And I do appreciate you being 'round

Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?
@emerywinterbottom

Desiree had been lucky to make friends quickly since transferring to Hogwarts. The first group of friends had been the helpful ones, ones who saw her drowning in the newness of the castle and offered her a life raft. Those friends slowly drifted once she became familiar with the new territory and in their place new friendships emerged. This second wave being those who actually got to know Desiree, or know of her, and wanted to give her a legitimate chance at friendship. She was pretty friendly towards others, any dislike she kept mostly to herself. Mostly, being the key phrase. She did have a bit of a mouth on her, but she finessed her insults the way her southern mama had taught her. Say it as sweet as honey, and they won't know they've been stung by a bee.

She hadn't made many enemies though, not yet, but she was in search of new friends. Always looking for new connections, that was Desiree. She wanted to know everyone, know all the gossip and really get her foot in the door at this place. She found all too quickly that her previous friends from back in the states hadn't really been friends at all, and she wanted to find a way to change that somehow. Not with those losers, obviously. They had lost their chance. But with these new students. It was proving harder than she thought, mostly because of how superficial she kept her friendships. She didn't like to talk much about deep issues. She preferred the silly trivial conversation.

Emery seemed good for that. His awkwardness in class was absolutely hilarious, and his little comments had nearly had her rolling a time or two. He reminded her a lot of her American friends, not like some of these stuffy Brits! Plus, there was something about him that made her feel that he could become a true friend. If she let him, that is. He seemed caring, polite, and horribly horribly awkward. But she liked it. She was the kind of outgoing person that sucked introverts like him into their little bubbles and that was exactly what she planned to do.

Desiree had approached the boy earlier and asked him for help with her studies, he seemed pretty knowledgeable and didn't seem like the type who would be able to tell her no easily. And he hadn't, which was awesome. She really didn't need the help, the two seemed excel at the same subjects, but she wanted to figure him out. She wanted that little reminder of home that he gave her whenever he spoke. So she had invited him to meet her at the library to 'help study' for upcoming final exams. 

The small brunette had been able to assert herself on a table in the study area and began unloading books from her bag when she heard another enter the area. "Emery!" She called cheerily to the boy. "I just got here, great timing. You ready to make these subjects our bitch?" She chuckled completely unaware of how her informatility might come across. That had been a problem of hers since starting at Hogwarts. Just another difference between the UK and the US, wayyy more formalities. 

help me if you can

Wearing: Ravenclaw Robes / @desiree

It wasn't often that Emery was invited to the library by a pretty girl. He wasn't sure why Desiree wanted anything to do with him because she was an intelligent Slytherin from all of his previous encounters, but that didn't stop her from tracking him down after class and asking to have a study sesh. Since study sessions came naturally to the Ravenclaw, he wasn't going to decline the offer. Especially since he had a feeling if he were to say 'no' to the offer she may beat him up...kidding. She was actually very friendly for...a Slytherin. Recently, Emery and Desiree shared a moment of laughter over something stupid one of their peers said in class. Sometimes Emery wasn't aware of it, but he could be a bit of a bully when he knew more about a subject than his peers. Laughing at peoples lack of knowledge was actually a bit stuck up of him, unfortunately. Not everyone found school easy. Emery didn't really have to study much to do well. Studying consisted of reading information from a page and remembering it. Simple as that. There was no cramming, even though he still worried about taking tests and had typical anxiety over schoolwork. He truly was a worrier.

Emery wasn't expecting the sudden outburst of his name and such a cheerful introuduction. Usually when his mum yelled his name like that it meant he was in trouble, or because he left the seat up again. The boy froze suddenly like a prairie dog, panic suddenly washing over him like a tidal wave as his eyes darted wide open. The books he was carrying in his arms went flying, a true horror of a reflex, and slammed onto the table where Desiree was sitting with a loud thud. "Bollocks!-" he cursed with a bashful laugh, instantly feeling his face begin to heat up, his ears turning beat red first.

