Via climbed up the owlery to send a letter to her parents and to her sister. She missed them so much now. Nat, her sister hadn't had a chance to write to her as she might have been busy at the ministry. Landing on her shoulder, Freeze nibbled on Via's ear. "Oh, okay stop it Freeze. Happy Christmas," she said to the snowy bird. "I've got a letter for mum and dad and to Nat."

She tied the two letters on freeze's feet and set her off.

Kayla stepped into the owlery, letter in hand and the key to the cottage in Hogsmeade now safely hanging on a chain around her neck. She didn't have to call her owl as she always knew when Kayla needed her. Cleo, was already sitting on her shoulder before Kayla could even enter the owlery fully. "I guess I don't even have to tell you where to take this either" she murmured, giving Cleo a few gentle strokes before giving her the envelope.



She walked Cleo, over to the window and stood still, "Safe journey then" there was a slight pressure on her shoulder as Cleo dug her talons in before she flapped her wings and took flight. Kayla, stood by the window watching as Cleo's figure grew smaller and smaller.

The owlery was one of Tobi's least favourite places. If he didn't have a letter to send to his sisters, you can bet he wouldn't be up there. But sometimes the company is good.

He was on the hunt for Isolde, his/Caroline's evil Barn owl when he noticed Kayla at the window, he was scared to death of her, but he also liked her a lot.

He came up behind her. "Sending a that letter to Cela's brother?" referring to the one she had threatened to send about Cela's behaviour, it was a joke, but according to Tobi she would be quite right to send it, Kissing boys left right and center...

Feel the calm Tobi, Ohm.

Kayla turned towards Tobi, a small smile on her face. "Yeah I am actually. I'm replying to the one he sent to me" she leaned against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. Tobi, had given her the impression that he could be a big scaredy cat but his behviour in Herbology told her otherwise.

"Why are you so upset with Copernicus?" And if he went on about honour and loyalty and all that she was going to hex him into the middle of next week. Although it would have been better if Celandine, didn't already have a boyfriend when she kissed Cope but as they say 'all's fair in love and war.'

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

Kayla turned towards Tobi, a small smile on her face. "Yeah I am actually. I'm replying to the one he sent to me" she leaned against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. Tobi, had given her the impression that he could be a big scaredy cat but his behviour in Herbology told her otherwise.

"Why are you so upset with Copernicus?" And if he went on about honour and loyalty and all that she was going to hex him into the middle of next week. Although it would have been better if Celandine, didn't already have a boyfriend when she kissed Cope but as they say 'all's fair in love and war.'

The question surprised Tobi some. Okay a lot. He would have thought it a bit obvious. "Because Cela was CRYING!" He put his hands out as if everything else that needed to be said were being somehow transferred in a mime's box containing a rational explanation. "When she Zapped me in the Corridor and had to tell me what happened, she cried. It was only just a little, but still, you just don't make girls, particularly girls like Cela, cry. You probably also shouldn't kiss your brother's girlfriend, get her hexed by a mad professor, or make her lose house points especially when they're really important to her, or get her emotions so completely tangled up but if there is one thing you DO NOT DO it's MAKE A GIRL CRY!!!" Tobi finished his rant only realizing at the end that he was yelling and it was at that point that he was quite sure that he was about to die at the hands of Kayla Winters.

Well, it's for a good cause. And at least I don't have to serve detention with Bunbury now.

"OI, STOP YELLING AT ME" Kayla glared at Tobi for a moment before clearing her throat and attempting a somewhat normal conversation. "I can tell you now that Cela would not have been crying because Copernicus kissed her. No she would be upset because she got caught and is now in trouble" she pressed her head against the wall and closed her eyes. It was going to be really hard to explain the feelings of girls to someone who seemed to be rather dense in these matters.

"Look I know it's not right but sometimes these things happen and Cope, shouldn't have to take the blame for all of this. Seems to me that Cela, didn't exactly mind being kissed by Cope" Kayla shrugged her shoulders. "I heard some of what she said to you. And yes she's going to be confused but that's what life is all about isn't it? You have to learn from your actions and well it looks as though those two are paying a very heavy price, if they don't learn a lesson from all of this then they never will." The punishment was a little extreme but maybe it will shock Cela, into behaving herself from now on...either that or learn to find the really good hiding spots in the school.

Tobi groaned and leaned back against the opposite wall. By some strange luck he was still breathing, which was, unexpected... but he was very very confused.

He'd always been the youngest, the eternal child. And he still was, he was by no means related to Cela, but the moment he met her on the train and discovered she had a whack of older brothers to his whack of older sisters, BAM! instant kinship, helped along by the fact that Nico had left a year early. He knew what that was like too. Thanks Cooper and Belle's schools.

