Magical Hogwarts

"No, thanks," It wasn't rational, but these two simple words felt like an insult wrapped in a betrayal to Isaac. Like she had cut him in half with minimal effort and had taken his anger with him. No thanks, the words echoed in his mind as she turned away from him and went back to her friends. He thought she was going to leave for real this time, to take off with the drunk witches, and he'd have no idea where they apparated to.

A flicker of worry replaced whatever anger had been driving him to be so cruel to him less than a minute ago, and he hated this new feeling even more than the last. He sighed, his shoulders falling as he watched Magnolia walk toward them, but was surprised when she didn't go with them.

He took it as a good sign, even though every ounce of her body language was screaming something else, and Isaac dropped the half spilled pink drink on the grass next to him. "Do you have to?" He asked softly, suddenly feeling like there was a massive amount of space between them like they were on different sides of the planet, but he didn't have the energy to shout across the area.

He swallowed, his throat hoarse and dry from the straight whiskey he had downed and from yelling at her, and spoke again. "I will stop being mean to you if you want to stay?" Isaac bargained with her, it was a silly thing to say, but he meant it. Saying it was easier than actually following through, though, and Isaac had never been very good at keeping his mouth in check.

?óÔé¼?ôUm,?óÔé¼?Ø she paused, Magnolia hadn?óÔé¼Ôäót expected him to react like that which only managed to catch her off guard and make her feel like maybe she had pushed him too hard, or had genuinely done something to make him upset. For a girl that liked spontaneity, she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót really like it that much in people?óÔé¼Ôäós personalities and paired with this insatiable need to be the girl liked by everyone, it was hard for her to just walk away. It wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót any easier when he promised to be nice to her which only made her feel like a child.

It had nothing to do with niceness, in fact it had everything to do with what he had said on the porch earlier. ?óÔé¼?ôIt?óÔé¼Ôäós not about being nice,?óÔé¼?Ø she muttered quietly but didn?óÔé¼Ôäót really know how to explain herself either. She wanted him to understand that she had not been bothered by how he acted, in fact, she had become accustomed to it in the last three months. And things were perfectly fine when they had been sort of acquaintances, even if Magnolia had thought he was a little bit of a jerk sometimes, it wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót anything she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót get from JR or some of her other acquaintances.

But then there was this whole other thing that their relationship became whenever it was just the two of them that confused her. Magnolia did not like knowing that she?óÔé¼Ôäód read all the signs wrong and that was something she had to come to terms on her own. It was not fair for him to bear responsibility for it too, maybe she was being a bitch after all.?á ?óÔé¼?ôNo, I guess I don?óÔé¼Ôäót have to go right away,?óÔé¼?Ø she said instead, wondering whether she wanted to stand here in the front of some stranger?óÔé¼Ôäós house or if she wanted to go back inside too aware of what was happening to every other drunk person in the room. She decided that she did not like either of those choices.

?óÔé¼?ôWanna go somewhere??óÔé¼?Ø she asked instead, not really having a plan in mind yet but that was usually part of the fun. ?óÔé¼?ôI told my parents I was staying with Mavis tonight so?óÔé¼?ª?óÔé¼?Ø she explained but she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót really have anything to add to that. She wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót going to make Isaac responsible for keeping her company until the morning time and would probably just figure something out after they parted ways. But, for now, she could stand to be around him a little longer.

Part of him assumed that no matter what he said or did, nice or mean; she wasn't going to stay here with him. She was going to leave, to spite him, and he was going to be left more irritated than he already was. It was utterly frustrating that the two of them couldn't seem to say more than five words to each other without getting into an argument. Sometimes it was even less than that. And yet, there was not a single person at this party he would rather talk to, no matter what Magnolia said to him. He sucked in a breath, figuring she'd have something sassy to say in response to his almost-nice words, but he couldn't hear what she mumbled. "What?" He asked, the sharpness gone from his accented voice.

Wait, did she agree to stay? Isaac blinked as his heart raced; she did, well, sort of. Her counteroffer was even better as much as he loved being anywhere but 'home for the holidays,' Isaac really had not wanted to go back inside that party. With or without her. "Yeah?" He half asked, half agreed, but her next confession had him reeling. "Wait," He said, running his hands over his face to display how exasperated he was suddenly feeling. "So you came to this party... expecting... to go home with someone?" He asked through his hands before finally moving them and letting his judgemental eyes find hers.

