It sure is nice out.

[Jonathan Vance]

Jon woke up to an empty dormitory and was extremely confused. "Am I dreaming?" He asked the empty room. Since no one answered he assumed that the answer was a maybe. His stomach grumbled loudly, and he came a little more to reality. "Oh, shit. I'm really late, aren't I?" He again asked the room. Digging around in his bag for a little breakfast, he contemplated whether it was worth it to go to class.

He walked into the Hufflepuff common room munching on a chocolate frog, still in his pajamas, and went straight out the door. He ignored the few people in the room and walked out, yawning. Jon thought to himself, if I go to class now, I'll just look like a slacker.
Well I am a slacker, I guess.
Oh, but it's the first day, what will I miss?
Nothing.
Herbology, more like boringology...
Ugh, I could have come up with a better one than that.

He realized suddenly that his feet had carried him to the door to the courtyard while his brain had been busy talking to itself. He decided that was where he should go, since his feet had gone there. He pulled the door open and the sun attacked his eyes. "Dammit, it's bright!" He walked over to a shady tree, hoping that would help relieve his eyes from the colored afterimages he was seeing. He sat down in the shade, right on the grass, and pulled out another chocolate frog from his pocket so he could complete his breakfast.

[Sophocles Mercier]

The boy smirked, his hands filling his pockets as he strode through the aged stone hallways of this revered building. He suppressed a chuckle. Sophocles Mercier was, in fact, a very privileged character. While his classmates were reduced to dull classes (ones of made-up predictions, if he was correct in his suppositions) he did not have such obligations. He had flunked or done average in whatever OWLs the block of classes required and that was fine with him. The boy tilted his head slightly, curly brunet strands falling into his face due to his slack posture. It was silly, really, to mash those classes together. Were there sixth years that had excelled in one or two of those subjects but not a third that were denied? The logistics of it was enough to leave him scratching his head but he did not particularly care too much about the fate of others left to wander about on this rather wonderful day.

If the ceiling was anything to go off of, anyway.

His nodded goodbyes to his friend and eventually the entire table were short, as he'd hurried through his breakfast only to find out this was one of the illustrious free periods this year was famed for. Yawning deeply, he pushed open the aged doors that led out of the building. Sophocles had considered flying, but his desire for a cigarette outweighed it currently. Sophocles wanted to sit out on a beautiful day and breathe ash, and because paintings were often made their nervous incessant worries known he sought refuge in the courtyards. His steps were their usual full of their usual unsteady swagger as he offered the fresh air a small smirk before his fingers began to search through his robes for a cigarette. Cursing as his fingers fumbled past the mass of objects there, he finally pulled out his wand and on a whim he used a wordless summoning charm that (to his great satisfaction) led to a single object of his addiction slip from a pocket within his school clothes.

Seizing it between his fingers, his head so he could see enough to light it until he was greeted with an unusual sight. A student sat, quite comfortable, in his nightclothes no less. His eyebrows raised for a moment before a flash of recognition passed his features. A Cheshire grin spread across his face pulling his mouth to a mischievous half smirk. Without thinking, he made a beeline for the Hufflepuff, stowing his wand in his robes. They billowed as he walked, his hips swaying devilishly as his dark gaze fixed upon another of his favourite toys. First Turner and now Johnnie-perhaps Jay had been right with his accusations of cradle robbing.

“Nat,” He said, the husky baritone echoing up the walls of the surrounding castle. “You look so cute—is that really what you wear to bed?” Seriously, even without company he hadn't bothered wearing that much to go to sleep. His eyes peered over the boy freely, as was expected in their game, though he chuckled softly. “I haven't worn anything like that in ages.”

[Jonathan Vance]

Nathan looked up to see someone walking toward him. At first, he panicked, thinking it was a teacher that was going to come give him some disciplinary action for skipping class. He was relieved to see that it was Soph. What would I do if it actually was a professor coming toward me? Well, the worst that could happen would be detention, AKA not a big deal. Look at Soph, popping out that cigarette! What a lunatic![/i] Soph was walking with his usual swagger, as if the ground where he tread should be worshiped. Nathan found it very silly to try to seem tough, but maybe that was just because he would never succeed at it.

