Some tea? (Cleo, Rister, Lita, Gaenor)

[Kris Graas]

“I’m still not entirely sure why Rister couldn’t to it himself,” Kris grumbled, lounging back in his chair and watching her wife, who was currently pouring a vial of Veritaserum Kris had brewed – Cleo had always been hopeless in Potions – into a pot of tea, while continuously stirring. “Add a taste of lemon, I made it quite strong,” he continued grumbling moodily, the full moon of the previous night still fresh in his mind. And even his face was an expressionless mask, his eyes cold, steely and distant – he knew that in the bitter curve of his mouth and heavily lidded eyes revealed far too much. His whole body still ached – muscles, bones, all of it, and even the maddening thump of wild blood in him had quieted down, leaving the man to be just tired and worn. And just 5 hours after shifting back to human he had taken an international portkey, which was never the most pleasant experience. The fact that he hadn’t eaten – he, the vehement adorer of breakfast and food – just put him even more on the edge. He had eaten sometime the previous day, but Kris could faintly recall retching the food out sometime last night.

But there hadn’t really been a choice. While he and Cleo had their own lives, they were never abroad without the other. Both Lita and Gaenor would have been suspicious at once had Kris not came. There wasn’t a chance to get them both conveniently to Italy for just simple tea, and Cleo wouldn’t have acted the same, even if Rister could have pulled off his part with the help of some polyjuice. Not that he could have. While he and his oldest soon looked nearly like two drops of water and had similar character, age and the fact that one was just a 17 year old son made the difference large enough. Gaenor and Lita would finally stop moping around each other though. Hopefully. They were both besotted with each other enough for it to be obvious for any who knew them, besides themselves. Pathetic really. He and Cleo had fought, argued and been a volatile couple. But at least they had never denied the attraction lying somewhere in the distance.

Kris looked up, with a tender smile on his lips, as Cleo suddenly sat in his lap and kissed him. “Eat something, you look awful,” his wife murmured against his lips, offering him a bun. Kris glanced at it with some weariness, but seeing just as simple bun, white insides and a golden-brown crust, started pulling out bites of it as he ate. Cleo was right after all. He would need to have something in his stomach were he to swallow the tea without throwing it straight up. Looking up as the door swung open, Kris merely tilted his head as Gaenor entered, knowing his old-time best friend – not counting his wife – wouldn’t mind the lack of greeting as Cleo started talking. A similar incline of his head was what greeted the arrival of Rister and Lita as well, even Kris mentally sighed. The quicker this was over it, the quicker he could get back home, curl up with Cleo at his side, and sleep through the aftershocks of this month’s full moon.

[Cleo Graas]

Cleo looked around the back room of a quite expensive café – even if it was fully worth its price – and gave a small satisfied nod. It would do. The room was paid for to be reserved until midnight for them, or hopefully for Gaenor and Lita, and it was cozy. Decorated in friendly green and light whites, crèmes, and natural wood. It was a charming room, which wouldn’t destroy the background of a love declaration. As Kris sauntered over the room and dropped himself on a chair, Cleo walked over to the tea-stand. Pulling out the Veritaserum Kris had brewed the previous day – it had helped take his mind off the full moon awaiting – Cleo slowly stirred the contents of the whole vial into the pot. Obediently adding lemon as Kris suggested, Cleo turned and eyed her husband.

He looked pained. Haunted perhaps. And for a reason, considering last night. Cleo had hated to put him through it, but he knew that Kris hadn’t wanted to put what they were going to do here off any longer either. She felt a surge of love pass through her as she observed her husband of 18 years. He was still handsome, perhaps even more so than back when they met in school. His black mane of hair was pulled back by a velvety strip, over years his shoulders had broadened even more. He wore a black silk blouse, the collar of it being held together by a silver wolf-head, silk slacks, black shoes – he black tailored outfit brought out the form of his body which was still enough to make a woman drool like a hormonal teenager. His face was chiseled, weather-tanned – even if slightly paler than usual currently – and well shaped, even if his eyes were still a smooth black cover from the blinding hex that had once hit him. She herself had also changed of course. Her skirts had became slightly longer, her hips wider after giving birth to 6 gorgeous children, even if her face was also still the same untamed red and her face smooth and without wrinkles, just a couple of laughter lines around her eyes adding even more character.

