An Experiment of sorts

[Jason Cruz]

Jason had nowhere to go. The weather outside was bad. He'd been writing out his essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts for the last hour and a half in the library and needed to stretch his legs. He'd planned on just climbing all the way up to Gryffindor tower and back, but stopped when he reached the sixth floor. He'd never really been down this corridor. He realized that none of his classes had ever been on the sixth floor. He wasn't even sure there were classes on the sixth floor. Feeling no particular urge to return to his homework, he started off down the hall, admiring the paintings as they waved at him. He stopped at one in particular. It was a bunch of dogs sitting around a table playing poker.

"Weird."

What kind of crazed person would think to paint this?

[haleyliz]

Shawn was feeling rather nostalgic, and home-sick, having no one to talk to at this school. And therefore, she spent most of her time thinking of ways to entertain herself. The main one? Oh, golly gee, let's just wander around the hallways aimlessly until we run into something interesting! Boy, if that didn't sound like fun, I don't know what would... Mmm, right.

Pulling up her hood, she stuck her hands in her pockets and scuffed the floor with her shoe. Shawn was desperately missing the library in Alex's manor. It put the Hogwart's library to shame, with enough books to keep Shawn busy for at least a year. Even if all she did was read all day long.

Now, unlike some of those cliched little girls, Shawn wasn't silly enough to go run into some guy in the hall. Even though she was looking at her feet, she had enough sense to know that someone was there. Looking up, she gave a strange half-smile to the boy. Might as well try and please mom with a few friends this year.

"Hey." Looking at the picture he'd called weird, she smirked. "Poor chihuahua. The bulldog always wins." She'd seen enough of the same painting through-out her life that she'd created her own little story for it. Of course, in the picture, the bulldog did have the winning hand.

[Jason Cruz]

Jason noticed the girl . . . he thought it was a girl . . . walking toward him but figured she'd just pass by. The last time he tried to start a friendly conversation with someone he didn't know they found out their father had been murdered. Now logically he didn't blame himself for that, but all the same, it was discouraging enough that he didn't plan on trying it again for awhile. She looked up when she reached him though (aha, it was a girl) and joined his examination. Amused by her comment, the left corner of his mouth pulled up slightly, oddly enough matching her half smile. He liked her casual tone, the way she'd approached. It made it easy to respond without going off on an awkward rant the way he usually did.

"Hey. 'Salways the way of it though isn't it? The big dog always holds all the advantages. Guess that's why people like the chihuahua."

He thought about it, but decided to avoid the obvious "underdog" pun.

"I'm Jason. You often wander upper halls alone, critiquing the art?"

She could have easily asked him the same.

[haleyliz]

Always the bigger dog that was going to win. Never the way it was in the movies or anything. It didn't matter if it was good vs evil, yellow vs blue, or Slytherin vs Gryffindor. What mattered was who had more power. Who could play his cards right. The chihuahua could never win, even if he had all the right cards sitting in front of him. The bull dog was still going to beat the shit out of him at the end of the game, right?

"They bark too much, though. I'm not a fan of the Mexican yappers, but they're alright I suppose." The half-smile was gone, but there was no change in her demeanor or tone. It wasn't like she was just going to sit there smiling for no reason. But she caught his half smile and it did make her feel a little more comfortable. He wasn't going to shoot her. At least not right now.

Snorting, Shawn nodded. "Yeah, Jason, it's sort of a hobby. I couldn't decide for the longest time between Prostitute and Art Critic, though. Of course if all of Hogwarts is littered with such lovely portraits as this one, I think I know which one I'm choosing." She shook her head with a smirk. "I'm Shawn."

[quin]

Quin streaked down the hall, hooting with laughter, and evidently fleeing from some hidden danger. Catching sight of a pair of students ahead of her, one looked like Shawn, but at this speed it was to blurry to tell who it was, the other person was a boy. She almost ran into them, but braked hard, grabbed a should, (who's she didn't know) And swung in behind them, ducking down and whispering, "S-shh Shh! Hide me!" She chorcled, peeking out behind one of their sleeves. A teacher was now coming around the corner, an angry expression on their face.

(The teacher can be any body, but if know one wants play him/her, I'll just not give him/her a name.)

[Jason Cruz]

Nodding absently as she commented on the small dog, Jason didn't really have a strong feeling one way or the other, but he did tend to favor the weaker of any two opponents. Indeed, it was likely the result of 14 years of media conditioning. It seemed the wizarding world had the same cliches as the muggle. He started to turn toward her, but her comment on her profession made him flush and jerk his eyes back to the painting.

Yeah, that was probably a joke. I mean . . . I don't know her but . . yeah, that was a joke. Chill.

He steeled his nerve and turned to her again, only to be grabbed by the shoulder by some kid who then tried to hide behind him. His eyebrows arching in a confused expression, he looked down over his shoulder at the young girl crouching there.

"What are you-?"

He saw the teacher out of the corner of his eye and matched the anger of their face to the mischief on the kid's. He didn't, in general, like going against teachers, but this seemed the week for it. He waved and smiled and then turned his attention to Shawn, as if they were just in the middle of an innocent conversation.

"Shawn. Seems an odd choice for a witch, but to each his own. Or her own. Whatev. What house are you in?"

He couldn't tell at all by her muggle dress. He was curious about the kid behind him too, but figured it best to not give any indication she was there while the teacher was glaring their way.

[haleyliz]

Shawn gave no facial hint that she'd seen Quin, but squeezed her shoulder for a brief moment with support. If ever there was a girl that didn't give a damn about the teachers, it was Shawn Harlem. Looking back at Jason, she shrugged off the comment about her name.

