[Lake] Almost an Angel

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn had actually bucked up some courage -- finally, nearly a week after he bought her present. Or maybe most of it was laziness -- and asked Ellie after class if she'd be out by the lake later so they could hang out and talk a bit. It was even an in-person meeting that he scheduled for once, and surely he deserved some credit for that. So now that it was after dinner, Bray was of course waiting by the lake and sitting in the bend of what was generally called Fay's tree with Ellie's present safely tucked away in his bookbag.

And what a troublesome present it was, it only made him realize how pathetic Bray could be. With the combined efforts of Bray and Dar one night, it took them an hour and a lot of wasted wrapping paper to try and wrap it, without success. In the end, Fay came in, probably because she heard their frustrated grunts and crinkling of paper, and wrapped up the chocolate for them in under five minutes. That was pretty embarrassing, but for now he'd just put it off as a girl talent and men were incapable of doing it.

Leaning back against the trunk of the tree, Bray sighed and looked back towards the castle hoping to spot Ellie soon so she wouldn't have to wonder around the grounds not thinking to look up for him.

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie's heart had skipped a beat as Bray had walked toward her after class. Granted it wasn't unusual for the two to throw smiles at one another and say how are you every day, but for the past week or so, Ellie had been quite shy around the boy she liked. After Fay had told her 'the news', she had been nervous. However, as she saw Bray deliberately walk over to her she held her breath.

"Sure." Ellie had responded to his question, her brain not able to give her anymore words to express herself. She was meeting Bray later by the lake. Ellie had to contain herself from skipping down the hall to dinner.

After a short dinner, eating very fast so she could run upstairs to the dorm and change out of her robes, she returned downstairs, jeans and light gray sweatshirt newly covering her body. After five minutes she had deemed her hair hopeless; the mess of waves not getting anywhere. She walked down through the Great Hall doors, spotting Fay who lipped something like "try the tree" to Ellie before she went out of sight.

Ellie walked slowly down to the lake, spotting the tree, Ellie realized what Fay had meant. She stopped and turned the other way, so Bray wouldn't see her. She could see him positioned so he would see her, if she had walked straight. She smiled as she crouched down behind a bush and around to the back of the tree. She quietly ran up to Bray, his back turned to her. She smiled and forced down a giggle as she placed her hands over his unsuspecting eyes in the same fashion he had greeted her in Hogsmeade. "Guess who?" She said with a smile, though, with his eyes covered, Bray couldn't see it.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn bit down lightly on his lower lip with a little frown. Surprisingly, he was nervous, which was actually a very uncommon emotion for him. Usually he just joked around and had fun, even with Ellie, but that was just when he was hanging around with her as friends. Surely this wouldn't hurt their friendship? He thought, second-guessing what he thought were feelings back for him.

Hearing a noise in the tree behind him, he just shrugged it off as what he thought would be the usual squirrel, or maybe something worse like a leprechaun. Hopefully not the latter. But he couldn't help but squeak in surprise when someone assaulted him behind with a gesture that he recognized quickly. Just like Ellie to sneak up on him, what was she a ninja now? "Oh dear, Esther van Haestregt?" He asked with a grin, trying to get her back for the little Professor Fagin snip he got last time.

Bray reached up and took El's hands off his eyes so he could see that it was actually her, not Fay trying to ruin this for him. Smiling when he mentally guessed right, he turned a bit on the tree and made room for her since apparently she was going to steal his side. "Oh darn. I guess I was wrong, wasn't I?" He said nervously trying to keep talking and stuck his tongue out at her. Of course, now he realized that he didn't know how to do this since he wasn't a little lad like his brother who could just hold up the chocolate with a cheeky grin and half-shout 'You want to go out with me?!'. No, that wouldn't do at all.

[Ellie Rook]

"Van Haestregt?!" Ellie said, sounding offended. He grabbed her hands and she smiled. "Do I really sound like an evil Ministry employee?" She asked, but then smiled again. "Oh, It was a good attempt. Why does Miss Ester normally come up behind you and grab you?" She said, with a smile, hoping he would realize he said just about the same thing when she had said he sounded like Fagin.

The sun was setting, and Ellie loved the pale pink color of the sky. She looked up at it, the faint stars were coming out for their nighttime party. She smiled and placed her bag next to Bray's. She sat down next to him, a little closer than she would normally have done, and returned the gesture with her tongue.