“I love you, but you look awful,” Cleo murmured as she sat in Kris’s lap and kissed him gently, while handing him a bun from the breakfast choice spread over the table. Kris suppressed a sigh – Cleo noticed it only due to years of living together and their current physical proximity – but started to eat. “Gaenor,” Cleo greeted merrily, reaching her cheek forward to let the old family friend kiss her cheek, as she didn’t shift from her seat in Kris’s lap. “You’re early. Which is always good, obviously you know the family traditions,” Cleo said, chuckling merrily at Gaenor’s compliments. She knew she looked good in her red top that reached her thighs and heeled boots, as well as the white belt bringing out her slimness and white silk pants.

“And Lita and Rister,” Cleo greeted merrily as the door swung open again. Rising to her feet, Cleo stepped towards the youngsters, giving Lita a quick hug and mussing up his first-born’s hair. “Gorgeous top, Lita,” Cleo threw over her shoulder as she went to pick up the tea pot, “Take a seat you two. Eating isn’t obligatory, but it was a nice touch from the café, don’t you think? You can pretend to be polite by drinking the tea,” Cleo stated calmly, wondering if her tone had been too firm when she mentioned tea. Well, it should be. She had brought up 6 stubborn children and Lita. Bring over cups of tea to everyone, Lita took an absent-minded sip, watching Kris and Rister discussing the best wand-gesture to animate transformed beasts. It was far less complicated to do so than to create golems, but it only made the creature move too.

[Gaenor Maydell]

Gaenor smiled, watching as his grandfather frowned darkly before shifting a pawn. The once formidable man had shrunk and aged, being bed-ridden now, but he still had an air of demand to him. And he still liked chess, and was better at it than Gaenor was. Not that he had ever liked the game. He knew how to play, but he never fully enjoyed it. But his grandfather did, so he played chess quite often. Two more moves from his grandfather, and Gaenor slumped back in his chair, as his grandfather grinned victoriously. “You may be good in business, but you never did have any sense to understand chess, boy,” the old man grunted from under his quite impressive set of moustache. “Or you have too much of the sense,” Gaenor replied easily enough as he stood slowly, immediately bringing forth questions about where he was going. “I’m meeting with Kris and Cleo, grandfather,” Gaenor replied easily. He had mentioned the meeting three times during chess-game but the old mans memory wasn’t the same anymore either.

Walking out of the house to the back-porch, Gaenor ordered a house-elf to make sure his grandfather would rest before closing his eyes and apparating. Closing ones eyes wasn’t a must for apparating, but it somehow made him feel better. Looking around Hogsmeade, Gaenor recalled the name of the place they were to meet. It wasn’t hard as Kris and Cleo seemed to prefer the place, he mused as he started to make his way over through the relatively empty streets on Saturday morning. Reaching the café, Gaenor nodded quite warmly to the young waitress, who approached him immediately and led him to the backroom. His friends were known to enjoy just the best. And they deserved it.

“Kris, Cleo, you look fantastic. You do, not your lump of a husband,” Gaenor greeted his friends, with a sincere smile, walking over and kissing Cleo’s cheek, before choosing a chair for himself and picking up a peach from the table. Taking a bit just as the door opened, Gaenor found himself to be glad he had something in his mouth to prevent him from utterly embarrassing himself with his mouth dropping open. Lita looked as pretty as always. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Gaenor reminded himself mentally as he swallowed and smiled warmly at Lita, squeezing his hand, as Cleo greeted them both before Rister started quizzing his father over animating wand movements. “Cleo’s right, you look great,” Gaenor managed to tell Lita, before having to shift his attention to respond to Rister’s question as well.

