Kay listened to Marie. Why was she fighting with Lorcan. "You had an argument? What about?" Kay asked her. Kay was still mad about the whole thing and the lying. "Was it bad enough to push him into the poo and get Alexandra mad? I don't want to be in the middle of something else that will **** Lorcan off with me. I want us to be friends and its on thin ice right now."Kay said still feeling very mad about getting yelled at by the professor. Detention. 'Whatever. If her friends were all right she would do detention' Kay thought. "Now tell me why you and Lorcan are looking like you are ready to do each other in." She crossed her arms again and wished Lorcan and Lexi, 'oh, better not let that slip' Alexandra.she thought were here to work it out. She knew that whatever had happened it was going to take time to work out.

That was a really awkward moment Lyddia had just gotten out of back there. She was a little glad that the girl had interrupted. It meant she hadn't let out the...well, it was sort of a secret wasn't it?

She remembered the feeling she got when Evan had put his hand on her and was glad it was over. She had to stop liking him. It was setting her up for disaster. She also had to think of something else to tell him next time he asked. But being around him wasn't helping her think. She needed some time alone. Maybe writing in her diary would help. But she couldn't do that just now.

They had come back from Hogsmeade and Lyddia had to figure out a way to get rid of Evan so she could come up with some sort of guy that she liked. She had to get away before he asked her again, otherwise she might let slip...

But she couldn't think about that.

She turned to Evan, 'So, uhm, that was fun, I'm gonna...go...to my dorm...now...

She hoped he wouldn't say anything else. She would have left at that second but she didn't want to be rude to him. After all, he did have gorgeous eyes...

"Oh it was nothing really, I tried talking to him after visiting you in the hospital ward and things went a little sour. Wands were drawn, sparks flew, he was disarmed then a older student came and separated us." Marie couldn't bring herself to tell Kay that they were fighting over her, that Lorcan had said he thought Kay was mental. "As for pushing him in the poo, it was totally worth it, I would do it agian if given the opportunity" Marie said with that evil little grin of hers.

'Wands drawn, Sparks, Disarming?' Kay thought to herself. 'What was going on.' Kay looked up at Marie. "What do you mean wands drawn? You drew your wands? Why?" Kay asked of her. Why would Marie be fighting with Lorcan. "I don't understand why your would be fighting. What happened that was so bad that you would push Lorcon too that smelly poo?" Kay wanted the truth but was still getting the run around from Marie. Kay would have to find Lorcan and maybe even Alexandra. That would be a hard talk. But she would do it if she had to and she thought that that was what she would have to do.

"I used to get that way all the time." Truebridge answered simply. Despite the fact that the methods were somewhat unorthodox and ultimately the old man hadn't been at all understanding or there for Ethan in a way that he had hoped and expected, Kazimeriz did help him find that control within himself.

"Perhaps you should visit the divination professor, speak with him about dream interpretation. If nothing else it may help eliminate a few possibilities. Also, perhaps you should consider keeping a diary of sorts, write down the details of the dreams you have as well as any of those episodes where you do not feel like yourself or feel like you have misplaced time. Then we will get a picture of what we are up against. Meanwhile, we'll still keep working on the anger and panic thing, remember to visualise what the climbing felt like."

Now giving away nothing as to what he felt like with his facial expressions, Jake just nodded. Chyeah, hard to believe or what? Jake would never have guessed that the man before him, always so calm and collected, used to be... well... a bit like Jake was now.

A look of discomfort on his face now, Jake looked up at Truebridge again. Guh, diaries. They meant organisation, right? That meant Jake being organised. Loverly. "Yessir," the boy mumbled, wondering if he really wanted to know what Kapoor could understand from the dreams. To be honest, Jake didn't really want to know. "Misplacing time seems alot better than saying losing your mind," he noted out loud, giving a half smile-that-wasn't-really-a-smile.. a smile that tried to kid Truebridge into thinking Jake wasn't as worried as he really felt. "Thank you, sir," Jake added in a quiet voice, close to a whisper, looking down again.

Ethan appeared surprised.

"Well that is what it is, I'd say. Misplacing time." He nodded once. "If you find the recording thing hard, perhaps you can instead pop by my office or, whichever professor or even see a friend if it is easier, at the same time every day. If you don't show up, then I, or they, go looking for you and we'll see what we can discover."

And then, the professor who was not at all touchy feely with his students gently clapped Jake on the shoulder for the briefest of moment.

"Of course." Had Jake really expected he'd not do his best to help?

