A look of concern spread across Ellie's face. Brae looked like he was trying to smile but it came out more like a wince from pain. Ellie frowned.

Ellie noticed a few first years look at Braeden and run away screaming, but she shrugged it off. First years got scared of everything. Oh right. Class. "No, it's okay. Descoteaux hates me anyway, I don't care if I'm late. We need to get you to the hosptal wing."

She tried to help him as he struggled to stand up. He looked determined to get Ellie to class on time. "Wha.." Braeden began picking up her books again. "Noonononono. No you don't." She said taking the books out of his hands and setting them back on the ground. "We are taking you to the hospital wing. Now. Your nose is broken and you're obvisouly hurt everywhere else." She felt like she was the mother of a five-yearold. "Come on, it's just down the hall." She said, taking Braeden's arm and attempting to pull him down the corridor.

Jared looked at Jake. For a second. "Sore knuckles. Bone bruises." He lowered the booklet. "Hurting oneself to let out frustration only causes more frustration. Not being bare-handed won't ruin..." The experience? "The experience."

The glove? Oh. "It's a habit," Jared said, a mildly apologetic touch to his tones. Mildly.

"Do you also believe this hinders your ability to decide if an action or question might come across as rude?" Did he believe Jake? He did. This might explain why the Hufflepuff seemed to have a very fixed self-schema. But he also believed in Jake. Too soon to do that, perhaps. At any rate, he'd keep the belief to himself. For now.

Braeden's jaw dropped slightly and his brows furrowed disapprovingly as Ellie snatched away the books he had started picking up, deciding that they were going to the hospital wing, instead of class. "What?! But-- no way, Ellie. If what you want is to skip class, I'm not going to let you use me as an excu--" but before he could finish that, the boy was already being dragged down the hall and in the Hospital Wing's direction. He resisted at first, but being in so much pain all over didn't really leave him much strength, and in the end Ellie ended up dragging along more of a rag doll than a boy.

"But I don't wanna goooooooo," he whined like the over-grown child he was. Honestly, Braeden hated the Hospital Wing. Every time he walked in there and saw all those hurt students, he ended up barfing his breakfast out into a bucket. The boy was terribly squeamish and paranoid about needles or nasty medicine potions. "Why don't… why don't you go to class, and I head off to the Hospital Wing on my own?" suggested Braeden with a smile that gave away his real intention to run as far away from the Hospital Wing once given the chance.

"I hope you realize that if you take me to the Hospital Wing, you're going to have to stay and play nurse," he added, raising his dark eyebrows at the shorter girl. "There is no way on this earth that I'm going to stay there defenseless while those nurses do as they please with me; giving me nasty potions or performing painful charms…" He made a face at the thought. "Doesn't class sound much more appealing, hmm?"

Yes... well. Jake knew about how that felt. After his leeeeettle interaction with Lafay he'd made it about 50 yards down the corridor before taking it all out on the wall.

It had hurt.

He nodded at the... glove habit, wondering why and how one would pick up such a habit. That was a question for later.

After thinking for a moment Jake opened his mouth to speak, as if it was a very difficult subject to get his head around. Which it was. "I believe it does, in retrospect. I don't know what it's like to be able to understand when not to do something, so I couldn't honestly say." His upbringing might have had something to do with it, but Jake wasn't prepared to tell this new guy about all that. Only... "People started trying to teach me stuff like that when I was nearly fourteen. It's... very difficult."

And then there was the same old angsty response; 'nobody understands'. Except... it was true.

Ellie ignored Braeden's whining. Was he really two years older than her? Yet he was complaining about having to go to the hospital. She laughed to herself. There was no way she was letting him go by himself. "Nuh-uh. No way, Braeden. The second I leave you, you're gonna go scurrying down the hall like a little girl." She frowned. Maybe she shouldn't have said the little girl part. "Sorry..." She continued dragging him down the hall.

She smirked as he tried to convince her to not take him to the hospital wing because he was too afraid to go alone. Okay, that's not exactly what he said, but Ellie could tell that's what he meant. "Then I guess I'll have to go with you then, huh? Do you forget that your nose is broken, or would you like me to hit it again to remind you?" She asked, tightening her grip on his arm. Where did she learn to be so mean stern? She loosened her grip and calmed down a little, but she was still directing him down the hall. "I'm not going to class. You're hurt, it's my fault and now I'm taking care of you." And Descoteaux hated her anyway...

