Selina was so hungry and tired and hungry. The term so far had been like whiplash on the seventh year's life. Everything was just so obnoxiously out of hand. She had never been under so much pressure, but wherever she went the badge on her chest seemed to make sure that pressure followed. People expected so much more of her now that she was wearing it. And she felt like most people were not keen on taking her super seriously.

SO she was just going to take some time to herself and have some butterbeer and hang out on her own. Think, relax, the like.

She approached the bar and grabbed a butterbeer from the barkeep. Once she had that in hand, she found a corner booth and flopped down in it. Hopefully today would be NICE and relaxing.

It didn't occur to Alice that maybe Selina had gone inside of the Hog's Head for some alone time. All she knew was that one minute, she had spotted the Head Girl stepping into the place, and the next, she was following after her. Yeah, the fourth year probably wasn't supposed to be going into PUBS, but it was open to students now, so what was the harm in peeking inside? There was none. Absolutely none. She thought.

She thought a lot of things, actually. Most of them wrong, but STILL.

And so, as soon as the lioness skipped inside and found the Head Girl flopping in a corner booth with her ninja radar and stuff— 'cause she had that, yeah— she snagged a butterbeer and joined her. "Hey, Mama Sel," she greeted, beaming at the older girl as she bounced into the booth beside her.

Selina wouldn't mind the company, would she?

The redhead had her head leaned against the cushion of the corner booth as she tried to clear her head for the first time this whole term. It was nice and quiet and peaceful and the weight of her butterbeer drew down her hand just enough so that she was conscious that it was there, but it wasn't all distracting. The silence was nice. No one was looking at her weird or demanding anything of her or judging her silently for the badge on her chest. Yes, she saw that. Just peace and quiet and-

...GAH! Someone plopped into the seat next to her just as she found her zen place and startled her. Enough so that she almost dropped her butterbeer. Luckily for the Beater reflexes she, well, smacked the butterbeer away. Huh, that didn't help, it just made a mess. Darn... she just got that.

Looking over to her interrupter she was about to freak out when she saw that it was Alice. Sighing she said throwing on a smile, "Oh its you, Biter." Now Selina LOVED her Biter, yeah, but peace and quiet never followed her, which was lovely and great... but she was called BITER for a reason. Heh. Good Biter.

ANYWAY, she rose her eyebrow when she realized why Alice was in here, "Um, Biter, what are you doing at Hog's Head?" It was a pub, love.

She hadn't thought this whole thing out. Well, she had...but she hadn't.

Her intentions were to meet up with her best friend in Hogsmeade, but the problem was that the two girls had been so excited about seeing and hanging out with each other like old times that they ha failed to specify a place or a time. Which is why Kurumi now found herself wandering around Hogsmeade and running up to any and every red-headed female she saw - which was only resulting in Kurumi making a complete fool of herself several times. Sigh.

Her search now brought her to The Hog's Head, which stirred up some memories. Adjusting her hat as she stepped inside, Kurumi removed her coat and held in it her arm as she surveyed the place while half expecting to see Vivi ans Selina all dressed yo like Holmes and Watson at one of the tables.

Oh...HEEEEEY!There was Selina! Alice too!

Mischievous grin taking over her features, Kurumi crept up to the table, towards Selina's back so her best friend couldn't see her, and and held her index finger to her lips to signal to Alice to keep quiet. The next instant Kurumi had pounced on Selina, covering the girl's eyes with her hands and biting down on her lower lip to stop herself from giggling - which was a sort of failure.

Guess who?

It was expected that Selina would jump a little; Alice knew the older girl hated being sneaked up on. What she didn't anticipate was a butterbeer being smacked out of the way, not unlike one would smack a bludger. Quidditch withdrawal could be the cause of that unusual behavior, maybe? "Of course it's ME. Who'd you think it was?" Like a butterbeer thief or something? That could have possibly been the reason why she had been so protective of the drink.

"Oh. Uh.. I saw you go in. And I followed." Besides, she had never seen the inside of a PUB before, not counting that time when Selina had an ickle lion minion meeting in here. Because it had been too crowded to see anything then. "You don't mind if I stay, do you?" Cue GIGANTIC puppy eyes and eyelash batting.

Nope, she was going to stay right there, thank you very much.

.. and.. wait.. WHATWASTHATRIGHTOVERTHERE? COOKIE!

