"Come on, Drew!" Rylee called excitedly from only a few feet ahead of him. The Shrieking Shake was always on her list of places to visit during Hogsmeade weekends even if ninety-nine percent of the time she never actually made it there. This afternoon wouldn't be like all the others before it, she was already making her way up the slippery, muddy, snowy hillside. Having a friend with her fueled that fire inside her to get there as quickly as possible. So much so that she didn't care that her boots were already wet and muddy or that she was literally bouncing up and down in a small puddle of slightly melted snow as she waited on Drew to catch up.

Bright blue eyes kept flickering back and forth between the old run down shake that sat atop of the hill and her fellow second year. It was hard keeping her energy contained and stopping herself from shouting 'race you there!' at Drew and rushing off but she was trying her very best. The smile on her face was wide and her cheeks a rosy pink from the cold February wind, her long ginger locks still blowing about her face despite the fact she had tired it back in a half ponytail and had a warm fluffy winter fat sat upon her head that matched her gloves and scarf.

Literally, Drew's expression towards all this was the eyes emoji.

He had only made a really small and passing mention of the Shrieking Shack to Rylee, and the next thing he knew, his Gryffindor friend had already skipped her way to the most haunted house of Britain. Drew had tried to casually tell her that he was really just joking, but honestly... when did that ever stop Gryffindors? He'd learned his lesson from having prankster Maeve as a fellow resident, and even with that spontaneous visit to the Forbidden Forest with Kodee.

Gryffindors: Trying to scare Drewett since 2094.

But he wasn't just about to let Rylee down, though. He was a little hesitant because he'd heard stories about the shack, and how some older students would say that noise came from it despite no one being allowed to cross the fence. Drew forced his legs to catch up to Rylee and, as a result, nearly tumbled down a few times, leaving splats of mud on his trousers. He was no fit for a race, apparently, and was relieved because things would have been messier. Once he arrived beside Rylee, Drew placed his gloved hands on his hips and took a deeeeep deep breath. "Th-there.... we've sssssseen it...." Breathe. Still scary as ever. They could go back now, right?

In the most haunted house in Britain a ghoul had taken up residense. Don't ask how it had gotten into the boarded house. It just had, all right?

On the hunt for some bugs and other critters to eat the slimy and buck-toothed ogre knocked into a large lamp that fell over with a loud CRASH and gave off a sharp light in a window that was probably seen from the outside, before it quickly died out.

What was a poor ghoul supposed to live on?

Oops.

Really Drew should've known by now that if something wasn't said directly pertaining to a specific topic than it might go over her head. She was one to pick up on a lot of things even small details... but that was if she was paying attention. A simple mention of the Shrieking Shack and she was long gone in her own thoughts of what could happen there and even more so... what might be inside! When it came to most things she was fearless.

Her friend not appearing weary or afraid so far meant everything was good. Right?

Rylee reached out to grab hold of him every time he nearly tumbled, the mud on her pants meaning nothing at all to her. Clothes could be cleaned. Standing in front of the house at the top of the hill she bounced on her feet. "Yeah... but what do you think is inside?! It would be sooooo cool if we could go inside!" Could they go inside? No one would know, right? Even just for a minute to see if the older kids were right and there was something in there.. probably some little stray creature or something that was making the noises everyone heard.

As if completely on cue there was a LOUD crash and light from one of the windows of the shack the sound startling her enough to make her jump backwards right into her friend. "What was that?! Did you see that!" Bright blue eyes that held a hint of mischievousness sung from the shack where the light just came from onto Drew. Now she really had to check it out!

Drew simply waved Rylee's attempt to help him up, along with a sheepish smile. He was okay, no need to worry. It wasn't like he was running on quick sand or on ruins of what once was a civilised nation now burned down to ashes. And that wasn't his active imagination acting up today, not at all. The mud splattered on his trousers were the least of his concerns too. He will deal with all that later on.

And if Rylee thought he wasn't scared, she should think twice. Drew was already mentally going through a list of all the things that could possibly go wrong today.

... Wait, what?! Drew's eyes widened at Rylee's enthusiasm and how incredibly curious she was about the shack. And while those questions did cross his mind, the Ravenclaw wasn't eager on earning first-hand experience to answer those queries. "I-I dunno... there's p-probably a b-book about it in th-the lib—" Before he could finish his sentence, Drew jumped back and fell on his bum at the loud CRASH. Which... came from....

