Ira stared at the eleven year old.. Stay away from beds??? Who was she to decide which bed to use? Ira shot back, "Hey Lea, I've been in this room since last term, so being older, I get the right to choose!" Looking around to others, Ira said, "How can you all listen to her? And... I will sleep wherever I want to! Alright?" Saying so Ira went over to 'her' bed and plopped down, a bit defiantly. No one is going to mess with me.. definitely not a first year!

Then Ira realized completely that Lea was a total troublemaker! She seemed to want to wake the whole castle up! Ira didn't actually mind her naughtiness, as much as she minded losing Gryffindor points! "Look, can't we play something that can remain in this room only? There isn't a need to wake the whole castle up!" Especially not if Scabior or Lafay were prowling around! But could they come into Gryffindor dormitories? Maybe.. maybe not!

Truth or Dare? Sure! "Truth and Dare is fine... I think!"



"But aren't you all sleepy? This is not the time to play around.. right? So can't we postpone this game? pls?"

"Truth or dare, huh?" Tayla said, thinking of something. "Okay. But we can't make too much noise okay? We don't want to lose points for Gryffindor..."

Then hearing Ira make a suggestion to postpone the game, Tayla looked at her and gave her a meaningful look, hoping she would understand. They had to amuse Lea for a while unless they wanted another jumping-and-screaming session which would wake the whole castle up.

"I've got a potion bottle somewhere," Tayla said, moving towards her trunk. She opened it and after a little while, took out a brown glass bottle with a cork stopper. "It's old and empty. I think it'll do."

Then Tayla went off her bed and sat on the floor. She motioned Lea, Tenn, and Ira to do the same. "Ready?"

-------

OOC: Sorry I took so long to reply. Been really tired from work that I couldn't go online.

Ira looked at Tayla and thought... She did look sleepy.. so why did she accept to play a game? She caught Tayla's meaningful look towards her but didn't make much out of it. Anyways, majority wins! So be it.

"Alright, lets play.." Ira relented. Then taking a nice fluffy pillow in her hand, she sat down on the floor cross-legged. "Ready!" she said and waited for the game to start.

-------

Tayla reached out for the blanket on her bed and wrapped herself in it as she sat by the window. She looked out and admired the stars. It was another clear night sky. "Beautiful," she thought.

She took out her star chart and checked the constellations that could be seen around October. "Lacerta," she read the inscription. "Lizard."

She looked back out and tried to find the stars that made up the constellation. It proved to be a bit more difficult than she thought, but she was enjoying it.

Deciding to draw any constellation she saw, Tayla grabbed her quill and ink bottle. "Accio parchment," she said softly, pointing her wand towards her open trunk. She felt too comfortable where she was to stand up, and any chance to practice a charm or two were welcome.

Having everything she needed, she started to draw the stars.

Coming up from the study tables with her drawing still clutched in her hand, Kurumi sat on her bed and lied the piece of paper down as flat as she could. Having filled in all the lines, making sure they were all connected so that it wouldn't fall apart when she attempted to transfigure it this time. Kurumi removed her wand from its turquoise holster and traced a square over the paper. "Statua Habitum," she whispered. Kurumi held her breath as the paper bubbled up and folded around the edges to make a proper frame. "Brilliant," she smiled as she held it up to the light coming through her dorm window. Now she just needed for Selina to show up so she could give it to her...

...and she needed to put a picture in it.

Kurumi left the frame on her bed and stood up to walk over to her small dresser, rummaging through the top drawer where she kept various nick knacks looking for a specific picture.

Selina was exhausted. It had been a long day. Today was the last day of try outs and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed with a box full of cookies and eat until she slept. It was just one of those days. Try outs had been long and as much as she loved all of her fellow pride she needed a nice, long nap.

When she trudged into the dorms she automatically when looking for Kurumi. She could not fulfill her wish for cookies without the cookie queen helping her out. The redhead knew that Kurumi always kept a box of cookies in their dorm, but for the cookies own safety, she kept them hidden from Selina. So the fourth year always had to ask if she could defile the box of cookies that Kurumi always had made. In fact, Selina was almost certain, since Kurumi always had a box of cookies around, that she kept an emergency box just in case for Selina. Eh, she liked cookies...

Her blue eyes found Kurumi and she dragged herself over to her friend's bed before flopping on it, "Rumi....cookies please."

Ira came back to her room and flopped down on her bed. She just wanted to go to sleep now. She didn't know why she was feeling so sleepy and tired, but figured it was all the hormonal stuff, as her mother used to say!

She kept her bag and her two newly transfigured frames aside, on the side table. Then she got up. Just one more frame to do. She might as well do it now and finish off the homework! So, she got out her parchments and began to think. Then suddenly, out of nowhere she thought of the muggle studies lesson, wherein she had seen the movies, especially the Lion King. So she decided that she was going to do a frame based on the jungle theme.

