"Uhhmm.... well..... ever heard that phrase "run around like a chicken with its head cut off?" before? That's sort of usual me. But I lost my running around partner, so ... here I am." Zahra shrugged, trying not to make a big deal about it.

She wasn't all that bothered by getting cozy with another Gryffindor, so she scooted closer and got her legs comfortably rested across his. "That one looks like a walrus." she pointed up to the passing cloud. SEE IT?

Eden felt like a deer in headlights. She probably looked it, too. Not that she had been anything wrong--she hadn't--but this boy was talking to her. Well. Her cheeks flushed, and she just...um...smiled nervously at him. She knew him from classes. He was a hufflepuff! They were the nice ones, right? Right. So no NEED to be scared, right? RIGHT.

"Um--yeah--just ad-admiring your skateboard." She nodded. "I've always wanted to learn and--well--" Pfffft. Phoenix SAID he would teach her, but alas, it hadn't HAPPENED yet. She noticed the book in his arm and raised an eyebrow. "You were reading--AND skateboarding?!" Was that even POSSIBLE? Eden wasn't NEARLY coordinated enough to be able to pull that off. One or the other, man!

He had nice hair. And a nice face. He was a boyfriend person, though, to her housemate. That much she knew. What was his name? GAH. Eden was lousy at names--and she just sort of...well if she thought too hard about it she'd get this horrible look on her face. Better to just introduce herself and let him introduce himself back. "I'm Eden, by the way--seen you in class before--" she said softly. Shyly, almost. She'd loosen up eventually, though.

He clearly didn't bite.

"Thanks dude.." he replied and continued to pet his cat. She was adorable and he was really liking her. But now she was exploring the grounds and he understood. "Well it seems she likes the outdoors more than me.." he gestured towards her exploring. Anyways...

"I hope she digs it, I always like to surprise her and we have been going out for a while. I like to try new things or stick to the classics.." he grinned sheepishly. He smiled when Dylan noticed her hair color. "It is cool to be honest mate, I didn't like it at first but I got used to it but she said it was washable so I am relieved.." he told his best mate the truth. But he said he liked in front of Emmy to not hurt her feelings. "Do you have someone in your life?" he asked curiously. He forgot if he told him or not. Or if it was someone new kudos to him!

"Ahh well mate you can copy my notes and I can give you some tips on to pass the classes.." he nodded but he would help him out for sure. "So mate I was thinking of going skateboarding soon, do you wanna join me?" he asked. He hoped he would go now but he didn't want to force it on him.

Connor nodded because he had surely heard that phrase before, plenty of times.. MMhmm. "What happened to your running partner?" He was a curious boy, always lots of questions and he never liked when they weren't answered.

Okay, she was getting more comfortable, that was fine, he did too, just shifting a little bit so he could sit up a little straighter. "Yeah, i see it." Eyes squinting at the shape in the sky. "Is it just me or does it look like he's wearing a party hat?" He asked.

"Ohhhhhh you know," Zahra waved her hand around in the air above her. "Said partner's mum got REALLY uptight about a little snogging and sent him to Durmstrang." Same story, different characters.

A party hat? Hehe... Zahra giggled and hung her head off of the bench to see the cloud from a different angle. "Your name's Connor, right?"

Dylan watched as Ginger explored and he nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, she loves to explore. Even if it's snowing or pouring rain. She's a bit odd." he explained, watching as the cat was slowly following along behind a little catipillar that was inching along across the courtyard.

"Oh, I'm sure she will." Dylan reassured his friend with a wave of his hand. Girls loved surprises AND picnics, so why wouldn't she like it? And that was good that Kace now liked her hair. "Ah, I see. Well, that's very good. And not currently, I haven't quite met anyone special yet..." he gave a small shrug. He sort of had an interest in a girl last year but it didn't last long. He didn't hang out with her much after that one day they met so. Yeah.

