Contemplation {Lizzie}

[Blair Snape]

Hanging on to her every last word as each slipped through her perfect lips, Blair wondered whether he had been too eager to please her. It felt almost like he'd spoken far too soon and made things a little awkward. At least, thought the Gryffindor, she doesn't sound as though she is uncomfortable or finding this unpleasant. The mere notion that he might make her feel uncomfortable or unhappy tore at Snape and caused his insides to churn. Swallowing back the foul feeling, Blair let his dark eyes wander aimlessly across the soft blades of grass as the moon bathed the grounds in its soft light. "You are quite welcome, Miss Weasley," said Snape once able to collect his thoughts, "And I assure you I had no intention of making you feel as though I was pressuring you into studying the subject if you didn't care to."

An apology. As keen as Blair usually was to gain approval from his superiors and those who he thought were sincerely worth his time, the dark haired boy hardly apologized for things he said and did. Why should he allow silly and insincere little apologies pour from his mouth if he had intended to say or do whatever it was people thought he shouldn't. This was different, though. He didn't want Lizzie to feel as though he was trying to force her into reading the books or periodicals that he'd offered. Such a bloody idiot! Can't you ever keep your mouth shut? Elizabeth Weasley made him feel and think things that he'd never done before. She made him say and do things that he would have never thought himself capable. And, yet, he silently scolded himself profusely for being so imprudent. For a very brief moment, Blair closed his eyes and tried to regain his cool composure. Even his thoughts hadn't seemed as safe as they'd always been. Before, they always offered a sort of sanctuary from the rest of the ruined world. Now, though, his head was filled with apprehensions and ideas that Blair was sure he should not be thinking.

Stripping himself violently from his contemplations, Snape opened his hazy orbs and let them focus on Elizabeth once more. God she's so beautiful! He couldn't deny loving the way her eyes seemed to light up with curiosity. A curiosity that only he could satisfy. The left corner of his lips twitched slightly before he calmly replied, "Chiron has a passion for teaching and helping. To him, the audience matters not. Unfortunately, many of the centaurs do not think highly of witches and wizards so he was warned about his interactions with our sort." Pausing for a moment in his answer, Blair thought of the best way to continue. He didn't want to make Lizzie feel sad and he certainly did not like the idea of her wanting to pity Chiron for his decisions. Carefully, he began again, "He knows that knowledge should have no boundaries, should know no prejudices. When he was made to leave, Thetis, his mate, made the choice to go with him." Blair couldn't help musing silently over the story again for a second or two. It really was quite intriguing to think that so many people could assume centaurs, magical creatures were incapable of profound love and, yet, Thetis had made such a serious sacrifice to be with her partner.

"I was doing a little pensive wandering in the forest when I happened upon Chiron. It was a little unnerving, to be entirely honest, but he is a highly interesting being as well as a very good listener," admitted Blair thoughtfully. He recalled all of the times that he intentionally went into the forest to seek out Chiron just for advice. Now that he was thinking about it, Snape couldn't help feeling that he would need to ask the centaur about all of these things that had been drifting through his mind all night. Even if he wouldn't willingly admit it, the centaur could be considered almost a fatherly sort of figure as far as Blair was concerned. Though, of course, it was probably like that with anyone who spent time chatting with Chiron and Thetis. Now, the Gryffindor was sure he would take Lizzie to see them...but not yet. It would be far too dangerous to go wandering around the forest at night and he wasn't sure she'd trust him to look after her.

[Lizzie Weasley]

"Oh, no you didn't."

[/b] Lizzie said rather quickly. She hadn't felt pressure at all. In fact, she found herself enjoying his conversation more so than she had the week before. Elizabeth found herself liking Blair more than before. She felt entirely comfortable with him. Lizzie had never felt that way about someone she didn't know before.

"That's sound so horrible though. That's like being forced to leave your family. I suppose though, we are very different from centaurs." Lizzie felt a bit sad for Chiron. If she thought about logically, it was his decision to leave. He had a good reason for it, knowledge was better to be shared than kept confined in one mind. She could understand why he left then. As Blair finished the tale, Liz couldn't help but smile at it. She thought that any living being that could think, also could feel. Somewhere in her mind, she found it extremely romantic that Thetis would sacrifice so much for Chiron. It almost sounded like it came from one of those romantic novels she read. "They are different then us but, still similar. Many humans will sacrifice anything and everything for the person they love. Of course, then there are the ones that are incapable of understanding anything about love and other people's feelings," she said a bit bitterly.

Lizzie silently scolded herself for sounding so bitter. She didn't think before she spoke which tended to happen every now and then. Now was not the time or place to be dwelling on the past. Lizzie tried not to do it ever, it was just sometimes hard not to do so. She pushed her attention back to the current moment. "Pensive wandering? Weren't you afraid to get lost? Or come across something, well - whatever is in the forest?" Lizzie questioned, sounding sincerely concerned. She would never dream of even setting foot in the forest, alone. For one, it was highly dangerous as no one knew exactly what was in that forest. Second, it was against the rules. Still, if curiosity got the best of her, then maybe she could see it happening. Only, she would never go alone.

