(Hogsmeade) A Day Out

[kieran]

Kieran walked down to Hogsmeade, it was early March so the weather was picking up quite nicely. He had agreed to meet Sophie down here today, after the two of them being so busy lately, what with Kieran's assistant duties and Sophies school work, neither seemed to have the time to spend together. Which was a downer on Kieran, he enjoyed spending time with her, she was one of his best mates afterall.

He walked down, through the crowds of people. Kieran had sent her a note telling her to meet him outside the old Taste of Ink shop, which the owner just seemed to vanish of the face of the earth. Kieran used to like that shop, it was the place he used to get his hair dye from since he was never too good with colour changing charms. Though since the shop closed he didnt have much of a choice but to keep trying.

After about ten minutes of waiting, Kieran began to think Sophie wasnt coming. He had a lot he wanted to tell her, and a lot he wanted to ask. It seemed like an age since he and Soph had seen eachother and he only hoped she had a few things and stories to tell him.

[Sophie Hargreaves]

Running along hurriedly, though even that was difficult due to the fact that her skirt impeeded movement a little, Sophie looked at her watch, gasping at just how dreadfully late she was. Plus she was unfit to boot, as her chest was heaving as she dodged passing traffic, on her way to a Taste of Ink to meet up with Kieran. Nearly knocked aside by an old bat weilding her huge handbag with deadly force, at a young rapscallion who'd knocked her elbow ever so slightly, Sophie barely ducked in time as she continued on at her helter skelter pace.

Nearing her destination she slowed her run, trying to regulate her panting breath, but she still ended up holding her stomach due to her stitch as she arrived next to her old friend. "Phew," she breathed, struggling to get her breath back. "Hiya," puffing like mad she wafted a hand in front of her face as if that would give her more air, or cool her down somewhat. "How're you?" She breathed, deciding giving him a big hug would stop her from having to chatter for a while, and might just give her long enough to get her breath back. So flinging her arms about him Sophie gave him a quick peck on the cheek in greeting.

[kieran]

Trying not to look to dismalled as people walked by and looked at him, he smiled at an elderly couple who gave him that apaologetic look, which to Kierans amazement he found himself highly confused about. The Taste of Ink had closed a long time ago, which Kieran was slightly upset about since he wanted another tattoo but he guessed it didnt matter, he'd get one at a muggle tattooist.

Kieran supposed Sophie must be busy and thats why she hadnt turned up. Or maybe she had forgotten about the meeting, he didnt know and he wasnt about to go and find out either. He looked to his side when someone came darting beside him, his eyes went wide with amusement when he saw it was Sophie, and he saw how out of breath she was. "Hi" Kieran answered with a smile on his face. "Im fine, certainly better than you right now anyway. Did you run here or something?" He smiled when she threw her arms around him, nobodys hugs were better than Sophie's though found himself blushing when she gave him a slight peck. "Uh, thanks" he laughed. It was nice to see she hadnt changed much at all, he also found himself hoping her love for long talks hadnt gone either. "So, how've been holding up?"

[Sophie Hargreaves]

Breaking the hug after a few precious seconds of recovering her breath Sophie, stepped back a broad smile filling her face, even showing her small dimple that she remembered Elijah had always made such fun of. "Yeh I ran," she laughed letting her tongue loll out to exaggerate how out of breath she was, she even went to the extent of panting like a dog, knowing it touched Kieran's sort of humour.

"Aren't you always better than me? Better looking at least." She teased giving Kieran a prod as her breathing finally regulated, "ah that's better," but then she knew she was likely to lose her breath again when she started chattering, of course she'd carry on regardless.

"Well you'll never guess what happened, cause somebody switched off my alarm because they wanted to sleep in. Course they never told me that so I just carried on blissfully sleeping, no not snoring," she hastened to add, "until finally I do just wake up, course I threw some water over her like she richly deserved, no need to say that she wasn't best pleased at such a cold shower. Course I was already late then. I'd planned a god hour to get myself ready, ok two just cause it's you, but I only had half of one. So I only had time for a shower, course I look awful now but at least I'm here at that's the main thing." Smiling Sophie linked arms with Kieran asking, "so where're we off to? Someplace nice I take it? How's about a restaurant, you're the big earner so you could treat us?" She didn't want to push him, bit it would make a very nice change.

"But yeh I'm doing fine generally." Smoothing her skirts Sophie skirmed her toes in her shoes, they really weren't the best fitting, plus she'd worn them yesterday, and they didn't go well with her outfit, but they were the ones that had been out, she'd just grabbed the nearest things. Her russet coloured jumper really didn't show of her figure, and far worse it as good as clashed with her black knee-length skirt. But she didn't look too bad, and besides it was the company that mattered, not how she looked, it wasn't as if Kieran would let her just hook-up with some random hot guy anyway.

