Here we are again, I feel the chemicals kicking in [Lorin]

As Two emerged from the shop, he immediately raised his hands to shield his eyes from the bright summer sun. It was lighter outside than he realized, even for the early morning. He shoved his left hand in his pocket, fingering the few coins he had left in there as he walked down the streets humming cheerfully to himself. Then he stopped, because even to him, cheerful Two seemed unnatural. He continued, this time silently.

Two always liked going to Diagon Alley, even if it was by himself. Ever since school got out, he was stuck at home most of the time and it was making him stir crazy. He was supposed to be running a number of errands with Marcel, but his twin insisted on staying at home to take care of Bobert, who seemed "lonely". Usually Two would have thrown something at him, but he could make this work. Blair had other plans and their mother was at work so that left Two alone to do the errands, and the heavy lifting, himself. He adjusted the new cauldron tucked under his arm and shifted the bag (full of robes and books and wrapped plants) weighing down his shoulder.

He was dressed like a Muggle and it was getting him strange looks, considering he was in wizard central. He usually never wore his wizard robes over the summer if he didn't have to, especially if he was planning to go to the repair shop. Wizarding robes, even the second hand ones, were damn expensive. He looked a little sloppy, what with the grease stains on his arm and his old clothes, but at this point he didn't care. He just wanted to get his errands done and it wasn't like he was going to run into anyone so early. If anything, maybe his dirty, disheveled Muggle appearance would dissuade anyone from talking to him. And if that didn't work, his deep scowl would do the trick.

His boots made a soft noise as he walked down the cobble-stoned streets, moving around the small crowd of people already gathered in the reasonably-early morning. He wanted to get everything done before the rush, before he had to actually talk to anyone. He went through his list of errands in his head. Just one more thing to get: Marcellus's birthday present.

Two sat down on a stone bench, setting the cauldron gingerly beside him and then put the bag at his feet. The joke shop was across Diagon Alley, but it wasn't open yet. That gave him a little time to catch his breath and rest his back. He stretched his long arms and cracked his knuckles, feeling the tightness unwind the more he sat. Then he picked up the small cauldron he had just bought and looked it over. Two's family didn't have a lot of money, so he had saved up for a long time to afford this wonderful little thing. Many of the recipes he wanted to make required this particular kind of pot. It had something to do with the metal and the kind of charms on it and the way it was made. It was complicated to use and pricey beyond belief, but he heard that the food that came out of it could make angels cry. He exhaled on the side and wiped it gently with the hem of his shirt. This was his baby.

He leaned back and sighed. He had about half an hour to kill. I guess I can just wait here. Maybe I can nap. It's not even noon and i'm exhausted. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cigarette, placing it between his lips and rolling it around leisurely with his tongue. What was he going to cook first when he got home? Maybe hot pot? No, too warm. Maybe that spiced dittany borscht at the back of his recipe book? Yes, that sounded good. He could make a cold version with a bit of cherry and cinnamon...

The cigarette rested precariously on his lips while he dug Marcel's lighter out of his pocket. He was about to light it when something in his peripheral vision caught his eye. He turned just in time to catch a glimpse of a familiar face before it disappeared around a corner. Was that...Lorin? What was he saying, of course it was Lorin. He had her damn face memorized, burned in his bloody brain whether he wanted it there or not. His scowl deepened and he angrily chewed the end of the cigarette, deciding whether or not he was going to go after her. Why would he? It wasn't like he wanted to see her.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, shoving the lighter back in his pocket. Quickly, he re-gathered his things and took off after her. He wasn't running at all, he told himself, just walking really fast. Tiberius Wolfram did not chase, no way in hell. The joke shop was that way anyways. As he walk/ran through the streets, he spit the macerated cigarette into a garbage can. He barely had time to compliment himself on his fantastic aim before he rounded the corner and literally barreled into the object of his attention, knocking her to the ground and sending his precious cauldron flying. He grimaced as it banged on the ground, leaving a massive dent in the side.

