All I Need is You (Rhian) : Rated - PG13

For Conner this was an important date. School for him was over, seven years had passed, and now he was more than just a Hufflepuff. He had grown into a man and had faced success, challenges, and heartache. Now he knew that he had to make a lot of real world decisions about what he was going to be, how he was going to live, and even thrive all alone. The loss of his mother was definitely something that had affected him and his grades. He wasn't like those kids, who didn't try so hard and got everything handed to them. Spoiled rich kids, who never valued money.

He sighed wondering what was taking Rhian long. The ball had sure escalated quickly from when they had left. Something had told them that the ball wasn't for them, and they had taken off, to dinner. He remembered fondly how they had gone to some low brow place in their super overdressed attire and eaten fish and chips like nothing mattered. It had been great because it was about them. The aftermath hadn't been so pretty, especially as they had learned about what happened.

At the moment he knew that Rhian was with her family figuring out personal stuff. He didn't interfere at all, instead he had packed most of this stuff and thought about where he would be taking them. Picking up his car from Ben's home was easy enough, and had been used as storage from his dorm boxes. He knew that the chances were that the car would be his home for a while, and while he wasn't looking for it he needed to think about more important things. Like Rhian. She was the last person that he had genuine connections to akin to love. He knew they needed to talk about stuff, he just didn't know how to approach it. So instead, he sipped his butterbeer and waited for his girlfriend to appear and hopefully be okay.

Rhian walked through the streets of Hogsmeade in a bit of a daze. The last few days had passed in the blink of an eye, yet they seemed to have lasted forever. The ball had been so much more than she could have ever imagined, and the dinner she and Conner had decided to go to after had been more fun than they'd had in some time. It had been real, and honest, and she hadn't realized until then just how much they'd grown apart as he was dealing with the loss of his mother on his own. The time on their own had been good.

But that night, when she'd returned home to the flat she shared with Mycroft and Teagan, she knew something was wrong. It was quiet in a way that stole the warmth from everything. She and Conner had been out for quite some time, and although she knew both the heads of the schools needed to be in attendance at the ball, she expected them to be home by now.

It wasn't until morning that she received a floo message from Teagan. She was calling from St. Nick's hospital. The ball had been attacked and...

Rhian shook her head as she tried to find some happiness within herself. Tess is safe, she had to tell herself. The girl was recovering at St. Mungo's now, and both Mycroft and Teagan were okay as well. The best think Rhian could do now was to hold on to the constants in life.

Conner. She caught site of him at a small table outside of the new pub at the end of the street. They'd never been before, and she'd jumped at the mention of a good distraction. Even now, as her pace quickened, she left a warmth blossom in her chest at the knowledge that he was the one person she didn't have to worry about.

She couldn't help herself, as she approached the table. Moving to his side, she leaned down to plant a solid kiss on his lips, her arms snaking around his neck. It wasn't their usual soft touches and tentative caresses. This was grounding and real, and oh so necessary to her sanity right now.

Pulling away from the kiss, needing to breath at some point, she buried her head in the crook of his neck, needing just a moment of peace. "Hi," she breathed.

Conner was halfway through his drink when he was scared, in the most pleasant way possible. He was wide-eyed as he felt her lips on his, but immediately reciprocating knowing that only one person could rise his testosterone with a mere kiss. He smiled immediately after and grabbed her hips softly to steady her.

He knew that there was a lot happening at her home. With the attack, the injuries Miss Finn and Mr. Holmes faced, to the brat who had been really hurt from the battle. He would have said something cruel, but it was obvious she had been there to try and save the students. So he did hope that she was doing better, especially for the sake of Rhian’s sake and Ben’s. The poor sap had been missing since the ball. He wasn’t going to question it, he could only hope that it would be okay.

At the way she greeted him, he felt a flushed feeling rising in him, she was definitely not as shy about kissing as she had been before. Now she definitely had something behind her gaze that made him curious about if she knew what she did to him.

“Hey” he whispered back, “sorry if I taste like butter beer” he said immediately. “Sit, come on”

Pulling the chair for her he smiled as he wanted it to be closer. He wanted to see if she was alright. His insecurities remained, but they could wait, all that mattered was her. And as she held to him tightly he knew that he definitely needed to put his problems back, because if she wasn't happy, he could never even aspire to be it too.

