to hagrids, to hagrids to get a cute date (4puffs)

[Lance Jordan]

Lance finally sat down where they had been before but he still didn't let go of Genevieve. He was happy to have her right where she was. He saw a butterfly flit past them and wondered if Genevieve would be distracted again but he just held her hoping she didn't move too much or he'd be suffering in another way with a quickness having her on his laps had its advantages and disadvantages. He didn't notice his brother kissing Eve's shoulder, if he had he would have felt a small pang, but he was instead now playfully messing with Genevieve's golden hair in his free hand.

[Genevieve Danforth]

Genevieve had felt she was floating while he'd been dancing with her. Somehow, it seemed so right, so perfect, that she should be falling in love with one of her best friends. And it was all the better that Josh could be with Eve, so she wouldn't feel bad about choosing Lance over him. Of course, she knew she was getting ahead of herself; after all, they certainly hadn't said anything about love yet. For all she knew, he might have thought of her as fondly as an old shoe. Still, she wasn't one to doubt herself. And the way Lance was touching her hair sent shivers down her spine.

Trying to focus (always a challenge for her), she looked up at Eve and Josh. "So you two are going to the dance together, then?" she said happily. "That's great! Eve, you must let me take you out to buy you a dress. You'll be the prettiest girl there when I'm through with you!"

[Lance Jordan]

Lance couldn't help but smile at the girl in his lap, it was so strange holding her like that... and just as strange seeing Josh doing the same to Eve. It was one thing to talk about who to go to the dance with as they had last night but... to actually see them coupled off kind of shook him a bit. Not that he was unhappy, quite the contrary. His brother had gotten his first choice and Lance had gotten his. And they had both said yes...

It felt right though and he was content to just have Viv sitting on his lap with her arms around his shoulders. He could already imagine taking the girls to Hogsmede soon and letting them go off to pick out dresses and plan their little makeovers. If he knew Genevieve, she would take charge of it and both girls would end up stunning. He was glad they were such good friends though even without the guys around. Sometimes he felt a bit guilty for making them share but he guessed it was no worse than how the guys managed to share the girls affections in return. They had been such good friends for so long it was just natural. But lately things had seemed to shift a little, maybe they were growing up but they were beginning to notice things beyond friendship. Or at least Lance knew that he and Josh had been. They'd talked about that too.

It was good changes but still changes were always odd at first and took some adjusting to. "Yeah and Josh and I need to get some new dress robes as well, we have to impress you girls too you know."

[Josh Jordan]

Josh looked over to Lance with a grin on his face. "That we do Lance. We can't send Lance to the dance with frilly dress robes! We both have to look presentable to just be seen with you two." His eyes glanced up to Eve's face. She was captivating to say the least. Oh, he was zoning out, just like Lance did from time to time. He pictured them dancing across the dance floor, and him kissing her on the cheek happily. Josh shook the image from his mind. He didn't need to daydream. That was Lance's job.

"I say we meet at ten on Saturday to go to Hogsmeade. Do you agree?"

[Lance Jordan]

"I think as long as you two are willing, so am I.." he said indicating the girls. "But we are going to stop at Honeydukes right? I want to get another chocolate frog card, I'm still missing some."

Although Lance was talking casually he had drifted back to look at Genevieve. He was definatly lucky to have the prettiest date for the dance, though he admitted Eve was a very close second in a different way. But Viv... she made him want to daydream again but he'd have time for that later, right now he just wanted to enjoy the moment with his friends and enjoy having her on his lap curled against him. They fit perfectly like this, she was small and light where he was muscled and hard which came from too much quidditch practice. But she fit just right there and he kissed her forehead before he realized he was doing it.

[Eve Mallory]

Eve nodded when Viv talked about buying the dresses and being the prettiest girl there. She didn't in anyway believe this, but she would indulge her friend. Then she was quiet for the remaineder of the conversation only because this seemed so strange for herand she wasn't sure how to handle it. She felt like relaxing into his arms but was tense with confusion. Was she dreaming? She could be dreaming. Well if she was dreaming she was going to milk it for all it was worth she decided making a bold move for once in her life as she leaned back against Josh's torso, she turned her eyes up at him, " They seem happy."

