The yell hadn’t quite been necessary, as Elle had started heading back down from the dorm at the sound of music playing, recognizing it as what Nat played quite regularly when they had their little parties in the dorm. As had become habit since the first appearance of the portals, she had her hedgehog with her, and a faint smile as she’d stepped off the stairs and immediately felt the give to the floor. She wasn’t about to bounce quite as much as the head girl was, but she managed to make her way over to solid ground reasonably easily. Unlike Dalton, it seemed, although she was too preoccupied in maintaining her own balance to assist him.

“Has there been any knowledge of the portals being likely to appear inside a common room?,” she asked, merely curious, walking over to the refreshments table and getting a drink for herself as well as a small plate of snacks. Both for herself and her pet, as she headed over to sit on the end of a couch. The idea of strength in numbers did seem like the best idea to her, although the rules felt more like quarantine than anything else to her. She couldn’t help anyone if she couldn’t actually be there.

It felt a little weird to Rula to be having a party now of all times, what with Rooney, Henry, and Carlton still missing. Shouldn't they wait until they got back, and then they could celebrate that they were safe again?

Though, she supposed, there was value in doing whatever you could to make sure everyone kept up hope and didn't give up, and maybe a party would help with that. So the sixth year walked down to the common room from her dorm, pleased to see that quite a few had already arrived, including her sister.

Rula walked over to grab a drink before she started mingling, aaand it seemed the portal stuff was already the main topic of discussion here. Not surprising, but she wasn't sure if that would help lifting up everyone's moods. She sipped her pumpkin juice, watching and listening.

The comment about everyone going in and outnumbering the monster intrigued her. What if they could do that? There surely couldn't just be an infinite amount of monsters in there, so if they had a large enough group...hmm...

Nat's hair was probably cray from bouncing as much as she was. This was actually more fun than she thought, but never being on a trampoline as a child this was a new experience and one that she was loving. Did Dalton just roll his eyes at her? [b] "Come bounce with me Dalt you know you want to."[b/] She saw more and more students coming in and she was excited to actually maybe have something fun for them in this stressful time, but then the focus went right to the portal and she frowned a little. She knew it would be on everyone's minds though she couldn't blame them for wanting to talk about it.

Slowing her bouncing she stopped and listened to them all. She listened to all of them before speaking, she knew she had to say things being the head girl, but what did she say. Giving [Skylar looks, why on earth was she always so eager to go into the portal? Merlin was the girl really a Gryffindor?

She moved towards the rest of the group and cleared her throat a bit. "I promise guys the professor are doing everything they can to keep everyone safe. No one is going to go into the portal willingly without the professors and the prefects having a plan. We can't determine where the portal will be, but we can just be alert and help each other. That's why we are staying in groups and staying close to the common rooms." With that said she grabbed a cookie. "So anyone want to bounce with me or maybe go get some mattresses and transfigure the furniture into slides or something?"

She moved back to the tramploine part and started bouncing again. Come on guys lets have some fun!

Brent, you are a fool. "Food always looks good." Daisy was quick to inform the boy which wasn't really true. Food did not always look good, but Hogwarts good? MAN, that was the best food. The House-Elves were makers of wonders, truly. Maybe they should just send food down that portal and hopefully it would all be fixed.

AAAH, food.

Carelessly, she threw the chicken bone into an empty plate and turned back to the boy. "I don't think you were here last year." She commented as she squinted her eyes and looked him over. She could remember him from this year but before that? Nothing. "Were you? Here I mean?"

It probably was to be expected that the topic of conversation would be the portal, however, and with a sigh, Daisy looked away from the boy. She sort of didn't want to talk about it. She had seen the portal which had taken Junia and Etta and there had been nothing that she could do to stop it. And now Rooney, Henry and little Carlton...

They had to be safe because she needed her teammate, alright? Alright.

But it was pretty clear that Natalia was trying to get their minds off that portal and the missing students. It might sound callous but it was probably a good idea and so Daisy stopped leaning against the table and nodded. "I'll bounce with you, Natalia." Kicking off her shoes, she moved towards the bouncy floor and signalled for the others to join them.

As the conversation shifted away from the portal talk, Skylar found herself growing more and more restless. She didn't want to harm herself and it wasn't as if she couldn't see the purpose for the lockdown, but she also didn't feel like partying and celebrating when there were three students missing.

But Declan had a point; the portals were random, although she was pretty sure there were no instances where someone was sleeping and they got transported, but then again, there was always a first time for everything. Also, touché, Brent, touché; there most definitely was NO guarantee that what was in this alternate universe wouldn't try to gang up on them.

