Bad day. Bad, bad day.

That's the type of day Mikey was having. Or at least to him, it felt like it. He barely slept last night from his stupid nightmare. Aside from all the homework he'd done, Mikey was jut plain exhausted by now. Maybe some air was good for him? But he didn't want to go all the way to the grounds to come back up, climb thousands of stairs to end up in the same place. So Mikey decided it was better to just stroll through the seventh floor corridor. It was much easier to get back into bed from there.

Hunter sprinted up the steps, onto the very last floor. It was still kind of cold outside and after a VERY large lunch he wanted to make sure he got in some exercise before the next meal and what better way than running up steps. True, it was a little harder when the stairs were moving around so much but he made do with what he could. After finally stopping and resting for a few seconds, he looked up and saw a familiar-looking nerd Mikey walking a few steps ahead of him.

Speeding up to fill in the space, Hunter patted Michael on the back hard enough to make him notice it and grinned. "Hey, Nerd Bird!"

Well, this walk was peaceful. Only a few conversations could be heard here and there. But thankfully nothing too loud and obnoxious for Mikey to become irritated off. At least that's what he thought. Just has he was turning the corridor corner, the nerd received a hard pat on the back. Lovely. Upon hearing their voice, all his peacefulness went away and was replaced by annoyance. Don't slugs live underground or something? Especially dead ones?

"What do you want, dead slug?" he asked, without turning around and continued walking. Out of all people to suddenly show up on the seventh floor.. "Don't you have the dungeons to attend to? Or a hole to go crawl in?"

Why was this boy always in a bad mood? It was no wonder why he was so afraid of telling Hailey anything about his feelings. It seemed like he could never get in a good enough mood to confess feelings other than hatred. "Y'know, I have a third cousin who sees a psychiatrist. I can give you her number if you want, it's obvious you really need it." Hunter ran his fingers through his hair and tried to figure out why exactly it was Mikey didn't like him. First this guy, then his own cousin. It would be days before Aria found some reason to get mad at him. "You're Hailey's best friend. Am I no longer allowed to talk to you?" It wasn't like he went off and told Hailey anything, but if that's what Mikey wanted then maybe he would tell her something about it.

A psychiatrist? For what? Mikey was perfectly fine. It was just that Hunter's presence grind his gears all the time. It was obvious that his family was the one that needed it the most. Maybe Rose should go to one and figure out why she wouldn't do her own homework for one moment. "I don't need one. I've just had a bad today and seeing your face isn't making it any better," Mikey admitted, fixing his hoodie and continuing his walk. Occasionally, he'd look back to see if Hunter was still following him. Sadly, he still was. Couldn't he just go visit Aria already or something?

"Since when did you ever want to talk to me? Last time we talked, you caused a scene in assuming I liked your cousin. Are you always full of yourself?" Mikey stopped and looked at the boy.

Hunter began to wonder if he stared at the back of Mikey's head long enough if he'd see fumes begin to come out of his ears. Now that would be something worth seeing. "Oh, because seeing my face makes you jealous because you look like...well...I mean, you've looked in a mirror, right?" Compared to Hunter, Mikey was just.....Mikey. Hunter would be depressed if he looked like that too.

"I never actually said I wanted to talk to you but I sort of feel obligated to since I found you in the same corridor aaaand it's proper manners." True, Michael tended to make him forget his manners on occasion but that was in no way HIS fault. "Now, I know you're never "full of youurself" because there's nothing to be full of as far as you're considered, but I don't see what that has to do with Hailey. Maybe if you plucked up the courage and told her you liked her this wouldn't even be happening right now." Maybe they'd never even have been lucky enough. Oh how a guy can only wish.

"Do you honestly think that people are jealous of your looks? Wow, you actually become more irritating by the second. Anyway,I happen to like the way I look and your opinion doesn't matter whatsoever," Mikey said, turning on his heels and heading even more down the corridor. Honestly, how long could these things go for? It felt like he walked a mile by now and wasn't really finding much other interesting things to do.

