Arabella-Marie smiled and said "I am in second year Ellie, what year are you in?"

"I'm a fourth year." She said with a nod. "How's your second year back? Is it much different from your first?" She wondered politely.

Arabella-Marie smiled and said "It is going pretty well and yeah it is a lot different to my first year, i don't feel so new now but i still get lost around the castle"

Ellie smiled. "That's good. The first year is always the roughest in my opinion. I know I always got lost." She said with a light laugh. She could never remember what classrooms were on what floor.

Arabella-Marie smiled and said "Well at least i know i am the only one who still gets lost"

Alex stepped into the library slightly reluctant. Ugh, the library. Books everywhere, plus it smelled... Old.

He stepped around a line of books and ran his fingers over some of the backs. What was he looking for you might ask? Well, anything that could make him taller smarter for Potions class. He sucked at potions. Apparently, blowing up every cauldron Lafay handed to him wasn't a good thing to do if he wanted Slytherin to gain some house points. Internal sigh.

Couldn't he just get out and practise some Quidditch before the match instead? Internal poout.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

Jake couldn't help but mouth the word 'butler' once Neptune had said it. He couldn't imagine HAVING a butler... but it made sense that the Botts had at least one.

"I've never even had a house elf," Jake said, slightly in awe. In all the places he'd lived, except for Hogwarts, there had been no butlers or house elves. "Although... my dad does pick up after me."

Mwahahaha.

Holding the purse in the manliest of manly ways possible, Jake squeezed Neptune's hand with the other, and kind of swung it slightly. Gently.

Wait, HATS?!

"Ooooh, does that mean I can wear a top hat? And one of them weird coats with tails? Or a waistcoat," he stopped and looked down at Neptune. "Waistcoats are coooool."

Neptune's brow furrowed. Totally bewildering to imagine life without Randal. Or Rosie. Who would cook and clean? And pick her up and take her places? Who would announce her arrival or the arrivals of others?

????

WHO would do all that? Who did that for Jake?

"Mother's family house elf died when she was younger. She won't have another one." So that was sort of the end of that. They had a Randal instead.

Neptune lead Jake over to the bookshelves and began a very methodical search for fashion history books. "Of course you'll have a top hat. And you'll carry my parasol." Giggle. "And we'll be very sophisticated, high class citizens. Elite, you know."

"That's sad," Jake said after a moment. He couldn't help but feel sadness for any creature that died whether he knew it or not.

But moving on.

Jake... decided to let Neptune do the skim-reading of book spines and stuff... he still needed to focus quite hard on words and was noooooo good at skim-reading.

He wondered vaguely if Neptune's family would mind about that, but pushed the idea from his mind.

"I can't honestly imagine you being anything other than elite."

Heck yes, he could say things like this all day... because they were sooooo true.

Things around Hogwarts were becoming familiar now. It wasn't quite so daunting as it had been when Freddie first arrived to begin his late education in magic. He was understanding more and more and magic was slowly starting to become natural to him.. not quite second nature yet, but he was consciously using it wherever he could.

With a heavy bag full of books slung over his shoulder (not having yet mastered how to charm it to be lighter), he made his way into the library. Now this place was more familiar than he would have liked.. but circumstances warranted at least one visit here per day. He may be catching up with his peers, but that didn't mean he could be lax about his studies: he still had a long way to go to be at the same level as the other seventh years.

With a loud crash, he swung his bag onto one of the study tables and sat unceremoniously, frowning deeply as he retrieved his Charms textbook and a muggle notebook and pen from his bag. Head down, he began to read and take notes, trying to get his head around what he was finding a particularly tricky subject.

Of course she didn't exactly look like the type of girl to spend time in the library with her nose rubbing the ink out of the pages, but Cassie Storm was highly studious when no one was looking. Often times when she wasn't busy being a social butterfly she would take her books to an empty classroom and study there or find an isolated spot by the grounds, never in the library though, surely only nerds did that?

Today she found herself in the library returning books she had borrowed and getting new ones. She was falling behind now because of certain distractions. Sure her parents didn't care whether she was suffering internally from loneliness, what they did care about however was her school work. If there was one thing he checked up on it was that. Cassie deposited the books on the desk by the librarian and quickly made her way to the library shelves. It was grab and go with her before she got chat up by a geeky kid with glasses thicker than dragon hide. Oh trust it had happened before. She rolled her eyes at the memory and ran her fingers along the spine of the books there as she searched.

