Cassia pocketed the letter she had written to her brother and headed to the owlery. She had spent all last night scribbling down everything happened since she said bye to her brother. That’s their deal. She tells him what had been happening with her in the castle and he fills her in of what’s going on at home. Cassia was also carrying a small bag that contained some food for her owl. Cassia sighed because lately she had been getting the impression that her owl hates her.

She had always wondered If she should have bought a cat. When she went to the pet shop but there she decided to get an owl for a change. Perhaps that wasn't a very good idea . But Cassia loved her owl but she also loved cats.


Cassia shook her head trying to push those thoughts away and entered the owlery. As she stood there she started to look around her for her honey-colored mean moody owl. "Hey Snaty…come out where ever you are," She said in a singsong voice trying to coax the owl o appear though she knew that it will take some time until the owl comes around. Cassia just knew that her owl hates her.

Joshua was alive! Josh was out there, probably hurt, but kicking and breathing!

Relief washed over the Ravenclaw as soon as she got out of Lafay's office, up to her dorms where she spent two hours letting out the remaining sobs of happiness, cuddled with her two cats like an official pathetic vulnerable girl, and then wrote down a short letter to send to the survivor. She was still wearing her uniform, without the outer robe, as she climbed the tower to the owlery. The letter neatly folded in her hand, and her wand's in the other one.

Before she stepped into the tower, Louisa paused upon hearing someone talk. She listened in, quietly, leaning against the wall. Snaty? Who was Snaty? Pretty weird!funny name, though. Heh heh heh. The Ravenclaw finally got out from behind the wall and walked into the owlery, where Cassia the little Snake was, "Having fun?" She asked the girl as she approached the wooden plank where owls were supposed to fly to whenever someone asked for them. It was empty now because all owls seemed to be in their nests across the walls.

It was getting frustrating! Cassia had been here calling for her mean and stubborn owl to come closer but Snaty, her owl would just not get any closer. He knew he was bothering Cassia and he enjoyed it. Yeah, he was an owl but Cassia knew how he thought! But she wasn't going to allow this to continue. She was going to put an end to his harassment.How? Erm..she hadn't come up with a plan yet but when she will it's going to be severe. Yeah she could manage severe somehow.

"You are an owl and you deliver letters," She called out to the screeching owl. She took out the letter fiom her pocket and waved with it to emphasize what she said."Snaty!" She frowned at him. "Come here already..." She said desperately. She had told her parents that she didn't want this creature but her father insisted that she should deal with her decisions and endure the consequences! Whatever that meant! When she had bought the owl it wasn't clear that it was an unfriendly creature.


In the middle of her debate with the owl, Cassia heard a voice. She turned to the source of the voice and found the Ravenclaw head girl. She creased her brows ,"No of course I'm not." Did she look that amusing. "I'm trying to get my stobborn owl to get down here and deliver this letter. But he's being a.......despicable creature!" Cassia spit out.

Ooooooh, wasn't this kid a bit... feisty for her size? Definitely. Louisa feigned sympathy, because really it wasn't a big deal if her stubborn owl was stubborn. It just meant he was being himself, no? Exactly. "Let's not call each other despicable right from the start first, okay?" She was referring to the girl and her owl, of course, assuming he did understand human language.

Apparently Louisa needed to deal with this "dilemma" before sending out her letter. It was nothing, though, compared to the train thingie. "How about we try coax him? With some food?" She slipped her wand out of the holster and waved it, summoning a bowl of dead insects from somewhere around the Owlery. "Here, take this and try approaching him with it. Put some on your hand too if you have to... don't be afraid, they're dead." EEEEEEEW. But the girl didn't need to know how much disgusted Louisa was by those icky insects.

Cassia sighed exasperatingly. Did the older girl just say the start, "It isn't a start. He's been like this since I first bought him." Cassia frowned looking up at the owl that started to shriek, "Well, yeah that's the truth!" She said to Snaty. "I guess despicable is a compliment. You know I tend to be a patient young lady," Cassia said lifting her chin upward. Yeah young lady she was but not sure about the patient part. Eh..Loza didn't have to know about that. The girl was leaving Hogwarts next year anyway might as well let her have a cool impression about Cassia.

