This was the dumbest station ever. Really. Why hadn't they thought to place all the Captains at the bumper broom one, huh? Alice wasn't very much looking forward to spending the day blowing funnily shaped bubbles and throwing bits of chalk at Mo and Kat and the other students. No, she wanted to be flying. Or eating. Or doing anything else, save activities for three year olds.

Hmph.

Needless to say, the Gryffindor wasn't feeling awfully spirited today. Still, she had grudgingly seated herself crosslegged on the pathway, picking at a piece of chalk from a wicker basket with her grumpy face in place.

In an attempt to put herself back in the mix, Cardigan decided to make an appearance at the event. She had been absent from Hogwarts for quite some time, having attended a small, private wizarding school in Germany. Although not in her best interest, she didn't have much say in the matter. They had been gracious enough to let her attend for the last few months of her sixth year and then her seventh, though.

As long as she was here now, that was all that mattered.

Scoping out the scene, she decided to head over to the Chalk and Bubble area, where a cross-legged Alice Fischer was stationed. She didn't seem quite spirited about the fact. Going as speedily as her stubby legs would allow her to, she made her way towards the area, making her perch on the sidewalk. Cardigan was skilled in cheering others up, and that was exactly what she planned to do.

"Why the long face, Fischer?" Cardigan asked with genuine concern, picking up a stick of chalk precariously. Might as well do something to occupy her time here.

Oh, look. Person. Alice barely glanced up from the piece of chalk she was picking at, making a halfhearted attempt at drawing a stick person on the path with it. "'Cause." Good reason, right? She slumped a bit more, playing all the dramatics to accompany her grumping. This kid was a class one whiner. "I want to be over where the brooms are."

Even the roller rink or the gnome toss would have been better than bubbles.

They should have stuck the Hufflepuffs here.

Cardigan began to draw a lightly shaded rainbow, accompanying the girl's stick figure. It wasn't a very happy one, and it needed some light. Call her childish, but it was just her being her. She could be the most immature in the room, as well as the most mature. It could be one reason why she had skill in assisting others with their situations.

"'Cause what?" She asked, trying to decipher what the girl was saying. She didn't have much to work with from that. She would do her best.

"Oh, I see," Cardigan said as it clicked, the girl having explained her angst.

"Chalk and Bubbles not your thing, huh? Not mine, either."

Mischa was not much of an artistic person. Even as he entered teenage years his artwork never improved. Yet he was taking one of those baskets filled with chalk. He didn't care what anyone thought. He would draw on the castle's wall. But what to draw? He did not have the slightest idea right then. He looked around the grounds for an inspiration.

One of Karina's secret pleasures was drawing. She was careful to make sure that no one else saw her drawings, she didn't want anyone to see she cared so much about something or more that she couldn't draw perfectly. She wasn't bad at drawing, she just wasn't great either.

Still, there was nothing after the tasks that could cheer her up quite like drawing and Hogwarts so conveniently had supplied tools for her. But what to draw? She only drew from life, didn't have the creativity not to, and she didn't find anything quite so interesting around here...

Oh.

Yes. There was Mischa over there, wasn't it? Her heart skipped a beat or perhaps two and sped up to a hundred miles an hour. She cleared her throat and approached the Durmstranger.
"Ahh, hello, Cha," she said with a small smile, reaching down to take some of the chalk he already had in a bucket in his hand and "accidentally" brushing up against his fingertips in the process. Another smile and an uncharacteristically shy duck behind her red hair. For once she didn't flick it back over her shoulder.

Things had been so complicated between the two of them lately. Ever since their first task together things had just been... well different. She didn't know how to explain it, but she definitely liked the boy. He liked her back.... right? To be honest, she really didn't know. Sometimes he seemed distant, purposefully not sitting next to her at meals or walking the other direction down a hallway when she appeared around a corner. He hadn't been trying to nicely hint that he didn't like her...had he? Her heartbeat sped up even more if that was possible. Quickly turning to the wall to focus on something, she blindly fingered the chalk in her hand. She didn't even know what color it was.

Green. Huh. Mischa's favorite. Of course. She glanced out of the corner of her eye (and through her veil of hair) at Cha. Don't think about him so much! she silently berated herself. But she couldn't help it.

Chalk art was fine and good for people who could draw, but Mo could not. Plus Alice seemed to have that whole... thing under control at the moment. She looked really thrilled about it to, to be honest. Mo puttered around the basket of chalk for a minute, but since it seemed like everyone was already gravitating towards the chalk, he moved on to the soapy water.

