"Nooo, I guess no -" Zekke's sentence was cut off as he heard Jaren's name being called.

Alarm bells rang like fire alarms going off in his head and he immediately scooted closer to Jaren as he pondered the situation.

The woman obviously recognized Jaren, that much was obvious, but...

Jaren apparently wasn't wanting to acknowledge that... and he got the distinct impression that the woman wasn't expecting to see him there either.

He picked up on an undercurrent of alarm and surprise - from who, he wasn't sure - and he found himself lost as to what to do.

Fingering the camera, he considered pretending to be a tourist and start randomly taking pictures of everything and everyone in sight and in the process blind the woman and the man with the strong flash of his camera whom Jaren had been staring at.

Instead, he shot Jaren a "Uhhhh... escape?" look along with a raised eyebrow.

Someone called Jaren and Nadia barely registered it was a female voice. From such a distance, she couldn't either realize the age and so--

What the---

Nadia frowned, almost scowled at the woman. Previous conversation quite forgotten and the situation and place as well. For a minute, she considered this person was one of Jaren's many fans...

Wouldn't be surprising, Nadia considered as she spared another look at the attractive-looking lady. But, a more sensible part of her brain acknowledged, no, where from? Without lacking suspicion, more like it was raising the minute, Nadia's mind tried to figure out how-- how a girl from Paris would know Jaren? Where from? Did they... meet in Jaren's stay with Zekke?

Her eyes moved to Zekke for a second as if trying to find the answers there, but then at the figure again... Ah. Well, now she had her closer look... the girl-- woman -- the woman was rather... not of Jaren's age.

If so then why would Jaren he reacting like it was one of his fan girls? Different from the other two, rather than help Jaren to hide or whatever they were doing, Nadia narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Jaren... and considered if she should go over to the nice woman and say hello. Would be the least she could do. Jaren could some times be so rude...

At the woman's exclaimation her partner jerked his head up to look in Jaren's direction and instantly twisted into something between a frown and a scowl, as if he'd just swallowed something exceedingly bitter. The woman didn't appear to notice as she approached Jaren to make sure this was really Jaren she was seeing.

"Jaren! Mon Dieu, where have you been all this time?" Her accent was more pronounced than Zekke's as she looked over Jaren critically. "You look healthy enough..." she murmured to herself before turning back to her male partner. "Giles! Isn't this wonderful? We've finally found him!"

Giles' smile was forced, and it was obvious that both he and Jaren were doing their utmost best to pretend the other didn't exist, as they were either looking past each other or at something else. Jaren's eyes were fixed on one of the woman's hands, which was resting on his shoulder.

"You're engaged," he said frankly, his eyes falling on the ring she was wearing on that hand.

"Oui," she replied, surprised he had noticed so quickly. "And married now, too! But Jaren, where have you been all this time? Here, in Paris? And how did you--" she cast Giles a hasty and rather confused look, as if something didn't quite connect together, but Giles wasn't about to give her any answers. He was staring rather fixedly at Zekke, Nadia and Ganymede, as if trying to decide whether the three had anything to do with it.

"For simplicity's sake," Jaren replied cooly, expression unreadable, though he did glance shortly at the older man, "let us say that I've run off to join the circus."

If the statement had a hidden meaning, Giles had caught it, for his expression darkened considerably. The woman, however, remained somewhat confused. "But what do you mean? There is none in London, is there--"

"Who are they," Giles finally asked, rather rudely, indicating the rest of Jaren's companions. From the look on his face it couldn't be plainer he'd already drawn a few conclusions about them. The woman looked sharply at Giles, appalled by his sudden rudeness, while a sudden fire seemed to spark in Jaren's eyes as he looked directly at the older man for the first time in the whole encounter.

"My friends." There seemed to be a dangerous edge in the boy's voice, as if further rudeness wasn't going to be tolerated. Later on, Jaren would reflect on that statement and convince himself that it was merely to keep the three out of his private affairs that he had said it.

Nadia listened and stood like that, feeling suddenly shy. Just as the woman's eyes rested on her and the group in general, Nadia felt herself squirm and feel even shyer. What was she suppossed to think of this, who were those people... and this man. Her mind did a quick connection as Jaren spoke, giving him not much credit when it came to socials by the answer she was findin--

Was she just called a circus clown?!

