Boris the Bewildered and.... GREGORY THE SMARMY?!

Dude, Greg's name was sick! SMARMY? What an excellent adjective. Paulie's lips curled upon looking at the plate with Gregory's name. The seventh year folded his arms and rocked back on his heels as he eyed the swamp.

"Smarmy's got a bit of a swarmpy, huh, Greg?" Heh.

Kurumi was making her way from the Ancient Runes classroom after having returned a textbook she had borrowed about consecrating runes for her assignment when she noticed Paulie...talking to the statues?

Merlin...were Head Boy duties already doing funny things to his brain?!

"Paulie?" she asked, her tone only slightly implying that she was concerned for his sanity.

Hmm? WHAT? Did Gregory just RESPOND to Paulie's comment??!

Uhm. No. After a tiny second of considering it, Paulie realized that that voice was way too girly to be coming from Gregory the Smarmy. He turned around to see Kurumi joining him. Without even realizing that the Gryffindor prefect probably thought him even MORE crazy for poking fun of a statue that had absolutely no hearing abilities at all, he simply smiled over at his friend.

"Hey, it's the Perfect Prefect! Sneakin' up on me, huh?"

Oops. Had Kurumi started Paulie? She hadn't meant to, but she supposed that someone who was talking to statues like he was would probably be easily startled all things considered.

Kurumi wrinkled her nose slightly at the nickname. She was...far from perfect, so people shouldn't be using that in any sort of nickname for the sixth year. She opened her mouth to protest this, but stopped when he continued. "I-I wasn't sneaking," she stammered. Kurumi was probably one of the last people in Hogwarts who would be able to sneak really. "Just...doing some school work..."

She then raised an eyebrow at Paulie. "What are you doing?"

She wasn't 'sneaking'? Uh huhhh. Riiiight. Her light footfalls suggested otherwise. Paulie chuckled, though, when she admitted that she was only doing schoolwork. "Well.. can't say that I'm surprised there." Probably half of all of Gryffindor's house points were gained through the school work and extra credit of Kurumi Hollingberry. But, considering the house cup race, it was a shame that other students weren't following her example. Paulie wasn't doing half bad, either.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothin' really. Patrolling the halls? ..I liked this Gregory guy's name." He gestured to the placard. When his eyes returned to Kurumi, he picked up on some different vibes than usual. In fact, he'd noticed this at the feast as well.. though perhaps it was not quite so salient as now.

Because Paulie was becoming a liiiittle more tactful with age, the boy slipped his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat before adopting a more subtle approach than when he had been admonished earlier by Headmaster Tate. "So, how've ya been, Kurumi?"

Kurumi blushed a little, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Y-You know me, always hitting the books." Especially when they provided a good distraction from reality. Didn't really matter the sort of book she was reading, unless it was Potions oriented and then Kurumi's mind wandered to dark and sad places. But in general, book were a safe place for Kurumi.

Kurumi followed Paulie's gesture toward the name plaque and nodded her head. It was a rather unique sounding name, as far as names went that is. "I sometimes wonder...if these statues sometimes come to life," she laughed innocently. "I read in Hogwarts a History about one statue in the Hogwarts castle may have been a real person at one point who was petrified." You know, because this was a cherry topic of conversation and all that. Kurumi was mostly just rambling off facts.

At Paulie's next question, Kurumi sort of inhaled nervously. That was...a very weighted question, especially since her and Paulie hadn't really been able to have a proper conversation anywhere until now. Not that they hadn't hung out, they had just been focused on work and not each other's personal lives. "I'm...better," she nodded, her violet eyes smiling along with her lips. Just one of the noticeable changes to the Gryffindor's persona since the start of the term. "It's been...a complicated start of the term..."

Lots and lots of emotions. Lots and lots of confusion.

Yes, that described her well. 'Hitting the books.' Paulie titled his head and thought for a moment before speaking. "Yeah.... I guess you're kinda like a modern-day Hermione, huh? Real smart and into studying, but the hat placed ya in Gryffindor." Sounded like Kurumi had the best traits of both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor house.

He turned to her and lifted an eyebrow. A petrified person as a statue? That was very interesting indeed! "I think I'll have to make it my mission to find out which statue that is..." And now that it triggered Paulie's curiosity, he surely wouldn't let it go.

