Friends (Open, Alyx needs friends)

[Alyxandria Rye]

Alyx was still a bit overwhelmed from her ordeal with the attack but she was holding it all in very admirably. Of course she didn't really know any other way to be. It seemed she couldn't just open up to Sin anymore and she was finding that most disconcerting.

Ever since he realized her feelings for him, which she was sure was the reason he had become so distant, he had changed. Well it wasn't as if she wanted him to propose or anything, she just...liked him. He was nice to her, whereas she didn't fit in so well with other people. Other "girls", she had been ragtag since she could remember and living with that fighting mentality she had to "act tough".

Merlin knew she wouldn't have minded playing dress up, or doing her hair...but she didn't have anybody in her life to teach her.

Meloncholy she sat in the common room with her chin on her knees and her arms wrapped around herself staring into the fire, listening to the silence, until footsteps padded down the stairs.

[Jonesy Duggan]

Jonesy had actually done his homework, and now had nothing to do. He had found a bean bag at the bottom of his trunk and was planning on kicking it around in the corner of the common room. But when he walked down the stairs, he saw Alyx sitting in one of the chairs. She seemed off and Jonesy wondered if he could help.

He walked over to the chair opposite of Alyx. They weren't really friends, but Jonesy was always up for new aquaintences. "You looked troubled, Ms. Rye," Jonesy said.

[Alyxandria Rye]

Startled out of her reverie she looked up to find Jonesy. She wondered when he came in the room and at the same time despaired that her thoughts had prevented her from knowing there was someone else there. One would have thought that with the attack and everything she would have jumped at any little sound.

She gave him a small smile, " No..not troubled." she lied but smiled brighter, "Just pensive..it's a quiet night." she said glancing around the almost empty room.

[Jonesy Duggan]

Jonesy looked around. Alyx was right, it was quiet, there was hardly anyone in the common room save for a couple of studying second years. But when he looked back at her, he knew she lied about not being troubled. Who did she think she was kidding? Jonesy had 3 sisters, he knew the signs of the female better than almost anyone. But he wouldn't call her out on it.

"Not troubled huh?" Jonesy asked. "You're right, it is kind of quiet." He did a quick memory check of what he knew about Alyx. "I would expect you'd be hanging out with Sin and all them..." the them he referd to were her other friends. "Not that I don't mind sitting here with a lovely lady like yourself this evening," he smiled brightly.

[Alyxandria Rye]

Alyx had to keep from looking around for this "lovely lady" he was referring to. She smiled, it was sweet of him to cheer her up. Realizing that she blushed, "I'm that obvious aren't I? " she asked, lowering her eyes.

He mentioned Sin and she stiffened but only for a moment, then upon further reflection she realized there was no "all them" there was pretty much only Sin and without him...she was mostly alone.

"It's very kind of you to say as much." she said referring to the lady bit, " Please take a seat." she said gesturing to the empty seats around her.

[Jonesy Duggan]

"Transparent? No, definatly not," Jonesy said as he moved to a seat closer to Alyx. "I just have an eye for things like this. With three sisters, a boy learns a lot about women," he added.

Jonesy tilted his head to the side a little. "Wanna talk about it?" he offered, perfectly fine if she didn't.

[Alyxandria Rye]

She took a deep breath and shook her head no quickly. No she did not want to talk about it, it was embarassing enough that she felt what she did, talking about it would probably only make her more miserable.

Still she smiled, " That's quite a handful, three girls I mean."

[Jonesy Duggan]

"They aren't that bad," Jonesy shrugged, taking the change of subject in stride. "They're all older than me, which is the only difficult think i think, they treat me like the baby..." he shrugged again and smiled. "But I love them. How about you? Do you have siblings?" he asked.

[Alyxandria Rye]

Alyx stiffened a bit, it was hard to forget the fact that not everyone knew about her, though it seemed that enough people did. She was an orphan, she got her letter to attend hogwarts at the orphanage and since she was such a rebel and "angry" child at the orphanage anyhow they letter go off to Hogwarts just on her own at eleven, she never looked back.

Now the question stung a bit but she pushed the hurt aside, " No. No siblings." she told him and then gentled her countenance, it wasn't Jonesy's fault he didn't know she was completely alone in the world.

