Okay. Here goes. Aurora had walked up to the Great Hall and sat at the Slytherin table, she'd asked Kennedy to come meet her here so they could talk. She just wanted to speak to him about... Well... Things.

She was wearing her school robes but she had pinned the front of her red hair back with a silver lily hair clasp and was wearing her little silver star ear studs. Making an effort. But why? It wasn't as if they were doing anything special...

Aurora looked around the hall, other people were sat eating and talking but she was directly in the middle of the table - making sure she was visible as Kennedy walked in.

She was not looking forward to this... Aurora drummed her fingers on the table as she waited, looking at the food and knowing she wouldn't be able to eat anything right now...

Kennedy had been organizing his part of the boy's dorm when he got a message from Aurora. He hadn't hesitated to accept, but thought it weird how formal it was. Usually, they just met up. But, then again, they still had not made up since the incident in the train. He had to admit this made him nervous. Was she still mad at him?

Well, to be on the safe side he brought her a present of sorts.

He rubbed his temple as he walked into the Great Hall. Kennedy has been getting them frequently ever since...well, after the whole thing with his father, plus the nightmares. But, this wasn't the time to think of that. His green eyes spotted Aurora and he walked a little faster.

"You look pretty today," he said as greeting. Aurora always looked pretty, but today even more. He even noticed the lily hair clasp. He scooted the bag of Jelly Babies to her. That's what he had gotten her and hoped for Merlin's sake that they wouldn't continue what they left off at the train.

Aurora had been thinking and thinking as she waited and coming up with nothing... She didn't know how to start this conversation... How do you talk to someone about something you're not really sure about..?

And then he was there and there was no time to think. "Oh, thanks." One of her hands moved up to readjust an earring. She felt silly now, why had she bothered? This wasn't something that could be solved by being pretty... was it? No... Probably not.

Oh. Jelly babies... Aurora let out a weak smile as she looked in the bag but she didn't eat any, she just left them on the table in front of her.

Okay. What to say? There was no point starting with 'how are you' because she knew that either a positive or negative answer would make her not want to talk about something that could make the mood worse so she just took a deep breath and...

"Kennedy, I think we should talk about all the stuff we keep arguing about..."

...

It was supposed to be a confident statement but it had somehow come out in a quiet voice... Aurora fiddled with the sleeve of her robes as she waited for him to say something. Why did he have to be so attractive? He still made her tummy go funny with his amazingly green eyes and his wonderful smile... though his smile was conspicuously absent right now...

Kennedy nodded and just sat there. He almost wished he had turned down her invitation to meet her. Said he was busy or something, which he had been. But no. He wasn't going to take the cowards way out. Sure, he wasn't a Gryffindor, but cowardliness wasn't something he was taught.

The prefect tilted his head to the side when Aurora didn't even try a jelly baby. Those were her favorite, she never hesitated to have a go at them. Was she ill? Nope. He would have noticed. Then she was probably still put off with him. She also seemed to be thinking real hard. Something Kennedy has done in the past few days, and all that thinking had made a knot in his stomach that only grew with doubts.

Oh.

She wanted to talk about what they were arguing about. Okay. Kennedy sat up straight, not really sure what he should do with his posture. "All right..." he said. He had more to say to that, but lately whatever came out of his mouth was turned into a completely different angle.

All right? That was it? Was she going to have to do this all herself..?

She really didn't know where to start - she'd been thinking it over and over in her head and had a million different things to say but she just couldnt get them out... She'd hoped Kennedy would have something to say... Or did he really not think it was a big problem..? Or was he just stuck, like she was?

"Well... I don't know how to... I... I dont know how to start." she said, a small crease appearing in her forehead. "I mean... It's like... the whole Jonathan thing. I still don't get why you're still upset about it..." They were friends... And nothing had happened between them since Aurora had knocked Jonathan out with that potion... TWO YEARS AGO!! Pfft. "I get why you don't like Milton, but it's not like I've done anything..." she added.

Kennedy bit the inside of his cheek as Aurora struggled with whatever she wanted to tell him. He sensed IT. He didn't know how, but he sensed something bad heading his way and his self preserving self was yelling at him to run while he had the chance.

