She was saying sorry? So, Presley was the sensitive type too. "Naah! It's okay. We're all going through stages wherein we lose our temper easily. I've got my ups and downs too." Well, not like Presley's ups and downs. She's got no face now to front on the people who had perused Witch Weekly. Poor girl. At such an early age, she needed to face all the intrigues and shame.

Look on how understanding she was, the spotlight was slowly turning on Erin's. "Your brother sounds nice. Well, I have a sister, younger. Her name's Cristina. I wish she can go here when she's turned 11." They were Muggleborns so, it's unlikely that they both, would be witches.

Taken better care of the hair? So it wouldn't have attacked?

Was Mia hearing herself when she talked? Destiny stared, long and hard at her friend before finally waving her hand once more. "That makes no sense." How could she have taken care of it? Evelyn told her not to touch it! Of course, that was because she said she was going to cut it all off, but she wasn't going to mention that to Mia.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, she tried to walk a little faster. She was NOT going to the Greenhouse. If she wanted to help Professor Bentley clean, she would have done when she was asked. She didn't even care that she lost points! Okay, she did, and as much as she did want to get them back, she was not going to Bentley.

Letting out a frustrated growl of her own as Mia spun her around, Destiny crossed her arms over her chest and tried her best to ignore what was being said. Grr, it was unignorable! "Then what was the answer?" She raised her eyebrow ever so slightly. "Should I have stolen seeds from it instead, Mia?" Yes, she saw that. Luckily, being a little bit of a thief herself, she wasn't going to tell anyone.

And now, not only did she want her to go to the Greenhouses, she wanted her to TALK to Professor Bentley!? AND try to explain something to her!? She thought she had tried that. With standing in the line of the snow dragon and all, yet, the woman still let the others KILL it. "Bentley is practically a plant herself! She's not going to listen to me and no matter what I'll say, she'll still say I was wrong. AND she'll only think I am going there to get my points back." Which she wasn't! Because..

"I'm not going."

Oh is that so? Mia stared back at her friend and arched an eyebrow. "Now you know what it feels like when I talk to you." Her friend constantly talked nonsense and quite frankly she thought she had made perfect sense. Destiny was just trying to be difficult.

Very difficult.

Mia took a small step back from her friend especially when she started growling. This was so weird to see the Slytherin so angry. And using below the belt comments. "You can call it stealing if you want. But the way I look at it, I was saving those seeds. They would have been wasted otherwise. I mean what was the point of them bursting into flower when the greenhouse had been destroyed." At least this way she would be giving them a good home. "But annoying the Professor like that...so not the answer." What would her Head of House say? She was thinking about pointing that out but decided to leave that out...for now.

Oh really?

Mia's hand was quick, quicker than she ever thought she could be and it latched onto Destiny's ear. "You are too going." she said as she began pulling her friend down the pathways with her. "And you will talk to Bentley and you will apologise for kicking her plant. And explain how you were distraught over the snow dragon...dying. A few tears probably wouldn't go astray either." She glanced over at her friend. "Play the victim."

OH!

So now she talks nonsense, is that was Mia was getting at? Pfft. Well, if that was what she thought, why did she keep coming back to talk to her, hmm? If she was correct, which, she was Destiny Shepard, of course she was!, SHE was the one who wanted to meet her in the Pathways. She didn't go around looking for HER. But, if she would have known about all the chocolate frogs in her pocket, she probably would have.

Destiny decided not to mention any of that, though. All this over having long hair, eesh!

And OH yet again!

It seemed Mia didn't like when she was being called out for stealing, did she? Destiny allowed a small smirk to play on her lips as she listened to the lamest excuse she had ever heard. "Really? Just really?" Lame! "Right. So, remember when we were in Africa, and you told me not to steal the meerkats? Well, I didn't see that as stealing. Nope. I saw that as a way to protect them. You know lions eat them? Just so you know, because you made me put them back, you probably ruined thousands of meerkat families!" And now they were going to be extinct! And it was all Mia's fault! Taking a few deep breaths, she uncrossed her arms, and unwrapping a chocolate frog, she quickly shoved it into her mouth.

She wasn't going to say anymore. Especially about Bentley. The woman probably had ears all over, and knew they were talking about her. She was just about to turn and start back towards the castle when her EAR was grabbed. OW! "OW! Mia!" She tried to pull her ear out of her friend's grasp, but it hurt! And she couldn't help but follow her to the Greenhouse. "OW! I'm not..OW! ..going!" And she definitely was not going to apologize. And she would never cry! "I don't even know what distraught means! Stoppullingmyear!"

GAH!

Happy.

