"Not to worry, you are not late. She is late."

(OOC: I can't really start without an official group ping, so I'm waiting. I guess my guest will have to come tomorrow and I will do my best to stay with schedule, if not, I will change it a bit.)

((ooc its all good it gives other people a chance to show up and mingle too :) ))

"Well, I guess I am glad she is late then, since we just arrived," he said with a small smile.

Dodger gave a low woof and Drew turned to see the newcomers. He smiled as he recognized the other Slytherin students. "Hey, Lee. Hi again, Charlotte," he said. "So you did make it. I'm glad." He looked around and then asked Lee, "You didn't bring Kodi? After leaving him behind last time I think Dodger would have chewed up everything in my room out of spite if I had left him out on this adventure." Then he looked at Magnus and said, "These are the new students I mentioned, Mags...Lee and Charlotte. Guys, this is my friend Magnus."

Lee smiled at Drew. "Hi Drew, " he said warmly, "and hi Dodger, nice to meet you ! No, I thought it best to keep Kodi safe in the castle, besides, he had a trip with me and Charlotte down to Hogsmeade and back already today."

He nodded at Magnus, then turned back to Drew. "We've met," he said, rather coldly. He gave Charlotte a sidelong glance to see if she was doing alright with the 'introduction.'

The boy nodded and clapped his hand on Merlin's shoulder. Magnus smelt Charlotte before he saw her. He almost yelped as he scrambled over and grabbed something sweet from the table, popping it into his mouth quickly. He looked a little panicked as he took Ginger from Drew's shoulder. "Er... 'i Lee, Charlotte.... we met already." Magnus shrank back at the cold tone in Lee's voice.

Lee gave Magnus a very cold stare, and growled softly. "Your ...friend, hmm Drew...? That's...nice."

Drew looked a bit confused and slightly startled at the reactions he'd gotten from both Lee and Magnus. "Um...okay, sorry, I didn't know that," he said. "And um..yeah, Mags is my friend." He wondered why Lee had gotten so cold sounding.

He gave Magnus a look and said, "Why don't you introduce me to Kippers properly before she eats all the food," he suggested as he joined Magnus at the food table and whispered, "What the heck is going on?" He felt completely out of the loop.

Lee watched the two friends go off together and sighed. It was too bad, he had liked Drew.

Magnus was very glad they hadn't been around to see the extra supernatural stuff. He was feeling very unwanted and the young boy was thankful for the chance to follow Drew. "We met at 'Ogesmede... it...er didn't go well," Magnus answered evasively. "It's okay, Drew, go 'ang out with Lee, okay? 'e's new. 'E needs 'is friends. I'll... er... be over at the bench."

Magnus took off, not actually showing Drew Kippers. And retreated to the furthest part of the area. He sat down and put Ginger on the bench, letting her explore as he tried to look like he wasn't upset.

Drew's eyes narrowed slightly. Oh heck no! he thought to himself. He wasn't about to be brushed off that easily nor was he going to leave his friend hurting. Magnus had enough of that in his life. He walked determinedly over to the bench and sat down beside the younger boy. "I'm new too in case you forgot," he said quietly. "And I need my friends too. And that'd be you, nitwit," he said with fond exasperation. "I don't know what happened, but I do know I can make my own choices when it comes to who I hang with." He became more serious and said, "You were my first real friend at Hogwarts, Mags. I ain't leaving."

Magnus looked up surprised to see Drew there. But he smiled weakly, his eyes burning a little. He couldn't help it, the tears started coming and he couldn't stop them. The comment about him not leaving made him hurt in his heart. He missed Eirik....and apparently the pain was still there. His bird blurring in his sight and Kippers coming up and nudging the hell out of Magnus till he petted her. "Dad took me from school cos I weren't going to class, or eating---you know... cos Eirik left. Met Lee the...the day I came back to 'Ogwarts. I thought we'd resolved it... but... I guess not." He wiped his eyes with his shirt. "I am?" he asked, "but... I mean...I don't see..." he couldn't figure out what he was trying to say. He calmed himself and wiped his eyes again. "Wanna see Ginny do a trick?"

@ Merlinpendragon ((sorry guys was battling with my house plants and still screaming at those stupid fungus gnats...JUST GO AWAY ALREADY!!! flails))

Outfit Not Found She smiled reassuringly at Lee. "I'll be alright...really!" it was so sweet that he was being protective over her. 'What a nice guy!' she thought and couldnt help but hug him around his middle

She looked at Merlin "Thanks...I think Im going to pop with all the food being offered everywhere..." she blinked and looked at some more of the unfamiliar food. "Hey..whatta those?" she muttered curiously.

She then spotted Drew and Mags. "Hiya!" she gave a wave and a smile. She didnt have tons of energy today but she was still staying upbeat. She listened to Drew introduce Magnus.