[Josh Jordan]

Josh smiled as Eve leaned back. He welcomed it of course. Keeping his arms around her, he looked at her. "That they do," he whispered. Of course, he was happy too. Josh took in the smell of her hair. It smelled of sweet strawberries. He loved the smell and smiled at her again. Lance and Genevieve seemed to be in their own world, and he was headed off into his own world with Eve.

Feeling slightly bold, Josh swallowed. "Are you happy," he whispered to her without thinking.

[Eve Mallory]

She was a little lost and she curled into him jumping off into their own world where she knew that he'd protect her from anything and everything, " I'm so happy I almost don't know what to do with myself." She sighed putting her arms around his neck and closing her eyes against his chest, "I'm so happy." But she was afraid of being this happy. If life had taught her one thing it was that happiness was unstable just as you were getting used to it and expecting it something would come in and rip your heart out and then you were even more lost than before. She had been swimming in a pool of confusion and misery ever since the boys left, and then her mother died, and when she returned to find some semblance of sanity Viv had joined them, and she couldn't be mad. No not mad at Viv who could often make her smile as well, but she was lost, very lost and very tired.

It was the tired that gave her away and so when she looked at Josh the second time her expression was unguarded.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh let out a sigh of relief, and knew that Eve could notice. He relieved that she was happy. If she was happy, then so was he. Josh leaned in and kissed her cheek. He smiled to let her know that he was happy as well. Eve was the reason that he always felt good about himself. If she wasn't there, then he probably wouldn't be the way he was now.

Her arms felt good around his neck, and she fit perfectly against his torso. Josh looked back down to her and noticed the tiredness in her eyes. He didn't want to have to make her stay out here any longer. If she was tired, he didn't mind taking her up to the dorms and letting her sleep.

"Hey, Lance, Genevieve? I'm going to take Eva up to the dorms. She's tired," he said. "We'll meet up with you two later. Oh, and Lance? Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He gave his brother a playful wink.

[Lance Jordan]

Lance rolled his eyes at his brother in mock irritation, "I'm an angel, I would never..." he said insinuating that his brother was worse than himself. Of course they both knew that Lance was usually the worse of the two when it came to behaving but that was because Lance had a better imagination with all that day dreaming he did and ironically where Josh looked more like a rogue, it was Lance who usually was. Not that he would ever act on that of course, it was one thing to daydream or dream... it was another to do anything to disrespect Genevieve or Eve for that matter. He was a gentleman and would never act on half of his thoughts.

"Viv, did you want to stay out here or go back?" Lance gently lifted a lock of hair that had fallen over her eye as he spoke.

[Genevieve Danforth]

Genevieve sighed and leaned back against him. "See you guys later!" she called, waving at Josh and Eve. Although she loved the two of them, she really just wanted to be alone with Lance right now. She felt like this was the start of something, that maybe things were changing between the four friends.

"Let's just stay out here a while longer," she said. "It's nice and cool out and the air's fresh... I don't want to be stuck in that moldy old castle all day." She tilted her head to look up at him, fluttering her eyelashes unconsciously.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh smiled at the two and kept his hold on Eve. She was so light to carry and he felt like if he wasn't careful, she would break. He smiled at her once again and started to carry her up to the castle in his arms. He didn't mind it one bit.

"I'm sure that we didn't want to be around them for too long. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't start snogging." Josh gave a laugh, although he wouldn't mind doing that with Eve, but then again he didn't want to scare her. "Plus, that gives us time to hang out together."

[Lance Jordan]

Lance was glad she wanted to stay out a bit longer, he preferred being outside but that wasn't the reason why. He wanted to have Genevieve alone for just a while longer, just to spend time with her and looking at her with his full attention and devotion to her. Then she fluttered her eyelashes and he though she reminded him again like a beautiful exotic butterfly. Her blue eyes were captivating and her lips were like soft rose petals. "I'd like that too," he said to her.

He looked up to say goodbye to Josh and Eve before turning his eyes back to the girl he was holding.

