Nika smiled as she took deep breath of icy cold air. "Oh I know! It feels like we just got here!" She said nodding her head. Time did go by so fast, too fast actually. Nika felt like she was still only in her first year when in reality she was close to half way done with her second. "Christmas was great! I stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays though." She admitted. She wasn't ready to go home and talk with her sister yet. Besides she wanted to be with Emily because her friend would be all alone in the castle other wise. "How was your Christmas Fee?"

Chad stared down at the pile of wood and pails of colourful paint before him. It looked like it would be enough to make a few...hmm. He then looked up and around him. Where in the world was Kimber? She was supposed to be bringing some supplies.

Chad was then distracted by the sound of a small bark; he smiled. In order to pass the time waiting for Kimber, he sat down on the grass and gave the fluffy puppy a good scratch behind the ear.

Kimber walked towards the front gate carrying a large bucket in one hand and a covered basket in the other. When she spotted Chad, she hurried over to him and set her things on the grass. "Hey guys," she smiled, crouching down to call the puppy over. When she bounded towards her, Kimber scooped her up into her arms and gave her a big snuggle.

"I've brought her favorite chew toy," Kimber muttered, looking down at Chad. "It's in the bucket with the paintbrushes." And just so he'd know she was thinking of him, too. "There's something for you as well," she said, pointing towards the basket with a demure, little smile.

Chad leaned over and fished the toy out of the bucket, giving it a squeeze. Squeeaaak! Puppy became alert. Ears perked. Tail waggin' away. Cutie. He then tossed it towards her and watched as she pounced on it, commencing to chew on it. Squeak. Squeak. Squeaksqueaksqueak.

"Whatchu bring me?" He pulled the cover off the basket and smiled in delight. Chocolate chip cookies! "My favourite! Thank you. I am afraid that I didn't bring you anything," he grinned, nibbling on one. Mmm.

Kimber smiled and bent over to pull the brushes from the bucket. "Ah but your manual labor is gift enough for me," she teased, moving the then empty bucket off to the side. She drew out her wand and used it to quickly fill the bucket with water. Then she walked over to where Chad was eating his cookie and sat down in the grass beside him, watching the dog. "What can I help with first?" she asked.

Chad shrugged. "Whatever you want, I guess," he answered, pulling his paper of measurements and instructions out. "I have all the pieces of wood already cut. It is just a matter of assembling them. I brought the nails and hammers and stuff." But, before he did anything, first thing is first: he needed another cookie.

William looked around for the Daisy root at the front Gate. bingo, he found it. William used his shers to cut off the Daisy Roots carefully and out them in a bag. One down and five to go for Potions homework.
He marked this bag Daisy Roots.

"Agreed." Christopher said with a laugh. He could feel is stomach rumbling and was sure any more cookie talk wouldn't be such a good idea.

"Erm, Serpent Sidekicks.....?" Christopher trailed off, unsure of whatthe heck that even was. Then she explained it, which helped a little. "We don't do that in Gryffindor, atleast I'm pretty sure we don't... I don't know."

"Hey, that's a pretty good idea!"He exclaimed getting rather excited, but his face soon fell. "Wait, I don't know..... It feels like I'm setting her up on a date, and I don't want that, it feels wrong. I just want her to have a friendly kid hang out with her, not like a date." This was going to be harder than he thought....

Kimber smiled and tentatively picked up a hammer. She immediately liked the weight of it in her hand. She felt... strangely empowered.

With a mischievous grin, she picked up a nail, placed it where she thought it should go and... WHAM! She whimpered quietly as tears came to her eyes and then cried, "Oww!" Her poor thumb.

Chad had been carefully going over every detail he had written down on his pieces of paper when he heard Kimber's "ow". He looked up and saw the tears in her eyes; he instantly put the papers aside and rushed over to her.

"Hey hey hey," he said quietly, taking her hand into his and examining her thumb. "Aw, it looks okay. You will live," he grinned. He gave her thumb a little kiss. "Feel better?"

