Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ((Vanessa))

[Jeremiah Baer]

"One, two, three..." Jeremiah counted the steps as he made his way to the Astronomy tower. Supposedly, tonight was going to host a very clear sky that would help in locating some of the constellations for class. If it weren't for his abysmal grade in Astronomy, Jeremiah wouldn't have thought twice about just staying in his dorm and getting to bed early, but he had made a promise to himself to get the best marks that he could this year. It was coming to a close so quickly, and he figured he only had a bit longer to continue. It was just so hard though, doing well in Astronomy. Professor Miller was definitely no softy when it came to the work. She expected a lot from her students, which, Jeremiah supposed was a good thing. He just would have preferred a little less forceful of an approach. Oh well- at least Vanessa was in this class, he thought as he hopped over the last step and walked out through the door onto the castle roof where the observatory section was for getting the best view of the sky. There were only a few students taking opportunity of the night, but he saw Vanessa right away and walked over to her with his hands in his pockets.

"I'm Sagittarius," he said, setting his books aside and laying down on the edge of the wall that bordered the castle roof. He starred at the stars and then turned to look at Vanessa. "Does my horoscope look good? Or better yet, how's my love life going to be this week?" He smiled and then sat up, dangling his legs over the edge of the wall. It was quite a far fall from where they were, but the ledge was rather wide- at least wide enough for him to be comfortable sitting with his feet swinging below.

"Since I assume I can't copy your charts.... especially with Professor Miller watching," he whispered, "I suppose I should get to work finding the constellations on my own. Jeremiah found a free telescope and fidgeted with its settings. Once he thought it was adjusted correctly, he peered into the lens. Nope. Too blurry. Trying again, he searched his memory of learning which knobs to turn which way and then took another look. "There we go," he said, pleased with his success so far.

[Vanessa Baer]

“The kisses of the sun were so sweet, I didn’t blink. I let them in my eyes, like an exotic dream. The radio playing songs that I have never heard. I don’t know what to say, oh not another word.” Vanessa wiggled her toes as she tilted her head and looked at the now pale pink she had put on them. “Just la la la la la it goes around the world. La la la la la it’s all around the world. Just la la la la la and everybody’s singing. La la la la la and now the bells are ringing.” She wiggled her toes again and then pushed herself off her bed. They were already dried and that was good considering she shoved her feet into socks and a pair of sneakers before dragging a brush through her long brown hair and leaving the seventh year girl dormitories, the song still on her lips. She grabbed her shoulder bag and slipped it on her shoulder as she swept up the current issue of Witch Weekly and bounded out of the common room out into the corridor. She was already nearly finished with her chart for Astronomy and she knew she’d get it done within ten minutes of looking up at the stars, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t looking forward to the late night trip to the roof – especially if it meant seeing Jeremiah.

Vanessa tucked her hair behind her ear as she climbed the stairs to the roof, the song that she had been singing still on her lips. “Inside an empty room, my inspiration flows. Now wait to hear the tune, around my head it goes. The magic melody, and you want to sing with me. Just la la la la la, the music is the key.” Vanessa hummed the rest of the song as she entered the roof and let her eyes wander over the students who were there doing their charts. She nodded to Professor Miller who seemed to be doing her own, and then meandered over to a spot on the roof that was far enough away from the students so she wouldn’t be disturbed by those who she wouldn’t want to talk to but close enough to know if someone wanted to ask her question or something. Vanessa sat down and pulled out the parchment that was covered with her work, she looked up and immediately found what she was looking for to finish it. After about five minutes, she rolled her parchment up again and shoved it into her bag while pulling out the copy of Witch Weekly she had brought with her. She knew a lot of it was rubbish, but she liked to read the horoscopes and do the quizzes.

She had just finished reading her horoscope (apparently she was going to be in danger from Monday to Wednesday of next week) when Jeremiah seemed to appear out of nowhere. She smiled and looked down at him, “Do you want an accurate reading or should I use Witch Weekly as a source? I think Witch Weekly gives a more entertaining version of your life, I just read that I am in grave danger this coming week. I’m sure it would have something equally exciting about your love life.” She teased as she dangled the magazine in front of him, she then pulled it back to her to actually find his horoscope when she heard him mention the star charts. “Oh, come off it, then. Miller wouldn’t do more than give you a detention. Besides… you wouldn’t want to copy mine, Astronomy is one of my worst subjects.” Vanessa looked up from her magazine to see Jeremiah fidgeting with the telescope at which she smiled softly and then flipped the page of Witch Weekly to read the horoscope. “So, how far along are you with that?”

