› 2nd *Star* to the >>Right, tag: Lola

[Dane Flint]

The Shrieking Shack. What a shame. Any person in their right mind knew that this damn place wasn't haunted. Honestly. Sure it doesn't look like the most inviting place, and yes, it is possible that a place would be haunted in the wizarding world. But really, use some common sense now. Why would they let it stay there if it were truly haunted? All the students around would be too much of a liability for them should someone get hurt. The Ministry wouldn't be able to handle it. It was a Hogsmeade day, and what was he doing? Roaming. That's what he always did. As much as he didn't want to admit it to anyone, and as much as he wanted it, he would very much like to have a girl that he could walk around Hogsmeade with. Despite the fact that he could act like a complete asshole sometimes, he was a nice guy when it came to women actually. Especially if he was dating them.

He found his way through Hogsmeade, and passed all of the shops. He looked at a few of them, but really didn't do much. Finally he found his way past the Hogshead. That was a good place to be. He went there every so often to have a drink or too. Of all the people that he knew, he could hold his liquor better than anyone else. It was pretty damn amazing. He smirked at some of the memories he had in the rooms above the Hogshead. The girls he had brought up there. But there was a secret about him that not many people knew. He didn't sleep around as much as people might think. He didn't do that to girls. He couldn't. He only went so far with them.

Shaking it off, he followed the path that led him down toward the Shrieking Shack. It wouldn't take him long. He knew this path so well. He came here far too often that, he just knew it that well. Seeing the shack in the distance, he felt his pace increase slightly. Finally arriving there shortly after, he climbed in through the open window. It was suppose to be boarded up but it wasn't. He climbed up the steps, hearing them creak each time a foot went down. He found his way into the back room and was taken by surprise. Not many people came up to the shack unless they...well, we won't go there. But that's the truth. And like always when he arrived, there was no one there. It was helpful to have no one there. He had never come here with anyone. This had always been his one spot he spent time alone.

[Lola Krum]

The day hadn’t started out to be a normal day like each and every other day, which thoughts would have lingered to that being a good thing since what was wrong with a little excitement? That morning hadn’t started out with a sunrise on a broom dipping and diving on a broom in search of a tiny, flying golden ball that was harder to see with the sparking rays of morning because of how well it blended in. No, there was no pushing the limits of a broom or her body, already she was beginning to miss that silent pain that crept up on her as she walked, the straining of the muscles pulling and stretching in her finely toned legs and arms. Honey eyes hadn’t even witnessed the sunrise at all. Instead of waking up, like her internal body clock usually did a ways before the sun even peeked up above the horizon, Lola slept. She had fallen asleep around midnight, yet hadn’t awoken until well after one. Thirteen plus hours was a long time to sleep, especially for her since she thrived on nights of only six hours. It was evident that she really was pushing herself with the way she didn’t wake up. Apparently it was her body telling her that she needed a break, lots of rest, and to just take a damn day off. As hard of a concept as it was for her since training was pretty much in the ripples of her blood, brain won over body. It really made the girl mad though that most of the day was gone and that the plans that had been there the night before had flooded away. No studying now, not that she did much of that anyway.

After getting up, the shower rinsed away the entire sleep residue that was still clinging to any sort of flesh or follicle. Then, finding a pair of jeans that had been bought years ago, proving that she had not grown up a whole lot, that were ripped from the beginning of the knee until half way down the calf, more like scraps of denim, and a gray muscle shirt, one Jackson had outgrown, she them on, along with some shoes, and went outside. It wasn’t too bad of a day, but while walking along the grass, it was easy to tell that even with the lowering sun, it had rained earlier that morning. As much of an adrenaline rush that was gotten while being on the broom in the rain, it was a satisfying feeling knowing that she hadn’t gone through the painstaking trouble like normal. The rain, it was something that Lola just couldn’t resist for every time it felt like she was being cleansed away of something. Maybe it was some inner-hippie thing that was eating at the young Gryffindor girl. The stroll, was taking her to Hogsmeade without her knowledge, but it was a refreshing time to not have to worry about anything. Students were either playing tag, the young ones that was, others were playing pranks, and some were just laying on a blanket in the wet grass reading a book, talking to friends, or even holding hands with a loved one. Love was fickle and society made it out to look like it was the best thing in the world. She wasn’t sure about love, but it wasn’t on her mind as much, or at all, like some of the others girls around Hogwarts.

