Trying To Get To You (Eli)

[Deleted]

Ashley walked slowly across the grounds after leaving the owlery and Nate, dragging her feet as she did so. She felt sluggish and exhausted, like the last few hours sucked out all her energy. She didn't even look to see if anyone was around as she ambled over to the Black Lake. Without the adrenaline from her almost life and death situation, she was drained. She knew she wanted to find Eli, tell him about her decision, but she couldn't seek him out right now. There was no doubt in her mind that he would see how exhausted she was, and he was a good enough person that he would probably ask about it. Ashley didn't want to talk about the last half hour. She didn't want to think again about how it felt to realize you were dangling over a fifty foot drop with nothing to stop it but one person's strength. She didn't want to remember what it was like to have her life flash before her eyes and realize she was wasting it. Ashley wasn't sure she'd be able to go to the owlery any time soon. Maybe she could train Harley to come visit her every morning even if she didn't have any mail to deliver. That way Ash could send anything she wanted to and avoid the place.

Finally reaching the shore of the Lake, Ashley sat down, hugging her knees against her chest as she stared across the Lake. Her mind was almost blank, apart from the flashes back to the owlery. She rested her head on her knees, letting herself slouch a bit to make it work. She didn't care about how she looked right now. She probably had feathers in her hair and bird crap on her clothes, but she couldn't care less. Also, she couldn't stop herself from rubbing her wrists, not even noticing the dark bruise forming there and another on her forearm, obvious evidence that something dramatic happened. 

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

ELI COULD NOT PIN POINT EXACTLY WHEN HE started to feel a mounting anger, but he estimated around the 10 minute mark after Ashley left him in the empty classroom. The sweet smell of ice cream was no long a soothing accompaniment and was instead cloying as it clogged Eli's nose and began a steady ache in his head. He shouldn't have been foolish enough to think that anything would be different. Nothing ever changed, Ashley was too stubborn.

But, as he slid off the desk and began gathering up his things, absently clearing up after himself, he felt a sticky indignation bubble inside of him. He felt... led on. Like if Ashley was so certain about not befriending Eli then she should not have continuously gave him hope that she just might change her mind. Every time they slipped in to that easy camaraderie Eli was filled with false hope, only for Ashley to back out the moment she realised what she was doing.

His anger was cinched when the door to the classroom squeaked open and his irritation fled so quickly in favour of hope that when he looked around he almost hallucinated Ashley in the door's frame. It was just the caretaker scolding him for trespassing. He lost 10 points for Hufflepuff and was promptly escorted from the room with the promise of his head of house 'hearing about this'.

It was perhaps true that a lot of Eli's second wind was fuelled by his encounter with the caretaker, but the root was Ashley. She made him feel blind whenever she was in a room, he couldn't formulate his own criticisms because she was there, and often smiling, and he lost his train of thought. But, she wasn't there any more, she'd left him... again.

Eli asked two familiar faces if they'd seen Ashley, only one said they'd seen her head for the owlery. Eli was stomping as he headed in the direction. He spotted her before he reached the tall, imposing tower. Her head of blonde hair swaying in the distance as she headed towards the direction of the lake. He called her name, but she seemed to ignore it, only fuelling his frustration as he followed her. First at a brisk walk, but eventually in to a slight jog as she seemed to speed in to the distance. Was she ignoring him.

"Hey!" Eli called finally, the lake glistening beyond Ashley's silhouette as the sun faded. "Are you ignoring me, I called you like four times?" It might have only been twice, but it had felt like four to Eli. Ashley's back was to him, so he hadn't seen her face yet, but he noted oddly that there was a tear in the back of her robes and a fluffy white feather in her hair. "What, are you just not talking to me now?" Eli asked resentfully, running a hand through his hair as he frowned deeply. "Is this a new rule, or something?"

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley jumped when she heard someone shout "hey!" nearby. The voice was familiar, but she wasn't really paying attention to it. In all honesty, she wasn't really paying attention to anything around her at the moment. She felt hollow and empty as she stared out across the lake. The voice got nearer, demanding to know if they were being ignored and that was when she realized ... it was Eli, and he was undoubtedly talking to her.

