Make 'Em Laugh | Dom

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Riley, ever the charmer, walked into Zonko's Joke Shop in Hogsmead that April afternoon in search of nothing in particular, maybe just a laugh. The shop was as crowded as ever, maybe a little more so since 2 other schools and portions of their students were still with them for the rest of the year. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't interacted with more of them. He was sure there was a cultural difference in their personalities and he wanted to study it, something he knew sounded very awkward, at least when spoken out loud, to him, it sounded very clinical. He just wanted to know if they had different gestures, different stutters, different quirks than English people, the English, and a select few American's were the only people he got to study, and that was because they were the only students who attended Hogwarts. Of course they yielded interesting results, but there was so much more to study and so little time remaining. graduation was next month and then the other schools would be gone and he would find his dance slipping though his fingers.

The Ravenclaw walked through the aisles of the shop, maneuvering around students and stopped at the stack of Love Potions, he never wanted to use them, not for real at least, but they interested him, in a similar way that alcohol interested him, both manipulated a persons personalities, Alcohol normally made them more truthful and open, where as love potion... well she wasn't exactly sure, he had never seen it done. He thought maybe one day he'd be able to hire someone to try it and interact in a safe, controlled setting so he could conduct research, he picked up a vile and began to read the ingredients listed on the back out of curiosity.

@dominique

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Dom couldn't decide what to do. She felt like she was walking through a fog, like she didn't know what she was doing. Ethan was back, but he wasn't and now everything was confusing again. Hearing his voice was heaven, talking to him delightful but she couldn't touch him and that's what she really wanted. Not even in a romantic way though. She wanted to hug him and give him high fives or drag him around like she used to, but she needed to remember that he wasn't back like that. It was all different.

So she was talking this Saturday off. She wasn't doing her schoolwork (not that she'd done or very faithfully since April first) or doing anything at the school. She was going to Hogsmeade to try and cheer herself up. She walked down the street, trying to decide where she should go. Then she saw Zonkos.

Dom walked in the building and looked around. The place was the same as always, and she was about to turn and leave when she saw a familiar figure in front of her. Riley. She walked over to him, sniggering when she saw what he was looking at. "So... love potions? Anything I should know about?" she teased.

@riley

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Riley was surprised when he heard the voice of his friend beside him. He was caught. He definitely wasn't doing anything bad, but he knew it looked fishy, especially with the anti-love potion campaign that was circulating through the school just a few months back. "Yeah right." He responded with a chuckle, however, feeling a little embarrassed to have been caught with the vile. "It's just an interesting substance. It's like, you take this and a switch flips and suddenly everything about you is unimportant and you're devoted to this one person and you act different without even knowing you are. It's weird and I want to know why it works the way that it does." he admitted, putting the bright pink vile back on the shelf with the others. "What brings you here?" he asked the Ravenclaw girl.

@dominique

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The look on Riley's face was priceless! Dom absolutely loved the fact that she'd caught him with the love potions. Of course, she'd heard about the struggles in school with people love-potioning others, but she also knew that Riley had nothing to do with something like that. Sure, he was a pureblood, but he was a sweetheart and she couldn't imagine him doing anything to hurt anyone. Still, she could tell he was embarrassed and was definitely going to have to tease him a little. She was glad she ran into him here. There were a few people at school that had the ability to lift her mood, like Séamus, but Riley was another one of those. A good friend. She smirked as he started to defend himself, talking about how interesting it was that a small vial like that could completely change someone's behavior. She understood why that would intrigue him, but it still wouldn't stop her teasing. "Sure, sure. Like I'm going to believe that's what you're up to," she started. "You know, there have been things going around about people using love potions on other students ... anything you want to confess?" She winked, making sure he would know she was teasing. Dom couldn't help herself. She hoped he'd play along and make the game more fun. She shrugged at his question. "Oh you know, I was bored and wanted to get out of the castle. Zonkos is always good for a laugh. Did you come here for anything ... other than the love potions, of course," she smirked again, loving this. 

@riley

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"Yeah, you caught me, I'm actually one of those creepy jerks." he jokingly admitted. Of course he had nothing to do with those scandals, and he knew that Dom was just teasing with her accusation. But Riley really wasn't a jerk, creepy, maybe that was still up in the air, but only because he did study people and some people didn't really like being studied and found his observations of them very weird and creepy. Plus, he was getting good enough that he knew how to manipulate people based on their personalities, and while he didn't do that often, every now and then he found himself curious, in the name of research, of course. She explained why she was there and he nodded, "I'm here for basically the same reason. I was just feeling a little bored, a little stuffed up in the castle and decided I could use a laugh." he admitted to her. Looking around the shop. "So, anything catch your interest?" he asked.