He groaned and dropped his forehead to the stone. That would teach him to chase after a woman.

Lorin loved having a chance to travel, especially to places like Diagon Alley. Larissa had need only let the words slip that Lorin eagerly agreed to go with her. She didn’t even mind waking up early to do so. It was so boring at home. She’d already read her specialty books, and didn’t have any desire whatsoever to read her textbooks. What she was really looking for was a book on Animagi, or maybe Illusions. Or Alchemy. Or Potions. She wanted something to study at home, lest she become “rusty.” Lorin tended to be academically-focused in many ways. Of course, a nice mystery novel would never go unread on her shelf... but she supposed that had less practical value than something she could work on. Lorin was horrible without a puzzle to occupy her. She got destructive. She might have already been planning something.

She and Theoren had started to heal since Christmas. It was going to be a slow process, and she knew that it was going to hurt her more than she wanted it to. A lot more. Her first night back had been emotionally draining, and she had  avoided anything even remotely close to it after that. She had read a few books, thought about possibly changing her hairstyle, reorganized her wardrobe, bought two new shades of lipstick, and it had only been a week. With Theoren working all the time, she hadn’t had much time to do anything except try to make him dinner at nights or, more often, bringing something Larissa made over for him. She was bored, bored, bored. A trip into town would be a good thing.

It was a hot day, she could already tell that it was going to be even warmer later-on. She dressed accordingly, in a mauve maxi dress. It was flowy and lightweight enough not to bother her, but she still thought that she looked nice. She always wanted to dress up a little bit when she went out somewhere where there would be people. She was concerned about her appearance. She liked to look good, always, especially when other people saw her. She fiddled with putting her hair into a bun, then a half-up do, but decided to leave it down. She wasn’t happy with the way her face looked rounder with her hair up. It made her look like she’d gained back the weight she’d lost over Christmas. She didn’t like that at all.

She gathered up a little bit of money, and let her mother apparate her to Diagon Alley. She tagged along on a few errands, but when her mother went in to the robes shop to get fitted for a new set of dress robes, Lorin was bored. She knew her mother would be there for at least an hour—probably more—and she didn’t like waiting around doing nothing. She thought that maybe she should take a look at a few of the book shops, perhaps even the joke shop. It wasn’t the same there without both twins, but Lorin thought she could manage. She pushed her long hair behind her ear as she walked there, not really paying attention to anything going on around her. She thought that it didn’t open until eleven, but she hoped that maybe it opened at ten.

She had just turned the corner when she realized that it was still dark inside. Likely closed, then. She sighed and thought for a moment. Where should she go now? She supposed some beauty potions could be nice, and she definitely needed some book to keep her attention. Lorin turned to go back the way she came when she felt someone run into her. To her humiliation, she lost her balance and toppled over onto the dirty ground. She  looked over to apologize to the other person, even though she didn’t think she’d really be nice about it, only to find herself face-to-face with her friend Two Wolfram. Well, that was a surprise.

“You should watch yourself, Wolfram.” She teased, using her hands to help herself stand up. Ugh, she had dirt all over the back of her dress and worried she might have broken one of her heels. She checked, but they were fine. She noticed his cauldron rolling around several feet away, and she brushed some of the dirt off as she went to pick it up. Dented. That figured. She didn’t think it would be too difficult to  fix, but it was unfortunate anyway. Lorin, as a potions enthusiast, found it easy to feel bad about that. She picked it up, then held it out to him. “Looks like this has seen better days...” She said.

It was a surprise to see him, and it felt out of place here. She thought he looked a little ridiculous dressed as a Muggle, but wouldn’t say that. Two was very attractive, and she really liked being around him because there was never any pressure, any drama, anything. She felt good around him, and their playful banter was a welcome distraction from everything else going on in her life.

“Fancy seeing you here, though. Where were you going in such a rush?” Honestly, she was surprised he hadn’t ran off by now. Maybe, like her, seeing a friend was something worth stopping for.

