*cotton candy skies [open]

[Emma Gladstone]

Nothing was going on. Oh, how boring... The sun was just starting to set, making the blue sky turn various shades of pink and purple. Small clouds drifted through the cotton candy-colored sky. A flock of birds even flew up above. Even though the day had been quite boring, at least there was something of interest going on whenever it came time for the sun to set.

A girl was sitting on one of the many hills that filled Hogwarts' grounds. She was wearing the typical Slytherin uniform, though her coat had been taken off to use as a blanket of some sort for the girl to sit on. She never liked sitting in the grass without something under her. The grass always irritated her, and she hated how it would make small slices in your skin, making it itch. The girl was holding in her hands a book. Well, it wasn't any normal kind of book. It was a manga. Her cousin in America had sent it to her via owl a few weeks ago, and she was just getting around to read it. The book confused her at first, seeing how she had to start at the 'back' of the thick comic book, but she was able to get used to it easily. Emma Gladstone blinked, shifting her focus from the odd Japanese book to the Norwegian Forest Cat playing in front of her. The cat was actually having a staring contest with a Praying Mantis, which tried to lash out at the poor tom cat every now and then. Emma couldn't help be give off a light laugh at the scene. "Montague Gladstone, what do you think you're doing?" The large cat blinked, looking away from the large, green bug to stare curiously at his partner. This just made the girl giggle a bit more. Montague swiped a paw at the bug, knocking it over, before looking for something else to do. Emma, on the other hand, went back to her cousin's book.

[Margo Temptree]

This was surely suicide. Warnings against tempting the older students were laced with vague death threats and rumors of torture, but it didn't inhibit the first year in the least. Shoving a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she bent low to the ground and slowly stalked her prey. Emma was oblivious to her, focused on her book, and this could not be borne. Margo would not be ignored!

Margo crept up slowly, in the tradition of the sleek, untamed Australian dingoes, like the one in the really really old movie she had never seen but heard about from her friends' grandmom. Just like the famed dingo aiming for that baby, she hopped mightily, landed loudly even though it was grass, and finally flopped onto her stomach alongside Emma and shoved her face in the middle of the manga, curious about what had the older girl so enthralled.

A muffled voice came from the girl whose face was now covering the pages. "Hey Emma...whatcha doooooin'?"

[Emma Gladstone]

An irritated sigh escaped from the brown-haired girl. A first year? For bloody heaven's sake, why a first year? Emma took the blond by the collar of her uniform and shoved her away. She sent a death glare at the girl. Interrupting her while reading wasn't the best idea in the magical or muggle world. Why was this annoying little girl even in Slytherin, anyways? When Emma was sorted into Slytherin, all the other first years were already snobby and rude, not annoying and irritating like this one. What was her name again? The forth year really should have listened better during the sortings on the first day. Margret? Macy? Oh, it started with an 'M'... The girl searched her brain for the younger girl's name. Molly? Malificent? No, no, no! Margo? Yeah, I think that was it... "Margo, it should be quite obvious as of what I am doing." The girl signaled to her cousin's manga in her hands.

Montague flinched at the sound of a loud yet muffled voice, which he inferred was from that of a first year. Slytherin, at that, judging by the uniform. The large cat watched with mild interest as his partner shoved the smaller witch away. He would have waited to see what was to happen next, but a movement to his right caught his eye. A bug! Oh, how fun! The Norwegian Forest Cat dropped down into a crouch, placing one large paw forwards as he stalked his new prey.

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[Margo Temptree]

Margo let herself be lifted up, and cheerfully waved her arms in a windmilling motion as she was hauled off the book. She made loud and dramatic gagging noises and laid on her back, rubbing her throat in mock misery. She looked over and saw the pretty kitty looking over and dismissing her as unimportant. For a moment the Margo considered including it in her mission to befriend and cheer up all the grouchy, overly faux sophisticated older students, but decided she liked the skin on her face where it was. She listened to Emma patiently, then decided. Emma needed a friend. That had to be why she was out there all alone. In that moment, Margo decided that it would be her mission to make sure Emma was never alone and lonely ever again.

"Emmaaaaaaaaaaaa...Why are you reading out here in the outdooors? All aloooooone? Arenchu scared of rabid pygmy puffs? Or militant gnomes? Or werewoooooooolves?" she asked, remembering the warnings her mum gave her before boarding the train. It seemed endless. So of course if she ''forgot'' some of them, it wasn't her fault, right?

[Emma Gladstone]

Another irritated sigh sounded from the older girl. Why her? Of all the students the first year could have chosen to torment, why her? If she were at a desk, she would slam her head down on it. Physical pain was much better than having to tollerate this... Thing. Emma gently closed the manga, smoothing out the creases that formed when the blond stuck her face in it. "Would you please be quite, bloody git? We are witches, meaning that our magic is enough to ward off any hostile magical creature. Besides, I think anything considered dangerous would be scared off by your loud, obnoxious voice." The Slytherin forth year stood up, swiftly grabbing her coat, shaking it a few times to make any grass fly off, before putting it back on. Emma tucked the manga under her uniform coat and made her way over to the large, fluffy cat, whom was currently playing with a large beetle. She picked up the cat, stroking his soft fur as she did so. Montague didn't seem too thrilled, but he didn't object. Emma turned back to face the first year. "Margo, what was the point of you coming onto school grounds so close to curfew, anyways?" She might as well try to have a semi-decent conversation with the younger girl. Though, she would have liked it better if another forth year or above Slytherin came to her rescue. Emma hated speaking with young, inexperianced wizards or witches.

