Hogwarts was the best!

Maxton had a list of places he wanted to explore. The eleven year old was a bookworm so of course the first place on that list was the library.

He had never in his life seen so many books in one place, and Maxton gazed around in complete and utter awe. His mother hadn't exaggerated when she'd told him how huge and fantastic the library was.

There were a few books that took his fancy and Maxton balanced them all the way to the comfy looking armchairs in front of the fireplace. The book atop the pile was Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century, Maxxie flicked to the first page and settled into his armchair.

He was gonna be here a while.

It couldn't really be said that Daisy particularly liked the library or even that she spent a lot of time there. Especially this early during the term when she didn't really have that much to study. There was, however, one place in the library she absolutely loved.

For napping.

First, she had walked all the way up to the Astronomy tower. Now she had two hours until the next class so what was the best thing to do? Exactly, stop by the fourth floor and have a nap in the library. All those stairs absolutely exhausted her. She walked to the fireplace area and once there went straight to the chest by the side of the fire and reached for the cosiest blanket she could find.

FLUFFY!

Dragging the blanket behind her, she plopped down into one of the couches and only then looked around. Oh. She knew that mop of hair! Of course he would be here already, surrounded by a gazillion books. "I see you have found the library." She told her brother, frowning in his direction. He was eleven years old! Shouldn't he be having fun?!

Nothing beat getting lost in a good book. You could read about crazy theories, learn new spells, study diagrams of magical creatures... The possibilities were endless. Right now, Maxton was engrossed in battles from way back when.

He was just getting to a particularly juicy bit, when a voice interrupted.

Oh, it was his sister!

"Isn't it brilliant!?" Maxton exclaimed loudly toward Daisy. EEK! He needed to reign it in... Libraries were quiet places. "Isn't it brilliant??" He said again, this time in a whisper.

His sister didn't appreciate books the way he did. Maybe he'd be able to convert her.

Wishful thinking probably.

Daisy was now snuggled up in the blanket, shoes thrown off feet and legs tucked up beneath her, bag forgotten on the floor. On her lap she had a variety of candy and was currently unwrapping a chocolate frog, trying to keep it from escaping.

Bloody moving candy.

"Shush, Maxxie!" Daisy told her brother as he loudly proclaimed how brilliant this all was and she threw him a chocolate frog before looking around sneakily. "You're gonna get us kicked out!" That would be terrible, she would lose her napping spot!

"I haven't seen you around! Where have you been?" She had, after all, promised their parents she would look after him.

Maxton fumbled and missed the chocolate frog Daisy lobbed in his way. He hadn't inherited the fast reflexes of his Father unfortunately. The chocolate frog hopped away, enjoying it's freedom. Ah well.

"I've been around," the eleven year old said with a shrug, finding a bookmark in the inside pocket of his robes and securing his place in the book. Was it weird that he carried around a spare bookmark? He strongly disagreed with folding a corner on the page. It was sacrilege.

"I got lost on the third floor and was stuck for a while." It had only been for a few hours but it had felt like DAYS. "But one of the ghosts help me find my way back to the Common Room." This place was crazy big, he was still getting used to it.

NOOOOOOOO!!!

The chocolate frog had gotten away and Daisy watched with wide eyes as it hopped happily away to live his chocolate-y life. Clearly, Daisy hadn't taught her brother well enough. You simply did not waste chocolate.

Still, he had interrupted his reading for her, so that was at least something. The boy wasn't all bad, after all.

The fifteen year old smiled fondly at her brother as he told her about his adventures in the third floor. "It's the stairs you have to look out for. When they move around, I sometimes have to spend a few minutes figuring out where I am." And this was her fifth year in this school! She had spent most of her first year completely lost. "Oh, have you seen the squid through the windows in the Common Room yet?! That was always pretty cool.

That made sense. Maybe he'd been on one of the moving staircases and that's why he had gotten so lost. Sometimes getting lost was a good thing... It meant you might find new and cool places! Getting lost on your way to class wasn't good though. Maxton hated being late.

"I haven't seen the squid yet," Maxton answered with a pout. He had a new favourite armchair in the Common Room that was situated right near one of the windows in the hopes of catching a glimpse. But no such luck so far. He was going to have to try the toast theory at some point.

"Apparently there's a statue somewhere," Maxton said, excitement shining in his blue eyes. "And it's a secret passageway to Hogsmede! Have you ever found it?"

"Oh, well, the lake is pretty big. It probably has been busy somewhere else." Daisy shrugged at her brother when he complained about not having seen the squid. She still remembered their plan, anyway! "One of these days we have to go to the lake and test that toast theory." They better do it before the winter starts.