[Rister Graas S6]

Throwing an apologetic nod to the Slytherin girl he had been coming up from the dungeons, Rister sprinted forward: “Lita!” Catching up to the girl, who paused to wait for her in, no time, Rister merrily threw his arm around her shoulders. “A regular ray of sunshine today, aren’t you? Don’t grimace, I wasn’t even going to lecture you for skipping breakfast today. Again. On the condition that you’ll offer me some company on the way to Hogsmeade. Mom and dad are in town for business of some sort. Gaenor was supposed to be there too, if you need any additional attraction. Any additional attraction – notice the alliteration? Think I could become a poet? If we scratch out that poor part,” Rister grimaced lightly. Being rich had spoiled him, even if he still had been made to work often enough by their parents. He had painted, built, dug, shoveled – done most of the hard labour works to know the value of worksmen. And for that reason he also knew the value of the money he was to inherit.

“Mom wanted to talk to you anyway. She wasn’t satisfied with the answer you gave me about visiting in summer,” Rister informed Lita merrily, steering her directly through the middle of a quite large group of younger Hufflepuffs, even if the badgers had enough of a common sense to not complain as Rister threw them an arrogant look. And that was a good enough excuse to sound plausible. It wasn’t as if Rister could tell Lita that his parents were in town for the morning just to hook her and Gaenor up. Rister wasn’t entirely sure what they had in plan, as he was simply shortly informed to get Lita there.

“Besides I might as well leech some free food while I can. We have detention with McGonagall later. I’m not sure whether she finds the change to slam us all in detention every spring just so we would replant the gardens or get a calm evening when nearly all the girls in Hogwarts gather around to ogle a shirtless Gabriel. Or maybe she likes to leer herself from her office. Think McGonagall has a pair of binoculars?” Rister grinned at Lita, knowing that she would know what he was speaking of. Somehow, every autumn and spring all 4 Grass brothers were landed in detention at the same time for a day and were always tasked with replanting the garden. A real need for it or a professors scheme – they always did gather a crowd. Whether it was due to the labour done, or the fact everyone but Damon – who hid the scar on his shoulder – always ended up being shirtless. Occasional water-fights did happen to. And the amount of girls asking the Graas brothers out on a date after such a detention always increased.

Keeping up friendly banter with Lita, who didn’t even protest much, as they moved towards Hogsmeade, where Rister directed them to the café his parents liked to frequent. Entering the reserved back room, Rister smiled at seeing his parents. He had seen his mother sitting in dads lap too often to feel awkward, as he could see the love between them. They looked good together. Always had, but they both seemed to mature into someone even more attractive than they had when they had been Rister’s age, when they got married. He could just console himself with the fact that he would age gracefully – seeing how much he took after his father – and hope to find anyone he would love as much as his dad loved Cleo. “Mom, stop mussing up my hair. I worked on it this morning,” Rister grumbled, kissing his mother’s cheek as she passed, nodding to his father – he could see the remains from the full moon on the previous night on his face – and Gaenor as he steered both himself and Lita to sit. Accepting the cup of tea from his mom Rister took a sip and helped himself to a second breakfast as he started bombarding his dad and Gaenor with details about wandwork he had came up with in a boring transfiguration class.

(God-moded as you allowed me to. Enjoy.))

[Lita Hollows R6]

It was tempting to simply walk on and ignore Rister’s voice when he called her, merely because Lita was quite sure that he either wanted to scold her about skipping breakfast again or try to persuade her to cause mischief of some kind, but stopping and waiting for him was an ingrained habit that had developed over six years. “But...it’s Potions first lesson,” Lita protested instantly. “Can’t we skip during a Transfiguration class if you really feel the need to drag me out of Hogwarts? And no, I wouldn’t advise you to become a poet. Stick to what you know.” Skipping class and sneaking out of Hogwarts wasn’t an idea that bothered Lita – she had done it before and would continue to do it until she graduated. And she was good at Potions so she could easily catch up on whatever they would miss, she reasoned with herself silently. Besides, she hadn’t seen Gaenor, Cleo or Kris in a while so it would be good to have a chance to talk to them.

