With a light neigh of his head in the general direction of the Gryffindor table, Fynn said, "We escaped to where Liam and Anna went the other day." Taking his hand off of Leane's knee, he picked up his fork and knife, slowly "attacking" his plate. "A swim was needed, and a talk."

"Right.. just needed to clear my head.." Leane said softly, not even bothering to try and eat the food Fynn had gotten for her.

"Lee needed a diversion, she looked maddeningly vicious this morning! Though I can see why, in a way," Kalli added as she took another bite of her roll.

"I've gotta go, sorry." Leane, ignoring her hungry stomach, quickly stood and made her way out of the Great Hall.

Liam and Drew eyed Kalli as Leane made her exit, "Kal, did ye have t' start bein' sarcastic?"

"Really Kalli.. don't you think she deserves better than that?"

Kalli rolled her eyes and she took another bite of her roll, "Don't blame this on me. I was perfectly fine until she started acting as if she's the only one who's not alright in this mess. Did she even once ask how Josh was doing? It seems that she doesn't even care."

Drew glared at Kalli, "You know that's not true. Quit being so stubborn and pig-headed. Can't you just cool it and let them work it out without making Leane feel worse? She feels wretched enough as it is. You know perfectly well Josh was in the wrong here."

"I know that, we all know that. But Josh is more stubborn than Lee. We can't very well make him buck up and apologize!"

"So badgerin' Lee 'n' makin' 'er feel terrible is th' best way?"

"When you put it that way..."

"It was wreckless 'n' stupid Kal, she even defended ye in th' Anna 'n' Josh fiasco. 'n' this is how ye repay 'er?"

"I just want the fighting to be over and things to go back to the way they were! Everything will be fine if Leane's going to the Common Room to talk to Josh."

"But why is she the one having to make the first move?" Fynn questioned, rising from the table to go after Leane. His eyes rested calmly on Kalli for a moment, before offering, "I know you hate it that Josh is feeling like crap. But... this is none of our business. I know your loyalty is to him. But you have to be careful not to get too caught up in it, or else you're going to lose a friend."

Stepping over the bench, he gave a light sigh, muttering, "Please excuse me," before heading in the same direction as Leane - hoping she was waiting on him.

Drew sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, "He's right you know.."

"I know.. I just.."

"Wasn' thinkin', we know."

"You're all angry with me.. aren't you.."

"O' course not, we jus' don' agree with what ye did."

"You'd better hope everything goes okay. If Lee comes out of this even more scarred and hurt, you're going to be in for the wrath of your life; you do realize this, don't you?"

Kalli nodded, "But.. I know Lee'll come through.."

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

Leane sighed as she slowly walked down the hall, her hands shoved into her robe pockets, her hair hanging over her shoulders, some hanging against her chest while whisps hung in the air as she looked down at her feet as she shuffled along.

"I'm sure she will," a slightly accented voice sounded behind Kalli, and Anna comfortingly rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "The only problem is that each scar is like a brick - and slowly the wall she puts up becomes taller and more difficult to penetrate."

Leaning down, Anna gave Kalli a sweet smile, adding, "Just apologize next time, and I'm sure it'll be alright."

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

At the slow pace his girlfriend was going, it wasn't hard for Fynn to catch up with her. Without saying a word, he reached into her pocket, taking her hand in his while walking alongside of her.

Kalli forced a smile as she gently patted Anna's hand, "Thanks.. I just hope I didn't go too far... If I did, I honestly didn't mean to.."

Drew sighed, "Think Fynn can get her out of it? With Sai not here, I'm not sure...."

Liam's face lit up as he saw Anna, a smile appearing on his lips, "Thought ye were sittin' o'er a' th' Gryffie table? What made ye come o'er 'ere?"

-----------

Leane gave Fynn's hand a gently squeeze, "Sorry... I... I just... I need to find Josh... if he's as bad as Kal says I... I don't want him to hurt any longer.. he.. he shouldn't beat himself up this much over it! I forgave him for his out burst long ago.. I suppose it was to have been expected.. it still hurt, but... I'm afraid my leaving and not talk to him all day has made things worse... Ugh!" she screeched as her fist pounded the wall to her left, "I'm such a coward.. and due to my stupidity and cowardice.. I may have lost the only immediate family worth having!"