Alice bit down on her lip. Hard. She had to keep from screaming and running over to her other favourite older girl, didn't she? Because she was fully cognizant of the fact that Kurumi wanted to sneak up on Selina. BUT HER HOGWARTS MAMA WAS HERE. And, though she was trying her hardest to keep from bursting into laughter, she exploded in a fit of giggles when Kurumi pounced on the Head Girl. Well? Could she give her a HUG now?

"KURUMI!" And then Alice jumped onto BOTH of them, joining in the Gryffindor tackle!hug and nestling her way in between the two of them.

Pubs were officially the BEST places ever.

Oichi was so happy to finally get away from school to just have some fun. She got to Hogsmeade and started to explore. She saw a small building on the outskirts of town with a Hogs Head on the outside. She had to check it out. She walked over and opened the door. She saw a few people and wondered if any of her friends discovered this place as well. She ordered a butterbeer and took a seat and enjoyed the atmosphere of this crazy cool place.

Laura walked into The Hog's Head and looked around, she was searching around to see if any of her friends where around, she spotted someone that she was really sure she had seen before, She went and ordered herself a butterbeer and then she went other to the girl she was sure that she knew. "Do you mind if I join you?" Laura was trying to figure out if they had met before.

Oichi saw a a slightly younger girl approuch her. She took a closer look and knew she had met this girl. Laura, was it, yes, I met her on the train and saw her quite a few times at school. "Oh hey Laura, I'm Oichi, I met you on the train. And ofcourse you can join me. This my first time here This place sure is neat looking.".

Well, Alice had already gotten herself all comfortable. It wouldn't have been very nice of her, after Alice had gotten all cuddled into her seat, to boot her out of the Hog's Head, now would it? No, she didn't think so. Besides, if she just explained to Alice that she wanted some peace and quiet maybe the younger girl would listen... or maybe she would gnaw off the end of the table with her choppers. Honestly, option number two seemed more viable. But with less table room meant that Selina could put up her feet and relax so, yeah, she was going to let her stay. 'SIDES LOOK AT THE CUTE FACE!

"Dunno who I thought it was, honestly. I wasn't expecting anyone. And," Big, dramatic pause, "Yeah, okay. You can stay." As long as she got started on the whole leg room thing. That'd be cool.

And then there was some chaos and someone's hands were over her eyes. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER, EVER PUT HER HANDS OVER HER EYES?! THEY WERE ASKING FOR IT! She would smack her hand right off if they covered her eyes. So she grabbed their hand, whoever they were and yelped, and then Alice JUMPED on them. WHAT WAS GOING ON?! GAHHHHHHHH!!

"Get off!" She flailed. And that went to both her attacker and Alice.

Laura smiled at Oichi. "I thought I knew you." Laura was really excited. "And thanks." Laura sad down across from her. "So want to do anything together, since I'm on my own and your on your own, we could team up and go for a walk around Hogsmeade and catch up if you want." Laura thought that would be sooooo cool if they could but it was up-to Oichi.

"Sure, which shop is you're favorite. We could head there. I am a bit curious about the new beauty salon myself.".

Laura playfully kicked Oichi under the table, she knew her friend wouldn't be mad with her. "That's where I want to go, I was just going to have a drink here and then go and see what it was like there." Laura giggled. "Not that I need to be more beautiful than I am now but it's worth a look." Laura thought it would be cool to see what it was like.

Kurumi winced a little seeing Alice bite down on her lip like that. Yeah...this wasn't going to last long if the not-so-little Gryffindor wasn't able to keep quiet.

Yep...stick a fork in this mission because it was all over with that laugh, ALICE!

Laughing a bit herself, Kurumi expected Selina to join in on the giggle party and put two and two together when the red-head began flailing around like a fish out of water. "For Merlin's sake, Selina," Kurumi said as she just barely managed to avoid a fist colliding with her nose. Hey, it was HER job to do the nose breaking if it was going to happen. Not Selina's. "It's me!"

With that, Kurumi removed her hands from over Selina's eyes, placed them on her shoulders, and leaned over one of them to meet her best friend's gaze...but it didn't last too long as Alice tackled her practically to the floor.

OOOF!

YEAH. Selina had totally fallen for the innocent Biter act. Muehehe. Alice beamed at her all angelic and nicely, sipping her warm butterbeer. Mmhmm. Good for the cold, yeah? She could feel the liquid warmth spreading from her lips to the tips of her toes. It was like a warm hug for her insides, as Melanie always said about tea. "Good. We can have a mother-Biter day." FUN, see?

