The wind blows broken melodies [open]

[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

It was relatively easy for Lori to get sidetracked and this view, well it was keeping her attention pretty focused. Making herself a bit more comfortable she drew her knees up to her chest carefully removing the camera from around her neck, but not before snapping a brilliant photo of the scene, and sat it aside, wrapping her arms around her legs. Side glancing at Ivan she noticed the way that he was looking at her. It seemed like there was the slightest tinge of delight etched in his features. Lori smiled vibrantly at the thought of that. She rather enjoyed bringing joy to other people, but she wasn’t all that accustom to inciting it just by her appearance. At least not that she had noticed in the past.

Lorana was actually looking forward to just holing up in the common room with Ivan and slipping into a sugar rush. She got hyper with a serious sweets intake, but most did, didn’t they? If Ivan could stand all her randomness and over sharing then it was likely that he would find her amusing hyped up on candy too. Or she hoped because he seemed like he was the type of person that could turn into a really good friend. So far Lori liked his personality. Ivan was polite, and kind. Obviously, being a prankster, had a good sense of humour. All in all it was very promising. “Great, are you free tonight?” Why put off something tomorrow that could be done that day?

“I’m not really all that fond of the Forbidden Forest myself.” It was a bit of a contradiction seeing as the Forbidden Forest was where Ivan had found her. But only at the edge, it wasn’t like Lorana had been in the depths exploring. That would have been reckless. She wasn’t much for reckless really, unless it was to help another person, like going up against some big brute because they were picking on someone smaller than them, then Lori would jump to the rescue without any thought, that was the Gryffindor in her she supposed. “But I am glad I decided to follow you here. Actually I’m just am glad to have met you period. You kind of remind me of that first day of spring, real refreshing, you know?” Lorana laughed at the comparison, it seemed a bit silly to think something like that.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan really wondered if Lorana did see him in the light as an actual guy to go to for any problems she had but he could see himself accidentally kissing her if she was upset or anything like that. Not really tied down to one person, but yeah he was amused that he could see her in that light. It almost seemed incredibly amusing at the same time that those thoughts still occupied his mind. Surely this wasn't the way a guy was supposed to think, but if the candy made her extremely hyper then there were many possibilities that could happen within the common room. None of which Ivan saw ending rather well, but he shrugged it off if they were just friends there was no need to worry.

Thinking the Forbidden Forest was actually getting a little mundane after having been to it so much, he probably thought it would be best to head back to the castle by this point. There honestly was no reason to stay here just to talk with her further of the beauty of the place comparing to her own. Chuckling slightly at her question, “Great, are you free tonight?” "I'm afraid not, I'm not as popular as I'd like to be, but maybe that's a good thing. Those popular people end up with names they are expected to live up to, I don't know how they could possibly deal with it. I'm sure the Potters and weasley's are the most famous for that though...not that I have anything against them. I sort of feel sorry for them getting all that attention they don't want," he admitted to her.

It was Ivan's turn to over-share what he thought of the blood lines, but he really could care less if she had liked one of them already. This was Ivan, not James after all, but he did know James Potter quite well since he was the same year as him. It was hard not to run into him in the hall a few times here and there, suddenly Ivan found his hand over Lorana's in a caressing manner. Shaking his head, he blushed pulling it away, and had forgotten who he was with. "Oh my so sorry! I was...just thinking that's all," he muttered blushing deeply. Actually Roxanne had come to mind and thought she was sitting beside him.

How silly to confuse Lorana for her, but it was just that. Perhaps he was having second thoughts about going out with Roxanne, but he was going to stay true to her no matter what he did with this..best friend of his as he saw it. "Refreshing huh? Well, I can't really compare you to anything since it would just shy away from your beauty to make room for you...then the world would be a perfect place I'd guess, haha. Shall we get going?" he asked Lorana as he crossed back across the rocky path. This time he waited for her and would hold her if she needed to feel safe...although that would just make Ivan blush more so.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

There was an element of unpredictability when it came to sugar highs. Lori could get a bit wild and adventuresome, but nine times out of ten it was all just good-natured, harmless fun that she got herself into rather than anything too drastic that had gave her that guilty hang over feeling. What went up must come down, as it went. She wondered if Ivan changed any when he got hyper. Would he still be so polite or would a more vulgar side show itself? There had been this one girl that she had met back in third year, who was graduated now, but the most curious thing happened when she got a sugar overload. The girl came was incredibly mellow, the exact opposite effect that Lorana would have thought a person would get, in any number of variations.

