-- couldn't think in time --

[Gideon Prewett]

When Milo Whittle had to leave the team again because of his grades, Gideon knew it was time to step it up. Whittle wasn’t even stupid the way Gideon was – he seemed smart whenever Gideon talked to him, but apparently the bloke couldn’t read or something – so of course he was a little worried about his own grades. So far he’d managed to scrape by with at least an A in everything, except for Divination and History of Magic, though nothing could save his marks in those subjects. Astronomy was okay when he actually was awake in class; other than that, his marks were good enough for him.

But they weren’t gonna be good enough for OWLs; not to get him into the right NEWT classes to be an Auror, anyway. Defense Against the Dark Arts was his only class where he had an O (required class, anyway; he didn’t think the Auror department would be impressed that he knew how to take care of magical creatures). Sometimes he had E’s in Charms and Herbology, but he’d never managed to achieve one in Transfiguration or Potions yet, and he knew that he needed them. An E would be good enough to get into the courses, so he wasn’t too concerned about Charms or Herbology, but Transfiguration and Potions were other matters altogether. He’d stopped going to those remedial classes that Snape bloke taught, mostly because Snape bothered him in a way he couldn’t explain. Maybe it was his greasy hair. Sometimes Gideon wondered if being around potions so much made his hair permanently dirty. Gross.

And, okay, Gideon wasn’t stupid. He had good instincts and sometimes fairly good common sense. But school didn’t interest him the way things like Quidditch did, or even the way being an Auror did. He wished he could just have the career he wanted and skip all this boring school stuff, but he knew it all had a purpose. He’d be pretty helpless against a Death Eater without the proper knowledge of how to duel or anything. Studying was so dull, and making up games to make it more fun took effort and Gideon honestly just didn’t wanna do that. He wanted to be an Auror so badly, but the closer OWLs came, the more he feared he’d have to choose a new career – and let down his family. He didn’t even want to imagine the look on his mum’s face when his OWL results came and he ended up failing too many classes to be an Auror. Though, really, he wasn’t sure his mum was super crazy about the idea of both her sons being Aurors after what happened to his dad. But what was worse? Dying in combat while saving a life, or being a disappointment from just not being good enough? Gideon would rather take his chances with a Death Eater over his mum’s disappointment any day.

So, he’d actually sat down and attempted to study. Over the past three days, he forced himself into the library with his notes and textbooks, and sat there from after dinner until curfew. At first he considered asking Gabby or Emme or someone to be his study buddy, but figured he’d end up getting distracted. He had a test coming up in Transfiguration on Vanishing Spells, and since he still didn’t quite understand the concept of where a “living animal went” when it was transfigured into something non-living, he really needed to read up on it. He’d even gone so far as to read other books in the library specifically about the whole thing, but he was still confused. Gideon knew he needed help, but he was still scared that he’d just distract himself.

Friday evening, he was just finishing up his ice cream when he decided that he really, really didn’t want to study that night. It was nice weather out; a little dark, but still warm-ish, and he didn’t want to be cooped up in a library. His head already felt like it was gonna explode and he hadn’t even left the table yet. He glanced down the table, seeing Emme chatting with the girl next to her. Looking across the table, Gideon locked eyes with Gabby and smiled. “We should go flying,” he blurted out of the blue, not sure where the thought came from, but definitely not taking it back now that he’d said it. Yeah. He wanted to go flying. Besides, Gabby needed the practice. She was their new Seeker, after all, and she was still a bit rough. He waited until she was finished before meeting her at the end of the table. “Hop on,” he said, referring to his back, and Gideon carried her like that all the way out to the Quidditch pitch. The days were longer now that it was changing seasons, so they still had some light to practice by. If nothing else, they could just fly. There was no rule saying that you had to be playing or practicing Quidditch when you were on a broom, and flying was fun.

He and Gabby got their brooms, and Gideon secretly gave his a gentle caress with his fingertips before he grasped the handle and swung his leg over. He wasn’t using Fabian’s broom anymore; no, Gabby and Emme had done something amazing for him, and got him his very own broom for his birthday last month. At first, Gideon refused to accept it, because Gabby was just as poor as he was, but they weren’t taking it back and he really did love it. He named her Gem, because it was a combination of Gabby and Emme, and she was a beauty. Same model as Fabian’s, but she was different. She was his.

“Ready?” he asked Gabby, then stopped himself before he kicked off. “Shoot, hang on – we should practice while we still have some light.” Pulling his wand out of his pocket, he aimed it at the storage shed, where he knew the practice balls were kept after seeing Lyle and Adam get them out of there. “Accio.. practice snitches!” he cast, and a bag full of small white balls flew toward him. Gideon caught it, tying the handle around his broom, then looked back at Gabby. Grinning, he kicked off, sighing happily as the wind rushed through his hair and over his body. There was really nothing like flying to relieve you of any stress – well, there was really nothing like flying, period. After a few laps around the pitch to warm himself up, he stopped his broom a little above Gabby and looked down at her, taking a ball out of the bag and tossing it up and down. “All right, Gabs. Ready when you are!”

tagged``gabriella rivera

[Gabriella Rivera]

If you asked her why she had joined the Quidditch team so suddenly, Gabby probably wouldn't have been able to give you a straight answer, because she couldn't pinpoint any one, specific reason. It was a combination of things, really. It was Gabby wanting to be more out there, more outgoing, to be more noticeable like Emmeline instead of constantly being in the sidelines like she had been her entire life. It was Gabby finally taking a chance and applying for something she actually wanted instead of a safer alternative, like cheerleading had been, which she had really only applied for because she knew Emmeline wanted her to and that, even if she completely sucked, her friend would probably let her join anyway, even if it was just as a mascot. And even though it was completely clear that Gabby didn't have the same skills that Emmeline did when it came to certain moves, she kind of did enjoy it. Just not as much as she enjoyed flying. And she wasn't as good at cheerleading as flying, either, since she was somewhat clumsy and even though her moves had improved significantly since the start of the year, she wasn't nearly as good as any of the other cheerleaders. Add the fact that there happened to be an opening for a position that was somewhat perfect for Gabby given her size and, well, she figured, it couldn't hurt to try, right? Gideon was, of course, the first person she had approached with the idea. Not only was he on the Quidditch team, but he was also her best friend and she trusted him to tell her the truth about whether she was good enough or not, especially since she'd made him promise to be honest, even if he thought it would hurt her feelings. Of course, after practicing a few times with Gideon, and some encouragement from the tall boy, Gabby decided to try out after all and, much to her surprise, she actually got on the team. Somehow, she'd been good enough to make it. Now, it was just a matter of being good enough to stay.

