AJ was enjoying talking to Keely and Valentina, they were extraordinary! The corridors were scattered with students as they made their way down to the kitchen. Being a 6th year and extremely tall AJ towered over the girls. He had grown accostum to looking down at others while he talked and didn't mind it anymore.

The group laughed about stories AJ shared about being in his first year, but found it terrifying that he entered the school so close to the downfall of Voldemort.

He bumped into a little 3rd year he had met from saving her from bullies earlier in the year.

"Hullo Adelaide!" He said to the girl.

"We're going to get some hot chocolate, wanna join?"

He turned to the other two, "Is that okay?"

Adelaide was immersed in her thoughts as she walked aimlessly through the corridors of Hogwarts. Her cape billowed around her as her shoes clacked on the stone floor. Being near the kitchens, there was an eerie kind of wind that made her thankful for the cape around her shoulders.

Sighing, Adelaide's brown furrowed as she thought about the problem at hand. The problem happened to be the from her Potions class. More than anything she wanted to turn up tomorrow with the advanced question done. Potions being her worst subject, she figured she needed to push herself in it.
Suddenly, it seemed that a very soft wall had appeared out of no where. Adelaide stumbled back, her eyes wide as she realized it had been a person she had run into.

"Hullo Adelaide!" A familiar voice said to her from above.

Adelaide looked up into the face of AJ Vitcav and smiled. It had been ages since she had talked to her friend.

"We're going to get some hot chocolate, wanna join?"

Glancing past her tall friend, Adelaide noticed that he was accompanied by a couple girls. She blushed, embarrassed that she hadn't watched where she was going. But she would chastise herself on that later.

"Ermmm...Only if that's okay." She mumbled uncertainly in reply. She didn't want to infringe or be a bother. "I'm sorry for running into you by the way."

Valentina looked at the Gryffindor girl. She looked very dreamy.

"Ermmm...Only if that's okay." The girl answerd.

"That's okay with me!... what about you, Keely?" Valentina asked her young ravenclaw friend.

She was still looking at the gryffindor girl. She knew that Slytherins and Gryffindors didn't always work out as friends.

She finally decided she liked her. She looked loyal enought.

"we haven't met yet, have we?" Valentina asked, sticking out her hand, ready to shake hers.
"i'm Valentina Pearl Greysoul!" She said happily (she loved saying her full name!) .

Three new friends in one day! Way to go!

AJ looked at everyone looking at eachother...

"Girls," he thought to himself, "always so proper. Why can;t we make small talk after the hot chocolate"

"That's okay with me!... what about you, Keely?"

Adelaide glanced at the girl that had spoken first. Her eyes automatically locked onto the Slytherin green tie around the girl's neck. Without thinking she put her hand up to feel her own tie, imagining the bold red that she knew was there.

"We haven't met yet, have we?"

Adelaide looked at the hand outstretched to her. She took her hand from her tie. She then grasped the hand in front of her giving it a warm shake.

"I'm Valentina Pearl Greysoul!" The girl said.

Adelaide smiled at the girl, suddenly feeling slightly shy. She had no idea why, but meeting new people always seemed to make her embarassed. As if she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself.

"Adelaide Emerson," She said, offering her name in the exchange.

Finally he thought.

"Let's head down to the kitchen." He said, but realized he didn't really know the way.

"Who knows the way? I never had to go down there before."

he was hoping somebody knew.

"Let's head down to the kitchen." AJ said.

Adelaide looked at AJ as he spoke. It seemed like just yesterday when she used to be afraid of him. Being a 1st year and him a 3rd year, he was very intimidating at the time. Now that she knew him better, he was no longer the big scary 3rd year. More like a big nice 6th year.

"Who knows the way? I never had to go down there before." He then added.

Adelaide could feel her face frown as she tried to think of where the kitchens might be. She wasn't really the type to venture around Hogwarts alone, unless accompanied. Then again she hardly ever went anywhere with anyone.

"Ermmm..." Adelaide filled the silence. "I dunno..."

They all stood there looking at eachother. AJ was feeling embarrassed, he a 6th year, didn't know the way. He decided to just start walking until somebody told him he was going the wrong way.

"So, how has every ones year been so far?" he asked the group.

"Who knows the way? I never had to go down there before." Aj said.

she had just finished shaking Adeliade's hand.

"oh, i know the way!" she said happily, pointing her finger at the stairs heading down.

"not many people know the way, but since i like exploring so much..." she added quickly, afraid to embarace the other two.

"oh, and whatever you do, don't offend the house elves... they are very sensible creatures...." she said causually, starting to head down for the kitchens.

" i once offended one- saying that he was dirty in the face with kitchen flour..." she paused, looking at her two new friends, "let's just say i had happier events..." .
Valentina let out a long and drammatic sigh.

Adelaide couldn't help but giggle a little as they simply started towards the kitchens following Valentina. This was turning into quite an adventure. Then again being a Gryffindor she was also up for a little adventure.

"So, how has every ones year been so far?" AJ asked as the group walked.

Adelaide's expression transformed as she tried to condense her year into a sentence. So much had happened that it was more difficult then she had originally thought.

"Well..." She started, taking an extra second to think. "I think every year that I'm here things just get better and better."

She gave the group a smile. "I mean I'm here with all of you! And last year I wasn't so I guess that proves it."

AJ was enjoying his time with them. He loved exploring, but alwasy thought exploring the main levels of the castle was a little bit boring.

"Luckily someone knows the way then." He felt relieved that he didn't have to take charge anymore.

Valentina happily showed them the way down to the kitchen.
As they got closer, the smell of cookies became stronger. The smell was delicious!
Unlike the Dungeons, the more they went down, the more the air became warmer and cosier.
Valentina was just about to open the kitchen door and finish her joke, when they heard a plate clatter down inside the room, and angry voices.

"oh, dear!" She said, with a desapointed voice.
She peeped in to see what was happening, leaving her friends for a few breaf seconds, before coming back out.

"they are very angry tonight... they aren't usually that much!... They said that we have to keep right out of their way if we are to enter!... What shall we do?"

AJ didn't really care what they did. He was just being friendly towards all of them. He enjoyed making new friends but he didn't know if these were the friends for him. They were all so quiet and didn't converse much.

"Er, we can do it some other night?" he suggested. "Or just go in?"

Valentina thought carefully.

it was like choosing to get hurt or not get hurt.

"i say we go in..." she looked at Adelaide and Aj and finally to Keely.

"but if we do go in, don't, and i repeat, don't bump in one of those House Elfes!"

She opened the door for them, and the smell of fresh-oven baked cookies floded the whole corridor.
Inside, you could see many small greenish elves working, cooking, bakind and decorating cakes. In the far corner was the elf that had dropped the plateful of chicken wings.

"i wonder why they are all so nervous..." Valentina said quietly, but loud enought for her two friends to hear.

AJ was hoping he could just get out of this group, he wanted to go study, or read, or anything.

"Dont bump?" he asked, realizing her found a way out.

"That's not my best quality," he joked, "I'll just head back to my common room. "Perhaps Keely, you want to join me?"

He asked already half leaving.

Valentina half frowned.

"Andrej! you're not backing away, are you?!" She gasped.

"it's gonna be quick, i swear! Hot chocolate and then we're back off again! Aj!!"

they had made it that far, why not a final push?