After climbing to the highest point of the castle, Lisa decided to just wander around. With notebook in hand, she started drawing a map of what everything looked like because she WOULD get lost. Lisa was thoroughly sure of this. Honestly she’d probably get lost in making this map; however, she was willing to give it ago. If she got lost, that just meant she’d have more adventures.... yes?

Thus she started off on her adventure.

The journey began on the upper floors and then made her way downwards, exploring each classroom or room that was easiest to access. She stayed away from the Professor’s offices but made note on her map of those locations because they would most likely come in handy.

After walking past the Muggle Studies classroom, she slowed her steps as she came upon another classroom that she had not expected. Eyebrows raised in surprise, she noted the location on her map before opening the door to reveal a classroom like no other at Hogwarts. It was packed with easels and art supplies - all filled and beautiful.

Her heart sank a little. And for the first time at Hogwarts thus far, she felt homesick.

When times were hard last year, the then second year Ravenclaw often found herself locked up in the Art classroom whenever she was allowed to and despite it being somewhere that she could actually get away to and seek some solace (despite not actually being alone), the room had grown on her to the point where she actually had her own sketch book now. It was this that the third year was holding, clutched to her chest as she headed towards the room, ready to open the door and walk into the classroom so that she could nestle herself on the table in the middle to continue some of her sketches that she’d started on the train to Hogwarts.

However, when Ingrid actually got to the door, it was in fact open and someone was actually still in the doorway. “Umm..hey? Hi? Excuse me, do you mind? she asked politely as she tried her best to move past the girl so that she could get into the room. As she squeezed into the room however, Ingrid caught sight of the girls face and paused for a moment because she looked as if someone had killed her Pygmy Puff. “Are you okay?” Ingrid asked finally, halfway between the table in the middle of the room and the door that the girl was stood in. “You can use this room by the way. Use whatever you want in here but make sure you clean it up after yourself” a friendly smile on her face now as she tried her best to cheer up the first year girl, because she did have a vague memory of the girl being sorted in the opening ceremony and obviously she remembered bumping into her on the train to Hogwarts too. Obviously.

She had been lost in her own little world until she heard another girl’s voice asking to get by. She turned to glance over her shoulder to see a girl behind her and stepped back to the older girl some space. “Oh. Sorry Ingrid,” she said, backing up a little more. She hadn’t noticed that she was just standing in the middle of the room. Sometimes she got lost in her own little world with her wild imagination.

Are you okay?

Lisa wiped the sullen look off of her face lickety split because she wasn’t ready to tell someone that she was upset or more so wasn’t ready to admit that she was upset. She was known for being liquid sunshine and all. Couldn’t afford not to be happy, yeah? Yeah.... She nodded, shrugging her shoulders. “Yeah, I’m fine. Guess I’ve just got the stares. Still not used to sleeping away from home....” she spoke as she stretched her arms out widely. Lisa yawned for extra effect. “How did you learn how to sleep away from home?”

Ingrid was polite in explaining how to use this room because Lisa would have just stood there for a moment longer and then darted out but ... maybe spending some time with another housemate would put her mind at ease. And she thought she spotted origami paper earlier.

Aha! Yes, she had.

She fished two pieces of origami paper out of a drawer and sat down to work on a crane.

Watching the girl carefully, Ingrid tried her best to give off super cool, caring vibes but she wasn’t sure if it was successful or not judging by the way Lisa backed away from her as if she was scared or something. “Oh no, it’s fine. Really. I was just wondering if you knew you could go in”, a small smile on her lips now as she teased her jokingly.

Nodding a little at Lisa’s words, Ingrid nodded towards the room and headed towards one of the chares as she continued to talk. “I know what that’s like. Coming here first year, I’d never been away from my Dad. Never really been away from Scotland apart from to London to get my school things” so she kind of knew what it was like. Wanting to talk to her siblings and her father all of the time. Missing home and her own bed and all of her things in there. It was like being thrown into a lake full of freezing cold water for the first time and being told to tread water. “It gets easier though if you let it. It helps to keep busy and do loads of fun things….like art”.