Lizzie's eyes drifted to the sky once more. She picked out several constellations that she knew, mentally naming them to herself. While looking above, Lizzie caught sight of shoot star. She knew it wasn't really a star just a meteorite that was burning in the atmosphere but, she like to think of it as a shooting star. When she was little her mother told her that if she wised upon it, that wish might come true if you believed hard enough. To a point, Lizzie believed that. Only now she thought more logically then she used to and knew that it was just silly talk. Of all the wishes she ever made, none of them had come true. "Look," Lizzie said to Blair, pointing it out. "My mother told me once that if you wished up a shooting star, it would come true. It's silly really but, sometimes I catch myself doing it still out of habit." Lizzie hoped that what she said didn't sound silly or stupid. Still, she had wanted to share that with him.
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[Blair Snape]

The ready answer, which seemed to come so quickly from her sweet lips, put Blair's mind at ease only slightly. He still could not fathom how this Ravenclaw girl could be so kind, accepting and eager to spend time with him. Before, he was nothing more than the misunderstood, misfit loner. She seemed to understand him, or the bit of him which he'd revealed, and still did not shy away from keeping in company. Just this made Blair both elated and unnerved at the same time. What had he done so right to earn the attention and acceptance of such a clever and ravishing Ravenclaw? No matter how much he contemplated it, the whole thing continued to bewilder the Gryffindor boy to the point that his eyes practically hazed over as he was absorbed by the thoughts.

Soft blades of grass bent beneath his black shoes as Blair continued to lead Lizzy, his magnificent Ravenclaw, across the moonlit grounds of Hogwarts. The faint sound of leaves rustling as the Whomping Willow adjusted and the melodic hooting of a post owl were the only things which filled the crisp evening air. The dance had long been forgotten. Snape's mind was far too occupied with thoughts of his charming Elizabeth Weasley. Alas, thoughts would do him little good in keeping her entertained. As such, Blair shook off the various things he was thinking and feeling in order to keep their conversation flowing naturally. With a thoughtful expression etched on his face, he could not help but disagree with her on the subject of the centaurs. In his mind, he was, perhaps, much more like Chiron than he was anyone in this school. At least the centaur had his priorities sorted out and was willing to make sacrifices for what was right and just.

His lips parting to give a weak response, Snape shut them again hastily as she went on. As each and every syllable of her words sunk in, he could not help but feel as though he was one of those people whom she'd referenced. Am I incapable of understanding the complexities of such a strong emotion? Could I even begin to comprehend the feelings of others? Now his mind set to work trying to sort out this newly presented notion. Blair was capable of loving, in his mind he reasoned that's what it was, but to understand it was entirely different. He cared deeply about his younger siblings but he also knew that she was talking about something a little more complex than the bond one might have with a flesh and blood sibling. As his thoughts swirled and spun, nearly to the point of making him dizzy, Blair swallowed rather uncomfortably and tried to gather his composure in order to respond.

As badly as he yearned to comment on the centaurs and just how alike he considered himself to them, it didn't seem like the direction the conversation needed to flow toward. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was start some sort of disagreement or make Lizzie feel uncomfortable. For that reason, he took her words and filed them away in the recesses of his mind. Perhaps they would breach this subject again at some later time and he would tell her exactly how he felt and what he thought. Maybe, at that later time, she might also expand on her comments. It sounded as though someone or something had hurt her or caused his precious Ravenclaw beauty to house a bitterness...but he would not pressure her to explain. It would be for her, and her alone, to decide when such tales were to be told. Rather, he offered an understanding nod and opted to answer Elizabeth's questions about his wanderings in the forest. "I'm afraid," he started, the corners of his lips twitching into a miniscule smile, "I really wasn't all that frightened about getting lost or mauled. I suppose it's somewhat of a habit I've acquired...wandering aimlessly in the forest when I'm highly pensive." Maybe it was just his Gryffindor bravery that dulled his sense of fear but Blair hadn't ever given a second thought as to what wicked things lurked in the dark shadows of the Forbidden Forest.

Blair, his eyes moving between the gorgeous young woman who had captivated him and the direct pathway on which they were walking, tried to reason with himself and get the odd sensation he was feeling to subside. He sincerely hoped that he hadn't put her off by stating that he wandered in the forest as a habit. Yes, it was breaking the school rules and, even more so, it was highly dangerous...but those things didn't usually register with the Snape boy. A well-behaved and honest Ravenclaw, though, would likely frown upon his carelessness. Oh how he hoped that Lizzie didn't! She was far too good a thing to lose to such utter stupidity as he'd displayed. Turning his head off to the side, feigning to give a thorough inspection of the grounds simply so she could not see his face, Snape frowned and mentally chastised himself.

