empty chest and spineless back

Louis was proud of his blood status, proud of his House, proud of his choice of friends, and, ultimately, proud of himself. The one thing he wasn’t quite so proud of was his relentless torment on fellow Slytherin, Sansa Hove. He’d known the muggleborn since the first day of First Year and, admittedly, she’d caught his eye - and, not so admittedly, his heart - but, when he found out she was a muggleborn, he’d done everything he could to force his growing feelings for her away. When she’d been sorted into Slytherin, though - a feat so rare that it had left the whole of Slytherin in shock, - any hopes of managing that were shot straight down. Because of this, he’d had to resort to ensuring that she hated him and pretend that he hated her; it’d be so much easier to move on with his life if he knew that he didn’t stand a chance with the muggleborn that he knew he couldn’t let himself have feelings for, so he’d done what he could to make it so. “Oi, mudblood,” he greeted when he spotted her up ahead, smirking as he shoved past her, “You’re dirtying up the corridor. At least be speedy in walking through to limit the filth you spread, yeah?”

It was a rare event when muggleborns were placed in Slytherin - and, as Wendalyn had learned early on, it was greeted with mass disdain from the rest of the House. The only other muggleborn in Slytherin that Wendalyn knew of was Sansa, who was a few years older than she was. They’d formed a certain kinship due to circumstance - especially with the fact that those that tortured them the most happened to be fellow Slytherins, best friends, Louis and Draco. While Louis was in Sansa’s Year and Draco was in Wendalyn’s, the pair seemed to quite enjoy making Wendalyn and Sansa’s stay at Hogwarts miserable. Breathing out her nerves, Wendalyn lifted her gaze as she made her way to Care of Magical Creatures, having parted from Sansa only minutes ago, since her friend was heading to DADA. She happened to share the class with Draco Malfoy, and she just hoped that he’d be more distracted with the class itself than torturing her.

Anesa trailed far enough behind the rest of her classmates that were heading to Care of Magical Creatures that she couldn’t even hear any lingering conversation - and, admittedly, she preferred it this way. If she couldn’t hear the conversations, she wouldn’t think of anything to say and wouldn’t feel disappointed in herself at her inability to speak up. The shy Slytherin took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she settled her gaze ahead, hopeful that, perhaps, she could linger on the outskirts of the class, behind the rest - regardless of the fact that she knew she likely wouldn’t be able to see whatever was going on, considering her shorter stature compared to many of her classmates. Chewing on her lip as she approached the class, she stayed in the back, but she could hear some of the students fussing about their books and it caused her to drop her gaze to her own; it was an odd book, certainly, but it was interesting to her, too, and she wondered idly if the books were like this, what did the class hold in store for them?

Considering it was Oliver’s last year at Hogwarts, there were very few things on his mind other than Quidditch, graduating, and a certain Gryffindor with whom he shared most of his classes. “Winona!” he called with a grin as he caught up to the very girl who’d been running around in his mind for as long as he could remember. Oliver could admit to himself that there were few things that he loved more than Quidditch - and it so happened that Winona was one of those few things, even though he hadn’t gathered the courage to admit his feelings to her yet. How funny it was that a Gryffindor, a member of the House known for its bravery, couldn’t work up the courage to admit his feelings of love to the one girl who’d held his heart since the moment he’d caught sight of her. “Off to Defense Against the Dark Arts?” Arching a brow, he couldn’t help but to look forward to the fact that they shared the class together, that he could spend time with her, even if he couldn’t bring himself to admit to his feelings for her. At least he could have this - but, he was determined to admit his feelings this year, dammit; he had to, on the off chance that he didn’t get to see her after graduation.

George grinned as he wandered through the corridors with his twin, Fred. The pair were usually up to no good and, admittedly, today was no different. They’d set up a wonderful prank that they were determined to follow through either during Charms or afterwards, depending on how the class went. As his gaze caught sight of Lucinda Feather, a gorgeous Ravenclaw, up ahead, though, all thoughts of the prank disappeared from his thoughts almost immediately. “Oi, Lucinda,” he called with a grin, catching up to her to throw an arm around her shoulders, grinning broadly. They weren’t the closest, but they were on good terms, so he was certain the contact wouldn’t put her off too much - or, more so, he hoped that it wouldn’t, because he didn’t want to make the girl uncomfortable in any way. “Think Charms will be interesting at all today, hm?” He arched a brow, though his mischievousness sneaked into his eyes, and he grinned broadly as a thought came to mind. “Because Fred and I have a wonderful prank in mind, if things get boring. Just say the word and I promise you’ll be delighted.” He winked teasingly, a part of him hoping to impress Lucinda with the prank, somehow.