So, naturally, when Gideon offered that they go flying seemingly out of the blue, Gabby was more than happy to agree. She eagerly finished off her pie, told Emmeline she was going to hang out with Gideon so that she wouldn't worry, and then hastily made her way to the end of the table, bouncing with excitement. They hadn't had much one-on-one time lately, because they'd both been really busy with studies. She was honestly happy to see Gideon studying so hard, not because she thought he wasn't clever or anything like that, she actually thought he was very smart, just easily distracted. So the fact that he was taking his OWLs so seriously pleased Gabby. She knew how badly he wanted to be an Auror, and the requirements for that were just as hard as the requirements for becoming a Healer, although with different classes. Gabby was just glad she didn't require an O in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Although, ever since Gideon had started giving her private Defense lessons, she'd improved significantly, but only enough to get her grade up to a slightly stable E, and she doubted she'd get anything above an A (o ran E if she was really lucky) during the practical exam. She just hoped the written one would bring her up. She wasn't at all worried about Potions, History of Magic was easy as long as you memorized everything off by heart, she was pretty good at Charms and, even though Transfiguration was kind of hard, she was almost positive she could get at least an 'E', and she wasn't too concerned about the rest of her classes. She'd thought about offering to study with Gideon once or twice because she knew he struggled with one classes, but she didn't want to be a distraction and so had decided against it and wait for him to come to her instead.

Grinning when he offered his back for a piggy back ride, Gabby took a few steps back and then jogged forward, the momentum helping boost her up as she jumped and clung onto his neck, giggling a little as she adjust herself comfortably without worrying that she was choking him or something. When he stopped near the broom shed, she hopped off and bounced lightly on her toes as he got their brooms, grinning at his. She'd been saving up for months so that she could pay her share of the gift she'd shared with Emmeline (and had had to borrow some money from her dad and transfer it to galleons, although she had promised to pay him back). The fact that she was now kind-of broke was totally worth it when she'd seen the look of complete joy on Gideon's face. She grabbed her own broom (a school broom since she couldn't afford to buy one and refused to let her father buy for one since they were so expensive) and threw her leg over it, ready to kick off when he did. "Oh, okay!" she agreed when he suggested they practice first, nodding enthusiastically. She pushed off the ground after him, grinning widely as soon as she was in the air, glad that she'd tied her hair up into a pony tail before she'd gotten on the broom, because it had a tendency to fly into her face when she was on her broom. It had gotten a lot longer over the past few months, which was a relief. Gabby had started to miss her long hair and, as cute as the hair cut Emmeline had given her was, she really liked her long hair better.

"Okay, I'm ready!"

[/color] she called over to him, leaning forward on her broom in preparation of zooming after the ball. As soon as Gideon enchanted one, causing it to zoom off in a random direction, mimicking the movements of the snitch, Gabby immediately took off after it, ducking around Gideon with a light giggle. It only took her around twenty seconds to catch up to the ball and she let go of the broom with one of her hands, reaching out and grabbing it right out of the air before it could switch directions. Letting out a whoop, she held it above her head as she flew back to Gideon, tossing it back to him with a grin. "Again! And try to make it go faster, if you can,"[/color] she added. She didn't know the specifics behind the spell he used, but she assumed he could control the speed since the first few times they had practiced, it had been much slower to get her used to it. Or maybe that was just her imagination.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Gideon Prewett]

Flying was amazing. Gideon pitied anyone who didn’t think so, because they really just didn’t know what they were missing. He felt bad for anyone afraid of heights, or people like Jezebel who weren’t supposed to fly because they could get seriously, seriously hurt. One would think he’d have been overprotective of Gabby because of it, that he would have told her not to try out for Quidditch, but… well, everyone should experience flying for themselves, right? And why not play Quidditch with his best friend? True, he was worried about her out there during a match, especially if it got rough. Gabby was small, and not on a very good broom (though Whittle had mentioned letting Gabby use his, since he couldn’t play anymore), so getting hit by another player or a Bludger wasn’t out of the question. But Gideon supposed that all he could do was teach her what he could, and trust her, and hope for the best. Seekers tended to get left alone anyway, since they just had the one job and didn’t have to worry about scoring goals or blocking shots or anything.

The more he flew, the more it felt like his cares and troubles were falling away in a trail behind him. He hadn’t realised just how stressed he’d really been until he felt himself relax and his muscles slacked in his shoulders and neck and everything. He smiled as Gabby caught the ball and held it up triumphantly, glad to see that she was getting steadier at flying with one hand – that was kind-of important in Quidditch, especially for a Seeker. She asked him if he could charm it faster, and he frowned sideways, wondering if he could. “Er… I’ll try?” he said ponderously, wondering if it was possible. Probably was; he didn’t really know a spell for that, but he could try throwing it harder. Gripping his broom tighter with his thighs, he let go with both hands and drew his arm back far before throwing it forward with as much force as he could muster. For a moment he was scared that he would tumble headfirst off Gem, but managed to grab onto her handle just in time. “How was that?”

Well, the ball was definitely going faster. It took Gabby a little longer to catch it, but Gideon was sure that with practice (and a better broom) she’d be getting them right away. He’d definitely have to take Whittle up on his offer, and convince Gabby that it was the right thing to do. As much as she was getting better, there was only so far she could advance on a dinky little school broom. Besides, they’d stand no chance in a match if she flew that thing. The Gryffindors still had to verse the Ravenclaws before Hufflepuff had a shot at the Slytherins, but Regulus Black was rich and could buy the best broom out there; Gabby would stand no chance against his speed and agility on such a broom. Sure, she could probably weave between people and dodge and, well, maybe she had a better eye than he did (possibly), but that could only get her so far.

They continued at it for a while, but it got darker faster than Gideon expected and became too hard to see. Gideon pulled out his wand and Summoned the balls to him, putting them back in the bag before tying it shut and magically lowering it down to the pitch. He tried to aim for the trunk of other supplies, but it was a few feet off; okay, he definitely needed to practice his spells, not just study the theory. It wasn’t bad for being done from a distance, but “not bad” wasn’t going to impress the people who graded the OWLs, was it? Ha, if only.

“Let’s keep flying,” he said, gliding over to Gabby and hovering beside her. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. Wanna use my broom? Ha, I mean, you should, you got her for me. It. You got it for me. You deserve a ride.” He grinned, shifting back on Gem a bit so that Gabby could climb on in front of him. He’d keep a grip of her broom and move over onto it if she wanted, once she was on his. Or they could just share and put her broom in one of the stands.

Either was fine with him; he just wanted a decision quickly. It was time to really let go and have some fun.

[Gabriella Rivera]

It was kind of heartening to practice with Gideon and see an improvement in herself. Gabriella didn't often have reason to feel proud of herself, but now she kind of did because it had taken her less time to catch the last ball Gideon had thrown compared to the first. It wasn't exactly significant progress since she was judging based on one day, but it was still enough to put a wide grin on her face. Unfortunately, it was starting to get dark, fast, and even though she'd heard of professional Quidditch games that went on for days, she knew most - if not all - games at Hogwarts took place during the morning and she didn't exactly want to go flying around in the dark, half-blind, trying to find a tiny ball. Knowing her luck, she'd probably end up crashing into the Whomping Willow or something and there was no way she'd survive that. Or, if she did, then she would probably be broken beyond repair and have to be wheeled around in a wheelchair or whatever was the wizard equivalent of that. Then again, she had heard that Madam Pomfrey was capable of regrowing entire bones, so maybe not. And then Gideon would feel eternally guilty because he hadn't stopped her when she insisted to play in the dark, and her father would be devastated that he'd lost another family member and whoa okay she'd totally gone off on a tangent there, it wasn't like they were actually going to practice during the dark. Gideon was already calling it off and, even though Gabby pouted a little, she didn't argue with him and simply watched as well as she could, considering it was quickly becoming darker, as Gideon summoned all the balls and then lowered the bag to the ground using magic.

