Spring. The air was crisp, but not too chilly. Flower buds were staring to open up and bloom, which gave spots of bright color to the many trees on the school grounds. It made Fauna happy to be outside. Her bum was perched carefully on the high, sturdy tree branch of her favorite tree. She swung her legs slightly, then shifted to allow a line of ants to crawl up the bark unhindered.

She opened up the letter from her sister and read it over, smiling. Moira had written to tell her about the recent gig she’d landed at a bar in London, called the Pig’s Squeal. Fauna wasn’t sure she approved of the name, but at least Moira would be singing two nights a week there, so she was thankful.

Fauna leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes for moment. Classes were especially stressful, and final exams were coming up, but she was determined to relax today. With the good news she'd just heard it might be possible. Opening her eyes, she maneuvered around to open the small pack she carried, and searched in it until she found a crumpled, but blank, piece of paper. She began writing a letter back, telling her she was happy for her and that she might have figured out a new song for her to sing. Fauna often helped Moira create the melodies, though she stayed far, far away from writing lyrics. Her rhyming was plain awful, and they both knew it.

As she wrote, she hummed out the tune; a very carefree song about what people wished they were doing while at work. Her legs swung faster, in line with the rhythm, until something surprising happened.

She lost her shoe! Actually, it went flying a good twenty feet with the force of a bludger. Fauna grimaced and stopped swinging immediately. She glanced down and straightened her remaining shoe to fit better on her foot. This afternoon, she’d worn mustard yellow sneakers, the kind with no heel, so she could slip in and out of them easily. Scrawled doodles in black marker decorated the surface so that tiny patches of yellow peeked out. The laces were ratty, the doodles faded, and the insides probably a bit smelly, but they were well loved and worn.

Fauna sighed and looked down at the ground in dismay. As much as she didn’t want to, she’d have to climb down and find her missing shoe… before someone used it for Quidditch practice.

Inika had been taking a walk across the lawns, down to the lake, where she was planning on sitting on a rock, with her hair unbound, looking pretty and trailing her hand dreamily in the water while thinking about the physiques of some of the less injury-prone quidditch players in the European League.

When something hit her in the head.

Double-yew tee eff!

First of all, it hurt like hell. Second of all, it stank like hell.  Hell being full of sulphur as everyone well knows.  And third of all, after Inika had recovered herself by reaching up to ensure that her brains weren't falling out of a hole in  the side of her head and she didn't have a lump the size of a melon protruding from her brow, she saw lying on the grass at her feet a shoe.

Inika recognised that shoe.  How could she not recognise something as ugly as that?  One of a pair that she saw every day, as they made their unholy trek through the common room into the light of day.  Inika knew Fauna disliked her, but she didn't think the little wretch would sink so low as to throw shoes at her.  Was this some weird uprising in the name of people without style everywhere?  Why would people without style want to have a revolution anyway?  Why not just ask for a makeover?

She picked up the shoe and considered it.  Maybe, just maybe, this was all a coincidence.  But even if it was, Inika still had Fauna's shoe.

Fauna shimmied down the tree, pack over her shoulder and a few twigs in her hair. She walked at a slightly brisk pace, which for her meant she didn’t dawdle or pick up stray pebbles off the ground. When she saw who was holding her shoe, she tensed, then shuffled quickly towards the girl.

Even if she knew how to mask the displeasure on her face, she wouldn’t care to. Inika was holding her shoe and looking at it like it offended her deeply. Fauna frowned and stood a few feet away from her. She crossed her arms, glad that she’d decided to wear her extra large sweater today, because it almost came down to her knees and felt very warm. The grass dampened her sock and caused her toes to wriggle uncomfortably. There was a hole in the front of the sock so that her big toe poked out.

Fauna scratched her head and shifted. “Uhh.. can I have my shoe back?” she mumbled, putting her hand out and glancing around the grounds to avoid looking at Inika. Fauna didn’t know why the girl had picked up her shoe, or how she’d found it, but with any luck this meeting would be over in seconds.

Devlin's eyes slowly cracked open, the light streaming through his dorm window blinding him. Groaning, he rolled over and covered his face with his pillow, toppling a couple of dirty magazine's onto the floor next to him. Staring at the page that fell over through sleep glazed eyes, Devlin mentally compared the curvy brunette blowing him kisses from the glossy centerfold to his current 'girlfriend'. In his half awake state, the two combined into a very pretty, and very nude, fairy.... who then screeched at him something about the lake.

"Oh---" Dev sat up, cursing. He had intended to meet Inika at the lake today. Right now in fact. Cursing, he stumbled out of bed, tripped on his blankets, tripped on his pants as he hopped on one foot trying to get into them, and then tripped over his roomates cat on the way out of the room. He really didn't stop the stream of curse words until he was out of the common room and running towards the stairs. Once there, he took them two at a time and had to leap in order to catch the right landing as the stairs switched at the last minute.

