Theme # 26: Morsmordre
The Dark ... TortoiseLord


Sachie's face was flushed with joy, and Gold raised an eyebrow as her friend barrelled into her room without a speck of permission.

"I figured it out!" she cried, quite cheerfully.

Gold placed down her yellow hairbrush, and turned round to look at Sachie. "Figured what out?" she demanded. "What are you so happy about, anyway? Some hot guy ask you out, or something?"

"Excuse me," Sachie said, quite distastefully, as if the topic of boys was not something she would wish to indulge in. Like it was unladylike, or something of that sort. "I finally decided on a name for my little tortoise."

"The little Speckled Padloper?" Gold asked. Not that she needed confirmation - she knew that was Sachie's latest pet. You couldn't miss it -- which was quite ironic, considering how tiny the thing was. Barely eight centimetres. Certainly not as huge as Orangebeak, the parrot Sachie had bought, a few months ago.

The parrot whose whereabouts she had no idea of, now.

"Morsmordre!" Sachie announced.

Gold's mouth dropped open. "WHAT?"

"Well, he's sort of dark-skinned," Sachie said, not disturbed in the least. "Dark-skinned, Dark Mark -- get it? Get it?!"

"Umm ... no."

Theme # 27: Muffliato
Cauldrons Want Attention, Too


Gold clapped her hands on her ears, but the buzz would not go away. Annoyed, she looked to her right, saw a couple of girls huddled over a cauldron in excited whispers, and knew exactly what had happened.

"They've cast Muffliato," she told Sachie, a little irritated. "I can't concentrate on my potion. Do you think we should tell the professor?"

"I don't know," Sachie said, though she too eyed her cauldron with apprehension - its contents had turned rather black, when they were meant to have a sheen of incandescent silver-pink, and she was not too pleased about this. "Let them have their fun, I guess. Bet it's gossip, anyway. Boy talk."

"Boy talk?" Gold asked. "I talk boy-talk too, but come on - why make life difficult for others?"

"Miss Laksh, Miss Tartan!" The professor's voice rang through the classroom. "Will you please focus on your work and -"

PHOOOSH.

There was a pretty loud noise, and -- and the cauldron next to them, one that belonged to one of the Muffliato-girls, burst into red-hot flames. Its contents rose into the air, spilled in every direction.

"Serves them right," Sachie grunted.

Theme # 28: Nox
An Unlit Lamp and Sleep


This camp -- was awesome. Gold gave Sachie a thumbs-up, as they snuck into their tents.

"That was quite a fiery campfire song," Sachie said, as she pushed her sleeping-bag into a corner she felt was more comfortable. "This is exciting, isn't it, Gold? I don't think I'm going to get much sleep, tonight. Or tomorrow night."

"I bet we're going to be too exhausted tomorrow night, though," Gold said. They had a long day ahead of them and, much as she could not wait for it, she knew without any sort of doubt that it would be a very hectic one.

- and she couldn't wear new shoes, when they went on the hike her dad had mentioned. Meh.

"Read me a bedtime story?" Sachie asked, with a very twelve-year-oldish grin. "A scary, camp-ghosts one, maybe? I bet you have one that sort in your collection."

"I do, but I left it back home," Gold grinned. "Go to sleep, alright? G'night, Sachie."

"G'night."

Gold smiled to herself, reached out to blow out the lamp. The light flared into sudden dimness like a super-effective Nox, and sleep rolled in.

Theme # 29: Obliviate
Hottie Al-LERRRT!


He was cute. Gold swung a bit in the playground swing, and eyed the new boy.

"New hottie on the block," Lavonne giggled, in the swing next to her. She slowed down her ride, and it came to a halt. "You have your eye on him, I see."

"'Course I do," Gold said, at once. "I mean, it's sort of a pity David and I broke up, but I guess I knew that would happen, eventually." Still, she had a new school to look forward to, at the end of the summer - and, of course, new boys. Not French boys.

English boys.

Weird.

"You could talk to him and see if that goes well," Lavonne said, with a shrug. "If it doesn't, we can get Shani to obliviate-and-stuff. Make him forget the memory, you know."

Shani? "Don't you dare even tell him of this," Gold said, at once. God, Shani was going to tease the living daylights out of her, if he knew this. It was not like he ever missed a chance to annoy her. "Your brother is such a -"

"Hey! That's my brother you're talking about!" Lavonne said, crossly.

Gold sighed.

