This was like watching a nightmare play out in reality, right before his very open, very wide blue eyes. First the ice cream, then the girl...a seventh year, but she should have known better than to reveal her presence. She should have known to run.

Erik remained staring at Ivy for a few long seconds, just staring and slowly shaking his head at the offered ice cream. Then he turned on the Gryffindor, who was also still standing there and staring at them both. "Obliviate," the man whispered, pointing his wand at the girl without hesitation and watching, waiting, as the spell went to work.

As soon as he had removed the last hour or so from her conscious, he sent a nonverbal stunner at her and caught her before she hit the ground. Erik dragged over a kitchen stool instead, and arranged the girl on it near the counter. When she woke, she would look as though she had just taken a simple cat nap with her head on her arms. In the kitchens. By the fireplace.

It was Hogwarts. Stranger things had happened.

Once she was all arranged, Erik moved along to Ivy's side and took hold of her arm. "Come on, we have to leave," he said with a quiet sigh. "There's.......more ice cream for you in vhe Great Hall. Much tastier flavours, too."

He hated lying to her like this but he hated this situation more.

Ivy only briefly wondered what he was doing with that girl. She was more concerned about the ice cream that was starting to melt. Since her spoon was still dirty on the floor, she continued to use her finger to swipe little bites out.

Before she could bring the bowl to her face to drain it out, Erik had hold of arm. "Ohp." They were going somewhere apparently. Wheeeeee. Oh, more ice cream! "Ooh, I love ice cream, Erik, did you know that?" She beamed and clung onto his arm. She LOVED ice cream. As of... five minutes ago.

Ivy tugged on his arm excitedly so they could go to the great hall for more ice cream.

Let's goooo!

Before Ronnie could do anything, she was suddenly standing there, unaware of what had just happened. Um. What were these professors doing here? And looking at her? She blinked and then before she could think anymore, everything went black.

. . .

Moments later, Ronnie slowly opened her eyes, blinking. Yawning, she looked around herself. "What in the world...?" she said. How did she get in here? Looking down at the stool, she sighed. She had probably fallen asleep and taken a nap and forgotten. Ah well! Slowly, she stood up and headed to the common room, feeling awfully tired for some reason.

Beezus found a new place for herself. It was a very cool place.....cozy, because of the fire crackling merrily right there, plus it was very close to food. She could just cross the room and then she wouldn't ran out of ice cream. The ice cream machine would be more than happy to give her some, she was sure of that.

And so.....she thought this was a perfect place to have her date.

But it wasn't with Dylan, nope. It was with someone else. Pssh. She wasn't cheating. Beezuses didn't do such things.

What Beezuses do is sit down on a chair and nom on some ice cream while she wait for her date.

Erin strutted her way towards the meeting place. It was morning and she hadn't seen the girl from the dorms. Her bed was empty when Erin woke up. Now she wonders... Beezus wasn't the kind of girl who would wake up EARLIER than Erin. She's never been defeated.

When the sixth year reached the kitchen, she saw her date nomming on her favorite food in the world.

Sneaking from behind, Erin reached out for her bestfriend, hugged her and planted kisses on her cheek.

Was this ice cream....mocha....or honey? It looked like vanilla but the taste was a toss between mocha and honey. Ice cream machine was trying out combinations it seems. Not that she minded. It tasted divine.

Beezus sent another spoonful into her mind when arms suddenly wrapped her from behind....followed by kisses.

Blink.

Quickly, she whirled around to identify her assailant. In mind, she already had a suspect and when she saw the person's face, her guess was proven true. It was no other than Erin...clinging to her like a monkey. "Oh, hey stranger...." She nommed more ice cream. "You know, if you don't stop kissing me you'll get in trouble with the Slytherin Captain."

"I never thought he's the jealous type," Erin giggled. After the hug war, she settled herself beside the fireplace in front of Bee. She was happy to see her and tell her about some things. Things that were bothering her lately. She gave her a soft but sweet smile.

Well, she'd been skipping classes lately. It has something to do with her depression. Apart from the recently break up from her Muggle boyfriend whom she met on the summer of her fifth year, it was just recently known to her that she'd been bethrothed to someone she hadn't even met before.

Talk about controlling her life.

And now, talking about Beezus' boyfriend,"You're up early. So, how are things going with your Captain?" She knew that Bee had never been happier before.

