Seclusion

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna paced in the hall the required amount of times, thinking of the need for a comfy place they would feel safe to talk. When a door appeared, she opened it and walked in, holding the door for Markise before looking around. Each time she'd been here previously there had always been an occupant. Although the room had always been different every time, she hadn't realized that the person opening the room had such an impact on the decor.

"Welcome to my bookstore, I guess?" She said rather amazed at the details. The book she'd been reading the night before was even sitting on the coffee table in front of the big comfy chair she'd fallen asleep in. The fire just behind it was blazing, letting off a nice warmth that encompassed both chairs and the couch. On further inspection, all the rows of books were duplicated and her counter even held her neat stacks of paperwork.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise was confused even before Annabelle opened the door. He'd been following her without even thinking about it, but he'd realized she kept turning back... and turning back... and turning back. He'd been incredibly close to asking her if she knew where she was going, if maybe they shouldn't just find an empty classroom. And then she'd opened a door he hadn't even noticed.

When he walked in, he blinked at the room. "You have a book store in the castle?" he asked, even more confused now. "I didn't know schools let people start businesses in them," he mused. And a book store, at that. Markise always ordered any books he needed by owl.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Well, this isn't my real bookstore," Anna started to explain as she walked over to the seating area. She ran her hand over a soft blanket draped across the back of the couch. "My bookstore is in Hogsmeade. This is the Room of Requirement." Anna continued to explain how the Room of Requirement worked to Markise, or at least as much of it as she knew.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise stood thinking for some indeterminable moments before he gave up. His head was hurting too much to make sense of what Anna had just said. He gravitated toward the couch, dropping his book bag next to it, then kicking off his shoes. "Do you mind if I put my feet up?" he asked, then grimaced slightly. This wasn't really her shop. "Ignore that," he corrected.

He sat back on the couch with a low sigh of relief, pulling his feet up in much the same position he'd been in at the library, pulling his knees up close enough for Anna to sit with him, if she wanted to. He'd considered curling up in one of the chairs, letting it wrap around him and hold him, but he knew he'd fall asleep if he did, and right now, he wanted the human contact.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"I might mind if your feet stink and I have to smell them!" Anna teased as she came around the couch. She sunk into the overstuffed cushions and raised one hand to plug her nose as she waved the other in front of her face. Even though she couldn't detect any odor from the removal of his shoes, she still played it up. With a giggle, Anna tried to open up the floor to talk about the subject they'd left behind in the library. "P. U. No wonder your parents sent you so far away for school."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise was mortified, though perhaps he was overreacting a bit due to the massive stabbing headache he had. He looked at Anna incredulously for a few moments, then turned, stuffing his feet back into his shoes. He remembered now, vaguely, how she'd laughed when he'd told her, how she'd brushed off everything he'd said, and it didn't matter than he knew his feet didn't stink, he took care of himself far too well for that, he'd just decided he couldn't tell Annabelle anything more. She knew far too much already. "I should probably go," he said, working his laces despite the pain in his head. "The dorm has probably cleared out by now."

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"No, Markise... stay... Please?" She sobered up quickly, the smile dying from her lips when her begging words came out. She hadn't meant to offend him; she had thought he liked her teasing. When they were out at the lake and the club, he had encouraged it. She put her hand lightly on his shoulder, as if the physical action could make him stay more than words. "I didn't mean to offend you by making light of the situation. I was just nervous and I sometimes make stupid jokes when I don't know what to say. Please, don't go. Your feet don't really stink."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had shaken his head at Anna's first plea, not wanting to hear it. He'd wanted to retreat; he wasn't in any condition to laugh at himself, and especially at something that was still so recent and so painful. He'd still wanted to leave, but that hand on his shoulder had given him pause, just enough for him to hear Anna's next words. His jaw tightened, and he forced himself not to get up and leave, find a new napping spot. Anna's final attempt at humor couldn't quite get through Markise's discomfort.

Still, Markise nodded, silently agreeing to stay though he didn't kick his shoes back off, didn't relax back into the couch. "I'll stay," he said softly. "Just... please, try not to joke about why I'm here."

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"I won't. It was a case of verbal diarrhea and I promise I'll try to think more before I joke around about something serious." Anna rubbed her hand in slow circles across Markise's shoulder blade without even realizing she was doing it. The motion was a calming one for her -- something her mom had always done if she was sick or had had a nightmare. "Are we....okay?" The words sounded odd to her after she'd said them, but Markise seemed like someone she could actually talk to and confide in. They'd already had fun together and their friendship was growing so fast, she just hoped she wouldn't stick her foot in her mouth again and screw it up.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise nodded, closing his eyes against the physical contact. It didn't matter at this point if it was a girl, it was soothing, and it was that human contact he was so starved for. "Yeah, we're okay," he said softly. "I just get... touchy about that. It didn't go well the last time I tried coming out." If that seemed like a non sequitur, it really wasn't. Coming out was what had taken him from SWIM, what had made him decide to keep it to himself this time. If he hadn't been drinking last night, there was no way he'd have told Anna.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna ran her tongue over her top lip, wetting it as she thought carefully before broaching the touchy subject. "So since things didn't go well, you moved here where you could start fresh without people knowing." It was more of a statement, confirming what he'd hinted at and combining it into words.

Anna thought it was a horrible way to live, to have to mask such a big part of his identity. She didn't blame him for running from the horrible experience, which had been enough to run him out of school and everything. "It must be hard on you to hide from everyone. Is your family at least supportive?"

[Markise Sterling]

Markise glanced aside at Anna and nodded, the motion making him slightly dizzy again this time. He leaned back into the couch with a heavy sigh. "I know my dad wasn't happy, but he was okay, and my mom and sister were cool with it." Of course, he could do no wrong in his mother's eyes. And he loved her for it. "And... a few people know," Markise clarified. It wasn't like he hid it from everyone. "Besides, I've got Friday night." Markise's lips curved, despite knowing that Anna probably disapproved.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna reached up and took his sunglasses off. It was dark enough in the room that he didn't really need them, and she hated not being able to see him as they were talking. She folded them up, and handed them to him. "None of the people that know go with you?" She thought it was weird that he wouldn't hang out with the people that knew and were okay with him. She couldn't imagine going to a club and not knowing anyone there.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had stilled when Anna reached for his sunglasses, but he hadn't said a word, only squinting cautiously as she pulled them off. It wasn't uncomfortably bright though, so he just took his sunglasses and dropped them over the side of the couch onto his bag.

"Dare's the one who told me about the club, but he goes with Michael," Markise said with a sigh. "I went once with my ex, but..." His lips pressed tight a moment with displeasure, and he didn't let himself think in details, not wanting to make himself sick. "Well, that didn't work out," he finished.

"There's this guy in Diagon Alley who knows, but... we're not really friends, we just... talk." That really was the largest part of the strange relationship they'd had. Aside from that one night when he'd gotten so drunk he barely recalled what had happened. "We don't talk anymore," he corrected, then went on. "And I'm not going with my sister," he added, looking aside at Anna with bloodshot eyes. He'd have put his glasses back on immediately if it had occurred to him that he wasn't wearing any makeup today.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna's eyes widened as Markise continued running down the list of people who knew. In the end, there was only Dare, Michael, and his sister. She wondered... "So, you don't hang out with Dare or... Michael ever?" She paused at his name, remembering Markise's unfavorable reaction last time she mentioned him. Anna's teeth ran over her lower lip briefly as she contemplated. "Well, I guess if you're trying to keep it from the public knowledge then constantly hanging out with them would probably be a bad idea." But him and Dare were friends, so wouldn't they make time to hang out?