Ethan stepped into the Great Hall in search of an espresso, lingering in the doorway upon sight of the lavish decoration. This was a pleasant surprise.. reminded him a bit of the holiday decorations at his old school.. and he smiled a bit noting that Hogwarts could go all out too. He made his way over to the eating area, eyes scanning the refreshments.. Nope, no sign of an espresso. But he picked up a hot chocolate instead. Not as good, but if he saw one of those house elves running around, maybe he'd ask for what he really wanted.

Eyes landing on a table full of food, Ethan noted that he was hungry.. again. That seemed to be happening a lot lately.. He made a beeline for the table and picked up a bacon bleu cheese burger.. yum. Drink and food in hand, the boy took a seat at one of the tables, glancing around the Great Hall at the decor and activities set up. A slide..? Fun.

Christmas was Hannah's absolute favorite time of the year. She loved the cold weather, the smell of holiday in the air and of course presents... even though she had everything that she wanted. Christmas actually put her in a good mood. So she thought that was excatly what she needed since her latest conversation with Elliot had her down. She couldn't exactly go shopping with her mom so she thought she would go see what the Great Hall looked like. Hogwarts always went all out and she hoped that it would improve her mood.

As soon as she walked in she noticed the winter wonderland. It looked really nice and Hannah was able to get lost in it for a minute. Wanting something warm to drink to warm her up she decided to go see what she could get her hands on. On her way over to choose her beverage she ended up bumping into someone...completely lost in thought. She was ready to tell the person off for getting in her way even though it was clearly her fault when she realized it was Ethan. She was completely caught off guard with all the info she got from Elliot. Play it cool. "Hey Ethan..." it was nice to see him. "Sorry about that...I'm in my own little world I guess." Since when did Hannah apologize?

It was the day and Louisa with the others had been working on this really hard, a way to show house unity and happy holiday spirit for those who stayed behind in this time of year. She'd arranged a special comfy seating for her where she could sit on the floor, her two cats lounging around, reading a book and keeping an eye out on the students around. In case someone got a funny idea of starting a food fight or something. No, just no staining the beautiful decoration with drinks and sweets.

With a Gingerbread Snowflake to nibble on, the Ravenclaw had her eyes focused on the novel she used as her best entertainment during her sick days. She made sure to wrap a scarf around her as well as use leg warmers under the dress she saved specifically for this big day. The flu was all gone now and Louisa wanted it to stay gone.

Hot chocolate gone and still no house elves?

Ethan had finished both his drink and his burger, still wanting that espresso. But it would seem that he wouldn't be getting any today.. though he really did need something else to wash down the burger he had just eaten and his hot chocolate was gone. Green eyes landed on the beverage table once more.. there was plenty there, surely it was alright for him to take something else?

The boy decided on an eggnog this time and got up from his seat to get one. As he reached the table, his hands curled around the cup.. and his body lurched forward as he was bumped from behind. Eggnog spilled over his hand and onto the table.. at least none were on his robes. He turned his head quickly at the sound of an apology. "Oh.. hi, Hannah," Ethan gave the girl a smile as he pulled out his wand to Scourgify the spill. Ah yes.. he remembered the girl from Divination class. He turned fully to face her after he cleaned up. "Oh, it's alright," he added with a shrug. No big deal and easily fixed..

"Getting something to drink?" he asked, considering that she was near the beverages. "Might I recommend the Peppermint Hot Chocolate.. ? I just had one.. it's not bad. Although I'd rather have an espresso." Maybe once the elves weren't so busy..

Belle went to go check out the seating area.

O.O.....It looked amazing! She loved everything about it. She walked over and saw the menu. It looked adorable. She really wanted to try the peppermint shake. It looked tasty. She loved breathing in the smells of the holiday season.

She hoped she would see some familiar faces in the seating area.

Minerva walked into the seating area and looked around in amazement. This was so fun.. She had been having trouble with the holidays this year, but seeing this put a smile on her face. Looking around she saw a few faces she knew. Her eyes lit up when she saw Ethan. A smile crossing her face.. but.. wait.. he was with.. a slytherin. **frown** well she wouldn't interrupt them. She gave a small wave and a smile and spotted Belle and walked over to her.

"Hey Belle. How are you today?" she smiled at her prefect. "This place looks great." she looked at the food and reached for a hot chocolate.

As Belle was enjoying her peppermint drink, she noticed Minnie coming up to her. She was glad to see a familiar face.

"Hey Minnie! I am doing amazing, i am loving the atmosphere. I can not wait for christmas!" she said as she took a sip of her drink.

"I see you are liking the hot coco but how are you doing today?"