Shaking her head at the girl's advise, "Coaxing never works with him. Besides what do you think I've been trying to do before I reached the despicable-calling level," She told the girl, "I don't call people....or pets names right away, that is mean," Cassia nodded thoughtfully. Glancing at the food ,Cassia held up the bag she had brought with her. "I was going to give him a treat when he gets down here," She shot a look upward meant for the still-hooting owl. "And he will bite me anyway then," She git used to that. "Maybe if you tried to feed him it would be different? What do you think Loza?" She wondered. Oh the head girl was most likely to get bitten but she was a big girl she could get through it.

Presley had wanted to write to her brothers fiance. Much as Presley didn't like her, she would of course force Leo to see sense. And Pres needed someone on her side right now. However, Presley was paranoid and she worried that Elliot would see her writing it and get really mad, so knowing full well that Elliot didn't speak french, and Maine did, Presley penned the entire missive in the language of her childhood.



Presley called Mercury, her owl down from the rafters, and handed him the letter. "Pour Charmayne LeBlanc" She told him in French. She watched him fly away, and sincerely hoped Maine was on her side in this.

Elliot had two letters in hand. One for Dani at Beauxbatons...and one for her father. Wherever the heck he was at the moment. America? Russia? Switzerland? Who knew. But she needed to send one to him about...stuff.

And hopefully Presley had gotten her letter to meet her here. Because they needed to talk...

She sighed, looking out the window, currently forgetting about the two letters in her hand that she NEEDED to send...too many things on her mind. Oh, and she had Presley's letter tucked in her pocket, as well, which she would most definitely be addressing with Miss Black.

Presley climbed the stairs to the Owlery hesitantly. She hadn't seen Elliot since she left the note, but Elliot had most definitely read it, according to Presley's sources. She wasn't sure how the girl, who she once called a friend, was going to react. But she'd gotten a reply note, and was now meeting Elliot in the Owlery.

She stepped into the round tower, and saw her friend's back. Elliot was clutching two letters, and looking out the window. "Elliot?" Presley said, with a slight raised tone, which made it almost sound like a question. She cringed. She hadn't planned on making anything sound like she was uncertain, and her first word gave her away.

First instinct told her to whip around, smirk, and say something amazingly witty and sarcastic to greet her friend. But she didn't do any of those things. She merely turned around, slowly, keeping her face stoic like stone, and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" Elliot felt a little weird...Presley was one of her closest friends. And she was now greeting her with a cold '...yes?' ?!?!

She then looked up at the owls, and waved her letters around...two owls landed on the ledge and Elliot scowled...."Take this one," the fatter letter, "To Dani...at Beauxbatons." Yep. She tied that one to its leg, and she watched it fly off. "Take THIS one to my father. Wherever he is if he isn't at home." Which he probably wasn't. This owl held out its leg, and after Elliot attached it took off as well. She then turned back to Presley, looking quizzical...

What in Merlins name was with Elliot acting so odd? She'd sent Presley that note. So why was she acting as if it was odd to see Presley here? "You asked me to see you up here?" As strange a place for a meeting as it was. And Elliot was sending a letter to her father. Hopefully to tell him she'd rethought her request for Presley to stay. After all, Presley had already made plans to go to Spain with her aunt and two cousins for the holidays. It was the best solution. No burdening the Morganzos, and no apologizing of any kind.

Elliot nodded. She simply looked at Presley..."I got your note." Ahem. She pulled it from her pocket. She then unfolded it, and raised an eyebrow. "Let me get one thing straight, Presley, do you want to be friendly with only to be in good standing?" Because if so, Elliot was so not down for that. Not at all.

But she didn't think Presley was...she just had a feeling.

She blinked her blue eyes a few times...looking at Presley questioningly..."Because I don't..." she added at the end...very quietly...and she immediately hoped that Presley didn't hear...

