from eden

He had just been curious. Jade's lips formed a slight smile at these words. She wondered if it was simply because he liked her male relatives and wanted to get a complete picture of the family or if he was checking her out in a way. She had a feeling it was the first rather than the second option.

Somehow Jade felt like she must have stepped onto Harlan's toes. He was not particularly chatty now. He confirmed that he had come alone though and she nodded as he did so. “I'm glad I'm not keeping you from anyone who might not like to see you talking to another woman,” she said casually.

“I'm glad you came,” Jade said, this time biting her tongue so she wouldn't add anything about his celebrity status which he might not like. She chuckled softly as he said that the whisky was trouble. He was right, of course. Jade had made this experience as well. Usually she was fine as long as she sat and talked – she might say a bit more than she usually did but she felt it was usually still okay. Walking straight after some whisky was a much harder task for her though.

“You want to leave already?” Jade's voice gave a slight hint of disappointment away. “I am not intending to stay very long myself,” she added. “I could accompany you outside...” Her voice trailed off. Had she said this aloud? Really? The young woman let out a soft laugh and emptied her glass more because she needed to do something to distract from her suggestion than because she wanted to drink any more.

Harlan paused for a moment, eyes on Jade, trying his best to not read too much into what she was saying. Maybe it was the whisky— more likely it was just him— but there seemed to be an uncurrent in the conversation.

"Should do, yeah," He confirmed, his gaze shifting to the crowd once more. That was the sensible thing to do. Leave. "Right, let's," A walk outside seemed harmless enough. Plus, they would be away from any wandering eyes. Harlan gestured for her to exit the booth. "Might just have a word, first," He explained, nodding to her brother and father, finishing what was left of his drink in the process. "Meet out front?" It hadn't been a deliberate ploy to not be seen leaving at the same time— but he knew well enough.

The conversation was short and sweet. Just how Harlan had wanted it to be. The Carroll's had their hands full enough as it was, small talk, thankfully, wasn't on the agenda. He congratulated them, they thanked him for coming, just that simple.

Harlan made his way out the door with a final cursory glance over his shoulder then was met by the outside air, cooler than earlier. It was still warmer than he preferred, but it was refreshing. His eyes scanned the darkness and saw Jade to the side near the fence. "Nice out, aye?" He commented but wasn't sure why he felt the need. His linen forest green button-down rippled in the Summer breeze as he made his way over.

Jade wondered why Harlan wanted to leave already. Then again she wanted to get out of here as well. The speech had been held, music was playing and people were just walking through the room, making small talk with others and, naturally, drinking. It was not like Jade to just walk around and greet people with a smile. She did not want to do that tonight and she assumed that the rest of her family would not even take notice if she slipped out early.

She gave a brief smile when he made a gesture to suggest she'd leave the booth. It was a bit of a challenge to get back onto her feet, considering the short dress and the high heels. Jade wanted to move elegantly but she likely just looked a little clumsy.

Once back in the middle of the room, Jade felt that she was a little shaky now. Balancing on her heels after the consumption of some whisky was not an easy task. It felt awkward when Harlan suggested she'd leave first and he'd have to have a word first. Did this mean that he didn't want to be seen with her? “Okay...” she said, narrowing her eyes.

Slowly she walked out, trying not to let it show that she was a tipsy. She assumed most other people present were n a similar situation anyway and wouldn't notice. The fresh air felt good and Jade took a deep breath. It did not exactly help to sober up but it certainly helped a little to clear her mind.

It felt like Harlan didn't come out for a long time when it really wasn't more than a few minutes. While waiting, Jade briefly wondered if he had sneaked out and disapparated to avoid her but then he approached her. “Yeah, it is, isn't it?” She sighed and smiled. “Isn't it lovely on Skye? I can't imagine living anywhere else.” She didn't know why she was telling him that now but it seemed like the alcohol made her say these thoughts aloud.

Harlan's eyes, darker in the night, followed hers up to the sky. The clouds had cleared but the smell of wetness on the ground and the gusts of wind in the air were a reminder of the threat of the Scottish Summer storm. Even still.

"It is," He commented with a nod, one hand in his pocket and the other pushing back his hair that tousled in the breeze. "Sorry," Harlan said for what felt like the hundredth time that night. He gestured back to the distillery. "It's just, I have to be careful about—" He chewed the side of his mouth in thought while he sought the phrasing he was after, unsure of what it might make her think of him. Though, he certainly deserved it. "—just, people talk," He shrugged with half of a grin.