"Okay, you think of Cela as your little sister right?" he asked, trying again, on a far more rational footing, "I do too. And I know you have way more right, having known her longer, and knowing her brothers and everything, but there you go. I've got three older sisters and one who I think of as my kid sister, I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but I think might have been when I found out her brothers were all gone from Hogwarts."

Tobi rubbed his face frustratedly, "Anyway, I'm not really good at being an older brother. See, the idea that she went sledding down the staircases isn't that bad to me, even Plymouth doesn't scare me. A boy that she actually likes? That SCARES me. That can get her into all KINDS of trouble."

The image of Cela looking dejected planted itself in his mind. Like she could get stuck as depressed as she is right now.

"Yes I look at Cela as my sister" Kayla agreed and as she listened to all Tobi had to say and she could tell straight away that they were on different wave lengths. "Tobi, I am an only child and I grew up being surrounded by adults, even my own parents never really treated me like a kid. I made my own choices and set my own boundaries and if I stuffed up well that's how I learnt my lesson" she pushed off against the wall and began to pace. "I have even been living on my own for the past two years..."Kayla stopped mid step and looked at Tobi..."long story I might tell you about it sometime."

She began her pacing again, "Anyway what I am trying to say is that, she needs to learn from her mistakes. She's going to end up liking someone eventually and I was her age when I met her brother Nico and we're still together and well maybe I was a little more mature than what Cela is." Kayla sighed deeply, "All I can suggest is that you be a friend to her Tobi and be there if she needs you...hopefully she won't but just in case she does" Kayla placed her hand gently on Tobi's arm. "She has to grow up sooner or later" she let go of his arm and groaned softly. "And I have to try and explain that to her brother."

"I wish you good luck with that one," Tobi said honestly. "As a general rule, guys are more resistant to change than girls. I've only known Cela since September and I'm already resistant to the idea that she could change - I'll work on it! And I'll try not to attack Kett- Copernicus anymore. But Nico has known Celandine a lot longer, you've got your work cut out for you."

Privately he was still a bit stuck on the idea that Nico had the right idea, and Kayla was far too optimistic, but he knew eventually cooler heads and better sense would prevail, and he'd have to answer for giving Copernicus Kettleburn a spontaneous bath. As it was Alexis and Anna were both, shall we say, miffed at him. And when Aggie found out, she'd give him a piece of her mind too. Of all of them, Aggie was the one he feared most. She made Kayla look like a PygmiePuff.

"Please don't remind me" Kayla groaned, thinking how on earth she was going to tell Nicholai, what Cela had been up to and no doubt she was going to get into trouble for not keeping a closer eye on the youngest Toussaint. "I think the punishment that Professor Kazimeriz, has set out for those two will probably keep the two apart anyway" she chuckled softly. "It seems they can't touch each other or anyone for that matter, so we're pretty safe...for the time being."

Kayla looked out the window where her owl had now disappeared from sight and she let out a long breath. Soon, very soon she would be seeing Nico and she would have to tell him. Kayla, closed her eyes for a moment as she pictured him inside her head spazzing out over the information he hears. She wondered if this would be their first fight...well besides that whole drama of last year. Kayla, had never seen Nico, really angry before but she had the feeling she was about to.

Girls in distress. It always undid Tobi, but his father had always told him that chivalry was hardwired into his personality, so what could he expect?

"I don't figure you're going to want my help much with Nico, but," he dug around in his bag, and pulled out a badly wrapped brown paper package, the contents of which he intended for his sisters, but then, they wouldn't miss one. He dug into it a bit and yanked out a double fudge caramel brownie. "Chocolate?" he offered.

It works with Dementors after all.

He wasn't good with magic, with communicating, but he was good with food blast it all, and food can fix things too!

Tobi's voice broke her out of her reverie, she had momentarily forgotten that he was still there. Kayla turned back to face him once again and she was about to decline his offer on helping her with Nicholai, when she realised he was actually offering her something to eat.

Her eyes widened as she saw what he was holding and she let out an involuntary little squeal. "Tooooooobiiiiiiiii, you're the bestest" with all the stress of kids dying, schoolwork and trying to look out for a very overzealous teenage girl, Kayla was totally overwhelmed by Tobi's gesture and she flung herself at him like a charging bull and there was a fleeting second of being airborne and then gravity took hold. "Oh craaaaaaaap" she squeaked as she felt herself and Tobi falling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

Tobi's voice broke her out of her reverie, she had momentarily forgotten that he was still there. Kayla turned back to face him once again and she was about to decline his offer on helping her with Nicholai, when she realised he was actually offering her something to eat.

Her eyes widened as she saw what he was holding and she let out an involuntary little squeal. "Tooooooobiiiiiiiii, you're the bestest" with all the stress of kids dying, schoolwork and trying to look out for a very overzealous teenage girl, Kayla was totally overwhelmed by Tobi's gesture and she flung herself at him like a charging bull and there was a fleeting second of being airborne and then gravity took hold. "Oh craaaaaaaap" she squeaked as she felt herself and Tobi falling.

