Arabella-Marie smiled and said "Yeah i know what your talking about Kita and well things will be better once we get back to school"

Kita nodded as she listened to Arabella, the smile still plastered on her face. The girl was right. "They will be..." she said, trying not to think about the whole 'last-year-at-Hogwarts' bit, "Who knows, some of us might have a boyfriend by the end of it." At this, she winked down at her friend. After all, it didn't seem likely for Kita to get one by the end of the year. That's why she was planning on just enjoying this year, NEWT's and stress aside.

"I'm mature enough to go by myself, Mum!" Alice whined.

"You're about as mature as your father around candy." My mother frowned. Dad always had a thing for Chocolate Frogs. If he ate one, he would be jumping all over the house, flicking his wand and casting random spells.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but if you make a scene, I'll tell about your little secret."

My mother became an unregistered Anigamus in her 20's. Her parents always wanted her to be the perfect witch, so when it became to much, my mother morphed into a cub.

My mother laughed, "You're definitely going to be a Slytherin. It's a shame, you would've been such a great Ravenclaw like me."

Kurumi shook her head. "N-No, I'm still a year away from those, but I have begun studying for them." Never too early to prepare for such things, right? Kurumi sigh a little lion cublet sigh at Ellie's words. This conversation was certainly reminiscent of one she had had her with brothers before heading back to Diagon Alley. "You're...you're right." Giving her best and just being herself were probably the best things she could do in this situation. "So...you have OWLs this term? I am a little jealous to be honest."

Kurumi shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't be too sure about that," she giggled nervously. "Last term, I got caught up right in the middle of the fire in Professor Lafay's storeroom...and then there was that X...and all my friends lots their memories..." None of this included the personal dilemmas she had gone through last term either. Heck, in her first term she had eaten a cup cake that made her grow so tall that her head had hit the ceiling in the Great Hall.

Blink.

So...she was a fourth year, then? And she ALREADY started studying? Ellie's mother would LOVE her as a daughter. The Ravenclaw herself wasn't planning on studying for at least another 7 months. Regardless of her mom's nagging. Exams were ages away.

SNORT. Jealous? "Feel free to sit mine." Her tone was light and sarcastic, but... If the fourth year really wanted to, Ellie would NOT hesitate to let her take her place. Seriously.

Oh wow. Sounded like this was a girl with some terrible luck. "But you're fine?" She was alive and well now it seemed.

As Fee saw how Sean blushed she couldnt help but giggle a little.Glitter,that was really cute.Someday her being a sucker for blushing guys would be her death.That was for sure.

The blonde just shook her head and laughed a little."Why should i be disappointed?",she said,"i described you exactly.Its good to see you Sean."They guy was really cool and Fee was sure they would have a good time together.

Somehow the Slytherin had a feeling that Sean was nervous.Why would he be nervous?Ohh,yeeeeaaah it was his first time to Hogwarts.Of course taht was totally exciting.Stupid her for not thinking about that."Sure",she nodded happily,"i would love to share a compartment.Maybe i can even introduce you to some of my friends.That is if you want."

Arabella-Marie grinned and said "Yeah i know you never know what will happen this year"

Now he had to elaborate on his lie. It was good he was such a good liar, otherwise he might have gotten stuck. "Yeah, his name is Jensen. He's a... Labrador." Everett said the first name and breed that came to mind. No he did not name his imaginary dog after his brother. Nope, not at all.

He listened to her trail off, and wondered what she was going to say. Could she be a student at Hogwarts and was asking him that? Maybe... Though the chance of that would be pretty low. "It's alright, I wasn't uncomfortable. Being bowed to makes me feel special," Which he was. He shook the hand that was offerred, grinning.

Kurumi's eyes widened. "I-I-I couldn't possibly cheat," she said waving her arms around quite frantically. To do that, she would need polyjuice potion, and Kurumi really wasn't intent on ever drinking that again. Not after the awkwardness that it had caused her and Conan. However, on the flip side, it was thanks to the polyjuice potion that her and Conan had become friends. Kurumi shivered a bit as she wondered just what happened with Sierra while she was walking around as Kurumi. Surely nothing THAT disastrous happened, right?

"Physically I am fit as a fiddle," she chirped. "My friends all seem back to normal...save for one..."
"Jensen, that's a cute name," she nodded. "My family's dog is named Hikari, but she is a shiba dog. They are much smaller than labradors." Her home in Japan couldn't possible handle a dog as large as a Labrador. Perhaps some other time, when she had a place of her own. But that was years away.

Kurumi frowned. Obviously, he had missed her question. She couldn't blame him considering she had mumbled it.

