Preparations ((Ivy and Ryan))

[lacey]

No one but Lacey seemed to be trying to finish up with their homework. Other people were simply frolicking around, swinging their arms and just being a bother in general. With a big bag swinging on her back and 4 books and 5 rolls or parchment piled on top of them in her arms Lacey moved slowly and carefully, not at all wanting to drop her things. She didn’t want to spend any of the holiday time worrying about homework, when she could spend it with her father and in their little store. Lacey would never voluntarily pass up on time being spent with her father. She saw him rarely enough all during the year with Lacey being at Hogwarts and her father back in the muggle world. They corresponded very often through owls, but that was still not the same as seeing her father and friends for real and being able to hug them. She had been able to get her father a nice Christmas present. It was magical which would give it even more value for her father who supported Lacey in every way and tried to learn as much as possibly about the magical world so the present should be correct for him.

Being enveloped with her own personal thoughts Lacey had forgotten to pay proper attention to her surroundings and it had ended with some boy running into her. The boy stared at him for a moment before shrugging and running away again while Lacey sighed looking down at her belongings which were now spilled all over the hallway floor. Kneeling down Lacey started to gather her belongings gently straightening the leaves of the book that had fell open. Somehow Lacey managed to fit 2 of the books she had been carrying into her bag before she looked around while worriedly chewing her lower lip. She wouldn’t loose the homework she had worked so hard on! She just couldn’t loose it! She had managed to retrieve all her books, but she was still missing to of the rolls of parchment and her favourite quill.

Trying to look through the legs of the people who were passing the hallway Lacey tried in vain to locate her things while she mumbles sorrys to people passing who she might have been bothering. Letting her hair fall forward so it shielded her slightly flushed cheeks from view Lacey stood and threw her bag over her shoulder again as she slowly walked forward with her eyes still scanning the hallway in search for her homework.

[ryan]

Ryan weaved easily between people while kicking the football in front of him easily, keeping it moving in front of him easily. He was a pureblood, but he adored sports, so learning about this sport called soccer had been interesting for Ryan. Besides the game was fun! It required creativity, precision, quickness and skill to be good at it. Ryan figured that by now he already knew all the rules of soccer as well, even though he might not be the best player due to limit practice possibilities. You couldn’t find overly many people in a wizarding school interested in a muggle sport so Ryan was mainly forced to play by himself. Over time he had gained very good control over keeping the ball moving where he wanted though – even if playing quidditch as a chaser also came very handy at this.

Waving and offering a greeting to a passing friend Ryan continued on his way looking for something to do. Perhaps he could meet Ashley and convince the girl to come for a tour around the castle or on the grounds with him. Ryan hadn’t seen Ashley since breakfast which was about… 6 hours ago… but he already missed him. Smiling at himself a bit ironically Ryan came to the conclusion that he was really head over heels for the Hufflepuff 5th year and the most real and alive girl Ryan had ever met. She really was something simply wonderful.

Rayn kicked the ball gently keeping it steady with the side of his foot as he rounded the corner and heard something crack. Stopping immediately Ryan glanced downwards worriedly only to sigh as he saw blue ink seeping onto the floor from a now broken quill. At least the quill looked rather worth and old already, so perhaps replacing it wouldn’t be much too difficult. Picking up the pieces of the quill and the football Ryan looked around his eyes falling rather quickly to a Hufflepuff girl who was looking almost searchingly around the hallway. “Was this your quill? I’m sorry, I didn’t see it previously?” Ryan said as he approached the girl while opening the brown paper-bag hanging form one of his wrist and pulling out one of the 3 quills he had bought for himself today at Hogsmeade, “I’m terribly sorry for breaking. Here – take one of these quills for a replacement for the one I’m broken. I bought them just today at Hogsmeade, so it should be alright,” Ryan said with an apologetic smile offering the still wrapped brown quill with golden-yellow slashes of colour running through it to the girl, hoping she wouldn’t be terribly upset.

