New People Closed

Odette sighed as she walked into the Great Hall. She held her book to her chest tightly as she walked in slowly. She wasn't sure where she should sit. Still little in the way of friends, she was kind of nervous to just go up to someone. Her mother always tells her to be brave but at the moment, she felt anything but.

Walking farther into the room, she looks up at the ceiling. She was expecting the pale blue sky but all she saw was the gray clouds instead. That made her scowl. 'Why would anyone want to look at gray clouds?' Don't get her wrong, she loves clouds but today had already started off on the wrong foot. She fell out of the bed, then she tripped on her rug, walked into the door frame and the list goes on.

Shaking her head and sighing, Odette decides to try to find a place to sit. She looks around the big room as she bites her lip. Seeing a boy leaning over a notebook she decides to go over to him. Just as she's about to be right beside him, he starts packing up his stuff. Panicking a little, she blurts out, "whoa! You're an awesome drawer." And she means it.

"whoa! You're an awesome drawer."

Kyle pulls his art out of his bag and turns to the voice. He's met with a girl his year, long black hair, innocent face.

"Thanks. Although I don't think I am that good when it comes down to just my opinion." Kyle smiles as his left hand rakes through his hair, giggling when he thinks of what Logan would say if e saw him talking to an actual, real-life, breathing girl. He held his right hand out, offering a handshake.

"I'm Kyle, Kyle Barbosa. Proud half-blood Slytherin first-year. Terrible artist but great reader. How about yourself?" Kyle felt a little embarrassed as he blurted out many things about him that one wouldn't when introducing oneself. His pale cheeks held a rosy color as he wiggled his hand a bit, hoping that his hand wasn't stuck out for nothing. "It's is kind of depressing, isn't it? The ceiling, I mean. I was expecting sunny skies today, not the cloudy depressing crap. But hey, we can always make the most of it!" He smiled as he looked down at his drawing, his hand still outstretched, smiling down at the terrible thing, glad someone enjoyed looking at it.

"Well I think your drawing is amazing," she blushed. "I'm not a very good drawer but I do like reading and I love music." The boy offers his hand for a handshake and Odette grins shyly, offering her own.

"I'm Odette Haven, pure-blood Ravenclaw in my first year. I think I've read more books than I've talked to people my whole life." Her eyes widened, surprised she said that. 'Great. Now he's going to think I'm some weird person that doesn't talk to people.' She frowns at herself.

She looks up at the ceiling and agrees. "This morning has already started kind of crazy and I was kind of hoping to see the sky instead of clouds." Shaking her head, she grins at him. She notices his cinnamon coloured hair. And he has really beautiful eyes. She blushes and bites her lip. She'd never seen anyone with two different coloured eyes but it makes him unique and different. She just had boring black hair, brown eyes and freckles on her face.

"You have really pretty eyes." Her face colours into a soft shade of pink amost instantly and she wants to face palm herself. 'I can't believe I just said that out loud!' "I'm-um. Sorry, I think I'm just a little nervous," she giggles shyly.

Elsie knew that the Great Hall was the main dinning room. But what was it used for when it wasn't meal time? Maybe it could be an ideal place to study? She had a free period and she certainly needed to catch up on homework. Elsie wanting to find a new studying area stood at the front of the Great Hall doors fiddling with the strap of her shoulder bag.

'What if there's someone else in there?' she wondered growing a little nervous. 'So what?' she tried to counter herself, 'Maybe you can actually practice some social skills.' Elsie did want to try to make friends even though it worried her to no end.

"I'll be okay." she whispered trying to reassure herself. Giving a small shaky sigh she slowly opened the Great Hall doors. Peeking inside, Elsie saw, much to her relief, only a hand full of students inside. She took note that most of the student were sitting wherever they pleased rather than their house tables. From the table farthest to the left she saw two first year students making conversation. 'Better try now than never.' Elsie tried to reason as she shyly made her way to the two students. From closer observation she made note that one was a Ravenclaw, like herself, and the other was from Slytherin. The Slytherin seemed to be sketching something.

"Excuse me." Elsie voiced quietly, "I was hoping I could study here. Would it be alright if I sit with you?"

The Great Hall never failed to impress Amadea as she walked in. The tall walls and the ornate ceiling and the long rows of tables. She loved it all. As she walked in, she was surprised to see only a few students and most of them weren't bothering to sit at their house tables. They were scattered around in groups, talking with friends. Unfortunately, Amadea had yet to find friends. She decided to sit at the end of a table near a few other students who looked nice enough. She set her things down and took a look at the people she had sat with.

One girl was sitting next to a guy who was holding a sketchbook. Not trying to look, she noticed that it was tilted toward her. On the page was a beautifully drawn picture; clearly he was a talented artist. Next to them sat a girl wearing a Ravenclaw tie who had her books out, maybe hoping to study. Amadea didn't say it, but she wondered if the girl knew that this was the Great Hall and not a study room. She wasn't one to judge, but Amadea didn't think she could focus on her studies when in the Great Hall; it was always filled with people and lots of noise.

