After events of the previous day, Parker's nerves were frayed. Like he had through school, he needed to take a walk. He'd gotten the bit of organization he needed done in the Hospital wing, and after locking up he went out to the grounds. He definitely had not wanted to go back to the lake, and upon walking he came across a small clearing. He wondered why he's noit come across this place before.

Parker took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air and closing his eyes. He took off his coat and set it on a low stump which he sat on. He sat there a while, thinking about what he plans were now. He had been thinking the same when up in his office, but the memories weighed so heavily there that he could hardly think. He took another deep breath with his eyes still closed, his elbows resting on his knees with his face resting in his palms.

Deva was feeling wary. She was tired. She had met Pyxis at Three Broomsticks two days ago, and had a lot of fun chatting with her, making a new friendship without being able to tell her who she was. She had visited the graveyard, without being able to walk over to her parents' graves and lying to her new colleague. She had met Alcyone in the professors' quarters, without being able to run up and hug her. She had met Parker in the maze without being able to reminisce the old days.

She walked out of the castle and looked at the Black Lake, her sanctuary, before continuing to walk further to the clearing where she would sit down and remove thoughts, or to sort them out. This time she had every intentions to remove them. There was no sorting out the need she had to scream out who she was. She slowed down when she got closer, feeling the magic of someone already there. She frowned, but it ceased almost instantly when she recognized it as Parker's. A smile graced her lips. It was so good to know that she could talk to Parker again, even when he wouldn't know who she was, that didn't really matter when it came down to it. Though their old memories were lost, the future still lay on ahead, and she'd be damned if Deva couldn't make a proper friend for him as well.

She walked the last few feet and then saw him sitting there in the clearing. Her smile widened before she shook her head. If they'd still know each other, she wouldn't have to, he'd know how much she cared about him. But if he saw her grinning like an idiot at him now, he might just get the impression that she was in love with him. That wouldn't be too good. Not after all those years of strong friendship.

"Hey Parker," Deva then said and entered the clearing slowly, her smile a kind, but slightly professional one, "Do you mind if I join you?"

The other day having come across Pyxis had been nearly the worst moment in years. He was faced with the reality and the true consequences of his actions those years ago. He had hurt her terrible, and as much as he would have imagined her to move on, she hadn't. He didn't want to come across anyone he'd been friends with from before, but especially not her. He couldn't handle it, and clearly she couldn't either. He rubbed the front of his neck, which he still didn't fully heal for some reason.

He sighed, thinking how Haley, Tess, Anne, and the others would have acted. He had no clue what happened to any of his friends. He's had to try to convince himself he couldn't care, but he couldn't help it. They had all been so important to him and he'd been nothing but terrible to them seventh year before leaving.

Feeling another presence come through the trees to the clearing, Parker wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and sat up straight, looking over. He saw her smile and he smiled back a bit. He cleared his throat.

"Oh, hello Deva. No- not at all." He sighed "I take it you're a walk around a think type too, huh?"

Deva's smile faltered a bit when she saw how glazed Parker's eyes were. They weren't red, but they were too shiny to not have held tears a few moments ago. She then regained her posture quickly enough, hopefully not have let on that she had seen how hurt and sad and confused he looked. She walked over and sat down next to him. A wider smile spread on her features.

"Oh, you have no idea," she said, looking at him from her side, and then looking around.

The clearing had been there before, Deva remembered it, and she was about to say how often she used to come here back when she was still in Hogwarts, before remembering that Parker thought she hadn't gone to Hogwarts. She clenched her teeth for a second, before unclenching them again.

"So, how do you like being back at Hogwarts?" she asked him kindly, thinking that this would be a question to lift his mood.

She actually felt a bit guilty, looking at Parker. In the last year of school she had distanced herself from most of her friends, except Pyxis, because said girl really needed her. But the others, including Parker, she had left alone. Parker hadn't even tried to talk to her and had acted rather cold, but she figured it had been because of she had turned from him. She sighed slightly. So much hurt and pain was linked to this place, yet so many memories of what only time could keep as innocence and bliss.