Kace was a lifesaver! "Thanks, mate!" he said with a sigh of relief. "It really means a lot." He was lucky to have such a good friend like Kace. He then raised his eyebrows when his friend asked if he wanted to skateboard. "When? I'd love to!" he exclaimed. Funny Kace asked, 'cause Dylan had just finally gotten good at skateboarding over the summer!

"Well you know my dog back at home Sparky is quiet weird too. He loves going out in the snow but won't go out in the rain for some reason.." he shrugged. He may never understand his pet. "I think she wants to eat that caterpillar right there.." he pointed out. It was stalking it like it was prey. But it was good practice for her. "I only have an owl whose only purpose is to give me and send mail." he shrugged. "But I do love her." he nodded.

"Hey hey no problem mate, it is my pleasure.." he bowed jokingly of course. "As long as u can help me in my time of need." he winked. When he mentioned skateboarding, he noticed it was a subject of interest. "Oh I was thinking now..." he smirked and got his skateboard out of his backpack. "Do you have yours?" he asked curiously.

Isla laughed. She could just imagine having a conversation with Paloma and all of a sudden, another language was coming out of her mouth. Yeah she would be alright and those owls that flew by were just giving Isla good memories of her past owl, Rocky, anyways. Another pet though? "Actually...my parents owled me this morning and said that they will be getting me a puppy soon." She smiled. So when she got home for winter vacation, a puppy would be there to visit her.

She took another piece of the cotton candy and placed it into her mouth. Mmm. Her eyes widened at what Paloma said. "A trunk full of candy?!?" Her jaw dropped. She was jealous. Extremely jealous. The fifth year looked back down at Vader ad watched as he went to chase some birds. She smiled. He was super cute even if he was a little vicious.

...Vicious. OH WAIT.

"Paloma! I have to go actually. I need to go spy on this guy for my pranks. He goes to the common room at..." She said, checking her watch, "...in five minutes. I need to race there now."

Eh? Oh. Ooooooooh.

"Well, I was... reading and scooting," Toby corrected, as if it made all the sense in the world. "I thought I might sit on the board and roll around the school and study on tour, y'know?" Heh. Awful joke. "I'd probably crash if I tried reading while skating." He often crashed anyway, but that was a different story altogether.

But yes, anyway, introductions.

"Hi Eden," Toby grinned in that friendly way of his, holding out his hand for a handshake. "I'm Toby. I've seen you around too." All over. Yep.

There was a brief pause, before Toby just went and offered...

"Did you wanna have a go on the skateboard? I could show you what you need to do."

Eden tilted her head curiously. "Sc-scoot?" she asked softly. "As in...you sat on it and just...scoooooted around?" That sounded like a lot of leg work. He must have great thighs. Eden tried not to think about a random boy's thighs though because that was just WEIRD. She smiled a little and just eyed him up and down...not in a I'M EYEING YOU way but more like...UH I JUST WANNA' SEE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE way. Yep. Total sense.

On tour. Eden had to grin. "I've heard moving around while studying stimulates the brain, anyways. But then again, we don't get to move around when we take exams--so what help is it to us if we move around while studying--" and she was blabbing about things again. She stopped talking abruptly, blushed, and took a step back. The boy probably didn't CARE, Eden.

THAT WAS HIS NAME. Toby. "Hi, then, Toby!" she said and shook his hand all friendly with her wide, toothy grin. "Really? I feel invisible." She looked down at herself..."Unfortunately I'm not." HA. She was mostly kidding, though.

kdewdgwgwefgihhIUHIUHFIUHFIUGFG

Eden's eyes LIT up and got all ROOOOUND like dinner plates. "What--you'd LET me?" she asked, looking a bit...startled, her hand over her heart. "Gosh--I feel like I'd accidentally break it--" but the temptation sure was strong with this one...

