Angry to have just been dismissed that way, Fynn pushed hard against Mr. Rumeti's shoulder, forcing the man to face him. "You don't know me to judge that, Mr. Rumeti," Fynns' normally kind and warm voice was lowered to a hiss, and his eyes were narrowed in anger. "And you'd best start learning that you can't control peoples' lives just because you happen to be a Rumeti. If name and status means so much to you, take a look at your own family tree, and then judge if you want Fynn MacMillan near your daughters' friends."

His force increased by anger, he pushed the man away, forcing himself between him and his daughter, and stomped out of the great hall, not giving Saiyuri's father a chance to reply.

-----

Blushing lightly, she caressed his hair with her free hand, answering with amusement, "Oh, but this doesn't count as a date - but true enough. See? I was right."

Saiyuri crossed her arms as her eyes glowed scarlet. Glaring at her father, she hissed through clenched teeth, "Don't you ever do that to my friends again father. Just because we are decendants of the Gaunts does not mean that we are any better than the students here! What is so wrong with Fynn and Drew? How are they any less? Fynn comes from the Black family, what's wrong with them? And Drew, he's of our kind, father, what's wrong with him? How is he beneath us?"

Drew placed a hand on Saiyuri's shoulder and shook his head, "Sai, come on, don't do this, not here."

Saiyuri shrugged his hand off and continued to glare at her father, "Tell me! How am I any better?! I'm not a Pure-blood like you, I'm a half-blood!"

Phillip, never seeing his daughter so furious with him, was taken aback in disbelief. He couldn't imagine how his sweet little girl had turned into this vicious child glaring at him. "Watch your tongue, young lady. You are a Rumeti and decend from Salazar Slytherin. You are a great witch and from a powerful and influencial family. Hence, you are superior. As for the Blacks, there is nothing wrong with the lot. The boy simply caused trouble for Leane, so I took care of it."

"Took care of it?! What did you do?!"

"I told him to leave her alone, simple as that. Though I made it very clear, he was never to see her nor the lot of you any more."

"Father! He is one of my dearest friends! I love him dearly, he had always been like a brother to me! How could you tell him such things?! Did you not recognize him as Fynn?"

Phillip simply shrugged, "I haven't seen him in years, how am I to know him at a brief glance?"

"I hate you . . ." Saiyuri exclaimed as she rolled her eyes and stormed out of the Great Hall, following in the direction of Fynn and leaving Drew alone with Mr. Rumeti.

Drew began to fidget, "Mr. Rumeti, she didn't mean that. She's just angry, you know how she gets in her angry spells."

"Yes, but I do believe I've hurt her. Is it wrong that I wish for her to have only the best?"

"No, sir. But maybe you should listen to what is best for your daughter. It may not always be what you believe it is," with a sigh, Drew walked off after Saiyuri, hoping he could catch up to her before she grew overwhelmed and collapsed like the last time.

Mr. Rumeti simply walked out of the empty Great Hall and made his way towards the carriage waiting outside to take them home.

----------------------------

"Doesn't count? Why not?" Liam asked with a chuckle, "But yeah, ye were right. Not surprising though, yer usually right," he added with a smile as he kissed her hand once more.

Her voice squeaked lightly in shy surprise as Anna asked, "I am?" With her fingers caressing his cheek gently, Anna looked down on him with a contented little smile, doing her best to fight down the blush on her cheek. "I think I'm usually pretty wrong, actually. I'm not that good at keeping my mouth shut, though, so I end up blurting things out anyway. Like how I completely messed up with Leane, just now."

The brunette sighed a little as she leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree, looking up at the clouded sky above them. "But to answer your question... this isn't a real date, 'cause the way I see it, a guy first has to ask the girl out to a date. This is... a tiny escape from reality."

--

Back inside the castle, Fynn was just about ready to turn around and go apologize to Saiyuri's father - when he saw the daughter in question come storming after. "...Sai?"

Liam sighed, "Well, a pleasant escape from reality it is, love. As for Leane, how were ye t' know the hist'ry between her 'n' Fynn? Nor Fynn 'n' the rest o' us fer that mat'er? Yer new, it's not like ye've been with us since first year. At least ye catch on quick enough 'n' know when ter leave things alone when they ought ta."

-------------

Saiyuri, still quite infuriated, let out a huff, "Ughhhh, he infuriates me so! He keeps forgetting I'm not a Pure-blood like he is! Mother was a muggle, which leaves me a half-blood. I'm not better than anyone! If you truly want to talk about blood lines, I'm probably no better than Tom Riddle himself! I mean look at the line of people I come from! I'm the cousin of the darkest wizard alive, how on earth can you get any lower than that?!"

