Fingers were working hard. Streccccching UP and UP and ...okay not really up, there was after all only so much you could stretch when it came to figures. A faint gurgling noise escaped his mouth as he struggled to stretch higher.

Bird?

Kyroh spun around, dropping his hands as someone's voice caught his attention. Dot!! "Noo....I'm climbing a tree." Couldn't she SEE?! "Or...almost climbing. I think I have to touch it before the climbing starts."

Tree climbing. Dot hopped up the path to stand next to Kyroh, leaning waaaaay back to check out how the clouds seemed to be sitting in the top branches. She kind of wanted to climb too. With Kyroh.

"We learned to float stuff last term. I can float you up to that branch." Maybe. Was floating people as easy as floating a feather? And she'd never even dropped the feather, so Kyroh was probably safe.

Floating!? Kyroh's eyes grew. "Miss Dora taught me how to do that last term too! She floated me up in the air." He hadn't even THOUGHT of that. SMART Dot. Kyroh wrapped his arms around her for a HUG- half in greeting and half in praise.

"But I kinda wanna do it on my own. Without magic y'know? Best wizard ever right here. Cearly.

And there was all-of-a-sudden hugging happening. Dot bopped her nose against Kyroh's shoulder, which was her own way of saying hello back. And that she didn't mind hugs. Bop bop bop.

"Without magic. I'll boost you." Dot wriggled free of the hug and held out her hands in a little stair step. He wasn't much bigger than her, and it was just a LITTLE boost. She was so strong, really.

"And then you can float me up."

Squint. "You made me lose my page," Toby said, though he still grinned all the same as he watched Soph get into position; apparently he was to be used as some kind of pillow today, which was unsurprising.

Leaving the book where it was, Toby began lazily playing with Soph's hair, looking out over the lake until she spoke again.

"Oh, yeah... absolutely dreadful," he 'agreed', teasing the Ravenclaw as he did. "Simply the worst. Spending time with my best friend? Man, unspeakable." Toby put his hand down over her face. "Aside from just hanging out, I was wondering if you might be up for pulling a little prank?"

Toby pulled his hand off her face and grinned down at her, all innocently. "Nothing big, just a little harmless surprise for someone. Two someones." Hmmm? Hmmmmmmmmmmm?

The LAST time he had tried to hug Dot she hadn't hugged him back, but THIS TIME- well it wasn't much different but kinda? Nose-meet shoulder different. That was good right? The boy BEAMED.

A boost?

He glanced up at the branch again. It wasn't THAT high, but It was too high for him to touch it with just standing straight up or even while jumping, but maybe a boost would give him a bit more height? "Are you sure you aren't a Ravenclaw?" He tapped her head gently. Or maybe she was just a super smart Slytherin? "OKAY! I LIKE you're plan" He said finally, nodding.

Bouncing a bit to pump himself up, he planted his foot in Dot's hands and JUMPED.

Only JUUST reaching the branch his hands wrapped around and the second year stared. Wide eyed. Dangling there. "LOOK! I DID IT!!!!!" Wait- what did he do now?

Kyroh moved fast, and before Dot knew it, she had a full size boy person using her body to kick off from the ground. Dot tried to LIFT her hands to help him up, and as he went upupup, Dot went downdowndown. She sprawled on the ground and peered up at Kyroh, who was now in the branches with the clouds.

"You did it." Obviously. He obviously did it. Without moving anything but her hand, Dot wiggled her fingers at him and smiled just slightly. "I'm not a Ravenclaw. The hat wouldn't talk to me." And it was kinda mean to remind her of it.

DOTTIE DOWN!

Which, Kyroh couldn't really see because looking down made him feel like he was going down. Struggling the twelve year pulled himself up slow and swung his leg over the branch. LOOK! HE CLIMBED! HE WAS SITTING! ON A TREE!

A Hogwarts FIRST! Grinning he finally looked down at his friend. "How'd you fall over?? Did I do that? ARE YOU HURT?" Uhoh. An injured Dot was NOT something to cheer about.

But if she was injured at least she was talking. That was good right?

It occurred to him that he hadn't talked about Dot not being a Ravenclaw yet. And she HAD been upset about it before....."The hat is kinda stupid. But kinda not." Nod. He was quite for a few seconds. "I told it I wanted to be a Slytherin last year. And it told me about all the other houses." Which was POINTLESS. "And then it yelled at me to go into Ravenclaw." Very rudely too. Rude yelling old hat. "And I'm not that smart at all. But If I hadn't gone to Ravenclaw then maybe I wouldn't be friends with Dima and Maddie, and then if I wasn't friends with Dima maybe I wouldn't be friends with you." So Ravenclaw was good for him right? And MAYBE Slytherin would be good for Dot? "I think it's alright you're not with us, 'cause we'll always be your friend no matter what." Even now, when he was in a tree.

