" Do you ski?" Rex asked Skyler."Well, yes, definitely more snow than Texas" Rex said to Skyler."Well, I love maple syrup" Rex smiled. "So what lse do you do in Vermont?" Rex asked Skyler.

"Oh thank Merlin for that!" Mia couldn't help chuckling at the misunderstanding that had just gone on between them. Now that she looked back on it she could see how they were getting confused with each other.

Well then who had Marie been talking about?

Ugh...Mia's head was starting to hurt. "Well I'm sure she has just been busy." That always sounded good.

Looking from Jimmy's face to Neptune's retreating back, Mia heaved a sigh. "Should I..." She pointed at Neptune as the girl slipped through the doors of the Great Hall. "Should I see if she's alright?"

Mia didn't really know Neptune that well. Actually she didn't know her at all but the older girl had seemed really unhappy and Mia hated to see people unhappy. But if she left that would leave Ivan and Jimmy alone.

Would that be a good idea?

"No not really...I'm more of a flier actually, but for winter sports I really like Ice Skating." She smiled kindly, her eyes twinkling happily as she thought about iceskating. Without realisng it, she had made small figures in the air above them skating on air.

Rowan blushed at the compliment. "Well I don't know about that," she laughed. "Maybe when I cheat."

"I bet that you are better than you think you are!" Skylar said with a smile. She smiled softly at the situation, looking past Rex she saw that Rowan was blushing that only made her smile more. It reminded her of how easily she herself blushed.

Satine walked into the Great Hall and instantly looked up at the ceiling. It was habit...she loved to see what surprises it held. After admiring the pretty color of the ceiling she looked back down searching for an empty spot at the table.

She spotted one and sat down, reaching into her bag and pulling out a think book and a notebook labeled DADA in Satine's curly handwritting. She glanced up and down the table at the faces around her quickly as she poured a glass of pumpkin juice.

Then she opened her DADA notebook and began reviewing her notes. She was a little worried that her time studying abroad had hurt her in this class. For some reason she couldn't remember anything about it....not a good sign since she wasn't amazing in it before...

Skyler heard someone sit down and looked over, "Hello," she smiled brightly at Satine. "Hi, I'm Skyler" she smiled brightly and happily.

"Well, I bet you look cute in your ice skating outfit" Rex told Skyler."So you enjoy riding your broom?" Rex asked Skyler. " I would love to watch you ice skate" Rex said to Skyler.

"Well, you never really cheat" Rex told Rowan. " i know you wwere just having fun with our first race" Rex said to Rowan. "We would make a good team in swimming if anyone ever challenged us " Rex explained to Rowan.

Skyler blushed with the skating outfit comment, "Thanks Rex, oh yeah I love flying its my dream to make brooms. That way I can try them out every time I make a new one." She chuckled, smiling brightly. "Oh, yeah I was thinking of conjuring a skating rink--a magical one somewhere on school grounds. Other than the lake, really...the lake can be a little scary at times." She laughed, smiling as she looked at her now empty plate.

" Well, you have your career ready for you when you leave Hogwarts" Rex told Skyler." You will make a lot of money if you make the fastest and the best brooms" Rex said to Skyler. " Yes, we only do have ice-skating on the lake during the winter" Rex explained to Skyler." I plan on eating pasta now" Rex laughed. " Think I eat too much?" Rex asked Skyler.

Sky laughed a bit as she heard what Rex said about the food. She was already laughing at the idea of her making a good broom maker. "The only problem is I always botch spells." She sighed, "I'd probably make a broom that turns both rider and broom invisible above muggles and mistakenly make it go poof around wizards instead of muggles...or maybe even go poof with all but the left shoe disappearing." She chuckled remembering when she botched a spell to tune up her own broom. She wanted to give it a 10% speed upgrade and it went well 100 miles an hour. "Yeah best mistake I ever made was when tried to fix my broom and give it a 10% speed boost. Instead i changed the cutoff speed to 100miles an hour. So it now goes 0-100 in 10 seconds...needless to say i made straps, buckles, and even harnesses to stay on it." She laughed a bit remembering what her hair looked like afterward. She herself looked like a car winsheald with bugs all over her eyeglasses.

" Well, you are at HogWarts and you will learn all the spells" Rex told Skyler." Why don't you make me a broom?" Rex asked Skyler." You need to meet my friend Jason Potter Weasley who has a crazy broom called "Wild Thing"" Rex said to Skyler.

"It wasn't for her." Nah. Ivan knew that.

He had to know that Jim couldn't help it?

A helpless shrug drove that point home.


"... probably. Studying or whatever." Probably. He glanced towards the door again, on edge himself.

...

"... maybe you could." He couldn't after all. He couldn't.

And he hated seeing her back like that. HERE again. Great Hall.