A tiny frown wrinkled his forehead at the mention of Thing One and Thing Two. But what made his eyebrows rise up was what she was saying. Didn't she get it? He had let go off whatever happened between her and Thing One. He didn't care about that guy and he wasn't going to waste his time stressing over him being back. Kirk could go anywhere he wanted and talk to whomever and Kennedy didn't give two Knuts about it.

He shifted in seat and positioned himself so that he was facing Aurora straight on. "I don't care about Jonathan. I don't care if he kissed you. Okay, I don't care about him or anything that involves him," he said, with patience that was running out. "Don't you get it? I trust you-" well, he used to. "I've let it go...I just don't understand why you keep holding on to that." He was tired of her bringing that up. Okay, he messed up once, but he learned his lesson.

Kennedy shook his head and gave her a wry smile. "I've never said that you've done anything." He didn't blame her for being beautiful. She attracted guys and that was something he's been trying to get used to. "I...just don't trust the guys."

He'd cut off the whole 'trust' thing pretty quickly... Did he trust her? Really? Had it broken... The trust that she had doubted so easily? Aurora blinked, he really didn't care..? So why was she holding into it..? She pushed certain thoughts aside... "Because he is my friend. And I don't want us to be awkward every time I spend time with him."

So he didn't trust the guys... fair enough. But that wasn't everything... "Well... Okay." She rubbed the sleeve of her robes between her thumb and forefinger. "But I just feel like, last year... You wouldn't have... Been so... So... I don't know." Her voice was wobbling now... she didn't know how to talk about how Kennedy had changed since last term... She felt like it would offend him and that wasn't going to help right now.

Kennedy still didn't understand. Did she think of their fight when she was with Kirk? This confused him to no end and frankly, he was growing tired of it. He was tired of trying to fix the rift in their relationship, but what happened with Kirk was always brought up. Why couldn't he have stayed away? If he hadn't returned, Aurora and him would be making up right now instead of having THIS conversation.

"I don't know why you feel awkward," he said, shaking his head. Like he said, he trusted her so he didn't mind her spending time with Kirk. Sure, it made him feel jealous but what boyfriend wouldn't? He cared a lot for Aurora...how could he just set his feelings aside? He some times wished he was like his father whom was able to block out all emotion, but he wasn't heartless. "And really, I don't know why you're feeling that way since you saw him since the summer." Did she feel awkward then? When she was hiding the truth? Or was it just recently now that all three of them were under the same roof?

Kennedy raised an eyebrow. Not this again. It was like she was stuck in the past while he kept moving forward. Yeah, he was quiet in the past. He was scared to voice what he felt and thought because he didn't want to be judged. He's gone through years and years of being judged that he didn't want to risk that. It changed though. Sure, he hated living with his father, but something he learned was that he had the right to have his voice heard. And after a few other events he learned that he was equipped to speak and defend himself in needed be.

He wasn't the scared boy he was. He was a bit more confident and he thought Aurora would support him on that.

"Last year I was still the scared boy," he said, looking down at his hands and then back up at her. Sure, he was still the same paranoid person, but boldness was not a bad trait.

Addie skipped to the Great Hall. She was ready for some foooooood. Yum. The food at Hogwarts was amazing. It even beat her mum's food and mum made some good food. Addie began humming to herself as she pilled food onto her plate taking a look at her surroundings. The ceiling was so amazing looking just like it did outdoors. And she was in Slytherin!!! Slytherin the most awesome place in the world. It felt so honorable to be sitting at the Slytherin house table.

He didn't know, really? Did he even know her..? "Because I worry about upsetting you... I don't know how you're going to react." Seriously. The boy they'd picked up from Scotland in the Holidays was so... Different.

"The scared boy. Right." Aurora pushed a hair back that had made its way out of the clasp. "You weren't so scared when we were around each other. You were more confident than you thought... Or you acted it." It took a lot for her to say that...

She missed him. She did. "And I never see you anymore. I just... I miss you." Sure, she missed him now too... "But when I see you I don't feel like you're the same person. You are acting like..." Her words caught and her eyes were starting to burn...

Kennedy sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was not helping his headache, but they had to talk it out. "Well...sure, I don't like Kirk but I'm not going to tell you who you can and cannot talk to," he said. He wasn't the controlling type. He wasn't going to make her choose between her friends and him. Even if it involved Thing One...or Two. Now, it was like she didn't know him. Sure, he frowned and grew serious at the mention of the Thing One, but it wasn't like he was throwing fits over him. "It's not like if I'm going to do something stupid," he said. He'd never take it out on her.

