He looked over to the younger boy next to them and tilted his head a bit, "She's not?" he asked curiously. He was new this year and the hospital wing was one of the places that he didn't get to visit so he wouldn't actually know.

LouAnn smiled at Audio when he asked if she was alright. It was nice to know people were concerned about you when they thought you to be in trouble. "Thanks, Audio. I appreciate it," she replied. "I think I'm alright now. I've been thinking about going to the hospital wing, but a part of me thinks that they'd probably think I was insane if I went in claiming to have lost entire parts of my day. I don't know, it's like, sometimes I'm very aware of what's going on, then other times time has passed without me being aware of it." She often wondered what happened during those time periods, but she tried not to dwell on it for too long.

LouAnn's eyebrows wrinkled even further when Jake started mumbling about something she couldn't understand. "Wait---whaa? Jake, I don't understand. What are you trying to say?" Not...a good...healer? That's what LouAnn thought he said there in the end. "Not a good healer? Is that what you said?" Something wasn't right with Jake, although, LouAnn didn't really know what. "Jake, what's happened? What are you not telling us?"

Looking slowly over at the other boy with the odd sounding name, Jake shooking his head 'no', the bruising around his neck becoming clear. "Ssssshe don't hhhhheal," he explained. "Just... coookiesss."

Juuuuust cookies.

"S'what I said," Jake nodded at the girl, wincing as he did so. "I got... Devil's ssssnare... ddddetention and I... ssssomethhhin' happeneedddd. Andddd she di'n't help."

After that, Jake kept his voice down again and told himself he would just listen. Juuuuuuust listen.

"Well... I'm not sure what the healers are like there- but if they were any of so professionals in there then they should believe you. I mean, why would you be making it up?" He looked from her to the boy who's name was apparently Jake. He actually got a bit worried when LouAnn asked what he wasn't telling them. That would make sense.


"She... what? Cookies?" he rose an eyebrow. "What kind of healer does that?" he asked, looking at Jake before letting out a scoff. He was going to say something before he noticed the bruises on his neck. Then Jake said something about Devils snare to Louann and he nodded. "Oh- Did the Devils Snare do that to you?" he asked curiously.

LouAnn said nothing else about the Healer but simply eyed Jake. He'd apparently been through a really traumatizing experience that he didn't feel comfortable talking about. She really didn't blame him, though. LouAnn had been through plenty of bad experiences in her life, and often times she'd rather just push them all off to the side and pretend they didn't exist. It was easier that way, too. "Well, at any rate, I hope you feel better, Jake, and I'm sorry you had a bad experience."

She turned to Audio, then motioned back towards Jake. "So, see, there you go. Reason number five million why I have yet to go to the Hospital Wing over a few blackouts here and there. I'm sure I'll be alright. I've just got to start getting a little more sleep," she remarked. Something told her that sleep had little or nothing to do with what she was going through, but she'd let it go for now, at least. Sighing, she backed up against the wall and slid all the way down it. Maybe sitting down would do the trick, too.

His eyebrow rose slightly, showing that he didn't totally belive the 'sleep' excuse. "Okay- whatever you say." he said slowly, sitting on the arm of a bench that was across the corridor next to where she had slid down the wall. "Though I still think you should see someone. A professor maybe, or the Headmaster- seeing as the healer only has enough skill to heal you with cookies."

Quite clearly thinking for a few moments, Jake said only one word in response to that question about 'what kind of healer'.

"Melita."

Indeed.

Making a slight face, Jake nodded once more. "Bunbree made me sit on it," he managed to say, without a single impedement... well... impeding him.

Giving LouAnn a small smile, Jake moved over and went to sit next to her, also sliding down the wall. As the Audio boy mentioned something about the headmaster, Jake whipped his head up and said, quite eloquently, with no stalling or anything in his voice, "She doesn't need to see anyone."

Anger flashed in his eyes for a moment, but as soon as it did, Jake looked down and began playing with his shoelaces as if nothing had happened.

Having no idea who Melita or who Bunbree was, he just let it go. He was, however, a bit surprised that his impediment seemed to have disappeared. When Jake commented on her not seeing anyone, Audio looked over- swearing that he saw a bit of anger in his eyes. Was Audio annoying him or something? What was wrong with this kid?
Audio scratched the back of his neck. "Okay- fine, sorry. I was just trying to help." he said, shrugging a bit.