She spotted a head by the desk and dashed behind the library shelves to hide, her eyes squeezed shut hoping that she hadn't been spotted by whoever it was. As she tried to go around the shelves without being noticed she accidently knocked a huge volume off that fell with a loud thud when it hit the ground. She swore under her breath as she tried to sneakily bend down to pick it up without being caught totally unaware that she could be seen clearly from the other end

*Frown*

The pages and pages of NEWT Level Charms incantations just blurred into one big blob of black and white with yellow spots as Freddie attempted to take them in. It seemed pointless without actually trying them out, but he feared he would blow up the library and end up being booted out of the school for vandalism. He shook his head and pushed the book away, deciding to study the safer, easier to grasp, subject of Potions instead. This was just like muggle science, give or take, so the lad was coping just fine with this particular subject.

He flicked through the text book, pausing on a page entitled: Hate Potion. He frowned thoughtfully and scanned the page. Now this could be useful. He picked up his pen and pressed it to a blank sheet of paper, but paused when a crash came from behind one of the nearby shelves. He was SURE he was alone in here. He hadn't heard anyone else enter after him and Freddie was usually very in tune with his surroudings. He turned his head in the direction of the sound, bracing himself to see his first glimpse of one of the Hogwarts ghosts. But it wasn't a ghost, was it? Oh no.. there stood Cassandra Storm. The very girl he was considering brewing a potion for to save her any hurt and heartbreak. He closed his potions book and stood, unaware that she was hiding, and wandered over to the pretty sixth year. “Cass?” He frowned. “You alright there?” Cassie had never struck the boy as the kind of girl to hang around in libraries. But then, he was here too and Freddie's façade hardly screamed bookworm, did it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

"That's sad," Jake said after a moment. He couldn't help but feel sadness for any creature that died whether he knew it or not.

But moving on.

Jake... decided to let Neptune do the skim-reading of book spines and stuff... he still needed to focus quite hard on words and was noooooo good at skim-reading.

He wondered vaguely if Neptune's family would mind about that, but pushed the idea from his mind.

"I can't honestly imagine you being anything other than elite."

Heck yes, he could say things like this all day... because they were sooooo true.

Neptune pulled down a book and handed it to Jake. "Hold this one." It looked promising and all. She quietly hummed as they strolled the tall shelves. La la la lost in books.

Giggle.

Jake was doing that thing again. "Oh? That's so kind of you to say. I'm sure there are others that disagree, but I'm glad someone feels that way." Someone appreciated Neptune and wanted to carry her books and tell her she was pretty. She bent down and put her knees to the floor to get a low shelved book, "Are you a good dancer?" You know, for the costume party thing that Neptune was going to think of as a BALL from this point on.

Cassie had gone and blown her cover that's it, she was going to have to spend half of a precious hour listening to jib jab about gurdy roots and its many uses or something pointless like than and pretend to care as to not be too rude. After the half hour she'd pretend she had somewhere important to get off to and slip away. She wasn't one to not talk to a person because he or she wasn't of the same calibre but talking about things she wasn't particularly interested in would drive her nuts.

She froze when a familiar voice vibrated her ear drum. Not good. He was the last person she had expected to run into here in the library. He always seemed more the type to stay in the common room and study if anything. Why today of all days Freddie? She made an inward groan as she straightened up and steeled herself to face him. She wasn't looking forward to that much either now was she. His eyes were going to do that whole searching her soul look thing and she was going to melt like butter and not be mad at him or indifferent like she had rehearsed in her head over and over in the event that she would run into him. She took a while minute before she turned around to face him and felt her legs go jello. She was failing at her plan *mental flail*

To steady her nerve and appear cool Cassie leaned against the shelf knocking a few books off in the process. Scrise! Since when was Cassandra Storm a clutz and rubbish around boys?! She was grateful though that the downed books gave her a reason to drop to her knees and look away from him. She perhaps spent longer than she needed to pick up the two books but it gave her time to compose herself. She got to her feet and flashed a bright smile at him. plan back on track " oh yeah, pfft I'm good, I'm alright just..umm...getting some books to do some reading." She held up a book to show him.How to treat boils and her face warmed with embarrassment. That was not what she wanted to hold up. She cleared her throat. Plan executed poorly"So umm, how are you doing?" she rest the books on a nearby table so she could rake her fingers through her hair to restore some sort of neatness.

