Impatience is a Virtue

[Ethan Lacroix]

It was impossible. It seemed so simple, just adding a number of odd-smelling ingredients to the cauldron. The book even said exactly how much of each foul thing to include. Simple, easy to follow instructions. Yet somehow his shrinking solution, a fairly standard fourth year potion that should have come out a dull forest green with the scent of elderberries, had instead somehow turned neon pink and hadn't smelled like anything. That certainly hadn't gotten Ethan a very good mark for the day. He hated potions. It seemed so simple but never seemed to work for him. Really it shouldn't have been any harder than cooking... although come to think of it he wasn't that great a cook either. Still, he was better at that than at Potions. He was better at everything than at Potions.

Sighing and letting the thick Potions tome flop shut, Ethan stood and stretched, covering a yawn with his hand and then popping the vertebrae of his neck. Placing a hand on his stomach, he felt it give a rumbling complaint. Speaking of cooking... He gathered up his things and headed for his dorm, only cracking the door enough to toss the uncooperative manual carelessly onto his bed before heading back out to the common room and from there to the foyer. Peeking into the Great Hall, his heart sank as the relative desolation of the place showed him it was too early yet for lunch to be served.

Leaning against the wall and looking a bit melodramatically forlorn, Ethan's belly complained again. He looked across the foyer to the stone steps leading down to the dungeons. He knew that somewhere down there were the kitchens, where supposedly you could always find something to eat, or a house elf willing to whip something up. He was pretty sure that was against the rules however and so had never ventured down to find it. Well, that and there was a greater chance of running into a Slytherin down there. Theoretically Ethan was sure they weren't all petty and cruel. He'd yet to see any evidence of that though. Of course he hadn't really looked. It seemed Slytherins only ever drew his attention when they were picking on someone. Of course the Potions class was down there too. Ethan shuddered.

He'd just have to wait. But... maybe he'd be able to get something now. Ethan loved eating, but hated feeling hungry. His gaze remained on the stairs, his mind telling him to stay while his stomach urged him to go. He frowned, not much enjoying disagreements between his organs, and stood contemplating his choices.

[Dylan Cooper]

Unwilling to continue with his studies until he had provided his now grumbling and slightly angry stomach with some fuel, he slipped his now completed Defence essay into his bag, along with his quill and ink bottle. He picked up the large, heavy and dubiously stained book he had been using as a reference and proceeded down the next aisle, intending to put it back where he had found it. The effort called muscles into use he might not have had the need to utilise in a while as he stretched beyond normal capabilities, finally slotting it into place after a few choice swear words. He hated the top shelves with a strong passion. Of course, he hadn't thought to bring his wand for such a small trip, and couldn't have been bothered to retrieve it for such a simple act, anyway. Sighing and retreating to his backpack, he slung it over one shoulder and wove his way through the tables toward the double swinging doors that marked both the entrance and exit of the library.

He descended one lot of stairs, ignoring the empty suit of armour at the top that indicated he looked scruffy, and began across the marble floor of the Entrance Hall. Unfortunately, he was sure that he was caught in that awkward period between meals; too late for breakfast, and too early for lunch. Deciding that it wouldn't go to amiss to check that fact, he approached the large and intricately inlaid doors of the vast Great Hall. Seeing a boy who looked slightly older than himself leaning against the wall directly beside the doors, he wondered if he, too, was perhaps eager for lunch to begin. Peering into the hall, he saw a few people playing Wizarding Chess, a few more playing Exploding Snap, and various others reading or writing on the tables. Clearly, he was too early, and cursed his over-eager stomach. If only they served brunch, but alas, he was instead headed away from the Great Hall and toward a small set of stairs that led off the foyer and down toward both the Hufflepuff common room and the accommodating kitchens.

He always particularly enjoyed visiting the kitchens, truth be told, and was secretly glad for an excuse to travel there. He did tend to get distracted whilst down there, however, and during O.W.L year that wasn't particularly helpful, so he hadn't been down in a good while. He still had his Charms to practice, some Ancient Runes homework to translate, and a diet to devise for Care of Magical Creatures. With the vague hope his visit to the house elves below would perhaps aid his Care of Magical Creatures homework, if nothing else (though this hope was, in all honestly, rather delusional), he had half finished crossing the foyer and was meandering down happily, intent on at least eating quickly and getting back to work.

[Ethan Lacroix]

Usually one to follow the rules and not make waves, Ethan's mind finally defeated his stomach in their little debate. He remained leaning against the wall, hoping something breathtakingly interesting would happen by to distract him from his hunger and speed the time until lunch was served. Another boy, who looked familiar to the Hufflepuff, evidently was feeling similar hunger pangs and strolled up then, taking a quick look into the Great Hall much as Ethan had done not three minutes before. It wasn't exactly an earth-shattering event, but it gave him to opportunity to offer a helpless shrug and tiny sympathetic smile. The shorter boy didn't seem to notice him much though and began heading for the stairs down that Ethan had fighting with himself to avoid.

