* Harry Potter; Mauraders' Era; lunch (next muggle studies);

[Mmm Bop]

Gilderoy sat and waited on a bench in the courtyard patiently as Dempsy introduced him to the first years. 'Dempsy is well prepared,' he thought as Dempsy highlighted his achievements since his first year at Hogwarts. Who could forget the award for best smile in Hufflepuff first years, the hair brushing contest he had thought up in his second year, award for most poise while being chased by a swarm of enraged doxies in his third year, and having the most dedicated fan club in all of Hogwarts in his fourth? Things were definitely looking up for Gilderoy. A day dreamy look enveloped his face as he thought about the numerous things he would do this year. He would definitely have that fashion show he had over heard his fan club talking about in the carriage. And a calendar full of him didn’t sound like a bad idea either. He could already see his eager fans rushing for autographs on their birth month. So many people so please, so little time and he was looking forward to ever minute of it. Gilderoy was so caught up in day dream that he hadn’t notice that Dempsy had finished speaking and was now addressing him.

“Um . . . Mr. Lockhart. Mr. Lockhart, would you like a word now? Mr. Lockhart?” Dempsy lightly tapped Gilderoy on his shoulder and brought him out of his reverie. A tinge of pink colored Gilderoy’s cheeks as he looked from Dempsy to the waiting first years. “Yes, yes of course I would like a word,” he began, nervously raking his fingers through his hair. “But only if they would love to hear me.” Gilderoy slowly stood as many of the first years nodded in anticipation. “Well, than I shall say a few words. As many of you know, I am Gilderoy Lockhart, a 5th year here at Hogwarts. I enjoy moonlit walks, treacle tarts, charms, and the color lilac. I am here to make sure that your time here at Hogwarts is enjoyable and that you perform to the best of your ability. Hufflepuff may not be known for knowledge like Ravenclaw, bravery like Gryffindor, or cunning like Slytherin, but we can still hold our own. And be proud to be a Hufflepuff. Some call us soft at heart but in truth real strength does no lie in the physical alone. Our hearts and noble natures are stronger and more powerful than anything the other houses have. So always hold your heads high, you are a Hufflepuff, and they simply do not understand.” Gilderoy pumped his arm slightly at the end of his speech, hoping to instill a sense of pride and power into the first years. “And with that said, it’s probably time for you all to head to the dormitories. I’m afraid I’ve kept you out here much longer than I should have.”

“It’s alright Mr. Lockhart, this was well worth it!” a small voice chirped from the back. Many of the other first years soon cheered in agreement.

“Ah, well, thank you all for that. I will see you all periodically on the school ground, and never be afraid to come to me if you have a problem,” Gilderoy started, bowing deeply toward his audience. As he turned to face Dempsy to make sure the first years made it to their common room okay, he saw that Dempsy was speaking with another lad from Hufflepuff. “Dempsy, would you be so kind as to make sure these first years get back to the common room in one piece?”

“Mr. Lockhart, we still have to meet with Professor Sprout. So I’ve asked the Vice President to escort them,” Dempsy said, gesturing towards the other boy.

“Very good Mr. President!” Gilderoy exclaimed while grasping Dempsy’s shoulders. “You are very much on top of things. And it’s nice to meet you Mr. Vice President. We will probably get a chance to chat later.” Gilderoy turned to give the first years one last wave and smile. “Lead the way Dempsy!” Dempsy headed toward the greenhouses with Gilderoy close behind.  

[Le Papillon Pleurant]

"Speaking of stories, did you see my latest edition?"

"'Fraid not. Let me have a look," she requested, extending her hand and taking the paper as she walked alongside of Rita and skimmed through it. Her eyes went a bit wide, then turned almost fearful, and then suddenly turned neutral again. "Just made them on the train? Have you had actual interviews for these, Rita?"

A part of Hestia almost sympathized with the people in the articles. She was vaguely sure that not everything could be as extravagant as Rita had portrayed it to be in the paper. Then again, she couldn't necessarily bring herself to believe some of it wasn't based off fact. What newspaper didn't have fabricated stories these days, anyway?  

[comfylove]

Remus was confused about what Sirius had said and what he meant, but he figured he'd just push it out of his mind. It probably wasn't the right time. He couldn't help but smile to himself to see how Sirius had gotten, even though he did not make any connections as to why he was acting like that. Reaching over to Sirius, he clapped him on his arm and grinned widely. "Well, it must be different hugging a friend and hugging your horrid mother." He sat there, looking at Sirius' hand on his knee as he tried not to show too much how much he was enjoying this moment that they had alone. He didn't want Sirius to notice any changes in his feelings -- he wouldn't know what to do if he had. "Hey, Sirius. Sorry about dinner. I suppose I sort of kicked you under the table."  

