Hard at Work (Jed)

[CASSIDY CLAWFORD]

Cassidy was surrounded by books and she pursed her lips thoughtfully as she scanned the old leather-bound book that was open in front of her. She had chosen a desk in a corner of the library, away from the other students, to get stuck into her first History of Magic essay (it wasn't due for some weeks but Cass liked to be a step ahead). History of Magic was by far Cass's favourite and strongest subject (much to the surprise of other students, almost all seemed to despise it) and she took great pleasure in learning about times past, in memorising dates, in understanding who did what, where, when and why. And the library, well, it was something of a sanctuary to Cassidy - a place of peace and learning, even in these turbulent and uncertain times. The smell of the books and wood polish soothed Cassidy, focused her mind and made her recall how, at her sorting, the Sorting Hat had said that she would find her place either in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff had been Cassidy's calling because, ultimately, she knew that she would die for her loved ones but would never sacrifice friendship for knowledge. That and the fact she doubted that she would ever be a great or famous witch - certainly she had no desire for such notoriety. All Cassidy dreamed of was teaching, passing on knowledge to the next generation, and making the History of Magic a more palatable and interesting subject (although Cass did not like to say it, Professor Binns did nothing to make the subject as fun and intriguing as it had the potential to be).

A paragraph in the open book caught Cassidy's eye, it would be an excellent point in her essay. She placed a finger on the open book, marking out the relevant sentence, and scribbled a note, in her neat cursive writing, onto the parchment using her goose feather quill:

During the Renaissance Muggles came to rely more on science – this signified a widening of the breach between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds

Sitting for so long was making Cass stiff and sleepy, she had been in the library for some time now and had gathered an impressive collection of arguments and points to reference in her essay. Cassidy set down her quill to take a moment's rest and stretched, throwing her arms above her and arching her back, giving a contented sigh as she did so.

[JEDEDIAH CHAMBERS]

If you asked a Ravenclaw what their favourite place in the whole of Hogwarts was, they would most likely answer: the library of course! A room full of knowledge, acquired and accumulated over centuries of studies and magical science. The sheer air breathed erudition and sophistication between the dusty shelves and thousands of volumes – indeed heaven on earth for every eager mind. Well, Jedediah Chamber’s mind was equally eager, but main prowess didn’t lie in the field of learning from books, but taking whatever inkling he could find in a book to test it out in a practical approach. As such, books themselves couldn’t hold Jed’s attention for long. He just liked that the library was a place where everyone had the same goal: Finding out new things, and memorizing them. It was, above all, a place where curiosity could take up a living form.

Needless to say, the percentage of Ravenclaw using this room as a study and quiet common room weighed out the percentage of the other three houses by far. Especially Hufflepuffs, he had learned, preferred environments where they didn’t have to be silent in order to not disturb other students. And could you ever see a Hufflepuff alone?! The jokes about Hufflepuffs going everywhere in heaps weren’t coursing through the school for nothing, and they probably had been for centuries. Jed’s personal favourite would always be: “A Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff were both put to solitary detention, and were allowed to bring one item with them. What would they bring? The Ravenclaw would bring a book to pass the time usefully – and the Hufflepuff would bring a mirror, so he could at least be talking to SOMEONE and not feel quite so alone.”

Mean, huh? Well, maybe a little. Every school needed their idiot people, whether it was true or not. The forming of a group and the INcluding of one always resulted in the EXcluding of others by certain criteria. It was how the world worked. There were wizards and there were muggles, there were smarties and there were idiots, even though they were equally devided on both species in his opinion. Only because the world seemed to work best in dual systems, the so called ‘purebloods’ had had to invent the form they called ‘mudbloods’, to raise themselves higher and make themselves special. An idiotic move, if you couldn’t distinguish yourself by your own achievements, and had to rely on something you were born with. But then, there was probably no plague and no cure in the world that would ever be able to bring idiocy to distinction. The chances of that were minimal indeed!