Two didn't have much time to lament his situation before he remembered why exactly he had been running. He rolled up into sitting position just as Lorin was picking herself up off the floor. He felt a slight twang of remorse-- that must have hurt at least a little, but she wasn't tearing up, not that he expected her to. This was Lorin Odell. He hadn't seen her since...the broom closet? Well, that was the last time they'd seen each other, but not the last time he laid eyes on her. His eyes had an irritating habit of wandering in her direction when she entered the Great Hall, or unconsciously seeking her out when he was walking aimlessly down the hall. It was endlessly irritating. So of course he'd see her here. Of course.

She looked nice, like always. But wasn't it a little warm to be wearing such a long dress? Although... Two craned his neck slightly to the side, taking in the way the dress hugged her form, his gaze rolling casually down her curves. He let out an appreciative chuckle as he got to his feet, dusting himself off. Luckily he was already dirty. A bit of Diagon Alley grime wouldn't hurt him. Well, the grime wouldn't, but the floor certainly had. He'd landed on his arm when he hit the ground and there was a scrape going from his elbow to just under his wrist to prove it. It wasn't bad, just big. He winced slightly as he flexed his scratched palm.

Two tugged the bottom of is sleeve over the scrape just as she handed him the injured cauldron. Better days, huh? "Well, no. That's not exactly true-- he hasn't seen any days. This little one was brand new, practically an infant. Shame he had to be exposed to this trauma at such an early age. They never recover from the it, you know," he said in his most serious voice. He tucked the cauldron under his arm and turned his attention back to the Lorin standing in front of him. Well, this was...weird. But not entirely unpleasant. It wasn't like he'd been yearning to see her like a lovesick twit or something, but being around her wasn't the most unpleasant thing in the world. Especially when she looked like that.

When she asked what he was doing here, he shrugged. He was definitely not going to say that he had followed a stranger hoping that it would be her. "Errands. I picked up some supplies and I'm, um, going to pick out a present for Marcel's birthday. It's not for another two months, but my plan is to bury it in our yard now, before Marcel is thinking about it. That way he won't be suspicious and go looking for it. I swear, the guy's a bloodhound. And this--" he said, gesturing to cauldron "-- is going to be used to make the Birthday Feast of Kings. Marcel bakes a huge, elaborate cake every year and I will not lose to him. It's going to look like a cupcake compared to the feast I prepare," he said, eyes narrowed, lip curled up into a wicked grin. Then he caught himself and straightened up. His competitive side seemed to have slipped out a bit and that side was pretty dangerous. Not a good side to show anyone.

He cleared his throat. "And what are you doing here so early?" He looked around warily, his expression stiffening just a bit. "Can I assume there is a very lucky gentleman somewhere waiting to be graced by your presence? Does that poor sap know you're over here, spending your time with riff-raff like me?"

As soon as Lorin had returned the cauldron to its owner, she returned her attention to what was important—brushing the dirt off the back of her dress. She felt like her dress was crumbled, and she didn’t know how to properly fix it without removing her belt, but it had taken ages to lace the corset up, and she wasn’t about to just take it off in front of a gentleman, or Two, for that matter. She eyed him up to see if he was alright. She thought it was a pity she hadn’t broken his fall any, as she saw a rather large scrape down the side of his arm. She was lucky to not have any real damage on her own person. Her backside might have a few bruises, but she didn’t think there would be any other issue.

She was going to voice these concerns, but Two began talking about the cauldron instead. So it had been new? That was a pity. New cauldrons cost half a fortune. The Odells had maybe two cauldrons that hadn’t been purchased second-hand, and they only used them for the really complicated potions. She wondered what Two had bought this one for. Of course, the other answered this before she even had to ask. Just food, then? Lorin had never tried to cook regular food in a cauldron before, but she also wasn’t much of a cook. She could see the allure, though. Heat was distributed much more evenly, and the pans could be charmed in almost any way that the wizard wished for them to be. She wondered why she had never thought of that.

