"Mind? I was thinking there was too much furniture in here." Kerry laughed as she swished her wand and watched the couch levitate to the corner of the room. "A couple of these chairs need to go, too. We need a proper dance floor," Kerry said as another swish of the wand and the chairs were moving to the corner on top of the couch. "Much better!" Kerry nodded as she turned to watch the decorations go up. "Masterful work indeed. I think someone has a career in decorating in her future... good thing, too. I can only imagine Tag's taste in things." Kerry laughed.

Putting her wand away she rummaged through the box. "Tag does have questionable tastes in clothing," she remarked thinking about his over sized school robes and beat up shoes. "But I'm sure he does alright in other departments."

Like choosing girls. She tried not to feel overly confident but the smug smiled sneaked into her face anyways.

"A-ha!" Bucky exclaimed unfurling a poster before Kerry. "What do you think?"

On the poster was a picture of the hourglasses, Gryffindor obviously in the lead and the rubies sparkled brighter than all the other gems.

"Took it the other day with my trusty ol' cam."

Taika Ai had never actually been to a party before, so the sight before her was rather strange. It was loud, but somehow seemed fun as everyone was laughing and apparently having a good time.

She spotted Bucky not too far away and made her way through the crowd, being bumped around quite a bit as she progressed through the room.

"Bucky!" she called. "What's going? Why is everyone..." she let her sentence trail away, waving a hand around, unable to describe the proceedings in words.

Still clutching the revealed poster in her hands she turned to Taika Ai with a bright smile. Nodding as she gestured at the people, Bucky took the scenes in. "Partying?" She said, finishing Taika Ai's sentence. "We're celebrating Gryffindor's current lead in house points. Or my late birthday. Or--I'm not sure really."

Taika Ai looked around. "Partying...?" she repeated slowly, nodding her head as though in understanding. "Right..."

"Your late birthday?"she asked. "Birthday...oh, happy birthday!!!! I didn't know it was the anniversary of your birth." She smiled at her friend. "Aren't presents usually exchanged?" she asked. "I don't have anything for you. I'm sorry."

She looked around the room at all the people, before turning back to Bucky. "So, what have you been up to? I hardly ever see you around and you still haven't intorduced me to your friends," she said.

"Oh it's not my birthday today it was---well," she began then waved her hand. "Thanks. It's alright! Don't worry about it, really! I'm quite used to the no presents situation." Which was true. With a large family at home there wasn't much money to spare. "I've been busy studying to no avail most of the time. And quidditch. And Tag."

Bucky grimaced, snapping her fingers while she was at it. She knew she kept forgetting something. "I'm so sorry Taika Ai! To be honest, I haven't seen much of my friends besides Tagren. They're all really busy too."

Her last year at Hogwarts wasn't turning out to be as much as she thought it would be.

Ryan walks back from the boys dorm completely change from head to toe. He had to admit that he was sticking when he first walks in and if he wanted to party, he didn't want to impose that kind of odor to everybody in the common room. Still having the sugar quill in his mouth, he noticed that the furniture had change which was gaven more space for them to move. Walking near Bucky, he smiled at her. "Hey Bucky. What's up?"

Taika Ai nodded listening to Bucky. "So, then... your birthday was... a little while ago?" she asked, to make sure she understood completely.

"I'm sorry you've been so busy. But I'm sure spending time with Tagren has been fun, right?"

She looked over her shoulder as a familiar voice greeted Bucky. "Ryan! Hi, how are you?" she said, happy to see him. She hadn't seen him since their first Quidditch match and the fiasco of her broken leg and ankle. "I haven't seen you around lately. How's the team doing?" she asked, feeling a pang of guilt and longing.

Jumping slightly at the voice of one of her favorite Quidditch players and fellow house mate, it was hard for her not to turn into a fan girl. Placing a hand over her chest she laughed nervously, ears, nose and cheeks turning pink. "Hiiii Ryan!" Greeted sheepishly, the seventh year eyes sparkling. "About that marriage proposal during the match--I just got carried away with emotion."

Tag will kill me.

"Hey Taika Ai!" She exclaimed finding a method of distraction. "See that big bulky box thing over there?" And she pointed to a corner where Dainsie always put the magical jukebox. "Go push the big black button. It'll play music."

Ryan was trying not to laughed but it was rather hard. The way Bucky reacted was making it more and more difficult but he was able to contain most of it. "I've just found out that I forgot to wish you happy birthday. I'm probably extremely late but like I always said better late then completely forgot about it." Reaching his pocket in order to offer her some sweet that he brought with him, he shook his head remembering what she was talking about. "I know what you mean. I didn't take it too seriously anyway." For a second, he thought about the championship game and decided to ask. "Talking about Quidditch.... I really hope that you will comment on our next game. I mean you are so awesome at this. I don't remember someone commenting as good as you did." He really meant it. He had notice that she had a natural talent at this and it was given to the game a little something special.

