"Oh to whom," Annie drawled, still smirking in disbelief as she turned her attention away from Marcus and onto the letter.

Hmm. Hmmhmm.

Hmm.

Hm.

....


WHAT?????


"Iliana MORGAN??????" came the absolutely astounded tone of a shocked!Bunz. The owl pellet she'd had in one hand was now a fine powder and the letter in the other hand was close to being balled up. But no, Annie wouldn't do that yet, because then Marcus would have to go and write another and surely, surely it wasn't his fault he was engaged to that woman, that woman who felt that her much prettier colleague deserved gifts of POO.

GRRRRRR. She didn't even CARE SO WHY WAS THIS SO BOTHERSOME?

It wasn't. It wasn't bothersome at all. Annie was just going to calmly take a few breaths, which she did, maybe take a small walk around the room to cool her head, which she also did, pacing in a circle, and then she was going to hand the letter back to Marcus and go mail her own letter.

Which she didn't.

"This is a good joke, Axe, it's... it's funny." Annie nodded a few times and buried her nose in the parchment, rereading it again just to check. "Amusing. Proposing on the back of an abraxan. HA. It's absolutely darling, so thoughtful, so sweet, so unlike you. So what potion does she have you on? Amortentia? Is she even talented enough to brew something that strong? Did she steal it from Kazimeriz or is it the cheap love potions they sell to the kids down in Hogsmeade? I'd bet my galleons on the latter...."

Okay he had expected some sort of reaction out of Annie but not this. He was completely perplexed as to why she was taking this soooo...badly and why she seemed to have a problem with Iliana? Seriously did Anastasia get on with any woman? Or was it just the ones he seemed to be friends with?

Marcus, watched with growing unease as Annie began to pace around the room. He had seen this before and it never led to anything good, they don't call redheads fiery for nothing. And then she started in on Iliana.

And that was not good.

"Listen here Anastasia, I will not have you speak about fiancee like that and why does it matter to you anyway?" he asked totally exasperated at this point. He threw his arms up in the air and sat down on overturned crate. "As for proposing on the back of an Abraxan, what is wrong with that? Better than doing it in a posh Italian restaurant in London."

Oh.

Crap.

Marcus, looked at Annie with a mortified expression on his face which he quickly covered up by looking away. Please let her not pick up on that. Please let her have forgotten that night. Maybe it might be a good idea to leave right now before the insults started flying.

"You won't have me talking bad about your little 'fiancee' oh that's rich, that's... that's.... OH BLAST IT ALL!"

She shook the letter about some more and ran her hand through her hair, still pacing in a small circle as if she were putting jigsaw pieces together and talking to herself. Yes children: Learn from this and do not become a crazy cat lady like the Bunzinator or you too will start monologing.

"You show up out of the blue, Marcus, ten years since I'd last seen you and a long time since I'd just assumed you were dead. But there it was, as fresh as ever, that tortured look in your brown eyes. I could still see it in your face like I was the lowest creature on the earth and I was kicking an orphaned crup puppy in the rain."

Ridiculous. This was ridiculous. "But I didn't care. I DON'T CARE. I don't have to care. Caring gets you nowhere. It's so pathetic that I even paused for a moment t--- whoaa wait whaaat??????"

She froze in the middle of the room, struck by a sudden memory, and didn't even look at Lawson. Just out the window, much more subdued now. "What's this about... Incanto....?"

What the bloody hell was wrong with this woman?

Marcus had seen Annie, like this on so many occasions but it was usually when she didn't get what she wanted. So he couldn't understand why she was...oh!

Standing back up he took a step towards her and then kinda thought better of it and stepped back. "You're doing a whole lot of ranting and raving for someone who doesn't care Annie." Marcus said softly as he stood there and stared at her. He was a total loss as to what to say.

Annie, had given him nothing butt grief since he came to Hogwarts. And then when there was that small moment when he thought that maybe just maybe they might have given it another go, he had seen her with Ethan.

