While Mason was listening, he had to agree that last term had been very chaotic and he also had been very glad that he had no O.W.L that year. The talk about the monster though, something sparked his memory and he looked at her. "I helped with searching for the poltergeists but, i'm still clueless on why we needed their help" he said, he had basically followed the others in the hope of catching a glimps of the Monster. He had been rather fascinated about it but sadly he hadn't seen a thing and whenever he asked a student who had seen it they ended up either crying or avoiding his question. It made him even MORE curious.

"Wait, they change words for something that is the same? why?" how peculiar was that?

Mason grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, i'm really curious about this tournament. I signed up for it, you see. As did Rooney in my year" If the Head Boy won he was of course going to support him and perhaps get a bit envious but he would need to hide that somehow. "Is there a prize for the winner? money? Endless supplies of chocolate frogs?" he asked curiously.

Dora was unaware if Sam was a bit put out by her taking so long to pull her coat on. Not only had she chosen the very last one, but she had also inspected it before actually putting it on her person. She had to, no? YES! Teenage boys were gross, after all.

"Well you're super helpful," she said with a HEAVY SIGH. She had thought at least her bestie would have some kind of idea or something. An imaginative idea of some sort. "And that seems kind of boring," she said in a slightly whiny tone as she moved further into the igloo. "Surely there are some interesting things in here."

AND BINGO. An ice sculpture. How intriguing! The blonde moved closer to it so as to inspect it. Was Sam coming along? And she knew Dora was giving her a hard time, yes?

Okay.

Harriet was running a little late. She'd gotten Noelle's little birdie, and set about heading to the Igloo. But she had gotten a bit distracted. She did eventually get down to the igloo though even though it had taken her a little bit longer than she had anticipated.

She hadn't spent a lot of time with Noelle lately, and it made her sad. She crawled into the igloo, which was pretty cool, and she beamed at her friend.

"Noelle! Hi!"

Brent was already making his way toward the igloo's exit, defeated but confused as to why. He hadn't even realized it was bother him if Skylar listed pretty much every boy in the school but him. Okay, so that was an understatement, but oh, well. Apparently, she was ready to leave, too, and really, she wasn't to blame. They were friends now, and if there was never anything else, well...then there was never anything else. He could at least be a man about it.

So he turned around to face her.

...and just in the nick of time, too, because she kissed him on the cheek, pretty much shocking him speechless. When he was able to find his breath and his words, he smiled at her then returned the kiss on her cheek, too. Then all the sudden, he was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. "So tell me about this other person on your list," he said.

At first, Skylar wasn't sure he was going to stop, but of course he would have to stop momentarily for the fact that she had kissed him on the cheek. But the moment of silence, well, he might have just walked out immediately. And he could have, because they were just friends. She wasn't as pretty as Madelyn.

But then, something unexpected happened. He returned the kiss and he was smiling all goofy-like and Skylar was confused and warm. If there was ever a moment where one could be warm in an igloo without a fur coat, well, it was now.

Except for the question he asked after that, well, she was already warmed, which just made her cheeks flush pinker but she did get the sense that he hadn't been wholly honest with his list either.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully, tapping her lip with one finger, "he's a tease, for sure, but he's very smart. He transferred here last year. He's got great hair. Oh, did I mention, he loves sports? Quodpot, quidditch... and well, did I mention too that he was a tease?"

Duuuuude. A girl had just kissed him! It wasn't his first kiss my any means, but seeing as he'd been on the low end of the dating pool last school year, this was definitely a welcome change. Plus, it was from Skylar, a girl he could actually see himself dating and pursuing a relationship with. He was still waiting for that answer from her, too, which apparently she was now going to give him.

"Hmm. He sounds like a real catch," he said. "You better snag that one while you've got the chance." She still hadn't technically said she was talking about him, but she had just kissed him, plus he fit the bill for the description she just gave. It was him, wasn't it? Suddenly, he realized he was freezing cold, and she might be, too. "Why don't we...erm, take this outside?" he asked.

They should really head up to the castle, too. Once he was outside, assuming she'd followed him out there, he reached out his hand toward her. He could at least give her a walk back to the castle after possibly freezing her.

Sure he'd only returned the kiss on the cheek, in the same way that she had given it, but it was small steps. It wasn't like she could just dive into snogging even if she wanted to. And the description she gave, well it was vague enough that it could be other people, except not, maybe.

Snag that one while she had the chance? Yes, it was definitely getting warm in here. "Great idea." Because it was all could she say, as she followed him outside, and once there, took note of the hand extended toward her. Another first. Hand holding. Taking his hand, because why not, she followed him back up to the castle.

"I try me best," Sam replied with a wink, well aware that Dora was playing up for fun. Most of the adventure came from not knowing. Although she did agree, just sitting would be a bit of an anticlimax.

Lucky then that wasn't on the agenda, really. "Is that...ice?" she asked, leaning in to look more closely at the sculpture. It looked like glass, just more...she didn't know how to describe it. More natural, maybe? Whatever, it was beautiful. She peered through it, intrigued by how the ice distorted the colours behind it. "It's super cool...but it must feel weird putting all that work in and at some point jus' watching it all melt away..."

SPOILER!!: Mase <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

While Mason was listening, he had to agree that last term had been very chaotic and he also had been very glad that he had no O.W.L that year. The talk about the monster though, something sparked his memory and he looked at her. "I helped with searching for the poltergeists but, i'm still clueless on why we needed their help" he said, he had basically followed the others in the hope of catching a glimps of the Monster. He had been rather fascinated about it but sadly he hadn't seen a thing and whenever he asked a student who had seen it they ended up either crying or avoiding his question. It made him even MORE curious.

