You Just Can't Run

[Damian Metzger]

Ever since Damian Metzger had figured out something that could shake the very foundations of his relationship, he had been on the run. Well, for a few days, but those days he was distant, not very affectionate and always just saying that he needed to go study for the NEWTs, well that excuse can only go so long. Damian was running. Why? He was in love. Of course, he was in love with his girlfriend Ostensia, but he had heard that once the three words were mentioned, the other person often did not feel the same way, and he did not want to lose Ostensia. She literally meant the world to him. He wanted to give her everything, to show her the good that he was, that she was, but he just could not being himself to say it. The Gryffindor Prefect had gone through so much within the past few years, that this was just new. Even Grezhen said that he should come out and say it, and hopefully Ostensia would love him in return. But sometimes things did not turn out like that. Teenagers were always fooling themselves, but he knew that this was the real deal. He knew because when he saw her, his breath was taken, he thought he was going to hurl, and he wanted to hold her and do many things with her, and to her for that matter. He did not think that this was normal when in fact, it was. He was a seventeen-year-old male, and he had feelings, and hormonal urges. Ostensia might not even be ready for what he was ready for. Graduation was coming, and he doubted that he was going to be leaving here with a smile. He was leaving behind someone very important to him. Damian was currently running, physically too. To a place where he figured that he could get some thought in, and he would not have to worry about Ostensia coming after him at the Quidditch pitch. Streak in hand and a suitable outfit and he was on his way to the lawns. His Prefect badge was pinned on his chest, but on the wrong side, so one would definitely tell that there was something wrong with him. But even he did not know what it was until recently. And quite frankly, he did not know who or what to turn to. Grezhen had been no help, and he would be damned if he was going to see his little sister about it. And Dietrich had never loved a girl, so how would he know what he was going through? He quite literally had no one to turn to. He was too afraid to turn to Vincent Chevalier, because the Auror kind of seemed more like someone that would assume that he was in love with Alyssa and come to the school and wring his tattooed neck. Yeah, Damian did not want to have to suffer through that. The Auror was strong, Damian had seen the muscles years ago.

Arriving to the Pitch at last, Damian quickly mounted his Streak and he was off into the skies, where the heavens did not judge him, and where he could have a moment to think, to process what all was running through his Gryffindor mind. He could not get Ostensia out of his mind, but he loved her. He wanted to share it, but to hide it too. The fear was the nastiest feeling in the world, and it was loving how it was controlling the Gryffindor Prefect right about now. Godric would be ashamed if he saw Damian. Teal eyes looked into the sky, and he closed them as the winds rushed through his brunette hair, and he felt so free right now. NEWTs were the last things on his mind. Studying was not even on his to-do list today. One could not bother him right now with studying for any of the subjects, they were not worth breaking free of the Quidditch flying, and he would probably start flying eventually. Perhaps he would release a snitch and try to catch it over and over, to improve his skills even more. He would need it for upcoming matches. Damian thought that facing the teams would be better if they were combined into two big teams because even the previous year, they were not working so well. It was disappointing really, and even the Gryffindors last year did not put in two cents worth. And then at the try outs, things turned worse and some of the chasers were bickering with one and another and he had to shut them up. Damian did not know if he was running a Quidditch team or a girl's gossip club where everything was just cat fights and claws extended out. The Gryffindor Prefect continued to soar around, getting higher and higher until his head was spinning and he would lower himself back down. He slowly went back to the ground because apparently there was such thing as too much height. He got off of his broom and he held his head for a moment, and thought that this was just awful. He was getting headaches while flying, so maybe he would be better grounded for a while. He looked around the pitch and he was still alone. Thankfully, he did not want to be disturbed right now with how he was feeling. However little did he know, there was someone searching for him, and was very close to finding him. Damian leaned against his broom, catching his breath while he thought of the best course of action, whether it be flying around some more, or just catching the snitch over and over again.​

 

[Ostensia Metzger]