She thought about it and focused on the picture. Then, taking out her wand, she proceeded to trace the shape around he picture with her wand. Then muttered, "Statua HAbitum". And lo! there was her Jungle Frame! It looked kind of... wierd but good. Ira was satisfied with the result. And she couldn't wait to give it to Kurumi..

Finding the picture she was looking for, Kurumi removed it from behind some of her perfectly folded socks and strawberry scented sock drawer freshener and set it on top of her dresser. "Reverto," she whispered, hearing footsteps coming up the stairs. Well, they were more like stomps which could only mean one thing: Selina was dragging her feet after running a Quidditch practice.

Quickly smoothing out her drawing and placing her photo on top of it, Kurumi traced a square over them both. "Statua Habitum," she whispered just as the door to the room swung open. Not having time to see if her spell had worked properly or not, Kurumi spun around and tried her best to hide the transfiguration happening behind her.
"Rough day?" Kurumi asked, peeking over her shoulder to check and see if the frame had worked. Brilliant. No pieces were falling off it and everything was connected where it ought to me. Best of all? No melting! Beaming, Kurumi picked up the frame and skipped over to Selina, jumping on it beside her best friend. "Before cookies, I have something to give you," she chirped. Yes, cookies were coming Selina. Hold your hippogriffs. "Here. It's part of our Transfiguration assignment, but you should also think of it as a small and VERY delayed congratulations gift." And with that, she handed her handy work to Selina.

Selina burried her head further into Kurumi's bedding. She wanted cookies, some relaxation and, she could not believe she was thinking this, some girl talk with her best friend. After a long day of try outs spending time with Kurumi was a nice breath of fresh air. Kurumi was one if the few people, as well as her cookies,who kept Selina's head on straight. And try outs today had been long. "You have no idea,". Selina mumbled into her bedding.

When Kurumi said she had something to Selina about a present the redhead sat up and looked at Kurumi curiously? "You got me...?". She took the frame from Kurumi and turned it over. Selina sat shocked for a moment before she smiled. She remembered this picture. It was at the start of the term. Adam and Selina and Kurumi were working on the mad hatter party down in the kitchen. Selina was trying to measure out a cup of sugar while Kurumi chastised her for eating the sugar. Adam called out to them and they turned their head and smiled. The redhead hugged her best friend and said, "I love it. You are the most amazing friend I've ever had."

Ignoring Selina's slight over dramaticness for now, Kurumi waited to see Selina's reaction to the frame...which had been a bit bigger than she had been expecting it to be. Kurumi hugged the redhead back and laughed. "And I can say the same to you you know." Honest to Merlin truth.

Flicking her wand, Kurumi summoned some simple chocolate chip cookies from her still partially opened sock drawer and offered the bag to Selina. "So...what all is new with you? Besides Quidditch that is."

After Kurumi laughed Selina extracted herself from the hug and batted her eyes at her friend. Now that Kurumi was all laughy and happy and whatever other emotion came along with the giggles Selina was going to take the plunge and ask for what she wanted. Giving Kurumi the cutest puppy eyes she could muster the fourth year said sweetly, "Can I have cookies now please?" COOKIES!!!

So when Kurumi flicked her wand and gave Selina the cookies that she had so desired the redhead went to work finding the bottom of the cookie bag by eating one cookie at a time. They were still warm and goey, Kurumi was a goddess. The redhead grinned and closed her eyes, "Yummy. You should just open a bakery Kurumi. I swear to Merlin that you wouldn't even need any other customers. I would go there everyday, keep you in business."

When Kurumi asked what was new with Selina besides Quidditch the redhead shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing much. Try outs have kind of taken over my life. And then classes, but nothing much really... I mean-" Selina stopped halfway through her sentence and spotted a necklace around Kurumi's neck. The redhead pointed to the new jewelry and smirked, "What's that?"

Kurumi grabbed one of her pillows and fluffed it up, debating for just a moment about whether or not she should hit Selina with it, and then leaned on it as she lied down on the bed. Good thing she wasn't hungry, because Selina was devouring all the cookies she had. "Well, I can't deny that I haven't thought about that," Kurumi giggled, resting her cheek on the pillow and looking up at Selina. "Baking has always been a hobby and, well, I'm afraid that I won't like it anymore if I try to make a job out of it." She rolled onto her side. "But, I promise that I will continue to bake no matter what it is I end up doing." Which looked like a year or two at university to continuing studying.

Kurumi looked down at her hands and blush. She WAS doing it again. Not even classes and homework distracted her from playing with it. "Oh...um...this is...um...a necklace?" Hello...Prefect Obvious.