Sitting down, Ingrid pulled out her own sketchbook and stared at her own drawings for a moment. They weren’t amazing really but it helped her think and digest things. “What kind of things do you like to do in your spare time? Flying? Gobstones? Origami?” The last one was more of an observation than anything. He eyes had indeed caught sight of the paper that the first year had slipped out from a drawer.

Ingrid watched for a moment as Lisa continued to bend the paper before eventually turning back to her drawings. Her own drawing was of some clothes she’d seen for sale in a muggle clothes shop. They looked…interesting but she wasn’t quite sure if they were her style. Or rather, she just didn’t feel confident enough to pull them off.

Oh. Whoops! Lisa flushed pink and just gave the older girl a sheepish smile to her comment about wondering if Lisa knew she could go in. She suppose that she should have. Oooops. Hehe.

And now Lisa surprisingly really listened to what Ingrid was saying about her own experience during her first year. “Is it still weird being away from your Dad? Are you two close?” asked the shorter Ravenclaw with a curious glint in her eyes. “Do you ever get used to being away from them?” Now this was the fifty million dollar question she wanted to know. She suspected that you did and it was just natural to start growing away from one’s parents and siblings yet still... she wasn’t sure if she was ready for such a thing. Ah. Ingrid gave an answer to the question that she just mentioned. If you let it get easier, it does get easier. Get distracted with activities and friends. “is this your hide away or super secret place to come think?” if so, it seemed like a terrific place.

“I have never gone flying or played gobstones. My brother has taken me dancing before. I started dance lessons over the summer but I really want to do taekwondo that sounded more fun. I also like origami because it reminds me of my Eomma and older sister, Maya,” said Lisa, offering Ingrid a smile as she reached for the origami paper.

With paper in hand, she took a seat near Ingrid. “What do you like to sketch?” She began by making a butterfly. She selected a bright purple piece of paper and started folding nice long lines.

The blush didn’t go unnoticed but Ingrid was far too kind to comment on it so instead, she simply continued on flipping through her sketchbook as she talked.

“I guess. I mean it’s not like I can’t go home for the winter holidays or anything so I can go back if I want? But I do enjoy Hogwarts so even though I miss him and my brother and sisters, I want to stay here too”, pausing for a moment before adding “We’re close”. They were all a close family which had been made more so by their mother, or lack of one being around, but she wasn’t about to mention that. As for getting used to being away, “Like I said, you just kind of, enjoy being here? So you don’t kind of get used to it as much as you find other things to keep you busy”. She wasn’t sure if that made sense but well, it kind of summarised how she felt about the whole thing.

“I don’t hide away here anymore. I want to enjoy being here? And hiding here always meant that I kind of felt sad here. So I come here to draw and get out things that are on my mind, but in a good way?” offering up her sketchbook for the other girl to look at now. As she flicked through, a variety of pretty dresses, both in black and white and coloured were visible with some being very detailed and others just rough sketches. Why they were on her mind however was a topic for another day and possibly a different person.

Listening to the girls’ various hobbies and interests, Ingrid nodded and smiled a little. The poor thing must have been so busy at home! “I honestly have no idea if you can do all of that at Hogwarts but I’m sure you could start a club for it and others would turn up and join you?” she offered helpfully. She could even ask the house elves to put up leaflets around the different common rooms if she wanted to go that route.

“I used to sketch magical creatures and people but now, I dip into clothes just as much” her blue eyes on the girl and butterfly she was now making out of paper. It really was somewhat calming. Grabbing a pencil, she found the previous drawing she’d been working on and continued to shade various parts with her pencil.

Lisa nodded as Ingrid spoke, listening to the girl explain how she liked her siblings but preferred to stay at Hogwarts. She suspected that she would be very much the same way too.. maybe in her later years. But this winter break, all she wanted to do was go hug Appa and Eomma. And see her older brother, Cora, her cousins, and her adopted sister too. She nodded again, not entirely sure that she was following Ingrid but she thought she got the gist. “So enjoying Hogwarts equals less homesickness?” she tried to sum up.

