Selina ran back up the stairs to the owlery. If she had done her math correctly today would be the day she got her responses back from her parents. A few weeks back she had sent the pair of them letters which she had been hoping been received by them.



Selina then saw Hermes fly through the window and set down two letters by Selina. "Hey little guy, I missed you. How was the flight?" The bird hooted, "Good." She then handed him to treats.

But she wanted the contents of the letters and she tore them open.



Selina held the two letters and smiled. She missed them both and their letters were so typically them. It was nice.

Brodie walked up the hundred, no, THOUSANDS of stairs that led up to the owlery where his owl 'Hoot' was, cause he wanted to send a letter to his family, epically to his sister Alice. He started to look for Hoot but it wasn't to hard, Hoot had flown onto his shoulder, he smiled and was about to give it the letter when it snatched it up before he could hand it, it started to fly, and before he knew it, it was nearly at the window, what was the owl doing? It had no idea who to send it too!

He chased after the owl, not noticing the girl that was in his way, and ran straight into her, "Woooh, sorry" Brodie said facing the girl.

The redhead fumbled back a little with her letter still in her hands. She looked up at the voice who had apologized. It was a slightly older looking boy who was now facing Selina dead on.

She brushed a strand of red hair out of her face that had gotten lose from impact. Selina laughed and responded, "It's fine, um... sorry what's your name? I'm Selina by the way."

He was starting to forget about his owl, it might now the was right? After having it go to his family so many times it might have guessed, so he might not have to tell it where, finally. "Pleasure, Brodie's the name" He replied grinning.

"So how are you?" Brodie asked.

"Besides being just walked into by a stranger I would have to say pretty good," Selina joked, "So by the looks of you, your in Gryffindor. I've haven't really seen you around. What year are you?"

Selina was well acquainted with everyone in her house. She would have to be being the Gryffindor Quidditch team's Chaser, which was an honor she was justly proud of. Yet she had never seen him before. He seemed quite nice.

Brodie chuckled and replied "Yes, I'm a Gryffindor, I'm a third year, but its my first year at Hogwarts" Brodie smiled at the girl, he had seen her face before, he didn't know where, maybe she was in the quidditch team? "And what year are you in?" He asked.

"Really? That's interesting. Did you transfer from another Wizarding School or just decide to come here late?"

Selina tucked her letters in her pockets and continued, "First year, but I feel like I've been here forever. You know?"

Cass had wandered up to the Owlery for no real reason today, not expecting a response to letter home till tomorrow. He was munching on a bacon sandwich he had made at the Gryffindor table (one of 3 he made before leaving the table).

After arriving, Cass moves over to one of the larger windows to look out over the grounds and forest around the castle. While doing so he notices a very large thing flying toward the Owlery not sure what had four wings of brown and silver white... Then he realized what he was seeing it was Amaratsu returning with a rather large package, but he did not recognize the other owl right off, at least not till it was almost at the owlery anyway.

The second owl was not an owl at all but his great Aunt's Gyrfalcon familiar, Udin. A bird she rarely sends anywhere as far away from Japan's northern island is she can help it. If Udin was here in Britain then something big was happening.

Not that he ca see the package it seems to be a large bag of some kind and Amaratsu has a letter too, taking the letter after they land and tossing one of the bacon sandwiches to the two birds Cass opens the letter to read it and find out why Udin is here.

Cass looks at Udin and Amaratsu, who are finishing off the bacon from the sandwich, in surprise Auntie Anika was ill, at her age that is not good. And as it was Udin that brought the news there is no way it is good... Pulling out a muggle pen form his pocket and using a piece of parchment there he writes a quick note to his mother and gives it to Udin to take for him.

Giving Udin the short letter and stroking his head once he then takes him to the window and lets him go, that is going to be a long flight all the way back to Honjo, Japan.

Cass then picks up the bags, strokes Amaratsu a few times before running off to Gryffindor tower to get ready for his first lesson today. A very worried look on his face, where before he had a slight grin.

"Well my parents hid the letters, and I finally found the letters when I was looking through there stuff, at that time they were, um, dead" Brodie replied to her.