[Jonesy Duggan]

He had a feeling he missed something, something that bothered Alex quite a bit, but he didn't bring it up, seeing that she was already stressed out a bit. "I apologize, I seem to keep messing up..." Jonesy said cautiously. He looked around the common room. "I think you need some sort of distraction, something to get your mind off of whatever is bothering that pretty little head of yours," he jumped up and offered his arm. "Come with me," he said, a charming smile spreading across his features.

[Alyxandria Rye]

Well that was certainly an invitation. She couldn't help but smile at him, and he called her pretty, she was hardpushed not to blush, but she didn't entirely believe him. "No you're not messing up...I'm sorry if I gave you that impression." she nodded, then took a look around the room.

There wasn't anything going on and nothing really to do just sitting there so she shrugged, "Alright." she was up for an adventure any day of the week. Taking his arm she stood and let him lead her.

[Jonesy Duggan]

He smiled as she took his arm and led her out of the common room. "There's hardly anyone here when its cold," Jonesy said, refering to the halls. "Everybody hides in the common room or in the great hall," He turned down the stairs, away from the great hall.

[Alyxandria Rye]

Speaking of which she dutifully shivered then smiled up at him, "Perhaps they are the smart ones." she teased. Her step was deceptively light as she walked with him, she still had things on her mind that upset her but at the same time Jonesy was doing a good job of distracting her.

[Jonesy Duggan]

"Oh, my apologies," Jonesy said. He stopped for a moment on the stairs and shrugged off his coat that he was wearing. He handed it to Alyx and smiled apologetically. "I should have know it would be colder out in the hallways. Don't worry though, where we are going will be much warmer." He grinned.

[Alyxandria Rye]

His actions surprised her more than anything. Like the hero out of some book he was being chivalrous giving her his jacket. Sin never did such a thing unless it was obvious she was freezing, usually he just cast a heating spell, after he teased her for not dressing warmer. But then, to Sin she wasn't a damsel in distress, she was hardly even a female, and she distressed him more than she would ever confess to being distressed herself.

"Thank you." she replied still a little surprised. "Oh? and where are we going?" she asked her sense of adventure taking reign.

[Jonesy Duggan]

Jonesy didn't think twice about the chivalrous act of offering his jacket, it's simply how he was raised. "On an Adventure, of course," Jonesy said. He wasn't entirely sure where they were headed, and he vaguely considered a couple of spots in the castle that they could go. Jonesy just knew that the walk would be a better distraction for Alyx than sitting in the common room that evening.

[Alyxandria Rye]

She laughed then nodded at him, "Very well. I believe I'm up for it. Lead the way." he was right the distraction was good for her and was keeping her mind occupied. While she was still worried about Sin she didn't think about him completely, she was also focused on where she was stepping, and Jonsey's kindness made her want to be a better person socially, perhaps more conversational.

[Jonesy Duggan]

It was then that Jonesy had a destination planed in mind. "Good, a little adventure never hurt anyone," Jonesy said. "Keeps you on your toes." He chuckled. He led her to a painting of a woman levitating random, philosophical objects. She turned toward the pair and raised an eyebrow. Jonesy had been to the portriat enough to know that the subject never spoke, and that this was her way of asking for the pasword to the entrance of the secret passage way hidden behind her painting. "Dreamer's Dream," Jonesy said. The subject nodded and stepped to the side, revealing a tunnel within the painting. It grew larger, until it was big enough for the two of them to walk through.

"Thank you," Jonesy said to the portriat before stepping through the picture. He turned around to Alyx and offered his hand. "Pretty cool huh?"

[Alyxandria Rye]

She followed Jonesy not really knowing him well enough to gauge how "adventurous" he was, but when he let her in on this Castle Secret, one that she hadn't known about in the past, she was definitely intrigued.

"Woah...where's it go?" she asked taking his hand and stepping through the picture as well.

[Jonesy Duggan]

"You'll see," Jonesy grinned, glad his little secret had intrigued her. They walked down a dark passageway and Jonesy lit his wand. They soon reached a door and he opened it. They found themselves on the top of the Astronomy tower.

"They put a charm up here so that no one freezes during the Astronomy classes," Jonesy said, explaining why even though they were outside, it was warmer than the average January evening.