Come have some ice cream with me... [Katelynn]

[Dante Blair]

Autumn managed to be right around the corner, but the warm remnants of summer stuck in the air. It was still August, and that meant Wizarding schools would be opening up next month. Excited Hogwarts students spent much of their August time shopping for supplies, it seemed -- at three in the afternoon during another warm Saturday, children flooded the stores in need of robes, quills, books, and other school necessities. Several of them also inhabited the most notable ice cream parlour around, belonging to one Florean Fortescue.

Among the eager, dairy-craving students was a particular fifth year Slytherin boy, though it was indeed possible that he craved more than a simple ice cream treat. Dante Blair was a boy all on his own -- everyone was told how unique they were; everyone was told that they were special in some way, and there was something that made everyone different. Yet Dante was a Slytherin, and how did everyone feel about Slytherins? There were several adjectives, the boy knew, that someone would use to describe him, but he really didn't care.

What he did care about was his reason for residing in the half-full ice cream parlour. He could easily have come later in the day when it wasn't so full, or he could even go to another parlour; his father, after all, worked at the Ministry of Magic, and Dante could easily have visited an ice cream parlour in the Muggle world. But the Muggle world was much too close to the Ministry -- the fifteen-year old didn't like having his father so close to him when he had free time to spend; it was bad enough he got lectures and lectures about "being a man" and "doing physical labour to build character" during dinner. He never understood why they couldn't take in an house-elf, like normal families did.

Dante Blair was an average fifteen-year old boy when it came to his build: he had defined himself somewhat, but he was by no means a body-builder. His dark hair was relatively short, and his brown gaze was enough to get whatever he wanted: he could mess with his emotions pretty well, and word always said that your eyes were the window into your soul. His skin had taken a slightly tanned tone from helping his mother around the house. Dante didn't mind referring to himself as a charming boy at times, but he wasn't egotistical or arrogant by any means; he had plenty of years ahead of him, and now wasn't the time to be either.

The boy sat in the heart of the ice cream shop, working on a two-scoop bowl of ice cream topped with chocolate syrup. He didn't mind a little attention, though he didn't expect anyone to give him any when people had their friends and families to talk with. At the moment, he sat alone, though the seat opposite him was vacant for a reason: someone was supposed to meet him here and simply had not arrived yet. It wasn't a matter of being stood up because he knew she would show up -- she always did, and why wouldn't she?

As he waited for the particular friend, he managed to devour almost all of the treat. He had brought enough money today to grow crazy (though he didn't plan on it), so it didn't really matter. He had dressed lightly that day, as it was a rather warm day: a tight black t-shirt, khaki shorts, and a black pair of sneakers. His wand was stashed securely at his side, though he didn't expect to get into any magical duels anytime soon; besides, he didn't mind getting physical if he had to.

Now all he had to do was wait.

[Katelynn Creperum]

Ugh. Why did it always have to be so bloody hot?

Katelynn walked the streets of Diagon Alley, feeling the clanging of heavy coins in her pocket rather than hearing them. She would have to do something about this wretched heat sometime; honestly, who liked it? Not her. The blonde girl pulled her bright yellow tanktop away from her skin, feeling the slight breeze. Ugh, not to mention the color she was wearing. Not only did it attract bees, but it was a rather terrible color. Oh well, if she was going to have any chance of leaving the house, she was going to have to at least dress like a Muggle girl. Otherwise she'd never be able to hang with Dante.

Hopefully she looked presentable. He was probably the only person whose opinion actually mattered to her, aside from her own. She frowned down at her jeans, wishing that perhaps she had worn shorts today. Her blue gaze traveled downward to her regular, mildly dirty tennis shoes. Nothing special, but oh well. Kate tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, smiling lightly. Even though it was awfully, dreadfully hot, it was nice to get out of the terrible place and away from her father's never ceasing negative comments.

After what seemed like ages, the ice cream parlour came into few. She felt something like giddiness well up within his stomach, but she quickly quelled it. Yeah, right. Her, Katelynn Elizabeth Creperum, get excited at something so small as an ice cream shop? Never! Opening the door slowly, the fifteen-year-old immediately spotted Dante sitting right smack-dab in the middle of the parlour. She rolled her eyes; he could be so ridiculous sometimes. Her lips still curled into a smile, she quickly went up and ordered her ice cream.

