Isobel walked-yes walked, not skipped-toward the Great Hall. She had about half her stuff packed, the rest she would pack afterward. This was so depressing. She had to leave. She wanted to curl up under the table and cry. At least she was only a fourth year, she had three years left at Hogwarts.

Isobel walked over to the table, climbed over the bench and sat under the table. There wasn't any food on the table yet anyway. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, it was her own form of meditation.

Arya was kind of glad that there didn't seem to be any teary eyed badgers at her table as she made her way over to the table, kneazle prancing ahead of her. Unlike the past few terms, she wasn't terribly sad about the departure of the current graduating class, and was excited for summer to be starting soon. Or maybe anxious. Hm.

She was still a bit oblivious to certain things, and so didn't notice the Huffie Captain curled up under the table as she took her seat in the middle, pulling Perseus closer as he jumped up on the bench beside her. Now, where was that food?

WHY?

Why was Treyen in here? Because he was a Prefect, otherwise you'll find him in the kitchen or the Common Room. The Common Room was more likely since he hasn't been eating much lately, nor he feels like doing so anyway.

But he was still obligated to attend the feast.

Wouldn't Arya be worried if he didn't attend, though?

The boy couldn't help but glance at the Ravenclaw table. He just couldn't help it. The feeling of devastation that came with noticing how his favorite Ravenclaw had her back to his table was too much to handle, though. And he almost turned and walked back. He didn't even care if Simon wanted to steal the badge and be Prefect for a night, really.

He closed his eyes for a moment before doing the same thing she did. So, he won't be able to see Neptune, or Finn, or Sir Awesome, but at least he didn't have to see her with her back to him. This was probably the first time he'd sat with his back to Ravenclaw, though. He even looked paler than usual too.

Arya was near-by, and he PURPOSEFULLY avoided sitting too close to her and just stared at the table as he FINALLY took his seat.

"Treeeeeeeeey," Neptune sangsong at the Hufflepuff, taking a seat next to him and draping her arm around his shoulders. She had a FEW Puffs to bid goodbye to before the hubbub of the train. Trey was probably the most important one though.

"And Spitty." Yeah, Spitty was there too. Neptune squinted at the girl that would ALWAYS be Spitty. Well. She supposed she'd say bye to her, too.


Giggle.

"Just dropping in to ... you know... for hugs." Bye hugs.

Oh, Gilderoy!

He knew that voice. And he really wanted to smile, but Neptune was a Ravenclaw. Same House as the perfect girl that had turned her back to him. So, truth be told, he didn't know HOW to smile at the moment, because Neptune was leaving...

...OH. NEPTUNE WAS LEAVIIIIIIIING!!!!

His head turned to her when she placed her arm around his shoulders, and...Spitty? "Be nice," he said, almost in a whisper, to NEPTUNE. Not Arya. He was saying 'Be nice' to Miss Neptune Bott. And then she said...hugs...which could mean good-bye right now. He was NOT READY for any sort of good-byes. Saying good-bye to Jake last year wasn't easy either.

Okay, so, next thing he knew was that he had his arms around Neptune and simply said, "Don't leave me." How was he supposed to be well-behaved IF she wasn't around?!

Arya WOULD have been worried had Treyen not showed up at the feast. He was always at them, right? As much as she remembered he was, but she did tend to get distracted easily when she was younger.

Noticing him joining her, or kind of joining her as he wasn't really sitting beside her, she scooted over towards him, kneazle in tow. "Hey, Treyen." What was wrong? Her eyes narrowed. Something was off...

"Neptune." Ugh. Her eyes narrowed more. Why was SHE here... ruining her peaceful time with all that singsonging and... calling her that. Ugh.

Arya wasn't giving her hugs.

But she did give her LOOKS when Treyen told her to play nice. Yeah. YEAH.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lockhartian

Oh, Gilderoy!

He knew that voice. And he really wanted to smile, but Neptune was a Ravenclaw. Same House as the perfect girl that had turned her back to him. So, truth be told, he didn't know HOW to smile at the moment, because Neptune was leaving...