Saiyuri leaned against the wall, scooting down against the wall until her knees were bent and her bottom was touching the floor. Wrapping her arms around her legs, and grateful no one else was in the hall with her and Fynn, sighed, "Father can be so temperamental sometimes. He believes we're a great family just because we have connections and power.. Wizarding strength and connections don't mean anything if we treat everyone who we believe should respect and admire us, like the dirt mucking up the bottom of our shoes."

"I suppose," Anna shrugged, somewhat reluctant to think that her mistake rested in ignorance alone. Instead, she leaned over to place a chaste kiss on Liams' lips, ruffling his hair lightly, then sitting up again. "Thank you for trying to ease my mind."

--

Sinking down to his butt next to her, Fynn gave Saiyuri an encouraging smile. "Your father isn't all that strange in our circles, Sai, I'm sad to say. The only reason I mentioned the fact that I'm Pure-blood is because I knew it'd matter for him." Pulling up his knees, he rested his elbows on them, his hands folded together as he looked at her with a very serious expression. "It's important that you know not to treat people as such. I know your father means a lot to you - and he means best... but it's really shocking that you turned out the way you did." With a shy smile, he added, "And I mean that in the best way possible."

Liam sighe as he stroked her cheek, "Ye know, love. I hate t' say it, but I think it's goin' t' rain soon." Dark clouds had begun to roll in around the school, promising dark weather soon.

----------------

Saiyuri sighed as she nudged Fynn's arm playfully with her shoulder, which only came to the center of his upper arm, "Don't be so harsh Fynn. He does mean well, and he does care deeply for me . . . but he's just like my brothers . . . even though Tom was in Hufflepuff, blood meant everything to him. It honestly makes no sense to me . . . I'm not a pure-blood . . . I'm a half-blood . . . Mum's a muggle . . . everyone know's that . . . unless I'm missing something . . . and she's really a witch . . . but that can't possibly be . . . Father refuses to admit that we're half bloods . . . maybe i'm missing something . . . what do you think?"

Drew sighed as he walked up to the two. Sitting down in front of them, he sat in the same position as Fynn and looked at them both, "I think you should let it be Sai, you know very well nothing will come of this. Didn't we try to find Lucia magic a few years ago in the books from the library?"

With a sweet smile, Anna stuck out her tongue. "Too bad, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I love rain." At that point, the sky rumbled, a thunder ringing still a bit away. Looking up, the brunette smiled, adding, "Because rain washes away the old, and makes room for the new. It feeds the world."

--

Shrugging a bit, Fynn stayed silent a while, thinking of an appropriate answer. "It's not like it's a regular occurence, so it wouldn't be so strange if you didn't find anything about it in any books. But... she might just be a squib, you know. Even if your mums' a muggle, that makes all of you half-bloods, including Lucia. She's not just a muggle."

Liam bit his lower lip, "Aye, but I'm not too fond o' lightnin', or thunder fer that mat'er," he added as a large crash sounded off into the distance, followed by a flash of lightning not too far off.

--------------

Saiyuri glared at Drew before replying to Fynn's suggestion, "But father met my mother at a muggles dance with no witches in sight. But . . . do you really think she's a squib? We know nothing of her family, except where she was brought up and that her parents are supposedly dead and she was an only child. You don't think they would lie about it do you . . .?"

"Saiyuri, listen to yourself. You're calling your parents liars, you're getting your hopes up, only let them fall! Fynn, don't tease her any longer, be serious! And Lucia may be a half-blood like the rest of the lot, but she's still fully muggle, even if she does have a bit of wizard blood in her. A lot of good it's done her anyway! She can't even do simple magic tricks the muggles do to try and immitate the wizarding folk."

"Drew's right . . . maybe this is all hopeless and wishfull thinking that'll never come true . . ."

"Sai, don't do this . . . You know I don't mean to hurt you, I just don't want to see you getting your hopes up and having them fall like they did last time."

She waited a while, then donned him the sweetest smile ever. "You're scared?" Gently, she caressed his head, her fingers entangling in his hair. "Then we'll have to find another hiding spot for now."

---

"You guys are making a big deal where there shouldn't be one," Fynn sighed lightly, a bit upset that Drew had accused him of teasing Saiyuri. He was truthfully tying his best to help, and with both of them going off like that, it seemed impossible to get any point across. "A muggle is someone who has no magical blood AT ALL. It's impossible for Lucia not to have no magical blood at all, so, technically, she's not a muggle."