“That’s true, reputation preceding people and all that. I mean you can’t get much more well known in the wizarding world than the guy that sent Voldemort’s sorry can to the grave finally, bringing peace and prosperity to all wizarding kind, now can you? And now with things getting a little… strange this year, I’ve already heard whispers that some people expect James to follow in his father’s footsteps and be some big hero. It isn’t fair, but then I guess most heroes don’t actually set out to be heroes, but rather deal with the situation that they are given as best they can.” Lori bit gently into her lower lip thinking that over. How many heroes, besides the everyday kind like cops and firefighters in the muggle world, would run into danger to help someone simply because it was their job? Not many, it was the circumstances that counted when it came to things like that.

It was Ivan’s hand over hers that pulled her out of her thoughts, looking down at his thumb moving tenderly back and forth. The sensation was nice, it tickled in a pleasant sort of way and also heated up her hand making her gulp slightly. His apology and the blush that coloured his cheeks led her to believe that it had been an accident, not that Ivan was trying to put the moves on her or anything. Now that she thought about that notion though, Lori was interested to see how she would react if he did. She liked him as a person and in this setting it was easy to slip into a romantic mood, but was it just the setting that allowed her heart to skip a beat from his touch or something more? “It’s okay.” Lorana assured him flashing a smile for emphasis. No harm done anyway.

“Refreshing.” Lori confirmed giving a small musical note of a laugh at his comment. “You’re not careful I might turn into one of those egomaniacs that demand that you refer to me as a goddess.” This was something that would never happen of course. Lori got to her feet gathering her camera and, at first, tried to get down the path by herself, but her footing wasn’t nearly solid enough for her to trust herself and, as she stumbled forward, hands grasping Ivan’s shoulders for support. “Graceful like a goddess even.” She joked letting her hands drop to her side, only to reach for his hand a moment later.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan figured he'd have to be careful around Lorana in general, but he didn't know what was worse. The fact that he really wanted her or just the line of thought that made him think he was betraying someone he trusted. Although as of right now, he actually wasn't with Roxanne, and she was really just a girl he fancied after all. There would be no harm in a little more flirting or innocent touches to perhaps get Lorana in his good graces more so. Not that he hadn't already, but the touch on his shoulders made his whole body shiver incredibly and the feeling had been great. Soon he was looking into her eyes as he pulled her closer towards him, arms wrapping around her waist softly. "I might have to think on that one, but I do say that god always needs a goddess by his side," he mused slightly. Yet he found his lips drawing closer to hers and then moved to whisper that into her ear.

Soon he was pulling away but still gripping her hand to catch her in case she lost her balance, but Ivan's heart was beating incredibly fast at that moment in time. Surely nothing would come of that, but it all had been a rouse to get Lorana to actually like him more, but he didn't know if any guy had ever done that to her before. Even Ivan could be full of surprises, although he had to pull away from that hug for other reasons. Many that didn't involve a male reaction to her female hormones exciting his own. It was amusing that such a girl could produce such feelings with him, but the romantic mood wasn't gone at all. Ivan just wanted that sugar-high where he wouldn't care about the consequences either.

Lorana and him would make a great team if he had a say. It wasn't every day you got to spend some time with another Gryffindor and stay up all night on a candy binge, so he decided it would be worth it. "I'm always into something new, I hate staying the same it's always boring," he commented to her as he just kept dodging trees, looking back to make sure she didn't trip or anything otherwise he'd try to fall under her to catch her. Then she'd be well aware of something else, but living in the moment was his thing, so he'd take it as it came.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

Lorana knew well that it was possible to have your breath stolen away from you compliments of some smooth talking guy and she wasn’t talking about the verbal compliments that could be given. Being pulled into him Lori’s lips pursed to contain the slight gasp that threatened to pass them. His gaze was rather intense too, as though if she looked too long she would be able to see exactly what it was that Ivan was thinking. That scared her though and she was quick to look away focusing instead on the rugged texture of the rock that they stood on. She was one of those hopeless romantics who believed in love at first sight, but had never actually experienced. What she felt in that connected moment between them though, was that love at first sight, or was it just her body’s way of telling her that she was merely attracted to Ivan? Her skin was tingling, that was for sure.

As Ivan whispered into her ear that expression about sweet nothings came to mind. Her senses were incredibly alert, flickering her gaze back up at Ivan. A nervous smile came onto Lorana’s lips, despite herself. It was interesting that even when a person was put into a confusing position they could still manage to find the humor in things, or at least she could. Maybe it was one of those defense mechanism things. To avoid being like one of those prissy girls, Lori resorted to being flippant about herself. It wasn’t exactly self-depreivation, but could be mistaken for it she supposed. It didn’t really matter though did it, because she was still relatively happy with the person that she was?

