Jonathan smiled but then shook his head "It's okay. I slept before going here. And I need to stop sleeping too much" he said scratching his head. His father did warn him a lot about his sleeping habits, not that Alexander was forbidding him but he's quite worried that all Jonathan does is sleep. Was he really that bored all the time? Alexander keeps asking his wife since when he had begun sleeping a lot. He needs to try and get out more often. "Walking like this is fine" he smiled looking at her. Yeah, this is even better too.

Good thing Kurumi has siblings. Jonathan was an only child and up until recently, he has a cousin who is living in France right now. "It's nice to have siblings too" he always felt envious around people who had siblings. It would have been nice if his parents decided to produce more, but they were always too busy. Speaking of which, his cousin will be starting to live with them next year. A few months before Jonathan graduates at Hogwarts. Ohhh, it should be 2 years from now, right?

Jonathan gave out a small laugh "Not that." was she thinking he was sent into some creepy forest and was left there alone? Nope, Alexander will kill them-- literally and then Victoria will strangle one of them. "I mean my uncles would take me to other countries. Since I was little back then, I always felt unfamiliar with the language and the places. So that scared me the most." he explained.

WAIT!

What the heck is a haunted house? Jonathan stared at her for a moment when he realized what she had just said. "What's a haunted house?" well, he knew what the words meant, it's just that he has never heard of it before.

Kurumi giggled and returned to swinging their arms back and forth gently as they walked. "Well, just make sure you get enough sleep and don't go in the opposite direction," she teased. Jonathan all of a sudden not sleeping at all would probably make him all grumpy, and Kurumi didn't want to see grumpy Jonathan. She liked smiling Jonathan, especially his little dimples that sometimes showed up when he smiled. Hehe.

"They're, alright," she nodded. "VERY protective of me though. It is almost scary sometimes. My oldest brother sent me...a Howler when he heard that you were in Slytherin for example." She started to laugh, leaning forward a bit as she did. Yeah, she was able to laugh about it now, but when the Howler had opened itself in the girls' dormitory, well, she hadn't been laughing then. "But, the best part was, before coming to Hogwarts that is, that I was never really alone when I was home...even if I was everywhere else."

Oh, well, that was certainly a relief. "That sounds amazing," Kurumi said with an obvious hint of jealousy. Kurumi had only just begun to see other countries and she wanted to see more. "I want to see more countries. I mean, the world is so vast and I spent the first eleven years of my life in my small village in Japan, and even after that I have really only seen London and Scotland, well, the part of Scotland where Hogwarts is. Could you...pack me in your suitcase the next time they take you somewhere?" She batted her eyelashes at him this time. Pleeeeeeeease.

And then, he had to go and ruin her cute moment by bringing up haunted houses. Kurumi was afraid of many things, spiders...Quidditch...Selina on a bad day...burnt cookies...but ghosts were way up there at the top of the list. Snuggling even closer to Jonathan, Kurumi spoke. "They're...um...a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...and the ghosts do bad things...and..." she couldn't say anymore and instead hid her face in the sleeve of his jacket. EEK!

Breath calming and heartbeat slowing, Gideon straightened up from where he had been bent over to recover. Sure he had gone after Kurumi to help with things but he hadn't exactly expected to be the one running like a rabbit. Chasing after a quaffle or even a bludger on a broom was soooo much easier, well most of the times, then running on land with one's own legs. And you were a least prepared with stretches and such for games.

Speaking of Kurumi, he looked around for any sight of her, or for sight of any Gryffindors for that matter. Maybe they were elsewhere getting one of the other flags. Whereever they were, he had to make his way back to the gate with their own.

Their own!

Gideon looked down at the Gryffindor flag still cluched in his hand. "Right...need a better place for that," he mused quietly, stuffing it in his pocket so it was still safe but he couldn't drop it or get it grabbed.

Better...definantly better.

Cardigan yawned.She would probably need a nap or something soon.She put her head between her knees and yawned some more."Can you sing?"She asked Logan without thinking.Why did she ask that?!?Because she's half asleep and not exactly on earth,that's why!

Sing? Sing?! Yeah, he could. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I can sing." he said, picking up a nearby stone and fiddling with it between his hands. "Why'd ya ask?" he asked, looking at her.

"Sing,"Cardigan asked straightforwardly,staring straight back.She wanted to hear.Her ears ached for adventure,for something new,for something they had never heard before.And she knew just where to find it.

"Sing? Oh okay..." he said. He took Cardigan's hand in his, cleared his throat and closed his eyes. He knew exactly what he was going to sing. So, he began singing a old muggle song he liked...
"When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you..."
He finished and opened his eyes and looked at Cardigan.

With the Gryffindor flag in a safe place for now, Gideon made his way along the pathways. He was certainly glad that there hadn't been a specific portion of the area made safe but seemingly the entire length. It certainly made travelling the distances more easily without worry about getting caught, even if there had been issues with people attacking in even safe places or so he had heard. Getting slightly nervous of taking too much time to get from one place, the lion quickened his pace slightly, the high Front Gate gradually appearing in the distance and getting closer and closer as he headed towards it.

