She sighed, "Im glad that you understand... Im not sure why they would either but when ever I do say my country's name, thats one of the things they seem to always say..." Melek grimaced, "I heard of some other countries... but that is mainly because my parents pounded education into me..." Mel shrugged and looked at the girl, "Oh, I am proud of being a Ravenclaw... dont get me wrong... but mascots get associated to people a lot..." She trailed off and crossed her arms, thinking about it all and she tapped her fingers.

Hmmmm, Lux really felt for this girl. "In that case I agree that maybe you should just tell people the city". If it bothered her so much, it was probably the best idea so that she wouldn't have a breakdown or something over the whole issue. "Well, then it's okay, because you won't be the only one. And birds are lovely animals." She was probably failing miserably at cheering Mel up. :/

Melek gave a slight nod. "Yeah, probably..." She gave a smile to the girl. "Yeah... I suppose birds are lovely animals... It is much better than being thought of as a flea or a tick or something like that..." Mel shrugged and then nibbled on her thumbnail. "So do you have any siblings? What class are you looking forward the most to and the least to?" Melek tilted her head and looked like she was perking up a little.

Lux was happy that Mel seemed to be calming down and feeling a little better about the whole situation. Smiling, she nodded along to what the girl was saying. Yes, there could be a lot worse as far as animal associations; there was nothing nice that could be said about ticks or fleas! "I have a brother who is 25 and a sister who is 21." So she was definitely the baby of the family. "And I'm looking forward to Muggle Studies the most and Flying the least since I am afraid of heights." She was needing Tessa and Christmas to help her with her fear! "What about you? And do you have any siblings?"

Melek tried not to look jealous as the girl said that she had a brother and also a sister. Her face lit up at the class name though, "Me too! That and Care of Magic Creatures..." Mel giggled and then made her face at Flying. "I dont care about flying either." She shook her head, "Nope, I am an only child. It is so boring and lonely but at least I get kinda spoiled... when my parents pay attention to me and arent off doing who knows what..." Melek gave a sigh then smiled at the girl, "What is having siblings like?"

Lana smiled and returned her twin's hug. "IT's good to see you too, Laura." she replied with a small giggle. It was a bit odd to be hugging her sister as they weren't completely all the hugs type lately. In fact, it was probably the first time they had really hugged in the past few months.

Stepping back, she looked at Laura and sighed softly. They would really have to talk things out if they wanted to make their last year not awkward at all. "Think we are ready to talk about this summer?" It was bound to happen and it might as well happen now.

*Walking down the pathways Romulus had his nose in yet another book. Slung over his shoulder was his school bag. In it as always was more books and a few packs of crisps. Some for the squid and some for him.*

Oooh, yes! "I am excited for that and I want to go to the stables and see the winged horses!" She had always wanted to meet one and pet it. Horses were beautiful animals, and she would love to learn how to ride them one day. And at least she wasn't alone about the Flying thing! "It's the only thing keeping me from playing Quidditch," she admitted. And it really sucked, because otherwise she would have been trying out for the team already by now. "Oh, wow. Sometimes I get spoiled because I am the youngest. It's nice having siblings, but sometimes they drive you insane." Lux absolutely loved her brother and sister despite this.

She nodded, "They are my favorite animals!" Melek beamed at the girl and then started to think about how beautiful and cool they are. Mel had always wanted one but her parents kept saying it wasnt allowed so Melek was at least glad that she could possibly see them here at Hogwarts. "I dont like sports so I dont want to play Quidditch but my housemates keep trying to change my mind... and my role model plays so maybe I could try out... if I were better at flying..." She trailed off and shrugged. "I wish I had siblings... my parents are hardly around so it gets lonely sometimes..." She glanced down and away, shuffling her feet.

Either she really didn't get out of the castle enough during the past two years she had been there, or with the new Groundskeeper came new things, because half the things she saw, she had never seen before.

Like some kind of tree down by the lake?

Sure, there were trees by the lake, but that particular tree.. perhaps the Groundskeeper had carried the thing on his back? Going by the man's size at the feast, he was probably able to do something like that. So, because of all his hard work tree carrying, she thought it was best to go and see the thing for herself. However, before she could even make her way down to the lake, a familiar figure caught her attention and she decided that that could wait.