Rhian let Conner lead her down into the seat next to his. There was something explainably comforting about being led like that. She'd been left alone so much over the last week, as Mycroft tried to keep the worst from her, and Teagan off trying to help as much as she could as well, that Rhian had become a big bundle of nerves. But now, being here, she felt like she could breathe for the first time in days.

At his words, Rhian's tongue moved out to swipe at her own lips. She could definitely taste the butterbeer. But there was a hint of something else. Something uniquely him. "I like the way you taste," the words tumbled out. Normally she would have wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out from a statement like that, but all that accompanied the bold statement was a faint blush in her cheeks.

Scooting her chair close to him, she was sidetracked by a waiter that came out. She ordered a butterbeer for herself, then turned back to Conner. Her hand wiggled its way into his as her attention focused on him.

"How are you? What have you been up to, since..." She didn't know how to finish the sentence, so it dropped off. Right now, she didn't care if they talked about the damned weather, so long as he was here, and she could see that he was okay. That he was safe. Irrational as it was, since she knew he hadn't been at the attack, it was still a desperate need that she couldn't shake.

"I like the way you taste," the words tumbled out.

Conner immediately turned red at her words. He doubted that she knew what she was implying to him, but she was knowledgeable enough to turn red as the words tumbled out. He laughed it off hoping she could calm herself enough to not be too embarrassed. Instead he sipped his butterbeer, his eyes shining at her amused at her just being her.

"You sure know how to compliment me don't you?" he teased and kissed her cheek softly.

He didn't let go of her hand, wanting to just have her close. He eyed the pub waiter as he took the order, and took in the way the guy looked at Rhian. He knew she was beautiful, he could see it the way the waiter paid much attention to her words. He didn't even bother to ask Conner if he needed anything else and walked off. He promised himself he would never be possessive of someone so outwardly, but he knew enough to not let go of her hand if he could help it.

When the butterbeer came back, he waved the waiter off asking for a refill and sent him on his merry way. Rhian was his girlfriend, and it was hard realizing that she was as pretty to other people than she was in his eyes.

'Never say that aloud you idiot' His mind immediately ordered. Yeah that sounded bad, but at least his own filter helped him.

"How are you? What have you been up to, since..."

He squeezed her hand softly when he realized the happy mood was slowly dampening. He knew that he was being used as a distraction, and he accepted it happily. He would be her jester, her entertainer, her anything to just stop her from being sad. He didn't like seeing her that way. He lifted her hand and kissed it lightly smiling reassuringly.

"Pretty good, took out all my stuff from the castle, it's in my car. Which, once I get the rims fixed I'll drive you around." he said smiling, "I've been looking for a place you know? With Ben? But he's really picky and well...things have been put on pause for private stuff" he shrugged.

He wasn't the brightest bulb, but once he saw the newspapers, the gossip magazines writing about the events, and the names being thrown around that Ben was a wreck over finding her okay. He hadn't meant to tell him but, he knew that he had a right to know.

"But overall...it's weird being...being a grown up" he said his forehead scrunching in realization.

Rhian tried not to call too much attention to her slip up. She wasn't usually so forward, and...really, she wasn't even sure where that had come from. But she couldn't miss the flash in Conner's eyes at her words, how he'd reddened as well. She took his lead though, trying to brush it off. He even had the courtesy to turn it into something funny, which was part of why she loved him.

No matter what happened with them, Rhian always felt like she was treated like a princess. It was strange, after so many years of being cast aside by her family. And she'd seen couples their age act like this, fawning over each other in superficial ways. But with Conner it felt real. Genuine. Like they just...fit!

She smiled softly as his lips brushed her fingers. While she was happy to be somewhere with food, cause she was hungry, she liked that they were mostly left alone. The waiter had hung around for a minute, but she was determined to get as much time with Conner as possible, and paid the boy no mind.

At the mention of his car, Rhian's eyes brightened. "Oh! That's sounds like fun! I've never actually seen one before." Well, that wasn't true. She'd seen them in books, and photographs. It was part of this huge section in Muggle Studies when she'd taken the class. She didn't really know if she liked the idea of strangers driving her around, but she trusted Conner.

It wasn't until he mentioned that he and Ben were looking for a place that it dawned on her: where was he staying now? He was very obviously not talking about that, and had done so ever since he'd told her about his mom. It just hadn't occurred to her to ask about it until now.

"Do...do you need a place to stay? We have the room, and it's actually been rather boring at our flat, with Mycroft and Teagan away so much." She knew she should ask their permission before inviting him over, even for a few hours, let alone to stay, but she hoped they'd understand.