And she wasn't.

RULER OF THE TREE!

Dot pretended like she could look up Kyroh's nose from here, and it sort of made her feel giddy and relieved that she wasn't in the tree too. Not where someone could look up her nose. Or up her skirt. Or notice the patched bit on the bottom of her shoes. Any of those things. The ground was nice, and she was still sort of hanging about with her friend. She pulled her hands behind her head and snuggled into the fallen leaves.

"Not hurt. I like it on the ground. I can feel the earth spinning from here." Or sometimes it seemed like it. Like she was riding it in a big circle. She put a big red leaf over her eyes so that she couldn't even see Kyroh and the clouds and the tree.

"I don't like that hat. You should be Slytherin if you want, and I should be Ravenclaw. We'd still be friends." But why would he want to be Slytherin? Did he have someone he loved in the dungeons? Maybe Dot could make friends with Kyroh's friends.

"Terribly sorry," Sophie replied breezily at the accusation of making Toby lose his page. The worst thing she could've ever done. She felt terrible. So terrible that she just smiled and wiggled around, getting comfier using Tobes as her own personal pillow.

Soph hummed and closed her eyes when Toby began fiddling with her hair, very visibly content - until he began lightly teasing further about how awful it was to spend the time with her, and she snorted, followed by giggling at his hand over her face.

She let it stay there, unbothered by his antics, and grinned a positively mischievous smile at the suggestion of a prank. On two someones. The only two someones that they would ever prank. "Pavy," she hissed delightedly, sitting up and peeking around to make sure people weren't listening. Or that THEY weren't there. Hehehehe. "What's the plan?" She would be down with anything.

While Dot was looking up, Kyroh was looking down on her. He was like superhero looking down at his city, his people, the ones he kept safe. Heh. He MAYBE he was Dot's protector?

"If it's spinning too much for you i'll just levitate you up here, okay?" That had been the plan after all. Kyroh slowly scooted sideways until he was right beside the trunk of the tree. Pressing his back against it he lifted up both his legs and grinned. Up in the aiiiirr. On HIS tree. "D'you think Gilligan is a good name for this tree?"

"Do you really want to be a Ravenclaw?"She wanted to switch places with him? Him...Slytherin? There were good people in Slytherin. Like Kenzie of course. And Grayson and Simon and Ethan. But there were also others.....he shook his head quickly. "'Cause I don't want to be in Slytherin anymore." He stated finally. "I don't think i'd fit much down there and I think the hat knows stuff. It knew that." Like he said, he wasn't that smart, but Ravenclaws were his people. Maybe because there running around without a shirt wasn't seen as weird? Did Slytherins think that was weird? "Don't make friend's with a Cutty okay?" Warning. OKAY Dot?

Angel stuck her tongue out at Adi. "Oh well that seems amazing and now we have to wait and see what Ben does." Angel giggled, she totally was amazed that he had tried and failed she had no idea what to say next but thankfully he was talking about something else. "Nu uh. Talking is a lot more better than anything else." Angel laughed, this was getting them nowhere.

Angel looked at Adi. "Oh it's not that." Angel looked around as she saw that AJ wasn't around, she decided to give him a small quick hug. "Thanks for cheering me up Adi." Angel smiled, now could everyone get off her back about what her mood was.

Angel looked away from Adi as he spoke again. "We both lost points." Angel sighed. "I eh... I eh... She wouldn't apologise for the slap so I...eh... I grabbed her hair and pulled it." Angel thought that Adi would be cross with her.

"You know, Angel,'' Adi began. "Someday, someone is going to grab that tongue of yours and tug on it.'' LOL. She certainly stuck her tongue out a lot. More than Adi did. "I guess. Let's hope he opens that mouth of his more to speak. Though I don't think I'd stand it if he became a chatterbox like you.''

Goody. Now he didn't feel so bad that she hadn't hugged him back before. "No problem.'' Honestly, Adi knew she would do the same for him. She and AJ were alike in that way. "Benny would cheer you up faster though.'' It was his turn to stick his tongue out.