Richard did not now how he felt about the new look in the Great Hall but he could not say that it looked bad at all. No, no way. Quite the opposite, he was almost close to admit that it was very interesting. Winter was not his favourite season but none of the other seasons were his favourite either. He just liked the fact that the place seemed to be full of people.

Wearing his usual smirk, he directly walked past all the activities after eyeing the people who were busy with them a bit and made his way to the seating area. Occupying a comfortable seat and looking around if he would see a pretty girl sounded good right now. So he was going to so like that. Carelessly, he snatched a cold drink to himself and got seated.

Well...well...well...

Now let's see if something interesting would happen somewhere.

Aurora walked up to the Great hall in search of Theodore. She was a little taken aback by the stuff going on. Weird. And she couldn't see her little bro anywhere. But she'd find him...

She wandered slowly over to the seating area, getting used to the new surroundings... but then she saw him. She flicked her hair behind her shoulders and walked over, sitting down next to Rich and smiling brightly at him. "Hey, enjoying the entertainment?" she asked, laughing lightly. Didn't look like it - he was just sat there...

In that certain distance, Rich started to watch others who seemed to be having fun with activities but he had his eyes on a certain activity: baking with house elves. Seriously? Who would do some stupid baking with the stupid house elves? Apparently some people would as the place seemed kind of crowded with a group of them. The Slytherin boy could not bear even seeing those creatures and that Kurumi girl...it was like she was almost living with them. Weird girl she was, being so close to those filthy creatures. She seemed to be in a perfect harmony with them though...which seemed funny. He snorted.

And just when he was about to take a sip from his drink, what he had been waiting for happened: a pretty girl around. And she was not only passing by, she had just sat right next to him. ''Hey, beautiful.'' Rich greeted back with a wide smirk on his face. Now he felt lucky, no wonder. ''Well...just watching for now. You know, i don't really feel like decorating a gingerbread house right now.'' Laughing a bit, he winked. ''And what about you?''

Minerva smiled at Belle. "I love your outfit it's so festive and cute. This was a great idea for the prefects to put together. What are you drinking?" Minerva felt excited for once in the last few days. It had been an interesting few weeks and she knew that once everyone left for Christmas it might not be that great, so she was going to enjoy this time.

"So what are you doing for the Holidays Belle?" She figured that was a good question to ask around this time.

Aurora's eyes lit up as he referred to her as beautiful (though to be honest, if anyone complimented her it went straight to her head so that was nothing new...). She glanced over to where he'd been looking seconds before... oh. Kurumi was baking with the elves, what a surprise. Why would anyone want to bake with the elves? Aurora always kicked them out of the kitchen if she wanted to use it... pfft.

She looked back to Rich. "I just came up here to look for Theodore." she admitted, her eyes searching the room again... but not quite as thoroughly as they could have... she'd rather sit here for a while. Hehe. Her eyes crossed Kurumi again, "Do you believe that rumour that she's part house elf?" she asked, an amused grin crossing her lips. It wasn't that difficult to believe just from looking at her... she acted more like they were family than servants... ha.

She was so not in the Great Hall....or was she? Beezus froze momentarily in front of the large oak door. She knew something was going on with the Great Hall, with how the tables began to vanish. But, this? This was definitely something else. Large christmas trees? the distinct, inviting smell of gingerbread cookies? She couldn't believe the spectacle she was witnessing.

It was a Winter Wonderlalalalalalalalalalalalalalalaland!

*inner flail*

The Ravenclaw was turning her head to and fro, unable to choose where to go first. She could see a bunch of people doing some baking, others decorating the winter trees, and some just chilling out. Speaking of chilling out, someone looked pretty comfortable on the floor. Beezus walked over towards the Head Girl with a large grin. "Hey Louisa.." and hello too cats! "..where's Vickers?" Wait...that didn't come out right. Really Beezus? You expect them to be together ALL the time? "I mean..this is the most astonishing ever!" *pointing everywhere*

Looking for Theodore...

Who was that? Should he be jealous? He did not know but something with the way she said the name made him feel like there was nothing to be jealous of. Still...he would prefer hearing that she had been looking for him instead. He smirked as he looked at her before taking a sip from his drink. He could not help grimacing a bit. What was this stuff made of?

Whatever...

''Theodore...'' he repeated ''Even though that is my middle name, i am sure that is not me. Right?'' he gave her a questioning but playful look and put the drink away. He was not going to taste it again. Not in near future. And he was glad he was not drinking anything right that moment anyway because what she had said next would have made him snort all the liquid out.

HAHAHAHAHAHA...

He laughed...rather loudly. It was a short one though. His gray eyes quickly found the Kurumi girl again. Part house elf. ''That's hilarious!'' To be honest, it looked like it fit her well, except that she did not look filthy. But she seemed to be happy and comfortable with them and that was hard to understand unless she was one of them. ''Maybe we can order her to get some proper drinks for us.'' he commented and put an arm around the red-head beauty's shoulders ''Do you want a drink? I don't suggest that one.'' he indicated the one that he had just tried.

