Robin had to literally hold herself from jumping up and down in delight. Not only was she conversing,like, out loud, but Lucas seemed to be a lot more comfortable now, or, at least the scared rabbit look was gone.
She slapped her forehead when he explained the logical reasoning behind the assumption. "Wow I really should have realized that jeez how dense can I get?" She groaned, then pinched her own cheeks, making a face "These don't help my case either, I think they're forever swollen from my grandparent's pinching them" She rubbed her cheeks as he expressed disbelief at her statement of him being her first friend.
"I know, I know, a magnificent girl such as myself would seem to have befriended the entire school but alas." She brought her hand to her forehead dramatically "Fate has decided that it would grant me the social skills of a peanut" She scoffed at his teasing. "Oh please- do you think just anyone would have kept talking to me this long? You sir, have patience." She closed he eyes and nodded solemnly, approving her statement. Peeking one eye open she smiled.
As for his inquires about Quidditch, she told the honest truth.
"Oh trust me, if I had ever played a game, I probably wouldn't even be here to talk about it. Most likely I would have drifted into a cloud and be to scared to come down, drifting on forever more." She shrugged "I'm sure you're much better than you're giving yourself credit for, no one can love flying and not be good at it." Well, she couldn't imagine it anyway.

She could tell that he didn't think Herbology and Divination were all that 'cool' but she knew she couldn't force interests on anybody.
"Well I'm more interested in plants, how they grow, and what they do the topiares where...new to me. definitely new. But I could tell they were grown really well" She remembered. She huffed out teasingly as Lucas laughed at the prospect of her liking divination. "I'm sure it's not THAT bad broomhead, just different" She said the broomhead term teasingly- if he could make fun of her classes she could make fun of his. Who knows? It could be and endearing new nickname for him. She heard the 'tea leaves' mentioned and couldn't help but start.
"What? they use tea leaves??" She grinned at her good fortune. "I'm there man, I've got that subject covered." Or, at least the tea leaves part.

Ok, so maybe this whole people thing wasn't so hard. Or maybe it was just that Robin was nice and conversation. In any case, he wasn't sweating or clammy anymore. Nevertheless, he shrugged helplessly at her reaction. "A lot of people did the same to me when I was a first year," he explained, giving her a small smile.
Except then she was pinching her cheeks and Lucas didn't get it. ..."..because they make you look.. younger?" Huh? Cheeks were just cheeks. Unless he had not been informed of something really important.

He griiiiinned at her sarcasm and let out an outright and rather loud laugh when she compared herself to a peanut. "I get that, too. But hey, you've stuck with me in this conversation this long, who knows what'll happen?" he said, "maybe you'll develop super social skills? Evolve from a peanut to a walnut." Grin. Lucas gave her a serious look when she commended him, "I'm actually completing a super secret assignment. It's uh, 'befriending the previously unbefriended' and I have to find people to harass in corridors. Like you! Except you were in a portrait, but they weren't really specific on the location. Just the 'harassing them with conversation' part." Sometimes, this boy, and his long winded jokes.

Apparently Lucas was the extraneous variable in everything. "Uh, well, not flying. I actually get freaked out about Quidditch." People watching, being so high up WITH people watching. It was a recipe for panic attack disaster. But Lucas did have an idea. "Well, the first year kind of sucks because it's a compulsory class. But uh, maybe, we could go to the pitch sometime? Practise?" He remembered it being pretty sucky until he got over the fact that people were watching and remembered that he flew pretty well.

"You could tell that?" That the plants were well grown? Huh. That was a pretty special skill. "...was it the walking around and scaring us part that gave it away?" Huh. Funny.
Broomhead? Lucas griiiiinned. "That's a good one." And it gave the impression he was really good with Quidditch. Which was always a bonus.
He felt a bit bad that it seemed like he was bashing her favourite subjects. "Professor Elwood is really awesome though, right. And he has a club too. It's wicked." But wait a minute.. she had an affection for tealeaves?
"Uh yeah. Wait.. is that because you have tea leaves on you," Lucas begun, ".. or because you know how to read them?" Because if so, she was going to have to teach him. He didn't think another ten years of Professor Elwoods subtle direction would help Lucas actually see the anvil or the woman's face in his tea cup.

But that could've been because he spent most classes trying not to break the crockery. Oops.