Nat was determined to try to keep them on a positive note though; no going in without a plan. So what were they doing then? Going to wait until a student dies before they would be allowed? She wasn't trying to be brave or anything, but it just felt stupid to her to be 'waiting things out', while student lives were at risk, one of whom was an innocent first year.

But not to dwell on the situation for now, because it seemed the Head Girl was trying to move away from the topic - though just because it was not going to be brought up did not mean it was out of mind - Skylar sighed and pulled off her shoes as she moved onto the trampoline part, allowing her body to move up and down with her housemate's jump, but barely jumping herself. She couldn't jump. Her legs just did not want to work. But she was not going to say anything more, because apparently it was outside her control.

Duuuuude. So much for having fun. Brent was cool with talking about the portal, but the whole party had turned to that. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead like he had a headache. This talk was just hurting his head. "I've been in there," he finally spoke up. "I was in that first group that got sucked in." He debated on telling them the next part, but he finally added, "When it appears, you just lose it for a second. You're in there before you know it."

...and there most definitely was SOMETHING in there.

Daisy broke his train of thoughts when she, too, agreed that food was always good. He grinned at her, glad to have talk that suddenly took a lighter tone. "I'm a transfer from Ilvermorny," he said, answering he question. "This is my first year here." A newbie, and a portal just sucked him on in like it was nothing. What a welcome. He had literally heard from almost everybody back home that stuff like this always happened at Hogwarts.

Daisy joined Nat on the bouncey floor, so with a shrug, Brent did the same. It was cool to just hang out and have fun.

5 days in the portal. 3 days in the Quarantined Area in the hospital wing.

And then he had to go to the Slytherin common room. Alone. He wasn't allowed to live in the hospital wing. He wasn't allowed to live with Henry in the Hufflepuff common room or with Roo in the Ravenclaw common room.

It was unfair.

He walked into the common room, self-consciously tugging on his clothes. He needed another robe since his got shredded inside the portal. By the... By the monster. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, not really knowing where to go next.

How would people react? Would they think he was weird? Would they think he was contaminated by some weird Monster-virus from the portal?

... Or maybe they wouldn't care at all. Had anyone noticed he'd been gone for like... FOREVER?

Nat was forever studying now when she had the extra moments and after class she headed to the common room to get bit in before it was time to go out again for corridor duties and portal watch. Part of her couldn't believe it was already April and she was about to graduate and the other part of her couldn't believe how long the term felt. The emotions and stress of everything had been overwhelming lately.

Headed into the common room she blinked seeing the person in there. [b] "Hey Carlton." She gave a soft smile as she walked closer to him. "How are you?" She wanted to give him a hug, but she wasn't sure he'd want one or even want touched. So instead she just stood near him and waited to see how he resonded.

Carlton spun around. Probably shouldn't have stopped by the entrance if he didn't want people to walk up behind him. He gave a little hesitant smile towards the Head Girl. He hadn't really ever talked to her alone. He was a nobody. A firstie. A firstie who got taken by a monster. And she was talking to him. To him. And she knew his name.

The Head Girl knew his name.

Suddenly he got very nervous. "Hi, Natalia." Did.. Did she know he'd been away? Did everyone? He knew the professors knew, obviously. But other than that he was pretty lost. "I'm..." He was never good at lying and he didn't want to be caught lying to the Head Girl. "I'm discharged from the quarantined area!" This was a fact. Also a heads-up. He's just been quarantined. Yup. "Um... How are you?" The monster hadn't taken his manners.

She watched him, cautious not to upset him. She knew all to well how it felt to be anxious and what can happen to someone after trauma. So she made sure to not have sudden movements. She headed towards one of the couches and patted it for him to sit down.

She gave a smile as he said her name. He seemed calm, that was good. Though she could tell he was nervous seeming. "Yeah... I knew you were there." She had been there the day they came out of the portal and he had been the one looking the worse out of the three. Even though Rooney had puked on her. "I was worried about you." She didn't know what that would do to a first year.

He was asking about her? That was really sweet of him. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." In all honestly she wasn't, she was overwhelmed and stressed out, but she wasn't going to tell him that. She had no right to say she was all that after what he just went through.

Carlton took a quick look around him before deciding to take seat on the couch next to Natalia. He glanced at her when she told him she knew he'd been in the portal. The young boy pulled his knees up to his chin on the couch and looked down at his clasped hands around them. "Oh." He looked at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. She was worried? About him?! Was this a joke? He hesitated for a second. She seemed serious enough. "Thanks." He mumbled, looking down at his bright blue socks with dandelions on them. His favorite Spring socks. "I don't remember coming out of the portal." He added. He didn't really remember anything until he was in the hospital wing and healer Reed came to meet them. He was surprised he was sharing information with the Head Girl. Not that he didn't trust her it was just... He knew he had to be careful what to say to people, he already was the weird kid.