This would end up being a lot more exciting than just sitting here eating candy, for sure. After Soph commented on his apparel, Nathan looked down, inspecting himself, and realizing that indeed he did look like a dork wearing his flannel pajamas. Swallowing the rest of his chocolate frog, he smiled at Soph with some somewhat chocolaty teeth. "I guess I at least look cute," he said, proud of himself for twisting that around into a complement.

He didn't really look cute though, unless messy is cute. He had some chocolate on his fingers and his lips, his brown hair was disheveled from the evening's rest, and he was just in his PJs and bare feet. "I rather like my Puh-Jay Jays." He laughed at himself and asked Soph, "So what is a stallion like yourself doing out here instead of being in class?" Nathan actually was curious about what Soph's purpose in going out here was, even though he didn't really know his own. [/color]

[Sophocles Mercier]

Though Sophocles had done a lot of looking, he'd focused very little on truly observing the chocolatey gremlin in front of him. In truth, he reminded the Ravenclaw of a little boy who lacked the self control to snack rather than devour foods when excited. To be fair, chocolate frogs could be surprisingly slippery for sticky masses of chocolates but that was simply why you bit off the legs and crippled them first. This, he reminded himself, was exactly why he spent his time in the mornings. The sixth-year could not resist reaching forward and ruffle the other boy's unkempt hair. Laughing again, he nodded. "Yeah, but I press the issue much more I'll be permanently known for liking kids."

The boy's hand ran from Jon's hair down to his cheek, pulling back as he noticed his chocolate smile. He briefly allowed his mind to wander before swallowing deeply. It was best not to consider types of chocolate or offering a toothbrush, so he allowed himself to focus on the question--however silly it might be. Twisting the cigarette in his fingers, he nodded. "Isn't it obvious, lov?" He asked in a semi-rhetorical fashion as he pulled out his wand and began working on a wordless incendio. It was difficult to hit such a small target but Soph was finished singeing his fingers in his fourth year. He was a bit of a pyromaniac anyway, so it'd be embarrassing to do something so childish.

Once he lit the cigarette, he grinned with a brief look of satisfaction. "Right, then." He muttered, "Because it's you, I'll tell you--I'm not a kid anymore meaning I only take important classes..." It was only a half-truth, but he often ruffled his feathers like a peacock around the younger boy. He assumed it was part of their reverie. Bringing the cigarette to his lips, his eyes shut as he inhaled slowly. Contentedness struck him and his eyes slid shut. Sophocles turned around and slid down against the tree, resting close to Nat. Sophocles knew neither of them minded it--the Hufflepuff was always over-friendly and the Ravenclaw wasn't feeling particularly prickly at the moment.

"The real question is: Why are you skipping class to prance around in such... enticing clothing?" Sophocles worked to fight back a snort, his eyebrows furrowing as he coughed a couple times. Regardless of how inexperienced it looked, Sophocles was more than calm. He figured anything he did wouldn't look nearly as silly as the boy next to him. Still, he couldn't bring himself to say 'p A fond grin slanted across his face. "You numpty, poncing about in those." His tone was almost scolding as he seized a bit of his shirt critically. "You do realise that you've only got three years to live this off."

[Jonathan Vance]

Jon smiled as Soph mussed his hair, enjoying the touch of affection. He could understand why dogs enjoyed it. Once Soph had made the comment about liking kids, he made a face at him, trying to say, "oh, that's REALLY funny, calling me a kid." It kind of lost its effect, because his curled lips had smudges of chocolate around them. It always got to Jon when someone implied, or stated, that he was immature or inferior, but with Soph, he could only stay mad for an instant.

Jon leaned into Soph's caress as he looked up to his eyes. He noticed that he wasn't meeting his gaze, but was looking lower than Jon's eyes. He was a little confused, but didn't give it any other thought. When he sat down next to him, both up them leaning up against the tree shoulder to shoulder, Jon relaxed more and inhaled, smelling the somewhat enjoyable scent of Soph's cigarette. He mostly ignored Soph's comment, because 1) it didn't really tell him anything real and 2) it might just be a lie anyways. He was probably just skipping like himself. "I decided to skip, since I slept in so hard. Plus, it's nice outside." He moved his arm towards Soph's body, but was stopped when he grabbed his shirt.

