We Change, We Wait

[Connor Manning]

February 21^st - Breakfast

It wasn’t all that uncommon for an unfamiliar looking owl to swoop down onto the Slytherin table in the flurry of the morning mail. It wasn’t uncommon when the bird swooped around the table twice, obviously looking for the person it was supposed to deliver it’s letter to.

Connor sent an annoyed glance up the bird as he guarded his food from the flying creatures above. The one particular small tawny owl looked lost, a little confused, and tired. The sixth year didn’t pay any attention to it, brushing it off as one of the first years owls who had lost its way or its owner. He continued eating his toast while reading the morning paper until the tawny finally landed on his cup, nearly knocking it over in the process. “ OI! “ He yelled at the bird to scare it off, who only stared blankly at him. He grumbled to himself about people sending him things with inferior owls as he took the letter from the owl’s carrier pouch and gave it the last bit of his toast. “ Stupid creatures… “ He mumbled under his breath.

Briefly scanning the letter addressed to him, he didn’t recognize the handwriting at all but could tell from the curly way the person had written his name that it was from a girl, possibly a woman. Wondering who would be writing to him randomly on his birthday, he tore the letter open and began to read.

Dearest Connor,

You don’t really know me, but my name’s Natalie Break. Seventeen years ago to this day, I gave birth to you.

He stopped reading, his stomach flipping in panic and his face flaring a lovely shade of magenta. This woman did what? What? He read, re-read, and triple re-read those two sentences. “ You’ve got to be kidding me… “ He muttered to himself, feeling numb all over. She couldn’t be telling the truth, his mother’s name was Tera, not Natalie. Tera, who was an author and had loved him since she had birthed him, she was his mother. Disbelieving and seething with rage that this imposter woman would try to break up his family, Connor read on.

I know I haven’t been there when you needed me, I never got to see you on your first day at school, never got to see your fly on your first broom or anything that a mother should be able to see her son do. Tera says you’re doing well in school, is this true?

His eyes bulged with anger, and hurt. “ Her name isn’t Tera… she’s my mom. “ He pleaded with himself as he read that section over again. Did this woman honestly think that one letter on his seventeenth birthday would be okay? Did she really think that Connor even wanted her in his life at all? He couldn’t sit still, his hands were shaking, so he jumped up, nearly knocking his breakfast plate over as he did so. He muttered a quick sorry to the person on his left who he had bumped into, and turned on his heel. He didn’t know where to go or if he wanted to keep reading these lies that this woman was telling him. “ My parents names are Tera and Charles.. “ He muttered to himself, among a few other selective curse words in his vocabulary as he left the Great Hall. He looked down to the letter in his hands and crumpled it up in his fist, making it into a ball of paper.

His temper soaring, and his patience lowering, it really wasn’t too much of a good time for him to run into someone. But of course, he bumped into a figure just outside of the Great Hall.

[Celina, love ]

[Celina Jedynak]

Saturday morning.

Just one more week had passed and Celina was just barely caught up with all of the work she had missed when she was sick. Today, Celina had planned everything out accordingly; breakfast, library until lunch, and then she’d go back to the library, finish up everything that was still undone, and then to dinner. That night, she had plans with Alfonz, for he wanted to tell her something. What, she was unsure of, but she was hoping it was just about what was happening when they were to go home for the April break that Hogwarts had usually. It wasn’t a long break or anything, but Celina knew that normally, their father had a springtime function of sorts that both Jedynaks would more than likely have to attend.

As she walked down to the great hall, her bag was open, unable to shut from all of her papers and books again, and there was a bit of a beat to her step. She was going to get everything done, and it would feel incredible as she did so. The smile on her face was small, but it was one she knew that no matter what would last all day. Sighing, she took her free hand that wasn’t resting on her bag, and stuck some locks of her dark hair behind her ear, turning as she thought she heard someone call her name. Celina didn’t stop walking though, and as she though she was entering the great hall, and turned her face forward to see if she really was, someone practically ran her over!