"Wait, they change words for something that is the same? why?" how peculiar was that?

Mason grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, i'm really curious about this tournament. I signed up for it, you see. As did Rooney in my year" If the Head Boy won he was of course going to support him and perhaps get a bit envious but he would need to hide that somehow. "Is there a prize for the winner? money? Endless supplies of chocolate frogs?" he asked curiously.

“Storm,’’ Kay replied, running a hand over one of sculptures. She liked the way said hand glided over the smooth surfaces. “He had an excess amount of energy that was sufficient enough to close the portal. That’s what research lead us to in the library and so that’s why we needed him.’’ Kay looked around and lowered her voice. “Some may have liked having extra poltergeists around but I didn’t. The chaos was just a lot sometimes.’’ Peeves was enough for them to handle in her opinion. There was only so much that she could do to help when he was playing pranks on the students and she got tired of him really quickly. Luckily the Baron was willing to step in when the poltergeist was being too tiresome.

The professor nodded, smiling at the surprise on Mason’s face. “They sure do. That’s because each country is different. They all have a kind of tradition where they use their own slangs and terms for an object. I suggest that you check the library for any books that can help you be acquainted with these terms.

“I’m very proud of all of you who signed up. Whomever is chosen, I have no doubt will do excellently. There is going to be a prize, actually. A full scholarship to the University of your choice.’’ Kay thought that was the best prize to award the winner with. Education was very important after all.

Oh wow he missed that subtle question the first time around didnt he? Happens when he's incredibly distracted by other things like a pretty lady "Oh yeah--Astor. Thats my middle name. They gave me Grandma's maiden name-- clan name.....or at least part of it. Dad got the whole thing. His name is so long they need magic to fit it all in in the birth certificate." he laughed.

So this is her first time to have seen an igloo.... "I seen a few as a kid, theres this ice hotel in Sweden that we go to sometimes, when Dad wants to 'connect with his roots' or something...." he paused for a moment as he allowed her to enter the igloo first. "Wait so you're from Melbourne?" he grinned "My best friend is from Melbourne too, heck she was named after it." Small world eh? "So you moved to France just as you started Beauxbaton? And do you still come back to your birthplace? because he did. He always felt a tug to go back to where it all started... his origin story as it were and wondered if other people felt the same.

"You want to make an igloo yourself?" he grinned "What like something like this....?" he gestured around them "Or just like a little thing like a camping tent but made of ice?"

"Ah!" Mason exclaimed, nodding his head now that he finally understood the reason why they had needed the other poltergeists to close the portal last term. "Ok, i think i got it" he said. He had only joined with the search back then because he had been bored out of his mind being locked up in the common room and the thought of seeing the monster, which had never happened sadly enough, had been thrilling.

"I personally didn't have much trouble with the poltergeists" he said honestly. "I had more trouble with cornish pixies in the library a few terms back than them" he frowned a little. Getting a bookcase nearly falling on you was no fun.

Any chance to go to the libary was something he would take, so when the Professor had suggested it he made a mental note to ask the librarian if he had a book about slang of the american language. He suddenly laughed brightly as a conversation came up in his head. "Sorry, i was just think how funny it would be to listen to an conversation in which we both mean the same thing but can't understand each other" brilliant.

His laughter died abruptly as he heard what the prize of the IMPS winner would be. As someone as studious as Mason, you'd think he had already planned out his whole life. The problem was, he hadn't and the thought panicked him a bit. "BUT" he shouted, louder than he had intented and he apologised quickly before continueing "Lets's say i get chosen....and win.... do i HAVE to choose a university?" he asked. "Cause i don't even know what i'd do after Hogwarts...."

He was already panicking and the competitors hadn't even been chosen yet. wow Mason.

Olivia smiled, watching Ace as he spoke. Her eyes never leaving his. Astor was a nice name. It suited Tenacius well. "Gosh! That's so much better than mine." Alice was pretty standard as middle names come and go. Olivia Alice Holden. A very sweet name. Her parents had debated back and forth between the first and middle name before finally settling on the order of it all as they couldn't choose. Her smile grew lightly as Ace chuckled. She laughed, wondering how long the full name was. Curiosity, once again, got the better of her and she asked. "So what is the full version of Astor?" she asked with an interested raise eyebrow.

He let her lead the way into the igloo! Sweet. Her eyes glanced around the inside as they grew wider, trying to take in every angle of it. Incredible. She turned around to glance at him as he spoke. Wait. Hold up! Ice hotel in SWEDEN? Woah. That was amazing!! "So I take that your family's originally from Sweden? Wow. What's it like? I'd love to go someday.. I've heard it's beautiful" she said, instantly envious of him for being from such an amazing country. Sweden was beautiful... well or so she had seen in photos. She hadn't had much chance to travel. France, Australia, and England. Those were the places she had been and there was so much of the world left unseen.