Speaking of minimal chances... as Jed led his gaze wander lazily over the library, his eyes caught on a rare sight indeed, one that worked against almost every cliché and caused him to be intrigued to the max: A Hufflepuff in the library... studying... on her OWN?! He contemplated getting up and approach her for just that... and the fact she was rather pretty also contributed to his decision. Ah, his thoughts were wandering anyway, he could use a little distraction. Sauntering over, he leaned against her table, feigning a surprised expression and asking with a hushed voice: “Did I miss the early carnival memo, or why is a Hufflepuff immersed into her studies here? Though I gotta say... intelligence is attractive!”

[CASSIDY CLAWFORD]

(OOC: Haha, the Hufflepuff joke made me laugh out loud!)

Cassidy was making fantastic progress with her essay preparation, at this rate she would have the majority of her research finished this very day. This thought cheered her and motivated her to keep going. Although she loved to study she also loved the satisfaction of knowing her work was done. Cass was so absorbed in her work that she did not hear the approaching footsteps and when the smooth male voice rang out it startled her. Her eyes flashed up from her parchment in surprise, taking in first the strong hands, the muscular physique, the blue robes and then, finally, her sea-green eyes met the grey-green eyes of the Ravenclaw. A remarkably handsome Ravenclaw.

Cassidy, always rather shy when it came to eyes contact, immediately looked away. His eyes were bright, intelligent, piercing - the sort of eyes that Cass imagined could see into a person, weigh them and measure them in a matter of moments. And it intimidated her. Cass looked briefly looked at his Ravenclaw badge before bringing her eyes back to his face, deciding instead to focus on his mouth (and even that was distracting). She recognised him, he was on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and had a reputation of being something of a ladies' man. Hardly surprising. Now that Cass had had a close look she could see what had so many girls practically dying at his feet. Truth be told, he rather reminded Cass of a Greek god. Apollo perhaps. No, not Apollo. Adonis. Cassidy swallowed and a faint colour rose in her cheeks, she was grateful the Ravenclaw wasn't looking her directly in the eyes when that thought crossed her mind!

Part of Cassidy briefly, insensibly, thought for a moment that he must be speaking to someone else (didn't he say something about attractive?) but that wasn't possible. He was leaning against her desk, looking straight at her. Cass realised a moment or two had passed and she still hadn't said anything. But what to say?

“Um...” Cass faltered in her gentle voice, offering a small, shy smile, “I guess most of my brethern prefer the common room the the library. But, personally, I like the quiet. And the books.” Cass gave a small shrug, gesturing to their surroundings.

And the books?! Cassidy chastised herself mentally, That's the best you could come up with?? And where are your manners?

Faltering slightly, Cass set down her quill and offered a delicate hand, the chipped lilac nail varnish speaking of nerves and anxiety rather than neglect.

“Your name is Jed, right? I've seen you play Quidditch. You're good.” Cass smiled again, this time more widely, with some of the tension leaving her face, “My name is Cassidy. Cassidy Clawford. But everyone just calls me Cass.”

[JEDEDIAH CHAMBERS]

Jed was very well aware he was violating the sacred law of quietude in the library by speaking up, even in a hushed tone, but it was not like he would care. This girl was worth it for the moment, and whoever dared to challenge him to hold his tongue would soon learn better of it. He might not be as mean as a Slytherin in randomly dealing out punishment, but he liked to think he had the authority of a young man not easily crossed. If he practiced his wandless and addtionally non-verbal magic on them (though the combination of both still made him feel like his brain would fry any second, and that was NOT a pleasant feeling!) they would not know it had been him anyway, until it was too late. An appealing thought… but it would only distract him from his momentary target.

Things were starting out rather smoothly already. He had taken her by surprise, and she was blushing the tiniest bit – so apparently he had made a perfect first impression. Good, very good. There was nothing more pleasing than to see a girl blush at his mere sight. He had called her attractive as well, at least in a roundabout way, and now she was looking up, he was glad his first notion had not been wrong. There was nothing worse for a reputation than calling a girl attractive that was not. He might be accused of siding with the poor lot, and then where would his good fame go?! And she liked books? Now that was surprising coming from a Hufflepuff indeed, but it made sense with her even being here alone. He might have made a lucky leap and stumbled upon the only smart Hufflepuff in a hundred mile radius. One who wasn’t just spilling her loud mouth and yet could not perform a single charm without an ambulance to be called, like this impossible Caitria girl.

