The only thing better than a birthday (well, a normal birthday) was birthday week. And the only thing better than a birthday week was a birthday... two months. And that was how Mo was going to think about this little birthday celebration he was about to have. Granted, it wasn't really his birthday they were celebrating, and it didn't quite make up for the miserable occurrences during his actual birthday, but it was something NICE.

Plus he brought cake, which was pretty much how Mo operated.

He was there first and wished the room into being - squashy chairs and bookshelves and tea that was still steaming in the pot. And sandwiches, because Mo was a MAN and needed sustenance in addition to cake.

Dora was spending a great deal of her time in the lower levels of the castle, being with her Slytherin and cooking and trying to get fresh warm air while she still could. It had taken her longer than usual to get back up to the castle towers and find the room of requirement, which is why she left early.

She also had her gift on hidden on her, because that was important too.

Thinking of the room, she did her walk and passed through the door when it appeared. "This looks more welcoming than our common room. Which is saying something," She said by way of greeting as she looked around the room, instantly making her way over to the squashy chairs.

"D'you have to pay to get in too?" Mo was already sprawled in his chair, feet up on the ottoman and sandwich in hand. Heck, if she'd shown up a moment earlier, she would have seen a sandwich in each hand. Mo gestured to the spread. "This food is free too. Consider it a birthday extension."

Free food, cake, AND gifts. Was there really anything better? Mo sat up a bit and grinned at Dora. "Happy birthday again, by the way. I'm not going to ask any stupid questions about how you like being back at Hogwarts, but you're welcome to volunteer that information if you want."

"Nope, that's what makes it so nice." She fixed herself up some tea before settling down in the seat beside him, legs folding under herself. "I'm good on food right now, but thanks for bringing some. It's nice to be around good food and not have to had cooked it." Not that she minded cooking for herself or her friends, but it was nice to get a break. Even a small one.

She sunk back into her seat and smiled at him in return. "I don't think it's a stupid question this year, since you can get a number of different responses with everything that's going on. Mine... well, I don't know if I like being back yet, with the paying stuff, and the having to cook my meals still. But at least the turnstiles take galleons, did you know? It lets you go through four hundred and ninty three times with one." That, and Truebridge saying they couldn't sleep in corridors or in this room was the only reason she was using her common room now.

"How have you adjusted?"

"It's a shame that everyone is so intent on cooking just for themselves or the people they like. If we were more organized, we'd have small teams taking turns for everyone and having a shift only infrequently," Mo posited, his mind already turning to schedules and meal rotations. That was just how he'd do it, but it as likely brighter minds were prevailing in doing things this way.

The information about the galleons made Mo pause again in thought, as he mentally calculated how many days worth of entrances that was. It might get a bloke through the school year. "Who told you about the galleons, then? I wonder if we could get people back home to sponsor Ravenclaw entrances. A galleon per student."

But he was of the same mind as Dora, to be honest... things were so different and he wasn't sure how he was going to adjust to them over time. Not just the money woes and paper plates and turnstiles, but all the changes. ALL of them. "I don't think you ever really adjust to new things. You just change your new standard for normal."

"That's not a bad idea, but I like just cooking for my friends. I already have my own schedule and it's not something I'm not already accustomed to." She shrugged. The fourth year was never in the business of caring for anyone else but herself, since she never had to before. But she loved her friends and so it just made sense to add them to her feeding routine.

Even if they ate more than her usually.

"Headmistress Truebridge. Alice and I went to ask her some questions, and she wasn't happy about it, but she did give us some answers. There might be some fundraisers going on too. That's not a bad idea, the sponsoring." She said thoughtfully. The poorer students might appreciate it, that was for sure.

Reaching into her pocket she fished out a small carefully wrapped gift box that contained his present. "That's adjusting, Marcus Orion." She shot him a easy grin and handed over his present. "Happy Birthday."

"Well, an idea for people like me who no one cooks for," Mo suggested with a shrug. One of the painful parts of exclusion from West and his friends was this part - realizing that people liked him well enough in passing but didn't actually include him when they were talking about their friends. Part of the being a people thing, he supposed. "But maybe it's up to those types of people to make a plan and not leave it up to some sort of consensus."

