You step out of the castle to face a large open space, consisting of green fields, hills that gently rise from the ground, the Black Lake, and lastly the Forbidden Forest. Clear open skies, and sunshine fill the mind as you continue to walk forward away from the castle walls.

This is the Hogwarts Grounds.

Brittany walked out onto the grounds, broom in hand. She dragged it behind her loosely, gazing at the trees as she walked. She sat down at one of the many tables set up along the grounds and pulled out a brown paper bag- her lunch. She sighed and pulled out her book as well.

Lizz walked around near the edge of the forest, it had been a nice day but the sun was starting to set. Her mind wondered to where people were, what they were doing, students had better be heading off to dinner and had told some to when she had crossed there path.

Ultimater walked over to Lizz, wondering if he had another shot with her.
Wink.
"Hey, where you headed?"

She pulled out an apple, and absentmindedly, she waved her wand over it, and it instantly became de-cored and sliced. She took out a few tangerines as well and began peeling them, reading as she did this.

Lizz jumped a bit not having heard him, "sorry, you kinda startled me" she said laughing lightly and smiled back with a shrug crossing her arms over her chest as she walked. She shrugged, "No where really, decided to take a stroll, make sure people get inside, detention past sunset" she said smirking, "what you doing out here?" she asked.

Shawn strode out onto the grounds and saw Britt sitting at a table. He smirked, and slowly crept up behind her. He kept quiet as she didnt notice him yet. He leaned close and smirked. "Whatcha reading?" He asked quirkly, trying to startle her.

She jumped, her eyes swirling to a lime green tint. She then breathed, relaxing slight, catching her breath, her eyes turning back to their natural light blue.

"Jesus, Shawn- you scared me. Um- it's called, "Just How Stupid Are We?" It's about politics in America and whether or not we- or, I mean they, are responsible enough to vote... I don't even know why I'm reading it. How are you?"

She closed her book, marking her page as she did so.

Ultimater, no longer interested in Lizz, found himself a tree and leaned backwards against it. "Nothing better to do," he thought.
He pulled out a butterbeer, took a sip and beltched.
"Oh ya, that's the stuff."

"o and FYI hope you liked the fish" she said smirking at him from where she stood. Yeah she'll admit it it was childish but yeah why not.

"So you're reading... a book... called 'how stupid are we?'..." He sighed, and added "So pretty much you're just figuring out that you're stupid, but you need a meter for it?" he smirked. He sat down next to her and snagged a piece of apple. "So. I- thin- tha- *gulp* I'm doing good." He said chuckling.

"How're you doing, Brittany the bookworm" He added jokingly.

She rolled her eyes.

"Actually, it's more of a wake up call, you know? I mean- there are so many reasons why Americans are not qualified to vote, I swear- there should be some type of test. I mean we're so unaware- help yourself - of what's going on around us, at least the majority..."

She sighed.

"Well, my job happens to be the easiest job in the entire world. So, not too much work going into my lesson plans, plenty of time to just sit and read for fun. You wouldn't know anything about that."

She looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow, obviously searching for something.

"Where's your better half? Did you leave it in your office?"

"Do you have to call him the better half? i mean that's just not cool." Shawn said chuckling. He grabbed another apple and shoved it in his mouth. "Good apples, by the way." he said smiling.

"Well while you figure out how to better the American society, I'll worry about things that really matter..." He said as a really gorgeous 7th year student walked by. He smirked, as his head turned and he followed her with his eyes as she made her way back into the castle.

She raised an eyebrow, watching the girl go past.

"Her name is Elizabeth Schueller, and so far she's had sex with two of the two Prefect's in the Slytherin House. If you lower your standards, you just might have a shot. Girls dig the whole authority thing..."

She rolled her eyes, reaching into her bag, pulling out some graham crackers.

"Why do I pack such a preschool lunch?"

"Oh cool, I thought she's only slept with me. So she's slept with Vipera?" Shawn said smirking. Elizabeth looked his way and smiled, gave him a wink and hurried off. "Now, who said anything about having a shot?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to eat, Shawn. The last thing I want to think about is my ex-boyfriend, who is now a Professor, mind you, having his way with some slutty seventh year. Trust me, I have more important things to worry about..."

Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip.

"Wait, what's wrong?" Shawn asked. He had gotten serious now. "Im sorry for saying that shit infront of you, though, it was pretty insensitive. and probably against school regulations but, yeah... What's wrong?"

