"Good. I hope you're happy in it," she told him, walking into the school and starting up moving staircases. "Just let me remind you on how ridiculous you'll look," Thalia smirked looking up at his face. That would be really funny.

They continued to walk. "I don't know. To get me into trouble too," she pointed out. He was so daft sometimes. Meanie. She could think of ideas of how he could bring her down with him.

"I believe you were finished counting. But whatever." He probably just didn't want to say it cause she would think he wanted to kiss her. She knew better. Yeah, whatever she said. That's how it was. She just nodded and smiled.

"Here we are," she stopped in front of the door and it swung open. The room was all dusty and dirty. White sheets covered furniture. She put her hand forward to try and see if it crossed the protective enchantments but of course they worked so it was like a seal on it. "Parker," she turned to face him seriously. "There are things you just don't get about me. And---ghosts are one of them. When I was younger---things happened," she stuttered, not wanting to tell him the full story. "Just things that hurt still. A lot." Her heart hurt. A room full of ghosts made her queasy. "Though I may always seem happy, memories will overwhelm me." She leaned against the wall and sank down to the bottom. He could observe the room from the outside. Thalia would wait.

The walk from the Lake to the Fifth Floor was a long one. Parker would have stopped a few times if he were alone, but stopping would be a sign of weakness, which he was not.

"I would run you over if I was in a bubble." he laughed at the thought. Walking down the Halls of Hogwarts in a clear, plastic bubble. He would have gun running people over in it. "I could wear a bag over my head and not look ridiculous. I'd make that bag look ridiculous."

"I would never!" he put his hand over his heart as a sign of being hurt. "Why would you think I, Parker Yorke, would do that?" he smirked. He would, in fact, bring her down. Not on purpose of course.

Thalia was good. She could read him all too well. He narrowed his eyes and then shrugged. He would have to stop being so obvious, especially in front of her. Stupid girls..

Parker stopped walking when Thalia stopped. "We're here?" he questioned. This was not what he expected. He peeked inside the room when she started speaking. This was boring. He couldn't even see a spirit anywhere. He tore his gaze away from the room and stared at Thalia when she became serious, "What kind of things?" She couldn't mention something like this and not expect him to question it. He stepped away from the door and sat on the floor next to her. For some reason he was worried.

"The bubble would be funny. I'd love to see you try," she smiled at him. A bag over his head making the bag look ridiculous? Ha nice try. "No I totally think the bag would make you look ridiculous." What if he suffocated then? The thought may have not crossed his mind.

"Of course you wouldn't," she laughed at his gesture. "Because you're evil." He was. Okay, so maybe not as much as she usually was. She wasn't as mean. Stupid Beaxbatons had softened her up. "And of course you would never suspect me to get you in trouble right?" she questioned with a smirk.

Sighing, she looked over at him. If she started talking she may start crying. Thalia didn't want to lower her defense and show the weak side of her to Parker. The story was bad. And he wanted to hear it. "Okay, fine." She took a deep breath. "I was nine, it was a normal day at school. Everything seemed normal. I lived in New York then," she started, staring absently at the wall in front of her. "My best friend Callie and I were walking back to my apartment like we did everyday. It was normal for kids to roam when school let out," Thalia explained to him. Then she had on an expression of thinking. She continued on. "We decided to take a short cut through an alley---," she felt a lump in her throat constrict. "We didn't know the harm it would cause. Men in black jumped out from behind. We didn't see them." A tear started to fall down her cheek. "They grabbed her--," her voice started to choke up. "And---and killed her," she finished in a small voice. "I got away but not before getting this," she tilted her head up to reveal a long white scar on her neck. Tears dripped down her cheeks and face. Her head dropped in her hands. Right now she couldn't keep her defense up.

Parker snickered. He would know how it felt to be his rat when he put him in his ball. "Me and my rat could race." Parker would win of course, he was much bigger and faster. "You know I would put that bag to shame."

"I am not evil. Just.." he thought about it for a moment, "misunderstood." It wasn't really true, but it was the best he could come up with. "Hmm, I might have to hold you to that. I want to see you get me into trouble." Either way, it would be fun. Trouble never really scared him.

His eyes never left hers when she started to tell the story. What did he get himself into? About to protest that she didn't have to continue, she, well continued. And now he made her cry. Way to go, Parker. he thought to himself as he waited for the story to end. He was really lost for words, for the first time in his life. "I'm sorry." he muttered. Maybe he should hug her, or something? "Umm," this was not weird at all, "I'm glad you were ok." Which he genuinely was.