Selina continued to munch on the cookie that she was presently eating as Kurumi spoke. The redhead nodded in all of the appropriate places. She always knew that Kurumi was too smart to be content to bake for a living. She would probably do something amazing with her life and change the wizarding world for better. And she rationalized that as long as Kurumi always baked for her the redhead was okay with Kurumi saving the world or whatever she did, "Eh do what makes you happy... Like cookies... Eating them makes eme happy."

Then when Kurumi became all flustered, Selina smirked, "It's really pretty... Where'd you get it?". Hehe

"Well, then I will try to deliver," Kurumi winked. Maybe she should have made two dozen instead of just one. Something she SHOULD have remembered. A baker's dozen when it came to Selina was more like a baker's single.

Kurumi blushed a bit more and Selina's smirking wasn't helping her just spit everything out. Besides, Selina probably already knew and just wanted to see Kurumi squirm awkwardly. "Jonathan gave it to me."

Selina chuckled and finished the cookie she had been eating whilst not forgetting to lick her fingers, "I would hope so, Ms. Hollingberry. Unfortunately none of my other friends really bake so you are my only supplier." Which was a shame indeed. There would be a very happy little redhead if more of her friends baked and offered Selina samples. The idea of food in general just made Selina happy, which was wildly ironic being that Selina was a very tiny fourteen year old in every way imaginable.

The Gryffindor Captain smirked even more evilly. There was an internal battle with her good and bad side. Her good side was begging her to stop torturing poor Kurumi and leave her relationship alone, while the other side wanted to continued to drag out the torture a bit more. The evil side won out, "Oh did he now? What did he give it to you for?" Tehe

Kurumi laughed and patted the bed for Walnut to come join them. The cat had been rather chill recently, surprisingly not wanting to sneak out of the common room and off somewhere. Unfortunately, Kurumi knew that this had nothing to do with being afraid of the Headmaster. Kurumi figured that it had something to do with a certain Puff and his feline companion. Walnut jumped on the bed and immediately curled up into a ball.

...

Just in time for Selina to continue teasing her. "He um...just gave it to me because he wanted to..." Kurumi blushed. There hadn't been any other reason. "D-D-Doesn't Gideon do stuff like that?"

Selina scratched Walnut behind the ear when he joined the girls up on the bed. The Gryffindor prince as the cat sometimes held himself was an interestubg cat. For as long as Sekina known Walnut he had been one of the more interesting cats that she had ever met. It was as if he had a mind of his own.... Weird.

But Kurumi continued to become more and more flustered, which in turn made Selina's smirk more and more prominent. Kurumi made teasing her far to easy. When it came to Jonathan, her best friend became a mess of nerves and blushes. But she took Selina off gyard when she asked if Gideon did that sort of thing, "Well no... We aren't really like that. Is that bad?"

Kurumi wasn't sure if she felt good or guilty that she had managed to take the attention off her in the span of a sentence. No, she felt good about it because now she didn't feel like her face was on fire and was on the verge of spontaneously combusting right there on the spot. Walnut wouldn't appreciate his fur being singed.

"I...don't know," Kurumi said with a small frown. "I-I-I didn't really get gifts without a reason from a boy before." Heck, Adam had flat out forgotten holidays and special occasions. He had given her some things, but never out of the blue like what Jonathan had just done. "Selina...you know with boys and relationships that I am just as clueless as you are."

Tennessee went up the Gryffindor tower however thoughts about homework bugged her. Her mind drifted to the Transfigurations homework and so she got up from bed again and went over to rummage her bag for her Transfigurations notebook. She thought she’d need a bit of light reading to make the perfect frame to give to someone else. “Now where was that topic again,” she said as she plopped on to her bed again and was browsing her notebook. She was pointing at the words and then she mumbled, “There!” She silently read again their lesson.

“Statua Habitum,” she said and shook her head. “No! There’s a correct pronunciation for that,” she corrected herself. She remembered that it was syllabicated in a proper way. "Stat-UA HAB-itum, Stat-UA HAB-itum," Tennessee whispered as her head bounced along the way. She was just trying to practice the pronunciation of the incantation. "Stat-UA HAB-itum," she breathed again. She would just revert it back if it won't work or it won't appear just like what she wanted to. Her eyes darted again on her notebook and read it exactly what was written on it "Stat-UA HAB-itum.”

For a few minutes she kept on repeating the incantation while looking at her notes. "Stat-UA HAB-itum, Stat-UA HAB-itum, Stat-UA HAB-itum, Stat-UA HAB-itum,” Then continued on saying it without looking at her notebook. She stopped when she felt like she needed to practice it and so she grabbed for her wand which was underneath her pillow. She quickly pulled some of the parchments on her desk leaving again her desk unorganized.