She had no idea where her brother got all this info regarding Hogwarts and she raised one eyebrow at her brother. Seriously, a secret passageway? "Well, I've heard rumours about it." But there were a lot of rumours about Hogwarts. "But I've never found it. Do you know where the entrance is in Hogsmeade?" Maybe they could narrow it down that way.

"We will!" Maxton said excitedly at his sister. Once again he forgot himself and his volume and he cursed himself internally. Libraries were for quiet! Shush, Maxxie! "We can take some toast from the Great Hall at breakfast." His sister was actually making plans with him? He didn't have any friends of his own yet, so Daisy would have to do.

Maxton didn't mind being by himself. In fact, he quite liked it. But he was smart, and he knew that going to tempt a giant sea creature with food while alone was not a smart move.

"I don't know where the entrance in Hogsmeade is," Maxton replied sadly. He was a First Year and that meant he wasn't allowed to go to the village on weekends. He'd been hoping he could sneak out of the castle. "I'm sure it'd be in one of these books somewhere..."

There were only tens of thousands of books to hunt through.

"Yes, we'll take some toast from breakfast and go down to the lake." That seemed like a good enough plan to her. She clapped her hands excitedly, but silently, and grinned at her brother. "Is Saturday morning alright with you?"

He would probably be too busy studying, or something. Or he would take his books down to the lake with him to get the homework done while they waited for the squid.

Hmm, that seemed like something her sensible brother would do.

She had never really bothered to check the secret passageways, even when she hadn't been allowed into Hogsmeade. Weekends at the castle meant flying around and practising her Quaffle throwing, but now that Maxton was here, she had to do something about it. "Maybe you could write Dad and ask him?" It would be pretty cool if her brother got to go to Hogsmeade. Their parents usually went there to visit her. "Or Mum. If it's in one of these books, Mum probably has read it already."

Maxton had to think for a minute or two. Saturday morning... Did he have any plans? The only plans he ever had were with his books. Maybe his set of Gobstones too. They could wait until the afternoon though. "Saturday morning it is," he nodded excitedly. "That's if I haven't been given a pile of homework to do by then." Homework or Giant Squid, he didn't mind which activity. Both were great ways to spend a Saturday!

The First Year nodded at Daisy's suggestion to send an owl to Mum or Dad. If they ever needed anything answered, Mum or Dad always knew the answer. Well, mostly Mum. Dad... Not so much.

"Orion still isn't back," he'd sent a letter a few days ago. He'd kept his promise and had been writing regularly. "I'll let him have a rest and use one of the Hogwarts owls." Orion was getting on a bit now and it took him longer to recover between journeys. But those Hogwarts owls liked to bite his fingers.

Daisy probably would have a pile of homework to do by Saturday morning. Unlike her brother, though, Daisy would not let that stop her from going down to the lake, hopefully with Maxton. She was always up to experiment but not really for analysing the results.

Maxton was better at that.

"Take the homework with you!" She suggested with a shrug, throwing a jelly bean into her own mouth. Really, it was pretty obvious to her - she was not sure why Maxton hadn't thought of it. She supposed, however, that he was still a baby, really. He needed her to guide him. Clearly. "We will have to do a lot of waiting around for the squid, you can do it then!"

And her brother said she wasn't smart. Hah.

She nodded her head at him letting Orion rest, that poor owl would have to be retired soon. "The school owls can be nasty. Sometimes giving them candy helps, you are free to take some of mine." Not the chocolate, because - well, it was chocolate but maybe Bertie Botts beans.

The moment the door to the History of Magic classroom slammed shut, Kitty had felt sorry. Not sorry for having shouted at Katy (whom she was still enraged at) but sorry for having ditched Rosalyn like that. But at the same time there was no way she'd go back after that, no way she'd study right next to all those students who she had clearly alienated. Instead she had gone straight to the owlery to sulk for awhile, alone among the owls and in the cold where she didn't think she'd meet anyone.

Once she wasn't so angry she'd made her way to the library and picked up Hogwarts A History. Then she'd went towards the fireplace and began reading about Salathar Slytherin, just to remind herself again how bad he was. 'Great wizard, Pfft!" she muttered angrily. "Brave? Please!" Normally she didn't talk out loud when reading but right now she was too angry to not talk.

After awhile she slammed the book shut, unable to read any more. She ripped off her prefect badge and stared blankly at the fire, pondering her fate. Should she turn the badge in? It was hard to imagine her being an effective prefect after having alienated an entire house.