The sound of her heavenly voice broke through his silent self scolding and caused the Gryffindor to cast his dark orbs upward in the direction where she'd been gesturing. The sight which the night sky offered, accompanied by the still warm sensation of Lizzie's hand on his arm and her bewitchingly musical voice, forced a contented smile to spread across Blair's thin lips. Though his parents had always insisted that he approach things logically, he could not help taking pleasure in what his lovely Ravenclaw admitted. Softly, in a tone which even Blair himself did not know he had, the boy replied, "It isn't silly at all. As many times as hopes and dreams have set people up for disappointment, wishes have given them reason to persist." If only she'd known how many times he'd hoped, as a small child, for someone in whom he could confide. He dreamt of someone with whom he could share his deepest secrets, allow into the very depths of his mind and trust to care for his very soul. Of course, he'd since given up on those childish wishes but something in Elizabeth Weasley brought them back to mind.

[Lizzie Weasley]

'Really?" Lizzie asked, surprised. She didn't know what she was more surprised at - he wasn't afraid, or her went into the forest quite often. Liz pondered, thinking that the Forbidden Forest did have some alluring qualitites. For one, it was forbiddent and of course, out of human nature, one would be curious as to why it' is forbidden. Secondly, it sort held a greater chance for pure solidarity, if that's what one was looking for. It could just be that Blair was never afraid, or he was just used to the forest by now. "I comend you for your bravery Blair Snape, as I could never set foot there, alone." Lizzie spoke, momentarily putting her thoughts to rest. She emphasized the "alone" in her words. Liz had to question herself why because at first she hadn't realized she had done it. Would she break the rules and go, if Blair ever offered? She never broke a rule for any sort of reason but, would she? Cooper had always told her, rules were meant to be broken sometimes. Perhaps, this was one of those situations.

Wishing on stars, that weren't really stars made no logical sense. Still, a person couldn't just view every aspect of the world with logic. That would just make life boring, and Lizzie did not want to be boring. She was purely thrilled that Blair had warmly accepted her habit. Maybe if Lizzie wished right now, it might very well come true. For a moments, she closed her eyes, and silently made her wish, all the while still holding onto Blair's arm. Reopening her brown eyes, she got an inkling that her wish might not be so far fetched as she once thought it to be. "When I was ten, I stood outside every night for a good two hours, just wishing for my Hogwarts letter to come early. I had been so jealous that my borther was here, and I was home stuck with our silbings," Lizzie said thoughtfully, laughing at the memory.

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[Blair Snape]

Blair gave the Ravenclaw girl a slight nod to affirm what he'd previously said as he glanced at her face, bathed in the milky yellow moonlight, and smiled proudly. There was something in the tone of her voice that sounded far more surprised and awed than scolding. He was very relieved that she didn't seem to find his blatant rule-breaking to be repelling. After all, he had not meant to tell her about his venturing off into the forbidden place as a means to ward Elizabeth off. In fact, that was, perhaps, the last thing Blair Snape wanted to do. She was the only one, siblings aside, who he felt as though he could let see through the cold exterior which everyone saw. Just the way her bright eyes seemed to penetrate the mysteriously empty expression his eyes usually offered and the soft, accepting tone of her lovely voice kept him eager to be in her company. Oh the very last thing he ever wanted to do was make her dislike him; to make her go away. This has to be what he was talking about. This is beyond anything imaginable. She is beyond anything imaginable...her perfection is more than anyone's wildest dreams.

Even the enigma that was Blair Snape could not keep a cheeky grin from spreading across his face for the briefest of moments when Elizabeth gave him praise, sincere approbation, for his reckless bravery. Any compliment or approval from the lips of his lovely Ravenclaw was more than enough to force the corners of his lips upward as if toward the very stars of which they'd talked. As her words repeated over in his head and sunk in further, Blair realized the intonation Lizzie had used when saying 'alone' and it made him wonder if he'd picked up actual emphasis on it or if his mind was playing tricks on him again. Perhaps he'd just wanted to take her into the forest and show her how unafraid he was, all too keen to show her what secrets the forbidden place held, that he had heard something that was not really there. Letting the smile fall from his face, Snape forced his gaze to the pathway beneath his feet. He yearned to show her things and take her places he would entrust to none other but he refused to let his selfish desires put her into any danger. No, he would never allow harm to come to his perfect Elizabeth Weasley.

With each new piece of information that she shared, each tiny detail of her life, the dark eyed Gryffindor felt as though this could very well be the thing which his father had once mentioned. Blair vividly recalled how his father, one uncomfortable night after several hours of screaming and objects flying across the house, confessed to his eldest son a history which had been meant to remain buried forever. He remembered the tones of his father's voice as the older man spoke of feelings and devotion toward someone whom he knew he could never have because the rules of society would forbid it...because he had been foolish enough to conform to society. Blair would not make the same mistakes. The sound of her voice swirled together with his thoughts and caused the left corner of his lips to twitch slightly upward. In a soft, almost affectionate tone, he murmured, "Never be jealous, Lizzie." It almost made him sound like a hypocrite to say such things but his mind silently finished, 'Never be jealous because no matter who or what anyone is, they will never even come close to you.'