Tessa slowly climbed through the portrait and walked into the Common Room. She plopped down into a seat beside the fire, stretching as she did. It was amazing how much steps could tire her out- but that's what multiple trainings did. And the pros never complained, so she wouldn't!

She looked around for any familiar faces... or new ones!

The smirk was noticable and Ben became very aware he might have done the opposite of what he had intended to do with his words. To warn him that the dorms might not be the best place to let loose his plans. At least as the first prank of the year. "Its supposed to be spelled to react rather negatively," he answered, having briefly remembered someone mentioning it, maybe a prefect once. Though Ben couldn't remember the details at the moment. "Maybe like the enchanted stairs." The ones that could trip you up if you weren't paying enough attention to them.

Yeah, runes was definitely a reading subject. As was arithmacy and history of magic. Subjects Ben himself didn't totally mind at least some of the time. Unlike potions, a class that he didn't really enjoy that apparently was Bart's favorite. "Guess that's something we don't have in common."

Robin raised her eyebrows at Lucas' statement. "Really? you must have had a major growth spurt then, I would have thought you were a third year at least" She already had to look up to him, but whether he was just tall, or she was just short, she didn't know. Maybe a bit of both? She explained about the cheeks thing "Let's just say that my family calls me chipmunk and that last year someone thought I was a second grader" It was still a sore subject for her. Just because she had a baby face didn't mean she was one!
She beamed at his humour. "I don't know broomhead, peanuts are definitely yummier, maybe I'll wait a bit to evolve." She listened to his long joke until he finished, when he was done she just stared at him, blinked a couple times, and doubled over in laughter.
"Oh...my god" laugh "You are the" laugh "coolest" laugh "Person I've" laugh "ever met" laugh "EVER" she was out of breath from laughing so hard and had to take a moment to come to her senses. When she did she griiined.
"You'd practice with me? Oh I'd love that! I'm not really interested in Quidditch either but just flying is amazing!" Imagine her actually practicing with someone who knew about it- she wouldn't fall on her face anymore! definitely a perk.
She giggled at his assumption"Well yeah that too, but I could mostly tell because the leaves were full and healthy, no brown patches, and the soil was perfectly damp but not flooded, I'd say definitely well taken care of" she hoped she wasn't sounding like a textbook, and quickly moved on to the other question.
"I help my grandmother in her tea store so she teaches me about the kinds of leaves and what they do, maybe that will give me a head start in divination? If it does I'll trade you flying lessons for divination ones" If he was interested, although if he wasn't that into divination he didn't have to.
"Or you can just teach me flying for free" She smirked.

His brown eyes still at the entrance to the girls dorm. Spells? He could figure out spells, or well try to at least. What was the worst they could have on there really. "Negatively I could handle negatively that's not that big of a deal." He had plenty of negative happen to him so if he had a spell against him no big deal, plus if he could succeed in doing a prank in there well worth it.

"What could I do once I get in there that would be epic though? I need something good. Duplicating frogs just wouldn't cut it if I'm going against protective charms." He was lost in thought trying to figure it out. Toilet papering there rooms? Toothpaste in their clothes? What could he do there had to be something good. He looked to his friend to see if he had any ideas.

His thoughts broken by something about common and he shrugged. "Don't have to have everything in common." What his mind jumped, "That's it. A pimple making potion or puking potion. We could put it in their toothpastes or face creams." That would be epic, yes it would be.

Lucas shrugged a little self-consciously. "My parents are really tall," he explained and then grinned. Really? A third year? AWESOME.

He laughed and nodded. "Chipmunk is your new name. That is awesome." Except she didn't LOOK like a chipmunk "Not that you look like a squirrel. You look.. you know, uh, normal. Just.. it's a cool nickname." It was clear though, that Lucas' humour wasn't lost on EVERYONE. She was laughing! At his jokes! BOTH OF THEM.
"I am?" he replied, unable to keep from beaming at her. Well then! HUH. "But you've got to keep quiet because you know, uh, secret spy business."

He nodded seriously. Of course! "Me too!" Quidditch was intimidating business. "We should do that sometime. Just, uh, wait till tryouts are over and the pitch is free." Because it sounded like an AWESOME plan.

