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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 17:27:45 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 17:27:45 GMT -7
Oscar was so glad that he had said the right thing to Anna, and he felt like he was shining from the inside out. She threw herself into his arms – which was seeming to be a common theme, not that he minded – and Oscar was more than happy to hold her for as long as she liked. When Anna withdrew, she asked him how he knew her so well, and Oscar shrugged. “The same way you know me.” He answered her honestly. He felt like at this point they had both seen each other at their worst. Oscar was looking forward to seeing Anna at her best, and he was looking forward to her seeing him at his best, too. “Show those boys how it’s done, yeah?” Oscar said with a playful smile. “How much longer do you have before you have to go get ready…?” Oscar asked. He would gladly talk to Anna for longer, but he didn’t want to keep her from her preparation time, especially given how worried she had been the night before.
@annelise
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 17:45:19 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 17:45:19 GMT -7
Anna knew what he was talking about. She saw his meltdown and he saw her panic attack so they were about even there, and the fact that they were still so close meant that they could make it through anything right? As friends, of course. Since they weren't more than that, no matter how much she- no. Stop thinking about that. She gave a wry smile, "I'll do my best," she told him, even though he already knew that. She bit her lip when he asked how long she had. She had no idea, but at the moment she didn't want to try and figure it out. "I have time," she said vaguely, leading him over to a tree where the two of them could sit. She sat down and smiled up at him, patting the ground next to her.
@oscar
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 18:08:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 18:08:48 GMT -7
Anna promised to do her best, and Oscar smiled. Of course she was going to do her best – Oscar couldn’t imagine her settling for anything less than that. She also said that she had time to spare, and that made Oscar’s smile even wider. Even though he had given his speech – which was short out loud than what he had imagined in his head – Oscar found that he wanted to be around Anna as much as possible before he had to watch her march into a Task that could be her death. Oscar sat beside her, smiling. “When you hear cheering during the Task,” Oscar began, since he was certain there would be cheering. “Listen for me. I will be the loudest.” Just in case she had forgotten that he was absolutely, positively, irrevocably her number one fan. “Are you looking forward to it being over?” Oscar asked curiously. So much had built up to this moment, and he could see it being a relief when everything was done.
@annelise
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 18:30:43 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 18:30:43 GMT -7
Anna grinned, "Oh you will? You're going to be louder than all the Gryffindors," she teased, nudging his shoulder to make sure that he knew she was teasing him. Realistically though, she had a point. She was positive that her friends were going to scream so much that they wouldn't be able to talk tomorrow. Which meant tomorrow might be the best time to study in the common room ... but really, they were going to be loud. She nodded her head, "Yeah, I think it'll be a relief. I'm excited to see what I can do, but ... you know I'm nervous." Yeah ... after last night there was really no need for her to explain about that. "At least after today I'll be able to relax until the Yule Ball." That being because she was still nervous about dancing in front of a group of people. She knew Oscar would be there and that he wouldn't let her make a fool of herself, but she was still nervous about it. Not as nervous as she was about the First Task, but at least it was a distraction.
@oscar
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 18:44:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 18:44:32 GMT -7
Oscar scoffed when Anna said that he would have to be louder than all of the Gryffindors. “I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” Oscar promised her. He took a moment to be proud of the fact that he had used an English idiom, and then continued on with their conversation. “I am glad that you will be happy to have it over.” In less than twelve hours the task would be nothing more than a distant memory, Oscar hoped. Oscar cocked his head to the side when Anna said she would be able to relax until the Yule Ball. “Are you worried about the Ball?” Oscar asked. He thought it was a fair question, but immediately regretted asking it. Part of the reason she probably wasn’t confident was because of their disastrous dance lesson. He was going to fix that soon, hopefully, but getting her to talk about something that was worrying her probably wouldn’t help her calm down before the task. “We can do something fun together after it is done.” Oscar suggested. He wasn’t sure what, exactly, they could do after midnight on Christmas, but he was sure that as the time drew closer, he could think of some sort of post-dance surprise for Anna.
@annelise
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 19:12:39 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 19:12:39 GMT -7
Anna laughed when Oscar said he could handle it. "So you already thought about how loud they'd be?" She asked skeptically, not believing that for an instant. Then again, he probably expected the stands to be full of shouting people. She grinned at him, "I'll be listening for your voice." If she could distinguish anyone's voice from the crowd, it would have to be Oscar's.
