No Need for Nerves ((Vanessa))

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself for the tenth time. Too yellow, he thought as he pulled the t-shirt over his head and put on another one. The pile of clothes on his bed was growing as he searched for just the right outfit. He felt stupid, knowing that this wasn't his usual routine for getting ready. Normally, he grabbed whatever clothes were balled up on the floor, but not today. Not that he necessarily felt the need to impress Vanessa, but he just didn't want to look stupid. He had used the term 'hang out' pretty loosely when he asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him, but he was almost certain it was a date... wasn't it? What else was there to call it? Regardless of what they labeled it, Jeremiah knew that he had been looking forward to the weekend and getting to spend more time getting to know Vanessa.

Finally, deciding on a gray polo with navy blue stripes, Jeremiah ran his fingers through his hair one last time, just to fix the areas that were sticking up from putting on one shirt after another. With his wand and the little money that he had tucked safely in the pocket of his jeans, Jeremiah was out the door and on his way to the Hufflepuff common room. While he walked, he pondered what they might do in Hogsmeade. There was always the easy choice of The Three Broomsticks or the Hog's Head. But maybe Vanessa didn't really feel like a drink. They could stop at Honeydukes or Zonkos, he thought. Then, the whole idea of having a plan no longer seemed like a good idea. Jeremiah was just going to revert to his old ways of being random. He and Vanessa could just go with the flow. Whatever happened, happened. Right?

His thoughts had led him to the entrance of the Hufflepuff dorm without him even realizing it. Vanessa wasn't waiting outside yet, but he figured she'd be there soon. A little nervous, Jeremiah began pacing, his brain still going on overload. It was odd. He hadn't felt this nervous since he could remember. He had only known Vanessa for such a small time, but he couldn't seem to shake the butterflies.

Suddenly the door to the common room opened, and Vanessa emerged. With a large smile, Jeremiah greeted her. "Hey Vanessa," he said with a calm voice, hiding the nerves that churned inside. "I think I owe you something," he said out of nowhere, suddenly remembering that she had insisted on his last name when they last left each other. He hadn't planned on using that as his first topic of conversation, but he was glad it came to him. It seemed like a safe topic to start things off. Gradually he began to remain a little more calm. He just had to remember the last time he was with Vanessa and how easy that had been. He wasn't nervous then, so why be nervous now? After all, he'd thought that their last encounter was a successful one.

[Vanessa Baer]

Oh my darlin', knock three times on the ceiling if you want me. Twice on the pipes if the answer is no. Oh my sweetness, *ding* *ding* *ding* means you'll meet me in the hallway, twice on the pipe means you ain't gonna show. Vanessa sang along with the song that was playing from her music player. It was one of her favourites of all time and she enjoyed singing along with it. She moved to the music and continued to sing as she sifted through her trunk. She finally spotted a pair of jeans and a shirt that she liked and pulled them out. If you look out your window tonight, pulling the string of the note that's attached to my heart, read how many times I saw you, how in my silence I adored you and only in my dreams did that wall between us come apart. Within moments, Vanessa was dressed in jeans and a shirt with a black outline of a daisy against a yellow background on it. She grabbed her yellow corderoy jacket and then went on the search for her black chuck taylors. She got down on all fours and looked underneath her bed, aha! There they were. Oh, I can hear the music playing. I can feel your body swaying, one floor below me you don't even know me, I love you.

She laced them up and continued to sing, as the song wrapped up; she did so with her preparations. She ran a brush through her hair and then topped it off with her black fedora. Normally Vanessa wouldn't put so much effort into getting ready for Hogsmeade but today was... different and she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she didn't know what today was. Whether it was a date or just them hanging out, she wasn't sure which. Of course, she didn't think it mattered all that much - she liked the time she had spent with Jeremiah before, so she was certain today would be wonderful as well. ...twice on the pipe means you ain't gonna show. Vanessa finished the song with a smile and then flicked her wand and the music ceased. She grabbed her purse and made sure she had money, how could a teenage girl go to Hogsmeade without shopping? Vanessa left the dorm and made her way through the common room, stopping to chat with a dorm mate. She glanced at the clock and gasped, it was a little ater the time they were supposed to meet. Vanessa said her goodbyes and headed toward the portrait. When it opened, she smiled at the sight of Jeremiah.

"Hey, been waiting long? I was talking to a friend and I kind of got wrapped up in the conversation." She replied to his greeting with a calm and easy smile, though her stomach had suddenly turned to butterflies. She didn't really like butterflies, they were always so pretty yet they were so deceiving. Vanessa laughed as he said he owed her something, she nodded in agreement. "I believe you do, as I owe you. But first, let's go, I've been looking forward to this all week and I want to get it started."

