Hot Chocolate (Open)

[Tyler Parsons]

The common room seemed to be to quite. Several students were studying and Tyler didn't feel like studying along with them. He snuck away from the common room and traveled down the moving staircases to the kitchens. Once he tickled the pear and entered through the portrait.

Tyler greeted the house elves before ordering a mug of hot coca before taking a seat on the stool. He had thought about going outside first, but it was a little too cool to be staying outside for a period of time.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia had a tiny secret. In public she often ate very little, in order to give the impression that she was always trying to lose weight. But she didn't really need to lose weight, and she never really gained weight from eating. It was just an act she felt she had to put on at the Slytherin table. But her family, and anyone who really knew her, knew she had a healthy appetite.

After a small lunch that consisted of a salad, a small roll, and a glass of water, Ophelia was hungry a few hours later, so she did as she often did--she slipped out of the common room and over to the kitchens. She tickled the pear and went inside. The house elves were always so nice to her that she was actually nice to them in return. One of them stepped forward to greet her and ushered her over to a little table. But as she got there, she noticed a boy she hadn't seen before. "Oh... I didn't realize anyone else was here," she said, backing away. She wasn't looking her best this afternoon; a few of her curls had gone limp and she'd allowed her makeup to fade a little. She wasn't prepared to see a boy right now...

[Tyler Parsons]

Tyler kept his cool hands on his mug that held his hot chocolate in order to keep his hands warm. He was watching the marshmellows, that the house elves kindly put in, float around, but then looked up whenever he heard a girl's voice.

She was pretty, he had to admit to that. "Oh no, you don't have to go," he said as she started to back away. "I don't mind not being the only one in here, and I don't bite I promise."

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia's hand went to her hair. It was messy; it wasn't perfect. She didn't really like being seen by anyone but her family and close friends when she wasn't looking utterly perfect. And if word got out that she was eating, what would it do to her reputation?

"I just... I'm not allowed to talk to boys," she said in a lofty tone, lifting her head in the hair. "My brother is really protective."

[Tyler Parsons]

He raised an eyebrow. "Not allowed to talk to boys? Well, it's not like you came to the kitchens to find me. We just happen to be here at the same time. Besides, I'm not going to kidnap you and run away where no one could find us," said Tyler. "I promise, I'm not going to do anything funny. I'm just drinking my hot chocolate. If you want, you can pretend I'm not even here. I wouldn't get offended."

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia hesitate a moment. It was reasonable enough, she supposed. She certainly hadn't planned on a clandestine meeting in the kitchen. And besides, she knew full well that if she had wanted to meet with a boy in secret, she wouldn't let anything stop her. Furthermore, she really was hungry.

"I guess that would be OK," she said. "I don't imagine you could do anything in the presence of all these house elves, anyway." She settled down at the little table and asked the house elf to make her a sandwich.

Glancing over at the boy, she noticed that he was cute. Not a Slytherin, though. She would have known him if he was in Slytherin. He looked to be about her age. "I guess... my brother's not here, so I suppose we could talk a little, if you wanted. What's your name?"

[Tyler Parsons]

As she approached the table, Tyler gave her a soft smile before drinking from his mug. The liquid felt nice and warm. Just what he needed. One of the house elves offered him a cookie, and he took it gratefully. After he thanked her, the little house elf scurried away to work on something else.

He broke off a piece of his cookie and offered it to the blond girl. "I'm Tyler Parsons," he said smiling. "What's your name?"

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia drew back as if he were offering her a poisoned apple. She eyed him warily, then took the piece from his hand. She looked rather like a frightened, hungry kitten in that moment. Until she spoke. "Thank you," she said. She tossed her blonde curls over her shoulder and took a bite of the cookie. It was good, of course; the house elves really knew how to cook. After she'd swallowed her first bite, she gave the boy a slight smile. Of course, she was mildly insulted that he didn't already know her name; didn't everyone know the Burkes? "I'm Ophelia Burke," she said, giving her head an unconscious toss.

[Tyler Parsons]

Again, Tyler raised an eyebrow at the girl's actions. "I'm not going to attack you with it, and it's not poisonus. I have no reason to attempt to poison you. It's just half of my cookie, honestly." He didn't understand why she seemed to be scared of him, but he wasn't going to shrink away. There was no need for her to be scared of him.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Ophelia," he said with her name rolling off his tongue easily. He gave her another smile. Burke? He had heard the name before, but other than that he had never met one or really heard of the ones at school. Maybe Tyler lived in his own world. "What house are you in? Wait, let me guess. I know that you're not in Gryffindor, for if you were I would have more than likely seen you. You don't really seem like you'd be in Hufflepuff. So there are only two left. Ravenclaw and Slytherin." He studied her for a moment. "My guess would be Slytherin. Am I right?"

[Ophelia Burke]

"I know it's not poison, it's just... cookies are fattening," said Ophelia. "But you have the bigger piece, so you get all the calories." It was senseless logic, and pointless as well, since Ophelia was very far from getting fat.