She shrugged it off. She wasn't worried about what he had said, that didn't hurt her at all- well, not enough to raise alarm at least. The last time they had truly spoken [besides their recent reunion], was over a year ago, and they had broken up- there had never really been any closure. She was more or less over it, and was ready to move on.

She sighed.

"It's... well... a few days ago, I lost a necklace, and it was really important to me... it was a pearl necklace with a silver pendant in the center. It was very important to me... it was the last thing my parents ever gave me before they died, and the other day in the tree line, I thought- and I didn't want to worry you- I thought I saw somebody..."

She took a bite of her apple slice and munched for a moment, swallowing.

"I thought I saw... Shika- but I could have been mistaken!"

She braced herself.

Shawn kind've had an awkward smile on his face and tried to laugh. "You're kidding. I killed him... It would have to been a mistake..." He said, his voice trailing off. He can't be alive. I saw him die. I was the one who... That shit started everything.... The war, the Second War... and I thought it was over... It has to be over.

He chuckled and looked down. "It's probably nothing. Yeah that's it. Nothing.." he said, reaching for an apple and slumping down and taking a bite out of it.

I need to speak to Merlin... but not now...

"But did you ever find that necklace? I knew you loved that thing..."

Upon the mention of the word "fish", Ultimater meet eyes with Lizz and moved toward her. Aha! So you are the one.
Ultimater reached for his wand to give her a taste of her own medicine but forgot it got lost by the lake.
"Merlin's breath," he cursed and innocently walked back to the tree.

she smiled "sorry, but it was just to tempting" she said laughing "and whats with ther merlins breath"

Sophisticated dental care was only introduced recently to the muggle world.
When Merlin got old he had to cast a new spell daily to cover up his stinky breath.

( iwas talking about when he said merlins breath thinkg lol)
Lizz waited for a response, "so how come i haven't seen your nice looking but around lately?"

Ah, well the Merlin's breath was for the umm.... I forgot why I said it.
Oh ya, now I remember, I said it because I forgot something I was gonna tell you.
But I still can't remember what I forgot since I only remember that I forgot something.
Err ya. "Good cover up Ulti," he says to himself.

She frowned at his reaction. She knew this would cause a certain loss for sleep, she didn't like unnecessarily worrying him. However, she knew what she thought she saw... she couldn't get it out of her mind.

She shook her head to his next question.

"No, I never did find it... I've looked just about everywhere. I could have swore I had it last down by the Whomping Willow... I feel so irresponsible."

She looked up, wincing slightly.

"Hey, are you going to be okay? I don't mean to worry you... I just thought you should know, you know? I'm just trying to help..."

OOC: I HEARD THAT SHAWN!

Vipera walked into the ground and seated herself on a stone wall. A dusty black book was held in her hands. She lifted herself onto the wall and sighed, her dark hair falling over her face as she set the book atop her lap and opened it- the dust making her choke and cough a little bit.

She had seated herself very far away from the others and arched an eyebrow at the kid who she put the fish down his back, but he was talking to Lizz. Obviously he'd take any ass he could get.
Well, what men didn't. Little did she know about Britt and Shawn's conversation. hell, she hardly knew Britt at all and the last thing she would do was be friends with a Gryffindor. Good God. Yuck. But Britt was tolerable and even cool at times. And Shawn. Well- he had a talking stick and that was just odd.

Lizz. Another Gryffindor- meh, she was nice but a little too happy for Vipera's taste and Ultimater was well- haha- Ultimater.

And so Vipera began to read- living in her own little bubble of a world away from everyone else.
"Dark Arts for Angsty Teenagers Chapter One......" she murmured, chuckling a little. This would be fun. She had to love her uncle. Since he died- she had been inheriting quite a few treasures.

(HEY THAT STICK IS NOT ODD!!! :P)

"You'll find it. It'll turn up. I promise." Shawn said, faking a smile. His thoughts raced to what had happened over the course of the last year. If he's alive, that would mean that... If i had made sure he was dead... Try would still be alive... But no, there's got to be a different reason. A demon followed me back to Avalon. It was just a spy for Scamaea..

"Yeah it's good. No doubt, Britt. I'm going to be fine. It just can't be him." Shawn said smiling, abit more convincing this time though.

(AND im sorry bout that Vipera, it was just a joke, yah know?? :P)

Cecilia stumbled out through the lawns, grumbling to herself under her breath. Surprisingly, there is no book attached to her hand. She reaches an empty table and flings her black messenger bag to the ground as she sits down rather hard. Yet to stop grumbling, she pulls her knees in towards herself and rests her head on the table, her face buried in her arms.

