Someone needs to do something. We're someone.

It was nearing the end of the week and there was an energy in the castle that betrayed the student's excitement for the weekend. What with the first week of classes almost at an end and the Hogsmeade weekend, students were already forgetting they were meant to be studying, instead enjoying the sunshine while they had it, and the warmth of friendship as they continued to catch each other up on their summers and make grand plans for the year.

Ace Longbottom moved through them, neither stopped nor spoken to as she slipped through the stream of students, her serious brown eyes scanning the crowds. Finding one Hufflepuff in a sea of uniforms and robes was no easy feat, but Ace had eyes like an eagle when she was determined. The hallway was beginning to thin out as the students headed for the Great Gall and the grounds, but she had just spotted her target.

"Christian," she called out, her voice barely rising above the noise of stampeding witches and wizards. She squeezed past a gaggle of third years and jogged to catch up with him. "Hey, could I talk to you about something."

Christian was a bit bemused. The other students were eager to rush outside, and all he could really think about was getting a bit of space. It was fine, being around the other students. It was. But after a whole week of it, he always preferred a quiet weekend. Apart from practice and such, at any rate. Perhaps he would head to the library to get some homework done while he was still in classroom-mode, and then he could spend the rest of his weekend relaxing.

He'd just turned towards one of the staircases with the intention of heading that way when he heard his name. Christian stopped, his brow furrowing, but he obviously had no trouble spotting Ace. She was pretty difficult to miss.

"Uh, yeah," he agreed easily, shrugging. He couldn't think of anything he could've done to upset her, so whatever she wanted to talk about, maybe it wasn't even about him. "What's the matter?"

It had been this innocuous little thing in Potions. She hadn’t even heard the first part of it, just the voice of Apollo Zabini nearing on snide and when she looked up, she saw Lily Potter frowning, making some small comment back, before Christian edged his way in, telling his twin to back off. Lily had floated off quickly after that, leaving the twins to bicker under their breaths. But people didn’t give Ace credit. What she lacked in social graces she made up for in perception, and she could see how pink the back of Lily’s necks and ears were. She had been ruffled, but by the time she was back at her cauldron, she had a small smile waiting for Christian.

Ace watched this all unfold and almost ruined her Pepperup Potion concoction, though her partner, Whittle, had been quick to step in and put them back on track. It was a small thing but that’s what Ace was looking for these days. Those small moments were indicative of so much more. He looked confused - fair. Ace kept to herself unless it was about school. Anything else was on track to be a confrontation.

“I was wondering if I could get your help with something.” A gaggle or seventh years ran by, laughing and yelling at each other, and Ace’s narrowed eyes followed them, almost suspiciously. She cleared her throat. “Maybe some privacy? I know a place.” She turned and headed for the broken woman’s toilet. She knew well enough that Moaning Myrtle was usually too steeped in her own misery to pay anyone else much mind.

At the door, she turned back to usher Christian in, a bit of urgency creeping into her face.

Ace didn't wait for Christian to agree, but he didn't exactly expect her to, if he was being honest. It would've been more surprising if she had. He followed almost automatically, unaware of the fact that he looked rather like an obedient pet rather than a classmate or friend. To be fair, though, he wasn't sure if he and Ace really were friends. He'd tried, but she had a strong personality that he couldn't ever seem to keep up with.

Speaking of keeping up, she led the way to the unused girl's bathroom, and Christian found himself stopping short. She looked upset about something, but he wasn't sure what she was up to. "We have to talk here?" He asked, concerned. "What's going on?"

He stopped and she felt a prickle of irritation, though worry was certainly the root of it. This was already such a long shot, and she was more than familiar with her enthusiasm backfiring on her. She'd come out as crazy, or nosy, and he would back away and then she'd be given an even wider berth. But, it was worth the risk for the possibility of him saying yes, saying he agreed.

"I don't want people listening. It's not my secret to tell, but... it's important."

Christian's brow furrowed, his confusion increasing and showing itself on his face, as always. He wasn't as good at reading Ace as most people were at reading him, but it seemed like she was upset about something. And she wanted to talk about secrets? That sounded bad as well. Certainly not something that should be discussed out in the open, which she so clearly knew.

"Well," he mused, taking a step towards her. "All right, then." So he waited for her to step further inside so he could follow her through the doorway.

He looked confused, and wary. That was about right, her interactions didn't exactly put people at ease. But he was at least going to give her a chance, and she was pretty sure that was all she needed.

She stepped aside so he could come in, before reaching behind him to close the door. Confident she had his ear and his ear alone, she turned towards him. "I'm worried about Lily. Potter." Duh. "Like actually worried, not just nosy. I've grown up with her, y'know, and something changed. Once you're a prefect your fifth year, you're one your sixth - but she's not. She used to be top of her class, and now she's not. I think something bad is happening."

Christian wasn't surprised that someone else had noticed something strange about Lily. Apollo seemingly hadn't, but then again, he was snarky towards everyone, not just her. The difference was that Christian wasn't going to let him go after someone who seemed weaker than him. Apollo always gave back as good as he got, but Christian didn't really think his brother was a bully, exactly.

Then again, maybe it was harder to see when it came to someone you cared about.

"I think we've all wondered about that," he agreed. "But I don't think she'd want us to talk or ask about it. What, exactly, did you want me to do about that?"

She was glad she wasn't the only one to notice or worry. She had heard people tittering and talking, of course, but she wouldn't have taken that as worry or concern. She didn't quite... get... her peers. She didn't relate to their interests or their desires. She didn't understand why they didn't say what needed to be said, unless it was to be hurtful. She had heard the phrase "13 going on 30" before, and supposed she would be going on 30 until she finally got there.

"I don't want to pry," she said, "but if something is really going on, I don't think it'd be wise to just... leave her to her own devices. I think she thinks you're nice. You seem like someone a person might talk to. I was thinking, maybe you could ask her to tutor you at Potions. I could too, but she might not say anything to me seeing as I'm sort of family."

"Would she believe that I need help from her, though?" He asked seriously, his concerned expression just staying put despite Ace offering her idea. "Apollo may be too busy or whatever to be an assistant for Potions, but everybody knows he's pretty good at it. Wouldn't she expect me to just ask him?"

It was probably wise for them to be in on it together, he decided, like Ace was suggesting. That way if something came up, it wouldn't just be on one person to help her. What if she caught on, after all? If she became upset with one of them, the other would need to step in. And that was if Lily even let them in enough for them to help. Did this count as being a good friend or a rude, invasive one? He really wasn't sure.