Nothing To Do [Open]

He strode into the Hall at a relaxed pace, with no hurry. He stopped in his tracks and his grey eyes scanned the Hall for familiar faces. He saw quite a few and he greeted them, from all tables. He sauntered to the red-and-gold table and sat down, stifling a yawn. He had just come back from Potions and he had a free lesson now so he didn't want to do, he went straight to the Hall hoping there would be something to do there. He checked a clock, in two hours he would have DADA. He wasn't eagerly awaiting it, DADA was his favorite subject but with Lockhart teaching it ... He shook his head.

Leo looked up from her book on magical creatures as Hex walked in. She nodded, lowering her book to take a sip of her juice. 'Hey there, Hex,' she said, somewhat distantly - half her mind was still stuck in the book, prowling around forests with werewolves. 'What are you up to?' Leo restrained a yawn.

"Hey Leo." He said, almost jovially, shifting right next to her, there was an amused expression on his face when she asked on what he was doing. "Er ... Just been back from Potions, one of the Puffs in the class melted her cauldron." He chuckled. "But I did fine ... Snape got really worked up about the cauldron and we all had a good laugh about it afterwards." He gazed over her shoulder to the book. "Magical creatures, hmm? I like those ..."

'A melted cauldron, huh? Heh.' Leo shook her head. 'The last time someone melted a cauldron in my Potions class, Snape gave us a lecture on proper cauldron ettiquite and docked twenty points off me because he claimed that I should have been more watchful.' Leo rolled her eyes and closed the book properly, resting it with the front cover facing the enchanted ceiling. Leo stared at the sphinx that was gazing almost directly at Leo with a superior, knowing glint in her eye. 'Magical creatures are cool,' Leo said, nodding. 'I was just reading on werewolves.' She paused for a moment. 'It would suck to be a werewolf,' she said quietly.

"What?!" He muttered incredulously, frowning. "That's just ..." He couldn't think of the right word right now but it would probably be 'unfair.' "That's stupid." He murmured, shaking his head. "Good thing I payed attention ..." He stopped and followed the other Gryffindor's gaze, he scanned the gargoyle with his eyes. "Hmm ... Indeed, there are probably people that don't want to be werewolves but they have to live with it, it's sad." He thought of Captain's uncle, Remus Lupin, he was a good man but he had been turned into a werewolf. "But then there are the bad guys, do you know Fenrir Greyback? He did some pretty horrible things ..." He trailed off, shuddering. "I hear he's in Azkaban, serves him right, the-" He cut off, he had realized he was about to swear, he shrugged.

Leo's look turned dark at the mention of Greyback. 'Mmm. I have heard of him. People like him give decent werewolves a bad name. No wonder there are so many people advocating for harsher penalities for werewolves, especially if there are people like him setting the standards.' Leo frowned; it was completely unfair, in her opinion. It should be taken as a case-by-case situation. Sometimes Leo had her doubts about this particular Ministry.
'Anyway.' Leo tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear; she was wearing her hair out today, for a change. 'How's life as a Head Boy?'

"Hear, hear." He declared simply, crossing his arms, he leaned back on the table with his elbow, thinking for a bit. "Well, it's not that hard and stressful actually, at first I was ... well, you probably know how I was like, but now I'm back to my old self. Some days, I catch trouble makers and some days I don't. It's quite weird, you know? Considering I was one myself, just doesn't feel right."

Leo snorted softly. 'Hex, you took it way too seriously at first.' She smiled slightly, stretching back. 'I was probably an awful prefect.' Leo scrunched up her face, scratching at her head. 'I started off alright at first ... I had just transferred and all.' Leo shifted uncomfortably in her chair. 'Clean slate, you know. But then ... well, I was partnered with Cel.' She couldn't hold back a smirk. 'Anyway, this is Hogwarts we're talking about. A school full of witches and wizards in training. You would be a fool to think you could get them all.'
Leo was silent for a moment as she traced a grain in the wood. 'But you're doing this by yourself, aren't you? I haven't seen Blood around for ages.' Leo's eyes were sad as she thought about her old Slytherin friend. Leo missed her, not having the chance to talk to her or laugh at her snide remarks about other students.