Bellona had separated from her friend, Harry, only minutes ago as they were heading to different classes - she was off to Herbology, while he was off to Care of Magical Creatures. She found herself looking forward to Herbology, even though it wasn’t necessarily one of her favorite classes. She, of course, knew part of the reason for that was because she shared the class with a Hufflepuff boy who went by the name of Ashton Irwin. The boy was quite the character, in Bellona’s opinion, and since meeting him in their First Year and sharing classes with him since then, she’d found herself just looking forward to seeing the boy each day. As she approached the greenhouse, she caught sight of Ashton with his friend Michael up ahead, and she grinned as she picked up her pace to catch up with them. “Oi, Ashton, Michael,” she greeted as she approached, “Good morning. Ready for Herbology?”

Calum walked with Luke as the pair headed to their Potions class, his gaze settled dutifully ahead. “I’m looking forward to the new classes this year,” he admitted to his friend, peering over as he arched a brow. As Third Years, they were finally given options for many of the elective courses, and Calum was looking forward to the challenge. He was certain he’d picked classes that he’d excel in, so he wasn’t even the least bit nervous; no, instead, he was confident and intrigued about what they’d be learning in the new classes they’d be taking. He’d opened his mouth to say more, but he paused, closing his mouth when a Hufflepuff, Danielle Bridge, crossed in his line of view. While the Hufflepuffs were often the laughing stock of the school, Calum found himself so easily mesmerized by the girl, though he couldn’t bring himself to say so aloud. Seeing her reminded him of another reason he was looking forward to the new classes: it meant he’d get the chance to share more classes with her. “Think the year will be a good one?” Even while he asked the question, he didn’t dare take his gaze away from Danielle, though he walked into their Potions class and found his seat.

Lux had already walked into Charms and taken her seat, her book on the table. She’d normally walk with Lucinda, but she’d helped a First Year that morning and hadn’t seen Lucinda since, so she’d ended up walking to Charms on her own. Mentally, she made a note to apologize to Lucinda later, but she sat straight in her chair, prepared for the class to begin. Outside the classroom, though, she could hear one of the twins’ voice, and she heard him say Lucinda’s name, so she knew her friend would arrive before long, and so would the twins - namely Fred. The boy and his twin were often seen as a nuisance by most Ravenclaws, but Lux admittedly often found herself amused by the twins’ antics. Smiling with the thought, she was sure the class would be amusing, and she shifted her gaze to the door when she heard the footsteps and voices trailing closer.

Michael made his way to Herbology with his friend, Ashton, at his side. His hands were stuffed lazily into his pockets and he grinned as he looked forward to getting to Herbology. “I wonder what we’ll learn about this time around,” he hummed out easily, arching a brow before blinking when he heard Bellona. Looking to her, he nodded. “Good morning,” he greeted, though before he could answer her question, he caught the sight of Arista in his peripheral vision and, turning his head to get a better look at her, he couldn’t help but to take her in from the distance. At the sight of her, he couldn’t help but to hope that perhaps they would have some kind of pairing or group lesson, determined to ask her to join him or his group, whichever happened to be required. The girl was a beauty, after all, and he rarely got to speak to her, so he planned to take any chance that he could, even if it was under the false pretense of class. Grinning with the thought, he offered a small nod to Ashton and Bellona before he picked up his pace to catch up with Arista. “Good morning, Arista,” he greeted easily, though he wasn’t sure whether his presence was one she would be okay with or not. It didn’t deter him, though. “How are you this morning?”

Clara offered a smile to Danielle as they walked, holding her book close to herself. While she wasn’t excited about spending time in Snape’s class, she did enjoy Potions itself - and she did enjoy the other students in the class. “Think Snape will be in a good mood today?” she joked lightly, offering a small grin as she arched a brow. In truth, she didn’t think she’d ever seen Snape in a good mood; but she refused to let Snape’s bad mood spread to her and, if she could help it, she didn’t want it spreading to any other students, either. Admittedly, though, she was certain she’d probably find herself daydreaming in the class if Snape got to be too frustrating - the last thing she wanted was to let the awful man affect her good mood. As she walked, though, she could hear Calum’s voice behind them, and she knew that he and Luke often walked together when they shared classes. Feeling herself perk up slightly with the thought of Luke, she couldn’t help but to peer over her shoulder and, upon seeing him, she offered a smile before heading into Potions to sit with Danielle.