[Jeremiah Baer]

"Nope, only a few minutes," Jeremiah answered. He had his hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket. The weather was still somewhat nice, even though winter was approaching rather quickly. He had debated on whether or not the jacket was even necessary, and decided to wear it just in case they were out late. At night it got much cooler.

Jeremiah began walking, leading the way out of the castle to where he and Vanessa would catch the carriage that would take them to the village. "It's Baer," he finally said. "My last name. But it's not spelled like the animal. The A and the E are switched around so that it is B-A-E-R. I'm not even quite sure what nationality it is," he admitted. He remembered when Vanessa had asked him about his first name when then were in the library. He figured she must have had a thing for names. When he thought about it, Jeremiah realized that there was a lot more in a name that what he ever assumed. Thinking about his for a moment, he figured it was a decent name. At least it didn't sound too ridiculous he thought. "So what's your last name?" he asked, trying to imagine what might sound good following the name Vanessa.

They were soon loaded into a carriage and on there way to Hogsmeade. Jeremiah watched out the window as they passed by many trees that had been stripped of their leaves by the wind. The mountains in the background were shadowed by the clouds that covered the sun's rays. He looked back at Vanessa as he waited for her to tell him her last name.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa's smile brightened, "Good, I would feel horrible if I had kept you waiting too long." When he started the walk to the carriages, she kept up with him; listening to him tell her his last name. When he spelt it out, her eyes got wide. "You're kidding." She said softly. "Well, I have this thing where I like to know names and their meanings, if you hadn't picked that up from before. I have a book at home that tells me practically anything and everything about names of every kinds. It's upsetting that I don't have it here." She said that bit in her normal voice, her mind still working as he asked her what her last name was. She grinned, and didn't answer until they had come upon the carriages. when they were inside, Vanessa fiddled with her hat wondering if it were a bit too much. She did love the hat though, and it did keep her head warm. She still hadn't answered his question about her name. It was odd really, or maybe she thought it was odd. Whatever the case....

"Bauer. That's Baer with a U between the A and the E." Her smile, which had dimmed some but not much, became bright once more and she glanced outside the window, she hated the coming of winter when it was grey like this. Vanessa sighed and then turned back to Jeremiah. "So, what should we do today? I haven't been to Hogsmeade since 5th year... oddly enough. I kind of lost touch with the whole going to Hogsmeade thing when... I decided to grow up a bit." She smiled softly and let silence follow for a moment before continuing on, "They still have Honeydukes, right? Because I could use some candy... some of their candy, rather." Was she rambling? She found she was. Hrum... why now do the nerves kick in? She had been just fine before, but the moment the carriage went off toward the village.

The carriage stopped, was the ride always that short? Vanessa pursed her lips in confusion and then nodded, "We're here." She climbed out of the carriage and looked at the village, it really hadn't changed any since she had been there last. Turning to look at Jeremiah, she grinned; "Where to first?"

[Jeremiah Baer]

"I'd like to see that book sometime," Jeremiah replied as Vanessa explained her interest in names and their meanings. She still hadn't shared her last name though, and Jeremiah was beginning to wonder if she either didn't hear him or was just ignoring the question. Regardless, he was becoming more and more curious to find out what it was and why she wasn't saying.

Then, when she told him her last name, it all made sense. He quickly made the connection that their surnames were so similar that Vanessa probably had already figured it out and thought it odd, which was why she waited so long to say. "Interesting," was the only thing that came out of Jeremiah's mouth at first. He thought about it for a second, but then let it go from his mind, realizing it was only a coincidence and nothing more.

"Yeah, Honeydukes is still around," he answered. He was fine with that being their first stop. Just like most guys, Jeremiah often thought of his stomach. A fem moments later, they had arrived at Hogsmeade. Jeremiah followed Vanessa out of the carriage and then answered her when she questioned where they should start. "Honeydukes sounds fine to me," he said in agreement. He really didn't have a preference. They could have went and sat on a rock for all he cared. He just wanted the chance to get to know Vanessa a little better and enjoy the time away from the castle and his recent slew of worries that seemed to cloud around him.

As they made their way to the store, Jeremiah began to wonder how he should continue the conversation. He felt somewhat silly, like he was actually nervous about the whole situation, but he just couldn't seem to shake the feeling. "What kind of candy do you like?" he asked, rolling his eyes at the mundane question when Vanessa wasn't looking. Surely he could have came up with something better, but his mind was too busy worrying to be able to properly control his mouth.

(( back after my 3 day break))

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa smiled when Jeremiah told her that Honeydukes was still around. “Good. I think I would die if it wasn’t. I love that place.” A breeze blew by and Vanessa shivered against the cold. She looked around the village and watched as some people went to and fro, to and fro. Some were holding parcels with bows on them and others were holding shopping bags and laughing with each other. That reminded Vanessa she needed to go Christmas shopping, maybe she could do that while they were there. If Jeremiah didn’t mind being dragged around everywhere. Vanessa walked with Jeremiah toward Honeydukes.

