As the Blood Runs Down the Needle and Thread

27 September, 2008 (10:20pm) - 1 December, 2008 (11:23pm)
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Logan pushed his way through the heavy oak door of the boys’ dorm room, letting the creaking sounds fill the empty space of the stairwell. He wrapped his scarf loosely around his neck, the hint of a five o’clock shadow on his angular jaw. He pulled the collar up on his black pea coat, and shoved his hands in the shallow pockets of the gray Beauxbatons mandated trousers that came standard with the uniform. He pushed through the door to the outside, entering the wall of wind, his hair picking up and running around his features lightly. His eyes squinted as he scanned the lush grounds of Beauxbatons, the large trees turning burning colors of red and orange, and the smell of cold, frozen dirt in the air.

He walked into the main castle doors, bringing in the smells of a freshly prepared meal, and parchment. Unfortunately, Logan was not going to the dining hall, he would not be eating the feast that was so effortlessly prepared for them three times a day. He was on his way to the small room in the corner of the east wing, the dark, windowless room that gave him a shiver every time he approached, which seemed to be quite often. He pulled out the worn piece of parchment from his pocket, examining the perfect cursive scrawl, issuing Logan a day’s worth of detention, writing lines and whatever else they felt like he should do. He stepped inside, the professor now sitting at a small desk, sitting diagonally in the direction of the door, a stack of cracked books on the desk, and a pile of parchment pieces just as his was. He handed it over, the haughty professor looked at the paper and then at him, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth, gesturing towards the only seat that seemed to be left in the mass of students who had been late one too many times, got caught swallowing a joke shop candy to get out of a test, or talked too much in class. His eyes scanned the room of students, some he knew, some he didn’t, but as his eyes reached the chair he was supposed to reside for the next several hours, the wind inside of his already constricted chest was nearly knocked out of him.

Moments flashed in his head, only bits of pieces of darkness, bare shoulders, soft noises coming from her red lips against his ear, candlelight, their bodies glistening with sweat. He closed his eyes, looking down to get the inappropriate pictures out of his head. He let out a frustrated sigh, shook his head lightly and took deliberate steps closer to her, closer to the seat.

It wasn’t as if Logan hadn’t run into previous flings in the past, he actually knew how to handle those with elegance, making up an excuse on the spot as to why he hadn’t called, gave a sympathetic, heartbreaking smile and the girl would most likely melt into his hand and believes anything that he had to say. This was much different, scary different. Logan had spent one single night with her, a couple of weeks ago after too many glasses of gin and tonic, the night had been blurry, but it had been by far not forgotten. Something about the girl he was rapidly approaching with each step had confused him, even amidst intertwining sheets and moonlight, he couldn’t comprehend what was happening inside of him, it hadn’t just been sex like it seemed to be with the others, this one had feeling, passion and he couldn’t get her out of his head.

He had gone to the same bar two night after the incident, and he found a willing participant. This was just for his own amusement, and he needed to prove something to himself. He needed to know if he was still able to have disconnected sexual relations with anyone, without developing some sort of attachment for the girl. He sweet talked, and charmed his way into her dorm, and the whole time he would picture Aurelia’s soft features, he voice, he body, he pale skin and her smell, and Logan cursed himself as he left her dorm in a hurry, not even in a good enough mood to banter with Caelen.

Something was terribly wrong, and it was staring him in the face now.

Two more steps,

One,
two,
home.

Logans slender hand pulled the chair out, pulling it closer to isle while pulling his tattered leather book bag off his shoulder and placing it on the wooden table, pulling his black quill out of the side, and the pad of parchment, pulling himself closer to the table.

His face stayed forward, his jaw was clenched, he wanted to look at her, he wanted to see her face, the curve of her nose, the soft flush in her cheeks he had grown to picture numerous times a day, and the soft blond color of her perfectly straight hair. It killed him, keeping his neck still, to the point where he couldn’t stand it any longer. In one swift moment, he turned his head to the side, his face expressing whatever emotion he didn’t want her to see, his eyes finding hers and keeping them locked there.
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Aurelia tugged the tie that held her hair in place from her pony tail, and slipped it over her hand. She was standing in front of her wardrobe mirror, trying to figure out what to do with her hair. Giving up, she swept her fingers through her straight blonde locks, leaving them just a tad messy. Unlike her sisters, she'd been blessed with hair that did precisely what she wanted it to do, when she wanted. Taking one last look in the mirror, she grabbed her coat and ducked out of her dorm room.

The halls were deserted- most students were either all ready up and at breakfast, though quite a few were probably still in there beds, taking advantage of a day without classes. ”Lucky bastards...” Aurelia grumbled miserably. If it weren't for a few too many tardies and cross words, she could still be snuggled under loads of comforters and sheets. Aurelia grimaced. If it wasn't for a certain ass hole, she'd be able to happily bury into someone else's bed, but as it was, she hadn't had a decent lay in two weeks, and after about one week she'd given up on staying the night anywhere than her own room.

When she reached the Sournois common room, Aurelia ducked her head and headed straight for the door. She didn't want to talk to anyone, let alone any guys. She was beginning to get sick of boys. It was never like that before- but now things were different, to her greatest disdain. Aurelia tried to avoid the fact, and no one but her subconscious could get away with noting that things were, indeed different. She'd always been someone who did what she wanted, when she wanted, someone who took her own pleasure without much need for giving back. If she did give back, it was because she was pleased- not because she was being nice. All in all, Aurelia wasn't the nicest of girls. She could be sweet and be a good listener and wasn't a bad friend really, but she tended to keep to herself and her favourite company was an interested male with all the bad intentions- though not necessarily the wrong ones.

Aurelia prided herself on being able to remove herself from situations- to feel only the things she wanted to feel. It was a fact- if she wanted a guy, she knew exactly how to play her cards to get him to do what she wanted. It didn't hurt that most of the men she spent her time with were more than happy to let things flow and never act as if they owed each other anything. Just because she spent a night with someone didn't mean she owed them her life, or even a few good morning kisses. She'd been happy to do whatever she wanted with whomever she wanted- up until two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago, she'd headed for the Detaillant pub, only intent on a few pints of whiskey and maybe some dinner. That lasted about half an hour, and then Aurelia's outlook changed. Whether it was for better or worse didn't matter. It was different than what she'd always wanted, and she'd never been one who took change without a fight. She knew what she liked and she knew how she liked it, and she wouldn't have bet in a millions years that she'd like things any other way. Things were always the same, and that was how she liked it. That was besides the point. Everything changed with her second glass of whiskey.

He'd been absolutely gorgeous- with a piercing, 'I know what you want', gaze, and devilish grin. His voice was honey and cinnamon, and the air that moved around him was warm cedar and lime. She'd never forgive him. Logan Luca was one man that she would never go to again. She didn't need reminding of how he'd made her feel- even the thought of him made her heart race and her stomach gurgle like she was going to throw up. It made her sick. He'd completely ruined how she did things, how she lived, and the way she was able to leave emotions out of a night of fun. Not that he made her fall for every man he encountered or anything. Instead, it didn't take long for reviews of their own night together to seep into her thoughts as she spent time with someone else.

After a couple of nights of this, Aurelia had become quite brash, even for her. Sick of the ways her mind made her hesitate in some one else's arms, she'd begun to push past her thoughts and force herself to not think. There was no more time for talking, no more time for witty banter and insinuating looks. There was only time for action. With that said, Aurelia began to skip all the foreplay and get down to the real thing. But even then, she found pockets of peace and silence where her mind would shove the image of an other hotter, more passionate night into her mind and she'd have to change tune. She began to do things with a colder outlook, getting things done in as little time as possible and wearing herself out till she could leave wherever she was and head for her dorm and fall into bed without even the strength to pull the covers over her small frame.

Aurelia slipped past the dining hall, clinks of silverware and lazy chatter drifted to her ears and made her long for a plate full of eggs and sausage. She cursed the professor who'd given her detention, and made her way to the classrooms. If there was anywhere she could have been on a Saturday, it wouldn't have been detention. That's what you got though, for thinking the professor was too much of a mouse to do anything about your snide remarks. Smirking, she left the stairs and headed down a hall way, a few students littering the hall ahead, apparently headed the same place as she. The school staff was becoming stricter with detentions, and it seemed that nearly everyone she talked to had received one, or at least been threatened with the idea, at some point throughout the year. Even Aife, sweet, innocent Aife, had been threatened with one thanks to too much talking. Aurelia snickered. Her sister was an angel- she was nearly convinced the older girl hadn't ever done anything bad or risky or selfish in her entire life.

Aurelia reached the detention room all too soon, and after handing in her detention slip, she made her way down an aisle and took a seat nearer to the back than the front. She wasn't stupid. You take a seat in the very back, the teacher targets you and you'll never get away with anything. Same goes for the front, but you get a better grade. You choose somewhere in the middle, and you're neutral. It's all up to you. With that thought in her head, Aurelia shrugged off her coat and swung it about the shoulders of her chair, straightened the grey of her wool pencil skirt, and sat down, one knee slung over the other. The class was all ready half full, and students kept trickling in, their shoes scuffing as they walked to their seats. Everyone had a look on their face that said they'd prepped for a day full of bore, and if Aurelia had to bet on it, she was sure quite a few of them had a daydream charm in store.

Cursing silently, Aurelia realized she should have brought her own charm. She'd spent two weeks trying to avoid thinking, and here was with a day's worth of opportunity to spend time with her subconscious. Oh joy, she thought, her eyes rolling. Exactly what she needed. She looked up at the professor, who sat at her desk like she wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of being there either, but at least she had things to do. The woman was going to see the most intricate lines there'd ever been in the history of detentions, all thanks to Aurelia's will to survive the day. She dearly hoped that at the end of it, she wouldn't be insane and headed for St. Mungo's.