As she watched, Gabby couldn't help but feel impressed - and incredibly proud of him. Gideon was a lot better at magic than she was, possibly because he'd grown up being surrounded by it and thus probably had a better grasp at the whole thing. Gabby still had to constantly question whether things could possibly be done using magic. The second time she'd gone over to Gideon's house during the summer after their first year, she'd been absolutely terrified by the dishes washing themselves and had grabbed onto his sleeve and asked if they had some sort of ghost haunting their house. He'd laughed and assured her everything was okay, his mother just used magic to wash the dishes. Which was kind of amazing and when she'd told Aunti Inez, the woman had been incredibly envious seeing as she spent over half an hour washing their dishes when Gideon's mother could do it with a flick of her wand. It was times like these when Gabby felt really, really lucky to be a witch.

Angling her broom towards him, Gabby met him halfway and grinned at his suggestion, nodding eagerly. "Yes, let's! And oh my gosh, really? You'll let me use your broom?" she asked excitedly, clapping her hands and then grabbing her broom again to keep from toppling over. "Do you mind if we ride together? It might be a bit faster then I'm used to. Plus, riding with you is fun!" she added enthusiastically. Once Gideon agreed, Gabby moved closer and carefully shifted her legs over, keeping a tight grip on her broom so that it didn't fall when she got off. She somehow managed to maneuver her legs over his broom until she was straddling it in front of him, gripping his handle with one hand while she held onto hers with the other. She could already feel the difference between the two brooms - there was no vibration in this broom as if it was overworked or about to buck her off, the handle was smoother while she had to constantly check hers for splints, even the colour and shape were different, more elegant and agile and just newer. She smiled and then turned her head, craning her neck so that she could see Gideon behind her. "Got a good grip?" she asked, not wanting him to topple off. When he confirmed that she did, Gabby guided the broom closer to the ground so that she could carefully place the school broom, taking note of how much easier it was to control Gem than the school broom. She was suddenly very glad that she and Emme had decided to buy it for him - Gideon deserved a really good broom.

Once she'd safely dropped off hers, Gabby, once again, checked that Gideon was holding on well and then leaned forward, urging the broom to go faster. Once again, the difference was startling - it took a lot less effort to speed up, and soon enough Gabby was zooming around the pitch with a loud whoop. Between the whistling in her ears and strands of hair whipping around her face and the knowledge that her best friend was sitting behind her and experiencing the same uplifting sensation she was, Gabby felt more content then she had in weeks, and it showed in the smile that spread across her face. The grin remained the entire time until she was landing on the ground (even landing was easier and gentler on his broom) and jumping off the broom, holding it so Gideon could get off, too. "What a rush!"

[/color] she exclaimed, eyes wide and cheeks flushed from the exhilaration. "It's so different riding Gem then it is riding Willow!"[/color] she added. Willow was what she'd named the broom she used, even though it technically wasn't hers to name. She'd thought it was clever at the time, even though she didn't think it was made of willow. Gabriella was queen of irrelevant and lame names, though - she'd named her own kitten Moose, of all things, after all.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Gideon Prewett]

The look on Gabby’s face when Gideon asked if she wanted to ride was enough to make his own smile broaden so much that his face almost hurt. That was something he loved about Gabby: when she let herself have some fun and enjoy things, she became one of the happiest people in the world. Maybe Gabby didn’t have much in life – and hey, neither did Gideon – but she had a spark that a lot of wealthier folk didn’t have. She had joy and love and compassion and… and a quality that made Gideon want to be around her all the time, because she made him happy, too, even on his worst days. She was a tiny person who made a huge impact on his life; Gideon couldn’t imagine how different things would be if they’d never met, and he didn’t want to, either. Except… except, he figured, he’d probably be in Gryffindor. He didn’t realise how important his friends were to him until he had Gabby, and he thought his loyalty to his friends was what threw him into Hufflepuff. He’d been confused for a while, especially since Hufflepuffs tended to be hard workers, but lately he was starting to think that he could be one, too. He had a goal – to be an Auror – and was actually pretty dedicated to it now that he was taking it seriously. Tonight was an exception, but he needed to let loose with his best friend, just once.

“Yeah, no problem,” he encouraged, inching his broom closer to Gabby’s. He held hers still with one hand and guided her over with the other, then wrapped that hand around her waist and allowed her to guide Gem down to the ground to set her own broom down. Once done, he put his other hand slightly behind him, holding what little of the handle he could just in case he had to do some emergency steering. “She’s a lot faster than a school broom—” he started, but barely got to ‘lot’ before Gabby urged the broom forward and Gideon’s words were swallowed by the wind. He let out a laugh instead and decided to let go of the broom, trusting Gabby to have complete control of their speed and direction. He waited until they were going in a straight line before he loosened his grip on Gabby’s middle, slowly spreading his arms until they stuck straight out on either side. He laughed again, and quickly grabbed onto her waist as she turned sharply to go the other direction. Gem was picking up speed now and Gabby was letting out her own excited cries and laughs. They circled the pitch several times, and Gideon showed her how to serpentine and do a figure-eight – good lessons in control and useful in dodging a Bludger or chasing a Snitch – before Gabby slowed the broom and started to descend.

“You were amazing!” Gideon grinned as he swung off of Gem. “And you are amazing, Gabs, I mean, it’s thanks to you that I have her at all, and you’re just… you learned Quidditch so quick, and you’re getting so good, you pick it up so great and…” He laughed again, and before Gabby could move, he placed his hands under her arms and lifted her above his head, spinning her around him several times before setting her down. He couldn’t stop smiling if he tried. He was… he was… Merlin, he needed to think of a better word for how he felt, because happy wasn’t good enough. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, and it wasn’t just from the flying. Staring down at Gabby, seeing her smile – haha, her smile that was bigger than she was – and seeing that she was so happy and… ‘Happy’ just wasn’t a good enough word, not strong enough, but Gideon couldn’t think of any other one, and he decided that he’d actually go and look one up later, because how he felt – how they felt – it deserved one. “I love you, Gabs,” he said, because it was true and because he wanted Gabby to know how wonderful she was, and how great she made him feel without even trying. He raised his hand and pushed some hair off her face (and smiled apologetically, because he probably could have been a bit more gentle if he wasn’t so excited), and she was beautiful when she was happy like this – well, she always was, but even more when she smiled and laughed – and Gideon leaned down and kissed her.

