It had been a good day so far, no rain was always a plus and she was positive it was a good thing for her, always have to think positively about how things were! So positive in fact that she had received a gift from her parents, well there was a supply package, in general some treats and toiletries, strawberry scented things also! It was nicer then smelling of fish from being under the lake all the time! And strawberries smelt good, so there was a bonus! But the main thing was she got them to get her an item, she didn't think they'd know what it was since both were only used to magical world, although they likely could tell what it would be used for and just didn't think it would be a big deal. Well non strict mom would anyway.

It was infact an item she had only found out through a muggleborn, as it was a muggle item. And the weather seemed perfect for it, it was cloudy but it hadn't rained, although it was a bit dark due to the time of the year. Although what was the point of magic if you couldn't light things up? Well light her wand up, she was waiting until end of August before she could try using her wand as a lighter.

She checked to make sure no one else was around, it was now their free time, dinner had been amazing as always, on her way back to Slytherin she should detour to say thank you to the Elves, they were always so good at cooking. Her testing place and creative board would be the Clock Tower Courtyard, a fine place to make her mark she figured. Confident no one else was around, she moved over to wall right of the wooden bridge, someone tomorrow should notice it, and hopefully make a small buzz. But really she just wanted to test her artistic skills and do something a little...rulebreaking, dangerous wasn't the right word so that would have to do. Was it a cry for help? Or wanting attention? No, she just felt like it and it seemed fun.

With a read of the instructions Allura was pleased, still not a drop of rain meant her outfit was somewhat justified, although she was sure she could of put on something warmer, but she had magic, that had to count for something right?

Deciding it was time to try out her new toy/gift, she grip the cylinder in her hands and started shaking, giving off a rattling noise before she aimed it at the wall, followed by a hiss as she released a mist of red.

Frank Sellaphix had been on his way out to the greenhouses from another way when he heard something funny, a sharp rattling or shaking noise and then a hiss. He knew it couldn't be a Runespoor because they didn't have rattlers, but if he didn't go and confirm it wasn't a deadly orange three-headed serpent then how could he finish the story that began with, 'I heard something that didn't sound like a runespoor'? That was the Ravenclaw in him, probably, needing to have all loose threads tied up. When he did round the corner and confirm it wasn't a runespoor, Frank stopped short. It was Allura Bythesea.

"What are you doing?"

Frank hurried over closer and set down the large ceramic plant pot on the ground. There was a long red streak on the ancient walls, still glistening wet. There was a chemical smell on the air. Frank wrinkled his nose.

"What is that? What are you doing?" he asked again. Allura was friendly and very pretty and Frank wasn't ever disappointed if they were assigned to work together, but there was just something a little off about her. Like, her smile only went so deep. Frank wouldn't ever want to think the worst of someone, so he didn't want to consider that Allura was somehow shallow or deceptive, but she was odd. Smart, funny, nice, but ... odd.

Frank looked around again. They were alone and clearly Allura had expected that to be the case. "Is that paint?"

"What are you doing?"

Allura snapped around and hid the can behind herself, it was pointless, it had been seen but she didn't want it out in the open! Luckily for her however it was not a teacher, that would of been very bad if she was caught by Ignan, likely have to clean the paint off with her tongue or something, but it wasn't. It was...oh whats his name? Frank? Its an odd name for someone not in their 30's. Like if a kid was named Bob or Charles. Well Charles depends on how rich they are and how snobbish.

Either way it was a student, year below her if she was right? She can deal with that, she won't need to use any special charms, as a teenager and a boy he's likely to just be amazed by a girl talking to him. But he was dating Eirene right? She didn't trust the Howler for accurate reporting but there had been lots of rumours and murmurings from her contacts, so it seemed likely, although she was yet to put any stock in it. There usually was rumours whenever a boy and girl started hanging out, there was the one that a Gryffindor girl was dating a convict which seemed outrageous.

She put on a more relaxed face, better to do then her frozen shock face. "Oh hey there." She smiled warmly, she wasn't that happy to see a boy but she needed to make sure he didn't tell on her. Ravenclaws tended to be stingie on the rules and report you for breathing too loud in the library. Atleast with a boy she can try manipulating, girls are more difficult to manipulate, or maybe just cause her charms don't work as well on them, which made her more at ease as atleast they would like her while boys just like her.

