Post holidays catching up... [Tag: Ash] on Cascade Hall

Lizzie Lavine

December 05, 2007 1:54 AM

Post holidays catching up... [Tag: Ash] by Lizzie Lavine

Lizzie had been thinking. The midterm had passed rather uneventfully, if you didn't count pointless dress fittings and luncheons in Paris with aunts, girl cousins, and future aunts-in-law... As Brett and Melanie's wedding was nearing after yet another push back in the date in order to accommodate all of the international guests who didn't want to travel during Christmas, Lizzie was spending more and more time around her brother's fiancee. She was a nice girl, Lizzie had to admit, and there really was nothing wrong with her, except for the fact that she was taking her big brother away from her.

She chastised herself for the childishness of these thoughts, but then again, Lizzie had never claimed selflessness as an attribute of hers. This was her brother she was talking about after all, her guide and guard, and most importantly, her friend. But she also knew that Brett needed Melanie; he needed a chance to have his own full family instead of the one he'd been holding together ever since he had been Lizzie's age.

With all these thoughts whirling about, Lizzie found she couldn't sleep. So as early as she could, she left the Pecari Commons and headed for the Cascade Hall. There she found a bowl of hot grits and a cup of coffee. Growing up in New Orleans trained Lizzie to enjoy an occasional cup, at at sixteen years old, she'd come to appreciate the comforts of having a little bit of home at school. So as she sipped and ate in the quiet, near empty hall, Lizzie began thinking again, but this time she thought about herself, and her relationship with Ash.

All around her, the pressures of society were closing in. That past break, her French cousin Giselle announced her engagement to one of the sons of a French government official, and of course at the party in Paris, everyone wanted to know what the American Lavines were planning for their own marriages. For the first time, Lizzie was glad to have Helena around to effectively and gracefully skirt around the topic, suggesting in her own rapid French that the girls were having no trouble finding suitable fiances across the Atlantic.

However, this did make Lizzie worry. Not so much about getting married, but about the seriousness of the relationships going on around her. She knew Jen and Jake were basically destined to be together, so it came as no surprise to her that their relationship had become so focused and official. Ash, on the other hand, was fun and always kept Lizzie in stitches, but part of her wanted that consistency that Jen had with Jake. Hadn't Jake told Jen that he loved her the other summer? Lizzie wondered what that really meant, and if it were really possible to be in love at such a young age. If so, did she love Ash? Could he love her? She'd never given it much thought before, and now she just wasn't sure.

So Lizzie sat, her coffee cup situated warmly between her hands, taking sips every so often and pondering the situation at hand. \r\n\r\n

0 Lizzie Lavine Post holidays catching up... [Tag: Ash] 0 Lizzie Lavine 1 5

Ash Craven

December 15, 2007 12:57 PM

Becoming up-caught by Ash Craven

The Cravens weren't well known for being dedicated to their school work, or going to every single class. However, lazy lie ins weren't a reason that ever caused them to miss a morning lecture. The twins rose early, heading off to exercise out in the gardens before breakfast every day. After a long run and the usual mix off push-ups and chin-ups, Ash headed back to the school. He washed off his hands and splashed some water onto his face in one of the bathrooms, but would leave a shower until after breakfast. He and Sorrel usually took different routes around the gardens, as they got up at margainally different times, wanted to do the jogs at different speeds and break for exercises at different points. It got irritiating following or being followed.

It didn't look like he'd be breakfasting alone though, Ash thought, as he saw Lizzie. Seeing as she was always around him at training, and not being one for self-consciousness anyway, he assumed she wouldn't mind that he smelt like boy (and not in a good, aftershavey way). He ran his fingers through his hair. It was half flat, half spiked, still being gelled from the day before, but having been slept on and having had some of the water reach it in the bathroom just now. He strolled up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently massaging them.