[Lizzie Weasley]

Blair's response left Lizzie a bit puzzled. She wasn't quite sure what he meant. Was there something else he said, just not aloud? She felt an awkward silence fall as she desperately tired to figure it out. Liz didn't want to say anything until she was sure. Jealously was just an emotion, that consumed some, but lasted momentarily with others. Maybe that was what he meant?

Elizabeth concentrated in vain, trying to place the correct meaning into his words. She didn't want to ask him, that might sound stupid. Lizzie didn't want to give him that idea either because she knew she was far from it. The tone Blair applied to his words it what confused her. Liz felt ridiculous fretting over four spoken words. She put an immediate stop to it in her mind. It felt like she have been thinking for five minutes, when it had only been a few seconds. It was amazing how many thoughts the human brain could have in such little time. Liz just smiled at Blair, still undecided on how to respond. The tone that he used to produce his words, put a different meaning to them than what a dictionary says. Lizzie cursed her pure logical thinking. It often led to awkward silences of confusion.

"Well, it only lasted a little while. Before I knew I was here, at Hogwarts and I couldn't be happier right now," she said lightly. Lizzie immediately blushed at her words. Yes, Blair Snape's company was enjoyable for Lizzie. She didn't quite know the extent of her happiness until now. Liz felt so at ease with him, that she almost wasn't embarrassed to say what ever was on her mind. How quickly she warmed up to Blair is what had her perplexed. Lizzie had vowed ages ago that she wouldn't trust another boy for as long as she lived. One broken tie of trust was enough. She still carried that pain a year later. Yet, she was so quick to confess her feelings of happiness to Blair. She meant every word she said but, surprised herself at how quickly she forgot her vow. Somewhere deep down, Elizabeth just felt that she could trust her life to the young Snape.

How can one trust someone in such a short time of knowing them? That made no logical sense to her and yet, she felt it and thought it. Lizzie acknowledgedly bit her lip at this revelation. She didn't understand her feelings - ones that were strikingly similar to ones she read about it novels. Could it be that Blair Snape was her Romeo? Lizzie blushed at the thought as she thought for a brief second on the story of Romeo and Juliet. The tale has such a tragic ending, and Lizzie felt like she could have a happy ending if her family accepted him. Immediately, she shook that thought away. It was much too soon to be thinking of such things. After all, they were just friends.

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[Blair Snape]

The seconds in silence seemed to pass by every so slowly as he let his own words echo through his head. Why had he said something which could have nearly ruined everything which he'd shared with his lovely Ravenclaw? His dark eyes focused on the grassy pathway just in front of his feet while his mind attempted to reason out just what he had done and why he'd done it. The silence was unnerving and the Gryffindor could not stop feeling as though he'd either confused her or made Elizabeth uncomfortable with those last few words. As small as those words seemed, they held so much more weight than he would have admitted and he could only pray that she hadn't known his every thought. Must you always ruin things?! his mind scolded harshly as he continued to follow the path they'd decided on.

His ever observant ears picked up the soft hooting sound of a post owl in the distance. Casting his dark, hazy orbs upwards toward the sky, Blair watched for any sign of the creature but it had obviously already been far enough away to escape his view. Letting his senses, rather than his thoughts, take over for a few brief moments, the Snape boy could feel the cool evening air against the pale skin of his face. Some small insect chirped somewhere within the lush Hogwarts lawn but its location was indiscernible as the sound seemed almost to echo off the tiny blades of grass. He could even smell the crisp scent of the well maintained lawn as it filled the air before them. The most important sense, though, was still his sense of touch. With her hand still rested upon his arm, Blair felt at ease. If she had been repelled by his enigmatic words, surely she would have revoked her hand casually but she had not.

Again, he listened to her heavenly voice as she spoke once more. If her voice had not been enough to daze the mysterious Gryffindor boy, the words which left her angelic lips did just that. His eyes practically glazed over in careful thought as he replayed her statement over and over. Each word echoed off the walls of his mind and left Snape in an almost bewildered state. She'd bewitched him without any effort and he couldn't deny it even if he wanted to. Pulling himself from the thoughts, he allowed his gaze to fall upon Lizzie's face only to see that she was blushing. She'd meant it. She had meant exactly what he'd heard; those words which he could have analyzed over and over. Her blush had given her away.