Remembering he was supposed to be nice, he added an addendum onto his words, "I mean, that would be fine," Merlin it was not fine, he fucking hated the thought, it made him want to go back inside and punch that dick from earlier, he breathed deeply, "If that was what you were doing..." He was awkward again, with shifty eyes and softly spoken words; it made even Isaac uncomfortable.

"Where should we go? I think the ferry might still be running; it is a holiday and all," He mentioned the ferry that ran between his town and hers, the River Thames like the wall that divided their oh so different lives.

Magnolia hadn?óÔé¼Ôäót given her entire lack of plan thing much thought until he brought up what it sounded like, and instead of taking it seriously, which she did but the entire thing had sounded pretty ridiculous considering it was her, she simply laughed a little. It was light and it helped relieve the tension, at least on her end, anyway. ?óÔé¼?ôNo, no,?óÔé¼?Ø she clarified first because that was the important part, ?óÔé¼?ôI couldn?óÔé¼Ôäót even land myself a date,?óÔé¼?Ø she added in stride, it wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót really meant to add or detract from the conversation they had had earlier but she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót feel that pained by saying it anymore. It was what it was, after all.

?óÔé¼?ôI wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót planning on going home with anyone, I was probably just going to wander into one of those 24-hour movie marathons or whatever, they have one on sci-fi movies right outside of Gravesend,?óÔé¼?Ø she noted. After having gone to her first official movie earlier in the month, the girl had been hooked. She had never been into sci-fi or fantasy for that matter when it came to books but watching it on a screen completely changed the experience, even if they were black and white. ?óÔé¼?ôOr, maybe crash at my sister?óÔé¼Ôäós place,?óÔé¼?Ø she shrugged, she really had no plans.

He said he wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót judging her if she had been thinking to do that but she figured he probably was making assumptions about her, especially when she had almost been whisked away by that Ministry guy from earlier. In her defense, she wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót planning to do anything with him other than talk or something. Did that make her a tease? Maybe but Magnolia did have her boundaries, and a hook-up wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót her idea of a good time, at least not today.

?óÔé¼?ôYou said you want to be nice, right??óÔé¼?Ø she asked but didn?óÔé¼Ôäót really wait for a response before she hooked her arm in his, snuggling a little into his hoodie so she?óÔé¼Ôäód warm up a bit. Getting rid of all that anger also made her blatantly aware of how cold it was outside; she should?óÔé¼Ôäóve gone back to the house to find the jacket she had brought but she couldn?óÔé¼Ôäót be bothered. Either way, this was better, a good excuse to be close to him.

?óÔé¼?ôFerry?óÔé¼Ôäós good, you?óÔé¼Ôäóve been on it before??óÔé¼?Ø she asked, but only because she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót really know where he lived, ?óÔé¼?ôwait,?óÔé¼?Ø she paused, looking over at him, ?óÔé¼?ôdon?óÔé¼Ôäót you have a curfew or something??óÔé¼?Ø

Everything she said made him feel better, and he wondered if it was because he wanted it to or because she did. The difference between the two confused him, but he wasn't angry about it. Whether she was trying to convince him of something or not, Isaac chose to believe her words. He scoffed when she brought up the date, but it was more of a laugh than anything because of the way she had said it. Like it was some old inside joke between them now, even though they had been arguing about it twelve seconds ago. How the air between them had shifted so much in so little time, he wasn't sure, but Isaac felt even drunker because of it.

The corners of his mouth turned up as she mentioned the twenty-four-hour cinema; he was familiar with it, and the wizard was profoundly impressed that she knew it, too. Magnolia never stopped surprising him, not even when she was pissing him off to no end. He was relieved that she didn't take his words the wrong way because he was trying not to be a jerk about it. Isaac didn't have a filter, not because he didn't know better, but because he didn't care. He treated people as badly as he wanted because they let him. Not because they deserved it. Magnolia had been the first person to stand up to him in a long while.

