Normalcy

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani had been more relaxed around Rystain lately, and she didn't ahve to worry about Lyra anymore. That helped immensely, though she was still worried that Rystain resented her for making that decision. She never asked him to make it.

She had been looking for him after one of her classes today and couldn't find him, so she found her way to the Trophy Room, as a last resort, hoping he'd either be there or he'd come there.

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain looked up from a chair when he saw Leilani enter the trophy room. He wasn't doing anything really, just staring at the trophies and thinking like normal. When she entered he smiled. "Hello, my sweet Lani... miss me so much you couldn't wait to find me?" He was teasing her as he patted his leg for her to come join him and sit across his lap. She was always welcome to join him here when he came to think, and he was glad she'd come. He'd actually been thinking about her and was glad she'd appeared as if on cue.

"Come here, I missed you sweetheart." He was still smiling and his eyes looked brighter having her there, she looked beautiful as ever and he couldn't help smiling.

[Leilani Evetts]

At his question, even though it was teasing, she blushed slightly. The last thing she wanted was to appear needy. She had been so careful around him lately. She didn't want him to think that he had made the wrong decision when he chose her.

She walked towards him, though, answering his question. "I haven't seen you at all today, and it's almost supper time. I was just making sure you were all right," she said, shrugging as she came to a stop in front of him. She did not sit down yet. "Are you all right?"

[Rystain Quandry]

"I'm fine now that you are here, cheri." That at least was true, he was happy when Lani was with him. It was when he was alone that his internal daemons showed up. "I was just sitting here thinking is all. Nothing special, but you know me... I like coming down here when I want to get away from the world. But you are always welcome to come save me from myself." He winked at her blush, still waiting to see if she would join him or not.

"I sent an application this morning to the Department of Mysteries to become an intern this summer after I graduate." It was one of the things on his mind, though certainly not the only thing.

[Leilani Evetts]

"Have you heard back yet?" She asked, not really letting him see her own feelings about it. She thought it was good, though. If that's what he wanted to do, then she sincerely hoped they would accept him as an intern.

She didn't know what she wanted to do when she graduated, but she had more time to think about it than he did.

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain shook his head, "No I just sent it off this morning, I don't expect an answer yet but I hope they accept me. It's not the easiest position to get, especially right out of school... but I know I can do it as long as I ace my NEWTs especially. I have plans for my life and that is where I need to be to accomplish them. I'll do whatever it takes to get there, but I hope that I will fit their requirements easily enough." She still was standing and he didn't make an issue over the fact, but he noticed it.

[Leilani Evetts]

She nodded. "I'm sure they'll accept you, Ryst," she told him, supportive as ever. They had spoken, if only briefly, of his plans for the future, and she wanted the best for him. She wanted him to have everything he planned and hoped for.

She wasn't sure why she was still standing, but was even less sure of her next move. She pulled up her own chair. It wasn't that she didn't want to be near him, obviously. She had searched him out, after all.

"Who do you write to, anyway? The head of the Department, or his secretary... I mean, who decides?"

[Rystain Quandry]

"I wrote to the head of the department, my family name should be enough to at least bypass the secretary anyways. I don't know who normally decides those things but surely not the secretary. I figure though that in a department like that all applicants would have to go through him in the end anyways." He wasn't being purposely arrogant, but he knew the truth of his own words. There were times where names could get you further than other things and his family had influence and money.

Rystain saw where she sat though and frowned but he didn't say anything about it and shifted himself back into the position he'd been in before offering her his lap to sit on.

[Leilani Evetts]

"Well, no," Lani said, shaking her head. "I didn't think the secretary would make those decisions. I just thought she might weed through the applicants. In fact, I'm pretty sure that there would be pretty long face to face interviews and the like. The Department of Mysteries and the Auror department have the strictest qualifications."

She was babbling about things he already knew, likely, so she stopped talking about it. "You'll do fine, though, I'm sure."

[Rystain Quandry]

"Yes, I know. That's why I sent it in now instead of waiting for after graduation. I wanted to have a head start in all that. I don't plan to wait around aimlessly to get what I want out of life. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Rookwood has someone on staff to go through his applicants, but I wanted to make sure he at least knew I was applying. He knows my father somehow of course, though my father would never quite explain the connection. But everyone has their secrets I suppose. I just hope that works to my advantage to get at least into the interviews. The rest I know I can get through on skill."

