Chris sat alone on the cold floor, waiting. Why did I choose this place again? It was really kind of creepy how empty it was. But maybe she would be able to have a real conversation because it was empty. Derian was just too popular. He was followed everywhere. Constantly. Maybe it would just be better if she wasn't there to bother him all the time. She wasn't even a good friend to him. But that was the whole reason she was doing this, now wasn't it?

Derian had never been to this place before, so he gawked at the surroundings while looking for Chris. He spotted her sitting on the floor, waiting for him, and he smiled, "Huff-puff, Chris! We are at last completely alone. I thought it would never happen, myself." He kept walking until he was standing right next to her, and he plopped down unceremoniously to sit beside her. He crossed his legs and rested his wrists on his knees, "What's up?"

"Well I'm feeling the same thing you are. I think there were so many people around.. we kind of skipped something. And then I got so focused on being a good friend that I forgot to be your friend in the first place. I know next to nothing about you. It's awful. I'm a horrible person. So, who are you, Derian Lycaon?" she said quickly. Chris had constantly felt like her friendship with Derian was... off somehow. Maybe because she spent so much time hating his brother. Who knows?

Who was he?

Derian smiled at the question and cleared his throat before answering, "Well, you know my name. So, that's taken care of. Erm... I grew up in the muggle world with my mum in Kent. She is a professor at Oxford... teaches Biochemistry. I don't really know my dad, having only talked to him twice, but he lives in Romania--and that's where I met Rafe for the first time, just before coming here, actually." It all still felt like a whirlwind to him. He was just a muggle one day, and then a half-werewolf wizard the next; and now he was at Hogwarts, about to start learning how to do magic. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled to himself.

"What about you? What's your story?"

Only talking to his dad twice? Wow. She really did know nothing.
"Well it's really nothing big. I'm a pureblood, so a grew up with magic. My mum is gone most of the time. Has been since I was little. She studies Muggles in America. When she came home we spent as much time as possible together though. She taught me everything I needed to know to keep the house running.
I'm the youngest of four, by alot, and the only girl. My dad focused alot on his boys when I was a kid. Not his fault, just something all dads do. But the one time I could catch his attention was always on the Quidditch pitch. The first time I crawled, it was to get to my brother's new broom. So he decided that as soon as I could walk, I would fly. I played on kid's teams, but my favorite was when I could challenge my brothers. I could beat them. That's when I was his girl. So, I made it one of the biggest parts of my life. School work and my music could never catch his attention like Quidditch," she said, shaking her head to clear it. Way to bore him to death.
"So, Biochemistry? I know a whole lot more about the Muggle world than most wizards, but what is that?"

Derian was amazed and impressed by her nonchalance regarding her struggle to gain recognition from her father. Not many girls er age would be so composed--and that made him like her all the more. "Ahh, biochemistry is the organic version of chemistry. Basically, rather than investigating pure chemicals in a laboratory environment, biochemistry studies the chemical reactions and processes that make up the world around us. Its fascinating enough, but I prefer the pure chemicals to the natural stuff. Lab chem means more explosions and more amusement overall."

He grinned at her, "And you know a heck of a lot more than my poor brother. Do you know that he doesn't even know who Einstein is??"

Man, this guy was smart. That made him even better. "That makes my mom's job sound like preschool. And explosions definitely make everything more fun," she said, unnaturally happy to be actually talking. "How does Rafe not know who Einstein is? I mean, I know we magic folk aren't that in to science or math usually, but it's EINSTEIN. He was a pure genius. Who knows where we'd be without him. It's like wizards think that just because we don't need Muggle science, there's no point in knowing it."

Derian nodded, just as bewildered as she was by the wizarding world's lack of fundamental muggle knowledge, "Exactly! As a lover of muggle science and the like, it's like coming to a new place that everyone says is amazing and cool, and then realizing everyone there is illiterate." But he had to chuckle too, "And it's hilarious." He was remembering Rafe's "eyenstine" comment earlier and how he thought there were muggles trying to "relate to gravel." It also amused him that he, as a first year, already had an advantage over his brother, a fifth year.

"And, for the record, I think I would like your mum... and maybe give her a few career-oriented insights while I'm at it." He smirked, "But, seriously, I think growing up as a pureblood would be interesting at the least. Take, for instance, the fact that you grew up riding brooms while most muggles only dream of such things."

"Hello there. I have seen you around the castle and thought i would introduce myself even though i am pretty sure we are in different houses. I'm JP Santos."

