An Early Morning

[D'rorah Philosophy]

Though she had been up rather late the previous night, D'rorah arose at her customary early hour that morning. She spent little time getting ready for the day, quickly showering before wrapping her hair in its usual tight coif and dressing in her robes. They had been altered slightly from the typical Hogwart's uniform. The collar modified so that it reached just below her chin and the skirt so long that it swirled around her ankles as she walked, and sleeves reaching just past her wrists. Quickly, she pinned on her prefect's badge and gathered her things.

She often enjoyed the common room in the morning, before any of the other students had woken. It was a quiet, peaceful place to sit and read, or work on her translations. She stepped out, surveying the room briefly and found herself rewarded by a completely empty room. Memories of the previous night still left a fond smile lingering on her lips as she took a seat near the window. Deciding against working on her translation at the moment, she instead took the time to review her most recently written notes.

Her back was to the door of the dormitory entrances, preferring instead to face a window which overlooked the grounds. She glanced through the window occasionally, watching as the sky began to slowly grow lighter with the promise of sunrise.

[Dylan Cooper]

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Dylan wandered into the bathroom, emerging ten minutes later fresh and clean. Coming back out with his fluffy blue towel covering only his lower half, he strode back across the dorm room as quietly as possible so as not disturb the others. He'd had years of practice, always rising before his classmates.

He descended the staircase at a decent pace, now fully clothed with his neglected hair (he'd given up trying to maintain it) simply dangling in front of his face as it normally did. In his arms he held a book that he was currently reading for his own pleasure, and as he reached the bottom of the stairs a smile cropped up on his face, not the first one of the morning. All he'd thought about since he'd woken up had been the previous night, and images, thoughts and words swirled through his mind, creating a collage of sorts. A very, very happy collage.

He always loved coming down early to enjoy the peace it gave him; the early morning light and the soft reflections on objects it collided with. All of the rubbish of the previous evening had been cleared, leaving an impeccable circular room. Expecting an empty, peaceful common room, he found that half of his demands were satisfied. Noticing a figure over by one of the windows, he recognised the person and smiled broadly. Being as quiet as possible, and glad he had nice big socks on to dull the sound of his feet on the floor, he crept up on D'rorah. Nearing her chair, he put his arms around her neck loosely and kissed the top of her head. "Good morning sunshine," he said with a jolly yet quiet voice.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

So immersed in her research, D'rorah had been startled to suddenly feel arms around her as she read. Her whole body tensed only to relax as she realized that it was, in fact, Dylan. She laughed quietly, a smile appearing on her face. "You startled me," she accused happily. She tilted her head upwards until she was looking straight up at Dylan. "Good morning," she reciprocated. "I did not expect you to be up so early," she added, noting that neither could have spent more than three or so hours sleeping given how late they had been up before.

Absently, she reached up and brushed a bit of Dylan's hair from his face so that she could see his eyes. Deciding that this position couldn't possibly be comfortable for any extended period of time, she lowered her head and turned to face him. She wondered briefly what box they fit into now? Did a few quick kisses make them a couple? Obviously they would be more than mere friends, she thought, but wasn't quite sure what label was appropriate.

Suddenly an altogether different thought popped into her head, concern for his safety. It could only be expected that the Shadow Mage would attempt to use anyone she cared about as a pawn in her twisted game. Her smile faltered a bit as the thought occurred to her. Without looking, she reached her hand towards the table and quietly closed the cover of her notebook. She renewed the smile on her face for him, not certain she wanted to get into such a grave topic so early in the morning. "Would you care to sit with me?" she asked sweetly.

[Dylan Cooper]

Feeling her tense and then quickly relax, Dylan smiled at her comment. "I'm so sorry," he said in a happy manner. With her looking up at him, he was glad to see her face again. "I'm usually up rather early, I just don't come into the common room that much. I have a nice view of the grounds from my bed," he explained quietly. "Plus, I never usually sleep much," he said, D'rorah's hand extending and pulling a bit of his hair away from his face. Her hand touched his cheek as she moved it, and the now-familiar feeling of butterflies erupted in his stomach.

Releasing his hold around her, he saw her turn to face him and decided that perhaps it wasn't the best movement for ones neck, moving around so that she was forced to look straight ahead to see him. Looking to the ground for but a moment, his head popped up again to see a frown fading to be replaced by a smile once more, and wondered what had concerned her so this early in the morning.