Walking onto Main Street, the girl didn’t stop. The walk just brought a smile to her face looking at the way people were interacting with other people. Friendship wasn’t something the middle Krum was good at either just because of how difficult she could be. Being alone suited her just fine, something not many people could really understand. Who wanted to be alone in life? Continuing to walk, long bronzed legs took her toward the Shrieking Shack. There was something spooky about the place even though her head didn’t hold the legends to be true that it was haunted. It always would hold interest to all of those that went to the school. With quiet ease, Lola climbed the stairs, not bothering to see who could have been watching or not. Putting a leg through the door and over a board from when it had been previously boarded up, her foot caught on the piece of wood, causing the klutz to fly forward. Instead of putting arms out to stop the fall, they curled up around her shoulders. It hurt less. As soon as her small frame hit the floor, she went ahead and grumbled, ”Shit.” It didn’t hurt so much, but she was never the most graceful it seemed. It was idiotic by far, but then realizing somebody else there made it all the more worse, causing her to groan out of protest to her own stupidity.

[Dane Flint]

He had walked into the empty room completely in his own world, expecting to see no one there. And his thoughts were cushioned when he saw that the room was empty. He didn't know if he would like to have someone there with him. Would it be weird? Considering where they were, and the fact that it would have to be someone specific, it might be a little odd. But he couldn't be sure. He took off his leather jacket that he had worn that day. Tossing it onto the couch, he watched little pieces of dust fly off where the jacket had hit it. With his jacket off that left him in his tighter plain white t-shirt, his jeans that were baggy but still form fitting, and his casual black shoes that could be worn both on a day like this and to a nice restaurant. He heard his heels hitting the floor as he walked toward the window. The one open window in the whole house.

He stared out of it, looking out at Hogsmeade. It was a beautiful place it really was. But he couldn't truly be himself there. Here at the shack he could. The only thing was, as much as Scorpius provided an escape route for him, he needed a girlfriend that would provide a comfort route. Someone he could be with when things got tough. But that was so hard to find for him. He was portrayed to be a complete asshole. People thought he was worse than Malfoy sometimes. And that was really saying something. But that was just...well it was only part of who he was. He was afraid to show the other part. Showing the other part showed weakness. To his father, you couldn't show weakness. Because weakness was your enemy. Your weaknesses were what defeated you. And so Jack had grown up to overlook anything that would be considered a weakness. That's a reason he was glad he had no siblings. He was sure they would be a big one. But probably his biggest was his mother. He would cave if anything ever happened to her.

He had only slightly heard noise behind him and so he hadn't thought much of it. But when he heard something that was much louder and a voice, he began to take interest. ”Shit.” His wand was drawn out and he was ready for whatever was to come. Except what actually did. There on the ground lay a girl. Face down on the ground, it was obvious to see that she had tripped and feel while trying to get into the room. It was slightly funny and he felt a smile creep up onto his face. Wiping it off, he decided that he was better off at least being somewhat decent. He walked over to the girl and knelt down. He stuck out his hand. "Need some help there?" And then he realized something. He knew the girl. Krum. Lola Krum. What was she doing here? He chose not to comment and just wait for her.

[Lola Krum]

Little light orbs seemed to sparkle around the edge of her eyes, fusing together with dark, making things look fuzzy and out of place. Whether it was the fall or just the unsettling ease that the house gave off was completely a coin toss. It probably had something to do with both. Where the girl could have been completely great and fluid on a broom, walking just seemed to be a problem – tripping over rugs, her own feet, other people’s feet, tripping up the stairs, tripping the down the stairs, running into end tables…well…one could get the picture. All of those moments were embarrassing, but it would have been more embarrassing falling off her broom or running into something in front of other people. Family and other professional quidditch players were fine to be privy to that fact. Nobody else needed to know about how she had the same amount of grace and ease as a goose with one leg wrapped around its neck. An amusing sight, but when it came to her, it was just funny for others that were not she. Lola might have been famous for quidditch or her father or even her older, more popular older brother, but damn, she didn’t be known for stunts like that. Death would probably consist of her falling down a flight of stairs and right out a window to fall to the hardened ground below with nothing more but a splat. Many of her bones had been broken, cuts had gouged into her flesh, not all of them relating to quidditch, so it was promising that in some form of accident a knife would get its way wedged into her chest or somebody walking in the hall might accidentally get her with their quill. What a way to go.

As the disoriented feeling fled away with the wind, a shiver flooded down her back. It was one of those that couldn’t be explained, even though most would have assumed it had something to do with the ‘haunted house’ they were in. It wasn’t the cold because it wasn’t altogether chilly. Perhaps she felt she wasn’t alone. When was she though? The school, even Hogsmeade, was surrounded with people. Even the most places that people thought were secluded had people their once before. It was probably a person had been there only ten minutes before, left no sign, and so the place that a person thought was their own probably also ‘belonged’ to somebody else. The brain could shadow many a thing to make one feel better. Something had cut her knee; it was easy to tell because she could feel the air seeping into the flesh like water sifting its way into a sponge. It wasn’t anything serious, just a little blood, and boy did the girl love the sight of her own blood! This just made her day right then and there. Lola suspected that it had gotten cut on a nail or a piece of broken wood or even glass from where some threw stones into the windows or had left bottles of butterbeer or fire whiskey. If it got infected, it would be even better just because it would swell up. Injuries fascinated her. Would old man Krum approve of his masochistic daughter? Probably.

