Apalling Expectations.

[Damian Piper]

It was a waste of his family’s time, money and reputation but beyond all that it was a waste of his own personal dignity. It had all been his father’s idea to inject him into this abomination of a wizarding school, to place him among traitors and muggleborns, nothing more than worthless people by all regard. They had no name, they had no wealth and yet they were all disillusioned to the theory that they could get somewhere with their lives? Pathetic.

The oak doors to the Entrance Hall creaked open to signal the arrival of an elder boy in pressed and near spotless robes. There was no chaperone, there was no carpet, no greeting there was nothing but a barren and empty hall. Either they didn’t know his name from any of the other rabble among the rosters or there had been some mistake somewhere in the line of communication. It was still a disgrace no matter the excuse, or perhaps just perhaps this place was going to be worse than he had ever imagined. The young man’s green orbs scanned the morning lit hall and again found no movement, no cheap surprises, there was just void. It was like walking into a graveyard, if fleshy people were there, you were no different then they, and everyone else was dead…

But he was different, and would not stand in the doorway berating himself waiting for someone to come along. With a wave of his wand his two trunks worth of belongings hovered and as he took steps forward they followed. So far the place was nothing impressive at all, in fact it was downright dingy, unwelcoming and seemingly worthless. If this was the best England had to offer, when I inherited father’s estate it will certainly be moved. The French have more elaborate looking shanties than this! Damian thought as he began to ascend the massive and yet ornate central staircase. This was to be home? No, this simply HAD to be the forecourt to Hell.

"Worthless pile of granite..." The boy muttered as the sound of footfalls finally reached his ears from above. Perhaps they could point him somewhere a bit more worthy of his tastes...

[Celina Jedynak]

“He said that his quarters were located around here somewhere, Felicity…but I have no idea where,” Celina said to her blond friend as she looked around her eyes wide in anticipation. Celina hoped that Alfonz didn’t say anything to Felicity, or even ask about her own family. He hoped he’d be on his best behavior, yet dropping in unannounced, Celina was sure that his pureblood pride would kick in at least when Felicity’s back was turned.

Celina wasn’t unaware of her brother’s prejudice. She’d lived with him for long enough to know and realize that their father had rubbed his own hates onto her older brother. Celina found it horrid, just as her mother did, but said nothing. What could she say? She’d be disrespecting him if she were to try and change him, and therefore Celina dealt with his hate. Celina was just glad that he kept his thoughts to himself, well from what she knew any ways.

Celina looked in the windows of every door, and looked for a name on the door. If there was one, she knew he probably had removed it for fear that someone would find him and continuously bother him. It was another reason why Celina wondered why Alfonz had even come into the school and accepted a job; he hated Hogwarts! He had since she was accepted, and every year after had pleaded with her to transfer to Durmstrung where he had gone to school.

“You know Alfonz never attended Hogwarts,” Celina said to Felicity casually as she continued to check doors which all seemed to be locked. Not that Alfonz would leave his unlocked, but she still couldn’t help herself from trying. “He attended Durmstrung, where our father had gone to school. Made a name for himself he did,” Celina gave Felicity a big smile. Even with the fact that she was scared for the fact that Alfonz was there at Hogwarts, she still couldn’t wait to see him. He was her knight in shinning armor, and Celina loved him for it.


(Permission to God/Talk to Felicity)

[Felicity Hjort]

It was the first time Celina had offered for Felicity to meet a part of her family, most of the time it was Felicity assuming she would at some point or other. The girl's mum had been nice when she'd briefly met her at her family's New Years party Celina and Drew had been invited to. There had been many occasions Felicity had spoken her interest in meeting with her family, they sounded interesting. And they were pureblood after all, Felicity wondered what a pureblood home was like. She knew it wouldn't carry any, perhaps very little, muggle objects, which opposed her own home. Her mum and herself were the only known in her household that were magical, and they lived as muggles, other than a few things stored away in her mum's locked closet and the garden outdoors.

