After Dark {{Sullivan}}

[drake]

Winter had a deadlock on the castle: the lock-down had a deadlock on the students. There was very little to do in the way of entertainment. Noah was almost used to such things, but had to admit it was getting rather old. He had plans to go out into the snow today, maybe find something interesting to get into. Yet, here he sat in his familiar chair by the fire. He had a book set aside on the stand, and a warm mug of chocolate in his hand. Steam rose up from the surface, although he had yet to take a single sip. Noah had his mind on other things.

Time crawled by, making him wonder what was to happen next. He would soon be graduated, out in this cold and dark world on his own. He would forge his own life, beating at it with a hammer if he had to in order to be away from his family. Yet, as exciting as this should feel, Noah was not as happy about it as he would think he would be. He sighed, and watched a log crack in the fire. Small dots of red drifted up the chimney: the smell of wood was good to his senses. His mind still did not pull away from the thoughts he was having.

Noah had met, and fallen in love with, Tuesday Kerrison. She was much younger than him, but almost a year and a half. She was two terms behind him in school. Once Noah left the castle, Tuesday would remain here for the next two years. With the lock-down, Noah knew he would not be allowed contact with her until something happened. He was not pleased with this, but for all his intelligence he could find not solution. The only resolve this issue seemed to have was if the lock-down ended. Noah had very little idea why there was a lock-down to begin with. Something about the Headmaster's daughter getting threatened? Noah sighed, and watched the flames lick the wood in the fireplace. He wished there was more he could do.

The blue cup lifted, chocolate touched his lips, Noah took the first sip, and he still felt no more content than he should. The future was as bleak as the present was dark. He felt it heavy on his shoulders, as if the shadows themselves could carry weight. The thought made him shiver in the empty common room. Everyone else would be up in the dorms asleep: it was well after three in the morning. Noah let the cup drop to the chair side stand, and closed his eyes. His own problems seemed to drift away on a light wind as he nodded off. Noah had not slept well in weeks. He had suffered from terrible nightmares, and this was the reason he had dark circles under his denim blue eyes. A log cracked in the fire, and he jumped. His book was jarred from the table and crashed to the floor. The hot chocolate spilled over, and Noah moved his wand out of his pocket in preparation to clean up the mess. He cursed under his breath as he saw the shadow in front of him. Someone was standing in front of the fire...

[sullivan]

It was dark outside, and still snowy, and there was still that lock down going on at school Sullivan was awake, it was late at night,but she just couldn`t sleep right now. Sullivan took a seat in her bed as she put some clothes on. She peeked out the window and could still see that the snow was falling down, in february. Sullivan sighed softly and put her blue sweater on and a pair of socks before she moved off the bed and sneaked out the door. Her roomates where asleep so she didn`t want to wake them up. Sullivan brought her wand with her, held it in her hand as she was walking towards the stairs that lead the way down to the common room. Sullivan walked down the stairs without making any noise. As she walked further down, almost to the bottom of the stairs, she saw that she wasn`t alone in the common room.

Sullivan sneaked her way carefully on her tippytoes to check on who was sitting in the chair. As she could see the persons face, she recognized who it was. It was Noah Drake. The handsome boy who was in the same year as she was. Sullivan smiled softly as she saw that he was sleeping. It was adorable sullivan thought. She continued walking silently over to the fireplace, it was nice and warm. Sullivan put her wand down on the table and stood infront of the fireplace now. She liked the fireplace a lot. Sullivan used to dream away sometimes as she looked at the fireplace.

As a log cracked in the fire, Sullivan heard a noise behind her, it made her jump a bit and she turned to see what it was. Her eyes fell on the book that was laying on the floor and hot choclate that got spilled. She then looked at Noah as he seemed to be awake now. Sullivan folded her arms over her chest and smiled a bit as she wasn`t so jumpy anymore. Sullivan studied Noah`s face and could see the dark circles under his blue eyes.

