Perhaps she meant that they ought to retire to the garden or somewhere else on Hogwarts grounds, Ezra responded to good-natured goading with enthusiasm and decided on this occasion, to treat the Lady to exactly what she wanted.  On top of that, since the moment he decided that Livi was a worthy goal for the evening, he'd prepared himself to do some truly interesting things in the pursuit.

The night was still relatively young but darkness had fallen long ago.  The air was crisp and cool but bearable for him.  He almost wished he'd worn an coat to the dance so he could offer it to Livi, but that would probably have taken it too far.  As they neared the forest, Ezra broke out into a run and because he had Livi by the hand, he tugged her along beside him.  When they crossed the first line of trees, he stopped in his tracks and whirled Livi around him in a circle, causing her skirts to flare out dramatically.  He was laughing brightly the entire time.

"Is this dangerous enough for the Lady of Slytherin?" he laughed breathlessly as they slowed to a stop together.  He pulled Livi close by the waist and continued further into the forest at a more leisurely stroll.  "I have to ask, how did someone like you end up at the Halloween Dance alone?"  Livi had always been one of those girls you'd have to be dead not to notice but she was usually taken up by someone else.  However because she was a member of the Monarchy, any kind of relationship with her would have certain benefits that he couldn't afford to turn down, even if their relationship went no further than friendship.  Although... he wouldn't say no to more.

The two of them were still in the forest so Ezra kept a sharp eye on the shadows around them.  The forest was dangerous during the day but it was nighttime on Halloween so all the magic, power, and danger of the Forbidden Forest was at least doubled, probably tripled.  His wand was still in its holder up his sleeve but he was ready to pull it at a second's notice, just in case.  He would risk neither his life nor Livi's unnecessarily.

"Why yes, my good Sir, the Lady does approve of your chosen venue," Liv felt that giddy sort of happy that came along with breaking the rules. She did it just often enough to keep life from being mundane but not so often that she'd risk her academic reputation. She was, in her own estimation, a well rounded Slytherin girl. She walked the line between trouble and having her act together. She was not as wild as her sister and god mother had been, but she had her devilish side. It appeared her new companion for the evening had one as well. It was a little like something out of one of Dolly's books, charming young man sweeps pretty girl off into the night, misadventure ensues. Of all the eligible boys in Slytherin Ezra was a good pick. He wasn't a Champion like Erin but his name didn't come with the same baggage in terms of her family either. Maybe it was time to give up her slithering pursuit of the latter for the former. He certainly seemed interested tonight.

Her laugh was actually gleeful as he spun her around in dizzying circles, heavy skirts dancing in the moonlight. It was a real laugh too, the kind that very few people were actually privy to. It was neither cloying or meticulously placed to flatter, of course most people wouldn't notice the difference. She wondered vaguely, in the back of her mind, if Ezra Inkwood was the sort of person that would notice the little differences in her humors; would he be able to tell the girl from the image she worked so tirelessly to perfect? Would he like the actual girl rather than the persona of Liviana Weidman and all that she entailed. It was hard to know for sure in her world who genuinely knew her and who only wanted the pretty smile and sharp tongue'd version of her. She was still paying the price for the last time she made that mistake.

Liviana formed against him easily as he tucked her close, dark curls framing her features as she tilted her head toward the barely visible night sky, "A real woman needs no mate to define her," it was said in sarcastic tones as she rolled her eyes. While it was true she actually believed that, it was hardly the reason she'd gone alone. Tucking one of her braids behind her ear she looked at him, lips curved into a genuine smile, "Truthfully? My mother implied one too many times that the future of our clan and my ovaries was dependent on the sort of date I found for tonight. As much as I love her, I don't fancy being forced into a relationship based on her desire to see me wed and pregnant. Like most sixteen year old girls I enjoy being the bane of her existence," Liv kept her eyes peeled for any dancing shadows that might indicate danger but felt strangely peaceful walking with Ezra through the darkened forest,"what about you Dealer Jack? Word around the Snake Pit is you're a catch and a half. No date for tonight, or did I steal you away"?

She seemed happy out here in the Forbidden Forest, which tickled a dark part of Ezra and teased a self-indulgent smirk to the corner of his mouth.  He did enjoy making girls smile and if it was genuine then it could only be a good sign.  He was used to the fake emotions thrown about the Snake Pit.  Social maneuvering being so important, you could almost never trust the face to reveal true thoughts.  He had found though that if he was patient and waited long enough then the mask would slip eventually and reveal a person's true thoughts.  Only time would tell if Livi was honest with him about anything at all.  A Monarch couldn't necessarily be trusted.  They didn't get where they did by being honest with their friends and peers.

For the moment, Ezra was content to take things at face value.  She did, after all, mold to his side quite nicely and he was too busy enjoying it to really question much.  Besides, it was Halloween, they should be having fun and enjoying their escape from their chaperones, if only for a little while.  Social maneuvering could resume in the morning.