Stopping slowly, Blair tried to force his nerves back as he thought over what he intended to do. The thought had briefly entered his mind once or twice over the time between their initial meeting and this very second but he had never been one to act on silly little thoughts like this. What was different now? It was almost as though he felt like he would explode if he did not do this. He had to know. Blair needed to be sure of this just as adamantly as he needed to breathe. His throat felt dry and his hands were abnormally moist. The sensation of warmth, almost like a blazing fire, rose up through his body and the spinning thoughts in his head made Snape feel dizzy. But he would accept no excuses. Swallowing hard, he adjusted so that he was looking straight at the brunette Ravenclaw. "Miss Weasley," he started, his stomach wanting to empty its contents, "Elizabeth..." Why was it so hard?! They were only words. He'd always been good with words but these did not want to leave his throat despite all of his best efforts.

[Lizzie Weasley]

The seconds that passed the moment her words escaped her, Lizzie could feel her cheeks burning up. She felt like her face was on fire and, she was quite sure it reflected the feeling. A million thoughts ran through her head during the unbearable silence. Elizabeth began to wonder if Blair caught on to her true meaning. Part of her hoped that he didn't but, she knew her blushing probably explained it all. If he asked her about it, she'd have to come up with an answer. Only problem was, Liz couldn't explain why she was feeling the way she was. Sure, she'd read about it in books but, she never grasped how it would affect her.

For a brief second, as the two slowed their walking to a stop, she thought he would just turn an leave. That thought didn't linger too long. Lizzie's heart fluttered when he said her name. She fought with herself to not let go of his arm. Blair had made no sort of move to indicate that his thoughts about her had changed, so she stayed put. It didn't matter, as she like a rooted tree where she stood.

Elizabeth looked up at him, as he was slightly taller than she. Her brown eyes searched his dark ones for any sort of clue as to what he was trying to say. It was clearly evident that what ever it was, Blair was extremely nervous. The pause said it all. Liz found herself clinging onto it for dear life. Her mind, heart, and stomach where mercifully fluttering madly. Elizabeth took a daring chance, one she wouldn't normally make, and inched her hand closer to his. "Yes?" she said, barely in an audible whisper.

Lizzie found she was holding her breath as the second dragged on. She couldn't decided if she was more nervous about her confessing to sharing her same feelings, or rejecting the thought. Maybe, he thought she was repulsive and this was all some sort of trick? No, that wasn't thinking rationally. Blair didn't seem like he was capable to doing such a thing, to a girl at least. He was too much of a gentleman and too intelligent to do anything that stupid. Those were probably her most favourite things about him. Lizzie blushed again, if she had even stopped before. How can you have favourite things about a person you've known a little less than two weeks? The anticipation for his continuance felt like torture.

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[Blair Snape]

No matter how the words had arranged themselves in his spinning mind, the Gryffindor boy decided that they were not the right ones to explain what he so desperately needed to tell her. There were differences between wanting to tell someone something and needing to. Blair physically needed to tell Lizzie the things which had consumed his thoughts. The constant feel of sick churning in his stomach and the threat of exhaustion reminded him that, no matter how he reasoned it out, the words had to come out in one form or another. Still, his mind refused to let those words escape from his mouth. Even with his lips parting ever so slightly, the phrase stuck deep within his throat and protested moving any further. Why his body and mind were battling so adamantly, he could not understand nor could he simply do what he had originally intended.

His legs, far more shaky than they'd ever been, felt almost as though they were going to shift and carry him away from this spot but the dark haired boy refused to let that happen. Never in his life had he ever been this nervous or, dare he think it, terrified. Centaurs, monsters and dark, forbidden forests hadn't even caused Blair to think twice about wandering in dangerous places. Dark magic and death, even, did not faze the Gryffindor boy. His father had ceased to exist at one point and his mother had practiced foul, evil magic so there was no fear of such things. This simple task, however, had mortified the Snape boy beyond all.

A soft, alluring tone, much like the whisper of a heavenly choir, pulled Blair Snape from his internal battle and caused the boy to blink his dark eyes and focus on her. Elizabeth had been looking at him but he was oblivious until that very moment. Swallowing hard, he opened his mouth to speak but found that his throat and lips had gone entirely dry. After a futile attempt at wetting his thin lips, Snape forced his vocal cords to move in time with the thoughts which demanded audible words to go along with them. In a slightly unsure and shaky tone, he managed to say, "I - you see...you're very - that is to say...I - I like you..." As soon as those hesitant words left his mouth, Blair mentally scolded himself violently for his inability to get a coherent sentence out. So stupid!

Dark, hazy eyes dropping to the grassy ground, Snape prepared himself for any number of reactions. Firstly, he waited for the sound of laughter but his mind had reasoned that she was not the sort to intentionally hurt someone's feelings. Perhaps a physical response? He was tempted to flinch slightly with the expectation that he might be slapped. Again, his beautiful Ravenclaw did not come off as the type of person who would resort to violence even if someone had upset her. The most logical response to his silly little confession was that she might tell him that she was flattered but it simply could not work. This, of course, would ruin the entire night; ruin the comfortable peace that they'd shared this evening. It was hard to prepare himself for it but Blair refused to let on how disappointed he would be at her words.

