we were first years once (open)

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It was the day before classes started and the day after he had first arrived at Hogwarts. Lien didn't get a very good night's sleep, but he suspected there were others that hadn't either: there was a lot of wind that night, and up in the Ravenclaw tower it sounded horrific. Now he was browsing over his new timetable and eating some plain porridge, looking like he was being swallowed up by his two-sizes-too-big second-hand robes.

He hadn't spoken much to the other boys in his dormitory. Most of them had been quite shy, and Lien wasn't complaining. He was slightly wary of them - Parkinson, Nott, Macmillan - all pureblood names, all exceedingly wealthy. They probably would start picking on him for being the odd one out, despite the Nott boy crying into his pillow at three o'clock in the morning. He probably didn't realise that he'd overheard that.

The two boys at the Ravenclaw table were laughing at something together. He never felt so lonely in his entire life at that moment. That was where he was supposed to be sitting. With them...

He caught Macmillan's eye and smiled slightly at him.

@Hyacinth Macmillan

"I have a few older siblings. Poppy, Amaryllis, Indigo, and-"

Hyacinth noticed that Atticus was smiling at him, so he smiled back.

"Hey, he might not hate us?"

@Lien Chang

"Yes, perhaps he will..."

Alayna deserved to be in Slytherin with them, that he was certain of. But Atticus...

Ptolemy looked at him. He had always been a little away with the fairies, but he hadn't said a single word since he'd invited him to sit with them. When he saw that he was smiling, Ptolemy followed his line of sight to the Ravenclaw table.

"Be careful, Atticus. You're starting to seem ungrateful."

@Alayna Nott

"We're very proud to have a Weasley amongst us," Indigo was saying haughtily to the blond boy, "At least with you with us, others will pay more attention to Hufflepuff house. They tend to overlook us, although I haven't the faintest idea why."

He smiled slightly at Louis Weasley.

"I'm Indigo Macmillan, it's a pleasure to meet you."

He presented his hand to him as though it was a privilege to shake it.

Alayna raised an eyebrow at Rowles comment to her brother, "You tread carefully as well, Rowle. Don't speak to my brother in such a crude manner." She looked at him, one perfect eyebrow arched, as if daring him to contradict her. She had plans for Hogwarts and had to establish her dominance and place in the pyramid early on.

@Ptolemy Rowle

Louis chuckled, glad to be with the Hufflepuffs. They had been very welcoming of him: everyone had. He was sure that his time at Hogwarts would be lots of fun and full of friendship and laughter.

"I'm Louis," he said happily, shaking his hand. A bright smile crossed over his features, and Indigo seemed taken aback for a moment, as though he hadn't seen someone smile like that before.

Turning around to the Hufflepuff table, her gaze caught Louis and she stared at him, drooling lightly.

Ptolemy crossed his arms in defiance.

"Apparently he would prefer to talk to Macmillan and a boy in moth-eaten, second hand robes."

He laughed, and Burke did as well. Atticus was blushing.

@Alayna Nott

Overhearing what one of the Slytherin boys said, Lien blushed and looked down at his lap. Of course someone would notice sooner or later...

Alayna grabbed a big handful of grits from the bowl and smooshed her hand into Ptolenys hair, "I told you to watch your tongue. You chose not to listen. Now you have grits to go clean out of your scalp. Go on." She then looked at Burke, "Did you have a comment as well, Burke? I think you'd like quite nice after a deep gravy conditioning."

@Ptolemy Rowle

Getting tired of Rowle and Burke, Hyacinth gave Chang a sympathetic smile and walked over to them.

"Can the two of you stop that? It's not cool."

Hyacinth bit his tongue trying to stop himself from laughing at a porridge-infested Rowle.

@Ptolemy Rowle @Hector Burke

The feeling of warm slop being rubbed into his scalp was horrific, and for a girl to do it to him as well!

It was... sort of thrilling, actually.

Still, he sat there with his nose scrunched, staring daggers into her. When Macmillan came over, Ptolemy turned to him instead and stood up, pushing him out of the way as he intended to go to the bathrooms to wash off. "Get out of my way," he said, as he passed him and down the Slytherin table towards the doors of the Great Hall.

