"Alright, I believe you!" Garreth chuckled in response to Azura's persistence. Whether he was consciously aware of it or not, it really did make him feel better to hear her say the words. His - albeit irrational - worry about his friends starting to dislike him were intrinsically linked with his self-esteem issues, and one would not be fixed without the other.

The first-year thought for a moment about Azura's words, frowning as she implied he'd have to choose between getting the most academic value out of his school year or the most fun. To him, it had never really been a choice that he had to make. It had always seemed like the certain decision to focus on school work and get as much done as possible, learn as much as he could.. but now that he'd made friends and was actually not a social outcast, it suddenly became a much more difficult choice to make. Was there some balance that he could work with? Or would that simply mean he couldn't get the most out of either areas of focus, and would simply waste his entire stay at Hogwarts trying to cover all his bases? Merlin, why did it have to be so hard to be Garreth Kenway?

"I- Yeah, I guess, I do want to have fun, andGet messy as you put it." he shrugged. "There's few things on this earth that I crave more than an adventure.. But I feel like if I don't make the most of my schooling here, I'll live to regret it. That's what dad is always talking about." The boy couldn't help but smirk as she mentioned hanging out with her being an option. "Well, either way, I'm sure I could find a moment here and there to hang out with you." he shot her a smile before his gaze trailed down to his feet again.

He raised an eyebrow and looked back up at her as she began describing her rather well-off family to him. Working for the Ministry, a mansion in the south of France? How distinguished. "Well, I'm pretty sure that just proves that there are leagues, and that yours is well above mine." he smirked slyly. "Your grandparents have a mansion in the South of France, Azura. My grandparents live in a 1-bedroom apartment in GRIMSBY" he laughed, knowing full well the less-than-prosperous reputation of his hometown.