Adelaide grinned, trying not to blush. It was a compliment. She was getting better at taking them at this point, but still. Compliments got to her. "Same. Only like two of my friends have heard me sing. And you too now." But that last one was an accident.

"Exactly. Can't stand being inside much longer." Adelaide looked back at the castle. If you would have told her last term she'd be missing cold weather practices, she probably would've laughed in your face. But she definitely did. It had gotten her out of the castle at least.

"Just a walk. Clear the brain." Not like she was doing much that required thinking, but her brain could still use some clearing. She smiled at the mention of dragons. "That sounds interesting. I love dragons."

"Adelaide Adams. You can call me Addi, Cris." She shook his hand firmly and swiftly.

Josette wanted to do a little bit of exploring the grounds today, she didn't have an explanation. Maybe it was more so the fact that she'd hadn't been down the lake...ever. She had heard many things before about the lake back at the Common Room. Apparently she'd heard that there was a Giant Squid that lived beneath the rippling surface. Exactly how big was this squid? Was it really giant, or were people trying to make some funny joke about some giant scary squid to scare the younger students. NOT that was afraid or anything..She wasn't..not at all..Not even if there some sea creature with giant tentacles that might want to snatch her up or something.

...Right?

.....

Soon reaching the lake, her blue eyes took in everything about her new surroundings. It was all very vast & spacious. Josette then found out that she wasn't alone here at the lake. There was a boy there, with a crup chasing around him. A CRUP! She suddenly remembered meeting a boy with a crup not that long ago! Crups really were interesting creatures & they'd certainly sparked the twelve year old's interest. Josie didn't want to make it seem like she was watching the boy or something, so best not to stare. Maybe she'd better keep walking?

As Simon searched for the perfect stone to skip, Feo noticed a girl (Josette) staring at him and Simon. He raised an ear curiously and he glanced at Simon. If a Crup could have smirked that's exactly how Feo would have looked right now. OOh boy. She looked nice and FRIENDLY. With a newfound surge of energy, he bounced off from where he was resting and bounded towards the young girl.

As soon as Simon had found the perfect stone to skip, he felt his arm being yanked by Feo. "What?" said Simon as he raised his eyebrow but before he could say anything else he was being dragged by Feo over to meet the young girl. A girl!? And he knew that girl too. Well he didn't know her but he had seen her around the school in various classes. It was the pretty girl from Muggle Studies that Ethan had partnered up with. "Feo? What are you doing?" he exclaimed laughing as he walked over towards the Ravenclaw girl.

Feo began running around the Ravenclaw girl with excitement. Hehe. He enjoyed meeting new people. HELLO! He gave the girl a welcoming yap and took a seat right in front of her as if he was expecting her to pet him. "Ermm.. Sorry about that. He gets rath...rather excited when he sees people," admitted Simon nervously as he scratched his head. He paused. Yep, that was good enough. Good explanation. "I think I've seen you in some of the same classes. I'm Simon."

Josette froze suddenly when she'd heard the sound of feet coming towards her. Her blue eyes darting to the left & looked down when she'd seen the crup with that boy sitting right in front of her, but not giving her a little yap. She smiled down at him & then couldn't help but give a soft, "H-Hello.." Without thinking, the twelve year old knelt down to the ground and offered her hand for the friendly looking creature to sniff her hand. Giving a very polite smile, she'd waited to see if the time might want to smell her hand.

It was when she'd looked up, she had seen the boy come up holding the leash. She fixed her hair before quickly standing up. Her eyes immediately going to the floor as she began to speak about his crup. She peaked her eyes up at him as she spoke in a soft tone, "I-It's alright..He..looks very friendly.." Josette then fully lifted her head when he'd said he'd seen her in some of their classes. It was when he'd mentioned his name that he suddenly look familiar to her. Josette nodded her head, "Y-You're Ethan's friend, right?" She knew it was only polite to say her own name, "M-My name's Josette.."

