Jumping almost of her skin, she looks up from her notes. Looking around, she spots where the voice had come from, and realizes that Copernicus and Plymouth are sitting on the floor, and she had walked past them.

"Oh, umm, oops." she says looking at the corridor, "I guess I wasn't paying attention." as her face turns bright pink, and turns to go back toward the stairs.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you...I was just, never mind." she says glancing back at them.

"Yeah, I can tell that," he agreed solemnly. "Are you telling me you wish I was less proper? It's just the way I was raised, mate. I wish all the time I could be good with people the way you are... that I was funny or witty or anything. But I'm just me, and when I'm trying to be something else, I screw things up."

"I just want to be buddies, Perni. I mean, I have to LIVE with you, same House here, and in that house your dad got. Here and there, so it'd just be nice if we could make the best of it." He sighed and stretched his legs out long in front of him.

Plymouth watched Liz scurry off like he'd just scared her or something. "Do I stink or something?" He raised his arms up and sniffed and offered Copernicus a sniff for second opinions. "You really think I'm good with people?"

"Yeah, you're really good with people. They always respond well to you, and I think people sort of... flock to you, you know?" He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. So they were just going to live with each other? What happened with the best mates thing?

"I guess," Plymouth shrugged. He didn't really notice. Wasn't it perfectly normal to have friends? "I'm kind of afraid of birds. Did you know that? You should know that. Step brother best friends should know this sort of thing."

"Oh?" He looked at Plymouth with a small smile. "Big birds or small ones or all of them? Are you afraid of chickens and things that can't fly? What about baby birds? Do you know what makes you afraid of them?"

"I tell you I want to be best friends and you don't have a lot to say. I tell you I'm afraid of birds and you want to know every detail? You're a funny one, Pernicus." Plymouth scratched his head and tried to figure out all the questions. "I think it's the claws or the beak. Which is ironic considering where they put me in this school, right? I don't want my eyes pecked out. And I generally don't like to be pooped on. I think I'd be okay with a penguin, though. What are YOU afraid of?"

"Erm..." He made a face. "Getting people hurt, mostly, or being the reason they get hurt. And lightening storms, you know? I don't like those." He kicked his heels against the floor. "You really think I don't want to be your best mate?"

"You don't really act like it, Pern. Maybe that's just you though, I guess." Plymouth continued to scratch his head and ponder Perni. "I'm pretty sure that if given the choice, you'd probably choose someone else over me. And that's okay... I know we're not exactly alike, you and me..."

"I don't like anyone at this school better than you," Copernicus closed his eyes. "But I can't say anything that will convince you, since obviously only people who are open and affectionate like you have best friends. I'm fine with that."

Plymouth stomped around and did his "hissy fit" routine. It ended with him jumping up and down and his hands on his hips. "COPERNICUS. You drive me bonkers. Just be cool? Just be cool. Come on. Walk down the hall and stop worrying about whether or not you have to hug me because I get excited and hug sometimes." Plymouth pulled his puffy hair and started strutting down the hall. "Just like this."

"I always hug you back," Copernicus grumbled, following Plymouth down the hall. "What are we doing, though? You're showing me how to be cool, right?"

"No. What makes you think I know how to be cool? I'm just doing SOMETHING with you. We're walking. That shouldn't make you want to run away from. Just taking a walk together, you and me. Perni and Plymouth." COpernicus asked a LOT of questions.

"Sure, let's walk," Cope shook his head and laughed at how bizarre the two of them really were. They made things SO much harder than they had to be. "So here we are... just walking. Walking is great." And just a bit awkward, actually.

Liz comes walking back down the stairs, with her firebolt on her shoulder, hoping to get practice in before quidditch practice today.

Celandine gave Copernicus a speculative look, wondering whether he could actually bring himself to cast a spell that might hurt her. Probably he'd try to restrain her if anything. And she'd already practiced the mid-duel pout on Tobi with great success. "Yes. I'm pretty sure you would." She looked down at her feet as she stepped past him into the corridor, holding her breath as she walked past. It was like she could feel the electricity in the air. Because of the shocky thing right? Right.