By the time he reached the lake, his hair was a mess and he was out of breath. Damn girls and their soft bits that made him do stuff like wake up early and run. As he neared where he figured she would be, Devlin slowed and tried to tame his hair and breathing. Walking around the tree, he saw the familiar figure of Inika, which he paused for a moment to admire before strolling up to her. Without warning, since he didn't see the reason to give any, Devlin wrapped his arms around her slender waist and kissed her cheek. "Hey beautiful..." He grinned.

His eyes caught sight of a rather disheveled blond that he thought he recognized and he realized that he had inturrupted something. His eyes trailed from the blond to a rather old shoe in Inika's hand. His brows arched as he stepped back "... Am I missing something?"

Ah, Devlin.  Normally, Inika would have stepped out of his embrace.  Treat 'em mean, keep em keen, you know?  But she let him have his moment so Fauna could get a glimpse of what she would never have.

"Only your chance to kiss me better," she replied, glancing at him.  "Fauna decided to start hurling footwear and hasn't even said sorry for hitting me yet."

She returned her gaze to the shoe still cradled in her hands.

"I don't see why you'd want this back, anyway," Inika informed Fauna.  "I mean, it wasn't exactly the greatest quality even before you decided to "express yourself" all over it."

As Fauna peered into space, attempting to ignore Inika and the smug look on her face, she recognized someone in the distance. A boy was running towards them at a light jog, stopping a few feet behind Inika to smooth down his hair. Fauna’s spirits sank. It was Devlin Matthews.

She watched, annoyed, as he came up behind Inika and surprised her with a hug. Devlin wasn’t so bad when he was by himself, but when he was with his friends or worse, Inika, she didn’t like him much. She took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and looked away again. Fauna had to wonder why Inika was so reluctant to hand back a single shoe. She didn’t have to wait long to find out!

Fauna shook her head when Devlin asked if he was missing something, but apparently, they both were. As soon as Inika’s accusation flew out of her mouth, Fauna looked at her in shock and embarrassment. Hit her? Well sure, sometimes she’d entertained the fantasy, but she’d never intentionally hurt the girl, even though they hardly got along.

“W-what?” She said, voice barely above a whisper, as if she thought someone was eavesdropping. “What are you talking about?”

Inika always managed to make her feel like a fool, with little to no effort. Fauna had no idea why she would resort to lying, though she suspected it had something to do with the cute boy standing nearby.

“Uh, look…” she mumbled, staring down at the hole in her sock. Inika continued, making some nasty jab about the quality of her shoe. Typical. Fauna should have seen it coming.

She flushed and glanced up sharply. “Well, obviously-“ At least, ‘obviously’ was what she tried to say, but it came out a bit jumbled. “Well, you don’t want it,” she tried again. “And it’s mine, so…” her voice trailed off as she thought back. Perhaps Inika wasn’t lying after all. Maybe, just maybe, the shoe really had bonked her on the head. A snicker escaped her mouth before she could help it. Talk about karma!

Sobering quickly, she glanced at Devlin, and back at Inika. She didn’t think to try and explain herself, because that required more talking, and she didn’t want to fumble over another word. So, Fauna held out her hand again and waited, hoping that her beloved yellow shoe would somehow magically appear in her grasp. It was either that, or put her faith in Inika, and she wasn’t that naïve.

"Yours?" Inika asked, gazing past Fauna.

Her right hand came up to touch her head while her left clutched tight to the shoe, and then Inika let her knees buckle so that the only thing holding her up was Devlin's hands around her waist.

"I don't feeeeeel well," she moaned as her eyes slipped almost all the way closed.

"Only your chance to kiss me better, Fauna decided to start hurling footwear and hasn't even said sorry for hitting me yet."

Behind her, Devlin's face flickered between his grin and a grimace before situating itself firmly back into a smile, though a strained one at best. His relationship with Inika was purely physical, something he was sure both of them were aware of, so when she gave him that superior attitude of hers, he had to remind himself that there was no way in hell he was going to be dumped by her. He would wait until she was no more use to him, or until he found a prettier girl, and then he would dump her. Devlin refused to be the dumpee. This in mind, he managed to take her side, giving Fauna a half-hearted look of disdain "Did she now..."

"I don't see why you'd want this back, anyway, I mean, it wasn't exactly the greatest quality even before you decided to "express yourself" all over it."

“Well, obviously--Well, you don’t want it, And it’s mine, so…”

As the two argued... well, scratch that. Inika was dominating the poor mouse like hufflepuff, who's argument was stating the very obvious. He almost felt bad for her. It was apparent who was winning this debate and if Inika didn't stop soon, the poor thing was going to be in tears. He opened his mouth to say something to the extent of 'let's go snog or something', just to get her out of there before the other girl started sniffling, when suddenly Inika sagged against him, faint. He, in his surprise, stumbled back slightly but managed to regain his balance just in time so as to not drop her.

