Lost in Unprecedented Feelings

[Minoas Stratis]

After an episodic vacation, returning back to Hogwarts was like running and suddenly crashing on a concrete wall.
Christmas holidays this year were somewhat different. They didn't only included big family dinners but also the kind of adventure that true Gryffindor was always looking for. There were significant turn of events in every aspect of his life with first and foremost, the case of his father. Aurors seemed to be worthless as they had nothing new to say to his family about the nature of the abductions. They had no indications who could be hiding behind this or why this have happened to them. That was why Minoas had decided to take the law in his own hands and search on his own. What seemed impossible in the beginning, suddenly started to materialize, slowly adding another piece to the obscure puzzle. He had found some answers eventually with the help of a couple of trusted friends. The clues in his possession weren't big but neither were they insignificant. At least now he knew who were behind this and he was determined to expose them and make pay for this on his own way.

This matter was only occupying a part of his troubled mind. There was always space for classes and exams to squeeze somewhere in his thoughts but they were thoughts that he was bringing in his head as a conscious individual who cared about his future. What was aboding in his mind without his own permission were the thoughts of a specific person that was making him wanting to spend more and more time with her. Artemis Jackson had put a spell on him. There was no other explanation to why he was thinking of her all the time. And although it was frustrating to try concentrate on something else in vain or stop wondering what she could be doing each day he was spending away from Hogwarts at his parents' house, he didn't want to break this spell in any possibly way. He might was slow to realize it but he had recently started believing that something else, more powerful than a mere friendship had developed between him and her. He was scared in some way, as he didn't know if she was feeling the same thing he was afraid to face but there were awkward glances at the Yule ball they attended together. The kind of glances that had to say more than words.

This sensation had made him deal with his father's abduction in a way better way than he was doing before. Just her thought was making him a better person and he wanted to do something special for her because she deserved it. The problem was, he was clueless on what to do to show to her what he was feeling. Girls were hard to understand sometimes. They were saying something but they might be meaning something different. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea but he needed the advice of another girl, someone that already knew Artemis well. It was a bad thing that most of his cousins were guys. He tried once to ask for advice on that matter but he was teased to embarassment. It was a better idea to ask a girl but that wasn't making a less awkward situation. For that, Minoas had spent his first week back at school looking for another Jackson. Ally could be just the one that could help him and give him some much needed guidance. She was Artemis' sister so she would know to tell him a couple more things about her that he wasn't familiar with.

It turned out however, that it was a tough task to find Ally and get some of her time. He had seen her briefly with a couple of friends at the common room but he didn't have the chance to talk to her. Then for the next couple of days it seemed like she had disappeared. No matter how much time he had spent at the fireplace, checking who was getting in and out of the common room, he didn't manage to find her. In the end, he searched and found fourth years' timetable with the classes of the semester. He patiently waited an hour outside a classroom where she was supposed to be having a class but eventually he found out that she wasn't taking the particular elective.
Still he wasn't giving up hope. Minoas was the kind of person that when he had something in mind, he could do anything to achieve it. This time he had decided to wait for her to show up at Gryffindor's table. Breakfast could be skipped when you were late for classes but rarely you could skip a hearty, Hogwartsian dinner. He was absent-mindly mixing chicken chunks with mashed potato with his fork as he was darted glances towards the entrance of the Great Hall. If this wasn't going to work, he had no other choice but to wait outside girls' toilets.

 

[Alliyah Jackson]

The day had been painted with the word concern for Alliyah Jane. It was not only after her class when she saw the cause of her worry in the Hospital Wing, talking to one of the nurses with a weak light in her eye. Everything had been normal before that - the usual cycle of her life in Hogwarts maintained itself... But today was different. It was an uncommon one for her and her beloved sister. The small frown on her lips remained as she remembered the time she decided to walk in and interrupt a little bit. Artemis, who nodded feebly at the woman spotted her and asked her why the hell she was there. Alliyah ignored her sister and looked at the nurse to ask what was wrong after she introduced herself as the Slytherin's sister. The nurse replied and Artemis just shrugged about her condition. Alliyah, who wore heart on her sleeve, looked exasperated that time. "Some migraine it was," mumbled Alliyah as she walked on the ground floor of the castle. Her head was slight bowed, as she nibbled on her lower lip worriedly. At least she knew the Hospital Wing gave Hunter the rest she definitely needed. Alliyah suspected the cause of the migraine was the pressure Artemis put on herself, for her studies. The OWLs sure gave the Slytherin Keeper a lot of things to revise about. It was her sister's determination that could sometimes prove to be her weakness. Alliyah knew Artemis could sacrifice anything just to get a greater something.

