Leo's initial plan to go see Javier the morning after the feast had had to been postponed to the Wednesday in the following week. He had had to organize the common room, welcome the new eagles and of course deal with the usual library craziness. Carrying a bag of freshly baked cookies Leo headed down to the barnyard to find Javy. Getting drawn to an inviting clearing of tree stumps and rocks behind the barnyard Leo made his way over to sit down on one of the large tree stumps without really second-guessing what he was doing.

Javier was curious on the matter that seemed to be going on in Leo's mind. Once the day had arrived for their meet up, Javy went outside, circling to the back area of the barnyard. Pushing through the vegetation before he saw Leo sitting down on one of the stumps.

Well, well, he brought cookies too. He placed a hand on Leo's shoulder before sitting down on the nearest stump. "Hello Leo, sorry about the wait." In case he had been here a while before him, "How are you doing?"

Sitting on the tree stump Leo just let his mind wander. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there on a tree stump behind the barnyard when Javy found him. Looking up at his mate he smiled. "I'm fine honestly. I lost myself in the scenery and my thoughts." He had a lot think about at the moment. Not everything concerned his eagles or the library.

Pushing the bag of cookies towards Javy he said. "I hope you like chocolate chip cookies? I baked them this morning so they're still hot." Glancing around the clearing he said "I like what you've done with this clearing. It's feels peaceful. Do the student's like coming here?"

Javier knew that certain of look on Leo's face as he told him. "I see." He looked out for a moment too to enjoy the scenery. It was quite nice on this particular day when the sun was out and about. "I actually do, thank you." Javy happily accepted his bag to take out a cookie to eat.. Which were indeed hot, as his eyes began to water slightly as he put it whole in his mouth to chew before swallowing. "..You were not lying on that."

Clearing his throat, "These are delicious, thank you." This time fanning another one before popping it into his mouth again. Smiling a little at his compliment "I appreciate that, thanks. The students actually have yet to discovered it. But I'm more than certain they will find it eventually." Hogwarts didn't have the reputation for shortest kept secrets for nothing. Anyway, Javy knew that wasn't the only reason for meeting up here. "So, what's on your mind Leo?" Last his ears remembered was something alluding to Cassie. Just what though, well, he would have to hear it from his good old friend.

Javy surprised him. Leo had never thought that he’d take a cookie bite straight away. When he had said that the cookies were freshly baked he thought that had implied that they were still hot. "Sorry. I thought you were going to drink some coffee or tea with the cookies." Leo apologized feeling bad.

His face cracking up in a smile at the compliment Leo beamed. "Thank you. I’m still learning how to bake but its fun." Yes, it was, especially if the cookies turned out to be delicious. Letting his gaze wander Leo said "I’ll recommend the place to those who come by the library. I know many of the students search for quiet spots to just hang out in."

Placing his hands in his lap he glanced sideways at his mate. "Honestly women. I know women are supposed to be mysterious and all but Cassie is just confusing me with the way she's been acting around me lately. It makes no sense."

Javier merely waved off his apology, "Oh, it's quite alright. I have to admit that your cookies look far too tempting to deny seeing as I hadn't had lunch just yet." Taking another cookie to eat once it wasn't as hot before smiling, "I certainly appreciate that, thanks." It was equally important to Javy to be outside while learning. It was why he recommended his students to check the library for extra resources.

Now as to Leo's predicament.. one of his eyebrows rose. Veeery curious, Javier was now on the matter. Not so much on the mention of women, but a certain woman for that matter. "Well.. how has she been acting with you?" If anyone were to know certain things with Cassie, Leo came to the right man. Considering how close he was once with her.

"Bad morning?" Leo enquired concerned. It was well after noon and Javy hadn’t eaten yet. It sounded like him when he got caught up in fixing things in the library or dealt with a mess caused by one of his eagles. "Consider it a done deal." Leo responded with fresh glance around the clearing. This could easily become one of his favourite places at Hogwarts especially when Javy was around to offer good company.