[Ivy Tunstall]

The festive season had arrived and was noticeably exerting its influence on the castle of Hogwarts. Gold tinsel adorned the Hufflepuff Common Room, festooned over the fireplace, around the windows, tables, noticeboard. The Common Room was very full this evening - people were working less as Christmas approached and spending more time with their friends, unwinding. Ivy wasn't working; nor was she disturbed by the amount of noise there was in the Common Room. It stopped her from thinking too much or brooding, so that she could concentrate properly on the job in hand. Wrapping. Ivy had found a quiet corner (if that were possible at present) in the Common Room and was now diligently covering her Christmas presents for her friends in two different rolls of wrapping paper.

It wasn't an easy job - gold stars were currently raining from the ceiling thanks to the ingenuity of some sixth year. They seemed to be sticking to her hair and her clothing too though, which was rather annoying. To the wrapping paper, too. Ivy quickly covered up the presents she was wrapping - she didn't particularly want gold stars stuck to them, and started picking them off her jeans. Once the onslaught of falling sticky stars had stopped (Ivy expected the perpetrator was most likely no longer in the vicinity thanks to not much fancying having gold stars stuck to their own hair), Ivy hurriedly started her wrapping again. When peace broke out with not a prank in sight, that undisturbed time was too good to be wasted.

Having wrapped Sadie's present, Ivy turned to wrapping one for Solitaire. She didn't know this particular fellow Hufflepuff so well, even though she shared a dormitory with her, but she'd got her a box of Milk Chocolate Creams from Catalina's Cubby, since she worked there and it was nice to give something, after all. She rolled out a length of wrapping paper so that she had enough to wrap it up in, but a moment later a second year had run over the paper (thankfully not the chocolates) and completely crumpled up the paper. He'd also slipped on the paper and was now on his knees. Ivy stood up, feeling faintly amused at the prospect of making him beg to go away, but instead offered a hand to help him up, asking, "Are you all right?" Since he seemed perfectly so, she added, "And please watch where you're going next time. It wasn't really that helpful." The boy mumbled an apology and went back to his friends, looking a bit subdued. Ivy wondered for a moment. Was she really getting so tall and old-looking that people actually listened to her?

That had done it though - the Common Room was evidently not the place to try to get wrapping done. She'd just have to find an abandoned classroom somewhere; the library wouldn't do since she doubted Madam Pince would be particularly delighted to have the sound of cutting, folding and securing wrapping paper in her library. Really, the noisiest thing in there was her 'Shhh'. Ivy gathered her things up and made her way out of the chaotic Common Room, roaming the corridors to find a classroom she could use. It took her a while to realise why people were giving her odd glances: she'd forgotten about the gold stars still scattered over her hair and her jumper. She blushed a little as she realised but there was little she could do about it, burdened as she was with unwrapped presents and two rolls of wrapping paper which were fast trying to become unrolled. She kept her eyes down on the ground to save herself some embarassment.

Keeping your eyes on the ground meant you noticed things that normally would pass you by. That was the case with the two pieces of parchment she saw lying on the floor. Ivy bent down (at considerable inconvenience to herself considering the bulky and hard to hold load she was carrying) to pick up the pieces of parchment between two spare fingers, and looked around to see who they could belong to. She could see Lacey there, with the boy Ash had gone to the Halloween Ball with... Ryan as far as she could remember. Putting one of the rolls of wrapping paper down, Ivy unrolled a piece of parchment and recognised Lacey's writing on it. Having acquired her wrapping paper again, Ivy made her way over to her fellow Hufflepuff and the older Ravenclaw.
"I think these are yours, Lacey," she said, holding them out for the other fourth year to take since she wasn't particularly capacitated to hand them over herself. "Don't know what they were doing on the floor but that's where they were." Ivy smiled at Lacey, and then at Ashley's friend. "I'm Ivy," she said to the Ravenclaw - in fact she was going to call him Ryan in her head at least even though she wasn't sure that was his name. She smiled at him, not saying anything more and then looked back to Lacey, shifting her load to give her slightly more control and freedom.

