Standing there as he kissed her one last time, she watched as he turned towards the door. She thought she heard a sniffle, but wasn't sure if it was from him or one of the house elves who just happened to be peeking their eyes out of different spots around her watching.

As he walked out the door, she sank down onto the floor and just sat there for a bit her head in her hands. Taking a handkerchief one of the elves handed her, she wiped her eyes just sitting there thinking. She stayed there most of the night before finally making her way down to her dormitory.

Ariana was very hungry, even though it was kind of sort of late. It must have been fate, then, that she wandered her way down to the kitchen corridor and leaned against a painting. It just happened to be a picture of a bowl of fruits, and when she touched the pear, well, it... giggled, and turned into a giant green handle! Curious, Ariana had pulled on the handle and found a place just full of house-elves! Never having seen the creatures, but having read a lot about them, she walked in and closed the painting behind her.

She asked one for a snack, and he came back with a cold cut platter, which she began to happily munch on as she looked around the room. Interesting, so this was the famous Hogwarts Kitchen! Hmm...

Nika was in the mood for some pudding. Even though it was starting to get late she was really craving it badly. Puuuudddiinnnggg. It was like the name was mocking her. She missed out on it during dinner so she though maybe she'd be able to visit the kitchens and sneak some up to her dorms. Then she can eat her pudding all night long! MUAHAHHA!

So Nika skipped down the corridors as she made her way to the kitchens. She had been their once last term to get Emily and herself some hot cocoa. It sure was good! Hopefully she'd be able to get pudding on such short notice. She tickled the pear and let out a small gasp as the portrait opened. She did that ever time she went to the common room too. It was just a habit by now.

She looked around as she tipped toed around the kitchens looking for some pudding. Pudding? No just some chocolate. Pudding? No just some cabinets. Pudding? No just an Ariana. WAIT! Just an Ariana?! "ARIANAAAAA!" Hehe. Maybe she didn't need the pudding after all... she was already hyper enough as it is.

Ariana was just sitting there, happily munching on her cold cuts, when... Incoming Nika! A piece of cheese in each hand, Ariana just sat there as Nika yelled her name. "Niiiikaaaaa!" she mimicked, only a bit (well, a lot) quieter.
"How are you?" she asked, amazed at the amount of energy Nika could have even at night. "And what are you looking for?"
After all, before catching sight of Ariana, Nika had been looking at chocolate and cabinets and other stuff.

Nika beamed happily at her friend and let out a chuckle as her eyes roamed over the cheese in Ariana's hands. "I'm great! How are you?" She said enthusiastically. Even though the sad thoughts of Emily were still pushed pack in her head she couldn't let it bother her forever. The only way to forget about it was to ignore it. Or at least that was what Nika thought. Nika didn't even have to think about the answer. It was as if the pudding was speaking for her. "Pudding." Yummy chocolate pudding at that. But the pudding could wait. Besides she hasn't talked to this friend in a while.

"Yeah. Don't worry though. I've been hit in the head plenty of times." Carter said reassuringly. Although, now that he thought about it... it wasn't really reassuring.

"Thanks." he said following her in. He sat the cheesecake on the counter and took a seat as Caroline gathered the utensils. "Of course." he said with a smile. Besides, he was pretty sure it was impossible to mess up cutting a cake. Worst case scenario was that she messed up and they'd have to eat the whole thing right there and then. And that sounded pretty appealing to him.

Caroline laughed, "I'm sure you have." She didn't say that to be funny, seriously quidditch could be a dangerous sport. She couldn't even remember how many bumps and buises she had from playing with her sister and brother. She did break he brothers nose once throwing a quaffle at him.

She shrugged "If you find a finger its not my fault." She laughed. Cutting a good sized piece for Carter and one a bit smaller for herself. Carrying the two plates over to the table, she placed it in front of him."Here you go." As she sat the plate in front of him "What do you think?" It was she first ever cheesecake that she had made hopefully it was good.

She picked up folk and watched as she was ready to take a bite. Of course she was going to make sure that nothing bad would happen it tasted okay enough for him before she took a bite.

Carter chuckled. "It's a good thing that the nurse here is great." And there was a such thing as magic. Although... if magic weren't real he probably wouldn't do something like quidditch. Really, he'd have to be mental to be that high up in the air normally. (Of course, if it weren't for magic quidditch wouldn't exist. But that wasn't the point.)

He raised an eyebrow not sure whether to laugh at that. He quickly glanced over at her hands. 10 fingers there. Who's hand did she chop off?

He took a bite. "Mmm... cheesecakeeeee." he said with a wide smile. He loved the stuff.

Caroline nodded and smiled. "I hope that when I become a healer that I'm at least half as good as she is." And as good of a healer as her father was. The Healer here was great she had visited the current healer twice, both times were last term once when she fell and twisted her ankle falling into the founation in the courtyard and the other was when she when after she was bitten by that toadstool in herbology.

She raised an eyebrow as Carter glance over at her hands. She was just kidding about the finger thing. She laughed and shook her head.

"Well I take it that its good then" She laughed again, this time at his reaction to tasting the cheesecake. Woohoo success. She looked at the cheesecake in front of her. She took a bite of her piece. "Wow it is good!" She said quite suprised by the yummiuness.

