Quote:

Originally Posted by hermygirl

"Oh," Nia said softly. "My apologies, and - condolences for your loss." That must have been hard. Constant reminders at work of who you'd lost.

"They sound like good reasons for staying where you are," she said, a bit more brightly. "I'd say it's very important to work under someone you respect and get on with, right?" Mutually more productive. Or at least, that's the conclusion she had when it came to leading her Quidditch team.

He nodded with a soft smile. "I think so. It's also very important to find ways to get along with those you don't respect, for the sake of work, so long as it does not disturb anything. For instance, a good leader can only be a good leader so long as they are willing to listen to others, admit their own mistakes, but still be confident in their actions. That may mean putting the best man in a job, even if you don't particularly like them or respect them."

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll stop...so that you can salvage any dignity that you have left." She grinned good-naturedly.
Freya nodded, "She was in my year, yes. We palled around for a while after graduation, then we each had to go our seperate ways." Seems that Freya hadn't had the chance to go very far.

Freya laughed, "If I-erm." She lowered her voice, "As long as I don't keep falling into a coma, I'll be sure and let you know." She sighed and said, "Right. And I'm all better now, so no need to worry."

"You ever think about persuing a career in the medical field? It might be of interest to you. Assuming you don't mind what you'll have to be doing." Freya finally became sick of her hair falling in the front of her and with a flick of her wand pulled it up into a tight bun.
"Oh no." Freya said with a smirk, "I wouldn't dream of enjoying myself at a time like this." She chuckled slightly.

'Lyra, that was it!' "Oh, yes, Lyra. I remember now." She really didn't, but that was okay. "Poor dear. I'm glad she's okay though. I finally retired Tundra, he deserves a nice long break after making so many trips in his life." Freya smiled, "He's enjoying the rest. Decided to take it upon himself to make a new roost for himself in the private office I have."

"Heck no." Freya said before she could stop herself. "And anyway, we're not planning a wedding for a couple years." She wasn't in any mood to make a big deal about it as it was. It would probably be better just to rush off and get it over with when she and Felix had some time off. 'That'd be the simplest. Least stressful...'.
"Hmm...okay, I must be losing my memory cells." She rubbed the back of her head and noticed the new face.

"Hi, Kris." Freya said politely and extended her hand in greeting, "Yes, I'm Freya Skyler. I graduated several years ago and couldn't bear to miss an opportunity to come back to the school."
She smiled and continued, "I was a Slytherin while I attended. Now I work at a wizarding hospital in Tacoma, Washington."

He didn't miss the nervous movement when he'd looked at her; the noticeable withdrawal, as if he was threatening to bite her or something. Odd, that. Was she scared or something? Her face had gone even more red.

He was so so so wrong to be amused. He really was.

"Already forgotten," he said biting his lip in an attempt to keep down the grin. Lost cause though, because it still happened. She was just so amusing! He couldn't help it. He waited for a moment, while she checked all her stuff, and gave her arm a little pat when she took his. "I may be a snake but I promise I won't bite you."

This was a much easier to keep promise than not stepping on her toes. He glanced at the... slightly familiar man that Nia had been talking to, wondering if it was really okay to slip off with her on his arm just yet. He wasn't cutting off their conversation, was he?

"Off we go, then?" He said, slightly unsure, but she'd said she was ready, so... they were going. Yes. Carefully, because even though her shoes weren't high, they were girl shoes and that made it easier to fall over, from what he understood.

"Indeed," Nia agreed, taking on board the man's wisdom. It was a shame really, he'd moved on from Hogwarts. Nia had a feeling she would have learnt a lot more than just Herbology from him. Not that she didn't learn other stuff from the current Professors. It was just he had something slightly different about him.

"Thank you for lovely chat, Mister Carragio. And I hope you have a lovely evening." Nia said politely, with a little curtsey. She looked Raiden, and then back to her former Professor. "Now, if you'd excuse me," she added with a smile, "I'm going to see all the excitement inside."
"Good," Nia replied with a nod. Except, was he laughing at her? She saw that grin, oh yes she did. And yet, it made her lips flicker and turn into a grin too. Because it meant that really she'd had nothing to worry about in the first place. That little pat of his arm helped too. Gah, insecurities!

"I'm glad to hear it," Nia said with a giggle. "Puncture wounds really wouldn't add to my accessories, or match my dress..." she replied, almost too casually. Shame she couldn't think of something witty about being an Eagle at that moment in time. Usually she was good with such answers...

Nia took a deep breath and nodded. She was now feeling rather excited about entering the ballroom. About the atmosphere. The music. And the way Raiden was taking her in. She let her steps coincide with his, her small heels clicking quietly against the floor. Somehow, she now felt this was going to be a good evening.

And she was going to enjoy it. A lot.

