I Saw That (Jaycie & Devin)

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 36

Jaycie stared at the row of magazines in front of her. She was looking for the latest Quidditch one, the same one she'd seen that Third Year from Potioneering arguing with his girlfriend over yesterday. She'd been waiting in line to buy a book of her own, and they had been maybe three feet away at the magazine stand. His companion had approached him, glanced at the magzine in his hand and asked if he wanted to buy it. He'd immediately set the magazine back down.

"It's just a waste of money. So, no," he'd said, almost bitterly. She'd prompted him again, this time more forcefully.

"I said no!" He exclaimed, shrugging out of her grip. "Stop asking, Cassie. I didn't even ask for your opinion anyway," and he grumpily strode out of the shop, leaving his girlfriend to shake her head and follow him a few moments later. On his way past he'd shot a rather violent look towards Jaycie, who hadn't realised she'd been staring. Her breath hitched in her throat and she tried to look anywhere else but at the two of them.

After they'd left, Jaycie bought her book and hurried out of the shop, but she couldn't help thinking about how nasty he'd been to his lady friend. So, naturally, it had surprised her this morning in class when she'd seen the slight of hand that had slid a chocolate frog onto Cassie's desk, and then when class had finished and the room stunk of dirty cauldrons that Cassie couldn't seem to get hers out of Devin's hands. It made Jay smile to see Cassie's eyes twinkle knowingly at her boyfriend's actions. Sometimes people did the most delightful things.

So now she stood at the bookstore, trying to remember which magazine he'd been holding but refusing to buy, even though he'd clearly wanted to. If any, it would have been... that one. Jaycie picked up a glossy-covered book and took it over to the register. Two moments later and she was out on the street, walking up the Avondale high street with the magazine safely rolled up and tucked inside her coat.

Jaycie flicked up her wrist and read the hastily-written address again. Right, so if she turned up here it was another half a mile until their house. She'd had to do a bit of snooping to find out his address, but as it turned out - not as much as she'd thought. He was a Brennham, a prestigious pureblood descendant, and his girlfriend (as it turns out) was actually his wife. So they'd been the headlining article in this week's Witch Weekly, of course.

She stopped outside the rather lovely house that belonged to the newlyweds and pulled the magazine out of her coat. She shoved it through the letterbox in the door. And then she fled.

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 41

Devin's week was much weirder than he expected. First, he had gotten a sudden rejection letter from one of the teams that he had applied to, and knew at once that it had been his parent's meddling. He had followed his wife out to the store that same afternoon, when she wanted to buy a new book or some other that had recently come out, and she caught him staring at a Quidditch magazine and asked if he wanted to buy it.

Still a bit upset at his rejection, he had declined, and Cassie had done what Cassie does best and ask again. Snapping at her, he had stormed out and apparated back home. He was certain she had followed him out, but didn't turn to look. He didn't need to see her to know he had probably hurt her.

Feelings were still an odd thing that he was getting used to, but it was not as weird as when he first began to feel them, and so he knew he had to make up to her somehow. He did it the way he always did, with chocolate and doing something for her, and all was good; he slept back in their shared house once again.

It was here that things got even weirder; he was lounging in the living room, going over some homework assignment when he heard a squeak echo around the house - their alarm, indicating that someone was outside their door that did not have permission to be there. He sighed, stood, and slipped out his wand as he made his way to the entrance of their house. Ever since that stupid article had publicly announced their address, he had many uncalled for visitors.

His parents were already talking about suing and filing lawsuits against the company, but Devin let them handle that; he didn't really care. It had been recalled, but the damage had been done, and quite a few copies were still out there.

The alarm stopped, and so did Devin; the person left. Glancing towards the door, he couldn't help but notice something there, and he slowly walked to get it. Almost at once, the anger flashed in his chest. Cassie wouldn't have... But no, it couldn't be. She was in her room, and she wouldn't do something like that, right?

"Cassie, tell me you didn't buy me that magazine?" he called out, picking it up.

