Botros cooed at the little ball of fur and tried to pet it. Pomeranians were just so beautiful to watch! "Aw, such confidence justifies the way his white fur is standing up." He chuckled and sat back, folding his hands in his laps over the books. "Feo, yes. He's my Crup. Staying at my granddaughter's this term, though. He seemed to fare better in Alexandria's climate." It was probably just the kids he could play with. "Kept me company and busy when I needed distractions here." A nostalgic sigh escaped the old man's mouth.

Of course, yes, not much time. "That's common in your age." He remembered the professor's pregnant days in Hogwarts, she was a mother, a head of house and a professor here. Barely any time to sit and read a book. "Definitely. I spend more time with my runic lines than actual books. The time of English books have passed for me ever since I started teaching in Cairo." The grin on his face proved that it was a pleasant thing for him. "I believe those are... comics." His eyebrows knotted together, and he extended his hand with one of the thin books to the Herbologist. Mister Gunter used to be in love with those, bless his soul.

Those words and the sigh was enough to give Alec the indication that things hadn't been great last year. He felt sorry for the guy, really. OWLs sucked and NEWTs probably weren't that much better. Shame. But he could understand why those words were said and why that sigh had followed afterwards. Nudging the boy gently, he said, "Hey, they're over with, yeah? You don't have to do them anymore." And he was going to believe that Terry had done BRILLIANTLY in them because this was Terry. The guy was smart, according to Alec.

See? Smart. It did depend on those two things that the blonde had gon on to mention. "I... hope they don't misbehave. I'm not exactly scary, am I?" Small grin. The scary one was Ells, all the way. Or Hulk. And Alec was hanging onto the hope that the sight of the HB badge was enough to make some of the younger ones think he was scary. "Yeah? It'd be good practice for them when one or two become the Head Boy and Head Girl." The same practice that Curly Wade had given to him last year. ... Chuckle. "Guess that means you should enjoy this year while it lasts, then."

So Terry was looking for company? "Awesome. I... didn't really want to leave you alone, in the first place," Plus, it had been a while since he had last seen or talked to the Slytherin properly. ... Had he mentioned that before? Probably.

The Hufflepuff let out a bark of laughter at Terry's next words. "Looks like you've thought this through," He was right, there was no way he could hide. "What if... what if I came up with a disguise? Think you can find me then?"

Sander found himself walking along the lake until he came upon a tall Beech tree. This looked like the perfect spot for him to relax and look out at the Black lake. He wished it was already winter time, because even though the Room of Requirement was fitting his needs right now, he longed to be out on the open skating on this huge lake.

Sitting down on the grass, he leaned up against the Beech Tree. Tessa had told him to meet her here. He laughed to himself. He had a suspicion that it had something to do with the bet they had made when they raced their boats the other day. He wondered whether she had decided what her wish was going to be.

Sander closed his eyes, and basked under the rays of the Autumn sun.

Tessa skipped down to the lake, and then turned so that she was heading toward the Beech tree. SHe would have run, but her run had been getting slower and slower... it was frustrating to no end.

Those thoughts left her mind when she saw Sander sitting against the tree. She grinned, and paused in her steps as she pondered the best way to approach. Slowly, she walked forward and grinned when she saw that his eyes were closed. She snuck over to one side of him and gently, like a small breeze, blew in one ear. Sneaking silently to the other side of the tree, she blew on his other ear.

She waited a moment, and then jumped around the tree to land, sitting, right beside him. "HI SANDER!" she called, despite being merely a foot from him.

If there was one thing that could be said about Alec, it was that he was one of the kindest people Terry knew. It was no wonder that he was Head Boy. The Slytherin smiled and nodded at Alec’s reassurance. He wasn’t down, it was just the thought of exams that were enough to depress anyone, whether they were studious or not. “Thank goodness for that” he chuckled. It was stressful enough having to revise for the entirety of last term, he really didn’t fancy doing it again for another year. “What about yours though? How is your studying going?” he questioned. He was sure that Alec would breeze his NEWT’s but even the smartest of students worried over the imposing examinations.

