Merlin was pleased, they all seem to like different things but Niall seems to like the same as his cept he already knew what to specialize in. "I'm sure you can be a great magizoologist Niall. Maybe one day we'll be colleagues." He smiles and nods then looks at Magnus who he clearly heard doubts about his goals. "You'll be a great healer for sure and Drew a great writer. You can write the book about our dark forest adventure and the Bee Guy!" He laughed and waited for Drew to explain what a thestral was.

Drew shuddered at the very mention of his greatest fear. "Merlin's beard, no!" he said. "Ride horses...or in the recent case thestrals. I would love to see and ride the flying horses Millie told us about at Beauxbatons. I just love horses of all sorts. I'm an animal lover and if I don't write then I'd like to work with animals in some way. Oh and stargaze at night," Drew smiled.

Niall smiled, “I’d like that, Merls. Who knows, maybe I’ll study dragons. I know I’d love to ride one. They are amazing.” Niall noticed Drew shudder, though and refrained from saying he’d like to ride an acromantula. But his eyes bugged out. "Ya rode a thestral? That’s pretty rare.” He groaned at Beauxbatons, but didn’t clarify why.

Magnus nodded and smiled, as he sipped his tea. He still doubted and knew Merlin saw through the smile.

Drew nodded at Niall's question about the thestrals. "Yeah," he said with a blush. "It kind of happened partly from necessity. we'd been in the Forbidden Forest and seen them, but then we needed their help and so...yeah, I got to ride one. We all did. It was really amazing." Drew didn't want to boast about being able to talk to the creatures.

At the groan, he gave Niall a curious look. "Don't you like the Beauxbatons' horses?" he asked.

Niall was intrigued but sensed Drew didn't want to explain so he didn't ask anymore. "Oh its not the horses. Its the school. Madame is very partial to it. She made me tour there as well. Doesn't want me to come here, but its my choice. More than half the older kids go there." He shrugged.

Zonkos wasn't really one of Paddy's favourite shops - she didn't mind watching others fool around with their joke items, but she'd never felt comfortable with the idea of using them herself. Figuring it was just something that was left over from her time as a prefect, she laughed as Merlin tried on the glasses. "Those suit you," she said, looking round as Magnus asked where Niall was. "How the heck could we just lose him?" she asked, following the others as they chased through the alleyways trying to find him. As they found him, she muttered "I'll see you in the tea rooms" to Magnus and headed back to Spintwitches. She didn't know much about Quidditch teams, but she had a word with the shopkeeper who pointed her in the direction of the Irish team items.

A short while later, she joined everyone in the team rooms where Niall seemed to have recovered from being lost. She pulled up a spare chair at the table and handed Niall a small item in a small cardboard box. "This is just to apologise for earlier," she said, "and to promise that I'll help you with map reading next term, seeing as I got lost the first time I came here."

()

When Paddy arrived and procured a figurine of an Irish Beater, who was currently taking swings with his bat, Niall looked up at her. “Ya dinn’t needa do that,” he said, “thank ya. And again for the map reading lessons. Never had a map to navigate with before. Madame did all the planning and so on when we went on our outings.” He smiled. “Do you follow quidditch? Whaddya wanna do out of Hogwarts?” he asked, since she was absent for that question.

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to," she replied with a smile, "I'd never needed a map before, as either my dad or uncle were with me if I was somewhere new, so I never needed to find my way around. First time I came to Hogsmeade I ended up asking directions from random shopkeepers. I haven't really paid any attention to Quidditch," she admitted, "I'd never seen a game before I came to Hogwarts, so I don't know much about any of the teams or anything."

She thought for a few moments about the last question before replying, "I haven't a clue really. I guess it depends on what grades I get in my OWLs, but also what kind of job would accept me.... I'm not sure that everywhere would be as welcoming to a werewolf as Hogwarts is."

(and anyone else)

"Well I thank ya." The conversation turned to map reading, "Yeah its not a skill ya learn if ya don't need it. And that's okay I bet ya have other interests." Then Niall's eyes flicked from Paddy to Magnus and back again. "Ya're the other werewolf?" he asked in a hush. "I've never heard of a werewolf with fur all the time. That can't be easy, not being able to hide. Still ya're one of a kind special and I reckon that's comforting." He blushed.

Magnus nodded. "Its tough for werewolves as a whole. In the medical field I won't be allowed to work in the moon-cycle... that is if I'm allowed the job at all. I'm a known werewolf after all. A lot of people 'ave told me the chances of me being a 'ealer are rather slim."