Liviana spoke quite bitterly about her family and her future.  Ezra understood it all too well.  "I know how it is," he shared quietly.  He stared forward into the trees with hooded eyes and a relaxed but contemplative expression.  Then he looked down into her upturned face.  "I'm the last hope of the Inkwoods.  My uncle, Josiah, is dead – a vampire now so I'm the only one left to carry on the family name.   I imagine it's easier to be male though, there's not a whole lot I can do to irreparably ruin our family in the long term as long as I father a child at some point."  This was, of course the worst-case scenario.  He didn't want the sum of his life to be his ability to not completely screw up. 

"Honestly," he added, "You're only sixteen.  I wouldn't worry about your ovaries drying up for at least another two years."  He chuckled lightly and rubbed up and down her side lightly as though to soothe any potential sting of his joke.  He took a deep breath and thought carefully about the question of his companionship for the evening.  There were all manner of responses he could give, but this was Livi, what would she like to hear?

"No date tonight," he told her with a grin.  "There hasn't been anyone worth the time.   Until now, of course."

Liv looked at him from the corner of her eye, wonder if he really did understand what it was like. He probably could to a degree, but he was also right in that it was easier for him. Men could have children well into their sixties and seventies. There was always this pressure on her to do the things Daz and Dominik hadn't, as though she owed it to her adoptive parents because they'd saved her from being passed from home to home, pawned off on other family members while her parents had their misadventures and couldn't be bothered to raise her. She loved Di and Alec like she was their blood, but there were certain expectations of her. Yes, she was properly spoiled and adored, she never wanted for anything, but hte older she grew the less she felt she had control over her life path. She wanted adventure and excitement, she was expected to get sprog'd up and carry on the clan linage even if it was under a different name.

Resting her head against his shoulder she gave another laugh, "Two years, really? I could have sworn I only had eighteen months left! Best to make the most of the time I've got then, don't you think"? She flashed a playfully wicked grin, stopping in her tracks to carefully lift the hem of her skirt, eyes darting up quickly, voice teasing as she admonished, "No peeking"! She waited for him to at least pretend to look away before producing a jeweled cigarette case and flask with the monogram DSJ skillfully etched into the front from something like a holster attached to her thigh,"Alright you can stop not looking now," her voice teasing as she unscrewed the top of the flask and took a drink. She was taking a bit of a risk here, letting a little of the real Livi show - not so much it couldn't be played off as part of the mask but still. She was testing the waters with him, to see if he could be trusted.

Shaking her hips a little, her heavy skirts fell back into place as she offered the case and flask to her newly found partner in mischief, "I figue if I pickle my insides then they'll leave me alone and I can do as I damn well please," she giggled then followed by a hiccuped burp and a little puff of smoke from the firewhiskey. She considered his answer and decided to take it at face value. Boys had the luxury of not being particularly worried about who they were seen with so long as they were seen with someone and they didn't make a baby with that someone before they got married. There were all these other rules for girls, the implications of knowing the right people, being in the right places, wearing the right clothes, having the right friends even though you couldn't stand some of them. She remembered explaining all of this to Luc and how that had not ended well for anyone.

Deciding then to keep the conversation lighter this go around as she slid a slender arm around Ezra's middle, the contours of her young (but distinctly feminine form) resting against his side as she watched him, brown eyes slightly curious. Up to this point both of their interests seemed to have been placed elsewhere. They knew one another in the sense of having shared House pride for six years, and meals, and friends - enjoying one another's company on a surface level... but it was like most things in Slytherin, a farce, a game. One had to avoid the social landmines that were littered across the Snake Pit landscape and as such she hadn't had time to develop a genuine relationship with him the way she had with say Deus or Gracie. The idea suddenly seemed most appealing to her in the soft glow of forest light, her chin resting on his shoulder, "there must have been countless broken hearts when you decided to go stag".

He smirked when she stopped a lifted her skirts but it seemed like she wasn't going to let him enjoy the show.  She told him not to peek and her turned away respectfully.  But really, he was only human so he surreptitiously glanced out of the corner of his eye.  Unfortunately,   there wasn't much to see.  Between the skirts and the stockings he barely got a glimpse of skin before she retrieved the things strapped to her thigh.  His eyebrow twitched up in intrigue.  A  jeweled, monogrammed flask.  What else did she keep up there?

He found himself drawn in by the distracting shake of her hips when he turned around, almost to the point of missing the words she spoke entirely.  She had such a narrow waist that the flair of her hips was highly pronounced, with the added grace of the long green dress once it hung all the way down.   Green was definitely her color on top of that.

He took the flask that she offered him and took a swig as well.  He, on the other hand, was more prepared for the rising smoke of the firewhiskey and let it out with a graceful puff.  He then took a cigarette and handed the thing back to her.   He pulled his wand for a second and lit the cigarette with a brief, subdued spell and put it to his lips with one hand while the other cradled Liviana as she plastered herself against him once more.  He could get used to this.  He took another inhale of the cigarette.  He'd always enjoyed smoking but not originally for any redeeming quality associated with the act itself.  At first it was just that his parents considered it vulgar, which he'd heartily approved of, and then it was because he'd realized that the act of bringing the cigarette to his lips and exhaling the smoke brought quite a bit of attention to his lips, plump and smooth as they were.  It was an advantage he pressed as often as he could.

