Amelia wandered out into the courtyard, having felt the need to get out of the dungeons. Sometimes they could be stifling, even though she wouldn't choose to stay in any other place. She loved her house after all. But at the same time she felt the need for sunlight, and to just be out in the open.

Sighing Amelia dropped down on a bench, tipping her head back and enjoying the sun. She needed to come out to the grounds more often this term since it would be her last.

The courtyard... Sarah had been on her feet the whole day and wanted a place to sit down. She sat down on one of the stone benches and took out a book. Before she opened it she took a glance at her surroundings. There were students, more benches and of course a wishing fountain. It was nice to be outside in the fresh air. She took a look in her book, turning to first page. It was a nice book and soon Sarah was lost in a Historical Novel set in the time of the Goblin Rebellion.

Hmm. So the Ravenclaw still held no intrest in throwing coins into the fountain? Whatever. Serenity would give up. Gwen would probably NEVER throw a coin into a fountain, inless by accident. And Serenity would continue to throw coins in the fountain. Even in ten years time. Merlin! That was ages away. Well, years. Still, she'd be 21. Gosh that seemed much too old? Well, nearly twenty-two actually, since she would be twelve in December, and even that seemed a long time away, though it felt like such a small number.

She almost wondered what potion she was reading about. Serenity and Lex had decided they really needed to learn loads of potions and spells, so they could go around jinxing people and stuff. Yeah. Well, no, for self-defence . Still, Seri didn't even know where the library was, and she wasn't sure she was ready to trek off there quite yet, considering she also had no idea where it was and didn't fancy getting lost. It also sounded as though it must be enormous. She'd get lost on the way to the library and then again in the library.

Fine then, she'd have her rusty coin back. She would send off for her parents to get a load of sweets for her. Well, there wasn't a lot she could get for a knut. Seri rolled her eyes and shrugged, whatever. "You don't have to believe in it, but you won't stop me from.. wishing." Well, one day it MIGHT come true, however unlikely. She still had faith. Yeah, she'd put this coin at the bottom of the fountain, but a bit later. Her grandparent had once given her and each of her brothers a galleon. They'd put it towards a Nimbus or sweets but she was still young and had wished for something in the fountain. Her brothers teased her about the wasted galleon.

Mmckay, she would sit. "Alright." Seri shrugged. And theen another kid appeared. Something to Gwen about being sympathetic.. Hmm? She was probably about Gwen's age and another Ravenclaw. Hmm, was she another one into books who thought making wishes in a fountain was pointless.

Even though she was still sticking to her point of view, that didn’t mean that Serenity couldn’t have hers. ‘Fine by me’, she said simply, after having heard the young Slytherin talk. She then moved a bit to the right to make room for Serenity on the bench as well.

The fifth year was ready to make peace with the young Slytherin, actually considering apologizing to the girl. That may not be a bad plan. Just as she was thinking about this, the Ravenclaw heard footsteps approaching the place where they were sitting.

Who was it?

Gwendolyn drew her attention to the other person, and was surprised to see Presley sitting next to her. Did she know how to be sympathetic? No. Although her first reaction was to reply a ‘no’, the fifth year stopped herself. ‘And hello to you too, Presley’, the Ravenclaw said, at first ignoring her Housemate’s question. ‘Isn’t it obvious?’, she finally gave some sort of an answer.

Mehh.

In the next moment, she drew her attention away from Presley and back to the firstie, then to her book. Guess her reading time was over. Nice. Gwen just memorized the number of the page she had just started reading before she was interrupted.

After practising the Vanishing Spell on pears and then snails for a while in the fruit orchard, Ariadne felt tired and wanted to return to the Gryffindor Tower, to chat with her housemates. But she needn't go that far. One of them was right there, in the courtyard!

Smiling, the fifteen-year-old approached her younger housemate and spoke softly so as not to startle her, seeing as she was so immersed in her book. 'Looks like an interesting read if it got you so absorbed.' the girl commented. 'Sarah, was it?' Ari wasn't all that good with names, so it was always worth checking.

'I rarely find the time these days to read something for pleasure. There's always so much to do for school, especially with the OWLs coming up. But I used to read a lot of History books in my earlier years.' Ariadne remembered fondly.

Then she realized most people wanted to be left alone when they were reading. 'Oh, sorry! Just tell me if you want me to go, you don't have to listen to my blabber.' But of course she would rather go on than go away.

That was a no then. Of course not. This was Gwendolyn Greene she was talking to. "Fine, sorry for asking." She almost gave a half smile. Then returned to the point. "I need you to pretend to be sympathetic for less than ten minutes, okay?" That surely wasn't asking too much. Pretending was easy, right?

Then Presley noticed the little bugger sitting next to her housemate. Probably a firstie. "Hello," Presley have a short nod to the kid, not bothering to introduce herself. She wasn't in the mood.

Tag shrugged his shoulders at the napping part of their conversation. "You were resting your eyes, then." He said finally giving into her side of the argument.

