heart just dropped { i n d y }

JULY 2003

The music was so loud in the basement that Freya could feel the bass buzzing on her skin. She’d been here for a while, maybe an hour? And spent most of it down here, dancing in a hot room with a group of her girl friends. Hopefully she’d see Danny and Jeremy at some point; they’d said they were coming, but it had only been in passing. “I’m getting some water!” she yelled at Tess, despite the half-full cup of vodka-and-something in her hand. She was feeling more than a little warm; there was a thin sheen of sweat on her skin.

Freya wasn’t sure if her friend had heard her, but she turned and made her way out of the crowd anyway. Kitchen was upstairs, right? She’d been here before but only like this, when there was a party and alcohol involved, so her internal map of the place was a touch sketchy. The music got quieter as she ascended.

She skipped up the last couple of stairs, almost barrelling into someone standing just inside the doorway at the top of them. “Oh, sorry…!” Freya said, a little breathless as she steadied her sloshing drink. She flashed an apologetic smile, but paused when she recognised his face though. They’d sort of met earlier in the night, hadn’t they? Or… At least she’d said hello to Callum, and he’d pointed his Hot American friend out in the crowd. Whatever. Same difference.

“You’re Callum’s American friend, aren’t you?” she accused, having to actually consciously remind herself not to call him Callum’s Hot American friend to his face. Automatically, she tucked some hair behind one ear. Someone else bumped into her from behind, “Oh, sorry,” she said again, laughing lightly as she moved out of the way and through the doorway so other people could get through. She hesitated; she’d meant to just move past him but he’d stopped too.

“Look, we’re matching,” she said, amused, gesturing to his clothes with her cup-bearing hand, spilling a little of her drink, but not on him.

The party was in full swing, and it seemed like every square inch of the place was filled with people. Callum had been the one to invite him along, though it hadn’t been hard for the Scotsman to get Indy to agree in the first place. Even though the music that could be more felt than heard anywhere he went in the house wasn’t really his usual choice he had to admit it had a good beat. He hadn’t been paying attention to how long they had been at the party, but Indy didn’t really care, he was happy to be in the middle of the crowd. He’d met some new people already, flirted with a few girls over the keg as he’d helped them get a drink, was feeling a good buzz, and generally was having a great time

Now though, he was looking for Cal, but was having no luck finding his friend in the press of people. Indy knew he was here somewhere, so the wizard wasn’t too worried, he just wanted to tell the other man about the wizard who had nearly jumped off the roof thinking he could fly without a broom. He took a drink from the cup in his hand and savored the cool drink. It was warm and he was starting to sweat a little thanks to everyone’s combined body heat. As he sipped, Indiana found himself stopped at the top of the stairs, the music radiating up from below definitively louder now.

He was patiently waiting for an opening to make his way downstairs when someone bumped into him and apologized. Instinctively Indy reached out with his free hand to steady the witch in front of him. He’d seen the girl talking to Callum early, but hadn’t had a chance to find out her name. As he was about to ask her if she was alright she asked him the token question he’d grown used to since he’d started hanging out with Callum. The wizard felt a grin spread across his face involuntarily as he nodded in response “Mm, that’s me.” He made sure to add just a bit more twang to his accent than it actually had for her amusement as he continued “You can call me Indiana, or Indy if you’d prefer. But, I’m more curious to know what I should call you, ma'am.”

When the blonde pointed out that they were matching, Indiana looked down and realized that she was right, the were. He nodded in agreement, but rather than try to shout above the music Indy took the fresh press of people around them as an excuse to lean in a little closer as he put his lips to her ear and told her “If you don’t mind my saying, I think the color scheme looks much better on you.”  After the most recent crush of people had passed he continued “Could I get you a refill, or water or anything? Or would you like to dance? I promise I can keep up.” He offered her a small smile and leaned back against the wall behind him and took a long drink from his own cup as he waited for her response. 

“Aaahh, your accent,” Freya said, speaking over the top of the end of his sentence with a sunny smile. God, she’d always been a sucker for… pretty much any non-british accent. She remembered vaguely the first time she’d met Prosper and his friends. Ari had done all of the talking, of course; Freya didn’t speak any French. And she hadn’t understood anything those boys had said, even when they’d been speaking english, but it didn’t matter – she was swooning.