"Not that, you know," Harlan's grin ventured on a smirk despite his best efforts. Instead of digging himself any deeper, he opted to change the line of conversation. "You live around?" He came back to her comment from moments before. "Seems quite peaceful..." He ran a hand over the soaked wooden fence. He always figured he would enjoy a place like it, no one to bother him. But he imagined it must get lonely.

Jade smiled as he agreed with her that Skye was beautiful. He most likely did not feel the same way about the island as she did but it didn't matter. The young woman took a deep breath of the fresh evening air. She liked to travel but the best thing about travelling to her was the feeling when she came back home. Nothing could compare to the sensation when she was just back on the Isle of Skye. It was as if she was incomplete when she wasn't here. Nobody who did not call the island their home could possibly understand this properly.

Steadying herself at the fence as she felt a little shaky with her heels on the uneven ground and, of course, after the consumption of whisky, Jade nodded along thoughtfully as Harlan apologised. "Yeah, I get it," she said. "That's one of the downsides of people knowing who you are, I suppose." Truth be told, his fame fascinated her but at the same time she was quite happy that she was basically a no one. Nobody recognised her unless she was acquainted with the person in question. She assumed that it would freak her out if strangers approached her and pretended to know her when she had no idea who they were.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to be photographed and end up making a headline or even a front page. I've seen a guy lurking around the corner with a camera," now it was her turn to tease him a little. She hadn't really seen anyone outside and she doubted anyone had really noticed that he left the scene.

She nodded once again when he asked if she lived around her. "Yes, I do," she said, smiling at him. "I live on a little farm just a walking distance from here away. It really is a peaceful place to live. I've lived here all my life and I could not imagine moving anywhere else. This is home for me." The alcohol was making her chattier than she would usually have been in a situation like this and she made a wide gesture with her hand, covering almost 180°. The gesture, however, unbalanced her and she couldn't help but steady herself on Harlan's broad chest. "Sorry," she whispered, suddenly more aware than ever that she was quite tipsy. She let go of him and reached for the fence instead. "These heels..." she said, although they probably both knew that the heels were not the only reason for her to be unsteady now.

"One of them," Harlan repeated. One of many. If he were feeling self-involved he'd elaborate but he decided against continuing the conversation about his fame that had already gone on too long. In the early stages of his career, he would have indulged, without a second thought, but now it just gave him a headache.

He realized the joke a moment too late having already glanced over his shoulder to where she indicated someone had a camera. He turned back with an impressed grin. "Veery funny," He clicked his tongue over the roof of his mouth, the back of his teeth. "S'pose I'm a bit paranoid," He quirked an eyebrow thoughtfully. Probably an understatement. As he got older, the allure of an actually private private life became more enticing.

Harlan followed her gesture toward where she said she lived just a walking distance away. Convenient. Living that close to the distillery, for him, would without a doubt cripple his productivity. "Oh—" He stood up straight, reaching forward to hold the side of Jade's arm to steady her. "No, that's— you alright?" He bowed his head slightly to study her face but was having a hard time not noticing the hands on his chest.

"Doesn't help that this isn't exactly solid ground..." He chuckled. His gaze moved from her to the gravel path. "I'll walk you back," He offered. "Could do with a bit of fresh air before I apparate, anyway," Truthfully, he would have been fine but leaving then didn't sit right with him.

Jade nodded thoughtfully. 'One of them.' The young woman wondered if Harlan would want to live an anonymous life instead of the life of a well known Quidditch player. It seemed like it but then again, if that was really what he wanted he could always quit, stay out of the spotlight for a while, change his style a little and probably after a while he'd be almost like a normal nobody again. She assumed though that he actually loved playing Quidditch and probably also saw some advantages in his fame.

She giggled softly as Harlan stated that her joke had been funny in sort of ironic way. “Well, yes, I'd say so,” she admitted. “You do seem to think that there a lot of people who are very interest in what you're doing. Maybe you're right… but here on Skye you're mostly safe, I'd suppose. There aren't many journalists around here – even for events as this.” She nodded towards the distillery.

