Niamh found herself going red with embarrassment, but decided the best remedy would be to just go for a swim, so she started swimming towards the centre of the lake, trying to avoid the puppy as much as she could.

"Hey Fade," replied Paddy as she noticed he was looking at her in a strange way. Suddenly realising that hardly anyone knew about the potion she had been chosen to try, she realised she owed him and Magnus an explanation. "Over the break, Uncle told me I'd been picked to try out an experimental potion for this term. It's stronger than Wolfsbane, but still in the design stages.... apparently that means it could be years until it's safe to mass produce. They only can provide it for this term, but it's designed to prevent a werewolf from turning at the full moon." Looking at Magnus, she added, "I asked them if you could trial it as well, but they said it's only ready for females to try so far, as male wolves are harder to treat."

( )

Sauvage giggled at Magnus's and Drew's comments, happy she could entertain. It was a definite concern of hers that the guys might feel as though she was trying to take Fade away, and that was not at all the case. She nodded to Paddy as she came up and continued talking to Fade. "Well, I see zat we 'ave successfully distracted you from sketching today. I wonder...what was ze subject meant to be?" Acting coy, she twirled her hair and looked over at the lake. Then, thinking back to what Fade said, she asked, "What is this first date? I agree, somezing more priiivate would be better." She purred the word, wondering if perhaps she was going too far in the game. She toned it down, but continued, " Shall we go dancing? Or per'aps we sneak into ze 'ogwarts kitchens late at night and 'ave our own dinner?" She looked over at the younger students in the water. "Or we could go swimming in December." She laughed at the absurdity.

Edit: And just like that, Sauvage felt selfish. Here she was, flirting away and the conversation had shifted to something more serious. She physically pulled back a bit, letting her hair fall to cover her embarrassed face while she pretending to go back to knitting.

Paddy looked at Sauvage, and realised she'd not actually spotted the obvious. "Oh sh.... sugar, I hadn't realised I was interrupting something," she said, feeling embarrassed even though nobody would see her blushing through all the fur, "I'll leave you to it, you guys." She gave a smile to them of them, before heading back over to the lake to see if Snowden had finished playing in the water.

“Well its like this, ye think of the clothing ye want on and the locations…then ye wave yer wand like this.” She showed the motion and recited the incantation ((which I couldn’t find)) and smiled. “I recommend ye try it first on a doll and then when ye got that down, in the shower rooms. Ye never know what can happen with spells when first trying. I accidently switched my clothes onto a cat and wound up starkers.”

Zoe watched as Niamh unsuccessfully tried to dodge Snowden. It was kinda funny and she also felt bad for the girl. She wondered if she was afraid of dogs? Niamh went swimming though so she listened to Paddy. “Aye, I cannee blame ye. I’d nee want to be frizzy either.

@ sauvage ((lol couldn’t seem to add much.)) Lily and Jona were fun for sure. They might have been younger but that didn’t bother the teen at all. Jona’s laughter was hard to ignore.

Magnus looked up to see Paddy and was surprised at how well she was looking. When she explained he felt as if claws were ripping his heart. Only for girls. He hadn’t told anyone about his own failed attempt to be wolf-free, aside from those who were present. Now he doubted he would. “Oh, well good for you,” he said hoping it didn’t sound as jealous to her as it did to his own ears. Paddy seemed to flee real quickly too, though that could have been from the awkwardness of the new couple. The young werewolf didn’t want to look at anyone. He wasn’t feeling particularly in the mood for socialisation anymore.

Zoe somehow managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. Dirty? That was a bit dramatic and certainly going overboard. It was a bit of ketchup and dog lick on her trousers for crying out loud. “I did clean my hands,” she said in a soft tone, “My parents cannee afford…” No, they didn’t need to know all the sacrifices that was required to outfit her. Her father’s book hadn’t gone well to say the least. Before the term started Zoe would go along the moors finding all the edible berries and other plant life she could. Her and her mum would make jams and homemade bread—and with the eggs the chickens laid, that was what they ate as they saved the money to get Zoe’s new books and clothes. She tried to refuse the gift of her rabbit but her parents had insisted. Surely things would turn around. They even had given her money, which they converted to Wizard gold. “What I mean is, why muck up nice clothing? So I wore old clothes since we were outside.” She paused. “What I said was wrong and I have and still do apologise for it. I am sorry, I should nee have said it.”

