location: the helm manor, chivaniac-lafayette, france
pv: rhea bishop, eris fawley, aurelia bezuidenhout, emma hill, celynne gray
date: sometime in the summer before 2nd year

The six of them stood in the French air, Alexx's eyes piercing the mansion that stood proudly before them. Once dancing with light and love, it now stood lonely and old, with no one but the housekeeper dropping by once a week to ensure that rodents and insects did not contaminate the beauty of the ancient building. This had been in the Helm's family for years and years, and it would be passed on to the oldest of the new generation of heirs; Mikey. Mikey would get the manor, Tex would get the money, Alexx would get grandma Helm's wedding ring along with an assortment of antiques, and Emaline would get spoiled either way. That was the way of fame and fortune. The eldest girl got all but nothing, especially if she was not the eldest above all.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Alexx looked between the five others that stood with her. "Right. I don't have the key; I am not sure if I mentioned that. We will have to scale the building." She announced, glancing over to wear the brick turned. "Or, we could climb that tree there and get in through the window. That might be safer." She would have suggested using magic, but she could not think of any spell that would get them there; at least none that they would know. She waved her hand in a summoning motion, signaling for them to follow her. Stepping over the gate that guarded the path to the door, she began to walk in the direction of the tree.

Tossing an arm out in a gesture towards the tree, she opened the opportunity for someone to go first. Once they had all made their way up, she followed, climbing in through a window that had been left open, probably in order to air out the room. It was her father's office, one she did not immediately recognize, but her memories did remind her of such. "Right, this way to my room." Even though she hadn't slept in that room since she was young, it was not decorated like a small child's room. Its decor was coated with green and black, which was a perfect reflection of the darkness of the manor. A chill went up her spine when she saw that it was perfectly intact.

The lights came on, making the room much more joyous and bearable. "Right. This is it!" She cheerfully announced. She turned back to the five of them, smiling. "So, what should we do first, then? We have the whole manor to ourselves!" She asked, her bright smile never once leaving her face. It was as if she were a real doll, made of glass, her smile truly painted on. It was truly beautiful and welcoming.

When Alexx had originally decided to throw a sleepover, she hadn't really thought of inviting this many people, but she was glad that she did. She previously met Rhea thanks to their parents being stuck-up rich folk, and then the rest just slowly accumulated from there. Some of them Alexx didn't know, or at least wasn't very familiar with. But this was just part of her big plan to expand her friend group! She knew of most of them, anyway. And now, they knew of her.

It wasn't like Alexx was popular. If you were a pureblood, or even at the very least a half-blood, you knew the Helm name. And this had started as more of an open-invitation party, so anyone was welcome to tag along, really. Word travels fast, she could only suppose. How was one to decide that a total of five people would be interested? But these were five individuals who would spend an unforgettable summer night with Alexx, and their friendships were likely to carry on into the upcoming school year. That was what was important to Alexx. You were supposed to make the most of these days; her brothers had said that their Hogwarts days were by far the best days of their lives.

"Oh!" She began again, perking up. "I should announce that this manor is three stories, as you could likely tell, along with a basement and an attic. We don't have to sleep here; this isn't even the largest room. I'll leave it up to you all!" This was Alexx's desperate attempt at being a good host. Truth be told, she had never hosted anything before, certainly not a sleepover. She would have been fidgetting right now if she weren't afraid of looking awkward. But she was sure that they would like her, so she sighed softly, smiling. There was plenty to do here, anyway. Alexx knew that at normal sleepovers, you sang karaoke, bake sweets, make indoor campouts in the parlor, tell stories, scarry or otherwise. Another sigh of relief escaped her when she remembered that she was more than capable than all of that.

Why was she here? Eris shook her head, turning to grin sheepishly at her closest friend in the proximity, Rhea Bishop, whose hair looked a lot more blonde than the last time they had seen each other. Turning to flash another grin at the girl she had forced to come along, an apparent pureblood heiress like the rest of them, Eris offered Celynne another grin, this one even brighter, as she turned to stare at the rest of the girls in their party. Eris wasn’t sure how she got here, but Rhea had told her about a sleepover,and then she had told Cel, and now they were here with Aurelia, a girl who Eris was faintly sure spread more gossip than half the six years and a strange ravenclaw who Eris had never met before.