[lacey]

Lacey was quite given up hope to find her quill and parchments any time soon when a pair of shoes stopped in front of her. Glancing upwards through her hair Lacey looked at the boy who had spoke to her and seemed genuinely worried. One look at the quill pieces told her that it was broken beyond any repairs and Lacey sighed. A moment later the boy offered a new quill to her however and Lacey glanced at it. She really didn’t have a spare quill right now because her other one had broken the day before. Listening to the boys’ words carefully Lacey nodded and accepted the quill from him with a small smile. “Thank you. It’s a very pretty quill.” Lacey said while biting down on her lower lip before offering the boy a shy smile.

Ivy approached them handing Lacey the rolls of parchment and Lacey grinned widely. “Thank you so much, Ivy! I didn’t want to spent the vacation doing homework so I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost these!” Lacey said with a beaming smile as she accepted her homework and tried to fit them into her arms nicely which was remarkably more easier now that she had managed to fit some of the books into her bag. “I fell and they rolled off somewhere.” Lacey admitted her own clumsiness with a bit of pinkness tilting her cheeks. She didn’t want to appear as a clutz or someone who couldn’t uphold herself properly. But it had been her fault partially this time that she fell so Lacey admitted it as honestly as she could. “I bumped into someone and that caused the fall actually.” Lacey said feeling her cheeks go a bit more reddish as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and stopped herself before she started rambling. When Lacey opened her eyes again she saw for her own immense gratitude that Ivy had turned to the boy instead and was introducing herself.
“I’m Lacey.” Lacey added her own name a bit shyly as she shifted her own armful of parchments as she eyed curiously the wrapping paper Ivy seemed to be holding. Christmas presents? Lacey had managed to get most of hers wrapped yesterday luckily.

[ryan]

Ryan was glad when the girl took the quill. Breaking her previous one had been his fault even though it couldn’t really be demanded that he always looked where he put his feet when walking through Hogwarts hallways. But at the very least the situation had been solved quickly and easily. Ryan observed the communication between the two Huflfepuff girls – as one more joined them – not minding at all retreating to the background himself. He didn’t really know either girl after all. Byr Ryan was relatively sure that one of them was on the quidditch team of her house. Wasn’t the same girl even a friend of Ash?

Noticing almost with a start that both girls had turned to him Ryan quickly rewinded the conversation in his head. “Ivy and Lacey,” Ryan replied dutifully nodding to the appropriate girl as he stated the name, “Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Ryan. I’d offer to shake your hand, but you both seem to have your hands occupied otherwise. Can I give you a hand with carrying some of those things? I’m free right now anyway so it wouldn’t be a bother,” Ryan offered with an easy smile not even knowing himself which girl he was addressing, before nodding to Ivy, “You, I think, are also one of Ash’s friends if I recall correctly?”

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy gave Lacey a friendly smile as the pieces of parchment were taken off her. The girl she shared a dormitory with looked a little embarrassed, although Ivy wasn’t entirely sure why. She liked Lacey, even if she wasn’t as close friends with her as some other people in her year, and Sadie. Ivy supposed losing your homework would make you a bit flustered though; Ivy always got flustered if she lost things. It was found now though, so all well and good. Ivy nodded at her explanation of how it had all happened and smiled just a little bitterly, even though it could barely be interpreted as that. Didn’t people ever help? Ivy pondered Lacey momentarily before looking back to the Ravenclaw, Ryan. She was a nice girl, was the other Hufflepuff; didn’t she deserve help? Ivy shook her head a little to herself and smiled at Ryan as he confirmed what she had suspected regarding his name and continued on with a generous offer to carry some of their things. Ivy looked at Lacey with all her rolls of parchment in her arms and then down to the two rolls of wrapping paper she was carrying. It was hard to carry them along with the presents, yes, but parchment was a nightmare. The slightest gust could catch it and then it was off… whereas wrapping paper was at least solid.

