Blueberry Muffins... Bah! ((Maryn))

[hotfrenchguy]

Inside a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate, dark brown whirlpools grew larger and larger, until the liquid splashed playfully at the sides and onto the mug-holder’s hands, scalding him slightly. Sebastian winced and began to suck his finger gently- even though it didn’t hurt him that much it was an automatic reaction. On withdrawing his finger from his mouth he spotted the small, shiny burn-mark; the result of his hot-chocolate whirlpool. He poked it curiously. How strange it was. Very shiny, and in a way not at all like you’d think skin would go if it were burnt. Baz had obviously been burnt before but he somehow felt like studying this little burn with a closer inspection than normal. Bruises were far different from burns. They were bluey purple and showed up against almost all colours, marking your wounds with as much emphasis as a giant red ‘X’ would have.

Bruises. The thought of wounds, bruises, cuts and scrapes, brought Sebastian’s mind back to his earlier thought from the day- Araine. Araine was beaten by Hubert D’lenore, their father and only guardian. He was cruel to Baz’s mother when she was alive, and when she passed away due to cancer, Hubert began to abuse Araine physically. It broke Sebastian’s heart when Araine sent his owl, Roman, back through the post with notes of sadness and pain. He longed to take action and do something about it, but every single option he went through in his head had a large fault. So, Sebastian merely sent three or four weekly letters through Roman to his sister, hoping that the silly old owl would reach her in good enough health.

Blowing on his burn for a moment, Sebastian sipped cautiously at his hot chocolate and eyed the blueberry muffin which sat before him, fat, plump, with the blueberries looking like little mould patches. Baz hated blueberry muffins. He’d asked the waitress at The Dancing Unicorn to bring him a double-choco-chip muffin. But no, clearly she couldn’t hear. Pushing the blueberry muffin away from him in distaste, he did the same with the subject of Araine’s beatings. Instead, he searched for a topic in his mind. His searchlight came to rest upon his drum kit, for no apparent reason. Sebastian adored his black and electric blue kit, which his mother had bought for his ‘you’re-off-to-Howarts’ present. He loved to play on it- it was the only thing which fully cleared his mind of just about everything. Baz was skilled, and knew it, but never played anything real- always freestyle. Tap him a simple staccato beat and he could instantly make it into a frenzied, rock-and-roll drumming solo.

A little bored now, Sebastian began to tap a small beat onto his black jean-encased knee. He was almost always seen in these jeans, and today he’d worn a large, fashionable brown leather jacket and a white and pale-blue criss-cross shirt beneath that. Only recently had Baz begun to dress with style, since he’d taken just a slight interest in girls and what they preferred. He usually now wore clothes which would fit in with both French and English fashion- though there was always something distinctly French about him which made the former choice an easier. This was usually Sebastian’s features. He had curly brown hair, hazel eyes and just very French features- handsome and chiselled, but the look that you mostly only notice at a glance.

The beat upon his knee died down as the hot chocolate became cool enough to drink, and he sipped it, thankful for the warmth after the cold winds from outside.

[Maryn Livley]

Maryn heard the leaved crutch from under her black boots as she walked. It was now October. Summer was no longer present at Hogwarts and the weather was getting cooler by the day. Maryn much preferred it, actually. She liked cool weather or even cold weather. The summer months were way too hot for Maryn. No, she preferred cold. Maryn smiled at the traces of orange and yellow leaves left on her boots. Everything was pretty in Hogsmeade. The leaves were dancing through the woods as Maryn walked down a gravel path. She kicked the pebbles playfully as she walked. After talking to Aurora a bit, Maryn was feeling better. Of course was wasn't over her sick brother or the death of Leon, but was was a tad better all the same. Maryn needed that talk with Aurora. She needed to be separated from her friends for a few weeks. She needed that separation, but now Maryn felt as it she needed closeness. She was getting used to her new life now. Slowly, she was getting used to everything. A sharp breeze blew past Maryn making her light brown hair blow. She had allowed it to stay down freely that day. Maryn's style had changed over the summer, but now she was feeling back to her old style roots. Maryn was more into her casual since of flare style with a touch of elegance and a daz of punk. For awhile clothing had meant nothing to her, but now Maryn felt a little bit the same. But, then again, so very different.