“What kind of candy do I like?” Vanessa bit the inside of her cheek and thought about it a moment, “Any kind. I love chocolate, and I love chocolate covered caramels. Gummi kinds are good as well. Especially the bears, I used to think they were too cute to eat. But now they’re too good to not eat.” She grinned and opened the door to the shop, welcoming the warmth. Turning to look over her shoulder at Jeremiah, she linked her arm through his and started to look through the candies. There were so many of them, and she couldn’t focus on which kinds she wanted. Her mind was trying to slow down so she didn’t get a migraine later on. She was so excited and so nervous at the same time.

“How about you, Mr. Baer?” She turned her gaze to him as she picked up a package of sugar quills, “What’s your favourite types of candy?” With her eyes on him, she pulled a bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans down from the shelf.

[Jeremiah Baer]

As Vanessa began to list her favorite candies, Jeremiah wondered if that was such a good topic after all. They would both be so hungry from thinking about candy that they might get carried away when the finally got to the store. "I can't say that I don't like any of those," he commented after Vanessa finished her list.

They soon arrived at the store, and Jeremiah followed close behind Vanessa as she entered and quickly began looking through the isles. Vanessa seemed so energetic, yet oddly enough, her high spirits made Jeremiah more relaxed, if that was possible. Then however, he was stunned when, out of nowhere, Vanessa wrapped her arm through his and continued on shopping, finally turning to ask him a question.

"I, uh... I like candy," he stammered. Quickly realizing what she was asking Jeremiah added immediately, "My favorite kind would have to be fizzing whizbees." The last words that came out of Jeremiah's mouth barely registered in his mind. All he could think about was Vanessa's arm that was interlocked with his at the moment. He had to snap out of it, figuring Vanessa might find his grin and staring of into space a bit odd. Smiling, he looked back at her with a million things running through his mind. Granted, it was a small thing, and he didn't mind it at all, but he couldn't help but think of what it meant. He didn't see just any random friends linking arms when they were together. Well, maybe not anyone besides younger girls who always seemed to swarm together and skip everywhere they went. Maybe this really was a date, he thought; even if they hadn't officially called it that.

Finally, Jeremiah got over his thoughts and realized he shouldn't be making such a big deal about it. He was going to start looking like a moron if he didn't snap out of it and just enjoy his time with Vanessa. "Bertie Botts are great too though," he said, now in a normal state of attention as he looked at the bag Vanessa was holding. "But you can't get out of here with some traditional chocolate frogs," he added, leading Vanessa to the chocolate section where he picked up a box of frogs. "Anything else you need to get, before we continue our shopping elsewhere?" he asked. "I figure we can make a final stop at Three Broomsticks once we've visited everywhere we need to go." The idea seemed like it was a good one, at least for now. Hopefully he hadn't been too obvious in making a big deal about her linking arms with him.

((LOL... ok, I apologize for the corniness of Jeremiah's thoughts and such.... I just couldn't help it! ))

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa tore her eyes from the candy and looked at Jeremiah as he seemed to stammer at her question. He finally realized what she had asked and answered the question with a better answer. Vanessa’s contagious smile formed on her face at it, “I like those, too.” She replied, wondering what could possibly have him spacing. She looked down at her arm which was interlocked with his and it dawned on her that she had in fact linked arms with him. Vanessa grinned, that could be it. If he minded, would he tell her? She bit her lip and thought about that. Would he tell her or would he just let her be and then think about how much of a nuisance it was later on? She surely didn’t want the second one to happen, but she also didn’t want the first one to happen either. Swallowing her nerves and fears, Vanessa smiled brightly again and continued to pick out a few candies. She had some Bertie Botts Beans, and two sugar quills.

“Bertie Botts are amazing, especially if you are using them to play truth or dare with a bunch of friends. They never fail to be an interesting dare.” Vanessa was quite fond of the beans, but perhaps that was because she hadn’t gotten any of the nastier flavours just yet. She had yet to stumble upon vomit, which Aryeh had once when Vanessa had brought home a bag with her. Aryeh declared then that he wouldn’t ever touch any wizarding candy. Vanessa had complained, saying wizarding candy was ten times better than muggle candy; but he wouldn’t let up so she gave up. Now, as she placed some fizzing whizbees in the bag, she looked up at Jeremiah as he was talking about chocolate frogs. “Oh, yes. Chocolate frogs are a must have. They are the best treat in the world, if you can catch them of course.” Vanessa picked up two of those and placed them in the bag. Taking one final look around the shop, she shook her head and looked back at Jeremiah.