Hiding made her feel sad? Lisa had never suspected that hiding would make someone feel that way. She always equated hiding with fun games like hide and seek. “I still would call it your hideaway but in a good way. Hiding doesn’t always have to be sad. I think of it like hide and seek or a place away from everyone else’s crazy.” She chuckled before looking at the offered sketchbook and seeing lots and lots of clothing. Neat! “Wow Ingrid. These are good. Do you like to make clothes too?”

She began making more cranes as she was talking. Origami had become a mindless task at times as she had done it so much that it became muscle memory. She didn’t have to exert too much energy over it. She smiled. “A club? I’ll think on it. I’m not sure if others would and I’d prefer to start a taekwondo club but I’ve only taken a few classes. I had asked my siblings all summer long to get into taekwondo and I finally did. It took forever.” Dancing was fun and all but sparring and forms were so much better.

Lisa watched the other Ravenclaw sketch with a small smile on her face. A question popped into her head briefly. “Do you know Ash?” she asked curiously.

“That about sums it up” a smile on her face now because Lisa seemed to be summarising her words pretty succinctly. She figured that it was honestly obvious that keeping yourself busy and doing things that you enjoyed would mean a happier experience at Hogwarts. “I guess you don’t need to enjoy Hogwarts as much as just enjoy yourself” so that really depended on what she enjoyed doing, but they’d already discussed this.

Ingrid considered her words for a moment and then nodded, although she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to consider this place as a hiding place anymore. “I know what you mean” although in truth, her words did sound a little childish. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d played hide-and-seek. She did however appreciate Lisa’s kind words and her attempt to help her feel better, even if it didn’t quite her desired effect.

She hadn’t started making hadn’t started making her own clothes yet but maybe she should because it seemed the floral patterns that she’d designed on the clothes seemed to look okayish. “Not at the moment but maybe in the future. I’m not quite sure where to start to be honest. Maybe I could buy some second hand clothes and try to make them a little more…modern”, the last part more to herself than the younger Hufflepuff. “Don’t worry, if I do, I’ll be sure to let you try them on first” if they looked any good that is.

“I mean as long as you had an instructor? Not that you couldn’t lead them but like, if you’ve only just started, you’re still learning too, right?” Ingrid didn’t have a clue what exactly Taekwondo was but if it was anything like most of the activities at Hogwarts, an instructor or teacher/professor was needed.

Hands now sketching, Ingrid didn’t look up initially at the question and continued until she’d finished off the area she was shading and then shrugged a little. “A little. She’s in my dorm room but we don’t really hang out much, I guess. Any reason why?” she asked, not really curious for the answer. She knew her fellow Ravenclaw third year. Afterall, they’d come to Hogwarts at the same time but they were so completely different that sometimes, they simply didn’t see eye.

Now Ingrid had given Lisa some really good advice. Enjoy yourself more than Hogwarts. Solid advice for sure. Lisa .... MOSTLY... felt comfortable in her own skin but often she imagined herself as different things and people. Her imagination constantly ran wild.

Lisa arched an eyebrow at Ingrid as she explained that she’d maybe make clothes in the future. “Me either... My cousin is a fashion photographer maybe I could write to her and see if she has a friend who knows?” suggested Lisa, trying to be helpful. The offer to let Lisa try them on made her feel really special and she appreciated it greatly.

Lisa nodded in agreement. Having an instructor was key but she, too, was unsure if someone was qualified to be an instructor. Maybe she’d work on her own qualifications and then become qualified to teach others. “Which Professor do you think would be the one most likely to know some type of martial art?” she asked, tilting her head as she spoke. Her eyes, however, were focused on folding the origami in front of her. She folded the paper again.

She was curious to see what Ingrid’s reaction was but cautioned herself on showing her own facial expression. “I think she’s fun,” she simply said. “No particular reason why I’m asking except... do you know when her birthday is?” Lisa wanted to get her older friend a present. Maybe she’d make her some origami flowers or cranes for good luck?

Despite only being a third year, Ingrid did like to think of herself as someone who people could really talk to and open up to and that her advice was actually good or at least better than most so helping Lisa was, unlike how some may have seen it, a happy little part of her day. A bright spark, if you will.