"Magnus you say? How ya do Magnus!" she smiled. After he ran for sweets her head tilted. "Poor guys never going to get over that. We met down in Hogsmeade when I came in to poke about before the official transfer. He...well he licked me. Not the first time its happened mind you..but...I do need to make us...even." she got a mischievous yet playful look in her eyes.

She ambled over to Mags as he popped sweets into his mouth. "You know...I do carry sweets if ya need some." she smiled then leaned forward and licked his cheek and chuckled. "Now we are even!"

She wandered back to Lee and smiled. "Always wanted to lick someone back!" she chuckled. She easily scaled Lees back and hung on his shoulders wrapping her tail around his waist. "mmmmm Tree..." He did make her feel better.

Lee watched Charlotte, and relaxed. She seemed to be fine, so he would be fine with things as well. He smiled when she licked Mags cheek, and laughed outright when she climbed him and called him 'Tree.'

Drew bit his lip slightly as Magnus began to cry. The big brother part of him wanted to pull the younger into a hug like he'd do with Bridget, but he wasn't sure how Magnus would take to that. Instead he put an arm lightly around the boy's shoulder and let the animals do their own form of magic. He well knew that Dodger and Fleet had helped him with overwhelming emotions more than once. "I knew it was hard on you with Eirik going," he said quietly. "it still confuses me and even though I didn't know him that well I'm sad I didn't have a chance to really become friends with him. He seemed like a fun guy. I met Lee after I got back to the common room from the workshop...only I didn't know it was him at the time. He didn't exactly look like himself." Drew wasn't sure what had happened or how much Magnus knew about Lee and didn't want to say too much right away.

Rolling his eyes slightly at the stammered, half unsaid question, Drew said with a smile, "Yes, you are." Then as Magnus asked about seeing a trick, Drew nodded and said, "Yeah, let's see it."

He was startled as Charlotte came over and...licked Magnus??? He looked from one to the other of them. Oh boy, what have I stumbled into now??? the dark haired teen wondered.

Charlotte didn't seem angry or upset at Magnus either. Maybe things were resolved with her after all. Then she licked him and he laughed, calming down. His heart was still hurting thinking of his missing friend but Drew was adamant that he was there to stay and that made him feel better, safer. "Thanks," he said quietly unsure if he should hug Drew or not. "I mean it." Seeing Drew's confusion, Magnus laughed and added, "I licked 'er first time I met 'er cos she smelt sooo good. I know... weird."

So he took Ginger back over to them and set a little basketball hoop down on the table, fixing it in place with a wave of his wand. He handed her a ball and the little bird started playing basket ball. After dunking, Magnus took the ball and rolled it away so she chased it. Kippers wagged her tail and growled--not liking the lack of attention. Magnus picked her up and gave her a snuggled. "This is Kippers," he said to Drew. He didn't say anything to Lee, in case the older boy wanted to be left alone.

"Oh," Drew said at the explanation and then smiled. "She does smell good and it's hard when you have a sweet tooth. But I kinda had my mind on something else the first time I met her. And I had all the maple syrup candy from the workshop in my pocket."

He followed Magnus back to the others and watched as Ginger performed. Laughing at the bird's tricks, he said, "That's great! She can try out for the NBA back in the states!" As Kippers came over and Magnus officially introduced the cat, Drew looked at her a bit warily. "Hello, Kippers," he said quietly, hoping she didn't turn into a hissing, spitting ball of fluff like Flora's beast when he was near.

Lee watched (with Charlotte on his back) Magnus and Drew, and then the bird do her little basketball trick, and smiled. He watched the cat get jealous and get snuggled. Then he looked up at Charlotte. "So, things ok now, with him.." he said quietly.

Magnus chuckled, "Pretty cool huh?" He smiled at his new pet. "Ginger, what does a laser sound like?" She made a tootoo sound.
Kippers leapt from Magnus' hands and landed on Drew's shoulders purring and headbutting him on his neck as she mewed and tried to get pets. "I think she likes you," Magnus said brightly. "She seems to pretty much like everyone."

Outfit Not Found Charlotte watched the bird do its tricks from afar then she looked down at Lee and gave a small smile she leaned and whispered in his ear. "Don't know...but Ill be damned if he doesnt smile because of me. May not be my place to make him feel better...but s'not my place to make him feel worse too, ya know? Makes me feel like a goo person...and I dont wanna feel like that. B'sides it seems like he was going through his own...stuff...when he first met me...so.." shrugs. "If he wants to try and get to know..us.." she looked at him. "then it will take time...if not...then..." she shrugs again.

"Im not to heavy for ya am I? Getting my vantage point." she nodded.

Lee nodded. "I understand," he said quietly. "I don't want to be one of those people either, but..I like you, so you and your feelings come first."