"I got a letter from my sister a few days ago." She paused to take a bite, and shallowed it. "She said that she didn't get me anything for christmas, but she had some new for me." Pausing again, this time for a dramatic effect. "I'm going to be an aunt. She having twins!" She said happily. She was so excited to became an aunt.

Carter smiled. "I didn't know that that was what you wanted to be." he said with a smile. "I thought about it too. My parents are doctors... But I think it would be too weird. I'd want to do things the muggle way."

"It's great." he mumbled through a mouth full of the stuff. He was pretty much devouring his present. And he liked it that way.

"Aw. Congratulations." he said happily. "When is she due?" he hoped it was sometime during the summer so that Caroline could be there to support her sister.

Caroline smiled. "My dad was one. I think that's what made me want to be one, too." She loved going to work with him all the time when she was younger."I think I remember you saying that when we first met." She was pretty sure that he had told her that, then anyway because she was pretty excited about them being muggle doctors. She laughed "I couldn't see you being a healer or a doctor. A pro quidditch player on other hand I could see." Something to do with sports. Yes.

Caroline smiled, at the rate he was going he'd need another piece soon. "I'm glad you like it." Now that she was sure that she could make it and make it right. She would have to make him some more. Taking another bite of hers, dang this maybe the best cheesecake that she had ever had. Now it was time to test out these chocolate covered strawberries that were on top of the cheesecake. She bit into. " Strawberriessss." She said in the same way that Carter had about the cheesecake. She laughed "These are good too."

She grinned brightly and nodded. "Thanks." She loved babies, and younger kids no wonder why she was friends with some of the younger kids here. Anyway "She's due in June, She's moving back over here in a few months." She frowned. "So no New York this summer." Which bummed her out alot. She would have to find something to do this summer. She loved New York but it would be okay because she would still get to see her sister over the summer which was half of the reason why she liked New York.

It might be weekend, but Ari's mind was still set on homework. The young Gryffindor decided to start with Potions, since the assignment was worth an undeniable large amount of points, which could help her House remain on top. Plus, she did enjoy Potions. The girl looked first for the ingredient which was easiest to find and retrieve:peppermint. For that, Ariadne went down in the kitchens and kindly asked the elves to take some from their existent supply. Compliant as always, the elves gave her the needed ingredient in no time and the girl tucked the peppermint in her bag. She exited the kitchen, thinking where to go next.

Lexi made her way into the kitchens with a smile on her face and her favorite mug tucked into her bag. Mhm. It was cocoa time! WOOOOO! She looked around for her elf, Daisy, but didn't spot her. Not a big deal, she may have been off around the castle somewhere.

Plopping into a seat she asked the elves for some cocoa and marshmallows and sat waiting to see if anyone she knew... and liked... would come through while she was there in her warm fleece pj's.

Jayce found his way into the Kitchen in his plaid pajama pants and t-shirt. Why? 'Cause this boy was always hungry. CRAAAZY hungry and always hungry. So, why not hang out in the kitchen? It made sense did it not? But as he arrived, he realized that he wouldn't have the place to himself, which caused him to frown a bit.

But wait.. he knew this girl. She was in his house, wasn't she? YEAHH. Although.. he wasn't completely sure what year she was in. But heck, what did it matter? It didn't. He smiled at her, unsure of what to say exactly, but wandered toward the cupboard in search of something to munch on.

Lexi giggled as she dropped a marshmallow into her cocoa and started to stab it into the hot liquid with a spoon. Heheheh! Good times, man. Good times. She was a bit preoccupied with her task until she heard RUMMAGING.

Oh yay! There was someone else there. She could talk to, or AT, someone. "HEY! Aren't you in my house? I think you are... pretty sure anyway. Would you like some cocoa? The elves made more than enough for another person," she said as she conjured a cup for him if he so chose to join her. "I'm Lexi Denver, by the way. And you are?" SMILE.

Rumage.Rumage.Rumage.

He pushed his hand this way and that inside of the cabinet. Mehhh. Nothing all that overly tasty in here. Just looked like spices and other random things that he couldn't really eat as a snack. FROOOOWN. Boooring cabinets.

The seventh year was about to move to the next cabinet when he heard a voice, almost causing him to fall over from surprise. But he caught himself before he did. He glanced about, eyes landing back on his fellow Gryffie. He beamed, BEAMED at her. "I am in your house," He threw in a nod there just for the heck of it. Woah. Girl liked to talk. COCOAAA. Did this girl know him? Like.. for real? HE HAD BEEN DYING FOR CHOCOLATE ALL DAAAAY. He strolled a bit closer to her, eying the liquid chocolate the entire time.

The boy held out his hand for the cup, although he kinda wanted to just grab it from her hands because of his impatience. OH? Introductions? Huh. "I'm Jayce. Jayce Cannon." NodNod.

Lexi pushed the cup across the table in his direction and then placed her hands back around her own cup. "Help yourself to some marshmallows as well, Jayce." Yep she would call him by his name now. Hehehe.

