Nikolas sat there looking like an innocent kid while he waited to see Jade's reaction and it was perfect. He laughed when she scooted away clearly scared, "You should have seen your face!" Scaring Jade was becoming a tradition everytime he saw her alone. "You're welcome, I'll do it always" he nodded and put an arm around her.

This place was perfect, it was very relaxing he could stay here all day long. Nikolas took a deep breath "So, how are you being doing?" he asked and he hoped Jade hadn't recieved bad news about her parents.

Jade rolled her eyes at Nikolas. "Just wait. Next time when I see you alone, I'm scaring you." She said, crossing her arms. Was she angry? Not really, just a bit mad at herself for not knowing that it was Nikolas. "You better not scare me again." She said, squinting her eyes and poking him in the side. That's what he gets for scaring her and anyways, she would plan out a much better revenge later on.

The sixth year watched as a baby duck started eating what seemed like bread crumbs out in the water. She smiled, but then she looked closer and the baby duck was eating a worm. "Gross." She said, making a disgusted face and looking back towards Nikolas. Oh right, how she was doing. "I've been pretty good. I also found out that my friend, Adam, is a prefect now. So at least I know that if that weird girl tries anything, I'll have Adam on my side." She nodded. And anyways, Adam was much nicer and reliable then Selena was. "What about you? How've you been?" She asked.

Wait.. surf in the lake? Dude that wasn't a bad idea, except for the fact that he both didn't have his surfboard at the school and Matt hadn't been looking to get himself into trouble with the groundskeeper; he had gone through four terms without losing a single point and without getting detention so he was trying to keep that record up. Wasn't difficult either. "Well, that also would be a good idea but I think I can just wait until the holidays; I'd rather just hang out by the water and think." Well that was usually what he did since it was quite peaceful and he usually was off by himself so he could just focus on nothing else but his own thoughts which was always needed after the craziness that constantly went on around this school. "If I tried surfing in the middle of winter around here, I'd end up just sliding along ice and probably fall over loads of times in the process. It really wouldn't be much fun." It wasn't like he was used to the ice entirely either, it was way too hot in Cali for that when the winter came. Plus falling on ice didn't exactly sound like much fun to begin with.

As soon as she corrected him about the whole feelings thing, he couldn't help but replace the empty expression on his face with a slight grin since he knew exactly what she was saying without actually saying the exact words. After the summer, things definitely had changed between them but it was far from being a bad thing; no he just was happy that she was staying in his life.. hopefully for awhile. Quickly thinking about what had happened so far at the school, he realized that her analysis of the term so far was right. "Well you know that's bound to change any moment. Especially with the big celebration for the school." He was definitely curious at what the staff had planned for that since it wasn't everyday that Hogwarts celebrated the 1000th year since it's founding.

When she brought up her OWLs, he couldn't help but smile at her; honestly he was happy to hear that she did so well.. since he definitely had been proud of her since he knew that she could do it even if he ended up helping her study anyway. "Excellent. At least you did better than I did when I told OWLs, but that's not the point." He wasn't about to make a big thing out of exams, even though he was super stressed out over the NEWTs at the end of the term.

Jez lay on her stomach and dipped her hand in the water. It was lovely and cool, making her want to jump in. But this was the ducks' swimming pool, not hers, so she'd have to control herself. Instead, she just stared at the water, thinking about everything that had happened lately. Nate being poisoned, Pam's letter, Nate's parents' murders ... she couldn't help feeling responsible for it all, whatever Nate said to the contrary. And as for that clothes box ... what was she supposed to do with those dresses?! Jez never wore dresses - she'd been indignant enough when she'd worn one in Pam's nightmares, even though it was really pretty. Jez sighed. She didn't need that worry on top of everything else.
She was lying so still some ducks had come to investigate. One of last spring's ducklings caught hold of a lock of her black hair that was trailing in the water, and started to tug on it. Jez didn't try to stop it, just looked on as the duckling got frustrated with the supposed piece of weed that both tasted funny and wouldn't come out.

Jordan wandered around the grounds in search of friends, noticing a girl was being attacked by a duck! Why was she just laying there? He moved closer before realising that this wasnt any girl, it was Jez! Now he thought about it, this is something that she would do... He sat down next to her quietly, not wanting to scare her or the duck before saying, "You okay there? You've got a bit of a duck situation there..." he smirked.