When he exhaled, he was careful to blow the smoke away from the two of them and into the cold night air.  "Broken hearts," he mused.  "Yeah, there were a few.  But I imagine there weren't any more than left by you upon your decision to go alone."  He offered the cigarette to her.

"Also, I wouldn't hurry to cut off your nose to spite your face."   He cupped her jaw and looked at her seriously.  "You're far too beautiful and clever to let some old biddies get the better of you.  Would you believe that I actually want to have a family?  Not today, of course, or even after I leave school, but some day I look forward to it."

Ezra sighed heavily and tipped his face up to the sky.  He looked at the underside of the tree canopy for a moment and then closed his eyes.  He felt a slight buzz in his ability to concentrate and knew the alcohol was beginning to take effect.  This was far too heavy for a night of revelry.  He slid his hand firmly down her side to her hips but diverted at the last moment and took the hand not around his waist.  He broke forward in a brisk walk, once again tugging her along. 

"Come on!" he called out merrily.  "The night is young and so are we.  I'm sure we can think of something better to do than stand around talking about awful family expectations.  They'll certainly still be there in the morning."  He half-turned towards her with a deep smile on his face and in his eyes, beckoning her further into the dangerous forest.

If there was one trait that Liviana shared with both her godmother and the Monarchy... it was the vain joy of being watched, being seen, being appreciated for her physical attributes. It wasn't all she wanted to be known for of course, because she knew that there was far more to her personality than simply being a pretty face. However, she was not immune to the flutter of butterflies in her stomach when she caught Inkwood not so subtly watching the movement of her hips as she swished herself back into place. There had been a span of time in her life when she found it most vexing that people just thought she was pretty - then she had realized the benefit to being so soundly underestimated. Also having spent the summer traveling with the divine Miss. St.James she'd been privy to a world much bigger than the one inside the constraints of Monarchy rule and found it much more to her liking.

Slipping the cigarette case into a well hidden skirt pocket, she took a lingering sip from the flask unable (or unwilling) to avert her eyes as Ezra took a lazy drag from the recently lit cigarette. He had amazing bone structure for a boy, and there was something about his lazy lidded eyes - she was quite sure he should be kissing her. Of course he didn't, no instead he made a pithy joke about her ability to break hearts and she just fluttered her lashes at him as though she hadn't a clue what he was talking about. "Ah, yes, the fanclub. I believe they meet biweekly to discuss my uniform rotation and to debate the likelihood of me needing a pushup bra or magical enhancements. Bunch of mouth breathers, the lot of them," she sounded genuinely amused as she took the cigarette from him, lips twitching with a wicked grin before she inhaled slowly.

He touched her face and for a moment she literally couldn't breathe despite the burning of smoke in her lungs. She was absolutely sure he was going to kiss her; but it was probably best he didn't. His confession about wanting a family someday caught her a little off guard. It seemed so sincere, genuine, so very far flung from the usual political moves that a Slytherin was apt to make. Boys their age didn't think about family and genuinely wanting one, the most they thought about was the next time they'd get a full frontal proper snog. The fact that he had told her this, without any real prompting, softened the smile on her lips from calculated to genuine. She rather liked this side of Ezra Inkwood - even if she wasn't totally sure she completely agreed with him about having a  family. It meant something different for women than it did men, even progressive couples like her sister and Nate.

She didn't have long to think about it however because then Ezra was tugging her deeper into the dark woods, the smoke finally exiting her lungs as she held the burning cigarette out away from her, trying to keep her balance and run in the heavy skirts. She couldn't help but giggle, the alcohol winding through her bloodstream and loosening her grip on the well placed social mask she so often wore. "Wait, wait," she was breathless but her voice sounded very amused, "one of us is wearing ten pounds of fabric, Love, and heeled shoes to boot. If I snap my ankle we'll have loads of explaining to do and I'm not sure you could carry me back anyway. This dress might weigh more than I do". She pulled him up short as they entered a small clearing, eyes twinkling as she placed one of his hands on her hip, "I believe I was promised a dance anyway. Pretend it's a Nola and the Knockturnals playing".

Once again Ezra stopped and whirled Livi about, but this time he spun her forward into his arms.  She stumbled a bit but by that time Ezra had a firm grip on her and kept her upright.  "Come now, Livi, I would never let you fall," he said in an offhanded manner.  It occurred to him that the statement, spoken in a different tone of voice, could have been a deep and serious seductive advantage.  However, he was cautious of coming on too strong, of driving her away early on by being either too serious or too cheesy.  So he allowed the comment but only as a statement of fact and let her make of it what she would.  He couldn't, of course, allow the insult to his manliness slide as well.  "I could and would carry you all the way back," he sniffed, putting his nose in the air with mock exaggeration of insult.  He pursed his lips.  "And I'd do it without magic."