"--If you continue to hoot n' holler like that I reckon the Librarian will make you her book bitch faster than you could say Jack Robinson." he deadpanned, shooting an exaggerated guilty look over to the librarian who was glaring at the pair with some pretty aggressive hawk eyes from across the library. Her expression faded into a smile, directed mostly at Emery, since he was a frequent flyer when it came to the place. Immediately, the Librarians eyes looked over her glasses to scowl at Desiree. If looks could kill. Students rumors throughout Hogwarts halls claimed that the old ladies eyes could practically burn holes into your skin if she noticed you spoke anything louder than a whisper in her part of the castle. She took the ambiance of the library very seriously. Emery appreciated it most days when he wanted a quiet place to be alone, today he was slightly embarrassed to be on her radar, but he shook it off almost immediately. 

Desiree's informality somehow actually made the boy feel a little more at ease since he knew that she wasn't trying to be too serious about this stuff. As much as Emery came off as serious and intense, the last thing he wanted was an intense study session. Maybe they would actually become friends or something from this. This year Emery had been a lot more open to making new friends since his best friend, Brooklyn, and many other of his friends were taken away to another school. He was still a bit upset about that, but since they officially got the news they weren't coming back, Emery knew he should probably throw himself out there a bit more. Desiree had made it very easy today so he would work on attempting to not be so awkward. "Any subject in particular you need help on at the moment?" Emery inquired as he slid into the empty seat next to the girl - a somewhat daring move he didn't even realize in the moment. Emery removed a quill and parchment from his book bag as he started to set up the playing field for a true study session.

AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING 'ROUND

HELP ME GET MY FEET BACK ON THE GROUND

WON'T YOU PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME?

The subjects taught at Hogwarts were mostly familiar to Desiree with the exception of two: Dark Arts and History of Magic. History was easy enough to learn, though she hated it entirely. In the states the history she learned was that of her own country mostly, though there had been a few overlapping themes with what she was learning here. It wouldn't be long before she understood the world here, especially since she was receiving regular help from the paintings on the second floor. Many of the paintings had hung on the walls there for hundreds of years, some even as old as the castle itself. They knew all the stories, many having lived them vicariously through the walls, and they longed to talk to someone, anyone, about what they knew.

It was a shame that these students weren't as friendly with their paintings as her friends in America had been. She supposed American's were just friendlier in general, not to mention a hell of a lot more outspoken. These paintings were crying out for attention. She could hear the fat lady singing at the top of her lungs in the changing stairway all the time and no one seemed to want to listen. Desiree always listened. She listened to everything which is why she knew rumors before others did, and why she heard the humorous things Emery said in class. Maybe they weren't intentionally meant to be funny, but dammit she had a great laugh from them! 

The boy approached her table and flung his books in surprise as she spoke making her cover her mouth trying not to laugh openly at him. Desiree's brown eyes were filled with amusement as he spoke of the librarian, the old witch was glaring a hole right through her. She lowered her hand mouth agape in a silent laugh, her gaze following over to the angry old witch. Sorry, she mouthed before covering her face once again to stop her laughter. Desiree wasn't embarrassed but she could see very clearly that he had been; she would most certainly need to tone it down if they were going to study. She turned to Emery stifling a laugh, "Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry. I'm, like, way too much sometimes. My bad!" 

It was hard for Desiree to remember that she wasn't back home, she couldn't just be her loud, confident, super awesome self here. She couldn't say whatever she wanted to the professors, or call the headmaster by their first name. It was different here and she was still getting used to that. People like Emery made her feel better about her faux pas and she really needed that. What she hadn't needed was a tutor, at least not back home, but a subject came to mind when he asked her what she wanted to focus on. "I'm really, really, not doing well in Dark Arts. In the states they just have defense and this stuff is...pretty weird. I keep blowing stuff up, it's really not good." Desiree had been rambling as she began gathering her things to set the stage for studying. She paused and looked at the boy sort of vaguely trying to recall something she had heard. "Is this the new subject? I heard they got rid of a class after last year and put in a new one..."