Bubbles. Those were cool, right? Since he had helped charm it himself, he might as well enjoy some of the fruits of his labor. He took up one of the bubble wands and held it do his eye like a monocle. "Eh, pip pip, I say. I bet I can blow a bigger bubble than anyone. I bet I can blow a bubble big enough to capture one Alice Fischer inside of it. Anyone want to take my bet?" Because what was a competition without an opponent.

Mischa was now just blankly staring at the wall deciding it had been a bad idea to make a drawing. Besides the real reason why he was here was because of Karina. He knew she liked drawing and he guessed she would be there. But he was rethinking his decision not because she was not there as yet but because he didn't want her to see his terrible work of he ever did get around to drawing anything. He was sure Karina was good at the thing even though he never saw her work but she always had a sketch pad and pencils with her.

That beautiful voice brought him out of his reverie and an automatic smile came to his lips. "Hello, Karina,'' he said. Did he ever mention he liked it alot when she called him Cha? He liked it very much. When she brushed his fingers he wished he could just take her hand and hold onto it forever.

Her hair. Mischa also liked her hair. He thought that was her best feature. The seventh year had also accepted the fact that he definitely liked her. There was only the problem of her already been taken by his best friend of all people. He noticed the colour of the chalk in her hand. His favourite colour. Coincidence? "Probably,'' he thought. He cleared his throat. "Vhat are you going to draw?'' Finally he was going to have a chance at viewing her art work.

"You," she said the word quietly, almost silently; she hadn't meant to say it out loud. Maybe he hadn't heard on the other side of her hair? But she had to think of another plausible answer quickly in order to not seem suspicious. "Um...," her head came up and her eyes darted around for something worth drawing. She pointed. "That gargoyle!" she said relieved that she had found something in time. It was a good alternative, interesting enough that she would have to focus on it instead of the seventh year next to her. But what if he doesn't like it? a silly little voice whispered in the back of her head. "Unless you think I should draw something else..." she said, finally turning her head to meet Mischa's gaze dead on. Again, she couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry?'' Mischa replied. For a moment he could swear she said you. But that couldn't be. He tried to catch a glimpse of Karina's face but her beautiful red hair was obscuring her pretty face. He decided his ears were playing tricks on him.

His eyes traveled to the gargoyle Karina was pointing to. He was disappointed. But did he honestly expect her draw him? He randomly selected a chalk from the basket though Mischa had no idea what he would be drawing. His eyes flashed back to Karina and this time he could see her smiling face. Something else......he had an idea. "Us,'' he told her. "Us at the first task.''

Her heart rate returned to a semi normal rate, or as normal as it was going to get around Mischa, when he seemed to buy that she had meant the gargoyle all along. Not for long though. Cha apparently didn't like the very nice Hogwartian gargoyle over in the corner and instead wanted him to draw them. Karina and Mischa. At the first task. When all this... this started. Commence mild panic attack in her mind. "Oh, but it was dark. My drawing would be all blacked out," she said cleverly dodging the thought of "us", and not so cleverly slipping into her own language. Way to be intimate. Karina flushed and continued on, probably babbling, "Besides it being dark, I can... only draw from life. And that's in my memory." She looked down. It wasn't a very good excuse, even though it was a true one.

Mischa was wondering what would be Karina's reaction to his suggestion. He was actually hoping she was going to draw them.....but once again he felt disappointed. Was she just making excuses? But then again it could be true. "Ve had flash lights,'' he pointed out. Mischa shrugged hoping his disappointment did not show though he did notice Karina's excess chattering. She was never one to chatter like that. Had his suggestion made her....nervous?

If she didn't want to draw them it was okay. "I vill give it a try. Do not laugh at my vork, Karina,'' he said a smile playing his lips. He began by sketching that big rock that had served as a table for the instruments they needed to complete the task .

Giving her stick man a sloppily drawn grumpy face, Alice made sure to sketch him facing away from the rainbow. Her little dude didn't need to be contaminated with the happiness, okay? If he wanted to be a grouch, he could be. Stick people freedoms and all that.

Glancing away from Cardigan and the chalk doodles momentarily, her eyes flickered over to the Durmstragglers that had arrived at the station. It took a few moments for her to comprehend that the foreigners had been invited too, and Alice immediately started grumping again.

