I don’t understand what we have to do. XD~

((ooc some of the info got left out I believe so I am adding this. Hope you don't mind . it is primarily a fun rp but also the chance to do a different thing at three different stalls we have planned. I will also be introducing a character later when the group nears the lake and there will be the opportunity to ice skate...or snowball fight...or whatever :D Once people start participating, we will introduce different characters and have more interaction. Hope this helps everyone ))

Malinda begins handing out pieces of parchment. You unroll yours and find your to-do list:

• buy sweets at the sweets lady (You don't pay with SP, obviously! Just rp and choose what bag you want!)
• write a poem to please a certain someone who you will meet later and send it to leafling19!
• arts & craft (do an actual art/craft project) - send your entry to Anne !

I LOVE THIS. I can see how much work you two put in it. I’ll post here once I get home (I went away for the weekend so I’m behind with Subeta/Wizarding lol).

Thank you! 💚

((ooc love the soundtrack! this is a great idea~))

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/274124.png[/img]Nathaniel looked around in awe. Growing up in a muggle village had meant he'd spent many a December day trawling through Christmas markets, sipping mulled wine and enjoying the festivities. This however, was something else entirely. Snow fell gently, cloaking the ground in a polar white blanket that crunched rhythmically beneath the student's feet. Twinkling fairy lights lined the streets and smells of vanilla and cinnamon and smoke caressed the student's senses. Oh, how Nathaniel loved Christmas!

Malinda Howard addressed the Slytherin's with a sparkling excitement that was contagious. Nathaniel took his bag and, after scanning the list, popped the rolled parchment in the bag before looking around for someone to join forces with. He wasn't about to stalk the village on his own! Market's of this kind were, in his experience, much better shared. Besides, he had a bunch of money to spend on gifts and had a one-for-you-one-for-me buying policy that he couldn't wait to put into action!

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/272818.png[/img]

Lenore regains her balance after landing in the village. She's travelled by portkey more than a few times and doesn't find herself sprawled on the ground anymore but never does manage the graceful landing that she wishes for. Before she even has a chance to blush however, she looks up and is entranced by what she sees.

This village looks as though it came right out of a picture book. The street was lined with shops and small restaurants, each sending out their own sounds to add their voice to the melody growing in the air. The scents drifted by in tantalizing waves. She could smell mulled wine and gingerbread and pine neddles and oh! So many other things! She wanted to close her eyes and take in the sounds but she couldn't. The sights were holding her captive.

After a few moments...a few minutes? She couldn't say. A cheery young woman beckoned them over and Lenore pulled herself back into focus. This idea of a list of goals was intriguing. And she intended, as her pride always dictated, to complete any goals set before her perfectly. But no wandering off? Her face fell a bit when she heard that part of the instructions. This beautiful place was made for wandering! Looking around again, she promised herself that no matter what, she would not miss anything. This was too perfect an opportunity to waste.

When Lenore's bag appeared (soft deep green velvet with dragon hide details), she took the rolled parchment from the inside. Crafts and poems? She smiled. This would be a lot of fun.

But it was exploring and shopping that she truly wanted to get to. She had plenty of gold in her usual bag from home and planned to spend a good amount of it. Tucking her usual school bag into the new one she had been given, she perched it gracefully on the crook of her arm and looked around.

She recognized a few of the faces in the crowd of Slytherins but didn't see Liz or Callie yet. Drew was lost in the group somewhere as well apparently. Nearby however, Lenore spotted a dark-haired boy () she hadn't had a chance to get to know yet. He had the kind of smile that made her feel comfortable immediately. Stepping closer, she introduced herself.

"Hello. I'm Lenore. I've seen you around but don't know your name?" She wasn't sure how old the boy was, she had never been a good judge of age. He was rather cute though and she couldn't help but look him over in what she hoped was a discreet fashion.

