Warm and Toasty! (Morgan)

[Ashley Lovegood]

Ashley defiantly enjoyed this setting more than the last. The frighting storm outside was still beating down against the windows, but this time she was not out in it. She was all comfy, sitting in a large love seat thingy in her PJ's. She wore a pair of black shorts and a white hoodie. Her hair had been dried and thrown up carelessly, at this point she was too tired to care what she looked like. She had returned to the castle, shivering to death, and had run up the stair case, taking a few short cuts on the way, to the Hufflepuff common room. From there she had parted with Morgan so she could change and take a hot shower.

And now she was in the QQ, sitting there, waiting for Morgan. She pulled at the sleeves of her jacket so they now covered her hands as well. Even if she was sitting right in front of a roaring fire, she could still feel the afternoon chills in side her. She had learned her lesson about walking around and jumping in a lake... well, being thrown to be more accurate. At any rate, it was a bad idea. Children don't try this at home!

((Sorry it's so short and crappy. I'm brain dead tonight.))

[morgan]

The hot water felt like a dream, yet as comforting and welcoming as it was... every second that passed in the shower he was anxious to get back to Ashley. Treading out onto the slippery floor after what had been the quickest wash of his entire life, he dried himself over and then tended to his hair as best he could. Morgan's hair had a mind of its own after a bath or shower, and despite trying to get the odd bit here and there the way he wanted it... it was a vain mission.

Hurrying downstairs with plain black pyjamas and a navy blue dressing gown over them, he bounded into the common room, before quietly wandering over towards Ashley's chair when he noticed she hadn't seen him.

"Feeling a bit warmer are we?" he asked softly into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind the chair, his face next to hers, as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. The memory of their first proper kissed instantly began racing and pulsing through his mind, sending his heart from a walk into a run.


((tis okay ;D))

[Ashley Lovegood]

"Feeling a bit warmer are we?"

She didn't even notice him entering the QQ. How sad. Her cheeks instantly flushed as she felt his warm breath on her cheek. His arms evaporated the anxiousness that had begun to creep over her. It was hard waiting for something you wanted really bad. Which, in her case, was for Morgan to be with her. Before she could answer his question she felt his lips pressing against her own. That really helped the blushing. She turned from pink to read in a matter of seconds, which was a stupid reaction in her opinion. She gave him a warm smile as they broke apart before speaking. "Yes. Come sit," She stated, pulling on his arm in a loving manor.

She noticed his hair and her smile widened. "Cute," She commented, brushing a bit out of his eyes so she could see them clearly. She now wished she had worn something a bit more... well, not like what she was wearing. Oh well, too late now.

She suddenly remembered why she had rushed through her shower like a maniac. She stood up quickly and strolled over to a table that was a bit aways. Ashley picked up two mugs of steaming hot chocolate and made her way back over to Morgan. "There you go. One cup of hot chocolate." She handed it to him, making sure not to spill. That would be really bad... and hot.

[morgan]

Morgan could almost feel the heat in her cheeks, and she smelt so good.
"Yes mam," he replied with a smile, shaking his head sarcastically as she 'mothered' his hair.

Cute was definitely the word as he glanced at her from head to toe in her pjs as she came back to him, with two mugs in her hand. He whispered a 'thanks' and took one of the steaming cups in his hands, and blowing over it... he took a sip, putting on a face as if he was savouring it and thinking. "Hmm," he said, dramatically, as she sat down, "almost as hot as you are," he added with a grin, sidling up to Ashley and sliding his arm around her.

Fire crackling. Beautiful girl. Full moon outside.
Perfect setting.

[Ashley Lovegood]

As she sat down and smiled at his reaction. Yes! She had done a good job with the hot chocoalte.... even if she did not make it. But still... "House elf's did a good job. Remind me to thank them later," She said with a small laugh. She took a sip from her own mug and smile. The warm liquid slid down her throat, warming her up even better than the shower. Her cheeks, which had returned to there normal shade, grew hot once more. She wanted to say something around the lines of, 'But not as hot as you are,' but did not. Instead she pulled her legs onto the seat, tucking them under her as she rested her head on his shoulder as he scooted closer to her.