Celina stepped out of the way enough in time for only her bag and arm to be hit, but it was enough of a jolt to lose the bag and it’s contents everywhere and all over the floor. Before even looking up to see who she’d run into accidentally, she was on all fours trying to pick up and reordered her four… or was it five?… subjects. “I…” who’s fault was it? Celina didn’t know, but her mood had just become a bit sourer because of all her work lying on the ground. “Sorry… but, I’m sure you didn’t need to run…” she looked at the person noticing who it was and her face slightly scowled without it meaning to.

Trying to soften her features, Celina looked away and back at the papers. “Sorry, Connor… I didn’t see you….” She said softly, and continued to pick up the contents of her bag.

[Connor Manning]

Connor turned to go into the hallway and found himself running into someone’s bag, knocking it and its contents to the floor. He groaned slightly as in the process of knocking lots of papers to the ground, his crumpled up paper ball of a letter had slipped out of his hands and into the pile. His eyes searched urgently for it, because even though he didn’t know if he wanted to keep reading it, he still wanted it. Just in case he wanted to read it later. Or put a match under it and watch it disappear, he wasn’t the most picky being at that moment in time.

He was too distracted to notice the person he had run into as he crouched down on the ground sifting through papers and trying to find his own crumpled ones.

At first he was a little angry at the person saying it was his fault, but rather than fight it, and the owner of the voice, Connor just nodded his head as he gathered papers together, still searching for his own among the others. “ Yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. “ The voice had yet to register, as he only had one thing in mind right then, to find the paper, help whoever it was he had bumped into get her things, and get out of there.

Finally his hazel eyes came up to meet Celina’s dark brown ones, and widened slightly, dropping the papers he had just picked up, sending them flying once again as he noticed the scowl taking hold of her face. “ Sorry, “ He couldn’t say it enough. He was sorry about running into her, about dropping the papers, and about losing his letter amongst the fallen items out of her backpack. He began picking up the papers that had just slipped out of his hand. “ Have you… Have you seen a paper, crumpled up into a ball? “ He asked in a slightly rushed tone. “ I think I dropped it when I ran into you… “ He was accepting responsibility for it because he didn’t really want to fight about it and thought that it really was his fault.

He was subconsciously grateful to Celina for being there and him running into her, it distracted him from what he should have been thinking about the letter and it's contents, even if he still was looking for it in the cluttered piles. His hand stopped, hesitating over a slightly crumpled piece of paper as his eyes bore down onto the parchment. Finally he reached down, panic rising in him again, he turned the paper over. Transfiguration notes. He sighed, a little disappointed, a little relieved. He smoothed the notes out that had probably gotten wrinkled out in the fall and handed them, along with a small pile of other papers he had gathered, to Celina.

[Celina Jedynak]

She’d been mean to blame it on Connor when Celina had not been watching where she was going either, but taking back what she had said would only make things worse in her opinion, so she bit her tongue. His voice sounded irritated enough as it was and Celina didn’t want to be on the opposite end of another fit between the two of them. Between everything that had happened, on top of showing up to the Valentine’s Dance with Damian Piper, all was just… probably not sitting very well between the two sixth years. Sighing, Celina just continued to pick up her mass of papers and shove them in her bag.

When their eyes finally met, Celina froze a bit because she hadn’t been ready for it. Whatever ‘it’ was. A connection, the fact that just as Connor looked at her, he’d realized something and redropped all of her papers, or just the plain fact that she missed his hazel eyes. How anyone could miss eyes, was beyond the Raven girl, but the softness to them, and yet the edge they held from their irritation… all of it, she’d missed looking into. She looked away, dropping her own eyes from his, because she could also see other things… the replaying of every event that month or so that had played against them in some way or fashion. She just didn’t want to deal with it… not when there was so much work to be done.