"Uh-huh, exactly!" Toby grinned, giving a nod. "It's a fun way of getting around, if a little more time consuming than actually skating." PLUS it was unconventional, and Toby loved the unconventional methods of things from time to time.

Eden was Ravenclawing, which... made sense, as Toby was pretty sure she was a Ravenclaw. That stuff about moving around while studying? Toby hadn't known that. It was just sort of... a whim. So like... did that make him a GENIUS? Because he'd had the idea? ....... Probably not, but it was a nice positive thing to think about.

"Not being able to move around in exams is exactly the problem I am gonna be faced with," was how Tobias eventually replied, though he was still grinning in that carefree way of his. If she'd seen him around, she would know how true it was. Never stayed still, nope, even his fingers were drumming on the skateboard right now, and his left foot was tapping away.

But yes, moving on.

"Fortunately, you're visible, Eden," the Hufflepuff smiled, emphasising the 'fortunate' bit, because happy happy Tobes wanted to see happy happy Eden. "If you weren't, I wouldn't have seen you just now, and wouldn't be offering to teach you to skate." He handed over the board, grinning. "Don't worry about breaking it. This thing seems indestructable, and I can always fix it, if needed." LIKE MAGIC. "You wanna try now?"

He was bouncing on the balls of his feet again, already pretty hyped about this. Eden seemed to really want to give it a try, and making someone's day always made Toby's day.

Eden could appreciate this. "I like that idea. BUT--you know what would be MORE fun--" she widened her eyes in COMPLETE delight. "IIIIIIF somehow--we could get our hands on a wheelchair---AND WE STUDY WHILE SOMEONE PUSHED US LIKE DOWN A HILL--or the stairs--" she then made a face. "You know--with cushions at the bottom--" maybe she should stop talking. "But then we might get in trouble. Which I don't mind but...pffft, other people do--" she rolled her eyes. Pansy people.

But wheelchair races...sounded. So. FUUUUUUN. Maybe she'd suggest to her head of house or something. They had done mattress races, after all, at the welcome thingy after the opening feast.

She siiiighed. "Me too. I like to be active. Sitting so still does me in, really." Her fingers were playing with her collar absentmindedly, loosening her tie, and her blue eyes roved over the skateboard once more. She'd have to see if her dad could get her one for Christmas or something, if they could handle it. Or...she could just ask her cousin? Since he was financing her Christmas gifts to other people, bless him.

D'AWWWW.

The brunette was blushing and looking all shyyyyy and at her feet and hooking her hands together behind her back and scuffing her shoe---

Right.

"Well. Thanks." She had to smile because it was an AWFULLY nice thing of someone to say. And what a NICE way to think, eh? Eden wished she was as positive. Her stupid brain was all negative half the time though.

NODNODNOD. He got lots of nods from her. She reached a hand forward and PET the board--"Niiiice, boardy--have you named him?" she asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow. Eden seemed to like naming things...hmm. She had named the plant in Herbo Bulby...yeah, not the most creative, but Eden could be quite lazy. "He looks like a Philip." She said knowingly.

Samantha decided that this was a good place to start her Charms homework. She looked around to find the perfect subject to photograph. Soon, she saw a perfect photo opportunity when a butterfly appeared in front of her. Raising the camera to her face, Sam pressed the button and soon a photo came out of the bottom of the camera.

Samantha inspected the still photo of the butterfly as she sat down on the grass. She retrieved her wand from the pocket of her robes and tapped the middle of the photo as she said, "Alacer!" Soon the photo she had taken was now showing the butterfly fluttering mid air.

Now where was Samantha going to take her next photo? Samantha got up off the grass, pocketing her wand and the photo and headed back inside the castle.

The Piper had hurried up to a room he knew was his, and tore through the trunks until he had found what he had been searching for. Having secured both his flowing green cloak and his flute, he made his way out to the courtyard.

So many children all about, and here was a wonderful gathering place.