The temptation rose quite forcefully again, but before he could give in to it Ethan redirected his thoughts to discerning the identity of the boy. He certainly wasn't a Hufflepuff; Ethan knew each face in his house well, though he hadn't spoken with a great many of them. Still the boy was definitely familiar, as if Ethan had specifically noticed him before. Then it hit him. He was the Ravenclaw Prefect. One of them anyway. What was his name? Daryl? Derek? Ethan couldn't quite remember, though he'd been sure to note all the Prefects' faces in case he ever needed to find one.

It occurred to him that he was unlikely to get into trouble for heading to the kitchens if accompanied by a Prefect, even from a different house. This was all the excuse his stomach needed and he hustled a few steps after the Ravenclaw. He spoke quietly once he was close to catching up, not wishing to startle the boy or draw attention from others. "Hey, are you going to the elf kitchen? Mind if I join you? I'm starving." Ethan repeated his bare hint of a smile.

[Keaira O'Connell]

((Since Keaira and Dylan haven’t crossed paths since his return this seems as good an opportunity as any to do so. hope you boys don’t mind I make a short cameo.))

She had been trying, honestly putting most of her efforts into it but still failing. Why was it so hard for her not to think about him? He had decided that he was leaving, and there was nothing she could do to dissuade him, and now it had been nearly two weeks, and she had yet to hear from him. It seemed to her that no matter how hard she tried to continue on with her schooling and not be too distracted, she still often times found her mind searching about looking for his. Efforts that had seemed to be wasted ones, for he had net been found since his departure. However, she wasn’t trying to look for him, not really, and so she didn’t feel disheartened by her lack of ability. She knew deep down that if she had needed to reach him there would be no distance that would really stop her. She had after all been able to reach Dien even when he was held captive in another realm of existence, and she knew her connection with Zane to be much stronger than that of what she had with Dien.

Those thoughts aside, Keaira had been ambitiously working ahead in all of her classes. Particularly in those that she knew she would be paired up with another student in. She wanted nothing to do with that. Her last class flew by quickly. When it came to Potions, she tended to excel and at least that class was generally done alone, no partners no teams, just her, the cauldron, and the ingredients. Although for some reason this week her potions and charms class times had been switched, but it was hardly an inconvenience for her. All it really meant was that after Herbology she simply went to the dungeons for potions instead of the third floor for charms. It had taken her no time at all to brew the draught of peace that had been assigned to the 5th year students this morning, and shortly after she had finished it, Keaira was allowed to leave the class, well before the rest of the students. However now she had nothing to do for quite some time. It was only about 10:15 and her next class wasn’t until 1:55 this afternoon. However, she had to study still, and she knew no better place to do that then the elf kitchens. There was always food there, and other students and teachers rarely bothered to go there themselves. She could be alone there, and that meant she could focus on her studies.

The house elves had grown accustomed to her taking her meals either here, or in her dorm room. Keaira had a habit of isolating herself from others whenever she was depressed. That in addition to her required nightly routine the elves had seen plenty of her. Shortly after she arrived down there she was presented with a cup of warm tea, and a small tray of fruits, vegetables, crackers and cheeses, along with a bit of dip to go with it all. After she sat down and made herself comfy, Keaira began to snack on the tray of food she was given, while she delved into her standard book of spells for the year. Charms would be the next class she had to attend that day, and she intended it to be a short lesson for her today as well. After she reviewed her homework she started on what she would assume to be today’s lesson and went to work. Since she had nowhere else to be it didn’t seem to be any reason for her to leave until her next class, and so she simply intended to stay there eating and studying until then. Hopefully she would stay focused enough to not allow thoughts of Zane to plague her mind and hinder her studies. She needed several “O’s “ on her tests this year and she intended on getting them.

[Dylan Cooper]

Not having been much focused on anything other than the prospect of food to come, he had consequently not really paid much attention to the older and taller Hufflepuff. The shrug and small smile had gone largely unnoticed, though Dylan was not generally unfriendly or dismissive by nature. He was simply pre-occupied. Almost to the door ahead, his ears perked up as a voice floated quietly across the air, clearly intended for him. The one behind the sound turned out to be the very same boy who had until just recently been leaning against the wall beside the Great Hall doors. Considering he had never talked to or really even seen the boy before, he was taken by surprise, and it showed. As he turned on his heel, his eyes became rounder in shape and his eyebrows raised themselves just slightly in a perfect symmetry. As he did so, the small scar above his left eyebrow was highlighted against the brightly lit foyer. "Oh, yeah sure, no problem," he said in his typically quiet voice. He mirrored the smile offered to him, attempting to perhaps compensate for the surprise with a friendly gesture.

