Second Floor Common Room [Tuesday Afternoon]

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

The facts were these: Young Ned had found his way into the common room again after getting bored of his room. He'd come with the intention of baking and, yes, there was something cooking in the oven (but he wasn't going to just reveal his pie choice today).

There was something different about today. Today, Ned had the hiccups. Now, as a boy at Longburrow, he'd been made to just wait them out.

Now, without that supervision, he could try to get rid of them. So, he'd looked up some hiccup cures and was currently attempting to stand on his hand and recite the alphabet in the middle of the common room.

It wasn't working.

Yet.

[Open, of course!]

Comments

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I could," she said, picking herself up off the floor. "I always make it too dry."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"It happens," Ned said, pushing off the floor and rummaging around the kitchen area for a good thing. "At least you don't buy the premade crusts. Those taste like metal."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"You can get premade crusts?" she asked curiously.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"From the stores," he said, nodding and gradually becoming more comfortable. "But, they're not as good, trust me."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Well, I'd guess not, if they taste like metal," she agreed, nodding.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Well, most of them do," he amended. "I've never tried every single brand because I didn't get an allowance when I was a kid. I just asked and sometimes my mom let me and sometimes not. So, some might taste like pennies or some might taste like trees. I really shouldn't say they all taste like metal because it's kind of a lie."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I wonder what trees taste like," she said thoughtfully.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Uh." That stopped him. "Why do you wonder that?"

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Because you said some might taste like trees and I don't know how I'd know," she said, shrugging. "I ain't never tasted a tree."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I've licked one before," he said, having no idea why he'd just admitted that.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Were you dared?" she wondered.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"No," he said and blushed a bright shade of red.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Why'd you do it?" she asked, tilting her head.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Curiosity," he said, turning an even brighter shade of red and focusing on tapping his fingers against the counter in front of him.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"You're weird," she decided. "I like that 'bout you."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I'm not really that weird," he argued even though he was. "I'm just different."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"You licked a tree. S'okay, I'm weird too," she replied.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I don't think you're weird," Ned said, glancing over at her.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Not even a little?" she wondered, smiling.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"I think you're real," Ned said quietly, not looking at her save for a few quick glances. "And I'm scared you're going to vanish because of that."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"Why would I go anywhere?" she asked softly, blushing slightly for some reason.

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Everyone around me tends to leave," he said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

She frowned a little, and replied, "I ain't goin' nowhere. Not for at least a couple years, anyways."

[death-and-pies.livejournal.com]

"Mmm hmm." He didn't want to accept things like that after what had happened in his past. "That's good, though. I think you'll have a lot of fun here."

[weefeetbigboots.livejournal.com]

"I mean, I maybe might go home for Christmas," she said, thinking about it now. "But y'all ain't gettin' rid of me 'til I'm good an' ready to leave."