“I’m glad to hear you like books”, he replied with a smooth smile. “A pretty head filled with smart thoughts, that’s rare in this castle.” Yeah, compliments never went amiss, right? She might not be the most elegant talker right now, but Jed was pretty used to girls losing their wits around him, no matter how smart they were otherwise. Seriously, there were girls going completely silent, opening and closing their mouth like a fish when he so much as winked at them. He couldn’t blame them of course, but to have someone really being able to talk back was a nice change.
“Your name is Jed, right? I've seen you play Quidditch. You're good.”
Oh, a fan! Now really, today was his lucky day! “Oh, you’ve seen me then?”, he asked with a smirk. “I am sorry I had to wipe your team off the pitch last year. But… there’s only one winning team, right?” So not sorry of course. But it always sounded better to be a little modest, while he in fact wasn’t. Why hide what you were good at after all? False modesty would get you nowhere else than in a girl’s… good graces. In other aspects in life, it was completely out of place.

”Cassidy…” he repeated her name slowly, as if he was tasting sweet candy on his tongue. “That’s quite a beautiful name. But I shall call you Cass, too.” Someone else might have added that a beautiful name suited a beautiful girl, but while he was flirty, he would never stoop so low as being sappy. Too much interest being shown only made the girls think they had something on him. Which they had not, of course!
”What are you studying then, Cass? Mind to tell me?”

[CASSIDY CLAWFORD]

Cassidy squirmed in her seat under Jed's gaze. As silly as it might sound, she couldn't quite comprehend how he had even noticed her. After all, Cass spent a great deal of her time all but invisible (except to her dear friends of course) and went about her day-to-day business quietly, she didn't like to draw attention to herself. Talking to new people often made her nervous and when the new person, whether male or female, was particularly good-looking (and Jed certainly fell into this category!) her discomfort multiplied tenfold. It also didn't help that her name sounded especially pretty coming from his lips.

“Oh yes, I remember that game,” Cass's eyes clouded slightly at the recollection. It had been stormy and wet, terrible weather to fly in. Tristan has been so excited and determined that they would win. He had come off the pitch, soaked to the skin, cradling his injured shoulder. Crestfallen was not a strong enough word, and yet he had gracefully conceded that the Ravenclaw victory was well-deserved “Fortunately we Hufflepuffs are renowned for our good sportmanship.” It's true, Cassidy thought to herself, We often make very gracious losers.

When Jed asked about her work, Cassidy visibly brightened. Her green eyes flashed with excitement and locked onto Jed's own, her inhibitions shed for the time being. If there was one thing that Cass took comfort and confidence from, it was her studies - especially when it related to the History of Magic. Even without the Ravenclaw uniform it was clear that this boy had brains, it could be seen in his bright, intelligent eyes from which Cass had shied only moments before. Cass could occasionally be protective of her work but today she was just delighted to find someone who seemed genuinely interested.

“Of course,” Cass exclaimed happily as she turned her research notes around for Jed to see, “I'm working on an essay for History of Magic outlining the development of Muggle-Wizard relations, an area I must confess I am rather interested in. You wouldn't believe some of the obscure but incredibly useful volumes I've found in the library.” Cass smiled brightly before continuing, “If this essay comes together as well as I think it will, there might actually be a chance I could get it published. Can you imagine? Honestly, nobody ever seems to apply themselves to this subject... if Professor Binns weren't already dead, I'd fear my essay might give him a heart attack.”

