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Post by Victoria Bennett on Aug 13, 2011 23:57:49 GMT -5
Victoria was having a day. Another day of being buried in research at the Ministry, and she was beginning to wonder whether she might have been better off as a librarian. Merlin knew she was already becoming an expert in research. It wasn't only Daniel who had her doing research; now it seemed that everyone in the department had decided to stick "the new girl" with all their unwanted research, and since Daniel didn't need her at the moment, she had no other choice but to do everyone else's work for them.
As a result, she was completely desperate for a night out on the town with her best friend. She needed to have fun, to drink a little, maybe even dance. By the time she was finally able to pull herself out of the pile of books and files, it was nearly time to meet Nell at the Leaky Cauldron. She hoped Nell would be OK for a few minutes, as she ran down the hall toward the apparation area.
Hoping her hair was OK, Victoria apparated to Diagon Alley, then hurried over to the hidden entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," she said as she walked up to Nell. She wasn't hard to spot with her auburn hair that Victoria was so jealous of. "You would not believe the day I had."
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Post by Carley Spangler on Aug 22, 2011 11:17:09 GMT -5
Carley would have to admit that she was enjoying herself. She felt as if her and Xander were going to be pretty good friends. Hopefully they could meet up again soon. A good guy friend was what she needed. Sure, she had Yvonne as a best friend, but sometimes it was good to have a shot of testosterone there as well.
"Really? I don't think I've been by one of those places yet." Muggles really did think of pretty much everything. "I will have to go by and check it out pretty soon." For a moment, Carley let her eyes wander over to her friend, just to make sure things were still going okay, then she turned back to Xander.
"You know, I'm glad that you're not exactly one of those empty headed one minded guys." She gave him a teasing glance. "You've helped out a whole lot."
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Post by Xander Mosely on Sept 18, 2011 22:59:52 GMT -5
Xander grinned, but he felt a little guilty. The truth was, sometimes he was empty-headed and single-minded. He didn't feel good about it, which was something, but it didn't always stop him. He could be a terrible flirt, and he could be a bit of a cad sometimes. Nell would certainly agree to that fact.
Speaking of Nell, sometimes Xander had sort of a sixth sense where she was concerned. Whenever he was going to accidentally see her again, he would start to feel her presence, like she was right there in the room with him. It had been a while since he last had that feeling, but he had it now. He actually took a large gulp from his drink, trying to calm himself. The feeling was so strong, he desperately wanted to look around the room to see if she was there, but he managed to hold back.
"Well, I'm glad to have helped," Xander said, forcing his attention back on Carley, "but what exactly did I help with?"
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Post by Nell Jordan on Jan 26, 2012 18:08:55 GMT -5
"How bad?" Nell asked with a little laugh, she was keeping her voice low, hoping that Xander didn't notice her. This is NOT what she wanted to deal with right now. She considered asking Victoria if maybe they could get a drink somewhere else, but she didn't want to look like she was avoiding Xander if he saw her.
AND he was with another girl! How awkward could this get?
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Post by Victoria Bennett on Feb 4, 2012 0:18:27 GMT -5
Luckily for Nell, Victoria chose to sit across from her, blocking Xander's view of her, and Nell's view of him. She was oblivious for the moment as she got settled at the table, draping her cloak across the back of her chair.
"Oh, it was just so annoying, you know? I hate being the new girl... no one wants to take a chance that I have a brain in my head so they just give me pointless busy work. And the guy I've been shadowing was busy with something today, and I couldn't come. At least he treats me nicely... although I wish he'd stop calling me sweetheart. Anyway... how about you? How have things been with you?"
Before Nell could answer, however, Victoria turned her head to wave the bartender over. That, of course, was when she saw Xander.
"Oh my Godric," she groaned, turning back around to look at Nell. "Please tell me that's not who I think it is."
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Post by Nell Jordan on May 3, 2012 1:10:50 GMT -5
"It is. Now shut up," Nell said. The last thing she wanted was him to look their way. She had done EXCEPTIONALLY well, if she could say so herself, of avoiding Xander at all costs. Why did he have to only be a few tables away.
"Victoria can we leave?" She sank down in her chair, feeling like a stupid school girl all over again.
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Post by Victoria Bennett on May 5, 2012 23:07:19 GMT -5
Victoria nodded immediately. There was nothing worse than meeting up with an ex in a public place, especially when that ex was sitting with another girl. And Victoria knew enough about Nell's history with Xander to know that her friend was still hurt by his treatment of her.
"Yeah, let's go somewhere else," she agreed. "You go first, and I'll follow, that way we're not calling so much attention to ourselves by both leaving at the same time."
