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Post by erikaanne on May 1, 2008 21:09:35 GMT
Erika McCallister strolled down the streets of Hogsmeade, wrapped in a warm, bright-red, wool trench coat, which in turn was worn over black jeans, and black, suede thigh-high boots with laces up the sides, and a blood-red, long sleeved, silk shirt.. Her raven locks fluttered in the wind, flying around her pale face. Her honey-gold eyes were bright as usual, and her full red lips held their usual mischievous smirk. No one knew yet that she was a Rogue, so she could still walk around in broad daylight, without having to be paranoid. Sadly however, she knew those days would soon come to an end. With more and more ministry officials arriving, hiding was becoming harder and harder. Might as well enjoy the freedom while I can she thought to herself, as she kicked up drifts of snow. Walking along, Erika failed to see the person standing right in front of her, and stumbled into them. "Oh!" Erika looked up into the face, of an old, dear friend... someone she had fallen in love with, but had never gotten the chance to tell them....
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Post by richard on May 5, 2008 20:01:27 GMT
Given the choice Richard would not normally leave the house on days such as today, he hated the cold weather and hated snow even more. So with this in mind it was a very strange sight to see Richard Leons walking down the streets of Hogsmeade that day even if he was wrapped up tightly in his cloak and his scarf wrapped around his neck that he could not see where he was going, particularly on his day off work.
This soon provide to be a problem when he happened to walk into someone, although it was not just anyone it was Erika McCallister, the ex Gryffindor who in the last few weeks of last term Richard had grew very close to. She seemed to be relatively speechless, which was a change, while Richard being typical Richard only managed to stutter out a string of words that really made no sense what so ever.
“I…er…you look...sorry about…been a while…er…how…how are you?”
Richard managed to get a question out in the end along with a weak smile, he had not expected to see anyone he knew in the village that day, let alone Erika of all people.
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Post by erikaanne on May 5, 2008 20:12:48 GMT
Erika just stared, speechless. Finally, she managed to speak. "Richard!" she gasped. Without any thought, she flung her arms around him in a hug. "Oh my gosh, Richard, where have you been!?" she asked excitedly. "I missed you!"
Blushing she let go of him, and stepped back. He was just as handsome as she remembered. She smiled shyly and said, "So, how have you been?"
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Post by richard on May 14, 2008 20:39:07 GMT
As Erika flung her arms around him Richard was taken by surprise and all the air was lost form his lungs and as he grinned on and carefully wrapped his arms around his old friend Rich listened to her questions. His cheeks flushed a light shade of pink and for some reason he felt like he had let Erika down by not keeping her up to date with how things were going for him, particularly when she admitted to have missed him.
As they broke apart he saw the colour in her cheeks but that had to be the cold, Erika never blushed and another thing that shocked him was how she was so shy around him. With searching eyes Richard examined her beautiful features for a moment before realising that she had in fact asked him a string of questions.
“I…I am doing better now I have seen you again Erika. I have not really been up this end of the country in a while; work seems to have taken over although it is nice to have some money in the vault.”
He offered a very weak smile as he tried to tip toe around the actual details of his job, his father was not happy with what he was doing, it was not grand enough for him, but then nothing Richard did would ever be enough for his father.
“What about you?” He asked. “Been keeping busy?”
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Post by erikaanne on May 14, 2008 20:45:49 GMT
Erika smiled, "That's nice. Least it gives you something to do." Then, he asked her what she was doing. She hesitated, she couldn't tell him, but she couldn't lie either. Finally she said, "Um yeah, but I'd rather not talk about it right now..." she smiled again, "So, found anyone special yet?" she smiled as if it was no big deal, but on the inside she was begging and praying, Say 'No' please say 'No'!
Erika wasn't exactly sure how she had fallen in love with the former Ravenclaw, but she had. She loved everything about him, that crooked smile, that seemed to be specially for her, the way his strong arms held her when she was scared, the way he made her feel that anything was possible, the way she could be herself around him...everything.
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Post by richard on May 14, 2008 21:16:29 GMT
Yeah that was a way of thinking about his job, it gave him something to do. It was originally a way for him to get away from the critical gaze of his father but now he rented his own flat he merely went for the social side, the chats he would have with the blond haired post girl…he had not plucked up the courage to even ask for her name but they would stand and talk about what they had read in the paper the day before, always the highlight of his day.