"Yeah?" He asked slowly, wary of whatever was about to come next after she asked if he was nice, but he didn't hate what did. Walking with her melted into his arm wasn't the worst thing in the world, after all, and Isaac tried not to let the smile on his face give away how much he was enjoying it. And then she said something smart, but this time, he laughed. "No, I do not have a fucking curfew; you are the square, remember?" He asked softly; his head turned down toward hers.

Isaac shrugged his arm out of her grasp after a beat and unzipped his hoodie in one fluid motion. He pulled it off of himself, revealing the basic white short sleeve underneath; he draped the sweater over her. Before she could protest, the wizard wrapped his arm around her shoulders and spoke. "No jacket, no plan, you are a bit of a mess Magnolia Hawkins," He mused, that little smile still playing on his lips, and then reminded himself not to be a dick.

"But, like, in a good way,"

?óÔé¼?ôI?óÔé¼Ôäóm not a square,?óÔé¼?Ø she insisted, bumping her arm into him for calling her that for the three millionth time since they had met but not entirely upset by it anymore. Maybe it was because she was still a little drunk or maybe because she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót want to argue with him anymore but whatever it was, the nickname (or rather, insult) had sort of grown on her like much of the other annoying habits he had. And to make matters worse (or better depending on how you looked at it) he was not entirely evil all the time and had actually taken his hoodie off for her. For her. It felt like something out of the movies.
?óÔé¼?ôYou don?óÔé¼Ôäót have to?óÔé¼ÔÇØ?óÔé¼?Ø she started to protest, but was not very convincing at it, and instead let it happen. ?óÔé¼?ôIf that?óÔé¼Ôäós your idea of a compliment,?óÔé¼?Ø she looked up at him, ?óÔé¼?ôI?óÔé¼Ôäód quit while you?óÔé¼Ôäóre ahead,?óÔé¼?Ø she teased, wondering if this might have played out similarly if he had just come along with her like she had insisted that he did. Of course this side of him that was dare she say sweet made her think if it was more of who he really was or just a front he put up in front of people that weren?óÔé¼Ôäót his friends.

So in turn, she wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót sure if this was Isaac being distant with her because of what was said earlier or if he was taking pity on her for being such a mess all the time or if this was just unexplored territory on her part, a little opening into who he was when he wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót being such an asshole to everyone else. And regardless of all the red flags that were supposed to appear when this sort of thing happened, it only managed to make her feel special.

Maybe she was a little dumb for that but she?óÔé¼Ôäód cut her losses later. ?óÔé¼?ôYou?óÔé¼Ôäóre not half bad yourself, Hackney,?óÔé¼?Ø she noted, in that weird underhanded compliment way that they were doing now. ?óÔé¼?ôYou?óÔé¼Ôäóre kind of cute when you?óÔé¼Ôäóre being all tough and overprotective like you were earlier,?óÔé¼?Ø she added, it was a joke, kind of, but she did mean most of it.

But it wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót only then that she found the boy cute it was most of the time, it was simply something she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót want to give up so easily. But at this point, it didn?óÔé¼Ôäót really even feel like something he could use against her. ?óÔé¼?ôYou never finished what you were saying on the porch,?óÔé¼?Ø she noted because she did want to know and now that he was like this, she had grown increasingly curious about it.

Isaac felt a strange wave of peace as they walked away from that chaotic party and everything that had happened there. From the whiskey, or from holding her close to him, he couldn't be sure, but either way, he felt calmer now. She had tried to stop him from giving her his sweater, but Isaac was relieved when she didn't put up too much of a fight. Doing nice things, just because they were friendly, was not his cup of tea. And if she had made a big deal out of it, he probably would have retreated and felt stupid for trying in the first place.

They had reached a different place now, physically and metaphorically, and it was far more comfortable than the last. They talked like real people, not fighting, not trying to insult or one-up each other, and it was refreshing. He could even laugh when she told him he wasn't very good at compliments. And again when she complimented him in the same sort of backward way. "Oh, you think so?" He asked, laughing again before squeezing her shoulder lightly. "Do not use it as an excuse to do some dumb shit like that again, though," He said through a playful smile, "Please," The teenager added at the last second. Maybe he could do this nice thing after all?

