Nov: To get a man | Hogwarts Grounds | Eddie

[Bronwyn Nott]

Last year things had taken an unexpected turn for her. Sure, puberty had started hitting a couple of years ago. But fourth year? She had really started to care about her appearance, care about how other people in her house viewed her. The biggest problem she had with that was the fact she couldn't really care less what the boys thought.

She wanted to impress the girls.

She didn't know how to handle that. Her father would be furious if he found out. She had tried to look at boys in the same manner, but it was difficult. Particularly some of the boys in her house, they were just so idiotic. And the fact her two friends and roommates were constantly drawing her gaze. Perhaps sometimes her eyes had lingered just a little too long, but she was sure neither Lydia or Meredith knew.

This year she was determined to date a boy, no matter how much it killed her. Sure, she had gone on dates to Hogsmeade last year, but there hadn't been any boyfriends. And so far her father hadn't picked a future husband for her, so she was free to play the field. Which is why she has come to school on a mission, her eyes scanning the Pureblood boys across the school to find one she could tolerate.

A task that was proving to be harder than she would have liked. She couldn't date a Gryffindor, for starters. Her options were dwindling slowly, and it was causing her a level of frustration she simply wasn't used to. Running a hand through her hair, she crossed another name off her list and snapped the journal shut. Her mind wouldn't stop racing with thoughts that she knew she shouldn't be having.

Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the tree she had settled under, twisting the quill in her fingers. It was a chilly day, but she couldn't listen to her roommates gossip anymore. She has thought coming out to the grounds would help, but so far nothing had. Hearing footsteps, she didn't bother to open her eyes.

"What do you want?"

[Eddie Brown]

Eddie froze in his tracks, his mind immediately a whirl of questions and confusion.

He was walking along the grounds, searching out a quiet place to play his music and forget the world. Doc was off with someone or another and really who else was there to entertain him? So he had sought to entertain himself. Earlier he had went for a run, then a shower, and now he found himself back outdoors. Ed just felt so much less pressure when he was in the wide open air.

So, there he was just walking along when someone spoke.

He stopped, spotting the speaker immediately and smiled. She was kind of hard to miss. Long lean body and beautiful flowing blonde hair. Eddie wondered how he could have snuck up on her without even realizing. She was a knock out; even if she appeared a little rough around the edges as most people would have seen her question as rude. Eddie didn’t, instead he pegged it as part of her personality. There was nothing wrong with being a little assertive. 

The Hufflepuff pulled his guitar from his back and positioned it in his hands in a flash. A few quick strums, a nod, and he moved around to face the blonde. Yep, a knock out. Well this day was turning out much more interesting than initially. He knew that he would be running to Doc to tell him about this encounter later. “Well what I want is…” Eddie began to play a wordless tune, soft but building. He looked up at the girl -she was quite tall- and gave her one of his winning smiles his sister claimed made girls weak. She was always on him about being more selective of the people he was attractive too; and warning him about his boyish good looks and trusting heart. Eddie never listened. “What I want is to play you a song, if that’s alright with you of course.”

[Bronwyn Nott]

When an immediate answer to her question wasn't given, she opened her eyes to find Eddie Brown in front of her, strumming lightly on his guitar. Interesting. She only knew his name from the list she had compiled of potential purebloods. A year younger than her, and in Hufflepuff. He wasn't much of a threat to her at all. And if she was being honest, he was attractive. She just wasn't attracted to him. Or any guy she had even met.

She raised her eyebrows as he spoke. Play me a song? She bit her lip to keep a response from just flying out. Folding her list and putting into her pocket, she instead flashed him a smile. "Really? A song for me. That's so sweet of you. I'd love to listen to it!" Perhaps he wasn't the best option, but he was an option. A very easy option that hopefully won't require much work if he was already interested in her.

She moved to sit down beneath the tree, patting the grass in front of her. "Come and sit with me!" The boy was good at guitar, she'd heard him strumming outside plenty of times. And a song especially for her? Perhaps she could provide some gossip to her roommates later.

[Eddie Brown]

For a moment, as she eyed him, Eddie thought she was going to yell at him. Or worse, hex him. He shifted uncomfortably and adjusted the guitar around his shoulder though his erstwhile smile stayed firmly in place. A little to his surprise, however, she seemed pleased by his offer. Eddie was thrilled she was being so receptive.

