Sweets for the Sweet (Invitation Only)

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:37 pm

Taking advantage of this weekend, she found herself wanting some sweets. She never had a sweet tooth but she needed some comfort food and she found herself alone at the ice cream parlor.

Walking in, she ignored all the couples that were hanging around one another and she felt disgusted by it all.

"Table for one please" she said.

Being walked over, she sat down and looked at the menu trying to find something that will comfort her.

by **Xander Clarke** Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:52 pm

Xander had been wandering aimlessly around Hogsmeade, trying to get his mind off of Tess. How could you be so stupid! He hated himself because of the way he treated her. She had only been trying to help.

Looking for something to cool his temper, he saw the ice cream shop, and smirked. Exactly. He went in, only to find Tess at a small table that is obviously meant for only one or two.

He took a deep breath to calm himself and walked over. Trying to everything in his power not to upset her, but he wasn't expecting a warm welcome either. Rather a tongue lashing.

"I seem to be messing things up left and right with you. I'm sorry." He didn't sit down, still not sure if she'd turn him away. "I'm always saying I'm sorry to you." He hoped she could see his honesty, and how much it took out of him to be so honest.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:05 pm

Reading the menu, she had not noticed him walking towards her, but she did notice him the moment he spoke to her. Her hands gripped the menu tightly so much that her hands turned white. She was mad, but she would never make a scene, it was unlike her. She placed her menu down and looked at him with a nonchalant face.

She wanted to be strong and not simply forgive him so easily. He had made her cry and she did not like that at all.

"I deserve every sorry" she said not wanting to look at him.

by **Xander Clarke** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:19 pm

At least she hadn't bit his head off...yet. Xander thanked Merlin they were in a public place. He took his chances and sat down across from her, but not getting too comfortable yet.

He could sense that it wasn't just his actions she was angry at, but what they had done to her as well. It made him feel terrible. He exhaled and hoped the truth was a good way to go.

"I'm...not good at letting people in, Tess. Never have been. And I guess...it's made it hard to learn how to interact with someone who's opinion I really care about." He couldn't look at her as he said these things, not wanting to see the pity in her eyes.

"I know I'll always annoy the hell out of you. But I'll always be sorry for it, and I'll apologize as many times as it takes." He was almost to a whisper by the end. Not really knowing what he was saying, just afraid to stop.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:24 pm

She felt something really affect her. His tone was so heartfelt and it was working towards the walls that she was building. She sighed and looked up to face him, only to have him be looking away instead of at her.

She sighed and dropped the menu, and leaned over to place her hand over his lightly. She didn't squeeze his hand and let out another sigh.

"You care about what I think?" she whispered. "That's sweet."

Seeing that the waitress was walking towards them, she cleared her throat and scooted over towards him on the booth.

"Buy me some ice cream and you can stay"

by **Xander Clarke** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:36 pm

Xander jumped at the chance. "As much as you want!" Then he thought, "Not that I think you eat a ton, it's just..." He realized he was stammering and just stopped.

After they ordered, Xander felt the awkward silence that most honest confessions bred. Then it hit him, "Of course I care what you think. Why wouldn't I? You're bright, opinionated, witty and a complete individual. You're not like most girls I've met."

He was hesitant to move his hand even an inch, scared that she'd take hers away, yet hating his need for such human contact.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:52 pm

Tess raised her brow at his outbursts, seemed unlike him, but she found it amusing. She noticed him stammering his words and she squeezed his hand trying to calm him down. She turned towards the waitress and ordered vanilla ice cream and looked towards him waiting for him to order.

After he did, she laughed softly and shook her head trying to fight her blush.

So much for being angry she thought sighing.

Leaning towards him, she let out a small smile.

"You're different too....flaws and all" she whispered trying to calm him down.

by **Xander Clarke** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:58 pm

Xander gripped her hand, but tried to calm down otherwise. He wanted her to like him, not think he was psychotic!

Her comment made his stomach flip and he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling. "Um...thanks, I think." He actually wasn't sure.

