"Mmmm. I am too. I... haven't eaten anything yet today." Hence the loudness. Stare. His sweatshirt wasn't even muffling it. How utterly depressing.

She... didn't know that the kitchen was down this way? He'd forgotten that she was new. She probably hadn't gotten a grasp on much of anything, yet. Hogwarts was a confusing place sometimes. He pointed past her, in the direction he'd been going and she'd been facing.

"Down that way, it's hidden. If you don't know where it is, you probably wouldn't be able to find it."

The door was tricksy, for sure. It wasn't a person, like all the other portrait doors. It was sneaky and difficult to open, if you didn't know it. But Raiden did know it, so it was well-worth coming down here, to avoid the people in the Great Hall.

He started walking again. Normally he'd... make sure she was coming along, but today he couldn't be bothered to check. She would be. She wanted to come with, so she'd follow. Right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ameh

"Mmmm. I am too. I... haven't eaten anything yet today." Hence the loudness. Stare. His sweatshirt wasn't even muffling it. How utterly depressing.

She... didn't know that the kitchen was down this way? He'd forgotten that she was new. She probably hadn't gotten a grasp on much of anything, yet. Hogwarts was a confusing place sometimes. He pointed past her, in the direction he'd been going and she'd been facing.

"Down that way, it's hidden. If you don't know where it is, you probably wouldn't be able to find it."

The door was tricksy, for sure. It wasn't a person, like all the other portrait doors. It was sneaky and difficult to open, if you didn't know it. But Raiden did know it, so it was well-worth coming down here, to avoid the people in the Great Hall.

He started walking again. Normally he'd... make sure she was coming along, but today he couldn't be bothered to check. She would be. She wanted to come with, so she'd follow. Right?

"I ate pie." Apple pie. Before Kiki decided to take revenge on the thirteen-year-old by stealing and hogging the whole pie down her throat. Was it HER fault that she had to cage the white ball of fluff because she was ANNOYING Di by bouncing around the girls dormitory when Di TOLD her not to. Kiki was SMART. She understood Di even though Di never really understood Kiki. She should have known it was for her own good.

But she didn't. She stole Di's pie.

HMPH.

Pie. It made her mouth water. HUUUNGRY.

Her stomach's emptiness was soon forgotten when she heard him tell her she could not find the kitchen.

"Of course I can!" Madiison insisted, flinging her red hair just for the effect. She was smart. Hence she was a Ravenclaw. She could find the kitchen. Easy peasy. "I can find it." Without help.

Di didn't really know why she didn't say that last sentence out loud. She was confident she could find it without his help. Then why didn't she say it?

... aaand he started to walk. Di stared. He was not supposed to show her where the kitchen waaas! He was supposed to- GRRRRRRR- Oh, shut up, stomach.

Frowning, the redhead started to follow him.

...

"I can find it, you know." She added yet again, just so they were clear.

Hands shoved in his sweatshirt pocket, Raiden kept going down the hall, ears focused on Madiison's steps as she caught up with him. Her protests that she could find the kitchen just fine... he was slightly surprised to find the corners of his mouth twitching at that. Even though he was in such a poor mood... she was making him want to smile.

That immediately made him feel even more grumpy, for some reason.

"Alright," he replied, shrugging. "You can find it."

And if she couldn't... then he would find it. Because he knew where it was. Why was she all... weird over it?

He didn't believe her.

Frown. She knew it because he shrugged as though he was only agreeing because ... well, because of some silly reason that had nothing to do with believing her. Now she HAD to do it. She had to find this kitchen without his help.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Di came to a stop as she thought. Delicate features on her face twisted as though she was concentrating very hard on something of utmost importance. Now, obviously, the kitchen was not BEHIND them as Raiden had already pointed out that it was in front -no harm in using what one already knew- so it had to be in front of them. She did not need to check what they had just passed either since ... well, they had passed it. So it wasn't there.

It couldn't be. Raiden did not KNOW she was going to go all 'I can find it on my own' on him.

So all she had to do was check every little stone on the rest of the hall and VOILA ... she'd find the kitchen.

So this was it.

Sighing heavily, Madiison walked up to a wall and all but glues her ear onto it.

Hello? Anyone there?

...

What was she doing?

Raiden stopped walking, his eyes on Madiison as she... put her ear against the wall. Really? Really, Madiison? She thought they were... Merlin alive, why. Why.

