WELCOME

[Patricia Crowe]

winter 2022, hallways

It hadn't been a complete lie when Tricia had told her potions professor that she had an upset stomach. Whatever potions they were brewing today had made the teen a bit queasy, as had the person she had been partnered with today. Normally the picked their partners, but today it seemed the professor had wanted to choose partners for them, and Tricia had not ended up with Robert. She couldn't really remember who she had been partnered with -- the teen hadn't really stopped to pay them much attention when her hand had shot up and she had declared a dire need to visit the hospital wing. Whether it was her known theatrics or genuine concern that Tricia might be ill, the teen had been allowed to gather her things, and given a pass to visit the nurse. Originally she had thought to toss the note away, but Tricia was still dutifully making her way to the hospital wing, her mind partially lost in the thought, and partially concentrating on her stomach. She figured stopping by the hospital wing now would possibly get her out of the rest of her classes for the day, which would be rather nice.

The trouble wasn't simply her stomach, however. Tricia's plans to win Robert's heart didn't seem to be getting her anywhere. It was as though it didn't matter what she did, the boy didn't see her. It was sort of crushing; Tricia had been trying every known trick in her book to get his attention. She flirted with other boys, she was terribly sweet to Robert when he was around, and she had even informed him that she would wait for him however long it took for him to return her feelings -- all to no avail. Either the boy had a heart of stone, or he really wasn't interested in Tricia. She didn't want to admit defeat, but what else could she do? Hit him over the head and make him forget completely who he was? The brunette paused at the thought, turning it over in her mind a bit before continuing down the hallway. She supposed if worse came to worse she really could try something like that. It wasn't the most brilliant of plans. She knew her brother had suggested she use a spell of sorts on Robert, but Tricia had really wanted him to love her on his own.

Tricia wished romance wasn't so very complicated. She wished Robert wasn't so hung up on Joyce, who had absolutely no idea what was going on. It simply wasn't fair. Tricia really did like Robert -- he was the first boy to ever make her try this hard. Why couldn't he just switch his feelings over to Tricia? She was pretty, and fairly witty, and cunning, and had money -- maybe she wasn't sappy and vapid like Joyce could be, but she had her own qualities to be proud of. Oh, yes, Joyce was terribly sweet and openhearted, but that sort of thing got old after awhile and was so overdone -- Tricia liked to think she wasn't like most girls. She certainly wasn't like most Slytherin girls. She was above them. But could Robert stop to see that? No. He was too busy trying to chase after Joyce and trying to hide from Tricia to stop and see any of the good qualities that Tricia possessed. Any other girl would ave given up by now, and while there were times Tricia felt like throwing the towel in as well, she hadn't. She was only that much more determined to win Robert's heart.

Nodding to herself, the teen rounded the corner, barely managing to stop short from colliding with someone heading her way. "Don't step on my toes, please," she squeaked out, trying to take a step back as well.

[Timothy Smith]

He had a headache. Not one of the small ones that could be persevered through or banished with the people end of a Migrane Monster from the Weasley's Wizarding Weazes skiving snackboxes. This was a headache that called for the potions of Madame Moss. Or so Tim hoped. It wasn't as if he could think of a way to banish the voice of the Mystery Girl (if the little girl could dub him with the silly moniker of "Twin Boy" he could dub her with a silly name in kind.) though it would be amazing if the Matron had a potion to do just that. Though thinking on it as he walked the halls from Transfiguration, a Calming Draught was probably in order too since the headache had flared up when he realized he had double Herbology with the Gryffindors next. A subject he had been dreading of late. It was hard after all to get through a class when one dreaded that the professor was waiting to feed one to a man eating plant.

He didn't possibly see how he was going to get through the last months of school - let alone OWLs with his sanity intact. Maybe it was time to come clean to people. Keeping things bottled up was having a toll on him, especially on his sleeping schedule - David was already grumbling about his moving around every night - and performance in class. He'd already had a couple stern talking tos by Professor Blith and (even more awkward) Professor Longbottom about his grades. Which he was a little upset about them being down but it was getting so hard to concentrate and make his answers sound logical and coherent but when it came down to it he was just tired. Tired of the accidents, tired of the voices, tired of the ever constant worry. It was very un-Hufflepuff of him, but he just wanted to quit, run away and hide from the world; even for a few days. But it was wrong, so wrong to run away from what needed to be done...