Paddy nodded, "yeah, it's quite unusual for there to be two werewolves at Hogwarts at the same time, but I think we might be the first two to be in the same year group. They think I'm the only werewolf in the world to have a constant covering of fur, but since I've been at Hogwarts, everyone's been really accepting. Most people I'd met before then would either just stare or make derogatory comments about my fur."

Merlin was listening while drinking his tea then suddenly just whispers to Paddy. "Well you look quite lovely with the fur and definitely unique."

Merlin looked at Magnus. "Well, if I get to be the boss in my village I would hire you to be our healer then. There are two, but many know general healing spells in case of emergency, I wouldn't mind having a werewolf working there. Of course you may want to work at a hospital like St. Mungo's but it is an alternative....because I plan to be the boss one day." He giggles. "I am sure you can get a job anywhere you please, hopefully not everyone would judge so hard, times have change a bit and not everyone sees it with bad eyes, but yes I can understand why you worry."

Merlin got up to get more pastries and sandwiches even when he was a bit ashamed, but was feeling really hungry. "Sorry guys...can't help it."

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/180911.png[/img] Eventually the group made it back to the tea shop and belatedly noticed Niall was missing. They quickly left and searched for him and returned before Rosie noticed. She looked up shortly after and she saw Niall's red rimmed eyes. They were still wet and she knew he had been crying. "You okay??" she whispered to Niall while the attention was on Merlin. Merlin had pulled some silly glasses out of his pocket and Rosie accepted hers. She put it on and immediately her eyes looked like they had tripled in size. Rosie glanced at Merlin and saw his eyes and snorted. "If these glasses do that to me I don't know if I'll ever wear them." she laughed. "Thank you anyway Merls." Rosie sipped from her tea and took the glasses off pocketing them.

The conversation turned more serious as Niall inquired about everyone's dreams for the future. Rosie followed their answers while thinking about her own. When it was her turn to speak she answered. "I want to be a famous violinist. Play fun music for big audiences like Lindsey Stirling does. I'd like to combine music and magic, but that wouldn't do in concerts for muggles." she said gesturing wildly with her hands. Rosie almost knocked her cup of tea over and quieted down. She kept listening then instead of talking more. Eventually the topic shifted towards the dreams Paddy and Magnus had their werewolf status.

"I had never met werewolves before coming here. I almost just kept staring when I first saw you Paddy." Rosie pointed out. They told about their worries and she thought about the way things had been easy for her. Rosie had her family wealth which meant she could afford to learn multiple music instruments and pay for all her dancing equipment. She had a foot in the muggle world and magic world as a half-blood, having tutors teach her school subjects from both. And with her wealth she could easily enjoy the splendor both worlds offered, never having to worry about a thing. "I didn't know things could be difficult like that." she added looking down at her lap.

Magnus nodded. “It’s not very usual for us to be the same age and all. And we were in the same ‘ouse for a while as well.” He frowned. “Yeah sometimes I get comments that ain’t very nice either. But others are super great about it and don’t seem ta care. It kinda just seems to depend.” Magnus smiled at Merlin. “I’d like that. You’re a good friend Merls.” He shook his head, “Merls, you seen ‘ow much I’ve eaten at times during shifting. There ain’t anything to be sorry about. If you are ‘ungry, you’re ungry.”

Nial hadn’t wanted Rosie to know he’d gotten lost let alone he was crying. But the look of concern, he couldn’t bear to lie to her either. “I-I’m okay now. G-got separated from the group. But it’s okay now.” He stifled a laugh when Rosie tried on the glasses. He could very much invasion Rosie playing music in a grand hall. It sounded lovely. “Ya’ll be fantastic,” he said.

Niall didn’t know there was so much struggle with being a werewolf and he felt a pang for both of them. He supposed the attitude he had beforehand was ones they both faced. “Well, ye both convinced me that ye both are great people who struggle with a difficult illness. I certainly don’t think ye are anything but nice.”

Merlin smiled after listening to Niall say the werewolves were nice, because that was true. "I'm pleased you got to know them and give them a chance, now you see you can't always take things as people say and you have to learn to make your own conclusions about people, creatures, and things." He took another bite on his sandwich and wondered when they would leave to the Three Broomsticks but at least he was resting his feet.

When Magnus mentions the food he eats during shifting Merlin laughed. "I guess you are right, problem is I'm constantly hungry, like I'm a bottomless pit like..was it Drew's mom that said that?" Merlin suddenly changed teh subject entirely. "Do you think I can sell them some cakes or tarts? I could use an extra galleon, thou I don't know if I'll have time to bake too much unless I use magic but I prefer to do it by hand, in my opinion it tastes better."

