the edge of desire , pippa

[noahmarks]

It was late, entirely too late for a student to be out of bed and doing anything besides sleeping. It was a Wednesday, and there were plenty of classes to go to bright and early the following morning. Yet, Noah lay in his four-poster bed tossing and turning. He wasn’t used to what his school sleeping schedule should be. At home over the summer break, he’d stayed up to all hours of the night and slept until the afternoon. Now that he was back at Hogwarts, he wasn’t used to attempting to sleep at midnight. He sighed heavily, flopping a bit violently onto his back. He couldn’t get comfortable, and he certainly wasn’t getting any rest. Glancing at the clock, he noted that it was now going on two in the morning, and he had to be up around seven to head down to breakfast before attending classes.

After five more agonizing minutes, Noah decided that attempting to sleep was useless. Looking towards the neighboring beds, he did his best to be silent as he slid out of bed and tiptoed towards the stairs that led down into the common room. Actually, he found he was incredibly good at sneaking out of bed. Noah had spent most of his time at Hogwarts fooling around, so he was no stranger at being out of bed at night. Unfortunately, he and his friends were still in the scheming stages of their pranks, and therefore, there were no pranks to be pulled, yet. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he figured sitting in the common room would be better than tossing around in his tiny bed and pretending as if he was going to be getting sleep any time soon.

He wasn’t surprised to see the common room completely deserted. Who else would be up at such an hour? It was the first week of term. They didn’t have any schoolwork to be turned in until a few weeks’ time. The Gryffindor common room was completely quiet besides the soft crackling of the fire. Ambling his way towards a comfy sofa sitting in front of the fire, he plopped himself down, stretching out across the length of the couch. Hopefully the fire would aid in putting him to sleep. It was a relaxing sensation, watching and listening to a fire.

He was warm, even in his tee shirt and comfortable shorts that he slept in. Soon, he was surprised to find his eyelids feeling heavy. The flames danced across his blue green eyes, seemingly working in making him tired. The more tired he felt, the more lazy he also felt. Therefore, he couldn’t bring himself to get up and head towards the stairs. He would close his eyes, for just a minute. He could take a quick nap and when he woke, he could go upstairs and go to bed. He gave in to the temptation and closed his eyes, allowing the warmth and comfort of the fire and common room to overcome him. In seconds, he found he was fast asleep, stretched out across the sofa in the common room in the middle of the night.

ooc: sorry, not my best! my first posts are always bad. i promise the next one will be better xD

[pipparyder]

------------------------` so young and full of running

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Sleep. It had become a foreign concept to the young Philippa Ryder. While she had once mastered a meticulous schedule of early down and early to rise, for the past few years this motto resembled more of an early to rise never to fall system. Her body had seemed to adapt to this pace just fine - despite not making the typical eight hours, she woke like clockwork in the morning. Seven o'clock. Every day. And she rarely felt overly tired because of it. So, true to her strange sleeping habits, Pippa was now up and about at two in the morning, having never quite gone to bed. And, tonight, "up and about" meant a secret trip to the Hogwarts' kitchen.

She had done this a number of times and had only suffered the consequences once. Just last year, she had taking off for a quick bite, only to manage one step out of the portrait door before Professor McGonagall rounded the corner in a night gown. To this day, Pippa's not truly sure if McGonagall had been waiting for her or simply making rounds. Or possibly taking a trip downstairs as well. If that had been the case, the girl would have had no qualms about splitting a croissant or two! Either way, she was tutted and made the reason for five marbles slipping out of the Gryffindor house points counter.

Luckily, tonight had been one of those nights when McGongall hadn't gone off on rounds or wanted a croissant, thus making Pippa's trek to the House Elves rather uneventful. She stood now before the portrait hole of Gryffindor Tower, the Fat Lady eying the two rolls in her hands. Pippa assumed that if it hadn't had been for the treats, she would have been suffering an earful of a lecture on how the painting needed her beauty sleep or how annoying Pippa's password whispers were. She made a quick mental note to bring some form of carbs back with her from now on.

"I hope you get caught next time," The Fat Lady grumbled sleepily when she realized the girl before her wasn't about to offer up her food, let alone the fact that it would be near impossible for a portrait to consume the bread. With a passive wave of the Lady's plump hand, the portrait swung aside. Instead of risking talking, Pippa gave a quick shrug, pulling to the hem of her light night gown in a very half-hearted form of a curtsey before stepping into the Common Room.

Pippa didn't look back at the sounds of The Fat Lady musing from behind the now closed wood. She was fairly certain, despite it all, the Lady had to like her a little. Somewhere deep in her acrylic heart. If she hadn't, it wouldn't have been hard for her to make these trips absolutely impossible -- all it took was one loud noise from the portrait and there goes another five marbles. Pippa pondered this, taking a small bite of the roll in her right hand, and starting for the circle of couches. Only to hesitate some at the sight of feet hanging off one of the arm rests.

God, she hoped it wasn't a Prefect.

Quietly, she approached the couch, her socks making little noise on the Tower's carpets. Despite not actually having gone to bed, she still looked ready with her straying hair and night gown, which she wore in hopes that she might get to sleep at some point. And to look a bit more innocent if caught. But that last bit was irrelevant...as long as these feet didn't belong to a Prefect.

Pippa placed both hands on the back of the couch, the rolls crumbling some between then as she leaned over to see who had commandeered her spot in front of the cackling fire. At the sight of Noah Marks asleep - about as far from a Prefect as she could get - a wide, toothy grin spread across her face. The two had been close for ages, long enough to make him her oldest friend here at Hogwarts. And if it had been anyone else besides her closest and best friend, she may have retreated upstairs disappointedly, leaving them to sleep. But the times they had shared together dictated that it would be a dishonor for her not to wake him.

Leaning one elbow down on the back of the couch, her weight shifted as her chin fell to her palm. She was distracted momentarily by the glow of the flames across his face and the peaceful look about his features. This only caused her smile to widen some until she realized how strange it was to be watching her friend sleep. Blinking a few times to bring herself back to the task at hand, she brought her free hand up and took a second bite of her roll before tilting her head cockily.

"Noah Marks," she said quickly, the volume of her voice just louder than it should be for rousing a sleeping person and, still, as serious as she could muster. But it lost it's seriousness almost before it had begun, the playful grin dancing back. "I think you've mistaken my couch for your bed."


notes. Oh goodness! I'm sorry...I swear my posts aren't usually this ramble-y! I lost track and just kept going. XD But in other news, yay Nopa! Haha!

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[noahmarks]

Noah rarely dreamt. If he did though, it was usually when he wasn’t in a fully deep sleep, such as now, or when he was napping. Therefore, although his sleep was peaceful, his mind was racing in a dream, thoughts streaming everywhere and materializing right before his eyes. He was dreaming that he was with his friends – all of his good friends. They were outside on the grounds, all hanging out, laughing, and joking together. They all seemed to be having a great time, and Noah found he was satisfied with the dream. It all felt hazy, like he was sitting there, but he wasn’t really present. They weren’t acknowledging him. It was more like he was watching the scene play before him, without them knowing he was there. It was rather cool, actually.

As the dream continued, he couldn’t help noticing Pippa across from where his imaginary self was sitting. One of his oldest and most treasured friends, he couldn’t help breaking into a wide, toothy grin. She was wonderful. There wasn’t a thing about Pippa that wasn’t truly great. Any time spent with her was definitely time well spent. As he looked in the dream-like state, he couldn’t help noticing her not just as a friend, but as a young woman. She was beautiful, that was certain. When she smiled, it seemed like the world could potentially stop spinning.

As he let his confused thoughts drift and wander, he was suddenly alerted by the sound of his name, loud and clear. This time, the noise was coming from the real world. He jolted awake, afraid that he had been caught by a prefect and was going to be serving detention for the entire weekend. Sitting up quickly and abruptly, he shook his head, clearly completely out of sorts. He found himself disoriented, having being pulled from a dream and tossed back into reality. He let his eyes focus on the sound of the voice, which continued to speak. It was Pippa, thank goodness. He found himself shaking his head once more, trying to kick himself into his full awake and alert mode.