Laying there, still, listening to what should have been dead silence, footsteps moved their way towards her on the floor. Her heart hitched up into her throat, breathing almost stopping. Who was there? Then, when common sense flooded back over her, a smile pursed her lips. What a silly thought. It was probably somebody from school. Listening to the voice, it sounded ever so familiar. Pushing herself up a little ways, she locked hands with the hand with whom the voice belonged too. Eyes readjusting, they landed on the face of Dane Flint. ”Thanks,” she said pulling herself up, using his weight. Getting up, she laughed, but only on the inside, not at the outside. It was a laugh of what might have been hysterics. It was extremely humorous to find herself there with him. What was Danny doing here in the first place? Ew…had she just walked in on something and not even know it at all? He still had his clothes on, so that was a good sign. This place was prone for some crazy stuff. She heard some people came there to get drunk and do…other things. Well, damn, if he were here, wouldn’t he naturally wonder what she was doing there? Releasing his hand, she put both of hers in her back pockets. Lola looked around, not bothering with the minor cut on her leg where she felt her pulse without even touching it. ”Sorry, I should probably go.”

[Dane Flint]

It was an interesting thing having Lola Krum literally just fall into his hands like this. He didn't think he could remember a time where he had ever seen her up at the Shrieking Shack. But what was even more odd, was the grace-or lack there of- that she showed when she got here. Despite the fact that they were in separate houses, that they were on separate quidditch teams, and that they went against each other, even Dane couldn't deny the fact that of all the people he had ever seen on a broom-non professional of course- she was one of the best. She had so much grace on a broom it actually amazed him every time he saw her. He would never ever tell her that though. So to see...or rather hear her fall into the room the way he figured she had done, it was a little weird. It was a rare moment of weakness that he showed when he offered to help her up. Well it wasn't so much weakness as it was just him being polite. And he was more interested in that. And beside he had offered to help the girl up before he knew who it was. He couldn't take it back now.

He wasn't completely sure that she was going to accept his helping hand. He knew that they weren't exactly friends, but he knew that she didn't hate him either. So he wasn't really sure what was going on here. He squatted there with his hand out waiting for her to either take it or tell him that she could manage on her own. He knew that she would recognize his voice sooner or later. He watched as her head turn and as her hand grasped his, her eyes finally landed on his face. He tried to have a pleasant look on his face but he wasn't sure if he managed it. ”Thanks,” He helped pull her up, she also helped herself which he couldn't say he didn't expect a little bit. "You're welcome." Yet again, he was showing weakness. Or was he just being polite? Or were they the same thing? Hell if he knew! When they finally released hands he could feel the tension and awkwardness between them.

”Sorry, I should probably go.” His eye brows furrowed. "Why?" He had to stop and rethink that. It was making it sound like something it probably shouldn't have. "What I mean is, why are you leaving? You didn't interrupt anything. I have no problem with you being here. So why leave?" He gave good points. Other than the fact that it was kind of awkward between them, she really had no real reason to leave. That's the best part about this whole thing. "Beside...do you really want to leave?" He smirked toward her. With a wink he took another stop toward her. He couldn't deny that he was attracted to the girl, but he wasn't as much of a player as he pretended to be or rather as much as people portrayed him to be.

[Lola Krum]

His hand was warm. That definitely surprised her. By all accounts it should have been the temperature of the snow and ice in the artic. It was massive, not massive, but just a regular male’s hand that felt twice as big as her own even though it wasn’t that much bigger. She just felt naturally small around men, especially Flint. Granted, being small made it easier to maneuver a broom, but it did little when it came to heights and guys. Some of them she’d have to stand on her tiptoes and jump before honey eyes could look into somebody else’s straight on. With most of the males that had befriended her, rather by the association of Jackson or just because they liked her, they had at least three inches on her and seemed to be nothing but bulk. Whereas Lola was muscular, those muscles weren’t those of a body builder. They just were there to power a broom and jog – that was about as far as they got her. If she had been born male, she would definitely have went for muscular, not only did they look good on guys, but just like a bruise or scar, those ripples of skin were trophies. It was as if they symbolized hard work and pain. Dane definitely pulled them off, no contest there, but she was being so superficial that it made her sick. Never had she been so disillusioned by vanity, but to help anybody, nobody how they acted (as long as it wasn’t extremely horrendous) or looked. This girl was the girl anybody could go to when another person was seeking out help rather it was advice, something more physical, or just to do something with. Where had her morals gone too?

