Something In Your Eyes (Addi)

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Edmund knew that Addi had been hard at work planning some Hogwarts Halloween event, but he had no idea that it was this big. Sure, he'd seen sign ups for it, but he wasn't particularly good at paying attention to things like that. At least, not until it was too late. He was busy enough with all his Quidditch practice and all his studies and everything. 

The thing was, the only person Ed was interested in spending time with at this event was Addi, who was surely busy with the event she was in charge of, which was the Maze. Fine. He was just going to have to find her there and see if he could convince her to take a break and have some fun with him. He made his way to the grand staircase, grinning when he saw all the decorations. Read spider webs making the maze? This was Addi, all right. "Hey Addi, where are you?" he called as he took a step inside. Hopefully she'd answer.

@addilyn

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Addilyn had almost lost her mind planning the Haunted Hogwarts event, but now that it was time she was thrilled and excited. The guests had already started coming and going and she was ready to see the looks on their faces at all the events. She had taken control of the Spiderweb Maze on the staircase, and had waaaay too much fun doing it. Riddles, spiders, trickster guides, there were so many different elements and every person would have a different experience within the maze. She had been working hard, maintaining that everyone was doing their jobs and things were going well, when she approached the front of the maze to see how many people were still on their way in.

But then, she saw Edmund and she immediately ducked behind a wall of heavy webbing as he called out to her. A huge smile broke out on her face. Oh, this could be fun. "I'm here and there, just around and about," she answered vaguely, slowly moving away as she did so. She knew the maze better than he would, having helped create it and all, and she planned to stay one step ahead of him. "Come and find me."

@edmund

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The scene in front of him was definitely impressive. All the webs obviously formed some kind of maze, which he knew Addilyn planned. It had her style with it too and Edmund knew that she’d be here. The only question was, how was he supposed to find her? She wasn’t greeting people who approached, so maybe she was inside? Which led to him calling out to her. Surely she’d come out if she knew he was there? Apparently not.

He groaned at the sound of her teasing. Of course she was going to make this all complicated. “Really Addi?” he whined, stepping yet closer to the beginning of the maze. Sure, he was planning on doing it, but his original plan was to do it with her, not searching for her. “How about you come to me?” he called back, knowing as he spoke that she wouldn’t. “You know this place better than I do, I’m sure.” She wanted to make this into a game, in typical Addilyn style. At the same time, if he wanted to ever find her, he needed her to keep on talking.

@addilyn

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He groaned and whined in protest, which made Addilyn giggle. He suggested she come to him, to which she shook her head, even though he couldn't see that. He said she knew the place better than he did, which made her grin. "Exactly, and that's how I'll stay hidden from you," she beckoned, stepping further into the maze. She stepped up on a moving stair and ran to the top of it, hiding off to the side in a bed of cobwebs. Once he was on the steps too, she spoke, "watch on your left, Peeve's has a surprise there when the steps start to move," she warned. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at her throat, muttering a variation of the voice amplification spell. This way, she could throw her voice to a different part of the area as she spoke so he wouldn't know exactly where it was coming from. 

@edmund

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Her laugh carried on the air and Ed twisted from side to side, trying to distinguish where it came from. Of course she found this funny. She, undoubtedly, planned this just so he'd be stuck like this. Edmund debated just leaving without another word, knowing it would throw a wrench in her plans, but he wouldn't. He wanted to see Addilyn too badly for that. His nose wrinkled as he grimaced. "Why would you want to stay hidden from me? Aren't we supposed to be strengthening our friendship?" Despite the fact that he was almost sure she couldn't see him, he was smirking now at his reference to their conversation at the beginning of the semester. He took a few steps forward, in the direction where he thought she was. He started to make his way up the stairs, looking around him carefully when she gave her warning. Ed shuffled to the right side of the staircase, moving a bit more quickly in an attempt to pass Peeve's trick before the staircase started to move. "Any other helpful hints, Addi?" he asked, glancing behind him to try and see whatever he'd just avoided. He could see absolutely nothing. Turning forward once more, Ed made sure to try and check any corners as he continued upward.