Nodding in response, Jake seemed to perk up a little bit. "Yeah... come see you... or something... yeah," he said, disjointedly, at the same time thinking of someone he might trust to tell. Maybe LouAnn... but... no, he had this funny feeling about her. A familiar feeling... she was losing it just as much as Jake was. Because that's what he was calling it, despite his conscious attempts to stop. Losing It. "That sounds... workable."

When Truebridge clapped him on the shoulder, Jake looked up again and gave the briefest of smiles to the man. A real smile this time, however brief it might have been.

Stifling a yawn, Jake's gaze darted towards the Kitchen Level Corridor again, and though he really didn't want to sleep, especially now, and especially not in the middle of the day, Jake stifled a yawn. "I'm tired," he said, a tad weakly, because he didn't want to sleep, but knew he had to give in to it. "Think I should go... lay down," Jake added, briefly rubbing his eye.

"You know, wands drawn, like this" Marie said as she pulled her wand out and pointed it at Kay. Marie put her wand back in its holster before Kay got the impression she was going to use it on her. "If you want to know why we were fighting maybe you should ask Lorcan. After all he pulled his wand first." Marie was cold and tired and just wanted to go to bed, she didn't feel like going into all the details right now. "Look, I'm really tired, how about we talk later after we have both had some sleep" Marie said hoping Kay would drop it for now.

Kay put her hand on her wand and stood fast. Was she going to get into it with Marie. She was going to get detention before morning. Kay looked down at the wand pointed at her as Marie pulled it back and away. "What are you Doing?" Kay asked. She didn't want to fight Marie but she wanted the truth. She listen to marie saying it was Lorcan's doing. "Why Would Lorcan pull his wand on you?" She asked her hand still on her wand. "I can't go asked him that. He's already mad at me as it is." Kay said to Marie. "Fine, But tomorrow I want to know whats up." Kay stood and watched Marie turn to leave.

"Fine, we can talk tomorrow but I'm not promising to tell you everything" Marie said as she turned to go to her common room.

Kay watched as Marie walked away. "Goodnight." Kay said to her. She watched until Marie was going down the stairs to her common room. Kay turn and walked over to the very stairs she fall on just 48 hours ago. Kay sat down and put her head in her hands. 'Why was Lorcan and Marie fighting?' Kay thought. She would have to try and find the answer anohter way. Kay was tired and felt like she was going to have to sleep for a week. The healer would so put her back into the hospital if they saw her. Kay got up and head to the stairs that lead to her own common room.

"Alright then. You choose the time and let me know. If there is anything else at all I'm sure you'll be able to find me." Ethan nodded again. "Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow Jake."

Ethan left the Entrance Hall and headed to his office to sort a few things out before heading to bed himself.

Saying no more, Jake nodded at Truebridge at he spoke, feeling a great deal better than when he had when Truebridge had come across him in Hogsmeade. Jake watched him go for moment, before sighing to himself and turning towards the corridor. So very sleeeeeepy.

Before long, Jake was gone from the Entrance Hall.

C'moooon, just tell it already! Evan looked at those long eyelashes expectantly and pleadingly. Just pwease! He made puppy eyes again but she said she wanted to leave. To the Slytherin common room. He smirked. "You know, we're from the same house. And come to think about it, I want to go to my dorm. So we can go together while talking." Oh yeah, he was evil. But he'd learn that boy. Yup.

Reid was wondering around the halls, thinking on what had been happening lately at the school. Things seemed odd and his beliefs seemed to be different from usual but he couldn't remember in what way. Sighing and running a hand through his eternally messy locks he came to stand before the doors leading from the entrance hall into the school grounds.

Things were noticeably different now and he couldn't help but wonder what else would change in his life, especially after he left Hogwarts. Would he still model? Would he still make movies? Would he and Rachel stay in contact? Would they make it as a couple? Would he be able to stand up to his parents once and for all? There were so many questions and Reid didn't know the answers to more than half of them.

Rachel walked down towards the Great Hall, intending on grabbing some food before retiring to the common room and plunging into her HUGE pile of homework. Just the thought of the pile made her head spin so she figured some food would do her good.

Plus she needed to see a few people - namely her best friend and her boyfriend. She STILL hadn't found time to give them both their Christmas presents OR tell them about Christmas itself (which would take HOURS) and the sixth year felt slightly guilty about it.

"REID!" Rachel yelled, suddenly noticing him standing on her right. Grinning like mad, she changed course and ran towards him, feeling his present (that was in her shirt pocket) bump against her chest. Breathless, she skidded to a stop millimeters from his figure and threw her arms around her boyfriend. "Heya!" she greeted him, letting go rather quickly as she was excited to FINALLY give him what she had gotten for him.