Cassidy held Jed's gaze for a few moments, then seemed to catch herself and, as quick as a bird, her eyes left his and she lowered her head, her hair hiding her face a little. She was embarrassed by her obvious passion, it suddenly made her feel rather exposed.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Cass flushed apologetically, “I... I sometimes talk too much when I'm excited. And I love this subject... passionately.” Here Cass gave a little shrug but, before she could contain herself, she found herself ploughing on a little more, “It's just that not all subjects come naturally to me, with some I have to work hard to be bright, but with History of Magic... it's just natural.” Slowly, she looked at Jed again and gave a small, uncertain smile, “I don't suppose you have that problem.”

This had to be the most she had ever said in one go. Well, maybe not when in discussions with her parents, Tristan, Cait or Conor but certainly with someone she didn't really know.

[JEDEDIAH CHAMBERS]

Cassidy was very right about the true sportsmanship of Hufflepuffs. They truly were no sore losers, which made it a pleasure winning against them repeatedly, of course. Jed had no time for endless prattle about this fault and this false referee decision, it was no question that if Ravenclaw won, they of course won and those who could not accept that were clearly wrong. Not so with Hufflepuffs. Jed sometimes even wondered if they would graciously hand over a clear victory, if you just found a minor flaw in their system. If you could provoke them into making a mistake and then calling on it… but that was more the Slytherin way of course. Just that they were not smart enough to think of it themselves. Jed be damned if he helped them along in their strive to take over the whole school anyway, he’d just sit tight and wait for a good opportunity for his Ravenclaws to strike.

”That’s right”, he nodded with a charming smile. “Do you remember that game three years ago when Harry Potter fell off his broom because Dementors attacked the pitch? Cedric Diggory had caught the Snitch seconds before that, but he wanted the game to be repeated.” Damn lucky however it had not been repeated, or else the Cup hadn’t been as wonderfully fascinating as it had been that year. Too bad Ravenclaw had been beaten by Slytherin by litterally a hair’s breadth, or else they could have finally won the Quidditch Cup again. It hadn’t happened in Jed’s time yet, but that surely wasn’t his fault, as good a score as he put down in almost every game. The girls loved him for it, and that was a good thing as well, wasn’t it? He might not be playing Quidditch all for the glory it got you, but it was surely a huge part of it.

Oh, now he apparently had found the trigger to make her talk! Jed allowed himself a pleased smirk, and tried to keep his attention on what she was saying. He didn’t exactly have a short attention span, but he seldomly gave people enough credit to be truly interested in what they had to tell him. But Muggle-Wizard relations was something he could at least relate to, being a halfblood himself. There was nothing more desastrous for a conversation with a certain purpose – and whoever knew Jed knew he had ALWAYS a certain purpose for talking with people – than being thoroughly bored by what the counterpart had to say, because it was so way beyond him. So she even dreamt about publishing it? Quite ambitious, unusual for a Hufflepuff, but refreshingly so.
”I must confess, it would not be my strong subject, either”, he said. It was true, usually he used the History of Magic lessons to catch up on well needed sleep. “But this really sounds interesting. I myself LIVE Muggle-Wizard relations, since my father is a muggle banker. Maybe no one invests himself too much into such studies, since it’s ‘normal reality’ for most of us?”

She reined herself in from too much talking, and Jed entered that on the growing credit side he had with her. Hufflepuffs might be notorious prattlers in general, but the least ever even noticed that. Recognising one’s shortcomings was the first step to improvement they said – not that Jed had them, but he found it most fitting for many in his surroundings.
”Don’t worry, my ear is not glowing yet”, he quipped smoothly, then leaned in so he could lower his voice, as if he didn’t want to annoy his surroundings any more. In truth he just wanted to play more on the proximity card. He loved that one. “I do understand what you mean though. It’s the same for me with Charms. My best subject by far, it’s almost as if I can’t even see why there ever should be those problems others have with it. They’re simply not existant for me.” See? He could be a nice guy, if he wanted. It all depended on what was there to gain from it. Nothing gives you nothing after all!

