"I could never do anything like that." Ben laughed. "Nash is just so darn cute. How could you do anything to that face?" He teased, giving Nashita a playful wink.

"Uh oh, Jack. I smell competition." Matthew teased lightly before turning to Josh and Kalli. "Do you guys know where Leane went though, she's going to miss lunch if she's not here soon." He said as he finished his own lunch.

~~~

"That will be fine." Snape said, flicking his hand to dismiss her though a smile tugged at his lips. A student who actually cleaned up messes. That was a rarity.

.

Kalli and Josh both exchanged a look of 'Definitely crushing!' before Kalli flashed a grin at Matt, "She went to take her books back to her dormitory I believe. Perhaps she got stopped by Snape for not finishing everything?"

Wrapping his arm around Kalli's waist, Josh smiled at Matt as he took a bite of his sandwich, "Why don't you go find her? Warn her I'll kill her if she doesn't eat lunch, though I'm sure that girl has some sort of candy hidden in her pockets," Josh added as he rolled his eyes playfully and rested his chin softly upon Kalli's shoulder, "So, love, why don't you have candy in your pockets I can steal?"

Kalli laughed as she turned her head slightly to place a tender kiss upon his nose and forehead, "Perhaps because it's end up getting ruined."

Josh chuckled as he kissed her cheek, "Perhaps, but it'd be a nice snack don't you think?"

-

Leane nodded, "Good day Professor." Slipping out the door, Leane sighed as she began walking down the hall. 'Honestly.. What am I thinking? I've got to give up this crush on Snape, it'll never happen nor will it ever work.' "But there's no one else I have feelings for.. is there?" she asked herself in a whisper as she walked down the halls.

.

"I'm not crushing." Matthew said, rolling his eyes. "But I did skip on doing that Charms homework last night so I think I'm going to use up this..." He paused, checking his watch. "Ten minutes to pull something out of nothing." He joked before heading out of the Great Hall and towards the domitory.

"Ah to be young and in love." Ben teased. "Oh right, I am." He grinned before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"A true romantic." Nashita said, her nose wrinkled as she saw the bit of chicken salad that had gotten on Ben's cheek.

.

Kalli, being the cleanly girl she was, reached over with a napkin and wiped the chicken salad off of Ben's cheek. "Not only do you act like a two year old, but you eat like one as well," she said with a teasing grin.

-

Walking through the halls, lost in her thoughts, Leane walked around a corner as she headed for the Great Hall and nearly toppled someone over. Glaring, not seeing who it was quite yet, Leane started, "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? Watch it! Oh! It's you Matt.. Sorry about that," Leane added hastily as she helped him back up, "You alright?"

.

"Well that's why I keep you around, Kalli." Ben grinned. "I'd be a mess without you." He teased, earning a 'ahem' from Jack. "Yeah, you to." Ben joked, bumping Jack's side playfully.

"You're terrible." Nashita laughed.

"I think I'm loveable actually." Ben smiled.

~~~

"Yeah, I'm good." Matthew smiled as he got off the ground and wiped off his pants. "You sould work on that attitude though." He joked, looking up at her. She looks beautiful... Matthew pondered, cursing himself for letting Kalli and Josh's ideas get to him. "I have to go." He said quickly, darting off for the dorms.

.

Kalli laughed, "You are lovable, dearest. Now come on, let's get to Transfiguration before McGonagal has a meltdown, alright?"

Turning to Josh, Kalli placed a tender kiss upon his lips, "See you after class?"

Returning her kiss, Josh whispered against her lips, "Count on it. Love you."

"Love you too," Kalli whispered against his lips before placing a tender kiss upon his lips.

-

Staring after him, completely confused at his reaction, Leane shook her head and headed off towards Transfiguration with her books in hand. 'Wonder what got into him...'

.

"How adorable." Ben smiled as he led Jack and Nashita out of the room.

"Did anyone else understand the last lesson?" Jack asked as they walked to transfiguration. "Besides Nash." He said as she raised her hand happily.

"Something about teacups and gerbils." Ben shrugged.