"You seem to be a little alone," she said from behind him, holding her bowl of vanilla ice cream tightly in her hands. The blonde sat opposite him before dipping her spoon into the bowl and putting it to her lips. "I figured, I should probably keep you company. You know how considerate I can be. It's more a curse than a gift, really, to be honest." Kate smirked, not even knowing that there was a tad bit of vanilla still on her lips. She missed him. She hadn't seen him all summer, and letters didn't do the boy justice. He was her best friend, had been ever since first year. Her only friend and the only person she could halfway stand. Keyword: halfway.

[Dante Blair]

Dante had long since finished his bowl of ice cream and slid it into the center of the table. He would, at some point, get himself another bowl, but it wasn't exactly a necessity -- the customer knew best! He had already gotten a bowl of ice cream, and he had to watch his figure. Sure, he had the looks down and he was fit as a fiddle, but his metabolism was nowhere near being high. It was a shame, really, because his mother made the best meals; his parents probably thought he was anorexic, or something, but he had discovered his lack of metabolism when he was very young. Being such a disciplined child, it didn't take him long to get back into shape.

"You seem to be a little alone."

Dante recognized the voice anywhere, even in a large crowd of diverse voices. Hers stood out in such a way that it was hard for him, of all people, to forget it; they had been friends for years now, and he wouldn't let it slide if he forgot anything about her. The boy raised an eyebrow teasingly, sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms across his chest. "C'mon, Kate, we both know that my company is what you vie for. You've got some..." He wiped his finger across his lips, which curled into a gentle smirk. "Some white stuff, there."

He watched her face for a moment, meeting her eyes as best he could. All summer he had been without her actual presence, and there was only so much of the "Blair family talks" that he could handle. Being an only child really had its downsides. Sure, he was a spoiled child, but he also had to take more responsibility. He really just wanted to get out of the house and hang out with his friends -- but, of course, Katelynn was at the top of his list. He glanced down at what she was wearing, grinning slightly.

"I didn't know you were a fan of yellow," the boy remarked, looking back up at the face of the girl across from him. He leaned forward again, putting his elbows on the table and his hands to either side of his face. "How've you been, hm?"

[Katelynn Creperum]

Her smirk transformed into a playful scowl. "Me? Vie for your company? Yeah, right, Danny, we all know that you absolutely long for my company." She batted her eyelashes, feeling herself cringe on the inside. Ugh, that whole "batting of the eyelashes" nonsense was ridiculous. She had seen girls do it right in Dante's direction, and had to refrain from vomiting. Katelynn was thankful, however, when he seemed to pay them no mind. Danny was better than that; he deserved much more than a fawning fangirl. Hopefully he never forgot that and didn't go for the first thing to give him attention.

If she was any normal girl, this would have been Katelynn's turn to blush. However, she simply wiped her index finger across her lips then licked the bit of ice cream that came off. "Thanks for telling me. It would have been awfully embarrassing to walk around with that all over my face. You are an excellent friend, Dante, I don't know what I would do without you. Walk around with ridiculous food all over my face, I'm sure." Not that she would ever voice out loud, in the middle of all of these people, where she would most likely be without him. Stuck at her father's all the time, having to endure his cruelty. Magic was helpful during the hot months, that's for sure. She didn't have to go around wearing long-sleeve shirts all of the time.

She met his eyes for a moment, and her smile actually resembled something genuine and warm. Kate did rather love his eyes. Most girls swooned over blue or green or something other bright color, but she was fine with his. A nice, comforting shade of brown. Extraordinary to her. Wait, what? The blonde quickly silented those thoughts; she hated when she thought things like that, she was being stupid. Just friends. All Danny wanted to be was friends with her, and all she wanted to be was friends with Danny -- right? Right. She pushed every doubt from her mind best as she could before answering his comment about her shirt.

"Oh, right, well, it's a recent fashion statement. Horrid colours are in," she said, giving her shirt a disgusted look. "Actually, my father bought it for me, and I figured that if I had any chance of getting out today, I should probably wear it. It worked, thankfully." Katelynn frowned down at her ice cream at his next question. She propped one of her elbows up on the table and rested her chin in it. The lock of hair she had tucked behind her ear fell gently down before she said, "It's been all right, I guess. Homework's done. Dad's been more ... reasonable lately, I suppose." Kate brought her eyes back up, smiling gently. "What about you?"