Harlan's hand on her side felt warm and strong. Truth be told, she rather liked the way in which he steadied her. She let out another soft laugh. “Yes, of course,” she said softly. “I'm fine.” She nodded as he made a statement on the ground. “Indeed, not the ideal ground for shoes like that and,” now she leaned forward to him and continued in a whisper, “truth be told, I do not usually wear shoes like that.” She giggled. “Not the ideal footwear for a farm anyway.”

Jade assumed that Harlan's offer was just a polite gesture that he made because he was well acquainted with her father and brother and, furthermore, she suspected that many women would die to get a chance to walk with Harlan Bellamy alone through the night. “You would? That's nice of you,” she said, offering Harlan a smile. “What if anyone sees us though,” she teased him, “they might talk.” She gave him a playful little punch to his chest, hoping that he would not be affronted.

"I'd imagine not," Harlan smiled despite the fact that he couldn't imagine it, at all. He tried his best to avoid doing so but his eyes ran down the length of her legs to the aforementioned shoes before quickly flicking back up, realizing where his mind had gone. Again, bad idea. He was thankful for space she put between them as she moved to the fence, that way he could clear his thoughts.

"I think I'll survive, either way, " He offered dryly, leaning into her fist that she playfully ran over his chest. He was used to fabricated stories. "It's no problem, really," He added more sincerely. There was no way that he was going to just leave then. What people assumed was their own business.

"This way?" Harlan gestured to the only viable path ahead, as if there another option, then waited for her to take the first step in front of him. "C'mon, then, hurry up, before someone sees us..." He pretended to turn back to the distillery, waving his hand forward, before letting out a genuine laugh. He followed her direction up the slight incline, pushing his hair back in the night breeze. "Feels like it might rain," He commented thoughtfully.

Feeling his gaze on her and seeing him smile, Jade smiled as well. She wondered if he'd act differently around her if he wasn't a Quidditch player but someone who was not famous. It did not matter though, he was who he was and she was who she was. The young woman let out a soft giggle as she had these thoughts. Clearly she had had a little bit too much whisky today.

“You'll survive?” she echoed. “Well, I'd surely hope that.” She chuckled softly, wondering what her family would say if they saw them out here now, her hand on his chest, them chatting and teasing each other. “Well, I'd hope that you wouldn't make such an offer if it was a problem,” Jade said earnestly.

“Yes, that's the way,” she nodded and took a first few steps in front of him, wondering if he was now checking her out. Feeling his gaze on her, she wanted to walk elegantly yet strongly but being tipsy and walking with thin heels on a path that was covered in mud, stones and tufts of grass did not really help her plan.

She liked his laugh and turned to face him again as he let out this seemingly hearty laugh, smiling at him. “Yeah, let's hurry out of sight,” she teased and walked on, stumbling every so often. As he said that it might rain, Jade nodded. “Yeah, it might,” she said indifferently. Usually she wore outdoor clothes though and not a dress that might not be made for rain. “The weather changes quickly here,” she added. She loved all about Skye including its unpredictable weather.

Following Jade's lead, Harlan kept his eyes forward, not daring to linger anywhere on anything they shouldn't despite the opportunity. Once the direction was confirmed he caught up to walk alongside her and folded his arms over his chest to combat the increasing gusts of wind. "Fickle woman, Skye," He said more to the sky than anything else just as a heavy drop of rain landed on his cheek.

Wiping it with the back of his hand, Harlan looked over again at the brunette who seemed to be completely unbothered by the quick change of season. Thankfully, the sky hadn't opened up, yet. "Right, how far away did you say you were?" He teased with a grin. It wasn't like he was going to turn back then.

"You can take those off—" Not that she needed his permission. "—the shoes," Harlan gestured down to her footwear that seemed to be causing more trouble than they were worth. He got the feeling, as well, that Jade wasn't the type to be too uptight to get a little mud on her feet. "I won't judge, promise," He let out a laugh, both hands in front of him to dispute the idea.

Jade couldn't tell if Harlan liked Skye and her company now. Truth be told, the young woman could imagine better things than walking through mud on high heels as well. She would totally understand his question as to how far it was to her place and she felt a bit guilty for having brought them into this slightly awkward situation. 

"A little less than a mile," she said, wondering if he'd had suggested walking her home had he known this. In good weather and on comfortable shoes this was absolutely no problem. It was a nice route actually. Now, however, it felt straining.

