Scarlett had seen a lot of firsties on the train this year and she hadn’t been as annoyed by them as she usually was. Actually she was feeling very reflective these days and she remembered her own first year at Hogwarts and how hard it had been to make friends even for someone as out going and charming as herself. So she decided to do something about it. Scarlett hung fliers all about the school announcing a Firsty Mixer! The flyer proclaimed that all first years students interested in meeting other first year students and taking a small tour of the castle should meet in the Great Hall five minutes from now. Scarlett was early waiting for a couple of other older students that she trusted to be good tour guide to show up.

Ray had been sitting in the hall doing homework while biting on the lid of a muggle pen. He wrote with a quill, but usually had one of these. His music was playing softly from a small device that looked like a pin attached to his robes. Ray heard a small girl say something to her friend about a first year mixer and, with a sigh, he followed along. Normally he would never have stopped doing homework to hang out with a bunch of other first years but, what was life without a slight variation in schedule? Clueless. Life was clueless and predictable without schedule variation. The first person he saw was, of coarse, the girl who didn't like his monkey. But none the less. "Hello. I didn't bring Izzie. She's playing in the trees by the lake." He said with a smile.

Logan hurried down to meet Scarlett for the mixer she had mentioned to him earlier. He was pretty excited that he was one of the ones she had chosen. Walking through the hallway to the Great Hall, he gazed at a few of the flyers, glad that someone was doing something to help out the first years. Soon, he strolled through the doors. "Hi Scar! Thanks again for letting me help, love." He grinned. Turning, he noticed a student he hadn't met before. "Hey, how's it going? I'm Logan Devonwood."

Melie was frantically rushing around her dorm room getting dressed, she had overslept, not something unusual really, that alarm clock Mark bought her for Christmas must be defective or something, because more often than not, she was left running around at the last minute.
"Where are they?!" She cried out in frustration, looking for her Adidas trainers. Finally she found them, under her bed, under her potions text book and slid the white and black stripped running shoes on her feet. "Scarlett is going to Avada Kedava me soon," Melie mumbled taking a quick look in the mirror. Her long brown hair was up in a messy pony tail and she straightened her white v-neck t-shirt and dark red cotton flowy tube top. As usual one of her favorite pairs of jeans were on her, these ones, a lighter blue with a tear in one of the knees. Quickly Melie ran out of the room and off to meet her cousin.
Melie ran into the Great Hall and up to Scar and Logan, breathless.
"I'm...here...Stupid alarm clock...Should get his money back," Melie said between breaths, she gave a quick wave of hello to Logan at the same time.

"My heart goes out to the squirrles," Scarlett said in her husky drawl. She soften the words with a smile. After all she wouldn't want others to judge her by her always prowling pet. "I am glad you could come to the mixer."

Scarlett waited while Ray and Logan go to know one another. "I am glad you could make it Logan. I am hopin' that if you actually meet the firsties you will stop playin' so many pranks on them." Scarlett rarely did something without some kind of motive.

"Hey Mel don't worry your not that late. We've only got one firsty so far."

After Melie finally caught her breath she replied to Scarlett.
"You mean I practically killed myself to get down here on time, and it hasn't even started yet?" she said in an uncharacteristic whiney voice as she sat down hard on the nearest bench with a deceivingly loud thud. Melie leaned back against the table resting on her arms.
"Hey Logan, I can only imagine what you'll show the firsties lol. Slip a little something into their hot chocolates?" Melie said with a sly grin, knowing Logan all too well.

Logan had to keep himself from laughing when Mel mentioned hot chocolate. Good times...good times... he remembered the time him and Emma brewed up a babbling potion. Smirking, he shook his head. "Now now, Mel. Of course I won't be doing anything quite that drastic. I've turned a new leaf." He chuckled. Looking towards Scarlett, he started to ask, "So, what is your game plan for today? Touring the first years around Hogwarts?"

Scarlett looked at Logan a good long time. "I want to make them feel welcome. Why? Why did you think i did this? Did you think this was some kind of set up for a horrible prank?" Scarlett's voice was raw and it cracked a bit as it climbed in octaves and volume. Scarlett had had a hard summer and she was trying to cope.

June walked nervously down the corridor following the fliers announcing the Firsty Mixer that she had heard other students talking about. This was just the thing she would have avoided at home, if she didn’t go out people could not accuse her of ruining things. But that was why she was here. A fresh start…and with that thought she set her face into what she hoped would be a confident smile and walked into the room that was already filled with people who looked like the already knew each other.