Treyen Lockhart was a very happy badger after the game ended, and the outcome wasn't the most perfect one but he was still glad he got play, it kind of made him realize what he'd been missing for quite some time...and...perhaps he hadn't been hating Quidditch but something else he still couldn't place.

That thought didn't last long, because he wasn't going to think about that anymore, he was just...enjoying the cold weather and whatnot.

The current amazing mood was enhanced by the fact that his hair was no longer as messy as it ended up being after the game. Everything was almost kind of perfect...at the moment. He was missing something..or someone.

Ellie....well, her note-taking plan didn't exactly work out. As in, she really wrote nothing. Nothing useful, that is. So, on her way out of the stands, the Captain just kind of...vanished those things. She was getting better at that spell. Merlin knows where vanished things went, but Ellie didn't need them anymore, and so she didn't care.

What she did care about was a certain Prefect that was playing in today's match. And she spotted him as she was making her way to the locker rooms. Convenient.

"Hey, Keeper," she greeted with her eyebrow raised and a grin on her face.

Incredible, how he managed to turn around the second the 'Keeper' part was mentioned. Granted, he knew the voice, and now everything was perfect because she was there. "Hey, Captain," because he didn't want to mention anything that involved 'seeking' or 'seeker' or 'snitch'. Merlin knows how she still felt about that and he didn't feel like ruining his own day right now.

If he called this day perfect and the team had lost...then what would've happened if they'd won?

At least he'd realized something.

Anyway, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her before his lips met hers. Well, yes, he was happy today, that was obvious, and he kissed her softly at first. The Prefect had to pull away just to say one tiny little thing, though, one tiny little thing that was said almost in a whisper, his eyes on hers, "I love you." It was followed by another set of words soon after he said that, "Don't question me, and don't say anything back," then she was kissed again, just so she wouldn't have time to reply.

In all fairness, he'd been trying to figure out how he felt about Ellie for quite some time and the conclusion of that little questioning came a lot faster than we figured out he liked her in the first place, but he wasn't ready to hear it back, and she probably wasn't ready to hear it, but he had to say it.

His arms were no longer on her waist, for his hands were looking for hers.

"So, you were at the stands?" he asked, like nothing had been said, like he'd just met her on this particular path, the Quidditch one he hadn't been on since, well, this morning, but also since last term.

His heart was racing faster than usual, but that was because of Quidditch, right? Yes, of course, it was because of Quidditch. The sport that he shouldn't play because it made him realize stuff, and that wasn't always good.

The Ravenclaw was already taking off her gloves. Most likely, her hands would soon be in his and they'd be practically unnecessary. Plus, once they were in Treyen's hands, she'd rather feel his actual skin than have a barrier that was the fabric of her gloves between them. They went in her cloak pocket.

...Hi, Treyen. Ellie's still-warm hands cupped the back of his neck as they kissed. It briefly occurred to her that Treyen was awfully happy, but, of course, his kiss didn't allow her to think for very long.

And then BAM.

Suddenly, her heart stopped and her stomach twisted into knots of some sort or SOMETHING like that. She was shocked. And speechless. And it was only after his additional comment that all these questions and doubts rushed through her mind. But she wasn't allowed to ask them.

He kissed her again, anyway, so she was momentarily sucked into his mind-wiping trap. He kissed her. Because...she wasn't thinking enough to react to that second kiss. Not at all.

It kind of felt like that night Treyen first kissed her over a year ago. When she totally couldn't speak or think or...function. Her hands basically just dropped into his.

Ellie blinked at his next question. It was as if he'd spoken a completely different language. She couldn't figure out the meaning behind the words....at first.

It was then that she remembered this thing called breathing and realized that she hadn't been doing it. Once she did inhale, things made more sense.

The stands. Treyen asked about the stands. "I-I..." Really? She was stuttering? "Of course I w-was."

WHAT WAS HE DOING TO HER? Seriously? He was just moving on like that? From THAT? Really? No explanation. He KNEW she liked explanations and she wasn't supposed to ask anything. Mean.

See? Perfect.

Perfect because she couldn't argue or disagree with what he said, and it's not like she could any sort of explanations from that, right? Yet Treyen knew that she'll find a way to question him if giving the chance to do so. Which is why he wasn't going to repeat those words.

And...yes, he was able to move on so easily because he had to. Otherwise he'll be blushing and saying more things than the ones he should.

"I...got asked by Kita to play. It was nice, I've missed it." Playing Quidditch, of course. And it was more than nice, it was awesome...until Sierra managed to mess with his Keeping skills for a while. But it had been a very nice game overall, right? "There was nothing going on at the stands, right?" he asked, tilting his head to one side, and...why did he ask that? "Because Lafay and Hadley both went down to the Pitch." And something had been happening in the Pitch as well, but did he know what that was about? No, he was far too busy with Victoria to notice. Or rather, Victoria got him busy. For a couple minutes.

