Private Tutoring [[tag Fionn]]

he tilted his head. "you're the one who didn't want me to talk about them, but...they're good. better than good. Mam won the lottery and the youngest twins have powers, which means next year I've got some siblings tagging along" he laughed a little. "I can't wait for them to come with, it'll be nice to be with family next year"

Jessica shrugged. "I can change my mind, can't I?" She smiled all of a sudden, ignoring the lottery- what the hell's a lottery?- and skipping ahead to the twins. "You mean we're going to have little Causers running about the castle? Brilliant! What havoc have they been causing in the Muggle world?"

oh, right, she didn't know what a lottery was. "Mam won a lot of money and now our family is a lot better off than it was before" he smirked. "what brought this about? wanting to know about my family? and...well, Sean's a messed up little bugger, he used to dissect live mice, I dunno know. I think he's straightened that out and is more normal. Sara, she's shy as anything. I don't know if you can get her to do any sort of violent act, it's not her nature. she loves reading and learning how to cook and new plants"

"I should hope so!" Jessica said a little too alarmedly. "Live mice? That's messed up. D'you mind if I declare Sara my favourite?" She shrugged slightly. "I dunno, I'm just interested is all. You've always got something to say about them, and they've got to be interesting if there's so much to say. And mouse murder aside, they do sound pretty interesting." She smiled a little wistfully. "You're really lucky, you know?"

"I think they're only interesting because I haven't spent a full year with them in six years. when I do go home, I notice things more, ya know?" he leaned over and touched her shoulder. "hey, I've got a whole bunch load of family members. I can share with you, if you want. you're welcome to be part of the family" good thing there was enough shadows to hide his blush well. he smiled slightly. "yea, you're welcome to call Sara your favorite. she's everyone's favorite"

Jessica stiffened slightly when he touched her shoulder. It was a bit random, and for a moment she was glad it was getting darker. Maybe he wouldn't see her blush.

"We're setting a very, very bad example for your brother and sister, you know?" Jessica said a little too brightly, distracting herself. "It's gonna be dark soon- perfect Astronomy lighting. Should be able to point out a few constellations by then"

did he say something wrong? she was distancing herself again. he gave an inaudible sigh and looked at the sky. "yea, we should be able to" he smirked. "what they don't know won't hurt them. after all, the don't know I skip most classes and sleep through the rest and still manage to get good enough marks to pass" he poked her. "hey, what did I say? you're acting weird Jess"

Oh great, it was noticeable.

"You didn't say anything wrong, I was just..." She paused a moment, biting her lip. "I'm not used to people touching me, okay? You just took me by surprise. It doesn't matter." He still didn't look certain. "Look, some of us weren't brought up all touchy-feely"

and what could he say to that? "uuhh..." she sounded defensive and kind of mad. "hey, it's ok. I'll keep my hands to myself, then" he shrugged. "oh, look, Conn's in the sky now. he's one of the deities of the old ways in Ireland. he watches the Stones of Time" Fionn looked at the constellation. "Jess, what's your opinion of me?" a loaded question if there ever was one

[[¬_¬ Okay, serious mini-rant, just found out about this BANGIN'- I don't usually use that word but hey, this is ultra excitement- film competition and the close date is literally the month before I reach the minimum age. What the hell? I COULD SO WIN THIS. Not good... back to rping ]]

Jessica blinked for a moment before smiling.

"Did someone call you ugly or something? I didn't think you'd be one for an ego boost. Fine, I'm game. I think you're a perfectly fine gentleman. Most of the time. I'll ignore your more... violent tendencies, they're not really you. But you're fun." She smiled and leant forward slightly. "Go on then, indulge me, what's your opinion of me?"

((will they have it next year! that sucks if they don't))

he scratched his cheek and smiled slightly. "not really...hm..you? I think you're sweet and smart. a little introverted, maybe, and forgetful at times, but someone everyone would fall in love with, and the person I get along easiest with" he took a breath. "this is...Jess, I like you. very much. that's why I'm asking..."

[[I don't think so, haven't seen it advertised before. But hey ho, if I can't get onto Channel 4 then karma means I have to win my Oscar, eh? ]]

"No, you don't." Though even as Jessica said it, she realised it sounded a little childish. She stared at Fionn for a moment, waiting for him to start laughing. "Seriously, if it's a joke, I don't get it"

((lol XD I love your logic ))

he stared at her. she thought he was joking?! he rarely if ever went into his personal feelings on anything, and she was asking if he was joking? he closed his eyes tightly for a moment then opened them, staring at her, face utterly serious. "Jess. I think I love you. and I think I have since I first met you, I'm telling you now because I can't keep it to myself anymore. if you don't feel the same, that's fine. I won't bring it up again" he looked down at his hand. he was shaking. this was the hardest thing he'd ever done. he knew he'd said her not feeling the same was fine, but he had a feeling it would crush him.

