"It's gorgeous. I'm glad we're having a real autumn. I'll miss the sun on my skin after the winter holidays." Poppy was always happy to make new magical acquaintances. The Indian summer that had taken over the fall was especially nice to return to.

[img align=left]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uye1LcX3z1g/VjgxJmo4ZRI/AAAAAAAAADw/cMEvRED_5jc/s250-Ic42/Roman%252520ii.png[/img] "Hey," Roman responded, stiffening in his seat. He glanced at Demeogo's dark eyes before staring back at the table. "I guess you could say that," he murmured. "Defense was fine when I had my wand and everything, but I can't do magic now." He flexed his fingers and felt a weight missing from them. He frowned as he watched Demeogo's posture stiffen at the mention of his father and wondered what that was about.

"I'm Roman. I'm taking most of the non-practical classes: history of magic, astronomy, divination-- you know--the "fun" courses," he remarked in a bored tone then nodded his head in greeting.

"Mmm feeling the warmth wrapped around in summer. Not much compares to it. The only other time its possible in winter is with blankets. What classes are you thinking of taking? Oh I'm sorry; excuse me, what is your name?" asked Hannah to the girl.

"Sorry Roman, that you can't use a wand anymore, that must be horrible. To not be able to conjure birds or make a snake appear or possibly fireworks. Still somehow, I think divination would be interesting. Seeing signs in not ordinary places."

"Poppy, nice to meet you. I'd like to start Transfiguration and Ancient Studies this term. Continuing with Potions and Herbology is important to me as well, because those are my favorite classes. Which houses do you belong to?" asked Poppy to the girl and ghost.

"Ravenclaw!" said Hannah triumphantly and then bowing at Poppy.

Selim Roux anxiously took a breath then stepped into the Great Hall. His eyes scanned each table taking in the color coated robes and table banners indicating which house sat where. Red, yellow, blue... Apprehensively, Selim let out the breath and nipped over to the Slytherin table. The students were scattered about but he was able to find a spot at least twice the distance from the next student. Selim pulled his satchel over his head and placed it next to him on the bench before grabbing the nearest pitcher of pumpkin juice.

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/D6co5Aj.png[/img] Poppy spent the morning after the ball sleeping in and taking a leisurely bubble bath in the Prefects' Bathroom. She made her way to the Great Hall, hoping to run into last night's crowd.

Aderyn had slept so soundly the night before after all the excitement at the ball that her hair was still in the remnants of the fancy ponytail she'd had it in. She'd been too groggy to even bother trying to shower and she'd decided that some food would be in order to perk her up. Heading down to the great hall with breakfast on her mind, she ran into Poppy. Smiling, she waved at the other girl.

"Morning! You certainly look well rested! How are you doing?"

"Thanks Aderyn! I took a potion to help me sleep so I was out cold. What did you think of the ball? I've been to some wild parties, but nothing like that before. Maybe all the noise from us and the music attracted the troll?"

"It was great! So much fun. I haven't been to too many parties or balls in past, so this one easily takes the cake for me. You're probably right. If I lived in the forest and there was suddenly all that light and noise, I'd be curious enough to come take a look, too. Hopefully it's alright, I don't think it really meant any harm."

"I loved dancing outside and the band had great energy! They really kept up and kept us going all night. That troll could have been sleeping or trying to; we were out there so late. Did you and Emmy stay long after it was gone? I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to anyone because some prefects caught a group of boys trying to submerge the lanterns on the lake."

Poppy's stomach growled just then. "I'm in good shape but I need food."

Gaia walked in to the Great Hall looking for coffee. She spotted Poppy () and Aderyn () and walked over to them. "I am slightly tired. I only slept like 10 hours! I might need to look for a personal feet spa!" Gaia giggled finding the coffee on one of the near by tables.

"We didn't stay too much later. Both of us were so danced out, I swear we thought our feet would hurt for weeks."

Aderyn gladly nodded as Poppy suggested getting some food.

"Sounds good to me."

She made her way toward the great hall, walking in step with Poppy, and waved hello to Gaia as the other girl joined them.

"Jealous! I can get maybe 7 hours of sleep a night before I'm awake and on the go. I've never been able to sleep in, as much as I wish I could some days!"

() "Coffee solves all troubles. I am hungry though. I could use something sweet like doughnuts!"

"I've heard that sugar helps the caffeine in coffee work better. I can't pretend to understand why, but I say, why not!"

[img align=left]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/LostDani/EmeliaHufflepuff.png[/img] Emmy was extraordinarily tired that morning. She hadn't gotten to sleep until perhaps 5am; the fun from the dance and the adrenaline from the troll attack had woken her up so thoroughly that it had taken forever to wear off so she could finally fall asleep.

Once she was finally up, she tried only a little to make herself more presentable: throwing her long, wavy hair into a messy ponytail and splashing her face with water. She decided to change into her animagus form; she expended far less energy as a cat than as a human, since she was so much smaller.

Once she had transformed, she trotted down the hallway, through the common room (meowing at someone in greeting as they called out to her), out of the barrels, down the hall from the kitchens and up into the great hall. She was going to find a seat at the Hufflepuff table, when she saw Aderyn (along with Gaia and Poppy) and altered her course towards them instead.

She hopped up onto the bench at the Ravenclaw table by Aderyn's side and meowed sleepily at them all. The food smells suddenly hit her, especially through her excellent sense of smell as a cat, and she realized she was ravenous. She turned back into herself with a little "pop!" noise, and immediately reached for a platter of sausages.

"Morning, all." she said, her voice hoarse, as it was the first words she'd spoken that day.

( )

[img align=left]http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah279/AderynJones/Aderyn%20HAs/glamour_zps1njwp4lc.png[/img]

Aderyn had just settled onto a bench with Poppy and Gaia when a small, very familiar looking cat hopped up on her free side. Smiling, she reached out and ruffled the cat's fur a little, pulling her hand away just in time for Emmy to change into her normal self.

"Morning! You look about as tired as I feel!"

She elbowed Emmy good-naturedly and reached for a slice of warm, buttery toast, taking a big bite out of it as she heaped her plate with eggs, bacon, and sausages with her free hand.

Ernessa blundered bleary eyed into the Great Hall and plopped herself down at the table Poppy, Gaia, Aderyn and Emmy were sitting at. 'I'm exhausted, I feel like I haven't slept at all!' she said as she helped herself to eggs, bacon and pancakes. 'Did you guys enjoy the ball?'

Aderyn smiled at Ernessa and nodded.

"It was great! I'm totally with you on the exhaustion, though!"

She was wolfing down her breakfast, not having realized just how ravenous she really was until she'd taken her first bite of toast. Pausing for a moment, she chased the first few bites of her breakfast with a swig of coffee before returning to the food.

[img align=left]http://s26.postimg.org/qu5mq9k3t/Fade_HAsleepy.png[/img] Slumping into the seat beside , Fade blearily huddled above a mug of warm coffee and muttered a good “Mornin’.” to the table at large. As much fun as the Second Term Ball had been, he felt sort of terrible about how he missed out of sharing a dance with the pretty older girl from Hufflepuff (). Clearly he had lost sleep over it, and was expecting her to hate him if they ever again crossed paths. Chase the cat on the other paw had slept like a baby and was keeping himself occupied with twisting around everyone's ankles begging for scraps as per usual beneath the table.