"I don't feeeeeel well,"

Devlin almost snorted at the faint. Who really held their hand to their head when they were fainting? But, as her boyfriend, he had no choice but to worry. Besides, she was sagging against him and his teenage libido was simply not helping him make the logical choice. He quickly scooped her up, worry etched across his brow "Are you all right? What happened?"

Fauna waited in vain for her shoe. As her mind worked furiously to try to think of a decent snippy remark, or at least, a remark that wasn’t completely lame, Inika took that moment to play the damsel in distress.

Confused, Fauna took a step forward as the girl fluttered her eyelashes and fell back into Devlin. She heard her whine something about her head and felt guilty for a moment, watching as Devlin caught her and murmured at her comfortingly.

Then, she looked at Inika’s hand. Her hand still grasped Fauna’s sneaker, which meant she was not at all in danger of fainting. She hadn’t even loosened her grip! Fauna gave her a long, hard look, and before she could think about her actions, darted forward and snatched her shoe back.

Angrily, Fauna shoved the shoe back on her foot and rolled her eyes. Inika was just too ridiculous sometimes.

Her foot felt soggy and gross in her shoe now. She glanced at Devlin, slowly realizing what he must think of her, to grab something out of his girlfriend’s hand when she was in a ‘weakened’ state.

She shoved her hands in her pockets and tried to explain. “I didn’t, you know… throw anything at her. I just… I was in a tree, that one over there,” she pointed behind her. “And I was swinging my feet and it happened.”

Fauna shrugged a little and stared off, wondering when would be a good time to walk away. If she left now, she was afraid a curse would folllow.

Ollie was enjoying the spring air; she might as well take it in while she could. She had four days before she was headed back home for the full moon and then she would be spending a night the following day in the confines of her safe room. Ollie knew not to wear her good clothes that day but she liked all her clothes even if they were a little worn, and some torn. Ollie didn’t mind that her clothes were worn as she particularly liked them that way and found her uniform for Hogwarts a bit too crisp for her liking. Her uniform was actually a bit on the small size she had developed a bit this year in height and body shape her mother would not be so thrilled to learn of this when she came home. Hopefully her mother would finish a book soon and new inflow of money would arrive, she was still getting a bit of income from the other books but a big pay cheque would be nice.

Ollie was currently enjoying the grounds walking barefoot through the grass; it sort of tickled her toes. Her feet were starting to grow a little cold almost reading the point of being cold enough for a numb feeling to set in. “That isn’t good,” she mumbled to herself deciding to sit down on the grass and shove her socks and shoes back on. She dropped her shoes and was down to her knees and then her bum pulling on her socks and canvase toped runners. Sure her shoes were old and worn, with some holes but they were comfortable. She stood up and dusted of the bum of her jeans and adjusted her sweater that hung open, she pulled down her shirt and inspected it the loose fitting fabric was clinging more, damn growth spurt.

She was just looking at her clothes when she heard a few voices, all familiar but one less so than the others. She wondered what it was all about, it sounded all rather odd. A shoe? Someone being hit? Someone not feeling well? Ollie was all so very confused. Ollie walked over and saw Fauna but she seemed a little distressed. She hurried a bit and came in just as Fauna said she didn’t throw anything. “Of course she didn’t throw anything, why would Fauna throw something?” Was it the shoe that was thrown? Why would anyone throw a shoe? Ollie dwelled on it for a moment and then glanced at the lovebirds, well if you call them that. Ollie was sure she saw the boy with a few girls in her time and Hogwarts and Inika was definitely seen with a few guys. She just raised her eyebrow at them and the scene, what was wrong with Inika? “What’s wrong with you?” She asked directed at Inika but there was obviously some lack of concern.

Honestly, Fauna Blake was really something.  Stealing from an unconscious woman?  And she called herself a Hufflepuff.  Inika tried for a moment to keep hold of the shoe, but let go after only a moment with the realisation that she couldn't make a bid for Swooner of the Year and keep Fauna's shoe.  Besides, Fauna was a lost cause.  She would go on insulting people's eyeballs for as long as she lived.

Meanwhile, Devlin was acting just as the knight in shining armour should.  Scooping her up into his arms, it was almost as though he was a real boyfriend.  A real boyfriend who really liked her.  Drat.   Inika had always assumed they were more than just a couple.  She'd assumed they shared the same ideals. 

"I don't know," she answered weakly.  "I felt really dizzy and then I just lost all sensation in my legs."

She smiled up at him and ignored Olivia.  Couldn't the girl see she had almost died?

