"Oh, okay. Well, she's probably just getting to know him, then. I'm sure it's no big deal. Sometimes that happens, too, when you first meet a person. They're just finding a lot in common. I'm sure she'll come back to you again." Excelsior laughed. The way Monica had said it, he thought Alex was Izzy's boyfriend!

"Come on bubba, let's go to Madame Puddifoot's, I'm hungry!"

"Me, too!", Excelsior said. He took off after his sister, racing to see who would reach Madame Puddifoot's first.

"Against the dark arts, as in...not practising them, and thinking it's a bit wrong." Diabolica bowed her head. "And I respect that--many people do not care for black magic." Her eyes flashed red but then she calmed herself. 'She's a friend,' she thought. "Someone has never stopped me and in fact, I may even be capable of hexing that 'someone' into a pulp. Anyhow. I have never had a boyfriend and possibly never will. I have a few friends. That's really it." she suddenly realized how...lonely her life had been. She only had a few friends (but those she had she cared for deeply), and no boyfriend. Heck, most first years had a boyfriend and more people they hung out with. She shook her head after a moment of staring off into space and sighed.

ooc-- Sorry, Diabolica's being an emo kid right now. She's just been through a lot...

With a grin on her face, Evangeline walked into Honeydukes and couldn’t help the sigh of awe that left her lips. Even though she was sure some people would have a much more enthusiastic sight at the sight of so many candies, she was feeling pretty excited herself. Okay, candies weren’t books but she liked sweets too. Who didn’t?

She wandered around the shop, scratching her neck every now and then. It was becoming a habit. “Chocolate Frogs!” She suddenly remembered she had squashed Clifford’s and ran to the shelve which held them. “Now, how many boxes would Cliffie want?” She mumbled under her breath. Erm- All of them.

James walked in knowing, well, knowing nothing. He just walked in, stood there in awe, and took his time to collect himself.

“Hmmm.” Just to make sure, Evangeline grabbed three boxes of Chocolate Frogs. Surely that would make it up for the ones she had squashed right? Of course. She turned around, with the three boxes in her arms and wrinkled her nose. James. She made her way to the counter and paid for the boxes, unsure of what to do. She couldn’t really say she was still mad at him.

She walked to the door and made to walk out but stopped on her tracks. It seemed al these sweets were dazzling James. Or maybe he had just fainted. She smirked and poked him on the arm, careful enough not to make it too hard. “Oi! Are you going to stand here all day?” She asked him frowning.

"Ummm...what? Oh. Hi, um, no I'm not" James said and got out of the way "Look, I'm sorry I was an idiot last year but, um, well, can we not hate each other any more?" He said hopefully.

Evangeline took a step in the direction of the door when James got out of the way. She had things to do at the castle…even though she really couldn’t think of any. As she pushed the door open James spoke and she sighed, closing the door again. She turned around to face him and wrinkled her nose. “You weren’t an idiot last year.” She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. “You were the most idiot of all the idiots. The King of Idiotland. The….” She bit her lip, she could be taking things too far. “Well, you get the idea.” She shrugged. “But okay, fine. No more hatred.” She rolled her eyes slightly.

"I actually put it as the emperor of the idiot empire, but, I could be the King of Idiotland" James said seriously, and in fact, he was. Most people thought he was weird for that. "Thanks Evangeline, thanks a lot" he said, and walked to a table and sat down staring into space. Now all he had to do was earn the friendship of Clifford and their other friend which he couldn't quite remember his name.

Even though she could see James was talking seriously, Evangeline couldn’t help to burst out laughing. Emperor of the Idiot Empire…that was too funny. She took a deep breath and straightened herself. “You’re welcome James.” She smiled weakly at him, she couldn’t deny that was a part of her which was still suspicious. “I guess I’ll see you around.” She said as he walked to a table. He seemed lost in his little world, and she still wasn’t sure if she trusted him. She waved in his direction before making sure her scarf, Clifford’s scarf, was tightly around her neck before pushing the door open and facing the cold outside.

"Uh...uh...." Rapunzel gulped. "But don't you think...don't you think that some dark magic is wrong? There's no leeway there, really," Rapunzel continued without realizing who she was talking to, "because some stuff's illegal for a reason and the people who practice it---"

She stopped midsentence with her mouth hanging open. Rapunzel had suddenly remembered that she was addressing Diabolica, a Slytherin several years older than her and much more advanced in magic. All types of magic.

Maybe she should just be quiet now.

Rapunzel closed her mouth and quickly jumped to the next topic. "Well, you could, ah, work on the boyfriend thing!" she said brightly, hoping to distract Diabolica from the whole dark-arts-debate. She seemed to get rather moody, or angry, or depressed, or all three whenever they talked about that. "So! I have a wonderful idea for a possible boyfriend for you!" Rapunzel beamed and clapped Diabolica on the shoulder. "Guess who?!!!!" she was about to burst she was so cheerful all of a sudden.

ooc: Isadora has to see this.......

Diabolica blinked and laughed dryly at what Rapunzel was saying. "Erm...Rapunzel...I know. But, I don't really think that a seventh year Slytherin who got sentanced to Azkaban really listens to the Ministry very well." she grinned a bit.