"I'd love to," he said, taking the seat opposite her and wishing there was one closer. He longed to touch her, to feel her with him. Clenching his jaw slightly, he thought that his head might be moving too fast for their situation and immediately felt ashamed. He'd never had anyone like her in his life before. The only similar experience he'd had had been with his foster parents' daughter, whom he'd been promptly chased off by her brother. And that in itself bore only a vague resemblance to his feelings now. Concerned slightly, he hoped he wouldn't get ahead of himself and make D'rorah feel uncomfortable.

Placing his book on the table before him and forgetting all about reading, he posed her a question. "So what might you be doing up this early, Miss Philosophy?" he said in a joking voice.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah saw Dylan's jaw clench slightly and wondered what he might be thinking, whether he had seen her faltering smile and thought it was something to do with him. This was a time when her telepathy was so tempting... to simply know what he was thinking. But, she had been taught from a very young age to respect people's privacy, and truly, the thought of entering his mind without permission was abhorrent to her.

She smiled as he took a seat near her and smirked at his question. "I am always up this early, Mister Cooper. If you ventured forth from your dormitory in the wee hours of the morning a bit more frequently, you would know that." Her voice was light and teasing. "I tend to sleep very little myself, and this morning I am merely reading back through some of my notes." She glanced at the book he carried. "What are you reading there?" As she spoke, she put her own notes away and left her hands resting lightly on the tabletop. With any luck, they would have a while to talk before the other students began waking up, scattering the morning peace.

[Dylan Cooper]

Smiling as if he were about to laugh, Dylan enjoyed their banter enormously. "Well then, even more we have in common," he noted, wishing to get to know her more and hoping that time would come along soon, if not now.

Being asked about the book he'd completely forgotten about, he floundered for a moment, trying to remember. Very soon, however, he realised he could simply look at the cover and discern its contents. Reading the title 'Asiatic Anti-Venoms', he began to speak. "Oh, it's just some leisure reading about anti-venoms. I find it really fascinating, actually..." he said quietly, almost shamefully admitting it. Most people just thought he was weird and slightly evil when he read books on curses or hexes, but he was just really and truly interested in them.

Seeing her hands resting on the tabletop, he resisted the strong urge to take them in his own. He didn't understand why he felt this strongly about her. Well, yes, he did. But he felt like at any moment, doing or saying the wrong thing could ruin it all. Starting to wonder whether this might affect their relationship, he pondered over the fact that maybe they shouldn't be where they currently were. However, Dylan rather liked being able to kiss her whenever he pleased. So, all in all, he wasn't too unhappy.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

"Anti Venoms," she repeated thoughtfully. "That does sound rather fascinating. My guilty pleasure is curses... sometimes I fear I have spent more time learning the Dark Arts than I have learning my actual schoolwork. Of course, my father always said that one could not defeat an enemy one did not know... so really, learning about Dark Magic simply affords a more viable chance of learning ways to fight it. Really, it is actually a very logical point of view... and the theories behind that sort of magic tend to be quite interesting, in and of themselves."

She pushed her book aside and glanced over at the fireplace. That worry had once again crept into her mind... she hated the thought of casting such a cloud over what had been so far a lovely morning, but she knew that ignoring her concerns would only cause them to take up more and more attention. "Dylan I..." she paused for a moment, thinking. "I am concerned that becoming close to you will make you a target for the creatures we are fighting... regular magic does not work against creatures from the Shadow Realm. I mean, an exceptionally strong patronus charm can sometimes hold a shadow at bay, but other spells have absolutely no effect. I..." she trailed off, what could she say? "I want you to be safe," she concluded, her mind working furiously. "I would like to try... that is, if you are amenable, to arrange for you to work with one of the Elemental Masters to begin attempting to learn the magic of one of the Elements... so you might have more of a chance of defending yourself. But even learning Elemental Magic is a dangerous pursuit."

[Dylan Cooper]

As D'rorah spoke of Dark Magic, Dylan couldn't help but agree completely, having much the same views. A small smile creeping onto his face, which was usually a rarity in itself, he watched as she put her book to one side and look to the fireplace. Seeing no smile on her face as she began to talk, his own faltered and after a moment no trace of it was to be found.

