Meet Me on the Stairs (Dana)

[ryder]

He couldn't sleep, not that it was unusual for him. Normally it was at night, when the world around him fell silent that he was that he finally took in what had happened that day, which was sometimes quite a bit considering he had a habit of acting sometimes before he thought. Today though, there had been little to think about. He had gone to class like a good student, he spent sometime at the pitch and talked to one of the beaters on the team about strategy before he did more work. The day had been planned and uneventful, and it meant now he had little to think about other than the slow ticking of the muggle watch he wore on his wrist. He laid still, listening to the seconds tick away, an the minuets pass by, until finally he could stand it no longer. Pushing himself up form his bed, and carefully stumbling through the darkness he found his trousers and a shirt, and he slipped room and out into the hall.

He knew that he would be punished if he was found, after all the hour was too late, near midnight, and the students were suppose to be tucked safely in their bed. His plans were far from safe, and ordinary though. The night was filled with electricity an he planned to take advantage of it. He slipped through the hallways, his steps quiet an stead as he made his way out and into the cool air and out toward the owlery. Once he reached his destination, he made a cooing noise, and walked up to the first owl he heard respond. He stood with the owl for a moment before he searched his pockets, and finding a scrap of paper he scribbled 'Meet me on the stairs', before giving it to the owl, and telling him to take it to Dana before letting it free and watching it soar thought the night sky toward the Ravenclaw dorms, before he turned and left the owlery to return to the castle, and to the stairs.

[dana]

John Locke had been the person to decide based on his philosphy in medieval times that every person was born as a tabula rase – a clear sheet. The discovery of genetics had overthrown that idea. Yet in some ways Dana liked to still think that it was the people who brought you up who definied you more than inherited genes. Then maybe a part of Meredith and Julien would still go on in her. They had been the ones who brought her up and taught her what was right and what wasn’t and who had taught Dana majority she knew outside of academic knowledge. Even though they had taught her much in academic sense as well. Dana stared into the fire-place in the Ravenclaw common room even though the flame had long ago died. Her feet were curled up to her chest as Dana didn’t make a sound even though tears flowed down her cheeks without anything to stop them. She didn’t even care enough to brush them off anymore.

Dana looked up as a tap came onto the floor and stared uncaringly at the owl outside. The only reason that made her take her wand and open the window was the fear that the bird might wake the rest of the house and Dana didn’t wish to face anyone from them right now. The owl seemed to glare at Dana as it dropped a note in her hand before flowing out of the room again. Closing the window again with a wave of her wand Dana looked at the note and blinked. Meet him on the stairs? Which stairs? And meet who? Dana snarled at the note and added a note that she was going on the other side of the owl-mail that was delivered to her. This way Cleo would know where she went if she was not back by morning.

Dana glanced at her clothes – a pair of gray sweat-pants and black Kris’s T-shirt. Not fancy, but it wasn’t revealing anything. Especially thanks to Kris’s T-shirt that was much too big for Dana, but it was part of her comfort-clothes. A quick wave of her wand later all traces of her tears and tiredness were gone as well. Taking her wand along Dana marched furiously out of the common room her irritation and annoyance growing with every passing moment. Really, how was she to know that the letter wasn’t sent by some Death Eater as they had proven to be perfectly able to get into Hogwarts before as well. Besides which stairs? Dana went ot eh main stair-case and her irritation rose one more notch at the sight of Ryder there. Dana had just went through a funeral, then the problem with inheritance and legal rights even hough luckily the wills of her grand-parents were perfectly put together though. And NOW the boy decided to try and woo her?
Dana’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she stopped on top of the stair-case and sneered down on Ryder: „Do you have suicidal habits and just need to get the attention and have a prefect dock points for being out after curfew and then to walk you to your common room?“ Dana practically snarled out raising her wand that was still comfortably in her hand and pointing it at Ryder while clearly stating „Furnunculus“ and watching how the beam of the curse flashed out from her wand and flew towards the Gryffindor 7th year.

