I

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Kelsi stood outside looking around. The weather was still quite warm so she was in her uniform with her robes around her waist and trailing on the ground behind her. She looked around the familiar faces of her House, but there were now unfamiliar faces with the embroyderies of red instead on their vests or something.

(* embroideries =3)

Libby was in the greenhouse, chatting animatedly with some girls from Gryffindor. She didn't seem to notice the little Hufflepuff enter--in fact, she didn't seem to notice anything besides the girls she was cracking jokes with.

Kelsi turned and eyed the tall girl. She was that girl they talked a bit at the Opening Ceremonies! She ran over, and entered the conversation forcefully. "Hello!" she said- or moreso demanded.

"Hi!" Libby greeted her. "I'm Libby! Who're you?"

Kelsi flinched a bit. She looked like she got stabbed in her shoulder blade. "OH-err, We met yesterday at the feast. I'm Kelsi."

"Oh! Duh!" Libby rolled her eyes, grinning stupidly at her mistake. "I'm sorry. I've just met lots of new people. It's so hard to keep everyone straight. I remember now!"

Kelsi decided to play along. "Yeah. There's SO many people at this school. I swear I've made friends with at least forty-two." she said nodding slowly with a big grin. "Forty-two and a HALF!"

After a lunch spent half-avoiding the girls Lena had made acquaintance with at dinner, half-wishing she had the courage to talk to them, Lena walked into Herbology class.

"Alright, everyone, get into groups of four!" Professor Sprout instructed.

Lena groaned. Looking around at the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students, Lena realized at the same time that a) she would probably not be asked to be in anyone's group and b) it was her own fault for not talking to more people.

Rachel was standing outside the greenhouse, looking down at her feet, as she was alone. She looked horribly awkward, and had the loner feel radiating from her.

Libby immediately grabbed Kelsi's wrist. "Hey! We can work together!" she suggested, looking around for someone else to leech onto. She spotted a girl who looked lonely and was groaning about something (she probably didn't like Herbology) and led Kelsi over to her. "Hey, wanna work with us? We need two more people."

Lena had a rush of relief. She had been worried that she would have to subject to groveling with someone to let her into their group. "Yes, thank you!" she gushed. Color flooded her previously pale face. It was funny how good social interaction could make someone feel.

"Hey, I'm working with you three."

The speaker was a taller boy, and a rather lanky one. He had messy brown hair with a curl in it, and mischievous brown eyes, and a spray of freckles on the nose that completed the whole elven look. This boy, was none other than Maxwell Silva, or just plain Max for short. And, seeing a group of three girls working together, thought that this would be the perfect chance to 'bond' with the ladies in his year, and his house.

Libby, who didn't even consider he might be thinking about inappropriate "bonding" with the ladies, smiled at him. "Alright, sure," she said.

"Thank you." Max looked looked at them, admiring their uniforms. "You're all in Gryffindor, I see, so am I, if you couldn't tell. Oh-and you have a Hufflepuff friend." he said, turning away from Kelsi. "Do you like school so far? I do, and I'm really excited for Halloween tonight."

"Halloween is always fun," Libby commented. "As are feasts... I love the food here! It's so good."

"Oh, it's great! I love their deserts..." Max scooted closer towards Libby in a slight way. "Especially their tapioca pudding. And, I heard they're dying all the puddings orange for desert, too."

Libby scooted back a little. He was getting in her bubble. "Wow, orange pudding?! That must be awesome!"

And Max simply scooted a bit closer, when he noticed that Libby had scooted away. He quickly rolled up his robe sleeves, and pulled on his dragon hide gloves. "It must be good... I see this Slytherin girl always eating the stuff anyway." he looked over at her, and smiled, his little overbite protruding slightly. "We could eat the feast together, if you want." he offered, thinking how sly and stuff eh was to himself.

Libby raised an eyebrow at him. "Er, no. I'll be eating with my friends..." What's his problem?

Max frowned slightly. "Well... you can eat with my friends and I for a change, if you want."

"Uh, no thank you. I'm fine where I sit," she said stubbornly.

Max just stared down at her, and he crossed his arms, pouting slightly. Of course, he would never admit he was actually pouting, however.

"You think you're really something, huh!"

"It's because I am really something," Libby told him, slipping on her own gloves.