[CASSIDY CLAWFORD]

Cass nodded when Jed mentioned that notorious match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. She remembered the match clearly and recalled with a shudder the horrible chill of the Dementors (they made her skin crawl), Harry Potter's fall and, in a polar opposite, the warmth and excitement that followed the Hufflepuff victory. Her thoughts briefly turned to Cedric. Poor, kind, honourable, decent Cedric - his loss was still raw for most Hufflepuffs it seemed.

When Jed told her about his passion for Charms, Cassidy smiled with delight, feeling as though they had shared some sort of secret. It was was rather enjoyable to have someone to discuss school work with. Of course Cass could, and did, chat about these things with Cait and Tristan but, unless it was Care of Magical Creatures class, it was difficult to truly pique their interest.

“I'm glad I'm not alone, though I must admit Charms isn't one of my strengths,” Cass confessed with a shy smile, noticing that when Jed lowered his voice it took on an attractive huskiness. Huh, there was that word again – attractive. It shouldn't come as a surprise though, Jed was well-known around the school for his good looks, his charm and for, well, his general attractiveness, “You know, I think you must be right. Perhaps it's because I have been denied that experience that I find Muggle-Wizard relations so intriguing.”

Cass had no desire to discuss her family background, though it was nice that Jed had been open about his. A Muggle banker, eh? Jed must be from money, Cass pondered, before quickly chastising herself for drawing such a quick conclusion. After all, how many people would assume her family had money to burn when they heard she was pureblood, descended from landed gentry and lived in a grand old country house? They had no way of knowing that her parents worked hard and that, during the winter, the only truly warm room in the house would be the kitchen-dining room. In any case, there was something unbearably self-loving about those who brought up their pureblood status and described in detail their lavish lifestyles (this seemed a particularly Slytherin trait). Cass didn't think she was capable of boasting but avoided discussing her family lest what she said be misconstrued as bragging.

It was at this moment that it suddenly dawned on Cass just how close Jed was now that he had leaned towards her. She could smell his aftershave... shower gel? Whatever product it was, it smelt divine. The faint blush that had faded when she had begun talking about her work crept slowly back, but Cass didn't pull away from him – that would be rude. Instead she traced a finger absent-mindedly along her cheekbone, a nervous habit of hers, psyching herself up to look him in the eyes again. Honestly, this boy positively oozed self-confidence - his expression, his voice and his body language all screamed it. Cass, on the other hand, could find social situations so difficult sometimes. Finally, she dragged her eyes back to Jed's again, trying to find her voice. What was there to be scared of? Jed seemed like a really nice guy.

“What is it you hope to do after you leave school?” Cass asked, genuinely interested, as she nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, “Clearly you could make Quidditch your career, but I would bet my last Galleon that you have ambitions beyond professional sport.”

[JEDEDIAH CHAMBERS]

Jed of course liked to be told he was right, and especially from a girl such as her who obviously was equipped with enough brains to deem something right or wrong. Not that his ego needed any more polishing as it already was getting, but he would not protest about it anyway. So, he was right and she was interested in muggles because she was a pureblood. He did not care much about blood purity, being a halfblood himself with a muggle father who was belonging to a different religion than most in England anyway. He certainly knew about being a minority – and cultivate it as something special. The girls wanted special, they were always out for the thrill. Not that he would want to BE special just for the girls’ sake, that’d be the day he allowed someone to dictate his action, but it was certainly a plus.

When he thought about his own connections with muggles, he had to admit that ever since he attended Hogwarts, he simply thought himself in a different league than those he had gone to elementary school with. Not only because he could use magic and they could not, but because he just was way more brilliant than most of them. His father had once wanted for him to become a rabbi, a high-ranking jewish scholar, but Jed could not think of anything less appealing and unlike him than this career choice. He also did not want to become a member of his father’s bank empire, he knew that he would die of boredom. His mind needed new stimulations every day, new creative ideas, something to feed your mind on. And also… he needed the beat coursing through his body like blood, he needed a guitar in his hands, he needed to stay right how he was now: The mysterious, sexy bad rocker boy with the brilliant brain. A winner, yes a winner. Call him extremely self-centered, but they were all just jealous.