Abby left Kazi's office hoping to follow Lawson. Okay her first concern was learning more about these runes stones Jake and LouAnn are suppose to have. Quite a coincidence Professor Lupa is nearly fired last term for mauling the headmaster and then two young students, a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor, find mysterious rune stones. Where they got them is anyone's guess? I have to find out more about those stones. I'm sure Ray's uncle will want to know about them. I also need to find Jake and LouAnn. Okay, I'm not a total monster. A true auror wouldn't take their eye off the prize, but I am the one who brought them to Kazi's office. Jake looked scared to death. LouAnn didn't look much better. They ran out of his office like they had been shot out of a muggle cannon. I have to make sure they're okay, then I'll try and get them to show me the rune stones. Abby walks down the hall when she sees the two students standing in front of a suit of armour. Didn't Lawson say Jake destroyed a suit of armour near the headmaster's office? I hope he's not planning to destroy another one. I'm not sure I could restore it, and I don't want to get Jake into anymore trouble than he's already in. Somehow I think the boy needs some friends. Cautiously, Abby walks up to the students. "Jake, LouAnn, are you'll alright? You'll ran out of Kazimeriz's office like he was going to expell you. He just wanted to see the rune stones Professor Lupa said you'll have. Professor Lawson was concerned about you too Jake. He darn near put his career on the line. I've never seen anyone chew Kazimeriz out the way Lawson did."

Chris Potter had been walking through the Halls on his way to the Prefect's Bathroom on the fifth floor when he saw a small gathering of students in the middle of the Corridor containing the Suits of Armor. He was about to question them, but then he saw that they were people he knew and his fellow Gryffindor and friend, LouAnn. "Oh hey guys what's up?" he said towards the sitting Jake, a 7th year named Abby Wright, Audio the boy he had met with LouAnn a while back, and then lastly sitting down next to LouAnn with a bright smile.

Audio nodded to Chris in acknowledgment as he approached and said hi. He was going to let LouAnn or the Jake kid answer what was up though becuase really... he felt like he had nothing else to say. Apparently whatever came out of Audios mouth wasn't right anyway so... yeah, best left unsaid. Plus- he was probably talking to them anyways, he's their friend.

Zeke walked into the corridor with the suits of armor and saw that he wasn't the only one who'd had the idea to be there at that moment. "Hey, everybody," he said with a grin and wave, joining the circle of people. "I'm Zeke, if you don't know me. I'm also Zeke if you do know me."

"Hmmm?" Jake asked, stopping himself from playing with the aglets on his laces and looking up at the boy. "Wwwwwwhat?" he added, looking confused. "I d- I d- I d- don'tttt- don't- errr..."

He stalled for a moment and was glad for the next distraction.
It was the girl who'd came and summoned them to Kazi's office. Drat. Had she come to bring them back? Jake hoped not. He thought he'd done a pretty good job of staying hidden... even if since then he'd ended up going through the mill a bit.

"We dddddon't hhhhave them right- right n- rightttt now..." he replied, looking at LouAnn who was sat beside him. "Dddd-do we? Wwwwell... I d- I d- I d-don't hhhhave mine."

[/lies]

As the girl, Abby, mentioned Professor Lawson putting his job on the line, Jake bit on his lip and started to literally twiddle his thumbs, decidingly not saying anything, for fear that he might get upset.
Again with the welcome distractions. Jake turned his head to see two... Gryffindors, were they? Yeah, let's go with that. With a slight smile, Jake nodded at the pair of them, giving them both a smile and still not trusting himself to talk, and instead scooting closer to LouAnn, who he felt safe with.

Audio felt kind of awkward. Well, more out of place then anything. All of these people were friends of some sort and he was just... there. He nodded a silent goodbye to LouAnn and then the Jake to show to just forget about it. There was obvious confusion- and Audio wasn't really one to try and straighten things out. He'd just make sure LouAnn was okay later. He grabbed his stack of books that he left on the bench and excused himself.

Frowning after the odd guy, Jake whispered a quiet, "Goodbye," and looked back at everyone else, cleaning his classes on his shirt before shoving them back on once more. That being done, he shoved his hands in his pockets, where a rattling sound appeared to come from after this motion. Jake's expression revealed nothing.

Abby can't understand why Jake seems so frightened of her. Granted she had done as Kazimeriz ordered, but she wouldn't have let him hurt Jake or LouAnn. Jake Upstead is really scared of his own shadow. How could he hold Professor Lawson at wand point. I mean Lawson towers over the boy. Not to mention I don't think he would have enough courage to do it in the first place. Something strange is definitely going on here. "Jake chill out. I'm not Kazimeriz's stoggy. Well, I generally do what he orders, but that's only because I have a healthy fear of the guy." In the back of her mind, Abby can still hear Kazimeriz yelling at her "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND." Abby shudders at the memory. "You would too if you've every mentioned Professor Truebridge in his presense. The man hates him with a passion." Abby has already said too much. "I just wanted to make sure LouAnn and you are alright. I'm sorry I mentioned the runes. I'm just curious about them."