[Jeremiah Baer]

"Let's go with whichever one is more interesting," he answered with a wink, when Vanessa game him the option of horoscopes. Jeremiah never did pay much attention to horoscopes or any other sort of Divination type analysis. He believed more in just living life as it came and not worrying so much about knowing what would be coming around every corner. However, it was fun to hear what they offered from time to time, even if he didn't take it very seriously.

"Good or bad," he said, "you have yours done and I don't. And, either way then, I would get about the same grade since I pretty much don't know what I am doing either." He raised his brows as he moved the telescope around and began to search for the groups of stars he would need to chart. Mostly, it was a matter of just following directions, but once Jeremiah found the stars he wanted and looked into the telescope, they all seemed to just mesh together and look all the same to him. Sighing, he went back to his chart and at least tried to chart what he saw. It wasn't perfect, but he felt that the idea was right.

Finishing up, Jeremiah walked over and grabbed what he assumed was Vanessa's star chart and then unrolled it and held it next to his to compare. He had to laugh at the drastic differences. Either one of them was completely wrong and the other completely correct, or they were both about half wrong and half correct. Shrugging, he rolled Vanessa's back up and then did the same with his, putting it in his bag. "So then, oh wise one," he teased, "enlighten me." He waited and listened for Vanessa to share the hopefully interesting horoscope that he could be entertained with.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa tisked at Jeremiah as she shook her head disapprovingly, “They can both be very interesting. But let’s go with the Witch Weekly one, shall we?” She sent him a bright smile and then focused her concentration on his horoscope. As she read, she listened with half an ear to Jeremiah talking about there star charts. She even noticed him take hers from behind her (by this time she had moved onto reading her horoscope again and shaking her head while muttering something under her breath). The only thing that made her come back to the roof in which they both sat upon was Jeremiah calling her wise one and telling her to enlighten him. She jumped slightly and then looked at him before shaking her head at the magazine in her hands, “It’s complete rubbish, but alright.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear again and started to read aloud; “Sagittarius: the stars have written your path clearly in the night sky. You are the only sign out of the twelve Zodiac signs that is completely comfortable in your surroundings at the moment. Watch out for an unexpected surprise, though, because things are known for jumping out at the least suspecting time and you are most definitely not aware of what is coming toward you.” Vanessa looked over the magazine at Jeremiah and raised her eyebrows, “Your spells for this month are: Ruducio, Expelliarmus, and Wingardium Leviosa. Your constellations for this month are: Leo the Lion, Gemini the Twins, and Pegasus.” Vanessa snorted, “Mine are Sagittarius and Scorpio. Oh, this is a bunch of codswallop.” She chucked the magazine over to Jeremiah and grinned.

Her gaze fell to the ground that was far below them. Vanessa wasn’t completely afraid of heights, but even this height could make her uneasy. She swallowed a lump in her throat and turned her gaze back to Jeremiah. Without warning, she jumped toward him with a loud “Rah!” and then laughter escaped her as she landed partially on him. “How’s that for a surprise?” Vanessa rolled over and laughed even more from the stern look they were getting from Professor Miller. She covered her mouth and sat up, casting a look at Jeremiah again, laughter still being forced down. “Haha, sorry, I just had to. The opportunity presented itself.”

[Jeremiah Baer]

Vanessa decided on the horoscope from Witch Weekly, and so Jeremiah leaned back with his hands behind him, supporting him, and listened as she read. "Oooooh... ahhhhh... interesting," he teased by interjecting random sounds of interest while she was reading. He was really listening though, but thought it would be funny since Vanessa seemed to be taking the horoscope idea as a joke, which was fine with Jeremiah, since he had only mentioned it for fun. "Oh, so I'm one of your constellations," he said with a knowing look. Then, he laughed as she tossed the magazine at him and called it all codswallop.