“Nope, I think I’m finished here. And I think that idea is brilliant. I need to do some Christmas shopping, and I rarely come to Hogsmeade. It’s the only place I can buy something Aryeh doesn’t already have, or my parents for that matter.” Vanessa narrowed her eyes at the thought of all three of the people she considered her family being spoiled. Yes, they were most definitely spoiled. Aryeh with his twelve guitars, two pianos, and his own drumset; and her mother with her own studio and many painting materials. Her father was probably the most spoiled with the whole field of sunflowers in his background which he takes more pride in than anything. During the summer holidays, the Bauer house was filled with sunflowers in vases everywhere.

After paying for everything, they broke out to the cold air once more. Vanessa looked around and spotted a shop that she knew she could something for her mum in. She turned to Jeremiah, “I need to get something for my mum, but if you don’t want to go – I can come back later on and get it. It’s at Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop.” Vanessa nodded toward the shop that sold stationary items. “My mum loves art and she loves to write letters to family, especially me. Stationary would be a great gift for her…”

((Haha, don’t apologize for it. Vanessa was a bit paranoid. ))

[Jeremiah Baer]

"Oooh, Bertie Botts," Jeremiah said as thought back to his first experience with them. "Wouldn't you know that the very first time I had one, it turned out to be rotten eggs. I can't say I've much liked eggs after that." He made a bitter face and then followed Vanessa to the front of the store where they checked out and were on their way.

Not far, Vanessa saw a store that she said might have something to suit her mother. "That's fine," Jeremiah said agreeably. "I really have no agenda. No Christmas gifts to buy either," he explained. "And since you haven't been here for a while, I don't mind going wherever you'd like to go. I don't know that I'll be much help picking out gifts, but I don't mind tagging along just for the fun." He smiled and allowed Vanessa to lead the way. "So do you have a big family?" Jeremiah asked, curious about the type of background Vanessa came from.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa grinned happily as Jeremiah agreed to go into the store, saying he hadn’t any agenda at all. She started in the direction of the shop and thought about exactly what she was going to get her mum. “Well, I don’t know. I’m sure you’d be a huge help when it comes to picking something out for Aryeh… I can never think of what to get him…” She grinned lopsidedly at that. Aryeh was hard to shop for. It wasn’t like she could get him anything musical because he owned everything musical there ever was invented. She couldn’t get him too many magical things or his brothers might start asking about them. She sighed at the memories of her aggravation when it came to buy him something.

They reached the shop just as Jeremiah asked her about her family. Vanessa looked at him and smiled before opening the door and walking in. Once inside, she looked around the shop and then headed into an aisle that looked like it might contain something at least half way decent. “My family… well there’s only the three of us. My mum, Carol, my dad, Lonnie, and me. However,” Vanessa looked at a box with a picture of the stationary on it. She shook her head at it, knowing it wasn’t good enough. Her eyes flittered to another stationary set and she looked at that before concluding her thoughts, “there is Aryeh, who I’ve mentioned often and probably haven’t explained who he is.” She set that stationary down and then turned to look at Jeremiah.

“He lives next door to us; he’s a couple of years older than me and has always seemed to be an older brother. He’s more a part of our family than his own, though.” Vanessa smiled as she plucked a stationary kit off the shelf without even looking, “This is the one.” She didn’t look at it as she placed it on the counter in front of the witch. She paid for it and then turned to Jeremiah as they left the shop. “What about you…? Big family? Or one of those families that are so small they are so… foreign to each other?”

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah bit his lip as he pondered how he could help if he didn't really know this Aryeh person that Vanessa spoke about. Saying nothing of the matter for now, Jeremiah followed behind Vanessa, walking into the quill shop.

She then started to answer his question about family, indicating she had a father and mother. It seemed average enough, that is, until she explained who Aryeh was. It turned out that he wasn't even blood related. Jeremiah thought that the situation must have been unique, and figured if they thought of him as part of the family, there was nothing wrong with that. Through the years, Jeremiah had learned that the word 'family' had little concrete meaning anyways; or at least to him it did. "That's cool," he finally said. "I bet it's nice that you have someone there then, just so that you don't always find yourself alone and bored," he said, speaking from experience.

As Vanessa found what she wanted, they again found themselves at another check-out counter. The time was going by so quickly as the two of them conversed and shopped together. At least Jeremiah thought it was passing fast. Then, after she finished telling about her family, she asked about his. Jeremiah knew that his bringing up family would lead to this, but he thought it was best to talk about it now. It might have been an odd topic to address later, he thought. And at least with him initiating this topic of conversation, he could be prepared to talk about it.

"Well, I don't have much of a family," he said, biting a small piece of his bottom lip. "You see, I have two sisters, but they both are older than me. They haven't lived at home for a few years now. We don't talk much, just because we were never that close." He started walking toward the exit, and then he opened the door for Vanessa. They walked out into the street again before he continued.

