Sierra wished she could read between every little expression on Tori's face, but there really was no telling what that girl was thinking. She could either be planning her next manicure or her next devilish move as a Daily Prophet reporter. Sigh.

"The truth as you see it, I'm sure," Sierra pointed out. She had no doubt there was a hundred percent truth in each and every article Tori published, but whose truth that was, was up for debate. Pull her claws back in? Sierra raised her eyebrows. "Can we play nice? Hmm. I guess I'll find out for sure when I read this article you're planning." Truth. "Beneficial? Alright, let's hear it. How will your article be beneficial to me?" Because no way was Sierra going to let Tori think she'd write up something that might boost Sierra's claim to fame or something.

Sierra coughed and nearly spit out some drink. "I'm such a witch to you? Tori, the whole reason I think we'd get along so well is because I trust you're planning my downfall as much as I'm planning your's," she said. Sierra didn't have friends. She had allies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Banana

Sierra wished she could read between every little expression on Tori's face, but there really was no telling what that girl was thinking. She could either be planning her next manicure or her next devilish move as a Daily Prophet reporter. Sigh.

"The truth as you see it, I'm sure," Sierra pointed out. She had no doubt there was a hundred percent truth in each and every article Tori published, but whose truth that was, was up for debate. Pull her claws back in? Sierra raised her eyebrows. "Can we play nice? Hmm. I guess I'll find out for sure when I read this article you're planning." Truth. "Beneficial? Alright, let's hear it. How will your article be beneficial to me?" Because no way was Sierra going to let Tori think she'd write up something that might boost Sierra's claim to fame or something.

Sierra coughed and nearly spit out some drink. "I'm such a witch to you? Tori, the whole reason I think we'd get along so well is because I trust you're planning my downfall as much as I'm planning your's," she said. Sierra didn't have friends. She had allies.

Tori was clearly planing her next devilish move as a Daily Prophet reporter. Hello, hadn't all this conversation been about what she was writing about? Hellllllllooooo!

She smirked in reply to Sierra. "You know the DP's motto. 'All the news that's fit to print!'" Or something like that. "So we only print the juiciest stories. And you... I think you could be one of them." She raised an eyebrow too.

"Well, what are you going to give me?" Tori shifted on her stool a little. "I was thinking, 'Top Hogwarts Student Finds Employment at Bottom of Quidditch Bracket.'" That was a bit wordy for a headline, but it could work. "Or, if you play nice," she continued, "'Where Are They Now?' and then a piece on what you've been up to since graduation." That would be the claws in, good kitty route that Tori was unfamiliar with.

She chuckled darkly as Sierra nearly choked on her drink. If only she had! Now THAT would be a real story. "So how is that getting along? That's just... coming to some sort of twisted truce." She rolled her eyes and looked down the bar for another refill.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahlooo

Sigh.

Didn't she know he was trying to be SNEAKY? Milton paused for a moment before putting on a smile as fake as the one Tori gave Sierra. "Hiiii, Tori. So good to see you." Maybe, MAYBE, Dylan didn't hear them. THERE COULD BE ANOTHER MILTON.

But down the bar was... oh, Milton! And he'd seen her, good.

"It IS, right? Do you like my skirt?" Tori stood up from her bar stool and trotted over to Milton real fast. Surely Sierra wouldn't mind. HA. She did a twirl to show off said skirt and then briefly gave Milton a little hug. Silly Milly, why did he look so down?

"Everything going ok?" Was it Taryn? Was Taryn okay?

No. No, definitely not. Sierra and Tori probably wouldn't make good friends after all. All Tori had to do was open her mouth, and Sierra had to convince herself not to draw her wand and turn her into a toad. "Right, and what makes me a juicy story to print?" she asked. Because, she was perfectly fine with her life right now, thank you very much. She could do with a good switch to the Harpies, but other than that, things were okay.

What was she going to GIVE TORI?! That girl was a real piece of work. "A good opportunity for a story, according to you," Sierra grumbled. But Tori was going to write the article anyway, apparently, so that wouldn't work. "Fine. Playing nice," she said, passing Tori a teeth-gritting smile. "What could it be that you possibly want from me?"

...and about that whole twisted truce thing. "I'm not really planning your downfall," Sierra said. "Don't flatter yourself as to think I spend that much time with you on my mind. I was just saying that we'd likely be the kind of friends that would always look over their backs. You know, just in case."

The Hogs head.... Hmmm... Bart went to the door and looked in. He had heard about this place. His mother told him to stay out of it. There were people that came to it that weren't nice or something. Which just made the place cooler. Could dark wizards settle here? He so had to check it out if they did. Not that he wanted to become one, but seriously it wasn't everyday that you could eat some grub with a dark wizard. Yeah?

