Slow Dance (Ingrid/Savannah/openish)

[Elliot Lyons]

Elliot looked over at Ingrid, waiting for her answer. It did occur to him that he was pretty much asking her on a date. That realization did make him feel warm. It would be the first time he had ever ever done anything like that. Usually he went to Hogsmeade with Savannah if she wanted to. If she didn't, he would go with Cameron if he was going.

The fact that Savannah would probably want to go to Hogsmeade entered his mind. What if she did want to go with him? Would it be weird if the three of them went together? He didn't want anyone to feel awkward. What was his sister going to think about this development? Was she going to think that he was leaving her behind? Elliot knew that he would never leave Savannah behind. They had been through far too much and he cared about his sister.

Seeing Ingrid's smile and response, made his other thoughts dissolve. He smiled in return. "Good. We'll go do whatever you want. It doesn't matter what it is." Elliot was looking forward to whenever the next Hogsmeade trip was going to be.

[Cameron Wilder]

Dec 16, 2009 19:25:03 GMT -5 Savannah Lyons said:

"I'm not trying to do anything at all," Savannah said. "I don't want to change you. I just... I want to figure out what we are to each other and how we can be friends when we're so different."

Although she still wasn't quite ready to admit it, another thing that she really wanted was to change herself. She wanted to change everything about herself, become someone different. Maybe someone that he could laugh with, and open up to and treat as an equal. She was so tired of everyone treating her like a... girl.

The wall was coming back up, however. Maybe it was because of the way he seemed to be shutting down, because she seemed to do the same thing. "Whatever. If you don't want to talk to me outside of this room, I guess it doesn't matter. We'll just go back to the way things were."

Cameron just watched her, and it was almost like he could see her throwing all those bricks back into that wall of hers. He couldn't blame her, though. He could feel himself throwing his own wall back up, and he didn't understand it. He never hid behind a wall because he didn't care what other people thought.

What Cameron didn't realize was that he was hiding behind a wall, a bigger one than even he suspected. Sometimes, you just never realized what you were hiding from the world.

"Don't be like that, Sav. I didn't say things had to be like they always are. I'm just telling you that good influence or not... I'm just me. If you want to be friends with me, great, I would love that. But I want you to realize that this is who you're trying to make friends with."

[Savannah Lyons]

"I know who you are, Cameron," Savannah said. "I've known you for more than five years. I've watched you talk to Elliot, laugh with him.... get in trouble in class. And although I didn't always approve, sometimes I actually kind of... admired you. Because you don't care what people think of you, and you just have fun with life. My father raised me to believe that appearance is everything; that what people think of you is all that matters. So all I do is worry about what people will think of me and what my father would say about me. And sometimes I just want to stop caring about all of that and do whatever I want. The way I see it, you're not the bad influence... my father is. And I need to stop listening to his voice in my head, censoring everything I do."

[Ingrid Regan]

The smile seemed permanently fixed on Ingrid’s face, and she was pretty sure it wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. Maybe it didn’t matter what she and Elliot were to each other; whether they were dating, whether they were boyfriend and girlfriend, or any of that. Maybe it didn’t need to have a name or be put into words. What were words, anyway? They were hollow and empty. What mattered was how she felt. And she had never felt happier, not since her father died.

As they walked up to the castle, Ingrid looped her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. Who cared if anyone saw them? She didn’t care what other people thought.

[Elliot Lyons]

Feeling Ingrid's arm loop around his waist made him smile. Elliot found himself not carrying what other people thought either. He smiled down at her as he put his arm around her shoulders.

Usually, before Elliot ever did anything, an image of his father would appear in his mind and it would seem as if he as accessing whatever it was that Elliot was about to do. This time however, and like the other times when he went off and did things with Cameron, Elliot didn't appear to let the fact that his father would probably disapprove stop him from doing what he wanted.

With his arm around Ingrid, he felt more confident than before and he couldn't help the permanent like smile that was on his face. It was strange to see Elliot smile so much. The castle came closer and before he knew it they were at the doors. His smile nor his confidence faded as they entered the school. They passed a few students as they made their way toward the stairs, but it didn't phase him.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow," he finally admitted as they slowly started up the stairs.

[Cameron Wilder]

Her words were unexpected, not quite down the vein he thought she was going.

