Author's Note Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever! I've just been slacking off horribly, I suppose. I even have up to Chapter 15 written as I just discovered today! Just before we continue with the story I have one anonymous review to address.

me-no-have-name-XD Thanks so much for your review! I don't know if you're reading this because it has been a while, but I hope you are and I hope you like this chapter :)

Okay, onward!

Last Chapter "He just walks through the door all the time? No knock? Or warning or anything?" Segan asked, shocked.

"Uh huh," Raelyn confirmed, buttoning her blouse and then moving on to tying her tie.

"That's so... rude!" she exclaimed, having found no word more suitable.

"Yeah, well, being a sex god's best friend comes at a price," Raelyn said dryly, reusing the word Segan had used earlier to describe the tall, dark, and handsome boy who'd stood in her doorway only a moment before.

Chapter 9

Raelyn made the trek to the Durmstrang castle with Segan by her side, Macon having gone ahead with Seth. They were both now properly dressed for the cold weather with their cloaks and scarves wrapped around them tightly. They wound their way through all the Durmstrang cabins, boys pouring out of them left and right. The powder blue uniforms of the Beauxbatons girls could be seen trickling in from the other side of the small village, clashing shockingly with the darker colours of Hogwarts and Durmstrang, their Headmistress at their forefront, leading them in two orderly lines behind her. Obviously, McGonagall didn't feel the need to hover over her students as this woman was doing.

Raelyn dragged her eyes back towards the castle, just in time to catch site of the boy standing in front of her. She managed to stop before colliding with him. Segan, however, was not so lucky. Raelyn laughed.

"Oh, no!" the boy suddenly exclaimed, grasping Segan's upper arm as she stumbled.

"I'm terribly sorry," Segan apologized.

"Oh, no, no need. It vas my fault. How are you today, Miss Segan?" was the boy's reply. Surprised that the boy knew her friend by name, Raelyn glanced up curiously into his face. It was the same boy from last night – Rodney; that had been his name!

"Oh! Rodney! Hi!" cried Segan, as startled as Raelyn had been. "Um, I'm fine. Sorry 'bout bumping into you. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Rodney smiled kindly. "There is no need for apologies. Bump into me any time you like."

"Um... Thanks," Segan said awkwardly, but smiled genuinely the whole time. Raelyn almost laughed again, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, since English was definitely his second language. She reached out for Segan's hand and Segan accepted it, allowing the blond to tug her onward.

When Rodney fell into step beside them it was unexpected.

"So did you both enjoy the feast last night?" he asked them.

"It was quite nice, actually. Hogwarts doesn't have all that different food," Segan answered conversationally.

"Ve don't usuaully, either," Rodney revealed with a small smile. "It must be for you and the Beauxbatons students that ve haf all this extra food."

"Really? Your kitchens must have gone through so much trouble."

Rodney shrugged. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I suppose." They were now climbing the steps to the big doors. Rodney, being the gentleman he was, opened the door for them and insisted both girls enter ahead of him. The Goblet of Fire burned on in the centre of the entrance hall, casting a blue-white glow over the floor around it. A gold circle surrounded the pedestal - the Age Line, most likely. Raelyn watched it, entranced for a moment, before returning her attention to their destination.

"You know, it vould be nice if ve could talk again later. Ve didn't have much time to talk last night, or this morning either," Rodney was saying to Segan, "Vould you honour me vith your presence after classes, perhaps? Raelyn, you are more than velcome as vell."

"Oh-" Raelyn began to politely refuse before being interrupted by Segan.

"That would be lovely," she said. "Where shall I meet you?"

Rodney had been smiling before; now he was grinning ear to ear. "I tell you vhat. I vill meet you at your table after classes are over. Does that agree vith you?"

Segan beamed. "Yes, it does. I'll see you then."