Something told Stella that Matt hadn't exactly understood what she'd meant by her comment about the lake. Considering she hadn't necessarily been referring to surfing, even though she still had to see him surf, like he'd promised. There were other things to do at the lake that involved getting wet, like swimming or even just getting one's feet wet. But she got distracted from explaining that as he'd spoken, even as it verified her suspicion. "You can surf over the holidays?," she asked, curious. She was used to the weather either here or in France, which was mostly ice skating and snow. Beauxbatons was warmer, but the idea of going to the beach in winter had never occurred to her. She couldn't help but grin as he spoke about the ice, though. "There's always ice skating. If we're allowed to," she replied. She hadn't really done that in a while, but the idea of Matt sliding around on the ice was amusing. In a cute way.

Plus, his reaction to her correction just made her happy. That he'd understood what she'd meant, even though she knew he was going to. She hoped they'd never forget that day, what had changed. Even if the conversation had quickly moved back to the topic of what had happened here at Hogwarts so far, or what hadn't happened. She nodded at what he'd said, though. "True. I'm looking forward to seeing what they have planned. Like that fandango that was announced." She thought it was going to be like a formal dance, which she was definitely looking forward to after last term and when they'd danced. Of course, it was Hogwarts, so that theory wasn't necessarily going to prove to be the case, but she could always hope.

Her curiosity came back as he'd responded to her OWL scores, even as she blushed a little at the compliment. He'd told her she was going to pass when he'd helped her study for them last term, but it was nicer knowing she actually did. Knowing that those exams were over, even if she had the ones next term still to deal with. That he had to take this term. "I'm sure you didn't do that badly," she said, giving him another little hug. "And you'll do amazing this time around." She knew he was nervous about the NEWTs, after all, but she was going to do the same for him that he'd done for her with her OWLs. "And thank you." She hadn't really said that yet.

To believe him or not? Nessie listened to story and put her lips in their usual pout as she listened. She really did trust Adam, but after all the stories she had heard, she wasn't sure it was such a good idea. "I..I" she was a loss at what to say. "I don't know whether to um..believe you or..not." he wouldn't get too hurt by what she said would he? He'd understand that she was only trying to protect herself right? Because thats really all she was trying to do. She had been through quite a few situations where she had trusted the wrong people, and it always ended bad.

Oh..um..Adam seemed offended? That meant he probably wasn't joking, which made Nessie feel really bad for laughing, but it wasn't like she could help it. It must have been true then, and he even had the badge right? Which was sort of evidence. "Well Um..Congratulations then Mr Prefect Burn." she'd call him that from now on, she just found it a little amusing to call him that."And, um you were?" she asked wondering why he'd feel the same way as she didnow. Wouldn't he have been all happy and excited, more than he felt shocked?

A boy might like you? Nessie sort of took it the wrong way, to her it sounded as though Adam was surrised that anyone might have liked her, but then she didn't blame him because she didn't really think of herself as anything amazing really. She put her lips in a small frown. Nobody wold like her, she was just being stupid by even asking. "Well..um..I sort like someone..but I don't know." she didn't want to give to much details incase Adam wasn't very trustworthy after all. As she listened to Adam she sort of sighed, because she didn't take notice of those things at all, and so she didn't know if that someone did those things. "Oh..but why would he tease me? And why would he want to hide he's feelings?" Ness raised her brow, boys were [i]very[i] strange creatures, well at least according to Nessie. Adam probably didn't know the answers to her last to questions, but anyway it wasn't like that boy liked her back, so she was hopeless either way. "You actually don't have to answer that, it doesn't matter." she whispered and then bit her lip so she wouldn't start frowning again.

Jez's eyes glanced up to see Jordan - she didn't want to move her head because of the duckling. "I'm fine. It's cute, don't you think?" Her fingers brushed against the duckling's soft feathers, but it was too busy with her hair to notice. "Nate got a red note," she said suddenly, her voice still quiet so she wouldn't scare her little duck friend. "Team Wolf went to his house in search of us, and killed his parents. I know it's my fault, and it only makes it worse when he tells me it's not ..." A tear ran off the end of her nose and fell into the pond with a small splash. Somehow the ripples just made her feel worse. "They're after him and Pam now too," she whispered. "They want them as much as they want me. I didn't want this, I didn't want to put them in danger, but they won't leave me." Under any other circumstance, she would have admired their loyalty, but right now it was like they were trying to stop her keeping them safe.