There was Alexx Helm of course, but Eris hardly knew her. The girl in front of her, standing in the decrepit manor that was just as foreboding as the Fawley Manor, looked lost in thought and pensive. Alexx Helm was a slytherin, which greatly limited Eris’s interactions with the girl, but she seemed nice enough. Eris hadn’t met any horrible slytherins yet, but she knew there were horrible ones out there, like Voldemort! This girl just looked sad, and maybe a bit lonely, if she had invited a bunch of random people to hang out at her house. Her house that looked like nobody had lived in it in ages.

Maybe because she lived in Scotland now? At least during the school year. Nonetheless, Eris was overjoyed to be in France. Instead of Nym apparating Eris over, Demetra had taken interest and taken her own grandchild to France a day early, and the two had spent a day in Paris and another day in a small wizarding community near Beauxbatons. French was truly a delight to listen to for most cultured people, but Eris had spent her whole day giggling over the obscurities of hearing words pronounced in a different language, while Demetra clicked her tongue at Eris in admonishment when they were around other people, but laughed at her granddaughter when they were in quiet company.

Decorated in her new clothing, because Paris had extremely popular muggle brands with large stores, Eris looked down at her new outfit. It was guc-ki? Gucci? Guchi? Eris didn’t know, but her grandmum insisted that the clothing was very expensive and would be very good to wear around, to make sure that Eris looked like a pureblood lady at the sleepover she would be attending.. After closer inspection, Demetra had decided the clothing would be excellent to brag about, and had gone as far as buying Eris a few outfits and had done some research on the brand.

Eris currently wore shoesthat made her a bit taller, and were pretty enough that Eris couldn’t help fawning over them. All of her outfits had been shrunk down to fit her after going to the store, with a simple charm or two. They were really woman’s shoes and women's clothing, and Eris couldn’t believe she was wearing them! If only her outfit was more comfortable. Tugging down at the straps of her black and red dress, Eris then turned to swing her ugly backpack, which her grandmother had assured her was nice and would look good.

Eris hated it. Personally, she rather have a backpack with a quidditch team on it, and she much rather would have showed up in jeans and a sweatshirt, but her grandmother had insisted upon making Eris look good, before lecturing her about the importance of making the other girls like her.

She regretted listening when Alexx stated they had to climb up a tree. Eris stared down at her shoes and her dress decidedly, and then shrugged. Debating using a spell to climb up and not have to struggle with climbing in a dress, Eris just gave up and started to climb the tree, grateful she had on a pair of shorts under her dress.

The feeling of climbing a tree was one Eris remembered from her childhood at Hyde Park, and climbing higher and higher, she couldn’t help but grin. Taken back to a simpler time, she climbed higher and higher, until leaping into the window of the open room. Sad that her climbing was over, Eris tugged down at her dress again and studied the office. Bland and boring, like every other green painted room in pureblood manors.

Shaking her head, Eris let out a little laugh. “That was a bloody good time. Much better than going through the front door, I think.” She said, before following Alexx to her room, which was unmistakably green. She stayed silent throughout the short trip to the room, brushing a hand down the eerily painted walls, wondering if the Fawley manor would fall apart and be this silent and lonesome in years. Would her home stand alone and would Eris’s own children come back to have sleepovers on their own? Eris didn’t know much about the Helm family, and was just assuming, but still. Sighing, she lowered her hand to her side and trailed after the Helm girl, wondering what the night would entail.

It was always fun to have a sleepover and even more fun to make new friends! If this sleepover was good, Eris should have a sleepover with Adam. At girl sleepovers, weren’t you supposed to talk about boys and stuff? That would be fun, but at her sleepover with Adam (if she had one), they wouldn't talk about boys. Nodding her head at her silent choice to force her grandparents to let Adam come over, Eris found herself in Alexx’s room.

Holding onto her bag like it was a life vest, Eris pondered. What did she want to do? There was so much to do in a manor house, and there were a lot of people to have fun with in the room. There were so many rooms to explore, and this was just one of three floors! Grinning again, Eris exhaled a breath.

“This is my first sleepover, so I don't really know what exactly to do.”