Ashley jumped to her feet, spinning around to face Eli nervously. Her eyes were wide and she shook her head. "No! No, I wasn't ignoring you. I-I didn't hear you, I swear." Ashley knew her voice sounded tired, but she tried to make it more normal. She hoped he didn't think she was trying to push him away by pretending to be bored or something, but he probably would since he was already angry. As his other questions registered, she shook her head repeatedly. "No, I mean- uh, we can talk. I- no, there's not a rule about talking to you." She looked up to meet his eyes, annoyed at herself for being so flustered. She couldn't really help it though. After all the emotions that she went through over the last hour, she had no control over herself anymore. She hadn't looked for Eli when she left the owlery for that exact reason. Still, she might as well take a stand and try to make sure he knew the truth.

"I'm not trying to avoid you Eli." Not now that she decided she wanted to be his friend, but at the same time she didn't know how to bring that up. He was obviously angry with her again. Maybe he'd tell her to forget the whole thing and stomp away. No. Even the thought of him giving up on her made her muscles tense. She wouldn't be able to bear it if he decided to give them up when she was ready to be friends again. She shifted nervously on her feet, trying not to think about all the possibilities. "Did you want to talk about something?" 

Ashley's hand moved instinctively to play with her bracelet as she waited to see if Eli would believe her or not, but she cringed as she touched the bruise, glancing down when she felt the pain. Her eyes widened at the sight of her purple and blue wrist, but she already knew what caused it and knew that her forearm likely looked the same. She hurriedly moved her hands behind her back, trying to hide them from view. She didn't want Eli to see, even though she didn't know why. It probably had something to do with the fact that he was mad at her and she was tired, so she didn't know what sorts of decisions to make in general.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

ONCE ASHLEY ACKNOWLEDGED ELI'S ARRIVAL HE almost backed out. A brief scan of her face, pinched with something he couldn't place. He wasn't close enough to see how pale she had become and his gaze quickly flickered somewhere over her shoulder. He couldn't look at her or he would lose his train of thought, why he'd sought her out to begin with. "Yeah, well, it doesn't always feel like that..." Eli muttered, kicking his toe in to the dirt. Sometimes Eli was sure she was avoiding him. At least, in the past, especially after she had decided they could no longer be friends.

"I just- I don't think you've been fair," Eli said, softly prompted by Ashley asking him what he'd wanted to talk  about. "You eat my ice cream, you- you invite me to your concerts and then..." He shook his head, still unable to look Ashley in the face as he smiled sadly. "It's like... a switch flips and you run away." Eli's gaze dropped to the ground, his shoulders heaving in a sigh as he stuffed his hands in to his pockets. "I don't think... I just want you to know that I can't do this any more." He'd been angry before, but like always, it faded in the glow of her presence. That was, however, when he dared to look up at her face.

First, Eli noted the sallowness in her face. As if it had drained of blood. The hooded, faraway look in her eyes. He took a step closer, a frown catching between his brows and pulling on the corners of his mouth as he took another step. That's when his gaze dropped to where she was playing with her bracelet. He didn't see the delicate silver, instead he saw the nasty red mark encircling the skin underneath it.

"Who-" Eli's mind went blank as he instinctively reached for Ashley and then stopped short. It looked painful and fresh, he was afraid to touch her. "What the hell happened..?" He whispered, flickering his gaze up to Ashley's face and back down to the mark on her arm. He then remembered the tear in her robes, the feathers in her hair and his mind sparked with a white hot rage. "Did somebody hurt you?" He hissed in a dangerously calm voice, his nostrils flaring, jaw tightening. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley forced some sort of smile on her face when he said it didn't always feel like that. He was right, of course. Before today she did avoid him sometimes, but she really just couldn't do it anymore. She didn't want to, and after deciding she wouldn't fight off his friendship anymore, there wasn't any reason to. "Well ... I guess I have avoided you in the past, but I'm not today. I promise." It was hard for Ashley to admit that to Eli, but he deserved it. He deserved the truth. 