Heading back through the forest Lorana was a little bit less attentive of her surroundings and more concentrated on Ivan. Just studying the way that he moved, the expressions that came and went from his face from second to second trying to figure him out. Not that Lori had ever pretended to be an expert in figuring people out but it was fun to try, and sometimes she even could find a thing or two out from simple observation. She liked the way that the corner of his mouth would twitch up slightly on one side right before he smiled like there was some invisible line hooked there and was being tugged whenever the urge to smile hit him. “That’s a good way to be. Repetition can be really dull, well most things at least. Even your favourite food could start to taste bland if it was the only thing that you ate, so its like you have to try new things in life too so that you don’t lose interest in the things that you already like.” Even though they were on flat ground Lorana hadn’t let go of his hand. She had seemed to forget about it as it was so comfortable, though she was behind him slightly by a pace or two.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan really didn't understand Lorana one bit, but that wouldn't stop him from attempting to hit on her every so often. Even during the running through the forest he knew fully well he had to keep up, but he was not even paying attention to the fact she was still holding his hand. Perhaps he would as soon as he looked behind him to make sure she was alright, but he felt right holding her hand. Suddenly he just decided to drop it once they were on the edge of the forbidden forest as he resisted the urge to hug her again knowing where that would lead. No one wanted him to reveal himself to his own girlfriend, Roxanne, but he soon realized he had just thought of her as a girlfriend. Heavens burn you, Ivan, there is no reason for you to be wool-headed. Confused was the right word he should have used, but LIGHT! what the hell was he thinking?

Ah well, he couldn't really turn back now to go back to the Forbidden Forest as he had let go of Lorana's hand as he felt like he had just disconnected his last life line to save himself from drowning. Shaking his head, he soon turned his head backwards, and have her a rathery toothy smile this time. Obviously meaning to say 'good, you're alright,' but just smiled instead. Obviously looking goofy like that, but he knew that should elicit at least a giggle from her, and if he knew her to be the prankster like he was. It would have been much more amusing if he wasn't developing feelings for Lorana, which made his heart even more confused than it normally was. Torturing himself mentally between three women now, not just two, and would have to choose in the end eventually. Arielle was the most likely candidate, but right now he was living in the moment. So whatever happened...happened, and soon they were at the castle as Ivan was panting for breath.

Having forgotten they ran most of the way, he turned to look towards Lorana quizzically as he soon spoke to her, "Hope you didn't trip over anything besides your own feet...otherwise I would have had to jump out of my way to catch you," he chuckled at that as the saying was rather redundant. No one could tell when someone was going to fall, but hell Ivan would indeed try to catch Lorana as best as he could.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

Maneuvering under low hanging branches, over fallen tree limbs covered in moss, and around thickly thorn-ed bushes Lorana followed Ivan through the forest glad that at least one of them knew where they were going. She was a bit useless when it came to directions, which also played a big role in her previous decision to keep only around the immediate area of the clearing where Care of Magical Creatures was taught, that had a path, very distinct and trodden so she couldn’t get lost. But in this denser part Lori was making sure to keep right on Ivan’s heels.

As they made it to the tree line and he let go of her hand Lorana was a little despondent, an emotion that she couldn’t, at the time, place her finger on. But his smile, that cheeky disposition behind it intermingling with the casual concern that she hadn’t tripped and fell on her face along the way, pushed that gloomy feeling away, sweeping it under the rug to be a lump that Lori most doggedly ignored. She didn’t mind running, it was probably the only form of exercise that Lorana could get that was particularly athletic. She was wretched at sports, probably having something to do with her lack of grace and intricate coordination, though Lori could walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, so that was a minor triumph.

Finally stopping at the castle she let out a forced exhale, before slowly sucking back in a fresh supply of cool autumn air. “I know I thought I was going to face-plant on one occasion when we were coming up that steep incline. Good to know you would have caught me. Sort of reminds me of that game that I used to play with my siblings where you stand behind a person and they close their eyes letting you fall back into their arms- that trust exercise or whatever. Its funny ‘cause-“ The long winded response hadn’t only been cut short because Lori needed to take in another gulping breath but also because she had almost said something very stupid. She had been about to say that the falling feeling that you got in that fraction of a second between standing and being in your partners arms, was exactly how she was starting to feel around him, like she was in free fall. It was pleasant, but frightening. “Well it doesn’t matter.” Lorana waved off smiling.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan was curious as to why she stopped trying to say what she was going to, but he had trust issues himself, however he would have to test this out. It wasn't uncommon to find someone as intriguing as Lorana to help him try out new things, and this was one thing he wasn't used to. Surely kids wouldn't trust their lives to a random stranger while they just fell down hoping to god that they'd catch them. Something wasn't quite right with that, but he was going to keep his hopes up high. Obviously this was going to test her at the same time, to see how much she really liked him and then blushed at that thought again. What was it about Lorana that made him act this way around her.

