Free Falling (Open)

[Elliot Lyons]

"And I should probably also let you know that if Cameron says anything teasingly, he doesn't really mean it. He's just picking." Elliot felt the need to tell her about his friend because he didn't want her to take anything he said teasingly seriously. There was no reason for her to be scared of Cameron.

The thought that having her go to dinner with him never occurred to him that it could be considered a date. If anyone ever pointed it out, it would make Elliot go redder than fire, but he probably wouldn't have said anything against it.

"What do you do for fun? Do you read a lot? I'm sure that Savannah would lend you a few books if you wanted. I even have a few myself." The questions just rolled off Elliot's tongue without really thinking. He just knew that he wanted to know more.

[Ingrid Regan]

No one ever asked her questions. It was pointless, after all, to ask questions of a girl who didn't talk. But it was more than that. No one ever cared enough to find out the answers. Some of the meaner kids would ask her why she couldn't talk and if she was stupid, but no one ever really asked her what she liked to do, like they would any other girl.

She smiled softly. In answer, she opened up her book and flipped through until she found an illustration of two dogs and a cat. She pointed to each animal and then made a motion of cradling something in her arms, trying to tell him that she loved to take care of animals.

[Elliot Lyons]

Majority of the time, Elliot didn't give up. There were times whenever he thought something wasn't worth spending a lot of time over, but Ingrid was one of those that he didn't mind spending time with. He had a desire to get to know her.

"You love animals," he asked interested, "and taking care of them?" There was a smile on his face. "That's great. I don't think a lot of people express a lot of love for animals but it's great that you do. Do you want to go and work in the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures department at the Ministry once you graduate?"

[Ingrid Regan]

Ingrid really hadn't thought about what she was going to do after school. What can a person do if they can't speak? Even if she had her own way of communicating, it would be difficult to convince other people that she could do certain jobs without speaking. She just sort of thought she'd live with Aunt Bonnie on the farm, raising animals and growing crops. But she did like the idea of working some place where she could help animals.

She shrugged at Elliot, the best answer she could give him at the time.

[Elliot Lyons]

"I think that you'd probably be good at something like that," he said. There were plenty of things she could do even if she couldn't speak. Taking care of animals didn't always require the need for speaking. Besides, there were spells she could use that she didn't even have to say anything. "Or you could be like one of those muggle animal doctors, a veterinarian. I'm sure that the wizarding world could use plenty of veterinarians." Elliot smiled.

"I'm not even sure what I want to do either, though. I haven't even narrowed it down to anything." He gave a shake of his head. He still had another year to really decide. Elliot did know, however, he wasn't going to become a deadbeat like his uncle.

[Ingrid Regan]

Ingrid smiled and nodded. She liked the idea of being a wizard veterinarian. Animals were important to wizards and witches, and surely they'd need someone to take care of them. And it wasn't just owls and cats, either. Magical creatures needed care, too. She could do that.

Now, if only she could help him figure out what he could do after school. He was smart and caring and interesting; surely there had to be something good for him. A healer, maybe? Or a teacher. She could see him doing those things.

Hesitantly, she made a motion as if she'd hurt her arm, then waved her wand over it, as if healing it. Then she shrugged.

[Elliot Lyons]

Seeing Ingrid smile seemed to make one appear on Elliot's face. He liked to see her smile and he doubted that she did it a lot. "I'd make sure to bring whatever animals I may have to you whenever they are sick, or need shots."

It took him a moment to realize what she meant when she pretended to hurt her arm. "A healer? That could be a possibility but I'm not really sure. I have taken care of people before but it wasn't really medically. It could be a good job." To be honest, Elliot hadn't ever thought about becoming a healer but there was that possibility he could. "I just have to find out what Savannah wants to do. She thinks that she is supposed to be this perfect lady. I don't really want her to be that way. She should go out and find something for herself rather than be the person our parents wanted her to be."

