WHO: Ian Bell & Liz Fortescue
WHAT: Just talkin'
WHEN: Valentine's Ball
WHERE: Outside the ball
NOTE: Liz → Sean

Liz had been distracted. The more she had stared around the room, the more the spirit of Valentine's Day had slipped into her. Instead of getting bubble-y and loving like most people did when infested with the emotions that the holiday gave to her, she became quiet and insecure and... Had to walk away. She apologized briefly to Fletch before heading for the doors of the Great Hall, needing to just get some air. That would help, right? Overwhelming emotions that one couldn't really identify at all were not something the tiny blonde handled well. She pushed someone a bit rougher then she probably should have, noting to apologize later before she went through the doors and out in the hall. There were a few people scattered here and there, but for the most part, it was empty enough to take a breather.

Sighing heavily, she leaned against a wall, sliding down until she hit the floor and rubbing her face. Why was she acting this way? It wasn't Fletch - his like (she wouldn't be silly enough to call it love) for her was strong, but she could deal with it. She just felt so flushed and strained and... She couldn't stop glancing at Ian, that was one thing that had caused her to become highly annoyed. He just looked rather... For lack of a better word, yummy. Oh, God, she nearly gagged at the though; she never used it and she certainly hadn't wanted to towards him of all people. Rubbing her face, she pushed the thought from her mind.

Breathe, Liz. Just breathe.

"Oh, Snookums! Whatever can be my darling Snookums' plight?"

Ian's voice rang out into the corridor to where Liz was sitting, giving her a chance to see him leaning casually up against the doors to the Great Hall before he began to venture slowly over to her. In all honestly, he didn't know why he was out here bothering her--yes, Elspeth had pushed him quite forcefully in her direction when she had spotted Liz leaving, but Ian couldn't figure out why he'd actually gone along with his sister's proddings. He guessed it was that tiny twinge in his gut that felt strangely like concern... nah, probably not. After all, if he had ever actually felt any concern for the girl, he would have stopped picking on her every time he saw her.

Ian stopped when he was about a foot away from Liz and stood over her, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You know, the last thing a man wants is to be run away from in the middle of a dance. I think you might want to get back in there before Mr. Diseased gets his pride hurt and decides to go cry in a corner."

Liz groaned. She didn't even bother to try and hide it, she let out a very long, very loud, and very irritated groan. Pulling her head from her hands, she looked up to him and gave a slight glare. Good looking or no, he had a great way of kicking her when she was down. Or so it felt anyway. Pulling herself up from the floor, she brushed off and straightened out her dress before she finally set to looking him in the eyes.

"So out of curiosity, do you have to take a blow at him every time we talk? Because it almost makes you look jealous." She arched a brow, before giving him a fake smile and patting his shoulder as she attempted to walk away. Evenings certainly didn't like to go the way she wanted to, that was for sure.

If Liz had been hoping Ian would blush at that comment, she would be sorely disappointed. His smirk only grew wider as he came up beside her, not allowing her to walk away from him. "Maybe I am," --well, she did look pretty damn good tonight-- "but even if I weren't, I'd still make fun of him. He looks a bit pathetic up next to you, Snugglebear." Ian spun suddenly, stopping in front of her and cutting her off before she could go any further.

"Look, if you really don't want to be in there, I promise I can try to keep you company without making any jabs at your boyfriend. We could... go outside, to the steps and get some fresh air, yeah?" Well, at least he was succeeding at sounding a bit less arrogant and confrontational. "I need to get away from my sister for a few minutes anyway."

He really couldn't get a message, could he? She had been fully ready to tell him to just leave her be, that her night was feeling complicated enough when he seemed to change his cheeky approach and go for more of what she'd been told he could be; he seemed nice. About as nice as sending her a birthday gift, which after the initial shock, had made her smile a bit. She cleared her throat a bit, looking at him, before nodding.

"Alright. S'long as you're not worried about all those handsome blokes sweeping the dolt off her feat." She gave a small smile, before heading towards the door. Clearly, the fact that she was in a sleeveless dress and heading for the outdoors of middle of February Scotland did not worry her in the least.

Ian rolled his eyes, although it wasn't a gesture aimed at her; more like the universe in general. "Yes, well, I have a feeling that she needs a break from me as well and if I don't leave her alone, she'll probably go ask a million blokes to dance just to spite me," he said. His jacket, which he had swiped before he had decided to follow her, was in his hands the second they got out the door, and in a gesture that he didn't quite know the origin of, he slid the leather over her shoulders.

"I feel bad having a jumper and shirt when you're in that sleeveless frock, so do me a favor and just wear it--I'm not being blamed for you getting hypothermia."

"And all my hopes and dreams go soaring out the window." She pulled the jacket a little bit more around her, before giving a slight nod. "Thanks." She had felt the urge to soar on with more sarcastic comments, but none seemed to really want to come. It wasn't often that her wit went dry, but every now and again it happened.

She bounced on her toes lightly, leaning against the doors and looking over to Ian. "Enjoying the Hogwarts festivities? I'm sure that you've gotten plenty of offers to dance and what not." Did she sound at all bitter about that? No. Of course not. Except in a small way.

Ian noticed the bitterness, and fought off the urge to smirk with the mixture of amusement and ego that suddenly rushed through him. He didn't want to ruin the fact that she was speaking civilly to him, but oh this was an interesting turn of events. Forcing himself to not act like an ass about it (for once in his life), he just smiled neutrally and shrugged, looking away from her and into the snow-covered Hogwarts grounds.

"Nah--or at least, I haven't been taking them--" he said. Of course, there had been a lot of offers, but he really wasn't too interested in entertaining the fancies of starstruck teenagers. "I don't know that I could stand the squealing in my ear; 'td ruin the flow of the song, yeah? Although I did spare one for Elspeth's friend, Phoebe. I'm required to deal with her."

"Required to deal? You sure know how to speak kindly of a girls company." Liz had felt a slight satisfaction in his answer, a smile tugging at her lips as she gave a nice nod in response. "I have to say, thoug, you're a lot nicer to your siblings than I would be to mine." Not that she had any. She was pretty sure someone would have had to have had a sick sense of humor to grace her family with another child. Liz had probably been hard enough to deal with on her own. She would've pitied them to an extent.

"So how many of these dances does she drag you to, anyway?" She had been curious about that since she'd read that he was coming in the first place. "I mean, if you've been here before, sorry to say, I never noticed it." She wasn't the most observant of people, but she was pretty happy with that. After all, why should she care about famous wizards flocking all over the school at some point or another? Unless it was some cute muggle actor or something that she'd seen on a very rare occasion that she'd actually found out a way to see a movie; like Clark Gable - which would be a feat in of itself, given that he was a bit, you know, dead.