A/N: This one is for Sunny. Again. Yay! Back home!

Kadric felt his mouth grow suddenly dry as the familiar face of Chalondra swept by him, cold and emotionless - something he normally didn't see. He was about to say something, anything, but instead his tongue seemed to tie itself into a knot. Because you're in public, idiot! A voice scorned him. Kadric scowled, but inside knew it was right. He couldn't say anything to Chalondra in front of people. But if he couldn't, WHEN was he supposed to apologize?

"She owes me," he muttered, spinning around and heading down the hall towards Transfiguration. "She owes me so much for putting myself through this humiliation."

It had been nearly two weeks since the kissing incident. Kadric had been fine at first, but realized that he felt sort of, well, empty without that accused tutoring. There was nothing to plan anymore, or no reason to go to the greenhouses. It sounded dumb, but at least he had been doing something, not to mention getting points for Slytherin. Sprout had asked him numerous times why he wasn't tutoring Chalondra anymore, and he always said something like "she needs a break."

With a tired sigh, Kadric strode down the hall. Today would be the day. He needed to apologize to get points for his house. It's not like he actually...cared or anything. Hah! The day Kadric truly cared about someone or their feelings was the day Kadric could make a proper sleeping draught. And that would never happen.

It was dinnertime. Chalondra sighed inwardly and pushed the beans on her plate around with her fork, resting her chin in her hand and thinking silently. For two weeks she hadn't been tutored, and her mark was steadily decreasing. Not just because she didn't understand, but because the weight of everything was on her shoulders. Of having to lie to her friends about tutoring, of Kadric discovering the note, of Kadric's kiss...

No, Chalondra scolded. I am NOT going there.

"Chal," Kate muttered, elbowing her best friend in the ribs. Chalondra dropped her fork and gave a strangled cry. Her friends stopped chattering and looked at her, and it was only then Chalondra noticed Danny sitting beside Tali. She felt her cheeks flush. "Er - caught my hair...with the - um - fork...yea..." She pointed at the utensil, blushing furiously. All they did was stare silently for a few seconds, and then go back to talking.

"What is it, Kate?" Chalondra hissed angrily. Kate nodded her head over in Tali and Danny's direction, and Chalondra noticed that the two were talking animatedly, laughing and joking...wait! Laughing! She hadn't seen Tali laugh in, well, forever. "So?" Chalondra asked, shrugging. "Tali's laughing. That's good, right?"

"Not when she's laughing with Danny!" Kate whispered desperately. "Not with Danny! I like Danny!"

Chalondra's stomach twisted. "Oh. Well. Maybe they're just being friendly?"

Kate glared at her for a second, but then turned from her friend and continued to spy on Tali and Danny, fuming silently. Chalondra knew that feeling when her best friend was giving her the cold shoulder, but right now she didn't really care. Worse things were taking over her mind.

"Hey Chal," Yoyo's bubbly voice broke Chal's thinking.

"Yea?"

"Did you ever answer my note from a while back?"

Note. That note. The note that wrecked everything. The note that I so stupidly put into my pocket...

"No," Chalondra answered warily. Yoyo's bright eyes dulled slightly.

"Ah. Okay." She stayed silent, which Chalondra knew wouldn't last for long.

"Do you like Kadric?" Yoyo suddenly asked. It was meant for just Chal to hear, but Yoyo could never keep her voice down. Chalondra blushed a deep, fiery crimson as most of the Ravenclaw table and probably beyond fell silent at the question.

"Kadric? Kadric Marsters from Slytherin?" asked a voice from down the table. Chalondra thought steam might be coming out of her ears now. She glared daggers at Yoyo.

"NO," she spoke firmly and loudly, though beneath it all her voice quailed. "I don't know how you could ask such a stupid, such a lousy, and insensitive question!" Chalondra's angry eyes pierced into Yoyo's own, scared looking ones. The silence soon broke into noise. After all, no one cared if she wasn't interested. Chalondra suddenly realized her voice was gone. She couldn't even speak to Yoyo. She couldn't even - muster the vocabulary to yell at her. All she did was shake her head and walk swiftly out of the Great Hall. She didn't know HOW Yoyo could ask a question like that. Especially when Chalondra thought she was just getting over her girly infatuation, and now...now those feelings she had longed to wash away came haunting back.

Curse Kadric.

Curse Yoyo.

Kadric's ears perked as his voice was spoken at the Ravenclaw table. A deadly silence took over the Great Hall, and Kadric wondered why. He craned his head to look, but all he saw was the back of Chalondra, whose ears were burning a bright red.