..."Well then, you thought wrong." Because when Dylan got jealous....he's crazy jealous. That was just one of the million thing she loved about him.

Beezus resumed her ice cream nomming when Erin sat down, then scooped another spoonful of ice cream and without permission fed it to her bestfriend. She could tell there was something bothering the girl. She wasn't as....bouncy.

Hmm. They were talking about boys now. Hmmmmm. Something was really up. "You're not....usually interested in my escapades with Dylan....because you once said you don't like him for me. Now you're asking how are things going on with him." She licked the spoon. "What's up Cornelia? ....Don't you dare lie, too. I'll know." So spill it like milk.....generously now.

...then suddenly Bee gave her a spoonful of her ice cream. Erin had been eyeing the food for a while now but she never thought that it would land on her mouth untidily. This girl.

She pouted but let it pass. She swallowed the sweet ice cream with a flavor she couldn't really distinguish. "Thanks," she just blurted out while giving Bee a sharp look. One of their many childish wars.

"It's not that I don't like Dylan for you but it's just that I like Spike more," she answered almost stopping but then continued for Bee to not make any issues,"...for you...But that was BEFORE." Where she emphasized the last word. "You know about the rough past. But I can see that you're happy with him." Avoiding Beezus question about herself, Erin added, "So, is he good in snogging?" Erin beamed widely. She was aware that it was such an awkward question but they were betfriends. No secrets.

And another spoonful of vanilla-looking-mocha-dash-honey-flavored ice cream, Heyman. Say aaaaaahhh. Yep...very good girl.

...What? They feed each other like that. It was just the way it was with her and Erin. They were pretty much straightforward with each other. No matter how rude or hurting it may sound, they tended to be honest. Guess that what kept their friendship solid and firm despite the many circumstances along the way.

Back to their convo. Right now, Beezus felt like she had to exert extra effort just to squeeze out the truth from Erin. It was obvious that she was avoiding the Prefect's questions. Waving a hand at her friend, Beezus said, "Yeah, yeah.....you told me that too...before." Apparently, people liked Spike for her....more Ravenclaws at that. But she just couldn't see him as more than a brother figure. And even though it was difficult.........rejecting his feelings....she did it.

She had Dylan. She was happy with him and couldn't ask for anyone else.

Snogging? Gah, Beezus grimaced a bit. "Merlin...Erin.......can't you at least pretend to be awkward with me? You're treading on private grounds.....but yes, he is......a good kisser." She turned to her ice cream, blushing. "Enough about me and Dylan.....spill it now.. I know you have something bothering you." She'd make sure Erin would tell her about it....by hook or by crook.

However, the past is the past. With the future unknown, the present is the most important thing. And Dylan is Beezus' present. As long as she's happy, Erin is happy too. That's what friends are for, right?

Before Bee could even answer, Erin couldn't help herself to have a taste of that ice cream again. It suited her taste buds. She took the cup from the girl and had a spoonful of it. It tasted really good. "Do...I ...shhhhhhound awk...wooorrrd?" Erin asked with the spoon still on her mouth.

How could Beezus talk about privacy when almost everything about Erin has been known to her, with all her complex beginnings. She could keep a handful of secrets to some of her friends but not to this girl. Since, she really had no one to talk to about this. "Seriously, how could you always figure me out?"

How does she even start this out?

Ice cream taker. Beezus squinted her eyes at Erin when the girl took her cup. "Geez. Go get one for yourself." And by now, she struggled to take back the cup from her friend....but she stopped for a while at the question.

....Huh? Deaf Beezus was confused Beezus. But because this girl seemed to have been cut off from the same umbilical cord as her...she figured what she was trying to say after a while. "No. You don't sound the least awkward.....Oi! Don't be like this when you're talking to my boyfriend, okay? You'll embarrass me." Of course she was joking...she loved Erin the way she was. Pffft.

Hence, why she was sure there was something....whatever it was. Beezus shrugged and shifted on her seat, eyeing the fire. "Let's just say.....that if you've got the sickness, I've got the cure. I'm the peanut butter to your jelly, am the shoes to your laces, the key to your padlock." Who was not going to laugh at those things she just said? She knew she did..... "Heh. Now say it. "

*SERIOUS LOOK......kinda*

Seeing Beezus' hand zooming unto the ice cream, she immediately pulled back. She wanted more. And, since when did Beezus doesn't wanted to share things with her? Maybe because of the ice cream.