"Have you seen my boyfriend?" Ostensia Romanes questioned to a group of older Gryffindor students. She hadn't seen her boyfriend very much during the past couple of days and it was actually starting to worry her. Was he upset with her or something? The group looked at her for a moment before they all shook their heads softly. This was very upsetting. Where on earth could he be? Was Damian purposely trying not to be found by Ostensia? If so, he was doing a pretty good job at keeping himself hidden from her. During the past few days he kept putting down the excuse that he had to study for his NEWT's. But he should know better than to use that as much as he had been using it. For one, Ostensia knew that Damian didn't study that much, for anything. Why would he start now? Second, he never spent this much time avoiding her. Normally if he had to study that much for something, he would at least invite her to hang out with him for a little bit and maybe even to help out. But lately, not even that. It was frustrating to Ostensia because she felt like she had done something wrong. Something that maybe upset him to the point where he could barely stand to be around her. If that was the case, was there any way to fix it? Ostensia often tried everything she could to be the perfect girlfriend. Ostensia would go out of her way to do little things for him. Sometimes buying him gifts, helping him with Quidditch or homework, hanging out, bringing him food, cuddling, pretty much everything she could. Some things she knew were on Damian's mind, but she had yet to ever really let him get that far. Half of the time she felt like she wasn't ready, and the other half she just had no idea what was going on. What if that was why Damian was avoiding her? 'Nah, Damian's not like that.' Ostensia thought to herself as she thanked the group of students and headed off down the hallway. This would be so much easier to think about if she could actually find her boyfriend and ask him. Surely he could at least explain to her his reasoning for avoiding her like he was? Ostensia missed him. Especially in the morning and in the evening when they first greeted one another and when they said their nightly goodbye's. It was always the sweetest. There was a lot missed. Damian probably didn't realize how much Ostensia needed him. Yes needed. She adored him, he honestly got her through so many horrible days. What if he really was mad? What was she going to do? A breathed left Ostensia as she thought of one more place to check. The Quidditch pitch. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? It was one of Damian's favorite places.

Ostensia broke into a run in the direction of the Quidditch pitch. Hopefully her boyfriend was there because she had tried everywhere else, minus the Gryffindor common room. But that was off-limits to her anyways. If he was in there the only way she could ever get to him was to send some Gryffindor in there after him. That was a little creepy. So hopefully he could be found elsewhere. It took Ostensia a couple of minute's but once she was at the Quidditch Pitch, her blue eyes frantically searched for any sight of Damian. Alas, there he was. Leaning over his broom, looking as if he were trying to catch his breath or something. He had probably been out here for awhile. He looked exhausted. Ostensia barely waited a moment before she rushed over to him. Despite the fact that he looked exhausted and out of breath she ran forward and enveloped him into a soft embrace that clearly showed she had missed him. "Where have you been all day? I've looked everywhere!" Hopefully he didn't smack her and whatnot for being this forward. But she just missed him and wanted to be held by him. He owed her that much for disappearing so much lately. If there was something he was having trouble with, she would help him. Anything he needed. If he needed some food and a good shoulder massage after this, fine. "Are you mad at me?" Ostensia asked as she looked down at the ground and untangled herself from Damian's arms. Hopefully he wasn't but she always felt like it would be a good thing to ask him. Maybe then she could fix it. The sun peaked through the trees and Ostensia almost asked Damian if he wanted to go grab some dinner. But something was different, she could tell. Hopefully it was just something small, or good.​

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[Damian Metzger]

Damian recently had little to no clue that Ostensia, his beloved girlfriend, was on the Quidditch team. Otherwise he probably would have just stayed in the Gryffindor common room until he could figure out what he should do about loving this perfect girl. He couldn't talk to Isabella Romanes over this, or even Isaia because he did not know either of them, and Isabella kind of intimidated him to a point. She was a Slytherin and all, but there was something in her eye that just freaked him out a bit. He knew that it was not the color, but maybe it was just the fact that she did not seem to let anyone run over her. Damian looked down at the ground as he leaned against his broomstick. Yeah, he might go fly for a little bit more, but his plans had changed when he thought that he had heard someone coming his way. His palms started to sweat, but his breaths had yet to clear up. What if it was Ostensia? What if she had found him after days and days of avoiding her? He did not know if he could avoid her forever, but just long enough to figure out what the hell to do about these feelings that he was having. She was the world to him, how could he not have fallen in love with her? It was a good question to ask people, but he just did not want to tell anyone what he was feeling. It was just natural to him. Running and hiding. Damian could live with that for now though. He would have no other choice really. He looked down at the grass and closed his teal colored eyes before he thought that there would be no way to avoid the girl of his dreams for too long. She was his first girlfriend, and first crush for that matter. They were going on their third year of being together, so this might not come as a surprise that he would have fallen. He just hoped that over this, he would not ruin what perfection that they had made so far. Damian did not think that whomever was heading his way was still there because he no longer heard the footsteps, and they seemed to have passed him. Probably going around to see everyone or something. He knew that the lake might be inhabited by people because of how warm it is, but he did not know anything else. He had not been in the lake since he and Leviathan got into that fight, and Damian actually stood up for himself. Damian was no push over anymore, and one would consider that a blessing. He looked and acted his own gender as he did not let the blood of a Veela control the way he was like he had before.