"We're not there yet."

Hence the fact that he hadn't stopped walking.

Well he had, but only when she'd stopped to press her face against the stones.

So he started walking again, once more not bothering to check that she was coming along.

"Oh."

...

Hmph. But she COULD find it on her own!

... and he started walking again.

"But then you'll be telling me where it is!" Di insisted as she followed him yet again. "Then I can't show you I can find it on my own." Logically, that would be cheating because she wanted to find it without his help. And Di did not cheat.

...

Sigh.

"If you check every spot on the wall, we'll starve before we get there." He pointed. "When we get to the general area of where it is... I'll stop and you can look for yourself. But if you take too long, I'm going in."

He was hungry. And tired from not having slept at all. And grumpy. GRUMPY, MADIISON. WE ARE GRUMPY. An unusual but unfortunate occurance.

"I wasn't going to check every spot in the wall." She was. "But ... That would be ..." GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. "Okay." It was not HER caving in. It was her stomach. It was being rebellious. It wanted food. And fast.

It blackmailed Madiison into giving in.

Honest.

"You looked like you were going to." Why were they even debating this? She was in the wrong place, she wasn't going to find the door here, so... he'd told her so. Girls were so... so...

Ugh.

He kept walking for a bit, his stomach letting out a bit of a grumble every so often. His grumpiness wasn't lessened by the wait, at all. He needed to eat and he needed a nap.

When they were close to the portrait of the fruit, he stopped and looked at Madiison.

"I'll give you... five minutes." He shrugged. "At most, ten. Then I'm going in, whether you've found it or not."

Ten minutes? TOO SHORT! Her brain told her.

Five minutes? TOO LONG! Her stomach informed her almost at the same time.

...

Siiiiiiigh.

With a swish, Madiison pulled her wand out. She stood in the corridor as though she was an offer going out to war. Tapping her foot, the redhead looked around the corridor, assessing the possibilities. Then she got to work. Tapping walls with her wand. Knocking and then sticking her ear at the wall, trying to find a hollow. And it never worked. She bounced from one place to another, almost as though in a hurry to find the kitchen.

And she was in a hurry. She was in a great hurry. Because she was starving.

Pout. WHERE ARE YOU HIDING, Kitchen?

Stare. Stare. Stare.

Even staring wasn't working.

Maybe glaring would.

GLAAAAAAAARE. Glare. Glare. Glare.

Maybe she had to shoot sparks on the ceiling. Pressing her lips together, Di did just that, shot sparks at the ceiling.

No luck again.

AND SHE ONLY HAD FIVE MINUTES LEFT!

Silently, Raiden leaned against the wall opposite the portrait of fruit, doing his best to not wobble. How long had he been awake? He'd gotten up early yesterday morning, and hadn't... been to sleep since 7am... he was lucky he was still awake.

Not for long. He would surely fall asleep and then subsequently starve if Madiison didn't HURRY UP.

"Two more minutes," he said quietly, after a moment. At least, he was pretty sure. He watched the sparks hit the ceiling and snorted. "House elves can't use magic, you know..."

At this rate, it probably would have been faster to go into the Great Hall. He could've snatched some stuff, wrapped it up in a napkin, and gone on his way, ignoring anyone that tried to talk to him...

AHA! Raiden was WRONG!

"They can, actually." She told him, smugly as she stared at the fruit portrait, contemplating. "They have their own magic. They don't need wands." Maybe THAT was something important. She looked between Raiden and the portrait. "Kind of makes them stronger magical creatures in a way, doesn't it?" She asked, walking towards the portrait.

Hmm.

Di gently poked the portrait. HELLLLLLO?

Ravenclaws.

Honestly.

"You know I meant our type of magic. Wand magic," he said, rather crossly, pushing himself away from the wall. "One minute."

At least she was at the portrait. He was tempted to just nudge her aside and tickle the pear, but... well he'd told her ten minutes, and he was going to give her exactly that. Then he was going to nudge her aside and tickle the stupid pear so he could EAT and then SLEEP.

"They're limited in what they can do, magic-wise. Very limited."

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!

She wasn't dooone yet!

"Exactly." The girl said, her arms working on a furious velocity as they tried to get to the kitchen before the minute was over. "We need a wand to do magic ... sort of." They COULD do magic without a wand too. That was what those accidents were as little children. Hair turning purple. Blowing people up. Deflating stuff. Hanging upside down in air. Flying. "They don't. I meant without wand though."

