there's magic in all of this

Isadora allowed Elise to take her hand and begin guiding her away, but when she heard Calum's words, Isadora turned swiftly, approaching the Slytherin boy. "Don't test you?" Isadora challenged, and in that moment, she felt small, afraid, but damn it, she was determined. Nothing, not even Calum Hood, could take that away from her. "Go on then, Calum. Why don't you hurry up and kill this annoying little half-blood?" Isadora challenged. "I dare you." She glared up at him, watching the smirk on his face, studying him for any sudden movements that he may of made - Slytherins were infamous for playing dirty. "There's no teachers, no students. I would rather die now than suffer the rest of this year with your obnoxious voice constantly down my ear." And Isadora ensured she had a good, fast route to retract her wand if she needed to. "I'm sick of you, Hood, and the way you walk around like you're better, just because you have pure blood." And although that was only a half truth, Isadora couldn't admit to the bully that she found him attractive, and that she'd harboured so much love towards him for years, and she certainly couldn't admit that seeing him around the castle made her day better. "So enjoy your upperhand. We'll see how far you get in life when you leave school with your pretentious little attitude."

Luke raised his eyebrows with Elise's rebuttal. "Yes, that was quite the hit." He commented, ensuring that his voice was laced with feigned boredom. "Unfortunately for you, Elise, you're still a girl, and you will always hit like a girl, too." Luke waved a hand to dismiss her, painting an amused smirk onto his face, no matter how out of place it felt in that moment. Luke had to keep up his false sense of pride, fearing the trouble he would get into if he didn't. Swallowing thickly with the thought, Luke looked to Elise, enjoying the sound of her voice, even in the circumstance they were in. "Oh? Would it really?" Luke raised his eyebrows then. "Please. You're barely accepted here, what makes you think the muggle world would accept you?" Luke stepped forward, closer, and when he was close enough to smell Elise's perfume, Luke had to steady himself on his feet, swearing nothing and no one else could have this much of an affect on him. "You realise I have a name, don't you?" Luke asked with a smirk, ignoring every warning Elise was giving him. "It's Luke. Learn it." He frowned. "And as sweet as they sound Elise," Luke rolled his eyes. "I would rather die than accept kindness from your traitor family." But watching as Elise grabbed Isadora's hand and shoved past him, Luke exhaled. "But of course, you'll probably die first." Luke called, his gaze hard as stone.

Ashton paused when he noticed Honoria's offered smile, and although it was small, although it was weak, it was still a smile. However, when that beautiful smile disappeared from Honoria's face as quickly as it had come, Ashton was sure that, this time, he couldn't hide the disappointment from his face, watching as she took a guarded stance once more. When Honoria thanked him, Ashon nodded, sitting in his chair once more, running his thumb up the side of his quill before dipping it in ink once more, prepared to finish his essay so he could go back to his common room and take some time to think through what had happened that day. Ashton listened to Honoria's words, and he looked to her once more, slightly surprised that she'd wished him luck - him, Ashton, the muggleborn Hufflepuff who Honoria despised. "Thanks, Honoria." He offered a smile of his own, and Ashton felt his heart flutter in the best way, but all he wanted in that moment was for her to take a seat beside him and for them to talk, without any bravado, or friends to watch, just talk, Honoria to Ashton, not Slytherin to Hufflepuff. When Honoria turned to leave, Ashton chewed on his lip, deciding there was no harm in offering once more. "Are you sure you don't want to sit down?" He asked, letting himself be brave, hyper-aware of his fast heartbeat.

Nerissa felt her heart lift in her chest when Michael confirmed he'd keep the lilac colour in his hair. It was bright, and yet soft, and she was sure that lilac was made to represent Michael's personality. Perhaps that's why he suited it so much. But Nerissa just took a moment to focus her attention back on the Gryffindor boy, admiring the broad smile that he wore confidently. Feeling her heart beat a little faster with the sight, Nerissa ducked her head as she listened to Michael's question, memorising the sound of his voice. Lifting her head once more, Nerissa lifted her shoulders into a light shrug. "I draw, I suppose. My Dad has tattoos and I used to trace them before I began to doodle." Nerissa explained. "I couldn't see myself getting a tattoo, though." She laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. When she saw Michael chew on his lip, Nerissa could tell he was thinking about her suggestion, and she stayed quiet, wanting to know Michael's opinion, because his opinion - his whole existence - was what mattered the most to her. "Let me know what he says." Nerissa smiled gently, squeezing Michael's hand before retracting her hand from his. When she noticed the sky was beginning to darken, Nerissa looked to Michael. "Perhaps we should go back inside."

Calum had watched Isadora while she’d begun to leave but, when she turned back to him, he frowned, wanting the confrontation to end so he could breathe easier, so he could remind himself that he was treating her this way to protect them both. But, he could never tell her that - and, even if he could, he doubted she would believe him. When she approached him, he tried not to be affected by how close she was to him and the way her perfume seemed to surround him in the best way, the way he could count every fleck in her eyes or memorize every shape of her separate facial features - her eyes, her lips, her cheeks, her nose, all of it. And every single piece of her worked together to make the most beautiful person Calum had ever known, the only person Calum ever wanted, but also the person he knew he could never have. “My, that’s quite the challenge,” he taunted easily, watching her as he stepped closer - mostly so that he could be closer to her, but pretending that it was to be threatening, his eyes narrowing as he examined her. “But, then, if you would rather die, why would I grant you your wish if it seems more torturous for you to have to listen to me remind you of just how low you are on the totem pole?” He arched a brow as he examined her before smirking. “Though, I suppose you’re not the lowest. You’re a good bit above mudbloods. Take pleasure in that. But, if you would die to escape me, then I have no reason to go along with that.” And, he wouldn’t want to, anyways - he certainly didn’t want her dead, even if he pretended otherwise. “And I imagine my pretentious little attitude will get me quite far. At least I have a future to look forward to. I can’t say the same for you and your mudblood and blood traitor friends, if the Dark Lord has truly returned.” Saying those words made anxiety race within him, though, because he didn’t want her to die, he didn’t want to lose her, but he could never admit to that.

Elise’s jaw clenched as she listened to Luke and she watched him for a few moments. “Well, if I hit like a girl, then setting you on fire is obviously the better option,” she warned quietly, lowly, because if it came down to it, she wouldn’t be afraid to do whatever she had to - no, the only problem was that she didn’t really want to hurt Luke. As cruel as he was, her feelings for him were still far too present to ignore - and, even beyond that, she didn’t want to stoop to his level. As Luke spoke and stepped closer to her, her eyes narrowed despite the way her heart raced in her chest, the way Luke’s cologne wafted over her, and she wished she could step away to force it all away. “I think you’re the one who’s barely accepted here, Hemmings,” she pointed out, “Your hatred makes everybody run in the opposite direction, whereas I have plenty of friends to confirm that I’m very much wanted.” And, when he spoke about his name, she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You say it as if I care. Using your first name would imply respect or friendship, and I have neither sentiments when it comes to you. You live by your family name, you act by your family name, you believe with your family name, so you will always just be a copy of every other Hemmings that have ever walked these halls.” And, when Isadora turned back to Calum, she watched, just in case, but she frowned at Luke. “I’d rather die first than spend another second around you. And, again, don’t speak about my family.”

Honoria shifted a bit when she’d seen the disappointment that seemed to form on Ashton’s face, and she tried not to think too much into it, because she knew that hoping for it to mean something was pointless. Even if it did - which she doubted, considering that morning’s arguments and everything Ashton had said, everything they’d both said, - she knew it was still forbidden to want what she wanted, so she forced down whatever hope threatened to form and listened to Ashton quietly before she nodded. “You’re welcome,” she said eventually, watching his smile for a moment, committing it to memory, because she hadn’t seen a smile from Ashton directed at her in ages, and a part of her almost convinced herself that she was imagining it, even now, but she took a deep breath when she turned to leave, trying to remind herself that she shouldn’t care - that she couldn’t. When Ashton spoke again, though, she paused in her steps, and she was so close to being out of the section, just a few more steps and she could make a break for it, pretend none of this had happened, that she wasn’t even tempted. What she did instead, though, was tighten her hold around her books once more, her fingers curling around the books carefully, before she turned to face Ashton, gathering enough courage to move to sit down. “If you’re sure. I won’t bother you,” she promised eventually, shifting to open one of the books, though she didn’t actually plan to read, instead glancing over at him every now and then.

Michael watched Nerissa while he waited for her to speak, always patient with her, always wanting to give her the chance to say whatever she wanted to say, because she deserved to know that she was allowed to state her opinion or to talk about herself, wanting her to know that, when she spoke, he would always listen. As she spoke, though, he grinned slightly. “Tattoos?” he asked with curiosity, arching a brow, “What kinds of tattoos does your Dad have?” And, when she laughed, his heart swelled in all the best ways and he wondered, then, if she knew just how perfect she was, because her laugh, her smile, her happiness, made his world so bright and wonderful - she did that, for him, and he loved her for it. “What kinds of things do you draw?” He arched a brow, truly curious, wanting to know, but eager to learn more about her. It amazed him that, even though they’d been friends for a few years, there was still so much that he learned about her daily - and, there was always something new for them to talk about, their conversations never seeming to cease, and he loved it. Feeling her squeeze his hand, though, he nodded slightly. “I’ll let you know,” he promised, squeezing her hand in return before she had retracted her hand, though he lifted his gaze to the sky when he heard her words and nodded. “Perhaps,” he decided quietly before he shifted to stand, offering his hand out to help her up with a small grin. “I’ll walk you back to the Hufflepuff common room.” And, while he knew it wasn’t really necessary, he didn’t really want to separate from her any time soon.

When Calum took a step forward, almost closing the space between them, Isadora held her breath a little bit, but once he began to speak, Isadora felt nothing but love flood through her, and she hated herself for it, because this man, by blood and name, was meant to be an enemy to her, and yet she couldn't bring herself to hate him - in fact, she was sure the love she'd felt for him since their early years had grown significantly. As her eyes met Calum's, Isadora backed down, taking a step back, the smell of his cologne surrounding her in a way she wanted all the time. "A challenge you can't complete, Hood, because you would rather watch me suffer. Pathetic." Tightening her braid once more, Isadora took another step back, and when she saw Calum smirking, she simultaneously wanted to hit him and kiss him, and she wondered how that could be possible. "And yet, those mudbloods you despise so much hold much higher morals than you purebloods ever could. I'm proud of my status, and if you get to be proud of yours, then I get to be proud of mine." She warned quietly, turning her back on him as she approached Elise once more, grabbing her friend's hand. Looking over her shoulder, Isadora shook her head. "Go to Hell, Calum Hood. God knows you belong there."

Luke chuckled with Elise's quick witted rebuttal. "Has anyone told you you're gorgeous when you get angry?" And although Luke was sincere in his words, Luke manipulated his tone of voice to make himself sound condescending, cruel. But damn it, he meant his words so much, and he wished he could tell Elise that little tidbit of information, but with everything he'd put her through, would she even believe him? Seeing Elise's eyes narrow, Luke raised an eyebrow in a cocky manner, trying to ignore how his heart thumped anxiously in his chest from just being this close to Elise, finding her to be the most perfect thing to ever grace this godforsaken school. "And yet, I'm the one who is more respected than you ever will be, Elise." Luke's lips upturned into a smirk. "I don't care if it's out of fear, at least I still get that." When Elise rolled her eyes though, Luke had to hold back the chuckle that so desperately wanted to break free, but he stopped himself in time, finding her attitude so attractive. But when Elise told him he'd only ever be like every other Hemmings, Luke felt his heart break in his chest and he took a step back from Elise, hating that, in that moment, he showed hurt. He didn't want to be like his brothers, or his father, or his mother, cruel and proud, he wanted to be Luke Hemmings, happy, carefree, approachable. Running a hand through his short curls, Luke rolled his eyes, turning away from Elise. "C'mon Calum, they're not worth it."

When Ashton had noticed that Honoria had paused, he paid extra attention, unable to stop himself wondering what was going through her mind in that moment. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, reassure her that it was okay, because there was clearly something troubling her, and although a small flame of hope ignited in Ashton's chest, he realised that she was probably cursing him under her breath. Ducking his head with the thought, Ashton ignored the stab of hurt that aimed for his heart once more, because all he ever wanted was her love, but damn it, he couldn't have it. He was sure she hated him, anyway, and was there really any point in pining for her? As his heart sunk to his stomach, Ashton lifted his gaze when Honoria spoke again. When she moved to sit down, Ashton offered a smile, a wide, genuine, happy smile, and instantly, he was taken back to that lazy afternoon on the Hogwarts Express. "No bother at all, Honoria, honestly." He promised quietly, and Ashton was comfortable enough to sit in silence with her, because her presence alone was enough to bring comfort to him which he was sure he'd never feel again. Dipping his quill in ink to finish his essay, Ashton noticed there was still black ink on his shirt from the spill the First year had caused, and he inwardly cringed. Of course that had to happen when Honoria decided she would sit with him. "So," Ashton began, just wanting to hear Honoria's voice. "Are you excited for Fourth year?"

When Michael had offered Nerissa his hand to help her stand, Nerissa smiled and accepted the offer, gently squeezing his hand within her own, still admiring him with lilac hair. "Thank you, Michael." She murmured softly, offering him a gentle smile. "Yes, tattoos." She confirmed, seeing Michael's curiosity and wondering if he knew much about them - were tattoos a thing in the wizarding world? "Do wizards have tattoos?" She asked, her own voice holding a degree of curiosity, sticking close to Michael's side, because being this close to him always made Nerissa feel so free, so liberated in a way she couldn't describe. "Well, he has a lot." She laughed. "My particular favourite is the badger he has, to represent Hufflepuff." She explained with a smile. "Of course, he knows nothing about the wizarding world, but he's incredibly supportive." Nerissa spoke fondly, helping Michael fold the blanket he had taken from the Gryffindor common room. "As for myself, I draw whatever draws inspiration from me." She smiled, lifting her shoulders to a light shrug, lazily running a hand through her long hair. "Ready to go?"

