Everyone Knows I'm In Over My Head [Keela/Kayden]

[kyla]

Keela knew she really shouldn't have been where she was. Even though technically she did have rounds in a few hours, it set a bad example for the younger ones for her to be sneaking up here at all hours. Still, she needed to think, she needed privacy. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of what was and what might be. Why did life always have to be so bloody complicated? She was falling for Vincent, she couldn't deny it anymore, and with that realization came several others. Her brother might never be okay with it, she hadn't been brave enough to tell her parents yet, the list mounted. This was her last year, if she didn't make her mark this time, she wouldn't get another chance. Fashion had given way to comfort in her choice of dress tonight. Well, if you ignored the four inches of heel on the boots that swung from the ledge she was currently settled on.

She was still angry with her brother, still blown away by her first date with Vin. She hadn't known what it meant to feel charged by her own desires until that day. She hadn't known what all the fuss was about, and now that she did, it was like a blind person looking into the sun. She felt blinded by it, overwhelmed, and also nervous. She had little to no experience, and here she was on the verge of falling madly for the first guy she'd gotten the nerve to kiss. She shook her head, thinking she might be just the tiniest bit naive. She glanced up the sky, leaning back to take in as much as she could. It was comforting somehow, that the stars were a constant. No matter what turmoil raged underneath them, they were there, brilliant, burning, and consistent. The sound of footsteps caught her off guard. She reached for her wand, cursing when she realized it was in her bag.

"I swear to Merlin if its some amorous couple looking for an empty room I'm going to deduct points into the negatives." Nevermind that she couldn't technically do so, she'd sure make them wonder if she could. She tried to scramble off the window ledge, almost lost her balance, and thought better of it. Wondering if she might be able to miraculously summon the wand, she sighed. "Who's there?" she demanded of the darkness.

[Perseus Kayden Malfoy]

The blonde male sat up in bed and gave his arm a rub. The room was cool and dark. Everyone was asleep by now, it was late. To late to be walking the corridors, but he had no other choice. Carefully he turned, removing soft sheets from his bare body to sit, his legs hanging off the edge, feet flat on the floor. He reached for the black robe that was resting, wrinkled, where it had been tossed earlier. What a mess had been created, then again was one really supposed to worry about the clothes that were scattered about the room? Shirt here and pants there...

He held the black robe, his thumb brushing over the sewn crest of his precious Slytherin house. If there was one thing he took pride in, it was the house he had been sorted in to. The lovely snake visible there brought a smile to his features and he made to stand from the bed. The bed shifted from the lack of weight and a moment later a soft crackly voice was heard. A voice from a girl who had been woken from the change.

"Kayden?"

He didn't turn to look at her completely. His bare back faced her, his body dark but outlined from a dim light in front of him that remained on. He did turn his head to the left then shifted his grey piercing eyes back at her as if to respond with 'yes?' to her whispering his name.

"Are you leaving?" One of her eyes remained closed as the other squinted as she looked up at him.

"Yes" was all he said as he slipped the robe over his naked body, his head turned back facing the dim light. "Had a great time, but I must leave. Go back to sleep." Without another word he made for the door and slipped out. Not taking a moment longer to look back at the Gryffindor girl he'd left behind.

He could have gone to his common room in the dungeons but he decided some fresh air would be good. He couldn't go out on the grounds so the next best place was the Astronomy tower. It didn't take long to get there and he ascended the stairs to the top. He rounded the stairs and stopped when he heard a voice. He hadn't expected to see or hear another person until long after the sun had been placed in the sky. "Kayden" he spoke as he continued up the stairs. He didn't speak again until the source of the voice came into view, her face lit by the night sky. "Kaden Malfoy. Wasn't expecting to run into anyone out so late." Without asking to join he walked over to the ledge and leaned against it, his arms placed gently on the bar as he leaned a bit and glanced at the sky. It was cool out tonight, just the way he liked it. It was the best spot for fresh air and perfect for thinking.

[kyla]

Keela flinched noticably, though the darkness might have provided sufficient cover. Kayden Malfoy... Of course she'd manage to run into the one Slytherin more infamous for his prowess than her almost-boyfriend. If any man had ever been 'kissed by the gods', it was the one in front of her. She'd always had a bit of a crush on him, but thankfully very little personal interaction. He crossed the room, and she desperately wished she had her wand. She'd never had any issues with any of the Slytherins, save for the ones who wanted to hex her for dating Vin, but this one exuded a dark sensuality that almost commanded a respect bordering on reverence. When he crossed the room to lean agains the wall next to her ledge, she scooted away from him almost without conscious thought. Then, when the moon caught his face, she made the mistake of actually looking at him. Gods, but he is good-looking, she thought, even as another part of her mind rebelled. Realizing she hadn't answered him yet, she shrugged. "I have rounds in a bit, thought it might be nice to come clear my head for a few minutes before I had to roam the halls looking for...anything out of place."

