Home made soup. Mmmmmmm. This sounded good. Just as the soup itself looked and smelled good. Picking the spoon, he took a sip from it. ''It tastes really good. Thank you again.'' he surely did not know the what the direct relationship with between healing and soup yet he could remember tasting soup, mostly chicken one at the farm, whenever he happened to get sick anyway. So it was not unfamiliar to him at all.

When he was about to take a second sip, he could not help but laugh at the charm talk a bit. ''Yea, yea, yea. Magic. There's always a charm for everything, right?'' and the boy found this both annoying and useful from time to time. Either way he supposed he was not going to srop it anyway because he did not want to waste any of the delicious soup. ''Wow...looks like i haven't realised that i have been hungry until now.'' or the soup being delicious made him feel hungry all in a sudden. Still it was weird because being hungry was something he had very little patience for. Eh...it appeared what had happened lately had really caused him to lose even his usual apetite.

As he kept enjoying the soup in silence, Josh listened to the lioness carefully nodding at here and there to show that he was glad that she was okay and everything else about her, like her duties, were going okay as well. First years, yes, he knew well about them since they even dared to try to step in his way.

He was listening her with a little smile yet that was until...she directed that question at him. It totally made his smile vanish. He knew it had nothing to do with her though. Of course not. She just asked a simple question like how he had been. ''I...'' so he began not really knowing what he could say ''...i won't lie to you, Kurumi. I am not good and it does not feel like i'll ever be...from now on.''

Kurumi smiled as she watched him sip his soup. What WAS it with boys and food. Practically every person she had met at Hogwarts was obsessed with food in some way, or at least got that goofy look on their face when they ate. At first, she thought that it had something to do with wizards, all the extra energy it took to cast spells and whatnot, but then she remembered that her brothers were no different. In fact, some of them were worse. Selina topped them all though, the way she seriously had a one track mind. Well, two tracked mind since Quidditch was on an equal level with food. Jonathan liked food a lot too, although he always leaned more towards the sweets which was very good for her since it was her specialty. And he had really strange choices in flavors, which allowed her to experiment more with her cookie recipes. She noticed how he liked pumpkin juice whenever he ate cheesecake...so there was a recipe waiting there...

Right, back to Josh. She smiled and bowed her head when he thanked her again and then giggled some more at his comment about charms. "Sure seems that way," she nodded. "That's kind of why I try to keep away from charms and magic at all when I bake. Takes away from it. Things just don't taste as good when made with magic." Which was becoming even MORE true this term with the lackluster performance in the kitchens. That still didn't sit well with the fourth year.

"To be honest, I am more worried about the house elves than I am our lions." Lions seemed to know how to take care of themselves. They were a pride after all. The little lions should know their way around the castle by now, it was already April after all. "Then you should eat up," she nodded. Not that he seemed to need reminded of that.

And then...Kurumi kind of wanted to sink into the cushions on the sofa for making the smile vanish from Josh's face. Way to go Kurumi. She frowned and pulled her legs up, sitting Indian style on the sofa and turned her body so that she was facing him now. "A-Anything you...want to talk about?" Doubtful she would be able to help him though. She had such little life experience compared to the seventh year. She eyed the scar around his eye. She still didn't know where he had gotten that one from...but wasn't sure she really wanted to know either.

Lexi had been a mental patient more than once, unfortunately, but this was nothing like the therapy she had received at St. Mungo's. Nothing at all. So, essentially, it wasn't like therapy at all. Heh.

"Well if we are pointing out flaws, then I must tell you that I find you rather annoying as well as extremely rude. You need to think before you speak more often than not," Lexi said as she peeked at the girl out of one eye and smirked. It was all true, but yeah...

And no, she would NOT stop flopping about until she felt like she was flopped out. HMPH. So once more for good measure Lexi flopped about and chuckled. "It's rather freeing actually. You should try it. Not caring what others think when they see you doing something weird is one of the first things you need to embrace, Selina. Really life is much more enjoyable when you just... stop caring what others think about you."