The reply was slightly muffled, but it was clear that she had nothing to do with it, and he frowned. Who would have... Yanking open the door, he yelled, "I'm going for a walk!" Quickly, for once, he hurried outside and glanced around, trying to figure out who it was. In the distance, a blond figure grew smaller and smaller. There was something familiar about it, and it took him a few seconds, but he eventually placed her as the same female that had been watching his exchange with Cassie in the bookshop. Interesting, was all he could think.

Not bothering to chase after her, he instead returned home. "Changed my mind," he told a questioning Cassie, and went back to his homework.

The next day, at University, Devin waited outside the class for the first years until she came out, and stepped up to her at once. He had never been one to beat around the bush, and instead, without bothering to greet her or anything of that sort, asked, "Why did you send me that magzine?"

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 36

Jaycie fell comfortably back into routine after her ding-dong-ditch escapade with the magazine. It was very quickly the last thing on her mind as the sun fell and rose again. She had plenty to think about, and far more interesting topics to occupy her brain with. Her morning lecture, for example, was one of them, and by the time it had finished she was thinking of nothing but the surprising magical qualities of Fluxweed, especially in potions.

She packed up her things into her satchel and slung it over her shoulder, waiting for the majority of the class to storm the exit before quietly slinking out behind them. Jaycie was barely two feet out the door when someone purposefully stepped into her path. She froze, and slowly her eyes rose to meet those of Devin's, the lucky magazine recipient. Something about his bluntness told her he wasn't very amused.

Time slowed and Jaycie blinked in confusion before the whole situation finally registered with her properly. And now her whole body seemed to have flooded into panic overdrive. Her heart thumped madly in her ears, her palms felt clammier by the second, and her throat felt like it was being constricted by a python. What the hell was she going to do?

Every fibre of her being was screaming "Retreat! Run away!" But every ounce of logic she had rooted her to the spot. What could she do? Several things. She could keep standing here and gaping at him like a fish out of water, for one. Or she could pretend she hadn't heard him and try to sideswipe the whole thing. She could tell him the truth, that she'd been touched by his behaviour to Cassie and thought he would really like to have that magazine. As if. Or she could do this.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jaycie mumbled, casting her eyes downwards, refusing to meet his gaze. God, she could barely even hear herself talk, and it was so crackly and unused he mightn't understand her. Even if he did, there was no way he'd let her off with that - she didn't believe a word she was saying, why should he? Jaycie started to inch backwards, away from Devin.

If there was one thing she hated, more than anything in the world, it was a confrontation. She couldn't talk her way out of anything, she was so hopeless when it came to people. And when it came to arguments, her evasiveness just seemed to make them madder. Jay tried to push down the sick feeling climbing up her eosophagus. She'd just wanted to do something nice.

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 41

Devin had never been one for pleasantries or time-wasting conversation, although with Cassie, he was getting pretty good at pretending to listen and participate. So, whenever he was presented with the opportunity to not do so, he grabbed it. This was one such occasion. Well, no, it wasn't. This was unlike any situation he'd been in before.

Nobody, in all his years of living, had tried to give him something he had clearly not wanted.

Indeed, the opposite was normally true; he was used to not getting what he didn't want, and getting what he did. As a Pureblood, this was pretty much his life. There was only one or two exceptions, and that was usually because of his parents. Devin wasn't what one would call spoilt, but he knew what position he held and wasn't shy about it.

He was also someone who would rather watch people than interact with them, and that meant he was used to picking up visual cues. Better than most, if he were to be honest - which he normally was.

Panic, he thought almost at once, and raised an eyebrow. If you're going to do something in secret, be prepared to be found out and questioned, he added, hiding a dry smile. It was only common sense; sooner or later everything that is hidden is brought to light. There can be no hiding things forever. But he said nothing out loud, instead just watching and waiting, and making mental notes about the witch before him. Uncomfortable. Not used to people. Shy. It didn't take an expert to deduce this, and he was thankful for the easy read.

Some people were much, much harder.