The idea of Marcel and Two trying to out-cook each other was an amusing thought, one Lorin almost wished she could be there to see. Two months from now, though, School should be back in session. Maybe they’d wait until they were back at Hogwarts. More likely than not, though, she’d just have to imagine what their battle would look like. She cracked a smile despite herself as Two asked her about her own trip there. She wasn’t sure if he was serious or if he was flattering her as he alluded to a ‘lucky’ guy she might be meeting there. Lorin was sure that it was mostly flattery, but she was easily taken by compliments, as she got them so infrequently.

“Very funny, Wolfram.” She replied. A lucky gentlemen, certainly not. Lorin had been getting much less attention from men than she was used to within the past few months. She was aware that this was mostly her own fault, but it was beginning to get to her. She hadn’t had anyone since Seth, all the way in October. It was July now. That meant it had been nearly ten months, and there was no way that could be considered healthy. Even so, she found herself fearing getting too involved in anything. Her ‘love life’ (if it could even be called that) had been nothing but a tangled mess of unnecessary emotions and pathetic delusions ever since she began speaking to him again. She almost didn’t have time or energy to put into a one-night stand.

“What errands do you have left?” She asked. She really should have let him go, considering that he had found it necessary to be running in the first place, but she was too selfish to put her desire for entertainment and company aside. She might try to join him, at least for a brief while. “I’ve nothing to do for the next hour at least. Perhaps I could join you?” Was she inviting herself along? Absolutely. She felt no shame in doing so, either.

Oh, did she want to hang out with him? That was a surprise. He considered needling and teasing her on that, but then she might leave and he wasn't particularly willing to risk that. Two maintained his straight face in order to in hide how good that plan sounded to him, and he willed his lips not to curl up in a smile but he was only half-successful. "I was going to wait until the joke shop opened, but since that won't be for a while, I guess I wouldn't mind the company right now."

Two sat down on one of the low stone dividers in front of the shop, putting his stuff down again. With any luck, he wouldn't have to chase after anyone for a while. That is, if Lorin would stay there. He meet her eyes as he silently patted the seat beside him, asking her to sit down. Hopefully he wouldn't have to actually ask; he didn't think he could go that far. He just wanted her in one place so he wouldn't have to run after her again. Not that he would.

"And I wasn't kidding about the lucky gentleman. Should you be here with me while the poor guy's waiting for you?" His eyes slipped back to her and he felt something in his chest tighten, the way it always did when he saw her. Maybe it he had an arrhythmia. He'd heard the rumors, and Conall had mentioned in passing Lorin's reputation. She was a little bit of a man-eater, taking in men with her charms and then using them to her heart's desire, not that they were complaining. She was quite the conquest-- if he'd heard right-- quite difficult to win over. She'd had a string of lovers, all strong and impressionable guys. She must have some secret to wrap them around her finger and make them do what she wanted. Well, Two was going to have to watch out of that. If he wasn't mistaken, she already had her fangs in him and he was not willing to let them sink any further, not without his permission. "Well, you look nice, Lorin," he said absently, trying to figure out what it was about her that made her so...engaging. "A lesser man, not me, would most certainly wake up at an hour even more ungodly than this to be able to meet up with you."

Two's stomach made a weird noise and he was 47 percent sure it wasn't because of Lorin. He must be hungry. There had to be something to eat inside that big cloth sack he was carrying around. He dug through the books and the packets of dried plants, searching for any sweets his brother might have thrown in as an apology for ditching him. Marcel did stuff like that. Sometimes it was a perfectly wrapped eclair, and sometimes it was a half-eaten drumstick. Two was hoping for something like the former. He already looked questionable in his dirty Muggle clothes; pulling out poultry in would most likely push him in the area of "not-socially-acceptable-to-be-around". Finally he found something. An apple? Well it wasn't a candy bar, but Two was pretty hungry. Oh, and Marcel had even packed Two's pocket knife. How did he get my pocket knife?