She really did get right to the point, didn't she? Presley opened her mouth to say something, but stopped upon hearing something more from Elliot. But it was garbled and she wasn't sure what the other girl had said, so she continued as if it hadn't been said at all. "Truthfully?" She started. "You're a great friend, Elliot. And I like being able to talk to you, and plotting revenge, and sticking together at awful parties. I want my friend back." It wasn't an apology, because Presley didn't feel she had anything to apologize for. She'd been honest, and Elliot hadn't liked what she had to say. But for whatever reason, Presley missed Elliot. A lot. She missed the sarcasm and the mutual complaining about family. She missed the little eyebrow raises across the room when someone said something particularly stupid in a class. All in all, she missed her best friend. Though she would never say those words to the fourth year.

Furmgoat flew through the tops of the trees, wonky wings flapping silently. He was searching for the small person to receive his letter, and he'd FOUND him in the owlery of all places! Furmy hooted softly as he made his decent, flying wide circles around the boy, in search of a perch.

The small owl settled near by the student, settling on a perch with one leg out, letter attached. He then proceeded to staaaaaaare down the boy.

"Hoot."




Maybe some owl treats for him now? Furmy waited and stared...

Savannah was going to send an owl to her new founded family.She was seeing how her room was going.Also how far along her sister was.

Words like 'great friend' were so odd to hear to Elliot. She heard it a lot from her own friends. Key words-her own friends. But before Hogwarts, she had been a bratty little tattle tale. And not a very good friend at all. And when she came to Hogwarts for the first time, she still wasn't really a great friend.

But now, she had been hearing it from everyone- Cora, Jayden, Hannah...Maxwell. Elliot was a bit overwhelmed. She didn't honestly think it was in her nature to be a 'good friend.' But she was staunchly loyal...is that what made a good friend? Elliot didn't know.

Moral of the story, Elliot liked these words. And she even smirked when she heard them. She even chuckled and rolled her eyes about the parties thing. "Yeah, yeah, so you missed me. The feelings...mutual." There. It sounded cold, far away, but she was actually telling Presley that she missed her too. And she still sounded like Elliot. so there.

But there was something in her stomach...like a weight..."Pres, have you made up with your father yet?" she had been dying to know...and wondering what Presley was going to do...


Just then an owl flew down...it was intended for Presley, of course. Elliot frowned at the thing...it wasn't flying away..."Hurry up and feed it a treat so it'll go away..." she snapped at Presley, but the snappish wasn't meant for her, it was meant for the stuuupid owl.

"Who's that from, hmmm?" she asked curiously, raising her eyebrows.

Presley was surprised that this letter was being delivered to her now, instead of at breakfast. But she'd been expecting the letter, a reply to her own. From her brother's fiance. Whatever she wrote, Presley hoped it wasn't to the effect of 'You're rude and I hate you, I'm glad your brother is finally on my side, don't write to me again.' Because one more person against her, Presley couldn't handle that right now. She took the letter from the familiar looking Owl and fished in her bag for some treats. When she handed a couple to the post owl her own owl, Mercury flew down and nipped at her fingers in indignation. Presley sighed and fished out a couple more for him. "Thanks," she said to the post owl, nodding.

She grinned. Elliot had missed her too. She suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore. Because she had Elliot Morganzo on her side, and there wasn't any other friend Presley would rather have told about her problem. "Yeah, I guess I missed you," she laughed lightly.

Had she made up with her father. Absolutely not. No way. "I'm thinking about cutting him out of my life entirely," she admitted. "I don't want to worry about him and his opinions, and I definitely don't want him to control my life." But she would wait for Elliot's thoughts on the matter before taking any action.

