"Study" Group

Jack rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that was what we were brewing." She almost left it at that, because James would think they had been working on something petty like that for a silly prank or something. He would never imagine that a first year- at the time, now Keith was a second year- could manage anything more dangerous or difficult than that.

She smirked, "C'mon, James, if you are going to keep up with me you'll have to use every part of your imagination, and then, maybe, you'll be close. Not quite there, but close." Not that she would actually let him guess. It was Keith's project, not hers. She would not sell out her apprentice, but she was prodding James, trying to see what it was he was still so sore over.

"Right, because it takes 'imagination' to set up absurdly well-designed swamps in the middle of Hallways. The original Wheezes did that for years. Or illegally selling Blood Noughets in school. Real brilliant. I assume you had nothing to do with those, of course. You're too 'imaginative' for recreational pranks." James retorted curtly, a bit insulted that Jack would take him so lightly. Of course he knew Keith was not making any Polyjuice Potion. Nobody had the kind of patience for the creation of such a potion. He had of course created something a bit more sinister. What else could explain the strange reactions he had received when he had tested the sample of the potion he had snuck out? It was as if his test subject had a whiff too much of helium, and was singing as high as stars. It was bloody annoying.

Unable to determine a better way to approach the situation, James decided on a direct approach. "Tell me, Jack, what is Keith up to these days? I don't see a lot of him. I almost miss the fireworks," he asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

Jack rolled her eyes. "Takes more imagination doing that then being a staff puppet. Following around first years who don't even properly know the rules and making them cry as you dock points using the smallest amount of authority possible." She was not sure why she was suddenly feeling as though she had to prove herself to James, but she knew she had to now.

He asked about Keith and Jack felt a shrewdness take over her. So that was why he had played her game for so long rather than dismissing her or turning them in right away. He said he missed the fireworks and Jack jumped at that. "Oh, if you want, I can get him to bring that back, the fireworks, I mean." She smirked at him. She would give him no information... She may give him vague half-truths, but he had to work for those. And they would not be betraying her apprentice.

"I would actually prefer it if you brought around the actual fireworks this time. His last attempt was pretty hapless. And surely you're not referring to the Groundskeeper. Its his job to ensure that everybody knows the rules, even those huggable first-years." James halted just a moment to let the sickening taste set in. "I mean, he has his job, and so do we. I mean, ours is far more enjoyable, but his has its merits. I mean, don't you wish you could dock points from those disgusting Slytherins? I mean, sometimes they do the stupidest things. Come on, at least tell Keith's a go or two at them. Some of them actually deserve it."

If Lana di Angelo knew one thing, it was that friends were never supposed to be this mean to each other. Perhaps it was Jack's sudden vicious, or maybe it was James' suddenly sweet, suddenly sour attitude, but something was definitely wrong with this situation. "H-hey guys, how about we talk about something else. Like, I dunno... um... oh! What are the coolest spots in Hogwarts? I always wanted to explore, but apparently we're supposed to take classes so...." Lana began stammering to distract the two from each other. She absentmindedly offered James butterbeer, and Jack the punch she was originally going to drink before she brought James over. This, of course left her crossing arms to offer each of the drinks, a hopelessly foolish position.

Lana would later mentally kick herself, but right now she needed to distract them from the current situation. This was supposed to be fun, right?

Jack grinned, having to stifle a laugh when he referred to the first years as huggable. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to imagine you hug someone... And though I do have a great imagination-" her eyes flashed, teasing him about their earlier debate "-I just can't seem to picture it, somehow." She grinned at him, her smile daring him to prove her wrong.

He said that he would not mind to dock points from the Slytherins and Jack raised her eyebrows. "Disgusting? That's a little vicious, James, even for you. Slytherins are people too, kind of. I'm trying to organize a school-wide Hug-a-Slytherin day to discourage this sort of discrimination." She grinned at him, making it unclear as to whether she was kidding or whether she agreed Slytherins were disgusting.

Poor Lana had been forgotten until then and Jack turned to address her, reaching out and receiving the punch, chugging half of it with one throw of her head. She looked back at her. "I dunno." Lie, she knew every part of Hogwarts because of her lovely map. But it made it boring, knowing it all. "It's the surprises that make it fun."