Sabrina watched the professor stuff a cookie in her mouth and then she spoke. It sounded like she said 'Well, let's go in', but the girl wasn't sure. However, when she finished her statement, the thirteen year old bit her lips as she watched Lainey pull out the keys to her office. Trying to decide whether she should speak or not.

What if the Professor got mad?

But it was just an innocent question, right?

"Err ... Professor Lainey?" She threw a quick glance at the name plate. "Why does that say 'RIP' Angela Lamey?" She was sure the Professor's first name was Angelica. And the last name was Lainey. That she was sure about. Sabrina was unusually calm. Maybe the fact that she was talking to her head of house effected her vocal cords and the words coming out of her mouth?

When the Professor opened her office, Sabrina peeked in, then followed Issy and Juni into the office. She didn't notice her surroundings as her eyes were on Professor Lainey and her mind was filled with all the complains she and the others irls had about the common room. As Juni spoke, Sabrina finally looked around. Burgandy? Not one of Sabrina's favourite colours. Ew. It was so ... dull. But it was best not to say anything.

Anna Greingoth had been strolling down the halls of Hogw- Belle's School, when she came upon a scene of...what was it?...a mob of girls? This she had to be a part of, whatever it was.

She proceeded with caution, stepping over what appeared to be nuts strewn all over the floor. Where on Earth were the house elves in the school? And who on Earth would throw nuts all over the floor? Shaking her head, Anna joined the girls that were following Professor Lainey into her office, vaguely picking up on some reference to everyone being dazzled by the looks of the office.

Anna didn't know, at first, whether that meant that her Professor actually liked the office or hated it. With a shrug, she asked, "Does it dazzle you, Professor?"

"HAH!" Lainey almost shouted. She threw head back and cackled as she moved over to the burgundy clad windows. She hauled back and kicked the curtains. "I hate burgundy. It reminds me of old woman, blood, and cranberries. I don't much care for any of those." Her list of things she hated were adding up today.

She approached her chair and started with the first question about the name plate. "Well, I've made two conclusions about that name plate, Sabrina. One, they want me dead - but luckily don't my name well enough - so I consider myself safe, or two, they're making a very cruel joke about my past." She left it at that.

Lainey hadn't been prodded by any torches or pitchforks, so she was a little more at ease with the mob. She fell into her chair and then nearly dumped herself in the floor. Needless to say, she hadn't gotten a high quality chair. So, she sat very, very still once she got sat upright, her elbows up and her fist white from gripping the rails.

She made it look like she meant to do it, of course. "Frequently," Lainey answered Anna. "This office dazzles me every time I enter. Why, I could dazzle the garbage bin with barf right now I'm so enchanted with the decor."

Willow followed quietly the rest of her house mates and professor, to the office. It wasn't until then that she noticed what was written on the plaque on professor Lainey's office. She shook her head, and listened carefully to the head of the house explanation.

They wanted her dead? Hmpf. Stupid Ministry people. Willow was starting to dislike them all, as much as she hated cats and smelly flowers, which was quite a lot.

Chosing to remain standing, instead of taking seat, Willow looked at the rest of the girls, and waited for them to start talking.

Or was she the one that was supposed to start? She'd arrived first, after all. Hmmm. Well, it didn't matter, she was here to compla--speak with Lainey about the new rules, the hideous common room, and how Quidditch was going to work this term, and really, those were pretty much the same reasons why the rest of the girls were there, as well.

"Er-- Some nice office you've got here, Professor" Willow muttered akwardly, eyeing the khaki color of the walls. Nice office? She didn't think so, but there was no need to tell that to Lainey.

Adina was about ready to reply to Issy's greetings when a lady with a bag of cookies rounded the corner. Based on her companions' reactions, Adina assumed it was Lainey.

For a minute, Adina had felt quite comfortable with the plan. The girls all seemed very nice and were totally accepting of her. Now, however, with her head of house right in front of her... Adina felt a bit intimidated. More than a bit, actually. However, she did not want her many insecurities to take over now. I'll just follow Issy's lead, she thought. She seems to know what she's doing. And with that, Adina followed Issy, Juni, and the others into Professor Lainey's office.