"Iam chhhhillllled out," Jake repeated, looking slightly confused. "Jjjjjust, trouble spppppeaking," he added, still fiddling with the things in his pocket. "I-"

It was time to try this. The man would leave him alone afterwards. BLAH! Hate TRUEBRIDGE?! Truebs was one of those who treated Jake properly. Blehhhhhhh. Pushing himself up from where he sat, Jake pulled his left hand out of his pocket and extracted seven perfectly ordinary stones that he'd found out on the grounds. Each one had small markings on that looked like they miiiiiiight be interpreted as runes. But only Lupa and Jake had seen the ones Jake had brought to the woman, right? So he could get away with this for a while.

"Hhhhhhere," the boy stammer!slurred. "Give- give- give th- give these to 'em," Jake explained, waiting to drop them into Abby's hand. The clanking from his pockets had now stopped.

Abby extended her hand ready to take the runes. "Just between you and me, I'm not so sure I will be giving them to Kazi. I may be scared to death of the guy, but I haven't lost all my senses. I guess I'm trying to say I have reason not to trust him. I'm planning to turn them over to a friend with connections with the Ministry of Magic. Someone needs to find out what's going on around here at Hogwarts. I may let Professor Lawson look at them first. He is the DADA professor, and I trust him to do the right thing." Of course I may not tell Ray about that. I still can't believe Truebridge and he are responsible for what happened at the Special Assembly.

"Buhhh..." Jake stalled for a moment, panic setting in. "Buhhh I on'y gggggot 'em de uvver day," he said slowly, halting in the act of handing them over. Even if he did hand them over... what if the real ones were...

...

... nah.

Dropping the regular stones into Abby's hand, Jake bit on his lip. "I ddddon't fink the mmmministry n-neee-neeedsss tuh be bbbrought intooo this..." he added, again looking extremely worried. "Llllawson?"

GUH! This was not going well. Jake could feel his stomach churning nervously. Something bad was going to happen soon... Jake knew it. He struggled to keep his cool.

Arianna sat nearby the suit of armor with her legs crossed. She took a big book from her study bag and began reading it. Though she might seem concentrated, her mind was actually floating away as she imagined what Rafe could be doing and if Theo was ok.

She sighed from time to time and flipped pages, taking little notes on the margins.

Rafe's eyes were puffy and red. He felt like he would never be happy again. He wanted to ask Theo forgiveness, but it wasn't the time or place. Rafe shuffled his feet as he walked to the suit of armor and took a seat next Arianna without a word and rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm going to Dante's Fifth Circle Inferno," Rafe said miserably and rather monotone.

Abby closes her hand once the runes have dropped in her hands. "Jake I promise not to mention where I got them from. I'm just interested in getting at the truth. There are people here who are trying to blame the wrong people for what happened last term. I don't want to see that happen. I doubt these stones mean much. Professor Lupa didn't think much of them, did she?" Abby doesn't like lying to people, but.... I can't believe Truebridge and Lawson tried to hurt Lupa. I also don't believe Kazi did either, so that means someone else at Hogwarts did. Then there are the stones Lady Ravenclaw was looking for term before last. Could these be them? Now I'm grabbing at straws. Ray thinks a Dark Wizard may be responsible. If that's the case, are any of us safe?

Arianna was startled by Rafe's state, she patted him on the head rather awkwardly, trying to comfort him " No you're not, it can't be that bad right?" he asked, doubtfully " what happened after all ? I tried to run after you, but you were like a Nimbus I couldn't follow you and then I got lost on the staircase, it moved, and I ended up running all the way to the astronomy tower without even noticing it!" she explained quickly " where did you take him? How is him?" she said, as she patted him repeatedly on the head.

GUH! He was so stupid. Why had he not denied the existance of any stones at all. Maybe... ughhh, now he had utter confusion over his plan, and ground his hand against the side of his head.

Well... if they didn't mean much.

For the second time, without missing a beat, Jake said with absolutely no problems talking, "I want them back."

He held out his hand and stared unblinkingly into Abby's face. "You can't have them," he added, in a monotonous way.

"Well, I took him to Professor Kazimeriz, even though I thought the Hospital Wing would be better, and it turns out that the evanesco spell I cast to get rid of the soap bubbles got rid of his lung as well," Rafe took his head off her shoulder and leaned it against the wall, looking hopelessly up at the ceiling. "I think he's going to be okay. I have no idea what my punishment is going to be...ugh! I'm so frustrated! I swear I cast that spell perfectly fine, I've used it time and time again to clean at home." Rafe brought his knees up to his chest and settled his chin on them. "I just don't think he takes to magic well, but I don't think that argument will hold up against the Professor's." Rafe took in a deep breath. He felt absolutely miserable. "I vow to never use magic on another, unless instructed to in class or emergency purposes for as long as I'm at Hogwarts! That's if I don't get expelled."