Emma sure did get a mouthful when she begged her parents to spend a few nights over the Helm Manor. Truth be told, her parents would have never let her go if it weren't for the other students' to keep her safe. Safe from what? She didn't specifically know, but it was safe to say that her parents were overprotective. She had no siblings to prepare her about her parent's peculiar behavior. The closest thing she had to family were her cousins, Ty and Taylor, but even the time they consumed together seemed to be growing shorter and shorter as the years passed.

Apparating alone was challenging, but it didn't help to apparate with two people. The journey was somewhat troubling, her dad could have done anything. Used brooms, portkeys, flying cars, they could have even taken the Knight Bus for all she cared, but of course, they just had to use apparition. It wasn't exactly her first time traveling with her father to faraway lands, but she was sure to mention to land a couple (hundred) feet away and to apparate without another word. He didn't need to know that there were going to be no parents.

Thankfully, there she was. Standing in front of the Manor inhabiting the group. The brunette wasn't bright and early, but she didn't mind being late either. It was a great thing she had arrived; the manor seemed deserted without an individual light in the house to be seen, she liked that. Their night was going to be contracted with adventure and experience, she didn't need to be told.

Excited was an understatement to characterize her current feeling. Wandering up to the group, she shouldered her heavy book bag and glanced behind her to ensure that her dad had done as she requested. Her brown eyes caught Aurelia's, though she tried to keep them off, she nevertheless found herself peering into the shallow blue eyes of hers just like her first year. Requiring a peaceful night, she was sure to keep her distance away from her and willingly keep her eyes and her negative words to herself. The night wasn't about drama, it was about having fun and meeting new people along the way.

It was only a sleepover, there was no need to dress up in her best attire, not that she had any. Bearing a red hoodie, coordinating red converse, and lastly, blue jeans, she made sure to dress into something she considered comfortable sleeping in. She had brought pajamas in her black book bag, but the exterior of the Manor didn't look promising. To be truthful, she wasn't comfortable napping in the mansion, but for the benefit of Alexx, she agreed to it without a word of disapproval nor criticism.

The adolescent girl didn't know many people there, well, that they were on good terms with. Everyone participating in the sleepover were utter strangers. Sure there was Alexx and Aurelia, but Aurelia and Emma weren't exactly transcendent friends, nor acquaintances for that matter. The closest thing she had to a companion was Alexx, but it wasn't exactly arduous to make friends, at least she assumed so. Yes, from time to time it was a challenge, but challenges were a good thing when they weren't trying to devour you alive. It was another lesson she could learn, and perhaps meet a kind Gryffindor along the way to alter her perspective on the house.

At the mention of climbing the tree, she almost grinned. For once, her parent's informality had gotten her somewhere. Yet, someone still didn't feel satisfied ascending the tree to get to Alexx's former home, at least, that's what she thought judging from the condition of the home. Of course, that person had to be Aurelia, but this was a drama-free night, for now. They weren't precisely at Hogwarts, it wasn't like they could get into trouble.

Without a particular word, she scaled the tree along with the other four, reaching for each branch naturally as if she had done it plenty of times in her life. She had never once in her lifetime climbed a tree, but it was just like rock climbing in her summer camp, right? It was troublesome ignoring the persistent itch inside of her nose, but if she let go, so would her entire body and she couldn't jeopardize that. Sneezing would have been better than plummeting to the ground and fragmenting a bone.

Traveling throughout the Manor until they reached an unusually dim, green room, the brunette received an ominous feeling. Perhaps it was just the color scheme. Her head scanned the corridor from left to right, looking at the open and closed doors along it as they went. She proceeded to stand in place, listening to Alexx speak and then the red-headed Gryffindor student whom she had never met previously.

Undoubtedly, she wanted to stay clear of the painting of nails, playing truth or dare, and the male students of Hogwarts. Yet that pretty much eliminated all of her go-to choices. She had never attended a sleepover before (unless you counted her cousin's house), but she did not want to waste the night fangirling over some boy she probably didn't even know. There was no XBox, and no PlayStation, two Muggle toys she enjoys. Still, when she was given the chance, she didn't miss an opportunity to chat.

"I don't know, we can play hide and go seek," Emma said sarcastically, as she snickered. They were still children, but even that didn't sound appetizing, at least to herself. For all she cared, they could have picked out rooms and went through the vacant clothing, though that was foolish and extremely revolting. 

