Shoot Your Smile At Me (Joe)

[Deleted]

Dom strolled down the streets of Hogsmeade, smiling at the throngs of students as she passed them by. For once, she wasn't in her Hogwarts robes while in the village and it was strange. It was interesting how wearing normal wizarding robes labeled you as an adult here. Most of the students didn't give her a second glance as they walked by, talking and having fun with their friends. Dom didn't blame them. She probably did just that ... okay, no she didn't. Dom was almost always looking at the people around her. She liked to be aware of her surroundings, and especially the people in those surroundings. She was, plain and simple, a people pleaser. At least, she had been. After everything that happened during the past year, with the love of her life dying, then coming back as a ghost and then leaving again ... well, Dom wasn't quite herself. She couldn't help it. Losing Ethan changed her, but she was still very good at putting on a front. Few people could tell what she really thought, most of the time. 

She was trying to keep an eye out for her friends as she walked through the village. Maybe she could run into Riley or another Ravenclaw today, but there were so many unfamiliar faces it was weird and Dom was slightly annoyed by that fact. It wasn't like she'd been gone long. She just graduated last June! She should still know most of the people in Hogwarts! Then she remembered as she heard a passing student's accent ... Ilvermorny. Many students from the American school were attending Hogwarts this year. Ahh, now it made sense. Dom smiled, deciding to look around and see if she could find anyone that seemed lost or confused or maybe even just bored.

It wasn't long before she saw a guy. He seemed a bit older, probably was a seventh year and he was pretty nice to look at. Blonde hair, green eyes, nice build. She smiled as she watched him from across the street, trying to decide what the best way to approach him would be. He seemed like the kind of person she could potentially have a fun conversation with, since he had a pretty deliberate smirk on his face. She wondered if maybe watching him would catch his attention and decided to give it a shot. If not, she could always just approach him in a minute.

@joseph

[Deleted]

Hogsmeade Weekend

Joe still wasn't sure what he thought of Hogsmeade. Sure, the wizarding village had an undeniable small town charm, but it was definitely no New York City. He found himself bored most days at Hogwarts, and the castle had become very dreary as the winter months approached. He hated it, he hated the snow, and he missed home more than he wanted to admit to anyone, even to his sister Ashley. Joe never thought he'd miss seeing bums urinating on the street....or hearing the never ending cacophony of car horns blaring through the night. He longed for the hustle and bustle of the city life, Hogsmeade was nothing, there wasn't even any cars. Hell, he was even starting to miss his parents.This place sucked.

The bright side? Hogsmeade admittedly had a decent Quidditch supply shop, and he enjoyed poking around on his weekend visits, but he didn't have any need for new supplies today. He was set on gear until after he graduated because he was spoiled rotten. As Joe was exiting the shop, he stood outside the entrance as his eyes scanned the cobble stone walkway for anyone he may know. He immediately spotted a few Slytherin house members, but he really didn't feel like talking to them, they weren't worth his time if they didn't have anything to offer him. Not even a friendly conversation... However, Joe felt eyes on him as soon as they laid on him. He was flooded with the apparent feeling of someone staring at him. Joe looked away casually, brushed some hair out of his face, and returned his gaze to the young ginger haired lady. She was still staring. The smirk on his face transitioned into more of an amused smile. Well, he wasn't one to deprive a radiant redhead of his presence, so he would do what any determined teenager ruled by hormones would do: he'd fearlessly march over to her with a ridiculously comical, unbreakable eye contact.

Joe successfully made it across the street without breaking the gaze, somehow controlling the smirk from pulling into a full fledged smile. Unfortunately, he was so absorbed in keeping up with her staring contest that he wasn't looking down, so he didn't notice the decorative planter placed directly in his path. Joe was closing the distance, a straight beeline toward her, until... "Umph.." Joe tumbled directly over the bush, flinging dirt into the air and breaking the pot on his body impact. Before he could catch himself, he was flat on his back, practically straddling the pot as the wind from his lungs abandoned him temporarily. For a respectable Athlete, that was an obnoxiously embarrassing fumble. It all happened so fast, he wasn't sure how to react or redeem himself - there was no living this one down. His eyes clamped closed, shuddering at the thought of the hot chick undoubtedly witnessing the display.