[Dante Blair]

His smirk didn't subside as hers turned into a scowl -- it was possible that his smirk intensified, though only slightly. "Damn, you got me, you sly girl," he replied, adding a wink. "I think about you every night and every day.. I need to find something more entertaining to do, honestly." Truthfully, he had spent much of his summer wishing to spend time with Katelynn rather than doing his chores and listening to his father go on and on about how many wizards the Ministry arrested in one day. Of course, he wouldn't have minded spending time with Katelynn regardless of the circumstances -- as friends, of course. They were just really good friends.

Dante had to tell himself that every day. It was true that Katelynn and he were really good friends, and the odds of anything else happening were slim. Did he want to think of her any other way? No, he had to remind himself. She didn't think of him any differently, either, he knew. She trusted him, apparently, but that's what really good - best - friends did: they told each other everything. True, he had plenty of other friends, but none of them were as wonderful as Katelynn. She was always there, and she didn't try to vie for his affection like a few other girls. Besides, he wasn't like that -- he didn't take every chance he got, because relationships rarely ever worked out, least of all when you merely went by instinct.

"That you would," he replied to her sarcastic remark about the food, and his smirk turned into something of a lopsided grin. Dammit, Dante, he mused, glancing at the table behind Katelynn to form a distraction. It took him several moments to regain his conscious, normal self and look back at Katelynn. "And as an excellent friend, I recommend going to the store yourself and picking out some things. Muggles are so predictable, so it wouldn't be that hard to blend in!" Not that the yellow makes you look bad, he couldn't help thinking.

Dante stared at her to show he was paying attention, though it took some effort to keep himself from phasing out. The fact that she was staring at her ice cream helped matters slightly, but he wouldn't have minded listening to her when she actually faced him. At last, she lifted her head again, the little smile on her lips reassuring him slightly. She had told him about her father, and it really gave him the urge to cause a little mayhem -- but he was an under-aged wizard, and it wouldn't be hard for him to be convicted of a magical crime. The last thing he needed was being expelled from Hogwarts: Katelynn was there, for one, and he wouldn't hear the last of it from his father. ("Do you actually expect to get anywhere in life now you've been kicked out of Hogwarts?!" came to mind.)

"I still have loads of homework... Other than that, I've been alright. I can't take it when my father brags about his job at the Ministry, and if I hear one more lecture about hard work, I'm gonna..." He cut himself off, realizing how selfish he sounded -- he didn't have it as bad as Katelynn, and he could suck it up. His expression turned into a frown rather quickly. "Sorry, Kate..." Dante cleared his throat and glanced around toward the counter. "I'm, uh, going to get some more ice cream... You want anything?" He stood up with a little smile, picking up his now-empty bowl. "On me. The money, anyway -- I'd rather not wear my food, like you," he added, winking again.

[Katelynn Creperum]

Katelynn snorted mockingly, ignoring the fact that snorting was perhaps one of the most unnattractive things one could do. As if she needed to be attractive in front of Dante in the first please. "You know I'm the most entertaining thing to ever happen to you. You thank the gods every second for the day we met on the Hogwarts' Express." Yep, slightly cliche, but immensely true. Kate and Danny met on the scarlet train. Unfortunately, her father had been particularly aggravating, and even as a tiny eleven-year-old, she had quite the temper. She had almost pummeled Dante to death, but luckily she had been able to control herself.

She giggled rather uncharacteristically at Dante's lopsided grin, then quickly regained her composure and settled for a smirk. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl did rather love it when he smiled like that. It was so honest -- none of this holding back that people seemed to be so keen on doing. Kate didn't have many other friends, but the few she did have could never, ever measure up to hers and Danny's friendship. At least on her end. Even though they got into arguments occasionally, Katelynn couldn't imagine being friends with anybody else. All friends fought, but theirs tended to be get a tad more heated.