Trying to change the subject to a lighter tone, "So how's your friend, what's her name? Victoria?" He wasn't sure how things were going with her and Luke and didn't want to give away anything if they were going well.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:10 pm

Her eyes trailed away from his face and moved down towards their hands. He was gripping her tight, but it didn't hurt, she found it amusing and yet melt her stomach bloom with butterflies. She blushed slightly and laughed softly when he wasn't sure what she meant.

"It's good, I promise" she teased.

She didn't really know what she felt about Xander. She liked him, but there were moments she couldn't stand him, or couldn't deal with his changes. Other times she simply wanted a conversation with him, tease him and enjoy the reactions. They were so alike and so different and clashed.

"They're doing great...they are going on an outing this week" she said. "A date"

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:48 am

Xander figured she meant Victoria and Luke. His cousin had seemed preoccupied lately. Well good for him!

He loosed his hold on her hand, trying to relax. "I'm glad to hear that. Luke deserves some happiness right now." He didn't want to say too much about Luke's life, it was his story to tell. So he tried to change the subject.

"So what do people do in America for fun? I've never actually been there?" He wasn't extremely interested in the place, but figured if it matter to her, he could at least learn about it.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:17 am

Tess was surprised at his comment, but she was glad that he mentioned that he approved. In a way, it made her feel that he was not so discriminatory as she once thought. She laughed softly asking about how it was living in America, especially since he had scorned her before about it.

"I haven't lived there in a bit" she said. "I was there on vacation but I've been living in London since last year."

She smiled seeing that their ice creams arrived and she took a small spoonful and smiled at the sweetness.

"Though I'm curious, why do you want to know about America so much, if you said you hated Americans?"

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:55 pm

Xander poked around his ice cream with the spoon. To be honest he wasn't a HUGE fan of the cold desert, but it wasn't terrible.

He was dreadding questions like the one she just asked. He didn't want to sound like one of those sappy boys. "Well, most of my father's acquaintances from America seemed so full of themselves. Especially the women. As if we were all so adorable with out slang and accents. I hated it." The benefit of being in school: no more socializing with people he didn't want to.

"But I figured there had to be something worthwhile there. Especially if it made you the way you are." He tried to appear as if his ice cream was the coolest thing in the world, not wanting to talk about his fascination with her.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:15 pm

Tess' eyes were wide at his confession and she felt herself flush. She was so surprised and dropper her ice cream spoon shocked. She didn't want to appear as if he reached her, but he did and she didn't know what to say. She looked down at her ice cream and then lifted her gaze softly towards him.

"You think I make America worthwhile" she whispered surprised.

She placed her left hand on her cheek, feeling how hot it was.

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:20 pm

Xander coughed, trying to cover up his awkwardness.

"Yeah. So...what did you used to do for fun? When you were there." He tried not to make a big deal about her reaction, not knowing if it was too much to admit.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:27 pm

Tess tried to cool her cheeks down and felt them still burning hot. She couldn't stop smiling and she felt like a fool for not stopping.

"In California...I loved surfing, swimming, scuba diving" she said trying to calm herself down.

She wanted to try and ignore the whole awkwardness but her heart was beating so fast. She didn't like this feeling.

"You know...I know nothing about you?" she asked.

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:34 pm

Surfing? Scuba diving? He had never felt a need to try these things. "Hmm...well I can say I've never two out of those three. Not many opportunities for water sports in London." He smiled at her blush that wouldn't go away.

When he heard her statement, his brow furrowed. "I guess not. Well what do you want to know?" He wasn't used to people asking questions about himself. Most people he knew just liked to talk about themselves, and he was used to that.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:50 pm

She laughed softly at the mention of lack of swimming opportunities in London and nodded. She hadn't done any of those in a while and she missed it. She smiled back at his smile and thought of a question to ask.

"Anything. I just want to know more about you...why are you such a flirt for one thing" she teased.

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:05 pm

Merlin, here we go...

"Honestly?" He didn't wait for her answer. He knew she'd prefer it.