Maryn paused at something that had come into her path. It was a very small, cute, gray kitten. Maryn smiled hearing its little meows. Maryn walked calmly up to the kitten as not to scare it. However, it didn't look frightened at all. Actually, the kitten looked very friendly as it walked closer to Maryn. She smiled now standing over the kitten. It's little body continued to meow and Maryn only smiled. "Poor thing." She said out loud. "Do you have an owner?" Maryn continued not knowing why she was asking a kitten a question like that. Maryn looked around her, but saw no one. She was not yet stirckly inside the village. No, Maryn was still walking a path in the woods towards the village. Maryn gave a sad face to the little kitten. She sighed picking the kitten up and holding it in her hands. Maryn smiled at the tiny cat as it purred. She held it close to her stomach as Maryn started to walk again. Maybe if she brought the kitten to the village someone would claim ownership of it. Maryn laughed as the cold little kitten began to play with the rim of her red sweater. "Come now kitty be good." Maryn joked walking closer to the village.

Maryn reached the village itself as she continued to kick around the orange leaves as she walked. She really wasn't trying to move them, they were just in her way. She looked at the kitten in her arms who seemed to be tired and falling asleep. Maryn gave it a small smile and walked on. She walked into the small crowd in the village. Maryn saw a couple of her friends and she gave them all greetings as she walked. She even stopped to ask a few people if they knew anything about the kitten in her arms, but no one seemed to know about the baby. Maryn felt a sharp breeze over take her. She stood still for a moment feeling the iciness over take her. Maryn glitched in near pain for the icy gust. Maryn felt the kitten stirring in her arms. The wind must have woken the poor thing up. It was purring for warmth and Maryn really wasn't helping it with her little bit of heat. Maryn decided that she would have to go in to a store. She didn't think the owners would mind too much if she walked in with a little kitten in her arms and didn't let it move. Besides, Maryn could ask if they knew anything about it. Maryn walked further down the street searching for a cafe or store to enter.

Five minutes later, Maryn entered a store that she was very familiar with. The Dancing Unicorn it was called. Maryn sighed nearing it and opening the door. She heard the familiar cling of the bell as she entered with the kitten in hand. Maryn walked over to the counter, first. She smiled at a familiar waitress. "Hey Tracy." She said calmly. "Maryn." The girl greeted in her Irish accent. "Um, have you ever seen this kitten before? I found her in the woods." Maryn explained showing the shivering kitten in her arms. Tracy shook her head. "Sorry, no." She said calmly. "Oh, well." Maryn sighed. "You want a table Maryn? There's one with a cute boy at it right over there." Tracy said pointing to the table. Maryn didn't look over it the boy. She only shook her head. "Um, no." She started shivering a bit. "I don't think I'm ready for a boy after.." She started, but them Maryn stopped herself. "Um, no, but thanks." She corrected. "C'mon Maryn. Cheer up." Tracy insisted. "Look, I'll bring you a coffee and a cookie and you can keep that kitten warm." She continued. Too cold to decline, Maryn finally gave. "Fine." She said releasing a breath. "Good." Tracy smiled. "I'll bring you that coffee then." She sai d turning to go get a cup. Maryn sighed turning around to the table Tracy had talked about.

