Passing the Time {open}

Jett's work was never done.

He took too many classes, that's what everyone said. He needed to cut back, to focus on only what he planned to use later in life. Well, he planned to use it all. Even the not so glamorous things, like how long wolfsbane took to germinate. The answer was somewhere in one of the books spread across the table. He just needed to find which one.

“Honey, can you pass me that book? With the red...yes, that one. Thank you.” Jett took the book from her hands with a smile. It was an apologetic smile, he hoped. He knew this wasn't what she had in mind when she suggested they take a trip to Hogsmede to enjoy the first day of spring.

Their table in the crowded cafe was littered with his books and notes, their drinks shoved to the side and nearly forgotten. Honey understood, though. She had to. They were alike enough for her to realize that to Jett a day out was not complete without a study break.

Besides, he had spent an hour walking the streets with her. They had checked out the sweet shop and the bookstore. It was past time to settle into the somewhat hard chairs of the Three Broomsticks and have a mug of butterbeer to warm their insides. He couldn't help it that he it was also past time he got some work done.

“I'm sorry,” he said suddenly, hesitating to open the book she had passed him. “I am being awful, aren't I?”

It was the first day of spring. A time for rebirth and renewal. A time where you discard the old and usher in the new. Eleanie, with all her past baggage and dark quirks, was really trying hard to live by those notions of spring.

She was being tested, always. God or the powers that be wanted to see her fail or got a twisted sense of humor, because around every corner there was always something that press her buttons, that drove her up the wall. Does Eleanie grin and bare it or does she lash out and right the wrong that had fallen upon her? This was dilemma she faced day in and day out.

Today was no different. It started normal enough. She woke up. Ate fruit yoghurt for breakfast and stood in line for the grounds keeper to check off her name before allowing her to walk the cobble stone pathway to Hogsmeade. She didn't know what she would do when she got their, she just wanted to be away from the castle for awhile. Jett of course invited her to study in a cafe, but the prospect seem so ridiculous, she could not help but laugh when he offered. No. Today was going to be an alone day for her, exploring the south part of town, which she hasn't throughly done yet.

Halfway down the pathway to Hogsmeade, guess who she ran into: Madison SaintClaire and Clarissa Thomas. The two most annoying gossip monger in all of Hogswart. And to no ones surprise they were talking crap about someone.

"He is such a prat and gross too. Why would anybody likes his class."

"I know, right! And it always smells down there. Does he even takes showers or something? He rects!"

Both of them were so alike that Eleanie couldn't be bothered differentiating the two apart. They were even obnoxiously dress the same. They wore a putrid pink dress with white ribbons in their hair and gold jewelry. If Eleanie called them tweedle Dee and tweedle dum that would be an insult to the Alice in Wonderland characters.

"And what's with those clothes...Can you say garbage anyone?"

"He probably gets them supplied at the homeless..."

She tried to hurry up and walk passed them so they wouldn't notice but for what ever reason Lady Luck had abandoned her all together. "Eleanie!" One of the bubble gum sisters screeched. "How are you?" But before L could respond too in kind, she stammered on. "I love how you just don’t care what you look like."

They both did the up and down look taking Eleanie all in before the other girl responded, "Yay. You carry you weight well."

It was to be expected the way they treated her, after all she wasn't a very nice person, but this time she was blindsided. It was like her mind went from sixty to zero in two seconds flat. All she could mustered up was "What?" in an indignant tone.

"Dearie, it's a compliment. Don't be so sensitive." At this point Eleanie was about ready to strangle the poor girls. Her scowl was mistakable on her face. Her hands were balled up into fist, ready to knock the ugly off their faces. But Jett came to mind once again, reminding her that every conflict doesn't have to end in violence. It took Jett weeks to convince her that hexing a person she did not agree with was not always the answer. She had gone almost a week of it too and thought to herself that these pricks weren't worth it.

"Why are you being such a sour puss?"

"You would look much better if you smiled more. You have that furrow brow troll look going on."

Eleanie' anger was at an all time high. She couldn't take it anymore but she had the good sense not to curse them. Instead she said, "I'm leaving." She turned around and stormed off. Her hands in her pocket, squeezing the life out of her wand, imagining it was Madison's face turning that disgusting shade of pink. But before she was out of ear shot of those horrid girls, she heard them laugh. She knew it was about her and she lost it. Before she knew it, several curses flew out of her wand, strucking them in the face. One sprouted pimples everywhere where their were once skin. The other had a dazed forgotten look on her face before her skin started to change techno colored. The girl that was aware of her surroundings screamed as she touched her face, before dragging her friend back to the castle.

Eleanie's streak was over. She automatically knew she would get detention or something for the next month but to her. She was still livid, violently shaking. Her last ounce of freedom before she would spend the next months in her own purgatory, she wanted to vent to someone. So she was off to the cafe in Hogsmeade.

Ha Ni was sitting across from Jett, trying one of the sugared Butterfly Wings she had bought from Honeydukes earlier. It practically melted in her mouth, and wasn't as strange of a taste as she thought it would be; she could only taste sugar, but she was certain the butterfly wings had some form of protein, and that was reason enough to slip another one into her mouth before she passed the requested book to her companion. She really should have expected this would happen when she asked Jett to come with her to Hogsmeade rather than spend another Saturday hard at work studying for tests and completing homework. She knew she should have been more suspicious of the heavy bookbag he had dragged around with him.

Still, he made it a good hour or so before asking to take a break from all the fun, and not only did she get to pick up some new reading material and some sweets, but also the new scarf she'd been needing since the last one was torn and well beyond overused. And this new scarf still held to the blue and silver Ravenclaw house colors, so it would be just the thing to keep her warm on her way to those early morning classes throughout the week.