Simon felt awful for Feo running towards her. He bit his lip. She seemed more nervous than he was. Her nervousness reminded him of how he used to be at his old school. He had been very shy. Truth be told, he was still pretty shy, but once he'd gotten to meet a couple like-minded people, he had really started to feel as if he were at home. Finally, a place where he felt safe and comfortable.

He laughed. "Oh yes, he's very friendly. He can sometimes scare a person by how quickly he'll charge at them, but he's just coming by to say hello and to get a pat," he explained rolling his eyes at the overly excited Crup. His eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows. So she remembered him? Oh cool! Score for the pretty Ravenclaw girl. She remembered him as Ethan's friend, hey? Even better. He'd seen how this girl had made his talkative friend into a stumbler. "Yes, I'm Ethan's friend. It's nice to meet you, Josette. That's a really cool name," he added with a shy yet kind smile. A really cool and very unique name. Simon liked it. It was different. "How are you today?"

"And it's nice to meet you, Addi," Cris shook Adelaide's hand and then released it to stick it back inside his jacket pocket. Sure it was gloved but that still didn't mean that his hands still weren't cold.

"....and I'm glad that I was given the opportunity to hear you sing. Hey maybe we can sing together...you know when it's just your two friends and my girlfriend," Cris suggested. Heck! it really wouldn't be that bad right? Just three in the audience listening to him sing. Sure beats the shower, and the taps for an audience.

"You like dragons too? Hey like who doesn't like dragons right? I actually want to work with them. I mean after I graduate from here and then Wizarding University. What about you? What do you love about dragons?...and I know we only just met a second ago, so this question may be presumptuous and don't have to answer it, but I was wondering what do you plan to do once you graduate?" Cris blurted out the question.

He was just interested to know how many students already knew what they wanted to do once they graduated. He thought he had but now he wasn't sure.

The time had finally come, and AJ practically skipped all the way down to the lake. The winter came fast and strong, but this was a good thing for her. It meant that she would finally show Adi how a pro fishes and beat him at their bet.

The first year was dressed warmly from her head to her feet. She looked around to see what all was offered for fishing since she didn't think to bring anything fishing related for obvious reasons. This was going to be so much fun.

Where was Adi? Not chickening out she hoped!

Adi was glad to be out in the cold again but this time around it was slightly colder. Never the less, he enjoyed the chill of the breeze. Plus he was dressed in appropriate clothes for the weather so it wasn't such of a big deal. Now, where was AJ. Adi knew she would never turn down a bet so he was not a bit surprised to see her already waiting on him.

"Hey, AJ,'' the third year said smiling widely. "Nice to see the weather didn't scare you away.'' The only thing that would probably keep her away was if the Lake was frozen solid but it wasn't. "Ready to loose?'' There was nothing better than kidding around with someone who never got offended as his teasing.

Adelaide followed suit and shoved her hands in her pockets. The wind was the worst part about this weather. Everything else was completely tolerable.

Addi laughed. "Three person audience. I don't know. That might be too many." Sarcasm of course. Not that she had stage fright or anything. She just wasn't comfortable singing around others. She had gotten better though. Pretty much all of her dormmates had heard her at least once at this point. She sang when she did mundane things.

She just smiled as he went on and on. Addi could tell he was excited about the subject. She loved when people got that little glimmer of excitement in their eye when they talked about something that they loved. "I just find them incredibly fascinating. And no worries. I'm thinking either uni for charms study or professional quidditch. Ya know, if I can make it through open tryouts."

Hearing her name, the lion whipped around and laid a big smile on her good friend Adi. "Hey Adi! I thought maybe you had backed out." She wouldn't blame him of course. "Thought you couldn't take losing to a girl three times in a row." AJ snorted at the losing comment. "You wish." The weather would never keep her away. Actually it was pretty beneficial this time for the both of them... well to the winner anyways.

"So, you know how to fish right?" There was more than just throwing a pole into the water. He would have to bait his own hook and everything. "Whoever gets the most fish in an hour wins?" Maybe she should have said two hours. Sometimes the fish just didn't bite quickly. "Any other ground rules?"

