1994-10-28: First Date


Crane_icon.gif Elizabeth_icon.gif

Scene Title First Date
Synopsis Chase and Elizabeth go out on a simple first date at the Lake.
Location Hogwarts, Entrance Hall and Lake
Date Oct 28, 1994
Logger Elizabeth

Hogwarts, Entrance Hall

The Entrance Hall is an immense room with a ceiling that almost seems too high up to see. Of course, this isn't the case, though it is quite high up. The details of the relief carved into the buttresses can barely be seen from the floor, though they must be very beautiful up close. Leading outside are huge, ornately carved oak double doors, and though they are weathered, they are also very beautiful. The tiled floor is a mosaic of random images which, any student will way, seem to shift between days. Crests of all four houses hang in abundance here - the snake for Slytherin, the lion from Gryffindor, the badger for Hufflepuff, and the eagle for Ravenclaw. There are also two school crests on either side of the double doors, with the four mascots arranged around the Hogwarts 'H'. There are several stairwells here, leading up and down to other parts of the castle.

Elizabeth releases a slow breath as her fingertips brush along the staircase railing, her heels clicking on the polished steps beneath her as she takes them with practiced motion, expertly skipping one stair in particular that has the tendency to engulf students' feet the moment its stepped on. Stepping over it fluidly, her feet step lightly as she enters into the Entrance Hall, her slender hand pulling away from the railing as her steps slow just slightly. Glancing over her shoulder, her hand reaches up to habitually push up her glasses over rim of her nose, only to then reach up slightly to tuck a bothersome lock of long ebony hair behind her ear. The winter cloak hangs over her shoulders, only partially covering a soft gray sweater over her torso and the thin silver necklace that decorates her slender neck. As her hand lowers, her fingers lightly curl at her side, brushing against the pleated skirt as she glances around with passive curiosity.

Crane doesn't have to bother with going up and down complicated sets of moving stairways when he wants to venture forth from his common room; it's one of the perks of being Slytherin. The Fifth Year slowly ascends the single set of stairs from the dungeons, glancing around once he reaches the landing and blinking a few times as his eyes adjust to the much brighter environs. He's in a simple black dress shirt and matching gray slacks with a light brown jacket; obviously he didn't want to overcomplicate his outfit. That, or he just didn't care enough to really think it through. When he notices the Ravenclaw girl entering from the opposite side of the stairway, he raises a hand in greetings and smirks.

Noticing the movement over her shoulder, Elizabeth glances, seeing Crane approaching with a comfortable smirk that compliments his confident air. She lifts a brow at him, turning enough to face him and that he gets a better look at her own outfit, apparently some thought put into it. Or at least more than he had at least. With her hands clasped in front of her, she waits as he approaches, saying nothing as they face each other. She lowers her chin in a nod to him in greeting, releasing a slow breath as she arches a brow and tilts her head slightly.

"Afternoon, Liz," Crane drawls, closing the last few feet between himself and Elizabeth. For now he remains standing a few paces away, hands tucked idly in his pockets, his stance a sort of languid slouch. After examining her for a few moments he arches a brow and wolf-whistles, not seeming to care much if anyone else overhears. "Well.. almost time to be going, isn't it?" He motions toward the exit to the Hall, where other students are currently shuffling out to be on their way. "Unless you've decided to wise up and back out, that is." Another smirk, this time a little self-deprecating.

Elizabeth arches a skeptical brow at his wolf-whistle, though seeming to ignore it as she gives a brief glance to the front doors. Her eyes linger on it only briefly before giving him a sideways glance. "'Wise up', hm." she says somewhat flatly, though only shrugging a light shoulder and reaching up to pull her winter cloak around her, her heels turning as she walk towards the open doorway. "Considering I have little reputation for you to ruin, there is not much I should be worried about with going out on a date with you. Besides, I made a promise that I have no intensions of breaking." She lifts a brow as she passes through the doorway, pulling her cloak a bit further around her. "Unless you have devious plans that I am unaware of that is."

"Well… can't blame you, I suppose. Who /wouldn't/ want to go on a date with me?" Snickering, Crane catches up to her as she starts towards the doors. And, without breaking his stride, he reaches down and finds her hand with his own, letting his fingers slip around hers. He rolls his eyes a bit at her last words, though he looks somewhat amused by them. "Devious plans? Me? Never." Ah, well, he /did/ specify that he wouldn't be sacrificing any sarcasm on this outing… and it seems he's going to live up to his word. "Well, did the rest of your week prove to be interesting?"