Brodie nodded, he knew what she meant exactly, he felt the same, "Yeah, Hogwarts is like a home to me" He said gazing out the window. Brodie looked at the girls eyes and said, "You know, your the nicest girl I have ever met? No one has ever talked to me for this long" His friends normally walked away after awhile because they thought he was boring.

Emily wandered up to the owlery. She had taken her time but it still seemed to take the breath out of her. Once at the top, she clambered through the archway to the centre of the large cavernous room. At least a hundred owls sat perched around the room, some sleeping with their heads nestled beneath their wings others hooting, with wide eyes.

It didn't take long for Emily to find the owl she was looking for. Dante, her barn owl came gliding from his spot on the rafters to perch lightly on her arm.
"Hey Dante", she cooed at him. Dante simply replied with a hoot, nibbling at her hair affectionately. Emily offered him an owl treat then found herself a seat on the floor, leaning against the wall. First she had made sure there was no dirt or poop anywhere.

Recently Emily had been thinking about her parents a lot.... more than she would like to.
But after some time she decided that she would be 'the better person' and would make the effeort to mend thier relationship. In all honesty Emily did love her parents, they were wonderful and very successful. But they were... very judgemental and had increibly high expectations of her. Nothing she did was ever good enough.

Emily's mum was the transfiguration professor at Durmstrang, and they never really saw eye to eye. But Emily was going to write to her.
Pulling out a peice of parchment and a quill, Emily penned her letter.

Emily realised she had a tear forming in the corner of her eye... she blinked it away.
Reaching out to Dante, Emily fastened the letter to his leg then stroked his head gently, blowing him a kiss before he spread his wings wide and took off.

After composong herself Emily stood up, shaking the straw off her robes. Emily gathered her things then left the owlery, she had home work to complete.

Selina listened to Brodie mention his parents. She did not know how to handle the news. They had just started to talk and to comfort him after so soon a meeting would be odd. So Selina just stuck her hands in her pockets and said, "I'm sorry about your parents. Do you have any siblings that you could fall back on?" Sometime family helped.

When he commented on how nice she was Selina's blue eyes gleamed, "Thanks. You're nice too. And I don't think people blow you off. I mean people are busy. I am too."

Nika walked over to the owlry with letter in hand. She had finally decided what to write and it wasn't very well written. Just a simple hello and how-do-you-do. Nika walked around trying to find an owl to trust with the letter. "Which one of you owls can take this letter to my family?" Nika saw an owl standing in front of her and took the chance to try and get it to take her letter. "Er hi there owl. I'm Nika, but I'm not an owl. I'm a person. A witch to be exact. Can you please take this to my family?" Nika handed over the letter, but the owl wouldn't take it from her. She looked around in frustration, "Oh how do I do this!?!"

Jake somehow found himself all the way up on the seventh floor in the owlery, and he couldn't recall even getting there. The boy wasn't even out of breath.

What the heck happened?

Well... he knew what. He was still composing himself after crying. Because of that encounter with Neptune. Gah. This sucked.

Setting Lolcat in a little owl-housing place in the wall, Jake reached into his pocket to get something out.

"Don't kill anything, I've kind of had enough of people having the hump with me," he said to the feline, his voice thick because of the recent tears. Leaning against the windowsill, Jake started to write a letter, still working hard to keep himself composed.

Usually walking up to the owlery would have killed her but Mia was in too good of a mood to worry about how tired and out of breath she was. She placed her hand in her pocket and curled her fingers around the letter to her parents.

Term was almost over. She was heading home for a couple of weeks before heading off to Russia and she could not wait. She was almost bursting out of her skin, she was so excited.

Moving further into the room, Mia looked up trying to find her owl, Bob. Her eyes scanned the rafters trying to find the little gray owl, who apparently was hiding from her. "Lazy sod." She muttered as she turned to look on the opposite side of the room and that's when she spotted Jake.

Oh.

He looked so sad sitting there all by himself.

Mia hesitated for a second before deciding that there was no way she could leave someone that sad and not try and help. She moved over to him and stood beside him against the wall. "Hey Jake." She said quietly so as not to startle him too much.

Oh.

Hey.