"Why can't you just be happy for me Annie? I've met someone that I really love and want to spend the rest of my life with. Why is that such a problem with you? I mean aren't you with Ethan anyway?" Marcus, was just taking a stab in the dark on that one. He had no concrete proof that the two were together, he was just going off the rumors he had heard.

Gah, she did remember the restaurant. "Nothing. It doesn't matter now anyway." It had mattered ten years ago when she had ripped his heart out of his chest but finally someone else had come along and put it back for him. And he knew that Iliana, would take real good care of his heart.

Annie just shook her head a few more times and put a hand to her forehead to massage her temples. She couldn't have just mailed a simple letter in peace. No. There would never be peace at Hogwarts.

"It's just a little..... odd, is all, Marcus... so odd and so sudden. Do you really know and trust Iliana Morgan...." Annie shook her head again and took a few steps back to where she'd left her letter. It wouldn't be getting mailed now. All the owls had practically been scared off. It wasn't her fault they had sensitive hearing.

Stupid birds. They'd just all flock to the stupid Magical Creatures professor anyway. Never mind that the other woman had helped Bunz find her cat last term; she had sent POUNDS OF POO to Bunbury's doorstep and had Marcus under some sort of spell now.

"Look, you're right." Annie did the mature thing and picked up her letter and even walked back to Marcus to hand him his. "I like Ethan a lot. A lot. Lot. He's different. You, if you're happy, fine, whatever, just....." she wrinkled her nose but didn't even finish her sentence save a glance down at her letter. "Does it really not even matter?"

Merlin!

She was not going to play that card was she?

"Why is it so odd Anastasia? Because someone actually loves me? Iliana and I have been together for almost a year now. She is the most amazing, beautiful, caring, sensitive, intelligent woman I have ever met." Marcus, threw up his hands in frustration and walked over to the window and looked out over the grounds of the castle. "I spent a couple of years with you and look where that got me. Seems I didn't know you all that well either." He heaved a deep sigh as he watched the students milling around on the lawn, soaking up the sun. It was a beautiful sunny day and was holed up in the owlery arguing with his ex-girlfriend.

Marcus turned around and gave Annie a faint smile, "Ethan is a good guy and I'm sure you two will be happy together." And Marcus was totally happy for them, they were a weird match but you know whatever. If they wanted to be together then who was he to say otherwise. What a shame Annie, couldn't have the same attitude.

Catching her last words, Marcus gave her a sharp look and he finally snapped. Striding back over to her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "It took me ten years to get over you. After you dumped me for Jimmy, on the same night that I was going to propose to you. Ten years Annie, is a damn long time to be pining over someone don't you think? And just when I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life alone, always wondering about the what if's, I found Iliana." Marcus, dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped back from Annie and gave her a sad look. "She is my whole world now Annie, she is good for me whereas you are not and never were."

"It's not odd that someone loves you, Marcus...." Anastasia cleared her throat. "You're right. We never really knew each other. And nobody ever knew Jimmy."

Her face clouded over at the thought of that aggravating ghost man and she almost missed him saying anything about Ethan until he touched her shoulders.

"Ten years.... is a long time...." Annie started blinking very rapidly, especially at the whole proposal bit and the Iliana thing and the insults weaved throughout his entire speech, "but you don't know the whole story. I'm so sorry." She took a step back from him at the same time he did. Another few steps backward and Annie was at the door.

"....have a happy wedding." She nodded in earnest and then rapidly turned and started a quick descent down the stairs of the owlery as fast as possible.

Oh man!!

She wasn't going to cry was she? He always seemed to make females cry and he was still unsure of how he was doing it. The whole story? This was not the first time that she had said that to him.

Marcus, watched absolutely stunned as she headed for the door. "Story? What story? ANNIE" he yelled after her as she bolted out the door. He stood there for a moment with a bewildered expression on his face.

What the hell just happened?