[ryder]

The main stairs of Hogwarts were abandoned at this hour, everyone asleep by now and even patrols of the hall had stopped. He paced the top step, to restless to stay still. His mind was rushing, like a whirling tunnel and Dana stood at the end. He didn't know why he sent her the owl this night, he hadn't seen her since New Years, all the ball, and it was as if he couldn't stand to stay away from her any longer. The feeling was sudden, and overwhelming, and more importantly too strong to resist.

He didn't know exactly now long he had been there, but he heard footsteps. He turned to see Dana walking toward him, and in far from a pleasant mood. His eyes stayed locked with hers, until she sent a curse flying in his direction. He drew his want, which thankfully was in his pocket, as was his hand, and muttered 'Finite Incantartium' to counter it, and barely in time. He stood still and silent for a moment, though his gaze was still on Dana. "I don't care about points, take them if you want. I'm also not here for any suicidal tendencies, nor to duel you." He paused a moment, his gaze still on her but he lowered his want and returned it to his pocket.

[dana]

Dana was sad, cold, sleepy, tired and really, desperately wanting to curl up somewhere alone and cry herself to the blissful oblivation sleep brought. And now Ryder figured that this had been the best time to send her an owl and try to invite her to some risky escapade? Dana felt a flash of annoyance when Ryder blocked the hex. In some ways it would have been much more staisfying if the curse had hit him. Dana turned her own wand slowly in her hand her fingers almost itching to send a couple of more curses flying. It might relieve some of her stress. But then agian Ryder had put his wand back in his pocket so he had easy access to it. She might as well save her own nerves and show the way she had ben brought up to the best extent.

„So desperate for attention that you are willing to loose points because of it?“ Dana asked icily stopping the lazy movements of her wand as she sneered down at Ryder, „You aren’t here to duel, yet you do everything possible to get me furious. Unlike you, I have better things to do with my time than to meet arrogant jerks in the middle of the night. So I suppose I should rather leave you to your own devices – however satsifying ting you up and hanging you by your ankles from the tallest tower would be – as you aren’t here to duel. And I value my nerves too much to bare with your whims today.“ Dana sneered at Ryder once again. True, she was prejudiced. Maybe unfairly so sometimes, but she was prejudiced against Gryffindors. She had a couple of friends in the house – Melody, Nasser, Lenora. Gin. Even Dare was tolerable in some ways if you were in a good enough mood to stand his company. But none the less Dana had much more frends in Slytherin. She understood their way of thinking and acting better, surprisingly often finding points in their ideals that she agreed with. The only thing that had kept Dana out from being sorted into Slytherin herself was the fact that she didn’t despise muggleborns.

But despite those things Ryder still displayed a lot of characteristics Dana didn’t really approve. He was more instinctive than reasonable, deciding by intuition on what he liked and what he didn’t. Dana herself preferred people following their heads rather than their hearts. It meant tha tin the end less people got hurt. Dana sighed and pushed a hand with spread fingers through her hair. Ryder had qualities she didn’t like and she was certain she had qualities Ryder didn’t disapprove of. That and dealing around such mismatchs was what socialising with other people was all about after all. And Dana figured that she could become friends with Ryder rather easily.
Closing her eyes Dana shook her head: „I really don’t have the patience to deal with you today, Ryder.“ Maybe not using the ’Massa Ryd-ah’ nickname would give him a hint that she didn’t really wish to talk to anyone now, „Sleep well.“ Without a backwards glance Dana turned on her heel and started walking back in the direction from where she came from.