Wow. Did she just kick the curtains? She must really hate burgandy. Although why the professor would have burgandy all over her office if she hated it so much was beyond Sabrina's head. Must be the Ministry. But then again, she didn't have portraits starring at her every moment she spent here, right? Especially the one of the Minister in a toga. And the one of Belle posing like Jane Austen. Seriously. Sabrina'd rather live surrounded by burgandy.

Sabrina giggled when the professor told them about the name plate issue. They? Well, must be the Minsitry. Right.

The girl couldn't help but giggle again when Lainey expressed her feelings on the room dazzling her issue. Poor professor. It looked like she hated this as much as the rest of the school.

"Well, if you hate it so much, why don't you change the room?" She asked. "And that is what we were here about too." Well, looks like Sabrina forgot what was holding her back before and she started blabbing. "About the common room. Professor, you have to do something! It is covered with flowers and stars and there isn't a single book in the room! And the portraits!" Urgh! How the portraits annoyed her. "Can we please remove them and maybe replace them with something more useful? Like bookshelves? We used to have them in our common room before. And maybe paint the room blue." EW! The horrible colour combination. "And remove those liliac shaped lamps." YUCK!

"I see," Anna said, taking a long look around the office. "Burgundy isn't...that bad, is it, Professor? I mean - (Anna paused, running her hand through her hair for added effect) - it's kind of close to...scarlet, you know." Suddenly, Anna felt like the lone lion in a field full of birds. Scratch that. The professor was a former Ravenclaw - Anna was the lone lion in a field full of birds.

"Soooo," Anna said, mumbling for no apparent reason. Her mind flashed to the plaque she'd just seen, complete with a "R.I.P" message to Professor Lainey. Why, oh why, oh why did her father have to get hired at the ministry - in Cooper's office at that - only weeks before the term started? Anna felt like some kind of target was on her back saying, "Hello! I'm a Gryffindor prefect whose Slytherin father works in the Minister's Office!" She took a deep sigh, content with the fact that she knew - just knew - her father wasn't in the midst of all this mess.

Anna started slowly edging out the office, step by step. She'd just gracefully back out, and in the mob, no one would notice.

Juniper’s eyes widened and she took a step back as Lainey kicked the curtains. Apparently Lainey didn’t like burgundy after all. Which meant. . . what did that mean? That Lainey was just as oppressed in the new school as the rest of them? Juniper shuddered at the thought and looked at Sabrina.

“It’s too clean, Professor,” Juniper added quietly. “All the white and such. It just doesn’t seem designed to be a living space for a bunch of girls.” Not to mention the lack of books and excess flowers, she thought. “And all those flowers make it seem as if the room’s intended for prissy ladies. We don’t want to be turned into prissy ladies.” Juniper most certainly did not want to turn into a prissy lady.

"Could we at least get books and get rid of the flowers? Some people are allergic to flowers." Please let her be able to help them fix the common room, please...

Lainey sat forward in her unstable chair, letting her elbows rest on the desk. "We're ... well... technically I don't think we're supposed to touch the decor. Mrs. Cooper apparently put a lot of time and money and effort," gag, gag, and gag," into each of the Common Rooms." Lainey leaned over and put her cheek into her palm.

"The portraits are there to stay, I'm afraid. All the portraits in this place are. Permanent sticky charms." Lainey switched her face over to the other palm, obviously thinking about their predicament. It was a quite a predicament. She knew they were there to say because she'd tried very hard to pull a few of them down. They made her nauseous. "Hmm... we have a problem, girls. A real problem."

The professor's words shattered Sabrina's hopes. Not supposed to touch the decor? "So they expect us to live in ... that?" Gah. Maybe a little melodramatic, but she didn't care. "I don't mind the flowers but wouldn't anyone get sick of them? Besides, some of the people are allergic to flowers. Most of us spend a lot of time in our common room. It's supposed to feel like home!" Her voice raised a little. "It doesn't feel like home! It feels uncomfortable. And those lamps!" She didn't like them. At all.

The portraits are staying? "Professor! They have a portrait of the Minister in a toga!" Eh sure, the Minister wasn't bad looking or anything, but did they really want to see him in a TOGA?

Erm ... NO!

Sabrina nodded when Lainey said they had a real problem. Yes they did! And Lainey had to do something about it. Hmph.

