Oh Woe is me... (ISO Ryuu)

Participating characters:
Debora Ajdelsztajn
Ryuu Riccardo Nefis

Status: Incomplete/History

Last Post: Unknown





Debora Ajdelsztajn

"How can I then return in happy plight,
That am debarr'd the benefit of rest?
When day's oppression is not eased by night,
But day by night, and night by day, oppress'd?
And each, though enemies to either's reign,
Do in consent shake hands to torture me;
The one by toil, the other to complain
How far I toil, still farther off from thee.
I tell the day, to please them thou art bright
And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven:
So flatter I the swart-complexion'd night,
When sparkling stars twire not thou gild'st the even.
But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer
And night doth nightly make grief's strength seem stronger."

A girl´s figure could be seen reflected on the lake. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, leaving a few strays of hair waving slightly against the cold night wind. Each day Debora grew fonder and fonder of the night, although, as Shakespeare once said, both shook hands to torture her.

Tonight, however, the stars shone brightly up in the sky, like giants diamonds. What that meant, she didn´t know.

"Maybe they´re trying to make up for the other awful nights..." she thought, sitting down on the smooth grass.

If there was to be anyone around, they´d see that she was troubled, for a frown was placed on her delicate face. She had returned to Hogwarts this very night, two weeks after everyone else. What kept her? France.

"That place, why did I have to go there? They´re wicked, they are." she said to herself while brushing a strand of hair off her eyes, "I´m back now, I can avoid it at least for a little while."

The fifteen year old looked up to the sky in search of a way out of her situation. As if in answer, or not, she heard something crack. She was not alone anymore. Debora turned her head quickly and stood up, wand in hand. Her reflexes seemed to have improved over the summer.

"Who´s there?" she called out in the night, straining her eyes to see against the dark, even though the stars gave out an unusual light.


Ryuu R Nefis

The sun had already long disappeared beyond the horizon but Ryuu had still yet to step foot back to the Gryffindor tower. The few conversations he had taken part in had left him deep in thought about what was to come. Perhaps it was all part of being a seventh year, one tended to take more things in life into consideration when the time for one to leave his or her comfort zone drew almost close enough to touch. Two years had flown by so quickly it was almost as if he never had the chance to blink.

Luthien remained worried for Damian Le Fey who had been wrenched from both their lives against his will for at least the rest of this year and if Luthien had been truthful with Ryuu, his last words had arrived only in the middle of summer. What was happening with him now neither of them knew for certain. Damian's fiance had eloped, making it easier for him to return to Luthien at least somewhat, but it was impossible to know exactly what the situation would turn out to be. At least she could hope to see the youth again next year, Ryuu would no longer be here.

Still lost in thought, his steps habitually took him to the lake, the one place Ryuu found the most condusive whenever he was deep in thought. It was also the one place he spent most of his nights with Debora. Their meetings so far had been relatively formal, mostly with conversations concerning their families if not standard student affairs pertaining to education and assignments. Nothing had really been said about their relationship. Come to think of it, Ryuu had never had the chance to ask her...

"I´m back now, I can avoid it at least for a little while."

The famialiar gentle voice broke his train of thoughts. One name came racing to mind immediately; Debora.

True enough, the familiar form lay sitting by the waterside. The same watchful expression as her gaze lay fixed on the infinate bodies of light that illuminated the heavens. He could scarce contain himself and had to summon a great amount of effort to surpress the overwhleming emotion to run to her, pick her up and hold her in his arms never to let go. The urge had caused him a careless step that broke a twig in his path.

"Who´s there?"

Her reflex reaction had brought her standing up, wand in hand. Ryuu raised his hands with his palms facing her to show that he was not armed as he stepped out of the shadows of the trees that enveloped him.

"It's just me. No one else." He replied as he took another step closer to his Brazillian goddess. Allowing his hands to fall he picked up his pace as he strod over to her. Taking her gently in his arms, he brushed his lips against her cheeks and her forehead before whispering into her ears. "I've missed you so."


Debora Ajdelsztajn

"It's just me. No one else."

No one in the world could guess how thrilled Debora was to see that face. One of the few faces she wasn´t dreading to find. The only other people she could think of that wouldn´t do anything other then support her was Luthien, her dear friend, and Rinoa, who apparently wasn´t returning to Hogwarts.

However, that emotion was so strong that she couldn´t utter even a word. And if anyone could actually read that emotion on her face, it would be him: Ryuu Riccardo Nefis. His expression was as serene as it had always been, though the girl could see in his eyes as he drew closer that he was happy to see her as well.

Memories rushed back as he held her in his arms. Images of Ryuu and that Slytherin girl together, images of Debora and Ryuu´s fight by the lake, of that letter she handed back to him, although she never laid eyes on its contents. But none of them mattered now. They were all in the past.

Her heartbeat grew stronger and she returned his kiss on the cheek with closed eyes. His touch was ever so delicate and his smell was just as she remembered it.

"I've missed you so." he whispered in her ear and she could sense the hair in the back of her neck standing up.

Debora couldn´t help it, all the feelings she had for him, the good ones, returned stronger then ever.

"Oh, I so hoped you would say that," Debora said, her hands touching around his back as she hugged him tighter. She never wanted to let go of him.

Not ever.

But she had to, so she loosened her grip and went back a pace.

"I missed you so much!" she continued, the sadness increasing as she looked deep into his emerald eyes. One could get lost inside them easily. However, she was troubled, so she stared down at the grass. The young girl didn´t know exactly how he felt about her, and Ryuu was blessed enough not to know what her fate was to be.