[Gabriella Rivera]

The great and absolutely magical thing about flying (besides the obvious fact that you were, in fact, flying on a broomstick made of wood with no engine and no fuel) was the weightlessness of it all. Even though, compared to a lot of people, Gabby didn't suppose she had a lot of problems, but she found that as soon as she jumped onto a broom and took off, the problems just sort of...melted away. Like she'd left them all behind on the ground, like she'd successfully escaped from them. She'd always felt that the higher in the air she went, the less likely that they could actually catch her. She was safe up here, protected. This time the sensation was doubled because not only was she in flight and as far away from the demons in her nightmares and real life as she could be, she could also feel Gideon's front pressed against her back, solid and warm and steady, her rock and her protector, her constant; he was there, and he was happy because she could hear him yell over the sound of the wind whistling in her ears, and even if she hadn't heard it, she could feel the sound vibrating up out of his chest, the vibrations passing along her tiny body and, in turn, making hers louder, more vibrant. Because that was exactly how Gideon had made her feel. Despite the fact that he dwarfed her more than most people would, he somehow made her feel stronger and taller at the same time. It was the absolute trust he had in her, the way he let go of the broom because he had faith in her, that she wouldn't end up crashing into a tree or to the ground. And then there was the knowledge, the absolute trust she had in him that if something went wrong, he'd be there to react quickly, to right her course again no matter what. He would just be there, always. And to be able to share this experience with him on Gem, as little and unimportant as it may seem to others, was as thrilling as the experience itself.

Gideon's words after he jumped off the broom only served to make Gabby's smile widen, even though she didn't think it was possible. Her expression turned to a full out beam and she felt her cheeks turn rosy at his flattery, a little laugh leaving her lips. She didn't have time to respond in kind, however, because she suddenly found her feet leaving the air but instead of feeling panicked or even startled, Gabby simply threw her head back and laughed with unbridled joy, her hands gripping Gideon's shoulders out of pure instinct, but not to steady herself because she knew he'd never drop her. When he put her down, she was still giggling and she reached out, pressing a hand against his arm since she felt dizzy from both the motion and happiness. "You're amazing!" she cried through her scattered giggles, shaking her head with another face-splitting grin. "You deserve so much more than just a broom, you deserve the - the entire world and if I could I would give it to you, I swear I would,"

[/color] she babbled, her voice thickening with emotion and her eyes beginning to sparkle with unshed tears - tears of happiness, of course, because it was difficult to think of Gideon making her anything but happy. "And I wouldn't be half as good as I am now if it weren't for you and constantly helping me and practicing with me."[/color] It was true; Gabby wouldn't have been able to make it on the team if it wasn't for Gideon's constant words of encouragement and tips. Even now, after she'd made it on the team, he was ensuring she was the best she could be, and while it might be for the team's benefit, she knew it was a bit for hers, too. Because Gideon was constantly looking out for her. Always.

"I love you, too - ow,"[/color] she said through a giggle, not really hurt but a bit taken aback when he suddenly brushed her hair back, closing her eyes so that he didn't accidentally poke her eye out in the process. His hand was almost as big as her face, she'd come to realise, if not bigger. His fingers could probably span her entire face, from forehead to chin, and still have room to spare. The thought made her want to laugh out loud, but she was distracted by the look on his face and she tilted her head, a little confused because she didn't think he'd ever looked at her like that before but she didn't have time to analyze it because he'd suddenly leaned down and he was kissing her. Ay Dios mio, Gideon Prewett was kissing her. Kissing her. Kissing. Her. Not on the cheek or the forehead or anywhere else, but on her lips and she didn't even think about it, didn't even consider any other reaction except to automatically raise her arms and wrap them around her neck, leaning up on her toes so that she could enthusiastically press her lips against his in return, carding her fingers through his hair, and it wasn't exactly like she'd imagined it before (and she had imagined it before, why wouldn't she?), it was...it was so much more. She felt like she was soaring on Gem again, with her hair flying in the wind and the cool air flushing her cheeks, with her arms stretched out and her head tilted back and eyes closed. She felt. She felt...

Weightless.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Gideon Prewett]

There was a feeling deep down inside of him like something exploded, but instead of causing him pain, it gave Gideon the sensation of being lifted off the ground and almost out of his own body. In all his memory, there were only a few times when he’d ever felt this happy. The first time he rode a broom made him so happy that he’d almost fallen off. Another time, years later, was when he learned Gabby was a witch too and would be going to Hogwarts with him. Funny how the two events he thought of right away involved the same things as this one. Gideon felt as though his chest might explode, and it was great. He felt his toes curling inside his shoes. He pressed his lips against Gabby’s, his hand making its way into her hair while the other pressed against the small of her back, keeping her close to him while he kissed – and she kissed back. She was kissing back. He knew Gabby was affectionate, but this was different. This was… This was…

Oh, who even cared for words, anyway? Not Gideon; he was too busy doing other things with his mouth. And brain. And everything.

Kissing Gabby.

Kissing.

Gabby.

And it wasn’t even weird. At least, not the way Gideon thought it’d be weird. He’d kissed Gabby before, but they’d been ten years old and wanted to see what it felt like. It wasn’t like there was no meaning in it back then. There was plenty of meaning, but two ten-year-olds weren’t thinking about that. They had just wanted to have their first kiss with someone they knew and trusted, because that was what curious kids did. Gideon hadn’t really thought about it since it happened, but now that he did, he was really glad that he and Gabby shared that experience together. It was right that it was Gabby; it was right that the girl who kissed him was someone who cared about him, who would always be his friend. And it was right that he kissed her, because he wasn’t taking advantage of her, and he never would. Gabby was his best friend; he just also happened to be kissing her. And liking it. And, judging from her enthusiasm, so was she.

He felt like his skin was the only thing keeping him from going in every direction at once. His eyes were closed, but he felt like he – they – were spinning, or the world was spinning around them; one of the two, anyway. There was a ringing in his ears, as if everything was moving too fast around him, but he really didn’t care to catch up. There were more important things than what was happening in their surroundings; there were more important things than time. Gabby was. Kissing Gabby was, too, but mostly just Gabby. Gideon couldn’t stop the smile, or the chuckle that passed his lips. He parted from Gabby for a moment to catch his breath, their lips still brushing despite not kissing, before pressing them together again for just a moment. He took in another deep breath, and then another, while his body seemed to come down off its adrenaline rush and the world righted itself around him. He moved both hands to cup either side of her face, his thumbs gently brushing her cheeks.

“Wow,” he finally exhaled. His stomach was doing flips inside of him. It tickled. “Haha, um.”

He had no idea what to say to Gabby now; did he have feelings for her? It was difficult to say, since he’d never looked at her as more than a friend before. Well, not since they were kids. Back then he’d thought she was pretty, but she was just his best friend. She was Gabby. So what now? Was she Gabby? Gideon loved Gabby, but he hadn’t given any consideration to what kind of love. He’d always just figured he loved her like a best friend should love a best friend. They’d never considered each other to be like siblings, as far as he knew, so at least it wasn’t weird like that or anything. Gideon felt his stomach start to twist with the mounting anxiety, but he tried to beat it back. She was Gabby; he could talk to her about anything.