Upon receiving the invite to the sleepover hosted by Alexx, Rhea could barely contain her excitement. This would be her first real sleepover, hosted by a girl that Rhea thought of as an actual friend - or acquaintance. Not only that, but the invite incited a reaction from her father that she had never yet received - he commended her for a job well done. Whatever she had done during the meeting with the Helms earlier that summer had seemed to work, and for that he was happy. Rhea was happy. 

Aaron seemed to be keen on the idea of taking Rhea to the Helm manor, in the beginning. However, once he learned that it was in France... the feeling faded, and he withdrew his offer. France contained bad memories for the blonde man, and he wished to avoid going there on all costs. Thus, it was decided that Rhea's mother would be accompanying her, much to her delight. France was a country which Morgan had visited quite often in her youth, as a result of her mother's French nationality. 

On the specified date, Morgan rushed into Rhea's room in the wee hours of the morning. Her excuse was that prior to the sleepover, she wanted to take Rhea sightseeing; show her all the little shops and cafés that she had visited adolescence. Rhea did not have any objections, wanting to spend time with her mother as much as possible. Nodding at her mother in understanding and letting a little smile escape her, Rhea shot out of bed and quickly began to get dressed. Skimming her closet for something to wear, Rhea's eyes settled onto an article of clothing that she had always wanted to wear, but never got the chance to because it wasn't 'elegant' enough. It was something that was called 'an overall,' and her parents always claimed that it was something only peasants wore. However, at Hogwarts, there were quite a few upperclassmen who wore them on the weekends and looked really cute - thus, Rhea wanted to try it out! It was a white overall, contrasting to the usual blue ones that people wore. With it, she wore a pale pink off the shoulder shirt, a color she thought complimented her skin tone. For accessories, a simple choker/necklace was placed around her neck, and flowery white shoes were nestled unto her feet - they were a pair of shoes that her nanny had gotten for her as a gift. Apparently they were some really expensive Muggle brand - but Rhea didn't care about that. They were flowery, and that was enough for Rhea. Her hair was thrown into a simple bun, for she was much too lazy to give effort to her hair today. Heading over to the full-length mirror, Rhea looked over herself.  Her outfit came together and she grinned widely. It was perfect.

Skipping out of her room, Rhea met her mother in the entrance hall and together they Apparated away, Rhea clutching onto her mother's hand tighter than she knew was possible. Soon enough, her world stopped spinning, and she landed shakily onto a cobblestone pathway. Her mother landed beside her, her steps a tad shaky as well, before they both steadied up. Morgan glanced around, a wide smile slowly growing on her face. 

"This is where I grew up," the woman stated, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. If one looked closely, they would be able to see small tears inside her eyes. "That's the café where I used to draw, and hang out with my friends." A wave of nostalgia rushed her as she began to spin around, her heels clicking upon the cobblestones. "I haven't been here in so long." Her voice was softer than Rhea had heard her mother's voice ever go before; it was kind, there was no demand for perfection or anything from her daughter. It was a nice change. 

"Mother?" her voice, a whisper, snapped Morgan out of her trance. "Shall we go?"

The blonde woman nodded, and grabbed onto her daughter's hand yet again. "The city gets crowded, I don't want to lose you." An excuse to hold her daughter's hand, to prove that she still loved her despite how she might ask. Rhea, of course, did not know this - but every girl needed to feel a mother's love, and thus she found herself squeezing Morgan's hand back even though she may have been mad at her for never treating her like a daughter. 

The majority of the afternoon passed with Morgan showing her daughter her childhood Paris; taking her to the restaurants and cafés and bookstores and parks she would visit during the summer. Forcing her to order croissants in French in order to practice the language, for she didn't want Rhea to lose it. For once in a really long time, Rhea could say that she enjoyed spending time with her mother. 

Yet soon, it was time to part. Morgan led Rhea to the Helm manor and bid her goodbye, but not before hugging her and placing a kiss on the top of her head. A small gesture perhaps, but it meant the entire world to the small redhead girl. The last time her parents had displayed any form of affection was... too long ago. Still grinning as her mother Apparated away, Rhea ran to catch up with the other girls, who had already begun to climb. Climb? What the heck? Why were they climbing a tree?

Shrugging, Rhea decided to follow after them, not getting a chance to greet anyone or catch her breath yet. Thanking the lords that she had decided on wearing shorts, Rhea climbed the tree rather quickly, having been rather practiced in the art due to the sneaking out she constantly did from her bedroom window. 

