[Mason] I'll think of a title later... maybe

[Sheldon Hall]

Hogsmeade was busy with students. Each of them hurrying past to find a place to spend their galleons. Sheldon was one of the adults who didn't mind being in Hogsmeade when the students were. If anything, he preferred it. There was something oddly comforting in seeing a town look so alive. At that moment, Hogsmeade was definitely alive with activity. Groups of students from the four various houses walked past him, many of them talking animatedly about the activities that were currently taking place at Hogwarts. Sheldon stood outside Honeyduke's, not sure what he wanted to do.

A group of mixed houses - of the Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff variety (surprisingly, none of the Slytherin) - walked past him and into the shop. He heard mention of the games, but didn't pay it any mind. While he had been at Hogwarts recently for work, he himself wasn't that fascinated by the events. He did his job while he was there, that was it. Still, he had a few hours to kill before he returned to work and what better a place than Hogsmeade?

[ooc: I am terrible at starters, lol My apologies. xD ]

[Mason Doom]

Mason walked through the fall day with a few friends from his house. He didn't mind the weather. He sighed as his friends chatted about all the events going on. Mason wasn't one to care to much. Sure they where fun but he wasn't going to put bets on if the French kid will beat out durmstrang or if the Slytherin girl will survive without magic.

Mason wondered away from his friends, going toward a few small shops. He kicked at a pine cone on the way. He didn't notice the man walking in front of him until the pine cone was kicked in between his feet. He blushed nervously hoping the man wouldn't notice. Maybe he would just keep walking instead of turning around to scowl him.

[Sheldon Hall]

He had just started to walk away from Honeydukes when the group of students passed him by. He picked up bits of their conversation, hearing something about the French student and a Slytherin girl. He didn't know about any of it, but glanced behind himself anyway, eyes landing on the group. They wore the Hufflepuff colors. Just three years prior, it had been his own house. In fact, he recognized some of the faces. Though, supposed that most of his closest friends had already finished school the same as him.

He was about to start his journey into Hogsmeade again when he heard rather than saw the pine cone being kicked across the ground. It flew between his feet, nearly hitting the right foot, and causing him to stop. He supposed many adults would have scolded the student, but it didn't cross Sheldon's mind. He turned to face the student, just in time to catch the blush that flushed his cheeks. Rather than scowling, he smiled and without a seconds hesitation, gently kicked the pine cone back toward the Hufflepuff. After a moment, he gestured toward the vanishing group and said, "Why'd you leave your friends?"

OOC: Pahaha, hope it works. It'll get going in a few posts, I'm sure. (:

[Mason Doom]

Mason felt like the next moves happened in slow motion. He bowed his head waiting for the man to ye at him, tell him why kicking pine cones was such a bad thing and that he should tell his head of house. But the man didn't. Instead Mason was shocked when the pine done had been rolled back to him. He smiled lightly and looked up to see the man was facing him but he didn't look angry.

Mason thought about his question and shrugged lightly. "I wasn't really into their conversation." He admitted. Sure he found the games to be interesting and exciting in a way, he just didn't feel like placing bets and talking bad about the contests was something to be interested in. "Why are you here alone?" Mason asked as a reputable to his question.

[Sheldon Hall]

Sheldon caught the student bowing his head. He wondered what had made him do so. Did he think that he was going to be scolded? Perhaps, he might have. If it had been anyone else. But Sheldon was far from the type to lecture someone about kicking pine cones around. As far as he was concerned, pine cones were much better than kicking other students or animals around. He returned the smile that the Hufflepuff gave him when the pine cone stopped near his feet.

"Can't say I blame you," Sheldon replied. Then, he himself blushed once he realized it sounded like he'd been eavesdropping on them. "I mean, I hadn't meant to hear. I just caught bits about the tournament and the games as you and your friends were walking this way," he explained, another blush flushing over him when he realized he was over explaining himself. He thought about the other's question for a moment before he finally answered, "Most of my friends from when I was in Hogwarts have moved on. My other friends are Aurors and are currently on duty. Which leaves me here. Alone," he said, "I'm Sheldon, by the way. I was in Hufflepuff like you. Only three years ago, actually."

[Mason Doom]

Mason laughed lightly at Sheldon as he over explained himself. "It's fine. They where being loud about it." He said with a small shrug as he gingerly kicked the pine done toward Sheldon. The pine cone landed at the top of the others shoe. Mason frowned slightly. "It's not fun being out here alone." He said with a small smirk as a idea came to him. "I wouldn't mind someone to hang out with. Maybe you and I can shop together?" He asked. "I'm mason." He said "I'm still a puff:" he said with a small chuckle. Mason couldn't help but notice that Sheldon wasn't that bad looking.