Confused as he was, he was certain that many other factors had to imply he considered her a rather beautiful woman to actually be able to pay close enough attention to. Licking his lips softly as he looked away, but when he met her eyes again he was imagining kissing her own as his blush deepened a little. Wool-brained fool that he was, and falling for her...yet he knew this was going to get out of hand again once he got candy in him. Ivan liked to act totally cool when he was hyper, but he really just pretended he was to have an advantage over most of the guys. Lorana wasn't going to go after them, as far as he was concerned.

Funny how this was turning out, and as he then walked up to Lorana he moved around her putting his arms around her waist. Whispering softly into her ear to surprise her, "I don't think anything you say is stupid, in fact I learn something new every time you talk to me, which is rather nice. I like learning just as much as the next, but also I like looking at your beautiful eyes, they're like the windows to the soul right?" he asked her and then gulped as he moved back. Getting ready to catch her, deciding to test her to see how much she trusted him. "I wonder, how much do you trust me?" he challenged her.

If she was a true Gryffindor she wouldn't back down from this simple challenge.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

Though Lorana had seen that look before, that desire in a guy’s eyes directed at her on other occasions, she didn’t recognize it now. She never did until the proof of its existence was right in her face, which usually meant that she was being kissed or was about to be. The blush that stained his cheeks was a small indication of what was on Ivan’s mind but Lori pleaded willful ignorance at times like these. What was uncontrollable was the way that her body reacted to Ivan, tensing as he came closer to her and her skin tingling as his arms slinked around her waist feeling his body heat radiate onto her.

A shiver worked its way down her spine as his voice whispered huskily near her ear. “I’m,” Lorana swallowed hard trying to get the nervous lump that had formed in her throat to go away, but to no avail. “glad I can have such a positive effect on you.” A side effect of being anxious was that her rambling was increased tenfold. Lori tried to keep from doing so even biting down on her tongue- even that was useless though. “You know I actually read something about that a while back. There were these scientists in Sweden that did a study on it and fond that patterns in the iris could indicated personality and there was some link between that and a persons frontal lobe, which houses personality traits, though I think the proverb had more to do with being able to tell the good in a person by looking into their eyes.”

When Ivan stepped back bracing himself to catch her if she did actually fall back, Lorana clamped her mouth shut wondering if she should actually do it or not. She had done it hundreds of times as a kid, but there was something to be said about the innocence of youth in that. Lori glanced back at Ivan, thanks to the previous topic, looking directly into his eyes to see if she got some vibe or tell that he wouldn’t let her fall. The fact that she did hadn’t come as a shock to her. She had already trusted him in forest and on the cliff where the gazebo was. Really this was the least risky thing Lorana had trusted him with all day. Giving him a small smile she turned back around, closed her eyes, and let herself fall back, hopefully into his arms. It always seemed longer to stop falling than it actually was, a mind trick.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan was rather worried that he was going to let Lorana fall, but he had hoped that she wouldn't think any less of him if he did. It was just amusement on his part that was keeping him from letting her see past the facade he had set up, and she had just dropped into his own trap he had set for her. There was not turning back as he realized he would soon have to do something to stop her from hitting the ground as all time seemed to freeze in place as if he were watching her fall backwards slowly to shatter her spine. Ivan really didn't want that guilt on his hands, but that wasn't his own thoughts in general. Mostly everyone else would have thought the same thing if they didn't have such a great conscience.

Luckily, Ivan didn't want guilt on his record at this point, and soon enough his hands were out below her firm back. Using his upper body and his muscles strained slightly as he shook a little with the impact from her body on them. Not that she was heavy but the weight she inflicted made him slowly fall over slightly with her on top of him. This was irrational and suddenly his lips had planted themselves on her neck accidentally kissing her there. A tingle went up his spine as he realized how much he liked doing that to her, but it had just been an after-effect of the fact he was now laying beneath her.

The firm curves of her figure were so incredibly enticing that he wasn't sure if he could go on any further without kissing those beautiful lips of hers. If it was a mistake he was going to make twice, he might as well make it count. Not that anyone was there to tell him different, but he had to keep true to his own code. Living in the moment meant people got hurt all the time, and if this was for himself, what little tricks could Roxanne possibly use to get information about him. Of course, he had to take into consideration if Lorana would tell anyone else, however, he kept his hands to himself. Mainly his mouth was the only thing he was worried about giving him away to do what he wanted.