Scowling at Jaren now, next to the man's own scowl not as powerful but now it was from two different angles, Nadia stared once more and decided to make further conclusions following. Of course, she didn't appreciate being the subject of the scowl now... but other than look back with what she hopped was a brave face, did nothing else. At Jaren's last words, she put a blank face, as if not sure what to make of this.

Apart from that, what could she do? She knew better than to get in the middle of a family affair... or at least she wouldn't know how to act...

Easier to say we're in a circus than tell the truth that doesn't want to be heard...

Something in Zekke flared and he stepped forward, standing side to side and shoulder to shoulder with Jaren.

Lifting his chin a bit and putting on his most polite and (mostly) sincere smile, he inclined his head at the gentleman and the woman. The smile had a dangerous edge to it as he smiled at the man and his expression softened somewhat when his eyes rested on the woman.

Somehow, I don't think she knows... at all... and... oh dear... now what?

"We are his friends, sir, and my name is Zekke." The introduction was simple and right to the point, while still being polite. When it came to introducing himself specifically to the woman, he lapsed into French, his tone of voice more cultured and a touch warmer. "And bonjour, madame."

Without really realizing it, his mental shields dropped a notch or two and the tension surrounding them suddenly was so... palpable that he could almost taste it and touch it at the same time. There was a bitter taste in his mouth and he wasn't sure who exactly it was coming from - either Jaren or the man or both.

This was clearly a family matter, so he had no intention of intruding any more than absolutely necessary, but he didn't want Jaren to think that he was abandoning him.

Thus, he continued to stand firm - both literally and figuratively, waiting on Jaren to give a cue on what was to happen next.

Both Giles and the woman stared at Ganymede for several long seconds, as if wondering if she was being serious. Giles seemed to think that this was a sign that Jaren was hanging around unstable people, while the woman seemed to take it as proof Jaren really had run off to the circus.

Then, at the approach of Zekke, the woman frowned slightly in confusion, sensing something was not all it actually seemed but, glancing at Giles, knowing better than to ask in public and at this tentative moment. She evidently wasn't about to let that break her stride and returned Zekke's greeting with genuine politeness.

"Bonjour, Zekke. Je m'appelle Florence." She offered her hand for a handshake.

Giles simply made a grunt that sounded vaugely like he was swallowing his words at the last moment. Jaren balled his fists in his pockets, not sure whether he appreciated Zekke's support or wanted to shove the other boy away.

"Giles!" Florence said, still appalled by his lack of civillity. "Circus or not, they are decent children. Surely there is nothing wrong with that."

Giles' face turned slightly red, like a kettle about to boil over, but he declined commenting with every last ounce of his self-restraint. Sighing to herself, Florence regarded Jaren again, another question coming to mind.

"Why don't you come back and stay with us again? I'm sure whatever it is between--" met with two pairs of glares from both males, Florence faltered slightly before rephrasing her sentance, "--I mean, we can work them out, oui? You really worried us, the way you left, and I'm sure that Giles isn't as angry as you think he is." Florence hoisted a friendly smile on her face in an attempt to be the peacemaker between the two, but it slid off her face when she saw the positively murderous series of glares Giles and Jaren were dealing each other--Giles getting steadily more indignant and Jaren getting progressively colder and indifferent.

"Honesty, what is it with you two?" Florence finally demanded, crossing her arms and frowning slightly.

"I will have to turn down your offer," Jaren replied quietly in the most civil voice he could manage at this point. "Giles would have wanted a more...normal nephew in my place. Bon nuit, Florence."

With that, Jaren spun on his heel and beat a more-or-less dignified retreat, expression unreadable.

Zekke coughed and shook hands with Florence before shaking his head a bit. "I apologize, ma'am, but we must be off."

Shooting Nadia and Ganymede "Let's go" looks, he followed after Jaren, taking care to leave some distance between them and their comrade and at the same time not waiting to hear what Giles or Florence had to say.

So this is what it was all about... Merlin...

His mind was already putting two and two together, though he tried not to think too much about it.

"DON'T say anything about this. If Jaren will talk about it, he'll talk about it on his own, I think." He murmured as they exited the viewing deck of the tower.

Nadia seemed to choke. She wasn't called a circus clown, she was believed a circus clown! Staring, as if her eyes might pop out any given second. All the rest was observation, for there was nothing she could have possibly said. Not understanding so little.