He wouldn't look at her as he spoke, which was probably a good thing. She nodded when he said that he didn't think she was fair, going on to explain why. Ashley couldn't argue with any of that. Once again, he was right. She wasn't fair, but she hadn't realized that until today, until just before she ran away from him earlier. She waited, sensing he had more to say and then wishing she spoke first when he did. Her mouth fell open in horror as the hollow feeling inside of her grew at his words. No! she couldn't lose him now! Not like this. Ashley stepped forward, shaking her head fiercely, all thoughts of the owlery gone from her mind as she focused on the boy in front of her. This was more important than her near-death experience, Eli was more important. "Eli no! Please, I ... you were right! You were right this whole time and I was being ridiculous, like I usually am, I guess." Tears filled her eyes as she tried to explain herself, to convince him of the truth, looking up to meet his eyes as she confessed everything she held so close to herself the last few weeks, everything she wouldn't let out. "I somehow convinced myself that you would be better off without me, no matter what either of us wanted, but- but I need you too. You're the one friend that I can truly be myself around and I need you. I need my best friend. Please ... please don't give up on me. Be my friend, please." Ashley finally looked to the ground as she awaited his decision. Her knees felt wobbly and she started to tremble with anticipation as she held her breath for a moment. "Please, Eli," she breathed one last time, hoping beyond hope and feeling more vulnerable than she'd ever felt in her life.

Eli was stepping closer to her then, frowning as he looked at her and Ashley didn't move. She didn't know what to say or think. She didn't know what was making him want to come closer. Then he reached for her hand, right before she hid it behind her. Crap, he saw. She let her hand return to rest by her side. If he already saw it, there was no use trying to hide it from him. Her eyes started to water again as she thought about what happened in the owlery and fought to keep herself from thinking about it at the same time. He asked about it, looking repeatedly from her hand to her face. Ashley opened her mouth to answer, but couldn't. She couldn't force the words to come out. She shook her head when he asked if someone hurt her and then somehow found her voice, "No, he saved me." She hesitated, trying to decide what to say, but the next words burst from her unexpectedly, though still in a quiet tone. "Eli, I almost died ..." She turned back to the Lake as her tears began to fall. She didn't want to talk about what happened in the owlery, but at the same time she did. With Eli. He wouldn't make fun of her for crying, like she was sure that Nate guy would have done. Eli would probably try to understand like he always did and she would tell him everything he wanted to know. 

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

WITH HIS HEAD DUCKED, ELI DIDN'T SEE THE smile Ashley tried to flash him. Which was probably for the best, had he seen her rigid attempt he might have copped to the obvious shift in her overall appearance much sooner. Instead, he was too wrapped up in his own confusing muddle of emotions that it slipped by him, just like everything else. He believed her though, even if a part of him didn't understand why. Maybe she really had not heard him.

However, Eli still had a lot to get off of his chest. It was difficult when she was being so sincere, but he powered through, his gaze far off as he did. He'd simply had enough. But, it was never that simple and the moment she objected it was like his mind rebooted. His gaze lifted and he caught her face. It was always difficult seeing her cry and for a split second he believed fully that it was in response to his words.

"P-please stop saying please," He whispered, dropping his chin and scratching at his scalp roughly as he considered her words, mostly wondering if she was truly serious. Was that really all it took? Eli wondered. Was backing out on his side truly the turning point all along? He couldn't be sure, but it was like a huge weight was lifted from his chest. His lungs released and for a moment he could breath again. "Of course I'll be your friend." He laughed, and there was a hoarseness there as he stepped forward. "What do you think I've been trying to do for weeks, be your enemy?"