She froze at his words and turned around, slowly lifting up a ribbon and holding it up, looking between Copernicus and the pink ribbon with an expression of delighted amusement. "Ooooh. Daphne would kill me." Cela winked and stuffed the ribbon in her pocket. "Where are we walking?" And why?

"We're walking... down," he grinned shyly, fingering some of the loose strands from her messy bun with utter distraction. "I thought you wore the pink ribbons all the time. You and Hopton, right?" He thought the ribbons were adorable, actually.

Ah, oops. He let go of the hair and tried to give her a disarming smile. "So... shall we? How about we just see where we end up?"

Celandine blinked at Cope for a few moments, and nodded, her lashes dusting her cheeks as she looked at her feet. "Daphne and I bought the entire stock out." Cela agreed.

She looked up and nodded, "Okay. I'm done with my homework anyway." Cela grinned at him, remembering, "You were so amazing in runes class."

"Honestly? I sort of feel like I got lucky with that last rune. It made sense, but I thought the ones I chose before made sense too." He started walking, hoping she'd keep pace with him. This was the hard part about not being able to offer his arm.

"I should tell you something. About the whole not being friends anymore fiasco..." Yes, this was definitely a good start.

"I guess it really proved how much of rune reading is up to interpretation huh?" kind of like life and all that. Celandine had to walk pretty fast to keep up with Cope since his legs were much longer. She ended up skipping, it was easier.

"Oh." She wrinkled her nose and stopped for a moment before hurrying to catch up. She looked at him and blurted quite as if she hadn't intended to speak at all, "I don't like it, just so you know."

He slowed his pace to let her catch up, but at her words, he just up and stopped. Turning, Cope gave her a very playful expression, which was totally ruined by the look in his eyes, but it was the best he could do. "No, me neither. Let's try something else. Go back to being friends. Alright by you?"

Though his expression was puzzling, conflicting and practically unreadable to Celandine, It was one of those sunshine breaking through stormclouds moments when Copernicus spoke, and Cela's lips formed a little 'O' of surprise before a radiant smile spread over her face, "Really?" She breathed a great sigh as if a huge weight had been lifted from her and she darted forward to give Copernicus a hug before remembering the zap business and stopping herself. Unless Copernicus had been de-zapped too? Cela figured he'd have said something if he had (even if she hadn't mentioned her own de-zapping).

So instead of a hug, Celandine leaned forward ever so slowly and nuzzled his chest gently, being sure not to touch his skin at all. She stepped back and did a happy little spin, holding both arms up in the air as she turned around, the edge of the pink bracelet just peeking out from the sleeve of her jumper.

"It's alright by me." Cela confirmed, as if it actually needed saying. She let her hands fall to her sides and clasped her fingers behind her back. She looked at him for a moment more before asking cautiously, "You aren't going to change your mind again?"

"No, I won't change my mind," Cope stared at her in half-horror and half-shock as she nuzzled his chest. She was half Abraxan for sure! Why did she have to be so adorable all the time? It was like a test. No! It WAS a test, and so far he was failing.

"So. Now that we're friends again, I should tell you that I was something akin to a slimy toad when I told you we shouldn't be friends. And I hope you'll forgive me. Because I'm sorry." He put his hands behind his back as well, rocking on his heels. "We should walk."

"Good! Because I have exciting news!" Celandine leaned forward on her toes, her eyes lighting up in supressed excitement, "They flew! And Professor Morgan said that she will let us ride them and we have to meet her down there in a little while!" Cela smiled joyfully.

"Mmm. A slimy toad? I don't think so. For one, toads aren't all that slimy. Also, I like toads. But I can't forgive you... because I already did. Let's walk, Cope." Cela grinned mischieviously and began to skip down the corridor, looking over her shoulder to make sure her was coming.

"They did?" He was thrilled! And sad, because he wanted to see his Tiberius take flight. "I'm so glad you were there to see it, though. And I've been thinking they're so big now, that maybe they need their own stalls. But close together, because Tiberius is so fond of Cassiopea..." He hurried down the hall after her.

"You don't even want to know why I said that or what changed or any of the million questions that most girls are required by estrogen law to ask?" He was surprised that she wasn't demanding an explanation.