Simon was out wandering again, using the brisk air to clear his head. He still wasn't feeling himself in both body and mind but thankfully the aches and pains from the game were fully gone. Nearing the area around the front gate, he thought he heard crying and moved closer to investigate in case the person needed help. "Is everything---" he started to ask concerned but it was then that he realized it was Madame Donovan and the groundskeeper on the ground stopping him in the tracks as he looked around to see what was going on.

"I mean hello Madame Donovan...Mr. Stryker. Um...what's going on?"

Kimber had flung the hammer into the grass with contempt in her eyes. Evil, STUPID thing! She looked up at Chad when he took her hand and gave him a weak smile as he kissed her thumb better. "Much better," she nodded, pulling her hand away to suck on the tip of her throbbing thumb. At least it wasn't bleeding. Stupid hammer! Ugh!

"If it's all the same to you, I'll leave the hammering to people more experienced."
Kimber blushed at once and withdrew her thumb from her mouth the moment she heard Simon's voice. "Hey, Simon," she said, quickly wiping at her eyes. "Mr. Stryker and I are building something special for the library. Would you like to help?"

Chad grinned and picked up the hammer that Kimber had discarded. He decided to allow her to talk to Simon while he picked up where she had left off, hammering the nail all the way in. Whack, whack, whack.

Simon almost felt like he was indeed interrupting, yet when the librarian spoke up as to what they were doing asking if he wanted to help, the seventh year relaxed. Seemed I just picked an ackward moment to walk in on, he mused to himself as he allowed himself to move closer. "Sure...what exactly needs to be done?" he asked taking in the hammers and nails and her mention of building something as well the the groundskeeper working.

Lexi was making her way carefully through the snow and icy muck when she spotted Kimber and Mr. Stryker. FUNSIES! Two of her fave people EVER. Mr. Stryker was so bouncy... who DIDN'T love a bouncy adult?! Hehehe.

"Madame Donovan!" Lexi squealed as she rushed forward and slung her arms around her head of house. "Mr. Stryker, it's lovely to see you as well," she said as she glanced over at him and grinned brightly. Hehehe. "Can I help too?" Really the asking was a formality. heheh.

Kimber smiled widely. Simon was always so willing to help. It made her proud to be the Gryffindor Head of House to see how upstanding her students were.

"Let's see... Mr. Stryker could use someone handy with tools. Do you think you could manage a hammer and nails?" It was actually harder than it looked.
Lexi's hug around the neck came as quite a shock. Kimber laughed, struggling to stay on her feet and gave a quick hug in return. "Hello to you, too, Lex," she said smiling still. "Of course you can help. The more the merrier."

After letting Lexi go, Kimber walked over to the basket and picked it up off of the nearly frozen earth. "I brought cookies, too," she called out to them both. "Help yourselves."

Cove was carefully walking towards the front gates. She needed to think. Her camera was with her once again. She snapped pictures of the gates. That's when she noticed people standing around near them. Cove walked gingerly around them and noticed it was Madam Donovan standing there with others. She shrugged her shoulders continued taking her pictures. Maybe Madam Donovan would notice her.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinky

Lexi was making her way carefully through the snow and icy muck when she spotted Kimber and Mr. Stryker. FUNSIES! Two of her fave people EVER. Mr. Stryker was so bouncy... who DIDN'T love a bouncy adult?! Hehehe.

"Madame Donovan!" Lexi squealed as she rushed forward and slung her arms around her head of house. "Mr. Stryker, it's lovely to see you as well," she said as she glanced over at him and grinned brightly. Hehehe. "Can I help too?" Really the asking was a formality. heheh.

Chad paused in his hammering long enough to give Lexi a wave and a smile, then give the puppy a loving scratch under the chin. Ohh, look at those eyes droop. A certain puppy is sleepy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liisa

Kimber smiled widely. Simon was always so willing to help. It made her proud to be the Gryffindor Head of House to see how upstanding her students were.

"Let's see... Mr. Stryker could use someone handy with tools. Do you think you could manage a hammer and nails?" It was actually harder than it looked.

