Shitty Teenage Feelings (Humphrey)

Of course, Sinead was burning up. Not the sickly kind, but the angry kind. She wasn't sure what to do with herself. It was barely November and she was already thinking too much. No, she was thinking about POINTLESS THINGS. And by that she meant Danny. She had really only known Danny for about two months, and she had completely let herself shrink at the thought of him. THAT WAS SO UNSINEAD LIKE. Worse thing was, she couldn't stop thinking about how ridiculous it all was because there was simply no way Sinead could actually be "in love" with someone other than herself. Aoife would have definitely known how to bring her back to the real world, out of the teenage mess that she was biologically timed to enter into, but alas Aoife was not around. Not had her aunt answered ANY of her panicked letters.

IT WAS JUST - RIDICULOUS.

She had had a terrible Potions class because she hadn't been able to concentrate. All she kept thinking about was the Halloween dance and how Sera had kissed her and how she had danced with Danny and how really she should have been paying attention to Professor Henley BUT SHE WASNT. Sinead's hair was thrown into a very messy bun - more like a nest, really - which had almost come undone on her way up the stairs. The girl solved the riddle quickly, the portrait sensing that it was not a good day to mess with her and walked in. She didn't even look around for Humphrey because she knew that he had stayed back for whatever reason, personal reasons, she supposed. Sinead ran up the staircase to the Boy's Dormitories and opened the door to Humphrey's. She found him, laying on his bed, with a book in hand.

Seeing him so casually enjoying a book somehow relaxed her, her eyes softening a little and her breath not as harsh. Even though Sera was her very best friend, Humphrey was more familiar. Dropping her book bag on the floor, Sinead jumped up on the bed, sitting cross legged at his feet without waiting for an invitation. Sinead rarely waited for invitations. "Do you know what happened today?" She asked, not waiting for an answer. "I was in Potions, and normally I'm quite good at them but today I couldn't even cut a single ingredient." She wasn't one hundred percent sure where this was going. "I JUST COULDN'T." She half yelled. "And do you know why?" She asked, again - she didn't wait for an answer. "Because all I kept thinking was that Serafina kissed me, that I wanted to kiss Danny and that you didn't even bother to tell me you were going to the dance with Dakota."

Sinead took a breath before continuing. "Now, I don't care if you wanted to go with her - but did it maybe occur to you that since you're one of my best friends I wanted to invite you along with Sera and I?" Again, Sinead didn't care if Humphrey was dating Dakota again. All she cared was that there were too many emotions inside her and she didn't know what to do with them. "I mean, can we just take a moment to recall the events?!" Sinead leaned in a little. "First, I'm freaking out because Dakota's dress was obviously very beautiful and I know I could never afford such a thing - and as ridiculous as it may sound I actually want to wear one of those girly dresses." She wasn't sure if Humphrey had noticed that she was underdressed at the Halloween party, but she didn't want to know anyway. Somehow, things were much more embarrassing with him. "Second, I'm freaking out because Danny shows up and my insides went all weird." She made some sort of animal noise as she made obnoxious circles around her stomach, to illustrate what it felt like. "And third, I had a wonderful night but I'm still upset that I didn't even say hi to you. Even though it was my fault."

Sinead had acted like she didn't know Humphrey, like she didn't spend ninety percent of her time with him. But she had overheard some of his conversation with Dakota and she couldn't help but recall it as she sat at the end of the boy's bed. "Do I bother you, Humphrey?" She spat out her question. "I mean, really. Am I a lousy friend?" She hadn't actually thought about how good or bad of a friend she was to him, because she was mostly concerned with how good HE was to HER. She always figured that the moment Humphrey turned into a jerk she would leave him and never be his friend again...but what if Sinead had been a jerk to him the entire time and he had just stayed? Worse yet - WHY was he still around? Was Sinead some sort of charity case? Thoughts were running through her like acid on her veins, and she wasn't sure why it was all terribly saddening but she did k ow that she was telling him all of this because he wasn't Sera. Sure, Sinead loved the Gryffindor but Serafina was the epitome of perfection and Sinead could never get over the fact that Sera would always be better than she was.

Maybe - if she were like Sera, she wouldn't be crying to Humphrey about things that he didn't care about. Her problems were her own, and she now regretted having come over uninvited. Still, she remained in her spot, waiting for Humphrey to tell her that she was wrong and she wasn't a lousy friend. As selfish as it sounded, she needed to hear that she wasn't a bad person, even if her own desires proved her otherwise.