"I do feel pretty comfortable though," Jeremiah said, laying back with his legs bent and his knees in the air. He placed his hands behind his head to serve as a barrier between it and the stone wall. It was silent for a moment, and then Vanessa startled him when she shouted and half fell onto his stomach. He jerked forward as she started laughing at her own prank and he just smiled and let out a small chuckle. Apparently Vanessa drew some attention from Professor Miller, so she sat up. "Opportunity," he said with another laugh. "I have the opportunity to jump if I want, but you don't see me doing that." He gave her a playful glare and then laid back down when he was sure Vanessa wasn't going to pounce on him again.

He starred up at the sky and followed the patters that were formed by the celestial bodies. It was so much more amazing when you didn't have to do it for homework. It made it less obligatory and just more enjoyable all together. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically, squinting to get a clearer view. He kept watching the stillness until a streak of light caught his eye from the left. "Hey! Look there!" he pointed to the star that was shooting across the pitch black night sky. It was gone in a second, and he wasn't sure if Vanessa had looked quick enough. "Did you see it?" he asked.

[Vanessa Baer]

“Don’t look so smug, I’m one of yours. Leo’s listed, isn’t it?” Vanessa smiled at him as she tried to tame her hair which was being played havoc with by the light breeze that seemed to only be up on the roof. She was certain that if she were down on the ground, safely, there would be no breeze. She looked down again, knowing that she wouldn’t want to fall or jump, but she also knew that she would much rather be on the ground than be about fifty thousand feet up in the air. She felt her stomach churn and then looked over at Jeremiah again when he said he was quite comfortable. “Well, yippy for you! You don’t have impending danger lurking about every corner, you just have to wait for a surprises. Lucky. Most surprises are good.” Vanessa sent him a teasing glare before crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. Stupid magazines, giving stupid horoscopes. Most of the quizzes were right, though, Vanessa would give them that, but they were rarely any more right past that. Jasmine believed nothing out of them, which might be a good way to go considering Jasmine’s horoscope said she would be in a deep romantic relationship this week… which was the exact opposite of what was happening.

Vanessa looked over at Jeremiah again as he said that he had the opportunity to jump but he wasn’t going to. “I’d certainly hope not. That’s a long fall and you haven’t got any wings.” She poked him in the arm with a small smile before peering over the edge again. “Besides, that opportune moment couldn’t possibly end in laughter. At least mine did, well, from me at least. I don’t think Professor Miller is happy that we’re disrupting her charting session. She has the scariest glare, doesn’t she?” Vanessa shuddered slightly. She hated being in trouble with professors, but she hated getting stared at with disappointment even more. It was as if she was supposed to be this amazing seventh year and if she ever messed up, it was the saddest thing in the world. Vanessa just saw it as the professor’s growing antsy without their famous Harry Potter to be disappointed or delighted in. She felt sorry for the loss of him, but she wasn’t completely broken up… she hadn’t really known the guy after all.

She whistled and looked up at the stars when Jeremiah made a comment about them. Vanessa found herself looking for a story or song in them. She couldn’t find one, knowing that she would only have been able to if Jasmine or Jordan were up there with her. One single light moved across her line of vision, and on instinct, Vanessa shut her eyes and made a wish. After a moment, she opened her eyes and smiled as Jeremiah asked if she had seen it; “Ever make a wish on one of them?” she asked in reply, her gaze focusing on him.

[Jeremiah Baer]

"Well, had I known Leo was your sign, I'd have mentioned it. You don't have to be such a lion about it," he joked. Then he looked at Professor Miller again when Vanessa mentioned her glare. "Scary is an understatement, and by the looks of things, that danger that you have lurking around the corner might just be a silly little third year." His eyes pointed to the young boy who hid around the stone wall that was just beside the stairs that led back into the castle. When a group of younger girls went to walk down the steps, he jumped out and scared them. That sure did catch Professor Miller's attention, diverting it from the two of them for a moment. Jeremiah watched as the professor took care of the screaming girls and sent the whole lot away from the roof. By this time, there were only a few students besides Vanessa, Jeremiah, and the professor. It was getting somewhat late, but Jeremiah was enjoying the moment too much to leave.