"I could just say it was because the girls couldn't keep their hands off me." He smirked, but not with his usual gusto. "But it was really for the parents. They expected it of me."

For the first time in his life, he felt a little ashamed for his role in his family. The perfect little Slytherin son. Nothing more than what his parents wanted him to be.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:09 pm

She nodded softly at his question. Yes she wanted to know, why did he act like he knew what a girl wanted to hear, why did he walk with an air about him that demanded other girls attention. She had this insecurity that he was playing with her. She hadn't fallen for him the moment they met, but others had and if he thought of all of this as a chase then she'd be crushed.

"I could just say it was because the girls couldn't keep their hands off me." she heard him say. At that she simply shook her head and stifled a little laugh. But hearing the rest of his answer, well she wasn't expecting that.

She lifted her gaze and looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

She wrung her hands under the table and briefly wondered if he was like Damien, who simply flirted with all other girls and was already engaged to one.

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:24 pm

He could feel her anxiety in the rigid feeling of her body next to his. It confused him a little.

"My family was quite powerful during the wars, siding with Voldomort of course. When he fell they...lost favor in some circles. They've been desperate to get it back." He hated knowing they had followed that man blindly. Was ashamed of their part.

"I was nothing but a pawn to win their way into the hearts of other people. I had it better than some. I haven't been married off or anything, but I had to be the charming son. For no other reason that to make them look better." By the time he was done his voice was raised. He refused to give other people in the shop the satisfaction of looking for their reactions.

He had never spoken these things before. Even to Luke, who had his own burdens to bare.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:34 pm

Tess tried to calm herself down, trying to really be okay with what he just said. Voldemort? Voldemort?! She felt an involuntary tremor run through her body. Her parent's had fled during the war, and avoided being marked but her grandparents gladly had taken the Lord's Mark.

"Oh.." she said softly.

She didn't know what to say. Looking down at her bowl she noticed the ice cream had melted, it didn't matter she didn't have an appetite anyways. He had spilled so much of himself and she, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't outright push him away, because he wasn't at fault, but for a moment she realized how different they were.

"I'm sorry"

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:48 pm

Xander felt stupid for saying so much. "You've nothing to be sorry about. We can't choose our family, you know?" He tried to smile, but failed.

Sighing, he realized their desert was a complete disaster. "So! Let's find something happier to talk about eh? What's your favorite subject?"

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:19 pm

She nodded not really feeling in the mood to talk about classes. She knew that he wanted it to be forgotten and she leaned and grabbed his hand. She didn't care if it wasn't proper, or not the right time, but she felt that she needed to show him she cared and wasn't afraid.

She looked at him and bit her bottom lip wondering if she should say something personal too. She decided to ignore his question and asked another in return.

"Do you want to ask me something personal?" she whispered.

by **Xander Clarke** Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:35 pm

He was happy that she reached out to him. Xander wasn't used to finding comfort in others, but hers was different. Most people seemed to comfort out of a need to be comforted themselves. Tess seemed like she honestly wanted to help.

Personal? There was really only one thing he wanted to know. "Why do you put up with me? With all my...my...this!" He indicated to himself, and put his face in his hands, exasperated. He was screwing it all up. He always did when it mattered.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:46 pm

Her gaze softened at his question and a frown etched her face.

Why did she put up with him?

Well for one thing he was handsome, but then again she could easily ignore that. His attitude while it sometimes infuriated her, it made her stand up for herself and fight back not wanting to be pushed down. She liked his grin, when it was carefree and happy. She liked how he always found something right to say and thinking that he did something awful because he was honest.

"Honestly?" she asked.

Obvious that he wanted the answer she bit her bit her lip and felt her cheeks flush a bit.

"First of all I don't know what 'this' means. All I see is a very sweet boy who bought me melted ice cream and has shown me that he cares about what I think" she said squeezing his hand "And I put up with you because...you're more than just the flirty arse...you're different"

She didn't really want to say that she liked him, she wasn't sure how he'd react so she played it safe tiptoeing around the area until she realized if he liked her as well.