He made some room for her to sit on the stump with him on his coat that he'd been sitting on. He ran his hand through his hair and smiled a little bit when she came over and sat down. "Then I'm sure you'll love it here. The grounds are huge, lost of places to walk. Though I don't ever remember coming by here as a kid."

He looked around when she did. "It's beautiful though. I wish I had found it before."

Even though he'd reminisced about the grounds, those were the better memories of his earlier years. When she asked how it was to be back, his eyes drew down and a small frown settled on his face. "Try to not take me for a complainer, but it's been very difficult. My last years here weren't the best of my life." He rested his elbows on his knees again and sighed.

"That's why I'm out here, the castle was getting a bit- stifling. A bit overwhelming. I'm sure It'll get easier with time." His eyes revealed that he wasn't so sure about that. If Pyxis, the person he expected least to come back and teach, was here who else could he come across. He wasn't sure he could handle it.

Deva remembered the day when she had walked and practically stumbled upon this place. She had been in a daze really, thinking about Swandeth and how to protect her friends from the woman. It had been in the last year of school, and, right at the spot they were sitting at now, Haley had made the decision to leave them all behind. She then resurfaced back to sitting next to Parker. She gave him a smile.

"I'm glad to hear it, I need so many places to think," she said softly.

She wasn't surprised that Parker hadn't found it before now, it was pretty well concealed, and she really hadn't found it herself. It was more a turn of events and destiny and fluke that led her here.

"Well, you'll have many years ahead of you to come here and think," she said, beaming at him like she had done so many times before.

Deva frowned a bit when he said it was hard. She could imagine what he meant. When Pyxis had told her that Parker had distanced himself from everyone during the last year, she had realized that she distancing herself from Parker was probably something he hadn't noticed due to him distancing himself from her. She hadn't noticed that he'd been pulling away from others.

"I won't take you as a complainer. But if you don't mind, I'd like to ask why things are so hard. Unless that's too personal?"

Deva could see that he wasn't absolutely sure that everything would get better, though she was fairly sure of it herself. Pyxis was probably so extremely angry at him, but Deva knew that Pyxis wouldn't be able to stay mad at Parker. "I'm sure it will," she said solemnly, and with a strong security placed in her tone.

She then tilted her head a bit to the side. "Hey, you told me that you outwon the other candidates in holding out a shift for 48 hours due to meditation, right? Where did you learn to meditate?" Deva asked, feeling stupid and guilty for asking a question she already knew the answer to.

"Yeah, sometimes it's nice to just get away from it all and get lost in your thoughts...or keep your mind off of things." He sighed, looking up at the trees, little bits of the sky showing through.

He smiled a little bit, still looking up, "Well, that is if I decide to stay more then my three years here that I need to..." he glanced at her. "I thought it would be no problem, that time would fly by like it has, but...I don't know now. Everything recently has seemed to just stopped." He closed his eyes."I don't even think I know what day it is anymore..."

He opened his eyes and scratched the back of his head, debating what to actually say. He didn't want to sound whiny, usually he a reason he didn't open up to people. He didn't want to be pitied for troubles he felt he brought upon himself. "It's just...bad memories, bad energies from my time here, in my later years at least. Uhm-" he looked down at the ground, and cleared his throat, his voice a bit softer. "An old friend I didn't really want to see apparently works here. Had a bit of a run-in with her yesterday. It wasn't....good." He let out a heavy breath. "Sorry...I feel like I sound really stupid. I'm an adult, I need to get myself together." he said, meaning to say it more to himself than out loud.

He looked at her, thankful for the shift of topic. "Oh, that?" He smiled a little bit. "The Divination teacher here always stressed the importance of meditation to help open up our minds to visions and all that. I took to it quite well, along with an old friend of mine. I've used it to help though stressful situations when I need to keep my head about me. Happens a lot as a healer, especially when working in Emergency Wing." he nodded, looking back down.

