A lack of interest

[Emeric Troy III]

If anyone who knew Emeric Troy would have entered the library on a lazy Monday afternoon in March, they would be rather shocked by what they found.

He was reading. And not because he had to read, but because he wanted to. It was a shock even to himself, and as he read he began to silently wonder if he was just that amount of pathetic that he didn’t have friends to be hanging out with out side of lessons. Sure, he had Matty, but as always their schedules conflicted somehow, or she had homework to do as she was preparing for her O.W.L.s or Em had an essay or two to write for a certain class he was taking. They were both busy students, and finding time outside of class to be together in private was proving difficult. He didn’t mind the trouble they went through, because in the long run he knew it would be easier this way. Em knew that the main reason they were keeping everything a secret was because of him. His worries, and mostly his father.

His other list of friends or even acquaintances was relatively short. Lianna whom he loved to torment in his spare time, Jax, a girl who loved to torment him, Tallulah, a child-hood friend, the second year Trixi who was a bit of a spit fire, and a couple of random other students like Claire and Fyona. Mostly Slytherins, because even though he had expanded his social circle, he wasn’t too willing to expand it that much.

Em leafed through the pages of Quidditch Through the Ages, finding it interesting due do his own position on the Slytherin Quidditch team, but also finding it a little bit boring. What he wanted was a distraction, and as he turned to see a person walking into the library, he thought he just might have found it. He sunk down lower into his chair, leaning his elbows on the edge of the table and hiding behind his book until he could think of something to say to the person.

(( Guinevere. andddd OPEN ))

[vi]

Vi wasn't one for reading, and she definitely wasn't one for staying indoors. If she had it her way, everyday would be an adventure outside with the skateboard, no worries and not a care. Life didn't seem to care for Vi or her wants as she had accumulated quite a stack of homework from her classes. She shuffled into the Library rather lethargically, not wanting to get anywhere near her work. She threw the pile onto a table and then decided to scan the books. Maybe the library would have a really cool Potions book...of course, the books she was most interested probably were in the Restricted Section. She wondered how she could possibly sneak in unnoticed when she noticed a boy reading at a table. He was definitely a Slytherin; she had seen him around the Common Room.

She wondered if he too had a stack of homework, or if he was simply reading for pleasure. Vi sort of scoffed the last idea, not being a bookworm herself. It was a beautiful day. The only thing separating her from her skateboard was this homework...

"Well," Vi whispered as she walked back to her seat. "I guess it's time for Plan B, then..."

[Tallulah Skeffington]

Tallulah loved the library. More then she loved her common room. The smell of old paper and stale ink made her feel very at home. Sitting in a chair far away from everyone, just to make sure no one would annoy her while she read her book. Something about dark wizards by some author who had written too many books to count. Her face was obscured by the book in her hands. She was slouching in her chair as she read, something her mother would scold her about. No one was there to scold her making this relaxing reading even more relaxing then it would usually be.

She came to the ending of a chapter. Closing the book she put in back into her bag and yawned. She had been sitting there for a few hours and not her body was paying the toll. With a semi-grunt she pushed herself up and out of the chair she was languishing in. As she picked her bag up off the ground she noticed someone sitting not that far from her. A smile appeared on her lips as she figured out who the young man was. Emeric Troy III, one of her closest friends. She put the strap of her bag over her shoulder and walked over to him.

She pulled a seat near him out and sat down. Grinning at him she looked at what he was reading. Well, the fact that he was reading for fun amazed her. Though he was smart he wasn't much of a reader. "Well well well, my little Emeric. Where have you been?" Her voice was silky soft as she spoke to him, announcing her presence. She hadn't seen Emeric in ages, save for the rare time they got to speak in class and when eating. She missed him, he was someone she considered close and special in her life. Besides the fact that her mother wouldn't stop bugging her about Em. The woman was insufferable.

[Guinevere King]

The workload at Hogwarts, much like the castle itself, was definitely much larger than that of her old school. As she silently marched through the halls in the warm March afternoon, for the first time since her late arrival, Guinevere noted just how massive the castle was. It had taken her nearly twenty minutes just to locate the library.