"Weird, because I wasn't actually comparing the two. And this seems like your favorite topic to talk about all the time, isn't it?" he asked, dodging a few younger years who decided to run through them. "I do have the courage to tell her. I just don't want to right now. Besides, she thinks I like some girl from our Herbology class named Violet. Poor rose doesn't know that I barely notice anyone in any of our classes anyway," he added. "Can we just drop this topic? Honestly, you're so persistent in knowing if I told her or not," Pierce needed a new hobby.

"No, I don't think that. I know it and if you were as smart as Hailey thinks you are then you would realize it." And now Mikey felt the need to tell him that he didn't care about Hunter's opinion? "You know, if you didn't care about my opinion then you wouldn't feel the need to tell me so." Hunter seriously needed to make a mental note to NEVER speak to Mikey again. This was getting ridiculous.

"It beats talking about how you're always annoyed and irritated and frustrated and who cares what else. Get a new subject and then maybe I will." Hunter stopped walking and glared at Mikey. Why was it Hunter's fault for having confidence and not wasting his time on things that didn't matter? "And I'm persistent because she's my cousin, if you've forgotten. For some very strange reason she's happy around you and I want her to be happy." Did Michael Evans not know what happiness meant? Did he not understand the meaning of family? "Maybe if you actually told her she wouldn't think that you're into a random girl in Herbology." How was it possible that Mikey was this blind? "You know what? I'll just tell her myself. I know how to get things done anyway." He managed to start dating Aria, so he could definitely get Hailey and Mikey together. And then he'd have to work on Aria and Hailey being friends but that would be for later on.

Mikey just nodded; completely blanking out what Pierce had just told him. Not like it really mattered anyway. Hunter never made any sense to Mikey. He just blabbed about his good looks and charm all the time and how Mikey should tell Hailey already.

"But this isn't her problem, it's mine. Seeing as we barely know each other, you should really mind your business. Big mistake in telling you. Well, I really didn't tell you, you somehow figured it out on your own," he added, stopping and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Pierce obviously never had best friends who cherished their friendship more than anything. Hell, he's probably never had a best friend before. Though to Mikey, Hailey and Aria didn't count at all. By now, Mikey knew he was fuming. It was a good thing he knew how to maintain himself calm all this time. But right now, all patience was lost. Grabbing Hunter by the collar and pinning him to the wall, Mikey glared at him.

"Listen closely, Pierce," he hissed, his grip tightening a bit on the boy's shirt. "If you tell Hailey about this, you're going to ruin one of the best friendships I've ever had. Don't you pay attention to life much besides looking in the mirror all the time? When a friend likes another friend as more than a friend, it DOESN'T turn out like in the movies. Friendships can go bad if the other person doesn't return those feelings. Now are you really sure you want to do that?" Mikey let go of Hunter and shoved him aside. "Now go back to the dungeons," he said, as he walked away from the narcissistic boy.

Hunter really thought through what Mikey was saying. No, he hadn't ever had a girl best friend, and his guy friends at Durmstrang were the worst, why he moved in the first place. Was it wrong that he would rather hang out with his sisters and cousin more than jealous guys who never quite understood why he liked to look nice instead of like he just woke up? No. And just because Mikey found his cousin to be best friends with wasn't his fault, perhaps Mikey shoulda done a background check on her first or something. And just as Hunter was going to give a snide reply, he was being shoved, rather roughly, up against a wall. Who in the world knew this gangly little kid actually had some sort of...well...it wasn't muscle so...bone...in him? Luckily there was no damage done and Hunter had learned after many years to keep his temper, even as other people got abusive. Luckily, Michael let go and began walking away, careful of doing something he'd regret.