[Lizzie Weasley]

During the moments that passed, Elizabeth Weasley took the time to observe the Snape boy. Her dark brown eyes searched over his dark eyes and face for the slightest hint. Lizzie looked at him curiously, her mind begging him to just get out with it. It was clear as glass to Liz that whatever Blair had to tell her, he was growing increasingly nervous about it. In turn, his nervousness that arose, caused Lizzie's to rise as well.

The time seemed to drag on. For a second, Lizzie thought she might have missed what he said, being distracted by her own thoughts of the situation. Again, the Ravenclaw slipped back into negative thoughts. No, she couldn't think that way. If this was some sort of disgusting trick, there wouldn't be a reason for Blair to display the nervousness she sensed from him. For that reason, Lizzie just knew that it had to be something good. She didn't think she could take another bad involvement with a boy again.

Finally, Blair apparently conquered his feelings and started to speak. He seemed hesitate, almost like he didn't know how to express what he wanted. In Elizabeth's short time she had spent with the Snape boy, she could see he had no problem sharing his general thoughts and knowledge with her. This, however, was more of emotion than thought. Once the words began to leave the boy's mouth, Lizzie was again holding her breath, trying not to get her hopes up.

'I like you.' The phrase echoed through Lizzie's mind. Logically looking at it, there were three different directions that could go. He either meant; A: I like you but....insert any reason, B: I like you, as a friend, or C: I like you, more than a friend. The poor Ravenclaw replayed his words in her head, trying desperately to pinpoint his exact meaning. She completely forgot to calculate in Blair's body language. When the thought came up in her mind, she thought it was safe to strike out option A, leaving only B and C left. Digging further in her mind, Lizzie also determined the possibility to strike of option B was great. Why would he seem so nervous and hesitate to express his liking, if there wasn't a deeper meaning. Lizzie chose option C, feeling it was safe for her to express the same to him - figuring this out in a matter of seconds.

During her thought process, Elizabeth began to blush, and it wouldn't be the first time around Snape. This blush was much deeper than before. "I like you, too," Lizzie said softly, and with clear confidence. Never in all her life had Liz felt so comfortable sharing intellectual thoughts as she did with Blair, omitting her siblings. Alas, none of her siblings could ever really follow what she was speaking of. They either pretended to listen or comprehend, or they just simply asked her to talk in English, so they could understand.

Elizabeth's heartbeat began to rise. With their seemingly mutual feelings out in the open, what next? A hug? Kiss? No - much too early for that. Then again, Lizzie whole heartedly believed in such a think as love in first sight - it was a bond some were fortunate to discover and experience. She felt she was far from loving Blair, or at least consciously she thought she didn't. Liz liked the boy, quite a lot actually. She had found the intellectual partner she was looking for, and now she hoped she could find the laughter that she wanted to accompany it.

Lizzie looked into Blair's eyes. His dark set staring back at her. The world stopped, time stopped, everything ceased to exist expect for Elizabeth Weasley and Blair Snape. While searching each other's souls, they inched closer, their lips reaching out for each other. Closer and closer still, until they softly touched.

Lizzie blinked, realising that what she thought had just happened, was only a vision of her imagination. She smiled nervously, and glanced away from Blair to the ground. Her whole face felt like it was on fire, and the familiar feeling of embarrassment over took her once more. It was her vision that had her feeling more nervous, confused, surprised, scared, and happy all at once. It was hard to decipher exactly what she was feeling, as a whole rainbow of emotion passed through her.

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[Blair Snape]

Seconds ticked by like an eternity as the dark eyed Gryffindor boy nervously awaited her response. The words, those fateful words which had threatened to drive him mad, had finally left his lips and there was no turning back. The anticipation was killing him slowly and making it so much harder keep his perfect calm. Never, in his entire life, had Snape admitted such sincere feelings for a living being outside of his younger siblings. It was different than telling a flesh and blood relation who he'd lived with for so long. The worst part of it all was that he was petrified of what Elizabeth would think of him and his silly little words. Worrying about what others, bar professors and his siblings, thought was something the Blair simply did not do but this was different. He could not explain how it was different but he could feel, deep down, that it was.

Each of his tiny nerves felt as though their bare endings were being exposed to a raging inferno and his stomach clenched painfully. The blood vessels in his head were pounding against his skull; the violent beat echoing through his ears like a bass drum. It felt almost as though his lungs refused to take in anything more than a few light, shaky breaths. His legs, much more weak than he ever remembered them, tremored beneath him and his hands fidgeted nervously with the cloak which he'd brought along. He desperately needed her to say something, absolutely anything, soon lest he might perish from the anticipation. Though he had begun to think that nothing could be worse than the sheer necessity to tell her how he felt, this trounced the sensation.