"Oh, hey..." Jake turned his head slightly to see who was talking to him, his brain being fuzzy as it was. He'd realised someone was there, but hadn't considered it being anyone for him. Okay, for a moment of sheer panic he thought it was Neptune, ready to push him out the window...

... but yeah. No. He was safe.

For now.

Realising his eyes were still puffy and stuff, and that he had teartracks down his face, Jake suddenly fumbled in one of his pockets, pulling out a pair of sunglasses and shoving them clumsily onto his face with shaking hands. Then he looked at Mia again.

"Hey Mia," he repeated his letter. "Here to... send a letter?"

You, Jake Upstead-Morgan-Lawson-Whatever... are an idiot.

Mia tried her best not to stare but it was kind of hard to tear her gaze away from him. To put it bluntly, he looked awful. It wasn't until he put the sunglasses on that she was able to remove her gaze and she was tempted to make a joke at his question but thought better of it.

"Yeah. Just letting my parents know what my plans are for the summer." That's if her lazy bugger of an owl will come down out of the rafters.

She shifted her body against the wall and turned to look at him. "I'm not gonna pretend that I didn't see how upset you are. But I am gonna offer you my shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen. Only if you want to that is."

He had been there for her when she'd had that rather unfortunate experience a little while ago.

Jake smiled slightly and leant against the windowsill where his half-written letter lay. He preferred it when people were up-front with him... he always tended to do that enough for anyone.

Mhmm.

Taking his glasses off again and hooking them into his shirt, Jake shrugged and shuffled the letter around in his hand.

"Neptune," he said quietly, looking down at the pages. "It's me and her. I have no idea what just happened but... there was an argument about flying and she got me a gift and took it back and was upset that I didn't like it and my last ever Quidditch game is coming which isn't such a big deal but I'm leaving here soon and it's scary and it's sad and I cried and she just... didn't... care..." Jake trailed off from his lovely ramble and pinched the bridge of his nose for just a moment before he went on.

"We had a weird argument and I got upset because I'm leaving here soon... but it's like she didn't care. I mean, when she cries, I'm there for her, but I don't know why she wasn't, like... the same. I guess it hurts because I think I... I..."

He stopped and shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. Jake didn't even mind that he was rambling... it just felt good to say it.

"I get attached, I suppose."

Mia waited patiently and listened attentively while Jake spoke about what had him so upset. She wasn't sure how it had happened but it appeared she seemed to be the person to go to when you were having relationship issues or maybe she just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

"Firstly, let me just say that, every couple have arguments. It's the natural course of things. There are going to be times when you are not going to agree on things." Although that kind of thing actually had happened to her and Nik but she was sure it would at some point.

"I don't know Neptune that well..." She began slowly, but Mia was pretty sure she had the girl pegged but she was not going to get into that with Jake. She was supposed to be helping him. "So I am not going to try and decipher what she was thinking at the time. Maybe she reacts to situations differently from you."

She gave Jake a small encouraging smile. "If you don't mind me asking. What was the argument about?" Then she will get to the other issues.

Jake found himself chewing at his fingernails as he listened to Mia, thinking his whole situation through all the while. It was hard... this had been such a stupid argument and he felt like things were open. Deep down in his mind, he was slightly annoyed at how Neptune could be a bit of a brat at times. Because sure, he could be a brat at home, but when it came to here... he'd do anything. And the one thing that DIDN'T go Neptune's way... ugh.

But that was it. That was all he disliked about the whole situation. He wouldn't even change it of her.

"Maybe... but when she was upset that time with Jim in the Hospital, I was there for her," Jake said quietly, and didn't say anything for a moment, even after Mia asked her other question. He knew that he shouldn't be THINKING about the whole Jim thing... probably why he'd gotten so upset and all... but he couldn't help it.

Eventually, Jake replied. "Oh... she got me this book on broom safety and said something about being safe for my next match," he shrugged. "Stupid thing to argue about, but I'm perfectly capable of flying well and Quidditch is going to be dangerous sometimes. If anything, I'm going all out in my last game ever."

Merrr.