A melancholy pout formed on her lips. "What, I don't look that bad, do I?" Sure, yellow wasn't her favorite color (nor was it even her second, or third, or even anywhere in the top fifty), but she didn't think she looked absolutely terrible in it. She wondered vaguely what color he would like her better in. Black, probably, seeing as he tended to wear a lot of it. At least shirts-wise. But Katelynn couldn't imagine wearing black on such a hot day like this. Just think of the heat that color would attract. Her skinny body shuddered inwardly at this thought, feeling awfully glad suddenly to be wearing a bright-colored shirt. Perhaps she would get Danny a yellow shirt for Christmas. And make him wear it. Muahahahaha.

"Honestly, Danny, you need to work better at that whole procrastinating business. Only a couple weeks until we go back ... If you want, I could help you with it on the train, or something." She smiled, but then the grin quickly melted from her face. Guilt took residence in the pit of her stomach. Sometimes, she really did hate the fact that she had told Dante about her father. It made her feel selfish. "No, it's fine, Dan, I like to hear about you ..." Brushing another lock of her stubborn hair behind her ear, she brought her gaze to look at a table somewhere near them. "Mmmmm. I'm fine, still gotta finish this," she said quietly, bringing her eyse back just in time to see him wink at her.

Out of nowhere, she leaped to her feet, smiling lightly. "I don't want anything, but I would be very happy to accompany you. I don't want to resemble some little loser sitting all by her lonesome, eating her life away ..." She smirked devilishly as she looped her arm through his. "Shall we?"

[Dante Blair]

Snorting just showed that Katelynn didn't care about what other people thought, and that was just a quality that Dante liked about her. After all, you had qualities you liked about your friends, didn't you? There just happened to be several things about the girl across from him, and though they had several disagreements, he knew (or, at long least, hoped) that they would get over them at some point. They had been friends since their first year at Hogwarts, and if they could stay friends that long, they could stay friends much longer. Dante certainly hoped so. The truth was, of course, that he was glad they first met -- even if it was a pretty rough start.

The boy caught onto Katelynn's giggle rather quickly. It was but another quality he liked about her, but the qualities he liked about her weren't something he would just volunteer. And her looks... Her looks weren't the overlying quality, but he knew it was something about her he also liked. It wasn't such a crime to have a beautiful best friend, was it? Damn his hormones.

"What, I don't look that bad, do I?"

No, he thought, but his lips curled into a smirk instead. "By God, it makes you look hideous!" Dante replied, making sure his sarcasm was clear. Truthfully, yellow wasn't such a bad colour on Katelynn, but that was probably just the real Dante speaking. Anyone else would probably tell her to pick a different colour... but it didn't really matter. Maybe he could pick her up some more Muggle clothes later, and she could get out of her father's house. Just maybe...

Dante chuckled with Katelynn's next comment. He wasn't a total procrastinator -- he just didn't do his homework when he was supposed to. Was that really such a bad thing? But help wouldn't be so bad -- it was Katelynn, for one, and he really wasn't the most magical wand in the box. He couldn't help staring at her as her grin faded and his mood dropped. Had he said something to throw her off? That wasn't such a good thing to do, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. Maybe she was thinking about her father, or something, and it dropped her mood.

Dante nearly jumped backwards as Katelynn hopped up from her seat, but he controlled himself. "No, that would be terrible," he mocked, another lopsided grin forming on his lips. And then her arm looped through his -- and Dante froze. Stop spazzing! he commanded himself. Putting his arm closer to himself - and, in turn, pulling Katelynn's closer to him - Dante moved toward the ice cream counter. "If you insist."

[Katelynn Creperum]

Her mouth opened in a gasp, and she hit him playfully on the arm. "I do not look hideous! You're just jealous because you definitely couldn't pull yellow off." Although she could pull it off for him, if you catch what she's layin' dizzown. Katelynn had yet to see him without his shirt on. Every once in a while, she would have the urge to ask him, but she refrained. Even if she was just curious, she was mildly afraid that he would think she liked him ... which she totally didn't. It was simply curiosity that kept her wondering what her best friend looked like half-naked. That and a tad bit of hormones. Mostly the curiosity bit, though.