Calum watched Isadora, his heart sinking a bit when she took a step back from him, because a part of him really just wanted her there, near him, close to him, even if only because she was angry at him. He wanted her to know the truth about everything, he wanted to be able to tell her everything he felt for her, but he couldn’t, and he hated it. He hated that all he could do was pretend to hate her and make her hate him, even when his heart wanted the opposite. “I don’t think you quite know what true suffering is, Isadora,” he said carefully in response, his jaw clenching, but he forced the smirk back to his features and arched a brow. “Perhaps you’ll find out some day.” But, Merlin, he truly hoped that she wouldn’t. He hoped that she’d never have to know what it felt like to long for somebody, to want somebody, to love somebody, and pretend otherwise, to have to ensure that person hated you in return instead, to protect them. That was his suffering and he would wish it on nobody else, even though he knew his friends were experiencing very similar situations. Shaking his head slightly, he tilted his head as he listened to her. “Be as proud as you want, Isadora. Being proud isn’t going to save you if the Dark Lord is back, though.” And, he smirked with the mention of it, despite the ache it sent through his chest, because he hated it, he hated the thought that she could ever be in danger, that something awful could happen to her, that she could die, but he could never, ever tell her any of this. But, when she walked away with nothing but those words in parting, he felt his smirk drop, his heart breaking, and he knew he deserved it, of course he did, but he wondered if she would think that if she knew the truth. Pushing the thought aside, he nodded to Luke’s words. “Of course. They’re simply pathetic,” he said loud enough for the duo to hear but he scoffed, scowling, and turned to head to the Slytherin dungeon.

Elise could feel her anger flaring all the more when she heard Luke’s words, her jaw clenching, because the last thing she wanted to hear was Luke calling her gorgeous when he didn’t mean it, when he was just being a condescending little git. Part of it hurt, and she, for a moment, was worried that perhaps he knew about her feelings and was saying such a thing to just be all that much crueler. “And you’ll always be a disgusting git, Hemmings,” she muttered quietly in response, though she rolled her eyes with his words. “Fear is not respect, Hemmings. Of course you wouldn’t understand the difference. Although, I wonder, just how much fear resides in somebody who doesn’t even have their own opinions, somebody who’s been practically brainwashed their whole life.” She arched a brow, then, and tilted her head, almost mockingly, almost as if she was trying to decipher whether any fear actually resided in him - and, perhaps she actually was, perhaps she was searching for some human part of him, some addition to the Luke that had brought Thorn back to her. Seeing him take a step back when she took several digs at who he was, though, she watched him, her brows furrowing, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she followed Isadora, ignoring Luke’s words, and she followed Isadora quietly.

Honoria could feel her heart squeeze when she saw Ashton’s smile and she wished she could see such a sight forever, but she knew it wasn’t possible. She knew, the moment they were around other people, she’d have to return to being cruel and Ashton would be reminded of just how evil she was. But, for the moment, just for now, she could pretend otherwise. She could put her hostility away and pretend that she wasn’t a Quincy. As the thoughts ran through her mind, she leaned over her book a bit, pretending to read, though her gaze hadn’t quite left Ashton, and she wondered about Ashton’s honesty - how long would it be before he decided that she was definitely a bother? He seemed convinced of it that morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts. She chewed on her lip a little anxiously with the thought but she didn’t dare say a word about it. When she noticed him cringe, though, she tensed, wondering if something had happened, concern flooding through her, but, when she realized his gaze had dropped to a stain on his shirt, she was almost mildly amused. She pointed her wand towards the stain from where she was, murmuring a quiet, “Scourgify,” almost hoping that Ashton hadn’t heard her, but the stain was soon gone and she ducked her head to pretend she was reading. She paused, though, when she heard Ashton’s question, and chewed on her lip. “I suppose so,” she murmured eventually, shrugging slightly. “I suspect it’s going to be a trying year, though.” She peered over at him for a moment, then. “Are you looking forward to it?”

Michael grinned slightly when he felt Nerissa’s hand placed in his and, feeling her squeeze, he returned it, making sure that she was steady on her feet, though he listened quietly to her words. “I’ve seen a few,” he confirmed with a small nod, offering a small grin. “They’re quite fascinating. Might get one myself one day. Maybe I’ll have you design it.” He grinned with the thought as he worked on folding the blanket carefully with her help, though he couldn’t quite take his eyes off of her - not that he really even wanted to, far too entranced and amazed by her to really ever want to look away. “Your Dad got a tattoo of a badger?” he asked with a small grin as he examined her, laughing with the explanation. “Bloody hell, your Dad sounds amazing, Nerissa.” And, a part of him hoped that, someday, he’d get to meet her Dad, perhaps he’d get to tell him just how amazing his daughter was. Michael’s heart swelled with the thought of it, because it was true. Nerissa was amazing, wonderful, brilliant, and all Michael wanted to do was to praise her, but a part of him also desperately wanted to thank her Dad for ensuring that she existed. He smiled, though, as he listened, and, after folding the blanket, he held it carefully in his arms, watching her for a few moments. “What sorts of things draw inspiration from you, in that case?” He arched a brow, genuinely curious, but also genuinely just wanting to hear her speak more, because he could never tire of her voice, he could never tire of her. Grinning with the thought, he nodded to her question. “Right, let’s be off,” he decided, moving to lead the way, though he stuck close to her as he walked.

Luke had spent all night reflecting on Elise's words. They really had cut a little deeper than the usual taunting he and Elise seemed to throw back and forth, and those cruel words only seemed to get worst as they both matured. The youngest of the Hemmings brood had barely slept that night, and his mood seemed to get worst when he had ran into Professor Severus Snape, sat by the lit fireplace in the common room, telling Luke his parents had arrived to speak to Albus Dumbledore, on strict Ministry business, but still wished to see him. It was as though Elise's prophecy had come to truth: he could never escape who he was, being a Hemmings, and that reality, that little pill of truth, was a difficult one to swallow. Ensuring that his green and silver tie was as straight as could be, Luke neatened out his white shirt, sleeves rolled down instead of resting above the elbow, as they usually were. He knew his parents expected him to keep up their great appearance. Waiting for Honoria and Calum, Luke followed them to the Great Hall, his head ducked slightly. "My parents are here." He murmured eventually.

Ignus Hemmings lead his wife, Lucinda, down the main entrance corridor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His black pea coat was buttoned up, and he walked with a confidence that told any passers by - student or teacher alike - not to mess with him. He and his wife were sent by Cornelius Fudge to speak to Albus Dumbledore about the issue of Harry Potter using magic outside of school. Of course, underage wizards couldn't perform magic in front of muggles, but if Ignus had his way, that insufferable Chosen One would follow in his Godfather's footsteps and be sent straight off to Azkaban and given straight to the dementors. "How, in Merlin's name, is Albus Dumbledore still in charge of this school?" He asked his wife with a bored tone of voice, approaching the entrance of the Great Hall to wait for their youngest son, Luke - who, to Ignus' joy, was continuing on the pureblooded Slytherin tradition. "He'll be here soon." He reassured his wife, not wanting to be mingling with riff raff - half-bloods and mudbloods - for too long.

Isadora walked alongside Elise and Nerissa, the confrontation she had with Calum Hood the evening prior forgotten. Keeping up just behind Harry, Ron and Hermione and in front of Michael and Ashton, Isadora's arms were linked through Elise and Nerissa's. They had all met outside the Gryffindor common room that morning, all aware of the constant thread of You-Know-Who returning - to protect the muggleborns and half-bloods of the school, the group decided that something had to be done, fast. Michael had brought it to Harry's attention - if Umbridge was going to continue being in denial, and if other professors were simply refusing to acknowledge the risk, then the students had to take matters into their own hands. Admittedly, the thought excited Isadora more than she wanted to admit, because they'd all arranged to meet Ginny, Fred, George and Neville in the Great Hall to continue discussing what they had began referring to as Dumbledore's Army, and hopefully, by lunch time, they could start spreading the word to the students who were loyal to equality and their school. "This is sort of exciting, isn't it?" Isadora grinned. "Like a little revolution."

Ashton had thought about his interaction with Honoria all night, happy that they had managed to be in each other's presence without fighting. It had sparked hope in Ashton's chest, and although Ashton knew he was setting himself up for disappointment, Ashton had noticed on the way back to the Hufflepuff common room that night that the ink stain on his shirt had gone - and he didn't cast a spell. Just the thought that Honoria had done that made his heart swell with love for the girl, and maybe, just maybe, there was a different part of her. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Ashton followed his friends, his mind buzzing with the possibilities Dumbledore's Army could present to them. Hearing Isadora, Ashton grinned at Michael, catching up to the girls and throwing an arm around Elise's shoulder. "Of course it's exciting!" Ashton squeezed around Elise. "We have the chance to prove that us outcasts can do anything those lousy Slytherins can do, and prove that we can do it better." He winked, roughing up Elise's hair playfully. "Right, Harry?" And he wondered, if Honoria knew what they were up to, would she be impressed, or would this only fuel her hate further?

Nerissa smiled as she felt Isadora's arm linked through her own, and smiling to her friends, she couldn't deny that she was amazed by how they were all united against the possibility of evil. "Not only that," she grinned at Ashton. "We'll be learning new things, having fun and spending time with friends. We'd be unstoppable!" She laughed, looking over her shoulder and outstretching her hand to Michael. "Catch up, Mikey!" She encouraged happily, admittedly giddy with the thought of every opportunity this could bring to the group of friends, and whoever else wanted to join in. "Did Fred and George pinpoint where the Room of Requirement actually is, or do we have to stumble upon it?" She rolled her eyes. "Harry, you seem to have all the luck, I bet it'll be you who finds it first." She teased, squeezing Isadora's arm before reaching to ruffle up Ashton's hair, seeing that he'd done it to Elise first.

Ron grinned over to Harry as he heard the conversation that the Fourth years were having behind them. Ron was so proud of Elise and her friends, because she reminded him so much of himself and his own group of friends, defiant, proud and willing to stand up for those who couldn't stand up for themselves. "They're eager." He joked lightly, but when Ron turned the corner to the entrance of the Great Hall, he stopped when he saw Luke Hemmings' parents. It was clear that Ignus Hemmings worked with Lucius Malfoy, the men were similar; evil and cruel with a sharp dress sense. "Bloody hell," he murmured, looking over his shoulder to the Fourth Years and placing a finger to his lips, although he wasn't all that eager to pass the Hemmings' at all, knowing the hurt that their bastard son was putting his sister through. "You can tell their Slytherins, can't you?" Ron pulled a face of distaste. "I wonder where Luke and his dimwit friends are."

Calum was still feeling a sting in his chest from his confrontation with Isadora the night before. There was so much he wished he could tell her, so much he wished she knew, but he knew better. That didn’t make him wish any less, though. If anything, it made him wish more, because he wanted things to be different. But, perhaps Isadora was right - perhaps he truly did belong in Hell. Just thinking it made his heart clench painfully and he wished that he could get Isadora to see him in a different light, that he truly wasn’t as evil as she thought him to be. But, there was nothing he could do about it, there was no way he could change her mind when he knew that it would just end in disaster. Any hope that anything could be good between them seemed to ebb away from him, slipping through his fingers with each passing day, and, no matter how much he wanted to change that, he knew it was impossible, so he tried his best to remind himself to keep his guard as high up as possible today. As he was walking with Luke and Honoria, though, he blinked when he heard Luke’s words, and his heart sank in his chest. Things were already bad enough - what if Luke’s parents noticed any of their affections for those that their parents considered less than them? “Are you gonna be okay, mate?” he asked, watching his friend, though he fixed his tie and his sleeves, just to be safe.

Honoria felt a little lighter that morning, eager to tell Calum and Luke about what had happened in the library, about telling them that she’d had a decent conversation with Ashton - it hadn’t been a long one, hadn’t gone far past those few statements, but there had been no hatred, no cruel words, and Honoria had been able to be near Ashton without having to be awful towards him. And, of course, she knew it could serve to have been a terrible decision if things went horribly - Ashton could always throw it in her face, use it against her, or, worse, he could assume she’d gone soft. As she walked with her friends, she’d been running over ways to tell them what had happened, but she’d noticed Luke had been a little quieter, and, when he mentioned his parents being there, she suddenly understood why. Her expression softening, she shifted, linking her arm through his as she offered a small smile up at him. “Oi, they’ll be gone before you know it,” she murmured quietly, hoping to encourage him, even a little, wanting to lift her friend’s spirits. She knew, then, though, that now wasn’t the time to tell them about the incident in the library. But, pulling free from Luke, she couldn’t help but to neaten her own clothes a bit, worried about word getting back to her own mother through Luke’s parents if she was even the least bit untidy or improper.

Lucinda Hemmings stuck awfully close to her husband, scowling at each passing student who wasn’t a Slytherin. Honestly, the nerve of them, to walk in the same corridors as purebloods, to breathe the same air, to learn the same lessons - it was despicable. “The worst possible choice for headmaster,” she scoffed lowly as she peered around, frowning deeply to herself. “Of all the choices they had - and now this school has fallen to ruins, mudbloods and half-bloods, and blood traitors running amuck as if they deserve to be here.” She rolled her eyes with the very thought of it. How dare they? Peering towards the Great Hall as they waited for their son, a frown seemed permanently settled on her features, her eyes narrowed in distaste, though her frown deepened when she saw a group approaching and, just at the sight of red hair and old clothes, she knew that at least two of them were Weasleys, and the scar on the other clearly screamed that he was none other than Harry Potter - which meant the rest of them were the very lot she wanted nothing to do with. “Disgusting.”

