The exchange of words between Karma and Piper became more like a fight, something he just couldn't hold any longer, when Atkins mentioned...Piper not being good for her, then she answering to her. Oh, man...from one quiet dream to this nightmare, being in the middle of two girls again. "Karma...please.Just stop...I think, I'm the one who should be in knowledge of my own feelings...don't ever say that again..." He said, taking her hand, giving her a quiet and upset expression. He really tried, not to burst into this anger that was held back since the last time they were spotted together for the first time alone.

"And Piper..." Another tight hold to the girl's hand, same expression of desperation. "I asked you to be patient. You agreed...Karma and I...are just friends. You know my feelings, you know what I'm trying to do. The way we get to treat each other is because of all the time we got to spend before I met you. I do accept, that if you had these types of friends I would be jealous as well...don't you think?" Time to reverse the effects, time to get Piper to feel what he was feeling, confussion and desperation.

"I ask you both...to just think that if you really want me happy, you both have to agree you already occupy a big part of my life already. Karma, you as my best friend, and you...Piper, as the person I want to be my..." Girlfriend...he couldn't finish the sentence, he was stuck in his own words for now.

"I'm sorry, but I...shall be the one leaving. I can't stand that you both...don't accept each other." He let go of both girls, taking off with the candy bags then back into the castle. Emiliano...was...tired!!!

Ruby wandered down the Hogsmeade street and wondered where to go, she passed a couple of students. She found a bench and sat down, there was a nice breeze in the air she sat there and wondered about her parents and Sakura and hoped they were alright.

'No, no, NO! You are NOT going to eat that chocolate young lady!' The logical voice was warning Grace inside. 'Just focus on your ice. Forget chocolate.' It wasn't that easy, but Grace managed to do. She didn't want pay a visit to the Healer, nor wanted to leave Hogsmeade early. She didn't have that potion, it was in her other bag which was now swimming in dungeons. "No, forget chocolates." she said half-heartedly. "See that man with a child?" She showed with her head. "I'm trying on him." She took out her wand and said "Expelliarmus!" His wand didn't fly out that much like Lyra's woman, but it did get out. Yay! The man was looking around in shock when Grace got up and handled him his wand. Turning back to Lyra, she was grinning.

"okie dokie, no chocolate for you" Lyra said and ate one of her chocolate frogs just to tease her and looked at her card Alberta Toothill "hmm i already have this one, you want it?" she asked and showed Grace the card.

Lyra looked around to find the man and the child she was talking about. "you mean those two?" she asked looking back at Grace but she had already fired the spell. Lyra quickly followed the red sparks and laughed when the man's wand fell out of his pocket and clapped. "you know, why have a wand if you can't even look out for it?" she asked grinning. "i mean, if us first years can do this...." Lyra's voice faded away a bit in the wind and again her hair fell over her face. "stupid wind" she cursed under her breath.

Melanie skipped down the cobbled street, her dark brown hair trailing behind her, looking up and down the rows of shops for somewhere to go or something interesting to do...maybe even a friend to talk to?

She hoped so...

Ooooh but she wasn't that fortunate, not yet anyway. the second year girl, clumsily slipped some pebbles, skidding a bit across the path, before her feet, the traitors, came out from beneath her and the girl landed...not so gracefully on her behind.

Why did gravity hate her so much?!

Sighing irritably, Melanie picked herself off the ground, trying to maintain a dignified manner, as she bushed off some debris clinging to her school robes. And in that process she couldn't help but noticed the small stream of red liquid on her ankle. Realizing what it was Melanie cringed slightly, running a hand through her hair and wondering if one of the shops around her would have soemthing to wipe it off, not even considering the wand lingering in the pocket of her robes.

Grace sucked her ice frantically, as if it was her one-week food. She closed her eyes to feel the taste and also not to see another normal person eating chocolate. She opened an eye when Lyra talked, to see if it was safe to watch again. "Nah, with this sensitive allergy I'd never be able to collect all cards." One more thing she could never do.

Grace turned back to Lyra happily and satisfied with herself. "Yeah, even an eleven-year old can take it. But I guess there are some charms to avoid this kind of spells... It'd better be!"