Putting his hands in his lap Leo said thoughtfully. "It's hard to put a clear finger on it Javy. But it feels like Cassie is holding back. Not being as happy snappy and well her usual self around me. If I've done or said something to make her act differently around me then I don’t know what that could be. It’s just so confusing."

Cassie not being as happy. That would be one of the more shocking revelations to Javier if he hadn't already seen her in another mood. He nodded slowly. He thought back to their own little conversation where she revealed to him about something she discovered with Leo. Add her being not as happy as before and.. yep. His mind already figured it out.

His fellow Librarian however did not know all of the pieces to discover it himself either. "Well.. from our last conversation together earlier, Cassie didn't mention anything of you in a bad light. However.." His eyes glanced around, making sure there was no other visible eyes and or ears among them. It appears as though you and Sophia have gotten even closer since the summer." Javy's eyebrows raised slightly at him, "I'm quite sure neither of you have became that close. But it seems as though not everyone realises that." Then taking another delicious cookie to bite.

Gotten even closer? Leo couldn’t believe his ears. Cassie thought that he and Sophia---. Glancing around to make sure that they were truly alone Leo spluttered out flabbergasted eyes widening to saucers. "That’s absurd! Sophia and I are best friends nothing more. She is happily married to her husband." Oh dear merlin. Was this why Cassie was acting like she was around him? She thought Leo and Sophia were more than just friends. Placing his head in his hands he murmured to his friend. "If Cassie thinks that then I suppose it can be the reason behind her sudden change in behaviour." Women were complicated.

Raising his head Leo straightened up on the tree trunk. "How are things with you and Piers?"

Making light work of Happygoody's bookload was easy when using a charm, which was what Cutty meant the entire time he was offering to carry her books for her. He could of course, being a growing boy, have manually carried them without fuss, but whatever for? So long as they were at Hogwarts it made more sense to him to use magic whilst they could.

Her leg had healed, but being unused to doing favours for the female kind he had trouble keeping pace with her as he tended to walk quickly. His own bag slung over his shoulder and carried the two jars for the activity.

Agatha was loving this. Somehow she had managed to get herself a slave. She couldn't quite understand why Cutty was actually taking her books and carrying her jar for her without charging anything for it, but she wouldn't complain.

But Morgana, his legs were longer than hers and he eventually ended up metres away from her as they walked to the grounds for their CoMC lesson. She didn't care that much, though, and kept making sure her hair was nice and tidy as they walked. It was down, as most times, and beautifully waving behind her. Morgana, she had SUCH good hair.

They were amongst he first to arrive it seemed. Cutty paused, perhaps to let Happygoody catch up, before taking a seat on one of the stumps. He'd picked one out that happened to, if he were to outstretch onto it, be near others that would give support at all the areas of the body that would need support. This was purely coincidental.

Waving his wand over toward another of the stump seats, Cutty placed Agatha's books down, then conjured a dainty lavender cloth square for her to sit in herself. Merlin, he was trying hard.

He laid back, letting the stump seats support him.

"Where did you learn that the wehld was sooch a greedy place, Agatha?" He asked out of the blue, ignoring her hair for now.

It didn't take very long for Agatha to reach Cutty when he put her books down and... conjured up a lavender cloth?

???????

The fourth year sent him a questioning look and was once again suspicious of his intentions. She was about to ask him if he really wasn't going to charge anything for that when Cutty asked a question himself. "It's life, isn't it?" She said casually as she gave him one last questioning look before smoothing her uniform and sitting on the lavender cloth on the stump. "I mean, everybody is greedy; some people more than others." Like you, Cutty. Simple as that.

He caught the questioning look and misinterpreted it as Happygoody's not-so-subtle narcissism at work. It was life. That must he agreed about. The rest of what she said he found more interesting. Everyone was greedy. "What're yew greedy about the, Agatha?"


Besides air for your head and long-winded shouting matches with people you let push your buttons.

