Dashing and Daring

[Lexi Knight]

Lexi watched as the quaffle, thrown by Austin, flew past her and away from the Quidditch pitch. Crap. She hoped, for the sake of both of them, that the ball hadn't gone where it looked like it was heading. The quaffle they had been playing with was the official one used for House matches; she had insisted on using it, because it handled better than the ones for public use. If it went into the Forbidden Forest, as she suspected, she was probably going to have to go to Headmistress Charmant and tell her that she had lost it.

She didn't look forward to that at all, even though Austin had been the one to throw it; she wasnt going to just throw him under the bus. She groaned, making her choice. If she didn't at least attempt to look for it, she would be kicking herself. Turning her Zwiffer toward the forest, the reckless Hufflepuff sped off, not worrying whether or not Austin was following her. Knowing him, though, he was probably close behind her.

Lexi hadn't seen the quaffle by the time she reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, so she braked, then guided her broom to the lush grass. She peered into the darkness of the trees, which seemed to be looming menacingly over her. This wasn't going to be pleasant, but it had to be done.

[Austin Callahan]

i

Quidditch happened to be one of the sixth year's true passions in everyday existence, a passion that meant he was unwilling to relent on matters concerning the sport and also that he was more tolerant of individuals who shared the same emotions. This shared interest, while temporarily connecting himself and the other person/s for a few moments more that he would usually allow, did not mean, however, that he wished to spend longer in the presence of his companion longer than he believed to be productive, or enjoyable. He wasn't that tolerant, unless the other person offered so much intrigue in their being that Austin found some small part of them to be irresistible.

Although a very vocal and social person in his nature, the boy kept only a few people that he considered to be close friends. While he wasn't the asshole that objected to having to breathe the same air as the 'unsavoury' types, he was definitely the asshole who was only too content to 'put people in their places' if it was required. His patience for people who didn't view life in the same perspective as himself was far thinner than the average, holding no qualms about projecting these issues to the person responsible.

A sound rang in his ears, disturbing him from his thoughts but also that of his reclining position upon the side of his new broomstick. Not being anywhere near concerned for the disappearance of the ball zooming around their heads, he'd failed to demonstrate any visible signs of caring about the aforementioned property. In his mind, if the girl wanted to retrieve the ball, that was her decision and he didn't intend to become involved in a needless panic over something that could so easily be replaced.

Flying swiftly downwards, one smooth motion from the boy saw the transition from the broom to the ground of the Quidditch Pitch. A further example of his apathy towards the 'situation.' Grinning to himself, he gradually wandered towards the forbidden arena, walking as casually as he would towards Potions class.

Once approximately in the same section of the forest as the over-eager Hufflepuff, he cleared his throat loudly, evidently enjoying the moment.

[Lexi Knight]

Lexi was still standing motionless at the edge of the forest when Austin sauntered up. It wasn't that she was afraid of the forest; not much scared her. It wasn't even the possibility of punishment holding her back. No, what held Lexi rooted to the spot at the edge of the forest was the fear of disappointing her professors; the look in any of their eyes, with the exception of maybe Professor Zacharias, was enough to give her pause. She carried on an argument with herself inside her head, trying to decide whether or not to actually break one of the major rules of Hogwarts. But I have to get the quaffle back! No, it's too dangerous! But Professor Charmant will be so upset! She'll be upset anyway if I go back and tell her that I lost the official quaffle... Sigh. She had to go get it.

Looking over at Austin, who was simply standing there nonchalantly as if none of this bothered him, she quirked the corner of her mouth up in a forced smirk. "So, uh, do you want to help me go find the quaffle?" She'd feel much better about this whole thing if she had a partner-in-crime, someone to take her mind off the look of disappointment she could already feel the Headmistress giving her.

[Austin Callahan]

Still lacking any concern for the situation, he took a few moments to himself, having ignored much of the actions of his own companion in the process of doing so, such was his frequent sense of self-involvement. Once satisfied with himself and his own well-doing, he briefly considered the girl standing several metres away from his own stance next to a rather tall-looking tree. Again, he purposely let the silence fall between them, wondering what thoughts were occupying Lexi's mind to the extent that she was quiet for once, although she was likely to make a similar observation about him. There were occasions where he retreated into his head and ignored those around him, but nobody could pretend that Austin didn't like the sound of his own voice.

Still no implementation of concern or anxiety came to the boy and he continued to look as pleased with himself as he would in the company of those who admired him. With no obvious source of entertainment, it could only be concluded that the changing moods of the female standing nearby were thoroughly amusing him. "Calm down, Knight. You'll have a heart attack. There'd be nobody to treat you, if you fell." He paused momentarily, to lean against the trunk of the large plant, adjusting his back to make the most of the opportunity afforded to him. "And if a Thestral comes, while you're in that condition, it'd probably eat you." A matter-of-fact tone for a situation that perhaps required a little more tact, but what more could she honestly expect?

His hand found itself once again roaming his messy hair, before he found time to glance back at the face of Lexi, sensing that she was inwardly panicking more than she'd openly admit to. How typical of a woman, he unconsciously voiced.