Deva nodded in agreement. The last year she had mostly come here just to empty her mind and not think about anything. But it was also a good place to think about everything. She frowned when he said that he didn't know if he'd stay so long. She didn't like the sound of that. Having her friend back was so soothing to her, but she figured she'd just make a strong enough friendship with him in the next three years so that she would have an excuse to stay his friend even if he decided to quit. But she still didn't like the sound of it.

"You know, I ran away from my problems a lot when I was in school. Now I've faced them, and though life can still be hard, it is much easier now than what it once was. If you keep running from your problems, you won't be able to live, Parker," she said softly, "But I'm not gonna meddle if you don't want me to, but I'm here if you do."

Deva then let a small smile spread on her features. "It's Tuesday," she then added kindly.

"She sounds like a smart woman, that professor," Deva said, smiling slightly, remembering the awesome teacher that she had always looked up to.

She then nodded. "Yes, I can imagine that it gets very important in medical context," she said with a smile.

She looked around the clearing, feeling a bit lighter than normal, being at Hogwarts, seeing her friends. She didn't know if the great thing was that she could see them, or that they couldn't yell at her for being ignorant to them. Of course, this only led Alcyone to be able to hold a grudge against Deva, really. Parker had avoided her while she avoided him, and she had done what she could and more to spend time with Pyxis to keep the girl safe.

"Were you in the same house? You and that girl who works here?" Deva asked slowly, not really wanting to turn the subject over to that again, but feeling that it was necessary.

Parker sort of wished he had found this place to escape to when the lake had only become a greater source of pain and lacked true privacy when he felt he really needed it. Parker saw her frown at his mentioning that he'd most likely leave in three years time. He briefly wondered why and suddenly felt as if he needed to explain his reasons and justify himself. "It's not really set in stone yet. If I do decide I like it, I might come back. But...I don't fancy myself well with kids and if another more experience person come along...I just- it might be better for me to work as an actually Hospital, preferably St. Mungo's..."

He looked down, his hands his fingers laced together. "I'm still running, though. And...sometimes it feels like things are much easier for me, though admittedly I have been hitting some more then rough patches..." He shook his head a little bit, sadly. "I've not been living the past ten years. You...in the maze, were the first decent conversation I've had in...way too long." He cleared his throat, trying to push down the emotions he was feeling, he realized for the first time that he may actually be feeling a little lonely.

He nodded, "She was an absolutely brilliant woman...she taught me so much. I don't recall whatever happened to her...but out of my professors, I did actually miss her."

He let out a deep breath as a silence settled between them. He glanced up at the treetops again, the back to the dirt and then his shoes. He bit the inside of his cheek as Deva asked him about Pyxis. Still looking down, he nodded. "Yeah, we were. Uhm, she's the potion's master if you met her. We've got to actually work a bit together, so it's... really awkward between us right now." He sighed and sat up straight again. "I hardly think I'm going to get enough work done before school starts to ask for an advanced pay..."

Deva nodded understandingly, but inside, she was feeling undeniably sad. It would be so horrible if Parker left, and she had a feeling Pyxis wouldn't take it lightly either.

"Well, you seem like a very nice person, Parker, so I hope you'll rethink that decision should you ever face it," Deva said solemnly.

Deva then sighed as he looked down, saying that he was still running. Deva then remembered that she was running still, though now from something else. Trouble seemed to be a friend of hers.

"In some ways, I guess I'm still running too, but it's different. I think. So, I suggest we keep talking to each other until the day we finally decide that our legs won't carry us that quickly any longer," she said with a soft smile.

Deva had to smile at the way Parker described their professor. She really missed her too. She had been such a good friend and all.

She nodded. "Yes, I did, actually. I met her at Three Broomsticks the other day. She seemed very nice. But you know, things are only as bad as you let them be. I, for one, have let them become way too bad," she said with a low groan.

She laughed a bit. "Yeah, advanced pay is far off for me as well," she said with a snort.