He chuckles softly. "Indeed I did, you took the words right out of my mouth." He paused listening to her words. "Hmm ... So she basically kinda corrupted you then?" He asked jokingly, chuckling every once in a while. "You're quite right about that, this castle is huge and it houses many wizards and witches." He said, remembering back to that day with Fred and George. One a couple of days ago they were exacting a big prank, he didn't stop them, he let them do it. A grin slipped onto his face, he was sure that nobody knew except them. "Yeah, I am though I regularly have help from teachers and prefects, nope, haven't seen Blood. It's like she'd vanished or something ..." Then a thought popped into his head, the monster, he quickly shook his head, if something had happened the whole school would know. It was clear that he was thinking that by the look on his face, he was a bit worried now.

'She corrupted me?' Leo sniggered. 'You could say that.' Leo drank again, finishing off the last of her juice. She stared at the empty goblet a little sadly, before glancing sideways at Hex. 'Something on your mind?' Leo frowned, misinterpreting his expression. 'Do you know something about Blood that the rest of us don't ...?'

"Well, not really, I don't but if she vanished without a trace that could mean something ..." He muttered, frowning. "Maybe this is just a wild theory, don't take it seriously but what if she's ..." He trailed off, hesitating. "Petrified, nobody has seen her in ages ..." He said in a hushed voice, expecting Leo to burst out laughing or something.

Oreo walked into the hall , staggering under a pile of Lockhart books. She tipped them all onto the Slytherin table , and sighed. How was she EVER going to write a 2 foot long essay on Lockhart's finest moment? She didnt even know which was his finest moment. She gave the hall a bleary gaze , not really seeing anyone and slumped back over her books.

'No,' Leo snapped, suddenly angry, her deep brown eyes darkening further. 'She wouldn't be Petrified. If she was, I would know. We would know,' she corrected herself. Leo glanced away, a little ashamed at her outburst, and yet still frowning. 'Sorry,' she muttered. But the mention of Petrification had sent Leo into an involuntary reaction - it was so instinctive that, for a moment, even she herself couldn't pinpoint the source of her sudden emotion. But she remembered all too quickly.
Leo took a deep breath. 'Like I said,' Leo repeated in a more monotone voice, 'if it was something serious, I'm sure we would know. Blood is fine, I'm sure she is.' It didn't mean she missed her less, and Leo considered heading up to the Owlery at the first chance she got to send her tawny owl Vulcan off with a letter for Blood.
She looked over at the Slytherin table, as if a small part of her hoped to see Blood sitting there, sneering at some unfortunate student. But instead she saw another old friend she hadn't laid eyes on in a very long time. Leo stared at the young second year, almost wondering if this was some sort of illusion.

He was a bit surprised by her outburst but he kind of expected it to happen, he asked no question, preferring to remain quiet, but he said. "Ah, alright, as you say so." With a nod, he followed Leo's gaze and saw Oreo, he didn't know her well but he had seen Oreo around. He nodded at her, smiling jovially.

ooc - Does my character know you?

She felt a pair of eyes on her and looked up , a bad tempered frown on her face as she expected some annoying firstie to be staring . Instead her frown dissolved and she gave a huge grin of joy , nearly yelling out , ' LEO ! ' . She jumped out of her seat and made her way to the Gryffindor she had come to know well last year . ' Hey! I haven't seen you around in so long ' , she said , beaming. 'How have you been? ' She gave a guilty darting look at the Slytherin table as she said that , aware that some were disapproving about her friendship with the Gryffindors.


o.o.c. -erm Hex , no clue . Assume I know you only in passing or something?

Lily paused a moment at the door before bounding in to the hall with a spring in her step. She headed straight over to Leo and Hex who she had spotted immediately, though she did not recognise the other girl with them. A beaming smile spread across her face. "Hello! Mind if I join you?" Before getting an answer she slid on to the bench opposite Hex and grabbed a goblet to fill with iced tea. She looked up at them eyeing them all curiously, "Sorry, did I interrupt you? Please, continue."

He was amused by the sight of it, he chuckled absently and decided to introduce himself but then decided against it, leaving the two of them to their own. He summoned coffee pot with an sharp jab of his wand and then set on making coffee. He was done in a few minutes, he lifted the goblet and sipped at it, watching the two of them. He nodded at Lily, smiling faintly. "Hello there, both of you." He gestured to Lily and Oreo.