Humphrey woke up feeling rather ill, so instead of going to Potions like he usually would he'd stayed in bed to get some extra rest. After another hour of sleep he was feeling a little better, and got showered and dressed before settling onto his bed with a book. There was plenty of time before he'd have to go to other lessons and he'd decided to make the most of it. Since nobody else was there it was the perfect place to read. Well, until Sinead came in, that was. It was his best friend though, so he didn't really mind her interrupting him all that much. The boy marked his place and set the book aside before turning back to hear whatever it was Sinead had to tell him. He chuckled a little when she just jumped onto the bed and waited for her to tell him what was on her mind. As usual, he didn't have to wait long for her to start explaining what was going on in her life.

Listening attentively, his eyes widened when she mentioned getting kissed by Serafina and wanting to kiss Danny. I mean, sure, he'd seen them at the ball and known they were spending some time together but he hadn't thought Sinead liked him in that way. He bit back his reply about not even having planned to go with Dakota since she obviously had more to tell him. Hearing her talk about dresses she wished she could afford made him frown, even though they hadn't talked at the ball he'd thought she looked wonderful. The comment about her insides feeling weird when she was around Danny made him smile a little, since it was obvious his best friend had feelings for him. But when she mentioned them not even having said hi to each other he felt guilty, neither of them had made an effort to spend time together then. She was his best friend, and Humphrey knew he should have at least spent a dance or two with her. Her saying it had been her fault was simply unfair.

Finally Sinead had begun to calm down a little, but then he heard her ask if she bothered him and was a lousy friend. Hearing her ask that made him mad at himself, but he tried to tamp down the anger so he could set her straight. Mulling over all that she'd told him, Humphrey tried to figure out what to say to her. Usually Sinead was the more confident one out of the two of them, right now though he had a feeling she was feeling pretty vulnerable. "First off, you're incredibly smart Sinead, but there are times you can be pretty thick. YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND!" he bellowed. "We may disagree at times but you don't bother me, and you certainly aren't a lousy friend. If anything I'm the lousy friend here." Humphrey told her seriously, and moved over until he was right next to her. Part of him wanted to give her a hug but he knew she didn't like hugs as much as he did so stopped himself before he made her uncomfortable.

Now that he'd gotten the most important part of reminding her that she was a good friend out of the way, Humphrey tried to figure out how to respond to the rest of what she'd told him. "About the ball, I hadn't planned to go with anybody, honestly. I got there kind of early, and Dakota was there and we ended up hanging out. Probably should have come up with a plan and talked to you about it, but you know I can be an idiot at times. As for feeling bad about not saying hi that was my fault as much as yours, and I'm sorry I didn't. Honestly I wasn't trying to exclude you or anything like that." he said, trying to assure her. He didn't really know what to tell her about not being able to afford an expensive dress. Biting his lip nervously, he tried to think of something nice to say. "Not surprisingly, I don't really know much about dresses. I did see you though, and I thought you looked fantastic. So if anybody has a problem with it than they are just being stupid." Humphrey told her with a nervous laugh. Although he thought he was doing his best to help his friend, he wasn't really sure how he was doing with that. He would be the first to admit that he felt kind of clueless in this situation.

Looking at her curiously, he decided he had to ask about the kiss and what was going on with Danny. "Now...what in the world let to you and Serafina kissing? And what's going on with Danny?" Humphrey asked bluntly. "From what you've said it's pretty clear you like him, am I right?" He simply arched an eyebrow at her while he waited for her to talk to him. Even if things had been a little bumpy in their friendship recently they'd never kept secrets from each other. If he could help her figure out what to do he would do his best.

There were too many emotions inside Sinead to even think about how ridiculous she may look, because Sinead was sure her hair was a terrible nesty mess and her checks were burning red. For whatever reason - actually, no. Sinead knew exactly why she had come to Humphrey in such a vulnerable state. She just...she couldn't say it. It was too personal, but the truth was that Sinead really trusted Humphrey, she really, really liked him. He wasn't as cool as Declan, of course, but he was a smaller, nerdy version of her older cousin and Sinead loved that. It was like Nerdy Declan was at Hogwarts with her - how could she not trust him in such a moment?