"If it's not your thing, how come you're here?" 'Cause this girl could move around stations if she pleased, unlike Alice, who was stuck here.

"Hate to pop your bubble, Branxton," LOL, more puns. Where was Nigel? Did he hear how good she'd gotten? "But any bubble I blew would make your bubble cry. And then pop itself as an act of self loathing."

Alice, somewhat less grumpy, finished up her glum stick figure drawing before scooting over to a bowl filled with soapy water. She'd actually never blown bubbles before, so the sixth year was quite intrigued by the bubble wands and their magic. How was she supposed to hold this thing?

Brandishing it like a sword seemed like the best option.

Finishing up her rainbow, Cardigan moved on to drawing grey clouds above Alice's stick figure, adding to it's demise. If it wanted to be that way, fine. Reverse psychology, if you will. She added multiple raindrops too, giving the storm clouds an accent. It was coming along nicely, if one considered being down in the dumps a positive thing.

"'Cause," She said, mimicking the girl's first and foremost grumpy response, wearing her signature smirk. "I wanna make you feel better. It's kinda my thing, lifting spirits. Weird, I know."

I mean, would you rather me go to the Bumper Brooms and rub them in your face? I didn't think so." Who would? Trust her, she had experience in the matter. In the favor of lifting up spirits, it all made sense.

"Look, we may not be best best friends, but I do care." She did. Others feeling better made her feel better. That's usually why she was the first to go cheer someone up. There weren't people lining up around the block to lift up her spirits. Long story short, she didn't have many friends. It didn't bother her. At least, not a lot.

Better to just continue to draw raindrops and clouds, ya know?

"Your confidence is unbeliev-bubble," Mo shook his head in response before blowing a small test bubble. Or he intended it to be small, although it ended up being the size of a beach ball. It bounced up over Mo, heading toward Alice's Slytherin friend.

"Oh, watch out! Bubble on the loose!" He didn't chase it, though, on account of it was just a bubble and couldn't hurt her. Did Alice see that, though? Did she see? Without even TRYING, he'd blown a bubble bigger than his head.

"So a bet, then? Biggest bubble gets... what?"

Karina looked down, a bit ashamed at her pathetic excuses. She was a Durmstranger. Durmstrangers did not make excuses. She smiled when she saw the lumpy circle he had drawn for the big rock that must be part of their first task. Hmmm... it wouldn't hurt to add to the drawing, even though it might not be her best work. She drew a triangle with a swooping upside down arc and hoped Cha would be able to recognize it as a sextant. She turned to him to point it out but stopped when she noticed his profile. She had been looking for something interesting to draw, here it was practically handed to her. Sketching a couple flashlights on the table so as not to alert the other Durmstranger of her true purpose (keeping his focus on that drawing), she decided that she had been telling the truth when she had responded "you" earlier.

A couple minutes later, she had the outline of his head and hair, plus a bit of his eyes done. She was determined to get this right, even though drawing on a wall with crumbly chalk wasn't the easiest medium. She also was determined to do his mouth last. So she wouldn't have to focus on it too much. For obvious reasons.

Kat was here. Maybe a wee bit late than she was supposed to arrive, but she was still here. That was what mattered and all. So yeah, there. And she brought food which she stole from one of the baskets at the picnic area but she wasn't going to tell anybody about that.

So... chalk art and bubbles. The Head Girl didn't know what to feel about this place, but it was new and unique. Probably something Hogwarts has never had before.

"Hey," she greeted Alice and Mo, because she'd be manning this part of the event with the two of them. Not a problem. At least they weren't stuck with West, who Kat knew wasn't going to be pleased if he were in this place with them. "I have food." That was important. So... sandwiches and random fruits (?) and stuff that she could actually carry. Anyway, yeah.

She didn't know what the sandwiches were made of, by the way. Kat totally didn't know what the heck the others have been planning on. Just no love potions, yeah? She was watching out for Gaston.

Also, picking up a piece of chalk, Kat began writing on the wall. Katrina was here. Ooooh, shocker.

Caleb couldn't believe it. How was he done with his first year already? It had been a lot more eventful than he'd thought it would be - he got to FLY around the lake in Astronomy, his toenails had grown in Divination thanks to some annoying foreign students, kids had gotten slipped love potions, a fake chamber opening - it was crazy! He couldn't believe one year was DONE already!

Now he really pitied his dad. He'd only had THREE years of this? No wonder he was so weird sometimes.