Rhodes only half-jogged her way closer to Romulus, and snatching the book from right out of his hands, she flipped through a few pages to see what the book was about. She had no idea. "I don't think Healer Tillstorm would be too happy with you if you had to go to the Hospital Wing with a book related injury."

Something like a walking into a wall injury.

Katarina was walking around outside, minding her own business. She had managed to deal with moving to England and then being put into a new school at the end of summer, but things were beginning to become overwhelming. What with new classes and a severe lack of people to talk to--which could be blamed on the fact that Katarina wasn't the most social person to begin with--she felt like she just needed some fresh air.

Maybe the sunshine would reflect through her mental lightbulb, and she would think of ways to make friends. Though Katarina had spoken to a few people, she had not yet connected with anyone. Plus, at least half of those she had had conversations with couldn't understand her when she spoke.

Sighing softly to herself, Katarina picked a nice looking rock and sat down on it, keeping her back straight as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Perhaps the extra oxygen would help her sort out the thoughts running through her head.

*He was in the middle of finding out about dragon gases that make their fire when the words were suddenly gone. Looking up he saw that girl he had been rude to only now she had his book.*
"Hey! I was reading that."
*What an obvious statement Romulus! Of course he had been reading the book. It wasn't like he was looking at the words for the fun of the shapes they made. Reaching out he tried grabbing for his book.*
"Don't think she would mind too much. If she knew that you helped cause the injury."
*His cousin would probably find it funny and give the girl house points for it, or even sweets.*

This girl was cool....even if she did not like sports and was really touchy about birds. Lux rather liked her and was glad that she had met her. "Horses are lovely. I always wanted one." But of course that had never happened... But riding them seemed like a lot of fun, and rather active. Lux loved being active. "Who is your role model?" Maybe it would be someone that Lux really liked. She really liked a lot of Quidditch players, and even some of the ones that did muggle sports like soccer. "Where are your parents mostly?" It was sad that they were gone a lot when Mel was an only child.

Delilah looked up to find someone suddenly standing next to her. She was a Gryffindor, yes? The blonde did remember seeing her around somewhere.. And then she blinked. Sugar? She frowned and shook her head.

"I don't think Lola likes sugar.. I don't know. But, she's just being lazy right now." Delilah gave her kitty a disapproving look. Really, Lola. Be active. SIIIIIGH. She turned towards the young girl again and gave her a small smile.

"I'm Delilah."

Ohhh!

So the book was on DRAGONS!

Rhodes flipped through a few more pages, and not seeing any pictures, because seeing pictures of dragons would be much more fun than reading words about them, she closed the book with a thud and stuck it right under her arm. He didn't need to be reading. At least, not while she was there and he could entertain her. Who would've thought that a huge castle like Hogwarts could leave a person so bored she needed to be entertained by Romulus? She pushed his grabby hands away because he wasn't getting it back.

"Nah. I still don't think she would like it." And she wasn't going to say anything about it, but she really didn't want to get on that woman's bad side. She had seen her office, after all. There was probably some kind of secret door behind a shelf where she liked to torture students that annoyed her.

It sounded pretty cool.

"She's only looking after you, you know?" Rhodes hooked her arm with his, in hopes to annoy him, before tugging him down the path. She wasn't going to just stand there. "You should be grateful."

Christmas wandered down to the pathways she was glad to be back at school and she was trying to visit everywhere the castle had before she left at the end of the school year

*After trying to get his book back for a few more moments he soon gave up. Then was a little startled by her hooking an arm around his. Letting out a sigh he figured it would be easier to just go along with her. He knew that if he tried to fight her he would lose, again. Walking with her Rom just shrugged. He knew that Cece was only looking out for him but she shouldn't be the one doing that.*
"I know she is and I am thankful to have her as my cousin... But that should be parents job, not Cece's..."
*He mumbled the last bit to himself. Cece was becoming more and more of a parents to him then his actual parents and that bothered him.*

She didn't even know why he was bothering. No matter how many times he tried to grab the book, she was not going to give it back to him. As if he would really rather spend time reading than spend time with her. Sure, they didn't really know eachother all that well, or really, they didn't know eachother at all, but that was besides the point.