That was, unfortunately, when Eli noticed her bracelet and the horrendous bruises underneath it. That perfect impression of a large, angry red hand. It was like the entire exchange was wiped from his memory, a white hot flash biting at his insides, from the tip of his toes to his prickling scalp. He suddenly realised she had been upset long before he'd approached her and felt infinitely stupid. What had happened to her? And, where had he been? Her watering eyes proved his suspicions entirely and his face scrunched and then flattened all in a matter of seconds. Eli had no been expecting her answer. He stopped for a moment, his thoughts going blank. "Saved you?" He repeated, as if to make sure he wasn't simply making it up in his head. "H-how, what happened?"

But the next words out of Ashley's mouth stopped him. She had nearly died. In the small window of time from when she had left him and when he'd reached her again something terrible had happened and it was written all over her face. He could feel it radiating off of her even when she turned away from him.

Eli couldn't help himself, he closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head on her shoulder as he whispered words of comfort in to her neck. "You're okay now." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms as if to try and warm her. "You're safe now." As if to remind her that whatever happened it was over now. He didn't know what was over, but he would find out. His heart was heavy in his chest once again. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

What was probably only a few seconds seemed like hours to Ashley as she waited anxiously for Eli's response. With clammy hands and trembling knees, she stared at the boy in front of her, silently begging him to forgive her. Again. How many times would they need to have this conversation? He asked her to stop saying please and Ash gave a terse nod, biting her cheek to keep herself from saying something else as blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to get rid of the extra moisture. She looked down to the ground as the seconds stretched out between them again and her heart sank. When he finally spoke, Ashley looked up at him in astonishment as a small smile started to grow on her lips. "Thank you," she answered humbly, chuckling when he stepped forward and asked what she thought he was trying to do. "I know, I just thought you gave up on me for good. Sorry I'm so stubborn," her words were spoken with a smile as she finally felt the release. She and Eli could be friends again, finally! 

She sobered almost immediately when he noticed her hand, his expression changing to one of anger. All she wanted was to have Eli back, so talking to him about this was something she knew she would do from the moment she heard him approaching. That didn't make it any easier though. She searched his expression, noting the sudden fury and then the pause when she answered. Obviously he didn't expect that kind of an answer from her. She nodded when he echoed her words about Nate saving her, glancing away when he asked how. She wanted to tell him everything and would, but when she opened her mouth just then, she couldn't force herself to speak. She squeaked slightly, turning away a little so she could try to compose herself enough to be able to explain, flashes of the event sparking behind her eyes. 

Initially, Ashley jumped when she felt Eli's arms wrap around her waist, but then she felt her body relax. She took deep breaths as he muttered that she was okay now and Ashley leaned backward until she was actually leaning against him and his warmth enveloped her. It didn't hurt that he was also rubbing her arms now as well. Ashley smiled faintly, relieved beyond belief that Eli was the one with her right now. She took a few deep breaths, not moving at all before turning around and wrapping her own arms around him tightly, trembling slightly as she finally began to speak. "I went to the owlery to think, like I told you," her words were slightly muffled against his chest, but Ash didn't care. Eli was there and that seemed to be all that mattered. "I knew before I got there that I couldn't stay away from you anymore, that I wanted to be friends but I was so emotional and wanted to calm down a bit, so I ran to the middle area where the bell tower was and leaned against the rail. I didn't realize someone else was there until he started talking to me, teasing me and telling me not to jump." Ashley scoffed slightly at the memory before continuing. "I told him to leave me alone and that I wasn't going to jump and then-" She cut off, her arms tightening around Eli as it flashed through her mind again. When she started to talk again, her voice was in a barely-audible whisper. "Then the rail collapsed and I started to fall. He grabbed my arm before it was too- I mean, he pulled me up as fast as he-" Ash broke off again, her horror at what happened taking over entirely as she trembled fiercely, clinging to Eli like she would if she were back in the tower and he was the one saving her. In a way, he was saving her, just by being there for her like he always was, making why she needed him obvious without even trying to.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES ELI MIGHT have laughed at how blind Ashley had been to Eli's constant attempts. At how easily she could win him back. It wasn't just because he was forgiving, and he was, it was because he couldn't help forgiving her. And surely that meant something, but Eli had never asked himself why. It had always seemed too dangerous a topic to broach with himself. "I forgive you," He said with a soft smile, but his attention quickly shifted when he spotted her injuries.

