Outfit

The arm chairs in the Slytherin common room were exceptionally plump, and Callum would be willing to wager that the other chairs in the other common rooms were no where near as comfortable as their own. He snuggled down into it, tightening the belt on his robe as he did so. There was a book resting in his lap, open to a random page. Callum wasn't really reading it, but it felt odd to lurk in the common room without something to occupy his attention.

He was mostly killing time before bed. Callum had finished his homework already, and wasn't in the mood to study afterward. He still had time before his OWLs. There was no need to get in a tizzy so early on. Oh, he wasn't going to shirk by any means, but he also wasn't going to kill himself over it just yet, either. You were only young once, after all, so he needed to have some fun.

Callum glanced at a clock, and sighed. It was only eight. He wouldn't be ready to get some shut eye for a couple of hours yet. Tossing the book onto a table, he stood up, pulled off his robe and draped it over the chair, and then took up a place in the floor. Sitting still wasn't something he was good at. Besides, he'd gotten up late that morning and hadn't had the chance to do his usual morning routine.

A very image conscious person, Callum took great pride in his appearance. He was in spectacular shape for his age, and kept it up through toying with quidditch and by trying to maintain a semi-regular work out schedule. This generally consisted of him doing sit ups and push ups in the mornings before class. He had already read somewhere that morning exercise would give him more energy throughout the day, and Merlin knew he definitely needed that. Some days he just wanted to fall asleep in classes. Especially ones like History of Magic.

From his place in the floor, Callum hooked his feet under neath the arm chair to help anchor him as began to do stomach crunches. It didn't really matter to him that he was in the way of anyone who might want to walk through the common room. If they had something to say, he would have no problems answering to them. And, it was just as he had that thought, that someone nearly stepped on him. "Oi! Watch where your going!" he snapped, without even looking to see who it was.

Outfit

It had been a bit of a long day for Evie Pascal. Of course, there were classes. But after that, Evie had gone to the magical room she’d discovered on the 7th floor.  There, she’d been working on some new dresses and outfits.  Ever since working with Aurelia Snark this past summer, Evie had been more busy with fashions and sewing.

It was starting to get a bit later in the night and Evie decided to make her way back down the castle to the Slytherin area of the dungeons.  Inwardly groaning at the amount of stairs to go down in heels, she was careful not to fall.  Wearing heels after such a long day might not have been the best idea.  Evie decided to ignore this and continued down, shoes still in tact, because they completed her whole outfit.  And of course, shoes were very important.  She wouldn’t want to get her feet dirty.

After completing the trek down to the dungeons, she said the password in order to get into the Slytherin common room. Thankful that she was there, Evie thought she just might get to sleep early.  Eyes set on the stairs to the dorms, she sighed a little. Oh, this castle and stairs she thought to herself.  Moving her feet to take her to them, she failed to notice one thing as she started walking.  There was someone on the floor in her way.  Nearly stepping on Callum, Evie tried her best to take a step over him, but ended up misplacing her foot.

"Oi! Watch where your going!"

Hearing someone yelling at her, she lost her balance and ended up tumbling to the ground.  Evie couldn’t help but hope that she at least looked graceful going down.  Unfortunately, she was certain it looked quite ugly.  And as she did so, she felt her ankle twist a little as she tried to stop herself from falling.

“Oh!” She exclaimed as she hit the ground then, “I’m sorry!” followed by “Ouch!”

Evie’s hands went to her ankle, being careful that her dress was in a modest position.  She looked over to Callum, and bit her lip. Such a clumsy fool! She was starting to look like a Hufflepuff or something!

“Oh! I hope you’re all right... though I think I might have hurt my ankle in my clumsiness.”  She would have attempted to get up, but wasn’t sure how well that would work in the heels she was wearing.  Though Evie had surmised that Callum might be able to help her, assuming she hadn’t impaled him with a heel.

Callum felt particularly bad when he realized that it had been Evie he snapped at. He rather enjoyed Evie's company, and tried his best not to lose his temper with her. She was a nice, pretty, proper young lady and truth be told he was particularly fond of her. He smiled awkwardly as he unhooked his ankles from the chair and sat up. "No, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I didn't realize it was you. Are you quite alright?" It looked odd, for Callum to wear an expression of concern. He was never concerned about anyone or anything.

He craned his neck as she started to complain about being injured, and watched as she carefully examined her ankle. "May I?" Callum asked, waiting for permission before he slipped her shoes off of her feet and then gently felt her ankle. "I don't think it's broken," he told her. "Though you might have sprained it. Here, let me help you." Moving to a squatting position, Callum carefully hooked one arm beneath her legs and the other around her back as he lifted her from the floor. Then he settled her into the arm chair he had been occupying before. He snagged an ottoman from another chair and propped her feet up on it, before plopping down in the floor next to the chair.

