Meanwhile, locked in …
It had been a long day for the Aurors in training, but for Alice Hughes it had been the worst in the whole time of her being there. It wasn’t like it was easy, being one of the few girls in training, but she had made it and earned the respect from the other trainees as well as from the trainers too. But lately Alice had been out of focus, and today had been just awful. “Stupid Frank Longbottom and his pretty face!" she mumbled while walking towards the elevators in their department. Alice had almost gotten herelf badly injured and her partner too, when she had been too occupied watching how Frank was doing rather than concentrating on her own work. Why did she need to have these stupid emotions towards him? She wasn’t allowed to have those! Angrily she stepped in to an elevator, not noticing she wasn’t there alone.
"Alice," Frank said, nodding in a way that was somewhere between curt, snide, and indifferent and probably came across as arrogant. However he came across, though, wasn’t entirely accurate. In truth, he was toggling between anger and that funny sort of feeling that comes with a perverse fascination. She was quite unlike most girls—a spitfire with attitude, a girl definitely more capable (and terrifying) than most of the other trainees—but that only served to spark the competitiveness in Frank. That, and she seemed to enjoy pushing his buttons. Of course, that meant he enjoyed pushing hers back. “You’ve recovered I see. That was a nasty spill you took. Could have been much worse than it already was."
Alice didn’t even bother to turn around, when she heard someone saying her name. Longbottom. She had been spending too much time with him to recognize his voice everywhere. Oh how she hated and loved his voice at the same time, especially now when Alice would hear his annoyance and arrogance in his voice. She would have been the same though, but not right now. Right now Alice was just pissed that he just had to be there too, just her typical luck. “Frank", she answered way too sweetly, still not turning around. Alice often wondered why the feelings came up now, not back at Hogwarts when they were all hormonal teens and adventurous, but now, when they were almost adults and soon-to-be Aurors. Well, she never got the timing right. Plus Frank had became more interesting since his Hogwarts years. “You think I could be taken down that easily? Dream on, Longbottom", she said, rolling her eyes even if Frank couldn’t see her do that. “And please, we both have had it worse than that."
Frank let out a short chuckle. “I could take you down. We both know that." He sneered a bit at the back of her head. “Though you seemed to do just fine with that yourself." In truth, they were evenly matched, and Alice had bested him as many times as he had her. At this point, though, technicalities were irrelevant. He just wanted to see her fume. “It’s okay, though. You’ll get it eventually. Everyone’s rooting for you."
It was at that moment when the elevator lurched violently and the lights flickered, reminiscent of the electric lights Muggles used. The lights soon stopped being dramatic and returned to their normal brilliance, but without the strobe effect Frank noticed they weren’t moving. Muggle lifts would jam, of course, but he hadn’t expected it from a magical one. Examining the doors and walls (for what, he wasn’t sure), he turned to Alice. “Looks like we’re not going anywhere anytime soon…"
Alice was once again rolling her eyes when she heard him chuckle. What an arrogant lad! And her stupid heart had created feeling towards that git, Merlin help her! “And we both know that I could take you down even more easily", Alice said though she knew that Frank could take her down, but she could take him down too. They were quite even with that, even if either of them didn’t want to admit that. Alice sneered at Frank’s comment and said: “And yet I didn’t, because I’m still here." She finally turned though, and leaned to the doors, hoping they would open only when they were at the Aquarium. Otherwise it would be a bit embarassing. Other than that, Alice’s mind was blown away thanks to Frank’s words. Oh no he just didn’t.  "Well isn’t that just sweet, maybe I should bake them all a cake when I “eventually get it" like a good girl should", Alice said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and snide. She didn’t get to be more mean though, because the bloody elevator desided to have problems just then. Alice hadn’t really thought that the magical elevators could have any real problems, but this definitely was real. The lights went flashing and then returned, and pretty soon after that Alice noticed that they weren’t moving at all. Surely you didn’t notice the elevator moving when you travelled between the departments, but it was easy to notice that they just stayed there, unmoving. She moved a bit when Frank came to see the doors and such, like he knew anything about them. “Thank you for stating the obvious", Alice said with an angry sigh. “Just great. So bloody great."
"Who else would you want to be stuck with?" he asked, pressing his ear against the door and straining to hear if someone was coming. He cast a few spells to no avail, then tried Disapparating. Nothing worked, because that would have been too easy. "Someone’s not happy," he said, sitting on the ground against the wall and crossing his arms. “Come on. Talk it out. You know you want to."