Watching the girl arc her eyebrows, she was curious what had caused this expression. Was she passing gas? Did she have some kind of brain wave? Maybe some invisible creature had entered the room and caused her to forget her thoughts. The answer was somehow slightly more unbelievable than her ridiculous thoughts. “You have a cousin in fashion who makes clothes? And…you’d put them in touch with me?” her own eyebrows arching a little now as a small, sceptical smile appeared across her face. Not because she didn’t believe because Lisa was absolutely delightful, it was just nothing like that ever really seemed so easy in her life. “Yeah, that would be amazing! I mean, if they’re not too busy and all” because she imagined fashion designers would be absolutely rushed off their feet.

Which professor was most likely to be a martial arts instructor? “Honestly, I have no idea. I think it would be funny for you to pull Professor Schmoe into this though. I think he’d be…excellent? Or at least he’d try his best and it would be hilarious”. Ingrid really did have a soft spot for her Muggle Studies professor. He was always so kind and sweet, even if interacting with him was about as awkward as watching a PG15 muggle movie with your parents and a kissing scene comes on.

Ingrid simply nodded and smiled a little. “Yeah? I mean we haven’t really hung out a lot I guess so…” who was she to judge really? She certainly wasn’t going to talk bad about the girl anyway. That was not who she was. Pausing for a moment, she tried to think back to a day where Ash had received a birthday card or had received presents of something like that in their dorm room but she couldn’t. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I could maybe try and ask her sometime if you want? Like all cool and not at all obvious and then let you know?” Maybe this was a good time for her to get to know her dorm mate.

Lisa had wiped the glazed over look on her face and nodded several times. Cora would be a great contact. Heck! Even Chase could help. He was a singer so he MUST know people in that industry too. “Of course!!” Connections and networking were important - that’s what she had learned from her Appa. And the force too.

A LOT of students seemed to like and trust Professor Schmoe which was making her theories about him being a dark wizard seem less and less likely. Maybe she did have TOO wild of an imagination. Though then again maybe it was just all a charade of Schmoe’s to get them all comfortable with him. Trust them and the turn them leaving them vulnerable!!!

That being said, she agreed with Ingrid. It would be comical to see Schmoe like that. She finished another paper crane before pausing to add her thoughts. Origami made her slow down and think. It calmed her bouncy self. “Sold. I’ll approach him with cookies… He can’t say no to cookies, yeah?” Well Lisa had been proven wrong before because sHe didn’t think anyone hated chocolate until she had met her friend SERENA.

Lisa nodded. “Ah… I see…” She focused on pulling out another sheet of apricot origami paper and began folding. It was a mindless task and she was getting the hang of it so much now that she didn’t have to hesitate or pause her rhythm. Her face brightened as she heard Ingrid’s offer. “THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC YEAH! Thank you, Ingrid. Here…. I want you to have these cranes. Make a wish on them. Apparently they will bring you good luck and you’ve been so kind to me so… I want you to have this.”

With a hesitant smile on her face, Ingrid turned back to her sketches and tried to imagine them coming to life from her parchment, dancing off the page and flowing naturally into pieces of fabric, elegant and enchanting in a way that normal outfits simply couldn’t possibly be. The depths of her feeling somewhat surprised the third year because she wanted it rather badly now it seemed and she’d accept any help she could. “That would be great Lisa, honestly,”she replied with a smile on her face.

“Who says no to cookies? Honestly,” laughing a little now at her own imagination. Maybe she should write fictional books instead? Her mind certainly had a way with fabricating amusing scenario’s that was for sure.