Theme # 30: Oppugno
The Woman's not for the U-Turn!


It was mid-afternoon, and two girls sat in their dormitory, one with a book in her lap, the other bent over a shoebox.

"I'm not sure you should do this," the first said, rather unhappily. "The weather's so pretty, Goldie, how about we go for a walk, forget this duel?"

"Sachie," the other said, rather exasperatedly. "He challenged me, alright? I can't back out, I'm not a ScaredyPuff. You know that." She carefully stacked the shoebox on top of another as she spoke, then rose to her feet with rather thoughtful, green eyes. "I practiced a couple of new spells, last night. Managed to get a grasp on Oppugno, too."

"But he's at least two years older than you!" Sachie flared. "He probably knows some pretty nasty hexes. Not to mention, he isn't the nicest guy around - wouldn't hesitate to -"

"I'm not scared of him," Gold cut through, very firmly. "I accepted a challenge, Sachie, and I am not going to back out. End of story. The end."

Sachie opened her mouth to retort, then closed it shut without a word - she knew she could not convince Gold to stay back.

Theme # 31: Orchideous
Our Scented Dreams


It was a pretty shop, and Gold's eyes brightened as she stepped in. It was the summer that succeeded her fourth year of witch-study, and the teen could not have been happier.

She had loved this shop for quite a while, now. Madame Scent's, a place true to its name, seller of the best perfumes, the prettiest skincare products. The most effective love potions too, come to think of it. To be able to work here, that was certainly like a little dream come true.

"Ah, Gold," Sophia Bryant, the place's owner, called out, as she noticed her new saleswitch step in. A pretty girl there, that Gold, she thought to herself. That was certainly one of the reasons she had approved her application - Sophia needed pretty people, to run this place; it attracted more customers.

Plus, Gold was good at maths.

Unlike, quite fortunately, the last saleswitch.

"Miss Bryant!" Gold said, with a smile, as she stepped up to the said, young woman. "How are you? Pretty, new flowers," she added, pointing to a tall vase in the corner.

"Orchideous," Sophia replied, with a grin. "Shall we get to work?"

Gold beamed.

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

Theme # 32: Petrificus Totalus
The Very Forbidden Fruit


They ran.

Gold had not intended to steal, trust me she had not - but the new people who had moved in were cranky, super-cranky for no apparent reason, and she had not been able to resist the urge to sneak into their garden -- courtesy the common wall - and make a grab for a bit of fruit from the apple-tree those people prided so much upon.

- and, of course, she had dragged Lavonne along with her.

Lavonne who now gave a little scream, as the two of them fled. For, even though they had been pretty quiet, it was their rather woeful misfortune that they had not known that the new people kept a dog.

A rather vicious dog, to be more precise.

"Petrificus Totalus!" an angry voice yelled, as the dog gave a loud bark, and a woman ran into the garden. "Petri -"

She missed, of course - Gold, Lavonne, they were too fast for her -- reflexes born out of hours of quidditch, no doubt. Gold made a grab at the wall, swung herself over it, and landed in her own flower-garden, in a heap.

Lavonne followed.

"Never again!" her cousin panted. "Never again."

Gold burst into laughter.

Theme # 33: Point Me
Let MEEE Help You


Mirror, eh? Gold grinned at her reflection as she ran a brush through her hair -- and then there was the tinkle of a bell, and the hairbrush had been thrown into the drawer.

Customer!

She put on her signature smile - quite a fancy smile, it was, too - and stepped forward, to greet the boy who had entered. He could not be much older than her; and he was kind of ... well, hot. "How may I help you?" she asked, politely.

"I need something to keep my hair in place," he replied. "If you could point me to hair-stuff like that?"

She would have told him it was already pretty good, his hair, but she was certain she did not want to land into any sort of boy-trouble on her first day, at work in this shop. "Like a gel?" she asked. "Or do you mean shampoo?" Honestly, these boys needed to be clearer, with their statements!

"Gel," he replied. "Not the kind that makes my hair stiff, though. I hate that sort. If you get what I mean?"

"'Course, sir," she said, quite cheerfully. "Let me - hey, can I ask you something?"

He blinked. "Sure, miss."

"You single?"

Theme # 34: Protego
The Antithesis of Denial


The bell rang, and Gold stepped out of the classroom, after Sachie Tartan. They had learned the Shield Charm, today - protego-stuff, that is - and Sachie was not too happy with her progress.

