Keep It Steady (Open)

[Ian McAllister]

"It's what I do," Ian said with a confident grin. Of course, had she been a boy, Ian would have acted clueless, unless he knew him. He was always sort of nice to the girls, and to what few friends he had.

As Roman stood up, Ian didn't really want her to rush off. She was distracting him from re-reading the note that was in his pocket. The note that made him angry and upset. "You don't have to go," he said. "You really weren't disturbing anything."

[Roman Jetter]

"Are you sure?" she asked, not exactly rushing to put her things down. But she sat anyway, pushing herself again to be a bit more social. Ian had just helped her with her homework, and the least she could do was find out more about him. He was at least showing that he didn't think she was weird or anything.

She started to play with the hem of her skirt before mumbling, "so, you're obviously a Gryfinndor. But that's all I know." She wasn't exactly a genius with conversation starters.

[Ian McAllister]

"Positive." Ian gave her a nod and a face that said he was sure. Plus, it never hurt anybody to do a little flirting. He gave Roman a wink. "You don't have to be shy around me," he noted. "But yes, I am a Gryffindor, fifth year, and you do know my name is Ian. Nothing really special about me. I'm just your average student." Naturally Ian wasn't going to spill everything at the moment. He never spilled anything to anyone. Even though he did have some friends, he kept them an arm's length away, not letting them know everything. "What about you Roman? You're a Gryffindor too, and you need help with Astronomy, but that's all I know."

[Roman Jetter]

"Well," Roman pressed her fist to her mouth, meaning she was thinking. It was nice that he had said she didn't need to be shy, although it might help only a little, timid was Roman's second nature. And Ian made himself sound worth talking to, although he had only said items that weren't really deep at all. Roman still didn't have any idea what to think of him, but she wasn't certain she'd probably do the exact same. She removed her hand and put it on the ground to lean against. "I'd have to say the same. I'm not really different from anyone here."

She gave a light shrug, it was true. She was middle territory, not the best, although definately not the worst (Except for maybe Astronomy). "Do you have any hobbies?"

[Ian McAllister]

He liked the idea that she didn't spill a lot about her either. Ian didn't really care if someone did, it was just nice to know that someone was sort of like him in that sense. "Hobbies? I don't really think I've got any. I like to know what is going on with Quidditch. I guess that could be considered a hobby." Ian gave a shrug. He wasn't really all that interesting on a personal level, he didn't think.

"What about you?"

[Roman Jetter]

"Quidditch," Roman repeated. "I don't know anything about it, although I'm jealous of people who can play. I wish I could fly." She shook her head lightly, smiling. The fact that Ian didn't seem like he was a complete know-it-all about it, or start explaining tactics and plays to her made her relax a tad more. He seemed very laid- back, something she should try and emulate. Maybe this conversation would be better then she though.

Did Roman have any hobbies? The first thing that came to mind was dance, but that seemed a bit on a higher level then hobby. It was the only thing she seemed to do while she was at Hogwarts. But she mumbled it softly anyway, "I dance."

[Ian McAllister]

"Flying is not hard. All you have to have is balance," he said simply. Ian didn't feel the need to explain what happened in Quidditch, who was best, and that sort of thing. There was no need to. After all he wasn't some big fantic on the sport that wanted to share his knowledge of the sport. Sure, Ian knew a lot of things, he just didn't always show that he did.

Ian's eyebrows rose slightly. "Dance?" He didn't know anyone that did dance. "That's interesting. Maybe you could dance for me one day and show me what you know?"

[Roman Jetter]

"I've never tried. I'm afraid of falling off," she admitted slowly, glad he didn't try and explain the game. She probably wouldn't be able to follow it through descriptions. She was the type of person who had to see to believe things, and his lack of rant was appreciated. "Can you ride a broomstick?"

Roman turned slightly pink at that, she never danced in front of other people unless it was an actual performance, with other dancers along with her. "I don't think you'd want that..." she managed to squeak shyly. "It's pretty boring, I'm sure."

[Ian McAllister]

"Yeah, I can ride a broomstick."

Roman's blushing didn't go unnoticed. It caused Ian to give his smirk again. "I think that I would. Its nonsense that you think it would be boring. You wouldn't be dancing if it was boring." Ian looked at her matter of factly when it stated it. "Besides, I'm sure that you're a pretty good dancer."

[Roman Jetter]

"I'm jealous," she said lightly, meaning it as a joke. She was only slightly envious that he could fly.

Ian was smirking again, and Roman just clutched her hands together, leaning up off her hands. "I do love it. I just don't think you will," she muttered. Of course she loved to dance, it's all she did with her life. But having other people endure her leaping around the room didn't seem that appealing. She didn't think they'd enjoy it as much.

[Ian McAllister]

"You don't think," he asked with a teasing tone. "Who knows, maybe I'll surprise you and enjoy it. Besides, you're good at it, from what I understand, and I'm sure that you put whatever you have in it. That is what makes it good." Where in the world did those words just come from? Ian wouldn't have usually said anything, as long he was aware of what he was going to say. He pushed the fact that he just said that away.

