Monday, early afternoon.

Fauna stood on her tiptoes and pasted the last poster on the bulletin board with a sticking charm. She cast a furtive look around her, hoping no one saw her cover the Quidditch Match announcement. She probably should have been more considerate, but she didn’t care much for Quidditch, and there was no other space left on the crowded board.

She stepped back and admired her handiwork. The poster read:

Recognize this rat? Is it yours?

Defining Traits:
-Dumbo Rex rat
-Mostly white fur
-Brown patches around his face
-Cute

Let Fauna know. Hufflepuff Common room.

Below the text was a drawing she’d made of the rat, or what she could remember of him. It’d been so strange how he had dashed out of the room last night, as if something had scared him out of his wits. Fauna, for the life of her, couldn’t figure out what it was. When she’d tried to find him in the common room someone told her he’d run underneath their feet, and right out of the portrait into the hall. Fauna just hoped the little bugger was all right. She had not slept well at all, worrying over Waker, Inika, Ollie, and her rat friend.

She rubbed at her eyes and heaved a sigh. Fauna needed to start getting more sleep, or risk face-planting into her breakfast just like Professor Gunnar had.

Fauna leaned against the board and rested her head against it tiredly, wondering where Inika was these days. Secretly, she felt relieved that she didn’t have to break the news to her about Devlin’s… activities, but a small part of her felt just plain worried.

Suddenly, a group of third years burst out of the Great Hall doors and flooded the Entrance hall, chattering loudly. Fauna, though she was taller and bigger than them, found herself flattened against the bulletin board so she wouldn't get caught up in the wave. One voice stood out from the rest.

"Devlin... Ravenclaw boy... homework... sacrificed his weekend."

Fauna froze for a moment, then peeled herself off of the wall. Curiosity battled with cautiousness, but her curiosity won this time, and she followed the young girl to hear if she might say anything else enlightening.

Devlin had to say: He loved little Kari Strong. The scrappy 2nd year Slytherin had worked her way into his heart by possessing three traits he preferred in his lackeys: She was Loyal, Her parents were rich (and by extension so was she) and most of all, the girl could act. She could go from laughing with glee to snarling in hate to crying big pitiful crocodile tears in a matter of minutes. Ever since he helped her pass all her classes last year, she had been his best little gofer since. If he needed an alibi or, in this case, help with a con, she was his first pick. Hence why he had gone to her earlier that day and enlisted her to help him convince Fauna to come over to his side. She had been a bit confused to why he wanted too, but he was pleased to see that she complied in the end without complaint.

The plan was simple. Kari would make sure that Fauna heard her talking to a friend about Devlin helping her with her homework. He was sure Fauna would be intrigued and follow the girl to find out more. Kari would then lead her to where Devlin was waiting in a nearby classroom and they would enact a sweet and heartfelt exchange that surely would prove to Fauna that he wasn't a bad guy at all. Glancing at his watch, Devlin realized that the time was nigh. Fauna had been posting lost rat posters all over the school and he was sure that Kari had been placed at the right location.

Moments later, as if he summoned her with his thoughts, Kari 'snuck' into the room. Devlin didn't say anything at first and just raised his brows in a silent question that she would know. She winked and he smiled, knowing that Fauna had followed. "Hey squirt..." He said with a crooked grin as he reached out and ruffled her blond hair. She gave him the appropriate glare as she stepped back and crossed her arms "You are so mean Devlin... It took me all day to get my hair to stop frizzing." She pouted masterfully before giving him a warm smile.

"Did you bring it?" She asked, excitement in her voice. "Yeah... Here... I finished editing and redrafting it last night... It should be fine now." He said, handing her the tightly wrapped essay. She let out a cry of joy and suddenly pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh My god Devlin, thank you so much..." She started to cry and Devlin patted her back awkwardly as she gushed on "I was so worried that I was going to fail... They are really piling on the homework and with quidditch practice and my mom getting sick... I just...I..." She started to blubber and Devlin finally gave her a long hug.