Oh Merlin! Mia should have known the safari trip was going to be brought up but she hadn't expected Destiny to be so angry about this whole thing. Either something was going on with her friend that she didn't know about or the Slytherin had always been like this and Mia had never noticed it before. "Okay that was a totally different situation and you know it. You were trying to take baby meerkats away from their mothers. I'm pretty sure YOU wouldn't have liked to be taken away from your mother when your were a baby." She was pretty sure that they'd had this argument before. "And if a lion had eaten them well as unfortunate as that it is for the Meerkat, that's the natural order of things." She made sure to put emphasis on the word natural. Taking them away from their families to live with humans was not natural as far as she was concerned. "And you know what, I resent the fact that you keep saying it's all my fault that I wouldn't let you take something, that you had no right to. I stopped you from getting into trouble. You could have landed yourself in jail or even worse you could have had your head cut off." Geez, that's what she got for trying to be a good friend.

As they neared the greenhouse, Mia gave Destiny's ear a small pinch before she finally let go of her. "Stop being a baby." And she couldn't believe that the Slytherin didn't know what the word 'distraught' meant. How was it that the girl could play her friends so easily but couldn't do it with a Professor to get what she needed? Because Mia knew that her friend wanted those points back.

"Answer me this. If it had of been Lafay instead of Bentley, would you still be carrying on like this?" Mia was pretty sure that Destiny knew that her Head of House would have done the same thing. Actually Professor Lafay would have blasted that snow dragon into oblivion.

Really, really? He seriously, really wasn't going to give her anything? Nothing? That was it? Ellie was silently begging him to giver her something. Some sort of explanation. Just....why? Could he please answer 'why'?

She bit on her lip to prevent herself from actually saying the question out loud. It was rightthere on the tippy of her tongue, though.

.....Mean.

But...that was funny. She smirked. "I'm not surprised." Yeah, she had her voice/thoughts back. She wasn't surprised in the slightest, actually, that he missed Quidditch. She KNEW he did. It only took him time to realize it.

Nor was she surprised he was asked to play. He was brilliant.

Something in the stands.... Treyen was aware her entire attention had been on him the match the whole time, yeah? "No? I don't know. They were probably just down there because they're Heads of Houses." Which, actually, was pretty unusual, for Heads to go onto the Pitch, but... That hadn't been Ellie's concern at all.

It was very noticeable, how she wanted to say something about the words he'd asked her not to comment on. But her mind was working around it, he saw that. What gave her away? The lip-biting thing she did.

Her mind wasn't going to let it drop, was it? And Treyen couldn't do that to the Captain that couldn't afford time away from Quidditch, right?

FINE. His day will remain a perfect one, though. SIGH. "Go on, say what's on your mind," she was dying to do so anyway, "But I have a few conditions." Because happy Treyen shall remain happy and holding that same smile throughout the day.

"I won't answer to any question involving 'Why'," he started to say, smiling still, "Because my heart doesn't answer those." And the brain knows very little about it, right? ALSO, "You won't disagree with me on this one because you have no saying when it comes to how I feel," she couldn't possibly tell him that he was wrong and that he didn't love her, AND...most importantly, "I love everything about you, have done so for quite some time," even the questioning, he'd found himself missing it lately and that lip-biting thing she did...he actually found it irresistible, so, any question she asked was answered because of that, but Treyen wasn't mentioning that because she could get away with the 'Why' part if she knew, "And it took me a great deal of courage or something of the like to tell you, so, try not to mess it up." Mainly, ask nothing.

Now she could say whatever she wanted to say if she wanted to say something that didn't clash with his conditions.

So, yeah, nothing.

And then he chuckled when she spoke next, "Of course you aren't." She lived for Quidditch, it was perfectly clear that she hadn't understood why he'd left Quidditch in the first place, but that was one explanation she wasn't getting...because he didn't know it either. Not entirely.

"No, I don't think that's it, it's not like it was a Championship game or anything of the sorts." Though, one of the teams had qualified for Championships. Still. No sense. He should've payed more attention. "I...don't know if I'll play again," but he could attend Vindictus' lessons now, "But I'll come to the Stands when you do." That was one thing he knew he'll be able to do.

There was alot of ohhing going on in Destiny's head.