"You took my letter" he muttered, the only ones left to hear him were the owls, all of them staring at him and hooting softly. "Knew I should of just sent a bloody patronus. Would have been a lot less hassle." With no letter to send, Marcus stomped out of the owlery and headed down the stairs and back to his office.

Extremely odd how when everything seems obvious and easy, something has to come down and destroy that comforting border.Hmm.That was pretty much her lifes storyline. Blake Winchester wasnt a complicated girl. She was 5'7 with long blonde hair and soft eyes.She had two sisters,Alice and Sarah and her mother was a hard working MOM member,working in the International affairs section.

Nothing complicated.Nothing at all.Until her mother got offered a job over in the sunny reagon of Spain and everything turned to another language and Blake was having trouble understanding it. Blake had been given the option,well actually,the instruction that she would be transferring to a school in Sunny Spain where she would forfill her education. Something that took Blake by surprise was that she was leaving, very soon actually.

So here she was.Sending her mother a letter confirming those dates.Something that had been hard on her was confirming that the staff were fully happy to let her go,which in some aspect showed that the staff were willing to let her go.She sighed deeply as she looked at her dark owl.She smiled as a memory came into her head of when she got this owl.She was 11 and she was stood in the line ready to bord the train when her mother presented her with Phipsy.She smiled and stroked him."Good bird"she said,letting him go.She watched her current fly away with her owl.

It had been quite a surprise when the letter from his father had arrived. Raizo wasn't much of a letter-writer, after all. It had always been Raiden's mother that had written to him. So when the small parchment envelope had arrived, his little heart had immediately sped up in terrible anticipation of what was going to come out of it. His father's stilted handwriting had been an unexpected and relieving surprise.

The rest of the letter hadn't been quite as comforting.

Moving slowly up the stairs toward the sleepy nook that was the Owlery, Raiden stared at the reply he had in his hands, wondering if this was really the first time he'd ever directed a letter to his father. Indeed, it was. How odd that in four years, not one had gone to him. As he reached the top of the stairwell, he looked up and was almost surprised to find someone else there. Well it wasn't a shock that someone else was there, more like it was a shock that he actually knew the person. It was the Blake girl from the Quidditch game! Oh, she was nice.

"Hello Blake," he said, sounding a bit more surprised than he should have. He held out his hand to one of the school owls and waited for it to come close enough to accept the owl treat in his hand so he could tie his letter to its leg. "How are you?"

Something that always baffled Blake was that she never normally saw anybody come up here.Well from her time at Hogwarts anyway.Blake didnt spend alot of time up here herself but it was just a matter of importance.Something that wasnt very current in Blakes life.

There wasnt any drama,so to speak, or anything remotely interesting that had happened for Blake and she was rather hoping it would.She thought of herself pretty wicked but at the same time,she deserved something exciting.

And at that moment,a voice which brought her out of her little wicked state was that of someone she couldnt help but smile at the sight of."Oh my gosh, Raiden!"she said,walking towards him a little and ducked slightly as the owl flew down and perched upon his arm quite pleasently."Im good,thank you..How are you?"she said,the wind whisping around her hair in some sort of dramatic effect.She suddenly had the erge to strike a pose but decided against it funnyly enough.

Hehe. This was the owl that always came to him when he had to send letters! He recognised it. Carefully, he held out the owl treat, waiting for the little beak to snap around it before he slipped the pre-tied knot over the little owl's foot and tightened it. The owl took a moment to finish his treat before looking at the boy, hooting in his face, and taking off out the window. Raiden watched the little thing fly off for a moment before looking back at Blake.

"Your hair's going to get all knotted if you stand in the draft like that," he said matter-of-factly, reaching in his pocket and pulling out the handful of owl treats he'd brought with him. Splitting half of them off into his left hand, he held them out to Blake. "Wanna help me hand them out? It's really not fair to just feed one, after all. They'll all get jealous."