So lost in thought and the banging in his temples, Tim wasn't exactly watching where he was going until a shrill feminine voice practically barked at him. Coming to his senses, the boy realized he was being glared at by Patricia Crowe, probably the scariest girl - person even - in his year. It wasn't as if she ever picked on people, but she had a glare that could rival any teacher and though Joyce always spoke well of her, Patricia always seemed to have an edge about her. "Oh. Sorry about that." he managed. "I'm not feeling so well and am not paying attention to where I'm going." He regarded her for a moment. Like him, the girl probably should have been in a class, but saying as much to her was probably not a good idea. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I? If I did, I'm sorry, again." He hoped she was okay; he didn't need an angry, vengeful girl on his case on top of everything else. Otherwise the thing that would give under the pressing circumstances would be his fragile sanity. And that probably wouldn't end well for anyone involved.

[Patricia Crowe]

"You didn't step me, so no, you didn't hurt me," replied Tricia with a frown. It had been a rather close call, but she was still glad to have avoided having to hex him. That required effort, and right now she really didn't want to have to put the effort into anything. She was going to the hospital wing just to get out of classes, and get a free nap for the day -- not to have broken toes mended because some imbecile had stepped on them. She wasn't sure what Timmy was doing out of class, but she didn't deem it terribly important -- until she realized he had mentioned not feeling well.

Tricia took another step back.

"You're not contagious, are you?" she asked suspiciously. That would be just her luck, to come across a sick student and end up in the hospital wing for the next two weeks. If that happened she would never win Robert's heart. Joyce would win by default. A day off from classes was one thing, but more than one? Tricia might as well join one of those silly muggle convents.

She continued to eye Timmy suspiciously, debating whether or not to believe him. After all, just because he claimed to not be feeling well didn't mean he was feeling unwell. It could be some sort of prank, or lie to get out of class. She honestly wouldn't put it past him. Timmy was almost as bad as the Potter-Weasley clan. Why did so many students stoop to that level? Tricia honestly didn't understand it.

Then again, she couldn't really be sure about Timmy. It wasn't like she normally paid him a great deal of attention. It was only when he was speaking up, or doing something while she was around, that she paid him any mind. He seemed to spend much of his time with his sister -- a fellow twin -- and Alice Longbottom, whom Tricia felt was both odd and alright at the same time. His being in Hufflepuff wasn't really important. Tricia made it a point to avoid hanging out with people in her own house, if only because she disliked so many of them and felt she was above "house loyalty" as they liked to call so many forced friendships. But Tricia still hadn't been in the company of Timmy often -- she felt he, his sister, and his friend were a bit much -- loud, hyper, and not the sort of people she could run over easily. It had been why she had connected with Joyce -- Joyce was someone Tricia could influence, but someone like Timmy probably wasn't.

"So I take it you're going to the hospital wing, if you're not feeling well," she stated after another pause. She didn't know why that hadn't been her first realization. Where else would he go if he was unwell? His dormitory? Logical as that sounded, most people that claimed to be unwell wanted someone else to take care of them, and that usually meant going to the hospital wing where the nurse could gush over them.

Even so, did Tricia really want to be in the same vicinity as him now? She was headed that way herself, but if he had something that would keep her out of the way of Robert for a long period of time, it would be better to keep a distance... Timmy didn't look very sick, or on his deathbed. He was walking, at the very least -- but weren't looks usually deceiving when it came to those kinds of things?

"If you have something catching, I'm going to require that you walk fifty feet behind or in front of me -- I may not be feeling well, but I don't need to feel worse." It was the logical solution, and one she intended to see carried out if he was carrying some sort of strange disease, or contagious hex. Could hexes be contagious? It wasn't something she had heard of before, but didn't Joyce say anything was impossible?

Tricia silently cursed herself. She was supposed to be working against Joyce, and by repeating words of "wisdom" as said by Joyce, it really didn't seem that way. If anything, it seemed as though Tricia still considered the other girl a friend -- and she couldn't. Joyce was enemy number one because of Robert. Shaking her head, the teen turned her attention back to Timmy, debating whether or not she should take another step -- or three -- back. "Well? Are you dying from something or not?"

[Timothy Smith]

Thank goodness he hadn't hurt Patricia after bumping her; Timothy already had Alice's October injuries on his conscience which was bad enough. Four straight days of spending most of his time in the hospital wing combined with months and months of hovering, trying to make it up to the girl. After all she didn't ask for that suit of armour to be dropped on her - especially since it seemed to be going towards him at first. Hence the over-protectiveness of the Herbology Professor's daughter and the awkwardness between him and the aforementioned professor, Timmy really didn't want to be making it up to a second girl while ducking the major male figure to her in his proximity. Although Tricia is probably scary enough by herself, never mind that brother of hers. Though another part of his mind whispered cruelly that it would be better to take his chances with a Slytherin than an ex-auror of a professor.

