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Post by Samantha Lippre on Aug 23, 2012 0:03:32 GMT -5
((Hey, to make up for my absense, I was hoping we could get some plot flowing between these two. I plan on replying to as much as I can tonight. Sorry I've been gone!!))
Tonight was the night. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. Earlier that week Samantha had slipped a note to Toby asking him to join her for a swim after everyone had gone to bed on that very night. She hadn't seen him much the rest of the week and hadn't had time to recieve his answer. She was here with the hopes that he would show up and not disappoint her.
Getting away from her cabin had been tricky but she had some how managed with a little use of her wand. She was wearing her swim suit under her robes and her wand was in her hand in case she ran into someone unfriendly. She made it to the lake with out seeing anyone but she also didn't see Toby. She tried not to let that worry her because she was early after. She stripped off her robes and tucked her wand into a hostler wrapped around her ankle. She began walking into the water, deciding she would swim whether he showed up or not and stopped when she was waist deep. It was a clear night and the half moon hung high in the sky, reflecting off the water. She hoped he would show. Tonight was practically perfect.
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Post by Toby Collins on Aug 23, 2012 21:27:43 GMT -5
It was a sheer stroke of luck that the owl had come when Toby was alone in his cabin. His charges were all off in some lame activity or other--or maybe they were skivving off. He didn't really care one way or another. He wasn't going to force the kids to go to these stupid activities if they didn't want to. In fact, he had a feeling that a couple of them were planning to sneak out that night and go to Hogsmeade, and he had no intentions of stopping them.
So when the owl arrived, inviting him to meet with Samantha that night, he certainly had an excuse not to do anything about any escape plans the kids were planning. As long as they were there for breakfast in the morning, Toby didn't care. He would be sneaking out himself.
Of course, he didn't come to this decision right away. He argued and debated with himself, trying to find reasons not to go, and yet talking himself into it anyway. The biggest sticking point for him was the swimming part. While he was sure Samantha would wear a bathing suit--and look fantastic in it--he was less confident about wearing one himself. He was skinny, wiry, and pale--so pale that he might actually glow in the moonlight. What if she saw him with his shirt off and laughed? What if she decided she didn't like him so much after all? And why did he care if she did like him or not? Did he like her?
His stomach was in knots by the time it was officially "lights out." He knew perfectly well that the three person-shaped lumps in the beds of Avery, Rosier, and Crouch were not occupied, but he chose to ignore it. His other two charges, Seth Inophen and the lone Ravenclaw, Gage Oliver, were aware of it, too, but no one said a word. Toby just shut out the lights, and within 15 minutes, he had slipped out and was walking toward the lake.
In the end, he had worn his bathing suit, but was fully planning to refuse to actually swim. He just had a feeling she wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
Along the way, he nearly turned back three times. He was so nervous, but he tried not to let it show as he approached the lake and saw her silhouette in the water.
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Aug 23, 2012 23:46:56 GMT -5
Samantha was in the middle of telling herself he wasn't worth it when she heard his footsteps. First she was scared it would be someone else. She was convinced he'd decided not to come and someone else had found her swimming alone. She only hoped it would be another of the male couselors and she could flirt her way out of getting into trouble. When she turned around, however, and saw it was Toby she was speechless for a moment. She quickly tried to recover and smirked at him.
"I thought you weren't coming." She said, turning fully to face him. She was glad for the lack of light so he couldn't see the blush on her cheeks. She was well aware he was seeing her in her bathing suit and for the first time in her life she felt a little self conscience. She refused to let it show, though. She looked him over and was happy to see him wearing his bathing suit. She could see his pale chest in the light of the moon and tried not to stare. She didn't see him as anything other than gorgeous.
"Well, aren't you going to join me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
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Post by Toby Collins on Aug 25, 2012 21:38:56 GMT -5
He couldn't help but stare. He probably should have felt guilty about it, except that he was pretty sure she wanted him to stare, to see what he was missing by being "just friends" with her. And if that had been her intention, well, it was working. She looked beautiful, her curves somehow accentuated by the moonlight glistening off her dampened skin.
"I almost didn't," he answered honestly. He didn't see any reason not to tell her the truth. He still wasn't sure what he was doing or what he expected from her.
"I'd rather not... swim. I never learned how."
