Atticus stood in the center of Hogsmeade, looking down at a Rubik's cube in his hand that he was vigerously turning every which way. He found it soothing to work on puzzles when he was nervous - whether it was before a test, before a duel, or in this case before meeting a girl. It was a new sensastion to him and he was very put off by it. It wasn't that the excitement wasn't welcome, it was that he didn't know how to properly handle it. His solution to it was pulling out a classic muggle puzzle to play with until Winona arrived. It was almost noon according to Atticus' pocketwatch, which he returned to his pocket after squinting through the glare on the glass from the sun. It was nice and warm today, not too humud either which provided for a very relaxing environment to spend outside.

Atticus looked around for a moment, considering the many options presented to him for the afternoon. He could take Winona to drink, which would be utterly predictable, or even go shopping. None of these things were things Atticus liked to do, and while he would absolutely make sacrifices in order to make Winny happy, he wanted to find something they'd both enjoy. He turned and looked out into the forest, and towards the Shrieking Shack. The Shack had been a setting to events that happened eleven years prior at the Battle of Hogwarts, so it was somewhat of a local legend. He was less interested in the shack than he was in the nature surrounding it. He found the beauty of nature captivating and awe inspiring.

That's it. Atticus and Winona would go on a hike and find a nice view to relax in. He brought his flask as always but decided he probably wouldn't bring it out unless Winona asked, which he doubted she would. The cigarettes he left in the dorm, so he smelled fresh for once. He wore light grey jeans, black boots and a ravenclaw blue flannel buttondown.  His hair actually looked presentable today, it wasn't in his eyes and was in proper shape for a social afternoon - just a little bit dishevelled as he couldn't stand for it to be absolutely proper. It was a silly way he rebelled against his parents when he was young and it stuck with him through his youth.

Atticus turned and walked over to a bench, sit down and stretched his legs and arms. His emerald eyes scanned the people passing through the areas passively, glazing over after a few minutes. He always arrived a little too early and now it was a waiting game. He wondered what Winona thought of the other night. His exit was potentially strange, but it made sense to him at the time. He hoped it went over well and gave him a bigger air of ambiguity. Atticus need to remain closed was accompanied by a need to be ambiguous, at least until he is sure Winona would respond well to a romantic advance. He hadn't seen her the day before so he didn't know how the 'date' with the Gryffindor went, so he was very anxious about that too. Atticus has never been presented a challenge that could not be solved through pure will and determination. His education was studying and practice, nonverbal spellcasting was the same, and his business was about strategy and consistancy. Romance was a world he knew very little about outside of meaningless one-nighters during his summer breaks.

Atticus tapped his foot impatiently and twirled his wand in his left hand. Time would soon tell where his day would go with Winona and more importantly, where he stood with her. Just relax, and have a fun day with her. The rest will come. Fear is the mind killer. Atticus thought to himself, doing his best to stone his emotions and prepare for a fun afternoon.

You look fine, Winnie..

Winnie sighed, two bright blue eyes looking back at her. Settling for eyeliner and simple lip gloss, Winona knew her mother would still continue to rave about how she needed foundation, blush, and blah blah. It was too much work and she didn't understand. They were Veela, they were just naturally pretty. And yet, her mother insisted on looking decent. Some values and typical actions were still installed into her, like a hard wiring of a computer. Today, she opted for a pretty pleated yellow skirt, and a black and white chevron tank top. It was a beautiful day, and she decided to maybe show her runner legs. Sliding her dainty feet into a pair of comfortable yellow flats, she adjusted the yellow headband holding her hair back. Winona had went all out and even curled the ends of it, making the waves more pronounced. With a smile to herself in the mirror, she headed out of her dormitory and out of the castle.

Nervous wasn't even the word, and yet-- Winona didn't really know why. There was a feeling deep in her belly.. Anxiety was a good word to describe it. It was if her stomach had turned into an Olympic gymnast, flipping around. Then she remembered... He had kissed her before he left last time. Winona still felt his lips on her cheek, the brand of something she wouldn't forget. It had to be the alcohol talking through him, because she was quite tipsy herself. But, whether she was tipsy off the alcohol or the twitter pated feeling she had afterwards, she didn't know.

