Iris rushed down the staircase, wondering which way Aaron went ... She really needed to speak to him, to find out what was wrong ... She looked to the Entrance doors with a small smile, realising that he would be outside ... maybe near the quidditch pitch? .... Iris walked to the open doors and climbed down the stone steps to look for him.

Staring around at the apparently empty Entrance Hall, Jake sat perched on the bottom of the banister, swinging his legs back and forth as he sat in silence, thinking deeply. The walls seemed to loom around him, trapping him inside this Merlinforsaken building. Guh, he wanted to go home.

Glancing down at LouAnn for a second, whilst he fiddled with something in his jeans pocket, Jake opened his mouth to say something. "How many days 'til summer?" he asked, chancing a look at the October sun through the high windows.

Fia beamed as Theo kissed her on the cheek. He did that all on his own and he did it to her.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!

He was so cute! Her mind began to think of different scenarios that could happen between them, one of them being like...boyfriend and girlfriend.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!

She leaned her head against his shoulder as he carried her to the hospital wing. Maybe having a hurt foot was not as bad as she thought but how was she going to explain how it happened? She had four flights of steps to figure it out. What would Miles do? or say?

Theo steadied her. He didn't want her falling off. Or slipping down him. That would be funny. But he didn't think she would enjoy that. He kept hold of her bottom, so she wouldn't.

He felt her head against his shoulder. Awww she liked doing that. And he liked her doing it. It was a good job he showered this morning. And he didn't smell stinky. "Only a few more floors to go."

As Jake sat perched on the bottom of the banister, LouAnn sat cross-legged on the floor just to the right of him. She, like Jake, was pretty much silent as she thought about how odd she'd been feeling lately. It was only when Jake spoke up that she pulled herself out of her thoughts and turned towards the Hufflepuff boy.

"Hmm...a lot. I don't know how many, really. Eight and a half months or so," she replied. She wasn't ready to leave Hogwarts like Jake was. LouAnn had just gotten here, and despite all the added classwork and homework, she was happy to be here in the castle. The place certainly felt like a home away from home. "Why? Aren't you happy here at all?"

She turned her focus back to the floor and absentmindedly drew circles on it with her fingers while she waiting for Jake's reply. Her mind drifted back to how odd she'd been feeling lately. It worried her---a lot. She'd thought about seeking help from her parents or from the nurse, but she had a funny feeling both would think she was insane. Maybe she really had gone insane, though. Maybe the events that had happened a few years ago had finally taken their toll on her.

Making an impatient clicking noise with his tongue when LouAnn told him how long was left, Jake stayed silent for a few minutes, even after LouAnn asked the question. When it seemed that the silence had gone almost for long enough that he couldn't answer, the boy spoke quietly. "Nuh uh," he said, swinging his feet. "I just want to go home. I really do."

He really did.

Not much was going right this year, Jake just wanted to be at home with his foster mother or something. Heck, he'd probably go back to his REAL parents if he could leave here.

Well... maybe.

Rubbing his eyes, Jake squinted around again. His eyes were getting bad, man. "What can we dooooo?" he asked suddenly, a hint of his wayyyyyyy younger self showing through his voice. "I'm dead borrrrrrred."

Reese walked out of the Great Hall into the Entrance carrying a cookie in her hand. She still wished that instead of eating cookies that she had chocolate frogs to eat, but noooo, her mom still hasn't sent her any money. Sadly, she couldn't get chocolate frogs right now since Hogsmeade wasn't open. So, when it opened up, her mom better have sent her some money! Or she was just going to have to take some money from Jake, which she should have done last weekend.

She stopped walking in the middle of the entrance hall and glanced around at the few people that were in there. Her eyes landed on LouAnn, who was sitting on the ground right in front of - JAKE! Taking the last bite of her cookie, she headed over to her brother and her friend.

"Hey guysss," she greeted them with a smile.

LouAnn didn't even glance up when Jake made a little clicking noise with his tongue. She just figured he was still complaining about the number of months left in the school year, anyway. When he finally answered, she opted for a nod rather than another question, although she still really wanted to ask why once again. Why did Jake want to go home so bad? Was it so good there and so much the opposite here? It really didn't seem that bad to LouAnn, even if the Astronomy department could be just a little more...astronomical, maybe?