Ha Ni had just been stowing her box of sugared butterfly wings back into her bag when Jett spoke again, and she looked up to see his guilt-stricken face. She smiled, "No of course not! Besides, I really did need to brush up on my..." She glanced over the nearest open book, scanning the upside down letters, "facts about migrant wizards during the 15th century." She offered a bigger smile, as she meant this only as a light jest and that really she didn't mind taking this little study break at all, though she herself was not studying. She had scheduled herself study time after supper back where she could find the comfort of the library, or perhaps she would spend it in her dorm, she hadn't quite decided yet.

"Is this for History of Magic, or just some light reading?" She asked as she picked up the book and started reading to see for herself. She realized after skim reading a few paragraphs that it wasn't the sort of material listed in the course objectives, so she returned the book to the spot where Jett left it, "You know if you asked nicely, Professor Reid might give you extra credit for writing an essay about this sort of thing." It was a slim chance when it came to the strict woman who was also the Head of their House, but it could happen. Of course, it wasn't like Jett needed the extra credit, but it could always help if he wanted some leeway on another assignment perhaps later in the semester when he might want some time to relax, or to room to work on other assignments. If Jett ever wanted to relax, that is.

Tony woke up to the Weird Sisters screaming in his ear and immediately proceeded to fall off his bed, tangled sheets and all. “Fuck- Merlin’s tits, which part of gently wake me up was unclear to you?”

Adriana sat at the foot of his bed, filing her nails. There were several Hogsmeade shopping bags at her feet and her wand stuck out from one of them. The enchanted speaker still blasting music from an old Sisters’ hit hovered just above where Tony’s head had been. “Can you turn that thing off?”

She flashed him a smile, but mercifully turned the music off before leaning back on her elbows. “Thought you were gonna go to Hogsmeade with Jett?” “I was,” Tony said, yawning into his pillow. “I am. I’m meeting him and Honey there later.” “It’s noon already.” Adriana gave him a look, one of her perfect eyebrows rising slightly in accent. “I’m not gonna wake up early on a holiday, Dee.” Finally he managed to untangle himself from the death trap that were his sheets. He made way to the bathroom as Adriana stood to leave.

“I’m going down to the pitch after lunch, ask your friends if they wanna join us for practice.” Tony yawned again, calling back a muffled, “Will do.” Then she was gone and he stepped into the shower to freshen up before leaving.

He found Jett and Honey at the Three Boomsticks nearly an hour later. It wasn’t hard to find a table covered almost entirely with textbooks, which, really Jett. Tony got himself a coffee at the bar before striding over to sit. “Morning nerds,” he said as a way of greeting to the two Ravenclaws, balancing his cup on the textbook closest to him. “What are we doing?”

Jett was reassured by Honey's big grim that she was not bothered by his tendency to become absorbed in his studying. He noticed she herself wasn't reading or working on any assignments, but simply enjoying the atmosphere of the cafe. He considered mentioning the upcoming test they had in Charms, but thought better of it before he opened his mouth. She already knew, and really, it was not his place to force her to study. Honey would do well regardless.

He put the book in his hands on the table and reached for his drink, long since cold and forgotten. He scrunched his nose at the taste – without the heat it was sickeningly sweet. He should have ordered tea. Something bitter. He pushed the half full mug away, deciding to never order it again.

Looking back to Honey, he smiled and his expression softened. “You are much too accommodating of my selfishness. Everyone should be so lucky as to have a friend like you.”

After his compliment, Jett turned back to the book in front of him. He opened it and began to browse the table on contents. When Honey spoke he waved away her idea of extra credit. “That's a nice, suggestion, thank you. But unfortunately I don't believe Professor Reid would that. I already have a hundred and ten percent in her class.”

They sat quietly for another few minutes before the pulling out of a chair at the table caught Jett's attention and he looked up from his book. Anthony, a fellow sixth year student, sat down.

Jett's brow was marred with a faint line of displeasure at the way Anthony greeted them. It dissolved into a smile as quick as it came, the flicker of anger that his veela blood sparked at the worst moments kept in check by his own force of will.

“Morning was hours ago, Anthony,” he said.To be honest he had forgotten that Anthony was supposed to join them today in Hogsmeade. Those sort of details often fell through the cracks in Jett's over worked mind.

“I hope you are at least well rested?” Jett shuffled a few of the books on the table into his bag, making more room for Anthony. “We were just doing some reading. I would be more than happy to work on whatever it is that you need to though, of course.”

L was still fuming when she was in the midst of town. So much so, she collided with a group of Hogwarts first years which she promptly swatted away like a fly swatter to annoying little gnats.

It was a busy day of course in town. Happy people going about their business, talking and laughing as they went about their merrily way. That should have been L. She should have been enjoying the afternoon sunlight, enjoy the smell of fresh pastries being baked and reveled in finding something peculiar in the part of town she hadn't explored yet.

No. She couldn't enjoy it, could she? SaintClaire and Thomas ruined it for her. They had to poke and prod until L reacted, until she lashed out onto them. Well they got what they deserved. Now she too was paying the price for her own indiscretion. She just hope that ugly 1 and ugly 2 symptoms last for a lot longer than just a couple of hours. That would deflate those big heads of theirs.

L was festering in her own anger that she almost missed the cafe, where Jett told her he will be. Her anger prevented her from seeing the beauty in the quant little shop with its mixture of the old and new Art Deco style. She just zoomed right past it, spotting Jett in the back of the cafe of course.

Before she noticed the other companions that had gathered, L said quite loudly, "Why is SaintClaire such a bitch? Especially with that piggy friend of hers, Thomson or whatever her name is."

She had more to say about the incident that happen early but promptly closed her mouth when she realize he wasn't alone. Well, Choi wasn't the issue really. She acted more of a house elf than anything else. She was just there, lurking behind Jett like his personal mascot or something. She didn't really talked much around her except for the polite hellos and thank yous she did in her usual hush tones. No. It was Morgan that L didn't want to talk in front of. She didn't know him at all only in passing. They may have had a tiff or two in their years at Hogwarts but she had so many that it was hard to keep track of. Eleanie had trust issues, especially those she barely knew.

