*blink-blink*

Learn it by the book?, Gwendolyn repeated in her head and looked a bit puzzled at the other girl. You mean you actually have to know that stuff with dots and lines and all the notes?! You have got to be kidding me!, the third year told herself and then glimpsed back at her sketch.

‘Really?’, she said. ‘Erm… you mind if I give it a try?’ Perhaps it was too much to ask but Gwen REALLY REALLY wanted to see if she was any good at playing instruments. Tee hee- hopefully it is better than my singing, she thought and smirked.

Then, Gwen returned to her sketch, but couldn’t help noticing how fast the girl’s hand moved on that instrument. Geee- that looks really difficult, the third year told herself.


Talent?, the Ravenclaw repeated in her head and looked at Violet. ‘Umm… thank you’ I guess. ‘Oh, you paint?’, she went on talking. That was all right too. It was mostly relaxing painting by the lake. Maybe I should suggest going there together some time? Naaaah….

As she heard the last part of the girl’s ‘speech’, Gwendolyn thought she didn’t hear it right. Wow! There are some people who actually know when to leave you alone!? Interesting… we might even get along, she thought and started grinning. ‘Nah, you are not distracting me’, the Ravie said. That was true. She was able to draw on Diagon Alley, where she couldn’t even hear what people next to her were saying.

Cael sat reluctantly, but not before sending a few warming and drying spells her way and a scourgify for good measure. He shooed Jupiter away, feeling like he'd need his full attention for this.

Her first words were a shock. "Elliot?"

But why would she do something so... crass? Pond water, really? Cael could perfectly imagine their verbal fight, though, and just had to snort at Jay's comeback. Oh, how he wished he could have seen Elliot's face at that comment.

"I'm so sorry that happened, Jay. Merlin, I wish I had been there for you. You're right of course, and it's obvious who had more self-restraint. You didn't throw the pond water, after all," he tried for a small smile, reaching for her hand to comfort her. Jeez, Elliot and he were gonna have some words about this...

"I don't mind owling for some replacement guides for you. At least let me do that much to make up for not being there. But... what word are you talking about?" he asked nervously, not liking the intense look on her face.

"Oh, I love that song. You're so pro at this." Violet smiled at Akira



Violet just smiled at the girl and nodded at her question about her painting. She knew that the girl was going to get annoyed soon if she kept asking her questions.

"It's alright Cael. I'm fine, just....upset." She replied softly, squeezing his hand. "I think I'll be fine, I should be able to replace the books, no worries." And then he brought up the dreaded 'subject'.

"Well...." Jayden sighed, running a hand through her hair and biting her lip nervously before turning to look back up at him. "My mum... my mum is..... pregnant." She whispered, flashing him a wide eyed look. "I just... I can't believe it. I've grown so used to being the only child in the house after my siblings moved out that I just don't know what I am going to do when the baby comes. Of course, I'm kind of excited... but what if they forget about me?" She asked worriedly.

Surely Cael would have some advice... hopefully.

whooph it had indeed been a long week. Morgan sure was grateful to snab one of the good chairs by the fire and just relaxing for a bit. She felt like she hadn't seen her friends in ages.

Ellie's mood could hardly get any better. It was December, which meant the holidays were drawing near and she could see her family, and Quidditch was coming up. Only, you couldn't really tell she was as happy as she felt. She had her brow furrowed in a mixture of frustration and concentration, and she kept scratching on the paper in the binder on her lap.

She was refining making final revisions to some Quidditch plays as she sat on the back of the armchair by the window. The one that faced the Pitch. Ellie'd finally succumbed to the cold of the outdoors, but seeing the Pitch helped keep her focused. And although the chair was facing away from the window, Ellie was facing toward it, completely in her own zone.

For some odd reason, Vickers developed the habit of writing down most if not all of the riddles the door would ask him. It started out as something he would usually document when he goes around doing things for the first time, but now it has become its own chapter in his journals. And he was just scribbling down the latest entry when he walked over quickly and used the armchair as a temporary writing shelf.

Finally he looked up, and saw the red-head Ravenclaw sitting precariously on the back of the armchair. Gripping the arm down to leverage his weight against hers, he stuttered as he kinda-sorta reached out "P-Please be careful. You could fall."

Right so, the play she was currently looking at actually went quite well in practice. She only needed to move a Chaser's position slightly. Ellie took out her wand to vanish the inked 'C' when she was distracted by a voice. Slightly.

Enough to give him a passing glance from her paper to her holster and back. "The good thing about being a Quidditch player," she said, a smirk on her face, "Is developing amazing balancing skills." So, he really needn't worry about that.

