Selina was really REALLY tired of not getting any news on her beater bat. For Merlin's sake, she had been handing out posters for over a day now that they were back to school. Shouldn't she have found her bat by now? It was like no one even really cared. Seriously, what a horrid turn out thus far. People were just not even caring, which was REALLY starting to wear on her last nerve. She missed her bat. Where was everyone's humanity? Ugh... where was Mortimer?

Leaving her posters back up in the dorms, she started to wander the halls just to clear her head. Try outs were going to start soon and she was going to have to focus on that task ahead. As much as she really wanted to put all of her time and energy into this search party, she owed something to her team and to Bentley. So she needed to try and calm herself down before she seriously mamed someone. Which was not what she wanted to do. USUALLY Selina was a lot more tame than she was being this term, she was just... preoccupied.

Dylan had wanted to see the Humpbacked Witch Statue ever since he had heard about it, he decided that this was the day that he would go see the statue. He walked upto the statue to have a look at it, man that was one cool looking statue. The way she was all humpbacked, very old looking witch with those fingers of hers.. sort of beckoning you to come closer before she might decide to hit you with that stick of hers. That hump of hers was awesome too just to look at it sticking out like that.

He walked backwards away from the statue he just wanted to see if it moved or anything when no-one was near it. But to his disappointment it was not moving ... at all when he wanted it to so that he could see a statue move. Still he moved backwards but still no movement from that statue, but he was so busy watching the statue he wasn't watching where he was going and he bumped into a person and wondered who it was that was in his way. He turned around and came face to face with ..... what did Lex call her? crazy bat girl? yeah something like that. Oops! "Oh.. er sorry.. didnt see you there" he said to his quidditch captain.

Being part of the Quidditch team since Selina was a first year, one would assume that Selina would have more reflexes when it came to people sneaking up on her. However, that was one hundred percent inaccurate. When Dylan snuck up on the sixth year she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. She snapped around to see who was her attacker and raised her arm over her head to strike. Although, when she saw it was one of the ickle firsties, she dropped her arm, "Oh. It's just you... Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on people?" Because Selina was pretty sure she was recovering from a heart attack.

Once her breath evened out, she looked the kid up and down. He seemed harmless enough. Not as crazed as that one firstie who drove Selina up the bloody wall. Maybe he wasn't half bad, "I'm sorry... I didn't catch your name there." See? She could be nice... when they weren't CLIMBING THE BLOODY TRAIN!

Dylan was frozen he had no idea what to say, cause he wondered what her reaction would be after having punished him with her Skylar's Flyers for climbing that train. But he was in the same house as her so he couldn't avoid getting told off by her all the time, especially if he was going to be trying out for quidditch. Well it seemed that he had made her jump and he was actually happy for that "No no-one did but I guess you are about tell me that... captain" he added at the end cause afterall thats what she was.

He saw her calm down as she looked at him properly.. what? was she sizing him up for something? he wondered why she was looking at him like that.. when she .. wait she apologised? she actually apologised... she was capable of that? he had no idea "It's ok.. I guess I was looking at that statue over there and not where I was going. " he said to her "Well that may be cause I haven't thrown it out there yet" yeah his mom's new husband (he never called that muggle his step-father) said that once and Dylan thought it sounded cool so he picked it up. "But its Dylan Jacobs.. or DJ if you prefer that.. and if I remember ... you are Selina.. the one with the missing bat" yeah how could he forget that? he could never forget the name that he was constantly repeating to people to contact if that bat was found.

Selina was about to retort something witty to the younger student when she caught the tag of her title at the end of his sentence. That word made her smirk a little. So apparently someone had told him or he had figured out for himself that she was the Quidditch Captain. She rarely used her leadership powers over younger students, but these new first years were the craziest sort that she had ever seen. Using her badge always made Selina sick to her stomach because she wanted to be the type of captain that everyone liked to talk to about anything. When there was a disconnect it made her sad. But at least this boy knew that he was talking to the captain now. Although, he was sort of adorable, so she didn't know if she would be using it much on him. "I am... don't sneak up on people," a soft smile, "Okay?"

And when she asked him name, he got a little sassy. She let out a dry chuckle. She appreciated younger students with a little bit to them. Fighters were who she was looking for, not people who just sat idly by. However, scaling the express was NOT okay. And someone needed to tell that younger that. Because they were at school and now points mattered. At least to Selina they mattered and she would ENFORCE the rules.