With books in hand, Guinevere shuffled into the library slightly out of breath. Lost in her thoughts, she placed her books on an empty table and sat down. Spreading her things out, she took out her quill and parchment and let out a sigh. It wasn't until then she realized that the table wasn't actually empty. She looked up and saw a dark haired boy sitting across from her. Guinevere's face turned red and collecting her things in a pile, she started to move from the table. But he hadn't noticed her.

Guinevere's problem in life - never standing out. She hardly ever felt noticed and though she had met a few people in her first few days, she hadn't forged any friendships. She recognized the boy, his name was Eric or something she was sure of it. The Slytherin was in a few of her classes. Guinevere had wanted someone to help her get adjusted. She knew she needed friends to survive in this castle for her homework alone. Yet, she felt she was doing something wrong. She wasn't used to doing this, putting effort into just making a friend. There was a first time for everything.

Guinevere worked up the courage to say something but the moment she did, another girl walked into the library. Put off by the distraction, Guinevere turned her attention back to her paper. She blushed, sure the boy had noticed her failed attempt to speak to him. "What would he want to be friends with you for, anyway?" Guinevere thought.

[Emeric Troy III]

Emeric set his book down on the table in front of him, craning his neck to turn and look at a small girl who had just walked by him. " PSSssssstttt! " He hissed loudly to the girl, his reasoning went without saying - he just wanted to bug her. She didn't look at all happy to be in the library, and to Em that just screamed ' Mess with me. ' How could he resist such an outcry?

" Hey, come over here. " He said to the girl in a slightly hushed voice, a small smirk on his face. He didn't even have a real plan for what he was going to say to her, he just assumed he would come up with something that would work. Emeric slowly turned back and looked to the person walking up next to him and taking a seat. His first thought was ' You weren't invited here, leave ' but then he realized exactly who it was that had joined him. Maybe Tal would also get a kick out of having the small first year around?

' Well well well, my little Emeric. Where have you been? ' He scoffed slightly, looking Tal over as he always did upon seeing her. She looked neat and tidy, well put together and very posh, as always. " Here and there, and you? Haven't seen you around nearly as much. " A movement out of the corner of his eye sent Em looking to the far end of the table, where a girl was currently gathering up her things. Did she think she had to leave because he was there? " Hey, sit down stay a while. We don't bite. Unless... you want us to. " A slightly strange comment, but it sounded almost natural coming from Emeric. He smiled a slightly charming smile at the girl, wondering who she was.

[Guinevere King]

"Hey, sit down stay a while. We don't bite. Unless... you want us to. "

Guinevere was unsure whether to laugh or not. Looking at the girl she had met previously, she decided it would best if she back up a bit. She gave the boy a warm smile or her best attempt at it given the current situation. She was surprised that the boy had noticed her. She planned on only doing homework in the library and had merely thrown her hair in a pony tail and thrown on her school robes. Seeing her current company, she wished she had drsssed better. Noticing a spot on her robes, she used her wand to clean the robes. She closed her book and decided it would be best to be social.

"No biting necessary," Guinevere said. "Though she looks like she wants to."

She tried to give the girl a smile, to let her know the jab was friendly. Why would you make a joke like that? Guinevere sometimes lacked good judgment.

"My name is Guinevere by the way," She said in a hushed tone. "I remember you from some of my classes."

[vi]

" PSSssssstttt! "

Vi stopped her chatter and looked around. The dark-haired boy sitting at the table called her over from where he was comfortably sitting. "What does he want?" Vi muttered under her breath. She was torn; she was happy for the distraction, unhappy because she had no idea who he was or what the Slytherin wanted.

" Hey, come over here. "

She ignored her previous thoughts and walked toward the table, head held high. She wasn't about to be intimidated by an older student, especially a boy. She was over that. She tossed her golden hair and looked at him with piercing blue eyes.

"What can I do for you?" She said with a sarcastic drawl. Her eyes darted to two other Slytherin girls: one was Tallulah, and the other blonde she didn't know. She wondered what a group of snakes could be doing in the library, of all places.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

" Here and there, and you? Haven't seen you around nearly as much. "

"Didn't know you would notice." Tallulah grinned at him, her voice quiet. Even though he was one of her closest friends they hadn't spent as much time together as she wished. Maybe this time in the library would spark something between them to hang out more. "As for me, I've been here and there as well. But when you were here I guess I was there." She let herself have the idiotic joke. She smile now was genuine, something she rarely gave to anyone. At the present time only four people out of the whole school had done this feat. Two Ravenclaws and two Slytherins. They were quite the lucky ones.