Bah, Stop with the mush, please! Elliot rolled her eyes, and took a step towards the huge window...it was a pleasant day, wasn't it? She wondered how it was in France. "What's the weather like in France right now?" she asked randomly, but in her mind, it wasn't. Was Dani wearing a coat if it was cold? Was she being good? How was her French? She had been thinking these things a lot lately.

she sounded like her mother. And it scared Elliot just a bit.

jKFKHFKHFKRHFHPKG;LMGNEKGHUI

NO! Elliot grabbed the other girl's wrist..."You can NOT do that! No! It would social suicide...and plus, Miss Black, it would be appalling to your family. You'll be blotted off the tree, go down in history as one of the worst Blacks EVER! Even worse than being in Hufflepuff!" she cried, not caring that Presley's cousin Awar was in Hufflepuff...because Elliot didn't even like her.

Sure, Elliot disliked her father sometimes...disliked the control he had on her life, disliked having to live in the obscure mountains of Scotland awaaaay from society because of his job(though, granted, their manor was amazing!) disliked having a little brother, and mostly disliked how little she got to see of her idol, she could never abandon her family. Never. It was almost like ...no, THE worst thing someone could do, in her book. "We'll have freedom when we grow up. We will." She sounded hopeful...but she didn't know if she even believed the words.

And then, "Where would you live, anyways, Presley. You're always welcome at my house, but you know the complications of that. And if you DO cut him off..." she sighed, and lowered her voice..."My father might not let me be friends with you. Not that I would listen to him...but..." it just wouldn't be right.

Presley just coouldn't!!!!

The weather in France seemed like such a random question. They were discussing whether or not they were friends, and all of the sudden the topic was weather? Presley shrugged. "I don't know. It's October, so probably around 12 degrees." She looked at Elliot quizically. Where had that question come from? "Maybe just a bit warmer than it is here." Because Scotland was definitely freezing as it got later into October.

When Elliot grabbed Presley's wrist it startled her and she yanked her hand away. It wasn't intended as rude, it was just a reflex reaction. Pres had never known Elliot to grab her wrist before. That was normally what Presley did. But Elliot's words were sound. Presley's rash and upset judgement hadn't accounted for all of the potential reactions if she did do that. Elliot was right. She would have to make up with her father. There was no other option.

"Freedom?" Presley's tone questioned Elliot's sanity. They would never have freedom. "Elliot, even if we manage to reach adulthood without our families controlling our every social move, we live in the public eye. We can't be free. Because that implies that we can do whatever we want, and nobody will care. It's not true. People will always be paying attention to what we do, and they won't hesitate to give that information to the world in the worst possible light." She shook her head. Unless they managed to permanently change who they were..."We can't ever be free." she repeated.

Presley nodded. "You're right. Of course you are. I didn't think about those things." She took a deep breath. "I'm just so mad at them" she said in frustration. "But you're right. I have to make up with them. Otherwise I'm doomed." Okay, it sounded a bit dramatic, but it was true. If she thought her life was hell now, it was nothing compared to what it could be if she publicly disowned her father. She would write him a letter today. She had to. "I need to write to him." But what on earth would she say to make it better? She'd had diplomacy lessons when she was young, but they had never applied to her father before. She turned to Elliot, trusting her completely for just a second. "Will you help me write the letter? I want it to sound right." And Elliot was good with words.

Elliot's face was a bit...worried. She heard her say twelve degrees...that was cold! She gasped..."I didn't tell Dani to start dressing heavier...do you think she's that thick? She better not being going outside too much! I mean, for Merlin's sake-" but she suddenly stopped her yapping...she definitely sounded like Josey now. And Elliot didn't like sounding like her mother. But Presley said something about it being warmer...than here. "Oh." RIiiight. Scotland=colder than France. She felt foolish...

Immensely foolish.

She eyed Presley, her face even more lined with worry than before, as she yanked her hand away from her...hmpphh!

Whatever!

The public eye? This is where Elliot disagreed..."Public? You think our lives are public? To an extent..they are. But we have our secrets. My father-" she lowered her voice..."Presley...what he does...is illegal. If by public you mean in the noble social circle, then yes, we are public...but there are very few of us left." Elliot didn't think her family's darkest secrets were even remotely known to Elliot, much less the whole noble circle.

How wrong she was, really. Little did she know the full extent of the knowledge that gossiping ladies had at tea...