Kurumi blushed a bit. "I-I'm glad," she said with the slightest of head bows. "Many people thought I was a bit odd." Well, mostly people at the Slytherin table had thought so, but they had come around. Just not when it came to her cookies.

Kurumi eyed his trunk again.

"So...Everett...are you heading to...school?" she asked with a nervous smile.

Cute name? Everett decided that Jensen would definitely not be hearing about this. He might get an even more swelled head than he already had. "Hikari, nice, and a shiba. Shiba's are cute," He liked shiba's. They were almost as adorable as that other breed of dog he couldn't remember the name of, that breed that go to the snow...

He nodded in acknowledgment that he had been listening when she said people thought it was weird. He didn't understand how people wouldn't want to eel special that they were having people bow to them. Some people were just weird...

And awkward moments. "Yeah, boarding school in Scotland. Thus the suitcases and bag," Everett said, glancing at his trunk and bags. "You going to school too?" He asked, seeing her own luggage.

Kurumi smiled and nodded as their conversation continued to be only slightly awkward as they talked about dogs. The only way it could have been worse would be if one of them suddenly began discussing the weather. At least, that is what Ryunosuke was always saying was a sign that it was time to duck out of a conversation and head for the front door.

"Me...too," she said as her violet eyes lit up just a bit. "I'll be a forth year this term." She eyed him and his trunks again. Seemed strange that a Hogwarts student would bring a dog to school Were those even allowed? She had heard that there was a student who had brought one last term, but she was pretty sure that they were not on the list of approved animals. What other hint could she drop to see if they were indeed discussing the same school. But things that came to mind probably would cause the boy to look at her strangely were they discussing something different. "I can't wait to have a glass of pumpkin juice when I get back."

Oh. My. Merlin.

Ellie raised her arms a bit, with her palms toward the girl, as if to calm her. "I wasn't serious. Of course you won't take them for me. I was only joking." She said all this quite fast. She was trying to get the girl to relax before the flailing got any worse and more people were injured. Moretti probably wouldn't appreciate a line-up at the feast for kids with broken noses and missing eyeballs.

And then a small smile appeared. "I'm guessing you're not so fit emotionally? That doesn't seem too surprising, though, if you went through all that." Ellie knew first hand that emotional damage took longer to heal than physical damage. Maybe that was why it was harder for her to take the 'girlfriend' risk than it was to take a risk as Seeker. But the smile left. "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you mind me asking...what's wrong with them?" Because, since they were talking about it, it was surely attributed to either the flames or the red 'X' or the memory loss. Definitely one of those three.

Kita let out a small giggle at the grin that had spread across Arabella's face. Maybe the girl knew that something might just happen...? There's nothing wrong with keeping hope...

Ahem!

"So, er, are you waiting for anyone else?" she asked, keeping an eye on the time. It was close to 11am and being late to get on the Hogwarts Express wouldn't be the best way to start the year.

louise walking into the station it was her first year she looking around

It really felt like only yesterday the Summer Holiday had started -- now it was coming to an end and everyone was on their way back to school. For Damien, things had changed. Inward appearance and -- outward.

The Holiday had been a turning point in his relationship with Isobel. During the time they'd spend at the carnival, words were said -- kisses exchanged -- and before the Hufflepuff even knew what was happening, he was telling friends that he now had a girlfriend. The simple thought of thinking it made him grin from ear to ear.

Outward appearance had changed slightly, too -- Damien had let his hair grow slightly in hopes of drawing attention away from his still slightly black, blue and swollen nose. The damage Newman had done with that punch still left a slight aftermath -- though it wasn't nearly as bad as right after the punch was thrown. Note to self -- continue to stay away from the Violent Ravenclaw.

Sky walked into King's Cross with her father, mother, and their butler/chauffeur, who was carrying her trunk. The station was extremely busy, which her family was used to considering they were from New York City and all.
"Platform 9 3/4 is this way," her father said,leading them the way he was pointing. He had gone to Hogwarts, so he thankfully knew where the platform was. "Don't forget to grab onto each other's shirts." Sky grabbed the back of her father's polo shirt and felt her mother grab the back of her vest. Sure, it looked stupid, but it was the best way to stay together in the crowded station.
When they reached the wall to the platform, they let go. "Now, are you sure you have everything, Sky?" her mother asked. "Yes, mom" "Your schoolbooks?"
"Yes, mom." "Your un…" "Mom, I have everything!" Sky exclaimed.
"Now Sky, your mother is just trying to make sure. Once you go through the wall, you won't be able to come back. Okay, you go through make sure you relax."
"You guys are coming with me, right?" Sky asked. "Of course we are, sweetie," her mother replied.