Ignoring the blatant thievery going on in his house, Two put the bag down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he began to peel the apple from the top down in green spiral, one long strip falling from his knife. He took the end of the long piece and put in is mouth as he continued to peel. He realized he probably looked a little weird, peeling the apple by hand and not with magic. Maybe she would get embarrassed by his strange Muggle ways and decide to leave, but this was just the way he liked to eat his fruit. Fruit vs. Lorin? The jury was still out on that one. "I like the outside of the apple, but not the inside," he said around the piece hanging out of his mouth. He cut a slice of the soft, white inner apple from the top, and held it out to her. "Wanna help me out? It's only slightly poisoned."

Of course he’d been going to the joke shop. There was a reason she liked him, after-all. Most of that was the fact that he appreciated her work. She was bored so often at school, and when she got restless, she got incredibly destructive. Most of the friends she had amassed connected, in some way, to her trickery. She found no issues with this. She enjoyed others more when they could keep up with her. Two had impressed her. Maybe that was why she didn’t feel so bad taking the seat he offered her.

Lorin didn’t realize until she was sitting down that her backside felt a little bruised. She didn’t mention it, but she crossed and uncrossed her legs a few times trying to get comfortable. She was high enough from the ground for the seat to not be indecent, but it was a lower seat that she was used to. Her heels made it necessary for her to bend her knees as her feet touched the ground. She eventually stopped shifting, though, and tried not to flush noticeably as Two failed to give up his flattery. She smirked lightly instead, hiding the true smile trying to tug at the corners of her mouth.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine waiting for a bit longer.” She assured, teasing a little bit. She looked at him strangely as he dug through his bag. What was he looking for? She was slightly disappointed to see that it was only an apple. She didn’t know what she expected, but had hoped that it would have been something interesting he wanted to show her—a spell book, a gadget, something. Ah, well. She really had nothing better to do than sit here in his company, and their playful banter was usually amusing at the very least.

That was something she liked about Two that was different from everyone else. She didn’t need a reason to talk to him, and she never had a goal in mind. She simply enjoys his company. She enjoyed jokes at his expense. She enjoyed his playful insults that he frequently backtracked from. It was easy to be around him, and she didn’t feel like she needed to put on quite as much pretense as she did with anyone else. Even Seth, who she genuinely liked, was much more work than Two was. She was constantly worried about how she would be perceived and constantly beating herself up for it. If anything, she felt the opposite in Two’s presence. She felt welcomed and appreciated. He did a good job at being a decent guy. He also seemed to not mind that she wasn’t always as cold and clever as she liked to pretend she was.

Then, he started to peel it. The use of the muggle tool didn’t faze her, but she was nonplussed by the way he was eating it. Raising an eyebrow, she tilted her head. How classy. He was certainly a catch, wasn’t he? Not sloppy or strange in the slightest. She was going to ask him what he was doing as he responded to the question she hadn’t asked. This was another thing she liked about him. Intentional or not, he tended to give her the information she wanted without her needing to request it at all.

How could anyone like the apple peel, but not the apple? She found it more endearing than she would be willing to admit, despite how unusual it was. As he offered her a bit, she reached out to take it. The joke about the poison made her smile more than she should have. She took a bite, mouth puckering a little at the sour taste. She preferred sweet apples to the sour ones, but she’d eat it anyway. “Ah, yes. I can taste a little bit of the poison.” She teased, back.

She finished the piece he’d offered before starting to speak again. “My mother is getting fitted for a new set of dress robes. Apparently there’s going to be a benefit for something at my father’s work this summer. She’s dragging us all. I already have mine, though, so I just have to wait around.” She liked getting new clothes, but she rarely had the chance. “I was eager to come here, though. I never get out of my house during the summer. You’re lucky that you have places to go. Godric’s Hollow is so small compared to a place like London.” He had Marcel to keep him company, too. Theoren was so much older than her that she was always working during the day. Maybe she should get some kind of part-time job. She could spend that money on getting the amulet she’d been eyeing in the jewelry shop for the past five Diagon Alley trips, perhaps.