"Why would I back out?'' Adi asked, arranging his face in a puzzled experssion. "You're not a girl.'' He stuck his tongue out at AJ before heading off to the crate to grab two rods. Yeah, really mature, Adi. Sticking out your tongue was for way back when you were a kid.

Adi returned with the rods and handed one to AJ. "Of course, I do.'' Not that he had done much fishing but he kept that bit of information to himself. "You're on. One hour sounds good. Any longer and we'd probably freeze to death.'' He shook his head. "I think we've got everything set. Ready?''

"No reason," she responded with a smirk. AJ couldn't help but to burst out laughing when he said that she wasn't a girl. Using her own words against her huh? The brunette did a palms up to Adi. "Sore subject?" Ohhh, and he stuck his tongue out. This only made her laugh harder. Trying to gather herself, she had to refrain from ruffling his hair again.

He knew how to fish. "Alright then." He wouldn't hear a peep from her on that. She took the pole he offered her. "True. I do feel sorry that you are going to have to get in that lake." Because it was cold. It was north pole type weather out here. The real question was, was he ready? "Ready." It was go time.

"Are you smirking at me, Aubrey Valentine?'' Adi demanded. But he grinned. "Hey, you said that yourself.'' No doubt she was now laughing because he was being childish by sticking his tongue out at her. "I'm glad I could amuse you.''

"It isn't going to be me. So sorry to disappoint you.'' Adi eyed the rods. Weren't they forgetting something? "Bait!'' Duh. He reached into his pocket. "I got dad to send me these after we made that bet.'' He held out his hand to show AJ the artificial flies. They looked real but they weren't. "The whole no live bait rule that the Groundskeeper has,'' he added as he tied one of the flies to the rod.

"Guilty." She was definitely smirking at him. Since when did he call her Aubrey? "I don't think I ever heard you call me Aubrey before." It almost sounded weird. "I did." He was right, and she really didn't think of herself as girly so it was all the same to her. "Me too." Not everybody could make you laugh, and that was something important to her.

"I guess we will see then." It was time to put her money where her mouth was. As soon as 'bait' came out of his mouth she knew she was in trouble. See, she only found out about the whole "no live bait" thing the other day. "Guess you forgot to tell me about that little rule." AJ had decided to make her own bait, and it never once crossed her mind to get her dad to send her something. He would have known the perfect kind of bait too. She tried to hide her attempt at bait as she hooked it on her line. "Those look nice." Crap, they really did look nice.

It was okay, she still had this in the bag. "Cast on the count of three?"

Cris chuckled on hearing Addi's reluctance to sing in an audience. "To be honest, I think an audience of three is three too many for me too. Most of the time my audience is usually a shower head and a faucet or a tub and a rubber ducky," Cris reluctantly admitted.

In fact, the only two people who had heard him sing, one was by mistake, Demelza, and the other one, because he was trying to impress her, Jasmine. Both, he did only to an audience of one.

....and there it was...the mention of Quidditch. Did almost everyone here in Hogwarts play the game?

"Charms Study or Professional Quidditch? Wow! that's entirely two opposite sides of the coin. Why the vast difference?" Cris enquired. He was really interested to know although he wasn't unfamiliar with someone doing that. His brother Sander had done the exact thing. He was both a professional Ice Hockey player AND studying to be a magizoologist in the Wizarding University in St. Petersburg.

Now that he thought about it, Adi realised he had never called AJ by her right name. She had always been AJ to him ever since he met her at Sugarplum's. "First time, I think,'' he told her. Just as she had never called him Aditya.

"Sorry. I had forgotten about it, too but luckily I remembered the day after we made the bet.'' Or was it two days after? Meh. At least he got the bait. He noticed AJ didn't reach out to take any he had in his hand. Then it occurred to him she might have her own. "If you run out and need any, let me know.'' Adi stuck the rest in his pocket before tying one onto his rod. And he was ready!

He nodded and waited for AJ to count. Here they came, fishies!

It definitely had to be the first time. Not many people called her Aubrey at all. Even her mum was on board with AJ, although she still called her Aubrey sometimes. "Well Aditya, I guess there's a first for everything." There, she called him by his first name too.