“Right,” he managed to get out, “I dunno if… Well, I’m not sure what… Haha, screw it,” he shrugged with a chuckle, then leaned down to meet Gabby’s mouth with his again.

Now wasn’t the time for troubles, after all. At least, not when Gabby was that kissable.

[Gabriella Rivera]

Honestly, Gabby didn't know what she had expected. She'd imagined before, what it would be like to kiss Gideon when they were older. It had to be different from when they'd kissed before, when they were ten years old, right? Back then they were curious, they wanted to know what the big deal was, why grown ups seemed to care so much about who they kissed and when. To ten year old, it hadn't seemed like a big deal. It looked like a hug but with your mouth. Of course, when she and Gideon had actually performed the act, it occurred to her that, no, it wasn't anything like a hug. Oh, she hadn't actually felt anything because she was too young and naive to know what feelings were, too little to understand things like love beyond the definition of the word. But she'd liked it because it had felt fun and...special. It had made her feel like a grown up, so she'd asked Gideon if he wanted to do it again (through a lot of shy stammering in her broken English) and he had, so they kissed again, bumping their noses together awkwardly because they didn't understand yet that you were supposed to tilt your head just so, so that your noses didn't get in the way. It barely lasted than two seconds, but it had put a giant smile on Gabby's face, one that Gideon matched tooth for tooth. They didn't do it again after that, but the memory never left her, and she knew it never would. She was glad it had been with him, and not a silly old crush that she'd never speak to again. Gideon was special, and faithful, and trustworthy, and, sometimes she thought, hers.

Kissing him now, five years later, was as different as it was the same. After all, he was still special (perhaps the most special person she'd ever met because he'd been her first friend) and he was still trustworthy (more than ever since she'd trust him with her life now) and he was still hers (even though she had to share him with other people now, like Emmeline and Milo and Fabain and Jezebel and all his other friends). He was still Gideon and she was still Gabriella, but it was...it was different. They were older, wiser in some aspects - but still naive in a lot of them. She knew she loved him, maybe more than anyone else bar her father and Aunt, but she didn't know if she had feelings for him. She supposed a part of her had never viewed him as a brother, or even a cousin, and maybe that somehow made him a viable, romantic partner? She didn't know. All she knew was that when he kissed her, and when she kissed him back, it didn't feel strange or gross. Quite the opposite, it felt...it felt right. It felt natural, like she was meant to do this. Although it didn't feel like the ground had shifted beneath her feet, or like there were fireworks in her head, the way she'd read about it in her books over and over again, it still felt special. She still felt like she was floating, like her spirit was being lifted out of her and into Gideon and it was okay because his was floating into hers, like they were mingling and intertwining in mid air. It was new and exciting and lovely and she didn't want it to stop.

Too soon, their lips were parting, although there were still mere centimeters between them and, if Gabby really wanted (she did, she wanted so badly) she could lean up and close that tiny gap herself, no problem. She didn't, though, taking a few moments to catch her breath, her mouth slightly open to draw in quick bursts of oxygen and replace the air she'd lost. She didn't mind her breathlessness - quite the opposite, in fact. She wanted to remain breathless, as long as it was by Gideon. And that was weird. It was weird, wasn't it? Because that was something that a story book character thought about a romantic prospect and Gideon...Gideon was her friend. Her best friend, sure, and he was special, sure, but...she didn't think of him romantically! At least, she didn't think so, except for that one time Emmeline had mentioned in passing that she'd thought her and Gideon would always get together, but then the blonde had gone and started dating him herself and wasn't there some sort of girl-code that stated you shouldn't go kissing your best friend's ex-boyfriend? But Gideon had been hers first but she didn't want to think about that now. No, no, what she wanted was to...to talk to him, but mostly she just wanted to kiss him again but she saw, through her hooded eyes, that his mouth was moving and she didn't realise she'd been staring at it ever since he'd stopped kissing her until he actually spoke, after while she tilted her head back to look up at him. "Yeah...wow," she agreed, her voice breathless. She could feel her cheeks start to flush, her heart hammering in her rib cage, threatening to tear right out of her body into his hands and she tried to breath through it, tried to control it because who knows what would happen now and what if it was a one time thing and oh he was kissing her again and she was kissing him back, with more urgency this time, lifting herself up on her toes and wishing she was taller so that he didn't have to lean down quite so much. It was just a reminder that they weren't perfect, that maybe they would never be perfect, but Gabby had never been perfect anyway and wasn't perfection overrated?

When oxygen became a necessity again, Gabby pulled back with a little noise of contentment, falling back on her heels and biting her lip, her eyelids fluttering slightly. She tried to get her thoughts to straighten out, to focus on anything else but Gideon's lips and how much she wanted them back on hers. She knew, deep down, that, as much as a part of her whined why?, they couldn't just keep kissing like that. Even though she really did like kissing him. A lot. And she found herself leaning up on her tip toes and stealing another, quick one, initiating it for the first time, giggling when her nose bumped against his the way it had the first time they'd kissed, all those years ago. "Gideon, I--"

[/color] she cut herself off and bit her lip, her previous euphoria starting to melt into anxiety and confusion as realisation started to sink in the way a rock sank to the bottom of a river. "Gideon, what...?"[/color] She shook her head a little, her arms loosening from around his neck and then dropping, although she made no move to back away from his hold. She breathed deep, told herself that she could ask Gideon anything no matter what because he was her best friend and if she couldn't get through something like this with him, how could she go through with anything with anyone else? "Why did you kiss me?"[/color] There. She'd said it. And she didn't even sound accusatory, because there was nothing to accuse him of - she was only very, very confused. And emotional. And she really wanted him to kiss her again -- but no. She needed...she needed an explanation. A reason. Anything.

[/blockquote][/color][/blockquote]

[Gideon Prewett]

And just like that… It was over. Oh, the euphoria was still there. It was just the kissing that was done. By this point, Gideon was definitely out of breath, and he was pretty sure Gabby was, too. She pressed her lips to his briefly, and Gideon returned it, though his lungs were a little relieved that it didn’t last as long. Now, he was really puffing for air, but he kept his arms around Gabby and held her close.

He… he liked it. The kiss. Well, of course he did. But he liked… he liked that it was Gabby he was kissing. He loved her, yeah, but he knew – he knew – he wasn’t in love with her. But… that didn’t mean he couldn’t be, someday. Because if they… if they decided to go for it, to see where this kiss led them, to maybe start dating and being together, then… Why couldn’t Gideon be in love with Gabby? He didn’t see any reason why not. Sure, he’d be the first in his family to love a Muggle-born, but it wasn’t like the Prewetts were like the Blacks. Gideon had pride in his heritage, but love was love, wasn’t it? It was like Lyle and Stefan; they went against norms too, but they made each other happy. Or used to, anyway. Gabby, though… she had always made Gideon happy. And now… He couldn’t kiss her forever, so now he had to think about what came next.

