Err...sorry for taking...over a month...to post this...I've had some rather drastic problems at home...anyway...I've got chapter 5 written and am just making some changes where they're needed, then I'll be able to start chapter 6. Please read and review!

Warnings: nothing really...

Disclaimer: I don't own the original Harry Potter characters, but the new ones and the plot line belongs to me...

Xx:xX

Chapter four: Halloween

Karin

"I can't wait until we're able to go to the actual dance. I hate having to spend our time in that damned room with all those stupid chaperones." Silhouette huffed as she and Karin walked out to the lake on a crisp Saturday afternoon. Karin nodded in agreement.

"I don't see why the first and second years need chaperones, we're less likely to go off and shag than the older students."

Silhouette grinned and sat down on her favorite rock, dragging Karin into her lap. "I think it's a matter of trust. But you're right."

Karin nodded and leaned against her friend, finding comfort in Silhouette's warmth. They sat in silence for the most part, occasionally commenting on random things. Before too long though, Karin managed to fall asleep.

A few hours later, Karin woke up in a bed, Silhouette sitting on the end of it reading her homework that was due Monday. "What, Silhouette?" Karin asked in mild confusion as her brain tried to catch up to the rest of her body. Silhouette looked up and smiled warmly at her.

"Oh good, you're awake. You fell asleep on me earlier, so I levitated you back to my dormitory since I can't get into yours." Silhouette explained, setting her book aside and turning to face Karin completely. Karin nodded and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Sorry about that, I guess I haven't been getting as much sleep as I should be," she said sheepishly, feeling her cheeks warm as she thought of exactly why. Silhouetted nodded in understanding but said nothing further on the matter. Instead, she started talking about who all would be going to the Halloween dance with who. Karin happily jumped into the conversation, wondering the same thing herself. To be more specific, she was wondering who her brother was going with. She knew Ron liked someone, but she wasn't entirely sure who it was.

Lily

Lily stared at Gabriel and Kitsune, feeling a bit jealous. She didn't know why, but she knew she did. Lily supposed it had something to do with the fact that both of them had a date. Gabriel was going with Saya, and Kitsune was going with James' friend, Ailbhe. Lily hadn't found anyone to go with, and as a last resort she'd gone to her brother for his help. He told her that all his friends were already going with someone. She supposed being dateless wasn't so bad, considering James had also told her that he, too, was going alone.

"I don't think Ailbhe is straight, to be honest with you, but I don't mind it. He seems like a nice person, and it'd be fun to be friends with him." Kitsune said to Gabriel, who rolled his eyes and went back to looking the game of Exploding Snap that he and Kitsune were in the middle of.

"Not to sound rude, but how did you manage to land my cousin for the dance?" Lily asked, honestly curious. Gabe looked up at her, frowning slightly.

"I don't know…I hadn't even asked her. SHE asked ME." He replied, looking back down at the game and groaning when he saw that Kitsune had won once more. He helped her clean up before they left the Great Hall.

"You guys want to go outside? It's really nice out, and I doubt it'll stay this nice for the rest of the month," Kitsune asked as they stood in the Entrance Hall. Gabriel and Lily nodded and the three friends left the castle. Lily caught sight of James and smiled. She couldn't remember the last time James had been so happy. She didn't even understand why he'd been so sad in the first place. She remembered her parents talking about it, calling it depression. Apparently there was a family history of it on the Potter side of the family, so Harry and Draco assumed that James had become depressed.

"You know, Kit, I think you're right about Ailbhe," Lily commented as they drew closer to the lake. Kitsune tilted her head, demanding further explanation. Lily pointed to where her brother and Ailbhe were sitting, chattering animatedly amongst themselves. "Ailbhe is ALWAYS staring after James. I think he might like him, and he's probably trying to make James jealous."

Kitsune shrugged before saying, "oh well, no surprise there. James is actually really attractive. I've heard some people talk. A lot of the girls think he's adorable, and the few gay guys I know think he's just gorgeous."

"Probably has something to do with those feminine features of his," Gabriel said. Lily looked at him, her eyebrow raised.

"Gabey-poo, have you been checking out my brother?"