@dominique

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Dom laughed when Riley called himself a "creepy jerk." She leaned closer and nudged his shoulder with her own. "Well admitting it to yourself is half the battle ... and admitting it to me is the other half!" She laughed at her own joke, "So I guess you're good now." There were moments when Dom thought she was clever and this was one of those times. Though, if she was being completely honest with herself, Dom always thought she was pretty clever. She nodded when he explained why he'd come here. At least she wasn't the only one ... though she'd been a little dishonest in her answer to him. She'd really come here to escape the castle and the fact that, somewhere within those walls was her old best friend, her first love Ethan Johnson. She was struggling to come to grips with the fact that he was back. She shrugged when he asked if anything caught her interest, then smirked. "Oh not really. I mean, there was one thing I saw when I entered the store," she linked her arm with one of his, "but I've already got that so I'm good to leave right now." Yes, she was implying that he caught her interest, but this was Dom. She loved to flirt and play around and have fun. If it was with an old friend, even better.

@riley

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Riley rolled his eyes playfully when she said admitting it was half the battle, and then went on to say that admitting it to her was the other half. "Oh Ha. Ha." he teased giving a very fake laugh. He had heard through the Hogwarts rumor mill that Ethan was back as a ghost, which made sense since the 1 year anniversary of his death had just past a few days ago. But he hadn't yet seen the ghost. He knew how much Dom cared for him, however, and he wondered if she had seen him, if they had interacted yet. Maybe that was part of the reason she came here, she did kind of seem like maybe she had been running away or hiding from something. She laced her arm through his and gave him a cute little line about how he was the only thing that caught her fancy. "I know, but our love is forbidden so," he gave a playful shrug, "What can you do?" he teased. Obviously he was just joking and teasing his friend. If they did ever fall in love, he wasn't sure how it would be taken by his parents, she was a pureblood, but also a Weasley, which didn't mix well in the eyes of a lot of Blood-purists like his folks. And also there was the little fact that He had never and didn't think he could ever find himself in love with Dom. She was too good of a friend. "Hey we can go somewhere else if you want, if Zonko's is too crowded?" he offered.

@dominique

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Dom laughed at his fake laugh. She loved getting reactions out of Riley, even if they were sarcastic ones. He was just too fun to tease and mess around with, though most people were fun also if you gave them the chance. She let her jaw drop when he started playing with her joke. "What can you do? Does our love mean so little to you? After all than I've done, Riley Fudge!" She unlinked their arms and took a few steps away, curious to see how he would react to that little spat of drama. Of course, he would know she didn't mean it. He knew her too well to not know that right away. The question was, would he play along for the benefit of the people that were watching (because there were people watching after Dom's dramatic response to him)? It was all part of the fun, and fun was exactly what Dominique Weasley was searching for right now. Fun and distraction. She winked at him before shrugging at his question. "I'm good with whatever you think. I mean, you were looking at those love potions pretty seriously. I can turn my back if you want to go ahead and make a purchase," she teased. "But if you're ready to leave, I'll definitely come with." Dom came here enough that she didn't really need anything right now.

@riley

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Riley very much knew hat she was just kidding when she dramatically walked away from him, but it was fun and he liked to play along. "I take it all back, could you ever forgive me?" he asked dramatically, taking his friend under his arm, knowing of course she would laugh and know he was being dramatic himself. She insisted that he could buy the love potion if he wanted too and he cast her a slightly annoyed glance, teasing the whole time. He was not actually interested in love potions for their real world use, however, he might consider studying them in a closed, research setting if research was the profession that he desired to go into. "Please, I don't need to buy love potions, I have hundreds of girls all over me at any given moment." he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes a bit. "we can walk down the lane or something." he shrugged. "What brought you to Hogsmead? Were you heading anywhere other than for a laugh?" he asked.

@dominique

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He was playing along with her! Dom knew that sometimes she caught Riley in the mood to mess around with her (whether or not they were in public) and she was glad that today was one of those days. She needed it and knew that if he was in the mood he should be able to distract her. He dramatically asked if she could forgive him and Dom looked at him, narrowing her eyes so it looked like she was just considering. "I suppose I could," she teased, giving in and laughing when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Her jaw dropped, once more dramatically, when he said he didn't need a love potion because he had hundreds of girls. Dom pulled away from him, pretending to be affronted. "oh really? And where are they right now?" she demanded, still just messing around with him. His eye roll told her he wasn't serious either. She nodded when he said they could leave and go on a walk. She took his arm and tried to pull him out the doors. He asked what she was doing here and she shrugged. "I was looking for a laugh, and to get out of the castle for a bit. It's just so tight in there." Riley would know what she meant by that. Dom had intense claustrophobia, which was nice because she could always use it as an excuse to get outside, but sometimes it was hard to deal with. Granted, the real reason she was struggling was because of Ethan. "Ethan's back," she added softly. He would know this was the real conversation.