He barely caught the murmur, and just managed to piece together what she was saying from the words he did hear: 'no idea' and 'talking 'bout''. Raising an eyebrow, he let her create more distance between them; there was no point in stepping forward. She was uncomfortable enough as it was. Instead, Devin crossed him arms and said, "Yes, you do." There was no need to repeat himself or mention anything further. Why waste words when those three would suffice?

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 36

Jaycie couldn't meet his eyes; she could feel them boring into her skin, cold and unrelenting. Her skin itched like leering bugs were wriggling all over it. She clasped her elbow with her other hand, both defensively shielding herself and trying to rub away that disgusting feeling.

No one had ever confronted her before. She'd always done things like this as anonymously as possible - and even if they had figured out it was her (which was rare) they'd never bothered coming up, to acknowledge it. But she liked that, she loved flying under the radar. Jay didn't want to know their thoughts, people had far too many. She did hope they liked it, and that it had been a pleasant surprise, but she didn't want the risk of situations like this particular one right here.

There was a muggle legend, about a boy called Icarus, who was imprisoned on an island with his father Daedalus. One day, Daedalus presented Icarus with a pair of wings that he'd finally manage to make from the feathers of gulls left on the shore, stuck together with wax. He told his son to not fly too close to the sun, or his wings would melt and he would plunge to his watery grave below.

Father and son jumped from the cliff face. They soared off into the sky, freedom finally at their fingertips. But Icarus had not listened. He flew higher and higher and higher - higher still until, one by one, the feathers of the wings his father had so painstakingly made for him began to fall away. The wax, melting with the heat of the sun, dripping down his skin, the feathers drifting on the winds. Suddenly Icarus was falling, crashing into the deadly waves below, drowning, screaming... gone.

She'd heard the legend a few times before, and it had stuck with her. Jaycie did not want to fly so close to the sun. She did not want her wings to melt, and her life to end. She wanted to coast the currents, to fly so close to the water that she could touch it. Jaycie wanted to run and hide.

More space continued to grow between the pair. Devin was so accusing, so intimidating. Jaycie's pulse was beating so fast it was like she could no longer feel it. Her chest tightened uncomfortably. Of course she knew what he was talking about. Just tell him the truth, one tiny part of her brain whispered. She could almost laugh. If she told him why, there was absolutely no doubt in her mind that he would double over with laughter. What kind of weirdo gets things for strangers?

What if he went over board? "You're a creep. Are you stalking me?" The Devin in her brain sneered. Her face was burning, her head was pounding. She didn't want to stay here, she wanted to leave. So Jaycie backed away. Her head shook quickly from side to side; she turned on her heel and sped away as quickly as walking on her little legs could go.

Need to get somewhere safe, somewhere quiet, somewhere alone.

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 41

Silence was his only reply, and he was beginning to get a tad bit irked. It was one thing to talk too much - and his mind automatically went to Cassie and Brooke - but it was another to deliberately ignore someone. Both were rude, and both got on his nerves. While Devin knew that he himself was not a talker, he spoke to get his point across and to communicate when necessary. Over talking was irritating, yes, but so was not talking.

He raised an eyebrow as she shook her head, and then watched quietly as she turned and took off down the hallway. Letting out a little sigh, Devin rolled his eyes and turned to his right. The corridor was long and led to one place, and having been in the University for three years, he knew most of the twists and turns - if not all - and so down a shortcut he went.

It led him to the floor below, where he made a few turns and, finally, up a set of stairs, the whole time trying to play things around in his mind. He didn't even know her name, only that she was a younger year in his major. Truth be told, he didn't know many people, so it wasn't a big deal for him to only know her by face. Still, it was intriguing - why did she do what she did?

It was obviously the witch; she had been the only one besides Cassie to witness him reading that magazine, and Cassie wouldn't have been so daft as to get it for him. Besides, she said she hadn't, and he trusted his wife. The only question was why.