"Why don't you clear off, Soph," Jon joked, "if you don't like my sleeping garments. Maybe since I've been so bold to share mine, you could get into yours." He lifted his eyebrows several times at Soph, knowing that Soph wouldn't be the type to sleep in pajamas like himself. He licked his lips so he could continue his rebuttal and felt some residual chocolate there. He began to turn red slightly, and he understood why, earlier, Soph had looked at his mouth. He wiped his mouth off on his sleeve, and ran his tongue over his teeth to make sure they were clean too. His smile was much too important to be allowed to stay dirty. "Well, don't I look the twit, you could've at least told me I had stuff on my face!" All of his initial responses to Soph's implicating comment were forgotten due to his embarrassment at finding himself so chocolaty.

[Sophocles Mercier]

Sophocles inhaled again, quite enjoying the light breeze. The shade was cool to his touch though--he'd much prefer to lie down in the grass, stretched like a cat in a sunbeam. Of course, more pressing issues demanded his attentions as he exhaled in a hazy pattern, his lips fixing to a little o. Opening his eyes, his gaze drifted over to little Jonnie. "But how am I supposed to treat you as an adult when you make such adorable faces?" It was more of a statement than a question, though his chocolate-brown eyes softened, giving a bizarre flicker of discontent little room but to flit away. Leaning further into the boy, he continued his slow breathing.

The air that filled his lungs was surprisingly effective, his rush felt foggy and breathed a robust feeling though him. The heat of the smoke felt just like the air around him. He exhaled with a little contended curse passing his lips. His grandparents hated it, and had done their best to keep him from getting fags. Sophocles could tell his hair was mussed up because he'd slid down the tree and further toward the Hufflepuff. Using this to his advantage, he pulled the cigarette from his lips and leaned close to the other boy's ear breathing hotly but softly there so he would hear. "Got a naughty side, huh?"

A small twinge if irritation had passed through him, but he was aware that intelligence wasn't rooted in grades. Still, skipping classes ranked rather high on the list of idiotic moves... of course, it could be a rubbish class like Divination. Having wandered far enough into the realm of speculation, he nodded in approval of the fifth-years use of eyebrows. "If you fancy a nightcap sometime, come up to my room and I'll show you--see, I don't think the staff would appreciate me stripping..." He let his voice trail off suggestively, knowing that Jon had no interest in such a thing. It was just fun to tease.

The embarrassment was a nice reward, he mused, as the object of his attentions had finally realised something at a rather leisurely pace. Soph might've been annoyed before, but currently he was equally relaxed (if not more so due to Jon's recent tension). "Oh why would I ever do that," He asked, his pause punctuated as he took another drag of his cigarette. "When seeing you so flushed is so much nicer?"

[Jonathan Vance]

As a response to making note of Jon's embarrassment, he became even more so, becoming a shade of red even darker. He tried to think of something to alleviate his affliction of embarrassment, "Were you at that Gryffindor party? I heard a lot of stuff went down." He was just grasping at straws to change the subject.

Cooling off a bit, he became comfortable again, laughing at himself for becoming disgruntled by something so silly. After all, it was just Soph that was around, there was no crowd to judge him for being messy, or for blushing. He enjoyed being this close to Soph, even if it wasn't really a sexual enjoyment. Purely an enjoyment of being close with another person, stemming from his remoteness from his mother for most of his life.

Jonathan's thoughts began to wander elsewhere and he wondered aloud, "What time is it getting to be, I really need to get back to bed before class is over so that I can act as if I completely slept through class. It would come off much nicer if skipping were an accident." He wasn't worried so much about the consequences for himself, but he realized that he might be judged by others if he was perceived, as Soph had put it, as having a 'naughty side'. He checked himself for going to such a solemn train of thought. If I wanted to be this drab I should've gone to herbology! he thought, not wanting to be serious any longer.

[Sophocles Mercier]

A partially formed blob of smoke filtered out of his mouth. The boy resisted the urge to curse. Taking another drag on the cigarette, Sophocles tried again, his lips opening slightly as he managed to blow out a hazy ring. A satisfied grin pulled over his face--were it Jay he would've hit him so he could see how impressive such a feat was. As it were, though, he pulled on a cool look. His eyebrows raised slightly as if he were entirely unamused, but the corners of his lips twitched as they saw the blush light across Jon's cheeks. It was something rather flattering, but before he could further tease the boy his thoughts were interrupted. He inhaled to stifle his disappointment, though his vaguely bored face remained.

