Henric didn't bother looking anywhere but the floor as he aimlessly walked through the corner room. He hadn't had a wink of sleep since last night and thought maybe he could hide in here for awhile, away from prying eyes.He wasn't aware that he was headed right into a certain Gryffindor's path.

Having been thinking on his future career again, Ben had gone in search of assistance. And that assistance had directed him to the corner room of the library. Seemed worthwhile enough when he had begun looking around, eventually finding a section in his own preferred area of expertise and plans. Dragonologist and all things creatures as well scattered around the shelves on either side of him.

It was here that he was standing debating looking over a few things when a certain fourth year Hufflepuff had entered the corner room as well. Ben turned to head towards one of the desk when he froze in place spotting Henric. The Gryffindor swallowed trying to figure out his options but the chose to flee was blocked as the younger student was between him and the door.

Sighing, he continued to the furthest desk from the badger. The sixth year avoiding eye contact as best he could before taking a seat with the books and pamplets he had picked out.

When he finally looked up, Benny was right in front of him. He had this contemplating look whether to speak or walk past him.He took the latter option....figures. Benny was downright clear that he was avoiding him. It wasn't the first time, Benny was treating him in that way and it was starting to irk him a little. Now in this kind of situation, how would one simply react? Henric was not in the best of moods to deal with whatever was going on between Adi and him but he couldn't let this one pass. He was tired of Benny's treatment towards him as if he had done something wrong.Weren't they friends? He could just tell him his problem and they could just settle it there and then like wise gentlemen. He walked up to Benny and set his bag non too discreetly on the table in front of him.
Dramatic entrance...que.

"Alright,Benny... if you have a problem with me..you can talk you know..no one can hear what is in your mind if you keep it all inside,"Henric told him blatantly,of course. Yeah...he would strike a nerve if he wanted to because bad Henric has come out to play.

Dragons....studying dragons...spending time in Romania, perhaps over the summer or just for school later on. It was a lot there for him to be interested in. Hoping to just tune out Henric's presence in the room, perhaps even leave, Ben was drawn back into the matter by the sudden drop of the other boy's bag in front of him. The Gryffindor closed his eyes and softly sighed, listening as the Hufflepuff decided to bite the bullet and confront him. At least he had actually noticed there had been a difference between them rather then seem to be oblivious like he had been in the beginning. And now he in turn had to deal with him. It wasn't like he could think of dragons without the connection to the other creatures lover.

"First...do not use that nickname." Benny was given to him by Adi and by no means the name which he wanted to be called at the moment. Certainly not by Henric of all people. "Then just leave me alone."

Henric raised an eyebrow at him, "Alright Benjamin...I won't call you by the nickname if you don't like it...see...I'm trying my best to 'understand' you but you keep shutting everyone out,"he told him, quoting the 'understanding' part with a hand gesture. He shook his head, and pop a chair right in front of him. If Benny was being all stubborn, why couldn't Henric be?

"In normal circumstances, I would...but noo...I'm not going to do that... you know why because I actually care what is going on between you and Adi...that is what friends do for each other, or am I'm not a friend to you?"he asked, curious yet a little anxious of what his thoughts of him.

Ben eyed the raised eyebrow...and the emphasis on the understanding part...and had to fight the urge to respond rudely. Henric really didn't understand as much as he thought he was trying to. At least it was one thought that the younger boy had obeyed him on and the Gryffindor looked down at the material in front of him awaiting the next. But there he was, pulling a chair in front of him, on the other side of the desk nearly staring him down instead of leaving as he requested.

He refused to look back up for a bit, doing his best to not just get up and walk out since the way was unblocked now. The whole comment on friends thought got his attention, especially Henric's belief that THEY were friends. "Friends don't steal other friend's best friends." Still not looking at you...Friend-Steeler.