Tallulah looked at Emeric and smirked as he called over two other Slytherin girls. She clicked her tongue lightly at his antics. She flipped her hair off her shoulder and glanced at the two girls. Violetta, whom she had already met was one of them. Tallulah liked the firstie, she wasn't one to back down nor be a pest. That was something Tallulah held highly. The other blonde wasn't on Tallulah's good side. Even though they had a words match Tallulah had not learned her name. In her mind she called her 'Brat Girl' after her lovely ego shined through any sort of conversation she was having with Connor.

Her light brown eyes looked Brat Girl up and down. She didn't look too nice at the moment. Giggling slightly at her appearance she bit her lip as to not laugh out loud. Guess all that speak at breakfast that one time was cheap huh? She thought to herself letting another wave of laughter crash over her. This was too much. For such a big ego this girl wasn't stepping up. Tallulah pulled out a hair band and put her hair into a loose bun. This hairstyle usually wasn't one she would go for but the relaxed feeling work with it.

"Though she looks like she wants to."

Smirking sarcastically she looked away from them group for a second to make sure the librarian wasn't hiding in one of the shelves. Just what they needed was a teacher spoiling their fun. As she turned back she glanced at Emeric, giving him a smirk that wasn't on the sarcastic side. Without looking at who she now knew as Guinevere she said, "If I wanted to do something it would have already happened to you." Her voice was malicious as she said this, as if she was alluding to something. Finally turning her head back she gave the girl another smirk.

[Emeric Troy III]

Emeric sighed in an exasperated manner as Tal said she didn't think he would notice. " And why wouldn't I notice my favorite Slytherin not being around? You underestimate me. " He said, pouting slightly at the girl despite her somewhat humorous joke.

" Tallulah? Don't fret over her, love. She only likes to pretend to be bad and scary. She's really as harmless as a button. " Even as he said it, Emeric knew it would be something he would have to pay for later. Tal was good for several things, one of them being getting back at someone. He grinned sweetly at the fifth year, watching out of the corner of his eye as the first year neared the table. He hadn't been too sure that the girl had heard him calling her over, but gave her a smile all the same. ' What can I do for you? '

Emeric nodded his head over to a free chair on the opposite side of him, saying, " You can do me the favor of joining myself, my friend Tallulah, and my recent acquaintance Guinevere here, and have a seat at this table. " Emeric wasn't sure why he felt the need to coral them all into a group when it was clear they would be alright by themselves, but he felt they all had something in common. What it was, he couldn't quite tell just yet, but he knew it was there somewhere.

" Tal, if you can't play nicely.. " Emeric snapped to his friend, although he said it in a joking and teasing manner. They should all be able to be civilized with one another, in the very least. They were housemates, after all.

[Guinevere King]

The trio was soon to be a quartet. Guinevere shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not sure what to make of the first year. She had seen all of their faces before somewhere in the common room but that hardly meant she knew any of these people. She didn't know what would please them or upset them and she certainly didn't know any of their personalities. Well, she knew a word to describe one of their personalities. It wasn't a word her mother would appreciate her saying aloud.

Guinevere looked over Tallulah, finally having a name to give to the face that held that same nasty smirk. Her eyes moved over to the boy, whose features she thought were much gentler. He seemed at ease and had a sort of grace in the way he was conducting this chance meeting in the library.

"Tallulah? Don't fret over her, love. She only likes to pretend to be bad and scary."

She certainly wasn't pretending, Guinevere thought. If there was one thing she knew about the well-dressed Slytherin it was that she meant everything she stood for. Every nasty comment, every evil grin, and even every horrible action. Still, Guinevere could not find herself loathing Tallulah. Sure, she was incredibly annoyed with the way she was being treated by the fifth year but there was still some sense of... dare she say, admiration? Guinevere used to be this girl, could be this girl. The environment wasn't right. You're not who you used to be, she thought. The same nagging question came back to her: what should she make of herself here?