Hmmm. Hmmm. How was he? Ill at ease, at least. But... alright? Yes?

"I'm alive at the very least," he finally said, grinning as he reached his arm up over his head toward an owl perched in the crook of a rafter. The little thing lowered its head and snatched the treat from his fingers. "So I guess everything's well for me too."

Blake watched him as he delicately fed the little owl the treat.She watched it slowly enjoy the treat like someone would enjoy their favorite food.She shalf smiled as she watched Raidens careful movements and gentle gestures to the owl.They were obviously familiar with eachother,hense the reason the Owl hadnt bitten him like any other bird would have done.

She smiled a little and nodded a little.Her long slightly wavey blonde hair flew about in the wind."Yeah, your right"she said,walking over to Raiden and standing next to him.She smiled and nodded,"Sure"she said,taking some gently out of his hand."You know Ive never actually been up here longer than six minutes"she said,reaching out and feeding a rather small white owl.

She nodded,"Good"she giggled at his remark."Im glad your alive"she said,still chuckling.She looked around her."Though this bitter wind isnt making anything easier for anyone!"she said,brushhing her hair out of her eyes.

It did not take much to tell that Fyo was weary. Of Hogwarts, of the drama, of pretty much everything that had been thrown his way, recently. He wanted to stop the struggle, cut the chase. Cut to the end.

The fourth year swallowed the lump that rose in his throat, as he scanned the Owlery for an appropriate owl. It arrived in the form of a pretty, white one and, as he lifted his hands to tie his letter, Fyo glanced at it once more.

SPOILER!!: Ze Letter

Nat,

Things have been terrible. I honestly consider a transfer. The nightmares continue, and I desperately wish they would go away. I have no idea if they have told Nova yet. I think they haven't ... but they won't tell me either. I wrote to the others, but it's a long shot in the dark. By far a long shot in the dark.

I need you. You know that. You know more than anyone. I have Brody, and she is such a wonderful help, I love her too much for words. She is like a sister, like an adviser and, even though there are things I can not discuss with her at present, her company itself makes me feel ten times better. It's good to know I have someone I can trust without a second thought.

Had a wonderful time with Lissy, earlier this week. We messed about Hogsmeade. I gave her the toy unicorns! I think she adored them. That's one of the only reliefs I have at present -- Lissy. We consumed more sugar than necessary, though. Honeydukes is such a wonder. Wish you were here. Life isn't the same without you by my side. I miss you.

Can't say much more. Finals are here, and I'm a wreck. I hope I do well. Wish me luck. Regards to everyone at home, alright? I look forward to the summer. It shall be a break I need too much.

Yours,
Fyo.

A date had been stamped at the bottom of the parchment. Fyo bit his lip, attached the envelope to the owl's leg, and watched it fly away. Then, very quietly, he withdrew from the place.

"Six minutes? That's not very long at all. Sometimes I'm up here for at least a half hour..." He half-frowned. Was that weird? Most people probably, like Blake, only spent a short time up here actually. So yeah, he was the weird one. Shruuuug. "I like to watch the owls. They're odd. Messy too, but they're interesting."

The wind... Raiden glanced at the window and suddenly remembered something he'd read this past summer, nearly a whole year ago now. Was it true though?

"I read that if you're standing near a window on a windy day and the wind suddenly changes directions, you can get sucked right out the window." He handed another treat to a smaller, fluffy tan owl, then cast a glance at Blake. "I dunno if it's true or not, but either way, don't stand too close to the window, okay?"

He'd rather not have to find out through experiencing it, after all. That would be bad. He looked back behind himself as another person came up the stairs... oh that one looked familiar too. Had they met? Surely they... oh yes. That was Fyo, right?

"Hello," Raiden called to him, giving a little wave as he handed off another treat to a rather snappish owl.

