Outfit

Kitty sat on the steps of the entrance courtyard to Hogwarts, carefully patting her loosely-curled locks. It was their usual spot - and people knew well to remember that. Whenever the Slytherin ice princess trotted over to her impromptu headquarters, younger girls quickly scuttled away, terrified of lingering in hazardous territory. The whole business with Devlin and Fauna had knocked Kitty off her platform for a few weeks - she hadn't told anybody, not even Arielle, about everything that had gone on. After cornering Fauna in Hogsmeade, Kitty had made herself scarce, not wanting to be anywhere near a source of trouble. It seemed as if she was off the Ministry radar however, and things were slowly getting back to normal.

Kitty adjusted her glasses, narrowing her eyes. Yes, it was time for Queen Li to get back on the throne and tighten her iron grip on the school. A lax hand of rule meant people forget the hierarchy, the hierarchy she'd spent so long crafting, creating and solidifying. Arielle and Griselle joined her on the steps today; Arielle was her BFF, and the one who knew Kitty inside out. It was Arielle who'd seen Kitty at her most horrific, and had still stuck by through thick and thin. Griselle was a firm favourite of Kitty's - a Slytherin girl through and through, and general good fun.

"Girls," Kitty spoke, peering across the courtyard absent-mindedly. "What do you think to all this Grosvenor business? Father nearly popped a lung when he found out a student had died on school grounds. I hate to say it though, but I'm rather indifferent." Kitty and Ava had never been close - and although it was somewhat sad that a girl had died, Kitty couldn't care less. Groups of students moved about as if they were shadowed by a rain cloud, students who hadn't even known Grosvenor as far as Kitty was aware. They weren't upset - oh, no - they were fearful. They were fearful they'd end up just like the dead girl, their terror masqueraded by a smokescreen of grief and mourning. "I'd love to know what she was doing in the forest at that time..." Kitty had her suspicions, and that evil glint in her eye needed no explanation. It was Kitty - she always thought the worst of people.

If Arielle was indeed truthful to herself, the whole business with Ava had struck something deep within her. A student had died and that of course shook her to her core. Death was not something she wasn't unaware of, but it was not something she could get used to. Heck, someone her age shouldn't have to get used to the idea of death. Arielle thought she would have years before she had to get comfortable with the idea of death. When she was old, grey, and unfortunately wrinkled, would she have to accept that friends would start to pass away around her. Right now she was in her youth and she shouldn't have to deal with the death of a student. She shouldn't have been introduced to death yet, but she had been when she was young with the passing of her mother. Death always made her think back to her mother, she missed her. Arielle was not her usual self since the hanging air of the latest incident.

Of course, Arielle, being a prefect and the headmistress's niece so she had to keep up appearances. Her job was to make sure the student body was okay. Arielle felt she could keep them calm, or at least she hoped. The job could not be done if the students didn't think Arielle had a hold of her self and her own emotions. So, how else to show that than going about her usual business and that would include spending time with Kitty and Griselle. Griselle, not her favourite student but one she was civil with considering their common friend. Griselle was a bit too punk for her tastes, and a bit gritty but she wasn't all bad.

"My father thinks it is terrible business, but of course with my aunt here he feels I am in good hands. I just worry what it will say about my aunts reign here as headmistress." Arielle hoped to give off little concern to the death, since  Kitty seemed so cool about it. "I must say though, the fact someone died on the grounds doesn't leave the safest feeling." Arielle spoke with a shrug of her shoulders. She watched a few girls pass by completely judging their fashion sense. Arielle was hoped the conversation would not linger on Ava too long. She may not have known the girl well, but she still felt terrible. Nobody should have to die at school, this was supposed to be a place to feel safe. "I too wonder what she was up too. What are your suspicions Kitty?"

After a week of almost complete isolation in the Hospital Hut, Sasha was returning to the Ravenclaw tower before starting back in classes in the coming week.  He knew it was unlikely rumors had settled completely but he hoped the initial knee jerk reactions would have passed.  There were, luckily, a selective few who knew Sasha had been in the forest the night Ava was murdered and those that knew were less likely to go gabbing to everyone they passed. 

He didn't expect his absence to have gone unnoticed this past week but, as Skeeter had made sure to make it common knowledge that Ava and Sasha were half-siblings, he hoped most would assume grief had kept him away.  It was, after all, a good chunk of the truth.  He wouldn't be surprised, though, if people hadn't come to their own conclusions.

His book bag was slung over his shoulder as he passed through the courtyard.  It was stuffed with a few changes of clothes and a handful of schoolbooks - the things that had found their way down to the Hospital Hut over the course of the week.  He'd just reached the bottom of the steps when he heard Kitty's casual dismissal of Ava's death.  He hesitated a moment.  He knew not everyone was Ava's friends - before this year, he hadn't been, either.  But ... to be 'indifferent' seemed far too callous.   

But, the conversation turned away from indifferent dismissal and towards gossipy speculation.  This was something Sasha wanted nothing to do with.  He re-situated the bag on his should and started up the steps before hesitating when Arielle responded to the Slytherin.  Just keep moving.  It isn't worth it.  But, the temptation to put in his two cents on the Headmistress was just too great.  It was no secret the Headmistress disliked him and the feeling was, undeniably, mutual. 

"It'll say what it should," he said bluntly.  "How many students died under Greyfriar's watch?"