Walking down the path, she inhaled deeply. Spring was one of her most favorite seasons, and one of the prettiest. Fall came in a close tie for second. Hogsmeade seemed the place to hang out and that's where she was going to meet Atticus, a friend of hers. Once she started passing shops and cafes, she knew he wasn't too far. Her blue eyes searched and she sat the outline of him sitting in a bench. Smoothing her skirt down some, she walked over and stood in front of him. Sticking her glossed lower lip out, she pouted.

"Am I late? I'm sorry," she said, noticing how bored.. or maybe that was comfortable, he looked in the bench.

"Am I late? I'm sorry,"

Atticus, at this point, being so easily distracted by his own thoughts had zoned out completely. His wide emerald eyes stared into nothing as he was deep in thought about Winona and the day that was planned. He had calmed himself down completely and was ready. After a few minutes he heard a familier voice, startling him as he broke his trance and looked up at Winona. She was dressed in the prettiest yellow skirt with shoes and headband to match. He smiled wide, stood up and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek again. It was a bold opening move but Atticus decided the best approach to the day is to make his intentions at least mildly clear. One still kisses their grandmother on the cheek, after all. Objectively speaking it could mean nothing, right? Right?

"Late? No, of course not m'dear." He mused, leaning back from the kiss with a smile. "You look absolutely radiant. I love, love, love curls." He added, realizing in that moment how attractive and wild curls were to him. It was very attractive. After a moment he grabbed her hand and began walking in the direction of a forested path.

 "So I've got some fun things planned today..." He began, looking back at her and smiling. "First, a short hike." He stated, pointing in the direction of the path. It was easy to see the path ran along the ridgeline, so Atticus was sure they would find a beautiful view. Hogsmeade was nice, but privacy was nicer. Perhaps they'd get some food after the hike, or go to the library and nerd out on some obscure topic in Charms. There was always more to learn. But that's wasn't such a romantic setting, and she'd already had an experience with a Gryffndor in the library. That guy. That's all Atticus could really refer to him as, as he never asked the boy's name. At any rate his position in her life made him an enemy to Atticus, in one way or another. He wasn't even completely sure where he was going or wanted to go with Winny, but he didn't want uncontrollable variables creating chaos in the equation.

Focus. Relax. Be yourself. Be charming. He thought to himself.

It was obvious that Winnie had shaken him out of daydreaming. She looked behind her at the view and then back at him. Just as she had turned back, she noticed his wide smile and she was greeted with another kiss on the cheek. Immediately, her lips curved in a wide smile, a light red coming across her cheeks. "Oh," she said lightly, in surprise. Her eyes locked to his and one of her shoulders shrugged. "Hopefully you don't leave after that one," she teased.

"You look absolutely radiant. I love, love, love curls."

Good. Winona spent nearly a whole fifteen minutes curling it and she wanted to go for the look. Why not? A nice day called for some thought and putting effort into a day's outfit. Her smile widened and mindlessly, her left hand went to run her fingers through it. "Thanks," she said, yet it came out barely audible. The shock of the opening kiss on the cheek was still coursing through her veins like adrenaline. Atticus took her right hand and lead her forward. She began walking, getting to his pace and then walking normal. Her eyes watched, waiting for him to drop her hand any moment now.. They were best friends and best friends hold hands-- right?

"First, a short hike."

Winona rose an eyebrow. A hike? It wasn't a bad thing, and besides, walks calmed her down. It would be relaxing and it would be good to get away from Hogsmeade and it's usual weekend crowd. Her eyes looked over, seeing the path they were taking. They were bound to have a great view of everything. Her hand mindlessly gripped his with excitement.

"Attic, you know me so well!" She squealed, biting her lip and looking around. This is what every dork needed: a break from reality.

"Hopefully you don't leave after that one,"

Atticus laughed knowingly and winked. "Well, of course not." He said with a glint in his eye. "That would make me too predictable wouldn't it?" He asked playfully, looking at her with a devilish grin. "Besides, you're too pretty to not at least give a lil 'ol kiss on the cheek." He mused, his irish accent coming out a little more than usual. Atticus was black Irish and hailed from the southern corner of Ireland. He traveled throughout all of Ireland and the UK as a child, and thus was exposed to a huge variety of accents. His accent usually sounds a little more British while at Hogwarts due to the exposure, his Irish likes to sneak in from time to time.