She didn't feel like herself. Normally she'd have deducted house points, given the customary lecture, and marched him off to bed. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have convinced her to go head to head with a Malfoy. Her mother often joked that she'd only narrowly missed marrying one once, she signed a contract with Keela's dad instead. It amused her to realize that must have been Kayden's father, and that had things been different, he might have been her brother. It caused the corners of her mouth to pull upward in a traitorous hint of a smile. It was the eyes, she decided, they lacked the warmth of Vincent's, but were no less mesmerizing. "I guess it would be sort of hypocritical of me to take points seeing as...well, I'm not really supposed to be here either." Why was nothing she said coming out the way she'd worded it in her head. Could a person be this easily effected by looks? Glancing back up at him warily, she sighed, trying to be covert. Yes, she decided, someone absolutely could. Wondering if he was the type to get offended if she ignored his presence, and then deciding that his presence wasn't something she could ignore, she searched for a way to break the silence. After several moments, she settled on the infinitely witty remark: "Couldn't sleep?"

[Perseus Kayden Malfoy]

'I have rounds in a bit, thought it might be nice to come clear my head for a few minutes before I had to roam the halls looking for...anything out of place.'

Before she spoke it had been quiet for a good moment. Perhaps him being there bothered her? Threw her off guard? Made her nervous? Whatever the reason he could feel her stare burning into his features. He didn't suspect a glare, but he knew that a set of eyes were placed on him. The need to ask if she saw something she liked made him chuckle to himself. He decided against it as to not force an awkward situation to appear.

He turned, his back now resting against the railing, his arms lifted and pressed back to lean. He looked over at her this time, and his suspicions were correct. She had been staring. Or perhaps a girl would call it gazing, or observing? Either way, he grinned and chuckled through his nose as he glanced down at his feet. He left his shoes with the Gryffindor. He'd left so fast he had forgotten them.

'I guess it would be sort of hypocritical of me to take points seeing as...well, I'm not really supposed to be here either.'

He laughed, his head falling back slightly "Probably so. It would also be considered a Slytherin sort of move too" he looked straight up at the sky as the cool breeze blew against his cheek and through his hair. A moment several females would kill to see would be this one that Keela was seeing now. The cooler quieter serene Kayden Malfoy. Less flirty and more down to Earth. Had he been kissed by the hand of God himself? Such a question that has been asked far more times than not.

'couldn't sleep?'

He let her do the talking for a while since she seemed to be full of chatting. He'd open his mouth to speak or think of something to say when she chimed back in again. Chuckling to himself he finally found a moment to slip in and speak before she had a chance to talk again.

"No. I suppose not." He answered without having to look at her. He continued to lean back against the only secure object in the tower that kept him from plummeting to the ground like what had happened to the previous headmaster. "I seem to get little to no sleep on certain nights." The nights he took to bed the female of his choice. Those were nights he just couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he wondered about what he was doing or whether it was right or wrong, it was more so him wondering why. Why did he feel the need to do what he did? It was a question he knew he'd never be able to truly answer so for now it was just something he had to live with.

"So what about you? Obviously not here because of lack of sleep. You came to clear your head before going off to wreck havoc on the students, like myself, roaming the halls. What has you so flustered that you needed to come clear your head?" He smiled the smile that would make her feel as if he was interested. The more a girl felt a guy was listening the better off he was. It wasn't exactly a flirtatious move, but it was definitely a good start. "No judging here by all means. Let's hear it." Grey blue eyes shinned down at her as she sat there and before he knew it he slid down and sat across from her on the ground full interest staring back at her.

Now that he was looking right at her he had a moment to give her features a look over. He held his hand up as to pause her speech about her mind clearing ventures to say a few words "You have the brightest eyes" he squinted a bit and continued to gaze "maybe it's the moonlight but I'd have to say that it's little and shines less in comparison." He paused, though his hand remained up to keep her from speaking. "Radiant." He spoke out loud intentionally though it had been made to sound as if he meant to think it to himself. He placed his hand against his knee "Sorry, by all means. Do tell." It's as if he hadn't said anything at all as he rewound back into the previous conversation of her having to come up and clear her head.

