Okay. Harriet was lost. She was still trying to explore, but now she was lost. The first year frowned as she stood in the corridor. She knew she was up high, at the top floor. But she was still lost. How did she get back down to the Hufflepuff Common Room? She wanted to drop her bag off before she went to eat. And eating was really important, so she really needed to remember how to get back down to her common room.

Maybe she should have not done too much exploring today. Because now she really did not know where she was. But she did have to admit that the view was really pretty. So she figured every cloud had a silver lining.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RachieRu

Okay. Harriet was lost. She was still trying to explore, but now she was lost. The first year frowned as she stood in the corridor. She knew she was up high, at the top floor. But she was still lost. How did she get back down to the Hufflepuff Common Room? She wanted to drop her bag off before she went to eat. And eating was really important, so she really needed to remember how to get back down to her common room.

Maybe she should have not done too much exploring today. Because now she really did not know where she was. But she did have to admit that the view was really pretty. So she figured every cloud had a silver lining.

Frankie was quietly perched on one of the corridor's nooks near a window that overlooked a good portion of the grounds. In his hand was a textbook for Herbology, but he wasn't really paying much attention to it. Rather than focusing on the chapter about Snargaluff pods, he was busy daydreaming appreciating the flora below from afar.

His attention was grasps when he heard quaint footsteps travelling down the corridor. It was nearly supper time, and Frankie doubted that anyone would be hanging out the seventh floor when there was food to be eaten. He peeked his head out of his hiding spot and saw the back of a blonde head that could only belong to one specific person.

"Lost, Hattie?"

Hattie knew she had picked a bad time to come up to the 7th floor. It was nearly supper time, and everyone else was probably already at the ground floor. That meant that there was nobody to tell her where to go, or to help her get back to the ground floor. It was not good. At least she could hope she would eventually remember her way. Otherwise she'd be stuck up here forever. Or until someone else came back up. Hopefully she'd remember how to get down there first though, because she really did want some supper.

The blonde looked up as she heard a voice. A familiar voice actually. She spun around and beamed. It was her big brother! She was saved. "Uh... Yeah? Help?" And she was his lovely little sister. So he couldn't say no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RachieRu

Hattie knew she had picked a bad time to come up to the 7th floor. It was nearly supper time, and everyone else was probably already at the ground floor. That meant that there was nobody to tell her where to go, or to help her get back to the ground floor. It was not good. At least she could hope she would eventually remember her way. Otherwise she'd be stuck up here forever. Or until someone else came back up. Hopefully she'd remember how to get down there first though, because she really did want some supper.

The blonde looked up as she heard a voice. A familiar voice actually. She spun around and beamed. It was her big brother! She was saved. "Uh... Yeah? Help?" And she was his lovely little sister. So he couldn't say no.

It was quite obvious that Hattie was lost just looking at her wander down the corridor aimlessly. Frankie wasn't too surprised that it didn't take him long to have to come to his little sister's rescue. The castle was huge, full of all kinds of nooks and crannies. Only Merlin knew where you could possibly end up.

He rolled his eyes and grinned when the small girl faced him and asked for his help. Had it been Grace, the blond would have sent her in the completed wrong direction. But Hattie was a good kid, very nice and not super annoying. "Go down to the end of the corridor and take a left and then an immediate right to get to the moving staircases," he told her with a nod of his head. "You were heading straight for my common room."

He paused for a moment, closing his textbook and standing up. "You do know that it's best to explore with others, right?" It only made sense to do so in case someone really did get lost or got into a sticky situation.

Hattie just held her breath. She hoped that Frankie would help her. He was a prefect, so he should help her right? He was also her brother. So he really should help her. Or she'd go and tell their mother. Then he wouldn't be happy at all. "oh... Okay...." She murmured, turning around and looking where he had had pointed. That made sense. She kind of remembered coming that way actually. "I was?" She mused with a little laugh. "Maybe I want to be in the same house as you that badly" She teased with a laugh. It would have been cool to be in the same house as her brother, but she liked being in Hufflepuff.