Freddie stood there, waiting for Cass to turn and look at him. She had heard him, right? He had spoken quietly but here in the still peaceful quiet of the library you could probably hear a pin drop. He was about to clear his throat to get the girl's attention when she turned to face him at last. He stared at her in mute silence.

..She had to compose herself? She had it THAT bad? A flicker of a frown crossed Freddie's face.

The clumsiness was not something Freds had seen in Cass before. He eyed her curiously before ducking down to pick up the books that had fallen, keeping them in his hands as she spoke and flashed him a bright smile that he couldn't help but think was completely fake. She seemed so flustered. His eyes left hers to look at the book she was holding, an eyebrow twitched slightly. He raised his eyes to hers again deciding it was best not ask. Cass Storm looked pretty boil free to the Slytherin... or at least her face was. He shrugged at her question, appearing, as always, to be so bloody indifferent. “Alright.” He replied. “I haven't seen you around in a while..” He attempted a small smile at the girl but failed miserably. “..I certainly didn't think I'd bump into you in here of all places.” Small talk, ch'yeah.. Freddie sucked at it. The whole situation seemed so forced and the lad was extremely ill at ease... even if he didn't allow it to show.

Cassie could sense that the boy was reading her like a first grade book but there was little she could do about iit now. What she was thankful for was the fact that she longer she stayed there talking with him the more composed she was becoming. Perhaps she could make it out of the encounter like she did with any other boy. Well besides the flirting bit. She certainly would NOT flirt with a guy who had a girlfriend. It was a rule she made.

He started talking and Cassie nodded and smiled accordingly. At least she knew her image was in tact, no one expected her to be hanging out in the library which was how she liked it. She smiled slightly when she realised that he had noticed that she had been MIA. Really she was just avoiding him and anyone wearing a silver and green tie. She didn't want to even chance running into him, yet here she was, standing infront of him. Oh well this was bound to happen sometime and the time was now. It was best to just act as normal as possible.
" Well you know...just been busy and spending a lot of time in the room of requirements dancing." which was technically not a lie. She wasn't going to tell him that she was avoiding him though." Well you know, a girl has to study right? Gotta keep my grades up. What have you been up to?"

Quite obediently, Jake took the book. He felt he'd end up with a big ol' pile of them in his arms, but could he really complain?

Yes.

Nope!

Hmmm... good dancer. "Well..." he thought really hard back to that ball a couple of terms back. The one where he was at school.. the ALUMNI ball. That was it. "I did dance at a ball once. I think I was fifteen, and I was short and the person I went with was a little taller... but I still rocked the floor."

Neptune wouldn't need to know just yet about how he'd put on Kayla's heels and strutted around, nearly breaking his ankle or neck every now and then.

He guessed she also wouldn't be fond of him wearing his Iron Man sneakers to the party thang. Because... well... they were dressing up as... people without Iron Man sneakers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

Quite obediently, Jake took the book. He felt he'd end up with a big ol' pile of them in his arms, but could he really complain?

Yes.

Nope!

Hmmm... good dancer. "Well..." he thought really hard back to that ball a couple of terms back. The one where he was at school.. the ALUMNI ball. That was it. "I did dance at a ball once. I think I was fifteen, and I was short and the person I went with was a little taller... but I still rocked the floor."

Neptune wouldn't need to know just yet about how he'd put on Kayla's heels and strutted around, nearly breaking his ankle or neck every now and then.

He guessed she also wouldn't be fond of him wearing his Iron Man sneakers to the party thang. Because... well... they were dressing up as... people without Iron Man sneakers.

Neptune kept her face down to hide her amused, yet severely skeptical, look from him. Not everyone could be phenomenal dancers. Her thoughts drifted away for a while, to a specific dance and she crawled onward on her knees still perusing books on the lower shelves.

"Come down here with me. A floating spell should take care of the books, you know." He did know that right? Neptune would teach him if he didn't.

... Jake knew that.