"Hey Hey... Chin up Kari..." Devlin said with a soft smile, raising her pointed chin with a gentle hand as he rubbed the tears from her cheeks. "... Look it was nothing... You know that I am always here to help you out when you need it. I just want you to concentrate on getting through the year and home to your mother..." There was a hint of real sincerity in his voice as, in the back of his mind, Devlin remembered how he had felt at the end of his third year, when his mother was sick. Kari hadn't known this, and didn't know the effect her words really had on him, but they had their desired effect. He really seemed to care.

"Thanks Dev... I promise I will make it up to you..." she whispered loudly before wiping her nose on the back of her hand. He ruffled her hair again and she laughed, swatting away his hand again. Wrapping her arms around his chest, she pulled him into a friendly hug "You rock Dev..." She said loudly before whispering so only he could hear "You owe me."

"I know... Now get going so I can get on with it." Dev whispered back. They separated and Kari turned to leave, a smile on her tear streaked face, essay in her hand and a handful of galleons he had slipped into her pocket. Shaking his head as he watched her go, Dev waited until she disappeared and let out a heavy sign, his shoulders sagging dramatically. Now for Fauna to join him, full of apologies for doubting him.

Fauna followed the young Slytherin girl with ease, guided by the beacon of bright blond hair. The girl soon separated from the rest of her friends and Fauna hesitated, feeling foolish and just a bit creepy. Still, the snippets of conversation she’d heard had piqued her interest. There was no going back now. She wasn’t sure why she wanted to know more about Devlin Matthews and what he was up to, but she did.

She did not make the best sleuth, however. Nerves caused her to trip over her feet twice, and she thought she heard a snort from the girl up ahead. Fauna pursed her lips irritably and continued to walk down the corridors, keeping her distance now. As she considered just heading back to the Great Hall, the girl suddenly slipped into a classroom, leaving the door open a crack. Fauna couldn't resist. She peeked in.

There he was! The thrill of stumbling onto the scene made her heart beat faster and put a smile on her face. Fauna crept close to the door, listening intently.

It soon became apparent that Devlin was indeed helping the youngsters with their homework. Her mouth dropped in shock when the girl thanked him tearfully, emotion thick in her voice. Her heart went out to her and she pushed away a strange feeling- jealousy? When she’d been a struggling second year, she could have used an older student’s help, and Devlin, beneath his joking, smart-alecky exterior, seemed to be the type of person who would have cared.

Fauna, lost in her thoughts, almost missed it when their conversation ended. Light footsteps sounded and she whirled out of the way of the door, trying to melt into the wall as the girl flounced out.

She stared at her guiltily, taking in her tear-stained and hopeful face. The girl faltered a bit when she saw Fauna, but quickly turned away and went in the opposite direction. She watched her leave the hallway and then glanced at the open door.

Could she? Would she? What was she doing? Fauna stepped into the doorframe and hesitated, casting a shadow on the floor. Devlin still stood there, his usual confident grin nowhere to be found, his shoulders drooping as he gazed out the window.

“Uh, hi,” she announced her presence in a soft voice. “I couldn’t help but overhear…” The lie stumbled out. “Uh, but, that was really nice of you,” she told him sincerely.

Finally, she walked into the classroom. “Do you… do you help her out often?”

A smile sneaked its way onto her lips, even though she was supposed to be mad at him. For a moment Fauna wished she looked a little more put together, regretting the small hole in the knee of her tights, the ink underneath her fingernails, and how pale her face was from lack of sleep. It made the freckles on her nose stand out, something only she probably noticed.

She self-consciously glanced down at her feet and then up at him, wishing for Ollie’s confidence or even Adelia’s endearing quirkiness.

Kari was a genius. He had only asked her to come up with some realistic reason he would need to help her with homework, but her mother being deathly ill? Genius. Unfortunately, his slumped shoulders and thoughtful look weren't all an act. Her words had reminded him that the anniversary of his mothers death was looming and Devlin hated being reminded of the fact.

“Uh, hi,”

In his thoughts, he had almost forgotten the point of this meeting. Looking up, he saw Fauna standing there and it all flooded back to him. He managed to swallow his real guilt and grief, channeling it into his act. "Hey." He said softly.