Dylan casually walked down the hall, a few paces behind a nervous looking girl. He was following the flyers directing him towards the mixer. He came to the room full of people he had previously met on the train. In order to establish himself in the room Dylan decided to say hello to Logan, Scarlett, and Melie.

"Really? I didn't know there were squirrels at Hogwarts. You would think that, with all the Thestrals and the like living in the forest, they would either be scared away or eaten." He said, nodding to Logan in acknowledgment. "I'm... Alexander-Ray Mahoney. Feel free to call me Ray though." Ray shrugged. "Actually, I'd prefer it if it's all the same..."

As Ray watched two other first years wander in branded in the immortal fabrics that played themselves as Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, he gave them small smiles.

Kim walked down the ancient Hogwarts hallway, her shiny black shoes clicking loudly. She had seen posters all over the school advertising a first-year mixer. Why not? she thought to herself It might be fun.

She tightened her brand new blue striped tie and tried to tame her curly black hair as she came up to where the party was being held. She walked in behind a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor and observed the scene before her. She only recognized one boy she had met on the train, he had been called Ray if she remembered right. Most of the people seemed to know each other already. Oh well. she thought I guess if things get awkward I can always find a quiet corner to read in. She could feel the small book she had brought brush her side, safely tucked away in her robe.

She walked over to the small group that was forming and introduced herself. "Er, I'm Kim, Kim Delacroix." she said, her voice slightly above a wisper.

Scarlett was startled out of her rage at Logan by Dylan’s greeting. She shook her head to clear it a bit. Why had she gone off on Logan again? She couldn’t remember exactly. Scarlett threw Logan a quick apologetic smile hoping he would forgive her. Then she tacked on her social smile for the firsties.

“Hello Dylan. It’s nice to see you again,” Scarlett said, thinking that was the right thing to say right?

Alex had said something about squirrels and thestrals that Scarlett hoped didn’t require a reply because she just didn’t seem to be able to come up with one. And she used to be so good at this. When had this become so hard? Scarlett never would have believed that a summer spent among the dragons would leave her so unprepared to deal with people.

When Scarlett saw the last addition to their group she smiled at June. “Hello June. And welcome.” Scarlett relaxed a little as she saw how anxious the other girl appeared. Some instinct in Scarlett had not forgotten how to try to make people feel welcome so the smile she gave June was warmer than any of her previous ones had been. Scarlett changed her tone and stance so that she addressed all the first years. “Don’t know how many more first years will be joining us, but we can start talkin’ about what parts of the castle you’d like to see.”

Kim noticed how nervous the other first year girl was and lightened up slightly. Good. She wasn't the only one that had problems with crowds.

She focussed back in on the other students just in time to her one of the older girls ask what parts of the castle they would like to see. "The library please!" she blurted out before she could stop herself. She suddenly realized how dorky it must have sounded to be so excited about a library and she felt her cheeks grow hot. "We don't have to go there first or even spend much time there, it's just... I haven't gotten the chance to go yet and libraries are my favorite places." her voice trailed slightly but she made herelf keep eye contact with the girl who had asked the question. Come on Kim, stop being so childish. she scolded herself silently.

When Scarlett heard a girl she had never met before suggest the library, she had to restrain herself from smacking her forehead. The gesture was so clearly stamped in her mind that for another moment she was lost in this past summer, but she pulled herself out it. What had she forgotten? Oh yeah, to introduce herself to the group. That was only the polite thing to do. Which she had totally forgotten. “I’m Scarlett, by the way,” she said in her brightest voice trying to make up for her lapse. These fristies are probably going to think I am a total space cadet. “And this is my cousin and fellow Gryffindor Melie. And the tall gentleman on my right is Logan and he hails from Ravenclaw. Now visiting the library sounds like a fine idea to me. You will all need to know where it is.”

OoC: We will be beginning the tour now, but if you are a firsty who would like join this thread, just add yourself to the group. :)

Ray muttered Ravenclaw at the same moment as Scarlett had. The badge was a dead giveaway but it was still nice of her to mention it in case some of the others eyes were to strained to notice. And that was his nice was of putting it.

"Third floor." He said in amusement when Scarlett made her comment about all needing to know where the library is. Ray caught his amused tone and, apologizing for it, he made a gesture that said 'lead the way'. Ray scribbled something on the piece of parchment he was carrying about that was quite obviously a homework assignment, before rolling it up and shoving it away from the eyes of onlookers.

As the group began to move through the castle Dylan felt a little out of the loop as he tagged along listening to the others converse about knowledge of the Castle. Dylan decided he would try to become part of the group and make a conversation with the two girls he entered the room with. Carefully Dylan approached Kim and June.