Leo made some vague noise in her throat in response to Hex, her eyes and concentration locked on Oreo. When Oreo practically bounded over to them, Leo couldn't help but match Oreo's large grin, any negative thoughts disappearing for the moment.
'Oreo! It is you!' Leo restrained the urge to tackle Oreo - she was only a second year, after all - and Leo took no notice of the scathing looks from the Slytherins, or the curious frowns from the Gryffindors. 'I've been alright,' Leo said, waving a dismissive hand, 'but I think the most important question is - where have you been?' Leo took on a stern manner. 'I haven't seen you around the castle in aaaaages!'
Seeing Oreo again reminded her of the last time they had been face to face - which then reminded her of more familiar faces that she hadn't seen in the longest time. Leo would have even given a small fortune to see Spell Feather's beaming face again - but no doubt she would demand a refund after a few days if she had to spend them in his company.
But Leo's grin didn't waver as she waited for Oreo's answer, waving a vague, airy hand in Lily's direction.

'Oh ..er..,' she started .. ' Um , you know . Busy . With stuff. ' She sort of shuffled uncomfortably , then said in a really low voice , ' My housemates don't want us to mingle with the others anymore. Especially Gryffindor. Especially now that..,' she stopped , remembering the petrified Mrs. Norris, the first year Gryffindor with the camera . She didn't even know his name before. 'So , yeah , been stuck mostly in the common room and classes. Got out today for a change , someone thought it was funny to let off a dungbomb in the common room ,' she grinned again ,' I ran out then . She saw the head boy then and nervously straightened herself , a little alarmed and intimidated . Another Gryffindor walked by , a seventh year . 'So . NEWTS year then , Leo ? Have they rubbed your noses to the grindstone yet? '

'Yeah,' Leo said darkly, frowning momentarily. She didn't need Oreo to go on. 'A Dungbomb in the common room, eh? Funny, I wouldn't have thought a Dungbomb was needed to stink up the Slytherin common room -' Leo broke off, wincing, shooting an apologetic look at Oreo. 'Sorry. Old habits, what can I say?' Leo grinned sheepishly, gesturing around her. 'You know I can't resist a jibe towards you lot every now and then ... Anyway,' Leo grinned wider, 'you're here now, and that's the main thing.'
Leo frowned, rubbing her eyes. 'NEWTs. Don't remind me. It's awful.' Leo prodded her nose, grinning again. 'But my nose is still here, never fear. I like this nose, I'd rather not have to get a new one.'

He had a laughing fit when he saw what Oreo did, he calmed himself down, still chuckling slowly. Even Harlow had done that, he shook his head. "You don't need to do that." He said with a shrug.

She raised an eyebrow at the vague greetings she received from the two people she knew, but shrugged it off and took a sip of her drink. Her eyes wandered the hall idly, searching for someone or something to entertain her, but she found nothing. Her eyes darted to Leo and the young Slytherin girl and she watched them interact. She started humming to herself to hide a little chuckle as she noticed the looks the girl was getting from her housemates, and turned her attention back to the goblet in her hand.

She snorted. ' Gryffindor sense of smell .Totally unrefined ', she winked and laughed as Leo rubbed her nose. ' I notice you aren't looking completely exhausted though. Where is the rest of your pride ? ,' she asked , drawing out the word pride. I don't see Cel or Seeker . Don't tell me they are off studying for a change? '
She looked cautiously at Hex . At least he wasn't too stuffy. For a Gryffindor. She allowed herself to relax a little and gave him a tentative smile.

'My pride?' Leo smirked. 'Cel is ... umm ...' She gestured vaguely towards the upper levels, and then out to the grounds. 'Somewhere. Seeker ...' Leo slumped a little. She had no idea where her sister was. Sure, Seeker had her own group of friends and they were in different years - not to mention Seeker would be busy herself with OWLs and prefect duties - but Leo would hardly go a day without at least talking to her, even just briefly in the common room. 'Yeah, I guess they would be studying.' Leo tried not to sound too glum. 'Hex and Lily,' she introduced, nodding to each one in turn. 'The newest members of the pride.' She winked at Oreo.

"I may pass out any second soon, don't blame me, I've been up studying for NEWTS." He said, crossing his arms wearily, he rubbed his eyes and remained awake despite his eyes' protest. He yawned, leaned back and smiled again a Oreo. He closed his eyes for a moment but jumped awake again, keeping his eyes open, resisting any temptation, hardly aware of anything now.