Wasn't it obvious? Didn't she see it? He had no need to be scared around her. Aurora had been one of the very few people that took him in as he was. She didn't try to change him. She didn't judge him. She gave him courage to be himself around her. It was easy. He didn't have to try to be better or what he wasn't. He used to feel comfortable with her. Now, he had to watch everything he said or risk being compared to the pureblood kids she knows.

"I didn't act," he said, the frown that had disappeared returned. He didn't have to act around her. She saw right through him...well, she used to. "I always felt comfortable with you. It's other people I don't trust to be myself around." Years of being pointed out as a freak wasn't going to be erased in two years. No, the fear was still there. He feared that one step out of line would label him as a freak here at Hogwarts every day, though that feeling was lessening.

At her next words Kennedy's heart gave a leap. She still missed him, but he doubted she missed him as much as he missed her. He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Me too..." he stopped and closed his eyes for a second. She wasn't going to compare him to those pureblood snobs, was she? Sure, he changed, but it wasn't to those extremes. Just because he spoke up he was all of the sudden a different person? "I'm the same Kennedy," he said, in almost a plea. Why wouldn't she believe that? "I'm more confident, that is all and...I don't like it that you see me as a different person." If he had been the quiet boy from last year he wouldn't have voiced that, but he did. Why? Because he wasn't scared.

"I know you won't do anything stupid." Right..? "I just..." What? What did she want?! She wanted... She wanted the best of both worlds... She wanted to have Kennedy and be allowed to flirt with Jonathan. She wanted to be able to spend time with whoever she liked without thinking about whether Kennedy would think something of it. She wanted... Something.

I've always felt comfortable around you. ... Aurora stared down at the table. "Really?" She blinked. "Because you really didn't seem yourself on the train." They were alone then... And so what if she'd mentioned Jonathan? So what if she'd not told him until then? Just... So what?

Aurora pulled her hand back and folded them in her lap. "And yet neither of us has done anything about it." If they both missed each other why hadn't they made more of an effort? She hadn't seen him since the train and, sure that was only a couple of days, but they were living in the same place. They shared the same common room... The same Kennedy. "I don't know. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have been so... so... like you were at the Quidditch match. That wasn't Kennedy. It wasn't you. It was... like you'd suddenly become some sort of overly self confident, arrogant guy. And I've never seen you be so sarcastic!" Okay. Tears. Great. Exactly what she needed right now. Thanks body. She wiped them away angrily. "I don't think you'd have stooped to that level last year." she added, the words catching in her throat.

Kennedy waited for her to continue but she didn't. "What? Do you not trust me?" he asked. Everything she's been saying sounded like doubts to him, and he's given her no reason to not trust him. He did not flirt with other girls, he didn't get TOO friendly with them, or anything that would indicate him being unfaithful. Or was she afraid that he might do something to Thing One...like hurt him? Hmm?

"I do. Well...I...I used to," he said, gulping. Kennedy did't want to tell her how really felt. That might offend her and that's the last thing he wanted to do. Kennedy ran a hand through his messy curly hair with the sensation of just wanted to pull at it from frustration, but he didn't. He didn't want to have a bald spot. "I wasn't feeling well on the train...especially not after...you know," he said, not wanting to mention the whole potion and father thing out loud. That had really taken him by surprise, but what still bugged him was that Aurora's mother had something to do with it.

Kennedy acted as if Aurora pulling away from him did nothing, but he couldn't dodge the feeling of being rejected. But he understood. She wasn't all too happy with him right now. Her next statement was true. Neither did anything seek the other to spend more time together. Him with being busy with prefect duties and school work and Aurora...he didn't know what she was up to.

This time he was feeling his frustration rise. He couldn't lose his cool though because then he'd say things he would regret. Or maybe regret would hit him sooner than he expected. Like now. Aurora crying only managed him to grow nervous. He placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it lightly. "I was provoked then," he said, ashamed. And he stupidly gave in to Thing Two. He took in a large breath to fill his lungs with although the felt like if they were under the shrivel potion. "You can't keep bringing the past up every time, Aurora. People change...everything changes from time to time and if you can't accept me then..." He stopped.

His heart was racing now. He wasn't sure if it was because his frustration levels had already reached their limit or because of the words that he was about to say. He didn't want to hurt her. Heck, that was the last thing he wanted to do. But he couldn't take it anymore. He was always confused as to where they stood in their relationship. The past was always brought up to slap him in the face. And now, how could he change who he was?