"So..." Ellie said, brushing the hair from her face behind her ear. She was dying to know why he had asked her here, but she thought it might be too soon. She wanted to spend time with him. She smiled at him and shifted her weight slightly. The shift let their legs touch ever so softly, and Ellie blushed and shifted again. "Nice night." She said. Oh boy. This was embarrassing. Her cheeks shone red in the dusk.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn grinned at Ellie. "Oh, yes. You strike fear into the hearts of everyone, with your irrational fear of animals and cute blushyness. Just like Esther." He teased and shook his head, but noticed the similarities between this and the conversation in Hogsmeade and decided to play along. "Yeah, me and Van Haestregt, we go way back. All the way to the sandbox." Of course, it was a complete on the spot lie and he would be mortified to be associated like that with the witch.

He laughed when she stuck his tongue back at him, and he wondered for a moment if he was still stuck back in the sandbox years. Maybe that wasn't a habit he should've kept with him, but he found that it worked a lot better than words and it spread like the plague to the people he hung out with. Daring to put his arm around her waist, he gave a little victory cheer to himself before trying to decide what he would say to her. But he'd be brave like a Gryffindor tonight, rather than the chicken he was. Or was he a cat? Now he was just confusing himself. Nodding a little at her random comment about the night, he smiled. "Yep." Going quiet for a few moments, he tried to organize his feelings into words and found it quite difficult.

"So..." He said, using the same anti-climatic greeting El did while trying to say something. "maybe I should just get this off my chest right off the bat?" He suggested, not really being specific about what 'it' could possibly be, but it could only be guessed that 'it' would be the main reason he wanted to meet her.

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie laughed. She could picture a small Bray in the sand box with Ester, who she couldn't picture as a small child. "Well, I am jealous!" She said, and blushed seconds afterwards, proving Bray's point he had made just a few seconds before.

Ellie smiled at Bray as she felt his arm at her waist. It was a nice feelings, like she was safe. Safe from what, she didn't know, but it was like whatever came over that hill wasn't going to be anymatch for Bray's arm around her waist?

Ellie nodded at the 'yup' Bray gave. She didn't know what to say. She played with the sleeve of her sweatshirt awkwardly. She hoped Bray would say something and after a few moments of awkward silence, he did.

"Whats wrong?" Ellie said, no emotion on her face, mostly because she didn't know where he was going. Thoughts ran threw her mind. He never wanted to see her again, he was going out with that girl, he liked her, he wanted to go out with her. Ellie didn't know what to think. All the reassurance Fay had given her was thrown out the window.

[Bradyn Reed]

[post bloooooooooooooooooock.. *implodes*]

Bradyn noticed the spacey look Ellie had on and frowned at her. "Now, now. I hope your not imagining that too vividly..." He said with a smile, although when he said it he had to block out all images of tiny Bray in the sandbox with the witch. Ugh, that would give him nightmares.

Hearing her go quiet after he did, he just smirked a bit though he still didn't really know how to say it without just blurting it out. That didn't seem like the best plan. "Oh, no. Nothing's wrong.. just something's on my mind, lately." Deciding to be straight forward rather than just beating around the bush, he removed his hand from her waist not wanting to seem too pushy.

"I don't know whether you've noticed or not.. but I like you, more than as just a friend, too. And I wondered if you'd like to hang out sometime, as more than friends?" He said, realizing that he sounded stupid. "You know, on a date."

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie snapped back to reality. "Oh, you know I had to go there. It was way to priceless." She laughed. "You were cute when you were little." She smirked and winked at him.

"Oh, good, I thought you were like dying or something." Ellie said with a small, awkward smile. He had obviously been thinking about it. Ellie had heard when boys start to think it could come out dangerously.

Ellie smiled in spite of herself. Fay's image had popped up in the back of her mind, and the conversation they had had earlier that week. Fay had told Ellie that Bray had liked her, more than a friend. However, Ellie wasn't supposed to let on that she knew, which wasn't hard because even though she trust Fay's judgment, she found it hard to believe that Bray could like her. Way to be totally emo Ellie.

Ellie held her breath as she felt Bray's hand move from her waist. She shrugged as Bray asked if she noticed his flirting. She smiled, but didn't breath. Her eyes lit up as he asked her if she wanted to go out sometime. She exhaled, Fay had been right. "But I thought...What about that other girl...the chocolate.." Ellie said, just making sure she knew what she was getting into.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn smirked at El, of course if he was in her situation he'd be imagining it too but somehow Fay would wriggle her way in and pour sand on Esther then beat her with the shovel. Gah, he was imagining now. "Well, of course I was, except the times when May put sand down my pants and made me cry." He was joking, of course, but there were a few times when she did that and not always to him.

Bray raised a brow at Ellie when she mentioned him dying and figured she was joking but it was a little unnerving. "Well, here I am thinking I looked pretty decent today, and someone says they think I'm dying with some interminable illness?" He smiled though and laughed a little at her, so she'd know he wasn't actually scolding her even if he was a bit insulted. But maybe that comment was meant to make him feel better about what he was going to say, because at least it was better than dying? No, he was just being a claw and reading too far into things.