"This thing?" She showed the can. "Uuuh, kinda, its kinda paint. Not magical though." She said in a warm and happy voice, hoping her usual bubbly facade would hold despite being caught without it and no warm up. "Why do you ask?"

Kinda paint. Frank furrowed his eyebrows. What was 'kinda paint'? Of course there were many 'kinds' of paint, but something was either part of the paint category or it wasn't, Frank was sure until this moment. But now when presented with a girl clearly putting paint on the wall her funny smile and little evasive word had him questioning the most basic of definitions. Paint or no paint or something kinda in between, Frank had caught her in the act of something. She tried to cover it, but he'd surprised her.

"Should you be doing that?"

He could hear himself and he sounded like a whiny tell-tale. But what was he supposed to do, just pick up his agave starter and continue on his way? That seemed criminally un-curious.

"I mean, what - what are you writing?" he tried again, trying to sound less like a first year.

Should she be doing that, a very good question, was it against school rules? She had no clue, it probably was but the list must be like a hundred pages of what you're not allowed to do after all the years, feeding Peeves is probably on there and making sure you don't open the Chamber of Secrets is almost certain to be listed. Considering its a muggle item, she would like to believe its not on the list. But because muggle borns attend, it likely is.

"Should I? There are lots of things you shouldn't do, according to the bible you shouldn't work on Sunday's, according to ancient laws by Oliver Cromwell, we shouldn't celebrate Christmas." She carefully deflected the question, probably doing a horrendous job but for on the spot she was fairly proud of it. As she kept up her smile she approached the Ravenclaw, glanced at the flower pot and then away. "According to Hogwarts we shouldn't be up after curfew, alot do it anyway, when Umbridge was in charge, no one was meant to learn defensive magic. But Harry Potter still taught it." Okay maybe saying that was too far, she was straight up vandalizing the castle.

The second question was....well she wasn't writing something, she had a plan at the very least. And once done she may test enchanting it, whether it was a violation of muggle magic or whatever was up to anyones guess, but she didn't care, she just wanted the picture to move and roar. Going about the school and napping. Maybe pester the portraits for some fun, scare the fat lady so Gryffindor's can't get into their house.

"I'm not writing, I was going to paint a Peruvian Vipertooth, its going to be slightly off colour as this is only can I got, but I can use spells to fix it." She said calmly and matter of factly, like what she was doing was perfectly ordinary and not vandalizing an ancient castle, but if the castle survived a siege, whats the damage that some muggle paint can do to it?

Frank tried to interrupt Allura, weakly, a couple of times. She'd gone off on the most 'well actually' tangent he'd heard from someone other than himself in a good long while and was quite affronted. He was the somewhat pedantic (if not kind-hearted) Ravenclaw who wanted to add too much additional information to scenarios. But instead this older, too pretty, vandal of a Slytherin was muddying the waters, obscuring the very obvious answer to the question: no, you should not be painting snakes on the walls of a very famous and magical castle! Their school! Frank had only ever seen marks on the walls in the bathrooms and that was kind of what bathroom walls were for.

Frank didn't like this at all. He would reject the accusation that he was a goody-goody but he wouldn't be able to offer any meaningful evidence to the contrary.

"I find your justifications irrelevant," he said trying to come off cooler than he was. "You shouldn't be doing that. Why not paint on a canvas or something meant for it?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Is this a cry for help?"

Allura's eyes narrowed, this is why she hated Ravenclaws. They can't let anything go and had to keep going at it. Gryffindors you can make fun of, they'd get angry, attack, lose points. Hufflepuffs..she didn't know, put some work there or food? Someone who needs a hug? Slytherins? They'd help you rob Gringotts if you offered them a butterbeer for it. Ravenclaws are so high and mighty in their tower, oh look at me I'm after a bird, the courtyard has statues of birds killing snakes. Snakes can kill birds to!  Stupid birds.

It wasn't as if this was going to damage the castle! You can literally wave a stick at it and it will disappear! How hard is that to clean up? He was acting like she'd stolen one of the paintings or torn it up! Besides the castle needed more colour. Its just sorta...brown and grey. Not even warm!