Frowning a little because he had obviously called her thick, Sinead thought about the whole response. Clearly, Sinead and Humphrey were both in the same wave. They were each other's best friend. Of course, he was right; they disagreed on pretty much everything. Humphrey could say the sky was blue and Sinead would tell him she had always seen the sky to be purple. Seeing him come over next to her made Sinead even more vulnerable. He wasn't just trying to be nice, he was being real. Reality was something that Sinead had always hated passionately, because it was hard and ridiculously stupid sometimes, but coming from Humphrey...

Without thinking, Sinead reached out and wrapped her thin arms around him. "Screw you and your awesomeness, Humphrey." She whispered into his shoulder, more to show that she was still strong and independent than to actually tell him she appreciated him. Sinead had a hardcore reputation to keep, but in rare moments she could show him that she wasn't always heartless and living life faster than she could. Letting go, Sinead listened to him talk about Dakota and the ball. Of course Humphrey hadn't planned on going with anyone. And of course it had been Dakota to ask him to go with her. Dakota was...well, too friendly sometimes.

"You're always an idiot, Humphrey." Sinead smiled weakly. Her normal self coming back. No more hardcore vulnerability. "But yes, your fault as much as mine." Obviously, he wasn't always an idiot. Like right now, he was being very logical and Sinead needed that more than she was willing to admit. She needed logic. But then he started talking about dresses and how she looked, and Sinead couldn't help but laugh. Her laugh how loud, as usual. "Thanks, Humphrey." she said simply. Because what else could she say to this really cool human being? At that moment, words weren't enough.

He then seemed to get a little serious, a little curious, and the question began. The Sinead-Serafina kiss. Laughing nervously, Sinead faked an itch on her wrist. "She just...kissed me." Sinead stated, and immediately after another thought formed in her head. "Holyshit, Humphrey." she cursed, immediately putting both her hands to her mouth, as she clearly shouldn't have used those words. Eyes wide, Sinead put her hands down and looked right at him: "Sera was my very first kiss." Sinead knew what had happened, but she hadn't actually thought about the importance of it.

With his eyebrow raised, Humphrey looked a little comedic. Now more relaxes, Sinead sighed. "I guess..." What was she supposed to say? Of course she liked Danny, but Sinead had never liked anyone that way. This was entirely new to her. It was like jumping into a pool of playdoh; it was obvious that it wasn't going to be pleasant, but curiosity was still there to tempt. "I just, I mean I don't know. How do I know 100% that I like him? What if i'm just like this because he's the first boy who actually sees me as a girl and not...well, another boy?" She asked without thinking, because Sinead clearly got along with other boys, whether or not they counted as friends, more than she got along with girls.

For some reason Sinead started blushing, and Humphrey wasn't really sure why. There was nothing she'd said that she had any reason to be embarrassed about. Well, maybe admitting to liking somebody was a bit. He knew that he would be probably be blushing if she'd asked him whether he had feelings for Dakota. Because even though she was annoying and mean sometimes, the truth was he did like her rather a lot. Pushing those thoughts down for the moment he tried to refocus on their conversation. It wouldn't do to stop paying attention when she was telling him things. It wasn't often that Sinead was this, well for lack of a better word, open with him. She wasn't one to usually talk about how she was feeling, at least with him. Since they were pretty close he kind of doubted there was somebody else she'd talk to, though he could of course be mistaken. Humphrey thought he knew her pretty well, but she was a girl and girls were just plain confusing sometimes.

When she frowned at him he almost felt guilty about the thick comment, but reminded himself that she had been being stupid. If she ever wondered if she was bothering him or being a lousy friend he'd do the exact same thing, there was nothing to feel guilty about. All he cared about was that she knew how important she was to him. Humphrey knew he'd feel lost at Hogwarts without Sinead there with him, and he appreciated her friendship more than anything. Right now she needed him to be real with her, and he was doing his best. He still didn't really know what he was doing, but he hoped the effort to help would make up for that. After all, it's the thought that counts right? At least that's what he told himself as he gave her a smile.

Out of nowhere Sinead hugged him, and Humphrey automatically wrapped his arms around her as he hugged back. Her comment made him laugh a little, muffled as it was since she'd spoken into his shoulder. "I don't have any awesomeness, silly. Must have rubbed off from you." he replied quietly. Even though she hadn't voiced it, he knew she was letting him know she was thankful for him being there for her. Sinead wasn't usually the hugging type, so he knew she must have really needed one and hugged her a little tighter before letting go. Humphrey looked at her to make sure she was okay, and was relieved to see she wasn't crying or anything like that. Crying girls were something he never knew how to handle, and doubted he ever would. He let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding.

