Closed two birds

"Okay, so who is Nicolas Flamel and what was he famous for?" Tori asked, raising an eyebrow at him. She liked her little study sessions with Eoghan because it got her to actually focus. She hated having to read textbooks and get the answers like this but Eoghan was good at pressuring her to pay attention, and he didn't even really need to force the issue, his presence alone did that for her. She flipped the page, leaning back against the couch slightly and pulling her legs up to sit lightly in Eoghan's lap. It was more comfortable for her and she didn't like being leaned over a desk when she was studying for anything because it made her feel like she was getting stressed. She didn't like studying in a classroom setting which was why she wasn't doing this in the library in the first place. Everyone studied in the library and she really didn't see the point. Not to mention she just didn't feel like it. She missed Rory and she missed her mum and she was thinking about a lot of things. She also sort of was still thinking about what she and Eoghan had discussed in the kitchens before, and that was making her spin too. She didn't really understand it, but something was going on. She wouldn't force this issue but it was certainly making her think and giving her pause for a number of reasons. "And what is his association to Paracelsus?"

@Eoghan Blyth @Lilith Ilves​

If someone was to ask what his relationship with Victoria de Lacey was like a year ago, Eoghan would probably have called her nothing more than an annoying classmate. The day they'd met, Eoghan was quite glad not to have made Gryffindor as it would mean space to himself without the likes of Tori (And Susie and William) invading his space. However much like many other aspects in his life, Eoghan had come to realise the value of those around him and now called the brunette one of his closest friends. He would look back to himself with shame at times for the way he felt he treated some of the students around him, and he could only now vow to do better for himself when it came to future first impressions.

Sat on the couch with a book open, balanced snuggly in the space between Tori's shins and his torso, Eoghan felt as though he were right back at home with his sister albeit this girl actually knew the difference between a college and a university. Studying with Tori was also incredibly rewarding as it meant Eoghan could both spend time with her while feeling as though they were making use of the opportunities to better themselves while they were at it. "He was the alchemist who made the philosophers stone," that was easy, even a first-year would know that. He shot Tori a frown at her next question, debating whether or not she was trying to trick him. "Paracelsus believed in Alkahest," he started, trying to think of whether the two had any real connection beyond their scientific interests. Paracelsus thought the stone was made from this element but the smile crept onto Eoghan's face when he was confident the two had never actually met. Stone or not they lived in two different time periods for one. "I think you like making my head spin" he joked, turning a page on his lap to find another question for Tori.​

Tori laughed lightly, whenever they were studying, she liked trying to trick Eoghan because she felt like he was smarter than she was, and so she liked to give herself a bit of an edge sometimes. It helped a bit that she grew up in the magical world a little more than Eoghan, not much though since both of her parents were muggle-born, but her only real exposure to magic as a child was when she spent time with Uncle Lani, since her dad was never around and her mum didn’t use it much and Rory wasn’t allowed to outside of school. “You’re right, he was, and he did,” she said, grinning at him. He was one of her best friends and she wasn’t about to let him get away with not being teased all the time - well maybe not all the time, but certainly enough times. “You’re right, I love it,” she said, reaching out to poke him lightly before she heard Lilith’s voice.

She turned and blinked in surprise as Lili approached, her usual light-hearted greeting dying on her tongue as she caught sight of the nervous tone in Lili’s body and voice. She hadn’t expected anyone to interrupt their study session, let alone for something that sounded so serious. She exchanged a quick glance with Eoghan, tilting her head slightly as if to silently ask, What’s this about? since he spent more time with Lili than Tori did she hoped he might have some idea. “Hey, Lili,” she said, shifting her legs from Eoghan’s lap and sitting up straighter. Her tone was warm but curious, the kind she reserved for someone who clearly needed reassurance. “Sure, we can talk. What’s up?”

She patted the spot next to her on the couch, her face softening as she noticed that her friend was clutching her locket. Something was bothering her clearly. She was usually the one reassuring Tori, not the other way around, so Tori wanted to help ease whatever she was feeling. “Is everything okay?”​

Eoghan was pretty relaxed by the time he looked up to see Lilith walking towards them, clasping at her locket. He lowered his eyes, nervousness overcoming him all of a sudden although he still smiled when Tori poked him, the Gryffindor not yet aware of who was coming over. Eoghan hadn't spoken to Lilith since the day she'd read out her poem, and while he knew he needed to he hadn't wanted to approach her just yet. Tori had told him to take the time he needed to process how it had made him feel and that was exactly what he'd been doing, so as Lilith approached him he was feeling a little trapped in the corner.