[Ky Jelly]

"Just made them on the train? Have you had actual interviews for these, Rita?"

"Interviews? Hmm . . . that could make a good follow up. People might want to know how things have progressed." Rita pulled a quill and notepad from her robes and jotted that down, then turned back to Hestia. " I didn't get to talk with them literally, but I was present when they talked about things mentioned in the article. And if a fellow student is or may be in trouble, I feel the student body has a right to know."

(( ooc: turns into a bug to spy on remus and sirius xd ))  

[Freak Show Excess]

Sirius cracked a grin for the first time in what felt like days and nodded in agreement. It was true; his mother only ever hugged him out of obligation or to facetiously dote over him in public, and they had been the kind of ghost-hugs that made you feel as if the person hugging you was loathe to touch you.

"Hey, Sirius. Sorry about dinner. I suppose I sort of kicked you under the table."

Sirius' face fell at this outburst from Remus. He tried to look passive and nonchalant, but it felt as if a bucket of icewater had been poured on him. So Remus hadn't been playing footsies with him? He supposed that Remus was bringing it up now, letting him know that he wasn't interested in him, because, Sirius mused, he had been a little clingy. "Oh... is that what you were doing?" He trailed off, failing to keep the disappointment out of his voice; he had so hoped that Remus had felt the same way towards him.  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"Severus, I was just thinking. Maybe you could talk to her for me. You seem much more patient than myself, and we all know that patience is key in this situation."

Severus pursed his lips, pausing a moment to consider the situation. It would be no picnic trying to coerce Bellatrix into believing Sirius to be a "filthy blood-traitor;" indeed, it could be folly to accept her proposition. On the other hand, it was never a bad thing to get good marks in with a member of the Black family, especially if he could sway Bellatrix's opinion entirely. He thought a moment longer, and then answered slowly, "I suppose I could try speaking with her. I will not try and force her to do something she does not, will not, want to do, however. I will merely point out her flawed logic and try to aid her into seeing Sirius for what he truly is."

He looked away, mulling over what he could possibly say to Bellatrix. He furrowed his brow, he wondered what he had gotten himself into. He hoped that he would be able to ease things between the two sisters, even if that meant sacrificing Bellatrix's and Sirius' ties to each other.

His mind again turned to Lucius. His absence for so long was indeed beginning to become suspicious. He knew that Lucius' father had dabbled in the Dark Arts, and he wondered if Lucius had begun to do the same. "I rode to the castle with him, Crabbe, and Goyle in the carriage; after that, we parted ways, and I haven't seen him since. Crabbe and Goyle are also missing, come to think of it..."  

[Mistril]

"I suppose I could try speaking with her. I will not try and force her to do something she does not, will not, want to do, however. I will merely point out her flawed logic and try to aid her into seeing Sirius for what he truly is."

Narcissa couldn't stop herself from smiling at this news. He was saving her a lot of trouble, so how could she not smile. "Of course, of course. I never would expect you to force her into something. Besides, even though she is being stupid at the moment, she is still my sister and we can't have her being pushed around." So as to not sound too concerned about her sister, Narcissa quickly added, "Mother would kill me if I let people push her around."

"I rode to the castle with him, Crabbe, and Goyle in the carriage; after that, we parted ways, and I haven't seen him since. Crabbe and Goyle are also missing, come to think of it..."

The news that he had, indeed, taken a carriage to the school made Narcissa a little bit happier. 'Well, at least I know that he made it here,' she thought to herself. "How unusual. Hopefully he is alright. Though, I suppose I shouldn't worry about him too much. He is Lucius, afterall. And the fact that Crabbe and Goyle are missing doesn't surprise me in the least. They are either with Lucius or in the kitchens when they are missing, so we needn't worry about them." Narcissa snickered at the thought of the two lards eating themselves stupid while left unattended and surrounded by food.  

[Mmm Bop]

Gilderoy sighed, "Man Dempsy, that meeting was really long. Who knew Professor Sprout would talk that much. That was insane!" He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs that had manifested themselves since the meeting. "Atleast we've got the go ahead to continue with the rest of the year as planned. Is there anything else I have scheduled?" Dempsy just shook his head, making Gilderoy smile. "Does that mean we have time to stop through the gallery? I'd love to walk by those portraits of the picnicers again. They say the most delightful things." Dempsy nodded and changed direction toward the second floor, Gilderoy practically bouncing on his heels.  

[comfylove]

Remus didn't understand why Sirius had looked so sad. He wasn't interested in Remus like Remus was in Sirius after all -- he couldn't be. Remus just wasn't that lucky. At Sirius' question, he couldn't help blushing a bit. He was a rather shy boy and just wasn't used to liking someone else so close to him, much less a boy who was his best friend. He was afraid if he said the wrong thing, Sirius would leave screaming, and Remus would be alone again like he was before he met him. "Well, the first time, yes.." He figured that'd be good enough. It wasn't obvious, but Sirius could put one and two together to determine just what Remus was saying.  