"My mom died just after I was born, so I never really knew her. She was a witch though; responsible for my magical blood that only I inherited out of her three children. And then, there's my father. I lived with him my whole life. For the past few years, it was just the two of us. But we weren't really that close either. We did things... occasionally, but once my sisters were out of the house, the two of us just pretty much lived our own independent lives in the same house." He paused for a moment, before concluding. "Then, just this summer, my dad had heart-failure. He died in the hospital, and so I have been on my own since then." Jeremiah made sure he said the last part with as little emotion as possible. He truly had gotten over his father's death for the most part, so he didn't want Vanessa to think it was a tough topic for him. Lately, he had been the most driven and focused in his life. He finally was starting to see where he wanted to go, even if it all seemed so overwhelming at the time. "So that's pretty much all there is to know about my family though. I have some grandparents, but I don't see them very often either." He kept walking, and noticed Zonko's just ahead. "Need to stop there?" he asked, pointing to the store.

[Vanessa Baer]

((You can ignore the bolded parts.))

Vanessa raised an eyebrow, "I'm hardly ever bored, Jeremiah. If I have pen and paper, a piano or a guitar, I'm good and dandy." Vanessa looped her arm through the hole in the bag that she was given and then smiled brightly as they left the shop. She was about to make a comment about music, when Jeremiah answered her question. She listened carefully as they walked around Hogsmeade. When he told her about his father, Vanessa's eyes lost a little bit of light. She looked down at her feet which had stopped moving and then looked back up at Jeremiah, "I'm sorry. All I've ever known is having a family, but I didn't like them much when I was younger. I couldn't imagine if..." She bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't know what to say. Vanessa was rarely, if ever, at a loss for words. And it was now that was one of those rare moments. When she did have nothing to say, Vanessa always found a way to link it to music. Shaking her head at his Zonko's question and running to catch up to him she said, "That's why I love music."

"Music makes all worries go away. Because you can just sing and play and sing and play and you won't ever have to stop unless you want to. All your feelings can pour into one single song and you can keep them there, never to return to your heart or mind or wherever they came from. Ever." Vanessa, to accent her point grabbed Jeremiah's hand and pulled him toward a shop which she had visited often in the years before her fifth. She pushed open the door, and walked in remembering the smell of the music shop. Heading straight for the piano in the back, Vanessa continued to pull him to the piano. She sat him down on the bench and then took a seat next to him. She took the bag off her wrist and then smiled at Jeremiah before placing her fingers on the keyboard. "Stand up straight, do your trick turn on the stars. Jupiter shines so bright when you're around. They tell us slow down. We're too young we need to grow. Speeds the key. But they don't know who we are." Her fingers danced over the piano as she continued to play, "And who's to say that we're not good enough? And who's to say that this is not our love? Mother don't tell me friends are the ones that I lose. Cos they bleed before you and sometimes family are the ones you choose. It's too late now. I hold on to this life I've found. And who's to say we won't burn it out? And who's to say that we won't sink it down? Who's to say that we won't stay together? Who are they anyway? Anyway, they don't know. And they say we're too young but maybe you're too old to remember. And I try to pretend but I just feel it when we're together. And if you don't believe me then you never really knew us. You never really knew."

Vanessa cast a sideways glance at Jeremiah as she shifted her right foot to the middle pedal and continued to play, if she was boring him that was fine. He could get her back later. She wanted to prove a point, and this was the only way she could do it. "You and I packing up my room it feels all right. But we're not welcome to. We'll be driving cos they don't know who we are. Who's to say that we won't stay together? And who's to say that we aren't getting stronger? Who's to say I can live without you? Who are they anyway? Anyway? They don't know. And you say we're too young but maybe you're too old to remember. And I try to pretend but I feel it when we're together. Who's to say? Who's to say? And who are they anyway? Stand up boy, I shine so bright when you're around." Vanessa's fingers hovered over the keys and then she pulled her hands back and turned to Jeremiah, "That was the song I was working on in the library. I finally finished it and you said you wanted to hear me sing and play. However, it was just pure luck that it tied in with what I was telling you. Before I had some type of emotion built up inside of me I couldn't continue it. I just couldn't finish it." She didn't tell him which emotion, although it had been anger toward adults and how they keep telling teenagers or young adults that their love isn't real, it couldn't be.

Vanessa stood from the bench and then grabbed the bag before smiling and pulling Jeremiah up from the bench as well, "Now, you're a guy. Tell me, what do guys want for Christmas from their best friend that happens to be a girl and would much rather give them a dollie or something?"

((She sang. Yeah. I put the whole song in there. Uh huh. But I had to. Otherwise it would bother me. If you read the whole thing *gives cookies* you have patience.))