The class was nearly full, and it was almost time for the detention to begin. Aurelia slipped her hair tie from her wrist and began to twist it around her fingers. This was going to be a boring day. There wasn't even anyone she'd really like to make eyes with. There were a couple of guys who seemed familiar, but she reckoned they'd probably look loads more welcoming after her body's weight in liquor. Sighing, she looked back down at her hands, and watched as her long fingers twisted themselves in her hair tie. It was about time the class began- she was starting get antsy. Her foot tapped in the air, and she cocked her head in boredom. The class was nearly full, except for the seat beside her, and she could see a pair of grey pants in her peripheral, making their way toward it.

Aurelia glanced up, absently, as the boy took his seat beside her, then looked back to her hands. Then she froze. Skin pricking, her eyes shot wide, and her heart, oh her dear poor heart, started pounding against her chest, like it was just as desperate to get out and leave the class as she was. She could feel her stomach begin to roll, and her hands began to shake, and why the hell did her mind have to bring back every single moment of two weeks ago, in one second? Her face was frozen- the only evidence of horror being in her wide eyes- but the air surrounding her was charged with a million volts of electricity. She needed to get out of that room. She couldn't be next to him- it was too dangerous. Her chest started to constrict, and oddly enough, she couldn't tell if she was going to cry, start screaming, or what. She wondered how much trouble she'd get if she just ran out and left, and went to hide somewhere. The thought was seriously tempting.

Aurelia sat frozen to her seat. She could see everything he was doing in her peripheral, and he wasn't doing much. Logan was just sitting, looking straight forward, his hands together on his desk. He looked angry, like something was bothering him. The day was just getting better and better, because Aurelia felt herself begin to worry for him. She never worried, especially about some guy she'd happened to spend the night with. But that wasn't just any night, she thought, too late to keep the words from her mind. That set her mind to roaming. Why didn't he look at her? Why didn't he even nod, or wave, or, oh she didn't know, gesture or anything? He just sat there, refusing to look at her. Was it nothing to him? Instantly, she chided herself for the thought. Of course it was nothing. One night didn't mean anything, and she should have been grateful for that. Instead, she felt this hollow, sinking feeling in her centre, as if the world was falling out beneath her. It was absolutely dreadful, and for the first time in her life, she finally understood why her mother cried for her father, why Aife couldn't bear to be away from school, away from Caelen. The realization made her throat raw.

Timidly, she looked to the ground, at Logan's feet, then up to his ironed grey trousers. Emboldening, her gaze idled over his waist, where the crisp Beauxbatons blue of his shirt tucked into his pants, covering his supple flesh and perfect hipbones. His shirtsleeves stretched tight against his arms, giving way to his lean muscles, and his broad shoulders, shoulders she'd sunk her teeth into as she'd cried out at his mercy. Shirt turned into flesh, and Aurelia found herself gazing at the veins in his neck, his shadowed jaw- it was just so perfectly cut, and she felt herself itching to sweep her fingers over his cheeks, and cup behind his ears to pull him closer to her lips. It hurt. It really did. Just looking at him, everything came flooding back. Every kiss, ever nip, every touch and graze and elated sigh- they filled her head, pooling into every nook and cranny till he was all she could see. When he finally looked at her, it took her a minute to register his gaze, to remember that he was real, and that yes, he was sitting across the aisle, and those were his eyes that were staring at her.

The moment she realized that he was looking at her, Aurelia's eyes nearly doubled in size. She couldn't have looked away if her life depended on it, but she wasn't absolutely sure that she wanted to. Her skin was hot as a blush crept over her skin, her cheeks flushing red. She couldn't quite tell what the expression was that masked Logan's face. At first glance, he looked angry, terrifying. Yet, as Aurelia's gaze swept over his own, she began to see hints of other emotions. Longing and despair left his eyes sullen and sad; they'd lost some of their piercing sharpness, while a bit of something she couldn't place her finger on made them seem almost helpless. He looked disrobed, like something had happened to weaken him. She fought against letting the words like her attach themselves at the end of the sentence.. Something told her she was seeing something she wasn't supposed to.

Whether it was hours or years that passed as they stared at each other, Aurelia could have happily sat gazing at him for the rest of eternity. The thought shocked her, and she felt her jaw drop a little, her lips pulling apart slightly. Her throat was dry, and the cool air that slipped inside hurt a little. Somehow, she managed to turn away, her gaze falling to her desk. How had this happened? She felt all control and all freedom slipping from her grasp, and what was worse was that she was letting it go. This was without a doubt, the last thing that she'd ever thought would happen to her. It angered her, how easily he'd upset her way of life, her point of view. And she had a whole entire day to let that fact sink in, and every moment would be spent beside the man who made her fail. Head shaking, she leaned her elbows on her desk and let them hold her forehead.
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The only sound in the room that Logan could hear was the steady pounding of his heart that was slowly quickening in pace as the minutes ticked by so slowly. The sound of the girl next to him tapping her quill against the wooden desk, the shallow breathing of the mystery that was sitting next to him. Everything had been in slow motion, he was no longer focusing on the room around him, or the professor whose lips seemed to be permanently pursed, or the heavy sighs from the students that he was close too, he was one hundred percent focused on Aurelia, his eyes piercing hers, never tearing away for a moment. She was hypnotizing, something he didn’t notice the night he had spent with her, how her eyes caught his, and how it was nearly impossible for him to look away.

How someone was able to get past the stone wall that he had built around himself he couldn’t fathom, and he wasn’t even sure that that was what this girl had done, actually getting past it that is. He could feel himself internally fighting the crumbling walls that he had taken so much time to build slowly fading away in her presence, a notion that could send Logan screaming into the lush hills of Beauxbatons, an idea that made Logan’s stomach turn in circles and a heavy lump sit in the back of his throat. He puffed out a sigh, breathing through his nose, fearing opening his mouth, as if he were going to confess his unconscious feelings allowed, something that would be devastating to his carefully crafted reputation.

You have no idea what you are doing to me, Aurelia. the cold voice was saying in his head. His eyes stayed put, he was memorizing her features, committing them to memory because the minute they were going to be able to leave the classroom, he was going to flee. No, he couldn’t flee... yes... he had too. He couldn’t, he won’t.

What happened last night, Aurelia? It was plaguing him. The questions was burning inside of him, he knew it was eating away at her small frame too, it was too apparent in her eyes. Logan bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes narrowing, his leg tapping underneath the table, his breathing becoming slightly erratic, he convinced himself he was going crazy, this girl was making him crazy.

It’s not going to happen again, Aurelia. He let his chest rise and fall, as he finally broke her gaze, watching her delicate face fall and burry itself in her hands, her hair falling around the soft color of her skin, letting her back curve, her shoulder blades predominant through the thin fabric of her shirt.

Except is has to happen again, Aurelia. Flashing images of her skin against the soft light of the moon shining through the large glass window, the length of her neck when she rocked it back allowing the perfect invitations for his mouth, erratic breathing in his ear, soft sounds escaping her red lips, and the light purple color her eye lids were as they closed against his touch, there was no doubt in Logan’s mind that he never wanted to see her again, and he wanted every part of her.

Logan lowered his head on the desk, laying his head on his lands, his eyes closing, pushing all thoughts away from him, letting the smell of her perfume infect his nose, he was harshly aware of her breathing, and her internal distress. It was somewhat of a comfort that he wasn’t the only one fighting demons within himself, that being that she was nearly the same as him in her actions, that she could be as reckless and careless and uninhibited , become unattached with the boys she came across, made her exactly as Logan,

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock......

The clock on the wall, a pendulum swinging to the second, his eyes now watching it move back and forth, it was entrancing; it was the perfect symbolism to Aurelia. He cursed himself internally, his brow furrowed and he gave in. White flags were flying high above his hung head. His neck snapped in her direction, her face was up now; he forced himself to find her eyes. A heart wrenching pain shot through him, paralyzing his thoughts and movements, this girl had a hold of him; Logan just hoped she didn’t know it yet, so he could configure a plan to escape it. All he wanted was to escape this new grasp that her eyes, her movements and her lithe body had on him.

If we were alone, I would take you on this table, Aurelia. He smirked just slightly at his own thoughts, impure images now entering in mind, occupying the slowly moving time that seemed to be passing.

Tick, tock, tick, tock....

Slow motion, finally time stood still and deep somewhere, Logan would recall this day as the day that he knew, that he, the womanizing, self centered, deceitful ass, fell for Aurelia Argent.
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Head in her hands, Aurelia sat in her desk, her heartbeat drumming loudly in her ears. She'd fxcked up, and there was no sense denying it any longer. Somewhere along the way, she had to have become easy, soft. Never in a million years would she have thought she'd fall. It wasn't in her- she was the cold one, the one who could sit back and let things happen without getting involved. But this time she'd failed, and looking back, she had no idea where she'd messed up.

It seemed simple enough at first. A guy obviously searching for someone to spend the night with him, and who better than Aurelia? For only fifteen years, she had more experience in the sack than many girls her age, and better yet, she wasn't going to come running for a second date. He'd even seemed fun, with his sneers and piercing gaze that so well matched hers, and how uncommonly forward he was. But then something changed, Whether it was the moonlight playing tricks across his features, or his own devices, he'd turned sweet on her, but not in a way that made her think of sap or cotton candy.

Aurelia breathed in deeply. Even the thought of his eyes gazing into hers, one arm stretched above her while the other cradled her hip, knocked the wind out of her. It was like a furnace was set between their desks, and she could feel every move he made, every little electric signal that waved through the air. As good as she was with people, at reading them, sensing them, she'd never been this fully aware of anyone in her entire life. Even with her head in her hands, the light shut out from her eyes, she could see him perfectly in her head.

The view point quickly changed, though. No longer was Logan sitting in the desk across the aisle, head resting on his hands. Instead, he was flat against her, his skin hot against hers as they moved together, his hand cupping her rear. Her head tilted back as she sighed and moaned, his every attention exerting an elated sound from the depths of her throat. She'd done the unthinkable- completely lost herself in his arms, her mind far from any sort of planning or care. No. He'd done the unthinkable. With well executed strokes and the gentle pursing of his lips against hers, he'd found her completely off guard and careless to correct it.

