Elise trudged her way through the snow and sat herself by the duck pond, her usual trademark smile was nowhere to be seen. She'd never quite gotten over what'd happened two summers ago, and it was affecting her... A lot. She hadn't been able to concentrate in Herbology! Herbology, her favorite subject!

Ten again, that was because her mother'd installed a love for all things green into her since she was about three. Sitting down by the edge of the lake, she brought her face to her knees and let the tears stream down her face.

Her shoulders shook in time with her quiet sobs and she was so oblivious to the world around her that she hadn't noticed a duckling waddle itself out of the pond and start staring her. Which was good, cause she'd scream otherwise.

Making his way through the snow, Daichi decided to go to the duck pond again. So far, the groundskeeper hadn't given him permission to take care of the ducks and the Slytherin felt a little down at this. He wanted to have a real duck...and not because he missed Mr.Duckles his stuffed duck!

As he walked around the pond, Daichi saw that the same duck he had tried to steal with Thea was now waddling towards a Ravenclaw girl who was....

was she crying?

One last look at the duck, Daichi figured that the girl was more important at the moment and he walked towards her. "What...what's wrong?" he asked, as he sat down beside her, looking at the girl with a concerned expression written on his face.

Chelsea walked to the place where last year, held the waterfall. Now it had turned into a duck pond, which she didn't mind, she loved ducks. Walking over near the pond Chelsea pulled out her wand to make a dry spot free of snow to sit.
Filled with boredom the blonde Slytherin began to sing quietly to herself. Something she did more often since the day she sang in front of Ryan, with him telling her how good it was.
But really she felt more lonely than anything. With how heavy classes were this year, not really seeing much of her friends. Or Ryan. Hogwarts was a big place filled with people, how could she possibly feel lonely? But she knew well enough the feeling would pass soon, once she found a person to talk to.

He was moving like an old man as he joined her, which amused Arya some because he didn't always move like that, she was sure of it.

"More highs than lows I hope." She handed him some bread so the ducks wouldn't keep eating at his shoes. Though she'd been seventeen for almost six months now, she still didn't feeeeeel like a grown-up. And it was more than because she was still attending Hogwarts. "Magizoology. Winged-horses specifically. I'll probably study some other stuff on the side, but creatures are my main focus right now."

Tate tore the crust from his slice of bread and dropped it to the side. He was pretty sure ducks didn't like crusts anymore than most other creatures did, and he wasn't going to foist them on the poor things.

Magizoology, hmm? "I think the Wizarding University campuses offer that program at a few of their locations. Have you decided where you want to attend? I know a few people at the Edinburgh, Naples, and Cairo campuses, if you'd like me to put in a good word." Not that she needed it.

Elise's shoulders shook a little, and she hugged her legs even tighter. It was just after Christmas, and not having her mother at home didn't give her any reason to go back to her psychotic father.

Rubbing her arms, she shivered a little before hearing a voice from next to her. Looking up, she realized that she hadn't heard him sitting down. She was usually really observant, but somehow today it wasn't working for her. Not on her mom's birthday.

"I... I'm sorry," she smiled weakly, wiping the tears off her face before they froze. "It's just my mom's birthday, and I don't know how I'm supposed to feel when she's gone..."

There, she'd admitted it. To a total stranger. A random thought crossing her mind, she didn't notice that she'd said it out loud. "Are you still a daughter, if your mother's gone and your father's as good as?"

Jory grinned. "Experimenting, eh? How did your parents react to that? And by the way, have you baked anything after that?''

He really disliked it when Gwen got cold. He always tried to ignore it but now it was getting to him."I was just using my imagination,''Jory said trying to be just as cold- which didn't match up to Gwen. "Don't you ever use yours?'' he wondered. "Well, maybe you should go then.''

Pulling himself back to his normal friendly self, Jory said, ''Yes, sure. I've got loads at home, too.'' Jory was sure the book would probably be a bit different to Wizarding ones. He told that to Gwen. "You'd surely learn alot about Muggles, even if you don't want to. But I think you'll probably prefer it to Muggle Studies,'' he added teasingly. Hopefully she wouldn't be offended. Jory nodded in agreement with Gwen as she said that that having siblings is better.