"Attic, you know me so well!"

He looked back at Winnie and laughed, nodding his head vigerously as the two made it up the small hill and into the forest trail. The trees were not too dense in this area so they could both see a vista about a half kilometer out from where they were. That would be perfect. There here could see was a giant rock, the perfect size to climb and sit on to admire the scenery. This was exactly what Atticus was hoping to find with minimal effort. Hikes were fun but he wanted to spend time and talk with Winnie more than anything. Peace, quiet and beauty were a stone's throw away.

Atticus fought the urge to ask about her day with the mysterious library-guy. He hoped she would be comparing the two days in her head, providing that it wasn't really a study session for Herbology. What a classic excuse. Students have been using the "get tutored" excuse to hang out with their crushes since the dawn of education. Atticus scolded himself for being so callously judgemental about someone, presumably an enemy, he has yet to meet. You cannot know your enemy if you are blindfolded. Time would soon tell what he was up against. Halfway through the path to the vista, Atticus looked back at Winona and tugged at her hand a little bit. "We're so close!" He said excitedly, pointing at the big rock. "Down for a little cimb for a beatiful view?" He asked, his emerald eyes shining brightly in the sun as a great wind came through. His hair changed directions and disheveled itself a little more as he raised his (and Winona's) hands into the sky and laughed, enjoying the cool breeze across his face and in his hair.

"Besides, you're too pretty to not at least give a lil 'ol kiss on the cheek.

Winnie giggled, her other hand hiding her smile. "You really are something else," she cooed, bumping her shoulder against his playfully. As they kept walking, Winona took in all of the nature as she possibly could. Her eyes would wander and watch Atticus and the way he walked, and held himself. All in all, she found herself comparing this one to when Elian took her out. It was bad, but Winona knew a decision would have to be made... Shoving the comparisons out of her head, she decided to start a new conversation.

"Remember when and how we first met?" She looked over at him. Just as she asked, she looked to where he was pointing. There was a big rock, one that Atticus was pointing. There? A cunning smile passed over her mouth and she laughed. "We are really close! And really, a climb? In a skirt? Atticus!" She teased lightly. Winnie really had no problem with climbing down, she loved teasing him.

The wind blew her curls over her shoulders and she giggled, the wind nipping and tickling her bare legs. Skirts and dresses were odd for her, but she liked them every once in a while. "Of course I'll climb. You have to help me out though!"

"You really are something else,"

"What can I say, I'm pretty fantastic!" Atticus jested, bumping his shoulder back into hers. He smiled, happy to see she recieved his kiss well. The night before he hadn't been able to tell if she liked it. That was a small victory. Atticus looked at the trees closely, sun shining through their leaves. Spring was a beautiful time of year. A reminder that life goes on. It also, convieniently, was the season of love.

"Remember when and how we first met?"

Atticus smiled, remembering the first time they met. He was just coming into the common room when a pretty third year bumped into him and all her books fell. He helped her pick them up and they were friends ever since. Atticus admitted to himself that she certaintly helped encourage his good study habits. "You bumped into me! Oh, I felt so bad your books all fell!" He laughed, "You were so cute that then... what happened?" He added, laughing and nudging her shoulder. "It was a good day." He smiled, relaxed. Times were so much simpler back then, and it was only three years ago. How quickly times change.

"We are really close! And really, a climb? In a skirt? Atticus!"

"Don't worry! I'll go first! I have to make sure it's safe!" Atticus assured her as he squeezed her hand lightly. "I'm a gentleman, you know that! Scoundrels can be gentlemen." He said, winking at her as they reached the big rock. It was about 5 meters high, but jutting out with a modest slope. It would be easy to climb. "Here we are!" He said excitedly, looking back at her and squeezing her hand. "We'll go slow." He said reassuringly, as he took the first few steps up the rock. After about ten seconds the two reached the top to see an absolutely beautiful scene of the highlands. The sun was now on the western part of the sky and there were only a few clouds in the sky. He sat down, bringing Winnie with him breathed a sigh of relaxation. "Beautiful... isn't it?" He said, finally letting go of her hand.

"What can I say, I'm pretty fantastic!"