Outfit Not Found

"There are spells for keeping your clothes clean," Callista says gently. "They won't keep you clean playing Quidditch or having a fight, but they'll keep ketchup off your trousers. And there are definitely spells for removing stains. Would you like me to show you some of those charms? It helps make clothing last longer, too. Even I wouldn't wear this dress outside if I didn't know household witchery. I'm guessing your mother couldn't have possibly taught you that, but I will be happy to show you, although in the summer, you will have to be careful, if you're under seventeen. England is weird about underage magic use; I'm glad we spend most of our summers in Italy, or travelling."

[img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/nBNbztm.png[/img] Elizabeth finally ordered some cookies from the picnic basket, and while waiting for them, she thought about Callista's words () and nodded. "I think some people pull the 'pure-blood and dark wizard' card all to quickly. Some don't know better and some...well, some intend harm. It seems Zoe in this case was, like you mentioned, uninformed. Her words got quite snappy then, though.", she said and ate one of the cookies. It was a small plate with different sorts and she placed it in the middle of the picnic blanket to share. "I think she regrets her actions and don't think the heaty discussion will entail any serious consequences." She still wondered how people could go swimming at this weather and shivered a bit just thinking about that.

Watching Lenore's actions in curiosity, Elizabeth eyed her carefully, wondering why exactly the Dark Lord and Lenore's family were such a touchy subject. Her own family stayed out of anything, but now that she was thinking about all of this, she asked herself how they did manage it. They were an old family as well with a rare heritage - surely that must have caught one's eye? Her face and thoughts grew worried so she forced herself to stop thinking about this and was thankful for the arrival of Pallas, Lenore's owl. Admiring the beautiful creature and smiling at how loyal he is to Lenore, she was a bit surprised by her friend's question. She could really use a drink right now. "Gladly.",she replied with a mischievous grin.

From the corner of her eyes, Elizabeth saw Poppy Blackwood(), one of the Head Girls arrive as well. It seemed that she wants to enjoy some solitude to craft. However, she wouldn't have any problem if Poppy would like to join them later. Her gaze wandering a bit further, she saw a raven disappearing in the branches of a tree. Looking a bit closer, she now saw that another Slytherin student had joined the Black Lake picnic, but she had been very calm. Hollynd and her haven't spoken much yet. In fact, Elizabeth had insisted to get a list from the Headmistress right at the start of the term with names and pictures of her house mates to be able to memorize them. Some people may find this strange, but Elizabeth really wanted to set a good standard and knowing people's name would indicate you care for them...and that you take your school duties very seriously.

Her thoughts were interrupted once again when Zoe() appeared. Her appearance had changed drastically and she tilted her head lightly at the girl. Well, the blue hair was indistinguishable. It was really strange however, because the fancy dress and the sandals just didn't look right in her opinion. Then, she noticed how awful that thought was. Every girl should be allowed to dress fancy. Just because Zoe preferred comfortable clothing didn't mean she wasn't allowed to wear a dress. It was just...unusual. Elizabeth was glad she didn't say her thoughts out loud directly when Zoe mentioned that her parents didn't have much money. She didn't finish that sentence, but Elizabeth understood that in an instant. She was glad for Valliska acting so quick and nice. "Callista is really good at this.", she added, encouragingly, "maybe you can give it a try. If you want."

(OOC, catching up, dealing with a killer headache right now. Hopefully it's over soon!)

[img align=right]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/370733.png[/img] Poppy decided on chicken and vegetable kebabs and pumpkin juice. Once they arrived in the basket with a jingle, she packed the beginnings of her wreath in her bag and picked up everything to bring to the blanket where Magnus, Drew, Sauvage, and Fade were sitting. She was curious about the new couple, especially since Fade's coloring seemed pretty active. Drew was looking cheery but Magnus looked peaky, and she wanted to see if everything was ok. Magnus' condition was very hard on him and Poppy worried about how much of a toll it took on him each month.

She waved to Elizabeth () as she passed the group of Slytherins, and waved again to who she almost bumped into as the girl hurried away from the spot where she herself was headed.

"Hi everyone () () () (). Mind if I join you for lunch?"