Sarcasm. Right. Kurumi really needed to get better at picking that up. That, and taking everything that everyone said seriously. With some people, she had come to learn. Eino, for example, was one of those people. While she did fully believe that he thought everything he was saying was real - like Walnut's ability to fly - she had come to learn that she need not do the same and always had to keep her wits about her. She love playing along with him though, it always brought out the light hearted side of her, the side that longed to just be herself, but if she wasn't on her toes...well...Walnut would have suffered the same fate as Faustus.

Kurumi merely giggled. "I am sure I wouldn't do your exams justice anyway." Ellie was a Ravenclaw after all.

Her face sunk a bit. "I've...been better," she sighed. Did she want to talk about this right now? She knew that Selina's approach to the situation would be to bring a Beater's bat into the equation and, quite literally, beat sense into the Hufflepuff, but Kurumi didn't want to see that happen - however unjustified his behavior had been notwithstanding. "There a boy...a boy that I really admire and who had been there for me a lot. I felt like I could talk to him about anything...everything..." Even things she she was ashamed of about herself. "H-he helped me build up my confidence...so much that..." she trailed off a bit and her cheeks began to flush. "I-I-I-I told him that I liked him." Now her cheeks were practically burning. "H-H-He didn't like me back...not in that way anyway...we agreed to spend some time apart, just until things calmed down a bit." Which was mostly until her hair stopped being that sickly grey color. "I-I-I saw him again at the feast and said hello, we hadn't seen each other since then, and...the look he gave me...it was like he never wanted to see me again..."

Kurumi looked at the ground. She felt terrible for putting all this on Ellie, a girl that she really didn't know all that well. But, the words just came up, like word vomit or something.

"I-I-I get the feeling that he was just mad at me for saying how I felt...I-I-I wish I hadn't now..."

Ellie shrugged, "I'd be happy with A's." How many A's, she didn't care either. Four, maybe? It was her mum that wanted Ellie to have near perfect marks for whatever reason. And when told this, Ellie retorted with telling her mum to take the exams, then. The Ravenclaw was obviously NOT looking forward to them herself.

Oh, that face! Ellie suddenly felt as if she'd been WAY too lighthearted about their entire conversation. Looking on the bright side was clearly not always the best policy. In an attempt to show concern and understanding, the redhead put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

And then she dove into what HAD to be the introduction of a story. About a boy. A boy who, so far, sounded very nice. Amazing, really, to build the little stuttering Gryffindor's confidence. Ellie had to lean in to hear the 'I told him that I liked him', but she caught it. She couldn't help but smile at Kurumi's blush. Wasn't it always scary to tell someone you liked them?

But the story ended with the guy being a jerk. To make her feel so confident and then to give her mean looks? "He's obviously not worth you, Kurumi." Ellie based this decision solely on the story. It didn't matter how little she knew Kurumi. "Don't regret things. You should always say what you want. Always." She'd told Treyen that on countless occasions. "If he's going to be mad at you simply because you told him how you feel, he's not worth it." No one should be treated that way simply because their feelings for the other person weren't shared.

She didn't think to ask who it was.

Ira came along with her parents and looked around...
Everything was new for her, she had seen the Kings Cross many times but till this summer, being a muggleborn, had no idea of all this wizarding world. She was supposed to get to some wierd platform 9 3/4 she never knew about.. Maybe it did exist like the Diagon Alley.
She looked around for help from someone..
She moved near the platforms 9 and 10...

Kurumi had to remind herself that an A on an OWL was not the same as an A in non-magical schools. She giggled, mostly to herself, for having confused the two. Kurumi was hoping for as many O's as she possibly could, but her brothers were telling her that she was insane. Then again, Ryunosuke had received mostly T's on his exam with only one O in Muggle Studies - which Kurumi thought was kind of cheap since they had grown up non-magical and he really OUGHT to get an OWL in the subject regardless.

Kurumi took a deep breath and slouched her shoulders a bit, just as Ellie was resting a hand on her shoulder actually. It took her a few moments to compose herself after revealing it all, but she manage to keep things as neutral as she possibly could. It had been months since it all had happened and Kurumi had grown a lot over the summer, so she didn't need to rely on Treyen anymore...although she wanted to. She wanted him to be with her as she continued to stick her nose in her father's past.

"You're not the first person to tell me that," she said after a few minutes. "He's older than me, so it really didn't surprise me that he wouldn't feel the same way." Kurumi was rather mousy and timid, nothing all THAT special. "It just...I miss him as a friend...he was one of my pillars." She frowned a bit. "I misunderstood him too, so I suppose it is my fault. He was already interested in someone else...I had no idea."

A giggle? But...but she'd been completely serious about that. She would settle for A's. P's, even. She could still say she'd tried and that at least she didn't do worse. Ellie didn't comment, though. There were more serious matters to talk about.