Parker gave a light shrug "I don't know...it just all depends on how things...work out here if I'll stay or not. I certainly didn't think it fair to back out before the year even started...wouldn't be right to the headmistress..." He had the thought in him to leave that day he and Pyxis had met, which had been an absolute disaster. He had the thought to leave and actually oblivate it from his mind so that he could...well he wasn't sure why he felt he had needed to. But the time had passed and the thought no longer an option.

He gave a light chuckle. "I suppose. It's been one hell of a marathon, I'll say that much."

He nodded, "She's very kind, sometimes too kind. At least to me. Which isn't fair to her." He let out a deep sigh, "I don't seem to know how to make things any better, just worse and worse."

"Well, there goes my idea of not looking completely unprofessional when school starts."

Deva nodded. She understood what Parker meant. Fact was that she might face the possibility of having to quit herself should the wrong person learn that she was Haley and that she worked at Hogwarts. She didn't really like to think about it, so, giving a small sigh, she let the thought drift out with her breath.

"I think you should see what will happen onwards before you make a rash decision. And I agree; the headmistress is really facing enough stress as it is trying to find new teachers," Deva said softly.

Deva then chuckled. "Indeed, and it is a marathon I am planning on ending," she said truthfully.

She really wished this weird feeling in her would leave. It was like she was someone she wanted to be, not the one she was. She wondered what would happen if she should ever get out of the battle of her identity. Would she change herself back to Haley, or would she remain Deva? She didn't know. It was too hard to say.

She sighed again. "Yes, but the night is darkest just before the dawn," she said with a secretive smile; it was pretty much her most favored qoute from all the mugge movies she had ever seen, this being from 'The Dark Knight'. "I don't think you're making it worse on your own. Though I absolutely see that Pyxis is not to blame for this, I have a feeling you're both acting a bit ... tempered. If that was horrible of me to say, then I am truly sorry. I'm sure it'll settle after a while, truly, it might just take some time."

Deva was very sure that they'd somehow work it out. After all Pyxis and Parker had always been so close to each other, even when they quarreled. They still cared about each other. Otherwise none of them would be as upset as they were.

Deva then chuckled again. "Yes, well, I'm sure headmistress Smith will forgive us," she said with a wink of her eye.

"Well, I'll have three years to think it over, so no rash decisions allowed there." He said, giving a light hearted shrug. "Hopefully she can fill all the positions. If not, I know I'd be happy to help fill in until she does find someone. I think I could take on Occlumency, though....ancient runes or arthimancy were not my strong suits." He smiled, letting out a small laugh.

"I just hope the teachers don't change around as much as they did when I was in school. It only made everything far more stressful, especially when they disappeared mid-year..." he sighed, looking down again to the dirt.

He looked to her again and smiled. "Good. I hope you do, because constantly feeling like you're on the run is an awful life....I wonder how far I can go before I just...drop." His let his eyes drift off her and to the trees before him.

Parker smiled softly, recognizing the quote. "True...but sometimes I feel like I'm living in nearly constant night. And what, was she complaining to you about me? I hope she didn't say anything about how out little...reunion turned out- what a mess that was... I have a feeling it's going to take a long time for both of us to forgive me, I reckon."

"I hope so, and speaking of the headmistress, I've not gotten a chance to really properly talk to her..." he mused. "I should get on that, it would be great to get to know her better."

Deva nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. I think I'd be able to take on a few lessons myself, should it be necessary, but I'd prefer to stick to Defense Against the Dark Arts," she said with a smile, "As for Ancient Runes and Arthimancy, I don't think I ever took the subjects, so I don't think they'd be well suited for me either."

Deva remembered. Sometimes she'd come to class, only to find out that they didn't have a teacher and it was so frustrating sometimes. Of course, it was hardly the headmistress' fault or anything, but it brought confusion. Deva felt more angry at the people leaving, as they were the ones to blame. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. It will make the students more confused, I believe," she said with a nod.