"Jett, you're busy. I'll just go away now," she said in her annoyed voice as she backed up towards the cafe door.

Ha Ni smiled again as he complimented what a great friend she was. She couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside when he said things like that, and her smile turned to a grin. She gave a mischievous shrug and answered, "I know," in that chirpy voice of hers. She quirked an eyebrow though, as he explained how he already secured a grade passed 100%. It was true that he seemed to be one of Professor Reid's students (as well as one of the few who paid attention during her lectures), so perhaps he just got lucky on an assignment or worked extra hard on it to where the professor had to award more points. If she had that kind of extra credit she would take advantage of it and give herself more free time, something she suspected Jett wouldn't even consider, as that would mean purposely ignoring some homework, whether he needed the grade on it or not.

As he continued reading through his books, Ha Ni glanced up to see Tony approaching with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. Considering that and how he greeted them with a good morning, she assumed he couldn't have woken up more than an hour ago. She thought little of it, however, as it was the weekend and it was perfectly reasonable to sleep in if he really wanted to.

"Hey Tony! Oh, I have something for you," She dug the box of sugared butterfly wings back out of her bag and popped it open before holding it out to him, "Here, try one! Did you need to get any shopping done today? We can stop by the shops on our way back later if you want." She simply assumed that he came straight to the Three Broomsticks to meet them and thus had not had the chance to peruse the other shops yet.

She was going to further encourage that they do other things beside study, when someone else approached the table saying crude things about some fellow classmates. Ha Ni looked up to see Eleanie, a Gryffindor student she did not know well, but certainly knew of her and how often she got herself into trouble for that temper. She had seen Jett with her from time to time, so she had to have some good qualities. Ha Ni became quiet nonetheless, as she still found Eleanie to be quite intimidating, especially after speaking so viciously and loud about two other students.

“It’s morning when I wake up,” Tony shot back immediately, but with a playful undertone. Technically it was already morning when he came back from that Gryffindor party. He wasn’t even sure what day it was thanks to that. “Sure, I’m good.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug and sipped at his coffee. He’d stuffed the first pile of notes he could find into his bag before he left. He hadn’t even checked what they were. “Wasn’t there a test coming up? History?” he asked, pulling out the entire unorganized pile onto the table, looking over the top parchment.

“Ooo, what is it?” he asked, peeking inside the box. He grabbed one before waiting for a reply and popped it into his mouth. The wing melted on his tongue and mixed in a sweet taste to the bitter coffee. “Sweet! Thanks, Honey Honey.” He thought on her offer. He didn’t really need anything, but he had a nagging feeling that he did something at the party last night that needed to be fixed. Maybe a box of chocolates from Honeydukes to fix it. “Sure, we can have a look around later.”

He kinda just... looked at Eleanie when she stormed in, trying to place her. He completely tuned out on what she was saying at first, then brightened up when he made the connection. “Hey, aren’t you Kaden’s little sis? Come sit with us, we’re studying uhhh... Goblin Wars?”

“You have been kind. Very kind. But I shouldn’t overstay my welcome.”

Ella had spoken, or so she had thought.

She had most of the words down, to give her some credit, however there were a few that dangled on her lips, slurred in her speech. The stairs that laid down before her appeared more daunting of a task than she had initially evaluated, causing her to almost rethink her goodbyes and instead stay in the attics above Honeydukes.

That wouldn’t do, of course. She had given her word. Even in the state she was in, with a near empty bottle of beer in hand (one of the many she had drank the night before), she knew well enough that she had to continue her independence.

This boy, however, had a harder time letting go.

“Just a few more minutes? Come on, it couldn’t hurt.”

Ella smiled, her plump lips resting heavily to one side as she did so. She gave the boy a bit of a wink, hoping that it would be enough to settle for the few minutes he had requested.

“I will do as I said, Finn,” She was surprised at how much the boy was trying to hold onto her presence. More often than not, she’d experienced shock from men when she didn’t cling. When she didn’t latch on to them and hope for promises. No, that wasn’t Ella. Ella was free.

The weight of the stairs shifted beneath her, creaking as she lowered herself down a step, still facing the boy she was parting with. Her wink must not have been enough, for he powered himself forward, far sloppier than she, and took her shoulder for his own, placing a heavy arm around it.

“Okay. Just down the stairs. I’ll take you down the stairs, Ella.”

She smiled, her body curving naturally against the stairwell. She wouldn’t refuse the boy, who was the muggleborn grandson of the shop owner, as she thought it rude when the gesture itself was kind enough. His motivation behind it, however, Ella ignored.

The boy, Finn, heavily descended the stairs, his feet slipping on a few drink-stained steps from the night before, when he and Ella had clumsily made their way up. From beneath him, Ella could feel the slovenly weight of the boy, pressing against her body and making her smaller than what she was.

As they reached a platform halfway down, the boy reached his head down. To this, Ella felt no reservations. She kissed the boy back, looking up to meet him and allowing her hair to fall in seamless waves behind her back. She pulled back before he did though, removing his wandering hands from around her waist.

Ella gave the boy a bit of a push, encouraging him back up the stairs. Ella sighed, the air lingering in her lungs much like the alcohol did in her stomach. She looked down at the few remaining steps, placing her curving hips back onto the banister as she did what she could to clear her head.

She looked over her shoulder, back now on the bannister and her hands gliding themselves across it for additional support. She’d observe, she thought, for just a little time. Enough to clear some of her foggy head, and perhaps enough time to give her sense enough to readjust her mangled clothes.