She was clearly an EXPERT. Oh the likes of his ice-cream addiction. She knew her stuff. Lucas listened intently, surprised at the devotion she had to the plant. Maybe he needed to reconsider his apathy towards Herbology!
"Uh yes please!" he replied, a little taken in awe of the suggestion.

"So.. you could actually show me the little head in the cup or whatever I'm supposed to see, huh?"

Robin saw Lucas shrink a little when she mentioned his height and made a mental note not to bring it up again, although he did seem happy to be considered older, hmmm note taken. He was lucky his parents were tall- if she could grow to a normal height she'd be lucky.
"Chipmunk in exchange for broomhead, I think this will work well my friend." She had never had a nickname before, well from friends at least. Unless you counted the multiple 'Bird-brain' calls in past years. Really it wasn't even that clever! She flushed a bit when he started backtracking, thinking he'd insulted her or something.
"no no no! It's like, totally fine oh..um.. and your head doesn't look like a broom either" She gave a small smile "Let's just agree we have, like, the best nicknames ever, deal?" Awkward moment avoided. well hopefully, she either avoided it or made it worse..same difference really.

She eagerly nodded "Definitely the coolest, hands down." She worked hard to keep a straight face, which wasn't really working because she felt her cheeks start to hurt. Still, she did her best to nod seriously "Don't worry agent Lucas, your secret is safe with me, we can't go around letting people know you're cool, then you would know better then to hang with weirdos like me..I'll keep it on the down low"

She jumped in glee "Okay! after tryouts then! did you know I had the nerve to actually sign up for them? well a older kid kind of made me, but i didn't show up when I realized that you kind of have to know how to fly... who knew right?" She joked. Though hers seemed dry to Lucas' jokes. Dang he should tutor her in humour too.

"Well I hope so, if I can even see the thing~ I'll let you know how it goes but if you hear the sound of breaking china... just assume that maybe I'm not the best tutor" But she had to admit, her confidence was high for this class and was excited to begin it."So where are you from Lucas? Any exciting stories to tell?" She was curious, if he was from the wizarding world- what was it like?

He laughed. Brilliant. "That's a deal then, Chip." It didn't occur to him that if he continued substituting abbreviations for nicknames which were substitutions in themselves that he'd be left calling people by the first letter of their names IF THAT. Maybe it would all devolve into pointing and high-pitched distinct sounds. Now that would be WEIRD. He let out soft sigh of relief. THANK MERLIN. She wasn't upset, which was ePIC. And meant she was cool. Tick of approval, Chipmunk!Girl. "Ya huh," he said, in relief. "Broomhead was very inspired, I've got to say."

He chortled in response to her good-natured jibe. "Oh no, you misunderstood, you see my mission is to learn from you! You're the cool one. I have to investigate your coolness and report back. It's very complicated." The Gryffindor laughed as she relayed her intention to sign up for the team but backed out as the obvious flying predicament came into play. "YOU DID!? Why didn't you GO!? Man, I bet you would've been great. Don't, like, uh, doubt it. That always makes it so much worse. When you overthink and get nervous. Ugh." Ya huhhhh. Lucas knew what that was like.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I think it's all about 'thinking' you can see it. But in any case, if it DOES work, I'm really interested to see. I think that'd be cool. I'd learn to do the thing and drink lots of tea to see what my future's going to be like." And then came the inevitable background question and Lucas made a face. "Uh. Not really? Well I guess.. I'm a twin, that's kind of cool right? He's in Ravenclaw. My parents were Aurors, that's also kind of noteworthy right. I'm not cool in my own right, if that's what you were asking. It's all sort of passed down to me epicness." STILL EPIC THOUGH.

It was late, and dark, she was tired and had somehow managed to navigate too many flights of stairs without herself or the topiary plummeting to their death. This was in itself a small kind of miracle. It wasn't very often she visited the common room, and most of the times she had were before the students even arrived.

But right now, she was on a mission. Mission Surprise-The-Lions-With-A-Lion-Topiary! ... perhaps to elaborate a name.

Strangely enough, it had come as a surprise to her that the Fat Lady didn't just grant her access the moment she saw her approach. She was the Gryffindor Head of House! ... and yet she still needed to know the password. As it so happened, she couldn't remember what she had set it to for this term, all she knew was that it related to the food she consumed over the summer break. The Fat Lady had ruled our rhubarb crumble, bertie botts, pumpkin pie and a host of other things. And then...