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Post by Nell Jordan on May 12, 2012 1:14:38 GMT -5
"Thanks," she smiled at Victoria, glad she understood her dilema. She looked around for her best opportunity at an exit. Xander and his date were near the back door, so he had to go for the front. She mapped her way through the rows of tables, hopfully out of Xander's eyesight...was she analyzing this too much.
Finally, Nell got out of her seat and grabbed her coat, making her way to the front door. All of the sudden, a waiter came out of the kitchens and wasn't watching where he was going. Nell had an eye on Xander and didn't see the waiter. They collided with a thud and plates and food flew everywhere. So much for a stealthy exit...
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Post by Xander Mosely on May 12, 2012 23:53:23 GMT -5
The prickly feeling on the back of Xander's neck had been getting worse. It was distracting him, so that he barely even heard a word that Carley was saying. Something just kept telling him to turn around....
So when he heard the loud crash and clatter of plates and glasses hitting the floor, somehow he knew exactly what it was. He turned around to see what happened, and sure enough, there was Nell, sitting on the floor with broken dishes and food all around her.
Without even thinking, Xander was off his barstool, making his way over to her. He picked through the shards of glass and spilled chips, holding out his hand to her in an offer of help.
"Hi, Nell," he said simply.
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Post by Nell Jordan on May 22, 2012 12:16:41 GMT -5
Just act like nothing happened. No one saw you, everything is fine... Nell huffed as she looked at the state of herself. The waiter was apologizing profusely, and she kept trying to wave him off but he wouldn't go away.
Suddenly he was there and Nell decided this situation couldnt get any worse. She looked up at him and tried to smile. "Hey Xander," she said, taking his hand and letting him help her up.
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Post by Xander Mosely on May 26, 2012 0:13:02 GMT -5
Xander felt like the rest of the room seemed to dim, and the two of them were standing in a blinding spotlight. How was it possible that time seemed to slow down when she smiled? How was it possible that touching her hand still sent sparks coursing through his veins?
Merlin, he wanted to be over her. But it always came back to her.
He pulled her to her feet and gave her a smile that was almost shy. "You... you look good," he said. "You grew your hair out."
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Post by Victoria Bennett on May 26, 2012 0:14:43 GMT -5
Victoria wouldn't have been any kind of friend if she allowed this to continue a moment longer. She had actually jumped from her seat and tried to rescue Nell, but she nearly collided with another waiter, and, as a result, Xander beat her there. Damn.
She practically had to fight her way through the small crowd that had gathered, some to clean up the mess and others just to watch what they hoped would be a spectacle. "Go to a movie or something!" she yelled at one guy, staring open-mouthed at the scene before him.
"Yeah, good to see you, too, Alexander," she said frostily, pushing herself between the two of them rather rudely. "But, the thing is, we were just on our way out. Have a nice night with your... date," she added, looking pointedly over at the girl Xander had been sitting with.
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Post by Nell Jordan on May 29, 2012 12:47:31 GMT -5
"Hi," she said, trying to smoothly stand up and pretend nothing happened. She was also trying to pretend her heart didn't speed up just the slightest when he smiled at her. She touched her hair and blushed. "Yeah, I did," she said, tugging on a strand of her hair.
Victoria came over and took charge and Nell wasn't sure if she was grateful or not, she couldn't seem to let go of Xander's hand. When she mentioned the date however, she dropped her hands and looked over at the girl at Xander's table.
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Post by Xander Mosely on Jun 9, 2012 23:30:23 GMT -5
Xander didn't understand how just seeing her again could make him feel this way. She probably hated him--and with good reason--and it had been two years since they'd seen each other. And it had been even longer since they'd actually been together. He should be over her. He thought he was. But seeing her now was proof that he wasn't... not even close.
He had opened his mouth to respond to her when Victoria came surging forward, pushing herself between them in the way that only a protective best friend could do. He sighed and smiled tightly. "Hi, Victoria," he replied in a slightly mocking tone. "A pleasure as always."
He was actually momentarily confused by the mention of his "date," since he'd actually come here with Ike and not with a girl. But he followed Nell's gaze to the bar, where he'd been sitting a few moments before.... Carley! For a moment, he almost couldn't remember her name--not that it was anything against her. But Nell distracted him in ways no one else ever could.
"Oh... She's not my date. I mean, we only just met. We were just talking." He shot a regretful look at Carley... she really was a great girl. But he was pretty sure that they had both acknowledged that there was nothing but friendship between them. They were mostly just talking so that maybe Yvonne and Issac could get a little closer. Of course, if not for Nell's appearance, there was still a chance he'd have ended up taking Carley home, but Nell didn't need to know that.