Gem Jewels started as Professor Lainey rounded the corner, leaving a trail of nuts in her wake like Hansel, Gretel and the breadcrumbs. She faintly wondered if that was what their Head Of House was doing, but decided to keep the question to herself. There weren't crows around to pluck up the morsels, anyway, and maybe Lainey lost her way as easily as the teenage Ravenclaw did. She remembered her past years at Hogwarts, forever losing her way, and winding up in some, obscure, deserted corridor, left without directions or bearings. At last, she was able to map out the most basic routes, and then they moved schools. Yes, everything was a little more kept together here, all Common Rooms on one floor, all Classrooms on another, but it still would take a few tries to remember it all and train her feet to traipse down the correct hallways while her mind wandered elsewhere.

"Hi Professor Lainey!" Exclaimed Gem, with an enthusiastic wave, following Lainey into her office, eyebrows shooting up into her bangs as she read the name plate, softly biting her lips. Maybe she'd gotten Lainey's name wrong? Was it Lamey, instead? Her cheeks tinged with pink in embarrassment, but her nerves were settled as Sabrina called their Head Of House 'Lainey', as well. They couldn't both be wrong? Unless their Professor changed her last name, which seemed unlikely, but not impossible.

With a wide grin, she prepared herself to be 'dazzled', glad that someone could have satisfactory room, while theirs sported a toga-donning Minister Cooper. Once inside, her beam twitched into a confused smile, and her head turned to one side, taking it all in. It was dul- Gem! It's beautiful. Professor Lainey likes it, and you have no right to think it's boring. It's exciting. Very. The lies compiled against her brain, and she rubbed her temples, trying not to wonder why this room was so endearing to Lainey. “I’m sure the trashcan is dazzled, too, Professor,” she replied, not quite picking up on the hint. “I really like your desk.” Of course, she was referencing to the scattered, open, and numerous books that were the décor of the workplace. It really did make the room less atrocious. Finally. Something unplanned and disorganized in this asylum-neat school. As Sabrina and Juni began talking about the Common Room, she added, in an indignant squeak, “There’s runners! And the couches make angry noises when you sit on them!” Checking herself, she softened her tone until it was rightly cheery. “Would making the décor invisible count as touching it?"

Okay, this surely was not going as planned. Becca was supposed to be the one doing all the questioning. If things kept going this way, they would never get their way! These other Ravenclaws were being too gentle about the situation. The young girl shifted around where she stood next to Issy inside the office, ready to burst out and nearly tackle the Lainey woman. But no, she held herself back and simply stood there, fidgeting and resisting the urge to start her own questioning. And let me tell you, it took all her will power to stay calm. All of it.

Biting her lip, Juniper looked at her feet. There had to be something they could do, even if they couoldn’t change the décor. Or at least make the common room less flowery. “Professor, there are students who are allergic to flowers,” Juniper said. “I bet we could use that as a reason to get rid of the flowers.” It was a very good reason, in Juniper’s opinion. Surely Mrs. Cooper or whoever was at fault for ruining the common room would not want students to be ill because of the arrangements.

“Do we have to keep the common room clean?” she asked quietly, a small smile on her face. If they could leave books in random places, at least it wouldn’t look like a museum. Well, it wouldn’t look as much like a museum.

Willow sighed a heavy sigh at Lainey's words. They couldn't live in a place like that. She couldn't live in a place that looked like one of those gardens that she'd seen on muggle fairy tales books! Flowers were a no no for Willow. "But--Professor.." Willow said, trying to pick the right words, "Honestly, some of the girls are allergic to those flowers, and well, I don't think its fair for them to have flowers in the common room, don't you think? They'd never stop sneezing!" playing with a strand of her dark silky hair nervously, she added "Besides, if you ask me, I think the common room looks like a greenhouse. There are just too many flowers" Urgh, greenhouses were places that Willow didn't like. Too many bugs and plants.

The portraits of Minister Cooper is toga were going to stay? Oh no! "But--but... I'm--we are going to be scarred for life! Honestly professor Lainey, we really don't care how Minister's Cooper legs look like" Willow said in a quite rush, unable to stop herself. The third took a little breath before adding, "And how come there are books in the Ravenclaw Common Room? That's not right! And the flowers, and the lilac shaped lamps, and Quidditch! How's Quidditch going to work now, professor?"