"However, if you insist on dancing, then perhaps we should remedy your precarious perch upon those torture devices conveniently known as shoes."  Ezra leaned in with a smirk then knelt in the grass and sticks upon the floor of the clearing and pulled out his wand.  He made sure Liviana was steady before lifting one foot onto his thigh and tapping the shoe with his wand.  The high-heeled shape began to shrink and morph until she was wearing simple flats, the same color and design as her original shoe.  He did the same with the other until Liviana was standing firmly on flat feet in the clearing.  "There," he declared as he stood up once again.  He held out a hand with a deep, formal bow.  "Would the Lady now do me the honor of a dance?"

He took Liviana into his arms, his formal dance structure present but loose as they were standing just a little closer than their pureblood parents would have approved of.  But the night was cool and crisp and he liked the feel of her warm breath on his cheek.  He caught a whiff of cigarette smoke and realized that she was still holding on to it.  That was probably a good thing, they didn't want to burn the forest down.  Headmaster Storm probably wouldn't approve.  Ezra used his own hand to open Livi's fingers and allow the thing to drop to the ground.  He stubbed it out with his toe and then wrapped Livi even closer until he could feel the warmth her body through their clothing as well. 

As they rocked to and fro, traveling slowly about the clearing to what Ezra could only imagine was a slow but soulful song with a bit of an edge, he breathed in the scent of her hair mixed with the pine from the forest.  "This is far better than the dance," he concluded.  "I'm glad you suggested it."  It was a large concession, he knew, to admit the validity of another Slytherin's suggestion like this, but it was a risk he was more than willing to make.  He'd often found that a well placed compliment, especially when it was deserved,  was more powerful than a similarly well-placed insult.  He didn't think it was enough to buy him the answer to some of the questions he'd been wondering about Liviana though.  He'd been following the drama with the Monarchy quite loosely, especially the split, but he wanted to know Liviana's version of it.  He wanted to know what happened from her eyes.  He couldn't bring himself to ask the question though and so just continued to dance in silence, staring into the shadows alert for potential danger.  Shortly he began to hum a bit of a tune that he remembered as being a Lola and the Azkabait song, just to break the silence.

She arched an eyebrow at his offhand comment about never letting her fall, she could have said something pithy about having heard that line before but instead she just fluttered her eyelashes, "How terribly chivalrous of you Ezra, Darling. No wonder you're considered such a catch," she gave him a wink then and blew a little kiss his way (well as much as she could without the use of her hands). He wasn't like other boys their age, in a rush to try and get her out of the heavy skirts and loose the corset that currently restricted her breathing. He was walking the line between being charming and playful. Her lips pressed together, she tried not to smile as he corrected her assumption he might not be able to carry her back to the castle. She felt the giddy sort of butterflies in her stomach that had been a sign of disaster on occasion but felt rather nice as she looked up at Ezra Inkwood. He made her feel differently than Lucas had, there was no baggage with known relationships to her friends... maybe there was finally a boy she could just genuinely be around without having to constantly worry he'd feed intel back to Kitty in a vain attempt to try and overthrow the current balance in the monarchy.

He would, of course, have to do more than take her out in the woods and play at being charming for her to really trust him - but she could feel something there between them. He added to this feeling as he knelt on the ground, carefully taking one foot and then the other, transfiguring her heels into a pair of lovely little flats (though this did increase the height discrepancy between them. Her amusement felt looser by the second as the second and third gulp of whiskey wound itself through her system. She actually giggled, her smile tinted with a smidgen of adoration as he righted himself, she gave a deep curtsy, head bowed as long curls slipped over her shoulders, "Anything to please his Lordship". There was a giggled sigh as Ezra took her in his arms once more. She wasn't proper drunk (yet), but she felt that the warm and fuzzy first notes of tipsy teasing her nerve ends. The feeling of his hand on the small of her back, the way she rested her cheek against his jawline, it was impossible not to let her defenses down just a little. Though there was no music, the movement of their bodies brought to mind her favorite song. It felt like a dream, though part of her brain said she should have been watched for animals or Salazar forbid a Professor... something about the way he held her made the danger of their location seem secondary.

When he spoke she pulled back to look at him slyly, brown eyes half lidded as she gave a small shrug, "Stick around awhile longer and maybe I'll have a few more. I'm feeling rather inspired this evening," she bumped his chin with her forehead before slowly sliding the arm that was resting against his up and around his shoulder, the other slowly releasing his hand as it joined the other at the base of his neck, head resting against his shoulder, lithe frame pressed as closely as her costume would allow and still afford to move without the both of them falling. He smiled of fresh smoke and the forest, tinted with some unnameable thing that was essential Ezra. It filled up her lungs and made her contentedly dizzy as he began to hum. Proper carriage had been long forgotten now, her usually stiff muscles fluidly moving with his as they spun a lazy waltz around the clearing. When he began to hum she pulled back again to look at him, pupils slightly dilated as she bit her bottom lip, "That's my favorite song". It was too, she wasn't even lying, there was no calculated move behind the admission. She looked at him for a long moment, bottom lip caught between her teeth, one hand slipping from the back of his neck to rest against his jaw as she leaned in, eyes half lidded, lips slightly parted, closing the meager distance between them.