All of a sudden it was different. She didn't think there was anything different about it. Except for the fact that Mia had gotten away with stealing, and she had not. But she was sure if Bentley would have taken points off of her, she would feel completely different about the situation. "You've never met my mother." She was a Healer for Merlin's sake and that fact alone said alot about the woman. But, she wasn't about to get into any of that. And this was the reason she never participated in discussions during classes. The other person would always think they were right, even if they were clearly wrong. Like Mia. She was WRONG. "Plants die, too. You said you were trying save them puffapod seeds. Isn't it natural for them to burst and then die? Sure, in the Greenhouse it would have happened sooner, but it's the same thing." Flowers being wasted, pfft! Lame excuse. Then Mia was talking about getting into trouble and having her head chopped off and they were all things she was told during the safari. She was almost tempted to cover her ears.

But the one was just a little busy.

Stop being a baby!? If her hands would have reached, Destiny would have tugged on HER ear to see how SHE liked it! And then pinch it. "OW!" Huffing once her ear was free, she brought her hand up and began to gently rub it. It was probably going to bruise. Ow.

An almost inaudible groan left her mouth at Mia's question and there was no way to get around that. It was true, if it were Lafay, she would not have been carrying on like anything. Lafay was scary..and that was different, too! She was her Head of House! She was scary!! She had lit her on fire!!! And the woman wouldn't have given her any opportunity to carry on. She'd probably have to clean the Greenhouse herself. She heaved a sigh and slouched her shoulders, clearly DEFEATED and really tired of arguing. Mia was her friend, and she was taking everything out on her. "Fiiiiine, Mia. I'll apologize and help clean. But I won't like it." Not one bit.

What did not having met the girl's mother have anything to do with it? And the Slytherin didn't believe that she talked nonsense. And quite frankly Mia didn't want to argue about this anymore. "It's obvious that you and I view things differently. And there's nothing wrong with that. I was just trying to look out for you because you're my friend." Another thing that was becoming obvious to her. "Maybe I should just let you do your own thing. You are old enough to make your own decisions."

Mia had no idea where this side of her had come from. She had never raised a hand to anyone. Maybe it was because she didn't like this Destiny. This very angry Destiny. And she was trying to snap her out of it. She hadn't meant to hurt her. Really she hadn't.

And apparently the mention of Lafay and brought Destiny to her senses. She hoped anyway. "I didn't say you had to like it." Did she think Mia was down here because she liked cleaning out greenhouses. There was another reason for her sudden enthusiasm for helping out. Reaching into her pocket. Mia pulled out the gift she had made for her friend. "Maybe this will make you feel better." she said, holding out the giraffe to the Slytherin.

Ugh!

Mia was doing that Hufflepuff thing. That thing where she said all the right words and made people feel bad. Destiny didn't know if she was doing it on purpose, or if it just came naturally, but it was working. And, of course, she was right. There was no reason to kick Professor Bentley's plant, it wasn't like they were the reason the snow dragon died. What she really should have done was kick the people responsible for killing the snow dragon! But she wouldn't say that. Mia would just disagree.

And she really should not have taken everything that she was feeling out on her friend. Destiny knew she was just trying to help and she really did appreciate it. "I'm sorry." she mumbled, taking out another chocolate frog and fiddling with the wrapper. She wasn't even in the mood for chocolate. "It's been a bad week."

Still, that was no reason to act the way she had.

Heaving a sigh and placing the frog back into her pocket, Destiny was just about to head off to the Greenhouse when she noticed Mia pulling out something and it made her stop. "You made me..a gift?" Now she felt even worse! Taking the giraffe from out of her friend's hand, he held it close to herself before stuffing it down her jacket, letting it peek his head out the opening. "Thank you, I love it!"

And if she was the type of person to hug, she would have hugged Mia.

While, it made her feel bad that her friend had not been having a good week. She was glad that she wasn't the reason while Destiny was such a cranky pants. Well she might of had a bit to do with the Slytherin's mood. Sometimes she could be annoying, it was one of her bad traits. So she waved away the girl's apology. "It's okay. We all have one those weeks." Okay maybe not everyone. She couldn't recall ever having a bad week but she didn't say that to Destiny.

"I know you would prefer the real thing." she shrugged her shoulders. "But I was hoping that this would be the next best thing." And it looked as though her friend did like it. Well she loved it apparently and that made Mia beam. "You'll have to tell me what you name him/her." She just made the giraffe, it was up to Destiny to decide on what it was.

"You ready to start?"

Yes!

Thank you, Treyen.

Her eyes lit up when she was granted permission to ask things. Or say things. Whatever, she was getting answers one way or another.