"Stupid Salathar!" she cursed, wondering for the hundredths time why so many students could feel any kind of loyalty to the man.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goblinfrog

The moment the door to the History of Magic classroom slammed shut, Kitty had felt sorry. Not sorry for having shouted at Katy (whom she was still enraged at) but sorry for having ditched Rosalyn like that. But at the same time there was no way she'd go back after that, no way she'd study right next to all those students who she had clearly alienated. Instead she had gone straight to the owlery to sulk for awhile, alone among the owls and in the cold where she didn't think she'd meet anyone.

Once she wasn't so angry she'd made her way to the library and picked up Hogwarts A History. Then she'd went towards the fireplace and began reading about Salathar Slytherin, just to remind herself again how bad he was. 'Great wizard, Pfft!" she muttered angrily. "Brave? Please!" Normally she didn't talk out loud when reading but right now she was too angry to not talk.

After awhile she slammed the book shut, unable to read any more. She ripped off her prefect badge and stared blankly at the fire, pondering her fate. Should she turn the badge in? It was hard to imagine her being an effective prefect after having alienated an entire house.

"Stupid Salathar!" she cursed, wondering for the hundredths time why so many students could feel any kind of loyalty to the man.

As soon as the lesson was over, Rosalyn needed to have a talk with Kitty Valentine. Even though the girl was allowed to speak her mind, she had started a heated conversation before storming out. That was bad from any student, but worse from a Prefect.

Sensing that the girl would head to the library, Rosalyn made a beeline in that direction. It didn't take too long for her to find the girl sitting by the fireplace and continuing to fume about Salazar Slytherin. It had been her hope to do this conversation when things were calmer, but that clearly wouldn't be the case. "Miss Valentine."

Surely the girl knew that this talk was coming.

She didn't turn to look when she heard footsteps approaching. Presumably it was just a student who wanted to read by the fireplace. But when she heard Professor Rosalyn's voice, she nearly dropped her badge in shock.

Very quickly she got off her chair and pinning her badge back in place as she turned to face the professor. Suddenly she found herself feeling afraid of what might happen to her. For one wild moment she wondered if it was possible she'd get expelled, but then she told herself that no, no one would expel her for one instance of screaming and ditching class.

"Sorry for screaming like that," she began, glancing down at the ground as she spoke and shifting from one foot to the other. "And for ditching class. I didn't mean it go that far. Do you want my badge?" And she unclipped her badge and with shaky hands held it out to the professor, fighting back tears as she did so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goblinfrog

She didn't turn to look when she heard footsteps approaching. Presumably it was just a student who wanted to read by the fireplace. But when she heard Professor Rosalyn's voice, she nearly dropped her badge in shock.

Very quickly she got off her chair and pinning her badge back in place as she turned to face the professor. Suddenly she found herself feeling afraid of what might happen to her. For one wild moment she wondered if it was possible she'd get expelled, but then she told herself that no, no one would expel her for one instance of screaming and ditching class.

"Sorry for screaming like that," she began, glancing down at the ground as she spoke and shifting from one foot to the other. "And for ditching class. I didn't mean it go that far. Do you want my badge?" And she unclipped her badge and with shaky hands held it out to the professor, fighting back tears as she did so.

Seeing Kitty like this made Rosalyn sad. This was one of her best students, always so polite and hard working. The outburst had been beyond shocking. Despite her general behaviour, rules were rules and needed to be obeyed. More over, this was a Prefect, someone who was supposed to set a good example to other students. Starting fights, screaming, and storming out of class was not the way to do that.

A small smile was given in response to the apology. "I know." She was a good kid. Despite that, there were going to be repercussions. "We can talk in my office." Best to do this in private. The removal of her badge made Rosalyn's eyes widen. "You aren't losing your badge, Miss Valentine." Not only was that an extreme punishment, but it wasn't HER decision to make.

She needed a quiet place to think. So the library seemed a natural place to go and relax in. Perhaps there she could just let her mind wander. Sometimes the noisiness of Hogwarts was a bit much. So some peace and quiet would be a nice change. She had been having terrible nightmares ever since she stumbled upon that place.

She shuddered at the thought. She could clearly hear the snarling of the thing in her mind. Olivia felt slightly changed by all the events. She felt the same on the whole, still her happy self, but she still had thoughts about that place. She remembered when she finally fell out and then hugged Brent Westwood so tightly as she was so glad to see him alive and well. She had been so worried about him and all of them that had been in there. Taking a seat by the fireplace, she opened up her notebook and began jotting down her thoughts, trying her hardest to clear her mind. Don't think. She needed to find a way to get her mind off of that.

Etta wandered over to the fireplace with the Divination textbook in her hand, deciding that she really needed to get some reading done. She was obviously weak when it came to this subject so she needed to put in the extra effort, right? Thinking that the fireplace would be quite empty at this time of the day, she was about to plop down on her favourite comfy chair when she spotted her friend there TOO?!