Elise grinned slightly, her heart racing with excitement as she listened to Nerissa’s idea of them all coming together to learn how to fight and protect themselves. It was a nice distraction, keeping her mind off of Luke, and she’d desperately needed it. “It is,” she confirmed in a hum, nodding to Isadora’s words, “I’m sure it’ll be worth it, too.” Especially if they truly ended up needing that knowledge, if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had actually returned. It would be far better to be safe than sorry, in the end. She gave a noise of surprise, though, when Ashton caught up to them and through his arm around her shoulder, but she laughed, peering up at him with a grin. “Well, of course. We’re far kinder than them, and with our heads together, we’re unstoppable, as Nerissa said, I’m certain of it. They can’t even imagine competing.” And, when she felt Ashton rough up her hair, she made a face. “Ashton!” she complained with a laugh, but she grinned when she saw Nerissa rough up Ashton’s hair. “My savior!” she called to Nerissa, sticking her tongue out at Ashton before she settled her gaze ahead, though she fell silent when she spotted Luke’s parents, and she refused to make eye contact - they weren’t worth it. But, her heart twisted anxiously when she heard her brother mention Luke and his friends, and she tried not to think too much about the boy.

Michael hadn’t really been all that eager to talk to Harry about Nerissa’s idea - he knew that Harry harbored a crush for Nerissa after all and, while Michael didn’t blame Harry for that (after all, it was Nerissa, and she was a wonderful person,) he still wasn’t fond of the fact that Harry had his eyes on her. But, because Nerissa’s idea had been brilliant, he’d forced himself to bring it up. Harry, of course, thought it was a good idea, despite that he was worried that it might cause trouble, and that he wasn’t exactly the best to rely on for such a thing. Michael was convinced that most of the reason as to why Harry had agreed was because of Nerissa, but he hadn’t dared mention it, not wanting to egg Harry’s feelings for Nerissa on. Because of this, though, he’d trailed a little behind the others, even when Ashton picked up speed to walk with the girls, a little disheartened with the thought that this whole idea would give Harry more of a chance to spend time with Nerissa than usual. But, he knew that it would be safer for all of them if they knew how to defend themselves, so he hadn’t brought it up, he hadn’t complained, he just left the thoughts buried deep inside. “Imagine how cruddy they’ll feel once we beat them with spells they don’t even know,” he said with a broad grin, though, when he saw Nerissa’s offered hand, his grin broadened, his heart swelling, and he picked up his pace to walk alongside her, taking her hand since she’d offered it, and giving it a squeeze. “You came up with a brilliant idea, Nerissa.” He felt his heart ache a bit with Nerissa’s comment to Harry, but he forced the thought away. “We should start this as soon as possible, perhaps we should all just travel around the castle until we find it.”

“As far as I know, Fred or George haven’t pinpointed it yet,” Harry told Nerissa, offering a small grin back at her, truly amazed by her. “Or, if they have, they certainly haven’t told us.” He grinned slightly, though, with her words, and he shrugged slightly. “We’ll have to wait and see, I suppose. The sooner we find it, though, the sooner we can start everything up.” And, examining her, he couldn’t help but to enjoy the sight of her, enjoying the way she seemed so happy, but he paused when he saw Michael take Nerissa’s hand and, quickly, he averted his gaze before he focused on Ron’s words. “It sure seems like it,” he admitted to his friend, offering a smile, despite the jealousy he felt in that moment. He tried to force that away, though, not wanting to make things tense or difficult for anybody. He paused, though, as he examined the man and woman standing outside the Great Hall, and he listened to Ron quietly. “You certainly can,” he agreed quietly.

“They look so disgusted,” Hermione murmured as she walked alongside Harry and Ron, watching the adults, but she shot a look back to the younger group, silently begging for the conversation about Dumbledore’s Army to be silenced at least until they were safely pass the pair and in the Great Hall, where they could discuss everything quietly with their other friends. “So, are those all the questions you all had about your homework assignments?” she asked, hoping the others would go along with her little lie, that they could convince the adults ahead of them that they weren’t speaking of anything that could be taken back to anybody they wouldn’t want the information to fall into the hands of. She could hope, at the very least, that the pair hadn’t been able to hear any of the conversation prior to the group noticing them, but she wasn’t entirely sure how lucky they would be on that end.

Luke offered his friends a weak smile, grateful for their concern. Placing a hand gently on top of Honoria's for a moment, Luke exhaled, almost anxiously - such a contrast to his usual confident exterior. "I'll be fine," he promised, walking a little slower, deciding to take in the scenery of the castle and it's grounds once they had exited from the dungeon. As much as he feigned that he hated Hogwarts, Luke couldn't help but remind himself silently that once seventh year was over, he'd miss this place, more than he cared to admit. But he had three years before that happened, and for that, Luke was glad. "I just want to get this over with so they can leave." He confessed, turning the corner that led to the Great Hall. Luke was ready to have breakfast, get to Divination, and spend his day with his friends, and hopefully, a few glances towards Elise, too. And with that thought, Luke's heart sunk in his chest - what if his parents saw Elise? Luke was unsure he'd be able to hold back his tongue. His Father worked for the Department of Magical Registry - every magical family or folk, Ignus Hemmings would know them. Luke had heard him speak of the Weasleys before, and not a single word that left his mouth was kind. Feeling himself tense, Luke finally lifted his gaze and paused when he saw his parents by the entrance to the Great Hall, and as he studied the entry way, he saw Elise and her group of friends - with Ashton's arm around Elise's shoulders. Ignoring his jealousy, burning in the pit of his stomach, Luke preoccupied himself with Golden Boy Potter and his two sidekicks. "Oh, brilliant." Luke murmured sarcastically, stepping forward, approaching his parents. "Mum, Dad!" He offered a small, fake smile.

Ignus nodded in agreement to his wife's words, his gaze that directed itself to any student that didn't wear a green and silver tie remaining hard and cold. "A disgrace to the wizarding world." He murmured back, smoothing out his pea coat to uphold his tidy appearance, hair slicked back and shoes shined to perfection by the Hemmings house elf. Following his wife's gaze, Ignus couldn't hold back the scowl that etched onto his face at the sight of a group of students - two of them had striking red hair, wearing hand-me-down robes and freckles scattered on their faces, no doubt they were Weasleys. The one leading the group, dishevelled black hair and a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt must of been the supposed chosen one - Harry Potter, and beside him, he was sure, was the insufferable, know it all mudblood that was Hermione Granger. Looking to the younger bunch of students behind them, Ignus recognised Elise Weasley - she was a difficult one to miss, who could miss her with that red hair? But the other lot, he couldn't put a name to a face, but they were, no doubt, scum. Hearing Luke's voice though, Ignus looked to his son and offered a collected smile. "Lucas," he greeted. "Honoria, Calum. Good morning."

Isadora looked to the entrance of the Great Hall, almost stopping in her tracks when she noticed Luke, Calum and Honoria approach a middle aged couple. Eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion, Isadora looked to her friends. "Who are they?" She asked quietly, although her eyes didn't leave Calum for more than a few moments - remembering every harsh word she'd said to him the night before. And Isadora wanted, more than anything, that she could apologise, to tell him that she loved him, that she thought higher of him than she showed - more importantly, that she wanted him to herself. Instead, Isadora chose to admire the boy and his devilishly handsome self, his sleeves were rolled down completely, and his tie was neat, tight around his neck, and she wondered what the ocassion was, because Honoria and Luke seemed to be on their best behaviour, too. Hearing Hermione's words though, Isadora nodded. "Yeah, thanks Hermione. Potions was definitely a little confusing." Isadora smiled, playing along, knowing that these people must of been important. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Isadora stuck closely, protectively, to her friends.

Ashton laughed, ducking his head away from Nerissa. "Traitors," he teased his friends, nudging Elise with his hip as they walked. When he overheard Ron, though, Ashton followed the gaze of the older Gryffindor's to the entrance of the Great Hall, and inwardly, he cringed. As a Muggleborn, Ashton knew that these people, whoever they were, were troublesome. But he wouldn't back down, he wouldn't run away, he would remain brave and use the influence of his friends to get himself through the doors of the Great Hall. "They look like Death Eaters." He commented lowly, not wanting to be overheard in case he started a fight that couldn't be finished. Smiling down at Elise with her words though, Ashton squeezed around her gently. "Then we can take pride in that, and hold our heads up high." Ashton waited for an answer to Isadora's question, because his own curiosity was getting to him. But when Ron answered - telling them that they were Luke Hemmings' parents, Ashton cringed even further. "Well, alright then." Continuing to the study the older couple, Ashton heard Luke's voice and felt his own heartbeat increase, because wherever Luke was, Honoria was sure to follow. Allowing himself to follow the sound, his heart almost came to a complete stand still when he saw the gorgeous brunette. Toying with his lower lip, Ashton's eyebrows furrowed when he heard Hermione's question. "Wait, what? We were talking -" but when Nerissa reached to slap the back of Ashton's head, he yelped, catching on quickly. "Oh, yeah, thanks Hermione."

Nerissa smiled contently when Michael took her hand, and she offered his hand a gentle squeeze in return, her thumb stroking across his knuckles, resting her head on Michael's shoulder, taking comfort in the fact the handsome man with lilac hair was beside her. Nerissa always felt best when Michael was with her. Hearing the conversation about Luke's parents though, Nerissa looked to the couple and instantly wanted the ground to swallow her up. "Oh," she sighed out anxiously, shifting closer to Michael for comfort. "Brilliant, yeah, they look like lovely people. Definitely not murderers in their spare time." She raised her eyebrows to Michael in amusement. "They'll be devastated," Nerissa's grin returned then, just the thought of outsmarting the bullies enough to put a smile on her face. "I can't wait." But when Hermione asked about their non existent homework, Nerissa opened her mouth to answer but quickly interrupted Ashton before he gave away the alibi. "Yes, thanks Hermione." Nerissa smiled, shooting Ashton a look. But when Harry turned to answer her question, Nerissa laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Well, like Michael said, maybe if we all explore, we'll stumble upon it." She suggested with a smile.

Ron rolled his eyes as he saw Luke Hemmings and his two, dimwit cronies approach the Hemmings' head of home, and he looked to the younger group, instinctively wanting to protect Elise and her friends. "That's Ignus and Lucinda Hemmings, Luke's parents." He explained. "Long line of Slytherins." He tensed with that. "Dad knows them from the Ministry, so I suppose they're here on business." He filled in the group quietly, but kept his head held high as he approached the Great Hall, close enough to hear Ignus' smug voice. "Bloody hell, Hermione, you're a genius." Ron grinned, in awe, but frowned slightly. "Hang on, you never help Harry and me with our homework!" He debated. "Why does Elise get away with it?" Ron turned to shoot a playful glare to his sister. "Prepare yourselves," he murmured once more. "They're not the kindest people."

Calum watched Luke for a moment, concerned, but offered a small nod, figuring that, if Luke wasn’t alright after his parents left, at least he and Honoria could pull together to find a way to cheer their friend up. The sooner Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings left, though, the sooner things could return to normal - not that ‘normal’ for them was all that wonderful, but at least they tended to get through it all together. “Whatever they’re here for, perhaps they’ll make it quick,” he offered up quietly, arching a brow, hoping to lift his friend’s spirits, but he said no more about it as they approached the Hemmings’ - he did, however, notice Isadora nearby with her group of friends and he felt his chest constrict painfully. He did his best not to look at her, certain that, if he did, Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings would notice him paying any sort of attention to her and he didn’t want their attention focused on her at all. As long as they didn’t give her any attention, perhaps they wouldn’t torment her - he tormented her enough, but he knew Luke’s parents would be far worse, far more relentless. Besides, he was certain he wouldn’t be able to hold his tongue if they went too far, regardless of who they were. Forcing his gaze to Ignus and Lucinda, he offered a smile, nodding slightly. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings. What brings you two to Hogwarts?” And, as he processed Lucinda’s words, he stuffed his hands into his pockets to avoid clenching them, hating listening to her. It bothered him that, no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t defend Isadora against Lucinda’s words, he couldn’t speak out of turn, or else it would cause problems. But, if things escalated, if Lucinda or Ignus decided to go at Isadora with spells or hexes or curses, Calum swore to himself that he wouldn’t just stand around and do nothing. But, for now, with just words, he hoped that Isadora could block it all out - she did well with holding her own against him, but he worried that, if she tried to stand up to the Hemmings’ adults, it would end in a horrible way.

Honoria chewed on her lip, just for a moment, but nodded to Luke’s words, straightening a bit, hopeful that everything would go well. The sooner Luke’s parents were gone, the better - not just for them, but for the people who happened to own their hearts, regardless of whether those people were aware of it or not. Shaking the thought aside, she listened to Calum, nodding. “Calum’s right, Luke,” she assured quietly, “Besides, they can’t hold you up too long. We have class to get to, after all.” And, they happened to be going to her favorite class as well. But, as they approached the Hemmings, she felt her heart slow to a stop when she spotted Ashton, though her heart twisted when she saw his arm around Elise. She’d slowed in her walking, coming to a near-stop, before she ducked her head, just for a moment, just to gather herself, and, when she lifted her head again, she forced a pleasant smile to her face as she approached Luke’s parents. “Good morning,” she greeted with a small nod. “It’s nice to see you both.” It wasn’t, not at all, and her thoughts were proven more true when she heard Lucinda’s words, and she had to do everything she could not to acknowledge the woman’s words. She didn’t comment on the words, didn’t encourage the cruelty, not wanting it to get worse, and she did her best not to flick her gaze towards Ashton in concern, though she did hope that he didn’t pay much heed to Lucinda’s cruelty.

