Welcome to the Midnight Madness

Though Kerry thought Annie and he might be early, when they entered the dimly lit Dinning Hall there were already some 40 people here. Kerry saw that most of them were not much older than him, so he was figuring mostly 2rd and 3 Years, though there were a number of older kids, too, and up at the far here it looked like 3 much older kids were camped out on pillows drink something out of tall glasses.

He didn't feel all that strange, though the idea of wandering about outside the cover tower in his night clothes . . . okay, it was strange. Enjoyable, though. Never, in a million years, did he think he'd be at a school where they'd tell you on Friday and Saturday nights you could hang out in a big building dressed in just your pajamas, and everyone else would be there in their pajamas as well--

And you could stay up until midnight!

His gear was pretty simple. He wore his dark blue lounging pants and his Torchwood emblem tee shirt, along with his Australian "sheep shearing boots", which he'd bought in Cardiff right before getting his invitation to his first magical school, and which his mother had given him tons of grief over because she said they looked like her Ugg boots. The hell with it: they were comfortable and warm, and that's what he wanted.

The hall was done out like the commons rooms, only on a bigger scale. There were large chairs and sofas and love seats everywhere, with large and small tables in fronts and to the sides of all these seats. It was like a gigantic living room lit like a movie theater before they start showing the movie.

They walked in and Kerry felt a few eyes on Annie and him right away. People have have heard about us? He figured that must be true. Well, we are coming in as a couple . . . and I'm holding her hand . . . and we're 1st Years-- It wasn't a great stretch of imagination to know people would look.

He found a sofa located in the center of the room, flanked by a large chair and love seat, all turned so they faced a large table. Seeing the pillows and blankets next to the sofa, Kerry grabbed a couple of pillows and a comforter, then sat, pulled Annie in close to him, and covered up.

"And welcome to the Midnight Madness," he said a bit louder than he'd wanted. Whispering to Annie he said, "I like it already."

Annie thought she might be in trouble when it came time for the Midnight Madness. All of her pajamas were thin, and walking from the coven to the dining hall presented a problem. She entered the hall, chilled—her teeth chattering. Her eyes widened when she saw how the entire room transformed into a cozy lounge for the students.

Kerry led them to a cozy spot right in the middle of the large room. Annie was thrilled to see the comforter and even more excited to have him next to her, warming her up.

Her whispered to her and she uncovered herself, turning to face him. “Me too,” she replied, slipping out of her long chocolate brown robe, revealing the matching silk pants and a royal blue tank top beneath. She slipped her feet out of her white fuzzy slippers and pulled them up underneath her, snuggling back against Kerry and covering herself up again.

“This feels a little like being back at home,” she said. “But I was never this contented back there.”

"This is liking being at home with no one else around--" Kerry looked about the room. "'Cept another 50 or so people." He moved so Annie's silkiness was cocooned between him and the full sofa back, causing her to lean against him.

"So you're content?" Kerry asked. "I never knew how, just after a week, I was gonna feel here. Now . . . I don't want to leave." His hand under the comforter, he slipped his hand around Annie's waist. "And what about the weeks to come?"

Annie felt Kerry’s hand brush her bare skin and rest around her middle. She settled herself so that her back lie against his chest; her heart fluttering as he crooned to her. “Very much so,” she breathed, raising her left arm up over her head to caress him behind her.

Annie grinned and stretched her legs, appreciating how the contours of his body felt beneath hers. “The weeks to come,” she sighed, “I envision more of the same.”

Kerry smiled as Annie stretched out on him. He was really in heaven, and he suddenly realized--he was touching Annie's bare waist! Oh, man. He didn't think anyone would see him get flush in this light . . ..

"I think we'll have a lot more that's different," he said. "Not the same. We're going to grow." He sighed, long and slow. "I want to get my stuff tomorrow. I think Sunday we can work on herbology. But tomorrow . . . I would love to get up in the air." He smiled very broadly. "And I want to fly with you, too."

Annie didn’t really mind what they were doing that weekend. She closed her eyes, remembering the seclusion of the owlery…

“I think I’d like to visit Professor Arrakis sometime this weekend,” she said, twirling his hair between her fingers. “There are a few things I’d like to speak with her about.”

Kerry nodded. He didn't know if he was up for another visit with Professor Arrakis, but he figured this had something to do with visions and she was the person to see.

"Sure, no problem." Kerry suddenly got an idea. "Warm apple cider," he said aloud, and a few seconds later a tall, clear glass of cider appeared on the table next to the sofa. "Just like I thought . . ." He turned back to Annie. "What time you want to go over?"

