"Because I hate that I hurt her," Leane whispered before burying her face into his chest. When her quiet sobs had subsided and her tear flow had slowed, Leane wiped her eyes and looked up at Fynn. Her eyes puffy, Leane whispered softly, "I'm sorry.." Caressing his cheek, Leane pressed against him and pressed her lips against his, seeking comfort from his embrace and his kisses. "I'm so sorry," Leane murmured against his lips between kisses.

Softly, his mouth molded itself against Leane's, giving gentle kisses as he embraced her more tightly. The arms around her were firm and loving - arms she could trust and lean on, if needed, but also arms who would cherish her and follow her if that was required. The kisses, on the other hand, were nothing but gentle, tender care; exactly there to reassure Leane that everything was alright, and to comfort her.

With his lips slightly parted, Fynn moved them against Leane's, his head slowly going from side to side, brushing their lips together. Then, he tilted his head back, reaching up to caress her face while looking at the top of her head with a softened expression. "You don't need to apologize to me."

- - -

Meanwhile...

"Ik kan- No, I can't do it!" Anna had broken into a sprint upon leaving the hallway, and now she was standing in the middle of an office, bawling her eyes out as she vented her frustration and helplessnes. As an added sign, she threw her hands up in the air before starting to pace to and fro. "I just can't do it! It's impossible! I don't even know why she constantly gets mad at me - she's just such a... such a HOTHEAD!"

The continueing sense of anger caused her to growl lightly as she muttered, "I know I'm not much different, BUT SERIOUSLY. Where does she get this kind of nonsense?!" The muttering died down, and after a while so did the pacing. Though still crying, Anna now just looked towards the desk with a dejected expression.

"This. Blows."

"But I do... I'm vile... I say such vile things when I know they're going to hurt the other person.. I can't hold my tongue and I say how I feel rather bluntly and effectively.. I cannot keep doing this to you and causing you to fight with everyone around you, nor can I keep causing you to be around me when I fight nor pick up my pieces after a fight. It's not fair to you and I hate myself for doing it to you," Leane whispered as she rested her forehead against his chest and leaned into his palm. "I love you so so much, yet I have such a horrible way of showing it," Leane whispered as her fingertips clutched the back of Fynn's cloak, her body molding against his as she buried her tear-stained face into his shirt.

--

The classroom Anna had happened to stumble into was Professor Flitwick's.

Carrying a set of books into his classroom from the library, the small dwarf was rather taken aback to find a young Gryffindor student in his classroom, and crying no less. Setting his books on a nearby table, the professor hurried over to the young girl's side, quickly noticing upon seeing her profile that it was the new student, Annastasia Van Orsenhoven.

"Miss Van Orsenhoven? Whatever seems to be the matter, my dear? Did something happen?" the old professor inquired as he carefully, gently placed a hang upon the back of her shoulder in an effort to comfort.

"Shhhh..." Shushing her quietly, Fynn had started to shake his head in denial already half-way through her little monologue, and as she hid her face in his chest, he hugged her tightly and pressed her even closer to him. "Lee, you have an excellent way of showing that you love me."

Leaning forward, tilting his head lightly, he made it so that he could place a soft kiss on her cheek, not asking her to look up and rather helping her hide her head a bit more. "You allowed me to follow you. That's all I'm ever going to ask - the chance to come to you and make it up."

"Lee, I fell in love with the feisty, eager you. I love you the way you are, even if that means that occasionally I must help in picking up some pieces." A firm kiss was placed on top of Leane's head, and the arms that were around her body squeezed a bit more tightly as he snuggled her. "It's really hardly a sacrifice, at all."

- - -

"Ack-!" Surprised by the sudden presence, Anna practically leapt on top of a nearby desk - ending up with one knee on it, and her leg still danging mid-air before she glanced over her shoulder and relaxed. "Oh - professor. I apologize - you startled me."