Chris narrowed his eyes pretending to be minacing. It wasn't working, besides Freya had always been the tough one. "ok..." he sighed with a grin. Then the topic had switched over to Penelope, the Slytherin girl. "I remember her, she was the one that had...the incident that you told me about in the dorms?" he asked curiously, whispering of course. He didn't need Freya's hand on his mouth again.

The Medical feild. "Well the subject is interesting but I don't think I could handle all of the...gruesome logistics of it, you know?" He definately didn't have the stomach for patients wripped to shreds by magical beasts thats for sure. "But working on the irreversable spells ward wouldn't be too bad. As long as I am not in the wards where things...ae messy." he shivered slightly.

Aww Freya was so nice. "Well thanks, I'm glad she is ok too. She is still delivering for me though, we tried to make her take a rest but she got impatient and still wanted to run letters. So she is still flying between here and home." he said then chuckled at the imagine of Freya's old owl lazily resting in her office. "Aww well at least he is comfortable."

"A couple of years?! Freya you don't want to get married sooner than that?" Chris would have, if you found the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with why not make it official? But he wasn't Freya and she certainly viewed things differently than he did. "Well aside from that, I can understand not wanting a large wedding, too much attention." he sighed. "But I am still invited right?" he chuckled. It may seem as if he was joking but she better answer right, because he WAS going to that wedding, for sure!! He smiled as the woman named Kris was meeting Freya.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermygirl

"Indeed," Nia agreed, taking on board the man's wisdom. It was a shame really, he'd moved on from Hogwarts. Nia had a feeling she would have learnt a lot more than just Herbology from him. Not that she didn't learn other stuff from the current Professors. It was just he had something slightly different about him.

"Thank you for lovely chat, Mister Carragio. And I hope you have a lovely evening." Nia said politely, with a little curtsey. She looked Raiden, and then back to her former Professor. "Now, if you'd excuse me," she added with a smile, "I'm going to see all the excitement inside."

He chuckled and nodded. "I think that would be best for both of us. Enjoy yourself tonight. I think we will all see some very interesting people here." He'd already met a few that were scared of him still. Not too bad. As the line further broke up, he made his way within as well.

"Oh, yes, that was her." Freya said with a crooked smile. "I let her and her friend live in my old home for a while after school was over for the two of us...they didn't have anywhere else to go, and I really didn't want to live there. For obvious reasons." She didn't feel like reminding Chris of what happened in that house. The one where she grew up.

She raised one of her eyebrows, "So you're saying that I enjoy gruesome things? Thanks." Freya was kidding of course, but it was a strange way to put her career into words. "That particular ward is always busy. You never know what you're going to get in as an emergency. Just the other day the hospital I work at had a twelve year old who had somehow managed to cast a permanent sticking charm on her younger brother and herself. Kept saying something about, 'Having to watch after him' and 'Not losing sight of the little guy'. I doubt her parents will ask her to watch the kid again." Freya rolled her eyes. Kids were really weird at times.

"Animals can be so determined. You should have had her do a few minor trips first...maybe to another person in the school. Or to Hogsmeade." Gosh, Freya missed that place all of a sudden.
"Tundra is very spoiled. Anchor is still as reliable as always." She sighed to herself and said, "I've been thinking about getting a third owl. Felix doesn't have one, since he prefers speaking to others in person." She rolled her eyes. That man always had to make a fuss about something. And in any case, Freya still wasn't sure about what type of owl to get.

She blinked, somewhat surprised. "Why should I rush into it that fast? I mean, we've only been 'seeing' each other for about a year and a half." That was nothing in Freya's eyes. There was still a lot to discuss. "Yeah, I don't fancy having that much attention on myself. It's pretty disturbing." She smiled to Chris, "If I have a wedding, then yes you're invited."

"Good, you totally should." Celandine thought about the question. "Its alright, a lot of responsibility. But the prefects and of course Chris," Cela gestured at the Head boy who was nearby, "they make things easier. They're all so good at their jobs and really care about the other students. They're all the best possible choices for their houses and I totally love working with them." Cela smiled warmly at Barry.

"Oh yes, he's here somewhere, with a pretty red head that has a tortoise." Truth. "Bucky. I like her. She gave me a carrot once."

For reasons Cela wasn't sure of.

Cela hadn't meant the cuff itself, considering trinkets of value pretty much had no monetary value to her, she had so much of it. It was the leather bracelet, with all its meaning, all the feelings that were attached to it that mattered.

"He's wonderful. I promise. You'd like him." And then he had that pretty smile and arms that Celandine constantly perved at, amongst other things.

Cela blinked at the poking then smiled at Chris before turning her most charming smile to...

"Flipnsnipwitit!" Celandine agreed with a little laugh. "I suppose I've grown since then." A few inches in height as well as some pretty obvious growth elsewhere, her dress just accentuating that fact.