Blake took a look at his expression."I mean,Ive never really had reason to come up here,and plus once one of the Owls bit me and it kinda scared me"she said,blushing a little.She sighed."But now Im here,there not all that scary"she said,giving Raiden a lop-sided smile."They're kinda beautiful, you know?"she said,hovering over an owl who seemed to enjoy her stroking its wing softly.She smiled softly

She looked back at Raiden with a puzzled expression."Really? Now Ive never heard that before.."she said,looking at the window with a slightly causious expression.She smiled at him."I wont dont worry"she said,and moving over a little,not wanting to find out whether Raidens theory was true.

And like Raiden did, she turned to see another boy,someone she too recognised.A Gryffindor.She looked at him,his face seemed lost with confusion and it was obvious he was thinking about something that was bothering him."Are you ok?"she asked,wondering if she could see if anything was wrong with a fellow Gryffie.

"Some of 'em can be a bit... excitable," Raiden admitted, turning back to the owls as Fyo finished his business and quietly left. Things had been so off in Hogwarts lately that it hardly came as a surprise when people looked stressed out; finals, OWLs and NEWTs were causing many to be snappish. Like this owl, who had just nicked his finger with the tip of his beak as he snatched a treat. Rai jerked his hand back automatically, giving the bird an exasperated look. "I'm glad you're not afraid of them anymore, they're good little birds you know. Even if they get overexcited sometimes and nip."

Sometimes. A lot of the time. Same difference. Raiden ignored the pinprick of blood that had welled out of the accidental nip and continued handing out the few treats he had left.

Mmm, what? Fyo looked up. His face was still a little drawn, but it seemed to regain some of its colour when he realized that he had company. Not bad company, either - he remembered Raiden from the year before, and the guy was quite good to be around. Certainly not a bother.

The other girl seemed sort of ... well, worried for him. So she couldn't be all that bad either, right? Fyo stopped in his tracks, and gave them both a small smile. A nice one. "Hey there," he said. "I don't think I am," he added, in response to Blake's question. "My sister is a little sick, at home, I'm rather worried about her. But ... maybe I should introduce myself? Fyo Balouch." He held out a hand, then turned to look at the Slytherin Prefect.

"Long time, no see."

Blake grinned at Raiden.She nodded.Something about these mammals made her smile.Maybe it was there stimulating responses as you spoke to them that she liked.She liked to know someone was listening to her when she spoke,made her feel not so alone.She smiled and sighed deeply,quite enjoying the little breeze now.

The wind had slowed down a little and the birds seemed settled.She looked around at the sky."Its so-"she said,turning back to Raiden and then noticing a bird nip at him.She gasped a little."Yeah,I can see what you mean by excitied"she said,raising her eyebrows.She took her wand out of her pocket and took Raidens pricked hand.She waved her wand,one quick swoosh and it was gone.

She grinned."Something I learnt in charms"she said,giggling."Im forever damaging myself,so it seemed handy to know a spell to help out"she said,giggling.

She was glad the boy stopped in his tracks.As she said before,Blake was good at reading people,and something about this boy,well something,a big thing,was on his mind and it was causing some distress to him.She looked at Raiden and then back to the boy. They knew eachother??

She half smiled.Well with Raidens friendly nature,she wasnt surprised if he knew everyone in the school.She turned her attention back to the boy.She looked at the boy as he explained what was wrong.She sighed."Im so sorry,I hope she gets better"she said,but being Blake,she knew there was more than met the eye.She bowed her head."I do really hope she gets better, theres nothing like being so far away when you know someone you care for is sick.Makes you feel a bit hopeless."she said,nodding slightly,still not really believing the boys words as his face told a different story.

She smiled and reached out and grabbed the boys offered hand firmly and shook it."Nice to meet you Fyo,Im Blake"she said.His hand was extensively warmer than hers.She smiled at then looked between Fyo and Raiden."So you two know eachother"she said,smiling,looking between the two boys.