"Wow, you don`t look tired at all" Sullivan said and grinned a bit. She eyed the free chair and took a seat in it, still looking at Noah. He sure did look very tired. " Nice to see that i am not the only one who`s awake at this time" she said and could still feel the warmth coming from the fireplace. It gave her a tiny shiver. A good and nice shiver.

[drake]

Noah's arm lashed out, wand pointed at the shadow, and the shadow spoke. He inhaled, the first phrase of a curse on his lips, and then smiled lightly. He let his hand drop down as he shook his hand. Blond hair, light eyes, smaller frame, a familiar face and voice... Noah had almost cursed Sullivan Brown. He let out his breath, and moved to clean up his mess. His wand sucked in the hot liquid as he tried to think of a way to reply to her without making himself sound completely unbalanced. Noah usually was so calm, cool, collected; but, she had caught him off guard. He was not used to such things. He lifted his eyes to look at her.

"Sleep does not come easy these days. Sort of like we are all locked in a dungeon, you know?" His voice was soft and mild. His demeanor was relaxed and calm. His heart had maintained a normal speed after the slight shock. However, his words were more than true. Even though they were in the middle of a term, without the regular visits to Hogsmead, it felt like a prison instead of a school. He found himself even more restless these days than he had in his whole time at Hogwart's. Even getting a detention was not as fun as it had once been. Noah, known for holding the record for most detentions by a single student, had not had a detention in more than a month. He placed his wand on the small table and stood up to stretch. Doing so made him inches taller than his female counterpart. He offered her another smile.

He moved closer to the fire and turned his back to it. Noah clasped his hands behind his back, and whispered. "How about you Sully? Sleep not find you well tonight?" It was late, and he doubted he would even nap today. He had spent many nights sitting in front of the fire, unable to close his eyes for more than a few moments due to the nightmares. In all his time in the common room, he had not encountered her. Noah tried to remember the last time they held a decent conversation, and that time would not come to his memory. He shrugged softly and moved back to his chair. Noah dropped his frame into the chair, placed his wand back in it's pocket, and smiled up at the lovely Sullivan Brown.

[sullivan]

Sullivan looked at Noah as he spoke. She nodded in agreement to his comment. " Yeah you are right about that, it does feel like we are locked in a dungeon" she said and sighed softly. Sullivan disliked a lot this lock down that had happened at Hogwart`s. Sullivan wanted to be in Hogsmeade and hang out with other people there, no be locked in like some prisoner. " I just hope that it will end soon..its been going on too long " Sullivan said and ran her hand trough her blonde hair. She looked up at Noah as he stood up and stretched. Sullivan smiled softly and looked at the fire in the fireplace and noticed that Noah moved closer to the fire. Then she heard the words he whispered to her, softly.

Sullivan just shook her head. " Nope, not much sleep for me either, i am too restless to sleep right now." she said and tapped with her fingers. Her eyes wandered around in the room, looking at some of the things for a few moments. Sullivan hadn`t spoken that much with Noah before, but it was nice talking to him now. He was a really nice guy. She looked over at Noah as he was back in his chair. She smiled back at him as he smiled to her. "So how are you doing, except that you can`t sleep, just like me " Sullivan said and smiled some more. Sullivan wanted to have a conversation with Noah. She wanted to get to know him more.


She knew that Noah had a relationship with the sweet hufflepuff ,Tuesday. They were lucky to have found love. Sullivan wished she could find her love someday, but she wasn`t gonna rush into it right now. "How are things with you and Tuesday ?" Sullivan had to ask.

[drake]

Noah followed her around with his eyes, his smile faltered slightly as another log popped in the fire, then his ears perked up when she spoke again. The first statement was mere casual conversation, like: how is the weather. Sleep was an obvious topic they shared considering neither of them was obtaining any sleep at the moment. Noah could understand how this would make for a nice piece of conversation starter, but felt that it was not at all what was on her mind. Curious as to why he was awake, maybe; but, the topic of actual sleep, no. Noah smiled when she mentioned his girlfriend. This told him more than he would have guessed otherwise.