Waiit....Whaatt?! Henric was taken aback by the sudden revelation. His eyes grew wide with Benny's accusation against him. For all this time,Benny thought he stole his bestfriend away?! This was what caused their row? Henric was more than furious but he held back, knowing full well what anger could do to him. He didn't realise it until he was gripping onto his bag so hard...that his hands hurt. If only he could use his judo moves on him, maybe it would knock some sense into Benny's brilliant head of his! Henric shook the appealing thought away because one, it wouldn't be a fair fight...two, he wouldn't be able to stop and three, it wouldn't solve anything. Well...probably satisfaction on his part.

"Is that what you think? I stole Adi away from you?"he repeated, not quite believing it. How was it his fault that he was close to Adi? The Hufflepuff prefect was close to everyone, not just him.Adi treated everyone equally as far as he knew.Whatever it was, it was unjust how Benny was treating the people whom he considered a threat including him. Benny was suppose to be wiser and older than him but it seemed their roles had been switched.

Henric took a deep breath to calm himself down,"This is ridiculous..." he muttered. He didn't know why he even bother in the first place now that he knew how Benny felt towards him. Honestly, he felt hurt because he thought Benny was his friend too as they shared similar love for dragons and goals to become a dragonologist one day. He really thought of even sharing his precious dragoncards to him too. His eyes fell downwards, staring blankly at his hands for a moment. He then looked back up again, his eyebrows furrowed this time at Benny.

"I'm sorry you feel that way,Benjamin...but if you're really Adi's bestfriend, you should learn how to trust him.You know he would be there for you. Would you do the same for him?"he asked, he didn't care if Benny wanted to answer him or not because he was already getting ready to leave. Being there any more longer, would just pained him more.

Benny didn't bother to confirm the Hufflepuff's interpretation of his words at first. He really didn't want to talk about it. Not to Henric....or Adi...or Angel...or ANYONE for that matter. Not that he appeared to have much choice in the matter with the first one. Even as the younger boy's eyes widened in apparent response to what he had said the Gryffindor didn't see a way out. And he wasn't stupid enough not to see he had struck a chord...which Henric returned with his own words.

Sorry? Ben doubted very much that Henric was sorry. If anything he was likely giddy that he managed to do what he did. "I WAS there for him. Still have his toad which he left behind because he was too concerned with himself to think my feelings had any merit and Gus was caught in the crossfire." The fact that Adi had seemingly forgotten his familiar in the midst of things had thrown him for even more of a loop.

"And then he turns around and instead of trying to get me to see that I was wrong...." He shook his head and exhaled as he worked on the words. He had already said more than he usual did in a given conversation. "...instead he rubbed you in my face. And hit me. And denounced our friendship in front of everyone." That was hardly the action of someone who was THERE for him. Rather it was the actions of someone who really didn't care about him and his friendship either way.

"But then you're me....just more fun and energetic and open....and a Hufflepuff to boot. Better version of course." Why wouldn't Adi want Henric instead?

It had been a while since Lux had visited this section of the library so she decided to change that.

Staring at all the books about careers, she selected a bunch that covered the area of Potioneering. Of course she already knew quite a bit about the field, but there was always so much to learn and while Professor Culloden was a great help she didn't want to bother him with questions all the time. Of course she knew that he didn't mind it but she still felt like asking him a million things would get tiring after a little while.

Finding a nice chair to sit on, she curled up and opened a book at random. She could spend a good few hours here.

SPOILER!!: Lux

It had been a while since Lux had visited this section of the library so she decided to change that.

Staring at all the books about careers, she selected a bunch that covered the area of Potioneering. Of course she already knew quite a bit about the field, but there was always so much to learn and while Professor Culloden was a great help she didn't want to bother him with questions all the time. Of course she knew that he didn't mind it but she still felt like asking him a million things would get tiring after a little while.

Finding a nice chair to sit on, she curled up and opened a book at random. She could spend a good few hours here.

After having spoken with the Healer whom is also her Head of House Hady agreed with what had been said. However before going to find the creatures professor she wandered towards the library. Surely there were some books of use there as well.