Sitting up slowly as he then put one hand over her own as he smiled down at her while looking down at her with her head in his lap as he sat there. "See, I told you I'd do anything not to let you fall, I'd rather give my own life for you than let the ground have it," he said, and then chuckled as if he thought that was funny. In truth, he did find it so, but he knew if she had a sense of humor she would too.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

Her heart was racing, pounding so quick and hard that, for a moment there, Lorana wondered if it was going to beat right out of her chest. She had been nervous going into it that was just the natural reaction to that sort of thing though. Lori had done this dozens of times and no matter how many times she was caught the same thing had happened. It was a concentrated dose of the same adrenaline that one would get from sky diving or bungee jumping, those moments of free fall, in this case, down sized to a fraction of a second, and the risk being far less, but it was still exciting. As Lorana felt the inevitable sudden halt she was relieved that it had been the softer impact of Ivan’s arms than the ground.

Her eyes shot up looking up into Ivan’s face only it find that they were sinking toward the ground and Lorana couldn’t help but make a little yelp. Being pressed up against him she should have simply rolled off of him and got up but instead she felt his lips on the back of her neck and a shiver passed through her. It was nice, the sensation that such a simple action could bring her, but it also had a foreseeable effect on the girl. She tensed, unable to do as she originally was going to, planted in that very spot as if her body had sprouted roots and they had imbedded into Ivan so that she was stuck in that position. That theory became a little more believable when he sat up but all she did was slump into his lap. What a great place for her to be.

She did wonder what it would be like to kiss him though. After feeling how much the small kiss on her neck could excite it definitely wouldn’t disappoint to get something more. Lori pursed her lips unconsciously as she thought over that. And on top of everything Ivan’s hand was over hers warming it with the tenderness that he was showing her. Lorana wasn’t one of those girls that got a lot of male attention, but that didn’t mean that she was some big exception and didn’t like it. Maybe it was a bad idea to indulge though because if she wasn’t careful she would end up craving it more.

Peering up at him Lori slapped on a silly smile at his comment, which was strangely comforting. “Would that be subjective only to the times when you’re around, because I fall quite often, more than any one person should at least, and if you’re not around then it kind puts you in a sticky situation. You know I probably shouldn’t have mentioned anything about the whole klutz thing. What if I am in the market for impressing you in the near future and now all your going to be thinking about is, ‘oh yeah she’s real attractive, can’t even walk upright most the time, tripping over thin air’. And I probably shouldn’t have mentioned that either-“ Lorana really didn’t know when to shut up.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan was amused by Lorana, but she was indeed rather beautiful as he glanced at her trying to act like she wasn't impressed by him. Although his heart fluttered a little bit, and realized these feelings were getting a little out of hand as he moved his hand away from hers. Of course he looked down at her curiously as she laid there, and then moved his hand away thinking that this was indeed the start of a great friendship as he really didn't want it leading any further than this. Now he had to put on the breaks as he just smiled back and looked into her eyes slowly not realizing the effect it might have on her. Although his words were sincere, but he let out a chuckle at that shaking his head.

"Lorana, why would you even think that I would be the same way as most guys? I'm a klutz myself, whether I admit it or not, but I do try not to trip over every little single thing. Can't help it if you're in a crowd and pushed into someone by accident. Then you realize you're accidentally kissing them, that's what I think this is like, considering you did fall towards me. I was the one that last my balance and let you fall on top of me. Plus, if anyone thinks of you as frail or weak, I'll give them half a mind to say otherwise, and I won't be nice about it either. After all I consider you a rather good friend already," he said to her. Smiling warmly he soon put his arms behind him as he was just relaxing up against the tree.

Obviously all tension had left his form and now he was glad he wasn't about to make himself look any more of a fool than he had earlier. Looking up to the sky, he realized there was too much going on in the clouds and the way they moved faster caused him to look back down at Lorana again. "Ever heard of something called cloud bursting?" he asked her slightly, and chuckled at just what the name implied. It was something Ivan did when he was extremely bored and had nothing better to do other than staring at the clouds. Having these candy binges with Lorana would be extremely excited, and then realized they were supposed to be heading up to the common room.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

His laughter was contagious as it was but his comment only increased her urge to laugh. She hadn’t meant it as some generalization just her mind spitting out her thoughts for his benefit, or in some cases annoyance. It really wasn’t saying anything about Ivan, but rather the ridiculous, over exaggerated theories and hypotheticals. For those that claimed that Lorana had an avid imagination, they weren’t wrong. She was such a drama queen with her mentality sometimes, but rather than getting all depressed or irritated by it Lori just laughed it off, which had to count for something, right?

The whole I tripped and you fell scenario was amusing but, more or less, accurate. And still Lorana hadn’t brought herself to move, but he seemed comfortable and she didn’t hate the position, so saw little point, other than for appearance’s sake, to move. His gaze was intense, too difficult for Lori to look away even. It just sort of captivated her. “Thanks.” Good friend already, she was cooler than she thought. But really Lorana was glad for it. Having Ivan as a friend definitely was appealing. “So let me get this straight, what you’re trying to tell me is it’s all your fault.” Lori laughed grinning impishly up at Ivan. Obviously she was only joking.