To his question, she nodded. "Shh don't tell anyone though. It's a secret," she winked. She didn't have much of an accent anyway. Her brother had the better accent. Hers had changed over the years after being around the French, the English, and some Americans. Her eyes widened a little when he spoke of his best friend, Melbourne, from Melbourne. Huh. Wait. She had heard that name before. Wasn't Melbourne a fellow Lion? She hadn't told many people about her quote on quote "origin" story. Only Etta and Jacob knew. "Well it's a little complicated and a long story but I can explain if you'd like in more detail. I lived with my grandparents, my mother's parents, in France. My father lived in Australia whilst my brother went to Beauxbatons and then Hogwarts. My mother lived in an assisted living home. She suffered from memory loss." She glanced down at her hands momentarily and took a deep breath before she spoke again. Mum passed away few years ago. A smile played on her lips. "Yes, I do go back. Dad moved to London a few years ago after my mother passed away to be closer to Simon and I. We go back to visit his parents. I love it there." It felt like home for sure though she was glad that she had Hogwarts. That also felt like home.

Olivia continued walking a little bit to the side of the igloo and brought her hand up to touch the cool, cool ice. She chuckled and turned back to face him. "Hopefully not by myself. I would appreciate help... Maybe even you could help me." She wouldn't mind his help at all. Actually she'd prefer it. "I've always been fascinated with the history and cultures of the people who built these. You know... I always thought they would cave in structurally."

There was a tug at the corner of his lips. He was rather proud of the uniqueness of his name, and unlike his father who at this age resented his birth name enough to just reduce it to having people call him by his last name, Tenacius embraced it all. "Come onnn how can you say that? What's your full name anyway? curious he was "Oh well clan's full family name is Schermerhorn-Astor." Yup its in the history books. "Dad got the Schermerhorn part twice." he guffawed "Thats what happens when parents are competitive with each other about naming their kid." yeah the good 'ol days in the Salander household. Before the dark times.

He looked at her as she looked around. He actually relished seeing people see things for the first time. Such joy and wonder doesnt happen often. "Well its my dad's dad side thats from Sweden. The Salanders. They're Muggles... and thats all I know about them really." he shrugged casually. "Dad does have Wizarding friends who lives in Sweden though. Lovely place, pristine-- GREAT place to watch the Northern Lights." nod nod. He did catch that part about her wanting to go someday, and to that he smiled graciously. Who knows eh? He could see Olivia being there and twirling under the multi-colored sky.

He gave her a curious smile "Being Australian is a secret?--" he murmured, but yes he was all ears. And whoah what a life. The Gryffindor Ace paid rapt attention as Olivia spoke about her family and life before Hogwarts "So you were raised by your grandparents.... and your mom has trouble remembering people?.... Whoah that sucks." All manner of levity was gone when she mentioned her mother's death, and his blue-green peepers darted away for the first time since they got here. He could sense the raw emotion under those words. He knows because he feels it himself sometimes, the memory of his birth mother creeping up on him when he least expects it. "I'm sorry about yer mum." he murmured as he nudged her gently shoulder to shoulder. "But at least you still got your bro, and your Dad. You gettin' the proper love and support from them right?" because it would suck even worse if whatever's left of the core family unit were also of the absentee sort.

The smile slides back when she looks serious about building an igloo "Sure I'd help you out. I remember watching how people build this sort of thing when I was a kid. Couldnt quite remember all the steps anymore though, but it is a process. And--" he points at the last part of her statement "-- yeah that process is supposed to prevent cave-ins, because a poorly built igloo can kill ya."

SPOILER!!: Mase! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

"Ah!" Mason exclaimed, nodding his head now that he finally understood the reason why they had needed the other poltergeists to close the portal last term. "Ok, i think i got it" he said. He had only joined with the search back then because he had been bored out of his mind being locked up in the common room and the thought of seeing the monster, which had never happened sadly enough, had been thrilling.

"I personally didn't have much trouble with the poltergeists" he said honestly. "I had more trouble with cornish pixies in the library a few terms back than them" he frowned a little. Getting a bookcase nearly falling on you was no fun.

Any chance to go to the libary was something he would take, so when the Professor had suggested it he made a mental note to ask the librarian if he had a book about slang of the american language. He suddenly laughed brightly as a conversation came up in his head. "Sorry, i was just think how funny it would be to listen to an conversation in which we both mean the same thing but can't understand each other" brilliant.

His laughter died abruptly as he heard what the prize of the IMPS winner would be. As someone as studious as Mason, you'd think he had already planned out his whole life. The problem was, he hadn't and the thought panicked him a bit. "BUT" he shouted, louder than he had intented and he apologised quickly before continueing "Lets's say i get chosen....and win.... do i HAVE to choose a university?" he asked. "Cause i don't even know what i'd do after Hogwarts...."

He was already panicking and the competitors hadn't even been chosen yet. wow Mason.

Cornish Pixies? Kay grinned. "They're so troublesome, aren't they? Thankfully I've not had any experience with them in a long while but while I was a student here myself, during one CoMC lesson, two of them got tangled in my hair.'' And her hair happened to be as long as it had been back then so one can imagine the trouble to get them out. Not to mention she had a gigantic headache when it was all over from the tugging and pulling.

"Some of the Muggle Studies will help, Mr Winslow, so don't worry. I plan to cover some topics that can help you lot understand the American culture. I know it will help you to socialise much more with the Ilvermorny students.''

Mason's reaction to her revelation about the prize for the IMPs winner surprised her. Kay inclined her head to one side. Didn't he want to go to University? She also grabbed onto the fact that he had not decided on his future as yet. "Surely you have had thoughts about what you want to do as a career? But if you haven't arrived at a final choice as yet, that's fine. There is still time. But yes, you have to chose a University.'' She smiled warmly and reassuringly. "I wish you the best. I know that you hope to be chosen.'' Who wouldn't, actually?

