In the few short seconds that she waited for Anakin to reply, Vashti was already wondering about the box. Who was it for? What was in it? It couldn't be anything too big, small as it was, but it couldn't be too small either. Going back to who it was for, there was a slight chance that it wasn't for anyone - maybe it was his. Maybe he was just carrying something in it - what that could be though, she didn't know. Or perhaps it was something someone had given to him. Late birthday present maybe?

But then he spoke up - and apparently she'd been on the right track, only... "For me?" she repeated, surprised. "Oh, well, thank you." She smiled as he handed it to her. "But you didn't have to get me anything."

As she started carefully unwrapping the box, she listened as he continued. "They're fine, I suppose. Same as usual." Except for the DADA lesson on Patronuses and the Arithmancy lesson on Cursebreaking - those two still really stood out to her. But she might tell him about it later.

Vashti had finished unwrapping the paper now, which revealed, of course, a box. She carefully lifted the lid...and gasped. "Oh, Anakin..."

Anakin immediately felt nervous after he relinquished his hold on the box, and passed it over to Vashti. What if she didn't like it? Perhaps he'd gotten something that completely was NOT her style. He hardly knew if she liked jewelry, as he never really noticed if she wore it, but it was too late. And he'd wanted to get her something anyways.

Glancing up at Vashti's face, and seeing the question An smiled and nodded. "Yeah for you, your birthday is approaching pretty fast." And he wanted to get her something? He didn't HAVE to? "I know I didn't HAVE to...but I wanted to get you something."

He was glad for the distraction of conversation as she was unwrapping her box, considering he'd have to keep his eyes trained on her face, and not nervously watch her open. "Same as usual? Miss Ravenclaw doesn't have anything else to add on the subject of classes?" he had a teasing lilt to his voice.

And then the box was fully revealed, and she was looking at it's contents. The teen could feel the tips of his ears heating up a little. "You remember how when I first told you about my operation? And I said I wasn't going anywhere, that you were stuck with me? This is like...just to back it up. I've always thought that if I could be an animagus, be an animal I wanted, I'd want to be a dolphin." He didn't want to bore her with all his reasonings, because in the time of no social life he'd thought about it a whole lot. "I guess...I know it's cheesy...but I wanted to give you that as like...a reminder I'm not going anywhere."

Well, as long as he didn't get this because he thought he had too... Though that sounded oddly familiar... Hadn't she said something similar two years ago, when she'd given him that Darth Vader shirt for his birthday? She wasn't sure. This whole situation felt pretty similar to it, either way. "Well, thanks then," she said with a smile.

Hearing his next comment, Vashti smirked a little. "What? Do you really want this Ravenclaw to tell you every tiny little detail about every class she has attended during this entire term?" Because if he did, he'd be here for a pretty long time. Not that she would mind that, but she didn't want all that time spent with him to only be because she was going on and on about classes of all things. She thought and worried about them enough without devoting a whole conversation to them.

And then there it was - the topic she'd wanted to avoid. Apparently it wasn't possible for them to go even one conversation without it coming up now. But this time... This time it was clear he wasn't looking for an argument, nor trying to convince her to agree with him. It was much sweeter than that, and she hated herself for the tears that it brought to her eyes.

She spoke softly. "It's beautiful, Anakin." It being the thought behind it, more than the actual, physical gift. "Thank you."

Anakin chuckled slightly, rubbing his hands a together a tiny bit and giving a nod at her thanks. "I know fully understand how awkward you must have felt when you gave me my Vader t-shirt." Which he still loved, and wore probably far too often. Funny how something that was supposed to make you feel so warm and fuzzy like gift giving, actually could leave someone feeling nervous and uncertain. He was still glad he got it.

Grinning a little bit at her teasings, An gave a tiny shrug. "Well, I wouldn't mind, I mean I don't see you often enough. I'm interested in what's going on, even in this Hufflepuff's opinion, boring classes." He poked his tongue out a wee bit, "I don't think start of term is so very much needed though, I didn't attend a FEW classes." Just a few though, otherwise everything was done in his dorm.

Rubbing his hands a little nervously on his jeanclad legs, Anakin watched her reaction a little more to his small babbling speech, before his eyes widened a bit in shock when her eyes began to look a little misty. "Queenie?" Having really no experience with crying girls, An wasn't sure whether or not something he'd said had offended her. Leaning forward an inch or so, An reached towards her face to lightly brush at her cheek, thinking he'd seen a stray tear falling down.

She...liked it? Smiling slightly, Anakin gave a tiny nod. "I'm...glad you like it. And you're welcome."

Lilly waltzed along the corridor, without a care in the world. She hummed her new tune under her breath. Rose had said Rupert was nice, and that was all that mattered. Lilly wasn't sure about his girlfriend, Holli, though. But she couldn't be that bad if Rupert was going out with her. Not that she'd forgotton her mum. Ahh. Mum. And she wouldn't see her dad for a while. Not until he got a job. She couldn't help him with that. But hopefully they'd get to visit him.

Hmm? It was like he'd read her mind...or perhaps he had simply felt that sense of deja vu too. She shrugged. "I don't remember it being all that awkward." All she remembered from then was that she was relieved when he'd actually accepted the gift and had seemed to actually like it.