Smoothing out his shirt, Hunter followed behind him and tried to find the right words for Mikey. "Do you really think pushing me up against a wall is going to keep me from saying anything? Way to make things worse. I may have an ego but at least I've got enough brains to know not to touch the person who could ruin things for you and your beloved vampire best friend." Did Mikey really think he could win this? The only thing Mikey knew how to win would be a spelling bee, if even that. "Maybe things don't always turn out like the movies but one thing in those movies is right, girls would rather have a guy who tells them how they feel instead of one who hides behind a friendship because they're too weak and scared to take a risk in life." As Hunter continued to talk the more frustrated he grew. What did Michael Evans know anyway? Did the fact that everyone was a few months older than him make them think Hunter knew absolutely nothing? "You may know a lot about things that don't matter, but I'm the one with the girlfriend aren't I?" At this point Hunter only wanted to tell Hailey to ruin their friendship. If someone like this wanted to be friends with his cousin then he'd have to prove himself. Hailey deserved better than this.

No. Obviously Mikey didn't think that. But having a girl twin, who was kind of dramatic, sometimes rubbed off on a person. At this point, Mikey gave up. There was no use in telling the slug anything more. He should just probably disappear from here and never return. Only person that would miss him is Aria. And maybe Hailey; considering they're sadly cousins. He chuckled. Did Pierce really think Mikey was too weak or scared to tell Hailey? He really wasn't. "I'm not scared nor too weak to tell her. I'm just going to tell her on my own time. Again, this doesn't concern you. Even if she is your cousin, you should stay out of her business. Even though it's even hers; it's mine," the nerd whispered the last part as he reached his common room door. Yes. Finally he would be able to get away from the snake and go up to his bed, write and just go to sleep. Even though all these feelings and whatnot would be making him toss and turn all night.

"Wow, big deal, you have a girlfriend! A demented one, might I add. But whatever tickles your fancy. And go on ahead and tell the vampire how I feel. It'll just make things worse," Mikey leaned on the wall next to the door. Hopefully no one would want to interrupt them right now. Actually, that would be nice. "You tell her, she gets mad at your for telling her. Then things will get very awkward between her and me. She stops asking me to do her homework for her. She starts failing; has to transfer out and it'll all be your fault for telling her and having such a big ego. So you go on and do that, ruin your very own cousin's life. If you ever need me, I'll be in here," and with his usual sly smirk, Mikey answered the riddle and entered his common room.

Talk about some drama for two boys.

Ani really did hope she was the one who had made mention of wanting to be a cursebreaker before...Merlin, it'd be bad if it had been someone else he was thinking of wouldn't it? Merely because...he'd look like a buffoon. And NOT just because he smiled like one when he was with her, a side affect of his possibility of being in love with. Hmm...the right career for her? "How can you ever really know exactly what the RIGHT career is for ones self? You just have to go with what you love. What you think you'll be happiest doing. Maybe...if you don't know what that is yet, then furthering education wouldn't be a half bad idea?" Maybe. She could always pursue a course needed for each of the things she wanted to try her hand at, and see which she liked better.

Knowing Vashti though. Watch her go in, sign up for the classes, and end up liking them all. That would be a little harder to narrow things down from then, wouldn't it? Most assuredly.

Still be upset about seeing each other? "Of course not, that aspect might have even been WORSE..." because honestly, if they'd started dating earlier, it was a possilibility that right now, they would already KNOW, like 100% know, if they loved each other. Had they started a year before, they might have already been saying it. Though, really, Anakin wasn't sure he could see them saying it to each other ALL the time...Not as often as he'd seen a lot of Hogwarts couples do so anyways..."But at least we would have had more time together before hand..." Because come next year, when they'd be starting careers, or schooling, who knows what would become of THEM. As a couple.

Oh! Yay! She liked the idea of studying together? That'd be not only enjoyable--merely because they'd be getting to spend more time together--but helpful too. Studying was better in pairs. They could offer insight to each other, have a more effective way of doing things. Though honestly, he was more looking forward to the part about being able to spend some extra time with her. Definitely. "Let's do it then! From here on out, we'll have a weekly study date. Even if it's only for a half hour to an hour or something."