WIDE. WIIIIIDE EYES AT THE SHACK. And that faint light too. Oh no... oh no oh no oh no.

"IwishIdidn't..." Drew replied to her question. Of course he had heard and seen it, and it gave him all the more reason to run back to the Hogsmeade high street—away from all this. But the impression he got from the obvious look on Rylee's face made the Ravenclaw hop back on his feet. With that, he simply said "No." Nuh-uh. No way, José. He was definitely not.

Unbeknowst to the students watching the shack from outside the fence the poor ghoul made it's way slowly around the dark living room of the shack. Sniffing the air, the ogre groaned loudly to itself as it smelled bugs and critters. Yummy! Food!

Rushing forward towards the smell the poor ghoul picked up a heavy book from a nearby table that he dropped with a thump down on where he thought the bugs were hiding. Could a poor ghoulie finally feast?

Rylee was more than ready to grab hold of Drew's hand and tug him along to check out what was happening inside the shack. All they had to do was cross the rope. This wouldn't be like the last time she crossed a rope back at Hogwarts, there wasn't any icky gross smelly swamp to get stuck in. And it wouldn't be like the creature adventure disaster either since there was nothing shiny to really catch her attention and there wouldn't be any Grindylow's inside either.

Only this was Drew. She knew better than to try to drag him along on what she considered to be an epic adventure. Rather than do what she really wanted to she stood there bouncing on her heels, excitement still shining in her eyes. "A book?" BLINK. "Sure, yeah maybe.. but that's never the same thing as experiencing it!" Didn't he see the big difference? "A little peek couldn't hurt, right? You don't even hav-"

This time it was her that didn't get to finish speaking. Rylee had turned around when her friend fell on his bottom, ready to help him up onto his feet but she didn't need to. The look in his eyes already told her he wouldn't be going inside with her. "Are you alright?" From falling. That's what she had meant.

No. Shot down and she hadn't even asked anything. "But why not? Aren't you the least bit curious? You won't be alone I'll be right there too." See. Friends stick together. Another loud noise coming from the shack had her eyes transfixed on the rundown place. They had to check it out! Had to! "It's probably just some sort of creature knocking stuff over." Whether she was trying to comfort him or herself went unknown. She was already moving closer to the rope to get a better look or perhaps a glimpse of something through one of the broken boarded up windows.

Oh, Rylee. If only Drew could shove his copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them on her face. He could easily propose a list of many other things that could attack them on land, and yes, there were no grindylows in there. Drew knew of that Creatures Companions activity even when he didn't participate; he was aware of the attack and the bite marks some other students got. He knew those webbed ocean monsters only lived in water, and this Ravenclaw had zero skill in swimming. But still, there were still various creatures that had feet and could walk.

And yes, a book. Drew nodded at her, all wide eyes. "Y-yes, and with a-all the in-information..." See? They didn't need to venture into the most haunted house in Britain to know about things! However, the Ravenclaw was almost sure it wouldn't make a difference. "I'm... I'm okay." Not really. Was that loud crash not enough reason for them to avoid the shack at all costs?

No, apparently not.

"I-I am curious..." Drew had to point out. He always was curious about things. Learning was great. But Rylee knew him well enough. Anything out of his comfort zone—which was basically a small bubble in terms of Hogwarts happenings, by the way—made him really nervous. And with her mention of the possibility that a creature was inside the shack, Drew extended his arms in front. "Exactly." He was not at all prepared to become creature crunch in there.

Eyes. Emoji.

One would think with her vast knowledge of creatures and plants she would have the sense to know that any number of things could be inside the shack. It was her curiosity and impulsiveness that always won whenever it came to investigating some place new. She had learned about constant vigilance though and the need to always be prepared for anything.

"But a book won't tell us what's truly inside, Drew," Rylee gently argued. A book wasn't about to drop down out of the sky, land at their feet and tell them preciously what was happening in that shack right this very moment. Did he see her point now? She HAD to find out what was going on.

See, he had just admitted to being curious too. Rylee let out a sigh. "Then what's the problem?" Was he really that afraid to go inside? He was. She knew he was but she also knew that little by little he was getting used to her way of thinking and the things she considered fun. "It could be a cat or something for all we know..." A very large cat that was strong enough to knock things over which resulted in the crash they had previously heard.

If Drew wanted to leave she would understand. If he wanted her to leave with him... well he might end up having to pull her away. Or bribe her somehow. A bribe might work. Maybe.