"NO," a voice spoke clearly, and Kadric realized it was Chalondra's. "I don't know how you could ask such a stupid, such a lousy, and insensitive question!" Yes, that was definitely Chalondra. Too bad he didn't know WHAT she was yelling about. Seconds later he watched her get up and stride out of the Great Hall, a habit that was becoming familiar with her. This is your chance, hissed a voice in the back of his head. Kadric would have stated that was obvious to the voice, but it was himself after all. He watied a few moments, chatting and making some snide remarks of a Hufflepuff that had asked a stupid question in class earlier. When he thought all was safe and the episode with Chalondra was over, he stretched his arms.

"Well, I'm tired guys," he stated to his little posse of friends. "Think I'm gonna go try to get some shut-eye."

"Sleep?" sneered the boy next to him. "You haven't been to sleep in ages, Marsters. Something's been worrying you, it's plain to everyone. Having girl troubles?" The mocking in his voice made Kadric go rigid. Girl troubles? As in tutoring a girl? Tutoring Chalondra? Oh, he better not know. If he knew, the endless teasings...

"No. I've just been - thinking," he said, knowing the answer was lame and empty of his usual sarcasm. "That's why I'm leaving right now." He got up suddenly, pushing his chair back and taking calm steps towards the doors. The minute he was out of them, he broke into a fast trot, looking around hurriedly for Chalondra. He saw other student looking at him curiously, but he continued to walk. He hoped Chalondra hadn't gone to cry in her dormitory or something. He needed to apologize before he lost his nerve. A head full of long black hair snapped Kadric around. The girl was walking down the hall towards the west wing. He took two large steps and grabbed at her shoulder.

"Chalondra?" he asked, hoping to get this over with. The girl turned around to, not show a Spanish Chalondra face, but a pale, large-eyed girl.

"No," she answered shyly, grinning slyly at him. "But I'm Teresa."

"Teresa. Yea. Nice. Okay, nevermind." He spun around and began walking away, ignoring the annoyed expression that passed across the girl's face for a fleeting moment.

Where would Chalondra go if she was sad...somewhere where she could be comforted...

"The library!" Kadric said almost automatically, charging into a run and arriving at the doors just as he saw Chalondra's familiar body pass behind a bookshelf. Sure that it was actually Chalondra and not some Taylor chick or whatever; he stepped in and headed her way, almost tentatively. What if she just ignored him? What if his apology was fruitless and she would laugh at him, not forgive him? Something like an apology from Kadric would spread like wildfire.

He sidled into the same aisle Chalondra was. He cast a sideways glance at her. She was intent on a book, and he bent down to look at the spines of the book. He read the titles. Boring, boring, boring, ooh, a herbology book! He was about to pull it out when Chalondra's voice rang past him. But it was filled with something like a cold hatred - something in her voice he hadn't heard since the year before when he would tease her mercilessly.

"And what are you doing in a library?"

Kadric looked up, feinting surprise. "Oh, well, you know..." He stood up, stretching his arms. "I like to come in here once every so often and collect a few books. I'm a voracious reader, you know - "

"Oh, cut it out," Chalondra snapped, and Kadric couldn't help but smirk. "What are you really doing here?"

Kadric's eyes suddenly grew wider, almost as if he were nervous. Chalondra placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. She looked tough on the outside, but inside her stomach was churning. "Look, if you came to tease me about what happened in the Great Hall - "

"I have no idea what happened in the Great Hall," Kadric said hurriedly, almost too fast. Chalondra raised an eyebrow. "I came here for...for something else."

Chalondra was silent for a few moments. "You've got two minutes to impress me before I slap you. Again."

Kadric winced. "Ouch, you cruel being. I haven't even done anything - "

"Starting now!"

"Okay, okay!" He raised his hands to silence her. "I came to...to..." His voice faltered. "IcametosayI'msorryforkissingyouIdidn'tknowitwouldbesuchabigdealtoyou."

Chalondra looked at him with a somewhat surprised look. She was sure she had caught most of what he had said, and felt a smile tugging at her lips. But she held it down. "Could you repeat that please? Slower?"

Kadric glared at her. "I don't think you're so dumb I need to talk at a turtle's pace."

Chalondra narrowed her eyes. "I'm flattered. Really."

Kadric sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine," he spat. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you would react so - violently to my kissing you." He cringed, and Chalondra knew it was an effort for him to apologize.

"Do you really mean it?" she asked, surprised she wasn't actually yelling her head off.

He seemed surprised too, because all he could do was nod.

Chalondra sighed heavily, turning it over in her mind. What was she going to say? "You took my first kiss away from me, so because of something stupid like that I'm going to hate you forever?"

"Well...I guess I accept your apology," Chalondra muttered. Kadric gave a shaky smirk.

He gave a careless shrug, leaning against the book shelf. "So, do you, like, need me to tutor you again?"

Chalondra's eyes flashed. "I don't need you to do anything!" she snapped. Kadric chuckled, which infuriated her more. "I don't know why I accepted your apology," she muttered. Kadric tutted her.

"You can't go back on your word now, Spanish-Swearing Girl."

Chalondra snorted. "Maybe I can."

