With classes done for the day and the majority of her homework already complete, Reggie found herself with a pleasantly free afternoon. Almost immediately she'd returned to Gryffindor Tower to put away her things and change into something a little more casual. Having written a letter to her parents earlier in the week she had yet to find a suitable time to venture to the Owlery to mail it off; until now, that is. Flicking her bangs out of her eyes she grabbed the sealed envelope, stuffing it into the pocket of her jumper, then promptly left the dormitory and eventually the tower itself.

Setting a brisk pace she intended to make it to her destination in ten minutes or less, bar any unforeseen circumstances. Ducking around a pair of loud Gryffindor boys having an argument over Quidditch with a pair of equally loud Hufflepuff boys she shook her head silently. Boys really did have simple minds at times. They were either thinking about food, Quidditch, girls, more food, more Quidditch, and more girls. It was especially annoying when she was trying to study in peace only to be interrupted by a group of them getting loud over whatever riveting topic they were discussing.

Sigh. Boys could be such idiots that way.

A short jaunt up a flight of stairs followed by a few twisting turns and she was finally there. Taking the letter out of her pocket she already began to consider what owl to use. There was a nasty brown one that liked to bite, as she had unfortunately learned the hard way. Stupid bird. She wanted to tie it up and chuck it off the top of the Astronomy Tower, though she was sure that wouldn't be proper behavior for a prefect. Exhaling as she climbed the final step she was greeted with the familiar chirps and hoots of the usual group of school owned owls. Other than the nesting birds the tower was completely empty. Thank goodness. Now she wouldn’t have to fight for a decent one. Oh joyous day!

Hustling over to one of the owls she held up her letter and waited for the bird to acknowledge her request. The owl looked at her with its sharp eyes, seeming to study her in its own weird little way. After awhile it finally ruffled its feathers and flew up into the rafters; essentially, away from her. "Oh you bloody..." She grit her teeth as she stared up at it. Fine. There were plenty of other owls that would likely be less inclined to turn their noses up at her. She hoped. Sighing heavily she set about trying to find a suitable replacement, throwing nasty looks at the snooty bird every now and then. She was so tempted to hex the thing into next week...

-- Uniform. --

Leon bit his lip and studied the writing before him. He had finally gotten around to writing home to his father, whom had sent him a letter two weeks prior. It wasn't like Leon to take his time with responding to his loved ones, but he always tried his best to make things look good for Father. He loved him, after all. And he wanted his Father to know that. Of course, he wasn't certain his dad would know how hard he tried with his writing, but... Well, Leon didn't exactly care.

It was the thought that counts, wasn't it? And it made the overachiever feel at ease.

He folded up the parchment and pulled himself out of his seat in the Ravenclaw common room. Everyone was settling down, talking quietly, studying for all those tests and exams and whatnot. Leon was brilliant, obviously, but he never thought he did well on tests. Not well enough, at least. Those 'E's he got on his exams way back when were still haunting him. Even though there was only about two of them in a sea of 'O's. He sighed and continued his way to the Owlery. People like Leon tended to have heart attacks and ulcers by age twenty. Thankfully for Leon he didn't dwell too much on being a perfectionist. He could remember his best friend, Waker, always being a bit jealous of how smoothly he recovered from slightly altered grades.

It's because he knew he was smart and knew he was capable of outwitting anyone at any time. Leon hated to admit, but he could be quite manipulative when it came to being who he was. Too complex for his own good... He sometimes couldn't even understand himself.

After passing a crowd of Gryffindor students (Who Leon eyed, warily, since they were clearly on the Quidditch team) that taunted at him as he went along. He simply blushed and continued, quickly, past them. He wasn't one for taunting others about Quidditch. He left that to the more cocky players on his team, like the beaters or a few chasers. They always knew what to say when his team passed another. Leon just wasn't an insulting person. Witty, observant... But he could never insult someone.

He finally entered the Owlery and let out a large breath he had no idea he had been holding. He was nervous, obviously, about being harassed by more students. Gryffindors were frightening beings. The Quidditch match was drawing nearer... Oh lordy.

Leon stepped forward and began looking around for his owl, Chadwick. He remembered he had let the owl lose for the night and it always left for about thirty minutes before snuggling its fat self in a corner of the owlery. Why the thing did that, Leon had no clue. It was an adorable thing, it really was. He let out a low whistle before the large bird came flying down towards him. It landed on his outstretched arm and he winced a bit. It was heavy... And he wished he remembered he could no long trust the thing with merely one arm. He would have to give it his shoulder or... He'd have to wiggle his leg out.