Sorry. “No, it’s ok… it was…” Celina hesitated. He was apologizing for running into her, wasn’t he? “I should have zipped up my bag or something.” Though it was obvious she could not have, she wanted to make sure that he knew what exactly she was saying was ok. There could be no confusion. Why did she still like him? Was it an obsessive infatuation with all of her friends? He’d spoken out against something he knew nothing about, and only made her brother wonder and want to know more about her… Connor had done nothing but make life and keeping her own demons at bay harder than it had to be!

Have you… have you seen a paper, crumpled up into a ball? Her thoughts were broken again by his voice, and Celina shook her head. All of her papers by now were crumpled and unorganized… all of which would have to be rewritten to be perfect again. This was going to take her more time than she had anticipated or plotted for… “Sure…” she said softly, and a bit sarcastically. “…take your pick, Connor.” She showed him the pieces of somewhat crumpled parchment in her hands. “You’ve got herbology…. Oh! Here’s some charms papers…” she looked through the rest that she held. “…transfigurations, and history of magic…” her words faded as she knew she wasn’t being nice and she just looked away.

“No. I haven’t seen any of your papers,” she finally just said.

She took the papers he’d helped her gather, and placed them into her bag again. Celina never saw any papers that weren’t hers, for they all looked the same in her mind. Crumpled, disorganized, and above all else, more work that she’d have to redo in order to catch up properly. The floor was somewhat cold, but Celina found that just sitting there to think for a minute was the best and all of what she could do. Not even looking at Connor, she wondered what he was talking about, but almost wondered if it was her place to ask… not to mention, if she even cared.
Problem was… she did care. “What paper was it… maybe I’ll find it when I’m sorting through my work…” she said, still looking at her bag rather than the Slytherin.

[Connor Manning]

Connor cleared his throat, his eyes dropping from the girls and back onto several sheets of paper in front of him, staring hard in concentration and thought. He didn't want to have her look at him like that, he didn't want to need her, to talk to her, or to just be near her. But he did, and in the slow seconds that his gaze caught hers, Connor knew he still wanted all of that. He cursed himself for it, because he shouldn't want to be near her at all. He felt a little like the papers that he had dropped in the sense that just when he started gathering up the pieces of himself, something happened and he dropped them all over again. He sighed, thinking that maybe he just expected too much from it.

He chanced another look at the Ravenclaw girl, wondering silently if he had just gotten it wrong with Celina. It was presumptuous of him to expect to know her, because really, he didn’t.

During the History of Magic lesson where everyone walked out, Connor had just assumed that she would follow them. She didn't, though, proving him wrong about her for the first time of many. The Slytherin had assumed that Celina would agree with what he had done on the night of the takeover anniversary, to remember and not forget. He assumed she would want to do the same and when she hadn’t, he was hurt and a little shaken. He hadn’t expected to find out about what really happened during the Takeover. He wasn’t sure he could handle it, or handle her. So he did what he did best, lashed out against someone close to him. It was stupid, and he knew it.

He assumed that she would go alone to the dance, that maybe he could even see her there to talk. Connor looked down to a couple papers under his feet, trying to hide his anger as he thought about that night. He had assumed that he knew Celina. His reason for thinking that was simple - she knew him. Or rather, he tried to let her. Whether or not she would still want to now was up to her.

' Sure… ' Connor perked up slightly as he looked back at her, although avoiding catching her gaze with his own. ' …take your pick, Connor. ' " What? " His confusion, however, disappeared after Celina continued talking. Her sarcasm struck him hard, and he just stared at her for a few seconds. He wasn't used to this side of his fellow sixth year, sarcastic and slightly mean. He did his best to look aloof and impartial to her comments, only bowing his head slightly, still looking for his letter. He needed to find it, even if it meant dealing with well deserved rudeness coming from Celina. He just wasn't in the mood.