No harm done, the next step was assuring her there was no future harm coming to her because of him. "No, no. What I have isn't catching. Just a really, really bad headache." And a voice in mine and my twin's head, but let's not go into that. "Not the sort of thing you can catch nowadays unless migraines are able to leap from person to person." He attempted a smile at the poor joke, but the pounding in his head made the boy think it was closer to a grimace than anything.She still going to make me keep a huge distance? he wondered. He'd never really spoken with the Slytherin before, aside from fielding queries as the whereabouts of Joyce or - as in third year - having to explain why he'd aimed a bludger at the small of Robert's back during a game. She'd done that with Joyce he recalled, the Hufflepuff using her knowledge of the class schedule for the cornering. Course Margine did the same to her the next Hufflepuff/Slytherin match, so I guess it's fair.

Pulling himself from the memories, he gave the girl a quick look. It was hard to tell what she was thinking or feeling. Though if she was out of class like him in this particular hallway, then she probably wasn't doing so well herself. "Since we've established I'm not going to keel over any time soon, what about you?" he asked, concern despite his own condition appearing on his face. "Are you coming down with something? Hurt something?" She didn't seem injured, but certain injuries weren't always visible."Do you need a hand with anything? I've just got trolls dancing the can-can on my skull so as long as it doesn't involve light or noise I can help if needed." he offered. Really he should not be piling on the issues of someone else on top of his own - as she had asked earlier, what if she was contagious? He really didn't need to be sick on top of the mental stress. However Timothy's desire to help was practically a compulsion - and not one he was liable to get rid of anytime soon.

[Patricia Crowe]

Tricia eyed Timmy suspiciously, as if debating whether or not he was lying about headaches not being catching. She knew they weren't, but what if it was something new? There had been a lot of weird things going on around the castle lately, and it would just be Tricia's luck to end up catching something that wasn't supposed to be catching. But after a moment of staring, she decided that perhaps it wasn't catching, and that she probably didn't have anything to worry about. But if she had a headache later, she might just hunt the boy down and make him sorry he had ever bumped into her in the first place.

Feeling slightly mollified by that thought, Tricia relaxed slightly. Of course, then the question of what she was doing out was turned on her, and she felt herself tense up again. It was rather silly to feel that way. After all, how would Timmy know if she was lying or not? She had gotten an excuse to be out right now, and she was actually even headed in the same direction as him... Well, Tricia hadn't really considered traveling with another person down the hallway, but perhaps there was something in that saying of there being strength in numbers, of whatever nonsense that was. Normally Tricia wouldn't bother with such things, but given recent events, and how things had been going overall, it might be safer to have someone to throw in harm's way if something sinister popped up. At least then she'd have half a moment more to make a run for it.

"Stomach ache," she answered finally. "I have a stomach ache. I blame potions class -- there's always something smelly brewing. At least at the table next to mine. It did a number on my stomach, so while you have trolls dancing the can-can on your head, I have goblins trying to play ballet in my stomach. Very unsettling." Tricia was rather proud of how she'd managed that -- she had kept a straight face, kept to her original story, and felt it had all been terribly believable. Of course, she wouldn't expect anything less of herself. Tricia was quite good at telling white lies when it came to herself, or other things in general. "Since we're both ill, we might as well walk together, right? I'll promise not to faint on you and make you carry me if you promise to do the same. I'm not interested in dragging another male body down to the hospital wing." And if Timmy did faint on her, Tricia was going to start believing that men were babies about everything. Not that she didn't already believe that. First Albus, occasionally her brother, and now Timmy... their tolerance for pain, or lack thereof, was quite amusing, actually.

"Besides, if we go together, we're less likely to have something pop out at us -- and you can't laugh, because that's a very valid possibility these days." She had to add that last bit in to ensure she wouldn't be laughed at. Tricia hated being the butt of people's jokes more than anything, and given how she and Timmy's sister didn't exactly get along -- not that she got along with very many people -- Tricia had a feeling Timmy would be more likely to laugh at such words than nod sagely at them. This was why one couldn't have friends in the Hufflepuff House. They were too good humored, too positive thinking, and too... too much like Joyce. Just thinking of that pained her a little, because she hadn't talked to Joyce in quite some time. Of course, Timmy wasn't completely like Joyce, or even like his sister. He had actually offered to help Tricia out despite his headache.

