GAMES! A GAMES AREA!

Did that mean they could play Quidditch there? THAT WAS AWESOME, PROFESSOR NEWT WAS AWESOME!

The thing was, Matt didn't have a broom so he couldn't fly. There was also nobody else there, so that might make things a bit more difficult too.

He saw some decks of Exploding Snap, which were pretty cool, but he wanted QUIDDITCH. Was that SO WRONG?

He didn't think so.

The third year then climbed onto the windowsill and got ready to jump over the table. He didn't have a broom, but he WAS going to fly, alright. The Muggle way, but FLYING NONETHELESS.

"TIMBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!"

Olivia might've had a daredevil streak running through her at least a mile wide, but ... Well, she could never be accused of being dumb. Dangerously dumb. NOT THAT SHE WOULD EVER CALL SOMEONE THAT WORD, but ... What in the hack was Matty doing?!

She'd mosey'd into the game room to find a board game for herself and Trixe to play over some tea and snacks, but came upon the sight of Matty Solo jumping off the windowsill. Yea, there was a table there, but ... Well, if he fell into that, it was going to really hurt, you know. There'd be bruises.

Hmm.

Not trying to interrupt whatever he was doing, Liv took a seat and watched him jump. Maybe he had a plan? She hadn't been there before. Maybe he'd charmed the table to be soft or something.

His friend had been so quiet in sitting down to watch him that Matt didn't realise there was anyone else in the room. Besides, he was more focused on his landing for obvious reasons. If he had to end up in the Hospital Wing, so be it, but it wasn't like it was his priority. Sill, there were no cushioning charms or enchantments of anyyyy kind. NOPE. Matt was TOUGH and didn't need any of that. He was going against the hard floor and table as an obstacle. He could DO IT.

It wasn't like he had never done that before anyway. Having grown up climbing all the furniture in his house - and other people's houses - jumping off a windowsill was a piece of cake. He had done MUCH WORSE things and ended up breaking loads of stuff in the process, including a few bones, but that wasn't the point.

HE WAS OFF!

Being mid-air was WICKED and he could only wish he was able to stay there for longer. But alas, he didn't have a broom with him nor had he eaten any Fizzing Whizzbees. So hello, floor!

If anyone had not seen him doing this before, it would be clear now that it wasn't his first time jumping off that particular windowsill either. He went overrrr the table and as soon as his feet landed on the ground, his whole body bent forward and he did an EPIC somersault, finishing on his feet again, arms stretched above his head in a starfish pose.

TADAH!!! Thank you, thank you. To no one in particular because he still hadn't notice Liv sitting there behind him.

He was delightfully MAD, he was! Liv didn't know whether to be impressed or flick his nose. Settling on being impressed, though, because that landing had been perfection, the blonde jumped to her feet and began thunderously applauding!

Brava! BRAVA!

"I usually only climb trees but that was intense just watching it." YUP. Gosh.

Pretending he wasn't startled by the applause would be pointless, because Matt JUMPED and let out a "WUT?" before turning around to see WHATHEHECK was happening.

Oh. Oh! HAHEHEHE! "You're stealthy, you know that??" He said, using one open eye to aim his pointy finger at her. "I didn't see anyone here when I came in! How LONG have you been here for?" And more importantly: "Why didn't you jump with me??"

"My legs have been hurting pretty badly lately." Liv admitted to her daredevil friend. What a silly boy Matty Solo was. VERY SILLY, and a touch crazy. Not that she was judging, mind. Nope, she very much appreciated his insanity.

You know, for entertainment purposes.

Lifting up her legs to cross them beneath her bum, because she was getting comfortable at this point, Liv patted the space next to her. "It would really hurt to land on them too hard right now." It was painful enough simply trying to dance with these legs lately, which was inconsiderable given that she was a ballerina.

"Interested in playing a game, then?" They were both here.