" Okay. " So she hadn't seen his papers... But that didn't mean they weren't there somewhere. He wanted to tell her not to talk to him like that, he didn't need it right now of all times, but he didn't have the energy to get into it with her. Connor grabbed a couple of papers from the ground, smoothing them out with his hand as he looked them over. Notes, just notes. Every paper he looked at he could feel his heart quicken only to slow back down when he realized it wasn't his. Her question caught him off guard, mostly because he had prepared himself for more sarcasm. To not hear it, though, caused him to stop flattening out the papers and look at her for a few seconds. " It's a letter.. from my... My... " What was this woman? A demon from hell? More than likely... Connor shrugged his shoulders, unsure how to go on.

" My uh birth-mom, I guess. Not that it matters all that much either way.. " He muttered these words to her in a slightly rambling manner, letting his bangs fall in front of his eyes on his forehead as he continued to rummage through papers, sorting and organizing them into a neat pile.

[Celina Jedynak]

He hesitated and Celina almost wondered if it was because of what they’d both had been through in the past couple of months. She wouldn’t have blamed him at all for not wanting to tell her what the paper was, for really, it was none of her business. However, she also thought if he didn’t tell her, it would have been foolish, for how would she have found it then? Her eyes only looked up from her bag to look at the dark haired boy and patiently she waited for him to answer. What she heard, though, was the last thing she would have ever expected.

It’s a letter.. from my… My…

Birth mom? Celina’s eyebrow arched slightly and she tilted her head to the side so that she was now looking at him but in a puzzled sort of manner. His mother…. What? To Celina it didn’t make any sense, but then again, she didn’t really enjoy the topic of family much unless it was about siblings… and what did he mean it didn’t matter? Usually, when Celina’s mother sent her a letter it was because something was wrong in the family and she needed to be warned before she found herself stepping into something unknowingly back home.

Connor continued to ruffle and organize her papers and Celina sighed and shook her head. “You… you don’t have to do that. I can organize them myself. I’m sure if it doesn’t matter that much then there’s no need to rush to find it, right?” Celina asked, almost wanting to ask more about what he meant by birth mom and such, but again, knowing that it wasn’t her place. Family business was just that… family business.

Reaching out, she put her hand on Connor’s arm… he really wanted to find that letter, or so it seemed, so Celina handed over her bag to Connor. “Here. Look in here where I put some of the papers and I’ll look through the papers on the floor…” really she just didn’t want him messing up the papers anymore than they already were… at least in the bag, she knew they were somewhat organized.

[Connor Manning]

If Connor could really sum up the situation in several words he would probably choose ‘ this sucks. ‘ The fact that he and Celina weren’t as close as they used to be sucked, and the fact that he didn’t know what to make of any of this news from… whoever, well, it just sucked. His free hand that wasn’t holding a small stack of Celina’s papers reached up to the left side of his lip, and he spun the lip ring around several times, trying not to… well, fall over.

’ You… you don’t have to do that. ‘ He paused, wondering what she meant for a second or so until he caught what she said about her organizing her own papers. “ It’s important. I… “ He trailed off, feeling more and more exasperated by the moment. He didn’t know what to say to her, what to divulge about the letter had he received. Would she care? He wanted her to, almost as much as he wanted the letter, and it’s originator, to just disappear.

He squeezed his eyes closed for half a second as he shrugged his shoulders, feeling the light touch of Celina’s hand on his arm. It sort of calmed him down, enough for him to comprehend what she was saying, open his eyes, nod along slightly, and take her bag as it was handed to him.

“ I think I’m gonna sit, if that’s okay. “ He couldn’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t be okay, so he leaned against the cool wall and sat down on the ground, feeling a little timid about looking through the girl’s bag. His sister had always warned him about that, never to go through a girl’s purse or bag as you mightn’t like what you find. He shrugged the thought off, knowing that Celina had just told him to look through it. Had he thought the instruction through a little more, Connor probably would have realized that it wasn’t very likely for the balled up letter to have landed in Celina’s bag, but at the moment he wasn’t much for thinking things through. “ Today’s my birthday… “ He thought it was kind of random to tell her that little fact, but after a second or so he realized it was important if he was going to inform her about the letter.