Arching his head upwards, he exhaled so the smell would be less noticeable later. He knew charms to clean them, but it grew harder and harder because he often didn't realise that he was still covered in the scent. It was familiar, like Jon, who he realised he owed an answer. "I had other things going on." His voice hinted suggestiveness, but that was his average tone when he felt like playing nice. "I'm sure the whole school will know about everything soon enough--I hear that Oki's a bender, though.e and Blackwell were snogging at the party..."

His voice trailed off as he left the story there. It was interesting enough without their little brawl and if he didn't know about his fellow Badgers he would find out soon enough. Besides, it'd probably be more fun to let him find out himself. Soph chuckled a bit at the boy's next question, though. "You Huffles are wizards, aren't you?" His tone was joking and the tease was punctuated by a shove of his elbow. Placing his cigarette between his lips he flicked his wand lazily, casting a Tempus charm non-verbally (on his second shot). "Class is more over than it is not." He said somewhat non-helpfully.

The cigarette was nearing its filter. The smoke inside his lungs was hotter and it tempted them to burn. Soph sighed, he had no intention of smoking another though this one was several lines past its prime. The thickened paper that wrapped around his nicotine began to burn as he twisted his head and let the ashes fall beside him. Shuffling his position to make himself more comfortable, "So," He said abruptly, not having though of anything previously but forced to by his interjection. "How has your summer been without anyone as fantastically attractive as I to brighten it?" He hated cocky people, which was ironic considering who he was leaning against, but he'd heard of that side of the boy more than he'd seen it.

[Jonathan Vance]

Jonathan was very startled to hear about Oki and Blackwell, and his face showed a bit of surprise. "So that's what all that fuss was about! I never thought for a moment it could be that! What a story." He turned his eyes upward, leaning back further by sliding down the tree a few centimeters, to reflect on this, Aisu Oki and Allen Blackwell!

Jon watched as a leaf, not in its autumn color yet, fall from the tree to his lap. He picked it up gently, and placed it right on the top of Soph's head, trying somewhat to be sneaky, but not very hard, since most movements he made could be felt by Soph. "Well, my summer was totally uneventful. Had to spend it with my bloody stupid dad, except for a week when I floo to the states to hang out with me mum. I was so sick of those pests infesting her house by the end of it..." He trailed off. He didn't enjoy talking about his home life, because he really couldn't stand a second of being with either of his parents. Being at Hogwarts was much more enjoyable.

The boy turned his body toward Soph, sure his whinging was even less interesting for Soph than it was for himself. He smiled and winked at his friend, "How about you? Did you go on many escapades? Any heroic adventures featuring you, Prince Charming?" He always enjoyed hearing about other people much more than himself.

[Sophocles Mercier]

Raising his shoulders slightly, Sophocles shrugged, not very surprised that Blackwell would do that. He wasn't too fond of the Hufflepuff but he had been to quite a few parties, so it wasn't particularly interesting news on Blackwell's behalf. His mouth parted in a wide yawn before he could stifle it, but he slipped his cigarette between his lips as it closed.

Inhaling with faux thoughtfulness, he drew his hand away from his mouth. Sophocles was in the habit of smoking a cigarette too long, but to be left with an empty hand for too long was temptation. His free hand brushed past Jon as his fingers ran though his dark hair in a moment of pensiveness. "Perhaps for Oki--never really pinged on my gaydar." He smirked, "Not like it's ever been that good anyhow."

Sophocles was quite aware of the 'cuddly' mood he'd been in. It was a word he'd never personally use to describe it, but being upset had been near impossible. Now his mind wandered to classes and work, but he nodded to Jon. His gaze was averted from the boy, fixing upon aged stone and adventurous birds that hopped too close to the pair before bouncing back away.

Sophocles had no intent of looking disinterested, but it was a bit like a wolf chatting with a rather friendly rabbit. It was more difficult to pursue non-distant prey. Not that he was prey, of course, but sometimes it was a fun pursuit to think of him that way. A low sound of discontent brewed in his throat at the boy's incessant moving during his words, only registering the movement of the other boy's hand.Nodding with as much sympathy as he could muster, Sophocles took another quick drag before he grinned.