She smiled at him. So he had been running? She wondered what he'd been up to during those years that kept him away from his friends. She could imagine Parker taking the subject of healing very seriously and that he severed the contacts to make sure he would become as good as possible. But she didn't understand why he hadn't planned on seeing Pyxis again. How could he expect to live without ever seeing her again? What was it that had made him feel so alone that he thought no one wanted to see him again?

"Yes, it's very stressful. I look forward to the day when I can just stop. I mean, I've pretty much stopped now, I've talked to many of my old friends, but there are still so much I cannot tell," she said softly.

Deva smiled softly. "Well, she was hurt that you hadn't talked to her in so long. She wasn't pleased, and when I asked her, she was pretty touchy," she said, "But she didn't talk about your reunion. I don't think she'd met you yet. She talked about you as if she was never going to see you again, and she was really sad about it. I think she's happier about you being back at the surface, then when you were gone."

Deva nodded. The Headmistress really was a very nice woman. But something about her made Deva exceptionally lucky to be on her side in the war against France. She voiced this to Parker.

Parker nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We've got responsibility for these students. They depend on us. And it's always important to have that stability, especially so young." He knew he often felt like he had no adult to turn to. There had hardly been a councilor to his knowledge, and teachers were always preoccupied with a specific student. While he had the school's defense professor/ healer, she wasn't one Parker ever actually opened up to. Something never felt right for him to.

Maybe that utter lack of stability and support contributed to everything in the way he was feeling when he made the decision to leave. His elbows resting on his knees, he brought his hand to his mouth, sighing, his eyes just roaming. He realized he was almost unnerved with himself for just spilling out everything that was coming to his mind. Complaining to Deva as if she even cared. Well- it did seem like she did, for who knows whatever reason, but he hated the way it was making him come across. She didn't need to know about his friendship issues or how hard his school and life was. He hadn't even asked her anything.

He looked at her again when she said she was on her way to stop running from whatever it was she had been, and had been talking to old friends. At lease it was easier for some people. Most didn't deserve such strife in their life. "Good for you, I bet it take a whole load off your shoulders?"

Parker listened to her explain their conversation, and he nodded slowly. "I see. You know...I didn't plan to see her again. I didn't ever plan to see any of this place...any of it really." he just thought that once he was gone, everyone would have been fine and gone on with their lives. Maybe some would have been glad he left like he did. But leaving everything behind had been impossible for him, and apparently impossible for Pyxis too which hurt to even think about.

He couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her comment. He sat up straight again, putting his palms on his knees. He sighed, feeling an ache of tiredness. He was reminded of the fact he needed to scrounge up some money and later that day was a good time to go start that. He gave a small smile. "So, uhm. I feel like I've been intruding on your thinking spot long enough. I really hope we can chat soon? Maybe next time I can ask a bit more about you so I don't feel like such a whiner." he added a bit jokingly.

Deva felt like smiling widely when she realized that Parker was still the same considerate and smart kid like always. She had a feeling he had never really thought himself as smart because he hadn't always learned a new spell superquick, but the most important part of him was that he reflected upon more important things. Like common sense. So many didn't have common sense, and she was glad that through this corrupted and horrible world they lived in, he'd still managed to hold onto that.

"You're absolutely right," she said solemnly, knowing that she was betraying some feelings she shouldn't, like admiration and true happiness, which really didn't fit into the conversation.

Deva nodded at his question, though her entire body was yelling 'NO!'. It wasn't a heavy load lifted from her shoulders. Not before the people longing to hurt her or even kill her were out of her life, dead or worse.

"Somewhat. It's still many things I've yet to ensure myself of," she said calmly, "Before I can completely stop. Let's say I'm trotting now." Here, she gave a bleak smile.

"But now that it has happened, I guess you can't do much about it. Things will possibly have settled in three years time," she said rationally.

Deva then let a small laugh get out. "I think best when I talk aloud," she said with a shrug, "But I need to get my classes sorted out completely."