He grinned at Chadwick and began to tie the parchment onto his leg. He glanced around the owlery for a second before he noticed someone trying to get a rather fussy bird to come down and the thing simply ignored them. His brow furrowed and Chadwick nipped at Leon to get his attention again. He recognized the person... Only it was a bit hard to tell since they were turned away from him and in the shadows.

"Off to Father, alright... Fine, you can eat a few mice on the way, but don't delay it too much," Leon spoke, softly, to the owl. People would think he was crazy that he talked to it like it was a person, but then again Leon didn't exactly talk to Chadwick in front of people. Just like he didn't talk to the voices in his head in front of people. Well, maybe sometimes. The bird flew off out the window and Leon's gaze quickly turned back to the other person in the owlery. He could help the person... Well, Leon was Head Boy for a reason. He had no choice.

"Do you need help?" He asked, rather hesitantly. Leon was a tall fellow... He wasn't one to harm an animal (Or a anything, really) but he could reach the bird well enough. But the thing was rather far in the rafters... He approached the student and quickly began to realize who they were. Regina Grayson was a friend of Leon's, and she was quite interesting... Of course he had to help a friend of his. A pretty friend of his.

Leon became nervous again and began to smile, awkwardly. Girls made him nervous in general. Pretty girls made him downright silly. But clearly he wasn't too viciously awkward if the girl was willing to be friends with him.

Reggie was just about to start yelling at the owls to obey her when she became suddenly aware that she was no longer alone. The voice made her jump slightly, eyes wide in shock as she spun around to face whomever had joined her. Once she saw that it was none other than Mr. Leon O. Monroe however she relaxed, the wave of surprise fading away ever so quickly. "Ah. Just you." She said, cheeks reddening not long afterward. She felt like a complete idiot for getting so startled.

'Really, Regina, try not to be so jumpy.' The girl chastised herself with a slight roll of her eyes. It was a good thing she wasn't the type to randomly draw her wand and shoot off spells whenever she was snuck up on. She had a feeling that if that was the case then her casual friendship with poor Leon would likely be done for. And that? Would suck majorly. She really did like the older boy, which was amazing since there were so few people who actually fit into that category. Their conversations were interesting; even fun most of the time. He was stunningly smart too, which was something she valued. Their interactions weren't just limited to Quidditch or whatever else. They truly discussed topics that most of their peers admittedly probably knew nothing about. It was refreshing to have what was most likely considered by some an "intellectual equal."

...Not to mention that he was easy on the eyes.

Ahem. Flashing him a small smile she looked back up at the offending creature. "Probably. But I was just going to find another one. One that's more cooperative. I hope the one rots." She answered his question, shaking her head as she moved her gaze back to him. "Want to help me maybe find the lucky chosen owl? Shouldn't take long with the two of us looking." Yes. Two heads were certainly better than one as they say. Locking eyes with him she felt butterflies flutter around inside her stomach. Gah. That had been happening lately every time she happened to look into his eyes. It was odd and made her uncomfortable, so for her own sake she quickly averted her sight to the wall of birds, pretending like she was more interested in the task at hand.

'Damn. You came up here to mail a letter. Not go all gaga over a boy.' There she went again with the self-chastising. Who needed a mother when she was perfectly capable of doing it herself? Trying to push the image of Leon's attractive features out of her mind she started going from bird to bird, testing her luck with each one. The sooner she got this done, the less chance there would be of her making a fool out of herself by saying something highly embarrassing.

"Ah. Just you."

Leon bit his lip, timidly. Just you? He sure hoped that was a good thing. Was she disappointed? Did she want another boy to be attending her at that moment? Leon pushed doubt out of his head. Regina Grayson was simply his friend. His very pretty, interesting friend. That was younger than him-- He had to keep that in mind. "Yes, just me," he nodded, eying the room as if someone else might be there. But his eyes locked back onto the girl before him. He had grown rather fond of her... Obviously. But was it obvious to her? How could he make it more obvious? It was like a game Leon didn't usually have to play. Usually he would just approach a girl for a special event, like a dance, ask them out, and that was that. Leon Monroe never experienced rejection before.

However, with Regina... He was afraid. She was different from the rest. Quite different indeed. Though she wasn't big on studying, if Leon could recall, they had intelligent conversations. And Leon didn't feel like he had been lodged into the "friends and only friends" zone. Or whatever the heck Edmund had taught him. She was kind of careless, also... And clearly didn't like owls too much. Perhaps that was only because the particular bird was being stubborn. Leon knew he should have gotten a cat. Girls like cats. He just wished cats could fly... Without trying to eat themselves. Not that Leon ever tried to transfigure wings onto an innocent cat before.