"I don't get it," she said, with a little - though quite cold - sigh, as they stepped into the Dining Hall. "Pretty much everyone could do it, by the end of the class. Why not me, Goldie?"

"Because," Gold said, as she pulled up a chair for herself, gently dropped into it, and pulled a clean plate towards herself. "You know fully well that your attention was not on the Shield Charm. It was, as it lately is, on Mr. You-Know-Who."

"It was not!" Sachie protested at once, but her cheeks turned a rather bright shade of red, and Gold had to grin.

"You're in love, Tartan, admit it," Gold chuckled, as she stabbed a potato with a fork, and tipped the thing into her plate. Oh good, mashed potatoes. One of her favourite dishes, those, no doubt. "Why try to hide it when you know you - stop blushing, will you?"

"I thought you told me not to try hide it," Sachie pointed out.

Theme # 35: Quietus
The Dust of Years


Why did libraries even have a restricted section? Gold Laksh pondered over this as she stepped into the place now, the rather vast section which you could not enter, unless you had a signed chit to show the old, little lady that was their librarian.

Not any signed chit - a chit stamped by the Headmistress, herself. Or by her Deputy.

But, honestly; pretty much everyone who attempted to get a chit, succeeded - Gold sometimes thought the headmistress did not even read the chits, she stamped. That sort of eliminated the need of those things in the first place, did it not?

Oh, well.

She glanced around the place, and coughed - it looked like it had not been cleaned, for quite a while. It was rather deadly silent, too. As if someone had cast a super-powerful Quietus on every object in the chamber. Sort of freaky, especially when you noticed how dim the lighting was. It gave you the creeps -- the feeling that you should not be here.

"Must. Research. Assignment," Gold reminded herself. She took a deep breath, inhaled the dust of what seemed like years, and began to search for the book she required to write her essay.

Theme # 36: Reducto
The Boggart Chewed My High Heels


Some final! Gold groaned as she flicked her wand to attempt a Reductor Curse, and the big, block of cement was blasted into pieces.

At least she had managed to do it, correctly. Not that she doubted her abilities - she was just rather tired out. There had been little time to practice for this practical, for she had had Arithmancy theory, only this morning -- and she had looked forward, of course, to a good nap. Definitely not another exam.

But that was the way things had to be, and she could certainly not help it.

She muttered under her breath, took another step forward - and her eyes widened. Gosh, that had to be a boggart! Who else would turn into a chewed-up version of her favourite pair of high heels? The very thought made her chuckle, and the third year grinned as she raised her wand.

"Riddikulus!"


*

"How did it go?" Sachie asked, as Gold stepped out of the hall, and picked up her bag. Her own eyes were bright, a proof that her share of practical had been pretty great.

"My boggart," Gold replied, most solemnly. "Was my Stylos. My chewed-up Stylos."

Sachie doubled up, in laughter.

Theme # 37: Relashio
One, Satisfying Eve<3


"SURPRISE!"

Eleven-year-old Gold stepped into the common room - and squealed loudly. For Sachie Tartan had just thrown herself on her friend, wrapped her in an enthusiastic hug.

Oh. Myyyyyy. GOSH!

"You guys are great!" Gold grinned, as she looked round and saw that the common room looked pretty brilliant - decorations had been set-up most beautifully, and balloons were suspended in mid-air to celebrate her birthday... and to think she had been quite certain everyone, save her parents, would forget this day.

Friends had a habit of doing that, right?

But these new friends, they were certainly pretty great. "Thank you," the little, redheaded girl said excitedly, as she saw the pile of presents in the corner. "I really didn't expect this. Really."

"I helped!" an older girl grinned at her, from across the common room. "With the decorations and stuff. Your friends asked me if I could." She pointed her wand at the ceiling, uttered "Relashio," and a jet of fiery, red sparks shot out of her wand. "The same colour as your hair," she chuckled. "You like it?"

"Like? I love it! Thanks bunches!"



... she went to bed, a very satisfied girl, that night.

Theme # 38: Rictusempra
The New Best Friend


"Green."

Gold looked up from her book --- and checked a groan. Not him, again. "Darren."

Zeeshan Darren grinned at her, from the other side of the hallway. "Lavonne here? Mum wants her, at home. Told me to check if she was with you."

Gold raised an eyebrow. That liar! She knew Lavonne was at the mall - and he was SUCH a liar, because Lavonne was at the mall with her mother.

"What do you want, Shani?"