"I am the one with the missing bat... and you are the ickle kid who scaled the train. But I like Dylan better. So why don't you call me Selina and I'll call you Dylan," she looked him up and down, By the way... you trying out for the team?" She was curious.

Dylan listened as she told him not to sneak up on people, wait was that a smile creeping up on her face? it sure did look like one. So the smile was invading the face of the very girl that had given him those flyers, the girl that Dylan thought was a mean person for having gone along with the punishment that Kurumi had given them. Though he could understand why she did, who wants to hand out all their flyers to lots of people when you can get little minions to do it for you.

Thats what Selina did, she and Kurumi made them her little minions and had them do the hard work of handing out the flyers. He nodded "Okay, I won't sneak up on people" he said before adding "Sorry" well he had to right? before she would lose her temper again.

He nodded he knew that she was the one, he could never forget the face that handed him the flyers on the platform. "Well I prefer not be called the ickle kid" as she put it, that made him sound like some 3 year old. 3year old he was not "But yes I did have an adventure climbing the train" he wanted to laugh here but he stopped himself, he knew that it would go wrong if he laughed right this minute "Ok you can call me Dylan while I call you Selina" there it was settled they would call each other by these names.

He saw her look at him again.. and he looked down at his uniform.. did he have something on it? Nope he didn't.. he looked back at her as she asked him a question. He nodded slowly "Yeah I am" oh gosh she was going to go hard on him wasnt she? He could just tell right now she was going to work him so hard that he was going to be so tired at the end of the tryouts.

Maybe she could train this little one. After all, he had just told her that he would not sneak up on people anymore, which meant that he was learning. And if he was a quick learner she would seriously consider making him one of her little Gryffindor boys. Besides, those boys always were looking for a new ickle lion to join the ranks, so it would be really nice to throw him into the lot. After all, this boy was going to need lion brothers if he was a Gryffindor. All of the little lions were sweet though, so he would fit just in. But that was only a possibility if she saw that she could, in fact, train him. And not the sort of train that he had climbed. The redhead still was not so happy about that.

"Good," she chuckled, "It's just a safety thing. People at this school have been known to attack when they are snuck up on." Not shockingly, Selina Arden Skylar was one of those people. She just didn't like being snuck up on. It was not that she had anything against surprises because she loved those kind. Just not the type that involved scaring her and/or making her jump out of her skin.

The sorry at the tag end of his sentence was a sweet gesture, so she pet the little boy on his head, "Its okay. Don't worry about it, really." The sixth year was seriously not as scary as she always first came off. It was just, usually, when people first met Selina it was at try outs, where she was a loon, or in the Great Hall, where she was even more of a nutter. Beneath all of the crazy... WAAAYYYY deep down, Selina was actually really, really nice. There was a reason why people sort of liked hanging around with her. That and her best friend carried around cookies.

She couldn't help but smirk when he defended himself about not being ickle. The redhead hated to break it to him, but he was ickle- he was eleven. It seemed that his Napoleon complex was worse than her own. For her age, the Quidditch captain was very short, but hey she was FUN SIZED. However, Dylan was eleven so of course he was ickle. And even if he wasn't short, he was still and ICKLE FIRST YEAR... with cute pinchable cheeks.

Oh goodie. He was trying out for the team. Selina had tried out for the team her first year and it had been the best decision of her life. Even to this day she really enjoyed hearing that younger students were trying out. It never hurt to try and she always liked seeing them get the better of older students. THAT never got old. "You are," she mused, "That's great. What position you trying out for?" She was curious. Quidditch was sort of her thing.

Dylan was seeing new things just hanging out with his captain, she was actually chuckling now too? first a smile and now a chuckle? was she tricking him? he hoped not. But she didn't seem to be that bad actually so that was a good thing right since they are in the same house.

She said what now? "They do? They get that scared that they attack? Who are these people? just for my safety you know.. I should know who they are" he smiled. Yeah and she wouldn't want him getting hurt right so she would tell him who they were.

If that chuckle and smile was surprising then the pat on the head was even more surprising, this didn't seem like the girl who had gone along with his punishment. But he went along with it anyways since she was being nice to him, he smiled as she said not to worry about it.

Yeah he saw that smirk when he said that he was not ickle, he knew that she was thinking the opposite that he was ickle just cause he was 11. But he was not and he would tell that to everyone that called him an ickle kid "I am not ickle! I may be a first year but that does not make me ickle" he pressed on the issue cause he really didn't like being called ickle.