"Yeah, I guess I've made wishes," he answered somewhat skeptically. "They never really came true though. But none have ever been wised on a shooting star. That's only the second time I have ever seen one. What about you? Do you believe in the whole wishing on a star bit?" He turned his eyes back to the sky, now observing the bright light that the moon was casting over everything. It was just shy of being a full-moon.

"Vanessa," he said, once it was quiet again, "can I ask you a question?" He waited a second and then continued. "Well, I mean, I guess that was a question, but I mean, the one I want to ask might be one that you may not want to answer, or at least might not feel comfortable answering, at least not right now, or something like that. And now, I'm rambling. But anyways, the question still stands." He shut up, wondering how utterly ridiculous he must have sounded, going on and on like a ten year old. Waiting for a reply, he chewed on the inside of his bottom lip.

[Vanessa Baer]

“Roar.” Vanessa replied to his comment about her being a lion. She laughed and shook her head, she hadn’t even attempted to actually roar. She had just said the word, and that was something that just added to the humor of it inside her head. She looked over at Professor Miller when Jeremiah said that scary was an understatement. “I’d like to see her take on Snape. He probably wouldn’t scare her.” She watched as some third year jumped out and scared a group of girls. Vanessa couldn’t help but smile as he looked back at Jeremiah when he said that could be her danger. “I don’t know if I can take it. That’s so frightening. I mean, a dementor or whatnot is nothing compared to that little guy over there.” Vanessa motioned back to the entrance and shook her head again. The noise had died down considerably now that the group of girls had left and more and more students seemed to be filtering out. Professor Miller had returned to her spot and was working on her charts again, but Vanessa felt like she was keeping an eye on them somehow.

She listened to Jeremiah’s answer, and then he asked her the same question. Vanessa shrugged and looked up at the stars, “All of my wishes have come true… well… with the exception of the one I just made. I guess, it’s all in who makes the wish. Obviously, you aren’t going to get a wish granted by a star even if it is shooting, but it’s the idea that you will that drives you further to get what you wished for.” She looked at Jeremiah again and smiled softly with another small shrug, “The first shooting star I ever saw was the one that made me work toward being a musician.” Vanessa looked back up at the stars again, and there was a moment of silence before Jeremiah said something.

The small smile brightened as Jeremiah seemed to ramble on about the question he had just asked and had wanted to ask. When he was finished she laughed, “Go ahead and ask me. I’m pretty sure it won’t make me completely uncomfortable.”

[Jeremiah Baer]

"Makes sense," he agreed with a shrug when Vanessa explained that just wishing on a star is not what makes it come true, but it is the drive inside of you that does. He thought about it for a moment, wondering how much truth it really did hold. Basically, she was saying that if you wished you had something, you would get it if you desired to have it enough. It was practical, at least. However, he was sure that there had to be exceptions. There were always exceptions to the rule. Still, he took comfort in the thought that he really did have control. Although it wasn't something he dwelt on a lot, Jeremiah liked knowing that he could control his destiny, and that it really did matter what his actions were.

After his pathetic attempt to get her permission to ask a question, she laughed and said that whatever he had to ask probably wouldn't make her too uncomfortable. He thought it was a nice comment, but wasn't sure if she knew what she was saying. Of course, maybe she was the type of person who really didn't get bothered easily or feel pressured when it came to being open. Jeremiah had a bit of a harder time though, which was why he just assumed that the question might make her a little bit uncomfortable. Basically, he saw it as putting her on the spot, as they say.

"Well," he began, now wishing that this question would be as easy as the first. He had a hard enough time asking the easy one, so how was he supposed to get this one out. "It's kinda complicated. Eh, maybe not really, but..." there he went again, getting himself lost in his own words. It wasn't the first time Vanessa made him feel a little bit nervous. Normally, he wouldn't have thought it was a good thing, to be nervous, but he was finding it easier to talk to her and to be himself around her. Really, depending on how she answered his question, he felt that he might be a lot more comfortable when this was all over.