Something seemed to click, confirming her previous suspicions, and then another when listening to the woman... but there wasn't enough she could tell. Live with us, she had said. And she was engaged. It still wasn't enough, at least to understand what was this about. What was the staring-- glaring contest about.

And then Jaren's next words. Some very different emotion took over her. Not quite realizing, or planning, what she was doing, she followed Jaren. She barely realized that Zekke was speaking to her and stopped in her pace, absentmindly trying to register what he said, nodding fast and making her way inside immediately.

Jaren deliberately made a few odd turns to put more distance between himself and the other three, such that he effectively disappeared from sight until directly outside the Effiel Tower. He appeared to have regained his usual calm and indifferent demeanor by then and was waiting patiently for them to catch up.

"I don't suppose our OWL results have arrived yet," he asked as a manner of changing the subject before he could be interrogated for what had happened minutes before.

Cursing under her breath, keeping with Jaren just fine but in trying not to loose the others finally loosing him, she finally had to resort to organize asearch. They were in Paris, for crying out loud! And they were all minors! What if they lost Jaren in the middle of Paris? First she sent Zekke to the toilet, where he only could enter, then Gany to search on the viewers and Nadia inside the top plataform.

Finally not finding him, they resolved to take the lift back down, try finding him there. For some odd reason, Nadia never thought about the mirrors-- but what were the chances Jaren had brought it with him in here?

When they finally spotted a lonely figure standing on the door outside, after much search and fast search who had done wonders to her previous stomach state, the worries switched to anger and she walked-- or more like stomped over there. "You--" she pointed a reproaching finger at him, but stopped herself only on the sense that she was not his mother. So instead, she turned around and started walking away. Not really mad, like... dunno.

Zekke somehow instinctually knew that Jaren wouldn't just abandon them, even in a fit of rage, because that was just... not really his character. At least... he didn't think so?

So when Nadia told him to look in the bathrooms, he gave it a cursory once-over before heading to the exit of the tower where, indeed, Jaren was waiting. Nadia seemed to have arrived first, and from the looks of it, wasn't too happy about Jaren's sudden disappearance.

He figured the best thing to do was to just... go with the flow.

OWLS... Oh Merlin... our OWLS results...

"Good question... somehow, I get the feeling that we might have that answer back at my place. It wouldn't surprise me if we all get our OWLs back at the same time and in the same place." He mused with a considering expression.

Relatively safe place, at least...

"How do you think you did?" He cast an inquisitve glance at everyone, his eyebrows knitting ever so slightly as he glanced at Nadia.

Nadia's worry was something rather tangible for him and he hoped she would feel all right soon. Jaren would explain things on his own if/when the right time came, if it ever would. At least... maybe he would? As it was, it wasn't his business to pry, though he now was doubly glad he hadn't given his last name out.

:: As the man glared at Jaren, Ganymede's eyes also became a bit.. angry. The color was slowly turning a dark red and had flecks of orange. She could tell by the body language of the man that he wasn't a nice guy. Ganymede knew guys like him. They all were the same.

As Jaren left, Ganymede gave the pair something to think about. She allowed her entire eyes to go black before she herself turned and left. Her eyes returned to a more normal color of brown when she walked away. As she stomped about keeping track of her friends, she muttered a series of curse words and ideas for hexes. "Normal.. I hate that word..".

Finally they regrouped. The disscussion of OWL grades now mentioned, Ganymede blushed a bit. She had a small idea of how well she had done. She waited to see how the others thought they did. ::

Jaren raised an eyebrow a small fraction as Nadia pointed an accusitory finger at him and then spun away to leave, at which point a sudden impulse seemed to seize him and he reached out to grab Nadia's arm, as if to get her to stay. He held on for about two seconds before realizing what he was doing and letting go quickly as if burned.

Jaren gave a half-shrug. "My results are generally consistant save for Potions." Which he did consistantly bad, but he didn't need to mention that. At the start of fifth year he'd thrown himself into the study of it in hopes of improving, only to have his progress...erm...halted by the new change in staff.

There was something akin panic when something grabbed Nadia from the arm, pulling her to a stop. When turning to see the responsible, or double-check, Jaren was already taking his hands off as he might have as well be touching a hairy spider. Seemly denial was a better option today; all Nadia was thinking was something on the lines of 'yeah you better not touch me!' and spun around. Soon she was muttering under her breath and walking ahead, complaining about Jaren being the reason their stay was so short or something of the likes.

