So Much Has Happened...(Casey)

Casey smiled and kissed him. "Thanks for making it better James. I am trying, I'll get there eventually, I know. Just wish I could get it a bit faster than I am." She shrugged. "Whatever, it'll get here when it gets here."

Casey smiled. "Well I think you're very handsome," she said with a grin, kissing him again and not pulling away quickly at all, content to stay where she was, her lips on his.

Casey laughed. "That's the case with some people, yes. But sometimes a second language is easier than you think."

"Exactly. You just have to give it time." he said kissing her back and then smiling gently at her. He knew that Casey was strong willed and patient, and he knew that she was determined to keep trying, that was part of why he loved her so much.

James smiled, "Why thank you, madam." he said chuckling as he kissed her back. He didn't pull away, right away this time. He wanted to enjoy the kiss, to let the emotions he felt when he was kissing her, overwhelm him. He moved his lips in sync with hers and cupped her face, bringing her closer.

James shrugged, "True. I am willing to try." he said smiling.

Casey grinned. "I can't wait until I can control this better. Then I can sit in the Great Hall in the middle of dinner instead of in the kitchen with whoever will sit with me. The only thing is, the more I work with it, the stronger the power gets. I used to be able to sit in the Hall until I started to try to control it and the colors got stronger and the feelings more intense. So until I can get this completely under control, it will just get worse and worse."

Casey was half turned on his lap to kiss him and it was getting uncomfortable, so she completed the turn, now straddling him so she didn't have to crane her neck. She looped her arms around his neck, kissing him enthusiastically. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

Casey smiled at him. "Good. I'll teach you my favorite phrase. " She leaned forward and whispered into his ear with a grin. "Is breá liom tú," she said. "I love you," she translated happily.

James frowned, feeling sad that she felt that way. He quickly pulled her into his arms again and held her to him, trying to comfort her. "It'll be alright. You will get through it. I know how strong you are and how determined you are to get what you want or need." he said kissing the top of her head.

James let out a low moan and then smiled into their kisses. He leaned back a little, so that he was laying on his back and she was straddled on top of him. He found lying down a little more comfortable for that situation. Gently, he placed his hands on her hips and then ran them up her back to her neck, gently pulling her, if possible somewhat closer to him, deepening the kiss.

Smiling, James opened his mouth, and attempted to repeat it. "Is breá liom tú." he said slowly, slightly butchering the phrase, but managing to make it understandable.

Casey smiled at him. "Thanks James. And I have you to help me too, don't forget. I'll probably drag you into the kitchens with me until I have it under control. I hope to control it before the end of fifth year and I think I will."

Casey shivered happily and the sound of his moan, following him down so she was laying on top of him. She twisted one hand in his hair while the other rested on his chest. She shivered again as his hands ran up and down her body, following his lead with the deepening kiss. She moaned a little at their increased closeness.

Casey grinned. "Good. Sorry love, it was a pretty bad accent, but we can work on it. You'll be a pro in no time."

James smiled at her. "I don't mind. I barely talk to anyone at my table to start with so, I'll sit with you as long as you want me to." he said wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

James copied her by running his hands through her hair, he loved to do that, her hair was so smooth and just...lovely in his mind. Well everything about her was lovely, he thought. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and continued to kiss her, passionately, the way he thought she deserved to be kissed in a moment like this. He gently grabbed her hands, causing him to fall flat on his back again, and laced his fingers with hers.

"I'm sorry. I hope I'll become a pro." he said smiling and hoping.

Casey smiled. "Thanks. Why don't you talk to anyone though, don't the Slytherins talk to you? Or are you too nice for them and their snobbery?" she asked teasingly.

Casey smiled into his mouth as he came up to meet her, letting him fall away when he grabbed her hands, although they were still very close to each other and she was still on top of him. "We're in kind of a public place," she said breathlessly. "We should probably go somewhere else before we scar some poor first year." She deliberately phrased it to say she didn't want to stop.

Casey shrugged. "Nothing to be sorry for, it is a pretty hard language to pronounce."

Laughing at this, James shook his head, smiling. "That's part of it." he said winking. "Well, I just keep to myself and my drawings, occasionally speaking to people." he said shrugging.

James gently pulled away, and then looked around. Seeing no one, but having to admit to himself that she was right, he sighed and said, "True, my dear, true." Slowly pushing himself back up onto his elbows, he looked into her eyes and smiled. "We can continue later if you'd like?" he said suggestively, playfully shimmying his shoulders.

"I can see that." he said laughing. "Teach me something else, please?" he asked.

Casey nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that too. Contrary to popular belief, I actually do need alone time like other people. Usually I use it to fly, but sometimes I just think or sing or something."

Smiling, Casey pulled away too, a little reluctant to stop, but knowing that they couldn't continue where they were. She grinned at his flirting. "I'd be disappointed if we didn't," she said sincerely. "We'll get back to this."

"Ok," Casey said, nodding. She thought for a minute, then said, "Alright, how about tá sé deas a fheiceann tú. It means 'It's nice to see you.'"

