Give it to the red girl and not him? Mister confused him sometimes.

"If Mister is so good at catch, doesn't he want Toddles to throw it to him?" The Elf's big doe 'I've been caught for doing something bad' eyes turned to the Head man and he really wanted to pass it to him now since he was probably mad at Toddles for taking the toy back.

He uncrossed his legs and stood up slowly, removing the Shiney from his tunic hiding place. It was a good one, too bad he had to reveal to everyone his good hiding place for snacks and bugs. "Toddles will play catch with you two, was you a Ryffinblorr Mister, they are the best catchers." He tossed the orb at Kurumi eagerly, excited for this new round of catch!

Uh oh. Stuttering and blushing? Hmmmmm, SOMEONE was a little nervous. heheh. Paulie grinned widely 'cause it was cute when people got all blushy and tongue-tied about the person they liked. "What makes me think that? Hah! I was totally pickin' up vibes between you two in the Prefect's compartment. Like, serious vibes. Love was in the air, ya know? It was palpable.. visceral!" He mirrored her and glanced over at the Hufflepuff and Slytherin tables. Why'd she glance at Slytherin..? Huh. She sort of trailed off with her next comment, but no matter. Paulie got the gist. "So, you guys keepin' it on the DL, then?"

Maxwell slowly and gently put a hand on hers while she twisted her hair. "We'll get through it." He said in an encouraging way, hoping she would take some of his courage.

Tay sighed. "It had showed deer yesterday and for a week before my dad died it showed a clock......" She looked away.

"That's a good elf, Toddles. Excellent toss." He grabbed a spoon from the table beside him and indicated to Hollingberry she should toss the orb to him next.

"Settle down, Foster. You're supposed to set a good example, not mortify your prefect." Tate gave the boy a stern look. Didn't he know better than to encourage his classmates to waste time in romantic pursuits when they needed to focus on their STUDIES? Clearly.

Kurumi sat up a little straighter in anticipation for Toddles' throw, if he decided to. He really should though because she was a Gryffindor he could trust. Surely he remembered her speaking for him at the end of the term feast a few terms back, yes? Best decision she had ever made!

Her eyes widened as a feeling of deja vu swept over her when she saw the orb-thing again. Hmmm....odd. She was still pretty sure she had never seen it before. Well, besides earlier in the evening when Toddles had thrown it at Anya's face. "Good one, Toddles," Kurumi chirped as she easily caught the object in her hands. "Your turn now, Headmaster," she beamed, lobbing it in his direction.
Kurumi began coughing this time and her heart felt as though it were about to jump out of her throat. She was going to faint...right there...in the middle of the Great Hall...

Somehow managing to catch her breath, Kurumi looked at Paulie with her big brown doe eyes and her mouth hung open for a moment while she tried to find her voice. "W-W-W-We aren't....dating....Lewis and I..." Her cheeks even more pink now. "J-Jonathan Kim...from Slytherin....he...he is.... "
But then the Headmaster came to her rescue....sort of...surprisingly. He earned himself more oatmeal raisin cookies.

Maxwell sighed a little. "What's a deer mean?" He asked knowing whatever it was had probably come true. 'Is her choosing between Damon and I really going to be that hard?...' He wondered. He didn't want to ask about the clock.

"A deer means quarrels." She rubbed her arms and thought back on the train ride earlier that day... "It obviously came true." Tay sighed.

"Good catch Misses studensie." Toddles clapped his hands excitedly as his eyes then followed the Shiney as it was passed to the Head Man. He was being silly and trying to catch it with...a stirry thing? A spoon is what the older house elves called it but he liked stirry thing--OH it was like a House-Elf's magic sticky thing!

When the Mister caught it, Toddles hoped he passed it far. Hard catches were the best.

Maxwell sighed and rubbed his forehead. He knew what was to come, he knew the decision ahead of her and wanted desperately to warn her, but Max knew she'd only deny it and think him jealous and just get angry with him, defending Damon as always. He had this sinking feeling of losing her before anything even started. "Whatever happens I'll be here for you." He said but thought 'Though I probably won't be the one you run to.' He thought...

Tay looked at him and gave him a kiss, "Thank you." She hugged him. "I'm sure you are right that, it isnt going to be true." Taylor nodded, trying to convince herself.

Maxwell nodded. "You're welcome, Either way I'm never that far and I'll be happy to help you through anything and listen to anything if you just need to talk." He said trying to encourage her to talk to him and open up...something he didn't think he had to do until recently.