Draco Malfoy took pleasure in being at the top of the Slytherin house league, and that was no secret. His Father had power, and so he was placed on the highest pedastal from the moment he was placed into Slytherin house, and it had remained that way since. Another thing that remained consistent for Draco was the growing adoration he had for Wendalyn - a muggleborn witch placed into Slytherin. Draco could remember the moment the Sorting Hat came to rest upon her crown, and without hesitation, called out the house of the Serpent. He had only just been sorted himself, and the stunned silence that followed was something that had been etched into his memory, and he remembered feeling sorry for the girl, because everyone in the house came to despise her - except for him, no matter what his exterior said otherwise. Draco had fallen for Wendalyn quickly, and he knew if his feelings came to surface, there would be trouble. Draco was involved with big plans for when The Dark Lord returned, and he couldn't mess up, not now. He couldn't drown in Wendalyn's presence, no matter how much he wanted to indulge himself in her. When she was around him, it was almost torturous, how he could so easily identify the smell of her perfume and the sound of her voice. Scowling with the thought, Draco trailed along behind Crabbe and Goyle, having parted from his best friend, Louis, just moments before. The heir to the Tomlinson estate was a few years older than Draco, and so Draco and Louis didn't have any classes together. Draco supposed it was better that way, he was unsure if professors would tolerate them both together. Continuing on down the grounds, Draco held onto his book - still bound in a belt because it bit Goyle that morning - and pushed past his dimwitted friends once he reached the gathering of students, his eyes searching for the one person that mattered most; Wendalyn. "Oh, look!" Draco smirked. "The mudblood's here, too!" Draco sneered, keeping his cruel attitude towards the girl who held his heart tightly in her hands, and for the first time in his life, Draco trusted someone to treat it well.

Sansa took a deep breath and smoothed out her skirt, the silver and green tie around her neck weighing her down in the worst way. Trying to ignore the ache, Sansa swallowed the lump of anxiety that seemed to permanently reside in her throat and she reminded herself that she was heading to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom - but any hopes she had of a good day were burned to ashes when she heard Louis Tomlinson's voice, and when she felt him shove past her, Sansa scrambled to steady her textbook in her arms, and she closed her eyes to regain her patience, silently wishing she was in Wendalyn's year. "Oh, go away, Louis." Sansa scowled, and for a moment, Sansa forgot the love she held for Louis. It had happened on their First Day, on the Hogwarts Express. Louis and Sansa had spoken quite easily, but when she'd told him she was a muggleborn, he seemed to cut her off, as if he was afraid she would taint him in some way, but the damage had been done. Louis made Sansa laugh, and his smile and bright blue eyes were enough to reel her in, and since then, the adoration she held for the pureblood had grown, but Sansa tried her hardest to push those thoughts to the back of her mind - there was no way in Hell Louis Tomlinson would ever feel that way for her. She was sure Louis was convinced she was nothing but filth. "Don't you have anyone else to torment?"

Harry Styles had been one of the first to reach the first Care of Magical Creatures class of the year, and he had the pleasure of reassuring Hagrid, a friendly half giant that everyone seemed to get along with, that he would do just fine in teaching. Everyone Harry knew had been looking forward to Hagrid's lessons, and anyone who wasn't supportive of this decision was clearly a Slytherin. Looking to his book, laid open and relaxed against the wall, Harry was sure he'd cracked the secret: stroke the spine gently with two fingers. "Well, it's certainly interesting." Harry mumbled to himself, but the first three pages had been ripped to shreds with the book's murder attempt on a certain Seamus Finnigan that morning. Grinning with the memory, Harry looked to the group of students that approached and the Gryffindor boy almost chastised himself, because he was looking for someone specific - Anesa Verity, a beautiful Slytherin. She wasn't like the others that Harry knew, nothing like that idiotic Louis Tomlinson, the foolish Crabbe and Goyle or the bratty Malfoy boy, Anesa was quiet, and rarely spoke unless she was spoken to, and there was something just so endearing about the girl. She had captured his attention - and his heart - during their first day, and although Harry knew that she was unaware of it, Harry loved her endlessly; but had come to accept that she wouldn't harbour any feelings for him in return. She lived in her own world, and as much as Harry wanted to be a part of it, he was unsure if Anesa had ever even noticed him. Running a hand through his curls at the thought, Harry perched himself on top of the wall, swinging his legs so he could see over the top of students' heads, wanting Hagrid to feel confident that someone was paying attention.

