"Alright, good." Sneeze kept showing Rian the movements and smiled. Then looked up. "Darn mistletoe! It's following us! Be light on your feet." He tried to move Rian a bit faster, yet the gree thing was following them.

Rian smiled as she tried to keep 'light on her feet'. But, being Rian, she stumbled more than once. "Merlin!" she muttered, standing up straight after stumbling. She was glad Sneeze was patient, because most people wouldn't keep dancing with someone as klutzy as Rian.

She looked up when he mentioned the mistletoe. So he noticed it too... she frowned slightly, before going into another twirl, which brought a smile back to her face. "The things never going to leave," she muttered, talking about the stupid plant that was hanging from the roof.

"Or is it?" Sneeze smiled. He kept spinning Rian, practically lifting her. They moved so well, not stumbling so much. He noticed it wasn't going to leave, the mistletoe. He stopped her, then kissed her. He knew this might be weird, but decided he never wanted it to end. Suddenly the mistletoe disappeared and the song ended.

Rian couldn't help the estatic laugh that came from her as they danced. What amazed her more than the laugh, though, is that she didn't stumble. Once. She was about to say something when they stopped, except Sneeze kissed her.

Surprised as she was, Rian enjoyed it. She couldn't control the overly-cheerful feeling she was left with. When the mistletoe disappeared and the song ended, Rian ran a hand through her messed up hair, trying to get it out of her eyes. "Merlin," she whispered again, out of breath from dancing.

Sneeze sat down. "Wow?" He couldn't stop himself how this came out, and more in a question form. He thought about what was happening. Sneeze and Rian really need a break. He has to learn that you can't always be with the one you care about, and meeting new people is important to know if he was with the right person. "Rian, I care about you, but that kiss... Well... We really need a break, and I've thought about it and you did what you did because it was the best thing for the both of us. I will always be there for you, but we have to find a way to stop feeling a bit uncomftorable when we're together." Sneeze was back up on his feet infront of Rian, a new song back on the radio.

"You will see. I told you it's a surprise," she called out as she continued to lead him all the way up to the Seventh floor. She stopped by the statue of Barnabus the Barmy. Right, she was in the exact spot.
She let go of his hand and started pacing back and forth three times. A door appeared in front of her.

"Okay, follow me in and you will get your surprise," she said as she pushed the door open and entered the room.

Rian sighed, not knowing what she said. Everything Sneeze said was true, and he deserved to be with other people - no matter how she felt about it. She bit her lip and stood up when Sneeze did, hearing a song on the radio starting.

She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it quickly. Her mind kept whirling in circles, and she stepped back from Sneeze. "I should be going," she said quietly. She looked down at the floor as she walked over to her bag. She set her camera in it, and hefted it to her shoulder. "Happy Christmas...thanks again for the gift," she kept her gaze on the floor as she walked to the door. She waved, but it was more like a flick of her wrist. She was fighting the stupid emotion in her that wanted to make her cry, but she wasn't going to do it. She looked at Sneeze for a short moment - that seemed to last forever - and stepped out the door.

Sneeze sighed. Rian had just left. Life was harder than he thought it would be, but what isn't. "Goodbye." He said a few minutes after Rian had left. He knew that he needed to live a life not around Rian. He grabbed a two feet roll of parchment. Sneeze took out his pen, who wrote by itself. "From this point on "Sneeze" is no longer. I will be known as James Amadeus Longbottom, my birthgiven name. Sneeze was my child name, and I have changed." The parchment then closed under the wand. Sneeze took a deep breath and whispered some words. Suddenly the page lit on fire, by suprise. Sneeze blew the parchment and suddenly there came some words. "Not much is known about the future, but look for FORWARD." Sneeze was confused but put the piece of paper in his pocket. Look forward? Maybe it's a hint to something. "A book?" Sneeze was confused so he went to the library, leaving the room in darkness. When confused, go to the library.

Robert smiled and led the way up the stairs to the Room of Requirement. Walking past the wall three times the door appeared and he held it open for Lyra. Walking in after her the room appeared differently then when he had been in here before and he couldn't help but think about what had happened in here with him and...Mariska.... Swallowing he let his gaze pass across the couple of chairs and the fireplace. Under any other circumstance it might have been cozy now it was just...uncomfortable.

Sitting down in one of the chairs he looked up at Lyra, "I...need to tell you something as well." Since they were clearing the air, he might as well admit to what had happened...twice. "But what was it you needed to say first?"

