The Thing Called Slime.

[hannah]

It was just about after midnight (forty minutes after just to be exact) when Hannah Astley came creeping down the dungeons as quiet as a mouse (and yes, she could be quiet when she wanted to be) towards the kitchens to make... well, she wasn't too sure at this point. Hannah wasn't even too sure she wanted to make anything and while she was hungry, she wasn't exactly that hungry to eat anything.

The green slime that she had stolen got given to by her lovely twin sisters was inside a plastic bag in which she was holding, jiggling and squirming around while she tickled the pear, letting herself into the busyness of the kitchens. The house elf's were still there cleaning up and making things. A few came over to her and offered foods of such and while Hannah was hungry, she had important business to get too.

Yes, important business. While the green slime was good for a few certain things, Hannah wanted to make it bigger and stronger and more powerful. The books she had been provided with, which held lots of information, told her that she could it make it so, too. The young girl was suddenly glad that Dragon Lady and her Daddy were so knowledgeable when it came to certain things. Even the small books her own twin sisters gave her came in handy as well.

"No! No! it's okay. I don't need any food, but thanks anyway" Hannah told the house elf's that were still in front of her way to trouble. "Can I use your stove?" Hannah asked politely, eying the stove over the near wall and giving one the house elf's one of her magical smile's that always seemed to work.

Hannah just had to try them all out to see which one would work best, that was all. When the house elf said yes, Hannah nearly sprinted over to the stove, it was time to get to work.

(open!)

[Esmerelda Mizart]

Es had been wandering well, not aimlessly, cause she had a route to go on. But she was wandering around her route, looking for any mischievious things about but she was pretty much going through the motions. She was tired and ready for bed. But, it was her night for rounds and she had to do her duty. Just as she was about to head to bed, she saw a flash of paleness enter the kitchen. She headed towards it with determination and a faster heartbeat. Sure, it was proabably some punk that just wanted a midnight snack, but anticipation of a catch, whether big or small, always made her heart pound faster. Yeah, she was somewhat of a loser in that aspect. But she couldn't help it, most of the time it was boring during her rounds.

She approached the Kitchen doors and let out a breath. You can do it.. She told herself, and opened the door as quietly as she could. Of course, she couldn't help the squeak in protest that the door made but with all of the elves running around, she didn't think anyone would notice. Es stuck her head in the doorway and glanced all around. That was when she spotted it, twas a little girl, no older than a 2nd year. She was headed towards a stove. Es entered the Kitchen all the way and crept towards her as quietly as she could without making herself look like a dork infront of all the house elves.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

She asked the child in somewhat of a menacing and intimidating voice. And although people knew when Es meant business, she would admit that she wasn't that good at menacing.

[hannah]

Uh oh. The young girl had heard a voice and more to the fact, a voice she didn't recognize. Brown eyes widening in a little shock, she quickly felt for the bag of slime, which thankfully, was in front of her and not by her side. Thank goodness she hadn't started anything yet, either. Realizing her idea may have not been as a smart one as she originally thought it was, the first year put that aside for the meantime to try and come up with an excuse that was well... excusable.

A small smile suddenly appeared on her face and the shock quickly went away. It didn't really take Hannah that long to figure out what to say to the voice behind her. Especially considering that the only people that would be out of bed after midnight, besides other troublemakers like herself, would be either Prefects or Professor's. The Ravenclaw had had to get herself out of situations like this before, even though they were really at Parties and not at a castle called Hogwarts.

Turning around slowly, bringing the bag of slime in front of her, thank goodness she had decided on her blue bag that you couldn't see through, Hannah figured this was not a time to hide something if she wanted to get out of trouble. The small smile turned into one of the magical one's she had just given the house elf before, the one that was reserved for older people and Jeremy. "Cooking" Hannah stated to the girl, holding up the pan in her spare hand. "For you and the other prefects and Professors that are patrolling" The smile just getting a touch bigger.

It was a brilliant idea if only she thought so. The only truth was, Hannah couldn't cook to save her life, she was much better at making a mess.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

Es watched as the girl stiffened up and turned around. She was holding something in a blue bag and although it was obvious she was trying to look innocent, she didn't. Sure, if you were naiive or a nice old person, she'd get by easily with a pat on the back. But Es knew from her instincts that something was up. She was a very, very cute little girl. Only a first year. So Es knew she would have to straighten her up and make sure she didn't think she could get away with whatever she was trying to get away with.

When the girl answered, she immedietly relaxed her position, tucking her long black hair behind her ear and giving the girl a smile, as if she were about to let her go free. Twas not so, though. She had plenty to ask her. Interrogation was the key. Okay, maybe not. She didn't really know, this was her first, [and last, because she was a seventh year], year of being a Prefect so she was basically learning from experience. But Es knew you had to be tough.

"Oh, thanks! What are you cooking, exactly?"

She asked her, being "friendly."