Oops. Anna probably shouldn't have mentioned the Yule Ball ... this conversation was drawing painfully close to the night when they danced and Anna didn't want to talk about that. She didn't want to think about it either. Before then, she'd been able to think that he might have feelings for her too, but he didn't. Doesn't. She shrugged, "Yeah. I guess, just the idea of dancing in front of so many people. What if I trip or something?" Anna answered, hoping that he wouldn't realize she just made that up. Sure, it was a concern, but it wasn't really why she was nervous.
She smiled at his idea of doing something after the dance. "That sounds great," she told him, wondering what he was thinking of. "Like what?" She couldn't keep her curiosity at bay and asked, even though she wasn't sure if he'd have anything to tell her.
@oscar
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 19:38:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 19:38:25 GMT -7
Oscar looked away from Anna when she questioned whether or not he had factored the loudness of her friends into the equation. “Maybe, maybe not.” He said, though his voice made it obvious that it was the latter. He smiled, however, when Anna said that she would be listening for his voice. He would have to make sure that the spell he used to amplify it was especially sound.
Oscar wasn’t sure whether it was appropriate to laugh at Anna’s fear of tripping or not, so he didn’t. “I think that people will be more upset if you trip during the task than if you trip during the ball.” He winced. That didn’t sound as reassuring out loud as it did in his head. “Besides, I will catch you. We will make it look like it is on purpose.” He promised her. At least she wasn’t worried because of the kiss, Oscar thought. Or maybe she was, and she was just hiding it.
“It would not be a surprise if I told you.” Oscar told Anna with a half-smile. It was a good cover for the fact that he had no idea what they were going to do. Maybe he could arrange for a crepe midnight snack? He would have to ask the house elves, which meant going to see them, which meant their creepy little beady eyes staring at him…Oscar shuddered.
@annelise
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 14, 2016 20:07:38 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2016 20:07:38 GMT -7
Anna laughed, her suspicions confirmed by his voice. She was sure he'd try something to make sure she could hear him, and hoped it would work. Anna was positive that the sound of Oscar's voice would be comforting to her before or during the first task, whatever it was.
Anna grinned, feeling like she understood what he meant about tripping during the task. "The only difference is that I'm pretty sure I can keep my feet during the Task. During the ball ..." she trailed off a little bit. "Well, you already know how much my feet like dancing," Anna couldn't help herself from mentioning her abysmal attempt. Then he said he would catch her and Anna smiled. "I'll just trust you on that one," Anna teased, but at the same time she was serious. How was he going to catch her and make it look like it was on purpose?
Her eyes narrowed and she watched him carefully. "Fine. I'll be looking forward to whatever the surprise is," she teased him, distracted by his smile. She noticed him shudder, but she didn't know what was going on and she didn't think that he would appreciate her bringing it up.
@oscar
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2016 5:48:47 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 5:48:47 GMT -7
Oscar nodded when Anna said she was more confident about the task than the ball. She had practiced for the task and studied for it and prepared for it. Their one “study session” for the ball hadn’t been all that great. “We can just do the waltz over and over.” Oscar suggested. She had been excellent at waltzing, and he was certain that neither of them would mind just doing that all night; it was simple and it was fun. Oscar smiled when Anna said that she would trust him on that. “I will not let you down.” He promised. Hopefully it never came to that, but Oscar would have to practice dipping people if he wanted to make good on his promise.
Oscar winked at Anna when she said she was looking forward to the surprise. He had a month and a half to get a plan together – and to get over his irrational fear of house elves. Oscar made a mental note to get to work on that; a month and a half seemed like a long time now, but he was sure that the Yule Ball was just around the corner.
@annelise
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2016 7:12:23 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 7:12:23 GMT -7
Anna smiled when Oscar said they could just waltz over and over. She liked the sound of that. Actually, she just liked the sound of being in his arms while they were dancing. "Alright," she answered a little quietly. If she didn't think he would shut down at the suggestion, she would ask him to practice with her again, but she knew it was a bad memory for him and didn't want to bring it up, so she didn't say anything. "I know you won't," Anna accepted his promise, hoping this wasn't putting pressure on him. Really, she knew he wouldn't let her down because he never had before. She trusted him.