Why did you have to be so stupid?! Blair's mind screamed at him viciously as he awaited his Ravenclaw's response. Anything was welcomed now. If she wanted to storm off, he could go hide in his empty dorm room and sulk silently in the privacy of his safety zone. Not one person in his house or any other would have the slightest clue that he was suffering internally. No one would ask. It would be a secret which he and Lizzie alone would know and one which he simply would not let her see affect him. Unrequited feelings were something that the Gryffindor boy could deal with a rather effortless appearance. It was the anticipation and not knowing which was slowly breaking him down on the inside.

Finally, Snape's dark, hazy orbs managed to catch a glimpse of the light blush which was beginning to spread through the angelic face of his beautiful, brunette Ravenclaw. As the crimson colour in her cheeks deepened, a wave of relief started to wash over Blair. Even without vocal response, some inherent feeling buried deep inside was telling him that her blush was a positive reaction. Then the words came. The soft, melodious, confident words left her sweet lips and lingered in the air between them. Before he could even fully register the full extent of what had just happened, his heart leapt within his chest. The affection was mutual! The blood coursing through his extremities pumped rapidly as his heart beat roughly agasint his ribcage. His thin lips arched upward into a small, content smile as he gazed at her perfect, unmarred face.

Overjoyed far beyond words, the usually misunderstood Gryffindor felt almost as though there might be one person in this world which might actually understand him; one living being whom he could trust and let passed the heavily guarded exterior he'd built up and strengthened throughout his sixteen years of existence. Nothing was for sure at the moment considering they had only just recently met but the desire for it to be real was there. Elizabeth was the only student at Hogwarts whom he had taken to as quickly. Even his own sister, the girl who he looked after and cared for so deeply, had to earn her place within his seemingly empty, frigid heart. Lizzie was different. His Lizzie Weasley was so much different than anyone or anything he'd ever known.

The sudden movement of her eyes caused Blair to snap back to reality. His dark eyes gazed at her affectionately, the usually cold and distant appearance within them long since gone, as he noted the deep red colour of her cheeks. With a newfound confidence, the Snape boy slowly lifted her hand toward his lips and placed a soft, light kiss upon her smooth, silky skin. His eyes never once left her perfect, charming face. Yes, this was what his father had meant but Blair had a feeling that this was so much more. Replacing her hand to its comfortable resting place on his arm, his cool voice recommended, "Shall we continue on our walk then, Miss Weasley?"

[Lizzie Weasley]

"Yes," Lizzie said with a small smile. Inside her mind, she was frowning. That's it? I like you?...well, reality is not like a book, she thought to herself. Usually, in moments like what the two had just shared, there was a kiss or something that went along with it in the novels she read. Lizzie determined that it was just fiction, that her imagination had gone wild. Taking in a small breath of air, Elizabeth brought her imagination under control. She tried to control the butterflies in her stomach that had appeared but, her efforts were to no avail.

As the pair began to walk again her mind did not rest. Thoughts were running through faster then before as she tried to put meaning into Blair's words of 'I like you'. There were two ways in which to take the real meaning - and Lizzie could not chose which. She knew her mind would not rest until she had. The mores she thought on his words, the harder it became for her to look at him. Occasionally, she'd glance at him, blush slightly, and look away again.

Lizzie's mind turned over the three meanings she had previously thought of. It was easy for her to cross of option A, since he added nothing more to it. That left option B and C. B was more likely then C - as C developed over time, in logical terms. She had to factor in how Blair had said the words. There was a slight hesitance to get it out in the open, which pointed toward option C. This was beginning to confuse her more and more.

Finally, she determined that she'd just have to leave it as it was. Only time would really reveal the true meaning. Lizzie had patience enough to wait. Sometimes the best things happen over time. After making this resolution, she felt a need to break their silence. Looking at Blair once more, Lizzie asked, "Are you going home over the Christmas holiday?"

The possibility that Blair would stay at Hogwarts came to mind. Normally, Lizzie went home with her siblings for the break. If Blair said he stayed at Hogwarts, maybe Lizzie could devise a reason not to go home. That would time for her to spend with Blair. It would also decrease the chances of her brother finding out about her new friendship. Lizzie didn't know if Cooper would approve - regardless, he didn't determine who she could and could not be friends with. She just feared his overprotective nature.

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[Blair Snape]

It felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted off of the Snape boy's entire being as he began walking once more. There was no burning need to tell Elizabeth how he felt and no painful anticipation for her reaction. His affection had obviously been returned and nothing in the world could rain on Blair's perfect night now. The very world in which they existed could crumble and burn around the pair. The universe could cease to exist and utter chaos could reign supreme and still it would not remove the content smile from his thin lips. His Elizabeth Weasley liked him too. That was the only thing which mattered tonight.

Dark eyes focused on the ground just before his feet, Blair silently allowed each event from tonight to replay slowly. He recalled each feeling which had forced itself to the surface throughout the evening but the small smile did not remove itself from his thin lips. Never, in all of his life, had the Snape boy's mind been quite as at ease as it was as he continued to stroll along with his charming Ravenclaw by his side.