“I couldn’t help but overhear…Uh, but, that was really nice of you, Do you… do you help her out often?”

It was show time. "Who... Kari?" He said, confusion flitting across his face as though he was unsure that he had helped anyone. Shrugging, he ran a hand through his hair "... Eh... Now and then. Kids got a lot on her plate and... with her ...Mother... so sick...I just wanted to help lessen the load" He seemed to choke up a little, pausing and swallowing painfully before continuing "... I guess I just see a little of me in her..."

Here he paused, as though something dawned on him. Looking up at her, he slowly arched his left brow "... Wait... Were you... Eavesdropping?"

Fauna wanted to say something, but she was completely taken aback. Was Devlin close to tears? She recognized the signs: the frequent pauses, the tight, troubled look on his face, the way he ran his hand through his hair. Fauna walked over to stand next to him and studied his face, feeling somewhat shocked and instantly sympathetic.

Looking up at her, he slowly arched his left brow "... Wait... Were you... Eavesdropping?"

It took a minute for his question to register. She bit her lip. “Me?” Fauna tried to say innocently, a smile tugging at her mouth. “Oh… well…. yeah, I guess,” she admitted, shrugging her shoulders and glancing away.

“Well… I was kinda looking...” She stalled, thinking about the pained expression on his face earlier. She’d wanted to talk to him about Waker, but now hardly seemed an appropriate time. "Nevermind."

“Are you okay?” She said instead, taking a step closer and meeting his eyes. They were a very light brown, and she thought she could see some flecks of green. In the back of her mind Fauna realized that she’d never had an actual conversation with Devlin before, let alone about anything personal. It felt strange to suddenly be concerned for someone she barely knew.

“Me? Oh… well…. yeah, I guess, Well… I was kinda looking... Nevermind."

Devlin watched her steadily as she tripped and fumbled her words, obviously trying to bring up the subject he knew she wanted to. He could read her like a book. And not just any book, one of those large print, brightly colored kids books with little writing and vivid drawings. She was too easy. For instance, he knew the moment their eyes met that he had caught her, hook, line and sinker. The sympathy in her bright blue eyes was nearly tangible.

“Are you okay?”

He shrugged and looked away, his face flickering between an attempt to smile at her nervousness to the previous thoughtful frown, as though he were struggling to hide the pain. "I guess..." He muttered before biting his fingernails as he stared at the floor for a moment. Just as the heavy veil of silence settled between them, Devlin broke it by saying softly, almost vulnerably ".... I guess it is just hard.. y'know... seeing so much of yourself in someone... I mean merlin..." He sighed heavily, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

".... Even her mum getting sick is the same... It's hard to watch. I just... I just want to hug her and tell her everything will be all right..." He looked around the room, avoiding her crystalline gaze, as his voice took a sort of desperate tone, like a man at the end of his rope who simply didn't know what to do. "I mean... I would have liked that when I was in her predicament... but I guess it's pointless..." and down went his shoulders again as he finally glanced at Fauna, his eyes misty "... It won't matter in the end anyways..." At this his voice cracked and he suddenly jerked into a standing position and moved a few feet away, his back to her so, presumably, she couldn't see him cry.

Fauna was beginning to feel like a jerk for ever mistrusting him. He attempted a smile at her but was obviously still upset. She fiddled with her sleeves and stared at him, amazed to see the range of emotion on his face. She was so used to seeing his smile that it felt like she was looking at a completely different Devlin.

It didn’t take her long to understand why he could relate to Kari. He’d been through a lot during his fourth year, and now he had to watch someone else go through the same situation. A part of Fauna wished that she’d known him during that time, because it seemed like he’d desperately needed a friend. However, Waker had been there for him. Or she’d tried to be, but he pushed her away. Though Fauna didn’t judge him for it, the knowledge kept her grounded ever so slightly.