Lyra walked into the room and looked around. It had been a long time since she had been in this room with another boy. Her eyes looked around, noticing there were two chairs and a fireplace. Interesting.

"I...er...can't help but read into the...two separate chairs," she said as she turned to look at Robert, another hint of a smile on her face. Maybe this was going to be easier but now he had to tell her something as well. She walked over to the chair and had a seat, staring into the fireplace.

"You know that I like you," she began with a sigh. She bit her lower lip, thinking about her next words to use. The phrase she just used should have included a BUT in there somewhere. Maybe it was just underlining. "You have been...such a great person to me and I thank you for that." She continued staring into the fire allowing him to take his seat before going on.

Robert looked around at her words taken aback. Had his own subconscious read into the set up? He shrugged and sat down across from her feeling rather uncomfortable. He would have much preferred to sit next to her but it seemed like this was one conversation that wouldn't be a good idea to do.

As she spoke with a sigh he couldn't help but sense the underlying but in her words. But not that much. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair as was his reaction and sat back. "Lyra...there's really no need for all this drama." He looked at her and smiled, "It's okay."

"I like drama," she smiled without a giggle as her green eyes glanced at Robert then looked back to the fireplace. He was right about one thing, she just needed to come out and tell the truth, set things right.

"I'm not playing fair with you," she began once more as she placed her back against the chair for comfort. "And it's not fair because, my heart belongs to someone else." She pulled a piece of her hair and began to twirl it around her finger, over and over again. "I miss him dearly and..." She sighed as she just had to come out and say it hoping that it wouldn't hurt too much, but she was already hurting everyone by keeping this relationship going. "...and you helped to fill an emptiness that...he couldn't at the time."

She finally looked back to Robert with a half smile but she was now worried at what his reaction would be. She had been in these shoes before and she didn't like them, but she was not about to hurt another to satisfy her needs at the moment.

Robert laughed and shook his head at Lyra's words, "Of course you do. You look for it." He watched curiously as she looked into the fireplace and then back at him. Smiling he wished he had a place to put his feet up on and then an ottoman appeared. Chuckling he put his feet up, "You have to love this room."

He looked at her again as she spoke and he nodded, "I thought it was something like that. It was that conversation. In the courtyard when we first got to know each other. You were vague...but you understood what I was going through at the time."

He sat up set his feet down on the floor, "I have a confession. This...well...hmm." He looked at her and then down at his hands, "I've done the same to you. I really like you Lyra. You're a great friend and you listen but...well maybe under different circumstances...." He met her eyes and sighed. It was harder for him to tell her that he had went behind her back and hurt her trust then her admitting she didn't fully like him but he felt he had to. "You know how I felt, feel about Mariska. Well...she was helping me with some classwork and..." He ran his hand through his hair hoping she understood what he was saying.

Lyra flew out of the chair and onto her knees in front of Robert as he sat up in the chair. "Thank goodness," she breathed a sigh of relief as she propped her arm on his leg and placed her head down. She began to giggle under her breath, the lifted her head.

"Both of us?" She couldn't help but ask as she began to giggle once more. "She is a sweet girl, Robert. Smart, beautiful...and...may I suggest something?" She didn't wait for his answer because she was going to say it whether he wanted to hear it or not.

"You know you are hard-headed, right?"

Robert's eyes widened as Lyra headed toward him and onto the ground in front of him. As she spoke he began laughing and placed his hand on hers, "Thank goodness? I honestly didn't think that would be your reaction.... I mean we were together...."

At her question he looked puzzled, "Well...yes and no...she drives me insane. Half the time I want to hurt her and the other half...well.... It's just when we're together we always argue. When we argue we get closer and etc. That isn't a healthy relationship AND she's dating Cayden. She doesn't like me she just likes toying with me." He sighed and looked at her with a small smile, "She is all that. She's also infuriating and stubborn." At her question he laughed, "And here I thought that was an endearing trait. It's always served me well. But what makes you say that?"

That first statement, she didn't want to know exactly what he meant by his words, but she knew enough to not want to know. But then as he began to speak about Mariska it was as if she released something inside of him that seemed to be bothering him more than he led on. "You wanting to hurt her is not a healthy relationship," she began as her eyes glared at him for a moment. "If I ever hear that you have laid a hand on her...friend or not..." She didn't finish that sentence and she didn't need too.