"I've always trusted you." Aurora said, unclipping her hair and twiddling the clip in her fingers nervously. "Always." Her head hurt now. A lot. She wasn't good with this sort of thing. She'd never had to talk about her feelings before - she could usually get her own way so easily...

Used to. Used to. Aurora nodded. "Right." So he didn't now? "There's something else though... That's bothering you. What?" She could tell... Somehow. "You should've said something." She couldn't think of what to say now... because the less said about that the better right now...

Aurora shrugged him off. Provoked. Right. "Yeah. By a fifteen year old." She took a deep breath. "And you somehow failed to notice how badly he was doing at trying to get me to like him." He had seemed to have missed how uncomfortable she had felt throughout the game... Which had made her feel pretty lost the whole time...

Bringing up the past. "It's not so long ago..." she started. But then... "Then what..?" Barely audible. Just a squeak of a voice. He wasn't going to... was he? Really? "Then what?!" she said again, more confidently this time. She let her green eyes meet his, stubborn as ever, if a little glazed with tears.

Okay. So what was the problem, then? If she did trust him then why did she doubt his reactions? Kennedy loosened his tie. It was getting warm and he felt suffocated and the headache he had earlier was just getting stronger. He rubbed his temples, not really sure what to say. It was as if they were going around in circles and getting nowhere.

Kennedy shook his head. She was already crying. He's already done enough damage. So, no. He wasn't going to say anything. Instead he answered her next statement. "Yeah, like you did when I asked you if there was something bothering you," he said. He had asked that repeatedly and every single time she answered with a 'fine'. "You lied." He looked away. If he allowed his gaze on her then she'd see the glare that was forming.

He wanted to head-desk the table. Was this - whatever they were having - only centering on Kirk and Milton? Really? He hadn't showed a very nice side to him that not even he knew he possessed once and he was being judged because of that. "Okay, yeah I behaved like a git. I'm sorry." He couldn't do anything about it though. He didn't have a timeturner to go back and change his behavior. What else did she want?

Kennedy swallowed back hard. Suddenly the temperature rose and his hands grew moist. He ran them over his pants as he bit his lip.

Then what?

He didn't know what. Kennedy didn't know what he wanted anymore. His life changed so much, and was still changing that he didn't know...what. He hung his head and shook it. He could feel his teeth digging into his lip painfully, but he ignored it. "I don't know," he murmured, shoulders slumped.

How did they get like this?

Jen walked up to a random student. I mean why not??
"I want a tacco please." She says

So he was holding back because she had..? "But I'm talking about it now." she said, a hand raised to her forehead, stupid headaches. "You might as well tell me." she added quietly. Though she wasn't sure how they could fix this...

Like a git. "Yes. You did." And it had taken him this long to acknowledge it. She wasn't even sure if he was really sorry. She wasn't sure what she wanted. She glanced up from the table to look at Kennedy and her heart leaped into her throat... he was upset. She'd done that.

And she was about to make it worse.

I don't know... "Yes you do..." The tears were coming faster now. "Look at me." She wiped tears from her cheeks. "And look at you." He looked like he was in a lot of pain...

"This is exactly the opposite of what we were." she croaked, almost unable to get the words out. "I... Don't think we can fix it." Her breathing was coming faster now. "I'm... So sorry."

She got up to leave and walked straight into...

What? "Go. Away!" she hissed, with a look like thunder on her face. How DARE this kid interrupt... "Just... Get out of my way!" she pushed past the girl and almost ran out of the Great Hall, tears streaming down her face. She was upset, but she was angry too. She just wanted to scream and curse things and... What? Where would it get her..? Nowhere.

Kennedy didn't have answers. He was dry. No words. Not even thoughts. All he could hear was the rushing blood in his ears and his heart hammering in chest almost painfully. He knew this was coming, yet he didn't do anything to avoid it. Everything that had been said had to be...even if it hurt both of them. It was like a volcano. You couldn't stop and you couldn't keep it dormant forever, and eventually one day it would explode.

He didn't even notice the Slytherin approach him or talk to him.

They couldn't fix this.

It was true. So why did his heart feel like if it was in the grasp of a giant? The pressure was getting tighter and tighter. Kennedy released his lip when he had to gasp for air. He had forgotten to breath. How does that happen? How did any of this happen?

