"You should work on some points. Your dad is kind of serious about you ... having a lot of them. Maybe he'll be too busy with Zahra though to notice." Plymouth was knee-deep in the swamp. "It'll wash off, I'm sure. You can help me scrub it off my legs. Bet you know a good spell or something."

Cope wasn't exactly thrilled to be reminded that his father had pinned all these hopes on him, nor that he was being replaced by a tiny little bundle of pink in just a few weeks. He already got limited attention from Albert Kettleburn, and then he'd spent so much time with Plymouth over the summer. Sigh.

"Yeah. Thanks," Cope made a face at the back of Plymouth's head. "I'm going to disappoint my father. Might as well get used to the idea."

Plymouth rolled his eyes. "You don't talk to him. You just have to tell him... say.. "Dad - I didn't FEEL like making points" and he'll get it. It's simple." Plymouth poked a finger into the swamp then lifted the water to his nose. He WAS going to reek.

"I don't have anything to say to him," Copernicus was pretty much tired of Plymouth and his 'helpful' suggestions and his questions about what Cope was up to with Cela (answer: not a single thing). "Don't drown, Plymouth. I'm going back to work on my Transfiguration homework."

"Wait," Plymouth turned quickly - too quickly - and went down in the stinky swamp. He made a gloopy sort of splash... wave.. thing. "Ahhh Help! Throw the rope, Cope!"

"There IS no rope," Copernicus sighed and came back to the edge of the swamp. With a flick of his wand, he levitated Plymouth out of the sludge, to float above the water. "Plymouth... you're a mess."

Plymouth was still doggy-paddling like he was in the water. "My mom says that all the time." He reached his arms out for Copernicus to help him down and out.

Mari felt her need to run away dissipate after a moment when she heard Robert speak. She looked down at her feet for a moment, shifting on them before she looked up at him, a rather unreadable expression on her face. " Hi," She said after an uncomfortable moment. " How are...how are you finding classes so far?" She asked, avoiding the obvious questions she could be asking in favor of less troublesome ones. She opened her mouth to speak again but then seemed to think better of it and stopped, her fingers going to fidget with the edge of her shirt like she usually did when she was uncomfortable.

"Your mother is very wise," Copernicus lowered Plymouth to the floor and scooted back. "Are you willing to let me clean you up? You can't touch me until you're de-stinkified." He had to grin at the mess Plymouth ALWAYS got himself into.

"But I kind of feel I need to hug you for saving me," Plymouth informed Copernicus. "You were mad at me for Merlin knows what, and leaving, and then you came back and saved me. Get in these arms!" Plymouth got up to his knees and dived at Copernicus.

"Stop, stop!" Copernicus tried to get out of the way and hit the ground hard, muddy gross Plymouth on his legs. "PLYMOUTH. What are you DOING? I'm not MAD at you."

Plymouth "HEHE'd" loudly and crawled up to wrestle with Copernicus and get him good and muddy too. "Brothers that stink together, stay together. And I do want to stay together. Okay?" Plymouth hugged Copernicus.

Copernicus wriggled free and groaned. He smelled AWFUL, and he was coated in the thick clinging mud. "Plymouth! I liked this shirt!" Uggggggh.

With a sigh, Cope struggled to his feet, offering his hand to Plymouth. "Now we have to go... clean up. And the whole common room will hate us and we'll have to sleep outside with the animals!"

Plymouth noted that Copernicus did not hug him back. So, Plymouth took Copernicus's hand, pulled himself up, and went straight in for a hug. He was making his peace with Copernicus. "I love you, Brother. I'll buy you a new one with your dad's money. A better one. Let's go outside and roll in the grass!"

Copernicus took the peace offering for real, hugging Plymouth back. Heck, he was already DIRTY. "In the lake, maybe. I have other shirts." He let go of Plymouth and clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go outside."

Robert looked at Mariska and couldn't help but notice that something had changed about her. Or maybe it was something that had changed about him no doubt a lot had. "Classes? Decent." In actuality he hated them mostly. Something had gone wrong in every one of them so far or else she was in them as well which was unavoidable seeing as they were in the same year. He felt his hatred start to build again and his hand clenched the strap of his bag slightly. Relax...deep breath...do what Liz said. Forcing himself to relax he shifted and looked at her again. "You?"

