Zeke had finally found a suitable place for his favorite activity: killing time.
He had brought out one of his many paperback books and was reading through it as fast as usual.
He was leaning against a tree and had brought a bottle of lemonade with him. All together, things were as close to perfect as they could get. He had everything he needed: A book, refreshments, and his much endeared cigarettes were resting in his pants pocket, waiting to be lit. Life was sweet.

((Come ruin his moment, oh please :)))

*Melanie was feeling incredibly bitter. Harshing had asked her to be a substitute girlfriend for some boy she didn't even know. The bad part was that it was Tristan's ex-boyfriend. It had to be a joke. She was almost positive that she would end up falling for him in the end, just because it was how she worked as a human being (always wanting people who will never really want her back), so Harshing had probably guessed the same exact thing. It's not that she minded the boy himself, she just didn't like the situation. Tristan would probably never talk to her again.

On top of that, she still hadn't found Mark after Harshing had kidnapped him, so...she wasn't fairing well. The only reason she was still eating and sleeping was because she was sticking to the hope that she would eventually find Mark, which would mean that he would still need her.

She was walking out to her favorite spot on the grounds so she could get away from everyone for a while...only to find that someone was already there. She made an unpleasant face. Naturally that would be the case. She continued walking anyway, deciding that she would sit there anyway. That seemed to be enough to make anyone disappear lately.*

She plopped down on the ground beside him, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared off into the distance with a look mixed between livid and melancholic- obviously not the kind of person that many people would want to be around. She didn't even bother to say hello, she just wanted him to leave so she could be alone.*



~Mel



~Mel

Zeke could sense that someone was approaching his spot, but figured it was probably just someone passing by. This didn't seem to be the case however. The person kept walking straight towards him, and eventually sat down next to him. Zeke found this behavior rather strange, but was right in the middle of solving a crime with his favorite muggle investigator. He had no intention of getting up.
Zeke usually enjoyed telling people off, and this was a great opportunity to do so.
However, he was in an extraordinarily good mood, and didn't feel like scolding anyone.
Without ever taking his eyes off the book he spoke, imitating someone talking to them self.

"Oh, man, I thought I took that invisibility cloak off already."

His voice was especially confident, his attitude more laid back than usual. It wasn't an actual joke as much as an attempt to make whoever came to interrupt him go away. However, a wry smile spread across his face as he read on.

*Melanie jumped a little bit, partly because she didn't expect him to talk to her, also because she was afraid she was sitting on someone. Then she realized that she would've noticed if she was and she calmed down again. She looked to the boy's other side to see if there was someone. What on earth was he talking about. She looked over at him with a slightly affronted but still extremely confused expression, beckoning him to say more.*



~Mel

Amused by the girl's reaction, Zeke kept smiling slightly.
He was not going to let her ruin his fabulus moment. Zeke rarely felt completely comfortable, but he actually had, before he was interrupted. Now he was just trying to make this person go away.
Zeke took a sip of his drink, making sure to make that annoying noise with the straw as he finished the glass.

Slowly turning a page in his book, he still didn't look up.

"You do realise that you're in my spot, right?" he said with a hint of arrogance. He knew there was no such thing as his spot, but if it was enough to make her go away, he didn't really care.
He couldn't imagine why she had to be in this particular spot. There were thousands of trees in the grounds and this was his favorite one. She would simply have to find another place to sit.

*Well that was nice,,,, Melanie thought sarcastically. She immediately went defensive.*

Melanie:"Actually, I don't, because this is my favorite spot in all of Hogwarts, " *Okay, a little white lie...she could think of other favorite places.* "I have as much right to be here as you do. You don't have any idea how special this spot is." *she sneered at him, giving him the dirtiest look she could muster.*

*He didn't have any idea at all...it was even more sentimental now, given the situation. It was where she had been sitting the first time she felt Mark kick....*




~Mel

Unaware of the sore spot he might be about to hit, Zeke kept going. Who was she to tell him he didn't know? He rarely found places in which he felt as comfortable as in this particular place.

"Um. yeah I do" he said shaking his head slightly.
"Besides, I was here first. You gotta beat it, kiddo" he said, sounding more bad-gangster movie than he had intended to.
He finally looked at her, and was surprised to see a girl he recognized as a sixth, or maybe seventh year gryffindor. He had been convinced she was a third or fourth year.