@addilyn

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He asked why she would want to stay hidden from him, bringing up their conversation from last month about strengthening their friendship. "Distance makes the heart grow fonder, Ed, didn't you know?" she said, her voice coming from far away, and she giggled. He dodged Peeves trap, asking for more helpful tips. "When the stairs stop, get off on the right side," she suggested. The stairs then stopped and she quickly moved to the right, hiding behind anything she could find. Now, she was leading him toward a trap. Where was the fun in just letting him do well the whole time? No, it was much more fun to watch him get stuck in a false spider-web, one that was incredibly sticky and would only release him if he asked nicely. But he had to figure that out!

@edmund

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Edmund laughed at Addi's words. "Naw, that's just what people say to pretend they're okay not being close to the people they really want to be with," he argued. After all, not being near Addi didn't make him fonder of her, it just made him miss her. He had the summer to prove that. He reached the top of the stairs, still not really sure what she was warning him about before, but he'd trust her. She told him to head to the right and Edmund did, glancing behind crates and other things he passed as he looked for Addi. He wasn't exactly sure where she'd be hidd-"Ugh!" Ed exclaimed as he walked straight into a web made of ... well he didn't know what it was made of. It was sticky and didn't let go when he tried to step away. He tried to lift a hand up to pull it away from his face, but that didn't work. He squirmed, trying to get out of the stuff, then growled. "Addi," his tone held a note of warning, but he knew she would only find this hilarious. "How do I get this stuff off?" He was trying to tear at the stuff now, but it was stuck tight and Edmund was losing patience, not that he ever had much to begin with.

@addilyn

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Ed actually had a point, saying that was just what people said when they wanted to pretend they were okay with being apart. For a moment Addi wasn't sure what to say to that, since her distancing herself from him on more than one occasion for different reasons... but, she agreed with him. It definitely was better to be together. "I guess that is a good point. We're better together," she suggested, but she still didn't make herself known to him. She peered out from a corner just in time to see him glancing behind a crate to look for her. She smirked as he got frustrated, walking into the web that she hadn't warned him about.

He was now stuck in the web and was unable to escape. When he growled, saying her name, she giggled and re-flattened herself against the wall to remain hidden. "You've got to figure that out yourself, Ed. But I don't suggest that route," she said, knowing that he'd try to use force.

@edmund

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Edmund smiled when Addi agreed that they were better together. She didn't come out though. At least he got her to admit it. "How about you prove it," he commented, hoping that would get her to come out even though he knew her better than that. No matter what Edmund said or did, Addilyn Slater wouldn't come out until she was good and ready to do so. He would just have to have patience and play her game until she was ready. 

His eyes narrowed when he heard her giggling. "That is no help, Addi," he muttered. "You did this on purpose." Once he got the words out, he tried to calm himself down. Maybe the webs would release him if he wasn't fighting them. Unlikely, but possible. He could at least try that strategy.

@addilyn

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He suggested that she prove it, prove that they were better together, and for a moment she was tempted. She stepped forward a little, toward him, but stayed hidden. "That's... not an entirely bad suggestion, Ed. I'll have to consider that..." she said, and she was considering it. As much fun as it was to hide, it would also be fun to go through the maze actually together. Granted, she knew all the tricks that were laced throughout so it may not be that fun for him. Unless she tried to make him figure things out on his own first, kind of like she was doing now.

He said her giggling was no help, commenting that she did this on purpose. "I mean, I did lead you toward that web on purpose," she said. Then, as she watched him try to calm down, she decided to put him out of his misery. She stepped out of the shadows and the thicker webs, revealing herself and moving forward to stand in front of him. "If you really want something, you have to ask nicely," she explained. She was right in front of him now, and suddenly she felt like her heart was beating in her stomach a million miles a minute. She leaned in close to him, taking the necessary steps until their faces where only two inches apart. "Just... as nicely. If you want it," she found herself whispering, a soft smile on her face. What was she doing? What... what did she want him to ask?

They always said they were better together, right?

@edmund

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"Consider it? Come on Addi ..." he tried to convince her, but Edmund was fully aware that if Addi didn't want to reveal herself, she definitely wouldn't. He waited hopefully, but she didn't step out. Of course. It wasn't a surprise, but he thought maybe it would have worked.