Bee suddenly stopped. That's when Erin heard the Prefect talking about her boyfriend..again. Trying to make sense about this. "You're talking about him again," Erin teased. Seems like the Ravenclaw Prefect couldn't stop thinking about her Dylan. Since when did Captain Montmorency talked to Erin Heyman? DUH.

"Are you sure your middle name's Evangeline? Not Cornelia?" Erin stick out her tongue following it with a simple smile. That's all she could manage right now. She was so glad, she was having this moment with her bestfriend. Silly as it may seem, Beezus was the best sister she ever had. Out of the three contenders, she was number one.

"The thing is....

the thing is....nah...

I shouldn't."

Fine. Erin can have her ice cream. She wasn't feeling that full now anyway. What she wanted right now was for Erin to start talking, to tell her what was up, to share what it was that's bothering her.

Beezus wasn't going to stop until she did.

"Beatrice Cornelia Castell?" She made a face. Ew. Her name was already ancient as it was. No need to add defective manure to the soil. "Yeah.......no, thanks." She was good with Evangeline.

And Evangeline wanted to know what it was that was making her best girlfriend act like the way she was. "The thing is?"

Gah. Talk about taking time.

"Say it, Erin. Say. It."

Feeling a little guilty about the ice cream, she decided to put some spoonfuls in her friend's mouth. She wasn't usually that childish. Things just had been really rough lately.

It seemed like, things had been out of her control recently. And she didn't like that. She was of age now, and that had been used as a weapon to control her life...by her parents.

Hearing Beezus' irritation to hear the thing...Erin finally spilled.

"I'm engage..." she gave in a tiny smile raising both of her eyes. This was supposed to be a happy message, right?

Ice cream...in her mouth. She was being fed. She approved of this. Yep. So the brunette nommed away while she kept her dark brown eyes on Erin....giving her a look that so meant she was waiting....for the spillage.

....And then her best gal said it.

...................................Engaged?

She was engaged? O______________o

"Huh?

Hold on. Wait. Freeze. What in Merlin's underpants did she just hear? Did she even heard it correctly? Engaged? Who? Erin? .....WITH who?

"...................What?"

.....Yeah. Please explain?

She couldn't exactly read Beezus' reaction. Happy, sad, excited?

One thing for sure, she was shocked.

"I was owled the other day," she managed to choke out while avoiding Bee's stare. Yes, she'd been holding this all to herself for a day now. She couldn't talk to anyone. Elise's busy with Quidditch. Tiffany's nowhere to be found. Kat's distance seemed like millions of stars. And Raven's...gone. She only had one person. It was her bestfriend.

"...a parcel from home." She felt her insides burning, her face turning red which... could indicate her blushing. But she wasn't. She was actually feeling nervous.

She was STILL not getting it.

Beezus face scrunched up into a confused expression, eyebrows knotted together, her nostrils might as well as flared up, mouth parted as though there was something she wanted to say but couldn't quite find words, her eyes piercing on Erin even though the girl was looking the other way.

Taking a deep breath, she suddenly stood up and turned to her right, putting her hands on her hips.

Then she shook her head. "You....were owled....that you're engaged?" This had to be the most confusing confession of the decade. And it was affecting her more than it should. Come on, this was her best friend.

"...........Wh---Erin....what the heck? .....To...to who? Is.........this a joke?" To her muggle boyfriend? What even.....last thing she knew, Erin broke up with him.

Erin was having the moment when suddenly, Beezus' stood up with hands on her hips, seeming confused.

The thing is, Erin herself couldn't comprehend the situation. Instances like this, though she was a Ravenclaw, she couldn't exactly find the right words.

She looked down, wasn't entirely sure how to phrase it. She clasped her fingers together and then looked up towards Bee. "Aren't you happy for me?" she asked giving one of her famous poker faces. She's been good at this. She just hoped, this will do for today. She figured out, she wasn't ready yet to confer about it.

And her confusion, her pitch, her tone makes Erin scared even more.

Beezus was sure that her confusion was showing on her face. She didn't even want to try and hide it.

Erin was looking up at her with a face almost devoid of expression. Pssh. They might not have seen each other for a long time but Beezus could tell when her best gal was putting up such a face for show.