Finally making her way into the room, Rhea began to pant, trying to control her breath again. Upon someone mentioning playing 'hide and seek,' Rhea raised an eyebrow. "Hide and Seek? What's that?" Still in a good mood from earlier, Rhea shrugged. "It sounds interesting. Let's do it!"

Finally getting the chance to look around the room, she realized that she knew most of the people in the room. There was Eris, a close friend, who she had told about the sleepover, and then Celynne, who she had met briefly. Aurelia and Alexx were both girls that Rhea did not know well, but hoped to get to know better - although Aurelia kind of scared her, she was just so intense. The last girl was a complete stranger, nevertheless, Rhea smiled brightly at her and waved. By the end of the night, she had no doubt that they would all be good friends. 

moments before

Alexx nodded towards Aurelia, whom of which she was still unsure as to why she decided to come to begin with. Aurelia and herself had a pretty rough history, and they weren't exactly the best of friends. It was to Alexx's dismay that she never got around to apologizing to Aurelia for the very unfortunate encounter, and having gotten off on the wrong foot. But she hoped to reverse any negative opinions that Aurelia may have held against her at this event. It was meant to be fun, and Alexx would not settle for less. Everyone was invited, friend, foe, or even stranger. That was the beauty of it, she would be able to make it up to anyone who knew her from a different perspective. Alexx was not an ill-tempered child, no more was she poorly mannered either. Her mother was, in fact, rather proud that she had burst from her shell just enough to host such an event.

"Alright. Should you need help getting in, just knock and we will be sure to come down and unlock it from the inside." She did not mean that in a way that suggested she though Aurelia would not be able to succeed in charming the door to unlock, but rather she wanted her to know that Alexx would help her if needed. It was only polite, after all, considering that she was the one without a key to the place. It did make her feel bad because it was her house. What kind of host didn't have the key to their own home? But Aurelia and Rhea were the only two who may have been able to guess the answer to that, so she'd leave the question up in the air if it were to openly come about.

After Alexx and all her guests made their way up, Alexx heard Eris say "That was a bloody good time. Much better than going through the front door, I think.", laughing a bit as well. The French girl smiled at her, nodding.

"Right? No better way to start the evening than with a good climb."

alexx's room

Nodding at Aurelia once more, still smiling, Alexx spoke to her again. "Yes, of course. No reason to keep the dust around." She replied, laughing a bit. Aurelia seemed skilled with charms, which Alexx appreciated very much. Alexx did that minimum when it came to studying and doing magic. She was an outlier to those who went to the school. It was strange, wasn't magic supposed to be every child's dream? Well, it certainly wasn't hers. Yes, it was cool and all. But she wasn't just fascinated by it much as everyone else was. Instead, it was nothing more than something she experienced. It existed. Plain and simple. But she admired those who had a knack for it. Aurelia was brilliant, there was no denying that.

"This is my first sleepover, so I don't really know exactly what to do." She heard Eris confess. Alexx tilted her head, pursing her lips. Before she made a suggestion, Emma threw one out there, which caught Alexx's attention. How was Alexx supposed to know what other kids did at sleepovers? She had never had one. Maybe she should have done some research before decided to have one of her own, but she was just so excited that other kids her age showed a desire to spend time with her. She wasn't, per se, unpopular. It was not as though she was hated. But it was simply a nice feeling to be here. She couldn't shake that feeling, either. It was a lot to take in, and the night felt as though it were moving so fast.

"I don't know, we could play hide and go seek," This otherwise would have been a suggestion that the blonde would have downright refused, but that was only until Rhea spoke up. Right, not many of them were privileged enough to have known the world outside of magic. And yes, Alexx did consider it as a privilege, seeing as though that was her second home.

Much unlike other witches and wizards who had tasted their fair share of the Muggle world, Alexx adored it. She knew very well that many Muggle-borns and Half-Bloods were more willing to live forever in the Wizarding world than they were to return back to a world without magic, but Alexx was quite the opposite. She enjoyed Muggles. That was a weird statement on her behalf, given her family's history. Blood purity aside, almost anyone could agree that their world was better. But out there, in the busy streets of just about any continent she had ever visited, any country that her eyes had soaked up, she was free.