Rystain wasn't being arrogant, he knew what things he was good and what things he was not. But of course, there was only so much you could prepare for interviews about a deptartment that no one knows anything about what they really do. That was the draw to it really. He wanted to know what was behind those doors wanted to discover the secrets of wizarding kind, to pull the unseen strings behind the power of the ministry one day.

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani just nodded while he spoke. She did not underestimate the power of names, even in the Ministry, and Rystain was the type to get what he wanted, no matter what.

"Well, you'll let me know when you hear something from them?" She asked, knowing he would tell her. She hopd they accepted him, but the other part of her didn't want to think about the fact that he would be graduating atthe end of the year.

[Rystain Quandry]

"Of course I will, Lanibug. Why do you look so sad though? I thought you'd be happy about dating a future Unspeakable." He saw an odd sadness in her eyes, and he didn't know why she would be sad by the idea of him working at the ministry one day. The idea of him graduating before her didn't even enter his mind. Sometimes he forgot she was a sixth year, she always acted older than she really was.

[Leilani Evetts]

"I'm not sad," Lani said, shaking her head softly. "I'm just thinking."

It wasn't so much that she wouldn't see him as much when he graduated, but she couldn't help but think that he was going to see her as much, and he would meet a hundred new girls that he would probably be interested in, and would have more to talk to him about than just school... it wasn't healthy to be so worried ina relationship, but then she told herself that yes, he had chosen her. And however long it lasted, she was head over heels for him.

"I'm just going to miss you when you graduate, is all."

[Rystain Quandry]

"Lani, let's not think about that alright? It'll only be a year and I'm sure everything will be okay. We should just think about the now and take things as life brings them." He had no idea what the year apart would bring, but he didn't really want to think about it. They still had the rest of this year before they had to worry about it. And another year before they could really do anything more than date like they were... although it would bring less time together and he wondered silently if he would end up hurting her in the end. He didn't want to hurt her though and he hoped he didn't. He loved seeing her smile.

He moved to try to pick her up then and bring her to his lap if she'd let him. He didn't like the space between them right now and he just wanted to hold her.

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani frowned, but let Rystain pull her into his lap compliantly. She wasn't even sure that they'd be together when the year was through... and if they were, would he be loyal to her when he couldn't see her every day? Her first thought was no, and it killed her that she felt that way.

She sighed and turned so that her legs were perpendicularly across his, an her back was against his chest. "Consider it not thought about, then."

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain smiled as she came into his lap finally, and he wrapped a strong muscular arm around her waist while his other reached to hold her hand in his bringing it up to his lips over her shoulder and kissing her fingers softly. "My sweet and beautiful Lani. I'm glad you're here, and that I can hold you in my arms and have you as my companion." He spoke softly as he kissed the back of her neck and lowered her hand to wrap that arm around her waist as well.

"Tell about your brother, Lelani... you never really talk about him."

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani shrugged in his arms. What was there to really tell about her brother? She assumed Rystain wanted Quidditch related details... why would he really care about anything else?

"He started playing muggle football practically the day he was born," he said, moving her fingers over his absently where he now held her. "And then Quidditch as soon as he could fly. They joked he was born on a broom. He was Captain, when he was here... and I don't know. You have his play history. What else can I tell you?"

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain chuckled softly at the lovely Leilani Evetts, enjoying every moment of her tender touch, he kissed the back of her neck lightly. He felt good being here right now, with Lani. He had to make a painful decision once, now he just had to deal with the pain of knowing one day he would probably break this lovely woman's heart and it will crush one of them. "Je t'aime ma cherie." Brushing a strand of hair away from Lani's face, he moved his hand back around her waist as they sat there. "I wanna know about your brother the person dear Lani, I know the quidditch player well enough, i'm interested in learning more of your family..."

[Leilani Evetts]

"Je t'aime," Lani repeated softly, and wondered how much that actually meant to him. He whispered sweet French things to her all the time... she wouldn't get her hopes up until he whispered those words to her in English.

But what to tell him about her brother? "Nolan... well... He's sweet. He always took me everywhere with him growing up, which is how I started playing Quidditch with him. He's headstrong and stubborn and willful. Nothing phases him. Good under stress, you know. All of that. He's been dating this girl now for a couple of years, and I think he's going to marry her, but neither one of them wants to commit yet."