Jett watched Anthony take one of the sweet treats from Honey and pop it into his mouth. He was glad she had not offered him one, as he would have been forced to accept to be polite. Jett had no taste for sweet things, and the thought of crushing such  beautiful things like butterfly wings beneath his teeth made him feel ill.

He was about to answer Anthony's question about the upcoming test when the door of the cafe thundered shut. His head jerked in the direction of the noise and noticed Eleanie making her way towards him. If he was surprised she was the source of the noise he did not show it, and instead merely followed her with his eyes until she stopped at his table.

“Elle? Did something happen on your way here?” He asked after she had yelled her piece. At first his expression was concerned, but it changed to gentle reproach when he realized she was shouting something rude. The last few months he and Eleanie had spent a lot of time together, and he had seen great improvement in the way she treated people, but she still had a long way to go.“You know, you shouldn't speak so hotly of people you barely know. I am certain both of those girls have just as many good qualities as you do.”

Eleanie tried to back away, but already Jett was insisting she stay. He remembered telling her he would be here today, and that she should join him. How many people had he told that too? Now that she was here, however,  it would be a terrible thing  to turn her away.

“No, no, you should stay. Please. Here,” Jett said as he stood and pulled out the chair next to him. He offered it to Eleanie. “Sit by me?”

It was then Jett realized how rude he himself was being. He turned to Honey and Anthony in turn, introducing them to Eleanie. Whenever he spent time with her it always just the two of them, and it crossed his mind that maybe she didn't know his other friends at all.

“I believe you know Honey already, yes? This is our friend Anthony. He's here to study with us as well, like he said.”

The sweet, decadent aroma of candy being made permeated the air in Honeydukes. It was intoxicating for the chocoholics and the candy fanatics, but to Kaden it was overwhelmingly strong. There were just to many smells competing for his affection that it choked the air around him. There were the deep rich chocolate, the cool breath of peppermint, the salted caramel just to name a few smells.

It seem like half the school was here indulging in the wicked sin of life's simplest of pleasures. Kaden on the other hand did not enjoy this sort of pleasure. In fact he had little to no sweet tooth at all. The only reason why he ended up in this quant little shoppe was to send a care package home to his momma. She always enjoyed those nice little paper packages tied up with strings. Kaden got a few of her favorite things. Liqurice wands were a must. They are her favorite candies. She always had a stash in the house somewhere. In the pile at the counter, Kaden had ice mice, salt water toffee, cauldron cakes and other sorts of candy. The mound of candy was getting ever so tall, but he couldn't choose just a few. It was for his mother after all.

Finally, after he was ready to leave, he waited in line to be rung up, as he waited he became very observant and started people watching. Everyone seem cheerful and happy. Especially, watching a young witch, not older than six or seven, being handed by (Kaden presumes) her father a stack of chocolate frogs. The twinkle of joy that danced across the lips of the young girls face and the love that showed in her eyes. Those small gestures made a world of difference. He was glad he could be apart of it.

"Next!" A plump, cheery red checks of a woman said behind the counter. His candy was already laid out on the counter ready to be rung up. "Is this it, Sweetie?" She said eyeing the mound of candy. "You sure got a lot. Do you think you will be able to eat it all?"

Kaden wasn't listening anymore. He wasn't usually so impolite, but he was raptured by the eve of golden sun hair and silky smooth skin. He only knew one person with those delicate features. He was mesmerize by not only her features but the way she carried herself to as she descended the staircase.

The women behind the counter said something else but he was hardly aware of his surroundings. All he said was, "Yay. I mean yes." At that moment reality came rushing back as Ella and her companion locked lips for he presume for the last time. It was the kiss of death. He too had it placed on him. Kaden wanted to give them a private moment even though half the males at Honeydukes were gawking at Ella for her beauty.

"How much?" Kaden asked. She said an amount and he paid it promptly, all the while seeing the two of them in the corner of his eyes. Ella's companion lingered with sad eyes, not wanting for her to go. As always her kind, gentle demeanor won out. She let him down easy, leaving her all alone.

Kaden debated on wither to approach Ella or not. She was still in the midst of her own throes of passion. Love, lost and the beauty of it all still fresh in her minds eye. It was only appropriate to give her space, but some of the boys had wicked grins on their face, unnervingly so. It didn't went a miss from Kaden. He knew Ella could handle this but he also wanted to shield her as well from unwanted advances. So with his candy at hand, Kaden approach her, shielding her from the other patrons. "Ella, how good to see you?" He said with a kinder smile they both shared with each other.

_____

"So basically no good qualities at all," she remarked. "Those wretched girls are snakes and they had what's coming to them."

Eleanie had a hard time dealing with others, especially in large groups like this, in public no less. She could hardly keep it amicable in front of Jett let alone in front of other people she barely knew. On top of that she was livid and hop on adrenaline to boot. She wanted to punch someone or something but she settled with nasty remarks instead.

"My name is L. Not Elle and definitely not Kaden's little sister." She rounded on Anthony. She didn't like being once again compared to her perfect brother, she so desperately wanted to hate. "On top of that we're twins. The same age! Got it? And the test isn't on Goblin wars. It's on the 1400 century witch burnings. I should know. I had detention last week making a snide remark about they got what they deserved."

She was still fumed to sit and the way she was acting, even Jett probably not want her around to embarrass him in front of his friends, which was fine by her. She didn't need him anyways, but in actuality, she was desperate for him to calm her down before she did something stupid.

Ha Ni gave a curt little wave as Jett introduced her, but upon Eleanie's mention of 'they had what's coming to them' Ha Ni stooped her gaze towards the nearest open book as she was even less comfortable with the situation now and did not want to be dragged into whatever trouble this Gryffindor student was caught up in. And after Eleanie leashed out at Tony, Ha Ni decided she wanted to draw as little attention to herself as possible, lest she further anger the girl.