It was weird to him that she had just been in his dream. He had just been looking at her, and now, as his eyes focused, she was leaning over the couch, smiling at him. The first thought that popped into his mind at seeing her like that was just how beautiful she was. He couldn’t believe himself. She was his best friend, practically a sister, like Isabella. What was he thinking? He was sure it was still the lingering effects of the dream, making her seem even more angelic and dream-like. But, he wasn’t entirely sure he had convinced himself in that department. Smiling, he felt his body gradually go back into a state of relaxation, stretching out across the length of the couch while giving her a coy grin.

“Your couch?” He paused, smirking at her. “Since when do you own this place?” He questioned, leaning back and stretching his arms above his head, topping it off with a yawn. Now that he’d slept for a few minutes, he knew that sleeping again was practically impossible. His sleep schedule was just continuing to be messed up, but he couldn’t help minding that he’d been awoken by Pippa. Smiling up at her face, he spoke again, genuinely so happy to see her. “Pippa, I’ve missed you.” It was entirely true. The summer had been long and boring without her by his side, one of his main partners in crime. They’d written each other, several times actually, but he hadn’t seen her. Being away from her for so long was agonizing to him, and she was just another reason that he was so happy to be back at Hogwarts.

He noticed the rolls in her hand, and he figured she’d gone down to the kitchen. It was one of their most common places to visit in the middle of the night. The elves were always willing to spare some food for the students. He nodded towards them. “Wanna come lay down and share some of that?” He winked, moving over a little on the couch to allow room for her to lay beside him. He wasn’t getting up, and it wasn’t uncommon for them. They were practically like siblings, and it wasn’t unusual to see them hugging or anything that suggested being a couple.

ooc: I LOVED IT. mine are slowly getting better. basically I love Nopa <3333

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[pipparyder]

------------------------` so young and full of running

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Noah's reaction to her voice was not disappointing in the least. As his body jolted into an upright position, Pippa abandoned all sense of seriousness - what little there was - and she found herself breaking out in to a bout of laughter. Most things Noah did, meaning to or not, caused Pippa to laugh or, at the very least, brought a smile to her face. Her gaze followed his mop of hair as her friend shook his head, watching his locks tousle and then settle again along his forehead.

As Noah allowed for his mind to come back to reality, Pippa took a moment to wonder if he had been dreaming before she so dutifully woke him. They had once discussed how it was near impossible for him to dream in a deep sleep, so she wondered if this had been light enough for her to have caught him mid-fantasy. From the abrupt movements and dazed look on his face, that very well may have been the case and she couldn't help but wonder what he could have been dreaming about. Despite absolutely dreading everything and anything involving Divination, she loved picking at Noah's mind.

Pippa watched as a flood of recognition washed over Noah's face, accompanied by that lively sparkle returning to his eye. And, ladies and gentlemen, he was awake! "Your couch? Since when do you own this place?" He fell back again, his arms stretching above his head. Before answering, she eagerly and hungrily took in his features - from his hands and to his coy smirk. It had undoubtedly been a really long summer. And if it weren't for the back of the couch or that little bit of self-control that she had maintained, she may very well have jumped over and wrapped her arms around him right then and there.

"Since our first year," she answered lightly, her eyes playfully narrowing in his direction. "I announced to the whole group that I would be living on this couch for the next seven years. I still have one more to go." That wasn't a lie and the memory came back quickly for her. The two of them, along with a few others, had just gotten back from classes and, overwhelmed by the amount of homework and books, Pippa had taken claim that she would be spending the rest of her days on this very couch with a quill and parchment. Of course, she had been joking.

"Pippa, I've missed you." The look on his face told her he wasn't joking there and the sentiment brought an even wider - if that was possible - smile to her face. Her elbow collapsed and her arms crossed over each other, her chin falling down along them delicately. "I might have missed you, too, Noah," she replied, that same smile never leaving her face. While her exact words implied there was a possibility that she hadn't missed him, the sincerity in her tone and the look on her face made it very obvious that she had missed him like no other. And she assumed he knew her enough to see that, know that she simply had a hard time vocalizing it.

Ever since her mother's death and the start of her father's alcohol plight, Pippa dreaded returning to Yorkshire come summer and holiday. And, if she were being completely honest with herself, it was Noah and her brothers that really kept her going, kept her spirits up and about. She most easily counted Noah among her brothers. Their letters back and forth this year had been great, but she couldn't even begin to count the number of times she had contemplated stealing her father's car and going off to see if Noah would be up for an adventure. Anything. Without him there, she felt like a Clyde-less Bonnie. Probably worse, actually. Bonnie didn't seem too sentimental.

She caught him eying the rolls and thought for a moment on how popular she was when she had food in her hand. First the Fat Lady and now him. Unlike with the Fat Lady, though, Pippa would happily share her food with Noah. After all, they had split stolen food before. "Wanna come lay down and share some of that?" He mentioned with a wink. It was as a classic Noah move and she rather appreciated it. Enough to pull a small snort out of her. Which while it wasn't the most lady-like reaction, that didn't phase her. It was Noah. If she hadn't shattered that image for him by now, she could get away with murder and still be Princess Di.

"If I must," she breathed, mirroring his smirk and letting out another quick laugh. "But you should know how lucky you are. I don't share my food with just anyone." Pippa pushed her weight off the couch, rounding the ends of the arm rests only to sit gently besides him where he had made room. Twisting her body, she handed him the untouched roll and pulled her bare legs up on the couch while lowering herself until her head was directly next to his. Yes, she had definitely missed this. Everything from the laughs to having Noah next to her. Hogwarts was so much more of a home than that old farmhouse.

She took another small bite of bread and looked up at the ceiling. Softly, her head fell against his shoulder. When they were younger, the first few times they had been relatively close like this, her breath used to catch in her throat at even the slightest contact. Then, his hugs would send a flock of butterflies tickling her innards. But, Pippa knew Noah didn't think like that. Now, she was as comfortable as could be. This was just the norm for them.

"So, looks like summer has made us nocturnal, huh?" she chuckled after a moment, making herself more comfortable. Knowing them, they could be there for a while. And that was all good in her books.



notes. Gah, Noah's the best! I loved it! The whole thing made me smile. c; And I lied....mine only got more ramble-y. Shoot! It may be downhill from here for me...haha! XD Sorry it took so long, too. Memorial Day BBQ was today - so many hotdogs!

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[noahmarks]

Ah, he’d missed that laugh. That was the thing about Pippa. She wasn’t the average, typical girl. There was something so different about her, and that was why she was his best friend. Pippa loved hanging out in their group with a bunch of guys that were immature and pranksters. She loved hanging out with him. Noah didn’t consider himself anything special. He was outgoing and energetic, he loved to play jokes, and he loved to seek out every adventure and thrill-seeking experience he could. Pippa just happened to be the same way. They were so alike, and they had instantly clicked. He didn’t know how different his life would be without her, and he certainly did not want to try and see. The summer was a long enough break from her. Hearing that laugh, Noah was flooded with memories of their six years together as best friends, and the look on his face surely could not hide his excitement to be reunited with her.

When she recalled the day she had told them she was going to live on that very couch for the next seven years, he knew that she was being truthful. His mind flashed back to that day. It had been a very fateful day for most of them within their close-knit circle of friends. They’d all known it was meant to be from day one. They were all meant to band together and have a great time while they spent seven years learning how to become witches and wizards. Of course, Noah had been lucky. His parents were both magical. For Pippa, this was a whole new and exciting world. He could remember seeing her that first day, the way she had been so excited and thrilled to have such a blessing given to her. He should have known how lucky he had been, back then, to have found such a wonderful girl to become his best friend. So, he supposed she did have a claim on the couch, after all. Damn his memory for not remembering in the first place.