[kieran]

Kieran smiled when he saw the huge grin that littered her face, "You should definatly smile more often." His hands were on her arms after the hug, laughing he spoke again, "Believe it or not i guessed you ran, didnt know you wanted to see me so bad." Looking at her with a raised eyebrow when she began to pant like a dog, Sophie always knew just what to do to get Kieran laughing, and of course, he was laughing uncontrollably.

"Of course i am! I'm better than god himself" Giving a cheesy toothy grin as he looked at her, "Im only kidding, you know that i think you are way better than i am," Kieran waited for her to begin her story of the days events and laughed when she had finished.

"So the nasty alarm clock resetter strikes again" Kieran chimed. He knew the drill, people in Sophie's dorm always liked to reset other peoples alarm clocks just so it wouldnt wake them up, he remembered as he used to be in her house too, this was, of course, before he graduated and became an assistant professor. "Well would you like to wake up one morning with ice cold water shoved over you?" He smiled when she said she had planned two hours to get ready for him, of course he knew she was probably only saying that as a joke, but it made him smile none the less. "Of course it is, your here, im here, so lets do something" at the mention of a restraunt, he began to think, "What about that new place? Whats it called? The Majestic Bird is it? My treat"

"Well im glad your okay" he said looking at her, "Its been a while since i last saw you and in all honesty, ive missed you" he gave her another hug before letting her arm slip through his as he started to walk into the direction of the restraunt. He didnt comment on her appearance for his own wasnt much better. He just had jeans on, a vest top and a black jacket over it. His hair still the same messy rugged look, but Kieran liked it like that.

[Sophie Hargreaves]

Eyebrows rising sophie turned to Kieran with a look of mock outrage, putting her hands upon her hips, and standing in a stance that clearly showed she meant business. "I do smile, lots actually...maybe you need to give me more reason to smile?" She laughed only meaning it as a light joke. "I'm so not way better than you though, but I hope you appreciate me running all this way. It's given me plenty of exercise I can tell you."

Laughing at how Kieran so easily made it seem light, she smiled, "yeh those damned, ahem," she coughed exaggeratedly, "I mean delightful alarm clock resetters, but I do love them really, when they're not waking me early or letting me lie in dead late. I like it in between you see."

"They have done it to me you know, I didn't come up with the idea actually, they've thrown water on me..." counting on her fingers with a look of concentration she tallied up, "seven times I think." It was usually fun and games, and being frozen in the morning wasn't bad as she could just shower there and then. It was when her bed was soaked through at night when she got a little peeved. But she could forgive her friends easily enough.

"Ooh the Majestic Bird is supposed to be really nice, very good food I've been told, and pretty cheap still. Definitely." She smiled happily hugging Kieran's arm. "I mean if it's your treat too, how could I resist, plus your more than pleasant company."

"Don't go soft on me Kieran, I bet you've been really busy doing, whatever it is an assistant teacher actually does." She jested teasingly; she knew he worked hard really. "But yeh I have missed you really." Embracing him affectionately Sophie quickly linked arms, eager to get to the Majestic Bird so she could continue rabbiting on at him, for now she wanted him to chatter, partly so she didn't lose her breath again, but mostly because she wanted to hear what he'd been up to.

"So have you completely settled into being an assisstant teacher then?" She asked interestedly, "students aren't mean to you are they?" She was frankly concerned for her friend, he didn't like people not liking him, he'd always been pretty popular, that was for sure, she did wonder how he was coping.

[kieran]

He couldnt help a smile when he saw her mock outrage. "Maybe I will give you more reasons to smile," Kieran looked at her and gave her one of his winks. He always liked the banter between Sophie and himself, "I appreciate everything you do for me darling."

"Yeah I do vaguley remember how those clock resetters once were," frowning in thought "If i recall I was once one myself, though it was usually only to people who had annoyed me, though I never threw water over them"

Kieran listened as she told him how she had water thrown on her too, so it wasnt an original idea, "Oh come on Sophie, you could have come up with something tons better than ice cold water on someone." Which was true, Kieran knew Sophie wasnt stupid, "What about all those pranks you used to pull on people back when you were a second year and i was in the sixth?" he asked her with a smile, "Yeah, you thought I never noticed you and your little tricks didnt you"

"Speaking from experiance?" he asked intruiged, "So which fella brought you here? And he better be good enough for my Sophie or he's going to look like an oversized bat" he laughed, he couldnt help it, no guy in Kieran's mind was good enough for her. "Of course its my treat. More than pleasant? Do tell" he laughed.

"Yeah I have been busy but it doesnt mean I cant miss my friends does it?" he asked, "and besides, I flirt better with you around for some reason" Kieran just let the jab about him slacking off go, he knew she was only joking with him. Kieran hugged her back and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, "Well were here together now so lets make the best of it"

"Ive settled as much as I could" He told her, "But I miss being a student." He shook his head, no students were mean to him, probably because he hadnt changed at all in anything he did, he was still the same Kieran he always was. Maybe it was time for him to grow up? Kieran was always a popular lad in Gryffindor, but just because he had left didnt mean he had to be unpopular now did it? Kieran liked to be liked.