Mari nodded when Robert answered her, looking at the statue opposite them rather than him while she bit her lip a little. She looked over at him sharply however in the long pause between his words. Even if he wasn't saying it, she could read the obvious signs that he was not pleased to be there. She watched him take a rather deep breath and then she looked away again as soon as his gaze touched on hers. " Same. I'm actually finding History of Magic...more tolerable this year. Just wait until exams though," She said faintly, hating this awkward small talk. But it would have to happen until they reached a neutral stage otherwise there'd be this crazy awkwardness with her and Elizabeth all year and Mariska did not want that.

Robert stood awkwardly talking to the side of Mari's head as she looked away whenever he looked at her. It was starting to irritate him. "Will you look at me. Geez, do you know how irritating it is to talk to the side of someones head?" He shifted his bag strap again and swore at the mention of History of Magic. "Oh man, I still have Liz's quill." It was odd here he was with Mariska and yet his mind had wandered off to something inane like that and he was irritated at the smallest thing. Shifting his weight on his feet again he looked at her. "So...how are you..." Ah back to the personal stuff again. More awkward and thus harder to discuss.

Mari pushed her hair behind her ear as Robert spoke in an irate voice, but she took her time in giving in to his request. When she looked at him, she was aware that he was still irritated. It was so weird, seeing him again after everything, she realized. She hadn't looked at him once since they'd been back at school...but she couldn't figure out why. " Easier than having a monosyllabic conversation, I'm sure." She said in response, her own uncertainty being misconstrued into irritation now. " I'm sure she'll forgive you that," She said, thinking about how her friend seemed willing to forgive Robert anything and somehow...abandon her at times. She didn't want Cayden to be right. But it was how she felt, at least a little bit.

She shrugged when he asked her how she was. " I'm fine, actually. " Here it came, she thought with a slight sigh. " How are you?" She didn't know if she wanted the answer to this question or not, but it was too late to go running away now.

Lyra walked down the hallway, twirling her hair around her fingers. She was a seventh year and could do whatever she wanted and if the PINK LADY wanted to roam, by all means, get out of her way. It'd been a few days since she'd seen Rob and the last time she saw him, well...Kazi-Man was reading their minds, but instead ended up scaring them as well.

She turned the corner at the statues and there she found Robert and smiled. "How did I know that-" She paused in her speech as her smile quickly vanished. Her green eyes stared at the Ravenclaw girl as her tongue began to run across the back of her teeth.

Robert bit back his response to her comment and instead shrugged. "I'm sure she will once she's hit me a few times with the bludger later. I'll get her some shiny new ones for extra measure." He was speaking more to himself than to her but was looking at her the entire time. She seemed...less like her old self somehow. But then again so was he.

Hearing her question he grimaced slightly, "I've...been better," he said honestly. He suddenly wanted to tell her about the parallels he's been seeing in himself and his father and how much it scared him but couldn't seem to get the words out. "Father sends his best," he repeated sarcastically the last words his father had said to him when he got out of the car. His father had known what had happened because he had predicted it, and because his mum just HAD to tell him. Looking at Mariska he felt himself growing more comfortable, into his old self again and able to talk to her like normal. "Mari, I feel...." Just then he cut his words off as he heard the familiar sound of heels behind him and knew who it was as they slowed.

Closing his eyes he sighed. He was so close to finally telling her what was really bothering him and Lyra showed up. Turning around he smiled at Lyra. Seeing her look he stepped in front of Mariska and looked at Lyra, "How did you know what?" He asked in an attempt to stem any tension between the two. He didn't blame Lyra but at the same time he didn't blame Mariska. He only wished...well he didn't know what he wished any more. "Scaring more first years?"

Cayden was wondering the castle as he was trying to find a specific Ravenclaw girl as he started to hear some familiar voices. One in specific he really never wanted to hear again, but yet it seemed his voice followed where ever Mari went. It seemed nothing had changed from last year to this.