She started walking to the table as Maryn noticed the boy sitting there. Wait, she knew him. Yes, that was Baz, right? Oh yea! Maryn remembered now. Baz was a year older than her, Gryffindor. Maryn smiled. He is cute. Maryn thought to herself remembering Tracy's comment. Maryn looked at the still cold kitty in her arms as she walked. She had to look a bit odd. Maryn was just walking over to an older boy with her nearly winblown hair and holding a kitten. Well, actually her hair looked rather nice all wavy. Maryn's cheeks were a rosy pink from the coolness of October. She was wearing her favorite red sweater that was actually new. Mercy had forced Maryn to get rid of her old sweater so she replaced it was a slightly slimmer one that was warm and cute with its V neck. Maryn wore a pair of cacki pants and boots along with her old Maryn accessories. She wpre black and white checkered heart earrings and a red bracelet given to Maryn by her little brother Tommy. Maryn smiled at the braclet walking over to Baz. "Hi, um Baz, right?' She asked knowing she was right. "I'm Maryn and I was wondering if I could sit here with you?" Maryn smiled a bit actually feeling rather shy for no known reason. "Well, actually Tracy told me to." Maryn said turning and smiling at Tracy who winked at het as to say. "Go for it!" Maryn looked at the kitten still in her arms. "Oh and have you seen this kitten before? I found her in the woods." Maryn asked as she stood waiting for Baz to answer. Maryn gave a shy smile. Why was she so fricken shy? Oh well.

[hotfrenchguy]

Hot chocolate always tasted a little different each time Baz tried it. When he made it at home, he sometimes made it completely wrong and it came out with an icky, sickly skin on top. Childish he knew, but he never drank the hot chocolate with skin- even once the skin was removed. Often he added too much chocolate powder, in which case he never thought to simply add some more milk but always began again. Or he just made it wrong, no particular reason why- it just didn’t taste right. The hot chocolate he was holding right now, however, was perfect. It was creamy but not too sweet, chocolaty but not too much, and the temperature was just perfect for drinking. He did so and once he’d had enough, with about a quarter of it gone, he self-consciously dabbed his upper lip with a napkin, afraid for the infamous ‘chocolate-moustache’. About two years or so ago he wouldn’t have cared at all if he had the moustache. But now, he did care.

Folding the used tissue up he let it fall onto the polished oak table gently. Although not very good at art, Baz knew what was good and what wasn’t and the tissue reminded him of something. He was in his first year, moving on to his second and just in the Christmas holidays at home. His parents, Araine and Baz himself were visiting an art museum in London. Araine and Sebastian had acted childishly for almost the whole trip which annoyed their parents enough so they split from their children and planned to meet up in time. Araine and Baz went their own way- Sebastian was 12 at the time and Araine only 6, but they had had a close relationship even then and Baz was always doing something silly to make his little sister laugh loudly. The two came to an empty, four-white-walled room. In the centre of the white floor was a small white table. Upon this table was a fruit bowl, with a pile of scrunched up tissues inside it, lying messily beside each other. For some reason Sebastian had found this abstract artwork fantastic, and had studied the tissues for a while. He had no explanation for why he loved it but finally settled on this- it was different. Even though anyone could probably scrunch up a few tissues and fling them into a bowl, it was just the idea of making art like that which touched Sebastian.

After remembering this memory he glanced up as a voice came from nearby. He looked up at a roughly familiar face without expression, but smiled welcomingly as he took in the female before him. She was pretty, but her face looked slightly withdrawn, though since Sebastian didn’t know her maybe she always looked like that. He grinned at her, pleased someone finally came over- and since he had recently improved on the ‘talking-to-girls’ level, Baz was interested to talk. He took in her style with one glance and gave her a 10 for her clothes. She seemed like that tissue-artwork he’d seen. Different- in a great way. The red jumper suited her slim figure perfectly, and Sebastian looked with interest at the tiny kitten which nestled deep into the jumper. It was completely adorable. Sebastian needed a new pet- his old owl Roman had recently gotten just too slow and stupid to send regular weekly trips to Araine, and he’d ‘retired’ in the Hogwarts owlery.