Making her way quietly towards the little room that she hadn't exactly been in before was a good start. She knew it was where all the career information could be found so if what she needed was anywhere at all in the castle this would most likely be the place. Stepping inside her eyes wandered over each shelf, her hand selecting only the books that caught her eye or made sense. Creature healing Wouldn't be in just any book.

Having gathered a decent amount of books she hoped would be helpful Hady selected a place to sit. It was just then that she spotted Lux. "Hey Lux," She greeted quietly waving at the older girl as she walked over to sit on a comfy seat near her friend. Setting her books down beside her she picked up the top one and flipped it open laying it across her lap. She'd get started on reading a little bit so as not to completely disturb Lux from her reading either.

Henric’s back was facing Benny when he finally decided to let it all out to him. He sighed, speaking of Gus made him missed his own pet toad,Princess Charlotte. It was a good thing Gus was still safe and sound in Benny's care. A day has gone by and his princess was still nowhere in sight.Henric had already imagined all sorts of possible things that could have happened to her and the more he thought about it, the more anxious he felt. He needed to tell llia,his real bestie, the truth soon after this too, could Henric's day be anymore worst?

He turned his body around to face Benny again.He would have rebuked straight away but decided against it...well until Benny had finished what he had to say. Henric had never thought of jeopardising relationship of any kind, what good would that do? He had far more pressing matters in his life right now, Benny wouldn't be able to understand even if he knew about it. He put that thought aside,the last thing he wanted to do was to divulge information about his past.

“Look, I know what Adi did to you is wrong and I can’t speak for his actions, maybe he had his own reasons, I don’t know...he is stubborn as a mule too,"he said. Benny knew Adi far better than him, he should know how Adi could be over the top if he wanted to.

"But the fact remains you keep blaming me for your own insecurities, it hardly seems fair at all…”he told him, expressing his own thoughts. "Everyone is different in their own way,Benjamin, nobody is perfect...even you...you know I thought you're the coolest guy I've ever met for loving dragons as much as I do...but I guessed I'm wrong to think that anymore..."he finally said, glancing down a little to the pamphlets laying on the table. He slung the strap of his bag over his shoulders, his movements slowed.

Oh, hello Hady!

Looking up from her book, Lux smiled at the younger Slytherin. "Hey! What you looking at?" She didn't think she had ever asked her friend what she was interested in as far as careers went, but then Hady was still young and had loads of time to work it out. Talking about future career plans could be very interesting and she didn't mind a distraction from her reading.

It was a very typical, busy, yet uneventful day for the Seventh Year Ravenclaw. Gabriel had woken up early, read over his notes for the day's lessons before breakfast, attended said lessons, attended a Prefect meeting, as well as a Quill meeting...In fact, the Quill meeting had just wrapped up. It had been a brilliant idea in theory; the Quill. Everyone had been working hard...but it was just that. HARD WORK. On top of Prefect duties and NEWT study, Gabe hadn't anticipated just how hard it would be.

Which reminded him.

There was a homework due tomorrow. Charms. Merlin. Help.

With a heavy sigh, Gabe stayed put in the Corner room where they held their meetings; flipping almost angrily through his Charms notebook. If he seemed annoyed...it was because he WAS. Plain and simple...and tired. Seventh Year was shaping up to be a nightmare.

Skimming the assignment, he sighed again. They were meant to practice that color changing charm. That was right. Removing his wand, Gabe pointed it down at the desk and considered Mr. Kitridge's angry if he changed every bit of the furniture in the room to blue...

"Colovaria." The motion was almost lazy...but he'd achieved the desired effect. The desk was blue. Hmm. Frowning slightly, Gabe pointed at another desk. "Colovaria.".....That, too, turned blue.

The meeting may have been over but Grayson hadn't gone just yet. Kinda surprising, wasn't it? That he was staying back in a freaking LIBRARY and not rushing out of there as if someone had set fire to the place. Maybe he was gonna blame this on the NEWTs. What a buncha fun-suckers those--

............ OH?

