Courage may fail you. Friends won't.

[Hayzie]

Courage may fail you. Friends won't.

How true that saying had become over the past two years.

Madam Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour would be the place least expected someone with deep thoughts to be, and yet surrounded by other excited students happily eating many different flavours of ice cream each with its own unique colour, she found it easier to think. Easier to see herself as she had been once upon a time.

Easier....

Why was it that the Gryffindor Prefect who was stirring her chocolate ice cream, drowned in chocolate sauce, absent mindedly seemed to take the easy way out of everything lately? She hadn't wanted to see a war... so she tried to stop it. She hadn't liked being a Lycan... so she turned back. She hadn't wanted to confront Sealla about her treatment to the students by retaliation... so she didn't.

And yet where had it all got her?

Nowhere.

Instead, her friends had ended up in situations they shouldn't have found themselves in, endured suffering that they shouldn't have experienced, and yet all along, they hadn't given up on her. Okay when the blonde girl well known for causing trouble managed to find yet more underneath a stone somewhere, a few eyes were rolled..

Yet Hayzie had never truely been alone.

Adhara, Laura, Amy, Talon, Kiki, Artemis, Hikalyn, Kelly... she practically owed them all her life, and yet until her latest experience with death, she hadn't realised it; she hadn't thanked them. She hadn't shown them how greatful she was, or how much she cared for them.

How much more selfish could a person get?

How was it that nice people such as Maria died and didn't come back? And yet how was it someone as selfish and ungrateful as she managed to weasle their way into a second chance?

Sighing, and breaking herself out of her daydreamlike state, Hayzie stared out of the window. Why hadn't she told them before?

[Forgoil Halifirien]

Today was proving to be just a mere stroll in the Alley for Forgoil Halifirien; having nothing better to do with the lack of his friends to be seen in the Common Room. It seemed that Forgoil needed to start making more friends than those that were in his house. Not that he would ever replace them, for people like Faerlain, Lottie, Wyl, Carmen and Lars could never be replaced even if it was with all the gold of all the Empires of the ancient past. And Forgoil had met other students that were outside of his house, but not many in general. There were the Hawkins twins, Persephone and that seemed to be pretty much it.

Yet as Forgoil Halifirien walked pasted Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, the sight of a dismal perfect caught his eye. Even though he had only met this person once and that time seemed like an age ago; this person struck Forgoil as one that was out of the ordinary. Yet such sorrow graced her features when there was nothing to be truly sorry about. or at least that was how it seemed in the eyes of Forgoil. Spinning on his heel. the grey-haired boy walked over to the Prefect and pulled up a chair to sit next to her.

In an almost apologetic voice, Forgoil asked the prefect, "I hope that you don't mind me sitting here Miss Roberts. I know that it has been awhile since last we met; but I couldn't help but notice the look on your face. Are you alright?"

[Hayzie]

Where was it she had last seen his face? Hayzie looked back around to face the grey-haired boy who had taken a seat opposite her. Where had she met him before? Tilting her head to one side by not more than a few inches, the blonde forced herself to conjoure up flashbacks of times where she had met people.

Far too many, and yet there was once.

And he hadn't come.

"Mister Halifirien. It has indeed been a while," Hayz smiled, the upward curve of her lips seeming to be more of a chore than a simple motion. Yet she already knew the smile wouldn't be believed, or believable now she thought on it. However a lie was easier than telling the truth.

Easier...

"Perfectly fine. And yourself?" The Prefect questioned, directing her green gaze towards the now liquid brown goo that was supposed to be icecream. If she gave it a few more minutes, it would freeze once more, and she could begin stirring it down all over again.

[Forgoil Halifirien]

A twitch of at the corners of his mouth that Forgoil was rather amused with how blanlantly the Prefect tried to hide what was making her look this way from him. Well; if it was something that she didn't want to disclose to him then he wouldn't pressure her into it. He just found it strange that the two times that he ever met with Hayzie was; she was always in such a solmn state. The first time in the Great Hall when she had rounded up all the little first years and how she cared for them. And the second time being now, so what was it that plagued this girl?

Surely it couldn't be something that was too much. From what he had heard of the Gryffindor Prefects in general was that they followed the rules and were normally very livily and such. But Hayzie looked anything but livily at the moment. Green-grey eyes flashed with concern as Forgoil wondered what he should do now; he never was good with small talk when there was something greater on the line, so what was he to do?

He didn't want to pressure Hayzie into telling him anything, nor did he like seeing someone that looked more downcast that than he ever was. Well there was only one thing to do; so Forgoil leaned a little closer and said, "All is well that normally tends to remain intact. But as for you; are you certain that you are alright?"

[Hayzie]

Lying was something Hayzie had never been particularly good at, and no matter how much experience she had in the art, it was one the blonde girl would never master in the near future.

Shaking her head lightly, her own eyes met his as the ice cream refroze itself, an act which never ceased to amaze her. "Forgoil," she sighed, the word coming out in a near silent whisper. "Tell me... how good are you at judging people's characters?"

The question would probably seem odd to the Hufflepuff boy, and yet to Hayzie, it seemed perfectly normal, her tone suggesting she asked the question on a daily basis.