She realized of course that Eleanie was Jett's friend, she just hoped Jett could calm her down from whatever had gotten her so fired up in the first place. For the meantime though, Ha Ni was glad to be sitting at the back of the table, where she could for the most part have little to do with the conversation.

The room was bustling with people. None of whom Ella could recognize with her blurred gaze. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath so as to steady herself, but instead she only gained focus on just how disoriented she was. As though her head were floating on top of a river while her body dragged like rocks behind it.

It didn’t take much, however, for Ella to realize this was not the Broomsticks Inn, where she had first been drinking. This, too, was no normal apartment. The boy had lived in the attic of his grandmother’s shop. Of a candy shop.

She could have felt embarrassed, and perhaps in a moment she had. She, however, knew better than to feel in such a way, for there was no reason for her to shame her actions. Ella had been more than willing to participate in the evening, and there was no reason for her to try to convince herself otherwise.

Ella had nearly climbed her way down the stairs, her hand gripped tightly to the railing as she descended. She had an acquaintance with the feelings of being drunk and hung over, enough for her to fight her vision into showing her where the steps truly were. It was a tiresome task to her already fatigued body, but there was little else for her to do than to power through.

A voice came from overhead, Ella hearing her own name at the start of the sentence. Looking up, Ella had found Kaden just in front of her, though her vision made him feel closer than he had been. She looked at him for a moment, her eyes a tinge larger than normal, as she tried to process his words.

“Kaden. It is good to see you as well, I must say. And you look so happy!” She, however, was most surprised to find him in a candy shop, noticing that the direction he had came from was where the register lay. She hadn’t known Kaden to find sweets all that enticing, although she couldn’t say that there had been any occurrence where he had displayed either a like or dislike for the treats. “May I inquire as to your visit?”

Fingering her strap, Ella pulled her fallen sleeve back onto her shoulder, though her eyes hadn’t left Kaden as she did so. There was no need for her to watch herself, and thus call more attention to her actions. She had done as she always did, and there was nothing wrong with that.

“Man, let the girl vent. People say stupid shit about other people all the time.” Tony cut in, leaning back in his chair. He raised a brow at the implication that Eleanie did something to those girls, but nodded and gestured to the one remaining chair at their table; opposite himself and next to Honey. “Tony. And I meant no offence. L?” A touch of temper on her, Tony could work with that. He hoped.

“But L, we’re witches too,” he said, looking at Eleanie as he did but dropping his gaze to catch Honey’s eye when he noticed her looking down. Hey, it’s fine, his look would have said. We can work with this. He was pretty sure he took a test on that particular topic last year, but then he supposed Kaden and Eleanie were a year younger than himself and the two Ravenclaws.

“That doesn't mean it's called for,” Jett said to Anthony with a slight frown. He enjoyed the Slytherin's company, and considered him a good friend. That didn't mean Jett agreed with him even half of the time. He was lacking certain manners Jett considered important.

He turned back to Eleanie, who looked like she was about to storm out, or else take a swing at Anthony. Knowing his friend like he did, he knew the situation could escalate quickly. He reached out and put a hand on her arm, his fingers resting on her skin with the lightest of pressure.

“L, calm down.” Jett tried his best to focus her attention on him. When she finally turned to look at him he loosened the hold he had on his veela aura the smallest amount. He hoped the wash of good feelings would help to calm Eleanie, and that he did not over do it. Jett had spent his whole life learning to control the power he had, and still it was a struggle at times. Letting go just a bit made him want to let go entirely. He could never do that, though, if he wanted people to like him for him, and not because they felt compelled to by some magic force.

“Come on, let me get you a drink. Then we can come sit back down, if you would like.” Jett had not looked away from Eleanie, not even to notice how Honey had sunk into her chair.“Or we can go back to the castle together. I'd love for you to get to know the other people that are important to me, though.”

"I am happy to see your lovely face, Ella." In fact he was taken by her genuine honesty, her poetic brilliance and her lovely demeanor. There is a shroud of mystique about her that kept luring him back to her. Don't get Kaden wrong. He wasn't after her heart, that belong to no man. Even in the bliss of romance, he knew that the love they shared was a passion spent in one night. No. He was in fact search of a kindred spirit, someone who knew the pursuit well, and continue the search for the elusive "the one."

He looked down at his paper bag full of sweets.  It seem like a ridiculous amount of candy for just one person but it was well worth the extra money to brighten up his momma's day. "Well," he said reaching into the bag of never ending candy. "I wanted to buy something sweet for someone sweet." Kaden pulled out a large pumpkin pastry and present it to Ella. He knew it was one of her favorites.

"To be honest, I'm buying candy for my momma." He wasn't ashamed of calling his Mother "momma" in front of other people. Kaden put no thought into what others might think of him using that word as if he was a momma's boy.  "We live in a small town and it's hard for her to get to Hogsmeade. She doesn't like to apparate, port keys make her nauseous and floo powder messes up her hair." Kaden could not help but chuckle at the last one. It sounded so ridiculous but his mother lived by that statement. "Anyways, every time Hogwarts have an outing to Hogmeade I stop by and buy up all the candy in Honeydukes." He looked down at his bag. "I think I over did it this time."

Kaden stepped out of the stairs but still giving Ella his undivided attention, she so kindly bestowed upon him on multitude of occasions, not embarrass in the slightest as she fixed her sleeve. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

_____

L didn't know where to begin. First, Morgan, someone she barely even knew, defending her. The looks that Choi and Morgan exchanged in silence, that she got far to often from complete strangers, thinking that she is batshit crazy. She was. If she was any saner, she would have come to the realization that they all took History of Magic last week. This Tuesday was Potions  test.  On top of it all, she was terrified that after this last one, the Headmistress will have no choice but expel her for sure. She had a wrap-sheet a mile long and more than once a Professor have threaten to expel her for actions.  She didn't want that. She just made a friend in Jett. Quite honestly, she didn't know how. They were so different, and the way he talked to other girls as if he was seducing them annoyed the hell out of her but they were friends none the less.

