for Hogsmeade in such a condition, and he takes the blame. Lara sinks onto a bed in despair, feeling utterly miserable.
The object turns out to be a small stone as it can be found in plenty on the lake shore, if it wasn't for the careful red kiss mark on its smooth surface. It also would have been (and still would be…) perfect for dapping on water, in other circumstances. While Lara had initially considered hexing it, it is now just a stone, considered as a little reminder where Colton's thoughts should travel whenever they are about to… wander. She has sealed the surface, though, so that the kiss mark would not be smeared. After all, she had noticed the other hunk of rock with the unknown red lipstick kiss mark he keeps in his wagon even if she did not say anything at their last date."