"Were you really going to help me out with a headache? What if I had needed help doing something on the opposite end of the hospital wing?"

[Timothy Smith]

When Tricia revealed the source of her own ill feeling, Timmy winced in sympathy. Growing up in an inn with a smashing cook for a mother, he'd had his fair share of stomach aches. Though his were mostly due to overeating or exercising too soon after eating. Of course it was never really his fault - between his mother's skill and some ancient cookbook that used to belong to some long dead, distant cousin of his father's (containing some of the best, if a little old fashioned at times, recipes ever) food had always been plentiful and delicious at home. As well as at school. And Timmy was a growing boy who liked to play quidditch - he needed all the food he could get to aid with his growing and keep his energy up for game time. Though he doubted overeating was the root case of Tricia's stomach ache - lunch was a distant memory (or at least a distant memory to one who had Divination, Transfiguration along with the prospect of double herbology) and dinner was a couple hours away. So if it wasn't food related, then she was either getting sick or it was the option he didn't want to think about. The one where even sweet girls became absolute horrors.

But perhaps the unmentionable option wasn't the case when Tricia quipped that she would allow him to walk near her but was not going to be dragging him to the hospital wing. Well what do you know? Tim though, grinning despite the pounding in his temples. She actually does have a sense of humour. Perhaps she wasn't as scary as she first appeared. Maybe whatever got Joyce and Robert to be her friends wasn't something she shared with just anyone. He would have ruminated a little further on that point - anything to distract from the massive headache - until Tricia spoke up again. Normally when someone said "don't laugh at me" the boy would hasten to assure he wouldn't - unless a person was about to try something stupid like broom stunts over mud or messing with cosmetic spells, because those never ended in any way besides humourous - but not this time. How could he laugh at a veiled reference to the incidents? "That's definitely not a laughing matter." he replied. "I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to avoid such a thing if at all possible."

The signs, such as they were, were actually favourable, despite the ill luck that had attacked the castle. Not that he could share these signs with his companion. Sense of humour or not, Timmy wasn't sure he was willing to trust anyone with the information about the voice - he didn't want anyone to know and start rumours about him and Margine in the same manner they had about Scorpius. The Slytherin boy had a thick skin, Timmy did not. Crazy, possessed, responsible. None of the markers Timmy wished to have until he was sure he had answers and a solution. But in the meantime he was sure they would be safe for the time being - he hadn't heard the Girl's voice (which usually denoted something bad happening within five minutes). Yet. Please to whatever force is listening, don't let anything bad happen! he prayed. Distracting himself further, he answered Tricia's other question as they made their way to the stairwell. "It's a force of habit me. An impulse really. Still based on the direction you were walking in when I stumbled over you - literally - I still could have thought up a way to help you that put the hospital wing on the way. I can come up with good ideas, even when I have the troll dance party going on on top of my head." Probably not his funniest joke, but until he got some painkillers into his system, he wasn't going to be able to use his brain much longer.

[Patricia Crowe]

Tricia was mollified by the fact that Timmy wasn't going to laugh at her. She didn't normally like showing any amount of fear, and even though she hadn't really shown fear this time, he still might have laughed because she was in Slytherin, and Slytherins weren't known for showing fear all the time. Keeping their emotions in tact -- that was something Tricia tried to be good at. Oh, sure she showed when she was angry, or upset, but when it came to her feelings deep down -- the fears, the insecurities, the sadness -- Tricia didn't show any of it at all. People would talk, and she didn't need people talking about her unless it was for something she wanted them to talk about.

"You're strange," stated Tricia after a moment. The fact that he would have helped her out without a second thought for himself was just... well, odd. No wonder Joyce was in Hufflepuff with him. She was like that, too -- always willing to lend a hand, thinking of herself last. Tricia absolutely hated that about her, and in turn, about anyone in general. It was such a good thing about a person that it made her sick. She would never be like that. She could never be good in that sense. Helping Albus out had been a fluke moment on her part, and she was still intending on cashing in on a favor from him one day. Tricia didn't do things to be nice; she did things to get something in return. She doubted Timmy was like that. He probably wasn't as good as Joyce was, but he didn't seem to have a problem helping someone else out if they needed it, regardless of their House.

