Finally Raiden was sitting down! Kiri hoped that she hadn't forgotten a piece of Chocolate Frog or something on her sleeping bag, otherwise Raiden would get up with a very unfortunate chocolate stain on his pyjamas.

Putting her head on her knees, she watched him closely as he talked to Dylan. This was the first time in... forever that she'd managed to see him without him being surrounded by classmates during the lessons or, out of lessons, depressingly large amounts of attractive girls (in particular that girl), and she realised she might have missed him more than she thought she had.

But Raiden also looked different. Apart from the Kneazle ears and tail, of course. He'd grown even more, now being what Kiri judged to be close to a foot taller than she was, and for some reason appeared much more serious than before, possibly even subdued. She wondered what had happened - and why she hadn't found out about it. Maybe she could go and ask Celandine about it, but Kiri hadn't seen her in a few days either, not even in classes. Usually it was hard to miss her.

She smiled. She wasn't quite sure what Raiden and Dylan were talking about, but Raiden's ears flicked backwards and forwards in response to what Dylan was saying. It looked weird and fascinating and very, very cute. Before she had to explain herself, however, another person arrived to join their merry little group.
"Hi there, Gold!" Kiri greeted the girl. Dylan's girlfriend? Interesting, Kiri thought, watching her sit down next to Dylan so that they practically mirrored Kiri and Raiden (except, of course, in the way that mattered...).

"Oh, I know her," Kiri told the two boys brightly, "we've met in Muggle Studies. When we were doing the football stuff. And in Astronomy too!" Kiri nodded. "So smart!"