Coming in Late

[D'rorah Philosophy]

After Professor Spade's vague threats at breakfast, D'rorah had set out from the Great Hall immediately. She knew it was time to procure a new pair of katanas, finally coming to realize that her old pair wasn't going to magically reappear. She trod through the entrance to the common room warily, having had a long day. She had been going non-stop since leaving breakfast. Instead of going to meals or taking a break between her classes, she had spent her free time in the Room of Requirement with her new pair of katanas.

Now that her wounds were finally on the mend, she was ready for a workout... she needed something to focus her mind, something to make her feel as though she wasn't simply waiting around for the Mage to attack again. No matter how ready she had been before, one could always be more ready... there was always more training that could be done.

Swords tucked securely beneath her robes so that they would not be seen as she traveled through the corridors, she made her way through the entrance. Her hair, typically impeccably groomed, was slightly disshevelled, a few strands dangling loosely. Her left sleeve had a small tear with a faint brown streak on it. The wound, inflicted by a normal blade, had responded quickly to a softly murmured healing chant, but the fabric of the robe had refused to mend for some reason. Not caring to waste any time on the endeavor, she had finally returned to the common room quite late at night.

[Dylan Cooper]

Sitting in his favourite chair by the fire, Dylan could be found reading a large book he'd gotten from the library the previous day. 'Quidditch Through the Ages' was propped open on his lap as he sat curled up , his feet tucked underneath him. Hearing the entrance to the common room open, he wondered who on Earth had been out this late, considering he'd heard no-one leaving. Wishing to remain in a decent mood, he didn't turn around but simply continued to read on. Finding the page on his home team, the Alconbury Ashes, he allowed himself a small smile.

After his morning, he hadn't been in a particularly good mood and had spent most of it in this seat. Normally restless, that changed drastically whenever he was slightly less-than-happy. Finding the words were blurring slightly in front of his eyes, he simply looked at the pictures, seeing his favourite player saving a brilliant shot at goal from the Chuddley Canons chaser.

Looking up to the clock on the wall, he found it was nearly midnight and yawned tiredly. It was funny how doing so much of nothing could tire one so easily. Now that the ban had been mended into a restriction of the grounds, he promised himself to go flying tomorrow, something that was sure to cheer him up. He hadn't seen D'rorah since breakfast and was having serious doubts about whether she'd still want to be whatever she was with him. Shaking his head a little, he refocused on his reading.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah trudged through the door, wanting nothing more at the moment than to ascend the steps to her dormitory and climb into bed. Seeing no one in the room, she breathed a small sigh of relief and headed for the entrance to the dormitory stairwell. She stopped suddenly when she heard a quiet yawn from a chair on the far side of the room. Cautiously looking over, she noticed Dylan, curled up and reading a book. She could have smacked herself. Since leaving the Great Hall that morning, she had been so single-mindedly focused on dispelling her own pent up aggression from the day's events that she hadn't so much as spared a moment for him.

Quietly, she made her way over to his chair, uncertain of how he might react after her abrupt departure that morning. Thinking that surely he of all people would understand her irritation that morning, she leaned over his chair, draping her arms over his shoulders. "Interesting read?" she asked quietly before planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Seeing him again brought a slight smile to her face, her features softening infinitesimally as the day became slightly less bleak.

[Dylan Cooper]

Wondering slightly at whether he'd be selected for the Ravenclaw team this year, he was glad that he could start training soon. Having not been on the Quidditch Pitch since the last term of the previous year, he was probably incredibly rusty, and anxious to start working on his skills and moves. Absorbed in his thoughts, it came as quite a surprise when he felt hands around him. Starting slightly, he heard a familiar, soothing voice in his ear and immediately calmed down. The kiss helped, too.

"Dee..." he said faintly, a smile coming onto his face. "Very interesting," he answered in a quiet voice, wishing suddenly for the morning to just disappear into nothingness. And so it did, as he tilted his head up and smiled, glad beyond all reason to see her.