"I can hear you thinking," she turned and winked. Then, continued through the portrait.

William send his thoughts to Witsy. " Taske my advice about finding Wolfy"Willaim told her.

Selina shrugged her shoulders at Lexi's comment of Selina being annoying as well. And rude was all a matter of perspective. Most people did not think Selina was rude; now opinionated was a different story. So instead of getting her shoulders cocked at the comment she let it pass. Lexi could say what she wanted about Selina. Very few people in the world could say something to Selina that she would genuinely take to heart. Some of those were her parents, Violet, Kurumi and mostly Gideon. After all he was someone she wanted to like her, not find her annoying in any sense of the word.

"To each his own," she said about the flaw comment. As to the flopping around bit she replied, "I don't care much what people think. Seriously, I don't. I play Quidditch with the boys, minus Kurumi; I eat like someone who is not my size or gender for that matter; I'm fiery and don't care who knows it... I mean, how is any of that caring about what others think of me? I just don't want to flop around. I'm sure its fun and all, but I'll pass... thanks."

Witsy came back after what felt like a days walk. "No luck. I have a feeling she'll show up though... I hope." She took out some parchment, "I need to write down some notes of observations of my egg. Wanna sit with me? Minerva too?" She looked around, "Where is she?"

Alex walked into the common room and slowly walked towards her dorm bordly.

" Ok, I really hope Wolfy shows up, too" William told Witsy. " I still wish you would let me help you look for Wolfy" William said to Witsy. "Sure I will sit with you but Minerva is a HufflePuff, so she can't be here" William explained to Witsy.

" Ho there" William told Alex. " Recover from the pumpkin juice?' Willaim asked Alex.

While he was being busy with the delicious soup, Josh could not help but think how Evelyn had always insisted on refusing to cook anything for him. He had always been ready to do anything she asked so he had been unable to understand why she did not want to do a simple thing like that...until that night. Now he could see why; she never loved him as much. This thought and the ones it led causing him to lose apetite, the Gryffindor boy lowered the bowl and just...held it there.

He needed to forget those immediately and go back to his life but...eh. Better focus on Kurumi as she spoke. Tearing his gaze away from the soup, he looked at the younger Gryffindor's face while listening to her. And hopefully he managed to focus on her words since he was able to nod in agreement. ''Yeah. Magic might be making things easier but it is never as satisfying as the original ways of doing that thing anyway. It's the same about everything.'' That was definitely true. He knew hexing someone was never as satisfying as beating them up with his own hands. And if Kurumi said it went the same way with cooking then it was a fact.

''You don't need to be worried about anyone. I think the house-elves can take care of themselves. They have been dealing with wizards since forever anyway.'' When she told him to eat, Josh looked down at the bowl again. Sighing a bit, he then picked up the spoon again yet...

*COUGH*

*COUGH-COUGH-COUGH*

The cough crisis made him drop it back into the bowl and he carefully placed it on the couch between them to avoid any accidents while trying to breathe. Hopefully it was over the next moment. ''Sorry.'' he sniffed a bit and covered himself tighter in the blanket. ''And...well...i don't think there's anything left to talk about.''

Kurumi grumbled a bit under her breath. She was pretty sure that whatever was effecting the house elves had very little to do with their relationship with wizards - especially if the inkling she had after their Arithmancy assignment held any truth. She really missed spending time with her house elves friends, almost as much as she missed being in the kitchens and that was saying a lot.

Distracted by her thoughts about house elves, Kurumi thankfully didn't notice Josh cease his eating of the soup and the somewhat grim expression on his face. She looked back up at him just as he had pressed the bowl to his lips again to finish whatever remained when...

o____________________________O

HOLY CRICKET! SHE KILLED JOSH CARTER!

