[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/8c1Q3Re.png[/img] Eros grinned when Drew faked whispered about brainwashing Niall. Of course, given how young and impressionable the kid was, Eros didn't think it wouldn't be hard to do. He listened as the others chimed in playfully about what the hat would want. Eros nodded after Drew and Merlin reassured Niall that the hat would take the student's preference into account. "Could just always keep chanting 'Slytherin' over and over again under your breath. I'm sure the hat will catch the hint," he added with a shrugged and leaned against a shelf. He wasn't interested in looking at quills since Niall had already gotten him two nice ones. However, he did gaze briefly in Rosie's direction at the mention of ice cream. The Australian teen already had a jar filled with no-melt ice cream from Honeydukes, but more could never be a bad thing. He didn't really have an answer for her so he just went back to watch the others lounge around.

(squishes) Pft, brainwashing indeed. Niall gave a half smile to Drew. He wondered if it would work? Telling the hat he wanted to be in Slytherin? Would he need more attributes? He nodded to the boys. And then Rosie had mussed his hair and the little boy was beaming. She invited him to her house as well. “I-I would like that… though I don’t know if I could. Maybe for a day trip or something…” He wasn’t sure how easy it would be to arrange either.

“Is that how ya were sorted, Eros?” he asked, “C-can ya tell me about this motoying crossing? With the byeeks? I’d like ta hear more.”

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/8c1Q3Re.png[/img] Eros almost laughed at Niall's question. "No," Eros shook his head. "Would you believe me if I said I wanted to be a Hufflepuff?," he said with a straight face before cracking a smile. "Actually, I didn't have a preference. Didn't really care," Eros shrugged. "My mind is pretty linear and Quidditch was all I cared about. My thought was that whichever house I get sorted into would benefit with me on their team, so it didn't really matter. Didn't feel any kind of way when the hat placed me in Slytherin. Of course, now, I can't imagine being anything else," he answered honestly and smiled at Niall when the boy followed up on the motocross thing.

"Motocross," Eros grinned."It's basically a sport involving racing motorized bikes offroad, sometimes involving obstacle course," Eros tried to explain. "Like any sports, there are different competitions for it and sports derived from it. The bikes are kind of like brooms, I guess. Different models and brand. I guess broom-racing would be pretty close cousin to it except bikes move on land and so it's hindered by the terrain...which I think makes it more fun." Eros looked down at his feet for a minute before looking back at Niall. "You never really seen a bike before?" Eros asked. "So I assume you don't know how to ride one? We're going to have to change that, mate. Teach you to ride a bike first, a regular one. Turn you into a BMX rider first and then maybe I'll show you how to ride a dirt bike someday," Eros offered. ()

Eros' words made Niall relax a little. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't in Slytherin. "Quidditch is great," he said, "though I've never really played."

He grinned, "That sounds amazing and like quidditch but on the ground." He shook his head at the question. "Madame doesn't like us going out of the orphanage area." Then his eyes were shinning with excitement. "Really?" he asked coupled with everything else the little boy was over the moon. "I'd like that a lot!"

Magnus heard the conversation, took the sketchbook and quickly drew a bike and a motorbike. "There," he said tapping it to take it from the book and handing it to Niall. "That's a bike, and that one's a motorbike. The motor part allows it to go without you pushing it, the peddles are for your legs to move the bike."

Niall was fascinated. "And ya fix them too? This is tooo cool." He had visions of racing around on the bike going over big hills and dodging bludgers.

Drew smiled as Eros and Magnus explained to Niall about bikes and motorcycles. "Bikes can be a lot of fun," Drew commented. He'd enjoyed his regular bike as a kid and ridden it everywhere until he got Fleet as his tenth birthday present. Then the bike was parked and he did his exploring on horseback, preferring the smell and feel of warm horse beneath him instead of cold metal.

As the conversation hit a lull while they waited to go and enjoy ice cream, Drew casually reached into his bag and took out a package wrapped in green paper with a cardboard broom name tag that said EROS on the handle. He handed it to the older boy. "Happy belated birthday, Eros," he said. "Hope you don't already have it...or know everything in it," he smiled as he gave the Quidditch book to Eros.

((I AM FINALLY OFF!!!! I WILL BE AROUND IN A BIT!))

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/8c1Q3Re.png[/img] Eros nodded, smiling at how interested Niall () seemed. "It started with one broken bike...and then another. And then it became a hobby," Eros replied. "Maybe over the break before you start your term, we can hang out, providing I can find a portkey or two that takes me close to you. It'll be tricky since I'll be way down south, but we'll figure it out. We definitely need to get you out more," he chuckled and then looked to Drew as the other Slytherin held out a package in front of him.

He was a bit taken back as he wasn't expecting anymore gifts. The seventeen year old read the name on the tag and smirked. He grabbed the package. "Thanks, mate," he thanked Drew. Saying thanks was becoming more natural to him since he was getting lots of practice today. He partially removed the wrapping just enough to see the cover of the book. Eros smiled looking back up at Drew. "I haven't read this one," Eros said. "Might learn a new thing or two from it. Even if not, I think I'll use this book to get autographs when I go to games or see a famous Quidditch player. I actually don't own any Quidditch books of my own. I normally just borrow them. This is my first. So thanks, Drew," Eros nodded and placed it into the gift bag with the rest of his gifts.

Drew smiled, thrilled that he'd actually managed to find something Quidditch related that Eros () didn't have. "You're welcome, he said. "I have this thing with loving books so they are kind of a standard present with me." He shrugged and gave a little smile. "Glad you like it and that's a cool idea to use it kind of like an autograph book too. Do you go to most of the games?" he asked, not wanting to admit he'd only been to one professional Quidditch match in his life.