Arms wrapped around her, Eli could only hope that his proximity would comfort her in some way. He felt some of the tension leave his body when she leaned back in to him, leaning his chin on her shoulder and squeezing his arms around her slightly, as if he could push her right in to his chest. As if he could make it better. When she turned around to hug him back, he was a little surprised. He hid it in her hair as he pulled her close, straining his ears when she began to talk.

Eli didn't know what he expected, but it wasn't the story she told. She seemed to tremble in his arms as she recalled the entire event, the smell of her sweet perfume mixed with hay and the outside. "I wish I'd stopped you," He muttered in to her hair, smoothing it out softly before resting his hand on her back. He could almost feel the battering of her heart through the back of her robes.

"Back at the classroom, if I'd stopped you." He shook his head, pressing his mouth in to her shoulder for a second. "I'm sorry." He said, for multiple things. "For pushing you, for not stopping you-" He swallowed, thinking about some stranger saving her. About her owing somebody who teased her. "I'm sorry I wasn't there." 'To catch you', his thoughts whispered, but he didn't say them out loud. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

It was all Ashley wanted, for Eli to not be mad at her for being stupid and for everything to be right between them again. When he said he forgave her, smiling at her, Ashley felt truly content and peaceful for the first time she could remember in a long time. She should probably wonder why that was, why Eli's opinion of her mattered so much, but she didn't. All she knew was that she wanted things to stay like they were right in that instant.

Of course, things couldn't stay that way. Not with her bruises and the story that went along with it, but it helped when he wrapped his arms around her. Eli was there for her, like she knew he would be. He was always there when she needed someone, ever since last year when he'd found her on her way to the hospital wing. The great thing was, he was there because he wanted to be there and he wanted to help her. Even though that stopped for a while, things were finally going back to the way they were before and she needed that right now. 

Eli held her tight, touching her hair as he started to say that he wished he stopped her back at the classroom. Ash started to shake her head ever so slightly, "It's not your fault," she breathed, but he was already talking again, apologizing. What did he have to apologize for? She was the one pushing him away before. None of this was his fault and she didn't want him blaming himself for what happened to her. "Neither of us knew that would happen when I left." Ash nuzzled her head against his chest, finding herself relax more and more while in his arms. "You're here now, Eli. You're here and I'm okay." She didn't want to let him go. Ashley knew she couldn't stay here with him forever, but at the moment she didn't care. Being close to Eli made her feel better and it was honestly all she wanted, for the next few minutes at least.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

THOUGH ELI KNEW ASHLEY WAS RIGHT IT WAS hard for him to accept. He nodded anyways, whispering "I know," in to her hair. She was right, of course. All that mattered was that they were together then and she was safe. He sighed in to her shoulder, feeling a little bit more relaxed now they he knew she was okay.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?" He said after a moment, pulling his head away to examine her face, but not quite ready to completely let go. His arms hung loose at her back and he searched her face for a second. "Or... we could stay here for a bit?" He looked over her shoulder at the lake, knowing that in recent weeks he hadn't had the best luck with the inhabitants, but not feeling deterred anyways. "Watch the sun set or something?" For the first time in a while, they were... okay. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley could feel when Eli sighed and started to relax as well and she felt a small rush of relief fill her. She didn't want him to feel guilty or worried about her, not when things were finally okay. Yes, she was almost certain she'd have nightmares tonight about her experience. In fact, she'd probably have recurring nightmares, but she didn't want to think about that right now. She wanted to be with her best friend and enjoy herself. She smiled to herself when he said he knew, in response to everything she told him. Good. She really didn't want him to blame himself. 