((ooc: This is amazingly well thought out! And I love the soundtrack. Alex, Lenore is known for being a bit of a flirt but never takes it too seriously. React as you wish ;) ))

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/377239.png[/img] Poppy gasped and her eyes sparkled with delight. The crisp wintry air was invigorating and she was already tingling with excitement over the Christmas Market. She had heard about such places in Germany and other countries with large cities, but hadn't been to one in a few winters, and never one as grand as the market before them. It was the perfect chance to do her holiday shopping. The day wasn't too cold but the windchill was fierce. She stamped her new dragon scale boots, an early Christmas gift from her mother, to keep warm.

She thanked Malinda and eagerly accepted her gift bag and parchment. She wondered if she could keep it, a soft tawny velvet pouch scattered with starry beading. Lenore's () bag--green velvet and dragon hide--was particularly beautiful. She noticed a boy with impeccable hair (), a girl who looked like she might be sick (), and Drew grinning broadly (). Poppy hurried over where they were all clustered together. New places could be overwhelming, especially ones as lovely as the market. Hopefully they would all figure it out together and have a great outing exploring.

[img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/y4c8mdY.png[/img]Elise felt a little queasy from spinning. She wondered if she would ever get used to traveling like witches and wizards normally did. After her nausea settled down a bit, she looked around at her surroundings. She had been excitedly waiting to see what the prefects had in store for the house especially since it was her favorite time of year. She took in the fresh air and noted the sweet smell of bread freshly baking not too far in the distance.

Elise thanked Malinda as she handed her her bag and to do list. Standing to the side she decided to glance over the parchment. She was a bit anxious though; despite the amount of time she had spent in Hogwarts, she had yet to form any solid bonds with her fellow Slytherins. She held strong, hopefully, this trip would be a way for her to interact more with her house.

(OOC: I love the theme!)

Drew Wilder took a deep breath of the cold air, not hard since he had all but face planted in the snow when they arrived. He really hoped no one else had seen his inelegant landing. It would be horribly embarrassing to be known as the prefect who couldn’t travel by port key. Then again it was better than being sick from it. Drew brushed off the snow and a huge grin formed on his face. It was perfect! The setup was even better than he’d hoped when he and Elizabeth had talked to Malinda about their idea. Every sight, sound, and smell shouted Christmas. He hoped that their fellow Slytherins would think so as well and find themselves falling under the spell of Christmas. To Drew it was the perfect outing. He loved Christmas and couldn’t wait to get started, but as one of the leaders this time he couldn’t just take off. First things first…he looked around to see what everyone thought of their little trip, and the surprise destination as he and Elizabeth hadn’t reveled actually what they would be doing when they had announced a Slytherin outing.

Malinda was organizing the group and handing out bags, her cheerfulness mixing with the excitement of the students to form an almost electrical charge to the air. Drew thanked Malinda, took his own bag, and moved aside to allow others to collect theirs so they could set out. He was so looking forward to spending hours just taking in all the sights and smells. Of course it helped that he’d brought along some money too. His friends who happened to be in other houses and therefore not present were in for some surprises! And probably his housemates as well.

Nathaniel () had his bag and looked as eager as Drew to set out. Drew grinned at him and held up his own bag, indicating he was ready to join the other boy if he wanted. He didn’t know Nathaniel overly well, but was more than willing to become better acquainted. And speaking of not knowing people well, Drew saw a girl off to the side, looking a bit lost and out of place. () He waved to her and beckoned her to join him as he headed toward where several of their housemates were gathering once they had their bags.

As he watched Lenore () head over to speak to Nathaniel, Drew couldn’t hold back his excitement any longer. “Hello Lenore!” he called heading over. “Hey Nathaniel! Everyone ready for the fun?”

((ooc - glad everyone is liking the theme and excited. I know I am and so is Drew :D I hope you all enjoy it! And don't worry, there will be plenty of chances to wander and have fun with rp. I'll try to add Drew's winter outing/Christmas HA later. My internet has been a pain lately.))