[Ingrid Regan]

It was sweet that he was so concerned about his sister. But Ingrid hoped that he wouldn't hold himself back in order to stay with his sister. She would have to decide what to do with her own life, and he would have to do the same thing. All he could do was encourage her.

She wondered if Elliot had ever told Savannah that he didn't want her to be a perfect lady. Maybe the girl needed some encouragement.

In response to his comment, she nodded, then made a motion with her hand, bringing it up to her mouth, then extending it outward. It was supposed to indicate that he should talk to his sister and tell her how he felt. Maybe she felt the same way and just needed to hear from him that it was OK to be herself.

[Elliot Lyons]

"Talk to her," he asked. It was almost like Elliot could understand almost everything Ingrid was telling him without any problems. "I'm not sure how well that conversation would go. But, I know that I should. I just wouldn't really have any idea what to tell her. She would probably be completely lost at how to act like a normal girl. Savannah has always been so quiet and reserved. It just worries me about how she will take me telling her that I don't really want her to be a perfect lady, that she doesn't have to be the kind of person our parents trained her to be. If I tell her, she might think that my ruffian of a friend, as she has referenced him before, has influenced me more than she thought."

Elliot let out a sigh. "Although I guess I should do it soon. Ryder wouldn't bother to tell her. He doesn't really like to be around us that much, or at least I don't think he does. We're so different." He ran a hand down his face. "Why does everything have to be complicated?"

[Ingrid Regan]

Because she didn't speak, she had somehow managed to assume the role of the silent observer of the world around her. She understood a lot more than people realized she did, and she had a pretty good understanding of body language and how it so often communicated the things that were left unspoken.

Ingrid didn't know Savannah, so maybe Elliot's fears were justified. Maybe she liked being the way she was. Maybe she was happy that way. But Ingrid suspected that both Elliot and Savannah were being held prisoner by the expectations that had been heaped on them by their parents. She recognized something in Elliot that she was all too familiar with, and that was a sense of restraint and repression. He was holding himself back from being... himself. He, like Savannah, was trying to be something that he wasn't, but here, with her, he was completely open. He wasn't putting on a mask for the world. Maybe Savannah was doing the same thing... maybe she was hiding her true self because that was how she felt she was supposed to be. And she needed someone to tell her that it was OK to let go.

Why did everything have to be so complicated? Maybe it didn't. Maybe if people would learn to say only what they truly felt and not overcomplicate things with unnecessary words, the world would be a better place.

She gave him a sympathetic sort of smile, then reached over and took his hand, silently telling him that, whatever happened with Savannah, she would be there for him.

[Elliot Lyons]

Maybe he would take Savannah aside some time after dinner. He could take her up to the room of requirement, or he could even bring her here to talk to her. Maybe it would just be easier to talk about it while it was on his mind, and while he had some encouragement to step forward.

Around Ingrid, it was easy to put his mask away and not be anyone but himself. He was a sixteen year old who was worried about what family he had left and forced to grow up fast. He should be a sixteen year old boy who should be worrying if he made a fool of himself in front of a girl he liked, or wondering what he was going to do over the weekend.

Whenever she took his hand again, Elliot looked down at their hands. Looking up, he saw her smile and returned one of his own. "You know Ingrid, I think you are just the kind of person I've been hoping would come around." For awhile, Elliot had been hoping that he could just meet someone that could help him, someone that would just listen and wouldn't judge or anything like that. "I can't thank you enough. You know that if you ever need help with something, or don't want to be by yourself, or whatever, you can let me know and I'll be there."

[Ingrid Regan]

(I hate to end this thread, but I don't see anywhere else we can go with it.... Maybe we can start a new one at lunch the next day.)