((OOC: Waiting on before posting anymore, otherwise there will be way too much to catch up on))

“Wow, that’s pretty cool. Only I hope it’s safe and all.” He would hate to see something bad happen to his friend, what if her fur fell out? But before he could say much more, Paddy turned and made her escape. () The look on Magnus’s face and the tone in his voice laid Fade’s curiosity to rest. () But it was interesting to know improvements to the condition were being researched. Maybe one day both his friends could actually enjoy the night sky under a full moon.

“Oh! Well, er...” Sauvage asked what Fade had been drawing and the color returned to his face and deepened into a blush as per usual. “I duno how to dance, but if you really wanted to.” He shrugged and looked over at the students brave enough to swim in the lake. Subconsciously he shivered. “Don’t think I’m quite that brave though.” He watched Sauvage become ruffled and pick up her knitting again. Was it something he said? Why was talking to pretty girls always so hard. ()

Poppy arrived on the scene and at the mention of lunch Fade’s stomach rumbled. “I don’t mind. Think it’s about time to order something myself.” Turning to Sauvage he tilted his head. “Have you had anything yet? I can get us something if you like.” A half smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He wouldn’t begin to guess at what was going on in her head, but maybe something good to eat was the answer. ( )

Sauvage felt bad when left; had she made the girl uncomfortable? She hoped Paddy would return later and if not, Sauvage planned to find her, because she really wanted to get to know Paddy better. Magnus (), however, seemed to have grown strained during Paddy's conversation, so maybe it was for the best that she momentarily disappear.

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/371381.png[/img] Fade () seemed completely thrown for a loop what with all the subtle social nuances occurring simultaneously. Sauvage welcomed Poppy () to the group and shifted a little closer to Fade to offer some room for her on the blanket."Please, sit down," she said to Poppy. "'ow are you? I feel like I ''ave not seen you in so long!" During the shift, Sauvage's braid fell apart, though she did not really notice much. Before Poppy responded, Sauvage turned to whisper to Fade: "Look, I am sorry for being so awkward. I just do not know 'ow to act around everyone else when I am wiv you." She contemplated food and smiled saying, "I could eat. Per'aps...an almond croissant!"

((OOC: @/Cheshire you pinged the wrong user for Poppy FYI))

((feel better))

Zoe's surprise was very evident on her face. She hadn't expected to be offered to learn spells to keep her clothes lasting longer. It would help her parents out no doubt. She nodded to both girls. "Aye, I would like that please. I shall be 17 in the middle of the summer so for part of it it'll work." She gave a small smile. "The traveling sounds nice. I do nee even take the Hogwarts express. I use floo powder to get to Hogsmede and just wait." It was way too hard to get her to London to take her all the way back.

Magnus looked up at Poppy arrive. "'Ey Pops, 'ow is it?" he said in a tired voice. "Ave a sit." The boy wasn't really looking at either Fade or Sauvage, since he didn't know what to say.

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/331783.png[/img]River was running along with her peacock behind her. She saw Magnus and several people she remembered seeing at the feast so made a beeline there. Though she wasn't sure if Drew would walk away from her this time. "Hi guys! Sorry I'm late. Mind if I sit with you? This is Tavas," she said pointing to her peacock

"Woooaaah..." Jona laid back on the beach, gathering his clothes to his chest. "I think I'm gonna head back to my room for now. Might've had one too many cookies." He smiled sheepishly. "I don't know how! I only had like..." He counted on his fingers and when he ran out of fingers to count he awkwardly looked at everyone and slouched away.

Zoe waved. "FEEL BETTER!!!" she shouted to her new friend. Nervously she bit her lip. 'I hope he's okay,' she thought

((trying to catch up a bit after work. I apologize if I forget anyone))

Drew was a bit surprised as Paddy ()came over to talk. He smiled and nodded to the girl. He really didn’t know her all that well and had honestly never stopped to think that she and Magnus () had a lot in common as they were both werewolves. Hearing about the potion Paddy was trying out made him hopeful for his friend.

Paddy didn’t linger long with them however, but before he could really check that Magnus was alright, since he seemed a bit withdrawn now, Poppy () had joined them. ( ) Unable to stop himself, Drew felt a slight blush rising. She wanted to sit with him??! Then he mentally shook himself. Of course not, you idiot, he chided himself. She’s just being friendly and wants to check on Mags. She’s only doing her job as Head Girl and being friendly. Sheesh, he had to get a grip on things, Drew thought. He smiled at Poppy and said, “Hi, Poppy. Of course you can join us. We haven’t decided what to order yet, but yours looks pretty good. I know I want pumpkin juice for sure. And maybe something chocolate. I might even get doughnuts since Merls isn’t around to steal them,” he laughed. Then glancing at Magnus, he said, “What are you having, Mags? And don’t say nothing because I’m not allowing that.”