Ulti approaches Cecilia,
"Hey, you look like a hot one, rest your head over here. The name's Ultimater."

Cecilia looked up wearily, a single tear streaming down her face. Quickly, she slapped at it and crossed her arms briskly.

"Thanks, but I'm fine." She said, trying to make her voice appear normal.

Ulti takes a seat next to Cecilia to keep her company.
He places his hands together and then transfers them from his lap to the table.
He meets eyes with Cecilia for a moment then gazes into the distance.

Cecilia breaks her gaze from a far away tree to look at Ultimater's face.

"I appreciate you being all nice and all, but I'm sure there's things you'd much rather be doing than sitting talking to a pathetic and moody teenage girl."

She gazes down at her feet, her black vans rubbing against each other in frustration. Again, she looks up at him.

"Really I don't mind."

"Better than flirting with hot chicks?" Ulti remarked.
*Wink*
Ulti applauded himself hardly believing that came out right.
(Bush reference)

She frowned. No matter how he tried to convince her, she knew that this would certainly trouble him.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened, Shawn. Okay? You did everything that you could... there was nothing that could be done. I want to reassure you of this, because I know how you have a tendency to beat yourself up. You push yourself too hard, you know?"

She sighed.

"I know I'll find it eventually, but- I just have a bad feeling, you know?"

She lifted her eyes to the sky, which was slightly overcast. Her eyes swirled to a gray, and she looked at him, biting her lip.

"I've been having these- dreams... I can't explain it. They're not good ones... I don't know who to talk to about it... something bad is going to happen, I can feel it. This is just the start..."

She looked at him, "umm ok? let me know if you think of it" she said thinking he was lieing.

"For your information, missy, I don't beat myself up. I just... poke myself a bit..." Shawn said, trying to lighten the mood just abit. "Anyway, What dreams. You know im like the master of dreams, and if you tell me its with a giant crab with loafers then... well... im going to have to watch over you for a really long time." Shawn said smiling, genuinely.

"But seriously, what kind've dreams?"

She shrugged, looking down modestly. Her eyes swirled to a light green, serene.

"Well... my dream started out peacefully. I was in a warm place... I think I was sleeping in my dream, and all of a sudden, I heard arguing. It was really close to me, so I woke up and went towards the shouting. There was a lot of shouting, it sounded like I was in a really crowded room. Then all of a sudden I was in the Forbidden Forest- I knew, because I could see ruins. Remember the ruins?"

She took a breath and went on, she was speaking very quickly, shaking slightly.

"Well... the source of the arguing was near the ruins, and as I started walking towards it- it was a very hostile environment. Lots of shouting, you could feel it in the air... like there was an electric charge. I saw my necklace there, but someone was holding it, dangling it in front of me, and I couldn't reach it. He didn't look familiar to me, but the person shouting did. It was- well, it was Shika. He was just standing there with his arms folded... he was really angry, Shawn... it was scary. I'd never seen him look so mad... then it got dark, like, really dark."

She closed her eyes, and swallowed hard.

"Then I saw a light, and I saw you. Then- you were... well, you were gone... and I was alone... and everyone was gone... it was all gone- destroyed... and I was alone..."

She closed her eyes, tears had been forming for quite some time. She let out a deep breath and opened them, her eyes returning to their natural blue.

Shawn took a deep breath, and put an arm over Brittany. "Listen, hon, It's just a dream.. Seriously, don't get yourself worked up over it. Everything is going to be fine.. I promise you, okay?" He muttered, barely over a whisper. Right? Its just got to be a dream, nothing to worry about... He thought, keeping his face clear from his worries.

She looked up at him and sniffed, rubbing her forearm across her nose, nodding.

"You're right... I mean... the likeliness of that happening is slim to none... I mean... you said that you killed Shika, and I know you did. I believe you. There's nothing to worry about..."

She hugged him around the waist, then pulled back, grabbing another apple slice, offering it to him.

"Thanks, Shawn. I really appreciate that. It's been bugging me for days... I've had the same dream three times this week, and everytime it gets more and more realistic. I'm almost afraid to sleep, it's so terrible. It's so vivid, you know?"

"You know, they have things draughts for a dreamless sleep..." Shawn stated, matter-of-factly. He took the apple and munched down hard. "Really, this is a good apple." He said smirking. "Just remember, I won't let anything ever happen to you."