[kyla]

He made her more nervous than Vincent had when they'd first met, though she hated to admit it, even to herself. Gauging his expression, she guessed he was used to the attention and why shouldn't he be? If one could coast thorugh life on looks alone, Kayden Malfoy would have his own private personal jet. Embarrassed at being caught, she flushed crimson and averted her eyes, returning them to the skyline. She should bolt right now before something happened that would make everything even more complicated. She might not be sure what she felt where Vincent was concerned, but she was certain that being here in this room with one of his dorm mates was likely hazardous to her emotional well-being if not her health in general. She followed his gaze down to his feet and grinned in spite of herself. "Left somewhere in a bit of a hurry did you?" Or someone..., it wouldn't have surprised her, he seemed the type.

Keela laughed, her first honest chuckle in several hours. Today had taken a lot out of her, and she was surprised that a comment from him could draw out that sound. She glanced up at him, "my aunts were both Slytherins, so I guess it is in my blood, but lucky for you I don't feel like nicking points any more than I have to tonight." If she'd run into him the day before when she'd been looking for Vin, she'd have nicked the points, given him detention and to Hades with the consequences, but tonight, she just didn't care. She supposed she should count it a good thing that she was too distracted to pay terribly close attention to the Greek god in front of her. He seemed at ease, and she envied him. Maybe it was a Slytherin thing. She wasn't sure why she hadn't mentioned Vincent when he'd spoken of Slytherins, maybe because she wasn't quite sure how to refer to him yet. The serenity surprised her, guys like him were often restless, it was why they could never stay in one place, or with one person for long. It encompassed a great deal of her worry about her own relationship.

Realizing she'd more or less dominated the silence in her nervousness, she turned away from him, silent once more. However, now he seemed willing to talk, and she listened intently. Chances were, after this night, she'd never cross paths with him again, might as well enjoy the experience. It annoyed her that he wouldn't look at her, almost as though she wasn't worth his time. It was, she supposed, to be expected. Being pureblood didn't necessarily make you respectable, even when you had money. Keela didn't discriminate, wasn't bothered or bolstered by blood purity, and it meant everything to guys like him, as if he needed another reason to feel superior. When he elaborated on his sleeplessness, the teasing comment came before she could think about it. "Guilty conscience?" the tone was almost flirtatious, and she closed her mouth with an almost audible snap. Where had that come from? Keela didn't flirt...until recently she hadn't even known how. What was going on here?

His sudden interest in her personal affairs was surprising to the point of rendering Keela slightly suspicious. Her false sense of security evaporated, and she found that she simultaneously enjoyed and shied away from being the center of his intense focus. He smiled, and her heart beat in triple time. What must it be like, she wondered, to wield charm like an actual weapon? She wondered at his timing, having come along when she most needed someone to talk to. Keeping in mind that whatever she said would most likely be repeated somewhere she didn't want it found out, she was careful. "Its not something, I feel comfortable unloading on a total stranger", she said, annoyed that her tone was almost apologetic. "Family issues, communication issues with a...friend of mine." She shrugged, "just your basic run-of-the-mill growing pains I guess." It was far from, but as disarming as his smile was, she wasn't one to pour her heart out to anyone after a few weeks, much less a few minutes.

She saw him give her the once over, and wondered what he was thinking. Insisting to herself that she didn't care, she gazed steadily back at him, trying to ignore the way his eyes caught the light and glinted with it. She smiled then, and the cheek bubbled up in a playful sort of sarcasm. "Radiant eyes?" she shook her head, still smiling. "I have to say I was expecting something more creative." She didn't really mean to offend him, but she felt herself beyond flattery for the moment. Which, as she figured it, was rather lucky in this case. He couldn't really expect her not to be suspicious of him after all, he'd slept with too many of her housemates to keep track of. She laughed softly to herself, giving him a 'what can you do?' sort of smile. "Put simply, I'm in over my head, I'm on the verge of being in way over my head with a guy my brother can barely stand but he's too busy with his girlfriend to do more than lecture me about the dangers of falling into bed with a Slytherin." Realizing she'd said too much, she quieted again. "Like I said, run of the mill stuff."

[Perseus Kayden Malfoy]

"Leave somewhere in a hurry? Nah. I think I just left without thinking. Couldn't sleep so I came up here." Not that the trip to the top tower was far from where he'd left. It wasn't as if he'd climbed the stairs from the dungeons. He buried himself into thought for a moment until her laugh drew him back out. He turned his head and looked over at her and chuckled himself. Laughter was quite contagious, at least for him. Someone laughing made him smile and sometimes it made him chime in and laugh right along.

"You have Slytherin in your blood?" That alone would make it easier for her to befriend him. He wasn't so keen on talking to members of the other house, but at the same time she was a female. He had no issues talking to a female. "I thought I kinda sensed that about you. You've got this hint of attitude in you that we snakes have" he chuckled amused that a hufflepuff student had slytherin blood in them.
Did he feel lucky though? She wasn't in the mood for docking points which was great had he cared about points.

