Not You ... Again!

[Minerva Khulik]

The first week had flown by since her return to Hogwarts after the holidays, she had buried her head fervently in her studies and her classes and kept herself far from the student lounge so that she would never, ever have to run into Alexander Sheffield again. Even now days later she still had the words popping into her head unexpectedly and was caught humming the tune more than once! It was frustrating beyond believe. At meal times she had taken to ducking her head at the table so that she could not be seen in any way shape or form from the Gryffindor table, even though she knew he wouldn't be going out of his way looking for her, it just seemed the safest course of action to take!

Now as she left the library with a mountain of books regarding transfiguration, the history of it, the psychology of it, the memoir of a man who had been transfigured into a garden statue by his parents for most of his childhood life before authorities stepped in, a book on the dangers of animagus training and another - Beginners Guide to Transfiguration- more small objects to transfigure! She had become fascinated with the subject in the previous semester and spent most of her spare time if not with Norton or Elly, then with her head buried in a text book.

With her wand she was levitating the stack of books before her, taking great pains to keep them straight and in perfect order. She had gotten much better at this levitating charm and used it now whenever possible, levitating heavier objects whenever she could. It was very useful when she had to open a door and leave the library to get to her own dorm of course but thankfully both were on the same floor and even though the student lounge was as well, she did not venture into it. The stack of books before her she concentrated on just getting to Hufflepuff house!

 

[Alex Sheffield]

It's been a while since he performed for the first time in the student lounge, and that day kept pecking at his head. There was something about that day that hit him hard, the confusion he felt after Minervas sudden departure, her sudden coldness. To this day, he felt he was to blame, as if he did something completely wrong, but he didn't know what, and the fact that he didn't know why hurt him even more than the blame itself.

Once again, he was at the student lounge. It became his place to study, play quietly, write songs, or anything really. The fact that all the houses gathered there was perfect for Alex, as he adored meeting new people. Each day was another glimmer of hope he'd see Minerva once again, so he could ask her about that day, but that wasn't happening. Today, he didn't have his guitar with him. Instead, he was organizing his Potions homework from year one, just in case he might need it for this year. After an hour or so of rummaging through it, he got bored.

Stepping outside into the corridor, he was making his way towards the stairs, before he caught a glimpse of Minerva and a floating pile of books. Swallowing whatever amount of shyness he had in himself, he put up a confident smile and started walking towards her, waving slightly as soon as they'd catch eye contact.

 

[Minerva Khulik]

Had it really been too much to ask to not have to see Alexander again? What did a girl have to do in such a huge school, with so many students ... when she had wanted to stay lost and insignificant, whereby no one would see her or hear her or notice her, that had been perfect but now ... she blamed her parents! Had to blame someone for this social bee she was becoming, perhaps that was too strong a title for it really - she was doing her best to be social to other people, namely a few other first years but Alexander Sheffield was not on her list of people to want to meet again, in fact she had actually made a list of reasons why she should never befriend him at all!

They ran from ... far too good at music, brilliant lyricist, fantastic singing voice, funny yet endearing accent, soulful eyes, enchanted fingers that could work magic on a guitar ... she had done her best to think of something negative but nothing had been forthcoming so Minerva figured she would just use his good points in the con list regardless. Then she remembered other things ... how she had felt and these she put down as well, how she had never wanted to play let alone see a piano again, how she never wanted to open her mouth and sing - though that was difficult because any chance when she was alone she would naturally sing anyway...providing she wasn't in the library.

Now as she levitated her books before her, something from her peripheral vision made her start and when she turned her gaze full upon it, discovered that it was Alexander, smiling ... walking towards her and smiling ... nope, he was walking towards her, smiling and waving! Minerva looked at him speechless and her wand lowered for a moment, her concentration on the spell broken and bang! All the library books hit the floor loudly. OH but she wanted to levitate Alexander until he bumped his head on the ceiling! Why did he have to show up here, had he nowhere else to go? She frequented the library because she honestly had never seen him in there and because he was from Gryffindor, she figured he'd have the sense to hang about in his common room. Thankfully he had no guitar with him!

Minerva turned her gaze from him to the fallen books within seconds of it all happening and a loud sigh escaped her. Maybe he was waving at someone behind her, with any luck he would keep on walking!

 

[Alex Sheffield]

At a moments notice, Alex'es wand was already by his side. He knew he was the fault for her books falling down, he must have distracted her and broke her concentration. She is a first year after all, a simple levitation spell is nothing to Alex.
"Wingardium Leviosa!", he pronounced, which sounded completely different from his usual accent, this one sounded posh, fancy.
The books fly up in the same place they fell from, at which point Alex is already at talking distance to Minerva.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry. Hi! Remember me? I remember you but I don't know if you remember me.. Haven't seen you around lately and all. I actually wanted to talk to you about something." He kept speaking and playing with the books, making them do stunts in the air as he spoke. A bit of nervousness was clear in his voice, and he wasn't sure either. All he wanted to do was make friends with the girl, and he had just the plan.