So, she was... better. He tried to discreetly study her when she said this, just to see whether she was saying this just for the sake of putting up a strong front, or if she actually meant it. So far, it seemed that she was a little better. "Yeah, I guess it has been," he agreed. It was only November, and Kurumi had already been put under a lot of stress. "Everything happens for a reason, though." Paulie often thought that one of the most comforting phrases.

He leaned back against the side of Boris the Bewildered. "So.. uh, you datin' Lewis, then?" He couldn't help but come right out and ask her because.. well, he was a horribly curious creature. Plus, he could only attribute her slight improvement in mood to a happiness with someone who was there supporting her in tough times and all.

Kurumi's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink at his compliments. Compliments, Kurumi never did know how to take those, especially when it came to her studies and ESPECIALLY when she was compared to someone like Hermione Weasley. Sure, Kurumi was the top of her class and a Gryffindor, but that was about all she felt she shared with the legend. Kurumi was no where near as brave as Hermione had been. Not knowing what to say in response, Kurumi sort of just bowed her head in gratitude. She had A LOT to aspire to if she wanted to be properly compared to that Gryffindor.

Thankfully she was distracted by Paulie's next comment, or mission statement rather. "I can try to help you, if you want. Research in the library and what not." Because she was good at that. It was just sad that her research partner, Treyen, wasn't around anymore.

As conversation shifted again, Kurumi's faint smile had turned into a frown. Everything happened for a reason...Kurumi had a hard time stomaching those words when it came to her mother. How could there have been a reason, a good enough reason, for her time to have come to an end like it had? Kurumi sort of just chewed on her lip nervously and gasped when Paulie just came right out with his next question.

Her heart began to race and her cheeks were back to being a deep pink color...the tips of her hair a little as well. Kurumi noticed this right away and immediately gripped them in her hands as she looked towards the ground sheepishly before nodding her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Hehe, awww. No wonder Kurumi had the boys pursuing her - that blush of hers was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts! "Sheesh, Kurumi. I think I'm gonna have to come up with another nickname for you, and it's gonna have to involve blushing." The boy gave a light-hearted laugh. When he'd mentioned his interest in discovering the petrified person statue, Kurumi kindly offered to help him in his research. Given that the Gryffindor prefect was very thorough with her studies, Paulie couldn't decline. "If ya have the time, then sure.. that'd be great, thanks." Paulie liked knowing those interesting, little pieces of information, even if they usually weren't all that useful in the classroom.

Yeeaahh. Judging by the gasp and the sudden return of her blush, it seemed as though Kurumi still needed to become accustomed to Paulie's bluntness. He gave a tiny, amused smile. Was that her hair color changing as well...? When he spotted the intimation of a smile upon her lips, though, his own smile grew wider. "I'll take that as a 'yes,'" he remarked. "Ya know.. if you're happy with Lewis, then I'm happy for you guys. If that means anything." Because when all things were said and done, the best thing was to be with the person who made you happiest.

Kurumi's hands went from her hair to her cheeks now, pressing against them rather firmly as if by doing so the color would be squished out of her cheeks. "You...don't have to give me nicknames, you know," Kurumi squeaked. She knew that that was just something that Paulie did, the whole nickname thing, but that didn't mean that he should feel required to give her another one. Especially one that brought attention to her tendency of blushing at almost the drop of a hat. She was rather thankful when Paulie went back to the whole research part of their conversation, drawing the attention away from the whole rosy cheeks thing. "Well, I don't have OWLs to prepare for this term," she said with a small smile. Although she had promised Selina she would help her. She could get a head start on her NEWT studies, but taking a break by doing some light reading on the statues in Hogwarts wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Hands no longer on her cheeks but instead tugging on the bottom of her sweater shyly, Kurumi's eyes widened a little at his next words. "I am," she said without a hint of hesitation. "I mean...Lewis makes me happy..." Kurumi was blushing even more now, if that were possible. "I mean...thanks Paulie. You may be one of the first people to say that..." That last bit had sort of just slipped out without the Gryffindor realizing that she had even said it...until it was too late. What had happened before was still not a huge public thing, but people knew...and some had very strong opinions about the matter. Kurumi wasn't entirely healed either and was still taking baby steps, but every time Lewis touched her in even the smallest of ways she felt better. "I....I sometimes can't believe that he picked me...to be honest."

