A little more than a coincidence {Open, Jeremy}

[Ebony Braedan]

Ebony stood at the base of the Grand staircase waiting for a certain someone. Since she had received his owl invitation, Ebony wanted to see him again, to talk. Hopefully without prying eyes, but that wasn't exactly guaranteed considering she'd asked to meet him on one of the busiest staircases, even though it was on a Saturday afternoon.

She was going to go shopping soon, but something had come up and she had been unable to go that morning. Ebony had sent a quick letter to Jeremy, she wanted to talk about his invitation to the ball, and just for some reason. See him. Her hair having just been dried by magic and quickly brushed through earlier in the day. The walk through the wind from the post room giving her the blow dried look she wasn't exactly going for.

Patting down her hair and giving a dirty look to some passing second years, Ebony turned around and leant on the banister, Jeremy was going to be late. She rolled her eyes, 3 pm meant, 3pm not come when you want pm, or don't turn up. Even though he had sent a rather rushed reply, Ebony wasn't sure he would turn up at first.

When she first received the owl from Jeremy asking her to the ball, Ebony was a little surprised. Pleased, but surprised not alot of people sent invitations by owl but it wasn't unheard of. Ebony was ticked off he was 'willing to make an exception' just for her, she was so grateful, so she replied 'supposing' she would go with him.

Ebony didn't know what her mother would think, Jeremy wasn't really the type of wizard she usually went for, but he was certainly one of a kind. She was looking forward to the ball he had said he was good dancer. Ebony didn't know what Chase and Medea would think but really, it had nothing to do with them anyway.

[Jeremy Halpsen]

When someone in Jeremy’s house had given him the letter from Ebony, he’d been somewhat shocked. Jeremy had come to learn in his seven years at Braedan that nobody was going to send him a letter. He didn’t really talk to anyone, and his parents weren’t about to send him loving notes wishing him a happy school year and whatnot. If Nate wanted to see him, Nate would usually seek him out personally. They didn’t waste time and parchment on writing silly notes to each other. With the exception of sending Ebony the letter asking her to the ball with him, Jeremy had never stepped foot into the Post Room. Apparently the staff at the Post Room knew this, because they’d given his letter to a first year to give to him.

The letter was short, simple and to the point. Ebony wanted to meet with him. She’d asked him to meet her at the Grand Staircase at three o’clock p.m. Jeremy had sent back a rather rushed reply, telling her that he would meet her there, and Jeremy was in no way going to break that promise. Glancing quickly at the clock in the common room, Jeremy saw that it was two-fifty p.m. Luckily the Grand Staircase was on Jeremy’s floor, otherwise he’d be late.

Exiting the common room, Jeremy made his way down the corridor to the Grand Staircase. At first he didn’t see her; there was a group of second years making their way up the staircase. When they’d finally gotten far enough up the stairs, Jeremy looked once again to find Ebony. There she was, leaning against the banister with a dirty look on her face, obviously pointed at the second years. Jeremy smirked slightly, and made his way over to her, stopping a few feet in front of her.

“You thought I was going to be late”, he said. It wasn’t a question, more of an observation.

[Ebony Braedan]

Following the second years, towering over them came Jeremy Halpsen. Watching his descent down the stairs, Ebony quickly stood up "Only.. for the last couple of minutes" She shrugged, it didn't matter, Ebony walked up a step towards him, closing the few feet between them. "I haven't bought a dress yet" She stated, "I was surprised you invited me you know" Ebony turned around, walking back down, dragging her arm along the deep mahogany banister, until she reached the end, barely five feet from Jeremy.

She had assumed he was the type of person to have a girlfriend, obviously not if he was inviting her. If he did, then he was a bit of a fool. Ebony was going to ask him but it was really a rhetorical question, why didn't he though. Anyone would love to be with someone like him, but he seemed rather invisible. Ebony questioned why she had never noticed him in the Main Hall, in any of her classes. "You're lucky no one else had asked me" She smirked, he was lucky.

"Who exactly do you hang around with?" Ebony watched him carefully, she was curious to know everything about him. Just because she didn't know who he was earlier, she hadn't put a label on him, so she wanted to get to know him...to put a label on him.

Ebony dropped her hand from the banister, she didn't have many friends in Halpsen, most of them were in Dovenbell, and hardly any in Bottenstein. Dovenbell was of course, her house and Bottenstein wasn't exactly known for being ...civil. She walked forward, sliding down until she reached the cold hard step beneath her. Ebony eyed him slowly, "I think.." She paused, purely for effect, "We need to go shopping!" She grinned, jumping up and grabbing Jeremys hand.

