A tall, dishwater blond boy stands just in side the gates looking out, his face a curious blend of wistfulness and steel determination. He turns and walks back to the castle.

She'd contemplated using the Floo network to travel from home directly to her office, but Macadrian Shackleton decided against it so that she could get some fresh air before entering the school. And besides, she had Fex with her. The stress of the summer had taken its toll on her physically, mentally, and emotionally and she needed to regroup before stepping through the gates of Hogwarts. Inhaling deeply, Macadrian thought to herself, 'As good as it feels to be back here, I am going to be playing catch-up right from the start. I haven't even begun planning my lessons and I'm already at such a huge... disadvantage.' Sighing heavily, Macadrian spoke the staff access spell to open the gate and, carrying her rather heavy bag and towing Fex behind her, stepped foot onto the grounds under the starry night sky, closing and locking the gate behind her before heading up the path toward the School. And so the show begins...

Xehanna got her camera out and began to take pictures of the way the trees and vines wrapped themselves around the gate. then she just sat there with her camera in her hands at her chest looking at the sight in front of her. his face, his words, his touch popped into her head.

Narisa was looking down at the floor, walking hurriedly whilst clutching her notebook to her chest. She hadn't made any friends at Hogwarts, she was alone. She wasn't used to this, back at home she was so popular so why was it any different here? She didn't want to be here anymore, she wanted to go home, at least for a bit. As she approached the front gate she finally looked up. She noticed a girl on the ground; she wasn't moving and her eyes where shut. Oh no . . . Narisa thought, quickly she ran over to the girls side, dropping her note book as she did so. "Hello?" Narisa tapped the girls’ cheek lightly; she didn't know a spell to wake her up, "Hello? Can you hear me?"

Narisa looked down at the girl for a moment then got to her feet and straightened up "I'm Narisa Carter, and you are?" a smile tugged slightly at the corners of her mouth and she held her hand out to help the girl up.

Antwone trotted briskly through the front gates of Hogwarts, finally stopping when he knew he and Jezzabell were safe in the grounds.

"I think something was wrong ..." he growled, his chest heaving in and out, his heart racing. "Sometimes ... I wish I could turn on command."

Jezz hugged him. "Don't say stuff like that. You're scaring me." For all of her toughness, she was really scared right now.

Antwone returned her hug.

"I'll take to that Slytherin later, but the priority was getting you out."

He turned around, as though to go back to Hogsmeade.

Jezz watched him closely for a second and then grabbed his hand. Pulling him toward the castle she said, "You're not going back there Twone."

"No ..." Antwone thought about it. "You're right I shouldn't"

He turned back to her, a glint of yellow decorated the edges of his brown eyes, or maybe it was only imagined.

"We should get back to the castle if you want, or we can stay out here ... go somewhere. Talk about ... whatever."

"I don't know." She looked around. "I'm kinda cold, maybe we should head toward the castle."

Antwone was acting funny, she didn't like it, but she loved being with her best friend again.

Antwone took a second to turn away from the lights that were Hogsmeade. He breathed in deeply and turned to Jezzabell's soft and frightened eyes. He reached out for her hand, taking it into his own only now he interlaced his fingers between hers.

"Yes," he nodded. "Let's head back to the castle."

Jezz smiled when he grabbed her hand. His mind seemed preoccupied. "Lead on."

She looked at their hands together and then shivered again from the cold breeze.

[=COLOR] Kat smiled at Narisa. "I;m Kathrina McCarty." she said as she grabbed the offered hand. "thanks for the help i guess i wasnt watching where i was going."

Narisa pulled Kat up "It's okay. I know the feeling, happens to me all the time." Narisa smiled again. She was desperately trying to be nice because if she could be nice to a Hufflepuff she could deffiantly be nice to her stupid step-sister. She just prayed to Merlin this wasn't a mudblood.

Kat laughed and shook her head trying to gather all of her thoughts. it was then that she noticed that Narisa was a Slytherin. Uh oh she thought to herself, she sure aint gonna like me when she finds out im muggle born. well crap. Kat looked up at Narisa and smiled brightly maybe she wont find out.

Ergh, silence, she hated silences, especialy this awkward one . . . Narisa kept her fake smile on her face and asked in her sweetest, yet not fake, voice "So what year are you in?" she bit down on her tongue Don't ask her blood, don't ask her blood, don't ask her blood . . .

Kayla made her way down to the front gate holding the thick envelope under arm a scowl upon her face. It seemed to be a rather permanent fixture these days. As she drew closer to the gates the scowl deepened as she saw the person she detested most...correction second most detested person in the world.

Stopping a good six feet away she looked at the tall boy before her. "I could have just owled these to you Lucas, you did not have to come all this way in person you know" she brought the envelope around to the front and held it close to her chest.

Luke leaned up against the gate with his arms across his chest and his feet crossed at the ankles. Watching her walk down towards him, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. She always wore that look when he was around, must be just for him.

He wanted to laugh but thought it best not to, he wasn't in the mood for another punch in the mouth. But she was the only one to call him Lucas besides his mother and he liked the way she said it even if it was with loathing most of the time. "I was in the area already" he drawled. "Save that pretty little bird of yours the long journey" his eyes swept over her and he could tell that she was not fairing too well. He supposed that after where she had been he could hardly blame her. "You're looking tired Kayla" he observed quietly.