"Thing is... when I said about the fact that I was going to fly as I always did, she got in a total strop and asked for the book back so she could give it to that Ravenclaw, Finlay. Finny. I mean... that really hurt, after the whole thing with Lexi and Finn last year," Jake mumbled, and slid down the wall so he was sitting against it, face in his hands. "I don't know if she knew about it... but it felt like a dig," came the young man's muffled voice. He, of course, was forgetting that Mia may not know the ins and outs of his love life. Feh.

And right there was the problem. James Wilkes. Neptune and Jimmy had a history together, one they couldn't seem to get over no matter how many people they hooked up with to try and forget. But Mia said none of this to Jake. She would happily listen and advise as best as she could but she never interferred. It was up to those involved to sort out.

She moved a little closer to Jake and placed a hand gently on his arm. "I have no doubt that you are caring guy, Jake. I remember how you looked after me when..." She trailed off knowing that she didn't really need to finish that and quite frankly she didn't want to have to remember that episode. "Anyway, maybe Neptune doesn't know how to show her feelings. I think we both know that the girl has been given everything in life. She's probably so used to receiving that she doesn't know how to give." Something like that.

As Mia listened to Jake explain his and Neptune's argument, she began to understand a little better. "Hmmm okay. I sorta see the problem here. Look Jake, I'm sure that Neptune knows you are a good flyer but she has had to watch a number of friends get hurt during the game and well I guess this was her way of showing that she cares about you and doesn't want to see you get hurt." She paused for a moment to see her owl decide to come down from the rafters. She had almost forgotten about her letter. Meh he can wait for her now. "And I get where you're coming from to. You've been flying since you were a first year. You're the best seeker Hogwarts has and this is your last game. Neptune needs to understand that about you. It's what they call a bit of give and take." She heaved a sigh. "The only way out of that argument was to just accept her gift with a 'thank you' and then gone out flew like you usually do." She shrugged her shoulders, it wasn't honest but sometimes you did what you had to do to keep the peace.

She watched as he slid down the wall and she promptly sat down beside him. Her eyebrows raised at the mention of Lexi. How was it, that both she and Lexi seemed to have some sort of involvement with the same guys? "I'll let you in on a little secret. When girls feel hurt they lash out in the most underhanded way. Neptune, did that to make you jealous. To get a reaction out of you." Females could be sneaky like that.

Jake only shrugged one shoulder. He didn't see that as him being caring. It was what anyone and everyone SHOULD do... and soooooo... he was a nice guy for taking care of Mia?

"I guess so..." he nodded slowly. Neptune really DID have everyone handed to her on a silver platter... that also explained his unspoken point about her reaction when she didn't get what she wanted. It made him soften his resolve slightly. She couldn't help it...

He felt himself actually blush slightly when Mia said he was the best seeker at Hogwarts, but didn't say anything to it, lest he stutter. He was still wowed by the fact that she had even bet on him. Yup.

"And yeah... I probably should have done that... but it feels like deceiving her, in a way. As though I'm promising to fly cautiously and then not. I mean, I know it's not lying... but I feel bad about it. I really love how much she thought about me, but the actual gift just wasn't something I'd like... and I didn't want to pretend..." he trailed off. "Oh Merlin, I sound like a total jerk."

UGH. Jake screwed up his face and watched his cat eye up a bird in the rafters and lick his lips. Bloody creature. Jake took a place sheaf of parchment, scrunched it up and chucked it at the animal, hitting him on the nose. Lolcat was then easily distracted and proceeded to bat the parchment around the owlery.

The young man frowned slightly. That... was horrible. So cruel. Jake didn't know if he'd ever be able to work out how to do something like that... so the idea that someone he... well... someone he loved could or would do it... was alien to him. "No... no I don't think she did that. Not to make me jealous or anything like that." Maybe to see if he'd take the book... but... eh.

GAH. That Finn kid was haunting him, and Jake had never REALLY met him properly.

"It's... a huge mess. I think I was already upset because... I'm leaving here soon for good and that terrifies me. I've been hiding from the world in the library for like a month," he added, half-smiling. "It's a scary thought... leaving."