“I can’t believe you remember that.” He paused, shaking his head at her. “I should have known you were trouble.” He laughed softly, blue-green eyes catching her gaze and holding it. He was joking, and he knew that she would know. Together, they were most certainly trouble. Apart, Noah knew that he wasn’t nearly the young man that he was when he was with Pippa and their other friends. To say they were a modern day Bonnie and Clyde would be fitting. Very, very fitting. Noah had admitted several times that Pippa made him even better. She brought out the best in him, and there was no one else in the world, besides Izzie, who knew him the way she did. She knew every little thing about him, including his flaws and quirks. She also knew how to calm him down, or to deal with his moods or tempers.

It was her turn to state whether or not she missed him. He knew that she might never actually say how much she missed him. She wasn’t normally sappy or emotional, another thing that made her so different from other girls. He praised that about her. He was never afraid she was going to randomly burst into tears or start spilling her feelings about other blokes. Their relationship had never been one that centered around talking about their personal love lives, thank God. He smirked at her response. He knew how much she had missed him. She didn’t need to spell it out. Noah knew about her home life. He knew how much she must have wanted to come back to Hogwarts throughout the summer holiday. Now, here they were, seventh years. Where had their time here gone?

After he asked her to share her food, he heard one of her infamous snorts. Oh, Pippa. He laughed softly to match her snort. That was the girl he called his best friend. There was truly no girl that could ever match her. He was very pleased to see her cave in to his demands and make her way around the couch to sit down and then lay down beside him. He heard himself express a sigh of contentment as she laid her head against his shoulder, bringing their faces pretty close. If someone had come down into the common room that didn’t know the two best friends, they would swear that they were in a relationship. Noah and Pippa tended to act a bit like a married couple, or at least a couple. They were always together, causing trouble and havoc. If one got in trouble, the other one usually did as well. The only thing that didn’t make them a couple was the title – oh, and the kissing.

He took a bite of the roll she had offered to him, savoring the taste of the product of the elves within Hogwarts’ kitchen. Their food was always delicious. Perhaps that was why Noah and Pippa were constantly sneaking down into the kitchens after hours. Taking another bite, he enjoyed their comfortable silence for a few seconds. For Noah, being this close to Pippa had always been natural and not romantic. But, as she spoke to him and looked up from where she lay beside him, he couldn’t help feeling his stomach flutter slightly. Shaking it off, he figured it was just his being a guy. Pippa was gorgeous, after all. He couldn’t confuse being a guy with his feelings about his relationship with Pippa.

“Damn summer. There’s really nothing good about it.” He chuckled softly, smiling down at her. Finishing his roll with a final bite, he enjoyed that last taste before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her as close as he could possibly get her. He’d missed her, so he felt it was only appropriate to take in as much of her as he could now. Closing his eyes for a moment, he leaned his head back and got comfortable. “Let’s run away and forget about classes in the morning.” He laughed, knowing he was being unreasonable. But, he figured he’d throw it out there.

ooc: you’re amazing. Nopa is making my muse go crazy. why are they so adorable?! I love Pippa and I love them, wheeeee. <3

[pipparyder]

------------------------` so young and full of running

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"I can't believe you remember that. I should have known you were trouble." Pippa had a strange way with remembering things, strange in the sense that she was fairly good at it. She'd probably later remember this one - his gaze holding hers. But, then again, she particularly took to remembering times and moments that involved her and Noah. You could speculate for days on end over why that was the case, but truth was, the two were inseparable. She had little memories without him in them. Or at least few that were really something. So, the odds were stacked in her favour. He stood out in her mind and, really, they just so happened to always be doing something that was extra memorable.

She jokingly gave an exasperated sigh when he implied she was the troublesome one. Looking back at all the instances she had ever gotten in trouble, he was right there besides her, a big grin splattered across his face. And she wouldn't ever have him wipe that grin away, not for the world. The number of times the two of them had stood before McGonagall's thick mahogany desk were countless. Sometimes, they were joined by the others of their posse, who thankfully took to the girl all those years ago. But either way, Pippa's mind would start to really whirl under the pressure of McGonagall's scrutiny. And while she spun away on their story - "But Professor, we were just trying to get Noah down to the Hospital Wing. He had an awful reaction to those clams tonight," or the classic "Professor, I know what the others saw, but it wasn't us. They're just teaching about Polyjuice Potion too early these days." - Noah was guaranteed to be in good spirits. When they got off easily, Pippa would often joke and take the credit, claiming that it was her fast-thinking that pulled them through. But it was just that, a joke. She truly believed that Noah's coolly demeanor did wonders for them. Or, at least, it did wonders for her.

She wondered if he knew how much she depended on him. How lost she would be without her Clyde, without reunions like this to look forward to over the summer. He probably did. She hoped he did. But, then, she wondered if he knew back then, that even when they first met, Pippa had suspected it would come to something like this. Of course, she had spent a good while hoping that all those people who assumed they were a married-like couple were assuming correctly. But she caught on to the dynamic soon enough -- now Pippa was certain she could follow Noah's thoughts on the matter.

"Damn summer. There's really nothing good about it." Pippa nodded vigorously against his shoulder, holding up the last bit of her bread in agreement, as if to give a toast. "Here, here," she chimed enthusiastically before bringing the roll to her mouth and polishing it off as Noah finished his.

When he turned and pulled her close, she felt a warmth travel through her body and a content sigh pass over her lips, like his before. Her joking side subsided for a moment as she simply breathed in his smell and enjoyed the comfort of his arms around her. Pippa made way for a moment of vulnerability, something she'd only allow with him. While she might not directly mention it to Noah - like every thing, he probably knew anyways! - she had never felt safer than when they were like this. And that was saying something. This world wasn't a safe one. She tucked her head further against him, milking the feeling for all it was worth. Damn summer. She couldn't agree more.

Noah leaned his head back and Pippa turned hers to look up at him again. His eyes were closed now, but she had a feeling that - if she could see beyond his lids - they held that usual sparkle of mischief. She loved that about him. "Let's run away and forget about classes in the morning," he suggested, meaning she had been right about the sparkle.

She propped herself up slightly on one elbow, careful not to leave the circle of his arms. Her other hand - now free of bread - fell a bit heavily on his chest. "Okay," she answered shortly and a bit impulsively, patting him once. She rarely ever said no to an adventure...even if it were merely a hypothetical one. It just wasn't in her character. Simply rummaging up a hookie plan excited her. "We could do it," she continued, sure her voice sounded like a child's at Christmas. "If we took to hiding in the Room of Requirement between breakfast and potions, once every one had gone towards the dungeons, we could go out down the South stairwell to avoid Filtch and enjoy the..."

Catching herself mid-sentence, she breathed a chuckle and closed her eyes. "Or...that would be irresponsible of us," she laughed, tilting her head this way and that in a mocking fashion. As if that had ever stopped them.



notes. Stupid charger! I was on a roll and then my computer died and it took me forever to find that thing. So, if it sounds disconnected -- sorry! Blah! And, oh man, you're amazing, too! So amazing. <3

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[noahmarks]

It was pretty funny that Noah had implied that Pippa was the one that brought him trouble. If anything, the two were equally troublesome. That was why they got along so well. They both had a natural need to go out and cause trouble. They were both always looking for adventure and excitement. Since it was such a huge part of both of their lives, it was what had forged the deep bond between them. He did have to admit that Pippa was the one that was good about coming up with excuses on the spot. Noah had always been rubbish at thinking up lies on the spot. Pippa, on the other hand, had gotten them out of many detentions with her quick stories. Noah could lie along with her, once she’d thought up the idea, but Noah wasn’t as creative. His excuses were always rather stupid and silly. Hers, though, were brilliant. Just another reason why they were perfect partners in crime.

