Imari strolled through the garden slowly.  She still had her alcove that no one but her and Damien knew about, but she didn't like to go there anymore.  It was almost like it was special because she had shared the secret with someone and now it wasn't that special anymore.  It had been awhile since Imari had thought of Damien, but sometimes she missed having someone to talk to like that.

Still, it had gotten easier as the days went by and now she was back to her normal self.  Staying to herself in the common room, keeping to herself in the library, not stepping into any conversations because she liked the solitude.  But it was such a nice day out and she would of liked to share it with someone, but as far as Imari was concerned, all the good guys at Hogwarts were taken and weren't likely to be dropped any time soon. 

Not that she was looking of course, she really wasn't, but she missed having someone that wanted to see her and talk to her as if she was the only person that mattered on the planet, someone that made her feel special.  She knew that she was still young and she could find someone after she graduated, but sometimes, like today, she wanted to find someone now.  She brushed her fingers along a random plant and kept walking, oblivious to the weather and everything else as she imagined who her perfect guy might be.

School was back in session and Figaro was already done with it, looking eagerly past upcoming exams and the ending of the Tournament into the summer holiday, which he was imagining as something far better than it was going to be.  He was going to have to work.  Rather than laze about all day and party all night, as he had planned.

He was on a bit of an errand as he strolled down the hall that would otherwise indicate he had no where to go.  A slow ambling pace without any sense of urgency at all.  His school bag was hanging lightly as his side, a knit cap slung back on his head letting his fringe hang out across his face.  He was chewing on a pencil whose eraser had gone and humming a Three Owl Standard song.

Then he saw her.  Exactly who he was looking for.

"Nichols!"  he shouted out a breezy archway at the Slytherin girl.  If Figaro was the sort to notice he'd see that she always seemed to have nice clothes to wear and her hair done up.  But Fig wasn't, sadly.  Although he was aware that she wasn't a complete snotbag like so many of her housemates. So he wasn't at all bothered to have found her. 

"Oi, I've got something for you."

Imari turned to see someone coming towards her, it was that Sellaphix boy.  She had nothing against him, he was a trickster though and one always had to be wary of them.  She faced him and said, "Hello Figaro."  She talked to him now and then and was relieved to find that he didn't have the prejudice that most students had against Slytherins.  "Got something for me?  Why would you have something for me?" she asked, the wariness evident in her questions.

She may have been wandering the garden in order to be alone, but she didn't mind Fig's company.  He made her laugh and that was one thing she needed all of her friends to have, the ability to make her laugh.  After all, she'd heard several people say that laughter was good for you.

Figaro smiled back, his gnawed on pencil pointing out to the side like a wooden cigar between his white teeth.  He dug into his back full of crumpled papers, food wrappers, and miscellaneous school supplies.  He pulled out a mostly crisp piece of parchment - but it had gotten wrinkled a bit in transit.  He pressed it against his stomach and tried to smooth it out.

Then he handed it over.  "You dropped this in Defense."

It had seemed important and he'd been happy to have an excuse to go on even a simple little mission.  If anyone bothered him, or he turned up late for class, he'd have an excuse.  "Pretty much your hero, I suspect.  Probably want to start a slow clap later in the Great Hall, give me gifts, but I assure you.  Totally not necessary."

"I do it for the children," he joked. 

Imari took the piece of parchment between two fingers, it was just a page from her notes.  Sure she would need it later, but for him to make a trip out to the gardens just to give it to her was a little strange, even for him.  "Yeah, slow clap, gift-giving... I'll get right on that."  She paused for a moment turning her head to one side, "What's the catch?"

Of course, Imari never thought that something was done for her just for it to be done.  She was a Slytherin of course, she thought that everything had a price.

Still chewing on his pencil, Figaro was pretty much ready to leave Imari to her pensive stroll, but she asked if there was a catch for his completely altruistic act of good will.  He shifted his weight onto one foot and laid a hand on his chin.  He hand't thought of turning this into a bribery situation.  How could he have been so short-sighted?  Now he had to think of something.

Figaro made a show of considering something devious, something truly horrible to put Imari through since she seemed so keen.  Something gross, perhaps? Endure a slug vomiting curse? Go the rest of the day with comically long and floppy ears - he knew that one.  And suddenly he felt the tiniest pang.  He'd been stoically put out the last few months since breaking it off with Sophie Flickwick.  He didn't mind being single, but he had really been missing Sophie...

If any trace of that thought showed on his face, he quickly wiped it away and took the pencil out of his mouth, and pretended to ash it. 

"Have you ever heard the tale of the Fig Prince? A frog is trapped tragically in the form of a strapping young lad and only a kiss will break the curse."

'The Fig Prince', Imari thought to herself, that's a new one.  She thought for a moment before replying with a slight smile, "I have indeed heard of that tale, but I wonder, why would the frog want to go back to being himself when the body he was cursed into is rather ..." she paused for a moment to think of the right word to use and then  smirked, "pulchritudinous." 

Figaro, grinning like a suave idiot, shifted his weight and found himself just a few inches closer to Imari who was smiling as well.  She had heard of it! Playing along was a good sign.  He might actually get a kiss.  The thought warmed him up and he shrugged as she ...

...what did she say?  He narrowed his eyes when he realized he had no idea what pulchritudinous meant.  "Thank you," he decided, opting for the notion that she was paying him a compliment rather than using a fancy word to call him smelly. 

"But yea," he said glancing down at his feet.  "That's the real mystery of the story.  Is the frog really cursed, what was the sorcerer thinking, why is the sky blue?  We can never really know if any of it is true at all."

He looked up at her again and gave her his nicest smile, the one that used to make Sophie put her head on his shoulder.