+ There should be no doubt

[Emeric Troy III]

Brooding.

It seemed to be all the fifth year could do these days. ' Watch yourself, Emeric. ' was what his father had said last week during their discussion. Lest you fall and royally screw up - was what he really meant. The Slytherin lad didn't like the sound of it at all... having to watch his every movement to make sure he didn't misstep and end up messing things up for his dad.

He loathed him, even. The fact that he had come to Hogwarts, Em's only haven away from anything and everything Evan Troy, was awful. Soon after the boy had seen his father in the castle he sent a letter to his mother, wanting to know how long this had been planned. Not long, had been the reply. Which was decent, at least his father hadn't been planning it all along now. The new lack of a Transfiguration professor allowed for the perfect opening. Despite the fact that he was against it all, he had to admit it was perfect. Only his father would be able to pull it off. Ingenious, really.

He tried not to think about it as he walked around the perimeter of the lake. He made sure to keep two or three feet away from the edge and kept tossing looks over his shoulder, thinking someone would try to be funny and push him in. That would of course only decrease his already low mood. Em picked up a rock and tossed it in the lake, watching the water ripple back towards him.

Hearing footsteps he quickly turned, ready to get out of the way if necessary should the person try something funny.

[ OPEN ]

[mcnutt]

Charms was undeniably his worst subject at the time being. The boy'd hit a slump and there was nothing getting him out of it. While he had allotted himself a bit more time during the week to spend with Abigail, nothing much had changed in his schedule. he still woke up an hour or so before classes begun, had all three meals in the Great Hall, spent time in the library (quite a bit of it amusing himself with studying with Abigail when the opportunity presented itself), watered and spoke often with his plants. But where had he lost time to focus on one of his favorite classes?

Had time really slipped from him so far that he couldn't focus on balancing everything, especially when it came to adding one of the most beautiful girls he knew into the mix? There had never been trouble with such time management before, so why now? And the worst of it was they were only a couple of months into the semester. This was not the time to screw around, not when O.W.L.s were at the end of the following term.

Unfortunately, there was one thing standing between him and a good mark in class at this very moment. Dustan hadn't the faintest clue what had been assigned for work due in the next lesson. While he could easily reach Abigail and inquire, he didn't want to look like someone incapable of paying attention in class, especially when he'd allowed his focus to stray more as of late.

Setting his books aside, the Prefect once more searched through his useless bag, not finding the sheet he had written so many things on during that particular lesson, one of those things pertaining to the homework. The rest of the notes... well, they were for show to the lovely girl who sat beside him, but had nothing to do with the class itself.

Running a hand through his hair, Dustan closed his eyes, waiting for the phase of frustration to pass by, knowing he needed to find that paper, or someone else who had that same class. Unfortunately, the only ones he knew were a gaggle of girls he wasn't about to confront and question, especially when he stuttered so badly in front of one, he wasn't about to in front of all of them. Only Merlin knew what he would sound like, a gasping vacuum combined with a wheezing leaf blower.

Taking a chance, Dustan looked up, only to spot, not only a year mate, but a house mate of his walking by. The boy wasn't one of those Dustan usually talked with much, only passing words, but wasn't this much of the same?

Standing, the Slytherin caught a quick pace to try and catch up with the guy walking a mile a minute, or... well, it seemed like something was wrong with him and if he wasn't in the mood to talk (hopefully he would be or Dustan wouldn't get the assignment) he could always use the excuse that he was trying to be a good Prefect. A few laughs wouldn't kill Dustan's pride.

"Hey! Emeric?" Dustan called out, suddenly unsure if he even had the correct name. Blast him for not having that damn sheet of paper with the assignment written on it. He only needed it for one reason and one reason alone.

It all came down to wanting to impress the girl.

[Emeric Troy III]

' Hey! Emeric? '

An umfamiliar voice greeted the youth's ears, not recognizing it at all he scanned the immediate area for whoever was calling out to him. He wasn't sure why someone would want to talk to him. It wasn't like he had many friends lately... or any enemies either. He didn't associate too much with other as of late. Finally, though, he spotted Dustan McNutt, a Slytherin Prefect, walking towards him quickly.

" Erm, yeah? "

He was sure his face held a look of slight confusion, as he had no idea what the guy would want. He wasn't really friends with him and they barely talked in class except in passing... but maybe he needed something.

[mcnutt]

When Emeric... he was sure that was his name... stopped, Dustan tried as quickly as possible to catch up with the guy. he wasn't overly loud, nor was he athletically apt, knowing with the luck that plagued him he'd likely trip and fall into the lake if he took too long or let his focus waver from his target; being closer would be better that way he could talk in his normal volume and keep a better focus on the immediate.

Just seeing his face sent Dustan to wonder if he'd be best off just asking how he was and leaving. The look on his face made Dustan wonder if someone had cast the confusing charm on his house mate; and if they had the kid wouldn't do any good to ask about homework. But maybe if he could find whoever cast the spell, they'd likely know the homework!

"Er..." he started, realizing how time had lapsed after Emeric had answered. "I was wondering if you happened to know what was assigned in charms last lesson?" It was time to fall back on his original reasoning. Heck, he couldn't think of anything else to talk about. As far as the Prefect knew, they didn't really have anything in common other than year and house. "I lost the parchment I wrote it down on... and I'm planning on meeting up with Abigail later to go over assignments, and I wanted to have it done so..."

Why else would he want it done first? So he could spend more time with her without the work involved.

[Emeric Troy III]

Talking with a housemate. He could handle that.

He took in a deep breath and turned to look at the McNutt lad, not knowing what he could want. They didn't talk much but he was attempting to chipper up just a bit in case Dustan wanted something in particular, or needed something from him. He blinked stupidly, trying to remember if they even had a Charms assignment for that evening. He cocked his head to the side, glancing off to the lake, glancing into the depths as he tried to recall that day in charms.

He remembered... nothing in particular. Staring off ouf of the window, that was about it. He tried to recall what it was that had been going on inside of the classroom... And the page number of the book assignment that had been written on the board.

" Page... one seventy three, discussion questions one through seven. I think... Abigail eh? Fancy her? " To his suprise a cheeky grin made its way across his features, giving him a more relaxed look than before. Abigail was... a Gryffindor if he recalled correctly, though he didn't know much about her. She was quiet, he knew that much.

[mcnutt]

Dustan started to think he'd asked the wrong fellow. Maybe he could still catch Snow in his office and ask him directly. Just the thought of asking the girls sent him reeling, and he hated that feeling. But at least another guy, well, he could ask without stuttering over himself. But he wished he'd asked someone who knew. Getting ready to let the guy know it was alright, he stopped, and nodded instead. Page one seventy three, discussion questions one through seven, it sounded right, even to him.

But then Emeric sent him for a loop with his question. Fancying her was putting it lightly. And while he hadn't made any claims, he was sure she knew of his affections, just as he was sure he knew what lengths her affections were for him.

"You could say that," Dustan answered, a wide grin breaking onto his face when he spotted the other boy's. "I do fancy her, she's a sweet girl." In fact, sickeningly sweet, it was like trying to break a sweet tooth free from never-ending sugar. It couldn't be done, and Abigail was that sugar to his tooth. If only he could bring himself to be more assertive around her.