It wasn't uncommon for females to try and flirt with him, despite the wedding ring on his fourth finger; sometimes they just didn't see it, sometimes they figured they would have a chance. But the witch had gotten his address, and unless she stalked him - and he doubted so; she didn't look like the kind - that dratted Pureblood magazine was the only way. She would have, therefore, known he was married. Besides, she was so shy, Devin was sure there was no kind of ulterior motive.

Unable to come up with something logical, he dropped the subject; making up judgements based on nothing solid was never something he did. If he didn't know for sure why, he would never speculate, only analyse and wait for a chance to find out the truth.

He stepped out into the corridor and, as predicted, the witch was headed towards him. He didn't move, maintaining his position, and raised his voice just a tad above his normal volume so she could hear him from where she was. Choosing his words carefully, as always, he said, "I'm not here to judge. I want to know why."

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 36

Jaycie sighed in relief when she rounded the corner and disappeared from view. She listened as she padded along the stone corridor, footsteps that were not her own seeming to fade away in a different direction. She allowed herself to slow down and take a few deep breaths. That had been far too close for comfort.

As she walked, she tried to calm herself to the rhythm of her footsteps. Jay pulled her hair over her shoulder and began untangling it with her fingers to give her hands something to do. That may as well be the last time she pull something like that, Jay thought solemnly. She frowned, quickly changing her mind. No, she would just be more careful next time.

She hadn't done anything wrong, so why did she feel like she committed a heinous crime? The way Devin had confronted her had been so condemning; like she'd tried to steal something from him, or grievously injure a loved one. He'd been very kind to Cassie yesterday. And Jaycie really believed in what goes around, comes around. Karma, paying it forward, that sort of thing.

Maybe this was the universe telling her to stop playing God. Jaycie crinkled up nose. That's a bit of an absurd notion, she thought. But then she rounded another corner, and she was convinced the universe wasn't done talking to her.

How Devin had managed to get there before her was beyond Jaycie. She stood, frozen to the spot, feeling the wave of uneasiness begin to swell like a tsunami tide inside her, threatening to crash down and consume her. They now stood locked in what could have been an old mexican standoff. She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

What he said next intrigued her, and surprised her a little. He wasn't here to judge, and he only wanted to know why? If he wanted not to judge, why was he chasing the topic? Jaycie dropped her hands from her hair. He was going to judge, whether he knew it or not: he was going to take her answer, whatever she gave, and run it through the processing mill that was his conscious. And then his conscious would take it, accidentally leave it lying around, and then his subconscious would claim it; swallow it and digest it, spit it back up again.

By the time he could process her answer, he would have a judgement on it. That's just how brains worked. There were too many ways he could react... The risk was so much larger than the reward. Yet she was tempted, but the words she chose to begin with didn't sit well with her. "I saw you apologise to your wife, after you were so rude in the store. It warmed my heart to see such kindness." The audience in her mind was silent for a moment before bursting into raucous laughter.

No, she needed something else. Jaycie stood silent and motionless for a long time, eyes trained on Devin's feet while she thought, ignoring her racing pulse and her clammy hands. Finally she cleared her throat, and tried to speak so she could hear herself, let alone him hear her from so far away.

"You... Because you said you were sorry." Her voice drifted out down the hall, clearer than usual but certainly just as lacking in volume as always. Jaycie refused to meet his eyes and her fingers curled tightly around the strap of her satchel, her cheeks fllushing scarlet.

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 41

Once again, there was nothing but absolute silence greeting his statement, and Devin leaned back on the balls of his feet and just waited. He was patient, and always had been, but it felt odd to have to wait for a reply. When was the last time he had conversation with someone other than Cassie or the members at his Quidditch try-outs? And, when was the last time he met someone who thought so much before they spoke? Too long, he decided, and that was why he didn't mind waiting. He appreciated a well thought out answer, but at the same time, something told him the long wait was more than just that.

She was questioning herself, wondering what to say. It was a guess, of course, but it wasn't too hard to see the uncertainty that radiated from her behaviour. And Devin was very good at reading people. It came with not talking, really.

