❛ blueberry tarts. ❜ — Nov12.

it was hard to focus on anything else. his eyes looked over the ice cream tubs, but his mind was racing, running a million miles per second. what had gotten into him? why did his hand move on its own? how did this happen? it was an instinct he had no knowledge of. so unfamiliar and foreign.

the suppleness of her round cheek, softer than the soothing brush of a morning spring breeze caressing blooming peach blossoms, lingered on the pad of his thumb and left a tingling sensation in its wake, the feeling imprinting itself into his skin's memory. he didn't know of it yet but that first touch would come to haunt him many times, over and over again. like a fading memory he will dearly want to cling to. a recurring split-second nightmare that would drench his entire body in cold sweat, even on nights when he could barely rest—he'd dream of her. he will hate to close his eyes and awaken the memory of how that simple touch against her cheek sent an electric shock through him and stunned his heart. he will hate to sleep, to dream, and be reminded of what it felt like to have her warm skin under his touch.

but right now, it was just a mere mistake. one that he was recuperating for by shoving his hands inside of his pockets and nodding along to her words. the french that spills from her lips by nature was a charming quirk, one that he had grown accustomed to after hearing it slip from her plenty of times before in their history of magic class. french always stirred his interest but never enough for him to seek lessons or dive head first into a language book—which now, he felt ashamed he didn't because he couldn't understand her nor respond to her in a gracious way. instead, he gave her a small nod, perfectly hiding his emotions with his placid demeanor. "of course."

he turned his attention to her, watching as she carried on with animation. former thoughts replaced by the options presented in her question. "why don't we try something new?" he posed. "i'll let the expert choose the flavor."

{ time-skip }

minutes turned into hours, unexpectedly. time seemed to fly by as they made light conversation, sharing bits and pieces of their lives with one another while settled on the cold, tiled kitchen floor. the house elves bustled around in preparation for dinner, occasionally shooting them goading glares and shakes of their heads. it was obvious that they were not wanted in the space by some, but the two were quiet and kept to themselves that most did not mind their presence. their smiles and bouts of laughter were what warmed the room considerably, the cold drafts of wind that rushed in from the changing weather was no match for the spark kindling between the two ravenclaws.

the empty paper tub of ice cream laid abandoned, toppled over by the weight of the silver spoons. a convenient and unlikely third-wheel in the sweet dyad. the flavor she picked was delicious, to say the least, and silas was pleased with her choice—though any flavor would have intrigued him with him only sticking to the most basic of variety of frozen desserts.

it was like a whole new world.

"there's mystery ridden in the dark—which i believe is the most prominent reason why many people are afraid of it...but i find comfort in the vastness. so much can be discovered when we're plagued with blindness, especially as sight-abled folks—i mean. if you think about this in the context of city night skies, they're often devoid of stars because of light pollution, and that celestial beauty is lost...in my most humble opinion, muggles and the lot of us strip that essence away from ourselves when we fear the darkness," he mused, completely immersed in his most private pool of thought. then he paused and released a soft chuckle. "speaking of darkness...it's already 6pm. we should probably call it a night.."

his gaze fell upon her face. plump features cushioned with an inexplicable gentleness, ethereal enough to bring the devil to his knees and make him plea for forgiveness. he enjoyed her company and secretly condemned the color of the sky for what seemed like an abrupt cessation but alas, the world was not theirs and eventually, they would have to part ways.

the flutter of butterflies in her belly never seemed to calm down; they were erratic, dancing around in a pit of folly in his presence. in all the glimpses she'd had of him in the school, he'd had always seemed roam around with a cloud of stern gloom over his head. and when he had not been in a corner with his head buried in a book, he simply appeared to be bored with life. and in extreme need of a nap. but here he was, allowing her to indulge him in her girlish and exuberant rant regarding desserts; it was nothing special but he listened, as if she were reciting prayers from sunday's church or even the most sacred of spells. the blush in her cheeks rose a shade, staining the light caramel skin a lovely color of pink that rivaled a fresh fallen petal's or even, the ripest of peaches in the orchard.