Moments were definitely something she treasured, she was very much about instant gratification, less so than when she was little, but still to an obvious degree. She smiled and nodded. Carpe Diem. She liked that.

"Carpe Diem." She repeated softly, almost as if she were making a toast.

Celandine listened to Steely tell Tommy what had happened to her, she put her hand on her heart and after all that, she nodded once.

"I knew you weren't dead. Sometimes I Saw you in my dreams, in dark places. There was a fire and it was warm, not scary. And boots that squished bugs." Cela said this last part with a touch of disapproval. She liked bugs.

"Copernicus Kettleburn." Celandine answered immediately. "And he has great legs." Granted, their relationship had developed to the point where he could look like a mountain troll and Cela would still fall all over herself for him.

Cela made a face. "Kayla dumped Nico on account of she miscarried and stuff." Not happy campers. Celandine knew her brother was still a mess over it, though being Nicholai he hid it well. "They have one son togther, Michael, he's cute and kind of looks like me. He's three. She's here somewhere I think."

"Lovely to meet you too, Sarah," Adam replied, inclining his head in a nod. "Ah, Lori here made me feel extremely guilty about it, and how could I miss it when the Common Room was empty?" Awkward laugh. "I'm sorry we shall have to half her, though," he added apologetically. But Arah sounded like she wasn't that bothered, that sharing might even be fun, so Adam grinned at her. Although he still felt bad for turning up late, and without notice. Mehh.

So Sarah had never danced much either? "Well you're not the only one. And I'm pretty sure those few minutes made all of the difference, seeing as I didn't even turn up to the lesson," he laughed again. Of course, he wasn't going to dance the whole Ball, rather stand at the side and just converse with Lori and Sarah when they took a break from dancing. And eat. Because Addie liked the look of the food. Heehee.

Turning to Lori, Adams face fell. "A.. replacement boyfriend?" he said sadly. But she surely wouldn't do that, would she? Nooo. "But, I'm amazing. And the best looking guy at this school. Who would you find to replace me?" And it was soo big headed, but soo totally true.

Adam shrugged. "I guess it doesn't," he laughed. "But boyfriend date's fantastic, yeah." And it soo was. Because it meant Lori wasn't going to replace him, if she called him 'Boyfriend date'. And it was true, too. Unless she had another boyfriend. Which she soo totally wouldn't. Nope.

"But I don't liakkkke it," Adam moaned, sounding like a pathetic kid. Running a hand desperately through his hair, he pleaded with his eyes to Sarah to save him. "I, uh.. I do love you. But uh.... I erm... gahh." This sooo wasn't fair. "If you loved me, you wouldn't make me do something I don't like...." Yeah. It was on!

Lori giggled and nodded. "Yeeeaaaaaaahhh! Replacement boyfriends are cool, especially if you have a stupid one. Yes, stupid ones. I think I better look into it., don't you?" She grinned, patting at his cheek eyeing Adam with a smirk. He should know full well that she wouldn't replace him. There weren't any people she could replace him with. She laughed lightly at his vain comment, and she poked at his forearm. "Would you mind not being so vain? It's very offputting from your pretty hair." That needed to be trimmed again, -- like always.

Her eyes looked around them quickly and she chewed at her lip. "We're gonna go in, okay Sarah? I'll meet you in there, look for my shoes, right?" She grinned at her close friend, and gave her a quick one armed hug, before taking Adam's hand in hers once more.

.... he had NOT. NOT. NOTTTT just used the 'if you loved me' card back on her! That just wasn't faiiiiiiir! She pouted, jutting her bottom lip out, and then let his hand fall back down to his side, before crossing her arms. "I'll crrrrryyyyyyyyy." Yes, yes she WOULD, Adam Stemp! She did grab his hand again and pulled him towards the dance floor. "Come on! You get my first dance, because you're such a suckish personnnnn!" And if he trod on her feet, he was dead!

... Stupid Boyfriends? "Replacement boyfriends aren't cool. And I'm not stupid," he moanded childishly. No, he was NOT. He was in Ravenclaw, after all. Although he was still debating on how that had happened. "You shouldn't look into it. Nope." NEVER EVER. But of course, Lori wouldn't replace him, and he smiled down at her, taking the hand from his cheek into his and holding it.

"Vain?" he asked aloofly, hand moving to his heart. "Adam Stemp, is not vain. Just truthful," he added cheekily, grinning at Lori. Running the hand from his heart through his hair, he realised he needed it cut. But who cared? It was amazing hair. UBER AWESOME LONG HAIR.

They were going in?!

Taking another glance at Sarah, Adam pleaded with his eyes again. She needed to save him from this utter fail. The utter fail that the dancing was going to be. Because he would fall over or something, and not look as vool as usual. Of course, he's still be cool, just not as cool.

"Don't cry Lori," Adam muttered hastily, half afraid her eyes would fill up and spilkl over at any moment. This just wasn't fairrrr. He didn't want to dance, why was she being so mean?!

