She was okay. Grayson nodded along and smiled at her, deciding not to bug her about that answer any more. Nope. She was okay. It was understandable, really, since she had another detention under her belt with her least favourite teacher. Wasn't exactly something to be happy about, was it?

That saucy wink? MAN! It gave him JUST the answer he needed and in a way that suited him well. Well played, Ruby Banner, well played Smirking in return, Grayson went ahead and added in, "Challenge accepted."

............................ WOAH.

Jeez. JEEZ. He had not expected THAT.

Grayson stared at her in complete shock and surprise. Had he set off something inside of her? Because MERLIN, she hasn't ever talked to him like that before. Like she was freaking mad and was about to hit him or whatever. What made it worse was that she had used his full name for this.

In short: he was screwed, wasn't he?

Yeah. Alright. He let her talk, mentally cursing himself as she went ahead. When she WAS done, though, he spoke up. Why? Because ego. Everything was because of that ego. "I haven't kissed anyone besides you since March. Or February. Whatever, sometime ages ago." You know, just to clarify that he wasn't going around parading his lips like he usually did. Not anymore. "Who you kiss is up to you, I know that. I didn't say you CAN'T." Jeez. JEEZ. Way to make him sound like some sort of freaking medieval wizard who was a jealous idiot.

"I'm just SAYING," Lol, was he getting angry? A bit. "It kinda........" Oh Merlin. He was gonna have to say it, wasn't he? Taking a deep breath, he let it out before whispering, "It kinda hurt seeing you kiss someone else. Like I actually cared that you had your tongue down someone else's throat and it didn't bother me before but now........."

............... Oh man.

"Sorry I brought it up," he said, determinedly looking out over the lake at this point, his jaw squared. Could he just up and leave or what?

Well YEAH she WAS kinda mad actually, at herself as much as anything, but she'd take it out on him, it'd probably help.

March? or February?

"Oh yeah? Not even Phe?" No. Why did she ask that? She didn't want to know, that was why she never asked about things. Ever. It was easier not to know.

"I don't understand why you're suddenly acting like you--" She stopped short. Ruby HAD been talking over him but then he said things and words stopped forming. It kinda hurt? Him? That she... not before but now... but what?

No. He didn't get to do this and act like she was doing some big wrong to him. He didn't get to make her feel bad about it. Or confused. Or like somehow maybe possibly he might even a tiny bit like her back in the same way she had accidentally admitted that she liked him all those months ago. She didn't want to entertain that idea at all. She didn't want to think about it and feel her insides do little flips and have her breath catch, and then have it turn out that she was some idiot and of course nobody could possibly actually like her for more than just surface stuff, for more than just being fun and whatever. Which is all she was to Grayson, right? She was not a Sophie. Not the kind of girl that boys actually properly liked and were proud of and... now he was sorry he brought it up? She was so mad.

"Prove it." Ruby snapped, all viper-tongued with flashing eyes. There's your challenge, Grayson Whitlock. Proof.

What about Phe?! What? He didn't keep tabs on all his kisses and some just happened. "That's who I made out with back then." Why did she even need to know? Jeez.

Woah. WOAH. Grayson raised his eyebrows, completely curious as to what she was trying to say. "Acting like?" Go on, Ruby. What was he acting like? Was it anything out of the ordinary? And was he suddenly getting defensive? Yeah, the last bit was true because this conversation had taken a very unexpected turn. Just saying.

Prove it.

That was all. Prove it.

Grayson stared. He knew what she meant by that but he wasn't sure what she expected him to do. Declare the things he was scared to declare? Get down on one knee? Just WHAT? And what was he meant to prove in the first place? That it hurt? How was he meant to do that, eh? Especially when she was looking at him like that. All it is was make him angry and confused and frustrated.

Girls were so freaking confusing.

Yeah. So, Grayson did the only logical thing to enter his brain. He leant over and kissed her. Softly. And full of passion and emotion. Because what else would he do in a situation like this?

Acting like he liked her back? Not that she'd know what that was like. She knew what attention felt like, what boys finding her attractive felt like, but not anything more than that because Ruby Banner wasn't that sort of girl. Just fun. That was all. She wrinkled her nose at the Phe part... because she didn't believe it and she didn't care and was awesome at lying to herself.