“Yeah I’m afraid you are probably one of the least intimidating people I know” he laughed brightly. “Though I’m sure just the idea of you being so ‘powerful’ is enough to scare the life out of some of the youngest.” Because lets face it, Alec was too nice to be scary. He agreed with Alec over the sixth year prefects. “Exactly. And its basically in their duties isn’t it?” Plus the seventh years deserved help, it wouldn’t be fair to leave them to do everything themselves. “Yes, that’s what I’m planning on doing. Getting all my socialising and relaxing in now whilst I can and then spending next year cramming in my studies” Though hopefully this time he’d organise his time a little better and still find time to hang about with his friends.

He chuckled at Alec’s admission. “I’d be a rubbish friend if I turn you away anyway.” The point of friends were to keep you company. “And I feel like we need to catch up! It feels like ages since I’ve properly socialised with anyone and being your last year its not like we’ll get many other opportunities.” Kind of sad really.

The sixth year tried to envision what kind of disguise Alec would be able to adorn in the middle of the school. “You are forgetting that I am the Slytherin. Its in our nature to be cunning. You’d find it very difficult to get around me.” It was one of the most emphasised traits that the Snakes had although Terry was sure that there were hundreds more that were more apt for the majority of the students in the house.

Sander felt something tickle his right hand, and he waved at it to shoo it away. It didn't even dawn on him that it might those pesky ear hairs that kept appearing every morning when he woke up...that and his nose hairs and his pesky goatee. He was now reduced to waking up earlier than he usually did just so he could spend time shaving and trimming.

Then he felt something tickle his other ear. "What the heck!! Can't these bugs leave me alone? he grumpily thought to himself as he waved his hand to brush them away.

Then he nearly jumped out of his skin when Tessa loudly announced her arrival. He immediately sat up and opened his eyes. "Was that you blowing in my ears?" he asked her now realizing what was going on. He bumped his shoulder against hers.

"You would make a good ninja. All quiet and stealthy. And hello back at you." Sander turned to smile at her. It was only then did he realize how close she was sitting next to him. All he needed to do was lean a little closer to her and their faces would be touching.

....and even without thinking Sander discovered that was exactly what his body was doing. His face was getting closer and closer to hers.

'Stop that Sander. You don't want to embarrass her in front of all these people here. There's a time and place for everything...and this is not the place.' Sander chided himself as he quickly straightened up to lean against the tree.

"So have you decided what wish you want me to fulfill?" he bumped his shoulder against hers again, as he waited for her reply.

Tessa resisted the urge to laugh as she saw Sander wave toward his ears. It took her a moment to compose herself, and that's when she took the seat right next to him. She sat there, grinning as Sander jumped and looked at her, trying to appear innocent. However, in the back of her mind, she knew that he could probably see the mischief in her smile.

Her guess was right. "You caught me," she said, sighing as she slumped back against the tree. However, her smile soon returned. "I probably would. However, I fear I have been taken by a different calling," she said dramatically, but ruined the effect with a giggle at the end. "However, it makes it fun when I need to sneak up someone," she added, winking at him. But, as he turned, her smile faded slightly. Not in a bad way, she was just... distracted. Sander was right there. A breath away from her. All she had to do is lean forward and-

Hold on there Tessa, she scolded herself. Lux's words kept echoing in her mind, and once again her traitorous eyes flicked down to Sander's lips. But, his question once again pulled her out of her own little world.

"Yes, I have decided," she said with a grin. "For as long as I've been here, and as much as I've explored the inside of the castle... I haven't explored the outside much. So, I would like to do that with you- on one condition." This was the kicker. "I want a piggy back ride," she told him with a grin.

