24 October 2009
2:00 pm
Sunny, 16^oC [1]

There wasn't any need to knock before going into a boat house.  What was inside? Just boats.  And water.  Down a series of very steep stairways from the castle, Figaro had navigated down from Hogwarts castle to the old stone and wood building that was half on shore and half in the lake.  Inside Figaro expected to find rowboats floating in their little docks, the chilly lake water reflecting up green and blue light from the shallow lake depths below.  It was a sunny day, nearly 16^oC - lovely for October, but still a bit chilly.

He was expecting boats, and then, on a shelf he expected to find some long-lasting lamp oil.   Nothing made Exploding Snap gave an extra kick like a little drop of the lamp oil that kept the lanterns bright when the First Years were making their Start of Term crossing.

And so, expecting only boats, lake light, and lamp oil, Figaro didn't knock.  The 16-year-old Hufflepuff 6th Year, with dirty blonde hair and in casual weekend clothings, just walked right in.

It was dim compared to the bright day outside, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust.  His footsteps creaked on the wooden floorboards.

And he didn't notice the unexpected - someone was already there.

1.	About 60oF

With a smile on her face Alexia broke the water, only to dive in again as soon as she had filled her slightly protesting lungs with air. The charmed to be warm water around her worked soothing on her cramped up muscles (sitting in one postion all day, which in Alexia's case was hunched over a book, really didn't do your back any good) and the freedom she felt while diving up and down, making loops or simply floating on the surface really regenerated her happines levels.

It sure  is a lot of work being hated... she mused to herself, floating on light waves with her eyes closed, but it'll be worth it, she concluded. dreamily she opened her eyes to look around her. The warm light of the lanterns she'd hung around bounced off the water surface and onto the walls, creating beautiful, hypnotising patterns. Everything was so calm...

With a small, relaxed sigh Alexia lifted herself on the wooden planks of the scaffold, keeping her legs in the water while reaching for a soft purple towel. While hanging it around her neck she noticed a few drops of water making a path over her body; down her neck, over her shoulders, passing her breasts, down her flat belly only to roll off  past her hips onto the wood below, dissapearing from sight. A small cloud moved and suddenly the boat house bathed in sunlight. With a smile of delight Alexia leaned back, resting her weight on her elbows and lower arms, keeping her feet in the warm water.

The sun rapidly dried her purple bikini and Alexia, not liking being dry, went to splash some wwwmore water onto herself, using her cupped hands. Yes, this these were her secret moments of escaping the reality that was her life; little did she know someone was watching...

Figaro followed the wall, handling items on the shelves as he worked his way through, looking for the bottles of oil.  His back was the to boats and the water, but as he made his way down the row, the sounds of moving water broke into something different.  Someone was splashing about. 

He turned sharply, no idea what he expected to find - anything could have crawled out of the lake.  He half expected it to be Heliotrope LeJean or one of her relatives.  The soggy, half-merfolk girl was creepy as all get-out and somehow always dripping and smelling of seaweed.

But that's not who he saw.  What he saw made him stop and stare.  It was the ineffable Alexia Wilson.  The frigid, know-it-all Ravenclaw in his year.  She was very tall.  And she was very, very bare. 

He might have said something, if he had his voice.  But he didn't.  Professor Sandusky had taken it for the week and so he was stuck mute.  Probably for the best at this moment - in situations like this, his mouth was not his ally.

Now, Figaro had never really looked at Alexia before now.  She was just too  nasty and cold to really consider as someone he'd want to hook up with.  But it was hard not to notice her now. 

Figaro smiled and leaned against a boat, not going anywhere.  Without any words to use, all he did was wave a little and raise an eyebrow, very pointedly looking her up.  Then down. 

When she was done splashing water she hadn't heard Figaro approaching from the other side of the dock, but the last step was heard and she looked up to find the blabbermouth Hufflepuff...observing her rather thoroughly. At fist she was shocked, then she was curious and eventually she was amused. With a chuckle she dove back into the water, discarding her towel on the wooden planks, to break the surface again right in fron of the boat Figaro was leaning against. Smiling a bit devilishly she crossed her arms on the dock, resting her head on top of them, her body remaining in the warm water.