"I'm not suckish. Or dancing...." he trailed off as he was dragged away with another last pleading glance at Sarah. But he had no choice but to follow Lori, and he knew he'd end up dancing, because he didn't want to be the one to make her cry.

After all, he couldn't beat himself up.

But he was not suckish.

She smiled and waited for her to go change her outfit. Tommy thought she looked good in the dress she was wearing in fact. Everyone had to have their own style. Not just anyone could rock the dress she herself was wearing. "Looking good kid," she winked once Regina returned. Now they were back to topic at hand.

Her jaw dropped when Regina said she had been involved in a plot to rob Gringotts. She looked at her friend in a new light. Robbing Gringotts took a lot of guts if not stupidity. Goblins did not like like getting robbed and the fact that she had gotten out alive was a miracle. "Who were these kind gypsies that helped you out?" she asked quietly. She would see them all locked up deep in the dungeons of Azkaban for praying on a child.

Her heart went out to Regina, Tomasina herself never saw a hard day in life. She ahd the money the political pull to get anything she wanted and keep herself happy. Though she enjoyed getting up and going to work everyday and being productive. She couldn't fathom how hard life had been for her friend without a knut nor a loving hand guiding her. "You listen to me young lady. You get over this 'poor me' attitude. I wouldn't offer you my help if I wasn't aware of the difficulties and willing to take them head on. Don't try to shield me of anything. I can more than handle a few goblins." Not that she wanted to, but she would if she had to. "If you want to get out of this life and get yourself straight I will help you. My mother is a Minister of Magic and my father owns the second largest broom company in the world. And if I need something of this nature taken care of I can get it done. But I will only help you if you want to be helped." she told her sternly. "This is no life to be living, but I'm not going to stick my neck out calling in these sorts of favors if you aren't ready to get out." She wasn't just going to stand there and watch her friend go through all this without doing any and everything in her power to help. "I've got a few places you can stay too if you need that." Those empty vacation houses should come in handy for something.

She could see that Cela loved this boy whatever his chosen profession was. And that made Tomasina smile. She knew what it was like to be in love. And what it could do to you. "Well honey if you love him that's all that matters. " she told her as she went in for a quick hug. "So tell me about some of these experimental charms you've been working on. My niece Paris works on experimental potions for the French Ministry." she told her. Paris loved potions almost as much as she loved fashion. Almost.

Regina's brow furrowed slightly as Cela started describing her first night in the company of the gypsy man. She looked at her friend carefully before speaking, "Well you're right... it wasnt the Waldorf-Astoria, but it was better than sleeping in the streets under the elements." Her thoughts drifted back to the old gypsy who offered the first kind words to her since she drew herself out of the surf. "He... was a kind man, in truth. Lonely though... and trapped by circumstances." she shrugged. Weren't they all a victim of circumstances? She looked at her friend again and made a mental note. She always knew that Cela was special, ridiculously smart yes, but more than that, she was gifted. She may be able to help her piece together some things that still confused her... haunted her.


"Coppernicus Kettleburn" she repeated, mulling the name over. It didnt ring any bells on anyone she knew from Hogwarts. "Sounds like an interesting fellow." she added then smiled mischievously when Cela mentioned the boy's appendicular aesthetics. "Well then, I look forward to meeting Mr Great Legs Kettleburn" she said winking at Cela.

Her smile vanished when she heard the news of Kayla and Nico "Oh, I'm sorry." she replied "I always thought things would work out well for them, being a good match and all... but yeah... sorry I know its none of my business" she added awkardly. So much for happy endings she mused when she hears Cela mentioning a child. "Oh! You have a nephew then?" she said focusing on that silver lining "And he looks like you? Well, thats a good start." she grinned as her attention drifted into the happenings in the Great Hall.



Regina listened to Tommy and nodded thoughtfully, tucking away information that could definitely prove useful in the future. Regina squeezed Tommy's hand, trying to convey how much she appreciated her friendship. Real friends indeed, not expecting anything in return. Its been a long while since Regina was in such company. "Gypsies... petty crooks, hired thugs, insidious spooks... the hands and feet of the big wands that calls the shots. If you want to change the world, you gotta start with those in their magical towers." she smirked. Turning serious she followed "I know you want to help me get out of this... cycle, and really I appreciate that, but it isnt as simple as pulling out and calling it quits." She wished! "Things got a little... interesting, specially with the muggles, and its been strongly suggested that I lay low for a little while, but I aint about to bail out in the middle of a gig just 'cause things got a little hot." She thought for a moment then added tentatively "It would be nice if you could spare a place....you know somewhere not too busy but easily accessible to the city.... real simple, I can live in a hole in a wall if you got something like that." Heck whatever Tommy's got she's sure it would beat staying at the Hogs Head.