...OH. NEPTUNE WAS LEAVIIIIIIIING!!!!

His head turned to her when she placed her arm around his shoulders, and...Spitty? "Be nice," he said, almost in a whisper, to NEPTUNE. Not Arya. He was saying 'Be nice' to Miss Neptune Bott. And then she said...hugs...which could mean good-bye right now. He was NOT READY for any sort of good-byes. Saying good-bye to Jake last year wasn't easy either.

Okay, so, next thing he knew was that he had his arms around Neptune and simply said, "Don't leave me." How was he supposed to be well-behaved IF she wasn't around?!

"As if I'm ever anything other than nice?" Neptune SCOFFED at the Hufflepuff. "Sugar and spice and everything niiiiiiiice," she sang at him again.

Giggle.....?

Something was amiss at the Hufflepuff table.

And THAT.... had not been the reaction she expected from Trey. She hugged him back for a moment, before pushing him away gently and letting her hands rest at his shoulders. "....?" her eyes asked. What was THAT about?

Quote:

Originally Posted by grangerfan8

"Neptune." Ugh. Her eyes narrowed more. Why was SHE here... ruining her peaceful time with all that singsonging and... calling her that. Ugh.

Arya wasn't giving her hugs.

But she did give her LOOKS when Treyen told her to play nice. Yeah. YEAH.

"Suppose this is goodbye," Neptune grinned at the Prefect Puffy. "I am glad you've tamed over the years and I have high hopes that you'll further domesticate while you finish up here."

Before the hug thing even happened, he managed to send a weak smile to his best friend and Co-Prefect, and then eyed the kneazle. UGH. Kurumi had a cat. Walnut. Who he'd used to cared for. Now...he really wished NOT to see her, or any other cat or kneazle that would remind him of her. For it'll instantly remind him of someone else.

"Hey, Arya." That was it.

Right, right, he knew that was the case when it came to him and Neptune, except in those few cases when he'd managed to mess up and she'd gotten upset. Quidditch-related stuff, mostly.

He wasn't even TRYING to fake happiness. Even the greatest Lockhart was not that good an actor.

Treyen's eyes landed on the Ravenclaw blue spots on her robes after she returned the hug, and for a little moment he wished that it was a different Ravenclaw he was seating next to, but that was out of the question. Probably for forever and ever. The boy sighed, "Please?" Who could possibly need Neptune Bott? Apparently, he did.

"I'll miss you. Forever."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lockhartian

Right, right, he knew that was the case when it came to him and Neptune, except in those few cases when he'd managed to mess up and she'd gotten upset. Quidditch-related stuff, mostly.

He wasn't even TRYING to fake happiness. Even the greatest Lockhart was not that good an actor.

Treyen's eyes landed on the Ravenclaw blue spots on her robes after she returned the hug, and for a little moment he wished that it was a different Ravenclaw he was seating next to, but that was out of the question. Probably for forever and ever. The boy sighed, "Please?" Who could possibly need Neptune Bott? Apparently, he did.

"I'll miss you. Forever."

Neptune's tongue went between her teeth and she held back a full on LAUGH. She just giggled at him instead. "You're being SO dramatic," Neptune gave him the BIG EYED LOOK. "I'm not dying or falling off the face of earth. You can come visit me!"

Simple. Really.

Please? Please what? Neptune leaned forward and put a TEENSY TINY kiss to the very TIPPY of his little baby Puffy nose. There was a loud "MWWAAAHHH" sound effect to go with the TEENSY TINY TIPPY KISSY.

BETTER NOW?

She eyed him with a worried expression.

....

Yup. Something was defiantly off about her badger buddy. She'd never seen him this down, usually it was her. He would have got comforting hugs, but he was way to close to Neptune right now. SO. She loosened her grip on Perseus a bit and moved closer, but no hugs. "What's up?"

Was he really not looking forward to leaving? He knew they came back next term, right?

...He WAS coming back?!?

"I suppose so," She wasn't grinning like Neptune was, but she was smiling for Treyen's sake. And who knew, maybe the graduating Claw would stop calling her Spitty, yes?

