A Time For Peace ( YiXue / Shen )

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Unlike most of the table enjoying the feast, Shen had other things on his mind, all of them focused on the girl right beside him. Although they had missed each other on the train, since entering the castle they had been together pretty much the rest of the time. Even sitting here with food all around, good friends and a family away from family, Shen found himself darting glances at YiXue and wondering how he was so lucky, what he had done right? Surely there were others even in her year who were more handsome or quicker witted?

His eyes drifted her way and caught sight of Teddy's grinning face and his eyes went down to his plate, a slight blush to his cheeks as he saw he was done except for his pumpkin juice. He picked it up and drank again, listening to people talking around him before he finished and set it aside. As soon as the meal was about halfway through, Shen decided it was enough time. Turning to her beside him Shen spoke softly under the volume of others around him. "YiXue, I think I'm ready to go, are you close or do you need more time?" A couch was definitely calling his name.

Of course, he had several things in his room he needed to get first for her, but that would be it as far as he was concerned for the evening. Smiling to himself he awaited her answer with anticipation...

@yixue

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YiXue was so happy now. The train ride had been nice. She caught up with some good friends and all. However, it was nothing compared to seeing Shen again at the castle. And now the two were having dinner. After that, they would go to the Common Room and hopefully find an empty couch to cuddle on. She had waited all day, well even longer than that, to be in her boyfriend's arms.

She smiled at him when he was finished with his food and asked if she was done. She beamed and nodded.

"All finished," she said. "Dinner's been great, especially with you. But I couldn't eat another bite. I'm ready to relax a bit before classes start tomorrow... if someone will help me relax."

Usually meditation did the trick, but now she had a better way to relax. Wiping her mouth and hands with her napkin, she offered a hand for Shen to hold. She then leaned over and gave him a brief kiss on the lips.

"Let's go, my Dumpling Boy," she said with a chuckle.

In the Common Room, YiXue sat and awaited Shen to come with the things he needed to get. She was worn out and felt like nodding off, but she knew she'd be wide awake again when he arrived.

@shava44

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How was it that being around someone could make one feel content and happy without anything being done besides presence? Shen could feel the unusual feeling in his hear and chest, telling him that this was what he had been needing even if he hadn't realized anything was missing. When she smiled at him he felt a little surge of emotion and smiled back, quite cheerfully. "All right!" He took her hand eagerly and grinned at the nickname.

It was a rather perfect nickname.

"I shall do my best to help you relax," he said as they stood up, "but there are a couple of things I should get from my room when we get back. Won't take a minute." When they reached the dorm he gave her hand a slight squeeze and hurried down the boy's hall to the room, grabbing out the two items from his bag and checking his crickets briefly. Back down to the commons he placed the one sealed box which clearly held dumplings sealed on the table within easy reach.

"Mother made that u for you. You just tap the top with your wand and it steams right up and the lid pops when it is done." Sitting on the couch he had something else in his hand turned so she couldn't see it. "How do we do this then? Do you want to lean against me, lie down together on it length-ways or what? I'm new at this..." And then he waved a hand, moving into whichever positions she chose, just glad to be there. "And if you do feel sleepy, don't worry I am fine."

@yixue

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YiXue beamed at the dumplings and smiled at Shen.

"Oh they look amazing!" she said. "Just like the one who brought them to be."

After Shen sat, it didn't take long for YiXue to answer his question about how they were to position themselves for the cuddling. She leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. Though she quickly moved her head up and kissed him on the lips again.

"This is perfect right here," she said. "I've been waiting for this since we hung out in Diagon." Reaching over, she grabbed a dumpling and ate it. "Oh, this is wonderful, Shen. When you write your mother, tell her I said thank you and that I love them."

One she finished one, she snuggled up to Shen again.

"Sooo... where should we go for our next date?" she asked. "The Three Broomsticks, Honeyduke's, Madam Puddifoot's?" She didn't mind where they went. As it was with young love, she was excited about what every day and each date would bring. "Maybe before or after, we can have a meditation session on the grounds. I love how our two styles mesh when it comes to that."

@shava44

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As Shen brought her the dumpling and set them down he blushed again slightly at her exclamation. And as he asked, she leaned onto him with her arms around him and he slid his around her in return. When she kissed him it was far too quick for his taste, but being in her arms was enough that he made no complaint. He kissed her too before her lips escaped him. "Ah yes, this feels like somewhere I've always wanted to be!"

He smiled at her enjoyment of the treat his mother had sent along for her. "She is getting good at those and just imagine that she didn't start learning how to cook Chinese till she met my father! And they are definitely one of my favorites now. Not that I dislike anything she makes really." And then she moved on to discussing their next place for a date. "Well we can do each one I guess, one at a time, but I've never seen Madam Puddingfoots place anyway."