Two watched Lorin eat the apple, her lips pursing just sightly. Oh, yeah, he probably should have warned her that apples from the neighborhood tree were not poisonous, but were almost always sour. Two liked both sweet and sour apples. They both had a place in his heart. Sweet apples for when he was feeling upset or hungry and wanted things in his stomach quickly, and sour apples were for when he was bored. Nothing woke a person up like an apple that threatened to turn them inside out. He nibbled on the apple skin, his teeth slowly pulling more and more of it in his mouth until he bit it in half and swallowed. Then the rest of it.

"Poison's the best part," he said, the last bit of apple peel disappearing into his mouth. He was having trouble taking his eyes off Lorin's lips. His mind was telling him that staring was rude, not to mention creepy, but the rest of him was insisting that he he was just appreciating the way her mouth was shaped. She had nice full lips that looked rather pouty and lovely in a frown, and completely gorgeous in a smirk. Maybe that was one of the reasons he liked teasing her so much-- just so he could see that smile. It was certainly the reason he liked watching her pull pranks. Wickedness became her like no other.

He also knew from experience how soft and skilled those lovely lips were. No doubt she could make a man her slave with a few words and a chaste kiss. Two was still trying to figure out exactly how he had managed to refuse her for so long when their kissing had been nothing close to chaste. Oh, right. He leaned back on his hand, the one not holding the rest of the peeled apple. He remembered why he'd turned down all of her offers, even when the rest of his body would protest loudly and painfully. Lorin was a fun playmate but she was also a very smart girl, cold and calculating. He liked being around her, trading insults and compliments and so on. But once the teasing kisses escalated, he could never shake the feeling that she was playing with him, that the kissing and everything else wasn't just for fun. It made him uneasy, and sometimes it stung. And it was because of that feeling that Two turned her down.

"I didn't know you lived in Godric's Hollow," he said, looking down at the apple in his hand. Then again, there wasn't that much he knew about her. "If you're ever bored, I'm going to ask that you come to Islington or London with me. I don't think Godric's Hollow would survive the havoc you would wreak if you got restless and bored. I can attest to your trouble-making ways. If entertaining you is the only way to save Godric's Hollow, I'm willing to make that sacrifice."

And she would look nice in a fancy dress. He was a little disappointed that he wasn't going to see it. Lorin had a way looking ten different kinds of nice in anything she wore. She dressed in a way that suited her body. Or more, accentuated it. Two appreciated that as well. He glanced at her sitting next to him. There was a tiny bit of apple in the corner of her lips. He should probably tell her, she'd be really embarassed. He swallowed the smile threatening to bubble up. She was adorable. There was a small strand of her hair that had fallen on her cheek and he resisted the urge to brush it away. That was too cliche even for him. It was, right? Yes. Don't do it. Don't do it.

Oh, hell, he couldn't resist. Two leaned in and tucked the the stray strand of hair behind her ear. He wavered for a second, not quite done. Not breaking his gaze, he moved in closer and nibbled her soft bottom lip, using his tongue to sweep up the bit of apple. And just before he pulled away, he pressed a light kiss to the corner of her lip. Two chuckled and sat back down. "You're a messy eater, Lorin."

The sour taste lingered in her mouth for several moments after she finished the small piece of apple he’d given her. She ignored it, her mind still occupied with thoughts of a potential job. She thought that she could maybe work in a book shop, or something of the like. Most places had a book shop there somewhere. If not that, then what? She supposed she could work in an apothecary. She knew they had one there. She doubted they’d let her make any of the potions. She’d have to watch them have fun... or deal with the customers instead. It sounded okay, though. Both options had an allure, practical experience and potions books or books about many subjects and potentially large amounts of free time.