"Look who we have here..." she said teasingly, "the famous Figaro Sellaphix; what an honour to make your aqaintance," her heavy-posh british accent echoed a bit through the room, "Id love to ask how you're doing and what brings you here but you're silenced, aren't you?" she laughed, "they sure picked the right spell for your punishment.". With another smile she got back out of the water, her bikini-model figure coated with small drops of water that shone like diamonds, causing her to look like she was glowing, if only a bit.

"I see you haven't lost your eyes though," she joked after a short laugh. In for a bit of fun she walked over to him and laid a hand next to his teasingly, "it's ok though; I'm flattered," she smiled her sweetest smile, laughing on the inside at the ignorant, silenced Huffelpuff that didn't know she was gay.

Oh lovely.  She's heard all about it.  Word traveled fast at Hogwarts, and the tale of his Silencing had made it all the way to Ravenclaw Tower in only a couple of days.  But Figaro knew better than to trust a smile from Alexia.  If she was happy, it probably had more to do with her than him.  Figaro wasn't the sort of fellow that the women of Hogwarts stumbled over to get to.  He'd dated Kara Strong and Sophie Flickwick, too.  Both lovely, popular girls.  But well.  This was Alexia the Nasty One, always ready with something snarky.  And her comments about his unfortunately state of coerced quietness were typical of her usually bad attitude about playing nicely.

But also, one couldn't ignore that she was standing there next to him in a bikini.  Smiling.  Alone. In the boathouse with him.  It was very compelling evidence.

Without taking his eyes off hers, the ever-more-confident Figaro moved to get his little chalkboard out of his bag.  It was about he size of a piece of paper and Professor Sandusky had handed it to him right after the hex took effect.  He'd used it with some success to get his point across in class and such these last few days.  He resented the thing horribly, but at the moment, it was his best friend.

He looked down at it just enough to write something with a stub of chalk from his pocket. 


He showed it to her and kept on smiling.  She was, indeed, dripping wet.

Figaro was on to her, she saw it in his eyes; she loved it though, it made the game she was playing so much more fun.

She looked curiously at Figaro getting something as primitive as a small chalkboard and chalk out of his pocket. Really, didn't this guy know there were a dozen charms that allows one to write in the air, if not just think the words and they'd appear? With growing curiosity she looked at the board being scribbled on, not being able to read a thing until Figaro turned it to her.

She spontaniously broke out into a light, whole hearted laughter at the simplisity of the message. "Seriously? That is wha you took your time for to say; why thank you for telling me dear, I hadn't occured to me," she laughed. "Do you mind me being 'all drippy' though? Would you like me to use a drying charm?" she smiled a bit before grinning devilishly, "although I wouldn't listen to you anyways; as a matter of fact I like. Being. All. Drippy..." with a chuckle  she turned around and dove back into the water.

"Come in!" she yelled from the other side a few seconds later, "the water feels great!" She lazily looped around for a bit, looking up at Figaro every now and again with big, puppy eyes and heavy, water coated eyelashes.

Figaro laughed a soundless laugh when she did, right chuffed with himself for being so damn charming as he was.  He couldn't respond to her coy questions, and in a few moments she was gone.  Back in the water.

He kind of just stared at her.  She was inviting him in.  He sighed and shook his head in disbelief.  Was this actually happening?  Hot girl in his year, who usually didn't give him a rat's arse for the time of day, who he'd caught in her bikini, seemed to be into him?  Had someone slipped him something?  Had someone slipped her something? What. Was. Happening?

But then it occurred to him.  What the bloody cuss was he waiting for?

In a sudden motion, he peeled off his t-shirt and dropped it on the deck.  He toed off his shoes and socks, and undid his belt.  He hesitated just a moment to consider the color and manner of his underwear before dropping his trousers.  And there he was in all his pasty white glory in the dim, shimmering light of the boat house.  There were boys Figaro's age who'd come into themselves with a bit of muscle and were starting to look proper grown.  And there were probably lads who were still a bit pudgy from childhood.  Figaro was in a strange in between.  Skinny.  Soft.  And not usually giving a crap about how he looked.  Although if he had given a bit of effort, he might have been more prepared for a moment like this. 

He left his chalk and chalkboard nearby, and with a nod to the fates who'd granted him this undeserved gift, he jumped in.

The water was deep and it was cold!  If there was a warm spot, it must be following Alexia around.  He came up and would have shouted aloud, but all that Alexia would be able to see was Figaro looking absolutely shocked at the temperature.