Kim wanted to hug herself to contain her excitement. She silently made a promise to come out of the library with at least one book, if she had time to look around that is. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked around at her fellow first years. She saw Ray scribble something on a peice of parchment. Her curiosity burnned, but then she just reminded herself that not everything in the world has some great mystery behind it. She shrugged it off, turned to the two other kids beside her, and smiled. For once she was actually glad she had gone out of her comfort zone.

As June walked through the door she was greeted with smiles from the other students who were already present, and immediately felt a little better.
“Thanks Scarlett” June replied, relieved that the older student remembered her name.
June felt something beside her and was thankful to see two other students come in right behind her. One, the girl, looked as nervous as she felt. June turned to her in time to hear her say her name was Kim…something. June didn’t quite catch the last name. Ugh, I am horrible at this, she thought. Just as June was about to introduce herself to the quiet Kim; Scarlett introduced herself and the other tour guide students and asked where they wanted to go first. When Kim blushed after asking to see the library, June quickly put her hand on Kim’s arm the moment of identical thought. June would have asked the same, if she had been brave enough. She smiled at Kim and the boy who had just turned to them and introduced herself.
“Hi, I’m June Kovac. I really want to see the library too,” she admitted as she began to follow the others through the door. She stuck her hand out to shake, and immediately worried about the gesture. What if wizards don’t shake hands, she worried. She wondered if this was ever going to feel comfortable.

Scarlett did not like Ray’s tone or the arrogance in the gesture he made. Her always combustible temper flared and she was just able to smother it with a slight frown. If she went around setting firsties on fire for being annoying the castle was bound to burn down.

Scarlett led the kids to the grand staircase and began to go up. She was pleased to not that the two of the girls looked like they might be talking to each other. That was a giant accomplishment for fisties. As Scarlett climbed she rambled a bit about some of the painting, which one could be trusted and which one would bet on being able to make you late to class.

Kim was greatly relieved that her smile was greeted warmly by the other students. The girl who had walked in before her introduced herself as June and said she wanted to go to the library too. What luck! For the first time since arriving Kim felt like she had met someone she could relate to. The girl offered her hand and Kim shook it gladly.
"It's nice to meet you June. So you really like books too? Reading is my favorite past time." she said with surprising ease. "Back home my room is stuffed with books. My sisters tell me I should start my own library." Maybe making friends wasn't as hard as she thought it would be.

Then the interruption. Ray being the one whom caused it. "Books and reading are a pastime of anyone. It only makes it so if one finds the right book of coarse. I like to read books about history and literature, but I also don't mind fictional books that have a storyline that wasn't proven by a civil war of sorts." Ray took to digging into his pockets and pulled out a tiny book that was a tad smaller than the palm of his hand. "Engorgio..." He whispered and the book grew into a normal size. "This is a book I find rather interesting actually. It's the history of every wizarding family. Ever. Purebloods have more information of coarse and muggleborns less but it's all in here. I'm even in here and I'm a muggleborn. Raised by a witch of coarse but that surely doesn't matter. Feel free to take a look."

Kim turned her attention from the girl beside her to Ray who had just joined their conversation. She watched intently as he pulled out a small book from his pocket and enlarged it. She hardly believed her ears when he said it was a record of every wizarding family that ever lived. Then he told her she could take a look at it. The evening just got better and better.

She reached out and gently, reverently lifted the book from the boy's hands. She opened the worn cover and her eyes became glued to the fragile pages. Each page was filled with cramped writing, it would take forever to find any name in this mass of words. It was a good thing then that she wasn't looking for anything specific. She knew her pure-blood history well enough and only desired to gaze upon the sea of names before her and wonder what stories were hidden beneath them.

She suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to thank Ray for letting her look at the book. She wrenched her sapphire eyes away from the pages, "Thanks for letting me look at this. It's an amzing book! How did you come by it?"

June felt an instant liking for Kim as she shook her hand in greeting.
“I love books, everything about them. I love the way libraries smell,” June said smiling, “I always thought I would like to work in a library, but things seem to topple over when I am around, so I am not sure it would be safe.”
June couldn’t believe that she was actually joking about her “clumsiness,” it had always been the one thing June was defensive about and here she was joking about it with someone she just met.
June was distracted by her own thoughts while Ray chattered on about books. She was brought back into the discussion when he pulled out a tiny book and made it grow with magic. Shoot, she hadn’t even taken her wand out of the box yet and here he was doing magic. She was never going to be able to keep up. And then what he was saying about it caught her attention again “history of every wizarding family….”
What?! She was glad that Kim reached out when he offered the book out to see, she was interested, really interested, but looking up her family would mean that the others might see, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted everyone to know.
She walked quietly beside Kim, looking over her shoulder and listening as Kim asked Ray about the book.

