She could feel the sun baking her outer eyelids but this was relaxing and how you showed appreciation for the sun in case it left again. The Headmistress said they'd fixed things but were things ever really fixed in this place? When it wasn't one thing it was another. Lex shifted about in the grass near the edge of the tree--not too close though on account of her planning to live through this nap but suddenly the tree wasn't her only concern.

Alexa pried her eyes open at the feel of fur against her face and found her kneazle trying to get cozy. What in Merlin's beard....?

With a firm shove, Lex had him tumbling onto her stomach where he seemed content enough. Now where was she? Right, dreaming of adventures beyond the gates of Hogwarts. The quiet did wonders for her imagination and soon her eyes were closing again.

Dot was exploring, and it took her almost no time at all to find the great big tree that Lex had been telling her about. And quite coincidentally, Lex was there, under the tree (or nearly under it) and taking a nap when Dot happened upon it during her sojourn on the grounds. The little ginger paused well out of the reach of the branches until she decided that she could be at least as close as Lex without getting injured.

She crept closer and crouched, hands wrapped around her knees and wary eyes on the tree in case it made a grab for her. There was a kneazle there too, and Dot clucked her tongue at it for attention. Here, kitty kitty. Anything?

Her voice came out as barely a whisper. "Lexor? You sleeping?"

It wasn't Dot's approach that woke her, nah, Lex never heard the sneaky little Slytherin, it was Felix stirring on her stomach, uncurling himself in what she could only imagine was curiosity. Not just anything interested her kneazle so naturally, she had to peak an eye open in case whatever it was was epic enough to keep her awake. Above her was a crouching Dot and a Felix moving to rub against her. Well there was something you didn't see every day.

"I was." Lex said, letting out the faintest of yawns . Did Dot need her opening her other eye and sitting because this right here was comfortable. "Or trying to. The tree's usually peaceful when you've decided to ignore it and there aren't too many idiots making themselves easy targets." Hard to sleep while those around you were getting whacked, y'know?

"And you? Come to wrestle the tree and sneak your way down to Hogsmeade?" If yes, don't answer. She wasn't a witness. Plausible deniability and all that jazz.

Nope, not sleeping. Dot settled back on her heels and perked up considerably now that she had the older girl's attention. Oh, and sweet Circe's bonnet, Lexor had a shiny button thing on herself. Prefect thingy, yeah? Or, what did it say? She tilted her head a bit to try to read the words upside down.

"M'going to make it not peaceful, ok? Not going to Hogsmeade or an'thing, just... fancy poking at it a bit." She wasn't allowed to go to Hogsmeade, anyway, and it was good to pretend like such a thing mattered. Dot would rather learn all about the tree and then sneak off with her friends once she'd mastered it.

Her other eye peaked open in avid curiosity of the Second Year...who'd taken an avid interest in her chest....

Took her a whole nother minute to figure it was the badge that got her. "Don't go staring at it in this light, might take your eyes out with the glare." Because for the weirdest reason there was this one kid that asked to polish the bloody thing and wouldn't stop giving her looks until she handed over said badge for the job to be done. Just what she needed, a shinier target on her chest. Circe.

Dot's plans were safe though, and the kind you could witness without suffering for right after. "Have at it. He likes having stones thrown at him, makes a game of it and has a wicked left hook you gotta watch for." Sound advice right there. At the moment there was no real need for her to get up and seek shelter. How mad could the girl get the tree anyway?

Head Girl. Lexor was Head Girl. Dot scrubbed at her face and stared up at the tree branches, which were moving lethargically in pursuit of a bird that dared to fly too close. It didn't seem to really want to take out the bird, but it had a name to uphold. It was a lot to take in at once.

"Where's the knot we have to hit?" She shoved to her feet and began to search the ground for likely stones. Her path was serpentine, although she was careful not to get too close to the tree. Yet. She wanted to get properly close to it soon. "Is it a he? How d'you know?"

Lex followed Dot's gaze up toward the branches of the trees and saw a bird fluttering about. It was smart to not dip further than it currently was. Right now the tree was doing that passive existence thing where it merely existed so long as you stayed clear of it. Felix had learned that lesson too, thankfully before any broken bones could happen. "The knot's on the other side. Look for the two outgrown roots growing closest together." She lifted her head just a little. "Felix could show it to you if I asked."