“Well sweet ladies like you only deserve the sweetest things.” What? Internally and externally, Edmund shook his head at himself. Smooth, real smooth Brown. His sister wouldn't think him a ladies man if she was here now to witness this encounter. He wouldn't let it get him down though, he was just overly excited is all, it would pass.

As she invited him to sit Ed admired the Slytherin; they really were cut from a different cloth in that House, a much finer cloth. Eddied folded his limbs into themselves until he was sitting across from Bronwyn with his guitar in his lap. He smiled at her, strumming the strings of his soul and humming to himself. “This is your song love.” he said after a moment of  contemplation, he was feeling a little more comfortable now that he was in his element. So he began to play, the melody forming quickly, and then he was singing. “It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside...”

[Bronwyn Nott]

I’ve made a mistake.

She laughed at his comment, covering her mouth. She wasn't going to have much luck if she laughed at her potential prospects. She shook her head, regaining her composure. “I’m sorry, that was just so cute. It’s a very nice compliment.” It had been funny, at the very least. He’d made her laugh – a real, genuine laugh – and she had to at least give him some points for that. Sweet and funny she could handle, maybe even train. She knew next to nothing about him, but detective work wouldn’t be difficult. Lydia could have answers before the end of the day.

Young and vulnerable? Father would be proud.

If anything, it would be good practice. It was only her fifth year, and she was free to date whomever she pleased until a proper engagement was set. He was not the type of pureblood she would be matched with, but it would greatly annoy her father. Enough for him to set something up, something she could prepare to have to suffer the rest of her life with.

But he had taken her offer to join him, and she watched with interest as he strummed the guitar. And she couldn’t help but be impressed, the song much better than she had been expected. Easy on the eyes, can sing…keep earning points Eddie Brown, it might be your lucky day. She clapped when he was done, giving him what she hoped was her most charming smile. “That was beautiful, did you write it yourself?”

[Eddie Brown]

He couldn't tell, he just couldn't. He couldn't tell whether she was laughing flirtatiously or if she was laughing at him. He was leaning more toward the later when she spoke and his smile returned. Who cared, she had laughed, that was a good thing...right? Right. So he sat with her, admiring her beauty and basking in the attention he got as he tried for entertaining her.

Eddie watched the statuesque girl next to him as he sang to her, making sure to convey with every verse that he was singing for her. Anna had always been putty in his hands after he played for her; but she was a soft-hearted muggle girl, and Bronwyn...was not. It would take more to convince her, he felt. So, he put more into it, really feeling the music and when he was done, he felt it. That cleansing feeling, like he was empty and Bronwyn was filling him up with her smiles and compliments. Making him light and happy.


And at her last he gave to spontaneous laugh. "I truly wish that were true." Elton was a god really, an absolute god. Eddie only ever hoped to be half the performer he was, at best. That's not what made him laugh though, what made him laugh -and he swore to himself he would never, ever tell the Slytherin across from him this - was that she didn't know who Elton John was. It's not fair to those people who hadn't grown up in the magical world to laugh at their ignorance of it. Eddie scolded himself; then he soothed himself with the knowledge that he had also found it very endearing that there were things he could teach her. "But, sadly, I did not write that song. It's by a man named Elton John, he has some really good stuff. Maybe I could play for you sometime? Say, next Hogsmead weekend?"

[Bronwyn Nott]

Last year had been her first experience at dating, and being Aaron’s girlfriend has been a challenge. Corry had Rabastan, and Aaron had seemed charming and harmless enough. It allowed her more time with her best friend, and it was fun to be wanted. She had done whatever he asked, made a point of dressing more feminine. She’d even started wearing makeup to Qudditch practice because she simply had to look her best at all times.

But it was obvious that Eddie was not the same kind of person Aaron was, and that was exactly what she needed. She hadn’t been able to make it work with Aaron, but maybe this would be easier. If he liked her well enough to play a song, surely it meant he was interested in more than just friendship.

His laugh at her question caught her off guard, but he was soon explaining about an Elton John and his music and - there is was, a mention of Hogsmeade. She flashed him a smile, setting her things down on the ground. “I would love that,” she answered, patting the spot next to her. “Your name is Eddie right? Eddie Brown?”