Her full name? "Olivia Alice Holden. My parents couldn't decide between Alice and Olivia for my first name so they settled on having one as my first and the other as my second," she beamed. She was named Olivia after the Bard's famous Shakespearean character from Twelfth Night. Alice, named not for the Twilight character (though she had wished that to be the reason when she was twelve because Alice Cullen was spunky), came from her parents simply liking the name. Her eyes widened at his full clan name. Woah. That was a mouthful and if she pronounced it, she's probably butcher the pronunciation... but it was also awesome too. Schermerhorn-Astor? Sounds like an ancient Viking clan! "Woah. That's long but that sounds like it was a name befitted for an ancient Viking warrior clan." Olivia smiled, imaging the conversation that Ace's parents must have had to name him. With a raise of her right eyebrow, she leaned in to ask, "So who won out of your parents for naming you?"

His dad's dad's family were muggles? So was Ace also a halfblood? She blinked, taking note that he didn't know too much about them. Were they not spoken of fondly? Olivia restrained herself from asking that question. She'd save it for later as Ace went on to describing Sweden and the northern lights. "You've SEEN the Northern lights? What are they like?" Ugh. She was thoroughly envious. She had always wanted to see them. Her father had gone on a business trip when she was very little.

Olivia enjoyed the curious smile Ace had given her and this only fueled her silly, teasing nature. She nodded in agreement with his murmur. Bringing her index finger up to rest gently on her lips, she pretended to look oh so very serious. "I'm secretly a spy working for the Australian government," she winked. She had always liked the idea of being a spy. The uncertainty and adventure aspect thrilled her to no end. As to the family question, Olivia held her hands together and interlaced her fingers with each other. She nodded when he asked her about it all. Yeah... Her mother suffered memory issues and she didn't even remember Olivia in the end... but she didn't need to mention that. That was probably too sad. She smiled a little when he nudged her with his shoulders and reached up to touch his arm with her hand. "Oh yes, it's my dad and my brothers, Marc and Simon. They're good. It took us a while to become a family again. It's still tough from time to time but I think my brothers take my mother's passing the hardest. Marc is the eldest. He's a muggle. We didn't really interact as children because he's a lot older than me and I was "weird" because of my magical abilities. He's ten years older than me. He's nice." Was she still resting her hand on his arm? Whoops. Her chinks turned a slight shade of pink. She slowly pulled it away. That was probably too long, hm? "I'm closer to my brother Simon. He went to Hogwarts and helped me figure out everything here. He constantly teases me about being a Gryffindor... He's a Slytherin." She shrugged her shoulders, remembering her first letter from Simon when he heard that she was a Gryffindor. Heh. But anyway... Woah! That was a lot about her siblings and family. "That's a lot about my family though... what about yours? I know you have a baby half sister, yeah?" She had remembered him speaking about it or she could have sworn that it was him.

He'd help her? Great! "I'd love to have your help and insight!" Then when he mentioned that an igloo caving in could kill them, she nodded solemnly. Yeah, that was true. "Merlin, that wouldn't be a fun way to go." She shivered at the thought of that. There were a lot of things that could kill them here at this school. Death by Cold... Death by freaky monsters... Death by spiders... And now an igloo. "We did survive last term though. If we survived that, I think we'll be more than okay. I feel like earning a degree from Hogwarts is partially the educational aspect but also a survival course too especially if you're good at finding trouble."

Noelle was just touching the top of the igloo when a head popped into the igloo. A head that Noelle was fond of. She grinned. "Hattie!" She practically yelled and pulled her fingers from the top of the igloo and launched herself into Hattie's arms. "HI, I missed you."

Noelle hugged Hattie a good minute or two before letting her go. "How are you? How are things? How are you and Luca? What do you think about all the new professors? Have you seen the cute librarian?"

Okay Noelle... breaaaathe.

Noelle took a deep breath and looked at her friend. She'd missed her, okay?

Olivia Alice Holden. "Thats a lovely name..." he smiled genuinely. It fits the lovely girl before him. "So Olivia Alice.... is that like named after someone in your family? Or is like.... after a rock band like mine is? Alice in Chains ever heard of them?"he laughed. And yeah that full Astor name was always the tongue twister "Thats not so bad--" he grinned as she attempted to say it, he's heard worse "-- Its Skerm-horn, and yeah you're not too far off about it being Viking related. Its an old old name, older than Astor even." and that name has been around for ages.

Oh, who among his parents won. He wasnt expecting that question, although perhaps he shouldve seen that coming, the joke just opens it up yknow? "Uhm.... my dad. Kinda by default yeah... Mom..... she wasnt around very much. And thats even before she died." he shrugs, trying to keep it light and casual here. It was a very sad, very traumatic part of his life that he couldnt make heads or tails of, mostly because of how young he was, but he's accepted it and moved on with building positivity in his life, in his dad's life, in everyone's lives. This is why he is who he is today.Dont let the darkness snuff out your light. Let it shine!

Ah yes the Northern Lights "Awww man how can I even describe them... they're incredible! Amazing! Otherworldy-- like yeah I know literally they are but... yeah. You just need to be there. Maybe someday you'd be there. You've got that dances with cosmic light kinda vibe." he gestured over her aura grinning.