“What was there to not be satisfied about?” Lita demanded nervously, her mind discarding several different possibilities the second her brain suggested them. Adrian was too busy to check up on where she was staying during the summer, and she hadn’t actually told him that she was definitely staying with her friends all summer but merely brought up the idea. Cleo and Kris rarely, if ever, were in contact with Adrian so they wouldn’t have found out that she wasn’t most likely staying with Adrian all summer, unlike what she had informed them.

Ugh. Lita shuddered and glared at Rister. “I’m quite sure that McGonagall doesn’t ogle any of your brothers or yourself. It’s more probable that she just enjoys knowing that little mischief will be going on because almost all the girls are drooling over you four and most of the other boys are being forced to plot ways on how to get their girlfriends back. And Sprout is always ecstatic about how wonderful the gardens look because she keeps some of her plants there.” That time of year was always a great money-making opportunity for Lita though, so she didn’t complain. Selling binoculars to those who had arrived too late to get an opportune position and therefore had to watch from a distance, photos to those who couldn’t make it to the event at all and, last year, she had felt particularly creative and charged girls who were too shy to ask one of the brothers out themselves and instead resorted to asking Lita to put in a good word for them. She had split the profits five ways each year, keeping one share for herself and hoarding the other four parts in case the boys found out and demanded their part of the money.

“Thanks Cleo,” Lita smiled shyly as she returned Cleo’s hug, smiling and nodding at Kris light-heartedly even as her eyes noted the signs of the full moon that had just passed. She had spent too many summers with the Graas’ and seen Kris after the full moon too many times to not recognise that Kris wouldn’t be feeling well. It made her wonder what could be so important as to make him and Cleo venture out when staying in Italy would have surely been a much more preferable option. “I always look great,” Lita informed Gaenor with playful arrogance after pressing a warm kiss to his cheek. Warming her hands on the cup rather than drinking from it despite Cleo’s order, Lita tilted her head at the older woman curiously. “Was there some problems about my summer plans? Rister told me that you weren’t too happy about them.”

[Cleo Graas]

Cleo let the conversation shift around her. It made her proud to see how easily Rister led the conversation on a neutral topic, seeing that he wasn’t fully aware of what was going to happen. They hadn’t been aware of that themselves either, before finally deciding that tricking Lita and Gaenor with words would be too hard without any means to make them tell the truth. Though Kris did help with keeping the conversation light. Even if to her eyes it was evident that he wasn’t feeling well and thereby was feeling on the edge. She’d have to get him to bed once they got back, as Kris had demanded that they go through an international portkey on the same day, preferring to recover in the safety and comforts of his own house. He thought made Cleo smile as she chewed on a piece of cheese. It had sounded like a nice little cottage in the mountains when Kris had described it to her. And when they portkeyed there and she saw the white castle it was a fairy-tale spreading out before and around her.

But while Gaenor was merrily emptying his cup, Lita was merely warming her hands Cleo noted. Apparently Kris did too seeing his slowly arching eye-brows towards Lita. “Stop grumbling,” Cleo told Kris, nudging his leg lightly as she passed before her on her way as she sauntered to stand near Lita’s chair, “I wasn’t a fan of breakfast either before I met Kris. I usually just had a cup of juice, but I don’t know what it is about the male Graas’s that makes them breakfast fanatics. Considering the amounts of food they wolf down, I’m amazed they are so fit.” Cleo smirked at Lita as if sharing a conspiracy, as she leaned one hand lightly on the back of her chair, even if the grunt from Kris warned her that she didn’t have long to solve the problem peacefully.

“Problems? Hardly. Rister was probably scrawling his note back with a pine thorn and mud in the Forbidden Forest rather,” Cleo said, sending a sharp glance at Rister, even as she easily covered the basis, having not drank her own tea yet either, “The part that wasn’t illegible just said that you were coming over this summer. There’s an island on rent in Italy and I was planning on organizing a picnic, small dance there for closest friends sometime this summer. Perhaps take horses and small boats there. Wanted to time it so that you’d be there as well, so my main interest was about more or less the time period. The month will do.” And she wasn’t even lying. Cleo was planning it, already imaging some sort of a draft of the list of invited people in her head.