No. Arya's smile turned frown. "I haven't tamed, Neptune. I've... further domesticate?" HUFF. She had high hopes that the term would end sooner. Then there'd be no more of this.

Dramatic. Yes. He was a Lockhart! He was free to act as dramatic as he wanted, not that it happened so often.

He only nodded. Just nodded. He said NOTHING. He didn't know where to visit her, though, but Lexi probably did, no? And he could still write to Neptune.

BUT, BUT...Heh. Treyen had not been expecting that, he was actually glad that the other Ravenclaw wasn't near him, or didn't have him in sight. It didn't matter, though, nothing could make it worse. But a smile crept to his face as Neptune gave him that liiiiiiiittle kiss. A genuine smile, in a very long time. So, thanks, Neptune.

"I'm giving up Quidditch, by the way," THAT news should make her happy, right? Plus, he was already kind of smiling. THAT should make her happy too, even if she had no idea what was going on in his life, though.

TSK. TSK!

Arya needs to be nice TOO. It works both ways. Sigh. Girls.

"Everything." And...wasn't he getting into details?! Nah, because his eyes wandered off to the redhead with her back to them at that Ravenclaw table. Surely Arya could understand what he meant, right?

To him, she was everything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grangerfan8

"I suppose so," She wasn't grinning like Neptune was, but she was smiling for Treyen's sake. And who knew, maybe the graduating Claw would stop calling her Spitty, yes?

No. Arya's smile turned frown. "I haven't tamed, Neptune. I've... further domesticate?" HUFF. She had high hopes that the term would end sooner. Then there'd be no more of this.

Hmmm.

Neptune's head tilted to the side as she considered the Hufflepuff. Puffies were special and sometimes didn't catch on at first. "Yes...," she began slowly. "Further domesticate. I'm sure you have it in you." Neptune held up a TWO thumbs up.

It was only MOSTLY mocking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lockhartian

Dramatic. Yes. He was a Lockhart! He was free to act as dramatic as he wanted, not that it happened so often.

He only nodded. Just nodded. He said NOTHING. He didn't know where to visit her, though, but Lexi probably did, no? And he could still write to Neptune.

BUT, BUT...Heh. Treyen had not been expecting that, he was actually glad that the other Ravenclaw wasn't near him, or didn't have him in sight. It didn't matter, though, nothing could make it worse. But a smile crept to his face as Neptune gave him that liiiiiiiittle kiss. A genuine smile, in a very long time. So, thanks, Neptune.

"I'm giving up Quidditch, by the way," THAT news should make her happy, right? Plus, he was already kind of smiling. THAT should make her happy too, even if she had no idea what was going on in his life, though.



TSK. TSK!

Arya needs to be nice TOO. It works both ways. Sigh. Girls.

"Everything." And...wasn't he getting into details?! Nah, because his eyes wandered off to the redhead with her back to them at that Ravenclaw table. Surely Arya could understand what he meant, right?

To him, she was everything.

There it was! A smile! A good one, too. Giggle. It made HER grin in return and all was right with the world again. Or.... mostly.

"Ah... you are?" Ah... guilt. Neptune had, maybe perhaps a little, been a little hard on Trey once upon a time about quidditch. Maybe SHE had been a little dramatic then. "You know... you shouldn't let go of things you ... like a lot. L... love. Things you love. You should keep those. Even when it's dreadfully dangerous quidditch."

....EVERYTHING was wrong? Neptune was confused. "Trey...?" Teeeelllll Neptune what was wrong! Wise old Ravenclaw will advise and stuff.

Everything.

That basically told her nothing. At least it didn't tell her anything until she followed his gaze, and oh... OH. Everything. Made SO much sense now. She looked back at her best friend with a pitiful expression.

What could she do?

She wasn't pulling a Neptune and giving him nose kisses, even thinking about it was weird, but she couldn't just talk about it so publicly now, could she? Arya would just have to wait til later. Neptune could have him now she supposed.

Arya gave her disapproving looks, and dropped her arms, allowing her kneazle to run off under the table. "I'm not an animal," Despite what Chicken Girl said. "I don't need further domestication." And she could stop with the slow speech too, it wasn't necessary.

