"Leo, I've told you several times that I'm quite capable of finding my own way." This sentence was grumbled by Evangelina to her older brother, darting a scowl at him which he pointedly ignored. "I know how to look after myself."

"You recall the deal we made, sister - as soon as you can beat me in a duel, I'll stop worrying about you." At this, Eva's scowl subsided slightly, as she did indeed remember the deal struck a few years ago. Being a [i]Contessa[/i], Eva was expected to take part in lessons of embroidery, dancing, and etiquette; all of which she hated. (Perhaps not the dancing; 'twas a guilty pleasure of hers, but she'd die before telling anyone that.) The swordplay her brother was taught in during their time away from Hogwarts piqued her interest; and after months of complaining Leo finally gave in and began giving her lessons in secret, away from the disapproving eyes of their parents and the other Nobles they lived with. The servants of the manor in which they lived were aware of such actions, naturally being everywhere - but they and Eva were on good terms, so the secret was kept willingly by them. For Leo, however, he said that he would teach her so she could protect herself; until she could, he would do that job as their parents had pledged him to do. An irritating compromise, in Evangelina's eyes, but she took the deal all the same.

The village of Hogsmeade soon came into view for the travelling pair; Leo and Eva sat upon black palominos; his named Poseidon, for only the noblest of steeds could be named for the God who had created them; her's called Ser Fast-Gallop, because tradition must be damned in terms of naming horses when Eva's was the fastest in the land.

Well... she thought he was anyway. He was almost called Ser Fuzzy-Mane too.

"You know, I heard Mother arranging a meeting with a scion of the Malfoy House before we left - I think perhaps she's attempting to arrange another marriage for you."

"After what happened last time? The poor boy will have a crooked nose for the rest of his life. Not to mention the scar on his bu-"

"That's enough of that." He interrupted her hastily, his disapproving frown ushering forth a peal of wicked laughter from Eva. He loved his sister, but disapproved of her behaviour in most cases. Their talk of marriages - failed or otherwise - paused as they reached the stables of Hogwarts, handing over their steeds to the hands there and making their way into the castle. A few fifth years called out greetings to Leonardo as they passed; Eva rolled her eyes as a trio of girls giggled at the sight of Leo, who promptly ignored them with a chaste smile.

"I'll meet you in the Great Hall later, Evie." Leo's tone softened somewhat as he used that special nickname, and she gave him a quick hug, swatting his hand away as he attempted to wipe dirt from her cheek. "Honestly... we'll make a [i]Contessa[/i] of you one day. Try not to get into a fight before dinner, okay?"

"No promises there, brother. Also, you can shove my title up your arse." She said in a prim tone, laughing at the scandalous look on his face as she skipped away. "[i]Arrivederci[/i] Leo!"


It didn't take long for Eva to find her fellow students; the twins were stood nearby, along with their cousin. Eva was unsure how she felt about Avice; the girl seemed nice enough from whenever she had talked to her, but she knew that girl had the whole prejudice thing going on like so many Purebloods did. The twins seemed alright though, and she sidled up to Isaac, noticing the longsword strapped at his hip.

"[i]Ciao[/i], Isaac! Why did you bring your sword to school with you? Are you going to get into a fight with someone?" She asked with a teasing grin upon her face. "I should have brought my own saber - we could have dueled on the house tables for the entertainment of the Headmaster." She added with a light-hearted laugh.


[hr][hr]


Ryden Ashford would have been quite happy to remain in the forest for the next few hours, even if it meant missing the feast and the Sorting. He still had a lot of work ahead of him; shipments of creatures and ingredients to arrange, bits of the forest to explore, and eggs to keep warm. As for what was in the eggs, he was somewhat unsure; it would be a real treat to see what came out when they hatched, though.

"Oh. I hope they're not Basilisk eggs." He muttered under his breath, humming thoughtfully. They didn't look basilisk-y. Perhaps he should keep a blindfold handy when they hatched anyway, just to be safe.

Regardless of his jobs, he left the building sat on the edge of the forest, locking the door firmly behind him, and making his way back up to the castle. Ryden had been tempted more than once to simply just move into the large shack that held all of the items necessary for a lesson, but after several cuts on his arms from a group of angry Bowtruckles, decided to remain in his room in the Castle.

The walk didn't take long, and he soon found the group of students milling about the thestral drawn carriages; many of them confused as to what exactly was pulling the carriage. Ryden felt a pang of sympathy when some students did in fact see the strange beasts... and what marvellous things they were. He could never understand how people were frightened of them... although, the price of being able to see them was not a nice one, particularly at such a young age.

Walking over and gently stroking the snout of one of them, Ryden darted a smile at the "soldier" next to him. 

"Ingerith! I hope you're well. There's quite a few muggle-borns here this year; you did well to get so many." The sentence was a compliment, although it was saddening to recognise the difficulty behind such a task. He was aware how the Headmaster disliked the work Ingerith did; it was a small blessing he allowed the muggle-borns entry into the school. "You didn't run into much trouble, I hope?" 

The thestral nickered under his hand, trying to lick the bloodstained bandage wrapped around it. He'd acquired another bite this evening, dealing with a troublesome dugbog while exploring a marsh in the forest. Ryden was certain a few centaurs had been laughing at him in the distance.