Dodger gave a low growl at a strange sound he’d heard and Drew turned to see a…peacock?? Who the heck would have that as a pet??! His smile faded as he saw the answer. Suddenly the lovely green plaid blanket seemed overly full. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell River there wasn’t enough room. But a glance at both Magnus and Poppy and Drew sighed and swallowed his words. He didn’t want to look like a jerk in front of Poppy, especially now that he was a Prefect. And he for sure didn’t want to upset Magnus anymore. His friend had more than enough to deal with right now. Placing a hand on Dodger, he said quietly, “Easy. Stay put.” He wasn’t sure how the dog would deal with the bird. Nor was he sure how he was going to deal with the girl.

When Zoe () appeared again with a basket Lenore was again surprised. This seemed a bit over the top for an apology but the girl looked genuine.

"Thank you Zoe." she said, accepting the basket. "I'm very familiar with this type of heather. It grows in Baron's Hollow." she looked fondly at the plant as it's smell reminded her of home.

When Callie () talked about Pure-bloods and how the three of them, Lenore included, were not prejudiced, Lenore had to force herself to keep her expression soft. She had been taught the supremacy of wizarding blood her entire life and even though she had come to know several students of muggle parentage, she was still torn on the subject. Were old beliefs really so hard to forget?

She was glad when the conversation changed to household spells. She pulled another tumbler from her bag and poured a drink for Liz () along with one for herself. She then offered a glass to Zoe, hoping to show that she had forgiven the girl (mostly anyway) and that she meant to be friendly.

"It's real Scottish whiskey." she said, letting her Scottish accent show, which she rarely did. Her London-born mother would probably faint if she had heard it.

((I hope your head feels better soon Anne!))

Outfit Not Found

, ,

"Good," Callista said to Zoe, smiling. "We'll start this afternoon, and I'll show you how it's done. I know there are a lot of things you've missed out on, just as there's a lot that I don't know about the Muggle world."

Callista noticed Lenore's expression and said nothing. She would not want to have grown up in the Muggle world, nor would she want to be anything other than what she is, but people can't help where they come from, only where they decide to go--and there are some thoughts that are best kept to oneself. Of course she also thought her family was the very best family anywhere, but...most people who are happy with their families feel that way, so there's no sense arguing about it.

"Slytherin is really different from the other houses in a lot of ways. Even if we don't learn it at home, our prefects teach us to behave in a certain way, because we all want to get ahead in life. But it's not a big secret. We're as individual as everyone else, even in uniform--I wear a petticoat most of the time, and sometimes I tie my tie in a bow--but the prefects expect us to look sharp whether we're in uniform or not. This isn't something that's transmitted by blood, after all. Anyone can learn how to make themselves look as good as possible with whatever they have to work with. You'll see. I'm happy to show you those tricks."

Magnus didn't bother moving from his laying position. "Well if I can't say nothing, then 'ow about I nofing," He allowed his cockney accent to sound really thick. He chuckled at his reply.

River smiled. "I decided to only bring one pet so the others are in the dorms. Well, actually the ducks are in the girl's bathroom swimming. The girls love to give them attention. Oh don't worry about your adorable doggy woggy. He won't hurt Tavas. My bird's been spelled so he won't be harmed. I lost my rat to another girls cat in Ilvermorny. Didn't have the best time there." River gave another smile to Drew. She had no idea how to get him to like her. She certainly couldn't cook. She sat closer to Poppy than Drew. "Er, so I'm River, from 4A. How you feeling Magnus?"

"You know what they say, can't keep a good wolf down," Magnus replied flatly.

Zoe smiled at Lenore. She was very happy that it reminded her of her own home too. "Oh that makes it even better." The girl was very surprised to be offered a glass of Scottish Whiskey. "I ken nee say no ter that, or I'd be chased out of the Highlands, eh," she said taking the offered glass. "Thank ye, Long may yer chimney smoke." ((It's a good luck saying in Scotland just translated lol.))