The thrumming of blood swelled in her ears, and Aurelia couldn't take it anymore. She sat up, her eyes straight ahead. She hadn't realized she'd been pressing her palms against her eyes, a desperate attempt to erase the thoughts that streamed through her mind. Folding her arms, she made a great effort to study the patterns of stone on the floor beside her, and not glance in Logan's direction. As hard as she tried, she couldn't shake the images of him from her mind. She wasn't strong enough.

She wasn't strong enough...

A grimace crossed her features that quickly turned into a silent whine. She missed it- being able to pass through her days completely careless of the day ahead or behind, or even the moment in which she lived. If she wasn't the one going through the trama of what was now her life, she'd have thought herself a curious subject of study. It had always been one of wonder- why some people could seriously not go an hour or two without thinking, even mentioning a person of who they, apparently, cared a great deal. She loved her sisters, she loved her family, but it was beyond her level of comprehension to understand what could make someone so dependent on an other being.

Aurelia never thought she'd be the one going through such a thing, and she refused to look at Logan like someone she couldn't do without. She could go without him- forever if she wanted to. But not if she was forced to be around him. She'd thought she'd be okay, but deep down she knew that everytime she jumped at someone's entrance, every idle at every door, was all for Logan. She hadn't wanted to see him, let alone end up sitting next to him.

But she wasn't okay. Every muscle and every bone told Aurelia to turn, to look at the boy who'd completely rocked her world. It made her head hurt, and she felt an odd pricking behind her eyes as she tried to evade the temptation to look at him. She didn't want him to see her face again. What had he seen there? Had she left her expression so unguarded that he could read every emotion, every doubt and grudge? The thought horrified her. She didn't want anyone to know what she was feeling- especially him.

Again, Aurelia faced forward, her gaze locking on the slate board at the front of the class. Logan was clear in her perephial, and she could see every strand of hair, even stroke of soft blush that coloured his skin. She felt a warm, queasy feeling in her gut as she focussed on him. More than ever, she ached to turn to him, to look him in the eye and pull herself onto his lap, her arms hooking around his neck as she buried her lips against his. But that couldn't happen. He could never again see the weakness in her eyes, or feel her flesh against his.

It wasn't enough that she promised herself this. Aurelia's mind seemed all ready set on making him hers, and she fought against the notion. Even so, her cheeks flooded and her mind was ambushed with millions of all too familiar frames. She could feel his head turn toward her, his dark gaze lighting on hers, and before she knew it she was turning her gaze on him. There was no helping it- she couldn't look away, but neither could she tear her gaze from his. Blood rushed to her cheeks, setting her skin aflame as everything around them clouded, and all she could see was Logan's eyes boring into hers until she was hopelessly, dreadfully lost.

Something snapped. Aurelia's breath quickened, but then so did her heart beat, and in an instant she'd grabbed her jacket and despite all exclamations from the detention mistress, she was heading for the door, her heels clacking against the stone. She grabbed the door frame to help turn her around, and she fled the room and the echos of shocked students. Skirting a corner, she turned down a side hall. She was heedless of where she was going, but she didn't care. Logan wasn't going to affect her- he couldn't. Never mind that he'd just made her skip out on detention. She could see a months' worth of detention for that, unless she could do some fast talking.

The hall curved, and Aurelia followed- it ended in a high glass window and a few old doors. She headed straight for the window and rested her palms against its sill, her arms spread as she hung her head. What are you doing, Reylie? she asked herself. Her blood pounded in her ears, and she could feel her breath catching. As what she'd just done, and what she'd escaped, caught up to her, she began to feel a panic rising. Her feelings ate at her like a worm, eroding her strength, her nature. Again and again, she told herself she hadn't fallen for Logan Luca, and at each denial, she could feel her mind turning, with open arms, to accept the fact.
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The tension between the two of them was enough for every single person in the room to feel and to comprehend, something Logan hated because he didn’t like the students at Beauxbatons knowing all of his business, and he knew that he was the top of the gossip list, girls always finding a reason to talk, and to spread some god awful rumor that wouldn’t last about him. He rolled his eyes at the thought, now they would know that there was something that no one could comprehend between him and Aurelia. Sure, he had dated, but he had never fallen, and he would be damned if it was going to happen now. He snapped his head back to the black chalk board in front on him, his eyes focusing on the dust coming off the board from the small beam of light that the peering through the rectangular small window in the corner of the room.


He let out a frustrated sigh as they sat there is unbearable silence. What was this girl doing to him? Never had he been so distraught over someone in his life, never had he focused his precious attention on one girl for an extend amount of time. She was different, was she going to be the one to change him? Logan winced at the thought, he liked the way he was, he didn’t mind the reputation, he actually enjoyed it more then anything, he enjoyed the attention he would receive from the girls on campus. If he ended up tying himself down he would loose the attention that he craved. The corners of his mouth turned down in a small from at the thought. He closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath. But what if being tied down to Aurelia really wasn’t that bad, what if that was something he craved more then silly attention from girls that he would never have a lasting, meaningful relationship with?


His thoughts frustrated him further, he balled his hands into fists, letting the knuckles turn while as he gripped them tighter, his eyes were burning and he pitied anyone who looked in his general direction right now because his eyes could probably knock someone unconscious. How infuriating this feeling that was burning inside him made him feel, he hated Aurelia right now for this, but mostly he hated himself for thinking that he could meet every single girl and he would never be affected by them. He cursed himself for talking to her many nights ago in the stuffy bar, and the sinful night they had spent together in the hours following, and most of all, he hated himself for missing class so that he got detention and was now forced to be in her presence, looking at her, smelling her, being within 50 feet of her, which still seemed like torture.


Before he could think much more, the swift movement of her slim body was up and out the door, something Logan was left staring at, the empty space she had once occupied, his eyes now returning to the open door and the stunned look upon the face of the old professor who was sitting at her desk with stacks of books that were stuck to her nose and the whispers of the students who were suddenly questioning the actions that had just happened. It took less the two seconds before Logan had pushed aside the chair, causing a loud noise as the legs of the chair scarped across the floor. He slipped his leather school bag across his shoulder and walked out the door as nonchalantly as possible, not turning his head to watch the stunned reactions of the students behind him, who would be stuck for another couple of hours staring at the blank wall and literally driving them selves insane. He smirked at the thought, and cursed himself for not thinking about walking out sooner.


But before he could think about that much longer he realized the exact reason for walking out, the reason his mind took over and told him to walk out of detention which would probably ensure another 10 detentions in its place, along with loosing some house points and maybe a couple of lines as well, well worth the punishment though, he thought to himself as his pace quickened and he walked closer to the path that Aurelia had most defiantly taken. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he caught a glimpse of golden blonde hair walking into the large doors of the entrance hall, he watched as she suddenly stopped against the glass window, pushing her hands against the glass and leaning her body on her hands in frustration. Logan slowed his pace; it was interesting to watch, as she ducked her head and breathed heavily.


It wasn’t just him then, a smile pressing against his lips as his eyes drew a line across her body, going from the blonde of her hair to the long line of her legs. He pressed his lips together, his walk deliberate and slow. This was new for him, the pursuit. He never chased a girl, it wasn’t his style, and it showed vulnerability, something that Logan despised. He didn’t want anyone to take advantage of him, even though he knew how to take advantage better then anyone else.


He was not going to wait any longer, he wouldn’t wait for her any longer, and he couldn’t be away from her any longer. He pushed himself towards her, leaning his back against the cool glass, his hands hanging on to the strap of the leather book bag, his eyes focused straight in front of him until she noticed him. He turned his head towards her; her head was now up, a shocked look on her face. He smirked in her direction. Of course he followed her, she wasn’t going to get away that easy, and running away from this problem wasn’t going to get them anywhere. His eyes were burning into hers, he leaned up and faced her, and without thinking he placed both of his hands on her jaw and pulled her towards him, their lips crashing together with an overwhelming need that Logan had to satisfy, it had been weeks since h had kissed her, weeks since he had been close to her and he was driving himself crazy thinking about her, unwilling to forget the soft skin he had gently touched, and the perfect way their mouths moved together while they kissed.


Logan bit her bottom lip gently, pulling it slightly as he pulled away, letting his right hand sweep a strand of iridescent hand behind her ear, dropping them now by his sides, a small smile on his lips and a questioning look upon his face. ”I cant stay away from you.” His voice was frustrated and weary; he leaned closer to her, letting their faces be just inches apart. ”I am not going to stay away.” He stated matter of factly in her direction, letting his words sink in. They didn’t have any hidden meaning or ulterior motive, it wasn’t a statement that was telling her his unthinkable feelings for her, it was a statement that let her know he wasn’t going anywhere, he wouldn’t be stay away, regardless of the activity it was they partook in while together.

”So why don’t we stop with the pleasantries, and call a spade a spade Aurelia.” He let the end of her name roll off his tongue elegantly, his eyes boring into hers as his tongue slid lightly across his bottom lip.
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Aurelia's palms began to ache as she pressed them into the windowsill, her shoulders hunching as she let all her weight fall to her hands. She couldn't look up, she couldn't move. It was taking all her strength to keep control of her demeanor, and even so she wasn't doing such a great job. Her hands clasped at the sill while her chest heaved, her breath coming quickly. She was expanding, and all too soon she would burst. She had to do something about this, before it was too late.

She was terrified of the outcome. There had never been anything to happen to her that was so momentous as the thought that quite likely she'd fallen for someone who could completely warp the way she lived and thought. It was unthinkable- she'd been with so many people, using and leaving had become second nature to her. Live for the moment, take what you can, give nothing back. She'd had it all, and in the arms of one smirking schoolboy, she'd practically given it away on a silver platter.