[Jeremiah Baer]

Music, he thought. Right when Jeremiah was not really thinking about what he was doing, since he had been pondering what Vanessa said, she grabbed him and led him away from Zonko's into another store that he quickly realized was actually a music store. With a small grin, he was led to a piano in the back of the store. Vanessa sat him down next to her and then began playing and singing.

For a few minutes, Jeremiah just listened. He listened to the tune that resonated from the piano, and he listened to the words that Vanessa sang. She really did have a lot of talent. He was glad he finally got to hear her play and sing. "Thanks," he said simply, after she explained it had been the very song she was working on in the library when they first started talking. The words still echoed in his head, but then Vanessa was standing again, asking him another question.

"Oh, um, well that's hard to say. I mean, I've never really had a best friend who was a girl. You can't go wrong with food though," he said with a grin. "Or, figure out what his favorite hobby is. Just stay away from clothes... unless he is the type that likes to be fashionable." Jeremiah bit his lip. It was hard to think of what he might want from a best friend who happened to be a girl. In fact, it was hard for him to imagine having a best friend who was a girl. Shrugging, he looked back at Vanessa, wondering if he had been any help at all. It was tough, not knowing the situation and not knowing Aryeh.

[Vanessa Baer]

"Weeeell..." Vanessa dragged out as she steered him away from the piano. "Aryeh is very musical, possibly more so than I am. Name an instrument he can play it." She bit her lip and then brought Jeremiah to a drum set. "I can only play guitar and piano well, Aryeh is the opposite. He can play everything!" Vanessa exclaimed as her fingers slid across the cymbal. She turned around quickly, making the cymbal clang a little. Her hand grasping Jeremiah's she pulled him over to the guitars, "I suppose he could always use a new guitar, couldn't he? Although... he already has three. No. Perhaps not. Hmm..." She was quite aware that she was bouncing around from instrumet to instrument, but she didn't care. Well, maybe she did a little. Maybe she did care what Jeremiah thought of her. She bit her lip again and then nodded, "I'll just get him a package of personalized sheet music."

With a small sigh, she dropped Jeremiah's hand and made her way to the desk. There she ordered 500 sheets of sheet music with Aryeh McKenzie printed in swirly font with red gold lettering. Knowing he'd like it, considering it was practical and caring, she payed for it and gave the address the mail was to be shipped to. "Clothes were a good idea, though, at least then he would stop stealing my hats." Vanessa grinned at Jeremiah and then opened the door to leave the shop. Once they were outside, Vanessa looked around the village. "You know, my dad can wait. He'd be happy with a song that I wrote for him. He doesn't need a material item." She put her hand on her hat and looked at Jeremiah, "Do you need to get anything?"

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah watched as Vanessa moved from one instrument to another, all the while explaining the difference between hers and Aryeh's musical abilities. It was somewhat amusing to watch her go from one idea to the next, concerning Aryeh's gift. Finally, when she decided on the personalized sheet music, Jeremiah nodded in agreement. "Very neat idea," he told Vanessa as she paid for the music. "I'm sure Aryeh will love it. Jeremiah smiled back at her as the two walked out of the store and returned to the streets of Hogsmeade with Vanessa talking more about Aryeh and how he seemed to take her hats. The conversation quickly changed to her father as she pondered the idea of writing him a song for his gift. "If the song sounds even half as good as the one you just played in there, I don't see how he would want anything else."

When Vanessa asked if he needed to get anything, Jeremiah thought for a second. "Well, I don't really need anything," he began, "but there is a place I think you might enjoy." During the few weeks of summer that Jeremiah was without a home, he spent a lot of time in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. He had got to know the areas pretty well as a result and found many interesting shops and stores that he had not known about before. One particular place that he remembered finding in Hogsmeade was small cafe called Sharp's Diner. Hidden in a rundown back alley, Jeremiah only discovered it when he heard music and followed the source of the sound. From the outside, the building looked abandoned, but once he went inside, he remembered the welcoming aroma of home-cooked food, the sound joyful chit-chat, and plenty of laughter. At the time, a small three-person band was playing a soft-rock song. The atmosphere was enjoyable and the food even better. Vanessa would surely love it, he thought.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned his attention back to Vanessa. "Follow me," he said with a smile as he took her hand and headed toward the alley in which he remembered finding the diner. Now he was the one doing the leading instead of Vanessa.

Maneuvering through the crowd of the village's main street, Jeremiah kept hold of Vanessa's hand. Eventually, they made it to the deserted alley where the cafe could be found. "Welcome to Sharp's Diner," he said, holding his hands up as if presenting Vanessa with a prize or something. He wondered what she was thinking, judging by the dingy exterior of the building. "What's inside is much better," he said reassuringly. "Come on, it'll be fun." He grabbed her hand again and went to the door. Posted, a sign on the door read: OPEN MIC TODAY. "Oh, it will be more than fun!" he added after seeing the sign. Jeremiah gave a big smile and raised his brow as he led Vanessa into the building. "Seating for two please," he said to the witch who waited by the door to seat customers.

