Alone Again... Naturally (Rayne/Nate)

[Rayne DiCostas]

Rayne stroked the space just above her owl's beak as she tied a letter to his leg. It was to her grandfather, just letting him know that she was still doing well at school and such. She knew he worried about her when she didn't write.

She leaned against the window as the owl took off, and she relaxed in the quiet as she watched him disappear on the horizon.

[nate]

Nate walked into the owlery with a parchment tied in a red ribbon. He almost walked into Rayne before he saw her. "Oh.. um... hi Rayne." He'd been just fine till he realized who it was. Why him? Why did he have to run into the one girl he'd no longer knew how to act around. So much so that he'd almost avoided her since he'd dropped her cookie, he didn't need another incident for him to embarrass himself over. And now he was in the owlery alone with her. He felt torn between saying something else or running for the hills. Instead he stood there almost awkwardly before he remembered he was holding a parchment to his grandmother that he needed to send.

The bad part was it was a letter about Rayne... and he'd been about to send a letter to his mother to ask what he should do. If anyone could tell him what to do around a girl was his Gran. She knew everything in his eyes. And she had a red haired temper to rival Rayne's only.. she had years more experience honing the skill. It's probably why he adored Rayne when she got all fiery too. It was something that didn't phase him in the least.

[Rayne DiCostas]

"Oh, hi Nate," she said, drawing her attention away from the owl that was only a dot on the horizon now. "Have you been avoiding me?" She asked. She was only teasing, but she really hadn't seen him much since that day in the common room.

She turned and leaned back against the window, crossing her arms over her chest. The weather was starting to get cold, which she hoped meant it would snow soon. She loved the snow.

"How are you feeling?"

[nate]

"I'm fine as I can be... I'm not ill you know. I just have things on my mind is all. I've been.. busy." ...avoiding you. He thought silently. It was as honest as he could be without spilling his guts. He actually wanted desperately to ask her to the dance but he hadn't managed to get up the courage yet, a trait he normally had in spades but not with this.

He moved away but still between her and the door as his owl flew down to him from the rafters. Oldig was just an ordinary looking barn owl but it was his. He gave the owl the parchment and said his grandmother's name and let the owl fly off towards home. Better to get that on its way quickly just in case. He didn't want Rayne to somehow get a hold of that parchment.

"How about you? been okay?" He knew he sounded lame but it was all he could think of to ask. He was trying to avoid answering any further questions about his behavior lately.

[Rayne DiCostas]

Rayne watched him quietly. He seemed to be acting a little more normally, now, which was good. She couldn't be convinced that he hadn't been ill. But now he just seemed distant, and she didn't really know how to ask him about it.

"I've been all right," She said, nodding. "Same day, different stuff," she said. It was a phrase her grandfather used, though she thought it was cute that he always said "stuff" instead of cussing in front of her.

"So... Alice," she said, searching for a topic. "I think she's got a good chance in the tournament."

[nate]

"Yeah probably the best we have. She's a seventh year and she's really talented. I heard she's even planning to apply to be an auror after she graduates." He was glad she'd picked a subject that was neutral and something he could easily talk about. "Have you ever thought about what you want to do once you're out of here?" It came out before he thought about it, just following his own train of thought which naturally reverted back to Rayne. But at least it wasn't totally off subject, at least he hoped she wouldn't notice.

[Rayne DiCostas]

"Oh, goodness," She said. She hated that question. At least she was two years away from hearing it every three seconds.

"Well, I'm fairly sure being an Auror isn't for me." She had also considered mediwitch, but she didn't care much for blood. "I think I'm just hoping for a ridiculously wealthy wizard to propose," she said with a soft little laugh.

When she thought seriously about it, she didn't know what she wanted to do. She had no patience for children, so teaching was out of the question.

"Actually, you know what would be a lot of fun? I could be a dragon keeper."

[nate]

Nate lifted his eyebrows in surprise, he honestly was surprised to hear this... "A dragon keeper? Why a dragon keeper?" Now that was a dangerous job if he ever heard one, he liked dragons himself at least what he'd read of them but he suddenly wondered about this girl who held his attention. He could just imagine her firey temper trying to match up to a fire breathing dragon.

For a moment he forgot his nervousness in an actual interest in what interested her. He even managed to relax his body for once around her, which would likely have been noticeable if he'd realized he'd been doing it in the first place. He was oblivious though as he listened to her. Though his mind did wander quickly over the wealthy husband bit.. briefly.

[Rayne DiCostas]

"It would be exciting, wouldn't it?" Not that being an Auror wouldn't... it was just more her flavor of exciting. "For one, I love animals." She didn't realize that she was starting to let him in just a little. She was telling him more in one shot than most people got over several conversations. "And granted, dragons aren't really the fuzzy, huggable kind, but they'r animals, nontheless. Secondly, the places you could travel would be amazing. And you'd never have to worry about the monotany of an eight hour desk job."

[nate]

"Yeah I don't think I could handle a job at the ministry either ...I'd get bored fast too... dragons are fascinating but I think would be a life time of adventure if nothing else." He was being completely truthful. "I think I crave adventure, just to explore and see new things. So I can see the draw that it would have to travel like that. Have you always had an interest in dragons?" He was genuinely interested and had still not noticed that he was acting more relaxed than he had in weeks.

[Rayne DiCostas]

His relaxed nature was probably what put her at slightly more ease, though it didn't mean she was going to open up to him.