If it were even possible, Caltex puffed his chest out, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he received more attention. Seren just eyed the pup, shaking her head lovingly at him. Spoilt pup. Big ego. So fluffy. But aaaww, Feo sounded a darling, "Well I'm sorry he's not here, I'm sure Caltex would have appreciated a friend to play with." Unfortunately he and the fanged geraniums weren't on the best of terms recently.. both seemed to be getting nip-picky. "If you ever need a distraction though, or a foot warmer, you're always welcome to borrow this one..." and get him out of her hair for a short while. Come to think of it, he'd never been in the actual castle itself. Would likely pee on everything in sight.

Among those her age? She supposed it were true.. which got her thinking, she was aging. It wasn't something she'd considered before. Shaking the somewhat depressing thought from her mind, Seren gave the topic of reading some more thought, particular with runes. "Sorry to say, runes had been one of my poorer subjects as a student.. so I can admire your patience with the subject." Reading it and knowing it was hard enough, teaching it... that was a whole other challenge. Extending her hand, Seren took the book Botros held out to her. It was thin, and well illustrated.. "I can't say I'm familiar with comics.. but it's uuhh... visually dynamic at least," she noted, flipping through and glancing at the pretty pictures.

Sander couldn't take his eyes away from Tessa. She was so beautiful sitting right next to him. He noticed her eyes flick down to look at his mouth and his automatically darted down to look at hers. They were so close. All he needed to do was lean over slowly.....

But then the moment was lost when Tessa told him what her wish was. Sander blinked at her in surprise thinking that she was teasing him, but when he saw her grin, he knew that she wasn't. He could help but laugh.

"You're not joking right? You want me to give you a piggy back ride around the grounds." he asked just to confirm that was the case.

"Uh how much do you weigh?" he grinned at her even as he began sizing her up. Nah! she most likely weighed like a feather. Besides he probably bench pressed a lot more than she weighed.

"Okay your wish is my command. Just remember though, I still have my wish you need to fulfill," Sander told her, deviously wagging his eyebrows at her.

Bending down, he offered her his back, "Okay get on. Your ride awaits you," Sander turned his head to look up at Tessa.

It was safe to say that Botros adored the little pup already, with his sassy attitude and white fur. He was looking at him with sparkly eyes when his companion commented. "Maybe next terms." He smiled at her, having Feo spend time with this little puppy was rather optimistic. He wouldn't need to ask the librarian to waste time taking him out for walks. Botros chuckled at her offer. "Thank you. That's very generous of you." His hands toyed with the comic left in his lap.

Aww! That was such heartbreaking news to him. But he appreciated the herbologist's apologetic attitude, so he went ahead and patted her hand. "Sadly a lot can relate to this. I guess you just need the right mentor to take your hand and show you the ancient world of magic and runes." Ab laughed, a little color seeping into his wrinkly cheeks. He didn't mean himself, but the point still stands. "A bunch of former students of mine were really interested in some. They made runic comics, even. About the norse gods and their relation with some runes. It was very creative and refreshing." He shared with her, flipping through his own comic book. "Those have been slightly ruined though." Doodles and scribbles everywhere. Alas.

She could feel herself getting pulled into whatever it was that Sander did to her. Quickly, she looked away and out toward the Lake, the woods, the castle... anything to help. It only worked slightly.

She watched Sander's expression at her request and a smile played on her lips. It was random, she knew, but it was fun! He looked confused for a moment, but his laugh shattered her worries.

"Why would I be joking?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow. "It would be fun, you're strong, and I'm not that heavy," she said, indicating her lean, muscled form. "Have to be quick as a Chaser," she added with a grin.

"SANDER!" she exclaimed, and gave him a soft smack on the chest. "You never ask a girl that!" she scolded, but a smile was threatening to show through her disapproving frown. She turned away from him, fighting the smile further. Thankfully, Sander had continued.

"YES!" she exclaimed, jumping up. "You're wish, huh?" she said, grinning. "Well, I'm sure it will be just as awesome!" Gently, she placed her hands on his shoulders. She looked at him to make sure he was ready and then nimbly hopped on his back. After all, she hopped on a broom hundreds of times- this wasn't any more difficult. "Okay, where to?" she asked, giggling. "Wow, the weather is different up here- I always wondered!" she teased.