Winona tied her hair into a ponytail as she strolled down the corridors with confidence only a Gryffindor could have - there was no reason for Winona to feel like she couldn't be herself within the stone walls of the Hogwarts castle, and she felt a little downhearted that this was her final year - so she had to make it count. The one way Winona wanted to make her seventh year count was finally admitting her feelings for fellow Gryffindor and Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood. She'd been friends with Oliver since their First Year, and by the time she'd departed the Hogwarts Express for Summer, she found herself absolutely enthralled with the boy. He was intelligent, furiously passionate about Quidditch, and not to mention talented at the sport, and he had a smile that made Winona's heart beat just that little faster. As if her thoughts had conjured Oliver into reality, Winona smiled as she heard Oliver call her name. "Catch up, Oliver!" Winona teased, laughing as he did, wrapping an arm around his middle. "I certainly am." She confirmed happily, admittedly looking forward to Defence Against the Dark Arts. "How did practice go?" She looked to her taller counter part with a grin. "Any excuse to dodge Potions? You missed it - I'm almost certain Snape actually smiled."

Luke Hemmings listened as Calum spoke, and Luke arched an amused brow at the boy. "Oh? What classes did you end up choosing?" The boy with golden hair asked, licking over his lower lip to moisten his mouth, and stuffing his hands into his pockets, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Luke was the epitome of relaxed. Coming into his Third Year of Hogwarts had been nothing but an effortless transition, and Luke felt more at home within the castle than he did outside of it. "I surprised myself mate, I went with Astronomy." Luke offered with a grin. Luke hoped, when his time came to graduate, that he could return as a teacher, so he felt it was necessary to dip his toes into each subject - which is why Minerva McGonagall gifted him with a time turner, hidden within his shirt. As Luke and Calum ventured further into the dungeons, Luke blinked in surprise when he caught sight of a Hufflepuff he was familiar with, Clara Haynes. Smiling at the mere sight of the beauty, Luke exhaled happily when he saw her enter the classroom that Severus Snape had claimed, Luke felt himself perk up. "I think this year is going to be a fantastic one." And although he was unsure how it was going to go, he swore to himself that he was going to use this year to put the wheels into motion to prepare for his future, and that included getting close to Clara, and finding an excuse to fall further in love with her, if that was even possible. Luke was certain she was the one he was meant to be with, the connection unlike any other, but how could he ever be sure if he had no courage? "C'mon, let's go see if Snape is in a good mood today."

Danielle snorted with laughter as she heard Clara's question, and she shook her head in amusement, twirling her brunette hair around her finger with boredom. Potions had never been a subject that captured Danielle's interest, and it was so easy to get distracted by other things - one of those things was usually Calum Hood, a handsome Ravenclaw with golden skin and eyes that resembled black coffee. "When is Snape ever in a good mood?" Danielle replied easily, raising her eyebrows. Neatening her yellow and black tie to upkeep her appearance, Danielle almost paused in her steps when she heard Calum's voice, and feeling her heart jump in her chest with excitement, Danielle couldn't stop the smile that threatened the corners of her mouth. "You know, Clara," Danielle hummed, looking over her shoulder to look at Calum, smiling when she saw his handsome features, before entering the classroom, sitting beside her best friend with a grin. "I think this year is going to be a good one." Danielle sighed happily, taking a seat and placing her textbook onto the table, waiting for the greasy Potions teacher to appear. The man wore black constantly, he was almost like a Dementor - it wouldn't surprise Danielle if he was, he seemed to suck the happiness out of everyone.

Ashton Irwin had a damn good feeling about his Third Year, and he wasn't sure what it was, but he was certain it was going to be good. Perhaps it was that he was able to practice magic as he pleased, or perhaps he could credit his happiness to a certain Bellona Seaver. The Gryffindor girl was absolutely gorgeous, and Ashton was glad to call her a friend, although his heart yearned to call her so much more. She'd held his heart from the moment his eyes found her on Platform 9 and three quarters, and when they managed to strike up a conversation in one of the carriages, Ashton felt himself falling even further, and he made no attempts at stopping himself, because Bellona was worth every moment of falling. Smiling with the thought of her, Ashton was pulled out of his mind when he heard Michael speak. "Hopefully not Mandrakes again. They scream so loud." Ashton cringed, although when he heard Bellona's voice, Ashton visibly perked up, his dimpled grin broadening. "Good morning, Belle." Ashton greeted happily, smirking as Michael walked off to greet Arista. "How are you this morning, my lovely?" Ashton flung his arm across Bellona's shoulders. "It's the start of a wonderful year, are you feeling positive?" Ashton grinned, pulling Bellona to him, using any excuse to get her as close as he could, and when he caught scent of her perfume, Ashton could of sworn his knees were about to buckle.

