Closed what better day

[Eoghan Blyth]

Despite not having come out to the lake very often, Eoghan still considered it to be an important place to him sentimentally. It had initially been the place he'd first come to face a fear, but now looking back it had been the door to the best thing that had happened to him. It had been a busy day, delivering the roses for students throughout the castle, and while some of them had been more difficult than others the Ravenclaw was still pleased that he'd gotten through it, pushing himself into situations that even this time last year he wouldn't have been comfortable with.

Now, sat nervously on the lawn overlooking the still water, the second year was contemplating just how much had changed over the time he'd been at Hogwarts. Whatever plan he thought he had for his time here had quickly shifted, and it surprised him not just how easily but how willing he was that that was the case. He was twirling a rose of his own now between his long fingers, trying to settle the flutter that had been in his stomach for most of the day. But it wasn't because of the deliveries that had him so on edge. ​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

The day had been very busy and hectic. It had almost felt like every second of it had been spent running from lessons to finding the person her next delivery was for. It had definitely been a lot but at the same time it had been nice. Lilith knew she'd need a bit to bounce back fully from it all but she'd do it eventually. Ever since opening the note on the red rose the Ravenclaw had been dying to know what it meant. What did Eoghan need to tell her? She hoped someone had delivered her rose to him, surely they had.

As she approached the familiar spot the memories of their first meeting just the two of them came flooding back and it was a mixture of feelings. He had rejected her friendship on that day, but it had also opened the door for whatever it was they had now. With a smile Lilith walked closer to her boyfriend and spoke gently. "Glad to see we have moved on from trying to peer into the depths to staying away from the water. I would much rather not have to pull you up again nor feel the fear I felt when I saw you disappear under the surface." It was all in good humour but the initial seconds of him disappearing and her struggling to get a hold of him had been scarier than she'd like to admit. Not to mention she later found out he couldn't even swim, thank Merlin she hadn't known that one before. Lilith had taken the red rose and shortened the stem enough to be stuck into her hair that was now half up half down with a braid creating its own sort of a crown. The rose was much bolder pop of colour than she would usually go for but it was Valentine's day so it fit the days theme.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan wasn't sure how long he'd been sat the edge of the lake waiting for Lilith. He knew it wasn't as though he'd specified a time, so much as he hoped she'd remember where to find him whenever she did get a moment to join. The blonde looked up to meet her at the sound of familiar Finnish, and a smile spread across his face despite the nerves rolling around in his stomach. "Yeah, remind me I need to learn how to swim one of these days," he added, knowing that the gap in his knowledge had already been a cause for concern for both of them already.

The rose from Lilith was still in his hands, the red matching the flower that was now tucked into his girlfriends hair. "You look very nice," he said, quieter now that he knew she would soon be asking for what it was that he wanted to tell her. He didn't know why he'd made this out to be so serious, but at the same time he couldn't just be like Felix and blurt it out at a weird opportunity in front of their friends. "Have you had a good day?" he asked, knowing that he was making things more awkward but not knowing how to be anything less.​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

Lilith gave a soft smile as Eoghan turned to look at her and mentioned needing to learn how to swim. "You can come stay at our place for the summer, Imogen too. We have that pond in our backyard and a lake a walk distance away. I can even teach you to swim." She offered gently taking a few more steps towards him before sitting down next to him and leaning he head into her knees.

Looking at the boy it was apparent there were nerves running through his system and Lilith was beginning to worry a little now. What was going on, had something perhaps happened. A slight blush formed on her cheeks at the subtle compliment and she just hummed in response. "It's been hectic to say the least, but it's been good. How about you? Have any interesting deliveries?" The Ravenclaw was genuinely interested whether or not he'd had any more interesting deliveries, but also the need to know why he'd asked her down here was practically burning holes in her body at this point. "So, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" She asked nervously, still staring at his face though trying to get any read on what might be going on in his head.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Every time Imogen was mentioned, Eoghan knew Lilith was trying to make his sister feel included. It was nice although the Ravenclaw wasn't sure how open his sister was feeling at the moment. Whenever he saw her she seemed to be increasingly aggressive toward him and he wasn't entirely sure where it was coming from. "Yeah maybe," he nodded, although clearly his mind was now elsewhere. Perhaps Lilith would just put it down to the events of the day.