"I was bored, Green," he grinned, rather lazily. "Thought I would come over. Since we always have such an awesome time together." He smirked a bit, and she wanted to throw up her hands in despair, shout 'I give up. Now LEAVE ME ALONE.'

But she couldn't.

Really couldn't give him the satisfaction that he could get to her.

"If you don't leave this instant," she began, rather sweetly. "I am going to -"

"Cry your eyes out?" he suggested, most cheerfully.

"No," she said. "But I will rictusempra you into the garden, for the garden-gnome to see. He would like that sight."

"You should know," he said, with a nod. "He's your best friend, isn't he?"

Ugh.

UGGH.

Theme # 39: Sectumsempra
Light the Night. NOT!


Gold shivered, pulled her blankets closer to herself. It was one in the morning, and she was huddled in bed, a powerful torch on for the provision of light.

Light in which she could read.

But it looked like a peaceful read was not in her reach, right now - the book she had borrowed from the neighbourhood library was no nice one. Or, at least, this page was not. It detailed some sort of dark spell, the Sectumsempra something-or-the-other Curse, and the image provided was quite a nasty one.

She glanced at the book once more, then quickly closed it. She didn't want to dream of this stuff, later this night!

... Maybe it was time to tuck this tome under her pillow, click off the torch, and roll over, fall into sleep?

Maybe.


*

"Gold. GOLD!"

The fourteen year old woke up with a start. "I didn't do it!" she yelped, at once. "-- I didn't even know of that curse until last night --"

Mrs. Laksh blinked in astonishment, then saw the fat book sticking out from under her daughter's pillow.

"No more bedtime books for you," she said, firmly.

.....

"Now get up, at once!"

Theme # 40: Sonorus
Commentator Laksh


Oooh, Gold could not wait! She was on her school-team yes, but the second year had been given the go-ahead to commentate on this match.

Only because the real commentator was out with a cold, though. Not to mention - she was not to play in this match. Two other teams, of course.

Still, it was an achievement! Because, under normal circumstances, the Deputy Head would never trust her not to point out how evil some of the players were. Or how, BURN! They resembled Voldemort!

"Sonorus," the twelve-year-old said cheerfully, pointing her wand at her throat as she half-skipped into the top-box. These were her pre-high heel days - she would get into fashion this summer but, as of yet, she was pretty free of her high-heels-are-like-caffeine-experience - but, even now, she was dressed pretty well, and her robes were a rather silken fabric, pale blue and pretty to see.

"You look nice," a girl said, as she sat down, by the scoreboard. "Cute robes."

"Thanks," Gold said, her bright eyes focused on the green of the pitch, below. "My commentary's going to be even better."

Cue huge grin.

Theme # 41: Scourgify
Summer, Thy Brightness


It was that time, once more.

Time to fold your clothes, shut your books, count how many socks the washing-machine had eaten, this year -- time to pack, for the end-of-the-term had arrived, and the train home was less than twenty-four hours away, its engine on, and its smoke gray but still warm, inviting in a way most unique.

"Scourgify," Gold said cheerfully, as she attempted to clean out the cage that belonged, not to a pet of her own, but to a friend's, smallish owl. She had promised said friend that she would help her pack, because the larger part of her own packing had been put to a finish, late last night.

"Throw me a chocolate frog card, Goldie!" Sachie said, from the bed next. The thirteen-year-old was propped up with a new book of stories, and her eyes were bright at the prospect of home -- neither was really sad to leave School for, brilliant though it was, they had a lot of fun during the summers, too.

"Can't wait to pay Madame Scent's a visit," Gold said, as she chucked some chocolate-candy at her friend.

"Me, neither!"

Theme # 42: Silencio
'Tis Logic. Of Quite Another Kind.


Gold had woken up late. Which was something of a surprise, because she was, as a rule, quite the early-riser.

"Twelve-thirty!" she exclaimed, as she glanced at the wall-clock and sat up, rather horrified. "My gosh, I totally overslept." She sat up at once, slipped her feet into her fancy-topped slippers, and grabbed her favourite, yellow hairbrush to untangle her bangs.

Not that they really needed to be brushed - as far as Gold was concerned, her hair always looked perfect.

Vain, much?

"I'm awake," she announced, as she exited her room, and made for the Dining Hall, less than half an hour later. "Mum... MUM, where are you?"

"Awake?" Mrs. Laksh asked, as she poked her head into the room. "You slept late, today, Golden. Is everything alright, sweetie?"

"Don't call me that," she said, at once.