What if she continued to ignore the fact? She could always go along screwing who she could, seducing who she couldn't. Quite possibly she could make Logan hate her. The thought made her chest thicken and gut cramp. She didn't want him to hate her. She wanted him to love her, and hold her, and make sweet endless love to her, and to be with her and claim her for his own. Make no mistake- she wanted to be his as much as she wanted him to be hers. The thought idled on the edge of her reason, knocking patiently till she could all but hear her own thoughts clearly.

Aurelia cursed herself silently. Why had she left? It showed weakness, and it was more than clear, she was sure, that Logan fully understood the meaning of her departure. There was no way she could have stayed there the whole day, though. She would have gone insane, or worse, jumped into Logan's lap and shocked the other students with hungrily displayed affection. It could not be had.

Aurelia looked down at her feet, her blonde strands hanging in her face. She didn't know what to do. There weren't many choices, and most of them she wouldn't be able to stand. It was more than just getting herself a man, or the spurring of all the ideals she lived by day to day- it was survival. She knew that she couldn't survive in the same way anymore, whether she did something about Logan or not.

Someone was standing close to her- she could feel their heat. How long had they been there? They didn't say anything. Aurelia was hesitant to find who it was. If it were a professor, she was fried She lifted her head, slowly, and came face to face with Logan and the smirk she'd envisioned so perfectly. He'd won, and he knew it. The bastard absolutely knew it.

Aurelia thought he'd mock her, maybe taunt her for ridiculous behavior. No. She hoped he would do these things. Or at least, some part of her did. The part of her that could fxck and leave, without a thought to the feelings of anyone else. There was a side of Aurelia that was spreading its wings, demanding that she face facts and realize that she in fact wanted him to take her into his arms and love on her and tell her he would be with her for eternity if that was what it took. For once, her new piece rose like a phoenix from ashes, its heat in the pads of Logan's fingers as they gripped her jaw and pulled her forward, his lips crushing against hers.

Logan wasn't asking- he was taking. It was clear in the way he held her chin, the way his mouth forced itself against hers. Aurelia was nearly still in shock. Her lips felt raw, outdated, as if it had been too long since she had truly used them for her to remember how. A wave of hot electricity burst through her as he nipped at her lip, his teeth tugging as he pulled away. She could feel his hand in her hair and his skin swept against her ear, sending a pulse that made her shiver. Like a master stringsman, he knew how to play her, and she found she didn't mind at all.

"I can't stay away from you ..."

Aurelia's eyes had been closed- she didn't need sight to see what Logan was doing, not when she felt every single minute movement to her very core. She blinked at him, speechless, floating somewhere between jubilation and sobs. "I am not going to stay away ..." She blinked again, but her brows did not furrow and she did not frown. Instead, she merely stared as she tried to comprehend his words. He spoke as if his words were the simple truth.

He wasn't going to stay away. Aurelia stared at him, her eyes wide, as she tried to comprehend his words. Countless situations and temptations raced through her head- he didn't know what he was talking about. She'd thought he was just like her, and maybe he was. Was he going through the same confusing flurry of emotions as she was? If he was, she could understand how he could so confidently tell her he wasn't going anywhere.

His lips began to move. "So why don't we stop with the pleasantries, and call a spade a spade Aurelia." Her name fell from his lips as if he might set them free, something he'd been dying to utter since last he'd given them speech. She understood what he was saying. It was no less than she knew she wanted, but even so she had to fight to agree, even silently. Without waiting for a reply, Logan leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers, and graced her lips with his tongue.

Against his open mouth, Aurelia tasted the sweet cool of Logan's breath- and with it returned weeks of loneliness and longing. She stood still, that one last weakened piece of resistant battling to the end, standing alone for what had once been so important to her. Had it only been weeks? It seemed like years. Logan moved away, only slightly, parting his lips from hers, but Aurelia grabbed him, her long, tapered fingers clutching at him.

"Don't leave me ..."

Swiftly, her hands moved to take their place at his side, and wrap theirselves around his neck, and she pulled him into her, her back arching as she thrust herself onto her toes. Their lips parted as she kissed him thoroughly, lips moist and tongues clashing. She could feel every brush, every stroke, made by Logan's ferverent fingers. She reveled in the way they leaned together, their only support being the aged stone of the wall behind them.

Aurelia paused, her lips frozen in mid kiss as she pulled away enough to look at Logan. "Don't ever leave me ..." One demand, one plea, one simple request. Blasphemous words from the mouth of a young woman who stood with her world crashing down around her, and all she could think of were the hands holding her and the lips molding against hers.
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Logan didn’t know what it was he was expecting from the girl after he spoke his peace, he didn’t know if he expected her to run away again or do exactly as she had, pulling him closer to her expressing the desire within herself just as much as he had. This action took him by surprise only because it seemed she was trying to find every excuse she could to stay away from him, after all, she did storm out of detention, a nearly unheard of act, in order to escape the binding tension that was so heavy between the two of them.

It was all coming to a head right now, they were in an embrace, closer then they had been in weeks and they found that they couldn’t get enough of each other, a frustrating and tantalizing fact all at the same time. His heart swelled for the first time in his reckless life. He felt like there wasn’t enough room inside of his constricted chest for the elated feeling within him. So this was what if felt like, to care for someone as much as he know knew he felt for Aurelia.

Her words rung through him, and hit him like a ton for bricks would hit him square in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of him, and he felt like he couldn’t catch enough breath to inhale. He held onto her, gribbing his strong on hand on the small of her back, breaking the kiss in order to breath. He didn’t show any emotion on his face because he didn’t know which to portray. He had a dozen running through him at that very moment, his dark hair tousled lightly around his face, his lips swollen from the needing kisses he had just shared.

Logan slipped her small hand in his, laced them together, an incredibly intimate act that girls often took advantage of, he didn’t hold hands with girls in most situations because it gave them the wrong idea. He didn’t care what idea she got in her head after this, he pulled her towards the torturous weather that was outside, he didn’t want to get caught for leaving detention and end up separating themselves. That was the last thing, to Logans surprise, that he wanted. He felt a small pang deep within his chest at the thought of leaving her. Her words were not only a demand and a plea in his direction, it was exactly the statement that Logan couldn’t resist, even if she hadn’t said them to him, he would never leave, he was too wrapped up in this tangled web to leave her now, there was too much involved now, and he wasn’t going to give that up, he had felt this way with only one other person before, and that had been right after his fathers death, so there were too many things pulling at him, it was different now. He could give Aurelia one hundered percent of him, something that was profound and unthinkable, something she hoped she recognized as the most selfless act that Logan had probably ever done in his life.

He gripped her hand tightly, pulling her just lightly with him, he could tell that she wanted to come, that she wasn’t resisting this any longer, small confessions made against a glass window had stifled the tension for now, and Logan wanted nothing more then to explore this as much as he could, learn every curve of her body and expression she made. He wanted to memorize her, to tell the difference between her smiles, to console her when she was sad, to learn ever detail of her past, and to confide in her his deepest darkest secrets that nearly no one knew on campus.

The openness he was feeling was something that Logan really couldn’t understand, he had never been able to open up to anyone easily, he had never even opened up to Cambria when they were dating and it was part of the reason they didn’t work out. But he felt like he could tell Aurelia everything, and he wanted to tell her everything and he desperately hoped she was feeling the same way. The feelings he was fighting were all too frustrating and tiring for him to continue. He could see the white flags waving in surrender at this unfamiliar situation. For once, he wasn’t going to run away when he was faced with something he couldn’t dissect, he wasn’t going to abandon her because he couldn’t fathom hurting her.

It was all too much for him to take in, he couldn’t speak to her for now, he wouldn’t, he would just pull her with him, out the large oak doors and into the light wind and grey skies and pouring rain. Logan wasn’t oblivious to all romance; he had seen enough movies and seen enough on campus to know what could be passed as romance. He kept her hand laced with his, gripping it tighter with each quick step towards the vast, rippling lake that was his haven.

When they had reached, he pulled away from her, now facing her, keeping a small amount of distance between him, his eyes probably reflecting his torn feelings, on the one hand he was falling head over heels for the girl in front of him, he hair becoming matted slightly by the down pour of rain, the glistening water falling off her pale skin tone. But on the other he didn’t know if he could be good to her. He didn’t know how to be a boyfriend; he didn’t know how to be someone else’s everything. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he didn’t know if by giving up to himself internally he would lose and he wouldn’t disappoint, he would continue being the same old Logan, the one that didn’t care about anyone’s feelings, the one that could sleep with countless numbers of girls and laugh at it in the morning. He didn’t know if he was capable at love, and the hurt he felt was boring through his eyes, and into hers.

”Aurelia,” He looked up into the rain, letting the cold water hit his high cheek bones, letting the droplets fall off of his espresso hair, turning back to her. ”What are we doing?” Hi question was weary and cautious. He took a step towards her, placed his hands on her jaw gently, and leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, a gentle kiss that was more intimate then any kiss he had given her in their moments of passion had been. He pulled away but kept his hands on her jaw, looking down at her, with a light smile on his lips. He placed his lips close to her ear. ”In a matter of weeks, you’ve managed to become my everything” She had become his everything, she consumed his thoughts and actions, he hadn’t slept around since the night after when he couldn’t get her out of his head, and he had no intentions of it until they had talked and discussed this oh so complicated situation they were now embarking on. With one quick movement he placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her into him, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his cheek against the blond hair that was soaked by the rain.
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Aurelia was having trouble seeing. Everything was coursing through her- Logan's touch and kisses, what was happening, reality. She'd never thought it would be good. In the deepest pits of her subconscious, during the past few weeks, Aurelia had known that this was what she wanted. Accepting the fact was an entirely different matter, and she could feel all her sordid reasoning slipping from her grasp and Logan running to replace it.