When she asked why he kissed her, Gideon couldn’t answer right away. His brow furrowed slightly in thought, because he hadn’t actually considered the reason behind the kiss; he’d only been thinking about the present, and as of a few moments ago, the future. He smiled crookedly, letting go of her to rub the back of his neck the way he did when he was nervous or bashful – and right now, he was a bit of both. “I…” he began, then faded, not sure how to finish. His heart was still pounding, feeling like it was skipping beats now that he had to actually think about something that had actually required no thought at all.

“I don’t know, Gabs,” he admitted with a small shake of his head. “I mean… I’m not sorry. Er… Well, I don’t regret it. I’ll be sorry if you want me to be, haha. Uh… but I still don’t regret it. I mean… I know you’re my best friend, so it’s… risky, right? Maybe stupid. But… I mean… I’m not, you know, trying to… You’re not like a rebound or anything, all right? I promise I wasn’t trying to hurt you or use you or… anything. I just…” He paused his rambling and looked skyward, where it was now dark and stars littered the night sky. At this point, Gideon wasn’t really thinking about his words, either. He was more… talking. Getting it all out. Maybe it was a good thing. “You just… you made me happy tonight, Gabby. You always make me happy, but tonight was just… it was different. I haven’t felt happy like this in a long time, you know? And proud of you like I was tonight, and… I… I could probably make a full-on Patronus if I wanted to right now, you know? That’s how happy I…”

He trailed off, letting the silence linger before putting his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t really know… why I kissed you. Ha, sorry. But I know it was… it was something else, wasn’t it? And I’m glad I did. And I think I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But… I won’t, because… well, because I think we need to figure out… I think we need to figure out what it means for us now.” It was strange; Gideon could see himself being in love with Gabby one day, but seeing her as his girlfriend was a little more difficult. Maybe it was because she’d been his friend for so long that putting a different title to their relationship was strange, even though putting different feelings to it wasn’t. He didn’t think being in a relationship with her would feel strange; then again, Gideon didn’t know he was capable of kissing Gabby the way he just did, either.

But he was willing to find out, if she was.

[Gabriella Rivera]

Gabby could feel her heart pounding, hard, in her chest, and she fancied she could hear it, too, it was that loud, and she had to wonder how he couldn't hear it, too. Her breath was coming out in shaky little pants and she felt like she'd run a marathon, only without the sweating and exhaustion. Her mind was racing as fast as her heart, all sorts of musings going through her head as she stared up at him, her hands coming to rest against his chest because having them hang limply by her sides seemed too impersonal after what they'd done. It was clear from what she could see of Gideon's expression that he didn't regret it - he was smiling, still, which kept her own from falling or even faltering, and she could feel relief coursing through her at that. She hadn't had such a great history with kisses, after all, besides the first one with Gideon. Paris had only snogged her because he'd been bored and she'd been there and, apparently, willing. At the ball, Jayden had been forced to kiss her because of a stupid mistletoe and had acted like it was the last thing he wanted to do. But now, with Gideon...he didn't regret it. He didn't seem to, at least. And that? That made Gabby feel really good. It wasn't just the flattering fact that someone wanted to kiss her, but just the simple fact that he wanted to kiss her not as a passing fancy because he was bored, or because someone told him to, but because he liked her enough to kiss her. It wasn't simply a physical act, it had meaning behind it. And that? That was probably the most important thing about a kiss. You could kiss a million boys but, unless you really meant it, those million kisses meant nothing.

Well, unless you got some sort of disease transmitted through saliva, then they did mean something...but it wasn't something good.

Refusing to jump to conclusions based on what she first heard, Gabby decided to hear him through, nodding encouragingly and keeping the smaller smile on her face throughout his entire speech. She could tell that he was just talking without anything specific in mind, and it was a little comforting because it made it sound...well, honest. Not practice. It wasn't perfect, there was even some stammering. It just made it all the more real, though, because the only place where the protagonist actually said all the right words was in a novel and, well, Gabby was starting to realise that life was very different from real life. Because if they had been in one of her steamy novels, Gideon wouldn't have just kissed her, he would have swept her into her arms and moved her over to the bleachers where he would have snogged her with tongues, teeth, groping hands, the whole enchilada. Just thinking about it made her cheeks begin to heat up and she hastily forced herself to focus on Gideon speaking again, scolding herself for letting her mind wander to the gutter. She knew those stories would come back and bite her in the butt!

When he reached the part about making him happy, Gabriella felt her lips stretch into a wide grin, dropping her hands from his chest since he'd pulled back. Biting her lip to stop the overflow of things she wanted to say, Gabby simply nodded, because he always made her happy too, so overwhelmingly joyous that sometimes she felt like the emotion was too big for her tiny body to contain and it just sort of exploded out of her, or spilled out of her pores, or something like that. She'd always assumed that was because he was Gideon, her best friend, but Lyle had never made her feel the same amount of happiness, but then again Gabby had never put Gideon and Lyle in the same category. Oh, they were both her best friends, but they were...different. She loved them differently, thought of them differently. Well, obviously she did, because she didn't think she would ever kiss Lyle. But then again, she'd never thought she'd be kissing Gideon either. Even though, honestly, for whatever reason, thinking about kissing him...it wasn't weird or unusual, just like how it hadn't felt that way. She didn't know what to make of it.

"You make me happy, too, Gideon. Like, really happy. Dios, you've always made me happy, ever since I was a tiny ten year old and you were the cute boy next door who climbed trees with me and taught me how to speak English in your strange accents," she started with a fond smile, reaching up to twist a strand of hair around her index finger. "Just seeing you smile brightens up my whole day, honestly. After Emmeline and I gave you the broom and you got so excited and happy about it, I couldn't stop thinking about it and it was like an hour before I could get the stupid smile off my face and go to sleep,"

[/color] she admitted with a giggle. "And I...I liked kissing you. A lot. It was really...really nice. Definitely something else. But,"[/color] her expression grew a little more anxious now, catching her bottom lip between her teeth and chewing indecisively as she carefully thought about her words. She didn't want to rush into anything and say the wrong thing, after all. "But as much as I like kissing you...is this...are we going to get together now? Do you...do you want to get together? Like...like dating?"[/color] Her tone was uncertain, and so was her expression. "But what about...Emmeline? She was your girlfriend before, and she's my best friend. I...I don't want her to be upset. And what if we don't work out, like you and Emmeline?"[/color] Her words became more rushed as she started to upset herself with presumptions. "What if we break up and things get all awkward? And it never goes back to the same? It took ages for you and Emmeline to talk normally, and it's still a little awkward, and what if the same thing happens to us and oh God I don't want to ever be awkward with you, not ever! You're my best friend in the entire world, I don't think I could stand it!"[/color] she exclaimed, eyes wide and watery with self-induced panic. "I couldn't, I just couldn't!"[/color]

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Gideon Prewett]

The euphoria was starting to slip away the more Gabby worried. Gideon tried to hang onto it, remembering how happy he’d felt when flying, remembering how happy he’d been when he kissed Gabby—He wanted that feeling to stay, but it was becoming difficult. He knew it wasn’t possible for it to last forever, but he just wanted to keep it as long as he could. And right now, it was disappearing faster than he wanted it to. He’d been prepared to tell her that yes, he was totally willing to go for it with her and try the whole dating thing, but then she mentioned Emmeline and he had to hesitate.

