*Scowl*

Elliot seemed to have misplaced her stupid dragon Hide gloves. Like seriously, they were NOWHERE to be seen! And she never lost things! She must be losing her nerve! UGH. She bustled into the shop, without a frown on her face and her blonde hair tied back in a smooth pony. Her blue eyes fluttered around the room, searching for those gloves...

She should write home and ask for some more...but this was just more convenient...ish.

There was nothing like the freedom to roam the streets to make an 11 year old feel amazing. The place was nothing like Diagon Alley but she had gone into a sweets shop early and that was enough to make her give this place a thumbs up....the joke shop helped too...

Walking by a shop she caught a glimpse of a girl she knew heading in--hey it was Elliot. "Elliot!" She called after her, hurrying into the store after her. She hadn't seen much of her outside of classes and that wasn't very fun. "Hiya!" BEAM. And what was she doing in a place like this? "You buyin' a new robe or something?"

Elliot's head swiveled around, and as her eyes landed on the young girl, she raised one of her eyebrows..."Alexa," cue polite nod...blah blah blah.

She wondered over to one of the shelves on the right...gloves! Nor to look for the dragon hide ones....She scowled as she found the jackets... not the gloves..."I'm buying new gloves. We need them for, you know, Herbology...and stuff," she straightened up and graced Alexa with a look. "Did you follow me in here or something, firstie?" she smirked...yes. Firstie. Heeheeeee!

"You mean those dragon hide gloves?" LE GASP!! "Nooooo! Don't get anymore!! Thank Merlin you lost them and move on!" The firstie suddenly blurted. If only she had lost hers...SIGH.
They were nothing but trouble and if she had seen Elliot during Herbology class then she would have given her the same warning she had given the others. Dragon Hide gloves. Were. Not. Safe.

"Oh and yeah, I did!" BEAM some more. "I figured I haven't seen you in ages so I should!" Pluuuusssssss. "You know you missed me toooo." Yup, because she was plenty missable. Nod.

Elliot spotted some, and she rolled her eyes as she picked up a pair and Alexa began babbling on about how they...were trouble or something. "What in Merlin's beard are you talking about? I need some gloves for Herbology..." her voice was flat.

First years. Were so. WEIRD.

Ages. 'Yeah...I certainly haven't seen you around. Are you causing mayhem around school, then? Climbing anymore trains? Getting detention?" she smirked, lifting her eyebrows as she looked down at the girl....because Alexa seemed like a troublemaker. Nothing like Elliot.

Merlin.

"Yeah...you said it, Alexa...I definitely missed you..." she, her voice raised sarcastically, but she smirked down at the girl, reminded of Dani. She hoped her sister got her letter.

Lex shook her head slowly at the girl. "You are so naive." She even gave her a pitying sigh. "Of course they're gonna say we need it for Herbology, how else will they get us to become Dragon bait?" Think about, pretty smart huh?

She would even explain her point a bit further because she didn't want Ell getting eaten or something because of ignorance. "Just think about. You're on your way to Herbology when a dragon flies over head...he sees the gloves before you see him and thinks you've outed his cousin." Sounds scary? Well that's because it was. "You see how much of a problem that could be, right?"

"Nah, I've been behaving myself." She said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "People like me don't cause trouble." Trouble simply had a way of finding her. Not her fault. "So I might have broken into the Headmistress' office but I had to--the sorting hat had it comin'." Yup it did.

BEAM. "See, told you you missed me." The 11 year old wasn't very sharp when it came to sarcasm.

Elliot...naive. Yeah. Riiiiight.

There were many flaws with this little explanation of Alexa's. And Elliot was going to for sure point out ALL OF THEM. "Firstly, who is this 'they' that wants us to be attacked by dragons?" HUH? She continued, "Secondly...dragon's wouldn't just be flying over Hogwarts. They're kept in extreme supervision wherever the dragon keepers are...." and Elliot didn't even think there were free dragons still in existence. Most of them were kept in sanctuaries..right? "Thirdly, little one," she smirked, "Even if a dragon DID see you..he wouldn't attack you because of the gloves...he would attack you because he's a dragon." Nodnodnod.

And fourthly...well, Elliot was sure there was more, but she was tired already of being a know-it-all...for the time being.

BROKEN INTO THE HEADMISTRESS' OFFICE?! Elliot gasped dramatically..."Alexa! What in Merlin's-" she stuttered a bit..."WHY?" Yes, why. Because that was incredibly FOOLISH!

Sigh. Sarcasm...it only really worked when the other person knew it as well...

Did she have to explain everything? Merlin, older kids loved acting like they knew everything until it came to the point where they would actually have to show that they had something rattling around in their brains. "Well I was thinking that the Professors are secretly trying to create a race of super students." It was all one big conspiracy really. "So they put us all in one place and only the really good--or really smart ones like me--survive." Nod.

Lex looked over at her. "Look, I'm pretty sure they haven't captured every dragon alive; no one is that good at what they do." Nope. "So you can have dragon flyings around eating people which brings us to your third point. Under normal circumstances a dragon wouldn't waste it's time trying to eat me. I'm just a puny firstie...not much in the way of dinner there... so the only way to get it to come down is to have me wearing it's relatives." See? It made sense if you wanted it to.

Alexa burst into wild laughter when she heard Elliot's reaction. That was priceless. It took her a few extra seconds to compose herself and when she did she could finally answer her.