She sighed and leaned back on the step when he asked what they could do. What was there to do in one's free time anyway? "If it were a weekend, I'd say we could go back to Hogsmeade, but I don't know if I want to go back there just yet," she kind of mumbled. That creepy shadowed figure they'd met in the back alley had done her in as far as going to Hogsmeade. Just then, Reese, Jake's sister, strolled up, and LouAnn pulled herself up off the step to greet her properly. "Hey, Reese! What's up?" she asked.

Kyle walked into the Entrance Hall...
His gray Eyes hid from the
iluminating light that shined through the windows...
It was beautiful...
He glanced around to see other people....
He ignored them...
and leaned against a wall....
to look outside the window....
At least the Window will always be open for me...
He sighed..
and nodded to his thought indifferently...

A familiar figure catching his eye, Jake watch the girl cross the Entrance Hall, using his jedi mind-tricks to control her. Because he was cool like that.

Oh... she was coming over.

Well... at least he wasn't going into the ninja profession.

"Hi Reese," Jake smiled to the girl... who happened to be his sister. "T'sup?"

Shrugging his shoulders in response, Jake twitched and looked around at a sudden noise, wishing desperately that he had his wand on him. "There's nothing to DO here," he complained, full brat styleeee.

Reese took a little step to the right when LouAnn stood up from the step, so that there would be space between her and the girl. She opened her mouth to reply to her question until her brother greeted her and pretty much asked her the same question. "Nothing much," she replied. "Just doing homework. What about you two?" She looked at LouAnn before turning to Jake when she caught what he had said to the girl.

There's nothing to DO here...

Leaning against the railing on the staircase, she asked her brother, "Why do you seem all down in the dumps today?" She was also going to ask him if he has seen Cam anywhere, but decided that she better wait for him to answer this question before she threw more questions in his face.

"Sitting about," Jake replied, shrugging his shoulders dramatically. He was sooooo borrrrrred. Grrr. Trouble seemed like a healthy alternative.

Making a face, Jake shifted where he sat. "Not just today," he mumbled, scowling. "I'm so... bored. And... I don't even have my wand so I can't mess around or anything, or practice magic or..."

Grrrrrr.

"ANYTHING!"

It's a hard-knock life, am I right?

Abby opens the door to the Entrance Hall and walks in. She leaves it open so Theo can follow. Abby notices Kyle standing by himself looking out a window. She smiles at him and quickly says hello. No time for small talk right now. Abby walks over to the stairs planning to start with the first floor when she sees Jake standing there pretty as a picture. "Speak of the devil. Hello Jake..."

Not really knowing what else to do, LouAnn began drumming her fingers lightly on the floor next to her. Jake and Reese were deep in some sort of conversation, but LouAnn had lost track of it a minute or two ago. She'd become distracted by the presence of some Hufflepuff boy who'd entered the Entrance Hall. She thought she knew him, as he looked really familiar, but a second thought told her she actually didn't. So she smiled and waved at the boy before turning back to Jake and Reese.

"Erm, ...nothing," she finally said, answering the question Reese had asked her nearly a minute ago. "Nothing is up. I was just sitting here listening to Jake talk about how there's really not much going on around the castle today." Not much had changed conversation-wise since then, apparently. She perked up when a Hufflepuff girl walked in and called Jake the devil. LouAnn laughed lightheartedly, then gave the girl a questioning expression. "The devil? So what'd he do?" she asked. "I'm LouAnn, by the way."

"He's gotten on the bad side of Professor Kazimeriz again which isn't so very hard to do. I spend most of my time on the same side. Hello, I"m Abby Wright. Professor Kazimeriz has sent me to fetch Jake and you. Kazimeriz wants to see some runes you'll have." Abby wasn't going to get into Professor Lawson and Jake attacking him with his wand.

LouAnn giggled a little more, then glanced over at Jake, shaking her head from side to side as she did so. "Well, just when we thought the day was going to be dramaless, Jake, you----...," LouAnn said, stopping short when Abby went on to say Professor Kazimeriz was looking for LouAnn, as well as Jake. LouAnn had never been called to someone's office before. Whatever it was Jake had done, LouAnn hadn't been a part of in any way.

"He wants to see me, too?" she questioned. She started to ask why, but then Abby explained how he wanted to see the runes LouAnn and Jake had previously collected. "Ahh, well, that makes sense then," she said, shrugging just a little. She just simply assumed Professor Lupa had seen Professor Kazimeriz around the castle and told him about the runes. He was probably simply just interested in them. "Okay then. Off we go, I guess," she said, grabbing Jake by the hand and leading them both to the potion professor's office. "See ya later, Reese!"