Lucinda shook her head in disdain as she watched the students who passed, giving a disapproving look to everybody she deemed unworthy of anything else. “This school gets worse every year, I’d say,” she said confidently, certain that it was the truth. The more years passed, the more mudbloods seemed to be accepted in, and she scoffed with the thought. When would everybody else realize that it was only serving to destroy their world further? Pathetic, really. Peering over at the group led by Harry Potter, her frown turned to a scowl, her eyes narrowing as if challenging them to make any comment that would drive her annoyance further. But, when she saw Luke and his friends, she smiled. “Good morning, dear,” she greeted calmly, “Are you off to breakfast? I don’t see how you can eat when you’re surrounded by such filth.” She shot a cold, cruel look to the group, then, her eyes narrowing once more. “Disgusting, the lot of them. Herding together like animals. Ah, but then, I suppose that would be more an insult to animals everywhere than anything else.” And, turning back to face her son and his friends, her smile returned. “It’s wonderful to see you two again, Calum and Honoria.” She smiled, though, to Calum’s question. “Official Ministry business, Calum, there’s no sharing the details, especially not with mudbloods and blood traitors nearby.”

Elise listened to the others speaking quietly, though her gaze hadn’t quite left the Hemmings’ - not until Mrs. Hemmings settled her gaze on them, causing Elise to immediately peer up at Ashton, deciding to focus on his words. “Oi, you started it,” she teased in return, offering a small grin, trying to remain light-hearted, not wanting to get caught up in whatever tension the Hemmings’ were trying to create. Why the bloody hell were they just standing outside the Great Hall like that, watching students like creeps? Trying to intimidate every single one of them? It was childish. “They do,” she commented quietly in response before she shifted, reaching to tug Isadora closer to them with a small grin. “But, that’s alright. Safety in numbers. Right, Isadora?” She arched a brow, though she hoped, more than anything, that no trouble would arise from any of this - and, hopefully, the Hemmings’ hadn’t overheard anything they’d said. With the thought, Elise couldn’t wait to get into the Great Hall with the rest of their friends where, hopefully, their voices would be drowned out and they could talk more freely. “If that serves to be true, Isadora and I have been working on a few hexes together. We’ve gotten pretty good at them, I’d say. She’s got a great one up her sleeve.” And she winked teasingly at Isadora before pausing when she heard Luke’s voice and, looking over, she watched him with mild surprise, but, again, she dropped her gaze, especially when Lucinda began speaking loud enough for them to hear. If these were the people Luke had grown up with, it was no wonder he was so cruel - for all Elise knew, it could have been a defense mechanism. But, she tried her best not to convince herself of that. “It was a great help, Hermione,” she said eventually, sticking her tongue out at Ron, “Oh, you’re just jealous that she prefers us.” She laughed, trying to stay calm as they walked.

Michael smiled slightly down at Nerissa, his heart swelling to extremities when he felt her resting her head against his shoulder. It amazed him, the effect she had on him, the ways she made him feel, and he wondered how in the world he could continue hiding it when he was struggling so much to do so. He knew how he felt for her, he knew what she meant to him - of course he did, - but he was terrified of losing the friendship he had with her in case she didn’t feel even remotely the same. Feeling her shift closer to him, he shifted, removing his hand from her hold to slide his arm around her gently, holding her close and rubbing her shoulder gently as he examined her. “Don’t let them get to you, love,” he told her quietly, hoping that she would be okay. But, if worse came to worse, he’d shield her himself. He watched the Hemmings’ parents for a few moments - just a few, just to make sure they weren’t making any movements just yet, - before his gaze dropped back down to Nerissa. “It’ll be a wonderful experience,” he agreed with a small grin, though he didn’t comment further on it. “Oi, actually, Hermione, I could use some help with my essay, if you’ve got the spare time.” He grinned mischievously. “My wrist hurts from writing so much, would you mind finishing it up for me?” He laughed, though, with her reaction, and grinned down at Nerissa, making a slight face. “Well, it was worth a shot, I’d say,” he joked lightly, amused, but mostly wanting to distract Nerissa from the Hemmings’. The last thing he wanted was for those rotten people to ruin her day - she deserved so much: happiness, love, excitement, acceptance, - and he refused to let the rotten twits ruin any of that for her. “We should certainly all sit together in the Great Hall,” he mentioned, though it was mostly so that Nerissa would sit with him, “After all, safety in numbers, as Elise said.” And, he grinned, hoping that was a good enough excuse for Nerissa to agree.

Harry watched Michael with Nerissa for a few moments, his heart sinking in his chest with jealousy, but he forced the thought aside, looking to Ron as he explained who the adults were. “Think they’re any worse than Lucius?” he asked, arching a brow, though a small frown formed on his features, because even if they weren’t, if they were as bad as Luke and his friends, it likely wouldn’t end well for any of them. Shaking the thought aside, he couldn’t help but to cast a worried glance back at Nerissa, though he tried not to be too affected by how close she was with Michael. Regardless, he chuckled. “Oi, Hermione, that’s hardly fair. We work just as hard as they do,” he commented, “And, beyond that, why do you lot go to her for help? We’ve already taken your classes, we could be of help, too.”

“Oh, grow up, Ronald,” Hermione said with faint amusement, arching a brow as she peered over at her friends, though she was grateful the younger lot had gone along with the lie so quickly and so easily. “They needed help, so I helped them. And, no, Michael, I think you can finish that essay just fine on your own. I’ll help with answers and that’s it.” Shaking her head, she settled her gaze ahead, refusing to let the Hemmings’ get under her skin as they made their way past them to try to get into the Great Hall without incident. “And, isn’t it obvious, Harry? I’m sure they know it’s best to go with somebody they know will have the answers they need.”

Ignus listened to his wife's words, an arm around her shoulder protectively, as if being around those not worthy of their presence would somehow infect her clean blood. Squeezing Lucinda's shoulder, Ignus smiled at his son, and despite Ignus' cruel exterior, the love he had for his youngest boy was unable to be measured. "But, we're sure if this morning's meeting goes well, you'll find out soon enough." Ignus offered a wink then. "I trust after breakfast, you'll be heading straight to your studies." Ignus straightened out then, and when she saw that Harry Potter and his group of animals were approaching, Ignus took his wand, murmuring a quick charm, aiming for the large doors that led into the Great Hall, using Lucinda's words to their son and his friends as a distraction. "We just wanted to make sure you were adjusting to your fourth year with no problems, Lucas. Remember, we're expecting great things from you." He tapped Luke's shoulder with his cane. "And you as well, Calum and Honoria. We Slytherins stick together," he shot a cruel look to the approaching group, sneering at the fact they were all close. "Looks like dirty blood attracts fellow filth." He commented. "Perhaps, if the rumours are true, they'll be the first to go."

Luke listened to his parents greet Calum and Honoria, and sticking closely to his friends, he was sure he saw his Father cast a jinx. Furrowing his eyebrows, Luke pursed his lips into a thin line, his hands in his pockets so he couldn't show his clenched fists, his knuckles almost white with the tension that was running through him. The worst thing was, he couldn't say anything to warn Elise that she was about to walk into something elaborate. Watching though, as Ashton got close with Elise and Isadora, Luke's fists clenched tighter, if possible, and when the Hufflepuff pulled away and walked ahead, Luke found himself hopeful, in the most selfish way, that Ashton would break whatever his Father had planned. But when the muggleborn fell, and his friends fell with him, Luke stopped himself from going over to help, keeping his face deadpan, clearly unamused by the antics, but knowing that sticking up for the blood traitors would lead to something worst for him. When Ron shoved Luke out of the way to help Elise, Luke allowed it, giving him space to reach his sister, ducking his head. "We hope you don't mind, Mum, Dad, but we must get to breakfast." He commented quietly. "We have Divination first, and although it's not the best class -" another lie "- we'd like to maintain our good grades this year." And with that, as the group were helped to their feet, Luke walked straight into the Great Hall, trying to control his anger.

Ashton rolled his eyes playfully when Isadora and Elise joined forces, squeezing around Elise and reaching to tug at Isadora's hair, laughing as she made a noise in return. "If you want me to start something, there, I just started it." He teased, and although he could hear Luke's mother speaking loudly, aiming cruel words at himself and his friends, Ashton pretended that her words didn't get under his skin, even when they did, because remaining strong and defiant was what mattered the most to him in that moment - Ashton knew you didn't need spells to win, and pride was a good hit to any Slytherins. Walking ahead, Ashton looked over his shoulder to his friends. "Come on, you lot, I'm starving." He complained, wearing his Hufflepuff tie with pride - keeping his head held high to ensure that his pride was visible for everyone, knowing that just the sight of it made the Slytherins in front of him uncomfortable. Reaching the doors to the Great Hall, watching as Harry, Hermione and Ron entered without much problem, Ashton felt something - almost like a wire - trip him up, and he fell to the ground, causing Isadora, Elise, Nerissa and Michael to fall too. Feeling his ankle twist painfully, Ashton let out a yelp of pain, but couldn't quite reach his ankle. "Ow," he groaned, but seeing Ignus and his wife stare at him, amused, Ashton tried to swallow his pain and lowered his gaze once more. "You lot alright?" He asked, wincing, managing to turn himself around so he was sat on his bum, not on his stomach.

Isadora watched the Hemmings' closely, but as soon as the matriarch of the family lifted her gaze to them, Isadora lingered for a moment, before looking to her friends once more, trying to rid herself of the uneasiness she felt growing in her stomach like a wildfire. "You did start it, Ash," Isadora pointed out with a grin, giggling as Elise tugged her closer, wrapping an arm around Elise instead, showing a stand of solidarity against the serpents that stood at the door. "Exactly, Elise." Isadora grinned, proud of her friends. Listening to the conversation, Isadora grinned when Elise mentioned the hexes they'd been practicing. "We have," she confirmed. "And they're ready to use for when we need them." Isadora smirked over at Elise and Ashton then, but soon smiled once more when she heard Elise teasing her older brother. "Honestly, I'm so glad I don't have siblings attending this school. I imagine it's a nightmare." She chuckled. Hearing Calum's voice though, interacting with the Hemmings', Isadora felt her heart clench painfully in her chest, and she glanced to the handsome boy once more. When she heard Lucinda's voice grow louder though, Isadora lowered her gaze, but when Ashton fell, ultimately causing a domino affect, Isadora fell beside him, taking Elise down with her. "Bloody hell," she groaned, having scraped her hand along the stone floor. Seeing the gash, and the blood, Isadora forgot her pain when she saw Ashton wince. "Some people just can't resist playing dirty, can they?" She commented. "Are you alright, Ash?" She asked, shooting Luke, Honoria and Calum a glare as Ashton told his friends he thought he'd hurt his ankle.

Nerissa smiled when Michael wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled further into him, wondering if he was catching onto any hints she was giving to him. Damn it, she'd been in love with the idiot for so long, and yet, he didn't seem to know. Or, perhaps he did, and he only considered them to be friends, and nothing else. Feeling her heaert sink with the thought, Nerissa listened to Michael's rebuttal to her comments about the Hemmings, and she nodded. "I won't," she promised quietly, and although she said it, she was unsure if she meant it. She had never known prejudice until she arrived at Hogwarts. Feeling Michael's hand rub her shoulder, Nerissa smiled, wrapping an arm around Michael's waist, laughing as he spoke to Hermione about his essay. "Definitely worth the shot." She confirmed, nudging Michael, shaking her head in amusement. But when she'd been distracted, Nerissa tripped over Ashton, landing almost on top of the poor boy, and from the corner of her eye, she was sure she saw Ignus smirk. "Merlin's beard." She murmured, but seeing Ashton wince, Nerissa forgot the pain that shot through her own arm and instead reached to hoist Ashton up. "Elise, give me a hand." She shot a look to the Slytherin trio, shaking her head. "Cowards." She murmured, wondering how Harry, Ron and Hermione had passed the threshold without falling.

Ron heard Harry's question, eyebrows furrowing. "I bloody hope not, Lucius is bad enough, nevermind this lot." He murmured in return, but he heard Harry's words and laughed. "Harry!" He debated. "Do you trust us to help them with their school work? We barely managed in fourth year, you had the Triwizard tournament and Hermione and I were basically your cheerleaders." He teased, crossing the threshold to the Great Hall with no problem, but when he heard the commotion behind them, Ron instantly looked to Ignus and Lucinda, narrowing his eyes at them, before rushing to help Elise. "Are you lot alright?" He nudged Luke out of the way subtly, crouching down next to his sister to offer her his hand. "Bloody hell, nasty fall."

Lucinda smirked when she felt Ignus’s arm around her shoulders, despite that she was by no means weak. Regardless, the fact that she could stand in solidarity with her husband and have no fears when it came to the pathetic group nearby made things far easier for her; it made her feel untouchable. “Hopefully, we’ll get to see you again before we leave, dear,” she told Luke, settling her gaze back on her son as she reached to give his arm a squeeze. Arching a brow, she looked over when she heard the others falling, and she couldn’t help the amused laugh that escaped her. “Such filth belongs on the floor,” she said easily, her smirk broadening before she looked to Luke when she heard his words and nodded. “Yes, yes, of course. Make sure to keep up with your studies. We’re looking forward to seeing how you do this year.”