Taking a few more steps toward the stone staircase ahead of them, he rolled up the sleeves of his formal white shirt. Given the situation, however, the formality was dismissed in favour of a casual dressiness, as there was no tie or jacket to accompany it. His dark shaded jeans matched it quite well, revealing that he clearly had a care for his appearance. He was a Prefect, after all; he had to have some standards. Not only that, but tackiness did not suit him in any way, shape, or form. His shoes almost echoing against the cold stone of the stairs, he proceeded down the few hallways that led to the kitchen entrance. "I'm Dylan," he said conversationally as they walked, casting a small smile and glance toward the other boy.

Reaching the tell-tale giggling silver pear in no time, it was quickly forced to reveal the entranceway and allow them entry. A horde of house elves approached them and, while pushing food on them, also requested anything in particular they wished for. Choosing to simply accept a small tray comprising of various foods, he thanked the elves and noticed the two were not alone in seeking the hospitality of the kitchen masters. Not entirely sure how he felt about Keaira at this point, he was slightly torn in how to react. The only proper time they had talked, really, they had gotten on rather well; it had been in this very room, in fact. She was also a fellow Lightfighter, and that had to count for something. However, she had also accosted him in a hallway and thoroughly annoyed him - since then, they had not really spoken. He couldn't ignore the fact that she had also questioned D'rorah's leadership, if Caitlin had been right, and that gave her some bonus points in his book. Deciding there was no reason to be unfriendly, he offered her a small smile and a greeting as he took a seat near, but not too close, to her. "Hey Keaira."

[Ethan Lacroix]

As the Prefect turned, Ethan's eyes flitted briefly to the distinctive scar the boy sported. He'd noticed something there before, but had never really gotten a good look, assuming it was some birthmark or the like. Now it was clearly the remains of some laceration and Ethan's curiosity was piqued a bit. Still, he had the social awareness to neither stare nor immediately ask about it. His eyes met the other boy's after resting on the scar for only a brief moment. With a nod and a "Thanks," he fell in step to the side and ever so slightly behind.

As they walked Ethan considered the younger boy's attire. It was clear he had some fashion sense and looked as if he came from a degree of money. This of course didn't mean much, but it was something he noticed. That's what Ethan did. He noticed things. Obvious things usually, but sometimes he'd catch minor details that would prove beneficial at some point. His own clothing was less refined, old gray running shoes at the base of faded and slightly stained jeans, with a heather gray t-shirt beneath a pale red and white plaid button down. He'd sometimes rolls his sleeves up as well, but as they descended the stairs he thought it better to leave them down. It always seemed a bit chill down there and Ethan didn't much care for being cold.

Dylan! That was it! Ethan nodded as the other boy gave his name, glad that he hadn't tried to mention it himself as he'd have just embarrassed himself with the wrong name. The small smile returned as he responded. "I'm Ethan. Nice to meet you Dylan. You're the Ravenclaw Prefect, right?" Of course he already knew that he was, unless of course he had a twin brother running about. Perhaps Ethan was trying to impress Dylan a little, but he didn't really think such knowledge would. More he was simply making conversation.

Not knowing how to access the kitchen, Ethan was glad that Dylan did, following him through the revealed portal and smiling to himself at the aggressively helpful elves that bombarded the two with offers of assistance. His eyes though were quickly drawn away from the elves to a girl sitting off to the side, studying and snacking. She too was vaguely familiar and he was fairly certain she was also a Prefect, and definitely not of Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Dylan accepted a tray of various foods and sent her a greeting, confirming to him who she was. Slytherin. Ethan hoped this wouldn't grow unpleasant. Rather than snack on what was available, Ethan asked politely if he could get a hot pastrami sandwich with pickles and tomatoes and mustard. He'd not had one of those in so long, not since living in America. Now that the elves were offering to make him whatever he wished, he jumped at the chance.

Following Dylan over toward Keaira, he sat at a separate table, but faced the two of them rather than the table, forming a triangle between them all that he felt would be more conducive to conversation. Nodding to Keaira with that same tiny glimmer of joy, he introduced himself. "Hi Keaira. I'm Ethan."

[Keaira O'Connell]

(((Hey Ethan for future reference we have a class schedule where we kind of get all our class times from its only for role-playing purposes though, you can check it out here. Also I was going to post this like 6 hours ago, but everyone and my mom decided they were going to use the computer today)))

Time passed neither slowly nor quickly for the studious Slytherin prefect. It was however soon enough 10:40 and that her potions class had ended. Luckily she had a free period at this time, and didn’t need to be anywhere. As her studies progressed the movement of the house elves hastened, helping her to keep note of the time travel. Keaira knew that it would be the period before lunch and that there was an increased chance that a random student would be stopping by for a bit of a snack, so when she heard the passage way being opened, it didn’t really surprise her in the least. Her eyes drifted up from her charms book, and the half eaten tray of food, and landed on the opening that marked the passageway to the dungeon hall. The fact that there was a student coming to the kitchens didn’t surprise her at all, no but who the student was, did however surprise her.

