These had not been nice last two days, although the boys hadn't noticed, her face still ached from the punch received a couple days before. Yesterday it seemed fine but sore, easily masked with her foundation but today was worse, it had gone from a sore red patch to a bruise, purple and black. It was harder to hide and she was finding it annoying. Most boys wouldn't notice, they never tend to notice makeup, they usually aren't smart. Girls could notice though, her foundation didn't match well, she's only been applying it to the bruise.

She would of been fine if Peeves hadn't been throwing water at everyone in sight. Drying your clothing is easy obviously, simple spells that every wix should be able to use. But peeves had been thorough on her. Of course he would push on any advantage to tease and mock, but luckily she managed to get away just before he had exposed it fully. But now she had to go and get it done again before anyone notices, not good for business if she's been attacked, especially by a mutt. And the Professors will ask questions. Neither of which she wanted to have happen. Especially Professor involvement, she didn't want any of them to really know her beyond she attends classes. Other students are better to have knowing.

Myrtles bathroom was a good place to hide in, very few people ever ventured into the bathroom still. Of course she saw a few first years going in as some sort of haunted house ritual. Really Myrtle wasn't that bad, if you could make sure she didn't start screaming, she was good for gossip usually, although now she more wanted the privacy. The fifth floor bathroom was not working well right now with several girls hanging around looking for Puffskeins. She wasn't sure if they were real or not but she'd been noticing a buzz around there now.

The bathroom helped her in another way, no boys would enter the bathroom, almost certainly. She was already having a few boys stop awkwardly infront of her when she sits down, mess with their clothes, swallow and move on. At first she enjoyed it, amusing. But after the fifth she started to get bored by it. She was already bored by it, having had a fair share of dirty looks from other girls.

"Guess I should get to work." She sighed as she opened her bag up to start work.

Eirene was really starting to dislike February.

The month was far too short to accomplish her monthly goals, terrible things historically happened around this time (which many students had forgotten, but she remembered the kidnapping last February, because her parents had considered removing her from school), and also, also, there was the matter of Valentine's Day itself.

The day of expectations, year after year. Hopeful anticipation, year after year.

Disappointment, year after year.

She was fifteen, a fourth year, and (somewhat) romantically inclined. During classes over the years she'd learned to raise her hand above her head at an attractive angle rather than waving it in the air. Therefore she was date-able, available, here to be wooed. Where was the queue of boys just waiting to ask her out? Nowhere. Instead, while she was hurrying up the stairs after lunch, she'd bumped into a gaggle of foolish third-years who had bowed and curtsied and said Lady Apoopolus, your Sir Snotsalot awaits you in the tower of ravens, where he's crafting a valentine out of scarab beetles, laugh-inducing potion, and Professor Onuris' eyebrow hair.

Not cute. Not clever. Eirene had snapped and huffed at them to no avail, and finally retreated to the girl's loo, where half of the gaggle could not follow.

She shut the door behind her, holding it closed with a wave of her wand. Giggles sounded from the corridor, and a few brave souls lightly pushed on the door.

"I will hex your eyebrows off if you persist," she shouted at the door.

Would she? Not likely. She saved it for Defense class, when it would earn her points.

As the giggles faded, she glanced around, her nose wrinkling. Where was she? This loo smelled moldy and damp.

Eirene turned, and nearly dropped her wand. Someone was already there at the sinks. Slytherin uniform. Blond hair. Pretty face. Allura Bythesea.

Allura had it all. Looks, smarts, a nice name. Eirene flipped her braid over her shoulder and glanced at the door, then at the row of sinks.

She strode forward, keeping her gaze on her own face in the mirror. She had dark, shiny hair that was falling out of her braid. Her skin looked sallow in the winter. Her mouth had set into a thin line, and her eyes were wary. With effort, she smoothed her expression.

"Hello, Allura," Eirene greeted her coolly, keeping her eyes on her own hair as she undid her braid, combing through her hair with her fingers.

