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spaceAdalaide offered a sympathetic smile. That explained it, then. People who had trouble with plants tended not to continue the class, after all. It could get frustrating after a while. She leaned her elbow on the table, propping her head on her fist, expression thoughtful. "Plants are tricky... particularly when they're of the magical variety. But... hm... well, I could help you out, if you like. It's... sort of my best subject. Maybe Professor Thorne would let us in the greenhouses for tutoring or something? Might be less stressful when there's only one plant to worry about and the rest of our year aren't all crammed in there with us." As she spoke, the Hufflepuff became quite proud of herself. No nervousness, no stuttering. Offering to help people... she'd made it a goal to hopefully kick her habit of freaking out talking to people she didn't know very well, mostly because after graduation it was sort of going to be her job. Caring for plants was only part of it, after all; if and when customers came in, she had to be able to help them out. She couldn't do that if she was going to speak like a mouse every time she tried to speak. Might as well get some practice in; she'd been making a real effort, actually, wanting to start the Herbology Club, and now offering to tutor Rick... she was actually very impressed with herself. Maybe she wasn't such a spaz after all.

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❀ ❀ ❀ I guess I never had someone like you
To help me, to help me fit in my skin ❀ ❀ ❀

spaceAdalaide watched him, noting how uncomfortable he seemed. She frowned sympathetically; she knew that feeling... it was taking a lot for her to talk to him right now, to offer to help, because she was horrible about assuming no one wanted to talk to her. But, if he wasn't in the class, and he needed the NEWT for whatever reason, he needed someone to help him study, especially if the reason he'd dropped it was because he wasn't good at the class. "Professor Thorne's pretty relaxed. And she'd understand, I think. But, I know how you feel about people watching. I..." The blonde paled a bit, remembering how bad she'd been about that in years past... so bad that she'd burst into tears and ran out of a class. She wondered if Rick remembered that... if he knew it'd been her. Probably not, she reassured herself. Surely to God only four people remembered that incident at all, right? Herself, Michelle, Damien and Dominic... because why would anyone else remember it? It hadn't meant anything to anyone else, after all. She shifted, a bit uncomfortable at the memory. "At least you can form a complete sentence. I used to have the worst stutter... I think people would die of old age waiting for me to complete a sentence," she told him, trying to relax him, make him less self-conscious. Nerves wouldn't help him if they did get permission to hang out in the Greenhouse and study. Plants did about as well with nervous handlers as animals did, after all.

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❀ ❀ ❀ I guess I never had someone like you
To help me, to help me fit in my skin ❀ ❀ ❀

Arianna found herself lost again. She started out exploring the castle but had gotten turned around. She realized after wandering around a bit that she was in the library for the first time since her arrival at school. She shrugged and continued to meander around. She wasn't the type to come in her voluntarily that's for sure. She wrinkled her nose as she passed all the textbooks until she spotted one that looked slightly interesting. She plucked it off the shelf and flipped through a few pages. Deciding it was good enough to read she continued down the row looking for a spot to sit. She noticed a fellow first year sitting by himself. "Elliot. Mind if I join you?" She asked as she approached the Ravenclaw. She didn't wait for his answer and pulled out the chair across from him and made herself comfortable. She plopped the book on the table with a thud. "You're already studying? What for?"

Arianna smirked at the boys awkwardness. She brushed it off thinking he was embarrassed talking to a girl. "Good. Cuz I probably would've sat here anyway." She laughed at the snide remark. Man, this kid has no social skills... She thought to herself. She shrugged a little not taking offense Ari was known for being friendly and pretty easy going about most situations. She opened her own textbook it was a DADA book for second years and her curiosity got the better of her as she flipped through the pages stopping at spells or creatures that caught her eye. It was Elliot's response to her question that made her look up from her browsing. "Just reading? Me too. I got bored and came in here and this just happened to catch my eye." She admitted but left out the part that she had originally been lost. She didn't want to look like a moron in front of this kid. She glanced at the book the Ravenclaw held. She had never heard of it before. She gave the title another puzzled look. It was french. What is up with all the french stuff around here? "What's it about?" She asked curiously. Ari loved reading as long as it was just for pleasure so she understood what he meant when he said it was too loud everywhere else. She hated how loud the Gryffindor common room was. It only quiets down after everyone goes to bed. "Oh! Well I just assumed a studying Ravenclaw would've paid attention in class when we all had to introduce ourselves in every subject." Ari giggled at herself assuming that the boy had remember her name. Not all people were good with names and faces like she was so she finally introduced herself. "Sorry, I was teasing. I'm Arianna Davenport. You can call me Ari." She flashed him a friendly smile.

Arianna saw the flash of surprise when she questioned him about the book. The book was about King Arthur no wonder she had never heard of it anything too historical bored her to tears. "It sounds... interesting." Truthfully, it sounded dull to Ari she just didn't want to hurt her new friends feelings.

The poor kid blushed at her teasing. He really is way too easy to pick on. She smirked at him again as he tried explaining away his lack of paying attention to anyone else. Then it dawned on her. Maybe he was a bit of a loner and didn't like being bothered. Or was her really just that studious and was really reading the books like you're supposed to. She was caught up in her thoughts when he surprised her. "Elli?" She tried fighting the urge to laugh but instead it came out as a snort. "Whomever gave you the nickname Elli is a horrible human being!" She burst out between her laughter. "That's a girl's name. I promise I won't call you that... unless you deserve it..." She stopped giggling long enough to look over at the Ravenclaw boy to smile mischievously.

Arianna glanced at the cover of the book again after listening to Elliot describe it as a classic. "A classic... huh." She muttered aloud. That was probably why the boy looked so confused when she asked what it was about. She racked her brain trying to remember if they had ever talked about the novel in her old school. She drew a complete blank. She shrugged it off. She probably wouldn't remember if she didn't like it anyway.

Ari was still fighting off her laughing fit as her new friend tried to explain where that horrible nickname came from. It was the first sentence that caught her attention."You have an older brother? Is he here at Hogwarts too?" At the mention of his sibling it suddenly made her miss her little sisters back home. She frowned a little wondering how they were all doing without her there to help. She tried to push the worry away and continue visiting. "Oh well there would be several things to make you earn that little nickname." She smiled mischievously at him. This kid sure is way too easy to tease. He takes everything so literal! "Yes, I suppose if you started acting like a girl. I'd call you Elli."

Arianna listened to the Ravenclaw explain the book. He seemed really excited and his knowledge was impressive. Ari smiled when he finished. "I can really tell you like that book." She was completely impressed by the knowledge her fellow classmate had. It was obvious that he was meant to be in Ravenclaw.

Ari grew quiet when her new friend explained about his brother. She felt a stab of pain. She too had lost her mother not too long ago. She took his abrupt stop of explanation as a struggle to finish. "That's horrible I'm sorry." She struggled to convey her sympathy. She wondered how hard it was for his brother to lose his mom to such a sickness. It must've been horrible. This conversation stirred up some difficult feelings for Ari.

Switching back to their joke came as a relief. She managed a normal giggle at Elliot's joke. "That would be too easy." She grinned at dark haired boy. She planned to hold this over his head for quite awhile. This poor kid was really struggling with her last joke. He was just too literal for some things. "I dunno. I guess we'll find out when I deem your actions as girly." She winked at him.