Thoughts of her father spiraled out of control, now...and before she knew it, she began again, "Not many people know about us. So breaking a few rules will upset the 'socialites?' Right. As if they truly matter. You can ruin your reputation as much as you want as long as you learn to talk. Sweet talk it, my father calls it..." her eyes were bit watery...glazed over, even, as she remembered the conversation moooonths and months ago. Before he left for business, last Christmas..."If you can smooth talk your way out of it, you can even cheat on your wife," she quoted, and she didn't even realize she said it. And when she did, she felt her eyes water BIIIG time and she quickly turned away from Presley, pretending to fix something in her robes, as she let a few silent tears slide down. She blinked, though, and they were gone. But she didn't dare look at Presley yet.

Looks like she hadn't managed to do the whole 'hide your true feelings' thing yet, like her father did so well.

When Pres asked her to help...Elliot turned back around, a small smirk on her face. "Of course. Like I said, we Morganzo's specialize in the...speaking area." And hopefully Presley would utterly too busy to notice the EXTREME slip of tongue Elliot just had.

Presley rolled her eyes. Yes, they all had secrets, but secrets didn't make you free. Not caring about what others would say if they knew your secrets, that's what made a person free. Presley chuckled. It was true, sweet talking could get you anywhere. but she gasped as Elliot said something else, and turned around. She moved around to look Elliot in the face and was shocked to see tears on the usually sarcastic face. "Oh, God Elliot," She whispered making ends meet quickly in her head. "Is that what..." What Elliot had been upset about? What she knew or suspected her father had been up to all summer?

This didn't look good at all. "What aren't you telling me, Elliot?" Presley asked. She hadn't known the other girl was capable of crying. So what was making her cry now?

Elliot sniffled, but there weren't anymore tears. She had composed herself. ONE stupid second of weakness, and she cries. Elliot didn't like one bit. SHe would ask her father about that. She needed more training in hiding her emotions.

"Nothing. He didn't tell it wasn't true. Presley..." she sighed. "I would rather us just forget about it...if we could. But if you want to know...it's not a long story." She didn't like talking about this. Because her mother...and her father...were so completely normal. And it drove her mad to think that her mother was so stupid. And that because her father was Darius Alexander Morganzo he could get away with anything.

There were some things Elliot didn't think he should be forgiven for.

"We have a secret office, behind the bookshelf. It's a biiig secret. So please don't tell anyone. It's where my father conducts business..." she found herself saying. Great. Now Hannah AND Presley knew about it. But she knew they wouldn't dare betray her trust..."He tells us not to be anywhere in the sitting room when he's in there...well..." she stuttered a bit..disobeying a direct order..her father had been furious...it made her wince to think back at his anger..."One I spied on him...I just want to know what exactly he does!" Her eyes had furrowed, and her face looked flushed...She was a Ravenclaw...she was bound to be super curious..."And...and he has..." she couldn't even finish the sentence. "Women." Was all she could get out.

And then he found out, and Elliot had been....punished within an existence of her life. And she forgave him. Completely. Which also confused her greatly. "He told me it's for business. He said that sometimes he needs...females...to help him along. But I don't believe him! And my mother....she heard us talking. But she believed him that I was lying..." and it didn't help that her mother was all hormonal from the baby...and was super suspicious of Elliot pretty much all the time. "But it's all really confusing, because I definitely know my father loves my mother. He probably loves her more than me...." She took a deep breathe. Presley was the first person she had actually told the entire story to. Hannah had only gotten a tiny sliver of it.

She turned around from Presley and pressed her forehead against the cool stone and closed her eyes. Confusion. The whole entire damned year seemed to be confusion. "Why...why is he so confusing? Why can't I be normal?" she sounded pretty desperate...."And hey," she quickly whipped around..."You tell anyone, Black, and I will flay you alive." She growled, narrowing her eyes. "Only you and Hannah know, so yeah." And if Presley said one word against Hannah Elliot might blow.

Being vulnerable did NOT suit Elliot.

