Closed Comfort

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava was tired. Just... completely, emotionally drained. She trudged back towards the castle, head hung and arms around her torso. She went for the Accio room automatically now, without a thought, and let herself in. It was a relief Vader had granted her permanent access, she didnt have the energy to wait for him to open the door right now.

She slipped in without a sound, shuffling over to where he was working. She glanced over his shoulder, and when he was at a point she was sure his work wouldnt be disturbed by movement, she took hold of his chair and pulled it back just enough that she could slip onto his lap. Without a word she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck.

She relaxed a little, and after a few moments she groaned. "I forgot breakfast," she mumbled, kicking herself. She never forgot go bring breakfast. That meant she would have to move to go get it. She sighed, not moving. She needed a minute to comfort herself first.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader had been pretty busy, which it always seemed to be with him, life seemingly was always throwing something at him. But, the holidays which had started with his break up and ended with him ensuring he’d do some work with EVELYN come the winter break had been eventful. He had been working hard upon returning to school, with much to keep up on and much to do. But, to make things a little easier he’d given Ava access to the accio room, so that he wouldn’t need to constantly go and let her in. It was just a bit easier. He was working steadily, had been for much of the morning when he heard the door close and when he was in a slightly less pressing point, he felt someone move his seat and sit down. He felt bad for the way the dirt on his hands would end up on Ava but he wrapped his arms around the girl still. It seemed like she needed a little hug. He let her settle there, his mind thinking of all the things he needed to say to her, and managing none of it. He leaned back eventually and looked to Helene, ”Oh it’s okay, there’s plenty of time to do that later,” he told her, ”You okay?” he asked. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava shrugged at Vaders question, enjoying his warmth. "Not really," she mumbled. "Stupid slytherins." She pouted, playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. "Its over with Tyler," she explained, feeling dejected. "You know the girl Blake kissed? I think Tyler liked her." She sighed. "I'm just going to die alone with you and my paint." She pouted.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader frowned a little when she said she wasn’t really okay. He nodded in agreement at the mention of stupid slytherins before he then remembered that the boy Ava had been seeing was slytherin. Vader frowned when she explained that it was over between them, and that there was another girl who the person liked that had kissed the blake person. He hoped that Alice was feeling a little better after all of it. He knew he hadn’t been particularly good in relationships but he’d never cheated, he knew he was always lying to them about who he liked, but he was done with that. He wouldn’t do that any more….he thought about talking to about some of that with her, but none of the words formed, instead he just smiled at her, ”You won’t, there will be plenty others,” he told her, he was always sad that she hadn’t gotten what she’d wanted, that he hadn’t been kinder to her, but he knew there was someone for her. ”You deserve better Helene.” he said to her. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava shrugged at his words, sniffling a little as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I really thought he might like me," She murmured. "But... he didn't even seem to care. At all. It was like... I didn't even matter." She sighed. "Why can't life be easy?" She asked him softly. "If it could just be us, I would never have to feel so lonely." She admitted quietly. "Sometimes I really wish I could see you that way. I just... can't." She sniffled. "I have to like stupid boys who say they care but they don't. What's wrong with me?" She asked him quietly.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader nodded along as she spoke, unable to help thinking that he had done the same with Pho and with Isabelle. Though during the relationships he had tried to be attentive, he had tried to be better with them, and had tried to like them , it just hadn’t worked, nothing he had tried had worked, so he had given up. He broken up with them when he’d realised that, though he could admit that he had waited a little longer with Pho. He smiled at her as she spoke of them, glad that despite that kiss when they’d been young, which had been more of a test than anything was the only non-platonic thing they’d done or felt. ”There isn’t anything wrong with you,” he told her matching the quietness in her tone because there was nothing wrong with him, then there had to be nothing wrong with her. He felt sad that she thought there was something wrong with her. ”You’ll find someone, I promise,” he said, ”We’re still young there’s plenty time,”​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava sighed, snuggling in closer. "I dont know why it matters. I'm not going to get married anyway." She admitted softly, perhaps for the first time. "My mom and dad married right out of school and look what happened. I just... want to get an apartment with you and maybe we can even get a cat or a dog or an aquarium, I dont want to get married or have kids." She told him. "I... I havent told my dad, or anyone really, but once we graduate... I might look in to ways to make sure I cant have kids." She lowered her voice a bit, not wanting anyone but him to hear.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader listened as she declared she wasn’t getting married. He was a little surprised bby the statement, but he wouldn’t say anything about it, perhaps she might decide to get married in the future and that would be okay. That would work out fine for her. He nodded at her statement, he wanted to do those things too with her. But, he knew he’d quite like to get married maybe at some point and a family of his own might be a little difficult but it wasn’t something he didn’t want at all. Vader listened as her statement and smiled, ”We’ll get our own little place in the world and never be disturbed ever, and if you don’t want kids then that’s fine, we can just have cats or mini dragons,” he joked a little but he was smiling at her. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava smiled softly back at him, brushing his hair from his eyes. She kissed his cheek, settling back against his shoulder. "That sounds really nice," she murmured. "Have you thought more on where you want to live after school?" She asked, sitting back up. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I got a job for when we're home, working at my step mom's bookstore. She's going to help me set up a bank account so I can start saving for our apartment. Papa says he'll help me sell my art. If you want you can come with me," she offered. "Papa says he still has some old contacts in the photography world, he could help you find some jobs with that if you wanted," she grinned.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader shrugged a little, ”I can live anywhere, with magic and photography, I can be pretty mobile,” the Gryffindor hadn’t really thought that hard about the future, there was always something more pressing for him, something else that needed done instead. But he nodded, unsurprised that she’d gotten a job and was looking to get herself set up. Vader had a bank account, he had one set up before and knew that he’d just to do something so he could use in the magic world more. He smiled at her and nodded, ”I’ve got a winter placement with EVELYN, the clothing brand? I did a little trial run last year and got invited back this year, I’ll be working over most of the break,” He told her, ”I could use the contacts, but I’m not sure what sort of photography I want to do.” he was trying out fashion photography, knowing it was pretty similar to the sort of stuff he did with Accio, but if that was what he wanted to continue doing, he wasn’t so sure. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava nodded at his words. "Alright, let's decide for sure where in seventh year and just save until then." She offered. "I was thinking of maybe going to an art school after we graduated. Get a degree and learn more about it in general." She grinned. "Maybe you can come with me?" She mused. "I'd have to find out where a good art school is then, and have my dad help me get an application in." She mused, running her fingers through Vader's hair.