Paulie walked around the statues to get a better look at them - and also to move his legs a bit - while he listened to Kurumi tell him that he didn't need to give her nicknames. "It's not like I go out and say.. 'Oh, Kurumi needs a nickname,' and then think of one. They just... come into my brain," he shrugged. "I do like givin' out nicknames, though." So hopefully she got used to that aspect of him, as well as the bluntness.

He slanted his torso so that he could look around Gregory to see Kurumi. "Pfft. Well, lucky you! These NEWTs are gonna be lovely." Sarcasm. Paulie preferred to think about them as little as possible, in spite of the fact that he knew he should be doing the opposite. Here's hoping that his increased effort in schoolwork this term would pay off later..

By this point, Paulie had taken his time ambling around the statues, and he was now back where he had been, leaning against Boris. Well, Kurumi didn't even really need to SAY that Lewis made her happy; it was already written all over her face! He smiled at this. She.. couldn't believe he'd 'pick her'? "I'm sure he feels the same, ya know." He stuck his hands in his back pockets. "Why are you surprised that he picked you?" She had a lot going for her!

EXPLOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING.

Yup. That's what Delilah was going to spend her afternoon doing. She was still miffed that she'd not been able to conjure up any flowers AT ALL in Transfiguration.

After a half hour of wandering, the small Slytherin came across some statues. Interesting. It was a shame that they were so taaaaaaaall; she couldn't give them moustaches... Not that she'd be able to make moustaches for the statues anyway. Hmm.

Oooh.

What is THAT?!

The roped off swamp caught Delilah's eye. She'd read about that. Stalking towards it, rather cat-like, she crouched down next to it. Was it safe to touch? Would she even be allowed to touch it? There wasn't going to be electrocuting spells on it, was there? Or some other equally bad but probably not as damaging spell protecting it?

Kurumi couldn't help it, but she blushed a bit more but this time out of embarrassment for what she had said and how Paulie had responded to it. No, of course not. That had not been what she had been implying really, just that he didn't HAVE to give her a nickname. "Nicknames...are still sort of new to me," she replied as she idly shuffled her feet. Besides Selina, no one had really come up with a constant nickname. Salander and Josh called her Pretty Prefect Princess or Cookie Princess or some variation of the two, and Lexi called her kiddo, but those were sort of the only exceptions. Kurumi sort of liked people saying her name just as it was.

"I need to start studying for those as well," she said sort of just thinking out loud and not really directing her words to Paulie exactly. Paulie's sarcasm? Yeah, it went right over her head since Kurumi still wasn't the best at being able to read that sort of thing. "I am sure they will be!" Lovely that is.

Kurumi had sort of just been watching Paulie make his way around the statue, quietly observing him and still wondering if perhaps he had gone a little crazy and spent his time conversing with statues. He certainly seemed to be very intrigued obsessed? with Boris. When he spoke again, Kurumi bit down on her lip rather hard, trying to figure out how best to approach THIS conversation. It still hurt, thinking about how things had happened, and even though Lewis made her happy and was healing her broken heart, it was still that: broken. "Because....I tried to tell him that he shouldn't..."

Here we go again...

So. Transfiguration class had been quite a success, hadn't it? João had actually managed to conjure a fully shaped Patronus, a fox that is, although it only lasted for about three seconds, and he deserved a break after that success. Wandering aimlessly around the castle feeling quite merry, he didn't notice until he really saw it that he had come to the statues. Then, his eyes fell on that infamous swamp, and that Slytherin girl in the class who watched him in real awe. She seemed to be the only one to have been impressed by his real magic, other than himself and the professor. His pride was... touched.

Approaching her with his usual charming smile, though it was more of a friendly one this time for some reason he couldn't understand, he bowed his head and said "Hello, Miss." Standing right next to her, he eyed the swamp for a moment before turning his attention back at her. She was a new face, certainly.

It really wouldn't hurt to try and touch the swampiness...

She went to reach out to it, when someone above her said hello. OH NO IT'S A TEACHER FOR SURE! THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SO TAAAAAAALL - oh... No, wait. I'm sat on the floor. Heh. STILL, IT COULD BE A TEACHER.

Shyly, Delilah looked up, blowing a stray piece of hair out of her face as she did. Definitely not a teacher. Good. Wait! It was the boy!! The boy with the Patronus!!! She probably stared for too long, possibly as she had done earlier in Class, before realising that she was doing so. Was it time to blush yet?