She sniffled one last time, and hardened her features. Like smooth, smooth stone. She blinked a few times, and felt herself calming down a bit. "Let's write the letter." Although, Elliot's mood had downcasted....

Presley waited, and listened with rapt attention as Elliot described spying and what she'd seen. Her eyes grew really wide. Presley's father had not even flirted with another woman in years, and Presley's mum wasn't alive like Elliots. It must be so horrible for Elliot. Pres knew that her father was her idol. She couldn't imagine having your idol torn down like that.

Instead of Presley's typical response, which would have been along the lines of 'I'm so sorry Elliot.' She turned to her friend with fire in her eyes. "What are we going to do about it?" She asked. There was a reason that the sorting hat had almost put her in Slytherin.

Presley would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. "Of course not." Minor things, Pres had no problems telling, but for anything bigger than a tiny problem, Presley Lynne Black could keep a secret like nobodies business. There were things even Elliot didn't know about Presley. Things Leo didn't know, and many many things her father didn't know.

She had told the stupid Lockwood girl before Pres? Come to think about it, Presley had been a bit preoccupied with her own issues, and the two of them hadn't been speaking lately. So it made sense that Elliot would run to the second best.

She nodded. "Thanks, Elliot." She replied. "And hey, you're a Morganzo. Keep your head up." She said with a small smile.

What are we going to do about it?! Elliot's eyes widened..."Keep our mouths shut, that's what. There are some things worth fighting for. Like your situation," she said, and she let her face relax, "And others...you didn't see him when he..found me spying..." she shuddered a bit, and rubbed her upper arm unconsciously. "He was very angry. Is that why he's so...distant from me? Does he think I'm going to tell anyone, or something?" She was just SO CONFUSED. Like epicly confused. Beyond all the confusion she had ever felt. "And I haven't told Dani, and she would have told me! But I c-c-can't get him that mad at me again! I have to be perfect, Presley! I have to be!" she sounded hysterical, now, and her blue eyes were widened.

She began to pace..."That's why when I asked you to stay over, I felt like such a rebel...and I liked it...because...I've been trying to perfect for so long, and even more so since the birth and Christmas..." She wasn't facing Presley, and she was more talking to herself...

She then zipped around, locking her eyes onto Presley. "I AM a Morganzo. And...maybe I'll write to him. Tell him to really explain what he was doing and WHY. And I am going to show him what perfection is. I am going to be so much better than any son will ever be." Determination was etched into her eyes.

"You want to write it here or in the common room? Come on, I'm ready..." she said with a sharp nod..."Oh, and you better not feel sorry for me. Because I'm fine." She glared at Presley as she said this...

Presley wasn't sure what to do. Elliot was acting psychotic. Granted her situation was awful,but she was pacing, and ranting, and crying, and Presley wasn't sure what to do. So she stood there with only her eyes moving wildly around the room searching for ideas. Pres didn't point it out, but if Mr. Morganzo thought Elliot was going to tells someone, he was right. She'd just told Presley, and apparently Hannah Lockwood. Presley's mouth twisted in a wry smile. "I know," she said. Elliot had to try so hard for perfection. She was constantly in competition. Not something Presley had had to worry about. Oh Presley had to be perfect, but if she wasn't, it wasn't the hugest deal to anyone but herself. It was more for Elliot.

Her bright blue-green eyes widened. Elliot hadn't told her she was wanting to rebel. Because the reason for thier argument was that Pres didn't want Elliot to be in trouble. "You didn't tell me that." she halfway accused.

Finally she nodded. This was a good conclusion. Be better than expectation. "Good," she said, her eyes still blazing. "And we better write it up in the common room. Let's go."

Presley held back a laugh. If Elliot was fine, then Presley was a Hufflepuff, but she didn't want to add to her friends...emotional breakdown. So she held back the laugh and said "I'm not feeling sorry for you. I'm a little worried, that's all." And worry was Presley's constant companion, so it wouldn't surprise or anger Elliot that Presley was so worried.