It was no wonder Kurumi was a Gryffindor. She was either really brave, or putting up a really brave front - which Ellie thought to be just as brave a thing to do.

A weak smile crossed Ellie's face and she squeezed Kurumi's shoulder gently. "It doesn't matter that he's older. Plenty of people with age gaps work out fine. Don't base this experience on all guys." Because she could miss out on someone special that way. "I'm sorry you don't have him anymore. Maybe he grew more understanding over summer. Guys can be real thick sometimes. He might want to continue being friends with you. Whether he gets that second chance or not is up to you." That was an all too familiar scenario. She was still debating whether the second chance she had given was a good idea or not. She was happy with it so far, though.

Oh. Ouch. "Exactly how far did he let you go before mentioning this?" If he purposefully dragged it on, that was just cruel. "But don't blame yourself."

Kurumi sighed, rather loudly. She wasn't really sure that she ever had him to begin with, not after reading what had been in the Aparecium anyway. Although, she did think that the article had been a little too hard in certain areas, but it didn't make her feel any less hurt.

"Yeah...real thick..." That seemed to describe pretty much every guy she had ever come in contact with thus far. Adam, Connor, Salander to some extent, Treyen... "I think he would rather not see me...but...I'm afraid it will become unavoidable." Her eyes glanced towards the platforms below. Like...right when she got on the train and headed towards the prefect compartment.

"I-I never been in the position to give out a second chance," she said, shocked at this small revelation. No one who had left her had ever come back.

Another cheery thought for the day.

"I didn't know until I told him I liked him," she whispered.

Oh GOOD! There was a random pebble she could kick. So she did.

The sigh! The sigh made Ellie frown. Poor girl! She was positively heartbroken! Oh how the Ravenclaw wished she had chocolate on her. Alas, the one year she didn't bring her separate bag for her camera and chocolate. Speaking of which...she wasn't bringing her camera ON her. Meaning she was basically relying on Treyen for the support from lack of a Little Professor at the Staff table. She should remind him of that when she saw him.

Nod. Real, real thick. "It's a shame if he'd rather not see you. And his loss. You deserve better." Yes, clearly she did. Kurumi seemed incredibly nice and kind-hearted and definitely deserved someone that was going to avoid her simply because she had feelings for him. But, wait, unavoidable? "Why would it be unavoidable?" Hogwarts was a rather LARGE castle. Surely you could avoid people. Even as far as classes went. Just don't make eye contact, sit on opposite sides of the room, something. There were ways.

"They're tricky little things. You have to be sure you want one. Even if your head's telling you it's not such a good idea." Ellie's situation, at least. She'd just told her head to shut up. She wanted that second chance. Her head could catch up when it realizes it was the right choice. Hopefully, it was the right choice. "And if second chances don't work, I don't think you'd be any worse than prior to the second chance." In fact, you might be better because you'd have realized that it wasn't worth it. And at least you'd taken that extra chance.

Aww. "I'm sorry." That was all Ellie could think of to say, really. If she didn't know...she just didn't know.

Kurumi tried to offer Ellie a brave smile. She wasn't sure it was so much her deserving better as it was she just WASN'T meant to find a boy. Boys were more complicated than a riddle of the sphinx. Maybe it was for the best. Kurumi wasn't sure she could handle it. She was at three strikes when it came to boys. First Adam, her first friend and best friend, then...well, she wasn't sure if she should count Connor or not, and then Treyen. Looked like she was OUT.

"Well...we are both prefects," she said in an almost inaudible whisper. That meant that they had to see each other often, right?

Kurumi remained silent during the rest of Ellie's advice. She already knew she wanted to give them another chance, but she really wasn't sure what he was giving him a chance on. It seemed more like she needed to be given the second chance.

Her own smile widened at the sight of Kurumi's attempt. The Gryffindor would be just fine. Given time, of course.

"You're a Prefect? Fourth year?" There was most definitely a genuine grin on the redhead's face. "Congratulations. You must be so proud of yourself." Really. It wasn't unheard of. Ravenclaw's own remaining Prefect had acquired that position in her fourth year. But it still seemed pretty rare. And Kurumi should feel pretty special.

Oh. Oh.

"So...you're worried about the train ride? The Prefects compartment?" Yeah, Ellie had noticed Kurumi's glance at the platform. "If it helps...I'll be there, too. Sometimes, just having someone who understands helps." And WHERE did Ellie get all philosophical, exactly? Had she thought about what she was saying, instead of just being sure it was comforting, she'd have weirded herself out by the words.

But hey wait. "How do you know he's a Prefect?" Unless they'd had contact over the summer. Which Kurumi made clear did not happen. The only male Prefect Ellie knew of was Treyen. And he had said the rest had all left school, that there would be all new Prefects this term.