“Drink your tea, sweetheart. It’ll stop my husband and son – and Gaenor – from harping at you for not eating. Then you can pretend that you aren’t eating cause you’d get stuck with your mouth full while you’re expected to answer a question of mine. The taste of it is quite interesting anyway. Hibiscus with apple and lemon for taste. I might ask the café to export some back home even. Tell me what you think,” Cleo pressured lightly, even as she raised her own cup to her lips and took a sip. She’d have to hope the polite hint was enough to get Lita to drink enough of the drink, before Kris would simply pour it down her throat.

[Lita Hollows R6]

“Breakfast just isn’t right. It’s not natural to eat food in the morning, even if Rister tries to make me believe otherwise.” Lita grinned cheerfully. Everyone present knew just how stubborn she was about not eating in the morning even though she always woke up about 5AM. It wasn’t like she was consciously not eating in an attempt to stay thin; she was slim anyway from a mixture of good genes and exercise. The very thought of eating in the morning just didn’t sit well in her mind. And if, after six year, Rister and the rest of the Graas’ hadn’t managed to change her mind about it then it would probably never happen.

“Ah. Well, therein lies the problem, I’m afraid. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to come over this summer; the stables are in need of my attention and Adrian seems to want my advice on something, and I daresay it’s not about a girlfriend so I’ll probably be busy trying to sort through those two problems for most, if not all, of the summer,” Lita lied smoothly, quite glad that it was Cleo she was talking to and not Gaenor or Rister since they were the two most likely to see through her lie no matter how good of a liar she was. Rister because he knew her well after six years at Hogwarts and Gaenor because he just knew her well and they spent a lot of time together when he wasn’t on his business trips. “It’s a pity, because I’d love to see the wolf cub that Rister tells me is now sleeping in front of the fire but we’ll just have to find another time for me to adore him.”

Lita looked down at the cup in confusion, almost having forgotten that she held it, before raising it to her lips and drinking from it. “It tastes delicious,” Lita answered honestly. “Perhaps the lemon is a bit too strong, but that could just be my own personal taste.” The tea did taste delicious but there was something strange about the taste that was bothering Lita. Probably just the fact that it was a new tea and she hadn’t tasted it before, Lita decided silently, casting an amused look toward Gaenor, Kris and Rister upon seeing how involved they were with whatever they were discussing before taking another drink from her cup.

[Kris Graas]

Kris felt like seeing blood. He was annoyed, sore all over, he had a headache, and he definitely didn’t want to be here just this moment. And while Gaenor was already merrily halfway through his cup, Lita didn’t seem to be cooperating and drinking. Kris eye-brows arched. He knew he wasn’t among Lita’s favourite people so perhaps if he snapped as to whether the tea wasn’t good enough for her, she would drink? Cleo seemed to be thinking quicker than he did though. Or perhaps she just knew him too well as she nudged his foot and walked over to Lita herself. Kris had to admit grudgingly that Cleo did handle the situation far more gracefully than he would have, especially considering his current mood. Watching how Lita had finally drank some of her tea, Kris let out a slow breath.

“Hush,” he said calmly, making Rister snap his mouth closed in the middle of a word. “What happened to the subtlety of Slytherins?” Cleo complained quietly with a small smile playing on her face as she took a sip of her tea. “First of all – eating is necessarily, you’re think as you are. Secondly – your brother is an adult and both of you can come over for a weekend for the island dance Cleo is planning. Excuse not accepted.” Kris’ eyes snapped over to Gaenor, whose eye-brows were raised in mild surprise, “Gaenor, do you care for Lita like you would about your little sister or like about an attractive adult woman?” Kris smirked with no small amount of satisfaction as Gaenor answered easily, before realising just what he had just admitted, causing him to jump to his feet while going pale.