Her excitement was hardly able to be contained at the idea of meeting her best friend's brother, he was famous after all, and not just because he was a Quidditch player. He was Celina's brother and that more than made him famous enough for Felicity. Family was everything, and she knew Celina believed the same thing. It was the only way it all worked out so well, and a reason why she was beyond happy her friend and she called each other sisters, it made them so much more than friends.

The search for his quarters was going to be dragging probably, but the lioness didn't mind. At least she had good company, and maybe they'd accidentally knock on some doors that opened to odd members they didn't mean to interrupt.

"He didn't attend Hogwarts?" Felicity suddenly asked. She hadn't realized that. In fact, she'd assumed like her friend, he had. Felicity knew Celina's dad hadn't, she could remember that conversation on one occasion or other, but she assumed since both her mum and she did, Alfonz had as well. "It was quite a name he made for himself at that, too," she told her friend. "A famous keeper for the Polish Quidditch team? To make the team he really must be quite good."

There had only been a few articles Felicity had managed to get her hands on to read, which only put in very few things about him. Some of the players they included things like favourite food, but Alfonz Jedynak was stats after stats. Not much more.

Celina had only told Felicity a day or so before her brother was there, and it'd surprised her like nothing else when her friend asked her to go in search of his quarters with him. Being how badly she wanted to meet her friend's family, she nearly jumped at the chance. Not paying attention to the things around her for mere excitement, she walked down the stairs, oblivious of potential hazards.

"Celina, why did Alfonz deci..." The sentence went unfinished, but not the blonde Gryffindor. No, she knew her luck wasn't going to last much longer. Down the stairs she tumbled, having tripped over her shoelace that'd come undone. Down stair after stair, coming to an abrupt stop after the bottom step.

Lifting her face from the floor, she noticed the shiny shoes mere millimeters from her nose. "Nice shoes..."

[Damian Piper]

No welcome, horrible décor and he was willing to be that as he climbed (or descended) that the place smelled something awful too. He still did not know what possessed his parents to recommend – yet alone actually choose – this dump over Durmstrang Academy. It was safer, it was cleaner in both blood and generalization, and there were people who were actually worthy of his time and class. He hadn’t been in the building fifteen minutes yet and he abhorred the place with little effort applied, which was pretty sad no matter how you looked at it.

As he began to climb the stairs, the footfalls got louder, minute amounts of conversation reached his ears and Damian stopped. After all, why in the name of Merlin should he move around when people were coming to him? A moment later he received his answer when a blonde-topped corpse (the one he believed was originally on the right) came tumbling head over heels down the stairs. As painful as it looked, he was more bemused by it than concerned. No doubt the stairs were both very solid and very painful, but anyone who could fall down that size a stairway simply deserved mockery before medical care. If they were still breathing at the end, then yes he might consider doing something.

The boy of sixteen years took a step back as the girl neared the bottom and yet didn’t bother to look down, instead following her path back up the stairs in which she’d fallen. Had that all been her own doing or would the other girl she’d been conversing with tumble down as well? Really he saw no sense in bothering to do anything if he was simply going to be smacked by another falling body. While his eyes were averted up the stairs, a voice came from his feet, rather on the topic of his feet and he soon surmised that he was not hallucinating and that the fallen lass was in fact still breathing and otherwise functional. Well, at least there wasn’t blood or vomit on his “nice shoes”; he highly doubted she could afford him another pair on top of the possible medical costs.

Damian began to turn his gaze toward the lass’s face while using only the slightest amount of that one-brain-cell’s worth of compassion he had. That was of course, before the prime flaw in the school’s dress code showed itself by courtesy of the pre-aligned stairway. Needless to say his minute amount of compassion was quickly outvoted and pretty much methodically executed by his mockery…

“Nice arse.” He stated plainly. Someone this klutzy really didn’t need his full attention, nor did they really deserve half of it but being male came with a sometimes bitter price. Besides, hers was on his shoes what in the end was the actual difference in comparison?

