"Well, that's a fair question, I guess. The Minister feels that Hogwarts was no longer safe. To be fair, he has a point. The school has been a target and has suffered losses. You know how last term went? How many students were snatched right out from under our noses?" That wast the worst part about all of this. The part that really bothered Lainey most. The fact that Brennan and the Queen of Lies had a point.

Lainey sighed and snuggled as many of the girls as she could at once. "I'm sure it'll just take some getting used to," Lainey sighed again. "Maybe we can work on... temporary... redecorating. Something that can go up and down quickly..."

Ari nodded gravely and didn't give an answer as she was suddenly pulled into an awkward hug. "I'll keep as much as I can Professor. Though it tastes like feet." she muttered, grinning slightly. Wow, being hugged by a teacher, nevre thought I'd see the day she thought before smiling slightly. Her green eyes blinked rapidly as she frowned, "Oh I know all too well what last term was like. But I'd like to talk to you personally and alone about that." she replied, looking down with a sullen look on her face. She didn't want others to know what it felt like to be trapped like that.

She gave Lainey a questioning look, "Can't we put Ravenclaw banners over the ugly hideous portrait?" She asked, giving a slight shudder at the thought of the Minister in a toga.

Becca watched and listened to the Lainey woman as she spoke, rolled her eyes, then slipped behind Issy in order to avoid the group hug the professor was trying to form. When the Ari girl spoke up, Becca agreed. "Yeah! Listen to her. She's so right. If we can't take the things on the walls down... then why can't we put something up? Pleasepleasepleeeease?!" Becca begged, stepping out from behind Issy so Lainey could see the perfect puppy dog look she was pulling. "At least for a little bit?" she added in a whisper.

"I'm hearing you guys. Well. Girls. I'm hearing you girls. We'll... redecorate a bit. But, we're going to have to plan it out and be real Ravenclaws on this one. We can't just march in with torches and burn the flowers and couches. We have to plan and be careful." Lainey was spreading herself around to each of the girls for hugs. It was making her feel better at least.

"I mean - let's put ourselves into the shoes of Mrs. Clara Belle-Cooper. She's busy and probably won't come, but what if she does? And we have all her stuff trashed and covered? We're going to have to be smart about what we do. Clever. Maybe even practice putting the Common Room back in order after we've de-flowered it."

Was Professor Lainey perhaps being sarcastic? Issy couldn't find much sincerity in the way the Head of House spoke of the Minister's wife - it seemed too fake and sarcastic for her to really, honestly believe that Clara Belle was a busy, important woman. Of course she, Lainey, was on the side of the girls, and she could tell, which fixed her grin on her face. Slowly, she nodded, gears turning in her mind.

"Of course, no torches or fire will be used," Issy replied, nodding eagerly. "We wouldn't want any kinds of hazards or such, now would we? However... what if... the flowers simply disappeared?"

Her wide eyes seemed extra innocent as she tipped her head to the side, a curious smile settling upon her lips.

Ari found herself nodding vigerously as she listened to Becca nad Issy. "Or we could always put fake flowers where the real ones were." she mused too herself mainly, eyes frowning in though. How could she think smart if all she could think about were those flowers with their flowery smell. "I mean at least with fake flowers hey could appear real if Miss Clara ever decided to grace us with her presence. Unless she actualy walks up to the flowers and sniffs them..." she trailed off, forehead creasing. "Hmm... I've learned how to conjure diffrent things during the summer break, thanks to mum I'm sure I could do it with a real wand" she stated proudly though with a slight hesitiation in her voice.

Adina happily hugged Professor Lainey when as she was making her rounds. It was great to know that they actually had an adult on their side who would try to make everything work out. Maybe, eventually, she'd actually get to experience the Hogwarts that she had dreamed about for so long.

She also liked the idea of being stealthy about getting rid of the flowers, vases, couches, and all the other...er...stuff. There didn't seem to be any point in destroying everything as that would certainly attract everyone's attention and result in detention, loss of house points, and who knew what else. In spite of this, she had no great ideas about what to do. Adina was book smart, but not the best with concocting plans and plots. However it seemed that Issy had an idea.

"I definitely agree with being careful about all this." Adina replied to the room as a whole. Her voice sounded weird to herself, after remaining quiet for so long. "But what's your idea, Issy?"

Juniper blinked in surprise as Lainey hugged each of them. That was…unexpected. Ah well, a split-up Hogwarts would make anyone act differently than normal. Even Juniper had come out of her shell a bit. She glanced sideways at Issy. Flowers disappearing? What a genius idea.