He'd been well kept, but now his dark chocolate locks were fussed around his face, his lips and cheeks pink with the heat radiating through him. So beautiful ... he should have been just an other statue in her trophy chest, but no- he'd become more. Much more. Aurelia only stared at him, terrified at what was happening and how she had no idea what to do, but no longer regretting a moment of it. This was what she was here for. She itched for his arms to encompass her and for his lips to take hold of her own, but there was more. Oh was there ever more. She wanted it all- not only the promise of sensuous nights and his beauty and enticing voice. She wanted his sorrows, his pains, his happiness and pleasures. All of it- nothing less.

Logan slipped his hand into hers, their fingers slipping together, and pulled her away from the wall. Surprisingly, she hadn't minded the first time he did this, though most normally she would have rolled her eyes at the thought of yet an other overly romantic partner. Now, she reveled in the feeling of their fingers clasped together, and she let him lead the way as they passed beneath the steepled Beauxbatons entrance and into the grey hued grounds and rain. They reached the lake and he turned to look down at her, his eyes blinking glassy droplets away.

"Aurelia ..."

He cried out, his voice fighting past the drizzle as he stared at her, his gaze searching. "What are we doing?" he asked her. There was no trace of his trademark confidence or easy turn of words. Instead, he sounded as if any rejection of feelings or lack of want of him would utterly break him, and Aurelia was shocked that his voice stole her feelings for sound. Logan cradled her jaw gently, less possessive now than issuing a sort of request as he leaned into her and softly brushed his lips against hers. It was sweet, this kiss, his mouth arching and melding with hers with all the care and practice he possessed.

When he pulled away, Aurelia stood still, dazed from all of the emotions and change that was engulfing her at once. In such a short time, with increasing speed, Logan had gone from claiming her arm for dinner to claiming her heart for, as far as she could tell, life. She was new to all this, and never before had she felt the need to be with someone. Not even weakly- she truly had never experienced such a confusing emotion. But Logan, with his gentle speech and knowing gaze and passion and care and, dare she say it, love, had claimed enough of her to sweep away a short lifetime of granite resolve.

"I don't know ..."

Aurelia whispered into the wind, her face wet with rain disguising the confused and yearning tears that began to slip past her eyes. She didn't know what they were doing, what she was doing, but at the same time, she didn't feel lost. She only felt that she did not know where this path led. Despite such terrifying logic, there was no way that she could stray, and when Logan claimed her gaze again, it was troubled but doubled with firm resolve. She would not stray.

"In a matter of weeks, you've managed to become my everything"

Aurelia's eyes widened, but she did not falter. No matter how absolutely terrifying his words were, she knew she felt the same. There had never been anyone to so drastically alter her way of life, or make her so yearn for their companionship, their love, their comforting grasp. The future was foggy to her, and she had to wonder if Logan would be able to stay with her as he promised. If she was difficult enough for her family, how would he handle her? But something told her she could never be difficult for him, either by purpose of her own, or through any impatience of his.

As if sensing her need for his grasp, Logan pulled Aurelia to him, his arms holding her, and she felt his cheek lay against her soaked hair. She nestled her nose against the base of his neck, taking in his sweet smell and the gentle woodsy odor of sodden wool and silk. Fighting against a force of relieved tears, she sighed heavily into Logan's chest. She was unsure of herself as never she'd been before. "Logan ..." she murmured, her eyes shut tight against the wetness. She didn't know what to say or do, and she was sure that her terror was solidly evident to the man who held her.

"You terrify me", she admitted, her voice as small as she felt. "I don't know ... I've never ..." She tried to speak, but everything that came out sounded childish. She'd never wanted to be taken care of, or to be weak. How could she communicate her feelings to him, without sounding ridiculous? Damn him! He'd made her weak, he'd made her fall, and worst of all, he'd made her care for him, with heart and soul, and become someone she could never live without.

Thinking this again, she squeezed him tightly and groaned against his chest. "Why?!?" Aurelia exclaimed in confusion. "Why you?!?" She winced at her words, but it was true. Why him? Why anyone? "I was perfectly happy, I could do anything, anyone, I could come and go as I please, and now I can't even talk to anyone without hearing your voice or your gaze clouding my sight!" She gave a greater groan and looked up.

"I don't know what we're doing ..."

Aurelia said this honestly and with earnest. She took a breath and her glare melted as the small tint of anger slid away. "All I know is that I can't do anything without you anymore, and it's driving me insane. Never has anyone done to me what you do every second of every day- never have I needed anyone as much as I need you." Aurelia ducked her head to lean against Logan's chest, her strength deflated as she closed her eyes in fear. This was wrong- for someone to have such a complete hold over her, and for her to be so willing. But there was no turning back now. Everything she'd wanted had changed, and now it was all in her grasp- what more could she do than accept it?

"I shouldn't love you ..."
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As Logan embraced the girl he longed for at that moment and the words ‘I don’t know’ were oozing from her mouth, a bitter edge to them, something the both of them couldn’t get away from. This was not who they were, they were alike, Logan and Aurelia. In fact, it was that notion that is what made Logan believe that sleeping with her, talking with her would be full proof. There was always a chance with all of the girls that he interacted with for something like this to happen, something that he feared, but had enough control over in all situations, all except this one.

He couldn’t understand why his control had been so lost with Aurelia, how he had lost all inhibitions and let himself go with her, something he had never done with any girl. Despite being a genius in bed, he never fulley gave himself to anyone, not even Cambria. But in a matter of weeks he managed to break down the stone walls he had built up and let her in, and he hadn’t even told her anything about him, hadn’t given her the information so many people craved but wouldn’t get close too, yet she could just walk right in, there wasn’t even a need to knock first. He ran his slender hand through her golden hair, letting the strands intertwine with his fingers, cradling her head protectively.

”You terrify me”

Without hesitation Logan pulled away from her slightly, a sharp pain shooting from his chest down to the rest of his surrendering body. He placed his hands on her jaw again and found her slate colored eyes, locking them with his own emerald ones. ”And you don’t think you terrify me Aurelia?” A small laugh escaped his lips, followed by a smirk pulling at the corner, the sharp point of his canine showing against his red lips. ”I am known on campus as a whore, I can sleep with anyone, and don’t have feelings for any of them, I laugh at most of them...” his words trailed off, he looked down at the soaking cement, running his fingers through his drenched hair. He pulled his head back up, looking into her eyes again, fluttering beginning in his stomach, a sensation he didn’t know what to do with. A sensation that Logan, frankly, didn’t think existed. He pursed his lips and leaned in closer as she spoke.

He pulled her as close he as could again, letting his black pea coat wrap around her in the cold of the wind and rain. ”I shouldn’t love you.” The words that escaped her perfect lips were too much for Logan to handle. He wouldn’t give up on her. He pulled her head up, with a little more force this time, his lips crushing hers as his hands set forcefully on the back of her head, his whole body pushing into her and pulling closer, even though it would have been physically impossible for them to get any closer.

While they stood there on the soggy grass, the vast, gray lake, rippling from the water droplets, the sky a luminous shade of dark cobalt, the clouds thundering and lightning striking in the distance. In that moment, the rain let go, let go of everything that was holding back and bombarded them with heavy water spilling over their clothes, hitting their faces and rolling down their noses and falling to the cement. Logan didn’t let go of her, he continued kissing her with passion and need, the weather a symbol for what was happening to them, letting go of everything, at least Logan was, and by the way Aurelia was kissing him back he knew she wasn’t objecting.

He pulled away, catching his breath from the kiss that took more out of him then expected, his chest heaving, and his breath spilling out of his mouth in a fog in front of his face. Logans cheeks were red and flustered, his eyes were sodden and confused, yet his head was more clear then it had ever been.

”I...” Logans hand ran down her cheek, the pad of his index finger trasing the elegant line of her face, his eyes were following his finger, but immediately snapped back to her own eyes, ”refuse to be without you.” He leaned closer, his lips just millimeters from hers, he spoke just barely in a whisper but loud enough to hear over the outside noise. “Aurelia Argent, be mine.” His fingers strayed to the nape of her neck, running down her spine and just lightly underneath her shirt.
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He was the same thing as she. A campus whore, lover of nightly delights and clandestine meetings and meaningless coupling. How was it that they affected each other so? How was it that in a few short weeks two lives had been turned completely upside down, the colours blurred and futures stirred so that all was different and they could no longer be whole, never again be without the other, even if hate produced a bitter coldness and they strike the other from their vision and thoughts as best they could.

Were they so suddenly half without the other? Or was there always this hole just waiting to be filled, never irritating, never itching, till they found that other piece. It was madness, it was irrational, it was the last thing in the world that would have happened to Aurelia Argent. Was this the end? Had life finished, having been so filled with needless delights and now finding her completion, was this all over?

It didn't feel that way.



The rain poured around the two, its icy drops biting at their soaked scalps, wind breaking through the curtain to wrap around them and send chills up their spines. It didn't bother her. She could only feel Logan's smooth, wet hand cupping her jaw, his fingers urging her lips to come closer to his own, and finally that sweetest of feelings as his lips claimed hers, his arms pulling her into him, holding her there.

No. This wasn't the end.



It couldn't be, not in any life time or alternate universe. No one kissed like this when the world was coming to an end. No one looking to the end of life took their time, as if they had eternity to complete such a simple, heart wrenching action. Logan's lips moved against her own like there was no school calling them back to their formidable punishment, no social conventions, nothing to hold them to the ground but gravity itself.

Aurelia tried to control the way she responded. It was useless. She needed this too much. As much as she absolutely hated to admit it, she needed Logan as much as he seemed to need her. It wasn't long before she was kissing him back with as much care and urgency and utter resolution as she held within her, the rain around them echoing this advance as it pounded against them, soaking them through. her hands and nails clawed at his back as they fought to be closer, even if they were all ready as close as their atoms and molecules would allow. But it wasn't close enough. It would never be close enough.

