Creepy place, the shrieking shack. Not exactly somewhere you'd expect to find a twelve year old who fancied herself a princess and yet, here stood Junia Botros. She'd been too chicken to get this close in the past and seeing how she'd be thirteen this year, she needed to face her fears. Or, mostly face them. She was still far enough away so that anything lurking inside the old shack would be seen way before it got to her. Facing your fears was all well in good but she wasn't looking to, like, die or anything. She had her whole life to live!

All term Hazen had been trying to avoid one Junia Botros - but not for their usual reasons. He had .. heard things, and the best condolence he could offer was to stay away from her.

However he knew he had to talk to her - not that he minded the distance actually, but somewhere at the back of his head he knew he should say something nice. Approaching her from behind, the twelve year old slid his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat to get her attention.

It was quiet here, almost too quiet. It made the hairs stand up on the back of Junia's neck and she was starting to think that maybe this wasn't such a good id-

AHLJSHLHS!

She jumped at the sudden noise, her nerves having already been on edge, and whipped around to see who was there. Her wand was drawn and her eyes were wide, though her expression changed when she saw just who it was that had arrived. Him. Of course it was him.

"Merlin, you scared me." She wrinkled her nose and lowered her wand, tucking it safely away. "You can't just sneak up on people like that, Hazen Krum."

Dora had told her to meet at the Shrieking Shack, so here Sam was, lent against one of fence posts at the bottom of the hill. She pushed up the sleeve of Dora's black jacket, worn over a ripped pair of jeans and checked shirt, and checked her watch. Yup, perfectly on time.

Whilst she waited, she nibbled on some of the chocolate she'd picked up at Honeyduke's, and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She'd braided a section across, and admittedly, wasn't too sure about it. Regardless, it was too late to do anything about it now. Dora would be honest about it when she arrived, right?

It had to be said, being ungrounded felt amazing.

After having cast a warming charm on herself and some key charms on her shoes, Dora made her way to the Shack in record time from... other places around Hogsmeade. Figures that she would be running late. She had been doing so ALL DAY. She had even been late to meet her dad... which hadn't gone over well, considering he wanted to have a "heart to heart" and all. Parents... always so well meaning, but typically annoying. Heh. But today she couldn't even be mad at him, seeing as he had ungrounded she and Sam so they could go on this adventure!

ADVENTURE TIME!

Coming up the hill there Dora spotted her friend immediately. "You're a sight for sore eyes, you know. And speaking of sore... my legs feel like they're on fire. You would think I didn't have to walk up and down a million stairs a day!" SHe knew Sam would feel her pain... Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had it tough when it came to getting around the castle.

"You look amazing, by the way," she said as she finally got close enough to throw herself into her bestie's arms and kiss her right on the mouth. Hah. A quick kiss, but a kiss nontheless.

She started fiddling with her braid again, but was soon distracted from making it look any worse by the figure headed towards her. Her lips curled up into a grin, her eyes excited.

Adventures called!

"Yeh dad didn't take you on a death march, did he?" It wouldn't have surprised her if their chatting had involved a stroll of some sort. Nic didn't seem the sort to be thrilled about sharing the Three Broomsticks with most of Hogwarts' population. "'ope you sent 'im my best."

"Not as awesome as you do," she replied, her arms easy slipping around the Gryffindor for a bestie!hug, and getting a kiss into the bargain too. A small blush came to her cheeks as she returned the gesture. "Can't decide whether to keep the braid or not. Thoughts?"

"He made me meet him at the Hogs Head... and then walk all over while I explained to him what I meant when I said I needed to find myself. He even offered to spend any amount of money it took to help me do this. Travel, whatever. It took quite some time to explain to him that it was a figure of speech..." But Merlin she loved her dad for being so awesome.

"He said next time you have to come along. If it hadn't already been said that it was heart to heart time, I would have brought you along as a buffer, you know. He sends his best, too. And this," she said as she pulled a small pouch from her jacket pocket. A pouch that jingled like money was inside. Nicolas Umbridge was just a HUGE softie.

Now it was her turn to blush, if anyone could tell due to the already pink shade to her cheeks. A Sam kiss was always a treat. Not to mention the compliment. "Love it. Keep it." Dora slipped her hand into her bestie's and tugged her closer to the fence. "So what do you think the chances are that one of those boards are loose and we can slip inside the shack?" she asked, a mischievous glint to her eyes.

Despite her raising her wand like a complete maniac, Hazen didn't flinch or back away. He merely stared, with an unimpressed look. The instinctive response to her statement was 'I can do what I want, Junia Botros' - but since he had decided not to be mean to her ---- at least this term, he blinked and refrained.

"I wasn't sneaking up on you" he stated - while he had wanted that to sound polite, it came off blank and indifferent. At least it didn't sound annoyed.

Moving on. "How are you?" he simply asked next.

Mr. Umbridge was real nice, and Sam raised an inquisitive eyebrow as Dora mentioned money and travel. "Yeh gonna take 'im up on it? It'd sure beat Hogwarts..." She was only partly serious, of course. For one because she'd miss her bestie if she decided to go to far flung places whilst she had to attend boring runes lessons.