Was she happy for her? .......UGH. What was she supposed to say? She didn't even know if she was happy for her or not. All she knew was that she wanted more details about this so called engagement. ".....Do you want me to be happy for you?" Realizing that this seemed to be edgy somewhat, the Prefect immediately tagged on, "I mean.....I can't....I'm trying to......absorb this first." And it was damn hurt to absorb too.

UGH. UGH.

"Can you...clear things up for me first?....How are you engaged? And to whom? And....why do I not know of his existence in your life?" If Erin and this guy decided to be engaged then she must have been with him for a while now, but why didn't Beezus know about him? Why....and why......more WHY.

Sigh.

Echoes of Beezus' voice pierced through Erin's soul. She felt like she was being accused of something. And Erin doesn't want that. She actually wanted some consoling. But she knew how Beezus could be. The girl doesn't want confusion. She wanted facts.

"Yes," Erin answered upon gearing Bee's question. "...I mean, it should be a good thing, right?" Ugh, now what was her plan?

And about the guy...

Erin knew, she has no escape from her bestfriend's inquisition and never will this girl leave her alone. "I don't know him either." She manage to whisper while staring at the floor. "Like what I have told you, I've been owled by Mum the other day, telling me that I am engage to be married. Blah. Blah. Blah....telling me that I am 18 now and...they've been planning about this all along." There. It all came out.

She was shocked more than anyone else.

Engagement....a good thing? Well....yeah? She wasn't sure. She was not engaged, so she didn't the feeling but it shouldn't be so bad, right?

.....IF you know who you're being engaged to and actually have the feeling that would make butterflies flutter in your stomach....if not, then......Beezus didn't know. That might as well be a terrible thing. Being set up to be married with someone you don't even know...you don't even love.

At the moment, she was beginning to hold grudge against Erin's parents for creating this sort of commitment for their daughter when it was....ugh, frustratingly unethical....she was their daughter, not a thing to be sold or given away or something like that.

Tsk. Tsk.

Beezus was immensely shocked, but she could only imagine Erin's when the girl was informed about it. And from the expression and behavior she was getting from her friend, Beezus knew that Erin didn't have her heart on this one. A sister could tell. Slowly, she knelt down in front of her friend and patted her knees gently as she tried to catch her eyes. "And you agreed?" Merlin......

...FINALLY, Bee's calming down. She was silent for a while, contemplated about the situation probably.

Erin was waiting for Beezus' next words and immediately felt the excitement when she suddenly moved her lips. Erin was intently watching the opening and closing of Beezus' lips, oblivious of the girl's words. This conversation is making her sick.

When Erin came into her senses, her bestfriend's words echoed in her mind.

Are you agreed?

Erin was quiet for a moment. Erin was perfectly caught off guard.

Erin was the kind of girl who falls in love easily. If the guy made his moves, she might just fall for him. But the problem is, his identity's still unknown. "Do I have to?"

Realizing about her words, she was more than shocked to what came out of her mouth, but still continued, "...I mean, I don't have anyone right now."

If truth be told, Beezus wanted to just tell Erin to disagree to the engagement from the very moment she learned that her best friend didn't in the very least knew the guy she was being engaged to. But hearing her answers after, the brunette held her tongue and breathed.

Her best gal wasn't easy.....but she could fall quick if the guy treated her right and whatnot. "Erin....it's an engagement. An agreement to get married...not just a pairing up thing. Once you agree, it won't be easy to say otherwise." And she knew Erin wouldn't want to disappoint her family. "Have you already given them your word? What about your muggle boyfriend?" It might sound like they were SUCH damsels in distress right now, but an engagement to a stranger was just something to get serious about. "I thought you two were going......strong?"

...Or at least that's what Erin used to tell her.

"I know. I know." She blabbered on and on. As much as she didn't want to be lectured like this by Beezus, which by the way she always does, she couldn't deny the fact that she was perfectly right. It was a foolish thing to have a relationship with someone you don't like, what more to get married with someone you don't even know the name.

She looked straight into Bee's eyes and spoke, "Last thing I wanted is for my Mum to send a Howler letting everyone know about this." That was mostly on top of her worries. That would be her end, for sure.

Though her Mum had been nosy about her life, she was sure, this was all her Dad's plans. "What I know is that it's my older sister's getting married. Not me." Bee's next words made Erin's body tremble. The thing is, she hadn't told her about the Muggle ex-boyfriend yet. "We've been having a rough patch lately..." avoiding Bee's eyes, "...which eventually lead to breakup."