"What do you think about us?" he finally blurted. There. He asked it. The question was off his chest, however he felt the need to clarify. "I mean... well, I guess that is what I mean," he added, biting his lip. "Because, I was just thinking, which I do a lot lately, that I just really like being around you, Vanessa. I'm sure it's kind of obvious. But I wasn't sure what you thought. I hoped that you kinda felt the same way, but I didn't want to assume. Things can be dangerous when you assume." He stopped and looked at her face for a moment, wondering how much he was freaking her out. It wasn't usually like him to just talk this much and say everything on his mind, but this was something he had never quite experienced before. Every other time that was similar to this, where he found himself starting to like a girl, it always seemed to end before it ever really started. And that, that was what scared him and led him to say the things he was, and ask the question to Vanessa.

"I'm sorry," he finally added, "I will shut up now." He looked back at the sky, somewhat embarrassed to make eye contact with Vanessa, just in case she really did think he was loony. It was just something he was willing to risk though. He didn't want to go on thinking that maybe there was something between them if there really wasn't. It would only hurt worse in the end.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa kept her eyes on the stars as Jeremiah started to ask his question. She was listening completely, but she found it was much easier to keep herself from clamming up if she focused her gaze on one of the pretty stars above her. When he was finished, she kept her eyes on the stars for a minute or so. It wasn’t because she wanted to worry Jeremiah with thoughts of her answer being a bad one, it was just because she was gathering her thoughts which had so nicely swirled around inside her head. This was where music came in handy. She could write what she was feeling without a care in the world, talking about them was so much harder. She knew Jeremiah deserved an answer, though, so she broke her gaze from the stars and looked at him. “Things can be dangerous anyway, Jeremiah.” OK, so it wasn’t necessarily an answer, but it was a start. She just needed a place to start, and then she could go from there. It was like a snowball rolling downhill, all she could do was gain more and more snow.

She let out a sigh and stretched her legs out in front of her before starting to really answer his question. “I do… I do feel the same way, at least from what you just said, I do.” She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and sent him a small smile before continuing, “Hogsmeade was just… pure heaven on Earth, I mean aside from having to perform. It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything that fun, because I’ve been working on music or trying to stay alive when it comes to classes.” Vanessa looked at the sky with a small smile on her face. Normally she would have joked her way out of it, giving an answer that could swing either way. But it seemed so much more important than ever before that she be herself and be truthful with Jeremiah. “There’s just something about how carefree everything is when I’m around you that makes me happy. I think… well, actually then, I’m pretty sure that it’s because I like you. For my seven years at Hogwarts, I’ve never liked anyone because it was always too messy and I saw my friends going through it day in and day out. Some guy broke their heart one week, and some guy the next. I didn’t have time to deal with the mess.

“The point is, because I do have one no matter how much I’m rambling on, that I couldn’t help it when it came to you.
You’re so easy to be around, and you make me laugh. Usually I’d shove away anyone who distracted me from my music, but I’ve kind of embraced the idea that you’re the reason my music has been better because I’ve been happier.” She had been looking at the stars while she said this, but now she looked at him and shrugged. “I don’t know if that answers your question any, but it’s the best I could do. I’ve never been good with words unless they go with a specific rhythm of score.”

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah felt his throat tighten up with Vanessa's first words. They didn't really answer his question, and he wasn't quite sure what she really even meant by it either. Was she saying that relationships in general were dangerous? Perhaps if she were, it would be a correct statement anyways. But he was just wondering if it were her way of side-stepping the question. Maybe she really didn't want to answer it.

However, when she continued, Jeremiah let out a silent sigh of relief. She did feel the same way, he thought excitedly to himself. Sure, he was certain it was the case, but he knew there was the possibility that Vanessa just thought of him as only a friend. When Vanessa finished, Jeremiah smiled and looked her way.

"I'm glad that you feel the same way," he said happily. "I mean, it's a huge relief to know that you described a lot of how I feel spending time with you. It's been a lot of fun and like you said, carefree. Plus, just being able to talk about it makes it even easier. I feel a lot less pressured finding out that we really are on the same page, for lack of a better phrase."

When she mentioned that he had been having such a positive influence on her music, he smiled even more. He absolutely loved her music, and just knowing that he was having a positive affect on it made him even happier. "That's a privilege," he added, "knowing that I have been an influence on the most amazing music that I've heard." He thought back to the tune that she played the day they were in Hogsmeade and then began to hum the tune.