[Vanessa Baer]

With a bright grin to Jeremiah, Vanessa thought about that. Would the song be anything like that? Probably not. It would probably be something with a hidden meaning behind it. But Vanessa didn’t want to think about that when she was out with Jeremiah. She knew it would bring her mood down considerably. Vanessa sent Jeremiah a suspicious look when he said there might be some place she would enjoy. “All right…” she said slowly, her eyes still on her friend. “Let’s say I thought you were on to something. Does this place involve food, because I’m starved and while I love Honeydukes candy… it’s not a very fit meal.” Vanessa rubbed her stomach lightly with a starved look in her eye. Before she could ask anymore questions, though, Jeremiah had grabbed her hand and was leading her to some alley. Soon they had arrived at a place Jeremiah called Sharp’s Diner. Vanessa looked past him at the building. She turned back to Jeremiah with raised eyebrows, “This is a place you thought I would like?” she asked with a slightly amused smile on her face. “Well, I must say Mr. Baer, you sure do know how to charm a girl.”

With an apprehensive look in her eyes, Vanessa allowed herself to be dragged up to the building. Before entering the diner Jeremiah stated it would be more than fun. She glanced at the sign on the door and her eyes widened. “You can’t mean… Jer… I can’t…” she protested weakly. Although Vanessa sang for people it was never more than two at a time. She had a horrible case of stage fright and it had been that way for as long as she could remember. Shoving the thought of performing in the back of her mind, Vanessa followed Jeremiah into the building. Jeremiah asked for seating for two and they were soon shown to a small table. Vanessa grinned, still feeling slightly nervous with Jeremiah’s words only seconds before. When they were both seated, Vanessa looked at him from across the table. “Alright, what do you recommend? After all, this is your diner… or at least… you’ve eaten her more than I have by at least one time.”

[Jeremiah Baer]

Vanessa didn't seem too keen on the idea of the open mic, but Jeremiah knew he wouldn't force her to sing if she didn't want to. It would be her decision. Shortly after they were seated, she asked his opinion for her order. "Well," he said, stalling for a moment as he re-familiarized himself with the menu. "Their burgers aren't the greatest, so I would stay away from them. Other than that, everything else I have had was pretty good. The grilled chicken is great, and the pasta alfredo is good too. Actually, I think I might just get them both! Grilled chicken alfredo... yup, sounds like a meal." Before Vanessa had much time to respond, the waitress came to take their order. Jeremiah told her what he would be having and then looked to Vanessa. "Need a bit more time to decide perhaps?" he questioned, not wanting her to feel rushed. Apparently she was ready to order though, and when they were done the waitress took their menus and left to put their order in with the cook.

Just about this time, one of the other customers had made their way to the open stage. It was a small stage that had a dusty looking piano, a stool, and a microphone. A faint light filtered through the dim atmosphere and shown on the person. They took a seat at the piano and started playing a soft song. It was nice background music, Jeremiah thought.

"That could be you," he said with a teasing grin as he looked across the table at Vanessa. "Of course, if you don't want to, I understand. You would most likely be a hit though," he confirmed. Not wanting to seem forceful, he asked, "So how long have you been writing your own music anyways?" Either she had been at it for a long time, or she was just a natural. Whichever it was, Jeremiah had been impressed with what he had seen so far. It made him glad too that she was at least willing to sing and play in front of him.

[Vanessa Baer]

When out, Vanessa found that the easiest way to handle meals was to order the same thing as the person you were out with. Sometimes it didn’t work of course, but that never really bothered Vanessa. She would usually eat was right in front of her anyway. She bit her bottom lip and then glanced over the menu as Jeremiah spoke. She was about to say something when the waitress came up and asked if they were ready to order. Jeremiah ordered and then asked if she was ready to order as well. With a small sigh, she nodded, and ordered a salad with chicken. The waitress went off to place their orders and Vanessa smiled at Jeremiah before turning her gaze to the makeshift stage where the open mic was being held.

The music that was being played was soothing and Vanessa closed her eyes as she listened. She winced noticeably when the wrong key was pressed, though, and then sent a wounded smile in Jeremiah’s direction. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said with a smile on her face in regards to him saying that it could be her up there. It was an ironic saying considering the pianist had just hit the wrong key and it through the whole piece off. Vanessa knew what he meant though, and that was what mattered. “Perhaps I will. I just haven’t performed for anyone that isn’t outside my family or consider trustworthy.” She shrugged at that and smiled again, “No big deal.” She actually thought that singing and playing would be something fun to do, and she had no doubt she would be a hit. Was that cocky? Nah.