"And what if I said I needed help in something that didn't require walking, or getting a professor. There are a lot of things to need help over -- homework, friend problems, family problems... You can't possibly tell me that you'd be willing to help with any of those things, too." She eyed him suspiciously now, wondering if perhaps there was more to him than there seemed. Perhaps he was one of those people that did something for someone in order to use it against them... That would be something Tricia would do, too. It didn't make much sense to think he was like that as well. He was in Hufflepuff after all. "You really shouldn't be offering to help someone out if you have a headache. It's alright to think of yourself every once in awhile. Is that a trait all you Hufflepuffs share? Putting others before yourself? I would never last in that House for a minute." Helping others out, thinking of other people -- it just felt like a lot more work than Tricia could ever muster up. What could a person possibly gain from all that selflessness?

Tricia gave Timmy another once over, debating how helpful he'd be if something popped out at them on the way to the hospital wing. "You say you're good at coming up with good ideas. Good ideas, how?" The teen wasn't entirely sure why she was asking that question. She wasn't even sure how curious she was about the whole matter. But a small part of her wondered if perhaps another person could give her a hint or two on how to work out her particular problem... although that did seem like a long shot given Timmy was in Hufflepuff, and Robert wasn't... not to mention asking for help about a boy from a boy seemed rather pointless. What possible insight could Timmy give her? He and Robert weren't anything alike. But desperate times called for desperate measures...

[Timothy Smith]

As soon as the word "strange" left Tricia's mouth, Tim felt his cheeks burn and knew his was starting to flush a little. It was so hard to respond to such a comment since he was perfectly prepared to accept it as true - after all what normal boy was capable of hearing a disembodied voice that coincided with the strange (and dangerous) things that were going on in the school. He almost wished that his brother Bradley hadn't gone galavanting off to Wales with his girlfriend Melody where he would pretty much be out of contact until the end of May. Sure it was nice that he could talk to Margine about the "Voice Problem" but there were times that he wanted an older figure (who was not a parent or teacher) to ask for advice. Not that Bradley was all that helpful - his stance on the mystery voice he'd heard had become "just a symptom of stress" when Tim had pressed at Christmas. "Well we're all strange in our own way." he said with a shrug. Utterly lame, but all he could force past his lips so that the girl he was with didn't notice anything amiss. After all Timothy had a feeling that Tricia wouldn't be the best person to confide in regarding his problems.

But that didn't mean he couldn't try and help her with her own issues. Even if she was constantly questioning his motives at every turn. "If it was something I couldn't actually do, then I'd point you towards someone who could help." he began, hoping that he could stay on the right side of the very thin line of Tricia's good side since she seemed to find something about his helpfulness annoying. "My mum always said that it was the thought that counted in times like that - you know, the offr being a sign that someone would want to be there and help you out if you needed it, or at least there'd be an attempt." He shrugged and brought his hands up in a defensive posture, adding [oolor=goldenrod]"Maybe its a romantic ntion of hers, but doesn't the thought of someone offering to do something for you just because or because they thought you could use a hand make you feel good or appreciated?"[/color] Maybe its because mum runs an inn that she spouts stuff like that...now Tricia's really going to think I'm strange he thought. "And hey, I'm no Dominique Weasley when it comes to advice giving, but I could always try. especially after some headache healing potion."

The warm and fuzzy moment that could have been generated by Timmy's sappy little speech was not to be when Tricia next opened her mouth. Instead there was just an awkward silence that dragged on and on. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to such a statement, especially with the nonchalant way she said it. The natural course would have been for Timothy to say something along the lines of Tricia having her own strengths, but not knowing her very well he couldn't come up with any examples. Which would backfire if she called his bluff. However with the silence stretching on and the awkwardness getting thicker, he had to say something. "It's the way our house is I guess," he finally started. "There's a lot of emphasis on helping or just being there for each other. Just like all the really great test takers and smart folk are in Ravenclaw and the bold ones are in Gryffindor." He gave an awkward smile. "Of course all sorts of successful ministry types have come out of Slytherin in the last few years so maybe that's a sign of what comes from your house. Who knows, you might wind up running something someday."

Still felling somewhat uncomfortable, as evidenced by the fact that Tim was finding his shoes so fascinating that he had discovered there was pretty impressive scuffing on his toes, he decided to change the subject. Anything to make it easier to look the girl in the eye. "Anywho, what sort of issue are having that requires outside ideas for? Please don't let it be anything dangerous or illegal. he thought. I have enough problems in my life right now without more detentions or further encounters with bodily harm.