“Oh, I’m Freya,” Freya said, holding her hand out for a handshake. Had he just called her ma’am? “Callum and I were same year at school, but different houses.” Freya moved to stand beside him, leaning on the wall like he was. She followed his gaze as he noted their matching red tops and dark blue denim bottoms. Hers were considerably less… well, less. Crop top and shorts versus t-shirt and jeans. She had no idea how he was managing in long-legged clothing, though, it must have been like thirty degrees in here. She went to say something else, but then he was leaning in really close and talking in her ear.

He was flirting with her. Freya couldn’t help a smile, hesitating as she decided whether she should just be forward too, compliment his outfit or whatever, or chicken out as usual and just laugh or something. “Thanks,” she settled on, giving him an amused sort of smile. She stood up a bit straighter, so her legs weren’t in anyone’s way as a group of people went past. “Um, I actually came up to get some water,” she said, holding up her cup and wiggling it from side to side like it was an answer. “Is the kitchen up here, do you know?” she asked. “That way maybe?” Freya pointed down the hall, then pushed off from the wall to start walking that way if he confirmed.

“Indiana’s a state, right?” She asked. She’d known what his name was, actually – Callum had told her. But Callum’s Hot American Friend had a bit of a ring to it, and that was what she’d called him when she’d mentioned him to Tess. Plus, she thought, glancing back at him with a smile, it was just... factually correct.

As the witch commented on his accent Indiana laughed and was glad to see her smile, it was cute he decided. He felt his eyebrows raise in pleasant surprise as she told him her name was Freya. He dipped his head slightly as he replied “Ah, I think British accents might still be better. American accents are so plain” he explained briefly before following up on her name as he shook her hand “Nice to meet you, Miss Freya…That’s like the Norse goddess, right?” He knew it was, but didn’t want to seem disinterested, and it was a good way to keep their conversation going.

He nodded as she accepted his compliment and was glad to see that she it had been well received “You’re welcome. It’s my job to tell the truth, you know…” He teased as he watched her wiggle the cup back and forth. He had no idea where the kitchen was but was more than happy to help her find it. “I don’t have the foggiest idea where the kitchen is, if I’m being honest, but we’ll find it, I’m sure.” He told her just before he made quick work of emptying what was left in his cup and pushed off the wall to follow her down the hallway.

“It is a state, I’m impressed…I’ve found most people here in Britain don’t know many of the states by name.” He admitted and raised his voice a little to make sure she could hear him over the buzz of the party around them. As the made their way to the end of the hallway, dodging party goers left and right, the kitchen turned out to be at the end of the hall on the left. As they entered, Indy grabbed a handful of chips, making quick work of them. He paused for a moment looking for the cooler he’d seen earlier. When he found it, the wizard pulled out two waters and gently tossed one in Freya’s direction. He was a few drinks in, and it probably wouldn’t hurt him to have some water too.

Briefly he thought about heading back out into the party but quickly decided that the fact that kitchen was quieter than the rest of the house for the moment was to his, or to their advantage. It gave him a chance to talk to her without shouting too much. Spying an empty spot on the counter Indiana boosted himself up and settled back against the cabinetry, letting his legs swing a little as he sat. After one more sip of his water, Indy turned his gaze back in Freya’s direction and let his eyes linger, appreciating her outfit for a brief second before meeting her eyes “So, how’d I get lucky enough that you ended up a this party?” It was a serious question, but he worried for a microsecond that he was maybe being too bold. Indiana quickly pushed the thought away. He was essentially just asking her how she’d found out about the party but trying to be clever about it, that was all. He just wanted to keep Freya talking.

“American accents aren’t plain,” she countered, giving him a look, like she didn’t believe him. Like he’d just said something stupid. She grinned after a moment, but it wasn’t a joke. American accents were sexy. British accents were… Well, there were a lot of them. Some were fine, others more annoying. She didn’t know what to think of her own, typical south-west one – it didn’t really sound like an accent to her.

Freya couldn’t really hear him properly over the people they passed in the hallway, but she smiled and nodded anyway.

They found the kitchen with little fuss, and her new friend tossed her a bottle of cool water. She caught it easily with some latent chaser instincts or something and pressed it to her head for a moment, trying to cool off. “Thanks,” she said. Then she hastily wiped the condensation that it’d left on her forehead before unscrewing the cap.