Because maybe the people who were leaders in this school weren't the ones who would end up taking care of the average student, unfortunately. They were taking care of themselves.

"It isn't properly adjusting," Mo argued, although he was smiling as he accepted the gift from her. "Adjusting means that I'm used to it. There are some things you don't ever get used to, even if it's just the way things are. But you can have the point in this debate, because I'm magnanimous when there are gifts involved. THANK you."

Dora rolled her eyes and placed her tea on the table beside her chair before sinking back into the cushions once more. "People would cook for you if you asked." Which was her way of telling him to just ask, because she would cook for him if he just asked. She was only cooking for West, Alice and Theo right now so another wouldn't be too much of a bother. But she wouldn't do it if he was gonna be all sad about it. She shrugged. "I'm not really one to wait around for others to make decisions for me."

In the box was a silver ring that she wasn't sure if he would like or not, but thought it was a nice gift either way. Cause jewelry was always nice. "I'll take the point, even if it's much more fun to win without buying the points." Her grin was back and she watched him. "Go ahead and open it."

He could tell, in the way that sensitive people could, that he was wearing on her patience, but he couldn't tell why. The safe thing to do in cases like these, when he didn't know precisely which one behavior to prune in order to stop annoying her, was to just stop all behaviors. Acknowledge and move on. "Maybe some people would. That's an excellent point."

He wouldn't obviously, because he didn't know who those people were and he wasn't desperate enough to go around asking people if they were friends, but it was a good observation that if in doubt, he could direct some younger students to ask Dora about food.

"Don't consider it 'buying' the points," Mo insisted as he opened the box and removed the ring from inside. He turned it around to study the turtles before making a little flipper motion with his hands. "Hey, turtles," she earned herself a loopy little grin before it broadened, and Mo added, "I don't think we can get married, Dora. Theo wouldn't approve. Stop asking."

Mo was confusing in the most irritating ways. Not because he was being annoying or anything, but because he was so difficult to understand. Right now for instance, Dora couldn't tell what was going on in his head, or why he was suddenly so impassive. She stared him down for a moment, deciding that if he ever wanted her to cook for him he'd have to ask.

"How should I consider it?" She never diverted her attention from his face as he opened the gift. His reaction would just be taken as a sign that he liked turtles. Or well she didn't care if he liked actual turtles, but the gift itself. Shopping for him was HARD. "Alice wouldn't approve either." Pause. "Or West." Cause of Theo reasons. She offered him a half smile, and shrugged. "Not that I need anyone's approval for anything. Did you get me a ring too? Cause that would be a crazy coincidence."

"Well, you earned the points, obviously," Mo tried on the ring and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it fit. And it had turtles, which was pretty cool. It was a completely random gift, but then so was the one he bought for Dora. Just something to make her laugh, because everyone needed to be amused on their birthday.

And then she went and mentioned Alice and West, who just so happened to be the two people in the world least likely to give a damn what Mo did or thought or wanted. Was that just complete innocence on Dora's part, or was it cruelty? Did she not know, or was she rubbing it in that they cared about her? Mo frowned thoughtfully and turned the ring on his finger. Or was she being a Ravenclaw and fishing? "No, I'm sure they don't approve of any of this, but you're a sport. So then... birthday gift for you." He pulled out one of those old fashioned Muggle hatboxes with a striped bow perched on top. Inside were a pair of the fuzziest and most ridiculous unicorn slippers known to wizarding-kind.

Dora nodded in agreement, and watched as he slipped the ring on his finger. She wasn't really all that surprised that it fit. Sizing for him wasn't too difficult and she'd been confident in her pick for him.

"They don't know, I didn't bother asking." It wasn't a big deal or anything. She had no intent of making it one either. Reaching over she took the box eagerly and carefully opened it up. The fourth year wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't a pair of fuzzy slippers.

She took them out and held them out. "This goes with absolutely nothing in my wardrobe." Lowering them just enough so he could see her face she smiled. "They're nice. I'll find something to go with them."