Seeing Lyra fighting with her hair, she said "Why doncha use a hairgrip?" and she offered her some. A thing girls should carry with spare ones.
While talking to Lyra, Grace saw a girl tripping over a pebble. She ran to help, she had landed on her back! "Are you alright?" had already been released from Grace's mouth. What a stupid question to ask! The girl wasn't alright obviously. Grace took out some wet tissues which was alcoholed and offered to girl. "I don't know any healing spells, but we can help you to a shop or someting."

"thanks" she said and took the hairgrip from her and bound her hair together.
Lyra blinked for a few seconds when she saw Grace standing up and running away. 'what the?' she thought, thinking that Grace was going to leave her but then saw she ran to a girl who had fallen down.

Lyra got up too and stood behind them seeing how Grace offered the girl a tissue. "you ok?" She asked the girl she had never seen before. She looked like her age, maybe a second year?

NOOOOOOOOO! People... apparently she'd been too slow to get to a shop. Melanie turned around to stare at the first girl, she was about the same height as her...but she was pretty sure the girl wasn't in her year.

Melanie nodded rapidly as the girl asked if she was okay, trying to ignore the red stuff on her ankle. ARG! Onnnnly her would injure herself on a pebble. Of course that little pebble had probably been out to get her, being out in the middle of the road and such. Hmmpf, maybe she'd stepped on it during the last Hogsmeade trip and now it wanted to kill her and was using her clumsiness at it's advantage.

Yeah, surely that was it.

And now another girl came over, she looked about the same age as the other one...she thought she may have recognized them both from class...just never spoken to them.

"Yeah I'm fine...just a bit of blood." she shrugged, giving the girls a soft smile, wagging her leg around a bit so they could see. "Nothin' to worry bout'." Melanie tried to reassure them.

The second year tilted her head as girl #1 offered her some funny smelling tissues, wondering why she'd been carrying them around. Melanie sniffed one of them, wondering what that clear liquid was it had on it, rubbing her nose as she looked back over at the girl who'd first come over to her. "That's that alcohol stuff...It'll make it burn..." Melanie informed her, stubbornly trying to give her back the tissue.

Ewwwwwww! Melanie eyed the blood on her leg, feeling a little woozy. It was still making it's slow progress...

"Ermm...do have any non-stingy tissues?" she asked her, referring to the kind with no alcohol on them. She didn't like making requests to strangers (even if they were trying to help) ... but umm they weren't technically strangers...

Just Hogwartians.

Yeah, she'd go with that.

Lyra looked at her leg. "eh..you sure your ok? cause it doesn't look like it" Lyra asked and looked at the girl. "oh i'm Lyra by the way, Lyra Riddle" she said with a small smile and nodded to her.

Seeing how the girl refused to use the alcoholed tissue she sniggered a bit and grabbed her bag. "Here" she said handing over a package of tissues that she always carried around, in case she got sick. "non alcohol" Lyra smiled and handed it over.

Aries strode into the main street of Hogsmeade. Great, some place away from the castle. He thought, as he looked around at the many shops. One hand tucked into his pocket and the other he raked through his dirty blonde shoulder length hair. Which he had down at the moment. Only because he had lost his hair tie and didn't feel like going back to the dorm to get another. He would just have to put up with it for the time being or he could ask a random girl if she had a hair tie.

His purple eyes scanned the area, a smirk pulling at the corner of his full lips. He liked the idea of asking someone. Another girl he could talk to. There was quite a few girls around. Who should he ask?

Oh. Grace hadn't seen the blood. How nice. She didn't like scars even on other people. And now this girl was saying 'No, it's nothing' stuff. It was something, a big problem. She looked at the scar again. It wasn't that serious, was it? Maybe this one was really 'nothing'. She didn't know.

"Alcohol will just--" she started to say, but trailed off as Lyra had already given some tissues. She just stood there and watched a little worried. The thought of scars always made her worry.

"Yeah..." Melanie said persistently, shaking her head, and eying the blood again. Sure it hurt a teeny bit, but it would go away...nothing to worry about really. Just a cut...

"Nice to meet you." Melanie said, grinning. "I'm Melanie, Melanie Lockhart." she said politely, addressing both of the other girls.

Melanie frowned as the girl laughed at her. Bleh, she did not like being laughed at. Her sourness was replaced by glee though as the girl tugged some tissues from her bag (Wow, these people came prepared... Melanie really needed to think about carrying a bag or something...).