"Found some lovely girls who thought private school boys were adorable. See, they somehow got the idea that it was an all boy's school." It was another of his pet peeves to have people pity him (which was why he tended to skirt the issue of his home life) but it was a bit of fun when he couldn't find his more interesting tricks. His brows lowered, the innocent smile his face projected ruined by his obvious statement.

His lips slackened briefly before twisting in a different smile, his eyes fixing on his lap. Soph nearly laughed when he caught his mistake. You didn't mention tricks when you were flirting. Sitting up more, he leaned his chin on Vance's shoulder address him again, a smirk playing at his lips, "But it was otherwise pretty boring, Princess."

ooc: Sorry about the waffling.

[Jonathan Vance]

Jon made a mental connection involving Aisu. "Maybe that's why Aisu doesn't like it when guys make physical contact," he wondered with an eyebrow raise. It was so hard to figure out Oki because he was the only blind person he knew. 'Were all blind people so uneasy?' Was what he usually wondered about Aisu, but now his thoughts were more along the lines of 'he's not uncomfortable around people, but too comfortable for comfort.'

At first, when Sophocles put his chin on Nat's shoulder, he inhaled suddenly but quietly, startled by the sheer closeness that he hadn't quite been expecting. The intake of breath wouldn't have been audible but for how close Sophocles was. After the initial surprise, Nat smiled and leaned his head on the top of Soph's, before realizing that it was somewhat uncomfortable. It probably gave him a pretty good view of Nat's ear, too. He pulled off and looked Soph in the face, at least as much as could be done while he was on his shoulder, trying to pass off his sudden move as a sudden urgency to speak in mock outrage.

In a intensely facetious manner, he spoke, "I, a princess? I am grievously harmed by any such depredation of my masculinity." Jon always was very wordy, but when he was acting not himself, he often increased his vocabulary. It was almost a persona, sort of his impression of a snooty Slytherin who thought he was pretty much perfect in every way. He even changed his voice into sort of an offended obnoxious sneer. Sometimes, Jon was more similar to this persona than he would care to admit. Often, the flaws detested most in others are most obvious in yourself. The person he was acting the part of, though, was pretty much everything Jon detested, though.

[Sophocles Mercier]

Sophocles smirked widely, bringing his cigarette to his lips as the end lit again, fading gently as he shut his eyes. "Or perhaps he likes it too much." Snickering slightly, he continued to lean against the Hufflepuff. It was hard to delve much into the lives of younger Hogwarts students, so he usually didn't. "And, I mean, why wouldn't he?" The question was semi-rhetorical. His tone dug into the deep reservoir of suggestiveness, if not only by default. Since reaching puberty he'd enjoyed enjoyable company in close proximity (even if it was more physically than mentally).

Sophocles sighed, toying with the cigarette and the idea of that blonde girl in swishy robes that swayed as she sashayed into class. She knew she was doing it. Taking another brief drag, he paused, now reaching the filter that prevented flakes of burnt tobacco from staining his teeth further. There was something about inhaling ammonia and hydrogen cyanide that made the rigorous dental cycle worth it. As he felt the shift and light pressure on his head, a knowing grin twitched at the corner of his lips.

The change in tone surprised him, his eyebrows raising slightly at the mildly abrasive tone. His eyes narrowed slightly, displeased as the sudden tone, though not exceedingly so. Flicking the cigarette butt carelessly aside, his gaze went up. Deciding he didn't like that, Sophocles sat up again, free hand swinging to fix on Jon's opposite shoulder. "Horrible impersonation, princess. I've heard much better today alone." He mockingly chided the boy.

"Besides," He said, swinging his leg over Jon's lap so that he was facing him. Were he to sit down, he'd be in the other boy's lap. Chocolate brown eyes searched the ones in front of him, leaning close while his hand reached for the boy's cheek. His lips twisted with a grin as he moved forward for a few moments before laughing and pinching the younger student's cheek. "You're just so cute." His voice was teasing, one generally reserved for young children as he swung his leg away and resumed sitting, laughing on his depressed little patch of grass.

[Jonathan Vance]

Nate smiled slightly, and chuckled, "I don't know, I always just figured Aisu was too much of a tight-ass, but I guess his ass isn't as tight as I thought." He laughed again at his own wit. He looked at Sophocles to see what his response would be. He hoped for approval. He was always trying to impress and gain approval from his friends.