Tugging his long black bangs lightly, his serious expression remained. "It doesn't matter wether or not she can do those ridiculous things muggles call magic. She's not a muggle, is she? No matter what, she's still a half-blood - despite it having done no good for her." Glancing aside at Saiyuri, he adds, "I can understand that you want to share this with her. But it's no use beating yourself up over it. Don't you think she's happy with her own life? I doubt if Lucia's the type to mope around and just be depressed about it."

Liam laughed off Anna's remark, "O' course not! I'm not scared o' a lit'le thunder 'n' lightnin'. But yeah, let's find somewhere else t' hide," he quickly added as he jumped up and cringed at the sound of another crash of thunder.

---------------

Drew sighed, "You're wrong about that, Fynn. Lucia is the jealous type and is not happy with Private School She wishes more than anything to be by her sister's side, which is the entire problem -- Hogwarts doesn't allow muggles. Lucia would never act this way when Saiyuri was around, she cares too deeply for her to do such a thing. But I've seen the way she looks when Saiyuri isn't looking at her -- it's full of longing and wishfull thinking of what could have been. Saiyuri simply wants to bring joy back into Lucia's life. When they were little, Lucia showed a slight sign of having magical ability, but it quickly vanished just as quick as it came. Saiyuri's been trying to find a way to bring it back every since she came to Hogwarts."

"But if what Fynn's saying is true, she's not truely a muggle!" Saiyuri's face brightened as she looked at Fynn with glowing sky blue eyes, "She could have magic after all! Maybe Anna was right, maybe it's just lain dormant all these years! Do you really believe it possible? I've never thought to have Lucia try using my wand, it never occured to me she wasn't a muggle before. If something happened while she used it, do you think that could mean she has magic within her after all?!"

Drew's hand gently slapped against his forehead as he shook his head slightly.

Jumping up aswell, Anna let out a warm laugh as she reached for his hand. "You don't have to pretend with me, Liam. Please don't." With a meaningful look, she softly squeezed his hand, before ducking away under her free arm as the rain started to pour down. With another laugh, she pulled him along slightly, "Though right now I think we'd best bolt for it."

--

Fynn sighs a bit, feeling like whatever he just said was a moot point. "Saiyuri - I didn't say that." Somewhat annoyed, he rose, tired of this days rush of emotions and more than annoyed that Saiyuri was only hearing what she wanted to hear. "As far as I can tell, Lucia's probably a Squib. And you know there's no chance of them having any 'untapped potential'. I think you're wishing for something that'll never happen."

Having returned to his blunt ways, the black-haired youth gave an apolegetical shrug to Drew. "I'm sorry for this - and even more sorry that Lucia can't just accept her faith. Look, just forget I said anything."

Liam laughed as they finally reached the castle, drenched with rain. Brushing the hair from his eyes, he smiled at Anna, "Well who ever heard of a 6th year bein' afraid o' a lit'le thunder 'n' lightnin'? Everyone'd laugh if they found out."

---------------------

With a scowl, her eyes grew to a dark red, almost black, "..You're wrong.. I will find a way."

Drew sighed as Saiyuri stood up and stormed off towards the Ravenclaw Common Room to make sure everything had been packed.

Standing up, he watched Saiyuri storm off, "Don't worry about her Fynn, she'll be alright. If you knew how close she and Lucia were, you'd understand her need to do this. Unfortunately, there's no way of convincing her that there's not nothing she can do. Just leave her be and this will all blow over eventually . . . You probably don't remember last year when she fainted during Herbology in April. It was because she refused to eat or sleep until she finished scowering the library for a way to help Lucia. I'm afraid she'll start again and this time . . . her parents will have no idea and I won't be around to stop her . . ."

Smiling a bit, Drew looked at Fynn, "You don't happen to have any servants at home who are in contact with the Rumeti house-hold staff do you?"

Tilting her head lightly, she grins up at him. "I suppose that's true - but you can trust me. I'll keep all of your secrets."

--

Fynn groaned lightly as he watched her bolt, "Honestly, I knew she fainted, but... It's not like I was your friend." The black-haired Gryffindor shakes his head lightly, a hand reaching up to scratch his scalp. "I was just saying she's a half-blood, nothing more. I think I forgot how easily she overreacts."

Turning to Drew, he finally answers to the boy question with a light shrug. "We don't keep a lot of servants - but I could send an owl to ask my mom."