His greeting was neither warmly welcoming, nor harsh in any manner, it was however surprisingly natural. For a moment she just stood there, apparently herself imposed seclusion was causing minor problems to her. When had he returned? She didn’t know. What had happened to him? That she was also clueless about. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to find out if she’d missed anything else of importance. On the plus side it appeared that his memory was more or less fine, his return at least provided him with her name, unlike Alessandro’s return had.

She smiled at him, not entirely whole heartedly, but enough effort was put into it to be convincing. The two of them after all, had some history together, in this room even, and it would hardly be cordial to take out her troubles on Dylan when he was not even privy to how deeply her hardships ran.

“Hey Dylan, I haven’t seen you in ages, where did you run off to? Gosh I can’t remember seeing you anytime after the Valentine’s Day Ball, but then again I had a slew of my own problems to deal with then… How have you been?”

Keaira wasn’t normally the type of person to stare, but Dylan seemed a bit different somehow. Of course her eyes didn’t linger too very long as there was another person to address in the room. One that she was fairly certain couldn’t be spoken plainly in front of at the very least. But then again she didn’t want to try anything more than talking either, there was no telling if this other student had unique abilities like her own, and thus there was no way to know if such communication would be secure either. With Ethan being an unknown, she was really left with only a few options, and of course ignoring him wasn’t really one of them. Her eyes looked over him, wondering how Dylan knew him, and whether or not he had other intentions than simply seeking food down here.

“Hi there. Ethan you said… so do you have a last name, or is it just Ethan?”

She asked the question with one eyebrow slightly raised above the other. A part of her had always enjoyed messing with people to some level, and yet she had not done such a thing in quite some time. A slightly lopsided grin began to form across her face, her left side pulling up more than her right.

“I wonder if you knew my name before Dylan said anything or if you were just following his lead… Either way, it hardly matters. My name is Keaira O’Connell; it’s nice to meet you Ethan.” She paused for a moment here, her eyes shifting from one boy to the other. It seemed to be as unlikely a pair as any, but perhaps it was just coincidence. She took a sip from her dark colored tea, and afterward continued addressing the pair of them. “So boys what brings you here, did you guys skip breakfast or just happen work up a strong appetite before lunch is served?”

As she asked the question she couldn’t help but wonder if her lack of attendance to the great hall herself had been noticed. She was after all a prefect, and her actions were often times noticed even when she wished for them not to be. As she finished up the last of her tea, Navee, one of her favorite house elves was there with a refill for her almost immediately. Keaira smiled to her, and thanked her for the new cup of tea.

[Dylan Cooper]

After shrugging away the Hufflepuff's thanks, they continued down toward the kitchens. What the boy was wearing, he silently admitted to himself, he would not wear personally, but that wasn't because there was anything wrong with it. It just wasn't Dylan's style, though he couldn't deny that it looked extremely comfortable. "Nice to meet you," he responded quietly, his smile remaining a little longer. "Yeah, I am," he added in response to the query if he was a Ravenclaw Prefect. Knowing the other boy was not, since he knew all the Prefects rather well, and if not well at least by acquaintance, he was unsure as to what to reply to that with. "Fifth year, and yourself?" was all he produced, though it served to continue their conversation a bit as they proceeded through the entranceway to the kitchens.

Leaving Ethan to his order for the time being, the house elves scurrying off to comply, he wondered if Keaira would reply to his own greeting with a simple 'hello' or engage in a conversation. Unsure at this point, the answer was revealed only a few seconds later. Receiving a smile and a polite greeting, followed by a few questions, he smiled in return. "It's been a while," he agreed. "I got back from Mungo's a few weeks ago, but I've been swamped with work since. Hit in the head with a bludger apparently," he said quietly, a small smile lingering. He couldn't distinctly remember being hit with the small, black, vicious ball, but he certainly had the headaches to remind him of the occurrence. "Apart from that, I'm alright. How're you?" he questioned lightly, noting she had mentioned problems of her own around the Valentines Ball. He wasn't sure if she would really wish to discuss them with him, since they didn't know each other that well, much less in front of Ethan, who she seemed to have never met before. Logically, he would assume not, but he asked anyway.