The silence would have been nice had he been alone, but when in the same room as another it was almost unnerving. Keela spent several moments looking his direction and looking away. A movement he assumed was out of nervousness. It was actually sorta cute, though he payed it no attention. "Guilty conscience" he laughed and shook his head "Possibly. Care to see what it is I'm guilty of?" He flashed his debonair smile. The million dollar smile that never let him down.
He said nothing of her 'growing pains' or issues if you will. He just listened and nodded occasionally before she continued on with her funny little comment about expecting something a little more creative. He raised an eyebrow and gave her a look over "My my my. Aren't we cocky. Just wait sweetheart. You stay long enough and I'm sure you'll see I can be very creative."

She went on about her issues of her brother and her brother's girlfriend or some shit, then something about going to bed with a Slytherin. "Going to bed with a Slytherin? Shouldn't you take me to dinner first?" He questioned jokingly before continuing "Going to bed with a Slytherin..." putting it nicely "will prove your brother and yourself no worry. We're very passionate lovers" he nodded in such a sure way. "If your brother is to into his girlfriend to care then screw him. He'll be the one with the relationship problems, not you. Who's the lucky Slytherin anyways? I mean aside from myself of course."

[kyla]

Keela listened, nodded, but still found it a bit odd that he was barefoot, considering she assumed he'd come from the dungeons. It was a long treck across cold stone. His sharing in her laughter caught her off guard. Slytherins didn't generally laugh unless it was at someone's expense. The sound was deep, masculine in a way that made her shiver, and then scold herself internally for the reaction she could no more contain than her need to breathe. She met his eyes, startled anew by their intensity. She wondered if he was thinking about something that required such focus, or if he was simply naturally that way. Neither option was particularly appealing. After a moment, she observed: "You don't seem like the type to do anything without thinking." It was true, Slytherins were notorious for their ambition, their need to be in control at all times. Even Vin, who had become the exception to many of her rules, felt most comfortable when he was at the head of the situation. Still, she hadn't known him long enough to be making such comments out loud, and she wished she could recall the words the moment they were out.

She nodded, but didn't care to be stereotyped. "Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and that's just in the immediate family." She smiled, feeling a bit relieved by what she perceived as a change in his manner. "You haven't seen attitude yet", she assured him, "catch me some time when I'm mad." Like she'd been yesterday before her date with Vin, she remembered. It surprised her that she'd forgotten so easily the raging temper she'd felt. But then, raging hormones had a way of erasing all else, just like they were doing now. She got the impression that he could have cared less about house points in general from the way he brushed off her remark. No longer feeling the urge to dart after her wand, her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned against the frame of the cut out in the wall, propping her arms on her knees as she continued alternating between glancing at him and gazing at the stars.

The ease evaporated when he smiled again, not quite sinister, this smile held just the sort of arrogance that would have normally made her roll her eyes, and she felt the muscle spasm in her right eye as though she might. However, she'd long since abandoned any desire to be intimidated by anyone, and, not one to back down from any challenge, she returned the grin. "I think I can use my imagination well enough", she assured him. The smile got what she was sure was its intended reaction, she had very few defenses against assaults of this nature, and after a moment, she gave in to her need to look away from him, focusing on a spot past his head on the far wall. Sweetheart... the endearment had a way of rolling off of his tongue with an ease that had surely come from thorough practice. "Cocky?" she gave him a look that radiated wide-eyed innocence. "Not at all, I'm merely pointing out that your reputation precedes you." The insinuation wasn't lost on Keela, and she hadn't the sudden urge to bolt from the room and forget the entire night, but this was her spot, and she needed it. She'd be damned if she was going to let him run her off. "I had no intention of leaving yet", she assured him. "Create away."

She knew better than to challenge a Slytherin, hadn't she learned her lesson with Vin? Apparently not, came the disgruntled voice of her conscience. She narrowed her eyes at him, before apparently deciding he was teasing her, and relaxing again. "The way I was raised, it wouldn't be proper for me to take you anywhere." A sudden, childish urge to stick her tongue out at him surfaced, and she ignored it. Never mind that both her parents would shoot off howlers the moment they found out she'd been out with a Malfoy, Gran would roll over in her grave if she knew Keela had been the iniator of any romantic relationship. It simply wasn't done, or so she'd had repeatedly ingrained through her early years of pureblood propriety training. She grinned, thinking of how Cern might react to the idea of Vin's being passionate about anything regarding her. "I don't think that's what he's worried about, or at least, not the way you mean." She tilted her head, assessed him before she answered, intentionally dodging the question. "You consider yourself lucky to have your private time invaded by a perfect stranger?"