Ryuu R Nefis

He never wanted this moment to end. Him, by the lake side holding Debora in his arms. Such close proximity had only been part of his memories and his dreams day after day and night after night up till now. His mind and body could only relinquish and cherish the moment he had with her for he knew he wouldn't have long and perhaps he might never have the same chance again.

Her grip along his back grew tighter as they held on to each other in warm embrace. Ryuu could feel his cheeks burning as his own hold on her tightened. No matter how many times he had courted her, the lion never failed to blush when he held her in close embrace.

"Oh, I so hoped you would say that,"

"Well now I have." He murmured, kissing her ears.

Perhaps he had been deprived of her presence for far too long for it took a great deal of effort to restrain himself from doing any more to his fragile beau. It was as if she would break if he held on to her any tighter.

As beautiful as the moment had seemed, it ended as Debora stepped away from him, breaking from his arms. Ryuu released her reluctantly, but continued to hold on to her hands in his, sharing whatever warmth he had with her as he waited for her to speak.

"I missed you so much!" The soft, quiet voice whispered in great sincerity. And yet, there was unmistakably a soft hint of sadness in her speech. A wave of panick overcame him for a moment as he wondered if she had heard about the fate that awaited him back in Venice. Calming his drumming heartbeat he dismissed the thought - he didn't want to spoil the moment, at least not yet. Perhaps he could change what was to happen before it did, then Debora would never know what had almost happened and wouldn't have been forced to worry for no rational reason.

"I've missed you too my love." Ryuu held her tiny hands to his lips, close enough to kiss but at a distance and brought them to his cheek instead. "I've missed you so badly I felt like a desert deprived of rain!"


Debora Ajdelsztajn

Debora´s cheeks burned and shivers ran down her spine when Ryuu kissed her ears. Pleasant shivers though. Who could have imagined this? But as she stepped back, she noticed the faintest gleam of sadness in Ryuu´s eyes. He looked like he was trying to hide something, and she was suddenly worried, not about her, but about him.

But the sadness lifted from his eyes like a veil being lifted from someone´s face. Maybe there was something bothering him as much as something was bothering her, however, she knew him well enough to know that he would not open up about it right at this moment.

He had never let go of her hands even as she moved away from his embrace, and for that she was thankful. Never did she want so badly to be close to anyone in her entire life. The boy brought her hands to his cheeks, and she dearly hoped he wouldn´t feel the cold and nervousness she was feeling.

"I've missed you too my love. I've missed you so badly I felt like a desert deprived of rain!"

Oh, this was too much! Had she heard him right? "My love.." he had said, "like a desert desert deprived of rain..."

Could this be real? Her legs were suddenly weak, and her cheeks burned fiercely. Her brown eyes shone brightly, because of both hapiness and the reflection of the sparkled sky.

"I must have misheard you," she said in disbelief, still not believing the words that had just come out of his mouth. Not because she doubted her ears, but she doubted she would ever hear them coming out of him. He, who had once fled from her without words or regard.

The girl struggled to find words, and took another moment before she found them. She lowered her hands to his shoulders. He was far taller than her, and she did not trust her hands not to quiver.

"Do you mean that? Or am I mistaking the meaning of your words?" she questioned, nervous for an answer. She desperately hoped he meant what she thought he meant.

"For I, in turn, have the same feelings."

Her fingers fidgeted unconsciously, a habit, and she stared deep into his emerald eyes, searching for the answer herself, even if he decided not to give it to her.


Ryuu R Nefis

Her body had started to tremble just moments after her cool hands touched his cheek. Was it out of nervousness or the cold? A light flush across her cheeks told him the answer. Smiling softly, he closed his hands around her's transfering his warmth.

"I must have misheard you," There was a faint stammer in her voice as she said those words. Ryuu released her from his hold and waited to see what she had meant by those words. What was there to misunderstand? He had meant every word he had said.

"Whatever do you mean?" He wanted to ask, but held his silence and decided to wait for her answer as the girl brought her hands down to his shoulders. Her hands were still shaking.

"Do you mean that? Or am I mistaking the meaning of your words?"

Then he understood. She had never noticed his advances as anything like one where a young man wooed a lady. Perhaps it was because he had always been more approachable to her and had once asked her to be like a sister to him whilst he was at Hogwarts, therefore she had sensed nothing amiss on the few occations he had held her in his arms. Another probable reason related to his history. He had stayed over at the Wischard estate a few times in his youth and had watched the practices of the French. Monsieur Wischard and Armadeo had then tutored him in the ways of the French nobles of which his own father had approved. It had been common practice among the gentlemen in France and Beauxbatons, and considering his past, perhaps that was why she had thought it normal for him to kiss her hand on those numerous times he did.

"For I, in turn, have the same feelings."

The lioness was wavering in her words but Ryuu did not blame her. As if to assure her he pulled her to him once more and wrapped his arms around her, burrying his face in her hair for what seemed like hours before finally speaking.

"It's my fault mademoiselle." The formal tone had returned again. "I had not made my emotions clear. I have loved you for as long as I can remember *chéri."

Ryuu broke away from her for a moment and held the lioness at an arm's distance, locking his gaze. "Je vous aime bien-aimé... I love you..." The seventh year gently tilted her face upwards as he lowered his own. He hesitated for a moment as he looked deep into her eyes, then slowly brought his lips down on her's.

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Chéri - Darling
Bien-aimé - Sweetheart