Midnight Snacks, Just After Noon

[Somerset Agrippa]

"They're a midnight snack," Grip told the house elves, trying to sound convincing.


The elves eyed him for a moment, then conferred amongst themselves. One of them looked over suspiciously. "Meednight snack ees for meednight," complained one.


"I missed my last midnight snack. And now I'm starving," Grip said, placing a hand on his stomach to emphasize his last statement. Usually house elves were more than happy to give away food, but they'd begun to grow suspicious, since Grip came down to the kitchens almost more frequently than he went to class. Also, the plate of strawberries in question was an item of particular interest to them, since strawberries were nowhere near in season and therefore to huge, ripe fruits were something of a rarity in the kitchen this time of year. For some reason, though, Grip knew it had to be strawberries. For some reason, Elsie just seemed like the kind of girl who would love strawberries, even if he'd never seen her eat any. There were so many questions his friends would ask about his current situation; why strawberries? Why Elsie Beauregard? To which Grip had no better answer than Well, why not?


The elves eyed him again, as if to peer into his stomach and see if he was really starving. Grip sighed in frustration. "Fine, keep 'em," he huffed, turning to go. As far as he was aware Elsie was still taking some time to warm up to him, and he hadn't exactly promised her strawberries, so the failure of his plan would not have been monumentally heartbreaking for her. Still, if he was going to have any interaction with her at all, he couldn't stay and argue over strawberries. He'd seen her out on the lawn, and chances are she wasn't planning on staying there forever, despite how nice of a day it was.


"Wait," squeaked one of the younger-looking house elves. Glaring at her compatriots, she took the plate of strawberries and approached. "Take strawberries."


"Thanks," Grip said, wondering if there was any appropriate way to show his gratitude towards a house elf. For a minute, he felt a little awkward, then decided he'd best just leave. "Thank you very much. I'll leave the plate in the Common Room," he said, knowing that many of the same elves would be cleaning his Common Room that night. Then, taking the strawberries before they changed their mind, he departed the kitchen and headed for the lawns.


The day was even nicer than he'd remembered; he'd only been outside a second or two until he'd caught sight of Elsie and had his idea to surprise her with strawberries. The sun was warm and the breeze was gentle enough to provide a nice temperature relief, but not to disturb the pages of books or papers, for those who were reading or studying. Casting a glance around the lawns briefly, he spotted her and headed over, switching the plate of strawberries to his other hand. As soon as he was close enough he sat down beside her, not waiting for any sort of invitation. "Care for a strawberry, milady?" he said, affection a pompous tone playfully. He circled the plate in front of her in a way that was hopefully tempting. "Ya might as well have some," he said, dropping the fake accent. "I got 'em for ya."

  

[Elsie Beauregard]

Elsie was going to take advantage of the weather while it decided to stay nice. She wasn't a fan of the weather up here, compared to the mildness of the coast, so she tried to stay outside as long in the fall as she could before it came too cold and rainy. Her own classes were over for the day, only have a couple in the morning and a long one after tea, and they had gone well. Class was never particularly hard for her, but this year, with their O.W.L.'s at the end of the year, it seemed, even though it was still early in the year, their professors were piling on the work. She'd done her required reading and the books were piled next to her, her own notes taken on parchment tucked inside. She still had an essay to start, but that could wait until later. It wasn't due for another two weeks, but she wanted to get a start on it. She never procrastinated on schoolwork, it just wasn't in her nature.

She as currently reading a Mark Twain novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for the first time. She enjoyed Twain's style and had read some of his others. Supposedly he had a new one that came out this year, which she would no doubt ask her parents for at Christmas. They never denied her books and she rarely asked for trivial things. Her locket was the only jewelry she owned and that had been a surprise from her father. Her brothers and sister would be done with class soon and they would all go to dinner soon. She was enjoying the sunshine, but sat half in the shade, the skirts of her lavender striped dress spread around her as she sat with her book under her favorite oak tree by the lake. She wasn't exactly ready for an interruption as Grip sat down beside her. Mildly annoyed and very curious about his continued interruptions to her day, she tried very hard no to convey those emotions. He puzzled her, but that too wasn't something she was going to outwardly say.