"I know that feeling,'' Jory said. "It's like you can't stop your hands from going through stuff. And then you're all excited about what you'll find. Ever found anything you shouldn't have?''

"When you look back at it, yup it's funny now,'' Jory said though at that time it happened he had not found it funny at all. He hated being shouted at.

"You are?'' he asked "To what? I'm not allergic to anything that i know of.''

"Naples. That is were I really want to go." She had considered Italy and others for a while, but when it came down to it, the prefect wanted to study in the place that held such a good memory (even if it wasn't the same city) during a time when she had none.

She tossed two halfs of a slice to the ducks, not watching where it landed in the water as she grinned at the Headmaster. "Really? I'd like that a lot." It would totally look good for her to have his good word, right? Totally. "Will I be running into any of your friends when I'm there, or are they higher up administrative type people?"

Zack was all free for the day. So it was time that he had some fun around Hogwarts in his first year. He was walking through the grounds. What better place to have some fun then the Duck Pond. He liked Ducks and that entire quack quack. He just loved it!.

He walked towards the pond and noticed almost all the duck there in the pond. "Hey there!" he said aloud, no matter if they understood or not he was just enjoying the company with the ducks.

He knew he would go to meet the duck to he didn't for get to take something with him for them. "Hey, wanna some cookies? i have some for all." he said and moved his hand towards one of the duck, hoping he didn't have to replace any of his fingers after this.

"Look out. It may bite you" Emma approached Zack smiling. She held out her hand from her pocket and poured many crumbs in the water. All of the ducks hurried to eat. The crumbs were slowly disappearing in the birds' mouths.

Emma could easily notice the joy and excitement on Zack's face. She felt glad for him. Since the day she saw him in the Great Hall she didn't stop thinking about him. His face was carved in her mind. When she was close to him she was nervous and felt butterflies in her stomach. Was it possible that she can fall in love with him? But one thing was for sure, the ordinary walk she made on the school grounds was already making her day wonderful.

As she was watching Zack laughing, she collected courage to speak first and meet him better "Hi. I'm Emma. You can call me Em. I am in first year in Hufflepuff. I like to come here in the Duck Pond and enjoy the peace and prosperity these ducks give to this place. How are you?"

Ella walked down to the duck pond holding the guitar she'd gotten for Christmas and found a place to sit. She smiled, thinking about how much she'd learned over break. She began to play softly, humming to herself.

Logan wandered down to the Duck Pond, dancing a little as he walked. Then he saw (beautiful) Ella, strumming a guitar. He giggled and snuck up behind her, covering her eyes with his hands. He leaned over her shoulder so he could kiss her cheek. "Guess whooo!" he whispered in her ear, giggling a little.

Ella felt her mouth forming the familiar wide smile as someone covered her eyes and kissed her cheek. She shivered a little as he whispered in her ear, biting her lip. "Hmmm, let me see..." she said, pretending to think hard. "Could it possibly be that boyfriend of mine? Cute, friendly, great painter?"

"Hmm...I think you're right!" he said, removing his hands and moving in front of her. He looked into her eyes with a grin. "Is this the one?" he asked, pointing to himself.

Ella nodded, giggling. "Yup, you're the one." She blushed at that, realizing what the term the one implied. She held up her guitar, smiling at him. "Like it?" she asked with a grin. "Dad got it for me for Christmas and I've been practicing and practicing at home!"

Logan laughed. He then looked at her guitar and smiled. "It's awesome!" he said, running his hand gingerly up it. "That's so cool!" he said, turning his attention away from the guitar and back to Ella. He sighed. She was so...just so..beautiful...just sitting there! It made him feel....hypnotized or something. He had no idea someone could be that...amazing. Without thinking, he was leaning in slowly and kissing her...again. And then his arms were wrapping around her, surprising himself a little.