And Merlin how was she meant to know the gender of the tree. It was just a boy because she said so, OKAY?? "He's a boy, definitely a boy. Told me so himself because of that special connection I told you we have." Although....it wouldn't be the first Alexa got genders wrong, or the last for that matter.

"How're you liking the dungeons? Spotted the Giant Squid flopping by yet?"

Dot didn't neeeeeed Felix to show her how to find the knot. She was going to find it herself, thanks. She circled toward the side of the tree with the roots and the knot and the apparent entrance to the exit out of Hogwarts, and then Dot circled back. Lexor was still laying on the ground with Felix, and Dot wanted a visit.

Of sorts.

"Warmer than Durmstrang. No one's been swimming by yet." Although she had hopes of making friends with a mermaid. It was very disappointing to discover that she wasn't in a tower, but a mermaid might make up for it. Dot threw a rock at the nearest branch, and she actually smiled when the tree batted away the pebble easily.

"I have a kitten. He needs a name."

Lex could only assume her kneazle's curiosity was satisfied because he'd taken to curling up on her stomach again. That only strengthened her resolve to just lay there and enjoy the warm day. Wouldn't be warm much longer, another month, month and a half then it'd get chilly for sure. Felix must have gone back to sleep but Lex's eyes remained opened, watching the oh so curious one circle the tree. It was all good so long as she didn't get herself killed which didn't seem to be happening.

"Maybe you should try meeting the squid beforehand then asking him to pay a visit? He's not one for tea and cookies but he's good for conversations anyway." Not that she thought Dot would be able to hear through the thick glass windows that kept the water out but there would be conversation on the shore by the lake so....

"Do you? A proper Kitten or a kneazle?" And yes, that did make a difference. "Give him one that'll have people scared to ask what he is." If the name was vicious enough, one would only need to threaten setting the thing on them to get them to comply.

Dot leaned back on her elbows, unconcerned about what the grass and dirt might be doing to her skirt and shoes. All her concern was spent up watching those great waving branches and timing how long it took the Whompy Willow to reach his targets. A pebble in the air was batted almost immediately, and when Dot tried a few at the ground, she thought the reaction time was a little slower.

Something to think about.

"Okay," Dot sideeyed Lexor. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to meet the squid, but it wasn't something she'd argue about. Advice was just advice, and if she didn't take it, she doubted Lexor would ever come find her to ask about it. Perhaps someday, Dot would want to make friends with the squid, and here she already had an introduction on how from Lexor.

"Kneazle. I don't care if people ask, and I don't want him too scary to cuddle." That's why she had him, even if kneazles were dead useful for other things. She wanted something that was hers and always happy to see her.

Her fingers made the slightest of moves toward the closest rock but in the time it took her fingers to brush across the solid earth, she got to thinking that this wouldn't be the best angle to get a shot at the tree from. Quite the awkward position her hand would find itself if she tried throwing toward the tree so she abandoned the idea altogether.

"Well see that's the beauty about kneazles, they fulfill both roles perfectly." Lex gestured toward the felines snoozing on her stomach. "He's a sucker for affection. I get more cuddles than I know what to do with. At the same time, he's a predator that doesn't play nice with others." Not completely true. Felix played nice with the people he knew she liked, but she'd never seen him give so much as a second glance at someone she couldn't stand without a few hisses and claws involved in the mix.

Her eyes slipped closed once more, a sign she was getting comfortable all over again, even if she wasn't falling asleep. "So how come I saw you and Dima crawling under stables at the feast?" Lex had thought it odd but with all the Puffer chaos there was hardly any time to think about it. Now though, they were strewn under a violent tree without the slightest urgency. All the time in the world to find out.

Making sure to keep a fair distance from the Whomping Willow, Lux sat down on the grass and crossed he legs. Pulling Toffy out of her jacket pocket, she petted the little blue fluff ball before feeding him some treats. He always loved those and made happy Pygmy Puff sounds which caused her to laugh.