She listened to what he said, not saying a word about her past and the one she loved. "Well, you ask that yet what you just said, the way you said it, it is something that you tried to put behind you but your heart wouldn't let you." That was her example since it just happened right before her eyes. "You try to ignore what your heart desires..." She paused as she closed her eyes for a moment, lowering her head then looked to the ground. "Me? I wasn't replacing by any means, I just feel...so empty sometimes." She finally looked up to Robert as these were words she had never said to anyone else, including Agie.

Robert shook his head as she spoke, "No, Lyra, not physically hurt her hurt her. She just irritates you so much you just want to scream. Or maybe that's just me...." He looked at her seriously, "I would never do that. I'm not that kind of guy and seeing as who my father is I would never do that."

He listened and shook his head, not fully understanding what Lyra was trying to say. He watched as she looked down at the ground and spoke. "Empty?" He ran his thumb over the bracelet he had given her on her arm and then looked up his eye catching the necklace she wore, "He's the one who gave you that isn't he? The one you told me about earlier who you spoke to a lot here before you left?" He met her gaze and smiled reassuringly making sure she knew he was alright with this, "Are you going to tell me what was wrong with you earlier?"

Oooh.

Miles had only heard of the room of requirement, but never been inside, but when he did walked in with Lima. It was HUUUGE, and in the middle, was his preseeeeent. Hehe. All wrapped nicely and standing alone. "Ooohwie. It's a big 'un." He beamed. "Can I open it noooow!?"

She smiled as he looked eagerly at his present. She was so excited to give it to him. She knew that he would absolutely love it. "Yes, you can. It's your birthday/Christmas gift," she clarified for him. It was so expensive, that she had to combine it with Christmas. Hehe.

Lyra tilted her head as she listened to Robert say that he was not going to physically hurt her but..."But if you like her as much as you say, why would you want to hurt her at all? I mean, if you can't get along with someone or at least try because you love them, then what's the point? You can been physically and mentally attracted to someone but if neither of you wants to work through your problems, what's the use?"

She looked down as he repeated the words she spoke as his fingers brushed across the bracelet he gave her but then his eyes found the piece of jewelry that she never took off. She shook her head as she looked down. She was ashamed for dragging Robert along on an adventure that led to no where. "There are certain things about you...that reminded me of him." She looked up to him once more and sighed. "I should have never..."

She paused as he asked the next question, one that was a little more difficult to talk about but he was slightly easier to talk too than others, he actually listened when she spoke, or at least he seemed too. "I lost someone very close to me," she began with a forced smile. "She taught me so much and cared for me more than my parents ever thought about, Fabian was her husband. I love him and care for him more than...my own family...even though he is technically not family anymore...since she is gone." But just because Ara was gone didn't mean she was going to let go of the one person who cared for her more than her parents.

"Ooh! Okay!" Miles clapped his hands in excitement as he ripped open the biiiig present. As he ripped the wrapping paper, he wondered what Lima had actually got him, it was huge, so she must have spent a lot of money on it. Hmmm..

And then he saw it, his eyes glowed with shock and he felt his knees begin to wobble. "Oh. My. God." He breathed and stared at the magnificent drum set.

HAHA! He was so cute. Just like a little kid. She waited eagerly as he started to rip the paper off of it.

Then he paused in shock. "Does this mean that you like it?" she asked as she watched him just standing there with his mouth open.

Miles couldn't hold the excitement that was rippling through him at that moment. He wanted to quickly get on the drum set and start playing, and tackle Lima at the same time. And also faint, but he was trying not to do that. And since he couldn't reallyp lay drums properly yet, there was only one option...

"Wheeeeeeeee!!!" Miles ran over to Lima and picked her up off the ground. "Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!!!"

She squeaked when he lifted her off the ground. She had no idea he was so... strong. hehe. "You're welcome!" she said smiling at him. "This means that we will be working even harder for this now. You have your own drum set, so you better be using it." PFFT As if he needed her telling him that.

Of course it had been rude to listen in on others conversations, but he wouldn't have learned of this room, and he couldn't have that. In exchange of a blanket, a large Persian rug was just where he needed it. The large weaver leek basket swung at his side, before being plunked down in the middle of the rug.

As far as he knew, Helios was alone, but he still performed as if he knew that there was unseen audience. Drawing his wand, he raised the tip high, pausing briefly before bringing it down on the basket top. Another pause, then the lid popped open with a gentle, golden glow.

First came the fruit. Ripe oranges and apples, bunches of grapes, even a full watermelon. Next were the pies of various sizes and flavors. When planning a picnic, it helped to have a bottomless picnic basket.