She moved to lean against the counter, opposite where he’d just hopped up, and drank a couple of mouthfuls. It was considerably quieter in here, and Freya felt like she could actually hear herself think. She wondered if Tess or the others would come looking for her if she didn’t go back. Lowering her bottle, Freya laughed at his words, her eyes crinkling a little. “I know a lot of people here,” she told him, still smiling. “Do you know Freddy? He was in my year, our year – me and Callum’s – at school. This is his house.” Freya slunk a little lower, resting her elbows on the countertop behind her, her water bottle dangling loosely from one hand. She stretched her legs.

“What about you?” She asked, raising a leg to tap his shoe with her own lightly, meeting his eyes. “I guess Callum brought you, right? You live in Germany too?"

Freddy….Freddy…

Indiana turned the nickname over in his mind, frowning momentarily before he spoke, tentatively putting the image of the other wizard in his head into words “Dark haired…glasses, and a penchant for punching everyone in the arm?” He asked, laughing at his own description. If that wasn’t him Indiana was sure he had heard Callum mention the name before if nothing else.

“Nice of him to offer his place up for the party” He commented, shrugging lightly. Indiana didn’t think he’d ever lived anywhere big enough to have a party like this, excepting maybe his grandparents house. It was a lot of small apartments, motel rooms, and lots of time spent in the back of their parent’s car. He took a quick drink from his own bottle of water and raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement of her question as he finished swallowing.

“Me? Cal brought me along, but yeah, we’re living in Germany for now.” He smiled at her “We’re moving into an apartment together soon, but right now I’m a professional couch surfer.” It was in some ways more comfortable to him than having a stable place to live. Constant change felt safe. He ran a hand through his hair as he continued “All of my school friends, and family are in the states, except my older brother, Ashley. He’s all over Britain these days.”

He wondered simultaneously where Ashley was and what Freya’s reaction to his brother’s name would be. He used it as a casual way of judging people’s character. Even though it was not the fairest metric, it amused him, and he was curious. Out of habit the wizard shifted and pulled his car keys out of his pocket and twirled them around his finger. Indy shot her a little grin and bumped her foot with his “How about you, any siblings?” Part of him wanted to ask her to dance, but he was in no rush to leave the quiet of the kitchen just yet.

“Aahh… Super tall Scottish redhead?” she said, holding a hand up to the approximate height of the guy, which was way above her head. There was a small, teasing smile on her lips as she corrected him. “So, close?” she raised one hand, palm up. Almost had it. She laughed lightly as he did, meeting his gaze, then glancing away quickly as she took another couple of mouthfuls of water.

She raised her eyebrows when he said he was couch-surfing. Freya had assumed he and Callum were living together already. “Oh, if you need somewhere to stay, you can stay at mine,” she offered, without thinking. Then, after a beat, “I mean – have a great couch,” she added quickly, a little pink in her cheeks now. Freya laughed, mostly at herself. “Any friend of Callum’s is a friend of mine,” she added, feeling self aware, but a bit of teasing in her tone all the same.

Any siblings? She grinned, straightening up from where she was leaning on the counter. It was nice to talk to someone who didn’t know there were a million Tricketts, she thought. It was probably one of the first things someone who barely-knew-her would know about her. “Only six,” She answered with a bit of an eye-roll, pushing some hair off her face. “I’m the baby, too, though,” she added as an afterthought, not having missed the older part when he’d mentioned his brother.

Freya smiled at him, meeting his gaze for a moment too long. It was the accent, she thought. The rest too, of course – confident, attractive men had always been trouble for her – but the accent... “I need a can of something,” she said, heading over to the cooler. She needed something cold, and the idea of doing a cooling charm on her half-finished vodka and juice drink sounded way too gross. Plus, she was sort of staring, and wasn't in love with the idea of making a total fool of herself after only a few drinks. "Want anything?" she asked, crouching as she poked through it."

“If close was a country mile, maybe” Indiana shook his head as he laughed again at his own expense. Definitely not thinking of the right person, oops. He was grateful that she was letting him off the hook but had to admit it was pretty funny “I tried anyway” he copped to it with a grin and a light shrug.