Ingrid waved her hand in front of her again. Of course she hadn't done it because she wanted or expected anything in return. She had helped Elliot because she liked him and because she recognized the same quiet desperation in him that she felt every day. And after their conversation--if you could actually call it that when one of the two participants couldn't actually speak--she felt some of that desperation ease up inside. She no longer felt alone and misunderstood. He understood her in ways no one ever had before. How was it possible that they had only just met? She felt, strangely, as if she'd known him all her life.

It was getting late, and she could hear the distant chimes of the clock, which signaled that it was time for everyone to return to their common rooms. She gave a slight smile and shrugged again, then nodded toward the door. She didn't really want to leave, but she didn't want to get in trouble, either.

[Elliot Lyons]

Elliot felt the same way that she did . Finally there was someone there and that already made a difference.

Hearing the chimes, he gave a sigh. He didn't really want to leave either. To him, the Astronomy Tower was a getaway and whenever he would leave, that meant that he was going back down into everything. "I guess we should," he said after Ingrid nodded toward the door. He stood up and offered her his hand. "I'll walk you back to your common room if you would like."

[Ingrid Regan]

Ingrid put her hand in his and let him help her up. Her hand felt warm in his, and she couldn't help the tiny blush that crept up on her cheeks. Looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, she realized for the first time that he was actualy rather good-looking. He had the kind of looks that probably made a lot of girls weak in the knees. But Ingrid didn't care what other girls thought. She only know that she personally found him nice to look at. She didn't feel particularly weak in the knees, and she didn't really think much else about this meeting than that she had just met a great new friend.

At his offer to walk her to her common room, she just smiled and nodded. This way they could "talk" a little longer, and she wouldn't have to leave him just yet. She liked that.

[Elliot Lyons]

Elliot smiled and didn't bother to let her hand go. He didn't think of it as a big deal. Elliot took it slow going down the stairs, making sure neither one of them took a spill down the stairs. He knew from personal experience that those stairs could be tricky for those in a hurry.

He was quite until they left the tower. Looking to Ingrid, he smiled. The more he thought about the idea that he was walking the hall with a girl back to her dorm, a light blush rose to his cheeks. It was the first time he had actually walked with a girl beside him alone, that wasn't his sister.

The walk to the Gryffindor Portrait didn't take long enough at all. Elliot found that he wished the walk was a lot longer than what it was. Once they reached the portrait, he stopped.

"I really had a good time this evening Ingrid. I'm looking forward to tomorrow," said Elliot honestly. He blushed a little deeper whenever he said he was looking forward to the next day.

[Ingrid Regan]

Ingrid felt a sharp stab of disappointment when they reached the portrait leading into the Gryffindor common room. It was a short walk, and she really wished it could have been longer. She didn't want to leave him. For the first time in her life, she felt a true connection with another person, and she realized that she liked it. At least she would see him again tomorrow.

She was blushing, too, as she turned to look at him shyly. When he said that he was looking forward to tomorrow, she nodded quickly so that he would know she was feeling the same way. Her hand was still in his, and she gave it a light squeeze before reluctantly pulling away.

She waved at him and smiled before turning to face the portrait of the Fat Lady. Normally, she would have to give the password to the Fat Lady, but since Ingrid was unable to speak, a special allowance was made for her, and she just had to wave her wand to show red sparks. She did this, and the portrait opened up to reveal the inside of the common room. She looked over her shoulder at him for a moment before disappearing into the common room.

[Elliot Lyons]

It seemed that the blush on Ingrid's pale cheeks brightened her eyes. Elliot bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling about it. He felt a slight hesitation whenever they let go of each others' hands. Elliot wasn't sure if it was a slight hesitation on his part or her's. He didn't want leave either, and it was a strange feeling. Was this what it really felt like whenever someone found someone else that understood them?

More questions started to turn in Elliot's head, but for once the questions weren't about his family. As she waved, he smiled. "Good night Ingrid." His smile grew a little wider. He put his hands in his pockets and waited until she walked through the entrance to her common room.

When she turned around, Elliot waved. Once she disappeared, he smiled to himself and headed toward his own common room.