[hannah]

The smile brightened even further, so much so that now you could see Hannah's white teeth underneath her gums. It had started. You didn't get to twelve and learn there were certain things that adult's did to try and catch you out. The young girl knew all of the signs and because the older girl had asked her a question, Hannah knew where this was going. This was turning into a game of cat and mouse. With the older girl being the cat and Hannah being the mouse. The young girl was just tiny bit rusty on her getting out of trouble skills, and she hoped it didn't show.

"Cupcakes" Hannah supplied for the older girl, even though the blond could tell that the older girl didn't really believe her and was just acting friendly just to catch her out. "Green, red, blue and yellow cupcakes to be precise" Just as long as the older girl didn't ask her to actually start making any cupcakes. If she did, then she would be up a creek without a paddle. Hannah eyed a few of the house elf's in the kitchen, who were minding their own business, but she could see some of them taking in the conversation.

Hannah wondered if they could possibly help her out by making some cupcakes for her. Or, suddenly make some appear. The first year seriously doubted it, seeing as how she never asked them to make her any. Oh well, if she had to make cupcakes to get herself out of this mess, she would do it.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

Heck yes, Es was the cat. She hadn't played these games many times before but she was a very intelligent young woman and she could learn. She was clever and smart, basically all you needed for something like this. Plus she knew the way little kids tried to get out of stuff because she was a little kid once. Es could remember a time when she was 7 or so and she knocked over a vase. She convinced her parents that the cat did it! They never found out. Then again, they were a little occupied after that, what with Landon's death and all...and then the divorce. Anyways, anyone got any cheese? Supposedly that's what mice like. She smiled down at the little girl.

"Can you tell me what your name and year is?"

She asked in a friendly voice. Asking for her name and year could be used a million different ways and she suspected the little girl knew it. But if Hannah was as smart as her posts suggest, then she knew she would give the information up; Because there was nothing more fishy than not telling the authority asking for it, what it is. As she waited for Hannah to tell her, she decided to comment on the cupcakes, just to be nice.

"Those are pretty colors, what's your favorite?"

Haha. Most little kids hated it when you treated them like little kids, and asking her what her favorite color is, was definitely a little kid move. It's like asking a five year old how old he was. Es glanced over at the house elves, some staring, others trying not to, as they cleaned at nothing. She arched a brow at them and some of them scattered, leaving only a few to stare at her interrogation.

[hannah]

Hannah watched the older girl arch her eyebrow at a few of the house elf's and the Ravenclaw girl's own eyes widened in shock when she saw some of the the house elf's scatter away, leaving only the brave ones looking at the two girls. "Hey! that's not nice frightening the house elf's like that, they're the ones that make all the delicious food for us. I wouldn't like to get on a bad side of a house elf, you never know what might turn up on you're table" Mean, that's what it was. Frightening house elf's was just like frightening fairy's.

Giving the house elf's that were left one of her smiles, she was happy to see that they returned to the smile. Oh no, she wouldn't be mean to the house elf's, not if she wanted evil things to start appearing on the Ravenclaw table. Speaking of Ravenclaw, the older, now mean girl had asked her favorite color, so Hannah decided to answer. "The blue one" Well, that was her favorite cupcake color. The girls own favorite color or colors, was a toss up between pink and blue.

And yes, Hannah had completely the ignored the question of the name and her year. The young girl clearly got distracted when the older girl made those poor House elf's run away. Her name and year wasn't needed at this point, Hannah was hoping that her outburst to stop being mean to the house elf's, would make the older girl forget that she had asked her what her name and year was.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

Then Es turned her supposedly 'frightening' arched eyebrow towards Hannah. She looked at her for a moment, wondering what the little girl was thinking, and she rolled her eyes.

"#1. It was not my intention to scare them, I can't help it if they get scared over a glance. #2. The look was in curiosity of why they were trying to hear our private conversation."

She wasn't a SPEW member, and she definitely didn't support elf cruelty, but if she was trying to interrogate this child, and they were distracting her, like they were doing right now, then she had a right to tell them to go away. And she didn't even speak to them! So if they were fraidy-cats, and couldn't take a look, it wasn't her fault. Well, not to mention the fact that, that was what her look was pretty much about. It was saying "Trying to have a private conversation, don't appreciate your eavesdropping.." Es gave a small sigh, tucked her long black hair behind her ear, and crossed her arms over her chest. If the house elves believed that was mean, they were crazy. Seriously, the look she gave them was even mean! Okay, maybe she would have been offended, had she been an elf; But if she were an elf, she wouldn't be listening in the first place!

Well, maybe she would feel guilty in the morning, but truthfully, right now, it was late at night, and she had a little girl in here, who wasn't telling Es her name, and was making suspicious cupcakes. 'Cleary got distracted,' or distracting on purpose?!?! Either way, it wasn't working, she'd get her name, eventually, or, what she wanted anyway. She smiled at Hannah, it wasn't fake, but she was clearly tired and in no mood to be messed with.