Grayson, who had been about to pull out some kinda textbook or another, stopped at the sound of a heavy sigh. A curious look was given over to one Gabriel Banner, who looked like someone had just told him that he had to choose one book to read for the rest of his life. Grayson watched him for a bit because Merlin, it was fun to see him annoyed. Dude liked it. Whoever did this to him was gonna get flowers from the Slytherin or whatever.

And you know what was gonna be even more fun? Twisting his wand in a knot even more.

SMIRK.

Wasn't a bad idea, was it? All for a good laugh. And this way, he'd be getting his Charms homework done as well. So, with this idea in mind, the seventh year pointed his wand over towards one of the recently turned blue desks and called, "Colovario!" Blue desk? Green now!

Hiss hiss, Banner.

Dot was looking for a likely spot to practice her Charms spell, when she happened upon an unlikely situation. The library was one of the places that frightened her the most, since books were like... WHOA. She was forcing herself to get over it by sheer exposure... and look what happened. She came here for Charms practice and found two seventh years behaving like babies.

Gabe changing stuff to blue. Grayson changing stuff to green right behind him. It was going to be hilarious to watch, and so Dot settled down near the door. For observation, you know... and practice.

Ahem. What should she change first? The stones of the floor would be nice. A checkerboard of green and gray, right under the feet of the most hilarious battle of all time. "Colovaria," Dot spoke quietly, not wanting to get the attention of the two boys. The stone in front of her turned green.

.

.

Really, Grayson Whitlock?

Gabriel squinted down at the now GREEN desk...that had JUST been blue...and then shifted his gaze towards his fellow Seventh Year. Was it not enough that Gabe was forced to deal with him for Ruby? Were they both not having to suffer enough uncomfortable encounters and non-school situations? Like Grayson being at his HOME when they weren't at this place? There was no escape.

Feeling nothing but exhaustion, he sighed once more and pointed his wand back down at the GREEN desk. "Colovaria."

After doing so, he repacked his things into his school bag, standing to make for a different desk. Further away from Grayson...and closer to the exit. Doing so...brought a very quiet Dot to Gabe's attention. Offering the younger girl a VERY small smile, he went about looking for additional things to charm.

Why couldn't there have been an essay option to this homework?

"I'm making a chessboard," Dot informed Gabe, now that she had his attention. Not that she was trying to distract him or anything, but it felt like she needed to say something to him. Why were boys so funny? Like... they poked and argued and made postures at each other, but they didn't just say what they meant.

Not that she knew what they meant, but she knew it had nothing to do with that dumb desk that had changed colors twice now.

"You could do the opposite ones, and the board will be blue and green. Wouldn't it be fun to do a full size chess game? I would be the queen, because she's the strongest on the board, even though somehow the king is still the most important. You could be a bishop, because that sounds like a very well read spot. Am I talking too much?" Because, y'know what, Gabe? She talked a lot.

"Colovaria," she changed the next square, skipped another one, and then changed a third one. "Colovaria." They were both bright and green like grass.

LOOOOOOOOOOL! Was Gabe mad? GOOD.

There was something about seeing the boy get annoyed that just made the Slytherin happy. It probably had something to do with their first meeting and how very well THAT had gone. Lol, NOT. It happened in here, in fact. As much as he didn't want to, the boy remembered that day clearly and boy oh boy, did he like the idea of messing with the guy.

Unlike Gabriel, Grayson wasn't gonna get annoyed that he had gone ahead and changed the colour of the desk back to blue. It was whatever, you know? Just for a stupid piece of homework which he only had to practice casting a spell for. It wasn't as if his life depended on it.

As for the desk........ "Colovario!" And back to green it went.

And what in the freaking name of Merlin was Dot even talking about?! He was only listening, of course, but MAN, that girl could talk.

.

.

Well, it wasn't a terrible offer...

...and Gabe did enjoy chess...