Emme… Emme was totally different, though. She and Gideon were friends, and he even called her one of his best friends, but they still had never been as close as Gideon and Gabby had been. Maybe that was why it was so easy to make the transition from being her friend to being her boyfriend. The idea of dating Emme had never really seemed like… like a big change. Gideon hadn’t known she fancied him like that, and he didn’t really… well… he’d been the one to ask her out, and he did have feelings for her. Probably not as strong as hers when they first started out, but they’d definitely grown while they dated. But Gideon’s feelings had still managed to ruin everything, because they weren’t strong enough when they should have been. He was in a situation where the only way out was losing, and had been too stupid to know how to fix it. But it was completely different, he thought, than it would be from being with Gabby. It was the way Emme broke up with Gideon that made them so awkward and distant from each other. Telling him all those horrible things may have been lies to her, but they were truths to Gideon – truths he liked to hide deep down inside himself. And it had come out on the worst day, when Gabby was in danger, and he couldn’t believe how selfish she’d been and that made him resent her a little, too. Even if he and Gabby didn’t work out, Gideon still believed that they would stay best friends. Gabby didn’t have a mean bone in her body; she could never say something like that to him. And Gideon… well, Gideon had been firm with her, and strict sometimes in the past, but that was only when Gabby was getting herself into trouble and nearly getting herself (and him) killed.

“Listen,” he said, squeezing her shoulders gently, “you’re not Emmeline. She and I didn’t work because…” Briefly, Luke Neeson’s face flashed in his head; he was such an innocent bloke, and Gideon figured he was a bit of a push-over, but he made Emme happy. “Because I wasn’t… the type of person she wanted, I guess. And that’s fine, sometimes that happens, you know? But… Gabby, honestly, the only reason I couldn’t talk to her for so long was because… When she broke up with me, she said some awful things, and… Later she said she was lying, and maybe she was, but it didn’t feel like it. So it really, really hurt. And I couldn’t face her for a while.” He shrugged helplessly; he didn’t want to make Gabby mad at Emme, but she had to understand that it wasn’t because they broke up that Gideon stayed away from her, but how they broke up. “I mean, Jezebel and I are still friends.” Which was true; they didn’t talk much anymore, but they didn’t hold any resentment toward each other.

“And you and I… we’re better than that. Better than fights and nasty break-ups and all. I mean… we know each other. You know I snore, I know you snap those bands on your arm… it’s not like we have any real secrets, you know? And I – yeah, it’s kinda weird to think about us dating, but that’s just ’cos we’ve been friends for so long.” He let go of her shoulders to run a hand over his head. “I don’t think Emme will be upset, I mean, she has a boyfriend. That Neeson bloke. And I mean, if you’re that worried, maybe… maybe we don’t have to tell anyone. I mean, not until we’re ready. You know, when we know how we feel and if we think it can work. I think it can. I want it to.” He smiled down at her and held out his hand for her to take. He really did want it to work; he didn’t really know why, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

[Gabriella Rivera]

Gabby could already feel herself start to calm down, from the instant Gideon put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. Gideon had always had that effect on her - he could get her to relax with a few well-placed words, or even just a gesture. It was because he knew her. Sometimes Gabby thought he knew her better than she knew herself, but she was positive that he, at least, knew her better than almost anyone did, bar her father and aunt. He knew how she worked, how she reacted to things and, most importantly, he knew how to react to her. The most obvious proof for that was the night she'd just about had a panic attack when she'd slept in his bed and had had that awful nightmare. If it had been anyone else, her panic would have probably lasted longer. Then again, if it had been anyone else, she probably wouldn't have felt that kind of anxiety in the first place, because hadn't been born simply because Gideon's large size had reminded her of Mulciber's? It still made her feel guilty to think back on it now, and she'd never dared to admit it to Gideon because she knew it would only upset him, but it was true. With any of her other friends, with their much smaller frames, she would have immediately accepted that it really was a nightmare. Thankfully, there hadn't been a repeat of the incident, so Gabby didn't have to explain herself. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Gideon like that.

His words were even more of a comfort to her than his gentle touch, and Gabby found herself nodding along in understanding, her worried expression starting to melt. She had known what Emmeline had told Gideon, although not through Gideon - her friend had told her about it. Well, cried about it to her was more accurate. Gabriella had been horrified by the knowledge and it had taken her every bit of control not to be outwardly upset with Emmeline since she'd obviously shown regret about it. And even though she wasn't sure Gideon knew that she knew, Gabby remembered giving him an extra tight hug and cuddle that day. Thankfully, he hadn't questioned it, so she didn't have to make something up about feeling 'extra love towards him' or something. Which wouldn't have been a complete lie; Gabby had been incredibly upset over it, as if Emmeline had insulted her. As protective as Gideon was over her, Gabby was the exact same way - she just showed it differently because he was obviously bigger and stronger and thus more capable of physically protecting her. No, Gabby's type of protection had always been an emotional type. Although she knew she would jump in front of a spell for him, she still wasn't capable of beating up bullies for him except for verbally. Hah, not that she didn't think Gideon couldn't stand up for himself. He towered over almost anyone, so the thought of anyone bullying him was almost laughable. Still. It's the thought that counts, right?

"Yeah...you're right! I'd never say anything awful about you, not even if I was lying. I would never lie to you, really," she insisted, which was true. To a point. She didn't think she'd ever lied to him before. Not about anything big or important, at least. She'd even told him the truth when he'd confronted her about Paris, although she had lied when the Slytherin had broken her arm, but that was to protect Gideon because Pairs had threatened him and Gabby would do anything to protect her friends, and she was sure Gideon knew that. He'd forgiven her anyway. When he continued to say that they should keep it to themselves, Gabby frowned and asked, "Like a secret?"

[/color] and frowned harder. She didn't like the idea of lying to everyone about their relationship, but then she thought of how much pressure their friends and family members might put on them, asking them all sorts of questions like how did they know they liked each other like that and what happened and what if they don't work out? So maybe keeping it a secret for now, at least until they figure things out. That way, if things didn't work between them, they didn't have to explain to anyone. Pleased with her logic, the frown disappeared from Gabby's face and she nodded. "You're right. Again. I think it's better if we don't tell anyone. At least, not until we figure out what this,"[/color] she gestured between them, "is. And not having to answer to everyone else while we do it will be a relief,"[/color] she admitted with a smile.

