*sigh*

That potions lesson had been stressful.

Thomas decided that instead of going straight up to the common room afterwards, that he would go for a walk around the grounds. He had wanted to be magical SO badly when Freddie and Kat had discovered their gifts, but now he wanted nothing more than to be back on the familiar turf that was the concrete jungle he came from. To most people that would be their idea of hell, but for Thomas it was all he'd known.

The grounds of the school were certainly beautiful though, and he began to calm. Potions was just ONE lesson. He may do alright in other classes with more understanding professors than Lafay.

He suddenly came to a standstill and his eyes went WIDE!

Wot in blaady 'ELL. Woz. Tha'!?!?

A TREE!

A moving, thrashing tree that looked like it would squash anything that went near it!

He stood there, mouth open and stared at it agog.

Despite the fact that it had absolutely terrified her when she first saw it, Gwenyth had discovered that the 'Whomping Willow' as the others had called it, was in fact one of the most peaceful areas of the school.

It didn't seem crowded like the Lake was, overviewed and overused. Probably because a lot of the new students were a bit wary of it like she was, but mainly because it seemed to be some distance away from the main body of the school. Few would want to venture this far, especially if they had studies to do or lessons to go to and it was for that sole reason that Gwen had returned here time and time again to write out letters to her Ma or her brothers, or whomever it was that had contacted her.

School wasn't what she wanted it to be, she much preferred the comfort of her home, the people she knew well, being taught by those she shared her own home with rather than professionals that knew far more than she ever expected to be able to. But most of all she missed her Ma, those sayings she used to tell her and all the love that filled the Commune. The brunette wasn't used to all this angst and dislike that seemed to surround the school.

Walking up the pathway that led to the tree, the thirteen year old spotted someone stood a little too close maybe? If she hadn't of recognised the short crop, opposite of what her brothers were allowed, the girl would have stayed quiet and not spoken, but they had shared a dance together and although she didn't feel completely comfortable, she knew that she could speak without being judged. Out loud that was.

"Strange isn't it?"

Tom was lost. Staring at the tree like only he and it existed. It's swaying branches were hypnotic and he was totally unaware that he may be standing just a little bit close. He'd sort of achieved his goal of escapism.

It wasn't until he heard a voice behind him and he jumped out his trance. He turned to look behind him, finding himself smiling at the girl. He liked Gwenyth. Had a lot of time for the girl. She wasn't judgemental in any way, and she seemed a kind, gentle soul. He would never say it to her, but now that he understood the houses more, he didn't get why she was a Slytherin. She had a hippy huffie vibe going on.

“It really blaady weird.” He replied, turning back to look at the tree. “Betcha wouldn't wannah 'ug this one.” A cheeky smile curled up the thirteen year old's lips and he looked back at Gwen. “Ain' see yer since that dance class. You been alrigh'?”

Just a few steps closer. She didn't want to be squished after all and she had no idea how unpredictable this thing was. Could it sense people who 'liked' trees? Would it take a shining to them and let them get closer, in which case Gwen was fairly certain she'd be pretty safe where she was standing. No trees were evil after all were they? Nothing was ever evil, just simply misunderstood.

"You wouldn't find anything like this in our World. The Muggle World I mean" she tilted her head up at its swaying branches, taking in it's every movement. "Kinda fascinating though, that a plant can hold so much power." After all, nature should be respected like humans were. And they were on this planet long before the first human was. How long had this one been here? Before Hogwarts was founded? Did it grow from a seed like normal trees, who put it here? So many questions, so very few answers. "No I think I'll pass on that one" she giggled, turning back to look at the other boy. "I don't hug every tree that I see, I'll be here if a lifetime if I did." And she planned on going home as soon as she could.

Dance class. Interesting subject and one that Gwenyth felt that she didn't really need to take. Besides her style was more interpretive, she'd rather dance about a tree growing on the train falling than stand there, in posture and flounce around with a partner in perfect hold. "I guess so. I mean, lessons aren't what I thought they'd be and.. Well there's no one like me around here. No one understands my morals like those back home do." And there was no mistaking how much she missed her Ma. "What about you?" she asked, genuinely interested in what he would say. There was nothing like a good story was there?

Beatrice can't help but think about their recent Transfiguration Class. That was a very entertaining lesson. Not to mention the chaos it caused to both girls and boys who didn't want to look clownish. But nevertheless, everyone seemed to enjoy it.

She herself did and that is why she feels like practicing the spells they did. Beatrice can't help but remember what color her hair turned out. It was the Hogwarts Houses. How it came out to be like that, she doesn't know. But too much for the thoughts, she pulled her wand from her pocket and muttered, "Felintas." She can almost feel her hair changing length. Even though she haven't seen it, she knew it was now short for that was what she had concentrated on having.

