"You've had pneumonia?" Zi asked, she shook just thinking about having it. "The one thing about living with a Healer is they never let you get sick and try to prevent you from getting hurt." Ziva said looking back up at Pierre.

"I'm not a fan of football or soccer or whatever you want to call it." Ziva muttered trying not to be foul about Benjamin's mistake.

Father Zi's mind switched over to a place she'd hardly been in. She wondered what her father would say about things now. Ziva's eyes began to tear up as she thought about her parents.

"Yeah. It was simply terrible." Pierre didn't even want to think about it. "That makes sense. At least you don't have to worry about getting sick." He watched as her eyes wandered back up to him.

"I'd probably feel the same way if I got hit in the gut like you did." He smiled at Ziva.

Pierre watched as Ziva's eyes started to tear up. "Zi, are you all right? Do you want to go sit down or go back to your common room or something?" Pierre hated when people cried in front of him, almost as much as he hated hospitals. He decided he would be strong for Ziva yet again.

Ziva shook her head, "What's it like to see your father during the holidays?" she asked looking at him intently. How she would love to have their family complete again, though she knew it would never happen.

He called me Zi. If Ziva hadn't been crying, she'd been shocked that he'd used a nickname.

Marilyn laughed softy, Carters fingers tickling the skin behind her ear. She ducked away from him slyly. "You know, there's something else I've really missed..." She gave him a look before kissing his cheek. "You haven't sang to me in forever..."

Haha. Sweet.

"I can use the swing myself, thanks. We could have a jumping contest if you want. Have you ever had one? My friends and I used to hold little competitions all the time." Nina replied.

She was quite capable of swinging herself. She had for the past 7 years at least. But she'll still be friends with him. And she was eager to jump off. Why not have fun with it?

"Well, cool, swing yourself" Rex told Nina. "So what is this jumping contest?" Rex asked Nina. " I would possibly like to try your contest" Rex said to Nina.

Lucy smiled sadly at him when he mentioned that he missed Fyo as well. She hoped he would come back soon. "Yeah, I'm sure you're not," She replied with a laugh when he said he wasn't cheesy.

Once she was back on her swing, Lucy nodded at him. "I love your hair, too. And I love mine," She said with a grin as she reached up to touch it. When he jumped off, she noticed the Prefect badge on his robes. "Torin!!" She yelled in surprise, and then stopped swinging as she stared at him. "You're a Prefect????!" She said with a grin. Oh, wow. How had she not noticed before?? This was news to her. She only knew the Gryffindor Prefects, and hadn't even thought about the other Houses. "Wow, congrats!" She continued with a smile and started swinging again.

Carter smiled. "That's because I only did it once... well, twice, but it was on the same day." he said. "Did you like it that much?" he asked her. "That you'd miss it?"

"Obviously. I love the way you sing..." Marilyn smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I wouldn't complain if I were to be given a repeat preformance..." She smirked, kissing his cheek again. "Pretty please..."

Pierre knew it had something to do with her family. Especially by the look she gave him when she asked him about his father. "My father's kind of a workaholic so I don't get to see him often even over the holidays. When he's home he'll usually kick a football around with me."

He looked at Ziva again. "Do you want to go sit down Zi? It would be better for you."

WHHHHEEEEE! PLAYGROUND!

Melanie ran toward the swings, a smile spread across her face. She hadn't played on a jungle gym since like....ever. She almost couldn't believe there was one at Hogwarts, but here it was. Right in front of her. PROOF.

The Hufflepuff made a mad jump for the swings, landing (surprisingly) safely on the seat of the swing closest to her. She swayed back and forth a bit, at first, because of the sheer force of her jump. As the swaying began to die down she just sat there calmly, staring around at the students around her for the briefest moment.

Then she began to pump her feet, propelling herself, back and forth & up and down. She felt more like a 4 year old than a 4th year, and she didn't mind it one bit.

"Lanie! Hey! Lanie!" Cadence yelled as she ran across the playground, waving at her best friend. When she finally got over to the swings, she hopped on the one next to Lanie and smiled at her. "Hi! How are you? Did you make the Quidditch team?" She had been waiting and waiting to find out of Lanie had made it! She wanted to know if she would be cheering on her best friend at the Quidditch matches!

Carter shook his head a bit and chuckled. "Really? Are you sure...? I'm not very good." After she kissed his cheek... well, he really couldn't say no to that, could he. "Alright." he said. "Here it goes." After he was done singing he just smiled and looked at her wondering what she'd think.

Dalanie skipped down to the playground thingamabob with her guitar. She felt like playing it in a safe place, but where would she find one in Hogwarts? So she decided to come here and play. She noticed Carter with Marilyn. Dalanie knew there names, but she had never met them. She heard a lot about Carter from Mina and all, but she would never talk to Carter about that stuff. So she sat down and started playing and singing a song she felt like singing because it really felt like a full circle trying to run from the dangers of Hogwarts. But she kept coming back, like it was impossible to leave. How could she leave Mina? They were BFF and how could you leave a BFF. While she was singing she kept glancing over at Carter and Marilyn.

