"yes you did, you hit it twice." she looked at her "where does it hurt?"

Tay sighed and muttered, "What is happening..." She motioned to the back of her head then said, "Whenever I seem to forget stuff, it hurts right here." She motioned to her forehead.

"humm, Are you sure you dont want to go see someone, maybe even just a prefect or something? your worrying Damon & I?"

Tay looked at her, "I dont wanna go to the healer... but a prefect... they arent scary... just no healer..." She shook her head.

Okay let's go inside and see who we can find."

Harlan entered the Great Hall, her mouth opened in awe as she looked up at the ceiling, or what was supposed to be the ceiling. Instead of a boring ceiling she was staring up at the sky. And it looked awesome. She laughed to herself, nan and granddad may have told her stories about Hogwarts but nothing compared to this. On a bright night you might even be able to see planets and stuff! Harlan grinned, this was amazing.

An even bigger smile formed on her face when she looked out over the Great Hall that was filled with loads and loads of students. There were probably more people in this Great Hall than she'd ever seen in one single place.
Harlan decided that as soon as she'd get to the common room tonight she would have to write her nan and her dad and her mam and her brothers and.. everyone.
'I love it here..' She mumbled to herself as she looked up at the sky again.

Walking back into the Great Hall the cacophony of sound gave her pause. The potions has kicked in fully and she felt better. Nell has slipped of to the ladies room to straighten up her appearance. Her hair was now pulled up in a messy bun and she didn't look like death warmed over.

The smell of the food wafted to her nose and her stomach made an answering growl. Still she continued to stand in the doorway taking things in. So much had changed in the last half hour and her mind was still trying to catch up.

What else could happen tonight?

Will had gotten up from his seat at the Hufflepuff table to go speak to a friend over at one of the others. He was now making his way back across the hall when he saw her. He would have recognized her from a mile away. He couldn't believe that he was actually standing there looking at Penelope. Her back was turned towards him so luckily she couldn't see him gawking at her. He seriously debated just going back to his seat and pretending he hadn't seen her. He was still kicking himself for just leaving after his fourth term and never really getting to say goodbye.

He finally decided that he was going to have to face her sometime, and he truely had missed her. He quickly thought of all the possible ways that he could have said hello to her. He tried to think of something smooth to say or something charming. It was hopeless though, Will wasn't exactly the most suave person in the room. Once he had made it across the room to her, he reached around her and covered her eyes with his hands. "Guess who" He said in her ear. He knew that his accent was still thick enough that she'd recognize it, or at least he hoped that she would.

Just when she thought the evening couldn't get any weirder....

A pair of hands descended over her head and obscured her vision. Nell reached up and almost ripped the offending hands away from her face and give their owners a sound thrashing but she stilled when the owner spoke. That voice....could it really be? No. He was at Durmstrang by now, right? But that voice..the accent...

"William?" She whispered.

As soon as he covered her eyes he could tell that Nell tensed up. This didn't exactly surprise him being the headstrong girl that she is. But once he spoke he could see her body language change. He could barely hear her whisper his name but he couldn't help but smile as she did. He removed his hands and stepped in front of her so that they were now facing each other. "Hi Penelope" He said to her with a small smile.

He wasn't sure what exactly to say or do. Should he hug her? He wanted to. Or should he start talking of how much he missed her? He wanted to do that as well. However he couldn't. He didn't know how she would react to him being there. They had stayed in touch throughout the past term with letters, but he had never said goodbye and he had never told her he was coming back. For all that he knew she was mad at him. All he could do was just stand there.

The hands were removed and she spun around at her name. And there he was. In the living flesh. Nell stood there stunned for a few seconds and then she threw her arms around him. They hadn't seen one another in almost two years and he hadn't said anything about coming back. Merlin she had missed him!

Nell laughed as she stepped back. "I can't believe your here! Why didn't you tell me?!" Nell put her hands on her hips looking a little perturbed. Though a smile was flirting with her lips.

Olivia entered the room, she was so full from the feast she couldn't eat another bite. She couldn't wait to try out for quiditch, and she was probably going to try out for gobstones. But she didn't even think she'd have to try out for gobstones, there was something about "anyone being able to participate in it any time" she'd have to ask about that.

She sat down alone and listened the the oncversations going on around her so she could join in. "Looks like love is in here" she said refuring to the two couples that were the only other people sitting nearby. "But siriously, I like it when it rains too" the Slytherin said, pointing at the sky.

The next thing that Will knew her arms were around him. He couldn't help but laugh a little as he picked her up and lifted her a little ways off the ground. He couldn't believe that he was really standing here with her. "Oh I've missed you Nell" he sadi as he set her back down. It had been two years and it felt as if he had only seen her yesterday.