"Where have you been all day? I've looked everywhere!" was the voice that awoken him from his thoughts before he felt someone embrace him, though Damian knew who that was. It was the one that he had been trying to avoid lately. 'Oh poop!' thought Damian as his eyes flew open and he could not even return the hug because of how surprised he was by the hug. The feelings of cupid's arrow hit him and fear overwhelmed every muscle into his body. He did not even know what he would do right now, but it seemed like he was frozen right on the spot, which he was. Damian looked down at Ostensia, his expression would have been hilarious because it looked like she had grown a dragon's head and he was utterly terrified, but this might worry her to an extent. Damian knew why he was so scared, but she did not. She had little to no idea what he was feeling right now. Damian could not even utter a simple greeting, but he at least shifted his eyes anywhere but there because he did not know what to expect. Damian finally murmured, "I've been here?" That was about all he could muster up, and that was at least the truth. He had been here all this time, and no where else. She took a step back from him, and asked if he was mad at her. Oh man, he had definitely screwed things up. Damian shook his head, his brown hair going side to side, before he said in a gentle tone, "No, no never! I just... I can't even explain, I-I l..." He got into his stammering fits which he was afraid of doing when she was around. This, his only reaction was to...run. Damian quickly mounted his Streak and he soared up to the hoops. While she was down on the ground, she could never fly up here, and last time he had tried to teach her to fly, it was not exactly the best experience. She could not balance on the broom to save her life. She couldn't fly up here to him, but little did he know, she somehow got better than he originally thought, at least good enough to get on the Hufflepuff team. He had no where to run.​

 

[Ostensia Metzger]

It wasn’t hard to see that something was very much indeed wrong with her boyfriend right now. He didn’t even return the hug she had given him. Which was really strange to her because she knew for a fact that Damian was really big on the whole hugging thing. In fact he was even the one that sort of got her into hugging. Normally Ostensia was very shy. When they first met she had been scared to hug him all the time. So now that it was different and he didn’t want to hug her, she was worried that he was mad. Ostensia touched his arm. Hoping to get him to respond to her touch somehow. At least then she would know that he still recognized that she cared about him and practically loved him to death. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. ”Come on Damian, what’s the matter with you?” She questioned lightly. Was there something he needed to tell her? Why did he look so scared right now? Ostensia prayed and prayed to anyone listening above that her boyfriend wouldn’t leave her today. Right now she couldn’t handle it. If he did she was likely going to burst into a full out sob, quit Quidditch, and just about anything else a heartbroken girl could do. Couldn’t Damian see that she and him were perfect together? In her opinion they even overshadowed a lot of the other couples that were together. Last year before the huge break up, a lot of people gushed over Levi and Ariah. They were pretty cute even if Osa hated Levi for hurting her boyfriend. But it was funny how grumpy he was to everyone else but to her, so whenever she said or did something for him he looked happy for a minute or two. It was really sweet. But it ended in heartbreak. Rumors went around but Ostensia didn’t believe them. Sighing she looked at Damian again. ”You’ve been here for three days?” She questioned. She could believe that today he had been here for awhile. But this had been going on for more than a day. Where was he all the other days? Did he not miss her at all?