“Mmmm.” Ivy replied. “That’d be really helpful. Which way were you going?” she asked, the question addressed to both Ryan and Lacey. She didn’t get to spend all that much time with the other Hufflepuff since she didn’t do Quidditch or anything… but she wasn’t averse to having company and Ryan seemed very friendly too (while of course some secrecy for wrapping was a good thing). “I’m not actually entirely sure where I’m headed now…” she said, looking around her. “Somewhere quiet. I have wrapping to do, as you can see.” Ivy smiled at the two of them, aware of the fact that people were still moving around in the corridor besides them, the three students stationary and the situation feeling just slightly awkward. Ivy grinned at the football she noticed that the Ravenclaw was in possession of as she thought over Ashley’s own enthusiasm for the sport. Ivy smiled at Ryan who had just asked her a question regarding Ash, and replied, “And yup, that I am.” She liked the girl who was in the year above her, despite the fact that her energy was occasionally a little overwhelming. She would call her a friend for certain. Ivy didn’t return it with ‘You are one of Ash’s admirers, if I’m not mistaken?’ but looked back to Lacey, hoping that she didn’t need to say anything for it to be taken that she did have some idea who the Ravenclaw was.

[lacey]

The boy introduced himself as Ryan. Some small idea did move in Lacey’s head as she recalled some talk about Ashley Hill who was a year older than she going to the Halloween Ball with some Ravenclaw as well. Lacey knew Ashley even though they were hardly close friends. And there had been enough exitement as it was in their own dormitory as they had all helped to prepare Nokomis for her date at the ball. Lacey herself had opted to not go. She didn’t have a date and hadn’t wanted to feel like a tag-along after her friends. She had actually spent a rather pleasant evening reading and afterwards playing Monopoly with some younger muggle-born students.
„I’m pretty much settled now, so I think that Ivy could use some more help.“ Lacey smiled at the Ravenclaw thankful for offer to help. At least this guy was polite too.

Lacey smiled at Ivy and shifted the bag on her back into a bit more comfortable position. „Actually I was heading no where special. I was catching up with the holidays homework in the library but as madam Pince isn’t there some 2nd years decided to experiment there. I’m yet to finish the conclusion for one of the essays so I think I would join you at your search for quiet place so I could get it all out of my mind.“ Lacey smiled at Ivy hoping the other girl wouldn’t mind despite her obviously having some presents to wrap still. Giggling lightly as she thought of Ashley who was hard to miss with all her energy Lacey didn’t say anything about it though. They weren’t friends, just mere acquintances perhaps. They both only shared Hufflepuff pride though. Looking at Ryan with some laughter dancing on her face Lacey waited to hear how he owuld respond to Ivy’s question.

[ryan]

Ryan played with the football he had along feeling a bit helpless with the two girls at his side both having heaps of things in their arms. Well not heaps anymores as at least the one called, what was it... something that reminded string... ah, Lacey. Lacey had managed to pack most of her things away so Ryan turned towards Ivy smiling lightly at her agreeing that someone helping her might be useful. „Here, let me carry some of that,“ Ryan said easily stopping the movement of the football around his legs as he held out his hand obediently seeing what Ivy piled into his arms only with absent-minded interest: „Wrapping? Oh, man. I still have to do that do, right?“ Ryan asked with slight despair, „I don’t evne have presents yet! And wrapping is dangerous. I cut my fingers the last time and almost strangled myself with duck-tape by accidents. So I’m feeling very scared of the idea of packing presents yet AGAIN, especially if I have to pack many of them.“

„I wasn’t really heading anywhere I think. Well, I was heading somewhere, but I wasn’t entirely sure where to. Just browsing for someone to paly football with my I think as Ash is busy today. So I don’t mind playing the donkey for a while and helping you move your stuff to whereever you two are now heading. And howcome Pince agreed to leave her kingdom? I’m alwyas afraid of venturing in the library in the search of some book I need if she’s not visible at her throne near the entrance. I always fear that,“ Ryan glanced around the hallway just in case and lowered his voice, „That I’ll walk in onto her kissing Snape between some bookshelves or Filch. And that they would take my head, burn me on stake and throw the ashes around as well as give Ravenclaw a couple of millions of minuses so that every bit of my ashes would be located and cursed by my housemates so I would never find peace in the after-life either.“ Ryan paused and mulled over the thought with a bit of amusement and a bit of worry before giving a sad grin at the girls: „Now that I have actually put to words what I think – I am going to need therapy as well as body-guards the next time I’m going to the library.“