Travelling by port key seemed to have had varying effects on the students: one girl, Elise () looked particularly queasy. Nathaniel hadn’t travelled like this on many occasions, but had picked up the process like a natural. Anything was better than travelling by ship.

Everyone knew Lenore Addleborne (). She was a petite girl, a little older than Nathaniel, with a kind face that couldn’t be disguised, no matter how she tried. She’d competed as champion in the recent Triwizard tournament across the pond, and Nathaniel was pleased that she’d singled him out as a worthy companion for the trip. ‘Lenore,’ he purred, extending a warm hand, ‘it’s Nathaniel,’ he offered, with a smile.

Before Lenore could respond at all, Drew () appeared as if from nowhere, dragging a reluctant Elise Cortez with him.

Poppy Blackwood wasn’t far behind, dressed in red plaid and a cute hat and Nathaniel noticed a girl in his year, Hollynd Atwood hanging back a little, looking distracted. He gave her a wave () when she caught his eye, hoping she’d join the group that was quickly forming.

Nathaniel turned and grinned at the other boy. ‘What’s the plan then Drew? Lenore? We need to get going soon before I freeze in this snow!’ He shook his empty gift bag in front of him - navy velvet with gold rope ties. ‘And more importantly, we need to shop!’

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/272818.png[/img] Lenore took Nathaniel's () hand and warmed slightly at the purr in his voice when he said her name. Before she could be further distracted by the boy however, she heard another voice call her name.

"Drew! () I was wondering where you were." She smiled and gave the boy a hug. She had never done that before, not knowing if he would mind, but she was so distracted by the moment that she forgot to restrain herself. She raised her eyebrows in a look that asked 'was that ok?'

Poppy () had joined the group, along with a pretty girl with pink added to her brown hair () that Lenore didn't know yet. She gave them both a smile and a wave. There was another girl who looked as though she was thinking about joining them and Lenore was about to wave her over but Nathaniel beat her to it. She gave the girl a smile anyway.

The snow was perfect and Lenore was just thinking about conjuring something warm to drink and savoring the cold air when Nathaniel mentioned shopping. This was likely the one thing that could distract her from the beauty around her.

"I'm always willing to shop." she responded enthusiastically, "Lead on and I'll follow. Just don't be surprised if I get lost amongst the jewelry."

((OOC: How much are we supposed to be wandering before shops/stalls are introduced? I don't want to throw off your plans.))

[img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/VJJ03Ky.png[/img] With a slight blush on her face - portkey travel would probably never grow on her - and more or less graceful, Elizabeth tippytoed from where she let go of the portkey and found herself in the small village Drew and she had searched for. It was perfect. The little cottages were covered in a fine layer of crisp snow and the doors were decorated with holly wreaths and other decorations. She was completely taken in by the wonderful sight and the sounds, and oh the smells that she barely noticed her fellow housemates of Slytherin. Wrapping her scarf more tightly due to the quite cold wind, she walked a few steps over to them, before stopping for a moment. The snow scrunched and this sound was a delight to her ears. Then, she remembered to go over to Malinda first, so Elizabeth changed her course slightly and collected the list and the small bag from the woman before going back to the group of her housemates.

"Hello! I hope you're all as excited we are!", she said, speaking for Drew and herself. She was really hoping this small trip would go well. She was glad that she had already done most of the christmas shopping so she could just enjoy the village. Poppy () was by far the most striking with her choice of clothes and the colours were so fitting for christmas. "What a lovely coat!", she told with a smile her while sizing her up, "and your boots are amazing and so stylish!" Her eyes were sparkling as she noticed that everyone here - Poppy, Hollynd, Nathaniel(), Elise(), Drew() and Lenore() - had dressed so nicely and appropriate! Kicking a bit of snow from her boots, she looked at the gift bag she had gotten from Malinda. It was a dark emerald with silver ornaments. She fell a bit back though and looked beside her, finding Hollynd walking next to her, although that seemed unintentional. "Nice jacket. I love the fur", Elizabeth said, "and your gift bag fits perfectly."