"No, thank you." She smiled at him nevertheless, trying not to be rude. Grip was a strange oddity in her life at the moment. They had been in the same class, same house for four years before this and now, suddenly, he was taking an interest in her? Something just didn't add up. She didn't know much about him except that he rarely went to class. She never saw much of him outside of the few times he attended class either. She frequented the library and the common room, outside in the nice weather and that was about it. He tended to cause trouble wherever he went and that was something Elsie was trying to avoid, yet here he was, sitting next to her, strawberries in hand and a suspicious smile on his face.

"I'm waiting for my siblings, so we can go to supper." She explained, feeling back for turning him down without one. "Thank you for the offer though, they look delicious." The strawberries really did look enticing and she knew a couple wouldn't ruin her dinner, but she didn't want to encourage whatever Grip had brewing in his head. She wasn't sure of his intentions, if he was genuinely interested or if he was simply being a fifteen year old boy. Elsie was never one to be outwardly rude, but without knowing where this was all coming from, she was wary of him. Then again, she didn't know much about him and judging him based on the gossip she heard about him in the common room wasn't fair either. Elsie had never mastered small talk though, especially with boys, so she was at a loss for what else to say. Maybe he would take the hint and just disappear. He didn't seem like the type take things personally.

  

[Somerset Agrippa]

Refusal was nothing to one as determined as Grip, and he had a sort of junkyard dog obstinacy when it came to things he had set his mind to. Nothing would stand between him and what he wanted. So when he set out to give Elsie Beauregard a plate of strawberries, he had done so knowing that this goal would be achieved, despite what the house elves wanted or even what Elsie wanted. A normal suitor would have been discouraged by her refusal (though they might have clung faithfully to the hope of her smile), but Grip just smiled a bit more wryly, as if to say without saying, 'Oh, playing hard to get, that's cute.'

Yes, girls were a game to Grip, but it was a game that he knew all the rules of, which was more than could be said for most of the boys his age or even older, and it was a game he took pleasure in winning as often as possible. Without missing a beat, he popped a smaller strawberry into his mouth as she mentioned how delicious they looked, squeezing the little green stem off as he did so and discarding it in the grass. "They are delicious," he agreed. "Though I think I may be biased. I'm a fan of strawberries in general," he said, hoping that he'd guessed right in assuming that strawberries were something she enjoyed and that he could use this as some common ground, however small it might be, from which to launch a conversation. "You'll have to try one to tell me if I'm right or not," he concluded, holding the plate out to her again and circling it as if the aroma itself would be enough to wet her appetite.

"I got these from the kitchen," he continued, "And they said they were some of the last strawberries they had. If you don't have one, they're all going to go to waste," he complained playfully.

So far she had refused once; three was his limit before he would have to leave. Not that he would by any means give up on the prospect of sharing strawberries with Elsie Beauregard; more that he would have to approach the problem differently. He'd leave under the pretense of being ground down to submission by her repeated rebuff, leaving her to her studies. After a few minutes had passed, though, she'd find a strawberry floating into her lap, delivered by an origami swan, or something like that. Grip tried to recall exactly how to make an origami swan; it had been months since he'd last employed that tactic. Which was for the best; it was best to have rather long periods between recycling wooing techniques, or else girls, whom, he had founded, tended to talk, might realize that what appeared at first the stroke of a brilliant Romeo was nothing more than a common con. And that was really not in anyone's best interests; the girls would be heartbroken, he'd lose his squeeze, his reputation would suffer a little more, they would be mortified at having ever given in to him... et cetera. Grip's ploys were harmless, all in all, so it was best that most of the girls he practiced them on stayed blissfully ignorant.

Eyes still on Elsie, Grip smiled encouragingly. "Just try one."