The spicy fragrance of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg filled the air when the cider appeared. Annie breathed it in, wanting to remember every second of their time together. I’ll never smell that the same way, she thought, smiling to herself.

She sat up, toasty warm from both the comforter and Kerry’s embrace, and said, “Two straws, please.” The large table in front of the sofa instantly produced her request. Annie snatched them up and reached over Kerry to tuck the two straws into his drink.

Slowly, she retreated to her seat beside him—remembering at the last minute that she was in her pajamas. I wonder if he is uncomfortable with how close I am.

“I don’t really have a time in mind,” she said, folding her legs up underneath her again. “It was probably a silly idea anyway. I’ll bet she has way more important things to do than visit with me.”

Kerry giggled just a little, almost catching a nose full of cider. "Professor Arrakis took a liking to us," he said. "Or she's going to study us. I don't know."

He set the glass down on the big table before the sofa. "I got the feeling she saw as much as we did, or maybe more. I mean, she saw us last week and it didn't take a lot of prodding to get in to see her."

Kerry stuck his nose in Annie's hair, taking in her clean scent. "This is a first for me." He slipped his fingers through her long, flowing stands. "Sitting with a girl, late, in a magical hall . . ." He whispered in her ear. "And you feel so soft." Again he hugged her tight, his hand unconsciously making small circles on the bare skin of her waist.

The gooseflesh spread under his fingertips, as Kerry moved his hands over her bare skin. His whispers flowed through her, arousing parts within that had lay dormant since birth. She struggled to maintain her thoughts, finding it difficult to concentrate on anything except Kerry’s hand moving against her waist.

“I…” she whispered, her head swimming a bit in the dimly lit room. She sat back against him, pulling his arm tightly around her. “Kerry, is what I’m feeling right at this moment normal? When we walked in, the only thing I wanted was to get warm…and now the only thing I want—is you.”

And just like that, Kerry was stumped.

She wants me? Okay . . . Kerry was not a total dummy; he'd read and seen enough to know that when a girl tells the guy "I want you" it meant that . . . that if she were a hottie robot chick, her spine would be glowing red real soon.

And that meant--well, he didn't know what it meant.

Oh, dude, stop it. He looked down into Annie's dark eyes and--yeah, he was seeing it. That look again. You know what she's thinking and feeling. Girls grow up faster, and Annie's been growing up way faster the last week. Don't be a jerk.

"Um, Sweetie . . ." He held onto her like she might blow away at any more. "You'll always have me." He slid way down on the sofa, so that his head was just below the back. He pulled the comforter up so that their faces were literally hidden from view, and his soft words would be muffled.

"Yeah, I think it's normal." He moved his face so close to hers. "And you'll have . . . that. You will." His face brightened. "I love you, Sweetie. I think I always have."

Hidden under the comforter, Annie tilted her head and closed the gap between them, softly kissing him. She slowly opened her mouth, gently brushing her tongue against his bottom lip. He tasted of cinnamon and cloves. Annie forced herself to pull away from him, gazing deeply into his eyes. She brushed a finger against his blushing cheek and sat up on the couch.

“If we keep this up,” she said, giggling, “I’m afraid we might get sent back to the covens and forced straight to our dorms.” She took a deep sip of his cider and scanned the room, interested for the first time in the other people scattered around. “Sometimes I forget that we aren’t old enough yet,” she sighed. “It’s very upsetting, Kerry. You have no idea.” She took another sip of the cider and set it on the table, running her long fingers up and down the tall glass.

The moment Annie's lips were on him Kerry started getting very uncomfortable. Not because he was worried they were going to be caught. No, it was more . . ..

Something else going on.

Then just like that it was over and Annie was talking about how they had better take it easy or they'd be sent back to the dorms. He was just getting his wits about him when she said he had no idea how upsetting this all was--

"Oh," said said, almost groaning as he sat up, "I'm getting a pretty good idea, Sweetie." He slipped his arm around her and leaned in to share in the elven-good cider.

Annie laughed as he sat up. “Do you really want to go flying tomorrow?” She asked, watching him sip the cider. “I’m nervous about getting on a broom—for real.” Annie sat back sideways against the plush couch, pulling one leg under her. She lifted her right arm and rested her head on her hand.

Kerry nodded, trying to put Annie's leg draped over his as much in the back of his mind as he could. "Oh, man, I wanna fly so bad!" He imagined a clear blue sky. "And you're going to do well, too. I mean, look at potions and dueling . . . charms."