"I got another rose, a pink one. From Tori," he admitted. He didn't know who else she'd sent a pink one to nor what it meant but given that she was the first person to know that he was serious about Lilith made him think that she wasn't about to be the type to try and interfere in their relationship. It would have been silly to put herself in that situation when Demi had already proven to grapple at any available straws too. "What about you?" he asked in return, knowing there had been the one he'd delivered to her from another admirer, but unsure whether Lilith had had any others or whether she was any closer to finding out who'd sent her one anonymously.

Eoghan was starting to relax when Lilith outright asked what it was he wanted to tell her, his cheeks flaming immediately. "Oh," Well now he just felt silly. "I was just going to say," Eoghan paused, feeling as though he'd overhyped the situation, and he now had a choice ahead of him. "Well I mean, do you.." this was going as swimmingly as the last time they were here.​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

Lilith waited for a response and there were a lot of emotions passing through Eoghan's eyes and she wondered just how much had happened during Christmas. Not wanting to press the issue right now because he seemed to not be willing to talk about it, it'd come out eventually when he was ready for it. As Tori's rose was mentioned Lilith felt a smile form again and shivers run over her body. It had been a beautiful rose and one that had shook her to the very core, to be seen like that in return was nice. "Yes I got a pink one too, she gave me my own star name, which I never expected her to. Never expected anyone to, but it is nice." She admitted quietly, to be seen as such was an honor and it did feel nice to have someone else see her as important other than just Eoghan.

The blush on her boyfriends face was cute, adorable even but she doubted he'd wanna hear that one. It was clear he was nervous so she did what he had done last time when he wanted to tell her something but was distracted having to look at her in the face. Rising up to her feet she moved in front of him and sat between his legs, placing her back against him as she stared at the water. "No pressure tell me when you are ready, we can just watch the water until then." The Ravenclaw offered calmly, taking his hands from the sides and placing them in her lap with her own.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

"What does she call you?" Eoghan asked, recalling that Tori had used Lilith's name for him in her own note to him too. He was named after Lilith's favourite star, and if Tori could see why that was the case then it was certainly a good sign that he found within her a proper friend too. He hadn't expected to find any of those when he'd come to Hogwarts and said goodbye to his family, but it was strange how things would change in time.

As Lili moved to sit in front of him and gaze across the water, Eoghan let her move him to wherever she wanted him, his arms now wrapping around her. He didn't doubt that she'd done this for his sake more than her own. She'd come to learn it seemed, that the more she backed away the more Eoghan would come to her, and he was fully aware that she was doing it. He was grateful that she'd never pushed him for answers, even when they'd been getting to know each other. Even know it was as though she knew him better than he knew himself. "You are mine and I am yours," he mumbled under his breath, only loud enough for Lilith in front of him to hear it. Recalling the day they'd gotten closer in the courtyard and the way their relationship had evolved, Eoghan had known it then and known it now that whatever was going on around them they would always have each other's backs. It was them against the world.​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

It was funny he'd ask what Tori had chosen for her, because he'd know that name well too. "She chose Vega, which is weirdly very comforting and reminds me of my mum at the same time as it makes me feel special." She missed her parents, even if they weren't always the closest being so far away from them for extended periods of times was difficult and having any reminders was welcome. "Vega - she who swoops in to save me. You've done a lot of swooping lately - please don't stop. That is why she chose it." Lilith told him gently, she had no intention of ever stopping being Tori's friend, not after this.