She looked up at him and noticed that his nose was bleeding. She sighed and reached into her side bag. She pulled out her handkerchief and handed it to him. "Here. Your nose is bleeding." She said. She felt bad, she really did. She'd be the death of Braeden, she was sure of it. Not on purpose, of course.

"Then wait," Jared said simply. "If you feel the need to ask a question, don't ask it at once. If a question can be asked in private without nullifying its purpose, ask it in private. People, questions and actions can wait and, if they can't, it's often a sign that the situation is no longer one where you can get down to the basics and consider what might, or might not, come across as rude."

"There are people that hold you to a high standard. You'll have to do the same, before things change." Consciously. Do the same. "To be honest, I've never been good at lecturing people or giving advice." He gave a rueful little smile. "But you're old enough to make your own decisions and choose your own path, now. If you don't do that, you're not going to be able to put what you've learned, into action. But there's no need to rush into things. You're only -" Sixteen? Seventeen? "You're young." That was the point. "Think before you speak. Thing again before you act. You aren't telling me you've given in to this." He held up the booklet.

So Jake had more to handle than most people. But Jared believed he could handle more than most people, and his tones said as much. Saying that difficulties are there to overcome had always sounded like an idealist's - a completely naive - theory, to Jared. But did he believe that one has to shoulder more than most, to achieve something substantial? He did.

Braeden's jaw dropped when Ellie accused him of being a little girl, though as soon as she apologized he was grinning with amusement. "You mean I'd be scurrying down the hall like… what, like an Ellie?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, insinuating she was a little girl. Because being two years older made him sooo much older and more mature and wiser and awesome.

However, the amusement Brae was getting from teasing his Ravenclaw friend faded along with his grin when the girl merely agreed to the idea of taking him to the Hospital Wing. Nooooo! And then she was threatening to hit him again. And tightening her grip on his arm. "Ow-- Merlin, Ellie," said a wide-eyed (and terrified now) Braeden. He didn't know the girl could be so vicious; actually, he didn't know half the girls in the school could be so unafraid to use him as a punching bag, but he was starting to get used to it this semester after all the new people he'd been encountering.

Braeden put on a face of mock loved-ness (like the smiley: ) when Ellie expressed simply that she was going to take care of him and then proceeded to hand him a handkerchief for his bleeding nose. Gratefully, the boy took it and placed it over his nose, so now his voice sounded nasal as he spoke again, "Awwww… thanks, Mummy," he teased. But Ellie was being a total mum and it amused him to no end. However, he really was grateful that she hadn't just picked up her books and run out of sight after he fell. "Y'know, your boyfriend's a lucky bloke. I don't think many guys can say they're with a girl who can cure blindness and treat broken noses," he pointed out, though of course he was exaggerating; Ellie hadn't really cured his blindness or fixed his nose, but, again, Braeden was easily impressed. "I bet he's worried about you because you haven't showed up to class," added the boy in a last attempt to get out of this. He really, really hated the Hospital Wing... "Oh, look - isn't that the Hospital Wing right there? I can take it from here, Ellie, don't worry about me," he said, trying to pull his arm out of her grip and flashing her one of his lopsided grins. "I'll let you know all about how they fixed my nose after class, deal?"

It was really sweet what Selina said next.Only proved that the blonde had found a real friend in the little ginger girl.Sweet."I know i should make a move",she sighed,"but our friendship is too precious to destroy it because of something stupid like feelings."If she knew he liked her she would totally make a move.But like this they would be stuck in the close friends stage forever.Siiiigh.At least Selina was happy with her Demitri.

"But," Jake began, eager to get some answer to this. "What if a question or something is urgent, but I wait because I have to wait for every question? What if I wait and it was important and it's too late? It can happen like that; I'm sure of it." Had he not read of situations where someone had held back on pointing something out, bitten their tongue, so to speak, only for a disaster to happen. Had it not happened in this very school?

"Surely whether or not something or someone is rude means little when you're faced with something of higher importance. The problem is... how do you KNOW what's important?"