“Hey Maryn.” He said in a friendly tone, after being momentarily surprised she knew he was called Baz- most of his just close friends called him that. “Great- I’d love company. You like blueberry muffins? If so, help yourself. I hate the things, the waitress gave me the wrong order but I’m just too pathetic to explain to her.” He laughed a little at this, before cocking his head a little at her comment. The waitress made her come over- why did she do so? He glanced behind the counter just in time to catch the wink, and grinned at Maryn with a brow raised. It was one of those girly things- go up to that boy kind of thing. Was he right? He smiled a little sheepishly before glancing at the kitten again. “Never seen it before… but if you don’t find the owner I’d love to ‘adopt’ it. My owl just gave in and I was looking for a new pet… and that kitten is so adorable” He smiled and extended a finger to the kitten, who cautiously stuck out it’s tiny pink tongue and licked the tip of his finger before hiding in Maryn’s arms once more.

[Maryn Livley]

Maryn let out a little smile as Baz told her to sit. Maryn knew Baz stood for something, but she had forgotten what. That's why she just had to call him Baz. Hmm, oh yea! It stood for Sebastian! Now, Maryn remembered. She glanced at the little gray kitten as she took a seat at the table. Maryn laughed as Baz told her that the waitress had brought him the wrong order. "Oh, sorry about that." She said talking about her blatant laugh. "Um, actually I don't like blueberry muffins, but I'll get Tracy to get you your right order. She kinda does that sometimes..on purpose." Maryn said letting her last two words be very soft. She sighed looking over at Tracy. Tracy thought Baz was cute so she had given him the wrong order hoping it would take longer for him to get it and in the end making his stay longer. Or at least that is what it seemed like to Maryn. "Tracy!" Maryn called at the Irish waitress she had befriended over the years. "Maryn Erica Livley what do you want?" Tracy pretended to be strict before she winked at Maryn and laughed. Tracy walked over to the table gracefully even though that was so un-Tracy like. Maryn crossed her arms pretending to look mad for a brief moment before she let out a laugh. “Tracy Burton, did you or did you not give this young man the wrong order?” Maryn asked smiling all the while. “Yes I did Mary Dearest.” Tracy said blurting out a stupid nickname as Maryn grinned. “I’ll get him the right order. What was it again?” Tracy asked Baz, but then she turned to the counter. “Oh, well I’ll wing it.” She said sighing and leaving.

Maryn laughed at Tracy left. “Well, that’s Tracy for you. She’s crazy, unpredictable and yet a pretty good friend of mine. Oh well, I like people that have a different view on life and Tracy certainly does.” Maryn said looking at Tracy scrambling for the order. Maryn then looked over to Baz. Maryn let out a small frown as Baz said he had never seen the kitten before, but she couldn’t help smiling when he said he would adopt it if they couldn’t find the owner. “Really?” She asked clenching the cute little kitten in her arms. “That would be great!” Maryn said even managing a squeal. She laughed at herself for a moment. “Oh sorry for that, but year you should. I think maybe this thing was born in the woods and maybe it doesn’t have a human family.” Maryn said smiling at the kitten in her arms. “I was going to take her back to Hogwarts anyways to find someone to keep her.” Maryn sighed. “I would keep her myself, but I have an owl, Morgen.” Maryn smiled as the kitten licked Baz’s finger. “You know this little thing does need a name.” Maryn announced watching the little kitten try and fall asleep in her arms. “Any ideas?” She asked calmly.

Tracy walked over to the table a few moments later. She held a tray full of an assortment of muffins in her hand. “I forgot what kind you ordered so I brought all of them.” She said eying Maryn. Tracy placed that tray on the table in front of Maryn in Baz. “Ok, you pick out which type you want. I’ll take that.” Tracy said snatching up the uneaten Blueberry Muffin. She then looked at Maryn. “And you take a Chocolate Muffin as you wanted. I’ll be back in a moment.” She informed the two. Tracy then swerved around leaving the two as they were. Maryn smiled at the kitten still nestled in her arms. Maryn looked at Baz. “You wanna hold her?” Maryn asked pointing to the little kitten in her arms. “I think she is possibly the cutest living thing on the planet.” Maryn said smiling at the kitten as she licked Maryn’s finger a couple of times. Maryn sat waiting for baz to respond to everything she said.