Calum watched Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings warily, uncertain of what to expect from them. He knew for a fact that they were a bit difficult to read, but he knew those looks - they were definitely stirring up trouble, and Calum worried about what it could be. Before he could really acknowledge what either of the adults said, though, he heard the commotion, heard the others falling, and he tensed, peering over quickly, and he held his breath, trying to remind himself he couldn’t do anything. His hands still in his pockets, he could feel them clench, and his eyes watched Isadora, but he quickly looked away to avoid catching Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings’ attention. “Right,” he confirmed quietly, nodding to Luke’s words. “Breakfast is important, after all, regardless of whoever’s around us while we eat.” He forced a smile, then, but it felt so off on his face. “Best to keep up appearances as well. We’ve got to check over our homework, make sure we’re all on the same page and such.” Whatever excuses he could come up with to put as much distance between himself and Luke’s parents as possible, he was going to take. He felt sick with shame that he couldn’t do anything to help Isadora, he couldn’t do anything to fix what Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings had done, and he followed after Luke quietly. As they walked past Isadora, though, he felt his heart clench because he spotted the blood on her hand, and he hated that he couldn’t do anything about it.

Honoria listened to Ignus and Lucinda quietly, but only really spoke when it was necessary. Still, she had tensed a bit when she thought she saw Ignus acting as though he was up to something. She knew better than to comment on it, though. “Of course,” she murmured with a small nod, keeping her forced smile on her features, “We’ll all do our best.” But, seeing Ashton heading towards the Great Hall, she could feel her heart race with anxiety, a bad feeling causing her stomach to sink - and it served to be true when she saw him fall, along with his friends. It took everything in her not to rush over to help and she quickly locked her hands behind her back, clasping her hands together tightly to refrain herself from drawing her wand to jinx Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings in return - they’d either blame it on the others and make matters worse or they’d know it was her and send the information back to her mother. “Right, we’ll just be on our way,” she said eventually, forcing her attention away from the scene to follow after Luke quietly despite the fact that she wanted to help Ashton somehow - but, she knew she couldn’t, not with Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings right there, and she hated it, she hated the feeling it gave her, how ashamed she was, in that moment, of her bloodline.

Elise had laughed when she heard Ashton’s and Isadora’s words, grinning at her friends in response. “He did start it! It’s his own fault that he’s receiving consequences now,” she joked lightly to Isadora, grinning broadly. She nodded, though, with the mention of hexes, but made a face at the mention of siblings. “Oh, you have no idea. Ron’s a constant torture,” she joked lightly but she grinned at her brother to assure him she was only joking. However, when they all fell, she hissed out quietly, having not expected the rough landing. “Why those rotten little -” She’d started to pull out her wand to lash back out at the Hemmings’ adults, but paused when she heard Ashton mention his ankle being hurt. More concerned about her friend than she was about getting back at the Hemmings’, she climbed to her feet quickly with Ron’s help, moving over to Ashton to slide his other arm around her shoulders to help Nerissa. “Do you need to go to Madame Pomfrey, Ashton?” she asked quietly with concern as she watched him, though she glared over at the Slytherins and the adults. “And they think they have the right to be proud after pulling dirty tricks like that.” Scoffing, she adjusted Ashton’s arm to try to make sure he didn’t have to put his weight on his foot and she watched her friends with concern.

Michael smiled when he heard Nerissa’s promise and he nodded slightly with the mention of it. “Good,” he murmured quietly, squeezing around her gently, “They’re not worth it, trust me.” After all, they might think they were deserving of the pride they felt, but, really, they were just rotten to the core, and, if they kept going the route they were, it would only be a matter of time before they were ultimately sent to Azkaban, he was sure. Those who seemed to be so set on following He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, practically worshipping him, deserved to be there, in Michael’s opinion. But, more than that, with their hatred, they certainly deserved whatever cruelty came their way in the end, because he was sure karma would catch up with them eventually. He grinned, though, to her words. “Maybe you can help me with that essay,” he joked lightly, though he didn’t actually need the help - he’d done plenty of it himself. But, of course, he wouldn’t pass up on the chance to spend more time with Nerissa. When they all fell, though, he cringed, having hit his elbow - and bloody hell, the jolt it sent because of the funny bone hurt. “Dammit,” he hissed out quietly, glaring over at the group of present and past Slytherins, his eyes narrowing, because he knew it had to be them. Climbing to his feet, he looked to Nerissa. “Are you alright?”

“There’s still the chance, though,” Harry murmured with concern, offering a concerned glance over at the Hemmings’ adults, but he shook his head, grinning at his friend. “You have a point, but still. They could at least ask us,” he joked. And, as they passed through to the Great Hall, he hadn’t really noticed anything wrong - it wasn’t until he heard the crashes behind him that he realized something had happened, that something seemed to have gone horribly wrong, and he quickly looked over with concern. Frowning, he quickly moved over, checking on them, but moving closer to Nerissa. “Are you all alright?” he asked with concern, shooting a look to the Hemmings’ and the Slytherins for a moment before settling his gaze back on them.

Hermione couldn’t help but to smile, rolling her eyes playfully as she listened to her friends. “If I were them, I certainly wouldn’t trust you two to help with school work,” she teased her friends lightly, though there was truth to her words. Regardless, she settled her gaze ahead until she heard the noise and, blinking, she peered back at them in shock before she quickly moved to help, frowning to herself. “Perhaps their nasty jinx is gone,” she muttered quietly, figuring it had to be a jinx by the looks of it, and she scoffed lowly to herself. “Somebody should report them, tormenting students.” And, then, she spoke louder. “I’ll bet they’re real proud of themselves, being adults who pick on children who are at least half their age. Ridiculous.”

Luke hadn't even bothered to say goodbye to his parents, feeling the rage run through his veins at their childish antics. And as much as Luke hated to admit it, Hermione Granger, of all people, had a point - his parents took pride in bullying a bunch of children half their age, and suddenly, the silver and green tie around his neck felt like a burden, almost as if it was tightening, suffocating him. Loosening his tie with the thought, Luke sat down at the Slytherin table without another word, hands curled into tight fists, ready to lash out at anyone who dared disrespect Elise again that day. His heart sinking, then, with the thought of Elise, Luke felt ashamed that he hadn't defied his parents and helped Elise to her feet, helped her with assisting her friends, ensured that she was okay and safe from harm. Sipping from his goblet of orange juice, Luke looked to Calum and Honoria, exhaling as he scrubbed his free hand across his face. "You know what?" He murmured, blue eyes focused on his friends, and knowing what all three of them wanted, Luke wished he was sat at the Gryffindor table. "We're awful people."

Isadora nursed her bleeding hand, looking to the Slytherin trio as they entered the Great Hall, and for a moment, just a split second, she could of sworn Calum was looking right at her, no doubt to commit the moment to memory to use against her later. Swallowing thickly to rid herself of the thought, Isadora's lower lip trembled and she stood to her feet, using her uninjured hand to brush down her uniform, shrugging off the cruelty that the Hemmings' had inflicted. Not daring to look at Calum for too long, in case the Hemmings' parents decided to hex her for tainting their precious son and his friends, Isadora waited for Elise, Nerissa, Ashton and Michael, Isadora watched on with sympathy as, even with their friends' help, Ashton was limping - badly. "Ashton, maybe a visit to the hospital wing is what's best." She suggested gently, approaching to fix his dishevelled robes, trying her hardest not to get blood on them.

Ashton tried his hardest not to put too much of his weight on Elise or Nerissa's shoulders, and as his friends helped him to his feet, he avoided putting any weight on the ankle was sure he had sprained, leaving him without relief. "It hurts, that's for certain." Ashton confirmed quietly, the pain making his voice quiet, meek, and as Honoria entered the Great Hall with Calum and Luke, Ashon sighed, ducking his head - things had gone so well the day before, in the library, only to be torn down now, falling down like the kingdom of Babylon. "I hate this school." Ashton murmured, loud enough for the Slytherin trio to hear as the heads of Hemmings' family walked away from the situation, smug and full of pride in the hard work they put into making his day, and his friends' days, miserable. Hearing the suggestions of Madam Pomfrey and the hospital wing, though, Ashton dismissively waved a hand. "No, no," he reassured. "I'll be fine, I swear." He offered a weak smile. "I'll get used to it." And using Elise and Nerissa's offered help, Ashton limped into the Great Hall, wincing each step he took.

Nerissa nodded to Michael's question weakly. "My arm hurts, but Ashton is worst for wear than I am," she reassured, hoisting Ashton's arm over her shoulders. Seeing Michael wince though, Nerissa's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Are you okay, Michael?" She asked with concern, helping Ashton limp into the Great Hall, her eyes going to the Slytherin table to shoot a glare at the trio as they sat down. "Smug bastards." She hissed, but hearing Harry's concern for their friends, Nerissa nodded silently, directing Ashton to the Gryffindor table to sit down, right at the end, by the door, so Ashton didn't have to walk far. Besides, this was the quietest place to discuss whatever else they needed to, although the rush of excitement had been dampened by the Hemmings' antics. "Dirty players, that's all they are." She told her friends. "We're stronger together, don't forget that."

Ron nodded with Hermione's words. "Exactly, picking on a bunch of kids." He shook his head in dismay, letting the younger group go ahead so he, Hermione and Harry could keep an eye on them. "I have half the mind to give Hemmings what for."

Calum sat near his friends, pulling his hands free from his pockets to clench them together tightly on his lap. From where he was, he found himself watching Isadora, unashamedly for the moment, certain that she would be too busy to notice and Luke’s parents were likely on their way to do whatever they had come to Hogwarts for in the first place. Nobody else would pay any attention to him and, if anybody aside from his two closest friends asked, he could merely lie and say that he fell into a sort of daze. “It’s not fair,” he muttered eventually after hearing Luke’s words, sighing quietly as he peered over at his friend, flexing his fingers a bit before he frowned deeply. “We’re awful people, yes, but… But we could be better.” He liked to believe that, at least. He knew he was by no means brave enough yet, though, and he hated that. He hated that he couldn’t gather his courage and be the man he wanted to be, the man that Isadora deserved. “I don’t want to follow this path forever,” he sighed out quietly, scrubbing a hand over his face before he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, frowning. “I know we don’t have much of a choice but, bloody hell, I hate it.” But, what he hated more, was that he couldn’t do anything about it, he couldn’t do anything to help Isadora or to heal her injury.

Honoria could feel her resolve breaking when she heard Ashton’s words and she sank down in her seat beside her friends and she chewed on her lip anxiously, hating this feeling of uselessness. She wanted to fix Ashton’s ankle, but she couldn’t do that with Luke’s parents there - if they saw him walking around later with his foot alright, they might do something worse. If it wasn’t fixed by the time Luke’s parents left, though, she was determined to do what she could to help later, though she fully intended to do it secretly, like she had with the ink stain on Ashton’s shirt the previous day. Hearing Luke, though, she sighed, peering over at him. “We are,” she agreed quietly, “But we could be much worse. We could not feel remorse or guilt at all for our actions. We could not even recognize how truly awful we are. And, yet, here we are, drowning in guilt and hyper aware of our cowardice. At least we can admit it to each other.” Shrugging weakly, she turned her attention to her food, poking at it, but she didn’t have much of an appetite now and, for a moment, her gaze flickered to Ashton with concern but she ducked her head to avoid being noticed.

Elise nodded slightly to Isadora’s words as she and Nerissa helped Ashton into the Great Hall. “It might be best,” she agreed quietly with Isadora as she sat down with Ashton, watching him with concern before she peered at Isadora. “Although you could probably use a trip to the hospital wing as well.” She chewed on her lip, examining her friends before she sighed quietly, hating that this had happened. What did the Hemmings’ gain by bullying on any of them? Did they think it made them more superior? Did they think it made them more important? She scoffed with the thought, frowning to herself as she peered over at the Slytherin trio once she realized they’d come into the Great Hall. “Honestly, who do they all think they are? Do they truly think they can get away with everything they do?” For a moment, she scoffed and ducked her head, not wanting to watch them anymore, not wanting to pay attention to Luke, wishing she could force all her positive feelings for him away. It would make things so much easier. Still, she looked to Ashton. “It’s not something you should have to get used to, Ashton.”

Michael watched Nerissa with concern but offered a small nod in response, following behind them in case they got tripped again. He figured that, if they were prepared, he could probably pull out a quick spell to ensure his friends didn’t get hurt again, especially Nerissa. “If you’re sure,” he murmured quietly, “Let me know if it starts hurting too much, though. You could have nipped a nerve or pulled a muscle or bruised a bone.” He offered a weak smile but followed them, moving to sit down beside Nerissa, though he blinked and nodded. “I’m alright. Just hit my funny bone. The aching jolt from it will ebb away before you know it, nothing to worry about when it comes to me.” He grinned slightly, hoping to reassure her, hoping that she wouldn’t worry too much, but he followed her gaze when she looked over to the Slytherin table, and he shook his head, looking back to Nerissa and their friends. “They wouldn’t even say a word about anything,” he muttered with frustration, “The least they could have done was get a bit of courage for once to at least stand up to some adults.” Rolling his eyes, he blinked but nodded to Nerissa, smiling. “Of course we’re stronger together. All of us. Always.”

“It won’t be worth it,” Harry mentioned quietly to Ron, sighing out as he followed the younger students into the Great Hall, watching them with concern, though his focus was more so on Nerissa than anything and he didn’t even bother to hide it. “And, as long as we’ve all got each other, I’d say we’ll be just fine,” he chimed in response to Nerissa’s words, offering what he hoped was an encouraging smile before he sat down with Ron and Hermione, peering at them. “They’re going to make things all the more difficult at this rate. Hopefully, they’ll leave soon.”

“And maybe they’ll take those rotten kids with them,” Hermione huffed quietly as she sat down, frowning deeply to herself, upset on her younger friends’ behalf. She knew all too well what it was like to be bullied, but it was bad enough to be bullied by peers, other students. To be bullied by adults? It wasn’t fair - what was there to do to remedy such a situation? “I can’t wait until we set up this idea properly and follow through with it. Then, the next time they try to pull a dirty trick like that, we can counter properly and give them what they deserve.”