Funny that the girl, Cassidy, suddenly came up with a similar question, just as if she knew his mind. Of course she could not, at least he hoped so, since that would also tell her that he right now was thinking rather… interesting things about how he’d rather be the one tracing his finger over her cheekbone and not her, down to her jawline, her neck and further… further. Maybe that would make her blush even more? She might gasp, at loss for breath and composure, but she would like it… oh he was sure of that. A downright feline smirk worked itself over his face as he once again took in a deep breath of her sweet odour – what had she been saying again? Oh, of course, his future. He needed to stop thinking about a possible NEARBY future… involving her. Curious that she, while not even trying, had such a distracting effect on him.

“How very right you are about my high ambitions”, he agreed, smiling lazily. “But truth is, I can’t really decide yet. I’d love to do more experiments with charms for sure, maybe invent a few trademark ones that one day might be taught here at Hogwarts, but… I won’t ever take my hands off my guitar either. I love rocking too much.”
Cassidy seemed quite nice indeed, but then, he was not interesting in too much … talking with girls. He wondered, if there was a way he could get any closer to her, apart from casually talking with her in the library. It surely would be a fun experiment. And then, it occurred to him: She had talked about Charms being a weak spot. “You know…” he began, his voice still low, eyes flashing invitingly, but also a little lazily. Never seem too interested. “If you have any problems with Charms… I could always offer some… assistance.” Oh he could invision that very well, them both in a lonesome classroom… the possibilities were endless!

[CASSIDY CLAWFORD]

Cassidy had no clue as to the devilish thoughts that were running through Jed's mind and didn't even realise that Jed wasn't exactly focusing on what she was saying. In fact, she believed the very opposite was true. Maybe it was years of practice on his part but to Cass it seemed that Jed was really listening to her and engaging with her ideas and questions. It was refreshing to say the least and Cass found herself really warming to this Ravenclaw boy. It was strange how some people would say Jed's name with a certain amount of disapproval or reproach, how could he have possibly come to deserve that? Was he a victim of envy? Of course, that was excluding the crowds of girls who would whisper Jed's name in a dreamy, starstruck sort of way. In any case, Cass wasn't one to judge someone on hearsay or by other people's opinions of them. What Cass thought of a person came from how they treated her and, right now, Jed was being a gentleman and so she believed him to be one.

Cass was bowled over by Jed's sheer ambition. Of course, she had been expecting that he would have the determination to tackle a challenging career path, but the idea of trademarking his own charms boggled Cass's mind – and this showed itself on her awestruck face. In fact, she couldn't think of how to respond to that on the spot, and was for the moment completely lost for words. Probably a good thing too, Cass thought to herself, After all, I've fairly nattered on at him in the past few minutes. Besides, it would be nice to hear more about him. Between playing the guitar and having the skills to experiment with magic, it seemed that Jed was a creative sort as well as logical.

At the offer of Charms tuition, Cass was again left momentarily gobsmacked (had she heard him correctly?) but this time she recovered quickly and brightened exponentially - she was not so proud as to refuse assistance, even if it was coming from someone younger than herself. “Oh, really? You would do that?” Cass exclaimed, a delighted and almost disbelieving smile appearing on her face. Had Jed been someone she considered a friend, someone she was comfortable with, he would have found himself enveloped in a hug just now. As he was not, Cassidy, without even realising she was doing it, instead placed the fingertips of one of her delicate hands to her chest, just over her heart. It was a clear an indication of how touched she was by the offer.

“When it comes to one-on-one tuition, I'm afraid I'm not used to playing the part of the student,” Cass confessed, suddenly looking a little anxious. She did not say this in an effort to brag but out of plain honesty, self-doubt was beginning to prickle at her heart. What if she drove him to frustration? What if she made him regret ever even making this offer? Or made him feel like he was wasting his time? Or worse still, what if tutoring her made him feel like he was banging his head off a brick wall?