He turned, gazing into her suddenly not-so-11-year-old eyes--or at least that's how they looked in this light. "Everything you've tried, you've rocked. Really. We've both done good, but--" He took another sip of cider. "You had so much worry that you wouldn't do well, and it's not happened."

He set the glass down, giving him a chance to hold hands under the comforter. "I didn't expect to do well, but . . . yeah, I'm surprise. But you have this more in your blood than me, and I don't see why you need to be worried--" He smiled and said, softly and with great endearment, "My little dark witch." He kissed her on the cheek, not thinking about wandering eyes. "We'll look great in the sky together."

Annie giggled, pulling his hand into her lap. “Yes, I am your dark witch,” she said.

“Alright, I’ll go flying with you if you promise me one thing.”

"Sure, anything," Kerry said, snuggling up tighter to Annie, "my little dark witchie poo."

“Promise me that, no matter what happens on our brooms, you won’t tell my father.” She slipped her free leg higher up his thigh. “Obviously, he knows we will be flying this year and I haven’t always been the nicest person when it comes to that particular subject.

“I’d just rather tell him about it when I’m ready.”

Kerry hadn't expected that request. "Don't go fast" or "Don't laugh", yeah, but don't tell her father? Then again, that is something she probably wanted to have for herself to tell her family. Besides, he thought, when am I gonna see them next?

"I would never spoil the surprise," he said. "What you do is all for you to tell your dad." Kerry made a point of appearing to seal his lips. "My word."

“It won’t be a surprise for him. He’ll be heartbroken, Kerry.” She looked down, playing with a thread popping loose from the hem of the comforter covering her lap.

"Why is he going to be heartbroken?" Kerry asked. "Is it because you'll be flying here? And he never got to teach you to fly?" Kerry let his hand slip down onto Annie's thigh, because . . . well, it was there. "I won't say a word. You can trust me."

Annie felt the electricity enter her body from under his hand. Her thoughts scattered. This can’t be real…I must be dreaming. In fact, Annie was starting to think their whole day had been a beautiful vision because it felt too perfect to be real. The warmth of him radiated though her thin silk pajama pants…

“Kerry,” she said, trying to focus “After my—crash…He tried so hard,” Annie found it impossible to continue. She leaned over and kissed his lips, caressing his face to make sure he was actually there. Her fingers told her he was, her mouth concurred—but her mind had its doubts.

Kerry didn't stop Annie. He didn't want to stop her. And didn't try. She just came to him, kissed . . . and it went on and on.

When they finally broke Kerry caught a few quick head whips in the dim light; people turning away so they wouldn't be staring. Oh, damn. We're so busted--again. He wouldn't say anything to Annie; she looked like she was lost in somewhere, and he didn't want he to leave.

"I guess parents are like that," he said, leaning against her, his hand still on her thigh. "I've gotten that a couple of times; they want you to do something, and they have big hopes--and when it doesn't happen, they don't want to say they're disappointed, but . . . you can tell."

Kerry looked up into Annie's lovely face. "But, you need to be yourself. When you do tell your dad you flew, I'm guessing he's gonna be very happy. Because you did it. You did it. That's all that's gonna matter to him."

If this isn’t a vision, she thought while kissing him, then we may have a problem. Annie reluctantly pulled away, unsure what to do next. His hand was libel to burn a hole right through the delicate silk fabric. She tried to pay attention to what he was saying. Something about papa… Something about flying… She was vaguely aware that he seemed contented—completely at ease and in control.

She gazed at him, seeing past the diffused glow of the dining hall into another time and place.

“Papa, don’t ask.”

“Ann, be reasonable.” Viktor pleaded.

“Annie, Papa…and my answer is no,” she said, pushing the gleaming replacement firebolt back at her father.

Viktor knelt down on one knee and smoothed her hair. “Moyata malka veshtitsa,” he said and kissed her lightly on the nose.

She watched him rise and retreat into the house carrying the present—his head hanging down as he walked.

Annie blinked and saw Kerry smiling back at her. “We’ll see,” she whispered.

Kerry saw Annie's eyes go out of focus for what seemed like 5 seconds, and while it didn't worry him, it got him to wondering what was happening. A first week in 6th Grade in a normal school would involved knowing your locker combo and having your supplies in order, he thought. Here it's brewing potions, opening locks with a wand, shoveling dragon Shit, flying and getting hit with killing curses--

So having girlfriend having visions is really no big deal.

Nodding, Kerry settled in and relaxed next to Annie. "We will, Sweetie," he said, resting nicely against her.