She was pulled from her thoughts as she felt Two’s eyes on her. She didn’t know what he was looking at, but she liked the attention. Maybe some girls were creeped out by male attention, but Lorin had never been that way. Sometimes it made her feel self-conscious when men stared, but she usually liked it. She was a confident girl, generally speaking. If guys wanted to appreciate, they could go ahead. She never called them out on it unless she meant to use that against them. She liked Two, though. She doubted that she’d need it. He’d proven himself as a decent friend by now. He had earned some trust, and that was the most powerful currency for her to deal in. To trust someone meant to let them into her mind. While she liked to believe it was a different world, there was only a small distance between her mind and her heart. It was easy to cross from one into the other—and that was something Lorin feared above all.

He was great at trying, though. She wondered how he always knew exactly how to handle her, fluster her, and keep her interested. He was great at making her feel special without making himself seem weak. His half-compliments and backhanded insults were slowly lowering her defenses. She didn’t like it, but she let it happen. She found that she wasn’t afraid of it the way she should have been, either. Yes, he was a good friend.

Even regarding their trysts, she found respect for him. It wasn’t that she lost respect for men after she’d taken them to bed, but there was something very special about him because he had not allowed her. Perhaps in an alternate reality, she would have pursued him much more strongly. She tended to think of men as games she played. She approached them with a purpose, and continued to pursue until her hunger was sated. Now, she had never really started that game with Two. She still hadn’t recovered from her pursuit of Seth when she started to get close with the Slytherin boy, and wasn’t ready to make a game out of it. She was fine enjoying his company and his playful banter. When their flirtation turned to action, she was happy to just see where things went. Things never “just happened” for Lorin. This was the first exception to that rule. Whether they kissed or joked or teased each other, she never really knew until they’d been talking for awhile. It was liberating to not have to plan everything for once. She also never worried about how controlled she appeared.

It was a nice contrast to Seth, really. She had spent so much of the last semester trying to seem cool and detached and intelligent. She tried to be ‘effortlessly’ sexy. With Two, sometimes she was more funny than sexy... and that was strangely okay with her. Even so, it was difficult to want something and not get it. Especially as the months passed and she grew increasingly frustrated by her lack of male attention. She would sometimes feel unwanted and unattractive because of his rejection—it wasn’t like he kept away from the others the way he did to her—but somehow he always managed to make her feel like she was special anyway. That was difficult to wrap her head around, but she somehow accepted the fact that he still liked her, still wanted her, and still wanted to be around her for reasons other than sex. He was good at making her ignore logic in favor of emotion, as dangerous as that was.

This was why, when he started teasing her about her mischief at Godric’s Hollow, and asking her to come visit him, she almost flushed. The way he said it, too. It was fun and playful, not desperate at all. There was no underlying suggestion. There was no underlying expectation. It was just him teasing her... and she was pretty sure it might have been a legitimate invitation. She rolled her eyes as she turned to face him. “You know I lived there for eleven years, right? Four of those involved me all by myself. Godric’s Hollow is pretty sturdy.” She teased. “Of course, I’m a much more powerful witch now than I was then. Maybe you’re right. I should terrorize somewhere much larger. I volunteer you to help me do it.” She decided.

She had barely time to begin to think up her evil plan when she felt his eyes on her again, but this time she raised her eyes to look back at him rather than continuing to look away. She was puzzled as he reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. She felt her heart race a little bit, despite herself. Since when was she such a girl about things like this? She sort of expected for Two to go back to what he was doing. She didn’t expect what she got.  She was more confused when he leaned in, but she was prepared to kiss him back. The light nibble on her lower lip sent blood coursing through her, then his tongue moved over the surface picking up... something.. along the way.

Had that been why he’d been staring at her? Something on her mouth. After the soft peck on the corner of her mouth, he pulled away. He was clearly pleased with himself, something she hated but also found attractive. He’d won this round, clearly. She hated it, because he seemed to win every round... and Lorin never lost this game to anyone but him. She was a little embarrassed, but she tried not to let it show. It was hard to feel hurt when he had that smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes again.