He turned to focus on El's face and tried to gage her response, sub-consciously holding his breath the whole time. Hopefully she wouldn't be silent for three minutes, because then he'd be a goner and he'd never know her answer. How terrible. When she started to speak, Bray expected a yes or no but didn't get either. Instead he just grinned sheepishly at her. "Other girl? Chocolate? I don't know what your talking about." He said innocently, "I think you're imagining things again, Ellie, and you certainly wouldn't find any chocolate in my bag with your name on it." Sometimes he thought Fay was right about saying he had a sarcasm problem.

[Ellie Rook]

"Oh you poor boy." Ellie said sarcastically. For once she was glad she didn't have to deal with siblings. It was nice to be able to play in a sandbox with out the chance of getting sand down your pants. Ellie shifted uncomfortably thinking about the scratchy feeling.

Ellie smiled. She looked at him. "You look incredibly handsome!" She said with a smirk. He was always handsome, but Ellie wasn't going to go all the way with her comment. "I'm sure there are instances that guys look incredibly adorable right before they die..." Ellie said, squinting, not really making sense. She laughed. Before Bray could say anything she said: "Yeah, yeah, I'm a loon." She said with a smile.

Ellie smirked and looked at Bray sideways. "I don't believe you..." she said with a smile! "You tricked me! Fay was right!" Ellie laughed. See looked at the bag next to Bray and she reached out and grabbed it. She didn't opened it, but she looked at Bray with a confused smile.

She opened the bag and pulled out the wrapped chocolate. Her smiled was gigantic, making her look bright and happy. She flung her arms around Bray and gave him and huge hug, and then breaking away from the hug, she hit him multiple times on the arm.

"You..made...me..go...INSANE thinking you were with someone else." She said harshly, but then smiled. She sighed. "Boys..." She said with a smile, but blushing in spite of herself.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn just smiled and rolled his eyes at Ellie's sarcasm. He would say something about how much of pain she was, but in actuality she wasn't too bad and he'd be pretty lonely without her. Or, he'd be bored without her since she made things a lot more interesting.

Trying not to blush at her blunt compliment, Bray failed miserably and coughed a bit before looking away. "Why, thank you, Elinor." He said, knowing that he was pushing her buttons with that. "You're looking beautiful yourself." He finished and flashed a smile at her.

Grinning victoriously at El, his eyebrow raised a bit when she mentioned Fay. "Fay was right?" He asked curiously, wondering what Fay would tip Ellie off to. After all, being a veela she pretty much knew the whole situation without him even telling her. Stupid, unnatural talents.

Letting her steal his bag, since he knew she wouldn't just run off with it like most people. It's not like it had anything of value in it, just a few broken quills and the very nicely wrapped candy bar. Laughing a little at her reaction, he smirked and hugged her back quickly. "You're welc--ow, that sure makes me want to buy you gifts." He said, even though it didn't particularly hurt. He just had the habit of saying ow when something, or someone hit him.

"All the better to surprise you with?" He said, coming up with a lame excuse for his stupid actions. "but, out of curiosity, who was the 'other woman'?"

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie fake glared at him when he used her full name. She hated when anyone called her Ellinor. She even let out a groan when her grandparents did. "Don;'t call me Ellinor!" she said, folding her arms! "I hate my name!" She wasn't kidding. It wasn't her names that she hated it was the order the Ellinor Abigail Rook, the EAR. It was painful, and Ellinor was one step too close to her full name. "But thank you..."She said, remember the compliment given to her.

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell you..." Ellie said with a smirk, "but...she told me you liked me." Ellie said sheepishly. "But you didn't hear it from me." She said looking behind her, expecting Fay to pop out from behind a bush and wallop her on the head.

Ellie smiled and giggled. "Well, you lead me on...in the wrong direction!" she said, unwrapping the chocolate. She knew what was underneath the paper, she had picked it out, but she smiled none the less.

"Well, funny story actually..." Ellie said, telling Bray who she first thought it was. "You have said that she was on the quidditch team, and she liked trouble so I thought....Erys..." Ellie said, knowing it was complete garbage now. How could she ever think that Bray would stoop so low as to actually have a crush on Erys Grace. It was pathetic now that she thought about it, and she blushed in her embarrassment waiting for Bray's reply.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn smirked as she blew up at him for using her full name, even though he knew it irritated her. "I don't know why you don't like it. It could be worse.. like.. Eileen!" Okay, so that wasn't too bad of a name but when he thought of horrible names and people, his grandma tended to pop into his mind first. "Or Erys." He said bravely with a little smile. Not that she was that bad, if you knew how to deal with her. Or in his case, if you earned her respect by letting her beat you up then not being bitter over it.