And true enough, when she pulled out a mirror and looked at it. Her long hair was now only above her shoulder. She hadn't cleaned her face of the make up she had put on at the Class so she still looks a clown now.

"Ristaris," she said, tapping the top of her head once. And when she looked at the mirror, her hair had changed its color, it was blue and yellow. More like the Ravenclaw House colors. She smiled and rolled her eyes. Her ristaris spell sure does like the Hogwarts Houses.

She pulled out her handkerchief from her pocket and started wiping her make up. She gotta return to the Common Room now as it was getting a little late. Then, she pointed the tip of her wand on top of her head twice, "Intaris." And when she looked at the mirror, her hair returned to its normal length and color. That was enough practice for a day.

Tom noticed Gwen edging closer a few steps, but she looked rather wary of the tree. He suddenly realised just HOW close he was and he edged back to stand next to the girl.

He nodded. Our world. Tom hadn't really got used to the idea that he was magical yet. “You evah fink you'll see this world as, y'know, our world?” He asked, looking at the girl curiously. This world was more difficult than the muggle world.. and a few of the teachers were stuck in the dark ages with their methods. He looked back at the tree and tilted his head to watch the branches with fascination. Gwen was certainly right. “S'kindah hypnotic ain' it? I nevah knew plants could be so aggressive.”

He grinned a wonky grin when Gwen giggled at his question. “Me ma says when I'm angry, the best way to calm me down it is the give me a 'ug. Maybe this tree's the same.” He glanced at her and raised a brow as if challenging her.

To Tom the dance class had been pretty embarrassing. Dancing with a girl when you were thirteen was cringeworthy enough without the added aspect of having two left feet. “I 'ope I didn't 'urt your feet too much.” He said with a small chuckle, glancing down at them.

He nodded his head in agreement. Lessons were HORRIBLE. And it wasn't like Tom could just not go like he often did at his muggle school when he was struggling. He frowned thoughtfully when Gwen spoke of her morals and found himself nodding. “We're from differen' backgrounds an' tha', but I fink I understan' where you're comin' from wiff all tha' hippy love crap. Ma says we should all love each ovvah an' there'd be no trouble in the world. An', it makes sense don't it? If there were less twits in the world it'd be a bettah place.”

So... maybe Tom didn't quite get what his dear old ma was trying to say there.

" You really must have loved Transfiguration" Willaim told Beatrice. " You are really good at those spells' Willaim said to Beatrice. 'Are you looking forward to the next transfiguration class?" Willaim asked Beatrice.

Tyler laughed, louder than expected and he didn't really know why so he continued. Confusing people, one of his main jobs around here. He paused, trying to hide his smile with the straightest face he could pull, he was probably failing. "First year eh? I learnt how to turn things invisible in first year, wait it's not possible is it, not fully possible you'd need THE invisibility cloak for that" he joked, of course he didn't, even if he did he wouldn't be about to remember. "I'm sorry if I confuse you, I really don't mean to" he nodded.

"No" The girl replied simply at Tom's question. "This isn't my World. My world is home with my Ma" and no amount of education was going to change that. She wasn't an easily persuaded person unless she felt threatened and even if the lessons did turn out to be fun eventually, Gwenyth didn't feel like she'd ever belong. "I don't think I want to call it my World." There were no hippies. No communities like she had.

Hypnotic? That was a word she had heard on several occasions. "What? The very thought that one swish and it could knock you off your feet?" she giggled. "It makes you wander why it does it. Some kind of emotional problem it has with Wizards? Or is it simply misunderstood? I'm sure it doesn't mean to do harm, its just the way its programmed" Or something like that. A tree after all couldn't have an evil bone in its body, especially as it had no bones :|

"Hugs are very therapeutic" she stated, proud of herself for using a word you'd typically only hear Jude say. "You're Ma is right." It was something her Ma would probably say too. "Why? Do you need a hug?" she asked, facing away from the tree, only to look at him but with a completely serious expression on her face. She was genuine. She believed hugs could create peace. Oh he wanted her to hug the tree? "I don't think that would happen" she laughed a little. "I'd prefer to keep my limbs in one peace" Couldn't spread those hugs otherwise.

Aww. "No you didn't its alright" she grinned at him. "To be honest I'm not a very good dancer myself" Not with ballroom anyway. What happened to good old swaying in the wind like you were a tree type of dancing? That she could do. And it didn't involve foot steps either.

She smiled as he started talking, just taking in what he was saying until that word. "Spreading the love isn't.. You know what" she frowned as she glanced at him. There was nothing wrong with it, whatever her Ma had said to her was completely correct and it was something he should take note of. "I think she means that love causes peace and not arguments. If you didn't have a bad word to say about anyone you wouldn't start wars or disputes or anything that causes disruption across the Globe" Mini Ma. "We'd all like each other wouldn't we? And there'd be no reason to be upset. It'd be a much nicer place."