"Great." Jack mumbled.

~~~

Matthew sighed as he reached the dorms. He'd never have time to practice his Charms. Shrugging in defeat, Matthew grabbed his books and wound through the halls to Transfigurations.

.

After a few more kisses, and an "eh-hem" from passing students. The couple laughed as they walked hand in hand out of the Great Hall before giving each other one last kiss and heading off to their respective classes.

**

Catching up with the group, Kalli linked her arm through Nashita's and Ben's, "Ready for a great Transfiguration class?"

-

Sitting down in her usual seat, Leane sat with her palm pressed against her chin and cheek while her elbow rested against her desk beside her books. 'What in the world has gotten into Sommers? I mean honestly! It's not as if I was that snappy to him. And he seemed fine until he started staring at me... Then he suddenly got nervous.. Hm... I'm sure it's probably nothing and he was just afraid I was in a bad mood and simply didn't wish to catch me in it.. Besides, I've got enough to worry about... I suppose I'd best start mentioning that I'm getting better at Potions soon.. That way I can slowly take my rightful place as top of the class..' she thought solemnly with a sigh as the students began piling in.

.

"Transfigurations." Jack and Ben grumbled at the same time.

"Weird, guys." Nashita said as they entered the classroom and took a seat near Leane. "What's with you?" She asked Leane as she straightened her books in front of her.

Matthew entered the room quickly with his books tucked under his arm. Just stop weirding yourself out... Matthew soothed himself as he took a seat beside Nashita. Don't think about how beautiful she looks. She's one of your best friends. Just concentrate...

.

Leane smiled at Nashita as Kalli took her place next to her, "Well, I've had a few extra lessons with Snape, and we've finally figured out what's wrong with all my potions this year. I was too confident and neglected to pay attention to all of the directions. I thought I knew the potions well and so I did them without looking at the instructions. He finally caught me doing it today in class, so he made me study the books and learn them over again. I saw a lot of directions and ingredients I'd been missing when making the potions. When I tried them again, I did them correctly. I still have to have extra lessons to make sure I'm doing things alright, but at least no one has to fear about me blowing up the cauldrons anymore!" she added with a laugh.

Stretching, Leane looked over at Matt and saw the same expression planted on his face as he pointedly ignored her, "I think you'd better ask what's up with Sommers though, he seems to be a bit more out of it than me," she added with a semi-glare at him, completely confused about why he was acting so cold and stand-off-ish.

Turning to Kalli, Leane smiled as she teased, "Kal, you think you can try to not stage us up too much today?"

.

"Sorry." Matthew said, putting on a smile as he looked over at Leane. "My Charms grade has been dropping lately and I've just been a little tense lately." He laughed quietly.

"If you neeed help, I'm sure Kal can help." Jack smiled. "She's good enough for the lot of us."

"If you can pry her away from Josh." Ben joked playfully, earning a smack from Nashita.

"Play nice." Nashita said, rolling her eyes playfully.

.

Sighing lightly, Leane smiled over at Matt, "You're forgiven, but just this once," she added with a teasing wink.

Kalli rolled her eyes at Jack, "You're terrible! You know I'm wretched at Charms.. If you guys make fun of me again today when something backfires, I make sure I stand near you all when I practice. Besides, I am getting better! Some nights Josh has been helping me practice."

.

"I'm only teasing, Kal." Jack said with a smile. "You know I love you." He teased, earning a hard look from Ben. "Yeah, you to." He smiled, playfully nudging Ben's side.

Matthew wrung his hands together under the desk, trying not to blush from Leane's wink but failing slightly as a light pink blush reach his cheeks.

"If you need help, Matt, I'll tutor you." Nashita offered.

"Thanks, Nash." Matthew sighed, putting an arm around Nashita. "I owe you one." He smiled.

.

Kalli laughed, "Oh I know, but you still get on my nerves no matter how much I love you. And you Benjamin, you infuriate me as well! You snog your boyfriend all the time, why can't I snog mine?" she asked as she stuck her tongue out teasingly at him.

Double taking a look at Matt, Leane shook her head, 'I must be seeing things..' Deciding to ignore it, Leane grinned at Nashita, "Shita, if you offer to tutor him, be prepared. Sommers will keep you up for hours and will get you so frustrated you'll start throwing things at him. He's never been one to do well in charms," she teased as she stuck out her tongue playfully. "You sure you're ready for that kind of commitment?"

.

"You're one to talk, Lee." Matthew teased, giving her a small wink.

"Maybe." Ben said with a smile. "But Jackie is simply adorable." He teased, nudging Jack playfully. "How am I suppose to not snog him?"

"Will you behave?" Jack asked shyly, his face turning red from the very subject of snogging.

"Maybe." Ben smiled again just as class began, diverting all of their attention.

.