Toffy was a good boy and hopefully he wouldn't hop off towards the tree where he could get hurt. This was the reason she could never take Arya out here; the cat always tried to run off where she could get smashed.

Angel was walking around the ground trying to figure out what was going on in her mind, one minute she was happy and wanting to go out with Ben and then the next time she wanted to just stay away from everyone. A lot of things were going through her head.

Angel smiled as she suddenly saw Lux. "Hey Lux!" Angel beamed as she looked around the whomping willow. "Sometimes I wish that this tree would move more." Angel thought it would be amazing to see the tree going crazy. "How are you today?"

"Felix isn't a very fierce name." Not a complaint, but just a fact. Dot threw four pebbles at once, two from each hand, and it was fascinating that the tree only got three of them. And one was nearly on the ground. So that would help. Sacrifice some firsties if she needed to make a run for the tree, 'cause it couldn't go four ways at once.

"He's grey. He's a boy. He likes to sleep in warm spots and he gets under the covers with me right now. Like this." She pawed at the air to show how her kitten pulled back the covers. "I don't want to name him after food."

She wasn't sure that she wanted to talk about Dima, but Lexor... she was good people. Dot twirled her plait around her finger. "He's my bestest. I was supposed to be with him, but the hat wouldn't talk to me." She hated that hat.

Hearing a familiar voice, Lux was happy to see that it was her friend, Angel. They hadn't talked in a while so catching up with each other would be fun. It was so good to be back at Hogwarts with everyone.

"Hey, Angel! I'm good, how are you?" Continuing to pet Toffy, she looked from her friend to the tree. "Well maybe if we tossed some things close enough to him, he will wake up?"she suggested.

The Whomping Willow was a he, right?

Charlie had half thought the threat of the cold would still hang around the Castle this term, and was overjoyed to find out that they were allowed outside again, and she hadn't the need for seven coats and nineteen scarves. She did, however, have one coat close, just in case. Of course, the cold would come soon, but it wouldn't be anything near as awful as last year.

She hoped, anyway. The seventeen year old spread her coat on the floor some feet away from the Willow, before dropping her back and seating herself neatly down. Her plan was to distracted herself by drawing the tree - a difficult subject to say the least - but on opening her book she became distracted. Distracted from her distraction by a drawing of herself and Tristan. Which caused major pouting and mopeyness and the need to go home.

Was it normal to just sit and stare? Or should she do flower presses like he'd taught her around the artwork?

Angel looked at Lux and smiled. "I'm good." Angel was feeling a lot better now, she was finally getting to see a lot more of her friends than she had done in ages. "Oh I never thought about that." Angel looked at the tree and then decided to have some fun with Lux "How do you know the whomping willow isn't a girl?" Angel said after a few moments pause. ""Hey maybe we can ask the new Herbology Professor if they know the answer to this." Angel giggled, no point in starting a fight over it.

Haha, yeah, Felix's name. Lex shrugged, not bothered by the revelation. "I know it's not. Didn't want it being. If it sounded vicious people wouldn't try their luck and I'd never get a good show." Oh look, Felix the harmless kneazle, let's pet him and watch him puuurrr. Brilliant as she thought it was. "He didn't need a vicious name either, he is vicious." Hard to believe though with him just lying there lost to the world. One of his lazier days no doubt.

Her eyes opened to watch the explanation acted forth. You had to admit, the kneazle sounded presh. "Well...what do you want him named after? Anything you like in particular?" That was always a good place to start. For her, she just saw him and he happened to look like a 'Felix'. Still did.

"Ooohhhh, one of those things." Lex wasn't sure how else to play it off so there was another shrug to start. "If you ask me, you dodged a bullet. Nothing special or decent about Ravenclaws, really, even if they've got some decent people, the house itself is a bit sketchy." To put it mildly. If Dot was Dima's little friend she probably took after him with that sensitivity issue that irked her and she liked Dot so she didn't wanna do anything that would cause the girl to annoy her. " 'Sides, now you've got two Common Rooms instead of one."

"You're a confusing person." Or she gave out advice that she didn't necessarily follow. Like this idea that Dot's kneazle should be ferocious when she'd gone and given her own a very common and person-like name. Or maybe she was suggesting Dot's kneazle wasn't vicious. Which, now she thought about it, Dot didn't want him to be vicious. She could take care of herself, so she really just needed a snuggler kitten.

