"There is no need to look at me that way Ethel." While Gaia is sitting up she adds "and to think I was going to share my food with you. Oh! I just remembered I have American chocolate bars in my bag! They are really good! You also made a good point." Turning to Beth "How is it to have all three schools in the family tree?" Gaia pulls out chocolate bars with the name Twix and 3 Musketeers "anyone wants some?"

"Meeee!" Ethel slung her weight on the padded arm of her chair and thrust one arm in the air. "Oooh I do! I want a Twix! I promise I'll never look at you that way ever again!" Even if people who didn't take food seriously deserved a stank eye. EVEN IF.

[img align=left]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/Katia10148/Screen%20Shot%202015-08-24%20at%208.09.04%20AM_zpse0pgrczw.png[/img] "They don't have houses. Durmstrang is much smaller than Hogwarts. My dad doesn't talk about Durmstang too often. Muggleborns are not allowed to attend Durmstrang which I think is just terrible."

"I'm not fond of seafood. My sisters like Paella. Do you visit Florida often?"

"It can get very competitive in my household. My parents would have liked for us to follow in their footsteps."

"I would love some 3 Musketeers. I've never had American chocolate before."

Gaia hands a 3 Musketeers to Beth and takes a bite of a Chunky bar while thinking. "I don't particularly like seafood either but paella seems like a fun dish. I think competition can be a healthy way to push one another to be great!"

"If you really want it... giggles of course you can have it!"

Withholding chocolate?? Ethel bared her teeth in a mock snarl and curled her fingers into claws, which she waved at in a display fierce enough to rival the most feral of lions on the African plains. Then she fell out of her chair. "Oomph. Wade!!" Wade, used to his companion's theatrics, had casually slithered off of her shoulder the minute she started flailing and, was fine. Ethel reassured herself of his well being and pounced on the Twix. "Yum! Oh what a lovely day!"

To , she replied "How interesting! I always thought it was much larger. It always seemed so from the way people talk about it. I agree that it is a shame that muggleborns aren't allowed to attend. No one benefits from such attitudes." She frowned, thinking of darker times in the wizarding world, but shook off her doldrums.

"It's hard to avoid being competitive when you have lots of siblings!"

[img align=left]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/Katia10148/Screen%20Shot%202015-08-24%20at%208.09.04%20AM_zpse0pgrczw.png[/img] "I completely agree. Friendly competition is a good thing." Beth replies before taking a bite of her chocolate bar. "Mmm..yummy! This is delicious. Thank you for sharing," she tells .

"You are most welcome Beth... WHAT ARE YOU DOING Ethel?" laughs "There is no wonder we became friends you are most definitely an oddball!"

Fade’s hair tinted to a shade of pink when the girls all looked up at him with questioning looks on their faces. “Chase, he was… Don’t let him fool you.” Fade took a deep breath attempting to gather his scattered thoughts. “Uh, never mind.” His hair deepened in color, almost matching the red shade it had flashed earlier when he had tried the fire flavored bean.

Chase on the other paw gleefully bumped his head against Gaia’s () leg, and made an incredibly cute sound. Really he would do anything for people food. When Ethel () addressed him, he assumed she also had food to offer and quickly made his rounds to brush against her legs as well. Sweet innocent Chase. Who would ever suspect he was the troublemaker that he truly was.

Fade was glad for a change of subject, even if it was still somewhat of a vague topic for him. Beth () inquired about his parents and he shrugged slightly. “My mom went here, but I didn’t know she was a witch till last year, when I got my letter…” Sure it sounded absurd, but Fade was still coming to terms with it in his own way. Sometimes he still wondered if one day he would wake up in his bed back home like none of this ever happened. As weird as that sounded, the idea made Fade feel somewhat more relaxed. If it was a dream, well then none of the embarrassing stuff that happened over the last year, and even today, mattered at all.

"I like the hair change. I like pink" Gaia giggles "You know Chase looks like a troublemaker but which one of our pets aren't? Don't let him get to you, you are both in a safe place... well in theory, after all we do magic." Gaia giggles and grins at Fade then plops down on the chair next to him. "Twix?"

Fade chewed his lip slightly. “That noticeable is it?” He was being sarcastic, but with his laid back tone of voice it was hard to tell. “I… well I can’t control it like other Metamorphs… And it really only affects my hair. So honestly I don’t know if I can even call myself that.” Quietly he considered looking into a charm or a potion that would keep his hair one color. Dye was just so messy and it smelled terrible. Besides, the other guys in the dormitory would no doubt make fun of him if they saw him walking around with gooey dye in his hair. Gratefully he accepted the offered Twix. “Sure, thanks.” It had been a while since he had enjoyed any American candy. “This isn’t going to change flavors on me, is it?”

Gaia laughs "nope, that is muggle normal candy. It isn't even sour! I love sour candy... do you want sour candy instead?" Gaia starts looking in her bag while saying "I like your hair changes! They are fun and unique. I hope you never change it and let it be free like the wind!" She continues to look in her bag "AHA! Here they are WARHEAD CANDIES this are delicious, but you shouldn't eat more than 2 or 3 in one sitting. They can really hurt the roof of your mouth" -giggles- "Not like I know by experience!"