Chris couldn't help but laugh, because everything Derian said was true. If a Muggle had a conversation with a wizard, they would most likely leave the conversation thinking that the wizard was an idiot. "You've got a very good point there."
"Umm...thank you?" she said, laughing once again. "I'm sure my mum would like you too. She hates having all that Muggle knowledge and no one to talk about it with. That's why I know so much." Sure, Muggle knowledge was worth next to nothing, but it was interesting if you really got into it. Muggles had better books and music too. "Growing up with magic is great, yeah, but I think most people take it for granted. The easy way for some Muggles to do things is like a punishment for wizards. We see everything that Muggles find amazing and wonderful as ordinary. Normal. I think growing up without magic helps you appreciate it more." One thing Chris loved about talking with Derian was that it was intelligent conversation. She could give insights and know that he would understand, and find new views from his insights.
Chris jumped at the Ravenclaw's voice, letting out an embarassing squeal. She smiled at him as she recovered but said nothing, as he seemed to be addressing Derian.

"Sorry that was awfully rude of me. My name is JP. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Oh, no, don't be sorry. I'm just...stupid? Jumpy? I have no idea. I'm Chris," she said, mentally smacking herself for being such a girl. She hated those girls that freaked out at every little thing just for attention, and didn't plan on becoming one anytime soon.

JP chuckled a little and looked up at her.
"Well then, Chris. What year are you? if you don't mind me asking."

"First. And you?" Way to be a stupid firstie, Chris.

"Second year Ravenclaw! Should be third but i tool a year to study abroad with my folks. What brings you to this floor" JP said this excitedly

"You studied abroad? That had to be great." Chris had been to America for short periods of time, but never anywhere really interesting. "I don't really know why I chose this floor... it seemed kind of...peaceful. Deserted and unexplored. No one seems to come up here often," she said in answer to his question. "And Derian here has his little fan club following him around all the time, so it was great to have a place to actually have a conversation," she chuckled.

"I completely agree. This floor is definitely a place to get away. Derian. I believe I have met him before but i am not sure. But anyway, Have you found anything exciting on your explorations of the castle."

Chris cocked her head and looked at JP, confused. "I think we're talking about two different people. This Derian is a Gryffindor," she said, grabbing the front of Derian's robes and pulling him into view.

"Yeah, my mistake. I must have been thinking of someone else. I have met a lot of people these past couple of days. I knew i was wrong as soon as i said it."

Derian had been grinning as this JP Santos kept talking to Chris, but when she finally tugged on his robed and pulled him closer to the two of them he had to pipe up, "Hullo, JP. I'm Derian Lycaon. I'm a first year Gryffindor. Counting you, I have met only two Ravenclaws, and both of you are second years." He smiled again and ran a hand through his hair."Anyway, are you running away from people, too? Is that why you came here? Chis and I got sick of all the crowds." He nudged Chris playfully as he mentioned her.

"I do that all the time. Everything here happens so fast it kind of runs together," Chris said, trying to reassure him. It was nice to talk to someone from another house for once, and she didn't want him to feel bad or anything.

She rolled her eyes and nudged Derian back, glad that he was doing some talking. She had said less than ten sentences to JP and he probably already thought she was stupid. Or mean. Or maybe a combination of the two.

"Nice to meet you Derian! I have seen you around and have been meaning to say hello. I hope that the other Ravenclaw was nice." JP laughed a little. the other two ravenclaws he had spoken two weren't pleasant and one was a complete idiot. He was still wondering how she made it to Ravenclaw. " well, yeah kinda. I like coming up here like i told chris, this floor usually is empty. But when i do find someone here they usually turn into very good conversations." JP smiled.

"Excited for classes to start?" JP directed the questions to both of his new friends.



"Well that makes me feel loads better" JP smiled. "Yeah you're right. It sorta does." JP liked this new first year he had met. she seemed really nice. "You're actually the first gryffindor first year i have met!"

"I'm pretty excited, yes. More nervous than anything though," Chris admitted.
She was very likely to make a fool of herself in her first few classes. "Well I hope I'm givung you the right impression of Gryffindor first years," she said. It would be awful if she did something terrible to make him think badly of the Gryffindor firsties.

Simon sat down on the floor he was sad, he had no idea what he was going to do, this term was starting out badly, he sat down with his head in his hand so that he could cry without anyone seeing him, he wished that Professor Nolan was still teaching here, he could have spoke to him, but he had left at the end of the last year and there was a new Head of House and he had no idea who it was so he couldn't speak to them.