[Forgoil Halifirien]

The question struck him as odd; it was not every day that he was asked such a thing and when he was; the person was dead serious in their asking. Taking a deep breath, Forgoil closed his eyes for a second; trying to clear his mind and calm himself before even answering that question. Judge her character? How did she expect him to do that when he hardly knew her? Did she think that one meeting would allow him to judge her to the level that was implied in her question?

Opening his eyes, Forgoil let out a sigh that nearly matched that of Miss Roberts and replied, "I do not know what my words would do to describe your character Miss Roberts, for we both know that we hardly know each other. It normally takes time before I can develop such an opinion about a person, and even though it has been awhile since our last meeting; we never met again so it is hard for me to even attempt to describe you."

However, the grey-haired youth rose to his feet and walked so that he stood over her. Slowly he extended his arm until his left hand cupped her chin and he slowly pulled it so that she could look right into his eyes. And with a small smile, the boy with sparkling green-grey eyes softly said, "But you do have a wonderful smile Hayzie; that trait alone can tell me more than can be imagined."

[Hayzie]

"And I guess that's supposed to make my lips curve upwards?" Hayzie replied, the slightest tug of her lips evident as she spoke. Though the words that he used replayed in her mind a few times before she spoke again, the slight teasing tone gone, and replaced by a more serious one once more, similar to the one she was using prior to Forgoil's answer.

"Forgoil... think of a group of friends you may have. Say they got you out of any tricky situation you got yourself in to... how would you repay them? I mean, my friends are the most amazing people in the world. They've always been there for me... and yet... I don't seem to be appreciative of that fact. Does that make me a bad person?" she asked, meeting his eyes once again.

[Forgoil Halifirien]

"Well; your turning out to prove very cryptic in your questions, Miss Roberts; it makes me wonder what your motives are behind such questions but I will answer them for you none the less", said Forgoil as he removed his hand from Hayzie, "And you do know that smiling would do you a world of wonders if you tried Miss Roberts; but that is diviating from the questions that you asked me. Yes; there is a group of friends in my house that I care for very much and if they ever bailed me out of a situation akin to the one that you allude to; then I wouldn't know how to repay them other than be there for them."

"It doesn't matter whether I bought them material goods or anything of that sort; it would just matter if I was there for them if they ever needed me. Because half of the time, you will never know how to repay something and be not doing anything from fear of that could drive the person away. You, Miss Roberts, seem to want to repay your friends and don't know how; yes? Well then just ask them or be there when they need help the same way you did. That is what I think is in order for what you have asked me."

Leaning against the table, Forgoil pondered for awhile with Hayzie's last question; was she a bad person by not seeming appreciative for all the things that her friends had done for her? Well there was only one way to find an answer to that question. "Tell me Miss Roberts", said Forgoil as his eyes bore into hers, "You say that you don't seem appreciative, but are you appreciative on the inside and just not showing it? Because I cannot answer whether you are a bad person or not without knowing this much."

[Hayzie]

"I wouldn't be asking these questions if I wasn't appreciative on the inside, Forgoil," Hayzie answered, returning to stirring her ice cream absent mindedly. Maybe what she was asking was daft. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe to some people it would seem so, and yet to others it would seem partially normal.

Looking back, Hayz had been there when her friends had needed her, same as they had been there when she was in trouble... which was just about every day. Heck, she wouldn't be having this conversation if it wasn't for Talon finding her in the Ministry. "I just wish there was something I could do... that's all..."

[Forgoil Halifirien]

"There is something that you can do Miss Roberts and you have been doing it all along. I do not doubt that if anyone that you cared for was in peril that you would rush to their aid; whether it be a pile of homework that needs finishing or a near-death situation. You would be there for them and you character shows it. Just the way are talking to me shows as much; the fact that you want to do something but are overlooking what you have already done.", said Forgoil in a somewhat exasperated voice. Hayzie still seemed to think that she was not doing anything for her friends, yet she probably did more things than he ever did.

Letting a small smile form on his face, the grey-haired lad said, "If it will put you at ease Miss Roberts; there is one thing that you could do if you really must. Give everyone that you wish to repay a hug; a conversation; anything that helps you think that you have dones something, but from my angle it seems that you have already done those things and you are simply being too hard on yourself."


Yet after saying that, his eyes dropped to the floor as he thought of his friends. "Besides Miss Roberts; you have apparently done more than I in that department. You have been there for your friends and me...well...I really haven't been the best at that."

[Hayzie]

A hug or a conversation... was it really that easy to thank and repay someone for saving your neck on more than one occasion? Then again, as she thought on it, and emerald green eyes became clouded over once more, she had become quite the recluse after bringing herself back to the human race, and detatching herself forever from the Lycans. After she had completed the key task which had changed her life... she had seemed to change and become slightly more serious, more focussed on her school work, and leaving her friends behind.

Bringing herself back to reality, it hit her. Courage may fail you... friends won't.

How many times had she told someone not to fret after helping them out with charmwork, simply dismissing it with What are friends for? How many times had she heard those words herself? Maybe that was it. Maybe her friends didn't count favours. Maybe they were just always glad to see her safe and out of harms way.

Maybe she was being too hard on herself.

Shaking her head and coming back to reality in time to see the ice cream freeze once again, the smile that had been barely traceable previously widened, and her eyes glittered slightly. "I think I have an idea," Hayz announced, proudly.