Seeing Connor's reaction to her rude assumptions, Guinevere made sure to steer clear of any mention of Dragon Pox in this conversation. She felt safe around these people. Surely none of them looked like the kind to get such a lowly disease. Tallulah even had on expensive clothes. Guinevere knew because she secretly owned several items just like but she was afraid to wear them around Tallulah. Why was she so intimidated by this girl? She was sure she could muster up enough wit to take her on.

Guinevere avoided mentioning blood. After all, what good was her murky past? Guinevere didn't realize just how similar everyone was at her old school. What kind of conversation could she bring up now? Leafing through her book, she turned to Emeric.

"Have you managed to figure out this Potions assignment?" Guinever asked. "If there was anything I am bad at, well, it's Potions."

Homework? Of all things, Guinevere was quite upset she picked the topic of homework. Great, Guinevere thought, you just made yourself quite the nerd.

[Tallulah Skeffington]

" Tallulah? Don't fret over her, love. She only likes to pretend to be bad and scary. She's really as harmless as a button. "

Pursing her lips she glared at Emeric and what he said. He knew better then that. She wasn't one to trifle with. Light eyes glowed with annoyance as Tallulah thought about what Emeric said about her. Needing something to so she could think of something else she pulled her notebook out of her bag and opened to their last charms lesson and read her notes over.

"Have you managed to figure out this Potions assignment?"

As her eyes went over her notes she her Guinevere speak about their potions assignment. Lifting her head an inch she looked up at the girl. "It's not that hard. You just had to write all the uses of Valerian Roots and write about one potion it's used in. I picked Draught of Living Death. I think it's such a wicked potion." She gave a smile to the table, showing her perfect white teeth. Something about this particular smile she was known to unleash reminded people of a wolf. She looked back down at her notes, reading on.

Unable to let herself be out of the conversation she shut her notebook and put it below her chair. Sitting up straight in her chair she glanced at the now full table. Tallulah crossed her arms, breathing out loudly. Turning her attention back to Guinevere she locked her eyes on the girl. "So, where did you go before here? Not Beauxbaton. I think I would remember you from there." Smirking a little she made her voice sweet, but the sweet that you could see the sour below it. "Tell us about yourself."

[vi]

" You can do me the favor of joining myself, my friend Tallulah, and my recent acquaintance Guinevere here, and have a seat at this table. "

Vi looked at the boy suspiciously before taking a seat at the table. Tallulah was obviously pretty annoyed with this new girl, this Guinevere, and was about to interrogate her. Good. Vi thought happily. She didn't like the looks of her as much as the boy did, but then again, he was a boy. As long as there were pretty girls around, forget the personality.

Due to the presence of the other wealthy girls, Vi wanted to make sure that she sort of parred up. She was wearing the standard uniform but had her emerald snake necklace on with ruby eyes. It flashed in the sunlight, glaring. Her hair was perfectly straight today, glimmering gold. Her make-up was purely natural, no crazy colors. It made for a clean palate, a trustworthy face. Of course looks could be deceiving...but no one needed to know right now.

Vi smirked as Tallulah continued to talk to her, and then Guinevere brought up the topic of potions. She sat up a little straighter, realizing that she could say something interesting, but it was extremely unlikely. Vi trusted Tallulah's judgement and so she showed no favor towards the Fourth Year.

[Guinevere King]

It was invisible but palpable. The tension that the covered the crowded library table was beginning to strain Guinevere. With the addition of the younger girl, Guinevere felt more judging eyes on her. Keeping her own fixed on the boy, she was surprised when it was Tallulah who answered her potions question. Even more shocking was the answer was correct.

"It's not that hard. You just had to write all the uses of Valerian Roots and write about one potion it's used in."

She made it seem so easy. Guinevere added that to the mental list of reasons to not like this girl. Tallulah was everything she used to be at her old school - confident, cunning, and a little bit conceited. Here at Hogwarts she was just conceited and no one liked that. Guinevere would change for no one, however. No matter how desperate the situation got and it was certainly desperate at the current moment.

Guinevere wished that people would see her the way she saw Tallulah. It was her own fault, she certainly wasn't putting on a very good show. She was thinking too much about what the right thing was to do. After all, moving to Hogwarts was her one chance to be like her true self. Here she was talking about Potions... not like herself at all.