"Thank ye, Callista, is nee it? I can teach ye some things about Muggles if ye'd like. Truth be told I'm a child of the moors. When I'm at home I wander about for days just me and the moor. My pets sometime come but if it's windy they don't on account of the wailin' winds. And they do wail something fierce. Some say is mournful but I think is a song. Tis the wind being my friend. Though the wind can shred clothing to bits too. I do nee know if yer hints will help me with that, but surely they might here." Was she rambling? She hoped Jona was okay. She didn't want to exclude him since he was her first friend.

((Ooc: oh god I have so much to catch up on ^^; I'll edit this once I've read everything lol))

[img align=right]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/368592.png[/img] Marcia watched wide-eyed but silently as the spat between Lenore and Zoe occurred. Her right eyebrow was cocked slightly as she sipped her tea, purposely avoiding meeting anyone's eyes throughout the whole ordeal. Once the situation had calmed, Lenore had returned from her brief departure, and apologies were exchanged, she felt much more comfortable. In truth, she couldn't blame Lenore for her reaction. If her family had been insulted, she might have reacted in much the same manner. Considering her family are well-off Slytherins prominent in the Ministry, there have been a fair share of rumors spread about them as well.

She cleared her throat before speaking for the first time in awhile, "I'll take a bit of what you're offering, there." She unabashedly held her mug out to Lenore (), indicating for her to just pour it straight into her tea.

Meanwhile, she noticed Elizabeth () let off a slight shiver as she watched some of the other students in the lake. "That group is a bit curious, aren't they?" She commented, nodding in the direction of the lake as she waited for Lenore to pour her a drink. "It's much too cold for that sort of activity. I'm struggling to keep warm and I'm here in a coat." She laughed.

Finally she turned to Callista () and Zoe (). She recognized Zoe somewhat, perhaps they had met at the welcoming ceremony in the great hall a few weeks back. Was this the girl with the worm? Her brow furrowed in contemplation before letting it go and saying, "You should listen to Callista. Her fashion is impeccable, really. She almost makes me want to care about putting together proper outfits." She joked with a smirk.

Fade lifted a brow at Sauvage, and sort of soaked in the warmth of sitting so close beside her. “I thought I was the awkward one.” He gave her a gentle nudge with his elbow. “Just act normal remember?” He smirked and stood up. “I’ll be right back with that.” At least he hoped, usually there wasn’t much of an issue asking the kitchens for any particular snack. This was a magical school after all.

A few minutes later Fade returned holding a plate brimming with an assortment of croissants, and small finger sandwiches. He set the plate in the middle of the group. “Anyone can have whatever they like.” He settled back onto the blanket beside Sauvage and reached for a sandwich, while eyeing the peacock that had followed River* closely. If Chase were here he would certainly be intrigued by that tail full of feathers. Cautiously Fade scanned the area but was unable to locate his mischievous cat. Probably for the better. (@/sauvage @/leafling19 @/poppet -got it right this time XD- @/raven )

[img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/nBNbztm.png[/img] "Oh, but the Hogwarts Express is quite amazing!", Elizabeth said, "you should try it once, really Zoe." () From a distance, she could see a girl running to the other group and...a peacock was following her. What an unsual pet, Elizabeth thought, but such a beautiful one.

She smiled lightly at the basket with moss. She had no idea where Zoe had gotten it from, but it seemed to be a nice gesture. "Thank you", she said when Lenore() gave her the tumbler and blinked a few times at her friend's Scottish accent. "Huh, I wouldn't have expected to hear such a strong accent from you.", Elizabeth said, sounding quite amused, before taking a sip of the whiskey. "What a great taste!", she remarked, while looking at the golden liquid and listening to Callista's words. () She had truly many good points and was glad that the conversation was so calm right now.

She was a bit startled when Marcia () spoke up to her as she had been completely absorbed in thoughts. Following the girl's gaze to the lake, Elizabeth nodded as well. "Absolutely...an interesting motley crowd.", she said and looked at Marcia's outfit, then at her own. "I admit I may have thought about using accio to get me a warmer jacket...but it's still bearable. I let myself fool by the sunshine I noticed while having breakfast." She chuckled a bit. "Let me know if your tea and whiskey combination is good. It sounds very tempting and I have a quite lonely cuppa standing next to me as well."

(OOC Thanks! (: My headache is gone by now =D OOC² Good luck to you Arkham! c: )