She rubbed her arm subconsciously as the door opened and Dudley stood there, giving her a confused look. "I don't mean to interrupt or anything-"
"You're always welcome," Dudley interrupted, shrugging. He opened the door and she stepped through. "What's up?"
"We never got around to seeing those films you mentioned," Aquila admitted quietly. "I was wondering if you wanted to... sometime. It doesn't have to be tonight or anything-"
"No, I'm not doing anything. Tonight's great. What do you like? Science fiction? Fantasy... you seem more fantasy to me."
"Is it the witch thing?" Aquila quipped.
"Maybe," he chuckled. "Come on, Mum and Dad are just going to bed soon. Potter's... somewhere. I don't know."
"I know we just saw each other for like a copious amount of time, but..." She sighed. "I just needed to get away from Mum for a few hours, to cool down."
"Alright. We can pick a few movies then," he shrugged.
"What movie's first?" she asked, already agreeing to the idea.
"It's a classic."
She nodded and he led her into the living room. Petunia smiled brightly at the girl and she smiled at Vernon, but the man seemed enraptured by the television show. Dudley pulled the teen down next to him and whispered to her as Vernon roared with laughter. "Dad never misses this show. Always heads up after it, though."
Aquila let out a soft sigh, pressing her head into Dudley's shoulder, watching the comedy show. When the programme ended, Vernon stretched, standing and glanced at Aquila as if seeing her for the first time. "When did you get here?"
"Sorry, a little bit ago," Aquila winced.
"All yours," he said gruffly, gesturing to the tv. "Those broomsticks aren't going to leave an imprint on me, are they?"
Aquila giggled, "No, Vernon. I promise."
He grumbled, but left the room, heading on up to go to bed. Petunia sighed, getting up to follow. "What do you two plan to do?"
"I've never seen a Muggle film before," Aquila admitted.
"I've got Wizard of Oz lined up first," Dudley supplied. "Figure I'd start with a classic."
"You two have fun," Petunia nodded. "And don't forget protection." As she left, Aquila frowned slightly.
"Protection? What protection?"
He blinked at her. "You don't know what a condom is?"
She pondered the question. "That's like... a sauce you put on hamburgers, right?"
"Er, no... When you have sex, or, rather, when Muggles have sex, to prevent pregnancy, guys wear this... rubber thing."
She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, that's weird. In the wizarding world girls take a potion every full moon."
Dudley blinked. "And that's it?"
"Yup, one hundred percent effective, for all variants of magic. Wizard, half-breeds, and Muggle." She blinked as he stood up, clearing his throat and reaching for a black box, shoving it inside of another. The screen switch and Dudley pressed a few buttons on it, making a few images appear, in double time, going backwards. He shut the tv off, sitting beside it, and glancing back at her. "The full moon was a week ago," she continued, smirking slightly.
"Stop talking or we aren't watching the movie," he said seriously.
She giggled. "So, what's this about?"
"A girl gets transported to a land full of magic and stuff... and she's trying to find a way home." It sounded... interesting. Was that normal for Muggle movies?
She stared at the names as they rolled past in the ending sequence. It had been great. She found it fascinating and some things that Muggles thought up, she had never even thought possible! Yet Muggles had found a way to do it. "I suppose this is a bad time to mention Mum signed a contract for me," she said suddenly. The words tumbled out before she could stop them and she wished she could take them back by the tensing of his arm around her shoulder.
"A bit, yeah."
She was quiet, still holding his arm tightly. "Why is the witch green?"
"Supposed to be an analogy for greed, I think. Not quite sure."
"Oh," Aquila murmured. She wondered if all Muggles were told about witches, they'd think the same thing as she had. Ugly complexion... Greedy behavior. Dudley had apologized for the portrayal of her... species? But Aquila had insisted it was interesting. And it was. But it was disheartening how Muggles portrayed her kind. "I don't understand, though. Was that a portrayal of what you think the future will be? Is it a video of your past?"
"It's just based on a book. It's all fake. None of that exists... does it?"
"Well, changing colored horses, yes. The green witch... not in the slightest. We're all relatively normal hue, unless we come down with a disease or something. Nasty blisters will give us warts, though. As for the water... you've seen me fresh from a shower. I don't melt. The monkeys... no. That would be interesting, however, to own a flying Monkey. I'd imagine they would be far more useful than owls."
"Oh?" She nodded definitely and then the tape cut off to a fuzzy screen and the noise was almost like a radio that wasn't on the right station. "Contract, huh?"
"Yeah," she murmured. Her head on his shoulder, she felt his firm hand on her far arm, his arm around her shoulders. Why did she like to hang around him so much? They never did anything exciting on their own time, but it was still so fascinating to her. He was. "I can still get out of it, if I can get away with not knowing about it."
"When?"