Belle smiled at Minnie when she complimented on her outfit. "Awww thank you very much. I love shopping in the muggle world. I only got this dress for 15 bucks. Which is a great deal for my parents. But i love your outfit too." Belle pointed to her.

When Minnie asked her what she was drinking she said, "Oh i am trying the Polar Peppermint Hot Chocolate with coconut snow. It is quite good and makes me feel like i am at home." She still held the hot coco in her hands since they were quite chilly.

When Minnie asked her what she was doing for the holidays, Belle replied, "Well i am going back home to the muggle world for the holidays. Then i am going on a cruise with my whole family to the Bahamas. It is a warm, tropical island." Belle was excited for her vacation and was all giddy talking about it.

Minerva looked at her outfit, "Thanks, but I guess it's not real festive. I was in a gray and black mood." Yeah she had not been feeling all that festive the last few days, but this was helping. She looked at Belle's drink..."Mmmm that sounds good, well minus the coconut. I might have to try it." she smiled and turned looking to see if there was any close to where they were.

Minerva smiled, "I grew up in the muggle world. I love going to my grandparents now that I live with them, it reminds me of my parents." she gave a small smile thinking about them. "Were is home, London?" Minerva wasn't sure where Belle lived, why had she never found that out before. "Oh the Bahamas sounds great. It will be nice to get away."

Belle smacked herself in the forehead. She totally forgot to tell Minnie where she lived and they have known each other for a while. "Oh i live in the United States in Kansas." Belle grinned at that.
"Yeah i take a airplane to London to get to the train station for school. It is not as bad as it seems. My grandparents actually pay for my airfare and even my vacation for my family." Belle didn't mind to reveal all this information because she trusted Minnie by now.

Minerva smiled, Wow how did she never know this. "I have two American friends and didn't have a clue.. That is awesome. Sutton is from the States as well." Minerva was so excited about this news she forgot to say the rest. Looking at Belle she blushed a bit, "Oh I'm sorry that came out weird, I guess I should add that I live with my grandparents in Tennessee." she smiled. She had always thought she was one of the only states at Hogwarts, but she was learning more and more that she was not.

Minerva then found the hot chocolate and poured herself some. It smelled so good and looked yummy. "Oh yes, the plane is the worst. It's such a long trip, but it's always nice to be here once the plane ride is over."

It was...... beautiful

Vickers paused standing slightly agape at the threshold of the massive double doors. He barely recognized the Great Hall. His gaze was immediately taken by that MASSIVE Christmas Tree smack in the middle of the hall, surrounded by several other Christmas trees beside it. It was almost like walking into Rockefeller Plaza, but for Hogwarts.

With the aroma of baked goods filling the air he had let his feet do the thinking as he walked around the hall until his gaze caught this glacial structure-- was that an ice slide? A small grin tucked at the corner of his lips, before glancing down worriedly at his pants. He definitely wanted to try that slide out, but he'd probably need to apply quite a few charms on his clothes. They're all new!

He walked the tables and reached out for that curious looking blue drink in the martini glass. It was then that he heard his name and looked up-- hey its Beezus..... with a certain lovely red-head. His lovely red-head.

With the drink in hand he neared his fellow Ravenclaws. "Hey there Beezus..." he greeted the younger Claw. Quickly setting his drink on the table he wrapped his arms around the seated Louisa and bend over to whisper to her ear "This whole place is wonderful! Good job!" punctuated that with a kiss on her cheek.

As soon as Eliza saw the notice about the Winter Wonderland festivities in the Great Hall, she threw her book bag on her bed and rushed down to see it for herself. She LOVED Christmas. She loved Halloween an unnatural amount too, but she thought this Christmas would be ever more special now that she was at Hogwarts. She put all her weight into the enormous door to the Great Hall and almost tumbled inside once it finally gave way to her efforts.

"Wow...!" she said breathlessly. This is amazing! she squealed to herself. She was practically jumping up and down inside, but saw there were a lot of older students in the room, so she kept her gleefulness in check. She didn't really think she was in the mood for decorating as much as she wanted to just sit back and enjoy it all, so she went over to the food and beverage table to try a Polar Peppermint Hot Chocolate and a Gingerbread Snowflake.

She found a seat at the tables and sipped on her drink. Ohmygosh. Her eyes widened as the sugary minty goodness melted on her tongue. This was the best thing she had ever tasted. Merlin I love Hogwarts! Maybe she could get a house elf to tell her recipe, it was delicious! Or better yet, maybe she could convince her parents to hire a house elf for their home! Of course she would want the house elf to choose to live there. He or she could have clothes too if they wanted. Maybe they would stay because they wanted to. Maybe they could even be friends... Okay now you're daydreaming again, she thought to herself. She looked around the room, taking in all of the glitz and warm fuzzy feelings. She wish she could roll out a sleeping bag and just stay in here for the rest of the season!

