"Ok," Lilly sniffed, remembering the bad news.

Kurumi flopped on her bed feeling like she was on cloud nine after the time her and Jonathan had spent at the lake. She sneezed suddenly, which startled the sleeping munckin cat on her bed, and she reached across her bed towards her bed stand to grab a tissue from the tissue box resting there. As she did, the egg in her pocket fell out and onto the bed. Kurumi failed to notice this at first as she was blowing her nose. Maybe she had caught a cold after all...

Displeased by his Mistress suddenly flopping on the bed, Walnut was about to jump off the bed and find a better resting place when...IT fell on the bed. The feline swished his tail back and forth in interest. Hunching down on his belly, his eyes grew wide and he swiftly dragging himself across the bed, hiding most of himself behind a peak in the sheets. Ears slightly down, he peeked over and observed. First sign of movement and he was going to pounce...

"So much for not getting sick," Kurumi sighed as she sneezed again, sounding very much like a mouse in the process. She tossed the two used tissues into the rubbish bin and leaned back on her bed. As she did, her left hand brushed against her egg and it began bouncing in place as if it was pleased about receiving human contact.

AHA! Wasting not another moment, the cat leaped over the mound of fabric and pounced on the egg, claws out and everything. However, the cat misjudged the length of his jump and missed by a few inches, landing behind the egg rather than on it. The weight of the cat - who really should be on a diet - caused the egg to fly into the air.

Kurumi saw a glimmer of something silver out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see that her egg was now soaring through the air and heading towards the floor. Eyes widening like an owl, Kurumi threw herself to the floor and caught it just before it hit. "Walnut! Bad cat!" she scolded snapping her head back around. Her eyes went to her egg and panic was written all over her face. If he scratched it...

Wait, could he scratch it? They had been told that it would take a lot to damage the eggs after all. Walnut was strong, but he wasn't strong enough to damage metal, right? That was crazy talk! She turned the egg over in her hand and...

o_______________________________O

There was something thin and black on her egg that looked like a scratch. WALNUT HAD SCRATCHED HER EGG AND SHE WAS GOING TO STRANGLE HIM IF HE MADE HER FAIL HER ASSIGNMENT. Eyes ablaze, she glared at the cat, who took that as a hint to dismiss himself to the common room. Probably was for the best, Kurumi might have hexed his tail off. She knew how to do that now since Cookie!Hater Evelyn was teaching her some simple hexes.

But, that wasn't what was important, what was important was that her egg was SCRATCH. She whipped her wand out and pointed it at her egg. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it was worth a try, right? Her egg began bouncing a bit in her hand, once again probably because it was happy for the attention or what not, but that wasn't helping her perform the spell. "Ex-CO-lo," she said, her wand still pointing at the egg. She then began tracing over the area where the scratch was, noticing that the silver took on a healthy glow, but nothing was happening to the affected area...and the rest of it since it was beginning to look a bit tarnished and could use a good polishing.

Merlin...she was going to fail. Slowly, she rubbed her thumb over the scratch...to find that it FELL OFF?! Wait...it wasn't a scratch at all. What she had thought was a scratch had been nothing but a piece of thread that had attached itself to the egg when it fell on her bed, getting caught in one of the crevices of its design. Now she felt silly.

"You...are going to cause me a lot of trouble, aren't you?" she asked the egg. Oh well, at least it had received a good polishing out of the misadventure.

Alex walked in the dorm and sat on her bed staring out of the window.

After the lesson in Ancient Runes, Kourtney immediately returned to the Gryffindor common room and climbed up the stairs into her dorm room. The homework seemed to be piling up. There was Runes and Muggle Studies and the Egg journal and the Arithmancy homework. How was she going to get to all of that in addition to just...things happening in every day life?

She closed the door to the room and glanced around, noting that no one was there. Good. She could at least start her Runes homework.

Setting her bag down on her bed, she removed the ribbon and piece of wood, which had a small hole on top of it. Threading the ribbon through it, she tied it at the top, making sure that it was secure, before she slipped it around her neck.

Bringing it to her lips, she pressed a kiss to the Othala rune, as instructed by the professor. Apparently this was effective in blessing the rune. She felt slightly silly but she would do what was required. And hey, she had been unsure about rune magic until her last homework assignment when the magic had been successful in protecting her from the Aguamenti spell cast by Kurumi. She was a believer now, even if the subject was a bit different from the other subjects that she participated in. Though, she was pleased that it at least challenged the mind.