They toasted their last bits of the rolls from the kitchens, and he couldn’t help letting his mind run away with him. Where would he be without Pippa? Nowhere. He’d have had more detentions than anyone else, he was sure. But, at a deeper level, he would be a much different person without her by his side. He had a feeling that she felt the same, thankfully. Noah wasn’t the type of guy to give himself to someone in a friendship that wasn’t going to reciprocate the same feeling. Therefore, Noah was certain that deep down, even if she refused to say it out loud, she needed him just as much as he needed her. That was the way it should be, in his opinion. They needed each other equally, and that was just another reason that their friendship flourished and stayed so strong.

As she settled against him when he pulled her closer, he couldn’t help feeling his heart rate increase, just slightly. What was going on with him tonight? He was acting like Pippa wasn’t his best friend, like she was an actual girl that he was interested in. Noah had never been the kind to date many girls. He’d always had bigger plans. Noah cherished his friendships more than useless relationships that only lasted a week or so before ending in some type of dramatic fight. Girls usually just brought him stress and worry – both things that he did not need. He’d always turn back to his friends, just shaking his head. There hadn’t been many girls in his past, and he was quite alright with that. Now, though, he found himself behaving rather curiously with Pippa wrapped up tightly in his arms. He tried to play it off as just being a feeling that all guys get. He hadn’t been with a girl like that in quite some time, so his testosterone levels were quite high. That had to be it. Yet, feeling the length of her body cuddled up next to his brought him all sorts of weird emotions and feelings, and he wasn’t sure how to make out those feelings. It was almost like he wanted to pull her even closer and kiss her. But this was Pippa, his best friend! She would probably laugh at him.

With his mind muddled in confusing thoughts, he listened to her detail their plan of escape from Hogwarts. He opened his eyes to look at her as she talked very seriously about how they could run away. She was caught up in the plan, and the excitement in her eyes was overwhelming, making him chuckle softly. As he looked into her eyes, so animated with excitement, he couldn’t help having another wave of feeling wash over him. It was like his heart was screaming at him to just grab her and kiss her. But his head was freaking out. Why would he ever do that?! He tried to hide the minor bit of confusion that was raging in his mind, but he knew that his eyes were often clear with his thoughts. He laughed with her as she finished her thoughts and he shook his head. Irresponsible was their middle name, after all.

“As if being irresponsible ever stopped either of us before.” He smiled, though his mind seemed to be somewhere else, losing a battle with his heart. He looked at her directly, trying to gauge his feelings. What in the world was happening to him? He was hoping it had something to do with not seeing her all summer. He was just happy to see her, right? His hands danced lightly across her back, enjoying her being so near and so close. “Then we’ll just get married and make ends meet somehow.” He paused, not quite sure of what he said. It was like his heart was directly testing him and her together, interested to see what she was going to respond with. “And you can give me some cute little babies.” He laughed, picturing the two of them as parents, as wild and irresponsible as they were. He winked at her again, though part of him was being deathly serious, wanting to know the answers she was going to give him. He closed his eyes for another moment, imagining their run-away life together. “Sounds perfect. Let’s do it. Tomorrow.” He laughed, obviously joking. Opening his eyes, he couldn’t help feeling a little bit anxious to see how she was going to respond to him.

ooc: your posts are all lovely, so shush! Nopa is amazing <3

[pipparyder]

------------------------` so young and full of running

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Pippa had been watching for Noah's reaction as she detailed out their faux plan. Summer hadn't changed him there, thankfully. He never once tried to quell her excitement or mock her for going off on a ramble. Rather, he chuckled along with it all and looked directly at her, as if egging her on. Between them, there was no changing who you were. Simple as that. She couldn't think of a single time when she felt as if she had to reign herself in with Noah. Things were just naturally as is.

Sometimes Pippa wondered what scientists would find if they had performed one of those cognitive twin tests on her and Noah. She was fairly certain that the two would be closer than even the most identical of twins. This moment was a fairly good example as to why -- the moment she thought up a retort, he said it. Like clockwork! "As if being irresponsible ever stopped either of us before." Pippa chuckled lightly as he mirrored her inner sentiment. Really, they should win an award. If not from scientists, then by some other means. They would do marvelously on one of those game shows her father used to watch. What was it called? Where one person would have to guess what the other answered? Newlyweds? Oh. Well, that would required them to be married first. Details, details.

His hands danced lightly across her back and she felt the warmth about her body only increase. A small, but comfortable chill spread along her spine. The excitement that had boiled alongside her escape plan slowly disintegrated back in to the relaxed state that had come with their moment of silence earlier. Her features slipped from a grin to a soft smile and she found herself lowering off her elbow, her chin resting on her own hand atop his chest while she continued to look up at Noah's face. Checks and balances. They were very good at balancing each other. Knowing how to both rile the other up and calm them.

For a quick moment, she thought she saw a bit of confusion flit across his eyes. Maybe anxiety? While Noah could convince anyone of just about anything, Pippa had learned to always look to his eyes to tattle the truth. They were very expressive. Her favorite feature of his - if you couldn't tell - but that was besides the point. Instinctively, her right brow cocked ever so slightly, but before it could reach its true animated arch, the look was gone. And the conversation had continued.

"Then we'll just get married and make ends meet somehow." Her lips parted as their corners tugged her smile upwards, revealing her teeth. Well. That was one way to get them onto that game show! See, clockwork. If she hadn't been just thinking about the Newlyweds game show, Pippa might have been caught off-guard by this. It was, after all, a strange question. But, then again, often with them one could expect strange or random.

Now, if Noah had suggested this but two years ago, Pippa's heart would've been up in her throat by now, suffocating her. Her mind would have jumped to him in a groom's suit, waiting for her at the end of an aisle. She would have pondered over whether or not Izzie would accept the position of Maid of Honor. Whether or not she wore her mother's dress. The little things that made up her secret romantic side. And maybe her mind did jump here and there now, but there was that underlying fact that Noah didn't see her in that way that stifled the dreaminess of it all. She knew him well enough to know he didn't typically see people in that particular light, and especially not her. Here on this couch, she could only assume he was enjoying a light laugh with his best friend. And she would happily go along with it.

"Okay," she answered again, "If anyone could do it, we could. But if we're marrying on the run, will I still get to wear a dress? Because while not every one here may see me as a lady...I would like to wear a dress." Pippa beamed up at him, the look on her face almost daring him to contradict her. As for them making ends meet, it was true, even if this was nothing more than fictitious. While Pippa and Noah each were very set in their goals regarding the Order, her auror training, and his ministry dreams, if it came to it, she believed the two of them could always make ends meet. That sounded a bit cocky, but so what? With the right attitude and people, things seemed to fall into place. Or at least, in the safety they had here, she had no problem thinking that.

"And you could give me some cute little babies." And now she laughed right along with him, gladly jumping to this portion of his daydream. "Cute?!"

[/i] she moaned, nearly snorting again. An array of laughs continued as he winked at her, "If by cute, you mean monsters!"

Appearance-wise, any children of theirs would undoubtedly be cute, eventually growing up to be attractive. With even an ounce of Noah's genes, this was an assured fact. And every girl at Hogwarts would easily agree. Pippa and Noah's children, however, would be just as mischievous and unruly as their parents, if not more. Hence the monsters comment. But the twinge of endearment as she spoke and the look on her face as she thought more about the idea, hinted that she actually liked the possibility of kids taking after the likes of them. She didn't know what she would do if she had a child who behaved. It would be too foreign. "Do you know how many times we'd be hearing about detention? They'd probably break our record."

As parents, Pippa figured she'd not live up to the bar. She could barely keep track of Hal, and he was calmer than she and fifteen already. Noah, on the other hand, would make an excellent father, she thought. Not now, of course! Ha! That was quite the image. Now was a time of irresponsibility and living wildly. But eventually, he'd make a good father. Maybe she was biased because he was her best friend, but she could see it in the way he acted towards Isabella.

As he paused again and closed his eyes, she tiled her head and looked over at the fire briefly. Taking a quick break from their joking, she contemplated whether or not she would like that life. How she would take to it, all laughter aside. Under it all, she knew the answer.

But what was the use in dwelling? That was crazy talk. And not the good crazy talk.