Ella smiled at him, glad he liked her guitar. She didn't know much about it other than her dad had searched for the right one for her and finally decided on this. She loved it the moment she saw it. Then she noticed him staring again. It was like he was studying her or something and she felt her face grow hot under his gaze. She would have laughed nervously but before she could his lips were on hers and he had wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes, letting it happen. After what seemed like forever but was probably just moments Ella opened her eyes and rested her forehead against Logan's. She looked at him curiously, a smile plastered on her face. "What was that for?" she asked.

Violet smiled, admiring the ducks with a sketchpad in her hand. Stroke of artistic genus. She got them a lot, unlike Lilly, who got strokes of "Musical Genius", an excuse for her to leave uncomfortable situations to go and find her gutair. Gently, in light pencil, Violet sketched each duck's every detail. Nobody could disturb her now, she was in the ZONE. In her bag, she also had cupcakes - this stroke of genis was an excuse to eat one herself in celebration after she'd finished. Which would be a while, it looked like.

Lilly walked up behind Violet, for no reason, carrying her gutair."Wow, that's really cool!" she admired the drawing. It was very realistic. Lilly couldn't draw to save her life, so she was always very impressed with Violet's sketches. "When did you come out of hiding?" she joked. "And done any baking lately? You're pretty good and I love your cakes." How come Violet got TWO talents? Both that came to hernaturally. Lilly had to practice hard for her music, but for Violet, her talents just came.

Logan smiled as Ella rested her forehead against his. Then he chuckled, and looked at her thoughtfully. "I don't know." he said truthfully with a little laugh. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled. "I guess I just really...like you." he said.

Ella blushed when Logan revealed how he felt. She knew it deep down, how much he liked her, but to hear it said out loud was an empowering feeling. She smiled, kissing his cheek. She was trying to find the words to express how she felt about him. How much he made her smile and how when she was having a bad day just seeing him could cheer her up. She looked him in the eyes and mustered what courage she had and began to speak. "Logan I really like you too. You just-When you're around I feel so happy and I-you..." She was having trouble putting her thoughts together. She had never told a boy how she felt before. "You make Hogwarts feel like home." she said finally, looking at him with a smile. It was that simple, that easy to explain. Even on the days when Ella felt like she could cry one look at Logan and she was happy again, safe again, comfortable again. She shrugged, hoping he understood the gravity of that. The fact that he was a major reason why she woke up happy in the morning.

Logan smiled as Ella kissed his cheek. He kissed hers back, smiling wider.
Then, she was looking him in the eye-

whoa.

Logan put a hand to his heart, which was now thumping loudly. What was this...feeling? Sure, he'd felt like that stomach-flipping thing and the butterflies and the woozy stuff but...nothing like...this. He smiled as she spoke. He then hugged her. "Thanks...a lot. That really made my day." he said, looking at her and smiling. "But of course, seeing you always makes my day." he said with a wink. In his opinion, Ella was the best part of Hogwarts. Nothing else. Not even Quidditch. Nothing.

Ella smiled widely. She had told Logan how she felt and it hadn't been a total disaster! She was even more relieved to hear that it had made his day. That really made her feel good. She was experiencing this whole warm and fuzzy feeling and couldn't help but diagnose it as a symptom of being in major like with Logan. "See you makes my day too, obviously..."

Logan smiled shyly, and hugged her, and didn't let go. It was always nice being with Ella, it always made him happy. He felt like the happiest boy in the world! I mean...man...right?

Hunter strolled down towards the duck pond, hiding a bag of bread crumbs in his jacket pocket. He knew it was cold, extremely cold in fact, and he knew that duck generally flew south for the winter but he loved ducks far too much to not go and see if any had come back yet. And, just in case a few had flown back, he had bread to welcome them home. After the Christmas break and spending time at the Leahy's he had been feeling much happier than before. Less people wanting to abuse him now...hopefully. As for now, he'd wait for Aria to show up. They had agreed on meeting up around noon and after rushing a large amount of food down his mouth, he was ready to feed some ducks! And meet up with his girlfriend, no big deal.