As Lili asked to speak to them, Eoghan looked back up at the Ravenclaw and knew immediately what she was going to say. She was better than he was when it came to their communication and he knew she would want to close the gap. She was likely anxious that they hadn't spoken, properly picked up his mood shift the moment she'd finished reading her poem. She knew him too well to avoid it. Then again, if Lilith was here to talk to them both, perhaps he was in the clear. Maybe she just wanted some advice about something else entirely? "What's going on?" he asked, happy to let Tori take the majority of the lead in the conversation, and hoping he wouldn't have to explain his feelings in too much detail just yet.​

Tori blinked, her eyebrows furrowing as she listened to Lili’s words. The sudden shift in conversation threw her completely. She hadn’t expected any of this, and the whole idea of someone thinking there was anything between her and Eoghan was a bit ridiculous, since they were just friends. It didn’t make any sense. They were friends and nothing more and she’d worked hard to be his friend. She couldn’t understand why anyone - least of all Demi - would care enough to make a weird rumour like that. She also didn’t understand why it should matter anyway, there wasn’t anything going on. So she sat up straighter her face falling into a frown as she tried to process Lili’s words. her initial instinct of course, was to laugh it off, but Lili seemed serious about this and she didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

She suddenly felt a pit in the bottom of her stomach that had nothing to do with her own discomfort, or with Eoghan’s. Something was happening here, something she’d clearly missed. “Lili,” she began gently, her voice soft but full of concern, “I’m not sure I understand. I… Eoghan and I are just friends. We’ve been studying together. That’s it.” Her eyes locked onto Lili’s now, and then she swung her head to look at Eoghan, expecting to see him looking just as confused as she was, “I don’t know where Demi got that idea, but there’s nothing more to it.”

She didn’t know why it should even matter, if there was something going on, her best friend would tell her right? That’s why you did with best friends, you told them things. Something made her move away from Eoghan a little, something in the way Lili was talking, the way she asked if there was something between them so that her heart wouldn’t break. “Wait… hold on a minute,” she said, holding her hands up to try and figure this out, the threads very slowly coming together but not making a lot of sense to her. “Hold on, so, wait, so… are you two… like…” she was afraid to say anything, wondering if it would break the bubble of illusion she would have with them being her actual friends. She didn’t care if there was something between them, only that this is the way she found out about it - and how did Demi know, and not her? Why would she have bothered to bring it up if she didn’t know? Demi was roommates with Lili and close, right? So she told her friend, but Eoghan didn’t consider Tori a close enough friend for her to be told?

No - surely that wasn’t it. Eoghan liked her, right? Lili liked her, they had both told her things before, so… why? What was going on? “I’m… so confused…” the hurt in her voice was unmistakable.​

Eoghan was almost motionless as Lilith started to describe what happened. Demi had apparently seen Tori in his lap a week ago? Obviously that wasn't true, and while Lilith did what she could to tell them both that she hadn't meant to believe it, it did hurt a little that she'd trusted Demi enough to think it was true to begin with. He knew that Demi didn't seem to like him, knew that Tori and Demi seemed to have some sort of issue too although he didn't really understand why, but that still didn't mean Demi had to start spreading rumours about them too. As Tori started to peace the parts together, holding up her hands as she darted between the pair, Eoghan shuffled to the edge of the couch so he could rest his elbows on his knees.

On the one hand, he wanted to start with his response to Lilith. Obviously the things Demi had said were a lie but where had she gotten it from? On the other hand, he could see the gears turning in Tori's head. Tori, who had no idea they were even dating in the first place. After all, why would Lilith mind how close he and Tori were if there wasn't something else going on? Both girls sounded hurt, and he swallowed for a moment as he tried to think logically about what the hell had happened.

"A week ago, after the lake," Eoghan was trying to remember what he'd done with Tori if anything, that Demi could have witnessed, "Tori found me in the kitchen and we talked about what happened there," he felt no reason to hide what Demi must have seen, although she'd certainly elaborated, "I hugged Tori because we're friends and she helped me," he continued, looking across to Lili and trying not to be too nervous about the rising tension beside him. "The part about her being in my lap? That's not true. We sit here sometimes for our studies but we're not close like that, not like us."

Eoghan glanced to the Gryffindor who was visibly confused and upset. Was she asking if they were more? "I..technically, yes I think so," Eoghan confessed quietly before glancing between both girls and hoping that Lilith wasn't going to tell him there and then that he'd misread the signs. "We've not really said it specifically, it was just something that grew between us," Eoghan was becoming increasingly aware of the other students around them, "The more students that know, the more likely it is that someone tries to get between us, that's why we haven't said anything yet," he hoped that Tori would understand, given that she knew why he was so private about information in the first place, "My only guess is that Demi was looking for a way for you to dislike me," he knew his name was written multiple times on Demi's list of Boys to Avoid, and it wouldn't have surprised him to see someone like Demi use whatever she could to get Eoghan to leave her friend alone.

Eoghan had never meant for Tori to feel hurt because of their relationship, but he could see it now behind her eyes as she tried to put the pieces together. "I trust you," he told the Gryffindor, "but if you'd known too then we would have been more comfortable to express ourselves around the school and in front of you too, and then there would be a.. snowballing effect. Right now we have reason to keep it to ourselves and that means it's less likely to get out." He wanted to give Lilith a hug right now, but he wouldn't given the chance there would be other students around to see them too. ​