She turned to Rapuznel, smirking a little bit. "Really. And who could that be?" she said in a very tounge-in-cheek like manner. Rapunzel quite amused her.

ooc--Hm, I wonder who? Such a big mystery! Yes, Izy must know. Shall I IM her? I'm chatting with her right now...no, wait, you do it.

plz delete

"Oh.....someone....in your House...I don't think he's taken, though, I don't know....hmmm...." Rapunzel started whistling Love Potion Number Nine. Oh how she loved Muggle music.... "He's a very nice gentleman, you know," Rapunzel added, blinking innoncently. Surely Dibolica knew who she was hinting at....

Diabolica rolled her eyes and grinned. "Mmhm. And who might this be?" she grinned, knowing full well.

"Well, let's see....he loves crystallized pineapple.....his initials are CS....." Rapunzel tapped her finger on her chin and accentuated her blondeness.

Oh how she hated games of cat-and-mouse. And she felt like a very small mouse. Like smaller than a field mouse mouse. With a tiny tail. And a very small brain.

"Hmmm.....I really have no clue! Let's see....crystallized pineapple.....CS...." Diabolica faked and tried hard not to laugh. It was obvious she was faking, really obvious. "Nope, can't think of anyone!"

ooc--wouldn't it be awesome if Claudian walked in now?

Rapunzel smirked back at Diabolica. "Well then, if you can't possibly think of anyone...then I guess I was wrong and he's just not for you. Too bad." Rapunzel heaved a huge fake sigh, scooped up her bag of candy, and turned on her heel to walk out the door. Maybe her bluff would work.....

Diabolica grinned as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Rapunzel, I really don't think that would work out...somehow I just doubt it." she smirked. "And that was the fakest sigh I've ever heard." she laughed.

"Fine, whatever," Rapunzel flicked her wrist in a very juvenile way, as if she were saying 'talk to the hand.' She then turned and pushed open the door to leave the shop, but stopped and glared at Diabolica after that comment about her fake sigh.

Which was true.....it was pretty ridiculous....so what if Rapunzel couldn't act?

And so she started laughing along with Diabolica, long and hard and loud.

"Oh, you're so right," she giggled, little tears of joy peeping out from her crinkled eyelids. "I'm a terrible liar/faker/actress. HA HA HA HA heeee!"

Xana walked into Honeydukes and went to the back of the store. She was looking for some of their small, melt-proof chocolate bars to keep on hand in case of dementor encounters -- after all, with what she was planning... taking every precaution would be prudent.

"Well, how... fortuitous..." she thought to herself as she spotted Diabolica talking to some blonde chick who seemed quite amused about something. Diabolica would be quite an asset to her plan, if only she could be convinced...

"Well, well, if it isn't Diabolica... Black?" she murmurred softly as she continued to busy herself looking for her chocolate bars. "It has been a while, hasn't it, old friend? If I ascribed more to the workings of Divination, I'd think it was... fate... that brought us both here today. "

She quirked an eyebrow toward the blonde.

"Who's your little friend?" she asked with a measure of disdain. "Well-- no matter, no matter... If I could have a word with you, when you get a moment?" She tipped a slight, false smile at Dia's friend, trying to be polite and yet still indicate that she wanted to speak to Diabolica privately. She was terrible at diplomacy, she knew, but at least she could pretend.

Diabolica cracked up when she did a very Muggle juvenile motion. "Yes, you are. But we both are. Did you believe me for a moment when I was faking I didn't know who Claudian was?" she laughed until she could almost not breathe. Oh, the amusement!

ooc-- Oh wow.





Diabolica bowed her head once when she saw who it was. "Ah, Xana--long time, no see. You haven't been around lately... I haven't seen you since, ah--start-of-term." she nodded grinning, remembering when she had spilled soup on Cassandra's head.

"Oh--I had forgotten you hadn't met. Xana, this is Rapunzel Ariel Black--she's a second year Hufflepuff. Rapunzel, this is Xana Venefica--sixth year Slytherin." she had a terrible feeling that Xana wouldn't like Rapunzel at first..."Yes--would you excuse me for a moment, Rapunzel?" she asked, wondering wht Xana was up to this time.

ooc--btw, Rachel...Xana isn't really that snarky. She just doen't trust easily.

Josh walked into honeydukes as he rubbed his hands together for some heat. Of course he wouldnt be so cold if he wore something besides jeans and a t-shirt. He smiled as he saw Diabolica. " Hey." he said to her seeing another girl with her. He didnt know her so he introduced himself." Hi, I'm Josh Moonson." he said as he then looked around for a moment.

"Please excuse us for a moment..." Xana said. "Dia? A word?" She motioned her away from the young man. She hoped that he didn't follow or try to listen in, and tried to maintain an aura of poise so as not to betray the extreme stress she felt.

"Pleasure." Xana said stiffly to Rapunzel, hardly looking at the girl. Inwardly she cringed, 'A HUFFLEPUFF?' she thought with disdain. 'Either this girl is actually exceptional and just... poorly sorted... or Dia's really lowering her standards in friends these days.'

Xana led Dia off to the Terribly Toxic Toffees section of the store, which was --as usual-- deserted. She glanced around to make sure she would not be overheard before furtively whispering:

"I need help-- and you're the only one I can trust."