"I'mreallysorrybutIcan'tsorry -"

"Oh. Okay."

"I'm sorry."

He leaves.

An hour later finds him crying in the Ravenclaw common room.

"- what happened are you okay -"

"I asked Miranda out. She said no."

"...why would she do that -"

"Presumably because she does not want to go out with me."

"Right sorry I don't mean to rub it in just did she give a reason -"

"No. - you could ask her for me - in case it's something I could change -"

"Yeah - I'll - go do that -" She hugs him.

"Thanks."

"Mmhm -"

She runs off.

Miranda's pensively sitting in a corner of the library hugging Cricket.

"Hey can I talk to you alone?"

"Yeah, all right." She puts down her cat and picks up her bag. They go to an empty classroom.

"- so um, why did you turn Minor down -"

"It's - not a thing I talk about -"

"Can I, um, can I guess is that okay -"

"Okay."

"Um - I - am almost sixteen now and still don't - I - um this is hard to say jump in any time if I'm on the right track - I always sort of figured one of the two of us would wind up with Minor it's just obvious but, but I don't want him myself or anything, not really, it - boys smell wrong - I keep having dreams about the time I got out of the lake and - do you -"

"- oh, Karen, I -"

"- hm?"

"That's not it, I'm sorry, I hate today, I'm so sorry. - I still like you and everything it's okay you don't have to wish you never told me it's fine it's just that's not -"

"Oh."