@Alayna Nott @Hyacinth Macmillan

"You are revolting."

Was what he dared to comment.

When he looked up at Macmillan, he laughed.

"You could join is too if you leave your shabby friend behind..."

@Alayna Nott @Hyacinth Macmillan

"Eeeee!" shrieked Matilda, from further down the Slytherin table. She was clutching at Medea's arm, looking over at Louis. "Who is that?!"

@Medea Riddle

"Why would I sit with you? Chang's nice, and he's my dormmate!"

There's that Hogwarts tribalism. Once Rowle was out of sight, Hyacinth finally busted off laughing.

"Chang, did you see that? Hahaha!"

@Hector Burke @Lien Chang

"I don't know, but I want to marry him!"

Then Medea assumed he heard his name.

'It's Louis Weasley! I didn't know any of them could be so attractive!"

@Matilda Riddle

Alaynas eyes danced with flames, "Revolting, huh? Sorry that was not the correct answer." She grabbed the gravy boat filled with white thick gravy and stood on top of the bench as she poured it over hector's head, letting it get all over the place, "There we go. It really brings out your eyes." She then cleaned her hand off on a napkin and st back down, "You can go now."

@Hector Burke

Although he hadn't learnt any spells yet, he was sure that he - of pureblood - could cast magic very easily, without having to try. So he took out his wand, intent on turning Macmillan into a teapot. However, as he lifted it, he got a whole boat of gravy sloshed down on top of his head. He stood up in surprise: the liquid dripping down beside his ears and down his shoulders, to the floor.

"You're making the wrong people your enemies, Nott!" he protested, growling in frustration as he stomped out of the hall as well.

@Alayna Nott @Hyacinth Macmillan

Lien tried to laugh. He sort of smiled. It was funny - there was no question about it - but he was already very aware of people looking at him now. Were they all going to talk about him? He pulled his robe around him, trying to hide the frayed hem of it.

He didn't know what to think of Atticus, but his twin sister wasn't one to trifle with.

Falling onto the floor in a bigger fit of laughter, Hyacinth began to squirm around after watching Burke become a walking saucer of gravy.

Alayna laughed as he ran out, "Oh I'm so scared gravy head. Go on and find grits face." She then wrapped her arms around her brother, "If they ever give you any problems again come get me and I'll handle them. Alright?" She smiled at him then looked at the Ravenclaw table, "We can move seats if you want." She then picked up her tray and walked over to the Ravenclaw table, gesturing for Atticus to follow her. She at her tray next to the Asian boy, "This seat taken?"

@Lien Chang @Hyacinth Macmillan

Atticus didn't know what he should do now. He wanted to give Chang a hug and tell him everything would be okay, he wanted to thank Macmillan for standing up for Chang, he wanted to go over to their table and talk to them, be friends with them. But was it really right to do any of that? He was still afraid of what his Father would think. He was... a coward.

"You probably shouldn't have done that, Alayna..."

He finally spoke, and it was very quiet.

"I don't want you to get into trouble. And Father wouldn't like it..."

@Alayna Nott

"No..."

He was surprised Atticus and his twin were now joining them. Was she going to try and drown him in gravy as well?

@Alayna Nott

Seeing some commotion over on the Slytherin table where a couple of first year students took off all of a sudden, Indigo looked over and was ashamed to see Hyacinth standing up beside them. What on earth was he playing at? Excusing himself from the conversation with Louis Weasley and a few other first years, Indigo marched over to the Ravenclaw table and stood, hands on his hips, glaring at his younger brother.

"Hyacinth!" he snapped.

@Hyacinth Macmillan

Alayna stuck her nose in the air as Atticus spoke of their fathers wrath, "He can't do anything to me here. He can't touch me." She said giving him a comforting smile, "Besides, Rowle and Burke had it coming. Their both total dicks." She had heard some older boys calling each her that and it just felt right to refer to the two boys as such, "Rowle is never gonna get a girlfriend with that attitude and Burke is just his little croney. They're both nothing."

@Atticus Nott