Her smile was rather pitiful, with her eyes red, the streaks of tears on her face and the thickened lips, but still she tried to give a reassuring one to the tiny professor behind her. "Nothing much is up - just, you know... regular 'new student' things."

"I love you," Leane whispered softly into his chest, the only words she could manage to speak as her fingertips pressed into his back.

Turning her face so that she was looking out under his arm, her cheek pressed against Fynn's chest, Leane murmured softly, "Fynn? Will you stay with me tonight? I don't care where we sleep - whether it be the Room of Requirements, this hallway, a bench - I honestly don't care.. I just.. I don't want to go back to the common room like this.. I don't want the girls telling Josh I'm like this and have him come up in the dormitory and try and talk to me about this.. I just.. I can't do it right now.."

Leane wasn't even sure if Fynn had heard her, but she truly had no intention of leaving Fynn's side at the present time.

-

"Come come, my dear. I may be old but I am not blind. I can see a young woman in distress when I lay eyes upon her. Tell me, what have the other students been doing to you. Is it many or... just one in particular?" the old man added softly as he scrambled onto the nearby chair and patted the one opposite him, motioning for her to get off the table and sit upon the chair.

Though he hadn't heard everything, Fynn had understood enough to know what it was that Leane wanted. Immediatly his mind went to more practical things. The Room of Requirements couldn't provide them with food, so either they'd have to go hungry or he'd have to sneak into the kitchens, assuming they'd skip dinner in the great hall... Josh would be worried, and blame him, so he'd have to be notified...

With his mind running over the small things that needed to happen, he was already holding Lee tighter and heading in the direction of the Room of Requirements. "Lets stay together."

- - -

Anna smiled lightly as she descended from the table and walked towards the offered chair. "You're not old yet, sir."

With smooth and confident strides, the brunette walked up to the professor, pivoted on her heel, and landed promptly on the chair next to the tiny teacher. "I'm not being bullied, if that's what you're worried about, sir." Anna folded her hands together and rested them lightly in her lap, turning slightly towards the professor so that she could make eye-contact upon speaking.
"It's just... I'm new, and trying to find out about things that happened before I came here has made me too pushy and curious. Curiosity killed the cat, and though I might have nine lives,..." The smile she offered the small professor was a tad watery, and the new tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes caused her to blink rapidly in an attempt to eradicate them.

"Thank you," Leane whispered as she wiped her cheeks once more.

* * *

Once they were inside the Room of Requirements, Leane slipped off her shoes and pulled off her stockings after moving from Fynn's embrace. Ignoring her tear-stained face and puffy eyes, Leane shrugged off her coat, took off her tie, and slid out of her vest. Tossing them onto the chair, Leane plopped herself onto the bed face down into the pillows; utterly exhausted from crying so much.

Shifting slightly so that her face was out of the pillows, Leane inquired softly, "Fynn? When everyone finds out... will they forgive me?"

--

Understanding perfectly, the professor smiled and gently patted Anastasia's head, "Losing one still hurts just as much as if you only had one life. Now, I see you hanging around Ms. Rumeti and her gathering quite a bit since you have arrived. Am I right to assume you all are friends?"

A ripple of movement went through the mattress as Fynn sat down near her hip. Immediatly after, the soft pressure of his palm on her lower back was evident, and there it remained, softly sliding up and down and caressing her tired body with loving care.

"When everyone finds out... what, exactly, Lee?" He wasn't exactly sure why she was feeling so guilty, or what she had done that required such forgiveness as that she feared not getting it.

- - -

"Somewhat..?" Anna smiled genuinely this time, incredibly amused for some reason by Professor Flitwicks attentive care. "Saiyuri seemed to like me and basically adopted me, like the stray kitten I am, but..."

Recalling Leane's words, she shook her head lightly and sadly, saying, "I don't have a friendship with the others. They're mostly acknowledging me due to Saiyuri."

"When Saiyuri finds out what I said," Leane whispered before burying her face in her arms, "She'll never forgive me.."