She nodded as he continued, watching his eyes scan the room and avoid hers. Later she would look back on this and marvel at how he’d spilled his heart out to her- her, someone he barely talked to before. But now, all she could think about was the look in his eyes, the way they brimmed with tears. She kept quiet and bit her lip, wishing he didn’t appear so miserable because it made sad. Fauna felt sorry for him.

When he said that it was pointless and that it didn’t matter, she shook her head frantically. He moved away then, turning his back to her. Fauna gulped, unsure whether to leave him in peace, or try to comfort him. She thought she heard a sniffle and the decision was made for her. She’d stay, at least for a little while.

Slowly, she inched closer to him and took a deep breath. Fauna stood beside him, risked a glance at his face, and touched his arm gently.

“It’s not pointless,” she insisted. “It’s… not.” She lacked persuasive skills, but her words were heartfelt.

Fauna avoided his eyes suddenly and wondered why he made her stomach tie up in knots just by being close. She gave his arm another awkward pat and turned to sit on one of the desks.

“I’m sorry you lost your mom,” she whispered into space, pretending to inspect the dust on her fingers. Her back slouched and her hair fell forward, but she brushed it away and finally looked at him again. Perhaps he didn’t realize, but she could relate to losing someone to sickness. She’d lost her grandfather that way a year ago. Fauna rarely mentioned it to anyone, however.

“It’s not pointless, It’s… not.”

"I wish I could believe that" He muttered, his voice barely audible, as he stared down at the hand on his arm. The softness and warmth of her hand surprised him... or was it that fact that he noticed its softness that surprised him? Whichever it was, his arm seemed to tingle when she removed her hand, as though it missed her touch. As she stared at her fingers, he quickly rubbed his arm, trying to get rid of the sensation. He needed to keep his head in the game, which was getting harder and harder as he found his faked emotions mixing with real ones. Maybe Fauna's earnest felt sympathy was rubbing off on him.

“I’m sorry you lost your mom,”

"It's ok... though it isn't your fault..." He said softly, his voice rough and heavy with emotion. Looking up at her, he managed a small smile as he said with surprising sincerity "... I wish I had known someone like you when it happened... It might not have been so hard..."

He knew at this point that he had to be the one to bring up Waker. She needed to hear HIS side of the story and if she was too nervous to instigate the conversation, he would have to be the one to do it. Letting his soft, melancholic expression morph into one of distaste, he added with venom in his voice "... Instead I had a bunch of fair weather friends who deserted me when I needed them most..." With this, he fell silent as though he were deep in thought.

A slow, surprised smile spread across her face when he told her that he wished they’d been friends when his mom died. She straightened a bit and kept looking into his eyes.

“Yeah,” she agreed softly. “I… wish that too.” Fauna opened her mouth to tell him she understood what it felt like to lose a loved one, but the mood in the room suddenly shifted. His eyes narrowed and his voice turned cold.

"... Instead I had a bunch of fair weather friends who deserted me when I needed them most..."

Fauna glanced down quickly, uncomfortable. She knew exactly whom he referred to. What she said next might ruin everything, it might upset him and cause him to close off, but she couldn’t remain quiet this time. Not when she had told Waker she’d do something. Of course, Waker thought she’d talk to Inika, but Fauna knew she wouldn’t get another chance to tell Devlin her thoughts. Devlin was also less likely to hex her. She hoped.

“Really…?” She asked, a note of skepticism in her voice. She shook her head and resumed fidgeting. “Uh, listen. I... talked to Waker yesterday. She was.. kinda upset. Well… more than upset,” she mumbled.

“Anyway,” Fauna forced herself to look at him and took a deep breath. “I know it’s none of my business. But… I think you owe her an apology.”

There. She said it.

“Really…? Uh, listen. I... talked to Waker yesterday. She was.. kinda upset. Well… more than upset,”

Though he had expected her skepticism, since he was sure Waker told her all about what happened that night, he looked up at her sharply as though it surprised him. Betrayal and anger was hinted in his hazel gaze and his lips thinned into a line, "Oh really?" was all he said, his voice dripping with derision.

“Anyway, I know it’s none of my business. But… I think you owe her an apology.”

