Bran wasn't a genius or a nerd, but he did well in school and that was despite his complete inability to properly focus on studying for more than 20 minutes at a time. Which is why he had devised a most brilliant card system which took him through all the theory in half the time it took others. Holding up a card for Transfiguration he squinted his eyes at it and let out a little groan as he let himself fall backwards into the fresh grass. He closed his eyes against the sun and smiled at the feeling of warmth on his face.

"Break. I call break"  he mumbled patting the blanket to his left, searching for one of Verity's limbs to pull her down with him. When he found her wrist he grabbed and pulled strongly and repeatedly. "Lie your ass down, you need to work on your tan" he grunted lazily as he folded his other arm under his head. While Bran adored lying in the sun, his complexion certainly didn't. But Verity's... it begged to be sun kissed.

When her shadow flickered across his closed eyelids he finally opened his eyes, blinking against the light, quickly using one arm to shield the sun and peeked at her with one open eye. "You know, I've been meaning to ask--couldn't help notice some things..."  he said with a lazy, impish sort of smile, his eyebrows slowly raised "Or, better yet, someone--Micah, hmm?" he asked with the most shit-eating grin he could possibly muster and, in complete contradiction, batted his eyelashes innocently in question.

Studying with Bran was always entertaining, and – somehow – oddly efficient due to his note cards. Which was for the best, as Verity rarely managed to keep him on task for even a half hour. When he announced that it was time for a break (right on cue), the Hufflepuff rolled her eyes and chuckled softly, but at least they managed to get through most of the flashcards. And to be completely honest, Verity was quite burnt out from all of the studying she had been doing between her classes at Hogwarts as well as for her AS Level tests.

She didn't protest when he tugged on her wrist to pull her down other than a small "Oh Bran...", and she laid down beside him. His comment about needing to work on her tan was unfortunately true, as her olive toned skin had gotten rather pasty over the winter and her habit of studying in her dorm had taken it's toll. However, while her skin enjoyed the sun, she knew that Bran's alabaster coloring did not take as kindly to the bright rays and she sat up slightly to hopefully give him a bit of shade.

"Or, better yet, someone--Micah, hmm?" Verity blanched at the comment, and her amber eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Oh for god's sake, how did you find out?" Though she realized how silly of a question that was immediately afterwards. Her normally confident and extroverted demeanor changed whenever Micah looked her way, into that of a rather shy and awkward individual who Verity hardly recognized. "Bah, wipe that grin off your face!"

She playfully shoved him, and laughed despite her embarrassment. "I am not exactly experienced when it comes to crushes and stuff. But he's nice. And we've been actually talking more lately, which is a feat in and of itself."

Bran didn't dignify her question with an answer, instead he arched his eyebrows slowly, ever so slowly, and blinked lazily once. Bran knew everything, no matter how delicate or subtle the rumor could be, but Verity's thing with Micah was anything but subtle. He grinned impishly as she reached the same conclusion soon enough and faked hurt and tragedy as she shoved him teasingly. "Hey, watch the goods, I bruise easily." Oh, didn't he ever... But that wasn't the point now!

"Talking" he dead-panned and rolled his eyes while shaking his head. Good lord, kids these days. "So is talking all you wanna do?" he drawled with a devilish smile, fluttering his long eyelashes coyly. "Because waiting for Gallagher to take any sort of initiative, might as well be waiting for Di Luca to grow a heart" he tsk-ed and rolled on his front, elbows bent under his chin. "And you're only going to gain experience by practicing, darling. So get practicing" he said with a grin, tilting hsi head to peek with one eye at her.

The Hufflepuff knew that Micah was not exactly one to make the first move - Ji-Hyun had stressed that frequently enough. Her efforts to show her feelings apparently were obvious to everyone except for Micah, who remained seemingly oblivious. Verity's expression at his comment about "practicing" was probably rather comical due to the panic shown, though she understood that fear shouldn't control her actions. And being turned down wouldn't be the end of the world, as she'd already lived through the experience before.

"Life would be so much simpler if the logical portion of our brain developed at the same rate as our emotions," Verity sighed. Having been buried in Psychology textbooks in preparation for her AS Levels, she had despaired upon learning that the human brain didn't fully develop until well into adulthood. "I just worry that if I bring up the topic with him, he will stop breathing out of embarrassment or something. It's well eerie how vividly I can see that occurring..."

She shook the macabre image from her head, and leaned back in a more comfortable position. "I have to ask, how do you find it so simple to express your interest in others? My throat practically closes up just at the thought."