Oh, wait, no she didn't. She did wrinkle her nose a bit when the soup came back up, but she didn't try to linger on the image for too long. It was...kind of gross. "You really are sick," she frowned, brushing off his apology. Really, he didn't have anything to be sorry about. Coughing did happen when you were sick. Instead, she jumped to her feet and tugged on the blanket around him to wrap him up more like a burrito...and even grabbed another one to throw around him. The more blankets the better, right.

A change of subject was needed...obviously. "We...um...we missed you in the last match," Kurumi sort of rambled. Merlin, Quidditch was sooo the last thing she wanted to talk about with anyone right now.

A first year? Ronnie going for the younger mates? "That's cool, is he in Gryffindor?" Jordan asked, quite curious of this Harvey guy. 11 Years old and this guy's already got a girlfriend. Ridiculous.

"No, he's in Ravenclaw." she said.

"Hmph, is that so?" The only house Jordan disliked was Slytherin. "Maybe we'll have to meet some day."

"A bit." she said dully and sat down beside the fire on the floor. "Probly being out in the cold didnt help much."

" Good that you feel even a little better" William told Alex. " Yes, it is very cold out there" William said to Alex. "I bet next time you go to the Three Broomsticks, you will be fine" William explained to Alex.

Ryan walked into the Common Room Sleepily.He wanted to stay up so he sat down in his usual seat near the Fireplace.He sat there bored out of his brain.Everything was good in his life other than his Father.

William goes to the common room. He goes to the couch. He takes a pollow and hits it with his fist over and over. " He would love to talk to someone about his girl problem. Not
may people talk to him in Gryffindor. Hopefully anyone will talk to him now.

''Hey William,How You going.''He said walking over,It was a long time since he last saw him.

" Terrible right now" William told Ryan. He hit the pllow with his fist again. " My girlfriend Minerva has been cold to me lately" William said to Ryan. " We were getting along great and she just changed for no reason" William explained to Ryan. "She invited all these friends she knew to a party, even her ex-boyfriend, but not me" William sighed.William cried into the pillow.

''Really,Do you have any ideas.''Well thats abit mean,Inviting your Ex to your party and not inviting her Boyriend.''Uh It's alright.''He said pattign his back.

" I guess I had been wrong after talking to Minerva" William told Ryan. " They were just decorating but she did not invite me to help" Willaim said to Ryan. " Then she walks out on me for me feeling hurt" Willaim explained to Ryan." i also get yelled at for misunderstanding insread of being talked to by her freinds" William sighed.

"Yhe" Alex agreed watchinf the flames bounce around in the fireplace.

" Hi, how are you?" Wiliam asked Alex. "Anything inteesting you did today?" William asked Alex.

Gideon came down the steps from the dorm looking absently around but for nothing in particular. Crossing the common room, he stopped at a spot near the fire and after a moment's pause he sat down on the carpet in front of the fireplace.Granted the weather wasn't that cold anymore but the warmth cut the occasional draft even magical castles had at times as well as it was simply a comforting atmosphere at any time.

His legs crossed indian style, he got more comfy to enjoy a simple moment in the tower. Gideon took out his egg for it was uncomfortable in his jeans pocket since he wasn't wearing his robes. The silver of the egg was reflecting the flickering flames as soon as it was free and he had an amused look as he absently moved it around to see the reflective colorful pictures change. It certainly created pretty images.

Getting carried away, the fourth year registered he had gotten too close to the fire and carefully shifted back. As a precaution, Gideon thought to check on the egg figuring it might have gotten too warm like he had. "Now what was that spell to cool? Right...argentum frigidus," he mused thinking on what he had done the last time up in his dorms.

"Argentum frigid-us," he cast with a swish and a tap, the egg gradually cooling in response. Then as a precaution he added the spell to make it a little more moist in case the fire had dried it out too much as well. So with a twirl and point, he added the other spell after a check on the wording from his pocket list. "Argentum humid-us."

Hopefully all would be well.