  

[Elsie Beauregard]

Marking her place in her book and closing it, Elsie tilted her head to look at Grip. He looked harmless enough, but she knew better. She'd seen him in the midst of his shenanigans in the common room and she wasn't exactly sure what to do about him. Then again, what would having a few strawberries before they went out of season really mean? She didn't want to encourage him at all, but maybe if she had a couple he would go away and leave her to her reading? Elsie had zero knowledge of how to interact with boys, unless it was in class and especially those expressing some kind of interest in her. Seriously? Who would be interested in her? All of the help her sister ever gave her was, 'just be yourself.' Which wasn't exactly helpful. And all of her friends were as shy as she was, so they had little advice in this manner. The only reference she had was from the stories she read and even then, there weren't clear guidelines on how to handle a situation like Somerset Agrippa. There was something in his smile that was telling her he wasn't being sincere, but how could she really tell?

"Fine." She said finally, still in awe of why he was sitting next to her. It really didn't make sense. She was tempted just to tell him to go away, but that would be rude and she didn't want to be rude. She chuckled ever so slightly when he held the plate out again. It was the manner in which he circled the plate in front of her like that, like he was being so smooth and tempting. Sighing in resignation, she plucked a small one from the plate and took a bite. It seemed unladylike to eat the whole thing in one gulp. It was nice and fresh, though she was certain their season would be over soon. She wondered if Grip's stealing of them would mess up the evening meal somehow.

"They are very good." She conceded with a nod. Strawberries were one of her favorite fruits. Her mother often made tarts in the summer and if she was lucky and they had an early crop, for her birthday in May. Elsie enjoyed all fresh fruit really, and as it was hard to come by in the winter, she may as well indulge now. Taking another bite to finish off that berry, she tossed the stem in the grass, much like he had. "Thank you for sharing." She said politely, wondering if that would be enough for him to take the hint. "Just how did you charm these out of the kitchen elves?" She was curious and it seemed that he was going to pursue her attention for the moment and while she was thoroughly enjoying her book, Harvey was always telling her to lighten up a little and enjoy some company. And while she wasn't sure of this current situation, she may as well see how it played out.

It may turn out that she was only stroking his ego, but who knew, maybe he needed a friend. She doubted it, she saw him leaving the common room later in the evening and not returning before she headed to bed. She could only assume he was out causing trouble or sneaking around with a girl. But who could really tell? Taking another strawberry, she smoothed out the skirt of her dress with other hand. It was hard not to fidget when she was slightly uncomfortable, but she managed after eating the second berry by folding her hands in her lap.

  

[Somerset Agrippa]

Elsie had put her book away. Score one for Grip.

She'd agreed to take a strawberry. Score two for Grip. She'd even chuckled. The battle was won already. Girls were so predictable. Sweet girls, innocent girls, like Elsie, could usually be won over with something sweet; a bit of chocolate, a pocket-sized sugar statue, a plate of strawberries. Not that Elsie was entirely won over, not yet, but she was well on the road, Grip knew; it was only a matter of time now. He watched as she took a bite of her strawberry, such a delicate, ladylike bite. She was really his opposite in almost every way, which made Grip again pause to consider what sort of criteria they used to place people in houses. He also wondered if that had anything to do with why he was so bent on breaking her down and stealing a kiss. He'd heard it said before that opposites attract, but he certainly hadn't seen that in practice much in his own life experiences; slum rats usually ended up attached to other slum rats, though sometimes that was because they were pregnant and needed to get married quickly. On the other hand, girls who had money seemed to be only attracted to men who had even more money. Maybe that spoke more on human nature, though, than on what they were really attracted to. He'd seen plenty of middle and upper-class girls intrigued by his advances, even knowing his social class (as Grip had never made any move to hide it). Perhaps it said something, however, that while they were willing to sneak off into the night and be kissed and fondled, and some were even willing to risk the possibility of getting impregnated (though he was not willing to take this risk with them, which sometime disappointed girls who had seen him as the deflowering type), none ever tried to pursue a serious relationship with him; there was no talk of courtship and certainly no mention of marriage. He was romantic and fun, but not "true love" material, at least not for most girls.