Indy couldn’t stop himself from grinning as Freya offered him a place to crash. He raised his eyebrows in mock scandal, and then raised his hands to let her know he was only joking “I wouldn’t have thought otherwise” He told her playfully “I’m even an expert in couch quality, it’s like my side-side gig to the professional couch surfing thing.” He was pleased to see her blush, and while he’d mostly been telling the truth, he wouldn’t have objected if the offer hadn’t just been for the couch.
Wanting to put what he thought might be nerves at ease Indy offered “it’s a kind offer though, and I appreciate it” but not being able to resist pushing the envelope a little “I think I’ll probably take you up on it, too” he added with a wink. Indy flipped the keys he’d been playing with up in the air and caught them before shoving them back into his back pocket along with the bill of his baseball hat.

“Only six? Is that supposed to be small?” He teased her gently. Truth be told though, he couldn’t imagine having six siblings, it had to be something. Ashley and Cheyenne were enough to keep him plenty busy on that front, but he also couldn’t imagine being an only child either. Complicated as their relationship might be, Indiana didn’t know how he would have gotten by without his siblings, especially Ashley. “I’m actually the daring, and ever troublesome middle child” He told her, poking fun at himself momentarily as he explained “I have a younger sister.” He wasn’t big on telling everyone he met that his parents were famous authors/adventurers, and found it to be a large upside to living in Europe where his parents were a little less well known.

Any other thoughts about his siblings were momentarily disrupted when Indy realized that Freya was staring at him, not that he had any issue with that, seeing as he’d been looking at her too. He cleared his throat softly and nodded at her question, it was probably about time for another drink “Good idea…” He hopped down from the counter and walked over so that he could peer over her shoulder. It was all cans and bottles of different beers and ciders, and Indy knew he would probably drink any of it “I’ll take whatever you grab, I’m not picky when the drinks are free.” Then as an after thought he reached into a front pocket and pulled out a lighter “I’ve got something to open any caps, if you want it.” He would have bet on the fact that the original bottle openers had long left the kitchen.

When they both had what they wanted and Indy had used the butt of the lighter to pop the cap off of his bottle of beer, the wizard raised his drink in a brief toast “To good parties and new friends?” He took a long drink from the bottle after they toasted. No matter what happened tonight, he owed Callum a thank you for dragging him to this party.

Country mile. She melted a little.

She just laughed and shook her head at the couch thing. Cute accent and funny, too, she noted. Freya liked teasing, and she liked being teased too. Her expression changed a little when he said he might take her up on the offer though. She knew he was flirting, but she also kind of meant the thing she’d said about Callum’s friends being her friends. She and Callum weren’t especially close, but he was a really sweet guy; she couldn’t imagine his friends being bad people. She nodded with a smile.

“There are so many Tricketts, you can’t even imagine,” Freya said, shaking her head. She didn’t clarify who or what Tricketts were. “Oh nooo,” the blonde responded, scrunching her nose a little at the middle child thing, giving him the look Danny gave her when she asked for pineapple on her pizza. Heavy on the disapproval, splash of disgust. “That’s too bad,” she said, but she laughed after a beat, unable to stay serious for too long.

Being a bit overly-aware of him behind her, Freya picked out a beer and a cider, offering them both to him to open. “Yes, that,” she said. "New friends." She took a swig of her drink too; it tasted far better than the mostly-vodka drink Tess had made her. She lowered her bottle first, and let her gaze linger on him for a moment. She felt a little hovery now that they were both standing, not super sure about whether he wanted to stay with her, or head back to his friends or what. She certainly had a preference.

“How many are there? And the Tricketts must be your family?” Indy asked clearly perplexed by the number of people that Freya must have been talking about. He grinned, and kept the bit going as he feigned abject horror “I know, I’m just the worst.” He paused to drink approximately half of his cider “I guess you wouldn’t want to dance with me then, huh?”

He asked, his eyes dancing with humor “Unless you, y’know, want to take pity on my poor soul…” Indiana was more than a little sure the witch across from him would say yes, but he never assumed completely, not when he didn’t know someone well enough. It had gotten him into enough trouble, and a fight or two before. When the blonde nodded and accepted his offer, Indiana grinned and made quick work of finishing the cider in his hand before throwing the bottle into the trashcan across the kitchen, wincing as the bottle wobbled on the rim before falling into the bin rather than onto the floor.