"Oh, um... Hello." Smile.

WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO SAY TO HIM?! More importantly, why was he even talking to HER? He was tall and COOL looking, and probably had LOTS of friends AND he could make a FULL Patronus, while Delilah here couldn't even manage to conjure some flowers. He should be talking to people who were ALSO good at Transfiguration!!

Oh yes, talking. That thing people were supposed to do. "So... Um... Hi." Good start, Delilah... Good start. Gah.

João tried not to look uneasy when she stared at him so long. What was there to stare this long? Was his hair funny? Did he have something on his face? Or--was it--

Oh. At last. A sign of life. She blushed. His smile broadened as he sat next to her. She had an air that was almost... hypnotising. No, that wasn't the word. That she was so... easy to talk to. Or at least she looked pretty good-natured. That eased many things. For one, she wasn't going to make fun of his certain fears--or so he wanted to assume. Pushing that tragedy away, he looked at her smile and felt almost... secure. Funny. He was getting crazy. He really was, to feel secure with a total stranger...

"I remember you," he said, looking at her as if from a different point of view. "You are Delilah." The girl at the park in Diagon Alley. Yes, he NEVER forgot people, especially people like her.

"I'm--" João or Marcelo? "--well, you can call me João or Marcelo, whichever is easier." He remembered introducing himself too, but maybe she had forgotten. No big deal. He almost didn't want her to remember anyway, because he had left so abruptly it had been rude.

Delilah wasn't going to lie, she was surprised when the older boy took a seat on the floor, too. He could have conjured a fancy chair to sit on, or more likely still - in Delilah's mind, at least - he could have just left to go and be COOL with other COOL people. She smiled, shyly.

He remembered her? Delilah raised her eyebrows. "... Really?" Then he stated her name. Oh, wow. He really DID remember her! She herself only vaguely remembered their encounter in Diagon Alley... It hadn't been a very interesting conversation... "Um, yes. Yes... I'm Delilah." Hehe. GRIN.

As he told her his name, Delilah mentally sighed with relief. GOOD. Now she didn't have to try and figure out his name, because she DEFINITELY did not remember it from the Summer. The girl was quiet for a moment, pondering the decision he'd given her. Well... it's HIS name. She spoke up slowly, carefully thinking through her words as she said tem. "Well... Which do you prefer being called? It's your name, after all. "

Pause.

"It doesn't matter if it's easy for me to say or not..."

João was glad to see she was pleased that he remembered her. Yeah. His brain was quite successful at that. He just studied her face when she asked for his opinion. Oh. He wanted to go and hug her. He really did. She was the first person to be so... thoughtful. Only she had asked which one he preferred and didn't mind whether it was hard or wrong. He smiled. He had never smiled so easily before. Not because she cared for her opinion, but because he felt quite at peace 'round here with her, and it was also a peaceful corridor. He liked it.

"I like to be called João," he said, saying that slowly for her to get it. "But it's you who's saying it, after all." Though, he wouldn't mind her mispronouncing it.

He was going crazy.

Delilah nodded. "Well, then that's how I'll address you." She smiled. "João." Joooao. Hmm. She wasn't... that far off. Her Irish accent made it difficult to get the J sound right... She could practice.

Well... Hmm. He had a good point, kind of. "But that would me like... like me asking you what your favourite flavour cupcake was, then getting you some of my favourite cupcakes instead. It's a bit... selfish." Selfish. Yes, that's what it was - and Delilah wasn't a selfish person. The girl paused for a moment, looking at the section of swamp in front of them. It wasn't that pretty to look at, really... It was still cool, though.

João shrugged softly to show it wasn't much of a deal for her. It wouldn't be much of a problem whatever she called him by, really, as long as it wasn't offensive like--like Lou--

Moving on.

He chuckled again at her cupcakes reference. "Now you watered my mouth," he said, shaking his head a little. He wanted to point out that with her thoughtfulness, it wasn't selfish at all. She wasn't like that Ellie girl, for example. She seemed so... innocent, pure...

He frowned to himself. He didn't know anything about this girl. Just because she cared for his name, it didn't mean she was an angel. It shouldn't. Keeping silent for a moment, he looked up at her again and said "So you're new, right? Which grade are you in? Where were you before you came here?" Questions, questions. Yes, he wanted to get to know her better.