Rhodes would pick spending time with herself over reading any day.

And even though he was mumbling that last bit, she still managed to hear every word he said and she turned her attention right back to him. She would've pulled him to a stop as well, but she didn't want to be stuck in one place, and she didn't want him to be able to grab that book. It would've been easier if they were stopped. "You don't have parents, then?" Why else would he say something like that, right?

Laura looked at Lana as she moved away from her and sighed, this wasn't going to be good was it. She knew her sister would be mad with her about leaving home like she had because of an argument she had with her sister and her mother. "Do we have too." Laura pouted, she knew if they were going to be happy this year then they would but she really didn't want to talk about it or about where she had gone.

Lana knew this was going to be difficult, but it needed to happen. "Yes, we do Silly Bean." It needed to get out into the open and it wasn't like she wanted to really get into where she was all summer either. In the long run of things, it was just better for it to be done and over with. Once they talked about it, they really could just move past it completely. "Do you have anything to tell me?" Of course, she wasn't going to be the first one to show her cards. Besides, their parents knew where she was all summer.

Laura sighed, why was it her sister wanted her to go first this wasn't going to be fun but if she must. "I was out of the country. I was in America." Laura said truthfully. "As you know when we got off the train I had an argument with mother and you and so I went to a friends house and spent the summer with him instead." Laura was being truthful there. "I was going to come and meet you at the station but I didn't want any more arguments so I made sure I arrived late." Laura said truthfully. "I spent the last few weeks in a hotel." Laura looked at her sister, was it her turn now?

*Romulus shook his head when she asked about his mum and dad. Thankful that they kept walking he explained.*
"I have parents, every one does. But I never get to see mine. They are always away on some trip or working. The last time I saw them was when they dropped me off for school... For my first year. I get shuffled around from family member to family member over summer holidays and spend the rest of my time here. That's why I was such a git to you on the platform. My parents were going to see me off but never showed up."

Lana blinked for a moment. That was unexpected to say the least. Seriously, she had no idea that her twin would leave their hometown, let alone the country like that. "So just because we had yet another fight, you just ran off?" She wasn't any much better, since she didn't remain home either; but at least she talked it out with their parents. "I'm sure mum and dad have no idea about this, right?" Of course, they had no idea. If they had, they would have made her come home over the summer. "You need to owl them, you know. They were worried about you, well both of us all summer. You should have seen their faces when they only saw me at the station!" The happenings of the summer were nearly forgotten when she said her good-byes to her parents. It was by no means fixed, but it wasn't terrible for them now. "You really left the country? At least I stayed in the country and they knew exactly where I was."

Laura sighed as she looked at her sister. "Yes I left." Laura was of age now and she was fed up with fighting all the time and it seemed like a great idea to go and spend the summer somewhere where no one knew her except her friend. "Of course mum and dad didn't know." Laura said truthfully. "I didn't want them to be able to get in touch with me. I decided we all needed a break." Laura said truthfully. She had thought about going to the station but well she knew it would probably have ended in a row, and they used to be real close.

"Yes I really left the country." Laura repeated. "I spend the summer at a house in America until the last few weeks of the school holidays when I spent it in Diagon Alley." Laura hoped her sister wasn't too cross with her. "And I'll Owl then, though I doubt they were worried." Laura wondered where her sister had been, she thought her sister had stayed at home.

Lana was not at all pleased with what her sister was telling her and she was actually rather put out at the way her sister was telling her these things. All summer, she had be made to feel like the terrible daughter because of her own actions, but in reality; she was actually the good one. "So you think just completely cutting yourself from everyone is going to make things better?" she asked in a shocked tone. It sounded like that was just going to be the way her sister was intending on dealing with things. "No contact for months? That's what you call a break?"

"They spent all summer worried about you!" Her sister really had no idea what they had done to their parents over the summer. "Everytime they owled or called me, they asked about you. I should have known some thing wasn't right," she scoffed at herself. "I spend the summer in the city and biking around the countryside. I wasn't home but for maybe a week this whole summer," she finally admitted. There were of course more details, but those were really of no importance at the moment.