Another friendship that could be on the brink just because of his reputation. He really didn't want to lose his little sister, because as they called each other, they were, she was flawless. An, once you lose family, whether real or a close bond with someone, rock bottom has started. That would be the worst feeling, a part of his 'family' not knowing what to think of him. He nodded at her scared comment about putting trust into him. "It doesn't take many guesses as to why you are on the line about your feelings towards me."

Although she tried to cover up the laugh with a congratulations, as some other people, it still hurt that no one, besides Chris, had taken his badge as being serious, or disliking the fact that he had one. "Thank you." He responded in a dry, low voice. "Well, take out everything that happened to my friends an I- I'm not exactly an einstein. I never really fully attend classes until last year an I wasn't hear for my 1st or 4th year." Maybe him returning to classes had made the Professors an Head of House Professor Bently see something in him. He wasn't sure, though.

"The teasing is simple. He doesn't know whether he likes you or not, so he thinks that if he bothers you is a way for him to hinder the fact that he may like you, but he doesn't know what to think of it. An he probably doesn't want you to know he may like you." Yep. The poking, the 'accidentally' dropping her books, the calling names, rude stuff like that might be signs. "He could also be hiding his feelings because he might feel rejected if he tells you he likes you an you don't return those feelings. So in a way he's protecting himself by trying to have those feelings not come true, that's why he might stay quiet about it." Was it weird he was having a conversation with Nessie about boys? It wasn't exactly something a 'brother' 'sister' would talk about, even more in real life. "I answered it." he laughed quietly, a smirk spreading on his face.

Now Ness really felt terrible for saying what she did. She could tell he was a little upset that she wasn't trusting him, but you know she just wanted to b protective. "Im..sorry, its just I've been hurt before and I don't want to be hurt again." she thought of Kyle, from home. It was all thanks to him that she had become like this, because he had really hurt her and he had betrayed which had been really tough for her. She wouldn't take any chances anymore it just wasn't worth it getting hurt all the time. She wanted to be happy this term, which she fairly was and she didn't want any drama. None at all, especially not from Adam.

Why was Adam being so offish? Ness looked at him with a sort of irritated look. She was getting moody again, and it didn't seem to be too good. Either way it sort of made sense why he was shocked. Now that she thought of it, she probably would have been shocked too, it was just natural instinct to feel like he did. "I suppose I can see why you were shocked, but I'm sure you were excited to?' he had to be right. "I'm happy for you." she just thought he needed to know, because she really was proud of her big 'brother' and now she could go around and boast that her 'brother' was a prefect. "I guess I'm lucky I know another prefect, now." she giggled just a little.

0_____O

Ness looked at Adam, how did he know all this information. He was like a talking book filled with information. Where had he learned all of this? He was like an expert. "Rejected? but..but I wouldn't reject him. Why do boys always have to be so ridiculous?" she sort of mumbled to herself but she knew Adam, had heard. "I just don't get it, can't they just be simple and easy like girls are.Boys suck, theyre so complicated and immature" She continued rambling as though Adam wasn't their, but she stopped eventually. She bit her lip. 'I know you did, but it doesn't matter boys are pathetic." she finished off with a little bit of rage. She didn't mean to offend Adam, but it sort just came out and she couldn't exactly help herself.

As Laura looked around, she saw two of her friends standing there. She approached them and said 'Holla!!!What's the hap's?'

Sombidiminino?! Messer couldn't help hide his chuckled when Ellie said those word. "Its sombrero. Not som-som-bidibidi-" What was she's saying agian? "Its a very large Mexican hat." he said while making a circle around his head with his hands.

"So in another word you already played all positions?" He blinked his eyes in surprise. Its seems like Ellie never failed to surprise him.

Fish? Fish was good creature, right? They didn't steal his bun like that mean ducky over there. Yes, I'm staring at you Mr. Ducky. "Oh really? Do they have jellyfish there?" he asked. Jellyfish was an aquatic water, right?