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Aug 26, 2012 0:17:43 GMT -5
Sam smiled at him when he answered honestly. She wasn't offended because she'd expected as much. It was a good sign that he even showed up at all. She raised her eyebrows in surprise as he refused to join her. She hadn't expected him to give in easily but she didn't think that was going to be the reason. She walked towards him, out of the water.
"You never learned? Well then you should absolutely come with me. I can teach you." She said, holding her hand out to him. "No one should go without knowing how to swim. Even with magic to keep you from drowning."
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Post by Toby Collins on Aug 27, 2012 22:42:12 GMT -5
His father was supposed to teach him how to swim. He had been planning to take him away on holiday, just the two of them, the week that he ended up getting arrested. Sometimes Toby wondered if that was the reason he'd planned to go away with him--so that he could avoid being arrested. It didn't matter anymore, but still, sometimes he wondered.
It was because of that aborted camping trip that Toby had never really learned to swim properly. He was supposed to learn on that trip. They were supposed to fish and hunt and swim... and this place, the closest he'd ever come to having that long-promised camping trip, could only pale in comparison.
"I don't know," he protested uncertainly.
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Aug 27, 2012 23:46:17 GMT -5
Samantha took a few steps towards him so she was directly in front of him. She grasped his hand in hers and gave his arm a little tug, trying to coax him into the water. She was surprised and a little disappointed that he hadn't learned to swim. She'd been fantasizing about swimming with him with her arms around his neck as he held the two of them up. It wouldn't work quite like that if he wasn't comfortable in the water.
"Come on, Toby. I'm an amazing swimmer. I promise I won't let you drown or anything. It'll be fun." She took another step back towards the water in hopes he would give in.
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Post by Toby Collins on Aug 28, 2012 22:25:33 GMT -5
How was he supposed to think clearly with her hands in his? She was standing so close, and if she moved just a little bit closer, she'd be in his arms. The thought made him shiver for reasons that had nothing to do with the night air, which was actually warm and steamy. Or maybe that was just his imagination. He wasn't even sure anymore. All he knew was that he was acutely aware of the pressure of his hands on his as she tugged him forward. He felt at that moment that he would gladly follow her anywhere.
No, he had to stop this. He couldn't let her keep distracting him like this. It had been a mistake to come at all, and he needed to leave.
But he didn't want to. He wanted to go with her. What was it about girls, anyway, that they had such a profound power against guys? And yet, he couldn't quite imagine Collin acting like this around a girl. To Collin, a girl was just a girl. But Samantha was more than just a girl. Or at least, she was to Toby.
A sheepish smile spread across his face as he knew he was giving in. "Maybe we could just go in part way," he said. "Not too deep." He'd probably be OK if they just stood there in the water.
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Aug 28, 2012 23:43:24 GMT -5
Samantha couldn't help but blush at the smile on his face. It was so rare that she saw him smile and this time it was because of her. The thought made her feel a little shy and she had to remind herself that she was actually very confident. She didn't understand what was so different about Toby that made her feel this way. She used to think it was because he was practically off limits with how closed off he was to everyone. He was someone she could chase. But now he seemed willing to at least be friends with her, maybe more in the future, and she still felt so different around him.
"Ok," She agreed, lacing her fingers with his as she turned to walk towards the water. She felt goosebumps on her skin as she realized he'd actually agreed to go in the water with her. She couldn't stop smiling. "Not too deep. The water feels nice enough that we don't need to swim to keep warm."
Not that she would if the water were cold. Just having his hand in hers, especially since he had yet to pull away, left her skin feeling hot. She knew she was probably blushing and was again thankful that they were meeting at night so he couldn't see how he affected her.
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Post by Toby Collins on Aug 30, 2012 23:25:27 GMT -5
Leyla would surely have laughed if she saw how easily he let this girl talk him into doing something he didn't want to do. Even she had a hard time convincing him to do things sometimes, but all Samantha had to do was touch his hand and suddenly he was following her reluctantly into the water. It was only at the last moment that he remembered he was still wearing shoes, and he paused slightly to kick them off.
As his feet touched the water, he paused again, expecting the water to be colder than it was. But it was actually a little warm, and it felt nice against the cool night air. "There aren't any creatures in here or anything, are there? Not that I'm afraid of that or anything... I just want to be aware."