But her smile faltered when he had 'conditions' and she started pouting by the first one. Not fair. 'Why' was her NUMBER ONE question. But next question, 'Are you sure' was about to make its way out of her mouth when....he kind of didn't allow that, either? Becuase that would imply that she disagreed and she 'couldn't tell him how he felt' or whatever. So...'how do you know' was next and...well, Treyen answered that to, didn't he? He knew because he 'loved everything about her'.

HMPH.

Could she at least tell him she thought he was an idiot for loving her? Or would that fall under disagreeing with him?

"Fine." Ellie won't say ANYTHING. Happy?

HEHE. She wasn't surprised. After all, you couldn't just STOP liking Quidditch. It wasn't possible. And if she had been mean enough to call him out on it, she would have gotten to brag about 'I told you so'. Alas, she wasn't mean. Unlike Treyen.

Yeah, "I don't really think so, either..." Heh. "You were out there, though. What happened?" Surely he'd know what went on on the Pitch, and surely that had all to do with why Professor Hadley and Professor Lafay went down there.

Ellie kind of figured. He wasn't even on the team. But he'll be in the stands?! "Good." And...now...it was easier to admit to herself that he hadn't been there the first match. As long as he came to the rest. They were even, now, by the way. She wouldn't forget that she intentionally missed his Championship last term. Also, she felt a bit bad about it, but she didn't think she would do anything different, given the circumstance.

Presley nodded. Everyone did have ups and downs. That was very wise. A younger sister. That was exactly the opposite of Pres. "That must be hard. To not have that in common with your family. Are they okay with it?" As she gathered, some muggle families were not okay with having a magical person in their family.

And she wondered why she was a Ravenclaw? Honestly.

So, basically, what she'd wanted to say or ask was what she couldn't say or ask because it was stated in the conditions he laid out? It was amusing that she decided to listen to him now, since she's never done so.

"You're kidding, right? What I mentioned was what you wanted to ask?" he said, in a jokingly matter. At least he knew that the thought of not getting the answers she wanted wasn't going to be on her mind for the rest of the day, right?

But...back to the stands and Pitch situation.

Yes, she was right, he'd been there, "I was with Victoria." Simple enough, and the truth, "I paid little attention to the people gathered around someone because no one was ill-injured." Well, there was no blood, except on the little scrapes some of them got, but that wasn't the worst injury you could get by playing.

So, his attention was focused on that Slytherin redhead at the end of the game, "She's an excellent Keeper, you know?" she'll do wonders in Slytherin if she kept on playing. Yes, Victoria.

"Are you heading back to the Castle?" that had been his original plan, and not because Hadley mentioned they should, but because he'd wanted to.

Orlando needed to chill.

YEP. CHILL.

The seventeen year old was whistling away, hands stuffed in his pockets .. and simply walking. Yep, that's how a Gryffindor CHILLED. By walking and whistling. The pathways .. were perhaps the favorite place of his at Hogwarts - apart from the courtyard. of course.

"ORLANDO!!!" Lexi shouted as she ran down the pathways at full speed to catch her buddy. HEHEHE. There would be no chilling today. They were going to do something FUN. She was DETERMINED. Hehehe.

Finally catching up to him she leapt to kind of tackle glomp him. Hehe. Orlando tended to be flaily so we'd so how THIS worked out.

...

it was all of a sudden.

And there was only person around the whole castle who could take him this sudden like. The boy stumbled, flailed and .. tried to balance his feet .. and just found no reason to not fall on his butt. Alas .. he found one. IT WAS LEXI. He could not let her fall. Hence his arms wrapped round her and he almost squealed out like a small girl and kept them from falling.

"LEXIII" he finally responded, matching her enthusiasm. "WHAT'S UP?"

HEHEHEHEH! Lexi CLUNG to her friend and giggle!snorted at his flaily squealy thing. It was CUTE. It was totally PRESH. Finally letting him loose she beamed up at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Not a whole lot... wanna go change that? Let's do something FUN. Maybe... blow up stuff... or or or or SOMETHING. Let's go PLAY!" she exclaimed as she bounced around and even twirled herself about a little. Hehehe. She had not been in such a good mood in like... EVER.

"I think I totally understand how you feeling," he grinned, letting her go. It was their LAST term. Blow up stuff .. having fuun .. it was ALL that was left to do. Time was flying AWAY.

PLAY? HAHA. So Lexi of her.

And she looked happy. Which he was VERY glad about.

"You have something in mind?" he asked, hands on his hips.

Lexi twirled once more which had GREAT effect considering she was wearing a tutu and some leggings hehehe. And a top of course. LOL. But her pink tutu spun with her and she giggled.

"I dunno... wanna go climb a tree? Dance? Start a fire? You choose!" she said with a giggle as she spread her arms out wide and spun once more as she looked up at the sky.