A canvas? Really? She spread out her arms to gesture to the castle. "This is my canvas. Art shouldn't be restricted to just paper just cause someone may think it looks ugly!"

The last part made her trying to be cheerful and happy stop, her eyes narrowed as she glared at Frank, she didn't have the warmup to face people she knew well right now, this wasn't a Noriko conversation, this was some third year ravenclaw boy. Her lips moved and she almost let slip a long tirade at him along the lines of him hooking up with Eirene by accident, luckily she caught it and after an awkward moment of her trying to decide what to say. All she let out was. "Mlukvay."

This wasn't a cry for help, what would she need help for? She's doing perfect, she is doing well educationally barely, she was loved by those you manipulate, she had friends mistaking attraction for friends, she had best friends no one knows you that well. She was doing amazing! You'll fail in everything.

All she was doing was spray painting a Peruvian Vipertooth sleeping, with muggle paint, alone, on a venerable castle, why would anything be wrong with that?

Frank watched Allura go through something behind her eyes. Her slick smile faded away and she began glaring at him, which made him swallow a lump in his throat and check the courtyard to see if anyone just happened to be strolling to his rescue. You know what, he thought to himself, you should just let this be. If she wanted company, she would have come out here with friends. Obviously she wanted to do this on her own and in secret. In the end, no one was getting hurt. Maybe just the house elves who'd have to clean it up if no one caught Allura.

But then Allura said something. Frank tipped his head forward as if to listen more closely.  It sounded like Gobbledegook, but Frank only knew like three words in Gobbledegook and they were three different ways to say no.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, more curious now that wary.

Was he confused by something she said? She didn't realize she had to dumb herself down for a ravenclaw, that was fairly unusual, usually they loved flaunting words. Like a parakeet perpetuating pronunciation properly, precisely, predictably painfully. Promising nothing but headaches and annoyances as they try to act like smug rich kids, trying to act somewhat like Rigel could when he flaunts about, or any first year belonging to a pureblood family thinking their status makes them higher and wealthier.

Either way somehow she confused the Ravenclaw, she thought back to things she said for what confused, the castle being her canvas wasn't that bad...oh. She got it now, and now she knew how to wind up the little brat. well he was only a couple years younger but he was still a little brat, and that was the truly important aspect here. Mlukvay, that was what confused him.

A sly grin went over her face as she repeated the word. "Mlukvay." If he didn't know the language then she can tell him anything is anything, she can tell him a curse and say its the greeting, she doubted many others in the school were Bulgarian though, she was...kinda bulgarian, her mother is a Veela and is from Bulgaria, so that meant something. Sadly being here meant she couldn't go to Durmstrang, which was regrettable. Be better then putting up with Frank right now by a long shot. It would be safer.

"Mlukvay, Zatvaryay si ustata." She smirked at the boy, her right arm slowly crossed over the left one as she said it, the only problem would be if he told to a Professor. If they kick you out we can just go to Durmstrang. Have the better Quidditch team as the national.

"I don't know what you're saying," Frank said sharply. He didn't understand Allura's words but he could read her posture and snippy snarky attitude fluently. She was teasing him because he'd interrupted her rule-breaking and told her she shouldn't be doing it. No one liked that, but that's what she should have expected.

He crossed his arms and lifted his chin.

"You could be telling me you've got on pink socks for all I know, so there's no use me getting offended, actually. So go ahead and keep talking in whatever language that is, and I'm just going to go."

Frank then leaned down and picked up his big ceramic pot and cocked his head daring her to keep going with her funny language.

Aaw, he was no fun anymore, he was giving up on letting her tease, and was picking up his pot. The pot was the signal he was going, she did want company, she hated being alone with her thoughts, maybe she should speak in english so he can understand her, it seemed more fair for the poor Ravenclaw didn't it? Can't let the Ravenclaws not know something can they? Plus she had reasons to keep him around, she wanted info and details on him....and Eirene.

"I'm saying that I'm wearing pink knickers, don't get yours all in a twist." She moved over to the wall she drew a line on, crossed her arms and faced the Ravenclaw as her left foot took its place on the ancient brickwork. She hoped she looked cool but honestly she had no clue how she would look right now, which wasn't something she was used to, usually everything was planned out as she did them. She didn't like this.