Luke listened closely to the words his closest friends had to offer, nodding in agreement as he poked at his food, his gaze, subconsciously, always finding it's way back to Elise, wanting to ensure she was safe, unharmed by his parents' lack of decency. "It's not fair," Luke repeated, poking his food around the plate lazily, feeling sick to his stomach. He was sure eating would just make it worst. "The people we love probably think that we're nothing more than malicious, and that's what hurts the most." Luke dropped his fork onto his plate, running a hand through his hair. "And we could be better, but why aren't we making more of an effort to do so?" And Luke knew why, he just couldn't bear saying it out loud - their parents would kill them, resurrect them, and kill them once more if they found out their precious, pure blooded babies were in love with what the three families considered to be scum. Ducking his head with the thought, Luke exhaled quietly before shifting. "I'm not hungry. Should we just head to Divination? I can't sit here and watch them all struggle."

Isadora offered Elise a small smile, grateful for her best friend's concern. "I'm okay, really. It's just a little gash, it's nothing worth worrying over." She reassured, sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table. Picking up the napkin that was laid underneath the knife and fork provided for breakfast, Isadora wrapped it around her hand, but watched her friends with concern. Listening carefully to Elise's words though, Isadora glanced over to the Slytherin table, and she could of sworn, for a moment, that Calum Hood was watching her. Feeling her heart thump anxiously in her chest, Isadora knew she was just being silly, pining over the boy, and decided to refocus her attention to her friends. "They all work in the Ministry, don't they?" Isadora asked. "Unfortunately, I think that's a fast pass to get away with what they do." Isadora shifted with her words, facing Ashton, noticing his ankle had swollen. "Could be a bit more than a sprain that, you know Ash. And Elise is right, you - we - shouldn't have to put up with this." She frowned, not bothering to eat, the events of that morning upset her too much to even think of food.

Ashton sat down with a yelp, and he winced out in frustration. "Never gonna be able to get up the stairs of the Divination Tower, am I?" He asked with a frown, not wanting his ailment to affect his studies, and for a moment, he did consider going to Madame Pomfrey, but quickly decided against it, not wanting to show weakness. "I'm alright, guys, honestly." He reassured Elise and Isadora. "Just gotta take it with a pinch of salt, we can't let them win." He offered a weak smile then, fixing his golden and black tie, although it didn't sit quite as proudly against his chest as it did before the confrontation. Ashton was disappointed, to say the least. Honoria had been so kind to him the night before, he wondered if it was just fake kindness or if there was a deeper meaning to all of this. Frowning, Ashton sipped his orange juice as he got rid of the thought, and when he overheard Michael, Ashton nodded. "They'd never stick up for us." Ashton spoke with a bitter taste in his mouth. "But allowing those treacherous little twits to hurt fellow students? It's disgusting." He shot a look to the Slytherin table, somewhere between anger and disappointment, and he hoped Honoria would see it and feel a little guilty - he wanted her to realise that she wasn't a cog in the machine of the Slytherin ideology, she was a human, a wonderful young witch with talent and intelligence, and she could form her own opinions if she wanted. Sighing, Ashton ran a hand through his hair. "Are you lot okay though?"

Nerissa helped Ashton sit down, before taking a seat opposite her friend, beside Michael, watching as the handsome young Gryffindor spoke. "I'll be fine, Michael." Nerissa took his hand within her own gently, squeezing to reassure him that she was fine. "I promise." She heard of Michael's injury though, and chuckled. "Guess the hit wasn't so funny, hm?" She teased, and even with Michael's reassurance that there was nothing to worry about, Nerissa was sure she would always worry about him. Running her thumb along Michael's knuckles, Nerissa looked over her shoulder to the Slytherin table once more, seeing that the three serpents seemed to be looking right at the group, and she wondered if they were planning anything else. "They'd never stand up for anyone but themselves." Nerissa murmured with distaste, resting her head on Michael's shoulder once more. "They have no empathy for people who aren't pure blooded." But hearing Michael's words, hearing the smile in his voice, Nerissa caught herself smiling too, and the hope that Michael's words provided was enough, and when Harry chimed in, Nerissa grinned. "Exactly."

Ron looked to Harry as he sat beside Elise, keeping a protective stance over his sister and her friends. "It would be worth it, to wipe that smug look off his face." Ron murmured back to Harry. "I say we find the Room of Requirement, let all our friends know, and start tonight. This is the only way we can get ready for whatever's coming." Ron looked to his friends. "And something tells me, those three know what's coming already." He glanced to the Slytherins.

Honoria listened quietly to Luke as he spoke before she pushed her plate away, uninterested in the food after everything that had happened that morning. After the day before, she'd hoped today would have gone smoother than the previous morning had, but there was no such luck. “You're probably right,” she murmured quietly, “But, even if we changed, they probably wouldn't believe it, not after everything we've done.” Sighing quietly, she nodded to his suggestion. “Sure. Maybe Professor Trelawney will get our minds off it.” She offered a weak smile but paused when she heard Ashton yelp, even from where she was, as if her ears could pick up on his voice anywhere. Peering over with concern, she caught the look he'd shot their table and her heart sank. If looks could kill, she was sure his would have - at the very least, it broke her heart, as if proving her earlier statement. But, if he was in that much pain, she couldn't sit around and do nothing. It wasn't a wise choice to fix Ashton's injury when Luke's parents were still around, but Honoria hoped he'd fake it or something if he came across Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings again. The moment Ashton's attention was back on his friends, she pulled out her wand, discreetly pointed it towards Ashton's leg from where she was and covered her mouth with her hand to avoid being noticed as she muttered a quiet, “Episkey.” Satisfied, she slipped her wand into her sleeve, dropped her hand, and stood up. “Let's go.” Nodding, she headed out, her food still untouched, but at least she felt a little less uneasy.

Calum felt his heart swell painfully when he saw Isadora peer over. What did she think of him in that moment? He knew, for sure, that if she knew the truth, if she knew how much he wanted to help her, how much he wanted to step in, but hadn’t, she would be all the more certain that he was a coward. She’d probably hate him all the more as well - but, he didn’t have a choice, if he wanted to survive the Hemmings’ or, Merlin, if he wanted to survive his own parents if he’d even made a movement to help the others and word got back to them about it. “They’re never going to look at us the way we look at them, are they?” he asked quietly, looking to his friends, his heart sinking with the thought, because all he wanted was for Isadora to know how he truly felt about her, how much he hated treating her the way he did. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, not even bothering to look at his food, because his stomach was already doing flips - he didn’t think his stomach could bare the sight of food, much less the taste of it right now. “We all know why we’re not making the effort. It’s too dangerous - for us and for them,” he muttered quietly, as if to remind himself, but he nodded slightly. “Professor Trelawney does tend to have that effect,” he agreed with Honoria, but he wasn’t sure it would work this time. Moving to stand, he paused when he saw what Honoria did and he blinked, wondering if it was a good idea. But, looking towards Isadora, any thought of possible consequences was forgotten - she’d wrapped her hand, she probably wouldn’t even notice it healing until later, so what could be the harm? Sitting back down, he repeated Honoria’s process, being discreet as he pulled out his wand and pointed it towards Isadora’s hand, murmuring “Episkey” softly and, hopeful, he stood back up when Honoria did, heading out of the Great Hall quickly.

“Are you sure?” Elise asked Isadora with concern as she watched her friend, chewing on her lip, because she hated seeing her friends in pain and she hated not being able to do anything to stop it or help or to make those who’d caused the pain regret it. Peering over at the Slytherin table with the thought, she frowned deeply to herself, wondering how the Slytherins could sit there as if nothing had happened. But, the longer she watched, the more she noticed that none of the Slytherin trio she so loathed - even if she did love Luke, - hadn’t touched their food. Her brows furrowed, but her thoughts refocused on her friends as she listened to them. “Oi, we’ll help you get to class, Ashton, don’t worry about that,” she promised quietly, offering a weak smile as she nudged him, but she nodded. “And we won’t let them win. I promise.” But, dropping her gaze to her food, she listened as Isadora and Ashton spoke, nodding slowly in thought, though she didn’t eat. “They do. With Umbridge here because of the Ministry, things might be even worse with them having shown up. It worries me.” She chewed on her lip with the thought, but tried not to think too much about it, not wanting to make the mood around herself and her friends to grow even worse. “They stood there and did nothing and walked off like it didn’t matter. They only care about themselves, we shouldn’t be too surprised at this point.” For a moment, though, she wished she could believe otherwise, reminded again of Luke’s carefulness with Thorn, and her heart twisted. “I think you got the worst of it, Ash. Isadora cut her hand up a bit and I think Nerissa and Michael’s arms got hurt, but nothing serious.”

Michael chewed on his lip as he examined Nerissa for any other possible injuries, just wanting to make sure, because he worried about her, he truly did, and he didn’t want anything to ever harm her. He hated that he hadn’t been able to stop her from getting hurt this time around, but he hoped he’d be able to prevent any future injuries, so long as he was capable of it. “I hope so,” he murmured quietly, offering a smile, though his heart swelled when Nerissa took his hand and squeezed it. Watching her, he squeezed hers in return, just grateful for the contact, grateful for the moment between them. He blinked, though, when she laughed and he grinned, mesmerized by the sound, but he laughed along with her. “Oi, it’s not funny at all,” he teased lightly, nudging her gently as he examined her, lacing his fingers through hers when he felt her run her thumb along his knuckles. In that moment, he never wanted to lose that contact between them, and he’d never felt so at ease, so comforted, despite what had happened merely minutes prior. It amazed him that Nerissa had that sort of effect on him, but, then, she always had; it was as if it was her own secret form of magic, and he adored her for it, adored her for existing and providing so much comfort so easily, without even really trying. “It could have been much worse,” he admitted quietly, “So I’m truly glad you got out of that situation without too much injury.” His voice reflected how genuine his words were, because he truly was - he was glad and relieved, because he didn’t know how he would react if Nerissa had gotten seriously injured. He nodded, though, following her gaze to the Slytherin table with a small frown. “Truly heartless, I’d say,” he muttered quietly to her, “And yet they act superior.” He looked up, though, when he heard Ashton’s question. “We’re alright, mate. How are you holding up?”

Luke pushed his plate away with a little too much force, the thought that his parents were still in the castle having ruined his day completely. Standing to his feet, Luke watched Honoria point her wand to Ashton's ankle, and he offered his friend a weak smile of apology, embarrassed by his parents' behaviour - but this just seemed to make Luke more determined, and he wanted to apologise to Elise personally. Maybe he'd seize the opportunity after Divination, the tower was always quiet. Toying with his lower lip, Luke wondered if Elise would even give him the time of day, let alone listen to his apology, because he'd put her through so much, and all the cruel words he'd spoken, Luke wished he could take them back. Standing to his feet, Luke tried to pry his eyes from Elise, but when he saw that she peered over, he perked up a little bit - but still, her eyes on him could of been an illusion the sun through the windows provided, but Luke let his hopes go high, just this once - even though the chance of Elise ever loving him was slim. Hearing Calum's words, Luke shook his head. "Never. But it's okay, we can admire them from afar for now." He offered Calum a weak smile, following Honoria and Calum out of the Great Hall, looking to Elise once more - but Luke wondered, just how long could he admire Elise from a distance before his facade of hatred came crumbling down? "C'mon." He murmured to his friends, stepping out into the overcast day to head to the Divination Tower.

Isadora looked to Elise once more, showing her the handkerchief wrapped around her hand. "I'm sure." She promised, not bothering to look back to the Slytherin table, because whenever she did, she felt a small piece of her heart break, because there was no way Calum was ever going to love her. The proof was in the morning's events, and now, written in stone. Exhaling sadly with the thought, Isadora considered moving on, but she knew that she never could. Calum Hood truly held her heart in his hands, and every cruel word just crushed it more. Letting her injured hand rest in her lap, Isadora looked as students began to finish breakfast, and Isadora, usually inspired and excited to learn new magic, felt herself wanting to return to her common room. Listening to Elise's words, however, Isadora realised she expected too much of Calum. He and his driends had walked off like nothing had happened when she and her friends got injured, and the only reason why Isadora was surprised and hurt, was because she thought - or, rather, she hoped - that Calum had a heart somewhere within his chest. "Elise," Isadora looked to her friend, although her eyes followed Calum as he left the Great Hall with his friends. "We should probably get Ashton up the Divination Tower now. It'll be difficult to guide him through bodies of students." She suggested, ignoring the longing she felt in her to see Calum again, even with the hurt he'd caused.

Ashton poked at his eggs with his fork hopelessly, and after his disappointed glance at Honoria, he couldn't bring himself to look over to the Slytherin table again. Of course, his ankle was stinging, but the fact that Honoria and her friends had walked away like nothing had happened was what hurt the most. In the library the night before, Ashton had felt that he and Honoria were on the same page, rivalry left at the door for a few long moments of peace, just like they were on their first day at Hogwarts - but now, all that flooded through Ashton's chest was hurt, because he knew that she could never love him the way he loved her. "You know," Ashton started quietly. "Maybe they'd behave better if we just didn't retaliate." He suggested. "Show them they don't bother us." He looked to his friends then, but when he heard Isadora's suggestion, he nodded, his eyes following Honoria out of the Great Hall, and all he wanted to do was chase her, hold her and tell her that he had forgiven her. "Probably what's best." He sighed out, offering a smile to Michael. "I'm alright mate," he reassured quietly, hoping that the hurt he felt didn't reflect in his voice. Moving to stand up though, Ashton frowned as his weight evened out on his ankles, and he looked to his friends, knowing none of them had retracted their wands for the episkey spell. "Uh, guys..." He stomped his injured foot to prove he was okay. "Look." He looked to his friends, blinking.