Aurora's retreating form went in slow motion, her red hair bouncing on her back. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He was sad. He was angry. He was frustrated.

He was done.

He stood up, teetering between where he should go. Aurora might be going to the common room. He didn't want to see her face. She caused this. It was all her fault.

So, he would just allow his legs to guide him wherever they took him.

Before leaving though, he made sure to send a nasty glare at the person who had interrupted them. "Didn't your parents teach you not to interrupt people when they are busy?" he sneered. Okay, he was being mean and later he might regret it, but not right now. That snake chose the wrong time to mess with him.

Without another glance back, Kennedy left not knowing where he was going.

"Ok, Ill ask someone else for a tacco" she says as she walks away.

After a set of TIRING lessons, João could finally make it to the Great Hall to eat lunch really quick and then go study. He was starving, but he hardly had any time to eat something well. Almost running to the Slytherin Table, he sat down and grabbed a plate, the other hand already getting some spaghetti to put on the plate.

He had exactly 15 minutes, so better to rush.

Louisa was going to look for him and get it over with. That Mika girl would never know as much if what she was saying was a lie. India Johanson, the crazy girl from her own house. How despicable.

The first place to look for a student in this time was the Great Hall...

... Louisa's eyes spotted the Brazilian at once and she quickly started jumping over benches and tables to get from her house's table to where he was positions. She didn't have time to go all the way to the edge of the long table. He might see her by the corner of his eye and run away.

"I need to talk to you about something," she breathed out plopping on the bench and sliding closer to him. Her face was nothing but serious. "It's about something important and I won't let you run away from me before I get an answer." Her wand would be great help, too, if he tried to just ignore her.

Done with getting pasta, and now it was time to eat it. Just as he's filled his fork and opened his mouth to eat it, he was cut off by no one other than her. Face getting sterner, he closed his mouth without eating the pasta and raised his eyebrows when she came closer. Lowering his fork, he turned fully to herself. He wasn't going to just keep eating his pasta. It was rude.

"...I'm listening." Enough said.

Progress.

Okay.. now... err.. she stared at him for a few seconds, his face sterny but the same one he had over the summer and last year when they were cool. Louisa's expressions turned her down and her annoyance was immediately faltering to sadness. "Okay." Like.. thanks for listening. She took her time staring at him for some more just to see if she still wanted to scoot even closer and be able to accidentally touch him.

She quickly blinked and pursed her lips together. She wasn't even supposed to think like that, Adam was the one she was with not this snake person.

"We have a Ravenclaw firstie this term that is a bit of a troublemaker." She tried to speak bitterly or annoyingly but her tone was actually.. calm, "Her name is Mika Johanson and she says that she wants to take revenge for her older sister..." wait for it, "..India Johanson."

Pause.

Louisa's mouth curved into a pout, "Did you go out with India while we were together, Joao?" And no, she couldn't raise her voice and be angry. She was pleading him to say no and mean it.

...well?

João could wait alright. And he did. But he was afraid at one moment or another, his stomach would stop waiting and growl angrily. Although talking to Louisa felt good--because he had missed her to be honest--he was afraid his shelter would go down again like it did in the summer. It was hard to stay away, and he didn't want this balance to break.

At last, she spoke. He was grateful for that calm tone, as well as her sad expression. His face let go of stern look too, and he was now almost at peace. Almost. That turned into a shock immediately upon hearing the rest of the story.

He laughed. A stressed laugh, that is. There was no humour in it; on the contrary, it was made of pure annoyance. He was getting angry by these accusations that had no root whatsoever. He was also pretty disturbed by the idiocy of people. Were they really stupid enough to think there always had to be some sexual relationship between two opposite sex? Couldn't he go up to the Room of Requirement alone with a friend?

"No," he said clearly as soon as his curt laughing stopped, looking into her eyes to show he didn't lie this time again.

"Neither she, nor Evelyn meant anything to me other than 'friend'." He sighed, looking away, as if he had more to say but debating it. Keeping silent for a while, he at last looked back at her. He tried his best to keep neutral, but it broke into pain.

"I'm sorry they came between us. Maybe I wasn't clear enough with them... I'm sorry I... screwed up." He let out another chuckle, without humour again.

There. Sometimes you just had to concede you were wrong.