[Patricia Crowe]

Tricia wasn't sure she liked the idea that she might be strange as well, but perhaps to some that's what she was... It wasn't a very pleasant thought, nor a welcome one. Tricia would very much like to find people that thought she was strange and then hex them to show she wasn't; she was very much extraordinary. That was a better way of saying different, or unique. Tricia could be those things, because that would make her seem special to some degree -- but certainly not strange. But she wasn't sure how to go about pointing that out to Timmy. She had a feeling if she did, he'd try to argue the point, or at least pick up some characteristic of hers that was strange to him and others. That was really the last thing Tricia wanted, so she merely pressed her lips together and made a noncommittal sound in agreement.

She did suppose, however, that it made some sort of sense for Timmy to have to point her elsewhere if he couldn't help her out. Since she wasn't really expecting him to be of much help, she felt this was only logical. The trouble would be who he pointed her to for advice. The last thing Tricia needed was for him to hand her off to someone who was less qualified than him to help her out. If she had known of someone with that ability she would have gone to them before now; she wouldn't have relied on her brother and her own wiles this long. But as far as she knew, there wasn't anyone at the school that could help her out -- unless she went to a teacher, but none of the teachers really struck Tricia as being terribly worldly in matters such as this.

A bit confused by what Timmy claimed his mother said, Tricia chose her words carefully. She didn't want to sound as though she hadn't understand, because he made it sound as though it ought to be simple... which really did make him a strange boy. "I suppose the attempt is like a thought that counts... and it might help to have someone other than myself or my brother mull it over. New insight and all that." She chewed on her bottom lip, unsure just how to proceed now. The trouble was, when Tricia got right down to it, her problem was fairly petty, and she hated when people mentioned that. Well, she hadn't really mentioned it to anyone before, but Tricia could imagine they might think she was being silly worrying over a boy rather than something more pressing... like surviving another strange accident without breaking a limb, or passing all of her classes. But at the same time, this was Tricia; she wasn't like most girls her age.

Tricia puffed up slightly at the thought of being in charge of something. To some degree that was precisely what she wanted, and needed. She liked being in charge, and having power over others -- she thought she would be a good leader. Kevin didn't really agree, but what did he know? He was a silly boy that still bothered her to help him with his homework. So of course, now that Timmy had gone and said that, Tricia felt he could be very helpful indeed. Even if he was lying, she didn't think he'd openly laugh... and if he did, she'd just make his life miserable, or put a spell on him that made him oink for three days straight. She was sure one existed, or she could just make it up as she went.

"Precisely," she said finally, reaching out to link arms with Timmy. "And every great leader has need of a council to give them advice and insight on matters so they have the full story. So that's what we're going to pretend -- you're my council and I'm going to tell you something you have to mull over to give me another point of view." She nodded firmly, liking how she was putting the matter now. It made it sound a bit more professional. "The problem is a boy. Namely, how to get this boy to think of me as more than a friend. I can't imagine that at our age boys still aren't interested in girls. And I'm quite pretty, aren't I? So it can't be my looks. And I've never been cruel to him, or made fun of him that he didn't laugh at as well, so what's his problem?"

She glanced at Timmy expectantly as they walked. Earlier thoughts of him being no help were long gone, if only because Tricia's pride had been boosted a notch... likely not something Timmy had done on purpose.

[Timothy Smith]

He wasn't unused to people talking to him or confiding him - though most of the time people went to Jacqueline Weasley for in depth advice - but they were the people he was reasonably close to. Friends, housemates, family. Tricia on the other hand was a whole different; he didn't know her at all and though she'd really done nothing worse than stare at him in nearly five years of school, he was intimidated. Having her actually want his help and not blow him off - the reaction he would expect from a confident, Slytherin girl - was not what he was expecting. Still she'd accepted his offer of help so he was going to do his darnedest not to let her down. "Well I've often heard that the people closest to the problem have the most trouble, so fresh insight is always good." he repeated. "So what can I help you with?"

Aside from his offers of help, Timmy realized he must have said something Tricia liked hearing, since she no longer was looking at him like he was taking up her space. In fact she now seemed pretty pleased that he was there. Her comment about leaders needing council soon made it obvious his implication she would be a leader of some sort was what did it and it made him wonder about her plans for the future. While no one really knew what they wanted at the age of fifteen and sixteen, most people had some kind of direction and those that did were starting to get quite vocal, particularly in the wake of the career counselling sessions the fifth years had gotten. (He personally had no idea what he was going to do after graduation; inheriting The Leaky and running with his siblings was very probably though Magical Law Enforcement was tickling his fancy.) However Tricia hadn't been one of those girls who had really said anything. But then again, you barely know a thing about her. Aside from now, when have you actually spoken more than ten words to this girl? It was a sobering thought - one that was broken by the girl in question suddenly looping her arm through his.