Noah was crafty, intelligent, and could read around corners. Although he never assumed, he could read into comments and questions to see what the person was not saying, or asking. Which ever it may be, Noah was masterful when it came to conversations that told him more about the person talking than the person would expect. As she asked about Tuesday, he read a little more into the question. Perhaps that Ms. Brown held a little more interest in him that she might ever outright suggest. Noah nodded to her, his mind working to keep up with the conversation instead of consider what she had not asked.

"Things are well, as well as can be expected given our current predictament in the school yard. Being able to journey away tp Hogsmead would be a wonderful thing, you know?" It was true, things might seem a bit less complicated if they could get out from under the eyes of their security blanket. This was what Noah felt the castle had become, and it no longer pleased him like it had in former terms. He sighed lightly, and watched her again. "Things will be much more interesting next term, when I have graduated and she faces the halls alone." He did not know how fearful those words were, at the moment he could only think of the next day and try to leave the future where it belonged.

{{Wow this post was crap. I apologize. If I did not get it on the board now, I might not have time to reply until sometime Monday. Hope you do not mind, too much.}}

[sullivan]

Sullivan looked at Noah and smiled. She heard another log crack in the fire,but that didn`t make her head turn to look at it. It was nice sitting here and talk to someone you usually didn`t talk to on regular bases. For some reason Sullivan got the feeling that she could talk to Noah about most things. Sullivan moved a little in her chair, trying not to make her feet become numb. She stretched them out and leaned more back in the chair.


She listened to him as he started to speak again. Sullivan smiled some more. " Yes that would be wonderful, i can`t wait till i can go to hogsmead again and drink that wonderful Butterbeer they have there" Sullivan said and licked her lips. She could barely remember the taste of the Butterbeer right now. She really looked forward to the lock down was over. She looked back at Noah as he spoke again. Sullivan nodded. " Yeah graduation next year..its so weird.." she said and shrugged. " Mmm i am sure that she is gonna be fine Noah" Sullivan said and smiled.


Noah and Tuesday were lucky to have eachother and they were so perfect together too. Sullivan was sure that they were the dream couple right now at school. She smiled a bit and looked down at her feet for a moment. " I am not looking forward to graduating..i am gonna miss this place so much..my friends and all about this school.." Sullivan said and sighed softly.

[drake]

Noah nodded and smiled as she spoke. He found her voice to be soft, and pleasant. He sat back, and touched his hot mug. He picked it up and put it to his lips. It was empty, of course, and Noah had forgot. He lifted his eyes to her and shrugged lightly. It was almost amusing that he could forget something as simple as his drink having been spilled. He shook his head and set the mug down. Noah looked back to her as she finished speaking about school, and missing it. He thought of Tuesday and knew the feeling, then it clicked.

Sullivan had given him a brilliant idea.

Without even knowing it.

He put his finger in the air. "Maybe I will not leave after graduation after all? I mean, what could one more year mean?" He laughed at how simple the idea was, how easy it came to him by just listening to her words. He smiled to her, "I might apply for the Caretaker's position, for a year or two while Tuesday is still at school!" He laughed at the thought, and nodded to her.

{{Sorry this is so short. I am trying to post my replies while I can. Busy week and weekend with the holiday. I hope you do not mind.}}

[sullivan]

Sullivan looked at Noah as he spoke up again,but this time raising his finger up in the air as well. Sullivan had to chuckle at that. " So you are gonna stay at school and wait for her ?" Sullivan asked him while smiling more at him. He was really a nice guy. "Well that..sounds like a great idea to me Noah " Sullivan said and grinned. It was really a good idea, she just wondered how he came up with that idea all of a sudden. Sullivan wanted something to sip on. She looked over at Noah and noticed that his mug was empty.." Do you want some hot choclate Noah ? " she asked him and looked around for her mug. sullivan remembered that she had left her mug somewhere here in the common room, now she just had to remember where.