The usual comment coming from Sinead made him smile a little before Humphrey stuck his tongue out at her. "I like to think I have a rare idiocy free moment now and then." he retorted, smirking. He nodded when she agreed they'd both messed up. "We'll just have to do better next time there's a ball." Secretly he hoped that wouldn't be soon, because they weren't really his favorite thing. Honestly it just seemed like a lot of work for just a party, but he'd ended up having an okay time anyways. Hearing her laugh at his attempts to compliment her made him smile, feeling more at ease. "You're welcome, Sinead." he told her. Hanging out with her and simply talking was nice. Humphrey was glad she'd decided to come up, even if it was with no warning.

Finally he got to hear about this kiss Serafina had given her, and Humphrey listened curiously. His jaw dropped when she cursed after she said she'd just kissed her, he had never heard her cuss before. Then the revelation came that it had been her first kiss and he stared at her in shock for a moment. Once it finally sunk in he couldn't help laughing a little at how ridiculous the situation was. When he'd gotten it out of his system he looked at her more seriously. "Wow, I can't believe your first kiss was with Sera. Ever think your first kiss would be with a girl?" he asked, trying to lighten the tension that the shocking realization had brought. He was glad he wasn't her right now, and would try to help her. "Umm, have you talked with her since then? let her know you aren't interested." That seemed like as good a thing to do as any.

Humphrey stared at her expectantly when all he got was an 'I guess' at first. He was not going to let Sinead get away with a wimpy answer like that, and waited patiently for her to continue. Hearing her ask how she would know if she one hundred percent liked him made him chuckle a little. "Sinead, I think if you have to ask whether you 100% like him it means you do, to be blunt. And for the record I've always seen you as a girl too." he said, rolling his eyes. He knew she didn't have many girls who were friends she could talk about this and he was trying his best. "I think maybe you should talk to Danny, try to find out if he likes you too. You're the coolest, so he probably should." he told her with a wink, trying to encourage her a little. If it turned out he didn't like her, at least she'd know and could try to move on. But if he did, well then maybe she'd have herself a boyfriend.

Taking Humphrey's wrist in her hand, the most amount of human touch she would ever have with anyone - aside from the hug - Sinead smiled. "Yes, you do." She didn't push the subject, though. It was still up to Humphrey to believe her. Letting go, she quickly returned to her normal self. "Oh, so that's why you hang out with me." She faked offense, letting a laugh escape from her lips. Sinead made a mental note to try and be nicer to Humphrey, simply because he was such a good friend she would hate to disappointed t him. From now on, Sinead would be the most honest and loyal person Humphrey had ever known. Humphrey would never have to doubt Sinead. Never.

Sinead playfully stuck her tongue out at him, returning the gesture, and laughed as Humphrey tried to explain himself. "In your dreams." Really, how hard could it be to be true to Humphrey? He was a sweetheart. She would never - EVER - tell him this, though. Humphrey didn't need to know that. "Next time there's a ball, you're going with me." Sinead added, "We can probably get a bunch of Ravenclaws and hang out. If there is one again. Though I think the Halloween one was generally a success." She had heard the Daily Prophet announce Humphrey as one of the best dressed, but she wasn't sure if he had heard it yet. Maybe she should tell him. But.....no, she would tell him.

"So, did you know that Professor D'aramitz chose you as one of the best dressed students at the Halloween ball?" she asked, her words getting a little closer together as she said them. She wasn't jealous of Humphrey, but she alsobwasnt surprised he'd been chosen. Fashion wasn't for Sinead, but she only thought Humphrey looked clean in a suit because it was Humphrey she had to support him as best friend. "I think you deserved it. It was obviously won fairly " she allowed a small smile.

Sinead was a little taken back - and slightly offended - when Humphrey laughed at her confession. Was he laughing because it was her first kiss? Had Humphrey already gotten his first kiss?!?! It was probably with Dakota, that....very confident girl. Sinead was pretty sure Dakota knew exactly what incest was, something that Sinead had to look up in the dictionary and then look up words within that definition that she didn't understand. After that thought, it occurred to Sinead that maybe he was just laughing because the situation itself was kind of funny. Her laugh started awkwardly before turning into a full laugh, similar to Humphrey's. When he calmed down, she did too, setting a hand on her stomach to help the laughter settle down. "I never even thought about my first kiss, Humphrey." But that had obviously been a lie.

