Justin saw the hurt in her eyes behind the forming tears. As she spoke he pulled her close to him into his warm embrace and held her as he stroked her soft blonde hair. He knew this term would be crazy, but everything that was going on was beyond all that. Why couldn't he just have kept his feeling to himself? He shook off the thought and answered, " I know you still love him. Maybe I just needed you to know how I've felt about you....Why I'm always so protective of you. " he said as he looked directly into her eyes. Now was the time to be completely honest. " Why do you think it was me who identified you at the fountain. No one believed me that it was you. And I knew it was ....in here I knew it was you." he said as he pointed to his chest.

Minerva looked at Justin "Justin I... I just don't know. I'm just so confused. I don't know whats going on in my head. I do love you both so much, it's just so confusing to me." she got up out of the chair and began to walk around the common room with her hands on her head. She was having thoughts run through her head Harvey/Justin, Harvey/Justin. It was just so confusion she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to hurt either of them.

Justin got up and put his hands on either shoulder and looked at her in the eyes. " Minerva, You don't have to worry about hurting me. I really never thought you thought of me like that anyway. I love you too and Harvey and Ame. My head is as mixed up as yours. Let's just continue on as friends and if anything comes of it then we'll deal with that when that time comes. Okay? "

Minerva looked at Justin as he had her shoulders shaking her head in agreement to what he was saying, but something in her pulled her to him. She took her hands and put them around his neck and kissed him. She pulled away and blushed "I...I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

It looked like Minnie was going to say something . Then she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. For a split second shock was his initial reaction then he kissed her back. He didn't understand why she pulled away and apologized. " Why are you applogizing , Min. Maybe there is something to build on....Maybe not right away, but maybe. " he said as he looked deep into her beautiful eyes. Then he took her hand in his and led her to their favourite chair and sat her half on his lap and half beside him. " Well, it's been a quite eventful day hasn't it? "

Minerva wasn't sure what to do, but she gave in to everything and laid her head on his shoulder sighing "Yes it has. Justin what do we do from here? What about Ame and Harvey. I can't hurt them. I do love Harvey, I don't want to see him hurt and Ame is my best friend she is going to be furious at me." she thought about the dreams she had of her and Harvey as an older couple, well not to old like seventh year older, but maybe that dream was all it was a dream. She was still so confused, but she felt right sitting their with Justin for now at least..

" I don't know, Minerva. I guess we can just be. Ya know. Nothing needs to change between us....Not til we're ready and neither of us is ready to jump into anything. We're best friends that sometimes kiss. " Justin joked as she lay her head on his shoulder. It did feel right...That moment of them there together on that overstuffed chair. As she closed her eyes he kissed her forehead and he himself drifted off for a while.

Sophie walked into the common room and sat down by the windows, relieved. "That was close!" she thought. She was sure she would get a detention, but it wasn't this time. She sighed. She turned her head at the windows and stayed there, looking out.

Glenn spotted Sophie as she came into the common room. The little badger still had plants in her long curly hair and probably smelled vaguely like dragon manure. She ran over to her friend, "Sophie!" as she got closer she saw that Sophie looked sad, why? "Sophie, what's wrong?" She plonked herself down next to her and ignored the view from the window and instead studied her friends face with a faint frown.

Minerva laughed weakly at his joke and couldn't help herself but to kiss his cheek. "Yeah I think staying friends is the best right now. I know this sounds selfish, but I need all three of you. You are my stings that keep me together. I can't do this without all of you." she sighed. "Classes seem harder this year. Like there is going to be more work."

Salima eyed Siobian suspiciously. Then again Salima kinda wished for this to happen, the fact that she would be sent off to some bording school... But of course not a magical one. Salima just gave a warm smile to Siobian then changed the subject-
'Does things start to get hard when you get to your sixth year? You know as a muggle-born? Not to be rude when I say that.'

She gave him a little nod. "Well I was, i'm not sure if I'll make the team again this year." There were tons of new people trying out for the team, and there was a chance that they were all better than her. She giggled at the excitement of the eleven year old. At least he was happy that she was willing to help, and it would sort of be fun. "Okay, great then I'll help you out." she gave him a small grin.

Favorite subjects? Nessie had to think a little , she knew she loved flying but she wasn't sure she could count it as a real class as it was more for the firsties. She liked CoMC, because she really did love animals and she also sort of loved Arithmancy, but she wasn't very good at it and she sort of hoped to improve. Then there was History of magic and Divination, those weren't too exciting according to Nessie. Astronomy and Muggle Studdies were okay but her ultimate favorite that was easy. "My two favorite subjects I'd say have to be Charms and Transfiguration, because I like all the wand work." Now it was he's turn to answer. "What about you?" she asked.

Did he mind or didn't he? Nessie looked at him all confused, because honestly if he did mind she'd have no problem all him by Messer it was just that if she possibly sould she would have rather called him Eddie because it suited how cute he was. "You sure you don't mind?" she asked keeping her face serious so he knew she wasn't joking.

" That's fine with me. I'm not ready for anything permenant. I mean I do like you , but I'm gonna be going to the Headmaster's office to get help with handling my ability and I would rather just be a support beam for you. We can still just be friends. Then she kissed his cheek and his heart started to race, But he held his desire to kiss her again. Things had become more than complicated within the last few days. But it was nice to be there with her.
" Yeah, it seem the professors are expecting much more this term, but we'll get through it. Plus, you're super smart anyway. You shouldn't have a problem. " he smiled.