She rose and smiled to him. "Thanks for letting me sit on your jacket," she then said jokingly, before shaking her head. "Don't worry about whether you're whining or not. To me, it seems you have something to whine about. And to hold that in... Well, that's suffocating, so be glad you can talk so openly about it," she said, thinking about how she wasn't talking about it, "But I'd love to talk to you later some time, getting to know the guy behind the whining," she said, winking wickedly at him, "Nah, but colleagues is nice to know," she said honestly, "So I'll be looking forward to it. Maybe next time over a drink?" she suggested.

"You know, it's just I've seen it in some kids I've worked with, I've experienced it. The hardest part was the teacher changing so much. I don't want them to go through that. But, luckily, we also have a great counselor, someone I don't even recall if we even had at the school unfortunately." He said with a shrug.

She nodded a bit stiffly it seemed, but he decided not to question it. He smiled a little when she said she was at a trot. "Well still, good to be slowing it down. Takes time, I'm sure you'll get there though, whatever it is that's keeping you back."

"Yeah I just hope so," he said unsurely with a small sigh.

He stood up as she did and smiled, "Of course. It's just a jacket, it can always be cleaned."

He picked up his jacket, holding it in his arms. When she said how open he was he looked down. He felt a little embarrassed, and thought back. When he was younger he practically ran around with his heart on his sleeve. He never saw a point to keeping things, as it always seemed to backfire on people. He didn't think himself so open anymore, but apparently he still was. He laughed a bit at her joking, the humour strangely a familiar kind. "Oh, sure, thanks." He said, in a mock insulted manner with a slight eye roll.

He smiled and nodded. "Well, I don't drink. But, sure." He also didn't have money but he didn't feel it appropriate to just say it like that. It was going to be weird getting used to going out places again, he figured. Once school started and he'd be getting paid, things might be easier, and he'd feel less weird about going places and not having money, because then he'd have a little bit of money.

Deva's smile, though serious, widened when he explained. And he was right. She did believe there had been an office, but she didn't think it had an owner, to put it like that. It was a shame. The Hogwarts she had gone to had been full of drama and the like. A counselor would've been nice.

"It sounds rather harsh, yes," she said with a sigh.

She nodded to him. It was good to know that she was headed somewhere now. She had a goal. And she was going to fulfill it, be it the last thing she ever did. And she was making very sure that she wouldn't get another enemy in this run.

"You're right. It's good to be slowing down," she said earnestly.

She then gave him a comforting smile when he said he hoped it would settle. She surely hoped so too. She didn't want to lose Parker when she had just got him back. Or somehow got him back. It wasn't the same. Nothing would ever be the same. Not even if she told him who she was. Everything had changed so much. She then chuckled as he mocked back. She then smiled again.

"All right, it's a deal. Whether you drink or not. Maybe, if you're lucky, I'll treat you with a butterbeer," she said happily, and then turned.

"I'll see you around, Parks," she said joyously, walking away, and then realizing she'd just nicknamed him. Maybe he'd think it was weird for her to do so after so few encounters. But she bet he wouldn't put too much into it.

Parker still didn't know where he was going. He felt like it was just in circles, with no end in sight. At least for three years, that is. And that seemed to be an eternity away. Once those years were up he could decide his next course of action. Or lack of action if he decided to stay, though he wasn't sure that was the best option now.

"Yeah, I can't wait for the day." While he felt like he was running from something, he realized it was like he was running in stop-motion. As if he wasn't moving anywhere and that was the most frustrating thing.

"Oh, please, no need to treat me to anything." he said, smiling as she turned.

"Yeah, see you around..." He said as he raised his eyebrows a bit when she nicknamed him and he then watched as she walked away. He shrugged it off. People had always been quick to give him little nicknames or pet names, so he was quite used to it. Parks was a common one anyway. He gave a small wave, even though she'd already turned away and then with his jacket tucked under his arm, he made his way out of the clearing.