*Melanie's eyes widened, her expression changing in a flash from sneering to upset. Did everyone in the school know about Mark being kidnapped? How did he know about this spot? Melanie wanted to kill Harshing...he had to have told them everything.*

Melanie:"Well...maybe I'll just...sit on you." *She fought back lamely, defeated.*



~Mel

Zeke wasn't able to hold back a grin as she unsuccesfully tried to come up with a snappy answer.

"What?" he said, his wry smile on his face, as he turned towards her.
"You gotta be able to come up with something better than that" he said, but as he looked at her closer he realised that maybe it really was more important to her than it was to him. He changed his mind.
"Okay" he said as he got up. "All yours"
Zeke started collecting the things he had spread across the ground when he had been alone. Picking up books, the bottle of lemonade and his sketchpad he placed them in the backpack in which they had been initially.

*Then Melanie froze. He was leaving...no...she didn't want him to leave, she just wanted him to move. She had no idea who he was, and yet she knew that she needed him there. She stared at him*
Melanie:"No, don't leave!" *she ordered him*"...Please...." *she begged.*




~Mel

There were so many harsh replies to what the girl said, and yet as he turned around, Zeke didn't feel like saying a single one of them.
He just sat back down, slowly, glancing at the girl.
Why had she told him to leave and then practically begged him to stay?
There was something in the way she behaved that reminded Zeke of himself. When he really needed not to be alone he would push people away. He admired how the girl at least had the courage to ask him to stay. He decided that if he was going to do so, he would have to introduce himself. He didn't extend his hand but simply smiled slightly.
"I'm Zeke. And I don't usually take orders.. but you have good manners" he said, refering to the 'please'.

*She looked over at him, very embarrassed as well as surprised that he had actually agreed.*
Melanie:"No I don't." *she mumbled*" I wouldn't have asked if you if I had good manners." *she sighed*"I'm Melanie...and...I..well....thank you."



~Mel

He nodded slightly as she introduced herself messily.
"No big" he assured her, then rested himself against the tree and let him slide back down beside her.
There was a moment of silence.
Zeke took out his bottle of lemonade and poured a glass, then extended it for Mel to take. He realised he hadn't asked whether she wanted it or not, but was hoping his offering would calm her down a bit.
"So.. what are you doing out here besides interrupting strangers?" he asked with a hint of a smile.

*Melanie took the lemonade and stared at it for a second before realizing what had actually happened.*

Melanie:"Thank you." *she said quietly.*"Well...I'm mostly trying to get away from everything...which is hard. It seems like it follows me wherever I go...like I'm not supposed to be happy right now."



~Mel

Zeke nodded thoughtfully.
"I know that feeling.." he said, then turned to face her.
"But I don't think you're right. I firmly believe that everyone is supposed to be happy, and if you want to be, you'll find a way" he said, looking straight at her, then letting his gaze wander across the grounds.
".. but then again I don't know your story. I have no clue what you're dealing with, but I'm quite certain that the will of our minds is highly underestimated" Zeke said, unwillingly going into his philosophical mode, which was probably the most significant part of his personality.

*Melanie gave Zeke a pleading look.*
Melanie:"It's difficult to convince your mind to be happy when you spend most of your time contemplating whether or not you should kill yourself." *she didn't know why she would put something like that on someone that she didn't even know, but he wasn't understanding quite how far everything went any other way.*"I'm surprised you don't know by now- it seems like everyone else does. It's like they think I can't hear them whispering things about me in the corridors. I'm even more surprised that you haven't heard it...."



~Mel

Zeke was relieved that she kept talking, since he had no clue of how to react when she dropped the word 'kill'.
He relaxed a bit though, as she moved on, and was careful not to let it show that he wasn't sure how to deal with this.

"I am allergic to gossip." he said shortly, not joking. It was really one of the things he couldn't tolerate.

"If people want to let me know what's going on in their lives i'm more than glad to listen, but come on.. talking behind other peoples' back is just low."
This was the main reason he spent as much time as he did in the grounds - this was one of the few places where he didn't have to listen to the silly conversations of people bored with their own life, needing to talk about others.