Eeek! Well, perhaps she'd said too much, too quickly. Trust Willow to speak before actually think.

Clearing her troath as a pink blush spread across her her pale cheeks for the embarrasement she was feeling, she added in a tone of voice that almost sounded as a plea. Almost. "I mean... Are you sure there isn't anything you can do about this, um, predicament?"

Lainey chewed on her thumb, ripping all the excess skin around her nails off. It was a nervous habit and she was hard at work at de-skinning herself. She had a full on mutiny in her office. It wasn't be accident that she was turned around eyed the office window. The window was probably big enough for her to fit through...


"So... you all hate the flowers that much, huh?" Lainey laughed a little nervous. Maybe she could think of something... "Maybe we can strike up a deal."

Aha! Perfect time to strike. The woman was willing to compromise. Becca decided she would take it from here. "A deal, huh?" she began, stepping forward slightly towards the woman. "And what ever did you have in mind?" She tried to sound as angelic and sweet as she possibly could. There was a right and a wrong way to go about this. And she was probably already halfway in between. She obviously believed this Lainey person should just let them redecorate the room, put a few banners across the faces[and the legs] of the portraits, and then blame it on the house elves if they got caught. Why wouldn't that work, she thought?

Melly was bitting her lower lip quite too hard as she walked inside the professor's office. Ugh. It looked absurdly tidy and it did not look one bit pleasant at all nor did it seem to be a place where one could work comfortably. Thankfully, it seemed that she did not have to hide her thoughts from anyone for they all seemed to be disgusted with the decoration.

However, that didn't allow the first year to relax for the woman before her was nothing but extremely scary even if she seemed to be able to provide a way out of that mess. After all, she was the exact portrayal of the evil witches from the stories she had read. Well, actually, thinking twice, Melina had to admit that Lainey was probably the eccentric witch that everyone stared at but eventually trusted.

Seeing that the other girls were taking care of the business, Mel did not utter a single word; instead, she heard everyone and focused on trying to look normal, a tough task, mind you since she was death scared of everything and everyone.

Still, it seemed that they had forgotten one very important point. Animals. How was she to live in that castle with no cats around? "And animals, ma'am. Some of us brought pets and we can't have them anywhere," She spoke almost in a whisper. Of course that she wasn't one of them for her only pet was her baby brother and he was back at home. She just wanted to see the felines and pet them and if no-one was allowed to have them, then how could she hear a single 'meow'?

Jezz nodded and watched. She had other matters to talk about with the Professor, but shedidn't like the sound of the flowers. She wasn't a particularly flowery person.

....hmph.

Issy couldn't help but feel a bit miffed that everyone else got to rant on without her. She hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise! Granted, they were all upset and talking about the same stuff they'd all wanted to say.

But she just wanted an edge in on the action.

And weren't they going to allow Willow to speak about whatever first? Sigh. Suddenly, Head of House in sight, they'd become a mob of uncontrolled girls.

Taking a breath, she tried to summarize all the main points in her head. Flowers equal allergies equal uncertain death equal bad publicity for the Ministry. No books defeats the purpose of the Ravenclaw Common Room and forces students to go to the library where they can be bothered by other people. Ravenclaw equals blue equals why so ugly equals where's the blue? Portratis of togas equals breakfast coming back up equals sick day equals homework pile equals falling behind equals point loss for Ravenclaw. And nightmares.

"In summary," she began, feeling big and important by beginning in such a manner. And just for that, she tipped her head up, thrusting her chin out in typical "I'm bigger than I seem" Issy manner, she continued. "Flowers in a Common Room are a no-no for students who are allergic. No one should have to have a potion just so they can breathe in their own living spaces. Portraits of grown men in togas is gaggy and makes me feel queasy and I will probably have nightmares tonight. If they're permanently stuck to the walls, perhaps we can cover them? With a blue banner! Because Ravenclaw's are blue and bronze and there's really none of that in there. What kind of House spirit is that? Our pets come to school with us to be with us. My skunklettes have never had to sleep without me and probably wouldn't understand me shooing them from the bed, and I'm sure many others have animals in the same boat as me. Also, Ravenclaws are known for thirst of knowledge. How can we indulge in this thirst if we haven't any books around?