“How long have I been writing my own music?” Vanessa repeated as she looked back at the pianist on stage. “Since… I was seven? I can’t quite remember. See, my mum never let me out of the house when I was younger, so I searched the house for something to do. That was when I found the piano in the hidden room. I spent the rest of my days there just learning the keys, feeling the music, figuring out what fit and what didn’t. I actually wrote my own songs before I could read music. I memorized all the notes and melodies before I wrote it down. When my birthday came up I’d always ask for something to do with the piano. I was self taught.” She smiled and looked down at her hands, “And then I met Aryeh, who taught me everything he knew which just added to my genius.” The last bit was said in a joking tone, but the way she talked about her history with the piano just seemed to make her appear that way.

[Jeremiah Baer]

Jeremiah smiled when Vanessa did. Then, his smile widened when she said that she might perhaps play. Did she mean now, he wondered. He had been meaning right here on that stage, but he wondered if that was how she had interpreted his suggestion. That didn't matter though. If she played, she played, and if she didn't, he had already got his own private song from her. What he did catch though was that she said she hadn't performed for anyone outside of her family or anyone that she didn't consider trustworthy. Since she had played for him, he assumed she thought of him as being trustworthy since he obviously wasn't in her family. "Perhaps you should, then," he added with a nod. "Just think of it as expanding your boundaries a bit."

As Vanessa told him about starting to play and write music since she was seven, the waitress came back with their drinks. "Thanks," he said, taking his drink from her and then looking back to Vanessa. It was truly obvious that music was her passion. Jeremiah wondered if he could consider anything to be his passion. No. There was really nothing that he had that would be considered a passion of his. His mind trailed for a bit, but then came back when Vanessa again mentioned Aryeh. It was at least the third time or so that she had mentioned him. "So, this Aryeh," he said, almost instinctively, "you two seem pretty close. Was he, or is he, a love interest?" Jeremiah couldn't help but be blunt. If there was any possibility that Vanessa liked this guy, he needed to know. It wasn't that he would just up and leave, but he would at least start to accept the fact that maybe he had better reevaluate his motives for spending time with Vanessa. Jeremiah looked and waited for an answer, trying to seem as casual as possible with the question.

[Vanessa Baer]

Vanessa chewed on the inside of her cheek in thought and then shrugged, “Maybe. Well,” she said with a bright smile and a tilt of her head, “there’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?” It was as if she had just signed over her soul to the devil. She was going to play in front of people. It was a moment to remember, even though she was fairly sure she wouldn’t want to remember it after she was done performing. It was only a known fact that Vanessa was sure to mess up anything good that came her way by means of performing. Her eyes filtered back to the stage and then she closed her eyes, going through the songs she had written over the past years. She finally decided on one and then turned back to Jeremiah as the waitress returned. She took her drink and took a sip as she refreshed her memory of the song she had chosen. When Jeremiah asked about Aryeh being a love interest, Vanessa almost choked on her beverage. After a moment of regaining her composure, she shook her head. “No, no, jeeze no! Aryeh’s just a really good friend. He was the only one I was able to be friends with when I was younger. No… no love interest.” The question had caught her off guard and it made her wonder if Jeremiah was slightly jealous of Aryeh. Either way, she made a mental note to stay away from the topic of Aryeh.

The guy who had been playing and singing before, stepped down from the stage and Vanessa breathed in before sending Jeremiah a wicked smile, “If I pass out, I blame you and you’re responsible for getting me out of here.” She pushed her chair back and made her way to the stage. The knot in her stomach grew as she sat down at the bench and moved the microphone that was placed by the piano near to her. As her hands curled over the keys in the usual but odd position she played the piano in, Vanessa felt the knot disappear. Her fingers pressed on the keys and soon she was lost in the music, until the part to sing came up, then it was as if she were on auto pilot. “Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I’m homebound. Staring blankly ahead, just making my way… making my way through the crowd.” Her eyes closed as she continued, “And I need you, and I miss you, and now I wonder… If I could fall, into the sky, do you think time would pass me by? ‘Cos you know I’d walk a thousand miles if I could just see you… tonight.” The music flowed from her fingertips… it was almost as if all nerves she had were gone. Vanessa opened her eyes and looked over at Jeremiah with a smile before continuing, “It’s always times like these when I think of you and I wonder if you ever think of me. ‘Cos everything’s so wrong and I don’t belong living in your precious memories.”

The next minute she spent finishing up with the chorus and the bridge. As her voice died away and her fingers continued to play, she brought the music to an end. When she was done, she sat there, her hands on the piano and that was when she heard the applause and cheering. Vanessa looked up, surprised, and then smiled before hurrying off the stage to Jeremiah. “Good! Food! My stomach feels like I’ve swallowed a lump of lead.” She slid into her seat, “Never doing that again.” She said with a bright grin.