GRRRRRRRRMMRMRMRMR.

"I mm HUNGRY." Di said and just stopped, no longer interested in finding that stupid kitchen. She needed to FEED herself.

And she was loosing anyways.

5... 4... 3... 2... what was she on about? Not paying attention... 1.

Raiden reached past Madiison, his finger rubbing lightly up and down over the pear. Which... immediately let out a little sound and turned into a doorknob.

"Close, but no ice mice," he muttered, pulling the door open and gesturing for her to go in. Impatiently. He was starving and sleepy and DID WE MENTION THE GRUMPY. Because that was still there, helped along by the whole 'I am smarter than you' thing that had happened a moment ago.

FOOOOOOOOD.

Sniff Sniff.

Sniff Sniff Sniff.

Sniiiiiiif

Lucille could smell food. SHE COULD. But where??

WHERE????

She let her nose lead her on, following the smell of delicious yummy stuff wafting along towards her. She would find it, and then she was going to EAT it. Mmmmmmm.

Foooooooooooooood!

Yes, that was what Nancy needed at the moment. The only thing actually. She needed desperately. And she needed it NOW. Apple pie, to be exact. This would certainly help get her mind off things. Yes. Especially now, after that strange conversation with this Sebastian-person. Weirdo!

Well, she probably was the weirdo...she'd approached him after all. Why had she done that again? A small voice started its little "pathetic" song again but Nancy somehow managed to shut it out.

Apple Pie. Yes, this was all that mattered.

And nooo, she was not going to make the same mistake again by addressing the Hufflepuff girl who was slightly ahead of her. Nooooo way. Nancy learned out of her mistakes.

Though...she did have a problem. Nancy'd never actually up - yes, it was up cause the Slytherin Common Room was down, geddit? - here in the Kitchen. Yes, she did know about the tickle-the-pear stuff but still...what if she didn't get it right. What if this process was extremely complex?

"Hey!"

Sniii- Girl.

Huh? Voice....

Lucille turned, mid-sniff and nostrils flared, to face the girl adressing her. She exhaled deeply.

"Helloooooo," she said. "Erm," she cocked her head to one side. "Dont happen to know where the food is, do you?"

She better be down here for food, becasue the only other explanation would be that Lucille was being stalked by a bigger-type girly....and that was scary.

Nancy blinked a few times at the flared-nostril-girl in surprise before pulling herself together again. "I...uh..." EEK! What had she just said? Had she just seriously asked her where the food was?

"I'd say the kitchen." Nancy replied with a smirk playing around her lips. Okay, no need to make fun of the girl. Even if she was flared-nostril-girl. Which she didn't anymore. Flare her nostrils.

Taking a few more steps towards the Hufflepuff girl Nancy mimicked her movement by cocking her head to the side as well. "Well, there should be a portrait around here somewhere. With fruits on it..." Was it very obvious that she had never been down here? Probably. Yes.

"I'm Nancy by the way..." She muttered more to herself than to the other girl while letting her eyes scan the nearby walls. This portrait had to be around here somewhere...

"Yup," Said Lucille, glancing around. "I hadn't got as far as the portrait thingn yet tho.." she trailed off. Her brain didnt work very well when it came to food. Whose did? She was letting her nose do the work.

Duh.

"Im lucille," she said, giving a grin. "Oi, cheer up. The food cant be too far away. I say first person to find the portrait get first dibs on food? Yup that works," she set her eyes scanning around again as her stomach gave a horribly loud rumble. "Shut it," she told it sternly.

Where was that stupid portrait?! She needed apple pie, and she needed it NOW! And NOW, as in RIGHT NOW! This instant. Guh!

Wait, was this little Hufflepuff girl seriously telling her to cheer up? Did she honestly think that food - or rather the lack of - was the thing that was making her frown? She wished it was that easy. "Well, I would very much hope so. Otherwise we are probably at the totally wrong end of the castle." Which could totally happen, you know. To Nancy anyways.

Oh, a race? "Totally." Nancy agreed with a smirk towards Lucille who was already scanning the surroundings for the portrait. "Sooo..tell me, Lucille..." Think of somethingThink of something! She needed to distract her somehow so that she would be the one to find the portrait first. "D'you like your new Prefects?" Okay, pretty lame. And besides, she still had no clue who the male Hufflepuff Prefect was this term. Well, anyways.