As Dylan walked through the library he was amazed at its size. He had never been to a place with so many books. Staring straight up he accidentally tripped over a book left on the floor right in front of June. embarrassed as he was he looked up to see how many faces had turned to stare at him.

Melie had just been following the group around the school, staying quiet until Scarlett needed her. They headed into the library, where truthfully, Melie could be of no great help really, she had only step foot in there once, maybe two times at the most. She saw the group of girls and ray pouring over some book other and Melie gave a slight yawn, trying not to hide the fact that she wasn't a fan of the library. Now if it were the quidditch pitch, that would be a different story. She hurd a small thud and looked to see Dylan trip and look embarrassed. Melie just looked away so that he wouldn't turn even redder.
"So Logan, want to show us your favorite corner of the library, you are a Ravvie after all, you're supposed to live in here," Melie said with a smirk. she knew Logan probablly spent even less time in here than she did.

Scarlett was incredibly pleased to see the firsties bonding over Ray’s book. He had mentioned it on the train when they’d first met. Scarlett thought she’d ask him to borrow it sometime at more private moment.

When Dylan tripped Scarlett moved smoothly to his to make sure he didn’t land on his face or knock anything over. “Are you all right?” she asked softly so as not to call attention to his trip.

Scarlett laughed at Melie comment to Logan. She thought that she could pick the thoughts out of her cousin’s head from her expression. Scarlett didn’t spend a lot of time in the library generally. But she had been known to hole herself up in it when she was researching something. Like just before she left… Was everything going to come back to that?! she thought angry with herself.

Ray smiled slightly. "I suppose you could call it a, family heirloom." He said with a tinge of something indistinguishable in his voice. "It's not as if the book is a big secret. But I try not to read up on peoples histories so much as family features. You never know when you may meet a person with a history they don't want people to know about..."

Taking the book back for a moment, Lex found the 'm's and flipped to a page that said McKintey. There was a single name at the top of the page. His own. "Mine of coarse isn't anything special but it comes with the territory..." He pointed to a line that said he was a muggleborn. 'Blood as thick as mud' were the actual words used. Lex gave a shrug, knowing it didn't make sense to have a magical family heirloom if he was a muggleborn.

Lex looked over at Scarlett. He had a feeling about her that he was unsure of. And as Ray's eyes fell upon her he saw her eyes shoot away from him and the book and onto the Dylan boy who had tripped. To be kind, Lex moved with the book to the other side of the girls to take their attention away.

Kim was relieved to hear that Ray didn't snoop into family histories. She wasn't in the mood to explain how she had come to England from her native France. It had happened two years ago but she still had not fully come to terms with it.

She had absorbed herself so much in the book that she didn't even notice when Dylan tipped and fell. "Being muggleborn's not so bad in my opinion." she told Ray. "I think that's more special than being born to wizards. Everyone expects you to be something great or at least not disgrace the family. If you're born to muggles then you get to start fresh, jump into the unknown and be your own person." Of course, she had no way of knowing what being thrown into a new world felt like. She only hoped her words would let him know she didn't hold it against him.

She looked around at the walls and walls of books surrounding her. It was everything she hoped it would be. "Hey June, where do you think we should start?" she asked, hardly keeping the wonder out of her voice.

Lex gave a small laugh. "I don't mind having 'blood as thick as mud'." He said quoting the book. "Plus, I was raised by a witch anyway so I should be somewhere else but the damn book goes by bloodline instead of family." Ray gave Kim a smile and looked over at June who had just been questioned.

He looked around the large room and his eyes flashed to the place labeled 'Restricted Section'. "That's somewhere I'd want to go..." He said to himself. "I suppose the most fascinatingly dangerous books would be there..."

June walked along with the group looking to her side as Ray discussed his family heirloom. She was relieved to hear that he didn’t read too much into it. Not that she was embarrassed, but like most things in the wizarding world, she wasn’t sure how other people would react. Because she was not looking where she was going, she did not see Dylan trip in front of her and she bumped into him as he was straightening up.
“I am really sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to when I was walking,” she apologized as she tried to keep her balance so not to knock over a stack of books in the walkway.
June was interested in hearing more about the different houses, so when Melie mentioned that the Ravenclaw boy might live in the library she listened up. When Scarlett laughed June was afraid she had missed some kind of joke.
Trying to avoid letting the others see she didn’t get the joke June tried to change the subject. “While I was following the mixer fliers I saw one for a carnival. What is that all about?” she asked just as Kim asked where she wanted to start in the library.
After thinking a for a second, "I want to find something that will help me prepare for the unexpected."
She realized this might sound rediculous, but she knew what she ment.