Lucinda walked through the longest corridor Hogwarts had to offer, silently cursing Professor Flitwick for changing the Charms classroom location. Holding her textbook to her chest securely with one arm, Lucinda used her wand to perfect the swish and flick motion that came with wingardium leviosa, and although the spell was simple in itself, Lucinda always felt that practicing any spell was the key to getting it to work. However, Lucinda was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the familiar voice of George Weasley, a charming Gryffindor boy who was full of mischief he was sometimes difficult to keep up with. Smiling as she heard his footsteps approaching her, Lucinda laughed as George wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she wondered how good they looked together from an outsiders perspective. "Good morning, George." Lucinda grinned, leaning into the boy slightly, having no qualms in doing so, and looking up to him, Lucinda grinned as she saw the mischief hidden in his eyes. "Why, do you have something planned?" Lucinda grinned, but when he continued to speak, Lucinda giggled, wondering if George realised what he said. "I certainly will." She winked, gently nudging him away to take her seat within the new classroom to the left side of Lux, placing her textbook on the table. "Morning."

Fred Weasley tried to look as innocent as he possibly could as he walked alongside his twin down the corridor. The two had been conspiring amongst each other to put together the small details of a big prank - and if Professor Flitwick dared bore them to oblivion, they would unleash it for their fellow students to enjoy - one student in particular he hoped to impress was Lux Ayers, a stunning Ravenclaw who Fred had adored for the longest time. Fred was lucky to consider the girl a friend, and he wanted to call her more than that, if fate allowed. Rolling his eyes playfully as George left his side, Fred overtook his brother and Lucinda, walking into the classroom and nodding at Professor Flitwick in greeting, but as he scanned the classroom, Fred caught sight of Lux and swore to himself that a flame sprouted through his chest. "Well, well," Fred grinned, sitting on the right side of Lux. "Good morning, Lux. You're early to class, are you excited to be learning?" Fred teased. "I suppose I better not set off this prank until after lesson, if you're so intent on paying attention." He teased, getting comfortable beside the brunette, because just being in her presence was enough to settle the side of him that constantly had to bounce from wall to wall, she was the calm to his chaos and he loved that - but it wasn't what he loved the most, oh no. The thing he loved the most about Lux was that she was so incredibly herself, with a smile that could overpower the brightest constellations in the night sky, and eyes that could put the sunshine to shame. "How was your summer, anyway?"

Arista took her time to walk to the greenhouses - the sun, for September, was glorious, and Arista wanted to make the most of it before the heat grew overpowering within the glass walls of which she would be confined for the next hour. Holding her book on various plants to her chest, Arista hummed happily as she walked, admittedly grateful to be back to school, because that meant she was close to a certain Michael Clifford once again. Smiling with the thought, Arista shook her head, knowing no one knew of the crush she harboured towards the handsom boy. It was her best kept secret, but it was a secret she wasn't ashamed of. Hell, if Michael ever noticed her, ever grew to love her like she loved him, she'd shout it from the rooftops. As if fate could read her mind, Arista heard a rush of footsteps behind her, and looking over her shoulder, she smiled as she saw Michael. "Good morning, Michael." Arista greeted, not stiff and cold like other Slytherins. "I'm very well, I'm enjoying this sunshine." She admitted with a smile. "How are you? Glad to be back at school?"

Wendalyn breathed out a sigh when she heard Draco's voice, flitting through the air and surrounding her, taunting as always. "Great, it's a slug," she muttered with a roll of her eyes, peering over at Draco, though her heart twisted, constricting in her chest in a way that she was all too familiar with when it came to Draco Malfoy. But, she had learned to push her feelings aside, to bury them, because being in love with Draco only made her heart ache more when he was so cruel to her. "As disgustingly rude as always. I suppose some things never change, even after a summer." Lifting her shoulders in a shrug, she turned back to the front, refusing to let Draco get under her skin, and she didn't want to look at him any longer. "You won't be ruining this class for me, Malfoy, so run along."