"Do I want to look for the Quaffle?" he repeated, as though this simple question was actually inciting a much deeper process of contemplation that it originally appeared. The smallest grin from himself, in turn to her attempts to comfort herself. "I can't say it's an offer I'm jumping at. I always thought that an offer from yourself to wander into the forest would involve much more enticing events." If she was going to panic, or silently stress about the retrieval of the lost school property, it was her prerogative, but he wasn't convinced. "No," he started, a smirk to match her own settling into his expression, conveying one of audacity and impudence. "I think I'll need more incentive to do that."

[Lexi Knight]

Lexi narrowed her eyes at Austin, and crossed her arms across her chest. "I'm not afraid, you know," she said straightforwardly, tilting her chin up in the prideful manner she had. In truth, the Sorting hat had a difficult time placing her in her first year. For three whole minutes, she sat on the stool, the hat arguing with itself over whether to place her in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff. Of course, in the end she was placed in Hufflepuff, her loyalty and devotion to those close to her winning out over her intelligence and bravery.

Typical boy! she though to herself. No concern at all! Austin wasn't all that typical, but some of the things he did might come across as such. Like the way he ran his fingers through his hair. She would never admit it to anyone other than herself, but the Slytherin boy certainly got under her skin. In more ways than one.

His next words stopped her thoughts dead in their tracks. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? The proposition was tempting, in light of her crush on Austin, but she could hardly believe that he was thinking about that at a time like this. She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Austin. You are such a boy. I just don't want to get in trouble with Professor Charmant or worse, Professor Shimizu. Have you ever been hit by her cane? It hurts. A lot. But fine, if you want to be that way, I'll go in by myself."

With that, she turned on her heels and stalked off into the forest.

[Austin Callahan]

The lightest scoff left his lips, with little hesitation, as his eyes met hers fully for the first time, as though examining her entire expression for some sign of fear, or other negative emotions. "Please, Knight. You'd never admit to being afraid, even if you were terrified. But you don't have to be openly frightened to demonstrate anxiety about something." Whilst it was almost the norm, perhaps even reinforcing old stereotypes, Slytherin students were infamous for their pride in every situation, but Lexi happened to be one of the students capable of channeling a fair bit of this emotion, without stepping into the green common room. "You're worried about what a few teachers think about a ball? I can't see the issue." No sign of deception from the sixth year, because, of course, he was conveying his true feelings regarding the matter.

A switch, in his visible expression, however, on noticing her reaction to his suggestions. If one could call them that, for the words he'd spoken were rather clear, hardly veiled at all, in their provocative language. Waiting her out, he chose not to speak, rather to accompany his former statements with an amused smirk, evidently just as carefree as he'd been several moments ago, before the onset of the journey into the Forbidden Forest.

"Of course I'm a boy. I'm male," he explained, taking longer than necessary to speak these few words, voicing each letter sound in a time allowance that implied she might be slower than most. "And yes. I think about that all the time. Not involving you," he clarified, although barely seeming concerned about the affect his speech might be inducing upon his only companion at the edge of the castle grounds. A look of conceit passed his features, closing much of the distance between their bodies. "But, I bet you do. But I'd bet that most of your sexual thoughts do include specific people. Me?" he guessed, clearly enjoying every moment of her emotional facade, although he much favoured awkwardness on people, something he was now attempting to cause in the girl.

Sensing that it would be unwise to let this same girl wander off by herself, without anyone else knowing where she was, he ventured after her. He wasn't cold enough to risk her life without a good reason.

[Lexi Knight]

As she stormed off into the Forbidden Forest, Lexi couldn't help but feel that Austin had hit the nail on the head. She had a crush on him, the Slytherin bad boy. Why did she have to want the worst possible person for her? More than likely, it was his devil may care attitude, like nothing ever bothered him. She was certainly confident in her own abilities when it came to most things, but when it came to people, her self esteem suffered. That, and she cared too much; hence the reason she was in this godforsaken forest.

She glanced over her shoulder to see if Austin was following her; he was. She slowed her pace so he could catch up with her. Four eyes were better than two when it came to finding things. When he caught up, Lexi pointed forward, off to her right slightly. "I think it went this way. It's so hard to tell from this angle." As she started walking again, she peered over at him. "You know, Callahan," she said, using his last name as Quidditch players were wont to do. "If you weren't trying so hard to make people feel awkward or to insult them, you might actually be fun to hang out with."

Her words probably wouldn't have any impact on him, they never seemed to. That didn't stop her from trying, however futile it might seem. Her mother had called that her greatest strength and weakness. On one hand, she put all her time and effort into the people she cared about, but she didn't know when to quit if they didn't reciprocate. Lexi shoved her hands in her pockets, still thinking to herself, as the forest seemed to loom over the two students.

[Austin Callahan]

It wasn't a difficult thing to figure out, or so he had always found, when interacting with individuals, which ones thought you to be attractive. But, there was a noticeable difference between those who were aware of those particular feelings and those who furiously denied them. The difference between those individuals who intended to act upon said feelings and those who never wanted to tell anyone about their 'secret' was also apparent. And of the Hufflepuff student standing a few metres ahead of him, the latter was extremely obvious. He'd never had to admit that he knew about these feelings, however, but the actions and words that proceeded to occur during their moments together was more than enough to confirm that he'd guessed about her emotions. And generally found them to be highly amusing.