Realizing Dane was getting stared at by the girl he helped up, something not so shocking as some would being, him helping somebody else, she quickly removed her eyes to take in the building that they were standing in, happy that she could keep her calm and couldn’t redden with embarrassment. The shack, in it’s all, looked like it had been abused of the years: animal claw marks and teeth marks riddled the old boards, spider webs cloaked everything just like the dust did, and broken bottles and graffiti lingered from her generation. There was some sort of beauty in it, but then again, she always enjoyed architecture, to look in every crevice imagining what could and might have been and if an old house would ever see a new life again. Had happy memories of love encircle the house, or horrid memories of blood and pain? The thought sent a shiver spreading like wild fire through her. It was such a dark thought to even think, especially for the sunny girl. Feeling repulsed, Lola looked back at Dane. Another sickening thought erupted into her brain – what had Dane done in this house? Worst of all, had Jackson or Matt ever been in the house? Good Merlin, she was about ready to throw herself in front of a dementor and take their bitter sweet kiss. Even that thought terrified her. When had this bright, cheery girl become so morbid and twisted? It had to have been the shack. Something had happened here and it was making her depressed. Why had she even come here at all if the place was going to give her these feelings? She wanted her broom, the source of all things happiness, but then again, there was one plus to the situation – and he was a seventh year Slytheirn.

Why? She understood what he meant, but it was considerate of him to explain. Instinct told her to step away when he came closer, but unlike most people, instinct didn’t always rule her motions. His wink probably should have made her giddy with excitement or even repulsed, but it didn’t – it made her blood boil, but definitely wasn’t out of anger. Hormones. Dane was making her feel…vicious. It wasn’t a horrible feeling, but it could’ve been with somebody else. Dane was great and all, but it wasn’t right…by all accounts anyway. Slytherins and Gryffindors could be friends though right? Either way, he was right; she didn’t want to leave. But that was only because she had come here to be alone, but being alone there made her nervous, so in a way, he was making her feel better, which felt good. Plus, thoughts of leaving with somebody lurking from the shadows scared her even more. Stopping all thoughts, Lola just stared at him, keeping wild thoughts off to the edge of what she could do to him, with him. Oh damn, she really shouldn’t have been there. ”Well, that’s true, I don’t want to leave. But I don’t feel safe here with you.” What she meant was that she didn’t trust herself around him, so in her usual way turned it into a joking matter. ”I mean, who knows what you might do to me? Kill me with your wand?” she asked somewhat sarcastically with a crooked smile curving her lips. The thought could have been scary, if it wasn’t Danny of course. He was a really nice guy, to say the least, and wouldn’t hurt – physically anyway. Maybe if she asked him too? Standing there was all she could manage to do just because seeing rest of the shack was so not necessary. She’d enjoy the view she already had.

[Dane Flint]

This was a very conflicting moment between the two of them. Really, here they were, they weren't friends and it was odd to think that they just happen to be here together. But the thing that was weird about being here with her was the fact that well...they weren't friends...but friends with benefits. They hadn't gotten together in a while. And he wasn't sure why exactly. Or rather he was. There were two people that stood in the way of himself and little miss Krum over here having anymore fun. One of those people was James Potter. You'd think that he got in the middle of everything wouldn't you? Yeah you would. But no he just happens to be her little bloody boyfriend now. It was dumb as hell. He hated it. The day that he found out he had been so pissed that it just...he had almost gone over the edge. The second person was a girl by the name of Evangeline Diggory. His girlfriend? Hell no. He wished. She was the girl of his dreams pretty much in way. But the thing was, he was already so hard on the outside that it was tough for him to open up. Beside...she would never go for a guy like him. She was a Ravenclaw and he was a Slytherin. Sure they weren't exactly arch-enemies but...he hardly ever even got the time of day from her. It was sick.

He watched Lola as she looked away from him and couldn't help but smirk. He knew that she had felt something between. Despite the fact that they got on one another's nerves all the time, they made the others blood boil constantly. And it wasn't in a bad way. Their hormones were constantly rushing sometimes. It sucked really bad. It was funny to see her react the way that she did when he had taken a step forward. How did she react? That's just the thing. She didn't react at all. Not being egotistical or anything, but when he steps toward a girl the way that he had stepped toward Lola, most girls either backed up, and they ended up against a wall with no where else to go. Or they tried to push him away, which resulted in a heavy snogging session that always made both of them happy. But nope, when she just looked at him, it made him want to go after her even more. He was single...and even though she wasn't really single...ok, she wasn't single at all, that didn't stop him from wanting to have a little fun. And Danny was a Slytherin. He liked to get what he wanted.

”Well, that’s true, I don’t want to leave. But I don’t feel safe here with you.” That however was not what he was expecting to hear when he had said anything to her. But at least she admitted that she didn't want to leave. That was always a good sign. But what did she mean by the fact that she didn't feel safe there with him? Ok, well yeah he was a Slytherin, he could be a complete asshole sometimes, and alot of people didn't like him. But he wasn't evil, and he would never hurt a girl physically. It was against everything he believed in. And it wasn't how he was raised. ”I mean, who knows what you might do to me? Kill me with your wand?” And then her tone became sarcastic and her manor began to change. He could tell what she was doing in a sense. He did it all the time. She was putting on a face. The only thing was, why was she doing so? That's the thing that really bugged him. He couldn't be completely sure and truth be told, he didn't want to. It might just make things worse for him. That was something that he really did not need at the moment.

