What has gotten into him? He was staring as though she'd grown antlers, Beezus even had the urge to touch her head to find out for herself. But she knew it wasn't possible. Antlers couldn't have got in the way this time, not in this kind of situation. The longer his incessant gaze went, the more she wanted him to talk and tell her what it was all about.

When the Slytherin stepped towards her, Beezus attempted to move back but she found out her feet were glued to the floor, it just won't budge, the only thing she was successful in was letting her hand that was clutching her pendant a while ago hang to her side.

Merlin help her, he was getting close.....and when he reached out to touch the necklace, the Ravenclaw took a rather sharp intake of breath, a weird spiralling sensation was occurring in her stomach, a prodigous thumping coming from her chest.

She'd almost stopped breathing.

Her dark brown eyes were pleading for answers. Why was he stroking her necklace? Did he knew who it was from? Was it from him? If so, why didn't he tell her? Why did he kiss his teammate? Why was he trying to get even with Rich? ...Why did SHE want him to explain himself?

"Please...say something." She couldn't even recognize her own voice.

The tiny sapphire charm seemed to hold all of the Slytherin's attention as he continued to show it love. Why was he really so surprised she'd worn it? It was an extremely nice piece of jewelry...and expensive. Girls liked that kind of thing.

Probably shouldn't have been affecting the Captain as much as it was...

...but he just couldn't' help himself.

He was touching the charm and now running his fingers along the skin surrounding where it lay. He just couldn't look away...

Until she'd spoke. Her voice was like sweet music in his ears...Dylan was convinced he could have listened to it...for a long time? Surely not forever...right?

"I can't believe you're wearing it..." The Slytherin's tone held his amazement and wonder. "I knew it would suit you....." It was almost dreamy...

What was he doing? She would appreciate it if he could move away now and let go of the necklace. She was still holding her breath, and she wasn't sure how long she could go on being lost in his eyes without oxygen.

"I can't believe you're wearing it..." ... "I knew it would suit you....."

What? Can't believe it? He knew? What was he talking about?

That was it, her heart had stopped beating, she needed air. "It..it calms me down." she said silently, gasping for oxygen, almost choking, and coughing inwardly that the pressure was only on her chest, making it move up and down.

...and then it struck her.

"Y-you...sent this...didn't you?" Along with that note which held the phrase 'I miss you'?

Was it the reason why she felt so comfortable with it around her neck? Because it was from him? There mere thought horrified her, scared her so much. That can't be it. There has to be another reason. It shouldn't be.....She couldn't have........not with him.

And before she knew it, a single tear trickled down her cheek.

It calms me down...

It was almost comical how that tiny piece of information could affect him so much. In a way, this meant that Dylan, himself, calmed her...even though she hadn't known the piece of jewelry was from him.

The heaviness in his chest seemed to dissipation some with this revelation...because really, if someone calmed you, that could only mean one thing...

Dylan couldn't think too much on this new found knowledge, though...simply because his head was still swimming with her close proximity and seeing that...and fighting the urge to kiss her like she'd never been kissed before...and her beautiful brain...

And then...she was asking THAT question. Hearing her voice it...had the Slytherin Captain snapping to attention and finally staring her in the face. Her eyes seemed to pin him in place as he floundered for an answer...

Without any hesitation, Dylan nodded in affirmation. It had been him who'd sent the token of his appreciation. Appreciation for her brilliant mind and beautiful face...and that killer attitude. It all...just did something to him he couldn't fully explain. "Yes...I did." For some reason, he needed to put it out there in tangible words...

Of course...all the positive and amazing feels left him when that tear slipped down Beezus' cheek. Dylan watched it sadly...wondering if they were about to fight again. For all the things the Slytherin was...he just didn't have it in him to argue with her at the moment. Not after having just discovered what he had...

"Please...don't cry." Gah, could he have been any bigger of a JERK?

He nodded, and said that he indeed sent the jewelry. She felt her knees shaking, and if not because of him asking her not to cry, she would've toppled down.

What she'd just discovered made her scared of herself even more. She'd been fearful from the start because of how that single sapphire article affected her so much, how terribly she wanted to know who it was from, and now she knew it was from Dylan....well, from what she already feels towards the Slytherin Captain plus the fact that he sent her the necklace, she knew very well what that meant.

She was falling for him.

And to someone like Beezus, that wasn't a good thing. She'll only get hurt. Frustrated with the realization, the Ravenclaw charged on him, and began pounding and punching his chest. "You sent it?! And you did not tell me? For almost a year?! Do you know how long I've wanting to know?! Do you know how I feel right now?! Youuuu...!" Beezus bit her lip forcibly that she was sure it was going to bleed soon. She wanted to cry, but she didn't want to appear weak to him than she already was.