There was a slam at the door! That made Allura jump a little from her spot, she didn't expect anyone to be here! Well maybe Myrtle, it was her bathroom. But she didn't expect living people! Very few were lonely enough to come in here and no one really wants to risk seeing Myrtle going about the place! She was often one of the most disturbing ghosts to meet in the castle. She'd had more pleasant experiences with Peeves, but she supposed she would be miserable if she died in a toilet and had to stay in the castle forever.

It wasn't the door slamming that truly scared her though, she had barely recovered from the slam before someone was shouting. Was she in trouble? Had someone gone after her for the sleeping dragon graffiti? Did someone find out about her and Lucinda's scuffle? From what she could make it out, it did not sound like that. Someone was trying to escape from others.

Without realizing she had dropped her bag, she snapped around to who was there, only to see Eirene was at a sink and doing her hair. "O-oh...hi.." She nervously muttered as she attempted to recover from the sudden shouting in her hiding place. Eirene seemed frustrated and was shouting, Ravenclaws were always scary when shouting, in her mind they knew the most things to turn you into and how to. Gryffindors knew how to fight, Hufflepuffs knew how to diffuse situations, Slytherins knew the most hexes and Ravenclaws knew where to hide the body and never get caught.

She didn't think Eirene was that type of person admittedly however, she wouldn't want to cross or corner her, but she didn't believe she would disappear from ticking her off. However this did mean that another fourth year needed help, while she didn't care much for Lucinda and had been focusing on information recently. She still cared about people and Eirene seemed in a bad state, she couldn't possibly leave her be like that.

She recovered herself, she was a Slytherin, and if she didn't mind saying so herself, she was a pretty hissing good one. She ignored for now the dropped bag and makeup, instead she quickly organized her hair and put on her best confident smile, she bent her right arm and rested it on the sink, her body leaned to match in a way more then friendly pose she was not aiming for.

"Heya Eirene." Allura said more confidently, perhaps too confidently with her tone mixed with hints of flirting in it. She started to confidently walk towards Eirene with a slight sway in her movements, her mind screamed for herself to stop with it, she was pretty sure at this point its just with valentines and all the boys after her, she struggled to get out of that frame of mind.

She stopped at the sink next to Eirene and again leaned onto it, taking a look over her combing her hair, she could probably help out but she didn't want to suddenly start reaching for the annoyed Ravenclaws hair, she didn't fancy being made into a newt, even if she did get better.

Allura sounded hesitant and nervous at first, so much so that Eirene barely connected it to the confident Slytherin she knew. In the mirror's reflection, Eirene spotted the girl sidling closer. Eirene studiously ignored her, focusing on her own face.

Her greeting changed, exuding warmth and friendliness and charm. Allura leaned against the sink beside Eirene, and Eirene didn't have to look at her to know how she was standing. This was the Allura that everyone knew. Allura times ten.

Eirene stopped combing her hair, her eyes narrowing. She understood books, she understood Arithmancy, but Allura Bythesea was utterly confusing. Why act so charming? It was just Eirene, hiding in Myrtle's bathroom, and it made her feel worse, not better.

"What are you doing?"

She finally turned her head, frowning at the Slytherin propped against the sink. Allura's eyes were bright and sparkling, her mouth smiling, her cheek-

Her cheek black and blue.

"Your face!" Eirene gasped, forgetting her resentment. "It's bruised!"

Eirene did not seem to take her accidental way too close tone very well, she supposed it made sense, she wasn't dating Frank but then again, maybe she's a bit hurt as she did ask him out or he asked her out, it didn't go well and now she's moody nearing Valentines? She may be onto something here and it may be the truth. It was good enough for her to run with and as such she needed to find out somepoint.

"What are you doing?" Now that was a question, Trying to act all friendly and close to hide the fact I don't have friends as I hide in the bathroom to recover after a punch from a very moody werewolf. Was her first thought, several worse ones came up following that but she cleared her mind of those, she didn't have time to listen to herself mope, she wasn't alone and had to keep up appearances.