At the mention of the clouds Lorana forced herself to look up at them instead of at Ivan. “No,” her mind raced with possibilities of what it might be, clearly something to do with clouds. “But it sounds like something that someone tripping on acid would have come up with, like the clouds exploding into millions of pieces blanketing the sky with the fluffy white bits.” Her gaze roamed over the clouds that were scattered up above tilting her head slightly, now glad that she was still in his lap, to view them from a different angle and try to see some design in them. Unable to help herself Lori raised her camera and snapped a shot wondering if the faces and shapes that she could see in the clouds now would show up in a picture too.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan did try to bring the best out in people even if he was trying so hard to hide the thoughts that captivated him with Lorana's head in his lap the way it was. Even so, he knew she was comfortable and suddenly started to play with her hair idly as she was shooting pictures up at the sky. Gently stroking it in a way that would probably send tingles down her spine and then trace along her cheek-bones softly to feel that soft skin of hers. Something told him to just lean over to kiss her without telling anyone what happened, but he doubted she was a friend with benefits type girl. Of course, he could have made up some excuse that was more or less likely to make him look innocent no matter how she took it.

Finally he let his hands trail over hers again as she was taking the picture, forcing the camera down a little by 'accident' as he put it when he said it while clicking a picture that was aimed towards her and him. Something about that made him twitch a little, and knew that evidence was on camera of her in his lap now. Sighing softly, he had to be careful how that story got spread around, but it would sound innocent enough he hoped saying that they were just friends. Lorana just happened to like resting her head on guy's laps to get comfortable, but it was different if he was one of her best friends. Viewing her as a little sister already, but he silently pleaded for it to be more.

If only he could date three girls at once, then this world would be great, but he'd have to be very naive for that to work. Ivan wasn't a player nor did he mean to be, and hell he had just technically met Roxanne last week. So they weren't going out as of yet, and it wasn't going to be official anytime soon he figured. Whatever caused him to do this he didn't know, but instantly he had Lorana's lips near his own. Looking into her eyes even with her camera in the way he soon leaned over further and then pulled away to tease her once as he had whispered towards her. "Why don't you sit further up in my lap and we can get cozier, cause it might get too cold for us out here," he said to her, making up some excuse for her to get closer.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

The affectionate gesture was taken kindly by Lori, it felt good, chilling but in a pleasant way. She wasn’t sure if it was Ivan in general or if the action of stroking her hair would have been as nice if someone else had been doing it. Thinking too much on it wouldn’t do her any good though. Ivan had already stated that they were friends and to indulge in girlish fantasies would get her nowhere expect maybe a broken heart. Her heart was too precious to her for Lorana to knowingly set herself up for a fall. Boy-girl friends were allowed to touch each other though, bring one another comfort and just relax and enjoy their company so she didn’t have any scruples with him giving her that sort of attention.

Even when his hand grazed against her cheek and his hand move over top of hers Lori pretended as though those pleasurable little signals that were being triggered had nothing to do with liking Ivan romantically, but stuck with the delusion that it was just a common reaction to any boy friend. Lori was a little nervous though enough at least to make her hands shake and click to button when Ivan lowered her hand. She hadn’t thought of taking a picture with him but now she had one. How well it would turn out was questionable, not the only thing that was questionable about it. It would probably be too blurry to have much creditability. That sort of thing wasn’t even on Lorana’s mind, especially since Ivan was getting closer to her.

Feeling his lips barely brush against hers Lori held very still despite wanting to lean up and kiss him. That would have been too forward though, wouldn’t it have? As Ivan whispered to her Lorana shivered. It could have been tossed up to feeling cold now that he had mentioned it but deep down she knew better than that. There was the start of feelings building up inside of her, a longing to have Ivan view her in a different light, the desire to be held in his arms, to simply be with him in all manners. These things, given what he had previously said about being friends, were repressed though, swept under the rug to be the ever-present lump, this particular one residing in her throat.

Lori nodded obediently sitting up so that her back leaned against his chest, the perfect opportunity for her to feel just what it was like to be held in his arms. She needed a distraction, something to keep her from letting herself be disappointed later. Taking his hint from earlier, Lorana sat her camera aside on the ground next to them making sure it was snuggly sitting upright, and then turned her attention back to the clouds. They had been the topic of conversation after all. “Kind of reminds me of a Jack Russell jumping for a Frisbee. Or no, check it out, a mime.” Lori pointed to the cloud that she was talking about only to see the wind blow the image away making the cloud wispy. Her hand dropped. “Well it was.”