"No worries with not being good with words though. You answered my question just fine. As you probably have noticed, sometimes I am not the greatest either. Hopefully though, I've gotten over some of the nerves that I had, just with not knowing for sure how you felt and all. You wouldn't believe how nervous I was the day at Hogsmeade. I mean, it was absolutely wonderful, that day, but I'll admit I was totally stressed out from the beginning to end." He gave a wide-eyed look and bit his lip, hoping Vanessa would understand. "It's saying a lot though, since I haven't been that nervous that I can remember- at least not over a girl," he said with a grin.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa tucked her hair behind her ear and fidgeted with her hands in her lap, her eyes watching as her hands wove around each other. The nervous flutter that had been in her stomach during the Hogsmeade trip had returned full force and she embraced it, yet she didn’t like the way it made her feel. She hated feeling like she couldn’t control her own emotions, but this particular emotion a part of her didn’t mind being uncontrollable. “Well,” Vanessa said with a bright smile in Jeremiah’s direction, “I’m glad we were in the same book long enough to be on the same page. Sometimes things like that happen. People meet, they make plans, plans never follow through. Things like that.” She let her smile dim a little, and then she tucked her hair behind her ear again even though it hadn’t fallen out from behind it. Her gaze fell to her hands again and she listened to Jeremiah talk some more, just getting comfort from his words was enough to ease the flutter in her stomach.

She felt her cheeks warm as he said it was a privilege to be the influence of the most amazing music he’s ever heard. Vanessa was very modest, especially when it came to her music. She knew she was an extraordinary pianist, but she also knew there were many more pianists out there who were ten times better than she was. “Thanks, but I’m not so sure my music is the most amazing you’ve ever heard. It could be so much more… if only I – no, let’s not get into that. I’ve been in this rut for years and I’ve suddenly gotten out of it. So, thanks for that, because it’s all because of you.” Vanessa laughed as she heard him humming it and quietly she sang; “Stand up boy, do your trick turn on the stars. Jupiter shines so bright when you’re around.” She looked up at the stars again and smiled softly.

It was when he said he was or had been nervous that Vanessa looked at him with a smile tugging on her lips. She laughed after he said he hadn’t been that nervous in awhile over a girl. “Oh,” she crossed her arms and tilted her head back, that smile still on her face. “Good! I mean, no, not good. Well, no I mean. I mean good for the sense that I wasn’t the only one nervous. I thought I was going to pass out from how nervous I was. And then I thought, since I was being… well me on the account of nerves, that you might get annoyed with me. So that made me even more nervous and that just put me even deeper into my fright. I was trying so hard, that whole trip to make sure that I wouldn’t blurt something out that I would later on regret.”

She let out a breath of relief with a small smile as she looked over toward Professor Miller who was packing up her things. She turned toward them and then pointed at her watch as if to tell them to watch the time. Vanessa nodded and then looked back to Jeremiah as Miller exited the roof. “Do I get a pass if I’m out past curfew with a prefect?” She asked hopefully, that calm smile still on her face.

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah listened to Vanessa speak, now feeling more at ease just sitting there and taking it all in. When she spoke of her music, he figured that should would be humble and not willing to accept his comment fully. But that was common, he knew. Sure, Vanessa may not have thought of her music as being the most amazing, and maybe to most others it wasn't either. But Jeremiah meant what he said, even if he was biased. He just smiled though instead of saying anything back. He knew she appreciated the comment, and so he left it at that. As he hummed, she sang a line of the song. Ironically, the lyrics spoke of the stars and Jupiter. Jeremiah smiled more and watched Vanessa's eyes, even noticing the small dots of starlight reflecting and making them sparkle.

When Vanessa admitted her nerves after he had shamelessly spoke of his, Jeremiah let a small chuckled escape his mouth as she explained how she was so nervous that she felt like she might pass out. "And what would you have possibly blurted out that you would later regret?" he asked with a teasing grin, tilting his head a bit to the side. In shifting his view, Jeremiah saw past Vanessa where Professor Miller was gathering her stuff to leave. Vanessa was watching too as the professor held up her wrist and flashed her watch- her message rather clear. Jeremiah rolled his eyes and looked at his own watch to see that they still had about five more minutes before they would be considered 'out past curfew.' Then, he gave Vanessa a mischievous grin as she asked if his Prefect status would earn her a pass to be out late.