"Uh... I guess?" She mused with a little shrug. "I couldn't find anyone else. And I didn't wanna look like a loser hanging outside Sky's house...." So that was why she had gone exploring on herself. "And I thought I wouldn't get lost" Clearly that was why the sorting hat had eventually picked Hufflepuff over Ravenclaw.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RachieRu

Hattie just held her breath. She hoped that Frankie would help her. He was a prefect, so he should help her right? He was also her brother. So he really should help her. Or she'd go and tell their mother. Then he wouldn't be happy at all. "oh... Okay...." She murmured, turning around and looking where he had had pointed. That made sense. She kind of remembered coming that way actually. "I was?" She mused with a little laugh. "Maybe I want to be in the same house as you that badly" She teased with a laugh. It would have been cool to be in the same house as her brother, but she liked being in Hufflepuff.

"Uh... I guess?" She mused with a little shrug. "I couldn't find anyone else. And I didn't wanna look like a loser hanging outside Sky's house...." So that was why she had gone exploring on herself. "And I thought I wouldn't get lost" Clearly that was why the sorting hat had eventually picked Hufflepuff over Ravenclaw.

It seemed so silly to him that Hattie would have forgotten how to get back to the moving staircases from the seventh floor. But, then again, this wasn't her territory. Her common room was down by the kitchens (which was THE BEST place for a common room if you asked him; Hufflepuffs certainly had that going for them). Had she been a Gryffindor, then she would've known the seventh floor like the back of her hand. He certainly did, among several other places within the castle.

Frankie chuckled when she made the comment about her wanting to be in the same House as him. Of course, he knew that she was joking. While it would have been fun, Hufflepuff was probably a better fit for her anyway. Though she clearly wasn't as good of a finder as they were known to be. Or maybe that was all just a rumour. Heh.

His head simply nodded when she explained why she was alone. Couldn't find anyone? Didn't want to be hanging around the dungeons? All valid reasons. "That's likely because everyone's at supper, silly goose," the prefect said, sticking out is tongue at her.

Louise wandered, lost in thought, back down the Seventh Floor hallway towards the stairs. She had recently discovered just how difficult a riddle could be and her new appreciation for her housemate's intellect had grown considerably in the process. As she wandered, she supposed that she could have waited by the knocker for someone else to get the answer right. But what fun was that? She would much rather figure it out herself. It was... self-assuring.

In the meantime, until she was presented a new riddle or until she figured the current one out she was to be stuck wandering the halls. In a way, this would be a good thing. This would (theoretically) be the best way to find her way out and about so that she wouldn't get lost for class. She simply would not ask for directions. She must figure things out herself and, she figured, if this were to happen so that she was to be ontime... then she had better get started.

Tock, tock, tock rang in the corridor as the footsteps of Katherine were heard from the stairs. She had a firm footstep (thanks to being confident and therefore, walking with her head high) which was enhanced by her shoes. She was clearly headed towards the Ravenclaw tower, when her eye caught the movement and she involuntarily turned. Wasn't she a new first year? Katherine stopped and watched the girl for a moment to see if she had a specific destination... and it looked like she didn't. Katherine remembered that she had met David right on that spot in the first week of her own first year. He'd showed her around, and it'd been massively helpful, and maybe this girl (Louise, Katherine never forgot names) needed the same. So the second year made her way towards her as she called out "Hey, Louise!" She smiled widely. "I'm Katherine Moss, second year." They hadn't formally met, so an introduction was good. "How are you?" What was she doing? Did she want a company of a second year?

Louise barely noticed the footsteps and was even more shocked when they stopped to talk to her.

"Oh, um," she said, trying to get her bearings. "Yes, I'm Louise. I'm good." She peered curiously at the second year in front of her. Katherine Moss. Well, at least it was another person from her House and not some rando stalking the Seventh Floor. Louise remembered how her cousin Charlie had teased her about going to boarding school this year. Don't you know what they do to fresh meat? he had jeered. The question had been rhetorical so he hadn't given an answer but it sounded bad so Louise hoped that she wouldn't be considered "fresh meat" to a girl only a year older than her.