Cass didn't even consider the possibility that there could be a flirtatious undertone to Jed's offer of help - she took it for granted that a boy like Jed (or any boy, really) would never be interested in her. Besides, Cass was off men for the foreseeable future, she simply had too many issues to work through - like the nightmares and the fear of being touched when she didn't initiate it. Jed was just being thoughtful, genuinely kind. The world could do with more people like that. Suddenly Cass smiled a nervous but endearingly open smile, “But I promise to be the best student I can be. You just tell me where and when you want me and I'll be there... if you're sure you don't mind, that is.” Cass didn't realise the connotation of her own words, she was just trying to be flexible to his schedule - it was the least she could do. Secretly, though, she hoped he wouldn't suggest they meet in the evening, close to curfew. Cass would be loath to get caught out and about the castle after hours, but if he suggested it she couldn't exactly say no. It was best to just let Jed lead and be grateful for the assistance he was offering her - maybe she would finally achieve an Outstanding in Charms!

Although Cass was a year older than Jed she could be terribly naïve at times and too ready to see the best in people. Smiling at Jed now, all she could think was that she understood now why the girls about school said Jed's name so dreamily. It wasn't just about his looks, it was because the boy was a total gem – handsome, smart and his heart was in the right place.

[JEDEDIAH CHAMBERS]

Oh she was so wonderfully guileless! The guileless were fun to play with, since they were so wonderfully trusting. Did she really not see anything behind his offer to give her ‘private lessons’? It did seem so by the excitement with which she accepted the offer, excitement only, not even a hint of coyness or calculation. Ah, sweet innocence! Just like innocence seemed deadly attracted to shady characters and mystery, mystery and bad boys in return liked the innocence to play with. There was a special lure in guileless people, in those who did put their trust where there could be no trust held. It was a play with fire, the constant walk on the line between testing the innocence, exploiting it… and perhaps destroying it. That could happen of course, it was in the risk of the game. But would that stop him? Hmm… probably not. The knowledge of danger did not stop those pining after him, right? The closer you got to fire, the more you might be in danger of burning, but still everyone huddled around it, fascinated by the flickering flames…

“Of course, why not?” he replied smoothly and feigned innocently. Just as if there was nothing to it, nothing at all. Granted, he did not plan to do unspeakable things to the girl, he was not a swine! He just wanted to… exploit a few possibilities. “If you don’t mind being tutored by some sixth year that is”, he added with a sly wink. “But I don’t take you for a girl with that kind of attitude. You have more class than that.” Yes, indeed, a complicated here and there would not go amiss, as long as he didn’t turn into a bootlicker. Girls might like the attention, but they looked down on those trying too hard to be nice.

She was not used to the part of student? That sounded hilarious probably only to his ears, since he had a bit of a different kind of ‘studying’ in mind. And he knew that he could teach her well,oh he could teach her so much! “Oh that won’t be a problem I think”, he replied with a smile. “I can show you how it’s done… and sometimes it’s quite interesting to be the one learning for a change, if it’s not done by a teacher in a class. And if you don’t like my… teaching style, well then you can always protest, and we find a compromise.” Ah, the hilarity of ambiguous wording that was only ambigouos to yourself! He just had to be careful not to get too obvious to soon, or else she might step down from the offer.

But it got more difficult with every word she said. ‘When and where you want me’… that was enough to make him bite the inside of his cheek not to break into a fit of laughter. Let’s see… when and where would he ‘want’ her… somewhere secluded of course, where not everyone would randomly burst through the door and interrupt. And when... oh he would think of a good time, but please soon enough. He was really getting naughty thoughts now, but he enjoyed himself far too much. It would be interesting, this little game. How far could he get her with subtle advances? What would it take for her to get to a breaking point, where she just would not be able to resist him? Every girl was a piece of art to be studied, each in its very own design and with specialties that had to be interpreted. But he was sure he would get this one. “What about the weekend somewhen? That way, we won’t collide with any classes. Sundays are often reserved for games, but what about Saturday, in the afternoon?” Late afternoon… when it soon would get dark… ah, his mind was definitely too much into this already.