"Yeah, I thought I had seen you around the common room before or sommat like that," she said with a pleasant smile before lifting her cup to her mouth and sipping. She looked at the boy over the rim of her cup and tried to figure out WHY she didn't KNOW him before now.

"Have you been here since your first year? I am trying to figure out how we have never properly met being in the same house and all... not that I haven't met other housemates this term that have been here as long as I have. It's odd how that happens. We all live in the same place, but we have such different lives that we never really run across one another," she said in rapid succession all on one breath. Yeah. She DID like to talk. A lot.

Helena had no idea what she was doing in the kitchen.

She stared glanced around for a little bit, since it was the first time she had ever been there, then... oh! She came there for peppermint! But where could it be?

She could, of course, look around every single corner of the kitchen, but it would've been a complete waste of time. Instead of doing that, she took her wand and summoned it. Hehe.

The girl took only a little bit, since the house elves may still need that, then put the rest back from where it came.

One more ingredient left!

Janice went in the kitchen to find some peppermints. She had had the rat in her bag.

A Slytherin just summoned some peppermints, but Janice didn't want to summon such tasty leaves. She walked to the peppermints, and grabbed some. No house-elves were in sight, so she had nbody to thank.

Then, she left the kitchen, and put the peppermints in a separate jar from the rat.

Two bags containing potions bottles for both herself and Heather, Kurumi made her way into the kitchens knowing that she would find something here that could be useful for Professor Lafay's potions storeroom. Kurumi still got a sinking feeling in her stomach whenever she thought about the event that had caused the Potions Mistress to loose everything - not to mention that people were still pointing the finger at her.

Laying her hand on one of the counters, Kurumi smiled as she watched the house elves go about their business when she smelled something...funny...

Following her nose, as the expression went, Kurumi stopped when she came across a plate of SOMETHING nasty. Plugging her nose, Kurumi leaned in and took a better look. Yep, no mistaking it. They had used this while brewing Vaxifloo last term. Kurumi took out her wand and charmed the fuzzy object into one of the bottle and quickly stoppered it.

Nasty...that was REALLY nasty.

Ah! Heather hurried down to the kitchens, hoping she was not too late and that Kurumi was not waiting too long. Entering the kitchens, she saw her best friend and made her way towards the girl, panting. "S-sorry...i h-had to keep Mr. Panda at bay...he's been a little cranky...." she said and took a deep breath, but stopped upon taking in a rather unpleasant smell about. She covered her nose, and looked like she wanted to vomit now and there. "what was that?" she asked, feeling tears forming on her eyes.

"Bread mold," Kurumi said wrinkling her nose. "We used it in Potions last term to add an antibiotic element to a potion we were brewing." She peered into her vial and wrinkled her nose again as its fuzzy contents sloshed around. At least the smell was now contained, right?

"Why is Mr. Panda cranky?" she asked as she added the bottle to her bag. "Oh, here are your potions vials. You forgot them in on your bed," Kurumi laughed as she handed her friend the supplies she would be needing to finish the task.

Then, Kurumi's nose wrinkled more. Hadn't she already contained the bread mold? What was that horrid smell now? Whatever it was, it was coming from the sink. Leaning over, Kurumi felt like she was going to be sick at what she saw.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!"

"Mr. Panda's cranky because...i haven't let him out of the dormitories since...and he wanted to come with me, but i said no...especially not at the owlery." Heather's eyes squinted as she looked at the bread mold. Was she supposed to put it into her vials?....

...to which Kurumi had! "Oh, thanks..Kurumi!" she blushed a bit, in embarrassment. Of all things she could have forgotten, were the vials. "I suppose i should put...these ..."it really was difficult to talk while trying to avoid the scent. Taking her wand out, (and praying a bit that she not mess up with her charms) she had the bread swooping into the vial. This made her smile. Hey, she was getting a hang of it now. Looks like her daily practice paid off.

once she was done, her attention was turned to Kurumi who was looking disgusted at something. she walked over and peered to see what it was and immediately covered her nose.

ROTTEN EGGS.

"Are we...supposed to get some of these too?" she asked, underneath her robes sleeves.

"Sounds a bit like Walnut," Kurumi laughed thinking about her cat and his, erm, issues. "I had to leave him with Professor MacFusty for a week for some kitty therapy." She tried not to laugh out loud too much at that concept. Kitty therapy. Perhaps Professor MacFusty even had a kitty sized sofa for Walnut to lounge on and meow his troubles away.

Kurumi covered her mouth as she once again removed her wand from her pocket. There was no way she was going to touch those things with her bare hands. "I-I-I've read that they are used in potions," she nodded slightly hoping that the movement wouldn't make her lose her dinner. She couldn't think of what potion exactly at the moment due to her vision becoming blurred from the horrible smell. Waving her wand again, Kurumi charmed some of the rotten eggs into the container and looked back at Heather. "We should have brought nose plugs." And perhaps protective goggles since the smell was making her eyes water now.

"How about we get out of here before we find something worse?"

"agreed." Heather said, following Kurumi with charming a couple of rotten eggs into the vials she had. Covering the vial, she put it back on the bag and turned to Kurumi. "Where to next, Kurumi?" she asked.