[img align=right]https://i.imgur.com/xdBfK8x.png[/img] A lady with chocolate brown hair appeared in front of the nearest market stall which shed a very sweet scent. "Hello hello! I'm Beth Albury. Malinda has told me that you would arrive very soon so I prepared some things for you.", she introduced herself. "I'm running a sweets shop normally, but I couldn't resist this opportunity. A magical christmas market! But I'm talking too much - I think you could some hot beverages and a few sweets! Enjoy!" With these words, she flicked her wand and the empty table filled itself.

(OOC - I'm happy you're enjoying this RP! (: We're now ready for the stalls - sorry for the delay, Monday's are awful. :'D )

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/377485.png[/img] Marcia landed gracefully, perfectly balanced and together after her portkey trip. It was a skill learned the hard way, after many years of traveling by portkey. However, she quickly let out a noticeable shiver as the cold air touched her face. She was rather well bundled up, but nevertheless, winter was winter. The smell of the bakery nearby immediately tempted her, as did the quaint little craft stalls scattered throughout the lane, and she let out a small noise of disappointment when Malinda said they had a specific goal here today. Marcia just wanted to shop. She had coins burning a hole in her purse and she'd love to buy her mother a new piece of jewelery, or her father something new for his travels...

Rather begrudgingly, she accepted the bag from Malinda, along with the scroll of parchment they all had been handed and hoped that she could sneak away to explore the shops on her own at some point. She looked around at her fellow Slytherins, but hung back out of the group awkwardly. It seems everyone had already grouped together and were awash in conversation, leaving Marcia the odd one out. No matter, she was used to it, always being alone. She followed along on the outskirts of the group as they reached the first stall, a sweets shop that made Marcia smile with interest. The scent was exquisite and she couldn't wait to sample some of their creations.

((ooc: sorry I'm kind of late. Busy weekend!))

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/274124.png[/img]Lenore () took Nathaniel’s hand in hers for a moment, before breaking off to hug Drew (). Afterwards, she returned her hand to his, and he warmed to the touch. He liked that she was confident and was used to holding hands or linking arms with the girls in Slytherin. Did he detect a flirtation? Of course not. He was 15 years old, naive and definitely not interested in the girls as anything more than platonic friends. He held on anyway: it was cold and he liked that the older girl was so easy to get along with. He decided quite quickly that they would get on just fine, even if she was a bit of a tease.

She seemed as interested in shopping as the others: in fact, the whole group were practically ringing with the shared weight of their Galleons.

The Slytherin’s had really made an effort for the trip and Nathaniel was excited to get to know those with whom he was less acquainted. Lenore seemed distracted by a glittering jewellery stall, suggesting that they head onwards whilst she browsed a little.

Marcia Rainer () was a Slytherin through and through, an only child from a wealthy pure-blood family: her parents both worked for the Ministry. ‘Hey Marcia, weren’t you looking for something for your mother?’ He was a total gossip, and had a terrible habit of listening in on people’s conversations in the common room, or the library, or the Great Hall... listening in anywhere that allowed him to, really. He pointed out the jewellery stand that had caught Lenore’s attention, feeling jealous that she’d dropped his hand like a magpie drawn to something shinier.

Before any of them could even get close to the jewellery stall, an empty one nearby was filled with a plethora of sweets and drinks! With a wave of her wand, Beth Albury caught the attention of the students. A hot beverage was very much a necessity at this point.

Hollynd () and Elizabeth () hung back a little, so Nathaniel joined the others () and settled on a peppermint tea and a bag of lightly spiced iced peppernuts. The entire table danced with charming food, and so he stepped aside and watched out for what everyone else would pick up from the sweet stand.