Inspired.  Yes, that was the word Ezra would choose to describe her next actions.  She moved closer and pressed as close to the front of his body as she could working around her large skirts.  He briefly wondered what it would be like to do this with her dressed in something less bulky.  But when she pulled back and stared at him with her deep brown eyes and large pupils that reflected bits of moonlight that broke through the trees, his mind was erased of all thoughts except one: what it would feel like to kiss her.  Then she moved in closer and pressed her lips against his.  He savored the dry warmth of the press for a moment before opening his mouth and deepening it into a far more serious pursuit.

He pulled back before he wanted to but long after he should have and stared down at her.  He was quite fond of their height difference and the way her face tilted up to look at him fully.  He would gladly transfigure all of her shoes for a view like this.  He pressed his palm against her soft cheek and pushed it back into her long brown curls and brought her forward again for a quick peck and a few nibbles along her jaw.  He stopped again, breathing a bit heavily for the effort.  He knew in the back of his mind that he ought to step away before things got too heavy but he didn't want to and he could bring himself to care about his father's warnings whispering along in the back of his mind.  Engage in a sexual relationship if you feel the need, but don't get too involved.  Don't let yourself need it.  If you're desperate for it then you're in their power.  And, according to his father, one of the last places a man wanted to be was in a woman's power.

But out here in the light of the Halloween moon, doing something fun and reckless, he was far from his father's influence and he delighted in it.  His face broke out in a satisfied and delighted expression that was somewhere between and smile and a smirk.  "That's not at all fair," he chided her gently.  "I'm likely to agree with anything you say if you keep doing things like that."  He winked at her and then finally managed to take half a step back.

He surveyed the circumference of the clearing quickly, noting that nothing had changed in the moments they had been distracted.  That was good.  He really shouldn't have allowed himself to do that.  But then again, his eyes were dragged back to her, the risk was well worth it.  He cupped her face again, this time with his left hand and used the right to pick up her hand.  "We came all the way out here, tonight; I want to show you something.  Will you come with me a little further?"

All she could do in response was make a happily satisfied noise in the back of her throat, fingers twining through the hair at the back of his head. It had been a very long time since she was good and properly kissed, probably over the summer. Her heart rated picked up, she was almost sure he could hear it crashing against her ribs as he teased and explored past her lips. At some point they stopped moving completely and she felt as though all the bones in her body had just melted away. Her knees were literally weak, that wasn't a real thing! That didn't happen without a jelly legs jinx, kisses weren't really supposed to make your head foggy and your heart feel like it was going to come out of your chest. That was the shite Dolly wrote about, it was the stuff of fairy tales. Yet...there she was weak kneed and doe eyed, staring up into the most lovely face like some heroine from a muggle Victorian era novel - all that was missing was a fainting couch and if he kept at it, she might need one.

It took her a moment to adjust to the absense of his lips, slightly puzzled look on her face as she blinked up at him; she nearly demanded to know why he had stopped. Of course if one were to consider their location, at the fact it felt like her stomach was tied over in a dozen knots, cheeks flushed a faint pink it was probably best that he had. She was in far too many layers and giving into one's hormonal urges in the Forbidden Forest seemed like a terrible idea upon further consideration. She smiled against the second fleeting kiss, her cheek nuzzling against his as she listened carefully to the rise and fall of his ragged breath. Good. She wasn't the only one caught up in the moment. It had occurred to her after that she should have been more on her game, there should have been more of a power struggle. Had she really just kissed a boy to kiss him, no ulterior motive, no agenda to attend to? Scandalous!

She wet her bottom lip, eyes still focused on his, a small laugh escaping as he playfully admonished her. "Well, Love that might be exactly the idea," it hadn't been of course - that was the strangest part. Up to this point in her life kisses had either been calculated to get what she wanted or taken her completely surprise like Luc. She had never instigated anything without some sort of endgame in sight - whether it was just making someone else jealous or to prove a point about getting what she wanted. Grinning she brushed the tip of his nose with her own, thinking that they could do with another few moments of breathless stolen kisses but it appeared her 'date' for the rest of the evening had another idea. She pretended to ponder his offer, though she was really just trying to bide time to give her knees a chance to resolidify.