"Ouch! Woman why are you always smacking me?Sander feigned disapproval as he rubbed his chest even though it was more to feel the place where her hand had touched his chest rather than that it hurt. But he could hide the grin that was fighting to be released.

"Ooomph! Are you sure about that weight thing?Sander asked the moment she jumped on his back. Sander suddenly felt breathless. This was the first time they were that close to each other. He couldn't stop smiling. Hitching her up higher on his back, he placed his hands under her bottom to keep her safely on his back and began jogging.....right into a low lying branch.

"Heads up! Watch out for that branch!" Sander called up to Tessa as he tried to straighten coordinate his legs with the rest of his body.

"Okay I think I've got control of the steering now. Tally Ho," Sander began walking with Tessa on his back. "If my lady looks over yonder, she will see the magnificent Black Lake." Sander started a running commentary.

"Because you deserve it!" Tessa shot back, hiding her grin. "Act like the gentleman you claim to me, and you'll get smacked less," she told him, crossing her arms. She almost wanted to stick out her tongue... almost. However, for the moment, she resisted.

"YES!" she retorted, giving him another gentle smack. "RUDE, Aleksander Strand. Very Rude. Wait until I tell your mother!" she teased. "OR your sisters," she added thoughtfully. "I'm sure they would have some things to say about your behavior too!" she threatened. Her teasing finished, she realized where she was. Right next to him- they had never been this close, ever. She felt her cheeks warm before she got control. It was just a piggy back ride.

She managed to refocus in time to see the branch coming. It barely phased her- she quickly ducked just like she had countless times on a broom... Sander was just slightly slower than her firebolt. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" she teased. "You're going to have to try harder than that," she teased.

"Whee!" she called as Sander began again. She looked around, still holding tight- but not too much- around his neck. "Really? A Lake?" she repeated, feigning shock. This was going to be a fun tour.

"Hey keep smacking me like that and I'm going to accidentally piggy back you into the lake," Sander turned his head to look back at her. Hitching her up higher when he began to feel her slipping down his back, he propped her back on.

He smiled. He like the way she hung on to his neck. He began jogging again. "Okay, over there you will see the magnificent castle on your left and on your ride is the path that leads down to that oval thing with those tall hoops." Sander continued his commentary deliberately making it seem like he didn't know what a Quidditch field looked like. He suspected that Tessa would have something to say about that.

"As we proceed down the path...oh I see two students who seem to look like they are wondering what we're doing. Hello," he called out waving to them before belatedly realizing that when he removed his hand from supporting Tessa bottom, she would start to slide down.

"Don't even think about it," she scolded, moving one hand up to ruffle his hair gently. When had he gotten so much grey in it? His was almost as bad as hers. At least he didn't have many wrinkles- she was really starting to see those too, around her eyes and hands. It was quite frustrating.

"Oh! A castle!" she 'ooh-ed' and 'aah-ed' as Sander passed them by, trying not to giggle too much at their silliness. This was more fun than she could have imagined. "Oval thing with tall hoops?" she asked. "What ever could those things be?" she asked, giving his hair another ruffle. He was being so ridiculous, it was great.

"Hello!" she called to anyone that was watching, before succumbing to giggles. They probably looked ridiculous, but she didn't care. They were having fun- or at least she was. She giggled as he removed his hand, but managed to stay where she was for the moment. However, if Sander didn't resume his hold, she was going to start to slide!

Sander could feel himself lurching over to the right side, because that was where he had removed his hand and now Tessa was sitting in a lopsided position.

"Hold On!" he called out to her as he quickly placed his errant hand back where he was supposed to be holding Tessa up. He was having a tough time trying to lift her up where she was falling. But he kept hitching her up, hoping that by doing that he would finally get her back into position.