[Celina Jedynak]

“Nope. Not a day in his life had he ever set foot in the building until the de….” Celina’s eyes grew wide as she was about to slip her brother’s partake in the Deva invasion. Quickly she corrected her thoughts and her speech. “’till the de -- Deputy…er…rather Head Mistress offered him a job,” Celina cleared her throat trying to act as if nothing had been wrongly said. Her nerves only jumped more as she found an unlocked door, and opened it with ease, her head sticking in but seeing nothing but an empty classroom.

Celina heard her friend continue talking as she walked ahead of her. Celina sighed not finding what she wanted to, and quietly, but sadly she shut the door. Catching her skirt in it, it took her a few minutes to get herself untangled from the door. It was an unfortunate turn of events, but as Celina soon found, it wasn’t over. Looking up to where her friend had gone, she saw her at the top stair working her way down them. Celina smiled, and listened to the question being stated from the blond, which abruptly was cut short.

Her eyes widened in horror as the last thing she saw was the flip of blond hair, and the tumbling noise reached her ears. “Oh! Felicity!” Celina exclaimed, prancing towards the stairs to where her friend had been last seen. Celina’s heart raced, not knowing why the blond had fallen and not even understanding where she had landed until Celina reached the top stair and started to descend.

A boy stood with a dismal look on his face as if he had just lost a very good friend, and Celina didn’t know, but there was something about him that seemed very familiar. It was probably nothing, and as she continued down the stairs she ignored the feeling that this was not someone that you tripped in front of.

As she neared Felicity and the boy, she heard the comments spoken between the two of them but said nothing herself at that time. This must have been just another boy that Felicity knew, otherwise, it’d be a bit rude to comment on her bum that really was just sticking up there in the air, awkward like. Celina stifled a bit of a giggle at her friend’s current position, and went over to her side.

Celina knelt down to where Felicity’s head was. “Felicity? Are you alright?” Celina said shyly, briefly stealing glances at the boy wondering if she’d ever seen him before. Celina was sure she hadn’t, then again, before the beginning of that year she hadn’t met anyone. It was only as of recent that she had even had anyone that she would call a friend, much to Alfonz’s dismay.

It was only then where Celina thought about what Alfonz would say if he saw the current happenings. He already hadn’t wanted her to speak with Felicity, let alone be friends with her. This surely wasn’t any sort of first example the young Jedynak wanted to be giving of her friends to the older Jedynak. “Feilcity,” she said in a half jesting, half nervous voice. “…best get your bum out of the air. What if Alfonz sees?” Celina tried to giggle, but as she stole another small glance at the boy on the stairs, she found her eyes traveling around the Entrance hall, hoping that Alfonz wasn’t somewhere hiding in the shadows.

[Felicity Hjort]

Where to start? Well, nothing felt broken, which was an excellent sign. There was no accumulation of blood that she could tell, yet again a positive. Though, it seemed something just wasn't quite right. She was still on the floor, face close to the ground though no longer touching, and she'd just tumbled down a good number of stairs in her uniform. Why in the world did it consist of a skirt for the feminine gender? Pants or shorts at least for under the skirt would've been a wonderful change. This was now the second time she could remember outright falling over and landing like she did.

There was little saving grace for the blonde when she realized the downfall of the female portion of the school uniform. The voice behind her with the shiny shoes was male unfortunately and Celina was now there with her. At least she hadn't tripped up on something and fallen alongside her. That little bit of luck she still managed to maintain thankfully. Though, the voice wasn't one she recognized, that luck, she didn't have any of that. However, her little bit of humour remained, that usually seemed to let things blow over a little more easily.

"Yes, I'm all right," she answered, sitting up, straightening her skirt and trying her best not to face the other person quite yet. The colour of her face well matched the Gryffindor crimson, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of the comment the boy said. It wasn't technically swearing, but it wasn't a nice word all the same. And truthfully, she couldn't remember anyone making a comment about her bum before, not even Drew, so she wasn't sure if what he said was a good thing or a bad one. "Sorry Celina, he's not in here, is he?"