Turning his attention back toward Taika Ai, he slight sign of sadness appear on his face. He knew that she wasn't able to play with them at the championship but it wasn't her fault. "Hey Taika! I'm doing fine and you ? I guess I have a lots of things going on. If you count the homework and my practice schedule. I'm amazed to be able to manage this." Not sure on how to aboard the team after what happen to her, he was a bit uneasy. "Well the team is doing good. We had some practice lately but I really need to pushed them further and further. We have a strong team to face and it won't be easy."

Taika Ai looked over at the box like thing Bucky had described. She hurried over and pressed the button she'd been told to and jumped back in surprise when music began playing. She hurried back to her friends, hidding behind Ryan nervously. She felt rather safe with him ever since the whole Quidditch business and him basically saving her life-- well, leg, but it was close enough; she would need it when she went home.

"What is it?" she asked. "Are there people inside it?" She was rather confused and her usually soft voice was even softer, her trepedation seeping through her words.

She looked sheepishly up at Ryan from behind his shoulder where she was semi-crouching. "Um... oh, I'm sorry you've been so busy." She sighed. "I wish I could still be on the team. It was so fun." She shrugged still eyeing the odd musical box. "I'm sure you'll do great at the next match though. I'll be sure to come. I really am sorry about not being able to play though..." she muttered, looking down, hand still on his shoulder, hiding from the box of musical doom. Perhaps the box sucked out peoples' voices if they had nice ones and forced them to sing at the whim of others; or maybe it would suck you up whole and you'd be the slavce of people who liked music. She would remember to never sing or speak or even step near the box of sucky musical doom ever.

She looked to her two friends wondering why they weren't nearly as frightened. Perhaps they couldn't sing; or maybe the box only took certain types of people... or magical creatures! Oh, Netpune, she thought, whimpering slightly as her thoughts ran rampent.

Gwen's eyes widened with glee as she munched on a Chocolate Frog from an armchair near the door.

"That poster is brilliant!" she called. "We should have a new one every week!"

Gwen felt the need to be extra jolly, since she had a reason for not being jolly. Her parents had dropped their joyful bomb; they were going to have another baby, they were thrilled and ecstatic and she had no idea how to feel. Her total lack of emotion had to be responsible for her total lack of a corporeal Patronus.

Again, her inner fan girl continued to giggle and without her knowing it, Bucky was giggling audibly to everyone else. Realizing her mistake she snorted and clamped a hand over her mouth, bright cheeks exposed slightly. Clearing her throat she pretended to ignore the heat surrounding her head.

"Well if you really think I'm good at it..." Her words drifted though as she observed Taika Ai's odd behavior, or odder than most times. "You okay, Taika?"

Chuckling she shook her head, red hair swishing from side to side. "It's a jukebox. It has music inside it. Just music. No people. I promise."



"Thank you!" Bucky said and took the opportunity to hand it to the girl whose name she didn't know. "Then you wouldn't mind putting it up then, huh Miss....I'm Bucky by the way!"

Taika Ai nodded her head, still slightly warry of the 'jukebox' as Bucky called it. But she trusted her friend. She straightened, no longer standing behind Ryan. She ran a hand through her long, red hair getting out of her face and looking back at the box which was singing happily, her blues suspicious and untrusting.

"W-well, if you're sure it's safe, then I suppose it is," she commented mostly to herself, as though trying to comfort herself. "I-I'm okay, now." She smiled at her friends, hoping they didn't think her odd for her sudden and odd behavior.

"S-so..." she began slowly, thinking of something to break her from the mood she'd been put in by her fear of the odd contraption. "You will be commentating then? The next match? I think you should! It would be really great!"

Keller let his Muggle Studies book fall from his lap and onto the Common Room floor, he then tossed his parchment and quill on top of. He slumped down on the couch and rubbed his fingers on his temples, then rubbed the bridge of his nose, he groaned softly to himself. Homework always gave him a headache, especially such tedious reading, how did Muggles survive without moving photographs, really? He looked out over the grounds, it sure did look cold outside. But he wouldn't know, Keller had been inside all day studying, what fun. However it didn't bother him because he had high hopes of seeing Jasmine, she had to come in sometime didn't she?

Jasmine slowly entered the common room and started to headfor the stairs to the girl's dorms. Glancing to her left, she caught sight of Keller and quickened her step toward the stairs. Her heart racing, sheplaced her hand on the railing and took the first step. She hoped he hadn't seen her.

Keller opened his eyes when he heard the portrait hole to the Common Room open. Before he fully realized who it was, the girl was scurrying off towards the girl dorm rooms. It was Jasmine he realized as fast as he could! Keller jumped off the sofa and slipped between her and the stairway.

"Hey." he said smirking at her, his bright green eyes shining in the late evening lighting, his heart pounding.

