FROM under the cork TREE, tag;;Stewart

[Kiana Longbottom]

Kiana didnt really appreciate people calling her a know it all, a snob, an uptight person, but that is what Kiana became to be seen as. Throughout all her years at Hogwarts, through her efforts it all amounted to those words. But Kiana shrugged that off. In her opinion, they didn't matter. They, the acculmative numbers they. They who dont matter, they who have the silent voice. Kiana always had relied on her confidence and it helped her overcome everything that she has yet to be faced with.

Quidditch was just one of those obstacles. She was not necessarily the best flyer in any means, natural ability for Kiana was just unheard of. But Kiana had a knack for creating the game plays. When she was little and the Minister of Magic invited her family to special games, Kiana would sit and criticise the acts and plays of the teams and then insist her plays would have worked perfectly. So to overcome that obstacle of Quidditch she decided to practise. She came to Hogwarts and started practising in her first year. Every Sunday night she would get up when everyone just fell asleep and practise.

That routine didnt stop, even when she did indeed eventually make the team. She made the team in her fourth year. The practise did pay off. Kiana yawned as she hugged her jumper to her body. She dragged the best broom the magical world had seen behind her. She didnt really have care for her posessions, her mother would just buy her another one. But the broom did not dragged, it merely hovered above the ground. Excited at the night that lay ahead.

Kiana walked out to the middle of the pitch. 32 laps around was warm up, it only took a few minutes. She yawned liked clockwork at each of the end on the pitch. Just as she was covering her mouth she saw someone below. The Headgirl shouldnt be seen outside Hogwarts when is was way past curfew. She kept her height. Hopefully they wouldnt recognise her from below.

[Stewart Acklery IV]

Stew was something of a nocturnal animal. He definitely preferred nighttime to day – there were less people wandering the halls, polluting the air with their incessant chattering, and intruding on his good moods, when he had them, as well as serving to worsen his bad moods, when he had those. Of course, being a nocturnal type when you were in a boarding school that was constantly monitored was less than desirable. How was he supposed to get any night thinking done when there were ghosts fluttering about, janitors to deal with, and teachers patrolling the hallways, hoping to catch the students in the midst of carnal acts? Hogwarts was not all that conductive to night owls.

He tossed and turned in his four post bed, attempting to bring sleep upon himself, but it seemed that the sandman was elusive that night. That, or somebody thought it would be very amusing to see the sixth year Prefect try to keep from falling asleep in his Transfiguration class the next day. He was sure that some would find that sight amusing, even if he, himself, did not. There were some people in the castle who just loved to watch him suffer – and vice versa. Stew never claimed to be the nicest guy in the world.

Finally, he pushed the covers back on his bed and threw on a pair of slacks and a sweater. He wasn’t going to lay there in bed all night, wishing he was asleep, when he could get some perfectly good walking done. After all, lay-about tendencies hadn’t given him his nicely toned body, had they? But then, he never really went out of his way to keep himself in shape. Sure, he played Quidditch, but other than that, it was just a decently active lifestyle that kept him looking so damn fine. He liked to walk. That’s all there was to it.

Keeping an eye out for passersby who might not think Stew, a prefect, should be wandering about the halls at this late hour, he strolled the halls, careful to keep his footsteps light and inaudible. He made his way down to the Quidditch pitch, which was peculiar, as he hadn’t exactly had a destination in mind, but it was also a nice chance to get some fresh air into his system, and take in the beauty of the night sky. Not that he’d be telling anyone he found the night sky beautiful. That would ruin his Complete Asshole image.

He heard a whoosh above his head, and looked up to see someone flying laps around the pitch. How curious. It seemed there was another night owl in the school that evening. He squinted at her, for it was surely a female, in an attempt to discern her features. “Kiana?” he called, reasonably sure that the figure on the broom was one he’d had his hands on many times in the past.

[Kiana Longbottom]

<sup>Kiana flew higher on each lap she completed, the air stuck to her and made her flying more sluggish than usual. The weather for this time of year, was disgusting. It was hot and muggy and the best thing to do was to stay in the cool magical mist of the Black Lake. But of course, the Giant Squid was at its worst this time of the year and swimming was prohibitted. She hoped no one would see her, she hoped for her own sake she wouldnt be recognised by the person on foot below.

“Kiana?”

Her heart sunk slightly. Momentarily, Kiana's brain didnt process that fact that she had indeed been sighted- outside curfew, for which she would get punished severely for- money or no money. She couldnt ignore the fact that someone had recognised her. She began to fly lower, just until she could picture who exactly it was on the ground. It wouldn't be a Ravenclaw, for they would kill themselves before defying the school curfew. It was a boy. All alone.

Now that was a new sight, many boys were only seen past curfew with a girl, snogging in a empty classroom. They were always a joyous occasion, when Kiana would catch them and send them to the Head's Office to confess to their naughty deeds. Power was a very sweet tasted thing.

She flew slightly lower again this time smirking. She had finally realised who the nocturnal being was. None other than Stewart Acklery IV, a supposedly proud kind of name, representing generations upon generations, to Kiana it simply meant the family lacked imagination. They couldnt think of names, so they merely gave one they could already spell. But Kiana couldnt talk about names now could she. Since she herself had 'bottom' in hers. But no one dare point that notion out loud.

She let the broom fall slightly so that even the visually impaired could see her from afar. "Its a full moon dare I say you should be a werewolf by now?" Kiana asked with a slight amount of attitude. Stewart and herself were much acquainted with one another. But they still werent the best of friends.</sup>