Elizabeth holds his hand back, lifting a curious brow as she gives him a sideways glance, "Someone that could not put up with an ego as you put up?" she answers back, though she watches him carefully for a moment or so as he rolls his eyes. As if the very idea of him plotting was preposterous. She ponders about that for a moment or so before her sky blue eyes return to the path in front of them, walking around the edge of the fountain as her free hand lifts to push up her circular-framed glasses along her slender nose. "It has been decent, but nothing incredibly noteworthy." she answers in reply, "Now, where are we going, exactly?" Liz asks out loud. Curious to where he could possibly be leading her.

That answer gets a mock-frown. It's possible Crane even finds it somewhat amusing, although he does a good job of hiding it. "I like my ego. It's very helpful in that it allows me to avoid having to deal with the vast majority of incapable idiots in the world," He says sardonically, although it's clear that he's probably being serious about that. "As for where we're going.. honestly, I have no idea. I tried to think of what to do in Hogsmeade all week, and.." He shrugs and glances around as they make their way out and across the school grounds. "..realized Hogsmeade is quite boring." Because, really. Puddifoot's? No.

The corner of her full lips subtle tug with an amused smile as she keeps her eyes ahead of them, traveling comfortably along the worn path of the Hogwarts grounds. "Congratulations are in order then. While you have discovered a way to successfully dodge these incapable idiots, some of us have to make do with putting up with them. However. I also do realize this is an inadvertent way of stating that I am not one of these incapable idiots, so it may be an accidental compliment." The smile barely tugs further, seeming to enjoy herself. It takes her a moment before she lifts a brow in thought, pondering quietly to herself a moment or so before her lips part slightly. "Hm, well I suppose we can always have a traditional picnic by the lake. I would find that enjoyable. Though if you are wanting something not boring and is in Hogsmeade… I suppose there is the Shrieking Shack."

"Yes, well.." Crane glances over at her and smirks to himself just a bit. "That might be true, but don't let it go to your head." He takes a few moments to think this new option over, his cool blue eyes training themselves automatically on the lake in the distance as the idea is suggested; eventually he just shrugs again. "Either way is fine with me, really - though I suppose a picnic would probably be slightly more appropriate than sitting around in the Three Broomsticks again." The Slytherin obviously is not much of a romantic - but then, this is quite possibly not unusual for anyone in Slytherin house. Ambition quite often tends to go hand-in-hand with pragmatism. Her last comment only gets an arched brow as he tries to decide whether or not she's being serious.

Elizabeth lifts a brow as she gives him a sideways glance, "And why should I not? I see no reason not to favorably take a compliment." she shrugs a shoulder lightly, her sky blue eyes shifting from him as they glance to the lake as well. The afternoon sun shining off of the surface as it ripples with movement. "That is, unless we choose a booth this time, which may provide more privacy and with the opportunity to the variety of food on the menu. Though I do agree that the setting might be more appropriate. The scenery is truly breathtaking." she murmurs, though when he gives her an odd look, she returns the glance. "What? It is hardly to be considered as boring, as it does have the reputation of being the most haunted building in Britain. I have to wonder why that is the case, seeing as Hogwarts itself has ghosts living within it as well. Even if they are well-behaved." His questioning look earns another subtle smile as she shrugs a shoulder. "You look at me as if my curiosity is a new concept. It was merely a suggestion."

"Sorry, I was just being droll," Crane explains, snickering lightly to himself at her questioning. He gives her hand a reassuring squeeze, and shakes his head. "Actually.. let's just go with the lake. Hogsmeade can bugger itself." He glances over at her to make certain this isn't met with any objection, his lips forming into a bit of a wry smile.. though that is quickly replaced by slight puzzlement. "Wait, you /are/ being serious? I've heard it's impossible to get into the place, though. A few students have supposedly tried.." He frowns thoughtfully. "…though they might have just been lying."

Elizabeth easily returns the gentle squeeze of his hand, her thumb brushing once over his before falling still once more. Their steps shift slightly following the fork in the path that leads to the lake itself. "Agreed then. It should be pleasant and with luck there would not be much company, considering the majority of the students would rather visit Hogsmeade instead." Her sky blue eyes glance up at the sky, narrowing slightly in thought as she ponders the position of the sun. "However…" she says slowly, "If it gets cool enough, we may need to return to the castle to warm up with hot chocolate…" she lightly ponders the thought out loud. It is hard to say if the thought was innocent spoken out loud or not. The grass beneath their feet continues its steady decline, glancing to him as he frowns to her. "Impossible? I hardly think anything is impossible." Liz just shrugs a shoulder again, already dismissing the thought, her thoughts visibly shifting as they approach the edge of the lake. "What attributes about me are you curious about?"