silas seemed to be everything she was not; he was calm like the cold running water down the stream and she was like the sunshine that streamed endlessly through silk curtains and heated your skin in the golden hour of a summer day. and aspen found that juxtaposition intriguing, perhaps even childishly so. her mother used to chide her so, that her curiosity would one day get the best of her but aspen had an inexplicable desire to know what she was not familiar with. and silas, she did not know at all. perhaps that was what started her girlish crush on him too.

the cool air that seeped from the freezer cause a bout of shivers to run down her spine, the cold biting at the tip of her button nose invitingly. oh, she loved a cold treat! "please feel free to pick any-" her ponder came to a startling halt, her body freezing in spot.

for a brief and fleeting moment, she thought it were a petrificus charm, the kind that froze one to the ground as if tethered there by an anchor with all of a person's senses alive that caused her body to tense up but as her head moved to look at the boy next to her, the doubt flew away as quick as it had come. he touched her. his touch on her cheek was gentle, as if he were cradling a little petal but more so, it was warm, melting her frostbitten and rosy cheeks into human flesh. aspen flushed red, her wide eyes relaxing into a mildly panicked gaze reminiscent of a doe caught in headlights. her tongue swiped out to her parched lower tier just as her own hand reached up to touch the spot on her cheek he just... even the thought of what had just occurred caused her heart to skip a beat, bloody lecherous thing! she cleared , mentally chiding herself for even wanting about how his touch would properly feel and turned back to the freezer.

"ah, m-merci beaucoup, silas," she began in a murmur, her native language rolling off her tongue in nervous waves of posh twang before she realized she probably spoke a completely different tongue than his. "i mean, t-thank you.. for, y'know.."

she chuckled nervously, gesturing to her cheek which seemed, at this very moment, to be permanently tainted in pink. "anyways!" she exclaimed cheerily then, wanting the flustered mess of her mind to calm down. and there was nothing like ice cream to do the trick. "i keep these for when i'm either craving or in stress. but uh, you could help me, maybe? to finish them? if you want to that is..." she trailed off, gazing down to the tub of vanilla, knowing very well it was only half full. "i admit that i've finished most of the vanilla one but i promise it was for good use! do you want that one with your tart or did you want to try something else?"

please say something else, anything else so we can talk longer- her subconscious whispered with devilish intent and the french girl was quick to slap it down, mentally chiding herself even as she donned a sweet grin, feline eyes cast up to his handsome visage expectantly.

She was, in the simplest terms, captivating. The lovely connoisseur held his attention with her suggestions, and he nodded along, attentive in taking mental notes on the brand of the dairy-free sorbet to later recite it to his mother, who would be more than thrilled to know that her long-awaited cravings could be satiated without compromising her health. "Thank you, Aspen. I will be sure to let her know about those," he responded, straightening his torso as to allow the expanse of his shoulders to fend off the influx of people who bumped into the latter's elegant frame.

The longer she enthused about the infinite possibilities of sweet treats, the more he found it to be a lovable characteristic about the female Ravenclaw. Never had he ever met someone who was so ardent about desserts. Although, to be fair, his involvement with getting to know other's guilty pleasures was done sparingly and for a good reason. Some people weren't so keen on exposing such intimate details to just anyone for whichever reason they could conjure up, but Aspen seemed to parade her passion on her sleeve. And Silas doted on that. Her aura strayed from his own uninviting demeanor; the two would be considered stark contrasts in the eyes of others, and perhaps that difference was what drew him to her. For a moment, he questioned why he had not taken the initiative to make himself known to her before. She appeared as pleasant company. Well——actually, he knew why. But the feeling of regret hadn't dawned on him, until after he met her, that his perpetual strain on allowing others to freely enter his life inhibited him from ever introducing himself to the sweet and kind creature.

As her arm stretched out towards him, his instincts kicked in, and he was bound to retreat and reject her touch—never being one to take particular ardor in physical contact, but the gentle tug on his sleeve set him at ease and he allowed himself to be pulled along by her. The reason behind his distaste for such humanly affection had not once come to full-fruitage, which is why he was so troubled when he finally noticed the remnants of confectioners' sugar dusted upon the curvature of her rosy cheeks.