But before she had time to come up with anything clever to reply to Eirene, she saw her face. oh no. She was not prepared for this and the look on her face suddenly switched from her attempting to appear confident, to suddenly recovering herself from falling backwards as both hands moved from leaning on the sink to hiding her bruise. But recover herself she did! Allura backed up to her original sink and stared into the mirror.

"Its uh...nothing don't worry." Her confidence was gone, as she gazed into her reflection and the bruise before it, her body leaned in forwards to get a better look. "Just um...its nothing. Believe me." Her voice said weakly, it was sore and she hated the sight of it, but didn't know if she'd have to tell the story of her getting decked by someone or if to try telling a lie, Eirene wasn't going to let up on this would she?

Eirene widened her eyes, startled as the Slytherin backed away and hid her face with her hands.

When did Allura ever hide? When did she ever stammer?

"It's not nothing," she protested, taken aback as the girl turned away from her and faced the mirror.

Eirene glanced at the door. Should she run past the gaggle of gossiping third-years and fetch Noriko, or someone nice like Noriko? They wouldn't know what to do, though. They'd offer sympathy and compassion and ask Allura what had happened. Which she probably needed, at some point. Eirene just didn't feel right leaving her like this, or pretending that she was ok.

Her mouth set into a thin line. This time, it was she who sidled closer, and she who leaned against the sink beside her, in a wholly practical and no-nonsense manner.

"Allura," she said sternly. "Let me see it."

Yup, she wasn't letting it go, great. Now people are going to know she got hit in the face, or fell and hit something. Telling a story of her falling onto something would be better, she wasn't up for lectures on why fighting isn't allowed, and she didn't want to say it was peeves, it was an easy enough lie, who wouldn't believe her? But she didn't want to get Peeves into trouble, even with how annoying they are, save it for a better situation, not use the peeves card too often especially since they usually own up to doing things regardless.

"It is nothing." She sighed before she turned away from the sink, she stood up straight to face Eirene and removed both hands from the bruised spot so it was clear to see to for the Ravenclaw. She didn't know why she wanted to see it, its just a bruise, surely she'd seen a few before.

"There mum, happy?" She tried to joke but just couldn't bring herself to give it as anything but a groan.

In the mean time she wasn't really sure how to pose herself, her confidence had gone, there was no way to put on her cheery side without it seeming fake, she supposed just any pose but she wasn't really that type of person, she would however opt for crossing both of her arms around her stomach as she tried her best to not stare at the Ravenclaw while also not trying to seem too bored or annoyed by it.

She was annoyed by it, but that's beside the point.

Eirene rolled her eyes, ignoring Allura's excuses. She leaned in, also ignoring her personal space and crossed arms, to stare intently at the bruise, as if reading the story of its varied colors.

It was at least a day old, and continuing to darken.

Here by the sinks, it was starting to sink in - a hex wouldn't have caused that.

Poor Allura, she thought for the first time ever.

She met her eyes, which were very blue, and staring at her resentfully.

"Hmpf," Eirene stepped back, propping her bag up on the sink and rummaging through it.

"That looks awful," Eirene declared, plucking a clean handkerchief from her bag. She folded it into a neat square, and waved a cooling charm over it with her wand. It would do for now. She might ask the herbology professor for some arnica oil, if the Slytherin didn't completely brush her off.

She handed the makeshift icepack to Allura.

"Hold this to your cheek," Eirene informed her matter-of-factly. "Leave it there for ten minutes at a time, for the next day or so when you're not sleeping or eating or casting or reading or doing other important things, obviously, and maybe, just maybe, your face will get better by Valentine's Day."

Allura froze as the Ravenclaw leaned in towards her, usually she was the one who was used to invading peoples space! It wasn't meant to go the other way around! She wasn't sure how she felt being leaned into but she knew that she almost fell over, having gone rigid as Eirene moved in as to not breathe onto her or move so she can examine properly. Giving a small breath of relief as Eirene moved away and allowing herself to relax.