When Soph began to almost straddle him, Nate's body, up to this point basically in constant motion, went totally still. He began to get a little nervous, and could feel Soph's hot breath on his cheeks as he spoke. The courtyard seemed to grow completely silent for a moment after the one word, 'besides', hung in the air. Jon heard a bird chirp, breaking the strange stillness of that one instant, and Soph completed his statement. Jon exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath. He giggled at his own absurdity.

Nathan felt much more relaxed after (what he treated as) a compliment form Soph. When Soph moved back from above him, he almost missed the closeness, even if it had startled him at first. With Soph's laugh, his face broke into a smile and he realized that Soph had been slightly condescending towards him. He didn't really mind, since he was enjoying his time off of class quite a bit more than he would've by himself.

"Well, I'm glad I cut class," Nat winked at Soph. "It's not every day I get called cute twice in one morning." He laughed at himself again and then slid down the trunk of the tree to where he could gaze up at the clouds through breaks of the leaves. "It's really bloody nice out, today, huh?" The sky was a pure blue, and all of the clouds were puffy and floating about with a jolly disposition.[/color]

[Sophocles Mercier]

Sophocles rose one eyebrow critically for a moment before lowering it in a rather smug calm. Though the statement was a bit more brash than he would've preferred (networks and clever games were more of his forte) he supposed one brash claim deserved another. He offered a look that implied some sort of innocence against his uncouth comment, but a portion of amusement that he'd offered it. Grinning fully, his mischievous smirk allowed the appraisal such a position would give them. Their relationship was odd, but his predatory gaze flitted away once he had resumed a more separate seat from the younger student.

A smug feeling rose in his chest, which stood out a bit to show Jon that he was quite pleased with his childish response. His mind split in several directions, from wondering if he'd been like that with a girl or if it was just their sheer closeness, physically that had thrown him. Either way, the boy was delighted, his chocolate eyes brimming with satisfaction. Their relationship was about pushing boundaries, and testing the response even on his nicest of days.

Sophocles didn't particularly care about Oki, or much of the gossip that had surfaced. He supposed nosy people would make sure he knew, and he'd only briefly scanned the Tattler in his disinterest. "Not so much so as most guys at our school." He offered somewhat caustically, grinning. He sighed. "You included." The Ravenclaw grinned briefly, but his gaze broke away from the Hufflepuff easily, meaning he had no intent of pursuing it.

He could still smell the cigarette, sensitivity to the smell bizarre in the position he was in. Perhaps it was himself, or Vance he mused with a particular satisfaction. At least it could be when classes ended, when he insured a decent amount of distance between them. The boy turned just in time to catch a small wink. "Yeah," He agreed, "Fantastic." He briefly wondered why they weren't basking in the sun, but he suppressed the thought. "Only way it'll get nicer is if your mates finish classes and find you in your pajamas."

[Jonathan Vance]

Jon rolled his eyes at Soph, as a response to the comment about him. He smiled, though, making the eye roll lose effect since he thought what Sophocles had said had been funny. He didn't mind when people joked about his sexuality, because he knew that he was straight, and that's what matters, right? Jon rolled over, so he was lying on his stomach. He gazed up at Soph from behind his glasses.

At Soph's comment, Jon's eyes opened wide. He had almost completely forgot about getting back to the dormitories to avoid getting reprimanded for skipping. He stood up suddenly, hitting his head on a lower branch, but trying to ignore it, and pass it off as if it hadn't happened. He might not have time to begin the whole scene of flinching in pain. He did have time, though, for a parting word with Sophocles. He reached down to Soph and took his hand, then gazed into his eyes in a pseudo-romantic way. "I count the minutes until I can see your lovely face again."

He bowed down toward Soph, and then whipped around to exit. As he began to leave the courtyard, he spun around and gave a wink to Soph, grinning. As soon as he got inside, he straight down to the Hufflepuff rooms. He whipped off his glasses as he went through to his bedroom. He lied down, trying to slow his heart that had begun to beat quickly in the sprint over here. He smiled as he shut his eyes and tried to get back to sleep, or as far as anyone other than Soph knew, continued to sleep.