"Humbugs!" she'd exclaimed, relieved to see the Fat Lady finally gave way. Merlin was that an ordeal.

Directing the lion topiary she had promised Bart for the common room with her wand, Seren led the way inside, her wandless arm laden with spray bottles of fertilised water. She was thankful for the roaring fire otherwise she'd have likely fallen smack bang on her face by tripping on anything and everything. Seren hadn't given the common room much of a look, so she wasn't aware if anyone was awake or not. Placing the spray bottles on the low table, her glance quickly shifted to the couch. The warm, soft, yet old and probably a little dirty couch. The fire light dancing across it invitingly.

...

.......

Without any hesitation, Seren kicked off her shoes and let herself flop on its surface, curling up with her head on one of the cushions. Maybe she'd just rest a bit before taking the long and tedious trip back.

Or.

Maybe she'd just sleeep..... herrrrreeee... the night...... zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Yawning Bart had come down from the dorm early. Why was he up so early though he wasn't sure. Never the morning person at all. He was not happy either, his beard that had been growing was epic and awesome he he was leaving boy hood in amazing speed, he didn't think he'd get a beard until at least seventh year like his step brother, but he had one. Scratching at his chin making sure it was still there, but it was the hair on his pillow each morning that was bothering him.

His nice shaggy hair was getting thinner and thinner. Even with a patch of bald that he was still trying to cover up on the top. Stepping into the common room his eyes widened and bald forgotten. "THAT'S A PLANT LION!!!" SCORE!

Bentley kept her promise... BENTLEY KEPT HER PROMISE!!

The boy's mood changed and he was hurrying over towards the topiary. Looking at it in awe, This was amazing. Did she know? He couldn't wait to tell her, but now could he ride it. Glancing around he didn't see anyone else around so the twelve year old man boy climbed on it's back. This was awesome he was never walking in this common room again!

As the lion started to walk Bart grinned, "I'm kind of the common room!!" He laughed and started humming, "I can't just wait to be king.." He sang to himself until he saw someone sleeping on a couch. "Onward lion." He pointed towards the figure, but the lion had stopped moving.

Sighing the boy slide off the plant and walked over toward... Bentley. She was sleeping on their couch. The head of house was on their couch. He moved really really close to her face with his own and just stared..


Stare..

As late as it was Alexa hadn't been sleeping yet. She wasn't usually asleep at this time of the night anyway. Nah, too much to do and too much sugar consumed within the last few hours for her to really even bother. It was a routine she was used to and one her timetable should have been more accomadating with. Sleeping at 3am then having to be up by 6 was torture in itself. Was it any wonder why she preferred the weekends???

Not wanting to disturb her dormmates, Lex grabbed her book and her wand and headed for the Common Room. The Prefect didn't expect anyone awake at this hour so the room would be all hers to practice her new curse in...or so she thought until she saw the silhouette of someone buy the couch and someone else?

What the kneazle? Did curfew mean nothing to anyone anymore?

Getting closer she realized it was Bart. Oh Bart. Nope. She never saw him. He wasn't standing there and she would mind her own business. If he couldn't be up in the morning for classes then he could miss them. It wasn't any concern of hers and in fact she pretended he wasn't standing there at all. Instead she pulled her wand from it's holster and placed a few pokes on the cheek of who she now realized was their Head of House. "Professor...? Profeeeeessor? Did something man eating crawl into your own bed?" Couches were an odd choice when you had a comfy bed to look forward to at an hour like this.

Sleeping. She was sleeping, and dreaming... about allllll sorts of good things. The couch though squishy, perhaps wasn't the best place to be sleeping in the middle of the night. Never mind the fact that she was in the student common room of all places.

Stirring, Seren kept her eyes closed, refusing to wake. She was resting, she needed this. If it wasn't for the strange feeling that she was being watched, she would have easily fallen back into her slumber, but tha----

"Mmmmrrrrrgghhh," she murmured, swatting at whatever was poking her face. Couldn't she just sleeeeeeep? Please? The familiar voice of Alexa Cambridge drew her from her sleep, her eyes flying open. Only, she didn't see the Prefect, no, she was first confronted with the sight of Bart Maroon inches from her face.

...
...