Abby follows after them. "Well, Jake may be in a little trouble with Lawson. Seems he threatened him at the entrance to Professor Bontecou's office. Lawson came down to Kazimeriz's office and told him off about it. Kazimeriz seems to be in a good mood though. He's really interested in these runes. What makes them so special?"

OOC: lets continue this in the kitchen and dungeon corridors.

Aaron walked from the great hall thinking about going outside. Well, I don't want to be by myself, I'd look like a loser. Aaron took out his Chicago Cubs hat he got while he was in Chicago, and put it on. He slowly made his way through the hall hoping one of his friends showed up. In the meanwhile, Aaron took a look at the hourglasses. Oh, come on! We can do better than that! Whatever, our Quidditch team is gonna get us those points! Aaron then aimlessly made his way to the center of the hall, waiting for someone...

Iris walked down the last few steps of the grand staircase happily, wanting to go for a walk round the grounds on her own ... Maybe by the pumpkin patch ... Iris was still annoyed that the Professors hadn't planned anything for Halloween, after Christmas and her birthday, Halloween was the best time of the year! She looked around as she adjusted her slytherin scarf and skirt automatically when she saw someone stood in the middle of the Entrance hall, seemingly waiting for someone. Then she realised who it was. Aaron. What was he doing stood in the middle of the entrance hall on his own?

Instantly she thought the worst ...
He might be waiting for someone else!
Like who?
a GIRL!
but he's pretending to be going out with YOU
Yeah ... but ... oh yeah ...
Go and find out who he's waiting for, then! Fool.
Shu'up you.

Iris walked up to him, smiling curiously. "Hi Aaron ... What are you doing here?" She asked him, fiddling with the theads at the end of her scarf.

Reese about to ask Jake why he didn't have a wand, but then this girl came up to them. Hmm. That girl looked quite familiar, but she couldn't put a name with her face. What was her nameee? She kept thinking about it, but then she was cut from her thoughts when the girl mentioned that ake had gotten on Kazi's bad side and that LouAnn and Jake had to go with her to Kazimeriz's office. Taking her eyes off the girl, she looked towards her brother and LouAnn.

She was lost right not. What had Jake done? Why did both LouAnn AND Jake have to go with her? She stayed quiet, hoping that she might get more answers and she did. While LouAnn pulled Jake away, the girl mentioned Jake threatening Lawson. THREATENING?! That didn't sound like anything her brother would do, especially to Lawson. Didn't he like that Professor?

"Bye," she finally told the three people as they walked off. Now, she knew what she was going to do today. She was going to go have a little talk with Lawson and maybe - just maybe - she'll understand what's going on around here. Taking her final quick glance around the entrance hall, she headed up the stairs to the first floor.

Aaron was just observing his surroundings when Iris walked next to him. he immediately looked at her skirt. Funky skirt. He then looked up at her. "Nothing, really. I was looking at the hourglasses and got lost in my thoughts." Aaron fixed the brim of his hat before asking the same question to Iris. "What are YOU doing here?"

Iris smiled and looked at the hourglasses, too ... Ahh ... we aren't that far behind Ravenclaw ... Satine probably put most of those blue gems in there ... She wanted to ask him what was he thinking about, but decided against it and to answer his question instead. She shrugged and looked at her scarf ... wasn't that a bit of a clue? "I was on my way to outside..." She said, simply. She looked at him and smiled shyly, for no reason at all. "... do you wanna come with me?" Iris found herself wanting to blush again. Why? She had no idea. She just stood there waiting for his answer.

Aaron smiled as she asked that. Good, now I won't be by myself. And I'm with Iris! YAY! "Sure!" he said excitedly. Aaron looked at himself and saw that maybe he should have brought a fleece downstairs. He decided he would survive. He smiled at her and she smiled at him. "Let's go!" He started to head for the door. "After you!" he said to Iris.

Iris grinned as he agreed... yay! Iris did her best not to hug him ... why did she even want to hug him? Oh yeah... because of what went on at the lake ... She smiled again as he offered to let her go first

... Psshhh ... he just wants to know how cold it is.
He's being kind.
If you say so. But your the one with the scarf, not him.
I thought you were meant to be helpful?
nope.


She smiled and walked out of the doors first, but waited for him at the top of the steps.