She was on the verge of a mental breakdown and about ready to explode on someone, when Jett guided her to the counter away from the other. He did not know what drink Jett had order for her, and she didn't really care. She down it in three or four gulps. Not very lady like but fuck that shit.

"Jett. I tried. I really did but I keep falling on what I know best. Fight! It's in my nature. I can't help it." She was rambling and she knew it so she quickly shut up. It only then registered that Jett offered her to walk her back to the castle. L was selfish, she knew it but the prospect of going to the castle now, knowing what awaited her made her want to avoid the castle altogether. No. She will stay. She wouldn't be happy about spending her last free hours in a study session, but it was better than festering on the prospect yet to come.

"I will stay." Still angry and annoyed she went back to the table and instead of taking the empty seat, she took Jett's. Spinning it around until the back of the chair was facing the table. She didn't say anything as she sat down, pulling out her worn tarot cards to preoccupied her hands so she didn't uproot the table.

Ha Ni quietly exhaled as Jett led the girl away towards the bar, and she felt as though a large snake had just released its grip on her. Ordinarily, Ha Ni would consider herself capable of getting along with most people, but Carr's entrance had been so abrupt and jarring (and not to mention they had never once spoken directly before), Ha Ni simply didn't know how to react to the hot-tempered girl.

She happened to look up before the two walked away, and saw Jett place a hand on Eleanie's arm. It was a subtle gesture that would have gone unnoticed by those who didn't know Jett that well, or had little knowledge of Veela. Had he used his charm to try and calm the girl down? Ha Ni had no way of knowing for certain, but it did worry her. He always seemed the sort who reigned in those gifts of his, at least based on her account; she couldn't recall any point in time where he influenced her actions.

So perhaps she was merely making assumptions, and the two simply knew each other well and Eleanie heeded his council. He did seem to help, as the Gryffindor seemed somewhat less boisterous now. At least the other customers would stop watching them like some soap on the television. Ha Ni silently chastised herself for jumping to such callous conclusions about Jett's actions.

Anthony seemed to think Eleanie should, as he said, 'vent', but Ha Ni didn't think she had the energy for that. It's not like she ever vented about the stresses hanging over her own head; such as the crippling expectations of her parents that she do well in school, or how her mother constantly checked up on her to see what sort of friends she affiliated herself with- and let's not forget how often they remind her of their reservations about her position on the Quidditch team. No, she didn't burden her companions with any of that.

Ha Ni took another deep breath, realizing that her thoughts had become too self-centered, so she gave Tony a brief smile before taking another sugared butterfly wing and leaving the box on the table to share. It was at that point that Jett and Eleanie returned from the bar, where Miss Carr promptly claimed the seat beside Ha Ni. Ha Ni stiffened for a moment before returning her attention back to the book in front of her.

After a few moments, she thought better of it, as well as caught Jett's gaze, so she hesitantly looked up towards Eleanie and offered a smile. She also observed what looked to be tarot card's in the girl's hand. "Do you have an interest in Divination?" Ha Ni herself put little stock in it; notions of fate and destiny implied people had little choice in their actions and their future, but any topic of conversation would be better than silence. And perhaps Ha Ni's perception of Eleanie was simply marred by the girl's reputation. She could turn out to be nicer than Ha Ni first thought, after all.

Tony shrugged in response to Jett. “You’re assuming much,” was the only thing he said before Jett took Eleanie to the front bar. It didn’t really matter if it was called for. It was fact. Heck, it was probably necessary. He didn’t have to remind Jett how different people reacted differently in certain situations- especially in response to hurtful things.

He winked at Honey when the other two were gone, helping himself to another sugared wing. He shuffled through his papers in search for notes on something more interesting and, hopefully, more recent than Goblin Wars. “Herbology isn’t for another two weeks, is it?” he asked when he found a hastily scribbled research on a particular species of flesh-eating trees.

When Eleanie came back to sit with them Tony flashed a grin. When she spun her chair around he angled his slightly towards her, threw his arms over the back of his chair and crossed his legs, resting one ankle on the other knee. “Glad you decided to join us,” he said. The atmosphere still felt a bit charged, so he focused on what was keeping Eleanie’s hands occupied. Notes lay forgotten in favour of cards as Honey voiced the question he too had been thinking.

Ella smiled, Kaden’s sincerity charming her as he spoke. Her cheeks were raised as she did so, sitting on top of her strong cheekbones and adding a lot more curve to them.

As the boy reached down into the bag, Ella couldn’t help but soften her smile. Kaden presented her with a pastry, one of her of her favorite flavors of course. The boy had known her well, and their friendship has always left it’s surprises for her. Kaden had a good heart, and was a good man. She was sure he would find someone of a perfect match for himself, someone as good as he.

“You’re a good man, Kaden. Far too kind in your words for me.” She took the pastry graciously, listening to Kaden as he spoke about his mother. His story had brought her a few laughs as she pictured a woman somewhere between the appearances of Kaden and his twin, L.

She had never met their mother, of course, but she had certainly learned at least a few of her personality traits from Kaden’s stories. He loved the woman, she could tell this much at least, and valued Kaden’s ability to love and respect his mother. Not too many people around their age found much to appreciate of their parents, and instead rebelled. Kaden, however, had only shown love from what Ella knew of him.

“I think you did just fine, I’m sure she’ll love it almost as much as she loves you.”

Laugher broke through the air.

Ella was still taken back about the sweet shop. Although her attention remained on Kaden, Ella took in what she could of her surroundings. The laughter of the younger children she could hear easily as they scampered across the floors. Always different, too, as kids would come and go so quickly from their favorite candy shop. She found this in contrast to the Broomsticks, where men grumbled more than they laughed and often sat for hours as they drank.