She gasped as he told her about his work with EVELYN, hugging him quickly. "Oh that's so cool!" She pulled back, smiling broadly. "I'm so proud of you, do you like the work?" She chattered. "That's fashion photography, that's pretty amazing, I'm sure if I talk to my dad he can tell you what you would need to build up a name for yourself in that branch, or if you didn't want to go with that he could get you some minor jobs in other fields," She paused in her chattering as quickly as she started. "Oh, Timmy, have you thought of what name to go by?" She questioned, tilting her head a bit. "I'm pretty sure you can publish all of your work under a different name, kinda like an author with a pen name, but I'd have to check with my dad. Maybe Timothy Hume? But then everyone would call you Timmy...." She pouted a little.

 

[Vader Hume]

Vader nodded as she said she was thinking of going to muggle university, he didn’t exactly want to go to muggle university, unsure of what he would gain from it, but photography was a skill he could take wherever he went, so if she went somewhere then so could he. He smiled when she congratulated him on his future work with Evelyn and he ducked shyly, ”I don’t know, it’s like Accio, only usually more complex,” the boy said, ”I don’t have a lot of creative input, but it’s interesting,” he replied honestly, since he wasn’t sure if he would like it but then perhaps it was just that he hadn’t experienced it in the right manner yet. ”I think after school I’ll just try to take as many jobs and opportunities as possible and build up experience everywhere and go from there,” He had to figure that running a yearbook for a number of year would make him pretty uniquely qualified. He hadn’t actually thought about a name and smiled a little, ”I think I’d go by Hume, Timmy or Timothy would feel odd,” he gave a little shrug, ”I can decide later,”​