As they continued into the igloo, the Gryffindor Ace listened to her story. Wow all boys left in the fam ".... and you're the only girl left...." he murmured between her stories. But just a sec "You have a brother who's a Muggle? Or a Squib?" because right now he's under the impression that Marc and Olivia are full blood relations. But this part got him chuckling "So you got someone giving you a hard time that you're in Gryffindor too eh? For me its my dad. He's Slytherin too, Head Boy and all that, so he's super proud of that house and kinda drilled into me that I was gonna be Slytherin as well. So yeah imagine his face when I called him that night and he saw that I wasnt wearing green robes" he laughed.

"Yeah my baby sister. I love her. I go home every spring break to celebrate her birthday." nod nod he adored her. "And my family?... well what else do you wanna know?" he felt like he's told her a lot already, a lot more than what some of his besties even know about.

"Ahaha Hogwarts! Yeah we can pretty much graduate from here with a Masters on Survival. he laughed.

He thought it was a lovely name? Olivia felt her cheeks become warmer and her smile grow a little more. That was sweet of him to say. "Thanks, that's sweet of you to say," she said with a smile and went back to listening to him asking if she was named after someone or something. Ah, she had heard of Alice in Chains but unfortunately she was not named after them. "I was named Olivia because Twelfth Night was my parents favourite Shakespeare play. Dad used to bring Mum to the theatre when they started going out and it became a tradition. They loved going to the theatre." They still went to the theatre even after the memory issues and her mother passing away. The whole family found comfort in that activity. It was a way to escape. "Alice is because my parents liked the name. As a ten year old girl, I was disappointed to learn that I had not been named after Lewis Carrol's Alice nor after Alice Cullen from the Twilight series." Ah yes, she had been interested in Twilight at one stage. All of her friends had raved about it so she had to read it too. She enjoyed it for a while but soon outgrew it and found herself making fun of it. Olivia still really enjoyed Alice as a character though and inspired to be as true to herself as Alice Cullen was. When she messed up his name a little, she chuckled and hid her face behind her hands briefly. "Oh no! I'm sorry," she cried before removing her hands and then practiced saying his name. "Skerm-horn. Is that a little closer?" Olivia really wanted to make sure that she got it right because she did care for the curly haired boy standing next to her.

Ooh now that question had hit a nerve... Her smile dropped momentarily. Olivia glanced down at her hands momentarily and then back up to Ace. She watched him speak about his mother's passing and was impressed that he kept it light. It was hard losing a mother. They did have that in common. "I see." She didn't know if she should ask more questions about that subject. Maybe later she would. She didn't want to upset him. Seeing Ace upset would certainly make her upset. His dad must have been an incredibly strong man. "Dad won in my case too," she said with a small smile, reaching out to touch his hand gently as a form of comfort. She wanted him to know that she understood.

Olivia raised her left eyebrow and chuckled as Ace proclaimed that she had a dance with the cosmic light kind of vibe. "How do you know that I have that kind of vibe?" she asked with a curious grin. She didn't like dancing in big, big groups but she did enjoy dancing with good friends. Wait... Had he caught her dancing by herself in the common room? Maybe he had. "Have you danced under the Northern lights? Do you like dancing?"

"It's not so bad being the only girl though. I got my own bed when we went away on holidays." That had always been a bonus. However, being the only girl did have some interesting tales. It had made a few things awkward for her Dad so he had to bring an aunt in for backup. She brought her hands closer to her mouth and blew hot air into them before she rubbed her hands together. It was a little chilly in here. Still it was warmer than what she had expected it would be. To Ace's question about Marc, she wasn't sure whether or not he was a Squib or a Muggle. She was fairly certain he was a muggle as he had no magical abilities but maybe he was actually a Squib. "I don't know. I think he's a muggle but maybe he could be a squib. I don't really know the difference. I'm muggleborn myself." Olivia grinned at Ace as he mentioned that his Dad also gave him a hard time about being a Gryffindor. Wow. His dad was also a Slytherin? That was funny. They had more in common than she had thought. "I can imagine that. Ha, his facial expression must have been priceless. Whilst green would bring out the green in your eyes, I think red suits you more though but I'm probably biased," she mentioned with her smile growing again. "I'm sure he's proud of you. You were a fourth year Prefect. That's crazy."

He went home to visit his baby sister every spring break? That was so sweet and adorable. "That's amazing. You're an awesome older brother. I'm sure she really appreciates it. If she doesn't now, then she totally will. That's what Simon did with me. He also wrote me letters about everything here. I guess he knew I had magical tendencies too," she said with a smile. His next question stumped her. Woah. He was asking her what else she wanted to know about them and him. Well she didn't know where to start. Umm.. Hmmm... "Um... I don't know... Oh the pressure," she chuckled as she wondered what she should ask. "Feel free to ask me any questions about my family. I don't mind sharing with you." She trusted Ace. A lot. Aha! A question for Mr. Tenacius Salander. "Are you close to your Dad?" she asked curiously. It sounded like it from what she could piece together but she wasn't going to assume one way or another.

Olivia laughed. "Imagine putting that on a CV! Masters in Survival.. I love it." Grinning more (she didn't think it was possible to be grinning so much- she was just enjoying hanging out with him), she paused. Speaking of CV's and resumes... "Do you know what you want to do after Hogwarts? I have no clue what I want to do. I love composing music and playing piano and maybe singing when I'm all alone but I don't know if I could do that." It would be a tough career. And besides, was she talented enough?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colley

Hmm.