Celynne then threw out an absolutely valid point. "Actually, that could work. If none of us know this place very well, it could be a good way to familiarize ourselves with the manor…" Celynne had suggested, trailing off at the end. But Alexx nodded eagerly, an attempt at reassuring her that she was on the right track.

" Yes! My thought exactly. And- wait, how many people here have never played hide and go seek?" She asked out of curiosity. It didn't surprise her that Rhea didn't know what it was. After all, it was, Alexx could only assume, a primarily Muggle game. But did magic-folk not have their own version at the very least? This had the young child quite bamboozled. That was one of her favorite games as a child! How could anyone have lived without it? Was there even such a thing as a childhood without the game itself? It was a key element, a part of a starter pack that came with being a child! It was beyond shocking to come to this knowledge, the one regarding Rhea and possibly any pureblood, not having ever played the game. And yes, it was for children much smaller than they, both in their age and attention span, but she would be willing to play if it meant educating those who were unaware of such joys.

It was sad but true- Alexx felt more and more unfamiliar with the home as she went. It hadn't changed but yet... It had? Maybe it was the fact that it was so lifeless, or maybe it was just the fact that her memory had since faded and now she was unsure what to believe. When you miss out on certain parts, she recalled, sometimes you merely try to fill in the gaps. Maybe all that she had remembered being true about this home was her just trying to make herself believe? Make her own childhood sound less depressing? Because, very truthfully, she could not recall much. Maybe seeing what would have been the home she grew up in would bring back all the very vague memories that resided somewhere in the back of her mind...

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With Alexx consent, Aurelia waved her wand in a swift S shape along with the uttering of the incantation. Almost immediately, bubbles started to form on the floor as well as the old furniture. There was still a bit of dust around but that was still fine and would cause the girl to sneeze so much.

The mention of hide and go seek make a slight smile form on Aurelia’s face. She hadn’t played a game in a very long time, that was when she wasn’t the only child at home. What Celynne said was true, it could help them familiarise with the manor, they had the whole day to themselves afterall. It was quite a fun and effective way to let the time pass.

Aurelia blinked hearing the two redheads not know what the game was about. Perhaps they were an only child as well, fortunately, hide and go seek was a simple game and easy to teach. “Hide and go seek is a game where there would be one seeker and the rest hiders. The hiders will... hide and the seeker would attempt to find them.” Aurelia explained, though it wasn’t very elaborate.

“But of course, it would be unfair if Alexx was the seeker, or the hider, she knows the whole place.” Aurelia chuckled lightly.

At the wave of Aurelia's wand, she began to poke at the miniature bubbles that settled on the walls. The room was already clean, so what was the purpose of keeping the bubbles around? They were going to disappear later on. It was giving them a mere boost... plus she couldn't precisely help her temptation to pop the diminutive bubbles and risk getting cleanser in her eyes. That wouldn't happen, at least she thought. They were bewitched to clean the room, after all.

Unexpectedly, her idea continued to develop from the sweet red-headed Gryffindor and then to a fellow Ravenclaw, Celynne. Though she didn't believe it was a marvelous idea, she still went with the thought and nodded along with every conclusion of their speech. Maybe girls did play hide and go seek at their sleepovers and painted their nails, but that certainly wasn't Emma even if she had to put on an act. Besides, some fun was going to come out of this.

Hide and go seek was practically a sport. One that required too much activity for her liking. Sure, you just chose a spot and kept quiet, but what happened when the seeker spotted the hider. She didn't enjoy ramming her feet on nearby objects, well, unless it was to create a diversion for the other hiders in the house. You ran away from the seeker in the beginning, only to run away from the grasp of the seeker once more, except this wasn't exactly Quidditch... well, in a way sort of; there were just multiple snitches this round.

If Alexx isn't hiding, nor seeking... What exactly is she doing? She can't possibly be the referee, that's no fun. She thought to herself silently to reduce the conflict that hadn't arisen. It was just another thought she shrugged and pushed out of her head, opening the floor for the other guests as if it hadn't been open. The last thing she wanted was to start a conflict during the sleepover and assuming the same thing for Aurelia she forcefully pushed the idea to the back of her head. It was still present though, no matter how severely she wanted to hex Aurelia, it would have to wait till after the sleepover was completed.