Aw. Wasn't he sweet... Until he stuck his tongue out at her. So she mimicked him, sticking her tongue out as well. "In that case, I'd much rather hear about you attending those few classes. I don't believe I saw you in any of the ones I attended." And she typically attended several of them. What were the odds that he wouldn't attend any of the ones she did? Pretty big, obviously.

Vashti was a bit startled when his hand suddenly appeared and touched her cheek - and, of course, it was then that a tear involuntarily slipped from her eyes. Dear Merlin, why did she have to cry now of all times? Why couldn't she have held it in until she got back to her dorm or something?

"Like it?" she repeated, her voice thick. Merlin. She swallowed before speaking again. "I love it." Big difference.

Adrianna walked through the corridor quietly, looking around. She hoped she bump into someone she knew, like Kita, maybe. She loved Kita to bits. She stopped and leaned against the wall to give her leg a rest. Ad looked down to see the damned brace showing again, meaning it had loosened and slid down her leg a little.

She slid to the floor and immediately started fixing the blasted Muggle brace, adjusting it so it would stay on her leg.

Kita couldn't help but grin as she skipped along the fourth floor corridor. She had just done some of her NEWT exams and, even though she had some left, she was still pretty happy. Okay, she had only done one. And it wasn't even her NEWT.

Still. Any excuse to skip and the girl would do it. So she continued to skip along the corridor. Maybe she could have some food and then go and revise? Yes, that didn't sound do-

"AARRGGGHHHHHH!" Kita screamed. The familiar corridor seemed to be turning around her. Something was not right.

OOMPH!

Kita groaned. Really. How in the name of merlin did she manage to FALL?! She was skipping calmly along the empty corridor and now she found herself on the floor. If she managed to trip over her own feet again...

Kita sat up and looked at the girl who was sitting there. All lonely. But... AAFJKHGSKFD IT WAS AD! "ADDDD!" Kita squealed as she forgot about the tripping and the falling. She wrapped her arms around the young girl and gave her one of her squeezes. Teehee! "Merlin, it's been so LONG!"

Ad heard footsteps and watched a familiar Hufflepuff skip by before tripping. Ad raised an eyebrow before being hugged. Tightly. She squealed too, her voice reaching a dangerous pitch. "KITA! I missed you sooooo muuuuuuch, m'dear!" she said, squeezing her.

Kita giggled as she heard Ad squeal as well. "I've missed you too!" she squealed, giving the girl one last squeeze before letting go. She looked at the girl carefully. Something seemed... wrong. Not wrong but... different.

Wait... WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN WAS THAT?!

"Ad, what happened to your LEG?!" she gasped, looking down at the cast and the odd way in which Ad was sitting. If anyone had done anything to one of her best friends...

Ad giggled. "I'm sure I missed you more!" she said, smiling.

Then Kita noticed the brace. "It's a...a leg brace...I had surgery on my leg...One of the breaks hadn't healed properly...." she said, biting her lip. "I have to sit down a lot is all. And I can't have a lot of stuff in my bag" she pointed to the black canvas shoulder bag with her various embroidered designs, including her name, as she considered it now to herself. She sighed and brushed her dark red fringe from her face.

Missed her more? PFFT! "That's not possible," Kita said, grinning at the girl. They might never see that again and Kita was sure that this was more embedded into her head.

Leg brace? Surgery? MERLIN'S BEARD! "Ad! Merlin, make sure to take care of yourself!" Kita said, her face turning slightly paler. One of her friends was hurt... this was just too sad! "Just... take things easy okay? We don't want anything else breaking." The girl did NOT deserve that at all!

"So, er, apart from the leg issue, how have you been?" Kita asked, giving the girl a small smile.

Ad giggled a little.

Ad looked down and shifted a little. "It's been broken since I was eleven...Justin and I were in a building collapse with his two cousins...a...a filing cabinet fell on my leg and crushed it. I ws lucky I didn't lose my leg. Just a break didn't heal right" she said quietly.

Ad looked back up again. "I've been great, actually! I got to spend lots of time with Justin" she nodded happily and pointed to her name embroidered on her bag in bright lime:

Adrianna Wisteria Hendricks

Kita eyed the girl carefully as she shifted around. She hoped it wasn't hurting her. Even though... it might be. Poor girl. And... WHAT?! Okay, Ad might have already told her this but... WHAT?! "Merlin, Ad! I'm so sorry!" She bit her lip as she looked down at the brace and then up at the girl. Shifting slightly, she moved to give the girl a hug. It was sad. So very sad! "The break will heal right. I has to!" And to think Kita's never had a proper Quidditch injury before...

Oh? "I see! You spend more time with Justin than you do with your friends!" Kita said, pretending to be upset by this fact. But the small smile on her face was enough to show the girl that she was only joking. And... now Ad was pointing down at her bag. HUH?! What did she need to see in her bag? Kita's eyes wandered over towards the bag and the writing. Adrianna Wisteria Hendricks... Something seemed a little-

"OH MY DAYS!" Kita gasped before squealing louder than she had before, "When? How? I... MEEP! CONGRATS!"

Ad smiled and hugged Kita back. "i'll be fine"

Ad giggled. "No choice since I was holed up with him for a term or two" she giggled.

She put her hand over Kita's mouth. "Kita! We aren't married, silly! We could be, since we spend so much time together, but I'm not sixteen yet!"