Sweet Like Chocolate

[Catherine Weasley]

Catherine had been feeling restless lately and had decided that shopping would soothe her nerves. Her stepmother had joined her on this excursion and the day had been enjoyable so far. Catherine was still sorely disappointed over her dashed hopes but she knew that her father had a point. It wasn't like she had actively worked to secure a suitor, especially with the season having gone so horribly. There was nothing that she could do about any of that so she had chosen to try and not worry about it so much. She was still young and she would get to enter an internship for healing next September. This was just a bump in the road, that was all.

Decidedly quite cheery, Catherine and her stepmother had decided to stop in at Honeydukes. The older woman had immediately gone to the section stocked with Mister Daltons favorites while Catherine wandered around the front of the shop, not quite sure what she wanted for herself. Standing in front of the chocolate selections, she pondered over the choices.

  

[Ezra Fairclough]

This was terrible. Honeyduke’s was becoming a problem for Ezra. He didn’t know why, but he had been craving sweets lately. Not very sweet things, but more sweets than he often ate. He had purchased a licorice wand earlier this month and now he was returned with the intent of buying some cinnamon candies or possibly peppermints – he wasn’t sure which candies yet.

Ezra entered the shop and found it to be rather quiet. Of course, Honeyduke’s was never as busy during the fall as it was during the summer. The students had gone off to school and business wouldn’t likely pick up again until the holiday season.

Ezra began to peruse the shop until his eyes fell upon a young lady looking at chocolates. He didn’t know why (and it seemed very odd to him), but once he saw her, he couldn’t take his eyes of her. It was an instant attraction—suddent and quick, like being shot by Cupid’s Arrow. Ezra didn’t particularly like the feeling, but he couldn’t help himself. She was beautiful!

He began to edge his way towards her like a shy schoolboy trying to sneak his way towards his crush. He may have been inexplicably attractive to her, but he hadn’t lost himself totally. However, he had never acted on his feeling before—not like this anyway.

Once he had sidled up next to her, he pretended to look at the chocolates, all the while looking at her from the corner of his eye. He didn’t really know what to say; he felt so flustered! She was so beautiful though. What could he say to get her attention? To start a conversation? He fidgeted slightly and accidentally bumped into her—or had he done it intentionally?

“Oh! E-excuse me, please!” he said, blushing deeply—deeper than ever.

veela!Ezra is awkward. >>; Hope you don't mind. ^^;

  

[Catherine Weasley]

Catherine was rather oblivious to the fact that she had captured someones attention. Her thoughts pondered between the chocolate frogs or one of the other types of chocolate that the shop possessed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted a man moving towards her but she didn't think much of the fact. Obviously, he wanted some chocolates too! Tucking a stray strand of blonde back into place, Catherine was slightly ignorant of the fact that the man from earlier had sidled up next to her. Obviously, he was having trouble choosing chocolates too.

Catherine was startled when he bumped into her, almost out of nowhere or so it felt. The blonde stumbled a tiny bit from the bump but managed not to fall over or any other embarrassing thing. The man was positively scarlet! Had she hurt him in some way? Catherine could not see how that was possible but one just never knew. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, am I in your way?" She asked, assuming that to be the reason he had bumped into her.

  

[Ezra Fairclough]

The woman was a bit startled by him, it seemed, but she recovered quickly. Oh, what a lovely voice she had! And how considerate she was! What was he supposed to say? The only reason he had come over to the chocolate selection was to talk to her. She would never be in the way. She was perfect. Her features were so flawless and fair—And what a sweet nature, Ezra thought with admiration.

“You’re not in the way at all, miss. I’m so sorry. I was terribly clumsy,” Ezra declared, still feeling his cheeks burning. What was wrong with him? He had never felt so flustered about a woman before. He had never felt so unlike himself. What was he trying to do? To impress her? He didn’t even know her! But she was so lovely and her voice was sweet—she was sweet!

He had to keep the conversation going.

“Do you have any recommendations, miss?” he asked. “I’m not very fond of chocolate myself, but I’m getting them for someone, you see,” he explained hurriedly.

For someone? Who? Who was that someone? Why was he making up all these excuses? [Marianne] wasn’t particularly fond of chocolate and neither was he. Who was he buying chocolates for then? He looked at the woman again and it dawned on him. He wanted to buy chocolates for her! The thought nearly floored him and a fresh flood of blush rose into his cheeks.

How he hated this, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to just leave her...

  

[Catherine Weasley]

Catherine was glad to see that she was not in the mans way. "Oh, it was no trouble at all, no harm done," she assured when the man apologised and called himself clumsy. Was he ill? His face seemed quite red to her. Maybe it was the lighting of the shop.

She had not expected to be asked her opinion so she had to think for a moment, blue eyes looking over the selections as they had been earlier. "Well, sir, chocolate frogs are fun if it is for a student or a child," she started, wondering if the man had confused her for an employee. She did not want to embarrass him even more by correcting him though! "I personally despise cockroach clusters and those chocolates with the blood in them. I suppose the latter would be good for a part vampire though." Catherine noticed that the mans cheeks were red once more. Good Heavens, was he ill? "Are you all right, sir?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

  

[Ezra Fairclough]

He had to calm himself. He needed to stop feeling so bashful and embarrassed. She obviously noticed his discomfort and concern was written on her face. Ezra slowed his breathing and closed his eyes momentarily. The urge to be near her dulled and he felt more like himself again. Yes, he was himself again. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Feeling more confident, he opened his eyes again. He could see her out of the corner of his eye and felt the urgent feelings return, but he didn’t feel so shy anymore.