Ronnie walked up to the girls dorm, feeling not so tired yet. She noticed Alex sitting on her bed and staring out the window. She walked up and sat next to her. "Something wrong?" she asked.

Jumping slightly Alex replied "Nope." she always just stared out the window thinking...

Ronnie woke up, and sighed. February already. Ah. February...the.....14th!!! It was Valentines day! She lept out of bed, and began brushing out her tangly, bright orange hair. What she called, her Weasley hair. She was proud to be a Weasley.

She then found her gift that she got Harvey. The owl sent it to her yesterday, phew! Good thing it didn't come in late. She then headed down for the great hall.

Oh God. Lilly pulled the covers off her head. Valentines day. She saw Ronnie embracing. Lilly was just being a moody git. She knew it. Well, she did have an excuse. Her mum was dying. She pulled the covers back, slowly falling back asleep.

Selina threw on her pajamas as soon as she got up to the Gryffindor dorms. It had been a long day and she was ready t just snuggle up under the blankets and be warm for the rest of the night. Maybe she would read a book or something, but all she knew was that she was cold and it was pajama time. So as soon as she jumped into her pajamas she jumped into her bed and pulled her covers, like an eskimo, up to her nose and snuggled in with a good book- Quidditch Through the Ages.

Kurumi was a bit shaken, in both good ways and bad ways, but shaken nonetheless. The past 36 hours had been some of the best hours of her time at Hogwarts, while also been some of the most awkward and tension filled.

Slowly, Kurumi opened the door to the room and shut it behind her. Her face still turned towards it - and not noticing that Selina was already there - Kurumi let out THE biggest girly squeal imaginable and jumped up and down slightly. This was very odd behavior for the Gryffindor, but after everything that had happened, Kurumi was feeling especially girlish. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered what it felt to have his lips on hers.

And then there was another squeal.

Selina felt like she could be Albus Dumbledore with the expression she was feigning on her face as she read. In her mind she was exuding and inquisitive yet stoic look on her face as she read. It was very precise and well thought out. Of course to the outside person it simplu looked like Selina was dozing off to sleep. As she was just about to reach the pinacal of her look fall asleep a huge thump sounded on her bed.

She sat up in a shock and drew her wand without a hitch in the movement, "Whose there?". She then focused her eyes and saw Kurumi Hollingberry squealing like a teenage girl on the edge of her bed. Selina put her wand down and on her bedside table and uttered sorry. With a groan she sat up straight in her bed using her arms as leverage. This was going to take some energy so she might as well sit up. For tge past few weeks, since Kurumi and Johnathan had started going out Kurumi had been prone to smiling fits, but she assumed by the look on her best friends face it was "girl talk time". Selina did not mind. It would be nice to talk about something positive for once in their talks.

Kurumi turned around with a look like a deer in headlights, eyes crossed slightly as she looked at Selina's wand pointed at her face, and squeaked loudly. Thankfully, nothing happened and Selina returned her wand to her bedside table. "Taking the Headmaster's constant vigilance to heart I see," she laughed pointing at the wand. Wait, had Selina been around for that talk? He usually gave that bit during his opening feast speeches, but she had been so busy with prefecting duties this term that she really hadn't paid much attention.

Kurumi rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow to her chest, mostly to hide her face and the new fit of giggles that was about to take over. She eyed Selina. "So....I kept up my part of our bargain...what about you?"

Selina had to refrain from giggling at Kurumi's exuberance behind her pillow. She looked like a little cookie monster flailing about in a mass of fits. Then Kurumi asked if Selina kept up her side of bargain and Selina's face colored. The two of them had talked about Johnathan briefly after the two of them had gotten together and Selina had been sure to threaten him with her bat. Gideon though? Well he was not a huge topic of discussion. Kurumi was not dumb though; she would not leave the subject alone because Selina would be able to just avoid it.

So she said lightly, "Yeah... I kept up my side of the bargain..."

Kurumi sat up and folded her legs under her to sit Indian style, still hugging her pillow of course, and simpy stared at Selina. Did the Chaser really thing that leaving her with that answer was going to be enough? Well, Selina would never let Kurumi off easily with these things, so she was just going to have to return the favor. That was only fair after all.

Kurumi jumped off her bed and flopped on Selina's, making sure that she scooted nice and close to the younger lion. "Aaaaaaaaand?"