The amateur photographer finally looked up as her ears picked up the roar going on in the Great Hall. Recently, the Rumour Has It magazine gave out new editions of its infamous articles that were directed to some people - that including the staff. Yes, the staff! Alliyah found the articles terribly insulting which was the shared opinion for most of them. There was a portion that talked about the prefects and knowing that her sister was one of them, the author of RHI had a few things to say about her too. Alliyah drew in a small breath of air when she reached the entrance of the massive hall, the mouthwatering aromas wafting easily in the air. Not only were there sweet smells but it was also held a sea of various voices. Each of the four tables had its members and most of its population was taking its respective dinners, whilst the rest... Well, it was already none of her business. Just from one of the tables, Alliyah heard her name being called and she waved to the person who greeted her. Going back to Hogwarts meant spending time with a lot of people and not only were they Gryffindors. As she looked around the Gryffindor table, it was obvious to her that there were still places to eat in. She looked at the people eating beside those empty spots, trying to choose which person will be good company for tonight's dinner. Her bright, blue orbs landed on a boy who she knew she could talk to easily and she beamed. He was a friend indeed which she knew she could be at ease with. Her feet walked her to the place next to him and she sat down, clearly welcoming herself comfortably.

"Hi," Ally greeted as she finally set her bum on the hard bench. She did not get to talk to Minoas Stratis all the time but she did see him in the common room countless of times. They were housemates after all and they talked lightly with one another. Alliyah thought of how RHI just talked about him like he was a toy and about his abducted father which she tried not to be curious about. Those rumours weren't true were they? She stopped her mind filling itself with rumours that concerned the boy beside her and looked instead at the food. As always, the variety looked delicious all the same. She got the serving utensil of the roasted beef and put some on her plate along with the gravy. "Wonderful job you did in the game." Even if SlytherDor did not win the match, they were still ahead in the most part of the game. HuffleClaw's seeker was just one hell of a player. It was only too bad that Artemis chose to do something else than to play. Ally just knew that Artemis was putting too much pressure on herself for the OWLs. Alliyah got a good amount of mashed potatoes and some refreshing water in her goblet. Now that there was food in front of her, she realized how hungry she had been ever since she last ate. Alliyah glanced at Minoas, wondering if he'll ever converse with her. If only she knew what he wanted to say...
​

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas sighed as he picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice. Even if he was going to meet with Alliyah, he had no idea how he was going to pose his need for advice. As he brought the goblet to his lips and took a few sips of the sweet juice, he glanced towards Slytherin table. Artemis seemed not to be around lately as well. Revision for the OWLs must have been a priority for her as she didn't play at the match against Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. This alerted him that maybe he should be spending more time on studying rather than flying on a broom up and down the pitch but he was going to take Briar's advice of relaxing and having fun at the same time.

He couldn't believe how unlucky he was lately. Apart from the fact that he couldn't find a friend from his own house, he had also experienced the loss at Quidditch despite their great performance as a team. He was surprised to see that Gryffindors could work pretty well with Slytherins but it turned out this wasn't enough in the end. In a turn of events, the goddess of luck finally decided to wink at him as the person he was looking for appeared out of nowhere and sat right next to him. "Oh, hey Ally!" he said slightly surprised that next to him was sitting Alliyah. Sometimes you should just let what you are looking for come to you instead of searching intensively.