Or a MOTHER-BITER-COOKIE day. Because her Kurumi was here now, hadn't she mentioned?

The fourth year averted her eyes from Kurumi's when the laughing started. She hadn't meant to ruin the moment, but apparently, Selina hadn't even noticed. No, she was just jumping about in her usual panicky fashion. "Mama Sel, calm down, it's COOKIE." Seriously, the Head Girl couldn't attack her before Alice had time to give her a hug or anything!

Get off? PFFT. Never. Alice SQUISHED both of them in a super tight, bone-crunching hug for a couple of more seconds. Her COOKIE and her BAT GIRL. In the same place. In a hug. This day couldn't get any better, honestly, unless Kurumi had brought cookies or something.

When Selina panicked and went to attack her, well, attacker she grabbed the arm sort of forcefully, but then she heard the voice and something registered. Hang on a bit, she knew that voice. She knew that voice better than almost any other voice in the world- it was Kurumi. BLOODY HELL, what was Kurumi doing here in Hogesmeade of all places? Did she come to visit?

But before she could release her best friend and let her go into the world so she could have freedom and stuff, someone was jumping on them and squishing the pair of them.... Biter. Oh Merlin, BITER WHY?!

The redhead tried to wriggle out from underneath Biter, but she was not letting go so she did the only thing she could think of. She started to tickle Biter, "Biter get off and I'll stop tickling." Seriously, though, she was squishing her wind pipes. A girl needed to BREATHE.

Victoria walked into the bar she had finished her shopping and decided that she was going to have a drink to warm up before she goes home.

SPOILER!!: Joao from Dervish and Banges

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deniiz

João didn't even notice how she paused and looked back at the mess. They weren't going to pay for it of course. It was the shop owner's problem if he didn't keep an eye on the shop.

...
He could never make a good ambassador, he noticed bitterly again. He was too impatient for subtle words and hints and explaining it further if the person he was talking to didn't want to understand.

His impatience flashed on his face momentarily before he could control himself. "I don't mean that," he said, his voice still impatient. "I asked about the punishment, but never mind." He didn't want her to get in trouble when it was only a few weeks to her graduation.

After looking at some distant point intently as if he could just create somewhere nice enough to sit, he figured it was sometimes better to admit defeat.

Subtly.

"You're the girl, so you decide where we go," he said casually, moving their hands out of his pocket.

"Then I would prescribe that you say what you mean and mean what you say," Aspen said simply in reply. She noted his hint of... frustration? Annoyance? Whatever it was... it amused her. Greatly. He was so, so, so interesting all the time and so far, worth the wait.

She chose again where she wanted to go - from the deserted Alley, to the smallest, most decrepit shop in Hogsmeade, and now to the seedy pub. Having fun, Joao? Aspen kept his hand AND her hood up as they entered. It also amused her that of the two of them, HE was the adult and could do as he pleased, and she would be considered a student and to different standards. Funny.

"You haven't told me much, you know. Tell me things. Any things. Make them up if you have to." Meanwhile, she was leading him past most of the vacant seats to a shadowy back corner.

João wondered whether Aspen did it on purpose. She knew him well enough to guess he didn't precisely enjoy being told what to do. Though she also knew how to calm him down to some extent. For once, he stopped being prudent and let most of his emotions show on his face. See? She didn't need legilimens to know what he thought.

Tell me things.

He thought what would interest her, and what he should tell. Once they were at the most secluded table of the pub, he let go of her hand and pulled a chair for her absent-mindedly. Obviously he was going to tell her things, but he couldn't decide where to start from.

"My dad's getting married," he said at last as he took the seat across her. "To a woman who has an 11-year old boy." Although he tried to hide it, he looked troubled. Used to having all the attention, he didn't want a stepbrother.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deniiz

João wondered whether Aspen did it on purpose. She knew him well enough to guess he didn't precisely enjoy being told what to do. Though she also knew how to calm him down to some extent. For once, he stopped being prudent and let most of his emotions show on his face. See? She didn't need legilimens to know what he thought.

Tell me things.

He thought what would interest her, and what he should tell. Once they were at the most secluded table of the pub, he let go of her hand and pulled a chair for her absent-mindedly. Obviously he was going to tell her things, but he couldn't decide where to start from.