She bit her lip, "I dont want to bother you with my silly worries though......" Taylor sighed.

Oh, why... oh. Hollingberry had tossed the orb in his direction. Tate moved quickly, swinging his wand up and out and banishing the orb back to his office. Hopefully it would stay there until he had time to lock the thing up again, but if not... he knew exactly who would have it. Again.

In almost the same movement, Tate brought his wand back around to touch the spoon held in his other hand, changing it into a bubble wand, which he offered to Toddles.

"Do you like bubbles? Much more fun." See? He blew a stream of bubbles from the wand, a cloud of many sizes and colors surrounding the little elf.

Maxwell shook his head. "It's not a bother, I just want to know so i can help or comfort you. Your worries aren't silly, please if you need someone don't hesitate.." He said with a pleading look. He needed to know she trusted him, he didn't feel like she did anymore.

She nodded, seeing the pleading look. "Yeah okay i will come to you." Tay kissed his cheek.

Maxwell smiled a little giving her a look that showed it meant the world to him she'd just give him a chance. "Thank You." He said softly.

Tay looked away, "Yeah anytime...."

Paulie almost leaned a little closer to hear her faint voice, but he refrained; the last time he did that, things got WAY misinterpreted. But..... did she say she and Lewis weren't dating? Huh? Paulie's brow quickly crinkled in confusion. Jonathan Kim from Slytherin..? He opened his mouth to speak, but instead found someone else speaking to him. A very stern, male voice..

The HEADMASTER. Excellent start to his year as Head Boy. His ears tinged with red. "Saved by the Tate," he murmured quietly to Kurumi.

"Right. Sorry, Headmaster." He did want to set a good example at the feast, for sure. Prove that he actually COULD get this Head Boy thing right. He turned back to the Perfect Prefect. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, Kurumi."

"Kurumi...just Kurumi," she smiled with a small nod in the house elf's direction. But she had already said that, several times, to all the house elves. Calling her Misses anything was a little too much.

Kurumi sort of frowned. Headmaster, that was cheating! Was that what he meant when he said he was brilliant at playing catch? One thing she did have to applaud him for was his quick reflexes.

"Toddles, you should say thank you to the Headmaster," Kurumi instructed, pointing to the bubble wand that the Headmaster was presenting him. A stray bubble floated past Kurumi's nose and she reached up with her index finger to pop it, sending a shower of red sparkles every where that vanished before touching any surfaces.


Kurumi's cheeks were still VERY red from the whole encounter. Her posture relaxed just a little with the Head Boy's next comment, but her heart rate wasn't slowing down any time soon. It all just reminded her of the conversation she was going to be having tomorrow, the one where she told Jonathan everything that had happened between her and Lewis. The conversation that was going to change everything...

"I-I-It's alright..." she stammered, bowing her head again and bursting a purple bubble as he glided by.

The Shiney was flllllyyyyyyyyyyying!

Oh it was such a good flyer and catcher, the Shiney. That was why Toddles loved--

.......

Toddles eyes were filled with joy one moment and then they widened in horror as the orb disappeared after the Mister poked it with his magic sticky. No fair, he cheated! The elf's mouth opened and what could only be described as a defeated screech emitted from his little mouth. He slung his head back to the side and just wailed for a second.

"T-toddles w-w-wanted the SHINEY!" Elf tears fell for all of five seconds until the spoon/stirry thing was turned into a magic bubble stick. What was that!?

"Ooooh! Mister, mister that is very pretty. Toddles wants it very much sir!" He began to jump up and down and clapping his long fingered hands in excitment. A new toy for Toddles? He could probably even still hug it like the Shiney too.

The baby elf began to dance around in the bubbles.

Maxwell sighed. "Taylor, did i do something wrong?" He asked now feeling bad for asking at all. 'Why is she so distant?' He wondered with a bad feeling.

Tay shook her head, "No.... i'm just thinking." She sighed and leaned her head against her palm, having her elbow on the table.

Tate left the wand beside the elf's little dancing feet. "Maybe you should take your new toy to the kitchens and show it to the other elves. I'm sure they'll be delighted to dance with you."

He gave the Head Boy and the Gryffindor prefects looks. Both of them. "If Toddles doesn't make his way back to the kitchen by the end of the feast, please see him along. I need to go give the speech."

Maxwell gave her a sympathetic look. "What's wrong?" He asked in a kind tone, hoping she'd talk.