She began to speak of things that made perfect sense to Dylan. As she mentioned Patronuses he became slightly hopeful, being able to produce strong ones himself, but what she followed with diminished his hope somewhat. He wished that she would have no reason to worry because though he might be the youngest out of them, he still felt slightly protective of D'rorah, not wanting her to face any more pain than she already had. "I'll do it, Dee. I'll work with the Elemental Masters and do whatever I need to. I want to fight," he said, his voice quiet and his head slightly bowed, a look of determination on his face.

Ever since the death of his father, he'd worked so hard at his schoolwork, determined to be an excellent spellcaster, as well as training his body to be strong. Strength, internal and physical was what it all came down to. He'd raised his walls to the outside world, never letting anyone in before D'rorah. He'd stayed strong, in all aspects of his life. But he knew now that in the end it came down to who you had, not what you had. His father had been the strongest man alive to Dylan the seven-year-old, before he'd come down with his illness and passed over. Dylan never wanted to become what his father did, and had always reasoned that staying physically, mentally and emotionally strong would help him to stay healthy and well.

Shaking his head from side to side only an inch or so each way, he raised his head once more, looking to D'rorah's face. "I'll do it," he repeated.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah looked over at him and smiled weakly. "I feel as though I have thrust you into the middle of a quarrel which was never yours." Feeling a bit of nervous energy, she rose from her seat and walked towards the window. "Though, I suppose that truly, it is a war which concerns everyone." She gazed out the window, the muscles in her jaw tense. "All of us have so much to learn... I have so much left to do with training the others..."

Forcing the dreary thoughts from her mind at the moment, she walked over to where Dylan sat, draping her arms over his shoulders. "So then, on to more pleasant things," she said, kissing his cheek. "What would you like to do this morning, Mister Cooper? It seems I have a bit of free time. I am willing to share it with you if you are interested."

Oddly enough, something about being with him made her feel safer. She thought it ironic that a girl who had spent years learning martial arts, weaponry, and Shadow Warrior Chants would find simply being around someone a source of comforting security, but the feeling was there nonetheless. And while most would have balked at the thought of danger, he seemed determined to work through it. "You really are a remarkable person, Dylan Cooper," she remarked quietly, lightly resting her chin on his shoulder.

[Dylan Cooper]

Receiving a weak smile for his troubles, he felt bad that she felt that way. When he'd heard of the war, he'd immediately wanted to join the fight, but didn't know who to talk to. In all honesty, he was just glad for the chance, despite the evident dangers. He couldn't bare the idea of his classmates being involved in this fight without him. Or, more importantly, of D'rorah being in this fight without him.

He was happier with the fact that she came back over to him instead of remaining at the window. Smiling once more at the feel of her lips on his cheek, the last thoughts of his father faded to the back of his mind. "Hmm... Well... A growing boy must eat," he said with a boyish smile. "Or, if m'lady would prefer, we could go for a walk," he offered. As long as he was with her, he didn't really mind where on Earth they went. "I'm awfully glad that I'm privileged enough to even be considered in your free time, Miss Philosophy," he said jokingly, tilting his head and kissing her lightly.

Receiving what was rather a shocking compliment, Dylan's features formed an expression of surprise. "Remarkable, huh?" he repeated. He was in completely unfamiliar territory when it come to the flattery of himself, despite his seeming ease at dishing it out to others he considered closer than friends. Of course, this ease was only evident with Dee, but still. He felt her rest on his shoulder and smiled, noting the irony of one of his previous statements. In fact, he really did feel privileged to have her this close to him, to have her return his feelings in such a way. He marvelled at the idea of someone as great feeling anything for himself. Turning to her, he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "You haven't seen anything yet," he promised, smiling and kissing her softly.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

"Perhaps a walk to breakfast, Mister Cooper," she replied, her voice matching his own teasing tone of voice. "And you are certainly worth my free time." She felt a tingling warmth rush to her fingertips as he kissed her. She wondered how she had come to feel towards Dylan the way she had so quickly. It all seemed so fast to her, though she had no experience with such things. While her classmates had been busy discussing boys and shopping in her younger years, D'rorah had been buried in her father's library. Indeed, Isaac had never even discussed such things with his daughter... she assumed that was because he trusted her judgment, though she considered that it could have also been a simple matter of wishing for her to remain his little girl as long as possible.