Giving her a small smile, he looked at his wand, then placed it in his back pocket. "You don't feel safe? Really. Hmm. There is no reason you shouldn't feel safe here. I have no reason to kill you. I have no reason to even hurt you." He leaned forward so that his lips were close to her ear, yet their bodies weren't quite touching. "And...I really have no reason to touch you." He breathed slightly down her neck, his lips never quite touching her skin. He made his way down and then up over her cheek to the point where their lips were so close you could barely pass a strand of hair through. "That is..unless you want me to."

[Lola Krum]

Hands still in her back pockets, fingers silently picking at the finger next to it, digging up at the cuticles. Why did this bubbly little girl enjoy pain? It could become quite a fascination, at least for her. To her, blood was sexy, so maybe if she bled she was sexy. Nothing like hiding in the dormitory going away at her arm with a quill, but just the blood trickling down her bare toned leg made her feel more confident. The girl needed some serious therapy. But then wouldn’t whomever she went to just tell her it was daddy problems? That was one reason she’d never accept because it would hurt her father, even if he never found out about it. She was daddy’s little girl, how would she ever be able to hurt him? Clearing her mind of such problems, eyes gazed past Dane to the walls, wondering more about the house. Had James ever been there, sincere, wonderful James? There wasn’t any doubt about it – he could have come here, but not for the reasons others came here, excluding herself of course because Lola hadn’t intentionally come here to get her hands all over Dane, not that was why she was there though! James was her boyfriend and making out with guys was over – both still surprising her. The snogging with other guys mostly because she had never really done that much of it before…well…no matter how embarrassing…Dane. Would he become so smug that he’d mock her for as long as he was there? That imaginary mockery pained her to think about it. And James. She was with him. How had that ever worked out so perfectly for her? That infatuation had lasted for far too long. There was a small curiosity on what the man in front of her thought about it. There were moments she got jealous of the girls she saw him with, but that was only because he had kind of been her…first in a way. Pathetic, right?

Hatred was beginning to eat away at her just by the sheer fact of the way he looked at her, the smile curving his lips, and the fact that it looked like he was thinking about her. What could it possibly be? It was infuriating standing there just watching him watch her. She should have just poked his eyes out so he couldn’t anymore. This anger wasn’t rational at all. What made her furious was the way her skin felt like it was emblazed whilst goose bumps scatted a twisted path. Was she cold or warm? If warm, why? The place wasn’t exactly all sunny, barely any of it got in. Cold would be logical, hot would not, but when had anything the last few days resembled logic. Where was Jackson when she needed him? Her head was too confused to even think. Why was there an urge to hide in a dark corner of the shack and cry lines of saltwater? Pulling herself together, Lola chewed on the inside of her bottom lip. This place did things to her that she didn’t like. No, she’d never really been in it before and never would the girl be back to remember those fond memories of mere terror or feeling like such a damned fool in front of Dane. How could she think so vile thoughts when she knew what waited her back in the Gryffindor Common Room?

The wand didn’t frighten her. Whereas he probably knew quick thinking spells, she knew more potions stuff that wouldn’t help, so if he did try anything, she would have just taken the wand in the mangled pocket of hers and shove it into the bastard’s neck. It was still a relief to see him put it away though. Anybody with his or her wand out made her uncomfortable. Of course there was no reason for the Slytherin to hurt her, if anybody did, Jackson would be after their ass in the matter of minutes, no matter if they were friends or not. That was an upside to having an awesome older brother. When Dane leaned forward, instincts told her to move away, flee as fast as the wind, but she didn’t act on instinct did she? The closeness should have repulsed her, but it didn’t. Why was he doing this to her? That was right, no reason to touch, and then why was there a silent longing for it? The thought escaped Lola as it was easy to feel his breath against her neck, her face, and then there they were at her lips, his breath sickly sweet. Her heart betrayed her by jumping up into her throat causing her not to speak, almost a signal that it was wanted. Okay, so what he was doing was wanted a little…a lot…but it didn’t mean she had to give into instinct. Then he said it: unless she wanted him too. Oh, God! Yes and no! Snapping out of it, completely furious with herself more then him, she just stared at him, but not moving – half out of not wanting too and the other half just because her legs weren’t working. ”Dammit, Dane! You know how I get when I’m around you; just wanting to rip off your clothes! Do you really have to tempt me so much!’