As she was walking away, the sunlight had pretty much died out by then and the lights of the tower, the city, the fountain, etc., all were turning on. At some point, she stopped on her pace and turned around. She might have been waiting for the others to catch up. She just stood, looking seemly their way but was in fact checking the shadow of the background giant, the tower, now surrounded by lights. It was a pretty sigh, to say the least. Marvelous.

After some time, in which she didn't look so mad, the group catched up with her and she set her expression from dazed to serious again. Oh she was not forgiving today. There was four different exits to the Eiffel Tower. They could have taken hours to find the one in which Jaren was waiting. She would make them pay up for that... unpleasant time. Plus she didn't feel like speaking about OWLs. So forgive her pouty self but she wasn't responding.

"I'm stopping in a shop on the way back," she announced, "Gotta buy something." And, indeed, she dragged them to a fashion store and tried one very ridiculous dress of pink and white she had seen on display (ooc: *cough*), showed it to them, and despite the faces they might have given her, she still bought it. Probably using it for the next end of year ball... or some other especial occassion. After that, they could go back to Zekke's home and talk about whatever they please on the way.

Apparently Nadia was still upset by the incident as was evidenced in her own little runaway expedition. Being the person that he was, he made no comment and instead chose to follow the group in doing whatever would come next.

In this case, the what came next was the shopping.

Before they got dragged off to go shopping though, he managed to tell Jaren that he'd done... well enough... on his OWLs, though he was sure to have come close to doing Dreadfully in Divination and/or Herbology.

He was just getting ready to ask about their upcoming NEWTS for the next term when Nadia ducked into a clothing boutique and emerged with a purchase.

Zekke was shocked speechless by the... the... what was the term? The pink peppermint candy coloured dress that had been sitting in the store window of one of the clothing boutiques.

He vaguely recalled a term that was used for the volunteers who worked in the American hospitals - candy stripers?

Merlin, but that's... pink... and...

"It's... pink. Very... errr candy... like. Perhaps there's a hat to match?" He found himself asking. "Except not a striped hat? Or... maybe a white hat with a pink ribbon or... something..." His voice trailed off and he grinned and shook his head, resolving himself to not say anything more on the subject.

Jaren stared at Nadia's choice of dress, deciding that it looked like something out of a...out of an anime but also wisely deciding not to comment.

It also looked rather cold, being of the miniskirt and shoulderless kind. He did not understand how anyone could wear something like that and feel comfortable.

:: Ganymede was overjoyed to do some Paris Shopping. She quickly rifled through a whole array of dresses. She had tossed a few black dresses aside, looked over a red one but tossed that one aside also. Finally find a light green one. It was cut perfectly for her shape and had ruffles down the front. "I really like this one. I'm gonna go try it on." She giggled before running into the nearest dressing room. When she came out she looked like an over ripe fruit. She wasn't a skinny girl, but had a very nice curvy shape. And the dress showed it off very well. "So, What do you think?" She asked giving a slow twirl. ::

"It looks very good!" said Nadia in all honesty, since looking like a grapefruit wasn't a bad thing in her language. Well, nothing looked bad in her language. Stripped with spots, red with green, etc. She could have looked like a Christmas tree and think it fashionable.

"I'm done, I just wanted this one." She said this going to the counter and paying the man over there, and towards Zekke she let him know, "I already have a hat."

She was of course talking about her feathered, orange-gold hat. About Jaren's silence... well, she wouldn't have asked an opinion from him of all people. As already said, whatever they say or act like, she would buy that dress. Spoiling herself did help, as well as selfish-dragging them along.

"I think we can go now. Your place, Zekke?" She grinned a tease, humored smile. From outside the store window, the city had turn on the lights and it looked appealing for a night wandering, back to Zekke's home.

Nadia turned her attention and went towards Ganymede. "Want some finantial help? I can help you pay half the price," she said, smiling and not realizing that may in more than a sense really sound impolite. Though, something did click on her mind at some point and she hastly added, "Maybe you can lend that dress to me too when you are not using it?"

At least that way she looked selfish again. It was an odd society.

:: Ganymede came out holding the dress and scowled. "I can pay for this on my own.. I think." She stated firmly as she looked at the price tag again. "Nadia.. I won't wear your dress.. so don't wear mine." She wanted to make it clear that it was her dress. She quickly began walking to the register to pay, holding the dress like it was her baby. ::