Smiling at Celina, or rather grimacing at the slight pain in her leg when she stood, Felicity reassured her friend everything was fine. At least, for the moment it was. The lioness was sure with a few good minutes of moving she'd be fine as it was, so no need to worry about the throbbing arm or the slowly working itself up to an aching leg. And making a bad impression on he brother wasn't something she wanted to do, so she was going to be sure that her skirt and all body parts where they belonged while standing.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the other body she'd tumbled by and forced a pleasant smile, still unsure whether what he said was a nice thing or not. A little confused look in her light brown eyes, a smile upon her lips, she really didn't think she knew him.

"As nice as your shoes?" she asked in a light jest. Best to keep up humour even when in ever-growing pain.

[Damian Piper]

Words, phrases, clauses, dialog. All of it was pointless; all of it unnecessary spare only the names. For in the end those would be all he would probably commit to his memory from however long their discussions might last. He had a goal, find the Headmistress and as convenient as Damian would love for it to be, he increasingly doubted her office was located anywhere on the next three floors. You see a place of reputation, even if it was a school, was much like the Ministry with it's highest ranking individual on the highest floor. The top was at the top and would stay there, now he had two trunks and at least (from what he could gather by counting window levels) six floors of trekking before he would arrive at his destination... He also hated walking.

So the blonde was Felicity and the black-topped one Celina, now he was wishing more for last names even though he doubted he would recognize either of them. They seemed far too giddy to be anyone raised properly among class, but with the way lines were degrading in these times one really could never know. As the blonde hauled herself to her feet, blushing three shades higher than crimson as she did and began brief snippets of conversation with the one known as Celina he spoke not a word, doing nothing more than listening. They giggled over her mishap as though nearly breaking ones neck and becoming a permanent patient of Mungo’s was nothing more than a pleasant adventure! No, there was no possibility these two held any class to them, yet alone a knut’s worth of common sense.

And then the blonde spoke to him, a joking jest to reclaim her composure, or perhaps she was returning the hormone-natured comment? Merlin only knew but one good comment called for another in kind. And even if this one did seem more than a bit on the naive and clumsy side of things, he doubted they were leaving anytime soon. This was only a slight annoyance he supposed, and since it seemed the blonde, Felicity, would do the talking for both of them it would be she whom he would address.

But for now, it was time to see just how naïve her brain truly was, if it was a game of jibes she wanted, then a game of jibes she would get.

“I can see my reflection in my shoes.”

[Celina Jedynak]

Felicity got herself up from her fall, and from Celina’s view looked hurt but nothing to permanent. Celina was glad that her friend was alright and as she asked if Alfonz was anywhere to be seen, Celina shook her head. “No, I don’t think…Alfonz probably wouldn’t be out…” she trailed off thinking about how normally Alfonz kept to himself usually. How would he act now while at Hogwarts? He obviously had a job to do, would he do it in private….could he? Celina almost wondered if he’d be at the Quidditch pitch, but said nothing.

Felicity turned toward the boy and Celina just standing behind her turned her attention toward him as well. His demeanor was one that Celina had seen before in many of her father’s friends, and colleagues when she had to attend the ministry dinners and such with her family. They held themselves with prestige, and like this boy, they were all very good with their words.

I can see my reflection in my shoes.

His reply to Felicity’s jest sounded as if it could be just as much of one, but it was even more rude than his arse comment. Maybe Felicity didn’t know this boy, after all. Celina tried not to laugh, but a stifled snort escaped from her mouth. Celina then looked at the boy’s shoes, which indeed, were dark, but shined enough to reflect even the shadowy of images. At least with his words, he wasn’t lying.