It seemed rather ironic that as this thought passed through his mind Erika asked about if he had anyone special. This question caught Richard off guard slightly at first and his mouth hung open ever so slightly as he tried to think of an answer, there was no one at the moment. He did not think the blond haired postal girl counted as she was too beautiful to be single and the small fling he had with a girl he met on holiday resulted at nothing.
“No, there is no one at the moment…what about you? I bet you are fighting away the guys, you are exceedingly beautiful after all.”
Richard was not sure where this last addition to his statement had come from, but it had been said and it was the truth, Erika was incredibly beautiful, he had told her many a time before, it must have been a natural instinct.
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Post by erikaanne on May 14, 2008 21:24:29 GMT
Erika smiled and shook her head, "No, I'm still single. Shocking, I know!" she said with a laugh. The laughter faded to a gentle smile, "I'm surprised you haven't found anyone though." I'm definitely glad though she thought to herself. She could feel her heart racing, could Richard sense it as well? Most likely not.
Erika stepped slightly back in order to see Richard better. Her shoes did add a few inches, but she was still significantly shorter. "What do you say to a drink in the Three Broomsticks?" she asked, with another dazzling smile.
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Post by richard on May 14, 2008 21:46:34 GMT
Richard could not help but let a small smile spread across his features when Erika said she was still single. The few months they knew each other for at the end of the last school year had been fun, there had been something special between them. Richard would be lying if he said he had not thought about it, because he had, but he had come to the conclusion that it was nothing, but then he had not expected to see Erika again. This meeting was most defiantly making him think again on the matter but when she mentioned that she was surprised he was still single Richard could not help but laugh.
“Erika you were the closest thing I had to a girlfriend in all my life. Do you really think that the geeky Ravenclaw would have changed so much over the summer?”
As his laughter subsided he heard Erika ask about a drink, it would be nice to get out of the cold of the snow but he had come to Hogsmeade on an errand…but that could always wait. Reaching down he pulled up the sleeve of his coat to reveal his watch and he did a few mental calculations before looking back at Erika. He would be able to spare an hour if he rushed to get back to London afterwards, he could even turn up late and no one would notice he had gone.
“I would love a drink, although there is one thing…” he tried to act serious but it was hard to suppress his smile. “…you must let me pay.”
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Post by erikaanne on May 14, 2008 21:55:49 GMT
Erika laughed softly,"You weren't geeky, you were intelligent! Still are!" she assured hm with a small kiss to the cheek. She smiled again. "Well, if you insist!" she said in reply to his statement that he was paying. She blushed, a rare feat for her, "You were the closest thing I've had to a boyfriend!" she admitted.
There she went again, baabbling like a lovesick fool. Which was sort of what she was... Actually, no. Lovesick? Yes. Fool? No. Not her. Erika Anne McCallister was no fool...
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Post by richard on May 15, 2008 14:52:13 GMT
He was not geeky just intellectual, that was a way of putting it. But then surly someone who was intellectual would have enough sense and knowledge of the world to know that spending hours on end in the library and not having any social contact with the outside world was not a good thing. Once again Erika surprised him as she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Looking on in amazement that she had done such a thing Richard tried to find something to say, even thank you, but nothing was there. Today had been a day of surprises and that was yet another one to add to the list, although Erika’s causal manor of accepting his offer to pay was most certainly not on there. He may have only known her for a short while during their time at Hogwarts but he still knew her well enough to know she would not turn down an offer like that.
With a small smile Richard stood next to Erika and changed his direction of walking towards the Three Broomsticks. It was some way down the street and depending on how long much they chatted while walking it could take some time, but then spending time with Erika was never a bad thing.
“You never said what you were up to now.” Richard mentioned trying to make casual conversation. “I bet it is far more interesting then my job…an office boy. I make the coffee and file stuff, but as my father keeps telling me, there is potential for promotion.”
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Post by erikaanne on May 15, 2008 16:47:01 GMT
Erika sighed, "I wish I could tell you Richard, but I honestly can't. It would endanger both of us." She smiled in an attempt to dispell her now slightly dreary mood. "So, you're the errand boy,huh?" She frowned slightly, "That doesn't seem like you. It's...beneath you. Beneath your intelligence. You should be at least a Manager or something." She smiled again, "And I'm not just saying that because you're my friend, I'm saying it because it's true."