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[Margo Temptree]

Margo brushed off the insult to her voice like she did every other insult she had gotten. She was beyond that, as she had no self consciousness and had no idea of interest in cultivating any kind of image. She left that to the sheep, and it appeared to her that Emma felt the same. Sort of a kindred spirit. Emma just didn't know it yet.
The mention 'our' magic made her pause. She hadn't gotten past sticking charms yet, and that didn't exactly give her confidence to face down any incidental evil, heck she didn't even feel ready to face empty bathrooms after dark. Everything seemed like it was creaking and dripping and it sounded like footsteps and doors slowly opening and she'd panic and duck in the stall and stand on the toilet and...oh wait Emma was talking.
"Curfew? Oh yeah!" What was she doing out so close to curfew? She concentrated, and retraced her steps backwards. Here; before this, bathroom; before that, library...Oh! Her History of Magic homework!
"Yeah, I'm looking for my History of Magic essay. I think I "misplaced" it in the library. I've been losing stuff since term started, I'm unlucky. It's not in here, is it?" she took the opportunity to grab the manga again, to shake it, but really she was trying to read it without being obvious. "Is it broken? How come the pictures don't move?" Shake...shake....

[Emma Gladstone]

Emma sighed, lightly stroking the Forest Cat's multi-colored fur. This was going to be one long afternoon. She watched with little interest as the first year grabbed the thick comic book. "Jeez. Haven't you ever heard of a manga? It's just a simple comic book made by the muggles in Japan. If you want the 'pictures to move.' then go watch the anime version." Why was she even bothering her time with the younger student? The girl's chocolate eyes flicked up to the sky. The sun was almost done setting, and it was getting darker by the minute. The Slytherin forth year turned her attention back to the girl. "Montague." She allowed the large cat to leap out of her hands. "Fetch." Yes, it was a command for a dog, but the Norwegian Forest Cat was large enough to be a small dog. Montague hissed at the first year, stalking towards the girl, unsheathing his claws and baring his teeth as he did so. If scaring her didn't work, then he would resort to tackling the book out of her hands.

[Margo Temptree]

Margo glared at the cat that seemed to be stalking her. Cats were evil. Everyone knew that. They sucked the breath out of babies, and puked undigested rat guts in unnamed first years' sneakers, not that that had ever happened to her. That she'd ever admit. Cats were the spawn of evil, it was common knowledge. That's why their eyes glowed in the dark. She threw the mangal thing at the beast and scooted back to avoid the mid sized demon.
"Animade? Why didn't you just read the animade then?" Silly girl. Why read a boring still book when she could read the animade version? She didn't know the muggles had moving pictures. You learn something new every day. Next thing you know, muggles would have cooling charms for their food, and moving stairs, magic mirrors that let you see someone when they talked! Who would have guessed muggles were so advanced?

[Emma Gladstone]

Montague side-stepped, allowing the manga to plop onto the grass. The Forest Cat hissed at the first year before nudging at the book until he was able to gently pick it up in his mouth. The large cat then trotted over to his witch counterpart, who bent down to pick up both the cat and the book.

Emma then straightened her back, sending a glare at the girl. "It's not animade, you git. It's animated, though the muggles call it anime for short. You cannot read anime, you watch it. The anime can be found on the T.V., DVDs, or on the computer. It is just an animated show of the manga, with voices and everything." The forth year sighed, balancing the Norwegian Forest Cat on one arm while using her free hand to slip the manga under her cloak again. "Now, Margo, do I need to clarify anything else? Or, should I ship you off to my cousin in America to teach you all about the muggles?"

[Margo Temptree]

Margot tilted her head and thought for a long moment. While muggle culture was fascinating, like researching indigenous tribes in the jungle, it didn't hold her interest long. She considered America, she had always wanted to visit...
Without warning, she launched herself at Emma, shrieking.
"YES!!!! Send me to America!!! I can watch animate! And eat muggle food! And wear muggle clothes! Ship meeeee! Make sure the box is sturdy, and has lots of air holes!!!" Her eyes were lit up like firecrackers and her cheeks were flushed with excitement. Her hood fell back and her hair was flying wildly in the breeze, and she looked much like a maniac. She was nose to nose with Emma, and grinning madly with the thought of a dozen owls lifting her high in the air all the way to the States.

[Emma Gladstone]

Emma flinched at the girl's outburst of shrieking. The girl backed up, trying to get away from the rabid first year. She was tempted to whip out her wand and just use magic to mute her, but she knew better than that. Oh, but it was so tempting. Why did I even give her that option? The forth year sighed, shoving the first year away with her free hand. Montague, on the other hand, was hissing, fur prickling, and swiping at the loud, obnoxious girl with claws unsheathed. "Margo, will you just shut up! The last option was sarcasm, along with the first option! No, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to the dorms before curfew." Emma's voice was filled with irritation as she began to march back up to Hogwarts, ignoring anything the annoying first year may say.

ooc: exit Emma. x3

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