LookScanGlanceStareatthewallWherewasthatstupidthin g?!

And they were off!

Lucille started walking in circles for a better view. Nancy looked like she wanted to win, and get to the food first.

Well THAT clearly wasn't going to happen. Lucille was HUNGRY. PLUS her tummy was now making embarring noises.

THAT HAD TO BE STOPPED.

"Ugh," she said, in answer to Nancy's question. "Well, i dont know who the girl is yet, but the other one is Torin," a scowl crossed her face. "So in answer to your questiiion, no. He's so annoyingg and - " Lucille gulped and remembered that she was supposed to be being all naiicy nice to Torin. "And a REALLY lovely person," she said, sickly sweet and over emphasising.

It sounded ooo too fake.

Lucille came to a picture and her heart leaped. "I found it!! I-! Oh. Poo."

The portrait that Lucille had though to be a bowl of fruit with a pear was actually -

An old wizard with a HUGE nose. Nuuuu!! Keep lookinggg!!!!!

"What about you? Actually, who ARE the snake prefects?" she said, her brows burrowing furthur with a combination of confusion and frustration.

Nancy closely watched Lucille's movements to see if she was doing better at the given task than her. Which she was. Sorta. Not that the 16 year old would ever say that out loud. But the way Lucille moved around in circles was definitely a better tactic than...well, Nancy didn't have a tactic yet.

Well, this was going to chaaange. And now. Hehe. Cause she so wanted to find the portrait first. Competitive much? Totally.

A small amused snicker escaped her lips upon hearing the Hufflepuff's stomach growl loooudly. She was just about to comment on it when she was dumbstruck by Lucille's reply. "Torin?!" Nancy blinked at her a few times totally forgetting about the race. Whoa, well, that came as a surprise.

Nancy cocked an eyebrow at the girl when it became obvious that she was not too fond of Torin, however much she tried to hide it. Or not. "Why don't I believe you when you say he's a lovely person, hmm?" She smirked yet again at her before resuming her search.

Her head snapped around in alarm when she heard Lucille's exclamation only to turn back rolling her eyes a second later as she heard that it was in fact not the right portrait she'd found.

"Well, for one it's Raiden. He was the male Prefect last year too. And there's Reese. You should know her. You know Torin so I guess you should know Ree-OMG! There it is!!!!!!" Nancy started pointing at a part of the wall a little down the corridor.

Stupid. Nancy.

Very witty, showing Lucille the way. Yes, very witty.

Without another glance at the Hufflepuff she darted off towards the portrait as fast as she could. She was going to arrive there first, yes she was.

"Erm....."

Darn. Why was she asking about stupid Torin? WHY? She needed to look for fooooddd!! Not have his smug mug floating around her face. Nu-uh. Stoooopid prefect-type-person.

What in the WORLD was she going to say??? She could tryyyy to be nicey nice about him, like she was meant too, butttttt -

Lucille shivered at the thought. "Erm, maybe you're just not very trusting?" she said in answer to Nacy's question. "Ever though of that? HAVE YOU?"

OK, the food thing, or lack thereof, was getting to her.

"Reece....Reece..." she mused, trying to place her whilst all the time scanning the walls and keeping an eye on Nancy in case she tryed to wander off somewhere. "Hmm...not sure..its not Reece upstead is it? Jake's sister? I dont really know them but - OH NO YOU DONT MISSY!!"

Lucille watched eyes bulging as Nancy ran off in the direction of the portrait. Yup. That was DEFINATLY it.

But Nancy was already running! She'd never catch up.

Unless...

"OH MY GOD WATCH OUT!!!" She called to Nancy as she started running herself.

Diversions

Looking down at her for one moment, Jorma let a little smile curve at his full lips, the he looked down at his own appearance. "Yess..." Mmh, he had been outside... Now for what reason he was unsure of, maybe it was just the lure of the outdoors... Gah, who cared. He could always dry off, plus, it was pretty warm down in the kitchen corridor. Veeeryyy warm.
As she leaned up to hug him, Jorma felt that little skittering beat of his heart pump up again, grinning as he rapped his arms around her, he nuzzled his nose into her hair. "Thanks. But..." Leaning back slightly, he grinned again, "Are you implying that I didn't look hot to begin with?" Yes, he was teasing, but there was an ego moment going on here and he was begging her to go against his question... GAH. It was awful being egotistical.