Liam flashed her a devilishly handsome grin, "All my secrets? The only secret I've kept from ev'ryone, aside from the lit'le incident outside, is the not-so-secret feelin's I have towards an angelically gorgeous young lady, who happens to be standing right in front o' me," he added as he caressed Anna's cheek with his hand and tenderly pressed his lips upon hers.

-------------

Drew laughed, "Whether you like it or not mate, you'll always be a friend to Saiyuri. And don't worry about her overreacting mate, you'll get used to it again in no time."

Patting Fynn on the shoulder, he smiled at the boy, "If she does, have her keep in touch with a servant from the Rumeti household and keep us informed of Saiyuri's doings and health. We'll know what she's up to while she's at home and out of our sight whether she likes it or not. Make sure your servant keeps in touch with someone close to Saiyuri, who can get information without being obvious and without seeming strange."

Drew sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, "So much for having a quiet year eh?"

Blushing like mad, she returns his kiss tenderly, only to rub her nose against his after breaking the kiss. A small giggle escaped her as she shyly rested her hands on his hips. "Honestly, you're far too charming for your own good. You playboy~"

----

Fynn lets out a short - but truly open - laugh at that. "Honestly, I knew it wouldn't be a quiet year from the moment Anastasia showed up. It's been a hundred years or something since we've had a transfer." Shaking his head at Drew, he added, "That is, IF we have a servant who can do that."

He sighs a bit, wondering what time it is for their next class, and then adds, "It might be better to just have mum ask one of our cousins..."

Laughing Liam tucked a whisp behind Anna's ear and smiled, "A playboy am I? How so?"

--------------

Drew laughed as well, "That is true, Anna does seem to bring excitement and trouble wherever she goes."

Pondering a bit on the subject of Fynn's cousin, Drew gave a slight nod, "If your cousin is compatible with Saiyuri, surely send them - as long as it is someone whom she can depend on and confide in without suspecting something is up. And she must never know that the cousin you send is connected with you in any way or she'll surely suspect."

With a devious grin she lightly bit the tip of his nose, answering, "You're far too smooth."

---

With a light sigh, Fynn shook his head, "This is all a huge IF, though. I can't promise anything."

Liam laughed as he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist and teased, "Really, 'n' how am I t' correct this fault o' mine?"

--------------------------

Drew sighed, "Yeah, but it's the best we've got so far."

Drew began walking in the opposite direction of Saiyuri, heading for the Owlery. As he motioned for Fynn to follow him, he spoke again, "Do you happen to have a quill and some parchment with you? I have an idea that may buy us some time until you can figure out someone to watch Saiyuri for us."

The hands on his slip slipped further to rest on his lower back, and she hugged him lightly. "Let's see..." Looking over her glasses, she grinned, "Confess all your devious deeds to me?"

---

After a moments hesitation, Fynn did start to follow Drew, but gave an awkward shrug in reply to the other boys question. "I left my bookbag in the great hall, I'm afraid." He walked along Drew in silence, before pointing out, "I know you know her best of all, so I'm sure you're right in taking these measures, but... why are you so keen on having someone watch her? It's not like she won't be safe with her family."

Liam grinned, "Hmm, I'm afraid tha' may take awhile. Ye sure ye wanna know everythin' I've done? It'll take away from my mysteriousness," he added with a laugh.

--------------

Drew sighed as he shoved his hands into his pocket, "That's where you're wrong, I'm afraid. Her family has good intentions, but I'm afaid Saiyuri has ways of outsmarting her family and getting around their rules and regulations. Even though she is sickly, she's very determined and a bit stubborn. Her sister is the only one besides close friends who can get her to do what she's told, for the most part anyway. So as for being safe, I highly doubt it unless Lucia is home. If she's in school, and you cannot get someone to keep an eye on her, who knows what she'll end up doing. Most likely starve herself by scowering books and newspapers every waking moment, I suspect. I'm just afraid she-" At this, he broke off, not wishing to tell Fynn his true fear - the fear of Saiyuri not taking the potion brewed by Professor Snape as she should, leaving her open for the disease to take over her completely, leaving her soul lost and her body over run by someone else.

Joining in on the laugh, she teases, "Oh yes, because you're just surrounded by a cloud of mystery." Placing a light kiss on his lips, Anna slips out of his embrace, adding with a wink, "You'll get to see my curious, 'I want to know everything' side soon enough."

---

"...that she'll disregard her own health so much that she'll get sick," Fynn finished, assuming that Drew was talking about something like the flu, rather than Saiyuri's illness. "Hmm, I can see that happening."