Sinead had thought about her first kiss, she just hadn't expected it would be with a girl. Mostly, she had spoken to Declan about it and he had assured her it would be the best experience of her older years, so Sinead had also expected that to happen years from now. Truthfully, though, the kiss Sera had given her wasn't fair because Sinead hadn't even processed anything at the time. Was Sinead not interested? She had never thought about it. "I don't think she wants to talk to me." Sinead confessed, her voice lowering a little. Something about it felt wrong, as if she were ashamed of having kissed Sera. There was nothing wrong about it, she supposed, but it was the simple thought that Sinead had been saving that first experience for someone, well, more special and much older that felt wrong.

Raising an eyebrow, Sinead gasped. "Pardon?" Sitting up straight, Sinead leaned back a little. "No. I think it's more than that." She was slightly offended. Very, very slightly. It couldn't possible be that simple. "Besides, I don't really think I like him, actually." Sinead scrunched up her nose snobbily. "Declan said I shouldn't like a guy unless I'm friends with him first, which makes perfect sense because...well, it's Declan. And he's old and wise." Declan had had a lot of girlfriends, she knew that much, so she figured he was experienced enough in that department. Her cousin, however, wasn't enough to answer her worries. That left Sinead with only herself to figure things out and she had been trying to tell herself that she should be following his advice. "I think, I should be friends with him first. Right? Just so I know if I like him or not." Sinead's posture returned to it's normal state and she sighed without meaning to. "Maybe it turns out he's a jerk?"

Truth was, Sinead didn't want to like Danny.

Turning to face Humphrey again, she grimaced. "No, that's not what I meant." Sinead was one hundred percent sure Humphrey didn't see her as a girl. Not the kind of girl she was talking about anyway. Dakota was a girl in Humphrey's eyes, but Sinead most certainly didn't want to be like that. At the thought of figuring out if Danny liked her, Sinead sunk down into Humphrey's bed. "Humphrey, I know he likes me. He's not exactly shy about it." Ugh, people were complicated. No, boys were complicated. They were silly and ridiculous and nasty and cute and sweaty and most of all nasty.

After avoiding Humphrey's gaze for a beat, Sinead's brown eyes turned to his green ones. All of a sudden, Humphrey didn't look like a silly boy but like a wise one. Or at least a helpful one. With genuine curiosity, Sinead spoke up. "Anyway, how come you know so much about liking someone all of a sudden?" Deep down, Sinead hoped he wouldn't say it was because he liked someone. She was sure that someone would be Dakota and that was terrible.

The gentle hand grasping his wrist was a complete surprise, but Humphrey appreciated it more than he could think how to express. Humphrey was well aware of her aversion to physical contact, which is why he tried to be conscious of it even when trying to comfort her. For her to grasp his wrist like that, well....he knew it meant she was deadly serious. "Thank you, Sinead. That really means a lot." he told her, and didn't mind when she pulled away. They were friends, and she had accomplished her goal of reassuring him, if that's what her intent was. "Totally. I'm trying to look cooler and more awesome, only reason." he said, laughing as well because that would be completely absurd. He really didn't care if people thought he was cool or awesome. Well, he cared what Sinead thought, and Dakota. But, not really too much other than those two. They were the exceptions because he really cared about them, the others he simply didn't know well enough to value their opinion of him.

Humphrey attempted to raise an eyebrow at her in a questioning sort of way, but ended up bursting into laughter as well. She got me there, I'll have to admit. The thought had him grinning widely when he responded. "Don't get me start on dreams, mine are always extremely weird and confusing." he said, chuckling a little after he'd said it. Laughing with Sinead like this was so comfortable, it was one of the things he appreciated most about their friendship. When she told him in no uncertain terms that the next time there was a ball they'd go together he couldn't stop from smiling. "We probably could get a Ravenclaw group, but it might be more fun if it was just us. That way we can be as silly as we want." he told her with a wink. Most people he didn't feel comfortable showing his weird, goofy side around like he did with her. Plus, if they went together neither of them would have to worry about whether or not it was a date. They were best friends, and nobody would question them hanging out and having fun. Whereas when he was with Dakota, he knew people were probably trying to figure out if they were a couple or not. He secretly wanted to be, but that information he held onto very tightly. Humphrey hadn't even told Sinead how he felt about her yet, which was saying a lot.