Hope they don't feel uncomfortable with me staring at them she thought.

She didn't understand the 'click' between them. She wanted to meet Carter and Marilyn but how? She didn't want to embarrass herself. Dalanie played and sung another song. She had her football next to her if anyone else wanted to throw the ball back and forth, but she needed to finish her song first. If she was to meet Carter, she wanted him to come to her. It was uncomfortable to just go up to a boy and be like, 'Hi, I'm Dalanie.' With girls she would do that, but with boys, she thought they would think she had a crush on them. Whatever happened, she had her guitar to play.

Jenny started singing her favorite song and wanted
to sing it louder. "Not that I don't like you I'm just at a party, and I am sick and tired of my phone ri-ri-ringin'." She sang. Ooh, this song rocked! "Sometimes I feel like I live in Grand Central Station. Tonight I'm not takin' no calls, cause I'll be dancin'."

Melanie blinked, as she heard the familiar nickname, looking about for the the only person that ever used it. It didn't take long too spot her, from her place up in the air, sitting on the swing. Melanie slowed down, until she was hanging perpendicular to the ground. She was at a complete stop as her friend approached.

"Hey Cadence," Melanie replied brightly, tightening a scarf around her neck. "I'm good. C'mon!" she invited, pointing to a swing to her right. "Please." Manners were last resorts.

Melanie literally BEAMED as she asked her next question. She'd only just found out, and the pure excitement, still hadn't exactly worn off yet. "YEP, I made it! I did. I'm a real chaser." Not puppet one. "Isn't it awesome?!" She knew Cadence wasn't huge on flying... but- but... How could it not be awesome?! She had to see the awesomeness in the situation. She simply had too.

"Well," Nina began as she made her way to empty swings beside each other and sat down. "You try to swing as high as you can. Then, when you're swing is going forward you jump off and see how far away from the swing you land. Whoever jumps the farthest wins."

So she highly doubted he was muggle born or he'd have known what a jumping contest was. That or he had just been hiding under a rock before Hogwarts.

Marilyn smiled, glad Carter was giving in so easily. She didn't release him once throughout the entire song. Merlin, she loved his voice.

After he finished, the blonde smirked. "Now, was that so bad?" She gave him a playful wink and laughed. "But seriously...your voice is amazing. It's comforting to me..." This was true, because just hearing his song put her a bit more at ease.

ooc: well, its a good thing Jesse McCartney has so many cute songs

Carter smiled and looked down at the ground running his hand through his hair. "Well, I'm glad you like it." he said glad that they were together again. "But I wouldn't call it 'amazing' or anything." he added with a chuckle. But if it made her happy he'd do it whenever she asked him to.

"Wow, you have a good voice" Rex told the girl. " Have you ever won a singing contest?" Rex asked her. " My name is Rex Trigwell" Rex said to the girl.

" Oh, I lways had been homeschhooled but I played American football a lot" Rex told Emily. " We do not call it a jumping contest, us boys just called it the furthest one who lands on his feet is the winner" Rex laughed. " Ok, let's do it" Rex said to Emily.

"EEEEE!!!!!!!!!!" Cadence shrieked when Melanie told her the good news! Had she not been in the middle of swinging, she would have hugged her best friend and jumped up and down like the silly girl she was. "That's wicked!!! I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to come watch you play! I should start a fan club for you! Or write a cheer for you! Or make shirts with your face on it!!!!!" Cadence was so incredibly excited for her best friend that it just simply couldn't be contained inside her body alone. Something had to be done about it.

Nina laughed.

"Alright then." she said. "Let's go."

YAY! She loved his hair. Her, Reese and Brody loved his hair. Go him. He spent a lot of time trying to get it to look nice, and it obviously was working. Though rolling over in the sand after jumping off of a swing didn't do too much to help it right now. Pouting, he sat up on the ground trying to get it all out again. "Yeah, your hair is pretty too." But not as pretty as mine.

But he stopped when he heard her exclamation. He had thought that she knew this by now. But what did it matter? "Yeah, I am. Thanks." He grinned at her from where he was sitting.

She watched him as he tried to get all the sand out of his hair. "Thanks," She said in response and giggled. "So how's that going, then? The Prefect business?" She said with a grin.

Melanie acctually sqealed with her...It was one of those things she must have picked up from Cadence. She stopped as Cadence began to speak, though, listening intently...

Ohmygosh.

WHAT?

Melanie stared at her in shock, wondering if Cadence was serious. "Yeah... I'm excited too. I'm glad you'll come to the games..." she replied slowly, watching Cadence's face carefully for any hint of amusement... for any sign that she was kidding.

Nothing. She really wanted to make FACE shirts. Melanie didn't even like her face that much. It was all pale. And her nose was too big!

Melanie continued to gaze at her, head tilted to the side, her expression utterly baffled. "How do you make T-Shirts anyway?" That's what was important.

Yep, she was trying to change the subject. Of course she was. Perhaps Cadence would get distracted and just forget about fanclubs, and t-shirts and...

... Well, Melanie probably wouldn't mind the cheer. Hehe.