Their eyes met and Devlin had to look away. Those brilliant blue depths were too earnest, too trusting and far too caring for him to look into for long. He covered his discomfort by throwing his head back and letting out a sharp bark of a laugh. "That's rich...." he shook his head, as though her suggestion was the silliest thing he had ever heard. "Me apologize to her? Waker? The girl who I loved... who I still love... who tore my heart out when it was already breaking and stomped it into an early grave? Apologize to her!?!?" He gave her an incredulous look before pushing off and away from her.

The goal was to fill her with guilt for disbelieving him, easy enough if he played it right. Pacing back a forth a little, he continued to rant "... Let me guess. She told you that I 'changed' and that I became a 'bad person' right? Well let me tell you something. When one of the very very few good things in your life is torn away from you and not even months later the OTHER good thing in your life just leaves you with a BS excuse, it.... it causes something to die in you...."

He sighed heavily and pressed his palms to a nearby desk so he could sag against it "... Maybe I did change... But that doesn't mean what she did was right..." Looking over at her, Devlin crinkled his brows in a pleading look "... Do you really think I deserve that? Am I such a horrible person that my heart can be stomped on like that?" 

Fauna stiffened, eyes wide. She hadn’t expected the best reaction, but his agitation was a little unsettling. The girl who I loved… she repeated in her head. His statement made her realize how little she knew about what had happened between him and Waker. Maybe she was poking her nose in where it didn’t belong. Why did she have to care so much? She wouldn’t be so stressed out if she could just stay out of people’s business.

Confusion grew in her, washing away her feelings of loyalty, nervousness, even sympathy. It rose up like a wave, muddling all other emotions and demanding full attention. She wished she were more certain about her opinions. The problem with seeing everybody’s side of a story was that it meant she never knew where she stood. She was supposed to be a good friend, but she was also supposed to be objective. Fauna felt neither- just easily led. She hated it.

She watched him pace and listened to him rant without comment, until his voice changed again, caught her heart strings, and pulled. Her head snapped up and she gazed at him, taking in the pleading tone more so than his actual words.

"... Do you really think I deserve that? Am I such a horrible person that my heart can be stomped on like that?"

Fauna stood up from the desk and moved to stand in front of him without a second thought. She took his hands gently in a gesture of comfort.

“No, you didn’t deserve it,” she said quietly, her voice strangely passionate. She met his eyes and continued. “You didn’t deserve any of it… not losing your mom… or your friends. But you have to understand,” she paused. “…Waker is my friend.” Fauna accepted her, whatever mistakes she might have made in the past. She couldn’t simply throw that away because of one conversation. “And… you’re not a bad person. Not at all,” she finally concluded, pushing her other half-finished thoughts away.

Now that her little speech was over, Fauna’s self-consciousness came rushing back. She stared down at their joined hands as if wondering how that had happened, and then glanced up at him again, finding it hard to look away.

Maybe it was his way with words. Maybe it was that she was just too damn easy. Whatever it was, Fauna took his bait like a shark catching its first whiff of fresh meat. The expression of confusion and concern on her face was so cute that he almost, almost, felt bad for deceiving her like this. A twang of shame tugged at his heart, but he pushed it away. You aren't lying to her, you are just telling her the truth at a time that is most convenient to her. It isn't a con, it's PR. he reminded himself over and over as he ranted.

His last plead seemed to do it. Not a second after he begged her to tell him that he didn't deserve what Waker did, she was on her feet and he found his large and calloused hands encased in her much smaller and softer ones. He noted their smooth softness for a second before she spoke.

“No, you didn’t deserve it,”

"I know...I..." He started but she continued, so he fell silent lest he ruin her sympathy.

“You didn’t deserve any of it… not losing your mom… or your friends. But you have to understand…Waker is my friend.”

He had to hand it to her, she was loyal. Most girls would have caved by now, at least, most of the girls he normally associated with romantically. It was going to prove more and more difficult to seduce this one it seemed, but Devlin didn't let this faze him. Instead he nodded slowly, a small smile touching his lips "I understand... I... I would never ask you to not be her friend..."