He wiped his wet hair back from his face and took a few strokes to get in closer to Alexia and the water warmed up. Treading water he smiled at her - he'd taken her dare.  Without his chalkboard, that wouldn't survive the swim, he didn't have much in the way of telling her he liked her bikini.  But he tried anyway.

Figaro pointed at her bikini and nodded with a satisfied grin.  Then he pointed at his own swim suit - well, his underwear... - and gave her a questioning look.


Feel free to play with how Alexia might interpret that last bit. I made it deliberately misinterpretable...

Alexia grinned to herself as she saw Figaro jump in after what had to be one of the fastest undressing’s she’d ever seen. Eager, much? she mused to herself from under the water. It took  a lot of will power but she didn’t laugh at his expression when he hit the cold water. Her plan had worked, as per usual, and Figaro was swimming over to her in hasty strokes, seeking the warmth that was around her only.

The last few strokes she swam to him, to show him she had a bit of mercy as she watched his face slowly get a bit more colour in it and his lips turn back from the pale purple the icy water had made them become. She held herself back as the need to hug him warm gulfed over her; not as a romantic thing, but purely as a mother would feel to protect her babies from the cold.

Alexia’s brain was working over-hours as she tried to understand what Figaro meant with his weird looks and points. Did he try to tell her he’d like to see her in her lingerie? Did he mean he’d like his underwear to be purple too? Or maybe he said he wanted a bikini himself? Alexia laughed inwardly at the last one, imagining him in her purple bikini…than a thought dawned to her…

“I’m sorry dear,” she said seductively as she swam a little circle around Figaro, “but to make me take off my top you’re going to have to do a lot more than just strip and jump in…” the last word was marked with a feather-light kiss on the back of his shoulder as she drew small circles on his hip with the tip of her index finger. Chuckling she abruptly broke all contact and swam off again, engaging in a silent play of cat and mouse.



((Ooc: I’m sure that you all realise what I mean by “she likes to Play with guys once in a while…”, she just never falls in love with them, but why let that ruin the fun?))

Figaro was still not sure at all the attention he was getting from someone who was known for being at best aloof.  Had she liked him all along?  There was so much he wanted to say but bloody hell if this hadn't happened the one week in his life when he couldn't talk.  He wanted to tell her she looked really beautiful, how she'd enchanted the warm water to follow her, what she was doing in the boathouse, did she do this often, did other girls do this often, ask her if this was real life...  But he couldn't.  He could only stare and hope and be slightly confused.

But not too confused.  The worst thing would be to overthink it and ruin the fun. 

The look on Figaro's face when there was some hint that Alexia might take off her top must have been priceless.   He didn't know what she meant, but she said there was a chance.  He swallowed a sudden lump in his throat and wiped water from his face.  She was - oh Merlin she touched him.  It was unexpected and as soon as it started, she'd swum off again!

Taking the warm water with her...

He was immediately cold again and he momentarily ducked under the water to let out a silent shout of eager frustration.  When he surfaced a moment later, he was taking quick strokes after her.  She'd swum around to another part of the boathouse and was waiting between two gently floating rowboats.  Figaro, freezing again, came over quickly as he could to the warm water. 

And then, not over-thinking it, he swam in close, braced himself against a boat.  And kissed her on the mouth. 

Alexia welcomed the blonde with open arms, loving the feeling of warm lips against her own, and let her experience work its magic; gleefully she kissed, nibbled and licked hiss lips with incredible precision, as always proud to be able to drive men to behave like this. It was primal, for them both, and she loved the feeling; not it a fuzzy, lovey-dovey way, but is a sensual way that didn't need more than it had.

Slowly, though, that usual feeling crept up to her; disgust...th hard skin beneath her hands, the muscular body, the manly scent; it dizzied her in a most unpleasant way and she backed away from the kiss. "I'm sorry," she said softly, "no matter how much I want this, or want to want this...I'm gay...it's just...not feeling right...my apologies." With a defeated expression she got out of the water and walked over to her towel, grabbing it and rubbing herself dry, feeling dissapointed in herself, hating her sexuality...it was all so...difficult...

She kissed him back! And Figaro could have drowned in her in that moment.  He forgot that this had come entirely out of the blue and that he had left his mates waiting for him in an Exploding Snap match of death.  He forgot it all and would have married Alexia if she'd ... 