She took a drink of her butterbeer, noticing the difference between the straight taste of it and how it had tasted from their kiss earlier. The thought had her biting her lips with lingering embarrassment, so she too the opportunity of a new topic.

"How so?" Wow, she thought. It hadn't even really occurred to her that he was actually a grown up now. Graduated, yes. But and actual adult? It seemed so surreal. And a part of her felt self-conscious, still being in school. But she tried to set those thoughts aside for now.

As her eyes brightened that's when he knew that her attention was elsewhere. A happier topic that didn't involve death, injuries and danger. It was times like these were he felt he was good at something. He was..he was able to just get a smile on her face, one that made her dimples show. And that made him smile in return.

"Oh my Impala...she drives smoothly, better than flyiing on a broom. My mom and I would love it, she and I would admire it on a magazine...I keep it in top shape" he said softly.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring up his mother, but hell, it was getting easier to talk about her, it stung less, at least with Rhian. He understood loss, in ways Ben could never, or any counselor could.

"You'd love it" he said grinning, hoping to keep the energy up.

From the moment his housing situation come out of his mouth, he knew that his witch's mind began to spin with ideas. He never outwardly told her he was homeless, because technically he wasn't. Hogwarts was his home, that is until he graduated. Now reality was hitting and his front seat was his bed.

"Do...do you need a place to stay? We have the room, and it's actually been rather boring at our flat, with Mycroft and Teagan away so much."

He wondered if Mr. Holmes or Miss Finn would even allow him to stay. Would they be okay with their daughter's boyfriend sleeping over when they were away so often. Still, the thought of Rhian all alone wasn't something he liked, he knew the implications of her being left alone. Being left alone with thoughts was something that wasn't always good, especially when sad.

"I...I'm staying at some cheap place at the moment, have a handful of galleons to stay. But....if your folks are okay with me staying...I wouldn't mind." he said shyly.

He didn't want to be a burden. Hell if they had a life together in the future, how would he support her? He wouldn't let her use the money to support them, he had to be the man.

"But only until I get back on my feet. I'll get a job soon you know? And Ben and I will find a place and we'll get out of your hair. I don't want to be a burden for you all. I want to be as independent as possible you know? Not want to burden people now that I'm not a kid."

As Conner started talking about his mom, Rhian saw the tenseness is his body. Her had squeezed his lightly, offering comfort and reassurance. She'd been in his shoes. Literally. Though in what he'd told her of his mom, the Gryffindor's relationship with her parents didn't compare one bit to his with his mom. But she'd felt it when Elena passed. It was years ago now, but even the memory stung a bit still.

One day, she told herself, we'll be able to look back on them with happiness. She just needed to show Conner it was true, some day.

Rhian listened as Conner stammered through his acceptance of her offer. She felt a pang in her heart at the idea of him staying in some cheap motel, all alone and very much not safe. It didn't sit well with her, especially in light of the situation with her family. No, she wanted Conner close and safe. And what better way than at her home?

"They'll be happy to have you stay," she lied. "Besides, we have a perfectly good couch. Or I can sleep there and you can take my bed. I'm smaller anyhow and would fit better on it." She hadn't thought about that until the words were out of her mouth, but she felt a strange flutter in her stomach at the thought of Conner in her room. In her bed. Where she slept.

Pushing that away, she listened as he went on. A soft smile parted her lips at the way he was so determined to stand on his own. So unlike the stuck up purebloods she'd been bred to entertain. No, Conner was independent, and he wanted to make sure he pulled his weight in this world.

"It can be for as little or as long as you need, Conner." At his mention of a job, her brow furrowed. "You're not going to the University?" If he didn't want to, that was okay. It just hadn't crossed her mind that he wouldn't.

A shoulder squeeze somehow made the topic of his mother a bit lighter, and he gave her a lopsided smile, a bit embarrassed at the fact he was so transparent about his feelings. He couldn't help but notice that their touches were more common than usual, from light hand grabbing to kissing and lingering longer than usual. He wasn't going to assume she was thinking about pushing things further, girls like her...wouldn't even think about things that other girls did. They were proper.

But the mention of her parents not minding him moving in, and the talks about how the would sleep made him anxious. It wasn't going to be like when they met at school. This time he would see her in her sleeping gear what she wore, her habits, everything. Merlin he was definitely going to need to be cleaner than he usually was. He couldn't be a slob in her place.