And then was that moment he was afraid of. Even if he was managing to find Artemis' sister and had the chance to talk to her, he had no idea how to start the topic. Thankfully, Alliyah made an attempt to start a conversation with him while filling her dish with delicacies. "Erm, thanks. I did my best." he replied, thinking of how to change the topic from Quidditch to relationships. It was a hard one. Even for a topic starter like him. She glanced at him and Minoas felt like he was unable to to utter a word. He noticed however that something was clouding up the girl's mind. "How have you been? You look like something is bothering you?" he decided to ask his fellow Gryffindor. Ally was a really likable person and seeing her troubled with something made Minoas wonder if he could help her with whatever she was concerned with.

 

[Alliyah Jackson]

"Am I that readable?" Alliyah wondered as she wrapped her fingers around the short neck of the goblet. She was hungry and she did not really want the worry to overcome her hunger which will result to some queasiness, if she knew any better. She did wear her heart upon her sleeve and even if she did try, it were her eyes that gave it away. Alliyah lifted the goblet to her lips and took a gulp. The water ran through her parched throat rapidly, giving her a sense of relief and sheer joy. It continuously rolled like a ball until it reached her stomach. God was she hungry. Alliyah shook her head with a feeble smile and put her goblet down. "Nah, I'm fine. Just starving." Alliyah was not a stellar hider regarding her emotions. That was more of Artemis' thing and well, Alliyah almost winced at the lame excuse she put just to cover up the anxiety she felt hours ago with dear Hunter. Regarding that, her nerves twisted even more whenever she pondered about it. She wanted to put her nerves to ease and talking about it would not be a splendid idea.

She looked back at the food on her plate and cut the beef easily. She brought the fork close to her mouth and she took it in, relishing the feeling of it on her tongue. The meat was tender and it was still warm. She could have drooled if she was only there to stare at the different foods surrounding her. Alliyah got some mashed potatoes and chewed it altogether. Alliyah wanted to talk - a talk that wasn't of negativity. She had enough of it for today and Minoas might just be the person that can give her some spark. "So how was your day? Boring? Fun?" If only her day was fun. She wanted to do so much for the day but then boom, events happened the way she did not want it to occur. Alliyah thought that the wizard beside her was a good friend and he was just too adventurous for his own safety. Alliyah also wanted to ask if the the rumours were true about his father. She did not frequently read the Prophet since it was all boring; not her type of text to read leisurely. Books weren't her main thing however, she did enjoy reading whenever she had absolutely nothing to do. It filled her mind with different things; it urged her imagination to become more creative.

"Aside from your day, how are you?" It's been long since the two Gryffindors spoke to one another. Alliyah waved at him when they saw each other by chance and whenever she caught his eye in the common room. She knew that Minoas was a friend of her sister's and wondered if the two ever talked frequently. Both of them loved Quidditch so she supposed that maybe... Just maybe, they did converse at times. Alliyah looked at him with her expressive azure coloured eyes and turned back to the food on her plate. She took in another decent amount of mashed potatoes and beef and chewed and turned casually to face Minoas sideways.
​

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas noticed how much hungry was Ally. The Gryffindor girl seemed to really enjoy her meal and convinced Minoas about the hint of bother he could see, coming from her empty stomach. He let a hearty smile form on his features and looked at his own dish which was still full of mashed potato with chuncks of chicken breast in it.
Since nothing could go down his throat, he just mixed his food creating abstract patterns. Having Alliyah eating next to him, he forced himself and took a bite of his mashed potato.
"I would say...interesting to say the least. My whole week was actually interesting." he answered mysteriously, not really analyzing what he meant by it. He preferred not tell her that he was looking for her for days. Her next question would be why and he hadn't collected yet that much courage to tell her. It was funny how reckless he could be when it came to other matters but just when he needed some advice on how to cope this new feeling, he was as scared as a diricawl.

There was no way to flinch now, it was an opportuinity he couldn't just ignore. Better grasp it now before Alliyah was going to disappear again.
"I'm surviving, you know. Classes, exams on their way, Quidditch..." he enumerated a few things filling his days. Mentioning Quidditch, Artemis invaded his thought again, remembering she wasn't attending recent practices. Instead of asking her sister why she was abstaining from her favorite sport, he decided to make an introduction of what he needed from Ally.
"Actually, I was looking for you. I wanted to ask you something." he said with the familiar feeling of his ears getting warmer. They had probably blushed and at this thought he lost his flow of speech. He faltered and felt awkwardness blasting like an exploding potion inside him. Bewilderment on the girl's face made matters worse and he tried to evade what he actually wanted to say.
"How's photography going?" he asked something irrelevant, remembering she was interested in this hobby. He just wanted to facepalm himself for being so coward. Instead he took a mouthful of what was in his dish in order to prevent himself from talking and further embarrassment.