((I still have the doubts you know just as well. and I did warn you that Dana won't be overly happy in this post. And this is not all just a desperate scream for someone to comfort her. *huggle*))

[ryder]

He stood silently and unmoving as her harsh words cut through the night air. He gave no reaction to them--he did not speak or move, he just let her talk. She was angry, to an extent at least, thought he did not think that was her strongest emotion at the moment, it was simplest the easiest to express, and to take out on him. He knew that they were different, and that perhaps there were not two people in the entire world who were more different than they were, but in this moment, in every moment when they were together, he didn't care. It didn't matter. But then, that was what made them different. He knew that Dana was the intellectual between them. She carefully thought things out and did what made sense. He on the other hand was the thing he had been accused of his whole life--impulsive. He acted with out thinking. He had a disregard for consequences. It was true, and he had no intention of arguing it, but it was to him as he had tried to explain it to Dana at the ball. It was about the passion, and he would rather feel passionate about something and have it be hard, even heartbreaking, than to do what made sense and never feel that fire.

Finally Dana's harsh words were over and her tone took on a serious air. She called him by his real name and turned to leave, and in a moment with out thought he jumped forward and closed the strives between them, moving so that he stood in front of her blocking her path. He wanted to say nothing, to just have her face him and know, but Dana wasn't like that. Dana didn't feel like that--She needed things to be explained. "I'm not here to be dealt with Dana, or just because just I felt like being out in the middle of the night. I'm here because I wanted to see you, because I wanted to hear your voice." He paused, taking a breath his eyes still on her. He reached a hand up, and let it drag up her arm and brush her cheek, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.

[dana]

Dana walked up the few staps of the stiar-cse she had descended before turning and walking down the hallway her mind set on wanting to return to her empty common room. Maybe already go up and try to get some sleep as her body was already starting to demand a rest. Yet none of this happened as Dana was forced to break er movements rather abruptly as Ryder didn’t seem to wish to go down their separate ways to their respectable common rooms yet. Really, could he have at least picked a place where there was less of a chance to run into Filch or some professor. Biting back a sigh Dana raised her head and merely looked at Ryder as he was blocking her path. Being sure to keep his face blank and avoid of all emotion as she listened to his words. Dana didn’t jump back even when he raised his hand and caressed his cheeks lightly before pushing back a strand of his hair. Which reminded Dana that she had to wash her hair in the morning.

„You want me to deal with you. Stepping in the way I’m going does require me to react to avoid crushing into you. You say you wanted to talk to me and be in your company. What makes you think I have time for you right now? My family and then my studies are priority for me and those are priorities I’m not willing to exchange for anything. You aren’t part of my family. You aren’t going to help me with my studies, so I have survived without making time for you so far. And I sincerely hoped I wouldn’t have to give up on my sleeping time to do so,“ Dana asked back her eyes still bleak from any motion or a glimmer of emotion. Side-stepping Ryder Dana walked around him stopping a few feet further down the hallway as she looked back at Ryder and shrugged, „Do you know who I am to make you wish for my company this badly in the middle of the night? Really know? I was raised by Slytherins, my legal guardian now is a Slytherin, my best friends and the family I have left are Slytherins. I understand their way of thinking, respect their strentgh and self-discipline, admire the way they can take on life without ever showing any signs of breaking under it’s weight, I can play perfectly within the rules Slytherins uphold. The only thing that kept me from being sorted into Slytherin was that I don’t dislike muggleborns, even while I am just as proud of my family-tree as any Slytherin.“

Dana fell silent for a moment regarding Ryder almost curiously. He was thoroughly Gryffindor while Dana’s loyalties lay rather at Slytherins. At least in Hogwarts. She would never help any Death Eater, but not all Slytherins were to become those. Dana shook her head and let her lips twitch for a moment, trying to imagine what Mary would say about this conversation right now: „And quite frankly my family might just eat you alive for appetizers. You have qualities in you that I truly respect, and one day I might be proud to call you a friend. But right now you aren’t that. I don’t carry my heart around on my sleeve. And while you are pleasant company, when you sometimes decide to open your mouth – I don’t even really trust you right now. Especially since your next thought might make you decide you don’t want to see me again anymore, so what on earth makes you think you really neeeded to hear my voice tonight? Especially with us having 2 or 3 run-ins within a couple of months? None the less - you have seen me now, heard my voice and can now be sure I’m fine. Are you ready to go back to your common room now, or do you need me to direct you to McGonagall so she could sing you a lullaby? She might be better at carrying a tune than I am.“