"Christmas break. I don't know what everyone's fascination about Christmas break is," Aquila muttered. "I told her how we wouldn't get any money for the contract at all. Lucius Malfoy would get it all, and she was furious then. Not for anything else, of course. But the money, yes." She glanced at him from her position on his shoulder. "But I'm not going to be here for break, so... I really can't get married, can I?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Well, we can watch another movie, if you want."
She glanced at the clock below the television, the numbers a green color and glowing, not a clock that ticked and had to be wound after so long. It was nearly midnight. "Aren't you tired?"
"Not really."
She hesitated, before nodding. "Please, then. I just... I want to learn more about your life... I feel like you know all about mine."
"Alright, come on. Pick out a movie." He stood, offering his hand to her, and pulled her into the hall, where he signaled for her to be quiet. She did so, pressing her lips together as he opened a cupboard. Immediately, she could tell it had been lived in. It wasn't the roll of socks and the small metal soldiers on a single shelf above a dusty old mattress that told her that. It was the scratches in the wood with the initials HJP just under the shelf. Her fingers touched it lightly and she glanced at Dudley, but he didn't seem to notice. He flicked on the light and was skimming titles on the opposite ends where VHS tapes were lined and stacked in teetering piles. He selected a few, placing them on the mattress and causing a small dust cloud to rise.
"He used to live in here, didn't he?" Aquila asked quietly.
Dudley glanced at her, seeing how she was struggling to comprehend how someone could do that to a small child of blood relation. She always had that feeling Potter was mistreated here, but... not like this, at least. "Dad doesn't... didn't like magic. He tried his best to make sure Potter didn't have any. Horrible, really. When I was little, I thought it was normal, you know? I didn't really understand, just what I was always told. And … Potter's really messed up because of it. Not too messed up, but enough that it's noticable."
"I've noticed," she muttered. "Always so submissive." She drew her fingers away and looked at the titles on the bed. "Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang? Is this about a bird?"
"No, a flying car. And there's a few animated movies. Princess ones. Uh, Beauty and the Beast – Mum's favorite – and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Uh, I think you said that was a bit different in your stories. And then there's a reality drama, here, called Lady Jane. Brilliant movie with a really spectacular actress."
"I don't know," Aquila admitted. "Um..." She glanced between all the titles, before glancing at Dudley. "You decide."
"But-"
"I want to watch something you'd like to watch," she insisted. "So you decide. I'm encroaching upon your evening." He held her gaze for a moment, as though she'd give up trying to make him decide before he sighed. He selected what she knew was probably the most girl-oriented of them all. Beauty and the Beast. It sounded... like a Care of Magical Creatures chapter... or some Rita Skeeter gossip column.
"Okay," he smirked.
She rolled her eyes, but wasn't going to argue it. It was his choice. But instead of going to the living room, he shut the cupboard door and led her up the stairs, where she followed, until they got to his room. She raised an eyebrow at him, but he shrugged. "You didn't seem like you wanted to go home tonight."
"I didn't," she admitted. He put the VHS into the player under the tv in the corner of his room. Aquila sat on the edge of his bed as he dug around in his drawer. The tv began to play previews, something he had explained to her. He held out clothes to her and she got a feeling they were for her to change into for pajamas. She stood carefully and Dudley's back was already turned – and it wasn't like they didn't already change in front of each other.
He had given her a pair of shiny material for shorts. Much like the ones he had worn to the pitch. "I ran into Amber on the walk here," she admitted. Dudley glanced at her, surprised. "She was heading to some party."
"Did you want to go?"
"No," Aquila admitted. "I'd rather hang out with you." She saw him slightly relax. She glanced towards the noisy television, which was still playing previews. She pulled her thin sweater over her head, one she had changed into while waiting for her mother, before grabbing the t-shirt Dudley had given her. It was too big for her, but she pulled it on regardless and tied her hair up with her wand. She then stepped out of her shorts and pulled on the ones he had given her, rolling up the waist when they were much too loose.
"I'll, uh, be right back. I gotta make sure the doors are locked downstairs," Dudley said after a second. She nodded and he left, not shutting the door behind him. She heard him head downstairs and settled at the edge of the mattress, staring at the television screen for a moment before smoothing out the material that fell to her knees.
When he came back, he smelled of mint. "You look different from last year," she said suddenly as he shut the door. "I don't know what it is, really, but it's something. I noticed it when I got back from school. You... look different. Tanner, perhaps? Taller?"
"If anything, I feel shorter," Dudley admitted. "Do I really look different?"
"It's not that you look different... it's just something. I don't know." She studied him, every inch, to see if she could decipher anything. "It's strange. Whatever it is, though, I like it. You seem... brighter."
"Oh," Dudley said, unsure what else to say.
"All locked up?" Aquila asked brightly, suddenly. Her sudden tone change didn't seem to register with Dudley. He only nodded. "Good. I feel safer already."
"No you don't."
"True," Aquila admitted. "But it's a nice thought." Dudley pulled back the covers of the bed and she scooted back so that she was leaning against one side, the pillows on her lower back. She just wanted to find a comfortable spot to watch the movie. The location of the tv was just in front of them so she didn't have to turn at an awkward angle. Dudley changed before joining her, leaning against the headboard.