So there he was hitching her up and up....and up...and up again. First she would be hanging lopsided to the right and then to the left. Then it one final attempt to get Tessa back in proper position, Sander did one BIG hitch up. He could feel Tessa bounce up and when she came sliding down, he grabbed her thighs, while leaning forward at the same time.

He was now breathing hard but it was worth the effort for Tessa was now comfortably back in position.

"Are you okay up there? Sorry for that little bumpy ride. I should have requested that you put on your safety belt," Sander turned his head to look at Tessa, with a grin on his face.

Their faces were so close that he wanted to lean over and kiss her. If only he could move his head a little closer.

Tessa felt like she was on a bucking bronco, the way Sander was bouncing her back and forth- trying to get her balanced. "Easy there," she called down to Sander. "Everything okay?" She was just about to hop off when everything seemed to settle.

"I'm fine- had worse in the middle of a game," she said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Are you alright? I can hop down if you want a break," she offered with a smile. "Psh, who needs a safety belt? I never wear one on a broom, and that's much farther up than this," she said. And, leaning forward, she planted a kiss right on his cheek.

"Now, are we on a tour or at a pit stop?" she teased.

Sander would have returned Tessa's kiss she had planted on his cheek, but in the position he was in, he would have been a contortionist to reach around an kiss her back. So he made a mental note to rectify that matter once the ride was over.

He laughed out loud when she asked whether he was taking a pit stop. He had to be honest and admit that he did really need a pit stop, but since the both of them were having so much fun, he decided that he'd proceed a little while longer.

"Let's take a guided tour along the shoreline," Sander suggested as he carefully jogged over to the water's edge making sure that he avoided tripping over any stones. Keeping a close eye in front of him, he resumed his running commentary.

"Over there on your right, you will see the beautiful waters of the Black Lake. As you can see it's not really Black but whoever gave it is name, must like that color. The Black Lake is the place of residence for the Merpeople as well as Bartholomew, the Giant Octopus...at least, that's what I've read in the History of Magic textbook," Sander explained how he seemed to know everything.

"Now if we are lucky, we might actually get to meet him for he's known to come up once in awhile. So keep smiling that pretty smile of yours and he might be attracted to it," Sander teased Tessa.

Sander was so engrossed in pointing out the Black Lake's features that he didn't see the small rock in front of him, until he tripped over it. He struggled to keep his balance, which was only made matters worse because Tessa was on his back and whenever he went, her body went right.

"Whoa....whoa...." Sander could feel himself falling sideways.

"Yes, perhaps next terms," she agreed. It was a lovely thought, and it got her thinking if any of their other colleagues had dogs as well... go figure she was beginning to feel less and less familiar with them. The changing faces hadn't helped, all thanks to poor staff retention. But on top of that, being isolated largely to her greenhouses didn't help matters either. Breakfast was far more efficient in her living quarters, and otherwise she seldom ventured into the castle unless it was for the other meals of the day, meetings or on occasions visits with her Lions or Annie.

Smile widening at Botros' touch, Seren peered at his friendly fatherly features. "I'm sure that would have made all the difference," she agreed. She'd somehow long forgotten her own Runes Professor, but that was likely because she spent at least three quarters of the lesson in a coma. "Oh well now that sounds interesting," she mused, still flipping through the comic in her hand. It was only as she looked closer that she saw some of the images had been edited, or er, modified. She could hardly agree with Ab on this one though. "No, I think it builds character," she stated, holding it up and identifying a character that had somehow sprouted a mustache and devil horns. "It adds another dimension to the story."

"Alright," she said, settling once more for a ride along the shore of the lake. She looked around, a smile playing on her lips the entire time. She had seen many of these scenes many times before, but this was different. Not just because she was riding on Sander's back, but because she was with Sander. It caused a lightness in her that she just couldn't explain.

"You're quite right, it isn't black," she replied with a laugh. "Perhaps we should protest," she replied thoughtfully. She nodded as Sander mentioned the residents of the lake. "An Octopus? I thought it was a squid," she said, giving his ear a gentle tug. "You're not lying to me, are you Sander Strand?" she asked, giving him a pointed look, followed by a giggle.