He stepped a little closer to Nell, ignoring Victoria as he reached over to brush a gooey, ketchup-covered chip that was still dangling from her sleeve. "Here, you've got a little... there." He smiled tenderly at her, and he felt himself in very great danger of becoming positively sentimental.
"Maybe we could... talk for a bit?" he asked, nodding at a nearby table.
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Post by Nell Jordan on Jun 11, 2012 20:55:48 GMT -5
She wished her brain would figure out what it wanted. She wanted to say no, turn around, and storm out with Victoria and a little dignity. But she found herself nodding and looking back at Victoria apologetically. She held a finger up. "Just a minute Vic," she said as she followed Xander to the back alley that led to the doorway to Diagon Ally. Once outside though, she crossed her arms along her stomach, at a loss for words.
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Post by Xander Mosely on Jun 18, 2012 23:40:37 GMT -5
Xander felt just as awkward and confused as she did. He wanted to be suave, cool, and charming, and instead he wordlessly led her out to Diagon Alley and stood there a minute, staring at his shoes and rubbing the back of his neck like a thirteen-year old.
Finally, he took a deep breath and looked up at her. In the shadowy light of the alleyway, her red hair seemed to glow like fire. He couldn't help but notice how she stood, looking uncertain. It would almost have been easier if she was angry at him, but she just seemed so fragile...
"So, er... how've you been?" he said at last.
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Post by Nell Jordan on Jun 28, 2012 19:01:12 GMT -5
How has she been? What was she really expecting though? That he'd apologize for breaking her heart back when they were in school? That he'd romance her and sweep her off her feet all over again? Would she let that happen if he tried?
"I'm fine," she said. "Pretty good even," she smiled at him. "My business is up and running, and doing really well, I've got my own apartment, things are good." She nodded. Nell wished she could have said something along the lines of she had gotten over him, started dating tons of fabulously wonderful guys, but she couldn't bering herself to lie to him like that.
"How are you?"
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Post by Xander Mosely on Jun 29, 2012 23:54:28 GMT -5
How could she be standing so close and yet feel so far away? It was strange, the things he remembered that seemed so familiar to him. The little point of her chin, the soft pout of her lips, the warm green of her eyes. It brought back memories that made him ache inside.
Not that he'd admit any of that to her. He'd broken up with her, a long time ago. So why did it feel like yesterday? Why did he want to take it back, tell her it had all been a big mistake and he'd changed his mind? If he did say those things, would she take him back, or would she tell him to get lost? If he were in her shoes, he'd tell himself to forget it. He'd deserve it.
"That's great," he said, managing to keep his smile steady. "I'm glad you're doing OK. I'm..."
He trailed off, thinking. He was doing OK, but he wasn't sure he could say anything better than that. Oh, he had no complaints... his job was going well, his social life was busy and active... but there was something that was missing. And he hadn't been able to put his finger on what it was until this moment.
"I'm doing good," he lied. "Work's good... I work at the Ministry. I'm an Obliviator."
If only he could make himself forget about her...
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Post by Nell Jordan on Jul 3, 2012 0:51:03 GMT -5
"That's great Xander," she smiled at him genuinely. "I'm happy for you." And she really was, he sounded like his life was going just fine. He didn't miss her, why should he? Xander always had everything he ever needed.
She didn't know what else to say. She'd never been rendered speechless before. "I..." she started. "Victoria...she's probably waiting..." She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to Victoria though. She half wanted to curl up in her bed with a pint of butterbeer ice cream and pretend she was invisible for a while. The other half of her still was waiting for Xander to tell her to stay with him.
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Post by Xander Mosely on Jul 13, 2012 23:21:37 GMT -5
Merlin, this was awkward. Once they had been so close, they could practically finish each other's sentences. Now they couldn't even have a conversation. And it was his own bloody fault. He'd tossed her aside, let peer pressure get the better of him. He was a fool, because looking at her now, he knew he was still not over her. Maybe he never would be.
He was disappointed when she said she had to go, but really, what did he expect? She had too much pride to tell him that she missed him or that she wanted him back. He couldn't blame her for that. It would have to come from him.
"Yeah... right," he said, deflated. "Tell her I send my love." He managed a cocky little grin at that, because of course, Victoria had never liked him and never made any attempt to hide that fact from him.
As she started to walk away, though, Xander found that he couldn't just let her leave. Not yet. "Nell..." he called out. "Do you... maybe... want to get some coffee?"
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