"And I couldn't stay in the hospital wing for the rest of the year." That was all he wanted. Was that really too much to ask? It was already April and healer Reed wouldn't even notice he was there, apart from the occassional tugging on the healer's robes.

He was safe in the hospital wing. Or at least, safer than he felt everywhere else. No place was really safe from the monster...

Shudder.

He was a sweet kid and Nat felt bad for him. He had a lot of trauma with that portal. She couldn't imagine what he went through. What they all went through. She just watched him and listened. "You don't? " Had it all been a blur to him or was his mind blocking things out to help him cope? She was interested in finding out, but she wasn't going to pry either. "I was standing there and I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time because Rooney puked all over me.' She said this to maybe make him smile a little. As gross as it was the head girl being puked on had to be funny to an extent to some.

"You don't have to worry about anything now. You are safe and that's all that matters and I'll make sure you stay that way. I can make sure to be your escort around the castle if you would like. We can meet right here each morning." She put a comforting arm around him. She wanted to make sure he knew he had people around him that would help him and watch his back. He wasn't in this alone.

She could understand not wanting to leave the hospital. "Well here can be just as safe as the hospital. I promise." She'd prove it to him somehow even if she had to sleep on the common room couch where she could hear him yell if need be.

The Baron was present though the chains of rattling from his arrival went unnoticed, he wasn't bothered at all. What a splendid Head Girl Natalie was being with the youngest lad arriving as she was explaining the safety of him. "Your Head Girl is right, young man. The professors and prefects are doing whatever possible to keep everyone at bay from the portals. I dare say this common room is more safe than the wing." They were the strongest of the lot, naturally.

Carlton shook his head. He remember everything from inside the portal, much more than he wanted to, but everything between getting out of the portal and waking up in the hospital wing a few days later was just black. He looked up at her when she mentioned the puking.

And then he giggled. Before quickly realizing he was laughing at the fact that the Head Girl got puked on. Was that... Against some school rules? Was the Headmistress going to throw him in the dungeons? Carlton quickly bit his bottom lip to stop the giggling. "I didn't know that." He admitted, wondering how that had even happened.

He relaxed a little when she told him he was safe. Everyone kept telling him that. He didn't really feel safe though. He felt safe in the hospital wing because healer Reed didn't let any unauthorized people in there but anywhere else in the castle? Not so much. The portal could show up anywhere and have the monster haul him back inside. But he gave her a little smile nevertheless.

"That's very nice." He nodded in relief. He wasn't ready to return to classes yet but when he was it would be nice with an escort. His friends had already offered to help him catch up with everything he missed but none of that would matter if he didn't have the courage to leave his dorm. "I hope people are nice..." In his experience, kids his age weren't really. What if everyone thought the monster was after him specifically? What if they thought he was dangerous to be around? Or what if they just thought he was weird? He hoped they wouldn't.

Ghost. That's a ghost.

Carlton looked up at the Bloody Baron. Yup. He knew him. Or knew of him is more accurate. He'd never really interacted with him and so the obvious question popped up. How to adress him? Mr. Bloody? Mr. Baron? Sir Bloody Baron? Maybe he'd settle for 'dude'. Brent often called people dude and got away with it. Carlton was determined to be as cool.

I- Yes." Dude. Yeah, dude. Safe common room! Although he didn't really think a ghost could stop the monster from creeping through the portal. "Thank you Mr. Bloody Baron." Mister. He'd caved. "Then I'll stay here." He nodded. Strength in numbers and all.

Your head girl was right?

Nat's eyes shot to where the words came from and her cheeks might have flushed. She wasn't use to hearing that, especially lately. So many were telling her she was wrong and acting like she was an awful head girl so when the Baron said these it made her blush very brightly. "Thank you Mr. Baron." He was a great ghost, did he know?

She didn't even blink when he chuckled, she assumed it was funny, but she still wasn't at the point of laughing. She was just glad he was alright. She frowned understanding way too well about people not being nice. "If you come across anyone not being nice you point me to them. No one gives problems to my snakes and gets away with it." She had his back and if it was another snake Blaze she'd be after them too.

Her eyes turning back to the Baron as Carlton spoke she gave a small smile, "How are you and the other ghost doing. The portal hasn't tried to pull any of you in has it?" Could it touch the ghost? She wasn't sure. Turning back to Carlton she put a comforting arm around him. "I think I have some cookies up in my room, would you like one?"