-

"Ah now, Ms. Rumeti is a good girl, she's a good friend to have! Smart too, even if she is a bit sickly. Now, as for the rest of her little gathering, why do you say that about them? Is this something they said, or something you heard?" the professor inquired as he looked up at Anastasia, seemingly already knowing who was capable of such cruelty within the group. One of the young Slytherins, was likely, because the Hufflepuff didn't have it in her and the Ravenclaws seemed like good enough fellows.

"Don't say that," Fynn immediatly replied, leaning forward and nuzzling her neck lightly. "You're Sai's dear friend, you've known her ages. Besides, she'll realize that most of what you said was true, too. Don't even think something like that."

- - -

"Just a feeling I've got," Anna dismissed absentmindedly, not about to point fingers. With a light frown, she looked down on her hands in her lap, noticing the chipped off nail polish in passing. She was mostly looking down in her lap in order to think.

"Saiyuri does seem very bright and interesting. And Liam - Mr. O'Reilly is... well..." She blushed lightly as she gave a hidden, lopsided grin; still staring into her lap. "It's just very difficult to be a part of the group when you haven't had time to build up a relationship with the seperate members of said group..." She sighed, running a hand through her tresses and tilting her head towards the small professor. "And I think, my trying to rush into it, is doing more damage then anything else. Should maybe consider making some friends in my own year..."

"But how can you be certain?" Leane whispered as she shifted onto her back and looked up at her fiancee, "I promised Sai I would behave and accept her.. I haven't.."

-

"Perhaps instead of trying to become a part of their group and learn them backwards and forwards, you should start off slow and learn them now. You don't need to be a part of their past to become their friend, Ms. Van Orsenhoven, you need only know their present, for that is what matters most. Sure, you don't have the strong bond they have just yet, but you will in time. That is how it always is with new friendships, no matter where you go or who you try to befriend.

"However, I would suggest keeping your friendships open, Ms. Van Orsenhoven. The different groups, well, they perhaps are not the best way. I think in time you'll understand," was the professor's last words upon the matter before he stood from the table with one last pat upon Anastasia's head.

He quieted her by pressing his lips against hers for a moment, before pulling back and giving a reassuring smile. "It's Saiyuri. She might be mad a bit, at first - but, she'll come to see your point of view. Don't worry so."

- - -

"I'm sure I will," Anna smiled, and then she lightly shook her head. "But I think you misunderstood me - or I simply wasn't clear. I don't need to know about their pasts to be friends... it's just, that I often make accidental faux-pas' without knowing I'm making them, simply because I don't KNOW that they're the wrong thing to ask, you know?"

Remaining seated, so that she wouldn't tower above Professor Flitwick, she continued as she simply looked in front of her, eyes unfocused and not really looking at anything in particular. "I feel a tad misunderstood."

"I just.. I don't know," Leane whispered softly as she wiped her eyes, "What if the others don't forgive me? What if Liam doesn't? Or Kal? Or Drew? Or Josh? What if they all or even one of them hates me because of what I said? Our friendships are all falling apart, Fynn, and there's nothing I can do to keep us together.."

--

"Ah, but I didn't misunderstand, Ms. Van Orsenhoven. I've seen your curiosity in class. Once you get one answer, a million more questions pop-up and you can't help but learn everything about it. In some areas, it is not such a terrible quality. But in some situations, like the ones you're thinking of, it's not always the best quality to have, is it," the professor said with a warm smile as he began to gather the books upon the table.

Shaking his head once again, more firmly then before, Fynn immediatly showed his disagreement. "Lee, come here...." He opened his arms, first wanting to improve upon their intimacy before saying anything else. Taking her into his arms, and softly wiping her cheeks clean, he started with, "That's just not true."

"Your friendship won't just dissapear over something so minor. They won't hate you, I promise."

- - -

A self-concious blush tinged Anna's cheeks pink, and she nodded shyly. "Yes, it's a quality that I like in myself... but not with other people." Getting up, she helped gather the books again, offering to help the professor in a small voice.