"Damn right it would be terrible. Being seen with you isn't that great, either, but we all must make some sacrifices." She flourished with the arm that wasn't looped through his, sighing dramatically. Katelynn brought her hand to her heart in a hurt sort of way. Suddenly, she felt him tense up, but she ignored it, dismissing it as her imagination. Pfft, yeah, right, Danny tense up around her. Kate's stomach gave a weak, wobbly sort of flip-flop when he pulled his arm closer to his body, dragging her along with it. She was unsure as to why she was acting like this, seeing as she had been this close to Danny before -- even closer, in fact, by means of a slight hug.

For a few moments, the blonde let him lead her to towards the counter, but before they could fully reach it, she decided to switch roles. She wasn't a fan of being a follower -- the leader position was where she liked to stand. Flashing him a smirk, she said, "Trust me, Danny, I do insist." Finally, they were positioned right in front of the counter, the cashier giving them a strange look. It was a younger girl, probably around thirteen. Her eyes slid from Katelynn to Dante. They lingered on Dante for a bit longer than Kate liked, so she quickly interrupted the "hey-let's-check-out-Dante" session by clearing her throat obnoxiously.

"Sooo, what are you gonna get? I'm leaning towards that peanut butter stuff. For you, of course," said Katelynn, smiling her most charming smile. She glanced back towards her ice cream several tables away. Dammit. It seemed to be melting rather quickly. Reaching with her free hand into her pocket, she pulled out a couple of coins. "Here, I'll take the peanut butter sundae type thing." Her blue gaze gave Dante a sideways glance, hoping that he wouldn't take it personally that she decided to pay for it herself. She just hated other people buying or doing stuff for her. It was pointless, especially when she could easily do it herself.

[Dante Blair]

"I wouldn't want to try yellow, anyway," he replied, a little smirk forming. "If you look bad enough in it, there's no telling how horrible I would look!" Dante chuckled slightly at her next comment, leaving a moment's pause. For dramatic effect? Who knew? "Thank you ever-so-much, Katelynn; your presence just makes me feel so much better." He certainly wasn't planning on going into detail, though, was he? It was just another boring Saturday, and Katelynn was here to make things better... It was nice to have an ice cream with a friend every now and then. Maybe stop by an empty store and just sit down and relax together.

Dante became aware that Katelynn was leading them, now, but he didn't linger on it. It was just ice cream, and Katelynn tended to be a bit pushy with things -- or pully, in a manner of speaking. He got annoyed by it at times, but that was probably his competitive side getting the better of him; it was just friendly competition in his mind, sometimes. Everything could be. As they arrived at the counter, the boy reached into his pocket for some coins. He caught notice of the girl's stare, and he would have winked had his conscience not told him better. He didn't want to lead her on when, in reality, he had no interest. Damn his looks!

"Peanut butter is my favourite, after all," he replied, something of a grin materializing. "You know me so well." If only they could know each other better. At least, that's what Dante would think if he had feelings for her in that kind of way, but he didn't. Silly thoughts. "But... you should let me pay. For the homework you're going to help me with later, right?" He glanced down at her, cocking his head slightly. He felt weird when other people paid for themselves; just because he was a Slytherin didn't mean he lacked respect.

[Katelynn Creperum]

"You are most definitely trying yellow. Just wait for Christmas." She smirked at him, laughing evilly on the inside and refraining from doing it on the outside as well. They both weren't a fan of Christmas, but they got each other something, anyway. "Hey, was that supposed to be a compliment? Because it sounded a tad like one," Katelynn pointed out. "You wouldn't look horrible in yellow, I don't think. Not as good as me, of course, but you'd look really bright and ... cheerful! Perhaps people would talk to you then and I wouldn't have to save you from loneliness. We could both move on to greater and better things! At least I could, anyway." Not that she would ever want to ... but she kept this knowledge to herself.

Katelynn grinned at him, chuckling. "Well, I have known you for ages so I hope I'd know something about you, especially random, pointless things. Like your love for peanut butter." Katelynn mostly knew this because she paid attention to the people around her. She was mighty observant for her stubborn, pushy self; sometimes, she much preferred to simply watch instead of acting. Besides, observing other people's actions aided her in a lot of things, mostly how the human mind worked. Yep, she was sorta weird, but oh well. She didn't care what anyone thought, for the most part.