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan was certain that Lorana was certain that he was going to make a move on her, but in fact all he was doing was being friendly nothing wrong with that. Although he could tell this was going to get a little out of hand, but he really didn't want to get too out of hand either. It would have been way different if he had been under the effects of butter beer while doing this with her, but he had to consider what -would- happen if James found out about this too. From what he had heard about Lorana, well, there wasn't much to tell cause he rarely talked to James Potter. One of the few people that Lorana seemed to remain friends with despite his tendencies to show off his ego a lot.

Ivan was the far more fun, and gentler version without much of an ego to go with his personality, plus just the fun-loving part was all around nice. Deciding to massage her shoulders as she leaned back against him, a natural reaction would soon be approaching her. Although, he wouldn't make anything of it as he soon just let his hands linger on her shoulders occasionally traveling up her neck to along her cheek bone to gently stroke it with his finger-tip along her smooth skin. Mainly an affectionate gesture saved for those whom he cared a lot about, but he soon stopped as he soon read the signs about what he was doing.

Knowing there was a deep place in his mind that told him this was wrong, and to choose one person instead of three to actually fall in love with. It couldn't be helped, especially when all of Hogwarts seemed to be blessed with beautiful women, but he shrugged that thought aside too. Best to not think of creating a harem with them, because that would never ever go well. Too much fighting over who would get him and then soon let his hands stroke across her back softly at the same time. "Yes, it's amusing watching the clouds disperse, which is the whole essence of cloud bursting, I'm glad you picked up on that, very intelligent. And full of information," he said to her, then smirked softly.

"Did you know, I want to take care of dragons when I graduate?" he asked her randomly, deciding to go on to another subject as his breathing slowly grew heavier.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

Ivan made it so easy for her to just melt into him. The massage that he was giving her felt so nice and relaxing that there was no possible way for her to be tense or nervous anymore. Though now was probably the best time to have her guard up. They were getting into dangerous territory here. Being comfortable with a person was one thing, in fact something that was sort of a necessity for a good friendship but at what point did being comfortable and being cozy cross and turn friendship into something more? Lorana wanted to be in denial about the whole thing and so far, enjoying herself too much, was doing an excellent job with it.

His hands on her were strong, but still tender, kneading into her muscles with care despite it seeming to be an absent minded action. Ivan must have been a natural with massages or something because, though in some spots where a knot had formed, his touch was nothing but soothing. On occasion Lorana did flinch on instinct as tension was worked out of her shoulders, but for the most part she felt like she was up in the clouds, association from the topic at hand she told herself.

“Intelligence or filled with random facts. Either way at least it gives me something to actually say considering how much I talk.” Even her laughter had been mellowed out compliments of the very talented young man working his magic on her. Ivan had even managed to still her constantly reeling mind her thoughts reduced the tranquility of silence. A content little sigh passed through slightly parted lips indulging fully in Ivan’s touch.

“No, I didn’t.” Lorana murmured “It sounds like it would be interesting though. Dragons, fearsome as they are, happen to be really majestic in my opinion. More so than unicorns, maybe not more so but the unconventional way that they are beautiful has always intrigued me. Does that mean you are going to Romania, or isn’t there a Dragon Preserve in the Ukraine as well?” Her knowledge on dragons was only basic, more of a fascination with their appearance and prowess than a desire to know much about their up keep, habitat, or anything else of the sort.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

Ivan was certain that Lorana was indeed going to be heaven for him if he indulged in his fantasy of having her as his own, but that meant claiming her as well as revealing to everyone else that she was his. Ivan really didn't want to deal with an angry Roxanne Weasley, so she just stuck to massaging her shoulders and then kept his attention on the clouds as his guilt had finally kicked in. Especially since he was desiring Lorana at this point, but that was just a natural reaction thanks to his testosterone levels reaching extreme highs to the point he wouldn't be able to control his actions. Just like that cautious hints at her back when he felt the knots dispersing, until he could have sworn he accidentally moved his hands a little lower on the front of her body.

Ivan knew it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn he had kissed her neck a few times realizing she was just leaning back against him causing his breath to release softly on her neck now. Blushing deeply at this, he soon decided to let this effort go unrealized when he soon forgot what they were originally going to do. Then an a-ha moment came to him to save him from further embarrassing himself about how much he wanted so much more from her. Craving, and needing her was something that would forever be present throughout their friend ship if that's what he called it. In fact, he didn't think this was friendship, he already considered they had just gone out on a date of sorts.