Upon hearing that he'd been named best dressed he wasn't sure what to think. Clothing was something he didn't really care one way or the other. His goal had simply been to look like he was supposed to, so he'd done his research on the subject. "No, I didn't know that. Honestly, my goal with my costume was to not botch it up completely." he told her. Fashion really had no idea what he was doing when it came to whether he was dressed fashionably or not, and he couldn't care less if he was or wasn't. Humphrey blushed a little when she told him that he'd deserved it. "Thanks, Sinead. Fashion isn't my thing, but it is good to know that I dressed how I was supposed to." Humphrey admitted, smiling back at his friend.

When Humphrey was alone in his laughter at first, he began to wonder if he'd hurt her feelings. Just as he was about to attempt to stop himself and reassure he was only laughing because a girl randomly kissing her at a ball was something he had never even considered, she joined him in the laughter. Sinead's started out slowly, but it eventually grew to match his. It took him a good while before he was able to calm down enough so he could talk again, and even then it was hard to stifle the urge to giggle. That they could take an awkward situation and find humor in it was something he loved about hanging out with her. "Oh, really? Didn't you say at the start of this conversation you had wanted to kiss Danny?" he asked her, with a knowing look in his eye. "And I'm sorry I laughed, it's just that hearing a story of a girl kissing you at a ball was not something I ever expected you to say. I didn't mean to diminish the awkwardness, or anything like that. If a boy randomly kissed me I would probably be handling it a lot worse than you are your situation." he informed her, trying to be a little encouraging.

"Okay, you lost me. You've always been a girl, and it's not like I don't notice that." Humphrey said, completely missing the point she was trying to get across. Did she think he thought of her as a guy, he really had no clue. It was times like these that he realized that they thought differently in a lot of ways. Yes, they were friends; but, the two of them rarely agreed on things. Part of what made their friendship fun was debating things, and the way their different ideas meshed together. She balanced his crazier notions with logic, while he tried to help her dream big and shoot for the stars. "Not exactly shy. Do you mean he like, flirts, or something?" he asked, pondering her choice of words. "That sounds like it could be a little uncomfortable to be on the receiving end." he said quietly, glad he wasn't in her position.

When she asked how he knew so much about liking someone, his cheeks turned a bright red. If Sinead was really thinking about it, she probably already knew the answer. He didn't want to upset her, but this was something he couldn't lie to his best friend about. Humphrey did have feelings for Dakota, in spite of the fact there were things he didn't like about her. However, there was a bond between him that he couldn't ignore, and Sinead deserved to know the truth about his feelings for the girl. She had been honest with him, so now it was his turn to be honest with her. "I've had a crush on Dakota since the summer. You two loathe each other so much that...well, I was kind of nervous about telling you." he said, feeling more awkward than he ever had in his life. "Also, there's one more thing. In first year Dakota and I were just hanging out in the kitchens, and completely out of nowhere she gave me a quick peck on the lips. I didn't expect it or want it at the time, but that was my first kiss. Thought you should know since you just told me about yours." he explained, trying to let her know he wasn't telling it to her because he wanted to rub it in or anything like that.

Sinead stuck her tongue out again, glad that he was only kidding about why he hung out with her. "Well, hate to break it to you but you could never be cooler than me." She joked. Darn, she loved Humphrey. He was definitely the brother she had never had. He was like...her twin? Was that even possible? Could someone have a twin that wasn't born out of the same mum? As Sinead thought about it, she decided she loved him as such and therefore that's what he was. Aside from like three days over the past summer, that WS exactly what Humphrey had been. Sinead not-biological, blond-haired twin. Good stuff. Smiling at him, Sinead thought he was actually a lot cooler than people gave him credit for.

Seeing Humphrey smile so widely, Sinead added another item to her List Of Things That Make Humphrey Awesome. For a second she laughed with him, before she started thinking. "What do you dream about, Humphrey?" she wondered. "Not while you're sleeping. I mean...your dreams." Surely his were miles away from Sinead. They were both too different to have the same goals, which was great considering they were best friends. But still, Sinead realized she didn't actually know what he wished for. Maybe something Humphrey-esque like world peace. Sinead, on the other hand, dreamt of world domination. In a non-evil way, of course. Sinead thought she had the solution to the world's problems, starting with the environment. "We'll always be as silly as we want, Humphrey." She smiled again, her brown eyes settling on his.