"Good morning, hot stuff" he greeted, leaning down and planting a kiss on the top of her head (because that was where he could get to, rather than because he was being particularly gentlemanly). He slipped into the seat beside her, keeping his further hand on her shoulder, and sliding it down around her waist as he took his seat. He leant over and kissed her on the lips. "How was your Christmas?" he asked, leaning in to get another couple of quick kisses in before she could give him an answer.

13 Ash Craven Becoming up-caught 50 Ash Craven 0 5

Lizzie

December 16, 2007 11:12 AM

Ah, good, you're here. by Lizzie

Still staring intently yet blindly over the lip of her coffee cup, Lizzie hadn't managed to notice the new arrival into the hall. She hadn't even recognized just how tense she was until she felt someone's hands on her shoulders, massaging them slightly. A moment later a voice she recognized all too well confirmed her suspicions about the owners of the hands. Lizzie grinned, unable to control the reflex. She certainly had missed him over the break.

"Hi," she replied softly as he kissed the top of her head, setting her mug down on the table as he slid into the seat next to her.

She kissed him back slightly, noting his appearance. He'd been out for his usual morning workout, and despite the distinct smell of his having done just that, Lizzie was glad to be around him. All the worries and useless fretting seemed to fade quickly into the background now that she was back next to him. It was strange how much she could miss something as simple as the warmth of kiss, the funny way his hair stuck up sometimes at odd angles. After a few more short kisses, Lizzie rested her head on his shoulder, not caring if he had just come from a hard workout.

"My Christmas was, well... it was sort of boring," she said, looking up at him from where her head rested, "Having to sit around in a bridesmaid's dress with a tailor trying to do alterations while Brett's fiancee is whirling about like a top getting things together is a trying ordeal... Not to mention having to go all the way out to Paris and London of all places to get all of it done. I mean, there are perfectly respectable caterers, dress designers, and whatever else someone could need for a wedding here in the states... It just doesn't make any sense to me."

Lizzie stopped at that and slowly sat up, hoping she hadn't bored him to death and began undoing her ponytail. Shaking out her long black hair, she looked back to him and tried to recover her exasperated tone.

"I'm sorry about that... Anyway, how was your Christmas?" she let a sly grin form as she looked up at him through sparkling eyes, "Miss me?"

0 Lizzie Ah, good, you're here. 0 Lizzie 0 5

Ash

February 26, 2008 10:02 AM

Why... what have I done? What do you want? by Ash

Ash shrugged the apology off. He hadn't minded the ramble. It would have been more a cause of distress to him had Lizzie lapsed into girly gushing about the simply divine boutiques that Paris was filled with. Or worse still how romantic it all was. He didn't get that. What was romantic about winding your way in and out of people who smelt of cheese, only ate frogs' legs and didn't even speak English?

"Sounds like unnecessary hassle," he agreed. "And why England? I mean, I know France is meant to be fashionable or whatever, but England's full of tweed wearing prats with bad teeth. Why would you buy a dress and stuff off them?

"My Christmas was alright," he said. "And of course I missed you," he added, closing the distance Lizzie had made by sitting up and kissing her again. It wasn't just a line - a learnt response that he knew he was meant to give. He had missed the feeling of Lizzie, of their lips against each other's and of pulling her up against him. The holidays had felt empty and unsatisfying, and he'd had to do a fair amount of magazine reading to fill the gap. "I think we escaped the worst of the nauseating drivel about baby-grows and names and whatever. Mariella's knocked up," he added, to clarify. The fact of the conversations had been mentioned in the letters, but the details, thankfully, omitted. He knew they'd have to endure some of it, once their nephew or niece was born. Hopefully they wouldn't be punished for missing these details by having to hear about the birth in horrendous detail. This was his sister! The glaring and un-ignorable evidence that she and Simon did it was bad enough, without having to hear about... woman things.