Alice rolled her eyes for how many times, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care either. Frank Longbottom was driving her crazy. “Anyone really but you", she said honestly. The long haired young woman watched as the dark haried man tried to accomplish something by listening the doors. And the apparating away. Hadn’t he learned that the Ministry was quite like Hogwarts; one couldn’t apparate inside the building. Their loss sadly. Alice sat down, moving away from still standing Frank, hoping that the lift would start working soon.
"Oh, you noticed", she answered sarcasticly. But unlike Frank thought he knew she knew it, Alice didn’t want to talk to him about her personal life. Sure they were some kind of friends, they hang out every now and then, but Frank wasn’t the one Alice would tell what was going on in her life. “And what if I don’t want to talk? You’ll make me? Don’t think so Frank", Alice told him, hugging her knees and resting her head against them.
There was clearly something going on, and it was simultaneously fascinating and obnoxious. He hasn’t done anything, but here she was, being incredibly unpleasant. The surly attitude sucked the fun out of the air, and as he sat, he realized he was in for quite a long wait with someone who for whatever reason didn’t like him at all.
"Well never mind then. I’ll entertain myself then."
Alice stayed still, quiet and trying not to think of all the things she should be doing rather than being stuck in a magical elevator that should get stuck in the first place! Training was what came to her mind first, she knew the perfect place to practise magic without anyone to notice, and that’s where Alice would have rather been than here. Or cleaning her bathroom. Or even on the field, making mistakes! This wasn’t fun at all, and Alice knew she was being a bit too stubborn and annoying, but she had had a bad day, thanks to Frank even if he wasn’t aware of that little fact, and Alice needed to do something and then take a bath. A hot bath was all she wanted, yes. Skip the practising, a bath was what her body needed right now. But was that going to happen? Not in a while no. Her mind on her own thoughts, Alice missed completely Frank’s words.
She lifted her head only to let it fall to the wall behind her and closed her eyes. “Let us out here", she mumbled more to herself than for Frank to hear. Alice wasn’t really afraid of small and closed places, and they had been locked in only moments, but she was already a bit freaked out.
"Okay then. Fine. Ignore me." After a moment, though, he realized that it wasn’t as simple as that. She seemed…unsettled? Claustrophobic, perhaps? “Alice, you okay over there…?"
Alice came back to Earth only to hear Frank being his arrogant self, and there she was, rolling her eyes at him again. She swayed a bit from side to side, but stopped soon because it felt and propably looked stupid too. She sighed when Frank asked if she was okay. Alice send him a small smile. “I’m fine, this is just the last place I would like to be at the moment", she told him honesly. Funny how the rudeness had weared itself out, but Alice was very sure that he would say something to push her buttons again. It was what they usually did around another.
"Well now, honesty is refreshing, innit?" He looked away and took particular interest in the buttons on the lift. Of course he should have expected so much, but this felt different from their normal banter. More callous. More real. “Well, I’m sure we’ll be out of here soon and you can be rid of me. I’d hate to be a bother for much longer."
"Refreshing compared to what? The studying or the field work?" she asked, and locking her eyes with that very interesting corner in the lift. Hadn’t noticed how perfectly that one was made too… Maybe there was a person taking care of the elevators’ corners too. Oh what a silly thought, but that kept Alice thinking of other things. “How? The Ministry was almost empty, and they won’t be wondering why this one elevator isn’t there, because they are almost always moving. You bothering me is the smallest of our problems at the moment really", Alice said giving Frank a small smile but soon getting back to see that corner next to her.
"Yet it’s clearly taking it’s toll. Clearly pleasant conversation is beyond you, so let’s just get this damn thing moving." Frank stood, removed his wand, and began casting spells at the ceiling and floor alternately, though after a few minutes without progress, he held out little hope that he could get them out any faster. Whatever the trick to the lifts was, he didn’t know it.
Alice fight the urge to cast a silencing spell at Frank, or at least stick out her tongue, but she had to act like a mature adult should. “Well gee, sorry for not being my bubbly self after this horrible day!" she practically cried out loud. Alice watched annoyed as Frank, having no idea what to really do other than cast spells around the lift, didn’t get the elevator moving. “I don’t think any of our spells will make this thing move", Alice said, stating the obvious this time. She was still sitting down there, watching. “You don’t think there is a hatch on the ceiling, like in those Muggle films, where we could try and get out?" that was all she had. If Frank’s spells weren’t working, hers wouldn’t work either because they knew almost the same spells. So they would need to escape Muggle style. Maybe.