Agatha busied herself with her hair again because it should always look perfect, of course. She used her fingers to brush her hair a little as she eyed the jars and wondered what they were for.

But Cutty was asking more questions and good Morgana, what was up with that boy today? She stopped smoothing her hair and gave him another look. This one lasted longer since she was trying to understand some things. "Why do you want to know?" Meaning: what are you intentions, Mordaunt, C.?

"I'm testing your conviction, Hapgood." He said without hesitation, then sat up so that he was again only occupying one stump. "Do you really think that everyone is greedy? Or were you just saying that?" And maybe he just found her interesting. "And maybe I just find yew interesting. Yer not like other gehls."

Truth, but face value was only worth so much when one does not consider the multiple interpretations that are possible with simple sentences. By this time, he'd turned his body so that it was facing Happygoody. He'd learned that to be effective with others.

His first sentence earned him a raised eyebrow. Testing her convictions? She watched him as he sat up as if expecting an explanation. What he said next made her shrug and look away as she casually fixed her hair again. "Of course everyone's greedy. Some people just won't say it, but everyone is." What was life without greediness anyway? Everyone really wanted something. Especially money. "It's capitalism. Everybody's bound to be greedy to some degree, simple as that. I know you know that." No need to teach him the basics, especially when he himself had his own little business going on. "And what's life without ambition?" She added, shrugging and tucking a strang of hair behind her ear.

The Slytherin looked towards the Castle and wondered how early they were. She didn't recall being this early for any lesson before. She crossed her left leg over the right one and shot Cutty another weird look when he said he might find her interesting and that she was not like other girls. "Yeah, I've heard that before." Her tone was oddly neutral and she was already looking away again as she replied, waiting to see if any other classmate was coming. She had heard it before in different ways, good and bad. She really didn't expect much meaning to be behind those words, since they were coming from Cutty.

Although since it was Cutty, she should try and find hidden meanings behind his words? ....Nah. She couldn't be bothered. "I think we're really early." Agatha commented randomly. "And what are those for anyway? The ballerina now sounded slightly patronising, as if bringing the two jars had been all Cutty's idea.

He stopped a smile before it really started when she looked away. So Happygoody was greedy, then. And not only that, but she was amongst those that didn't like admitting it. She was too shameless about everything to start being apprehensive about who and perhaps more appropriately, what she was now. How cute! How shy! How feminine!

That would come in handy later.

He eventually did smile, however when she got to the part about life and ambition. What's life without ambition? Boring, under stimulating to the point where it was almost physically painful and dreadfully unfulfilling.

"Maybe Professor Thompson will be showing us magical properties of animal dung." He said with a shrug and casual tone. Oooh, but maybe he would! It was sort of exciting. Cutty was willing to bet that not much study had been done in the field. He had an idea of exactly how to go about it as well without getting his hands full of...dung. All he needed was a Hufflepuff who didn't totally fail at potions. Annabeth Glasswell might've been a good candidate. Although she tended to have that robust quality that Cutty found would be grating for this particular project. "Better too early than too late." He said inspecting one of the jars he'd picked up and rubbing his thumb against a dirty spot, though possible to make it dirtier and not to clean it. He then tossed it into the air and whipped out his wand. "Confringo minimus!" He shot out at the thing practicing his spells and shattering it on it's midair descent.

Dude wasn't even gonna touch the 'I've heard that before' bit. He'd heard I've heard that before before.

"This is how I know you're expecting something in return." Agatha told Cutty bluntly yet casually, still not looking at him. She just couldn't think what, though, even if she tried really hard to guess. But not a problem, she would make the most of it and whenever he did request something in return, she'd think about it. And probably not do it, but he didn't need to know that part.