Louis smirked slightly when he heard Sansa’s words and he watched her for a moment, arching a brow. As much as a part of him hated himself for how he treated Sansa, at least he got to talk to her in general this way - otherwise, he wouldn’t have any sort of excuse to talk to her, and he would hate that even more. “Now, why would I do that?” he asked easily, tilting his head slightly as he took her in, his smirk growing, though he did find himself easily admiring her; he couldn’t help it, she was gorgeous, she always had been. “As a matter of fact, no, I don’t have anybody else to torment. Lucky you, eh?” And, his smirk turning into a grin, he acknowledged that it was probably the last thing Sansa wanted to hear, but he had a reputation to uphold, especially with how he felt for her. “After all, you are my favorite.” And, that much was true, more so than he could admit.

Anesa found herself struggling to see Hagrid from where she was - the man was huge, but the crowd around him blocked her view quite a bit as she stood in the back. Making a face, she tried to maneuver her way around the crowd, looking for a spot that she could see better from, but she paused when she spotted Harry on the stone wall. For a moment, she felt relief with the fact that it wasn’t full of students, certain that it would be a good place to watch the lesson from - but then she felt nervous, because she’d be near Harry, a boy whome she harbored a crush on, but could never bring herself to speak to due to her shy nature. After a moment of hesitation, though, she made her way over, certain she wouldn’t be able to get up there on her own. “Harry?” she called quietly, not wanting to disrupt class, “Sorry, but could you lend a hand?”

Oliver couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his features when he realized Winona’s arm was around him, his heart soaring with the contact, despite how innocent it was. He couldn’t help it, Winona was perfection, she was kind and funny and everything he could ever want in a girl, though he hadn’t yet admitted that aloud, and especially not to her. “Practice went well,” he assured with a nod as he watched her with a fond smile, “I’m certain we’ve got a good chance at the Quidditch Cup this year.” They’d been doing so well - and he knew there was always something that they could brush up on, that they could get better at, but he had to be positive, for his teammates, that they could do this. “Snape? Smile?” His brows shot up, then, surprised with the news, but he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why do I feel as though you’re exaggerating there, hm?”

Calum grinned slightly, lifting his shoulders in a slight shrug. “Arithmancy, Divination, so on and so forth,” he explained, because he’d wanted to do a variety of classes; he wanted to be able to dip his toes into as many options as possible, to explore all that he could in hopes that it would help with his future, that it would help him pinpoint where exactly he wanted his future to go. The only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted Danielle in it - everything else was up in the air, but as long as Danielle was present in his future, he knew he would be happy. He just had to find a way to make that come to pass. “You think so?” His gaze went ahead, then, spotting Danielle, and he grinned with the sight of her, easily perking up, happily taking her in, amazed by her. “You know what, I think you’re right.” He nodded slightly, picking up his pace a bit as they entered the classroom, and he couldn’t help but keep an eye on where she went, wanting to find a seat nearby.

Clara offered an amused look with Danielle’s words, and she lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. “I suppose you have a point there,” she admitted, though she wished Snape wasn’t such a hard-ass. It made life at Hogwarts a little difficult, where Snape was concerned - he tended to make life for every student who wasn’t a Slytherin difficult in general, which could get frustrating. But at least it provided a challenge, and Clara did like challenges. Hearing Danielle speak further, she listened to her friend and hummed quietly. “I hope so.” With a small grin, she moved to sit down, though her gaze wandered in search of Luke, soon catching him and Calum entering the classroom behind her and her friend, and her heart swelled at the sight of him.

Bellona peered up at Ashton the moment she felt his arm over her shoulders, and she smiled up at him, watching him as she leaned into his hold, enjoying the feeling of being this close to him more than she could bring herself to admit aloud just yet. “I’m good, looking forward to classes, glad to see you lot,” she told him with a small grin, not bothering to hide that much, because she was happy to see them, especially Ashton, and she wished she had the courage to tell him as much, but she couldn’t bring herself to, not yet. “And what about yourself?” She arched a brow in curiosity, relaxing further when Ashton pulled her to himself, swearing there was nowhere else she’d rather be, and she leaned into his hold happily. “Certainly feeling positive - I hope you are as well?”

