"I don't understand jeans." Rowena leaned in a little and looked at her sister. Rumors about Aileen and suitors were just the sort of thing to get her curious, as well. "All my dresses are so pretty-and sturdy, too." Even if they did get caught on things sometimes.

Particularly some of the garden statues, which she spared a quick, disapproving look for. "And yes, Sophia, do tell."  Rumors about family and Professors? She couldn't help but be curious. "And take some of the mints. Mother always gives us too much."

There had been so many packages sent to school. Books and sweets and and letters and little pieces of jewelry. "I think it means she missed us." A sentence she emphasized with a nod. As if they needed more evidence of that!

"I don't mind jeans really. They are pretty practical. I think Lucas has a pair. He is able to keep them clean, which is nice. Though I think he probably just wears them for the pockets." She said with a smile taking another sip of her tea, and realizing they were waiting on her to explain.

"Oh." The cup went down to it's plate and she rolled her shoulders to perch on the edge of her seat so that she could whisper, "So the rumor has it that your sister was seen in a private room with Professor Kesali with candles, and they were dancing. Then, when they were teaching our lesson they kept making eyes at each other. Ones out of anger and hatred, which we both know is a sure sign there are deep feelings. But to truly add to the plural form of the word suitors, the friction between Professor Trishna and Professor Kesali is very noticeable, so there are bets that they are both after her hand in marriage. Aaaaaand, to add one more twist. She was seen in the hall with another man, but there was something about stairs...I wasn't sure. I only heard a little bit about it. But isn't that romantic? Two men fighting for her love. It's like one of my books." Really. She was the shy quiet child.

"I did notice at the Yule Ball that Professor Trishna kept close to Aileen. So clearly he must have won. I didn't see Kesali smile at all, all night. Though I heard the rumor is he will end up with the Muggle Studies Professor."

Perhaps Sophia should write a gossip column for the school paper.

Abby's eyebrows spiked - reminiscent of Aileen's perpetually raised brows, but unlike her older sister would, she leaned forward and listened with rapt attention. Bless Sophia's memory for detail!

Aileen and the Charms professor? Aileen had danced with him in a private room? Confusion and disappointment battled with excitement on her face.

"How weird!" When the story was over, she leaned back in her seat with a conflicted sigh. "I adore Professor Tappy," she told the girls, then corrected herself. "Trishna. I'm on Team Trishna. He just brings out this lighthearted side to her, and he's been sweet to me, too."

A mischievous smile started to spread across her face. "They did seem cozy at the ball. And - if you two can keep a secret - they are going to the opera together."

Abby glanced up, thinking. "Professor Kesali. The only time I've heard her mention him was when she called him a-"

She paused. An awful little weasel of a man.

"Ohh." Realization dawned. Abby nodded, a smile lingering on her face, "I'll have to ask her."

Insulting someone did not necessarily mean that Aileen hated the person - she'd called Oz an asshat plenty of times, yet she still let him into the house.

"I've not heard a thing about stairs," she admitted. Another thing she'd have to ask her sister about. Love triangles at Hogwarts!

"Professor Kesali?" Rowena gave her sister an incredulous look, then burst out giggling. "After that mess with the dance class? I don't know. Might just be deep feelings...of anger and hatred." These ideas had to have come from her books. They didn't sound anything like what Mum told them.

"And I wonder why more people don't yell at the stairs? They're very annoying sometimes, especially when Peeves gets something in his head. I was almost late for class once, when they confused me." A confession that made her first look worried, then glance away-attention very focused on a nearby rosebush for a moment-before looking back.

She took far too large a sip of her tea, coughed a little, then calmed. "Professor Trishna seems really nice though. Have you talked with him a lot, Abby?" Rowena hadn't really seen him outside of class. Though that happened with most of the Professors, she supposed.

"There is actually a collection of bets, and I would have to say I'm on Team Trishna too. Perhaps we'll need a secret symbol of our offers. Like a black ribbon around our wrists to indicate that we are for that team. Either way it's most exciting." She took another sip of her tea and finished it off.

"I would like to think he's not up to standards though. I hear mother and father talk about it all the time. Not about Professor Trishna, I mean, but just what is expected of a Pureblood. And it's not that I don't think that he would be a good match for any woman, or really have thought about it much but...I'm just not sure how this whole thing works." Sophia sat on the edge of her seat and gave her a sister a very cross look.

"Hatred is a very deep word, Rowena, and you would be surprised how many times I've read about a woman hating a man only to realize they are madly in love with them. So you can't judge by one class, but many. Build your case." Far too grown up for her age, this one, and finally huffed as she put her head in her hands.

"There has been talk between my friends about trying to push them together." She finally admitted, "But I've not had the chance to map out the plans, and frankly have just been too busy."

Abby looked curious at the mention of the dance class, having heard from Aileen that it had gone poorly to say the least, but of course, her sister had neglected to divulge any other details. At least the girls seemed to be on her side!

“I hope your friends have better luck than I do,” she grinned at Sophia. “Maybe you can flash a secret symbol at each other when it's time to act. Like,” she cupped her hands into a heart shape.