Grip took another strawberry as she took the final bite of hers, tossing his stem into the grass exactly as she did. He didn't know why, but girls liked that kind of thing; stepping in sync, doing things in unision seemingly without thinking. It spoke to some sort of perceived unity of spirit, he supposed, and while it sounded silly to think about it in such terms, it usually worked pretty well. He swallowed his strawberry and flashed a smile at her as she commented on how it tasted, changing his position so that his legs were crossed beneath him and he could rest the plate of strawberries on his knee, closest to Elsie so that they were equally available to both students.

"Maybe because I'm just such a charming guy," he joked in response to her question about the house elves, laughing to let her know he wasn't really that conceited. Of course, he was, to a certain extent, but he knew the importance of appearing otherwise. Grip had no illusions of grandeur; he knew that he was relatively insignificant, poor, not incredibly athletic and certainly not book-smart (he could only just read and write), but he also knew his strengths. He was charismatic, he was street-smart, and he knew how to play and fool people. He was also a pretty decent thief, but these talents were mostly irrelevant in Hogwarts.

"Little known fact, but house elves hate letting students go hungry," he added, taking another strawberry. "And there weren't enough strawberries left to use for the whole school, so why not give them away?" he added. He had no idea if the first statement was true, but it was a useful lie; it added a layer of guilt if she chose not to eat the strawberries, since they couldn't be used elsewhere and would just have gone bad otherwise. Eat another strawberry, he pleaded mentally, knowing that if she continued to nibble on them, they could continue to converse.

  

[Elsie Beauregard]

El couldn't help it, she really couldn't, she laughed at him when he answered her question. Pressing her lips together to stop herself, she tilted her head and looked at him. "I'm sorry," She smiled at him, another little chuckle escaping. It was out of character for her to laugh at somebody like that. "Really sorry." She wasn't sure why she found his answer so funny. He really was a charismatic guy, he could probably charm just about whatever he wanted out of whomever he wanted, but she still found it a little amusing that he would just up and say it like that. She immediately regretted her outburst, but was fairly sure that his feelings wouldn't be hurt. "Please don't take that personally, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh, I couldn't help it." She was embarrassed that she had done that. It wasn't nice to laugh at people, no matter what you were really thinking. It was hard to take him seriously sometimes, which wasn't fair, considering she didn't know him very well. They had hardly spoken before this, maybe a few times in class here and there, but never at length. They were completely opposite in every way. Grip never went to class Elsie couldn't get enough of it. He broke rules, she obeyed them at all costs, she rarely wandered outside that castle and she was pretty sure he'd wandered in the Forbidden Forest. Elsie had to admit, she was curious, but did not have the guts to investigate any further than what her texts on the school would tell her.

Trying to relax a little after her faux pas, she brought her knees up to her chest, making sure her skirts were still sorted and covering her legs. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her cheek on her knee so that she was looking at him. He puzzled her and she wasn't sure if she wanted to figure out his intentions or just let him do whatever it was he hand in mind. This whole thing was a little surreal. El wasn't sure if she should be worried or just let it happen.

"I've never been in the kitchens," She admitted in an attempt to move the conversation along. Elsie liked to wander the castle and figure out new places to visit, but she had never found the kitchens. Even if she had, she wouldn't be sure if she was allowed to or not. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever met a house elf either." No, she was pretty sure she hadn't. She'd seen some in the houses of her father's business associates, but had never interacted with one. She'd have to take his word about their dealings with people. She'd read about them in books, though she felt awful about how they were treated, she hoped the ones at school were in a better situation than most serving upper class families.

Despite herself, she took another strawberry, telling herself it would be the last one. They were rather delicious; it was hard not to keep eating them. Either he would get bored with her soon, which was what she assumed would happen, or darkness would set in. Hopefully neither would take too long. She felt awkward and out of place in this situation and she was trying to take her sister's advice of just being herself, but it was hard when she wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Half o her wanted to just ask him what he was plotting out, the other half was just willing to go with it. The attention was flattering to say the least and while she knew she should be wary of him, part of her was enjoying herself through the awkwardness.