She turned then to the sixth year, who had seated himself nearby, but not too close to them. Curious to hear his last name as she inquired about it, Dylan picked up some cheese and crackers off the tray that he had just previously slid onto the benchtop. Swivelling around on his stool, he faced the two of them and quickly consumed the food within his hands, soon going back for seconds and beginning to crave something slightly more filling. Noting Keaira's expression as she questioned Ethan, he wondered whether she was unnaturally mean, which he wasn't too convinced about, or if she was just messing around. Pondering both options, though not too vigorously, he requested some extra food from a passing elf.

With Keaira's next comments and the smile adorning her features, he surmised she was joking around. Finally, she addressed not only Ethan, but the both of them. "A growing boy needs to eat, Keaira," he said with a small grin, receiving the extra plate of food and looking happily down at his chicken legs and various other items. "What about you?" he questioned as her cup was refilled and he took a small bite of the chicken now in his hand. It was pleasantly warm in the kitchens, a roaring fire set nearby, and the elves were beginning to move about a bit more. He supposed they were starting to prepare for the lunch that hundreds of students would soon be enjoying.

[Ethan Lacroix]

(( Oops, didn't ever see that. Sorry. Thanks for covering the reason potions was before lunch. XD ))

"Sixth" was Ethan's simple reply to Dylan's question, the statement accompanied by a shrug. He'd learned a few years back that really your year only mattered as far as what tests and such you'd have to take and sometimes what classes were available. He was sadly quite certain there were second years who were better at brewing up elixirs than he was, but also likely seventh years who weren't quite as good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. So to him, a student's year seemed almost a relative thing.

As he joined the two Prefects who clearly knew each other, Ethan hoped he wouldn't find himself lost in a conversation concerning things he knew little about. Fortunately whatever they were speaking of (it sounded like Dylan had been out of school for a bit, apparently due to some quidditch accident) was dropped as Keaira addressed him. He was taken aback a little by her question until he caught the perhaps playful, perhaps mocking grin she wore. For a second he thought how she was quite obviously a Slytherin after all, but brushed that thought away, annoyed with himself for so easily taking offense and making a quick judgment. Looking a tad uncertainly to Dylan for a moment, he turned back to Keaira. "Oh... sorry. It's Lacroix. Ethan Lacroix."

He had actually intentionally not given his last name in either of his introductions, mostly just because he was a fairly relaxed person and introducing oneself with a full name seemed a bit too formal for his tastes. Also though, he was ever so slightly self conscious about being in Europe, having such a blatantly French last name, and yet not speaking more than five words in the language and that being with his obvious American accent. But she had asked, so if he had to once more give a brief synopsis of his life, he'd deal with it. Keaira finally drew a smile, albeit a characteristically small one, from him when she said it was nice to meet him. "Thanks, back atcha. And I did more or less know your name. You are the Slytherin Prefect after all. Well, one of them I mean."

He sent a light chuckle Dylan's way at the boy's joking little explanation for their presence, then went into a little more detail himself. "Starving, but also I enjoy eating. After that class I could use something I enjoy. I hate Potions, especially Potions when I'm supposed to be doing Charms. At least I have that to look forward to after lunch now." Just then one of the elves approached with a sandwich on a plate, and Ethan perked up. Accepting the plate from the obliging creature, Ethan gave it a rare beaming grin. "Thank you so much. It looks fantastic." Taking a quick bite, he closed his eyes a added, a bit muffled around his food, "An ases fanasic oo." He then covered his mouth as he finished chewing, swallowed, and cleared his throat lightly before taking another bite and giving a very appreciative nod to the elf, who smiled back, gave a little hop, and turned to scurry off and work on something else.

[Keaira O'Connell]

“St Mongos?” Keaira repeated the words back to Dylan, making sure she had heard him correctly. Her face was for a mere moment scrunched up in a curious expression as her mind attempted to logically process that information. It just didn’t make sense in her mind. How could he have been so close and yet none of them had been able to find him? Truly she didn’t put a lot of effort into it, but she had briefly looked for him, and mentally there was no trace of Dylan anywhere nearby. Yet it was possible that she could not reach him when he was unconscious, but as of yet she had not been able to reach Zane really either. Maybe something was wrong with her, or maybe she just had her own plethora of problems to distract her from thoroughly seeking out anyone.

"I’ve had an extended stay there once or twice before. How was everything for you while you were there?”

However she had soon erased any sign that she had not quite been able to comprehend his statement, and had replaced those features with ones that showed her to be more worried about other things. Particularly when Dylan switched the conversation back on to her. After a moment’s hesitation and a quick glance to Ethan, Keaira looked back on Dylan.

