Keely climbed the steep, slippery stairs to the owlery, her eyes red and puffy. As she climbed, she sniffled and rubbed at the offending eyes, trying to get them to go back to normal. She carried with her parchment and quill, and when she stepped into the owlery, she was both glad that her cat, Hobbes, hadn't followed her, and uneasy because he was her closest friend, and she was nervous around other kinds of animals. Sitting next to the top step on a space of floor she cleared by using a simple cleaning charm, she inked up her quill and began to write.

Dear Dad,

Hogwarts is strange and big, and the other students are loud and distracting. But I'm doing well in my studies. I'm only trying to make some friends, really. What do you do to not be so nervous around other people?
There was a formal dance here, but I was too shy to go. I really do want to meet people, but I was just terrified at the thought of a dance.
Hobbes is quite comfortable now, but I'm sure he misses you and Mum loads. Like me.
I wish Hogwarts had a telephone so I could call and hear your voice.

Love,
Keely.
PS How did the peace rally go?

Keely addressed the letter and stood, walking over to a school owl.

"Now, be nice." She said nervously. The owl simply looked at her, then stuck out his little foot. She tied the rolled parchment on with shaky fingers. The owl was patient, and she eventually finished.
"Please take this letter to my dad, in St. Helen's." She said. The owl took off from its perch and flew out one of the large windows.
"Thank you!" she called after it.

For awhile after the owl left, speeding off toward her home, flying in the direction she wished she could fly, if she could only sprout wings, Keely stood at the window and palm-rolled her dreads, trying to keep her hands busy. Silent tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away, with the occasional tear betraying her.

Ravyn came up the stairs a peice of parchment adressed to her father. She hated to have to climb all the way up. Ravyn opened the owlery door, and stared at the girl near the windor.
"Um, excuse me, but I really need to get to that window." Ravyn had the letter tightly tied to her snowy white owl, Alice.

Valentina ran up the steps, until she had finally arrived at the owlery.
she had a letter clutched tightly in her hands.
as soon as she arrived, she saw two girls that were already there.

one was older than the other. She was wearing a blue ravenclaw uniform, while the otherone, Valentina recognised her at once, was Ravyn.

"hello!" she said surprised. she waved at Ravyn and then looked at the younger girl. she had read eyes, and Valentina could make out some tears.

she walked over to the girl.
"hi there!" she said, when was two meters away, "are you a first year?" she asked kindly, slightly bending over to see her in the face.

those red eyes made Valentina feel a huge amount of pity, and they reminded her of her first year.

"um... it's quite chilly up here, right?" She said to the girl, "why don't we go in the kitchens to have a nice hot chocolate?".

"she turned back to Ravyn, and said:
"i'll meet you back in the common room, alright?"

Keely watched the third girl come in, and started to become more nervous. Other kids always made her nervous. But she told herself to calm down. She was pretty sure the other two girls could see her red eyes and didn't want to appear a baby. So she smiled at the second Slytherin girl.
"Hi, I'm Keely. I am a first year, actually. And hot chocolate sounds great."
It all came out in a rush, and at the end, Keely heaved a sigh of relief.

she smiled proudly at Keely before sticking out her hand, ready to shake hers.

"Valentina Pearl Greysoul, third year, Slytherin House! Nice to meet you, Keely!" she smiled and turned towards the stairs, where a brown barn owl was waiting.

"i always loved hot chocolate!" she said, winking at Keely, while tying the letter around the owl's leg.

"and besides, the Kitchen's always a very intresting place!"

Keely shook the girl's hand in return, slowly becoming more and more relaxed.

"I've never been to the kitchens before." she answered.

AJ climbed up to the Owlery to send off his letter to his parent in Bristol. Though they were Muggles they had grown accustom to receiving letters from owls. He wrote to say though he wanted to come home this summer he was staying to work on transiguration, his favourite subject.

He noticed a group of girls standing around when he entered, "Oh hello there." He smiled at them.

Keely looked at the newest addition to their little group. She smiled and blushed nervously, as another person was added to the mix.

"Hi, I'm Keely...." she said, unsure of what to say next. She rocked back and forth from one foot to the other.

Valentina smiled at the Ravenclaw boy.
"hi!" she said cooly.

she turned back to Keely.
"i've only been there once! There are many elfs wondering about cooking, so they don't really bother about guests..."

she turned back to the boy.

"would you like to come too?" she asked.

"Hi Keely, I'm Andrej, or AJ, whichever."

Looking down at her robes he asked, "Are you in Ravenclaw? I don't think I've ever seen you in the common room before. I'm a 6th year."

As AJ was walking up he heard something about going to the kitchen. Though he wanted to join them he knew how people felt about being seen with such an oaf.

"It looks like you're about to leave. I'll leave you to it. If you ever want to get together sometime I'm usually in the common room reading alone by the fireplace."

He went to an owl to send his letter. He hoped to make more friends next year, his last at Hogwarts.

Keely looked from Valentina to AJ, hoping one of them would say something. When neither of them did, she piped up.

"Yes, I'm in Ravenclaw, but I'm a first year. I get a little nervous around other people, so I don't go out into the common room very often."

She looked again from Valentina to AJ and back again, then recommenced shifting from one foot to the other.

"Why don't you come with us to the kitchens? We were going to get some hot chocolate."

A wide smile came across his face. "That sounds delicious."

He looked over at Valentina asn asked what house she was in. For the first time in a long time he felt that he was making friends. He kept his mangled left hand inside his robes as he drew closer to the girls.

"Maybe sometime tomorrow we could go down to the lake. It's starting to get warm enough." he suggested.

OOC: I haven't roleplayed in a long time, still getting used to it. Thanks for baring with me.

Keely smiled. AJ seemed nice, and for once she wasn't nervous. Her foot-shifting began to slow and eventually stopped. She twirled a dreadlock between her fingers.

"I haven't been down the lake too often." She said, glancing out the window towards it. "The weather has been quite nice, though, you're right."


OOC: It's cool, I haven't done this in ages, either. I wouldn't have known you were still feeling rusty if you hadn't said anything.

AJ felt warmer than he had in a long time.

"Let's head to the kitchen now eh?"

OOC: Have you started a thread there?

If not i'll look out for it.

" I'm in Slytherin, and i'm a third year!" Valentina replied happily.

she watched the boy draw closer and stop next to them.

"the lake is always a beautiful place!" Valentina said, almost dreamily.

She patted Keely's shoulder in a friendly way.

"so to the kitchens!" She replied cheerily.

OOC: I posted something in the kitchens, you should see it.