Smiling back at Liam, Anna offered, "Well, I saw Leane all but storm off, so I figured I'd come see what the drama was about." Her hand ruffling Kalli's hair for a moment, she looked at Drew, shrugging a bit as she said, "You know, if they're as serious as I'm guessing they are, he'd better learn to help her out."

----

"Calm down!" Fynns' voice was stern, and he latched unto her other hand to make sure she couldn't punch the wall again. "I know you're going to see Josh. Why do you think I came?" Squeezing her hands lightly, he let go of one, pulling her along with the other as he took confident strides towards the basements. "Everything'll be alright."

Drew sighed, "Yeah.. but the rest of us have known her just as long.. the only one who can pull her out of her barrier is Saiyuri.. If Leane sinks back into her shell.."

"She'll practically be a walkin' zombie," finished Liam.

Kalli bit her finger nail as she looked over at Liam, "You don't think I'd have caused her to.. do you?"

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

Leane bit her lower lip as she quickened her pace, following Fynn, "I know.. I.. I just.."

Sighing, she placed her other hand on Fynn's arm, hugging his arm against her chest as she walked beside him, her head resting on his upper arm, "The cellar.. that's where we need to go... the entrance is down there behind a wall.."

Drawing back lightly, Anna looked from Liam to Kalli, head tilted to the side in curiosity. "When she hides in that shell, it's that bad?"

----

"Alright," Fynn smiled warmly, kissing her on the forehead as he calmly walked with her to a staircase leading down. "It's okay to be worried, just..." His hand gently brushed against her cheek, before his face followed his hand, and he nuzzled next to her ear affectionately. "Just don't keep your worries to yourself."

Liam ran his hand through his hair as he nodded, "Aye, love. Lee... ehh, how d' I explain this.."

"You've seen how Leane acts towards everyone aside from us, right? The cold, untrusting, snappy person she becomes? That's just the tip of her guard," began Drew.

"Her emotions rule her, love. She's learned to hide her emotions and become unfeeling in front of others over the years," continued Liam.

"If she feels like she's done something terrible that cannot be forgiven in the eyes of those who matter most," said Drew with a sigh, "if she feels she's lost the ones she loves and trusts with all her heart, she'll revert into a shell so deep that not even Josh, nor anyone sitting here for that matter, can penetrate it. She'll simply go through her daily movements as if seeing through a haze. She could be like this for only a few days, a few weeks, or it could last until she sees Saiyuri and Saiyuri brings her back to normal. We've only seen her in her semi-shell state.. In this case, I think it may push her so deep that Fynn might not even be able to help her."

Kalli sighed as she began massaging her temples, "You two are simply thinking of the worst case scenario! Everything may be fine once they talk! Who knows what will happen between Lee and Josh. We need to think positive and not think the worst. She can't revert into her shell... she just can't.."

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

Leane nodded, "You know all my worries, dearest. I'm not thinking about those, at the moment.. I've pushed them to the back of my mind.. I'm just.. I'm trying to figure out what to say to him.. I mean.. I don't even honestly know why he's this angry with me.. This is the first secret I've ever kept from him! And how could I tell him my feelings for you weren't truly hatred? You two hated each other from the start...How could I have told him without him being angry and without you finding out?"

Sighing Leane started playing with a strand of her hair, "I guess it was just selfish foolishness why I kept it from him.. But he must know it was the only secret between us! Surely he must.. Oh Fynn...what am I going to say to him? He's going to be furious when he sees me..."

"Calm down, Kalli," Anna smiled kindly as she hugged Kalli's shoulders, caressing her hair in an almost motherly gesture. "I'm sure it won't be that bad. Fynn is probably with her right now, and won't allow her to do that. A lot of people hide behind a mask like Leane's." Saying this, her eyes travelled across the table, locking with Liams'. "I have at times done the same thing. While it's hard to break through it, it's not impossible. Still, there's no reason to worry just yet."

Looking back at the girl in her arms, Anna's head tilted to the side to properly look at the blonde Hufflepuffs' face, conveying a hopeful, confident smile to Kalli. "Alright?"

----

His own hand playing with her hair, Fynn shook his head, confidently dismissing Leane's fears. "He's probably just as sorry as you are, Lee. Explain it to them, just like you explained it to me now." With the slow pace they were going, it would take them a bit before reaching the entrance to the Slytherin common room - but still, they were steadily going closer, making their time together limited. Realizing this, Fynn tried his hardest to calm her fear before he'd have to let go of her. "If you tell him like that - that you didn't hate me, but were worried about confiding in Josh because you thought that would make your feelings known to me, and you didn't want that. You didn't do anything wrong. He didn't do anything wrong, either."