Her blue eyes suddenly noticed the full moon hanging in the dark night sky. She had not realized it had grown so late in the day, night, whatever it was now. "Pretty moon," She said quietly in a soft tone. There was silence for a moment, all the the crackling fire was still.

[morgan]

"Will do," he said with a smile, taking another sip. "The food is amazing in this place. I can't believe I'd never discovered things like pumkin juice before coming here... I hadn't lived!"

He relaxed his head onto her own gently, not sure which was warmer right now... the mug in his free hand or his cheeks. Moments passed with a lovely and peaceful silence, and a part of him wanted to sit there all night with her, just like that.

"I'm sure it is," he said in return at her comment, the moon in the corner of his eye. "But the girl in front of me is prettier" he continued, mimicking the same soft tone of voice with his eyes fixed on hers. His hand slid onto her own and wrapped around her fingers gently. Morgan wore an expression on his face that could be summed up as both serious and warm.

[Ashley Lovegood]

She laughed at his comment and looked up at him. "You've never had pumpkin juice before? Are you a half-blood or something?" She asked with a smile. She could remember having pumpkin juice when she was little. Her brother used to buy it for her and they would stay out all night staring at the moon like Morgan and herself were now.

As they sat in the silence, her mood fell the slightest bit. She hated thinking about her brother but the idea of seeing him was surprisingly strong. She was a bit homesick and knew the trip to her old home was unavoidable. She knew she would have to tell Morgan that she was making a trip back to the U.S. but the moment was too perfect. She did not want to be the one who ruined it. For now she pushed it out of her mind and as she did so her bright mood returned with a smile.

"I'm sure it is,"

She looked into his eyes with a quizzical expression set on her face, which once again turned to a blush. At least this time the color was not as deep of a red, but a brilliant shade of pink. "My cheeks are going to be permanently red if you keep turning everything I say into a compliment," She said with another blush and a smile. She was not so used to being payed so much attention to or complimented for that matter.

Ashley returned his gaze, not breaking it even as she felt his warm hand take hold of her own. She lifted both of there hands and brushed the back of his along her still slightly pink cheek.

[morgan]

He laughed quietly, "Haha, no, I'm a pureblood. It's just I live with a guardian and we've been living almost completely like muggles for as long as I can remember. Before coming here, I'd never heard of pumkin juice, house elves, every-flavour beans, nothing," he said, having a list in mind that he could have kept reeling off for hours. His lip curled slightly at the thought of his guardian, slightly angry towards him considering he'd kept Morgan away for all these wonderful wizarding things and customs for so long. Though there were reasons for it.

Her cheeks were dancing with colour, though he doubted - if she felt the same way that he did right now - that it was down to nerves. The nerves he had felt at the lake with her today were a thing of the past now. Though a look of concern spread across his face when he saw her next expression.

Morgan smiled softly at her comment, and shifted even closer to her, leaning his head towards her own. "I haven't known you that long," he said in the softest of voices, so soft it was almost a whisper. "But I know you Ash, and I know when something's off about you." Morgan brought her hand towards him and kissed it gently. "If you want to tell me, I'm here," he said, repeating the same hard stare into her eyes, that she had given him.

[Ashley Lovegood]

"Really? Wow, that must have been hard.. I can't imagine living in the muggle world for so long." She was also a pureblood but had grown up in a muggle setting. Even if she had been around muggles all of her life, she was still ignorant of all there customs and how they lived. It hit her then how little she knew about Morgan. She felt bad for always talking about herself and never bothering to ask about him. Then again, he might not want to talk about himself. It would hurt to ask, would it? "So, you lived with a guardian?" She clarified, allowing him to tell her if he wanted to.