[Ivy Tunstall]

"Thanks so much," Ivy said gratefully as she gave Ryan part of her load to carry, acutely aware that her hair was still littered with copious numbers of gold stars. At least she might look a little less like one of the Christmas elves now she wasn't thoroughly overloaded. Ivy shifted her remaining burden to get it comfortable, laughing at what Ryan was saying about his wrapping process. He sounded like a bit of a disaster area. "You certainly make your way of doing things sound dangerous," she agreed. "But, you know, wrapping's a necessary skill. Practice makes perfect - according to the saying at least." Ivy smiled at him before looking back to Lacey who was explaining what she'd been doing and had said she wouldn't mind joining Ivy. That just left the problem of actually finding the quiet classroom then.

"How about here?" Ivy asked as she opened the door to a very neglected-looking classroom which couldn't have been used for almost a decade. The house-elves might keep it clean but it could certainly do with some tender-loving-care. There were a number of wooden desks and rickety wooden chairs which really didn't look too comfortable. "Hmm," Ivy murmured before Transfiguring the seats of three of the chairs into plush velvety cushions. "Will this do?" she asked. "Doesn't look as though anyone's about to come here for sure..." She looked back to the other two students with a questioning look on her face, herself heading into the room after having used a charm to carefully lift and position four of the desks into a rectangle. Having set down what she was carrying, Ivy sat on one of the desks and swung her legs back and forth as she watched her fellow Hufflepuff and Ashley's friend.

"I'm afraid I'm not so good for football," she said as she locked the door behind them with a simple charm to afford them some privacy. "I like Quidditch but I'm not particularly athletic really." Ivy smiled at the two of them before drawing up one of the chairs she'd tried to improve and sitting down on it tentatively. Yes, her spell had worked. She hadn't fallen through it. Ivy started to sort out the things she'd brought for wrapping as she said, "I hope you wouldn't be that unfortunate though, Ryan. It wouldn't be a very fitting end. But Madam Pince is a bit of a dragon." Ivy looked over at what Lacey had to do. "I'm staying in school over Christmas so holidays homework means exactly that for me," she commented. "I do want to get my wrapping done before the end of school though," she added. "I like giving presents in person as much as possible so if people are going away that means I have to do it now."

She smiled and laughed a little to herself at a memory she'd just had come to her, probably as she thought about trying to avoid last-minute wrapping. "At home we used to wrap everything on Christmas Eve," she explained. "Then go and put the presents underneath the tree ready for the next day. Though they never fitted very well in the living room - the trees, that is. Eh... yes, marathon wrapping sessions actually." She pondered what she'd just said for a moment before correcting herself, "Or maybe sprint wrapping sessions since it all had to be done quickly. I don't know." Ivy smiled at the two of them as she took out her present for Sadie and her scissors. She rolled out some suitable wrapping paper and put the present and the scissors down on top to keep it rolled out before applying herself to getting rid of the stars. "The library isn't the only place people have decided to experiment, Lacey," she explained. "Well, I'm not sure this was an experiment," she added, pointing to her hair. "It worked rather too well."

((I hope it's okay with you two that she locked the door behind them implying they must've entered the room... if not do let me know and I'll gladly change it for either of you. )

[lacey]

Lacey watched curiously how easily Ryan controlled where the football he had along went to. How could he do it? Lacey had never managed it in P.E. classes while she had been in a muggle school. She had been the last one to be picked into teams when they were playing something because everyone knew that Lacey was a bad ball-player. But Lacey hadn’t really despised P.E. classes. She had been a good runner, especially for long distance so she had often competed in races. Sometimes won too. Lacey still went jogging every day to maintain her shape. “I have to agree with Ivy on this one. Never was any good in football. Making sure the ball rolled the right away always seemed like an impossible task for me. I’m not very good at catching a ball either, so I would be terribly untalented at quidditch too. But you and Noko and everyone else on the team are fantastic. I’m sure we will get the Quidditch cup next year.” Lacey smiled at Ivy a bit approvingly. She herself was afraid of heights so she didn’t even have any desire to start playing quidditch, but Lacey enjoyed watching the games. She always made sure to go and support her house-team when Hufflepuff played.