Biting her bottom lip, the blonde thought about his suggestion. "I ... I mean, I can pay for myself, I'm not helpless. I'll still help you, you don't have to bribe me, or anything. And you can buy your own, too." Rather forcefully, she slid the coins she had in her hand across the counter and into the young girl's hands. "Sorry, Danny, but I can take care of myself," Kate assured him, a proud look clear on her face. "But hurry up and get something. You're holding up the line." She pointed at the couple of people behind them, who were talking so animatedly that they weren't even paying attention to what was happening in front of him. Truthfully, her stomach was just getting so knotted and she was afraid she would vomit if she didn't sit down soon.

[Dante Blair]

"Gee, I can't wait," he replied, his voice a mixture of calmness and sarcasm. A compliment? Would Dante compliment her? Most likely, but he wouldn't actually do it aloud, now would he? "Oh, you're such a life-saver! How could I ever thank you?" By not moving away, he thought, but that was probably something that would suit him more than it would her. Hopefully, she wouldn't run off in a different direction someday -- he really wouldn't know what he would do without her, and that wasn't just flattery. But Dante wouldn't volunteer that information, either.

"Hm, this is true," he said, contemplating a jar of peanut butter for a moment. As far as random thoughts went, that was an interesting one for him. He would have to get to know Katelynn better, sometime... casually, of course. He couldn't just stalk up to her one day and start asking her a bunch of questions, could he? That would be weird and awkward for both of them... and that wasn't his style. No, he would be sneaky and casual about it, like he tried his best to be. And he was pretty damn good at it, too, he thought.

Dante frowned slightly, glancing toward Katelynn but immediately looking away. He couldn't help feeling rude, but if she wanted to pay, he shouldn't stop her -- it might be rude of him, in his own way. Sighing gently, he gave the girl his own coins with a little nod. "I'll have the same thing," he said quietly, clearing his throat in spite of himself. Suddenly, he felt a little happier again. "Honestly, they can just get over it, now can't they?"

When the ice creams came, Dante took his and looked over at Katelynn, a tiny lopsided grin appearing. "Shall we?" he said, turning slightly but no so much as to shove her around.

[Katelynn Creperum]

Kate flashed him a sly, half-smile. "I can't wait, either. You're getting me something, right?" she said, attempting to come across as annoying and selfish. Which she probably was doing rather well. It was simple teasing, of course, and she didn't give a damn if he got her anything. But it was fun to play around. "You could thank me by getting me something super spectacular for Christmas. Like, you could buy this entire shop and give the rights over to me. Sounds quite all right to me." Yep, she knew that if she were being sirius, she would be pissed at herself. But, of course, she wasn't. Hopefully Dante played along, anyway.

As her smile transformed into a pout, she jutted her lower lip out, hoping to look exceptionally put-out and unloved. "Do you know what my favorite flavor is? If you don't, I'm afraid to say that I might have to take this amazing yellow shirt I got you straight back to the shop." Oddly enough, she didn't have a favorite flavor of ice cream. She pretty much loved all ice cream, to be honest, and any kind was all right with her. Katelynn hoped to see him struggle with his memory, trying to recall information that had never been known to him in the first place.

Now, she felt a tad guilty again. Kate tightened the arm-looping in an effort to reassure him that she was perfectly capable to pay for her own food and that he shouldn't feel bad about it. This gesture of friendship caused her stomach to squirm, though, so she didn't let it rest for too long. She half-smiled and said, "Yep, I suppose so." The blonde's lips curved into a full-smile now, and she let her blue gaze linger on Danny's face much longer than necessary. "Mmmm. Yes, we shall." She still didn't tear her eyes from his face. Maybe he would dismiss it as her trying to be intimidating, or something. But she was pretty sure that that wasn't what was actually going on.

[Dante Blair]

Dante chuckled in a mocking, sarcastic manner. "Why would I get you something for Christmas? You're silly, you know that? How about my presence be your Christmas present -- that sounds wonderful to me!" Truthfully, he probably would get her something for Christmas, but presents were meant to be a surprise, weren't they? Dante was just full of surprised, wasn't he? Probably not, but he liked to think of himself as sneaky at times. "This shop is too much for you, anyway; you might get fatter from all the ice cream." Not that she was fat right now, anyway -- she was perfectly sized, of course.