"I hope you... have a good summer." Wherever it was Botts went, she was certain she was returning there and not getting a job or anything.

He was on his way to a better mood, he truly was. Plus, Neptune's giggle seemed to have worked wonders, because his smile couldn't be more genuine.

The boy nodded once at her question, and it wasn't because of this particular Ravenclaw, but another one. "I am," he was almost too proud of himself for that answer, and his smile got a little wider...until...well, thank you, Neptune Bott, for making his eyes a liiiittle bit watery. Letting go...he doubted he'd be able to when he was never forgiven. And he was simply dying to see her, not her hair, but that's all he got, for kissing another girl. Perfect.

"I don't love Quidditch, and I don't want anything to do with it." He said, the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, and he looked down at the table, after peeking at the Ravenclaw one.

Oh, he was called? Yes, Miss Neptune?

"I'm fine," clearly, he was, because he was alive and well, and OWLs were over. "I messed up and just lost what was most precious to me, but I'm fine," yeah, he totally was, and he wasn't even looking at Neptune, he was still looking at the table.

NOW Arya could fully comprehend what was actually wrong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grangerfan8

Arya gave her disapproving looks, and dropped her arms, allowing her kneazle to run off under the table. "I'm not an animal," Despite what Chicken Girl said. "I don't need further domestication." And she could stop with the slow speech too, it wasn't necessary.

"I hope you... have a good summer." Wherever it was Botts went, she was certain she was returning there and not getting a job or anything.

"I never said you were," Neptune replied with just the right amount of defense to her tone. Gasp! Horror! Teehee. She'd only kind of implied it. There was a difference.

"I intend to, thank you! Same to you. Don't fall off the wagon, you know?" GIGGLE. Neptune DID intend to have a good summer. She'd brought a certain little slip of paper with her to the Great Hall, in case she got sad about leaving - she had THAT paper to remind her of all the things to come.

And her train ticket.

She slipped her hand into her robes and brushed her fingers along the tiny scroll. Mmm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lockhartian

He was on his way to a better mood, he truly was. Plus, Neptune's giggle seemed to have worked wonders, because his smile couldn't be more genuine.

The boy nodded once at her question, and it wasn't because of this particular Ravenclaw, but another one. "I am," he was almost too proud of himself for that answer, and his smile got a little wider...until...well, thank you, Neptune Bott, for making his eyes a liiiittle bit watery. Letting go...he doubted he'd be able to when he was never forgiven. And he was simply dying to see her, not her hair, but that's all he got, for kissing another girl. Perfect.

"I don't love Quidditch, and I don't want anything to do with it." He said, the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, and he looked down at the table, after peeking at the Ravenclaw one.

Oh, he was called? Yes, Miss Neptune?

"I'm fine," clearly, he was, because he was alive and well, and OWLs were over. "I messed up and just lost what was most precious to me, but I'm fine," yeah, he totally was, and he wasn't even looking at Neptune, he was still looking at the table.

NOW Arya could fully comprehend what was actually wrong.

"Hear, hear!" Neptune seconded his chide against quidditch with a cheerful little double air punch. "Immensely barbaric! I'm so glad you've seen the light!" Except he TOTALLY wasn't fooling anyone. He did know that right?

She caught his glance this time and followed it back to her table. Hmmm. She knew what THOSE types of glances meant and while they were looking at THAT table, Neptune cast one herself.

"Oh Trey," Neptune began slowly like she had with Arya, "darling, dear Trey." Her glance came up fruitless, so she turned back to him, "if it's SO precious, get your Puffy butt up and go get it back. No time like the present," Pause pause pause, "I have always found the feasts SO romantic." Cue the dreamy sigh.

So... setting was good. She gave him a little prod.

This was NOT her best friend and co-prefect. This was just the empty shell of him. Arya looked over to the blue table, looked at Ellie. Obviously, she took that part, the happy Puffy part, and never returned it.

Now all she need to know was how he'd lost her and what happened to lead to the losing. Details, Lockhart.