He spoke to her in a gentle voice but what he said to her made little to no sense. At all. Then, he actually booked it into the sky on his broom. Now Ostensia was upset. ’Ugh boys!’ Ostensia hadn’t had the chance to tell Damian that she had tried out and made it onto the Hufflepuff Quidditch team due to him avoiding her, If he had known that she was better at flying than she used to be, then he probably would’ve have taken off like he did. Ostensia immediately mounted her broom and flew after him. It took her not even a minute to reach him by the hoops and once she had she narrowed her eyes at him. If only she had a ball to hurl at his head. Ostensia didn’t like being up in the air. But if this is what she had to do to knock some sense into her boyfriend, then so be it. Breathing out heavily she brushed some of her hair back, ”Damian Metzger! If you don’t tell me what’s wrong this minute I’ll...do something. With you acting like this I have nothing to assume except that you are mad and want to break up with me. So please enlighten me on what I did wrong so I can at least apologize.” Ostensia had to focus on being balanced. She nearly just fell off due to how upset she was getting thanks to Damian. Why couldn’t he just tell her what was wrong? Rolling her eyes she figured that he wasn’t going to talk to her because of the way he was looking at her she started to lower herself back down to the ground.
​

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[Damian Metzger]

Damian simply could not answer her. Something within him was blocking all common sense from his brain. He wished that he could answer her, telling her that he loved her but he was just scared. He knew that those three words could be like a proposal. It was very life-changing. Swallowing, he just did not answer. He looked down at his clothing before his teal eyes went to the ground. Damian wondered if there was others that was handing through his situation. He looked at the ground, and hoped that she would not hate him for being so nervous. It was not something he wanted to do, and it horrified him that he was probably hurting his girlfriend. Damian just hoped that she would not think that he was leaving her, because that was the last thing that he wanted to do. It was just difficult for him to saw what was he was going to do about this whole thing. The Gryffindor Prefect was at a loss. When she asked if he had been here the last three days, he planted his hand to his forehead. Oh man, he was not going to enjoy this at all. He didn't want to tell her that he was avoiding her, because that would just be rude for one even if he was doing so and it was the solid truth. But he did not believe in lying either. He really did not want to lie to Ostensia so he just did not answer that question either. He really did not want to end up like Leviathan and Ariah had. Even he had heard about the break up, and it was just awful. Damian had seen Levi in Prefect's meetings and stuff, and the Slytherin snake looked even worse this year than last. Somehow Ariah had helped him with his attitude, but luckily for Damian, he would not have to worry about that kid. He kept far away from him, and did extra care to ensure that he would continue to do just that. Damian let out a sigh before he settled near the hoops.

However Damian was completely amazed that Ostensia had mounted a broom and soared up to him. Damian was very impressed, but right now the only expression written on his face was shock. Yet he made no movement to go elsewhere. She had not even fallen either. He wondered if she had been practicing or something since he had last seen her. When she had narrowed her eyes at him, it only made him even more nervous. Like she was going to do something to him, and now wished that there was something in the world to protect him from his girlfriend's wrath. And it confirmed his thoughts. She did think that he was mad at her, and was going to break up with her. So he had two choices, to continue doing what he was doing now and hurting her, or spill it and risk losing her, or gaining her back in a more intimate way. He reached out his arm and placed his hand on her broom so she could stop lowering herself to the ground. The last thing he wanted was to lose her, and have her fall. He was a freaking Gryffindor, he should get used to taking risks, and this one was one of them. He placed everything on the line. Damian blurted out, "I don't want to break up with you because I fell in love with you!" He did not even realize that this was the second time he had said it on the Pitch to her. Only this time he had meant it. He continued, "I read that sometimes... If one wasn't ready, it ruined relationships. I got scared..." Of course when he was scared, he never thought rationally. He expression had changed, so that he no longer looked so much fearful, but at least he was telling the truth. By the look in his eyes, one would be able to tell.​

Out of Character:

I know you just answered to it but I couldn't resist.

 

[Ostensia Metzger]

Ostensia didn’t expect Damian to reach out and stop her from lowering herself to the ground. For a moment she wobbled from the sudden stop. Managing to catch her balance though she caught Damian a look, forewarning him not to do that again unless he told her first. Even if she was better at flying than she used to be, Osa was still a bit clumsy when it came to being on a broom. ”Damian what are you doing?” She asked him when she was able to relax and be sure that she wasn’t going to fall and break her neck or something. Royal blue eyes blinked as they turned themselves to rest on Damian. With the way he had been acting lately she hoped he had a good explanation for her. Ostensia was a patient person, but when it came to her feelings getting hurt she wasn’t as much so. Damian probably didn’t realize how easily he could affect Ostensia. He didn’t know how she adored all the little things about him. Like the goofy smile he had, it made her laugh. Or the way his hair felt when she ran her fingers ran through it. Ostensia had never really told Damian these things because she didn’t want him to think she was weird or creepy. It was adoubtful that he would ever think of her like that, but she didn’t want to risk the chance. To him, she wanted to appear as perfect. Ostensia was about to ask him him once again why he was acting like he was, but he interrupted her by saying that he didn’t want to break up with her, because he was in love with her. Now this wasn’t the first time she had heard such things from Damian. The day he asked her to be his girlfriend he had hit his head and said it by accident. He didn’t mean it then. But did he mean it now? Ostensia took a moment to look at Damian. To really look at him and see if he meant it. From what she could see, he did mean it. Ostensia was a little shocked to hear that he actually loved her because this was a really big step. But she was more happy than she was anything else! She and Damian had come so far since they first started to date.