Looking back up, she met with the boy’s face and examined him further without saying anything more. Shying away after a few moments, she could feel her face start to scarlet for no apparent reason, and she looked away in search of her older brother. “If he’s not here…he’d be at the Quidditch pitch, I’m sure…” she said, mostly to herself as the end of her comment trailed away; secretly she listened for the conversation between Felicity and the boy to continue as she could feel her curiosity about the boy begin to intensify.

[Felicity Hjort]

Once more confusion reigned. I can see my reflection in my shoes. What kind of answer was that? Looking more for a yes or no, she was a little unsure of the what he meant, truthfully she probably wouldn't have understood even if she'd asked for the response she'd received. His shoes were pretty shiny, she noted when she looked down at them for a moment. Dark, shined like gold, they did give off some pretty impressive reflections, she was sure. But, was that a good comment or not? And Celina's giggling only confused the lioness more as she glanced at her friend briefly to try and decipher the meaning.

Did the boy mean his shoes were clean and she wasn't? She'd just showered that morning so she knew she was clean. No, she wasn't shiny, but that was a good thing, wasn't it? No oily skin meant a number of good things for her skin. And also, it meant she didn't have any of those weird lotions or sprays on that some girls used, which she was glad for. Why waste the time in using something she didn't think she needed? No point in it in her opinion.

But the look on his face made her wonder more about what it was that was said and she was thinking it wasn't a very nice comment.

"Afraid of just carrying a mirror?" she asked him, still fully unsure. If he could see his reflection in his shoes, he obviously didn't need a mirror. But with shoes that shiny, she figured he could very well be a rather vain person, besides, he did comment on being able to see himself in them. What kind of a person needed shoes that shiny? Sure Celina had some shiny shoes, but she was also a little girly about her style of dress and Felicity figured it was all something to do with that.

"Isn't the Pitch closed?" she asked Celina turning back to her before kneeling down to re-tie her shoe.

[Damian Piper]

Both sets of eyes examined him closely and he suddenly felt more like a caged owl than the aristocratic Piper that was his name. Had they not understood him, could they simply not understand that he had elsewhere to be and found them to be more of a bother than a helping hand?

The black haired one, Celina, seemed to hold a bit longer reference frame to him, more curious. It was not that he had not seen such looks before; many were constantly trying to 'understand' his lifestyle. No doubt that she much like the rest, wanted nothing more than to try to play it out among her childish fantasies. And yet there was something oddly familiar about her face, like it somehow was vaguely imprinted among the archives of his mind. But she didn't matter, right? She had nothing important about her, she could not possibly have anything close to his status and yet she was still familiar.

"Afraid of just carrying a mirror?"

And then came the blonde's reply, diluting his thoughts with its untimely interruption. It was clearly a retort, and yet she was so uncertain that it carried no bite or sting to it all. Perhaps the blonde truly was is naïve as she appeared, or perhaps she was just an outright nutter. In the end it didn’t matter, the chances of either of them amounting to more than a name at this point were somewhere between non-existent and minute. And yet there was still that odd feeling that he knew the other one from somewhere, and yet it was just that, a feeling. There was nothing distinctive to it, and Damian was beginning to despise this barely living conversation more and more.

“Only because people would break them,” Damian countered, his green eyes flicking from the blonde to the blackened. “The Headmistress’s office. Where do I locate it?” Perhaps the sooner he got away from this pair, the sooner he could get about his business and begin his internment among these … lowlifes.

Hell? Hell indeed.

[Celina Jedynak]

Her presence was not forgotten, and to Celina’s surprise, the boy had not even forgotten her presence. His eyes told her so as she found them almost as involved with her as she had been with him. Celina found herself shying away behind Felicity a bit more, as if not to be notice for whom she was. Was this just another one of Alfonz’s fans who was finally figuring out the Jedynak’s were more than just two people who shared a common name? She should have never used his name aloud, knowing that someone could hear her…Celina scolded herself quietly as she tried to hide her face, her lose hair falling freely to cover her face slightly.

