Riley's Death: The Literal Meaning of a Broken Home [Flashbacks in Italics]

Alliss had finished her day of teaching at Hogwarts with a smile, the sun was shining and she hadn't had any Slytherin classes that day. Best of all, Riley had promised to meet her at Madam Puddifoots for coffee, it had really touched her. Technically, it was an exact year since their first date there. She giggled a little at the childish nonesense of it all as she remembered.


Riley hadn't read much fiction since he was a little kid, but he pulled on the little knowledge he had. On dates, guys were supposed to hold doors open and pay and bill and stuff, right? Then the couple talked a little, usually about themselves or something they were both interested in. Yeah? He hoped so.
When they reached the tea shop, Riley held the front door open as best he could to allow Alliss through. Once inside he asked for a booth and pair of menus.

Alliss giggled nervously as she approached the doorway and Riley held it open for her, his adorable action was so typical of a traditional first date, like one in a novel. Smiling to herself, she edged inwards but a little too late realised the gap in the door was a little too small to fit two people in, the one who was holding open the door and the one walking through it. As she was too focussed on looking in Riley's eyes, she did not notice his foot which was slightly in front of his other... Tripping, she almost fell flat on her face but managed to catch herself on Riley's arm, her face flushing deep pink as she realised what a fool of herself she had almost made.
"Oh dear..." Alliss murmered and turning back round to face Riley, she brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Err... I'm sorry Riley, I can, err... be a bit clumsy..." Her words were a little disjointed and her embarassment at what had just happened was clear.

Riley's hands jumped in front of his face, waving erratically. "N-no! My fault! I shoulda been watching my feet!" His words slipped together, merging and slopping around one another as he started off the date with screw-ups and accidents. To make matters worse, when his hands came forward, so did the door, no longer being held back. It crashed awkwardly into his back and he let out a breath with a small, "Ouch!" attached to the end.
"Ah, sorry!" he apologized again, swiping a hand through his hair in frustration. This was not going as smoothly as he'd hoped his first date would go. He could use some advice right about now. Or even a fussy mother, trying to snap pictures of him and cooing over his first date and his "adorable girlfriend," as she would put it.
Sombering up, Riley stepped back. "Sorry," he muttered, squishing up closer to the door to give Alliss more room to get by and into the Tea Shop. "Shall we?" Such a needless and dumb question. Agh. He'd get the hang of this dating-thing eventually.