Hogwarts, Lake

From a simple path leading to a dock loaded with boats on September 1st, running north from the train station to the foot of the castle perched on the cliff, the lake on the grounds of Hogwarts is vast and deep. The water almost seems black, rather than clear or blue, not allowing people to look into its depths, and for good reason. Occasionally, a tentacle can be seen from the giant squid, and there are odd fish present that leap out of the water and make faces at passersby. The water is very cold, typical for Scotland. On only the best clear days can someone peer into the depths to see the merpeople's village, but often, it's just written off as optical illusions. Running along the shore of the lake is a thin strip of land that masquerades as a beach, but it doesn't run all the way around, keeping very close to the steep stairs leading back up to the castle grounds proper. There's a boathouse sitting at the northern end of the lake, with Hogwarts perched on top of the cliffs, with the southwest tower of the annex building /leaning/ at an impossible angle over the lake.

Crane grins and alters his path accordingly as they veer off towards the lake, his eyes flitting about now and then just to take in the scenery. The place virtually empty right now, of course, since everyone else is eager to be off to the Wizarding village. "Well, I wouldn't object too much to a cup of hot chocolate, I suppose. Or perhaps some pumpkin juice." He slows as they begin to approach the little 'beach', automatically searching for a spot that would provide a suitable area to sit down. Probably somewhere grassy, since neither of them actually has a blanket, at the moment. "Curious? Well.." The Slytherin stops as they come to a small 'peninsula'. Unlike most of the area surrounding the lake, this one is grassy right up to the edge, forming a sort of small embankment. He reaches out with his free hand to set it lightly on her waist. "This spot might do. But, ah.. I suppose I could start with something simple. What's your favorite subject?"

"Well if it is not too much of an inconvenience…" Elizabeth answers, the corner of her full lips tugging with a light smile. Her eyes blink slowly as they approach the edge of the Lake, narrowing just slightly in thought as she glances along the water's edge, looking for a place to sit on the otherwise sandy beach. Crane locates the small embankment before she does, leading them both to it before his free hand lightly reaches for her side, the warmth of his fingers lingering there for a brief moment. Pausing, Liz gives him a side ways glance, taking in a breath before moving towards the small patch of deep green grass and lowering herself. With her slender legs extended to one side, she pulls her cloak a bit further around her, the air off the lake cooler than normal. The smile that had tugged at her lips just a few moments ago reappears, only for her to blink once in realization. "Oh. How peculiar." she states to herself, though a hand reaches up to lightly push up her glasses before her sky blue eyes look to him. "I enjoy runes, though my current elective is Wizarding Literature. I had attended Ancient Runes classes from my third to fifth year until studies advanced, of course. I found it odd that you did not know that, however I realized that I have yet to read my copy of Advanced Rune Translation in your presence."

"Oh, I think I'll live," Crane replies sardonically, quirking his pale lips into a smirk in answer to her smile. Once she seats herself he does the same, though the cold doesn't seem to bother him as much; he /is/ wearing his winter cloak, but he doesn't bother to pull it around himself. Instead, he merely extends one leg, leaving the other crooked at the knee. After a few moments he releases her hand so that he can wrap his arm around her instead and move slightly closer, probably having noticed the fact that she seems less inclined to tolerate the chill than he. "Runes? I've never really had a chance to study it too heavily, to be honest, though it seems interesting enough. My mother's quite good at it, though - she has a fairly big collection of books about runemastery at home." For now his gaze settles on the scene of the lake, and he spends a few quiet moments in thought before grinning to himself. "You know, this isn't much of a picnic - we didn't bring any food. Not that I'm complaining."

Elizabeth releases a slow breath as he lets go of her hand, only for his arm to wrap around her, conscious of his slow breathing behind her as he moves closer to shield her a bit from the cool October air. She briefly brushes her lips together, quietly debating before lightly leaning back into him, her gaze absently on the ground in front of her a moment. His answer earns a flick of her sky blue eyes over her shoulder at him, the corner of her lips tugging lightly, "I find it like deciphering a coded message, a puzzle with a hidden meaning behind it. I find it fascinating that there is possibly the key to unlock a mysterious message of the past and it could be at my fingertips." At the mention of his mother, the girl leaning into him blinks, her interest evident as she absently lifts a hand to brush back her long, ebony hair from her face, falling over her shoulders. "What subjects are you interested in? What careers have you debated upon entering?" After a moment, Liz barely smirks, turning her eyes back towards the lake, "Hm, this is very much true. What would you propose to do about the situation then?"