She didn't pay him another acknowledgment until that 'C' was was about a centimeter to the left of its former position. Then she tucked her wand into the grasp she had on the binder, and used the other hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, so the kid could see her face. Or, rather, she could properly see his. "I don't think we've met..." He looked fairly unfamiliar. Especially for someone that looked so near her own age.

Harvey sat down in the common room. Glad to be sat by the warm fire.

Amelia walked into the common room, she wanted to warm herself by the fire because she had been out in the grounds thinking about her father again, she saw someone else sitting there and said to him "Can I join you?"

Harvey was sitting there.. thinking about everything that had been going on with him.. when someone asked him a question.. he looked at her "Er... sure you can join me" he said making room for her..

Amelia sat down next to him and started to warm her hands so she said "Thank you,it is really cold out there!"

Harvey watched as the girl sat down next to him. "No worries.. yes it is very cold out there.. er.. i dont if we have met.. my name is Harvey.." he said introducing himself to the girl.. him being in Ravenclaw he was wondering how he many people he had not met yet within his own house.. maybe he should spend more time in the common room than outdoors.. but he could help it if he and his friends loved the outdoors.

"I am Amelia Starr, I don't spend alot of time in the common room! I was thinking about my dad" Amelia told him as she continued to warm her hands.

Harvey smiled as she introduced herself to him and he nodded as she spoke to him "Oh nice to meet you Amelia.. oh me neither.. i spend most of my time outdoors.. since most of my friends are from other houses.. we meet outside and hang out there or anywhere else we can.. Oh ok.. you missing him?" he asked her.. as he smiled at her.. it was easy to become home-sick.. he felt a bit last year but some people in his life changed that.

"Yes, he died the end of last year in a car accident" Amelia told him as she smiled at him, he was quite cute.

Ameliah entered and sat down near one of the walls (or was it one circular wall?) and began to read. She had a bit of a struggle concentrating, and finally she set the book down to let her thoughts run free. Where was Tay? Or Trinity? Or Lily even? 'I really need guy friends,' she thought.

Harvey listened as Amelia spoke to him "Oh I am so sorry to hear that.." he said a little shocked.. he didnt know what else to say to that.. but she smiled at him... and smiled a little back as he looked at her.. "What year are you in?" he asked her.. it was hard knowing what year they were in as some looked older and some looked younger... it was hard to guess.. so better to ask

"I am a second year, what about you?" Amelia asked him and then said "I think about him every day!"

Ameliah looked up, suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by a voice. She looked up at two people talking by the fire. She sighed. She did need to make more friends. She stood up and introduced herself. "H-Hi, I'm Ameliah." Why is it that she's allways shy about meeting new people?

Harvey smiled "Oh! me too! Second year.. well.. I am amazed I havent seen you around before.. us being second years.." he said to her smiling.. she then said that she thought about him everyday "Well that is only natural.. he was your father." he smiled.. he then looked at her.. it looked like she felt like talking about her father.. and if that was the case then he would listen. She was not the first to confide in him



Just then another Ravenclaw girl came up to them and introduced herself.. well that was going to be confusing.. two girls with very very similar names.. but it would make it easier to remember their names.. "Hi Ameliah.. my name is Harvey.. nice to meet you" he introduced himself to her smiling.. another claw he had not met yet.. well he HAD to spend more time in the common room.. it seemed there was a lot of people he had not met yet.

Ameliah laughed a little. "I can see the confusion in your face. Anything strange?" she was a very observant person, and could read people as easily as a 5th year charms book.

Ameliah turned to the Ravenclaw girl. "I'm Ameliah!"

"I like being in the library or in the grounds, my mum is getting remarried too!" She moved closer to him, it was true her mum was getting married to the king of Romania who was her stepsisters father.

Harvey chuckled as Ameliah.. yeah Ameliah.. said that she had seen the confusion on his face.. well she was very observant to notice that he was confused "Oh...er.." he chuckled slightly "Just.. its strange,.. er two girls in front of me.. with the same name.. i mean yes its possible for that to happen but its never happened to me yet.. thats all" he said sto her smiling as she introduced herself to the other Amelia



He then listened to Amelia.. the other one.. as she spoke to him "Oh ok.. yeah i know what you mean.. i have a friend like that.. she spends time in the library as well as the grounds too.. Oh wow.. ok.. thats.. thats cool." he said to her smiling.. it was nice that her mom was marrying someone else after the loss of Amelia's father

Amelia wanted to flirt with him but she didn't know how so she said "He is the king of Romania!" She didn't like her and she thought it was too soon for her mum to marry.