 

[Alliyah Jackson]

Interesting. That word intrigued Alliyah a lot. She failed to immediately see how it was so interesting, since hers did the ol' usual routine as the days passed. The only difference was that it was livelier, but Alliyah was not a stranger to days like those. There were times when the only company she had were her roommates. Whereas other times she was pushed to meet her friends from the other houses. "Good for you. Mine was the same old thing." She did not really want to question him further for now; her stomach was grumbling. She was glad to hear that her friend had an interesting week. It was better than the boring one - the kind of weeks that Alliyah really despised. She always favored those weeks with sparks of excitement and a wee bit of adventure. Alliyah nodded as she took in what he had to say about himself and his life as a fifth year. The stories of the pressured fifth years scared her a bit, but other than being nervous for her next year, she was fairly excited. It meant new professors, new opportunities, new goals, new friends and if luck hit her, no drama. Her lips twitched at the sound of Quidditch, remembering how Artemis did not attend the game. He was surviving and just like him, she knew that she could do it by the time she was loaded with piles of homework and sessions of just revising. "The many things that you need to study for sometimes scares me. I wouldn't know if I can handle it unless I experience it myself," she admitted and shrugged. Maybe the older Lion could give her some advice. The only advice Ally could give herself was to be aware of her priorities. Other than that, she had none.

Despite the noises that were surrounding them, Alliyah heard the words of Minoas crystal clear. The clarity almost terrified her, since she really disliked confrontations about herself. The suspense just killed her slowly. A feeling inside her though whispered that it was not solely about her. It assured her that she did nothing wrong. She shifted slightly and let go of the suspense that built up rapidly. Instead, she let curiosity take dominance over her mind and with questioning eyes, she looked at him. Squarely. He sounded serious, so she felt the need to return the favor. "What about?" She stopped eating for a moment and laced her hands and placed them on her lap. It wasn't everyday that someone searched for her to ask her something. It was rare, unless that person needed some bloody notes. The noise faded in her ears and for a millisecond, she could swear that the felt embarrassment coming from him, of all people! Now, she was personally intrigued. Alliyah urged him to go on and slightly furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make an answer from his awkwardness. Oh, boys. Alliyah blinked when he asked her his 'supposed' question and she blinked.

That was what he wanted to hear?

No way. She unlaced her fingers and slightly parted her lips in surprise. "Oh!" she let out. She thought that he wanted to say something more personal. Like he wanted her opinion on this Gryffindor that he was really pissed with. She tucked a blonde strand behind her ear and watched him eat some food. She bit her lip and reached for her utensils and tried not to let puzzlement get to her. He was looking for her because he wanted to know how photography was going? It was a surprise, since Ally did not really expect Minoas to be interested in holding a camera anyway. "Er, well." Besides from photography, Alliyah focused more on her friends and studying. She still loved it though, but there were more important things she took care of. "Fine, I guess. It's just that I'm a bit tired of the same view everyday. That's why I'm looking forward to the hols for new images to capture. And, some family time." Family time meant her mum mostly, and her mum meant bonding like exploring more of the muggle world. It was weird, since her parents worked in two completely different worlds. However, her mum swore that she would never tell anyone about the other world to keep its existence a secret. She wondered what Minoas would first do during the holidays and made a mental note to question him about it later. If she got the chance anyway.
​

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Ally wasn't a fool. It was crystal clear in her blue eyes that she was expecting something else to be asked. She looked almost disappointed, as her building enthusiasm was abruptly let down by Minoas' question. He couldn't tell what she was expecting to hear from him and she got suddenly so excited but it was definately not about her favorite hobby. Then he realized how strange he should have sounded and hoped that Ally hadn't received the wrong message. He must have looked like he wanted to ask her out or something similar, which wasn't his intention at all. Listening to her saying that she was out of subjects to capture with her camera, he thought of telling her about the giant squid he and his slytherin friend Elbio had managed to lure up to the surface and take pictures of it. Remembering however how dangerous it was and how they managed to escape from those powerful tentacles at the last moment, he decided not to put Ally in a similar situation. He had still scars from the creature's like small dish suction cups on his ankle and he knew this was the least it could happen to someone while daring their luck with that creature.