Kalli nodded as she gave a half smile to Anna, "Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Glaring at Liam and Drew, Kalli continued, "At least someone is being positive about the whole thing! Unlike you two." Smiling up at Anna, she seemed to have cheered up a bit from Liam and Drew's dark views on the situation, "Fynn'll definitely keep her from it. I may not know him well, but if Lee trusts him, he can't be all that bad. Besides, he seems to love her, so he'll surely watch out for her," Kalli added matter-of-factly.

----------

Leane smiled up at Fynn, "You really think so Fynn? You really think he'll understand and not hate me for it?"

'"Seems to' is an understatement," Anna laughed, moving away from behind Kalli to sit across from her, snuggly scooting next to Liam with a smile. "If you're willing to wait four years or something for a person, it's love with a capital L."

----

Kissing her sweetly, Fynn said, "I know so," before giving her a gentle nudge in the back in the general direction of the common room. "You done procrastinating?"

Liam laughed, "Aye, I suppose so. I had a feelin' she didn't hate 'im."

Drew and Kalli looked at him quizzically as they spoke in unison, "Really?! How?! We were totally blind-sighted!"

Liam smirked, "I dated 'er, remember? I liked her a' once point. Whenever Fynn was mentioned, she'd get all quiet 'n' almost blush until she snapped out o' it after a few seconds, at which point she trashed him from one end t' th' other."

Drew laughed, "I didn't notice until Sai had that look in her eyes when she spoke of Fynn and Leane."

Kalli rolled her eyes, "Well, you two are pretty lousy for not warning me. I had no idea what-so-ever!"

"I think it's time fer a change in conversation, " Liam said with a laugh as he turned and smiled warmly at Anna, placing hish and in her's as he spoke, "So, love, thought about where ye want t' go on our Hogsmeade date?"

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

Leane nodded, "I think so.. I just hope we're right about this.." Smiling, Leane stood on her toes and placed a warm kiss on Fynn's lips just as the Common Room door began to open.

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

Josh, unaware of Leane's plan to come and talk to him, had realized his growing hunger and began to wonder if Leane had went to dinner. Sighing, he got up from where he was sitting and quickly made his way across the common room. Upon opening the door that led out of the common room and into Cellar, he froze as he saw Leane and Fynn kissing just a few feet away. Tensing up, his jaw locked as he closed the door to the common room, quickly making his way over to Leane, who had her back to him, and Fynn, who Josh glared at as his fist clenched and unclenched with frustration.

Her thumb caressing Liams' hand idly, Anna shrugged, giving a light smile as she admitted, "Actually, I haven't put much thought in it yet..."

-----

As Fynn opened his eyes after the kiss, he immediatly noticed the thunder cloud on Josh' face as the boy in question was storming closer. "Eh, Lee..." In a second, Fynn had tugged at Leane's arm, pulling her behind him as he put his own body in between the two Slytherins.

"Josh, calm down, and hear her out!" His voice was stern, but calm, as Fynn braced himself for the wrath of Josh.

Kalli laughed, "Poor Liam, it's all he's been thinking about aside from the issues within the group!"

Liam blushed and cast a warning glance at Kalli, which simply made Kalli and Drew laugh.

-----

Leane bit her lower lip as she peered around Fynn's arm at Josh, her hand instantly clutching the back of Fynn's cloak like a child would it's mother when meeting strangers for the first time. As her eyes looked at Josh's face, she stammered, "J-Josh, I.. I came to-"

"What the bloody hell are you doing here. Gryffies have no business being in the Slytherin Common Room entrance-way," Josh snapped at Fynn, his voice like a sharp blade as the fury in him arose. Looking over at Leane, he glared at her, "What the hell were you thinking Lee, bringing a Gryffie, this Gryffie, down to the Common Room? Thought you two would come in and have a nice little chat?"

Leane shook her head, "N-no, I-I.."

"You what, Leane? Came here to strut around with your new boyfriend and increase your ego of how great a liar you are? What else have you kept from me, Lee? Hmm? What other secrets lay in that pretty little head of yours?"

