"Great," Fyo grinned, tipping a a sausage link into his plate. "Food always makes my mood better," he laughed, taking a small bite. "What about you?"

Helena looked up as another Gryffindor sat down at the table and addressed them all. She couldn't quite conceal her widened smile and had to chuckle at his words - too low for him to hear, though. She looked back at Chris. Is this how all Gryffindors are? She loved to joke about their house difference - it was just so easy-going for both of them that it didn't matter much.

Helena saw his eyes assess the disfamiliarity with her and had to let her smile widen a little further still. She shook his hand, feeling some normal-ness that she hadn't felt in awhile; when she had met people her first year here, she was thirteen and they didn't really shake hands, but she enjoyed the formality, as that was how she was brought up. Pleasure to meet you, Fyo. It was an odd name, but it suited him so far as she knew him.

"Its going alright." Naomi said. "How are your classes? Which one had been your favorite?"

"The pleasure's all mine," Fyo grinned. You could tell he was in an awesome mood, just by looking at him. "What year are you in, Helena?" he asked politely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by harrys_other_broom

"Its going alright." Naomi said. "How are your classes? Which one had been your favorite?"

Classes. Well, all of them had been fun, you know. It would be hard to pick just one. Fyo rested his fork, trying to decide.

"Well, Arithmancy is my favourite subject," he said finally, stating what pretty much everybody who knew him already knew, by now. "But I really enjoyed History of Magic and Herbology. Turned into a sorta yellow canary in the former, and had to walk across a pond - blindfolded - using water lily pads as stepping ponds, in the latter. It's all been pretty exciting."

Helena's eyes turned a little brighter at this - she always appreciated meeting somebody who knew how to be a perfect gentlemen, age aside. Fifth year. Delightful OWLs, you know? I'll be sixteen in a week, though. She shrugged slightly, still smiling. What about you?

Fifth year. Wait, wasn't that O.W.L year? Fyo had heard how tough that was. Fifth years were always.. you know. Complaining.

"I'm in my third year," he said, tones cheery and eyes dreamy, as usual. "Oh, so you like O.W.L's? I've heard they're pretty tough." And sixteen? That sounded.. exciting. "You must be excited about it," he said, smiling slightly.

Helena laughed slightly at his question. Did she like OWLs? Nah, I don't really like them - just kidding. Sorry about that. She chuckled once more. Excited about being sixteen? Oh, yes, she was, but she wouldn't dare say it, so she shrugged once more. I'm only glad that I can get my own place soon. Other than that, it's not too exciting. She couldn't quite keep the emphasis out of 'too' when she meant it so much.

Zeke shook Fyo's hand. "Nice to meet you," he said. "What year are you in?"

"A non-Gryffindor!" Zeke stage-whispered in a mock-horrified tone. "Why is she here?!" He chuckled. "I'm just joking." he said, returning to his normal voice. He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you... ?" He didn't know her name yet, but the Slytherin seemed to be pretty cool from what he'd seen of her in the... thirty seconds or so he'd been at the table. He judged people fairly quickly but usually on the positive side rather than the negative. He was a perpetual optimist who always saw the best in people, after all. It was practically in his job description (you know, if he had one, that is).

"Wow that does sound interesting" Naomi said with a smile. "I wish I could have done that."

Fyo's mouth curved into a small "Oh."

"You got me there," he laughed. "I really thought you, you know, love them or something. You'd be the first fifth year I know, to do so, if you did. Though I think," he added, a little thoughtfully. "I'd like to sit those exams. I like challenges. Especially when they're related to studies."

And he couldn't help noticing the emphasis on the 'too.' "That means it's still going to be fairly exciting for you, isn't it?" he deduced, smiling slightly at her play on words.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke Weasley

Zeke shook Fyo's hand. "Nice to meet you," he said. "What year are you in?"

A non-Gryffindor? Where? Where? Ohh, waiiittt. He got it. - Helena. Fyo grinned, shaking messy hair out of his eyes as he turned back to Zeke. "Nice meeting you too," he said warmly. "Third year. What about you?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by harrys_other_broom

"Wow that does sound interesting" Naomi said with a smile. "I wish I could have done that."

"You can always attend the next class," Fyo said, with a slight nod of his head. "They're almost always interesting, the lessons. Though Herbology was kinda scary. I was standing on a lily pad in the pond, and Professor Bunbury blindfolded me without any warning." That hadn't been too good, you know.