@dominique

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Dom didn't even try to hide how impressed she was when the guy she was staring at turned to look at her and met her eyes. Not many people did that, for one reason or another. Dom knew she was pretty, how could she not be being 1/8 veela, and with both of her parents, but she didn't care to brag about it. In fact, while she was in school she was often found in torn up jeans and worn out shirts with her hair pulled back as she embarked on some crazy adventure, dragging Ethan or Riley around with her. Her boys. How she missed both of them. At least she could see Riley sometime soon.

The annoying part of applying to work at Hogsmeade was that she had to dress nicely for interviews. That always made people stare at her a bit more. She new her older sister Vic liked that sort of attention, but Dom didn't. At least, not normally. At the moment she didn't quite mind though. Especially not since the guy she was staring at started to make his way over to her. Dom kept the eye contact he seemed determined not to break, a grin slowly growing on her lips. 

When he tripped, Dom couldn't help but let out a laugh before stepping forward to help him up. "Here, let me help, since I guess that was partly my fault," she teased, offering him a hand. This would be telling, whether or not he would accept help from a girl. "I'm Dom, by the way. Haven't ever seen you around here before," she added with a wink. What? She was just trying to make him feel more comfortable after his little episode. There was nothing wrong with a little flirting to make a situation more casual.

@joseph

[Deleted]

Hogsmeade Weekend

Joe took her hand for assistance, the color draining from his face. He was actually a bit flustered. One second he was partaking in an intense staring contest, the next, he was on the ground basically straddling a bush. "Uh, nice to meet you, Dom," he laughed uncharacteristically awkwardly, swallowing sharply, "My name is Joe. Excuse me while I try to get over this painfully bruised ego...." he brushed soil off of his pants and kicked a branch out of his way, ignoring the bush and mess as if it weren't really behind him. Hey, maybe acting like none of that happened would make him feel better. Unlikely.

When she winked at him, he smirked slightly, always enjoying any sort of attention from a pretty lady. "I haven't seen you around here either. There's no way I could forget such a pretty face." Joe stated with a flirtatious tone and a waggle of an eyebrow, despite this only being his second or third time in the small wizarding village. "Do you normally prey on young gentleman for staring contests in Hogsmeade? That was impressive." he offered her a charming smile, his piercing green eyes really taking her in now that they were face to face. Dom was gorgeous and she already had an energy about her that made him curious, she looked like a fun girl.

@dominique

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Oh, this was fun! Dom forgot how much she loved flirting with people, especially people who flirted back. It probably had something to do with graduating and needing to be a grownup, and then all the mess with her Uncle and her shenanigans with Vic. It didn't matter. Right now she was in Hogwarts, enjoying this interaction with a guy who was definitely going to be fun, despite the fact that he was now embarrassed. She'd just have to find a way to help him feel more comfortable again. "Joe," Dom echoed when he gave his name. She laughed when he mentioned his bruised ego. "No, no need for bruised ego's here. You spend any time with me at all and you'll see that ego's have nothing to do with it." In all honestly, Dom was ridiculous. She was impulsive and spontaneous, doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, refusing to take no for an answer most of the time. She got herself into plenty of scrapes, to the point where she could now laugh off almost any embarrassing situation, not that she'd ever been easily embarrassed anyway.

Dom smiled when she noticed his smirk. Good. At least he was getting his confidence back. It would be much more fun to interact with someone who wasn't embarrassed. Her smile widened into a grin at his flattery. "Oooh, I like you. You're good for my self-esteem. Gotta keep you around, and not just for your own handsome face," Dom teased. She shrugged at his question. "I prey on anyone who will respond, though I think I must have gotten lucky today." Then she sighed dramatically, "Though I guess I should warn you that I'm a little older than most people you'll meet here. I graduated back in June." Dom watched him carefully, curious to see how he would respond when he found out he was talking to someone that wasn't actually going to school anymore. He was obviously one of the Americans, so she honestly had no idea whether or not that would bug him, though she hoped it wouldn't. Joe definitely seemed like fun.