Eventually, after a considerable pause on Louise's part, the first year remembered her manners. "...How are you?" she offered, more than a little tentatively. It occurred to her that this second year held a wealth of knowledge about where things were in the castle, but that would invove asking for directions. Which was boring. Eh.

Awww, she was a shy one, wasn't she? Katherine SMILED at her to make her feel comfortable. It was okay, she didn't bite! She just wanted to see whether she needed anything. Being a first year was hard, she knew. She had just been one.

She nodded when the girl answered, and let her think out whatever she was thinking. In the meantime, she studied the little girl too. She had grown quite a lot over the summer, so even though there probably were only a few months between them (August birthday here yo), she bet she looked much older.

Katherine liked to be the 'older and wiser'.

"I'm fine too," she said cheerfully, "I just wanted to ask if you needed anything... or if you wanted me to show you around?" Hmm? Did she want a second year's wisdom?

In reality Harriet had known that it was pretty hard to get lost up here. It was a pretty simple layout. So really she didn't know how she had gotten lost. But it was her first full day at the school, so she was just going to blame that on why she had gotten lost. Maybe she had been a little over ambitious at wanting to explore so much. But she had loved every bit of exploring that she had done. And at least she had found her brother. Now she wasn't going to be lost at all.

"I know they are" She mused with a little laugh as she looked up at her brother. "I'm going to go to supper. I just needed to remember how to get down to the great hall" But now she knew so it was going to be fine. "Are you coming Frankie?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by RachieRu

In reality Harriet had known that it was pretty hard to get lost up here. It was a pretty simple layout. So really she didn't know how she had gotten lost. But it was her first full day at the school, so she was just going to blame that on why she had gotten lost. Maybe she had been a little over ambitious at wanting to explore so much. But she had loved every bit of exploring that she had done. And at least she had found her brother. Now she wasn't going to be lost at all.

"I know they are" She mused with a little laugh as she looked up at her brother. "I'm going to go to supper. I just needed to remember how to get down to the great hall" But now she knew so it was going to be fine. "Are you coming Frankie?"

Snargaluff pods long forgotten, Frankie now realized, as he stood in front of his sister, just how hungry he was. How he didn't come to terms with that sooner as pure amazement. Food was always a priority over his studies. He had caught his stomach growling over the mentioning of supper. Yes, it certainly was time to fill his face with whatever the house-elves had to offer them all this evening.

He then looked down a the little thing in front of him, nodding his head at her question. Of course he was going with her. When did Franklin Paton ever pass up food? The answer to that question was never. "You bet I am," he responded, physically turning her around and giving her a gentle nudge down the corridor. They'd head down the stairs together, just give Hattie some guidance in case she had the urge of getting lost again.

"We better hurry up. I bet they're having pudding at this point."

The kitchen stop did him more good than he would have thought! A refreshing glass of iced tea and a small sandwich (the sandwich he was MEANT to be having when Airey had found him and dragged him to class in the first place). If you asked him this was justice being served.

With a second wind now running through him, Blaise walked all the way up to the tallest point of the tallest tower. Make no mistake, he'd gotten lost at some point, and made a whole bunch of trips from left to right of the corridors on the seventh floor but finally he thought he found the perfect one.

Once again, the boy got down on the floor to create his next piece of work.

Somewhere, deep down, he was sure he was meant to be feeling bad about this but to be perfectly fair, the Professor should have just let him go get his wand. Granted, he'd never return but it was better than him putting the man through all this. So in the end, maybe they should all just blame Professor Airey and call it a day. Sounded like a brilliant plan to him.

Note written, he pasted it to wall then turned to head back to the classroom. Being done this early gave him a whole lot of free time he would have technically had anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parchment

Dear Merlin I've done it again. I've made you walk all this way on a false promise and I really am sorry, Sir. It seems I just don't have the diligence for this oh so noble discipline that is Charms and I reckon I'll stop wasting your time now. Cheer up though, think of how all this walking has helped your heart and lowered your pressure. You, Professor, are very welcome.

With an old Wizarding wireless beside her, Dora was biting her lip in concentration over the music. Since the summer her ADHD had not bothered her as much, and she had also learnt that music often helped! So as the Gryffindor spread several little mason jars out in front of her she pulled her wand and smiled to herself.