[Celina Jedynak]

Connor sat against the wall and took her bag as she handed it over, and yet, Celina still didn’t know what to think. She was shocked at the small information about the letter being from his birth-mom, or rather, she was shocked at the way in which he phrased what she was. So, the letter was from his mother? Ok… Celina tried not to be cynical, even in her thoughts, for she knew that when her mother sent news from home it usually meant something bad had happened, but at the same time, Celina had no reason or right to think their parents were the same. Actually, she believed fully that they were not, otherwise… would he have such muggle knowledge if they were? Or would he have spoken out against her brother as he had? Surely, not.

Connor was nothing like she, and his family was probably nothing like hers. A bit of frustration tempted to boil, but Celina calmed, himself as she looked at Connor relax a bit. This was obviously not a time to be doing anymore yelling and screaming, for this was a time to find the letter and be done with it all.

Stacking her papers, she shrugged as he told her of what he was doing and said nothing. She cared little if he wanted to stand, sit, kneel, or even lay down, though if he had done that she would have been even more annoyed at the situation. It seemed all was in order, but she found no crumpled ball in any of her mess. “Wait…” she said softly, frustration clear in her tone and she shook her head. She was a witch… what was she doing?!

Taking her wand from her pocket she pointed the cherry wood at the pile of papers and mumbled a charm that they had learned in charms previously that instantly organized a messy situation. Instantly, Celina’s papers were in a pile and with another flick of her wrist they were also in alphabetical order…. Not what she had wanted to do of course, for she wanted them by subject, but at that moment Celina didn’t care. Her notes were neat, in a pile, and as she held out her hand for her bag again, they’d soon be put away.

“And now your let…” Celina began to say as Connor mentioned that it was his birthday. Tilting her head slightly, Celina didn’t know what to do with the newly given information. Connor just seemed to be spilling all today, and this piece Celina hadn’t even asked for. Did she wish him a happy seventeenth? Or did she say congrats or anything at all? “Oh, I… that’s…” putting her hand in her lap, she looked away.

“Mine’s in April… cheery days, birthdays are, aren’t they?” Celina asked, still not looking at Connor and scoffing slightly to herself. If her seventeenth was anything like her last, it would leave her confused, her friends mad at her or suspicious, her brother scheming, and just everything running down the hill. “I guess you’re not a child anymore then, are you?” Celina looked back toward Connor and smirked slightly. She didn’t exactly know where it fit in their conversations, but then again, everything had confused her up until that point.

[Connor Manning]

Connor looked down into the depths of the bag, wondering where to start and what to do. He flicked through the notes and papers, failing to come across the paper he was currently searching for. He began to wonder if he was annoying Celina with his worries about the letter. He didn’t doubt it, because he knew he would probably be at least somewhat annoyed with her if the situations had been different and he on the receiving end of the blabbering and random nonsense. Connor wished he could just make sense of things.

’ Wait… ‘ Connor shied away from her irritated tone, almost positive that it would be directed at him. When it wasn’t, though he watched as Celina reorganized her papers with magic, a thought that hadn’t occurred to him quite yet. “ Oh.. “ He would have laughed had the air been filled with less tension. Pulling his wand out from his pocket he rolled his eyes at himself, wondering how he could be so thick at times. He hesitated as he lifted the bag over and dropped it lightly next to Celina even though she had just retracted her hand back seconds before. “ Accio letter…” He muttered to himself, holding his breath slightly as he waited. Several seconds wandered by without any movement or motion, but suddenly, a decent sized crumple of balled up paper zoomed to the sixth year and hit him in the chest, falling into his lap.

Cheery days, yes, that was it. He laughed slightly, not in a mean way, just in a slightly amused and gee that’s ironic sort of way as he reached for the letter, rolling it in his hands still. “ Not anymore. Guess I’ve found it. “ He lifted up the letter in a showy sort of way before unfolding it and flattening it on one of his legs, trying to straighten it out as best as he could.