Sophie looked around to see Glenn sitting next to her. "Oh, hi, Glenn!" she said smiling weakly to her friend. "Oh, nothing much. I almost got a detention now, but didn't, so everything's fine." nothing was wrong but she was still a little freaked out by the seriousness of the nurse.

"Having fun so far?" Sophie changed the subject; it was kind of like a habit. "I'm loving all of the classes!" she said looking more relived. "They're all so cool!" she finished with a smile.

"Why, what happened?" Glenn asked, a detention? She hoped Sophie was okay. "Ooo! I really liked Herbology!" She said, gesturing to her hair, "I just got back, as you can probably tell. I also liked Transfiguration"

She sniffed a lock of her hair and wrinkled her nose, "I better go have a shower soon. I stink of dragon manure. Ugh!"

Ella was happy that she hadn't offended anyone. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She thought about the word normal. She guessed that she was the only one who wasn't normal in her family, as far as she knew, anyway. "I'm the only witch that I know about in my family. I never met my grandparents on my mother's side and she never talks about them. I always wonder if they had powers like I do. Some day I'll build up the courage to ask." She sighed as she thought about the time she had brought up her maternal grandparents, her mother had been furious. She wasn't eager to bring the subject up again. "Even though I've been homesick, I do love being a Hufflepuff! Everyone around here is nice like you." She smiled."Thanks for talked to me, you made me feel loads better!"

Minerva smiled "Well thanks, but I don't think so. I'm just good at a few classes is all. Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms comes easy to me for some reason. They did last year as well. Now the rest that's a different story. I'm excited for Muggle studies as well I always have fun there."

"Well, as soon as we got back from the feast, Nate and I saw Oakey sleeping on that table" she pointed. "We tried waking him up and Nate tried to help him out with a weird spell, but it only made Oakey spew candy all over the place!" thinking about it now, it was a funny scene... "An older girl took Oakey to the Hospital Wing, but Nate and I were soon summoned to explain what had happened. Healer Tillstorm was mad and I was really scared of her, and I really thought I was going to get detention or something, but I didn't." she sighed again.

"Oh yeah! Herbology was cool!" Sophie never thought she would like herbology; she used to think it was boring back home, when her mother asked for help. She just realized she didn't like it because her mother did all of the nice work, while Sophie just helped her around with the boring stuff. "I also LOVED Care of Magical Creatures!! The Giant Squid spoke to us!!" she was suddenly super-excited by that thought. She just loved the sight of the Giant Squid. "He is really nice!"

" Well, Muggle studies should come easy for you. " he joked. " As for the other subjects you always have the right answer...Me on the other hand I'm good at CoMC and charms. Everything else seems like gibberish."

Minerva smiled "Oh Justin you do fine in all the classes. We can study together if you like. I like to go to the practice rooms and the labs to do extra work." Minerva blushed at revealing that nerdy part about her.

" I'd like that. " he said as he gave her a naughty little grin. " I'm gonna need it. " Now what he thought. Then he thought of something. " Hey, Min...I decided not to go to try outs. I figured I could spend the extra time in the library. I could do with a bit of reading. Any suggestions on any good books to check out? " He knew she had spent alot of time there last term.

Minerva blushed a bit. That grin of his was so cute she thought. "Well it depends on what your looking for. I read many transfiguration and potion books last year. I also read a gobstone book as well. If your not trying out for quidditch anymore would you want to play gobstones with me?"

"That's terrible! Is Oakey okay?" Glenn said, "Oh, and don't worry about the Nurse she's always a kill joy." She smiled and glanced at the view from the common room. You couldn't see much, just the tips of grass and sometimes people's feet walking by.

"I haven't had Care of Magical Creatures yet!" The badger gushed, "Man! That must of been cool. Hey! Guess what? I ran into Treyen in the corridor and he was hanging around with his girlfriend." She giggled. As a second year, she had never had a boyfriend. Though she sometimes so girls and guys her age flirting around school.

"Yeah, Oakey's okay." she giggled at those words. They sounded funny together. "And I'm not really afraid of the nurse anymore. She didn't get me into trouble, so I'm fine with her now." she said smiling. It was true, actually.

"Really?" Sophie made a very curious face at Glenn and raised her eyebrows, with the smile still on her face. When she spoke to Glenn about the Head Boy, they always ended up cracking up. And Sophie loved cracking up! "I didn't know he had a girlfriend!" she said putting her hand over her mouth as she giggled again. Sophie thought this subject was worth giggling about, as a true eleven year-old. "I wonder what she would think of his nickname!" Treyen-Mr-Head-Boy was funny enough in Sophie's opinion. She laughed when she imagined the scene.

"Dunno" Glenn said, "She seemed pretty ticked off when I interrupted them though." The older Ravenclaw girl had glared at her when she had talked to Treyen. She hoped she wouldn't become like that when she was older.

She giggled with Sophie, "I guess it's another thing to tease him about!" Sophie and Glenn had terrorised Treyen at the entry feast and had managed to stick him with a nickname; Treyen-Mr-Head-Boy.