Something was clearly very wrong, and it was equally clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. He ignored her barbs as he tried a few more spells before eventually relenting and nodding. She was right; if there was a hatch, they could maybe get out manually. Studying he ceiling, he saw a ridge that may have been a hatch and he pointed. “I’ll give you a leg up? Then you can be rid of me sooner."
She shook her head as Frank still thought that he could be able to cast a spell to let them out. Hadn’t he realised it yet, that his spells weren’t working and wouldn’t work. Men. Though this one seemed to finally realise that she had been right, as always,  when Alice saw him nod in agreement. She stood up while Frank studied the ceiling, and finally find the hatch and pointed it out, Alice following his finger. “That’s the only option really", she said shrugging, not answering to his comment of her getting rid of her sooner. Thank Godric she had pants today and not a skirt like she liked to have. “You ready?" Alice asked, taking steps and closing the gap between them, ready to be lifted up.
Frank took a knee and positioned his other underneath the hatch. “Let’s get this over with then," he said, extending his hand for her to grab to help balance herself as she stood on his leg. At least to him, the scene was now infused with awkward fomality. Whatever her issues were, he wasn’t keen on getting yelled at again. Their normal banter had soured, and while Frank usually found her annoyance with him endearing, he was now beginning to wonder if she truly hated him. While there would be time to mull that over later, right now he was singularly focused on getting away from Alice, and consequentially getting out of the lift.
"Right", Alice answered when tooking his hand and then took a step/small jump to get herself to Frank’s leg. It wasn’t the world’s most steady place to stand, but she soon find a good position for her legs, hoping her small steps wouldn’t kill Frank’s leg, and stopped wobblying. Alice noticed that she was still holding Frank’s hand, but maybe that was for the best, it really helped. She had her mind set to try and get them out of there, so Alice wasn’t even thinking the position and situation they were in. She managed to lift her hand up enough to try and lift the hatch up but it didn’t move. Alice tried again with as much force as she could with only one hand, but still nothing. She couldn’t be that weak couldn’t she?
Alice took out her wand and pointed the hatch with it. She muttered some spells, but the ceiling stayed as it was. Great, just great. “It doesn’t move when I try and lift it up, but it also doesn’t respond to my spells", she informed though Frank must have noticed that himself.
Frank helped her down then stared at the ceiling. “Well, I can try to muscle it open, but I’m not going to stand on you…" He trailed off as he considered what he could have thought of before. Pulling out his wand, he conjured a small table, solid and wooden and large enough for two to stand on. “This may work better," he said, scratching his nose and clearing his throat, wholly embarrassed that he hadn’t suggested this first.
He stood on the table and tried banging on the hatch, but it wouldn’t move. “So clearly it wasn’t just stuck…"
Stepping down from Frank’s leg was easier than getting there, and Alice was just glad to stand on something other than a human flesh. She flashed a smile to him as he said he wouldn’t stand on her. “Yes, that would be a disaster", Alice said: “But you can try if you want to. Not sure if it’ll work." She took a step aside as Frank conjured a table, thinking why either of them hadn’t thought of that before. Well, better late than never, though the better would have been nicer. Alice could feel her cheeks coming red, and tried not to watch as Frank went and stood on that table.
And yet the hatch didn’t move even with more force. “If it had been, I might have as well have it moving", Alice said. “I think these are charmed from the outside or something."
"Damned security…" Frank muttered, sitting down on the table and studying Alice. “So looks like we’re stuck til someone gets us out. So until then…" He trailed off and crossed his arms. “What’s up, Hughes? Why do you suddenly want to hex me into oblivion?"
"It’s always working when it shouldn’t be", Alice said, joking, though she wasn’t sure if Frank’s statement was for her to hear or answer. She leaned to the wall and watched as Frank sat down to the table. “Yeah, looks like that’ll be the case now", she answered. Alice let head head fall back to the wall, and sighed when Frank asked what was really going on. “Well, Longbottom”, she started but didn’t really know how to continue. Because I have feelings for you though I would prefer not to have? Or because I want to do more pleasant things with you at the moment? No, absolutely not, never in a million years would she say either of those things.