She was being all over today and she was not fond of it, maybe its just confusion as leading up to valentines or maybe its due to the punch, or she just wasn't sure what to do with herself in general. But first she had been overly confident, now she was freezing up as others showed any confidence, she tried to push it away so she can figure it out later, settling on she's just been caught unawares and not in a good state.

"Thank you." She muttered softly as she took the temporary icepack and placed it on her face, she was sure there must be some sort of spell or potion to get rid of it, but if a Ravenclaw administers an icepack its either they haven't figured out yet, there isn't a spell, or its not worth the time. Maybe its more painful then its worth.

"I don't need to worry about Valentines too much, I have several people already asking and too many chocolates." She sighed. "Although I guess I can get some of the other types who like fighting, although doubt they're any better." She was already struggling, how was she meant to expected to eat healthily and have chocolate at the same time, she didn't want to pass off any of the chocolates either, boys had given her some and so they were meant for her, even with mistrusting she didn't want to just give them all to someone else.

She needed to gain some control of the situation, get herself off the backfoot and into a position she liked. "You don't have to lean in so close by the way, someone may think you're up to something." That seemed more like her usual appearance.

"Not that it wasn't nice though..." She said a bit quieter and at the same time, alot louder then the in her head she meant it to be. One step forwards and five steps backfooted.

Too many chocolates? Eirene turned her head as if she hadn't heard correctly, her brow furrowing. Too many chocolates! There was no such thing. She must have received dozens of valentines already to have the audacity to complain about it.

Allura: too many. Eirene: zero.

Eirene kept her back to the mirror and half-sat on the sink. She started to comb her hair with her fingers again as Allura recovered enough to make a teasing remark.

She was teasing, wasn't she? Very few of Eirene's peers ever risked it.

"Of course," Eirene sighed, affecting indifference. "I'm always up to," she gestured. "Something."

Her fingers paused in her hair. Very few of Eirene's peers ever called her nice.

"I've been plotting to reroute your too-many-chocolates to the library, where I'll pretend they're all for me."

She smiled primly at her and tilted her chin up, the messy strands of her hair at odds with her smug expression.

She was going to steal her chocolates? That didn't seem as nice, but it would mean that she was up to something. She did start to wonder as to what her valentines plan was, and how many she had been given, maybe she had recieved a few but just..not great? It was possible, the Hogsmeade weekend is coming soon which is when most are likely to get their chocolates.

On the other hand, maybe Allura had something good she could actually do here? Be able to do something nice instead of her usual self, gives her something to do also, she was Noriko's friend so it would be good to befriend her also. If she was to do something good here, how would she do so, its not often that she can find ways to help people.

Unless she tried helping her find someone, she was already into getting people to meet eachother. Why not as it turns to Valentines and romance, she takes the chance as a matchmaker? It sounds like the perfect plan for herself, or if not a matchmaker atleast she can attempt to help Eirene get some chocolates.

"Don't need to steal mine, how about." She relaxed herself as she tried to take back her confident persona. She moved over to Eirene in a confident swagger, before she stopped and looked over at the girl as she tried to work her hair.

Allura moved her hands as if offering to help with the hair. "How about I help you get chocolates from boys, or girls if that's your thing?" She gave off a gentle smile. "Saves us both the trouble of stealing and being robbed."

Was she serious?

Eirene went still, blinking in surprise at Allura's approach. She'd expected another teasing remark, an expression of doubt about her chocolate-stealing abilities (she could do it, if she put her mind to it), and of course Eirene had only been teasing, or trying to, but instead Allura seemed to be responding mostly seriously. Sweetly, even.

It was rather mortifying.

"No thank you, I'm not quite that desperate," Eirene scoffed, avoiding her gaze. She angled her shoulders away from her, and started braiding her hair in a side-braid that hid half her face.

Boys, girls, what about professors? Inappropriate. Still, there were a few weeks left yet for someone to ask her. And if no one did, she would lament her lacking love life with her friends like usual.