There was something about the way he took her hand, the way he touched her cheek, at this point most other boys who had just done whatever it was he had just done to her brain would be highly suspect and there would be distinct hesitation to follow them further into the woods. Livi, however, felt a strange sense of safe serenity concerning her current partner in Halloween mischief. She could trust him couldn't she? There was a marginal conflict in her brain of course, because there always was when it came to handing the lead over to someone else. His eyes were so earnest however, that whatever reasonable part of her brain told her they were doing something completely stupid was forgotten. She squeezed his fingers and placed a kiss against his left wrist, "Lead the way, I haven't broken my ankle or been eaten alive yet. You must be a fairly skilled knight in dealer's robes".

"Trust me," Ezra replied with a rough whisper when she kissed the inside of his wrist, "You don't want a knight at all. Armor, chivalry, all of it is confining and overrated.  What YOU want is a proper rogue, someone who knows how to bend the rules to get what he wants." He was, of course, referring in part to himself but he meant it genuinely in reference to her.  Boring girls wanted knights because knights were boring and safe.  A few girls, most of them broken and fragile, were the type to truly need and deserve safe knights with their shining armor but Liviana didn't seem broken and she most certainly wasn't fragile.  He stepped back, still holding on to her hand, and lightened the mood by stooping into a deep and playful bow.  "But fear not, my Lady, you shall not come to harm with me."

He took out his wand and cast lumos, creating a thin stream of soft pale light to illuminate the ground in front of them for her.  She had done quite well walking and even running in that dress but where he had in mind would require a bit more challenging footwork in some places.  They walked diagonally away from the castle, sticking quite close to the edge of it that wound down around the lake.  But after five or ten minutes, he cut away from the lake and began up a hill.  He stopped often to point his wandlight at the ground Liviana was navigating so she could avoid protruding roots and rocks. 

"I found this place my second year," he informed her conversationally.  He didn't want her to get too nervous or jumpy while they walked on and on so he chatted a bit to break it up.  "I was just looking for a quiet place to think, you know, when got a bit lost.  I started climbing the hill to have a bit of a look around and then I stumbled on it quite by accident."  At this point they had reached a particularly steep portion of the trail.  Here Ezra paused to think.  He knew Livi could do it on her own but it would be quite challenging.  And despite his bragging earlier, he probably couldn't carry her through this.  Ah well, he shrugged it off.  She was either resourceful enough to make it through this and deserved his respect, or she wasn't and would know if she was worth any further effort on his part.  Plenty of Slytherin girls would moan and complain.  What would Livi do?

Regardless of his mild intention to test her a bit, he hovered by her side and helped her up the steep, rocky portion of the hill that was almost more like a stone ladder than a path on the hill.  "Are you doing ok?" he asked quietly.  "We're almost there."  He bent a bit, trying to see her face as she responded to his question.  He wanted to make sure that, if she said she was that she wasn't lying to him or just trying to sound brave.  They could always come back if it was too challenging for her in those shoes and that dress.  It was just... he wanted to show this to her tonight.  It felt important that it happen now for some reason.  Ezra was fairly and surprisingly superstitious some times, a result from his time spent with his Cajun relatives in New Orleans. 

He rubbed her arm absently, in part a soothing and relaxing gesture that told her it was alright to want to turn back while also being alert and ready to catch her if she stumbled.  The dichotomy between his ruthless evaluation of her decisions and care for her ultimate wellbeing was completely lost on him.  He knew only that he felt both sensations in quick secession and, ultimately, at the same time.

Her eyes twinkled a bit at him, lips twitching with a smile, "Two kisses and suddenly you're an expert on exactly what it is I need, Inkwood"? She was teasing of course, because he wasn't wrong. If she had to have a Knight it would have been the troubled brooding kind. She was not a damsel in distress, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She had watched enough of her sister and Godmother to know that one could be both eloquent and scrappy. As much as she adored her brother and father she had decided long ago to never need a man for anything, because if you needed them they could let you down. It was better to fend for yourself with a few close friendships to lean back on when life's pickings got slim. She didn't share any of this with him of course, why let him know he was already so close to the truth? Besides admitting she wanted a rebellious rouge was a bit to close to admitting she wanted to be with someone like her brother, and that was just awkward.

She followed in silence, focused on not breaking her neck (though the flat shoes helped greatly in this endeavor), it felt strange to not be the one leading the way. It was not a role she was sure she knew how to play but she did her best, simply gathering more and more of her heavy skirt up in her free arm, stockings becoming more visible. She was listening, though she didn't look up when he began to talk. A secret hiding place, well this would be interesting. It wasn't until he came to a full stop that she looked up at him, expectantly. She was a little winded from the climb but nothing she couldn't handle. The area near the lake had really be more work because the ground felt softer. She tilted her head and gave him a bit of a smug smirk, "What do you take me for Ezra? A little hike and dirt are hardly going to phase me. I'm the girl who gets excited about planting season," she winked and him and dropped a quick kiss against his cheek.

