Harry was standing in the doorway to the student study room, scanning said room for someone. It almost didn’t matter who, there were so many people that the Gryffindor needed to have a chat with.

He needed to talk to the Head Girl and make sure things were moving forward with their arrangement. He needed to talk to the probably crazy Russian about a number of similar things. He needed to talk to Professor Snape, though he no longer remembered why and he was unlikely to find the greasy git here among the students. He needed to check in with a few people like Felicity and Luna to make sure that they were okay. He always needed to talk to Skyler about something or other. He could say the same about Ron and Hermione, though he tended to avoid those two as often as he sought them out anymore.

While he was scanning the room for any and all of those familiar faces, he noticed someone that he hadn’t even realized he needed to talk to. “Oy, Caldwell,” he called across the room, waiting for the other boy to acknowledge him before striding over and shooting him a grin. “Word on the street is we have more in common than just quidditch this year...”

Harry figured him getting together with Sky was the scandal of the castle by now. Hopefully Riley wouldn’t be offended by Harry comparing that to the relationship the Ravenclaw had with Ginny. “Wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” Harry’s tone had been a little teasing, but his smile was real. Unlike Ron probably, Harry had always found the Ravenclaw a generally likable guy from a distance, so he was genuinely happy that Ginny was doing so well with him.

With most of his time bouncing between quidditch and his girlfriend his studies had taken a bit of a backseat in his schedule. He wasn't much of a studier which had always had him wondering why he had ended up in ravenclaw but he assumed it had something to do with the fact that he did indeed have brains and used them appropriately or that he enjoyed learning new things.

These days even he was under pressure to control the steady stream and pile of work the professors were laying on them though and had deduced that now was as good a time as any to cross a few essays off of his to do list. Riley wasn't the top of his year in studies but he was a well rounded sort of bloke and being such meant he was adequate in all of his subjects. The ravenclaw might have been the top in all of them if he ever desired to be but he didn't feel the need to brag about his intelligence.

He had also deduced that it was a good time to make an appearance, since the castle was abuzz with the news that the ravenclaw playboy and all around ladies man was off the market and taking a crack at being a one witch man. He was sure there were plenty of people who doubted its truth or doubted that it was possible to maintain a monogamous relationship with one witch but he found himself entertained by the whole thing and was happy to tell the number of witches who either didn't believe the rumors or ignored them that had lined up to hint for an invitation to the upcoming Halloween ball that there was only room in his life for one witch. And what a witch she was.

Thus, the ravenclaw found himself hanging around in the student commons on an armchair pretending to study and get some work done. He had a stack of parchment in front of him representing half finished essays he had started and hadn't finished and didn't look as if he would get around to finishing them anytime soon either. Instead Riley was procrastinating doing actual work by levitating objects a few younger years apparently needed out of their reach.

He was currently having a good time keeping a book a first year, by the looks of it, was jumping around trying to reach when someone calling his name grabbed his attention. Focus changing meant the book he had been levitating plummeted down and hit the first year in the head with a thump. The ravenclaw winced visibly. "Sorry mate." He called out and received what he assumed was supposed to be a glare or something along those lines. Shrugging the prefect turned back to who had called him only to be faced with Harry Potter, hero extraordinaire.


"If you're talking about the sounds of hearts breaking all over the castle by two of its most eligible bachelors being snatched up along with two of its most desirable witches then I would have to say I ain't got a clue Potter." He joked back easily with the gryffindor and returned the grin. Any insecurities he had previously felt towards the boy hero had been wiped out and Riley had found that aside from his worry that his now girlfriend would return to her first love he had no problems with the bloke. As long as he didn't have his wand pointed at him because the ravenclaw doubted he was a match for Potter in dueling. To be fair to himself, the older bloke had a lot more experience in the area and so it didn't make Riley feel any less of a wizard for it.

He gestured to the seats around the table, hopeful Potter would stick around for a bit. He could use a distraction from all the work he wasn't completing after all. "I would have to say the pairings are more shocking than the rest. Even I have to say I'm impressed. Stealing the slytherin princess right out of the Malfoy's arms like that. Didn't know you it in you." Riley was nothing but honest usually and he was impressed. Not by the fact that Potter had gone toe to toe with Malfoy about something. That was typical for the ice prince and the golden boy. He was more impressed that the gryffindor had even gone for what he wanted in the first place. Gryffindor nobleness and all. "Doesn't it go against the grain to pull off things like that?"

Harry grinned at the Ravenclaw’s return joke and sank into the offered chair. For a little bit it seemed like things were going to be bad, or at least awkward for him, but there was really no reason for that. Harry assumed it all came down to Ginny because it had all really been before that stupid game of truth or dare made it clear that his eye and his heart was elsewhere. Now there was no reason that the two of them couldn’t be friends.

Though the younger boy was clearly complimenting him, his words had Harry confused. Had he done something wrong in the way he had gone after Skyler? Even if he did, did he really care about that? Other than on the day of the quidditch match things had seemed fine between the former high couple of Slytherin, and Draco had even been something approaching civil and decent with Harry lately. Only good things seemed to have come from his boldness and finally he settled into a grin.

“I think it only goes against the grain if you want to try and be a poster on your common room wall. Honor, bravery, fairness, like that.” His grin grew dangerously wide. “Me, I like to take the bits that I want from that and supplement them with some things from the other houses that make sense. It never hurt anyone to be smarter or more cunning than their opponent, and a little bit of loyalty goes a long way.”