Lost points, huh. Adi raised an eyebrow. Apparently Abby was a stubborn one. Not surprising as the other two sister were too. AJ mostly. "Well, she was very much wrong but you probably weren't right to pull her hair either.'' Poor Angel. She looked ashamed for her actions. "Don't worry about it. Did she apologise to you, anyway?''

She moved the leaf and peeked at Kyroh again. He had moved back and didn't look so much like he was floating, and she could look at him properly without feeling the world spinning anymore. "You should levitate me anyway. I've never been levitated."

Most people didn't. Hadn't. Most people weren't able to fly without a broom. She touched the tree by reaching waaaaaaaay out and poking it with the toe of her shoe. "Gilligan. I like it."

Trees should have people names. And people should have tree names. She'd like her name to be Sycamore. And Kyroh could be Maple. "I want to be with you and Dima. Slytherins..." Dot sat up, suddenly restless and unnecessarily violent with the leaves that were piled around her ankles. Push-punch-crunch. "I don't know what a Cutty is, anyway." Grumpy Dot.

ALRIGHT! "It's sorta weird. Like you're being tickled-'cept not." She'd feel it and understand! Now that his back was against the trunk he felt secure, and falling down wasn't going to be an issue or anything. Drawing his wand Kyroh took a deep breath. Levitate. Got it. He knew the incantation. He knew the wand movement. He just had to FOCUS- cause he wasn't levitating a rock or anything. He was about to lift a real live, Dot.

Buut then his focus was cut off. Patting the tree, Kyroh grinned. "See Mr. Gilligan? Dottie likes you."

"You're still with us, at Hogwarts." His face fell as Dot started to punch the leaves. Leaf punching was bad and not knowing what a Cutty was, was good so YUP. TIME TO LEVITATE. Letting out a breath he carefully raised his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" With a swish and a flick he pointed it at the redhead.

Angel looked at Adi and smiled. "I doubt that, I'm too pretty for anything to happen to my tongue." Angel playfully rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows that." Angel giggled. "I think I'm going to try and make him into a chatterbox just to annoy you." Angel smirked it would be amazing.

"Oh I'm not so sure Adi." Angel sighed. "I've just been feeling so down and strange lately that I don't think seeing a pig flying would have cheer me up." Angel did like Benny but she wasn't sure he could cheer her up. "It's like when he kissed me...." Angel stopped and looked away. "I mean it's like the usual stuff." Angel hoped Adi didn't realise what she had said.

"Not yet." Angel was glad Adi didn't seem angry with her, she had been really afraid he would be. "Anyway I'm not sure I want her apology, you don't just slap someone for no reason."

Adi laughed. "If you're sure about that.'' Angel was pretty, she was right about that. Ha! "One chatterbox is enough, thank you very much. Do you want me to go mad with all that chatter?''

"How about a dragon flying then?'' Get it? He was still sort of dragging Benny into this. What, WHAT? Hold up! Adi's eyes snapped to focus totally on Angel. "He kissed you? When?'' Why had Benny not mentioned this to him? As best friend to the Dragon, Adi thought he should know that him and Angel were moving from being just friends.

"You're still mad at her,'' he reasoned. "When you've calmed down I bet you'll forgive her.'' Adi could not see her being mad at her sister for a long time.

The lake looked really pretty, tranquil even from where she was sitting. It didn’t mean she’d ever so much as stick a toe in the freezing waters of the black lake. Heck, this was probably as much nature as she had been around in ages?

Her boots tapped against the tree as she sat perched herself on a middle branch. Some people might have thought it odd to see a girl sitting in a tree…or well trashy? considering she was wearing a skirt. But the thing was she didn’t really care what others thought not since before it happened.

Her eyes prickled momentarily “Oh rats,” she grumbled as she reached down her leg for her wand holster. She needed to take her allergy meds right? A cat was obviously near by. There was no way in hell that this kick-in-the-pants-amazing specimen of a girl was crying.

No.

She wouldn’t let that.

Though if it happened she’d blame divination's class and those stupid balls.

Angel looked at Adi and smiled. "Yeah I do say so." Angel had no idea what else to say. "Oh no it's not." Angel really thought it would be cool if there was two chatterbox. "Oh you wouldn't go mad." Angel stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Your a chatterbox as well."

"No I don't think that would work as well." Angel really didn't think so anyway. "Oh he just kissed me on the cheeks at Diagon Alley." Angel said truthfully. "I think he kissed me as a brother would kiss a sister." So there was no need for Adi to get upset.

Angel sighed. "I just don't like being slap for no reason whatsoever." Angel really thought that was so bad. "Now can we talk about something else?" Angel looked at Adi, could they please?

