Marcus' hair had grown since hast year, and so had he. He was a lot taller, and you could tell that he was getting close to adult age. He was 16, to be precise, and back for this 6th year. The feast didn't interest him much, he'd talked to a few people and had some food. But most of the time he'd spent yawning, and he was now heading to bed. He had just stopped by the hourglasses, as he had realised when passing them that Gryffindor was already at last place!

Nicoletta spotted the hourglasses and decided to take a look. How, she thought to herself. is it possible that we have negative one points this early in the year? you never know what to expect.

Marcus lifted his head and his eyes found the person behind the steps that echoed in the entrance hall. A little, girl, probably from another house because he hadn't seen her earlier. Or a firstie perhaps? He gave her a smile, wondering how on earth the little kids could be so small now-a-days... You looking for someone? he asked politely.

Lizzie could feel her eyelids getting heavy as she walked through the entrance hall. She glanced over to the hourglasses and spotted people over there. Rising one eyebrow she walked over to Marcus and the little girl, and smiled. Hi there. I didn't know they let big kids like you come and play with the little ones she said to Marcus, putting a hand on his shoulder as she faced the girl. Hi there. I don't believe we've met. I'm Lizzie.

Turning towards Marcus again she gave him a wide smile and gave him a quick hug before walking over to the wall and sitting down with her back leaning against it. The feast makes you tired, don't you think?

Marcus totally forgot about the little girl as Lizzie appeared out of nowhere. She always seemed to do that. He smiled at her as she walked up to him, watching her greet the girl and walk over to the wall. Hesitating for a second, he decided to join her by the wall, and sat down next to her. What's up Liz? You were very quite on the train, and as soon as we got here you ran off to find those girlfriends of yours... Not that he was jealous or anything, he just cared too much. Always, he always cared too much. Do you feel any confusion or dizziness? He reached out and put a firm hand on her forehead. At least she didn't have a fever or anything.

Not much, besides the feast you know.. Lizzie smiled back at him as he sat down by her side. I met Demetria and Shaylee in there she said as she nodded towards the open doors to the Great Hall. They seemed really glad to see me, so my worries were apparently unnecessary. She leaned her head back, but then shrugged as she felt his cold hand on her forehead. Hey! What are you doing, playing doctor? I'm fine Marcus, I haven't been better all summer! She felt like he treated her a little too much like a child right now. I do not feel dizzy or confused, and I know exactly where and who I am. She eyed him. Happy? Leaning her head back again she closed her eyes for a moment and said So how are you enjoying the feast so far?

I told you they wouldn't forget about you! he told her, glad that her friends were so understanding. His friends had not fully forgiven him for not hanging out with them all summer. He'd been so busy, and Lizzie had needed him for her studies. John was an idiot now-a-days and who else was going to keep her from having to retake her 4th year?

He gave up when she so clearly showed that she didn't want him to treat her like that anymore, not when they were back in school. He stopped examining her and instead just looked at her. Had there ever been a prettier girl? He smiled to himself, then said Well I don't know about the people in there, they're not very much fun to be around, but the desserts are always worth it in the end... as long as you don't throw up from eating too much of course. He laughed quietly and added I like it better out here where it's not so crowded and loud, how about you?

Rolling her eyes at him, Lizzie couldn't help but yawning. She was tired, but not tired enough to get up at walk all the way to the common room and her dorm. She hoped she'd get to share with Shay, Cha and Dem again, like always. She wondered how they had really reacted when she never came back that day in December last year... She turned to Marcus. What was it really that happened, you know, when I freaked out? She knew he didn't like talking about it, but was curious for more details. I know you've told everyone, but I can't remember what you said exactly... she smiled teasingly at him.

He jumped slightly as she asked him to retell the whole thing again. But Liz, you know I told you so many times.. And that's not even funny, don't joke around about you forgetting things! He gave her an angry look, that soon turned into a smile and a little chuckle. Ok, ok I will tell you. But no details, please! He could feel her lean her head against his shoulder as he said I met you on my way to class and I said "Hi Liz!" and you looked at me like I was dangerous and said "Hi dad, I'm just going to bed now." He eyed her with raised eyebrows, and continued. I wrote to your parents, saying that you were acting weird and... He stopped and looked at her, curiously saying Do you remember any of that?

She smiled widely, knowing that he always gave in to what she wanted. Ok no details, just tell me the story. I want to know what to tell Shay and Dem if they start asking. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled as she quickly added I do remember you telling me about the plant though, so no need to take that part again.