Technically, Vanessa was exempt from getting in trouble as long as she was with Jeremiah. However, they still had to at least be headed toward her common room to be getting back as soon as they could. That didn't mean that they couldn't accidentally take a wrong turn here or there, just to make the walk back a little bit longer. "Weeeell," he said, still hypnotized by the dancing reflections in Vanessa's eyes. "I think I can pull a few strings to get you back safe," he teased as he leaned over and kissed Vanessa lightly on the cheek. He stood up and gathered his stuff and slung his bag over his shoulder. Then, he held out his hand to Vanessa who was still on the ledge. "But, you had better hold my hand so that anyone who might find us knows that you are with me." He smiled again and stood, waiting for Vanessa to join him.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa ran her fingers through her hair and grinned before replying, “Oh, there are plenty of things that I wouldn’t want you to know. You know, those really dreadfully awful embarrassing things that you would just die if someone found out about? Those are the types of things I might’ve blurted out if I hadn’t been so nervous about the whole thing.” She was completely teasing now, because as she thought about it now she really couldn’t think of what she would have tried to prevent from slipping out of her mouth. If she had any secrets (which she very well might have) they would be told within her music. Her music stripped her down to nothing because she wrote her songs about what she knew and what she experienced. All someone who wanted to get to know her would have to do is listen to her songs and interpret them. The only problem with that would be the many interpretations her songs could have. She didn’t dwell on it too much, because it would just bring her mood down and she didn’t want that at all. No, she was quite content with just thinking about the non-doom and gloom type things, and she would remain content until she was forced to think about such topics.

She looked over at Jeremiah for his answer, an innocent smile still on her face which was soon matched by his mischievous one. When he finally did answer, Vanessa laughed. Her laugh soon faded into a bright but calm smile when he kissed her cheek. “If I die, I suppose I’ll have to blame you won’t I? After all, those strings you pulled must not have worked if I die. So, keep that in mind while you plan whatever you’re planning with that grin on your face.” She reached over and grabbed her bag to make sure she had everything in it, her hands working nervously so they wouldn’t shake. Vanessa kept that serene smile on her face as she closed the flap to her shoulder bag and looked up at Jeremiah who was saying she better hold his hand just so people knew she was with him. She sent him a quick raise of her eyebrow, and then she took his hand and stood from her place on the ledge, her shoulder bag feeling lighter than usual even though it held just as much things in it as usual. “Hey, I think I’ve figured out what my impending danger is.”

Vanessa grinned as they started to leave the roof, “This stupid chart we had to do. Honestly...” She said as she turned to look back at the sky, she glanced over the constellations she could recognize and smiled as she remembered her wish. With another glance at the moon, Vanessa turned back to Jeremiah and smiled brightly; “C’mon… I doubt if Snape caught us wandering the halls without actually heading toward my common room he would be lenient on the fact that I am accompanied by a Prefect.” She squeezed his hand as she started the descent of the staircase. The torches lit the corridors now, and the moonlight filtered in a little to send an ethereally glow around here and there. There was a small silence before she looked over at him and smiled again, “You know, I didn’t think Astronomy would have led to us telling each other we were nervous at Hogsmeade, let alone… well…” Vanessa looked away and watched a maiden in the portrait to her left as they were passing do a dance to an imaginary song in her head.

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah laughed. "I didn't exactly mean that I would be keeping you safe from death. I was thinking more along the lines of keeping you safe from having all of your Hufflepuff friends hate you for being out past curfew and loosing house-points, but if your afraid that a suit of armor might chase after you, I guess I could keep you safe in that aspect as well." Jeremiah caught the small smile that Vanessa gave as she gathered her things and willingly took his hand although not without a taunting glare. He helped her down from the ledge as they started toward the stairs.

Just before they left the roof, Vanessa mentioned their charts again as she looked back at the stars one last time. Jeremiah followed her lead, taking in the bright night sky once more. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to try, he closed his eyes and made a wish. I wish that... Vanessa's voice brought him back to the roof as he finished his wish and he had to pause for a moment to let her comment sink in. "Snape would take points from McGonagall or Sprout if he thought he could," Jeremiah replied wittily. She smiled again as the two of them started down the stairs back into the castle where the white light from the moon and stars became more drowned out by a more dim and dull orange cast from the flames lining the stone walls. Vanessa broke the initial silence, glancing over at Jeremiah as they walked.