Logan pulled away first, his face shining bright in the gloom, his breath coming quick from rose red lips. Aurelia could only stare in wonder- this was the one who broke through. The only one. And here he stood, his eyes beholding her like she was some innocent, heavenly angel rather than the rebellious, licentious devil that she was. "I ..." Yes? She wanted his words, to hear his beautiful, languorous voice and feel his hot breath on her face as he held her in his arms. His fingers swept tendrils of heat against her cheek, his eyes following, till they locked on hers.

"Refuse to be without you ..."



He leaned closer, his lips taunting from so close a distance, and she struggled to pay attention rather than cloud her head with images and feelings that were so hateful yet so very incredibly needed. She looked up at him, forcing her eyes to meet his own. His was sturdy, haunting, so very sure of his own words and their meanings and everything that he wanted from her. Could she be so strong in her own reckless abandon? Could she be so sure?

His lips were closer, his breath on her face. Her own heart was speeding along, thudding against her chest in a will to meet his own. Her blood boiled and nerves raced and fingers itched and every part of her felt like either it was going into cardiac arrest or she was on the greatest high of her life. Dizzy and heady and lost in the emerald gaze that refused to let her go. "Aurelia Argent ..." She froze, her eyes widening at the seriousness of his own. "Be mine."

Her breath caught in her throat, and before she knew it Aurelia was shaking her head, as if to say, to cry, to scream, no, no, no ... But as her eyes closed and she let out a gasp, only to pull in a fresh breath of icy, wet air, she could hear herself. "Oh yes" She wasn't saying no. "Oh yes, of course", as if it were the simplest and most natural, most relieving thing in the wide world. She said yes, cried yes, screamed yes, and no was finally not in her mind, and all she could feel was Logan fingers caressing her neck, his hands tracing her spine and sweeping against the skin beneath her shirt.

He was all over, and yet she could feel every little point of pressure made by his skin against hers, and she found herself tugging at him, her hands gripping at him as she snuggled closer, her lips pursing against his soaked shirt, her nose breathing deep his body's clean, fresh scent. Ah, but this was relief, relief from her constant brand of life and the relief of letting go, of becoming one, of unleashing love restricted.

He couldn't be close enough, and all Aurelia wanted to do was pull him closer and closer. Her slender hands caressed his chest, his back, his sides, as her lips left trails of kisses behind, she worked her way over his collar, along his neck, her toes stretching as she pulled him down to meet her lips. She gave him the softest, slowest, sweetest kiss that she could, something she would never have done for fear of misunderstanding of feelings that now she was practically screaming.

It was all she could do. She wasn't schooled in loving and care, she only knew harsh acts and hurried moments. Reclaiming life, she took her time, every sweep of her lips taken with measured care and as much of a message as she could put in it. She was his, as long as he would have her, and there was no better way that she could tell him but in a language they both understood.
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Logan Luca could hardly believe his own words. He had asked Aurelia, the one person who he couldn’t get out of his head, to be his. This was something he had never asked anyone before and the words took him more by surprise then anything. As he spoke them he pulled Aurelia closer to him, his arms wrapped around her and his eyes staring out into the rippling lake in front of him. He was squinting because of the cold, biting wind. For what seemed like forever but was actually just seconds Logan panicked. His heart started beating in his chest and he wanted nothing more then to let go and run as far away into the forbidden forest as possible.

But before the thoughts of leaving overtook his brain, he took in the smell of Aurelia’s hair, how perfectly her small body fit in his arms and how content he was just standing there, no matter how cold it was, no matter how much it was raining. He wanted nothing more then to be there with her. A small smile formed on his lips as he realized he had gotten past the one thing that prevented him from committing in any other relationship. Her words cut through the deafening silence and he sucked in a hard breath in anticipation. She pulled away, his heart sank immediately. He didn’t know if he was ready to hear this. How stupid it would be of him to ask her this. She was exactly like him, and what were the chances that she was feeling the exact same way, what were the chances that she was going to be willing to give up her lifestyle, just like he was, to be with him? His brow furrowed and his stomach churned.

Aurelia had sparked emotions in Logan that he never thought he had the capability of showing, and for the few seconds it took to register the words that were coming out of her elegant mouth, and deciphering between the contradictory shaking of her head to the plea of yes she was speaking. His stomach didn’t stop churning, instead he felt fluttering deep within him. She had accepted it. She wanted to be his.

The feelings he had for Aurelia had become validated at that moment, he wanted nothing more then to be with her and he wanted to tell everyone. Despite what those consequences were going to be. He was sleeping with half the school and it would be quite a shock to those who didn’t know they were together. In fact, no one probably knew, and it would be the last thing they expected from neither him nor Aurelia. He chuckled internally at the thought of the girls’ hearts he would be destroying in the simple fact that Aurelia was now his girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

Shivers ran down his spine, he didn’t know if it was because the rapidly dropping temperature or the thought and the words he feared actually didn’t cause a panic. He looked up into the blackened sky and without skipping a beat a large white flake hit his nose, melting immediately on his flushed skin. He looked back down at Aurelia, his eyes piercing hers as the fastly dropping water turned into fluffy white flakes surrounding them. The edges of the lake were frozen and with every heavy breath Logan took he could see when he exhaled.

He placed his hands on both sides of her face again, this time pulling her softly close to his face. He leaned her forehead against his, he closed his eyes and ran his hands on the back of her neck. He had never been as happy as he was with her at that moment. His right hand ran down her spin and to her side finding her hand and lacing it with his. ”What do you say we go somewhere... less public?” he asked her, his eyes still closed and his forehead still pressed up against hers, their warm breath combining in the small space between them.

It wasn’t about sex. His normal self, sex would have been the first thing he thought about. But this new and improved, taken Logan Luca wanted nothing more then to curl up in his heavy blankets with her, and actually make love to then girl he cared so much for. He let out a deep sigh and pulled his forehead reluctantly from hers but kept her hand firmly laced with his. He started walking, pulling her with him, keeping her close. He looked forward, it was passing period on campus and the hallways and grounds were filling up with unaware students of the events that had just happened.

They would soon know, once Logan told someone it would trickle to the ears of every student on campus, and the whispers would soon start and the quizzical looks every time they walked by each other. Rage and jealousy would fill the hearts of the girls Logan had so carelessly slept with.

He turned his head towards Aurelia while they were walking to the halls, the corner of his lips pulled up into a smile as he caught her gaze. ”Are you ready for this?” He asked playfully, his eyes now darting towards the very few eyes that found their laced hands together. He pulled her hand up and placed a small kiss on the top, and squeezed it tightly.
.......................................................................................................
Yes

Aurelia's blood boiled beneath her skin, her stomach set to fluttering and a nervous flush overtook her fair complextion. She'd said yes. Could she do this? Probably. Did she want to? Yes. Was it because of 'love', or self preservation? Maybe both. She looked up at Logan, her eyes meeting his own. There were two sides warring inside her. The side that really wanted him, wanted him to be hers, wanted to love him. Then there was the other side - the one that had ruled her thus far, keeping her emotional attatchments at an all time low, leaving her free and careless. But no more. That part was fighting, yes, but it was losing, and fast.

Aurelia shivered in Logan's arms - when had it stopped raining? Logan's gaze tore away and shifted to the sky, Aurelia's followed. Snow. Perfect, tiny flakes were falling softly, at first barely evident in their scarceties. Eh. Unimportant. She looked at Logan again, her gaze sweeping the strong cut of his jaw, the smooth flesh of his neck. He looked down at her, his gaze sure and confident. His hands moved to her face and pulled gently, bringing their foreheads together in rest. She could feel his breath on her face, hot through the freezing air, and his fingers leaving tendrils of heat on the back of her soaked neck. His hands moved over her, till finally they found her own.

"What do you say we go somewhere ... less public?"

Aurelia grinned. Yes, she was itching to have him in her arms, to take him and show him exactly what she was feeling. It was the only thing she knew. But it wasn't quite as ... carnal ... as it always had been. Something more ... pure. Aurelia started at the thought. Ha! She'd never been pure. But she found that when she stood still and let things go, she didn't want the quick, harsh coupling she was so used to. She focussed on Logan again - his eyes were still closed, Nestling against him, she sighed. "That sounds perfect", she said softly, her eyes crinkling happily.

And then he was pulling her along, his hand clasped tightly around her own as she walked beside him, huddling against what heat was coming from his own body. But Aurelia barely felt the cold. If anything, this was basic instinct. Instead, her mind was minutes ahead when they could rid themselves of these soiled clothes and clasp as closely together as was possible.

They entered the palace quickly, joining the throngs of students leaving their activities and going elsewhere, the once empty foyer now riddled with jostling bodies and heat. Aurelia shivered at the difference of temperature, and stayed close to Logan, her gaze sweeping from him and over the crowds, and then back to him once more. Yes, she met eyes with a few narrowed gazes, their features suspicious as they watched her following closely to the tall, handsome dark haired boy, but who was she to care? She barely dwelt long enough on their stare before she turned again to Logan, shivering and smiling widely, her eyes twinkling with delight.

They made their way down one hall to their common room, and Aurelia looked up at Logan as she felt his smile. "Are you ready for this?" he asked, taunting and excited as he teased her. She only laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the common room as they entered, and she pulled him toward the girls' dorms, barely aware of the few students that smirked at the pair as they lounged on the dark couches. Her heeled feet took the stairs, and she climbed quickly, hand still clasped in Logan's, till they found the landing and headed for his door. And there they were.

Aurelia stopped. Her heart pounded furiously from her plalce in the doorway, and she looked up at Logan, her gaze barely meeting his own. No, no ... she wasn't nervous. Not Aurelia. But it was something else. Something deeper and more terrible. She felt it again. That horrid sense of all being at an end. Or maybe it wasn't that. Maybe she was just scared of this new beginning. Was that so terrible? A new chapter to her life ...