He hesitantly glanced up at the owl when she spoke about how it needed to rot. However, his eyes quickly found themselves glued back to the young girl. Another way Regina was different was that she wasn't proper and prissy. She didn't wear lots of expensive clothes, nor did she go overboard with the makeup. She wasn't arrogant and she didn't toy with Leon's emotions. She wasn't like the girls Leon tended to chase after. Which always tended to be the awful mess he just described. Why did he like those kinds of girls? He remembered Waker being not so fond of his taste.

"Want to help me maybe find the lucky chosen owl? Shouldn't take long with the two of us looking."

Leon's awkward smile became much more of a beam and he nodded. "It'd be my pleasure," He wasn't much of a talker most of the time, but he felt like he was already saying too much. Perhaps too little. He felt a bit foolish. He stepped up and finally broke his stare from the girl. He felt creepy. Leon always acted silly around girls... But he didn't want to come off as an idiot around Reggie. "What about that white one?" He asked, pointing to a very fluffy barn owl. It watched Leon's movements with that freakish stare that barn owls always had. They were strange birds... But he learned if you don't bother them, they won't scream at you or give you that absurd death dance they used as a defense.

Nor will they attempt to eat your hair. Leon had learned that one the hard way when he accidentally disturbed Chadwick. Perhaps that was only Chadwick. His hair DID look rather ratty that day. Thankfully Chadwick wasn't that hateful towards Leon anymore. Though he did attempt to nip at his hair every once in a while. Leon flattened down his hair and turned to smile down at Regina, "What do you think?" He asked, innocently.

It was all up to Regina, anyways. Would she trust his judgment? His smile slowly faded into a small, timid grin and his eyes flickered around the room, back towards Reggie, around the room, Reggie, room... "You... Um... Your hair looks very pretty today," Leon assured her out of nowhere. He blushed and found a nice bird stain to stare out. Girls liked to hear about their hair looking nice, right? Leon bit his lip. Was he being too obvious now? Did guys even have these problems?

He was going to help. Cool. She nodded her head slowly, still checking out the row of owls. Beyond that she didn't say anything else, still afraid she would get diarrhea of the mouth and ramble on and drive him away. 'Diarrhea of the mouth? Nice one, Reg.' It was a wonderful, glorious thing that Leon could not read minds. For hers were currently a jumbled up mess that even she could barely understand. How foolish did that sound? What kind of person could not comprehend their own thoughts?! Well, other than a mad person that is. But she wasn't mad! Was she?! Gah! Her hormones were to blame for this. Stupid, bloody, horrid things that they were. All they did was get in the way of her thinking rationally around boys as... alluring as Leon. Wait. Did she really just use that word? Gah again!

"What about that white one?"

She turned to check out the owl in question, finding it unsettling when she saw that it was one of the barn owls. Goodness did they freak her out. Her sister had wanted one last time they'd taken a trip to Diagon Alley. Thankfully her mother didn't agree to it, making Reggie a very happy and thankful person. She couldn't begin to imagine having such a freaky looking bird at home over the holidays, no doubt staring right into her soul each time she passed by its cage. Much like this one was doing now. But, it didn't shrink away from her or fly away in protest, so she took that as a sign that this was the right bird indeed. Holding up the letter it didn't take long for the owl to reach out and snap it up, ruffling its feathers before hooting as if to ask her where to deliver it. "Er." She began, feeling a bit off talking to a ruddy bird as if it were a person, "Take this to my home. 2343 Willingham Court." As soon as the words left her mouth the owl hooted once more before taking off, soaring out the window, over the grounds, and into the distance.

"Well. That's taken care of." She turned to Leon, grinning, "Thanks. I don't know what I would have done without-" And then he complimented her hair. She was still afterward, letting the words digest and set in. Then she reached up and ran a hand through her dark blonde roots. "Umm. Thanks." She said with a dumbfound expression on her face. "I didn't really do anything with it today. But thanks either way." He liked her hair? That... was nice. She had to fight the urge to smile like a big old dope at him. She never thought she would like being told her hair was pretty by anyone, let alone a boy. Hot damn! "Yours looks nice today too. I like the shaggy thing you've got going on. It suits you." The cat was certainly out of the bag now. He? Clearly liked her. And she? Clearly liked him. The only question remaining was where to go from here...

"Hey. Do you want to maybe do something in Hogsmeade one day? Like grab something to drink or eat? I have some money saved up so it could be my treat. You know. For helping me just now." Oh. My. God. Was she actually asking him out?! The words sounded unreal as she spoke, but she knew that they were not a figment of her imagination. This was really happening. Fidgeting a bit she waited for his response, already setting herself up for possible rejection. Hey, being an optimist never got her anywhere. Might as well keep things grounded in reality.