James nodded, understanding completely what she meant. Who doesn't need alone time? "I think everyone needs some time alone occasionally. It makes life easier for some." he said shrugging.

Laughing, James took her hand as they sat back up together. "We will." he said hinting heavily.

James sat for a moment, trying to figure out he would say it. He really did want to learn Gaelic, and he wanted to learn to speak it properly. Taking a deep breath, he slowly repeated the words, and then said it again, word by word, hoping he was getting it right.

"tá sé deas a fheiceann tú."he said putting the words together finally. He looked up at Casey, hope in his eyes that he got it right, or at least, partly right.

Casey nodded. "Even my own head is chaotic, so alone time doesn't always help. To be really alone, I go to the Forest. No one else here," she said, tapping the side of her head. "I like to get a break."

Grinning as they sat up, Casey replied, "Good, I'm glad."

Casey nodded. "That's a lot better than the first one. It's a hard language to pronounce, I remember Lyss complaining while she was learning that there weren't enough vowels." She laughed at the memory, then sighed. "I wonder where she is."

James smiled, and nodded. "I can understand. Hey just out of curiousity, can you see what animals feel too?" he asked honestly curious, not trying to insult her.

James kissed her cheek and laced his fingers with hers, smiling and moving from side to side a little.

Smiling, from his partial success, he sort of did a little victory dance in his seat. "Yesssss!" he hissed laughing. When he noticed Casey's face turn from happy, to...well sad, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You'll find her...we'll find her. Together." he said promising her.

Shaking her head, Casey grinned ruefully. "Thank Merlin, no. If I could, I think I'd have a permanent place in Furmage's because I would be completely insane by now. That would truly drive me crazy."

The chaste kiss on her cheek after all that made her smile and giggle, leaning into his arms.

Casey laughed at James's dance. "Congratulations, I'm glad you're happy," she said, still laughing. Sighing, she nodded. "We'll look for her and we'll find her hopefully."

James couldn't help but laugh at this. "Ahah, then I am glad for you, too." he replied smiling. He continued to laugh, but it died down into a mere shake of the shoulders every few seconds.

Smiling as Casey leaned into his arms he began to rock back and forth a litte, the way he saw his father do it for his mother. He had always looked up to his parents when it came to relationships. They had been married happily for almost ten years now, and James had sort of looked up to their happiness. Sure they had their fights, but they always made up in the end.

James hoped that he would have as happy and as strong a relationship as they did. He would do his darndest to keep Casey happy, and to keep their love alive, because he truly loved her more than he thought he could.

"We will find her. We can begin searching this summer, if you'd like?" he suggested, speaking gently and carefully, hoping that she would understand he was trying to help, not hurt her in any way.

Casey grinned up at him. "Yeah, I'm insane enough as it is, don't you think? I don't really need any more added on to my damaged psyche."

Grinning happily, Casey leaned back into James's arms and let him rock her back and forth, a soothing motion. "What are you thinking of?" she asked, catching the emotions he was letting off. "I only get the feelinng you know, not what's causing it." She was truly curious, as she usually was when she couldn't guess why a person was feeling.

Casey nodded. "Ok, we will. I just hope we find her, because she's really good at hiding when she wants to be. I could never find her if she didn't want to be found." She didn't add that she hoped they'd find her sister alive because the alternative was just too painful to think about.

"Yes, you are. But so am I." he said smiling at her, and laughing in somewhat insane manner to prove his point.

James lifted his face to the sky and closed his eyes for a moment, as he sat with Casey in his arms. What was he thinking of...her, obviously, but when he really thought about it, he was thinking about how happy he was at that very moment. "I'm thinking, about you, and how happy I am to be here with you, and with all my friends, wherever they are, at this moment." he said smiling, content with his answer, his very true answer.

James nodded, and continued rocking her, and gently rubbing her arms, trying to comfort her. "We'll do what we can." he said in a whispered, calming tone. He really hated seeing Casey unhappy, and he also really wanted to help find Lyssa. He didn't know her, but he could still tell how much she meant to Casey, and that was good enough reason to help find her.

Casey laughed too, a truly insane sounding laugh. "Excellent," she said, grinning and steeling her fingers in font of her face in evil villain fashion.

His answer made Casey smile. "That's great James. I'm glad I make you happy, cause you make me happy too. And I never thought I could be happy with anyone else, but now I am and it's wonderful and I'm wondering why I held on for so long."

Casey nodded bravely, her eyes closed as she just breathed. The truth rang in his words and she was so happy that he would help her find someone he'd never meant, just for her sake. It touched her. "Thank you James. So much, and for everything."

James continued his evil laugh and then returned to his normal laugh when Casey did a sort of, evil look with her fingers in front of her face. Turning a little, he looked into her eyes and gave her a very serious look, that made him look mischievious. He held this expression for a little over a minute before breaking out into laughter again.

"I'm glad that I make you happy. I've waited a long time for a girl like you. Someone I could share my love and happiness with, and someone that I could make happy, like you right now." he said unable to stop himself from smiling at her. He was truthfully happy that she was happy being with him, because he was happy being with her, there was no question.