When Freya was ready, the wizard reached for her hand, using the impending crowds outside of the kitchen as an excuse to take it in his as they weaved their way through the mob of people and down the stairs into the basement. He looked back at her “I dunno if you’re the betting type, but I’ll wager I’m the better dancer, if you’ll take the bet?” Hastily he added “If I win, I’ll take you to dinner, yeah?” The music was deafening, and Indy thought he might vaguely recognize the song from the radio, but he was not sure. It didn’t matter to him anyway, as long as the song was something they could dance to, which it was.

As they wedged their way onto the dance-floor, Indiana twirled Freya and shot her a grin. He wasn’t a great dancer by any means, but he wasn’t awful, and he always enjoyed himself. He had a feeling that Freya might out-dance him easily though. The buzz from the drink he’d all but downed upstairs was starting to settle in, and Indy found himself giving into the slight floaty sensation. He let himself move with the music, jumping and singing along with the lyrics when he knew them. From what he could see, it looked like Freya was enjoying the music as much as he was.

The beat changed again a few minutes later, and Indiana reached for Freya’s hand again this time using it to pull her to him as he let his hands settle on her hips. As they danced, his hazy thoughts drifted to the fact that typically he felt that asking for permission in any scenario was the right thing to do, always. But he reasoned that if she couldn’t hear him ask, it wouldn’t make a difference anyway. And besides, they were close enough now that all he had to do was tilt her chin up ever so slightly as he kissed her. It was an easy, fluid motion. After a moment Indy reluctantly pulled back, eyebrows raised again, but this time in a silent question. Was it okay? He guessed it might be but wanted Freya to tell him as much. He bit his lip and grinned at her.

“A lot,” Freya answered, rolling her eyes. “Dancing sounds good.” She smiled a sunny smile, shaking her head. Sometimes it shocked her when people were so forward – she didn’t ever think she could flirt with someone so blatantly. Freya’s flirting style included lots of laughing and hoping she came off as cute, so, not exactly a well-oiled system. It didn’t seem to be much of a problem right now, though, because it seemed to be working, and his flirting style was absolutely working on her.

They headed back down to the basement, hand in hand, and Freya dropped her half-finished drink off on a windowsill on the way. “What do I get when I win?” she asked, but by then the music was too loud and she could barely hear herself speak. She could feel the vibrations through her body; she doubted he’d heard her. Freya let him lead her through the tightly-packed bodies to the dance floor.

At the start, she was a little more restrained, not wanting to be too dorky or make a fool of herself. Indy was so cute and enthusiastic, though, singing the lyrics at her and jumping and it didn’t take her long before she was doing the same. Her hair got messed up again immediately as she tossed it around, and she was moving her hips to the beat, arms in the air, laughing and singing, too (though she probably got about a third of the lyrics wrong).

When he tugged her hand, she danced up to him, smiling and sweaty. It was hot, but she didn’t mind being so close.

Freya could tell (!) from the way that he was looking at her, that he was going to kiss her. Despite all the other stimuli – the ridiculously loud music, the bodies pressed up on all sides, the heat – she still felt a bit of a shiver tingle down her neck as he tilted her chin up, eyes on her lips. She shut her eyes as he leaned in, trying to just kiss him back like a normal person and not smile too much against his lips. The kiss was brief, though, and when he pulled back, she actually did smile.

It broke into a laugh at the look he was giving her, all lip-bitey and cute. Wasting no time, Freya moved her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, leaned up and kissed him again, crossing her arms at the wrists behind his head as she pressed her lips against his insistently. She leaned into him, other occupants of the dance floor all but forgotten.

Indy felt a grin spread across his face to mirror Freya’s. The wizard was rarely not confident, especially when it came to talking to girls, or kissing them for that matter, but he was still always pleasantly surprised when someone was kissing him back, and tonight was no exception. He felt rather than heard himself laugh as Freya kissed him again. He let his hands drift to her hips and held her to him, content to let the music and other party-goers fade into the background.