Removing the book from his bag, he leaned it on the wall between the corridor and the courtyard, and then swung himself up onto the ledge as well. He would get the children here. He would.

Raising the flute to his lips, he began to play a simple but catching melody. The children would come soon, yes?

The book allowed itself to be carried by the Pied Piper all the way to the grounds. That had to be the best and busiest place to capture enchant lots of children's imaginations!

It glowed all the colours of the rainbow, changing in tune to the boy's melody.

Ben was itching to spend time outdoors, yet the cooler weather of the winter reminded him of what had happened last term. He held back yet finally made the decision to try some time out in the courtyard. At least he would remain close to the castle and duck in when he was down with the cold.

Walking along the corridor that skirted the courtyard, the Gryffindor had turned to head through one of the open arches when he heard something. Was someone playing music? Looking in the direction of the next opening, the fourth year moved tentatively closer and closer, continuing his original walk down the corridor before spotting a young Ravenclaw up on the ledge.

"Nice song."

The Piper heard a young person approach, and turned to look toward him, without ceasing his playing. He bobbed his head, trying to communicate to the boy to move into the courtyard and come closer to him and to the book.

Come closer. Or maybe go get your friends.

The Piper tapped his foot on the stone, keeping time, and let his gaze linger on the glowing book.

The boy responded silently with just a nod while continuing to play, the playful tune of pipe quite interesting to Ben's ears. He in turn slipped into the courtyard unconsciously as he moved to face the musician out of politeness as he listened. Better for an audience to meet the eyes of a performer and he didn't have anywhere specific to go.

Shoot....he had already been headed outside...now he had the added pleasure of music to enjoy! Too bad Adi wasn't there as well. His bestie even more of a fan of music.

And was that glow from beside the other boy familiar?

Sophie could tell this Ruby girl was thinking something over, but it wasn't really obvious what that was. They hadn't really discussed much less, unless... This Ruby girl wasn't sizing her up, was she? Some girls were like that. They automatically judged you right off the bat for no real reason at all. Just in case, Sophie kind of looked like she was sizing the girl up, too. Mmhmm. Thinking stuff about her, too, ...but what?

Meh.

At least she'd dove right in to talking about Sophie's meeting at the lake. "A boy meeting," she said with a smile. The BEST kind when you were meeting up with Grayson Whitlock. She felt REALLY cool telling somebody that she was off to the lake to meet up with a boy. Only, she felt kind of lame at the same time, she was out here in the courtyard waiting for it to start.

She should clear that up. "I just wanted to get out the castle, too, so here I am," she said. Yup. Just casual.

Ruby STRAIGHT away warmed up at this BOY meeting thing. Obvy, this was right up her alley, this stuff.

She happy clapped.

"Ooooh that's exciting! Like a proper date or just... casually hanging out? Will you snog him? You should snog him." Didn't matter who it was, if he was meeting worthy then surely the snogworthiness was part of what qualified him in the first place right? Or at least that was how things worked in Ruby world. "Too bad the lake isn't all that private." Like with privacy there were infinite possibilities for meetings.

"Ooh yeah its always good to get centered first, I always say." Boys could be hard work, even if they were fun, it WAS important to get in the zone before you tackled one.

Figuratively or literally.

It didn't quite occur to her to ask who. Maybe because part of her suspected and didn't want to know. Life was easier that way.

The Piper was glad to see so many people coming to the area. Finishing one song, he hopped down from his perch. Green hood over his head and feet on the ground, he once again raised the flute to his lips.

He circled the courtyard, pausing at the two girls having a conversation. He didn't hear what they were discussing and it didn't quite matter. He had to get them to come with him.

Even if he wasn't quite sure where, exactly.

With a tinkly melody, he skipped around the girls a few times, before exaggeratedly skipping backward, in the direction of the book he'd propped up on the ledge.

Thiiiis way he beckoned with a nod of his head.