Her eyes now down on her own drawings, as she offered, she simply nodded and smiled as Lisa accepted her offer enthusiastically. It was, after all, the least she could do if the Lisa did indeed put her in contact with some people who could help her recognise one of her new goals. “Sure thing. I’d be happy to. Next time we have a feast, I’ll see if I can manoeuvre myself close to her and strike up a conversation. It shouldn’t be too hard” although she did know that Ash was a uhh…suspicious clever person who would most likely see through most people so she’d have to be on her game, for Lisa’s sake anyway. Looking up from her drawings, she smiled and stretched out her hands to take the cranes that she’d been working so hard on and for the briefest of moments, even though she firmly believed in making her own luck, actually wished for something. “Thanks Lisa, they’re beautiful. Really. I appreciate these” and taking them carefully, she slipped them neatly into the pages of her sketchpad and closed it carefully, knowing full well they’d be safe in there.

“I’ll come find you when I have your information,” she continued with a wide grin, almost feeling like one of the super spies from the old muggle movies.

"Hey, do you have the red marker?"

Matty didn't really need the extra credit assignment, but it certainly couldn't hurt his grade. Plus, it was another excuse for him to hangout with Kizzy alone; not that he was lacking in that department either.

A smile reached his lips as he looked over at the Gryffindor girl, his Gryffindor girl. Did she know how easy it was to smile around her? To be relaxed and comfortable even in the silence spaces between? Maybe. He hoped she felt like that too. He wanted her to be able to find some sort of comfort in him.

"I'm almost done with the green bit if you need it."

"Mmhm, you can have it." She didn't need it for this next bit and it'd probably be a good idea to do a rough sketch before going over it in color anyway, so she held the red out for him, poking him with it and smiling a little as she did so. It was really easy to smile around him too.

Hopefully Matty wouldn't mind that she was taking extra long with her project; she knew him to be patient, but it still worried her the littlest bit. It was just that assignments involving art were different than the other ones for some reason. They had to be perfect in a way that she didn't care for the others to be.

Except.

Except even with all her concentration, accidents still happened and her hand must have slipped when she looked up to reply and and and.

She inhaled sharply with the realization, her eyes following the fresh streak across her work. Oh no. "... Matty." Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no... "It's all ruined." And she couldn't start over now, it had taken so long. And she couldn't fix it with magic because she'd likely only make things worse. And and and.

"I ruined it." Ruining things was her specialty, it seemed.

It had been such a long week, hadn't it? Claudine mused to herself as she settled in with some paper, wooden crayons and glitter. Today’s artistic aim? That was the great question. She had no idea. All Claudine knew was that she needed some form of relaxation and her mind was set on sketching something then decorating it with colour and glitter.

She tapped a pencil on the desk a few times, thinking. Flamsteed’s roses… yes. Claudine was a big fan of them. And so, the sixth year began her work. At intervals, she’d yawn. Hmm… it must be the happenings from the week finally catching up to her. Her eyelids began to feel heavy until she gave up and literally rested her forehead on the table. It was only natural that she would drift off.

Sometime later, Claudine awoke from one of those naps where she had no idea what day or time it was. She sat there groggily, trying to focus and having no recollection of any dream at all. The latter would be written in her dream journal, of course.

He had been smiling back at her, the red marker already in hand when his face dropped to match hers, eyes quickly finding her paper, the source of her distress. Any sort of Kizzy distress easily transferred to the third year Slytherin. He'd always wanted to take on whatever bothered her, desperate to fix it and get that smile of hers back.

Gently, his hand moved over to hers, to move it away so he could see better what had happened and discover a way to fix it. "No, no, Kiz... It's okay... We'll fix it." He intended to keep her hand within his, an attempt to add more comfort to her.

"Maybe we could... we could um..." he considered a brief moment while his eyes glanced up to hers. "We can... make it part of it. We could add some more scribbles there... and and...." Was this helping? He hoped so. If not, he would happily give her his own project instead.

Kins didn't mean to transfer her distress. She really, really didn't. Especially not to Matty, who she hated to upset. But it was too little too late - the accidental slip of her marker had already elicited a viceral Kizzy reaction and he had seen and and and.

Except it really wasn't so bad because while there weren't many people who knew how to handle a Kinsay in distress, Matty did. His calm was already helping lots and having his hand gave her a physical anchor, one that pulled her out of her own head just enough so that she could give his suggestion a real big think.

"You- You don't think it'd look too messy?" She furrowed her eyebrows as she asked with genuine concern. "It won't be weird?"