If he’d been asked he would have admitted that he lost track of time for a few minutes, anyway. One minute they were kissing, and things were great and the next the tempo of the music had changed, and everyone was jostling and jumping around again breaking them apart. Indiana flashed the witch a grin, laughing as he shook his head slightly a their luck. He laced his fingers with hers and made his way to the edge of the dance-floor. They hadn’t gotten tossed around too much, but Indy still felt like he should make sure she hadn’t gotten bumped. Once they were clear of any other flailing limbs and bodies Indiana gave her hand a squeeze “are you alright?” He asked a small smile on his face.

He watched her carefully while he waited for a response, and once he was satisfied he kissed her again, not quite being able to resist, and not wanting to. As he pulled himself away, he bumped her hip with his “Do you want to get out of here?” he asked, leaning in so she could hear him but he quickly clarified “Like, upstairs for drinks or something?” He didn’t want to her to think he was asking her to go home with him. He did want to find somewhere quieter than the dance-floor, because he definitely felt like they had been interrupted, but he also wanted quiet to just talk, and hang.

After another beat, Indy leaned in again and suggested another idea. It was probably not the brightest one he’d had as of late, but it sounded like a great idea, if Freya was up for it, and he was pretty sure he’d seen a window on his way in. “Actually, should we grab some drinks and sit on the roof?” He didn’t know how the blonde would react, but he figured it didn’t hurt to ask. While he waited for a response he gently swung their hands back and forth, the heat of the basement and the buzz he already had were making him relaxed, almost lazy, but he didn’t mind considering his current company. 

Freya was remembering why she liked going to parties. It was literally perfect; she loved dancing, she loved kissing, she loved hot guys dancing and flirting with her. She even loved kissing said hot boys, and look where she was now! Perfect night, really. Freya really didn’t mind being jostled by the crowd a bit; a part of her wished they were a bit closer to a wall or something though, instead of right in the middle of it. She let him interlock his fingers with hers and lead her out of the throng of dancers. She felt a touch out of breath.

He squeezed her hand and she glanced up at him with a smile. “What?” she yelled back over the music, her smile not fading. She frowned a little – still smiling – as she tried to make out what he was saying, but then shrugged and nodded a bit as if she understood. It seemed to be the right answer because then he kissed her again. She was a bit sweaty and a bit drunk, but so was he, so she wasn’t too self-conscious about it. She melted into him a little, curving her body up against his until they stopped kissing.

Do you want to get out of here?

She felt goosebumps on her shoulders. Freya was a bit drunk, and last time she’d hooked up with a guy she’d told herself that she didn’t want to do the whole Drunk Sex thing anymore, but Indy seemed a lot sweeter than that guy had been, plus – his confidence. She hadn’t stood a chance, really. She nodded as she tucked some hair behind one ear. “Yeah,” she said, smiling. He clarified what he’d meant though, and she was glad she was already flushed from the heat and the rest that she didn’t blush from embarrassment. Instead, she just nodded and smiled some more, pretending that that’s what she’d thought he’d meant the whole time. Yep. Definitely.

Freya tugged on his hand, pulling him out of the room and back up some stairs. “Up here?” she asked him, glancing back as she walked, a little puzzled. How did he know how to get onto the roof? Maybe he was thinking they could… apparate or something? Or he'd found some window to climb out of. The blonde led him up a few more stairs, then turned around at the top one and pulled him against her again, pressing her lips to his once more now that they were basically the same height. She let her hands wander a bit, moving up from his chest then into his hair and back. Some people moved past them, but Freya didn't notice. She pulled back after a moment, but not too far. "So kitchen for drinks, then how do we get onto the roof?" she asked, smiling again.

Indy was all too happy to follow Freya up the stairs, glad that she figured out what he was trying to say. Or at least enough to head them in the right direction. At her question, he nodded out of habit, having adjusted to the noise of the basement, and just about the time he was going to answer her using his voice, she was kissing him. The wizard laughed softly, pleasantly surprised by the turn of events.

He let his hands drift up and down her sides lazily, enjoying the feeling of her hands on him. He would have probably stayed right there with her on those steps, regardless of how in the way they were. He grinned at her though when they broke apart “Sounds like a plan to me, as for the roof, I’ll have to show you.” He wiggled his eyebrows and laughed at himself before turning them toward the kitchen. Once they’d managed to weave their way back to the kitchen, Indiana grabbed a bottle of beer for himself, and held up other options for Freya to choose from. Once she’d decided, the wizard stuffed either of the bottles into the back pocket of his jeans, wanting to keep his hands free.