Was he to inform her? If he did, would she become embarrassed and flustered? He didn't want to do that to her. Or would she appreciate his apprise? And maybe reward him with more treats? ... Or would she wipe it away herself and never talk to him ever again and avoid him in the halls whenever she saw him walking in the direction that faced her? His mind had a strange way of painting all possible scenarios of how trivial issues could pan out before he would act upon the option which he deemed as the best. He came up with a few.

All except for one.

When they stopped in front of the freezer, with Aspen baring her collection of ice creams, Silas peered down at her, taking notice of her playful mien before, as if in slow motion, his thumb came up to swipe away the fine powder from her tainted cheek. A second later, he froze——realizing what he was doing. It was unconsciously done, his hand now receding back down to his side where it was safer. Less reprehensible. More appropriate.

He cleared his throat before voicing an abashed apology. "I—I'm sorry. You had a little, uh...powdered sugar there from earlier." As if to hide his embarrassment, he turned his attention to the display of colorful tubs, genuinely amazed at how she was able to keep such an assortment without others wanting in. "Wow. That's...a lot of ice cream. Nothing like I was imagining. I would never be able to finish it all by myself." The male's eyes scanned over the funky font, noting the flavors that were available before pivoting his head to look at her again. "Vanilla?"

perhaps it was the end of classes for the day that the hallways were filled with students, clamoring to head off to their extra curriculars, hang out with their friends or even catch up on lack of sleep. she usually stuck to the last option, knowing far too well how she threw herself into studies so much that she rarely had time for herself even if it was merely sleep. it took a toll on her, pushing her to her brain’s limits but she found a safe haven in the kitchen; it was one place she could take her mind off of things and truth be told, out of the corners and nooks she’d made at the school, the kitchen was where she found ultimate comfort.

“oh okay! hey, maybe she can try dairy-free sorbets! like the mango ones from waitress! I mean, they’re not icecream per se but it’s a cold delicious treat nonetheless!” she exclaimed, flinching slightly as a couple of kids pushed past her, knocking into her shoulder which ultimately made her step further into his space enough so she could catch his warmth and a whiff of his cologne although momentarily. he smelled nice, like spiced oakwood and oud, such a juxtaposition to boys she knew smelled like sweat and the disgusting blue bottled body spray. silas was indeed nice. shaking her head at them, she traipsed into the kitchen, waving a hello at the house elves she thought to be quite adorable in their grumpy shells. “Right? It’s such a versatile flavor! throw in some graham crackers and strawberries you get a whole cheesecake! or some caramel and pecans, it’s a brilliant treat!” her nod was excited, glad she found another vanilla-Icecream lover. The kinds were rare so when she met them, she found an immediate liking! or was it her aptitude for people generally that said it? or maybe... just maybe, it was his own easy presence and her teensy crush on him?

her fingers reached for his hand but instead of his skin, she grabbed onto his sleeve tightly and begun tugging him along to where she kept her secrets; she’d have liked to hold his hand properly but her shyness wasn’t her best trait. she wasn’t as gutsy as her cousin and her friends so she settled in her girlish ways and she was more than fine with it too. and for a boy she had a pash with, she sank into a pit of bashfulness further. “You can see! as long as you promise not to finish it all?” She asked, her lower lip jotting out in a coquettish pout as her other hand pulled the door of the freezer open, shelves upon shelves of icecream an exquisite display of flavors. “Ta-dah!”

the halls echoed with a flurry of musical voices and hurried footsteps as the two ravenclaws strolled along the stone flooring, finally nearing the kitchen. had there always this many students flooding the halls? silas wasn't exactly sure. his constant absorption in his own thoughts was to blame. he was either recounting his lecture notes from memory or pondering about his latest discovery in the forest and as a result, he rarely heeded to his peers who rushed by him during passing periods. this habit of his, he became acutely aware of when he realized he could barely make out her endearing french accent over the noise. to compensate, his long torso leaned in closer to hersㅡjust the slightestㅡso he could catch her words. it wasn't his intention, but the decrease in proximity allowed him to catch the scent of her perfume, which he found agreeableㅡunconsciously.