Wondering where that was in the first place he frowned that he had never heard anyone speak about it in the past. "Where is that and what is it? I should probably see it at least once." And then he shifted his hands around saying a tad bit softer "I have something for you though, my wonderful Sack girl with shining eyes." leaning back slightly he set a paper wrapped bundle in her lap as he added "Since I missed your birthday..."

@yixue

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YiXue was surprised that Shen's mother had learned how to cook Chinese so late. The dumplings tasted like she had known how to cook them all her life.

"Well they're incredible," she said. "I'd love to try more of her cooking."

YiXue then nodded as Shen spoke of Puddifoot's. It seemed that was the place to go.

"I've never been either, but it's in Hogsmeade," she said. "But I heard it's the perfect place for couples who want to go on dates. It's a tea shop, but I hear they serve some really nice food as well. So we'll go there. Our first official date at Hogwarts. We'll make it super special."

When Shen presented her with the magnificent gift, YiXue's eyes widened. With out saying a word, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. It was a long kiss this time, one full of love. When she finally broke the kiss, she followed it up with three kisses on the cheek.

"I love it," she said, holding the beautiful object in her hands. "And I love you, Shen, so much. I think I have for a long time. You're just so... so everything amazing." She then placed it on and kissed Shen again.

@shava44

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Shen smiled. "Dad does the most of the Chinese cooking, mom does more of a eastern Slavic style but they have learned each other dishes some too. Funny, I like hers a bit more then his so I think it's right when she says she just makes them with love. Not that dad doesn't as well, but there's just something about a mom's cooking, you know?" He smiled fondly, thinking about his mother. And that was when it clicked in his mind what he should tell her. "Oh! I knew there was something I wanted to tell you, YiXue."

Looking at her directly he said "I just wanted to tell you, if you ever see me forget myself and start singing or anything, cover your ears, okay? Cause my mom is a Veela and I don't want you to get caught in it, okay?" Sure there was some of it in his face and in his smile, but it was the voice that did it the most, the singing. He didn't get angry enough to really show it in his face though he was told he had thrown a weak fireball when he was a frustrated toddler once.

"A tea shop? Nice! Yes, we should definitely go there. I wonder if they carry any from back home..." It would be nice to get some tea from home actually, something to have in the common room some days. The reaction to his present was more then he would have dreamed as she caught him around the neck and kissed him! It took him a moment to react to kiss back as hard, finding this kiss much longer and deeper then before. By the time she actually released him he looked a bit stunned at how much emotion could be put across that way!

He had planned out how to excuse the price of it by telling her he had gotten a good deal and that it wan't so expensive. He had even thought of how to explain the heads coming together almost like a kiss and how it could show what they were together, something greater then separate, but he lost all that with the kiss which seemed to empty his mind for a moment or two before he blinked, starting to grasp why his oldest brother had always held onto his wife so much even around family.

"Y-you blow me away too, YiXue my love," he said stumbling over his words as she clung to him after putting it on with every sign of delight. He gazed at her eyes glazed over before his grin came back on, slowly growing in strength of delight. He had never realized what a power there was in kissing!

@yixue

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YiXue listened as Shen spoke of his parents' cooking. Her parents were good cooks as well, so it was another thing the two had in common.

"Well, I can't wait to go to your house for dinner and for you to come to mine," she said. "My parents are particularly good at soups and with chicken. By the way, I wrote my father another owl and he's calmed down a bit from being the protective dad. He admits he looks forward to meeting you after his daughter sweet talked him. I know he'll like you once he meets you."

YiXue heeded the warning about him singing well, but was surprised she didn't know that about him already.

"I will, though it's a shame I can't hear you sing," she said. "I love your voice when you speak to me. It's soothing and beautiful."

YiXue shrugged when Shen wondered if the tea shop carried teas from Asia.

"I'm sure they do," she said. "I heard they have a variety there."

YiXue chuckled when Shen said she blew him away. And blushed when he called her his love.

"Only you can send me to a Happy Place without meditation," she said. "Because anywhere you are is my Happy Place now."

@shava44

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Soups were always good, Shen thought, and nodded, looking forward to her coming over, but not so sure about meeting her parents. Even though she said she has sweet talked her father, he suspected he would be under careful scrutiny. He tried to brush it off with a little humor. "Ah, it's to be expected. All fathers feel protective of their children. It is their job I think to keep us all safe in the first place. I'm sure we will be fine." He made a note to send to his father for advice in that one though, he was going to need it to keep his cool!

She looked surprised at this point and he shrugged, trying not to push it too much. "We've never made a big deal out of it. It seems to too much question about dating in it. People are afraid when they heard my older brother talk about getting married that his wife had been tricked into it because of what he was. So we don't really tell many people. My closest friends know only." He blushed, even knowing part of his voice might be part of the magic. "Well, maybe some day. For you. But not until everything has time to settle I think." Especially her father!