Probably so. Probably so.

Xavvie adopted a rather serious expression as she pondered the problem they seemed to have here. "I don't think I'm allowed to melt the ice...." Although that seemed to be a good way to help get his tongue unstuck. That would also include using some kind of hot air charm too, wouldn't it? Xavvie glanced around and looked towards the hot spring, "I could bring some warm water over and pour it over your tongue!"

Maybe?

OF COURSE Derf did not want to get her into trouble. At least a part of him was sure of that. 67% abouts. The rest just really REALLY wanted to get his tongue free from the wall somehow and hot air charms really did seem to be the quickest way of doing that. His blue eyes did follow her quick glance, but rather than speaking in reply - because it kind of hurt A LOT when he tried doing that - the second year instead widened his eyes and oh-so-subtly nodded his head.

Big ol' begging cruppy eyes over here!

Cameron liked having the answer but in this case he didn't. So naturally he shrugged. "Dunno." He took another step closer to the igloo, tilting his head to the side. "Maybe the new Groundskeeper?" That was VERY likely actually. The man looked very.....well he basically looked like a Viking.

They had igloos up there, right?

Aaaaaand in they went. Quickly putting on the warm coat he'd picked up (and JUST IN TIME TOO), Cameron followed Slate into the igloo. Okay, maybe there should have been gloves and woolen hats and scarves provided as well. Looking around he instinctively walked a little closer to his dormmate, for warmth you know.

Those blue-green peepers lit up on the sound of the classic Shakespearean comedy "Hey I know that play.... its the one where this heroine had to dress up as a guy to look for a job and this rich woman had a crush on her as a guy, and then meanwhile the heroine has a crush on her boss who is a dude. Right?" he laughed. It was a hilarious story. Dated in some parts, but still quite amusing to watch. "Yeah I've heard about Twilight too, Mum doesnt talk about it much because she says it misrepresents werewolves and vampires so badly." he chuckled. If its not obvious by now, step mom is the book reader, dad is the musician. Both are cool geeks. And thus Tenacius.

"Yup you got it!" the Curly Top gave her a thumbs up. "No need t apologize, its a tongue-twister." he grinned "Oh by the way, I've been really meaning to ask you this, but do you have a family nick name? Like for me, its Ace. Its a family pet name. Around here I'm just Tenacius." although lately Ace had started to spread. A bit embarrassing at first to hear it being spoken by other people who werent family or childhood besties, but he's adjusting now "Like I remember you said to just call you Ollie, but theres another Ollie and then there another Olivia...." for a girl as lovely and distinctive as one Olivia Alice Holden, he thought, she should have a nickname just as special.

The way she holds his hand, touches his arm, those dont go unnoticed. He appreciates those, and for him, he squeezed her hand in turn. No words, but a lot comes across with that. He understood her concern, and he appreciates it immensely. Also he likes her. Like a lot.

He grinned "I dunno... I could just tell? I mean its you." her aura. He can sense those things ok? He didnt know if thats a special thing but whatever "I...... probably havent danced under the Northern Lights. I just remember staring up at the skies for hours and hours until I realized my neck is stuck that way and Mom had to massage potions into it." he laughed. Ordinarily he would bust out a move upon asking, something stupid Jagger-esque, but for some reason he's embarrassed now. "I'm... ok." sheepish grinning. His cousin is here and if he tries to bust a move now Deo will likely walk in on them and laugh. Like hysterically. And if Deo is anything he isnt hysterical. So yeah pretty not good at dancing.

Oh wait context, now he understands better "You're Muggleborn. So both your dad and your mom were Muggles?" because now he understands why her brother would be more Muggle than Squib. "Do you remember the first time you entered the Wizarding World? What was it like?" because for him, Magic was just as ever present in his life as Muggle entertainment was. He didnt quite understand the perspective of those coming in where the division was more apparent.

And then he smiled about her comment with his eyes "Yeah its green now huh? My eyes.... theyre kinda weird. Its really like a silvery blue thing with yellow streak in there so sometimes its green, sometimes its blue, sometimes its hazel. I dont really know what to put down in those questionnaire things so I just stick with blue-green"he laughed.

"Yeah my dad was like.... I didnt know if he was gonna faint from shock, is stunned stupid or about to blow his top." he chuckled. Yeah he can laugh about it now, but back then the young newly minted Gryffindor went from elated to dejected in an instant. Thank goodness for his Hufflepuff mother, avoided things getting ugly. "Dad is always proud of me I think.... but he had expectations that I think was more his wishes for me, specially when I started at Hogwarts. This badge though?... " he glanced at the shiny thing on his robes, sometimes he'd forget its there and its effect on people who sees it "....yeah he was very happy the day it came through the mail. Y'know after he came to." he laughed. Yes his dad fainted. Pretty much the same reaction when the former Slytherin Head Boy got his badge too. "Its weird though, when I got this. Made me the youngest Prefect amongst the Student Leaders. At the time when my dad got his badge, it made him the oldest serving Prefect and Head Boy in like the history of Hogwarts maybe." his dad was a late bloomer with the magical things, and at 20 yrs old was technically a man by the time he graduated.

She thinks he's an awesome older brother? He smiled, starting to believe this statement and not just something a caring mother would say to a son far away "I do love my baby sister like A LOT, and we'd mirror practically every night. I dont want her to feel like I'm so far away and removed from her life-- or from my family's life. I want them to feel like I'm just there in the next room."nod nod "Man your bro must've had stories to tell! Do you have a favorite letter or story from him?"