And so he waited, keeping a neutral expression on his face the entire time. He could wait as long as it took her, but he was also tensing himself just a little, in case she tried to run again. If she had told him to mind his own business earlier, he would have told her that he respected her decision, and to not buy anything for him again, whatever the reason. He understood, after all, what it was like to want to keep things private.

But she hadn't.

She had run, and that in itself said more than words could. She was embarrassed, or terrified, or both, and that just made him more curious. Why would someone do something like that? There had to be a reason. And since she hadn't told him to stop prying, he pushed the matter. A loophole, really, of common courtesy. He felt no guilt, for he had not been told to do anything; technically, he wasn't invading her privacy or pressing for more information, because she hadn't told him not to.

Finally, he heard her answer his question, the words faint and barely audible, but just loud enough for him to catch. He kept his face the same - calm, with the minimal traces of a small, polite smile - as he tried to process what she meant by the words. Devin just didn't understand, not at first.

Said sorry? Did I apologise to her? No, I didn't, he thought. Go back to the first encounter. I argued with Ana, and saw her staring as I walked out, so I glared at her. That was the only time I looked at her before today. Who did I apologise to, then?

For a few more moments, he tried to figure out what she meant. Did she mistaken something I did as an apology to her? No, I've never interacted with her properly before today. And then, it hit him. It started with Cassana, and it ended with her, too. The chocolate. I said sorry to my wife.

"To my wife," he echoed, aloud, looking directly at her. She wasn't looking back, and despite normally finding it rude when people didn't look him in the eyes, he didn't blame her this time. She had admitted to watching him, and since he, too, was a people watcher, he knew how awkward it was for some to admit to it.

"You gave me the magazine because I made up for my mistakes?" he added, phrasing it as a question, although he was quite certain this was it. Why? he wondered, again, but he would deal with one thing at a time.

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 36

Silence dragged out between them unbearably long. Jaycie's knuckles whitened as she gripped her thin satchel strap and her face felt like it was on fire. Actually spying on people was one thing, but acknowledging it? That was a whole other realm of discomfort. She stood and waited for Devin's reaction, whatever that may be.

Still more moments passed and nothing happened. Confused, Jaycie stole a look at his face. She could just about see the gears grinding in his head, his face frowning with the effort of figuring out what she meant. She lowered her eyes again. Now would be a great time to get out of here. Like, a really great time to run and find somewhere to hide and then avoid the fact that he existed for the rest of her life.

She was just about to take a subtle step backwards when he spoke. Jaycie once again felt his gaze burning her skin. She paused, refused to meet that sizzling glare. Inspected his - actuallly, rather nice-looking - shoes. There was another pause, a gaping silence that his words tapped at the edge of, asking to be let in.

He was catching on. Jaycie should leave, now, before she got to see his reaction.

And then, he asked a question. But it wasn't really a question - mostly a statement, but one that asked for affirmation of the conclusion he'd drawn. Yes, that was exactly what she'd done. Jaycie took a deep breath, steadied herself, and then lifted her gaze to meet his. He didn't seem angry. Just curious. Good - that was a good reaction. Better than she'd hoped, although it would mean he had more questions for her, which meant more talking and more possibilities of bad reactions. Jaycie nodded her head.

She would call him clever but she couldn't imagine another reason why else she would have bought him the magazine. He'd been there, he'd seen her watching him inspect the magazine, and the way he'd exploded at his wife. Which was another thing, in its own right. Now she had questions of her own. Why was he so angry that she'd bought him something he'd clearly been denying himself? Even his wife had told him to get it. Why was he denying himself it in the first place? Jaycie wondered if she'd misread his actions at the bookstore. Perhaps it was something he really didn't like, after all.

If that was the case, that would explain the terrifying situation they were in at the moment. Jaycie's heart skipped a beat, and she wondered if he'd thought she was playing some ill-spirited prank on him. But she wasn't, it was exactly the opposite. She'd only meant to give him something he couldn't bring himself to get on his own, for whatever reason. Jaycie would have left it if she hadn't seen the gifts he'd left for his wife. He must love her very much, to be so guilty, Jaycie mused.