Deciding that this was a bad idea, Parker stood and and held his hand out to Thalia, "Come on, let's find the Room of Requirement." he owed her that much.

She smiled at the thought. Him and his rat racing. "I'd watch that," she nodded at his suggestion. He would put the bag to shame? Really. "I'm afraid that bag may suffocate you, therefore the bag still technically puts you to shame," Thalia gave a final nod. They always had those warnings on bags at the grocery store.

"Misunderstood? Ha. Big joke Mr. Yorke," she rolled her eyes at his choice of words. How could he Parker Yorke be misunderstood? It didn't make any sense to her. "Challenge accepted. I, Thalia Munroe, will get you, Parker Yorke in trouble by the end of the school year. Even if it means me going down with you." This would be interesting. Now she had to think of some evil plans. Err...she would wait and come up with ideas later.

Even though that would always hurt her in some way or another, she had moved on and didn't think about the past. "It's okay," she muttered, wiping her eyes and looking over at him. "I'll never forget her. But I've learn to accept what life has to throw at me," she explained teary eyed. If that hadn't happened she may of not been here. "Thanks," she gave him a small smile. That might have been the nicest thing he had ever said to her. It may be the only nice thing he would ever say to her.

She accepted his hand gratefully and pulled herself up. Thalia walked over and shut the door of the room. "Okay, let's go." She pointed her wand at her red face and muttered a spell that would make some of the blotches go away. She didn't want stares from other kids.

"You know I would win too." he laughed. There would be no way Parker would lose a race to a rat. He would not allow it. He would win even if he had to cheat. "The bag will know better than to suffocate me." he laughed again. "And if it does suffocate me, at least I'll go out in style." Because dying with a bag over your head gives you style.

"I just couldn't think of another word." he said as he threw up his hands. Thalia had to ruin all his thoughts. Really? She was challenging him? "You think you could?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "What happens if you lose this 'challenge'?" he air quoted challenge, because it wouldn't really be that hard of a challenge. Parker had a hard time lying, so most likely she would win.

This might have been even more awkward for Parker, they were being nice to each other? "I don't know what I would have done." he shook his head. He never seen anyone die before, besides his grandmother, but she didn't die brutally. And Thalia was so young to have to witness that. Did he actually feel bad for her? Yes, he did. "You should never forget her.." he trailed off. He didn't want to sound all mushy but it was true. Never forgot who you've lost. That might have been the only good advice his parents had told him. He smiled when she thanked him, he kind of felt good.

He froze when she actually touched him. He didn't really expect her to take his hand, but when she did, he swore he felt something. He wasn't worried about the germs that were now on his hands. Weird. Sticking his hands in his pockets, Parker headed for the steps walking ahead of Thalia. He didn't want her to see his smile.

"I don't see how the bag would make you go out in style? What if it was an ugly bag?" she questioned. Why would anyone want to die from getting suffocated from a bag? That was the question here wasn't it. "And I totally think your rat would win. He's more of a professional at those types of things than you. You'd fall over within the first two minutes," she chuckled lightly at the thought of him trying to figure out how to run in a giant ball.

"I know you couldn't think of another word. I just like pointing it out and driving you nuts," she giggled. She could point out people's incorrect use of words all day if she needed to. "That's the point. I won't lose," Thalia explained airily. Didn't he know Thalia Munroe never lost? She would beat him in this challenge. Cause of her evil brain.

She shook her head. "I didn't know what to do besides run," came her small reply and a shrug. It was true. When you're that scared you do whatever comes first to your mind. Her friend had already been killed. She couldn't do anything else. "I won't ever forget her. Don't worry." She didn't know if he would worry of not. Thalia didn't know how Parker thought. He seemed just as rebellious as her in some way or another.

Thalia ran to catch up with him. "Walk ahead of me if you will," she sarcastically said. Then looked at his face and asked, "Why are you smiling?" In a confused manner. He confused her. She continued to walk and kept silent with him beside her.

Dalanie was walking down the fifth floor corridor when she past a ghostly white room. You never knew what you could find in the halls of Hogwarts and she had just proved it. She stared into the blank white room and tried to go in, but it felt like a scream in her face.