"Hm yeah, I guess,"Jade responded. She didn't mind the mud in the slightest, just the stones. Then again she might break her ankle trying to walk home on her heels. She slipped out of her shoes, pulled out her wand from a tiny handbag and used scourgify to clean them, holding the couple by the heels in one hand and putting back her wand. 

Fortunately it was summer and thus not as cold as during other times of the year and not as dark either. While Jade would have liked to keep occasional eye contact with Harlan while they walked, she now focused on the ground some more, trying to look for spots to put her feet and, therefore, sometimes hopping from left to right. As she stepped onto a small stone that was obnoxiously hiding in a tuft of grass, she let out a little scream. "Ouch!" She hopped onto her other foot.

To make things worse, it now also began to rain properly. Jade, still standing on one foot, looked at Harlan, an amused grin spreading across her face. "Might not have been the most sensible idea to walk..." She said, wondering briefly if she should suggest apparating them both to her farm and offer another drink but it felt strange to do such a thing. She decided against it and decided to wait for his reaction to the changed circumstances. 

For the second time that night, Jade had him stepping forward as if she might just topple over. When it became clear that it was a case of a stubbed toe and nothing too major he let out a good-natured laugh, dropping his hands back down to his sides.

"Alright?" He asked after he remembered that just maybe all of his years in Quidditch that had been plagued with brutal injuries had desensitized him.  Harlan took a step forward to get a better look, see if there was any blood to speak of. "Well, good news, you've got all ten..." He teased, blue eyes shooting upward to the black sky that had officially opened up, heavy drops of rain staining his skin.

"Shit..." Through a sigh, Harlan let out a chuckle. Just what he got for trying to do the right thing. "Apparate?" He asked, a bit louder than before, over the rain. He knew that he was capable but he hadn't the faintest idea of their destination. If it came down to it he could take them back to the distillery.

"Yes, sure, I'm fine," Jade quickly responded. She smiled at his comment that she still had all her toes. It had been painful stepping onto the stone but the pain was fading already and she put the foot down again. Due to the sudden downpour the ground was getting more and more slippery though. She looked down at her feet that were by now sprinkled with mud. "Not quite the look I opted for today," she admitted with a soft giggle.

Harlan now suggested that they could apparate and Jade was quite grateful. While she didn't mind the rain when she was wearing an outdoor outfit, she found it rather unpleasant to be barefooted and in a dress out in this weather.

“Yeah, I guess apparating is a good idea,” Jade admitted, smiling. “Where do you want to go? Straight home? Back to the distillery or can I make up for this situation here with a drink at my farm?” She tried to sound casual but she was truly curious to find out if Harlan wanted to stay in her company or if he rather wanted to get away. If he agreed to come to the farm, she assumed she could apparate them there safely. After the cool and unexpected shower she felt much less tipsy than she had a few moments ago.

Harlan weighed his options. Stay and go to hers, or go back to the distillery. As nice as it was in theory, following to her home, on good conscious it was less so. The fact that she'd been stumbling hadn't been lost on him. That, plus the relationship he had with her family had weighed heavily on his chest.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Her making up for it with a drink. He said it without thinking over the sound of the rain. He pushed wet blond hair from his forehead in the process, trying to focus on anything that was not Jade. "I can just—" He shuffled to get his wand from his pocket, meeting her gaze briefly. A moment too long and he might be in her house after all...

"The distillery?" Harlan offered with a final glance down her rain-soaked figured before taking her wrist and leading the way.

fin

Jade had not really expected Harlan to come to her place and, while she totally agreed with him that it was probably not a wise idea, she wondered if it was because he knew her family or which other reason he could have. It was okay though, either way.

By now they were both thoroughly soaked. Jade's dress stuck to her skin and she felt cold. Her hair, formerly styled in a way, was now hanging in wet curls onto her back, partly even sticking like black lines to her face.

"Sure," Jade nodded, the distillery was fine. She was determined to sneak into the ladies' room first and get herself presentable again. That, given the circumstances, might keep her busy for a while. She wondered, not having a mirror to look at right now, if her mascara was actually waterproof or if she looked a bit like panda now.

Harlan's grip on her wrist was firm and yet it felt rather pleasant - that is until he apparated them back. Apparating after the consumption of alcohol was never a very pleasant thing, after all.

[end]