She looked back at Professor Lainey. “Disappearing flowers really shouldn’t be a surprise, even if Miss Clara does come,” Juniper added quietly. “Older students do have to practice vanishing spells on something, don’t they? And since there’s an overabundance of flowers in the common room, someone should be able to logically deduce that flowers will vanish.” Whether because of vanishing spells or…other causes was not really the question. The potential disappearance was all that mattered, was it not?

"I was thinking more along the lines of - we stash all her stuff in a closet," Lainey laughed after her honest answer. "And then we'll practice, literally, setting the Common right and then to the way she had it." Lainey planted herself in front of who appeared to be the leader of this pack: Issy. "We'll shove everything you hate into a closet. Everything but the portraits - those have to stay," Lainey didn't elaborate on why,but she didn't entirely trust them. They stayed just in case. "I'll try to save some money up and get us some appropriate replacements."


Lainey looked around the room, giving each girl a good long look. "We tell no one of this and I get a House Cup from it."

Monica knocked again on professor Lainey's door, she came beating a gift for the professsor.

"Professor Lainey. I think I love you," murmured Issy, eyes wide with glee and chest swelling with excitement. She was sure the other girls felt just the same as her - stashing it! The vases, the ugly stuff, in closets! Could they do something about the furniture, too, perhaps? Oh glory, oh joy of joys! Lunging forward, she hugged the Professor again.

"We'll do our best, I promise! The House Cup! I know we'll all work hard, because of this! You are fantastic and amazing and wonderful and just so very brilliant!"

Bouncing on her feet, she pulled back and grinned at her friends.

"Hear that? Do you guys hear that?!" Of course they did. Squeak squeak yay!

Turning back to the Head of House, she tipped her head, before inquiring "...could we cover those portraits? They're... rather creepy. And I don't mean just because that ridiculous toga picture makes me feel ill and frightened for my pure youth. I just... always feel like... somebodies watching me... in there. Around the portraits... all of them."

A shiver passed.

"Alright. I... have an idea, so I'm going to leave now," she said, to both Professor and friends. Lainey could discuss the banners with the students and they could talk to her about it later. For now, she had to get her idea on paper and then put it into action... Waving, she made her way through. "G'byyye!"

A small smirk appeared on Becca's face as the woman spoke. "Brilliant. So that does it," she announced, looking at Issy who had already begun to throw a fit of happiness. A House Cup. That sounded marvelous. But then, Issy started to leave. Becca didn't plan on staying here all by herself - even though there were countless other students present.

"Well, Miss Professor Lainey," she said, finally working up the courage to go near her. "You're doing a good thing here, you know, by letting this happen. You've been a great help, and I appreciate your cooperation." She extended her hand out lazily to the woman, knowing if she hadn't offered her hand, the woman would have probably tried to pull her into a hug. That was not going to happen. Becca was going to be cool about this. Because, well, that's just how she was.

"I'll have the closet set up for you, girls. Today." Lainey grinned and waved to the first of the leavers. "Let who ever is out there in, please! COME IN!" Lainey called to the knockers.

Then she grabbed the young Miss Becca's hand and pulled her into a hug. "Around here, we hug. Hand shakes are for boys and there are no boys here." Lainey laughed and hugged her good. "Now scoot. All of you. Clear out the flowers, and then do your homework."

Tinkerbell walked up to the door the same time he heard the professor shout at it. She slowly opened the door and walked in
"Hey professor" Bell said with a smile, "Im Tinkerbell Evens, Bell for short. Im in second year. Nice to meet you professor" She said giving a little curtsie

Monica walked into the office bearing a plateful of fresh baked Chocolate chip cookies. "Professor Lainey I want to apologize for my actions earlier. I know I did wring and I am so sorry. I'm just having a really hard time adjusting to all this, especially after my animal adventure last term." Monica looked down.

Becca grinned as the professor even said she would set up a storage room for them. Perfect. Even though she had only met one, Becca definitely decided on Lainey as being her favorite professor so far. And, surprisingly, she came to realize that Ravenclaw was way cooler than all the other houses. None of them had a rad Head of House that let their students do what they want, she was sure of it.

When Lainey grabbed her hand, Becca began to shake it - until she was suddenly pulled into a big hug. She scrunched her nose stubbornly and argued, "Well, I just figured that since, you know, I don't know you that well that it would be best if we just stuck with a hand shake." Obviously Lainey did not think the same way.

After a brief moment she gently tugged away and headed for the door. "Err. Thanks, Miss Professor Lainey. We won't let you down. House Cup here we come!" And with that, Becca slipped out of the office and prepared to remove the ugly lamps from the common room that she failed to pick up before. Because really, those things were hideous.