They watched the movie in silence, Aquila taking it all in with rapt attention, as though every word was a prophecy and every movement was a ballet. She had never seen such a thing before. This... animation. It was... so amazing! The only cartoons she had seen were crudely drawn ones from her classmates. These... these talked and moved and sang and danced, and didn't repeat themselves in the slightest!
When Gaston had fallen, and the Beast had died, she bit her lip, frowning slightly. That made no sense. Why would a Muggle film end with all the possible futures in her life being... obsolete? And once the Beast was resurrected, she found herself tearing up. Such happy endings didn't exist in real life.
"And is this based on a true story?"
"As true as legends go, at any rate," Dudley admitted.
"I supposed the Beast could be a Muggle translation for a werewolf," Aquila mused quietly. "And Belle is uncharacteristically kind. A Hufflepuff. If she were a Muggle..." Aquila contemplated it but shook her head. "It's fascinating how deeply someone can feel for someone."
"It is, isn't it?" Dudley said almost to himself.
Aquila glanced at him, tired, but not so much so she couldn't do anything else but think of sleep. "It is," she answered though she knew there was no need for a response. Once the credits ended, Dudley shifted slightly.
"Are you tired?"
"Are you?" she returned.
"Not really." She nodded in agreement and he sat in silence for a moment before glancing at her. "Another movie?" She giggled, but shrugged. "If you want, that is."
There was a pause and she suddenly turned to face him, though they were still sitting right beside each other. "I have a better idea."
"Oh?" She felt particularly brave and tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. "What are you-?" He was cut off by her very enthusiastic kiss. By the time he seemed to understand exactly what she meant, he pulled back. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely," Aquila said without pause.
"Alright," he answered, his gaze watching her for a moment before it went to the grip she had on the front of his t-shirt. "I love you." She smiled slightly before going in for another kiss.
"I love you, too." As if on their own accord, her hands moved to his neck, pulling him closer to her as she shifted.
She didn't know how she ended up uncomfortably laying on her back, but the wand stuffed in her bun was seriously bothering her. She pulled the wand away, her hair falling around her head, and she cast a silent "Muffiliato."
"What was that?" Dudley asked her, a little confused as he pulled away.
"Um..." She tried to think back to the action she had just performed a few seconds ago. "Silencing charm."
"Oh," Dudley murmured. And then they were snogging again. It was different from the last time she had been this close to... to what they were about to do. To shagging. With Cedric it had been school girl excitement... it had been almost … disappointing. Rushed. Over before Aquila could even really comprehend what had happened. But just Dudley and her's snogging alone had lasted longer than her and Cedric had. Their playing was no doubt twice as long.
"Do you want me to stop?" Dudley asked suddenly.
Aquila blinked, her eyes focusing on him. She hadn't realized she had stopped kissing him back. She hadn't meant to. Her mind was distracted with trying to determine what exactly she knew of sex … what she could remember to do. It had been a long time.
"No," Aquila answered. "No, I'm just... I'm not quite that good at this." She flushed slightly, embarrassed as he just stared at her. "That's all."
"You're already perfect."
Aquila relaxed slightly, kissing him gently. "So are you."
"We'll go slow," he whispered, his hands pulling his shirt off. "I want you comfortable-"
"I'm fine," she promised him, biting her lip as she put her hands on his bare shoulders. His dog tags were dangling between them, touching her collar bone as he leaned over her. They were cool, startingly so.
And they did go slow. They savored the moment, ending with Aquila quietly relaxing beside him, content, exhausted, hot. "God, I love you so much," Dudley whispered. He gathered her in his arms, kissing her shoulder as he kept her within his body heat. She was facing away from him, her head tucked under his own, giving a soft yawn.
"I love you, too," she murmured, her yawn fading. "A lot."
His breath tickled her ear and she giggled slightly, shifting so that the arm around her waist was comfortable. Though she felt hot, she pulled the blankets up, covering them. Against her back, she could feel the metal of his dog tags between her shoulder blades and the softness of his skin. "Alright?"
She nodded, "All right." Her hand rested atop his, still holding her to him. "You?"
"Great." She nodded in acknowledgment, her eyes drooping slightly as she blinked. She blinked once more, but kept them shut.
"I don't want to fall asleep. I should go home or something, so your parents-"
"Don't," Dudley interrupted. "Stay the night..." His arm tightened on her as though she was wriggling away, even though she truly didn't want to move. "Okay?"
"Don't your parents have rules about this sort of thing?"
"As long as the door's locked and there's no lasting repercussions... uh, you know, like kids, they couldn't care less," Dudley admitted. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "And it doesn't become a problem."
She giggled, "A problem?"
"If we can't keep our hands to ourselves."
"I think we'll be fine," Aquila promised lightly. Though she wasn't so sure. With only so many weeks, left, she didn't want to waste a moment with him.