Seeee... she had already learnt to conjure the bluebell flame. It was one of her best spells, even! Not to mention it was FIRE, but it was also something that came naturally to her. Anything destructive or potentially dangerous always had. Heh.

Pointing to the first jar, Dora cast the spell, speaking clearly and loudly, and grinned WIDER as the blue flames appeared in the jar, safely confined.

Feelng somewhat anxious, Ethan Dixon ventured outside the Ravenclaw common room. He had been there most of the day, but it was beginning to fill as the time went by. At this point, there had just been too many people and in normal circumstances Ethan would have escaped to his dormitory, but he urged himself to initiate a little bit of change. Surely, there couldn't be too many people out in the corridors if they were all in their common rooms.

With that logic in mind, the Ravenclaw took a few steps left of the common room and sat down on one of the windowsills. He tried to keep himself as disguised as possible but ensured he sat comfortably. He then took out his Captain America action figure and teddy bear friend, Ted, and began conversing with them as if they were his ideal choice of company.

A twelve-year-old talking to his toys. He most likely looked dumb-witted, but this was he practiced to communicate with others. His therapist had told him to do such from a young age. Was it working? Well, he was at Hogwarts, that was something in the right direction, wasn't it?

Azura had taken to avoiding the common room lately.. Due to.. reasons. She barely felt like socializing anymore, and all she really wanted to do most of the time was lay down and let the hours pass slowly around her.. Things had gotten even worse since..

She shook her head and tried to clear her mind. He was happy that was all that mattered! Her feelings didn't.. Nope. They didn't.. She was going to push them down so far she wouldn't have to think about him..

Yet another person she liked that she had to stay just friends with.. Really the Fwoopers were punishing her she thought..

She moved down the hallway with a soft sigh, a bag slung over her shoulder, her black hair in a sort of messy bun and her purple eyes dull and tired, they had lost their recent sparkle that had emerged when she was around someone..

She heard someone talking softly and she looked around to see Ethan, sitting comfortably in a window sill. The boy had taste, that was for sure.. She loved those spots.. They were perfect for gazing out onto the grounds.. But what made her stop was hearing him speak.. He didn't do it often and she crept closer.. to hear what he was saying..

Utterly absorbed by his animation of friends, Ethan barely noticed that someone was observing him. He went ahead explaining to Ted how he planned to go see his sister once he'd get the change.

"Do you think Ness would mind? No. Do you think her boyfriend will? He's freaky sometimes, but he's nice. What do you think?" he spoke without a stutter.

This was the real Ethan. The Ethan at peace with himself. The Ethan that didn't feel intimidated by the presence of another, or what they thought of him. If only it could be this simple for him around actual people. His anxiety was a strange condition, one he had lived with most of his life. He had his own theory as to what the cause of it was, but some aspects didn't quite adjust correctly.

The root solves the problem?

He didn't believe so in his scenario. For someone rather logical he felt that his jitters were irrational, thus becoming elusive to control.

Azura was using all her elusive ninja powers.. (Which she barely had any of) To make sure and not be spotted or seen! Sure she was little, barely reaching 4'6' (She had a recent growth spurt) But she was clumsy as heck and her body would pick the most inopportune times to give out on her.. And thereby ruining any illusion she ever had at being cool and ninja like!

Thankfully.. for the moment, she was able to stealth mode over to the window and sit just under it, and after hoping he wouldn't kick her in the face.. Because.. Nose..

She settled back to listen to him talk..

She smiled a bit, he hadn't talked that much to her.. They had owl'd back and forth though.. So she considered him a friend.. But still he seemed so shy.. She just wanted to help.. or understand? She knew saying that she wouldn't judge wouldn't help.. but hopefully one day!!

'Ness mind you? Never. She may be extremely busy, but you know she loves you, right?'

All imagined in his head. That was how it went. He spoke, then he imagined. Was it possible for him to think of others talking as imagination as well? Nope. His mind was uncontrollable then, he'd never be able to convince it into anything.

Ethan nodded to himself in response to the imagined question. He loved Ness too, more than anyone else in his family, that was for sure.

