Morning light peeked into the window of the dormitory. One boy, the only one with his blue curtains not drawn shut on his four-poster bed, squinted his eyes against the rising sun. He rolled over and sat up, rubbing the crust from the corners of his onyx eyes. While blinking away what was left of his tiredness, he stretched his thin limbs, letting out a groan that would wake a hibernating bear. After sitting a moment, he dressed himself in the usual faded slacks and ratty dress shirt, only throwing on his even rattier robe when he noticed its absence while passing by a mirror. As he made his way through the common room he nodded to the muttered hellos and good mornings sent his way, taking a mental note to continue doing his homework on time so that he wouldn't end up like those poor sods. Shuffling steps sidled up next to his as he stepped out of the common room, and he raised a tired grin to his blonde-headed mate, "Morning Xeno, fancy seeing you up so early."

Xeno yawned and scratched his bum, "I've been up, going on approximately twenty-four hours now."

"Don't tell me you've been up all night hunting some ridiculous creature again."

Xeno glared at his greasy-haired friend, "They may be ridiculous, but they're real. I'll have you know I've actually found a wrackspurt before. They weren't the reason I was up tonight though, I do have a life outside of my hobby Sev."

As Severus rolled his eyes Xeno tapped his own nose, "At least I'm not spending my nights pining after some girl."

"She's not just some girl you git! Not only that, but you've got it all wrong, I don't like her like that."

"Oh yea?" Xeno quipped, "Why do I keep hearing you say her name when you sleep?"

"I do not!"

They bickered between themselves on their way to the great hall, not even bothering to stop as they sat on either side of their friend Sybll Trewalney, who appeared to be absorbed by the bottom of a teacup.

"You never wash your hair."

"Yea well you collect doxie wings and believe in fairy tales!"

"You smell like musty potions!"

"Better than the hindquarters of a double-toned corn-stack!"

"IT'S CALLED A CRUMPLE-HORNED SNORKACK!"

Tinkling china could be heard as the cup slipped from Sybll's hands, "Would you both SHUT UP! I'm TRYING to study!"

Xeno and Severus looked away and crossed their arms.

"Sorry Syb, we didn't realize-"

"You should have told us you were-"

The glare she threw the both of them was magnified by the thick lenses of her glasses, amplifying its power to the point that the boys sat petrified, afraid to say another word. She reached out and picked up the teacup, sighing at the crack that was now running down the middle of the delicate blue china.

"This was my great grans", she said, "and you both know that none of us can do a proper repairing spell to save our lives."

Severus rolled his eyes, "It already had a chip in it Sybll, the thing was bound to crack eventually."

"That's not the point! It's been in my family for generations, not to mention my great gran read from this very cup. She was a very talented-"

Xeno interrupted, "Seer. We've heard it at least a hundred times Sybll."

She stood up with a huff, "Fine, be that way! I'll be in the Astronomy tower if you need me."

As the boys watched her walk off Xeno asked, "What's gotten into her?"

"Who cares." Severus replied through a mouthful of fried eggs.

Breakfast was had in silence, but every once in a while Severus would catch Xeno glancing off in the direction that Sybll had stomped off.

"I'm going to go see if she's okay."

Before Severus could swallow his food to reply, Xeno had already made it halfway across the Great Hall. Severus shook his head, wondering about how queer Xeno had been acting lately. Almost as fast as he'd fallen into his brooding, the thud of someone sitting next to him and a light voice pulled him out of it.

"Hey Sev, ready for potions?"

He nodded, his face turning a bit pink as the pretty red-head leaned across him to grab a cinnamon roll. He cleared his throat as he tried to not think about how her hair smelled as she sat back up, accidently whiffing him in the face with her hair. The noise caused her to look at him, "You alright?"

He nodded his head and managed to keep the tremor out of his voice, "I'm fine, just something went down the wrong pipe is all."

She giggled, "You're supposed to swallow, not inhale."

He stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder, "Yea yea, laugh it up all you can right now Lily, because after how badly I'm going to whip you in potions today, you won't want to laugh ever again."

Her emerald eyes flashed at the challenge, "We'll see about that."

Severus just smiled.