“ I got this, “ He nodded to the letter, his eyes scanning over the words before glancing back up to Celina. He didn’t know why he was telling her anything, it was likely she was already mad at him for interrupting her morning and for ruining… whatever it was he had ruined between them, yet he wanted her to know. “ From a woman who says she’s my birth mum. Happy Birthday to me. “ He was being stupid about this and knew it as well. He shook his head slightly, wanting to get out of the hallway and do something. Or maybe he just wanted to sit… He didn’t know what he wanted at that moment.

[Celina Jedynak]

A wiz slightly passed her head, and her eyes glanced just barely in time to see something flying at Connor. It wasn’t anything Celina was surprised at, for her notion of using magic should have been the first on her mind to begin with. She could assume that it may not have been on someone with a muggle background, but on her head it should have been first. Obviously, she was just losing her touch… yes, that was it. Her touch was tainted for reasons unknown to her. It wasn’t as if she wanted to continue sitting on the floor with the Slytherin Prefect in front of her, acting sorry for himself, when she knew she had better things to do…

That would have been absurd… right?

Sighing, again, Celina didn’t know what to think. So, the letter was from a woman that was claiming to be his birth mum? Not really the woman he lived with? Ok. Now that that was a bit clearer, Celina still didn’t know how to react. “Throw it away then,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “If she’s lying then that’s that, isn’t it? I mean, she probably is just trying to make you miserable.” Celina tried to nod reassuringly, not really knowing why anyone would want to make Connor miserable for the fun of it. If anything, there should at least be a reason.

Celina packed her bag with her papers and such, after retrieving it from the boy, and stood up. Celina looked down at Connor, and her stomach slightly growled. She’d forgotten all about wanting something to eat in all the commotion. Her hand found her way toward her stomach, and as much as she really didn’t know how to feel around the Slytherin, Celina didn’t like seeing him at such a loss either.

Sighing, Celina shut her eyes and gave into the flipping sensation in her stomach. “So, had you eaten anything before you ran out of there in such a hurry? Because, thinking on an empty stomach is horrible. It’s why I was going in there to begin with… then to the library. I’ve got some catching up to do since I was sick…” she opened only one eye to look at Connor and held her breath. If anything, she’d look like a hypocrite… but she never asked him to eat with her, now did she?

[Connor Manning]

AAaaaah. The Slytherin looked past Celina's head, to the wall behind her. As much as he wanted to be near the girl and talking to her, this wasn't it. He knew this wouldn't be the big talk, the one that fixed everything. He dearly hoped that eventually, there would be a talk like that between them. He wanted to, but not now. He could barely look at anyone, let alone the girl he had been infatuated with for months. And with everything that had happened, Connor wasn't so sure that a ' big talk ' would even happen. She should hate him. And Connor knew that he shouldn't be too fond of her either.

It troubled him why he was still giving Celina more thought than the situation at hand. He realized there was something to say about that, but at the present time he didn't care much to hear it. He stood up as well, looking down to the floor as she spoke to him.

Did she really think it would be so easy? He had just received news that would shake his entire world, and she was giving him the advice to just throw the letter away and forget it. Maybe the Slytherin had been wrong, Celina didn't know him very well at all, just as he didn't know her. " Yes, misery seems to be in abundance lately, don't mind me if I help myself to more. " Good one Connor, make her hate you more, smart thinking. Why don't you insult her family again while you're at it? He turned away slightly as he thought these words, folding the letter and sliding his hands into his pockets.

At that point, though, he couldn't blame her for hating him. He probably deserved whatever he had coming to him anyway. Her next few comments were taken lightly by the boy who was wallowing in his own self loathing and misery. He knew he wasn't being the most likable companion at that moment, but he was angry and Connor wasn't the most level headed person when angered. It wasn't an invitation to go eat with her, but he wasn't sure how to respond to her. " I've already eaten, thanks. " It was only partially true, but he figured she wouldn't really want him to join her anyway. He couldn't stand more of the awkward conversation filled with... whatever it was that kept him on his toes while talking to her.

