Beginning of the Year Boredom-20 Oct.:Boys Dorm

[Hestia Jones]

It was hard to think that this was her last year here at Hogwarts, but Hestia was content to make the most of it all. Things had ended with Rufus right before school started, and while it had been sad, Hestia knew it had been for the best. He had his career to think about, and she had a year left of school. Ending it with Rufus had also meant that things had changed between her and Doc for the better. At least, she felt like it was for the better. There had been distance between them caused by her relationship, and she’d hated that, but she’d been glad to see him have his own adventures last year during school even if she had felt a pang of jealousy she hadn’t expected. But it was just them here now, with nothing to stop them, and her evening had consisted of Doc and a broom cupboard. She didn’t really know how it could get any better.

Seventh year was so wonderful, the first month had flown by and here they were close to having the Halloween Masquerade. She knew it would be spectacular, because her best friend was Head Girl this year, and Ana knew how to throw a good party. And with Tommy as Head Boy, it was sure to be a blast. Even if it meant distracting Tommy so someone could properly spike the punch. She and Ana were going to find the last of their costumes during the Hogsmeade trip before the party, and Hestia was composing a list by the fire of last minute supplies. It was different, having Ana as Head Girl instead of just a Prefect, Hestia felt a bit more guilty about causing havoc. But it was all in good fun, and Ana wouldn’t get into any trouble for their plans.

Folding up the list, Hestia spotted Professor Sprout entering the common room, and Hestia’s mind went to the boys. It was a Friday night, and she had a good idea of what they might be up to in her room. Besides, it was another excuse to see Doc and Eddie. She didn’t get very far though before she heard Sprout calling for her, and Hestia could only hope that her boys weren’t smoking as they went down the tunnel together. At the opening of the door, she shot an apologetic look to them both. She was ready to defend them, following Sprout over to the bed, but couldn’t stop the surprise on her face. She gladly cozied up next to Doc on his trunk, watching their Head of House with amusement, “You know you’ve got glitter in your hair?”

[Malcolm Rabnott]

"Oh! Professor - hello, I was just heading in but did you need something?" Mal stepped aside as his Head of House exited his dormitory, exchanging a short goodbye before he approached his door again. It wasn't uncommon for them to host an evening, social creatures that his roommates were, but if his nose could be trusted... The prefect entered their room in laughter, entirely glad that he wasn't on duty tonight. "Think that means I can ignore that rule this year if Professor Sprout was just here, eh?" Not that enforcing the rule had ever been high on his priority list - he wasn't an idiot, and Doc didn't take as thorough of precautions as he thought he did - but still, principle of the thing. He waved a hello to the gathered friends, roommates and teammate all, and headed to his bed to unpack from the day, every quill and snack finding their homes.

"You'll be glad to know I've talked Fiona down about her costume. Slightly, only took since dinner," Mal chuckled. "We've got the charmwork for her red eyes figured out, and successfully nixed the idea of prop eggs to set on fire, so - progress." Perhaps next year his sister wouldn't want to emulate a creature so exactly, but tradition was tradition, and next year - next year he wouldn't be here to help! So when she'd come to him with eyes bright and voice going miles a minute about being an Ashwinder? With plans to singe an old grey dress and hide eggs around the Hall? He'd become adept at editing over the years, taking her ambitious ideas and turning them into doable and, well, safe ones. She was still convinced about trimming her dress with Bluebell flames, even though their trials tonight on sample fabrics had shown what the books told them - no can do, but failing means you're playing - and had promised not to try on her own...

Well, it's not like she can burn the castle down from her dorm. Good stones, all that.

    And she wouldn't...try and make Archie the egg?

What he'd done to be blessed with two little lions to lose hair over, Mal would never know, but did what he could to shake the thought from his mind. He'd been so focused on getting his sister ready that he hadn't given much thought to his own look for the night, coming up with nothing when she'd asked him about it tonight. He'd figure something out, there was still time! Things away and tie hung up, Mal joined the others at Doc's, stretching out alongside Eddie. "Catch me up, what're we dreaming tonight?"

[Eddie Brown]

Had he smoked too much? He had to have because it couldn’t be that his head of house was walking into their dorm right now, asking to be added to the rotation. Not a minute prior he was planning an event for all of their friends, laughing at Doc’s exclamation of ‘Our Head Girl!’ Adding his own ‘Hear hear!’ at the mention of Ana, their resident overachiever. Now Sprout was there as if she had sprouted right out of the ground. Doc took it in stride and Eddie found himself smiling at his friend, instantly more at ease with the situation. Hes hanging around was nothing knew, he offered her a chivalrous inclination of his head, glancing at his Head of House again and her glitter-filled hair. It was cool that Sprout was…well, cool. But being this down with the times was on another playing field. He was only able to really relax when she had exited.

A smile lit his face on who entered just after her departure, questioning whether the smoking rule was suspended for the year. “‘Suppose so, Mal.” Their other roommate joined them, one of them at least, and maybe his favorite next to Doc, Malcolm Rabnott. The other gent was a gem, really, and Eddie had grown fond of him over the years. He was a nice guy, but also fun, and most of all they shared a common plight. “Little sisters,” he said as if that said it all. Really, what more explanation was needed? “The Professors will be happy not to have any actual fires to put out. Though, that would have been pretty awesome to make happen.” The red eyes sounded pretty sick too but also, kind of creepy. All in all, it was damn good spellwork on the part of the Rabnotts and Eddie did not doubt that it would be a spectacular custom in the end. Teamwork made the dream work.

Speaking of dreaming, Malcolm asked just that when he joined them properly, taking up the empty bed space next to him. Eddie turned his head to give his roommate a smile, amused at how on target he was with his question. “We were thinking we all needed to get together soon. You know, all of us, Ana, hopefully more. Mary. In particular.” He added cheekily, giving their fourth a wink. “Doc suggested we sneak up to the village and do something fun. Any ideas?”