  

[Somerset Agrippa]

Grip smiled as she laughed, unsure of exactly what he'd said that had caused such a reaction, but pleased by it nonetheless. Grip was certainly no scientist; he had no knowledge of brain functions and did not fully understand the relationship between smiling, laughing, and feeling happy, but he did have enough real-life experience to see that there was a definite relationship. When people laughed, they were enjoying themselves; even if they hadn't been enjoying themselves previously, they started to. It didn't matter why she was laughing; the fact that she was meant that when she remembered this event, later tonight or later this week, she would remember it as a happy meeting. That, in turn, would connect to her feelings regarding Grip... happy times, happy memories, happy feelings for the future. It was all connected--this much he understood--and laughter was always a good sign, especially the innocent, wonderfully joyous laughter that Elsie possessed, without even a hint of malice or derision.

"Don't apologize fer laughing," he responded jovially. "Yer even prettier when ye laugh." He knew that this might have crossed a line with her, socially, but that was part of what made him attractive to members of the opposite sex--the fact that he was willing to push those boundaries, in ways that every girl wanted but no girl realized she wanted.

"How've ye never met a house elf?" he asked, honestly surprised by her answer. "Ye seem like the kind o' girl to have two or three," he said, hoping that the implication she took from that was that her clothing was beautiful and fancy, not that she was in any way stuck up or snobbish. Grip was never attracted to those types of girls, though he sometimes pretended to be just to make them squirm. Taking another strawberry when she did, he continued, "They're awful nice. Always willin' ta give away food when ye want it." Less so, with Grip, since he came so often, but even he had never been turned away empty handed, and usually visitors to the kitchen were positively lavished with attention.

"The kitchen elves are nicest," he continued, "It's behind a tapestry. Near the Hufflepuff rooms... but I guess ye don't know where those are, either?" he guessed, as she didn't seem the type to sneak into other people's common rooms. He generally avoided it whenever possible, but it was good to know at least where the entrances were located for the various houses, so that he could catch people from other houses when he needed to, especially his friends. He didn't know the passwords or anything, but in a pinch, if he had to, he figured he could locate that information somewhere and get into any of them with very little to-do.

  

[Elsie Beauregard]

Glad to find she hadn't offended him, Elsie relaxed her shoulders as they had tensed in the few minutes they'd been talking. It didn't last long however as she felt her cheeks flush at his compliment. She had no way to hide it either which was even more embarrassing and therefore made her flush even more. She knew he was charming, but now she was finding herself succumbing to it and wasn't sure if she wanted to or not. Her indecision was really a terrible thing. It plagued her over just about everything outside of school. In school she was so sure of herself, of her homework and her grades, socially and in the real world, she was a lost little girl.

She shook her head again, feeling the pink tinge her cheeks again when he assumed that she had house elves at home. Surely he couldn't think she was in the upper class. After five years of schooling together he didn't even know that. Not that Elsie knew much of her classmates either, but she could kind of tell where they came from. Then again half of them bragged about their station in life and for those who didn't she could safely assume they weren't of a higher social standing, unless they had real manners. Elsie's mother had drilled manners into her head, insisting that a place in life meant nothing if you didn't appreciate what you did have. Elsie certainly appreciated all she had in life, so she had no reason to be anything but polite.

"Really? I've read about them, but that is about it." Her readings about house elves wasn't all that explanatory, she supposed Grip was a more reliable source in that regards, having actually interacted with some, where Elsie hadn't. Her books were more informational, about the history and so on and so forth, but to hear about actual encounters with them was rather amusing. "No, I don't know where the Hufflepuff common room is." She shrugged. They weren't really supposed to know the location of the other houses. "But now I know what to look for if I need a midnight snack."She giggled, just a little despite herself, realizing she was having a good time. She wasn't sure what to think about that, but she was. For now she was going to take it at face value. She would never actually sneak down to the kitchens; she had a little stash of treats hidden away in her trunk in her dormitory.

El was sure that Grip probably had some great first-hand knowledge of the castle. There were things she was dying to see, but now, especially with the new regulations about escorts, she wasn't able to go and search them out. "I've always wanted to just explore the whole castle. There have to be some wonderful secret passages, I'd love to know where they go." She said before she could catch herself. Curses, she was getting swept up again, but she had already said it, no taking it back now.