Callum looked up at her and ran a hand across his hair and gave an awkward, lopsided grin. "It's my fault, really. I startled you when I called out. I just thought you were Amherst or something." The Slytherin boy shrugged, and then leaned back, propping himself up as he cocked his head to one side.

"That is a very pretty dress," he told her. "You look quite lovely today. Though I don't imagine these to be very comfortable," Callum lifted one of her shoes and chuckled. "You ladies certainly do go to great pains to look so great, don't you?" A genuine compliment. Anyone who didn't know the side that he showed to his housemates (well, some of his housemates) would be shocked. Even his tone of voice lacked its usual derision and pompous air. "I am glad you didn't impale me with them, though. Might've been a bit painful."

Reaching behind him, he grabbed up the purse that had fallen to the floor when she tumbled, and he rested it in her lap before resuming his previous position. "I guess I should have just moved out of the way." Of course Callum would say that to Evie. Had it been anyone else, they should have just walked around the other way, or just waited on him to finish. Except Evie was a pretty girl, who dressed properly, and whom he liked. As such, he was willing to take the blame- at least partially. "People can't be expected to always look where they're going, I guess."

"So what are you doing out and about so late?" he asked, waggling his eyebrow. "Some sort of scandalous rendezvous with a Hufflepuff? Oh I know they're your type." He winked playfully. Normally Callum wouldn't mention such a thing, but he was just trying to be friendly. A little laugh might take her mind off of the pain in her ankle and the awkwardness of the situation.

Evie was quite relieved that Callum hadn’t been injured in her fall.  She let him take her shoes off her feet, and was quite thankful that it didn’t seem broken.  She wouldn’t want to take any of those horrid potions for fixing them.  As he lifted her up, she gave a small squeal of surprise.  Callum was quite a strong individual, and he placed her on probably one of the most comfortable chairs in the common room.  Evie gave him a small smile.

She then felt the heat creeping up into her cheeks as he complimented her on her dress.  It wasn’t too often that Evie would blush, but she found herself doing it more often as she spent time with Callum.  Though there were many people at Hogwarts who may not particularly like Callum, Evie saw the side that not many people did.  And she did like it very much.  She did find it a shame that they didn’t get to see him like this, but she figured Callum didn’t want others to see him being... well... sweet and nice. And caring.

“Thank you.  And they were more comfortable earlier, but I’d been walking up and down the stairs for a while.  And I am glad you like it.  It’s quite worth it to get such a compliment.” Evie smiled once again, possibly blushing a bit more. “And I’m also glad I didn’t impale you. That wouldn’t be good at all.”

Despite a throbbing in her ankle still going on, Evie was being distracted in quite a nice way.  She always enjoyed getting compliments.  She watched him as he grabbed her purse, which had still been on the ground.  He set it in her lap and she once again smiled at him.

“Thank you. And I do apologize again for not paying attention.  I’d been up on the 7th floor and was just glad to have made it down without tumbling to my death.  But of course I had thought too soon. And instead tumbled over you. Which is better than falling down all those stairs.”

Why was she talking so much? Normally Evie wouldn’t ramble on about that as she had, but perhaps it was just nerves?  Was it possible that Callum was the reason she was nervous?  Staring at the purse in her lap, she listened to him ask why she’d been out.  When she looked up she noticed him wiggling his eyebrow in a comic manner. That combined with his thought, joking of course, made her let out a rather loud giggle.

“Oh, stop. They’re most definitely not my type.  Too... weak for my taste.  I doubt that had I tripped and fell around one of them that they’d be able to pick me up as you did.  Well, perhaps that Ferris boy. He does seem quite strong.” Evie held back a smile for a moment to see how Callum would react at that.  She knew that he disliked Hufflepuffs. “But of course, he isn’t someone I’d prefer to be around. There are other people much better than him. And as for what I was really doing, I was working on... a project of sorts."

Evie had sensed the awkwardness that Callum had, and tried to joke back with him.  Her hopes of preventing more awkwardness seemed to be working.  At least she did hope so.  Now she was just noticing how nice the current situation was, besides the fact that she nearly injured him with her stiletto. The pain in her ankle was subsiding as she rested it on an ottoman which Callum had pulled over and placed her legs on.  He was now sitting on the ground beside her, and she couldn’t help but be glad it was him she nearly tripped over, as opposed to anyone else.

