Gwen was once again walking around Hogsmeade, for no reason then to simply be outside, she found the fresh air and sunlight a nice change from being inside most of the time.Yes, she had had a good week, but inside was not where she wanted to be on a Saturday. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun so it was off of her neck and she was no longer in her medi-witch robes, but a light yellow sundress. Yes, It was a great day to be outside.

AJ was going to Hogsmeade for his usual weekend drink. He was in his school uniform only because it was what he had fallen asleep in, in the Room of Requirement. He looked tired, his eyes were droopy and he could barely walk straight. He nearly tripped over a first year and while he was telling the Gryffendor sorry he bumped into a lady in a nice yellow dress.

"Sorry," he said, realizing it was Gwen.

"Oh it's fine." She said with a smile, after a moment she recognized it as Aj. "Hey, are you okay? You don't look very well" This was saying something, every time she had talked to the boy had been under less than ideal conditions, getting drunk, fixing his broken head. But both of those times he seemed to be a little better off than this.

"Ah yes," he said, rubbing his eyes from the tiredness. "Been studying all night." he knew this statement would raise suspicion now that exams were over.

He tried to change the subject, "What are you doing out and about? Nice day isn't it?" he was rambling. AJ barely had any sleep the past few months, and now that the tournament was around, he doubted he would get any sleep at all.

"Yeah, studying can do that to you. You should take a nap before you fall asleep standing up." she said, she wasn't going to ask why, she thought exams were over, but maybe not. "Yeah, it's a wonderful day, I was just walking out here, it's a nice break from being inside the castle, don't you think?"

AJ was enjoying being outside of the castle, outside of the Room of Requirement for that matter. Ever since exams were over he had been finalizing his preperations to become an animagus. One more week he figured. He was very excited.

"It's a nice day for a walk." he said steaightening up, "Would you enjoy some company?:

"Yeah, that's what I thought, it's nice to feel the sun for a change. I'd love some company, are you sure you're up for it?" she asked. "So other than being tired, what have you been up to since I saw you last?" She asked.

AJ figured he could tell her the truth. "Exploring in the Forest, finding caves on the grounds, teaching some second years how to fly." He stopped before he got to the Animagus part.

"They continued walking and talking about one another. "Are you staying for the tournament? I may need a medi-witch often."

"Well that sounds like fun, I've just been doing the usual, finished unpacking my things in my apartment finally."She said, thinking of what else she had done, but that was really it."Oh, yeah, congratulations for getting picked!! Yeah,I'm staying for it. I don't know if Jeraud is staying for sure, but I am, and it might be just for you." she said with a smile.

AJ laughed. It was true: he was prone to getting hurt. But he was more worried about April getting hurt. He could handle himself, but April was more reckless than he was.

"That's good," he said with a smile, "Do you like being a medi-witch?"

"Yeah, I love it. I'm so glad I got the job at the school, I love working with the kids, even if it usually isn't under the best of conditions for meeting them." She really did love kids, she didn't know why, but most of them brought out the mothering side of her, she hoped one day she could have her own.

"Yeah, I remember meeting you. Surprisingly it wasnt in the hospital wing." he said remembering the day at the Hogs Head. He laughed a bit remembering how ridiculous he acted.

"Fancy a drink again?" he wasnt sure if she'd go for it.

"I would, but nothing with too much alcohol in it, I have a bunch of things I need to get done later today." She'd love to spend time with Aj, he was a really nice kid, but there was still things she was obligated to do where she needed to be a ' responsible adult' which required being more or less sober .

"I understand," he felt she seemed preoccupied. But no alcohol it was. They walked to a restaurant, instead of a pub.

"Two drinks, without alcohol," he told the waitress. He didn't really care about drinking. Just spending time with an adult for once.

"So you enjoy being a mediwitch?" he asked her as the drinks returned. "I have no idea what I want to do." He actually did, but didnt want the conversation focused just on himself.

"Yeah I love it, but with two of us working there, it tends to be a little slow, even with people like you running around." She teased, taking her drink from the waitress. "That's ok, I wasn't sure what I really wanted to do until the last half of my seventh year. I'm sorry, but I can't remember what year you're in."She knew he had told her before, but she just couldn't remember.

"Going into my final year." he took a drink.

He looked over the menu, he sure was hungry. "Thought about being an Auror," he said peeking over the menu. "I mean, I'm pretty good in all of the required areas."

The truth was he was better than good. And being an animagus was a plus. People started filling into the resaurant. The thing he liked was non-Hogwarts students were allowed in Hogsmeade, so he always saw interesting people.

"That sounds like it would be an interesting career. You'll have to keep in touch after you graduate and tell me how that goes." She said, She liked AJ and really hoped things went well for him. "So, other than the tournament, what have you been up too, I haven't seen you in the hospital wing, so that must be a good thing."

He hadnt been in the hospital wing for a long time. Mostly because he had been studying safely. And now that he was an animagus, hed rather go flying than exploring.

"Just flying alot," he said. Which could mean on a broom. After all, he did play Quidditch.

"And I will definatly keep in touch. I'm sure one day I'll be back at Hogwarts. I really want to teach Transfiguration someday."

"You're a very ambitious kid, but if you you become an Auror first, I might be an old lady by the time you get around to teaching, and you'll get to hear all the students say what a crazy old bat I am." She knew it was possible to do both at the same, but only if you wanted to give up your social life and any free time you might have had, She had seen that with Gen and she didn't get how she could do all of that.

"Well you're only a couple of years older than me. So...maybe you'll still be a young attractive medi-witch, Who knows, maybe head nurse!"

AJ knew he was ambitious, that's why he was in Ravenclaw. "I wouldnt want to do both at the same time though. I know one professor is doing that. I'd want to dedicate all of my time to either catching Dark Wizards or molding the minds of children."

"That's probably a good idea. I'm pretty sure I know who you're talking about, we're friends and I thing she's crazy to be trying to do both of them at once. She's more than capable of doing both but I'd much rather be able to put all the time I wanted into one or the other. I'm glad I just have one job, it makes things easier and you have time to do the things you want to do with it."

He had ordered food and was eating it like he had never eaten before. He was so hungry.

"Did you ever want to teach? Or just save lives?" he asked looking around. He felt nervous, like some Dark Wizards had just walked in.

He had been getting that feeling more often now. It was starting to scare him.

"No, I've never taught, but I was a waitress for a while While I was studying to be a Healer, and a housewife but that's mostly all I've done." She said, looking at him, she noticed a change in his body language, "Are you alright?" she asked him.

AJ shifted lower in his chair. "Do you see those three sitting in the back corner?" he whispered. "Dark Wizards. Dunno if they're NDE or not. But I've seen photos of them." AJ was in connection with an Auror, but didnt want to say who.

"They were down in London a while back, on the run. Wonder why they are here now..." AJ was growing tense.

Gwen looked over at the wizards he had indicated then back to Aj who was sinking lower in his seat. "Do you want to go?" She asked him, if he was as uncomfortable as he looked there was really no point in them staying here.