But it went wrong quickly.  She pulled away and said she was gay.  She got out of the water, taking the warmth with her.  Figaro, stunned for a moment, just gaped with a look of extreme, pathetic disappointment and confusion.  And then there as the embarrassed anger that followed.

The 16-year-old scrambled out of the freezing water.  She couldn't just...!  Figaro looked around for where he'd left his chalkboard and found it back where he'd taken his clothes off.  He hustled to get a message onto the board before she just completely left him there.  His chalk tapped furiously as he wrote.

When he was done he tromped back over to her, his wet feet slapping on the wood; he was still completely dripping wet, he looked embarrassed and upset.  If he'd had his voice he'd have shouted and groaned with exhasperation, but he just had this dumb little chalkboard.  He shoved it towards her. [1]


What was her problem?!

1.	are you crazy?! what why did you do that? since when are you gay?

Alexia waited patiently as she heard the sound of chalk being scribblied with, knowing she'd upset the Hufflepuff; she WAS sorry, but could she help it? She tried SO hard to like men, to enjoy kissing them...but it disgusted her, and she was sorry she'd used Figaro for one of her experiments.

She turned around, seeing Figaro stomping over to her, chalkboard in hand. Befor eshe knew it she had it pushed into her hands and read it, almost to tears. "I'm sorry!" she half shouted, nearing her breaking point, "you just seemed like a nice guy who'd understand!" a single tear left her left eye and she wiped it away quickly, furious with herself.

"I HATE being gay, hate it! And I'd do anything to be straight but...but..." a single sniff left her and Alexia scrunched up her nose in self-disgust, "I thought...argh!!!" almost tearing out her own hair out of anger she sat down on the peir, hands covering her eyes, hoping Figaro would just...understand.

Figaro did not understand.  Why was it that every time he kissed someone they started shouting at him!  Couldn't he just make out with a girl and have it go well and not end in tears!  Merlin's bones, why were witches so bloody insane all the time!

She was sitting on the ground crying and Figaro wasn't sure how this could get more awkward.  He was standing there dripping wet in the boat house, his boxers clinging to him strangely.  She'd been a siren! Luring him in, leading him on and it had been what? A test? An experiment? Why him? He did not understand.

What was he supposed to do now? Comfort her?  He wasn't very good at that.  He knew a drying spell.  So again, hastily, he found his wand and did a rush job of drying off.  He pulled on his pants, even though he was still a little damp, and sat down nearby to Alexia, but not to close.  He reached for his chalk board again, but found he didn't know what to write.

He tapped her shoulder, hoping she'd look up.  He couldn't help but still feel a little angry - like he'd been tricked and was now kind of humiliated.  But she was obviously very upset too.  He offered her a commiserating look, still not sure what to say to her. 

Then he got an idea... he wrote it down quickly.[1]


He'd either burn for it or get more kisses.

1.	Second times a charm? :Þ

Alexia looked up as a dryer and slightly more clothed Figaro sat next to her and looked at the chalkboard after the Huffie was done scribbling. Although she'd been crying, she burst out into laughing. "For the fact that you managed to make me laugh after all that...you earn another one," she said smiling, "just don't go and think too much of it ok?"

"With her devious smile back on her lips she leaned over, "now, where were we?"

Whaaaat?!  Figaro was kind of amazed.  After all that, he kind of expected to get hit, but it actually seemed to cheer her up.  Maybe Alexia was less of a nasty know-it-all than he thought. 

But he didn't waste time philosophizing, and leaned forward to kiss her again.  He could do this all day.  Sophie always had made fun of him for trying to eat her face, so he'd gotten better at it.  She'd eat her stripy Gryffindor tie in jealosy if she found out he was making out with Alexia Wilson, or so he'd like to believe.  But part of him was pretty sure Alexia wouldn't want anyone to hear about what happened, and honestly, probably him neither.  It had been pretty embarrassing to have been so easy to manipulate.  Not that he wasn't enjoying himself.

BANG BANG BANG!

Figaro jerked away from Alexia.  Someone was pounding on the door, about to barge in.

"Fig! Where the hell are you? Why is this locked?  Did you fall in and drown? C'mon, man, we're waiting on you!"

For the love of - !  Bollocks!  Figaro pulled away and shook his head.  He got to his feet and gave an apologetic look at Alexia.  Fanciful tryst interrupted by his rowdy mates.