When she laughed it was a sudden, surprising thing even for Hadley. She’d not expected to look down at the parchment and then back up at Joel and have him staring right at her, then winking overdramatically several times in a row. Just the look on his face, had pulled forth a sudden and none so silent giggle, to which the white haired girl had to slap both of her hands over her mouth and turn to look and see if the Professor had heard her, her eyes as wide as saucers. It was took bad for her that he had, and the most uncomfortable moment in her life came when Flintwick asked her if she had anything to say to the class, though his tone wasn’t angry or particularly put out, the girl still felt like it should be. But Hadley never had anything to say to the class, she never raised her hand, she didn’t like to read out loud, actually she avoided every instance of attention she could, the possibility of having gathered eyes on her was a stressful one. Her pallid hands fell from her mouth while she was shaking her head in a silent ‘no’ but Flintwick was looking from her to Joel so she tried her hand at a soft, barely heard and dismayed “No, Professor.”

But that seemed to indicate to the class that the lecture was over and it was now time for the practical part of the class. Hadley turned the page on her book to the correct one, as her note passing with Joel had put her off by a page, they were going to be working on changing the colors of objects, and feathers and rocks and a few odds and ends were delivered to their desks in front of each student. Hadley’s rock was particularly rounded so when it landed it rolled to the side and of course she had to reach for it before it decided to clear a path through Joel’s objects. She reached over and plucked it up and put it in the crease of her book, hoping the stone would stay so she could take out her wand. Maybe she could have started in on her work, but there was someone calling her name and Hadley looked around for just whom said it. And she was greeted by a Slytherin girl that she knew, who’d brunette eyebrows were practically a part of her hairline as she pointed to Joel, and sighing Hadley turned around. Deciding that she’d not be looking at anyone for the rest of this class.

“It’s just so stupid.” She muttered under her breath, looking up at Joel and sighing, before picking up her feather and deciding she’d take a shot at something she’d been working with since First year. The object she thought shouldn’t really matter, but it was comforting to be presented with something well known. Maybe that was the point, to put them at ease with the new charm. She waved her wand, reading the spell out loud, her feather giving a little lurch before a sick little line of green started to make its way up the quill, bleeding out like someone had left a water colored painting out in the rain. Her first attempt wasn’t her best, and she let her eyes slide to the side to watch Joel’s.

“It’s because of the party you know, not because of you.” Hadley offered, though her attempt at an explanation coming in the middle of charms practice and with no lead up really didn’t help clear things up at all.

“That’s why…” Hadley lowered her voice and leaned a little toward him, so just Joel could hear her, in case they had anyone listening in “… everyone is laughing at us.” And because she had started, she couldn't seem to stop her mouth from going forward, but she didn't look at him, instead she palmed the round smooth stone and shifted it back and forth in her hands while she talked.

"The girls know...you know, Arithmancy...." No, she couldn't tell him. Already the words were getting sticky and stuck in her throat and she could only get out every other one, so she took her wand up again. This wasn't Tucker, she was comfortable with Tucker. This was Joel, and maybe someone meeting them for the first time might mistake one for the other. Hadley couldn't.

"Never mind."