Harvey went down to the Duck Pond and stood there watching the ducks.. as they were calming to watch..

" Hey, Laura. How are you? We're just relaxing. What have youu been up to? " he smiled as she came and sat with them.

OCC: Different Timeline


Justin finally found Harvey down at the duck pond. He walked up to him and put his hand on his best friends shoulder. " Hey, Harv. Been a whirlwind already,eh? So much so quickly and suddenly..... I don't want you to think less of me for breaking things off with Amethyst. I do still care about her deeply....And I've got something else to tell ya, Though I don't know how to avoid you being mad at me , Mate." he said as he picked up a rock and skipped it between two of the ducks.

As Harvey was watching the ducks he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked round "Yes so much HAS happened. What is it Justin? Is it you and Alyssa?" he asked as he remembered Justin mentioning her name before "Why would I be mad about you and Alyssa,, if thats what it is. " he said to Justin as he watched him pick up a rock and skip between two ducks.. relieved that none were hurt.. he wondered why Justin would think that he would get mad at whatever he wanted to tell him. but he waited to listen to Justin..

Jordan looked at Jez in shock, "What?" he asked, "No..." he shook his head. "Why?" he said, looking around at the ducks absent mindedly. He was with them the day Nate had been attacked, though a bit later... Did that mean he was possibly a target? He didn't want to ask now, "Jez, what about Pam's parents? What about Keegan and Des? Are they okay?" he said to her, stroking a duckling who had gotten loose.

Justin picked up another stone and tossed it up and down into his hand. Then he turned back to his best friend and said, " I did it again , Harv." looking up into his face, " I kissed Minerva. I don't know why....Well, I do ..., but...I jumped the gun and I betrayed your trust. " Ashamed of himself he threw the stone as far as he could into the pond. " I'm sorry, Mate. I shouldn't have. I'll understand if you are mad at me. " Justin said as he looked back down at the ground.

Harvey was watching the ducks happily and then he turned to Justin in complete shock.. "You WHAT?!" he continued to stare at Justin in dismay "You ... kissed... HER... again?! Minnie?! MY MINNIE?! MY GIRLFRIEND WELL NOW EX GIRLFRIEND MINNIE?!" he said his voice raising with every word he said as he became more and more upset by the second as he realised what Justin had just said.. he remembered the kiss on the train.. "Of course I am MAD!! You know everything! but she is allowed to kiss whoever she wants... she is not my girlfriend anymore.. but you knew everything and you still........" he said still very upset he looked out the pond... picked a few stones and started chucking them into the pond as hard as he could.. anything to release all the aggression and stress he was feeling.. it was better than punching his best mate which would have gotten him into big trouble..

Justin waited to be punched in the nose, but Harvey threw rocks instead. Phew! Justin was thankful of that. " I-I don't know how it happened, Harv. It just did. One minute we were talking about me and Ame breaking up and you and Her....We were just trying to comfort each other.... And I told you that I had fancied her , but you got to her first. I'm really sorry, Mate. I know how you feel about her. It's not like she likes me back...At least I don't think so." Justin tried to explain." It all happened so fast. then she got up and ran off to her dorm.. I feel like such an idiot."

Harvey put his hands on his hips as he paced the shore of the pond back and forth.. as he listened to Justin talk about everything that had happened between him and Minnie.. and then he said that he felt like an idiot. He sharply turned towards Justin "AN IDIOT!? Oh you SHOULD! Cause as I remember it.. you have been confused very much about who you like.. you date Ame, give her a promise ring and then you say you like Alyssa, break up with Ame and kiss Minnie.. NOT Alyssa but MINNIE!! Sorry dont even mean anything no more! OH.. I dont know what to do anymore.. WAIT! you answer truthfully.. and I MEAN IT! Did.. did Mins kiss you back?! be honest with me!" he said to Justin now almost glaring at him in anger.. he needed to know whether the girl he loved kissed his best friend or not..

Logan grinned. "It is!" he said when he heard some shouting. He squinted his eyes at the noise and slowly turned his head to hear Harvey yelling about kissing and whatnot. He sighed. Gosh some people at that age shouldn't be getting into this crap. He looked back at Cardigan. She was right, he was too young for that...dating thing or whatever you call it. He was going to wait until he was like in his fourth year or something.