Pulling one of his hands from her, keeping the other clasped in her gentle grasp, Devlin reached up and ran his fingers down the side of her cheek, adding softly "... Waker is lucky to have a friend like you... " Normally, at a point like this, Devlin would have kissed the girl on the cheek at the very least. But he knew it would ruin things if he did. So instead, after a moment of his fingers resting on the soft skin of her cheek, he slowly pulled his hand away and smiled down at her "Thank you...."

She was happy to see Devlin’s expression soften and some of the desperation in his eyes to fade away. He even smiled a little at her. Ollie was right- he did have a sexy mouth. She glanced away and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling.

Her shoulders relaxed when he told her he understood about Waker, and their friendship. Of course, she would have remained friends with her regardless of his opinion, but it made her feel better that they were on the same wavelength. One of his hands dropped suddenly and she wondered if she was too close, that maybe he didn’t want her that close, and she had been silly to think she could treat him like a close friend, so maybe she should back off and apologize-

Then the lightest of touches grazed her cheek and she realized it was his hand. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she even tilted her head a fraction of an inch towards his touch.

“Waker is lucky to have a friend like you…”

She smiled up at him, not sure if that was true. At the moment she definitely wasn’t thinking about Waker. He had this look in his eyes, like maybe he was going to kiss her, and she wondered if she’d let him or not. Or perhaps she was reading into his expression way too much. Devlin seemed to hesitate, fingers lingering on her cheek, until he finally pulled away.

“Thank you.”

Fauna blinked at him and slowly released his other hand. “Y-you’re welcome,” she stuttered slightly, a full blush heating up her face. She gave an embarrassed, light laugh without really knowing why, and glanced away.

“Um. Well, if you need a friend… that’s silly, I mean you have your guy friends,” she said, thinking about the gang of boys that followed him around everywhere. “If you need a girl fr- a friend that’s a girl,” she quickly corrected, a bit mortified. “Um, you know. I’m… here.”

Fauna needed to get out of there before she said anything else absolutely ridiculous. She sighed and gave him an apologetic look. “I have to go look for a missing rat,” she shrugged, heading towards the door. “I guess I’ll… I’ll see you around.”

She looked back at him, smiling goofily, and nearly walked into the door frame. At the last second she side-stepped the frame and made it out of the classroom, several colorful curses running through her head.

“Y-you’re welcome,”

It was amazing what a simple gesture could do to the right girl. Most guys assumed you had to compliment and caress a woman into submission, and such was the case with most of the more vain variety. However with girls like Fauna, who had as little experience with flirting as possible, anything would suffice. Hence how he had managed to send her into a tizzy with a simple caress of her cheek. Not even with the whole hand! Damn he was good.

“Um. Well, if you need a friend… that’s silly, I mean you have your guy friends, If you need a girl fr- a friend that’s a girl, Um, you know. I’m… here.”

"I'll definitely have to take you up on that..." He said softly, a flirtatious glimmer lighting up his eyes for a moment as he stared down at her. She was actually pretty cute, now that he got a good look at her, in that bumbling innocent little girl way. Not the "Self assured, ball busting feminist" or "Vapid diva" that he normally went after, that much was sure, but it was a surprisingly nice change.

“I have to go look for a missing rat, I guess I’ll… I’ll see you around.”

He waved lightly as she stumbled towards the door and tried in vain not to chuckle when she ran into the painting on the wall. He would say it again: Damn he was good. He hadn't even had to kiss her or tell her how beautiful she was, and she was already putty in his capable hands. With his ego already ridiculously inflated thanks to her reaction, Devlin couldn't help puffing his chest out a bit in pride at his seductive prowess. "Don't worry... I am sure he will show up..." He called after her as she practically sprinted from the room.

Settling back, Devlin waited a moment for her to leave before he threw his head back and let out an almost gleeful laugh. That had been fun. He needed to do it more often. Staring at the door, as though she were still there, Devlin's mouth curved up at one corner into a mix of a self-assured sneer and a playful smirk as he murmured "You will see him very soon."

FINITE