So he pushed the door open and looked inside. Why was it so dead. *huff* This wasn't anything like he had been hoping. It seemed outdated and grimy. Maybe he should just leave, though curiosity struck him. If some excitement did show up and he would have been there, he'd hate to miss it. So the thirteen year old boy did exactly what his mother told him not to.

He went inside the Hogs Head and sat down.

Botros was running out of knitted sweaters to give people. It was easier when Debby was live and she took care of presents and cookies and food. Now he had to keep up to everyone and everything. This was tiring.

The good thing about today, though, was that he didn't give Sherman sweaters, it was the other way around. Today he brought his oldest and probably the only one alive friend a plate of leftovers from the staff party from yesterday. All food and goods were amazing and they were generous enough to let him take some. Ab had wrapped the plate neatly and strolled into the shabby place, occupying an empty table.

It wasn't so cold here, not as much as it was in his office. Heh.

Simon had gotten awfully lost. He didn't know his way around Hogsmeade. He had gotten separated from his friend Cutty in the large crowd of Hogwarts students. He had called out to his friend, but he was certain that his friend hadn't hurt him. So Simon had roamed the streets for an hour until he found a place called the Hogs Head. He shivered. It would be best to get out of this freezing weather before he got frostbite or something. Hmm.. It did look warm in there, he thought so he pushed open the door and entered.

It was indeed warm in the Hogs Head. However, it was really empty. Simon raised his guard. This was a strange place indeed. It was sort of dark and grungy. Rubbing his hands, he tried to warm himself up. After doing so, he glanced around the room for any sign of his friend. He couldn't find him. Sighing, he was about to turn back outside when he saw a boy his own age sitting by himself. A thought passed through his mind. Perhaps it would be safer to warm up and stay in here. Maybe Cutty was looking for him somwhere outside?

Making up his mind, he decided to approach the boy. It'd be good to make friends. "Hey! Mind if I sit down?" he asked with a friendly grin.

Bart was intent on seeing something cool today. He had to, there had to be something. Though the place was pretty much dead, so it wasn't really going to happen now was it? As the boy scanned the area he saw another boy enter. Hmm was he someone brave trying to act cool or did he have business here?

Watching him walk towards Bart, he sat up a bit. "Sup" he wanted to sit with him. Hmm he wasn't sure about this. Was he cool enough to sit with Bart, but his accent he recognized it right away. "Dude where you from?" He kicked the chair pushing it out for him to sit down.

Eyes still scanning the area, "Hey is that Old man Botros?" It was, now what was the almighty steal your youth runes professor doing in here? Probably going to find another way to get young?

hmmmm?

Vinnie reached the hogs head and plopped down on the next seat she could find. The three broomsticks had been so full, it had been stressful to get through the crowd and the brunette was thankful for the more chilled atmosphere in here. Besides they had awesome sheperd's pie.

Hopefully Char would find her here...and then they could talk over a butterbeer and a sheperd's pie.

As soon as Simon heard Bart speak, his eyes widened. He new that accent! He knew it so well. Bart was an Aussie! Simon wasn't alone for once. There were more Australians that attended this school. He could have done a jig right there for all he cared. He was just so estatic to meet another Australian. "Thanks, mate. I'm from Melbourne! And you?" he said as he took a seat opposite the other boy. Wait. Introductions. Merlin. "I'm Simon by the way."

Before Simon could say anything else, Bart asked if an elderly man was Botros? He glanced up and looked over his shoulder, realizing that it was Professor Botros. "Yep, that's Professor Botros. He's pretty cool. I've walked Feo, his crup, a couple of times," he added. Raising his right eyebrow, he glanced at Bart again, "Do you know him?"

Silly Simon!!!

Of course, he would've known him if he knew his name.

Hogs Head...wheeeere was the Hogs Head?

Charlotte walked down the street and searched through the buildings for the Hogs Head. It was one she had never been in before, always just ending up in The Three Broomsticks instead. But this was where Vinnie wanted to meet and she figured it would be better this way so they could talk and Char could give her big good news! Also, she had missed the fellow Slytherin and was hoping things wouldn't be weird between the two of them after all of her issues with Jun. Charlotte knew Vinnie was Jun's best friend now so she'd just make sure to stay away from the topic as much as possible, unless, of course, she asked about it. And if it did come up, Char would be happy to tell Vinnie her side of the story. She wasn't quite sure what Jun had been telling his friends but she wanted to make sure Vinnie knew what her intentions were from the beginning.