Hope he likes it...

Reid was startled out of his thoughts when he felt something rush into him. He had been so lost that he stumbled slightly when he was bombarded by the person. Righting himself before he could fall he turned his head to his left and smiled down at Rach.

"Hullo," he said to her, noticing how excited she looked and surmising that she either had things to tell him or something she wanted to give him. Or it could of course be both. He himself knew that he still had to give Rach her Christmas present, although he was rather apprehensive about it and so was debating whether or not to go buy a new one and just put off giving it to her under the pretense that he didn't carry it with him everywhere he went.

"What's going on?" he asked to show that he was interested in what she may want to say or do.

"I've got your present!" Rachel answered happily, with an excited nod and slightly nervous smile. It was a bit. . . Over the top for her but all in all, she kind of liked it. Plus it was a mixture of muggle and magic so she really liked it.

Taking a deep breath, she took out the tiny box from her pocket and handed it to Reid, eying it with suppressed delight. After agonising for DAYS over what to get him, she had finally decided on getting him this present. The moment she had seen it she KNEW that it would look good on Reid - but instead of just buying it and stopping there, she went for a trip to Diagon Alley and got a specialist to cast a little charm on it. . .

A charm that, in her opinion, made the gift all the more cute. "If you don't like it - tell me," she said, her voice serious. She HATED it when people lied about things like this... It really annoyed her. She much rather they told her that they didn't like it.

Of course, she preferred it when they DID like it and weren't forced to lie. And she really really hoped he liked it.

Present? She had his present? Oh right she must have gotten him something for Christmas. Hesitantly he reached out one hand and carefully took the box from her, not paying much attention to the wrapping it was in. Reid was more worried about feeling in his right pocket, until his fingers clasped around a tiny box of his own. He was glad it was there.

"Rach I doubt that I wouldn't like something that you gave me," he reassured her with a tiny smile before taking the lid off the box and glancing inside. It was a rectangular looking pendant hung on black cord, was the first thing that he noticed. He also noted the colour and that it seemed to be real. How did Rachel afford it? Deciding not to linger on that fact he further examined the pendant before looking back up at Rachel.

"Thanks Rach, I like it. Really." Which was true. It's just that necklaces and pendants normally weren't his thing to wear. But he did admit that if he were to wear them this pendent would certainly suit his taste. So it wasn't bad that she'd gotten it for him. He was determined to wear it now since it was a present from Rachel and he was sure that once he was used to wearing it he would like it all the more.

"You do - REALLY like it?" Rachel asked, unable to keep the silly grin off her face. HE LIKED IT HE LIKED IT HE LIKED IT WEEEEEE!!! The sixth year did an internal little happy dance, and giggled at herself. She was oh-so-stupidly joyful because of this present - it was a little pathetic.

But she didn't really care though. She HAD to have something to keep her happy since she had come dangerously close to slipping into a depression from all the work she had to do. It was true that Ravenclaws liked work but they had a limit to just how MUCH work it was... And things that didn't require thinking were DEFINITELY not liked by this particular Ravenclaw.

Back to the present. Rachel remembered the little charm her mother - cue MAJOR cringing her - had persuaded her to put on the pendant and winced ever so slightly. He had never said that to her... And when he does, if he ever will, then he'll know she was expecting it. Ugh - she'd just have to wing it somehow.

Great. Thank you, Mother.

"Yes I really do like it." Reid repeated, grinning at the happiness that he could see on her face. So maybe she wouldn't be adverse to his present after all. And if she didn't like it he could always replace it, he had after all bought three seperate presents for her.

Placing his hand back in his pocket he let his fingers caress the box in which her present lay. Now would be as good a time as any to give it to her. Especially since she appeared to be getting worried about something or another.

"So since you've given me my present I suppose I should give you yours." Reid said, slowly drawing the box from his pocket and handing it over to Rachel. The box itself was stunning, according to some people but to him it was the gift inside that was the main thing. He wanted her so desperately to like the gift he'd chosen for her.

Reid may have never told Rachel that he loved her but he did. This was his way of showing it to her, of promising it to her without words. Well at least without words until he knew that she liked the present.

Handing the box over he nervously awaited her reaction...

"I'm glad," Rachel replied, pushing away ALL thoughts of Roxanne Lily Rider to the dark, dusty places of her mind where they would STAY until further notice. Yes - they would. The locket was ALL that the present was for now.