James held her close, and kissed the top of her head, and gave her hand a light squeeze. "Your welcome." was all he said, because that was all that he felt could be said in a moment like this.

Casey managed to hold her serious face about 5 seconds before she burst out laughing. "I'm no good at serious, really," she finally said, having calmed down enough to say it. "I accuse you of playing my weaknesses," she teased.

Casey smiled happily. "I could say I'm glad that you're glad and we could go on forever, but I think you already know, so Iguess I don't have to say it. I do want to say I'm glad I got you before any other girl," she said, snuggling up under his arm.

Casey just nodded into his shoulder, unable to say anything else.

James gave her a mock sad face. He pouted at her, eyes wide with fake sadness. "I'm sorry." he said in the saddest voice he could come up with. Then he smiled again, showing her that he was just joking around, and showing that he knew she was just teasing him.

James smiled, and then nodded. "We could go on forever. And yes, I do know and you don't have to say it for me to know." he said resting his head lightly on hers as she snuggled up to him. "I'm glad I got you too." he said, and there was so much truth behind his words, he had never meant something so much in his life than when he said that, or when he told her that he loved her, and that she was beautiful.

They sat for a few moments in silence. James was unsure of what to do now, so he just held her in his arms, allowing himself to just comfort her, knowing in a way that, that was what she needed.

Casey laughed. "That was almost convincing and if I didn't have the built in radar, you may have gotten me. But alas for you, I knew you were faking it." She grinned. "Nice try though."

Smiling happily, Casey nodded. "I hope we go on forever, that would be amazing. We can grow up and get married and go everywhere and have kids and get old together and it will be amazing." She was almost amazed at how intensely glad James really was. "You feel deeper and harder than anyone I've ever known," she said almost dreamily. "Your colors are so intense."

Casey closed her eyes as she leaned against James, allowing herself a small smile at the delicious heat from the sun. "The sun feels nice," she murmmered to him sleepily. It was lulling her into an afternoon nap and she was already halfway asleep.

James shook his head and started laughing. Then he stood up briefly and gave a small bow. "Why thank you. I do try my best." he said. When he straightened out again he walked over to where he was and sat down.

James smiled at the thought of the two of them after school, married, surrounded by children, and then as they grew older, their grandchildren as well. He had never really truly thought that far ahead into his future, but now that he was with Casey, he could see it as clear as the blue sky above them.

"It will be amazing." he said almost dreamily, but truth rang in his every word. It was a little surprising, even to him, at how honest and true he felt to the words he said.

James turned to Casey and smiled as he looked into her eyes. "I have had maybe one sort of girlfriend when I was younger, but I've never felt so strongly for her as I do for you." he said lightly stroking her cheek.

With his arms wrapped around her, he felt her lean into him as though she was preparing herself for sleep. James smiled and nodded. "It is nice. It's so lovely outside today." he said appreciating the warmth.

Casey laughed and clapped. "A round of applause for our outstanding actor. Bravo, bravo! Encore!"

"Our family," Casey said dreamily, imagining them. "I want a lot of children," she said suddenly. "A big, Irish family. My mother was one of 5 and my dad was one of 7, but they only had me and adopted Alyssa. I always wanted more siblings. And I want my kids to have lots of siblings."

Casey smiled and leaned her face into his hand, reaching up to press it to her face. "Well I'm glad I'm your girlfriend now, instead of her. I would have hated to miss out on this."

Nodding sleepily, Casey leaned her head on his shoulder. "Sun's makin me sleepy," she said quietly. "Imma I take a nap now. You make a good pillow."

James laughed along with Casey as she applauded, and then he stood and bowed again and again. "Thank you, thank you! Oh no, you're too kind, really." he said in a posh british accent. Without warning he pulled out his wand and muttered, "Orcidious." and handed Casey a small bouquet of roses. "For the lovely young lady at the front." he said smiling and kissing her hand.

"Being an only child, I don't really know what it's like to have other siblings, but I've always imagined being surrounded by children, laughing and playing." he said smiling at the thought.

Smiling at her, James leaned in and lightly kissed her before saying, "I'm glad you're my girlfriend too, and I'm glad I'm your boyfriend. I don't think I've ever been truly this happy before." he said to her, his voice soft, and caring.

James chuckled as Casey rested her head on his lap and closed her eyes. Maybe he could take a nap too. He was fairly exhausted. Leaning back against one of the pillars behind him, he rested his head on it and closed his eyes as well.

Casey laughed delightedly at his play- acting, blushing and accepting his bouquet of roses. "You're a hopeless romantic," she said teasingly, smiling and taking a deep breath of the roses' scent. Smiling and standing up to kiss him, she whispered, "Good thing I am too."

"It's both amazing and annoying," Casey explained. "You always have someone to talk to and who's got you back, but you're almost never left alone. Depending on how close you a to your siblings, that's either the most fun thing in the world or it's a disaster."

Casey smiled. They were so lovey dovey sometimes, it should be ridiculous, but she loved it. "I don't think I have been either," she said, and for once, she didn't even think of Liam. She only thought of James and how happy she was now.