"I like lots of things. Maybe I'll make a list and try 'em out on him." That seemed like a sorted plan, and now Dot was done worrying about names. She wanted to take a run at the tree, actually. "Dima is a Ravenclaw. And Kyroh and Maddie. They're special and decent." The specialest and decentest people in the world. Or Dima was, and the other two seemed promising. She did like the idea of having two common rooms, though. Was that allowed?

It was nice to hear that Angel was doing well, and the prospect of having some fun with the tree was pretty exciting in Lux's opinion. Best to hide Toffy away again, as the Whomping Willow's branches might scare him. Into her pocket he went after a few more head pats.

"Okay, but just to be safe let's make sure to not actually hit the tree. We could get in trouble." Lux didn't want to get in trouble with the new Groundskeeper especially when she didn't know if he was nice or not. Looking around the area in case he might be lurking somewhere nearby, she half paid attention to what Angel said next. "I'm not sure, it was just a guess...but hey the Whomping Willow being a girl would be awesome! A fierce girl tree." Nod. "Oh, that's a good idea! she added enthusiastically at the mention of asking the Herbology Professor. "I want to meet him. I hope he is really nice like Professor Bentley. I miss her. She accepted me as an Honorary Lion. I hope Professor Flamsteed will too; but he's so nice, I can't see him not."

Noel wasn't a fan of the whomping willow. He should be amazed by it, but nope he wasn't. It scared the beejeezus out of him, actually. Who wants to be stomped to death anyway? And also, cause some tree got annoyed by you. What a way to go. Death by a tree.

Noticing a girl sitting so close to it, Noel was actually befuddled. Why would you do that? "Doesn't it scare you?" he called out, a few feet away from where she sat. "Or are you hoping to be stomped on?" Did she have a death wish? Was Hogwarts already bringing her down? She seeeeemed sad.

Well done, Hogwarts.

"I'm not." Lex admitted, eyes momentarily locked on the tree once more. "Different problems, different remedies. You already said he was a mass cuddler, doesn't sound particularly mean spirited either so the name would have been the make up. Felix was always mean, I didn't need a supplement." Didn't matter though, Dot had a game plan for name picking and maybe it was for the best it didn't sound like something the Headmistress would send home without explanation. Wouldn't that be something?

She wouldn't argue the point of Dot's friends. That was something one didn't do for the most obvious reasons. Of course, Lex didn't really know Maddie and Kyroh had been a....hugger and crier....and Dima kicked her in the shin then ran but Lex wouldn't allow herself to question the younger girl's judgement on people because that was a recipe for her to walk away and the ground was ever so comfy right about now. "I'm sure they all. Stumbled into anyone else since the feast?" Naming three people because you only knew three people wasn't the same as meeting a multitude and deciding they were all rubbish save three people.

Big difference.

Angel looked at Lux and smiled. "Oh that is true, we don't want to hurt ourselves." Angel said truthfully. "I hope that we can get it to move." Angel loved seeing the tree moves as she really hoped that everything was going on. "Oh that is awesome... I think that it is." Angel stopped as she tried to think. "actually I have no idea, how do we tell the difference." Angel giggled, was there a way. "I think we are going to have to meet the Herbology Professor." Angel was now very curious as to what the tree was, Male or Female." Angel smiled. "I hope that the Professor doesn't mind us asking the question." Angel beamed as she looked at her friend.

The Whomping Willow. The stuff involving Adi, Angel and Benny that took place here last year came rolling back into Adi's head. Quite honestly, he was still a bit guilty at blowing up at his friends like that but he couldn't help it. Well, that was int he past now. No use dwelling over it.

Adi pulled up a patch of grass a safe distance from the Willow. It was a good day to hang out in the sunshine and get some reading done. He had his Herbology text book with him. The Hufflepuffer decided he would lie on his back and while holding the book up, he would read. Sadly that would not happen for the moment he raised the book, he decided he wanted a nap. Instead Adi placed the open book over his face, set his hands behind his head and waited for sleep to take over.