The second year Hufflepuff easily obliged this time, taking the tissue gratefully and pressing it against the wound to clot the blood and to eventually stop it's flow. "Thanks" she said gratefully, looking up at Lyra, before plopping down on a nearby bench so she didn't have to lean over as much.

Melanie looked over at Lyra's friend who looked a bit worried. Melanie gave her a soft smile that was meant to be reassuring, trying to calm her a bit. "I think It'll be fine...It's already starting to feel better." she tried again. the second part was a bit of lie buuuuut she wouldn't know. Melanie was only trying to make her feel better anyway... "What's your name?" she asked curiously, as the other girl hadn't introduced herself yet.

"Melanie... You have a nice name. I'm Grace Kettlewell." Grace said and smiled. She was more comfortable now as Melanie said it was getting better... Though she couldn't resist eyeing the scar continuously. Deciding it was rude to do so, she tried to change the subject. "You know, you're the first person from Hufflepuff I've ever met." she said, now looking in her eyes.

"Thanks" Melanie said grinning at her. "It has lots of nicknames anyway..." she added. "You name's pretty cool too." she complimented her, the smile still lingering on her face.

Melanie noticed her calm down, relieved that he had. It really wasn't too big of a deal. Grace still was watching her cut though..as if she expected something to happen. Melanie pressed the tissue down a bit harder, the blood staining it a dark red hue. She wished it would stop...the cut wasn't too big...

"Really?" she asked. "That's awesome..." Melanie replied, now directing her eyes to look back down at the cut. Some example for a Hufflepuff she was...lying about the progress of the progress for the healing of a gash. Melanie sighed, a bit disappointed with herself. It had only been to make her feel better though... "I know a few Slytherins." Melanie told her looking, up at Grace again. "In fact, my best friends a Slytherin." she said smiling at the thought.

"Thanks." Grace said and laughed at her nickname joke. "Yeah, I bet. I don't think there is a nick name with 'Grace'."

Grace's eyes flickered again to the cut when Melanie pressed on it. It should have stopped. How deep was the cut?

Again looking at her eyes, Grace said "Wow. I have met just three people from other houses including you and didn't talk to them much to become even friends..." She trailed off again. Was she that unsociable? Yes, she was a bit shy but... To come to think about it, she only knew seven people from Slytherin. No, this wasn't good. She needed to meet more people and gain friends fast.

Something about being outisde the walls and grounds of Hogwarts was rather refreshing for Caitlin. Irial still hadn't decided on what he wanted to do regarding their relationship, but she wasn't going to push it out of him. Even though she really wanted to.

The Hufflepuff walked up the Main Street of the Wizarding villiage, smiling at the other students as they busied themselves, figuring out which shops to visit; if she wanted to visit any.

Natasha walked back up the street, after having been in the Three Broomsticks, deciding whether or not there was anywhere else she wanted to go, before going back to school. She pulled out a piece of chocolate she had got from Honeydukes absently, as she walked.

She glanced around, and was slightly surprised, to see Melanie. "Hey, Mel." Natasha said with a grin, at seeing the familiar face.

"Welcome." Melanie replied, giving her a small grin. "And of course there's a nickname to go with it..." she said stubbornly. "What about Gracie? It's actually kinda longer so it's not really a nickname, but it kinda is." Melanie said softly. "I can't really think of anything else..." she trailed off, sighing again.

Melanie continued to tend to the cut, the flow of blood slowing down a bit, but she kept the tissue down on it so it didn't get on her leg.

Melanie nodded, shrugging her shoulders. "You're a first year..right?" she asked her curiously. It seemed like a good guess...She may just have been a really small second year, but Melanie was positive she wasn't in her year... "You've got plenty of time to make friends." she assured her, smiling slightly.

YAAAAAY NAT!! Melanie grinned widely as yet another Slytherin girl walked over, this time a familiar face, deciding to hop up from her spot on the bench to greet her. She hobbled a bit unstably, but she she got the hang of it and reached her destination at Natasha's side.

"Hi Nat! What's up?" she said smiling at the Slytherin girl as she greeted her. "This is Natasha." she said as she decided to introduce the Slytherins to each other, in case they already didn't know each other, gesturing to the dark haired second year first. "And this is Lyra and Grace." Melanie continued, indicating to the two first year girls. "I don't know if you guys already know each other..." That, would sorta be embarrassing considering she'd just introduced them. "Or whatnot, but whatever. If you don't you know each other... You do now I guess." Melanie finished, eying the cut again. It had finally ceased bleeding...Blehk now all she needed was a trashcan to dispose of the blood soaked tissue. EWW...again.