She stopped, in the middle of the street looking at him."You are far too good for a job like that." she said gently. She sighed again, "There is so much I wish to tell you. I just don't know where to begin." She looked down hesitantly. When she looked back up, her golden eyes blazed with determination. And love. A deep breath calmed her. "I guess, the best place to begin, is from the heart." she said quietly, looking up into his eyes. Finally, she spoke. "Richard, I love you. I don't know how, or exactly when I fell in love with you, but I did. I love you Richard, and I will do whatever it takes to stand by your side."
There, she had done it. She had confessed her love. She stood waiting, shaking, breathless, heart pounding. What would he do? Laugh at her? Hug her? Tell her that he never wanted to see her again? Golden eyes darted back and forth, searching his face, as if seeking an answer from his expression...
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Post by richard on May 15, 2008 17:28:16 GMT
It concerned Richard at Erika could not tell him what she did; he could not understand what could be so mysterious and dangerous for her to tell him. He knew knowledge was a powerful thing but still, however it was not his place or his personality to push someone into an answer and he knew that Erika would tell him when the time was right.
Rich was quite happy for the conversation to move onto happier topics but as he decided to not push anymore about her job Erika clearly went of the opposite approach and strangely enough started to sound a lot like his father. They were preaching the same things, he was too good for that job, he should be the manager not the post boy and that he was not doing himself justice in a job like that.
He could feel the frustration building up inside of him, but like he did when his father gave him the lecture he would stay quiet, not answer back let shout back. They were only saying it because they cared but on occasions like this Rich could not help but wish that they would show they cared in other ways rather then telling him how to run his own life.
Before he knew it Erika had stopped in the middle of the street, turning around with a frown Richard was about to ask what was wrong when her amber eyes fell upon him and he knew that not only something was bothering her but that she was going to tell him about it right now, although he did not expect what she said.
“You said I love you rather a lot in that sentence Erika.”
His voice wavered and he chastised himself for not being able to think of anything else to say. Here she was pouring her heart out to him in the middle of the high street and all I could do was comment on the amount of times she said ’I love you’. It was in fact taking Rich a lot not to freak out too much, but what he could not understand was why she had told him this now, he was still angry at her for lecturing him about his job and now the anger was mixed with guilt and appreciation yet all Richard could do was stand there.
With a deep breath Richard took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Erika, hugging her tightly. He could feel her heart pounding, he could hear her shaky breaths, he had to say something to comfort her.
“I…I care for you too Erika.”
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Post by erikaanne on May 15, 2008 17:32:38 GMT
Erika just stood there, as his arms wrapped around her. Finally she spoke, "But...you don't love me. Not the way I love you." Maybe she was wrong, maybe he did. But something was telling her, that he didn't...
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Post by richard on May 15, 2008 17:47:53 GMT
Richard listened to what she had to say and he could not help but feel slightly disappointed in himself. For some reason he clearly thought he would be able to fool her, make her believe that he did love her, but then he knew she was not that stupid, Rich had no reason why he would even believe she would think that, everything was a mess. Breaking away from her Richard looked deeply into those amber eyes and sighed, it was time to tell the truth and hope that it did not hurt her too badly.
“Erika we have not seen each other in months, we have not even bee friends for a year I…I care for more then anyone in, more then my parents, but I to love…” He dropt his head, he could not longer look into those eyes. “To love takes time, how can you say you love me and then not tell me anything about yourself. I am sorry…”
Richard looked up and waited, waited for her defence to kick in, for her to make him understand her side of the story. He wanted to understand, but the one thing he was sure of was that it was heart warming to know that someone loved you he was just disappointed that at this point in time he could not say the same back.
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Post by erikaanne on May 15, 2008 18:31:48 GMT
Erika sighed. Richard was right. How could he love her, if she would tell him nothing of herself? She nodded, "Very well Richard, I will tell you. But you must promise that you will utter not a word of what you are about to hear, to anyone. Especially not the Ministry." She gazed up at him, eyes hard with determination, "Do, I have your word?" she asked. She would not continue until he confirmed it...
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