"I knew that. It was just... a test. And you passed!" Jake grinned at his girlfriend, flicking his wand awkwardly out of its holster and having the books float before he sat down next to Neptune, letting her go through the titles still.

Heh.

"You have no idea how much I neeeeeeed to wear a top hat."

Srsly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

... Jake knew that.

"I knew that. It was just... a test. And you passed!" Jake grinned at his girlfriend, flicking his wand awkwardly out of its holster and having the books float before he sat down next to Neptune, letting her go through the titles still.

Heh.

"You have no idea how much I neeeeeeed to wear a top hat."

Srsly.

Neptune was SO amused by the test. As in, duhhhh. Of course she passed. Ravenclaws don't fail tests. "Would you give me...," Neptune LEANED towards Jake, all fluttery lashes and looks, "....an O?"

Giggle.

GIGGLE.

"Trust me," her eyes moved up to his hair where the scarf was acting like a dam for his bangs. "I see the need for the top hat."

Jake... staaaaaaaaared at Neptune's eyes as she leaned towards him. He was kinda captivated, as always when looking into them bluuuuuue eyes. But he was soon, ya know, back to Earth again with a little grin. "Of course I would," he smiled, tapping his finger gently on Neptune's temple. "You're clearly desrving."

HYUP.

MEH. The hair. Jake raised an eyebrow and looked UP, trying to see his hair but knowing it would PHAIL. "Would you prefer my hair looooong... or me to shave my head?"

Not that that would EVER happen. Jake loved his hair far too much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

Jake... staaaaaaaaared at Neptune's eyes as she leaned towards him. He was kinda captivated, as always when looking into them bluuuuuue eyes. But he was soon, ya know, back to Earth again with a little grin. "Of course I would," he smiled, tapping his finger gently on Neptune's temple. "You're clearly desrving."

HYUP.

MEH. The hair. Jake raised an eyebrow and looked UP, trying to see his hair but knowing it would PHAIL. "Would you prefer my hair looooong... or me to shave my head?"

Not that that would EVER happen. Jake loved his hair far too much.

"Clearly," Neptune hovered near Jake, more or less waiting him out. Hmm.

Hmm.

Back to his hair? Alright. Neptune DID have opinions on the matter, particularly if they were going to proper boyfriend and girlfriend with people associating him with her. She sat back on her heels and considered him. "Shave your head? What on earth would possess you to do that? I think a tidy cut would be proper." Tidy. "You could be tidy and still leave the bangs a little long in the front." Neptune reached up and plucked at the gravity-defying bits of hair.

Jake pouted eeeeeeeeever so slightly. Jeeeeez; way to avoid a question. Hehe.

The young man shifted eeeeeeven closer, smiling almost mischeviously as he did so. "I'll look into it."

The haircut.

"Find anything goooood?" Jake asked, leeeeeaning in closer. Hehehe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

Jake pouted eeeeeeeeever so slightly. Jeeeeez; way to avoid a question. Hehe.

The young man shifted eeeeeeven closer, smiling almost mischeviously as he did so. "I'll look into it."

The haircut.

"Find anything goooood?" Jake asked, leeeeeaning in closer. Hehehe.

Neptune was only halfway looking now with Jake being all.... leany.


"Not particularly... I only chose the period because it ... well it's romantic."

From what she HAD seen in the books so far, she was far from impressed. All the women looked... tragic. Unhappy. No makeup? Really? Yuckkk. Neptune was unimpressed.

"We might need something more modern."

"Awww... but I want to wear a top hat!" Jake half whined, giving a tiny pout. "Isn't there aanyone specific you'd like to go as?" he asked her, but figured that would be a no. "Even base the costume on..."

He WANTED the top hat! "What's wrong with this stuff?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

"Awww... but I want to wear a top hat!" Jake half whined, giving a tiny pout. "Isn't there aanyone specific you'd like to go as?" he asked her, but figured that would be a no. "Even base the costume on..."

He WANTED the top hat! "What's wrong with this stuff?"

"Jacob Dale."


Neptune Bott wouldn't GO as a Romantic if none of the silly and drab stuff suited her. He sooooooooo got looks, looks that made Neptune look so like her mother.

"Trust me," she turned her nose up at him, and her position slightly away, "you'll need the top hat." Hmph.