She realized she had sat down and had yet to introduce herself to the people who clearly were wondering who she was. "Hello," she said. "I'm Amadea. Amadea Campbell. I'm a Hufflepuff. Nice to meet you all. Sorry to intrude also, if I'm intruding. I hope it's okay that I'm sitting here. I probably should've started with that. Sorry, I'm not very eloquent." She winced inwardly; she had definitely improved on starting conversations but clearly she had a long way to go.

"If I'm being honest, I've probably read more books than I've talked to people my life too. Nice to meet you Odette." Kyle spoke with confidence he didn't feel, hoping he came across as a strong Slytherin. A rosy color found its way onto his cheeks as she spoke of his eyes. "Y-Yeah, thanks. I'm very often self-conscious of them, because the two different colors. And I'm nervous too, you are the first person I've met out of my house!"

Kyle turned as he heard a voice, "Excuse me.I was hoping I could study here. Would it be alright if I sit with you?" He was met with a nervous brunette. Her hair was as wavy as the sea and she seemed to also be a Ravenclaw, by the look of her robes. "For sure!" He patted the spot next to him, not wanting her to be uncomfortable while they all talk. He was about to speak more when he noticed another girl walking over to the newly formed group. Once she arrived, he looked at her expectantly, but she just sat silent for a few seconds, before starting a quick introduction.

"Hello, I'm Amadea. Amadea Campbell. I'm a Hufflepuff. Nice to meet you all. Sorry to intrude also, if I'm intruding. I hope it's okay that I'm sitting here. I probably should've started with that. Sorry, I'm not very eloquent." Kyle smiled at the Hufflepuff, before turning his smile towards the second Ravenclaw. He started giggling and shaking his head before he gathered himself and stuck his hand out. "I'm Kyle. Kyle Barbosa. Proud to be a half-blood Slytherin, first-year, I assume you two are also?" His left hand raked through his hair as his right stayed extended for either of the two girls to shake, his father always told him to extend a hand before you try to extend the relationship.

'He probably meant that as meet the father for his blessing before you ask her for her hand in marriage. Oh well, I'll take his advice as I want.' Kyle smiled at the three females near him before flipping the page in his sketchbook and starting a new drawing, this one, he knew what he was drawing; the beginning of a, hopefully, wonderful friendship.

Amadea took his extended hand and shook his hand firmly. She nodded along with what he was saying, then confirmed that, "Yes, I am a first year." She sat down and looked around at the people. They seemed nice enough.

She cracked open a book, hoping that it didn't seem rude. She wondered if the people she was sitting with appreciated books as much as she did. She had probably read through at least a fourth of the library's books by now. She loved learning about new things and it definitely didn't hurt her grades by doing so.

She thought back to her first few days at Hogwarts when she was still the shy little girl who didn't know anything. Look at her now. She was completely different. Well, not completely different. But she had grown into her skin and was much more confident with herself and meeting new people. She was on the way to making some (hopefully) new friends. She wondered what conversation starter she could begin with and strike up a conversation. Her conversation skills could definitely use some improvement. She flipped a page of the book, listening to the paper rustle together, loving the sound it made. She finally looked back up at the other students, hoping and willing them to say something.

Odette smiled shyly at the two girls who came up to the table and sat down. After Kyle shook their hands he went back to drawing in his notebook. Odette started chewing on her lip nervously. If she was being honest, she's never met three people at once and she has absolutely no idea what to say to the other Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff.

Her eyebrows furrow in contemplation as she tries to think of what to say. Her mouth opens but then she shuts it, second guessing herself. 'Come on, Odette! Say something. Stop being rude!' Stepping out in a small leap of faith, she lightly taps the young Hufflepuff girl on her shoulder.

Clearing her throat gently, Odette says, "hi. Um- my name is Odette Haven and I'm from Ravenclaw. It's nice to meet you." Odette twists a piece of her hair as she gets more and more nervous when the girl just looks at her for a moment. "Y-you're the first person I've actually talked to from your house. And s-sorry if I'm stuttering. I don't usually stutter, I think I just do it when I meet new people. When I get more comfortable it'll stop." Odette smiles at the other girl, slightly proud of herself for reaching out.

Kyle watched as Amadea shook his hand before turning to a book. His let his right hand fall into his lap as his left raked through his cinnamon-colored hair. He turned and smiled at everyone around him, hoping that these were friendships that would last a long, long time. He looked back at Amadea, hoping to figure out what book she had taken a liking to.

"Hey, Amadea. What book do you have?" Kyle hoped that this was a good conversation starter and that he wasn't making a fool of himself. He had already embarrassed himself in front of his dorm-mate, who he was going to room with for the next seven years, so he didn't want to be embarrassed everywhere, in front of everyone. He looked up at the Hufflepuff's face. Rounded glasses lay on the bridge of her nose, wild red hair reminded him of the stories his father would tell him of the Weasley family, her skin looked very pale compared to others, but who was he to judge?

His bi-colored eyes made their way down to the drawing he was working on. He decided to use muggle colored pencils today, and it looked like that was the right choice. HE picked up the red and the red-orange pencils and began to work on her hair. Kyle listened as Odette introduced herself to Amadea, giggling at how nervous she was. When she had finished, he gently placed his pencils beside the parchment, and turned to Odette, thinking of a way to tell her that he felt proud of her for talking, with not many stutters. Sure, he also felt proud about helping the two make friends, but that was something to celebrate at a different time.