"It's going to be so fun" Ebony couldn't wait to leave the Institute and run around town with Jeremy. The look on his face would be priceless.

[Jeremy Halpsen]

“Only… for the last couple of minutes”, Ebony said, shrugging. Jeremy chuckled, shaking his head at her. It didn’t matter, he was there now. She walked up towards him, closing a bit of space between them. “I haven’t bought a dress yet”, she stated, and Jeremy arched an eyebrow. “I was surprised you invited me you know.” Jeremy’s other eyebrow rose to join its friend. “Well. I hardly think you’re supposed to expect it when someone asks you to a dance”, he said.

“You’re lucky no one else had asked me”, she said, and smirked. Jeremy smiled at her. He was lucky that nobody else had asked her. But even if someone else had asked her, he could easily remove them from the picture. Jeremy could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.

“Who exactly do you hang around with?”

She was watching him carefully, as if trying to determine what his reaction would be. Slowly, Jeremy gave a half-hearted shrug. “Nobody, really”, he said, “I mean, there are people that I talk to, but not many that I hang out with. Do you know Nate Fox? I hang around him a lot.”

Jeremy watched as Ebony dropped her hand from the banister and walked forward until she reached him. She eyed him, and Jeremy had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I think…” she paused, “We need to go shopping!” Jeremy’s eyes widened in horror as Ebony grinned and grabbed onto his hand. Jeremy was too horrified to even realise that Ebony was holding his hand, his eyes searching hers for any sign that she was joking.

“It’s going to be so fun.”

…she wasn’t joking.

Jeremy sighed, and locked eyes with Ebony. “Ebony, seriously”, he said, “Do I look like the type of person who goes shopping?”

[Ebony Braedan]

Ebony smiled, still it wasn't as if they were 'friends' or anything. At least with those you had a mild chance of guessing, and there was always the possibility of going as friends, if you were that sort of person. Ebony had never been that type of person, and she hardly considered the invitation to the ball as one of those silly friends invites. If it was, she just wouldn't treat it as such. Ebony's eyes widened as he said 'Nobody'. As if. There must be someone he was friends with, at least one person.

"Do you know Nate Fox? I hang around him a lot.”

Ebony froze, glaring "Him!?" She came to a stop, coming to stand directly in front of him "How can someone like you be friends with him?!" Ebony scowled, almost shouting at him, that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Nathaniel Fox would a big coincidence. It was ludicrous. "He's... argh!" She furiously shook her head, even though Ebony liked the way he had grown up through the years, Nate was a complete pest.

Jeremy didn't seem the type of person to hang around with those type of people. Nate was not the wizard that deserved a friend like Jeremy. “Ebony, seriously” Ebony laughed, giving him a firm look, "You're going shopping no matter what" She grinned, squeezing his hand, "Of course you do!" Ebony rolled her eyes, "Now come on, stop wasting time!" She started walking down the stairs, almost wondering if she should drag Jeremy with her.

Ebony decided that so long as she didn't see Nate, it didn't matter that Jeremy was friends with him. She wanted to have as little to do with that wizard as possible, "We'll stop by The Village Idiot too" She rolled her eyes, it wasn't as if she was going to beg. Ebony would just owl someone else, the offer was open and if he turned it down, Ebony would turn something else down just as quickly.

Did he want to help her find a dress or not!?

[Jeremy Halpsen]

“Him?!” She was standing directly in front of him now. “How can someone like you be friends with him?!” She scowled at him, and Jeremy smirked, holding back a chuckle. He knew she’d act like this. Most people did when they found out that Jeremy and Nate were friends. Nate wasn’t… the nicest person at the school, but it was a school full of people destined to become Death Eaters, how nice did they really expect him to be?

Ebony shook her head furiously, and then seemed to get over it. She laughed, giving him a firm look. “You’re going shopping no matter what”, she said, grinning and squeezing his hand. “Now come on, stop wasting time!” She started walking down the stairs, and Jeremy was slightly surprised that she didn’t try to drag him down with her. He tugged back gently, as if trying to pull her in the opposite direction. After a moment, he sighed in defeat and allowed Ebony to pull him down the stairs.

“I’ll go shopping with you just this once”, he said, “But I’m not going to try anything on.”

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