Being the sporty type and much more at home on a sports court than cooped up inside, Layla had found some comfort in being outside in the grounds. Although they were beautiful and vast, the fifth year knew that it was impossible to do what she loved out here but just being out in the fresh air was second best. The lake was a particularly nice spot for relaxing out in the sunshine in. With the days drawing in and the prospect of winter getting closer and closer, many of the students had clearly thought of taking advantage of the last of that summers rage as Autumn started its path.

The fifth year wandered out through the grounds not really paying much attention to where exactly she was going nor what was going on around her. She didn’t care much either. These people were still nothing like her and she was just taking every day as it came. Step by step. She promised she would give this school a go and she was, it was just taking a bit of time. The blonde approached the lake and glanced into its depths. She knew her cousins common room was situated somewhere under there and she found that quite difficult to fathom. Surely it was all dark and dingy and unpleasant. But he seemed to be enjoying himself and in some ways Layla wished she was down there rather than up in the tower with the girls that shared her dorm.

She slumped under the tree that branched its way over the lake, taking shelter from the suns rays under its leaves. She merely watched as students came and went and as the gentle breeze blew small ripples across the waves surface.

If there was one nice thing about this school it was that it was quite peaceful sometimes despite the number of students.

It seemed as if he was about to levitate her, which would be quite new and different, and then Kyroh got all distracted by his Mr. Gilligan. Dot waited patiently for him to stop talking to the tree, only splashing her hands against the leaves a LITTLE bit to get his attention.

And then she posed like she was one of those old mummies in a box, arms across her chest and eyes closed. She was going to float up like that. No falling. No doubting Kyroh. He was her friend, yeah?

"They aren't very friendly," Dot opened an eye and peeked at Kyroh, and she was delighted to find that he was so much closer. "It worked! You did it." Both eyes flew open then, and she flailed toward the branches.

His face was scrunched up. Brows together, and tongue sticking ever so slightly out of his mouth as he concentrated on the spell. Dot was important okay? And not making Dot fall was even more important. So he had to FOCUS.

Everything was going good but then she started wiggling around. "You gotta grab the branch." She was THERE. She could do it. And he'd held help her if she couldn't!

Dot wrapped both arms around the nearest branch and hung on for dear life. She wasn't exactly a model of upper body strength or anything, but it was surprising what one could accomplish when they feared for their life several feet above the hard ground.

Where were all those leaves NOW?

"I am grabbing," she grumped as she managed to throw one leg over the branch, and then she just hung out like a sloth, an arm and leg wrapped around the branch, her tights getting torn to bits, and her mother somewhere back in London somehow knowing that Dot was up a tree in a skirt. Mothers always knew. "This is how we climb trees in Durmstrang."

Like a sloth.

O_O He was a chatterbox too? Hmmm...Adi never really thought of that. He knew he talked a lot plus bombarded people with questions when he had them. "I think you're the first person to actually tell me that.'' And not that he minded. He liked people who could just be straight up with him.

Adi looked at Angel. "You sure about that? He might be falling for you, you know.'' How...strange it was. Benny had always been so quiet and kept to himself so it was kind of strange for Adi to see the Dragon changing. Plus, another thing was weird. Besties falling for identical looking siblings.

"Um, yeah sure.'' Adi totally got that Angel didn't want to talk about Abby anymore and he understood. "So, why do you think the kiss was brotherly?''

It was a nice day out and Vinnie couldnt cope with staying inside. For some reason reading outside sounded so much more appealing then reading inside today. Maybe it was the thought of winter approaching fast...and she really had had enough of the cold and freezing season. These chorts had shortened her summer and she didnt like it. Some people had complained about not being able to tan properly but the girl couldnt care less about being tanned or not. It was more like enjoying the warmth on your skin, going swimming and doing stuff outside. Being stuck in the castle hadnt been her fave part, cause most of the things at Hogwarts happened outside.

Book under her arm and sunglasses on her nose the Slytherin made her way down to the grounds. Over last term the lake had become her favourite spot...actually that one tree she'd always sit under. It was perfect, you could enjoy the sun without getting burned. Also a good spot for picnics.

Seemed like a lot of people had the same idea and wanted to enjoy the sun for as long as possible. Maybe everyone was traumatized after last term...who knew. Walking to her tree the brunette noticed someone already sat under it. Oh well, since she was in a good mood today they could share. Approaching Vinnie eyed the girl sitting there. "Layla", she said and nodded at her,"mind if i join you?"