She had to say, she enjoyed this for its differences.

“A walk would be nice, but only if you suggest it out of your own desires as well.” She had known many people to suggest things, like a walk, simply for another person. Ella, however much she may have appreciated it, would rather not hold such constraints onto another. She wanted to be able to respect them for what they, too, had wanted to do, not simply for their pleasures into something she desired.

Ella took a few steps forward before blackness began to speckle across her eyes. Having been stationary, with the support of the stairs on her back, Ella had nearly forgotten the state of her body. Her mind, she had thought, worked quite well under the circumstances, but the alcohol pursued other things. She had to stop for a moment, resting a gentle hand onto the shelving of candy that sat not too far out of reach.

With a deep breath she gathered herself, prepared to apologize for the state that Kaden had found her in, but finding it better that she catch her breathe first. She could still feel the smooth glass in her one hand, having nearly forgotten of the beer that she descended the stairs with. It appeared counter intuitive, but she took a sip, finishing off the beer. It was the best remedy she had found to fight a hangover, and was perhaps the reason she had continued drinking into the early hours of the morning.

She kept the bottle in her hand after she took a sip, holding it behind her back so as to not display it to what kids were running about.

"Sorry, Kaden, I apologize. It was a longer night than I had intended."

She wasn't sure of what else to say, and so she headed to the door, only mildly sloppy as she leaned heavily to each side as she walk. Opening the door before her, Ella looked back at Kaden with a smile. "Shall we?"

“Thank you,” Jett said, watching Eleanie down a glass of iced tea, “for giving Honey and Anthony a chance. I'm sure you will all get along wonderfully.”

Back at the table Jett let Eleanie take his seat without argument. If she was willing to stay she could stay by any means she wanted. He took the empty seat next to her instead and caught Ha Ni looking at him. He gave her a slight smile that seemed to say I'm sorry. He had not meant to make her uncomfortable, and hoped that once she started talking with Eleanie the feeling would pass.

Jett politely let the conversation continue on around him. He had no interest in the tarot cards in Eleanie's hands, and she by now knew that. After the first time she had offered to do a reading for him at the lake he declined all others. She didn't seem to mind. He knew it was something she put at least a bit of stock into, so never quite voiced his disdain for it. Instead he simply stayed quiet.

He would rather focus on the more concrete subjects in the books in front of him. Picking one up from the pile, he carefully stacked the rest to the side so Eleanie had room to spread out her deck if she wished. Then he went back to half listening to the conversation and reading about the many examples of ancient runes seeping into the every day lives of muggles.

L was on automatic with her hands. She would shuffle the deck, flip the first card over and then repeat the processed. Again and again she would do that, trying to be inconspicuous to her own table mates as possible. She didn't want to talk to nobody or engage in any of their activities. She wouldn't mind if they didn't even look in her direction, let alone talk to her. But fate was being a cruel, cruel mistress.

There was Choi watching every move she made, with those Bambi eyes and her skittish demeanor, like a mouse about to be devour by a tabby cat. Finally, after long few minutes of silence she spoke, like a whisper or was it that L didn't care enough to notice her speak.

And then there was Morgan. Suave, cool guy demeanor, right down to that sly grin of his. If he didn't become a crooked ministry politician, his talents would be wasted. It was the worse kind of person to be beside anyone name Damien. It was sickening.

Why wore they being so nice to her? She couldn't fathom why. She knew she was a total bitch but still. She couldn't handle all this attention he was getting. But Jett wouldn't like if she shut out his friends all together so she had to deal. She had to pick one: the squeaky mouse or the soon to be Minister of Magic. She choose the lesser of to evils and went with Choi.

She had a remark or two that came to mind for how stupid Choi's question was. For instance she wanted to say, 'well, um, duh! Can't you see with your eyes I like Divinations.' Once again, Jett wouldn't appreciate her putting down his friends so she held her tongue and simply said, "Yay, sort of." As she now started using the free space Jett made and laying out her cards downward facing in front of her.

_____

Kaden stood stoic by her side. Ella wasn't acting like her usual self. Her walk was sloshy. She seemed in a haze. He knew better than to ask her but would be right by her side in case she needed him.

They walked the gamut of the candy store in the matter of moments and was unsurprised how little Ella didn't notice the people gawking at her. Her ooze of confidence, even under these circumstances prevented her from any signs of embarrassment or what people like to call 'the walk of shame.' Kaden liked the freedom she possessed. She was not bashful and unapologetic. Two qualities he admired with Ella.

"We shall." He said stepping out of Honeydukes and into the Main Street of Hogsmeade. The place was lively with shoppers going about their business. Live music was playing in the streets by a one man band. He was awful, but people enjoyed him. "Where should we go?" He asked, walking aimlessly. He was just enjoying the company and the nice, sunny day out that he could careless where they went.

But he almost forgot about Anthony. Kaden promised him that he would check up on him after the Gryffindor party last night. "Want to go to the Three Broomsticks? I told Tony I would meet him their. I want to see if he's alright after the stunt he pulled last night." He count help but chuckled as he remember in great detailed he did at the Gryffindor party.

After Eleanie's very brief response, Ha Ni was quick to realize that attempting conversation would be the equivalent to pulling her own teeth. Though she did recall that Tony had an interest in Divination, at least more so than she did. So, she gave Tony a look as if saying 'Your turn' before she pulled out her new book and cracked it open. She instantly found comfort in the crisp pages, and she had been looking forward to reading about Elladora Ketteridge ever since she stumbled across the witch's moving portrait back at Hogwarts.

In the midst of reading, she glanced up from her book towards Jett. Though he had invited Eleanie to sit with them, he returned right back to his reading. If he engaged in the conversation it might have been less awkward. Well, if he didn't feel the need to talk, then maybe she shouldn't either. Let Tony make conversation with the scary Gryffindor.