[Doc Dearborn]

There was no choice, really, but to ride through the wave of Sprout's entrance. Trying to hide what they were up to, deny the obvious - it wasn't worth it, even if it meant risking detention or worse. As it was soon clear that Sprout had specifically come to seek their help, Doc was waving away whatever concerns had dared creep in, returning the smile of his worried blodyn tatw, and giving a snort of laughter at Hestia's observation. "Sorry, Professor - it's - it's just that - she's right, it's everywhere. Whose idea was the glitter? Flitwick? Ana?" Her visit was short-lived, but he hoped that having a few warm moments with her most charming of charges, and their wares, helped soothe her stress. It really was a shame that the party planning seemed to be such a strain on their beloved Head, and it was good that she left when she did, lest Doc be tempted to reveal their plan to sneak out in this sharing mood.

In the midst of the fumble at the door, Sprout's exit and Malcolm's entrance, he shifted about on the trunk, resting with Hestia's back against his chest, arms around her middle, chin settling on her shoulder with a comfortable exhale. After a less embarrassing sequence on the train to Hogwarts this year compared to the last, where they'd decided to be together, no holds barred, Doc was now in a novel - for him - situation. They were a proper couple. It was his first real relationship like this, and after their back-and-forth years and their experiences together and apart, he wouldn't want to try like this with anyone else. It was Hestia - and really, it always had been.

Only took a few hits and misses to get his head out of his arse and do something about it.

"Been waiting eons to hear you say that," he chuckled at Mal's words. With him and Eddie returning to Hogwarts as singletons - not that he'd known about Eddie's just until tonight -  Doc had felt odd about the turned tables. But they all needed to let loose, especially as he could practically feel their mate's exasperation. "Little sisters, indeed. Rhi doesn't even want to dress up, our wee prefect wants to be taken seriously." Mal joined them and Doc chuckled against Hestia at the sight of his roommates having taken over his bed, but couldn't be bothered. "You in, baban?" he asked Hes at Eddie's introduction. "Feel like we've got to get out sooner rather than later, save folks from being so stressed about the masquerade. Is Ana alright?"

[Hestia Jones]

Out of all the things Hestia had expected their Head of House to say upon entering the boys dorm, her insistence on partaking was not even on the list. She supposed that it shouldn’t be too surprising - Sprout had been in Hufflepuff once herself - but Hestia had thought that the boys kept this particularly activity of theirs under wraps. She was more than content to curl up with Doc on his trunk, feelings of giddiness still in her stomach. Their transition into a real couple, she supposed if she really thought about it had been inevitable. And while she wasn’t going to say she didn’t have real feelings for Rufus Fudge last year, she had been present for the initial awkwardness between her and Doc because of it. This years train ride had been much more enjoyable, spent with Doc instead of apart from him.

Sprout brushed some glitter from her hair to the floor, muttering something about Flitwick to Doc’s question before she handed back the joint, giving them a wave as she made her exit. Just in time for Mal to join them, and happily leaned back with Doc, making room for Mal to join them. She smirked as she heard of Fiona’s costume, feeling that is was deeply appropriate the younger girl would have such a grand idea, The Rabnott’s Halloween costumes were always fantastic, and that would certainly be something she missed next year when they were gone. Hestia snorted in laughter, imagining the conversation in which Rhi didn’t want to dress up for Halloween, the younger girl a much better Prefect than Hestia or Doc ever would have been.

“A trip to the village? Oh, you can count me in for sure,” she said, knowing that their Head Girl Ana would more than likely be willing to come, or at least overlook their shenanigans. “Ana is alright, although I think the planning of the masquerade and Head Girl duties is keeping her awfully busy. She needs a night away from the castle just as much as we do.”

[Malcolm Rabnott]

He had to grin with the other blokes at little sisters. It was a stroke of luck that they all had similarly aged siblings, really - a common experience for them to bond over, and a good incentive for convincing their folks of summertime visits early on, able to bring their sister along knowing there was a built-in playmate. And while Rhiannon tended to take care of Doc rather than the other way around, he and Eddie's fiery fifth years kept them on their toes. "Right? We tried out some charmed flames for her dress - no luck yet, but we'll keep thinking." Mal chuckled knowingly at hearing of Rhi's take on things, trials of a first year prefect, indeed. She did know that she didn't have to act as a chaperone, right? Settling in among the group, heart going faster than it should at news of their topic of talk, he was shortly reminding himself of the same thing.

Being in Hogsmeade without the rest of the students, just them and the village residents for an evening, sounded incredible. And, really, so grown-up. Minus the whole needing-to-sneak-away-from-boarding-school bit. They had friends in the village, they could visit Mary and Ben and Bridget on a night off for them too instead of stealing a few snippets of conversation here and there during school trips, perhaps even see the "Hogsmeade House" of great fame and acclaim. The resident prefect didn't want to be a stick in the mud, especially not when his friends were including him in this venture from the start, and with such excitement - but how would they pull this off? What ramifications would there be, especially for Ana, if they were caught? It was a tempting idea, certainly, and high time for Mal to have stories of his own worth telling...

"It would be dead brilliant to see everybody there," he tentatively agreed, smiling through creeping nerves. "And Ana deserves a night off, no doubt about it." For their Head Girl had more titles and responsibilities to keep up with than any of them could claim, and while she was well-suited to the various demands, Mal hoped she'd be able to take a night away with them. "Just - erm - curious as to the sneaking out and sneaking in bits? Well - more to the sneaking in bit, really, if we leave before everything's locked up...unless the plan is to camp out and wait for morning, then we've less to worry about. But we can't expect to just waltz through the front doors after curfew...right?"