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Aug 31, 2012 23:52:46 GMT -5
Samantha smiled as she watched him kick off his shoes. With the almost dazed look on his face she wouldn't have been surprised if he'd walked into the water with them on. It boosted her confidence a little, knowing how she was affecting him. It was a nice change since usually it was him put her at a loss for words. As she walked into the warm water, she breathed out a sigh at the warmth. She had gotten a little chilly from being wet in the light breeze. Being in the water was also so natural for her that she felt comforted as she walked in the rough, wet sand.
"No," She answered with a smile. "There are some but they're further out. None of the griddylows or anything come this close to the shore. They tend to prefer the deeper water." She glanced at him, wondering if he was afraid and just hiding it. Maybe he didn't have to fear the creatures but if he'd never swam before, she could understand him feeling a little nervous in the water.
"How far do you want to go?" She asked him when the water reached their knees.
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Post by Toby Collins on Sept 1, 2012 0:34:49 GMT -5
He just nodded, not wanting her to know that he really was nervous about creatures in the water. He already wasn't all that sure of himself in the water--or with her--and the last thing he needed was to have a grindylow grabbing onto him, trying to pull him under the water.
What was he doing? He had to be crazy, letting this girl lead him out into the water. He shouldn't even have come at all. He had no idea what he was doing with her or what he expected to happen. He understood that she liked him, although she couldn't figure out why. And he was beginning to realize that he liked her, too. But he didn't know what he wanted to do about it.
"I dunno," he said, shrugging. "Maybe waist-deep?"
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Sept 1, 2012 2:37:29 GMT -5
Samantha nodded as she walked further into the water. She could feel the ripples tickling her legs as they went deeper. She looked at Toby, trying to judge his reaction from his expression but like always he wasn't giving much away. She wondered if he was nervous. He hadn't let go of her hand yet and although it excited her, she couldn't help but think that maybe it was because he was uncomfortable in the water. Maybe he didn't like her at all. She sighed in frustration as her head spun in circles to figure him out. He was too closed off for her to judge how he felt. But that was why she fell for him in the first place, wasn't it?
"So, your sister seems nice. Very talkative, unlike you. You seem like polar opposites." She turned to smile at him and stopped in the water when it came up to her belly button. It wasn't quite to his hips yet because of his height over her but she figured it was far enough. "You seemed happier around her though. It was nice to see you smile so much."
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Post by Toby Collins on Sept 2, 2012 17:03:43 GMT -5
Once, a very long time ago, Toby had been a lot more like Leyla than he even realized. He'd been innocent and open, seeing life as an adventure. He'd laughed easily and knew how to have fun. But Toby's father had corrupted him, teaching him and training him to hate without ever really explaining why. And Toby had believed him, because he was a kid and thought that his father knew everything. It was true that hatred was taught, and not born. He could have been a very different person if his father had been taken away sooner. But he didn't realize the damage that had been done. He didn't remember what he'd been like before, and he certainly wouldn't have wanted to go back. He believed that his father had taught him what was right, and he was determined to fight on his father's behalf.
"We are opposites," he said. "I wouldn't want her to be like me. She's innocent... I wouldn't want that to change."
He shivered lightly as a cool breeze blew over them, and instinctively moved closer to her for warmth. "I don't get it. You're always talking about how you want to see me smile, but if I smiled all the time and talked a lot, you probably wouldn't be interested in me at all."
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Sept 3, 2012 16:33:08 GMT -5
"You say that like you're such a terrible person. But you're not." She responded honestly. She knew he wanted to be a death eater but she didn't see him as bad, despite what that meant for him. She figured he was just following his father's footsteps and doing what he was taught was right. They held the same view about muggles and she understood that he just wanted to do something about it. But she never once looked at him as the bad guy.
She felt the water move as he stepped closer to her. She wondered if it was the breeze or if it was something more. She turned towards him regardless. "Actually Toby, I think if you smiled a little more and talked a little more I would have just found the courage to talk to you sooner. As it is, your loner behavior wasn't all that interested me Toby. I like you, for you." She told him, feeling a blush over her cheeks again.