"Dammit!" he said, sighing in a dramatic fashion. "And I really wanted that shirt, too!" Dante mocked a pouting face, his lip curling and his expression somewhat moody. Yes, he could be a good actour, sometimes, and he didn't mind showing that every now and then. "If only you had a favourite flavour of ice cream, right?" He winked at her in a playful manner, his brown eyes shining with amusement. He even added a slight bow, though he didn't move too much; he didn't want to throw her off her feet, considering their arms were locked.

Consciously aware of her tightening the grip, Dante decided to drop the subject. Besides, the gesture threw him off his guard, and he wouldn't be sure of what to say, anyway. And then she was staring at him, and Dante couldn't help staring back... But why was she staring at him? Did it matter? Not really, no. Dammit, she was beautiful...

The boy quickly looked toward their table, snapping out of boyish trance and moving toward their table, glancing down to make sure his ice cream was still intact. He wasted no time in sitting down when they reached the table, not bothering to making any sly remarks about helping her sit down, or anything, and took a bite of his peanut butter sundae. Snap out of it, kid, Dante mused. Katelynn might think something's up. "Ah, is it delicious or are you going to have to throw a tantrum?" he asked in another playful manner.

[Katelynn Creperum]

"Hmmm ... if you're going to be cheap, I suppose that will have to do," sighed Katelynn. In all honesty, it was enough for her. Otherwise, she'd probably be forced to go home to her father's, and endure his endless rantings and mood swings. She found herself wishing that he would just take the medicine the Muggle doctors had prescribed for him. But, she was knowledgeable of his stubborn attitude, mainly because she had inherited it. Sighing again, the blonde brought herself back to the ice cream shop with Dante. Her lips parted in mock insult at his remark, and she said, "Are you calling me fat to begin with? You should at least not say it out loud ..."

She smirked at him before taking the first bite of her sundae with her free hand. "You better want it, because it's what you're getting," she said, some of her ice cream still in her mouth as she spoke. Not that she cared. He was eating the exact same thing, and it was just ice cream besides. Katelynn eyed a lock of hair that fell into her eyes angrily, then tucked it swiftly behind her ear. Ugh, she needed like ... hairspray or something. Or would need it, if the smell didn't make her so nauseous. The Slytherin's bright blue eyes opened wide in surprise, mostly from the fact that he remembered that. "Yeah, exactly. Right," she murmured in defeat.

Then, he was staring back. Something stole inside of her, telling her to do something dramatic and spontaneous. But she quickly stiffled that thought. Nothing's going to happen, she thought to herself. Nothing dramatic nor spontaneous. The opposite part of her was about to win when he looked away. A silent burst of color came forth on her cheeks, and there was no way in hell she was going to be able to stop that. She was being utterly ridiculous. No, beyond ridiculous. She was being immature and idiotic and imbecile-esque.

Attempting to put out the fire, Katelynn sat down across from him in a flash. She was terribly frightened to look at him now for some reason, even though she had had no problem with having a staring contest with him earlier. "No, it's fine," said replied quietly. Suddenly, there was a fierce vibrating against the leg of her jeans. Oh, shit. She forgot she even owned one of these. Her father had just bought it for her yesterday. Nervously, she fished the cell phone out of her pocket. The name on the flashing screen said "DAD" as it continued to vibrate. "Uhm, sorry, one second," she apologized to Dante before snapping open the phone.

Her father's voice rang across the other end, angry and mildly slurred. It told her to come home immediately, that if she was late, she would no longer be able to go out of the house. "Yeah, dad, don't worry, I'll be there," Katelynn said into the speaker. Once she was finished, she shut it with random anger, ignoring the wizards who were gazing at the mechanism in wide-eyed fascination. "Sorry, Danny, but ... I gotta go. That was dad. He's ... really mad, or something, as usual." She chanced a glance up at him, hoping he wouldn't mind their visit had to be cut short. He probably didn't, but she wished he did. "I'll ... see you at school." Katelynn stowed the cell phone back into her pocket, picked up her ice cream, and threw it into the nearest rubbish bin. Before she left, she gave Dante a quick, short hug and a kiss on the cheek.

... Then she left.