"Professor, we're practically living in a museum up there, you saw it! With as clean and tidy and perfect and white and urk! We are growing girls, not dainty little ladies. There's too much lace, too! Would it be so harmful for us to lay around stacks of books and hang a banner or two? Even stick up a Ravenclaw crest? Honestly! No one wants to be in there and that place is supposed to be our home! Just now, we've proposed a few ideas. What we want is permission. Not from Belle. But from you. Can you do that for us?"

Oh, sweet diplomacy.

As she ended, Issy was standing tall (er... as tall as she could) and rigid, hands on her hips, chin in the air, eyes wide with feigned innocence.

If only the boys could see her now!

Ari barely missed what was going on around her. First she was ushered into the cookie filled mouths profesor's office, whic looked really akward, then she was pushed around, completely ignored and ridiculed in front of her. Oh yeah she was having a great day oh yes in deedy. "Um I'm the one who's allergic to the flowers, and quite honestly I don't want to take this potion on a dily basis while I'm here. If nothin happens I'll sleep ouside near the lake." she took a deep breath, knowing she should stop soon before she made a huge fool of herself. "Um a deal sounds good yes, a deal uh huh." she added, nodding vigerously.

She paused and blushed profusly. "Wow I have no idea where that came from, I'm Sorry Professor, I'm just having an extremly frustrating day. First I had to enter the common room to find it overwhelemed with intoxicating horrid flowers, which then caused me to sneeze so many times that I fell into a vase of those hiddeous flowers, which then caused me to go nearly blind when I saw said Minister in a toga." she ranted, before zipping her lips and backing away. "Oh dear me, did someone give me a babbling potion or somthing?" She inquired, grinning as her face turned fuscia.

She went and sat down near Issy, placing a hand on her arm. "Why do I feel small right now, like I don't exsist?" she wondered, her green eyes downcast. "Great speech by the way." She added, fighting the tears which were now forming in her eyelids. Yes, definitly a bad day. Anyplace she could crawl into and sleep would be welcomed she thought with a wry grin.

Nikki walked in to the office full of Ravenclaws. "Umm professor, I'll come back later I think." She said looking at the others. "It seems you have alot to deal with right now." Nikki turned and walked out of the office and back to the common room.

Tinkerbell walked up to the professors office and knocked on the door. She waited, she hoped she would make some friends and have a nice chat with the professor

Monica walked up to professor Lainey's office and knocked.

Lainey massaged her temples roughly. Then, she stood abruptly. "Okay.. okay... we'll think of something. Promise." Ugh. She took a deep breath and moved around her desk to open her arms to the girls. Yeah, it was a group hug sort of moment. "I'll think of something and... we'll fix this up. I can't do anything this early in the term, so Ari - stock up on allergy potion."

Lainey pulled several of the girls to her for hugs. "We'll make it through this. I mean, it could be worse, right? They could have fired all the sane ones?" Not that Lainey was ever included on the sane side of things. "I'm going to get fired for this," she laughed.

A smile spread across Sabrina's face when she said 'we'll think of something'. She promised, right? Well, something will have to be done about those lamps. Seriously. She almost screamed when she saw them. It was so ... girly. Not that she wasn't girly or that she didn't like girly stuff. But it wasn't right and it certainly didn't belong in the Ravenclaw common room.

When Lainey walked around her office and opened her arms, Sabrina blinked. Did she just open her arms for a hug? That was .... well .... different. Sabrina had never hugged an adult female before in her life -- except her aunt (who had forced her into a hug and she actually terrified the little girl) and Shameeka. Never hugged a Professor before and certainly not the Head of House.

But a hug might be exactly what she needed just then. What a perfect timing the professor had. She was about to go to her anyways when she found herself and other girls being pulled into a hug by her. Smiling, the tiny girl clung onto Lainey. "Thank you, Professor." She mumbled.

As Professor Lainey tried to make them feel better, another question popped up on the girl's mind. "But Professor ... Why are they doing this? They didn't seperate Hogwarts since when it was first established ... Why now?" It was confusing. Besides, Mr. Cooper has been minister for a while now -- Why did he decide to spilt Hogwarts now?