Leon gave Regina a smile as she sent the letter off. He was obviously glad to help her, being Leon and what not. But doing such a small act for Regina made Leon feel so nice. And silly. He had to be careful now, he felt like she wouldn't exactly, well, like him. Leon was older and would be leaving school... If he and Regina were to actually start dating, wouldn't it break her heart if he left? Not that he was planning on leaving England... But even still.

"I didn't really do anything with it today. But thanks either way."

"I- Um, you're welcome," He bit his lip. Leon definitely wasn't known for being a sweet-talker, but he definitely just said something right. Usually, Leon could get people to do what he wanted with his kindness and generosity. Professors could be sweet-talked, however... But that was different. He didn't want Regina thinking he was trying to manipulate her, though, just for a date. He wasn't like that, no sir. Leon definitely wanted to take her out on a date... But again, those thoughts of leaving held him back. Not only that, but what if she didn't like him back?

Perhaps he was stuck in the friend zone. Perhaps he should have taken a different route with Reggie to begin with. But Leon liked being Regina's friend. His dad always told him "The person you marry should be your best friend". At the time, Leon was confused since Waker is his best friend. But he sort of understands what he means now. Not that he wanted to marry Regina or anything... Not that he didn't. Gosh, he was lucky he wasn't speaking out loud.

"Yours looks nice today too. I like the shaggy thing you've got going on. It suits you."

Did she just flirt back with him? Leon's smile grew much more wide and he began to flush in the face, "I- Um... T- Thanks..." Did it really? Everything about Leon was always so proper and nice (Besides when he ate sometimes. But that was different) but his hair. His hair was always messy and hard to deal with. He would have cut it off if he didn't like it so much. And now he liked it so much more... Regina Grayson was flirting back!

"I- I think it's the way it looks every day... B- But... Thank you," Of course it didn't escape Leon that she was complimenting his hair. That was a bit odd, wasn't it? No... No, girls could do that. He felt a bit awkward not knowing what he was doing. He had dated girls before, but none of them really stuck out like Reggie. Not that they were dating... Not that he didn't want to be. Perhaps that was his moment to ask her...

"Hey. Do you want to maybe do something in Hogsmeade one day? Like grab something to drink or eat? I have some money saved up so it could be my treat. You know. For helping me just now."

Saved! Leon immediately perked up, his face turning a bright pink, "I-" His lip quivered with excitement. He was happy that he didn't have to ask her, happy that she even asked, but felt a little pathetic he couldn't do it himself. But all well, Leon was still overjoyed. "Yes, of course. T- That'd be great... I- I could always, um, pay," since he didn't want the girl to use up her money on him. How rude would that be? "It'd be fine... I, um, I'd really like to..." Leon told her, awkward smile growing wider and wider. He nearly forgot about breaking her heart when he graduates... But that wasn't for another semester. He could simply deal with that then.

Regina was positive that if someone were to walk in at this moment they would get great entertainment at watching the awkward flirting between two teenagers who clearly liked one another a great deal but were not quite sure as to how to express it. But all things considered things seemed to be going well. She hadn't tripped and fallen flat on her face or anything like that. It was always a plus when she didn't suddenly turn into a bumbling idiot around Leon. That would have been so painfully cliche. She was impressed at how well she held things together. Score one for her, she guessed. Poor Leon on the other hand had been stuttering out responses since the jump. Did she really have that sort of effect on him? She would have thought such nervousness would be reserved for much prettier girls than her. The tall, slender ones who walked with their heads held high and possessed an extreme sense of knowing where they belonged. She didn't fit that bill at all, nor did she even attempt to. Though here Leon was despite that, trying his best to get out his acceptance of her invitation to Hogsmeade.

"Great!" She interjected, wringing her hands together in obvious glee. She had pretty much given up on trying not to show how excited she was feeling. It was so uncharacteristic of her but she had no intention of fighting it. "It should be fun." The Gryffindor stated with a slow nod of her head. Sure they may just sit together in The Three Broomsticks knocking back butterbeers like everyone else, but that truly sounded appealing to her. Especially since she would be staring at Leon's smiling face the entire time as opposed to slouching in the booth all by herself as usual. Yeah, her social life left a lot to be desired. But this wasn't quite the time to dwell on that little tidbit.

"We could work out a time and place later when the next visit is coming up." With the holidays approaching and the usual mid-term exams that preceded them she was sure they wouldn't find time to go on their little outing before then. She took into account that this was Leon's final year and that he was likely under pressure to perform well. Being the Head Boy didn't help matters either most likely. So much responsibility. She didn't do so hot when it came to that sort of stuff. It was mainly why she had thankfully dodged becoming a prefect. Just... no thanks. She had enough problems of her own to deal with.

"So er... For now do you want to go hang out somewhere in the castle? I don't have anything else to do right now and I figure a little human interaction wouldn't hurt for once."