Isaac's breath caught in his throat when she brought up earlier on the porch, and he prayed that she couldn't feel his body tense up at the question. "Uh," He started, stalling out, and hoping for a distraction, but when none came, he decided to get on with it. They were communicating better than they ever had, so it was a now or never kind of situation. "I just meant that I wanted this," He used the hand not around her shoulders to motion between them again, and it felt just as silly as it had last time. Us, he thought, but he couldn't say something that pathetic out loud, not even when they were on their best behavior.

?óÔé¼?ôI wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót doing it waiting for you to rescue me or anything,?óÔé¼?Ø she clarified. In fact, Magnolia hadn?óÔé¼Ôäót even realized he was there until he was in her face yelling at her for trying to leave with someone she had just met. He had a point, but she was in a weird place then, she had been in this weird place since she had asked him to come with her and he had said no. And though she really was not supposed to be the type to make a big deal out of things like that, it was hard not to when her feelings felt so involved.

The right thing to do would have been to create distance between them because that was the only way she?óÔé¼Ôäód get over it and move on, the safest thing for both of them probably. Magnolia didn?óÔé¼Ôäót want to make things weird because she did see him as a friend but stupid girls did stupid things and instead of doing what she knew she ought to do, she used the opportunity to hold on to him a bit tighter, wrapping an arm around him fully intending to make it about the cold if he asked her about it.

And there it was again, that word that meant everything and nothing at the same time: this. Magnolia wanted to think that she knew exactly what he meant but Isaac was difficult to read, it was hard to tell whether he meant it as seriously as she did or if he simply meant that he liked her better when she was hanging on to his every word like all the other girls at Hogwarts. She did not want to be in that category, but at the same time was not really sure if she was to begin with.

Or maybe he meant he liked it better when she was calm and collected, quiet when she was at a loss for words and could not explain her feelings or the situation, she was in. ?óÔé¼?ôWell I?óÔé¼Ôäóm a happy drunk, you know, not an angry one,?óÔé¼?Ø she concluded that it had something to do with her change in personality. But at this point, she was not even drunk anymore, just a little sleepy. ?óÔé¼?ôBut I can?óÔé¼Ôäót be all over you at school like this, because people will talk so?óÔé¼?ªenjoy it while you can,?óÔé¼?Ø she teased. Magnolia considered it and decided that she would not be entirely opposed to it.

Then she remembered that she had never even told her closest friends what had been going on. And then, she just felt guilty. But Isaac was slowly becoming more a guilty pleasure for her which made it even harder for her to part with him and just sunk her deeper into this hole of secrecy she couldn?óÔé¼Ôäót find her way out of.?á

The teenager knew he was vague, but it was too much to be explicit right now. Too much because he was nervous, she would reject it, and equally worried that she would accept it, and her imagination would take over. Witches were way too easily distracted by their assumptions and expectations.?á Isaac didn't want to live up to any of it. He wouldn't have been able to anyway. He had to consciously censor everything he said to not be a dick to her, so there wasn't a chance he'd flip a switch and suddenly be a nice guy. At least not like she deserved.

"It is not really about you being drunk," He began, smiling as he looked away from her, feeling her warm arm snake around his waist. Opening his mouth again, Isaac shut it as she continued, and he wanted to rip apart what she had just said. Couldn't she be like this while they were at school? Because people would talk? What the fuck did that even mean? And what was she assuming that this was? Almost as quickly as he had calmed down, Isaac felt his temper starting to rise again. He was the one jumping to conclusions, putting words in her mouth, and having the entire fight inside his head without giving her a chance to clarify. So maybe it wasn't just witches that were easily distracted.

He nearly cracked, almost shattered this fragile 'being nice' pact that they had going on, but the feeling of her hand on his hip, and his arm around her shoulders, brought him back down from whatever wrathful place he was about to go to. "Look, Magnolia," He said as he stopped walking, he didn't want to lose contact with her, but he wanted to look her in the eye, so Isaac turned toward her, and his arm slid down so that his hand was resting on her upper arm. As he spoke, his hand trailed down her arm until it held just below the outside of her elbow.

"I did not want to come to this party with you because girlfriends are not my thing," Isaac knew how it sounded, but he hoped she'd let him finish because he felt like he was going to make a point. "But that does not mean I am not interested in you?" He hadn't meant it as a question, but his eyes searched hers anyway. "Maybe we could find some... middle ground?" Isaac offered, and the look on his face spoke to the fact that he thought this was an acceptable thing to ask for. That the teenager believed he was meeting her halfway when really, he asked to have his cake and eat it too, which wasn't fair to her.

