At the Ravenclaw Table

[[OOC: Any Ravenclaws can roleplay here!!]]

Sterling breathed as he sat back at the table. Ravenclaw had won! The happy thought glanced off of him, like a curse off of a Shield Charm. He picked at his food mopingly. Oh what a year! He had come for the Academics, he had stayed so firm on the path of Academics until the last week and had been lured in by Chase, only to be shoved back out spitefully. He wasn't hungry, any food he put in his mouth tasted like cardboard.

"Cheers," he said to nobody in particular, toasting nothing in particular. He was sitting secluded in the far corner of the table.

Sterling looked at Catalina, his eyes lightening again. "Oh, no I'm fine." he said, straightening himself up. He cleared his throat. "I've kind of, er... been thinking. You know I don't want to be evil... I never really did. But I feel trapped now... even though I know you can help it's still a risk. I don't want to start open warfare because of a stupid mistake I made." Sterling said. He smiled genuinely.

"But don't let that ruin the party," he said, an uneven smile that was raised more to his left than his right slid across his face.

"RAVENCLAW!" he screamed above the chatter of the Great Hall. It wasn't usually like him to draw attention to himself... but he just wanted to have fun now, forget all about Chase.

Sterling smiled at her again. When she told him she was in the Order of the Phoenix, a surge of fire, warm and light swelled through him. He felt like she had an aura of sunlight around her, emanating power and demanding respect. Sterling gaped at her in awe. "Really?" he asked. He felt unworthy to be sitting next to her. "Wow," was all he managed to say.

A sudden thought occurred to him. "What if... what if I go spy for the Order?" he asked her, excited. He could use his moment of weakness to the advantage of the Order... he could turn bad into good! He flashed a smile at her, it found its way onto his face involuntarily. He was fifteen now... maybe they would let him in. He looked at her excitedly with a new light in his eyes.

She didn't seem like a peer anymore, but like a venerable unstoppable force.

"Hello Ceci!" Sterling said happily. He was just happy it was a party... all of his trouble seemed to melt away. He was just here to enjoy himself. He then averted his gaze back to Catalina. "You never told me to call you Cat!" Sterling said, a little indignantly. He laughed, "Am I just not cool enough yet or something? He asked, still giggling.