"Ferris?" he asked, quirking a brow. "If neanderthals are your type, then I certainly encourage you to try. I don't think he's any brains in that head of his. Just a great, gaping chasm where a brain ought to be. I'm sure, though, that he could club you over the head and drag you back to that badger cave of his just as well as anyone else could." It bothered him really, that she would be so specific in her joke. The idea of her with such an awful character like Ferris really chafed him. "I doubt he's good for much else other than flexing his muscles and killing mastodons. Too bad mastodons are extinct, so I suppose that makes him mostly useless."

He cracked his neck in agitation, frowning deeply in her general direction. Callum was not the sort who took a joke very well, and he figured Evie ought to know that. Naturally that's what the Slytherin would chalk it up to, not daring to admit that the truth of the matter was that the idea of her having any sort of romantic notion for anyone made him jealous. Jealousy was for the weak, after all. Especially a display of jealousy over a girl who apparently had a secret desire for Hufflepuff flesh.

"Project?" he asked lazily, feigning indifference since she has inadvertently insulted him. "What sort of project? I can't imagine what kind of project you'd be doing on the seventh floor, unless you were predicting the trajectory of Hufflepuffs if you were to push them off of the tower. It's an experiment I've been wishing to try personally. First victim, I suppose, will have to be Ferris. Can't have him stealing you away from me, now can I?" he asked, still sounding slightly bitter.

Callum had no technical claim over Evie, and he knew this. He thought she was pretty, he enjoyed her company, and had no qualms about flirting with her. Even so, however much he might be fond of her, he had never spoken to her of it. Callum assumed she was intelligent enough to figure it out on her own, though. It wasn't as though he was shy about it. Callum was never shy when it came to women, especially girls that were not only pretty but seemed to be very well bred.

Evie frowned a little at his reaction to her joke.  She’d forgotten how much Callum disliked Ferris in particular.  She hadn’t meant to upset him so.  Now Evie would have to think up something to cheer him up a bit more. She didn’t want him to be mad at her for saying something silly like that.  She hadn’t meant to say it either.  It just slipped out.

"What sort of project? I can't imagine what kind of project you'd be doing on the seventh floor, unless you were predicting the trajectory of Hufflepuffs if you were to push them off of the tower. It's an experiment I've been wishing to try personally. First victim, I suppose, will have to be Ferris. Can't have him stealing you away from me, now can I?"

“Well, I’ve got a bit of a fashion project. I don’t know if you heard about me interning at Magique Couture.  Since then I’ve been working on some dresses of my own, such as this one.” She ran her hands across her lap, smoothing the dress as she mentioned it. “But if I do see any Hufflepuffs while I’m up there next time, I’ll be sure to test the trajectory for you.  Especially if it’s Ferris.”

Evie then gave him a smile at the last part he’d said. “You needn’t worry about him stealing me from you.  I doubt a Hufflepuff would be able to do that.  There are very few people who would be able to.”

Had she really just said that? Perhaps she’d hit her head when she fell, and caused her to be more forward than normal.  Evie did have feelings for Callum, but she hadn’t imagined that she would be able to say such things to him.  She found herself blushing a little as she thought over what had just happened.  Hopefully he wouldn’t mind too terribly much.  Though she was thinking that since he’d gotten upset over her comment about Ferris, that he liked her more than she thought.

Callum had indeed not heard about her internship. Wasn't she a bit young for that? At least, he decided, it was a suitable profession. Women designing and making clothes was alright by him, it fit their capabilities and their roles in life. Callum would also have been alright with it if Evie had chosen to be a chef of some sort, an educator, or perhaps involved in music or dance- all were fine jobs for a lady. As long as she wasn't fighting crime or wrestling dragons then she was safe from his criticism.

"That is quite the opportunity," he said with a smile, genuinely pleased for her. "You do have a very satisfactory fashion sense, I'm quite certain you will do very well. The profession suits you, I think. What exactly do you do?" he asked. Callum had remembered hearing somewhere that asking girls questions, instead of just nodding and pretending to listen, was a good thing to do. Something about them wanting to feel like you cared what they had to say. Callum cared what Evie had to say when it directly affected him. He didn't particularly care about the finer details of her internship, but he could pretend that he did. Maybe she would appreciate it.

Callum chuckled when she offered to push someone from the tower, and shook his head gently. "No, we can't have a lady getting her hands dirty, now can we? I can do the grunt work, I don't have any problem with being the muscle." With that he flexed his arms a bit, arching an insinuating eyebrow in her direction.