"But do whatever you think. I'm not going to force you to."

[Roman Jetter]

Roman was slightly shocked of the short little speech she had just gotten from Ian. He didn't seem like the tpe to say that, but she shrugged it off. People were just full of surprises, and she shouldn't judge them. She shook her head. "If you were really that interested, I might. But I really just don't want to bore you. I promise I'm putting you first right now," she gave him a small smile, although her hands were still grasping on to each other in her lap.

"You're full of surprises, though. I don't think I would have talked to you if you hadn't been up here."

[Ian McAllister]

"You're not going to bore me, don't worry," Ian said confidently. Even though he would never admit it, he was jealous of those people that found what they loved and worked for it. Ian didn't quiet know what he loved. However, Ian did want to see Roman dance, he wasn't just making that up.

"Being full of surprises is usually the best way to be," he said giving her a wink. "And I'm sure that I would have gotten a few words out of you sometime. I wouldn't be able to be classes, or even in the common room and not see you." The last sentence was said with fliration behind it. He was aiming to make Roman blush. He always liked when girls did that.

[Roman Jetter]

"Thanks," she was being put on the spot, and she was starting to back track into the conversation. She wasn't good at receiving compliments, and it probably showed. Anything more then 'good job' made her feel uncomfortable if she wasn't incredibley close to the person. And as nice as Ian was turning out to be, he wasn't quite there yet.

Roman felt almost her entire face turn a light shade of strawberry. She thought he might have been flirting, but she wasn't absolutely sure. THe sentence could be innocent, if said in the right tone. She shook her hair out of her face before saying, "maybe some people don't know how to be unpredictable like you. You're lucky."

She purposely didn't respond to the second statement. Roman wasn't sure how.

[Ian McAllister]

Roman's blushing was just what Ian needed to continue. "You wear pink very well," he said smiling. Of course, he wasn't going to tell her that she was red, but still she did wear the color well. Ian gave her a wink and folded his knees up, resting his hands on them.

"Ah, being unpredictable can be fun. I'm sure that you can be unpredictable. Sometimes you just can't think twice about something, you just have to do it. That can make you somewhat unpredictable."

Ian noticed that Roman didn't respond to his last statement and he knew that she probably didn't because she was shy. He could attempt to bring her out of her shell, even if by a little.

[Roman Jetter]

Roman's face was now on fire. He had noticed, making her feel ridiculous. LIttle things like that shouldn't get her caught up. She rubbed her hands on her face and mellowed it out a bit, not looking him in the eye. "Thanks, again."

"I don't really know how," Roman shrugged. "I don't get the opportunity." She was being honest, she never had any chance to try and be unpredictable. She always thought twice about things, just to make sure that they were perfect beforehand. Ian seemed like the fun-loving guy, and Roman was a somewhat perfectionist, for lack of better activity.

[Ian McAllister]

He was going to make it a point to make Roman blush whenever the chance presented itself. The redness on her cheeks was a weakness to Ian. If she would have just brushed it off, Ian would have pressed a little harder, but she wasn't pushing him and she wasn't giggling her head off. It was perfect. "There's not need to say thanks. I'm only stating the obvious."

She didn't get the opportunity? "Of course you have the opportunity. You have it every where you go. People are supposed to see you shy, right? Do something that they would think you would never do and don't think about it. Simple as that.

[Roman Jetter]

"Ob-obvious?" she stammered, holding her cheeks in her hands in attempt to hide it, completely shocked. No one had ever said things like that to her, and her reactions were a little tactless. But Roman wasn't quite sure how to respond. "Uhm, thank you. That means a lot."

"It's not that simple to just not be shy. I've said more to you in this entire conversation then most of our classmates in these past five years. It's like a personality trait. I just can't get myself to say anything when I'm around other people. I'm actually surprising myself right now. Talking to you like I am." Roman hoped she didn't sound like she was babbling, although if she got nervous enough she might start.

[Ian McAllister]

"It is that simple not to be shy. Right now, you're doing something unpredictable. Like you said, you're talking more than you ever have with anyone." Ian flashed a grin. "Now all you need to do is just do it in front of other people. Just go with whatever is on your mind. Easy as pie." He gave a nod of his head.

"You're well on your way to being unpredictable Roman, and right now it looks good on you."

[Roman Jetter]

"All people aren't you," she said, then wishing she could take that back, It sounded strange, like she was hitting on him, and Roman wasn't the type of person to flirt with someone she just met. Hell, she didn't even know if she knew how to. To try and make it up, she started talking incredibley fast, "well, they aren't as nice as you, you know. Because you sit up here helping me with my homework and then you talk to me, and I'm sure not a lot of people would do that. So all people aren't you. But it's a good thing you're you because at least I'm talking and you even complimented me! Which I'm grateful for, and I'm sorry that I sound so weird and-"

She stopped talking to bury her face in her hands. This was a perfect exampe of why she didn't talk.