But this place was lacking in the lets all be nice to each other department. "Hogwarts needs a bit of help, it oozes far too much angst" Which made it worse for the Brunette.

"Well...I don't know! You could probably ask me if we could talk...or we could have some time to talk somewhere else. I dunno." she said shrugging and laughign. "Ooo, you wanna know who I like? You gotta promise not to tell him though!" she warned.

Ronnie looked at Rose and laughed. "I know! THey are adorable!" she said, hugging the picture.

Adelyn raised an eyebrow at him. He was laughing? That certainly didn't fit the moment, but then again, nothing they were doing really was standard to the rules of relationships.

She was so aware of his closeness, his touch; every fiber of her being knew of it. But it still wasn't enough for her. She wanted him closer. Looking up at him, she couldn't help but giggle. His laugh was irresistible. She really didn't even know why they were laughing, they just were.

Glancing down, she found herself staring at their pinkies locked together. When she looked back up, he was staring at her, and she couldn't help but grin as he did so. The way he looked at her...it just made her feel special, wanted, cared for. Amazing. He was something amazing. Truly.

She felt him move his hand over her's a tiny bit more, and when he did, every one of her nerves screamed with joy. Her breathing caught short, but she didn't even care.

Adelyn moved her hand a few more inches into his.

" Ok, I will ask you if I can talk to you" William told Ronnie. " Yes, I wwant to know who you like" William said to Ronnie. " I would never tell him" William smiled.

Rose chuckled. 'So, has any progress been made with You-Kno-Who?' Rose asked, nudging Ronnie. Ronnie didn't want people knowing who she liked so Rose called him this. With no reference to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. At all.

Beezus looked up and saw William Starr, her friend from Diagon Alley. "Oh, I don't really love Transfiguration. It's just that I enjoyed our first lesson so much," she told him. Heck she did, the whole clowning thing was very fun indeed. "Thanks," She was not that good ! She just had a lot of practice that's why spell casting wasn't much of a hassle. She was definitely blushing for it was the first time that someone had commended her in doing spells.

"You bet I am." said Beatrice. Grinning, she can just imagine new funny stuff to happen during their next Transfiguration lesson. Maybe they'll be turning into balloons ! Or ice creams !

"No, you did not." she told him. She just couldn't have learned about being invisible when he was still first year except though if he has an invisibility cloak. But that was very impossible !

"It's alright. I confuse myself too." This boy was confusing and now she is as confused with herself. She could have laughed about the whole thing if she was not confused but she really was. The kind of confusion that you don't even keep track of what you are saying but you are still talking.

Tom frowned thoughtfully. He had to agree with Gwen. Not necessarily about missing his ma.. but he missed the estate. THAT was his home. He felt like an outsider here at Hogwarts. People saw him as different, and he saw them as different. "I dun' fink I want to eevah.” He replied seriously. “Me bruvvah came to 'ogwarts for only a year an' 'e still sees 'imself as a maggle. I nevah got why until now.” He looked curiously at Gwen as she looked at the tree. “You miss your ma a lot, aye?”

He grinned at her words and shook his head. “Well I s'ppose when you put it like tha'.” His eyes went back to the swaying branches as he listened to Gwen. She was well insightful wasn't she? “It's not like it needs to eat or anyfin'. An' I don' fink it can be to defend itself... cos it's a tree. ..It must 'ave a spell on it.” He tilted his head and watched it. “..Maybe it's guardin' somefin. Maaaybe there's treshah 'idden undah it.” His eyes glinted at this lightbulb thought.

Therapeutic? :S Big words. Tom didn't know many of them, but he refrained from asking not wanting to seem thicker than he already seemed. A hug? “I ain' angry right now.” He said with a shrug. Tom was rather sceptical about the whole hugging business. ..Although he did like a comforting embrace from his ma when he was upset. He smiled wryly when Gwen refused his challenge. “Dun' blame yer.” he nodded. “I'm not sure this tree would fink it woz therawotzit.”

Tom hadn't really noticed Gwen's dancing ability during the class. He was too busy cringing inwardly about himself to see it. “I didn't fink you were too bad. You nevah trod on me feet.” He smiled, then chuckled.

Thomas noticed the frown but didn't understand it. He thought what he said made sense, but Gwen could put her beliefs into words a lot better than he could. “It makes sense I guess.” He replied with a shrug. “If people weren't so arrogant or such idiots, I wouldn't loose me tempah wiff 'em.” And, yeah, life would be peaceful.

He nodded in agreement. And the angst oozed not only from the kids, but the professors.