0 Ash Why... what have I done? What do you want? 0 Ash 0 5

Lizzie

March 10, 2008 12:23 AM

What, I can't just say hello? by Lizzie

Putting a hand in his still half-damp hair, Lizzie couldn't help but smile. She had missed this interaction over the fairly lonely break. Overseas she'd been dolled up and dragged around Paris to countless social gatherings, and though everywhere she went she had more than enough "proper, eligible bachelor-boys," Lizzie had missed all those silly little things she never seemed to notice when she was around him. She missed the feeling of being needed. She missed Ash.

"Well, the fiancee, Melanie, is English," she explained, "So she wanted to go back and have all these parties and fittings in London with her mummy. Of course, Tante Rose couldn't have everything happen on that island, so she insisted that everyone come back to Paris and spend an inordinate amount of time doing the same sorts of things there. You know, the worst part about it is that England and France have some fine Quidditch pitches, and I didn't get to set foot on a single one of them. Completely unfair."

Leaning against him, Lizzie sighed. She couldn't help the insidious little thoughts that crawled back into her mind on the subject of Paris. All the social parties were nothing compared to Giselle's engagement announcement. Things like that just took one more person off the list of cousins to be married off, thus bumping Lizzie up on the martial hit list. It wasn't that she was seriously considering marrying anyone, far from it, but the idea being out there unnerved Lizzie. She also had to decide whether or not to invite Ash to Brett's wedding. That question she was not ready to entertain just yet.

"Ah," she grinned and kissed him back, "I'm glad you missed me. I missed you too. Too bad about that whole thing with Mariella. Sounds like a drag."

Lizzie knew that as soon as that baby came, Ash would feel differently. There was something about babies entering families that tended to change things. If the twins' sister had a boy, Lizzie was fairly certain that Ash would be singing a different tune. If he had a new niece, Lizzie wasn't sure what would happen. Only time would puzzle that one out.

0 Lizzie What, I can't just say hello? 0 Lizzie 0 5

Ash

March 18, 2008 7:59 AM

Sure, so long as you shut your mouth afterwards :-p by Ash

"That sucks," Ash said, though a mouthful of bacon, when Lizzie mentioned the denial of Quidditch Pitch touring.

The holidays seemed to have been full of nauseating drivel on all sides. There was the ball thing coming up at Sonora too, which was stupid. Only poxy Purebloods and prisses actually wanted to dress up and go dancing.

"Are we going to this dance thing?" he asked Lizzie, cos he wasn't sure whether she'd want to or not. She always claimed she hated balls, but if, by some girl-logic, this was "different", he didn't want her to get annoyed with him. Obviously if they went, they'd go together... It didn't really occur to him that a more elegant phrasing might be appreciated. All that scrambling around for dates and blushing was for single people, as far as he was aware. Surely, if you already had a girlfriend, you didn't need to ask her formally. "Or," he grinned, as a better thought occured to him, "do you want to take advantage of the Common Room being empty?"

0 Ash Sure, so long as you shut your mouth afterwards :-p 0 Ash 0 5

Lizzie

March 21, 2008 12:11 AM

Glad to know my conversation is appreciated. by Lizzie

Lizzie had to laugh as Ash once again showed his exceeding eloquence in asking her out. She really had assumed they were going to the ball together, as that was one of the things Lizzie considered to be involved with being a couple. Of course, knowing Ash as she did, Lizzie hadn't been expecting him to think far ahead enough to ask her to the ball, so the lackluster invite was more of a pleasant surprise than anything. Twirling a black lock of hair around her finger, she grinned.

"Yes, we're going to this dance thing," she replied, still twisting the piece around her finger, "And... why can't that be an 'and' situation? I mean, it's not like we can't do both, is it? I mean... I'm not saying we have to go to the entire ball."

With that, Lizzie slipped from his grasp and stood up. She reached back down and took his hands away from his breakfast.

"Come on, I'm done with breakfast, and you're in desperate need of a shower," she tugged on his hands, "So you just go take a shower now, and we can decide how long we stay at the ball later, okay?"

After all, girls just want to have fun, right?

0 Lizzie Glad to know my conversation is appreciated. 0 Lizzie 0 5