George grinned slightly when he heard Lucinda’s words and he made a playful face at her. “Am I that obvious? Or is it just a special ability you have to see through me that easily?” he asked teasingly, though he didn’t care either way - a part of him was glad that Lucinda knew him that well, that she could figure him out without even really trying. It was amazing, he could admit that much - almost as amazing as the effect Lucinda tended to have on him in general. He loved her, with everything in him, and she always had a way of amazing him in so many ways, in ways he couldn’t even explain, for as long as he had known her. “Is that going to be a problem?” His grin turned more teasing, then, and he wasted no time before he sat down next to her once she was sitting down, not wanting to part from her presence - not now, not ever.

Lux looked up when she heard Fred’s voice filtering through the silence of the classroom and she offered an amused look when he sat by her. “Good morning, Fred,” she greeted with a nod, her heart swelling slightly with the fact that he was there, spending time with her, even wanting to be near her - it always amazed her that Fred could want to even talk to her at all, since she was such a contrast to him. Where he was fun and playful, she was studious and focused. But she still fell so hard for him that it shocked her - she wouldn’t change that, though. “I’m always excited to be learning, Fred.” She offered an amused look, leaning back in her seat. “What prank?” She arched a brow as she watched him before she grinned to Lucinda when she sat down. “Good morning.”

Michael was certain that the melodic sound of Arista’s voice was the best sound he’d ever heard; it was something he wanted to listen to, always, throughout the rest of his life, to the very end of time. “I’m glad to hear it, truly,” he told her quietly as he watched her, grinning slightly as he watched her, loving being near her, loving speaking to her, loving her very presence and existence in general. “The sunshine is nice, I can admit that much - means it’ll be a warm day.” Which he was grateful for, because he didn’t want to see Arista cold or uncomfortable in any way, ever. Still, hearing her question him, he smiled as he watched her and nodded. “I’m good, looking forward to what the year has in store for us.” And, he found himself hoping that the year would serve to bring him and Arista closer to one another. Still, he grinned. “How was your summer?”

Draco threw the vicious book down into the ground as Wendalyn rolled her eyes, and just the sight made Draco's ego boost in a way he couldn't quite explain, because even though he had her attention quite firmly, it wasn't in the way he'd hoped. "Oh, Wendalyn, do put your pride to the side and admit that you've missed me." Draco smirked, pushing past the girl and waving off Hagrid's oi! don't do tha'! - the man was nothing but an oaf, and he had no authority of Draco - who did Dumbledore think he was, allowing an oddity like Hagrid to teach. "What did you do over the summer, Wendalyn? Watch that awful muggle contraption you call television? Maybe that's why you're so out of place in this school. Should of kept to purebloods only." When Wendalyn told him that he wouldn't be ruining this class for her; Draco couldn't help but scowl, wanting nothing more but Wendalyn's attention. "We'll see about that, Wendalyn."

Sansa watched as Louis spoke to her, tilting his head like a puppy that was getting told off, and as his eyes wore into her, Sansa shifted, clearly uncomfortable, and she wondered for a long moment just why she was allowing him to speak down to her like this. Tightening her grasp around her textbook, Sansa reminded herself that she was a Slytherin too, and she didn't need to tolerate this rubbish. "Because you may be an idiot, but surely you have better things to do than give yourself a semi by bullying others." Sansa snapped, shoving past him. It was lucky for her that she had his attention, but in the worst way. Pushing her way into the classroom, Sansa chose a seat right at the back, somewhere where Louis had to sit in front of her.

Harry gave Hagrid an encouraging thumbs up from the wall where he stayed perched, and as Hagrid began to introduce the class, his attention was pulled away by the sweetest voice calling his name from a few feet below. Blinking in surprise, Harry looked to see Anesa, and he was certain his heart swelled with nothing but happiness and adoration. "Hi Anesa!" Harry greeted quietly, and when she asked for his help to get onto the wall, Harry nodded, shrugging off his cardigan. "Tie this around your waist so you don't scrape your legs when you sit." Harry offered it to the beauty, before shifting to reach down, outstretching his hand to her, his fingers calloused from learning to play guitar over the summer. "Come on then sweetheart," Harry prompted with a sweet smile.

Winona peered up to Oliver with a sweet smile as he began to speak about Quidditch - she swore to herself that she could listen to him talk about practice all day. "You've got a good chance at the Cup every year." Winona laughed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she walked alongside the beautiful boy, squeezing around him. "As long as we win against Slytherin, I don't care." She winked - although she began to giggle as Oliver's eyebrows shot up with surprise, and the sound of his chuckle was like music to Winona's ears. "I did say almost!" Winona nudged him away with her hip gently, taking his hand and swinging their arms. "The corners of his mouth certainly twitched."