Right near the entrance of the Gryffindor common room. If anything, this was her favorite vase of flowers. Snuggled deeply within the hydrangeas was a silver rose that smelled like winter days. Crisp. Clean. Cool. She looked all around the floor hoping to find a place to put them and she did. The window looked out over the grounds and it was near the entrance so it was perfect. She placed down the vase full of flowers and smiled. Perfect. She turned her back on them, whispered the password to get into the common room and smiled happily as the portrait swung open.

She...supposed he had a point. It was hard to know what career would be right, especially at this early stage. She was only seventeen after all, not eighty-seven. She still had plenty of time figure out the right career for her.

And perhaps it was because of what they had been talking about earlier, but Vashti found herself interpreting his response in second, much different way. It became something like: How can you ever really know exactly who the right person is for you? You just have to go with who you love, who you'll be happiest with.

She stood there for a moment, processing it all. People fell in and out of love every day for any number of reasons. No one ever really knew who they would fall in love with or whether that love would last. Sometimes it did - many times, in fact - but sometimes it didn't. The future was unpredictable. And that was both exciting...and terrifying. What if...

Suddenly she blinked, jolting herself out of her thoughts and reminding her that Anakin was still there. What had he said again? She'd missed the last bit of it, but figured a nod would suffice as a response. It was something to do with pursuing a career or furthering her education, she knew that much. Maybe he would just assume she was thinking deeply about what he had said. It wasn't too far from the truth.

It might've been worse? Well, maybe. Having more time together certainly would be one of the better aspects of it, but... "I don't see why we would have needed to be like this in order to spend time together last year. We don't have to be boyfriend and girlfriend to hang out." Really, there would've been nothing wrong with hanging out as friends.

Weekly study dates? That wasn't nearly as often as she would have liked, but she supposed with their apparently busy schedules, one study date every week was the best and most realistic one they could hope for. However - half an hour to an hour? "I'd like it to be more than an hour." Only seeing him for up to sixty minutes a week was not enough. Not even close.

Logic.

Ellie had it.

And logic told her that Kurumi HAD to pass by here. She just HAD to.

Why? Because Kurumi was a Gryffindor. And Gryffindors lived in towers, like Ravenclaws, though the Eagles' was better than the Lions'. And the towers were accessed but coming up THOSE stairs.

Those stairs. Right there. The ones that Ellie could see CLEARLY from the bench she'd situated herself on.

She didn't want to put this apology thing off any more, no matter how reluctant she was about it. And THIS, she was SURE, was the ONLY way an apology was going to happen. Force herself and Kurumi into this.

And so....she waited.

Coming back from one of her meditation sessions with Professor Romanos, Kurumi felt both at peace and on edge. She still wasn't able to clear her mind naturally - whatever that meant - but her breathing was more regular and her nerves were in check.

Or so she thought.

Turning the corner, Kurumi froze when she saw the one person she wanted to see the least. Not only had she treated Treyen like he was a piece of property that she owned, but she had shown just how little respect she had towards Kurumi.

Clutching her bag tightly to her chest as if it were a shield, Kurumi walked past Ellie and did her best to ignore her.

She had nothing to say to her and did not want to hear whatever it was the Ravenclaw had to say.

As soon as Tayla got her second vase, a blue one with white lilies, she went out to the seventh floor corridor. She was supposed to head somewhere else, but stopped. Most of the witches and wizards in her family had come from either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and remembering that this corridor lead to both common rooms, decided to put one of her flower vases right here.

"This is for you Grandpa Ric," she thought as she placed the vase on one side of the corridor. Her grandfather had passed away before she started at Hogwarts. He was a Gryffindor and coached the Tutshill Tornados (whose Quidditch robes were blue). She also thought of Grandma Guita, his wife. She was a Ravenclaw. She wondered how her grandmother was and touched the locket around her neck. It was the locket Grandma Guita had given her.