[Dane Flint]

He didn't know why he was doing this to her. He didn't want her to cheat on James. But then at the same time he did. He didn't like James. James hadn't done all the things with her that he had. He still felt a little possessive over the girl. He knew that Lola and himself had never dated, never would have. It was a forbidden thing that just sort of happened. But that didn't stop him from getting jealous when he saw her with other guys. Guys he knew thought her to be attractive. It really tied him up. So here he was, close to her, doing these things to her. Things that he shouldn't be doing. He knew that he shouldn't be doing them. And it was so bad because at this moment, he wasn't even thinking about her. Well sure to an extent he was, but more to the extent he was thinking about another girl. Evan Diggory to be exact. That's what killed him. Dane was a womanizer. He was a charmer. He moved quickly with girls. A player even. He was a lot of things when it came to the female species. But there was one thing he would never be. A cheater. So he didn't know why he was here, just building the bridge of cheating for her to walk across.

He was just trying to push her closer and closer to the edge. It was like he wanted her to crack. What the hell was wrong with him? He was so to the point of becoming his father almost that it sickened him. True is father hadn't been as much of a womanizer when he was in school, but he had the charm to do so. He just pushed girls to the edge and truth be told, his father had slept with more people than most knew. Dane didn't want to be like that. He loved his father and would follow him through just about anything. He was thinking so many things. He was telling his body to stop. He was trying to tell himself that he needed to stop all of this. He was telling himself that none of this needed to happen. He knew that he needed to pull back and just walk away. But he was so used to doing this that it almost came as a second nature now. He didn't even have think about it anymore. And of all the things, that's what worried him the most.

”Dammit, Dane! You know how I get when I’m around you; just wanting to rip off your clothes! Do you really have to tempt me so much!’ The words that she spoke where the truth. He knew it. She knew it. There was no changing that. The only thing that they could change, either one of them at anytime, was that they would ever do anything about it. It was like his mind was thinking one thing but his body was doing another. He felt his lips upturn into a smirk, a smirk that would have made a Malfoy proud. He looked straight at her and felt himself get a little bit closer to her, close enough he could almost feel the body heat radiating off of her own body onto his own. His mind screamed to stop. His mind screamed to just back away. But his body wouldn't listen to his mind right now. He felt his hand come up. It trailed along her neck, over her shoulder, never touching her. "Why not do it? Temptation is the root of everything that someone wants. It just depends on if people act on that temptation. You can never have what you want unless you do so. So the question is...do you want it bad enough to act on your own temptations? The temptations running through your whole body right now?"

[Lola Krum]

Neither James nor Dane was running laps in her head, but her father. Not in a perverted creepy way either. Her father had been quite something back in the day and had quite a fan club himself. Had he played with the heartstrings and libidos of all the girls that just showed him a once of affection? Had the man she grew up respecting been a womanizer, a player? Then again, if that were true, Viktor would have done it with class, not in a Shrieking Shack, not that she was comparing her father to Dane. They said that women looked for a man that was a lot like their father. Oh, damn. James. Was James not close to what Viktor had once been? He was famous, had great Quidditch skills, incredible good looks and even a fan club. If it was true then, shouldn’t she have been going for somebody more like Mr. Flint here? While he moved from girl to girl, he was nothing like James or Viktor, well…mostly. He did respect women, in his own kind of way, and wasn’t a total dick like the majority of the Slytherin population. Women pursued Viktor, but did they pursue Dane? Damn, hopefully what they were doing didn’t count as pursuing. This whole sexual thing was just too much for this girl. There was enough on her plate and didn’t need to add comparing one boy to the next. There were too many people to please: her family. It was four people; five including her, but it was enough to make Lola stressed out to do the right thing. The right thing…wasn’t that what made her happy? Well that was easy – Quidditch. There was an idea, screw boys (not literally), and just play Quidditch for an all female team to never see a guy again. The estrogen would kill the tomboy, even if the other girls were like her, too much of it.

Why did he have to push her so? Why did he have to enjoy it too much? To him, pursuing women was his adrenaline rush, just like she enjoyed her pain. Masochism. That’s what it was. There were things she’d do for it. Were there things he would do for it? She was willing him to stop, for her to stop, but autopilot was turning out to be a fun experience – in a way. It was torture to think about the pain she putting on herself, James, hell, even Dane and whatever other woman he was pursuing. The boy had a knack for what he was doing to her. It was silently killing her. The torture was a form of pain, was that why Lola hadn’t stopped it? Maybe it was spite, to piss somebody off, but whom? The only one getting so truly pissed off about Flint even touching her were the men in her family. Would James attempt to murder him? Why did the thought of the please her? There were too many questions then freaking answers. He didn’t love her, barely even liked her, so why even do this, not that it wasn’t completely enjoyable on her part if she told all thoughts to not exist. The ultimate question though was how far was she willing to go and would she regret it in the end? Would it eat away at her removing piece by piece of any part of a soul or heart that was left? Thinking blew.