Almost immediately Tim began to feel uncomfortable. It wasn't that Tricia was a bad person - in fact he was realizing that he needed to get to know her better fore deciding what she was like - but Tim had had limited physical contact with girls (excluding his sister and Alice) his own age. Having a rather pretty girl suddenly invade his personal space was a bit jarring - and the nervousness started to make the headache worse. As did the fact she seemed to be having boy trouble. Now how can I help her with that? I've never been in a relationship! Still she suddenly seemed happy to be getting everything off her chest and for someone to help her out and he didn't want to build up her expectations and then cruelly dash them. "Well you gotta keep in mind I've never had a girlfriend or anything." he warned as they walked up the hall. "From what you're saying, it's an awkward situation all around. I mean from the sounds of it there shouldn't be a reason for him to not like you if you've been nice to him for a long time and...well," The colour began to rise up the boy's neck. "You are one of the pretty girls in our year." Clearing his throat, he looked down, trying to look like he was making eye contact with the shorter girl but not wanting to actually look her in the face (to avoid blushing further). "Anyways, does he know you like him? And have you considered the possibility that if he does, he might be afraid of wrecking your friendship? Take me and Alice for example. We've hung around each other a lot since she's Margie's friend - going out might make things really awkward and I'd hate to lose a friend if things went bad. Maybe he's the same."

[Patricia Crowe]

Tricia beamed. "Exactly - fresh insight!" It was nice, for once, to have someone respond like that rather than pelt her with a million questions -- the half of which were about her mental health. Apparently Tricia wasn't allowed to need, or want, help from others. But really, she couldn't go to her usual friends for this kind of thing. Asking Joyce advice about Robert would just be... well, odd was one word. Impossible would definitely be another word. That would probably alert Joyce to the whole matter at hand, and that was sort of the last thing Tricia wanted. What if it made Joyce aware of Robert as well? Then Tricia knew she wouldn't stand a fighting chance for the boy!

So, really, having Timmy agree to listen to her problem and help her out was a giant relief. He seemed to be the only one with a brain around the castle -- that was a large plus for him. Tricia might be kind enough to keep people from bullying him in the future, if she could remember to step in and tell people to leave him well enough alone. She didn't even know if he was the type to be bullied, but at least he was working his way up the ladder of people that didn't annoy her.

"Oh, that's fine," replied Tricia with a wave of her hand. "I don't think it really matters if one has had a boyfriend or girlfriend before -- this isn't one of those things where I think experience is necessary. Imagination is perfectly fine, too." Tricia wasn't about to admit that in all honesty she didn't have any real experience with relationships either. In her mind she only needed one guy, and that guy was currently Robert -- all she had to do was actually land him, and then she wouldn't have to worry about being nearly in her sixth year without a proper first boyfriend to call her own.

She found herself nodding along with Timmy's words, not at all the sort to be modest about her looks. "I've definitely been nice to him -- we're sort of good friends and all, if one can really be good friends with a boy when you're a girl. And I'm by far one of the prettier girls in our year, so there's no reason for him not to think so, too." Which made it all the more frustrating that Robert didn't seem to look her way at all. What was wrong with him? She really hoped Kevin wasn't spot on about the boy's sexuality, otherwise she might curse every male in the school. All the teen wanted was for Robert to turn around and realize she was a girl, just as she saw him as a boy -- they'd be a great couple, she just knew it.

"He definitely knows I like him. I don't like dancing around things like that. It's much too frustrating, and one could easily lose out to another, so I've told him how I felt..." Well, to some degree, anyway. She assumed Robert would have gotten the hint when she had kissed him, so it wasn't as though she would need to spell it out for him. He was a Ravenclaw, after all. They had brains and were fairly quick on the uptake. However, the brunette actually found herself pausing at the notion that Robert didn't want to ruin their friendship if things went wrong. It was the first time that she had even considered something of the sort, and almost instantly she found herself latching onto the idea.

"I hadn't thought of it that way," she confessed. "But it makes sense -- he is a boy after all, and I find most boys don't know how to be particularly brave when it comes to matters of the heart. How am I supposed to assure him things will be fine between us when we go out? It's not as though I'm going to get bored with him and then dump him, nor him me." That was a ludicrous thought, after all. "What about you and Alice? Don't you think you're being cowardly not confessing your feelings to her? When one's in love, such things shouldn't matter." And it hardly mattered that Timmy hadn't even mentioned liking Alice or anything -- Tricia was on a roll with assumptions right now. As far as she was concerned, her and Timmy were kindred spirits in the fact that they were having love problems concerning best friends. He was definitely moving up in her book.

