Room of Requirement

And, indeed, he was getting all turned on and stuff. He WAS a teenage boy, after all. It felt... well, good. He had missed Rachel so much, and this dream felt so real to him. It was nice. Like back in the old days, when they had that nice relationship. He was starting to really enjoy it when he unceremoniously jerked awake from his nap.

But rather than feeling refreshed from an erotic dream of his girlfriend, he felt even more alone. Rachel wasn't there. Just the Muggle-borns. No Rachel. No snogging sessions in the hallways or falling down the stairs. No sex. Nope.

He rolled over so he was face-down on his cot, and sighed. He couldn't even entertain his mind with thoughts of his girlfriend! And those Cruises... Oh. There they are. Hanging out together. They're lucky to be with their siblings... Nicolas still hadn't seen Katherine anywhere. Maybe she hadn't escaped...

No, Nicolas. Don't think about that! Think about... uhm... butterflies? No, that's what an eight-year-old girl would think of. Girls. Rachel. Katherine. Shit. This sucks. This really, really does.

Kelsi turned to look at Nicolas. "Damn, I hope we didn't make him feel any worse."

"If we did, it's your fault, Kelsi."

"IT IS NOT!"

Nicolas turned his gaze up to the Cruises. He motioned for them to come over to his cot. He needed somebody to talk to.

Kelsi stood up and walked over. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked awkwardly.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just feeling a bit lonely, is all. Talk to me, why don't you!" He put on a fake smile, oblivious to how they had manipulated his dream.

Kelsi felt horrible. So she just admitted it immediately. "I'm sorry for manipulating with your dreams! I thought you'd look happier with a change in your dreams, so- so- but you seem even worse! I'm so sorry!" she cried. She had to do something about this. Yes. Libby BETTER come soon, with RACHEL. If anybody should come with Libby, it's RACHEL. Because damnit, the two obviously need to be together!

Nicolas's smile faded instantly. He pulled his knees up to his chest. "It's fine," he mumbled, avoiding looking at her. "Just don't worry about it."

She stared at the floor, her cheeks growing red. "I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry, it's just... I've been feeling weird lately. Just... stuff's going on, you know. Hey, next time Libby comes in, I'll ask her to bring Rachel, then you two could reunite."

Nicolas stared at her. "You'd do that? Seriously? No joke?" He looked amazed that somebody was actually volunteering to do something like that for him. Considering he got his way via pity most of the time.

"I want to do it now. If Libby walks through that door," Kelsi pointed. "I'll kick her out and demand her to come back with Rachel." Kelsi said with a sharp nod, and grinned.

Nicolas smiled warmly. "Thanks, Kelsi." He turned to Fry, and said, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Fry nodded. "Yeah, I do. And she's the best girlfriend in the world!" He said this rather childishly.

"Why do you say that?" Nicolas prodded on. This was odd. Actually having a conversation to another teenage boy. About girls. It wasn't like Max would ever have a serious conversation about girls, unless they were passing notes in Arithmancy and fighting over whose girlfriend was better.

Fry frowned. He thought over it for a moment. "I've... known her... for a long time? And she's really nice... and, it's hard to explain! I guess every guy feels like that! I just want what's good for her."

Nicolas grinned. "Yeah, I guess so, huh." So much for conversation. What do you say now?

Fry looked at Nicolas. "So. Did you fall down the staircase and everything?!"

Nicolas turned red. "N-no! I mean... well, yeah, maybe... I don't remember!"

Indeed, he did remember. And it did happen.

Fry looked disappointed. "Aww... I guess it doesn't work, Kelsi."

"Yeah, that's too bad. But, oh well."

Fry shrugged, too, and shook his head. "I hate how everyone is in school and we're stuck here. I can't wait to see Holly and Eric."

"I hope I see all my friends again. I miss them."

"I saw my friend over Christmas break," Nicolas offered. "His mother was really nice, letting me stay at their house. I didn't get to see Rachel, though." He looked saddened again.

"Well, Rachel is one of my friends, so you'll see her!" Kelsi said determinedly. "You look so sad, and depressed. I would hug you, but that would be awkward and I don't think Rachel would appreciate it."

Without hesitation, Nicolas reached out and hugged Kelsi. He'd been helping out around the Silva household so he was back to a normal weight and muscle mass now. His hug was pretty tight.

"Aww, thanks!" and she hugged him back, because they were close friends and everything.

Fry, being the tallest and biggest of them with the longest arms, hugged them both. Because he wanted to be in the hug. Even though hugging other people wasn't really something he liked, he still did it.

Clyde looked at the group hug, and smiled, "I guess everyone's slowly continuing life as it was?"

"I doubt life will ever be the same after this," Robin said poetically.

"In the ashes of a fire, life is always reborn." Clyde responded, trying to play along with this poetic game.