Wishing for her to be beside him instead of above him, he knew very well that he hadn't seen her all day, since the Great Hall of course. "Where might you have been?" he inquired, reaching his hand up and entwining it with hers.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

Having been worried a bit about his reaction to her absence during the day, she was a bit relieved to see him smile as he looked up at her.

"Well, I needed swords. I had a pair, but they were lost during an incursion in the forest. No one seems to have been able to locate them since my return... so I had a new pair made. And after having them made, I suppose I spent every free moment today becoming accustomed to them. I have not had a decent workout since being released from the hospital wing." She paused, realizing he would not yet have known about her capture, torture, and subsequent rehabilitation in the infirmary during those days she had missed of school. She had touched upon it after bearing her wounded arms to him in the astronomy tower after the confrontation with Gat, but had never quite dispelled the myth that she had merely been away on personal business during her prolonged absence.

Giving his hand a slight squeeze, she kept hold of it and walked around to the side of his chair. It was clearly not big enough for two, and she would not have been able to sit comfortably anyway, not with a pair of swords sheathed at her waist. "Were you able to do anything more with the French and German translations?" she asked, remembering them from the previous night.

[Dylan Cooper]

Raising his eyebrow at the mention of swords, he assumed they were her favoured katanas. He was good at remembering things such as that, he always had been. As she continued, he wondered at the truth of her previous story. He rather doubted that she'd needed to visit the forest with swords to deal with problems of her parents' estate, somehow. "D'rorah..." he said, a slight frown on his face. "Why were you in the forest, and subsequently the hospital wing?"

He felt a slight squeeze in the region of his hand and suddenly found her beside him. "Trans-... Oh, no. I've been rather distracted today," he said, not mentioning the reason and offering a small smile.

Looking into her eyes briefly, he recalled the conversation of the morning and where they'd left it. Remembering that she'd been wondering about his said affinity for Earth, something in his mind slotted into place. Not having realised it at the time, he'd unwittingly revealed facts about his life that had seemed unimportant, vague memories all put together to let him know that he was indeed close with nature. His eyes were off in another place right then, drifting through memories of when he was little and some memories of the past few years, even. Not wanting to delay her answering his question, he waited before inquiring about the Elemental Master of Earth.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

"Oh..." she paused at his question. When he stated that he had not thought about the translations, she was not terribly surprised. There were so many things to keep up with at Hogwart's that distraction was almost inevitable. Never would she have guessed that his distraction, however, had to do with her.

She could see he was still waiting for an answer. "I suppose I was not entirely forthright with you before," she began. "You see, at the time I barely knew you... and I... dissembled slightly?" She prized honesty herself and had had to be quite a bit more subversive of late than she preferred... but secrecy was a necessity at the moment, with the growing problem with Shadows in the Forest.

"You see, several nights ago... well, I suppose it is over a week ago now, a group of us entered the Forbidden Forest with the intention of," she glanced around to be certain no one else was present and muttered a quick muffliato as a secondary precaution. "Our task was to rid the forest of the Shadows and Dementors which had begun to build their ranks their. Unfortunately, our plans were betrayed. The Shadow Mage herself arrived, and I was captured. Luckily, after only a few days of captivity, the other Shadow Warriors and Elemental Masters were able to find me and open a rift so that I might return." In telling her story, she had glossed over the detail of days of torture at the hands of the Mage and her two mysterious helpers, one of whom had been Gat Soldier, but she did not wish to see any look of pity on his face, did not wish to burden him with something which would likely only cause further concern for her. "I apologize for not being forthright before... but I had already been betrayed once and did not feel I knew you well enough to tell you the truth."

[Dylan Cooper]

Understanding that, at the time, they had barely known each other, he accepted the explanation that he realised a second later she did not even have to give him. They still barely knew each other, and while a few kisses here and there and the holding of hands meant rather a lot to Dylan, they still hadn't known each other nearly enough to be able to trust. He did, however, trust her with his life. It was funny how his mind worked, sometimes.

