A Rare Moment Of Relaxation

[Lucinda Dalton]

Lucy lay back in the grass of the Hogwarts Garden in the late afternoon, staring up at the pink streaked sky. She let the last warming rays of the sun hit her as she stretched her long legs out, taking the rare opportunity to just kick back and relax. NEWTs were already setting themselves up to be stupidly difficult, despite only being week one. Still, Lucy was going to try her best to succeed, despite having had a couple of difficult years. Seventh year, and she felt confident and inspired to try the best she could. Sure, she had no idea what to do with the rest of her life, but surely if she got good marks, she'd have a decent choice.

Though she was trying not to think about what life was going to be like after seventh year, she couldn't help but let the doubts infiltrate her mind and make her worry. Sighing, she raised one hand to her forehead. Sure, she was lonely now, but after this year, what would she do? She wasn't sure she wanted to be a Ministry worker - it was an admirable profession, sure, but it wasn't one Lucy was sure she wanted. And she didn't have many people to turn to...

...no, it was important to focus on the now. Sighing again, Lucy stared in to space, wondering just what to do with herself.

 

[Landon Dalton]

The strain of a new year had already begun to settle in, and the future looked daunting. In the next few months, Landon would have to work his socks off in preparation for his NEWTs. He had spent the previous hour drawing up a revision schedule, which he had proceeded to colour accordingly. The way he had written it up, however, left him very little time to just be, and his heart dipped, slightly. "Well, I guess that means Brightstone is out of the question.." he had muttered to himself, at last placing his timetable inside his bag. Perhaps it was best to get in as much time to kick back and relax, as was humanly possible. Shaking his head at the thought of such a busy year, Landon set off towards the school grounds.

The garden had seemed like the best place to be, but what, or rather, who awaited him, changed the entire course of his day. And it had seemed like it would remain such a uniform day, too.

Entering the garden and taking in the sights and sounds, Landon could already feel his mind relaxing, taking a deep breath and smiling at the world. He had something to smile about. His parents were proud of him. He'd not only made prefect, but now, he had become Head Boy. It was an honour that he only cared to talk of within the family. He was not one to boast, and though this was possibly his greatest achievement to date, he intended to say nothing on the subject among his friends. His heart gave a groan. He was thinking about her, again. He missed her.

Buried in thought, it came as little surprise that Landon Dalton managed not to notice someone laying in the grass, and managed to perform one of the most perfected clown falls, ever. It was only once the right side of his face had met the solid earth, that he finally realised he was not alone. And it was only as he lifted himself onto his elbows, a light scratch etching itself nicely across his cheek, that his eyes found something wonderful. "Lucy?"

 

[Lucinda Dalton]

Lost in her thoughts, Lucy hadn't noticed someone approaching her. It wasn't until she heard the faint thud that she looked up to see Landon, and her heart skipped a beat. One never forgot their first love. It also didn't help when there were still lingering feelings of longing there. Repressing a sigh, Lucy blinked her pale blue eyes, scrambling in to a sitting position on the ground. She knew she looked far from presentable, blades of grass stuck to her back and through her hair, but right now she wasn't too concerned.

"Hi, Head Boy," she answered, a grin on her face. Though it had been a while since they'd last spoken, as soon as she'd found out who the Head Boy was she couldn't help but feel ridiculously proud for her friend. "It's been a while," she added, a little sadly. It was her own fault for disappearing, for shutting herself away...but she was going to change things now. The main thing she needed this year was a good friend, and it was her responsibility to make sure that happened.

"Oh no, are you okay?" Lucy asked, noticing the scratch mark on his cheek from where he'd fallen. Unconsciously, she reached out to touch his face, until she realised what she was doing and quickly drew her hand back, as though she had been stung. "Um. How have you been?"

 

[Landon Dalton]

It felt so strange seeing Lucy, knowing that they were no longer an item. They had been together for so many years without fail, that the whole situation seemed completely alien to Landon. The way she spoke felt different, and the way she instantly withdrew her hand from his scratch, told Landon that everything really had changed. "I'm.." He paused momentarily to take in her whole appearance. Time had transformed her into a young woman. A young woman that Landon looked at for a second more than he should have. "I'm fine." He was trying to avoid eye contact. Even that brief moment had affected him.