"Well, I liked your suit. If I were a guy, I would have probably been pretty impressed with it. Enough to copy you, of course." But Sinead was not a guy, so she wasn't going to show up wearing a suit to the next ball. "Humphrey, you had a Cinderella night!" Sinead exclaimed, jumping up on the bed a little. "You left your rags in the dormitory and attended the ball!" She laughed, completely forgetting that Dakota had been Humphrella's princess. "Did you happen yo leave something at the ball, too?" If he had, Sinead would never let it go. It was just too good.

But then Humphrey caught her lie. Oh, butts. Awkwardly laughing, Sinead's eyes looked away from his. "Okay, fine. I lied. I just...I don't know." Sinead admitted. She was terribly unsure of her feelings. One day she hated everyone and the next she loved every single boy that walked by. "Don't worry. I think I was over thinking it. I don't even like Sera that way. And she probably doesn't like me that way either. Maybe she was just extremely happy." That was a good reason, Sinead concluded. After all, they were friends. Sometimes she held on to Sera's hand, just out of habit, because they were good friends and Sinead trusted her enough. Just like she sometimes held Humphrey's wrist. It was just like that. Hopefully Humphrey wasn't the kissy type of friend. She would probably slap him if he was.

Of course Humphrey didn't understand. Shrugging, she continued. "Don't worry about it. I know what I mean." Sinead was one hundred percent sure Humphrey didn't see her a girl. He saw her as his best friend. And that's not what Sinead was talking about, but explaining it would be too much for him young brain, she knew. Glad that the topic of conversation had changed, she shrugged a little bit more. "Yeah. I spoke to Declan, and he's pretty sure Danny flirts with me. I didn't think anything of it before, but then I realized. And I don't know. I mean, I don't even know him. I know some things, but not enough." Nodding when Humphrey pointed out the uncomfortableness, a thought came out of her lips before she could stop it. "Yeah, imagine him flirting with you." She had never asked, but she was half sure that Humphrey was - even if slightly - a homophobe.

For a second, she wondered if maybe Humphrey was...well, more feminine than a regular boy. She wouldn't dislike him, of course! But some things would make sense. For one, she would understand why he didn't have many friends that were guys. And why he always hung out around girls. Sinead only knew about this because she read too much, but she had never actually met someone like that. But then Humphrey explained further. Sinead's eyes grew wide, and she figured they were no longer brown but a deep shade of black. Black with anger. Black with disappointment. Black with offense. "Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!" Sinead groaned. She couldn't even bring herself to form any other words. What was she supposed to say? Oh, hope she likes you back and you live happily ever after like in the fairy tales. NO WAY, JOSE. Sinead could never wish that amount of disaster on to her best friend. Dakota was a witch. Not just a literal witch. Her personality was simply DISGUSTING.

Wait...wait a second. Sinead's eyes narrowed. Did she hear it right? "YOU KISSED HER?" Sinead had a habit of unconsciously touching her friends, her best friends at least, and she hadn't realized her knee was touching Humphrey's until she pulled away from him. This was betrayal. Humphrey could go around kissing as many girls and boys as he wanted, even if it was gross, EXCEPT DAKOTA. "Are you trying to break our friendship off or something? Why are you fraternizing with the enemy?? Holysheep, Humphrey. Who are you and what you done with my best friend?" For that moment, Sinead wanted nothing to do with the Ravenclaw boy. Declan was right; boys her age were stupid.

Humphrey couldn't help but laugh a little and nodded, well aware that she was far cooler than he could ever be. "Oh, I know. Won't stop me from trying, though." he replied with a shrug. It was kind of hard to be cooler than a smart witch who could skateboard, and he knew he wasn't cool but didn't really mind. He had a couple good friends and an awesome little sister, so Humphrey didn't really feel the urge to try and become popular or anything like that. As long as he had Sinead to hang out with he couldn't care less what people thought about him. Somehow they always managed to have fun together, and that was all that mattered. They argued about some things, but in such a way that it remained friendly. Just because they were best friends it didn't mean they had to agree on everything. A lot of people didn't understand that, he'd found.