His soft voice so close to her ear calmed her a bit. It filled her with a sense of calm and reassurance. Of course he would have noticed that something was up. He was just that kind of person. She sighed, and shifted her eyes away from his to the crackling fire. "It's just...." She faltered for a moment, unsure of how to put it. "My brother has just been on my mind a lot lately." She admitted, an edge to her voice. "I might..... I'm probably going on a trip for a while." She continued, still not meeting his eyes. She felt bad for leaving, and didn't really want to but avoiding her brother was not an option any longer.

"I don't want to go... but....I..." She trailed off, looking down at the warm mug in her hand. She was gripping the handle tightly with one hand while the other was still being held by Morgan. The warmth that had filled her at the sight of Morgan began slowly slipping away. Why did she always have to ruin the good moments? She pulled herself closer to him and buried her face into his shoulder, guilt filling her eyes.

[morgan]

The nature of his parents deaths was a sensitive subject... his guardian wasn't.
"Yeah," he replied, taking a sip of chocolate, shifting around in his seat to find a comfortable position. "My Godfather actually. After my parents died, I moved in with him, and he brought me up almost entirely as a muggle. He said it was important to him to do so. He's one of those people that hate the idea of people being judged by their blood classes, being a pureblood and all. And I kind of agree with him, it was just difficult when I learnt about the wizarding world... to have no way of experiencing it.

To be honest, he wasn't that surprised. Though Ashley had seemed much better and happier since that day in the Dallin Tower, there was no way something as drastic as the letter could go away for ever. Setting his mug down on the floor, he held her in a hug as she leaned into his shoulder, stroking the back of her hair with one hand, kissing the top of her head gently. "You have to do what you have to do Ashley," he said genuinely in the same soft tone. "And, though I'm going to miss you like crazy... I'll still be here when you get back."

It was amazing how quickly he'd fallen for Ashley. Down by the lake earlier that day, his feelings had been different, and he'd said to himself that it would take time to feel that way about her so strongly. But now... only a few hours later, he felt it through and through. He smiled softly, "because I love you."

[Ashley Lovegood]

Ashley listened intently as he spoke. She took a sip of her warm drink before speaking. "Well.... I can see why he would do that, but still. It was unfair to keep you from the magical world completely." She also did not believe that pure bloods were better than any one else. The whole idea was rather stupid in her opinion. Why should people be classified due to there blood type? It made no sense.

Ashley wondered how long she would have been able to pull off being a muggle. Not for long, that was sure. She could just imagine herself having to do everything by hand and having no assistance of magic. How awful.

Placing the mug down, without really paying attention to what she was doing, and wrapped her arms around Morgan. His arms around her made her feel even more reassured, like she really could face her brother. Living on her own for so long had taken it's tole. Since she had gone so long without attention, being comforted felt like the best thing in the world. Ashley nodded her head and murmured a soft, "Thank you," in response. She took comfort in knowing that he would still be here after her dangerous adventure.

"because I love you."

The words echoed inside of her head. Her eyes, which had closed, reopened wider than usual. Still holding him tight, she lifted her head to meet his gaze. The warmth that had departed had returned, turning her eyes to a liquid looking state. "I love you too," She said simply, staring up at him with a new, loving smile.

[morgan]

"I know, I know," he said with a sigh in reply, "but for the long run, I think it might be best. And now that I've been introduced to all this, I think things will be done a little different when I go back for the holidays and stuff," he added happily.

The hug she gave him was warm and loving, yet Morgan couldn't help but feel that there was a slight sense of tension in her. In a way, it was one of the things he loved about her. She was such a complex person... giving him an energetic time out by the lake earlier that day, bouncing with energy... and now, sliding downhill at the thought of her brother.

He stared back into her gaze with eyes just as wide, and an energy behind his smile that he hadn't felt as intensly as before. He gripped her shoulders in a gentle but firm way and pressed his lips onto hers again, giving her a quick kiss, slightly longer than the one minutes ago. It was an 'actions speak louder than words' sort of moment.

"I'm kind of lucky to have the prettiest girl in the school," he said with a grin. "So, Miss Ashley Lovegood... how you finding this year so far? I can't help but feel like a child next to you sometimes," he said with a joking grumble sound... "me being a second year 'n all."