"Tell us about yourself."

The question she had avoided. She thought of the group of people around her and she relaxed her shoulders. Guinevere took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She was psyching herself out and she didn't want to mess this chance up. Here was three people... potential friends. You were nothing without friends in this castle.

The slamming of the book was Guinevere's response to Tallulah's added antoginizing.

"I went to a very exclusive Italian academy before I attended here," Guinevere said. "So exclusive they only allow purebloods, you see, which are quite rare in Italy. My father had graduated from the school and wanted me to go here. In the end, I ended up here."

Guinevere waved her hand around the room. "Not that I'm complaining. It's just quite different here. I'm not used to being around such a variety of people. In Italy, we didn't have things like Quidditch and it was mostly school work and socials. People could get by without being social at all. What kind of things are fun around here anyway?"

School work was out of her mind. She had opened up just so slightly.

[Emeric Troy III]

Traces of a light smirk could be held in his smile as he glanced over to Tal. While he realized that she wouldn't be all that pleased with him for what he said, truth rang out in his words slightly. She had an act, and maintained it very well, but he knew better. He knew her. His eyes slowly turned to the small blond girl walking over, pulling up a chair and sitting down at the table as Emeric had insisted on her doing. He smiled a somewhat genuine smile at the young girl although he was still listening to Tallulah and Guinevere's conversation. Tallulah, one of his best friends, and Guinevere, a Slytherin fourth year that he might as well be acquainted with. He was curious to see how this panned out.

As for the smaller girl, though, he wasn't quite positive he knew her name. " And who might you be? " He asked, turning to face the younger blond girl, knowing that he had seen her around the common room but not recalling a name to put to her face.

His eyes slowly scanned back to Guinevere as she asked about a potions assignment they had been instructed to do. Before the boy even had time to respond, Tal was already talking about what they had to do and what potion she had chosen. Emeric nodded his head, knowing that, as always, Tal was right.

He felt like he was watching a predator circling around its prey. Tallulah, the predator. Guinevere, the prey. He almost pitied her, but she seemed to be holding her own, an admirable thing in Emeric's eyes. He and the youngest girl were merely bystanders when it came to this, but he didn't mind only watching it unfold before him. He got a certain sense of power that maybe he had been the originator of this whole event. It was he who had brought Tal over, and it was he who had instructed Guinevere and the younger girl to sit, join them for some nice conversation and a break from the monotony of studying.

Emeric had heard of the school that his fellow fourth year was speaking of, not by name but he knew the school she was referring to. It was very exclusive, even more exclusive than Durmstrang when it came to blood status and who they let in. It almost made him wonder how the girl ended up here of all places. Land of diversity, everyone was allowed in at Hogwarts. Not that Emeric minded, it had brought him Matty after all, but he kept these thoughts all to himself, only asking the question that had been on his mind. " How did you end up here, of all places? "

He paused, smiling slightly before responding her her question. " Define fun. " He smirked just slightly, looking around the table.

[vi]

As soon as Vi took her seat, Guinevere started raving about some uppity pure-blood school she attended in Italy. Way to be a snob. She dismissed Guinevere as nothing more than a girl hoping to make friends by way of status. Rather silly of her to go and shoot her mouth off like that. Vi thought half-pityingly. The other half was unadulterated loathing, something quick to surface and slow to disappear. She hated girls who thought that they had to throw their accomplishments and status out for the world to see...it was shallow and weak. One need not flaunt themselves, for their actions should speak for themselves. Vi knew that it was best that she keep her mouth shut and her ears open to the positively tense conversation between the two older girls.

" And who might you be? "

"I'm Violetta Lumley, but Vi just seems easier for most." She spoke with indifference to the boy, not really knowing him, although keeping eye contact all the same. "And yourself?" She too was curious to know who the identity of her table-mate. It was a start to meeting new people...new, important, and powerful people. She would just have to monitor this boy and his actions. Then again if he was good enough for Tallulah's company, she believed that she couldn't go wrong knowing him.

Despite the conversation between the two girls, Vi didn't think that a side conversation with this mystery boy would be too distracting. She could both listen to Tallulah and Guinevere's conversation as well as her own. She was an excellent at multi-tasking, and if worse came to worse, she could always leave for safer ground.