"N-none.. well, one.. but i-it's not concrete yet.. so.. it's n-not really-"

"Let me guess, he found out about Dad's decision in regards to whom you marry and he thought he'd be Mr. Knight-in-shining armor and sweep you off your feet by promising marriage so you don't have to marry some old geezer Dad picks out, right?"

Leane looked down at the floor as she bit her lower lip as Josh continued with a bitter laugh, "Jesus Christ Lee, this just keeps getter better and better. What else you keeping from me? You pregnant too?"

Leane shook her head, "N-no... Josh, please.. listen to me!"

"Why should I? For all I know you could have lied to me my entire life! For all I know, you don't even bloody care about me or consider me family; all of it could have been a lie, just like your hatred for Fynn was a lie."

"Josh, you don't understand!"

Josh glared at Leane as he walked past her, stopping just behind her as he whispered icily, "I think I understand perfectly. You choose to lie to the only family who gives a damn about you and run around behind my back just so you can have your little fiancee without having to worry about breaking the news to me of how you're planning on marrying the boy you've always told me you hated. Well, looks like you've won your little game. You played me like a fool perfectly; made me believe we had the same views on the subject, when in reality, your little heart always cried out for him and wished he'd acknowledge your love. Well, Lee, you've got your wish. You've successfully fooled your brother and gained the love of a boy you've been yearning for the past five years."

Josh practically spat the words out as he began walking again, calling icily back to her, "Have fun telling dad the wonderful news about your engagement. Don't expect me to back you up and say Fynn's a swell guy. You bloody well better believe I'll stand against it."

Leane simply stood there as she listened to his footsteps echo in the distance. Her voice barely above a whisper, a quiver in her voice, she spoke as a tear trickled down her cheek, "I was right... I shouldn't have come here... not yet..."

Looking guilty, Anna shook her head, immediatly turning to face Liam as she warmly said, "It's not because I'm not looking forward to it or anything! It's just... I've been having some things on my mind, and, I haven't been able to really think about it yet." Her brown eyes pleading, the brunette put her hands together in front of her face in an apolegetic manner, asking, "Forgive me?"

-----

As his hand closed firmly around Leane's wrist - preventing her from fleeing away - Fynn angrily walked after Josh, calling out to force him to stop. "You're such a coward! You're not even giving her a chance to explain, and rather are being the same judgmental prick you've always accused me of being."

His anger fueled by his concern for Leane, he continued walking after Josh, hoping that the coward-line had forced the other boy to a halt.

Liam laughed and ruffled Anna's hair a bit before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Don't worry, love, we can decide when we get there. Besides, I know ye got a lot on yer mind, 'n' ye haven't done anythin' wrong, so there's nothin' t' fergive."

--------

Leane pulled Fynn to a halt just before they rounded another corner.

Sighing, she turned Fynn to face her, wiping away the tears with the sleeve of her cloak, "Fynn.. don't.. He's not being a judgmental prick.. He'll be fine once he cools off... Josh knows deep in side that I do love him and have always considered him my brother.. He knows I've never lied to him and haven't kept anything from him all these years.. And deep down he must know that I have always been hiding my feelings for you from him simply because I didn't want him to get angry and cause a commotion, leading to you finding out everything; not because I wanted to go behind his back and lie to him. He just.. he needs time to realize just how much I really do love you.. and how much you truly love me and care about me.. I know Josh.. I know he'll understand eventually.. I just.. I need to stay away from him for awhile.. give him time to think it over and let it sink in.."

Josh, who happened to have stopped just around that corner and had been waiting angrily for the couple to come, sighed as the anger drained from his body. Stepping around the corner, his hands in his pant-pockets, Josh leaned against the wall and looked at Leane, "You mean it, Lee?"

"I suppose not," Anna smiled, relieved at Liam's playful dismissal of her apology, and idly trying to flatten her hair. "But I still hate that I haven't been able to consider it properly."

----

Stepping into the darkness behind Leane, Fynn gave her a slight nudge and an encouraging smile. This wasn't his fight, and he was glad that he'd help Leane to see the situation from Fynns' own point of view.

Still, a tad worried, his brown eyes rested on Josh, hoping the idiot wouldn't mess it up again.

Kalli laughed, "Then think of it now! Do you know any places in Hogsmeade?"

-----------

Leane bit her lower lip as she looked back at Fynn before stepping forward. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she walked over to Josh, taking one of his hands out of his pocket and holding it in her own hands. Bringing his hand to her lips, she briefly kissed it before slipping her hands around Josh's waist, pulling herself close to him as she rest her cheek on his chest, "Of course, you idot."

