So relaxing. The owlery was one of Rose's favourite haunts around the castle, mostly because it was nearly always empty. Students came in for a few minutes at a time to post a letter, and then left her in peace. Occasionally this would bring about a conversation with a new friend - like Blaze and Sally - but mostly it would leave her in silent introspection. She could reflect on what she had done over the past few days, and plan for the near future. So here she was now, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. Names and faces swam across her mind: Gary, Faith, Angel, Edward, Blaze...even that new guy she had met at the lake, Eli. They were all there in her subconscious, all for entirely different reasons. Faith stood out especially today, so Rose began to explore her memories of their third year. That was probably the best year of all for practical jokes. They would pretend to be each other when teachers forgot their names - this was back when they looked even more similar than they did now - and could always be found planning something. Those were good days. She sighed as she stared out of the window across the grounds, the green grass littered with people sitting and chatting or doing homework outside. Their playful words barely reached the heights of the owlery window.

Faith had climbed through the window so gracefully and had landed down behind Rose, maybe she had been around Edward for so long that she had started to move like him and forget her clumbsy ways. She smiled and placed her slim, manacured hands over Rose's eyes and whispered softly into her ear, "Guess who." She grinned and stood there, her dark blue eyes glisterning in the sunlight that shone through the many window's of the Owlery to allow the many owls to swoop through to do there jobs.

"Faith?" Rose asked tentatively. It certainly felt like her, but she'd been so silent and so graceful that it was almost unbelievable. Normally, when Faith crept up on people, she fell over or laughed and gave herself away. "Is that you?"

Faith couldn't help but giggled and burst out laughing as she let her hands slip from her eyes, "Yep you guessed it," She whispered as she twirled Rose round in her arms and hugged her tightly. "Rose, my sweet Rose. I can't believe I found you, You have no idea that Ive been running around the whole of Hogwarts in search for you, just to see you again." Faith had been away for a while, as another one of her relatives had died and she had to leave straight away without telling anyone.

"Really?" Rose asked, remembering this time that she had a good reason to be nervous. After all, last time she saw Faith, she'd kissed her without any warning. "Edward's missed you too, have you seen him? And Gary's just left...his brother sent him another message or something. I wish sometimes he'd just ignore it. Oh, and...Sammael's back," she added quietly, resting her hands in the small of Faith's back. "I thought you ought to know, in case, well - in case he does anything strange."

"Oh, I thought he had gone for good. Nevermind that on the other hand, Yes. I have seen Edward but I don't think he's seen me yet." She sighed and shook her head slowly as she moved to stand Rose back up so that she was more comfortable, "Everything been such a panic since I got back and then I had to explain to Dumbledor why I was gone, then I saw Edward with this girl and it got me panicking, but..He hasn't moved on has he?" She looked to Rose and bit her red lips, with her long eyelashes fluttering slowly as she looked around and leaned against the stone cold wall. "If he has I don't blame him, I did go without telling him why," She looked back to Rose, "You do look beautiful today." She smiled to her, pushing some of her own black fringe out of the way and walked towards the entrance of the Owlery.

"How have you been Rose? Anything happened since I was gone?" Her accent yet again had got stronger since she had spent around a month in France visiting her grieving Auntie. She walked along the entrance then twirled back to her, "It does feel good to be back," She said with a small smile etched onto her lips.

"Don't be silly," Rose began seriously. "He loves you more than you can even imagine. I've only seen him twice these past few weeks and even that has told me that he misses you deeply. He would never do that to you." She crossed the room to Faith and put her hands on her friend's hips, looking intently into her eyes. "Don't ever think he would do such a thing. I might not like him all that much, but I know he's a loyal man. Besides, I don't think anyone would ever be able to let you go without a fight. I know I wouldn't."

"Yes, yes, Im just being silly arn't I." She added with a light smile and kissed Rose's cheek, "Sorry. Its just hard when you have such a gorgeous man, It was this girl called Tanya, shes like him well..forever and I know Edward just thinks nothing of it but then you look at her and your like, Damn, She is stunning with those vampire butterscotch eyes, which make your heart melt." She shivered at the thought of her, "I miss him dearly, How's Gary?..Apart from..Yunno, Sammeal being back." She added with a delicate smile apon her lips.