Lacey giggled a little as she listened to Ryan’s description as to how he usually wrapped mentally thinking that Ivy’s classification of Ryan as a disaster area might even be a bit too easy. Lacey listened with a small smile as Ivy shared a memory of her home and wrapping with them. “Marathon wrapping sounds fun. At my home we always take our time with wrapping and later on unwrapping presents. If someone spends time to wrap a present, then it means something so you should take to appreciate it. So no matter how it will look later on, it’s rather the meaning that you took the time to try and wrap the present, Ryan.”
Lacey smiled and entered the empty classroom Ivy had decided upon. A small oh escaped her lips as Ivy transfigured 3 chairs for them and smiling gratefully Lacey placed the couple of things still in her arms onto one of the chairs. She hadn’t had many things but it had still been a bit of a nuisance to carry them all.

“Madam Pince and Snape? Kissing? Snape kissing anyone?” Lacey asked with a bit of horror in her voice as she turned to look at Ryan. “Dear me. I will never be able to look Snape in the eye again without trying to imagine him kissing someone. I’m not sure I could imagine Snape caring about someone that much really.” Lacey smiled suddenly finding the idea in itself be amusing still with Filch. Lacey didn’t fer Filch while she as a bit frightened by Snape. “I don’t think it’s fair to pair Filch up with madam Pince though. What would happen to missis Norris at that case? Maybe mrs. Norris and Filch were in love one day but Filch accidentally turned her into a cat. Then he stumbled and something fell onto his head and he lost his ability to use magic and poor mrs. Norris was forced to spend the rest of her life time in her cat form.”

Lacey tried to seat herself on the armrest of the armchair Ivy had conjured while trying to find a comfortable seat. “The stars look lovely. You always have the most nicely wrapped gifts. And the golden colour works nicely with your hair. It highlights it a little I suppose.”

[ryan]

Ryan threw his head back and laughed with real amusement at Ivy’s words. “Disaster area? Quite precise definition I suppose. But what’s life without a little bit of risk, right?” Ryan grinned and as if to prove his words stumbled on the door-step leading to the abandoned class-room Ivy had led them too. Doing some rather curious hops Ryan managed to stay upright still without dropping anything from his arms. Just in case Ryan walked to one of the tables and carefully deposited Ivy’s things on top of it before giving both girl a victorious grin. “Right. No harm done. Not to the things nor to me. That was a bit too much risk perhaps. But risk that ended nicely.” Ryan jogged over to the corner to where his football had flown to and retreated his toy before joining the girl in the center of the room once more. He did feel kind of awkward for a moment as both girls had something useful to do and he didn’t, but then again these girls were Ash’s friends, so Ryan liked them for that.

Ryan smiled gratefully at Lacey when she said that in the end it was the point that he had bothered to make the gift, not how it was wrapped. “Thanks. But I still think that I’m going to beg someone form my friends to help me wrap my presents for Ash. Can’t have anything less than perfect for those presents, can I?” A genuine smile rose to Ryan’s lips as he thought of Ash. He admitted it to himself even if not to many other people yet. He had fallen head over heels, completely, desperately for Ash. It was that once in a lifetime feeling Ryan felt for her. Luckily he could see Ash during the holidays as well as Ash had invited him over for the New Years Eve. Ryan would most likely be looking forward to that moment all his holiday.

“Yeah, I know. I have seen you during the games,” Ryan told Ivy with a grin as he dropped himself to sit comfortably on one of the tables, “You are good. Trust me. Ever thought of going professional? You do sometimes seem as passionate about quidditch as my father is. He plays professionally as a chaser. I think it’s the same with football or any sport. If you spend enough time practicing, then you can play the sport well.” Ryan closed his eyes and shook his head even with a grin prominently displayed on his face showing the dimple in one of his cheeks, “Lacey, please. I already need therapy. Filch and mrs. Norris as the Romeo and Juliet of nowadays wizarding world is not helping any.”