InsaneJournal

Paul couldn't let it go. It was one thing for Kaida to not tell him something when it was on her mind, but to avoid him completely was something else. Truthfully, he might have figured it out on his own had he not been so preoccupied with the situation. He hadn't really noticed how the other girls were acting. Sure, he'd had to escape a few girls from younger years and Gianna was acting strangely, but he hadn't taken the time to observe Hogwarts as a whole. Maybe if he had it would have clicked, the reason his best friend was in hiding.

Still, he was oblivious really. He was simply determined to figure out what it was that she seemed to be hiding. She said she was confused, but that it wasn't safe to tell him, and that in itself was enough to worry him. He had left the Hufflepuff commons with confidence that he would find her, leaving his journal behind after one last statement. He wasn't going to sit around and worry over this. If she couldn't tell him, it would be a comfort just to see her. He knew all of her ususal hiding places, and he figured it wouldn't be overly hard to find her.

He started at the closest spot and began working his way up the castle. He checked passages, places she usually went to when she was upset or wanted to think, and he looked over the face of every person he passed, just in case one of them was her. He came to a set of stairs between the fourth and fifth floors and paused, remembering it was a common spot. It was also close to her Tower, convenient. That was where he finally found her, in the little alcove behind the stairs, " Hey, Kaida," he greeted, slightly hesitant, unsure of how she was going to react. Usually, he could predict her reaction, but not that day.