Closed The Time We Spend

[Professor Minnie Calida]

The new term was getting started and Minnie had been putting together her schedule for it. She’d never had to come up with one entirely herself, she’d always based her amended version on what her parents had given her. But she was working on it, making it suit her better, though she knew that it was packed than ever before. She had specifically wanted to make sure that she was studying enough, doing enough quidditch and not spending too much time on nothing. She had accounted for some downtime, but the downtime still had her usually reading some book for revision. The difference was, during her downtime she could make time for friends. She didn’t have very many but what she did have she was hoping to spend time with. So, she’d sent a little note to Eric asking if he wanted to spend time together. She had given him a time and the location, that being the time it was now, and then the student lounge which she was now in.

Minnie was dressed more casually than normal, her hair down as she was beginning to always wear it, enjoying the feeling of just having her hair down. Minnie had always liked the waves of her hair, but she had almost always had it up and out the way just not too much anymore. Minnie was sat on the sofa next to the fire, glancing up towards the door every few minutes though trying to appear as though she wasn’t. She wasn’t sure why but she really hoped he would show. He was the person she was closest to in the school and after her tiring break she longed for good company. Working had kept her mind off everything but she was just tired and wanted to relax. He was the only person she was ever able to relax in front of. If he would show or not was another matter. She didn’t want to be pushy, she knew that Eric had more people he could spend time with, but Minnie just hoped he’d show.​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric's semester had been pretty boring so far. It was the same old thing, boring people or annoying people. Boring classes or annoying classes. There wasn't a whole lot else at Hogwarts. But when Minnie had sent him a note, Eric had been anything but bored or annoyed. His heart had skipped a beat and he'd hurried over to the location she had given at the right time. Only by taking a few detours did he avoid being there too early, that would look like he wanted to meet with her too much.

To his dismay, Eric had started to realize something he couldn't deny anymore. He liked Minnie. Not just as his friend, but as a girl. A girl he wanted to kiss and maybe go on sappy dates with, the kind Nicole had always been angling for. But she could never know, it would be too embarrassing. Eric arrived at the Student Lounge and smiled a bit at the sight of Minnie. He sat down next to her, taking in her appearance. She was as beautiful as ever, but something about her more casual appearance was extra special. "Hey." He said, trying his best to sound casual. "You wanted to see me?" He asked, immediately regretting his word choice.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie had of course been glancing towards the door every few minutes waiting for him, but she had been looking towards her book as he had finally arrived. She watched and gave a little warm smile as he appeared. It faltered lightly at his words but she knew he probably didn’t mean them. ”Yeah,” she said, ”I thought we could….” she hesitated, ”Hang out, as the kids say,” she felt her cheeks blush lightly as she said it, thinking it was perhaps an odd way for her to say it. Certainly it hadn’t felt natural as the words had come out of her mouth. She gave a little smile at him and a little shrug. She didn’t want to say that she really wanted the company, that it would be nice to spend more time with Eric than alone. She needed to study and work hard but she was giving herself some space to relax (though there was still a book on her lap) and spend time with someone. ”If you want…” she then added because maybe he didn’t. Maybe there were other things that Eric wanted to do.​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric wished he had taken a seat at the other side of the table, feeling like he was sitting too close to Minnie. What if she thought that was weird? But she made no mention of it, and Eric tried to relax. "I see," he said, smiling a bit. "Do the kids say that?" He asked her, teasing a little. There was something about her that made him wonder if she was nervous, and that made him wonder why that would be. But before he could get too hopeful, he reminded himself that Minnie liked guys like Noel. He was about the furthest thing from that. "Of course I want. I wouldn't be here otherwise, would I?" He asked her with a shrug.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie smiled a little at him as he teased her. She gave a little shrug, ”Who knows,” she replied. She was sure she’d heard people say it but it didn’t matter if it was or wasn’t. She was pleased, reassure when he said he did want to spend the time with her, and if he hadn’t he wouldn’t be here, ”True,” she admitted. It was perhaps a little odd, in all the time they had known each other, they hadn’t often hung out like this. ”How’ve you been finding the semester?” she asked him. She wasn’t sure the question was particularly good, it seemed pretty generic. Minnie didn’t want to think about the end of the semester, just the now of how it was going. ”I thought about letting go of a few classes, but the work load doesn’t seem too bad, so I might just keep them all,” She offered so that he wouldn’t just be answering the question and then returning it to her.​