Funny as that sounded, it wasn't a date unless you got together with someone else on an agreed date to meet up, and that perhaps made this seem like something trivial. Although, Ivan had shared one of his secret hiding places with her and...they already had so many memories in just one day. Soon he spoke again, this time with sense as his hands stopped massaging her, however they rested on her shoulders. "Well, I think we should head back to the castle and get one of those all night binges going don't you? I'm sure...we could enjoy each other there more..I mean, enjoy hanging out with each other more there, sorry..." he said to her, scratching the back of his head lightly.

Curious as to what Lorana would actually do and how her conscience was fighting her own feelings, but he couldn't really deny her if she attempted to kiss him...although he'd be pressed to move out of the way as quickly as she moved forward if that was in her thought process.

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[LORANA ALEXIS SMITH]

There had been a few instances during the massage when Lori had, unconsciously, let out soft sighs of pleasure, thoroughly relishing in how good it felt. If she had been aware of what she was doing her cheeks would have burst violent with the red of a blush. It was fascinating how a person could get so lost in something that they didn’t know what they were doing as a result. Kind of like children watching fireworks explode in the air, they couldn’t help but ooh and awe at the sight, Lorana didn’t have any more control or awareness than they did, just reacting to the experience instead. How was it even possible that Ivan had found a way to make her that comfortable with him already. One would have thought that they had grown up with each other or something.

Once Ivan stopped Lori pouted slightly, but didn’t complain about it. If it were up to her Ivan would be there for a very long time, and that wasn’t really fair. All good things must come to an end, or so some supposed philosopher had claimed, something to do with only being able to appreciate things fully once they were gone, so her indulgence was no exception. If not for Ivan’s correction, in her ridiculous state of denial, Lorana wouldn’t have thought twice about the meaning of what he had said to her. An apology did manage to catch her, make her think about it for a second. There was the potential of a sexual innuendo mixed in with the previous wording. Lori chewed gently on her lower lip letting the prospect sink in.

A moment ago, when the massage had put her in that trance-like state, Ivan probably could have done anything to her and she would have smiled and asked for more, but with the bewitching effects now put to an end Lorana wasn’t so sure. She didn’t sleep around like a lot of the girls seemed to, not that she was a virgin though, just she needed to really care about the person and hopefully have them care about her too. Was it possible to already have that with a person that she just met? Ivan had just clicked for her, but what if it was circumstantial? Over active minds were a nuisance in these sorts of situations and it wasn’t like it was so trivial that Lorana could just flip a coin to help with her indecision. It wasn’t a matter of whether Ivan was worthy or not, for her, that was indisputable. The problem was deciding whether the feelings that she was having were real and long lasting or if they were a whim, subject to the factors that surrounded their time together- a beautiful lake-view gazebo, cloud gazing, running hand in hand in the forest, the incredibly pleasant massage…

But Ivan was ready to move on to the candy spree and if he wasn’t going to dwell then why should she? Lori turned her head slightly so that she could look at him and flashed a toothy grin. “Might be in our best interest. Unless you’re a light weight.” Lorana gently prodded Ivan’s ribs with her elbow giving him a playful nudge. If she stuck to what she knew, which happened to be, apparently, making light of everything, then she should be fine, she figured, or more accurately Lori hoped. Standing up, before picking up her camera, she offered a hand down to Ivan to help him up, not that she thought he needed help, but it was the nice thing to do and Lorana was generally a nice person.

[IVAN VLADISLAV KIRKE]

A moment ago had changed everything and even Ivan had to admit he hadn't screwed up in any way yet. Obviously having avoided the inevitable, but he knew fully well that would have occurred if he had continued any further down that perilous path that would have landed him directly into trouble river without a paddle. Oh yes, he was all too familiar with that terminology these days and nothing would change his mind about what he wanted to do with Lorana right now. Those dorm room seemed too far off to actually wander back to, but the castle was calling his name, and wanted to just let him curl up in bed without any inhibitions holding him back from the urges that he felt were making him have a guilt-trip on the spot.

Ivan considered giving himself a tutoring lesson in dealing with girls and how to treat them nicely without hitting on them all the time just to get them to like him. Acting like a player was not his style and figured James Potter had rubbed off on him the wrong way. That was the only reason he could think of, especially since he saw no reason to hang out with this group at times, and found himself pulling pranks more on unsuspecting Slytherins than just wandering the halls for a random person to target. Many of the Slytherins that thought they were all that were usually targeted or the select few snobby Ravenclaws that thought they could over look anything they wanted.

Shaking his head, he smirked towards Lorana again, and then took her hand to let her help him up as he soon started to make his way towards the castle as he spoke to her again. "Well, if it isn't the castle we're headed for, there's always heading out to Hogsmeade to get more candy, but it's not the weekend yet, suppose we'll have to wait for that," he said to her, smirking slightly in her direction. Then nodded as kept on walking letting her walk beside him or behind him if she wasn't able to catch up right away.

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