Tayla fixed some loose leaves in the arrangement, took a step back to admire her work, then, making a mental note to send an owl to her grandmother soon, went back up to the Gryffindor common room. Just one more vase to go.

OI!

Do NOT ignore us, Hollingberry!

Seriously, Ellie was waiting here far too long to just be IGNORED when the person she was supposed to talk to finally passed.

"Kurumi," she said, still sitting. She'd sit for now. It was less intimidating. But Ellie WOULD resort to standing and walking along with Kurumi obnoxiously if that's what got the Gryffindor to listen. "I need to talk to you." These were carefully chosen words. Why? Because surely Kurumi had to respond to a person in need, being Prefect and all.

Kurumi stopped midstep but did not turn her head to look at the Ravenclaw. When she didn't hear any footsteps approaching her, Kurumi wasn't sure whether or not to feel relieved about this. On the one hand, it meant that Ellie was sitting and therefore far away from her. On the other hand...it meant that Ellie didn't respect her enough to stand for whatever it was she had to say to the Gryffindor. Not that the latter was any surprise to Kurumi.

Kurumi kept her back to Ellie as she brought her feet together.

If she had something to say, she should say it now because this was as close to giving Ellie her undivided attention as she was going to get.

There was a long pause before Ellie said anything. She was waiting, you know. For Kurumi to double back.

It didn't happen. "I can't very well talk to you if you can't at least look at me." How was she ever supposed to apologize like THAT? It's not a real apology if the others' back is turned. "Why don't you join me?" Or...she could stand up and walk towards the Gryffindor. Kurumi's choice.

She was trying to be civil about all of this. Kurumi was making it very difficult for her.

You're doing a fine job of talking to me right now. Kurumi had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying that out loud. It took a lot for Kurumi to get mad, at least it used to. Things were different this term and she was not the understanding and quick to forgive Gryffindor that she had been. She was harsher, judgmental, and, worst of all, unpredictable.

Kurumi felt confident that if the tables had been turned that Ellie wouldn't turn around to look at her, but Kurumi's mother's voice echoed inside her head and she went against what her feelings were telling her to do. Pivoting, Kurumi stayed the same distance she was...standing.

"No, thank you." Her tone wasn't cold, but it wasn't friendly either. No. She did not want to sit anywhere near the Ravenclaw.

Kurumi turned around! It wasn't much, but when Ellie had to do something she was most uncomfortable about, it was progress. To look the girl in the eyes.

But...she wouldn't come and sit? "Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. Shame, because Ellie felt most...safe...sitting. However, this wasn't about Ellie. It wasn't supposed to be, anyway. And so the Ravenclaw stood and took just a couple feet towards the Prefect. Closing the gap a bit.

"Look," she started. Another long pause followed, because she hadn't really figured out how she was supposed to do this. And at this point in the conversation - if one could call it that - it didn't seem like Kurumi even wanted an apology, much less would be willing to accept it. "About last month..." she softened her tone a LOT, chewed her lip for a second, then continued, "I'm really sorry." No, honestly, she WAS. "I...was very wrong... I jumped to conclusions," Very unlike her, by the way, "I overreacted," That was an understatement, actually, and Ellie knew it, "And....that should never have happened."

She'd very much like to be sitting right now, if only because it was odd to apologize to someone you were taller than, and have it seem sincere.

"Treyen has a lot of girl friends." Which was...sort of unnerving for his girlfriend. Mostly because she didn't know them all. She didn't trust them all. Even when she trusted Treyen, she didn't doubt that...things could happen on behalf of his 'friends'. "And he's incredible enough to...always be there to....comfort them." Even if that meant holding them and letting them bury their heads in her spot on his shoulder. "And...I should've known better. That that was all that was happening. I....should've trusted him.... And you." Kurumi, too, she supposed.