“Oh well you know me, I can’t manage to keep the boys away. Zane and Alessandro…” She said their names with a slight sigh, those boys frustrated her to no end, and yet she could not stop feeling for either of them, although now what she felt was clearly defined for each boy. “For a while there I was involved in quite the interesting lover’s triangle. Alessandro got his memories back, and remembered that we had shared feelings, but by then Zane had kind of swooped me off my feet so to say. Nothing like having two boys vie for your affections. I just wish that life was simpler you know. For a little bit it was, when it was only Zane, but now things are all complicated again, Alessandro’s back and Zane’s parents… Actually I don’t really want to talk about all this…”

With those words she turned her attention back to Ethan, who had just proclaimed that his last name was Lacoix, It seemed a good enough name. Of course her knowledge of Arithmancy kicked in slightly and she found herself wondering what his middle name was as well, but she did not voice those thoughts, particularly with his next comment.

Nothing like throwing salt in a still fresh wound. Zane had only been gone 10 days, and to her it seemed a lifetime, yet others had not even noticed his disappearance. Any trace that she had once worn a smile vanished, and a deep set frown grew in its place. Although she tried to keep her voice even as she spoke there was a certain edge of harshness to her that up until recently was most uncommon in the 16 year old Slytherin’s voice.

“Actually I am currently the only prefect of Slytherin house, a fact that no one seems to have noticed. Zane withdrew from Hogwarts early last week, and as such no one has been chosen to fill his recently lost role.”

Downing the entire contents of her tea glass in one attempt Keaira gently set the glass down on the saucer, and brought her hands up to her face. Closing her eyes as she gently massaged her temples and waited for the calming effects of the tea to kick in. Once again she had fallen heavily into the habit of dulling her own senses to allow her the chance to be at peace. Over the months that she had spent with Zane she had slipped away from most of her nightly rituals, as he had provided her with a way of managing her mind that no other thing had ever provided her with before. With him gone now, she had little ability to exist the way she had been and instead had become reliant on her old methods again.

After a few short seconds a small part of her mind eased up and she opened her eyes again. A soft smirk pulled gently on her lips as Dylan’s inquiry as to her own reasons for visiting the elf kitchen,

“It’s much quieter here, all things considered, and personally I find it hard to stay focused on my studies when I’m in the great hall. Things are just easier to manage here.” Besides, she added in her own mind, I haven’t taken my meals in the great hall for quite the long time, unless it was necessary. She wasn’t sure if that had been anything she had ever shared with anyone, and wasn’t about it begin with these two. As she looked at the two boys in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel a certain longing for the only boy she really cared about. Her eyes seemed to be looking at something that wasn’t really there in the kitchens, and mentally for a moment Keaira checked out. Without really meaning to, Keaira reached out into the surrounding area’s not really expecting anything even if he was there. Where are you Zane, I wish you were here… I miss you.[/i]

[Dylan Cooper]

Noticing the look Ethan gave him as Keaira had begun to address the Hufflepuff, he found himself denying any response, unsure himself as to what the Slytherin Prefect had in mind as she spoke. Learning the boy's last name gave a small tug of recognition in the back of his mind, and he knew he had heard that name at least once before. Not thinking there was anything notable to really tack onto the name, Dylan passed the information by for now. A last name wasn't particularly handy when you were just getting to know someone, so he himself didn't usually offer one. It also tended to be slightly more relaxed without them, and he was a fairly laid back guy by nature.

Appreciating the small laugh sent his way as he gave a reason for his presence there, Dylan returned it with a smile. Ethan seemed so far, in many ways, to be quite like himself. First impressions could be wrong, of course, but he was nevertheless eager to see if there was a new friendship to come from their chance meeting in the foyer. Giving a small and probably unseen grin as the Hufflepuff began to consume his requested food, then proceeded to speak with his mouth rather full, Dylan consumed a bit more of the food before him before replying to Keaira. "It was pretty good, actually, all that can be expected from a busy health care system," he said in his usual quiet voice, wondering at her slightly confused expression as he had stated the reasoning behind his recent absense.

He couldn't fail to notice the quick glance to Ethan, and knew that like him she might be slightly dubious about what she could and could not say in front of him. As Dylan hadn't initially intended to steer this conversation into anything that would matter so much, considering he had only just met the sixth year, he was undoubtedly sure however that if they needed to they could avoid any sensitive topics in his presence. It wasn't like him and Keaira were the closest of friends anyway, they didn't need to talk about such things. As she began into her recent stories about Zane and Alessandro, he frowned in slight confusion. As she was talking about him, Dylan couldn't help but think that it sounded as if Darko hadn't left... hadn't fallen from the tallest tower. He didn't think Caitlin would lie to him, or that she was mistaken; he was just confused as to why the other Prefect was acting like he was still around.