" I think I might... finish up some homework. " A poor lie, he knew, as he didn't have any homework that needed finishing up immediately. He nodded slightly, not wanting to bother her anymore. He was ruining his chances of ever fixing whatever it was between them, and he was quite tired of messing up by now.

[Celina Jedynak]

Well, Celina could tell for one thing that would probably never change, Connor’s know-it-all, high and mighty attitude. Her brows furrowed a bit at his negativity for it wasn’t as if her solution to the problem wouldn’t have solved everything. The woman was probably nutters, an old neighbor or something getting his whereabouts from his parents or something and sending a letter on his way… that or she could have been a Deva spy trying to lure him into becoming the next victim of who knew what… either way, if Connor wasn’t going to throw the letter out, that was his own damn decision. “See if I care what you do…” Celina muttered softly and indignantly. She didn’t care if he wallowed in his own self-misery… as long as he kept it to himself, and didn’t share anymore of it with her.

Hoping he’d say that he didn’t want to join her, for secretly, she had meant it as an invite, though it didn’t sound like it, Celina was slightly relieved to hear him say that he’d already eaten. “Oh, well… of course you have,” Celina responded shrugging her shoulders and slightly fidgeting with her bag so that it stayed on more comfortable on the shoulder that held it.

Though, as soon as he told her what he planned on doing instead, Celina snorted slightly to herself and rolled her eyes. Him doing homework? Whereas she knew he was good about it, Celina doubted highly that Connor Manning of all people would be doing homework so early in the morning, on a Sunday morning of all days. All it was, was a lame excuse to get away from her… and it hurt.

“Next time…” Celina said crossing her arms as if her heart was about to burst and she didn’t want anyone to see. She wasn’t about to cry, nor was she about to lose the smile that had been caused by his horrible reason for needing to leave. “…why don’t you just say you have a meeting with Griffiths. At least that’s slightly more realistic.” Celina turned her head, and took a few steps forward toward the Great Hall.

She hadn’t needed Connor before, and she didn’t need him now. He spoke ill of her family without knowing them… lied to her… and was turning out just as Alfonz said he was. Stopping just at the side of him she turned her head and closed her eyes, her soft words filled with more hurt than she meant for them to be filled with. “Or you could have just left… you’re good at that, after all…”

[Connor Manning]

' See if I care what you do… ' Did she care? Should he even care if she cared, anyway? The answer to the former question remained unknown to the seventeen year old, but he was quite sure of the latter. He shouldn't care. But that didn't stop him.

Connor's hands fidgeted slightly in the aftermath of his lie. He guessed that she knew he was lying, it had been a bad lie to begin with and Connor wasn't all that great of a liar in general. His eyes lowered to the ground, because... he didn't exactly know what to do. He was torn between running up to the owlry and writing back to the woman who had sent him his letter and another course of action. Whoever she was, or whoever she claimed to be wasn't important to him right then, it would get sorted out eventually. He hoped it would, anyway. His other actions weren't exactly promising either, as they included staying with Celina and seeing what happened. It just didn't look good.

He turned away from her slightly, again unsure of what to say, only to turn back as she chided, ' next time... ' and continued on with her dig. At the mention of Griffiths he thought back to the first history of magic lesson. If he had stayed, would that have affected his whole future with Celina? He didn't think so, because there were more problems afterwards that would have happened regardless of whether or not he had stayed with Celina in the history classroom. He was at a loss as she walked towards him to walk by. His voice caught and he made an attempt to clear his throat just as she stopped at his side. ' Or you could have just left... you're good at that, after all. '

She was right, he was good at leaving if nothing else. He wasn't good at confrontation and he wasn't good at controlling his anger. It was at the exact same moment that anger and guilt surged up inside of him that he wanted so desperately to reach for her hand, which he missed holding. He actually extracted his hands from his pockets as if to make a movement towards her, but how could he want to hold the hand that, months ago, had struck him? There were things he couldn't say, because he was afraid of her response. He was a coward and he knew it. He had a knack for leaving when he shouldn't but wasn't that better than the alternative of getting too angry and doing something stupid?

