"Tell you what, tell aly she wins. I guess the whole i saw you first girl law doesn't apply in the wizarding world. So why don't you go and ask her out. I'm sure you will make each other very happy." Lola choked, tears rolling down her face. She stared intently at her book,, reading the same line over and over again. 'And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.' She read, "Yea, that is a pretty stupid lamb." she mumbled, careful not to look at elan.

Elan was absolutely floored. And now...just a bit angry. "What is this?! I'm just some prize to you now. Something to be won or lost?" He looked out the window until he heard the cries. He dug in his robe and pulled out his hankie. "Here. I don't want you to mess up your book."

"No there is no contest, at least i thought there wasn't." Lola said hands gripping the book hard. She took the hanky careful not to look at him. "Thank you. "But she came in and I just don't know what to think. I really don't."

He was glad she took the hanky. At least she was still being polite. That gave him an opening. "Lola. What do you think is going on? Aly's my friend. You're my friend and now I have two friends who I care about who can't seem to stand to be in the same room. What am I to think?" he pleaded with her, afraid that he might lose something very precious to him.

"I don't know what to tell you elan." Lola told him looking down. She was tired of being hurt, and tired of crying. She kept reading that line over and over again. It was her favorite part of the book.

He went to put his arm around Lola. "How about I like being your friend too, Elan?" He wanted everything to go back to the way it was just 30 minutes ago..and now it seemed his whole world had been shifted upside down again....for the second time in a year...and he wasn't sure he was capable of another adjustment...if it meant being without someone he cared about a lot.

Lola said nothing more than "Okay." As long as Elan was happy she would just have to deal. He didn't want more than friends and she'd have to deal with that. Then she started thinking about it, and she felt stupid. Maybe even a little lead on. She fought back the rest of the tears. They had an appointment with her pillow tonight.

He looked at Lola. "Wanna go do something else? This place doesn't seem like a good place right now." He hoped getting her to another place would help her feel better, and himself at the same time.

"Where would you have us go?" Lola asked, still rereading that line.

He put his hand on her book and said, "You, Ms. Lola may choose. You have me at your command."

"Um." Lola said quietly. "I really don't care." It didn't matter which way you spun it, Lola was pretty hurt.

"Ok..." he said. He thought for a while and then said. "How about the great hall. When I came in here, I was in the mood for hot chocolate, and I figure I can get it there easier and share with you."

"Ok." Lola said softly.

He knew it wasn't a rousing vote of confidence, and it almost seemed like she would rather not, but he'd take it.

He stood and held out his hand. "C'mon, then. Let's go get some hot chocolate...and maybe some strawberries. Somebody told me that chocolate and strawberries are yummy together."

Lola heard strawberries and remembered that she was hungry. She nodded. It wasn't like she could be mad at him. And this confused her so much. Lola never liked a guy this much before. It used to be dating for the label. But this time it was different, and it hurt a lot more than normal.

Pulling her up, he smiled. "You'll enjoy the food...and hopefully the company." He only hoped he could cheer her up some way.

"Okay." Lola said standing up with him and grabbing her coat.

Elan led her from the common room to the stairs that led up to the great hall. "This will be great. You'll see."

Lola put on a smileand followed him out. "Okay."

"Wow," said Ella. "Do you still see him? Your father, I mean," she added.

Diana smiled weakly at Christine's hesitant nature and sighed quite remembering herself.She said,"Alright I'll not tell anything to Dominic."She wiped away her tears quickly and trying to make her face normal,she said,"No....It's alright.Actually......"she paused a little and said,"I...I".Then she said,"No,I'll tell you every thing in details later.Just know that something unfortunate happened to me in the past and everything happened as I was late to express my feelings.And trust me....I do'nt want that to happen ti you."Her voice choked and she fell silent as a tear rolled down her cheeks.....

Lima listened to Vannah speak without uttering a word. And that is a good thing, as if she had, she was sure to get into trouble for it. She just doesn't understand... she thought, sighing inwardly.

Though she knew and respected Vannah and her opinion, she didn't agree with it. Mad had loved her, he just felt betrayed; that she was cheating on him. And she knew how bad he would take it, even though she was hurt that he never gave her the chance to speak her side. And she was trying to fix things... She really was. But what could she do if he kept ignoring her?

Deep in her thoughts, she almost didn't realize that her cousin was leaving now. "Later," she called out to her, offering her a weak smile in return.

Garret came stumbling into the common room, yawning as he dropped his tattered book bag on the worn rug in front of the fire. Next thing to drop was himself as he sprawled ungracefully on the floor near the warmth, "D'you fink it's too late to get a sammich from the elves?" he asked nobody in particular.

She knew she had probably scared Penny with what she had said so when Penny said nothing at all she began to read her book and try to find out more about the situation she was in. Suddenly MJ heard a voice and she looked up from her book to see a young hufflepuff boy. She smiled as she answered his question. "I don't think they will mind, they love things to do." she said with a smile. "They especially like it when we ask nicely." she said thinking about the house elf's who seemed to be extremely happy to be in Hogwarts.

"Really?" Garret, who had been lying on his back in front of the fire, flipped over onto his belly, rested his chin on his hands and gave the seventh year his best help-me-I'm-cute-and-lost look, "But where can I even find the house elves?"

Besides the food magically appearing on the Hufflepuff table in time for meals everyday, and knowing that they must have come from house elves... he had no idea where they lived or if they even made food at any other times. But the seventh year had to know something about this elusive Hogwarts faction!