So screaming her heart out, it is. Basically, she wouldn't even wonder if the librarian kick them out from the corridor.

But she wasn't done yet. She was too distressed to shut up.

"And...and...how dare you get this close to me after kissing her?! You're just like all of them! And you know what? You didn't have to get even with your best friend because he asked me out. If you had more sense, you should've asked me first! It would've have been so hard right? Seeing as how easy you go snogging other girls!" Hah. Deep, loud breathing.

It was one thing she was good at, faking her feelings and putting the blame on him. She just didn't want to admit that he meant more to her than she'd originally planned or even expected.

Elliot slung her bag over her shoulder, just, you know, walking around school...so fun. NOT. She huffed and puffed a little under the weight of her enormous...book load. Homework..it was daunting.

She was on her way to the library..she had to get out of that common room...it was LOUD.

Siiiigh.

She wondered where Maxwell was...or even Presley..or Hannah...it would be nice to have someone to study with..though with Maxwell, studying might be a bit hard. Whatever. She needed to focus on her classes. NOW!

Tay was levitating her book bag as she walked to the library. She needed to study but didnt feel like carrying her things. Tay was singing a random song when she spotted Elliot. Great Maxwell's girlfriend... Tay stopped singing and tried to get past her without being noticed.

While walking, she reached her hand back into her bag and pulled out her Charms book...still walking, she opened it up, and flipped to a certain page..."So if the protection...what..." she was mumbling to herself, and she ran a hand through her hair.

Hmm.

When someone...HUMMING...or singing or something...came along. She whipped around, an annoyed scowl on her face...but she saw the person's face.

Taylor..Maxwell's...sister thing. Half sister? Step sister? It was all just too confusing...Er...Elliot shut the book roughly, eyeing her like she was...crazy....say hello...or not...?

Awkward.

"Um...hello..." *smacks forehead* Elliot disliked this!

Taylor tried to stop the flinched at hearing Elliot's voice. She put on a huge fake smile and glanced at the girl, "Heeeeeeellooooo." Yeah, she was faking the niceness to her since Maxwell begged asked her to be nice to his girlfriend. "Going to the library as well?" Tay gestured to the bag that Elliot was carrying as well as the book. Taylor made sure her things were still floating. This is awkward...

Well. Wasn't that extremely fake. Elliot scowled...but quickly tried to cover it up..honestly? Did she think Elliot was completely ignorant? She wasn't. And she can see right through YOU, Taylor.

But...since she wasn't being exactly rude...or anything..she supposed she wouldn't be either. She sighed. "Yes...I find our common room gets too noisy at this time of the day..." surely Taylor agreed..."I take it you're going?" Yeah.

Elliot tried remove the awkwardness...and she eyed the floating boats. Don't you think about it... she glared at them...they better not FALL.

Taylor nodded, "That makes sense." She smiled then looked at her, "I did say 'as well' did I not?" Tay batted her eyelashes and giggled, to show that she was joking... at least try to make it seem like that. "So, yes, I am going. Studying charms?" Taylor gestured to the charms book, "I need to study that a little bit." She laughed and smiled, "So how is everything with my brother? Is he treating you good? If not, I can always threaten him." Tay giggled.

Elliot raised one of her perfectly pruned eyebrows at her. Annoyance was slowly churning over in her stomach...her icy cold eyes seemed to bore right into her..

UGH.

"Yes...you did." Right. "But I was just making sure...one shouldn't make assumptions, no?" her tone was cool, for now. FOR NOW!

Oh, going to study charms eehhferofhwh Elliot could play her game right back..."Well, yeah, since the book DOES say Charms...I'm glad you can read."

*Smirk*

Oh, and she goes and asks about Max...greeeeaat. Treating her..? Elliot was a tad confused by this, but answered, "Er...yeah. He's great...we're great...no need to threaten him, I can that myself, thanks," she said merely looking at the other girl weirdly.

This whole conversation was weird.

Tay's eyes widen at the comeback. She smiled and laughed, "It is hard to get someone to do a comeback yet alone a good one." Taylor was pleased and not offended by it. "That is good that you are doing great and okay." Tay shrugged, "I was just offering." Tay laughed and smiled at her. "Maybe you arent as bad as everyone else has been saying." She smirked.

Well, Elliot had succeeded in NOT ticking Taylor off...that was a good sign, right? "Thanks. I'm pretty clever like that.." she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at this girl...because she should have expected a GREAT comeback from her...she always had them up her sleeves...

Wait..what?

She narrowed her eyes.."As bad as everyone says? Who says?" she asked, her voice a bit accusatory...

Elliot didn't mind...not being liked. But if she was being talked about?!