He shot the Ravenclaw a knowing look. “It seems to me that you’re probably the same way, at least a little.” He paused, giving Riley a chance to think about it and try to decide what he meant. “It takes a hell of a lot of bravery to try and keep up with a girl like Ginny, and maybe even more bravery to face down an entire roomful of brothers if she decides that you did something wrong.”

Harry hoped that he wasn't stepping on any toes here. He needed a little less crazy in his life, as well as more male friends that he could talk to about stuff. Riley seemed to be an awesome candidate for both of those things.

He provided one of his famous crooked grins at the gryffindor's words. It made sense and it was smart. Why limit yourself to just the things your house revolved around? They might be what you were best at or what was obvious but they were no less important than the rest. On more than one occasion Riley had concluded that a good well rounded person was usually a mixture of all the things all the houses valued in some amount or other. It was reassuring that Potter thought along the same lines.

He had been unsure as to whether or not they would really get along on friendly terms or not, though he had hoped so considering his girlfriend was so close to the other boy. If there was one thing he knew about witches it was that they set a lot store by their friends. If you didn't get along with their friends you were in for a bumpy ride that promised of a lot of arguments. That was a headache and a problem Riley didn't think he needed so he was genuinely happy that he and the older wizard looked to be clicking on some level. That may have not been the case if Potter hadn't gone and found himself his own witch and they were stuck having some personal battle over the little ginger but he didn't linger on that thought. It wasn't an issue and the gryffindor seemed like a well enough bloke that the ravenclaw could end up being friends with. He did need more friends that were blokes.

"Right-O you are there Potter. I have no ambitions to be a poster boy." The idea was humorous at best. What would Riley be a poster boy for? He definitely wasn't the perfect ravenclaw though he considered himself a good deal more intelligent than a good amount of his housemates for the simple fact that he at least knew that books could only get you so far in life and therefore didn't set much of his life by store of them. His smile only widened as the other boy continued on. "More than a little Potter. I like to pay tribute to the other traits I possess that aren't solely defined by my house as often as I can much like you. You can't manage witches like I have for long with only intelligence and wit on your side."

He gave the boy a wink. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake in making that comment but it was just a matter of the truth. The ravenclaw was a well known ladies man and nothing would change that he was seen as that and very little else. It was a view he had set up himself and might work against him in his newest endeavor to be a one witch man but he had the utmost confidence in himself. He wasn't ashamed of the reputation he had gained over the years he just needed to make sure that going forward it didn't bite him in the arse and ruin things with the witch who had her claws digging in his heart. He chuckled at Potter's words, shaking his head in humor.

"It's either bravery or recklessness, and both I hear you're experienced in so on that I will let you make the call." He replied goodnaturedly, his genuine and friendly grin never leaving his face. "Though if you ask me it all boils down to the witch. The room full of brothers, though intimidating, could never do the same kind or amount of damage the witch could, or that I could when you think about it, if I screw up." Riley commented in an offhand sort of way, not sure if the other bloke would follow his train of thoughts. While the witch having so many older brothers was enough to help keep him in check, the real and only reason the ravenclaw had for shedding his old ways was the little ginger, and her alone. If he ever screwed up enough to bring all the Weasley boys down on him, it would be safe to say he deserved it and that whatever damage they managed to do wouldn't be anywhere near the damage Ginny could do to him, or the damage he would've done to himself.

"I think I got the better end though. I've got a roomful of brothers that will no doubt give me a hard time, but you've got the world giving you one. So you see Potter, we're pretty much in the same boat. We're both willing to put up with a bit of bashing for our witches. I say we sit back and enjoy the show mate. Fireworks are bound to happen at some point and our witches are scary little vixens. You realize the two could bring down the world? We're in for a wild ride if I ever saw one." The ravenclaw looked excited by the possibility. Adventure was something his life lacked and if there was ever a witch who was going to thrust it into his hands it was going to be the little ginger. Riley loved her all the more for it too.

Harry grinned easily back at the very idea of Riley as a poster Ravenclaw. He was pretty sure that the younger boy saw the library even less than he did, after all. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea that his playboy ways were most telling of his true house nature. He wanted to believe that the playboy nature didn’t run so deep that Ginny was stuck with it.

“Ah well, it’s a pretty thin line between brave and suicidal,” he joked lightly. “It’s always good to see someone new join those of us who dance on it.” At least, he chuckled because he hoped he was joking. Harry thought he could tell when he was brave and when he was actively staring at death. He wanted to know that he was going for a damn good reason when he went, after all.

He continued smiling for a minute, but had no idea what Riley was talking about. Clearly the Ravenclaw had no idea how dangerous the twins really were. Then the look on Sky’s face as she watched Draco at the game of truth or dare flashed across his mind again and his smile faded. “I guess you’re right, mate. You and Gin know what you’re doing, though.” He chuckled again at the notion that it was better to face the Weasleys than what Harry did. “It’s all about who your friends are, mate,” he said easily. “I’d gladly keep facing the Voldemorts and all of the world forever as long as I have the right people at my side.”

He laughed more fully at Riley’s last comment, good feelings completely restored. “There’s something to be said for being part of the group bringing down the world instead of just sitting on the side watching.” He paused thoughtfully. “On the other hand, with Sky and Gin, you might be right. It might be safer to just sit back and watch while they do whatever crazy occurs to them. That way we don’t end up targets of too much of it.”

He lapsed into silence for a little while, and was stunned to find that it was a comfortable one and he wasn’t straining to figure out the next thing to say or do. He couldn’t even say the same for his close friends a lot of the time. “We have to hang like this more often,” he said almost thoughtfully. “It would be nice to have a mate who can just be chill and not worry all the time. My life is a little bit crazy, if you hadn’t noticed.”