It took everything in her to retrain from voicing just how happy she was that he was going to quit quidditch, even though she had a feeling he really wouldn't, cause the sport was so dangerous, but she kept quiet.

Gaze going back to Neptune, she narrowed her eyes. "You implied, same difference." It was almost as bad as being called Raccoon Girl. Almost. She still had another term of that! Sigh.

"I have no plans on falling off of anything. You don't go doing stupid stuff in the name of research." Claws did things like that, she was certain. Arya always had good summers, and this one would be nooo different, cause it'd all be with HIM.

She smiled at the thought, but the smile diminished when the topic when back to Treyen.

And for once she was finding herself in agreeance with the Ravenclaw.

"I.. think you should too." Her voice was low, and she leaned against the table glancing at him. "Before it's too late."

And NOT cause it was romantic.

He completely missed the scroll bit because he was very busy staring at his own table. And he never even thought of asking Neptune what she'll be doing this summer.

Actually, he'd pretty much missed whatever it was Neptune and Arya were talking about, he just heard tones and knew they were only being half nice because of him. Great.

There was another smile when she mentioned how barbaric Quidditch was, mainly because she managed to remind him of the first time he heard that word related to Quidditch and just how different things had been. She'd been upset, and he'd been one terrified Hufflepuff. Fun times.

OH, no.

No, no. No, no, no, no. His eyes were still on the table. He wanted Neptune back at her table now. He'd been perfectly about feeling miserable until she came along and reminded him that she was leaving, which had made everything worse, and now, what she was saying, just made it all worse.

EVEN MORE SO WHEN ARYA AGREED.

He shook his head, "You don't understand," she was talking to them BOTH. If he explained...then maybe they'll disagree and turn their backs to him as well. He did eye Neptune rather funny after her 'so romantic' comment. This wasn't the case.

"I kissed someone else and Ellie didn't know if she could forgive me," he said, still looking at the table.

Neptune grrriiiiiiiinned at Arya. She'd caught the implying? TEEHEEE. Somehow, that made it all the more fun.

But her warning was less than fun and a whole heap more interesting. "No promises. 'Claws will be Claws." Neptune had done SEVERAL things this year in the name of research and mostly gotten good results out of it. There was something to the research thing, "but I appreciate your concern. How nice of you to think of me." Ohhh so pleasant. Mmhmm.


Anywho. Neptune's attention flittered back to Trey, who got a GIANT ROLL OF THE EYES. Really?

REALLY? Neptune didn't understand? She rolled her eyes TWICE in case he missed the first one.

"Don't tell me that I don't understand." Didn't everyone in this school know her business? It always felt like they did. Save for Legend, which was partly why he was sooOOoOooOoo attractive to Neptune.

And that whole part where he WAS attractive. A lot. And like... her unlikely best of friends.

But to the point: Neptune KNEW about STUFF. The hard stuff. Trey was a rookie at it; Neptune had been living in the hard stuff for well over three years now. She turned around to look for Ellie for a moment, thinking, then swiveled again, "Why... did you kiss another girl?"

"That's true, but you know. You should try not always being a Claw, be a Badger sometimes." They weren't crazy at alll. The grinning, it was kind of contagious. But she it stopped spreading at Neptune's last statement. Was she really... concerned for Neptune? Nooo. It had to be that she just KNEW that Ravenclaws were crazy and did crazy things.

Arya wasn't rolling her eyes when her attention whent back to Treyen, unlike the Claw, she was worried about her friend. Never had she seen him this down.

It had to be something terrible.

... it WAS something terrible.

Eyes going to the blue table, she chewed on her bottom lip. "Why'd you do that to her?" To himself? Because it was obviously killing him just as much as she was certain it was killing Ellie.

So, yeah, Treyen missed the first roll of the eyes, but the boy looked up for a moment and noticed the second one. Great. But, no, seriously, Neptune didn't understand. Arya probably wouldn't understand either, probably. He wanted Finn. Or Cassie. Not Lexi, because she'd hate him, and if she figured out who it was, oh, well, things will get ugly.