Cayden had spotted Mari talking with Robert as it irritated him a little. He couldnt say much about this knowing he did the same to her when he talked to Kayla. Next to Robert was a familiar looking Hufflepuff. He remembered her well for she had told him that he was boring, also to keep popcorn with him to feed her when she was in people's pockets. This was going to be amusing and he was going to enjoy every moment.

Cayden came up from behind Mari as he spotted her skirt that had two front pockets. He slid his hands into each of her skirt's pocket as he stood behind her. He lean forward to gently kiss her neck a few times before moving to nibble on her ear. He snickered a little as he pulled away to look at her for a few moments. He tilted his head and smiled at her as for that moment he had forgotten that he was suppose to be angry. She was really beautiful and she made him really happy. He turned to see the two as it was for the first time ( even though they had been standing there the whole time) and gave them a smile." Sorry. She just tastes so delicious. Sorry to interrupt your little chat with my wife. She is quite a chatterbox. I think she might even talk more then elizabeth." he said to both of them as he looked back at Mari." Hey." he should at least say Hi to her. After all he had come to find her.

Mariska didn't quite know what to say to Roberts words because they both knew things were definitely not well. She was going to say something, hopefully salvage the odd and uncomfortable conversation before she heard another girls voice. Mari remembered Lyra, hadn't ever had a problem with her before...but now the girl was looking at her with a rather unpleasant look. Well, not exactly unpleasant but not...pleased either. Mari was further confused when Robert stepped between her and Lyra, and she realized with a rather resigned look that Lyra had probably decided she was just the absolute worst person on the planet. Not that she could blame her though. Then Mari kept wondering what Robert had been about to say before they were interrupted.
Mari was quite absorbed in what was going on with Robert so she didn't even hear Cayden come up behind her until she felt him closer to her. She turned to look at him after he leaned forward and she felt all the discomfort leave her in an instant. They stood there like that until he broke some apparent spell and then she looked back at Robert and Lyra, not really caring what either of them said now.

That is until Cayden spoke. That one word, the W word, was all it took to make Mari wonder just what was going on. It was rather nice though, if still weird to be referred to as such. Yet, when he spoke about her talking more than Elizabeth, she had to smile a little. " I think everyone talks more than Elizabeth. You're the only one who seems to think she talks so much." She said, leaning backa little to look at him. It was obvious how comfortable they were with one another. Now Mari could care less if Lyra hated her or not...and whether or not anyone knew that she had indeed gotten married to Cayden over the summer.

Lyra's eyes narrowed, even when Rob stood in front of Mari. She was the one that hurt him. She was the one that couldn't stand up and be a good girl in telling her dear friend that she was interested in someone else. NO! She had to play him...TWICE!

Oh and then the boring fella who was supposed to be a Slytherin showed up.

Yippy.

Lyra didn't move her body, only her eyes when she heard that boy call Mari his...wife? Her eyes moved in Cayden's direction as she raised a brow. "Married? You are married?" The hatred in her voice began to ring out as a look of disgust crossed her face. This was just...EWWWWW! They were so young but worse than that...

"Can you not have the heart to stop touching for a moment?" She had to ask. "I mean, it's the least you could do, Mari, for what you did!" Okay! So the girl was going overboard and forget the fact that she did this oh so long ago but...that was a different time and another place and something that she completely forgot about and would never remember again.

Robert spun around as he heard another voice...one he didn't want to hear...one who's voice confirmed what he had assumed when he first got her letter. Clenching his jaw he watched as Cayden insisted on getting touchy feely pretty sure he knew they were there and doing it for show. Hearing his words however made him come to a hault and his eyes widened. No. He must have heard wrong she wouldn't have....not so soon anyway...

Lyra's voice snapped him out of it and he clenched his jaw and glared at Mariska. All this time he thought it had been something he had done and it was.... He swallowed, his fists clenching his strap as he forced himself not to say anything. "Lyra..." he whispered dangerously. The last thing he wanted was a scene, right now he had a strong desire to get the hell away from here fast.

Instead his eyes found Mariska's and in that moment knew he hadn't been over her as the sight before him cut through him. Grabbing Lyra's hand he pushed passed them. "I'll see you around," he muttered as he walked past them dragging Lyra before she got herself into trouble.