She giggled when he winked at her and then scooted so she was sitting close enough to lay her head on his shoulder, which is exactly what she did. He was just so calming to her and she loved it. What she needed right now was to calm down and not be worry about what she would be doing in a few short hours. Worrying wasn't going to help her, so she decided to just let Oscar calm her down, even if he didn't know that's what he was doing.
@oscar
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2016 7:22:14 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 7:22:14 GMT -7
Even though Anna had said that she had time, Oscar felt like he had little time left to spend with Anna. It was like the first task was looming over both of them, not just Anna, and that scared Ozzy a little. How was he supposed to enjoy his time with her if he was constantly worried about when it would end? Anna laid her head on his shoulder, and Oscar wrapped his arm around her waist, breathing out softly. This was nice, just being there, in the silence with her. Oscar was glad that he had slept well last night, otherwise he would have been tempted just to fall asleep on Anna. It was so peaceful, and the autumn air was so fresh, and…He really needed to stop thinking, before he tied himself up into knots. After they had been sitting for a while, Oscar let out another soft sigh. “I think breakfast is ending.” Which meant that soon there would be crowds of people filing into the stands of the first task. Oscar wanted to make sure he got a good seat, but he also wanted to stay with Anna. This was a conundrum.
@annelise
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2016 7:45:07 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 7:45:07 GMT -7
With his arms around her, Anna closed her eyes and it was easy to forget everything, almost. The task still nudged in the back of her mind, but Anna was doing her best to ignore it. Sitting here with Oscar just felt so right and natural and it was really all she wanted to do with the rest of her day. But she couldn't. No! She was going to enjoy this moment for as long as she could. So, as she rested there with him, Anna just let her mind wander over all the things they'd done together since meeting one another. Without even thinking about it, she wrapped her arms around one of his as she tried to be closer to him. Eventually he sighed and told her that breakfast was ending. Anna moaned. She didn't want this moment with him to end, she didn't want to have to go back to reality, to the first task where she was about to see if all those things Lucy told her about herself were true or not. It was much simpler to stay here in Oscar's arms. "Just a few more minutes?" she asked, even though she knew it sounded juvenile. Hopefully Oscar wouldn't care too much. "I'm not ready to go back yet," was the only explanation she could give. She didn't want to leave the comfort of his arms. Not yet.
@oscar
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2016 12:38:52 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 12:38:52 GMT -7
Anna moaned, and Oscar couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. He knew the reason she was moaning wasn’t funny – she had a right to be nervous, and scared – but the sound itself was hilarious to him. Anna asked for a few more minutes, and Oscar hesitated. He was awful at saying no to her, and he didn’t want her to think that he wanted to leave, so in the end, he nodded. “Two more minutes.” He said, since ‘a few’ wasn’t specific enough. If they had their way, it would probably end up being closer to ten or twenty minutes before they could let go of each. Oscar could understand not being ready to go back. “I am not, either.” He told Anna. Why couldn’t the whole world be as simple as it was when they were together. “But the world turns on.” If the world stopped when he and Anna were together…well, Oscar would have a hard time going back to reality.
@annelise
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2016 12:56:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 12:56:05 GMT -7
He was laughing, but Anna was too happy in his arms to be offended by that. She just wanted to stay where she was. With Oscar, things felt right. She nodded when he said two minutes, though it seemed a little short. "Thanks," she said, snuggling a little bit closer to him. She was nervous about the first task, but sitting here with him made it easy to forget about her nerves and about how she didn't know what the next few hours were going to bring. The calm before the storm. She was trying to make it last as long as she could. "Well I wish it would stop," she mumbled under her breath when he said the world turned on. She just wanted to hit the pause button for a moment, but she couldn't. It wasn't possible.
@oscar
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last online May 3, 2024 3:15:07 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2016 13:04:37 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2016 13:04:37 GMT -7
Oscar smiled when Anna thanked him for allowing her to stay with him. “There is no need to thank me.” He told her. That seemed to be the theme for the past few days – them rejecting one another’s thanks. “But you are welcome anyway.” He added, squeezing her slightly and bending to kiss the top of her head. That was another theme for the past few days – him kissing her on the head, even though he would rather kiss her on the lips. “What was that, mamour?” Oscar asked when Anna mumbled something under her breath. They were close enough together that Oscar was surprised that he hadn’t hurt any of it. While he doubted it was anything important, if she had somehow wanted him to hear it, he didn’t want to miss anything.
@annelise
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