Hopefully it wouldn't hurt if he tripped and fell. His head was too precious, his hair to breathtaking and his eyes too striking for his pretty little head and face to get injured. "So I'll hit the ground-if I fall-but my head will basically bounce off of it because of the costume's head?" Tag asked just to be secure. Then he frowned when he realized his perfectly styled spiked hair would end up being smushed and flat by the end of this party. Oh well-he got to scare people, there's the positive in that. I guess I can handle the heat.

Tag nodded with great excitement and gestured for Melanie to help him. First he took the body of the costume and slipped it over him. At first he was tripping on his feet and adjusting his arms and legs. Then he put his big fluffy arms out and clapped them together. "The head now." He asked of her. Because with these paws that'd be impossible.

Edric liked to spend most of his time outdoors. Honestly, he couldn't stay inside the common room for very long; it was bad enough that he had to see his classmates in class, he didn't want to see them in the common room and dormitories too. Ever the asocial boy.

Outdoors was nice, though. Less crowded.
Edric was just finishing off some notes on his homework, which he had laid out on his lap, when a girl suddenly appeared, sitting down on the next bench beside the boy's. Normally Edric wouldn't have paid any attention, but he couldn't help noticing the way she was just soaking up all the sun like it was a warm shower on a winter day or something.

Of course, he couldn't help but intrude unconventionally.
"First time seeing the sun?"
Maybe she'd just arrived on Earth from a sun-less planet.

Amelia turned her head to look at the boy who'd intruded on her sun soaking time with his strange comment. He was weird, she decided before turning her whole body to look at him.

"It is," she assured him seriously. "I've been stuck down in a dungeon," which was at least true. What with her being a Slytherin and all. And she hadn't been out in the sun for a long time so she wasn't even tanned anymore. That would need to change.

"You, however appear to be very familiar with this strange light," she observed, giving the boy a slight smile. It was good to appear friendly when meeting new people. Even if they were strange.

Edric raised an eyebrow as the girl very seriously informed him that it was, indeed, her first time seeing the sun. However, her next comment about a dungeon told him everything he needed to know. She was a Slytherin. Ah.

The Gryffindor listened as she went on, pointing out that he seemed familiar with the 'light'. "Oh, yeah. I only see it for about twelve hours a day, every day," he responded, playing along. No, but seriously. He loved the sun, even if his favourite season wasn't necessarily summer. It was weird; you'd think a grouch like Edric would prefer thunderstorms and hurricanes.

"I'm Edric, by the way," added the boy. He wasn't usually this friendly, but he was making an effort. It was his last year at Hogwarts and he couldn't graduate with his only friend being the thirteen-year-old he babysat.

Amelia smirked slightly at the boys comment about seeing the sun for twelve hours a day. He was strange, but he seemed interesting, she decided as she appraised him.

"Well, it's good that you get so much sun. I wish I could get out in it for that long," Amelia admitted, as she thought of just how much time she didn't get to spend outside. But that would change. It would.

"Amelia," she replied brightly. Might as well try to get more friends, even though she would be leaving after this year. "So Edric," and man wasn't that a strange name for a strange boy, "what year are you in?" she asked in an attempt to find out more about him, and to keep the conversation going.

Edric furrowed his brows slightly as the sun-soaking girl wished aloud that she could spend more time under the big ball of fire in the sky. "Why don't you?" Were Slytherins locked in the dungeons for most part of the day against their will? Who knew.

And then the girl introduced herself as Amelia. Edric gave a brief nod before his eyes wandered off to a nearby first year that was chasing after an owl. Apparently a new pet that wasn't yet used to its new owner. He returned his attention to Amelia as the girl asked about his year.

"Seventh," replied Edric simply. "Just a few more months 'til freedom. What about you?"

"Oh, I just spent most of the Summer looking after my little brother. He's allergic to grass so we didn't go outside too much," which Amelia had really hated. But she loved Harper, so she was willing to spend all her time inside if that's what it took. "That, and you know, there are these pesky things called classes," she added dryly, in answer to his question.

"Same here, and I cannot wait to have that freedom. And to never have to ride on that dangerous contraption they call a train ever again," she added, remembering that traumatic experience. She really, really hated trains. This really hadn't helped.

Edric's eyebrows raised slightly as Amelia explained that her little brother was allergic to grass. Whoa. Poor kid must've never spent much time outside, then. The Gryffindor's thoughts were distracted, though, as Amelia brought up classes.

"Oh, right. Those things," said Edric, as if they weren't two students who had to deal with classes on a daily basis. "Never saw much point to them." Honestly, he'd rather learn alone. He didn't understand why they had to be stuffed into a room like a bunch of sardines. He learned better in the company of no one, anyway.

And then it turned out that Amelia was a seventh year as well, also eager to be free again and never ride another train. Edric had almost forgotten all about that incident by now, though it had only happened about a week ago. "You're traumatized and that was your last train ride here. Imagine the anxiety first years will have to experience for the next six years," said the boy, almost looking amused. Which he kinda was. Edric was just evil like that; the idea of frightened and forever-traumatized firsties brought a crooked smile to his face.