Gryffindors. Why was it always the Gryffindors? Drew was very much okay with curiosity, but apparently it made all members of the lions' den insanely scary. It somehow pushed Kieran down the scary ladder, what with his experience with Kodee and, now, Rylee.

But she did have a point, about the books not holding enough information about what was really inside. Then again, Drew wasn't going on an all rabid Gryffindor mode for it. He was not volunteering himself as creature crunch. Nope. "I-I'm sure they have re-records..." So that wasn't a good enough argument, he was aware, but he had to try.

"We could g-get hurt in th-there," he explained, but he will allow Rylee's active imagination to figure out the possible ways to get hurt. Maybe then it will stop her from getting in there. They were fenced out of the shack for reasons, right? There also didn't seem to the 'Welcome! Come inside!' sign hanging there too, right?! And... a cat. Drew had to keep his mouth shut so his jaw didn't involuntarily drop at that suggestion. "A b-big cat." And Drew was no fan of huge creatures. Baby foxes and owls and flobberworms were all he could manage as of this moment.

Was he going to leave her, though? Yes. No. Simply no. "Th-think about it...." Drew would happily drag her back to the high street.

It wasn't her fault her curiosity always managed to get the best of her. This was just how she was on a daily basis when something new and exciting was right there in front of her. It was practically already in her grasp. So close... and yet so far.

Huh? Records. Seriously Drew. Records were all fine and dandy for information if she wasn't already standing right here looking at the shack. Sure chances were good that she would end up going straight to the library to check for books once she returned to Hogwarts anyhow but that would be later on. What mattered was what was happening right this very second. "Yeah but how do we know if those records aren't just made up?" She could go on and on about this all afternoon.

There it was. They could get hurt. She already knew this... and yet she always somehow put her at risk even when she wasn't trying. Rylee opened her mouth to state the fact that they could get hurt doing almost anything really but closed it the moment he continued to speak. A big cat. It wasn't the words so much that got the second year thinking again but the way it had been said. Then she remembered and she couldn't understand how even for the briefest second she had ever forgotten. Drew wasn't fond of creatures. There was noway she would be getting him to the fences with her. And if he wasn't going with her she wouldn't go... or well she would but leaving him behind to worry like she knew he would wasn't something she could do.

Letting out a deep breath, eyes still glued to the shack in front of them she mumbled quietly, "Okay... we won't go inside..." Today. Next time she was going in even if it was by herself.

It was getting harder and harder for Drew to change Rylee's mind, like she had already set a decision to definitely bust the entrance to the shack down. He was clearly losing his chill, pacing back and forth in front of the Gryffindor.

Drew almost wanted to bury his head under a pile of dirt with his failure of an argument on Shrieking Shack records. In fact, he had no idea if such records existed and the accuracy was very much questionable too. People can make things up. One could never be so sure of it. "I..." he sighed. "N-no idea." Drewett had to admit, eventually. If he kept going on and on with the topic, he would be a fraud too. He didn't want to seem like a liar.

He almost gave up, but it came to his surprise that Rylee opted not to pursue her shrieking shack adventure. He perked up a little, eyes still wide but less of panic. "Really?" Such relief. He needed to make sure. Except, it was probably obvious with the expression change on Rylee's face.

Oh no. "I-I've upset y-you," the Ravenclaw stated rather than questioned. The relief in his face was ultimately exchanged by a sign of concern—of a teeny bit of regret that he had stopped her. Drew felt a nagging need to make it up to her, but had no idea how he was supposed to do that without involving the shack.

While she may have put up a good fight with her own argument for a little bit she knew almost instantly Drew wouldn't be changing his mind. If he wasn't going to relent and neither was she... they weren't going to get anywhere at all. Someone was going to have to give in.

Rylee knew she could've kept going making her own point. All she wanted was a quick peek inside the shack and then they could leave. Her own fact based evidence that she knew was true. However she let it go. Even with Drew's admittance of 'having no idea' about what these records may have contained. The argument just wasn't worth it right now. Someone was bound to get upset and she didn't want that someone to be her friend.

Not even needing to look, Rylee could already hear the relief and surprise in his voice. She did turn around as spoke again. "Really. We won't go inside," she repeated once more. We. Either of them.

Was she upset. Yes, a little. Was she going to tell him that? No. There wasn't a need to. Why make him feel worse, she saw that look on his face and she didn't like it. It was nothing resembling the smile she had grown used to seeing on his face. There was a wrinkle of her nose in displeasure for the look of concern on his. "No... you didn't." She knew he was trying to keep himself out of harms way and her too. "We can go now... let's find something else to do?" Standing if made very little sense now.