"Sounds perfect. Let's do it. Tomorrow." His musings called her back and she laughed awkwardly to cover up any serious thoughts she had been having. "It's a date!" she quipped.


notes. You make me blush, seriously! I know I've been saying this, but I've gotta say it again....is it bad to be in love with two fictional characters? XD Also, I kinda wanna smack some sense in Pippa. Hah! Because the obliviousness...has begun!
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[noahmarks]

If Noah could have heard her thoughts, he would have agreed with her when she said that Noah hadn’t ever thought of her that way. Way back in their first year, Noah had met Pippa as an eleven year old, mischievous boy. He hadn’t had any romantic inclinations, and it had stayed that way for the years that followed. Noah had never thought of Pippa as anything more than his best friend. She was amazing, that he was sure of, but she was just that – his best friend. Noah rarely took anything seriously, especially relationships with girls. But, he did take his friendship with Pippa seriously, and therefore, through the years, he had never thought about her as more than his best friend. She was perfect for the job, and together, they were brilliant.

It was odd to think that now, the roles were somewhat reversed. Of course, Noah had no idea that Pippa used to think of him in the romantic sense. He didn’t know that side of Pippa. She was never romantic or sappy when around him, and he wasn’t aware that the thoughts had ever crossed her mind. Now, here he was, laying there with his best friend in his arms and he just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was experiencing emotions that meant more to him than just their friendship. It bothered him to not be able to figure it out, and he felt unsettled, not knowing what was going on in his own thoughts. Noah hated to overthink things. Honestly, he hated thinking at all, really. Thinking led to worrying, and Noah found that he could easily overanalyze a situation and get himself all worked up. Instead, Noah just didn’t think about things much.

He tried to shake himself from his own thoughts, and he was when she replied. He wasn’t sure he was ready to hear her answers to his comments. Her tone was light and playful. Clearly she had thought that he was just joking, playing along with their little game, their imaginary life they were planning together. But, deep down, Noah knew that he was testing her to see how she was going to respond because he wasn’t entirely sure what he was feeling, and hearing her answer might make his thoughts more determinate. Pippa’s comment about wearing a dress to their wedding brought him from his haze of thoughts, and he genuinely smiled while looking down at her. Pippa in a wedding dress, walking towards him. Now that was an image. Pippa was beautiful just the way she looked at that moment, he couldn’t image seeing her in a wedding gown with her hair all done up and looking more gorgeous than ever. And it would be all for him, for their wedding. He needed to stop this. Where in the world were these thoughts coming from?

“Of course you could wear a dress. You think I’d let you miss out on that?” He laughed, smiling as he once again pictured the image. Pippa continued to answer his questions about their imaginary life in a playful manner, and he was quite content to play along with her. The topic quickly turned to their babies, and he couldn’t help laughing, because he knew that neither of them was anywhere near ready to be parents. Noah didn’t think he would ever be a good father. He was irresponsible and rarely serious. How would he ever be able to take responsibility for another human being and then raise that child to be something productive and meaningful in life? He would for sure be a failure. Pippa, on the other hand, would most likely be a perfect mother someday. He could see her, mischief and all, being a wonderful mother. Although she didn’t seem it now, he knew that she had it in her. But, her words were true. Any child of theirs was bound to be some type of monster.

“They would make us so proud.” He laughed a bit loudly at the thought of their children. They would be very cute, of that he was sure. He knew that he wasn’t horrid looking, and Pippa was beautiful. They just had to be cute. She was right, though, about their personalities. With parents so adventurous and thrill-seeking as Noah and Pippa, those kids would be bound to get more detentions than Hogwarts had ever, ever seen. He was okay with that. He could only hope that his kids would one day make him proud at Hogwarts and carry on the family name and tradition.

It got somewhat quiet then, the two of them stopping their playful banter. He pondered the seriousness of the conversation. He knew that they could actually do it, if they both wanted to enough. However, they both had their own plans. Pippa wanted to be an auror, and he knew she was going to do it and be absolutely brilliant. He wanted to work in the Ministry. To do both, they needed to finish their education. They could never actually run away, but it was nice to dwell in the dream, if only for a moment. He knew that he could be happy with that life, though. If they actually did it, he would not only be happy, but thrilled. Pippa was one of the only people he found that he needed in his life. Along with a few others, she was an exception.

She laughed a bit awkwardly, and he could tell that she was trying to cover up the silence. His eyes remained closed for a few seconds, contemplating what he was going to say now. It wasn’t that he ever needed to try and keep a conversation with Pippa. They naturally just flowed. However, tonight felt different. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew that something inside of him felt different with her tonight. He opened his eyes and he found himself looking at her, actually looking at her. He wasn’t joking, or playing around. Instead, he let his eyes soak her in, memorizing every little curve of her features as they were illuminated by the fire light. “Pippa, you are absolutely beautiful.” He wasn’t sure where it had come from, but it had slipped out, and he couldn’t take it back, nor did he want to. It was true, so true. He continued to look at her, suddenly so aware of her closeness to him.

ooc: I FEEL THE SAME WAY. I adore them. so much. they make my muse insane xD and I love Pippa. she’s so cute and I love her obliviousness. poor Noah is all confused and frazzled haha. NOPA <3

[pipparyder]

------------------------` so young and full of running

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Even though she had believed it all to have been a joke, Pippa did like the imaginary life they had conjured. If she had a spell of her own creation to make it all true, she would be very well tempted to use it. She liked the smile on his face when he told her he wouldn't let her go without a dress. She liked the thought of feeling safe like this every night. She liked the fact that their children would wreck havoc on Hogwarts in their name. Noah was right -- they'd make them proud. And she'd be rather proud to have a life like that.

But there were the ties that bound. Their dreamscape, of course, didn't exclude Jax or Hal or Isabella, but it circulated around leaving Hogwarts. And right now, they needed to be at Hogwarts. It was where they belonged. Still, for the briefest of moments, even after her little quip had attempted to wash away the seriousness, her mind jumped to their graduation. God, she hoped it wouldn't be like this past summer! She knew they were far too close to have that be true. They would never let go of their friendship. It was just not possible. You couldn't separate Bonnie and Clyde. If you did, Bonnie or Clyde would shoot you. You might even find yourself with a bullet wound from each. But, would he seem this content with that crafted life outside of this moment? Down the road?

She blinked twice, trying to keep true to her attempts to keep things light with that awkward laugh. In the end, it didn't matter at the moment. They had been joking and life after Hogwarts would come...well, after Hogwarts.

Now that she was out of her reverie, she realized that they weren't laughing about something or teasing each other. Maybe that was why her thoughts had retreated back to a semi-serious strand of subject. Her gaze left the fire, bouncing back to his face to see that his eyes were still closed.

Was he sleeping? Because she wasn't sure if she were cruel enough to wake him up twice in one night. And if she were and he had the same reaction, that would leave Pippa most likely tumbling for the floor. And she rather liked her tailbone unbruised.

But no, he wasn't sleeping. She could feel his chest rising and falling below her and it wasn't in that slow rhythm that came with unconsciousness. She again found herself earnestly staring up at his face, her curiosity nipping at the back of her thoughts.

When he opened his eyes, her nose twitched just slightly from either surprise or relief. Or maybe it was because she could tell something was different in the way he was looking at her now. The air in the room seemed to grow hotter under his gaze, as he took her in. It was as if the cool breeze of their play had slipped out through the cracks of the Tower's window panes. She was suddenly aware of her body and the feel of his heartbeat against her palm.

Her eyes searched his relentlessly, admittedly baffled by the sudden change, but not worried by it. If it had been anyone else - anyone else at all - but Noah looking at her like that she would have become uncomfortable. She would have started to fidget some more, maybe pull at her night gown. But with Noah there was no such thing as uncomfortable.

"Pippa, you are absolutely beautiful." Her lips parted at what he said next, and she half-expected her brain to take over and simply answer for her. Autopilot. It did that often enough. But no, the way he said it...