"Not much point to classes? It's so that people can contribute, and so lesser beings can learn from people who have superior intellect. Obviously," she told him in a superior tone, her eyes dancing. Edric may have a point about some classes being useless. But then some classes were rather fun. Like Herbology and Flying. Although, for flying she just played Quidditch (hopefully she'd make the team this year and not just get to play as a reserve in their final match), which didn't involve any real rules. Well, none that meant the game wasn't dangerous and therefore exciting.

"Traumatized is a strong word. I never much liked the train before this year, obviously the debacle on the platform this year hasn't much improved my opinion on them. Plus, those poor ickle firsties will find plenty of things to traumatize them at Hogwarts over the next years. They'll soon forget about the train," she said flippantly, a smirk twisting her lips as she thought about just how traumatic an experience Hogwarts could be. Not that she wanted people to be traumatized. It was just amusing is all.

Just when she thought that things were getting better, and that the argument with the firstie was over, another person showed up. Presley. At first, Gwen thought that the other girl was simply passing by, but it turned out she was wrong. The other Ravenclaw started talking to her.

And Presley wanted her to be sympathetic, or at least pretend to be? Errr. ‘Now?’, the fifth year asked. She wasn’t good at pretending anything, but meehhh. Whatever. Her reading time was over, so she might as well accept to be part of this silly plan. ‘Anyway, fine’, the Ravenclaw agreed. She wasn’t sure what her Housemate was up to, but since it implied having to pretend she was sympathetic, the idea didn’t seem so great.

In the next moment, Gwendolyn closed the book, putting it to the side. Before drawing her attention back to the other Ravenclaw, the fifth year glimpsed one ore time at the cover of the book she had been reading a moment ago. Before people started interrupting her.Fine. She will have to leave Potions for later.

And now.

What did Presley want?

Melanie nodded her head as the little conversation about what Melanie had been doing was dropped. And she had apparently been right.

She listened as the boy spoke, fiddling with the bunny ears on the head. Ahhh... so fuzzy. "Uhm... I think it's the belly of the costume, really," Melanie said, nodding her head. Because she didn't recall hitting her head at all when she had toppled over. Then again... maybe it was the head. She hadn't paid much attention to the little details like that. All she remembered was falling but not getting hurt at all - no bruises no nothing. She nodded her head again and beamed as the boy got into the costume.

Adorable. Times ten. Or a hundred. Melanie wasn't sure.

"Be careful," Melanie said, giggling. It took a while to get used to the feeling, she supposed. Melanie knew she had been falling all over the place when she first got into the costume as well. The Gryffindor put the head carefully on the boy. "There you go!" Melanie beamed, lifting her camera. "You don't mind if I get a picture right?" she asked. Because she totally needed one to show people! It was just too cute!!

Hmm Clara was pretty name... Ariella continued to pet the cat who seemed to be enjoying the fingers that lightly scratched her back. "No you didn't interrupt me, I really wasn't doing anything important...just sketching," Ariella said showing the girl half of the fountain that was in her sketch book, "Just...resting I guess, lot has happened recently..." Which was ture, especially for a first year like Ari.

WOW. This had been a very long day for Bliss and she needed to seriously de-stress. All the drama with Terry was too much for her and she needed to get away from it. She honestly couldn't believe some of the things she'd said. Yes, they were true, but she never normally admitted things like that. She normally just keep things to herself. She shook her head, see, that's why she shouldn't be allowed near people. It stressed her out. That's why she'd decided to go for a walk and where she'd ended up was the courtyard. It was strangely peaceful, Bliss thought as looked around. Strange.

Arabella-Marie was walking through the courtyard pretty quickly when she ran into somebody and tripped up over them and fell onto the ground trying to see who it was and said "Oops sorry Bliss i didn't see you there"

As Bliss was stood, looking at the sky, something, most likely someone, ran into her and fell down on her backside. "Oww," she muttered under her breath and sat up, looking around to see who had ran into her. "Arabella!" She said, smiling. Arabella didn't seem hurt or anything, which was good. "It's no problem," Bliss said and nodded reassuringly. Admittedly she was probably going to have a bruise now, but that didn't matter too much.

Arabella-Marie laughed and said "Thanks Bliss i am sometimes really clumsy and do not look at where i am walking"

Arabella didn't seem that clumsy, thought Bliss didn't of course know if Arabella often walked into people, but compared to her, she wasn't clumsy. Bliss had walked into at least three people during the summer, at Diagon Alley. Plus she'd broken her wrist, though that technically didn't have anything to do with clumsiness. "No problem, I think we're all like that sometimes," Bliss assured the girl and smile. Most people did walked into people, or maybe that was just her. Maybe.

Arabella-Marie grinned and said "Yeah i guess we are i am just embrassed to be doing it so soon into term"

Bliss returned Arabella's grin instantly. If she thought about it, it was actually quite far into the term already, time was going so quickly! It was very scary for her. She'd turned thirteen not long a go. Although, the reality of that thought was that Bliss was doing quite well on the clumsiness front. Quite well indeed, she thought with a smile. "It doesn't matter, accidents happen," Bliss said with a shrug and gave Arabella a grin, realising that right now, Bliss felt a lot older than just thirteen. It was unnerving.