The piper finished his song and jumped down. "Bravo..." he said absently , turning to watch what the boy's next move was. Ben almost followed him over to the girls but the draw of the book on the ledge was stronger in the silence that existed at the moment and by the time the next song had begun, the fourth year had already moved closer to the glowing tome that he remembered from the common room. The one that had seemed so fascinating and was so interesting now as he took hold of it.

Yep...same book.

Ben chanced a look at the book's pages as he opened it. The boy humming along with the tune that the younger Ravenclaw had begun as he came back towards him.

So Ophelia had followed this so called Piper, and he had also apparently attracted a few bystanders. Then again, wasn't that what the Piper did? Play a flute or something to attract people? So she was following the Pipr then? Hehehe, it was totally worth it because the book was flashing rainbow colors. and that was awesome. Though Ophelia wasnt sure if that was still normal or not. Because this place was just .... weird. Although that didn't mean she hates it..... On the contrary.. wait, what?

He was skipping. The piper was skipping and humming a tune and it was a bunch of fun. The blonde even found herself smiling because of this. Hehe! Yeah music and book and skipping. Could this be a thing? Because fun.

Glowing book, what did that mean? Was something happening? Because as far as the eleven year old knew, books didn't glow,ceven at Hogwarts. That just didnt happen. And now it was happening anyway. It was pretty, the glowing book and all, but the music was quite pretty too.

Anyway, someone was looking at the book. She wanted to look too. Moving over to the boy who was reading it, Ophelia moved to his left, looking to see if she could over the shoulder read. But that failed, because she was small. So with a tiny grunt, the blonde hopped up on the ledge and tried looking down, quietly and slowly working on it.

the Piper was coming back! Oops. She hopped off of the ledge and stood on her tiptoes to see better, still listening to the music. There was only a few words she had time to make out before he got back though. Smiling at the Piper again, Ophelia laughed a joyful laugh at hus music. It WAS good, and rather enchanting.

Then the girl clapped, earning a smirk from Sophie. She automatically (and jokingly) pegged the clapping as a reflection from that whole 'sizing up' line of thinking she did earlier. Heh.

"Oh, no," Sophie said, shaking her head and getting the most serious expression on her face. "We did the whole hanging out thing last year, and the boy takes forever to make a move. So I plan to pretty much tell him to make one or else." There was a few other somewhat 'Hotties' in Slytherin, and although she'd be disappointed crushed not to have a 'thing' with Grayson Whitlock, she'd settle for the others she had in mind. Sophie shrugged. "I'll worry about privacy later. Right now, I think it's kind of hot to snog him in front of anybody who happens to be down there."

There was some degree of power in that, it was.



...and then some weirdo popped up.

"Is that your little brother or something?" Sophie asked Ruby. Then she shook her head at the kid. "No way. I have a date." PRIORITIES. Where did he want them to go anyway? ...and who was he?

What.

What.

That kid was lucky he moved out of the way before Ruby forcibly removed him from her bubble. Like she was into musicians but that was ridiculous.

That was totally--what a pretty book.

Too bad she didn't read. Ruby tore her eyes away from it and with some effort focused on Sophie again.

Now, when Ruby said hanging out, she meant hanging out with moves having been made. She was not one to wait around and she was quite good at encouraging moves if not making them herself (which she had no problem with) she suuuure didn't have any particular desire to waste her time with someone for a year with no pay off. That was self-limiting.

"Ooh you're an exhibitionist, duly noted." WINK. Ruby herself didn't mind people seeing what she got up to but she found that privacy was better since it meant people didn't assume you weren't available just because you'd been seen kissing someone.

There was power in that too, in privacy. In knowing what nobody else knew. Ruby had a ton of secrets and they weren't all her own.

She glanced towards the weird kid and that book again but didn't make a move over there. What point was a book for someone who pretty much couldn't read?

"I have no idea who that kid is." None whatsoever.

This conversation was far more interesting.

"Why didn't you make a move yourself?"