Don?óÔé¼Ôäót ruin it, she pleaded silently with him when he said her name, knowing that whatever he was going to say after he made them come to a full stop would pull her right out of the little fantasy she had unwittingly delved into as soon as they had left the party. Magnolia wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót supposed to let herself fall into this situation and yet, even as he stood there and told her that he was in no way interested in ever having a girlfriend, the only thing she could think about was how long it would take him to convince him otherwise. That was her first mistake.

The Gryffindor knew what she wanted to hear and the fact that he wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót saying it only made her fill in the blanks of their conversation on her own. She didn?óÔé¼Ôäót want to be the rule, didn?óÔé¼Ôäót want to be another reason as to why girlfriends weren?óÔé¼Ôäót his thing but wanted to be the exception to it. It already felt wrong and even then, Magnolia struggled to make the pieces fit into the narrative that she longed for. Why couldn?óÔé¼Ôäót things be like books or the movies just this once?

 Before this, Magnolia had not wanted to believe him, chalked it up to one of the many games they played where they prodded at each other?óÔé¼Ôäós vulnerabilities for the sake of a good time. It couldn?óÔé¼Ôäót be true when he said it with anger or disgust or coldness because he was just trying to impress his friends, that she had already accepted as a fact but only because it benefited her story. But here he felt like a stranger, he was talking to her in a way she?óÔé¼Ôäód never really experienced before with him and for that reason, she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót want to believe him, either. But only because this side of Isaac, as had the other sides she had met before, were telling her the words she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót want to hear.

And once again, even as she looked up at him, very aware of this strange intensity between them and how she was wearing his hoodie and how his hand sort of lingered on her arm, all she could hear was that she was being rejected again. She should have just set her boundaries then or gotten upset that he?óÔé¼Ôäód say something like that, but instead, she stuffed her hands into the pockets of his hoodie, it was a safe space for her balled up fists and forced a laugh. ?óÔé¼?ôHa--?óÔé¼?Ø she started, taking several steps back from him, ?óÔé¼?ôit was just a date, I wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót asking for a whole relationship,?óÔé¼?Ø she attempted to play the entire thing off, middle ground felt like a half step forward instead of the full step backward they?óÔé¼Ôäód take if she pushed it.

She had practically given up, now it was time for her feelings to follow suit. ?óÔé¼?ôyeah whatever,?óÔé¼?Ø she shrugged his question off as if it didn?óÔé¼Ôäót matter either way to her. Maybe he was right, maybe whatever she was asking for was too much. ?óÔé¼?ôwe?óÔé¼Ôäóre good, we don?óÔé¼Ôäót have to make things weird, casual is good,?óÔé¼?Ø she added, with a nod before looking forward again and starting to walk. Well, this was turning into a big mess.?á

Isaac blinked slowly, obviously confused by her laugh, and knowing it wasn't the real one. He hadn't known Magnolia very long, just a few months really, but he liked to think he could tell which of her laughs were authentic and which weren't. And whatever that was, it was not the real thing, he liked the real laugh, it made him feel warm inside. That felt cold and distant. Her words came next, and the confusion on his face replaced by something darker?óÔé¼ÔÇØDisappointment perhaps, and defeat. Isaac felt like he'd put himself out there, and she'd cut him right down. Like he had probably done to her so many times, but he didn't think of it that way. As ridiculous as it sounded, the rejection was not something the teenager was all too familiar with, and he did not like the feeling.

Suddenly, and almost assuredly because she had rejected him, Isaac now wanted to change his stance on this dating business. He wanted what he couldn't have. Magnolia stepped away from him, and his body screamed for him to move close again, to find an excuse to wrap his arm back around her shoulder and go back to joking around and being friendly. He knew that moment was gone, deep down, he knew it.

"Whatever?" He repeated, eyes narrowing; the unemotional way she responded to his words was maddening. He tried to be honest, to be nice about it, and even to tell her that he liked her, and she pulled away? Why did she say whatever? Like his feelings had no merit, and he didn't have any business telling her in the first place. She had asked. Isaac sucked in a breath, feeling like she was pushing every button again, and he took a step away. Arms crossing over his chest, Isaac felt like they were about to fight again. It was a good thing they had nearly reached the ferry; he could go home and forget this disaster.