"Thanks for the concern," Fyo said, with a smile. He liked this girl, he decided. Of course, a first meeting was not the most appropriate one to base opinions on, but there was the 'first impression = last impression' principle too, right? "I have to say, it's quite terrible. I really love her, and we're very close -- I can't wait to go back to Spain." Now he had rambled on. But it felt good not to have to bottle it up. REALLL good.

Blake? But ... um, wasn't Blake a boy-name? Fyo did not say that out loud, of course. In fact, he did not even show his curiosity. "The pleasure is all mine," he said with a friendly smile. Then he nodded. "Um yes... Raiden and I partnered up in a potions lesson, last term."

Blake smiled softly."Thats the best thing about being able to read a person like an open book.I can tell when somethings bothering someone,its a gift I got inherited from my lovely aunt"She said,rolling her eyes and laughing lightly.

She couldnt help but worry about people.She was a born worrier.Something she wished she wasnt but now wasnt the time to go over wishes and wants. She looked at the boy and nodded."Yeah I bet it is.Its the time of year for illness's and all sorts"she said,"Something that just happens"she said,shaking her head in genuine sadness for the boy stood before her.

She smiled at him."Oh right, well, what a small world huh?"she said,grinning.

"Really?" Fyo asked, a little curiously. Well, this was interesting. "That must be nice. But that could cause you a bit of unnecessary worry for others too, don't you think?" Problems, problems ... BLEH!

He gave her a little smile when she continued to speak about ... sicknesses. To be honest, that really wasn't a topic he was very intent on. "Not really," he said, in response to her next comment. "But Hogwarts is a fun place. You get to meet a lot of really interesting people."

Interesting was not the word.

She chuckled a little at his curiousity.She knew what it was like to have something bothering you and want someone to just see that you were struggling or not yourself and then they want to help,but being able to automatically do it,well he was right, it did cause alot of unnecessary worries."Your not wrong there"she said,smiling and nodding.

She smiled and shrugged a little."Well I can agree with you on that.Hogwarts does have its perks"she said,casting a long gaze of the students below her."Yeah,you could say that.Ive had my share of weird and wonderful people"she giggled."So,are you into Quidditch?"she asked,randomly."After that battle between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in the Quidditch Championship its hard to find someone whos not into Quidditch like me."she said,giggling.

Someone was touching him.

Raiden's arm almost jerked involuntarily as Blake took his hand, an automatic reaction that had just begun taking hold over the summer. He'd been so distracted with the last of the treats and making sure all the owls had gotten one that it had surprised him; slowly his arm relaxed, however, and he watched as she waved her wand a bit and the little nip on his fingertip closed up right quick. Neat, she could do healing charms and she was good at Divination? A nice combination to be good at!

"You didn't have to, it would've been fine," he said brightly, looking at Fyo as he came closer. "But thanks, Blake."

Fyo looked unhappy. Weary, maybe? Was that the word for it? And his sister was ill? Poor Fyo's sister...

"Maybe we should make her get-well soon cards?" he interjected, thoughtfully tapping his chin. "I got a lot when I was younger, and they always made me feel better."

Goodness, it had been a long time since he'd last seen Fyo. He was ridiculously taller than he now. At 5'6", Raiden was no dwarf, but... Fyo made him look minuscule! Hopefully he'd... start growing more...

"I've been... scarce this term," he admitted, looking at his feet. "What with prefect stuff and homework and classes and all that, I've not seen much of anyone. For all I know, Cela and Daphne look completely... different now, or something."

Which was just completely not acceptable. He MISSED his friends!

"Fyo's very good at making calming draughts, by the way," he added, almost as an afterthought, with a glance at Blake. "I think that's what we made in that class, right Fyo? You did it perfectly, I remember that much."

Lucille skipped up to the owlery and called down Jumbo. She tied the letter to her leg, the letter telling her parents that she wanted them to meet Warren. She felt nervouos as she sent Jumbo out of the window. Not being particularly in tip top phisical condition, the owl fell a couple of meters before flapping wildly, and soaring off into the distance.