Luke couldn't help but pick up his pace as Clara disappeared into Severus Snape's classroom, wanting to keep his gaze on her, because just looking at her caused his heart to feel as though it had found it's second home in her hands. Seeing where Clara had sat - with Danielle, as always - Luke quickly beat a Slytherin boy to the table behind the pair, ensuring Calum got the seat beside him. He didn't really care about Potions, knowing he would soon be dropping the subject as soon as he could, so Clara was the perfect distraction from Severus Snape. Hearing the man's baratone voice, Luke rolled his eyes subtly - speak of the devil. Dipping his quill in its accompanying ink, Luke scoffed as Snape called their class petulant children, and he found himself determined to prove him wrong. "Psst, Clara," Luke cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to disturb you... do you have any spare parchment, sweetheart?"

Danielle settled in her seat, unfolding her parchment as she hummed a happy tune; lifting her gaze as Snape walked into the dark classroom, already drawling on about some sort of potion that he considered too advanced for petulant children. Biting the inside of her cheek, Danielle heard voices behind her, turning to look over her shoulder to see Calum and Luke had chosen the desk behind theirs, and Danielle was certain that with such a handsome distraction, she would be failing potions easily this year. "Clara..." Danielle leaned in then to whisper to her friend, almost like a lovesick teenager. "Look who's sat behind us."

Ashton grinned down at Bellona as she leaned into his embrace, the weight of her in his arms so reassuring that he couldn't help but to tug her just that little bit closer. "Well, I'm glad to see you too," Ashton grinned. "You're my favourite, you know? I best be yours." He nudged her playfully, treading along to the greenhouse carefully, ensuring that Bellona was safe from falling. "Little old me? I'm happy to be back." Ashton looked down to Bellona though, happiness hidden behind hazel eyes. "Summer was boring," - not just that, summer was awful. His mother had done nothing but drink, and Ashton was left to his own devices, and he was alone most of the time. "So being around all of you again has really lifted my spirits." Ashton promised, pulling away and offering Bellona his hand. "C'mon love, we mustn't be late." Hearing her question about his positivity though, Ashton offered an unsure grin. "Of course I am, I'm Ashton Irwin!"

Lucinda sat in her seat, gently hugging Lux before turning her attention back to George, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "I think that it might be my special ability," Lucinda teased, reaching to pinch George's cheek, having no qualms in teasing the boy. Preparing her quill, ink and parchment, Lucinda lay her wand down on the desk, ensuring everything looked perfect before turning back to George, bright eyed and red hair tousled. "Absolutely not." Lucinda teased. "I can't wait to see what you and Fred have in store for us this hour." She offered him a wink then, grateful to Merlin as he sat next to her, and she scooched a little closer, hoping that he didn't notice. Writing her name in the corner of the parchment, Lucinda waited for Professor Flitwick to start the lesson.

Fred noticed, quite easily, how Lux offered him an amused look, and knowing that he brought some joy to her had already made his day worth while; and when she spoke his name, Fred was certain his own heart would implode with happiness. It sounded far too good falling from Lux's lips, and he was certain that if he wasn't sat down, he would've pretended to swoon, just to see her laugh. Settling down for the lesson beside Lux, not wanting to pull away now when he had her attention. Hearing her words though, Fred offered the beauty an amused look, grateful to be sitting this close to her. "That's because you're a smart cookie, Lux. No one in this class can compare to you, that's for sure. Would you take a Galleon an hour to write my next essay?" He teased, but as she asked about the prank, Fred only tapped his quill against his nose, offering Lux a wink before opening out his parchment as she greeted Lucinda.

Arista offered Michael a sweet smile as he looked to her, unaware that when she looked away, his gaze was still firmly on her. She could admit to herself that being around Michael was like breathing in fresh air; he brought something so incredible to this school that no one else had managed to bring - life. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Arista nodded. "We definitely need some sunshine, especially before the October chill sets in." She hummed, looking to Michael to ensure that he was wearing his jumper, in case the weather would turn at any time. "My summer felt like it lasted five seconds!" Arista laughed, nudging Michael gently. "I'm just glad to be back at school, around my friends." She offered him a grin. "Hey, do you reckon we'll have more classes together this year?"