"Aw, kitty, you can't have chocolate." Ethel seemed genuinely apologetic when Chase came around scouting for food. Ethel caught one Twix between her teeth and used her newly freed hand to give Chase a pet along his back. "You can have pets instead."

While she paid Chase his dues, she kept an ear open to the conversation. "No kidding! She pretended the whole time? What about when your hair started to, you know," Ethel waggled both hands in a gesture that was meant to convey start-changing-color. Fade was new enough to her that she wasn't sure he was comfortable talking about his family, so she shot him a smile and a casual shrug so he wouldn't feel too on the spot, then said "Anyway, I bet you could ask one of our professors if you want help with controlling it. Some of the best witches and wizards in the world teach at Hogwarts! I'm sure there's someone on staff who knows a thing or two about metamorphmagus-ing, rare as it is."

The floor was surprising comfortable (must be the thick, fancy rugs), so instead of hopping back into her seat, Ethel rolled over onto her belly and kicked her feet back and forth. "I dunno how friendly the competition in my house was, Beth," she said to , but her tone was full of wry amusement. "We would all wage epic battles over the important stuff: like who got to drink out of the one cup with flowers painted on it, and who'd worn whose robes without asking, or hid the good dragon-proof gloves."

[img align=left]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/Katia10148/Screen%20Shot%202015-08-24%20at%208.09.04%20AM_zpse0pgrczw.png[/img] "You must have been quite surprised. Were you raised as a Muggle? Was your mother sorted into Ravenclaw?" Beth asked Fade () curiously.

"You have a lot of snacks in that bag of yours. Did you bring all those snacks from home? I wish I thought about doing that. My mom and dad told me they would send me some care packages. What's your favorite candy? Do you prefer muggle candy or wizard candy?" Beth asked .

"Your household sounds like a lot of fun. Do you have any siblings?"

At Beth's questions Gaia perked up and took her attention away from Fade and grins "All I have in my bag is food, rolls of parchment, quills, and light books. I do always carry food, but if you look into my bag they are all light candy options, well except the beans, I mostly stash my stuff in my trunk and Ethel's trunk." At that Gaia looks at Ethel () and shares a mischievous look "of course my mom sends me packages. We have family in the US and I get at least a box of the good stuff once a week! WAIT TILL THE HOLIDAYS! I need to ask the headmistress if I can do some baking of my own! I would love to cook here for you all!" Gaia pets her little owl companion "Her name is Briggs and she is one of the family owls. She just brought me a letter from home!" Briggs hoots and goes off with Ares.

[img align=left]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/Katia10148/Screen%20Shot%202015-08-24%20at%208.09.04%20AM_zpse0pgrczw.png[/img] "I love receiving mail especially when I'm not expecting any. My mom loves sending me pastries from back home. It's always a nice surprise when I receive a package," she remarked.

"What are your favorite dishes to cook? Or do you prefer to bake? Did you teach yourself?"

"My "abuelita" taught me. Mom's mother used to take me to the kitchen and show me the ropes. I love to do both. I am really good at making potato dishes and brownies! Do you cook?"

[img align=left]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/Katia10148/Screen%20Shot%202015-08-24%20at%208.09.04%20AM_zpse0pgrczw.png[/img] I cook every once in a while. Sometimes my sisters and I are in charge of cooking dinner when my parents are working late. I love helping out in the kitchen during the holidays. It's so much fun."

"Then maybe during the holidays we can go into the kitchens and have a common room party! Do you think we would be allowed? For the ones staying I mean."

"I second asking the professors if Gaia can bake treats for us," Ethel interjected cheerfully. The last of her Twix was long gone and all too soon. "Brownies and potatoes sound scrumptious! Maybe not together." She paused, then shrugged. "Aw heck, why not! Can you do au gratin? Cheese makes everything better!"

Having heard the excited chatter about mail, she chimed in with her own eager opinion. "Oh mail's the best, isn't it? We're sorta in the middle of nowhere back home, so an owl is always extra exciting to see!"

Then she recalled 's question and grinned. "Do I! There's six of us altogether." Her face lit up as she turned onto the topic of her family, eyes light and voice warm. "Alfred, he's the oldest. Then there's Seaxburh, then me, Godgifu and Bertha: twins! Can you believe it. Identical ones too." The mischief those scamps got up to made her shake her head even now. "Then Leoffryth's the baby." Her voice trailed off and she mouthed the names to herself distactedly, counting on her fingers to make sure she hadn't missed anyone. "Nope, yup, that's it! So for sure, I will be looking forward to the endless supply of puddings at dinner. Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts indeed."

[img align=left]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk297/Katia10148/Screen%20Shot%202015-08-24%20at%208.09.04%20AM_zpse0pgrczw.png[/img] "I'm not sure. It would be nice if they let us especially if it's only a few of us. We can probably ask Professor Trelawney."

"Wow! You come from a big household. Do any of them attend Hogwarts? Do you miss them?"