"Wait, what do you mean by casual?" He asked suddenly, arms falling to his side as he stepped forward again, not too close, but he was halfway between angry and hopeful anyway, what was a few steps. "What are you saying?" Did she mean she wanted something casual? Was Magnolia capable of casual? Or did she mean to say they should remain 'friends'?

?óÔé¼?ôRight--?óÔé¼?Ø she responded cautiously, her voice slightly uncertain as she considered what he was saying and at the same time trying to understand why he was saying it. Only moments ago he had asked her if they could find a middle ground and this was her way of showing that she was capable of it, by shrugging off the seriousness of his statement with a light, carefree version of her own.

But he did not seem satisfied with what she was telling him, and it made her wonder whether maybe by middle ground he meant between acquaintances and friends instead of between friends and relationship. Sure, she was still a little tipsy, but the alcohol was quickly wearing off, why weren?óÔé¼Ôäót they understanding each other yet? Magnolia did not feel like she was talking in code, but it seemed like there was more he wanted to say that he was not saying. And instead of asking for clarification like any normal person would, she continued talking, hoping that at least one part of her explanation would make sense to his follow up question.

?óÔé¼?ôIt means...?óÔé¼?Ø she started, but she was not really sure how to put her feelings in an easy to read the sentence. Magnolia wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót sure what middle ground meant, didn?óÔé¼Ôäót know if he was expecting feelings or cuddles or if he just wanted to feel her up through her uniform, she didn?óÔé¼Ôäót know if this label was supposed to put her closer to Allison (friend with benefits) or Fiora (part of his group of friends?) or somewhere in between. Magnolia knew what she would expect from a boyfriend but he had made it apparent that it wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót what he wanted so she simply had spoken, afraid that if he gave her time to think about it, she would fill in the silence with a long list of expectations that he had no intention of fulfilling.

And rather than push him further away than he already was no, evident by the way that he was looking at her, she figured that something was better than nothing where he was concerned. Even if that meant she had to pretend she did not care, Magnolia was surprisingly good at pretending when she was around her friends, doing it around Isaac did not have to be so different. ?óÔé¼?ôIt means whatever you want it to mean,?óÔé¼?Ø she shrugged after a pause that was several seconds much too long.

?óÔé¼?ôYou?óÔé¼Ôäóre the one that said middle ground, right??óÔé¼?Ø It was easier to throw his words back into his face instead of having a conversation about it. The more she talked about it, the more confused she felt. ?óÔé¼?ôThat?óÔé¼Ôäós what casual means,?óÔé¼?Ø she explained. ?óÔé¼?ôHow far is the ferry anyway??óÔé¼?Ø she asked soon after, starting to walk forward again, trying to get out of this weird feeling of awkwardness between them.

Magnolia's pause made him more uneasy than her words. Isaac hadn't realized it, but he hated it more when she was quiet than he did when she was saying things he didn't like. The silence between them made him uncomfortable, he wanted to say something, anything, but the words were lost before the thought even formed. Finally, finally, she said something, and it was as vague as ever. It meant what he wanted it to? Did she understand what he wanted? Was she listening? He sighed and nodded, feeling like they hadn't moved one inch in the right direction but that there was not a damn thing he could do about it.

"Right, middle ground," Isaac replied, running a hand through his hair and sighing again. If this was the best that could come out of this conversation, he supposed that was fine. It was better than screaming at each other or long uncomfortable silence, right? "Uh, not far, just down that road." Isaac wasn't from this side of town, but he knew his way around Gravesend well enough to know how to get to the ferry harbor. There was a long winding road full of little bistros and townhomes, and the depot was near here. Isaac moved quickly to walk next to her when he realized she was walking, slipping his hands into his pockets and pretending he wasn't cold.

"Have you never been on the ferry?" He asked, feeling cheated but also thankful that they weren't going to continue the previous conversation. "Why would you, though, no one from Gravesend goes to Tilbury on purpose," Obviously, that wasn't true. The ferry ran in both directions for a reason; it was the sentiment. Gravesend residents had everything they needed in their safe, wealthy, comfortable town; why would they go to a shithole like Tilbury.