Of course when she peered down the trail it did look rather steep and she didn't feel quite as sure of herself as she sounded. Still, she could do it. She was Liviana Elise Wiedman she could do as she damn well pleased. She was a bit glad that he'd let go over her hand but stayed close enough to steady her - it allowed her to use both arms to gather up the troublesome skirts. Once or twice she could have lost her footing but tried to play it off as leaning into the boy for a snuggle rather than trying not to fall arse over tea kettle down the cumbersome path. She would not complain, she would not whine. That was not who she was, that was not what her siblings had instilled in her to believe. There was nothing too dangerous or difficult for a Wiedman to pull off. It was a proven fact - especially when it came to saving face in front of someone who was neither entirely friend nor foe yet. Tossing her hair she gave a small breathless laugh, "Warn me next time one of our misadventures involves hiking. I'll wear a shorter skirt".

She teased him about knowing what she wanted but Ezra was no fool. He knew exactly what was going on with the Monarchy and the power struggle currently taking place between the members.  He'd heard the rumors and even seen for himself on several occasions the differences between Kitty Li and Liviana Wiedman.  Kitty was loud and vicious with a nasty habit of trying to bully everyone she came across.  Ezra had always remained coolly friendly and distant, he liked her to believe, also, that he was of no particular threat or value.  If she thought that didn't want anything from her and vice versa, then she would by and large leave him alone, which he preferred.  Things wouldn't turn out well for anyone if she tried to blackmail him as he'd be forced to retaliate swiftly and viciously.  Those kinds of things were effective but messy and he only went there if he had to.

Liviana, from what he could tell, understood the value of restraint.  She'd always been a loyal Slytherin, often advocating their unity as a house which went hand in hand with a certain amount of contempt for the machinations of the Monarchy she was a part of.    She held a great deal of sway with the younger students, who were currently used to be being at the bottom of the social food chain.  It wouldn't take much on her part, he imagined, to take the lead in Slytherin because no one really wanted to be led by a bully.  She had never gone so far as to oust Kitty from her position though and seemed to do no more than the keep things from getting out of control.

Her reasons for not doing so weren't were probably not attributed to lack of determination, if the way she doggedly attacked the hill in her heavy skirts was any indication.  She stumbled a few times but always took the opportunity to come in real close, which ensured Ezra wasn't going to hold it against her even he did see through the ruse.  On one such occasion, he put his hands on her back to hold her there a bit longer and smirked into her hair.  She was clever.  He liked that.  "I have no doubt that you're perfectly capable of any challenge I could set before you but that dress puts you at a disadvantage, I couldn't be sure," he told her, playing it off as the continued up the path.

She was getting tired and flustered but Ezra liked the sight and so he didn't offer to pause or rest.  They really were almost there so she could rest at the top.  And, for the first time since leaving the party, Ezra himself stumbled on a loose rock.  He had been distracted by the thought of Liviana Wiedman in a SHORT skirt.  He could vividly see her long, smooth legs bare of stockings.  The hem line of her short skirt would be long enough to modestly cover anything important but short enough to be tantalizingly cruel.  It was that ease with which he could see it that distracted him and allowed him to stumble.  He caught himself of course, but growled a dark curse in broken French that he'd picked up in Louisiana.  "Come on," he muttered, hauling himself up the last bit onto the flat surface of the top of the ridge.  He turned and held out a hand to leverage her up so she wouldn't risk cutting her skin or her dress on the rock.

He used the opportunity to keep hold of her hand once more as they walked, this time because he wanted to and not because he had to.  They walked along the top of the ridge until the trees began to thin and then they emerged on a bald spot on the tip of the ridge before it began to descend back into the forest floor towards the lake.  There was a single evergreen tree, leaning from years of harsh wind, but solid and alone and larger than any of the others nearby.  It had thick needles and sweeping branches that provided a nice canopy.  He'd arranged rocks beneath it a long time ago to make a makeshift bench but he didn't take her there.  Instead he led her a bit to the right and pointed at the moonlit vista in front of them.  The lake spread out before them and shone almost like a mirror in the light of the mostly-full moon.  Hogwarts Castle was on a hill opposite them to the far right.  It was lit up orange and glowing this time of night for the Halloween Dance when usually it would be dark by close to midnight.  "What do you think?" he asked, watching her face closely for her reaction.

The further they moved, the more Livi felt like this was actually a test - the tricky bugger. Well, it didn't really matter because she'd been testing him all night in her own right two. Hers were for different reasons of course (self preservation mostly), she couldn't know yet what it was he had her running the gauntlet for. She did get a bit of her own back when he stumbled over a rock. She had to bite her cheek and swallow back a laugh; not because he nearly fell but because she was fairly sure it was his imagination running away with him that caused the distractions. It was mostly only funny because she hadn't been trying to do that to him when it happened. She wondered now if he'd ever bothered to notice the length of her uniform skirt or not, her lips twitching with a small smirk. Boys.