"thankfully, i'm not lactose intolerant. my father and i enjoy a pint or two whenever she's away at the marketㅡwhich saddens her, unfortunately. as she wishes she could indulge to her heart's content.." his sentence trails off after he realizes he had been rambling again. aspen's bubbly personality that seemed to radiate freely through her mannerisms somehow set him at ease. perhaps he was getting better at this talking-to-people thing. once they made it inside the kitchenㅡwhere a few hufflepuffs were scattered about the room and house elves were preparing lunch and cleaningㅡsilas perked up from both the savory smells and her declaration. "vanilla is far from boring! i actually like it as well. my father says it's quite basic, but i best believe that's what makes it so nice. it's a very versatile dessert, and you can add anything to make it slightly more interestingㅡalthough i'm sure you know that already as a baker." the ravenclaw male fell a step behind her as to give her the lead. "should i close my eyes while you get the ice cream? or do you not mind me knowing where you keep your stash?"

her fingers find each other, clasping together by her lap as they walk together. she'd always been intrigued with people and was more than happy to make friends but she'd never approached the boy; he'd seemed intimidating, aloof and lost into his own cocoon that she felt that if she dared poke, it would burst into what she thought to be calamity. but she was glad she'd been proven wrong; he was a simple boy, one who perhaps needed company and frankly, aspen was always down to be said friend too. her grin widened at the talk of icecream, making a mental note of his favorite. "i like strawberry icecream! but i think i like the strawberry cheesecake ones better," she nodded to herself, the lilt of her french accent quite prominent given how excited she was about the dessert talk. "are you lactose intolerant too, like your mum? because i do like keeping a few variety of tubs for, well, therapeutic purposes, you know?" she chuckled, offering him a wrinkle of her nose. "well, i do like sorbets but my go to is boring... but in my defence, everyone hates vanilla but it's actually so nice!"

trial and error. that aphorism seemed like the general rule for how to excel in most hobbies, but he knew that there was more to it than just simply choosing to add or eliminate certain ingredients (pertaining to baking). there would have to be an innate alacrity in the subject to produce such foods that were capable of remedying the gloomiest of gloomy days and the acutest frets of frets in others. and aspen, here, had it in her. it was very much like life. to simply choose more or less of something didn't always result in satisfaction. but when one lived life with gusto, it was indeed a life worth living. silas walked beside his current companion as they made their way to the kitchen, unaware of the sugar dust that had been left behind upon her cheekbone. "favorite ice cream? i'm afraid i've only had the chance to try very few flavors in my lifetimeㅡstrawberry, chocolate, and vanilla," he answered sheepishly. "and from those...i'd have to say strawberry is preferredㅡi apologize if that was disappointing. my mother is lactose intolerant, so we don't get ice cream that often. dairy, that is. i'm sorry--i'm ramblingㅡis there a particular flavor that you like? perhaps something more exotic than strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla?".

“It’s only trial and error and honestly, therapy,”she giggled, placing her half eaten tart back on the pile of treats— she looked a mess, sugar powder tainting her cheeks as she brought her fingers to her lips, the tips rid of the confectionary. her smile brightened, the corners of her eyes crinkling into girlish crescents. “well, anytime you need treats to munch on, you know who to go to! and the house elves have not kicked me out of the kitchen yet, so I think we should be good!” any opportunity she had to be in the kitchen, surrounded by things that made her happy especially desserts were always welcome— she jumped at the chance, ready to indulge in the various tubs of ice cream she kept hidden in the freezer. she stepped to the side, falling into step next to the way taller man— how did one grow so big? she briefly pondered though what she voiced was different. “shall we? oh, and do you have any favorite icecream?”

before he could forget, he cleaned the crumb-coated corners of his lips and gave her a gentle smile. "really? you must have an aptitude for baking...thank youㅡaspen, for letting be one of the first to try your blueberry tarts. and don't worry about the ice creamㅡthese alone are more than i can ask for." her confession was not one that he was expecting, so he didn't know how to respond. was thanking the other sufficient enough? would he have to return the favor? "maybe the next time around, there could be ice creamㅡunless the house elves wouldn't mind us in their space inside the kitchen. i've time to spare." although this was a very unlikely situation to find himself in, she seemed very sweet---and to be quite frank, ice cream with the blueberry tarts seemed like the perfect recipe for a great rest of the afternoon.