For now though, he let himself feel hurt and confused at her words. " Maybe if people didn't always give me a reason to leave, I wouldn't have to... " He muttered as he walked by, trying to avoid the tingling feeling as his hand brushed against hers in his haste. He just needed to move, to get away. As Connor made his way down the hallway he stole a glance at Celina. Just one glance.

[Celina Jedynak]

Celina held herself her bag loosely hanging on her shoulder, nearing the edge every time she moved just slightly. It felt as though her insides were about to implode upon themselves as the air gently moved with Connor as he left her side. She was angry… at him, at the situation, but mostly, Celina was pissed with herself. Pissed that every time she caught even sight of the boy, her stomach still did flips and her heart fluttered just that much more, as if she still had hoped that he would be her friend as they had been before. Or more… but how could she even think that?

Celina needed friends who wouldn’t leave her because she acted the way she did. Friends who wouldn’t blame her for everything that happened between them when they really knew nothing about the details. Her eyes shut tightly as she remembered Drew and Felicity and how they’d both left her side to when the Deva had come and made examples out of both her and Felicity… They left her, not knowing that she was the only reason why any of them still even breathed.

Maybe if people didn’t always give me a reason to leave, I wouldn’t have to…

And there it was, the truth. At least someone had the gull to say it to her face that it was her fault, though she knew it not to be. It took her breath away as he continued to walk, and just as he glanced back her bag fell from her shoulder, hitting the ground once more and she turned to look at him as well. Weather or not he was still looking she didn’t even bother noticing, for she wanted the last word before he left her for good.

“Then this time, do me a favor and be unique…” her voice cracked as she didn’t understand what had happened this time other than the tension and her own roughness with him. She’d even invited him to eat with her! Though, she knew it really wasn’t a direct invite… “…be different than the others, and don’t come back.”

Turning she grabbed up her bag, and went inside the great hall, just enough so she could moved to the side not to be seen to lean her back up against the wall. She expected… or rather hoped he’d chase her and ask her what it all meant… but as she listened, she wasn’t sure if she heard him coming towards the Great Hall, or just others wanting breakfast.

[Connor Manning]

Just a glance, well what could it hurt? Connor nearly ran into someone walking in the opposite direction as he continued to look at Celina. He quirked his head slightly as if seeing her for the first time. He didn't know her, not like he thought he did. But that didn't stop him from thinking she was still beautiful... even when she was angry and looked to be on the verge of tears. He faltered, his steps slowing in hesitation as she began to speak. She always wanted the final word... just like a woman. He shook his head as she continued on, half of his mind pondering over if she really didn't want him to come back while the other half was thinking, ' Good riddance. ' He didn't need the trouble. He stopped completely now, his shoulders hunched forward slightly, his back facing Celina. Anger and shame seemed to boil up inside of him. She didn't want him to come back.

This was just what he needed, one more reason to get over her. One more reason to get her off of his mind, where she always seemed to be. At that point, Connor couldn't think of a good reason to want to stick around. He had tried to make things better, he had done what he knew to do, and yet it just hadn't been right. It was a mess, a jumbled, confusing mess that he didn't want to be a part of.

" Then maybe I won't. " He said, half turning to look at her as she fled into the Great Hall. He almost believed his words, and the coldness in which he delivered them struck him like a strong blow to the gut. He half hoped she didn't hear what he said at all and had really just gone into the Great Hall to eat. She had said she hadn't eaten breakfast yet... then would be heading up to the library. It was probably best that way, that they weren't around one another for very long. It never ended well for either of the two.