She got up and searched the room for her mug with her name on it. "where did i put it last time..hmm" She asked herself and let her eyes wander around.

She looked back at Noah. " Have you seen my mug ?" she asked him.

(( i don`t mind at all buddy ))

[drake]

Noah glanced at Sullivan and laughed when she asked him if he was going to stay at school. It certainly was not the most logically conclusion he could draw, but it did sound like a decent plan. He did not know if he would be able to leave school when Tuesday was still behind waiting to graduate. No, Noah decided he wanted to stay, to be with her, and he had an idea of how he was going to prove it. As soon as the lock-down was over, he was buying her a ring and asking for her hand in marriage. Noah was practically beaming at his own idea. He lifted his denim blue eyes to Sullivan. She looked lovely to him just then!

"You are either a great inspiration, or a bad influence. You know this?" He dropped the conversation and looked to his own empty mug with a nod. He then stood up and stretched again. Noah walked around looking for her mug, with no clue of what it might look like. "I dunno, what does it look like? We could just share mine, if you like?" He smiled to her, and picked up his own mug with a small laugh. He wondered what sort of ring a girl would like. Noah had no idea about these sort of things, and considered bouncing the question off Sullivan. Then again, he did not want to bore her with his silly thoughts. She probably did not want to hear about all that mushy crap.

He moved away from the sitting area and looked on the book shelf. There were no extra mugs there, so he turned back to her. "Accio mug?" He suggested as he looked back down to a pile of discarded books. Noah picked them up and sorted them by size to place them back on the shelf. He turned back and went to stand in front of the fire, eyes on Sullivan.

[sullivan]

Sullivan looked back at Noah and it looked like he was thinking of something, like he had a plan. Sullivan was sure that he had one alright. She just wondered what plan he was thinking of. She would soon ask him about it,since Sullivan was a bit curioius. "What are you planning Noah?" Sullivan asked him and smiled at him. She was interested in hearing about it. Sullivan giggled a bit. " I am a good inspiration..?" she asked him. " I hope that instead of being bad influence.." she said as well and grinned at him.

She looked back at Noah as he was helping looking for her mug. Then he asked what it looked like. " Uhm..its blue with..with my name on it..but i just can`t find it "she said and made a little pout. She smiled as he said they could share his mug. " Okey..sounds like a good plan to me since i can`t find mine.." Sullivan and walked over to the couch and took a seat and patted on it to make him sit down after he was done sorting the books in the shelf and he was looking at her while standing infront of the fire.

" I don`t bite " Sullivan said and smiled at him. " So..is there anything you wanna talk about ? " she asked him and leaned back in the couch.

[drake]

"There is nothing wrong with bad indluences. Without them life would be boring. As to my plans, well..." Noah trailed off, and shrugged. He smiled a bit as she described her mug. He could have easily used a spell to make the missing vessel appear, but he did not mind her sitting close and sharing his. Not that it was a personal reason, but because it would make it easier for him to whisper his secrets to her without the chance of being overheard. You never knew when someone might come along, and overhear what they were discussing. Even though Ravenclaws were tolerant, his plans did not go with the grain of what a true Raven might consider a smart life choice. Not the marrying Tuesday part, but actually applying for the Caretaker's position. Most Ravenclaw students might consider this a waste of education. Noah did not care, he was happy that he made a choice and planned on sticking to it.

He moved to the sofa, and sat down. His mug was close at hand but he had forgot about it while he tried to think of how he could properly begin the next part of their conversation. He had never discussed something like this with anyone before. It is not everyday when you decide to get married. He looked up to Sullican and smiled. Noah, not one to be a loss for words, just let it spill out. In a soft tone, whispering, he told her. "I am going to ask Tuesday to marry me, as soon as we can get by with it. Maybe remain engaged for a bit, but never apart. I want to write my own foolish love story!"

