Sky had been heading to Gryffindor tower to meet Harry, since it was the day she would be getting her new wand. The past week had sucked immensely in classes. The only thing worse than being the one who accidentally lights things on fire or blows things up was not being able to do it because she had broken her wand. Atleast, according to the rest of the world, save a few.

All week she had maybe managed a few hours of sleep, at the most, so the brunette was running on pure will and caffeine at the moment. She didn't care. Soon she would have a wand again, and then she wouldn't be so afraid to sleep anymore. Inside she rather doubted her hopeful self, but she decided to ignore it for now.

She found herself pausing when she finally mounted the last step that led to the fifth floor, swallowing visibly as her eyes peered down the corridor with fear. She really hated having to go down it, having to face everything that had happened there just days prior. Skyler thought that maybe if she ran through it wouldn't be so bad. She wasn't sure which part of her forget that as graceful as she was on a broom, was nearly as uncoordinated as she could be on the ground.

Generally, she was quite coordinated. When her mind was focused on what she was doing. Then there were times when she was thinking of things other then where to place her two feet and quite interesting things would happen. Like then, for instance, as she sprinted down the corridor staying as far to her left as possible to avoid the entrance to the Prefect's bathroom like the plague, she somehow managed to trip herself up with her own feet.

This led to the brunette's eyes widening, and her hands immediately sought out for something to keep herself from falling, her body automatically leaning towards the wall closest to her. Her hands found a door knob which turned when she grasped it for leverage, and it swung open, the momentum from her trip meant it swung open with a bang on the wall, Sky hanging somewhat from the knob.

Any chance of someone having not seeing her incredibly ridiculous entrance was shot down when her eyes noticed another girl in the room. The brunette immediately tried to pull herself up but the pressure she put in the door handle must've been too much because it popped off, and the teen fell onto the hard floor on her bum with a thud. Groaning, the Slytherin pulled herself to her feet slowly. This was not her week. She rubbed her backside, commenting humorously to the other girl. "I think I might've just broken my butt." It sounded a lot more serious than she had meant it, which probably meant it was that much more funny.

"I think I'll live." Sky responded with a wry grin to the other girl, taking the offered hand and getting back to her feet. She reached around herself to rub her tail bone, making a pained expression crossing over her face. "Merlin, that's gonna leave a mark." The brunette muttered to herself more than anything.

One hand still grasped the broken door handle, and she turned it over in her hand, giving a sheepish look and grin to the girl Sky could tell was older than herself. Probably not by much though. "Well...I thought I might make it through the day without breaking something." She commented with the same wry sense of humor as before, tossing the handle onto a nearby table.

Skyler knew she should probably get a move on, since she was supposed to be meeting Harry, but since she had interrupted the other girl she figured she should atleast thank her and apologize and whatnot, instead of just running off. The brunette offered a grin, though thanks to recent events it was nothing compared to her usual ones. "Thanks for that, by the way. And umm...sorry, for interrupting. I really should remember not to try and walk and think at the same time."

Skyler nodded to the girl, wincing at the statement about breaking her wrist. Her own recently snapped one seemed to twitch at the idea, and the brunette struggled to keep any residual pain off her face as the memory came back to her. The teen forcefully shoved the thoughts away, almost panicking and grasping at the next thing the clearly older girl said.

"Yea. Right." She said, breathing out in a relieved sort of way. "Still early in the day." She replied, quietly, and almost as if she were trying to convince herself of the fact. Technically, it was still early on in the day, and she did have something to look forward to. It just wasn't so easy to turn anything around lately.

"Studying?" Sky blinked at the girl. Oh. Right. Studying. "Yea. I should actually give that a try sometime soon." She managed another sheepish look, her hand rubbing at the back of her neck in the tell take sign of her slight nervousness. Truthfully, the brunette wasn't much of a studier, and even when she actually sat down to force herself to do it she found something else that distracted her.

The teen cocked her head at the older girl, a look of interest flitting across her face. "Well, it wasn't necessarily music in my head that had me distracted, and I was more running than walking, to be honest..." Sky trailed off, shrugging her shoulders and wincing at the idea of splitting open a knee open. Having had her fair share of injuries didn't mean she liked them. "I think the only injury I got this time is probably a bruised tailbone and ego, so I guess it's not so bad."

Skyler offered a friendly grin, purple eyes roaming the room to finally notice where they were. The music room. She hadn't been there since her first real run in with Luna. And boy had that been interesting. She turned her attention back to the older girl, regarding her with cautious interest. "So..you play an instrument then?" She questioned, trying to steer the conversation further away from her tumble and questions of why it had happened in the first place and onto more neutral ground. "Oh. Right. I'm Skyler Riddle." The brunette sort of added as an afterthought.

Skyler rolled her eyes at the statements about Gryffindor's pride and joy, Hermione Granger. Sure, from what she saw of the older girl she was definitely clever in her own right. But knowledge soaked up primarily from books could only take one so far. A well developed mind needed to be able to be creative, and to think outside of the box. Something the brunette was sure the Gryffindor witch lacked.