Oh! Close was not the word that could be used to describe the distance between them. They were almost touching and in her head the feeling of anticipation, a surge of energy passed from her to him. When his lips curved, she could feel it! Back away! Stop! Just move one leg or put up a hand or something! Don’t cave! The brain could be a powerful thing, but it was too easy to block it out. What was hard was blocking out feelings. Whereas she extremely liked James, love being almost too extreme for her, he wasn’t here, making every single white cell of her small frame tingle. Dane was working her up, he knew it, and it was why he did it. What was wrong to think was that if either one of them stopped it; she’d almost be disappointed. His hand moved, she saw it out of the corner of her honey eyes, but couldn’t feel it, yet felt it almost too much anyway, hovering over skin. Could he feel how hot her skin was? Would there be any indication that he could hear her stomach flip over in her body? Tilting her head at her neck a few inches away, eyelids drooping slightly, and eyes wide and innocent, it dawned on her: more talking. Focusing on that kept Lola sane, if it was only a few seconds. What pissed her off was what he said made sense. It shouldn’t. It should have made her want to turn around and leave. Her whole body – could he tell? ”Because…” the girl began softly, looking at him softly, ”…when it’s no longer a temptation, you don’t want it anymore. But what is the price we pay to no longer make it a temptation? What if we’re stronger then that? She wasn’t stronger. They both knew that.

[Dane Flint]

He was going to hell. He was such a bad person. There was no way in hell that he should be doing this. Here he was trying to push this poor girl over the edge. Push her so far that she didn't know what the hell she was doing anymore. He was just trying to get her to give in. The biggest problem he had with that, was that he almost could just not figure out why. He was just sort of doing it. His body was completely on autopilot. He was no longer in control of it anymore. He was just sort of going. That scared him just a little bit. There were truly no other girls that he liked to push this far. There was no way that he would do this to pretty much any other girl. It was as if this was fun for him. He just couldn't figure it out. What was it about the Krum girl that he liked so much? What was it about her that he liked so much that he liked to push her over the edge? He wasn't entirely sure. He needed to figure it out. He needed to figure out why of all people, she could push his buttons the best. The buttons that just drew him toward her. The buttons that she could no longer push because of James Potter. The big red button that you were never suppose to press. She pressed it.

Here he was talking about temptation. Temptation of what exactly? He couldn't be sure. Temptation possibly of everything in his life that he wanted. Temptation of all the things that he didn't have, the things that he did, the things that he wanted, the things that he needed...it was all apart of temptation. Temptation was pulling him in to want the girl. To need to feel her. But at the same time, his own temptation to get another girl was pushing him away from the Gryffindor. The temptation that he was feeling for the younger Gryffindor were no longer as strong as they once where. His feelings for a Ravenclaw were pushing their way into his mind and he was starting to envision her. What was he doing here? He didn't know anymore. He had it in his mind to completely just try to push the girl to the edge, get her to give in and he would have his fun. He wouldn't let it go to far, and then like always they would just part ways and only remember what it felt like. Nothing more, nothing less. That's how it was.

But he couldn't do that anymore. Could he? ”…when it’s no longer a temptation, you don’t want it anymore. But what is the price we pay to no longer make it a temptation? What if we’re stronger then that? What price was he paying? Was he stronger? Was she stronger? That was the true question. He put his hand up on the wall beside her. "You're right. But what is the price? That we don't know until we get there. What price are you willing to pay? We are here. We are waiting at the bridge. We just have to cross it." He stopped for a moment. He realized that now he was just hoping that she would push him away. He was practically willing her to just tell him no. Dane wouldn't do anything if she told him no. He wasn't like that. He wouldn't ever force it upon a girl. They usually made the first move. But he found old habits dying hard. He couldn't stop trying to seduce her. He needed her to stop. But would she figure that out? Or would they both do something they would regret without realizing it?

[Lola Krum]

Dry. Her throat was dry. It was like a desert. Her brain wasn’t any different; there was a vast amount of nothing up there anymore that was now accompanied by tumbleweeds because she didn’t know what to do. If she had just left when eyes lay upon his face, all of this could have been avoided. If he hadn’t been there, if she hadn’t slept in, and if disease didn’t exist it would have been a perfect world. Things weren’t perfect, but they were as close as they could be. There was quidditch, her brothers, and James Potter. James freaking Potter, the one boy every girl would go to the ends of the world for, including her even if she wasn’t one to openly admit that. If they all went off, she’d have stayed there just to show them up out of spite, plus it would drive them all equally crazy knowing that that witch was there spending alone time with the boy they were pining after all because they wanted to prove their worth. They didn’t understand; his smile, his eyes, his personality, and everything else were just the packaged deal, forgetting the last name. He had made Lola weak in the heart with every laugh, every smile, and every friendly wink. He was one of the only boys that made her even more of a klutz then before that it was a wonder the boy didn’t think the girl to have lost brain cells. All the girls hissed at her, said vile things about her, and they insulted her right to her face. As strong as she was, the remarks made her cry. Asking if it was worth it made her feel even worse with herself, but their James was. He hated the way the girls treated her. Why was she still here?