Selina smiled at her best friend and nudged her friend back in the shoulder, "Aaaand your looking at Gideon Gert's girlfriend.". The sound of the word broke a wide smile on Selina's face. The whole thought of it made her really happy. He made her happy. He was an idiot, but now he was her idiot. Besides, he balanced her out really well. Besides Kurumi he was the only one who could quell her vicious temper. While at the same time he could dish at the same fire she could when provoked. She liked him and for once was glad Kurumi had pestered her to do something.

"KYAAAAAAA!" Kurumi chirped, throwing her arms around Selina and tackling her to the bed. She felt giddy, and now doubly so. They both had not only taken each other's advice, but both of them had come out with what made them happy. Taking a risk and receiving the benefits. It was the best feeling in the world, well, almost...there were some developments recently that placed themselves a little higher on the scale. "Too bad it was after Valentines' Day...but you could always do a late one," she nodded, snuggling Selina a little tighter.

Selina fell over on her bed when Kurumi jumped on her. As Kurumi was bubbling with exvifement Selina started to giggle. The two girls were being care free and down right silly. It had been so long since they had done something so genuinely girly. The two girls were usually dealing with serious or important matters. It was nice to be silly.

"Well I don't know if Gideon and I are the lovey dovey romantic type. Not that I don't like him... I do... A lot. We just do things unconventionally.". Like kissing each other before liking each other.

Kurumi poked Selina's sides. "True," she nodded. Selina never did things by the book, which is probably why they worked so well as friends. All about balance and bringing the best out of each other. "I at least admitted to Jonathan I liked him and he liked me before I had a..." she paused and gave to a new fit of giggles. "...before I had my first proper snog."

Tehe!

Selina stuck her hands in her ears as Kurumi brought up snogging, "La la la la la la. We are not going to talk about me kissing my boyfriend or you kissing yours. La la la la la". . Then she smiled at Kurumi and let out a laugh. They were being absolutely crazy right now. Who had switched the two girls out and replaced them with giggling teenage girls?

While they were riding the crazy train Selina was curious about something. She might as well ask now, "So.... Is he a good kisser?"

Kurumi laughed and rolled over onto her side again. Was this what it was like to have a sister? Kurumi would NEVER be able to have this sort of conversation with her brothers, and not because of the subject matter. Nope. Ryunosuke would of had his wand out and hexed Jonathan into next Tuesday by this point in time.

Kurumi's laughter ceased when Selina asked THE question. She didn't have anyone to compare Jonathan too besides the one time Adam and her had kissed. Merlin, they had only kissed once? Or had there been another? It was a bad thing she couldn't remember, or perhaps it was a good thing. Her cheeks flushed and she hugged Selina's pillow tightly to her chest. "It was like eating the sweetest sugar cookie on earth," she explained probably in terms that only she would be able to understand. "I felt dizzy...breathless...wonderful...so many things at once..." Her hands went to her cheeks to cover up some of the blushing. "I feel like...in the moment we kissed after he played me a song on the piano he composed...I felt like I had been reborn..."

That...answered Selina's question...right?

Alex ran in the dorm and threw herself on her bed pulling the hangings around it.

Rose scowled as she stalked in after Alex, feeling a bit annoyed that her friend had ran off without her. 'Alex!' she called, following her and watching as she closed the curtains. Rose hmphed and pulled them back, sitting on the bad, then pulling them around again. She was sure Alex didn't want anyone to see her cry. Which Rose was sure she was going to do. 'Alex. What's wrong? You don't still like Starr do you, he has a new girlfriend.' Rose added, making sure Alex knew what he was. He hadn't even dumped Witsy yet, and he had another girl.

Sniffing she sat up " Its just i told you what he told me in private i shouldnt have done it. And i already dont have many friends here and ive just lost one." she said crossing her legs in a basket. "And yhe i dunno why but when he asked e to go to the Lake with him ive just felt more trusted by him. Alex added with another sniff.

Rose shook her head. 'I already knew. He's told anyone who will listen that he's planning to dump her. He over-reacted. He really did. He always over-reacts though.' Rose said bitterly. 'I remember, when we were going out, that I sided with my friend, because he had been in the wrong. He decided hat he would ignore me for it. But I told him that I would always side with my friends over him. Without a second thought. Because my friends are more important than anything. Mates before dates, right?' Rose smiled, trying to cheer Alex up with a story.

Alex smiled hugging Rose "Yhe what would I do without you" she said wiping a tear from her face. "And realy he goes out with someone! Who?" she asked. That was mad he is basicly cheating on Witsy or whatever she'd called.