Nerissa listened intently to Elise's words, nodding along, although when she felt someone watching her, she instinctively turned to Michael, seeing him study her carefully, as if she'd break. Offering his hand another gentle squeeze, Nerissa leaned in. "I'm okay, Michael." She murmured gently. "Honestly." But when she felt Michael return the squeeze, Nerissa smiled, keeping their fingers interlocked, because it meant so much to Nerissa, she couldn't even begin to describe it. Just having moments like this with Michael made Nerissa feel invincible, and although that morning had proved it wasn't true, at least, in Michael's presence, she could relish in the feeling that he brought to her. Michael laughed though, and Nerissa swore the sun that shone through the windows seemed to brighten with the sound. "It is kinda funny." She teased back, and resting her head on Michael's shoulder, she listened to him speak. "Hey," she murmured gently. "It was only a fall. They could have done a lot worst to us, we should consider ourselves lucky." She murmured, although hearing the genuine undertone of his words made Nerissa's heart swell happily. "If your funny bone gets worst, tell me, okay?" She murmured to Michael, before pulling away when Isadora suggested getting to Divination. But watching Ashton, Nerissa blinked in surprise. "Wow."

Honoria listened to her friends quietly as she walked, trying to avoid showing how bothered she was by the day’s events thus far. But, surely, the worst of the day was over - there was no way anything worse than Ashton getting injured could happen, she hoped. She almost cringed with the thought, though, because she knew very well that it was quite possible for things to get worse; she just hoped that Luke’s parents wouldn’t be so awful as to do worse, especially on school grounds. “Oi, let’s try not to dwell on the possibility of never, boys, have a little hope,” she teased, offering a small smile, despite how weak and out of place it felt in the moment, but she nudged her friends as they walked, following them quietly. Eventually, though, as they turned a corner, she noticed two tufts of bright red hair ducking behind another corner and she arched a brow as she watched. It wasn’t difficult to figure out it was Fred and George, but she wondered why they were following them - she figured, perhaps it was for revenge. But, the thought brought an idea to her own mind. “You two go on without me. I’ll catch up,” she mentioned, trailing behind and, once Luke and Calum were out of sight, she turned on her heel to approach the Weasley twins. “Oi, you two, what do you think you’re doing?” she asked as she approached the corner the twins had ducked behind. “Come on, come out, you’ve already been spotted and I have quite the favor to ask, anyway.”

Calum slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked with Luke and Honoria, his mind running over the morning’s events, and he wished that he had done things differently. There were a lot of things he could have changed, he knew - he could have gotten rid of Ignus’s jinx, he could have warned the group, he could have helped Isadora and her friends up, he could have even retaliated, - but he’d done nothing, and he hated himself for it. Chewing on his lip with the thought, he nodded slightly to Luke’s words. “It’s what we’ve been doing so far,” he admitted quietly, lifting his shoulders in a slight shrug, “It’s getting harder with each day, though.” He hated not being able to tell Isadora how he felt, he hated pretending that he hated her. “I’m not sure how much longer I can just watch from afar, mate.” He frowned with the thought, but looked to Honoria, making a slight face. “Hope’s not easy to come by for us,” he reminded, nudging her gently in response, “But, I’m sure we can at least try.” He wasn’t sure how well it would work and, moreover, what could hope do for them? It wasn’t going to actively change anything. He swallowed thickly with the thought, but focused his attention ahead, only pausing when he heard Honoria’s words and, seeing she’d trailed behind them, he peered back at her, arching a brow at her. “Whatever you’re up to, I want no part,” he joked lightly before he nodded and began walking again, “Let’s get to class, Luke.”

Elise’s brows furrowed when she spotted Luke’s attention and she swore, for a moment, he seemed to brighten, but she tried not to think too much into it, instead focusing on her friends as they spoke. “Good, okay,” she murmured with a nod when Isadora showed her the handkerchief around her hand. Her attention went to Ashton as he spoke and she listened to him quietly, unsure of how she felt about it. If they didn’t retaliate, then the Slytherins might just end up thinking that they could do as they pleased and get away with it. But, it also meant less interaction with Luke and she could feel her heart twist anxiously with the thought. Regardless, she offered a small nod. “Perhaps you’re right, Ashton. We could just pretend they don’t exist altogether,” she offered up quietly but she breathed out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair, turning her attention once more to Isadora. “Right, of course, let’s go.” With a small smile, she’d begun to stand but paused when she heard Ashton’s voice and, looking to him, she was caught off guard by the fact that he was on his feet and didn’t seem to be in any pain at all. “What? How?” she asked with confusion, blinking as she stood to her feet, then, “None of us used a spell.”

Michael’s eyes continued to examine Nerissa but, as she spoke and gave his hand another squeeze, he let himself be convinced, returning the squeeze gently as he offered a small smile. “I’m glad, then,” he murmured honestly, his heart swelling with the fact that she leaned in, that she was closer to him than usual, and he chewed on his lip, because her scent seemed to overwhelm him in all of the best ways and he never wanted to lose the way she made him feel. When Nerissa rested her head on his shoulder, though, he shifted, pulling his hand gently from hers to wrap his arm around her, holding her close as he rubbed her back gently. “Oi, laughing at my pain, you wound me!” he teased lightly with a broad grin, laughing quietly as he shook his head. But, listening to her, he chewed on his lip, because she was right. It really could have been much worse. But, that worried him, because there was the chance they might not hold back next time. “You’re right,” he murmured with a small nod, “Although we should be more careful around them if they come around again. I don’t want you getting hurt worse than this, ever.” He squeezed her gently to himself to really reflect his words, but he smiled and nodded. “Of course I will.” His gaze went to Ashton, though, when he spoke, and a part of him was sure he heard a bit of pain in his friend’s voice, but he wasn’t sure if it was physical or emotional, and he didn’t want to put Ashton on the spot, so he didn’t question him further. Instead, he blinked when Ashton was able to stand on his own. “Did you do that yourself?”

Fred Weasley had considered himself the definition of stealth as he and George followed after the Slytherin trio, ducking behind corners and in archways to avoid being spotted. He and his twin, George, had thought of the most hilarious prank - and who better to test it out on than these three slimey gits? But when footsteps approached, Fred and George, in perfect sync, had tried to duck down further - their plans to be foiled by Honoria Quincy. "Oh, bloody hell." Fred murmured once Honoria had began speaking to them directly. Straightening himself out, Fred neatened his Gryffindor tie, not trying to show off the fact he was in Gryffindor, but because McGonagall was walking by and she always told Fred off for being untidy. "Honoria," Fred grinned. "Couldn't you of just walked on and let us prank you, or was that really too much to ask?" He teased, but when Honoria mentioned a favour, Fred swore his eyebrows could of launched from his forehead. "A Slytherin, asking a Gryffindor, for a favour? What has this world come to?" Fred teased. "What is it, though?"

As Luke walked alongside his friends, he neatened his green and silver tie anxiously, just the thought of running into his parents again causing his stomach to twist in the worst way. Getting lost in his thoughts, Luke tugged at his lower lip with his teeth, and he found his mind drifting, as always, to Elise, and what he could of done differently to protect her from the embarrassment he called his bloodline. He could of reversed the jinx - it wasn't the same time Luke had seen Ignus use it - or he could of just helped Elise to her feet, or he could of even apologised in the Great Hall, and Luke was ashamed he'd let his cowardice win. Why would Elise ever return his love when he couldn't protect her? Frowning, Luke lifted his head as Calum brought him out of his thoughts. "Calum, unless we do something, then watching from afar is all we can do." Luke looked to Calum sadly, but hearing Honoria's words, Luke offered a smile that wasn't really there. "I guess we can try." But with the thought, Luke ran his hand through his short curls, walking with Calum and pausing when Honoria had ducked behind them. Raising an eyebrow to his friend, Luke chuckled with Calum's words, following him to the Divination Tower, his laugh empty and smile unnatural.

Isadora listened closely to the conversation going on around her, although she didn't feel like contributing - the morning had already been difficult, and it was less than two weeks into the first semester of the year. Still, sipping her orange juice, Isadora frowned, unsure if she could ever pretend that Calum didn't exist - he was too brilliant to ever ignore. But still, she'd try. "Pretending they don't exist could work." She nodded. "Perhaps they'd lay off a little bit." She suggested with a small smile, ignoring the hurt she felt through her chest. Pushing her goblet away, Isadora stood to her feet, but seeing Ashton was no longer in pain, Isadora blinked in surprise. "How on Earth did that happen?" She approached Ashton, studying him closely. "Nobody used episkey." She studied him again, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Maybe one of the teachers noticed?" She suggested to Elise, shrugging her shoulders as she neatened her blue and black tie. Picking up her wand, Isadora tucked it into her knee high socks. "Come on, otherwise we'll be late." She grinned though, shaking her head. "I'm just glad we don't have to haul Ashton up the stairs."

Ashton looked to his friends with a grin, just happy to have the use of his ankle back. "Whoever did it, I'm grateful." And, Merlin, he meant it. Hearing Michael's words though, Ashton shook his head. "No, I didn't..." And when Isadora suggested a teacher, perhaps, had done it, Ashton considered that the idea wasn't too wild. But as his thoughts drifted back to the night before, the ink stain on his shirt that had disappeared all together, Ashton couldn't help but wonder if Honoria had cast the charm before leaving the Great Hall. Heart swelling with hope, Ashton smiled, grabbing his wand, placing it behind his ear. "At least I can walk." He sighed happily, making a mental note to try and speak to Honoria later on about the possibility of his thoughts. But hearing Isadora, Ashton pouted. "Oi!" But still, the Hufflepuff slung his arms around Isadora's and Elise's shoulders happily. "Come on, Divination awaits!" And even with the events of the morning, Ashton couldn't help but feel his heart lift with the possibility that it was Honoria who had helped, because it meant there was good inside of her, the good Ashton was so sure of, and that meant so much to him, he would never be able to describe it verbally.

Nerissa smiled when she felt Michael's arm wrapped around her, and she snuggled further in to his embrace. Hearing Michael's debate about her laughing at him, though, Nerissa giggled, biting her lip as she looked up to the handsome Gryffindor. "Oh, you're fine, Michael." She teased, resting her head against his shoulder once more - she was sure anyone looking would of assumed they were a couple, but Nerissa wouldn't mind. In fact, she'd consider it the highest honour. When Michael became protective, Nerissa smile. "I'll be just fine. If they won't play nicely, neither will we. We can tell McGonagall it was self defence." She stayed quiet though, but watching Ashton, Nerissa raised her eyebrows with a grin, listening to the others preparing to leave. Standing up, Nerissa tucked her wand into her socks, chuckling. "I can't believe that Ashton's ankle is better." She grinned, waiting for the others to catch up, before saying goodbye to Harry, Ron and Hermione and leaving the Great Hall with her dearest friends.

Noah stood at the top of the Divination Tower as they waited for Trelawny to open the door, and fixing his Ravenclaw tie with pride, Noah looked to Felix, not caring that Calum Hood and Luke Hemmings had joined them. "Do you think I should ask out Elise Weasley?"

Honoria offered a mildly amused look, because, while she wouldn’t admit it, the twins’ antics amused her on occasion. Shifting, she leaned against the wall as she watched them. “What would be the fun in that?” she asked easily in response, arching a brow. Folding her arms over her chest, she tried to let herself be as casual as possible, because she knew the fact that a Slytherin was talking to the two prankster Gryffindors would attract attention easily - she didn’t want to make it worse by appearing like a bully or something. “I’m going to need one of your nifty little hex items,” she chimed out easily, figuring it would make things easier. “Preferably something that affects appearance.” After all, she knew how proud Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings were, how prim and proper they tended to be, and how much they cared about appearance in general. What better way to get back at them than to hex them? Hearing George’s question, though, she settled her gaze on him. “Come now, would I really be so daft as to come to you two for something to hex your sister and her friends with? No. I’ve got something better in mind, gotta get back at two pompous adults somehow,” she drawled out easily before leaning forward, “I’ll even pay extra for whatever you give me.”

George made a slight face as he straightened, shaking his head with the fact that they’d been caught. Perhaps they should have been a little more discreet, though he did wonder what exactly gave them away. “I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised, eh, Fred? Slytherins tend to ruin all the fun,” he chimed jokingly, grinning slightly at his brother before he peered over at Honoria. “Whatever the favor is, I feel like it’s going to include us selling our souls to the Devil - imagine!” Laughing, he slipped his hands into his pockets, though he blinked when Honoria explained what she wanted and, despite his cheerful exterior, he frowned suddenly. “Why on Earth would we do that when you could use it on our sister and her friends? You lot tend to enjoy harassing them, why would we make it easier for you?” And, he scoffed to himself with the thought, certain that the accusation would be correct, but he paused when Honoria responded to his words. “Oh? Pompous adults?” he asked, wondering why Honoria would want to ‘get back at’ them - and he wondered if she was talking about Luke’s parents, but that didn’t explain why she’d want to get back at them at all. “Well, what do you say, Fred?” he asked eventually, peering at his brother, “Are we convinced?”

Felix leaned against the wall as he listened to Noah speak, though he offered a small grin, not bothering to acknowledge the Slytherin bullies. “If you do, I’ll ask Isadora,” he decided easily, folding his arms across his chest. “I even sit with them in this class, I could always subtly bring it up, see how they both feel about the idea?” He arched a brow. “Perhaps we could even have a double date, if they’re interested.”