Why didn't you tell me, she asked. That was a good question. "I was planning on writing you a letter telling you I was coming, but it all happened so quickly. You know that this last erm wasn't exactly the best and there wasn't exactly much transition time between leaving home and moving back in with Mere" He said taking a deep breath. "I'm not really sure why I didn't. Maybe I just wanted to surprise you" He said to her with a smile.

"I've missed you too." She breathed. He had picked her up and her breath had left her in a rush. She couldn't believe he was here! She was happy and a little confused at the same time. Mostly happy though. She listened to his explanation with a half smile on her face.

"Well you certainly did that." She chuckled. Now that the shock of seeing him was wearing off other thoughts were starting to crowd in. They had been writing letters back in forth since he had left...but she hadn't seen him in the flesh since he had left. And his leaving hadn't been a happy event.

"Welcome back." She said though her tone was even. It was odd, this meeting. She couldn't ask the usual social questions because she knew all of it already. Though he had left the letters had flowed nonstop. So...where did that leave them?

"How's it feel to be back?"

Lame? Yes. But what else could she say? This was just a little awkward.

Will wasn't exactly sure what to say. He had just spoken all at once and more than he usually did. Then again he didn't usually speak to her, at least not in person.

He was starting to see her attitude change again. She was beginning to get over the shock of seeing him. Her tone had been too even when she welcomed him back. He figured that his departure must be coming back to her. Those had been some of the most miserable weeks for Will, not only being away from her but never getting to say goodbye. He had often hated himself for doing so. True he hadn't had much choice in the matter but that made no difference, he should have found a way to say good.

As she asked how it was to be back he took on her her hands in his and led her over to the end of one of the tables. He didn't even look to see which table it was, that didn't exactly matter right now. "Its been a rollercoaster" He said to her. Through the letters Nell knew enough about his homelife to know that he didn't want to go back to Durmstrang but he had still never told her all of the details. She knew that it was much better for him to live with his sister than be at home. "Its better now though" He said giving her a small smile.

For a moment all that he could do was just look at her. All of the feelings that he had been deeling with for the past year were coming back. His anger of leaving her. His emotions from missing her. Finally after a moment he whispered, "I've missed you Nell" He knew that he had already told her so when he gave her a hug but he couldn't help saying it again. He needed to say it again.

It's been a rollercoaster.

Didn't that just sum things up nicely. She had no doubt that his home life had been a wreck. His family, with the exception of his sister, were a bunch of nut jobs. Having to put up with them and go to Durmstrang had been a trial for him. She could remember reading a few of his letter while tears ran down her face. Nights like that had always made her thankful that her grandparents were as awesome as they were.

Then of course there was her own dealings with the situation. Being left by your then boyfriend without an explanation or good bye had been rough. Nell had been extremely angry when his letter explaining things had finally shown up. It had taken her almost a month to cool off enough to write a reply.

Nell looked down at there joined hands for a moment before gently extricating them from his hold. "I missed you too. It's just...." She placed her hands inside the pockets of her robes taking away the temptation. Nell smiled at him apologetically. "I'm still trying to process all of this. You being back and everything. Writing letters is way different then seeing one another face to face. Things have changed."

Yeah like BIG things! Nell glanced toward her house table and the guy who was waiting there for her.

William had completely forgotten that he had even grabbed Nell's hand until she pulled it away form him. After a year of friendship they had begun dating and then he just left her. He knew that he broke her heart, in turn he had broken his own too. Just another reason to hate his parents.

He listened to what she was saying and he nodded his head. She was completely right that writing letter was different. They were able to stay close, telling each other just about everything, yet they weren't close like they had been before. They were countries apart, they might as well have been worlds apart.

At her last comment thought about things having changed he followed her gaze across the room. He didn't see anyone inparticular but that could only mean one thing. He had often wondered if this would happen. It took him a moment to meet her gaze again. "Say no more" he told her. "You're right, I'm a git for thinking that coming back would mean everything would go back to the way it once was. I don't deserve that, and you deserve better than that" he told her looking down at he table. He had hurt her and he knew it. Nell never deserved to be hurt and he hated that it was by his own hand. "He's a lucky guy you know" He said looking up and trying to give her the most sincere smile that he could manage.

Mason had been looking EVERYDAY for Miss Harlan Isaacs because he wanted to be all excited with her about being a Hufflepuff! She had probably already been informed he had been placed... or maybe not. Depends if she was watching the sorting ceremony or not. Knowing she had been sorted into Hufflepuff as well (because he had watched her get sorted), he started towards the Hufflepuff table but then he saw --

HARLAN!

He snuck up behind her as she stared up at the ceiling, and he proceeded to put his hands in front of her eyes. "Guess who?"

hehehehe.