" No, Harv. She didn't. It was just a peck really. Nothing that you are thinking of. I know I messed up , Mate. I don't blame ya if you don't want to be friends anymore." Justin said as he got choked up. The thought of him losing Harvey as a friend was hard to swallow. " I just thought it'd be better that you hear it from me instaed of Alyssa, who walked into the commonroom just as it happened. Now she won't even talk to me" Justin said as he wiped the forming tears from his eyes. " I suppose I'll leave you be then." head hanging in shame as he started to walk away as he kicked the stones on the ground. Hands shoved in his pockets.

Harvey listened to Justin still upset with him.. but became less upset when he heard that Minnie had not kissed him back.. that made him feel better.. and he continued to listen.. as Justin wiped some tears from his eyes.. and instantly Harvey's stone heart started to melt as Justin started to walk away.. "Justin.. wait!" he said walking up to his ..... best friend.. he put a hand on his shoulder "We are still friends.. it will just take me some time to get over everything that has happened.. but I dont like to lose friends.. and that includes you.. so we are still friends even after everything thats happened." he said to Justin..

"Ok..That's understandable." He said gently. Adam didn't want to push the subject more because it sounded as if she were getting real uncomfortable with continuing in the subject. As of now, he didn't know how much she hurt, besides her friend from last year, so there could be more deeper hurt feelings. If she didn't want to divulge any information that was on her part an he would not push the matter unless she wished to talk of it.

"A little bit more shocked. But after it sunk in, yes I was extremely excited. I took it because no one would expect this coming for me, an I don't think anyone would want to turn down such an honor from the school,right?" Yes, both feelings were good in their own way. "I suppose you've been sprinkled with Prefect Dust, eh? Kurumi, Treyen an myself.." He chuckled. Adam had to make the conversation ease up, things were rather stiff at the moment.

Adam couldn't help but laugh when she mentioned boys being complicated. Maybe he was complicated himself when it came to girls, but maybe things wouldn't have to be so complicated if girls were too. "Girls are complicated. Boys think we're simple but it's the girls that makes us look complicated. End of story, we're both complicated." Perhaps that would make sense to her. "Well, if you like this boy an he may like you, there is nothing pathetic about either of you. It seems to me you both have found some special quality about the other to like one another, possibly." Yeah, that sounded like the right thing to say.

The idea of not being able surf over the holidays seriously had seemed rather ludicrous to him, Matt was used to getting some time to hang out on the beach with his friends back home. Not being all bundled up from the cold that honestly was super cold, seriously man how did anyone handle it? The fact that he'd been at Hogwarts for all of four years really didn't make him get used to the vast changes in weather, nah it just seemed to make dealing with it much more difficult. "Of course I can, I mean it does get a bit cold; but not to the point when things freeze. That's just north from where I live. We just get rain and still a bit of heat." That was why he loved winter in Los Angeles, it was just both kind of relaxing and awesome at the same time; but seeing the snow was also kinda cool.. both literally and figuratively. Ice skating huh? Another interesting thing since he had never skated before, though that wasn't something that he was going to mention right now. "That sounds pretty fun, though you know I'll probably still fall over in the process. Skates and I sort of don't get along." He had been referring to roller skates but the same idea applied, either way it was going to be something that he'd never forget.

"Ah yes, I'm not sure why they would call it that. There are more suited names but whatever floats your boat dude, anyway doesn't that start in a couple days or something?" Well he thought so at least, from the last time that he had looked over the announcement in the common room; but there was always a chance that he was wrong. And of course he was going to admit that since he wasn't stubborn by any means. When the conversation went back to talking about OWLs and well exams in general, he attempted to remember exactly how well (or not) he had done on the OWLs. "Well I didn't, but I also didn't do as well as I thought I would. At least this time I'm going to be well prepared and try not to freak out." That was the last thing that he had wanted to have happen, it wasn't that much fun the first time so he hoped that he could do everything in his power to stop it from happening again. "You know.. if you still want help with Runes this term, I can help. I'm taking that and honestly I didn't do too badly last term; ended up with an Acceptable." It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Meh.