@joseph

[Deleted]

Hogsmeade Weekend

The way the girl was trying to make him feel better after falling was a bit endearing. It seemed like she really didn't want him to be embarrassed for some off reason. Which he couldn't relate to, because he loved to make people embarrassed, it was a power thing. The random act of kindness made Joe smile unexpectedly, arching an eyebrow while she mentioned something about egos not being needed around her. "Ohh, so you're planning on sticking around, huh?" he inquired flirtatiously with a smirk that transformed into a charming grin, green eyes brightening slightly. Joe was trying not to laugh, he could feel the embarrassment slowly draining away from him. All probably because Dom was so cool about the incident. The Slytherin had no problem pretending like nothing happened if that was what she preferred to do.

Joe cocked his head to the side and listened with interest when she mentioned that she would prey on anyone on Hogmeade if she got their attention. But today she admitted that she had gotten lucky - even called him handsome. Heyy, he liked this girls style. A lot. She was actually pretty and funny. He batted his lashes comically at Dom, "Well, if you keep throwing drive by compliments out at me like that, I'm pretty sure my ego would be so big it could fit into a muumuu.." Joe told her with a snort. She also warned him that she was barely a year older? That made him scoff slightly, rolling his eyes to the back of his skull and shaking his head at her, "Thanks for the warning, but I don't understand why you're warning me, I mean, most guys in the U.K.can't handle a refined lady? Shame on them." he couldn't help himself, she was cute and he really liked her vibe. Joe didn't usually hang out with such 'warm' and 'friendly' people. "What brings you here to Hogsmeade today, Dom?" he inquired, curious to what she was up to in the wizarding village. Was she working? Wandering around and shopping? Maybe she lived here. Joe was actually a bit curious. She already reeled him in, she wouldn't get rid of him so fast since she struck up a conversation with him.

@dominique

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The guy in front of her was obviously somewhat flustered by his tripping, which was entirely reasonable, but Dom didn't mind at all. It was clear to her that he was a very confident guy. Sometimes it made interactions with guys like him more fun when they had a humbling experience at the beginning, not that she would let on at all. He was flirtatious and seemed fun and Dom was definitely willing to get to know him a bit better. She gave a small shrug at his question, smiling at him. "Oh I'm generally "around," she answered smoothly. He seemed to be feeling more comfortable now, which was exactly what Dom wanted. She wanted to have fun and if this guy wanted to join her, she definitely wasn't going to fight against that.

Dom chuckled when Joe started batting his eyelashes at her. Yes, this was definitely going to be fun. "Don't worry, if it gets too big I'll trip you or something to bring you back to earth," she teased, "but I give compliments when they fit, so you might want to prepare yourself for that as well." She watched him closely when she mentioned that she was older. She knew that some men didn't like it when women were older than them, but maybe he wasn't one of those. Dom, personally, didn't care who was older or younger, as long as the people around her knew how to have fun. That was what was most important, of course. His eye-rolling was answer enough, but Joe also spoke out, saying he didn't understand why she was warning her. Dom lifted a hand to flip her hair over her shoulder dismissively, "I might be older than you, but don't think that means I'm refined, which is exactly why I give that warning. Don't want anyone to get the wrong idea." she chuckled lowly. Her mother was refined. Her older sister, Vic, was definitely refined, but Dom was an adult tomboy, looking for fun everywhere she went and following her impulses like she always had. His next question was easy enough. "I'm just looking for a good time. Just got out of a boring interview and need something fun to even it out. Have you heard of the Shrieking Shack?" Dom tilted her head to the side curiously, hoping that he would sound interested. She loved exploring the old place. First of all, it was out of bounds, which made it fun, but she also liked the excitement of sneaking through the ancient building. Also, it was out of the public eye, which made it fun too. Dom hated feeling watched.

@joseph

[Deleted]

Hogsmeade Weekend

This girls attitude was pretty great. She could obviously take a joke by the way she was throwing them back at him. Joe loved any sort of banter, especially when people were quick with it. Dom stated that she was typically 'around', which caused him to nod his head in fervent approval, obviously impressed by her quick wit. She also had something sassy to say about the 'refined' comment. His face brightened up, a bit more animated than before, "Ohhhh, I like you. Not only are you gorgeous, you've got a personality too!" he exclaimed it like it was some sort of amazing discovery. " I think I will keep you around, if you let me." he nodded his head playfully, the smile on his face shamelessly flirtatious.