The question was one he hadn't really put much thought into, but he did now. There was a long pause while he thought about what his dreams were before he responded. "Well, I think it would be really amazing to be a cursebreaker. Travel the world trying to discover magical artifacts and what not. Other than that, I guess my only other dream is to fall in love, get married, and have a family. I know it sounds cheesy, especially for a kid to say; but, I think that would be really nice." Humphrey admitted with a bit of a blush. It would be a long time before he would have a family probably, but he smiled a little thinking about it. "What about you, Sinead? What do you dream about?" he asked. He laughed a little when she said that they would always be as silly as they wanted. "Well, I certainly hope so. A lot of grown-ups are really boring. Hope we don't ever get like that." he told her, smiling back at her.

An image of Sinead wearing a suit flashed through his mind and he couldn't help laughing a little at the thought. "I hope you don't decide to wear a suit. Because if we go together then I'd probably have to wear a dress and nobody wants to see that." Humphrey joked, grimacing a little at how terrible that would look. When she claimed he'd had a Cinderella night and left his rags behind he rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on I don't dress that bad normally." he whined. He shook his head when she asked if he'd left anything at the ball. "No, I didn't leave anything. Still have both my shoes so nobody would use them to try and track me down." he replied, sticking his tongue out at her. The silly idea Sinead had did have him smiling and laughing a little though, and he appreciated it. It was almost impossible to be sad when he was hanging out with her, which was something he was grateful for.

Humphrey nodded, understanding how confusing liking somebody could be. A lot of the time he wished he didn't like Dakota, but he couldn't really change it. "I understand, liking somebody is confusing." he said, and reached over and patted her lightly on the shoulder in commiseration. When she said she was probably overthinking it he thought she was probably right, but it was still kind of an awkward situation. "Hopefully not. It's still probably good to talk to her about what happened at some point though. I'll be here for support if you need any help." he assured her. "If we stick together I'm sure we can survive all the teenage weirdness somehow." Humphrey said with a wink. If they didn't, he would probably mess his life up completely. Since Casey wasn't there he relied on Sinead to set him straight when he was being stupid, which happened regularly.

What she meant by that he still didn't know but shrugged, letting the matter drop. "Whatever you say, Sinead." he said. Humphrey had always known she was a girl, a pretty one too. He really didn't understand what she was talking about though, and didn't want to confuse himself further by trying to puzzle it out at the moment. Maybe later he could try to decipher what she was talking about. Most of the time he understood his bestie but there were moments where she completely lost him. "Well, maybe just try getting to know him better. Maybe if you do it will help you decide whether you really like him back or not." he suggested, not sure what else to say. Personally he didn't like him much, but if she did he was going to try to be nice. After all, sometimes Sinead put up with Dakota and he knew she loathed her, so it was only fair. He groaned when she told him to imagine Danny flirting with him. "Oh gosh, that is not something I want to think about. Ewww." If he ever tried anything like that he would hole up in his room with books and not come out for a week.

Humphrey knew before he told her that Sinead would probably flip out about him liking Dakota, maybe even try to talk him out of it. Even though he expected the reaction it still hurt a little when she groaned why like it was the end of the world. He tried to think of a way to answer it that wouldn't upset her. "Well, we were really good friends in first year. She can be kind, even though you don't think so. Not to mention the fact she's really cute. I...I don't know why really, I just do. Is that so bad a thing?" he asked her nervously, a little afraid of what she'd say. Although he knew it was unlikely, he'd hoped that the two of them might find a way to get along. And if not become friends, at least learn how to be civil to each other. If she liked him back he didn't want his best friend and girlfriend always mad at each other for one thing or another. That would definitely not be good.

Humphrey winced at the response when she realized what he'd just told her, but he shook his head. "No, she kissed me. I didn't even think about girls that way in first year. It was really awkward, actually." he told her honestly. Now if she'd kissed him, well that he probably wouldn't mind. But, he wasn't even sure if Dakota liked him or not any more. He knew that she was still upset with him for hardly ever hanging out with her. The way she pulled back for him hurt, but he tried not to let it show. "She's not an enemy just because she's a Slytherin, Sinead! And of course I'm not trying to break off our friendship. You're my best friend. I'm sorry that I like somebody you despise, okay. It's not something I can really control." he said, a little upset now. Humphrey looked away and grabbed a pillow, trying to hide the fact that a few tears were starting to fall. How Sinead could ever think he was trying to break off their friendship was beyond him. He'd trusted her by confiding in her about his feelings, and now he was starting to wish that he hadn't because apparently it was only going to cause problems between them.