No I don't remember that particular thing, with me talking weird, but I do remember that you wrote to my parents to "get better contact with John"... She eyed him accusingly, then smiled again. Go on.

He cleared his throat and started talking in a voice that clearly showed that he had said this a big amount of times before. They wrote back and told me to talk to the healer here at school. I was going to, but the next thing I hear is that you've had some sort of attack where you couldn't even remember yourself, and you were taken to St Mungos. Not that the school's healer couldn't probably fix you like that one other time you know, but I guess they kinda panicked or whatever, and I wasn't allowed to come see you til Christmas break but I got updates from you parents. They're probably pretty good at using owls by now... He smiled a little. How much more do you want to know? I came to see you and just a week before you had called John a murderer so we were worried you would get scared of me too. But you just looked at me like you were trying to understand something, and then you slept most of the time of course. Or was unconscious, I don't really know the difference. He caught his breath for a second.

Then of course there was the plant story, and you started talking to Dr Lorctus or whatever his name was, and you would start to remember something that happened an hour ago, two hours etc. He gave her a big smile. I still remember when I walked in after having had lunch with john, and you said "Hi there Marcus. Back already?" He went quiet for a while, thinking, and finished it up by saying And I taught you magic all summer and now my friends hate me for spending all the time with you.

There was nothing much she could do but stare at the obnoxiously empty hourglass. Inside it hovered a magical MINUS sign in a scorching red magical electricity. How her house had ended up losing points so early she had no idea.

So, she stared at it some more before reaching out to hug the giant crystal.

Poor, poor, poor Godric Gryffindor. There was only so much she could do for his name.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ama

There was nothing much she could do but stare at the obnoxiously empty hourglass. Inside it hovered a magical MINUS sign in a scorching red magical electricity. How her house had ended up losing points so early she had no idea.

So, she stared at it some more before reaching out to hug the giant crystal.

Poor, poor, poor Godric Gryffindor. There was only so much she could do for his name.

It was easier to wander the lower floors, Raiden had realised. Closer to the common room, the kitchen was down here as well, and the grounds were just out the doors, had he a need to go for a walk or escape from anyone. And... he was paranoid about the need to escape today.

Cela and Neptune made him squirmy. For only slightly different reasons. He wasn't sure when Cela planned to take action on her little... plan... And well... Neptune. Was Neptune.

It was because of his wandering around the lower floors that he found... Daphne. Hugging the Gryffindor Hourglass. Raiden had always been one for hugs, but... well Daphne wasn't much for them, and he'd never seen her cuddling an inanimate object before.

"Daphne?" he asked, head tilting to the side as he stopped just behind her. Staring. "What are you doing?"

How supremely embarrassing was it? The Gryffindor house long ago had lost its popularity. Harry Potter probably didn't really impress anyone now days as much as it used to and...they were in the negatives.

Poor, poor, poor Godric Gryffindor.

A familar voice invaded her eardrums and Daphne tightened her grip on the hourglass slightly. "I'm mourning the decline of Gryffindor. What's it to you?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ama

How supremely embarrassing was it? The Gryffindor house long ago had lost its popularity. Harry Potter probably didn't really impress anyone now days as much as it used to and...they were in the negatives.

Poor, poor, poor Godric Gryffindor.

A familar voice invaded her eardrums and Daphne tightened her grip on the hourglass slightly. "I'm mourning the decline of Gryffindor. What's it to you?"

Mourning the decline of Gryffindor? Hadn't they won last term? Raiden was decidedly confused.

"Uhm... okay... then..." he patted her shoulder awkwardly. Comforting? Probably not very. But... well he couldn't think of anything else to really do. "I'm sure it's not that bad. You did well last term, didn't you."

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway.

"How have you been, Daphne?" Since... the compartment and stuff, you know. Which probably hadn't been long enough ago that he should be asking how she was. Heh.

As soon as his hand made contact with her body, Daphne immediately straightened up. First, she scolded the hourglass for being empty. Then she scolded Raiden by touching her so abruptly. By the power of glaring.

"What does one term count when we just started and there's a big magical minus in there!" she finished, pointing at the hourglass. Taking a deep breath, Daphne rubbed one red cheek furiously. "Do you really need to ask that question? I think it's more important to know how you've been. Busy little man you."

With avoiding/courting new lady friends hehehe and Prefect duties and...things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ama

As soon as his hand made contact with her body, Daphne immediately straightened up. First, she scolded the hourglass for being empty. Then she scolded Raiden by touching her so abruptly. By the power of glaring.

"What does one term count when we just started and there's a big magical minus in there!" she finished, pointing at the hourglass. Taking a deep breath, Daphne rubbed one red cheek furiously. "Do you really need to ask that question? I think it's more important to know how you've been. Busy little man you."