She smiled at the invitation, and she nodded with a smile. "Course I'll come. I loves yeh dad, acting as a buffer or not." He was fair, generous and kind, and whenever she stayed at the Umbridges she always felt incredibly safe and secure. She couldn't really explain why, but she liked it a lot. And talking of generous, Sam tilted her head curiously at the pouch, taking it before she'd fully realised what it contained. She pulled the drawstring open, and gasped. "I can't take all that! I ain't even done any chores for it!" Was it for them to share maybe? She held it awkwardly for confirmation.

Which on the plus side, did stop her from fiddling with her braid again. "Honestly?" As if Dora would ever lie to her. She smiled and squeezed the Gryffindor's hand lightly. "Pretty high," she responded with a nod. She had experience with such things, having squatted in various empty buildings growing up. "...yeh Dad has definitely left town though, yeah?" No need to get regrounded from their celebration of being ungrounded.

Junia found this entire interaction to be highly suspicious. Hazen Krum was not a nice boy. He was especially unkind to her, in fact, so this whole little scene taking place was questionable. Very questionable.

"Why?" He'd never cared how she was before, so why should he care today? It didn't make any sense. "Look, if you're here to argue or something, I'm not up for it." So he could take his act elsewhere.

Was she gonna take him up on it?! Seriously. "Maybe over the summer. And only if you'll go too. Learning is more important. He just wants to make everything... okay. And well, taking me from my friends wouldn't make anything okay." Those were her thoughts on it anyway. Maybe Sam would understand. Of course she would.

The Gryffindor watched her best friend and laughed. "I'm just the messenger on this. He sent it for you. Said something about getting money for good behaviour." She really hadn't pressed the issue, nor had she checked to see how much money was inside. That was between Sam and Nic. None of her business.

"Dad knows I do stupid things sometimes. As long as I don't disobey him we're fine. And he never said anything about not going into the shack. So, by that logic, we're fine." Yep yep yep yep.

"Ready?"

She was reassured by those words; it was a well thought out plan, and she couldn't help but feel that Dora had grown in the last few months. Matured, perhaps. Was it weird to think that, as her bestie? Maybe. She was proud of it though, and did know something. "Of course I'll come wiff ya, wherever you wanna go." She grinned and nodded. "I'll be there."

Just the messenger? "But this...it can't all be for me! Good behaviour or not..." She looked into the pouch doubtfully. "You're sure he said it was feh me?" She pulled the drawstring gently closed, and put it carefully in her pocket. "Yeh Dad is the nicest man I've eveh met," she responded after a while, a smile on her lips as she came to terms with his generosity. She knew better than to go against his wishes, that was for sure. "And I fink it means drinks are on me, later."

And they were all good for exploring. Awesome! Sam grinned. "Course I'm ready..." She pushed up her sleeves in preparation. "Need a leg up over the fence?"

Anything Dora had been thinking or trying to say just kind of stuck in her throat. Like... she hadn't expected that. "You mean that? You will go with me? For reals? Where would you like to go?" Given Sam not going on holiday with her before... this meant a lot to Dora. More, perhaps, than her best friend could ever know. For REALS. The Gryffindor might have even been fighting back tears at the moment.

Probably not though. Probs just some dirt in her eyes. Yeah that.

"He was clear. That was for you." She gave a nod as she pulled Sam in closer to her side. She had no idea what her Dad had done for her... and she didn't question him often. Her best friend's words that followed brought another smile to her face. A soft one. "He is really the greatest. But he doesn't treat you anY differently than he does me or Al, you know. You.. you do know that, right?" She was sure Sam would reject the money if she thought Nic was treating her... better than the rest of them.

But that wasn't the case. He loved Sam just like family.

A leg up? FOR REAL? Dora shot her friend a GLANCE before scaling the fence with ease. No need for assistance. She might not have grown up quite like Sam had, but she knew how to climb and snoop around just fine! "Waiting on you, mate!"

Sam nodded and squeezed Dora's hand. Of course she meant it. 100%. She couldn't and wouldn't turn her friend down a third time. "I don't mind. Wherever you want to go. Hot or cold. As long as it involves adventures with you, it don't matteh to me." She'd seen so few places, she'd only be sticking a pin in a map at random to choose anyways.

She nestled into her friend's side, too touched to say anything straightaway. "'e shouldn't feel the need to treat me at all..." she said quietly, though she was glad to hear that it was only the same as his children. She'd be quite upset if he was spoiling her because of her upbringing or the like. She'd very much liked the idea of doing chores for an allowance over the summer. "I'll write 'im fanks later. But I'm serious 'bout those drinks." No good having the money if she couldn't share it with others.

And that glance told Sam everything. With a laugh, she easily hopped over the fence and skipped past Dora towards the shack. "Check the windehs first, I reck'n."

Dora tried to hide her smile, but failed. Simply squeezing her hand back she nodded. "We can plan over the rest of term and tell Dad when we get home. Anywhere in the whole world, Sam." How was THAT for adventure? Dora was already thinking of places in her head, swirling images she had only seen in books.

"OH hush. You're family now. Learn to deal with it. You'll have presents under the tree and a stocking like the rest of us," she explained as Sam nestled I to her side for a moment. "Okayyy. Cocoa on you later. Sheesh." So pushy! The blonde shot her bestie a cheeky grin and laughed as she then watched her skip up ahead.

"Windows first and then we try the doors?" Although she was certain they could Jimmy a window board loose first... and then climb in through the window. No harm in having a look around, was there? Hehehe.

"Find one yet," she asked as she moved up beside Sam and peeked around in front of her.