  

[Somerset Agrippa]

Grip noticed all of the small, almost imperceptible signs that Elsie was starting to enjoy herself more; even if he didn't consciously consider the relaxing of her shoulders, the subtly bigger smile, or other such tell-tale signs, his mind unconsciously catalogued them and revealed the outcome; she was starting to enjoy herself. He smiled, mirroring her movements as she made them and continuing to nibble on a few strawberries here and there. Grip was picking up most of the bigger ones, so they had eaten their fair share of the plate by now, leaving about a quarter of the plate still filled with juicy red fruits.

"Ye don't have to go at midnight, either," Grip suggested playfully. "The elves don't really know what a midnight snack is. I've convinced them it happens any time that isn't a meal time."

There was something about her voice when she mentioned exploring and secret castles; it was a side to Elsie that he wouldn't have necessarily anticipated, this hunger for adventure, despite being so polite and proper. That buried, suppressed need for a thrill of some sort. She and Grip were going to get along just fine, he could tell. He could already picture how her eyes would open so wide at all the wonders he could offer her. He'd have to take care not to ruin her, though; the fact that she was so much his opposite was what made her so strangely desireable, and if he managed to mangle her into someone who no longer understood propriety, some bold adventuress like Ellory, it wouldn't be as thrilling for him to go after her.

Still, they could have plenty of fun without being in danger of ruining Elsie just yet. With a deviously cheerful glint in his eye, Grip said, "The secret passages are the best. There's one that starts on the first floor, behind a suit of armor, and it ends up--well, let me show ye. Help me finish up these strawberries here and come with me--I promise I'll get ye back safe in time fer dinner with yer brother, no worries," he teased, trying to circumvent her objections before she even had a chance to voice them. This would be fun. This would be very, very fun.

  

[Elsie Beauregard]

She chuckled lightly as he mentioned that he had the house elves convinced a midnight snack was any time of day, between meals. Apparently even the house elves weren't immune to his charm. She took another strawberry, a small little one that she could eat whole, tossing the stem into the grass again. She took a moment to ponder over the situation again. She needed to be rational. Perhaps he was just looking for a friend. She was a friendly sort of girl after all, despite being quiet and more reserved. She envied him a little bit, that was for sure. He just took the freedom he wanted to go and explore, to have adventures around the castle without really have to regard the rules. Of course if he wanted to stay in school he had to obey some of them, but not all of them. She wasn't sure what his home life was really like, but her parents would be most disappointed if she got detention for breaking rules.

Rule-breaking was not in her nature, but she was naturally curious and the moment he said he knew of a secret passage, she was hooked. El knew she shouldn't be, shouldn't let him get to her like that, but she couldn't help it; she wanted to see the secret parts of the castle, rooms and passageways that had been long forgotten or hidden. It was part of what made the castle like a fairy tale to her. It was like living in a fairy tale and she couldn't say not that.

Her eyes widened in excitement, clear blue joy as Grip said he'd show her. She wasn't thinking about what she should be doing. All she wanted to do was be able to look back and the moment and wished she had gone with him. She was going to go with him and toe the line of breaking the rules at this very moment. Harvey was always telling her to get out and socialize, to have some fun. This was her idea of an adventure.

"Really?" She asked out of habit, just to make sure he had been serious in his offer. It would be so thrilling to walk down that secret passage and see where it led. There were endless possibilities, though she figured Grip knew where it ended, but at least he wasn't going to tell her and ruin the mystery. She glanced down at the plate of strawberries, only a couple left. It would be very unladylike to stuff them in her face, but she took one and pushed the other two toward him. Biting into the last strawberry, she finished it off quickly, trying not too look too excited or in a hurry, but she really was. "I'd really like that, but I really do need to make dinner." She said finally, realizing she should thank him for both the snack and the adventure.

She hadn't been too sure of Grip at the beginning of this encounter, but as he helped her up, she was sure she wouldn't mind getting to know him a little better. After all, he had the key to the secret passages she'd been dying to see for five years now.