 

[Minerva Khulik]

She had barely knelt down and picked up the first of the books when the next one within her reach lifted upwards, Minerva's eyes widened slightly when she realised that Alexander had charmed them to levitate. The infernal pest! She could levitate her own books thank you very much and would have done so successfully except for him distracting her. Standing up she reaches out to take one of the floating books disgusted that he was closer now and moving the books through the air as if they were toys. Exasperated Minerva drew her hand back and clinging to the single book left in her possession, she turned her green eyes upon him and glowered. Her voice never raised a notch, it still sounded pretty much as it always did, quiet and serious but now there was just a hint of steel behind it.

"Of course I remember you, you hit me on the head but you didn't give me concussion. Could you please not do that to my library books ... a little bit of respect wouldn't go astray!" if she could have put her hands on her hips she would have but her younger brothers always maintained that when she tried to look imposing by doing so she invariably came across as simply adorable and they would laugh at her instead of the reaction she wanted. There was a good reason why you haven't seen me about, she swore to herself mutinously before opening her mouth again to speak to him.

"What is it you want Alexander?"

 

[Alex Sheffield]

He noticed he annoyed her even more, by trying to help. He levitated the books he had in the spell over his hand, and stacked them on top of his palm, offering them to her.

"I'm sorry, I was only trying to help.." The boy frowned, sad that he had to disappoint her once again.

He quickly tried to change the mood, by changing the subject. He struck up a big smile, and started speaking in a deeper, more serious, encouraging voice.

"Listen.. I don't think it's fair I played for you, I want to hear you play as well. So, my mother has a synth. I know it's not the grand piano your family has, but it has a piano setting, and I really want to hear you play.. So.. I arranged it so that she'd ship it to me. It's already on it's way, and it would be rude of you to refuse." The last sentence was said with a smirk on his face, and if Minerva was careful enough, she would have seen a wink on his face too.

He was determined to make friends with this girl no matter what the cost was. He had to correct what he did.

"And please, just call me Alex. The 'ander' part makes it so much more unnecessarily formal"

 

[Minerva Khulik]

Minerva felt far too indignant to be mollified by his apology no matter how sincere it was and frowned noticeably as he gathered up her books before offering them to her. Silently fuming she took them from him, doing her best not to grab them and turn on her heels and head back to the sanctuary of the library.
Again Alexander was smiling and she wished that he would stop doing that, she was twelve! She was not completely made of ice, she had crushed on two musicians, one quidditch professional and a novelist and felt as if her brain was currently warring with her insides for supremacy! There was no way that she was going to crush on this guy, absolutely not ... so he could stop smiling like a big ... smiling, fantastic musician ... type person! Never been great at coming up with horrible names for anyone, Minerva even managed to fail at doing it mentally!

She listened to him as her fingers gripped the books like a vice, in case for some inexplicable reason they went flying to the ground again or he began levitating them. What on earth was a synth? She had no idea what he was on about but according to Alexander it had something with a piano set into it and his mother was coming on a ship! Why on earth would it be rude of her to refuse when she had no idea what he was on about! She figured it was because he was English and had obviously very strange customs. The smirk he gave her did nothing to appease her at all, if anything it made her scowl indignantly at him as he proceeded to ask her to call him Alex instead.

Purposefully she took a steadying breath as if she were considering all that he said but she knew exactly what was coming without having to think it through.

"Alex...ander, thank you for your sycthe...sync ... that ... thing, I am sure putting your mother on a ship is very natural for you to do but I do not see where this involves my piano playing or what makes you think I am rude. I am indifferent ... which is why the name you asked me to call you originally is what I feel comfortable calling you still. Now please ... can I go?" not having any knowledge of the muggle world except for Twix bars thanks to Elly, Minerva seriously had no idea what Alex had been on about at all.

 

[Alex Sheffield]

Alex sighed, slightly disappointed at the misunderstanding, he looked down, frowning, placing his hands in his pockets. He nodded as he spoke up, in a more serious tone, losing the accent in the progress, speaking more formally.

"A synth is an instrument similar to a piano. It's a muggle piece of technology, which is why I have to cancel the delivery.. I forgot about how muggle technology doesn't work here.. Sorry I'm just a dumb muggle-born.. Uh.." He placed his hand on his forehead as he said the last few words, shaking his head.

"Anyway, of course you can go, I'm not holding you here. I'm sorry it turned out this way. Point was, I just want to hear you play, and that's it.. See you.."

He sighed, keeping his head down, turning slowly on his heels to walk away.

 

[Minerva Khulik]

Minerva listened to him, wishing he would leave her alone before she blurted out the absolute truth and told him that she adored his music, that she could listen to him all day long but his music, his singing, his lyrics all made her talent seem inconsequential and that gutted her because for the longest time in her life, her music was all she believed in. She could not make friends or be the social butterfly that everyone seemed to want her to be, she tried to be nice and friendly to people but brief interactions was all she had ever been able to manage but her music, her piano playing was like breathing ... or it had been. Now she doubted everything about it.

She heard him say he was just a dumb muggle-born and instantly her mouth opened to tell him that he wasn't but he continued speaking as he shook his head. He just wanted to hear her play. It sounded so easy coming from his lips but there was nothing easy about her playing anymore. Her very fingers felt as if they had been jinxed. She should have stopped him when he turned to walk away, she should have said something but her mouth clamped shut and she gripped the books even tighter to her and she walked away in the opposite direction, her gaze staring ahead of her, willing herself not to look back. It was better this way, she wouldn't have to listen to the glorious music he made ever again and maybe, just maybe she would be able to play the piano again.

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