“Brilliant, if I do say so. There was Veritaserum in the tea and you have the admittance from Gaenor. If you don’t take the chance now, Lita, you’re an idiot, or if you let her get away after she declares her undying love back to you, Gaenor, then so are you,” Kris snapped, taking one more calm sip of his own tea – now temped with Veritaserum as everyone knew – before rising and sauntering out of the room with Rister following right on his heels, while Cleo paused for a moment to kiss Lita’s forehead. ”The room is reserved until midnight. Be happy, child. And I would take the opportunity. Their next course of action is to strip you two before locking you in a broom closet,” Cleo murmured to Lita, before joining Kris and Rister and closing the door behind her with a simple click.

[Gaenor Maydell]

Gaenor smiled at Lita as she kissed his cheek, even if he mentally had to order himself to behave. He loved the girl. He had suppressed his interested for the girl since she was 15, and by now he couldn’t deny it to himself. He was in love with a girl who saw him as something of an older brother. Pitiful from him, but it had happened. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it now, as he pulled his self-control together and while chatting amiably with his godson and best friend drank the tea next to the light snacks he helped himself to from the breakfast table. “The tea is good,” Gaenor told Cleo with a light smile, hearing her remark to Lita, before raising his eye-brows as Kris quieted everyone.

Smiling lightly at Lita, Gaenor squeezed her hand as Kris snapped quite moodily, and in that mood he responded to Kris’s question: “Lita hasn’t been a child for years. Of course I love and worship her as the woman she is.” It was only after the words had escape from his mouth before he realised what had happened. Paling considerably, Gaenor sprung to his feet, staring in shock at Kris as he started speaking again. Veritaserum? In the tea? For what purpose, Gaenor wondered bitterly, it wasn’t as if Lita was in any way interested in him! Watching Kris, Cleo, and Rister leave, Gaenor shoved his hands into his pocket to hide any emotions as he turned around to avoid looking into Lita’s eyes.

Knowing that his words had if not destroyed, then at least harmed, the easy friendship between them, Gaenor made himself speak: “I’m sorry, Lita. Guess you stopped being a younger friend and sort of sister about 2 years ago or so. I’m not even sure when simply friendly affection grew into a far more passionate love for you, but it did. I’m sorry if it will destroy our friendship, but I can’t really do much about the way I feel about you.” And it pained him that he would probably lose the friendship of one of the most important people in the world for her just because he was an idiot and revealed far too much. “I’ll… I’ll better leave you alone right now,” Gaenor stated a bit unsteadily as he turned, and with his eyes following the lines on the floor started walking towards the door.

[Lita Hollows R6]

Kris was such a bully, Lita complained mentally even though she was rather glad to know that she had no choice but to visit for at least a weekend. The Graas’s were her family even if they weren’t blood related and spending time with them was always the best part of the summer for her. “Veritaserum,” Lita echoed quietly, scowling at Kris, Cleo and Rister simply because it was easier to concentrate on the faint annoyance she felt about being tricked into drinking a potion that made it impossible to keep secrets if someone asked the right question. She had spent so long convincing herself that she had been wrong and foolish to fall in love with Gaenor because he saw her only as a little sister that it seemed impossible to believe that he could see her in any other way. And yet Veritaserum made it impossible to lie.

Oh. Lita flushed darkly at Cleo’s parting words, feeling very much like an innocent, foolish child who had gotten herself in over her head. She was neither innocent nor naive but fooling around in an attempt to keep her mind off Gaenor and backing away before either of them could get too carried away was entirely different to the situation she found herself in now. At some point after realising that she was in love with Gaenor, there had been a few months during which Lita had thrown herself into a dating frenzy, desperate to prove that she wasn’t attached to anyone in any way. There had been weekends when she was drunk more often than sober but, in true Lita style, she had always been sober during the week and had taken care to keep Morgana and Leandra from seeing or hearing anything about her during those times. If their brothers hadn’t killed her for setting a bad example to them then Lita would have been likely to do it herself.