Felicity continued to speak to the boy, who Celina hoped covered for her and distracted him from her identity. Celina had gotten so many comments since the papers and magazines had all had their articles on Alfonz’s new job, and Celina could hardly stand being so much apart of the rumor mill. Just recently had Hogwarts, for her, become more of a prison than an actual home. Sure, she had Felicity back as a friend, but with Alfonz now there at the school, Celina just felt as if the walls of Hogwarts were growing a bit smaller. Her fear for her bother was immense, and daily she found herself worrying about if someone would try and hurt him secretly.

Yet, another thing that worried the dark haired girl, since the Deva attack, was that so many now knew who she was, and even since then, had formed more opinions about her than were needed to be formed. They had no idea of who she was, and/or what kind of family she had been brought up in. There was no need for their judgment or worthless speech. She was tired of being spoken about, and being known by those who she didn’t know. What did it matter who she was? And who were these people to judge her, of all people? Everyday, Celina began to wonder again what her brother meant when he said that a person was worth something. What was worth? She had once asked Drew, only to get a reply back that wasn’t an answer…no, she had gotten from him that she would always be worth it to him…liar.

“Yes, it may be…but it’s his job now…” Celina said softly to her friend as she tried desperately now to end the conversation about her brother’s inhabitance at the school. It was the next statement from the boy, however, that caught Celina’s attention the most and as he finished it, she sideways glanced at him shortly. Only because people would break them… echoed in the dark haired girls mind. Literally, the statement meant nothing, but she had heard multiple things like what he was saying from her brother. It reminded her of the worth factor…but she shook it out of her head. How would she know what worth was? Wasn’t it only in the eye of the beholder, or was it really based on what her brother believed and father preached? Celina was so utterly confused in her own mind that she shook it all away. None of it made sense, so she stuck with what was happening around her and was glad to hear the boy speak up again.

It was done, and Celina was relieved when the boy asked for directions that would take him away from them. Celina breathed a bit of a sigh, and looked at him, wondering if anyone could answer his question. Celina figured that she would, if to do nothing more than to relinquish themselves of his presence. “It depends on where she feels to be,” Celina said softly, but loud enough to be heard by him. Speaking to him, now that the question was open, she briefly looked at him with a caring expression, but one lacking that of a smile. “She has two offices…one on the second, for it used to be her old office and she hasn’t moved some of her stuff from there yet; and there is the Head Mistress’ appropriate office on the seventh floor.” Celina nodded her head respectfully, and placed her hand on Felicity’s forearm. “We mustn’t keep him waiting…” Ceilna said to her, hoping that she didn’t seem to anxious to depart from this young man’s company.

[Felicity Hjort]

The boy looked just like any other boy she knew, other than he was dressed a bit more spiffier than most did. However, she'd already made reference to that when she commented on his shoes, they were rather shiny. Anything else he wore was merely clothing; clothing without worn or ripped spots. Felicity, when outside of her school uniform, dressed in what clothing she owned; jeans a little too long or big, sweaters a little ragged, clothes worn from wear. It was all natural for the blonde, she was too used to comfort over looks.

His response this time set the lioness off a little bit as she understood the tone behind his words now. Whether he'd been speaking the same way only moments before or not was still undecipherable to Felicity, but what he was saying in the now and present wasn't, and she didn't much care for it.

A number of things ran through the brown-eyed girl's mind while she tried to narrow her search down to one comment. Taking another look at the boy, she could see he was rather well-dressed, meaning he either was a neat person like Alexander or he could have money, but not wanting to make the incorrect assumption, she hesitated on her come back. At least she did until her mouth found one she rather liked.

"Superstitious are we?" she countered him. If he had money he could very well replace something as trivial as a mirror. And since he preferred his shoes over a mirror she doubted he was entirely vain. However, if he was afraid of someone breaking a mirror, that would make him rather superstitious, wouldn't it? Or at least she thought it would.

And when he asked the whereabouts of the Headmistress, Felicity snubbed her nose a bit. Raynor still wasn't on her top list of people she liked, not when she was so obvious about not controlling her ability to choose favourites, nor her ability for many other things she was sure were just waiting to be dug up at one's convenience. That man from the picture frame sure had some interesting insight to something she'd been unable to grab more information on at the time being.