"Yeah that's a guy for you already. Why buy new, when you can just borrow from someone else." Kerry laughed. "Or at least look like you did. At least guys can get away with that. Let's just hope you're right about doing ok in the other departments, or you'll definitely be doing an aweful lot of decorating and picking up around him, hiding some of the ugly things he brings home and tries to put up around the house." Kerry joked.

Then taking a look at the poster that Bucky has just put up, Kerry gasped. "Wow... now that's perfect! Amazing as usual!" Kerry said as she took a step back and admired it some more. "You know..we should just fill it up with rubies.. I mean we are going to win anyway." Kerry laughed aloud.

Hearing someone walk in and hurry past, Kerry looked up and saw Jasmine. "Hey, nice not to stop and say hello. Come join us, the party's just getting started. You can't hide upstairs all night."

Jasmine jumped back as Keller jumped in front of her. She let out a small squeak and trying to catch her wits about her, she crossed her arms and said as cooly as she could,"Hello Keller. If you don't mind I would like to get by so I can go to sleep. It's been avery long day."

There. She thought. That sounded very calm like. Inside however, her heart was beating in overtime and her mind swirling with all sorts of thoughts at the sight of him.

Hearing a familiar voice, Jasmine turned and sawKerry and some others and she tried to smile as normal as she could, "Um..Hey Kerry!"

Quickly, she ran over and gave her sister a hug. "Howare you big sis?" Yes! A diversion! She glanced at Keller out of the corner of her eye and thought she had dodged him.

Keller watched as Jasmine turned around and ran over to Kerry. He had no choice, he followed her. Walking up to the two girls he smiled at Kerry, "Hey Kerry, how's it going? I hate to be rude, but can I borrow Jasmine for a bit, please?"

He then leaned into Jasmine's ear and said, "You can't avoid me forever Jasmine. Can we please talk? I'm begging you, I miss you, please talk to me, please." A huge knot formed in his throat and he tried to swallow it away.

"Now that's more like it!" Kerry smiled giving Jasmine a huge hug back. "I'm doing great. A little tired from a very pushy captain working us like dogs on the quidditch pitch." Kerry laughed looking over at Ryan, "But otherwise doing really well. How about you? I never see you anymore. Where on earth have you been hiding?"

Then hearing Keller pleading to Jasmine, she gave Jasmine a nudge and whispered, "what's that all about? You can't leave the poor guy hanging. I can stay here with you, if you feel uncomfortable talking with him. I won't let anyone mess with my little sister."

Ryan was a bit surprise of her reaction. It was hard at first to imagine a giggly Bucky but it seems to have happens right in front of him. He laughed when she put her hand in front of her mouth. Eyesing her in a curious way, he was wondering if it was normal. "Are you ok Bucky or do you need that we open the windows?" About to answer to her comment about how she was at commenting, he frowns at Taika Ai behavior which he thought was very odd.

Keepin his eyes toward Taika, he was thinking that it was very strange for someone to be scared about a jukebox but then again, he was used to that and she wasn't. "I guess it's your first time you see something like that. I wonder what would be your reaction to any other technological stuff." As he said that, he was a bit sad that he had forgotten any of her muggles stuff that he had at home since he could have shown her.

Taika Ai turned wide blue eyes on Ryan.

"Te-c-nol-ed-ge?" she said slowly. "Huh?" she was so confused. "Um..." she said looking sheepishly to the ground. She was so confused. "I... uh, yes, I've never seen one before... it was... very startling. I... um... I'm used to seeing those who are singing so it was.... odd." She finished lamely.

Jasmine sighed inwardly and gave Kerry a small smile, "It's ok, Keller andI need to ...sort some things out. I will be right back."

She had felt herself caving in at Keller's words anyways, "Fine Keller. Let's go then." Stepping away from him she walked and led him over to aquiet corner of the common room far away from everyone else.

Quote:

"S-so..." she began slowly, thinking of something to break her from the mood she'd been put in by her fear of the odd contraption. "You will be commentating then? The next match? I think you should! It would be really great!"

Celestina nodded quickly, thankful for a distraction. "I'd love to unless something unpredictable happens."

Celestina laughed, an unmistakable blush assuming an important stance on her pale cheeks. Kerry talked as if she was so sure Tag and Bucky would one day be living together. The thought alone made her mind fuzzy...

"Oh no--If anything--He won't be allowed to choose the furniture," she joked. If it was up to Tag, she'd expect to see a weird hairy armchair that spoke.



Then Ryan was speaking to her again and she let out another wheezy laugh. This whole being a calm fan girl was very complicated. It involved a resilient bladder, cheer force of determination and a charisma that Bucky did not possess.

"No, no nooo!" She responded, nervous laughter erupting, flush still there and waved Ryan away. "I'm just dandy."

Dandy? Who says dandy anymore? What with her reaction to Ryan's presence Celestina could only be thankful that her injured boyfriend was in another house. To Tagren Sevens knowledge Bucky was only allowed to idolize him.