((ooc: Mondays! ugh-- hope you all had a good weekend! plus, it's getting closer and closer to Christmas! exciting~))

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/272818.png[/img] Lenore kept her hold on Nathaniel's () hand. It was comfortable and she loved the thought of strolling hand-in-hand with a friend down the beautiful street.

The arrivals of Liz () and Marcia () completed her excitement. Well, almost, she still hadn't seen Callie ().

Spotting something glittering in the sunlight, Lenore glanced to her left and saw...oh! A jewelry stall! Dropping Nathaniel's hand, she called "Be back!" and sprinted lightly through the snow to check out what was there. It didn't take her long to decide on her first purchase. It was a lovely gold bracelet, delicately crafted into the shape of a peacock. Slipping it onto her wrist she rejoined the group which had apparently moved on to the first stall on their outing. Slipping in beside Nathaniel, she took his hand again and looked over the treats.

There were so many choices! It wasn't hard for her to decide on the drink. She chose a hot mug of coffee with a wonderfully spiced whipped cream on top. The treat was going to be harder. Which would she go with... she saw that Nathaniel picked up some iced peppernuts and they smelled amazing. Following suit, she took a small bag of them and smiled at Beth Albury.

"Thank you Ms. Albury."

((OOC: Thank you for the lovely treats Anne!))

Laughing at Nathaniel’s () urging to get things started, Drew said, “We’re going to visit a few specific places, but other than that we can look and shop all we want. That is if you’re not freezing,” he teased.

He was surprised at the hug from Lenore,() but grinned and returned the hug. “I’m here,” he said and gave her a reassuring smile that he was fine with hugs.

Drew very nearly rolled his eyes though at the way Nathaniel spoke to Lenore. He watched as they joined hands and headed off after being assured that there would be time for fun as well as finishing the items on the list.

When Poppy () joined the group, Drew smiled. She was a bright, stunning figure in her festive outfit. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the young woman he found her beautiful, but his tongue seemed to tie itself in knots and the moment passed. Instead he cleared his throat and offered his arm. “I’d be honored if you allowed me to escort you through the winter wonderland,” he said to Poppy.

He grinned at Elizabeth () as she joined them and nodded as she said that they were excited. Drew for sure was! And he was glad when they all set off together. This was going to be great fun!

As they all walked along through the crunching snow, Drew’s eyes took in the varying sights. He had to smile as Lenore zeroed in on the jewelry stall. His mum would have done the same thing. In fact, he might be able to find her a present there, he thought to himself.

Before he could head toward it however, a lady appeared in a nearby stall. Drew listened to her introduction and then smiled as with a quick wave of her wand, goodies appeared. He joined the others as they moved over to view the choices. Hot chocolate was Drew’s go-to drink in winter, but as it wasn’t part of the selection, the dark haired boy went with peppermint tea instead. Smiling at the sweets, he decided on a vanilla lollipop. If you couldn’t get chocolate, then go with vanilla, Drew reasoned.

He smiled at Beth Albury and said, “Thank you, ma’am.”

He noticed Marcia () join them and gave her a wave, his soft slate grey velvet bag with dark green designs bouncing against his side slightly. There was another girl…hmm, what was her name again? Hollynd? Was that right? Drew hadn’t officially met her yet but he gave her a smile and beckoned her closer along with Marcia and Elise ().

((ooc: I think I got everyone. I apologize if I left anyone out. Long day and I’ve been fighting with internet issues and subeta all night))

((ooc: Thanks for the sweets, Anne!))

Marcia was startled briefly when one of the boys () asked her a question. Had they met yet? She had seen him around, but...

"I... uh," Marcia flushed, momentarily losing her refined facade as she wondered how he knew about her shopping plans, but quickly recovered. "Yes, I was. Have we met prior? I'm sorry if we have, I've been meeting so many people recently..." She eyed his and Lenore's () linked hands curiously before Lenore hurried off toward the jewelery stand. She would have to go check out their wares after she finished here at the sweets stand; if Lenore was excited, they must have worthwhile things there.

