Didn't want to take potions, anyway (Castiel/Diantha)

[Castiel Catalyst]

Castiel's lips curved, but behind them his teeth were clenched together. No, no, no. He should not be thinking the things that he was definitely thinking. He should not be working out how to get her to leave with him now, how to get at least a kiss, something he hadn't had since last year. No.

"I could show you around now, if you have the time."

[Diantha Delagardie]

"Yes!" Diantha said immediately. Although her thoughts may not have precisely aligned with his, he had helped her out and offered more help, and she was pleased to have someone else with her. Maybe sometimes she liked showing off her skills a little. Okay, maybe more than a little. She'd brought a lank bag her father disliked that hung low on her hip, so she could carry the book around easily wherever they went.

"Do you know where the owlery is? I haven't seen my Raring in days." The long-eared owl was probably cranky from being ignored, even if it wasn't intentional. If the owl wanted to visit, she knew well she could visit in the mornings during breakfast.

[Castiel Catalyst]

Castiel gave a nod and, though he'd have liked to try things he had forbidden himself from, he led the way back to the librarian's desk to check out the book. "Raring is your owl? I love its name." He scribbled his signature with a flourish for the books hidden in his own book bag. "My mom let me have a raven this year. His name's Absinthe." The bird was probably a consolation prize for having to stay at Hogwarts all summer, but he didn't have to say that.

[Diantha Delagardie]

Diantha went through the necessary steps to check out her own book, then slid it into her bag. "I didn't know ravens could be pets, I've had Raring since before I started school, my mother gave her to me." The owl had been her companion for years, and she was glad for the species' long lifespan. "Does your Absinthe live with the owls?" she asked as they drifted away from the desk. He did look a little like the type who would want such a pet.

[Castiel Catalyst]

"Sometimes," Castiel said. "He's young, so he wants to be with a flock, but I keep a cage for him in the dormitory and sometimes he asks to sleep there. Raven's aren't common pets, but they let me have Absinthe." He wasn't entirely sure if it was because they were always allowed or because his mother had pulled strings, and didn't want to ask, not in the least.

"Let's go this way, I'll show you a shortcut down two floors."

[Diantha Delagardie]

"Ooo," Diantha breathed. She hadn't managed to find any shortcuts or anything yet, not that she'd had much opportunity to look since arriving. "The only parts of this place I know at all so far are the dungeons and the Entrance Hall area." She'd managed to get to a class or two, but they weren't in full swing just yet. It was a light courseload for the summer, anyway.

[Castiel Catalyst]

Castiel glanced at Diantha from the corner of his eye. "Slytherin?" he asked. She had to be. He would have enjoyed a nice House rivalry, but Slytherin and Ravenclaw were pretty much neutral. The only person he'd told the Sorting Hat had considered Slytherin for him was Marius, and Marius's head was full of Asian d~. Or vice-versa, he wasn't sure and didn't want to know. He'd been keeping his distance lately.

But there were better things to think about. "It's this tapestry here," he said, and pulled it aside. "I'll lead. There's a trick step you've got to watch out for."

[Diantha Delagardie]

Diantha nodded at his house question, then followed Castiel through the tapestry. "Some people would just let me get stuck for the fun of it," she pointed out. "I guess that means you're not Slytherin." It didn't mean much that she hadn't seen him in the common room, she thought it likely she hadn't seen most of her housemates yet. After a moment during which she could practically feel her brain working, she grinned. "Don't tell me you're in Ravenclaw." Were there any Gryffindors with gryffons?

[Castiel Catalyst]

"All right," Castiel said, and continued down the stairs as though he couldn't feel himself blushing. "Ravenclaw's mascot is an eagle, anyway." Part of him hoped she'd just noticed how intelligent he was, but on the chance that it was an attempted joke about his raven, he would just put that to an end. He skipped the trick step and listened to find out whether she'd been paying attention. Petty, yes, but satisfying.

[Diantha Delagardie]

It was pretty difficult to miss when someone changed their gate enough to completely miss a step, and Diantha easily stepped over it with her long legs. "Trickster," she teased. "I didn't think Ravenclaws were supposed to be tricky, I thought they were just smart." She eyed the back of his head, wondering at how the dark hair contrasted with his pale skin. Somehow, she'd been under the impression that Americans tended more toward tans.

[Castiel Catalyst]

"Ravenclaws value and pursue knowledge," Castiel corrected. "Slytherins value ambition and status. We can use what we want to get what we want, it's the purpose that's different." What he wanted was to give her an attention-check, and though he'd have loved to pull her out of that stair, he liked that she called him on what he'd done. Or not done.

"I already have status, so I don't need to pursue it." He tossed a teasing glance over his shoulder, then began skipping a step now and then at random.

[Diantha Delagardie]

The easy smile that had locked itself onto Diantha's mouth previously died slightly at Castiel's last comment, but she hoped that maybe he didn't notice it. Just because her family had status didn't mean she did, and she preferred not to think about it. That was part of the reason she wanted to be away from home. "You said there was only a trick step," she pointed out, feeling snippy for a moment as her smile fell into nothing when Castiel looked away.

A big part of the reason she wanted to be away from home. She might have gone along with the step-skipping had she not been reminded, but instead she laid a foot defiantly onto each step Castiel skipped. Her jaw tightened behind his back, then she forced herself to take a deep breath. It wasn't his fault. "And what kind of status do you have?" she asked. They hadn't exchanged last names. Maybe she should at least pretend to be doing her job. 

[Castiel Catalyst]

Castiel didn't think she was skipping any of the steps and only meant to glance back to be sure. He stopped when he saw her face and turned toward her. Anger. Dammit, what had he done?

"I'm sorry about all the step-skipping," he tried. Was that right? "You thought it was funny the first time..."

[Diantha Delagardie]

"It's not that," Diantha said, probably a little too quickly. "It's..." She searched around in her head to find the right words. It all seemed to much to explain to anyone, much less someone she'd just met, even if it could be summed up in a sentence or two. "Complicated," she finished lamely. "I'm not mad at you." Maybe some of the things he said annoyed her, but that wasn't his fault.

[Castiel Catalyst]

Castiel looked at Diantha a moment, trying to gauge the truth of that. I'm not mad at you could mean anything from a girl. It could mean I'm not mad at you, or I'm not mad at you, but if you don't figure out why I'm mad I will become mad at you, or hell yes I'm mad at you, but I want you to prove yourself by dragging the truth out of me.

He decided that since they weren't dating or anything, it didn't matter. This was why it was better to be alone.

"Okay," he said, and continued down the stairs, without skipping steps this time. He could see the tapestry at the bottom, so they were almost there.