Jezz watched as the other girls left and then stepped forward. "Umm... I had something else I wanted to talk to you about." Professor Erickson words still echoed thorugh her head.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Evens." Lainey smiled at her and offered her peppermints from her stash. Yeah, she was breaking the 'no food out of the Great Hall' rule. Minister Cooper could come and give her detention himself.

"Cookies!" Lainey beamed. "They smell glorious," Lainey took a big whiff of them. "And .. it's water under the bridge, Monica. Don't give it a second thought."

Lainey sniffed the cookies again. "These aren't House Elf made are they?"

"Get outta here," Lainey laughed after Miss Becca. "And behave yourself!"

"Oh? Sure. There's a bit more room in here now if you want to have a seat?"

Jezz nodded and sat down in a chair. She looked at the Professor. "Well, I was wondering, what about Quidditch? I mean, Ravenclaw doesn't even have a captain here." She shook her head. "They aren't taking that away from us too are they?"

Bell smiled and took the peppermint the professor offered her
"So professor how was your summer?" She asked

And they were back again. Becca led the way to Lainey's office with Sabrina and Gem close behind. "Do you think she's going to be upset because we're back so soon?" she wondered aloud to the two Ravenclaws while adjusting her flowers and trying to make them look nice. The three of them would find out soon enough.

Not even bothering to knock, Becca strolled into the office. "Oh Miss Professor Laaainey," she greeted, beaming from ear to ear. "We brought you something!" She merrily skipped behind the desk and presented her bouquet of different colored flowers to the woman. Shooting a glance at Gem and Sabrina, she smiled mischievously. This was fun already! Before she said another word, Becca decided she would let one of them explain what they were up to. Lainey deserved to know all their plans, after all, even though this charade nearly gave it away.

Sabrina shrugged at Becca's question and watched the little girl (well, not really ... she was just as tall as her actually) adjust the flowers. "I don't think so." Well, Lainey will be seeing a lot of them, at least till they make the common room a better place to live in.

Following Becca, Sabrina stepped into the burgandy office once more. These flowers should be a nice change ... better than starring at burgandy all around anyways. She supressed a snicker when she heard Becca speak to Professor Lainey and when she had finished, Sabrina glanced around. Surrounded by Ravenclaws in general, except the one Gryffindor. Shrugging, the girl giggled before she started speaking. "Helllllllllllo, Professor! Those wonderful flowers have been especially bought to you from the Ravenclaw Common Room as a token of thanks." She glanced at Becca and Gem, grinning.

Oh, this was fun.

Becca hurried back over to Gemma and Sabrina's sides after presenting Lainey with the flowers, worried that the lady would try to hug her again. She grinned up at Sabrina as she spoke, but as she started to say 'from the Ravenclaw Common room,' Becca's eyes widened. She quickly clapped her hand over Sabrina's mouth and immediately finished for her, "-from the GARDENS! Yes, we got the flowers from the gardens." She hesitantly removed her hand from Sabrina's mouth before continuing. "Because, you know, we couldn't help ourselves and we figured you needed some pretty flowers. They smell extra good, just for you."

Becca gave Lainey a funny look before gazing at the other students present, then looking at the professor again as if to hint to her that they were not going to say where they came from, due to the fact that there were so many other students around who were not in on the plot. These kids could be Ministry spies for all they knew. Lainey should be perfectly able to put two and two together, though, and easily figure out where they were from.

"No Professor, I made them myself. My mother had a recipe that was handed down to her from Molly Weasley, and Through time it was passed on to me. I made them for you." She smiled. "I was just wondering if I could maybe come talk to you sometimes."

"I don't ... know ... exactly," Lainey answered. Her brow creased. "I was actually hoping to get in touch with Mr. Vindictus. Been waiting on a Hogsmeade weekend," Lainey sighed.

"Oh you know, it was pretty good. Got my tan on," Lainey laughed, obviously not having seen much sun. Well.. not too much. She gave a sly grin, but said no more on it. "And yours? Was it splendid? Lots of boys?"

Lainey sunk down into the brownie, making very appreciative noises as it slid down her throat. "IFISOOD!" she swallowed. "Real good! Merlin. You bring me brownies - we can talk all day long, honey!" Lainey laughed. "Here.. have one with me!"



And then trouble came back in. Lainey's face was a smooth mixture of horror and amusement, with horror winning sometimes and amusement the others. "You girls are awful... kind. Awful kind. I suppose these... garden flowers are all over the school now?" Lainey asked Becca and Sabrina, her expression closed now and just wanting the truth.