When Ellie took a few steps closer to her, Kurumi's reflexes were triggered and she mirrored her movements by taking steps backwards. So, that gap? It was still there.

Kurumi's gaze didn't linger too far from a random spot on the floor as Ellie spoke, but she did glance up once or twice to try and read the Ravenclaw's sincerity by looking at her eyes. Had Treyen put her up to this? It was hard to tell considering how little Kurumi knew about Ellie. They had only spoken a handful of times and the last conversation they had had in length had been on the platform at Kings Cross prior to her fourth year.

Her hands were still balled into fists at her sides and Kurumi was debating whether or not to say anything back. Honestly, she really didn't have anything positive to say. She didn't want to accept Ellie's apology and Kurumi was far from being anywhere close to forgiving her. Emotions were running haywire again and all she wanted to do was sprint back to her dormitory and bury herself under the covers until the end of the school term.

Forget OWLs. They didn't matter anymore.

What was she supposed to say in response to that? Ellie had not only managed to reveal something deeply personal about her family to half the school, but she had also outed her as a Metamorphagus. Both were secrets she had been trying to keep from others - although she had become more open about recently, but still was not something she talked openly with everyone. Ellie Stone couldn't even begin to realize the damage her actions had done.

Kurumi swallowed when Ellie said that she should have trusted her. Right. Kurumi knew that the Ravenclaw didn't trust her as far as she could throw her. If she had been worried about Treyen cheating on her...she had nothing to be worried about. Not with the way Kurumi suspected she might be feeling about Jonathan. Kurumi couldn't even imagine herself betraying him and it HURT knowing that others saw her that way.

The tears were back now, slowly trickling down her face as her thoughts moved back to her mother. The mother who she had just found out was bedridden. The mother who still refused magical treatment despite the change of it fixing her. The mother who was now slowly losing the ability to talk. Kurumi too had seemed to have lost that ability as well.

So, she stood there. Eyes locked on Ellie's.

Well.

SOME kind of acknowledgement would be nice.

Oh, Merlin, she was crying. SHE WAS CRYING! Ellie was CERTAIN she didn't even DO anything this time.

"You don't....I didn't expect you to...accept anyway..." It was just something she HAD to do, no? Because she felt awful about the incident. Because she'd told Treyen she would apologize.

Okay, so THERE. There was her apology.

"Also...about your mum...I...I'm sorry." 'Sorry' probably didn't help in that circumstance, but Ellie felt the need to say something. She DID have a heart, you know. And she couldn't imagine what Kurumi went through. Even if she didn't know Kurumi's relationship with her mother. It was her mother. And if it was happening to Ellie. Well...Kurumi was probably taking it better than the Ravenclaw would.

The Ravenclaw probably wouldn't have come back to school.

Kurumi winced a bit when Ellie spoke again and her eyes flicked from the floor back to Ellie to the window to the floor and finally stopped on Ellie. The Ravenclaw hadn't expected her to accept the apology? That was good, because Kurumi didn't. How could anyone accept an apology from someone who questioned your integrity?

Kurumi only nodded. It was a nod that confirmed that no, she was not accepting her apology but she had heard her.

Mentioning her mother only brought more tears. Strangely enough, her mother was the reason she was here at all. Her mother had insisted that Kurumi returned to school - which Kurumi thought meant that she just didn't want Kurumi around. Even in illness, her mother wanted nothing to do with her. It broke Kurumi more.

But...now she should say something to Ellie and it was a conclusion that she had been slowly coming to for some time now and was a rather odd thing to bring up now, but Kurumi's thoughts were all sorts of jumbled right now. Something that would entirely cut all the drama out and prevent the girl in front of her for shooting daggers in her direction. "You win," she said as she took a small step back again. "I will stay away from him so this sort of situation will never happen again."

There. Happy?