Was he and his dad close? He nodded his head "Mmhm very. We just get along really. I mean sure I'm not quite the mini-me that he'd think I'd end up being..." at least thats what he'd like to consider himself as "...but yeah we got a lot of shared interests-- oh except creature things. I love creatures and he couldnt stand them. He's got this irrational fear of being bitten or whatever and he uses his allergies as an excuse and yeah he's just ridiculous." he scoffed with a wave of his hand. "Ok I gotta question for ya-- your grandparents. You were raised by them? Whats it like? Does that mean you're closer to your grandparents than you are to your parents?"

He laughed "Yeah Masters in Survival, and a Ph.D in BA-ery! I mean come on, we've been doing that since the time of Newt Scamander. This is why we're totally the best magical school." Oi if the Ilvermornians-- namely his cousin-- could hear that. They'd never live that down.

"You wanna be a singer-songwriter? Thats not a bad career choice really." he's encouraging her see? Even if she doesnt have that much confidence in herself "I think its important to follow your passions though, on top of figuring out what your talents are." As for him "I've been thinking about it, but the more I look around, the more I realize that my interests are pretty wide ranging, doesnt quite fit the traditional mold. I'll probably do some kind if independent studies because I wanna do a lot of things, and theyre not always obviously related."

Her blue eyes widened slightly when he claimed that he knew that play! She chuckled. "That's the one! I love the musicality in the language and the storyline is hilarious. Viola was a name in the running too but they felt Olivia was more me. I love watching She's The Man, its a modern adaptation of it. " she explained with a nonchalant shrug. Viola would have been a cool name too. Definitely just as strong as Olivia in her mind. She laughed when Ace mentioned that his Mum didn't like talking about Twilight because it misrepresented werewolves and vampires. That was fair. "Yeah cause vampires don't just sparkle in the sunlight!" she chuckled. "A couple of my friends were really crazy about it a few years ago." Like fan girl crazy. Olivia had never gotten to that point herself but her friends had chosen which teams they were on. It was all silly.

She smiled when Ace gave her two thumbs up. Yes! She got it. Her eyebrows raised slightly at his question. A family nickname? Ummm... She had been called Ollie, Ols, and Liv at home. "Well I've been called Ollie and Liv at home but there are people here called that." They had a Liv in their year and house even. And then there was Olly in Slytherin. And there was an Ollie who was a seventh year Slytherin last year. Merlin. Maybe she ought to switch her name? "I've been called Ols a lot too. Maybe I should go by Alice? It'd probably make it easier for people. What do you think?"

Olivia was about to remove her hand from Ace's, thinking that perhaps she had placed her hand a bit too long on his but then she felt fingers grip her own hand gently. She stayed still momentarily, not letting anything happen. On the inside, she was nervous and debated with herself. She liked him and she was unsure if he knew. Maybe he did but then again maybe he didn't? She could feel her hands becoming warmer by the second. Nerves. It was definitely that. He hadn't removed it though. Instead, he had just squeezed hers back slightly which sent butterflies straight into her stomach. After a while, Olivia removed her hand from his slowly. At his comment about her just being her, she grinned genuinely, intrigued by what he had said. She blushed ever so slightly at that. "I see." She paused, listening to him talk about watching the northern lights and then his Mum having to massage potions into his poor neck. She chuckled. "I think you're definitely a dancer, especially under those lights. I think that you'll just have to go back." She smiled softly at him, meaning every word that she said. "I'm also okay at dancing as well." Olivia still enjoyed it sometimes.

Yes, she was muggleborn and proud! "Yes, they are. Dad was surprised when Simon and I both started being able to float a crayon. He thought he was dreaming," she chuckled, remembering hearing that story. To his question, she nodded. "I remember hearing about my brother's school and how fantastic it was. He also warned me of the dangers but he wrote to me often, informing me of everything that was happening in his life. I've been lucky to have him help me." Her older brother was practically her best friend, if not her longest friend. He had been there since she was born.

Ace had beautiful dreamy eyes. They were a very nice colour of green. "Yeah, they are," she said, glancing at his eyes as he spoke. She had to restrain herself from blushing as she was certain that he would see that. Aha. She could see the yellow streak now. Wow. Beautiful. "I can see it! You're eyes are so cool. Do they seem to change based on what you are wearing?" she asked, taking a step back after she had taken a look. Olivia chuckled. "I'm sure. That's difficult. Imagine getting your driver's license and having to put down what colour your eyes are. It'd all depend on the day." A teasing smirk tugged at her lips. "I have an easier time with those questionnaires. Mine are just light blue but there's never a 'light blue' option so blue will have to do!"

Olivia laughed when Ace explained his thought process for what his father's reaction was when he ended up in Gryffindor. Oh Merlin. Somehow she got the feeling that Ace's father put him under a lot of pressure. It must have been a vibe or something. Her theory was proven true in a matter of moments when he informed her that his father had expectations. Her eyes followed his eyes down to the badge and then she chuckled when she heard that his Dad had fainted. "Oh no! You're poor Dad. He must have been in such a great shock. He sounds like he's very proud of you, Ace." She could see it just from the way that Ace described his father. Olivia listened to his comment about being the youngest Prefect amongst the leaders whereas his Dad has been the oldest Prefect and Head Boy. Incredible. "Did you feel any pressure to become a Prefect?" she asked curiously.