Okay so... Dora had decided she was OVER studying. Over girl dramas. O V E R being mopey. So with a newer vigor, she made her way into the games area and smiled to herself. There was no one in there at the moment, so it was a DOUBLE score! Yassss!

As she reached the center of the area, eyes sweeping over all of the games, she gave a giggle and flopped into the floor. On her back, arms spread wide, smile in place. Yep. She felt freer than she had in awhile, but there was someone missing.

Zeke.

She hadn't seen him much. Maybe his girlfriend had made him not want to be her friend anymore... she was mean to Dora. Totally unprovoked, too. Sighs. That was often the case anyway. Closing her eyes she pushed some of her mane of blonde hair from her face and WILLED Zeke to come find her.

W I L L E D.

It worked sometimes. Heh.

Likewise, he'd had enough of studying. And while he did enjoy spending time with Maggie, she was otherwise engaged which left him to his own devices. Naturally the seventh year was on the lookout for something FUN to do. Games, while fun, wasn't exactly what he was after though. No, he needed an accomplice to whatever mischief was going to ensue.

Snacking on a packet of Bertie Botts, Zeke descended the stairs to the common room and meandered about in search of someone. With the taste of pineapple and something he couldn't quite put his finger on, Zeke paused and observed the blonde that was sprawled on the floor.

Aaaaawwwww, she looked peaceful. TOO peaceful.

"You look like you're having too much fun without me," Zeke pouted, flinging a couple of flavoured beans at her. Had she fainted from a lack of sugar? If so, he could help with that.

WHOA.

WHOOOOOOAAAAA!!

As soon as Dora heard his voice she opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look at him, eyes wide. Like... she was a Jedi, right? She had used the Force, yeah? She HAD to write to Airey IMMEDIATELY! This was the coolest thing she had ever seen.

But, as it turned out, with her mouth agape as such... a Bertie Bott bean went straight into her mouth. While this usually would have made her happy, this particular bean went straight down her windpipe and caused her to start hacking.

THIS WAS IT. THIS WAS HOW SHE DIED! DEATH BY JELLY BEAN!

It was a strange thing, to see someone react in a way which might also result in their death. A gaping mouth which he assumed was only her shock surprise at hearing his voice, suddenly, SO SUDDENLY, resulting in her choking to death.

The bean flicking was in no way intended to suffocate Dora, and yet, that's exactly what it appeared to be doing.

HE WAS KILLING DORA!

It didn't take long for Zeke to recover from the shock of witnessing whatever had just happened. Was he cursed? Was she? With swift abandonment the packet dropped from his hands as he fell to his knees on the floor beside her, hands scrambling for his wand.

Like, he looked super heroic right now, yes?

"Anapneo!" he cast with fervour, his intent trained on expelling the bean from her airway. She wasn't allowed to die. It was forbidden.

Dora had always heard that in the moment before death ones entire life passed before ones eyes... that was untrue. All she could think about was she didn't want to have to go to the hospital wing with dirty hair and no makeup. Odd thing to think about considering the situation. But then again, that probably meant she wasn't going to die.

As soon as Zeke said the incantation, the bean flew back out of her throat and pinged on the wall opposite them. Dora took a deep, gasping breath and sat up straight. "Bloody hell... I almost DIED!" she exclaimed DRAMATICALLY! And all she wanted to do right now was HUG ZEKE!

Scrambling over to her big brother friend person she threw herself into his arms and made an almost sob sound. Not dramatic at ALL, right? Sheesh. "You saved me."

Reality: She was not near death. But she did appreciate his efforts in removing the bean.

A tightening in his chest alerted him to the fact that HE had stopped breathing, and it wasn't until a moment after the bean was expelled from Dora's mouth that he was able to relax a fraction.

....

Geez.

"I know!" was all he could say in return, because YES, YES SHE HAD ALMOST DIED, AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS FAULT AND... he couldn't live with that.