Animal dung? Agatha blinked and considered it. Then shrugged. It could be, but she still didn't see the exact usage of a jar for that. They could use whatever else, couldn't they? "Professors usually provide the material we need for lessons. It's odd that professor Thompson asked us to bring our own jars." She got her own jar that Cutty carried all the way from the Common Room - hah - and inspected it. She wasn't expecting nothign to happen, but Agatha Hapgood didn't do well with waiting and she was growing impatient. 'Better too early than too late.' Ehh. Maybe. She'd rather others wait for her than she wait for others.

She watched him ruin his jar. She would practice spells as well if only she knew she would get them right, but since that wasn't certain at all, she didn't try anything. Pulling an unimpressed face, she just sat there, looking at all the pieces of his jar before looking away again and feeling like she was one of those models that had their hair blown by the breeze. Morgana, her hair felt - and was - so beautiful and flowy.

"Sometimes they will, booht not always." He said, informing her. He still considered her new. She had, for the most part had the same Professors thus far, save two. And one she wasn't very likely to meet with. Unless she did play quidditch?

BWAHahahaaahahAHAHAHAHahhahhaahaHA!

"It's probably something we'll be taking back with oos." He said, standing wand in hand and popping over to where the majority of his borken jar had landed.

What the hell was she doing? Oh, sweet Merlin. She was letting the breeze blow through her hair. As he stood over the broken shards of his jar he allowed himself to glance her way before drawing his full attention back to the shards. "Reparo!" He commanded the thing to pull itself back together and it followed with tinkling and blinging from the sun.

"How were yer marks last year, Agatha?" He asked, making his way back to his skewel bahg, jar in arm as he went stepping from the flat surface of one stump to the next.

Hm. That was a piece of information she didn't know. What if she didn't have a jar to bring with her? Well, it was 'optional', but still. She wouldn't want to be the only person not to bring a jar to class. "I think they always should." She remarked, pursing her lips slightly. "If they want to teach us something, they should provide all the material necessary and not expect us to have everything they ask for." How rude! Nevermind it was 'optional'. Hmph.

Even if they might be taking whatever back with them. There was a teacher who gave them cameras, for crying out loud! Couldn't professor Thompson give them a JAR? Pshh. She shrugged in a 'whatever' way and fixed her hair, looking at where their classmates should arrive from.

The ballerina's eyes looked intense as she watched Cutty magically put the jar back together, her expression, however, was of unamusement. He had done a good job, but she didn't feel like telling him that. She could so do that too. If she practised. Sort of. Not exactly.

Whatever.

She looked back up at him when he asked his next question and studied him a bit before giving an answer. "Good." ... She was far from the top five house points earner, but she had made into fourth year, so there you have it. Good marks. Sort of. "Yours?"

From his initial analysis on Agatha, one question stood out more than the rest at this particular moment.

Where's Daddy?


She certainly seemed to emphasize an attitude of entitlement. He tended to agree. As if she were spoilt. No wanted to be spoilt. If he had no other evidence toward the contrary he'd be asking if Agatha was even her real name. And how was she related to that ogre of a groundskeeper they had last year? He was probably more her goon than anything else. Agatha wouldn't know how to have a relationship of any other kind.


But Kirkby was gone now.

"Betteh." He answered matter-of-factly as their classmates arrived and their Care of Magical Creatures class was about to begin. Cutty moved his wand toward Agatha's books and lifted them from their place on the stumps, preparing to enter into the classroom.

Jasmine went to the area behind the barnyard with her jar in hand. She found a stump that was to her liking and sat down cross-legged on it. Placing her jar on the stump in front of her, Jasmine observed her fairies for a moment. They seemed full of energy and she watched as they flitted around in circles.

"What should I call you two?", she said to herself. Of course they had to have names. That would be her first order of business. She supposed that Tinkerbell would be waaaay too obvious. Holding the jar up to her face she talked to her fairies and made sure that hey could see her face. "I guess I'm going to be your Mom for a while. I'll make sure to take very good care of you."

Jasmine decided that she should have the fairies get to know her and she would start by taking them to the places she loved most. She got up, grabbed her jar and headed off to one of her favorite spots.