[Eve Mallory]

Eve was surprised when he announced that they were leaving and then just picked her up and headed back, she waved a hasty goodbye but all her words were just lost. She of course wanted to spend time alone with Josh, but she didn't have a clue what was going on. When he said that Lance and Genevieve would have started snogging she sighed and laid her head against his chest, what was it they were doing acting all...different...couply...she didn't really know, but she did know that Genevieve meant a lot to Josh.

"I'm sorry..." she said lightly but kept her tight hold on him. It panged her to think, even harbor the tiniest thought that the only reason he was going to her was because Genevieve was taken now by Lance, but what killed her was she didn't think that she'd mind...she might have just been pathetically enough in love with Josh that she wouldn't care how his affection got to her so long as it did.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh loved Eve's head being against his chest. If only he could tell her how he really felt about her. He spoke to Lance about it last night, and he didn't want to frighten her. He would gradually tell her and that was what he was doing, except he wasn't doing it verbally. Josh hoped that Eve would pick up on it.

He looked down at her confused as they reached the interior of the Hogwarts Castle. "Sorry? Sorry for what?"

[Eve Mallory]

"About Genevieve." she told him straightforwardly as was her way for the most part, " I know that you...well..." she was straightforward but she seemed to lose it as confessing his desire for her friend hurt her physically and some part of her kept hoping it wasn't true, she shrugged, " It's just that with Genevieve, and everyone being so close...it'll be weird if they become a couple.."

[Josh Jordan]

Josh looked at Eve confusedly. "Genevieve?" He raised an eyebrow. She figured out that he had liked Genevieve. Damn. Was he that obvious? If he was obvious with Genevieve, then was he obvious with Eve? He didn't care if he was obvious with Eve.

"No, no," he said. "She's not for me. I don't like her that much actually." He gave her a flirty like wink. "Besides, she's more of Lance's type. I personally would like to see them together, but that's just me." Josh leaned down and kissed her forehead. If that didn't tell her that he chose her, he didn't know what would, other than it verbally.

[Eve Mallory]

She was so confused and it showed in her eyes everytime he kissed her every time he touched her she didn't know what to make of it. Perhaps she did have a self confidence problem. Perhaps that year of the boys being gone and what happened afterwards was a stab in the security department, but she honestly never thought that Josh could feel that way about her, and she thought that she was too young to feel that way about him even though her heart raced when he was near.

"So you really don't like her...I mean.." she frowned was she wrong? When he kissed her again she looked up at him with wide eyes, ignoring the fact that he was carrying her throughout Hogwarts or perhaps subconsciously taking that into account, " Why do you keep doing that...?" she asked, not that she minded at all she just had to know what was going on.

[Josh Jordan]

"No. I don't really like her like her. I like to tease her, but that's about it," said Josh. "And I keep doing that, because," he trailed off. Did he dare tell her? Should he even attempt to say it? His thoughts told him no. "I can, and I-I like to."

Once again, Josh couldn't quite meet Eve's eyes. Although, she had a full view of his ears and eyes. His eyes told everything. As they reached the Hufflepuff Common Room, he headed up the stairs to his room. He didn't think twice of it. Eve had been there plenty of times. "Does it bother you?"

[Eve Mallory]

It confuses me, she wanted to tell him but she had gotten deep enough and instead shook her head no, too much more talk about this couple business and kissing and she'd be confessing a lot of things she really didn't want to confess.

She didn't think anything either when he took her to his room, in fact she had commented early on that it was funny how they had bans against the boys entering the girl's dorms but not the other way around she was lucky for that as well. She needed Josh sometimes, purely instinctual base needs. He was the only one who could really keep the darkness away.

Instead she asked a question, " What's going to happen to us if they become a couple?" she wanted to know that things weren't going to change, she would be happy as long as things didn't change, no she didn't need Josh to confess that he loved her in order to be happy, she didn't expect him to, but if for whatever reason Genevieve was out of the picture, would Josh go too and look for a girlfriend? Eve already knew it wasn't going to be her, it couldn't be, Josh was so much older...in her mind, probably because he was so much bigger than her. No she was afraid of change.