Calum didn’t really want to admit that Luke was right, even when he knew that his friend was. But, what else could they do? As much as he wanted to make things right - as much as he knew his friends did, too, - there was so much that could go wrong because of it all, because of the love he held for Isadora, because of the love his friends held for the others. Chewing on his lip with the thought of Isadora, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Sometimes, I wish I could get rid of these feelings, you know?” he muttered quietly, “It’d be safer that way, ultimately. Safer for her, safer for me… But, then I look at her and I can’t stand the thought of losing everything I feel for her, because everything I feel for her is real.” He chewed on his lip as they walked but settled his attention ahead, silencing himself as they got closer to the Divination Tower, noticing Felix and Noah there. Snorting, he rolled his eyes, because he was never a big fan of either of them. As they drew closer, though, he heard the pair talking and he felt his blood run cold when he heard Felix talking about asking out Isadora, his fists clenchings in his pockets. Immediately, though, red hot jealousy pulsed through his veins and his jaw clenched and he wondered if there was a way he could prevent Felix from asking Isadora on a date. But, surely Isadora wouldn’t actually agree, would she?

Elise offered a small nod to Isadora’s agreement, though she wasn’t really sure that she could fully pretend that Luke didn’t exist, even if it was her idea. The very thought of it made her heart ache, but she tried not to think about it. “Perhaps,” she murmured quietly, “I guess the only way to find out is to give it a try.” Shrugging slightly, she settled her focus on Ashton, trying to wrap her head around what had happened. “Maybe Isadora’s right, maybe it was just a teacher.” She shrugged slightly but offered a smile to Ashton. “I’m glad you’re all healed up, though.” And, as they began walking, she gave a noise of surprise when Ashton slung his arms around them, and she laughed. “Right, Divination.” She grinned at her friends, shaking her head slightly, though she tried not to think about the fact that they shared this class with the Slytherins as well - the thought of being in a closer vicinity to Luke than they had been in the Great Hall made her stomach flip a few times, nervous with what could happen. “There’s no way we’d make it up the stairs to Divination if we had to carry you, Ashton,” she teased with a laugh as they exited the Great Hall.

Michael grinned down at Nerissa, his heart swelling with the fact that she had snuggled into his embrace, and he chewed on his lip as he held her closer to himself, never wanting to really let her go. When he heard her giggle, when he saw her look up at him, he swore his heart picked up speed, but he didn’t mind at all - Nerissa amazed him in every way and he never wanted to ignore how she made him feel. “Perhaps I should pretend my funny bone is killing me, get some sympathy from you,” he joked lightly, though when he felt her rest her head against his shoulder again, he swore everything in him ignited with happiness, because it just felt so right to have Nerissa there in his arms. She made him happier than he thought possible, and he wished he could tell her, wished that she knew, but he worried that she wouldn’t feel the same, and he didn’t want to ruin the friendship between them, ever. She was too important to him and, if he couldn’t have her in his life as his, then he could at least have her in his life as his friend. At least he could have her in his life in general and he wanted her in his life, needed her there. But, he grinned with her words and nodded. “Exactly. Perhaps we’ll even earn House points that way,” he joked lightly as he stood up to follow after her, offering his hand out to her once more. “It’s best that it’s better - means we don’t have to feel bad for him,” he joked, grinning back at Ashton as they walked.

Fred laughed with George's words. "Blimey, George, imagine selling our souls to this one and her two cronies. We'd be dead within the week, they'd suck out all the fun! Like little Dementors." Fred crossed his arms over his chest as he listened intently to Honoria, his smile soon falling when he heard Honoria's explanation. "And why would we be so stupid to give you something you could use on Elise and her friends?" Fred didn't often admit it, but he was protective of his sister, despite knowing she could hold her own perfectly fine. "You and your idiot friends seem to be keen on ruining their fun, so why should we indulge your fun?" He paused though, when Honoria began to defend her actions, and he raised his eyebrows, looking to George. "Well, Honoria, what pompous adults do you speak of?" Fred grinned, his whole stance relaxed now. "I'm half convinced. If you're on about those spiteful Hemmings, who, you know, made a fool of our sister this morning, why would you be getting back at them?" He arched an eyebrow. Looking to George once more though, Fred smirked. "We have a wide range of appearance altering items, but may we suggest Sugar Hexes? Sweet, but deadly." Fred winked.

Noah nodded in agreement to Felix's words. "Sounds good." Noah grinned, holding an undertone of cocky, leaning against the wall by the door, arms folded across his chest in a stance that screamed confidence. "I mean, two of the most beautiful girls in school, imagine calling them ours." Noah adjusted his text book in his arms as Trelawny opened the door. "Double date sounds good though," he nodded. "Hogsmeade?"

Luke followed Calum up the stairs of the Divination Tower, his head ducked slightly with the thought that watching from afar was all he could do for now. He knew it was, ultimately, what was best for himself and for Elise, but he hated the fact that he couldn't be his own person, the person who he'd been hiding underneath his bratty and cruel exterior, the person who didn't care about silly House rivalries or bloodlines, the person who craved to be part of Elise's inner circle, to make her laugh, smile, love him in return, the way he loved her. Adjusting his text book in his arms with that thought, Luke nodded with Calum's words. "I know exactly how you feel." Luke reassured. "Elise just... makes me so incredibly happy, Calum. I've loved her for so long, that love is a part of me now." Luke admitted, but forced himself to be silent when they reached the top of the stairs, scoffing slightly as he saw Noah and Felix, shaking his head as he stood with Calum, listening carefully to the conversation the two were having - and when Elise was mentioned, Luke felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, and he felt his heart slow to an almost complete stop. Luke knew this emotion, he felt it whenever someone gave Elise a second glance. "For someone to say yes to you two, they'd have to be completely stupid." Luke muttered.

Isadora shifted anxiously as she waited for her friends, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she anticipated seeing the Hemmings' again, although she silently prayed they didn't run into each other once more. Looking down at her wrapped hand with the thought, Isadora refocused her attention on the conversation, and nodded as Elise went with her theory that a teacher had fixed Ashton's ankle. Well, it was better than going to the Hospital Wing and having to drink some ghastly potion that healed bones. "I'm glad too, Ash, hauling you up those stairs would of been a nightmare." She leaned into Ashton's hold with a grin, reaching to rough up his hair with a grin, but once the humour of the situation had evaporated, Isadora was left, once more, thinking about Calum. Seeing him in Divination was going to be difficult, especially after everything that had happened that morning, but Isadora was determined not to back down now, there was no point. Pulling away from Ashton to walk ahead, Isadora paused as she saw Fred and George Weasley speaking to Honoria Quincy. Looking to Elise, Isadora silently tilted her head to the trio. "Look."

"Oi," Ashton debated Elise with a laugh. "I'm not that heavy, Elise! You could just Wingardium Leviosa and levitate me up those stairs, seeing as you and Isadora are too rude to bother helping a friend in need." Ashton teased, squeezing Elise gently and pulling her closer, adoring his friends more than life itself at times. Leading the group to the Divination Tower, Ashton allowed Isadora to go first, and he raised an eyebrow to Elise, seeing that she wasn't concentrating fully, either, and in that moment, Ashton decided, girls were weird. Seeing Isadora pause though, Ashton frowned, letting go of Elise to quicken his pace, and he blinked in surprise when he saw the Weasley twins speaking with Honoria, and he wondered just what they were up to. "Fred, George, what's going on here then?" He asked with amusement, arching an eyebrow as Fred offered him a pastille. "I'm not stupid, mate, thanks." He chuckled, but his gaze so easily fell to Honoria, and he offered her a sort of half smile, wanting to reassure her that what happened this morning, despite the fact she didn't step in and help, wasn't her fault, and just seeing her this close was almost intoxicating. "If Umbridge caught you now..." Ashton looked to his older friends, shaking his head in amusement.

Nerissa never truly felt more at home than she did when she was in Michael's arms, and when he held her close, Nerissa knew she was the luckiest person at this school, because she was the one who got to hold Michael Clifford, even if, for now, it was stricty platonic. When Michael joked about faking his injury though, Nerissa laughed, shaking her head. "Of course you would," she teased in return. "But I don't think that's wise. Someone might send you to Madame Pomfrey, and you'd have to drink that god awful skelegrow." Nerissa pulled a face. "Colin told me it tastes like stale broccoli, not the nicest stuff. I couldn't let you go through that." She teased, although when Michael offered her his hand, Nerissa took it without hesitation, interlocking their fingers. "Oi, then you get no sympathy either, Clifford!" She laughed, following the others closely to the Divination Tower, but trailing behind a little bit with Michael - she didn't have a favourite friend, but Michael's presence was something Nerissa wanted to make the most of.

George chuckled along with Fred’s words. “Quite right you are, Fred! They’re very similar to Dementors! You even get the chill in their presence!” he announced a little proudly, grinning as he patted Fred’s shoulder before settling his gaze back on Honoria, listening quietly to her explanation as he folded his arms across his chest. Needless to say, he was curious about why exactly Honoria was going after the Hemmings’ and, as he listened to her give a flippant answer, he wondered if there was more to it - and, with the thought, he couldn’t help but to grow all the more curious. “Well, in that case, we might just give in, so long as we get to see the end result,” he said with a small smirk, though, seeing his sister and the others come out, he abruptly turned his back fully to them, trying to seem as casual as possible, because he knew that him and Fred associating with one of the Slytherins that often bullied the group would certainly raise some brows. “Oh, it’s nothing important, Ashton, best be on your way, mate,” he said, making a face when Ashton joined them, patting his shoulder and lightly pushing him in the direction of his class. “Let the adults talk.” He grinned teasingly, though he shrugged. “Who bloody cares about Umbridge?”

Honoria listened to Fred and George joke around patiently, though she could admit she was fairly amused. Fred and George were definitely an amusing pair and, while she wouldn’t admit it aloud, she knew that she and her friends occasionally talked about it amongst themselves. “Actually, I am talking about the Hemmings’,” she said easily, taking their joking in stride, not at all offended with them calling her and her friends Dementors - they’d been called worse, after all. “And, simply because they went too far. We may be cruel with our words, but causing physical pain? I can’t just let that slide.” Especially when Ashton had gotten hurt. Hearing Fred’s suggestion, though, she grinned slightly. “Sugar Hexes sound good. Got anything for boils?” She arched a brow, but paused, her expression falling when Ashton came over and she quickly shifted to stand up straight, watching him for a moment, but she didn’t say anything to him, not even when he smiled at her, despite the way it made her pulse rush. Looking back to the twins, she frowned, a little more rushed now. “So, how much is it gonna cost me?”

Elise laughed quietly as she listened to Isadora and Ashton and rolled her eyes playfully at her friends. “Well, now that you say that, how about you go hurt your ankle again and we can talk about it?” she teased lightly, though she sincerely hoped that Ashton wouldn’t get hurt again. Feeling Ashton squeezing around her, she grinned up at him, but settled her gaze ahead as she thought quietly, trying not to think about Luke, but her thoughts continued to trail back to him, no matter how much she tried not to. She paused, though, upon hearing Isadora. “Huh? What is it?” she asked quietly, watching Ashton quicken his pace before she moved over to stand next to Isadora, though her brows furrowed when she saw her brothers with Honoria, and she could feel a frown settling on her features. “What are they up to?” she asked quietly, looking at Isadora with curiosity, arching a brow, because she couldn’t think of a reason her brothers would associate with Honoria - and, beyond that, it was rare to see Honoria without Luke and Calum at her side. It spelled trouble in all senses of the word.

Michael grinned down at Nerissa, loving how easily he could enjoy having her there with him, how comfortable she seemed to be there. And, hearing her laugh, it made his heart swell in all the best ways and he wondered if he’d ever be lucky enough to call her his so that he could enjoy that laughter as much as possible, in a way he wouldn’t have to keep hidden behind teasing and joking. “Oh, gross, you have a good point there,” he joked, making a slight face as he shook his head. “Good thing I have you here to talk some sense into me, eh?” He grinned with the mention of it, admittedly loving the fact that she was there to remind him of even the smallest things. It made everything all the better, because she looked out for him, even with simple things like this. “What would I do without you, hm?” he teased, squeezing her hand once she interlocked their fingers, being gentle with her, but loving the contact, loving having her there, loving that, even if she wasn’t his in all the ways he wanted, she was still his in ways that still mattered. “Oi, really? No sympathy at all?” Gaping, he placed a hand to his chest in mock pain. “Nerissa, you wound me!”

Felix grinned slightly with Noah’s suggestion and nodded slightly. “Hogsmeade sounds good,” he decided easily, “Maybe this weekend?” He grinned slightly with the thought, hoping that things would go well, that Isadora would agree to the idea. “Now it’s just a matter of asking them. If Isadora says yes, I’ll definitely consider myself the luckiest guy around.” But, hearing Calum and Luke, he peered over but snorted quietly. “My, don’t you two sound jealous,” he drawled out easily, “Being a bit obvious there, aren’t you, Calum?” But, smirking, he pushed off the wall and entered Professor Trelawney’s classroom to take his seat where his, Isadora, and Elise’s table was.

Calum could feel his jaw clenching as he listened to Felix and Noah talking, a scowl soon forming on his features, because they couldn’t really be serious, could they? “You’d taint anybody you touched,” he drawled out, glaring over at Felix for a moment, “And anybody can see through your nice guy act. You getting Isadora to agree to be with you would never happen.” His fists clenched, though, as he listened to Felix, and he wondered whether he really was obvious. But, if he was, Isadora would have noticed by now, she would have already realized the truth, and he didn’t want to give in and believe the asshole. “How about you run off to your Mum and cry to her after Isadora turns you down?” he suggested easily, “Maybe you can spend the rest of term at home, then, and save the rest of us the trouble of having to look at you and listen to your disgusting voice.” He could still feel the anger, the jealousy rushing through him in a way he wasn’t really used to, but he didn’t want to give Felix the satisfaction and he tried not to be too obvious about his emotions. Instead, he eventually moved to make his way into Divination, taking his seat with frustration.