[Freak Show Excess]

"Well, the first time, yes.."

Sirius felt a lurch of hope in his stomach at this sentence. So the other times might just have meant something.... He wondered what the response would be if he did ask about the other times. He cleared his throat awkwardly, deciding that he might die from the anxiety of not knowing if he didn't ask. "So... what about the times after that...?" He asked, blushing ever so lightly. He noticed that his hand was still resting lightly on Remus' thigh, and Remus' hand was still on his shoulder. He felt an electric thrill run through him at the realisation of their proximity. He looked up at Remus and realised that it would be very easy to kiss him right now. At the moment, it felt like a logical thing to do. He couldn't stop himself from staring at Remus' lips as he waited for his reply.  

[comfylove]

If Remus was in any state of mind where his brain was not frozen, he probably would have moved his hand from Sirius' shoulder as it probably seemed really awkward and he was invading his personal bubble. However, Remus could not bring himself to do that for he had never known anything to feel so good beneath his fingertips. It was entrancing and enthralling and Remus had to remind himself that now was probably not the best time to pounce on Sirius and show him just what he meant when he played footsies with him under the table.

"Well..." Remus wasn't too sure how to word it. In fact, he didn't have a clue. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and he didn't want to get Sirius upset again. Just as he was about to let it all out as to what he meant by the times after that, something seemed to jolt inside Remus' head and a smirk spread across his lips. "Well, what were you doing at dinner? Just kicking me back because you thought I was being a prat or what?" Yes, he was sure he had Sirius now.  

[Freak Show Excess]

"Well, what were you doing at dinner? Just kicking me back because you thought I was being a prat or what?"

Sirius looked up, startled. He cast around in his mind, trying to think of something to say. What should he say? He was almost certain now that Remus must feel the same way as he. He thought about his answer for awhile, trying to decide whether he should play it off or just admit his feelings.

Finally, after a very pregnant pause, he realized he had allowed the silence to stretch on for too long. He looked at Remus, steeling himself for any adverse reactions, and leaned forward, kissing Remus squarely on the mouth. He pulled away quickly, his face burning. "That's what I meant...."  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"How unusual. Hopefully he is alright. Though, I suppose I shouldn't worry about him too much. He is Lucius, afterall. And the fact that Crabbe and Goyle are missing doesn't surprise me in the least. They are either with Lucius or in the kitchens when they are missing, so we needn't worry about them."

Severus snorted. "Indeed. I wouldn't be suprised if Crabbe and Goyle tagged along behind Lucius as always. It seems they don't have half a brain between the two. But yes, I think I will depart and debate upon what I shall say to your sister. It may take a bit of cunning and quite a bit of tact to get her to think she changed her opinions herself." His mouth twisted sardonically. "I bid you good evening, and I will report back to you once I have spoken to Bellatrix."

He got up from the table, nodding again to Narcissa and taking his book with him. On the way back to his dormatory, his mind was filled with doubt on whether he would be able to convice Bellatrix, or if he would only make matters worse. Reaching the dormatory, he entered it and set his book back in his trunk. He pulled on a nightshirt and, thoughts weighing heavy on his mind, climbed into bed, calling it an early night. He had a few challenging classes tomorrow, and it never did well to go to the first day of class tired and unfocussed.  

[Tendara]

Ignoring the huge pile of homework, tossed carelessly on the table, Fabian watched the shrivels of paper burn. "Okay." He told himself. "This is my THIRD year. I'm not going to waste it." Leaving his homework, he decided to go find some adventure, since clearly none was coming to him. He glanced at his watch. It was getting late. "Excellent." He thought. "Even more trouble to be had at night."  

[Mistril]

"Indeed. I wouldn't be suprised if Crabbe and Goyle tagged along behind Lucius as always. It seems they don't have half a brain between the two."

Narcissa smirked at this, because it was true. How Lucius was able to keep them around 24/7 was a mystery to her.

"But yes, I think I will depart and debate upon what I shall say to your sister. It may take a bit of cunning and quite a bit of tact to get her to think she changed her opinions herself. I bid you good evening, and I will report back to you once I have spoken to Bellatrix."

"Indeed it will. If you think that you may need assistance please feel free to ask. However, I am quite sure you can figure this out on your own." Narcissa smiled at him once he stood to leave. "Good evening, Severus." She watched him walk away, wondering if he really could change her sister's mind.

After he was gone, Narcissa noticed how many people were in the common room, none of which she particularly cared for. She stood as she saw her new 1st year sla-- secretary with her back to Narcissa. She quickly walked to her room, deciding to turn in early herself.