Sonya sat in a large chair wrapped up in a blanket book in front of her and a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. She was passing the time she had at the moment before she went to bed since she had just had dinner. She was also trying to blend into her environment, with all but her face hidden under the blanket. She knew all her friends were out having fun but she wasn't sure if she wanted to join in.

So quietly she sat in her chair trying not to disturb anyone else that was around, or make too much noise so she would be noticed. If she had a friend around she would be okay, but since they weren't with her, she fell into her really shy, quiet mode. She didn't always like to be like that but she couldn't help it. She blinked realizing, she'd been reading the same paragraph for sometime now and then went back to actually reading.

How far away could a limbless oversized oceanic leech go in a dry environment? Such a question presented Heliotrope before bed when she saw the pitcher of water she had by her bed, used to keep wet things wet, was tipped over and her Lobalug was missing. There was a puddle on the floor. Heliotrope got on her webbed hands and un-webbed knees to look under the beds.

Her hand felt a water trail. Feeling ahead for the moisture trail she crawled all the way out of her room and up to the common room. The search brought her under the back of a couch, where she wriggled into the small space beneath to the underworld of couch fibers and dust clusters until her questing fingers felt the squishy flesh of the squash sized worm suctioned on the underside of the sofa.

A strong pinch removed it then, lobalug in hand, proceeded to extract herself from the front of the couch like a grindylow from a crevice. Upon standing upright she saw the couch had an occupant.

Was hello said first or good evening? Good night was for going to bed. "Hello," she said as the lobalug flopped in her grip.

Sonya looked up as she heard and felt something move beneath the couch she was sitting on. She blinked as she saw a young girl pop out with some kind of slug thing in her hand. Blinking again Sonya half hid behind her mug as she watched the younger girl. When she said hello, even though she was feeling really shy she smiled a little.

"Hello," she said quietly as she watched the girl for  a moment. "Would you like some?"

She held up her hot chocolate mug then pointed to more that was making on the fire.

To the most literal minded of Hufflepuff house, the phrase 'Would you like some?' paired with a cup of hot chocolate made her think the actual cup of hot chocolate was being offered. So Heliotrope took hold of the mug then turned to see the pot of hot chocolate in the fireplace. That she picked up with her other hand.

Un-blinking in a blinking moment, Heliotrope did not know what to do with her hands full with both things. After a moment she refilled the cup with hot chocolate from the pot.

Sonya couldn't help but giggle at Heliotrope as she took the mug and the pot. She giggled again as the younger Hufflepuff appeared confused. When she refilled the mug, Sonya pulled out another one and filled it up before blowing on it, bringing the mug to her lips to take a drink. Smiling at the younger girl she curled her feet closer opening more room on the couch.

"I'm Sonya," she said quietly over her mug.

When it came to greetings Heliotrope had a standard one she always used. "My name is Heliotrope LeJean of the Loch Lomond Selkie colony."

Recognizing the physical invitation to sit, Heliotrope stepped onto the vacated section of sofa sitting on bent knees, feet splayed apart with toes digging into the couch cushions. All while still holding the hot chocolate pot. Heliotrope liked the couches in the common room, fat plush ones with lots of stuffing.

Once at rest, a spasm of movement from her lap reminded Heliotrope that the lobalug was throwing a tantrum. To crawl this far outside of water was making it desperate. Before she moved to out it away she remembered the pot of hot chocolate in her other hand. It was a liquid. Arguably. Cramming the lobalug into another mug, Heliotrope carefully poured some chocolate over it.

Sonya watched the the girl as she introduced herself then sat down on the couch beside her. She had never met one of Heliotrope's kind before and though still shy she was more curious now than anything. Looking at how she took care of her pet she guessed she couldn't help but giggle again, it was just so funny to see her half drown it in the hot chocolate.

"So, what is your home like, Heliotrope?" she asked looking back up at the girl.

"Wet."

Though more elaboration was needed. Heliotrope had more stuff to say after noting that the hot chocolate that the lobalug was in was turning purple from the released venom.

"There are wide flat lake beds and the nooks we use to sleep during the day of tourist season along with the small islands and kelpie nesting shores and the stretches of grindylow infested lakeweed. And much lower is the Trench with the narrow crevisse and the gillyweed cavern and the darkness that leads under the hills to the next loch."

Sonya nodded as she listened to the description. She hadn't expected anything in quite so quick and long detail. She smiled anyway and sat back watching her letting her talk. She was interested. She was over her initial shyness now, suprisingly quick, but maybe it was because the girl was so open and up front about everything so far. When she finished Sonya took another drink from her mug.

"Sounds like a very interesting and fun place to live," she said as she snuggled under the blanket more.

"There is lots of swimming." The most obvious means of transportation that did not need to be said when it had been said you lived in a loch. That was all Heliotrope could think about for the concept of fun, one of the more challenging ones to determine. The student that had been leading her through some remedial tutoring did not do fun outside of more homework.

It never took long for Heliotrope to recognize a new heat source. She matched Sonya's movements into more snugly positions. Heliotrope contorted further into the cushions, making it look like the couch was eating her, while her head lulled towards the armrest, leaving her unending gaze look up towards one of the small windows that brought daylight to the common room. At this time of night it showed night.

Sonya looked at the mug still in the other girl's hands and watched as she wiggled her way into the coushins. She pointed to the mug of purple hot chocolate as she shifted getting off her legs so the tingling would go away.

"Shouldn't you put it in some water? Instead of boiling it in chocolate?" she asked softly.

She sat back and looked around not sure of what to do next. Maybe they could play a game since it was ever so nice and warm on the couch by the fire. It made the fourth year sleepy just thinking about how cozy she was feeling sitting all bundled up.

"It filter feeds. There should be enough water in there for it to survive." Helio's lobalug had been forced to adapt to various conditions the moment she had traded for it, including fresh water when she bundled it with salt crystals when delivering a message to a Irish lough.

Although Heliotrope did remove the lobalug temporarily to take a sip of the hot chocolate, slurping through her teeth. She she returned her head to its reclined position there was a brown smudge over her lip.

Sonya nodded at the explination of the what looked to her an oversized slug. Seeing Heliotorpe take a drink of the same hot chocolate made her blink and pause for a moment. She really didn't just do that did she? Instead of being rude and mentioning it Sonya just let it be as she snuggled into the blanket more.

"So, how do you like Hogwarts?" she asked softly as she watched the girl with the chocolate mustache. She motioned with her hand. "You have some on your face."

At the motion and reference Heliotrope brought some webbed fingers up to her lip. She felt the hot chocolate, looked at it stuck to her fingertips. Then she smeared it down the side of her face using her sleeve. There was still a smudge on her face.

"Hogwarts is a dryer place to live than Loch Lomond." The warmth was fading from the cup she held in both hands. "There is much similar in the way of instruction and doing, like the way spawnlings are taught in Loch Lomond. Though there is more written words here."