"I... hadn't really thought about it," Jessica stammered. Jeez, he really isn't joking. "I mean, you always said your best friends were girls, I thought that you were just..." She trailed off as she noticed his hands were shaking slightly. Upon noticing it, she threw her own hands up and sighed heavily. "Oh, I don't know what I'm meant to say! No one ever liked me before, how am I supposed to answer that?" Jessica paused, waiting for Fionn to speak, but he still seemed a little shell shocked.

"Just what?" please don't say what he thought she was going to say...although in all honesty it would explain the effeminate comments. he shrugged helplessly. "I don't know either! just thought I'd tell you. honestly, it was really starting to get to me" Fionn raised an eyebrow. "no one ever liked you? really? I swear Honeydukes was sold out every Valentines with all the candies you got, and you're saying no one liked you"

"I thought you just got along easier with girls," Jessica said, a choked laugh accompanying her words. She was annoyed to hear she spoke a little too thickly for it to be natural. "It's not like I thought you were gay or anything, if that's what you thought. And just because someone buys you chocolate, doesn't mean that they like you. No one ever said it to me." She looked up from her lap and directly at Fionn, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, I'm really useless at this stuff"

well that was a relief. he relaxed a little. he sighed and touched her hand. "it's fine. you think I'm any better? it's the first time I've told anyone I like them" Fionn looked out the window again. "if you want to just forget about it go ahead. it's not important"

((gah XD these two are so adorable, even when he admits he likes her the reactions are adorable! XD))

[[I know right! I've decided to live vicariously through this couple, they're far more adorable than real life. Mainly because there's more fur and muscle ^_^]]

Jessica paused for a moment, watching him as he looked out the window. Just forget about it? Clenching her jaw, Jessica shot her leg out and swiftly kicked his uninjured leg.

"Just forget about it?" she asked. "Causer, you're the guy who'd punch someone's lights out for a dirty look. You're telling me that I can just forget about it when you say- you say that?!"

“ah-OW! Dammit Jess!” he glared at her and rubbed his leg. She was the only person he could act like a big baby around and she wouldn’t think any less of him. “well?! Do you feel the same? Because if not thn just forget what I said! We’ll pretend it never happened” he glared at her a little longer before grabbing another licorice wand and staring moodily out of the window

((chocolate ice cream with extra sugar XD I am in total agreance))

She grabbed the licquorice wand from his hand and pointed it accusingly at him.

"There you go again! Just forget about it? Merlin, if you say that one more time I swear I'll throttle you, Causer!" Jessica threw the wand across the room, feeling her anger well up inside of her. "Like I said- I haven't thought about it. But you just sort of declaring some feelings and then leaving it be isn't going to persuade me, is it? Just- oh, I don't know. Just say something, do something, if you're really serious!"

"hey, what did the wand ever do to you eh?" he narrowed his eyes. she wanted him to do something? fine. he'd do something. Fionn leaned over and took Jessica's head and pulling her close as well. refusing to think about it he closed his eyes and kissed her. Fionn kept them like that for a minute before moving away. he was breathing a little heavily and was flushed. Fionn's eyes searched Jessica's face. "well?"

Jessica sat, slightly shell shocked as Fionn's eyes scanned her, waiting for a response. She could feel her cheeks heating in the same manner as his.

"Th-that wand killed my father?" she offered lamely, though she wasn't laughing. "Doesn't that feel weird? Like kissing a hamster?"

he raised an eyebrow. "a licorice wand killed your father?" he thought about her question, really thinking about it. "no...to be honest it was like kissing baby skin or feeling a peach. there was fur, but I could feel the skin under it, and there wasn't enough fur to bother me" he shrugged, smiling slightly. "honestly, what do you want me to say? that if was like kissing a goat? because it really wasn't"

"A peach?" Jessica asked a little incredulously, laughing nervously. "Definitely better than a goat." She looked at him for a moment, still uncertain. "Was it what you were expecting? Not some sort of anti-climax?"

“erm…well…it’s not how I imagined kissing you, if that’s what you mean, but…” he gave her a sheepish grin. “I wouldn’t mind doing it again? Honestly? It wasn’t anti-climatic in the sense that it wasn’t everything I was hoping it’d be. Because it was! Jess, when I said I liked you, I didn’t mean just the you from before, I meant the you now too. That’s the thing. You think I haven’t thought about kissing you like this? Never once crossed my mind it would be unpleasant” and that was the truth. It never had. “So…was it anticlimactic for you?” that was far more important.