...

You know that awful feeling when you sort of let someone down? Or you've done something to disappoint them and it was so obvious in their face? It was exactly that. Drew couldn't shake off that awful feeling. In fact, it made him really... angsty. The Ravenclaw stuck his hands inside his pockets to keep himself under control.

"I-I can see it..." He said, his shoulders slouching a little bit. The last thing he wanted to do was upset a friend. If there was a spectrum of emotions, Rylee was normally at the most positive end of it... and it was probably his fault that it wasn't exactly on that end today. "I'm ssssorry." Drew almost considered telling her that they could go inside the shack the next time they visit, but that was still a bad idea.

Looking at the ground, he kicked a stone away from his side and his gaze followed it to the edge, by the fences. As if a tiny light bulb flickered in his head, the Ravenclaw ducked to pick up a random flower and offered it to her. It wasn't a favourite of hers, he knew. It wasn't a tiger lily. He was unsure if that was enough to make up for it, but he was willing to try.

Ah, geez.

Now she'd done it. Her clear lack of happiness was upsetting her friend. That was the last thing she had wanted to happen. Even if her own happiness at her want of exploring the shack had been shot down, and for good reason, she hadn't expected the outcome to be Drew feeling bad. That's not what was supposed to happen.

Drew's mood was easy to read. And she didn't like it. It made her feel even worse. Worse for even getting upset in the first place. Rylee sighed softly. All she had to do was smile or something. Anything to show she wasn't as upset as he thought she was. Only now he was apologizing! Any bit of a smile she had been trying to show him was suddenly gone again. "It's okay... honest." There was no need to be sorry.

Ready to leave now, Ry turned away to begin heading back down the slippery muddy hillside. Before she could get very far there was a flower held out in front of her. Now it wasn't by any means a Tiger Lily nor was it a Platycodon. It also wasn't a rose which she had become even more fond of recently. However it was still very pretty and it was always the thought that counted. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she took the flower from him. "Thanks, Drew." Without much thought the lioness pulled her friend into a one armed hug.

See? No harm done. She was already starting to feel better.

In the shack the poor ghoul let out a howling groan "OOOOOOOOOOOWWNOIEEE!" that was probably heard all the way outside and farther out, even up to the street. The hungry ogre had sadly lucked out. Where he had thought there was bugs and critters, had upon closer inspection turned up none.

Stomach churning with hunger the ghoul continued on it's search for food humming in an almost singsong voice to himself, that is if a ghoul can sing?. "Oh sweet bugs and critters where are thee?"

A tiny part of Drew was relieved that the flower he had randomly plucked from the side had worked to defuse the awkward and the angst in the air that was seemingly choking him. While he won't deny that he still felt sort of bad, as he always did when he knew he disappointed someone, Drew tried to keep that to himself now.

But all he could do was shake his head when Rylee thanked him for the flower. That was until he felt himself being pulled by the gravitational force his friend. A bit disoriented, Drew stayed awkwardly still for a moment before he finally allowed himself to hug Rylee as well. No harm done... sort of. A little bit, but he was also willing to forget the guilt that came along with letting a friend down. Moving on, yes.

The loud groan—Drew was positive it came from the shack again because what great timing, universe—made him twitch while they were still hugging. Slowly releasing Rylee from the hug, he stared at the Shrieking Shack with wide eyes again.

Gulp. "I-I CAN HEAR YOU!" Drew scream!yelped towards the shack's direction. He was curious to know what was inside... but the Ravenclaw wondered if... what if... they lured it outside, instead. It was easier to run away and all.

...

Well, maybe that was out of impulse. So.... turn away now, yes? Please? Before he regrets what he did?

Not being hugged back right away was okay. This was Drew after all and the fact that he returned her hug at all was a positive outcome. A hug and a flower might seem like something small to some people but for her it was enough to change her mind about the shack... for now. She was ready to head back.

Something didn't seem right. It had gotten to quiet when there was suddenly a loud groan. Rylee's attention shifted from Drew and her thoughts of leaving right back to the shack. She couldn't help it! And from the sounds of things neither could Drew from his shouting at whatever was inside!

"What are you doing?!" She stared at him with wide surprised eyes. "I thought we were leaving?" What happened to him wanting to leave? Now he was yelling at whatever creature was inside. Rylee wasn't sure whether to be concerned by his actions or excited and yell along with him.