He was dressed, but Cutty still felt the need to cover himself in an extra layer provided by a green blanket. He was cold, but not if you'd touched him as he had quite the inspired fever running. But he wasn't going to let that stand in the way of studying potions and so he'd brought down with him a book on the subject along with a parchment and quill for note taking. It was sort of all he could manage. There was no way he was getting his large heavy bag from the boys dorms to the common room major in his sore state, though he wouldn't admit to it. Probably.

He untucked a chair and nearly fell into it before he flipped open the book and began searching for recipes.

Sophie had homework to do. UGH, there was way too much stuff to focus on. All she wanted to do was hang out and have fun and forget that there were actual classes and homework here at Hogwarts. No such luck, though. Her parents would ground her for at least three summers if she failed a class. Six summers if she failed two.

So she headed down to the study tables with a few books in one hand and her bag slung across her shoulder. Reaching the tables, she noted where Cutty Mordaunt was already there. Of course she'd have to deal with one of those annoying Slytherin boys while she attempted her homework. Heh.

"I'll make a deal with you," she said, taking a seat. "If you do all my homework for me, I'll take a nap for three hours in return." That sounded fair, right? She won either way, so of course it was fair. She grinned and took out her Ancient Runes book.

Cutty was feeling too under the weather to even conjure the effort to put on false expression so he remained stone faced even as that female entered the study space and took a seat nearby. Merlin. Something was definitely wrong when Cutty Mordaunt didn't even make fun of Sophie Newell. Sophie Newell in reach...


And talking smack.


That made Cutty smile. Just the sound of a deal proposal coming out of anyone, but especially the daughter of a potions maven like Anna Greingoth-Newell. The dad did something too, but Cutty couldn't remember what it was. "I want to meet yer mum." He said sounding more tired than he meant to.

Waiting...waiting...waiting...

...and here it came! ...or not. Sophie had been expecting and waiting for a sarcastic remark from Cutty. She'd even been excited to hear what he'd come up with. Instead? Nothing. Well, there was something, but not something she was expecting.

"My mom?" she asked. "Why do you want to meet my mom?" Strange request. Sophie cracked open her Ancient Runes textbook and absentmindedly flipped a page or two. She so didn't feel like doing this homework.

He didn't even say anything about her request for him to do her homework. Bah Humbug.

"Yer mum." He said simply. "You are the daughter of Anna Greingoth-Newell, the successful owner of Goth-Saint Potions, aren't you?" Cause if she wasn't, she was wasting Cutty's time and away with ye, wench of times a'wasted.

"If you can introduce us, maaybe tell her we're good friends, I'd do yer homewehrk for yer, tottie." He was sick. Not dying, apparently.

Sophie shut her Runes textbook with a distinct thud. "Yes," she said, matter-of-factly. She wanted to ask how he knew this and what he wanted, but she decided that a poker face was much better in this case. "...and the granddaughter of your former Potions professor." Since he seemed so interested in potions.

"I can do my own homework," she said, before even responding to anything else. She only trusted her own good work at the moment, since Cutty was being so suspicious. "What do you want to talk to my mother about?"

"Are you ill?" she asked, as a side thought.

The grand-daughter of Hecate Lafay. What a small and cozy little community the Wizarding World had. That was one of the things Cutty found he liked about it. It took such minimal effort to get a fire going amongst the populus. Even if Sophie didn't introduce him to her mother, he was probably a few conversations away from an in from someone else. Or better.

"Oh, y'know...potions things. How'd she get started and what she might suggest to budding business-wizards to assure their success. That sort of thing." Then it struck him. Sophie was acting like many before him had had the same idea. How quickly she'd changed her mind when he'd mentioned her mother in relationship to her career. She'd been used. Or was determined not to be. He'd have to work so much harder than this.

"Nar." He said a little too quickly. He did not trust anyone enough to appear sick or weak in any manner in front of them, but especially not Sophie Newell. Nevermind that he'd healed her brother when he'd taken a nasty spill at the Herbology greenhouses last year.

"Oh," Sophie said, surprised at his answer. That wasn't what she'd been expecting at all for some reason. Probably because she didn't really remember telling Cutty that her mother was a potions mistress before now. "Well, ...how soon do you want to talk to her? Because, she'll be picking me up at the train station." Meaning at the end of the school year.