He decided to head to the chalk area. He hadn't drawn with chalk in ages! He sat down cross legged on the ground and began to draw the Slytherin crest. As he drew the crest on the ground, he looked over and noticed the Head Girl nearby. He grinned. "Hiya Kat!" he said with a smile.

WAIT. She was a seventh year. This might be the last time he ever got to talk to her! The realization hit him like a brick and he looked down at his chalk drawing. This wasn't fair. All the seventh years were leaving - it made the realization of term being over so much more REAL.

Drawing definitely was not his strong point. Give him the most complicated Arithmancy problems to solve and he would be able to do just that but this was beyond impossible. Mischa was surprised when Karina joined in but he really was happy. They were working on this together. He watched as she drew something in the shape of a triangle. "The sextant,'' he murmured. He continued to watch as she added the flashlights completely unaware of what Karina was planning on sketching.

"Ve can't forge the coins,'' Mischa stated and reached up to draw the bag in which the coins were to be held. In the process he accidentally brushed Karina's hand. Her soft hand......"Sorry,'' he said not at all sorry. He continued to work on the bag trying his best to get it to actually look like a bag.

Good. He recognized what she was trying to draw. "Yes! Exactly." Karina said more to keep his attention on that rather than the sketch of him coming together in front of her. She shouldn't be worried, he seemed fairly involved in the job of drawing their first task. In doing so he carelessly brushed her hand, nearly knocking her chalk into her other drawing. Luckily he didn't, otherwise Karina might have given away what she was actually drawing. "It's alright," she said quietly in response to his "sorry". Still she wished it had been more than a glance and that Cha had decided to hold her hand. *Sigh* She couldn't have everything after all. Karina smiled warmly and touched up what she assumed to be the bag that held the coins, adding a shadow to make it seem more like an object and less like an oval in midair.

The drawing of his face was coming along nicely too, his eyes were completely done, so was his hair and half his nose. She was still holding out on his mouth though.

Their drawing was coming along nicely. It was better drawing together than drawing separately. "Ve make a good team, Karina,'' he said almost absent mindedly as she did some touching up to his clumsy money bag sketch. He had not realised that until after the first task. His eyes traveled to what she was drawing. Was that......him? He had been assuming she was finishing up on the flashlights but she had been sketching him.

"Vou draw vonderfully,'' the boy complimented. The sketch did look somewhat like him. "The real me has a mouth though.'' He smiled as if to prove he did.

It just so happened that her most favorite Captains and Head Girl were all in one convenient spot. How lucky for Caterina, who, after getting herself a basket of food, had wandered along to every spot, trying to find the boy of hers. Well, she might have lingered here and there and observed and such, but eventually, she'd found the right spot.

That was what counted, right?

SURE.

Swinging her basket, Cat wiggled her fingers at Alice, blew a kiss at Kat (HI KATRINAAAAAAA) and waved her basket at Mo. "How big of a bubble can you blow?" She inquired, raising both eyebrows in curiosity.

Kat was drawing random stuff because she was bored. Like a flower and then a pretty butterfly over there. She wasn't the best artist and nothing interesting had captured her eye. And then she started drawing a Golden Snitch, some Quidditch-related stuff. Oh, did someone say her name? Kat looked around and saw her faaaaaaavourite firstie. Well, one of them. "Hey, Caleb!" He got a smile for the Head Girl because that totally made things special.

.... And then he looked sort of sad. Did she do something wrong? Kat blinked. "You okay?" she asked. Why was one of her favourite firsties sad? Hoping it would make the younger Slytherin smile, Kat drew a happy-smiley face on the wall. Smile, yeah?

And that was her older!ickle. The other Cat. The one with the 'C' instead of a 'K'. Kat caught the kiss and pulled it close to her heart, all dramatic-like. She then beamed at the fifth year and waved at her. So yeah, she wasn't going to pull her away from Mo. Boyfriends were priorities too.

And speaking of boyfriends, where was hers?

Caleb chuckled. Aww, how nice, trying to cheer him up. There was definitely a reason the Head Girl came from the BEST house ever - because she was awesome.

"Nothing, it's just hitting me how people are graduating and leaving and stuff, you know?" he said. He was sure she did. She'd had to experience this MANY times, and it was only going to get tougher from here on out. He'd have to deal with it - he'd find that Gryffindor bit of him and be brave.

"Are you excited to graduate?" he asked, trying to change the subject to a happy one.