"My dad's getting married," he said at last as he took the seat across her. "To a woman who has an 11-year old boy." Although he tried to hide it, he looked troubled. Used to having all the attention, he didn't want a stepbrother.

Aspen hesitated just a moment at his pulling out a chair for her. Besides her dad... that was a first. And a loaded first, because for just a second - it'd put Joao at her back. she took the leap of faith though, trusted him, and sat.

Then she lowered her hood to listen to him. She was SO pleased to be talking to someone she considered her equal. That was interesting, that spoke differently, and was just... different. She was entirely engaged in his every word, few as they were.

And then she was properly affronted on his behalf. The reaction she had - which was probably sudden and certainly not like her - was instant. A father remarrying! To a woman with another child!

"What are you doing about this? That's... " Though, Joao's mother, to Aspen's knowledge,was still alive. So maybe it was different for him. But if HER father ever remarried... to a woman with a CHILD no less??? No. Never. "I can help you get rid of them. Discretely." Just saying.

João sighed. He actually couldn't decide what he should feel. He simply shrugged at last, bored with trying to figure out his feelings. If anything, he already regretted telling her about anything at all. From his past experiences, he knew very well thattelling people stuff always ended bad and boring.

"I'm not doing anything." He paused, thinking how to change the subject. He laughed genuinely at her offer though. With Aspen, it at least wasn't boring. "Thank you, but I can handle it." Discussion was over? Completely.

"How about you? I don't take 'My life's boring,' as an answer." Because their relationship was all about eye-for-an-eye.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deniiz

João sighed. He actually couldn't decide what he should feel. He simply shrugged at last, bored with trying to figure out his feelings. If anything, he already regretted telling her about anything at all. From his past experiences, he knew very well thattelling people stuff always ended bad and boring.

"I'm not doing anything." He paused, thinking how to change the subject. He laughed genuinely at her offer though. With Aspen, it at least wasn't boring. "Thank you, but I can handle it." Discussion was over? Completely.

"How about you? I don't take 'My life's boring,' as an answer." Because their relationship was all about eye-for-an-eye.

....what.

Nothing? Nothing? It bothered Aspen that he wasn't bothered. Maybe he didn't care, maybe it was a good thing, but SHE would be bothered. She was bothered. He didn't get another word about it though, and in fact, he got NO WORDS for a very long time.

Simply, she watched him. And waited. And watched.

It was possible she was trying to show him just how boring her life was. Because this was it. This was what she did when she wasn't in her Lair. She sat quietly to herself and watched other people.

...

Finally, with a sigh, she relented. Aspen couldn't afford to waste much more of her Joao time. "I don't know. I don't think my life is boring. I think I'm bored." There was a difference. "Restless and bored. And West doesn't need me anymore, so I have no need to be here anymore." Shrug. She wasn't looking for an answer from him on that, or advise, it simply was what it was.

João was getting used to these staring-contests and he wasn't bothered by them. He even watched her for a while too, curiously, until he noticed he hadn't asked her whether she would like something. He cursed to himself in his head. Did she notice it too? He prayed not. He was known for his manners around girls and to completely forget such a basic thing only meant that he was nervous.

Though, he didn't feel nervous.

He cocked his head to right slightly as he listened, then leaned back and let out a deep breath that showed he was at a loss for advice. "You're graduating in two months anyway." He shrugged. "Then you can go to wherever you want." Surely she could bear the boredness that long?

Aspen hadn't noticed, or expected, him to ask her if she wanted anything. It hadn't crossed her mind once. She'd been surprised he pulled her chair out and probably wouldn't have trusted an offer of a beverage from him.

But he was right. Graduation was soon, and then he added something... interesting. Something... very interesting to her ears.

Her eyes traveled him again, each of his unique features and particularly how he held his shoulders when he spoke. Like he was at ease and tense all at once to her eyes.

"Is that an invitation?"

There. João caught her. She had definitely lied about failing in legilimens, because he was sure she stopped his heart and started it again, just when he didn't even blink as he looked into her eyes. She was at least merciful, because it'd only stopped for a second, not enough to drain colour out of his face, not enough to ruin his comfortable sitting, not enough to make any physical mark, unless she was really able to read his thoughts.

He let another hearbeat pass, still not blinking away, though his stare wasn't tensed. "Do you want it to be?" he simply asked as neutral as he could be as his heartbeats got faster in anticipation.