Listening to her story, he toyed with her hands a bit, tracing his finger across her palm and whatnot. He was listening more than he appeared to be, and took it all in. He wondered, given the reputation of the Shadow Mage herself, how D'rorah had survived even a few days in the Shadow Realm. Dismissing immediately that she might be in league with the darker forces involved in this war, he frowned slightly. "It's okay, I understand, D'rorah," he said, a faint smile appearing on his face but by no means diminishing his creased brow.

Thinking he may very well sound stupid, he hesitated before asking the question poised at the forefront of his mind. Biting his lip ever-so-slightly, he looked into her face and took solace and strength from that image. "Dee... Would it sound ridiculous...?" He paused, unsure of exactly how to phrase it. "You remember this morning, and you asked me about my particular affinity with Earth?" He stopped, not knowing how to word what he was feeling or thinking.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

Noticing Dylan's slight frown, she found it at odds with his dismissal of what had been, on her part, a demonstration of a lack of trust. She wondered briefly whether he truly thought it okay, but decided that, for the moment at least, she had to simply take him at his word. The faint smile did nothing to alleviate this concern, as it did not seem to quite extend to his eyes.

As he recalled her unanswered question from breakfast that morning, she nodded. "Actually, my thought when you said that immediately was of the Elemental Master of Earth." She half-laughed, well aware he would probably think her crazy. "It is just... well... all of the Elemental Masters seem to be finding their way to me. It would only be too fitting if you happened to be the last."

Too exhausted to remain standing, she released his hand and moved to the couch, allowing herself to stretch out a bit. "You may join me if you like... I simply cannot stand for another minute," she remarked, wanting to make certain he knew she was not attempting to distance herself from him. "So then, would you care to describe what you meant by your statement this morning? What sort of affinity do you possess for Earthly things?"

[Dylan Cooper]

Smiling faintly as she mentioned her thoughts, he felt extremely relieved that she thought the same as him. "I agree, actually," he said, voicing his own thoughts. The crackle of the fire drew his eyes and, he noted, it was burning lower than normal. Checking the clock again he saw that only about ten minutes had passed, and felt a release of his hand as D'rorah moved away.

She did indeed look extremely tired, and he smiled as she made herself comfortable. She asked him again about his earlier comment, and he thought for a moment. He didn't have to think long however, he'd been dwelling on the subject all day. How could he have been so stupid, to not even realise?

Wetting his lips in a small attempt to delay his answer, he opened his mouth. "Well... When I was little I could always do things that, now that I think about it, weren't so normal. I didn't grow up with any brothers or sisters, or have any friends, wizarding or not, around. The things I managed to do never seemed odd, because I didn't have a... 'normal', if you will, to compare them to," he said thoughtfully, pulling up memories of his childhood that he hadn't thought about in a while. "Things like moving around the Earth in my backyard, causing stones and much larger things to do things they wouldn't normally. When you first mentioned the Master of Earth, I dismissed those things because I'd always considered them normal actions of a boy wizard. I'd heard, afterall, that many others around here had similar experiences during their childhood. Making things levitate, turning things different colours and soforth." He finished for the moment, thinking still.

Looking up at her, a question left his mouth. "What do you think? Could it be me?" He considered for a moment getting up and going to lie with D'rorah on the couch.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah listened to his explanation. "Well, it certainly seems to be a logical conclusion, based on what you have told me so far. Young wizards typically are not capable of such things... and very few are capable of that level of magical manipulation at any age," she added thoughtfully. She looked over at Dylan, her gaze thoughtful. "In the Room of Requirement we have a training facility of sorts established... the Element chambers are supposed to only allow access to Elemental Masters and Shadow Warriors. Perhaps that would be a simple way of establishing your status as an Elemental Master."

She stretched a bit, stifling a yawn as she leaned back against the couch cushions. As she did, she allowed her eyes to close for a moment. "If you are, we must find your Elemental Orb and your Shadow Warrior so that you will have total control over your element," she remarked, her eyes still closed. She was repeating something he would have already read in working on the translations the previous night, but was so used to stating the caveat that it came naturally.