[Timothy Smith]

Given the heat on his face. Tim felt like he was on fire. As well as wondering if actually being/i] on fire would be preferable. [i]How the hell do I keep getting myself into these types of situations? he asked himself as he walked with Tricia down the last few corridors to the Hospital Wing. Though given the way their arms were now linked, Tim had to wonder if he was now escorting her or being escorted by her as well as how to get through the rest of this conversation without letting the girl down, sounding like a complete and utter moron and blushing so that his face went from pink cheeked to red as the Gryffindor Rubies in the Hourglass downstairs. "Well, that's me. Mr. Fresh Insight." he replied before Tricia began to expand about what her boy problem was. You sound like the world's biggest dork, Timothy.

Still he had to be thankful for one aspect of this whole situation, uncomfortable as it was - Tricia's issue with the boy she liked was distracting from his own problem with the Ghost Girl. The more he paid attention to that, the less he had to worry about thinking he was going insane. In fact if it hadn't been for the sixth and seventh years swearing they actually saw the girl at their Apparition Class, he would have thought there was something wrong with him and Margine for hearing things where no one was standing. I wish I could talk to brad. He'd know what to do. However hoping for advice from the big brother he'd hero worshiped almost from day one would have to wait. Right now, Tricia was pouring out her problems to him and hoping for help. The least he could do would be to not zone out and worry about himself.

He really had to think after Tricia stopped talking before he could say anything. No wonder she was asking someone outside her group for help on this - it all sounded so complicated. And he could certainly understand that she was frustrated by all that she was going through. Wasn't his own search for the true reason of the accidents just as frustrating? All the clues pointing to the real story were just lying within reach, waiting to be pieced together, but he just couldn't find it. Okay so whoever the boy is, she knows him pretty well and he should have a hint that she likes him... he pondered trying to think of something - anything - to tell the girl. She obviously had confidence when it came to her looks and her ambitions as evidenced by the fact she didn't blush, giggle or look down when he'd called her pretty (she'd repeated the statement as well) and that she mentioned she didn't like beating around the bush. "Well aside from him maybe being scared to ruin your friendship, maybe he's still trying to figure out if he likes you?" he began. "Or how to move forward? Is it possible that he hasn't had a girlfriend yet either? And doesn't know what to do to get things started? Especially without sounding like a complete moron?"

Timothy hadn't had a conventional upbringing but he had to admit the books he read and the radio programs he sometimes listened to gave him certain ideas about how things were supposed to go whenever he eventually entered the dating scene. He knew full well that girls were perfectly capable of taking the lead and asking out the person of their choice, but Tim did have some assumption that with him, he'd ask first. Not that he was going to have any opportunity to do so in the near future. He could barely talk to any girls besides Margine and Alice without blushing. The only reason he wasn't stammering anymore in front of Tricia is because he was in "helper mode." "Have you considered maybe trying to do a neutral activity next time you go to Hogsmeade or something? Walk around, check out a couple of the shops but in a way that doesn't feel like a date? I know a lot of girls coo over that tea shop, but most guys I know would run screaming from the place, so avoid that? Either that or ask if he wants to do a 'fake date' - where you do something as a couple without any traditional date stuff - like him paying or handholding or kissing - unless you both decide at or near the end? That way if it feels awkward and you don't do anything, it's not a date. If it goes well, it's the lead off to an actual first date."

He was about to offer a solution for the issue of dumping - because that would have to be dealt with - when Tricia asked about him and Alice. Immediately all sense of cool, calm and collected vanished and Tim was sure that no Gryffindor robe or shade of Weasley hair could come close to his face. "I'm...I'm not in love with Alice!" he protested, a part of him idly wondering if he'd squeaked out the answer. "I'm mean she's a nice enough girl and all, but she's Margine's best friend. Practically another sister! Besides - her dad hates me! She got crushed by one of the suits of armour when they came to life in October because she was hanging out with me and Margine in the corridor. So even if I did like her that way - which I don't!" Ten sickles says she makes a comment that's any variation of 'Denial is just a river in Egypt.' "Who would date someone that their date hates or can reduce to quivering mush every day in herbology?" Did I really just say all of this out loud? To Patricia Crowe of all people? I haven't even said any of this to Margine! Oh erlin. This is going to be all over the school in minutes, isn't it? Now the headache was back with a vengeance.