She wasn't mad that he was trying out for the team? Ok who was this girl and what had she done with Selina, seriously.. who was this older girl. She looked like Selina and sounded like her but she was not Selina! He nodded to say that he was in fact trying out for the team, wait did she say that was great!? Okay! He smiled a little before answering her "Umm well I don't know what position I would be good at.. but I guess chaser or beater would be the one for me" well thats what he thought.. since he had never been good at any of the positions.

He would blame his dad for that who was often too busy off working and not playing with him enough. "But I am sure with enough practice I will be the best quidditch player in the whole school!" yeah he would.. just how much practice that would take he didn't know but he would try his best to become the best!

Did she have something on her face or something? Because this ICKLE firstie kept looking at her like she had three heads or something. It was starting to get bloody annoying and if he didn't quit it she was going to make a point of telling him that it was annoying her a lot. Usually, when Selina told people that they were being annoying, at least the younger students, that was the last time they did said thing. Then again, her boyfriend was a repeat offender of ignoring her quips. Every time they were together she insisted that being tickled was not her favorite thing- yet he did it anyway. Of course, he was almost a whole foot taller than her, so what exactly was she supposed to do with that. ALTHOUGH she did have a lot of bite in her for someone her size. So people didn't often cross her.

She had to suppress a snort when the kid asked for a list. It was not like that was the sort of thing that Selina casually carried around on her person. A list of that sort would be just plain silly. People just usually learned from experience... and Selina was a huge fun of education and learning. Smirk. So she just waved away his question, "I'm not going to give you a list. And general rule, don't sneak up on anyone. It's sort of an unspoken rule."

His safety. Hah. Well, they would have to see how safe he would be at the end of the term. His lady friend from the platform did seem like she would be the sort who would annoy some Slytherins... not that Selina had asked anyone to handle the situation....

Now she did actually laugh a little, "You are ickle. You are a first year. Its OKAY to be ickle. I promise. Because you get away with a lot more stuff. Its true." Once you got older Professors did not take much lightly. They had it good and they did not even appreciate it.

He didn't know which position he was trying out for? Well she supposed that was for the best. Honestly, at the end of the day whatever position that they wanted was not always what they got. SELINA and Bentley made the decisions on the final roster. So people had to get used to that and fast. Because that was sort of the way things worked. So she supposed he was handling that well.

But when he said that he was going to be the best she smiled, "You gotta work really hard to achieve that. Do you have it in you to be that dedicated?" Because IF he made the team.... Selina was a dictator at practice.

Dylan nodded showing her that he understood that she wasn't going to give him a list of people, drat! that meant he would have to stop sneaking up on people completely? Yeah that's what she was saying, it was a rule too?

Oh boy there went an idea for a bit of fun he had "Well I guess since its a rule.. an unspoken rule.. I must follow it" even though he didnt want to follow this rule since it seemed like a fun thing to do but now he had been told it was not something he should do. Plus he didn't want to be attacked right? so yeah it looked like no more sneaking up on people.

He heard her laugh as he continued his defence that he was not ickle, ok so now she was finding it funny that he was saying that he was not ickle. Yeah it was ok for you to be ickle when you were a first year but he didn't like it though, wait! was that true?

As he thought back he had gotten away with a few things so maybe it was true and she said so herself that it was true "Yeah thats true, I would get away with more things" he had a little smile on his face knowing that he could get away with things now.

He thought about what she said that he had to work hard for it, would he be able to work hard for it? "Well once I have a few tryouts I will be able to see if I am gonna work really hard for it." he thought about it a little more "And if I wanna be the best.. then yeah I guess I will work hard for it." although he wondered just how hard she was talking about working, that was a question that he wanted answered "So how hard are we talking about?" he asked wondering what she exactly meant.

Maybe this kid would actually be of some use to Selina, as little lion or something. He was sort of quick on his feet and he stuck up for what he believed in. However, unlike his friend on the platform, he did have some sort of social understanding and didn't always comment on things that could get him in trouble. So he was smartish... she could work with smartish. Besides, everyone started their career at this school as a blank canvas. He was just the rough copy right now... she could help mold him. Smirk.

She chuckled, "There are a lot of unspoken rules, you know? And you should probably follow all of them." It was true, there were a ton of rules. Like don't ever prank a Slytherin unless you can run; don't kick a hufflepuff because they will drown you with their tears; don't ever tell a Ravenclaw that they are stupid because apparently that is like cutting off their legs. Little tiny unspoken rules like that. But he would learn those as he went along in school.

See? Being ickle was not so terrible. There were upsides to everything in life. Except being without one's bat. There was NOTHING positive about that. Speaking of which she needed her bat as quickly as possible. Maybe later, when she turned this boy into a little lion, she could coherse him into putting up more posters. Good plan.