There was silence again, as if Ally was giving him a second chance to really ask what he wanted. Minoas didn't dare to look at her, he could feel side looks coming his way and that was making his job even more difficult. He should find another topic if he wanted to keep fueling their conversation and ask for her advice eventually. She could finish her dinner, lose interest and walk away. He couldn't find anything else to evade this longer so he gathered what courage he had still left in him and surprised himself by finally becoming straightforward.
"Actually, this wasn't exactly what I wanted to ask you. Obviously." he chuckled, sure that she had figured out already. "Umm, it's about your sister." he said. Now that he had referred to Artemis there was no way to avoid it.
"No, don't worry, there's nothing wrong with her." he rushed to clear this out. He didn't want to make Ally believe there was something wrong with her sister.

He paused for a few moments, trying to find a better way to put what he wanted to say.
"I guess you probably know that I and your sister have been spending some time together." he started feeling his ears getting warmer again. He didn't know if Artemis and Ally were too close as sisters to talk about everything. Artemis could have possibly talked to Ally about the time they spend together. Ally could also know if Artemis was feeling the same way he was feeling about her but his intention wasn't to learn this from her sister.
"Artemis might be considering me as as friend and nothing else but I- I feel differently." it felt like he was making a love confession. Probably he should have told that to Artemis in the first place than asking Ally to help him but he was a coward. Suddenly, breaking into professors' offices was a piece of cake compared to all this. "You know Artemis, you are sisters. I want to tell all this to her but not here at school. I want to take her somewhere she really likes, like her favorite place or something and I need your help for this." it felt like the weight of the world fell of his shoulders when he finished. He waited for Ally's response, hoping it won't be like his older cousins'. For some reason he was ready to do anything for that girl. It was an unrecedented feeling where he was putting himself in second place and wanted to bring that smile on her angelic face in any possible way.

 

[Alliyah Jackson]

Silence invaded them again, making it a brief moment of awkwardness. She looked away and reached for her knife and fork to cut a piece of meat and ate it. Judging by Minoas' eye contact, Alliyah wondered what was going on in his mind. Perhaps a storm of emotions was brewing, that's what. She ever wondered if he was only trying to save his arse from embarrassment earlier and internally, he was trying to gather the words that he'd like to emit. "Is he actually nervous?" Alliyah slouched a bit and swallowed and glanced at Minoas. She tried thinking of what other else to say, to avoid the stretch of silence to continue. Her mind though, said something else completely. Her mind made a rewind of the events and she focused more on the statement that he uttered a whilst back. He was looking for her. He wanted to ask her something. Alliyah was aware that it was serious and as a good friend, she was ready to listen attentively. But, she was confronted by a question that was certainly unexpected. She looked at Minoas before she heard his lips bring words back again along with a chuckle she thought was laced with uptight nervousness. Alliyah smirked slightly and cocked her head.

"I had my suspicions," she said. She sat up a little straighter, hoping that this time he would really say what he wanted to say. It appeared to be important or so that was how she thought about it. Finally the words she needed to hear came out, but it was simply said and simply composed. The meaning was so obvious, that Alliyah did not have to think twice before she repeated the word that struck her interest. "My sister?" she asked, a little worried and confused why he would want to talk about Artemis. Alliyah remained silent and tried to stop the thread of questions from growing any longer. She felt relief settle in quietly when she heard that there was nothing strikingly wrong with the Slytherin prefect. However, when she looked at Minoas again and this time, she sensed something different. It was not different in a horrid sense that almost made Alliyah confused but it was almost like there was an emotion he was trying to hide from her, but couldn't conceal it just so easily. It was weird but, Alliyah felt her senses reach out to it. Her expressive eyes urged him to go on - to resume what he was going to say to her after a moment's pause. She assumed many things in her mind but quickly, all of those vanished when he said his next statement.