Inwardly, Devlin sighed. Inika was obviously faking and it annoyed him that he had to pretend to care. But then, he supposed that was what attracted him in the first place. Aside from the face, the chest and the rump that is. She was smarter then he had first assumed, and boy did he feel like an ass for that, because he was quickly learning that he couldn't control her as much as he had hoped. This situation was a perfect example where she got the upper hand merely by appealing to his teenage boy libido. He was debating whether to call her on her acting and drop her, or to play along. While he pondered, Fauna took her chance to grab her shoe back. Devlin didn't do anything to stop her, after all, it was her shoe and wouldn't have gotten him a knut anyways.

“I didn’t, you know… throw anything at her. I just… I was in a tree, that one over there, and I was swinging my feet and it happened.”

Devlin wanted to tell her it was alright and that Inika was just being mellodramatic, but he had a feeling that this would lead to her fist being shoved into his kidney, so he just gave her a pseudo-apologetic smile. Before he could say anything, another person shoved their way into the scene and declared loudly  “Of course she didn’t throw anything, why would Fauna throw something?” He recognized the girl as Olivia Foley from Hufflepuff and sighed a little. Just what they needed, another badger with more loyalty then brains. He had to admit that the fact she so willingly put herself in Inika's path by sticking up for Fauna was certainly interesting. It seemed that Fauna had more friends then he had thought.

"I don't know, I felt really dizzy and then I just lost all sensation in my legs."

Before he could think much more on this fact, Inika's smile caught him off guard. Ah, time to play 'loving boyfriend'. "You had me worried..." He said, the sincerity in his tone slightly strained. He decided he would play along, for now, since he knew if he didn't, she would make him regret it later. Damn you weakness, thy name is woman! Smiling, since he had to admit she looked very pretty all faint and weak, he scooped her up and managed to stand. Thank Merlin for all that physical labor he did for his brother over the summer, she wasn't as light as she looked. "You think you can walk, or should I carry you to the infirmary?" He said, as kindly as possible, all while praying that she would choose the former.

Olivia was the real knight in shining armor here. The second she came into view, Fauna’s shoulders relaxed and she felt like a weight had been lifted.

“What’s wrong with you?”

She grinned at Ollie’s tone. It was ironic the way the younger Hufflepuff always came to the rescue of the older one, but it was such an everyday occurrence now that Fauna didn’t even think about it. She was just grateful they were friends, and that she had an ally against Inika.

She looked on with an incredulous expression as poor Devlin fell for Inika’s act, going so far as to offer to carry her to the infirmary. Her lips twitched. She shot a glance at Ollie. The only kind of humor Fauna was good at was slapstick humor- meaning, she did something embarrassing, and people would laugh at her. She could appreciate some jokes, but when it came to telling them, or poking fun at others, she was quite hopeless.

That didn’t stop her though.

“Ollie,” she said slowly, trying to keep a straight face. “Are you sure you’re feeling well? There’s this sickness going around…  it makes your legs numb, your, uh, eyelashes flutter, and… your head hurt.” Fauna put her hand on Ollie’s forehead, as if checking for a fever.

“It’s called a case of bull.. er, dragon dung.” She corrected herself before dissolving into giggles.

Fauna would have offered to carry Ollie to the infirmary as well, but she didn’t want to offend Devlin too much. After all, he’d let her steal her shoe back without comment.

Ollie could not believe what she was seeing, Devlin was carrying her and offering to take her to infirmary. This was ridiculous, what she wouldn’t pay to see him just drop her on her fat arse. Ollie would honestly pay him to drop her right this second just to get a good laugh, and she was sure if she paid him it would clear her of her pocket money for the next week. Ollie figured she could manage without money, she didn’t need it but she wouldn’t mind a laugh.

As Fauna started to pretend fuss over her Ollie pretended to appear lightheaded as if she would fall over at any moment. “Catch me if I fall Fauna, I have of the dragon dung.” She closed her eyes and went to fall but just took a step back with her head to her forehead. Laughing she stood up straight and brushed her forehead as if she had to wipe sweat from her brow. “Phew, being dramatic is hard work,” she looked back to Fauna. “I think I am overworked from pretending to be ill, perhaps you should carry me to the hospital wing because apparently being dramatic takes away the use of my legs.” Ollie rolled her eyes as she looked back to the older students.

Ollie chewed her bottom lip as she shoved her hands in the back pocket of her jeans. She was trying to will Devlin to drop Inika as she shook her head. This was ridiculous, how could Devlin want to be with someone so melodramatic. Ollie had something to be dramatic about but she didn’t. “Fauan I wouldn’t blame you if you did throw your shoe at her, but I doubt you did.” Ollie wished she had actually knocked the girl out; it would be a funny story. Inika was knocked out by a shoe would definitely be a story to tell.

Carry her to the infirmary.  So tempting... 

"No, I think I can walk if you help me," she said.

Inika shot a look at the other Hufflepuffs.  How dare they make fun of a sick girl!