Because that was a skill Jake was seriously lacking in.

He went quiet for a moment. He'd never understood that people did hold him to a high standard, and, to be genuinely honest, he didn't see other people AS people for a long time. They were just robots to him. What he said or did made no difference because everyone else was just THERE. He hadn't understood that for a while, until a few years previously. Finally, Jake looked at the booklet and shook his head. No... he hadn't given in, but...

"It's not easy to just change."

Like it wasn't easy to notice non-verbal stuff, hear intonations in voices, understand when a question was rhetorical or a sentence figurative. Jake didn't, and probably never would, grasp that concept.

Ellie pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. Yeah, yeah, she was two years younger than him so calling him the little girl may not have been quite accurate. "Oh hush, you." She smirked.

Braeden looked terrified. Ellie realized that hurting him even more prooobably wouldn't make the situation better. "I'm sorry!" She said sympathetically, loosening her grip. "I just want to get you better. She said honestly. This was all her fault and when she did something wrong, she always did her best to make it better.

Ellie snorted when Brae called him "Mummy". But that's exactly how she felt. "Oh come on, I didn't heal your blin-" BoyfriendWHAT? She stopped midsentence. "I-I don't have one. A boy.. friend, that is." She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She thought of a certain boy... Did people think they were... together? Well, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Except for the fact that they weren't together. She laughed, sort of. It didn't really sound like a laugh. "Where'd you get that idea? Y'know, the, er... boyfriend one." She wondered.

She ignored his attempt to break free. "You'll be fine, Braeden." She said to him. The nurse knew what she was doing.

Braeden merely looked like a scolded little boy as Ellie explained she just wanted him to get better, his feet dragging on the floor as he was led away to his death sentence the Hospital Wing, his free hand holding the handkerchief up to his nose still. Fine. Fiiine, so Ellie was doing this for his best interest, so he wasn't going to whine and moan and complain like he so wanted to. He'd be a good little boy and go along with her plan. And tie his shoelaces from now on. He liked his nose too much to go through this again.

The boy listened as Ellie then began stuttering and looking a little awkward as she explained that she didn't have a boyfriend, though the pink on her cheeks made Braeden think otherwise. He smirked. And then she was asking him where he got the idea. Braeden shrugged. "I kind of assumed," he replied simply. "It seemed logical someone would've snatched you up already - you're a nurse, an artist, and have nice eyes," he listed, though as kind as his compliments were, it was hard to take him seriously when his voice was sounding nasal, his face was covered in black smoke, and his hair was a mess. Braeden was still smirking, though, as he watched Ellie for a quiet few seconds before asking in an almost mocking sort of tone, "You've almost got a boyfriend, though, don't you?" he asked.

His smirk and amusement faded as Ellie simply ignored his attempts at getting away, though. Uwaaaa… He might as well just give in at this point. Sad as it was, this 'little girl' was actually stronger than him at the moment. Best not get her mad.

Braeden was silent and Ellie smirked with the knowing that she had been successful. They were almost to the Hospital Wing now.

She noticed his smirk when she started stuttering about not having a boyfried and she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. He began listing of a couple qualitites that she had. She smiled. "Well thank you Braeden, that's very... flattering." Yeah, flattering. That sounded like a good word. But she wasn't a nurse, she just happened to know what she was doing at that point in time. Sure she could paint, but that didn't make her an artist, just a painter. And... well, she had been told she had nice eyes before. Then he asked her if she almost had a boyfriend. But it seemed like he was stating the fact more than wondering. "Oh, I er... Well we're going on a date soon... But that doesn't mean he's my boyfriend. How do you know this?" She wondered. Did people really know everything about everyone here? O.o

They finally reached the Hospital Wing. Ellie looked up at Braeden. He had given up, but he still looked mortified. "You ready?" Silly question.

"No problem," replied Braeden with one of his goofy smiles as Ellie thanked him for the compliment, before the girl then went on to explain that she and this mystery boy that had her cheeks going pink earlier had a date soon, but it didn't mean he was her boyfriend. And then she was asking how he knew. Braeden shrugged. "I didn't, but when I mentioned the idea of a boyfriend, you got all pink-faced and flustered," said the boy matter-of-factly, as if these were symptoms in a common illness. Perhaps he wasn't quite as blind and slow as he seemed.