Cardigan was amazed.She could feel the tears coming to her eyes but blinked them away rapidly.She hadn`t heard anything like it.Anything."That was beautiful,"she said softly,deeply touched by the song.It was wonderful.

Logan looked at Cardigan, blushing. "Well, thank you..." he said quietly. "I've never really...s-sang in front of anyone..." he said, still blushing.

Mattew blushed. "Sorry about that. I wasn't really...in the open much last year," he said, not giving too much away. His parents had got divorced and he stayed in his dorm or the libary most of the time. The situation hadn't got any better, really, but was trying to be more active that year. "Cool name," he grinned. "My younger sister has a kitten, too. Called Ginger. She finds the name funny, for some reason."

Helga chuckled. "I wasn't open much either" She had so much in common with Matt it was almost scary. "Does your sister attend Hogwarts?" Wait could that of been rude well it was already asked Helga thought.

Jonathan laughed. "getting enough sleep just means sleep the whole day" that's pretty much how he described the term enough sleep. During the summer 2 years ago, since his parents were gone at the time, he slept for a day and a half; went down to Diagon Alley for some breakfast and went back home to sleep again. That was pretty much the only thing he did the whole summer. On the bright side though, he eventually got bored of it, the next day he composed a piano piece. It was a really great achievement considering his procrastination skills. "I don't really get cranky when I wake up." he said "although, if someone wakes me up then I get moody the whole day" he shared. Which explains why he sometimes pick on Nobi because Nobi is usually the one who is ordered by Alexander to wake Jonathan up. So far in the dorm rooms no one has ever tried waking him up.............. yet.

Howler?

Jonathan even laughed some more. Guess he knew that was coming since Kurumi didn't grew up with a bunch of ex-Slytherins in her house. Jonathan grew up to his father's principles just like his father did with his father as well. It's quite a cycle actually. And who knows maybe someday when he has a son, he would definitely like him to become a Slytherin as well. "They hate Slytherins, huh?" he turned serious this time only to realize that Kurumi was given a howler just because her brother knew he is in Slytherin. Was there reputation really that bad? How come people really acted coldly about them. Pffft...

Pack in a suit case huh? "Well, most of trips are sponsored by my uncles" and that was never revealed to Victoria and Alexander... EVER. "But if I'm with my parents, it's because father has a party to go to, business meeting and mother loves to shop" that's why he was stuck for a whole summer last time in their house.

So that's what a haunted house is. Doesn't really seem scary at all "Why be scared of ghosts?" he asked, he knew most muggles were afraid of them. "We have ghosts here too... I'd be more afraid if a dementor was lurking around these haunted houses you say" he smiled. But yes, honestly, dementors were the worst dark creatures. How were they created in the first place anyway?

"You're welcome,"Cardigan said,slightly confused.Why hadn't he sang for anyone else?He was certainly good enough that people would enjoy it,like Car!She enjoyed it so much that she could listen to it all day!And Taylor would enjoy it too!She was certain of that.

Logan laid back down and looked up at the sky. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" he asked, looking at Cardigan.

Spike thrust his hands in his pockets, and strolled out into the grounds. He wasn't sure why exactly he was here, but he felt the need to venture out. Lessons could be so, well, overwhelmingly restricted. He liked his freedom, but was becoming scarily aware he had exams next year and his parents wanted him to do well. So much so, he was trying to concentrate more. He didn't like it. And then his voice was doing funny things occasionally too. Bleh.

His curls rustled as Matilda moved around, and he gave a small smile as he headed vaguely in the direction of the lake. Maybe the Giant Squid would be around, and he could go for a paddle and give it a friendly tickle.

So.....it took a bit longer than expected to catch that pesky snitch. She really should check before hand whether there would be a Seeker out to catch it for her. It would mean less time out there on her own, and more time with...people.

SPEAKINGOFPEOPLE.

Ellie spotted a familiar and sorely missed curly head. "Spike Hutchinson!" You know, 'Spike' wasn't a very good name for yelling at. It was way too short. Had way too many syllables. Was that his full name?

Anyway, the CAPTAIN had her peeved face on as she marched up to the boy.

Spike was quietly minding his owning business, scuffing his shoes through the mud, when someone called his name.

His WHOLE name.

He knew that voice, though it sounded more like her in game voice than strolling round the grounds. With a small shrug, Spike turned his curly head towards Captain Ellie. She didn't look too happy. Not happy at all. She might have even looked slightly annoyed. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out why. Hopefully it wasn't because of him.

Maybe she just needed some pest control help, and he was just the expert she required.

"Hi Ellie," he said with a confused look. "How can I help?"

"It's a gorgeous day indeed,"Cardigan said with a smile.Perfect day to be outside.The sun was there,like a jewel in the sky,a usual for a fall day in October.It was sooo pretty!

"Yeah..." he said, looking at the sky and then at Cardigan. "What's your favorite class so far, Car?" he asked.

