A Meaningful Place (Anna/Markise)

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"So you came all the way to Hogwarts to guard a spot overlooking the lake? You Americans are funny, I thought people came here to learn." Anna realized how nice it was to smile and laugh; something she hadn't done much of lately. "If you've claimed this as your own, perhaps I'll have to challenge you for it. Shall we Rochambeau?" Anna wondered if he'd know what she was talking about, considering he was a wizard, and she didn't know if the rock, paper, scissor game had crossed over, or if it was just a muggle thing.

[Markise Sterling]

"Rochambeau," Markise repeated skeptically. It sounded familiar, but he had no real clue what it was. Some kind of Russian food or something? "No, thank you," he said to Anna. "I'll take the better part of valor and share the place. Maybe take a break once in a while to eat or sleep, and let you babysit it instead." Wasn't he generous? Markise's lips curved lightly with the tease.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna could tell that he had no clue what the game was, and wondered if it was because he was a wizard or from America. Either way, she was enjoying the light teasing banter between them, it was how she'd always imagined it would be to have a brother or sister more her age. "I don't know if I should feel gracious for your generosity, or call you a coward for backing out gracefully from my challenge." Annabelle continued to bait him, feeling bold at the thought of challenging someone, even if it was just a silly game.

[Markise Sterling]

One of Markise's brows arched high. "I am not a coward," he said, his pride pricked, even if Anna was only joking. "It was generosity and a wise business maneuver. I cut my losses by sharing the space rather than risk losing it when you slip arsenic into your Rochambeau." Markise smiled at his cleverness, even if he still didn't know what Rochambeau was.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna laughed out loud at his comment about arsenic. She'd felt bad for a split second, thinking she'd offended him, but then he'd come back with that, and she just couldn't hold it in. "It's a game, not a drink!" She exclaimed before making a fist and moving it up and down like a gavel in front of her in time with her words. "Ro! Cham! Beau!" Then she demonstrated the three hand movements "Scissors beats paper, paper beats stone, and stone beats scissors. It's a really simple game, my little sis loves it."

[Markise Sterling]

"Oh!" Markise exclaimed, connecting the motions, if not Anna's words. "Paper, scissors, rock! I've never even heard Rochambeau before!" Yes, he knew the game, it was a playground favorite and a way to settle minor disputes, as well as major disputes in some cases. "I'm still not fighting you for my spot," he insisted. "I'll fight you for the fun of it, but I'm sticking to just sharing. I'm feeling generous today."

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"I can deal with that, I'm a lover not a fighter." Anna said with enough dramatic flare to make anyone in the drama club jealous. It was true, she didn't like physical fighting, and she'd done more verbal assaults with Chase lately then she'd care to remember. This was different, Markise's verbal jests were all in fun, with no meaning behind them. They had no emotional turmoil to turn on each other, no past to bring up, just pure amusing fun. "Besides, my mum taught me it's always polite to share."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise laughed lightly at Annabelle's dramatics. He was definitely a lover too, but opted not to say as much. There was no need to bring up potentially awkward conversation pieces with someone he didn't know well. He wasn't coming out, after all. "Are you into theater?" He asked at last. "You're really good at that." That being her melodrama, of course. Markise didn't consider what he did anything the same. That was just letting loose, not putting on a persona.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna blushed at the compliment, choosing to take it as one since his tone didn't show any sign of malice. "You could say that. We've started a theater club recently, but unfortunately we haven't done much with it yet." She knew she was being impatient, and that coordinating those types of things took time, but she just wanted to act. She loved stepping into a role and being able to be a completely different person; it was invigorating and her eyes shown at just the thought of playing a role.

[Markise Sterling]

"We?" Markise asked. "You and your boyfriend?" It was the simplest conclusion, if not a well thought-out one. When people spoke of themselves and someone else in conjunction like that, it was usually a significant other. It didn't occur to Markise that Annabelle might have been referring to the members of the club as a whole. He sat forward comfortably and adjusted his jacket around him as he looked to Annabelle for her reply.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle's eyes widened in surprise at his assumption. If you only knew the whole of it. She didn't comment on her relationship status, because really, so didn't know what to think of her and Chase, and it was none of his business anyways. "Oh no, nothing like that." She quickly went on the defense though, not wanting to wind up in the stupid gossip column as being involved in another love triangle. "A guy named Dare actually started it up on his own; I just couldn't pass up the opportunity and joined right away." Anna added under her breath, but not quiet enough considering their close proximity, "despite all the other drama involved."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's eyes widened slightly. "Dare started a club?" he asked. It was bizarre enough to think of him being in a club, especially if it wasn't art of music, but to think of him starting one. That was a little surreal. Markise blinked when he realized how transparent he'd just been and gave a halfhearted sheepish smile. "I know Dare," he said, stating the obvious first. "We went to school together before Hogwarts." And that's all, nothing interesting, I wish I hadn't even brought it up! It seemed he'd sidestepped one awkward conversation only to land himself directly in a worse one.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"You know Dare?" Anna echoed, then realized how stupid she must sound repeating him. Perhaps it was a smaller world then she'd originally thought. She quickly recovered, commenting on Markise's shocked statement. "Actually I think he started two." Anna's eyes narrowed slightly at the thought of Dare and Michael sitting together drawing, and she quickly looked out at the lake so Markise wouldn't see. She accepted it, and had moved on with life, but it still stung to remember. If Markise and Dare were friends, she'd have to be careful about what she revealed, no need in airing out past dirty laundry.

[Markise Sterling]

Two. "Wow, he must have been bored," Markise mused. Dare really wasn't the social type. He'd relax and let go around his friends, but other than that, he was very much a believer that people are idiots. Markise set those thoughts aside for the current conversation, though. He looked back at Anna who had, for the first time since she'd fallen on him, withdrawn. "Are you all right?" Markise asked. Now his mind registered her murmured comment about other drama involved. "I won't laugh if you tell me," he promised.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna shook the brooding thoughts from her head, putting on a smile before turning back to Markise. "I'm fine, there's nothing to tell." Anna knew she was a horrible liar, which was odd, seeing how she loved acting. But playing a role was completely different from straight out lying to someone, no matter how small the lie. She hoped that Markise would be smart enough to not press the topic further, she really didn't want to talk about it. "So what do you like to do for fun? I've spilled my weakness for reading and acting."