"And weaponry, we shall have to teach you to fight," she added absently.

[Dylan Cooper]

Considering their topic of conversation, Dylan knew he really should be more focused. But all he could think about as he looked at D'rorah were her lips, currently opening and closing as words came out and passed right over his head. He processed vaguely something about the Room of Requirement and it placed itself near the front of his brain, ready to be extracted some time soon. Not focusing on anything else, however, Dylan unfurled himself slowly and placed his book on the floor, shutting it along the way.

Moving over to the woman lying on the couch, he smiled. She mentioned Orbs and Warriors, then weapons, all of which sailed straight into one ear and straight out of the other, only leaving faint traces. He saw her eyes were shut and hoped he wouldn't surprise her too much as he kneeled beside the couch, close to her head and gorgeous face.

Smiling faintly, he kissed her. Softly, gently. Then more passionately. He was extremely glad that it was late; no other students being about. He raised his hand to her face and cradled her gently just underneath the chin.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah had been paying little attention, knowing that Dylan was in the room, she let her guard down just a bit. So, she was quite surprised, as she had finished talking, to suddenly feel his lips upon hers; at first softly, then more insistently. Of its own accord, one hand snaked around his shoulder, fingers whispering through his hair. She felt his hand beneath her chin and shivered. So this was what all the fuss had been about amongst her peers? This was the goal of all the subversive headgames for which she felt such disdain. Even though she didn't approve of the methods of her peers, she suddenly found that she had no quarrel with their goal.

Never had she thought she would again welcome the presence of another. Never had she thought she would actually wish for someone to intrude into her personal space. She was shocked to now find that she had finally found someone she actually wished to spend time with, someone who seemed to feel a need she possessed for a friend and confidante.

She pulled back and gazed into his eyes. "Have you been listening to a single word I just said, Mister Cooper?" she teased with a slight smile.

[Dylan Cooper]

Feeling a return to his actions, he found it accompanied by a hand running through his hair. A cheeky smile plastered itself onto his lips as Dee drew away. Remaining where he was kneeled, he laughed lightly at her teasing comment. "Of course I have, Dee. I got every word." His voice was joking and had a pleasant lilting effect on it and he surveyed her intently, having enjoyed that kiss to a rather large extent.

He'd never kissed anyone before D'rorah, and he felt that allround, he'd selected someone that was just a little bit great. He didn't know what any other girl felt like, tasted like, or kissed like. He didn't really care, however. A sly smirk on his face now, his face was to be found extremely close to hers, and he was rather enjoying this. "Something about Orbs and a Shadow Warrior. Weapons might have been involved in the conversation somewhere," he said with a smile, glad that he'd remembered at least something. "So, Miss Philosophy," he said, falling back on their titles of banter. "Do tell me more." His deep brown eyes gazed into her grey ones, and he felt held by them. Compelled to remain looking. Not disobeying their will, he smiled charmingly.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

"Every word?" she repeated, arching an eyebrow. "Yes, there may have been something in there about Orbs and a Shadow Warrior... and perhaps even a weapon mentioned, Mister Cooper," she replied. She tried to fix him with a stern gaze, but found herself unwilling to glare at the eyes which met her own. She inhaled deeply. "One of the first things you may wish to know about me, Mister Cooper, is that I absolutely loathe having to repeat myself. I suppose I can make an exception for you this time; but now that you have been properly warned I expect you to pay a bit more care to my words when they are meant for you."

She stifled a yawn, resting her head on the arm of the couch before continuing. "I was saying that we should attempt to see if you can gain admittance into the Elemental Chambers in the Room of Requirement. I also said that, if you are indeed an Elemental Master, we will need to find your Shadow Warrior and your Elemental Orb. And we need to begin weapons training for you. Actually, I would like to do that anyway, given our situation." She brushed a strand of hair from his face. "I would feel absolutely dreadful if something were to happen to you." At this last statement, a bit of concern crept into her features.