"Hey, girl." Etta exclaimed with a smile, going over to give the friend a hug. It was nice to see her again! What was she doing there? And... The Hufflepuff curiously eyed the notebook in Olivia's hand, wondering what she was up to? Etta sat down next to her and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

Dark. Slimy. Gross. She jotted down in her notebook. Biting her lip, she tried to find other words to express what she had seen there. Olivia jumped slightly at Etta's exclamation. Olivia hadn't even heard her friend approach her. Merlin. She must have gotten very lost within her own thoughts.

She chuckled, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Hey Etta!" she smiled, sitting up straighter and closing her book a little as she saw her Hufflepuff friend take a seat next to her. Olivia was about to ask her friend what she was up to when Etta beat her to that question. She glanced down at her book and then back up at Etta. "I'm writing," she said, nodding slowly. "I'm just writing down my thoughts in my music journal. When I get stressed or bored, I usually write songs to make myself feel better. Then I can try them out on the piano in the music room." Olivia grinned at the thought. She loved testing out these songs in the music room. It was definitely her favourite place in the whole of Hogwarts.

But enough about her, she wondered what brought her friend to the library. Homework, perhaps? The Gryffindor noted the Divination textbook in her friend's hand. "What are you up to? More Divination?"

Dora wasn't sure Mason had gotter her candy gram yet, but she went ahead and sent him a note to meet her. In the library. By the fireplace.

Hehe.

The blonde folded herself into the floor and pulled a book from her bag. A little studying while she waited! Two birds, one stone. Honestly, she was too nervous to read, though. Her eyes grazed the page, but nothing was really making its way to her brain.

Did Mason realize she had asked him on a date? Probably not... he wasn't the smartest Ravenclaw, as she had pointed out previously. That wasn't actually true. Did he even like her since she broke his nose? Probably not. Who would like a violent pyromaniac? Nobody.

Ugh.

She was feeling sorry for herself again. That needed to stop. Inmediately. Dora Umbridge was a CATCH. Now where was that stupid boy?

Mason had gotten the candy gram from the Charms Professor dressed as Santa that Dora had written but it hadn't been half a day when he got another note from the Gryffindor.

He wasn't even sure what to think of all these communications. Was it a trap to humiliate him more or was she officially going to say sorry? He'd say sorry too but only after she had gone first. Be the bigger person , they say, ppffft nope.

The location that Dora had picked out to meet was nice though. He loved the library, his biggest wish was to own one himself and be able to read as much as he can. As he passed the bookshelves and noticing the Gryffindor on the floor near the fireplace reading a book he walked toward her.

Without a word, Mason sat next to her and crossed his legs, the flames of the fireplace casting an orange red glow on his face as he turned to look at her. "What do you want?"

She sensed his presence before she saw him, or at least she had thought it might be him walking toward her. This was proven to be fact as he sat down beside her. Without looking up the Gryffindor spoke, "Did you get my candy gram?"

Hadn't she said she was sorry in it? That might have been someone else's though.

Seemed she had taken to making people angry this term.

Finally peeking over at him she was startled by how handsome he looked in the light of the fire. Like... he was very pretty. If pretty was a word used to describe boys anyway. Smiling softly she waited for him to answer her first question before she asked her second... which she had already asked via candy gram.

Did he get the candy gram? Of course he had, he wouldn't be here if he hadn't right? But then he remembered that it said on the letter that she wanted to meet up at Hogsmeade, not the library which had been a different.message. she really did love sending messages didn't she?

"I got it" he said, nodding his head. He didn't say anything else about it because the messages confused him. What was her aim? He simply did not get. His first thought was that she was just sorry or...he didn't know!

"Sooo... Hogsmeade" he said. "did you know that Hogsmeade was founded by a Hufflepuff?" just ...fyi. "Anyways..." he looked at fire for a second or two "Which shops do you want to visit most?" which basically meant that he had agreed to go.

The Gryffindor caught herself smiling at him as he spoke. That was new. She had only scowled at him before, right?

But before Dora knew what she was doing... she blurted out, "You know I asked you on a date, right? I want to go on a proper date and kiss you before we get back to the castle." And with that, her cheeks were flaming RED. She could feel the heat radiating from her face. Had she just said all of that. REALLY said it all?

How embarrassing. Especially since she expected him to get up and run off... or throw up on her or something equally as horrible. Now she was just going to sit there and clamp her mouth shut... and her eyes... and wait for the puking to commence. Or the running.

But first... "And I am sorry I broke your nose and hexed you."