How lame was it to surround yourself with a dozen of cushions and just sit there reading a book in a Hall full of funtertainment? Yep, pretty lame. Louisa did love the book though and even though she promised herself to just read a couple of chapters, she easily went on until the younger Ravenclaw approached with her usual happy mood about her. "Hey Bee!" The seventh year returned the enthusiastic greet and slipped the book under one of the pillows, no need to look too geeky. She chuckled, "We didn't use the gluing charm on each other yet." So yeah, they didn't have to stay together all the time. Although Louisa found it pretty appealing. Hmm.

OHH! He came before she could answer Beezus' next question. Louisa's heart gave an extra pound as he kissed her cheek and whispered his admiration. Somehow this was filled her with pride and content with the work the team did together. Patting the cushions around her she encouraged them to join her, "You guys can have a seat. I was just waiting for everyone to come in." Kind of. Her gaze fell on Beezus, "How have you been Bee? I'm not satisfied that we didn't get to spend much time together." What with Louisa's NEWTs preparation and other duties. She could barely spend quality time with Vickers.

Speaking of whom, "Joao's coming over to Hogsmeade next weekend, by the way." This was addressed to Vick, "It's been over three months since I saw him." Sooooooo yeah.. she was letting him know that she was meeting Joao there. Like... alone.

Oh no! She ended up making him spill his eggnog everywhere. Smooth Hannah...real smooth! At least he was taking the spill and her apology well. She wasn't sure if she would have reacted the same way. She knew that with a simple flick of a wand the mess would clear, but it still was embarrassing for her. Let it go! She told herself.

"Actually yeah." She wasn't sure what she wanted though. Peppermint Hot Chocolate. That did sound good. "Sounds like a good recommendation." she said with a smile. She got her a hot chocolate and took a sip. "Mmm...it's like Christmas in a cup." She loved Christmas. It really did put her in a good mood. "Mind if I sit here?" She was actually kind of nervous about his answer. She didn't know how long he planned on being here.

Wow. Just wow. There were so many fantastic things going on around them but the Head Girl still had her eyes on a book. Beezus dark brown eyes eyed the book being tucked away for a second, thinking how incredible Louisa was. It was pretty evident that her, as Head Girl was a huge proponent in making this event possible yet after all the hard work, she was still there, reading. Meh. Well, that was one thing about them eagles, most of them never get tired of reading.

She grinned at the redhead. No gluing charm yet, huh? Then she giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth, "You should see to it that it happens." She meant them being glued together magically. Won't that be cool? ...and sweet?

And speaking of the nerd...With another wide smile, Beezus greeted her fellow 'Claw, "Hello Vic---" ..but before she could even finish,her greeting getting hang in the air, came the guy's hug, whisper and kiss to Louisa. And for once, Beezus wished she could've looked away. She felt some kind of jumping sensation inside her stomach that made her blush. "---ckers." the rest of the greeting went down in a much lower voice, although her lips were still curled up into a smile. They were affectionate with each other. Beezus hoped she had someone like Vickers too. O__o What?! NO! Crush that out. Beezus hoped she had someone like Vickers too. There.

Oh, so she can take a seat too? It was okay that she was around? It wasn't necessary that they kick her out of their date? She neared the Head Girl as she flashed yet another grin, "I'm...fine," she said, slumping down on the floor. "Well, still a bit upset about the match against Hufflepuff.." Who can blame her, really? It was just a smack to the ego of a player. "I know..I can't believe you two are...graduating soon." They weren't exactly the bestest buddies around, but those two..they were people who had never let her down whenever she needed their hand. "So..do you guys have plans already? After Hogwarts I mean?" Like if they'll get married? Many get married after graduating. Or perhaps the usual, proceed to Wizarding University?

Belle's eyes widened. "Oh that is soo cool, you live near me in the states. Maybe we can visit each other before i go on my cruise!" Belle could not help it, she was happy to find a friend that was close to her.

When Minnie mentioned the plane ride, Belle smiled when someone agreed with her. "Yeah the plane ride is a hassle but once you get to Hogwarts it is all worth it."

As she saw Minnie trying out the hot chocolate, Belle asked, "Do you want to try some of the food with me? I was thinking of getting the smore pizza ,it looks interesting to try."

As Belle was talking to Minnie she noticed a familiar face. Belle spotted Ethan and gave him a smile. Belle waved at him and said "Hi Ethan! Enjoying the holidays aren't we?"