She stayed quiet and only let her blue orbs meet his, her lips twitching in ways that were certainly part of a girl's language. No, she had no idea that Artemis and Minoas have been spending "some" time together. Sure, her older sister had said his name a few times in front of her but Alliyah never really pondered on it and tried to see a possibility if the two had something ongoing. Hell, now Alliyah was suspicious if the snake bracelet came from him! The Gryffindor girl saw the accessory only twice or thrice, and Artemis never mentioned where she got it or the person who gave it! Alliyah wanted to chuckle at how things were now going since all her attention was on him and her food was momentarily forgotten. Her hunger too! "Differently," she echoed, a little bit amused on how he was trying to lead the conversation without making it awkward. If only Minoas was a girl and they were in someplace private, the blonde would have squealed her voice out and send out some teases with no end. But reality gave her the feeling that if she did squeal, it would bring more warmth to her friend's ears. Alliyah only smiled gently as he let it all out and she nodded, taking in all what the taller Gryffindor had to say. It was courageous of him to tell her that even if she had no business in that at all.

"'Differently' like the butterflies in your stomach thing?" she asked absentmindedly only for his ears to capture. Alliyah was not a person who was hopelessly romantic nor was she entirely clueless to this whole sort of thing. She knew and even witnessed a few people give some advice to a person whose dilemma was as similar as her friend's. She smiled slowly, her eyes giving birth to a flame that held some excitement and happiness. She was more than willing to help her housemate out! "I'd love to help!" Assisting Minoas was not going to be a difficult thing to do... Right? Alliyah knew various things about Artemis, but was also unaware of some things like her favorite Quidditch team - if she had one. "I don't know about her favorite place because I bet you'll need to go to Europe for that one. However, she doesn't really fancy noisy places. Any ideas coming to you yet?" Ally ate some of her meat and potatoes again, chewing whilst she listened to the grey eyed wizard beside her.
​

 

[Minoas Stratis]

It was remarkable how Ally's attention shifted completely from her dinner on him. Girls were so into it no doubt and Artemis' sister was no different. The opposite gender seemed to be really into these mushy-gushy staff and were even more eager to talk about them. Now he came to realize what the girls of his age were possibly talking all the time when they were gathering into giggling groups. Alliyah looked so interested to know more and Minoas was almost convinced that her eagerness had nothing to do with the fact that they were talking about her sister. He responded with an awkward smile to her own smirk and her openly expressed amusement but her comment of having her suspicions, made him feel better and chuckle. It felt like he was talking to an expert about dates who was ready to give him never-failing advice. She supported than when she asked him how differently exactly he was feeling. Her assumption was shockingly close to what he was feeling when he was around Artemis or when he was watching her dining at Slytherin table when he was tables away, at Gryffindor's.

"There's definately something there." he chuckled and unconsciously placed his hand on his abdomen.
"Just never thought to describe it as butterflies." he concluded. It felt more like a knot to him but at the same time it could be also describe as something fluttering. He wasn't sure if he should wait for her conclusion on this but he was glad that she was eager to help. It was one of the benefits of having female friends. If he was going to ask for similar advice from Elbio he would be possibly teased and then be taken pictures of being frustrated.
"Well, as much as I like the way Europe sounds, it is slightly difficult to get there." he agreed with her. He wanted to do something for Artemis but something that wouldn't include his expulsion or being grounded for the rest of his student career. Alliyah's recommendation about something less fancy and noisy wasn't something new to him. He knew Artemis pretty well to have figured out that she wasn't keen of places like these.

He was hoping that maybe Ally had a specific idea to suggest and get him out of the difficult task to find one. He didn't want to make something wrong. However, it turned out that the two of them had to exchange ideas in order to come up with the optimum one. Being a really resourceful person, he usually used to come up with ideas with a blink of an eye but this case was unique.
"I don't have yet a specific idea. I just want to be out of the school." he shared. This preference was emanating from two main factors. Firstly, he didn't want to be around school when he was going to talk to her about something so important. He didn't want to risk it and see it as the first cover of the next issue of RHI. He didn't really care about himself. The particular publication had referred to him a couple of times with not very flattering words. He wanted mainly to protect Artemis and keep her away from the cheap ink of the RHI authors.