"You can stay, we got hours until curfew and even then, who cares, can just say you got lost or attacked by a Dementor." She shrugged in a very forced way but trying to make it appear casual. "Professors are too busy on a couple of students to notice anything else, well atleast Headmaster won't take action as he is." A small smirk came over her again but it quickly faded away, he probably wouldn't like that.

Frank didn't believe Allura and the comment about her knickers made him cringe internally. He didn't want to think about her knickers. Figaro's letter rang in his mind about kissing girls and all of that. Thinking about it made him feel awkward. But he knew she'd only said it to mess with him, so he put it out of his mind.

"There aren't Dementors at Hogwarts, actually," he said firmly. They'd taken many precautions and the newspaper was saying the whole thing was dying down anyway, what with that whole Pentral thing.

"As he's what?" Frank demanded. Frank honestly did doubt that petty vandalism was the Headmaster's problem. It would certainly be purview of the Slytherin Head of House or the groundskeeper, so why would she even bring up Headmaster Greyfriar.

But as soon as he said it, he buttoned up. "Actually, I don't want to know. You shouldn't spread rumors."

Shouldn't spread rumours? That was sort of her game, it was a good game, lots of Slytherins did the game. But it led to a good argument point for her, and with that she could turn it on him now, delightfully devilish Allura!

"If we shouldn't spread rumours, give the truth to something for me." She put on her sweet and friendly smile, finally able to conjure it up as she subtly tried to magic her spray can away from herself and into her bag with a waggle of wandship.

"Are you and Eirene dating? Its a popular rumour right now, may of seen it in print. If you don't want rumours, you combat it with the truth. So be a dear?" Oh god that made her sound old didn't it? She hoped it would make her sound more cool and mischievous but its reminding her of her mother when she wants a cup or tea or something from the top shelf.

But it was her chance to turn things around on who was interrogating who, and she would take that opportunity, she was the one caught doing something wrong so she needed to be defensive, but now she could move on the attack and force Frank to answer on things she wanted answers for, like is Eirene's cat really called Xanthe? She felt the name was just a joke everyone did, and it had a different name. It just didn't roll off the tongue like a cat name should, or atleast in her mind.

It had been a week since the rumor was published in the Hogwarts Howler.[1] It had led to Eirene and Frank having to face some awkward truths. Frank had even been desperate enough to contact his older brother who had always been dating or re-dating someone or another.[2] Even though he felt like they'd mostly worked it out, the question still rankled, especially coming from Allura and that tone.

"Actually," Frank said and set down his pot again. "It's none of anyone's business. Rumors are the responsibility of people who made them up, not those who they're about."

He crossed his arms. It had been painful. It had been confusing. And he still had loads of questions about Eirene but also himself. But he and Eirene had been resolved.

"We're friends. We've only ever been friends."

Friends who liked to hang out, talk, study, and sure, hold hands sometimes. There was nothing wrong with that.

"There are all kinds of friendships," he said firmly. Allura's tactic to distract him had gone over his head; he'd fallen for it.

1.	20 Jan 2012 - A Friend in the Hand is Sweeter
2.	20 Jan 2012 - I Really Hate to Ask

They weren't a couple, that was...a bit disappointing? Whenever she had Eirene outside of class she was always studying, so hanging out with something could of done her some good, although same time she was a Ravenclaw so not her concern much, and it meant Noriko was free more which was good for herself. But from looking over Frank, they could be cute together? Probably why it started alongside them arriving together.

"Aw, alright, I'll make sure others know you two aren't." If she remembered that was, she may not. "Only question now is, anyone about that you are into. But I'll find out regardless of if you tell me." She teased at him, she was happy now, this was more her speed. Of course though everyone would hear if he did really fancy someone, it was impossible not to hear romances in Hogwarts, some people just had to show it off.

Her plan however worked, he was now on the questioned side and she could get away with vandalizing a castle older then her family tree, well she hoped she could, the two of them talking ultimately makes noise and means spending time. She can always hide the can however if someone came along, put on her best act of how she had just been looking at it and the meanie Frank accused her.