She admitted to leading him to the web on purpose, which only confirmed his suspicions. "Yeah, cause  you like to watch me struggle," he accused, smiling despite himself. He couldn't be mad at her for this. He didn't even want to be. He saw something moving in the shadows and then Addi was standing right in front of him, close enough he could have touched her if he hadn't been tied up in the webs. His eyes searched hers as she told him to ask softly. "Please release me," he muttered. Instantly, the webs released their hold on him and Ed searched Addi's eyes for one second longer before leaning forward and closing the distance between them, kissing her gently as his hands moved to take hold of her waist and he hoped she wouldn't pull away or be angry at him for this. He'd wanted to kiss her all summer.

@addilyn

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He was frustrated with her hiding, which only made it more fun. But, eventually, she did have to give in and reveal herself, even if it was incredibly enjoyable to watch him squirm.

He said she liked to watch him struggle and she shrugged, even though he couldn't see her yet. "That I do. It just makes it all the better when I rescue you afterwards," she joked. He wasn't really angry, of course. His tone sounded more amused now, which made her grin. But then she was in front of him, and he was smiling at her. He looked into her eyes as she gave him the instructions, and then softly asked for release. The webs fell to the side and Addi took in a breath to congratulate him but then he was leaning forward and she leaned forward too at the last second to help close the gap.

He kissed her softly, taking her waist, and she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his shoulders and pull him closer.

Was she really kissing Edmund right now? Her best friend? And why not? Why shouldn't she be kissing him? He had always been there for her, even when she wasn't there for him. He had never given up on her. She didn't deserve to be kissing him, but that didn't mean she was stopping now.

@edmund

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When Addi stepped out, she still teased him, saying she liked to rescue him when he struggled. Ed rolled his eyes, “And what if I wanna go for the knight in shining armor one of these times instead of letting you always take it?” He watched her face curiously, trying to read her reaction to that. If she reacted negatively to it, that meant she probably didn’t like him the way he did her, which made it one of the most important things for him to pay attention to in that moment.

She was kissing him back! It almost felt as though firewords were going off in his brain, but really Ed was just reacting to her closeness. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and Ed pulled her as close as he could, putting all his feelings into that kiss, everything he’d been hiding for ages. After a bit though, he pulled away and lifted a hand to cup her chin, trying to make certain he could look in her eyes. “Addi?” he breathed her name, waiting to see something from her. Did she want this like he did?

@addilyn

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Edmund suggested that one of these days he would go for being the hero instead of letting her do it, and she felt her heart skip a little at that. She smiled, though, and nodded. "That'd be alright, I think," she answered. Really, Ed had come through for her plenty of times and could easily consider himself a hero in her eyes. A hero was someone who was there when you needed saving, and he had definitely done that for her.

When Edmund stopped kissing her, Addi immediately opened her eyes. His hand took her chin and she looked up into his eyes as he said her name. Well, it was more of using her name as a question but she understood why. He was asking if she really wanted to kiss him and... she did. She really, really did. She nodded just a tiny bit, as to be careful not to break her chin out of the hold of his hand. "Guess you're the knight in shining armor now," she said, bringing back the joke from earlier. 

She moved one of her hands to his shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze, "come on, let's finish this maze," she encouraged, but she didn't take a step.

@edmund
(we can end soon and do a more recent thread LOL. dey cute)

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Addi accepted his idea easily enough, and Edmund couldn't help but smile back at her. He liked that Addi trusted him that much. Not that it was a surprise, since they had been best friends for years, but things were different this year. Addi seemed to be avoiding him, or maybe she was just busy with all the responsibility of being Head Girl. Either way, Ed wondered if maybe she was moving on from their friendship. At least, he wondered that until tonight. Right now, things seemed perfectly find with the two of them and he couldn't be happier about that. 

After breaking their kiss, Ed waited. He didn't want to make Addilyn Slater do anything she didn't want to, but he cared about her. He wanted to kiss her and date her, but he wanted her to want the same thing and right then, he wasn't entirely sure if she did. Until she nodded ever so slightly, teasing him by saying that he was the knight now. He smiled, "Finally," he teased her back, feeling a bit giddy but also not trying to let it show entirely. 

She squeezed his shoulder, mentioning that they should finish the maze and Ed nodded, "Yes, we should. Let's go." He released her chin, moving his hand to take one of hers and smiling over at her, almost hesitant to do so but also telling himself that it was fine. If she didn't want him around, she'd tell him so. Maybe. Either way, he was definitely going to enjoy going through the rest of the maze with her instead of alone, which didn't come as a surprise to him at all.

--- the end ---

@addilyn