He mirrors his baby sister practically every night? That was adorable and really wonderful of him to do that. He really cared about his family. It was incredible. "It'll mean a lot to her. I'm sure it already means a lot to your sister and your parents." Seriously best brother award should be handed to Ace right now. If Olivia had such an award, she would give it to Ace. He clearly deserved it. Ah stories from her brother? Where to start? "I have so many stories from my brother from throwing snowballs at Professor Flamsteed to playing music with his best mate, Ethan." She had many stories that were golden but her first letter from him was definitely the best. "Simon's first letter to me at Hogwarts here was the best. It arrived in a parcel actually. I have it back in my trunk. The letter started off with him jokingly disowning me from the family as I had ended up in Gryffindor instead of any other house. He said he would have compromised on other houses. It's funny because one of his best mates is a Gryffindor." She smiled. Zander and Simon went way back. She liked all of Simon's friends. They were nice. "Anyway... Behind that page was a journal that he had created for me. The first few pages were filled with his favourite places in Hogwarts and places that I would have to go and visit. It was a guidebook essentially. Then he left the rest of the pages blank so that I could fill in my story." She had spent the whole of last year carrying it with her so that she could find her way around the castle. It was great. "I look at the journal whenever I'm feeling homesick."

Getting along was great! She remained quiet, watching him talk and enjoying learning more about him and his family. She laughed when he spoke about his Dad having an irrational fear of creatures. Olivia, too, loved creatures. She had always enjoyed that class but recently she found herself becoming more interested in Charms. She pretty much enjoyed all the subjects so long as it wasn't flying. Uhhh.. She did not like flying. Now to his question, Olivia paused. That was a great question and she was unsure how to answer it. "I was raised kind of by my grandparents and by my father. I moved to live in France when I was seven. Before that I was living at home in Australia and everything was great. It was around that time that my mother's memory condition became worse." Her mother hadn't even recognized Olivia when the young girl had come to visit. She had remembered her brothers but Olivia...? No. "My father thought it was better for me to go live with my grandparents so I wouldn't see Mum's condition worsen. He didn't want to put us through that." Her father was a strong man indeed and she admired her father greatly. She smiled softly at him, trying to pick up the mood. "I loved living with my grandparents. I think it was a rather normal childhood. Ice cream occasionally, chores a lot, and whatnot. I was a little bit of a troublemaker back in those days. I liked to bend the rules and found a way to get more ice cream," she explained with a chuckle. She wasn't necessarily a bad child. She just knew how to ask for things and do her chores timely. "My father would come visit. He had a lot of business in France. He's an engineer. But I'm definitely closer to my grandparents than my parents."

Olivia laughed at his comment. Ah, best magical school? "Hogwarts is special. I love it here," she said with a small smile as she glanced at him for a second longer before asking, "What do you think of the Illvermonians?" The girls were very unfairly pretty. The guys were cute but just not really her type. Besides, she had eyes for someone else who was a wonderful person inside and outside. No offense Illvermornians. She liked how friendly they all were though. Well... The ones that she had met. Some of them were really loud like Irene and the ones that danced on the table.

"I'm not so sure about the singer part. I love composing and writing music. As for singing..." She chuckled. "I only really sing in the shower or when I'm by myself." It would take a lot to convince Olivia to sing onstage; however, Ace could probably get away with it if he ever tried. "You're right. Following passions is important. You need to do something you love otherwise it would all get a bit dull." She would remember those words for a long time- perhaps her whole life even. Olivia grinned, listening to Ace speak about how his interests were so varied that it was hard to choose between them all. "That's fair and totally okay. There's too many things that would be fun doing!"

"Yeah. That would make sense." Slate agreed. In fact, it was insane that he hadn't thought about that himself. Oh well.

He put the coat on and looked around. "What does one even do in an igloo?" It was... just an ice house? Right? Not even a house. Just ice. Frozen ice. Cold frozen ice.

... ...

Or this was cooler than that. "Do you think he carved these statues?" he asked approaching an ice sculpture.

Well, Xavvie certainly didn't want to get them both into trouble, though it was starting to seem less important altogether. It was more important at the moment for her to help out her friend, even if it was his own fault that he was currently frozen to the ice wall. Determinedly, the Slytherin pulled out her wand and cast a glance about before waving it to cast a simple hot air charm. She aimed it to the wall right above the boy's tongue so that she didn't singe him on top of being frozen. The wall melted just a little bit and Xavvie moved her wand away quickly, not wanting to keep it aimed at the delicate ice for too long. She might've been a little willing to bend the rules for her friend, but she wasn't interested in accidentally melting down the whole place.

Or getting detention.

"Better?" She asked, hoping that the wall had melted enough to get his tongue out.

So it was agreed then, this was the Groundskeeper's work.

Had Slate really just asked what to do in an igloo? Like, REALLY? This whole thing was just cool. Period. It was impressive. And it looked so nice. The way the light reflected off the ice. The way you could totally see how the walls had been built. The individual blocks of ice. It was all so impressive. Honestly, he could probably spend DAYS in here and not grow bored.

Following the other boy over to one of the sculptures, Cameron nodded slowly."Probably. Not by hand though, I think." At least not entirely. It looked waaaaaaaaay to delicate. Magic HAD to have been involved. Right? Unless the Groundskeeper was really talented. Maybe they all knew how to do things like this up where he was from. Maybe it was tradition.

Maybe he could TEACH them!!!