Fire in the Classroom (Chase)

Sterling was so intently focused on his hand he didn't notice Chase's movement until her gentle hand rested on his shoulder, and started rubbing them. It was a strange sensation, one he had never had before. He wanted her to stop, but couldn't bear for her to. It hurt--but in a good, blissful way. The incessant stress that had been impending on him since exams seemed to melt away easily with each stroke. He leaned back and relaxed in his chair.

He heard her speaking, and with difficult adjusted his ears to her voice. He sat up a bit straighter when she mention his posture. He only responded, "It would be healthy for me to rest for a while... I guess I do spend too much time studying." he said. He remembered the duel he had had recently with a second year Hufflepuff over this same subject, but there was no indignation when he was offered the same advice by her. He closed his eyes, somehow tired despite his racing heart, that was now slowly descelerating.

Chase giggled slightly and once she was sure the knots out of his shoulders were gone moved and sat back down. She leaned over to him though and poked him on the arm. "Why do you study so much? I mean..it's boring!"She said still poking his arm, only in different places so it didn't hurt after a while. "Why would you WANT to sit hunched over a book and doing homework? It's so dull! You could be out hanging with friends, or I don't know...just doing something other then Studying!"She said poking his arm softly and giggled at him. "It only stresses you out, and then where is the fun in life?" She asked looking curious.

Sure Chase came from a family where no matter how well you did in school you were set for life. She didn't realize that people had to actually WORK to make a living. She was pretty much guaranteed a job no matter what. So what would it be to her? It wasn't like she planned on getting a job anyway. Her parents were looking for an arranged marriage for her. Which may be why she loved to flirt. She already had a guy, she just hadn't met him yet, nor would she until they picked him. She didn't have a choice, so why bother?

"You're free to do whatever you want right? I mean, you can hang out, fall in love, I don't know."She said shrugging her shoulders and leaning back. "Hm...I wish I could fall in love."She said letting her head fall back again as she stared at the feeling. "You know, true loves kiss and all that."She shook her head and then smiled and looked at him giggling. "You're so lucky!"She said giving him the peace sign with her fingers.

When Chase came back from behind him and sat next to him, the dread of the end of it filled him. "I study... out of habit. I'm no good at talking to people, not good at Quidditch... the only place I get approval is in a classroom. So, I focus my effort where the rewards are." he said, having an epiphany, barely realizing these emotions himself. "It's... where my bliss is. You socialize habitually I'm sure..." he said. "It's not as dull as it seems either. And it's dead useful." He said, words spilling out of his mouth before he fully formed them in his mind.

He wasn't sure what she meant by the second question [[OOC: he can't use legilimancy ]]. "Yes, of course I'm free to do whatever I want!" he said, startled. "I choose to study because... well I don't know." he said. "What do you mean you can't fall in love? Isn't that just human nature? You can't intentionally resist that, can you?" he asked, bewildered when she called a lowlife like him lucky.

[OOC: I know, I just wanted him to ask first XD]

Chase grinned at him. "I guess that is true, you focus you're attention where you get the most reward."She said thinking about it. "I guess that's true for everyone right? We want to be accepted as human individuals, so we go to places we will be."She said smiling at him. When he asked about why she couldn't fall in love her face heated up, her cheeks going dark pink.

"Oh did I say that aloud?"She asked giggling slightly. "Well, you see my parents are really into the whole, pureblood thing, so I have an arranged marriage" She said smiling at him. "I can't fall in love because then I'd only hurt myself."She said smiling at him. For someone who was seriously into being an individual, she didn't seem at all phased about the arranged marriage. "Who knows, I may fall in love with the guy they choose for me, but right now I'm just having fun flirting while I can."She said smiling at him again. She cleared her throat. She sure had been talking a lot today and it was getting dry. She had been losing her voice lately. She smiled at him again, her eyes crinkled. "It's just another thing in the crazy life of Chase Moor."She said giggling.

Sterling was offended by the prospect on an arranged mairraidge. "An arranged mairraidge?" he blustered. "Really?" he continued. Sterling gaped at her. Sterling realized how close only a moment ago he had come to revealing his parents were muggleborn. He tucked the fact away in the recesses of his mind, reminding himself not to let it slip. He scooted away from her uncomfortably.

"That's not completely up to them though is it? You're... you're Gryffindor! You can't allow your parents to make that magnitude of decisions for you!" he was now speaking passionately, envisioning the sweet girl's parents as terrible half-serpent creatures, wearing cloaks and death eater masks. He was debating rising and scurrying away right now, fearing her parent's ideology enough to judge her that she would judge him. Expecting her to draw her wand and pin him down at any moment her started to plot an escape...

Chase smiled at him not realizing he was so appalled. "Well, it's more my mom's decision, my dad is fighting for me though, and I'm thinking he made a break through of some sort because mom has been pretty nasty to me lately." She said shaking her head. "Yeah, I'm a Gryffindor. I couldn't stand to be mean to people like my mom is."She said shaking her head. "I mean, if I were like that...I'd rather kill myself."She said and noticed how he scooted back. Oh that hurt. "It's not like they are death eaters or anything."She said her eyes going wide. He looked like he thought she was going to attack him. "I'm..I'm not like that."She said looking hurt at his terrified expression.

Sterling felt immediately embarrassed at his moment of weakness. He scooted back, closer than he was before, and noticeably relaxed again. "Sorry about that," he said. He made a decision to apologize by confiding with her the secret he had just swore to keep. "M-my parents are Muggleborn." he explained softly. When she disowned her family completely he relaxed still further, now envisioning a strict mother with a kind, benevolent father. He looked straight at her again...

"Sorry." he croaked softly, trying to inject his words with sincerity and kindness.

Chase smiled slightly. "It's ok."She said smiling. "I don't have anything against muggleborns!"She said smiling slightly looking at him. He had moved closer and she was happy to know he was getting more comfortable with her. Smiling she poked him in the chest. "Do you think all Purebloods are evil?"She asked giving him a joking shove with her finger. Then, without thinking she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. It wasn't really embarrassing to her. But she felt immediately sorry for him. He might go into shock or something! Luckily she knew she could help with that. Oh if only she hadn't left her bag in the dorms! Oh well, she just hoped he didn't go into shock!

Sterling laughed and started to answer her question about purebloods, which was honestly "Yes," but before he could form the word in his mouth, she felt something smooth and moist touch briefly on his cheek. The spot burned with white hot pleasurable agony. He touched the spot gently with his hand and stared at Chase. His hand unconsciously crept toward her desk--but he removed it almost immediately. After all, she had a pre-arranged mairraidge already... she was merely toying with him, passing her time of liberty. Wit this though, his heart clenched excruciatingly. He sighed and put his head down on his desk wordlessly.

Chase looked frantic all of a sudden. "Oh my are you ok?" She yelped looking at him as he put his head down on the desk. What had she done? Just kissed his cheek! But then she remembered talking about arranged marriages and flirting for now but not falling in love and she felt horrible. "Oh Sterling..I'm sorry."She said softly looking ashamed. His hand had slid towards her desk and she reached out and took it. "You do realize...that I can stop the arrange marriage if I wanted to right?"She asked softly. Sure she had just met him, but he looked so forlorn! She wanted to make him feel at least a little bit better.