Pushing the disturbing thoughts away, Aurelia pulled Logan to her, one of them opening the door, or maybe that was only magic. Holding herself against him, she pulled him down to meet her lips. She shrugged out of her soaked coat, a thud following as it fell to the floor, and began to tear at Logan's own thoroughly wetted coat. The urge to stop, to leave, to keep her mind straight and keep her former way of life pounded in the back of her mind, but she pushed past it, determined to meet Logan's own sureties with hers.

You've Got To Believe In Me

15 April, 2009 (2:29am) - 17 April, 2009 (3:05am)
Link.
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Logan Luca needed to get out of the constricting walls of the school that he had now resided in for several weeks. He felt like he was going to explode if he didn’t get out, even if the weather was pitifully raining. It suited his mood though. He felt as if his brow was permanently furrowed these days as every girl in his life seemed to either loathe him, or feel the need to throw objects at his head. It made him realize how badly he had screwed things up when he had left. Obviously people were attached to him, and truthfully he was attached to them too, but he didn’t realize that by leaving, he would be actually causing a lot of discourse at the school between several other girls that were in his life. There was one girl, however that mattered the most out of all of them.

The only girl that could ever break down the walls of Logan’s stone cold heart, Aurelia Argent. Of course, he was partially in love with his best friend, Bella, but something told him that that was a different sort of love. They would always have each other, but they wouldn’t never work out long term. They were too much alike to actually work out. He couldn’t bring himself to actually be exclusive to Bella because he had associated so much of their relationship with just casual sex and friendly, witty banter. Aurelia was different, Aurelia had been the first girl that he had consciously fallen in love with and hadn’t stopped it. He let himself fall for her, he let himself get wrapped up in everything that she was and they had a nearly flawless relationship up until his near break down. She would never know how much he truly had loved her, he didn’t know how to express that to her, even if he knew that it might have actually done some good for his reasons for coming back. No doubt, he still would have gotten slapped.

He slipped on a pair of dark wash denim jeans, a white button down long sleeved shirt and a black and gray argyle sweater. The collar was out and popped slightly as his dark hair danced against his angular features. He had let his hair grow out since he had returned so the dark locks were tousled and a little messy, but it only made him stand out more in the large school. He stepped out onto the grounds, instead of moving towards the lake, which was his normal thinking spot, he moved towards to the courtyard. It was only raining lightly at this point, the light pitter patter of the rain hitting his shoulders and running down his hair. He liked the rain, truthfully, so it didn’t matter to him. It didn’t look like anyone was really out at the moment, so he allowed the time to take in a deep breath, shove his hands in his pockets and take large strides closer to the courtyard.

His eyes landed on the Whit gazebo that stood in the middle of the overly green gardens of the school. It stood out in contrast against the foresty color of the grounds, but that wasn’t what caught his eyes. He spotted dark brown hair, and a lithe figure he could pick out of a million other girls. He would never forget it, even if it was just her backside. He had memorized her, every single small detail of her body, every freckle on her skin to the way her hair fell across her face and the slight pout of her lips that was only natural and made her all the more adorable. His heart sped up, like it was easily going to burst out of the constricted walls. He couldn’t help but speed up as he reached the steps of the gazebo, stepping inside, he ran a slender hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. ’Aurelia?” he asked, even if he knew that it was her. The same rush of emotions that he always had fled back to him. He felt giddy and excited like a teenage boy with his first crush. He wanted to hug her, and keep her close to him, but he wanted to make sure her hands were firmly planted at her sides first. His jaw was still recovering from the slap in the dining hall.
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Aurelia tugged lightly at her hair and gathered it up at the nape of her neck. She was walking through the halls, idling a bit between the middle hours of the day, not really destined to end anywhere in particular. It had been a slow day - it was dusky and drizzly outside, and there had been a constant, but nonetheless beautiful, light rain that had misted the grounds of the school all day. The only downside was that the fog tended to move inside the school, making Aurelia shiver lightly but still needing to move her thick locks from her neck to alleviate the heat. It was one of those off days - something that seemed to come from an other world. All day, Aurelia had been waiting for something to happen, and she couldn't tell if what she was waiting for would be terrible or not. Somehow, though, she could tell that this was one of those days that she might remember farther down the road. Not for its date, necesarrily, but for the events that bestowed theirselves upon this day.

Despite this, Aurelia had treated it like every other day, or at least every other day of her newer mode of life. She'd joined Aife at breakfast and watched as the older girl had not eaten a piece of her food, then had moped about the Rouerie common room, watching a tournament of Wizarding Chess. The games had bored her soon enough, though, and Aurelia had slipped out, her hands tucked into the pockets of her pants. Now she was walking about, loitering, if you wish, and she was headed now for one of the courtyards. She let her hair fall against her back once more and ran a hand through its length. Just then one of the various courtyards on the grounds came into view, and Aurelia walked through the doorway, her hand trailing against the door frame. It was one she hadn't really noticed before, and to her surprise a gazebo was situated in the middle of the dewy greens and flowers.

Aurelia made her way for the little shelter, her fingers running over a brilliant purple daffodil before she mounted the stairs. The little space was simple with peeling white paint that shone grey in the air, hedged with the muted colours of a rainbow of flowers. Aurelia took a look about, and found that the structure was simple and clean, with a seat that ran between the two entrances. She sat on one of the seats and pulled her sweater closer about her. There wasn't anything on her - nothing she could do, but she didn't mind. Thinking was something she'd been doing a lot, and there was usually one subject that was permanently fixed in her mind. She still hadn't seen him, and now that she'd returned the thought of Logan Luca affected her in a different way than it ever had before. This way of feeling felt more ... human, if one could believe that. She was usually cold or indifferent, and if not either of those, she was intense and full of feeling, but on an entirely different level.

This level of feeling was entirely new to her, and Aurelia wondered how it was that Logan could cause feelings that she'd never experienced before in her life, to bloom so easily in her. It was something that absolutely terrified her, and this was why she had yet to begin searching him out for any sort of peace. She wasn't sure if she would be able to handle it if he were okay and off with that friend of his having the time of his life and falling head over heels in love with someone else. She could handle it if he were just screwing around with people - after all it was something she did often enough. But it was something all together different if he was emotionally involved with love and feelings and whatnot. Now that was something she wouldn't be able to just sit down and take, but no longer could she fight to be better or win or have the upper hand. The only fight she had left in her was one whose outcome was definite and single, and if that was not the result of any conversation or trial with Logan, then she might as well go home.

The rain was increasing slowly, but steadily; the pitter patter of droplets filled Aurelia's ears and brought her to an odd calm. She felt that, whatever happened, she might be all right, and for once she didn't feel nearly as pessimistic as she usually did. Allowing herself this moment of peace, she sat back and let everything fade into the back ground. Her fingers ran through the chocolate strands of hair, forming little braids that ended smoothly, and she let herself settle into a sort of lazy serenity. Her mind wandered in and out of consciousness, and she began to almost feel sleepy. The purple, tired lids of her eyes drooped lightly, and she heard the distant sound of question as someone uttered her name. Her lids fluttered open, and she turned, then felt them widen as she beheld the very last person she expected, but most possibly the very person she wanted to see most in the world.

Logan stood in the door, framed by the odd little fading of light that could only be produced by the steady rain of the south of France. Aurelia's brows furrowed lightly, and her eyes began to lose their heaviness as she was jerked back to reality. Thoughts of what she might have done weeks, months ago were hurled into and directly out of her mind, and she sat there, gaping. Fate, once more, had thrown the two of them together, and all Aurelia could think of was how she didn't want to do anything that might make him leave, and how she only wanted to touch him and hug him and kiss him and feel the sharp line of his jaw in her palms and run her fingers and lips across his thick, black, lashes. And so she stood, her arms stretched ahead of her, and before she knew what she was doing she found herself falling into his arms and holding tightly to the one person who made her feel whole and loved and at peace.
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When Logan had first arrived at the school that he was reluctantly coming back too, he had expected that those around him whom he had been closest with before he left wouldn’t be very ecstatic about his return. After all, he did leave without even so much as an owl in the hands of those he loved, and a year was a long time for the boy to be gone without even another word since then. However, the meeting with Bella had gone better then expected. She did throw a shoe at his head, but it didn’t hurt as much as the slap across his face that Aurelia had adorned the day he had met up with her. Logan stood defensively as she turned around to face him, his eyes landing on hers, and he nearly needed to take another breath because the wind had gotten knock out of his chest. She was the only girl to do that, just with one simple look she made his heart beast faster and his hands balmy. She had absolutely no idea the effects that she had on him. Truthfully, Logan had expected that she was going to furrow her brow and get all huffy like she normally did when she was mad at him or ready to storm out of a room. Of course, he had seen it numerous times, from the time in Detention, to the many times throughout their short lived relationship to the time after she slapped him. It was who Aurelia was, when she got pissed off or angry, she had to walk away instead of facing it. Of course, that’s where Logan became persistent. He went after her, followed her and demanded her attention.

What he didn’t expect was the arms that were outstretched and coming towards him. It was almost like time stopped as she closed the small gap between them and she was tucked safely in his arms. It was overwhelming, because it had taken him completely off guard. At first, he stood there, completely bewildered and unable to comprehend the fact that he was now holding her. A few seconds rolled by before his arms found her back, running along her spine affectionately as he let out the breath he had been holding. He hadn’t realized that he hadn’t taken a breath for nearly a whole minute and he finally realized when his chest burned and he let out the breath, instinctively holding her close to him so that there was nearly no space between them. He could hear her breathing, he could hear the pitter patter of the rain on the roof of the gazebo and he could smell the green in the air. But it didn’t compare to the smell of Aurelia. She looked different, but her smell was exactly the same. He closed his eyes and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

Logan didn’t know if heaven existed, but if it did, he was sure this would be exactly what his would be. This was the only thing he wanted. Of course, he had the mix up of emotions with Bella, but his heart laid with Aurelia, and in that very moment, he realized it always would. His right hand moved up her back to her neck, intertwining his fingers in the dark brown locks of her hair, keeping her body close to him. For a few moments, he didn’t want to say anything, he didn’t have words that he could say that would be as impact as the moment was between the two of him. His breathing was steady and he was comfortable next to him. He pulled away slightly, he wanted to see her. He hadn’t truly seen her and looked at her since his return. He saw her face for a split second before her hand made its away across his face and he was seeing the back of her head. He wanted to look at her, and he had no fear because he knew that she wasn’t going to slap him this time. She was giving in to him, even though he hadn’t really pushed anything with her. He was changed, and even though he knew that he loved her, if she didn’t love him back, he would try his hardest to move on in only the most Logan way, sleeping with as many girls has he could to fill the temporary void that would only be truly filled by one person.