He commanded himself to keep his wits about him—to not lose his head over some strange woman. A woman he had never seen before. He wondered if she perhaps had taken some kind of potion to arouse attraction to her from the opposite sex. Ezra braved a look at her. She didn’t seem that sort of girl. Really, despite his strange desires, she seemed like a genuinely sweet girl. What was causing him to feel what he was feeling then? He wasn’t the sort of man to lose his head.

He hadn’t really been able to pay attention to her suggestion of what chocolates to buy. He was too busy fighting whatever these peculiar urges and desires were. But he had heard her question.

“I’m quite all right,” he assured her, though his face looked perplexed as he watched her. “Are you – Did you—?” Ezra couldn’t finish his question. It would be rude to do so, but there was something this woman did to cause this stirring of feelings inside him, these unnatural feelings.

She must have taken a potion or something, Ezra thought.

Would it be better to just leave now? He understood she was the cause of it. But what exactly had she done? Ezra knew of love potions and charms, but there wasn’t one that the concocter could take. The only powerful love potion he was aware of was one that the concocter gave to the one s/he loved in order to create feelings of love and attraction in the victim.

This girl was indeed a puzzle and although on the brink of losing his senses again, Ezra couldn’t bring himself to leave. Not just because of her charm or spell, but because of his own curiosity.

  

[Catherine Weasley]

The man was concerning her very much, something was so obviously wrong with him. Or was he just a crazy person? He had not seemed so but then again, appearances could be deceiving. The man closed his eyes and that seemed to be helping him and her eyes strayed to the other occupants of the shop but no one else seemed to be acting so oddly.

He seemed to be feeling better though Catherine was still wary about him. Was she in some sort of danger? She couldn't be, she decided, since her step mother was in the shop as well. He was watching her now with a perplexed look on his face. Catherine was aghast at the start of his question even though he did not finish it. She was feeling very near tears, just what was he accusing her of?! She was a good, proper girl and never went anywhere without a chaperone and always did as was expected of her. "What are you accusing me of, sir? If I have done something wrong, I would appreciate knowing considering I merely was standing here when you approached." All she had wanted was chocolate.

Belatedly, Catherine realised that he was acting this way due to her. The realisation made her want to cry even more. She never used her veela charms on purpose except subtly a time or two and she certainly had not now. Obviously, her nature was getting stronger now that she was older. Catherine wondered if she should just get locked away in a convent or something.

  

[Ezra Fairclough]

She seemed angered by his words, but angered melted into offense and then into hurt. Before Ezra really understood what was going on, the woman was in tears. She wasn’t crying hysterically, but she was crying. Ezra’s confusion disappeared. She isn’t meaning to, Ezra thought to himself. And suddenly, it clicked. A veela! She was a veela!—or had veela blood in her. No woman, even the best actress, could fake such an upset as this girl was experiencing.

“Miss,” he said softly, his eyes deeply concerned. The feelings of attraction suddenly lifted by the woman’s distress. “Miss, I am sorry. I – I didn’t understand.” He kept his tone gentle and his voice soft, so not to attract unwanted attention. “I hope you’ll forgive me.” He dug into his coat pocket for a handkerchief. It was unused and clean. “Here. Please don’t cry, miss.” He extended the cloth to the crying lady.

  

[Catherine Weasley]

Catherine had no real clue what to do in the situation that she was finding herself in. No one had reacted so strongly to her before so it was an entirely new experience. There was a stray thought that remembered that the man had been able to come to some of his senses by closing his eyes, thus not looking at her. Which meant that Mister Weasley and Ellesborough had sought to contact her even after the fog had probably lifted from their minds. The thought was enough to slightly cheer her up as was the feel of the small song book tucked in her dress pocket.

"It's all right, sir. And my name is Miss Catherine Dalton," she said as she took the handkerchief from him with slightly trembling hands. It was quite lucky that her stepmother had not noticed. She wasn't sure what the woman would have done, if anything. The man seemed nice enough but Catherine was still slightly wary. Catherine wasn't sure if he knew anything about what blood lay in her veins but she hoped he knew nothing. Her father had always insisted that no one ever know what she was.

  

[Ezra Fairclough]

The incident created a sombering effect between the two strangers. Ezra had no doubt he had made a terrible impression upon the young woman, but he couldn’t really blame himself. And he couldn’t really blame her either. It was simply an unfortunate circumstance. She apparently had no idea of what she had done and it was obviously unintentional. Ezra himself knew little about veelas and he had never met one or one of their descendants, but Ezra didn’t like the effects that veela blood seemed to have on him. It was very disturbing and, in his opinion, worse than being drunk.

Still, Ezra was rightfully ashamed of himself. His start of an impertinent question obviously upset the young woman considerably.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dalton,” Ezra said carefully. He didn’t know if he should introduce himself to her. Wouldn’t it be best for both of them if he simply apologized and walked away?

“I am truly sorry for upsetting you. I made a complete fool of myself and no doubt have left you feeling very uncomfortable, so I shan’t keep you.” He dipped his head politely to her and began to take his leave.

It was funny how quickly his desire for sweets disappeared.

  

[Catherine Weasley]

Catherine blamed herself for the entire situation. The idea of a convent was so very tempting. "Of course, sir," she murmured, letting him leave. He didn't give her his name and she supposed there was nothing much that could be done about that. He had been properly apologetic though Catherine thought she was the one at fault. She was no longer in the mood for chocolates, so she waited for her stepmother to finish before quietly asking to go home. She just wanted to curl up and be anywhere but High Street.