his own smile took her aback- she knew him, from a distance, to someone aloof and stoic but the grin on his face was boyish and in bliss. she watched as he took a welcoming bite of her treats, her own fingers clutching at the plate in anxiety. she sure hoped he liked it; his murmur of approval elated her, the mounds of her cheek a plump and a pretty pink. "i'm very glad then!" she exclaimed, gingerly picking one up to lift to take a bite of, the white sugar powder staining , chin and fingers. "can i be honest and tell you that it is my first time baking them? oh, shoot! i should have gotten you icecream too with this!"

as her petite figure drew closer, silas came to the realization that he had seen her around before. he couldn't remember where exactly though. the ravenclaw usually wasn't one to show his full-on cherubical smile to just anyone but upon witnessing her own, he did so. and might he say, it was infectious. "aspen, i'm silas. it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance and...i'm sure you'll be delighted to know that i doㅡindeedㅡlike blueberry tarts." he reached over to the offered plate of delectables and picked one up before bringing it to his mouth and taking a large bite. sweet mother of mandrakes. buttery crumbles and sugary pulpous berries. silas spoke, praising the delicious treat with his mouth full from another bite. "bloody banshee.. these are really good."

sure, she had been elated to share her treats with someone but stuck between the mass of bodies in the great hall, a thousand and one thoughts rushed through her mind- what if she mistook someone else for the blueberry tart person and gave it away? what if she was not in the right place, was there a second great hall somewhere she didn't know of? what if- the loud voice, picking up over the cacophony of others wrenched her out of her reverie, her attention flitting to the boy right away. he looked to be just a bit older than her, or maybe it was the height and intimidating gaze that pierced through aspen's being that it took her aback. still, she donned her usual grin, the one that shamed the sun and bounded to where he was. "Hi! Good noon!" she exclaimed, timidly holding the plate out for him. "I'm really hoping you like blueberry tarts.. oh, and I'm Aspen!"

he was of average charisma, quite tall with a medium build compared to his more...muscular peers. raven locks veiled his foreheadㅡbut most importantly, those dark brows of his. he was often jokingly told by his parents that they gave him an intimidating appearance in conjunction with his intense gaze. though it wasn't something that silas troubled himself with. he didn't care too much about appealing to the likes of others through physical presentationㅡa trait often associated with ravenclaws, albeit not all of them. he hoped he did at least appear friendly. after all, most were not so kind as to share their baked goods with complete strangers. when she finally appeared by the arched doorway, his nose sensed her before his eyes. a warm, soothing aroma of fresh-baked pastries with a hint of fruity delights had waft into the room. he got up from his seat, almost instantaneously and cleared his throat before calling out to her. "I'M OVER HERE....blueberry tarts."

it was a lie if she said she didn't take an extra minute to make sure her tarts were presentable; sure, the instagram post was immaculate and her tastebuds had been impressed by the way she'd succeeded on her first try but presenting it to someone, a stranger, was nerve-wracking for aspen. she'd double and triple checked with the house elves and she could tell by the way she was forced out of the door that they had had enough of her- she sighed, clutching onto the plate piled with treats carefully as she made her way to the great hall. by hagrid's love for turkey sandwiches, please do not fall over, she prayed to herself, knowing very well her two left-feet could betray her at any time. she allowed herself a sigh of relief as she maneuvered past throngs of bodies in the hall, curiously peeking around for a certain face. wait, what did he look like again?

after winding down the long flight of stairs of the ravenclaw tower, silas was evidently weary. he appreciated the grand architecture but sooner or later, a student was bound to fall forth and tumble down haphazardlyㅡand possibly suffer a concussion. despite being slightly out of breath, the ravenclaw made haste to meet the girl with blueberry tarts. he entered the great hall where a handful of students were scattered about the spacious area, either studying or eating or both. the two didn't exactly designate a specific spot to meet, so he found a relatively secluded table near the kitchen entrance and waited for someone to appear with the desirable, scrumptious-looking blueberry tarts.