"It's just a name. I'm much more than a name. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being unique." Though the words were defensive, her tone was casual enough to show that she didn't really mind him prodding at her name, or that she was up in arms about the subject.

Smiling politely at the teacher, she continued, "I'm a Slytherin. Fifth year. Woo-hoo green." She didn't sound very enthusiastic though. "Gryff right?" She asked, judging by his robes. Unless, you know... he'd stolen them or something.

[quin]

Once the teacher had walked around another corner, a suspisoius look on there face, Quin stood up, snickering loudly. Noticing she was a very important inch taller then the other, older boy. Strightening her rugby, she grinned, "heh, heh, thanks for the cover." She snickered agian, examining the boy, "Hey Shawn, ower' you?" Then, after casting a glance at Shawn, she smiled evil, "And who is this?" She nudged Shawn in the side, whispering, "Boy friend?" Jokingly.

Suddenly, something in her shirt squirmed, and a tiny nose popped out of the color, fallowed by a furry, red head.

[Jason Cruz]

"Oh, no, I'm sorry I didn't mean your name. I meant your . . . uhm . . . profession."

He shook his head. Maybe he shouldn't try and make jokes. They never seemed to quite work. As the girl behind him stepped out and straightened, he though how the one advantage of rarely looking someone in the face is he didn't have to look up to people taller than him. He nodded to Shawn, looking at the space between her head and the neck of the taller girl beside her.

"Yeah, that's right. So I guess we have to hate each other. That's the rule right? Gryffindors and Slytherins can't get along?"

He grinned kind of blatantly, trying to make it clear he was criticizing the stereotype and joking again. Jason wasn't so good about learning from his mistakes.

[quin]

Quin rollder eyes as Heno scurried to her shoulder, sniffing at the boy. "Grrr.." She said, making claws at him. He didn't seem to be able to make very good jokes, but at least he tried. She snickered, and fed Heno a treat out of her baggy oant pocket.

[haleyliz]

Shawn rolled her eyes and nudged Quin in the ribs back. Nodding at Jason, she smirked. "Oh yeah. I guess this means we're breaking up now?" She asked, jokingly, reffering to Quin's comment about him being her boyfriend. With a snort, she looked between Jason and Quin and almost laughed again. Everyone was taller than her! Not that it bothered her really, she just hated the angle.

"Would you two be willing to, like, squat down for me?" She asked, not sounding joking or anything. Of course, she was joking. Semi. It would have been hysterical had either one of them actually squat down for her. Hysterical and slightly sweet in a... weird way.

[quin]

Quin, grinning, squatted down and started to waddle around her, she could now tell pretty well that when Shawn was trying to tell a joke, she didn't always show it. "Quack Quack!" She said, flapping her arms around. Heno jumped from her shoulder and started to investigate the boys shue, before opening his mouth and crunching down, evidently thinking that they were yummy.

Quin liked being taller, but it was hard to find people her own hight, or indeed taller, which, if she was dancing, was VERY annoying.

[Jason Cruz]

Jason returned the smirk. Normally he'd react more uncomfortably to such jokes in someone he'd just met, but Shawn's casual air about everything seemed non-threatening, and the presence of a third removed any awkward intimacy that may have arisen.

"Shame. We had a good long run though, yeah?"

He glanced from one girl to the other at Shawn's request, looking slightly confused.

"Why? I mean, I've always thought it was a good thing. Like girls should be sho . . . ahem, shorter than six feet I mean."

Jason shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

You shouldn't be allowed to talk when people are around.

Trying to move away from his comment, Jason bent his knees just enough to put himself at about eye level with Shawn. Hardly mattered, since he was still avoiding anyone's gaze, but still. Trying to keep his torso straight with his knees bent was a bit of a strain. He hoped he wouldn't have to stand like this for more than a few minutes. His eyes kept glancing to Heno. He liked animals generally, and had always been the type to pet stray cats. He wasn't sure about this creature though.

((OOC Not to say Heno is a cat, that was just an example.))

[quin]

"Why?" Quin asked, strightening till she was looking him striaght in his averted his, "Does a girl being tall make a boy feel short?" She asked, her voice sounded insulting, but she was joking, only the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth and twinkle of mischof in her eys gave her away.

Heno was now trying to bite off a chunk of the boys shoe, and it looked like his needle sharp teeth were about to do the trick.

This boy was wierd, most boys were bossy, loud, stubid, out-going, and were always trying to act charming. This boy was strange to her, he was different then the boys she had grown up with in her street life, they were cunning, but quite the oppoiste of..Jason? Was that his name?

[haleyliz]

Shawn laughed at Quin and nodded. Turning her attention back to Jason, she nodded nonchalantly. "Oh yeah. I was hoping we'd be together for the long haul. Alas, we are no more." She touched her heart as if this truly hurt her and wiped away a few invisible tears before smirking again, looking down at Heno. Then Jason had to go and pretty much call her short.

Turning haughty eyes to him, she chortled. "Well, then, now I know why we made such a great couple. How tall are you anyways? 5'10?" He was somewhere between 5'7 and 5'10, she decided. She was never good with remembering how big an inch was. She always got closer to two inches, and when she shrunk it, it was more like half an inch.

In one movement, she took Jason's chin and turned it so that he'd have to be looking right at her. So that it would be silly for him not to meet her gaze. "It's much more affective when you look someone in the eye." She added, as her reasoning, before smirking and letting her hand fall from his chin.

Looking at Quin again, she chuckled. "You. Look. Like. A. Duck."