“Stop,” Lita snapped sharply, wishing desperately for the antidote to the potion because sometimes lies were just easier than the truth. “Aren’t I the one who always runs away when things get difficult? I knew I was a coward but I never thought that you were one.” Lita smiled, a slight smile playing about her mouth. It didn’t seem quite real to her yet otherwise she probably would have been grinning like a maniac. “I’m not very happy that I have to tell Rister that he was right because I’ll have to suffer through his smug glances. But you do know that now you have to take me out on a date? If only so that I can collect on my deal with Jared and make him go out with someone. But please don’t let that be the only reason for dating me because then I’d be in such a bad mood that I’d probably end up making him take one of Gabriel’s girls out on a date.”

[Gaenor Maydell]

Gaenor stopped as Lita snapped at him, but didn’t turn around. He had admitted something he had planned to take to the grave with himself. It would be hard enough to deal with the results, so he wasn’t sure he was quite able to turn and face Lita. Letting out a mirthless chuckle, Gaenor let his head drop forward. “Coward? I’m no hero or a prince. I’m cowardly enough to need to hold on to a shred of dignity I might have left.” Because what could he hope for? It wasn’t as if Lita – a young, smart, pretty woman – would be interested in him in any way. Gaenor had told himself often enough to stop his wishful thinking and be realistic.

But despite his fish to run away and forget his idiotic confession, Gaenor stood still, listening to Lita. It took a moment for his mind to register and understand what Lita was saying. He turned around slowly, warily rising his eyes to meet Lita’s. He would now have to her out on a date? As in romantic date, not just friends sharing lunch. “Date. A real date,” Gaenor mulled over it for a moment, before deciding that he had nothing left to loose anymore, “I love you, Lita. And this love has nothing to do with brotherly or friendly affection. I would love nothing more than to have a chance to win your heart, take you on a date, dancing on Friday night, picnic, whatever you want. I do love you, but think very carefully about your answer. Because if you think you could ever see me as something more than just an older friend – then I doubt I could ever let you go. But if you want, I'll just leave now and never bother you with the topic again."

Gaenor kept his hands firmly in his pockets, to not show Lita just how nervous he was as well as to keep from reaching for the girl. No matter how desperate he was feeling, he wouldn’t pressure Lita to react in any way or to feel pressured into anything. Absently wondering just what Rister and Jared had been telling to Lita, Gaenor was too preoccupied with the next words that would come out of Lita’s mouth to mull over it for longer though. The girls next words would have the power to make him or break him.

[Lita Hollows R6]

“You’re not a prince. Well, that’s quite a good thing for me then isn’t it? Princes are always saving maidens from high towers; heroes are always fighting the next great evil. At least cowards stay at home with their loved ones and only leave on business trips.” At least, Lita finished mentally, she would always know that he was going to return home and not be killed like a foolish young hero. And she still wasn’t entirely sure that this wasn’t just a dream but Lita was selfish enough to take what she could get even if it wasn’t real and she would be waking up in the morning with a heavy heart because she had been reminded of what she would never have. Some things were worth hurting for when you had nothing else to lose.

“Yes,” Lita answered patiently. “A real date. That includes you meeting me outside the Ravenclaw common room and commenting on how wonderful I look before whisking me away to a surprise location that I’ll promptly fall in love with because of how lovely it looks and returning me to Hogwarts before my first class so that I can annoy Rister by pretending that the date was awful. A real date.” Well, Gaenor was obviously feeling a bit slow today, Lita noted with amusement. She had all but demanded a date and he still thought that she wasn’t capable of seeing him as anything but a friend. Not that she wouldn’t be the same way, Lita admitted slowly. If she had been the one to be questioned and then realise that she had no choice but to answer with utmost honesty because the tea had been spiked with veritaserum then she would be second-guessing everything that came out of her mouth and not really letting the implications of whatever was said sink into her brain.