He was a bit shocked at her forward statement, and it caused him to immediately stop the gun show. Instead he had to fight back a blush. (Callum Knight did not blush, after all. He was a man. A big, strong, silent, unfeeling block of pure testosterone. Testosterone did not blush.) As soon as the flattery sunk in, the last half of her statement did as well. Very few people could steal him away. Very few. That meant that there was someone- no, multiple someones who could. Callum's goofy grin started to fade. Who could steal her away, then? Callum wanted to know, but asking would make it seem like... Well, the Slytherin wasn't entirely sure how it would seem, he just felt like asking would be bad.

Gathering himself back together, he reapplied his I've-Totally-Got-A-Crush-On-You-And-You-Made-My-Day-By-Flirting-With-Me grin. "You don't sound too sure about that. Well, I guess I just have to rest safe in knowing that I can take down any guy who decides he wants to stand in my way. Hufflepuff or no, they got nothing on me." He was just assuming that she would want him to fight for her. Callum didn't think she was entirely disinterested, but she had never shown any obvious signs (before now) that she was paritcularly interested either.

He had a bit of a reputation, and he knew that. Callum was a flirt and a scoundrel on most counts. He liked pretty girls. If they were pureblooded and in the appropriate house, Callum had no qualms about trying to woo them. This was likely why he had such a hard time of it. (The ones he did manage to woo were always a year or two below him, girls he just had fun toying with because they became like zombie slaves.) Hopefully Evie would be able to look past it and see that he was worth her time. Callum knew she definitely was worth his.

"If it makes you feel any better," he finally added with a cocky grin, "There are only a few girls who could steal me away, too." He worded it the way he had taken her previous statement, subconsciously trying to nettle at her. Callum certainly wasn't good enough with words to make the dig at her on purpose.

Evie smiled at Callum’s reaction to her telling him about her internship.  He’d asked about what she did, but Evie wasn’t sure he’d want to know the exact details.  But she was surprised about his interest in it.  It wasn’t too often that she, or anyone for that matter saw Callum interested in something besides himself.  But needless to say, Evie was quite touched by it.

“Well, I got to help with fittings for customers, picking out fabrics, and creating and making the clothes. And I got to go to Paris with Miss Snark when she opened her new store there. I won’t go into much more detail, as I wouldn’t want to bore you.”

Though she wasn’t sure if he was feigning interest or not, most guys wouldn’t want to hear too much about fashion. At least Evie was under that impression that they didn’t.  Either way, she would save him the stories she had shared with Neely and Jordyn about the internship.  If she started talking too much, he’d likely be bored to tears.

“What about your summer? Anything exciting happen?” She felt that since he’d asked about her internship, she should ask about his summer. But Evie did care about him, and hoped he had a good time.

When Callum flexed and arched his eyebrow in her direction, she let out a small giggle and smile.  He certainly was a bit of a flirt.  But there was something that made Evie not care too much about this.  She knew that despite his... younger companions, he did mean well.  At least, she would believe this because he had been quite nice to her.  He could have left her there with an injured ankle, instead of taking care of her as he did.

“So you’d be willing to fight for me? That’s quite a compliment.” She smiled at him once again. Evie was quite glad that her comment was taken well by him.  Well, except for the fact that her wording might have not been the way he’d have liked.  But he seemed to be returning her flirtations.

The way Callum returned her comment at her did have a bit of sting to it.  Evie realized it must have effected him more than she thought.  She frowned inwardly and tried to think of something else to say.  As weird as it was, she really wanted to please him.  He really was a good guy, and they weren’t all that easy to find around Hogwarts these days.  Well, in Evie’s opinion there weren’t. 

“And thank you. I’m barely even noticing my ankle pain any more. I appreciate it.” Evie smiled.  Then, being courageous, she leaned over and gave Callum a small kiss on the cheek. If she was already being forward, then why not be a little more? She really did like Callum, and decided this would be a good way to let him know, especially since he seemed to like her back.

"Well, when you become a famous designer one day I shall have to commission an entire wardrobe from you. You always do have impeccable tastes, and a man can never look too stylish in our world. I like to think that I have a nice eye for style myself. Perhaps if you ever need a consultant I could be of some assistance?" The vainer side of Callum also thought that perhaps one day he might be a model. Working as a runway model might not be particularly manly, but it would mean people fawning over and recognizing him based on the fact that he was attractive and nothing else. He could deal with that, making a living off of his good looks and having women throw themselves at him.

"Naturally nothing exciting happened," he told her with a loud sigh. "Played the performing monkey for my parents and their friends. I was dragged from social event to social event. There were things I would have much rather been doing. I'm glad to be back here among people who understand that a teenager needs a bit of freedom and some fun. Granted, it's not like my parents ever deny me things- but sometimes I'd like to be myself instead of having to mind my manners constantly." His mother had walloped him a few good times for making snide remarks about the classmates she thought he should be befriending, and for using foul language. She wanted to know where he learned such things. From his dad, of course, but he couldn't really tell her that.