"No, I'm straight as a line." Gabriel replied, grinning slightly. Lily laughed, which seemed to make Gabriel smile more. Kitsune raised her eyebrow at the two, the gears in her mind churning as she processed the brilliant smile on Gabe's face and the way he kept staring at Lily.

Ron

Ron stared out of the window of the Ravenclaw common room, waiting for Yoko to grab whatever it was he'd needed so that they could go looking for his cousin, Shardae, and her date to the Halloween dance/costume party, Thor. Ron planned on scaring the shit out of his cousin's date, so that Thor knew not to hurt her. Yoko thought he was nuts, but Shardae was his favorite cousin. Plus, he knew that Saya could take care of herself, AND, her date was a first year.

"Got it," Yoko said as he came back into the common room, holding up a long stemmed white rose. Ron tilted his head to the side, feeling burning anger and jealousy coil in his abdomen. He shoved his feelings aside, wishing that he didn't hate Yoko's love interest as much as he did. After all, he didn't even know who it was.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees this," was muttered as the two left the common room. Ron turned his head slightly, so that he was able to see Yoko's face clearly. Yoko seemed to be off in his own little world, unaware of who was around him. Ron took this time to stare at Yoko. The other wizard had changed considerably since their first year. His silver hair was longer, just touching his shoulders. He'd lost a lot of weight, which was really a bad thing considering Yoko had been pretty skinny last year. His grey eyes had turned to intense molten silver. His frame was very lithe, almost feminine. His voice was a smooth alto, only cracking here and there, indicating that his voice would be deepening soon. As Ron thought about his voice, something Yoko had muttered slammed into the forefront of his mind.

"Yoko," Ron said, tapping the other boy on his shoulder lightly. Yoko jumped, almost slamming into the wall he was walking next to. Ron steadied him then said, "Sorry Yoko. Can I ask you something?"

"'Course you can Ron, why wouldn't you be able to?" Yoko replied as a light blush started spreading across his face. Ron raised an eyebrow at it, unsure of why it was even there but loving it anyway.

"You said 'see the look on his face,'" Ron said. Yoko nodded, blushing harder. Ron grinned a bit and raised his eyebrow. "So, does that mean you're gay?"

Yoko froze for several seconds, staring at Ron with a mixture of hope and horror on his face. Ron tilted his head, confused, until realization smacked him upside the head.

"Yoko, you can't possibly think I have a problem with your sexuality?!"

Yoko looked down, embarrassment and shame washing over him. Ron stared at him perplexed for a couple seconds before he took the few steps over to the other boy. He hugged Yoko, just barely stopping himself from kissing Yoko's neck comfortingly. That was something he'd seen Draco do to Harry on more than one occasion, and he usually did it to James when he needed to. Yoko hugged him back after a few startled seconds.

"I'm sorry I'm such an idiot…it's just, I came out to my parents a week before school started…they told me not to return home for any of the holidays and that I had to find someplace to live during the summers…" Yoko said, tears filling his eyes and silently streaming down his soft face. Ron felt hatred for the Takahashi family fill him, and he hugged Yoko tighter.

"I'm sorry Yoko, why didn't you say anything to me before? Well, what's done is done, but I think I might have a solution to your living arrangement problem…" Ron said in a rush. He pulled out of the hug and lead Yoko to the Owlery.

"It's a good thing I still have parchment in my pocket," Ron muttered as he pulled out said scrap of parchment and put it on the cleanest surface he could find. He took the quill Yoko offered him and scribbled a note to his parents. Calling down his owl, Hermione, he tied the note to her leg and sent her off to his home.

While Ron did this, Yoko attached the note he'd previously written and the rose to his silver feathered owl, Dagon, and gave the brilliant owl his instructions. Dagon flew out the window and off towards the recipient.

"Let's go to the Great Hall, it's lunch time and I'm hungry," Ron said when both were finished. Yoko nodded and Ron led the way. He may have received Hermione's brains, but he got his father's looks and appetite.

Xx:xX

Author's Note: sorry again for taking so long updating, please don't hate me for it. I hope to have chapter 5 by tomorrow or Thursday and chapter 6 will most definately be up by Friday //grins//