She shrugged. "Yes, I suppose." That was an understatement. She had always been fascinated by dragons, even when she was a little girl and didn't know they really existed.

"So we've ruled out a Ministry job for you... what would you like to do? Auror, perhaps?" That was a popular answer these days.

[nate]

"Me? I hadn't really thought about it honestly. But no, definatly not an Auror. I like to be doing something... maybe a healer or naturalist. Something where I can feel like I'm helping someone or something. Not just protecting but.. saving something or someone." Nate had never told anyone what he wanted to do before, had never truely given it much thought himself but when asked he answered truthfully. "I didnt' think you were taking care of magical creatures this term?" He knew because he had taken it again this term, and she had not been there though he'd half expected her to.

He walked back towards her now that his owl was safely on it's way to his grandmother's house. Although his parent's though both were half-bloods had aquired a fair inheritance for him when they'd died. He'd been too young to remember them really, and his pureblood fiery irish grandmother had raised him. He loved his Gran she reminded him a lot of Rayne he mused again. He still didn't look at her eyes exactly though, he wasn't sure he'd be able to maintain his neves if he did.

[Rayne DiCostas]

"I can see you as a healer," she told him, nodding. He had a sweet disposition which would probably make wonderful bedside manner. Patients would love him. He was sweet, had a good sense of humor. She didn't know this about him yet, but perhaps one day she would find out how gentle his touch was.

"I also think you'd be great with children." He certainly had more patience for them than she did.

[nate]

Children? He hadn't thought about that though it was likely he'd be good at that as well if he took the time to think about it, but he the idea of children made him a bit uncomfortable when he was looking at the one girl who he could imagine little red haired girls and... He quickly thought about something else.

Instead he thought about the dance. Not that it was any better subject it was the next thing that came to mind. "Do you dance?" He realized it was a bit of a drastic subject change but it was better than thinking about his own future, which his avid imagination kept trying to put her in. This was not going well.

[Rayne DiCostas]

Rayne almost laughed and shook her head. "You have a hard time staying focused, don't you?" She didn't mean it as an insult, though it probably came out that way. On the contrary, she thought it was an endearing little quirk of his.

"I don't know. I guess I dance. Not terribly well, though." Rayne was completely oblivious. It was like she couldn't read him at all.

[nate]

Nate heard the half laughter in her words and felt a bit of relief. He didn't think for one moment that she'd let her guard down but at least she wasn't pushing him away. At least she'd answered the question, it was a step in the right direction anyways.

He tried to remember what Evelyn had told him, be subtle and don't tell her how you really feel and just pretend he was talking to a friend that way he wouldn't get nervous until he could handle himself. But that's why he couldn't look at her eyes. If he did, he'd be lost in them he was sure. He shifted nervously, maybe he could ask her to the dance and not have her think there was more than just friends. He wanted to at least know someone else didn't take her first before he got the chance to get to know her more and maybe one day ..he knew she had some kind of past she always hid. She never talked about it to anyone, and quite frankly he didn't talk about his family much either. Except his Gran. But.. he wondered if she could at least come to trust him in time, and know that he didn't mind when she got all fiesty about something.

Nate looked at her hair as he spoke, focus you dolt, don't scare her away and don't make a fool of yourself either. "Would you like to go to the dance with me?" He asked slowly and quietly as if fearing the answer, but his voice was husky and deep in its almost whisper. He hadn't intended to ask her to the dance.. not today anyways but, he wanted to get her refusal out of the way early.

[Rayne DiCostas]

"Oh."

She didn't know why the word slipped out. It was something to fill the silence. And it made his last question make sense, about if she danced. She didn't want to turn him down, and it was nothing personal against him.

She was quiet, and her eyes dropped from his. Not that it mattered, he wasn't making eye contact anyway.

"I wasn't actually going to go to the dance, Nate," Rayne told him. It was the truth. She had intended to hide away in her room and avoid the silliness of the Yule Ball.

[nate]

Nate wasn't really all that surprised to be turned down.. he'd expected it actually and so it didn't hurt as much when she basically told him no without saying the words. He shrugged back to his own plan B... there wasn't anyone else he really wanted to go with so he would end up staying in the dorms.. wether she went with someone else or not at all. "That's fine, I .. I just had hoped you might like to. But it's okay I didn't really expect you to say yes. I'll just hang out in the common rooms and study then."

He had a hurt look in his eyes never the less.. it was just a stupid dance anyways. And he shifted onto his other foot still not looking at her eyes. "you can yell at me now you know." He half meant it and half was teasing her. He had expected her to go off on him for his 'audacity' to ask her out or some such reaction, but he also wanted her to know that he didn't mind if she did and to point out her tendancy to do so. All in one little sentance.

[Rayne DiCostas]

"Yell at you?" She asked. "Merlin, I'm not that bad."

She was just as uncomfortable as he was, though, and she felt bad for turning him down. "It's not you, Nate. I just... you know, if Eves gets her way, she'll be at the dance with Rabastan Lestrange, and that's just about enough to make me sick."

What she didn't mention was the fact that she had decided not to go because she didn't think anyone was going to ask her. When Nate had, she had already resigned herself to not going.

[nate]

"Not me. Oh. You like him then?" He hadn't thougth she would be the type to want Rabastan for herself but it sure sounded like that was what she'd meant. Otherwise he couldn't see how who Evelyn's date was would matter if she went to the dance or not.