But she was staring back now, to furious and confused to say anything and anyway before she could he was kissing her. And it was.... it was nice. She kissed him back of course. Why wouldn't she? She liked kissing him. Which was sort of the problem. But it did take the bite out of her a bit. Ruby pulled away enough to speak. "All that proves is that you're a good kisser... and I knew that already."

She was STILL MAD ok? Ruby crossed her arms over her chest and glared out at the lake. Mad was so much easier than the alternative. Also better than smacking him one. She answered his earlier question, belatedly.

"Acting like you're really jealous and its not just an ego thing. Acting like you like me back." But he didn't and she did NOT want to think about it so could they just... stop already?

Nemo looked down and saw the other boy down there. He was down there mumbling about something. He looked around Nemo's age. But he didn't have a book or anything, he was just sitting there? Mumbling to himself? How strange..

"So...what are you doing down there?" He asked the other boy. "Just talking to yourself?" That would be interesting.. But whatever.

He was in someone's spot? Archie would have probably have got up and apologised and all the things if 1) it had been marked to say it was somebody else's and 2) it hadn't have been HER saying so.

Why was it ALWAYS her?

"And...your point is?" he said, looking up at her for a moment, before sitting back a little more comfortably. He stretched out his legs, and turned his attention back to getting into his package. Benjy had used far too much spellotape, and RUDE!GIRL over there was blocking the autumn sun so he couldn't find an easy end to work at with his nail. HMPH.

He'd sit here ignoring her, picking away slowly at the tape, and hopefully she get the point: he was sitting here today. Not her.

Adi was still lost in his own thoughts but not so lost that he didn't become aware of the voice suddenly filling up his ears. Looking around, he could see no one. He frowned as he wondered if the breeze was carrying the voice. Shrugging, he leaned his head against the tree. That's when he noticed the feet dangling from the tree.

The Hufflepuff's eyes darted up the tree to find a guy sitting in one of the sturdy branches. "Oh, hey. Um... just... yeah, I guess.'' Adi noticed the book. "Is that French?'' he asked as he eyed the cover with interest.

Tyler looked at her and smiled. "Ok...I'll stop worrying about it Abbs I promise, but I can't help but not to worry, not all sisters like their little sisters boyfriend."said Tyler softly but honestly. Tyler smiled as she told him that she loved him all the time. "I love you all the time to, your always on my mind twenty four seven."said Tyler honestly.

Abby smiled when she heard that Tyler loved her twenty four seven and put her arms around him and kissed him on the lips and said "Your so sweet Tyler and yes you are quite right and well really my sisters will love you but let's not worry about it until closer to the time"

Tyler looked at her and blushed before he kissed her back. "Only because you bring that side out of me Abbs, I'm nothing more than a trouble maker bad boy that gets detentions!"said Tyler honestly. Which it was true, he was a bad boy and a trouble maker, he had various detentions last year. He was sure that he was going to get detentions again some this year for something, it didn't seem to fail thst he always was in detention for something. "Although I'm trying to be a good boy this year, I highly doubt that's going to happen! said Tyler laughing. "Ok...ok, lets not worry about until the time comes!"said Tyler wrapping his arms around her pulling her close to him.

Abby felt safe and secure in Tyler's arms and said "Yeah but i love the bad boy in you and really i have been a good girl the past two years i have been here, the bad girl in me has been wanting to be set free and wants to be bad, but if your going to behave then that is good" Abby kissed Tyler again on the lips she loved being with him and she didnt care if she ended up getting detention for it she wanted to be a rule breaker this year

Tyler looked at her and smirked. "You want to be a bad girl this year huh? Well...I'm sure that I can help you with that! "said Tyler smirking at her. Tyler laughed. "You're kidding right? Me being good isn't going to happen, it's not in my nature to be good! "said Tyler simply. Tyler kissed her back for a few minutes before pulling away breathing hard, he knew that they could get detention for being together and doing to much PDA in public but he didn't care, they loved each other.

Abby smirked and said "Yeah that is good Tyler and yeah being good for you was never going to happen" Abby loved being with Tyler she did not care if she got detention for being with Tyler she loved him and she did not care what happened in the end

Grayson thought that Ruby kissing him back meant that she was okay, that the anger had gone away and she wasn't gonna go off at him.

Boy, was he wrong.