Looking down at his outstretched hand, Gabby didn't even think twice about grabbing it. A small frown suddenly appeared on her face again as she looked up at him, looking thoughtful. "About the secrets thing. Well..."[/color] she trailed off and felt her cheeks flush, hating herself for starting to bring it up when she really didn't want to tell him. It wasn't like it was so much a secret as a...okay, yes, it was a secret, but it wasn't, like, a bit deal. It wasn't like she turned into a fluffy beast every full moon. But now that she'd practically insinuated that she had one, she had to tell him. Pulling a face, Gabby dropped her gaze and addressed her scuffed, worn shoes. "It's not really a big deal, but since I brought it up I guess I have to say it. Um. You know those books I read? Well, hah, they're not exactly like...regular books. They're umm. They're kind of...adult. Really adult, some of them."[/color] She laughed nervously and looked up at him, her face red, wondering if he understood because she would die if she actually had to say the word erotica out loud to him.


[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Gideon Prewett]

It was a relief, really, that Gabby seemed to be okay with the idea of them staying secret from everyone for the first bit of their… whatever this would be. Gideon wasn’t ashamed of her, or the idea of being with her, but the more he thought about potential pressures from others, or questions he wasn’t ready to answer, or just… anything like that… the more apprehensive he became about starting anything. He was pretty sure he and Gabby could go strong and steady, but more on their own and without outside influence or judgement. He wanted to still be able to say he loved his best friend without people thinking it meant something that it didn’t mean – yet. That was what ruined him and Emme, after all. That and… well, they did move too fast, he realised in hindsight. Then again, he and Jezebel had moved too slow, but that was because of other… fictional, winged factors. But he’d learned from both of his relationships (and he’d learned from Kiki to never get drunk again) and he was positive he’d do better with Gabby. He could do this right – they could do this right.

“Yeah,” he agreed with a nod. “It’s not necessarily a bad secret, you know? It’s just… something we don’t tell until we’re certain of things. And I want to be certain of them, you know?” He smiled, hoping he was being encouraging. She seemed to get it and was on the same page as he was, which Gideon was definitely taking as a good sign. But no sooner had she taken his hand then she was frowning again, and Gideon felt a twist in his gut as nerves started to creep in on him. “What secrets?” he asked a little tensely, now starting to really worry. He didn’t need to know every detail on Gabby’s life – they were best friends, and now possibly boyfriend and girlfriend, but he totally understood if she wanted to keep some things private. He didn’t want her to know about the magazines stuffed into his mattress, after all.

When she mentioned the books, he tried to think of them; nothing specific came to mind, but he did know that she read a lot, especially when she first arrived and was trying to learn English. He nodded anyway to show that he understood what she meant, but could only stare in confusion as she finished telling him what her big secret was. At least, he assumed she was done, since she’d stopped talking and looked a bit sheepish about the whole thing. Honestly, Gideon had no idea what she was talking about. It wasn’t like he expected her to read childrens’ novels, especially since she was almost of age now (Blimey, one more year). “Okay,” he said slowly, his brow furrowed. “What d’you mean? Like… mysteries? Or…” The idea crossed his mind briefly that maybe she meant ‘adult’ the way his magazines were ‘adult’, but… girls didn’t do that, did they? Er, read… read about things that involved nudity and physical interactions between two or more people and sometimes enjoyed them a lot and – well…

Well. Even if girls did do that, that didn’t mean that Gabby did. She was too innocent, too sweet, too…

… But. She was a good kisser. Ha. Oh. Oh. Had she learned that from her books? Gideon let out a little chuckle, because it was just… it was funny, the idea of Gabriella Rivera reading similar materials as Gideon Prewett. Of course, hers probably had more plot and substance and less pictures, since they seemed to be in novel form rather than magazine. Maybe she read them for the same reason Gideon (mainly) did, which was to educate herself in the event that she wound up in a relationship. Gideon was sure he’d be a little lost on some things if he hadn’t actually read the articles that contained tips and pointers for multiple aspects of a relationship. Plus, Gabby’s books probably had more romance than raunchy stuff, and girls did tend to like the idea of being swept off her feet.

Huh, maybe he should do that.

Grinning, Gideon reached for Gabby before she could move, putting one arm behind her back and the other under her knees. In one swift movement, he’d closed the gap between them and swept her up into his arms with a laugh, planting a kiss on her forehead once he’d brought her close enough. “Well, I like that you can still surprise me, anyway,” he said with a laugh, squeezing her in the best hug he could give her as he cradled her in his arms. “Who’d’ve ever thought you’d be into the naughty books?” He was teasing her now, and hoped she didn’t get too embarrassed; he wasn’t meaning to make her feel bad. He still thought the idea of Gabby reading, well, porn, was hilarious. He spun her around a bit, setting her down when he felt a bit dizzy and off-balance, and gave himself a few moments before looking at her and smiling.

“We should probably head back now. It’s pretty dark.” He collected his broom and pulled out his wand to Summon hers, putting both across his shoulders and gripping the handle with one hand while he put his other around Gabby’s shoulders.

“C’mon,” he smiled, “let’s go.”

[Gabriella Rivera]

"No...not mysteries, exactly. Although some of them are...themed like that, I suppose..." Embarrassed didn't even begin to cover how Gabriella felt right now. She could pinpoint exactly when understanding dawned on Gideon - his face, with all of it's adorable expressions, was like an open book to her, she knew him so well by now. So she could tell when he went from being incredibly confused to amused. Gabby ducked her head as soon as he grinned, biting her lip and wishing the ground would simply open up and swallow her whole. Things really were better left unsaid. But she'd made her bed and now she had to lie in it. Thankfully, he didn't look horrified, or like he was about to break up with her (were they even together though?), nor did he look like he was judging her in any way. Well, he was grinning, so she figured that had to be a good sign. When he suddenly picked her up bridal style, Gabby let out a surprised squeak and automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. The smile that had appeared when he said he liked that she could surprise him faded when he teased her and she felt herself begin to blush all over again, burying her face into his neck and groaning in mortification. "I'm sure you've read or seen something like it! They were...educational. About...English! They helped improve my English! Ay dios mio, debo callarme!"

[/color] she exclaimed with another embarrassed moan. She lifted her head when he twirled her around, unable to help but giggle and clinging onto his forearm when he put her down until she found that she was steady enough on her feet. She was pleased that he'd had such a positive reaction to it. Oh, sure, she was now expecting a ton of teasing from his end, but it was better than shock and horror, right?

Biting her lip when he said they should go back inside, Gabby nodded and replied, "Yeah, we should,"[/color] and then suddenly seemed to get a bright idea and reached for the hand resting on her shoulder, pulling his arm off her only so that she could tug him forward. "I want to try something first, though."[/color] She led them both towards the stands and then let go of his hand, making a stay motion and then climbed up the first row, standing on the chair. From this position, they were almost at eye level and she grinned, put her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to kiss him, keeping it chaste and innocent at first and then deepening it just the slightest bit when she dragged her fingers through his hair and boldly licked his bottom lip. Pulling away with a giggle, Gabby caught her bottom lip between her teeth again and then held out her hand so that he could help her down. "Okay, now we can go."[/color]


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