"I think if everyone could automatically accept me the way Ness accepts me I'd be alright. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Acceptance. What does it mean anyways?" he continued, this time looking at Captain America.

He sighed, ending his philosophical question hanging and let his leg hang across the base of the window sill correspondingly.

Azura was perched under the windowsill.. her head back against the wall as she listened to Ethan speak.. It was amazing really, to hear him talk.. and to listen to his thoughts! She felt so bad for him.. She wished she knew how to make him feel better!

But she really couldn't pop up and say that she accepted him.. That might defeat her whole purpose and she sighed softly.. Before suddenly his leg came down!!

Ack! Incoming appendage alert! She quickly moved to the side..though she knew her cover had been blown.. She was practically laying in the Corridor now!

A sheepish smile made it's way across her face as she got up.. and sighed..

"Hey Ethan."

Fwoopers..

*BLINK-STARE*

Ethans mouth dropped open with shock and fright when our of nowhere Acura now lay on the floor before him. Had she been there the whole time? He hoped not. This was utterly embarrassing, his cheeks even agreed such as they turned bright red.

It was alright, it was alright. He had to reassure himself repeatedly. Thankfully, he had a moment to half calm himself before Acura stood up.

'Smile, Ethan. Smile' a voice in his head boomed.

He obeyed, slowly yet surely. "A-azu-ra. Ar-are y-o-oh o-ok-at?", the stuttering had returned.

His first thought was to actually ask her what she'd heard, but perhaps if he pretended this didn't happen she would too? On top of that, she had just fallen to the floor and he, well he was still perched up on the sill. He was slightly ashaken but ha had to remind himself: it was alright.

Suddenly remembering his toys, he hurriedly put his Captain America in his pocket and tried to hide Teddy behind him. A bit late though, wasn't it?

Wellllll she had done it now! She looked up at Ethan as he started to turn bright red and she instantly started to feel bad.. What had started as an attempt to get to understand him better, now felt like an invasion of privacy..

*sigh*

She wasn't going to tell him what she had heard.. Nope! And she hoped she could come up with a good excuse! Napping wouldn't work. Ohh! Maybe tripping would.. Yes.. Always go to the good old fall back.. of getting closely acquainted with the floor.

She pushed upwards and managed a warm bright smile at him, though it didn't reach her purple eyes, their light had gone out when her mother had died..

"I'm perfectly all right! i just tripped and slid a few feet." She said as she looked at him.

"How are you?" She asked him, making sure the questions were easily answered by a either a head shake or a finger gesture, He didn't have to speak to her if she didn't want too.. She was fine with that. Anything so he could be comfortable!

So she hadn't heard him? Ethan continued to hope this was the truth.

Her smile urged him to push his worries away, or at least try to. Yet, even here he could notice that her own smile was not one-hundred-percent genuine. He couldn't pinpoint what it was. Perhaps he was being too observant and therefore jumping to illusive conclusions? He wasn't sure and, furthermore, he wasn't sure whether it was appropriate or even accurate to say something about such.

"O-oh I--I can- be-be cl-clumsy too," he tried his best to talk calmly whilst he let a returning smile surface across his face.

With a deep breathe in and out, he continued his calming procedure and urged himself to answer further and better than his usual one word answers. It was never that he didn't want to talk, it was more that he was afraid. "I-I'm al-alright. I-ju-just was -uh- thi-thinking to-to myse-self." Gulp. "How a-are you?" he asked her too.

Azura smiled a bit as Ethan actually tried to talk to her and bit and she nodded at him as he spoke. "Really? I'm so awfully clumsy.. I broke my nose eight times last term." A sheepish smile crossed her face.. "I'm a bit better this term though.. I've only managed to do break my nose once." She watched him carefully..

And was actually surprised when he gave her more than a one word answer and she silently cheered for him.. A smile was still on her face as she replied to him. "I'm glad to hear that.. and yeah.. I do that a lot too.. think.. perhaps over think a bit.. It happened.. perhaps TOO much..

"I'm.. okay I think." She said with a soft sigh.. She still missed her mother badly.. but at least her nightmares were going away.. for the most part..