"He's fine," Rose lied swiftly, her cheek burning slightly from Faith's kiss. Sammael's arrival had affected him deeply, and now he had run off without a trace. She had no idea where he was, or what he was doing. "Yes, he's fine. I haven't seen a lot of him lately, though. I think he's been avoiding me for some reason." She shrugged, trying not to look too troubled by it, and at the same time trying to avoid Faith's eyes; eyes which could mesmerize her and read her through and through. I must be careful of the veela magic this time, she thought, having convinced even herself that this was the reason for kissing such a beautiful girl.

"Well then, If you hear from him..Whereever he went, tell him that I send my love and can't wait to see him." She grinned and looked to Rose with her eyes sparkerling, dazzling almost. "Im sure hes not avoiding you Rose, Don't be so silly." She laughed and ran her hand over Rose's cheek.

"Mmm, you're probably right," she murmured in reply, not really listening to Faith, simply staring at her, drinking in her beauty and her charisma. Her skin tingled as she realised she was touching her face; it was slightly disconcerting. Suddenly, she stepped away, her eyes sharp and frightened. "Look, I, err, I think I'd better go!" she said quickly, making a dash for the door.

"Rose?" Faith called over to her, with conffusion spread across her face as her eyes danced from the sunlight that crept in through the door way. "What did I do?" She asked slightly hurt from Rose walking away so quickly, running a hand down her neck and still puzzled as to why Rose looked so scared of her.

She stopped and sighed. She couldn't keep this up for long. Turning on her heel, her eyes met Faith's, and she felt her cheeks redden at the truths she was about to divulge. "Listen," she began, giving in. "It isn't your fault. You haven't done anything; you can't help it. It's just..." She sighed again, unsure of how to phrase her feelings. "We've been friends for a long time, right? Best friends? So nothing can stop that? We will always be friends, won't we? Promise me that!"

"Of course, are you doubting our friendship or something Rose?" She asked harshly with a frown, "Because I thought you knew we were going to be bestfriends forever Rose, Whats wrong?" She sighed and sat down on one of the cold steps and folded her arms over her so that she could keep some of her body warmth.

"No, no...it's just..." She bit her lip and sighed again, then took a step closer. "I...I don't want to scare you away or anything, Faith. But how can we spend any time together if every time I look at you I want to kiss you; want to hold you close; want to...I don't know." She sat down next to Faith, hanging her head in shame and not looking at her once. "I just thought you ought to know," she muttered in a small, timid voice, dreading Faith's reaction to this bizarre twist of fate.

"Im finding it hard too when I was in France all of my old friends who were boys were falling in love with me, Thats not what I wanted when I was grieving, its annoying. But, Your my best friend and Im not giving you up without a fight." She smiled and wrapped her arms around her, snuggerling her head into Rose's neck. "I don't care Rose, your my best friend."

"Don't...don't touch me," Rose muttered, begging more than asking. She couldn't bear it, not really. And she knew it had nothing to do with Faith being a veela; not that she would admit that to her. "Please." She sounded as though she was asking the hardest thing in the world - there was nothing she wanted more than just to hold Faith in her arms and to be held by her, but if it was like this...no. "Of course we are friends, always, but..." The words were impossible to find, as she was distracted by Faith's cheek brushing against her own. They were so very close...

"Right," She nodded and stood up. "I guess I'll be seeing you Rose," Nodding gently Faith dissapeared out of the door and groaned banging her head against her hand as she walked down the steps and looked around before running into the Forbidden Forest.

"Faith!" Rose called, standing up immediately. If she's...upset, then it's my fault! I can't bear to see her upset! "Faith!" She ran after her, sprinting as hard as she could, but Faith had always been a faster runner. "Wait! Stop! I didn't mean it! Forget everything! It's all stupid! Just come back, please!"

Faith stopped and frowned as she looked around to him, "What do you want from me Rose?" Shaking her head Faith sat down on a log which was nearby, "I don't want to loose you as a friend, Its not fair as I can't control it! Its not like I try to turn you on," She stopped and loked quiet puzzled as to what she had just said.