"I don't think anything can stop me smiling," she told him warmly. She was having so much fun, just the two of them- and they were just being ridiculous. PArt of the reason why she loved spending time with him.

The first misstep, Tessa didn't even notice. As Sander struggled for his balance, Tessa could tell that it was time to get off. She had been on rogue brooms before, and all of her same instincts were clamoring for a dismount. Removing her legs from Sander's hold, she jumped easily off of his back to land at his side, her hands on his arm to help steady him.

"Are you alright?" she asked him, bracing herself after her own jump. IT wasn't the steadiest footing after all.

Sander laughed when Tessa corrected his deliberate mistake of describing the giant creature that lived in the Black Lake. "Me? Lie to you? Now my lady, why would I do that," he told her before he accidentally tripped over the stone.

He fought desperately to stay upright and breathed a sigh of relief when Tessa took it upon herself to jump off his back. Held on to her arm as he steadied himself against her.

"Yes I'm alright. Are you? You jumped off awfully quick. You didn't hurt yourself doing that did you?" Sander asked her with a worried look on her face. "It was dumb of me, to come down to the shoreline. If you want we can resume back on the path," Sander offered, leaning forward so that Tessa could get up on his back.

Tree houses were for lame people who didn't know how to climb a tree. Gwen had spotted this prime tree not to long ago and had been aching for her chance to climb it. Normally it was surrounded by people, but today it was fairly empty so she put on her best climbing clothes and hurried down to the tree by the lake.

Maybe the branches were a little too high for her to grab, but that shouldn't be a problem. There was that weird box with the books in it to help out. The eleven year old backed up a few steps and got a running start, planting her foot firmly on the box and launching upward until her hands wrapped around the lowest tree branch.

She pushed her feet against the trunk of the tree, stepping them upward until she could wrap one leg around the branch she was holding. Perfect. She flipped her body over so that she was laying face-down across the branch with a huge feeling of success. She had done it!

Ian had grown tired of being indoors. Yes, they had spent time outdoors with the history of magic professor and care of magical creatures, but it wasn't the same. He had failed to account however for the time it would take him, with this hip of his. He used his cane as best he could on the slightly uneven ground and headed for the tree. He had his newest book with him about giants and was going to enjoy the pleasant weather while it remained.

As he reached the base of the tree, he looked for a nice place to settle in. He found a good place between two roots that appeared to have been used by many students. He dropped the book on the ground (which may have not been the nicest thing to do, as it belonged to the library) and settled himself slowly to the ground. He placed his cane beside him and picked up the book and returned to the fourth chapter, that was discussing the basics of giant society and governance (there wasn't really any but brute force).

Gwen carefully pulled herself to a standing position, grabbing the branch above her head. She was just calculating how best to get to the top when she heard someone beneath her. A kid with a cane? He couldn't be much older than her. So what was wrong with him? Curiosity getting the better of her, Gwen hooked her knees around the branch she was on and swung backward so she was hanging upside down, her hair falling over her face.

She brushed the blonde hair away from her eyes. "Hi," she said cheerfully. And with the tactlessness of an eleven year old, the next words out of her mouth were "Something wrong with your legs?" She was pretty sure she'd seen him in classes before. He hadn't had a cane then, right?

Ian was immersed in the book and really enjoying the parts about how the strongest giant controlled the clan. Of course it was all barbaric and primitive, but they seemed to be able to handle their own affairs. Wizards had no concept of what they were capable of and only assumed them to be mindless brutes.

Ian nearly smacked his head on the tree's trunk when a blonde head popped in front of him and spoke. He had dropped the book haphazardly and was reaching for his wand from the start when he realized it was a first year girl. He placed his hand over his heart and tried to calm his breathing when she asked about his legs. Well...he began I don't know. It started hurting one day when I woke up and perhaps had something to do with me falling from a chair. What are you doing up in that tree? Ian asked her.