Chuckling, Leane whispered, "I'm better than you, Sommers. Admit it, you're just jealous," she added with a teasing wink.

Professor McGonagal, not hearing Leane's comments to Matt, simply began introducing the day's lesson and demonstrating how the spell was to work. In a cage upon each of their desks, was a live guinea pig, hamster, or rat. Their objective was to use the spell to turn the animals into a crystal tea cup.

After spending half the period explaining the spell and demonstrating it, she let the students begin practicing with the spell upon their respective animals.

.

"Uhm." Jack said plainly as he looked at the hamster in front of him.

"I hear you." Matthew sighed as he looked at his rat. Flicking his wand, Matthew turned his rat into a furry saucer.

"You need to flick with your wrist more." Nashita advised, showing an example with her own wand.

Trying again, Matthew's rat returned to normal. Praying that he wouldn't make a fool of himself, Matthew flicked his wand and resulted in a furry tea cup with a tail rather then a handle. "This is pointless." He sighed.

"You can get it." Nashita encouraged, setting down her wand to take Matthew's hand. Demonstrating the motions, Nashita nodded for Matthew to try again before changing her own rat on the first try.

.

Kalli hesitantly took her wand out as she whispered, "Lee.. this is a live animal.. if I backfire..."

Placing a hand on Kalli's shoulder, Leane gave her an encouraging smile, "Come on, if Sommers can get it to be a furry whatever, surely you can manage the same at the least. I promise, you won't kill it. If you don't believe me, just ask Shita. Shita, dear, can you help Kal? She's afraid she'll kill the hamster if it backfires. I can't help her any, but I'm sure I can help Sommers a bit. So let's switch partners 'til Kal's fear is gone, 'kay?" she added with a chuckle as she looked over at Matt, "If that's okay with you?"

.

"Sure thing." Nashita said as she moved to stand beside Kalli while Matthew stood nervously by his rat.

Don't freak yourself out... Matthew soothed himself as he aimed his wand at his rat, not bothering to think about Leane.

"I promise that you're not going to kill this rat." Nashita soothed as she took Kalli's hand similar to how she'd held Matt's. "Like this." She said, demonstrating the wand movement. "You try." She said as she moved her hand from Kalli's.

.

Not daring to say a word, Kalli simply mimicked Nashita's movements the best she could. "Like that?" she asked nervously.

Leane smiled over at Matt as she took her small guinea pig and placed her on the table. Caressing it's soft head, Leane smiled and placed a kiss upon it's head before pointing her wand at it. "You really are the cutest thing. Forgive me if you turn out a bit awkward," she added with a laugh as she cast the spell, turning the small guinea pig into a crystal teacup with eyes and a tail for a handle.

Looking at the mishap, Leane burst out laughing, "How strange! I can't help but love it though, doesn't she look cute?" she inquired as she looked up at Matt.

.

"Just like that." Nashita encouraged.

"It is pretty cute." Matthew agreed as he looked at the teacup rat. "I wonder what a guinea pig thinks when it becomes a teacup." Matthew pondered as he turned his own rat into a teacup. "Cool." He smiled.

.

Kalli closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Looking at Nashita, Kalli bit her lower lip, "You're positive I won't kill it, right?"

Leane laughed as she kept trying and, after four or five more tries, managed an actual teacup, "Not sure, but we could always cast a spell to find out?"

.

"I promise." Nashita soothed as she kept her eyes on Kalli.

"Probably." Matthew laughed. "If you don't blow us up trying." He joked as he changed his rat back into a rat.

.

Taking another deep breath, Kalli pointed her wand at the hamster and cast her spell articulately, causing the hamster to change into a furry teacup with beady eyes staring at her. At least it had a crystal handle though, that was a start for poor Kalli.

Looking at Nashita, her eyes lit and her face beaming, Kalli wrapped her arms around Nashita and hugged her as she whispered, "I didn't kill it! It didn't backfire on me! I did it!"

Leane rolled her eyes at Matt as she lightly smacked Matt in the arm, "And you wonder why I slap you so often and like Ben and Jack more than I like you! And if you think you could cast the spell so well, then you do it Mr. Big-shot-caster. Show me what you got Sommers, I'm waiting," Leane teased with a grin as she put her hands on her hip and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to either back out or cast the spell.

.

"I told you." Nashita laughed as she returned Kalli's hug before turning the teacup back to its animal form. "Now try again." She said with a smile that faded only for a second as she eyed Leane and Matt out of the corner of her eyes.

"You know very well that I don't know the spell." Matthew teased as he leaned against the table. "But if I did." He smiled. "I would show you up right now." He teased.

Ben nudged Jack lightly as they both looked up from their respective teacups and towards Nashita. Glancing once at each other, smiled as they both had the same thoughts and looked back down at their teacups to continue to work.

.