Joes next reaction was a good indicator that he did not know what this so-called 'Shrieking Shack' was. He had to resist the urge to make a dirty joke in front of his new friend, "The whaaat?" his expression twisted into a very funny look chuckling more than he should at the name 'Shrieking Shack'. Raising a very curious eyebrow in her direction, he deadpanned, "Sounds like a brothel."

@dominique

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Dom was having so much fun with this. She loved talking with people who liked to have as much fun as she did. This Joe guy was definitely a fun one to keep around. Interesting, now that she thought about it, that Dom didn't seem to be able to ever find guys her age to flirt with. First it was Ethan: older, Finn:older, Joe: younger. Eh, good thing Dom didn't care about things like that. She was more than willing to have fun with whoever was there. Joe was clearly pleased by how clever she was, and Dom was definitely proud of herself. She shrugged a little when he said that he liked her because she was gorgeous and had a good personality. "Ooooh and you definitely have good taste," she answered, laughing outright when he told her that he'd keep her around if she let him. Dom laughed, "I think I can do that," Dom agreed. More friends was always a good thing. 

He obviously did know what the Shrieking Shack was, which made it somehow funnier to Dom. She giggled at the look on his face, letting it go to a full-on laugh when the said it sounded like a brothel. "It's a haunted house," she corrected him, shaking her head but still grinning. "At least, everyone says it's haunted. I've never seen anything inside it though ..." Dom trailed off, watching to see if this freaked him out or intrigued him. She wanted to get to know him more, figure out his attitude and what he'd be willing to do.

@joseph

[Deleted]

Hogsmeade Weekend

They shared a laugh about him joking about it being a brother. Dom explained that it was a haunted house and his interest definitely piqued. "Sounds interesting." he said, scratching his chin with a curious expression. Joe wasn't easily scared, sometimes it was stupid how far he would go. Sometimes Joseph actually wanted to feel scared. Maybe he'd find a thrill with Dom today. She was definitely interesting and pretty enough to keep his attention for the time being. Shrugging his shoulders easily, without having to take much consideration in the activity, he offered a smile. "Alright. Well, you lead the way, Dom." Joe said, prepared for whatever may come his way.

Since they had already exchanged enough flirty banter to warrant more, he would continue, it was too easy not to. Turning toward Dom, his green eyes gave her a serious look, but it ended with a smile. "If you get scared easily you can grab onto me." he stated in a seriously flirtatious tone, unable to hide the smile from growing on his face. And adding with a boyish grin, "--If you don't you can, too." A light chuckle slipped from his lips, resisting an eyebrow waggle. Well, he thought he was clever.

@dominique

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Dom liked the fact that this guy had a sense of humor. Not only was he handsome and confident (two traits that she very much enjoyed) but he also could make her really laugh. It wasn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially since Ethan’s death, but he was doing a very good job at it. She grinned at the look on his face when she explained a bit about the Shrieking Shack and nodded. ”It is. It’s also the kind of place where adventurous people,” she winked at him, ”can have a bit of fun if they’re interested.” Dom quirked an eyebrow at Joe and waited to see what he would think, her smile widening when he agreed. She jumped up and then grabbed his hand, laughing excitedly, ”Alright then. Come with me and let’s see what kind of mischief we can get ourselves into.” Well this was definitely turning out to be a better day than she thought it would be. Thanks to this guy.

As she started to lead him, releasing his hand once they’d actually started, Dom was perhaps too excited to really think things through clearly. When Joe turned to her, he pulled her attention back. Dom listened, a small smile forming once more. ”Ooh, I’ll keep that in mind, but you should know ... I don’t scare easily.” She paused a moment, studying him for a moment. He added that she could grab onto him if she wasn’t scared and she answered, ”Oh, not being scared won’t stop me from grabbing onto you if I want to. Don’t worry.” Dom couldn’t keep her expression serious any longer and chuckled once more. She might have to grab onto him just because he was so much fun to flirt with. She was excited to see just how things continued with him today. Hopefully it would be fun.

@joseph

[Deleted]

Hogsmeade Weekend

This Dom girl already sounded like trouble. The perfect kind of trouble. She was gorgeous and had an outstanding amount of pizzazz about her. Joe couldn't stop smiling, she was pretty hilarious. And confident! She didn't seem to have a shy bone in her body. The redhead mentioned something about the shrieking shack being a place for adventurous people to have a bit of fun...wink, wink... "Heh, that sounds like fun." The expression on his face probably already showed that he was obliged for the encounter, because she was grabbing him by the hand and tugging him toward the ghetto old house. It looked like something you saw in Brownsville back home...some boarded up residence with an old gate that couldn't keep trespassers out. That was nothing. Joe wasn't scared of some old house, the only thing menacing about it was its name.