When they were ready, Indy offered Freya his arm playfully, enjoying the way his buzz was making him feel floatier and even lighter than he normally felt. It was a quick trip back through the crowd and the pair found themselves at the bottom of the stairs. Indiana paused and thought carefully for a moment, trying to remember which window it was that he’d seen earlier in the night that had let out to the perfect spot. Once he thought he had the right window, Indy bumped Freya gently with his shoulder “Ready?” He wasn’t sure why he felt so energized but the wizard wasn’t about to argue either. He wanted to bound up the stairs but made himself take them one at a time so as not to leave Freya behind.

The window they were looking for was on a landing, and sure enough it was just to their left. Indy tugged Freya gently behind him and opened the window before peering out to make sure nobody else had stolen their spot. Satisfied that they would be alone, the wizard slipped out the window and onto the roof. It was a small flat square section of the roof hidden by the other peaks of the roof. Perfect for a few people. He turned to offer Freya a hand through the window and handed her her chosen drink after he’d opened it. Then, as an afterthought, Indy pulled out his wand and muttered a quick "accio" and laughed as he heard a few surprised yelps from below. He caught the flying bottle of Ogden's deftly and held it up triumphantly "Figured we might want this?"

Indy stood for a moment, content to look up at the inky black sky dotted by starts. As much as he hated astronomy, he had to admit that the sky was beautiful. Satisfied, the Tennessean sat himself down on the tar paper and was glad to find it dry so no magic was needed. He patted the roof beside him gently, inviting Freya to join him, but not in a way that seemed pushy. He leaned back against the brick beneath the window enjoying the fresh air. The wizard looked over at Freya to make sure she was alright, and just because he wanted to look at her “How’s your astronomy?” his was garbage, outside of what he’d learned at the insistence of Ashley and Noah. While he listened to her response, Indiana scooted himself closer to her, content to sit shoulder to shoulder for a moment “It was one of my worst subjects” He confessed with a small laugh.

God, the kissing felt good. And he hadn’t even seemed to pick up on the way she’d misinterpreted his words; how she’d assumed he was asking her to get out of here. Honestly who even whispered that in someone’s ear and expected any other interpretation? Whatever – she let it go because the kissing felt good. She chose cider again in the kitchen, then followed him as he led her through the house to some random window. She let him take her there, smiled at his ready? and then climbed through after him, letting him help her through, though that last part was mostly just an excuse to touch him again. “Ooh, good idea,” she said with an easy smile as he brandished the bottle he’d just summoned.

Freya closed the window behind them and the sounds from the party cut down to about fifty percent of what they had been. She could hear a faint ringing in her ears now, a remnant of too much time spent in the basement. She’d be able to hear him and his accent much more clearly though, and she smiled at the thought, her eyes on him as he stared at the stars. It was a little cooler out here – not cool, but cooler and Freya brushed her hair back from her face with her fingers, dragging away little strands that had been stuck to her forehead by sweat when they'd been in the crowded basement.

She moved to sit beside him when he indicated for her to. How was her astronomy? Rubbish, she thought. "Ummm..." She said, looking up at the stars hopefully, as if some important pattern might jump out at her. They all looked like stars to her. She looked back at him as he spoke again. “Oh,” she said, grinning, “I thought you were going to try impress me,” she teased, bumping his shoulder lightly with hers. The blonde gave a light laugh. Her gaze flicked to his lips, then away as she looked up at the stars again. There were more than usual, she thought, but then she remembered that they were outside of London, and that was probably why. It was nice to be out of the city, actually. “Woulda’ worked too,” she added, “I dropped that class as soon as I could,” she said emphatically, glancing back at him with a smile.

“More of a charms person, myself” she said, remembering somewhere in the back of her head that they probably had different classes in America. She’d been fascinated to learn that the French ones were different, through Ari’s boyfriend. Charms seemed pretty standard, though. "Let me guess, magical creatures?" She asked, quirking one eyebrow at him playfully. Freya took a sip from her drink, then straightened her legs out in front of her.