"Vonderful, I look forward to it," Rodney said truthfully as they parted ways to go sit down. Unfortunately for Segan, she and Rodney were not seated as they were last night. Instead the only seats remaining were as far from one another as the tables would allow. Rodney's friends took up the seats closest to the Hogwarts tables and the boys and Vanessa had taken up residence in the seats closest to the Durmstrang boys. The two chairs between Seth and Macon were left empty for the girls. They took their respective seats and began filling their plates. Their breakfast partners were already scarfing down bacon, toast, cereal, and all manner of breakfast food. Apparently beer and wine were not customary breakfast beverages, and had been replaced with coffee, tea, juice, and milk.

Raelyn could hear Segan chatting excitedly to Macon about her most recent conversation with Rodney and so Raelyn turned to glance at Seth, who was looking at her blankly.

"What?" she asked him, biting off a piece of bacon and chewing it while still giving her friend a thoughtful look.

"You were gone when I woke up," he said simply.

"So? I wanted to avoid Segan and her nosiness," replied Raelyn calmly.

Seth's mouth twitched upwards, but no real smile revealed itself. "And how did that go?" he inquired mockingly.

"Terribly. She was waiting for me when I got to my room."

Amusement flickered in Seth's eyes. Raelyn decided to shock him so she leaned a bit closer to him and whispered, "She wants to sleep with you, by the way."

Sure enough, surprise clouded his features momentarily. "Really? Well, now, that is interesting. How'd you find this out?"

Sighing, Raelyn delved into her explanation, still speaking quietly so as not to attract too much attention. "Well, she was waiting for me when I got to my room and started interrogating me about what I'd done and if it was any good-"

"What'd you say?" Seth asked with a smirk.

"Don't worry about it," was her firm reply, effectively wiping the smirk off her friend's face before continuing. "Anyway, she said she just can't help but wonder if you were as good as Macon." At this point, Raelyn couldn't force back a small smile.

"And what did you say?" Seth questioned once more.

"I avoided the question."

Seth leaned forward. "Well then what do you think?" His eyes had taken on that searing quality they got when he was intensely interested in the answer.

"I really can't answer that. It was too long ago."

Sighing, Seth sat back in his chair, disappointed. "I'm better," he insisted.

"I think you'll have to prove that to Segan," Raelyn insisted.

"Maybe I will," Seth said thoughtfully. Raelyn almost choked.

"You're seriously considering this?" she asked in shock.

"Why not? I'm not cruel enough to let her die without knowing what it's like," was his arrogant reply. "Besides, I have more experience. Therefore, that makes me better."

"I'm sure she's not missing much."

"Oh, come on, now, Rae, you know that's not true."

Raelyn glanced at him from where she was focused on buttering her toast. "Sure," Raelyn said sarcastically, intentionally trying to get a rise out of him.

"You're just jealous," he declared, as if it made perfect sense.

"Seth, you're a whore," she pointed out flatly. "How is it that you can sleep with the entire female population at Hogwarts and I remain indifferent, but suddenly you want to have a go with my best friend, and that sets me off?"

"Look, Raelyn, you can join in if you want," he offered jokingly.

Raelyn chuckled. "I'll pass, but if you're interested, go for it."

"You don't think she'd to refuse me?"

"Since when is Seth Daryll afraid of being rejected? You're never rejected."

"Well I've never tried to seduce someone who hates me either."

"But Segan wants to, even if she does hate you."

"Hmm..."

"Don't tell her I mentioned this, though. She'll try to kill me. Just pretend she's suddenly become extremely attractive to you."

"Well she's never been ugly to me."

"Well, whatever, you know what I mean."

Breakfast continued on without a hitch; however when the Durmstrang students were released for classes, the Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students were asked to stay behind. The dining hall emptied of everyone, save for the visiting students and their Headmistresses. McGonagall strode purposefully towards them.

"As I said before, you're all still expected to attend classes while we're here. They'll be held in my carriage and don't be trying any funny business because I'll be addressing my own duties, as well."