With a light sigh, he stopped a second year Hufflepuff, holding out his hand and curtly saying, "Give me that-" Apparently, the kid had been whispering to his friend while holding a dungbom. Reluctantly, the smaller boy handed over his prank toy. "Five points off for each of you for skipping class - and five points 'cause of the dungbom. Now shoo." As the two kids ran off, muttering underneath their breaths, Fynn put the small bom into his pants pockets, only then returning his attention to Drew. "I'll write a letter right away to ask mother about it - and hopefully I can help out."

Liam laughed before placing a gentle kiss upon Anna's forehead, "Aye, but tha' day isn't t'day. So, love, are we planin' on skippin' all classes t'day or are we actually goin' t' go t' some?" he added with a laugh.

----------------------

Drew nodded, "Yeah, something like that. I really appreciate this, mate. I know we're not exactly the best of friends, but I'm mighty glad someone else cares about Saiyuri as much as I do and will help keep her safe. Not to say that the gange doesn't, they do when they're around. I'm afraid Sai and I haven't let on how serious things get with her. Sai would never tell due to not wanting to worry everyone, and I surely can't tell if Sai doesn't want it to be known. But you and Anna, you've both seen Sai in her horrible state, you both understand to some degree the seriousness of this."

As they reachd the owlry, Drew took out his wand and waved it in front of him -- a quill tipped with ink that never dried and a piece of parchment appeared in front of him, another set appearing before Fynn.

"I'll write a letter to Lucia, if you want to write one to your mother now, just tell the quill what to write," with a smile, he turned to his letter and began ordering the quill to write a short letter to Lucia explaining what's going on with Saiyuri, leaving out the reason behind the reasearch and fear of her starving or becoming more ill.

-------------------------

Leane sighed as she hugged Saiyuri in the foyer in which the doors leading to the outside resided in, "I'm going to miss you dearly, Sai dear."

"Don't worry Lee-chan! I'll be back before you know it!" Saiyuri said in her upbeat voice as she smiled. Placing a soft kiss on Leane's cheek, Saiyuri gave a quick wave and added, "Give Drew my love for me!" before running out to the carraige that awaited her at the bottom of the castle's stairs.

Sighing as a tear trickled down her cheek, Leane stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket and began walking towards the Divination classroom, dreading the wacky Professor who taught there.

Grinning, Anna tugged at his hand, "I guess we'd best go to some..." As she looked to check the time, she froze. "Wait... wasn't Saiyuri leaving today?"

---

Somewhat clueless - 'seriousness of WHAT?' - Fynn shrugged, and ordered the quill to write a note to his mother, fighting down his annoyance at the fact that Drew had found it necessary to explain the bit of magic he had just performed. As if he didn't know.

Though he'd started his letter later, he finished sooner - only having one line to write, really. With a low whistle, he called down his owl - a sandcoloured Pharaoh Eagle-Owl - and waited as the large bird landed on a perch near by and stately held out its talon. Tying the small piece of parchment neatly to the birds leg, Fynn muttered, "To mother, Menes."

Liam's eyes bulged at the sound of Saiyuri's name, "Bloody hell! Yer righ'!"

Grabbing her hand, he quickly pulled her along the corridor and burst through the Great Doors, just in time to see Saiyuri still running down the stairs, "SAIYURI!"

At the startle of her name, Saiyuri quickly turned around and saw Anna and Liam running after her.

---------------

Drew sighed, as he finished the letter. Calling down Saiyuri's snow owl, Anna, he gave her the letter, which she immediately took into her beak, "Find Lucia and give this to her, and her alone, alright Anna?" With a small hoot of understanding, she flew off, leaving Drew and Fynn alone with the other owls in the owlery.

Sighing again, he began rubbing his forehead, as he walked to the window and propped his head up with the hands corresponding elbow, allowing the other hand to rest upon the 'sill. "You've never noticed, have you.."

Panting lightly after the sudden burst of energy, Anna gave Saiyuri a broad, though shaky, smile as they reached her. "I'm... huff... so sorry. We were..." she groaned lightly, a hand on her hip as she puffed loudly, "Crap, I need more exercise...." Catching her breath, she finally managed to stop panting, "We were too busy playing hooky to remember that you were leaving - sorry!"

---------------

With an amused grin on his face as he imagined Anastasia as an owl, he was slightly surprised at Drews' comment. "What?" Following him to the window, he rested his elbows on the 'sill too, leaning his chest against the wall. "Notice what?"