”You were never just a fling.” he said finally, breaking the deafening silence, but keeping his voice low to keep the mood light. Although his words were anything but light. His voice nearly cracked as he spoke to her, his body was nearly bursting with happiness. ”It was never just for fun, Aurelia.” He spoke again, this time leaning his forehead against hers, his hands tightening on her waist as his breathing ricocheted off her neck and mouth. He had butterflies in his stomach, and he felt nervous. Aurelia was making Logan Elie Luca nervous. He closed his eyes again, taking in a deep breath and keeping her as close as physically possible while still clothed. He pulled away from her forehead, his hand drifting up to the front of her neck, running the pads of his fingertips along her jaw line, moving closer, he pressed his lips to her cheek, a long lingering kiss that was nothing but affectionate. He was a mix of scared, terrified, excited, and euphoric, but the main thing that was prevalent in his own mix of thoughts; His feeling for the girl in front of him had only gotten stronger in his absence and now his return.
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Aurelia hugged tightly to Logan's sweater, her hands clutching at his back and nostrils drawing his scent, still cedar and lime and then that warm underlying that was only him. Her lids fell over her olive orbs and she squeezed them tightly, but then she loosened them and let them fill with fat, glossy tears. There was no more holding back anymore - not for her. Foolishly, she didn't stop to think that maybe Logan had found someone else, or that maybe he didn't want her any longer. The fear of rejection - it was something that she'd once been really, truly afraid of, even though she'd never let it show before. After all, she was Aurelia - who ever rejected her? It was a convenient enough disguise. But now when the shade of fear crossed her mind, she pushed it far away. There was no more room for fear or reservations - not anymore. There was only room for she and Logan; her love, and then whatever love he might still have for her.

And so, when his arms first tightened around her, after that singular yet heart stopping pause of hesitancy, Aurelia felt like a little bit of weight was lifted from her shoulders. Logan did not hate her, at least. His chest rose and fell steadily beneath her cheek, and Aurelia felt that, despite the frenzied fluttering of her heart and rush of hot blood to her cheeks and slender fingers, this was indeed a calm and complete moment. Then he moved away, an action that made her heart leap and fall, and she lay her palms against his solid cheekbones, as if to beg, do not leave me'. But no, his eyes caught on hers and held them; they were warm and bright and full and he looked like he were about to burst from holding in too much of everything.

'You were never just a fling.' Logan's voice was soft, and as it broke through the drizzle and silence, Aurelia heart and breath quickened. Her eyes stung and she was shaking, as if she might combust at any second. She gulped, trying to keep at bay whatever might come out - oh dearest Merlin let it not be sobs. Logan's forehead leaned in and touched hers, sending a shock of warmth across her skin. His hands tightened about her waist and she could feel the moist heat from his mouth as it swept across her flesh. 'It was never just for fun, Aurelia.' His eyes disappeared beneath the thick, black lashes, and he pulled away ever so slightly, allowing his hands to sweep a along the lines of her neck. The hot tips of his slender fingers played against her jaw and he leaned down to kiss her cheek, his hot lips lingering lovingly.

Lips quivering softly, Aurelia's face scrunched beneath Logan's attentions - not from horror, no, but to keep the tears that were threatening to erupt reigned in. It was to no avail, though, and one after an other broke over the line of her lids. For once she didn't worry that maybe her makeup was running or the boy opposite would think she was silly. Besides, she wouldn't have been able to keep this back for all the gold in Gringot's. It had been too long coming, as the last time she'd seen him she's shed ten minutes' worth of tears then locked them all away. And now here they were, rushing to unleash what seemed like centuries of worry and remorse. She held tightly to Logan and gasped against the tears. A whisper escaped her lips, high and cracking. 'I know that,', she managed to say, softly and low so that it might be as understandable as possible. 'I know that now.'

Reaching up to meet his lips, Aurelia kissed Logan slowly, softly, taking time to reacquaint herself with the soft, pink flesh. This was no crazed, horny school girl kiss. Her lips cradled Logan's own, molding against them and moving slowly, pulling them in before releasing, only to meet again. Eyes shut tight, she drew away, savoring the taste of his lips and scent and flesh. It was, quite possibly, even better than she'd remembered it. Her lashes parted and she stared up at him, a smile cresting on her lips. Then a frown, slow in turning, one that formed a small burrow between her brows. She ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the strength of him and loving that now she could hold him closely once more. 'I'm sorry', she said softly. Her gaze moved to his chest and her cheeks heated. 'I never should have slapped you ...' she admitted sorrowfully. 'I never should have left - I should have listened.'

A sigh escaped her lips and she looked up at Logan once more, her eyes full of sadness and somehow still unsure. For her own sake, Aurelia hoped that this was Logan taking her back - not the opposite. After all, she was ready to beg if the need be, and play any slight of card she had. 'I don't know what to say to make you keep me - I don't deserve that much', she murmured. 'All I know is that I don't care if I look stupid or pathetic - I only want you back.' Her gaze met his once more, halfway pleading, halfway fearful. It was all she could do to stay standing, to look at him squarely and not shrivel from the fear that he wouldn't take her back; that she may not ever have him again.

Sleepless Nights and Restless Days

The wind swept through her hair as the girl strode through the tall grass of the stormy grounds. Rain was coming, and the breezes clashed as they raced, causing the tall reeds to dance playfully in their wake. The sky was dark, but the stunted sun shot it's rays through the clouds. She looked around her, robes clutched close to her body, skirts swirling about her as she stood, her eyes trying to see everything at once. It was beautiful. She felt like she were at sea, watching the storm tossed waves of an ocean in conflict.

Drops of water splashed her face every now and then, too rare to be much warning for the turbulence to come. Most students were holed away in their common rooms, playing wizard chess by a roaring fire. But she relished in this sort of weather- the kind that ruled the world, and was powerful enough to trump humanity's plans. She closed her eyes, feeling the rain pelt faster, the grainy sound joining the rush of wind that filled her ears. She could hear her mother's voice now, scolding her for the childish behavior.

The rain hurled now, drenching her hair through her raised hood. Her robes, once billowing out around her in response to the furied winds, clung to her form desperately, as if searching for a safe hold to her vulnerable self. She stood strong, fighting to keep her balance as the storm surged around her, trying to bring her down. The thought, that she could get hurt, crossed her mind once, but how much damage could be done in the midst of a grassy field?

She could hear the rain increasing in fury, and she smiled at the breathtaking chorus. Nature played for her, and she reveled in the sounds. The great, booming drums that pounded out their thick, deep calls as the thunder clashed, followed by the frenzied trace of lightening across the sky. The clouds lit, and she glimpsed the scattered light through the blackened clouds. Oboes and flutes sounded their high pitched squeals as wind whipped around her, finding nooks and crannies in the atmosphere that only it could make use of.

Black washed the sky draining the clouds of light. Blindness over took her and, though she could feel the rush of the storm around her, the girl could see nothing but the darkness that engulfed her. A high pitch scream overreached the squeals of the wind and rain, her heart beat racing to meet it till she was sure she would burst. There was no more breath, no more air, no more life. She struggled to run, but to her greatest dismay the winds that swished about her tied her to the spot, and all her struggles were for naught...



Cissa shot up into the dark, sitting straight in her four poster bed, a flash of lightening painting the room white before it ebbed away, leaving darkness behind. She looked around, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. A dream... it was only a dream. She rolled her eyes as she tried to calm herself, but her body was just not having it. She felt rediculous. She felt weak.

Thrusting her heavy green comforter away, Narcissa swung her legs over her bed and let herself down. Her dorm mates were fast asleep, barely aware of the rain outside. She felt silly, ashamed. They made no sense to her- nightmares. Not that this one was particularly a nightmare, but she could remember the horrid closing feeling of her chest, and the panic that rose so swiftly upon being held in one place. She was not one for submission, no matter who or what was doing the controlling.

Cissa grabbed her dress robe and threw it on over her nightgown. The hall beyond her door was dark and silent- not a sound to be heard save for the distant echo of the storm's trials. She tip toed to the head of the stairs that led to the Slytherin common room and, descending, laid her slender hand on the banister for support. A step creaked, squealing dangerously into the night, causing her to wince and pause.

Content after a few moments' silence that the noise had disturbed no one, Narcissa continued down the stairs and let herself into the common room. High ceilings allowed for a spacious feeling, and the dark grains and hues of the interior echoed the wealth of the given house. Green was everywhere, either blatantly or subtly- in the upholstery of the overstuffed couches, the marbling of the lofty fireplace, even the gilding that edged every statue and frame. It was grand, without a doubt, but there was no denying the beauty of the place.

Her arms hugged her robe closer to her waist, and Narcissa sank lazily into one of the couches that were situated closer to the fire. Her eyes locked with the brazen flames, and moments passed as she watched them flicker, licking at the stacked logs that kept them strong. It was now, most probably, well past midnight and, despite the promise of busy classes for the next day, Cissa could not bring herself to leave the room. She didn't feel sleepy- instead she felt antsy and alert. At this point, she felt she'd never go to sleep. With a sigh, she grabbed a book from the maple coffee table before her, she settled into the cushions and opened it in her lap. It was something to do, and maybe a bit of a read would help her body claim sleep.