She took his offered hand and let him hoist her up - eyes wide for a moment as she considered how strong he actually must be. It wasn't that she thought he was weak he just didn't run around showing off his muscles the way the most annoying Fayette twin had for as long as she could remember. She wouldn't say it out loud, of course, but she also liked that he didn't let go this time, finger lacing with hers as they wandered through the sparse trees until reaching the wide open vista. She felt her breath catch in her lungs and her feet slowed as she tried to take in every inch of the clearing. It was just so lovely. It also felt remarkably bright compared to the heavily wooded area they'd left. She was tempted to make a joke about this being the place he brought all his girls - but some how she had a feeling that wasn't true.

She hadn't ever heard any of the other girls talk about moonlit walks through the woods to s special snogging spot - and it was the kind of things girls would talk about when they were rather twitterpated over a new crush who had shown interest and stolen them away. Well, most girls, Livi was the sort who gave the barest of details and let implications rule the conversation. She kept her eyes coy and her smile slightly smug and then people made up whatever they wanted to believe. She couldn't fathom telling even Gracie about this place, about this night with Ezra. Somehow it felt too private, too precious to be shared with anyone else. She closed her eyes as a fading fall wind picked up just enough to blow her hair over her shoulder and cool her skin, her head coming to rest on Ezra's shoulder as she looked out over the lake to the castle. Saying there was something magical about Hogwarts was like saying there was something red about apples...

"Sometimes I wonder if we should feel terrible pity for muggles who never get to know that magic exists, real magic, right under their noses," she didn't know his stance on muggles. She didn't spent a lot of time thinking about them but when she did she mostly felt pity that their lives were so very ordinary. She blood status was important to her, it was how she defined herself on a greater whole. It connected her to a heritage that was rich and went back eons. They were a rare breed, dying out as more lines ended in half bloods. Then there were the muggle borns, and squibs - she almost shuddered at the thought, "When I look at day to day Hogwarts represents such drudgery; classes, social politics, vapid people... but at a distance it's hard for the grandeur of it all, the history, the beauty, to be lost," she tilted her chin up to look at him, "Merlin save us I've gone terribly poetic. You should kiss me again before I really start to prattle".

Ezra put his arm around Liviana when she laid her head on his shoulder.  He rubbed up and down her arm with his open palm, looking at the scene with slightly less awe and interest than she did because he'd seen it before many times.  In fact, he was usually here purpose and intent, not really to relax and admire the scenery.  It was fairly foolish, he realized belatedly, to bring her up here.  He knew nothing about her personally and the rumor mill was fast and cruel.  It was likely that his spot would soon be overridden by his hormonal peers after Livi said one thing about the pretty view to someone else.  This would, however, provide him with an excellent opportunity to determine how capable she was of keeping a secret.  For the next several weeks he would just take extra precautions to ensure his privacy.  Just in case.

Ezra ducked his head away and rubbed briefly at his lips.  Talking about Muggles was tricky.  Pureblood opinions on the matter were so varied these days that it was like trying to pick your way through a series of invisible traps.  The whole class of people just wasn't worth the trouble and he wasn't overly fond of the topic in most conversations.  She didn't appear to be particularly vitriolic towards them, which made things far easier.  Purebloods who adopted the more extreme views of parties like the Wizarding Blood Alliance were a bit much for him.  So too were the ones who idolized Muggles.  One couldn't really have an honest opinion around them either because if you expressed even the smallest amount of antipathy then you were suddenly no better than the WBA.

Liviana didn't appear to be too far one way or another.  Her real concern seemed to be, not Muggles at all, but the decline of Hogwarts' social integrity.   He agreed, of course.  When things descended into petty bickering and obvious social maneuvering something was lost, integrity or meaning perhaps.  She changed the subject though, seemingly uncomfortable with the way she'd turned the conversation. 

He was quiet for a bit before he took a deep breath to speak.  "There is a lot of magic in the world.  It is a shame that Muggles will never know of it.  Pity, however, in inappropriate.  Even when they are shown magic in all its grandeur they are unable to comprehend and accept it.  Coexistence just isn't possible.  That's why so much money and effort is focused on keeping them ignorant of our existence.  It's unfortunate but maybe it's for the best."  He looked down at her, serious and calm.  He hoped he didn't come off like one of those lunatics who wanted to exterminate them.  He just thought that they would all be better off if the non-magical were kept separate. 

All of a sudden, kissing her to distract themselves from heavy topics like Magical-Muggle Relations was an extremely good idea.  He turned her into him so they were facing one another.  This way he could devote all of his focus on the kiss.  And devote it he did.  It was shallow at first but quickly became more intense.  It was like they had never taken a break from before to hike through the woods, at least as far as he was concerned.  His heart rate increased as well as his breathing.  He pressed them closer and closer together full-body and at the same time kissed deeply.  He moved slowly though, trying to keep his calm in the situation.  It was working less and less with every passing heartbeat.  He pulled away and licked his bottom lip.  "I can't decide if I like talking to you or kissing you better," he murmured hazily.  "You're-"  He couldn't finish the sentence.  So far, he found that the talk was surprisingly compelling while the kissing was wonderfully intense and pleasant.  He grinned.  "So far you're pretty good at both."