Dom mentioned that she wasn't the type to get scared, but that wouldn't deter her from grabbing him, his smirk transformed into a smile, "That's good. A young lady as pretty as you shouldn't ever be shy." he said, grabbing her hand this time to display his assertiveness. What? A little fun never hurt anyone. And she was just as flirty as he was! It would be fun to see what happened. "So, what's the deal with this place, did someone die here?" he asked her casually, wondering if she knew any backstory to the place, since he didn't know anything. They were quickly approaching the Shrieking Shack.

@dominique

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This was fun! DOm couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun getting to know someone. Okay, maybe that was a lie. She had a blast that night when she met Finn, but that was months ago. She couldn't remember having this much fun since then. It was nice being around someone that seemed to understand her humor and give it right back to her. Just plain fun. "Glad you think so. I thought you might," Dom teased as she continued to lead him in the right direction. 

Once they arrived, she turned to see what he thought. Joe didn't seemed scared, which she definitely considered a good thing, but he seemed to be measuring the house. Trying to determine what he thought of it or something. She offered a coy smile, "Well, I'm glad someone thinks so. I think most people get a little annoyed by me," Dom answered with a giggle, her smile widening when he grabbed her hand. She took a few steps toward the house, before turning to face Joe, tugging him forward by the hand as she walked backwards, closer to the Shack. She shrugged, "No, it was created years ago when a werewolf attended Hogwarts. They wanted to give him a safe place to transform. No one knew it was him though, so for years people heard his screams and thought the place was haunted." She quirked an eyebrow at him, "You still want to check it out?" Dom stopped walking backwards for a moment, wanting to make sure she didn't push him too far. The last thing she wanted was for Joe to get uncomfortable.

@joseph

[Deleted]

Hogsmeade Weekend

Joe listened with interest when Dom explain the origins of the old house, his eyes flickering with amusement with each detail. That was interesting. He wasn't sure if he believed it, but it was certainly a fun and spooky story for Halloween time. Their hands remained grasped as they approached the old house, he liked that she was friendly and playful, this would be an experience for sure. Dom questioned him if he was still up for checking it out and he nodded his head fervently, "I definitely want to check it out. Especially after you sold it so well with the whole 'adventurous' bit." he chortled with a smirk. C'mon any teenage boy would be down for the challenge, especially with a girl as beautiful as Dom. "No backing down now, lets go!" Joe told her, a bit of excitement in his voice. He entered the front gates and they walked up the pathway leading to the front door. Joes head cocked backwards to peer upwards, before listing his fist to knock on the front door jokingly; which happened to have a large hole and claw marks down the side. "Do we just...go inside?" he asked, quirking an unsure eyebrow of how it all worked.

@dominique

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The smile on his face as she told him about the Shrieking Shack was more telling than most of the other things she noticed about him. He was amused, which was good. It meant he was enjoying his time with her, which hopefully meant that he wouldn’t want to skip out. Which meant they could have fun! Dom was all about the fun and was excited at the idea of having some fun with this guy. She laughed when he agreed to go inside, saying he wanted to see it after her explanation. “Good. I was hoping my explanation would pull you in,” she teased, pulling him forward just a little bit faster, as she continued to go backwards.

Then Joe seemed to get excited on his own, saying she couldn’t back out and hurrying up on his own. He led them through the gates and Dom stayed silent, looking over to watch his face. She loved seeing people’s reactions to this place. It made visiting it all the more fun. Dom grinned when she watched him knock on the door. Oh, this was so cute. The hesitation. It was why she decided to bring him here. The place wasn’t actually scary, but he didn’t know that and Dom loved that. She shrugged when he asked if they could just go inside. “If you want. We can go inside, inspect the outside first. I’ve done both,” she smirked. “So it’s all up to you and how adventurous you want to be.” Dom couldn’t help but tease a little, hoping to rile him enough that he’d lead her inside directly. The inside was definitely more fun than the outside, so they might as well go straight in.

@joseph