Mo leaned forward as she opened his gift, and then leaned back as she examined the slippers. She was smiling, so that was... promising. Even if she thought that slippers were meant to match things. Was she wearing them out to dinner or something? No, they were for funsies and feetsies.

"They're ridiculous and they should never match anything you wear, because you are NOT a ridiculous person," Mo decided as he slid forward and reached for the slippers. He pressed the nose of one of the unicorns, and it squeaked. Loudly. They made noise when you walked in them. Ridiculous.

"But they're funny, and you appreciate funny. I think." He hoped. Dora was hard to shop for, considering they weren't really proper friends. Yet.

The Slytherin's next stop...should have been one that was obvious to others. Really...Where could you go if you wanted to get something that the school didn't have.

The Room of Requirement.

Duh.

After pacing in front of the stretch of wall several times, he stepped through the door. The room had transformed to fit his needs, alright. Instead of furniture, bookshelves, stacks of junk that might have normally clutter the room, it was bare...save for a long table set up in the very center.

As Dylan approached it...he seen various forms of the potion ingredient laid out on the table. Whole form, powdered form, lightly crushed...but then there was the dilemma of which to take. Did he take them all? Just take the horn itself? That was probably best, right? So that it was fresh...and would be fresh when they went to use it for potions.

Making the decision, he removed several parchment from his pocket, laying them down on the table. Slipping his gloves back on, he picked up the horn and carefully began wrapping it up. The good thing about it was that these things were expensive...So, he knew Professor Lafay would really appreciate it. Hopefully. It was hard to tell with that lady.

Making sure it was good and secured, he turned to the other forms and pulled several vials from his pockets. Waste not, want not. He could use these himself maybe...

So, yea. Horn for Lafay...Powdered horn for him.

Three down. ONE to go...

"They... speak." Dora looked amused by this fact. Bedroom slippers that squeaked. She grinned. "I'm not ridiculous, and nothing I've ever had has squeaked before." They all sorts of other noises, but squeaking was so not her, and not something her family would buy her.

Coming from him though, she decided, it made sense. "This is a good gift. I like it. Mostly cause it came from you, ya know? Like it fits." She cocked her head to the side, hair falling off her shoulders. "I do. I appreciate things and people that make me think more though. This gift is kind of both. Cause I'm still figuring you out, and now I know for sure that you like funny stuff."

Mo did grin then, and it felt like the first time he'd grinned in ages. He'd almost thought his grin was broken, but then there it was. "I know exactly what you mean. I don't necessarily like funny stuff. I like it when people laugh, and I especially like it when I an make them laugh."

And that was one of those things that made him happy, and so he didn't have to give it up.

"But now... Miss Dora, since it's your birthday, wouldn't you like some cake?" Cake was pretty much the reason to HAVE birthdays, wasn't it?

"Cause you've got a lot of Hufflepuff in you." She nodded knowingly, like it was some big secret she'd figured out. His grinning was a good sign, since it meant that all his badgerness was showing. Mo was just weird without it. "I'm glad you got sorted in our house though, your brains would have been wasted there."

There was cake? She eyed the cake speculatively before nodding her head. "Sure, cake is always welcomed. Don't tell me what kind it is though, I want to guess."

"I've got Gryffindor in me, actually. I'm a Gryffinclaw, don't you know?" Mo raised a jaunty eyebrow. He'd been told over and over, and now Dora wanted to make him into a Hufflepuff too? Maybe he was a little bit of everything other than Slytherin.

He slid forward in his chair and cut a slice of cake for Dora. It tipped heavily onto the smaller place, and Mo offered the plate and a fork to the Ravenclaw girl. "I used to like cake metaphors, but they turned out to be sort of untrue."

"I've heard. I see more Hufflepuff though." She was still finding it hard to believe he had much Gryffindor in him, even if she did see a bit of it that one time. Mostly she saw the badger in him which wasn't a bad thing since she thought more highly of them than she did of Gryffindors in general.


Dora accepted the cake and poked at it with the fork for a moment before taking a small bite. "Chocolate. Good pick." It reminded her of all the chocolate goodness she had on her actual birthday. "What kind of cake metaphors?"