A tea shop seemed very appropriate to their first date, a classic tradition going back many centuries in both of their families, though since it was an English shop they probably wouldn't get that close to the real thing. Father had taught them all about the tea service and about once a week during the year they shared the full thing as a family. It was a close defining moment of peace he had come to cherish. "That is very good! A fortunate beginning to us."

Not only did the kiss blow his mind, he found it sent all kinds of thoughts running around in his mind screaming out ideas to act on! It was with some effort he cleared his head of her influence long enough to smile back with delight as his eyes explored her face. "YiXue, our happy place is together. I enjoy all the time I have with my friends and classes and such, but I truly look forward to just being around you. Even meditation will be small comfort to me like a smile from you! Can you forgive me for not having said something sooner then this summer? Because I feel stupid now for taking that step many months before..."

@yixue

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YiXue was glad Shen understood about her father. Her father did indeed promise he wouldn't scare the boy when he met him. The man knew better, as he knew how much it would upset his beloved daughter. Besides, being two people who started a Meditation Retreat, they certainly weren't mean spirited towards anyone.

YiXue then listened and understood as to why he didn't want to make an issue of it. She did like the idea of hearing him sing one day.

"Well, it wasn't your voice that lured me in," she said. She then placed her hand on his chest. "It was what's in there. But some day, hearing how you sing would be nice. Maybe when we're cuddling in front of a peaceful lake or something like that."

YiXue listened to his amazing and poetic words. She then sighed when he asked if she could forgive him for not knowing sooner.

"Then you'll have to forgive me as well," she said. "I could have said something. I guess we were both a bit shy. But you know what, it doesn't matter now. We both know, we both love each other, and we have an entire lifetime to show we do." She then kissed him again, another passionate one.

@shava44

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He was so very glad she understood about the veela background he had as it had always made him a bit wary really. And mostly his sibs agreed it made the most sense. "Thank you, it seems silly I know that people can be so short minded, but it happens. It's better to avoid the trouble in the first place." When she put her hand on his chest, he felt a certain delight from her touch, but knew because she was female he could not exactly return the favor of the connection.

They did not have that kind of relationship. Not at this point. Maybe it would develop, but theirs was like an opening bud on a tree he knew and it would take time to nurture. Besides, he had no clue about how one brought it up to begin with as relationships were not something he had much experience with like this! he was fairly sure that it would have to be started from her end however, not so much his.

Placing a hand upon her shoulder instead and knowing it didn't quite feel right, he responded with "I was drawn by your smile and your kindness, but the longer I was around you I learned to see the true beauty you have within you, hence why you will always be beautiful to me, my precious Sack Girl." Instead of kissing her on the mouth however, he kissed her very gently on the forehead to show how much he treasured her.

Shen was touched as she spoke about eternity, that she was already thinking in such ways! "A long time indeed, though when you graduate it will be hard on us I think. There is much water to pass over before then however and I choose to spend it with you as much as possible."

@yixue

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(This will be my last post here, and then we can move it to the Tea Shop)

"I understand," said YiXue concerning Shen not revealing he's half-veela. "Even in a world of magic, many seem to fear what they don't understand. Which is why I'm glad I'm open-minded. I would have missed out on a lot of friends and the world's greatest boyfriend if I wasn't."

His words and the kiss on the forehead made her tingle inside. Shen should be a professional poet some day.

"And you will always be handsome to me, my Dumpling Boy," she said.

YiXue sighed again at the thought of graduating a year before Shen.

"We'll make our year apart special with owls and holiday visits," she said. "We'll make the most of our time together then, and in no time you'll graduate and we'll be together all the time." She kept the positive thoughts in her head and kissed him once more before cuddling with him and falling asleep after a long day.

@shava44

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He was not exactly happy about having to conceal things, but it was something that had to be done. "To be honest, it doesn't seem very threatening to me and is less the people seem to believe. I've even heard someone say in class that a Veela's charm is permanent on a person and they can never love again." He shook his head, mostly at the idiocy of some people. "Of course, I wouldn't need such powers with you now would I?"

And grinned at the light in her eyes.

He was beginning to like the sound of the word dumplings, more then normal too. And it was a far better nickname then many he could think of so as a personal name he rather liked it. besides, Chinese was full of such nicknames unlike the Westerners somewhat uninventive short names to his ear. Sometimes he had to remind himself he was one of the 'ghosts' from outside the Wall as they said in China. An old story, but as with many things in a country so old, it clung to the stories and legends.

And became part of language and culture.

When she cuddled and fell asleep on Shen he smiled, holding her close and stroking her hair so soft and wondering how long he should let her sleep or if he should doze off himself with her. In the end he stayed awake holding her for many hours before he stirred himself enough to get them both to their rooms, very gently.

@yixue