"Eeeeeeeeeeerrrrrr?" was all she could manage, her own eyes bulging a bit as she tried to focus on the boy in front of her. Why was he so close? And why was he watching her sleep? Huuuuhhhh? The mention of something man eating indicated to her that Lex was nearby, and sheee had been the one to poke her! "I-I-I don't thinks sooooooo," she replied, stifling a yawn with her hand.

Merlin.

"What time is it?" She'd have asked why they weren't in bed, but she could hardly throw stones in glass housesgreenhouses.

Bart was staring at Professor cool plants when he felt someone next to him and jumped a bit at a wand. He glanced to see Alexa next to him, what was she doing. He thought about moving back away from the professor figuring he'd be blamed for poking her, because he was always blamed for things, but his attention went back to the professor and thoughts of moving slipped away.

Was she waking?

He continued to watch and then his focus moved back to Alexa as she spoke, man eating plant, "Cool can I see?" He really wanted to see one of those plants, it would be awesome, but again focus moved back to the waking professor and she looked at him funny. Oh was he too close. Bart awkwardly moved back a little, "Sorry" He shuffled a bit and still watched.

What time was it, who cares, "Do you bring that Lion it was awesome! Can we keep it and ride it all over. Can it be mine to ride!" like only his because he was king of the common room. Yep just made himself that did they know.

In the dim light Lex could see the Professor stirring with each poke. Good. That was kinda the point, you know? Why else would she bother poking. Once she was sure the woman was even a little awake and Bart was apologizing, she lowered her wand. Her work was done. Bart's response to the man eating plant hardly went registered by her; expected when he was all but dead to her. "No? Nothing? Pity. I mean good because you're alive and all but pity 'cause I can't volunteer to go down with you and help remove it." More like get an eyeful for herself at this usually dull time of the night but eh, details details.

There was talk of a lion topiary and riding. Lex would have asked but it was easier minding her own business so she focused on her conversation with the Professor...who'd started going on about time.

"It's about 1:10 am Professor. Shoddy time to be sleeping on the couches, don't you think? Was there another invasion that forced you up here to make sure we're safe? Can I see?"

She was a Prefect and in all her years of being here she'd seen that Prefects got to see EVERYTHING. They sometimes got briefed on things and were responsible for making everyone else run. If this was one of those times then the Professor could get Bart to bed and she would happily slip through the Portrait hole to get a look see.

Good plan if she did say so herself.

Mmm. Bacon.

Coul made his way up from the kitchen and finally arrived in the common room with a rather large pile of bacon sitting on his plate. He glanced at the plate briefly while whispering 'Humbugs' to the Fat Lady and entering the common room. Not to his surprise, the plate had mysteriously lost a good portion of what he'd made originally. His breath smelt like the greasy meaty goodness and he had been with Elodie for a good portion of the walk back.

Nevermind that though because now he could go sit in his corner and eat the bacon in peace. Unluckily for him, the smell did carry and could fill a room quickly. The hungry eyes didn't stop him from putting the plate down next to his favorite armchair in the back left corner of the room and taking a seat.

Mm. Now to eat.

Munch munch.

Schuyler's body extended across the length of the loveseat and she used the armrest as a sort of back to lean her shoulders against. Her herbology homework was before her, mostly done. Topiaries. Topiary design. That sort of thing. But something distracted the brunette soon after the portrait hole opened up. A distraction in the form of a scent.

A bacon-y scent.

Up until now she had been absolutely fine, but now this bacon scent comes along and out of nowhere pangs of hunger attacked her stomach. Not even intense hunger. Just for something nibble on. Like, say, a slice of bacon.

And there went Coul. With said bacon. She heard the noise of the plate being placed against the floor. She could reach that. If she slithered forward off the armrest and stretched her arm out.

And that's what she did. "Hi, Coul," she smiled, half hanging off the sofa. Reach, reach.

She didn't even try to hide the fact that she was in for stealing a slice.

He should have known.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he should have known that the bacon would attract people. He wasn't overly bothered by the fact that it would so much as the fact that he would have less. Eh. Whatever.

Wiggling in his chair a bit, the one that he'd marked up a few terms back with quill ink, he got comfortable just in time for a figure to appear.

And this figure.. well she didn't look comfortable.

"Hi Schuyler...." He watched her a moment before straightening his leg forward, and pushing the plate a little closer to her.