She thumbed through her Ancient Runes textbook, trying to get focused on her homework. It was so difficult, though, with...well, ANYBODY nearby. Any distraction was welcome when it came to homework, and Sophie was really starting to wish she was the kind of person that would have just let Cutty do her homework for her. "Are you sure you're not ill?" she asked again.

"That would wehrk. It'd have to be before summer because I'll have to go to me grandmum and t'see m'dad." Which mean no United Kingdom. Not unless he knew any good and effective spells for transcontinental transport and could get Ministry clearance to use them all. And anyway, Cutty wasn't trying to repeat himself. He wished to move on to bigger and better things.

And, apparently Sophie was going to help him. His mind already started to consider the cost and how he was going to get out of it. This couldn't be for free.

The sick lil snake closed his eyes for a minute as he heated up a bit. His brows furrowed and his mouth frowned by how uncomfortable it was. "I think I just need some pepper-up potion."

Sophie nodded. "Mmkay. Just remind me on the train. No--remind me ahead of time, because if I don't write my mom, she might send my dad to pick me up," she said. Sophie didn't think Cutty would have much interest in her dad. The two seemed about as much alike as peanut butter and broccoli.

She sighed. "I'm going to have to take you to the Hospital Wing, aren't I?" she asked. Really, she just wanted an excuse not to do her Ancient Runes homework. "That's going to cost you." She grinned. "On the way back, let's give a random potion to an unexpected person and hide in the corner just to laugh at the effects. Or we can start a rumor--those are always fun. Like the one I started about you last school year."

"Oh, Merlin. Not your father." He didn't even know Cale Markus Newell, but some how he'd managed to put enough dread in that statement that if someone should've walked in just then they might have gotten the idea that the boy's relationship with the girl's father was just exactly that of someone's whose advances with said daughter were thwarted by said father. Nothing could be further from the truth for Sophie and Cutty.

Cutty was smirking as Sophie went on, though. Talking about their activities on the way back. He released an audible peal of laughter as she went on about the prank she'd been thinking. "You mean the one that they head boy told made the prefects and captains think yew liked me, loov?"

"Sophie, I'm going to do something I rarely do for anyone. I'm going to be honest with yer. Yer style isn't lacking, booht your execution needs some wehrk. I mean, did you even have billywigs on yer when yer went into the prefects compartment? Did yer?" And thank Merlin he wasn't feeling well or else he might have gone on in this arrogance to say something about her having little else to do but ask for his attention if she wanted it. Merlin forgive my little terd. He knows not what he does. "Not so random. In fahct. We should probably invent one just for this. A potion to induce fear. You'll want to put them in a position where they are likely to feel too much pride to go to anyone." He said as if it were the easiest thing in the world. "And then joost follow them around. Get them alone and make noises at them and marvel at the potency of a magical imagination." And why stop at just one individual...? He'd let her determine that.

Sophie agreed with him about her father--he's not the one Cutty wanted to talk to. They were on mutual grounds, so she said nothing about that. Then he called her "Love", which earned him an eye roll. "Don't call me Love," she muttered. To her, it always seemed like a sign of disrespect, no matter if Cutty meant it that way or not. She wanted to be respected, and that was that. "Don't flatter yourself either. I did that, because I wanted mass chaos--not a boyfriend." If she had wanted a boyfriend, she at least had better ways of going about it.

Sophie raised her eyebrows when it seemed he was going to do something different and un-Cuttylike for her. "Well, no, because I didn't really want to get into trouble. Had I actually had billywigs, I'd have been sent straight to the Headmistress upon getting here, and I just wanted a little fun on the way there. Not expulsion," she said.

The he went on describing his own plans for a potion, plans that Sophie didn't know if she was entirely on board with yet. "I don't know, Cutty. I'm more spur of the moment," she said. "I like getting people when they're at their best, because if I impair them, then that's not their best." She shrugged. Didn't Culloden just have them brew a potion that would, in the end, accomplish the same thing Cutty was wanting to do?

Did he say she wanted a boyfriend. A weak, but all the same very present smirk was there before Merlin and the Slytherin Common Room. He hadn't said any such thing. That was interesting, but expected. More or less a confession from the horses mouth. What on earth made her go there, h'mmm? The comment about his conversation with Alec Summers? "Sophie, 'loov' is nothing more than a politer manner of addressing a female. I dursent use it to suggest anything other than a want of something to call you other than 'eh yew!' or 'Sophie' or 'Newell' since all tehrms there can apply to more than one pehrson." Would she get this? He expected not, since it was only typical of Woolyback females to think of being addressed by Love as something more than it was. "Booht, if yer want me to call yer something else it can be arranged." Possibly. Or Possibly he'd just call her whatever and she may or may not give attention and it may or may not help the situation. He considered this unknowing a great deal of fun, though it hardly looked it as he sank into his propped up arm.