There wasn't a drop of banter among its syllables. It wasn't like his usual compliments to her, either. The times he had said she looked nice or pretty were often very light-hearted. While she knew he had always been sincere about it, this particular comment, paired with his gaze, held extra weight. Gold compared to silver.

Realizing this, her heart felt as if it had pressed itself against her ribcage, eager to see how she would respond. The Pippa two years ago would have blushed, but it had been so long that she wasn't certain her body was sure how to blush now. She could feel some heat along her cheeks, though. With a compliment like that from someone like Noah, even she could be expected to take on some color.

She wasn't sure what this meant, though. There was the possibility that it was a prank, and five minutes later he would be laughing at her for faltering under pressure. She could respond with a joke. Tell him he was beautiful, too. She had a whole arsenal at her disposal. But this wasn't a prank. She knew that.

However, their summer away had been a long time. They were already cuddled very closely and he had told her he had missed her. Maybe he was simply being good-hearted Noah, sentimental. Maybe it was his missing her.

Or maybe it was option number three. Option number three seemed the most unlikely.

"Noah, I-" she breathed, only to find herself struggling with forming another word. Despite this, she was still looking him in the eye. It wasn't option number three. Why even entertain the idea. It felt like she had taken a rather while long while to come to a conclusion, let alone say anything, but it had in truth only been a quarter a minute or so since he had spoken.

"Thank you," her voice settled after another second, her brain deciding to switch direction on her at the first sign of dismay. Option two. It was the most logical. A genuine smile was finding its way to her features now, though something tugged again at the back of her mind.

She looked for a reaction before speaking again. "What brought that on?" she asked, trying to keep her tone curious. She tucked herself further under his arm, just slightly. Her voice only grew unintentionally quieter with the next bit. "Not that I didn't like it....I did."



notes. NOPA for life! <33 Ah, I feel so bad for Noah...having to put up with Pippa. Haha! His poor, poor brain!

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[noahmarks]

Noah and Pippa spent about ninety-seven percent of their time together not being serious. He honestly couldn’t even remember the last time they had had a serious conversation. In fact, they seemed to naturally stray from conversations and topics that involved anything serious. Not that they couldn’t be there for one another. It wasn’t that at all. They just had a friendship that centered around their mutual silliness and need to seek adventure and excitement. Neither of them spent much of their time being serious. That was why this particular moment was unusual for them. Normally, they were seen with beaming smiles and laughter. It didn’t feel wrong, per se, but it felt different. Noah wasn’t used to having a serious conversation with Pippa, but it didn’t feel forced. In fact, he had felt his words slip out just as easily as any other words he had spoken to her. However, he could feel the anxiety as he waited for her response, almost afraid of how she was going to respond.

Although he wasn’t sure how she was going to take his compliment, he didn’t regret saying it, even if it had slipped out of his mouth without him even knowing he was going to say it. This was Pippa, his Pippa. The words hadn’t been forced or thought up beforehand. Instead, they were entirely natural, and she looked at him, matching his intensity.

After he spoke, there was a bit of a silence, and he took a moment to wonder what exactly she was thinking. His own mind was a muffled mess, so he found that focusing on Pippa and her thoughts was a logical choice. After a few seconds, though, he found that thinking about what she was thinking about was just as confusing. He wasn’t sure, but it almost looked like she was blushing. Pippa, blushing?! He honestly could not believe it. Pippa never blushed about anything, and he couldn’t believe that his compliment would be something enough to make his best friend, a girl who never blushed, blush. His mind began reeling again. Would she just laugh at him? What was she thinking about? Did she have the same lingering thoughts that he had? Was she thinking about what it would feel like to kiss him? He felt overwhelmed slightly, unsure of the answers to those questions, not only for Pippa’s mind, but for his own as well. What was he feeling? He wasn’t sure if it had just been brought on by the summer apart, or if something matured and different had happened, changing the way he felt about Pippa in general as a person.

He was waiting for her to speak, almost ready to start pleading. He couldn’t believe how nervous he suddenly felt. Why wasn’t she saying anything? He was starting to panic, ready to play the whole thing off a prank. He attempted to remain as calm and collected as possible, but he knew that he was freaking out. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship, and he also didn’t want Pippa to think of him as some weirdo, like the other guys that oftentimes hit on her and talked about how attractive she was. He didn’t want to be like that, and he surely didn’t want her to think of him that way.

Before he could start explaining himself and attempting to retrace his steps, Pippa spoke, breaking the silence. She held his gaze, making him believe that hopefully she didn’t think of him as someone creepy. That was the last thing he wanted. He listened to her carefully, noting the way she seemed to be carefully choosing her words. He was glad to hear that she wasn’t thinking poorly of him. That lifted a weight off of his shoulders. But, she questioned his motives behind speaking his mind, and he wasn’t entirely sure of what he was going to tell her.

Did he tell her the truth, or lie about why he had said she was beautiful? He wrestled with himself. He had never, ever lied to Pippa about anything. They had been through thick and thin together, and he couldn’t imagine lying to her. It just seemed so entirely wrong. But, was he willing to risk everything, their entire friendship, on feelings he wasn’t even sure about? He couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t bring himself to try and explain himself, not tonight. Maybe in a few days, if he figured it out himself. But that meant he had to lie to her. Noah figured that if he told her he wasn’t sure, he would at least remain truthful. He had no idea what was going on in his mind, and it wouldn’t be a lie.

“To be honest, I don’t really know.” He said softly, looking down at her as she managed to snuggle even closer into his embrace. He felt so guilty, so wrong not telling her everything. In that instant, it was as if his heart was in overdrive. His mind wasn’t even thinking properly, and he couldn’t help what he was thinking or feeling. Before he could react or tell himself not to, he had leaned forward, closing the final gap between the two of them. His lips approached her own, and he closed his eyes, reveling in the closeness of her. He could almost hear both of their heartbeats, beating loudly, imaginably in rhythm with one another’s. He felt his lips graze against her own very softly, his right hand moving to trace the curve of her jawline.

Just like that, he kissed her, gentle and soft. As quickly as it had happened, Noah was pulling back, unsure of how to react now. He was so angry at himself. Noah was beyond angry, he was pissed. What had he done? He could have likely ruined everything now. “I am so sorry, Pippa.” He paused, shaking his head and feeling completely unsettled. “I shouldn’t have done that. I am so sorry.” He closed his eyes, placing a hand on his head. What had he done now?

ooc: welppppp, i took a shot in the dark there. noah's confusion is just out of this world hahaha. i love nopa way too much though. i just had to throw a kiss in there. (; <33

[pipparyder]

------------------------` so young and full of running

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There were no jokes for this.

Goodbye logic. Goodbye world order. Goodbye every and anything that had ever made sense. It had all gone and disappeared right through the window panes, just as their playful air had before. Pippa couldn't recall Noah's answer to her previous question. She was barely aware of the couch beneath them anymore. But she was fairly certain he said something about not knowing why he had complimented her so intensely. Then again, she could very well have mistakenly heard "I don't know" in place of something silly like "I'm a doughnut." At this point in time, that wouldn't have been any more surprising than what had happened next.

She had been watching him for an answer when his voice had softened further. She remembered thinking she had solved the puzzle regarding the look in his eyes. That confusion and anxiety from earlier. It had become clear that Noah was struggling with some sort of internal battle. She remembered wondering why he hadn't asked her for some assistance. They could tag team it. Like they did all their problems. The two of them did, after all, tell the other every thing. Well...almost every thing.

She had lifted her chin to inquire further, but, before she could register what was happening, Noah had closed the gap between them. At first, she hadn't questioned it. It had been enough to derail her train of thought, but her autopilot finally kicked it and over-rode the part of her that may have done something extra stupid. Instead, it had instructed her to merely sit in the moment. Her eyes searched for his, but she noted they were now closed. She could smell his breath - it was warm - and she realized she wasn't inhaling air, but him.

And then his lips met hers.