Bray rolled his eyes at Ellie when she admitted that Fay, against his will, told her that he liked her. He wasn't really surprised for being so trustworthy to most people, Fay was amazingly bad at keeping secrets about him, but it still irritated him that he planned all of that for nothing. "Well, isn't that great. Then she must've told you I can't wrap presents while she was at it?" He asked, feeling a little embarrassed at the idea that Fay would spread that about him and Dar's incapabilities. They were boys, after all, what did she expect?

Laughing a bit, he shook his head. "It's not like that was my point, but it was rather fun.. for me. You looked so horrified and embarrassed, it was cute." Then he made a face as she admitted who his mystery woman was.

"Of all the girls, why her?!" He asked with a little incredulous gasp before he burst out laughing. "That'd just be.. wrong. It'd be like the prey loving the predator." It was rather sad how well they fit into this analogy, but he still wouldn't tell Ellie about Erys beating him in her animagus form. Shifting a little on the branch, he leaned back on his hand. "I wonder who your.. other man.. would be." Bray said, mostly thinking aloud in a way that he knew would embarrass her.

[ nonsense ]

[Ellie Rook]

"Eileen?" Ellie said, raising an eyebrow. "Way to pick the most random name ever!" Ellie smirked and ignored the mention of Erys, the evil, sand throwing...Breathe Ellie.... "Besides, Eileen isn't much better, still sounds like an grandma name, and its still an E-name!" Ellie sighed, and told Bray the most embarrassing thing about her. "My full name is Ellinor Abigail Rook. EAR." She grimaced. "My parents obviously hated me from the start because they named me EAR." Ellie smiled, and giggled a little. It was funny, but embarrassing at the same time.

Ellie smirked. "You didn't wrap this." She said with a smile. She pictured Bray trying to, and failing at, wrapping the candy bar. She burst out laughing. "I'm sorry..." She said, drying her eyes. "Its just, its a little unexpected, I'm allowed to go slightly mental."

"I'm glad you enjoy my pain." Ellie said, sarcastically. She folding her arms. "It was pain, I lost sleep over you!" Said said with a smile. She hadn't really, she just thought it sounded good.

"Well, I was sure it wasn't me!" Ellie said, explaining her thought process. "Quidditch lead me to the team, and trouble lead me to Erys. It was a perfectly logical thought process." she said, defending herself, with a smile. "I didn't know you knew her? Old cums?" She said, not serious.

Ellie looked shocked. Other man? Why on earth..no, how on earth could he think she had another man? Ellie opened her mouth to tell him off, but she was so dumb founded that Bray could think... that nothing came out.

[el garbagio.]

[Bradyn Reed]

At the reaction to Eileen he couldn't help but smirk and try his hardest not to burst out laughing. When Ellie mentioned that it sounded like a grandma name, he couldn't hold in his giggles anymore and ended up laughing hysterically for a few seconds before he caught his breath and calmed himself. "Eileen's my gran's name." He cut in before she mentioned her initials. EAR, that's interesting. Smiling, he shook his head. "They're not that bad. I wish mine spelled something... Bradyn Marshall Reed, BMR, that's lame. And there's a lot more embarrassing things it could spell..." He paused to try and think of three-letter words. "Like, ADD or.. FAT!" Oh, he had himself a case of A.D.D. since now he really wanted to meet someone with the initials F.A.T.

Laughing at himself, he just smiled. "Oh man, you caught me!" But whatever she was picturing was probably right since him and Dar ended up covered in tape and wrapping paper before Fay came in and wrapped it for them. She even said something about them throwing it at each other more than trying to wrap the candybar... not like that was true or anything, and if it was, he totally owned Darius.

"Well, obviously it wasn't beauty sleep that you lost."

Bray had to roll his eyes at her thought process and then turned to face her. "Hm, let's try this. Quidditch lead me to the team, and trouble lead me to... Ricky Daine. Gasp, he's the other man?" He ignored her question about knowing Erys since it wasn't really a story he liked to share with people and he was thankful that Erys didn't like to spread it herself. She must be letting him keep his pride for a while before she goes and tells that tale. Plus, it might be too scary for El since animals are already frightening to her.

At her surprised look, he couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay. There wasn't another man..." Then, just to be childish, he poked her in the side and whispered in her ear. "Just another lover, Ricky Daine!" Sometimes he could be such an arse.

"Oh, yeah, I don't think you answered my question!" He said with a little pout after retreating out of punching distance.