It had never been that Ella was oblivious. People stared at her, but perhaps she had cared to not notice them anymore. Perhaps she had come to view such a thing as normal.

Ella had come to develop a thought that most people watched as others approached. It had made sense to her. As someone new would enter a crowd, it was only natural to be cautious about such a disruption. What she hadn’t perceived was the reasoning behind the stares. Behind the gawking men. Ella had come accustomed to being watched by others when she entered rooms, and had experienced little other than just that. She had assumed they had don’t it to all who entered, for reasons previously mentioned. It had never crossed her mind that her own sexuality was the target.

Ella turned to look at Kaden, who was easily caught up to her side. His presence gave her a sense of stability. His tall figure stood over her, though she hadn’t been all too short either. He was sturdy, someone of good stature and good posture. I smiled to herself as she thought that they walked well together, in balance even when Ella felt her own head slouching from side to side.

As Kaden mentioned the Three Broomsticks Inn, Ella tried to think back to the night before. She hadn’t remembered much of it, though she couldn’t say that was an accident. She drank what she had intended to drink, having nothing more then what she had agreed to. She kissed boys that she had wanted to, none that she hadn’t felt comfortable doing so. She could remember stairs, the boy Finn and how they surprisingly talked most of the night. She could remember his place, and his bed. She longed for such a thing now. Something soft and comfortable. She smiled at the thought of something plush to hold her body in place, a contrast to her current struggle against herself.

“I wouldn’t mind at all.” She said, continueing, “Tony, from Slytherin? What did he do?”

Ella was curious, of course, knowing how the parties would often go at Hogwarts. She had almost wished she had been there, but she had been here, at the Three Broomsticks, for most of the night.

She laid her hand on the door to the Three Broomsticks. The old wooden thing had been through so much with the people coming and going. She smiled at its character as she opened it, the creeking of the door welcoming both her and Kaden into a very familiar place.

Looking around the dim room, Ella found the place more quieter than the night before. It had been almost noon now, but she had understood her inability to keep track of time in a place such as this. The room were lit well enough, though never enough to gage if the sun was rising or setting. There were no clocks that she could see, and nothing that made it clear to her what time could have been. To her surprise, there were still a few men who lingered from the night before. On man had caught her eye, someone who had been talking to her alongside Finn, the boy she ended up going back with. She waved to him, having not wanted to been rude to his clear gaze on her, though she did her best to stay close to Kaden. She hadn’t wanted to invite the man over so as to not be impolite to Kaden, her present company. She hadn’t wanted to say that Kaden was more desired than the man, as she felt that not one person should have been better than another, but Kaden’s company was familiar, friendly, and something that she hadn’t wanted to admit to feeling was, indeed, better. Ella could only hope that the boy understood and stayed seated where he was, surrounded by a few other men at his table.

Tony was no seer, but his dad had been studying divination methods for all of Tony’s life and before that, so both Tony and Adriana picked up on the interest long before starting Hogwarts. He was doing pretty good in class, didn’t even mind much when others dismissed it as an imprecise form of magic. Of course it was imprecise; Tony was well aware, but that wasn’t the point. It didn’t make it any less interesting to him either.

Tarot reading specifically served more as guides to achieving spiritual awareness. They wouldn’t tell him the future, but it was interesting to gain some sense of structure of human consciousness through such a medium. Tony was a firm believer in personal growth, and the cards could show him which parts of his life he was neglecting.

He certainly didn’t mind talking in the space of silence; even as Eleanie was laying out her tarot spread he noticed a different back design and said, “Oh, is it a personal deck? Where’d you get it?” and asked to see the design on cards too after she was done reading. He noticed his cup was empty but put off getting another one, wanting to see what she was doing. “What kind of reading are you doing?” he asked, unable to help himself. He and Eleanie were never particularly close, which was maybe weird when he thought about it, Kaden being his best friend and all, but it didn’t stop Tony from wanting to know her.

Tony lifted his head just in time to see Kaden and Ella walk in, too, as if he had a sixth sense for the other Gryffindor. Immediately his arm shot up in a wave to mark the position of their group and across the busy pub he yelled, “Hey, over here!”

Though he did not say it, at least not here, Jett was proud of Eleanie and her attempts to be civil. It was tough for her, he knew, but already she seemed to be getting along with his two friends better than most other people. Maybe it was because he was next to her, his presence enough of a comfort to ease the anger that often welled up inside of her. He must remember to tell her later, that he was impressed. She would scowl and no doubt counter with something rude, but it was worth it to let her know.

When Anthony yelled out across the room Jett looked up and towards the door. Making their way into the room were two other students. He recognized Kaden easily; though Jett had only shared a few words here and there with him he knew him by reputation and, of course, by what Eleanie said about him

He gave Kaden only the quickest of glances, his attention drawn instead to the girl beside him. Familiar blonde hair, and a beauty that could not be diminished, even in the dim light and crowded room. Jett did not notice her disheveled clothes, or the way she listed to the side when she walked. She could have emerged from the sea, fresh and pure, for all Jett's eyes saw.

The the open book in front of him was forgotten as he watched her progress toward their table. He was pulled to her, their roles seemingly reversed. She was the veela now, he the one trapped in her spell. He had been enamored with her since he first saw her, the early morning pinks and oranges painting her skin.

It had always been like this for Jett. All his life he was inexorably drawn to things of great beauty, things that captured the part in him that longed for perfection in all things. He would be entrapped, forgetting all else. He supposed the trait came from his mother, that it ran in his blood. He could do nothing to stop it.

“Ella,” he said, standing up once she reached the table. “What a pleasant surprise to find you here. I had little hope this day could get any better, and yet here I am, proven wrong.” He smiled only for her, taking no note of any of the other's reactions. “Though if I am to be proven wrong, to be done so by you is the kindest way.”