Zeke opened his arms wide, enveloping Dora as she collapsed against him. He wasn't letting go, fyi. Not letting go. Because she was practically crying he felt bad, like really bad. He was dumb. SO dumb. "No," he managed to say after remembering to breathe again. "I'm sorry, I'm the worst, I almost killed you!"

Again, he wasn't letting go. Sorry Dora, you're stuck with him now.

Dora wasn't letting go either. Not even a little bit. Clinging was happening, even. "You didn't mean to, though! And you saved me! You are not the worst! YOU'RE THE BEST AND YOU'RE MY FRIEND... AND YOU SAVED MY LIFE OH MERLIN!" Could someone get them an Oscar already because this was the most dramatic scene the common room had ever had on display, right?!

Right.

She was just going to stay there clinging to her now BIG BROTHER for life. Like a koala. She was a KOALA now, you see. "Do you want to go have lunch with me?" Like now. Away from the common room where she had almost met her death. And would he carry her on his back? Because... koala.

With a new bounce in his step, thanks to Healer Joy, Art made his way through the portrait and into the Gryffindor common room. He was in the mood for a game, perhaps. Or just to see some of his Lions playing, or... studying, perhaps?

Now there was something he never thought he'd see. This being the Gryffindor Common Room, located in a tower of the school, and the Professor's office being...all the way down in the dungeons, Blaise had been almost entirely sure that Professor Newton wouldn't be up here very often. In fact, the boy was sure that if the Professor braved the stairs to come all this way, it must have been for something of serious concern.

That in and of itself had his notepad rising from the table in sync with the quill that poised itself, waiting eagerly for something to happen. The Gryffindor himself gave little more than a glance. The way he saw it, whatever it was, his quill would take it down. He wouldn't be missing anything.

Most of his attention was still set on the game of exploding snap. The cards were set before him. He couldn't very well start gazing or he'd have more cards exploding on him than he could even contain. This WAS a game of concentration afterall.

THE DRAMATICS WERE REAL. His face said it all, if anyone were even able to see his face, which he was doing very well to bury in Dora's hair, arms secured around her. There was SOME resistance in him though, the last thing he wanted to do was accidentally almost kill Dora again. Death by bone crushing didn't seem at all pleasant, so there would be none of that.

But as worked up as the Gryffindor was, Zeke had no words to counter her response. He was not a saviour, he was an IDIOT.

...

All that was swiftly forgotten at the mention of food though.

"Lunch?" his lips questioned as he pulled back from her slightly so he could SEE her face. "I thought you'd never ask." At this his lips slit and a grin gave way. He was always hungry, it was a thing. "C'mon then," he encouraged, helping to yank her up from the floor. He was 110% willing to give her a piggyback ride, and would have suggested it had he not had his head filled with food.

Yeah, Dora wasn't keen on dying by bone crushing... unless it was an ogre or a giant or something horrible. She just didn't want to die by Zeke's hands, as accidental as it would be likely to be. Heh. Gryffindors, man. Always up to something ridiculous. Like almost accidentally dying. Dora hugged her friend tighter as she gave one last sob.

"Yeah. Just because I almost died doesn't mean I don't want to eat," she said with a sheepish smile. Her father often told her she had a bottomless pit for a stomach. It was probably just because she was a growing girl. Yeah, that. And then with the yanking, Dora couldn't help by laugh as she stood and clung to him once more. "Will you carry me? On your back?" Because KOALA. She actually didn't wait for much of a response before she rushed around behind him and J U M P E D on his back.

Giddy up Zeke!Horsey! There was lunch to be had and more dramatics as well!

AWAY TO THE GREAT HALL!

Art spotted the wandless, he assumed, Mr Bellaire playing a game of Exploding Snap with his constant companion scribbling away. "Hello there Mr Bellaire, it's been a while since I played exploding snap." He walked slowly over to him. He didn't want to interrupt, but... he did also want to be able to spend some time with his lions. If he wasn't cramping their style, of course.