Mrs. Laksh grinned, then stepped into the room. "You want breakfast?" she asked. "I would make you some, but I have gnome-trouble, on my hands. Mr. Garden Gnome's been snoring a lot, lately. Had to use a bit of Silencio on him, last night."

OH!

So THAT was what had kept her awake, last night.

Theme # 43: SpeRevelio
Yellow-Eyed Miniature Heel


"For all you know, it could be hexed!" Lavonne Darren said shrilly. Her tones were angry and Mrs. Laksh, as she peeked into her daughter's bedroom, had to check a sigh - those two, could they never get along?

"It's a doll-shoe I found in the garden, Lavonne, not some yellow-eyed demon that's going to grow lots of tentacles and eat me," Gold replied. She did not sound heated, but rather bored -- and her mother knew that would make Lavonne even angrier.

It always did.

"Well, you shouldn't pick rubbish you find in the garden!" Lavonne snapped. Those two, Mrs. Laksh thought to herself. They don't even fight for a reason. They just have to ... fight. It's like they're going to convert into wisps of smoke and vanish, if they don't. "What if it's something really evil? In fact -" Lavonne got up, snatched the little, blue, plastic heel out of Gold's hand. "SpeRevelio! SpeRevelio! Speci -"

"Give it back," Gold said, coolly. "Can't you tell it doesn't have any super-secret, super-evil spells on it?"

Lavonne snarled, and stormed out of the room.

As usual.

Theme # 44: Stupefy
Stupefication Solutions


It was no wonder that Gold did not like the new people on the block - they were cranky, fought for no apparent reason and, above all, they kept a dog.

A vicious dog that had CHASED her and Lavonne, until they had jumped over the common garden wall, and crumpled at the Laksh's side of it, that is.

Which was exactly why Gold's eyes widened now, as she looked up from her book, and realized that the doorbell had rang because those NEW people had rung it. She poked her whole head out of the bedroom window to see better, make sure her eyes had not somehow deceived her and, sure enough, it was the lady from next door.

This did not sound right.

"Someone do something!" she said, as she stepped out of her room, and spotted her mother. "Stupefy them, anything! They're here, mum, the NEW people."

"Stop that, sweetie," Mrs. Laksh replied, calmly. "You know pretty well that they must have found out it was you and Lavonne who broke into their garden, the other day. Quite wrong of you two," she added, a little severly.

"STUPEFYYY THEMMMM!" Gold flailed her arms, in response.

Theme # 45: Tarantallegra
You Asked, Daddy Darling


Gold breathed a sigh of relief as she managed to find herself an empty room. This party, she had not wanted to attend - she was no fan of the Masons, people her father had met through business and, much as the teen loved a free drink of butterbeer, she had not wanted to come to this party, tonight.

-- It did not even have the redeeming quality of the presence of some cute boys. Just .... boring men in business suits, and women in pretty, black dresses, who flashed huge, white smiles, and talked in totally professional voices that sounded computerized. Or fake. Yeah, one of the two.

"Gold," Mr. Laksh knocked at the door. "Are you in there, darling?"

She clicked open the lock, and poked her head out. "Yes, dad?"

"Mr. Mason is asking about you," Mr. Laksh replied. "I told him I would -- what's wrong, sweetheart? You don't look too happy."

"This party is boring, dad!" Gold complained, with a pout. "There are no cute guys, no free butterbeer, no boy talk!"

"Anything else?" Mr. Laksh asked, with a grin.

"Mr. Mason dances like a spider under the effects of a Tarantallegra-gone-wrong," she said, sweetly.

Theme # 46: Tergeo
Breakups are BORINGG


This was not good.

Gold had seen breakups before -- more than one, in fact. But she had never thought she would see one that would affect her, like this. Perhaps it was because she was so close to Lavonne.

"Come on, Lavonne, he was just a cute guy," she said, pretty sure that her attempt to cheer her cousin up would not work. "I mean, it's not like he broke up with you. You ditched him and -"

"I ditched him because I caught him with another girl!" Lavonne flared. "You're so tactless, Gold, I hate you. Go away."

Hey, that wasn't fair! Why did she get to be hated? But Gold knew Lavonne was not in her best mood, right now. Which meant she - Gold - was not going to fight with her. Not even if Lavonne tried, in an attempt to direct her anger at that git of a boy, at someone else.

"Tergeo," she muttered, pointing to a hanky, and offering it to Lavonne. "Help yourself."