Aurora loved the Whomping Willow. She thought it was amazing. Brilliant. Beautiful! She sat down near it, but not near enough to be hit, humming lightly as she inspected her handiwork. The potion had taken ages! She'd had to fuse two together in a way that would stop the fluxweed reacting with the draconia and... well... that wasn't easy. But it had worked. The rose in her hand had been in full bloom for four days with no water and was still changing colour every five minutes or so. Yes... that would do nicely...

"KEEP THAT AWAY FROM ME!!!"

Jonathan was keeping his distance. Sure, he may have followed his friend down to the whomping willow. But that doesn't mean I want to be near her.

Jonathan started inching his way towards Aurora- Making sure to keep a safe distance from any potions the girl may have. Not to mention, he didn't want to scare the whomping willow.

As he made his way next to her, he smiled as he plopped down.

"I'm booooooooored....." *plop* Now he was on his back. Jonathan then moved up on his elbows. "Hey..." the kid began. "You never told me... What does that potion do?" He could guess. But JONATHAN KIRK IS NEVER WRONG!

"Keep what away from you?" Aurora asked, looking up from the flower which was making it's way through the blue spectrum at the moment. "You don't have to stay so far away, you know. I don't have any dangerous potions on me this time." There. See? Not too bad was it?

Bored..? Aurora knew that feeling all too well... She was going to say something to that effect when... ah... "Oh... well I assume you've heard of the Draught of Living Death..?" she started. "That is... well... similar. It hides all of the signs of life in a person; lowers their heartbeat to almost nothing, enables them to live in incredibly cold temperatures, almost entirely gets rid of the need to breathe." She pushed her red hair behind her ear and turned her green eyes to look at him. "And you only have to make someone inhale it for it to work. Which is why you are so lucky it wasn't ready yet." she finished. Sure, it meant that you didn't have to spike someone's drink, but it also meant that you had to watch out for idiots who would open mysterious potion bottles without knowing what was inside them.

"Well, I don't know with you.... Handing deadly potions to people just trying to have good conversation...." She is delusional.

Jonathan Listened to this crazy potion. But it gave him amazing ideas. "We could do some hilarious stuff with that. A modified version of course." And then Jonathan stood up. "I got a better idea. We could do Romeo and Juliet.... WIthout the whole death thing." After a quick spin, Jonathan was suddenly a Shakespearean actor. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks." He looked down at Aurora. "That was pretty good. You thought it was going to be terrible."

Jonathan plopped back down on the ground again and stared at the potion in Aurora's hand. "Have you tried putting another plant in it? Say...... something maaaagical?"

"I didn't hand it to you. I dropped it. And you were just stupid enough to open it without knowing what was inside." she said simply, twirling the rose between two fingers.

"Well of course we could. Why do you think I made it?" Honestly. Did he think she had made it for any reason other than to have fun?

Aahh, Romeo and Juliet. Now, Shakespeare was one of the only muggle things Aurora actually knew about. And boy, did she know about Shakespeare. "O Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo!? Deny thy father, and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet!" she recited in her best dramatic, airy Juliet voice. She grinned at Jonathan. "I never said any such thing." In fact, she hadn't realised he was going to do it until he actually did...

Had she tried another plant..? "No, not yet. It was only finished this morning." she said. Watching the petals turn to pink. "I was thinking of trying it on a Draconia though, I want to know if the pollen changes colour too." That would look awesome. Especially on the fire-like pollen of the Draconia plant... "What do you think? I mean, you like Herbology right?" He had told her that when he was being all insane in the Hospital Wing... she wasn't sure he remembered any of that. In fact, she was kind of hoping he didn't...

" Yes, it was a fun class: William told Beatrice." Very interesting ballons or ice cream" William said to Beatrice. "So how do you like Muggle Studies?" William asked Beatrice.

"Good!" Ronnie said nodding. "Ohhkay.." she said leaning in, and whispering in William's ear: "Jordan. Jordan Kobe." she said. She then leaned back, smiling. "Well, I actually don't mind if you tell him...I just don't want a whole bunch of drama or what not...that'd be terrible." she said, shaking her head.

"Voldemort?" Ronnie asked jokingly. "Just kidding. Not really, just chatting really..." she said, her ears turning pink.

" I knew you would like my answer" William told Ronnie." Jordan is a nice boy" William said to Ronnie. " I am not suppose to tell him, but you need to tell him" William explained to Ronnie.

Ronnie nodded. "Yeah he is." she said. "Well I said I wouldn't mind...I don't have to tell him. Not now." she said sighing.

Rose chuckled. 'Aw, you'll get there eventually!' she assured Ronnie. 'Then I'll be chucked out for a bit whilst you two are in the honeymoon stage!' Rose said jokingly.