As a garbage can caught her eye, Melanie hobbled over to toss it into the bin, before returning to her previous position.

Thomas wandered around the old streets of Hogsmeade. Thomas looked around streets seeing all the children having fun with their friends. Thomas peeked into all of the shops and at the end he decided that he'll enter one of them but it was really hard to decide which one.

"Oh, er, nothing really. I, uh," Natasha paused to think about what she actually had done recently. "I've just been to Honeydukes, and stuff." Natasha shrugged simply. "How about you?" She asked grinning at Melanie, somewhat curiously.

"Hey, nice to meet you." Natasha said with a smile at the two girls Mel introduced her to. "Oh no, we haven't meet, but you are in Slytherin, right?" She asked the two girls. She thought she might have seen them at the Slytherin table, or common room, or something.

Thomas was heading back to Hogwarts while eating his pepper imps, Thomas nearly finished all his pepper imps so he took a Fizzing Wizbee and popped it into his mouth. Thomas felt like he was in heaven the sweets were delicious.

Dominic noticed Lyra's expression change when he brought up the Ministry exams and decided he best not brooch the subject again. Nodding as she said it was interesting, that was to say the least... Though for the most part it was interesting, it was also somewhat boring.

And then the words to escape her lips. The sly smile evident across her lips. The eyelashes. Tilting his head slightly with interest as he awaited this latest gossip from the gossip queen, Lyra Noir, he gasped at the news. Mostly because talk of kissing especially after last term - with the professors acting childish and even him personally with a certain Captain was just still slightly weird. Especially when she continued with who it was; of course, he didn't know Lawson to well, but anyone kissing the feisty redhead would have to be VERY BRAVE. Not awesome.

"Wow." the sixth year said, slightly horrified by this new bit of gossip, as he stammered backwards. "Wow. Bunbury and Lawson, eh?" He repeated, perhaps a little too loudly.

And then, she was off again.

"Thanks for that ... um... News," Dominic nodded off at the older Hufflepuff, as slowly made his way through the crowd and towards the Three Broomsticks. Forget all else and shopping; he needed a butterbeer or something. And quickly!

"Gracie is like a... baby name. Sweet but I prefer 'Grace'." Grace said with a small smile and hoped Melanie wouldn't be offended. She just... didn't like that 'sweety-cheeky' things.

"Yep I'm a firstie." she nodded. 'I hope so...' she mentally answered. She absolutely didn't want to be asocial!

Grace watched Melanie as she ran for a Slytherin girl. Maybe this Natasha was her best friend? "Hey." she greeted back and smiled. "Yes, we're." She hadn't seen her before... No, she remembered a similar girl. At the table? Probably. In the common room? Possibly. After all they were in the same house.

"That's always good." Melanie replied giving her a small grin. Nothing better than Honeydukes chocolate...MmmmHmmm. Melanie shrugged like she had as Natasha asked her what she'd been up to. "Not much really....just school homework...all that exciting stuff." she informed her, speaking he last part, using a slightly sarcastic tone. "Shopping a bit as well." she added, glancing around at he shops thoughtfully.

Melanie gave her a small shrug of her shoulders, a slight smile on her face. "Suit yourself." she replied cheerfully, glad she'd spoken up. "Grace it is then." Melanie said, standing up.

Melanie nodded as Grace told her she was a firstie. "Thought so." she answered. "Plenty of time..." she trailed off.

The second year girl glanced around at the shops, suddenly deciding she wasn't exactly in the mood to browse anymore... In fact she rather wanted to go back tot he castle. Melanie glanced around at the Slytherin girls, giving them an apologetic look. "I think...I think I want to go up to the castle now...Sorry to leave so soon...Have fun." Melanie said. "And nice to meet you guys." she added, looking over at the two first years. "Buh-bye!" And with that the Hufflepuff girl walked off down the street, toward the castle.

Big sigh of relief she wasn't offended. Grace smiled back. This girl was pretty nice.

Grace didn't feel like hanging around too, but she still wanted to see Honeydukes. "Nice to meet you too." she called back after her. Now, which place to go...