Unable to stop himself, he got up and hugged her. "You recognize that... it's a good thing, a start."

He didn't expect that things would change drastically now. Inj fact, he wasn't sure she would change anything at all for a while. But she knew that her father was wrong, and he was proud of her for that. "Come on, your brother is probably worried about you."

[Savannah Lyons]

What no one, including Savannah, seemed to realize, was that the truly dangerous influence in her life was not her father, and it wasn't Cameron. It was her mother. While Savannah admitted to hating her father, she loved her mother. She had known her mother in ways that Elliot and Ryder never had. When their father wasn't around, mother had been warm and gentle and loving. She was the one whom Savannah was so worried about disappointing. She thought she was supposed to be like her mother. And that was much harder for her to get past than anything her father had done.

Savannah wasn't quite sure how to react when Cameron hugged her. She was hit with two conflicting impulses, and wasn't sure whether to pull away quickly and yell at him for inappropriate behavior, or to curl her arms around him and hold him closer. She felt she should do the former, but she really wanted to do the latter.

In the end, she did neither. Caermon pulled away too quickly and it seemed that he wanted to leave. She didn't want to go back to Elliot; she would have preferred to stay here with him. But she didn't say any of that.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," she replied. "How long have we been in here? I've lost all track of time."

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron shrugged. "An hour or so. Maybe a little longer." Maybe he wanted to stay, too, but he didn't know what to do with her. He wasn't a good person for her to be around when she was feeling rebelious.

But maybe that wasn't the point, either. "Do you want to stay?" he asked, not emphasizing that he wanted to know what she wanted to do. She would shut down if he pressed the point. He had no where to be, and he found that he enjoyed her company. Almost desperately, though, he wanted her to make the choice.

[Savannah Lyons]

People didn't usually ask her for her opinion, and she very seldom offered it. If there was a choice to be made, Savannah always let the boy make the decision, while she demurely went along with whatever decision was made.

But there was something about being around Cameron that brought out the rebellious side in her. Around her brother, she was far too likely to slip back into her usual ways, because that was what he expected of her.

"We should probably go back," she said, lowering her eyes. "But I don't want to."

[Ingrid Regan]

Ingrid walked into the castle with Elliot, but she wasn’t entirely sure that her feet were touching the ground. She felt as if she were floating a few feet above the ground. Elliot made her feel like she was beautiful and interesting. No longer was she the weird girl who didn’t talk.

They passed a few students, and she knew they were giving her and Elliot strange looks. But Ingrid didn’t care. She was used to people looking at her like that, and she never really saw it anymore. She never cared what anyone else thought about her.

She looked back up at Elliot as he spoke, and she nodded her agreement. The thought crossed her mind that from now on, things were going to change for the better.

An idea came to her then, and she gave him a mischievous smile. Although they had to be back in the building after dark, there was no rule that said that they had to go directly back to their common rooms just yet. She stopped walking and slipped out of his arms. Then, still smiling playfully, she tagged him on the arm and began to run away.

[Elliot Lyons]

Whenever Ingrid turned to look up at him, he looked down at her. "You're giving me that smile again," he said teasingly. He knew now that that look meant she had something turning in her head. Even though Ingrid was quiet, he didn't find her shy, at least not around him. Of course, he was the same way around certain people. It made Elliot glad that Ingrid felt comfortable enough to open up around him.

Whenever she stopped walking, he stopped too. He looked at her questioningly, then let out a laugh as she tagged his arm and started to run. Sure, they weren't really supposed to be running in the halls, but Elliot didn't care. He started to run after her.

[Ingrid Regan]

There was something about Elliot that made Ingrid feel like a little girl again. She felt wild and free, like one of the animals she loved so much. Who cared about rules, anyway? She was a Gryffindor, after all, and therefore, like many members of her house, she had little regard for the rules.

She sprinted through the hallway, her long red hair flying behind her like a flag. A couple of other students passed by, and she let out a tiny squeak as she dodged them and ran to the nearest suit of armor to catch her breath.

[Elliot Lyons]

Elliot continued to run after Ingrid, dodging the students that were in the hall. Of course, he didn't pay any attention to them, he kept running after the red head in front of him.

While he was running after her, he felt like he was completely free. Of course he would have been scolded had his parents been there but they weren't. He felt more open than before. Ingrid was helping him change and he didn't mind it at all.