Kim smiled at June's comment. "The unexpected is all around us here. If you want to prepare, we could be here for a long time!" she said. "Maybe Scarlett could tell us where to begin."

She turned to the older girl hoping she would have at least some advice. She suddenly noticed that Dylan must have tripped and she kicked herself inside for not paying attention. Surely Dylan was just as nervous she and June. She gave the boy a reasuring look, and hoped he would forgive her neglect.

"What about you Dylan? Would you like to join our quest?" she asked, her sense of adventure taking over.

Scarlett smiled at Kim who had asked her advice. “Well I will tell y’all a little secret,” she hoped that the mention of a secret would be enough to distract Ray’s attention from the restricted section, “though I come from Wizarding famliy I was raised as a muggle. I had no idea that magic wasn’t a fairytale until shortly before I came to Hogwarts. So everything here was very unexpected to me. So I spent every spare moment in I had my first year here reading all about the Wizarding World. The histories helped me out the most, but it really depends with what you find so unexpected.” Scarlett’s eyes drifted to June who looked the most awestruck, but she moved on not wanted to make the girl uncomfortable. Scarlett led the group to the history section. “Also there are sections for every kind of magic if you feel yourselves overwhelmed in the homework department.”

As Dylan tried to straighten up from his embarrassing fall he was swiftley knocked back down by another first year student. As he sit on the floor grasping what had happened he heard the sweet voice ofthe girl who had knocked him down. Dylan jumped to his feet and in a laughing voice he said "Eh it's alright June, my fault for taking a nap on the floor." Dylan looked over to kim in an effort to avoid making a bigger fool of himself he blurted out. "What did you say kim something about an adventure?"

Kim laughed lightly at Dylan's scrambled attempt to regain his composure after his unfortunate fall. "June and I are preparing for the unexpected. We'll be ready for everything the world can throw at us. A bit ambitious probably, but heck who ever heard of predictable magic?!" she asked jovially before walking over to stand beside him. "Come on, what's an adventure without friends to share it with?"

She linked arms with June and Dylan and turned her attention fully on Scarlett. Her shyness was quickly evaporating.

Katie came running into the library, and slipped into the group of first years. "Hi, sorry im late." she said gasping for breath "I'm Katie." she said waving at the group. "So, whats this adventure about?" A smile spread across her face as she said this, she loved them and they were a great way to get to know people.

"Predictable Magic." Lex said in a way that suggested he was about to start something. "Magic that is suggested by simple movements and spoken words. Usually used by underage and or under qualified wizards." Ray gave a shrug and a small smile. "So, technically, everyone has heard of it. Just, not in those words." He had met Katie already so he sort of just nodded to show he saw her.

"Oh, man. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite section! It would hurt all of the others' feelings. And as a dedicated Raveclaw student, I just can't bare to let down the good old library." He joked to Scarlett and Melie. "But to be honest, I guess I like the Potions section." That was the truth actually. His roommate, Emma, could vouch for the countless overdue books he had on different potions through out the ages. He turned his gaze away from the two momentarily and looked at the first years. It was nice to see them getting along instead of threatening to hex each other into the next week.

Logan was surprised by Scarlett's story. He had no idea that she was raised as a muggle before coming to school. Before he could ask anything, a very out of breath girl came running into the library. "Hi there. Well, this is the official tour of Hogwarts and firsty mixer." He smiled. "I'm Logan, the girl next to me is Mel, and the girl telling the story is Scarlett." As an afterthought, Logan realized that since the girl was a Gryffy, she probably needed no introduction to anyone other than himself.

Kim unlinked her arms momentarily and held out her hand to the first year Gryffindor who had just joined them. "Nice to meet you Katie! My name is Kim. As for the adventure, well it's just getting started." she smiled at the girl and then returned to her previous position. "Our tourguides here are showing us around the castle. The library was our first stop." She was glad for a reason to ignore Ray's comment. She was slightly annoyed at his haughty tones and repeititive corrections of everything she said. She hoped this was only his way of dealing with new people. If not, well she would just have to find a way to deal with it. The last thing she wanted to do was make enemies.

Alfie heard a lot of noise in the library and desided to see what was going on.

Hi, Alfie said to Logan and Scarlett. "Have either of you told the firsties about the books that we all can write in, like the Herbology book, DADA book, Care of magical creatures book. You know, The way the like the library they might have something their families know that isn't in the books yet."

Alfie hoped that the first years would help to make the books even better then they where right now. So much more could be added.