"She may be full of a lot of random facts, but if you ask me she's definitely lacking more than she isn't. I'd give you first place just for not being a stereotypical twit." The brunette responded with a nod to reinforce her words. She may not know the older girl well, but from what she saw so far she liked. Atleast she wasn't treating Skyler like some creepy crawly bug that needed to be squashed immediately.

The teen actually managed a snort of humor at the rest of Fallon's words. "It's really not that big of a deal. I was mostly being sarcastic. I don't really have a huge ego. Things like tripping over my own two feet tend to happen too much for me to really have one. They make for good stories though." Her tense muscles were relaxing a bit further, now that the Slytherin was sure this girl was more friend than foe.

The purple eyes lit up as she followed the gesture to the giant violin, or so she called it anyways. It was more or less what it was in her mind. Looking interested, Sky figured she had a few moments to spare before meeting her Gryffindor friend, the teen hoped up to sit on top of a table. "You compose your own stuff then? Think you could play something for me? I rather like the sound of stringed instruments." She looked at the older girl with a hopeful expression.

Skyler provided an honest grin for the Hufflepuff. "You're welcome." She replied back simply, a sort of smug expression adorning her face. It always amused her when people seemed surprised by her openness and honesty. The brunette found she couldn't really blame them though. After meeting the rest of her house she didn't really wonder why she was constantly faced with such odd looks and surprise.

Her grin widened, and Sky decided that she was definitely counting Fallon as a friend. The teen said as much too. "Yup. We can totally be friends." It might have sounded odd, but it was complete seriousness, even with her grin still in place. The brunette didn't waste time being friends or pretending to be friends with anyone she didn't like. And the Slytherin was pretty good at reading people, so she usually knew within the first ten minutes or so of meeting someone if she were going to bother investing any kind of time in them.

But the fifth year was almost certain she was going to like Fallon. Which meant she was keeping the Hufflepuff. Which meant she needed a nickname. All of her friends got nicknames. Except for Harry. Because Sky hadn't quite found the perfect one for him yet. The brunette considered the older girl for a moment, and then her eyes lit in mischief and her grin widened until it stretched from ear to ear when the Hufflepuff agreed to play for her. Clearly, she was up to something.

Sky made a show of crossing an invisible X over her heart with a finger. "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." She promised humorously, purple eyes now dancing in amusement. "Now come on Fally. Wow me with your talents, and don't hold back. And yes, I'm calling you Fally, because you're name is Fallon and I met you by falling. Therefore, you shall be my Fally. And you shall be mine." The Slytherin said this all in a sort of matter-of-fact way, but her wide grin and the amusement in her eyes gave away her playfulness. However, she was serious about the nickname. No one escaped Skyler Riddle without a nickname.

Skyler couldn't help but roll her eyes at the other girl's joke, but offered a half cheeky, half playful grin. "Yes, really. And if you don't be my friend I'll just take points from you." the teen teased lightly. She, of course, would never do such a thing, especially since Fallon had helped her. Maybe that meant she should give the girl some? Tilting her head and considering the option, she grinned a bit wider.

"Ten points to Hufflepuff. For being awesome and helping a fallen snake in need." Sky stated aloud, awarding her new friend points, knowing they would end up added to the Hufflepuff jewels. The brunette took a moment to appreciate her first time giving points. It was a good feeling to reward others. When they deserved it. She still hadn't managed to actually take points from anyone. Although she had almost too much fun stopping Draco doing it.

When Fallon shrugged at her new nickname for her, a true and real grin grew on the Slytherin's face. It was probably the first one she had managed since the attack from Parkinson, and it made Sky feel better to know that she could still grin for real. It made her feel a little less than broken. The teen might have responded but the Hufflepuff was already playing, and she found herself closing her eyes as the music washed over her as well.

Sky had to admit there was definitely something to be said for instrumental music. There were no words. And one had to actually feel the music to get the meaning behind it. It was incredible, and usually only the most talented of people could really do it any justice and make you feel the music. Fallon was apparently one of those few talented enough to do such a thing.

The sound was warm, almost like a safety net. It was hard to explain, but it wasn't supposed to be explained. One was only supposed to feel it. Atleast, that's how Skyler saw it anyways. When it came to an end the teen's eyes opened again and she smiled softly. "Wow. You've got talent. No lie." Then, because she couldn't help herself, she added on, "But just for the record, I liked you before you played." She winked playfully at the Hufflepuff.

Skyler returned the girl's bashful smile with a bright one of her own, showing her sincerity in her compliment of the music Fallon played. There were so many things people didn't know about the brunette, even those who had become closest to her in her small time at Hogwarts. The teen was like a free spirit, and because of that she had a lot of interests. Few talents, but many interests.