Lexi's hug around the neck came as quite a shock. Kimber laughed, struggling to stay on her feet and gave a quick hug in return. "Hello to you, too, Lex," she said smiling still. "Of course you can help. The more the merrier."

After letting Lexi go, Kimber walked over to the basket and picked it up off of the nearly frozen earth. "I brought cookies, too," she called out to them both. "Help yourselves."

Hey hey hey! Weren't those HIS cookies!? Boooooooo. Whatever, he could share. For now.

Back to work! Whack. Whack. Whack!

Spotting another familiar face, Kimber set the cookie basket back on the ground and raised her hand in a wave. "Hey," she called out, hurrying the few steps towards her. "It's good to see you, Cove," she said when she reached her. "Would you like to come join in the fun?" This was turning into quite the Gryffindor project.

Lexi released Kimber from her super hug and stepped back in time to wave at the camera. She wasn't sure WHO the girl with the camera was, but she was a Lion so it was okay.

Oh back to Madame Donovan. "What are we doing anyway? Hehe. I just saw you lot and wandered over. Is Mr. Stryker using a whammer... or bammer... what are those things called? That looks dangerous. Can't you use your wand for sommat like that?" she asked Madame Donovan as she peeeeeered at the Groundskeeper and waved her little fingers at him. Strange man, he was - but Lexi liked that he was a bit strange.

OHHH!

"What kind of cookies?" BOUNCE! She LOVED cookies. Hehehe.

"Hello Madam Donovan." Cove said politely. "Good to see you two. Things are good. My parents sent me a letter saying thta he was doing a little better, which is good." Cove said smiling. "Sure, thank you." She said. "What are you guys doing?"

Daisy root...daisy root...Daisy root! Presley located some daisy's and carefully dug them from the ground, making sure not to damage their roots. These were on the list...she hoped. Cradling the four daisy plants carefully in her hands, Presley made her way back up to the castle.

Well hello to you Lexi, Simon mused to himself as the sixth year showed up being all welcoming to the two adults and ignoring her fellow housemate right there in their midst. He stopped himself from rolling his eyes, instead turning his attention back to Donovan as she answered him explained things.

"I think so," he replied moving closer to the older man to assist him. The captain picking up one of the other hammers and a nail and went to work, following Mr. Stryker's example as he did so since he still wasn't sure what they were building.


Simon momentarily looked up as Madame Donovan spoke up welcoming another person into the fold. He offered a polite smile not too familiar with the girl other then seeing her around especially in the house tower. "Hi.." he said simply before hearing Lexi's questions.

"You could...but sometimes its fun to actually not depend on a wand," Simon answered non-challantly finally acknowleding Lexi's presence when she questioned the work of the groundskeeper and himself. "And its called a hammer."

Okayyyy... Lexi blinked at Simon a few times and shook her head at him. Having not actually seen him a moment ago... nor having asked the question of him she was a bit confused at first. "Right. Sounds dreadful to me. And I am not really concerned with what it's called seeing as I never plan to use one if I can help it," she said in that same nonchalant tone Simon had given her. Right.

Curling her lip a little bit she turned to face the new person... well not NEW, new. But surely new to her. She did so enjoy meeting new people! HEHEHE. Extending a hand to the girl she smiled and said, "Hello there! Cove isn't it? I'm Lexi Denver. Pleasure to meet you."

Cove looked at the older boy. Wasn't he the Quidditch Captain? She had seen him around before in the tower. "Hello. Cove Brett." She said sticking her hand out to him.

Okayyyy... Lexi blinked at Simon a few times and shook her head at him. Having not actually seen him a moment ago... nor having asked the question of him she was a bit confused at first. "Right. Sounds dreadful to me. And I am not really concerned with what it's called seeing as I never plan to use one if I can help it," she said in that same nonchalant tone Simon had given her. Right.

"Yeah, hi Lexi." Cove shook the older girls' hand. How did she know her name? Lexi was so......bouncy? Happy people are good though, she needed to be around happy people.