[ryder]

Silence was so easy for him. It was easy to stand there, strong and unmoving. Maybe he did leap with out thinking, and that’s what people remembered about him, but he was the strong one to those who knew him. He was the one who let the others do the talking, and stood beside them so they felt strong enough to do so. He stayed silent as she talked, being rational, and intellectual as she always was. He walked long after she fell silent. Her last question about him needed a lullaby hanging in there are for almost too long before he made any reply. Finally he took a deep breath. “Why are you so afraid?” He stayed silent for a long moment after he asked the question; almost too long. Finally he reached out and grabbed her hand, to keep her with him while he talked. “I don’t want to change you, I don’t want to change your priorities or make you give something up. I don’t care that your practically a Slytherin, or that I’m a Gryffindor. People care too much about houses. In the end they are nothing but another way of sorting us into neat little boxes, and people aren’t meant to be sorted. I don’t care if you hide your heart or your emotions, that’s you and I don’t want to change that. I just want to know why you are so afraid of something that can’t be perfectly defined.” There was so much that could be said, or asked. He had ideas about her, about what he thought, but he was almost certain she was afraid, and simply covered it up with forced strength and sticking to her straight and narrow little path. He thought she was afraid of him, and the fact he so easily became infatuated. He knew that she didn’t trust him, and that she didn’t believe him. But he believed himself, and he trusted himself. He knew that his decisions were final. They always had been. He guessed that she was afraid that he walked a little too close to the wile side, that he was too reckless and that he threatened to turn her world upside down. That she liked her safe world where everything was controlled, but then maybe it wasn’t a bad thing if he did managed to turn it upside down.

[dana]

Dana looked at Ryder. The pause before he responded was long so Dana knew that she had made him think. And as he finished his speech, which was rather long for him, Dana knew that they had to sort things out. One way or an ohter one of them was either getting hurt today or both of them would depart with feeling unstaisfied with how things had worked out. Dana just hoped... well, she wasn’t even exactly sure what she hoped. „I think I preferred Santa, if he would have had me,“ Dana muttered almost moodily as she nodded to Ryder finally breaking the silence, „We need to talk, but let’s get away from the main hallway.“ Turning Dana shifted through the hallways leading Ryder towards a side-ways staircase that was rather rarely used. There was enough light coming in form the window near the side as Dana seated herself on one of the steps with her back against the wall, being sure to choose a seat so that her face was shadowed.

„I have never claimed to be brave. Because I’m not. I’m afirad of lot of things, but mostly I’m afriad for myself. I am afriad of getting hurt. I am afraid of YOU hurting me, because you are rash. Don’t you ever think before jumping in with your head first?“ Dana sighed and closed her eyes trying to find words. She tried to imagine her life. Meredith had alwyas taught her to do this like imagining the sea. Hardships were like storms, happiness a smooth water. And you were on a boat sailing on that sea. Could Dana see someone else – at this case Ryder – also on the boat and helping her steer the wheel?
„Do you know yourself? You have... intensity, I suppose. Intensity that will burn out – if not you, then me. Whether you want it or not, subconcsiously you would influence me and somehow shape me after yourself. So I’m not even that much afraid of loosing or breaking my heart. I’m rather afraid that you would break my soul. People are sorted into houses for a reason. For the potential into what we are going to grow in. And while cliché, it is true. Maybe I am a coward, but I'm afraid of what you might settle me into as subconcsiously you would still alter me. I'm too much of a child in too many ways yet to be the right to stand next to you as an equal partner who could complete you.“

Dana closed her eyes and sighed: "So maybe I am a coward. But how can you know so fully that it’s me you want, if you don’t even know me. You don’t even know if you could stand me for a longer time-period. How can you, if I don't know about myself as to who I am and where I'm going. Where I want to go.“