"If you hadn’t noticed, you push my buttons way too ofen that I would like. Maybe I just don’t want to put up with that right now?" she blabbered trying to say something reasonable.
"Because you’re always so pleasant," he said, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, more than half our conversations end with a fight, and you initiate the majority of those. But usually you don’t act like you want to murder me. I must say, it’s rather disconcerting. I quite prefer you simply fired up."
"Of course I am", Alice answered, lifting her head up and watching Frank. She rolled her eyes, oh really. And he had nothing to do with those fights, yeah? No, she wouldn’t swallow that that easily. “Well if I’m the one starting those fights, why do you keep up with me. It’s not like you have to fight back, you know. You would want to murder me too if you’d had a bad day and as if that wasn’t bad enough you get stuck in a bloody elevator!" she huffed angrily. “And I don’t give a damn how you prefer me", Alice hissed. Deep down Alice hoped that Frank would never find out that she was just covering her feelings towards him with all those fights and sarcasm.
"If you didn’t, dear, you wouldn’t keep sniping at me, and you wouldn’t project all this pent up frustration out on me. So come off it," he said, hopping off the table and closing the gap between them. “It’s not me, and it’s not this elevator, so what is it, Hughes? Man up." His face inches from her, he lowered his voice. “Tell me what’s really eateing you."
Alice wasn’t sure if her speechless was because Frank might be right or because he was being arrogant. Either way, Alice didn’t like the way he spoke to her, even if it had a hint of truth in it. “You are not the only one how I fight with, if you hadn’t noticed", she only stated and while that was true, Frank was clearly the one she fought most of the time. Alice hadn’t even realised that he had hopped off the table, and with just few steps he was way too close to her than Alice would have liked him to be.
His words didn’t go through her head because she couldn’t concentrate on them; only to his face, inches away from hers. Alice was looking at his lips when Frank spoke again, lower voice this time and she just needed to snap it out and not watch his lips anymore. Oh, he really wanted to know? Yet she didn’t want to tell him. Because that wasn’t part of the plan, it was the total oppostite, the thing her parents wanted to happen! “Other than the things I’ve already told you? Something that isn’t your business, and it’ll never be your business", Alice told him, and while she would have loved to take steps away from Frank, she somehow find her feet unable to move. Great.
"That’s likely," he said, smirking but remaining planted. “Let’s be honest here. If I pester you enough, you’ll tell me. And it will be explosive and delightful, so why not just get on with it. It’s not like we’ll be getting out of here any time soon. So spill. What are you secrets, my dear?" While he was quite aware of how much of an ass he was being, he was rather enjoying watching her fume. Yes, she was legitimately pissed; no, he didn’t care, not when she was sniping for no reason. And not while they were stuck together. He might as well have some fun, especially at her expense.
Oh dear Godric how big ass he was being at the moment! In any other situation Alice would have hexed him or at least punched him, but not when she could feel his breath too close and see his eyelashes, almost counting them. He was asking for it, and Alice was feeling way too hot thank’s to Frank’s presence, plus her heart was being girly with all those feelings it had created for the man standing in front of her. So Alice did what her mind had unconsciously wanted to do for weeks; with no words she took a good grip from Frank’s collar, rose on her toes and placed her lips giving Frank a kiss with full of emotions. When ending the kiss, but still keeping her grip, Alice asked: “That enough of secrets for you, Longbottom?"
What came after the kiss surprised Frank even more than the sudden kiss had. After a few moments of wide-eyed gaping, he pulled Alice closer and pushed his mouth against hers. Heat rose to his face as his mind expelled logical thought, and after he broke the kiss he stayed close enough to feel her breath. “Well, that has effectively ruined our rivalry, now hasn’t it?"
She would have smirked at Frank because his shocked expression and gaping looked hilarious, but right now Alice was just waiting for him to react. She feared for the worse, but you couldn’t undo what just had happened. And it would be her own damn fault if -. And then he kissed her back! That was something Alice had not expected, not at all. Her hands on Frank’s collar eased their grip but she had her hands still between them and she could feel his hands on her back. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of Frank’s lips on hers. Again. Alice felt breathless after that kiss, and her eyes still shut, she could feel Frank staying close to her.
"For once, I agree with you", Alice said, opening her eyes and looking up to see his face, a small smile on her face.