He listened from this position to her explanation. "Makes sense. And I like spur of the moment from time to time." He held up a finger. Not the middle one. His index. "When there is only one that's fine. But three students. We're dealing with some variables here." He thought she must've had experience with this. She was a twin. "Have you and Caleb ever teamed up to do something y'weren't supposed to do?"

Caleb needed to make up A LOT of sick work, and he wanted to get it done as soon as possible so he didn't have to WORRY about it anymore. Especially Divination. It'd taken him FOREVERRR to try and make up the notes from class using just his book - this astrology stuff was confusing. He missed the days of Elwood, when most of her lessons just involved GUESSING stuff.

Now he had to make a card. But first - he had to set up shop somewhere. He saw Cutty and Sophie talking at the study tables, and he grinned as he approached and plopped down at the other side of the table.

"Helloooo Sister. Cutty," he said with a nod at each of them before focusing back on the card he was making, whistling to himself as he drew some misshaped hearts and colored them in with red ink.

What were they talking about? Eh, he didn't care. He needed to do his homework and get POINTS. Yes, that was what was important right now. Lotsa points!

Sophie could tell there was some sort of thought process going through Cutty's mind. He was way too quiet at first. She rolled her eyes, just because she knew that whatever that thought process was, it was probably annoying. Then when Cutty opened his mouth, she knew it was annoying.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Mom just says that some guys use it as a form of disrespect is all. Apparently, some guy use it, because they think females are inferior to them." Whatever. Losers. "Just Sophie's fine," she added, in response to his offer.

Sophie turned quickly when she heard the sound of another person. Not just any person, but her own twin brother. "Hey, Caleb," she said. Funny that he should come up right when Cutty asked about him. "Yes, but only little kid stuff before we started Hogwarts--going outside when we were told not to, playing with Mom's wand...stuff like that." Then there was that common room fight, which they weren't exactly told NOT to do, but they still weren't supposed to do it.

"Newell." He greeted in return sounding a bit weaker than usual. One good look at him would reveal a child in the middle of a battling a fever, or worse. It was apparent that Caleb would be well-invested in his studies and that gave Cutty a small sense of ease. This wasn't a private conversation by far, but he thought Caleb wasn't too likely to disrupt them if it would mean tearing too much of his attention away from his points earning spree.

He was silent as she spoke. Apparently listening to what she was saying or maybe he was feeling a bit too ill to speak or stop her from doing so. He caught the eyeroll. It was just something Sophie does.

In a rare moment of sincerity, the sickly lil boy replied. "I would never think you inferior to me." To do so would be a grave mistake. Don't underestimate. True, that he didn't think much of her scheming skills, but that alone wasn't enough to make him think she was inferior. It was just something she couldn't do. It was isolated. A side note. Perhaps, though, he would let her think he thought less of her just to drive her a bit mad and entertain himself. She apparently thought enough of the...friendship (?) to tell him what she didn't like. "Least of all fer yer being a female."



Caleb was still the smarter twin, though. But, not for his gender in an exclusive manner.

"Doosit really bother you all that much?" He asked in a sort of fleeting inquiry.

Sophie glanced up at Cutty when she heard the sound of her last name. Well, it was her last name alright, but the direction he was looking told her he was referring to her twin brother instead. Then his attention was back on her, and just like that, their conversation continued.

He seemed sincere, but one could never tell with a Slytherin, especially a Slytherin named Cutty Mordaunt. "Hmm," was all she said at first. It was a comment of acknowledgment but said because she was still thinking things over in her mind. "Well, good, because underestimating can leave you unaware." Unaware of exactly how good another person could be, that is.

"No, it doesn't bother me. I just can't let it pass without saying something is all," she said. But this was a pointless conversation right now. "We shouldn't even be discussing this. Lets get you to the Hospital Wing. I'm in no mood to beg you, so if you put up a fight, I'm warning you now that you'll be taking yourself to the Hospital Wing."

Then she followed that up with a sort of smile, because comments like that one was just how Sophie rolled.

"Yeah. That too." He concurred with her statement about being left unaware as if it hadn't occurred to him moments ago.