"You're right," Jeremiah said softly as they still walked hand in hand down the spiral stairs. Then, stopping for a moment, Jeremiah turned to face Vanessa and opened his mouth to speak. Instead of talking though, Jeremiah looked down at Vanessa and saw beautiful orange reflections dancing in her eyes, where the starlight was just minutes ago. He leaned forward, closed his own eyes, and kissed her. This time, it was on the lips instead of the cheek. He took his free hand and ran it through the smooth strands of her hair before pulling away. His eyes locked onto hers and he smiled again. "Even Snape couldn't ruin this night," he said with a smirk.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa laughed, “Maybe… Then again… Snape is a very bitter man who would probably take points from himself if he thought he was a blood traitor.” She rolled her eyes at her reference to the whole blood issue. There would always be people out there who thought pure blood was the right blood, and although Vanessa completely disagreed with that (she had to, didn’t she?), she knew that there wasn’t anything she could do about it. Besides, it didn’t concern her at this point in time, so she shoved it from her mind and brought herself back to the present. The present which was the happy Vanessa who was walking through the corridors and holding hands with Jeremiah. It was a happy present and Vanessa was pretty sure the smile couldn’t leave her face if she tried to force it away.

They had continued to walk in silence, and then Jeremiah replied to her saying what she had about the evening. She watched him, stopping when he did, as he seemed to start to say something and then decided not to. Her eyes didn’t leave his and when he kissed her, she welcomed it. She kissed him back, letting her eyes fall shut, and felt the butterflies and the knot that she had in her stomach seem to fly and dissolve away. It was something that she was certain she wouldn’t forget, and when Jeremiah pulled away from the kiss, she stood there her eyes still closed… wishing it wouldn’t have ended. Reluctantly she opened her eyes. and smiled at his Snape comment, inside she was positively beaming. “Nor could any horrible horoscopes from Witch Weekly.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand and then nodded once, “We should probably… continue walking before Mrs. Norris or Filch come down and see us just standing here.” Even as she said it, she knew she really didn’t want to get any closer to the common room. It was too good of a night for it to end and it was saddening her to have to think about it. The silence was around them again, and Vanessa enjoyed it because it was one of those silences that were peaceful and enjoyable. After a moment she looked over at Jeremiah and grinned wickedly, “What did you wish for?”

[Jeremiah Baer]

The smile on Jeremiah’s face was permanent by this time. He pondered Vanessa’s last comment about the horoscopes before continuing down the dimly lit stairway after she mentioned Filch and Mrs. Norris. Just as they reached the bottom, Vanessa stopped them again smiling at Jeremiah as she asked about his wish. He held up his finger and shook it playfully in front of Vanessa. “Don’t you know the rules?” he asked teasingly. “If I tell you what I wished for, it won’t come true. I mean, unless it already has,” he added as he looked up at the ceiling and pondered it. “But still, I don’t think it would be best if I told you.” As they stood there, he picked up her other hand with his free one and swung them back and forth slightly. “Now, if you keep distracting me with your charm, we surely will be caught,” he said with a wink.

Jeremiah continued leading them through the halls, navigating his way in the darkness toward where the Hufflepuff common room was. The halls were quiet by this time and empty. It felt like the walk went so fast, and Jeremiah was disappointed that they had arrived so quickly. He contemplated not stopping and just making another circle around the castle so that he could enjoy Vanessa’s company for a few more minutes, however he knew that they were lucky to have made it back without getting caught and interrogated as to why they were still out past hours.

When the reached the place where they must say goodnight, they stopped for the last time, and Jeremiah looked again into Vanessa’s eyes. “I’m glad that we were able to say what we said tonight,” he began. “And, I had a great time, even if it did start out as just a time of homework.” He smiled softly and kissed her on the forehead. “As far as the wish, just take comfort knowing that it involved you and it was a good one.” His eyes twinkled as he let go of her one hand and kept a hold of the other for a second longer as he stepped away and then let his fall to his side. “Goodnight Vanessa,” he finished, beginning to walk backwards and not turning completely around until Vanessa disappeared behind the door leading to the common room.