His chest puffed out when she said it was a compliment he'd fight for her. "That's not all I'd do for you either." Ever the pervert was Callum Knight. Still, he did his best to keep such an inflection out of his voice as he gave her the sweetest smile he could muster in contradiction to his less than noble intentions. Evie could interpret it any way she liked and it would probably be accurate. He would fight for her, defend her honor, and do anything else she bid him do more than likely. Callum was a sucker for a pretty face.

Callum was glad he had been able to ease her pain. He was even more glad when she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. So much for testosterone not being capable of blushing. Callum was very red now, and his brain was immediately trying to figure out a way to excuse it. With much effort he forced those thoughts out. There was nothing wrong with Evie seeing she had some effect on him, it would make things much easier if she knew. Besides, blabbering some lame excuse would just make him look worse. Testosterone did not blush, it simply turned red when it got hot. And Evie sure as heck made him hot. That was what his brain decided to tell him before his thoughts grew quiet.

The Slytherin wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that Evie kept making him grin like a buffoon, but he did like the way she made him feel with that kiss. "You, my dear, are quite the little doll," he told her before placing a kiss on her cheek in return. Callum, naturally, would rather have snogged her senseless. But there was no sense in that, and it would be incredibly inappropriate. Besides, as forward as she was being, if she had wanted to be snogged senseless, she no doubt would have done it by now, right?

"I would suggest staying off of those high heels until you're sure your ankle is going to be okay," he added afterward. Ever chivalrous, he was looking out for her best interests. (Personally he loved women in heels, it made their legs and other assets look marvelous. Especially on those smokin' hot young witches at social gatherings.) "We wouldn't want you to have a relapse, now would we?"

Evie smiled at his comments about if she were to become a famous designer. It was her wish to have that happen.  To have Callum comment about her ‘impeccable taste’ made her also blush a bit.  She didn’t remember having blushed so much in quite a while! Then again, when you have feelings towards another person, that does increase your chance of blushing around them. Especially when they are issuing compliments such as Callum was.

“I would love to do a wardrobe for you. And you do have a very good eye for style. Having you as a consultant for a male line would be wonderful. I think we’d make a good team.” Smiling, Evie listened to him as he continued talking, answering her questions.

Of course, it was never fun to hear about summers being dull. It was of Evie’s opinion that they should be fun and full of adventure.  Well, of course when Evie said adventure, she meant of the fashionable kinds.  Shopping, Paris, runway shows, etcetera. Those were the kinds of adventures she very much enjoyed.  That and of course the ones she had working at Magique Couture.  Seeing famous people come in and getting to help them find the best outfits possible.

Then, once again she found herself going a little red in the face, feeling the heat creeping up. His comment about fighting for her not being the only thing he’d do for her didn’t come across as perverted to Evie.  Despite what she did know about him, her thoughts tended to stay more pure. Especially because she did know that he could be so nice.  Evie was, however, quite flattered that he did say that, and would probably defend her at whatever situation came up.

Evie couldn’t help smiling at his reaction to her kissing him.  She had never seen him turn so red before.  Then, when he gave her a kiss back, she found herself going probably about as red as he had.  It was one thing to see Callum turn red. It was another thing to see him kiss a girl on the cheek and not just start snogging.  Evie did know the reputation he carried, but she prided herself in knowing that there was a different man from the one people saw with that reputation.

“Yes. Thank you.” Evie felt like a mindless girl saying that. So she gathered her brain together in order to sound less affected. “I’ll be sure to at least wear some that aren’t as high.  I’m ashamed to say that I don’t own many shoes without heels.  Perhaps just some more sturdy ones will do.  And I’ll also have to keep an eye out for attractive gentlemen who might be laying on the floor trying to get me to fall for them.”

Then, for yet another time, Evie was surprised at her forwardness.  She’d never in her life been in such a state over anyone of the male persuasion.  Well, perhaps over some celebrity, but no one she actually know. No one quite like Callum.  Then she had a thought. If she was being forward, perhaps try to plant a thought in his head. 

“I just hope that my ankle will be good enough by Halloween for the dance. Though that is nearly a month and a half away.  But it would be a shame to not dance.”

She hoped he would pick up on something about the dance.  At this moment, there was no one she would rather want to go with than Callum.  Evie had seen a side of him that not many others could say they had seen.  And because of that, she had grown quite a bit more attracted to him. And now, Evie was hoping he’d want to go to the dance with her as well.