"Stop being a tactless idiot!" Lavonne snarled angrily. She pushed the handkerchief away, rose to her feet, and stormed out of the room.

Eh?

Gold blinked, then followed.

Theme # 47: Twitchy Ears Hex
The Not-So-Final Showdown


This was it.

Gold Laksh, Orton Savage - final showdown.

She swept out her wand, directed a Twitchy Ears Hex at him in response to his curse. She wasn't exactly happy, to tell the truth - the last thing she wanted was for a professor to see her in the middle of the corridor, wand out and pointed at a house-mate.

This could seriously cost her her Quidditch Captain badge.

But the fact was, she was on the defensive, here. He had cornered her on her way to class - potions, to be exact - and, when the verbal fight had escalated, whipped out his wand. To say the least, Gold was not impressed - what kind of guy attacked a lady, a pretty lady with awesome, red hair like her?

But of course, this was Orton Savage -- and she knew Orton Savage did not have, never had had, the least trace of manners.

He hit a hex at her, a hex she did not know, and she barely managed to block it with her Shield Charm. Gosh, this was getting nasty. "Savage," she yelled out. "Cut it out, will you? Why can't we talk this out and - EEEP!"

She ducked.

Git.

Theme # 48: Unbreakable Vow
No Vows for Dinner, Please


Gold was not surprised in the least, when little droplets began to fall, as she stepped into the little teashop by the seashore. It had looked like rain, for a while, now.

"Nice place, huh?" she asked David, as she sat down by a window-seat, and gazed out. The ocean stretched in waves of silver-blue, gorgeous in the dim lighting of twilight. To say the least, the scene was breathtaking.

"Beautiful," he said, giving her hand a light squeeze. "But it's not half as lovely as you, Gold."

"Oh yeah, that," Gold said with a nod, as she looked away from the pretty scene the window showed. "It's called a compliment, right? Am I expected to return it, or something, too?"

David grinned. "Nice joke. What do you want to eat, then? Would you like a bit of Chinese, today? I heard they hauled in a Chinese cook, here." He had picked up a menu, now, and Gold had to say -- for a teashop this small, this palce sure was classy.

"They have a new dish called the Unbreakable Vow," he laughed, suddenly. "Couple special."

Gold raised an eyebrow.

"How about we just order two butterbeers?"

Theme # 49: Wingardium Leviosa
. . . . . Snicker Monsters


Little Gold was not impressed. It was the summer before she went to School - learn magic-stuff - and Zeeshan Darren had arrived to show off his oh-so-great skills.

His point? That he knew more magic than her, which meant he was more awesome.

Her point?

"Get lost, Shani."


"You can't even levitate a feather," he grinned at her. "Wingardium Leviosa, look!" His wand was pointed at the pretty, pink quill in her hand, which rose into the air, was whisked out of her reach.

There was no doubt he meant to annoy her -- Gold crossed her arms against her chest, and glared at him.

"Give that back, you monster!"

"Nope," he declared, with a grin.

"You -"

"Give me one reason to give it back to you, when you can't get it for yourself, Golden," he snickered, rather evilly. Time would change his snickers to smirks, and her aggravation to eye-rolls, but that was a point still far away. For now, Gold only rose to her feet, stomped out of the room.



When he received a letter of condemnation for the practice of magic outside of School, six hours later, it was her turn to snicker.

Theme # 50: Waddiwasi
Chewed-Up Gum Can Lead to Dinners


Her eyes narrowed - there was a wad of sticky gum in her bedroom-keyhole, and Gold knew who was behind it.

She looked at the gum -- wished she could perform a little Waddiwasi for good riddance -- then turned round, marched into the dining room, and grabbed him by the collar.

"Ouch, Green, what the heck -" Zeeshan cried, wrenching himself free of the fiery fourteen-year-old's grip. "What's the matter, reddo?"

"If you even LOOK at my room, once more, I will -"

"Beg you not to?" he asked, with a grin - but he rubbed his neck as he spoke and that, at least, gave her some small measure of comfort.

"What is your problem, Shani?" she demanded. "Why the heck can't we get along, for once -"

"Dinner?" he asked, lazily. "Veggie-Eater, seven o clock this eve?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why in the name of Merlin's CAT, would I want to dine with you?" she demanded.

"Because I'm hot," he replied casually. "Not to mention, you want us to get along. I am ... attempting to show you that, that -- isn't possible."

He grinned, left the room.

Gold wanted to HURL something at him.