Helena looked up at Zeke's carrying whisper and raised her eyebrows at him, but her face soon broke out in a wide smile as she accepted the handshake. Helena Crawley. Pleasure to meet you. And you're Zeke, I take it? It had seemed so as she had announced it to just about everyone, but she was always polite on first encounters. She couldn't quite stop smiling, and she wasn't sure why. It was not unpleasant, just different.... was she moving on, finally?

Helena had to laugh at this. Yes, they should be very interesting at the very least. She shrugged again at his question, wishing he hadn't picked up on the 'too'. Could be - age can change things, I guess. New opportunities, if you will, she said with as much nonchalance as possible.

"Sixth year," he said. "In other words, the in-between year. No OWLs this year," he said in a dramatic voice, "but NEWTs next year." He laughed. He was in a very good mood for no particular reason, and he felt like being silly.

"Nice to meet you, Helena. Zeke? Where'd you get that idea?" he joked with a wink and grin. "Ezekiel Weasley, at your service. I take it from your previous conversation that you're a fifth-year?"

"I can't wait for them," Fyo admitted. "I want to take my Arithmancy OWL. And my Arithmancy NEWT, too." It didn't take a genius to tell he was head-over-heels in love with the subject.

"I'm sure it will all be good," Fyo said, sensing something.. not right. It was only a feeling though, and it had passed before it came. "I like to hope for the best."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke Weasley

"Sixth year," he said. "In other words, the in-between year. No OWLs this year," he said in a dramatic voice, "but NEWTs next year." He laughed. He was in a very good mood for no particular reason, and he felt like being silly.

Fyo liked this guy. He was.. fun. "You looking forward to NEWT's?" he asked, taking a bite out of the chicken. Mmm, it was yummy.

"Sort of..." Zeke said with a chuckle. "I guess I'm kind of excited when I think about it. I think they'll be kind of a pain, though. OWLs were enough of a stressor, I have a feeling I might collapse under NEWT pressure," he laughed. "Arithmancy? You like that subject, I take it?"

Weasley, eh? That's interesting. I've never heard anything like it before. Sorry if I'm prying, but is your middle name, per chance, as unusual as the other two? She smiled, her eyes turning a light green that they had never fully reached before, even though she was completely embarrassed with herself as well. Yes, and I take it that you were born into a family with good eaves-dropping ears? Her smile didn't falter once, but what was she doing?? Flirting with a guy she just met with Chris right there even though she liked Chris but he didn't like her?? And not to mention, she had just thought of what she'd been willing herself not to for months.

Heh heh. She chuckled slightly. I take it you like Arithmancy, then? Well, there's a coincidence. She winked at him slightly. Should be good, I daresay you'll see more of me before it passes, of course. She smiled. Any other classes you like besides the obvious favorite?

"You can't really get rid of the stress," Fyo mused. "Not even in third year. Or, for that matter, first year. Exams can feel like the end-of-the-world sometimes," he laughed.

Oooh, Arithmancy. YAYWHOA! Fyo nodded, biting into the chicken again. With a fork and all, of course. "I love it," he said, eyes shining. "It's something I really adore. I just don't get why so many people don't like it," he added, shrugging his broad shoulders.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10DesmondsDaughter14

Heh heh. She chuckled slightly. I take it you like Arithmancy, then? Well, there's a coincidence. She winked at him slightly. Should be good, I daresay you'll see more of me before it passes, of course. She smiled. Any other classes you like besides the obvious favorite?

"Yup," Fyo said, nodding. "Like I just told Zeke - one of things I really, REALLY love." Oh wait, she liked it, too?

"You like it as well?" he asked her, curious. It would be good to find an Arithmancy-lover, rather than the usual hater, for once. "I like Charms, too. It's fun. Though I like most classes, come to think of it. I don't plan on dropping any," he added, politely.

"Not prying at all." he said. "Jeremiah. Possibly unusual? You tell me." He grinned at her. "Good eavesdropping ears are a must-have in a family as huge as mine. When you've got as many siblings as I do, you like to know what they're up to so you don't get royally pranked," he chuckled. Wow. Her eyes were a pretty color.

"Ain't that the truth," Zeke said. "Exams always feel like that!" He laughed. "I like it too, quite a bit, actually." he said with a smile.

"Good to know," Fyo returned. "Which subjects do you have?"

The chicken was awesome, dude, awesome I tell ya! Fyo wanted more of it, you know. "This chicken," he announced. "Is now officially awesome."

Helena, who was pouring herself a goblet of pumpkin juice, nodded at his question. Oh, yes. I love when things have a definite answer - like with numbers - and if you do things correctly, everything stays the same. Kind of like Muggle-math, I guess. My, she hadn't taken a mathematics class in years. Charms is fun. I like Herbology, myself. I never really got outdoors much as a kid, so plants are fun and exciting to me. She took a sip of her juice.