Obviously her bed wasn’t as flat as it should be so she just sat on the floor and laid the parchment there. “Now all I have to do is to say the incantation correctly and trace the paper with the frame I want,” she said to no one. She readied herself and said it "StatUA HABitum," while tracing a square on the paper.

As she waited for a frame to emerge, nothing happened. She blinked and still nothing happened to the parchment. "Why?" She gasped. "I thought i said it right already," she frowned. She yawned. She was getting sleepy. But she have to try again. "Statua Habitum," she said again as she repeated the tracing. She knew that time she hadn't said it right. She would really have to familiarize herself with it. "Okay," she said in a defeated tone. "I'll work on you in the morning." She set aside the parchment and her wand. Maybe she'd be able to make one perfectly tomorrow.

Kurumi was no longer red in the face. As much as she enjoyed the whole blush thing Selina did feel sort of bad. Her best friend was the easiest person in the world to make blush because she was so honorable and innocent, so she did feel, at this point, that poking fun of her and Jonathan was over for the time being. Give her friend a rest from being so flustered. Besides, Kurumi had done a brilliant job in changing the subject. There was even a part of Selina that wanted to applaud Kurumi for her brilliant transition. Brava.

"I mean, I don't know Kurumi. Your more of the type of girl that gets gifts and sweet talk and blushes and frills. I'm not. So not getting random gifts in my mind at least isn't bad. We just aren't like that. I don't think its bad....because.. well.... I like him a lot.". Cue blush.

HAH! Now Selina was blushing, but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty based on what had happened during their Healing seminar. Kurumi had sworn to herself not to say anything, and she wasn't going to right now, not with Selina looking all happy and girly. She needed a distraction and the only thing she could think of was to put the focus back on herself and force her to be all awkward again.

"How...do you think...people know, you know, know that they um...they know that they...feel....um..."

Well, if nothing else Kurumi had sufficiently made herself feel awkward.

Tayla took out the book she borrowed from the library and turned to the page about the nocturnal. She tried not to be overwhelmed by the figures and explanations. She also tried to recall what Professor Roslund discussed in class.

Tayla grabbed her bag from the floor and took our the nocturnal. She found it pretty and traced her fingers over it.

Making herself more comfortable by the window, she decided to start. She chose a reference star and aligned one tooth of the inner disk with the date on the outer disk. Finding the North Star, Polaris - just like she and Sophie did before at the observatory - wasn't too hard. Then she rotated the pointer and read the time supposedly indicated by the nocturnal.

"It is nine at night?" Tayla said aloud and checked her watch. Her reading was an hour late. "Hmmm..." She adjust the nocturnal again, checking to see where she made the mistake. After a few moments, she read the nocturnal once more. "There. Ten at night."

Tayla practiced one more time using a different reference star. Then she decided to go to the observatory later to try again.

Selina finished buttoning up the top of her pajamas shirt next to her bed. The redheaded girl walked over to the small mirror in the dorms and looked at her appearance in the mirror. As per usual for bed she started to throw her red hair up into a pony tail, but she stopper halfway through putting her hair up. Her eyes took in the red hair and she sat down in front of the mirror. Perhaps, it was time for a change. Selina loved her hair, but it was time for a change.. only for a few days. Just to try it out...

She drew her wand out to do it herself and then stopped... Maybe she should ask Kurumi. Where was she anyway?

It had been a terrible day. The sort of day that Kurumi just wanted to pretend had never happened. Maybe she should start looking into Memory Charms. Use them on herself to forget things...which is really all that she wanted to do right now. Forget.

Trudging up the stairs, Kurumi opened the door to her room and failed to notice that Selina was already there and looking at herself in the mirror. Had she been more alert, Kurumi may have had some sort of comment about how Selina had never been one to spend hours in front of the mirror looking at herself, but alas, that moment was gone.

Instead, Kurumi made a direct line towards her bed, threw off the covers, crawled in, and tucked herself in...back turned to her best friend who she still didn't know was in the room.

With the flick of her wrist Selina put her wand away and stood up from her place on the floor in front of the mirror. The redhead turned around to get a better look at her hair as she contemplated the change. Maybe blonde would not be so bad, she could sort of see the blonde on her. The problem was that Selina was a redhead. Everything in her body and being was proof that she was a fiery girl with red hair. Blonde was not always something that would fit her moods... Alas where was Kurumi?!?!

Then, as if by magic, Kurumi walked into the room and made a bee line for her bed. Selina turned back to the mirror and said, "Hey Rumi, what do you think about me going blonde-?". Her head snapped around to get a better look at Kurumi but all she saw was her best friend hiding under her bed in a wrapped up mess of blankets. Oh merlin, what had happened?

The current redhead walked over to Kurumi's bed and sat down. Her hand pulled back the covers enough to see just Kurumi's eyes. With a small smile she said gently, "Hey... Kurumi... You okay, kiddo?"