Landon had never been able to say things the way he wanted to. There had never been a time when he had managed to word things exactly as he wanted to in relationship situations. Some people understood him, others didn't. His memory drew him back to that night in his second year, his first Yule Ball.

Landon's hand stroked against his own face, feeling the scratch. He stroked down the sides if his face, finding faint stubble. Perhaps it was time he grew a beard? He felt old. The emotions he had felt in his time at Hogwarts were surely enough to span a lifetime. "I've been alright. I seem to have stayed out of trouble. Which is a good thing, I guess." Was it a good thing? As far as his education went, yes, it was brilliant. As far as his social life went.. Many things had been lacking for a long time, but now they were even more so. "What about you?" Landon chanced a glance at Lucy's eyes. "How has life been treating you?"

 

[Lucinda Dalton]

Lucy looked down at her hands, attempting to hide a blush beneath strands of blonde hair. Sure, she was a composed adult...most of the time, but seeing Landon just knocked her for six, so to speak. Slowly, she looked up at him, her gaze locked on to his face, quite sadly, before she looked away again. "I'm glad to hear it. Uh, if there's...if there's anything I can do, let me know..." Lucy stated quietly, wishing she was able to at least give him a friendly embrace or something, rather than being as stupidly awkward as she was being now.

She felt herself yearning for younger years, for simpler times. It made her feel like an old woman to think that, the kind of old woman who should just put on a shawl and retire to a old house in the country with a group of cats and a manuscript, but she really, honestly wished she could take back all her mistakes. She wished her mother was still alive - not that it was her fault, but she missed her mother dearly. She wished she hadn't put off coming back to Hogwarts. And she certainly wished she hadn't ruined things between herself and Landon by leaving, without much of a goodbye. Perhaps it was cliche, but Lucy sometimes wished she could throttle her past self, or at least slap the girl.

Though perhaps her mistakes could only make her stronger. Still, she sighed when Landon asked her how she was. He'd already betrayed her new found confidence just by being there. It was all she could do to not curl up in a ball and shed a tear or two. "It...it's been really really difficult," she admitted. Perhaps the polite thing to do would have been to say "I'm fine, thanks," but if there was anybody Lucy could talk to, it was Landon. He'd been her first and basically only friend at Hogwarts, as it was. "I've been so lost and lonely..." she added, in barely more than a whisper, before slapping a hand over her mouth.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, I haven't seen you in ages and the first thing I do is start moping, how stupid do I have to be..." she admonished herself, hitting herself on the forehead with the hand she had just been using to cover her mouth. "I'll...I'll shut up now. Tell me...about something good, I guess, about getting to be Head Boy, something happy."

The thing about stress and anxiety was that Lucinda Buckley was no good at handling it alone.

 

[Landon Dalton]

His first instinct was one he was unsure as to whether he should follow. Landon just wanted to put his arms around Lucinda and hold her close to him. He hated to see her so unhappy. The Head Boy was struggling to contain himself. Seeing anyone upset was bad enough, but seeing Lucy like this? It would be a daring move to attempt to comfort someone he felt he had played a part in unintentionally hurting. After all, he still.. Really, really liked her. How many times had he felt lonely without her? How many times had he sought comfort in others, and where had that led him? Where had the golden days gone?

Landon made no secret of how he had felt about the fashion-loving Jareth, but that didn't mean to say they hadn't started to grow to like each other. And that day, that final day together as a group, still remained clear as crystal within his mind as though it had only happened the previous day. Sometimes he wondered about whether or not he should re-enter the forest, just to tie flowers to a tree as muggles so often did. He had been unable to attend the funeral, and it had always felt like there was something he needed to do to pay his respect.

In the moments in which Landon had fought against the urge to reach out physically to his ex-girlfriend, he had found the words to speak. "Oh, Lucy," He said, "I'm so sorry about everything.. I.. I'm sorry things went the way they did, and I wish I could.. I wish I could just.." His hand twitched, his fingers curling into themselves, feeling the lack of someone else's hand. Landon looked to his wrists as though they were something fascinating. It was no use both of them bursting into tears. Quick, Landon, think of something happy. The first thing he could think of, was both happy and sad.