Pippa's eyes widened in surprise, her brows rising with the action. Her body became motionless. Her breath ceased to exist. She felt her heart back away from her ribcage now, stopping completely. Because, it too wasn't sure how to react. For that brief second of disbelief, it was as if someone had applied her emergency brakes. And she had come to screeching, bewildering halt.

But as quickly as the brakes had been applied, they dissolved away completely. As his lips gently and softly moved against hers, her body worked in a reverse fashion. Her eyelids succumbed and slowly closed. She felt her heart starting again, loud and fast. She could hear his as well, and if she had been thinking on it, she would have noticed how precisely they had matched each other. Then her body found sensation again and her skin spiked with the warmth of their contact, especially as his hand traced her jawline. Her head tilted some as she allowed herself to fall into the kiss. As soon as she had embraced it, Noah was pulling away.

Her eyes opened quickly. And she blinked. Once. Twice. Now that his lips weren't against hers, the confusion was setting it. But it was followed by a wave of her former, hidden feelings. "I'm so sorry, Pippa," His voice was urgent and maybe even angry, but she barely registered his first apology. The old thoughts had washed over her and threatened to pull her under, overwhelm her with excitement to the point where she was forced to forgot how confusing the matter at hand was. She wanted to tell him not to be sorry -- she wanted to explain every thing. How she used to imagine the feel of his lips against hers. How she wanted to pull him back in to another kiss now. The words bubbled up inside her, and one even spilled over -- "Don't --" she started.

"I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry." Bam. She swallowed the words - along with all the sentiments and the old thoughts - and felt them land heavily in her stomach. Noah, her Noah, had kissed her, Pippa. Noah, the boy who roamed as far from romance as possible. Best friends didn't kiss. He had regretted his last move. He brought his hand to his head, his eyes closing. Pippa's own brow furrowed as she looked down at his chest.

"You shouldn't have?" she repeated, her tone somewhat betraying her.


notes. I have so much love for you and Noah right now. SO MUCH LOVE. If I could, I'd bake you a pie!

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[noahmarks]

He had just kissed Pippa. Noah had actually leaned in and kissed her, on the lips. Pippa – his best friend, confidant, partner in crime. His mind continued to replay the feel of her lips moving against his. His heart was hammering in his chest, as if telling his head the typical ‘I told you so’ line. It was true. All of it was true. Even though he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened, he knew that it had felt good, really damn good, actually.

But, he was still furious with himself. He had allowed his testosterone and his heart to override all of his logic. Pippa might be furious with him. Maybe she was going to reach over and slap him. He most likely deserved it. He felt terrible, as if he had taken advantage of one of the greatest friends he had ever had. If he lost her over something like this, he would be even more upset with himself. The last thing he wanted was for this to hurt their friendship, seeing as that meant more to him than anything else. He needed to have Pippa in his life, in one way or another. He just hoped that his foolishness wouldn’t be enough to push her away.

However, the lingering thoughts of how absolutely perfect the kiss they shared had been clouded his thoughts. Had it been that magical for her, or was it just him? He wanted to ask her, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know her response. She would be truthful with him, he was sure. Pippa didn’t lie to him, just like he hadn’t been able to lie to her. Part of him wasn’t the least bit sorry he had kissed her. It had been wonderful, magical, fascinating, perfect. There was no other way to describe it besides perfect. As angry as he was with himself, he felt the urge to actually smile. Why didn’t he feel happy? Poor Noah was in a complete state of confusion, and he knew that he had only made it worse when she responded to him.

The question in her shaky voice was enough to make him feel even worse. Now he wasn’t sure what to do or say. It sounded, to him, like she was upset that he was angry with himself, but he could not be entirely sure. He knew Pippa inside and out, but why was he feeling so uncertain right now, in this moment. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t regret it. Noah wanted to smile and laugh, pull her close, and kiss her again. Now though, he was terrified and frightened. Had he ruined everything between them? The confusion seemed to be bringing them towards a place they had never gone before. Noah and Pippa had never had a conversation that wasn’t easy and filled with laughter. Even now, Noah had a feeling he had changed things, and he was afraid that it wouldn’t be for the better.

He looked deeply into her eyes, and it looked like she was hurting. The thought that he had hurt her emotionally tore away at him, breaking his own heart. After a moment, he knew that honesty was the best bet. Honesty always won out in the end, right? Noah had been taught his entire life that honestly was always the best policy. He quickly responded, wanting to take all the hurt and pain away from those beautiful eyes of hers. “Oh, Pippa, no. I didn’t mean it like that.” He paused, not sure how he was going to word all of the confusion going on in his mind.

How was he supposed to tell her that he was just suddenly struck by the feeling that he needed to kiss her? He sighed heavily, feeling as if the weight of the world was currently resting on his shoulders. “I said that because I didn’t want you to be angry with me. Or slap me.” He said, his words completely matter-of-fact. There, that hadn’t been so bad. He had explained why he had been so angry with himself. The last thing he wanted her to think was that he regretted kissing her because he hadn’t wanted to, because that was not it at all. Inhaling deeply, he wasn’t sure how to continue on, but he knew he had to.

Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he pulled her as close as he could get her, drawing strength from her closeness and the warmth of her body against his. It worked, and he felt slightly more relaxed after feeling her beneath his arms. “Pippa, I honestly don’t know what happened.” He paused, blue-green eyes caught in her gaze. “All of a sudden, I just felt like I had to kiss you.” He finished, wanting her to know that he meant every single word he was saying. Noah was clearly not the best with serious topics, as he seemed to be failing his way through this conversation.

“And to be honest, it was the most perfect kiss I’ve ever had.” Pausing again, he took one hand and placed it beneath her chin, tilting her head slightly so that they were looking directly into each other’s eyes. It all felt so... intimate. “I don’t regret it for a second. In fact, I’d like to do it again.” He finished, his words never being more truthful or genuine. He waited to hear how she would react to him now, knowing he had practically laid his heart out on his sleeve. He wasn’t aware that he was holding his breath, but he had to continually remind himself to breath.

ooc: Nopa is perfect <3 I love how I can see all of this happening as I write it out, like perfectly. Why can’t they be real!? And Pippa is the cutest thing ever, seriously. I just wanna huggle her.

[pipparyder]

------------------------` so young and full of running

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Pippa hadn't had much luck with boys or relationships in the past. She had an array of excuses as to why -- Jax scared any potentials off, or they couldn't keep up with her, or she didn't like their hair or voice or the way they wore their tie. She always had some crafted reason. But it was never the real reason.

Noah was the real reason.

At first, it was because, in her mind, no one could match him. No one would be able to match the ways eyes gleamed with life. No one would laugh like he did. No one would tease her like he did. No one would hug her like he did. But, the real kicker was that no one could get her to let loose like he did. Not in the sense of adventures and spontaneity - she didn't need a fuse-starter there! But in the sense that he had found a way to get her to open up to him, to be honest with him. He had found a way to make her feel comfortable, help her tear down that wall. To this day, no one knew her like he did.

Pippa had never once lied to Noah, and she didn't plan on lying to him any time soon. Not in her lifetime, if she could help it. Still, she hadn't told him that the reasons boys so quickly came and go with her wasn't because her excuses, and it wasn't because she was worried about commitment. It was because she had been worried about commitment with anyone else. But as well as he knew her, she knew him. Pippa knew Noah hadn't the slightest romantic interest in her. She had always assumed the role of another male in their group, and she was well aware that, while he needed her and treasured her, she would be his best friend. More than best friend, but never in that particular sense. Noah didn't put value in the usual boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

So, over the summer two years ago, she decided to snuff the thought completely. And she was okay with that. She needed him in her life, and she would be more than lucky if that was as her closest friend and nothing more. She could ignore the butterflies if it meant she still had that. For once, Pippa had given up on something. Luckily, Noah and her didn't have the type of relationship that involved talking about other love interests. The whole matter would have been drastically worse if she had to imagine him skirting around and cuddling with some sexy, elegant Veela-esque girl. Instead, she got to wrap herself up in his arms and not think about that.