Sharing is caring.. or something.

Aww, how nice. That was easier.

But this was kind of fun. She slipped onto her back and reached backwards. And grabbed. And this was stretching out her back and it felt good. Schuyler took the slice from the plate and placed it in between her teeth before she pulled herself back up on the couch again. Abs. Ya know. Work the abs.

She crunched on the first bite. "Elodie got bored of you?"

With a grin, she took another bite. Not bad bacon.

He watched her change her positioning with furrowed brows and confused eyes, not really sure what she was doing.

Did she want the bacon?

Oh. Okay. Uh..

He watched her eat, getting hungry for more already, but not quite mouth watering hungry. Just the slowly emptying stomach kind that could definitely be ignored if he wanted it to be.

"Bored of me? No.. I think I was making her sad. We were talking about next term and.. I dunno. Thought i'd give her space. She could go talk to Cat or.. or go to class or whatever." He knew she wanted him closer but he figured he ought to start leaning her off him 'cause she'd need to learn how to deal with it for next term.

She was the opposite of bored with him. He hoped.

It didn't take long to finish off the piece of bacon. And once she did, Schuyler flipped over yet again, onto her stomach.

Her hands went atop the armrest and beneath her chin. Coul. She was joking. Did he know that?

But his answer wasn't one she exactly expected. Sad? No, she hadn't expected him to answer that he had been making her sad. Oh. Then it made sense, though. Right. "Ah, I see." She'd forgotten that he was leaving after this term. Seventh year, yeah. Sometimes the fifth, sixth, and seventh years all ran together for Schuyler. They all just seemed like a pack. All in her year.

"Well, that sucks." Plainly stated. "Are you guys staying together when she comes back for seventh year?"

This pushing off hunger thing wasn't working so well.

Not at all.

So he gave in and leaned forward, just baaaaaarely being able to reach the top of the bacon pile now that it was closer to Schuyler than himself. He grabbed three and wiggled back into his seat. But he didn't eat them yet. He just took a tiiiiiiiny nibble off one and rested the other two on his jeans.

He shrugged. It was weird talking about it to someone other than Elodie. He was feeling particularly open today. It was weird for him.

"I don't really know." It was a weird subject 'cause Elodie didn't want to get very far into it. But he just wanted to know. "Long distance is hard.. so i've heard." He paused a moment, taking a bite of bacon. "Thoughts?" Why not, right? Opinions were useful.

Now it was his turn to reach for the bacon.

And it looked like he didn't have as much fun trying to grab some. But he did get three all at once. Schuyler looked at the pile, gradually getting smaller. But she was content with just one slice. It was just what she needed to curb her appetite. And too much bacon made her feel sick.

Anyway.

So they didn't have this subject sorted yet. She supposed they had a few months to figure that out still. But those kind of things snuck of on you. "Yeah. Long distance seems really hard." Not that she'd ever tried it. But she was the sort of person who liked a lot of contact. And then Coul asked her opinion and shook her head as well as she could while it was resting on her hands like that. "I wouldn't do it."

But almost as soon as the words left her mouth, she was reconsidering. She needed to think as if Olly were the one leaving this year. And she liked Olly more than anyone else ever. "Well, actually.." She tilted her head a little, her brow furrowing slightly. Would they stay together? "Actually, I don't know."

She was glad that they weren't in this dilemma. Sorry, Coul.

Tessa slipped into the Common Room, stretching as soon as she entered. In one hand, she had a bag of marshmellows, in the other hand was the rest of the supplies she would need for s'mores.

Now all she needed was Bay!

She settled down next to a fire and slipped a marshmellow onto one of the sticks and stuck it over the fire. This was something that could always make her smile. Even when she was in the middle of the woods as her father continued his studies she was able to cook a marshmellow and let her worries fade. Not that she had a lot to worry about at the moment.

Bay didn't want to be late to hang out with Tessa… she promised him S'mores… and Bay would never miss that.. Running up to the picture he said the password and ran into the common room.. out of breath and bent over to catch his breath he said "Im here….im here… I didn't miss anything did i?" he asked Tessa..

Throwing his bag in the nearest chair he got himself comfy next to her.. "Phew…. man i had to run here" he said laughing while eye balling the food. yummmmmmm.