[Sheldon Hall]

Sheldon laughed quietly when the other told him that it was fine. He offered him a half smile, studying the Hufflepuff for a moment, trying to place him. He had always known most of the Hufflepuff's, as social as he'd been. But he couldn't place this one. "They were," Sheldon agreed with a chuckle, eyes landing on the quickly disappearing group. They were gone soon, leaving their friend behind. He looked down at the pine cone in time to see it land on his shoe. He smirked as he kicked it back.

"It really isn't," Sheldon admitted. His eyes were on Mason again as he seemed to entertain an idea. He returned the smile when he heard the words, nodding in response. "I think I'd like that. I wouldn't mind the company myself. Like you said, it's no fun being here alone," He heard the name and repeated it in his mind, to himself. Mason. He himself had noticed that Mason was pretty good looking. He definitely wouldn't mind his company. "I had guessed so," he said jokingly, "The yellow gave it away. Anywhere in particular you'd like to shop?"

OOC: lol I hope it's okay. I'm actually kind of getting tired (odd lol) so I'm having trouble writing despite having muse lol

[Mason Doom]

Mason smiled at the smirk Sheldon had given him. He followed Sheldon's gaze to his friends who where walking away quickly, unaware that Mason was no longer in the group. He sighed "they do that often. It's because I wasn't participating in the discussion. They didn't even notice I was gone." He said the thoughts out loud feeling a pang of hurt but quickly forgot about it. It didn't matter. Then he felt the pine cone at his shoes again and smiled lightly down at it.

Mason smiled when Sheldon said it would be nice for them to shop together. He couldn't help but feel a small flutter of butterflies in his stomach. Mason started to walk with Sheldon along the versus shops. He shock his head at the question. "Not really. If I see something though ill let you know." Mason blushed at his next comment. "Oh I forgot to mention I'm a Slytherin." He joked "yellow is Slytherins colors not a days." He said with a grin and couldn't help but chuckling.

[Sheldon Hall]

"Well, that's not very nice of them," Sheldon replied, eyes on Mason rather than Mason's friends. He'd lost interest in Mason's friends a few sentences ago, having focused all his attention on the Hufflepuff before him. He caught the sigh, though, and without even realizing it, his face softened into a slightly empathetic gaze. "The least they could have done was try to get you into the conversation," he noted idly. No stranger to such rejection himself, Sheldon could definitely understand where the other was coming from. But his expression quickly became a smile again when such a grin spread Mason's face.

Sheldon nodded in agreement. Fair enough, he supposed. He eyed the next closest shop, contemplating it for a moment before shaking his head. More to himself than to Mason. "Please do," he replied with a light chuckle, "because I'm not entirely sure where I'd like to go right now myself," He caught Mason's blush and smirked at the sight. It was cute, and it made it that much harder to look away from him. "Even if you were, I don't suppose I'd care. You'd still be you, wouldn't you?"

[Mason Doom]

Mason nodded in agreement. "It would have been nice to know that at least they wanted me there with them." Mason let the thoughts shrug off his shoulders. "But in a way, I would have never met you if I had been focused on them." He said with a smile that followed the blush the came on his cheeks. He couldn't stop the feeling of warmth that Sheldon seemed to have radiate off of him. He couldn't ignore how his stomach filled with butterfly's as he walked side by side Sheldon. Almost as if some unknown force was making him gravitate toward Sheldon, and Mason liked it.

"Well then I have a better idea." He said as he took Sheldon's hand, lacing his fingers in with his and leading Sheldon to a fall tree that had been made as a seating area. Him and his friends liked to joke, calling it the place where couple went to argue or make out. Mason sat down on one of the benches and patted the spot next to him. Talking was good right now. They could shop later. Mason blushed again at Sheldon's respond. "That's true. But then I wouldn't be in Slytherin. I'm not really a dark wizard." He said feeling as if he was defending himself. "I rather....help others than try to kill them." He said with a small chuckle, noticing that Sheldon hasn't stopped looking at him since his last few blushes. Hopefully that was a good sign.

[Sheldon Hall]

Sheldon nodded in understanding. "Maybe they didn't mean anything by it," he suggested carefully, words sincere as he spoke them, "Perhaps they thought you wanted to be left alone," he added. Mason's next words made Sheldon grin again. He supposed that Mason was right. Had they not wandered away, the two of them wouldn't have crossed paths. He moved alongside Mason, still staring at him even as they walked from the corner of his eye.