He made no effort to quicken his pace to keep her in sight, so it was fortunate, perhaps for her a little more than himself, that she instead planned to maintain a short distance between them both. It had long escaped his memory that the reason for this unexpected venture into the forest was owing to the other's insistence to find the wretched Quidditch ball. The thought that they should be at least attempting to source this item had consequently left his head, only re-emerging as an idea when the younger girl pointed out a tree from the line they'd wandered past.

Not being entirely convinced at what she meant by her directions, he rolled his eyes, looking noticeably unimpressed with their adventure as of yet. "We're here and the Hufflepuff girl thinks of returning the ball?" His question was lined with a tone that made it clear that he found it somewhat pathetic that she was still focused on her original task. All of these opportunities in the midst of the castle grounds, he had no intention of wasting his time looking for her precious Quaffle. "I don't care where it went," he announced suddenly and bluntly, as though she was too slow to understand the message the first time. "I'm interested in enjoying myself, not assisting you on your mission to play the hero. Obviously, you get a kick out of being the good little girl."

Words that were clearly meant to provoke Lexi Knight. Words that he'd calculated beforehand that were certain to make her respond in a manner he'd hoped for. Something more entertaining and altogether more enjoyable than a rescue mission for a ball that was meaningless in every aspect. "I still suggest that we find another way to spend our time. We are alone, after all." His smirk returned to his lips, taking in her appearance, teasing her as prone to, in any given situation. Their proximity to various dangerous creatures and the unknown barely registered in his mind, having the perfect chance to proposition the fifth year for his own gratification.

[Lexi Knight]

A good little girl? Lexi rolled her eyes and stopped in her tracks, turning around and crossing her arms. "I'm a good little girl? First I 'borrowed' the Quaffle," she said, emphasizing the word borrowed. "Then, I decide to chase after it into the Forbidden Forest, which is, you know, forbidden. So on what planet does that make me the good girl?" She stood there, hip cocked to the side, and looked at Austin.

He was doing that thing he always did to everyone, pushing her buttons to get a reaction. She knew it, he knew it. The Hufflepuff had spent enough time with the Slytherin bad boy, on and off the field, to recognize it for what it was. That didn't mean it had no effect on her, just that knew it was happening. Sometimes she was able to ignore it, sometimes he completely got under her skin. This time, however, she was going to try and play his game. Lexi took two steps closer to Austin, arms still crossed, and looked at him with that sassy smirk she normally reserved for Quidditch matches.

"I'm the reason we're in here to begin with, Callahan. What do you say we do what I came in this dark forest for, and then after we can talk about what you want to do?" Pushing buttons wasn't really something she was experienced with, but she was going to give it her best shot.

[Austin Callahan]

A quick glance back at the Hufflepuff student confirmed what he was already confident in his knowledge of - that Lexi would be touched by these words, to the point of needing to challenge them. As he'd predicted beforehand, with ease. Of all the people the Slytherin boy regularly chanced upon in an unexpected meeting, the Hufflepuff girl was the easiest to manipulate in her reactions. She just couldn't seem to stop herself from arguing with the comments he made, as though she thought anything could be gained, of merit, from challenging phrases designed to make her rise to the occasion. An obvious grin passed his lips once again, taking in her own expression.

"You're choosing to play the part of the good girl," he stated, shrugging his shoulders as though somewhat bored with this line of discussion. "I'm betting hundreds of students have borrowed things from the castle before now and never thought to return them. Making that effort to return one pointless ball just shows the eager-to-please girl everyone knows you secretly are regardless of the façade you put on." A quick roll of his eyes, he walked towards the edge of the thicker foliage, as though already intending to engage in separation of their two bodies. He was thoroughly unimpressed with her choice of activity and his words, in addition to his actions demonstrated as much.

Was she really that stupid? To think that he'd stick around, given the situation that she proposed? He'd received more attractive offers from a Flobberworm. "Walking into the Forbidden Forest only makes you rebellious if you act accordingly. Walking into the Forbidden Forest to find your precious school property just proves my point. Scared of what the teachers will say?" Of course, he already knew that she was a little concerned about the probable reactions of the staff, should they find out about the younger student's predicament.

"Believe it or not, Knight, I've ventured into the forest before this year. Not as far, admittedly, but then I didn't need anyone to hold my hand." An obvious reference to the fact that she'd desired his help, for whatever reason, in retrieving this lost Quaffle. Needy people didn't appeal to Austin at all, in fact, he deliberately avoided those who looked clingy or desperate. "As I've said, many times, I've got no problem with you trying to save your own skin and return the stupid ball. Just don't expect my assistance, when I've got better things to do." If she wasn't rushing to oblige him, he had no reason to offer to help her out. He was primarily independent and the chance to fulfil his own desires was far more appealing than her suggestion.