One dark brow is arched slightly at the Ravenclaw's explanation. "That's… hm. Well, I never realized it was such an interesting subject. Though I know it's related to curse breaking and… curse-making, to some degree, so it has to be at least somewhat complex." When she leans into him, he glances over at her thoughtfully. Her questions cause him to look back away, his lips curling into a slight frown. This is somewhat of a predicament, because he's supposed to need 'tutoring' right now in his favorite subjects. And revealing the professions he's interested in would be just as much of a giveaway. "I… I'm not really certain what I want to go into, yet," He lies easily - partially because it's not entirely an untruth. He's debating between two choices in particular. "I suppose I'll think about it further after O.W.L.s." He smirks at the last question, arching a brow again and glancing over at her impishly. "Propose to do? I suppose we'll just have to find something else to keep us occupied, won't we?"

Elizabeth lowers her chin in an easy nod. "Translation is only a small portion of runes, yes." she answers easily in agreement, though she doesn't seem to be bother by it in the least. When he answers her, the brief, almost dismissible hesitation draws her attention, glancing over her shoulder to watch him for a few quiet moments, his slight frown earning the slight narrowing of her sky blue eyes. Her lips press together subtly, though she doesn't press further about the issue, shrugging a shoulder easily before she returns her gaze back to the lake itself, admiring. "There is much to choose from. I suppose it is not all that unusual, considering. There is still time to decide as well, so long as you choose a profession you know you will enjoy." Arching a brow, Elizabeth glances over her shoulder at him, seeing the usual smirk lighting his expression. The corner of her full lips barely tugs, a brow still lifted curiously at him. "Occupied, hm? It appears you already have an idea of what we can do in exchange for a picnic."

Her suspicion is noted, but not reacted to; Crane glances back out across the lake, leaning back on his free arm as he does. "Well, I've thought about several things.. but I've still got time to decide, haven't I? Better not to rush the decision if I don't need to." The Slytherin pauses when he feels the jagged surface of a loose stone under his fingers, and he casually picks it up and flicks it into the water out of habit, watching as it hops several times before stopping. His lips part in an amused smirk at her last words, and he allows his gaze to drift back to her, his cool blue eyes meeting her own. "That almost sounds like an accusation. I have no idea what you're talking about." He chuckles, but then slowly leans towards her, stopping when his lips are just barely brushing hers - although he doesn't kiss her. "But that does make me ponder what exactly you mean to infer."

Elizabeth smiles lightly as she shrugs a shoulder, as if already dismissing the topic of career paths. "We agree that there is time to decide. Much less so for myself, but I have already concluded what would be appropriate and appealing. She feels his arm pull away, glancing over to watch him flick the smooth stone to the lake itself as it skips a few times before sinking into the lake. She lifts a brow at where it disappeared, the corner of her full lips barely tugging before Crane pulls her attention to him. Her sky blue eyes blink as he leans in barely hover his soft, warm lips above hers. Taking in a slow breath, a moment passes before she lifts a brow at him, a hand lifting to push her fingers under his chin to lightly close his mouth. "Between your previous facial expression and your more than apparent intention, I think you are more than aware of my suspicions, /Crane/."

As her fingers brush against his chin, Crane arches a brow once more. Eventually, he sits back in his original position and snickers to himself. "Your suspicions could be wrong. You know what they say about making assumptions, surely." He leans back once again, this time far enough to lay down on the grass and set both of his arms behind his head so that he can gaze up at the sky. "Anyhow, what do /you/ plan on going into, then? You said Wizarding Literature, so I assume you want to be a… writer?" He doesn't sound entirely sure of that, but his tone is now easy, almost bored, as if he knows he has all the time in the world to chat. "Or something else?"

Elizabeth smiles lightly, though it is her eyes that show her mirth as she shrugs a shoulder lightly when he pulls away, leaning back comfortably on his arms. "It is possible, though it is also likely that you enjoy being contrary as well." And then, a miracle happens as she chuckles softly. A brow lifts at his question, pondering before tilting her head to rest on the back of her arm, propped against her knee. A moment passes quiet, as a soft, fond smile remains. Releasing a slow breath, she turns her head to glance up at the lake again, "I want to run my father's bookstore. He put his hopes and dreams into it, and its where I grew up. I am hoping that one day I can run the store and one day pass it to my children. Though I think everyone has a dream like that of some sort." she lightly shrugs a shoulder. "I have also considered taking a position in the Department of Mysteries as a pastime."