As he hadn't exactly been around when the incident had supposedly occurred, he figured the Slytherin girl would know more about it than he, and didn't mention anything. Perhaps, if he got the chance, he would talk to Cait about it soon. When he noted her next words, however, his eyes widened and his face was a mask of clear surprise. "Zane's gone?" he questioned quickly, unable perhaps to keep the slight confusion out of his voice. Why on earth would he leave the castle, and as it sounded, for good? Nodding at her reasoning for taking to the kitchens, he hadn't really heard her, his mind running over what might have happened to make Bishop leave? Not out of personal affection, obviously, but he was a part of the group. He was supposed to be, anyway.

[Ethan Lacroix]

Continuing his meal, Ethan looked back and forth between Dylan and Keaira, a slight grin forming as they talked. They sounded like old friends, not particularly close friends but friends nonetheless, who were finding the time to just sit and talk for the first time in quite a while. Such quiet pleasantness often made him smile, but he didn't often get to observe. When Keaira began talking about her boys, he sent yet another small glance to Dylan, this one accompanied by a tiny smirk of amusement. He could tell by Keaira's voice that the two she spoke of meant quite a lot to her and that, regardless of whatever else had happened, they'd both brought her a sizable measure of joy.

Thinking about it, Ethan was fairly certain "Zane" was the other Slytherin Prefect, which would then make sense that he and Keaira meant something to each other. "Alessandro" he was less familiar with, the only thing coming to mind at that name being many rumors that had been flying about concerning his apparent disappearance. Some said he'd wandered into the Forbidden Forest and had likely been eaten by something. Others said his parents had (again) yanked him out of the school. Of course there were also the ridiculous and unbelievable stories, such that he'd leaped from the astronomy tower and exploded. That one made no kind of sense and Ethan had dismissed it. Particularly now that Keaira said he was back, he was inclined to believe the overprotective parents explanation. He remembered then that he'd also heard tell of one of the Slytherin Prefects finding their parents' bodies... The thought of parents, whether uncomfortably present or tragically not, brought a quiet sigh from him.

Between his own sad memories and Keaira's degrading mood, his smile gradually faded until he looked to be nursing a quiet sorrow. That too vanished as Keaira turned on him and veritably chewed him out (with her tone if not her words) for his unknown slip. At that his eyes and expression grew concerned, though he didn't look as if he'd been hurt by her harshness. His attention again shifted to Dylan momentarily as the other boy expressed his surprise at the male Slytherin's absence. Part of him felt relief that he obviously wasn't the only one who didn't know, but he doubted the question, or ignorance behind it, would do much for Keaira's emotional state.

His eyes slid back to the girl, concerned frown planted firmly on his lips as he leaned forward slightly, his elbows on his knees. Ethan was assuredly the outsider in this conversation, and so felt uncomfortable asking questions or expressing his concern with offers to listen. He was much better one on one. Instead he merely whispered an "I'm sorry," then fell silent. The remains of his sandwich lay forgotten on the plate behind him.

[Keaira O'Connell]

((eh this is kind of mediocre but I wanted to get something up now that I had a second)

Keaira was quite quickly finding herself in a much more depressed mood then she had been all week. Honestly she had been holding things together fairly well after her initial breakdown of course, but at that time his departure was so fresh in her mind. Now things had time to simmer in her mind, and she had the time to have played out many of the ‘what if’ scenarios that her mind had come up with. Like what if she had never made that trip to Colorado, or if she had left Zane behind. Would he be sitting next to her now, enjoying a meal in the great hall? Probably not, but he might have still been in the castle.

Keaira couldn’t help but notice both the confused glace from Dylan and the spark of recognition from Ethan when she mentioned that Alessandro was back. Of course she knew that Dylan had probably been told about how he left the castle, but there were only four of them who know how he really came back. And no one was getting that story until there was an official meeting for everyone. For now though, Keaira had been fine with letting things play out as they would. She had made sure that Alessandro arrived at the school Sunday evening, (I guess) while her and Zane were not due back until Monday morning. She heard the first rumor of his return by noon on Monday. Someone had seen him going to the headmistresses’ office Sunday night. Of course by Wednesday stories had begun to form, ones that she wanted to encourage. The official tale they were weaving involved a portkey, and a poor lost boy in America. But everyone would know soon enough.

A small bitter smile crossed Kearia’s face as she thought on the irony of all the things involved in her life. How often could she fall in love with someone only to have them ripped from her life? She scoffed slightly before she spat out words that sounded too harsh for what she was saying.

“Yeah, in one day I heard the first rumor that Alessandro was back and then was told that Zane could no longer stay in the school. Zane said he couldn’t stay idly attending school while someone got away with the murder of his parents, or well something like that.”

At least again that’s what she would tell people. A distasteful pout took up most of her face by now, an expression that was very unbefitting both Keaira’s looks and for the most part her personality. Of course it only lasted a few seconds before she took in a deep breath, and let a long sigh escape her lips. She shook her short hair letting it fall loosely about her eyes, and then closed the charms text book that was in front of her.