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 41

Devin didn't need her acknowledgement to know that he had been right, and yet he still couldn't help but feel a tad bit smug when he was proven right. So, she had been watching that day in class, and she had seen the way he made things up to Cassie, despite her having already forgiven him. His Ana was more than used to his ways, and he, hers, although that didn't mean he didn't care if he hurt her.

Still, he couldn't figure out the why. He was quite sure it wasn't meant as a bad thing. Ana had been right - he wanted that magazine - but why had this stranger bought it for him? Because I said I was sorry, he thought, reciting her previous words, and trying to figure it out. What business of hers was it if he did or did not apologise?

But even as he finally got to meet her eyes, Devin felt a nagging at the back of his mind, telling him there was more to this than just him and a magazine. Her face gave not much away, other than the fact that she was, as he predicted, nervous and shy. That was a given, considering he had practically just confronted her. But he didn't feel bad for it; why would he have emotions towards a stranger? No, feelings were reserved for people he knew, and knew well at that, and so far, only Cassana fit that statement. The witch before him was nobody he knew, a passing face, and so he felt no guilt or misgivings for confronting her, even if it was obvious that it made her uncomfortable.

He waited a few moments, wondering if she was going to say anything, but all she did was look back at him. The silence was good, but it wasn't what he wanted. Ironically, he thought dryly. It wasn't the usual position that he was in now, but then again, there was nothing about this that was normal. All he could think was that this was the most intriguing thing he'd come across in a while.

So, running through the words a couple times mentally, he offered her a polite smile and asked, "What about my apology made you do that?" He paused for a second, then clarified, "To put differently, why would an apology demand such a response as buying and anonymously sending someone a magazine they wanted?"

Potioneers In-Training Posts : 36

The more Jay thought about the way Devin had reacted, the more she was sure she had overreacted. Of course, that in itself was very embarrassing, but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind.

The quiet that stretched out between them grew less tense, and instead began to fill with trickles of mutual understanding. Jaycie's breathing slowed and her head cleared. She was starting to be able to hear through the roaring of blood in her ears. Her face no longer burned and the colour dissolved from beet red and crept back to its normal, sunkissed state.

She watched Devin's face. A little voice in the back of her head was cheering in a mixture of relief, and pride. Pride because this might just have been the longest she'd looked someone squarely in the eye in her entire life. She watched as a polite but questioning smile crawled onto his lips, and she thought, correctly, he was about to ask more questions. Goodness, he was needy. Jaycie thought carefully for a moment before deciding she didn't have the energy to answer his questions. She had, after all, just surprised herself by staying. She doubted her body had any reserves of adrenalin left.

Jaycie exhaled, and it was like she was pushing the excess stress out of her frozen body. She allowed a tiny smile to tug her lips upwards, but she said nothing. Who would've thought this could have ended so well? She wasn't about to ruin the moment by making another fool out of herself.

As she turned and walked the other way, Jaycie knew she'd done the right thing by giving him that magazine. And perhaps that really had been the universe talking to her - to the both of them, maybe? Something told Jaycie that the events of the last few days had been no accident. She adjusted the satchel strap on her shoulder, not bothering to glance back at Devin. She didn't have a clue where she was going, but at least she was going somewhere.

Someone had decided it was time she learned some lessons, and to be frank, Jaycie was beginning to agree. Devin... seemed like a careful person. He didn't seem to mind having to prize the information out of her. In fact, he'd almost seemed to enjoy it. That could be dangerous, but at the same time, Jaycie wondered if she'd be needing someone to do that to her in the future.

Because, if she was being totally honest, it felt like she was a lot lighter than before.

» Devin Brennham
» Jaycie Simple
» Hey Angel [Jaycie]
» Jaycie Simple

I Saw That (Jaycie & Devin)

I Saw That (Jaycie & Devin)

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