"It's not just this, Fynn.. It's been going no since we started school this year, and Anna came into our lives... Our friendships have been slowly dwindling; especially now that Saiyuri is gone..." Leane murmured softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled beside him. "The only good thing that came from her is the fact that you and Saiyuri spoke and she convinced you to tell me how you felt.."

--

Nodding a thank you, Professor Flitwick motioned to where to take the books before leading her over to the area. "And as you don't like people prying and asking too many questions about yourself, do you not think they feel the same way in regards to their touchy pasts? Do unto others, as they say," the professor added with a wink and a gentle smile.

"And Drew and Saiyuri," he pointed out, softly caressing her hair as he tried to sound reassuring. "Just give it some time... it's still early in the year, and... you know, if you guys don't want to lose eachother, then you won't."

Guilt washed over him in a massive tidal wave, though, and immediatly he started to blame himself for being a reason of the friendships' moving away.

- - -

"I prefer the rule of 'an harm ye none, do as ye please'," Anna grinned lightly, scratching the back of her head as she thought over the professors words. "I think the biggest difference is that I would never be mad at someone for asking... there's no harm in asking. If someone asks you something, you can still decide to not reply."

"I've always found that there's no harm in asking a question, but," she sighed lightly, giving a smile at the professor - idly wondering how he knew she liked to cling to her privacy and mysteriousness - before finishing with, "I suppose I must revise my opinion."

"I just.. I'm afraid," Leane whispered softly as she slid from his embrace and sat up slightly, looking down at him. "Fynn? Do you think everything will be alright? I know it's still early... It's just.. I'm afraid we're drifting and everything is going downhill... I just.. I don't know what to do about it..." Leane added softly as she caressed his cheek, lightly fluffing his bangs as she twirled the strands.

-

"Well, under certain circumstances, questioning is a good thing, especially in the way of honor, truth, love, and knowledge. However, in personal matters of friends and others, it is always best to tread lightly.

"And though you may see it so very nonchalantly now, would you feel the same if someone perhaps asked you about a deep secret that you didn't want anyone to know about? Would you not react the same way as others have towards your questions?"

"Spend time with your friends," he said softly, closing his eyes to enjoy her caresses more clearly. "Talk to them about how you feel, ask them what they think. If you're all aware of it, actually drifting apart won't happen as much."

His long eyelashes trembled just a second before he opened his eyes again. Fynn cupped her face gently, rubbing her cheek with his thumb, before continueing, "I know you're scared. But I honestly think everything'll be fine."

- - - -

For a while, Anna didn't say anything. Indeed, she considered it very thoroughly, from all sides... and then slowly shook her head. "If I felt like someone was blaming me or accusing me, probably I would be defensive right away. But everything is open to questioning. It's up to me to decide wether or not I want to answer. So... no. I honestly think I wouldn't, even if someone asked me about my fathers' passing, or something extremely close to home and difficult."

"I do spend time with them," Leane insisted as she leaned into his fingertips, "I always have..."

Sighing, Leane rested her chest against Fynn's and lightly placed her forehead against his temple. As her cheek fell against the pillows, her hand continued to play with his bangs on the opposite side of his head, "Fynn... You're trying to tell me I spend to much time with you... aren't you.."

-

"Ahh, now if everyone held your views, would this world not be more pleasant? Very few people can be so understanding, my dear Ms. Van Orsenhoven. I am afraid that, especially in youth, people - Muggle and Wizard and Mythical Creature alike - tend to close their minds and believe the other person to be too inquisitive, too touchy, too nosy. Only when they feel comfortable with the person and have known them for ages, so they tell their deepest sentiments and memories. However, there are also cases where even those friends don't understand or know such things. It all depends on the person, Ms. Van Orsenhoven.

"I believe what you must do, my dear, is take this into consideration, remember who you're speaking with and what you're speaking about, and realize just how deep your relationships truly lay. Perhaps understanding that people's views are not always like your own, will help you understand and refrain from asking too many questions and becoming too curious at the wrong times."