"No way. That's against The Code Of All That Is Holy."

"If it's holy to a Slytherin, it can't mean that much."

Kadric grinned. "You're learning well."

Chalondra only gaped at him. "You're evil."

"It's what I do best."

Chalondra couldn't believe she was having a conversation with the boy that had kissed her and she had hated for the past two weeks. So why had she accepted his apology so suddenly? It had to be because she needed the tutoring…right? No. No, it wasn't. Chalondra realized she had actually missed him. She had actually missed his snide remarks. Was that even possible?

"So…do you still want the tutoring?" Kadric's voice disrupted her thoughts.

"Sure. I guess I can handle you for a little while longer," Chalondra commented, smiling almost shyly.

Kadric sighed, looking dejected. "Aw, darnit. I thought you would leave me alone already." With a smirk he rounded the corner, leaving a very angry Chalondra in his wake.

Chalondra nearly bounced down the halls after their conversation, looking forward to Tuesday, oddly enough. Chalondra didn't know why she looked forward to Kadric's company – probably because he was different. And cute, a voice chided, but she chose to ignore it. Yoyo had made amends last night when Chalondra had made her way to the dormitory. She forgave her. After all, her marks in Herbology would be rising again! As her friend laughed and hugged her, Chalondra couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. First, for letting her very private note slip, and second, because she liked Kadric. But only a little bit! And she still didn't look forward to that little fact.

Chalondra saw Kadric with a small group of Slytherin's as they went down the Entrance Hall for Care of Magical Creatures. Yoyo ran ahead, and that's when Chal noticed her loose shoelace. "Curses," she muttered absently, leaning down to tie it near Kadric's posse.

"Chal! Hurry up!"

"Just a second, Yoyo! My shoe came undone!"

………

Yoyo…Yoyo…Yo…Y…Y! That's it! Kadric's left part of his brain had been listening to his friends, but his right part had been listening to the name Chalondra called. It was obvious. So obvious. This Yoyo girl's name started with a Y. That note had ended in a Y. After all the weeks of wondering, Kadric finally knew. This Yoyo girl liked him. But then again, lots of other girls probably liked him too. With an evil smirk that would come back to haunt Chalondra later that day, Kadric went back to his conversation.

………

Chalondra was backing down the hall towards the Ravenclaw tower, oblivious to Kadric, who was standing behind one of the knights that Chal had passed. She hummed a tune that covered the near silent steps of Kadric.

"Hello, Chalondra," he whispered, his mouth right beside her ear. Chalondra gave an unearthly scream, jumping back, her heart pounding.

"KADRIC!" She hissed, eyes narrowed to nearly slits. "What are you DOING!"

He smirked.

This irritated Chalondra. "Stop it," she ordered, brushing at her hair.

He smirked again.

With an annoyed glance that clearly read 'go away', Chalondra turned and began walking away once more.

"So…tell me about this Yoyo," he said coolly. Chalondra's foot froze in midstep.

"Who?" she asked innocently, turning around. Kadric sneered.

"Yoyo! The 'Y' on the note! As I said, I need to know my ladies."

Chalondra felt her blood go cold. "You're hallucinating. Your ego needs to deflate a bit," she snapped, glaring at him. Kadric merely shrugged.

"I'm sure you don't want this, tidbit, floating around the school, hmm?"

Chalondra's eyes widened. "You wouldn't," she stated hoarsely. Yoyo would positively kill her.

"Yes I would," Kadric said sneakily.

Chalondra sighed. "What do you want?"

Kadric gave another irritating smile. "You wouldn't like it."

"That's beside the point," Chalondra growled. "You want a favor, I can tell. I'll do it as long as you don't let Yoyo's secret drift around, okay?" Her voice was like ice, whereas her insides were melting.

Just as Kadric was about to open his mouth, Chalondra grinned. It was perfect. SO perfect…

"On the other hand," she began, walking lazily up to him. "I don't think I have to do anything for you."

Kadric snorted. "My friend's will love to tease this Yoyo – "

"You're in as deep as me, if not more."

This stopped Kadric. He gave her a wary glance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Chalondra leaned in closer, acting much braver than she felt. "That if you tell people about Yoyo, I'll tell people you kissed me." Chalondra grinned wickedly, glad to see Kadric's expression seem almost nervous.

"Deal?" she asked. Kadric sighed nervously. She knew he would just die if people knew he had kissed a Ravenclaw.

"Fine. Deal. Whatever. But just remember…I know your friend's secret." He grinned impishly at her, and Chalondra suddenly felt queasy all over.

"Kadric," she warned.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't say a thing." He winked at her before he strode away. "See you on Tuesday."

As he walked away, Chalondra sighed heavily. How could she be repulsed by him one second, and then nearly fall head over heels the next?

"I need a holiday," she muttered, spinning around and heading for the Ravenclaw tower. "A long holiday."