He didn't have to apologize. "It's okay." Oh, he was offering her one? Her first thought was that he was just showing her the cool bait that he had. Not wanting to ask for one, she decided that she would give hers a go first, and if that didn't work out then she would take him up on his offer. "Thanks!" Look at him being all helpful right before he would have to take a plunge in the almost frozen water.

Her eyes locked on Adi, she began the countdown. "One... two... THREE!!!" Without hesitation she cocked her rod back and let it fly. All she had to do now was get these fish to bite.

Adelaide couldn't help it. She bursted out with a full blown laugh. Not many people admitted to singing in the shower, especially in that fashion. His detail was impeccable. "That rubber ducky must be a heck of an audience."

Especially since Cris wasn't that bad on the eyes on either. She'd been spending too much time with the snake boys. They were rubbing off on her and her brain.

She shrugged. "I'm really good with my charms, but I'm also good at quidditch. Only played for one year and then was the second best beater in the school last term." Addi had finally admitted to herself that she just had a natural talent. "I probably won't do both at once. I'd rather play quidditch."

Just when he was thinking AJ never called him by his right name, she changed that. That girl never disappoint. Adi laughed. "Feel cheeky today, AJ? Or is it over confidence?'' Maybe the confidence was good. He had plenty of that too!

"No problem.'' The Hufflepuff said. Bait secured? He gave it a double check. Yep! Ready to hit the water! Adi watched AJ pretty eyes as she started the countdown. He contemplated throwing the bait in before three but that wouldn't be fair now, would it?

And threeee! Adi flicked the rod back and watched the line and bait sail in the air before falling into the water. Come on, fishies!

Cris couldn't help but blush...what was it with these Hogwarts girls and their ability to make him blush?...when Addi burst out laughing at his mention of the rubber ducky he had for an audience while he sang as he was taking a bath.

"Well I have to admit that he didn't clap much but then again, he didn't razz or boo either, so I guess I shouldn't complain," he grinned sheepishly at her before quickly turning the subject to her other talents.

"I'm alright with Charms. Got an Outstanding for my OWLs but I think it was more pure luck then ability. If there was any subject, I'm more inclined to excel in that would be Care of Magical Creatures. I play Quidditch but just as a past-time. Beater position. I'd rather regular muggle activities like rock climbing, running and the other stuff," Cris shared a few of the stuff he did before switching the focus back on Addi.

"So you must hate it that no one's allowed to play Quidditch this term. What do you do to pass the time? I'm sure it must be hard not being to do what you love. Too bad you can have like a mini-quidditch game indoors, without really having to fly or something," Cris suggested even as he wondered whether there was such a thing as indoor Quidditch.

AJ couldn't stop smiling. "I think it's pretty safe to say that I am always feeling cheeky." You could count on her for constant sarcasm, and quick jabs. She just had a healthy brain, that was all. "You can never be over confident." When it came to winning that is.

Was it just her, or was Adi's hair looking mighty good today? The wind gave it that messy looked that complimented him so well. We are fishing AJ, focus. What in the world was going on with her anyways? She didn't care about hair.

After they both had cast their lines she looked over to see how Adi was doing. So far her line had been still. Granted it hadn't been that long, but she was impatient. "Have that talk with Benjamin yet? Oh, and I've been wondering how you and Angel are now." She wanted to make sure that the apology went smoothly and the talk that she had with Benny still played in the back of her mind.

"Well, you're lucky I like your cheekiness otherwise I would find it rude.'' Adi winked. "Over confidence isn't always good, my cheeky and sarcastic friend.'' And once more Adi stuck his tongue out. Hehe.

He noticed AJ watching his hair. He knew she liked it so he shook his head just as the breeze picked up a little causing his hair to ruffle. "It's not too messy for you, is it?'' he asked. Normally he would have his hair neat but ever since he knew AJ liked it messy, he hadn't made the effort to keep it totally neat.

