closed A chance encounter PV Nellie Lam

Nellie was down in the dungeons. Why? She had no idea, other than the fact that she'd probably made a wrong turn somewhere. Now here she was with zero idea how to get back. "You've got to be kidding me." The grumble was no more than a whisper to herself as she navigated the area. "Last time I go exploring Hogwarts." Her steps echoed in the corridors as she moved. So far, there wasn't a soul in sight to point her in the correct direction. "Year from now they'll find my dusty bones in some alcove." Who was she talking to? Herself, of course.

As Nellie moved, she turned to look in the direction she'd come from, though she did not stop moving. Currently, she was walking backwards as she tried to sort out where to go next. Of course walking backwards is always a wonderful idea. As she bumped directly into a boy, she remembered that fact. Whipping around, she looked properly embarrassed. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry. Are you ok?" She was already looking the boy over for any injuries, not yet worried at the irritation she might face. That would be a separate issue entirely. If he really used his words, the young witch might even cry.

Habib looked down at the girl who had bumped into him. It was kinda funny the way she stared up at him as if he was going to eat her. "Well most girls usually say hello before they fall for me." He said with a smirk. The girl was short that much was obvious, combined with the pigtales and harry potter style glasses gave her a rather cute image. "I'm fine don't worry, you didn't do too much damage." He looked around and a question appeared in his mind "What's a hufflepuff like you, doing in the dungeons, on a cold night like this. You lost?" He questioned. "Well whether you are or not makes no difference. You're with the showman of slytherin, so have no fear!" He said grandiosely making big gestures with his arms. Habib was curious to talk to the girl. He hadn't met many first years yet. He wondered what they were like. He could still remember his own first year. Bright eyed lost and confused. He remembered walking on Vale when she was burying her dolls, that had been a brand of terrifying he didn't know he could feel. But there was intrigue there. Not to mention Saving Hunter's life with Avery. Those were good times. He noticed he was still staring at the girl She likely thinks i'm insane. Nice job Habib first fristie you meet and she thinks you're a crazy person. "Um there's a route out here, I can walk you there if you want."

@Nellie Lam

This was certainly one way to meet a person. The dungeons were infamiliar territory. In fact, she was trying to figure out why a school had dungeons in the first place. Lost in the dungeons and she'd managed to find a boy dressed as a circus performer. She wasn't entirely sure if she was the luckiest person or the unluckiest. Perhaps the rest of this interaction would tell.

The flirtatious remark was met with wide eyes and a blush. "Oh. Um." The next statement, rather than make her feel better only served to make her more nervous. Unsure what she'd gotten herself into, she took a few subtle steps back, nodding in confirmation that she was, indeed lost. She was ready to book it if the need arose, but then he made an offer of help. The first year's brow knit together as she gave a shy, little nod. "Yeah. I'm lost so if you could get me out of here, that would be great." Her hand moved to play with her braid, a nervous habit she'd picked up as a small child. "I'm Nellie. I don't... think I know you. Do I?" The blush in her cheeks dimmed but was still present. Social situations were difficult for the Hufflepuff to, say the least, and this one had started off even more anxiety inducing than normal.

She would follow either just behind him as he lead or fall into step alongside the Slytherin, whichever seemed the best in the moment.

As Habib walked forward, his thoughts were racing. The girl seemed a tad timid, almost afraid. He couldn't imagine exactly why she was scared. She was a hufflepuff and he was a slytherin, the dungeons should be second nature to the two of them. "No, you don't know me yet but i'm sure tales of my exploits will reach your ears soon enough." He said with a grin. His kaleidescope eyes scanned the walls of the dungeon. They weren't always the safest since there were the usual miscreants and 'pranksters.' As their footsteps echoed through the dungeons he decided to shoot a question "Have you ever been to the kitchens. You're a hufflepuff right. So you'd know how. My father refuses to tell me and i don't have any friends in the upper years." He rambled on. He turned to her. Awaiting her response, he had a tendency to ramble so he hoped he wasn't being too annoying. The girl seemed jittery as though the slightest rumble or shake would send her tumbling. Had he been this timid as a first year. Nah, definitely not. He had made an impact immediately and established his personality. In a way she reminded him of his sister Ellie.

@Nellia Lam

Timid had been a word applied to the young Hufflepuff before, and frequently. Nellie didn't necissarily agree, though. Anxious, though? Absolutely. Situations like this heightened her pre-existing social anxiety. Timid was something different in her mind. Even in her worst anxious moments, she forced herself to socialize. She made sure people knew who she was. She made friends in spite of he anxiety. To the young brunette with the eyes shaped like almonds, timidity was a fear of everything. While she could probably jump off a cliff with no problem, it was the initial interaction that often was difficult for Nellie. But that was interactions with normal people. Habib did not strike her as quite normal. Whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen.

Her arms folded around her middle as she walked beside Habib. The question earned a nod in response. "Yeah. I mean I'm a Hufflepuff and I know where the kitchens are. Are you... I mean, do you like to cook?" Nellie couldn't imagine another reason he'd ask something like that. Turning her head to the boy, she briefly studied him. He certainly presented himself differently. But, he didn't seem bad. Her posture began to relax just a bit as they walked and she began to ease into the conversation. "Is the location of the kitchen supposed to be some kind of secret?"