“Don’t apologize, I’m the one who is sorry guys; I’m really in no state of mind to be around people right now. Dylan I’d love to sit around and catch up with you sometime, but with my thoughts where they are I feel that I’m not myself. And Ethan, maybe next time I meet you I’ll be in a slightly better mental state, and you can have the opportunity to know me for who I really am. I’ll see you guys in class later.”

With that Keaira slid the book into her bag and stood up, headed for the door, knowing that the elves would take care of the remaining food she had on her plate and that she would be back in this very room in just a few short hours.

[Dylan Cooper]

After receiving a small smirk from Ethan as Keaira had spoken of the now ex-Slytherin prefect and Alessandro, the Hufflepuff's good humour seemed to have faded, and he surmised there was enough reason given the sudden turn of the conversation. Being so caught up with the newly gained information that Bishop had gone, he failed to notice any further reactions or change in emotion from the older boy. He waited on Keaira's response with baited breath, uncharacteristically concerned for the answer. If anyone normally talked about Zane, Dylan had a very set opinion on the matter; but the news that a lightfighter had left the castle was news indeed. His eyes weren't normally used to having to hide his emotions, but at Keaira's response his entire face was a mask.

If the Slytherin girl was to be believed, Bishop's parents had been murdered, and Dylan wondered by whom. Of course he felt a small twinge of sympathy, despite his dislike of the other boy, but predominantly he kept that to himself. Had Phoenix gotten to his parents, would she get to Dylan's own mother? Not for the first time in this war he worried about his mother and family back home, but as of yet, neither Dark Phoenix nor any of her allies seemed to know or suspect that he was an Elemental Master. If that was not the case, and they had any suspicions, he would be far more concerned for the ones he loved, but as it was it simply remained a familiar niggling worry, seated at the back of his mind and waiting perhaps for the opportunity to emerge once more.

He noticed that Keaira closed the book before her, and Dylan wondered if perhaps this conversation had gone down a road that she no longer wished to travel. He nodded simply at her next words; she didn't particularly seem to be in any mood to have such discussions, at any rate. "Yeah, I'll see you around Keaira," he responded quietly, understanding perhaps more than he would like her desire to retreat to more a more secluded and deserted area. Trying to rid the thoughts of Zane from his mind, he dismissed them quickly and stored them away for when they would be of more use; Ethan clearly would not have the answers he desired, how could he?

He cast a small flicker of a smile to the Hufflepuff as Keaira departed the kitchens, leaving behind her plate of unfinished nibbles and the elves that were cleaning up after her. "So.." he said quietly, not entirely sure where to go from here. He took a small bite off the plate before him before continuing, dismissing what he considered a slightly awkward silence. He hadn't really intended to meet anyone else in the kitchens, and the Slytherin prefect's comments had sent his mind on a journey he hadn't anticipated for today. All he'd been concerned about five minutes prior was getting some food into his churning stomach. "Our prefects certainly are a wonder to behold," he said with a small joking smile, himself of course being included in that comment.

[Ethan Lacroix]

Though the sudden pall that had fallen over the room was undoubtedly uncomfortable, Ethan seemed enrapt by Keaira's words and expressions. His sympathetic, if slightly confused, frown only deepened. She confirmed what he'd thought he heard about a Prefect's parents. Apparently Zane's had been killed and he had now fled the castle to pursue some sort of vigilantism. That must have been hard for Keaira, as the consequences of his actions could have very few positive effects. Death, Azkaban, or at the least simply an unsatisfied hatred and darkness.

Ethan was at quite the loss, suddenly overwhelmed by the morose girl and not at all sure how to ease her burden. Apparently he'd not have the chance at that time though, as she was leaving. Whereas if it had just been the two of them he'd likely have come up with something comforting, perhaps even eloquent, he was always a bit more awkward when around more than one person. Thus his parting comment was reduced to, "Oh... yeah, I mean don't worry about it. I mean, it's ok. You've a right to some sorrow. Bye Keaira."

Turning to meet Dylan's attempted breach of the silence that momentarily settled, Ethan managed a weak grin in return. At the Prefect comment he smiled slightly wider and shook his head, then paused and nodded to clarify that he wasn't disagreeing, merely a bit overwhelmed by it all. He thought for a moment, speaking quietly as he ran over the last couple weeks in his head. "Yeah, let's see. I wouldn't really say that I know any of them per se, but now I've met D'rorah, Caitlin, Keaira, and you. So far you're the only one who hasn't been in a great deal of distress. I guess it's a hard job." He tried to keep it vague, not wanting to spread gossip about the other Prefects or show any disrespect by laying their problems out.