So, when would the fishies bite? Adi knew they could take a while. But he was a patient dude. In the meanwhile, he would just chat with AJ. "Oh yeah, I did. We're friends again.'' He was very much pleased about that. "And your sister is awesome, you know that? She accepted my apology instantly.'' Adi still felt quite guilty and ashamed whenever he thought of his behaviour. But it was all in the past now. "She thinks Benny is cute and nice,'' he added. "I wonder what he thinks of her.''

"Me, rude?" The firstie feigned surprise. Although she really wasn't rude. All of her comments were in good fun. "But sometimes it is." Like now for example. She could only speak for herself, but she always found that when she was pumped up before games, she did better. There was that tongue again. A smirk slowly played across her face.

Oh, she he had noticed? The lion smiled at his question. "I don't think that's possible." The wind really did do his hair justice. She wondered what her hair looked like... most likely a hot mess in the wind. AJ had it tied back in a pony tail so it wouldn't whip into her face constantly.

"Yay! I'm glad." Now all was right in the Benny and Adi world. "Of course she's awesome, we share the same DNA." While her sister managed to get on her nerves, AJ loved her and she was a pretty cool chick. "I'm glad she did. She is very forgiving." Which was a nice trait to have if you asked her. "We actually went down to the kitchens for a snack, and we had a conversation about that." It didn't go too well actually. "He thinks she's nice, but he's not interested in her in that way." He knew what she meant by that right? "I don't know what or how to tell Angel." Normally AJ didn't beat around the bush, but her sister was sensitive and she didn't want to have to deal with drama.

Did AJ really think he thought she was rude? Adi hoped that surprise look on her face was not real. "I don't think you're rude. You've got a cool sense of humour.'' AJ was definitely the coolest girl he knew. "Sometimes. But sadly for you, this isn't one of those times.'' And she was smirking at him again. Adi just grinned in return.

"Good,'' he replied. "I think I like it messy anyway.'' Before he could say more, the rod jerked in his hands. Startled, the boy started to reel the line in. He cast a quick look at AJ. "I got one.'' Slowly, the line reached the edge of the Lake and up came a fish, light red in colour. It was that big but it was a fish and that meant a point to him! "That's one for me!''

Adi began to carefully remove the fish from the line as he continued the conversation with AJ. "Well, you're more awesome than her. Don't tell her I said that.'' But it was true. He thought AJ was just cool, awesome, wonderful, brilliant...toss whatever nice adjective you wanted to in there. Poor Angel though. "I think even if Benny did like her back, he'd be too shy to tell her anything.'' The Hufflepuff got the fish off the line and released it back into the Lake. He watched it swim off for a few seconds before reaching into his pocket for another fly. "Your sister will be sad when you tell her but she'll get over it. But you never know...Benny could like her back sometime.'' Flicking his rod again, Adi let the line sail back into the water.

Aww, he actually that she was being for real? "I know you don't." She jabbed him in his side with her elbow in a teasing manner. "I think you do too. I really like talking to you." It was enjoyable having this kind of relationship with somebody. Angel always seemed to take the things she said to heart and got offended. "Still talking mess are we?" He was giving her a run for her money in the confidence department.

AJ was glad that he was seeing things her way about his hair. "Who has time to be spending on hair anyways?" Even if AJ had done something nice to her hair, it would have been wasted as soon as she walked out on the grounds. It just seemed pointless to her. Did Adi's pole just jerk? At first she was excited for her friend. "You got one already?" Then she remembered that this was a bet, and that lake sure looked cold. She eyed the fish as if it was it's fault. "I guess I better get on my game." AJ was the pro at fishing here. What was up? It was one to zero... boo! There was still plenty of time though. Her line was still not moving an inch. She reeled her line in and cast in once more in a different direction.

She couldn't help but to smile when Adi admitted that he thought she was cooler than her sister. "I'd have to agree with you there." Right back to teasing. "She's just into different things." That was fine too. "That's what I'm hoping, that maybe he just didn't want to tell me because I am her sister after all." Of course she could have played the go between to get them together like her sister wanted. "Yeah, maybe." Hopefully this would happen, and soon. "So what about you? I've heard that you are quite the girlfriend hunter." Was some crazy girl going to come out of the woodwork and go postal on AJ for hanging out with Adi so much?