Nell felt a little distressed at how this was all going but she couldn't change the way she felt or how things had gone between the two of them. Her and William had built up something special and then it had been torn asunder without warning. She knew it hadn't been Will's fault but it had still left it's mark on her.

"We just have to build our friendship back up." It would take time and no doubt a little trial and error but they could make it work. William was one of her best friends and she missed hanging out with him. What would Edmund think about him?

As if he had read her thoughts William made a vague comment about him. Nell smiled. "Thanks." Pulling a hand out of her pocket she touched his arm. "You should meet him. Edmund would like to meet you." She hadn't really talked to Ed about William but the subject had never come up. She remembered making a few comments about being a good pen pal but that was as close as she had gotten. Nell wasn't worried though. Edmund wasn't jealous by nature so he would no doubt be cool with William.

Harlan grinned and made to go over the the Hufflepuff table, with all of her awesome new house mates. So far everyone she'd met was awesome, but she was still hoping that she'd be in the same house as the coolest people she'd met.. She made to head for her table when someone covered her eyes. again!?

But these hands were different, so it wasn't Logan.. And it probably wasn't a mistake either, that would be really weird..

Harlan frowned and tried reaching up for the boys face. Oh wait. She squeaked. Of courseee! 'Masoooon!'
It wasn't like she knew any other boys here at Hogwarts anyway. Harlan grinned and hugged him, but not before noticing his robes. 'You're.. a Hufflepuff too?'
They could eat crystallised pineapples all the time! And do homework of course. But.. crystallised pineapples!

Throughout the letter correspondence the two had decided just to be friends long ago. So when Nell said the word friendship it didn't hit Will like the wall of bricks that it once would have. She was right, the only way for them to be close again was through friendship. He nodded his head and gave her a soft smile. There was no doubt that this would be hard. The most challenging thing would be to let go of the feelings he had for her and be there for her solely as a friend but he was determined to do it.

WIll looked down where she had touched his arm and smiled. Meeting her eyes again he said, "I would like that". There was part of him that dreaded meeting this new boy that had caught Nell's eye, yet there was a larger part of him that wanted to make sure that he was the type of guy that was going to be good to her. He wanted to know that Edmund wouldn't hurt Nell...like he had. "What's he like" Will couldn't help but asking, "Please tell me he's bloody awesome because we can't have you interested in some boring prick" He said to her with a small laugh. Baby steps, he kept thinking, baby steps towards friendship.

Hmm...Lex was officially bored. Her butt was getting tired of the seat at the Gryffindor table and she was getting tired of the view. The people there were nice though, really, really nice but this 11 year was the farthest thing from an expert when it came sitting still for too long. What made it worse the Headmaster hadn't begun her speech as yet and she was getting hungry.

Gaaaahhh, there must have been something to do!

Think Lex...what's the quickest way to gain some attention? Her mind drifted back to the idiot girl on the train. She had been crying and everyone seemed to crowd around her. Hmm...there was an idea. Sucking in a deep breath began crying as loudly as she could without disturbing the Professors at the table. Yeah...she didn't want to draw any attention to herself so she wasn't going to cry all that loud.

There...now to wait for the sympathy and the subsequent conversation that was sure to follow. Nod.

This was interesting, someone was crying Bliss noticed looking up and around her. She had been walking around the great hall, mainly occupying the Hufflepuff table, but she'd decided to take a wander and it had lead her to a girl..who was crying. She walked over to the girl and put a hand on her shoulder. Then she realised, it was Lex! "Oh my gosh, Lex, are you alright?"

Good. Now she had company. Suddenly all her tears dried and she looked over at Bliss; wonderful girl she was to come asking when she saw someone crying. Almost made her feel sorry for faking--almost. Okay maybe not all that much at all. In the end she got what she wanted; someone to talk to. She beamed over at the girl. "Yup, I'm perfectly fine! And you?" BEAM again. Hopefully Bliss wasn't going to be all angry about her faking a few tears to get someone to come over. Really it was quite a spur of thee moment thing and besides...Lex had never been known to think of consequences when she was in the middle of trying to get what she wanted.

Bliss patted Alexa's shoulder absently, hoping that nothing was wrong with the girl. Then, she realised that the crying had stopped and Lex was looking up at her with a smile on her face. Bliss frowned, confused. "Are you sure? You were just crying..?" Bliss asked, confusion clearly displayed on her face. "I'm..good," she answered, looking around for some sort of clue. What was going on? Clearly Lex had been faking, that or gotten over her problem awfully quickly. Bliss decided not to think too much about it and gave Lex a tentative smile. "Hey Lex, by the way," she said hesitantly.