"Don't worry about sleeping arrangements, I'll take the couch" he said smiling, slowly it became a small smirk "We could even share if you're in the mood too"

He was only teasing but...it'd be nice to sleep with her. Next to her, NEXT TO HER, not with..oh Merlin he was blushing wasn't he? He cleared his throat as if something had caught him off guard, and took a long sip of his drink hoping to calm himself down.

He was glad that they moved onto other topics like his plans. At the mention of university, he looked hesitant. He had applied, Ben had basically threw the application at his face and told him to do it, but he wasn't sure he was getting in. His grades weren't Os like Ben's were. He wasn't a genius level kid, or rich, how could he afford books? All this things bothered him.

"I...I applied actually" he said softly, embarrassed admitting it because he hadn't been accepted, "Just...just waiting to see if I'm good enough you know?"

Of course, he would offer to take the couch, Rhian thought. She couldn't help but think of how things would be different if she was still with her real parents, or if they all were at the Holmes manor. Pureblood houses had guest rooms on end. While it was accommodating, it made a home feel like a hotel. The flat she lived in now with Mycroft and Teagan was real. Large enough for the three of them to be comfortable, but how would it be with a fourth?

She watched as his smile turned into a smirk, and a small tingle ran down her spine at his words. If the thought of him in her room had made her stomach flip, this idea turned it into a full blown acrobat.

Rhian wasn't completely naive. She knew about the birds and the bees, and saw how close Mycroft and Teagan were, physically. It had been something to get used to, in comparison to the distance that had always existed between her real parents. Before the young couple had made their relationship known, Rhian had always assumed that relationships were gain driven things, and that she would eventually do her duty as a pureblood wife, when the time came. Whatever that meant.

But the idea of her and Conner sleeping next to each other seemed to go against that. Really, everything she felt about the boy next to her went against what she'd been brought up to think. He made her feel special, and safe, and wanted. And it was new and exciting, and slightly nerve wracking.

She smiled shyly, feeling the blush heat her face completely. Unsure of what to say, she focused on the Conner's words. His hesitation was obvious, though she didn't understand it. Sure, he'd had a bad situation this past school year, and his grades may have slipped. But she didn't know anyone more deserving of a chance to prove his worth. She could only hope he would get that chance.

"You're more than good enough," she told him confidently. "If they can't see it, then they're losing a good man." Man. Oh, that was weird. But it was true, now that he was graduating. Rhian knew she may sound over confident, but she believed in him.

Looking around the street, she noticed the growing crowd. With summer starting and school out, there were more and more people milling about. Not really ideal for spending time with the one you loved. Finishing her butterbeer and dropping some Sickles on the table for both of them, she stood, sudden boldness taking her by surprise.

"Let's get out of here," she said, offering her hand to him. She was nervous about taking him to her house, but she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.

Rhian's never wavering confidence in him was the reason that he loved her. Because she got it, she got that he wasn't always going to have that cheerier disposition that Hufflepuffs were known for. And yes sometimes he was happy, he did have that belief that good triumphs over evil, there's light at the end of the tunnel all those clichés were his hope. He remembered how his mother had gone through a phase, that when he learned about what he was, and how people reacted, she hung those clichés everywhere to create a haven for him of happy thoughts. His lip tugged at the memory.

'Definitely eccentric, but never once stopped loving'

It was a bit frightening to realize that there was no one to run to if things got tough in life. Even Rhian had said it, he was a man. And it was a realization that the world wasn't made of just clichés and happy sayings when you were alone.

'You're not really alone, you have Rhian' his mind insisted.

For however how long she wanted to stay, his conscious was right, he did have her. And she believed in him and tried to help him, and honestly hearing her say that he deserved it and he was going to get in, made him think maybe his decision to apply wasn't a stupid one. It was scary, to think that failure was definitely expressed through a letter. His future was uncertain, but, but then again whose future wasn't?

"You're more than good enough," she told him confidently. "If they can't see it, then they're losing a good man."

"I have to wait two more weeks for the owl" he admitted shrugging, "In the meantime, I should try to get a job for a backup"

The noise distracted him, and it seemed Rhian was the same way. He sighed knowing that summer also came with students rushing to get everything, shop, and get the most of their summer. It was the noise that changed Rhian's mood, was it for the better? She was being spontaneous, so he wasn't going to question it. He frowned as she threw money at the table, but before he could protest, he saw something in her eyes and got him all the more curious. Grabbing her hand he smiled.

"Where the lady wishes" he teased.