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/8c1Q3Re.png[/img] Eros shook his head. "I have summer passes for the teams in Australia so I go to most of their games during the break. As for the ones here in Europe, I've only been to a few," Eros admitted. "How about you?"

((oh yay :D))

Magnus smiled the boy sure was getting a lot of invites. “I bet Paul could ‘elp, Eros. ‘E’s an auror. ‘E could arrange a portkey.”

He looked at Drew with a nod. “Ye all must have lots of stories. I mean, that’s so neat. I don’t really fix things. But when baby birds fall out of nests and stuff, I rescue them and get them back to health.” He turned red. Yes, helping an animal is so like repairing broken things. He eye-rolled himself. “I’d really like that… I amn’t really wanting to go back…” He looked at the ground. Then Drew gave Eros a lovely quidditch book and the little boy slid back a little, figuring he wasn’t as interesting as Drew was.

Drew blushed and said, "Um...I've been to one. I really haven't gotten into Quidditch," he admitted. "Never felt very comfortable on a broom, especially up high and going so fast. I guess it just takes practice, but I'd rather ride Fleet."

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/R53D23l.png[/img]"I hear Quidditch talk." Gaia said smiling as she entered the shop. She was a little winded and perhaps flustered. "It would seem I got sidetracked and missed half of the adventure. I may or may not have gotten a case of acid pops while I was at it." She grinned at her friends and then saw Eros. "I'm sorry I left you for a... bit. I was taking care of some final preparations for the final stop of the tour." ()

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/8c1Q3Re.png[/img] Eros' attention went to Magnus for a moment when the lycan mentioned an auror that could help set up a portkey. "That sounds like a plan. Thanks, Mags," Eros nooded. Eros didn't really know the auror, but the teen mentally noted the name for later before looking back at Niall as the boy shared his hobby of rehabitating birds.

Eros smirked, since he was also very fond of birds. "You sound like a hero, Nye," Eros smiled at the boy. "That definitely takes a lot more work and care than fixing a bike." ()

"Fleet?," Eros asked when Drew mentioned the name. "You sound like Merlin before," Eros grinned, referring to the part about not being comfortable on a broom. ()

Before he could say anything else, he saw enter the shop. Eros's smile disappeared for a bit as she joined the group and apologized. "A bit?," Eros raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "I swear every time I turn around, you've run off," he said, sounding slightly bitter, although he wasn't really mad. It was just that she was the reason he attended this workshop in the first place, and it felt like they haven't hung out much. "There's only one more stop, Kavanagh. If you run off again, I'm going to take it personally," Eros sighed, smiling a bit to indicate he was joking.

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/R53D23l.png[/img] Gaia stuck her tongue out at Eros and grinned "I am sure you have survived without me." She smiled and and added "I promise I won't leave again." She kissed his cheek and left him to get a new quill and some things she needed for school. ()

((LOL in my defense she didn't leave XD))

"Animals are important and I'm glad that you help take care of them, Niall, ()," Drew said sincerely. "It's a special gift. Moreso than fixing bikes and stuff." He gave Eros () an apologetic look and then tried to explain, "No offense, Eros. But fixing things like that is something you can learn to do by reading or watching others. Caring for animals is a skill you're born with and it's special." Then with a smile at Eros' question, he said, "Sorry, I forgot you didn't get to hear all about my own animals. Fleet is short for Fleetwind, my horse."

When joined them, Drew smiled. She was so pretty. He managed to hold back a chuckle as she kissed Eros' cheek, but once she was out of earshot, he looked at the older boy and said with a glint of mischief in his eyes, "So are you playing keeper this time?"

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/8c1Q3Re.png[/img] Eros bit his lips as Gaia wandered away from him again. At least, this time, they were in the same building. His eyes squinted a bit, however, as Drew spoke to him. "That's strike two," Eros warned playfully with an icy glare. "Strike one was saying that my bike fixing skill is lame," Eros grinned, purposely rewording Drew's earlier comment even though Eros had basically said the same thing before. "Strike two, teasing me. Another one and I'm turning you into a bird and you'll definitely need Niall to take care of you," Eros said as he double checked to make sure Gaia wasn't listening.

(and everyone)

Magnus nodded, "No prob. 'E practically lives at me 'ouse anyway. Best mates with me dad."

He shook his head. “Nah, I amn’t. I just got a lot of spare time and don’t got any friends… the animals are all that ever liked me—well that and Madame, the head of the orphanage…”

Gaia popped up and Niall smiled shyly. It looked like they needed time alone. Niall shook his head in defense of Eros. “I think it takes skill and knowledge to fix things.”

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/R53D23l.png[/img] Gaia made her way back to Eros as he was talking to another boy() "here!" She might have been a little too excited "I got you a new quill. They were having a sale and I got some for Harper and I to use." Gaia winked at Eros and handed him a bright pink quill with his name skillfully written in perfect calligraphy ((in purple)) while Gaia giggled. "I figured you could use it while in your common room... to remember me." She said almost in tears from laughing. ()

Drew had to hide a grin at Eros' comments. He was nearly positive the older boy was only kidding, but a look in Eros' eyes gave him enough of a warning not to push things. Instead he nodded. "New topic...a safer one," he agreed. "What's everyone's favorite flavor of ice cream?" he asked, looking around. "I'm ready for some now and I might try something different...so suggestions are appreciated."

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/VCYVMhn.png[/img]Marcello made his way to the quill shop and started looking for ... well he also needed to get the group but that was not the important part. "Has anyone seen Paddy?" He called over the crowd when Gaia waved at him. ()