Just why would he need to speak to her? He probably already had instructions as to the direction he was to be heading. Or was he going to be one of her new favourites? It was possible, she'd be likely to take someone under her wing like that in an instant.

Though, Felicity was brought out of her darkening thoughts by Celina's calming voice. At least she still had it in her to be nice, then again, Raynor had been her Head of House for a really long time from what Felicity understood. But something else she said caught her off-guard. What did she mean they shouldn't keep Alfonz waiting?

"Celina, you're brother doesn't even know we're dropping in..." she trailed off with a rather confused look to her friend.

[Damian Piper]

As surprising as it was to receive a response from the much more timid girl, it never the less did answer his question quite effectively. So she had two offices, second and seventh floors snd yet he was still at the base of a large number of stairs and winding corridors through which he knew not the way to travel. There was no way on Merlin's wand that he would be asking either of them to guide him, he would find his way even if it took him hours. He would not lower himself to this...these...there wasn't even a word at this point.

"Superstitious are we?"

A small chuckle escaped Damian at the girl's second pitiful attempt at belittling him. She couldn't walk in a straight line worth a damn, was she onw trying to belittle him as an act of redemption? Psh! "Only as much as you are mindful." Damian countered, a smug little smile pulling at the right corner of his face. He didn't care about the blonde, didn't care about either of them really, he found their conversation amusing only because one seemed bent on leaving while the other bent on proving herself to be nothing more than outright stupid. It was so pitiful that it kept him from his destination - well, that and he didn't know outside of floors just where to go but if he could redirect the blame, why not?

"We mustn’t keep him waiting…” The black locked girl chided, attempting to once again dislodge themselves from his presence before the blonde spoke again. "Celina, you're brother doesn't even know we're dropping in..." Again Damian chuckled, Merlin would have to save these two if they ever got caught together in violation of anything. They wouldn't be able to keep a straight story if they tried. He now wished he'd paid a bit more attention to the rest of the conversation, but he decided it still wasn't important, just amusing.

His eyes went back to Celina, a half smirk attaching to his lips. "As much as they say it doesn't, what one doesn't know can hurt you. But you would know this already, wouldn't you?" The news of January's attack on Hogwarts had been all over the Prophet, all over England and Damian's ears had no ignored its rather interesting tales that followed behind it. He didn't care that the school had been attacked, he cared about the people behind it, they fought for him, or so they claimed and anyone who fought for a dying blood was admirable to his eyes.

These two young ladies...were nothing more than laughable.

[Celina Jedynak]

Celina resisted the urge to sigh frustrated like, as a look of insistence was given in return to her friend’s look of confusion. Could she really not see that they shouldn’t be there? Not to mention, that they had had a reason for being out that day? Not to mention, Celina hadn’t thought of the fact that Alfonz didn’t realize they weren’t coming, and while it was true, Celina still figured that keeping him waiting just in general for her to show up wasn’t the best of all actions. It had been close to two and a half weeks since he had been hired, and much too long for her to go on ignoring the fact that he was there.

But Felicity had been right, and though she couldn’t believe that Felicity said what she had instead of just agreeing, she couldn’t argue with her correct friend; after all, Alfonz really wasn’t expecting them. Celina went to retract and correct her statement when the boy let out a chuckle and her eyes turned back to him. What was he laughing at? Celina was sure that nothing she had said was funny at all, and it had been many seconds since he had said anything. It could have only meant at that time that he was yet again laughing at Felicity, which by this time Celina was finding more annoying than not. What gave him the right to laugh at her friend?

He smirked, and Celina kept her sullen look at him. She wasn’t impressed with his way with words anymore than she found herself being any less worried with the sense of familiarity that she found from him. What was with this boy? Celina could have sworn she knew him from somewhere, but at the same time, she didn’t recognize the face…only the aura that the boy put off of him, that was what was familiar to her.