Abby nodded at Rowena, “A little. He’s very warm and encouraging. He asks me about classes and Ministry things. How I like the computer he gave me.”

She was about to launch into an explanation of what a computer was, then realized that they might already be aware.

“That’s the trouble though,” Abby sighed. “I don’t know about your parents, but mine would flip if they suspected anything romantic was going on between them. I’m sure you can imagine why,” she gave them a meaningful look. Sophia had seemed to guess earlier, about not being ‘up to standards’.

“Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want to admit she likes him, or could like him. It’s easier when you’re just friends.”

She smiled again, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Rowena just grinned at Sophia's crossness. Her sister took all of this so seriously, and it seemed as if there was no talking her out of it. Oh well. "Mum wasn't up to those standards either. It's why Father was so slow!" She imitated Abigail's heart gesture with her own hands and smiled a little. Some nights she'd just beg her mother to tell her about how they'd met-even if she didn't understand this romance thing yet.

"Grandmother and Grandmother are very proud of him, though. We got to see them yesterday. And to play the gamebox! I wish we could have one at home. Or a computer. This internet sounds very interesting. You can talk to people over it and everything." Visiting always got her a little excited about these odd Muggle things. Their tutors hadn't covered all of them.

She gave a little shrug and took another cookie, which crumbled a little on her plate. "If Aileen likes him, then I hope that she isn't too slow to admit it. Mum and Father really love each other." At that, she sniffled quietly. It seemed like that made her really lucky, especially with what some of the other students said.

"It's sad really to think that this still goes on, but I can understand. Your parents are very traditional no? Things haven't been very easy around here, but they love each other so very much that it makes all the harder times worth it." Sophia smiled, "Or at least maybe I read between the lines too much." She held up her hand in a heart shape, and in a strange nearly poetic way forgave Abby right then for being Sasha's date.

"I think if two people really love each other, and truly madly deeply love one another than it shouldn't matter." She said rather defeated, "About age difference or birth. Though, I suppose when it comes time for me to start dating and marrying I'll have my father to live up to. I would be heartbroken if I disappointed him." She sank a little in her seat thinking about him catching her about to prank with Lucas.

"He's a very fierce man, and I think that is why I think he and Mother are so well matched." Sophia sat back in her chair, "Professor Trishna seems very nice. He's always very kind, and has a big heart--or at least from what I can tell. I'm very fond of his daughter, even if she wouldn't go to the Yule Ball with me." Sophia deflated thinking about it and put her chin on her palm.

For a moment, Abby looked at the girls and wished her own family were so close. Tarron did not seem the type to ignore tension and Aisling did not seem the type to scream about it. ‘Mugglespawn’ though the kids might be, they were happy, gracious, easy to be around.

“It shows!” She grinned at them when they made the heart signs. “How close all of you are to each other. I hope Aileen’s not too much of a slowpoke either,” she told Rowena, “Though she’s in luck – she’s got me and a whole troop of first years to pester her about finding true love.”

Lucky, indeed!

She could relate to Sophia about not wanting to disappoint her father – well, her parents in general. Abby’s friends might not understand why she was willing to entertain marriage plans, but she was considering it because she'd grown up with the expectation, and it was the one thing she could do that would please the very traditional side of her family. She knew she wanted to get married someday. If things went well with Tyr, it would just happen sooner rather than later.

“You? Disappoint him? Nah, I can’t see it,” Abby tried to reassure Sophia, who acted more ladylike than Abby had ever been able to.

But then she said ‘daughter’. Professor Tappy’s daughter.

Abby almost choked on her tea. The corners of her mouth turned up in a confused smile.

"Who! Gigi or Cy?" She paused, thinking rapidly. Probably Cy. Closer in age, not intimidating.

“Like, as a big sister?” She continued her silly questions, pushing back any hasty conclusions. Abby sent a puzzled look at Rowena, expecting her to understand what was going on.

Everything was going so much better. The big awkwardness seemed to be past, even if Sophia did seem a little saddened. Rowena motioned at one of the plates on the table. "More cookies, anyone? Or tea?" Proper hostess questions.

"And I think Father is very proud of you, Sophia. I don't expect that to ever change." Rowena looked as serious as she possibly could while she spoke. "As is Mum." Her little sister was proper and annoying and her sister and one of the few people she could really talk to. Also wonderful.

"It was Cyhirae. And a date-date." She made the little heart gesture with her hands again. "Not that we'd tell Father that. He didn't want us having dates." Dates with pretty girls would be even more awkward. "I'm sure Sophia will find someone wonderful once she really starts dating, though." A smile at her sister. Rowena wasn't going to worry about finding someone til she was interested. Even if did feel odd that Sophia had beat her to it.

"No thank you, Rowena. I'm actually getting rather restless." She wouldn't eat anything else, she was too worried about her mother. In her mind she could see her face curled up on the couch before the company came, and it made the pit of her stomach hurt. However, when her sister ratted her out, Sophia was quick to hiss at her.

"At least I asked someone! And I had a wonderful dance partner...just not during the first and second year dance." She shook her head thinking about that again.