'Oh craaaaaaap' as Kayla had so aptly put it, was exactly the case. Tobi had seen cartoons like this:

They hovered in the air a moment, like someone had put a levitation charm on them, over a massive pile of owl poo and then,

BOOM! Many hoots of indignation and flapping wings answered.

They landed in a heap, a tangle of limbs, stinky owl droppings and blossoming bruises.

"Uh, you're welcome?" he said, without trying to move. He was mostly on the bottom but some of Kayla had ended up in the excrement.

Extracting himself from this tangle would be fun. And awkward. Now would be a terribly bad time for Aggie to visit the Owlery.

Kayla raised her head and looked around at the screeching owls and then looked down at Tobi, "Who knew chocolate would have this kind of reaction huh?" she placed her hand down on the floor to push herself off Tobi and her slipped in some owl poo. "Oh for the love of Merlin" she moaned and looked for a place to wipe it off.

She tried to extract herself from Tobi, in the most elegant way possible but not succeeding very well and decided to just simply roll off him. She laid on the floor in the middle of the owlery and the owl poo, her elbow throbbing from hitting the floor. "I haven't got the energy to get up."

Copernicus was practically panting by the time he reached the top of the stairs. Why in the world was this place up so HIGH? He ruffled his usually neat hair and pushed into the room itself... only to find it occupied.

Oh Merlin no! These were two of the LAST people he wanted to deal with right now. He let go of the door and wondered if he could sneak back out without being spotted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

Kayla raised her head and looked around at the screeching owls and then looked down at Tobi, "Who knew chocolate would have this kind of reaction huh?" she placed her hand down on the floor to push herself off Tobi and her slipped in some owl poo. "Oh for the love of Merlin" she moaned and looked for a place to wipe it off.

She tried to extract herself from Tobi, in the most elegant way possible but not succeeding very well and decided to just simply roll off him. She laid on the floor in the middle of the owlery and the owl poo, her elbow throbbing from hitting the floor. "I haven't got the energy to get up."

"Um, could you try?" Tobi asked. "Cause you're kinda on top of me, mostly. And this is totally awkward. If Aggie comes up here, and she usually does, she's batty about owls, she'd gonna blow her -"

The sound of panting had his head turning to the sound of its source, owls didn't pant. Aggie had taught him that much. Please Merlin, don't be Aggie, I don't want to die!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

Copernicus was practically panting by the time he reached the top of the stairs. Why in the world was this place up so HIGH? He ruffled his usually neat hair and pushed into the room itself... only to find it occupied.

Oh Merlin no! These were two of the LAST people he wanted to deal with right now. He let go of the door and wondered if he could sneak back out without being spotted.

But it wasn't Aggie, it was someone... much less welcome, well Tobi wouldn't have been happy to see Aggie either but that would have been more regarding his personal safety.

This was regarding someone else's personal safety... which at the moment, there was NONE to speak of...

"Hey!" Tobi threw Kayla off of him and jumped to his feet, his promise to behave himself mysteriously gone, and not minding at the moment that he was covered in owl poo. ANOTHER uniform ruined. What was that 4 now?

He stalked over to Copernicus "I Kissed a Girl and She Liked It" Kettleburn.

"Got a LOT of NERVE don't you?" he seethed.

"Me?" Copernicus gulped audibly and crossed his arms across his chest. And then uncrossed them. He put his hands in his pockets. And then removed them. Ugh. "So Cela told you about the... tree incident? Is that why you attacked me in Herbology? Or do you have a grudge against Ravenclaws and you're exacting it on one underclassman at a time?"

Kayla looked up at the arrival of...oh no the last person she wanted to see her in this position. She made a vain attempt at trying to extract herself from Tobi. Copernicus would probably going running to Celandine now and tell her what he had just seen.

Oomph...she hit the ground after being thrown unceremoniously off Tobi and she rolled into more owl poo. Oh this was just disgusting, she stood up on shaky legs and looked down at herself and quickly pulled out her wand, "Scourigfy." Now that was better, she smiled at her perfect cleaning charm until Tobi's voice travelled across the owlery and she looked up to see him accosting Copernicus.

Kayla groaned inwardly and ran over to the both of them. "Tobi, you said you would leave it alooooo..."she squealed once again when her foot slipped in a nice big pile of owl poo and she reached out with her hands, crashing into both Tobi and Copernicus.

"Cela didn't have a choice!" Tobi snapped. "She happened upon Kayla, Maddox and I looking like someone had cursed her Cruppy and when I tried to find out what was wrong I got zapped! Apparently, rules are that she has to tell the story when that happens, so I got all the gruesome details about how you just can't keep your lips and whatever else you yourself!"