As much as they say it doesn't, what one doesn't know can hurt you. But you would know this already, wouldn't you?

Celina wondered as their eyes connected if he was truly speaking to her. How would he know anything about what could or couldn’t hurt someone?! Celina felt herself becoming more and more uneasy with his presence, or maybe it was because as he said what he did all of the times with Felicity and their schemes flooded her memories. There had been multiple times where she hadn’t known something that could have hurt her or turned out worse than was expected, and most every time it had been with Felicity that these things seemed to occur. “Excuse me?” she asked him sheepishly, coming out from behind her friend slowly to stand by her side.

“I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have any clue as to what you are referring.” Celina’s tone was soft and not challenging. Innocent sounding even, but behind her eyes could be seen the storms of a rising madness that every Jedynak got when challenged. Where was it this boy’s place to tell her anything that she didn’t already know? And Felicity and her had just talked everything out, again. No, Felicity hadn’t known things, and had gotten the both of them in trouble, but Celina knew things that neither of the two she stood with knew. It was her fault that things had been lead to slip and even though she carried with her guilt for this, she also carried around the knowledge that her father had preached to her constantly: blood is thicker than water.

Celina shook the thoughts from her mind, wanting more than ever for this boy to leave them and look for Raynor. He was saying things he had no reason for saying, and making Celina think of things she had no reason anymore to think. Everything was taken care of and alright, there was no reason to bring up the past. No reason to look toward anything…but the future.

[Felicity Hjort]

Tilting her head slightly, making her blonde locks fall toward her shoulder as she stood there, she tried to understand. He was rather in a joyful mood, wasn't he? And if this was his joyful one, she preferred not to see his angry one. While he did smile, if you could even call it that, and laugh, again it was hardly able to be called such, he didn't sound like most people. Usually they were at least nice and she could tell apart their sarcasm from all else, but she was pretty sure he was being downright mean.

Mindful? Wasn't she though? So maybe she wasn't always careful, and even she would admit she could be a bit oblivious to things, but for the most part she was aware of things...wasn't she? And just in the world would he know if she was something or wasn't? The Gryffindor didn't know who he was, really no names had been exchanged, nor Houses or years. It was obvious he was around hers and Celina's age, and it was obvious what Houses they were in, but they didn't even know each others names, formally anyway. And he couldn't really make assumptions like that without knowing, could he? It wasn't right nor nice.

But her attention was back on the slightly crazy Ravenclaw, trying to now read her look. First, Felicity was pretty sure Celina said they were dropping in, or at least something like that; second, she said he was waiting for them, how could he be if he didn't even know they were dropping in? After a moment, a split second before the boy's vocals ripped through the air again, she thought she kind of understood.

The need to find Alfonz was there because Celina wanted to make sure he didn't go on break or something. Or was it that Celina thought they should go and find him before it got too late for visiting? Or did her friend just want to leave? Either way it went, all started with them moving their feet one after the other, but it didn't seem to be going in the direction Celina wanted.

As much as they say it doesn't, what one doesn't know can hurt you. But you would know this already, wouldn't you?

Whipping her head back around to look at the boy, she felt the anger already forming. Just what was he playing at? Talking to Celina like that. His eyes were on her, so she knew who he was talking to, there was no doubt about it.

Celina already knew how much Felicity had been hurt by not knowing that her family had been threatened. No, Felicity didn't blame her in the least, but she still hurt at the time not knowing that little piece of information. There were many things she could think of that were examples of already knowing this. The spell she made Celina cast, she didn't know what a crush was and the could've hurt her. When she tried to explain it all to Drew, he didn't understand and she was sure he was getting ready to get mad at her.

There were many things that if one didn't know, could very well hurt a person.

Biting on her bottom lip through Celina's answer, she didn't say a word. If Celina wanted to go find Alfonz, Felicity would follow. She didn't think there was anything worth staying for at this point.