She had succeeded in achieving complete and absolute denial; she had been living happily like that. And then this. This moment here. The fact that their kiss had been perfect, exceeded anything little Pippa could have dreamed up. No, little Pippa's mind would've exploded like a poorly-ventilated microwave dinner. It was magical. As if she were discovering magic all over again. But her mind was pulling her in two directions, like a child fighting over a doll. A helpless, confused doll. One side was little Pippa and her secret romantic. Her heart sided right along with them. Then, there was the carefully formed doubt and confusion, reminding her that he had regretted the move.

"Oh, Pippa, no. I didn't mean it like that." In one quick motion, her eyes and attention turned up to his face as he corrected himself. She searched his features for the answers to quell the two bickering sides. "How did you mean it?" she asked lightly, unable to keep from prompting him. She was very lucky that she could say anything in front of Noah and not regret it, otherwise she may have felt strange about the eagerness behind the question.

She felt his breath along her forehead as he sighed heavily. She couldn't tell if what he was going to say next would hurt or not. She should prepare herself for the worse -- "I didn't want you to be angry with me. Or slap me." Her brain took a moment to process what this meant. And, as realization set in, she could feel the shadow of a grin breaking along her features. Angry? Slap him? She doubted there was much Noah could do to instigate her slapping him. She found herself gently shaking her head at him. There were plenty of people in this world who Pippa wanted to slap. Noah was not one of them.

But this meant that Noah hadn't regretted kissing her. This meant that he had actually wanted to kiss her. The voice of denial started to grow quieter.

His arms tightened around her and she relished in the feeling. With the abrupt end to the kiss still lingering between them, she embraced every chance to be closer to him. His gaze was directly in line with hers and she watched as he formed each word of his next sentence, explaining his sudden urge to kiss her. And how he wasn't sure why. Her heart said it was because he might have felt something for her. That the summer had done wonders. Denial whispered that he was being a boy.

In his pause, though, she didn't say anything. Just...studied him. Noah was being completely honest. Every word he said had been heart felt and genuine. To her, it was plain as day now. They weren't serious often, but there was no way Noah would be talking about this if he didn't mean every moment of it.

"And to be honest, it was the most perfect kiss I've ever had." The denial inside her shattered. He had kissed her because he wanted to and he had felt just what she had, the magic behind it all. Noah. Her. Part of her mind was trying to piece together what had changed between them, when. But she couldn't focus on that. She was focusing on him and the intimacy of the moment. How he didn't regret it. How he wanted to do it again.

"I wouldn't stop you if you did," she answered, tilting her chin with his palm and exploring his eyes. Her voice was like his; it wasn't dramatic, but matter of fact. It was earnest and honest. "I wouldn't have stopped you before."

She would never have stopped him. Pippa knew she would have to explain that last sentiment soon. After Noah had so delicately and openly allowed his heart to fall to his sleeve, it wouldn't be fair for her to not do the same. It wouldn't be fair of her to go on not letting him in on the one thing she had ever really kept from him. It had always been a two-way street for them. But, right now, all she really wanted was to be kissing him again. She wanted to laugh and smile and feel his lips against hers. What was left of her logically thinking mind wanted to know where along the way things had changed, but little Pippa had waited long enough.

notes. I'm so sorry, again, about today! It has been utterly crazy. But things have finally settled! The whole day, though, I was picturing Nopa and was really excited. That's probably why this post is all over the place. Haha! XD But, loved yours! And you! I want them to be real, too....man, Noah just makes my heart melt. <3 And d'awh, Pippa wants to huggle you, too!

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[noahmarks]

Noah watched her closely, wanting to see the look of hurt on her features disappear. His mind was reeling with feelings, but the one thing he was entirely sure of was that he never wanted to see her hurting. Although they hardly spent any of their time together seriously, Noah knew how much her home life pained her at times, and he had always been there when she wanted to talk about things. Noah had seen her hurting before, but the look in her eyes when he had gotten angry with himself had been one he’d never experienced. He didn’t want to be the reason she felt upset. Noah couldn’t fathom the idea that his words and his actions had caused her distress, and the direct thought in his mind was to fix it.

He’d been foolish. Not for kissing her, no he didn’t regret that. He’d acted on impulse within the last hour, allowing his emotions to overtake him. He wouldn’t take that kiss back for the world, but, he wished he hadn’t allowed her to see his rage with himself. Now, he was afraid that she was getting the wrong impression, and although he tried to backtrack and show her that it wasn’t her he was upset with. It hadn’t been the kiss. He was just afraid she wasn’t going to feel the same, that he’d ruined their entire friendship.

After he spoke, though, he watched as her pain slowly faded away. Ah, there was the Pippa he knew and adored. He didn’t want to see those eyes looking so sad ever again, and he was determined to not allow his own foolishness to cause such an event again. He made a silent vow then to always be the reason behind Pippa’s smile, and not the reason behind her tears or sadness.

Feeling her in his arms now had a different feel about it, as if within the last half hour the entire dynamic of their relationship had changed. He no longer felt like she was just a friend lying in his arms for the fun of it. Instead, he felt like he was actually holding her, reveling in her embrace and closeness. If someone were to walk in, they would rightly assume that there was more than just friendly feelings between the two. His eyes seemed to burn now with a desire for her. He wasn’t sure what had happened, or why it had happened, but he felt happy about it. Their worlds had been turned upside down in a matter of minutes, and he wasn’t trying to overthink it or analyze the situation.

Noah refused to allow himself to think any more. He had a bad tendency to overthink and overanalyze every little thing that happened. When left alone with his thoughts, bad things happened. He would think and think and think until he worried himself sick. He was left with nothing but worries and darkness. In order to avoid that, especially now, he chose not to think about it. Maybe he would think about it later. But now, he wanted to enjoy this moment with her and not worry about their friendship and how it had changed. Instead, he wanted to spend this moment with her, more specifically, he wanted to kiss her. Again and again.

Before he could say anything else, he had once again closed the distance between them, melting into her arms. Kissing her the second time was just as brilliant as the first. But, it seemed even more real. The dream-like quality that he’d held before had slipped away, and he was aware that Pippa was actually in his arms, kissing him back. He cradled her head with his hands, one of them tangling itself within her hair, getting lost in that perfect blonde hair. In fact, he found himself getting lost in her. He’d always needed Pippa in his life, but within that kiss, he felt that he needed her more than ever.

As their lips moved together, he found his emotions screaming at him, declaring something he should have known all along. He was in love with Pippa. He didn’t just love her, like any person loves their best friend. Of course he loved her. But, with his heartbeat racing and his body experiencing a feeling he’d never quite had before, he realized that he was in love with her. Why hadn’t he known that all along? It all seemed so crystal clear now. She had always been the girl he went to with problems and anything else he needed to talk about. Even when he’d been dating other girls, Pippa was always the one he needed and relied on. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t seen it before, or what had made tonight the night when he finally looked at her and say something hidden and magical that he should have known before.

The funny thing was that everyone else knew it. He couldn’t count the number of times people either asked him if they were together, or told him that they should be together. Pippa knew him better than anyone else did. In his mind, he knew that this was a win-win situation. He got the girl of his dreams, as well as his best friend. She was gorgeous, smart, funny, and perfect. And his best friend. Finally, it seemed like everything was falling into place. The wizarding world may be in dismay around them, but Noah had never felt more complete.

Pulling back from her, he smiled softly, his hand brushing a stray of hair from her face. He wasn’t sure he was ready to tell her just exactly how he felt. No, he’d wait for that. He wanted to tell her that he loved her in a special way, somewhere special. Plus, they’d been through enough in one night. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. Looking deeply into her eyes, he whispered his words to her, his lips not being able to contain themselves from pulling upwards into a smile. “Well, this changes things.” He laughed softly, enjoying everything about her closeness. He couldn’t recall the last time he had felt this happy.

ooc: FINALLY. sorry for the wait <3