Emma kept her eyes on the speaker, giving both Celynne and Alexx her full, well mostly full, attention. She glanced every once in a while to watch the bubbles fade away from existence with the touch of her moderately chewed nails. Undoubtedly, it was beyond satisfying for her little mind to wander off too, but she didn't have a problem regaining her conscious.

"Hide and seek is well... hide and seek? One person seeks, another counts to any number selected..." She said trailing off with each word, collecting her thoughts before she spoke again. It was merely hide and seek, nothing more, but still the words seemed to pile inside, waiting to be released. "You must tag the hider in order to declare them 'caught'," she said, motioning her quotes. "From there on, you can decide if you want to help the seeker, or if you just want to sit out until all the hiders are caught. Then the seeker wins, along with the last person to be caught. Depending on how you'd like to play, there can be a time limit or not." The brunette ended, a small smile perched on to her face. 

It was rather apparent she was excited, but it wasn't just for the game itself. She was unhesitant to get the sleepover started, and find a good room to claim in the process to hold her suitcase, along with her clothes and shoes. Her participation in the group had already tripled itself in a minute. She had missed a few topics and variations of the game, but it was irrelevant. All you needed to know were the basics of the game in order to actually play the game, nothing more and nothing less. Continuing to ponder the thought that previously made its way into her head, she rocked on her feet. Toe to heel and vise versa. She pulled her hands back and placed them down at her side, only to find them behind her back within the matter of a few seconds. "Alexx could always be the seeker, if she wants to -" she paused briefly to look at Alexx "We have no idea where to go, making it almost impossible to target the good spots since we haven't stepped foot out of the room."

"Sorry, I'm rambling, I'm just excited," she said, feeling the obligation to clarify. Wearing the same smile as before, she stopped rocking on feet. There was a small amount of embarrassment, though she didn't know why exactly.

ALTHOUGH the name of the game explained much of the concept to her already, the further elaboration on the rules did not hurt. Aurelia explained the rules first, before the second brunette girl added on. She listened intently to their instructions, attempting to memorize the rules best she could. There wasn't too much to memorise, honestly. Rhea thought she could handle it. Both explanations cleared up any questions Rhea had, and she rubbed her hands together with excitement. 

Prior to saying enough to begin the game, however, she figured she would introduce herself to the unknown brunette girl. "Hey, I didn't catch your name. I'm Rhea, by the way. Second year, Gryffindor," she introduced herself proudly, her chest puffing out just a little bit. Her house was part of who she was now, even if her father didn't want to accept it. 

As she looked around the room, it seemed to her that it wasn't all that inhabited. Alexx herself seemed a bit out of place, as if this were not truly her home. She hoped that over the course of the night, as the group of girls familiarized themselves with each other, Alexx would do the same with her house. This was, after all, her home. And everyone deserved a place they could call home - Rhea's was Hogwarts, but was that the case for every other pureblood who suffered from the same situation as her?

From what she knew about old, crusty pureblood manors... they were huge. Rooms upon rooms made up the house, with more walls than she could ever count. Therefore, there could be millions of places to hide. And if the girls were to play hide and seek and the seeker wasn't at least a little bit familiar with their whereabouts, the hiders would be stuck forever. It would take an eternity to find anything, or anyone, in this mansion! Rhea remembered once she had misplaced her hairbrush, and even though she had lived in the Bishop Manor for her entire life, it took her an entire day to find it. Somehow, it had gotten into her parents' bathroom, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that Rhea didn't want to be stuck in a dusty corner of a mansion for an entire day!

"As for who should be seeker, I think Alexx should as well," Rhea presented her opinion on the matter. "If she wants to, of course. At the risk of repeating what erm, she already said," Rhea pointed with her eyes to Emma, whose name she still hadn't quite caught. This was the most inconspicuous name she could think to point out who she was talking about, "our efforts to seek would be futile, as we do not know our way around the mansion. I think this would be the most logical thing to do."

She cast a smile at the girls surrounding her, before walking closer to Eris. She sat down beside her cousin, offering a grin up at her. For once, Eris was taller than her - yes, Rhea was sitting down, but whatever. "I'm so excited for this," her words were mostly aimed at Eris, but her voice broadcasted over the entire room. When the Bishop got overly excited, sometimes she would speak louder than she meant to... Case in point.