Even though she had been expecting a gift - it was Reid, after all - the sixth year still gasped in surprise as Reid announced that he had a present for her too. YAY!! "Why, thank you," she said, laughing slightly in expectation. She couldn't fathom what he had gotten her since she couldn't recall ever talking about something that she wanted. She DIDN'T want anything. . .

OOOH PRETTY! All thoughts vanished from her mind the second her eyes laid onto the box Reid had taken out of his pocket. She gasped and her eyes widened at the actual box. "Merlin, Reid - this is AMAZING," she said quietly, gingerly taking the box from him, careful to move too suddenly for fear of doing something to damage the intricate little container.

The box HAD to be the present. There was no way that there was something INSIDE this beautiful, but slightly over-the-top-ly decorated, box. Unable to resist her curiosity, Rachel open the box and peered inside, pretending that she was just checking out it's interior. Well, it WAS really pre-

O_O

"REID!" she squealed, ALMOST dropping the box in her amazement. He had gotten her a box AND something else. Something BEAUTIFUL. Something OUT OF THIS WORLD.

... A ring. YES - A RING. If Rachel had not been a sensible, down to earth sort of gal, she would have panicked at the thought of receiving a ring but since she was all of the above she knew that it was just a ring, nothing more. Or a promise ring, maybe? OOOOOH.

Handing him the box without looking at him, she carefully lifted the ring so that it shone in the light and gasped again at it's beauty. Two intertwined hearts laced with- Wait a minute. Bringing the ring closer to her face, Rachel examined the silver band closely and gasped for the THIRD time as she realised that not only were the jewels REAL - they were diamonds.

"Reid," she repeated, out of breath, amazed and a TEENY bit angry as she looked back up at him. "This must have cost you a fortune," the sixth year stated, holding the ring up to the light and watched the rays dance off the diamonds and onto their faces.

If he had given this to her a year ago - she would have thrown a fit. Really. But now... Jake was making a ton of money (being Department Head had its perks), and in a few years time he could not ever call himself even remotely poor - and back at the Riders there was never any sort of problem when it came to materialistic things. She really didn't have the heart to be mad at Reid.

"But it's amazing - thank you. I really really do LOVE it," she added after a few seconds, smiling to Reid and slipped the ring onto her finger, grinning as it slid effortlessly down. It was perfect - all of it. Looking back up at him, her eyes shone happily, full of love a strong type of liking towards her perfect boyfriend.

Well... Almost. Hehe - but if he were perfect, he wouldn't be real.

So yes - towards her REALly amazing boyfriend.

Reid's eyes sparkled as he watched Rachel's reactions to his present. It was fairly obvious that she thought the box itself was the present, as if he'd buy just a box as a present, although she probably would have loved it just the same. He almost laughed when she looked inside to see if it contained anything, due to the fact she was trying to make it look as if she was just examining the box.

"It's a promise ring," he explained to her as she looked at the ring, with the two hearts interlocking as one. "I was going to wait until your birthday to give you one but then I figured that Christmas is supposed to be a magical time so yea... I figured that it would tell you what I haven't told you yet." he explained, the nerves showing in his voice. This was the first time he'd given a girl a ring.

Taking the box back off Rachel Reid made sure that no harm came to it, since it too was part of her present. Her delight was making him happier than before, knowing that he had finally done something to make her happy.

"It wasn't that much," Reid replied, brushing off the cost of the ring and the box. Sure it wasn't exactly cheap but then Rachel deserved things that cost him money and he came from old money and was making new money all the time anyway so what did it matter? He knew she was slightly angry but was hoping that would fade.

"I'm glad. The size is correct isn't it? I wasn't sure exactly but if it doesn't fit I can get it resized." Reid said, voice calm now that he knew he wouldn't be yelled at and that she genuinely liked the gift that he gave her. A gift he was sure she hadn't been expecting.

Oh. Right. She forgot about that. Stupid cute Slytherin boy. Urgh, he can get frustrating.
What now?
Stall, yes stall. Keep the topic away for as long as possible. Think, think, what is she going to say?
'Talk, huh?' Lyddia began, taking the path to the dungeons. 'Well, what really interests me is animals. You know, like, my pet ferret and...I dunno, kitties?'
Yes, talk nonsense, keep him off the subject. But, she had to talk and think. Let's see she could say that it was some boy she was sure didn't know Evan...because...he...said so himself...?
Wait, but Lyddia had already said that she hadn't talked to the boy.
But she had...? Oh gosh, what to say?
'All except birds. I hate birds.'