It was quite fascinating to watch the myriad of emtions that crossed his face in just a matter of seconds and she couldn't help but smile a little. "Not a jerk, Jake. Just someone who is unfamiliar with the workings of a female's mind." Mia let out a small laugh as she watched his cat start chasing around the balled up piece of parchment. "Seriously Jake, when it comes to gifts it's best just to say you like it even if you don't." Really. Nothing hurt more than having something you went and put thought into being rejected.

Mia decided to remain quiet on that part. She had the feeling that's exactly what Neptune was trying to do but if Jake wanted to think something else then that was entirely up to him.

Ah so there was the real problem. Jake was upset about having to leave. Mia placed her arm around him and gave him an awkward one armed hug, squeezing him hard. "It is scary." She admitted although she wasn't half as scared as she used to be. "But that's what life is about. There are going to be highs and there are going to be lows, you know? But gosh Jake, just think of the ride you are going to take. You're about to take on life's next great adventure when you walk out those doors." She placed her head against his shoulder and watched his cat again.

After a moment, she spoke again. "But you'll always have the memories. Nothing will ever take those away."

Unless he got obliviated.

"The female mind is like a bloody labyrinth," Jake mumbled, shaking his head and giving a small smile. Seriously... people who liked hearing lies because it would save from a negative emotion... okay it made sense but it wasn't PRACTICAL. Pshhhawwwww.

Buuuuuuuuuuut... THERE WAS A HUG IN THE DEAL.

Jake smiled at that and half leaned into the hug, feeling much better. Hugs always did that for him. "I'm just comfortable here. I have a routine. I don't have to worry about anything else and I don't have to think about the future or my life and what's going to happen with it. I dunno."

He also watched Lolcat act like a freaking maniac and raised an eyebrow at the creature.

"I will have the memories. And you know it's weird... but the majority of the memories I have of this place are like... not exactly good. It's a wonder I'm attached to this place, really. I never thought the time would come where I'd have to leave."

Le sigh.

A small giggle came out of Mia's mouth. She certainly wasn't going to disagree with Jake on that. She knew how confusing girls could be, herself included.

"But that's the fun part Jake. Not knowing what the future is going to bring us. If we had our life planned out for us then there would be no surprises in store and where's the fun in that." Mia gave him another little squeeze and chuckled. "And I'm sure you'll be able to get yourself back into a routine real quick. Do you have a job lined up or are you going to take some time off to travel?" That's what she intended on doing when she left school. Travel the world first. Work later.

Laughing softly as her owl tried to get away from Jake's cat, Mia turned to look at Jake. "Not so weird. Seven years is a long time. Not every moment is going to be good. That's going to happen anywhere." She leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "You feeling a bit better now?"

"I gueeeeess..." Jake dragged the word out loooooooong, like a little kid does when they're agreeing with something they don't really... well... agree with. Or understand.

After school ended... heh. It was something Jake had planned for (kinda) but didn't really think about. "Well, I'm leaving here... probably going to see my mother for a few days in the holiday... and I plan to take a couple of weeks educational holiday in Romania, checking out the dragons and learning more, because I really like dragons. And theeeeeen... I'm going off on tour with the band my dad manages, and doing like... an on-the-road university course. I have it all sorted and everything... just need my NEWTs to be as good as my OWLs were... so they know they can trust me to work."

He smiled ever so slightly. Technically he DID have a stable future, being with his dad. Mind you... he'd hardly be treated like a kid and have stuff done for him. Darn...

"What year are you in?" he cocked his head slightly to look at Mia. "Fifth, right?" He knew it wasn't 4th or lower and it wasn't 7th... so Jake had to hazard a guess from between the remaining two.

He smiled again. It really was awesome to have someone so understanding... someone who would listen and be a true friend. His other friends... well they always transferred out or went off on super long breaks or something COUGHCameronCOUGH... this was good. Jake liked this.

Giving a little grin at the kiss, Jake nodded his head. "Much, actually," he replied. Well... the Neptune thing was still making his head reel but apart from that... things were better in his head. "Thank you, Mia. For like... listening and, well... for helping."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw another owl fly down from the rafters and nick the parchment Lolcat had been playing with earlier. The cat in question yowled and jumped into the air to get the bird... and Jake caught him at the peek of his leap.

"Bloody cat..." he mumbled.