As he tried to guess her house, she rolled her eyes. "Of course, I'm in Slytherin. All the Burkes are in Slytherin. We always have been. And I'm sure someone who is as impertinent as you could only be in Gryffindor."

[Tyler Parsons]

"Cookies are good and it doesn't matter that they are fattening." Tyler didn't understand why girls always wanted to 'watch their weight', or just get something extremely small when the girl knew that she wanted more. "I may have more calories, but I have the better end." He gave her a smile before taking a bite out of his half.

Tyler gave her a 'Sorry-I-didn't-know' look before returning to his hot chocolate. "Ah, good job Ace. I am in Gryffindor, and I'm thankful for your observations. I will try and better myself, so that I shall be less impertinent than you think I am."

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia made a face. "You know, it's easier for boys. No one cares if you gain weight. If I gain a pound, everyone will start calling me fat. And I can't allow anyone to talk about a Burke that way. I'm supposed to be perfect."

When he called her "Ace," her frown deepened. "Well, you're still being impertinent," she accused. "What do you mean by that? My name is Ophelia, not 'Ace.'"

[Tyler Parsons]

Tyler gave Ophelia a confused look. "You're not going to gain a pound by just eating a cookie," he said. "And you're not fat. Besides, if you do gain a pound, you won't be fat at all. I bet you that you probably wouldn't be able to tell." He didn't get why girls really worried about their weight, but then again he would probably never understand.

"I know what your name is Ophelia," Tyler replied. "'Ace' is just a nickname instead of saying Ophelia all the time." He studied her for a moment. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

[Ophelia Burke]

"I know what a nickname is," Ophelia said sharply. "My friends call me Fee. You, however, may call me Ophelia." She wasn't quite sure why, but talking to this boy was getting her flustered. She was used to being treated like she was special, not just some ordinary girl. But he was so casual and familiar, even though he didn't know her. It confused her.

The house elf came over just then to give her the sandwich it had made for her, along with a glass of ice water. She thanked the elf politely and began to eat, stealing glances at the boy as she did.

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia knew that Fee liked to eat in secret. It was one of those "Fee" things. Anytime Fee did something that Kassia didn't understand she called it a "Fee" thing, in either case she was smiling slightly, maybe her sister would be in the kitchens. Kassia had missed dinner choosing instead to correspond with her parents using owls and updating them on what had been happening at school and such, but now she was starving.

It was a good thing the kitchens were really close to her house it wasn't a far journey at all before she was inside.

"Thought you'd be here." she said seeing her sister first, and then the boy a moment later, she furrowed her brow in curiosity and went to join her sister.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia sighed in irritation when Kassia walked in. It wasn't a loud sigh, but loud enough for Tyler to hear. Sometimes it seemed like every time she turned around, there was another sister. Yes, she loved her family, in her own way. But her sisters... they just drove her crazy sometimes. They were always just... there... stealing attention that rightfully should have been hers.

"Hi, Kass," she said sweetly. "I should have known you'd find me here."

Her eyes darted over to Tyler curiously. Manners would dictate that she should introduce her sister to him, but she didn't, not yet.

[Tyler Parsons]

Tyler smiled at Ophelia. "Don't get me wrong, the name Ophelia is a beautiful name. It suits you, however I like to call you Ace, and Ace you shall be." Yes, Tyler was stubborn, but he did have fun with it.

He looked back to his hot chocolate and took another sip. He glanced bacok to the door. What was it with girls looking at him like they were scared of him, or like he was crazy? Tyler hadn't done anything other than just sit there.

"You don't have to look at me like that. That's the same way she looked at me. Like I told her, I don't bite," said Tyler with a kind tone.

[Kassia Burke]

It was the fact that she didn't know him, and Burkes knew all people of importance of whom they should converse with, but she was cordial and nodded to him, "I was simply coming down for a snack I missed dinner."

She knew it stuck in her sister's craw anytime a sister found her or joined her and it saddened Kassia that she thought of her more of a hindrance than a friend but Kassia didn't say anything about it, she didn't track her sister down on purpose unless it was to keep an eye on her.

[Tyler Parsons]

He studied the girl he heard Ophelia call Kass. The two girls looked a lot a like, so he could only assume that they were sisters. One of the house elves came and replaced his current hot chocolate with another one, which was warmer.

Tyler just nodded to the girl as she joined them. It wasn't like he was going to be rude. "You must be Ophelia's sister. It's nice to meet you....."

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia frowned. She didn't want to be accused of being rude by not introducing them, and since they hadn't exactly introduced themselves, it was only polite that she should step in. "Oh, Tyler, this is my younger sister Kassia. She also has a twin named Allaire, who's probably around here somewhere. Kass, this is Tyler Parsons." She nodded her head dismissively, as if that was enough to fulfill her social duty. "Kass, why don't you tell the house elves what you want to eat? They made me a lovely turkey and cheese sandwich."