"Blue is a nice color. Are you in Ravenclaw?"

Ravenclaw, she only said it because blue was one of their colors. She hadn't meant to ask such a question that could be so easily distracted from again, but, it didn't matter anymore, the words were already out of her mouth.

[hannah]

"Yes, but we are in their kitchen and maybe they have some sort of right to listen in on other people's conversations. In case they find out something really interesting and they need to tell the Headmistress... " At this, Hannah trailed off, her eyes widening just a little before remembering she was standing in front of a prefect was trying to catch her out.

Did perfecting green slime warrant the house elf's to go and tell the headmistress what was happening? Hannah shivered at this thought, the young girl had heard along the grapevine that Professor Raynor, her own HOH had newly gained that position, she knew just how hard the Professor could be if someone got into trouble. The young Raven hoped that perfecting green slime didn't warrant the house elf's to go and tell.

Deciding to drop that topic, Hannah turned normal brown eyes back to the older girl. "Yes, I'm in Ravenclaw. My name's Hannah" Finally, she had told the older girl her name. Sure, there could be some harm in telling this girl her name and her house, but from where Hannah was standing, the other girl couldn't really do much so far, the way Hannah was seeing the whole situation through brown colored innocent eyes, was that she hadn't really done anything to get into trouble for, yet.

"You wanna help me make the cupcakes for the other Prefects and Professors?" Hannah asked sincerely of the older girl, two hands working together would make light work and while it wasn't what she had came in for, Hannah figured she had started with the story and should continue with it. And yes, distracting worked both ways. In one way, Hannah did get distracted by standing up for the poor House elf's and in the other way, she could try and distract the older girl on purpose. Either way, distraction was proving a good method and this mouse wasn't ready to get caught just yet.

[Esmerelda Mizart]

Es arched her brow not only at the little girl trailing off as if she was having some epiphany, but especially at her comment.

"That would make them snitches."

She informed her as if that were the most obvious thing on the planet, though she didn't make it sound insanely mean, like you'd think a Slytherin would. Then again, that would be a good thing, if they saw something and decided to report it. However, she didn't know if the house elves liked to do things like that. Or were even brave enough to do things like that. From what she knew, they were pretty much scaredy cats, except for the mean ones.

Es was suprised when the little girl finally told her her name and house, wondering why the she had 'changed her tune', so to speak. She decided to tuck it away for later use, if she decided to take house points off. Sure, she was 'baking for the Prefects.' But Es knew there was something fishy here. She could take off house points if she wanted to, surely the girl knew it was past curfew, even though she was a first year. She was a Ravenclaw, afterall. Nonetheless, Es decided to warn her.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Hannah. I'm Esmerelda, but my friends call me Es. And I know it's your first year and all so just so ya know, no one except for Professors and Prefects are allowed out of their dorms after curfew."

She told her pleasantly. She was even more suprised when Hannah asked her if she wanted to help her make the cupcakes. Well, she figured there was no harm in that, and even though they would be distracted upfront from the subject, it would still be back there in the corner of her mind. She smiled, one that lit up the dank room.

"Why sure, you got the ingredients?"

And no, she wasn't being sneaky, she was just asking. Hey, why not make cupcakes with the girl?

[hannah]

Hannah had to disagree with the House elf's being snitches if they did hear anything that was interesting and warranted them to tell their employer. Because really, the Headmistress was their employer and it was really in their job description if they heard anything out of the ordinary that could be harmful against the school. Especially now with the Deva being known. The kitchen would probably be an ideal place to plot something against the school with people thinking that the House elf's were just all scared of everyone.

Though, the Ravenclaw had decided not to disagree out loud to this girl called Es. The one who was trying to catch her prey. It probably wouldn't do her any good disagreeing with a prefect when she was trying to get out of trouble, or well, trouble that she was yet to make. Trouble that she probably wouldn't make tonight, she didn't want anybody else knowing about her new slime invention.

Hannah looked up at the girl, her eyes once again widening in surprise. Oh, this was good, this was very good, it was back to playing the game of cat and mouse again. "Really? None of us are allowed out at this time of night? I didn't know that" Hannah stated, keeping the surprised look on her face. Of course, she had known that, but the other girl didn't have to know that. "In that case, thanks for telling me, I'll remember that rule for next time"

When Es asked if she had the ingredients, her eyes widen just a little bit more. Hannah didn't have any ingredients on her, not in the bag, but that was what the kitchens was for, right? Brown eyes throwing another glance at the house elf's, she carefully looked at them and then looked back up Es again. "Well, I'm sure they're around here, somewhere" Hannah plainly stated again, looking back at the house elf's just in time to see one scurrying to her with a container of flour and some eggs.

"Why, thank you" Hannah told the house elf's, throwing them a huge smile. That piece of cheese sure was starting to grow a small film of mold over it. The ravenclaw was certain mice were much faster than what cats were, too. So far, she was proving her own theory.