Finally finding the Hogs Head, Charlotte walked in and looked around, finding her friend sitting somewhere on the left towards a window, no one else sitting around her. This would be perfect. Walking over to the table, she smiled and waved. "Hi, Vinnie!" She gave her a side hug and then moved over and sat across from her. There. Good. Now, once all greetings were done, she could tell her the good good happy news she'd been dying to tell her for, like, daaaaaysssss."How are you?"

Melbourne he hadn't been, but knew the place. He nodded knowing the boy was Australian the minute he opened his mouth. "Katoomba" Typically he'd just say Sydney since none Australian's always seemed to know Sydney, but this boy should know where he was talking about. "Not met many from home." Still calling Australia home, Bart was never going to change that whether his father and step monster moved this way now too or not. He was to say his name now too right, "Name's Bart."

His brown eyes looked at the boy, maybe he wasn't as cool as Bart hoped. Thinking Botros was cool, Merlin were all these people dense? "Sure if you like one foot in the grave old people that like to force children to turn old so they can be young." He side glanced Simon, did he know him? "Yeah kicked me out of Runes last term." gave the option to leave was more like it, but Bart liked the kicking out, made him look cooler.

Bored with the Botros talk he turned to Simon more, "So know anything fun we can do in here?" Since the clientele didn't seem to amusing at the moment.

Katoomba? Simon's blue eyes widened with excitement! He'd been camping by there when he was younger. "Ah, yep. I've been there before. We went on a couple of field excursions there when I was younger," he explained, remembering seeing the Blue Mountains. The landscape of Australia was incredible. It changed from white sandy beaches to rolling hills to valleys to mountains and then to deserts. It was a beautiful place to call home. He was proud to be an Aussie. He nodded. "Yep, no one understands me when I talk to them about cricket or Aussie Rules Footy. Nice to meet you, Bart." he said as he started to sound more and more Australian by the minute. He was even starting to use the slang again.

His jaw could've dropped to the floor when Bart shared some information with him. "WHAT?" he exclaimed a little louder than he hoped too and then he made himself quieter. "Wait. Botros did that? I... I didn't know about that. It's my first year at Hogwarts," he explained rather sheepishly. From what Simon could tell, Botros had seemed a cool elderly gent who had let him walk his Crup by Lake. What if Botros was planning on turning Simon into an old man a year later?!?! Now he was becoming more skeptical of the man. However, Simon stopped thinking those thoughts when he heard that Bart was kicked out of class. Oh. So Bart was a troublemaker? Uh... That wasn't cool man. Simon liked people who earned points for his house. Not ones who took them away. "Did he take points away?"

"Fun around here? Uhh... Well there's always snowball fights and whatnot. What do you usually do for fun?" he asked Bart.

Of course he had been. Katoomba was great, Bart felt a pull at him of homesick. He hadn’t been there since summer and now that his father was living here for his stupid Step Monster to manage a team here he might never be there again. “People looked at me funny too, but I’ve lived in London since I was eight, so I’ve learned to adapt.” He didn’t even think he has the accent anymore, though it was still there. “Crickey I never even try to talk about Aussie Rules Footy. Haven’t seen the Sydney Swans in years. What’s your quidditch team?” He never got to talk Australian Quidditch so this made the boy excited.

The thireteen year old nodded, not so cool now is he? He glanced at the old man before turning back to the boy in front of him. “I don’t know, mum said she heard it was some accident from a potion he was on or something, but haven’t you heard the stories that come from this school? I don’t believe it was an accident at all. Accidents like the ones that always happen here, just don’t happen all the time. I think he was trying to get young again and used us for his benefit.” They all could have died, he could have died having that strong in class. His glare at the man turned more as he thought about this.

“Points? Nah he just kicked me out, which was fine, the class was lame.” It was boring and he couldn’t be bothered with boring. Bart had to force his face to stay neutral as Simon spoke of snowball fights, child’s play. “Oh the usual. Find the best place to prank someone, look for cool people here, which isn’t going to well today.” He scanned the area again. Nope no cool wizard’s were coming today. “If at school I like to stair surf.” He thought about other things he did for fun.

Vinnie sat on her table and had already ordered a butterbeer. She had no idea what Charlotte was gonna tell her so in case it was gonna be something bad she prepared herself. Maybe she didnt want to be her friend anymore cause of Jun? Maybe she wanted her to choose sides? But Vinnie wasnt gonna do that. To be honest the brunette was a little nervous about this meeting. Even though it was really good so see Char. She had missed her.

As the Slytherin saw her friend come into the door a smile spread on her face. That always seemed to happen when she saw Char. Raising her hand Vinnie waved.“ Hey Char“, she smiled hugging her back,“ its good to see you.“ Didnt seem like this would be awkward or about a bad topic. Good. Time to relax.