The only thing which distracted the Gryffindor boy from his peaceful contemplations was the sound of Elizabeth's voice as she asked whether he would be going home over Christmas holiday. The mere mention of home sent a wave of mixed feelings and sensations through his body as he thought about the place. He didn't fit in at Hogwarts but he fit in even less at that place. It wasn't a home. It was merely a house where he was forced to reside during summer holiday. The only good thing about being there was that he could keep a closer eye on Lilith than was possible at school. But even that didn't seem to matter as much now.

After a moment or two of silence, Blair glanced over at Elizabeth and offered the small, serene smile which she, and she alone, had been responsible for causing. The answer to her question was that he never went home if he could avoid it. Rather than going into any of that or provoking further questions, he simply replied, "No, I'm not. Are you?" Oddly enough, as his inquiry came out, Snape found himself yearning to hear her say that she would be one of the few students that was staying at Hogwarts as well.

Images of a warm fire in some secluded room of the castle began to defiantly force themselves into his thoughts. Closing his dark, hazy eyes for a moment, Blair attempted to shove the notion from his mind and return to reality. It was foolish to think that, even if she was staying at Hogwarts, Lizzie would want to spend so much more time with him. Even though she'd returned his affections, it did not mean that she might not have better things to do over her winter holiday than keeping some outcast Gryffindor company. A dreamer Snape was not! As his eyelids lifted again, he decided that silence and complete focus on the task of walking would suit the scenario best.

[Lizzie Weasley]

Elizabeth began thinking of a plausible reason for staying at Hogwarts over the holidays, if indeed Blair said he was. Maybe a large essay, and being here at Hogwarts was much quieter then at home with all her siblings. Oh, how Lizzie didn't like to lie, even to her parents. It wasn't that she was incapable, she just preferred to stick with facts, the truth.

She paused to think of why exactly, she was so intent on lying to her family. All for a boy? A boy, that Lizzie wasn't entirely sure how far his depth of 'like' flowed. She did not want to get her heart broken again. Somehow, she felt that Blair Snape would not be the boy to it. A small smile presented itself on her lips, thinking of a happily ever after. No, she immediately told herself. Thinking to far into the future was something she would not do.

"I'm not sure," she replied, deciding it was the best answer, as she wasn't sure. Lizzie found herself really hoping she could stay. She was quite positive that if she came up with the most perfect, innocent sounding idea, her parents would give in the desires of their eldest daughter.

"I would like to though," she added, carrying on the conversation. "I always wondered what students did over the Holiday break," she continued lightly. Lizzie was rather curious what one did with all that time in the castle. She knew what she would do with that time - more than likely spend it in the library, or simply explore the castle. She had heard stories about secret rooms and passage ways but, Lizzie had never really believed them.

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[Blair Snape]

Not sure. She's not sure. The words repeated over and over, like a never ending echo, inside Blair's head. He had absolutely no idea what to make of her response. Was she not sure if she would have to stay? Unsure if she'd be allowed to stay? Silently, the Gryffindor tried to work out some deeper meaning to her words simply by the way she'd said them and what little he could tell from her facial expressions. While the cogs of his mind sorted through all the fragments of information, attempting to piece them together into a solid answer, he looked at her dumbly for a moment or two. What could he possibly say to that?

Silently, Snape decided that he would let the subject drop. It wasn't as though it was pivotal to his survival that she stay at Hogwarts over the winter holiday. If she wanted or needed to go home, then so be it. Still, a small, soft voice in the back of his mind was sure to note just how much he hoped that she would be there and insist that they spend the quite hours together. Even with as unlikely as that was and as illogical as he found it, Blair could not keep himself from thinking about how much happier he would be with her there to share the holiday.

Blair's thin, pale lips twitched and the left corner lifted ever so slightly higher than it had been moments earlier as she went on to add that she would like to stay. Could his silly contemplations which had, only seconds ago, seemed improbable possibly be that close to reality? The words "I would like you to as well" stuck in the back of his throat as Snape thought again of the warm, blazing fire and quiet sanctuary with only himself and Lizzie involved in intellectual discourse or... Pausing as his thoughts trailed off, Blair shook his head slightly. He couldn't understand what was going on inside his head or why his thoughts had suddenly wandered to the sound of her heavenly laughter and the glittering joy which he'd noticed in her eyes at one point during the short time he'd known her.

What students did over holiday at Hogwarts was one thing which Blair knew quite well. Even though he avoided getting caught up in the small social cliques which formed during winter break, he couldn't always escape the sounds of holiday parties in the common room or the occasional bumping into others while they were running through the corridor toward some unknown place to hide from someone for some reason or another. Softly, he noted, "Though I cannot speak for everyone who stays through the holiday, I can say that it is a perfect time for exploration, particularly if the weather is suitable, and reflection." The silent solitude always seemed to suit him the most so a nearly empty castle and no classes were perfect for the quality quiet time Blair liked best.