Kurumi sort of arched an eyebrow at his sleep comment. "I couldn't possibly sleep that long," she laughed. Sleeping eight hours had always been more than enough for her, unless she was sick with the flu or something. Then she usually slept a lot longer because her body was demanding it. For some reason, she suspected that it was more about Jonathan being lazy than actually needing it.

"It's kind of ironic really, considering my father came from a purely Slytherin family," she mused. Of course, if you went through the record books one would never find a Hollingberry in Slytherin house because there had never been a Charles Hollingberry at Hogwarts. Charles Hollingberry had only come to be years later after he had met her mother. Kurumi hadn't gone into that with Jonthan...yet. "My brother is just bitter about an ex-girlfriend who was a Slytherin. I never knew he was the sensitive type to be honest." Apparently he had hated the color green for months. "I'm sure they will change their opinion once they meet you." Because the offer for him to come visit her was still there. Her father was actually freakishly looking forward to it.

"So...is that a no to the suitcase?" she asked, only being half serious. Could she fit in his suitcase? Kurumi was sure that, given how much he liked shopping, Jonathan's suicase was pretty big.

"The Hogwarts ghosts don't scare me," she said, shaking her head. They were the friendly type of ghosts. Like...Casper, only with a proper human looking form. "Ghosts in haunted houses are...scary...they are angry and try to hurt people..." *CLING*

Jonathan has a sleeping problem, and yes, his father refers to it. It's in his own habit that he sleeps like a bear who hibernates during winter. That's why he barely goes out and play during winter seasons. Jonathan loves his bed back at the dorms although nothing does compare his own bed at home. Problem is, the dungeons are not the most comfortable place to be in during the winter days. It's very very VERY cold down there.

Jonathan nodded, ahhhh. Her father comes from Slytherins as well and yet he's a Gryffindor right. Did he somehow despise being a Slytherin too? Yeah, Jonathan was getting tired of the typical Slytherin stereotype. It never goes off actually. It just piles up. SIGH. Very upsetting. Jonathan didn't answer though, he just looked at Kurumi and gave a small smile.

"I don't bring any suitcase" it's true. They just apparate onto a certain country. If she's asking about clothes "We just shop for clothes" he nodded. That way it'll be simpler and lighter. Especially his uncles, they don't bring with them anything except for money, of course. Yup, that's pretty much it.

"Are they dementors?" he asked. Because if they suck out people's lives then yes, those haunted house ghosts are really dangerous. And it was a fit explanation too. Scary. Angry. Hurts people. ---> Dementors.

Noticing that Jonathan had dropped both the sleeping and Slytherin conversation, Kurumi knew that it was pointless to push the issues anymore. The sleeping subject wasn't really one that concerned Kurumi too much, but the obvious scowl about the Slytherin topic did a little. His mother had been a little upset at first about her being a Gryffindor. Stereotypes about all houses were out there, but Kurumi was positive that her and Jonathan didn't fit any cookie cutter mold. Jonathan would see, her family wasn't snake haters. They were just stubborn.

Deciding to just continue walking beside him, fingers interlaced and arms swinging slightly, Kurumi giggled at the whole suitcase discussion. "That must be nice, when you are able to take trips like that. Mother still insists that I use non-magical forms of transportation. Like...when I came to visit you over the summer. I can't wait to get my apparation licence, so that I can just do it myself and not have to listen to her."

Kurumi shivered a bit more...thinking about haunted houses. "N-N-No...but there is sometimes talk of zombies..." She was now practically hugging Jonathan as they made their way down the pathways. Yeah, this was a frightening topic for her and was probably going to have nightmares because of it. A distraction would be very much appreciated right now.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kurumi saw the lake glistening in the afternoon sunlight and her cheeks suddenly flushed pink and she squeaked as she remembered the joint Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic lesson. Maybe...Jonathan wouldn't notice her obvious blush? Doubtful.

Jonathan kept his eyes on the road. For a second, it kinda made him mad about it. He did have his own share of other students giving him the typical Slytherin stereotype. Even though he managed to keep his mouth shut, it didn't really made him at ease with it. And speaking of fathers as well. Alexander told him to write to him as soon as possible. Problem is, what's he going to write to send it to his father. So far, the Founder's Fandango is the only thing new this year and he's not even joining it. He should try it next time.

Ahhh, like those so-called airplanes she mentioned once. His family seldom uses broomsticks. Apparating was more convenient, always will. Jonathan nodded "me too." he also wants that license. A little more and then he'll be old enough to apparate on his own. Now, he can't wait for that.

Jonathan gave out a soft laugh when Kurumi hugged him. Zombies? What in Merlin's name are those?! Do they even exist? Jonathan hasn't seem any of the muggle dark creatures or whatever it is they categorize them. But if Kurumi is scared of them, then maybe yeah, it probably must be scary. "Okay, no more muggle--- ghost---stories" zombies, or any of those stuffs she mentioned earlier. Jonathan stared at the sky and started to mentally visualize what those zombies might really look like.

"Flying definately!It was rather....odd,"Cardigan said with a grin.It's not everyday you see a Flying Squirrels!Actually,you probably don't ever see them, especially in London!And if you do see them in London,you'll see them at zoos,which she doesn't go to anymore.So yeah.