The Ravenclaw smiled at the remainder of their discussion at the courtyard, glad he remembered it too. "and no matter what we will find a way through." She finished for him, the smile growing bigger and bigger. How things had changed in the last year and a half was crazy and frankly Lilith wouldn't have it any other way. The feeling that had started to grow, Merlin she didn't even know when it started but she did know everyday it got stronger and stronger. Every moment spent with Eoghan and every little thing he did made the feeling stronger. "Sometimes it feels like we started off at a cliff and the rest is just freefalling and even though I know technically it's probably silly and scary I don't mind it because at the end of the day it's with you." Lilith blurted out, not even fully knowing what she was saying at this point but it felt right.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan thought it was fitting that Tori had chosen that name for her, because he knew that for Lilith that connection was important and it was true, Lilith did swoop in more often than not to pull out people that needed help. Sometimes Eoghan wondered if he'd been in any way named after his own father, but since his mum hadn't said a single word about the man, not even whether or not he knew his son was magical or whether that was even the realm of a possibility, it was impossible to know. She'd been gone for years now that Eoghan was quite sure that even Imogen didn't appreciate being named after the woman. "Tori mentioned the star nicknames to us both, in the notes," Eoghan thought aloud, wondering if their influence was having a bigger affect on the Gryffindor than they may have first realised.

The second year smiled against Lilith's ear, recalling the words they'd already spoken to one another a few months ago. He was looking at her now, although from where she was sitting she wouldn't have been able to tell. "I don't know what I would have done without you," Eoghan knew that Lilith would likely try to look him in the eyes if he started becoming increasingly sentimental, and if he was going to get through what he wanted to say to her then his own pale blue orbs were going to have to flick upward and remain fixed to the water that rippled ahead of them for the time being. He continued without taking a pause, "Generally I mean. And at this school. I can feel myself changing because I met you," it was true. When Eoghan went home he felt like an outsider, but only because he'd come to realise how much at home he felt when he was now at school. He had no idea how Felix made this look so easy. "You know I love you, don't you?" He hadn't meant to pose it as a question at all, but as his cheeks became hotter he hoped that Lili wasn't going think he wasn't taking this seriously. Eoghan was nothing like the authors he read about, but he was also twelve and still had a lot to learn.​

 

[Lilith Ilves]

Lilith had little to do as she watched the water, without thinking too much into it she started to play with their hands that were resting on her lap. "She gave you one too?" The Ravenclaw asked, not sure what he meant. The nicknames she had given to both of them or the nicknames Tori had now given them each.

There was a faint hum that came in response to his words, it was more of a 'I am listening' than a 'I agree' hum. Though as Eoghan explained she smiled faintly, feeling the same way. "Honestly I don't know either, perhaps I'd have been the one to drown, figuratively speaking, had we not met." It was less of a joke and more serious. At times it still felt as though she was swimming in waters far too deep and vast for her to get through, but she was doing it. Lilith's movements came to a halt, her hands freezing and stopping the playing with his and her mouth fell slightly open. Had she just heard wrong? Surely she was losing it, love was something she hadn't considered of being worthy of. Not because she was a bad person but because she was just nothing special either. Yet in the span of a year and a half she had found people around her that seemed to think otherwise, seemed to see her as someone important. "I- hmph." The brunette began to struggle to put into words the thoughts she had, without sounding completely stupid.

"I mean, I think I know. No that's not quite right, I know I know because I love you too, have for a long time. I think it started as a friendship sort of love but as time passes by it's more than just the love I feel for my friends." How could she put this without making it all sound so stupid. Though maybe that was because she was still figuring the world out as she went herself. "I think after Altarf, I thought I'd never be seen again, nor did I really think I was worth being seen you know. I'd much rather fade into the background. Then I met you and like I said, it feels like free falling, but it's not scary." There was so much she wanted to say, just didn't know how to. It was frustrating, trying to find the right words but feeling like they weren't in the dictionaries she knew. "Suddenly I feel like I am being seen for me and I want to be seen, but not by everyone just by you. So yes I do know you love me and I do know I love you as well, whatever it means at this age and whatever it will mean in the future, but I do know that this feeling I feel here when I'm around you," Lilith raised her own hand alone this time, to hover over her furiously beating heart. "It is love."