She couldn't let it pass without saying something. That was actually better than what Cutty initially thought she'd say. Sophie Newell was an interesting little girl. One whose recently made statement he was going to test by continuing to call her Loov. If it was really just F.Y.I. it wouldn't bother her, right? Not that she didn't already make his point clear about having no original name that was hers and hers alone when she looked upon hearing the shared surname.

The friendly thing to do would be to try and think of a nickname for her. One that she did find acceptable. He considered this too. He'd see which was worth more to him.

He stood up and a sigh escaped from the physical effort, though he tried to play it off as if he were merely done with the conversation. "Okay." He said agreeing that they should go over to the Hospital Wing.

Things got quiet for a moment, and Sophie could tell Cutty was thinking things over. He was probably plotting to call her Love again, which she fully expected him to do. Cutty Mordaunt wouldn't give in so easily, she knew. As a matter of fact, she'd be disappointed in him if he did. Heh. That was one of the reasons she was so fond of Mordaunt, after all.

He was standing up then, so she did the same. "I'm glad you can stand," she said, "because I didn't feel like levitating you." Just saying. She thought Cutty would appreciate the bluntness. "Well, off we go." She gave her brother a little wave then turned on the spot, heading off to the Hospital Wing to do her goodly deed for the day. Just call her Saint Sophie Newell.

To be honest, Theodore wasn't here for studying, but he did bring a Herbology book just to make it look like he was. He was sat at a desk, just mulling over his thoughts with his feet resting on the next chair.

If he sat like this much longer he'd fall asleep, because he wasn't thinking about anything important. His eyes closed slowly and he let out an abrupt snore which jerked himself awake immediately.

Woah, nothing to see here.

Who was she kidding, since her first year she never managed to get any studying done in the common room. The Slytherins were way too distracting and interesting to watch to get anything done in there. She'd always end up curled up in her armchair chatting with someone with the book long forgotten.

So she was going to the Study tables that probably were put there for you know, studying. It was too quiet there, though. Almost perfect for a nap which wasn't helpful at all. The moment she stepped in she found a proof. Oh, even from behind she knew this one who almost fell asleep. She'd recognize the back of that head for years to come. Sounded a bit weird but who cares.

"How was your nap?" Cassia grinned at Theo as she slid in the seat right next to his dumping the books she was carrying in front of her.

Theo hadn't expected anyone to join him in the study room. It was usually deserted in here which was why he liked it so much. His eyes retreated back to 'resting' so he closed them again. Until someone caught him napping! WHAT? No napping here!! Theodore's eyes flickered open wider than they were supposed to, but they softened when he recognized the face. Well, he didn't mind Cassia making him jump like that.

....................... Not as much, anyway.

"Oh, I was just resting my eyes." Suuuuuuuure. "Taking a break form hitting the books, ya know?" He gave the Herbology book on his desk a firm whack. He would've whacked it harder, you know. Theo sucked at Herbology. Speaking of books, the Slytherin let out a bit of a sigh at the heap of them that Cassia had just dumped down onto the table. "Wow."

It surely wasn't her intent to startle Theo but that was something that happened when was so deep reading a book or napping, didn't make much difference, did it ? Though his reaction only made the grin bigger. He obviously wasn't expecting anyone to be here. She barely did, too.

"I see," she nodded her grin turned into a lopsided smile. She'd not have admitted that she almost dozed off while studying either. But everyone knew the story. She peered at the book he was referrring to and made a face, "Ew, glad I don't take this one anymore," she was reminded of her hatred and glad she did not have to deal with it anymore. Failing Herbology in OWLs was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Turning to the pile of unorganized books she started piling them over one another until she had a pile of like 12 inches. She slid them to the edge of the table and rested her head on them while still looking at Theo, "I like to rest my eyes like this," She winked at her housemate. Because he was special he got to see how she napped. Using books as a pillow obviously.

"Gah, I'm so jealous." Though it didn't make much sense really. Theo should have dropped it, too, but he sort of wanted to turn things around with Herbology and prove that he could do it. He had been studying quite hard in that area, but still had no idea whether it would make a difference for NEWTs.Have to wait and see. "What're you studying?" Because Theo could definitely do with a break in a different subject.

Theo smiled wide as she rested her head on her pile of books. "What an effective way of napping." He gave her a mini round of applause, and then rested his own head against his palms with his elbows on his Herbology book. Didn't have enough books to do what she was doing.

"Excited for graduation, then?" It was literally right round the corner. Scary.