Magnolia was often the type that insisted and insisted until whatever questions lingered in her head were finally resolved. This time, she did not even think twice when he moved onto the next subject. It seemed better not to talk about it than to discuss what they wanted from each other; it was not even that serious she figured. At sixteen, she was practically an adult now and adults did not do this weird labeling thing, right? She decided to put a bookmark on the topic for a later day, trying hard to suppress the sudden emergence of feelings that she had experienced earlier. At least he had not just disappeared, that had to mean something.

 ?óÔé¼?ôI haven?óÔé¼Ôäót,?óÔé¼?Ø she confessed, she did not even know that a town called Tilbury existed on the other side of the river but only because there was no reason to go in that direction. Most of her free time outside of school was spent in central London, and there was so much to do there, she never really thought to travel anywhere else. And when she did travel, it was normally outside of the country or somewhere deep into the prettier, more inspiring parts of the English countryside. Those were some of the perks of her privilege, she figured, but now that Isaac mentioned it, she was intrigued by what that was like. ?óÔé¼?ôBut there?óÔé¼Ôäós a first for everything, right??óÔé¼?Ø she suggested.

The girl took a look around as they walked, waiting a few minutes before getting a bit closer to him again, the weird feelings of their previous conversation slowly calming down but still very vivid in her mind. ?óÔé¼?ôOh, I know where this is,?óÔé¼?Ø she noted, pointing at a little shop in the corner, ?óÔé¼?ôThey?óÔé¼Ôäóve got wicked milkshakes there, I?óÔé¼Ôäóll take you some time,?óÔé¼?Ø she added. Like as middle ground friends, not a date she reminded herself. At this point, there was no point in denying she was trying to find whatever reason she had to spend time with him. They were officially friends now, right? It wasn?óÔé¼Ôäót weird at all.

"Yeah, I suppose," There was indeed a first time for everything, but Isaac wondered if traveling to Tilbury should be the first new experience she had in the New Year. It seemed like a pretty disappointing way to start the year, but who was he to judge. Isaac didn't think the town was all that entertaining, but he supposed there were some good things, and that was why they were headed that way. The ferry itself was pretty cool, traveling across the river Thames which, at this house, was surely draped in a thick, eerie fog, just the way Isaac liked. And there was the pub right by the harbor in Tilsbury, called The Worlds End, and sometimes, it felt like it. Plus, there was an all-night cinema like she had mentioned in Tilbury. It was run down and probably far from the same sort of environment, but they played horror movies all night, and those were Isaac's favorite.

He perked up a little when she moved to walk closer to him, and Isaac didn't hide the smile it brought to his dimpled cheeks. Instead, he took a step toward her so that now and then, their shoulders brushed as they walked. "Maybe next time," Isaac offered as she mentioned bringing him to the diner they passed for milkshakes. The teenager felt only slightly better about making tentative plans with her. Nothing real, nothing concrete, but he couldn't pretend like he didn't want to spend time with her. That ship had sailed some time ago now.

In reality, all Isaac wanted was to be around her, and he was coming to terms with that. It was such a foreign feeling for someone who had preferred to be on his own for so long. Isaac didn't like people in general, and anyone who wasn't useful, he wanted even less. And for a long time, he thought he disliked being around Magnolia because she irritated him so much. But now he was learning that being frustrating was part of her charm and why he wanted to spend time with her. She was aggravating because she didn't give up, she didn't just let him win, and that was rare. It was more than just that, though; it was everything about her. Everything that Isaac knew about Magnolia only made him want to learn more.

As they got to the end of the street and turned, Isaac's eyes glossed over the dark riverbank. The old stones that paved the road we lit by glowing lanterns on the seawall side and the little mansions that faced the water were annoyingly impressive. Isaac's entire flat would have probably fit into the entryway of some of these places, and of course, he was envious, but his eyes didn't linger on them for too long. Instead, he turned to look at Magnolia as they neared the entrance to the ferry harbor.

"Are you hungry?" Isaac said, breaking the peaceful quiet between them, "There is a pub across the river. I bet it is still open," Isaac could use some food, or some more alcohol, preferably both but most of the waitresses at the pub knew he wasn't old enough after what happened the last time he was there with Duncan and Allison, so he didn't get his hopes up.