Merlin, Toby really needed to look for his copy of his timetable or start writing down what classes he had each day, because this 'carry around every single textbook and follow people in my class to what's hopefully the right lesson' was starting to become an issue. Carrying around a schoolbag laden with so much KNOWLEDGE was doing a real number on his back and shoulders, and more than once Toby had ended up losing something right at the bottom of said bag, by which point he usually considered it gone for good.

Which is what had just happened; Tobias had been searching the confines of his Marvel messenger bag (an old birthday present from Ella), when a leather bracelet that he treasured dearly had gotten snagged and fallen off inside. Toby felt just plain WRONG without wearing it, and had decided to stop and search.

"Excuse me, sir," the Hufflepuff said politely to the nearest suit of armour, as he slid his bag off his shoulder and dropped it directly at its feet. He draped his outer robe, which had been threaded through the bags strap, over the armour's shoulder, sat cross-legged on the floor, and began rooting around. Maybe while he was here Toby could take a look for that Potions homework too, and hope that it wasn't too scrunched up by this point.

Given the social climate and the time of day, Cutty was feeling rather inspired. There were a number of ideas he'd already written in his journal that he'd been meaning to try out. On his slow and thought-filled descent to the dungeons, the last person he thought he'd see was Tempus. In fact, he thought he was doing a rather good job of avoiding the badger, which he began doing where it could be done in order to forget weakness and not be so inclined to spontaneously vomit. For Tempus, the thought of him, his voice, his name even made the boy sick to death. Disgusting human being that one.

And there he was, being disgusting...looking through his bag, chatting to armour politely. It was a lucky thing Cutty hadn't eaten, he reminded himself as he stopped short there in the corridor blank faced and perhaps a little curious.

"Lookin' fer soomethin' yer lost, Tempus?" He asked, every last ounce of malice carefully double-strained out of his tone.

By this point, Toby had begun taking aaaaaaaaaall his books out of his bag and stacking them on the floor beside him, with the result that the pile of textbooks ended up looking like they couldn't possibly fit inside the bag. But they had; Toby had the shoulder strain as PROOF.

All of his books were out and at his side and Toby was rooting through all manner of parchment and old quills and empty ink pots when he heard Cutty speak.

The Hufflepuff looked up, the surprise evident on his face, because WHEN had Cutty and he last spoken? Or been alone together. No... wait... he knew the answer to that last one.

"Yeah," Toby replied, forcing one of those grins that just seemed to come so easily. "Wouldn't be looking if it wasn't lost, y'know?" Heh. A little joke which... made Toby feel really weirdly awkward. Were they on joking terms? ... Uh.

"I'm just... looking for my potions homework is all," he quickly added, looking back to the large handful of parchment he'd just extricated from his bag and shuffling through it. But still.......... thinking. About stuff.

Just walking along, nit paying attention, Jonas ignored the other students after and then he felt his left leg give and his ankle rolled causing him to collapse to the ground. He groaned and the other studnets were probably too far gone to notice, he looked at his ankle. It hurt a lot and it was a bit inflamed. He tried to get up. He tollerated the pain as he walked on a limp to the near by hospital wing. Thankfully it was on the third floor.

What was that sound?


Oh, Cutty was laughing. Not outright hysterically cracking up or anything, but enough to convey a sense of amusement at the reminder of the obvious. Obvious. Merlin. Toby was so obvious. "It's probably in the last place yer gonna look."

Tempus wasn't a muggle. Why'd he insist on doing the things the hard way. Physical? Quidditch player? Quidditch player. Quidditch player. The real wives of Godric's Hollow. Summer place on Ibiza. Roe. Shrake roe. Weakness. Unforgivable weakness. Cutty drew a bit closer to the badger boy before speaking again, "Have yew tried using Accio?"

Laughter. Laughter was always good, and Toby grinned right back.

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding his head and deciding to go on with the jest/teasing. "Wouldn't keep looking once I found it, after all."

Man, how much parchment was even in here? And... was that...? Yeah, that was definitely his charms homework from... third year. Wooooooooow, this bag needed clearing out. Soon. When he could sit still long enough to properly go through everything.

Uhhh... wait, what? Toby looked up again and blinked. For a second, his expression was blank, but then it relaxed into his neutral smile.

"I hadn't thought of that," he said simply before pulling his wand out of his pocket. He SUPPOSED it wouldn't be much of a cheat, because really, that homework was gonna take forever to find. "Accio Potions Homework!"

Several sheaves of parchment extracted themselves from Toby's bag, and he grabbed them from the air, already getting to his feet. "Here it is!" A quick rummage through to make sure everything was there, and Toby smiled up at the Slytherin. "Thanks, Cutty."

Cutty noted the dexterity and swiftness of Toby's hand as it reached for the parchment midair and did NOT miss it's mark. His large brown eyes locked onto Toby's blue ones and watched them follow with the utmost of focus. Something he had not ever seen from the school's pitch no matter how good the omnioculars the Harpy had sent him were.

"Honestly, Tempus. It's like yew've forgotten yer magic." It came out a great deal snottier than Cutty intended as his mind replayed the effort for naught with the Harpy and the broom. "And how to clean out yer skewl bahg. Pack!" He said aiming to reload Toby's parchments and supplies in an organized manner into the bag. Having a 'travel agent' for a mother and family scattered here and there made that spell very familiar and easy for Cutty.

"..."

It probably did look like that. But Toby knew it wasn't quite too. He looked at Cutty for a moment, attention drawn because of his tone at first, though he didn't reall dwell on that long.

"Something like that, yeah," the Hufflepuff replied at last, smiling, and then quickly looking back at his schoolbag which was being neatly repacked by Cutty. Toby felt that familiar unpleasant tug in his chest and smiled in a strangely apologetic way at the Slytherin. "Thanks Cutty," he said again. "You didn't have to do that. 'Preciate it, though."

Toby didn't pick the bag up just yet, that thing was heavy, too heavy to just stand around holding onto. He looked at the Slytherin, and fiddled with his potions homework, turning it over and folding and unfolding and refolding and rolling it int his hands. "What're you up to, anyway?" Like, right now. Here. And now. Small talk? Maybe.

"I know." And at that Cutty sounded confused, bewildered and impressed-with-himself all in equal measure. Merlin Toby had alot of stuff. Always bored? Well so was he. But Cutty barely made that connection, if at all. He had nothing in common with this Hufflepuff or anyone else for that matter. "Joost on m'way to the dungeon."

"Where're yew headed to? On yer way to Professor Walton's greenhouse to apologize?" Dead-eyed inquisitiveness.

Toby nodded again. Always with the nodding. He was like some kind of assenting, agreeing machine, with his inability to say 'no' apparently so deeply ingrained his head that he perpetually looking like one of those nodding dog ornaments that muggles kept in their cars.

"Oh, no. I've just come from Professor Fuller's office. I was just heading back dow- wait, what?" The Hufflepuff stopped and blinked at Cutty, his expression blank, and then just a smidge confused. Had he... done something that he needed to apologise for? Toby didn't think so... but now Cutty had said about it he was doubting himself. He bit the inside of his lip but tried to respond as stoically as he could. "Did... did I do something bad?"

Oh Merlin. Had he been flouncing around the castle as Prince Charming or something after all? And unknowingly offended the man? It was totally possible.