"Good... I'm looking forward to seeing you work. If you make the team of course because you need to work for everything you get in life." She would NEVER put someone on the team just because. The redhead wanted to win... she would NOT just put people on the team to put people on the team.

Dylan could not believe what he was hearing there were more unspoken rules, and wait he had to learn them all in order to follow them? "How many more? cause its just fun not to have so many rules hanging over my head" he said to her as he tried to think of any other rules that there may be, but he couldn't think of anymore.. maybe Selina could tell him some more so that he could not avoid them

Yeah yeah.. being a young kid was fun.. but he hoped to have just as much fun and get away with just as many things when he is older. He wondered what else he could get away with, that would be awesome to know just how much he could get away with. Though he knew there were going to be come limits as to how much he could get away with, but he would stay within the limits of course!

Dylan just wanted to roll his eyes at the mention of work, it seemed that he had to work for almost everything why couldn't things just come to him instead of him working for it. Maybe he wouldn't have to work as hard if he just figured out a way of getting what he wants without working too hard. "Oh! I will make the team! Just depends if I can work as hard as you expect me to, which I will know once I attend the tryouts" he had to make the team if he wanted to be the best in the school!

Speaking of quidditch reminded him "Capt.. I mean Selina.. did you find that bat of yours" the one that he handed out a bunch of flyers for. There had to have been some progress after they worked hard on the platform to let others know that her bat had gone missing. He wondered if she used that same bat in the matches if she did, she was now going to need a replacement one if she didn't find her own.. which if he remembered had a name.

Jayden entered the third floor and headed over to the humpbacked witch statue. After holding in her laughter from the common room, she finally exploded in hysterical laughter.

BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


She was now just waiting on Elliot to come and find her, they needed some girl talk... and some apologizing to happen.


*giggle*

The fact that Dylan seemed so preturbed by these unspoken rules was VERY amusing to Selina. Honestly, this kid was hysterical. His head looked like it was going to pop off if she did not tell him all of the unspoken rules. But... er... wouldn't that defeat the purpose of it being unspoken? If she spoke of it then it wasn't an unspoken rule anymore. Right, this is something that she had to bring up, "I can't tell you. I mean, they are unspoken rules. If I TOLD you what they were... it wouldn't be unspoken anymore." She pet his head, "Don't worry... you'll figure it out."

At least he would eventually... maybe... ah well. No big deal.

This kid was a lot of things, but he was DEFINITELY confident. Seriously, he WAS going to make the team. That wasn't exactly the way someone should be speaking to the captain. Because only she knew the answer to that question and he hadn't even tried out yet. Her face fell a little before replying, "Erm... you can't know that... Only I know that..." A try out was a try out for a reason.

Trying to brush that off, she was suddenly distracted by the whole thought of Mortimer. With a small waver to her voice, because this was VERY emotionally, she said, "No... I haven't...."

meh.

Elliot was still pretty much fuming. Like a lot. Steam should have been coming out of her ears.

The blonde had raged all the way to the library, calmed down a bit, but she still felt anger bubbling just below boiling point...UUGGHHH!

Stupid Presley! stupid Jayden's singing. AND Stupid Cora's extreme niceness/scariness! IT ALL MADE ELLIOT SUPER MAD!

She was trying to get back to normal, when she spotted JAYDEN.

She stalked up to the girl, pointed a finger at her, touching the front of Jayden's robes, and growled, "Quit caling me Lacy, Fishface!"

Jayden was still chuckling to herself, when Elliot came up and started POKING her on the shoulder with her finger. "WHAT IN MERLIN'S GOOD GRACES IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Jayden bellowed, no longer in a happy mood. "And QUIT calling me FISHFACE then, ELLIE!" She cried, poking Elliot back.

Hmph.


Stupid Lacy.

"No need to raise your voice at ME Jayden!" she shot back, crossing her arms and backing up. And she pulled the 'Ellie' card. She growled under her breath..."And nothing is wrong with me! Presley is a....UGH!" she cried.

A brat? Whatever. Elliot didn't even quite know why she was angry. She knew she wasn't angry at presley...well, until the girl said Elliot was no fun. And it kind of hurt Elliot..because...well...Elliot thought it was true.

She shoved her hand into her pocket, grasping her wand. She felt it grow warm. "And then you came in, all happy and singing...HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO REACT?!"

