They stepped inside, Amy once again gazing around the room.
"Well?" asked Seamus watching her reaction. "Do you like it?"
"I love it! It's so...warm," she said, turning to him. Suddenly she gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh no."
"What?" he asked in alarm.
"I just thought of something. You all use quills and ink here, right?"
"Right..." he said slowly, a glint of amusement in his eye.
"Okay, this may sound dumb but..." she took a deep breath. "I don't know how to use a quill." She looked very embarrassed and looked away from him, blushing.
"I'll teach you if you'd like," he said grinning at her.
"Okay!" she said with relief. "When, right now?"
"Yeah, hold on, I'll get my quill and parchment." And he dashed upstairs to his dormitory.
Amy sat down at a table and waited. A couple minutes later Seamus came back with the writing tools. He set them in front of her. She picked up the quill holding it awkwardly in her hand.
"No," he said, standing behind her and looking over her shoulder. "Like this."
He reached around her, his front to her back, in a sort of embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder as he corrected her grip. He smiled as he smelled the sweet scent of roses in her hair.
"Oh, okay. Now how do you get ink on it? Like this?" she asked, dipping the quill in the ink bottle.
"What? Oh, yeah. Sure," he said, sounded distracted. His embrace tightened a bit and his hand that rested on her's twitched.
She turned her head to look at him and accidently blotted the page with the quill.
"Oopse," she said, laughing.
"Oh, um, that's ok." he said, coughing nervously.
"Seamus? What's wrong?" she asked, watching him."You seem distracted."
"What? Oh nothing." he said, blushing slightly.
"Ok..." she said, turning back to the task at hand. "Now, teach me how to write, now that I can at least grip it."
"Huh? Oh right. Like this," he said, reaching around once again and holding her hand in his. Together they dipped the quill in the ink, shook it slightly and wrote the alphabet, but quite sloppily.
Amy shook her head as she examined the messy writing. "Oh well, at least I can write, if not neatly."
Seamus smiled and released her, straightening.
"Hey Seamus, can I ask you something?" she said, staring him straight in the eye.
"Er, yeah. Go ahead."
"Why were you staring at me on the train today?"
He looked away from her penetrating stare and shrugged.
"This may sound stupid but..." his voice trailed off miserably.
"What?" she asked.
He took a deep breath and turned away from her. "I like you."
She gasped slightly, taken aback by this statement.
"I see. That's why you've been watching my every move, walking with me everywhere? Because you were falling for a pretty face?" she asked staring hard at the back of his head.
He shook his head. "No, that's not it at all. You're funny, smart, nice...I just like you." he turned and looked her straight in the eye.
She sunk into a couch and sighed, burying her face in her hands.
"Seamus I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so mean. I just didn't take the move to England well. Right after my father died too. And I had a very bad morning. I'm just overwhelmed I guess."
He came and sat beside her, and placed a comforting hand on her back. She looked up at him, smiling. He ran a finger slowly up her spine and down again. She shivered slightly and Seamus could see the goosebumps on her arm. she grinned sheepishly.
"That tickles," she said. "Well, I should get to bed. Big day tomarrow, with classes and everything."
She stood, smiling at him. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on her forehead.
"Goodnight," he whispered.
"Well?" asked Seamus watching her reaction. "Do you like it?"
"I love it! It's so...warm," she said, turning to him. Suddenly she gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh no."
"What?" he asked in alarm.
"I just thought of something. You all use quills and ink here, right?"
"Right..." he said slowly, a glint of amusement in his eye.
"Okay, this may sound dumb but..." she took a deep breath. "I don't know how to use a quill." She looked very embarrassed and looked away from him, blushing.
"I'll teach you if you'd like," he said grinning at her.
"Okay!" she said with relief. "When, right now?"
"Yeah, hold on, I'll get my quill and parchment." And he dashed upstairs to his dormitory.
Amy sat down at a table and waited. A couple minutes later Seamus came back with the writing tools. He set them in front of her. She picked up the quill holding it awkwardly in her hand.
"No," he said, standing behind her and looking over her shoulder. "Like this."
He reached around her, his front to her back, in a sort of embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder as he corrected her grip. He smiled as he smelled the sweet scent of roses in her hair.
"Oh, okay. Now how do you get ink on it? Like this?" she asked, dipping the quill in the ink bottle.
"What? Oh, yeah. Sure," he said, sounded distracted. His embrace tightened a bit and his hand that rested on her's twitched.
She turned her head to look at him and accidently blotted the page with the quill.
"Oopse," she said, laughing.
"Oh, um, that's ok." he said, coughing nervously.
"Seamus? What's wrong?" she asked, watching him."You seem distracted."
"What? Oh nothing." he said, blushing slightly.
"Ok..." she said, turning back to the task at hand. "Now, teach me how to write, now that I can at least grip it."
"Huh? Oh right. Like this," he said, reaching around once again and holding her hand in his. Together they dipped the quill in the ink, shook it slightly and wrote the alphabet, but quite sloppily.
Amy shook her head as she examined the messy writing. "Oh well, at least I can write, if not neatly."
Seamus smiled and released her, straightening.
"Hey Seamus, can I ask you something?" she said, staring him straight in the eye.
"Er, yeah. Go ahead."
"Why were you staring at me on the train today?"
He looked away from her penetrating stare and shrugged.
"This may sound stupid but..." his voice trailed off miserably.
"What?" she asked.
He took a deep breath and turned away from her. "I like you."
She gasped slightly, taken aback by this statement.
"I see. That's why you've been watching my every move, walking with me everywhere? Because you were falling for a pretty face?" she asked staring hard at the back of his head.
He shook his head. "No, that's not it at all. You're funny, smart, nice...I just like you." he turned and looked her straight in the eye.
She sunk into a couch and sighed, burying her face in her hands.
"Seamus I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so mean. I just didn't take the move to England well. Right after my father died too. And I had a very bad morning. I'm just overwhelmed I guess."
He came and sat beside her, and placed a comforting hand on her back. She looked up at him, smiling. He ran a finger slowly up her spine and down again. She shivered slightly and Seamus could see the goosebumps on her arm. she grinned sheepishly.
"That tickles," she said. "Well, I should get to bed. Big day tomarrow, with classes and everything."
She stood, smiling at him. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on her forehead.
"Goodnight," he whispered.