Sky could try and list all the many things she liked, but found it would probably be impossible. But really, who didn't enjoy music? Sure, some people had certain favorite genres, but the brunette was eclectic. Though her choice of music tended to change depending in her mood, but for the most part the Slytherin enjoyed them all. Even the classical and instrumental. She had a certain talent with the piano, but it had become apparent early on that she was no Mozart, and for the most part had given up on the entire thing. Still, the piano was one of her favorite instruments to hear.

"Really. I mean it." She replied to the Hufflepuff honestly. "I mean, I'm no talent scout or anything, and I actually don't know much about the cello to be honest. But, I mean," Sky paused, rubbing the back of her neck in nervousness, "I know enough about music that it takes talent to make someone really feel the reason behind it. Especially when there aren't words. So yea.." The brunette trailed off uncertainly, and a bit sheepishly, before giving Fallon a curious look, pulling her legs up onto the desk and folding them cross cross beneath herself. "How come you don't play in front of people? I mean, you're really good. Stage fright?"

Skyler frowned, watching Fallon closely. The brunette was usually good at picking up on other people's emotions, and the other girl didn't really make it hard to read herself. Which was fine with the Slytherin, who didn't find it necessary to try and hide hers for the most part. Unlike most of her housemates, the teen tended to let her emotions show. Usually, too much emotion.

But that was Skyler. Everything she did was passionate. Any emotion she felt was a strong one. So it was easy to spot the doubt the Hufflepuff showed in herself. Purple eyes regarded the girl with curiousness and honest interest as she sat again in the chair and finally began to speak again. The brunette considered the words spoken, her head tilting as she also considered Fallon.

"I like this kind of music." She advised with a shrug of her shoulders, and then frowned. "Well, I just like music, period. But the kind you played I especially like. The classical type. I know it's not a favorite of everyone I guess, but it's often times soothing and relatable if you ask me. I used to listen to it to fall asleep at night." Skyler blinked, not sure if she had meant to admit that or not, but now that it was out, it was out. Oddly enough, she didn't find sharing that tidbit with Fallon, so she shrugged it off.

The brunette nodded, an understanding look crossing over her face. She knew how the Hufflepuff felt. Sometimes there were simply things that were just yours. Things you cherished and were afraid to share lest they become ruined or marred. Sky wasn't exactly sure what to say, because she wasn't quite certain she really had an answer to her new friend's question. What she could say though.."I'm not entirely sure I can answer that. What I can say though is that the way you play would change the way others feel and think about the music, and what it means to them. That's quite a powerful thing, if you think about it."

"Well I guess it was my lucky day then that you stumbled upon me and not one of your other housemates. Though it would be rare to see them in this part of the castle," she mused softly more to herself than the other girl. Just because she was used to being teased by others didn't mean it didn't still bother her sometimes. Some days were better than other, and it was better to be ignored than to be picked on all of the time. "Thats how I fall asleep every night," she admitted with a smile, "I charmed my bed so no one else has to hear it though."

She had learned the spell from one of the older girls clear back when she was a first year and had been using the spell ever since. It was especially hard for her to sleep at night without it and any time she tried, she end up staring at the ceiling all night. Then the next day she was a right terror to anyone who did something as simple as look at her.

Smiling at Sky she nodded again listening to her explanation. It really did make perfect sense if you stopped long enough to let it. Maybe she would have to start opening up and sharing her talents with others. After all the worst they could do would be to laugh at her and she was already used to that happening. "Thank you Sky...maybe I will have the courage to play for others now. It really is better when it is shared with others."

Skyler frowned at Fallon's words regarding her housemates. The brunette knew most of them were an unpleasant lot, and the teen was usually on the hitlist for them as well. Which was probably why she recognized the look in the girl's eyes. For some reason, it made the Slytherin feel like a failure.

She had spent so much time trying to avoid the other snakes and dodging them lately because she was afraid to end up in a similar predicament as the one earlier in the week that she hadn't done much to stop and think about their actions being pawned on off on other people who weren't her.

Skyler vowed there and then that once she had a wand in her hand again there would be no backing down again. A plan hatched in her brain, and a determined gleam entered her purple eyes. She wasn't going to let her housemates make any of her friends suffer their abuse. Especially not someone like Fallon. The brunette knew the older witch could probably defend herself well enough, but still. It would probably be a relief if she didn't need to in the first place.

That settled in her mind, the brunette offered a grin to the Hufflepuff. "That's awesome. How do you manage it though?" The teen asked, honestly curious as to how the girl got music to play in her dorm. Unless she slept in the music room. Which Sky seriously hoped she didn't. That would be awkward. And rather worrying.

Jumping down from the desk she say atop of, the Slytherin have another of her big grins. "I hope you do. I'm sure anyone could appreciate the way you play. And if not, I definitely do. I hope I get the honor of hearing again soon Fally. I hate to chat and run, but I was actually on my way to meet someone. I'll see you around soon though?" Sky questioned, hoping the other girl liked her enough to actually want to be friends as she headed to the door. She really was running late, but it was well worth it to the Slytherin.