Seeing that she stopped at the nearest suit of armor to catch her breath, Elliot took the opportunity to catch his as well. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her as he let out a laugh. "Got you," he said teasingly.

[Ingrid Regan]

It all felt so natural, so perfect. When he wrapped his arms around her, she leaned in closer and looked up at his face, her brown eyes dancing with joy. Ingrid was starting to understand why all the girls wanted to find a boy that they liked. Surely this wonderful feeling, this sensation of floating, the warm tingle she felt when he held her in his arms.... this had to be the feeling they were looking for. She had never expected to find it; she had never even been looking for it. Maybe that was the best way... meeting someone you didn't even know you were looking for.

Feeling bold once again, she pressed her lips to his again, right there in the hall. Who cared if anyone saw?

[Elliot Lyons]

They were in their own bubble, like they were outside. Nothing around them really phased him, not that it ever really did before. Elliot liked the closeness and smiled down at her when she looked up. He hadn't been looking for anything either. Never had he thought that he would actually find a girl that could break through. Yes, he knew a few girls but they were more on that friend level than anything. Ingrid, she was an entirely different story. She made him feel special, for lack of a better word.

Once Ingrid pressed her lips to his, Elliot reacted and kissed her in return. He held her closer to him. This was something he could get used to, very fast.

[Ingrid Regan]

Ingrid couldn't believe just how perfect it all felt. It just felt so right, being here with Elliot. They fit together as if they had always been meant to be together. Did such things happen? Ingrid really wasn't sure, but she didn't question it. How could she question something that felt so right?

She leaned against him for a minute, just savoring the feeling. Never had she felt so safe and comfortable, yet so excited. He looked at her like she was pretty, and no one had ever looked at her like that before.

She let out a happy sigh and opened her eyes, turning her face up to look at his. She didn't think she would ever stop smiling.

[Elliot Lyons]

Of course things happened when it was least expected. It was the way the world worked. Meeting Ingrid was least expected, and ending up kissing her was even less so, however, Elliot wasn't complaining. Maybe this was what was going to help him get through everything.

At the moment, he didn't feel shy at all. He didn't care what anyone thought and for once, his mind wasn't blasting into overdrive. Elliot returned her smile then tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger. It was his turn to smile mischievously. He slowly let go of her and took a step back. "You're it," he said with a wink.

[Ingrid Regan]

Ingrid was still feeling a little dazed from the kiss. It was an amazing feeling, and she had never felt anything quite like it. No wonder all the girls wanted to kiss boys. Ingrid couldn't help but think that it was better that it was with someone that she cared about. She wouldn't want to kiss just any boy, but kissing Elliot just felt right.

When he tapped her nose, she made a tiny squeak, almost like a giggle. She recognized the look in his eyes and knew what was about to happen. She was still smiling as she began to chase him down the hallway.

[Elliot Lyons]

The thought of how things were going to go after tonight was unclear in Elliot's mind. However, he did know he wanted things to remain just like they were right now. Things were playful and light. He didn't mind holding her hand nor kissing her, even infront of people. He wasn't sure of how relationships worked but he figured that they would discover it as they went along.

Ingrid's tiny squeak made Elliot's smile widen. He started to run as he looked over his shoulder to see Ingrid following him. He laughed and turned right real quick, then continued to run down the hall. An idea popped in his head and he turned a quick left and hid behind a statue before Ingrid could see him.

[Ingrid Regan]

She kept running after him, her hair flying out behind him. She couldn't recall a time when she had felt quite so free. She felt like a child again, and she realized that this was a part of her that had long been dormant inside her, waiting to come out again. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, Elliot brought it out in her.

He was faster than she was, and she was having trouble catching up. But it didn't matter; she knew he'd let her catch him at some point. But suddenly, he seemed to disappear from sight. She ran a little faster, trying to catch up. As she got closer to the spot where Eliiot seemed to have disappeared, she saw another hallway off to the left. He must have gone down there.

It was a narrow hallway, not even big enough for classrooms. It seemed to lead to one big room down at the end. Lining the hallway were many paintings and statues, and Ingrid found herself slowing down and looking at each one. And then she saw a quick flash of movement behind one of the statues, so she rushed toward it and found Elliot hiding behind it. She broke into a smile and launched herself into his arms.