"I should of figured, with you being in Ravenclaw and all." She laughed, "Oh, I shouldnt say." Tay refused to answer... and tell her it was her as well as Max's other exgirlfriends who are on Max's bad side... eh, it isnt that they were jealous but they didnt like stuck-ups. "It doesnt matter who said it anyways..."

Yeah...you should have...Elliot didn't say this...once again bitting her tongue for maxwell...the boy owed her...big time...

Elliot scowled, this time not holding it in. "That's..fine. Keeping secrets means you're...trustworthy." And now Elliot was severely irked.

But then an evil little smirk crept onto her face.."Oh, it does. I have a feeling I know, though. But whatever..." she chuckled to herself.. it was Minnie..Elliot knew it...she wasn't stupid...

"Trustworthy?" She laughed and smiled, "Nah, I dont know about that..." Tay frowned at her, "Eh, more than one person..." Taylor shrugged and twisted her ring. "I am probably boring you or annoying you... so shall I leave?"

Elliot shrugged..'It was probably Minnie. And Ariana." And you. but she didn't say this..nooopeee. She merely smirked. "That's okay, though. I don't care. " Not really. It was just nice to know who...was walking about you behind your back!

Know your enemies!

"No..by all means..stay.." she said, tilting her head to the side...

Tay blinked and tilted her head to the side, trying to act dumb, "Who?" She raised an eyebrow, "Wait, you want me to stay?" Instant suspicion hit, "Why? What is the catch? What are you thinking?" Taylor took a few steps back.

Elliot's smirk vanished. "Ariaaana..." she said slowly, as if Taylor were stupid, "And Miiiiinnie," she said both of their names, too, even though she wasn't sure WHAT Ariana thought of her....

She shook her head.."No..catch. But your Maxwell's sister. And i'm his girlfriend.." she smiled, but it was so fake, Elliot knew it, too. "We need to get along.." yes.

SO listen up, Taylor.

Tay rolled her eyes, "I'm only being nice to you because of that reason. I dont give a crap about you but I have to fake it in front of my brother." She dropped the fake grin, "I dont like you and that is that, so why dont we only fake in front of Maxwell so we dont waste our energy faking the rest of the time. Sound good?" She looked at her.

Ahh...Elliot was right. Taylor DIDN'T like her..hmm..she snorted. "I didnt have a problem with you...I didn't...I thought you were okay...but...then I found out you don't really like me..." So yeah.

Elliot didn;t waste her time with that...

"I don't want to fake...I would rather us say what we've got to say. One thing you'll learn about me, I'm real....and being fake is not my thing," she said, eyeing her...

Tay laughed, "You thought I was okay? I never did like you ever since the first time we talked. I always found you to be annoying because of you being stuck-up or at least acting like you are stuck up." She rolled her eyes, "I aint fake, at least most of the time. I only fake if Max begs me to be nice to a girlfriend of his that I dont like so that it would cause less drama for him." Taylor sighed. "I prefer him dating Min over you or Ari though Ari and I are friends again so its whatever." Tay shrugged. "I'm going to go because i dont feel like trying to be nice to you."

Elliot merely raised an eyebrow at her. Looking...amused? Yes, amused. Because they were finally being honest. Cutting the crud. "That's your opinion." UH uh...Elliot was stuck up...she knew that...but she had friends that didn't mind that...so it really was whatever.

She smirked a bit. "Oh, I'll be pleasant to you, don't worry. And if you don't ike...well, that's a bit too bad, right?" Because Maxwell...wasn't going anywhere in Elliot's life. And the feeling was mutual. "And you don't have to be nice to me...just for Max's safe. Please, you won't hurt my feelings..." and with that, she flipped her hair, chuckled, and walked away..

What an odd girl.

Forty-three minutes had passed since Em had kissed Max on the cheek, run off to her common room, and left him sprinting up the stairs to his dormitory as fast as he could, just so he could see her again as soon as possible - even though they had agreed to meet forty-five minutes later, and he wasn't sure that she would be waiting for him early.

Now out of his Quidditch robes, showered, and wearing fresh clothes, Max hurried down from the seventh floor. He grew a bit impatient when a staircase moved on him and he had to wait for it to move back, not having the patience to try to take any detours. After what felt like hours of being apart from Emmaleigh, Max arrived on the fourth floor, peeked his head into the corridor, and gave a small sigh. She wasn't there yet, which was... good, of course. He didn't want her to wait around for him.

Leaning against the wall, Max watched the walkway from the corridor to the staircase, anxiously anticipating the moment his girlfriend appeared. He reached up a hand to make sure his wet hair wasn't sticking up anywhere, then he crossed his arms to keep himself from fidgeting further.

Would he always feel this nervous, excited, and queasy over Emmaleigh's forthcoming presence? Every time?