He started to pull away and Ashley looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise and a little bit of discouragement. His words registered and she instantly started to shake her head, noting that he was letting her go already. She offered a small smile, trying to hide her disappointment at his pulling away, and then turned to look at the lake like he was, though she didn't move away from him at all. "I'd like to stay here for a bit with you ... if you don't mind?" Sure, he suggested it, but did that mean he wanted to? Or did he want to take her back to her dorm, since that was his first suggestion. "I'm not ready to go back yet," she whispered, glancing back over at him. "Maybe after the sun sets you can walk me there?" Ashley watched his expressions, trying to make sure she wasn't making him do something he didn't want to. They were finally friends again, but she didn't want to force him into anything.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

ELI ALMOST LAUGHED AT HOW UNCERTAIN ASH sounded, before realising that she probably sounded that way because she was. To her, they were only just friends again. To him, they had been friends again the moment he'd seen her at Hogwarts. It had just taken a little time. So, he didn't laugh, he just smiled humorously and nodded. "That sounds great," He told her quietly, and he meant it.

"I get it," He muttered, nodding his head as he looked at the anxious way she held herself, squeezing her arms once before he let go. Only to reach down and grab her hand, tugging her towards the lake's edge. "Come on, we'll find a good tree." Eli took this job very seriously, examining large oaks and spindly alder trees. When he found an old ash tree just far away enough from the banks to keep them dry, he smiled.

"Look, an ash tree, Ash." He smiled at his own lame joke, pulling them towards it. Under it, he tugged his robe off quickly, throwing it on the ground under the tree for them to sit on. "You know I read this thing about clouds over the summer." Eli mused, shifting on his robe slightly as he looked over at Ashley with a grin. "Maybe I can point a couple out, they have names, you know?" And then he began rifling around in his pockets which rustled suspiciously.

Eventually, Eli pulled out a tube of Bertie Botts every flavour beans. He popped the top one handed and offered it to Ashley. "Want some?" His pockets were something of a treasure trove. There was always something lingering inside of them. Be it sweet or even living... 

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Eli smiled at her and Ash's anxiety started to melt. Just being around him was good for her. Eli had a way of agreeing with her, of making everything they did or said seem completely natural that she couldn't help but relax. She smiled back at him when he agreed to watch the sunset with her and walk her back afterwards. 

Still looking out at the lake, Ash turned back to Eli when he squeezed her arms and then released them, pulling away. She didn't want that, not in the slightest, but before she had the chance to say anything he took her hands in his own, pulling her toward the lake and saying something about a tree. "What do we need a tree for?" Ash asked, unable to help the small chuckle from escaping her. He already started inspecting the trees nearby, but apparently none of them were good enough for him. Honestly, Ash didn't really understand what Eli was trying to accomplish by looking for a "good" tree, but she was more than willing to go along with him. 

She rolled her eyes when he started pulling her to an ash tree, pointing it out as he did so, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. He draped his robe under the tree and Ashley sat down on it, facing Eli as he started talking about clouds. What was he studying clouds for? She giggled, not realizing that her giddiness was merely proof of her moving on from her near-death experience. "You studied clouds over the summer? Wow, I'm impressed," she teased, but at the same time he actually did impress her with his declaration. Ashley didn't think Eli studied anything but plants and creatures during the summer. "Go ahead, tell me what they are," she encouraged, looking up to the sky curiously. She never really paid much attention to clouds, except for as a child when she compared their shapes to creatures or things. 

A while later, Eli pulled her attention from the sky, asking if she "wanted some". Ashley looked over to him, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Jelly beans?" she asked as she took a small handful. She popped one into her mouth before her eyes widened in surprise. She started waving a hand in front of her mouth, her face turning red at the spicy bean. What the heck was this? Did Eli do this on purpose? No, she dismissed that thought almost immediately. Things were finally better between them. He wouldn't sabotage her on purpose. She swallowed it quickly, but it burned its way down her esophagus, leaving her mouth on fire. "Water," she choked out, her eyes watering now as she pulled out her wand, transfigured a stick into a goblet and shoved it at Eli. She needed something to get rid of this heat!