“Ah, so was that what you were staring at, Wolfram?” She asked. “You know, most people would have just said something.” He wasn’t most people. She expected him to say that. Because she expected it, she also expected him to say something different, instead.  She shifted, her corset still uncomfortable from the fall. “I’m sure you think you’re hilarious.” She pointed out. Her lips were disappointed that they were still as cold as they were. She mentally encouraged them to be patient.

Two laughed, glad she wasn't mad. "I didn't want you to be embarrassed by your clumsiness so I did what any good friend would do. I helped you out. You really  should thank me." He shifted, his bottom feeling a little sore from sitting on the stone. "Also, everyone I've spoken to always tells me I'm a complete weirdo for eating only the peel. Honestly, I grew up thinking that was just what people did. Marcel would never eat the peel so I just ate it because it was never good to waste food in our house. I guess I just grew to like it. So I've never really questioned it-- I eat the peel, he gets the inside. But," he glanced at her for a long time, then shook his head. "Watching you eat is a completely different experience. Much more fun. I guess I should have spent more time staring at you in the Great Hall." That slipped out before he caught himself. He kept talking because that was definitely a good idea, like barreling over that little tidbit. "Watching you eat that apple was almost too much for my poor heart. I just had have a taste, I couldn't resist." Nailed it.

Two was never really sure what to do about Lorin. He'd decided early on that the two of them would be a disaster in a relationship, but then why was he so against them sleeping together? Okay, he wasn't against them sleeping together. He thought it was a great idea. In fact, he was thinking about it right now, snogging her pants off in the alley. But dealing with Lorin was difficult, to say the least. His investment in her was much more than physical, though he wasn't so sure he was going to get more than that out of her. Lorin was an expert in these matters. He had been warned about how she was the master at wrapping men around her finger and getting everything she wanted out of them. Or at least those were the rumors. He had to arm himself because the moment she wormed her way into his head, he was probably going to give her everything she wanted.

Unfortunately, Tiberius Wolfram was not one of those men women just "used". Nor was he one of those men that used women. Not unless it was a mutual using, in which case he was all for it. Nothing was more logical than achieving the proper biological release while keeping free of emotional entanglements. In fact, he did some of his best work post-coitus, when his partner was fast asleep. He had written numerous academic papers in his boxers. He found it was much easier to wrap his head around the more difficult concepts when he was high off the cocktail of endorphins and oxytocin shooting through his veins. He could work thorough almost any classwork problems once he was completely focused and functioning at a higher level. Also, sex was really fun.

But with Lorin, he wasn't really sure why he didn't just be her friends and also sleep with her. Probably because that wasn't all he wanted. He was starting to realize that if they took it any further than they had, he might develop feelings for her against his will. Feelings that would probably make him emotionally compromised and that was all kinds of not okay with him. Except, as they were sitting there on the stones together, he thought that maybe it wasn't the worst thing ever. Maybe it'd be okay for him to take a chance, push a little farther into the uncharted frontier. Yes, he could treat it like a scientific experiment. He could try to measure how much an illogical emotional attachment affected his ability to make rational choices. He would just let this run its natural course and he'd go where ever it took him. He would...try. "Try" being the operative word.

He'd let it happen. Just do what felt right. And, at the moment, what really felt right was taking Lorin to one of those alleys and eating apple bits off every part of her body. He cut the apple right down the middle and handed one half to her, then ate the other one, chewing thoughtfully.  Observation one: Following every one of my thoughts and urges does not seem to be the optimal method of procession. May be dangerous, seeing as I am a humongousaurus pervert.

Two swallowed the last of his apple and licked his fingers clean. "Hey. We have about fifteen more minutes until the shop opens. Do you have anything you need to do? I mean, would you like to go somewhere else, or get something to eat, or possibly let me snog you senseless in that alcove over there?"