{{You know why it is so short. Hope it is not crap.}}

[sullivan]

A smile appeared on Sullivan`s face. " Yeah that is true, it would be very boring" Sullivan said and looked at Noah and smiled more. She looked at Noah as he moved over to the sofa and took a seat next to her in it. She looked at the mug he had with him. " We should fill the mug" Sullivan said and grinned. She looked at him as she whispered something to her. What he told her made her smile even more. " Noah that is great news ,she will be so happy when you ask her " Sullivan said whispering back so others wouldn`t hear what they were talking about. She was glad that he had told her this. " Yeah its good to be engaged a little first before the big thing happens " she said and looked at him. " Its gonna be a great love story Noah " she said and looked at him and smiled. Sullivan was glad to hear about his plans.

She looked over at the fire and used her wand to make more fire so it wouldn`t die. It got warmer in the room now and Sullivan liked that. " I am so happy for you and Tuesday " Sullivan said and looked at him. Sullivan hoped that one day she would find someone who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But for now Sullivan didn`t want to get married, she wanted a boyfriend first and take it from there. Sullivan used her wand to make hot choclate appear in Noah`s mug. " There now its filled with hot choclate, you want to take the first sip ?" she asked him. Sullivan leaned back in the sofa and looked over at Noah. She made some choclate chip cookies appear as well so they had something to chew on. " Want one ?" she asked him. She took one for herself and took a bite of it.

[drake]

So Here I Am; I'm Trying
_{So Here I Am; Are You Ready
Let's Start This Again, For Real}

Noah smiled, lost in thought for a few moments, his eyes watching the fire she had stoked. The flames licked the wood sending small sparks off that remained him of fairy fire in the woodlands. The smell of burning wood filled the room, small puffs of smoke drifted up through the chimney. Noah imagined what it looked like from outside in the cold. He could almost see the large puffy clouds floating from the Ravenclaw tower's single vent shaft out into the night air. He pulled himself out of his thoughts as she spoke, and created the chocolate. His eyes twinkled as he made the first sip.

_{I've been here before a few times
And I'm quite aware we're dying
And your hands they shake with goodbyes
And I'll take you back if you'd have me}

The liquid was warm, of course. Small white cubes floated in the dark brown chocolate, marshmallows. Noah sipped again, and then offered the mug to his friend. He took one of the cookies and nibbled on the edge. The burst of rich chocolate invaded his mouth making him smile more. He glanced to Sullivan and realized that all they had really been talking about was him and his own romantic escapades. It was not really fair, so he thought to change the subject.

_{And I'll miss your laugh your smile
I'll admit I'm wrong if you'd tell me
I'm so sick of fights I hate them
Lets start this again for real}

What about you Sullivan Brown? Do you have someone in your life? Someone you have an eye on? Who does Sullivan fancy these days?' He asked the serious question with a teasing manor. He was often doing things like that to keep conversation light. Noah did not want to ruin the night by saying or asking the wrong thing. He enjoyed her company.

{{Not the best, but I did what I could. Hope it is alright for you honey!}}

[sullivan]

Sullivan looked at Noah as it looked like he was thinking of something. It made her smile a bit. After she was done speaking and Noah was back from his thinking bubble, Sullivan chuckled a little. " Looks like you got something on your mind, or are you just dreaming away a little ?" Sullivan asked him and took the mug in her that. It smelled so good of hot choclate. The scent just filled her nose. Sullivan loved hot choclate with marshmallows. She took her first sip of the mug and smiled.


She took a new bite of her cookie. It tasted so good. She had to smile again. " This is nice, us two hanging out like this " Sullivan said and grinned at Noah. Sullivan looked over at Noah again as he started to ask her about her love life and how that was. Sullivan looked down at her feet before her eyes met his again.


"Mm what about me..and my non excisting lovelife..well there is not much i can say" Sullivan said and shrugged. " I don`t have my eyes on anyone.." She said and smiled softly at him. " I just haven`t met that guy yet, that one special guy" she said and smiled some more. " Nothing that i wanna stress with, i am still young and all that.." she said and took a new sip from the mug before she passed it back to Noah.