“I’m in love with you. I have been for a while now.” Lita had imagined telling him that ever since she had finally accepted that her feelings wouldn’t change. She had imagined herself shouting it at him out of utter frustration, whispering it and hoping he wouldn’t hear it or saying it to herself without realising that he was listening. Not once had Lita ever imagined her voice being so calm and matter of fact about the idea or that she would simply shrug and lean back in her chair afterwards, sipping at her tea as she waited for him to make the next move.

[Gaenor Maydell]

Gaenor smiled lightly at Lita’s words. He had told the girl himself the first time they met at Kris’ and Cleo’s wedding something similar. He had been younger, scared and perhaps a bit bitter then due to fearing about the future. But knowing his obligations well enough to stay home and take over the family business. There was no one else to do so and grandfather had been getting too old by then. At least he had managed to come out of hard times with the company in one peace and by now was making an acceptable profit. But this wasn’t the matter at hand here. “Business trips can be done together as well, if needed,” Gaenor murmured thoughtfully, as he studied Lita. Oh, he knew his face. He could summon it – and have it appear unsummoned – before his eyes at any moment. He knew and loved the face and the person it symbolised and because of that knowledge he studied her to understand her point.

It was hard to believe that she could return the feelings. Yet her words were promising. The fact that she had taken Veritaserum as well helped, but it was still a lot to wrap your mind around. But what else did he have to loose? There was something nearly predatory in Gaenor’s step as he stalked closer to Lita slowly. Taking the cup from her hand, Gaenor placed it gently on the table next tot hem, not removing his eyes from Lita’s. Placing his hands gently on the armrests of her chair, Gaenor bent lower and kissed her. It was a gentle kiss, almost chaste as Gaenor pulled back a bit peering at Lita to see whether she would protest and slap him or not. “How long have we blindly passed each other then, if you say you might have a chance of loving me as well?” Gaenor wondered quietly, his forehead resting lightly against Lita’s.

Taking a step back to make sure Lita wouldn’t feel pressured, Gaenor smiled at her a bit hesitantly. “This isn’t the Ravenclaw common room, but you do look better than fantastic. So could I take you out as it is now and you can mock Rister tomorrow? Will you be my girl and give me the right to maim and hurt any other fellow who tries to win your attention and affection?” Gaenor questioned, still feeling a bit insecure about all of it. But he could always hope.

[Lita Hollows R6]

“I’m not missing any more classes. Not even for you. Well, maybe for you.” Lita scowled instantly, annoyed that the veritaserum had interrupted her and dragged out the truth yet again. “I was forced to skip Potions. I can practically feel my grades dropping already.” And she was missing an interesting lesson, Lita whined mentally. Why couldn’t it have been Transfiguration or History of Magic? Something she wouldn’t mind missing. Not that it wasn’t worth it. Gaenor was a lot more attractive than Professor Snape, for one thing. And hearing his confession of his feelings – under veritaserum no less! – was a good enough reason to skip the whole day. Somehow though, Lita didn’t quite think the Professors would agree with her.

She had loved him since she was an eleven year old girl searching for the right path to take while being pulled in different directions by her family. Granted, it had been a different type of love then but one of the greatest things about love is the way it can change over time without becoming any less precious. He had been her hero and she had adored him, he had been her closest friend and she had trusted him without doubt, now he was simply hers and she loved him. Gaenor stalked toward her and Lita felt her breath catch in her throat. “I think we’ve both been foolish and blind for a while,” Lita admitted with a self-deprecating smile. But things would be different now.

Lita reached out and caught Gaenor’s hand, using it to tug him back towards her as she grinned at him cheerfully. “I always welcome any chance to mock Rister. And it would be great to go out with you and not have to look at you while wondering if you really do see me as nothing more than the young girl you met at Kris and Cleo’s wedding.” He still didn’t believe. Lita eyed him thoughtfully before rising to her feet and stretching up the few inches separating them in height to kiss him, only pulling away to frown at him. “You’re still too tall,” Lita complained light-heartedly, flashing a quick, contented grin up at Gaenor.