She stifled a laugh as Dylan's facial expression shifted to one of surprise at her comment. As he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, her breath caught in her throat. It seemed each kiss was as exciting as the first. Her heart beat a bit faster as their lips met and her hand found its way to his hair, fingers lost in the intrigue of its slightly unkempt mass. "Or perhaps we could simply remain here," she remarked, slightly breathless. Hearing the first stirrings of others in the common room, she seemed to change her mind and took him by the hand, leading him to the a couch near the fireplace where she took a seat.

"I think you should find your shoes and take me to breakfast, Mister Cooper. We wouldn't want to build a reputation of unseemly public displays of affection in the common room, now would we?" with a hint of laughter in her voice, she leaned forward and kissed him again, allowing her lips to linger a bit longer than they previously had.

[Dylan Cooper]

"Hmm... I think my stomach likes that idea," he said, smiling and thinking only briefly of the feast that awaited them below, before returning his full attention to D'rorah. Grinning as they kissed, closer now thanks to his grabbing abilities, he felt her hand running through his hair, and he was suddenly very glad that he'd washed it this morning.

Laughing at her next comment, he allowed himself to be dragged to a nearby couch and he sat down close to her, within kissing distance, in fact. Using this to her full advantage, D'rorah repeated the process once more, sending tingles all through his body as their lips remained together for longer than before. "Shoes it is," he said quietly, her face right before his. Up this close, he noticed little things about her features that he hadn't previously. She really was rather beautiful, in his opinion.

Hopping up off the couch and rushing upstairs, when he returned less than a minute later he was slightly breathless. "Now, about these unseemly public displays of affection..." he began, his face dolefully innocent looking as he stood above her, his arm extending to take her by the hand and pull her up. Being in close proximity to her gave him a feeling of immense comfort, and he smiled once more, kissing her, squeezing her hand slightly as he did.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah watched as Dylan ran off for his shoes, allowing a smirk to cross her face. Never in her life could she recall having done so much smiling at one time... or in her entire seventeen years combined, for that matter. Surprised by how quickly he had returned, she took his hand, allowing him to help her from the couch. "That innocent look does not fool me, Mister Cooper," she remarked with a laugh as she came face to face with him. Having a suspicion he would not miss such a perfect opportunity for another kiss, she found her expectations fulfilled as once again, he kissed her.

She wondered briefly if she were any good at kissing. She had to assume she was at least passable, as he continued to do it, but having no experience, she was intrigued by the notion of how much skill she possessed or lacked in this particular activity. There was a moment when she doubted whether all of this was really happening... never before had she been so open and casual with anyone... no one would ever expect that the person Dylan had actually managed to find, buried deep behind a stone wall of emotionless self-preservation, was this girl who smiled and laughed... and kissed.

As they made their way down to breakfast, hand in hand, she wondered briefly what the others might say, if indeed, they would say anything at all. Giving his hand a slight squeeze, she walked at his side, perfectly content with the morning thus far.

[Dylan Cooper]

Laughing lightly, he exited the common room hand in hand with D'rorah, feeling altogether happy about their situation. His previous doubts about them as a... whatever they were, were now dispelled as they walked through the halls. Feeling a slight squeeze at his hand, he smiled, noting at what a glorious day it was turning out to be. The sun was shining, the sky was blue with only faint traces of whispy clouds about, and he was walking down to what promised to be a very enjoyable meal, with possibly the prettiest girl in school.

Smiling, he wondered at how he'd even gotten to this point. Up until this year, he'd been in the background. Sitting at the back of classes, silent, without talking except to answer any questions directed at him. Those questions in themselves had diminished as the years had gone by, his professors eventually giving up on him. He'd never gone to Hogsmeade with anyone else, never sat beside anyone during meals. No, this was a rather new experience. This was a new Dylan.

Walking in a silence that was comfortable, not filled with tension, they descended the final staircase that led to the Great Hall. Wondering briefly whether she would mind being seen holding hands with someone two years younger than her, let alone anyone, they continued into the massive hall which was currently at about three quarters of it's total capacity.