Er. Alright. He didn't expect that either. Did the kiss prove nothing, then? Jeez. Way to raise his ego and shoot him down all in the same sentence. "I don't know how to prove it when it's stuff that's on the inside." Merlin, he was NOT good at talking about this. "What do you want from me, Rubes?"

Yep. Frustrated. Complete with internal swearing and all.

Acting? ACTING?! "Oh YEAH?!" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her. How in the freaking name of Merlin would she know if it was an act or not? HMMM? She wasn't inside him or whatever, she couldn't KNOW but then her words.............. JEEZ. "I DO like you back. Why do you think I've been spending so much time with you in the first place? Or caring for you? Good company's not the ONLY thing there, you know."

And this was NOT his ideal way of telling her this.

What DID she want? Ruby didn't even know how to look at that question. She was pretty happy with how things were? Honestly. Maybe she didn't want to share him so much but then according to him she wasn't? So that was confusing.

And now he was getting mad at her and.....

.... ummmm well it was kinda hot tbh. WHICH WAS ANNOYING. So annoying, in fact, that she almost didn't register what he said.... except how could she miss that.... what. What?! He did? Like her? Like like? Like... inside Ruby and not just outside Ruby? How did you even say things to that? It was official. She was butter, all churned up and maybe melting a bit.

Well.

"So.... okay." Okaaaaay. Okay? O dot, K dot. OK. After a long silence that was filled up with a whole lot of unsaid words trying to fight to make sense on her tongue, Ruby took his hand again and just held it casually in her lap. Okay. Admission time. Quietly. Very quietly.

"I thought... you caring about me was just... appreciating me for what we do... not for who I... am." Because there was a difference. And that was also why a kiss wasn't proof of anything. Did he see that?

Nemo looked down at the other guy and raised an eyebrow at him. He seemed, upset? Nemo wasn't sure. Other people's emotions coulc be so hard to read. Some people's emotional range could far surpass his own. He'd never been huge on feelings in general. So people who were could be a bit of a mystery.

"Ummm, all right...Interesting." He said and then looked to his book and back at this guy. "Yeah, it's all in french. Don't wanna get rusty." Not that he was French. Nemo was born and raised right outside London and his accent made that very obvious. But he loved France and French things and French girls. hehe.

Abby laughed and said "You think so then Tyler, good i want to be bad this year" Abby kissed Tyler on his neck and took his scent in she was totally in love with this guy

Abby knew that this was so right that Tyler was making out with her by kissing her so much she broke away for air and said "Gosh Tyler you have got me so in love with you that i am willing to risk being in detention for too much PDA"

Tyler looked at her and bit his lip and blushed. "I - I'm sorry, that was a bit out of line, but I don't care if I get detention for this, besides I'm in detention half the time anyways so wouldn't be the first! "said Tyler honestly. "Have you ever have a detention before. Ms . Valentine?"Tyler asked her smirking. ,

Abby held Tyler's hand and said "Nope i have never had detention before just lost points at the feast last year"

Tyler lifted his eyebrows in surprise at her. "Wow...really? You were really a good girl your first two years here. said Tyler honestly. "So...tell me Abbs,if you been a good girl for two years,why do you want to be a bad girl for? "Tyler asked her curiously before smirking at her. "If you don't mind me asking, what did you lose points last year at the feast for? "Tyler asked her softly but curiously.

Abby looked at Tyler and said "Well i just want to rebel against the rules for a change, and of course i don't mind i lost points for slapping my sister across the face during the feast"

Tyler chuckled and smirked at her. "Well...with me your going to be a rebel against the rules alright! "said Tyler winking at her. Tyler raised his eyebrows in surprise, he wasn't expecting that. "See I knew that you already had a bad girl side to you Abbs, I guess I just bring it out of you more! "said Tyler softly but honestly .

Okay, Adi was meeting someone new here. He didn't want the guy to think he was a moper or anything so he would try to be at least a fraction of his cheerful self.

"I can be weird sometimes,'' Adi said. Heh. That probably wasn't making things any better. Oh well. "Don't want to get rusty?" the Hufflepuff repeated curiously. "You mean you're fluent in French?" Woah! That was awesome.

"I'm Aditya, anyway. But everyone calls me Adi.'' Introductions were important. Yes.

Abby laughed and said "Yeah i guess you do and yeah i was trying not to let my bad side show through but i just lost it last year at the feast"