"No, Neptune, it's not like that. But it's complicated, because I don't know why," he said, before quickly adding, "Ellie said I did it because I wanted to...but all I want is her, not that other girl," so, it was rather complicated to explain. And even more if he wasn't giving details.

"I'm not saying who it was, because it doesn't truly matter," what's done is done. That piece of information wasn't going to change anything.

The tone in which he'd spoken was a serious one. He wasn't telling.

But then Arya asked...blink. That was a different question, and one that made him sink even more. The way she'd worded it...UGH. He was a horrible boy, wasn't he? Even worse than Gilderoy. Much more worse. His eyes found Arya's, "It wasn't on purpose, Arya," he said, before his forehead managed to touch the surface of the table as he decided to hide his face, the sides were simply hidden by his arms. There. Resting on the table. That was the way to go.

"I think I should mention I told her I'd understand if she never wished to see me again," so, he couldn't possibly walk toward that blue table.

Neptune gave THAT suggestion the look it deserved. She was Ravenclaw from the top of her blond head to the tips of her manicured little toes. "If I didn't know better, Sp... Arya, I'd say you were worried about me. How silly of me, right?"


MMM? She flipped her hair off her shoulder haughtily, but the grin remained. Maybe Neptune would miss Spitty a teensy tiny bit.


Neptune DID laugh when Trey told her it was complicated. She'd written the manual on how to make a relationship complicated! Honestly. And he still thought she didn't understand? Pfff.

"Let's look at the facts," Neptune Know It All began. She laid a hand on Trey's back, meant to be comforting. "You say you ONLY like Ellie. You say you didn't MEAN to kiss some other girl. AND you've apparently already apologized with no avail." She drummed her fingers on his back thoughtfully. So where did that leave him? Hmm.

"...I knew a boy once that kissed some other girls," when Neptune had KIND of thought he was only going to kiss her... ehh..."...and if HE would have ever apologized for that... and meant it like you do... I ..." again, what WOULD Neptune have done? "Maybe you've done your part. I guess you're allowed to wallow in sadness. I'm sorry, Trey."

...Neptune put her ear and cheek to his back, where he was slumped, and sort of gave him another weird hug/snuggle.

It was a GREAT suggestion. Be a badger for a day. It should be on the calender, that's how awesome it was. And she bet crazy things wouldn't happen that day. Not one. "Very silly." She gave Neptune a look. Her worry about the Claw who'd only just seemingly stopped calling her Spitty five seconds ago? Absolute nonsense.

Or maybe just nonsense. Hm.

She listened to Treyen, head resting on her arm that lay across the table. It was complicated, it seemed so by what he was saying, but what could she say? She'd never been through what he's going through right now. And the few incidents she did have with Sabel weren't relevant at all to this.

It really was all up to Neptune, Merlin help them all.

Sulking more at the expression he made when responding to her question, she bit her bottom lip and looked over at Ellie again. "I know, it just..." Yeah, she was gonna leave this to Neptune.

Who seemed to know something about this. For once she was glad to have the girl around.

"Maybe we can help you fix this...

Penny arrived in the great hall for the end of term feast, she was running late..again.

She had decided to finish all her packing before eating and now the table look rather packed...

Walking slowly down the length of the table looking for a space to sit, but all see saw were prefects - wait..does Hufflepuff have that many prefects?

WOOT!!!

End of term was finally here! Mia couldn't understand why most people looked sad at the end of term feast. It was a time for celebration as far as she was concerned. They had gotten through another school term unscathed and they get to go home and see loved ones.

Of course she had someone very special waiting at home for her so that's why she was so happy. Just one more term and she got to be with him all the time.

As she approached the Hufflepuff table she was surprised to see that there weren't that many people there. She gave the firstie a bright smile as she passed. A small wave to the Quidditch Captain and then she stopped right beside Miss Neptune Bott.

"Hey Arya. Trey. Looking forward to the summer holidays?" Mia was. She was going on a safari with Destiny and then off to Russia to be with Nik. She turned towards the Ravenclaw and smiled a little. "I have something for you Neptune."