Setting his bag down carefully on the table, he moved to take a place nearby...but close enough to hold a conversation without shouting. "Did you know that chess...originated in India?" The Ravenclaw blushed for a moment and focused on the pattern. If Dot was hoping to achieve a checkerboard effect...Well, it was easy enough to do.

"Also, it wasn't initially called a 'Queen'. It was called a firz." An Arabic word...which were essentially counsellor to the King. Not that Dot had asked for a history lesson about the game. Gabes just enjoyed the more historic aspects and how there were derived from tactics during times of war.

Pointing his wand at the next square in the motif (plainly stating Colovario!, he smiled even wider still. "I think that suits me...Though, I'm slightly offended you didn't even pretend that I could be a knight." He wasn't being serious...but it needed to be said. Also, Grayson was completely ignored at this point.

Infamous Ravenclaw disregarding powers activated.

So now Gabe was being reasonable... almost very interesting... and polite. And Grayson was being a toad, changing Gabe's desk back to green again. Slytherins were challenging humans, weren't they? And Dot was one of them, so she knew.

"It's gonna be so dumb when the professor comes here to clean up our spot and discovers that all anyone changed in here was one desk. Maybe it's time to broaden your skillset, Mr. Grayson. Try something other than a desk that Gabe already changed." And while she was at it, Dot pointed her wand at Grayson's shoelaces, pretending to work on the floor, and said, "Colovaria." Pretty pink shoelaces, Grayson.

"You could be a knight, but they're so... Gryffindor. Bishop is better. And I didn't know about the India thing, but can I still be the queen? I'm partial to the idea of using words I understand." She skipped another square and made it green with a further, "Colovaria."

Gabe shouldn't have been as pleased as he was about Dot chastising Grayson...but he was. There. He said it. His sister's boyfriend was the worst sort of...something. The something-est something there could be.

...with pink shoelaces.

Not that pink was an insult. Gabe secretly enjoyed wearing pink himself. It looked nice on him. Especially over the summer when he'd wore suits to WHiM. He wasn't embarrassed to admit he owned a pink tie now.

"No....I think the Queen fits you. Historically, she's supposed to be protective and cunning, shielding the King against the opposition. Sounds like you...with your friends." He wasn't flattering her, of course. Gabe was just serving up the facts. As Gabes did. Truth tea = served.

Refocusing on the task at hand, however...Gabe pointed to the next few squares in his sequence. "Colovario!"...to each in turn.

"All queens ought to be Slytherin. A Gryffindor queen couldn't hold a throne with all the windmill tilting she'd do, and a Hufflepuff queen would share with her king," Dot said that with so much disdain. Like... you can't imagine how horrible she felt about having to share her throne. Hufflepuffs. Bah. "And a Ravenclaw queen would hate being queen. She'd dead good at strategy, though."

That was everything about everything. Period. The end. Was she TALKING TOO MUCH?

Dot scooted further into the room and started another row of alternating green squares. "Colovaria. Colovaria." They were almost all exactly the same shade of green, too, which pleased her a lot. "I'm pretty handy at charms. It's my best subject, I think."

"Interesting perspective. I think Gryffindors would make better soldiers, as opposed to figureheads...because they are a fearless bunch."...and where Hufflepuffs were concerned, Gabe couldn't help but think about Toby. His Badger friend was too kindhearted at times.....And perhaps Dot shouldn't have said that bit about Slytherins. Grayson was a Slytherin. His sister, Ruby, was a Slytherin. Neither of their personalities were fit to lead anyone. Dot must've been a rare entity.

"Ravenclaws don't want to get bogged down with too much responsibility. That's true." Not the 'world leader' sort, anyway. Plans and strategy, though...right in their wheelhouse.

...This was relaxing...surprisingly. Creating the pattern felt stress-relieving and appeasing to his mind...and the small talk wasn't probing or intrusive. Gabe didn't feel under fire, in other words. Dot was proving to be good company. Intelligent, but not in the obnoxious sense.