"But how are we supposed to attend classes when all our teachers are back in England?" Natasha Walker inquired anxiously. Ravenclaws were always focused on their studies. Raelyn wasn't even sure why McGonagall bothered to bring any. They probably weren't even that interested in the Tournament.

"You'll see, come along!" McGonagall clipped, beginning her brisk walk out of the dining room. The Hogwarts students scrambled to follow her unexpected departure. She explained as they walked, "Your classes will run at their normal times, of course, however you will not be able to ask questions and will not be acknowledged by your teachers, as they cannot see or hear you. I can answer whatever questions you have. You will, of course, still be expected to complete any homework assigned and take notes as you usually would. Keep in mind that this is your N.E.W.T. year."

McGonagall opened her carriage door and stepped inside herself, the students hesitating outside, apprehensive of what lay beyond. "Well, get in here! You're all letting in the cold!" McGonagall snapped from somewhere inside. Her voice seemed to echo. All the students jumped to attention and clambered through the small door.

The interior of the carriage was much more impressive than the interior of the student's carriages. They'd walked into a smaller version of an entrance hall, though it was still impressive. It was square, with a circle of desks in its centre, all facing in towards one another. Several doors branched off the entrance, but all were closed to them.

"Well, take a seat. Your first class of the day will be starting soon!" hustled their Headmistress. They two dozen teenagers obeyed silently, uneasily taking up residence at a desk, staring around at each other curiously. No one had a clue what was going on.

"Okay, now, let's see..." McGonagall had pulled out her wand and was now swirling it around in the air. Before each student a small blue ball appeared. Muttering broke out amongst the students as each of them picked the piece up curiously, examining it with wonder. It looked and felt like a rolled up piece of chewing gum. "These are called Movement Tuners. You place them in your ears and wait. They're programmed to tune into each of your individual classes as soon as the bell rings at Hogwarts, which is when you'll be able to see and hear your teacher as they teach the rest of your classmates at school. You'll get the same amount of time between classes as you would at school and are free to do as you please with that time, but our regular school rules apply. If you have a spare period, then there is a sitting room through that door there-" she paused to brandish at a door to her right, "- and a library through that door there-" she brandished to the door on her left, "-or you may go back to your own carriage or explore the grounds if you prefer. You have... three minutes before your classes' start, so I suggest you prepare yourselves as appropriate. You know your schedules. Potion ingredients and lesson props are in the closet beside the library. I'll be in my office."

With that, she turned on her heel and headed towards the door in the precise centre of the wall opposite the front door, where she turned the knob, entered, and closed the door.

"So we can basically do whatever we want, right? She can't hear us?" Charles Whitmore, a Gryffindor, asked.

McGonagalls voice came clearly through the solid wood door. "No, Mr Whitmore, I can still both see and hear you. Behave yourselves."

Everyone was exchanging glances, but eventually snapped back to action, pulling out their texts, notebooks, cauldrons, and quills. Raelyn had her Charms things spread out on her desk in front of her as she picked up the Movement Tuner and positioned it comfortably in her ear. On contact, it melded perfectly to the inside of her ear with a squirmy warm feeling, and then it was if it wasn't there at all. She could still hear her fellow students around her as they organized themselves as well.

Suddenly, in her ear she heard a bell ring faintly. A series of things followed after this. Flitwick appeared in the centre of the circle of desks, White diamonds appeared over the heads of half the class, which she realized was the half that were in her Charms class at school, and the remaining students dimmed to something closer to ghosts.

"Yes, yes, Mr Cherry, I'll see you after class. Everyone settle down now, please. We have a class to get through!" It was a bit of a shock to Raelyn, how realistic he looked, like if she reached out, she could touch him. The class had apparently calmed, and so Flitwick began his lesson, "So today we'll be discussing..." Raelyn dipped her quill in the ink pot and placed its tip on the parchment in front of her. Taking classes like this for the rest of the year was bound to be interesting.

Author's Note So, drop me a review and let me know what you think! Like I said, I have up till Chapter 15 written, so I'll be updating soon if I get enough reviews!