With avoiding/courting new lady friends hehehe and Prefect duties and...things.

Yikes. Daphne could still glare really well. Raiden bit his bottom lip, torn between taking a step back and looking chastised, and laughing. Because... it was so silly to see Daphne glare like that, for some reason.

"We have one too, you know." He pointed at the Slytherin hourglass, guiltily wondering what had happened for them to have lost points already. He hadn't even asked anyone. Bad prefect! "Give it a few hours, it'll go back up."

Because... that was how it worked. People lost points, and then others made them up! Yes indeed.

Him? Why did... oh.

"I've been well." Well was the only real way to put it. He'd been clung to and patted and snuggled and all that happy stuff, which wasn't usually a bad thing. But it was uncomfortable lately, what with the fact that he did not KNOW Neptune Bott well. "...busy. And stuff."

"Your answer is unsatisfactory," stated Daphne with a wrinkle of her nose. Shyly, she reached out and brushed off dirt from Raiden's shoulder. At the very least, it looked like dirt to her. Could have been dandruff or cat hair or something like that. Ew.

She wiped her hand against her school robes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ama

"Your answer is unsatisfactory," stated Daphne with a wrinkle of her nose. Shyly, she reached out and brushed off dirt from Raiden's shoulder. At the very least, it looked like dirt to her. Could have been dandruff or cat hair or something like that. Ew.

She wiped her hand against her school robes.

"Of course it is." Raiden couldn't not laugh this time. Her reply, coupled with the nose wrinkling and topped off by her... brushing off of his robes, just... it felt so much more normal than anything had for the last few days. Goodness, he was grateful for that.

Daphne only made him twitchy when she tried to jump from windows. And since they were on the ground floor right now, that wasn't an issue! Yay.

"Merlin, you will never know how much I like being around you, Daphne," Raiden mumbled, grinning. She didn't freak him out or ANYTHING most times, it was really just awesome.

Tilting her head back a bit, Daphne raised a sole brow. He was laughing.

At her? Brow stuck up there in a perpetual sign of annoyance, Daphne ignored the scalding heat all over her face. "For some reason," she spoke in a mumble too, but pointing at Raiden as if she suspected him of something. "I feel like there's an underlying statement in there somewhere. I'm going to be indifferent about this for now because I like you."

She'd make her ruling later and decide whether she liked that Raiden liked being around her or not.

Aaaaaaand now she looked annoyed. Oh Daphne. Raiden almost laughed again. Whyyyy did she look at him like that. Hadn't she made the same face at him in Diagon Alley? Looked SO displeased and stuff. Sigh.

"Why would there be an underlying statement there?" he stared at her pointy finger, slightly... amused. AMUSED. Daphne's pink cheeks and pointing finger and look of displeasure were AMUSING. "I like being around you. You're possibly the most normal of all my friends. And you don't make plans to do strange things to me."

She didn't, did she? She wasn't trying to hold auditions and stuff, after all. As far as he knew, she didn't even know that much about that. Unless Cela had told her and stuff... had she? He didn't remember her saying anything on the train, but it was probable that they'd talked about it when he wasn't around...

Right now, she was the most normal.

Of course that was subject to change. He had made it his goal to make friends with more guys this term, to see if that would balance out the... craziness that came from the girls he was friends with.

Dropping her hand to her hip, Daphne continued to keep that brow up. It's place was there, apparently, while Raiden Kururugi was present. It seemed so yes, since the boy insisted in saying odd and peculiar things.

"Why in the world would I be planning to do strange things to you?" she asked and stared before shaking her head softly. She had better things to do, didn't she? "I think you're confusing me for someone else."

Or something else, like a pixie in the kitchens.

Raiden shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets as he looked past her to see the hourglasses. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were at least still at zero while his own was in the negative, he noted. Not like they were really ahead or anything.

"It seems to be the thing to do this term?" he finally said, looking back at Daphne again. "I wouldn't think it odd if you ended up doing it too, I guess. Cela's got her... thing, and Neptune Bott..." Oh yes. Neptune Bott. Squirm. "And it just wouldn't surprise me."

Yep. Everyone was out to get him this term. And lucky him, he also had OWLs to look forward to.

"Thing? Neptune Bott?" repeated Daphne, wondering how that had anything to do with her. "I'm Daphne Hopton," she said, pointing out the obvious and at herself in case the message hadn't reached home. "I don't plan strange things against people. I worry over how to keep the common room organized and dirt from getting underneath my nails."