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Post by Toby Collins on Sept 5, 2012 16:29:44 GMT -5
It was a strange contradiction for Toby. He genuinely believed in the cause that his father had been imprisoned for, and he wanted to join the fight in his father's place. But sometimes he had doubts. The doubts were all because of Leyla, who, he knew, did not share his views. Or at least, he was pretty sure she didn't. They never talked about it, they never talked about their father and what he'd done. And even when there was news of some shocking death eater attack, they just managed to avoid talking about it.
Sometimes Toby wondered if she secretly suspected that he agreed with their father. She looked at him like she was trying to figure him out, to read what was going on in his head. But even if she did suspect it, he still feared her reaction. She wanted to believe he was everything good in this world... while he knew that he wasn't. She was.
But all thoughts of Leyla were soon chased from his mind as Samantha turned towards him and told him how much she liked him. He wondered fleetingly if she said this to all the boys that he'd seen her hanging around in the past. But it wasn't even like she was flirting with him... she was speaking in plain, honest terms. Her cheeks flushed a becoming shade of pink that he could see even in the pale moonlight.
If the moon had been full that night, Toby might have blamed that on what happened next. But light from the three-quarter moon, the cool night air and the warm water all somehow combined with that pretty blush and sweet smile of hers to make her utterly irresistible to him. Without even realizing what he was doing, Toby leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Sept 7, 2012 14:43:31 GMT -5
Samantha didn't know what to think. She surely hadn't been expecting this, no matter how much she had hoped. She'd been working towards this point for a few months now and never would have thought that he would be the one to make the move. She was frozen for a moment after his lips touched hers and didn't know how to react. She forced her body to move before he thought she didn't like it and her arms slowly moved to wrap around his neck. Her lips molded against his and she breathed a sigh of relief through her nose.
She'd never been happier than she was in that moment. She'd kissed boys before but none of them had ever ignited that spark that Toby awoke within her. She could feel his kiss through her whole body as she shivered with excitement. She pulled back then, trying to take things slow and just stared up at him with her arms still wrapped around him. She refused to speak for fear that she would break this moment.
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Post by Toby Collins on Sept 8, 2012 23:36:40 GMT -5
No one had ever told him that kissing could be so terrifying. Toby had no idea what he was doing, and his heart was pounding so loudly in his ears that she could have been yelling for him to stop and he probably wouldn't have heard her. But he didn't think she wanted him to stop. Her arms tightened around him, pulling him closer. He really hoped he was doing this right... they should have lessons in this. It would be far more valuable than learning how to turn a toothpick into a sewing needle.
But she seemed to know what she was doing, and he did his best to follow her lead. What he didn't know was how long he was supposed to keep it going. He liked it, so he didn't really want to stop... so he kept going. His hands tangled in her damp hair, and he thought he could feel her heart beating next to his.
The kiss seemed to last an eternity, and he slowly got more into it. He felt like his brain was disconnected from his body, and all he was aware of was the way her lips were moving against his. Finally, though, he found himself pulling away, and he looked at her with his blue eyes wide.
"I--I--" he stammered. Ugh, how humiliating. Toby Collins, the boy half the school was afraid of, was completely flummoxed by a girl. He'd never hear the end of it.
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Post by Samantha Lippre on Sept 9, 2012 23:35:33 GMT -5
Samantha stared up at him with a wide smile on her face. She thought he looked cute as he stammered, trying to find the right words. She understood as she wasn't sure what to say either. If she were being honest, she would rather just go back to kissing him before either of them could ruin it. But she didn't know how he felt about all of this. She could only hope he wasn't regretting kissing her.
She reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. It was still dry since he refused to go in the water all the way. She stood on her toes, using his shoulders for balance and pressed a light kiss on his lips again.
"I don't know if anyone told you, but friends don't normally kiss." She teased with a smirk on her lips.
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Post by Toby Collins on Sept 11, 2012 22:50:14 GMT -5
What was he supposed to do now? What was he supposed to say? She seemed to enjoy it, and even reached up to kiss him again. And if he was honest with himself, he didn't regret doing it. He had enjoyed it more than he'd thought he would. Now he understood why the other guys were always talking about the girls they'd made out with. Toby was no where near ready for that, but in that moment, he finally thought for the first time that it was something he could get into.
"I... I'm sorry," he said. "I just... I don't know why... Er... Did I do OK?"
Oh, real slick. Collin would have laughed himself silly if he heard him right now. Toby gave a quick look around to make sure they were truly alone. Seeing no one, he relaxed, but only just.
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