Mmm... Helena's face was thoughtful for a moment before she regained her smile. Unusual by Bulgarian standards, but that's just me, I guess. And Chris. She shut the thought out of her mind. Do you like having lots of siblings? I'm not used to a big family - being an only child with parents who pretty much kept to themselves, so I'm curious. She shrugged, still smiling.

Fyo nodded, listening intently to what she was saying. "It's kind of like Divination," he said, referring to Arithmancy. "Only more accurate. Even though you can't really be sure about the results, not even when you have a definite answer."

Herbology? Fyo grinned, reminded of their last lesson, again. "I'm not so sure about Herbology," he admitted. "I like the way Professor Bunbury teaches it, though."

Helena repressed a shudder with a smile. Apologies, but I never much fancied Divination - I had to study it back in Bulgaria, and, as that didn't go to well, I gave it up when I came here. She chuckled slightly and sipped from her goblet again. Ah, and, alas, I must disagree with both opinions. I love Herbology, but not Bunbury. I found Professor Carracio to be a much more competent teacher, but maybe I'm just saying that because he was my first Herbology teacher. She shrugged, still smiling.

"Oh, I don't fancy it either," Fyo said, quickly clearing that up. "I think it's a fascinating subject and all, but I'm not exactly Seer material," he explained, laughing.

He gave Helena a polite smile when she said she would have to disagree. "We all have our own opinions, don't we?" he said, nodding. "Professor Bunbury seems a little - err -" The correct word would be EvilCrazy, but he couldn't say that, could he? "Um, a little.. Well, I think she can get us all through our exams pretty fine, anyway. - She knows her subject."

So what if she'd blindfolded him, and made him cross a pond using wobbly lily pads as stepping stones?

"Divination, Arithmancy, DADA, etc. The works," Zeke said. He laughed at Fyo's enthusiasm for the chicken. "Is it really?" As a vegetarian, he wouldn't be partaking of this "awesome" chicken, but he appreciated food enthusiasm anyway. Food was... awesome. Yeah. Awesomeeeeee.

"Bulgarian, huh?" Zeke asked. "That's pretty cool. Is that where you're from, or is it just your ethnicity, or what?" He hoped he wasn't prying or anything, but he was genuinely curious. "I do like coming from a large family. You're never lonely, that's for sure. My sister, Hannah, goes here, actually. She's a fourth-year. It's good 'cause you've got automatic friends and playmates growing up. Although a little alone time is something you don't really get..." he said with a chuckle. "What's being an only child like? That concept is pretty unimaginable to me!"

Helena chuckled, guessing what he was thinking after some of the stories that had been going around the common room lately. Yes, well, she began, wanting to move on to a happier subject, To me, Divination is just very.... juvenile. I just don't connect with it, she smiled.

Both, she grinned, nodding slightly. I'm half-Bulgarian, half-Norwegian. Dark hair, light complexion - that's where it comes from, she smiled slightly and continued easily into the 'family' subject. She was happy to find that it wasn't as touchy as it used to be. It's not all it's cracked up to be. It's mostly boring all the time, though I suppose it would be different if I had had 'involved' parents. Still, I was home-schooled from when I was nine till I came hear two years ago, so contact with other kids my age was pretty nonexistent. She was still smiling, not wanting it to sound like a complaint or to put a damper on the mood.

Jack wandered into the Great Hall, looking around instinctively for Reese over at the Slytherin table. Nope, she wasn't there. He blushed as he realized what he was doing--he hadn't even realized he was looking for her everywhere he went until that morning, and he was finding it incredibly hard to stop. What was wrong with him lately? It wasn't like she had even told him that she liked him or anything--it was all Anna's fault, he concluded, for putting the idea in his head which caused him to just run with it and now...this was happening.

Deciding he needed to chill out and just eat with the rest of his house, he noticed that Fyo fellow from Herbology sitting nearby, with a few other people. There was that red headed Zeke kid he recognized from the common room, and some other Slytherin girl he had never met before. Sitting down quietly next to Fyo and grabbing some food on his plate, he smiled. Why, oh why, was he still finding it hard to talk to people? He thought he had been doing so good!

"Hiya Fyo, and Zeke, and erm...hi," he finished awkwardly, turning to the Slytherin girl. "I'm Jack Fritzera, Gryffindor," he said, figuring it would be best to get out of this embarrassing entrance to a conversation by introducing himself.