[Ashley Lovegood]

Ash smiled happily, "Hope it works out ok." It would be interesting to hear how, after the break, things might have changed at Morgan's guardians house. Hopefully it would improve there and Morgan would be happier.

His touch caused the fire to burn bright once again inside of her. Leading Ashley's cheeks to become warm once again. Her worried mood seemed to melt away as their lips met for the second time that night. Her eyes slid close as an energetic current shot it's way down her spine, taking with it the remains of her bad mood. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as they parted, accompanying the smile was her bright mood. Yay, happy Ashley had returned!

"And the pretty girl is the luckiest girl because she has a great guy like you." She replied with another smile, which turned into a thoughtful expression at his question. "It's good I guess..." She paused for a moment, "Why? You shouldn't." She stated, a slight frown appearing, "I act more like a child than you do," She added with a laugh. The image of her throwing mud into his face this afternoon sprung up in her mind. She did not really act her age sometimes, but who really cared? She liked acting like a child. "Your lucky to be second year," She continued with a grin. "You youngins get all the fun. Causing trouble and not getting in trouble because 'you didn't know'." She laughed at the thought of her first and second year. She was surprised that she had not been kicked out of school, and was glad that she had not been.

[morgan]

"I'm sure it will," he answered optimistically. To be honest, he was ready to have words with his guardian now if he continued on the same path. He was a wizard now... more so than before, and deserved to have a wizard's life after he had denied Morgan it for so long. Still, he was at Hogwarts now, and Morgan promised himself he would put it out of his mind, and worry about it when the time came.

At the sight of her smile after the kiss, one of his own burst on his lips. He kneeled slightly on the sofa so he could face her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Nice to know," he said with a smile, wrapping her up so he was as close to her as possible. Morgan wanted to make sure that the tension he had felt in her before didn't make a return.

"Really?" he replied with a mischevious grin. "And there was me thinking Ashley was all mature and innocent," he added, the mud incident also springing to his own mind. He blew through his lips, sarcasatically, at the word 'youngin'.

"Oldie," he said quietly, with a wink.

[Ashley Lovegood]

With a content sigh, Ashley curled up close to Morgan as he pulled her ever closer. Her eyes slowly lid closed, a warm smile set upon her lips, as she sat in his arms. This, by far, had to be the warmest she had ever been. The tension was not coming back, at least for tonight. Even after she had taken refuge in her four poster, it would not creep back upon the fifth year, it would stay hidden and locked away by the memory of Morgan and that afternoons events. For which she was ever grateful for.

"And there was me thinking Ashley was all mature and innocent,"

Ash had to laugh at that. She had a kids hear sometimes, well more than sometimes but you get the point. She grinned up at him before speaking, "Far from innocent." She rolled her eyes at him calling her an oldie. She wasn't that old!..... was she? She only had a few more terms at Hogwarts before she would have to get a job somewhere. The topic of what she did after school seemed to be popping up in every conversation. She was unsure of what profession she would want, and to be frank, she didn't really want to think about it. Hogwarts was her home and the thought of leaving it was unpleasant for her.

[morgan]

The moment she cuddled into him, Morgan knew that it was the best moment he'd had so far at Hogwarts... the most content he had ever felt. He had never met someone like Ashley... a girl that nerves or boredom were never an issue with. He closed his eyes in the moment, and kissed the side of her cheek by her ear in a really loving way, over and over. Morgan had had girlfriends in the past, but never someone he could be romantic too... or have such a storng connection to.

He laughed at her comment... "oh so true," he replied with another one of his typical grins. He could picture her quite at home in a place like Zonko's, which was a shop he was dying to try out. Along with Honeydukes of course, but that goes without saying.
He slid one of his hands from around her waist to the back of her head, stroking her long blonde hair, holding her head close to him. "What would you like to do when you leave this place Ashley? D'you have any ideas?" He asked, interested. Morgan himself, didn't have a complete idea yet.