Drew munched on another scone as he listened to the conversation move to the topic of werewolves. He'd not officially met Paddy before and honestly hadn't known she was a werewolf. Quietly he said, "I didn't know you were a werewolf too, Paddy. I thought you were just some type of dog and so I didn't think anything about it since I love dogs." He blushed at the comment. "I'm sorry that some people can't see past the surface to the real person you are. You and Mags are both special and I'm proud to know both of you."

Looking over at Rosie, he continued in a quiet voice. "I can understand your feelings, Rosie. I'm the same way. Coming here and meeting my new friends makes me see just how fortunate I am. I've never really had worries or cares compared to others. And it also makes me feel a bit spoiled and overindulged to have so much." Drew shrugged and said, "I guess that's why I want to try to make my friends happy and help them all that I can."

Niall nodded though he wasn’t really sure what else to say. But he did wonder if that was the reason they were being so nice to him? Was it pity? Was it because they liked him? He wasn’t sure. He stared at the tart in front of him. Certainly he seemed to be kind of pathetic compared to the others.

Magnus shrugged, “well I suppose you could try one of me protein shakes.” He rummaged in his bag and pulled out a bottle. It was chocolate flavour. “Paul’s wife suggested them. I simply can’t eat enough for what me body needs.” He considered Merlin’s question. “Might. You could ask ‘em. Certainly your treats are yummy.”

Drew's ears caught the word chocolate. "So chocolate has now been proven to provide protein. I knew all along that it was good for you," he said with a grin.

Seeing Niall looking down and being quiet again, Drew asked, "What's your favorite part of the trip been so far, Niall?"

Merlin smiled at Drew and Rosie who he felt were feeling kind of guilty for having so much compared to others. "You guys have no reason to feel bad or guilty for anything, we all have different experiences in life and that doesn't make you better or worse than anyone, yet no matter how good or bad your experiences have been what shapes you as a person is what you learn from those experiences and what you make out from them. Not because you have bad experiences you have to become bad or because you have good experiences you become good, that's not how it works, the personality and way of seeing and perceiving things is what makes you who you are. If you have had a great life so far, that is wonderful and you should cherish those memories and be grateful there is no need to feel bad for others because they had it worse than you, that's just life. I for instance don't pity Magnus or Niall for being orphans, I like them because despite that they are strong, generous, kind, and good friends and that is what they are for me- a friend. Or don't pity Paddy or Magnus for being werewolves, it is a terrible illness and I admire them for becoming the wonderful persons they are, but you see those experiences they have had so far is what makes them who they are today, without those they might have turned different and I like them as they are now. So what I'm saying is, you don't have to feel guilt for having what can be called better luck or better life it is not your fault what happened to any of us."

Merlin looked at the shake. "Looks good and it's chocolate!" He sniffs it. "Can I taste it? What you add to it? Tell me not meat please." He grins and then responded to the other suggestion. "I guess I can always ask."

Niall looked up at Drew and then back down. “I liked seeing all the animals and the books and the musical instruments and the sweet and the plants and the grocers’. And everyone’s been really nice.”

Magnus was getting uncomfortable. He put his hand on his new talisman, trying to let the calm wash over him. But it just wasn’t helping enough. Likely because he wasn’t angry or anything—just not comfortable. He sighed, “No, there’s no meat in it, and yes you can. Giving you it. It’s a powdered type method of protein the muggles make. No animal products.” He conveniently didn’t comment on the rest of the convo.

Drew turned a startled look at Merlin,his eyes widening slightly. "I...I don't pity them," he said. "I mean, yes I know people have different life experiences, and I feel a little bad for having so much, but it's not pity. It's just kind of a sadness that everyone can't have good memories...but I guess that's the writer part that wants happy ending. But like Dad says, if ever story was the same it would be boring. Everyone has their own story, good and bad. It's the bad that makes us appreciate the good even more. I liked you and Mags without really knowing all the background. You're just fun and caring and you were friendly to me when I first started this term. You're just my friends. And now so is Niall...and everyone else who we've been hanging out with. I...I didn't mean to sound like I was pitying anyone." He bit his lip and tried to explain, "I just like doing nice things for my friends. It's because I care about them...not out of pity."

Taking a deep breath, Drew hoped that he hadn't messed things up too badly. He looked at Niall and smiled. "It's been a good day with lots of fun stuff," he agreed. "I'm glad you got to come along with us, Niall. You've helped make my first trip to Hogsmeade special. It's always more fun to share things you like, like animals and books in my case, with others that like them too."