Frank turned up his nose and leaned backward, hands still on Alice’s back. “Are we going to have to be nice to each other now?" He cocked his hand to the side. “That could be uncomfortable, you know… I do so enjoy watching you fume." He smirked, hesitating—just in case—before going in for another quick kiss.
She leaned more to the wall behind her, letting her hands drop from Frank’s chest to her sides. Alice was surprised for that question, but after Frank explained that a bit, a smirk found its way to Alice’s lips. “If you like it so much, then maybe we don’t need to be nice to each other", she said. Alice had no time to say anything else, because she felt Frank’s lips on hers again, but this time the kiss was quicker than the previous ones.
Alice once again rose to her toes, but this time she didn’t kiss him, but rather brought her lips to his ear and whispered: “That means hot make out sessions then." As if there were other people to hear her saying that.
"If that’s the case then I’ll pretty much never be nice to you. So get used to it. This is how it’s going to be." Frank leaned down again just in time to hear a strange thunk to his left. It was akin to some Muggle machines he’d been around, but he was at a loss for what was causing it in the Ministry. The thunk came once more then stopped, so he put it out of his mind. “You will be the death of me, Hughes." He paused and smirked, his face inches from hers. “Sounds like a hell of a lot of fun."
Alice wasn’t really used to flirting, she had only had couple boyfriends and in the clubs it was more about the dancing than flirting with guys, so she wasn’t sure what to respond to Frank. “I can’t wait", was what came to her mind and out of her mouth first, and Alice hoped that it would sound alright. She was ready to be kissed again, but she as well heard the noice coming from behind the elevator doors, though Alice had no idea what was the cause of it. The thunk stopped though, and Frank was leaning against her again. “I hope you won’t die too early", she whispered and was ready to be kissed by his soft lips again, but then the noice was heard louder than before.
She quickly turned her head so Frank’s lips found her cheek instead of her lips, as Alice had her head turned to the doors. She saw the doors opening an inch, and that’s when she turned back to Frank. “I think they’ve found us", she said, somehow relieved that she wouldn’t need to share the small space with Frank for long. Alice broke free, she didn’t want them to be found this closely, not yet anyway, and took steps closer to the jammed doors. “Is there anyone?" Alice yelled through the doors, and she got an answer: “You’ll be out of there soon!" She turned to see Frank and said: “Dear Merlin they found us."
Frank blinked stupidly as she moved, spoke, and dislodged herself from him. Of course, propriety mattered—it was hardly good form to be snogging in a broken-down lift—but Frank couldn’t help but feel confused and a little disappointed. Still, as the lift doors opened and he saw their rescuers, he was rather glad to be out. At least to no longer be trapped. After the other wizards left, he shuffled his feet a few times in Alice’s general direction. “Well, then, now we’re free I should head home." It was awkward and lame, but what was the alternative? Trap themselves back in the lift or go back to his, but both were terrible ideas. “I’ll see you tomorrow then."  He started to turn then stopped. “It was nice being trapped with you." He smiled once more, then left, his head swimming to catch up with everything that had happened.
Alice knew she might have been sending mixed signals or what ever her girlfriends called that, but she honestly had no idea how to handle these kind of things. This was the very first time she had had feelings, and this time like real feelings, not those teenage girl feelings, for a guy after Hogwarts and this was nothing like her crushes back at school. So yes, Alice Hughes, and Auror-to-be was a bit scared of all of this. She had her main focus on their rescuers, and smiled wildly as she saw them, thanking them and finally stepping out.
The other wizards disappeared as quickly as they had gotten there, Alice hoped that they would fix the elevator soon!, and she turned back to Frank’s direction. She could feel the colour on her cheeks changing to very bright red, and felt very awkward. But thank Gedric she wasn’t the only one, since Frank seemed to have some troubles too. “Yes, well, me too. Early morning and everything", she said, smiling at him, not knowing what else to say to him. “Tomorrow it is then", Alice answered, her smile getting more bright and happy. She watched as Frank started to go, but then turned back at her.
Alice wondered if he had forgotten something or what was going on. To his next words, Alice chuckled a little. “I too enjoyed it", Alice told him, and as Frank turned to leave, she went to her own way too, wondering what would happen next. A real date perhaps? If that was what Frank would want. But Alice needed to think. And maybe talk to her sister and friends about everything that had happened.