"She's an 'UGH!' Just as much as you are, Elliot. No ONE is perfect, including you. So YOU just need to get over yourself. I'm sorry that you got your feelings hurt, but you need to learn how to control yourself..." Jayden shot back, her eyes darkening with anger.

What the?

"Oh NO you don't!" Jayden cried, her hands reaching in her robe pockets for her wand.


Now whatever happened, it was Elliot's call.

Dylan frowned a little as she went through her whole speech about unspoken rule, well yeah sure she was right they couldn't be spoken but no-one needed to tell anyone that she had said it right? Yeah.. it was just them two and that old witch statue but no-one else, so no-one needed to know unless there was someone hiding in that statue which he didnt think there was. Again she petted his head and said that he would figure it out "Yeah! I can figure it out, I am a smart ki.. boy!" he said almost saying kid of which he was not!

He saw that her face fell a little, okay what did he say wrong now? It was obvious that whenever anyone did that.. that the other person had something wrong. Ohhh so thats what burst her bubble, sheesh these captains! Couldn't even allow a ki.. no a boy to have a little fun in thinking that he was going to make the team.. no worries he would let it slide for now "Yeah I know.. and when you see me in that try out.. you will know for sure!" yeah she would know that he belongs on the team! "Don't worry not taking your job, just having a little fun" he chuckled

But soon stopped as he heard that she hadn't, hmm well that was strange that no-one had seen the bat and it was not in many of the places she had looked at. "You know what I think? I think the Slytherins hid it so that we wouldn't be able to win in a match" yup that was his theory and they had better return it or else!

Elliot scowled. She was perfect. In EVERY way. OR was she? Her father used to think so..but now...

She shook her thoughts from her head. "My feelings aren't hurt, that's for sure." She said, her voice surprisingly calm...and cold. Her eyes bored into Jayden's.

And oh no! Elliot immediately withdrew her hand. "No..I do that sometimes when I'm angry...it's a bad habit I should get out of. Don't be thick, I'm not going to curse you or anything, Jay," her voice was now normal. She was now breathing normally...and she was feeling a lot better. Suddenly. Randomly.

"Well... that's good. Wouldn't want to hurt your ego..." Jayden snapped back, her voice softening and her hand leaving her wand ONLY when Elliot retracted her hand and started acting normally.

"Have you gone mad? What has gotten into you lately?" Jayden scolded, her mouth set in a firm line. Jayden could only take so much of Elliot's temper before she had to draw the line.

"Elliot, as much as you don't want to admit it I'm your friend. I care about you, I hope you can see that..."

Yes. Elliot was quite sure she was mad. Nuts maybe. "Probably so," she said back, equally as serious. "I just get so angry sometimes. It runs in our blood, to have bad tempers." Her voice was just above a whisper, now, "and my father's is the worst." She winced, slightly.

But then her wince was gone and she appeared fearless...as usual. And she was not saying sorry. NO!

"I can admit you're my friend. And that you..." she raised an eyebrow.."Care about me. That's not a problem..what are you getting at?" Because she didn't quite see what Jayden was trying to say?

"Oh Elliot! I'm so sorry about your father! What he does isn't always right..." Jayden replied, her voice soft. "But still, that temper has GOT to go. I can't take much of it anymore... it's so stressful!" She shook her head, her eyes filling with unshed tears. Jayden could be such an empathic person sometimes.

"What I'm getting at is I don't want to lose you as a friend because of your hotheadedness..."

Selina was glad that the little kid dropped the subject of the unspoken questions. It did sort of defeat the purpose of the whole thing. You know, the unspoken rules wouldn't be unspoken anymore if she spoke of them. So she was glad that Dylan agreed it was better to preserve the dignity of such an old set of rules then to exploit them for personal gain. Because she would hate to see the reputation of the rules if they were soiled. "You are a smart kid," she chuckled, "Oops, sorry. I meant, boy." No she didn't.

However, the fact that he was just assuming that he would make the team upset her a little. That was not what she wanted her little Gryffindor to think because life did not work that way. If you wanted something you had to work for it and then MAYBE, if you were good and lucky, you would get you want. No one just got on the team because they knew it. If that was the way it worked EVERYONE would make the team. But she did not want to scare the kid, so she settled for just saying cautiously, "Okay, well bring your A game for try outs and we will see." That was all she was going to say about that.

HER BAT! Her baby bat. Her beautiful baby bat. The bat that had been ripped out of her hands from some unknown person... well not actually... it was a metaphor. But the Slytherin comment did make her laugh, "I don't know if they'd do THAT... but its a cute thought." Cute kid.