[Ashley Lovegood]

Ashley's dating history was lacking, but out of her few boyfriends she knew that Morgan was the best of the best. He understood her more than even her best friends did. He always knew what to say to her, to calm her down or even cheer her up. She had been in need of a lot of that lately and had always been there. She giggled a bit as Morgan began to kiss her cheek. She just had to be slightly ticklish... ok maybe very ticklish.

She smiled in reply to his grin before a random question popped into her head. "So, seeing as your a 'younin' have you had time to explore around the castle much since we last met?" She asked out of interest. She had asked him in the tower so long ago, but she was wondering if he had had any time to wander around a bit since then.

Seeing as she was more focused on Morgan stroking her hair than his question it took her a moment to answer. "Well.." She said slowly, in the same soft voice she had used earlier. "Not really.... maybe work in the ministry or a shop keeper." She shrugged, still in his arms, not really concerned about the matter right then. She knew being a teacher was out, but the options she had left were hard to choose from.

[morgan]

He almost gave the same sounding girlish giggle when he heard her own. Wow, Morgan, never do that again please.
"Well oldie, I have. There's a lot of new places I've been too since the Tower day, though I'm still dying to get into Hogsmede. Still haven't managed to you yet, I've been busy with homework and everything at the mo."
He shifted slightly in his seat. "The Dallin Tower was actually my favourite place to go, I'd be up there every night. But for some reason, I haven't gone back there since the day I met you there... I honestly don't know why."

He hadn't decided not to go as such... it was difficult to explain. During his first year at the castle, he had found himself wandering there often by chance... but now... not.

He smiled against her hair, her voice was dull and dreary and he could tell that she just wasn't interested. She had barely finished when Morgan looseened his grip on her slightly to raise Ashley's chin with his hand ever so gently so that they were staring each other, Ashley's face slightly lower than his own. He closed his eyes once again and slid his nose past her own, his lips blending onto her own, immediately parting. Morgan felt it important to back up all the things he had felt and said to her tonight, for reassurance. And of course, he still couldn't quite believe she was his. His arms wrapped around her once again as he held her, gently sliding his tongue into her mouth.

[Ashley Lovegood]

Her eyes snapped open as he stifled a giggle of his own. She looked up at him with a questioning smile. That had been fairly interesting. She laughed a short laugh before she rested her head against his chest once more. She listened as he replied to her question, but instead of smiling because she was proud that he had gotten around the castle, a slight frown appeared across her lips. "How come?" She asked him, looking back up at him. She hoped that it was not because of her. She would feel really bad if it was her fault that he had not been visiting his favorite place. All because of the night he had found her crying on the floor. She shivered slightly at the memory, only imagining what she had looked like, and seeing why he had not returned.

The words had barely left her mouth when his arms loosened around her. She pulled away the slightest bit, to see why he had done so, but her unasked question was soon answered as he lifted her chin, meeting her gaze. Her eyes glowed for a long moment before he leaned in and they closed as he did. She expected it to be like the previous kisses, butAshley had been mistaken. As soon as their lips made contact his parted against her own. Unexpected and yet pleasant. She allowed his tongue to enter her mouth as it was greeted by her own.

[morgan]

There had been three reasons for the kiss.
1. Morgan loved the way she cared about such a (seemingly) small aspect of his life.
2. To be honest, he wanted to kiss her every minute he was with her.
3. Partly a nervous reaction to a question of which he was uncomfortable giving the answer out to.

Putting the third reason to the back of his mind, he brought himself back to the kiss and the incredible feeling of Ashley's lips and tongue on his own. He brought her closer as his lips left hers with a smacking sound.
"Well, in my early days, the Dallin Tower and the view especially was my favourite place to be in Hogwarts... and now you're my favourite thing in Hogwarts, so I guess they've kind of switched," he answered happily. Yes... that was one of the reasons...

"In fact, I may never go up there again," he rambled on quickly. "I can't really explain it... but that whole place sort of represents . I often found myself at that place when I felt lonely or sad, and that's not something I've felt since I met you."

Morgan could feel his stomach shift slightly at the thought of keeping something from her, but he kept his face consistant and unchanged. There was a strong part of him that wasn't ready to tell her, at least not yet.