Tapping another square, Gabe whispered the charm this time, "Colovaria."...and regarded his companion again. "I'd believe that. You've got the lot nearly identical."...whereas Gabe's were varying shades of darker blues. Shade didn't matter as much....right? Besides, aesthetically, it offset the green well. "I think Potions...or Astronomy would be mine."

After a pause, he charmed another tile.

Gabe was super smart, and it was nice having a back and forth conversation with him like he was Kyroh or Dima or someone used to her prattling on about her ideas and opinions. He was listening to her, and responding like he valued what she had to say. It was nice.

"Potions and Astronomy is not what I would have guessed. Maybe Potions, although that's mostly just rote for us lil fourth years. Not a lot of creativity required in that class. And Astronomy too. I would have pegged you for Transfiguration or Runes, on account of you like to challenge yourself to learn the why and how part." Dot shrugged, like it didn't matter that she'd got it totally wrong what he might like next.

She slid again, taking on the last of her rows of floor tiles. "Colovaria. Colovaria. Colovaria." The floor looked SO pretty, and she wished the professor might leave it this way. Imagine the intellectual pursuits in this room if people played human chess matches. Not that Dot was good at chess, but the idea of it.

"All done for me, I think. Should I change Grayson's shoes back, y'think?"

SPOILER!!: Henric

Quote:

Originally Posted by Symphora

Henric’s back was facing Benny when he finally decided to let it all out to him. He sighed, speaking of Gus made him missed his own pet toad,Princess Charlotte. It was a good thing Gus was still safe and sound in Benny's care. A day has gone by and his princess was still nowhere in sight.Henric had already imagined all sorts of possible things that could have happened to her and the more he thought about it, the more anxious he felt. He needed to tell llia,his real bestie, the truth soon after this too, could Henric's day be anymore worst?

He turned his body around to face Benny again.He would have rebuked straight away but decided against it...well until Benny had finished what he had to say. Henric had never thought of jeopardising relationship of any kind, what good would that do? He had far more pressing matters in his life right now, Benny wouldn't be able to understand even if he knew about it. He put that thought aside,the last thing he wanted to do was to divulge information about his past.

“Look, I know what Adi did to you is wrong and I can’t speak for his actions, maybe he had his own reasons, I don’t know...he is stubborn as a mule too,"he said. Benny knew Adi far better than him, he should know how Adi could be over the top if he wanted to.

"But the fact remains you keep blaming me for your own insecurities, it hardly seems fair at all…”he told him, expressing his own thoughts. "Everyone is different in their own way,Benjamin, nobody is perfect...even you...you know I thought you're the coolest guy I've ever met for loving dragons as much as I do...but I guessed I'm wrong to think that anymore..."he finally said, glancing down a little to the pamphlets laying on the table. He slung the strap of his bag over his shoulders, his movements slowed.

Benny wasn't even watching Henric as he laid out his feelings on the matter. Not directly anyway, giving the air of it not mattering. The only way he had any clue that the younger boy had been moving was the sounds and occasional shadows because of them. However as the boy spoke up once more, his eyes unconsciously flickered there to see the Hufflepuf before he pulled them away. Stubborn....yep that was Adi. Still couldn't even fully realize that Benny's feelings should still matter alongside his own.

The Gryffindor half-snorted as Henric turned the comments onto his actions. "Well you're the one who wanted to know," Benny reminded him. " I wanted to be left alone and you just had to push your way in." You know, think about his future when he'd hopefully be FAR away from here and on his own with his dragons. The creatures truly beautiful and pure and not about to turn on you as long as you treated them with respect.

"Well then maybe you should have bothered to be a friend to me....rather then just bathe in the attention Adi was giving you." Seeing as the tension was clear between them yet still the fourth year had seemed far more attentive to his elder housemate then the lion that he just claimed he thought of as a friend. At least AJ had given him the time of day despite him being at odds with her boyfriend.