"And what's that?" Sheldon asked before Mason reached for his hand. Once he felt his fingers lacing through his own, it was Sheldon's turn to blush. The shade remained on his cheeks for a few seconds afterwards as he was led forward. He sat down next to Mason without any hesitation. "Not everyone in Slytherin is," he said, grinning as he spoke the words, "and if you had been placed in Slytherin, I don't think you would have been, either. Great Wizards have come from Slytherin, too. Severus Snape turned out to be a good wizard in the end, didn't he?" He smirked again, eyes remaining on Mason, "It's a good thing that you'd rather help others. I make a living doing that."

OOC: Sleepy replies. lolol I need to go to bed. xD Hope it works.

[Mason Doom]

Mason nodded. "Whatever it was I'm sure they didn't mean any harm from it." Mason said with his small smile. He watched Sheldon grin from what he had said and wondered what the grin meant. He wondered if Sheldon was having the same feelings he was for the other. They where only a few years apart, nothing to out of control that could be frowned upon.

Mason had noticed the blush that spread through Sheldon's cheeks. He once more wondered if the other was feeling the slight connection to each other. He watched as Sheldon sat next to him. He chuckled lightly. "I guess. But he had something I don't. He could pull off the hole dark wizard look." Even though Mason had snake bites and a tattoo that made him look tough, his small hop in his step and cheering ways defiantly screened Hufferpuff. Masons eyes went wide "you do? What kind of job is that?" He asked

[Sheldon Hall]

Sheldon smiled again, nodding when Mason agreed with him. Hufflepuffs were, after all, quite loyal. It was simply an innate trait of the house. If you were placed in Hufflepuff, chances are you had the loyalty trait down. He sincerely doubted, for that reason, that anyone in Hufflepuff would mean to hurt their friend's feelings. Unintentionally, of course, was a different story all together. "And if they did," he began cheerily, tilting his head slightly as he spoke, "then they're not worth being around, anyway."

Sheldon kept his eyes on Mason. He had definitely felt the connection, but it was always awkward for him. He supposed the fear of rejection was even greater when the target of affection was the same gender. "You're right," Sheldon agreed with a snicker, "I don't think you could pull off the dark wizard look. I've never seen a cute dark wizard," he realized he'd said cute, but didn't try to cover it up. It had slipped, but there was no point taking it back. He chuckled when Mason's eyes widened and nodded, "I do. I'm an Auror. I help people by keeping not-so-cute dark wizards in check."

[Mason Doom]

Mason nodded. He of course already knew that. It was one of the lessons you learned growing up, and Mason had learned it the hard way a year ago. He wouldn't hang out with people who stepped on him. "Right." He said agreeing with Sheldon. "My friends, their not like that. I honestly don't think they saw me wonder away since they where so into the conversation. They'll probably ask me where I was when I get back to Hogwarts." He said with a shrug. Sure Mason didn't have a best friend yet, his friends still cared. It was something badges just did, look out for each other. It's unusual to see a badge alone. Badges sticker together no matter what. That was one of the reasons why Mason loved the house. It scared him knowing that there had been a chance to be in Slytherin because of his last name.

Mason pressed the thoughts out of his mind. Right now wasn't the time to think about his lost family and what they would do if they found out about him. Mason blushed when Sheldon said he was cute. "I guess that's true to." Mason slide his hand gently into Sheldon's, giving room for Sheldon to pull away if his feelings where different then what Mason had suspected. "An auror. They scare me sometimes. They don't come in cute either. Which I guess is why it surprises me, since your cute too." He said a deeper blush framing his cheeks as he realized he was ranting on.

[Sheldon Hall]

Sheldon caught Mason's nod. He supposed that, at his age, he had learnt that lesson already. It was a tough one to learn, but one most people had to come to terms with during their teenage years. He had been there himself a few times. "You're probably right," he said with a small grin, "If they had seen you, perhaps they would have tried to get you involved. Though, if that had happened, we still would not have met," he added, "What will you tell them, should they ask?"

Sheldon chuckled at Manson's response. He didn't have time to speak again right away, before his mind was distracted. He felt Mason's hand slide into his, and he didn't pull his away. Instead, he allowed his own to wrap around Mason's until he held it in his. "Yes," he said, "An auror," he chuckled when Mason said they scared him, and laughed at his next comment. "There are cute aurors," he said, catching Mason's reply and his blush, "Like me," he teased gently.