"Oh Damian...." Ostensia moved her broom over so that she was right next to Damian, close enough so that she could use her hand to pull his face close to hers and kiss him softly. He was such a sweetheart. He thought that his feelings for her was going to ruin their relationship with one another. Her hand lingered on his face for a moment before she pulled away and smiled softly. "Even if I didn't return the feelings I'd never let it ruin our relationship. We can't help the way we feel. It makes me feel a hundred times better than thinking you were angry with me." Ostensia admitted, offhandedly mentioning that she felt the same way for him that he felt for her. But she did hope that Damian would let her go back to the ground soon. The longer she spent up in the air the more nervous she got. Ostensia was better at flying than she used to be. But she was nowhere near as good as Damian was. Surely he understood that at least. Ostensia grabbed Damian's hand and held it within her own. A sweet gesture that she often did when she wanted to comfort him. Well that and she felt safer holding onto him than she did not hanging onto him. Ostensia loved and adored her boyfriend, he made her so happy. He probably didn't even realize how much he meant to her either. But she intended to one day be able to show him all the things he made her feel.​

 

[Damian Metzger]

Ostensia had almost lost her balance when he had reached out and grabbed the broom to stop her from lowering which made him feel a little uneasy. He hoped that she would not end up falling for his sake and hers. The last thing he wanted was to have his girlfriend to drop to the ground and end up seriously hurt. Damian never wanted to see Ostensia, but he hoped that she would never get hurt while around him. Damian knew what he was doing, but right now he was waiting on her response to his outburst. The second time he had said those words to her, though he had said them once but he was just spaced out, and hit his head. He meant it this time. The signs of love were there, as was the fear, the fear of losing her from all of this. Damian wondered if she would even say it in return either. He hoped that she would. He craved for her to love him in return. Damian did not think a relationship could survive if one was in love and one was not, so he hoped that she felt the same about him. He knew that she could see that he was telling the truth. Her expression said it all, and gave him hope. He released her broomstick, and he looked deep within those blue eyes. His lips curled into a smile, and he moved his hair from his blue-green eyes. Damian could not help falling for the Hufflepuff Prefect, but he was not falling now, as he was keeping his balance on the broom. Though he was tired right now, and wanted a nap, he liked hovering in the air with his girlfriend. He was still surprised she had lasted this long up in the air without falling or so much as landing on the ground in some pain appearing manner.

She was soon right hovering right with him, and then she kissed him softly, which he could not resist but returning with favor. It was sweet, and lingering, but it was not full of passion for now. They were flying, and thought that on the different broomsticks, it would be a little difficult. Damian looked over at the ground to make sure that no one was watching them. That would be embarrassing even if he was kind of public with his affections. Damian looked down at her hand as she pulled it away from his face, and then looked at her blue eyes before he could hear what she was saying. To him, he was hearing that she loved him in return, and it made his heart swell. Damian grinned, and he asked, "So, you love me too?" Damian was wondering if his thoughts would end up being true. He hoped that it was, but he could sort of tell that it was working out well for him. He was going to have the girl that he loved, love him in return. She held his hand, but not too long after, he released hers as he slowly moved his body over to where he was on her broom, his arms around her waist as he sat behind her. He figured that now would be a good time to hang on around her. He put his head on her shoulder and nuzzled into her blonde hair. Damian held her, wrapping an arm around her flat stomach and his other hand on the broom to help with the balance. The Gryffindor Prefect never wanted to let her go, but slowly the broom started to lower, his own by the side using a charm that Damian had learned in Charms, with his wand out considering that he had not learned that charm wandless yet. Damian was very happy right now, perhaps the happiest that he had been in a long time. It was sure as hell better than running from her like she had the plague when she in fact had his heart.​