Without much regard for the possibility of getting zapped again Tobi found himself stepping into Kettleburn's bubble, leaning down so mere inches separated their noses, his grey-green eyes, more than likely a hard stone grey at this point, glaring daggers at him.

Kayla seemed to be less than impressed with Tobi's behaviour, well that was just tough. "I can handle this Kayl-"

WHAM! Kayla crashed into Tobi, Tobi crashed into Kettleburn.

ZaaAAAAAaappPP!

Copernicus was in a hurry to roll out from under them, but he couldn't get out from under the combined weight. "Get off of me. Did she tell you that the shocking gets worse and worse, and then you'll stick to me? GET OFF!" He shoved his way from the bottom of the pile.

From his own spot deep in the owl mess, he glared at them both. "You think I don't know what I did? You think yelling at me is going to make me even more sorry?"

ZAAAAAAAPPPPPPP!!! OW!! Those shocks really do hurt and again she was on the floor and in the middle of more owl poo. Kayla rolled away from the two of them especially Cope...he was too dangerous to be close to.

"Hey I'm not yelling at you" Kayla held up her hands in surrender and was disgusted to see that they were covered again in owl poo. "Actually I happen to have been sticking up for you Cope."

Kayla rounded on Tobi, "And you told me that you would leave it alone" she growled. "They have already both been punished and getting in Cope's face all the time is not going to solve anything. All you're going to do is drive Cela away by being mean to him all the time." Ugh she was tempted right now to wipe her hands across his face.

With Kayla off his back, at least literally, Tobi was able to scramble off of Copernicus. The LAST thing he wanted was to be welded to the kid.

Tobi let some of the hot air deflate from him, if only to appease Kayla. Okay, definitely only to appease Kayla. Further, he grabbed Kettleburn by the elbow and hoisted him to his feet.

"I know yelling at you isn't going to make you more sorry," he said seriously.

Tobi drew a fist back, BAM!

ZAAAAAAAPPPPP!!!!! and paid for it dearly when his left cross connected with Kettleburn's jaw.

So worth it, he thought, but that might be because he'd killed some brain cells that time.

The electric shock hurt a LOT, and the bone-crunching punch hurt more. But it was the feeling that he was never ever going to be able to explain this or make it right that really got to him. He grimaced and touched his aching jaw gingerly, keeping a wary eye on Avalon. Wow... nothing broken, but it was for sure going to leave a mark. Something else he had to explain.

"What would you have me do?" he asked wildly, backing away from them both. "I know she's not mine to kiss, and she's with my step-brother. I know I'm older, and I know it's against the rules. I just..." He stopped rubbing his jaw and gave them a mulish look. "I just had to do it. She was looking at me like she wanted me to, and I had to take a chance that it might be worth all the trouble. And it really was."

He glanced at Kayla, her words finally really sinking in. "Wait... you're on my side?" He was probably making that gaping fish out of water face at her from shock.

Kayla could see it coming but hesitated just that fraction too long and woah...that was one hell of a punch! Even though her wand was in her hand, Kayla was more of a physical type of person when she wanted to get her point across. "TOBI AVALON!!" she screamed as she moved forward and kicked her foot out and swept his feet out from underneath him. "How thick are you? How many times do I have to tell you to leave it alone" now she pointed her wand at him, "Make another move and I swear I will hex you so your own mother won't recognise you."

She looked over to Cope and was thankful that he was gentleman enough not to retaliate. "Are you okay?" Because man that was one awesome punch!!

Keeping her wand trained on Tobi, just in case he tried something again Kayla, answered Copernicus. "Yes I am." And she was going to be in trouble for it too. "Temptation by something as adorable as Celandine, would be hard for anyone. Although it might have been better if she wasn't already seeing your brother but I do understand" she sighed deeply, she only hoped that Nico would be so understanding. "I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt her or your brother and I know how sorry you are about what has happened. We're just going to have to work on trying to make things right again because I don't want to see Cela this sad ever again."

Tobi's feet were swept out from under him before he could do or say much about Copernicus Kettleburn's speech. It might surprise both Kayla and Kettleburn to know that he wasn't feeling especially violent anymore. Perhaps it was a guy thing, perhaps it was the speech. Perhaps it the large amount of poo all over his robes, thanks to Kayla there was now even more of it. But whatever it was, Tobi felt much better now that he had vented his frustrations, and Kettleburn seemed to understand the gravity of his decisions.

Further, it heartened Tobi to know that Kettleburn had taken a blow to the jaw and still deemed Cela worth all the trouble.

Either way, Tobi believed Kayla when she said he'd get a sound hexing if he attempted to move so he stayed put.

"Perhaps there is hope for him after all," he drawled from the floor. "Kayla, just let me know when I'm allowed to move, okay?"