"Entirely possible, yes," Crane says with a grin. "So you want to run your family's bookstore.. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, really." He doesn't add anything that would mirror a desire to continue a family dream, though - his father is a Muggle business owner, and he has absolutely no interest in that sort of work. And his Mother is a Ministry worker of no importance - again, there's little to be dreamed about there. "A /pastime/? You do realize.. you know that most people would consider such a position a lifetime ambition, not something to be taken up as a pastime." He shakes his head a little, but looks more amused than anything else. "Well, I guess you'd probably be able to do it, anyway."

Elizabeth smiles lightly, "Yes, a pastime. And I do realize this, yes. It is just not something I want to do full time, or commit myself completely to. Not when I enjoy being at the bookstore. However, I do see that it might be a good source of income, should I fall into hard times or suddenly find myself in need of money." her smile grows some with confidence, "I know I would be able to. The ministry pays considerably for those that can translate and decipher runes, among other things." She suddenly shifts her weight, turning around on the ground to face him fully. Lifting a brow, Liz leans forward, hovering just in front of him as he had mere moments ago. "And what do you think? Do you theorize that I am the kind that is purposefully contrary?" the brow remains arched curiously at him.

Crane merely nods to this - as he said, he doesn't particularly doubt that she'll be able to accomplish what she says she will. When she leans over him he regards her with an almost cautious mien for a few moments, eventually smirking and shaking his head in reply. "Purposefully, no.. accidentally, quite possibly." He sits up just enough to kiss her very briefly, and then slips to the side a bit with an impish grin. "At any rate.. I believe you were saying something about hot chocolate, were you not?" The Slytherin smirks and motions idly toward the distant castle. "It is getting slightly chilly out here."

Elizabeth remains where she is as he smirks at her, lifting a brow the moment before he leans forward to brush his lips against hers for a fraction of a moment. She watches him for only a moment before releasing a breath, shaking her dark head before leaning forward again. Closing her eyes, she brushes her soft lips against his, lingering a few moments longer before gently parting away from him. Her bright, sky blue eyes watch his as she pulls away, leaning back as the corner of her lips barely tugs. "I think you will have to define the parameters of 'accidental'. Also, if you are trying to entice a girl, I think you need to practice a bit more. Considering." Shrugging a shoulder, she lifts a hand to lightly push up her glasses along her nose, only for her slender fingers to tuck a long ebony lock behind her ear. Lowering her chin in nod, a subtle smile hints at her lips, "I did mention hot chocolate, yes. Finding a fireplace to warm up to might prove a challenge, if you are up to it."

The Slytherin arches a brow a bit at that - now that he's moved, he stands up slowly, brushing (mostly imaginary) dust off of his shirt and slacks. "I'm not really the one doing the defining - it's your prerogative, after all." He winks at her and offers her a hand to help stand up, snickering slightly at her commentary on his 'performance'. "Again, I think you've just misinterpreted my actions.. I have no particular desire to entice anyone." Whatever that means, he glances back in the direction of the castle and, once she stands, begins a slow pace in its direction. "Mm. Well, common rooms won't work. But I suppose the Great Hall is always available."

Elizabeth lifts a brow at him, "You were the one that defined me as accidentally contrary, so it is also your 'prerogative' to define exactly what you mean by that statement." she counters easily, tilting her head slightly before lightly brushing back her winter cloak and reaching up for his offered hand, standing to her feet as the other carefully brushes against her skirt. The smile that barely hints at her lips slowly ebbs, fading as her cool blue eyes behind her circular glasses watches the castle of Hogwarts, following easily by his side. "What is the desire being misinterpreted then…" she murmurs softly to herself. After a moment or so, she just releases a breath, pulling the cloak around her a bit further in order to fend off a shiver.

Crane continues to walk forward slowly, his polished black shoes sinking slightly into the soft, grassy turf. He doesn't answer what she says for now, either because he doesn't hear it or simply chooses not to - but, after a few moments, he turns around and offers an easy, casual smile. "Coming?" The question is followed by his facing the school again and, slipping his hands into his pockets, continuing toward it languidly.