Josh couldn't help but smile as he close his eyes and rested his cheek on the top of Leane's head, his hands gently pushing her against him as he returned the hug, "That I am.. I'm really sorry Lee.. I lost my temper... I just.. you've got to understand... this Gryffie, this demon tormented you for nearly 5 years.. I've seen what he's done to you, how he's hurt you.. you can't expect me to be happy that you still loved him despite all that and forgave him in a heart beat just because he told you some line of how he 'did it all for love'.."

Leane sighed, "Josh.. It's not like th-"

"But," Josh continued, not letting Leane finish, "he obviously wasn't feeding you lines about how much he loves you, so I suppose I can't hate him too much. Besides, a guy would have to be crazy not to love my little sister, so unless he's a bloody good liar, I think his concern and feelings are genuine."

Leane smiled as she hugged Josh tight, "Thank you."

"This doesn't mean I approve what-so-ever, nor will I acknowledge your engagement to the guy; but if Dad asks about him, I won't say anything negative, for your sake, I promise. You didn't really think I'd let Dad choose for you, did you?"

Leane laughed, "No, I suppose not. But thank you, Josh.. you trying to like him is all I can ask for.. maybe in time you'll see him the way I do."

Josh laughed as he stepped back and placed a kiss on Leane's forehead, "I don't think so, but I'll at least tolerate him, how's that sound?"

Leane smiled, "It's a start."

Josh sighed as he looked over at Fynn, "You give me one reason, just one reason to kick you into next Tuesday, and you bloody well better believe I will without thinking twice, got it?"

Raising both of her eyebrows, Anna put on her most sarcastic face, dryly saying, "Since I've never been there before? Not really~"

----

"Likewise," Fynn gave a wolfish grin as he stepped closer to Leane, his hand lightly resting on his girlfriends' hip. "You being her brother doesn't mean I won't curse you if you hurt her again."

Leane sighed as her face did a 'face-plant' into her palm, "Okay, okay, we get it. You'll knock each others lights out first chance you get. Can we think positive please?"

Josh smirked as he ruffled Leane's hair, "Alright, alright. We'll shake on it, will that satisfy you?"

Leane smiled as she nodded, "If you promise to honor the truce and not start a war, then yes."

Josh laughed as he held out his right hand to Fynn, "Very well then, for Leane, we'll call it a truce; for now."

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

Liam sighed, "Kal, honestly. Leave 'er alone. Yer not followin' us, so even if she did decide, we're not tellin' ye."

Kalli grinned and faked her innocence by replying in a 'shocked' voice, "Liam! I'm surprised at you! I would never think of doing such a thing!"

Drew laughed, "Yeah right, you know very well it's what you, Sai, and Lee were all planning."

Liam laughed, "Even Lee?" Placing a light kiss on Anna's cheek, he whispered in her ear, "Looks like we've become th' social elite o' Hogwarts, wouldn't ye say?"

"Which had been my plan from the start," Fynn smiled teasingly (though slightly cocky), reaching out to firmly shake Joshs' hand. "We'll try not to kill eachother, for now, and maybe do our best to actually ackownledge eachothers decent character traist. How about that?"

---

Giggling, Anna nuzzled his shoulder lightly, whispering back, "It's all your fault - I'm just the new kid. What did you do to get so many people interested in you, huh? Other then being hot, of course~"

Josh nodded with a smirk as he let go of Fynn's hand, "Yeah, sure, why not." After ruffling Leane's hair again, which caused Leane to stick her tongue out at him and fix her hair into a neat ponytail, Josh smiled, "Alright, I'm starved so I'm going to go get some dinner and leave you two alone to do.. whatever it is you two do, which I do not want to know about," he added as he ran his hand through his hair and walked back around the corner, heading towards the Great Hall.

Leane rolled her eyes at Josh before she stepped in front of Fynn, slipping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek upon his chest, "I love you."

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

Liam laughed as he whispered softly, "Nothin' 'til ye came, love. I think everyone's jealous o' me fer takin' th' sexy new girl on 'er second day, not givin' anyone else a chance t' try."

Having nothing else to say, Fynn simply smiles lightly, holding her close. "I love you, too."

----

With a light pink blush on her cheeks, Anna looks away, whispering "Nonsense," as she tries to hide her "shy and happy" expression.