"It doesn't bother me," Mo shrugged and slumped back in his chair. He was a Ravenclaw through-and-through, and if he had a bit of Gryffindor or Hufflepuff or whatever in him, then that was just bonus good stuff. Or hopefully good stuff. She didn't see any of those bad traits in him, did she? "I hope it's good stuff, whatever you see."

He took a piece of cake as well, although Mo waited politely for Dora to have the first bite. Chocolate cake... gave him feels, but it was tasty and he wasn't going to deprive himself of good food. "It's my favorite, actually, so I'm glad you approve. And metaphors." He waved his fork in her direction. "Like cake as a metaphor for a specific person, is all."

She just blinked whens he came into what looked like a nice little sitting or reading room. Plush comfortable looking chairs were sitting in a circle - and there was even a nice little corner table that had empty and ready to be filled with treats. And that was exactly what she did.

The little table was soon covered with sweets and treats that she had brought specifically for a tea party. Even if it was just going to be her in here she at least was going to have the look of it being a fun occasion. After all she had told Lexa to come...for tea and cake and cookies and sweets... SWEEEEEEEEEETS. She loved sweets.

She was more excited about the fact that she saw a few tea cups and tea pots in the room. THERE WAS CHINA and real forks and knives. She immediately stuffed the sad excuse for a tea cup back into her bag as she bounced over to the cups and just held a little chipped cup in her hand.

"Oh chippy, I will save you from this room. So you can be used, and drunk from...and I'm bringing you a friend and a saucer...and a spoon and knife to keep you company." She was practically cooing at the cup as she sat there with it in her hand. She loved this. Real china REAL CHINA was just amazing. And it was real.

She was here.

Tea party/Homework time sounded good and Ella wasn't one to pass up spending time with people she enjoyed. The blonde came prepared, too. She had on tea party attire that her Gran would approve of and her Divination book in hand. See? She was ready to go.

Looking around the sixteen year old noted that only Mika was here so she walked over and gave the other blonde a broad smile. This was all her doing, yeah? "Hey Mika!" BEAM. "Nice set up you got here."

She would have arrived sooner but she had a hard time finding the door. At first it didn't even seem like one so she must have walked by it at least three times before it finally hit her.

She did find it though and was pleasantly surprized by all she saw when she entered. Look at those treats!! This was going to be the best tea party ever!!!...Not that she'd have anything to compare it with, she'd never been to one before--waaaait, no she had...and the other kid left crying. Good times, good times.

"Hey Mika! Hey Ella!"

Lex grinned at the two as she plopped down in the closest available chair. So she hadn't been as early as them but she was earlier than Hair Boy! He was still coming, yeah?

AND WHAT'S THIS??? REEEEEAL CHINA!!!

Hdfvkucgdifgk!!! Eeeeep!!!

THE ONESIE WAS BACK. GRIN.

Because... Alec had missed it. Really. It had been a long time since the boy had wandered around in this thing. A little too long. So when he had bumped into Mika who had told him about this littler gathering, the boy had hastily rushed back to his dorm just to change into this dark blue item of clothing that was covered in different types of Muggle sports balls. Because onesies were necessary for these things, yeah? And he had his bag with him so he didn't look too... odd.

So that was why he was arriving at the Room of Requirement a little later than he probably ought to. That, and the fact that he had stopped to fix his hair. That was important to do as well. Nodnod.

But he was here. Finally. And he had bounded into the room because he was HAPPY. It was homework which took away precious time from other things he could be doing but it was Divination homework. Which wasn't... too bad. Maybe. Just a bit confusing. But then again, the subject was confusing on its own.

And the room! And those treats! This was going to be really awesome wasn't it? ... OH. LADIES. ELLS, CANDY GIRL AND MIKA! "Hey, you guys!" Each girl got a grin as the boy moved forwards towards an empty seat. Maybe he should have dressed better for the occasion. Bowtie and all. Since Ells was sitting there looking beautiful in her dress and Mika and Candy Girl were looking nice and happy too. And what was he wearing? A onesie.

... "This looks really great!" And they... didn't mind... a guy being here, yeah?