Midnight snack (Skylar and Keaira)

Keaira walked into the kitchen, seeing all the house-elves run up to her. She gave them a small smile. They deserved her smile. She then sat down in one of the couches.

"And what would the missies like to eat?" one of the elves piped up.

Keaira thought about it for a moment.

"Hot chocolate and marshmellows?" she suggested and the house-elves went straight to it.

She sighed. She was exhausted. Life wasn't treating her good these days. Or it was treating her too good. Either way, she would have to deal with that. She smiled to the elf that came over with the chocolate.

"Thank you," she said and the elf beamed at her.

She took a sip, and then looked up as she heard someone walk in through the door.

Skylar certainly had no clue what it was he was doing walking towards the kitchens at that hour. Half-asleep, he had trusted his instincts to lead him to the Muhe Common Room. Failure.

He walked down the hall, his hands folded on the back of his head, sighing. When he walked through the door and instantly walked into someone, his eyes snapped open fully and he looked down at one of the house elves. "I'm so sorry." He said quickly, stepping out of its way and letting one of his arms drop by his side, rubbing the back of his head with the other hand.

Then, looking up: "Oh. Hi." Skylar blinked in curiosity at seeing the girl he'd met in the room of mirrors only that same morning. "Keaira, right?" Hopefully, he hadn't been a complete numbskull as to forget her name.

Keaira blinked as the guy she had met earlier that day walked into the kitchen and stumbled into one of the elves. She had to bite her lip not to laugh.

"Are you going to make that a habit? Crashing into someone when I'm around?" she asked softly, a bit of tiredness in her voice.

"Yes, that's right. And you're Skylar, right?" Keaira asked. Actually, she didn't need to ask. She was good at remembering names.

"So, what brings you here this late?" she asked him kindly enough, doing a handmovement, suggesting for him to sit down in the couch.

"I'd answer to that if I was doing it on purpose. But since I'm just a total klutz naturally, I don't really know." Skylar replied rather calmly to her 'crashing into people' comment, as he took her suggestion and dropped down on the couch, throwing his head back and closing his eyes once more.

"I thought I was heading to the common room." He admitted sheepishly, not really wanting to admit that he was walking around Durmstrang half-asleep and stumbling into the kitchen thinking it was a different place altogether, but not able to find anything better to say. Give the guy a break; it was midnight and he was in danger of passing out.

"What about you? Couldn't sleep?"

Keaira chuckled slightly. "Well, being a klutz has its charm, though," she said calmly, taking another sip from her chocolate.

Then she snorted. While drinking the chocolate. Which made a rather unattractive sight. But she didn't really care. she just looked at Skylar and beamed at him. "Isn't the muhe common room on the third floor or something?" she teased.

An elf came over with a napkin, and Keaira wiped her mouth, muttering a thank you.

"Speaking of klutzes," she murmured and gave an innocent grin to Skylar. Then she sighed.

"No, I couldn't sleep. I'm so tired that I'm too tired to sleep," she said, "If that makes sense."

"That's not the point," Skylar grunted. "I'm very much aware of where the Muhe common room is...I just wasn't paying attention to where I was going. As always, I suppose."

He sighed and shook his head, eyes still closed. Whether it was in defeat or in tiredness, it was unknown, but it could have been both. He opened one eye only slightly, then let it close again. It was too much effort to keep it open.

"And yes...that makes sense...kind of..." Skylar's shoulders rose up and fell back down in a shrug, as he smiled just slightly to himself. "It does sound just a little bit unusual though. I would've thought; if you're tired...you'd just pass out instead of not be able to sleep because you're so tired. If that makes sense."

Keaira nodded. "I see," she said, "I guess it's the opposite with me. I'm boring like that. I keep watching every single move and remark what I'm passing and where I'm stepping. I'm a bit too sure of where I'm going, I suppose."

The truth was that Keaira just couldn't let her guard down. She was always sitting with a straight back, her head rarely leaned against anything at all. She just kept a watch on everything. At least that hadn't changed about her, she thought bitterly.

Keaira tilted her head to the side. "No, that's how tired you seem to be. I've yet to reach that stadium," she said with a smile. "But it does make sense," she then added.

She wondered if she should keep the conversation going, but figured that if he wanted her to be quiet, he'd just say so. She wouldn't take it personal. No one would take that personal. Or maybe people did take it personal, and she just didn't know that.

"But as a second year, why haven't I seen you before?" Keaira asked curiously.

It was at her last question that Skylar sat up straight, curiosity and also confusion crossing his face. He tilted his head to the side again, eyes wide open as he frowned to himself.

"Huh...I think it's just 'cause I'm kinda quiet. Not really into socialising that much. Nothing personal." he quickly added. "I guess I'm just not the kind of guy that...jumps up and shouts 'hell yeah!' when people suggest they be close friends, you know? I got my group, but we are kinda invisible to everybody else."

He hoped he didn't screw up; sometimes he did say things that might have offended people, with that not actually being his real intention at all.

Keaira nodded. "I see. I think that was pretty much me last year, except I honestly didn't hang with anyone but my twin. Now, however, people are around me all the time. I actually find it slightly frustrating. I miss my solitude," she said slowly.

"But only when I am alone. When I am talking with others, I don't have time to miss it," Keaira said calmly.

She wasn't offended by what Skylar had said at all. She was actually hoping he wasn't offended by what she said or took it the wrong way and left. She liked talking to people, she did. But some people were bothersome. Skylar wasn't one of them.

"Don't take it the wrong way, though," she added to make sure he wouldn't think it.