"Do you remember the very first time we met?" Landon had never forgotten it. If it hadn't been for that day by the lake, he may never have had the chance to get to know Lucy, and all those adventures, their search for the Room of Requirement, would all be nothing but a dream. "I was so fascinated by you, and the way you lived. You were the first muggle-born I met." His eyes seemed to light up. "And you're still as much a riddle as ever."

 

[Lucinda Dalton]

Lucy bit her lip, her hand reaching up to her eyes to wipe away any stray tears that might have appeared. Lucinda Buckley was past crying. No, she'd definitely used up all her tears. The only thing she could do now was bounce back and become a strong, independent woman. She was doing a reasonable job of it...

...but even she couldn't deny she needed support. Even just friendly, if not romantic. A shoulder she could cry on - and someone who, in turn, she could offer a shoulder to. Someone she could study with - they could help her with Defense Against the Dark Arts, and she could help them with something else. She hoped that Landon would maybe be that person. Even if they weren't together again, as Lucy may have preferred, she still needed a friend.

"Don't...don't apologize. The fault is primarily mine. Oh Landon, I am so, so sorry. I shouldn't have let things happen the way they did and I wish..." she too trailed off. Why did she have to make this awkward. But then Landon spoke up again, about the day they first met, all those years ago, and she couldn't help but smile, her whole face lighting up.

"Remember? How could I forget?" She raised her face to look straight at him, her eyes meeting his. "You were the first 'pure-blood' I met. I might have thought you were all bad people, but you're the best person I ever met."

Blushing profusely, Lucy extended her hand to Landon. "Can you forgive me?"

 

[Landon Dalton]

Landon grinned, taking her hand, "You think there's even the slightest chance I couldn't forgive you?" he shook his head. Of course he forgave her. He only hoped that she could forgive him. He needed to know her, even if they were only good friends. He knew he needed her in his life, and he had been blessed, it would seem, with a second chance. And then, another thought struck his mind. It was an adventurous thought, one that caused his smile to curve, and a single eyebrow to raise. It was something he had been trying to do for so long, and now he had Lucy, perhaps he could finally achieve his goal. "If.." he started a little uncertainly, almost wishing to test the water, first.

But as long as the blood of a Gryffindor coursed through his veins, Landon would have to be strong. He would have to take the plunge, even if the water was rock-solid with ice. If she said yes, it could only reimburse their friendship and bring them closer together. "If you're still up for it," he said with a gentle smile, thinking of the hours they had spent searching before, "we could see if the Room of Requirement still exists.. I think we could both use whatever magic it holds, especially with our NEWTs on the horizon." He gave her a typical Landonish smile, those shining eyes that twinkled at the thought of adventure.

Something in his heart had told him to ask, even if she declined. It had grown to be one of his 'childhood' dreams to find the room, just to know it existed, just to take a quick peek at the strange world within, and find out what exactly it was that he required.

 

[Lucinda Dalton]

Lucy couldn't help but have her smile widen as Landon took her hand. Of course, she longed for more, but even if that was impossible, she needed to have his friendship, even if she couldn't have anything more. "Thank you," she whispered. It was like a weight was off her heart. There were still things weighing her down, but she already felt lighter, happier, at hearing Landon's words. "Truly, thank you."

She tilted her head slightly as he made the suggestion of them searching for the Room of Requirement. Surely they were busy with NEWTs, and this would make it difficult for them to take the time to search...not to mention that while Lucy didn't have the extra responsibility, Landon was Head Boy, and he couldn't really afford to get in trouble or waste his time...

...but she would've been a damn fool to think that for too long. They both needed the relaxation. They both needed the adventure. And Lucy had always wanted to find the place.

"What, you think I'd actually say no?" A cheeky grin appeared across her face, like she was a little girl again. "It definitely couldn't hurt. And I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather find it with." A pink tinge appeared in her cheeks again as she winked at Landon. Lucy, too, needed to know what she required. Something like that would help her no end with her current dilemmas.