"Well it's a long story really but the main part is that the sorting hat should have put me in Ravenclaw like I told it to but it didn't and I had to eat it.--It doesn't taste that bad with gravy though." She had to admit that.

Blink.

Blink.

*Crickets....*

Elliot merely stared at Alexa. She wasn't possibly serious...was she? No. She couldn't be. And the girl was wondering why she wasn't in Ravenclaw...pfft. It was quite obvious to Elliot.

But the blonde was willing to play along..."Fine. So I'll survive, too." Duh. Elliot was both really smart and really good. Better than good, awesome. And the girl better say yes, or Elliot wouldn't help her out in any more classes...

And then...Alexa's explanation...Elliot rolled her eyes, MERLIN. This firstie here..."You know what, alexa? You're absolutely right. But I think I will still buy the gloves..." she said, her voice practically drowning in sarcasm..."I just won't wear them outside. That way no dragon can ever attack me." There.

She sighed and...gravy. Elliot was simply speechless...for a few seconds...then..."You actually ate it, Alexa? Merlin. And you didn't get in ANY trouble?" Because she surely deserved it. "That hat is a school artifact! You can't just go eating it and stuff! OOOOR putting gravy on it!" Jeeze Louise!

What was with that look? She was acting like what Lex had just said made no sense at all which couldn't have been the case seeing as Alexa thought she was very clever and always had the right idea. Yup. She was always right!

"Uh-huh, you'd survive too?" Because Lex would have been there to protect her and make sure that nothing happened to her--within limits. For starters she wouldn't have let her keep on those gloves because she knew the implications so Elliot wouldn't have ended up being a target or anything like that. No harm would befall her because of the brave young lioness that was willing to keep an eye out for her!

Merlin, didn't people know how to take a hint? "Whhhhyyyyyy would you buy them when you know what they're for? I bet this shopkeeper's in on the whole conspiracy too!"-- She stopped suddenly and began scanning in the area in the event the proprietor of this place was listening. She. Didn't. Wanna. Be. Dinner. She turned to the girl once more and began to whisper. "Buying them is just as bad you know...but I suppose it might be okay to where them inside where there are plenty of other students for the dragon to pick from." It would be alright then.

"Ahhh...I didn't say that. The Headmistress began to freak out--hit me in my head with her wand too! Then she gave me detention for a week...but she kinda kicked me out..." Which she still couldn't understand the meaning behind. Yeah sure she was whining...just a little...but it couldn't have been that bad.

Of course she would survive. Elliot merely smirked and grabbed the gloves...how much were they? She glanced at the...board thingy. She jangled her pocket, making sure she had gold with her, and was satisfied with the amount she heard. It sounded like a good amount. So she would have enough to buy chocolate for Dani and Sam, too.

Elliot scoffed..."Becaaaaause, Alexa darling, I need them. I can't let my hands get all gross in Herbology...or get harmed or anything...." Elliot didn't want that. Plus they were required, right? Elliot didn't want to get into any trouble--unlike, it seemed, Alexa.

The blonde snorted..."She hit you with her wand? Pa! That's pretty funny." It was, it was..."And you're lucky. Usually detention is TERRIBLE. I hear. I've never had one..." she said with a shrug.

Elliot was a rule follower. Not a breaker.

Alexa sighed. "That's what they want you to think--don't you see? You've already been indoctercated!!!" Or was it indoctrinated...hmm...this was why she tried not to use big words very often..."Look, the point is, I didn't wear mine in Herbology class and my hands didn't die...of course I feel sorry for the plant I massacred..." But that was another story for another day...

Lex shook her head when she saw just how determined the girl was to buy those dragon magnets. Couldn't she see the danger?? She tried pleading with her using her eyes as the last hope to get through to her. "You caaaaan't."

"It was not funny!" She said, breaking out of her plea for a little bit. "I had a headache later that night and she threatened to take the Healer with her to the detention." Thank Merlin she hadn't though or Lex might have been in for one scary night!

"Le Gasp! You've never had a detention? But they're so fun! Well...fun until the mean lady took my wand..." That part was just plain scary...she could have sworn she would have started crying!

Elliot sighed..."It's 'indoctrinated,' for the record, and I most certainly have not been brainwashed. Trust me, I'm older and much wiser, I want these gloves!" she exclaimed, sending the little girl a 'look.' Yes. THE LOOK. "I promise not to let anyone brainwash me ever. Honestly, Alexa, do I look like the kind of duffer who'd let someone 'indoctrinate' me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

No. Elliot...not brainwashed.

And Alexa was begging...Elliot needed gloves though! GAH. "How about if I give you a bunch of chocolate in our next class you stop bugging me about my gloves, all right?" because the poor girl seemed so distraught about it. IT even made Elliot, a bit heartless, be a bit less...heartless...oh, how complicated that sounded! Ha!

"Oh...a headache...how awful..." Eye roll. She did laugh, though. "Oh, the healer. She's cool. And hates puffers...I like her." Yep. Elliot sent the little girl an evil little smile, since she seemed to not be a fan of the healer...But Healer Tillstorm was PRETTY FRICKIN AWESOME because she hated Laura. So mutual hate...yeah.

Er, no. "You think having something on your record like that is FUN? HA!" No. Elliot didn't care how fun something was, she did NOT want to get a detention..ever.