[Eddie Brown]

Eager to please and totally stoked that she had agreed to go to Hogsmead with him, Eddie nudged over until they where seated side by side, shoulders nearly touching. She had an amazing smile and the Hufflepuff found himself staring a bit. He chuckled, removing his guitar and setting it carefully next to him before relaxing a bit. "Yea. It's Edmund actually, but you're right, I go by Eddie." He offered her a smile, searching his mind for a name. Really he had been trying to come up with it since seeing her. He knew she was a year older, and in Slytherin. He knew she wasn't Mulciber, or Lydia Avery or the other one, the darker on...Goyle, no this girl wasn't that one...there was another one too but she was so far removed from his mind he couldn't even conjure a face for the mysterious fifth roommate of the fifth year Slytherin girls... Nott, she was Nott. But what was her name?

"Winifr- no. No, it's... Bronwyn! Bronwyn Nott. But they call you Winnie, right? See Winnie, Winifred. See how I could make that jump? Anyway." He shut up quickly, hoping he hadn't offended her bu fudging up her name. She has been ready with his name. How he had no clue. To his knowledge, he wasn't on any Slytherin's radar, much less the stunner next to him. In fact he liked to keep a habit of staying off of most people's radars. It was just more pleasant that way, he was able to be himself without much judgement. Another time maybe, he would ask her. But for right now he was more interested in getting to know her better before they embarked on a Hogsmead date, as it was, they knew next to nothing about one another. He could barely remember her name! Total sod Brown. "So, if there is no Elton in your life, what music do you listen to?"

[Bronwyn Nott]

There would be many benefits to dating a Hufflepuff if things went well with their Hogsmeade trip. Out of all the other houses besides Slytherin, Hufflepuff was the one Bronwyn liked the most. They always seemed to be kind souls - the same could not be said of Slytherin. As much as she cared for her roommates, there was always some sort of drama happening, especially between her and Meredith. Winnie knew without a doubt that they might not approve of this path she was walking down, but sitting here with Eddie she couldn’t find it in herself to care exactly what they thought.

She gave a laugh as he guessed at her name, and a smile once he got it right. While Winifred would have been a horrible name, it wasn’t an unfair guess. “You’ve got it right, it’s Bronwyn. But please do call me Winnie, all my friends do.” And if things went well with their Hogsmeade trip, perhaps they would be more than friends. The more she talked to Eddie, the more she was liking him. And maybe that was what had been missing with her and Aaron. There had been no spark with him, just a desire to please him. But there was something between them, she was enjoying sitting here with him. Later she would talk to her roommates about this, glad for once that she had some gossip to contribute to the conversation.

But for now, she needed to focus. He was asking her a question after all! She bit her lower lip as she thought, still not sure exactly who this Elton was. “I’m a fan of the Hobgoblins myself, but I’m curious about this Elton. Tell me more about him, what is he like?”

[Eddie Brown]

“Alright, Winnie. I like that. Winnie. And Eddie. Has a nice ring to it I say.” Be cool. He was used to flirting and attraction but with this one, well he felt, normal rules didn’t apply, did they? He already knew she was different than his usual conquest but that just meant she was likely all the more worth it, he would just have to make sure he wasn’t overstepping his bounds. Boundaries were a big thing among Slytherins apparently. Ed thought he was in a pretty good starting place though, serenading her, scoring a Hogsmead trip together, getting to call her Winnie. Still, best err on the side of caution. If he was going to get anywhere with this one, he had to play it suave.

He chuckled, not surprised that her music taste tended toward the wizarding sort, but as far as wizarding bands went, the Hobgoblins were pretty good. “I like them too, Boardman is great.” As far as music went though, the muggles just had the better half of it. He refrained from mentioning his opinion on that and instead answered her question. “He’s…” but how to answer her question? “Eccentric.” Eddie sent her a smile, shaking his head. “Elton has got style and talent, no doubt. He plays piano with so much enthusiasm and the composition of his songs? It’s so hard to get it right. There isn’t anyone who sings like him.” Feeling like he was rambling, god worshipping even, he stopped awkwardly. Eddie blushed a little, toying with the strings on his guitar.

Ok keep your head on Brown. “So I think we’ve established that I like music, a lot.” He said with a grin her way. Trying to relax a little more he laid his instrument down on the ground and then stretched out beside it. Looking up at her through the slanted rays of the sun, she really was so beautiful. He really hoped she continued to give him a fair chance, they could possibly have tons of fun together! “What about you? What’s you’re passion?”