Skyler smiled when she heard the name of the broom. "The wild thing, that's a great name." She chuckled "I actually made a miniature one the other day not human or wizard sized at all" she chuckled and reaching into her pocket pulled out a failed experiment from charms class she was supposed to conjure a human-like doll for a kid but instead she conjured a miniature Skyler. Infront of them stood a six-inch tall Skyler Manning.

Then she pulled the small broom that was just the perfect size for the miniature-self out of her bag. She smiled, "if you want a miniature you ever, just let me know I've mastered that spell with high marks...yesterday I made ten of them, I don't know where any are except for me..." she chuckled. "There you go Sky" she smiled. "I was actually going to name the company New Sky Brooms and Broom care Equipment--or something like that."

" Well, you made a minature broom, cool" Rex told Skyler." Cute doll" Rex sad to Skyler. " I am telling you I know you will get better at your spells" Rex explained to Skyler. " You and Rowan need to come to Jason Potter Weasley's castle with me" Rex smiled." Good name for yoru company" Rex smiled again.

Grinning back at Ivan as he took a seat beside them, Mia then fidgeted uncomfortably as the two boys had words with each other. She really hoped that they weren't going to start fighting or anything because she was stuck in the middle of them.

Mia watched Jimmy for a moment before heaving another sigh and rising to her feet. "You owe me James Wilkes." She said giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

She headed for the doors but looked over her shoulder before she got there. "And you two...behave yourself." Mia turned back around and hoped Neptune hadn't gotten too far.

"Castle?" Sky exclaimed slightly shocked, "I mean thats great its just I've never actually been to a castle besides this one." She chuckled, "oh and its not exactly a doll," Sky chuckled. "its a living thing...thats stealing your food." Sky remarked as the Simi took a crum off of Rex's plate and sat down eating it.

"Anyways, that sounds good...and thanks for the believing in me, its probably because I'm so distracted all the time if I got my brain to calm down i'd probably cast the best spell I could."

"We would definitely make a great team," she smiled. "I am afraid that might have been our last race though Rex. The weather is getting too cold and you will be graduating soon. Have you found your career yet?"

Satine glanced up from her book..."Well hello Skyler, I'm Satine Farris, sixth year." she said with pride. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!" Skyler smiled, "This over here is Rex" Sky pointed to the guy right next to her, "I just actually met him today, and over there is Rowan...from what i've gathered these two love to have healthy competitions between eachother you know swimming, flying, running, eating you name it." She smiled, "Oh don't if that" she pointed at the 6-inch tall miniature witch "causes any problems let me know...I botched the 'make a doll' spell for healer training...don't think I'll be a magical nany any time soon... but I managed to make myself...just don't know what to do if it breaks its arm." She chuckled, "Anyways if you ever want to practice spells I'm definately game to practicing with you...trust me If I mess up a basic spell I need the help."

Rowan smiled at the new girl. "Nice to meet you Satine. Skyler, that is a great spell. Although I think one of me is enough, no matter how small," she laughed.

" So, I am glad you will like the castle" Rex told Skyler." It is not a doll?" Rex asked Skyler." Oh, eating my pasta, you are right not a doll" Rex laughed.
"Well, then you just have to learn how to concentrate on your spells" Rex explained to Skyler.

" We are a great team" Rex told Rowan. " Our last race?" Rex asked Rowan. " Now there will be a few days that are still going to be hot or at least warm" Rex explained to Rowan. " I have not graduated at this time" Rex said to Rowan. "Are you going to come to my friends' Jason's castle with Skyler?" Rex asked Rowan.

"I know, concentration can be hard...especially when you think suddenly in the middle of casting it, wow i'm awfully hungry..." She chuckled, "did that once conjured a big box filled with take-away Currey." She chuckled, "that came in handy," she smiled, "its probably the fact that its not the right wand...it was a hand-me-down wand I think, this summer I got a new one but I can't find it...probably in my trunk"

" I know you can concentrate,try concentrating on something now while I am talking" Rex told Skyler. " You are hubgry like me and what was eating my food?" Rex asked Skyler."Well, you need to get the right wand" Rex said to Skyler. " Now did you concentrate on my talking to you or something else, but you did not hear me?" Rex asked Skyler. " Trust me, I am not upset if you missed the conversation, I was testing you " Rex smiled.

"Yeah, I know" she smiled, "Accio Skyler Mannings wand" Skyer spoke the spell trying to feel it through her whole being. She hardly noticed the THWAP feeling as something collided with her head. "What was, Hey! My wand" she laughed, she put the old wand in her bag incase something went wrong. "And of course i'll go...i'll just finish my last touches on my first broom first." She smiled, "like making it life sized for one..."

"That actually worked, hurt but worked!"