@riley

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"I've got one right here." Riley said, nodding down to the redhead on his arm with a teasing smirk. He had never had romantic feelings for Dom Weasley, however, she was very fun to be dramatic with, and what was the use of a best friend if they wouldn't pretend to be your date if you needed one to prove a point or not look like a dork when your own sarcastic joke backfired. The two Ravenclaws walked out of the joke shop and into the nice, April air. Riley had known Dom for long enough that he knew she got claustrophobic in places like that, he didn't blame her, though he also tried to assume what she felt by it. He could see the emotions on her face and within her gestures, but he was sure there was more inward panic than he could read from her, she was fairly good at keeping that in, something he both admired and was frustrated with because it meant he couldn't read her as easily. Ethan's back. she said. He nodded, "Yeah, I heard that... I hadn't seen him yet. I suppose you have." he said. He knew seeing him again, even as a ghost must have crushed Dom and he felt sorry for his friend. Ethan had been a lovely person and Riley mourned him along with the rest of the school last year, however, besides knowing him through Dom, Riley didn't personally know Ethan well.

@dominique

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Dom rolled her eyes as Riley pointed out that she was one. "Well of course I count, but I am not hundreds of girls just in case you haven't noticed. I only count as one, though my awesomeness beats everyone else combined." She was being silly, but he was too. They were best friends and Dom felt entirely comfortable messing around and bragging about herself to Riley. She knew that he understood what she meant, even if she didn't say it right. He seemed to grow more serious as she did, another thing that Dom loved about Riley. He could tell when she needed to be serious and when she was just messing around. He nodded when she mentioned Ethan, commenting that he hadn't seen him yet but that she probably had. Dom nodded, her throat growing tight. "I was the one who found him," she whispered, remembering the shock of seeing him in the castle. Remembering how he moved away from her when he recognized her. "Why does everything have to be so complicated, Riley? Why can't things just make sense?" Dom knew her questions were deep and she wasn't really looking for answers, but she couldn't keep them to herself any longer.

@riley

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Riley gave up their silly little bit they were doing, he let her win giving a shrug as punctuation to the joke. She explained that she was the one who found him and his heart hurt for her. She had always been such a positive person in his life, such a good friend and someone he believed deserved so much happiness, she could only imagine how heartbreaking and confusing it would have been for her to find the ghost of the boy whom she had loved on the anniversary of his death. "How did it happen?" he asked, not wanting to give her painful flashbacks while having to remember the situation. "Why's he back?" he asked. She asked a deep question and one of course he couldn't answer, he shrugged. "Because if Life was easy than the good moments wouldn't be as good." he suggested.

@dominique

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Riley asked how it happened and Dom looked at him curiously. "How he came back or how I found him?" she asked. Really, she wouldn't mind answering either, though she didn't know how Ethan came back, but she could give her theories. Then she just started talking anyway, even though she knew practically nothing. "I don't know how. I just ... I was walking, trying not to remember that day, but it was impossible." She gave a small smile to her friend. "I ended up skipping all of my classes that day. I was just in another world and somehow I found myself on the fifth floor." She bit her lip and her eyes filled with tears. "Where he died and I looked up and he was there, but he wasn't." Dom took a deep breath, looking up to help her gain control of her emotions and get rid of the tears without them actually falling. "I don't know why he's back. I just thought I was finally moving on and now he's here and I feel so confused," she admitted. As a general rule, Dom wasn't open to very many people about things, but she trusted Riley. Much like she'd trusted Ethan, except for the fact that there were no romantic feelings there. She nodded when he talked about why life wasn't easy. "You're right," she said softly, looking down at the cobblestones beneath them. She normally wasn't this moody around him. Or anyone, really.

@riley

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"How you found him." he clarified. She went on to explain that she was walking and stumbled upon the spot where he died only to see him kind of there. He couldn't imagine what that would have felt like. How devastated she would have been and how confusing the entire situation would have felt for the both of them. Riley honestly had no idea why some people returned as ghosts and why some people didn't. Maybe those who did had some sort of unfinished business or something keeping them here? He really should have paid more attention in class, though he wasn't sure which class would teach them about ghosts. "Did he talk to you? Did you guys interact?" he asked. Riley wasn't really sure what else to say, he wanted to get the full story so he could try to piece together what was going on.

@dominique