The second reason he wanted to express his feelings away from the school was because of the lack of privacy. Hogwarts sure had some idealic locations for a love confession like the cliffs by the lake during sunset but there were students everywhere and he didn't want to be interrupted. At evening, most students were back to their common rooms but again he didn't want to get interrupted by Professor Styx for instance, for being out of the castle after sunset. To avoid any of these scenarios, he had decided to get this out of the castle. A change of circumstances would also help him gather the courage needed and find the right words to say. As a fifteen years old, he had limited choices for a place outside Hogwarts, so limited that he had only thought of Brightstone Village.
"I can only think of Brightstone Village but I don't really know a place which won't be crammed with people." he tried to recount in his head all the shops and cafes where he spends his own brightstone weekends.

The Three Broomsticks were buzzing with conversations between students, Hog's Head was the same and the cafes at the Muggle Market would be also crowded with muggles enjoying their weekend. Takarokaro Park was his next idea but during weekends it was nothing bad peaceful with kids kicking balls and running around. He had even considered the Borely Mansion in a joshing way but a creepy mansion keeping rumours about a strange presence wasn't exactly the right place for a first date.
"A cozy place with as much less commotion would be great but I don't think there's anything like that on a weekend at the village." he said with a shrug, not really knowing any place like the one he had just described.

 

[Alliyah Jackson]

Talking about this "emotion" with Minoas made Alliyah Jane think how long he had been feeling this. Perhaps ever since the start of his fifth year? Maybe Artemis had no idea and felt nothing mutual? It was like an unspoken agreement that Alliyah would keep her lips sealed about this however, she knew she would feel bad for Minoas if her sister said that she felt nothing of those butterflies in the stomach thing. Although she could not save him, so she simply hoped that these plans they were making would go well and give the Slytherin and Gryffindor some friendly fun. She nodded, silently agreeing with the wizard that it would be best if it occurred nowhere on the grounds of the castle. The risk of having someone eavesdropping was too great, unless they would secure the area with some powerful magic. Gossip could also spread so rapidly around the school and she did not want the people murmuring on how both became werewolves or some story of that sort.

Alliyah cut some of the meat on her plate and brought it to her lips. Thinking whilst allowing the hunger to gnaw on her mind did not draw any inspiration at all. Instead it drew inspiration to eat more and being semi health conscious (especially regarding her sweets) was not something she would want. Picturing Brightstone Village, she sighed and thought how Minoas was correct. The place buzzed with people, however it was not everywhere where people buzzed. Ally recalled herself spending some time with a girl friend on a bench that was hidden away from the view of the children in Takarokaro Park. It was not as noisy, however the place would have to do. The view was not spectacular, but it was peaceful even if in the background some giggles could be made out from the children. She knew there were several other benches located if they walked deeper into the village - away from the crazy shops and restaurants that held an irritating buzz for some that were present during the weekends.

"Well," started Alliyah who was briefly lost in her trail of thoughts. It was not often that she gave this kind of advice especially to males that were around her age for that matter. She chose her words carefully as she spoke. "You don't need to stay in a restaurant, er right? I thought that maybe it would be nice too if you grab a drink first then afterwards, look for a bench that isn't surrounded by many people...?" Alliyah did this all the time with Artemis when they were in their homeland; get (or even make) some hot chocolate and walk around, teasing and sometimes bickering with one another just like any normal pair of siblings. Her thoughts recalled the time when she went with a friend to the village and both of them managed to find a place to sit down. It was not too far and a little walk would not harm anyone, would it? "You know, a friend and I visited the village and we roamed around to look for somewhere to sit outdoors. I forgot why, but we stopped in the Takarokaro Park. There's a small path just near the area of the trees and we dared to walk on it. Just a few steps and we saw a bench hidden away from the playground's view. We were sort of near the edge but not too near that it can be considered dangerous! And the view is just more and more trees below." Alliyah shrugged, giving him the hint that there are benches tucked in behind the noisy establishments. He could pay the one near the playground a visit but it was his sole choice.
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