Softly shaking his head "no", Fynn absentmindedly reached up to softly play with Leane's hair. Though their foreheads were pressed together, his eyes were looking at the movement of his hand, rather then in Leane's hand.

"I don't want you to spend less time with me... or with them." The hand that was petting her hair slid down Leane's cheek, remaining there as his eyes locked with Leane's as he smiled at her. "We just have to balance it more. I just... maybe you think that way, and maybe they also think that way. If you're both aware of the fact that you're drifting apart, then you'll both put in more effort to prevent it from happening."

- - - -

"You're right," Anna immediatly agreed, and she gave a soft, sweet smile at the doctor as she continued to gather the books. "But, then, what about me?"

With a light sigh, she placed the books back on the table, hugging herself lightly as she turned towards the professor with a worried expression. "I'm all for understanding how other people think. Very much, so. But what about me? Won't they bother with trying to understand me? Isn't that unfair, if I'm the only one adjusting myself?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right.. We are mates after all.. But.. What if on top of being angry with me for the Anna situation, they're angry at me for being so distant lately?" Leane sighed before flopping onto her back, her head surrounded by her hair as she leaned back into the fluffy pillows. "This is absolutely horrid. Why must everything fall apart around me? I swear, next you'll be back to hating the bloody daylights out of me!"

-

"Perhaps, they already have. Look at who you're thinking of, think back upon them my dear. Have they given an effort? Have they been patient with your questioning?" the professor said with a warm smile, "Think about it, my dear, and have a chat with them. I think they'll listen."

For a while, Fynn didn't say anything - but soon his fingers were dancing around her waist in a tickle attack. "Stop being so negative already! That won't happen!"

- - -

"Some have," Anna immediatly agreed, nodding eagerly as she picked up her stack of books, ready to bring them wherever the professor needed them. "One in question seems very adamant to dislike me, though. And really, I don't expect them to change towards me. It's just lonely, feeling like you're the only one who tries." She sighed, adjusting the stack around in between her arms, before giving the professor a warm smile. "But thank you for your advice. I'll certainly think about it."

Leane burst out laughing as she tried her best to push his hands away from her sides. "That's.. not.. fair! .. If you don't... stop rig-right now... I'll-I'll-I'll never k-k-kiss you again!" Leane managed breathlessly through her laughs.

-

"Ahh, when you're dealing with students of such temper, and I do believe you know which opposing house I speak of, it is best to give them just what they give, don't let them walk all over you. Don't be afraid to show them a little mouth if that's what they give you. Might earn their respect and get your point across," the professor said with a wink as he motioned for where to set the books.

"Now, you'd best run along and get some dinner. Don't want to be late, do you?" the professor said with a warm smile, "Thank you for the help, Ms. Van Orsenhoven, and good luck with.. well, you know."

Fynn smiled broadly as he looked down on Leane's laughing face - that twinkle in her eyes was all he'd wanted to see - but her little threat made the smile turn into a grin. "I'm rather sure you can't stop yourself from doing that, though," he teased, lowering his tickle-attack to the inside of her thighs while making sure there was no risk of him getting kicked.

- - -

"My pleasure, professor," Anna said cheerfully, putting down the books, and in a fluid motion, kissing tiny professor Flitwick on the cheek. "Thanks for the advice!"

Then, with a wink and a wave, she skipped out of the classroom.

Pressing her thighs together, Leane captured his hands and tried to keep their movement to a minimum as she tried to catch her breath. "I think.. I can... hold out... far longer.. than you," Leane managed to say through giggles as she looked up at him and pulled him close for a long, seductively passionate kiss. "Think you can go without that longer than I can?" Leane asked with a teasing smirk, finally able to stop her laughs as she stopped his tickling for the time being.

--

Professor Flitwick smiled as he gave a nod to the young Gryffindor, a flush upon his cheeks as he scurried around the room putting the books away in their proper place.