For the first time, he wanted to know the back story of someone quite normal. Though, she wasn't that normal... it was confusing. He was confused. But he wasn't annoyed by it either.

He had to know more about her. And not actually screw it up this time.

Delilah grinned. "Sorry." ... Maybe she could offer to make him some cupcakes at some point? She'd need access to a kitchen though, and she wasn't sure if she'd be allowed in Hogwarts' kitchen. So, she stayed quiet about that.

She looked to Joao as he asked her some questions, and shook her head at his first question. "I was here last year..." Delilah pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. " - I just..." How to word it? "I just kept to myself..." It was true. She didn't speak to anyone at all last year... She was too scared to. Everyone seemed to have their friendship groups already... Noone would've wanted to include her, so she just didn't try. Maybe that was a mistake. "I'm a fifth year."

"I was homeschooled before I came here... My parents didn't think I was ready for Hogwarts, y'know... Mentally, emotionally..." It was strange, how easily she was able to share this information with Joao. They barely knew each other, and here she was, talking about herself more freely than she could around Aurora. "What year are you in?"

João chuckled softly when she apologised. "I was only kidding," he said with a shrug. Now, he really wondered how she cooked, but he wasn't going to bug someone he had just met with such a thing. Only, it felt as if he had known her for years.

She was here? João frowned to himself, thinking for a moment. He hadn't seen her around... but of course, how could he? He was with--what was her name?--he was with her. Too blinded by her like an idiot. All was alright now though, and at last, he was free to notice the others like Delilah. He just nodded at her once as she answered his questions. Now, it was sad that she kept to herself. He studied her face again. She was beautiful, so innocent-looking. He could understand her parents when they decided to keep her at home, though. She was just...

Oh, no.

"I'm not disturbing you here, am I?" he asked nervously, as if something had just hit him. And something did hit too. The realisation that he had sat next to her without asking for permission. He even interrupted her thinking. He looked at her quite sorry. He was just... almost hypnotised by her. Almost. If his brain hadn't controlled him.

Though, calming a bit down with her next question--she didn't look uncomfortable with him at all, though one may never know--he said "I'm a seventh year." Then he paused, hesitating.

"It's odd that I haven't noticed you... although I was gone for the second half of last year." Was he blinded by Louisa that much?

"Oh. I knew that." Delilah blushed lightly, mostly with embarrassment. Was she ever going to learn to say the right thing?!

She twiddled her toes while she explained her schooling to him, feeling more content than she had done in ages. When he asked if he was disturbing her, Delilah looked up at him, somewhat startled. "Oh, no! Not at all." She smiled warmly at him. That's something her mum does a lot, when Delilah's looking for reassurance in something she's done or said... so João would see it like that, too, right?

Seventh year? She nodded in understanding. Well that explained a lot - or at least how he conjured a full Patronus. He was ooooooolder, and therefore ridiculously smart. Delilah HAD to ask him about his patronus... Just not now. It didn't seem like the right moment to mention it.

"I don't think it's that odd... It's not like I tried to get people to notice me." She looked away from him, and studied one of the nearby statues for a moment. "Why... where did you go?"

She looked even more... innocent? Beautiful? Cuter? João had to blink not to stare. He tried to remember if he had felt the same with Louisa, but that was way too much time ago. He also didn't want to remember her.

Moving on.

Oh. She didn't mind him there. He was visibly relieved. He smiled back warmly as well. He wasn't shooed away this time. Someone had accepted him at last--or things were going pretty well at least. And he wasn't going to screw up this time. He just wasn't.

He smiled understandingly. "I'm glad you're out--I mean--you're--it's nice to meet you." He chuckled easily as he blushed a little at his idiocy. This was the kind of... ease he had longed for so long. It was a marvel he had found it again, after one year of despair. It was quite interesting that he found it when he had stopped looking for it.

He couldn't stop the words as he told the whole story in a quick summary.

"I returned to Brazil, my homeland. Things weren't... that great here, and my mum wanted me for her--" They did get out alright, but he wasn't opening that much, no matter how innocent and trustworthy she looked. "--I mean, she wanted me there. After ten years." He looked lost in serious thought for a moment before he shrugged it off and managed to smile at her.

"Have you ever been to Brazil?" he asked to lighten the mood.