Next thing she knew, Drew () was waving her down to come closer to the group. She gave him a shy wave in return and glanced at Hollynd () and Elise (), two other girls who had been hanging back on the edge of the cluster of people, before moving forward to join her peers. Eagerly, she waited her turn to pick out some sweets from the table in front of them. When the time came, she grabbed a steaming mug of coffee, relishing the heat that resonated through her gloves, and a little bag of the iced biscuits.

After she had gathered up her treats, she smiled briefly at woman running the stall (). "Thank you Miss Albury, this coffee is lovely."

Marcia eyed the jewelery stall across the way as she sipped at her coffee gingerly. It was slightly too hot to drink, but did wonders to warm up her hands. Perhaps now would be a good time to sneak off to peruse their selection.

Outfit Not Found

Callista had slipped away briefly to take a moment to look for presents for her family, which was quite large, and for her best friend, Juliana Malfoy, who was at Durmstrang and had likely never seen this place--meaning that whatever she found would be something Juliana had never seen before. She rejoined the others at the sweets stall, where she quickly selected a hot mug of tea and some warm, freshly made peppermint white chocolate scones.

There sure seemed to be a lot of flirting going on. What were Nathaniel and Lenore up to?

"Sorry everyone, I must have got lost for a moment there."

She waved to all of them. "Anyone find anything especially nice?"

(OOC: Sorry for not posting yesterday. I'll post here later tonight. c: )

[img align=left]https://i.imgur.com/VJJ03Ky.png[/img] Elizabeth took a sip of her hot coffee while she watched the others, still delighted with their excitement. She grinned slightly at Callista's arrival. () "Completely understandable. This village really asks to wander around. It's totally okay, the lists are optional. However, the prizes are quite tempting, I must admit.", she said, "and hello! It's great to see you. Cute outfit!"

With a free hand, Elizabeth is about to look at the list she got from Malinda before looking at the snowy path in front of them. Arts and Crafts and Poems? That did sound so lovely. Carefully putting the piece of paper away, she emptied her cup of coffee and placed it back at the table. "Thank you very much.", she said politely to Miss Albury.

[img align=right]https://i.imgur.com/tF2oO1C.png[/img] "Oh please, won't you come back!", a woman shouted, emerging from another small wooden market stall. It was difficult to see what she was yelling at as the thing seemed to be quite fast. She sighed deeply and turned around, now noticing the group of, well, teenagers, blushing significantly. It makes me want to tear my hair out! In front of the students!, the blonde woman thought and reached for her wand. "Fine then....Accio Claude!", she said, pointing her wand into the direction where the missing thing vanished. In a matter of seconds, an ash-coloured ball of fur flew right into her arms. It looked up and meowed pitifully. The woman narrowed her eyebrows. "I've told you not to sneak away.", she added, lowering her voice, "that's embarassing in front of our guests." Carefully, she placed the cat on a cozy pillow in her market stall. Some scented candles were burning and they gave off a festive and cozy smell. "Hello hello there! I excuse myself for this...situation. I'm sorry, it happens quite often...Claude sees a mouse...or a bird...and he's gone. He's still very young and loves to explore." She cleared her throat. "I hope nobody here is allergic to cats. Oh where are my manners? I'm Florence Battersby. Has Malinda introduced me already since my shop is on the list? If not, well, now we're acquainted!", Florence added, laughing a bit nervous. "This small cottage is my realm of arts and crafts! I'd like to invite you to work on your list here...my cottage is heated well, the supplies are yours to use...oh and free coffee, cocoa, tea and snacks. And a cat obviously." She grinned cheeky at her words. "By the way, the cottage is enchanted, so it's bigger inside. You all are gonna fit in."

Valiska

(OOC ~ Florence's market stall has the same charm upon it like the tents from the Quidditch world cup (; )