<i>Why is my heart pounding...and feeling so light, like it has grown wings...?</i><br/><br/>Holiday ignored the silly chatter of the other Gryffindors, and instead focused on how her heart was continuing to race, even after her little...encounter with Professor Archon. One hand hesitantly rose, the palm pressing lightly between the girl's breasts. Her lips curved into a dreamy smile.<i>'Little lion', huh...? That is really...cute...</i>Unable to keep herself from letting out a soft, almost inaudible laugh, she lifted her eyes...only for the green pair to meet numerous other pairs. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you lot want?" she snapped, a little annoyed by the obvious suspicion lurking within blue, green and brown. "Can't you see I'm...eating?" Realizing that she hasn't taken a single bite since the food appeared, she emphasized this by bringing a big scoop of mashed potatoes up to her mouth, and eating it.<br/><br/>"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Holiday managed to decipher through a mouthful of chicken. "You're gazing off into the distance, like you've been hit upside the head by a Bludger!"<br/><br/>"Nice imagery there," Holiday grumbled under her breath, only to shake her head, sending waves upon waves of fiery red cascading about her shoulders. "Nothing's wrong with me, you dolts. Just tired, is all." That seemed to satisfy their curiosity, for one by one, each person went back to their plates as their conversation began to revolve around Quidditch, and the upcoming year.<br/><br/><i>At least...I think there's nothing wrong with me...</i>Holiday dared to sneak a glance over her shoulder, towards the Slytherin table. Professor Archon was sitting at its head, as was his right to, being the Head of Slytherin, proceeding over it with a critical eye. Something inside the girl trembled, or...more precisely, inside her chest...her heart skipping a beat or two. A sigh escaped her lips.<i>I'm staring...</i>she told herself... knowing that sooner or later, her mooning over him will be noticed, whether by him, by a Slytherin... or by one of her fellow Gryffindors. Tearing her gaze away, she was about to play around with her food, when a screech caught her attention.<br/><br/>Several heads lifted, and yet only Holiday extended an arm out towards the owl. “Hey there, Trix,” she greeted with a coo, giving the bird’s soft, downy feathers a rub before removing the message from her leg. “‘When you have a moment, I have a question for you’...” she read, offering Trix a bit of bread.<i>Professor Weaver must have run late tonight...given how he was rushing in here. He probably just wants to ask me whether or not I noticed anyone who could be on our Quidditch team or not…</i>Giving a little shrug, she glanced up and gave the Professor a nod. Trix lifted her wings...beating once, twice, before raising into the air, and returning to him.<br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/><br/>“Ah, yes. Thank you, Professor Archon,” Nilsa purred, discreetly accepting the silver flask. It passed between hands, and it wasn’t long before it was hidden amidst her robes, that way it would not draw any attention. “I really appreciate your help in this… as will he.” Not bothering to say any names, the two parted ways… with no one being suspicious or any the wiser. Those bright blue eyes, framed in long, dark gold lashes, glanced about to make sure of that. Archon returned to his seat, down to the lovely Slytherins...and for a heartbeat...she was tempted to join him. It’s been far too long, since she last enjoyed exchanging double-edged words with her Slytherins…<br/><br/>Nilsa cast her gaze about, waves of gold framing the woman’s delicate features. Her lips forming yet another smile, she lifted her goblet, and drank deeply from it. Pumpkin juice teased her senses...and yet, it only served to remind her of an entirely flavor… A forbidden taste, one she has already developed a taste for...or perhaps it was an addiction? Licking her lips, she found herself looking down onto one particular Slytherin...a raven-haired beauty, just begging to be punished. With heat crackling -burning- throughout every vein, every capillary that riddled her body, she tore her gaze away...or else, something entirely too inappropriate for student eyes would happen.<br/><br/>DIrty, naughty ideas floating around inside her head, Nilsa forced herself to take a bite of chicken… still musing over everything that transpired earlier. Ooh, if only she could pin Siobhan against the door again, maybe even going a bit farther than they did… Nilsa chuckled, her lips giving a clear indication as to what was running through her head. It wasn’t long before an opportunity presented itself to hand the silver flask over to the new Professor Kristopher Royal...and so, she took it. Kristopher didn’t give much of a response, but really… she didn’t expect one.<br/><br/>Blue eyes met gold, an unspoken comment passing from one person to the other. Nilsa traced her fingers along the details engraved on the goblet, just watching all her students talk to one another.<br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/><br/>Synclair picked through the meat dishes, preferring to keep to the vegetarian diet. It would be...well, it just made his stomach churn, to work with animals all day, and then eat another member just hours later. His blue eyes lifted, his lips curving into a smile when he noticed the silly antics of the Gryffindors. It brought back memories of back in the day, when he sat at that exact same table.<i>Makes me rather nostalgic…</i>he thought, sipping his pumpkin juice. His hair caught whatever light there was, making the dark brown appear more gold than anything. The companion he brought for the evening popped his head out from within the black folds of his robe, sniffing as it caught the smell of food. Synclair chuckled, rubbing the bunny’s head with a fond smile.