Melanie:"Really? Well that's been the story of my life for the last two years, always having people talk about me behind my back, always worrying what they're thinking about me, how crazy I must seem to them. They don't even understand- the won't try to either. They have no idea what I've been through and what I'm going through. If they were me, right now, they would be dead, I can assure you of that. They should shut up just because it's a miracle that I haven't offed myself." *She rambled on endlessly, needing to be able to complain more than anything.*



~Mel

"I think you're right about that" he said, paused and then ccontinued.
"But why do you care so much what they think? People who are so busy with everyone elses' lives are brainless, and you are obviously tougher, and probably more reasonable than them." he said, glancing at her for a short moment.
"I don't know what happened to you, but even if I did I highly doubt that I would judge you. In fact, I think I would admire you - anyone who has gone through whatever made you as much as think of.. 'offing'.. must be an incredibly strong and admireable person" he said, not to make her feel better, but because this was how he really felt.
"But still, things would be a lot easier if they would just shut up" he said with a wry smile.

Melanie:"I'm not. Strong I mean. I'm the weakest person I know. The only reason I've gotten through this is because I've had people around to keep me safe. I'm the opposite of someone you admire; I'm someone you learn what not to do from. Oh, and don't even get me going on the whole 'reasonable' comment."



~Mel

He nodded.
"You probably know yourself best.. I don't think you should be so hard on yourself though, cause no good can come of it. You are going to have to look on the bright side, no matter how insignificant it may seem." he said, then shook his head with a small laugh.

"Oh listen to me being all annoyingly optimistic.. Just for the record, I'm usually rather sarcastic and just a bit gloomy, but I guess that role was kind of taken" he said as he smiled, looking at her.
"D'you want me to just shut up? I usually do when I'm feeling poorly."

Melanie:"I don't care. I guess it's better if you keep talking because it will distract me...hopefully. And by the way, I've given up on optimism. I don't think optimism and pessimism really exist, it's truly just a matter of how long you can lie to yourself."




~Mel

"'You sure you're a Gryffindor? 'Cause I am sorry to say, but that doesn't sound to courageous to me. It sounds more like you've pretty much given up on life altogether.." he said looking at her with a hint of disbelief.
Zeke was way into philosophy, but had no clue of how to deal with a point of view on life that was so blacksighted.
"I mean, there's got to be something you enjoy?" he asked, tilting his head.
"You know what? Name anything, absolutely anything you'd like or like to do and I will get it. At least I will do my very best" he said, hoping she wasn't going to ask for the moon.

Melanie:"I want Mark back." *she answered. It was as close to asking for the moon as anyone could get. Now she was going to have to explain things to Zeke, which she didn't want to do, but he'd asked what she wanted, and she was being completely honest with him. She didn't only want him, she needed him.*




~Mel

Zeke realised that what he was about to do was going to be all or nothing. As he looked at her it suddenly deemed to him. Melanie had a child. A lost child, and she was desperately longing for him back. If Mark had been her friend or lover, her tone of voice would have been different. It was so soft, so fragile. He hesitated, then raised his arms as if he had been holding a baby in them. He looked down at the baby that was not there. There was not a hint of joking in his voice as he spoke.
"Why hello there little man.. oh you are beautiful, yes indeed.. must be your mother's good genes.. what's that? You want her to know that you're okay? Safe? Yes, I'll tell her, will make sure I do that" he said, glancing slightly at Mel, hoping she wasn't going to walk away. He prayed that she did not think he was making fun of her. This was the best he could think of, he hoped it was enough.

*Melanie quickly looked over at Zeke, actually expecting Mark to be there. Without really knowing it, she started to cry.*
Melanie:"I miss him so much Zeke...I just want him back. I want to know he's safe for sure, because there's a very large part of me that is convinced that he isn't."

*Looking into Melanie's eyes, one could so how lost she was. How confused, and desperate. She was needy and heartbroken and depressed. They could also see love, though. Behind all of this mess was pure love, and that was what was keeping her alive.*



~Mel

Zeke let his hands fall to the ground, afraid what he had done was what had upset her.
As he looked at her, though, he saw the pure desperation and realised that nothing but having her baby boy with her would ever make everything good again. Zeke, however, was determined to do whatever he could to at least make it a little bit better.
He wasn't used to people crying around him, at least not when no one else was around but him and the person crying. It started something in him, like a protecting instinct, and he did the only thing that felt natural: he pulled Melanie into an embrace, offering her the comfort that only the nearness of another human being can give. Zeke's voice was calm and soft as he spoke while stroking her hair slightly:
"It must be terrible not knowing where he is.. it is only natural to suspect the worst but it will wear you out for sure.. The uncertainty is nearly unbearable, I know.." he said. He wasn't about to give her the whole 'it will be okay' speech since he really did not have any clue. Still, his compassion was genuine.