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

CHUCKLING UNDER HIS BREATH, ELI SHRUGGED as Ashley questioned his method. "Comfort?" He said, without really meaning it. He thought a tree would be good, and so he started looking for a tree. Plus, a part of him wanted to give Ashley some time to recover, to gather her thoughts before he couldn't help himself and his mouth opened and a summers worth of questions started falling out.

Shrugging, Eli almost blushed as she brought up his new knowledge on clouds. "I was reading this book about geography and no-maj science." In reality, he had a habit of reading everything he wasn't supposed to be. "My dad left it out." And then he turned, encouraged by Ashley asking about them. He squinted at the sky, tongue between his teeth as he tried to recall some of the names. "Okay, that one that kind of looks like lines and waves, that's a stratocumulus... I think. And if we're lucky we might see some noctilucent clouds when the sun sets."

And then he was in his pockets, offering her the beans. He had been a fan ever since he'd discovered that he could lure out gnomes with them, always keeping a tube or two on him. They were an interesting piece of candy. Although, the moment he watched Ashley bite down on her bean of choice he felt panic overcome him.

"Oh God..." He said, eyes widening as she waved her hands frantically and squeaked out her desire for water. Before he knew it a goblet was pushed at him and he looked at it helplessly. What was he supposed to do, conjure some? It seemed a perfectly reasonable thing to ask a wizard, but not Eli. He was terrible at charms. "Oh, uh..." He shifted on to his knees and rifled around in his robes until he found his wand, head swivelling as he looked up and around as he tried to recall the charm for water. One more look at Ashley's red face and it hit him.

"Aguamenti!" He yelled and a great spout of water flooded from the end of his wand. It dampened his lap and he barely made it to the goblet without flooding them both. He filled it with a sense of pride, but it soon began overflowing. He handed the goblet to Ashley and stood up hurriedly, cursing under his breath as he shook his wand and mumbled to himself before sticking the end in to his mouth and swallowing until he almost choked. This panic seemed enough to severe the connection and it finally stopped. He bent at the waist, coughing slightly before looking up with watering eyes at Ashley. "You good?" He croaked, thinking about how foolish he must look, drenched and wheezing, but strangely he felt an overwhelming urge to laugh. 

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley couldn't help but laugh with Eli when she heard his explanation, that it would be comfortable. "Okay, continue on," she encouraged, even though he already began his search for a "suitable" tree. Watching him find one was entertaining as well, but Ashley enjoyed it. She enjoyed the lighthearted attitude that seemed to surround the two of them now. Their friendship back, her experience in the open ... it was like old times almost and she relished that sensation. 

It made sense that he learned about clouds through a no-maj book, since she didn't think that wizards really paid much attention to clouds unless they were learning to control the weather. (Wait ... how powerful would a spell have to be in order to control the weather?) It was an interesting thought, but she stored it away for later, choosing instead to listen to Eli. Ashley nodded as he described the stratocumulus clous. "I see it," she answered with a smile, then turned to face him with her eyebrows knit together. "Noctilucent clouds? What are those?" Maybe if she knew about them before sun set she'd be able to spot them when the time came. Also, she just wanted to keep Eli talking. The sound of his voice helped her relax even more. 

After giving him the goblet, Ash couldn't really focus on things very well anymore. The burning in her throat was started to lessen little by little, but her eyes watered so badly she was basically crying now. How annoying. She couldn't hear Eli, nor could she see his struggles to fill the goblet with water. She tried to take light breaths to stop the burning sensation, but it didn't really work. Then she felt him push the goblet back into her hands and she immediately started drinking, sighing as the water instantly soothed the burning sensation in her throat. Her mouth took a little bit longer, but by the time she drank all the water in the goblet, her mouth no longer burned. She smiled as she lowered the goblet, her eyes closed as she breathed deeply. Ashley nodded at Eli's question. "Yeah, thanks for the water." Then she opened her eyes and an immediate chuckle slipped out. He was soaking! "Did you jump in the lake for the water?" she asked curiously, smiling widely at him. "What was that, anyway?" Might as well find out why he offered her a spicy jelly bean. Were all of them that way?

Elijah Theron Fleming