She glanced back at Allura, a hint of apology in her eyes. It seemed so petty to get upset over valentines when Eirene hadn't yet addressed the elephant in the room. The icepack covered the bruise now, but Eirene had seen it up close.

"Are you honestly alright?" Her tone sobered, glancing meaningfully at her cheek. It was possible that Allura had simply tripped over a tower of chocolate boxes.

Possible, but unlikely.

She wasn't that desperate? She felt somewhat insulted by the insinuation that it was desperate to accept her help, she was just trying to help out after all. Was it desperate to take advice and help? Just saying she wasn't interested would of been enough for her and she'd have backed off, agitation flashed across her face as she thought, do others see herself as desperate? If they think that she is desperate for attention or people to go after her by how she acts. It wasn't a pleasant thought and one that she quickly tried removing from her head, she didn't need to think like this right now.

Is she alright? It was a question that came from the blue, and something she didn't know quite how to answer, if she meant mentally, probably. Everyone constantly doubted everything they did and second guessed everything in their life didn't they? Physically she was perfect, other then the bruise. Admittedly she could maybe improve her stamina, she could try running so that she can beat more people racing, ooh maybe her grip so she can try out for Quidditch next year, that would be interesting indeed. Then she can go join her mother in a trip to Bulgaria and try out for the Bulgarian team, meet Viktor Krum...

With her life all planned out ahead of her, she returned to the present and the question Yes "No." Crap.

"I uh...got into a small scuffle, nothing major..don't worry..." She said, before she rubbed her bruised cheek with the icepack. "Werewolves are not ones for teasing." She slowly mumbled out.

She readjusted her body, if she wasn't able to help Eirene with her hair then she would relax, so she sat on the edge of a sink and rested her back into the reflective surface, might aswell attempt to be comfy in the bathroom of a dead girl.

No.

Eirene turned more fully towards her, surprised at the honest answer.

Though she couldn't picture Allura getting into a physical scuffle (she could picture her encouraging one for her own entertainment, perhaps), it started to make sense when she mumbled 'werewolf'.

She frowned. That only left two options in the entire school. It wasn't Lucinda, was it? She'd heard a rumor that Lucinda had attacked an older student at the first SAWS meeting, while Eirene had been obliviously sequestered in the infirmary with the other sick students. But surely, that's what happened when SAWS got together - mayhem. She hadn't bothered to ask Lucinda about it. SAWS wasn't her business.

This wasn't her business either, but she couldn't help it.

"Was it Greer? She was involved in that fight in the Great Hall," Eirene sniffed disapprovingly, feeling a bit guilty after she said it. It'd been a physical fight though. Thrown book bags, with important books in them.

"No, it wasn't Greer." She sighed as she pushed her head back into the stone work, she wasn't happy with the hit, why would she be happy with it, she was punched after a werewolf decided to go berserk on her for no real reason. All she did was pat her head and call her a good girl, why would anyone get annoyed at that, she would love to be pet on the head.

She gave a gentle sigh as she looked down, her arms wrapped around her belly and then pulled upwards. She needed to find a different topic, she didn't want it to get out that she'd been hit by a werewolf, not really caring about if Lucinda got into trouble, but it wouldn't look good on her own reputation and she doesn't really want to sit in a room for ages with Lucinda as a professor lectures them on being kind to eachother and no fighting and bla bla bla.

She wouldn't have this problem in Durmstrang.

"Hey, you know, if you ever need someone for Valentines, you can always ask me." She tried to tease, although there was a hint of desperation inside it. She really had no clue at the moment what she would do for Valentines, usually she spent it alone eating chocolate in bed as she reads a book and sometimes she cries. Atleast when it isn't a on a week day. If it was a weekday she does that in the evening and puts on her best during the day.

"Just something to think about." She added on, she knew the topic wouldn't last and Eirene would go back to the bruise, but she hoped it may distract from the topic, it may be enough to fluster her and for herself to get on the front foot again, if she doesn't shoot it first again.