Long walks by the lake (Verity/Leo)

[Leo Ignatius]

Leo hadn't read the Prophet, or maybe he would have something to say about this guy that had been mentioned with Verity, but he hadn't, so he had no thoughts of it. So he was waiting down by the lake, looking out over the water and watching the flickering flecks of light that were stars dance along with a barely-there breeze. He had been looking forward to this, and though he hadn't dressed as nicely as he had last time, he had taken some care in his appearance. He held something in front of him, something he had no intention of letting Verity see until he was ready.

[Verity Bromley]

Verity rushed up to the lake. Her hair was flowing down her back, as usual, and she was wearing her favorite pair of dark wash skinnies with a deep plum spaghetti strap top and silver sandals. Her bag thwarted sloppily over her should as she headed up theh ill towards the lake. She slowed as she came closer to a familiar figure. "I'm so sorry I'm late." She said, out of breath. The shop had just gotten a huge rush when she was about to leave and she was hesitant leaving the girls by themselves for the first time, despite their constant assurances that they would be alright. Still, it had made her a few minutes late. She had been looking forward to this night since their night in Diagon Alley, going over ever detail before so she would be able to make it. In the end, she was still late.

[Leo Ignatius]

Leo smiled and relaxed just a little when Verity came up. He turned to her, slipping his hands behind his back as he did so to keep his little surprise hidden. "It's not a big deal at all," he said. "You look good." Good was an understatement, really. Would she look stunning every time they met up? He certainly hoped so.

[Verity Bromley]

"Oh this? It's nothing." She said with a wave of her hand, as if she hadn't actually spent hours constructing the perfect outfit. Still, she smiled, "Thanks." Verity said, reaching up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "You look dashing, as always." She said smiling. The moon was shining bright against the deep blue of the sky and she tilted her head upward to admire its beauty for a moment.

[Leo Ignatius]

"Don't flatter me," Leo said, though he smiled again and murmured a low thanks before he decided it was time to bring out what he had been hiding. It was a flower, a purple daffodil that matched Verity's eyes, that he had found in one of the greenhouses. "I figured that if we were going to have a cheesy walk by the lake, I had better start it out right." He figured it was best to keep some humor about this, even if it could have been seen as protecting himself.

[Verity Bromley]

Verity's eyes widened and at the same time, a wide grin spread across her face. "It's beautiful!" She exclaimed. It was the first time anyone had actually given her a flower. She had received them from admirers, secret and known, but it was the owl who brought it to her and not an actual person. She wrapped one arm around him, careful not to squash the flower. "Thank you." She said taking in the sweet scent of the flower combined with Leo's scent.

[Leo Ignatius]

A rather awkward arm moved to return the hug and Leo took in a deep breath. "You're welcome," he said. "I hoped you would like it. I thought it matched your eyes." After admitting that his own dropped and he tried not to think of the flush that must have spread from his ears to his cheeks. That was probably too much.

[Verity Bromley]

"You think so?" Verity asked. She was too busy studying the familiar color of the flower to realize the color that crept up his face. Before he really had any time at all to respond, Verity pulled away and straightened up. "Shall we?" She asked gesturing to the area around the lake. She hadn't meant to sound do anxious or impatient, but she was excited.

[Leo Ignatius]

Leo nodded and gestured for her to start walking. He was at a loss as to what to do now. For a few moments he was silent, or was it minutes? He wasn't sure, but he had to say something. "How have you been?" he asked. What a crappy question. It hadn't even been a week, like anything could have happened in the few days since they had went out.

[Verity Bromley]

"I've been pretty good. The shop keeps me busy, though." Verity answered smiling. Busy was an understatement. Between N.E.W.T.s and the shop she hardly had any time for herself. She felt like she was about to lose her mind she was so swamped. She made herself stop thinking about her work, that's not what this night was supposed to be about. Her hand slid into his as they walked. "How are you?" She repeated.

[Leo Ignatius]

Leo hadn't expected the feel of Verity's hand against his and he looked over at her in mild surprise as he threaded his fingers between hers. "I'm...okay," he said, then mentally chastised himself. Where was his normal confidence? "Ready to get exams over with." Could she feel his nerves? He hoped not. "If you ever need any help in the shop, feel free to ask me."

[Verity Bromley]

"I'm not at all ready for exams. I can't believe they're so close!" Verity said, fighting to keep her voice steady. Despite all the studying she's done, it felt like she had no idea what any of the material was. To take her mind off of the topic of stress, Verity looked up. "The sky is beautiful." She said, taking it all in. That was when she noticed how tight he was holding her hand. She glanced down at it, her hand was getting squished. "Erm, Leo? Are you alright?" She asked.

[Leo Ignatius]

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Leo said, loosening his grip. He couldn't very well out and say just why he was like this. He looked over at her and gave her a smile. "But yeah, the sky's amazing. I like coming out here at night, because it all reflects on the lake. It's like having two skies." There was one particular place that just increased the illusion, a place they would be coming up on very shortly that he had intended to show her.

[Verity Bromley]

Verity glanced at the lake. It was stunning, the water was glimmering and a perfect image of the sky was reflected in it. She was speechless and it caused her to pause for a moment to study it. It was fascinating, but at that time she realized that she had stopped moving and began walking again. She held her flower in her free hand, feeling the smooth stem beneath her fingers. "Do you come out here often?" She asked. She felt peaceful what with the night's beauty in front of her. Normally she would have been terrified of the darkness, but with her hand in Leo's she felt completely safe.

[Leo Ignatius]

Leo nodded, "Yeah. I love it out here at night. There's one place in particular I love, it's just up ahead." It was a rock outcropping and, from the right seat, it gave the illusion of hanging in the middle of the sky. Sitting on the edge of it just so and looking out at the right spot was a perfect illusion. There was a break in the landscape surrounding the lake, there were no mountains or hills or forests in the way, so there was a seamless transfer from actual sky to the reflection on the water's surface. It was easy to get lost and imagine just floating.