Looking at him again, she willed a wall to form up between them so there was time for her to recollect her thoughts and feelings. Why did Dane have to tempt her so much? He knew how she got. Was it just some sort of test to see if she really liked James, like if she managed to get to second base with him he could laugh at her, calling her weak? No, Danny wouldn’t do that. It would have been so much easier if the man were a real prick and not halfway decent. The bubbly girl was wishing that he’d get thrown in front of a bus in the near future and went splat to a million pieces. Ok, that was harsh, and she didn’t really wish that. Truth be told, the Krum girl would miss the Flint boy, and not just for the physical reasons. They weren’t friends, not even close, but there was always that instinct to call out when she saw him across a hall, much like when Teddy walked by, or even Jackson. Most of her friends were guys and nothing like what had happened between her and Dane ever happened before. Nothing what happened with James ever happened either. This was a year of new experiences that was for sure, but which would she not regret in the future? If James wasn’t around, it was probable Lola would have been all over the boy in front of him, but who meant more to her? That was easy.

His hand was right there; her eyes even flickered to it. It was just making her weak and weak was not so fitting on this particular girl. Where had all that training gone to now? Honestly, she would easily be able to outrun the boy just because of her lithe form and her regular jogging with Jackson. Cross the bridge? No, she wanted to stand in the middle and just peer down into whatever was below, be it a river or empty space. Was it selfish to want to start the travel across the bridge, but never really finish the trek? No, what was selfish was what happened next. Grabbing his neck, Lola moved away from the wall, finally finishing the space between them, finally able to feel him. Her lips pushed against his in a kiss and then into another into another, one hand fishing it’s way up into his hair. Of course, the girl was on the tips of her toes due to him being so tall. Kissing - one second into another and then another, her hands physically moving all over him. While it seemed that she was caving in, there was something else in mind. After a few more seconds, she used her strength, what little was left, to push him away and smiled, almost apologetically. ”No more, Dane. Nothing else. No snogging in the shack, no saying hi in the halls, no teasing me, no speaking to me, no looking at me. I can’t handle you and you don’t even want me, let alone like me.”

[Dane Flint]

It was if something was happening to him. He didn't know what it was. He didn't know why he was doing the things that he was doing. He just pushed his mind to control his body. But it was like the batteries of the remote control were missing. There the remote was. Right there in front of you and you are pushing button after button trying to get it to do what you want. You're trying to change the channel, increase the volume, turn it off, anything to change what was the current condition right now. But no matter how many buttons you pressed, no matter how much you wanted it all to change...it wasn't going to until you completely changed the batteries. The only problem now was that every battery he picked up had no energy and still wouldn't get the remote to work. He was going through packages of different batteries and none of them worked. Where did all the full ones go? That was the real question. He had no idea what he was going to do. It was all up to her now.

He kept seeing Evan in his mind. What she would think if she walked in right now. No they weren't together. No she had no idea how he felt about her. No she didn't know anything that was going through her mind at all. But he couldn't help but wonder. If he was going to ever get Evan then what was he doing here? What was he doing with Lola Krum up against the wall. Granted they hadn't done anything together in a while. But still. What would Evan say? She was the girl that he wished was where Lola was. Right? Well then why couldn't he just push off the wall and walk away? Because there was so much history between the two of them, Lola and himself, that it was just so hard to get rid of it all. He didn't know what he was going to do. He didn't know what he was doing now. It was all kind of just...take stuff one day at a time and hope that everything turns out ok. The worst thing right now would be for anything to actually happen between them. As much as he didn't like Potter, and as much as he would love to see Potter in any sort of pain...he doesn't make girls cheat on their boyfriends.

But then something happened that he didn't really expect. Something he didn't initiate. He watched her push away from the wall and fell her hand come up behind his own neck. What was she doing? The next thing he knew, her lips were against his. His hands had come down onto her hips as she kissed him. He felt a hand go up into his hair. It was almost as if she was finally giving in and as much as his body might seem to want it, he knew that wasn't really the case at all. And then out of no where, he felt her pull back, his hands dropped from her waist and he looked her as she gave him a look that said she was sorry. ”No more, Dane. Nothing else. No snogging in the shack, no saying hi in the halls, no teasing me, no speaking to me, no looking at me. I can’t handle you and you don’t even want me, let alone like me.” And that was it. They were done. But as much as he wanted to fight it...he wasn't going to. But he couldn't leave things bad between them.

"No. Those rules won't stick. You're right. No more snogging, no more teasing. But you'll see, I'll say hi, and look at you and speak to you, but that's it. In no way will it be what it used to be. You're Potters. I know. And believe it or not, Lola, my heart belongs somewhere else." Leaning forward he placed a soft kiss upon her cheek and then stepped back from her. With a slight smile, one of the few he ever gave, he nodded toward her. "Bye Krum." He gave a wink and turned and walked out of the room.