And then Ellie was asking if he was ready to go into the Hospital Wing. Heh. "No. Not now, not ever," said Braeden all gloom-and-doom-like. He looked like he was walking up to the guillotine. Life was coming to an end. He was going to die. And he was so young too… Why?! Whyyyy?!
By the look on his face, you'd think the boy was about to burst into tears any second.

Katie rushed into the corridor, how many flights of stairs were there?!?!?! Katie had been up on the seventh floor saying hi to Cora, she had just made it to because she was about to enter the common room, Katie sat down on the ground giggling and huffing, she needed a rest NOOW, hehe.

Adam was walking down here, for no reason.Maybe a class of his was down here-but ever since Quidditch Try Outs had ended Adam didn't care much for classes.
He then noticed Katie sitting on the ground giggling to herself-usual Katie.
"H..H..Hello."He said shyly.

"Look at the reasons," Jared said. "Can the question be asked later or in private, and still keep its purpose? If it can, that makes it a question for later, one you need to sit down and think about. If you're asking it because the matter is urgent, because it concerns other people's immediate safety, then go ahead. There are always going to be things more important than manners."

Lives.

"You'll need to think about what you believe in and answer that for yourself, Jake. If you ask me, it's keeping innocent people, and people in general, out of danger. If I believe a question can serve that purpose, then I have no qualms about asking it. The rule I follow is that questions born out of idle curiosity, and questions that solely concern oneself, need to be thought about. In the end, it comes down to what you believe is important, other than yourself."

"Of course not. The easy thing is for people to just tell others to change. So don't. Don't change to fit in or suit others. Just improve as much as you can."

"Hey Adam" She said waving, she stopped huffing at that moment, she wasn't tired nope nit Katie.. KATIE WAS TIRED! Buut Ada probably wasn't interested to know, hmm, then it came to thought if he what Cammy said was true... hmmm...

Adam waved back to her and slowly made his way over, keeping a good safe distance from her.
"Why are you by yourself?"He asked in a dumbfounded way. Wasn't Katie the queen of the kings the leader of her little pack of friends- to see her alone and with Adam- that usually never turned out to be good.

Katie smiled, she remembered Adam asking that a different day, wait, that was at the end of term dance, it was all coming back to her, she had confessed to him her name was Katelyn that day, "Well actually I just came down from the seventh floor because I was talking to Coraline up there and also I need to exercise" She smiled, yup she was awesome, hehe.

He remembered Coraline, as sweet as she was, she had told Katie what Adam had on opinion wise of the sugar girl.
"Oh how is Coraline? Doing alright, I suppose?"

"She's good" Katie smiled, hehe, her bestie was awesome, she was acting odd though, maybe something was on Cora's mind? Annwaay, "How are you?" She asked smiling more brightly, yay! they were getting along!

"Ok...Sad I didn't try out for Quidditch-but that's the least of my worries- at least I have more free time than I would've had being on the team...Have you made it yet- or at least tried out yet?"He asked her.
They had talked about Try Outs at the feast on the first night of school arrival.

WHAA?

"Adam why didn't you try out?" She asked, she knew that Adam wanted to be on the quidditch team, and she wanted to verse him.. but thats not the point! "I have tried out once so far, I am so nervous though" She giggled, she wanted to be on the team so badly!

That... was a lot to think about for one simple question he might have wanted to ask.

"But when Gevrik showed up, I think a lot of people wanted answers, and if there is suddenly a guy hanging around here, how are we to know that we are still safe? My question was vital to safety and stuff. I am not ready to completely trust the opinion of the staff yet. In the past, undesirable things HAVE happened. Until I asked my questions, I felt uneasy that I wasn't checking."

Hrrrrrm. Jake kept quiet and examined his fingernails for a moment. "The only person I'll ever change for is me."

Truefax.

Adam looked around.
A corridor, a dank cold corridor is where he and Septimus would meet to chat. About everything- but most importantly his departure soon from Hogwarts.
He wondered how the first year would feel, Adam was sure Septimus still believed the fact that they were brothers, but how would Sep feel when Adam had to leave?