Winona laughed, looking over at him. She had to agree with that statement wholeheartedly. A smile of nostalgia passed over her lips and she was in such a reminiscent mood. "I was so small! Despite my short height of only 5"2 now, I was a small one," she said. "You were awfully kind. So kind that I was afraid you were going to end up being a bully out of nowhere." That was a true statement. A lot of people would be nice to her so she'd help them with their homework and whatnot. Winona learned that lesson the hard way.

["You were so cute that then... what happened?"

Her jaw dropped in a surprised look. "You did NOT just say that!" She said, a playful punch hitting his shoulder. Brushing the curled ends of her hair over her bare shoulder, she sighed with nostalgic feelings. "It was a really good day, considering when you bought me  ice cream to cheer me up." Her fingers interlaced with his as she bumped shoulders with him. "What made you so cold hearted," she teased.

When they got to the edge, Winona felt the edges of her mouth droop some. Heights were definitely wasn't one of her strengths and it seemed like the depth was a lot farther down then common sense would tell her. Once they were on the rock, Winona knew she'd be fine and safe.

"I'm a gentleman, you know that! Scoundrels can be gentlemen."

Winona smirked and rolled her eyes. "Oh sure," she goaded some. "A really grown gentleman!" She stuck her pink tongue out at him and giggled. Her eyes caught the edges of the small drop if they tripped, but she just tried to focus on Atticus. Following Atticus, she was careful where she placed her feet. Winona silently was happy she had worn flats. Heels weren't really her thing, but Mary Jane's wouldn't do well against the sleekness of the rock. Finally, they got to the top of the rock and she sat down next to him. The view... was breathtaking. Taking in a breath, her blue eyes scanned the horizon, looking at all Mother Nature had to offer. Trees had the greenest leaves and many branches. Flowers adorned some, while fruit adorned others. The lake glistened off of the radiant sun and she could see ducks and their ducklings swimming on the surface. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, taking in the beauty of the landscape.

"Beautiful is an understatement," she whispered, not wanting to disturb the peace of the world around her. One corner of her lips raised in a smile. "This is.. Wow.."  She said, her hand mindlessly squeezing his.

"I was so small! Despite my short height of only 5"2 now, I was a small one,"

Atticus laughed and looked down at Winona. He stood at around six feet so while he wasn't outrageously tall he definitely wasn't short. "You're still a small one." He said, patting her lightly on the head. "Little Winnie." He added, smiling. He frowned when she mentioned she was worried he would end up a bully. "It's bullshit people did that to you. If anyone ever does that again, they and I will have words..." He said seriously, offended at the notion that somebody would take advantage of others like that. In one sense that mentality was tremendously ironic given that Atticus had done his own amount of bullying in the last two years. However he didn't see it as bullying, at least not in the symantic sense. It was more 'enforcing' people than anything else. Some students needed to be kept quiet, others needed to be taught a lesson. Some of them owed coin. Business was business, and nobody was hurt too bad over it. "...pardon my french." He added sheepishly.

"You did NOT just say that!"

Atticus laughed loudly and leaned into Winona. He closed his eyes for a moment as a breeze went by them. He focused into the moment. The trees, the rock, the dirt, the wind, Winnie and Atticus. It was a feeling he wanted to hold onto. He continued to laugh as Winnie asked what hade him so cold hearted. He managed to get his breath and turned to look at her. "My mother once told me that I was cold because I didn't have a good woman in my life. Maybe she's right." He said, winking at her. He looked at her beautiful brown curls and her bright blue eyes and smiled. She was as beautiful as the vista in front of them and he found himself speechless.

"Beautiful is an understatement," she whispered, not wanting to disturb the peace of the world around her. One corner of her lips raised in a smile. "This is.. Wow.."

At that very moment Atticus leaned over, turned her face to his and kissed her. He held her close to him and didn't let go for a few seconds before leaning back and smiling peacefully. "I know." He said, looking at her for a moment before turning his head back to the scenery. Atticus was hoped Winona wouldn't react poorly, it was a big moment in their relationship and she didn't even know where they truly stood or where this Elian character stood either. He smiled and shook his head lightly. Be in the moment. No need for plans or standings or any of that. "Be in the moment." He whispered to himself, hoping Winona wouldn't hear.