Alright, so maybe she was a little interested in the house in Hogsmeade with the strange sign. It was just curiosity. After seeing it in Hogsmeade before how could she not be curious? People didn't go in or out from what she could see, yet there was activity inside. Zoe knew some of the people in Hogsmeade, she saw them on weekends, and her grandparents lived there as well so they had introduced her to other residents. Yet this house and the people inside remained a mystery. Why was this?

Of course, the young witch decided she had to find out. Zoe wasn't the type to get into people's business, but Hogsmeade wasn't really the type of town you lived in to be locked up and alone in. A house in a forest would be more appropriate for that. Afterall, there had to be non-nosy ways of finding out who lived there. Something like... well... a welcome basket! Yes, a welcome basket was perfectly kind and neighborly, which is exactly what the Ravenclaw decided to make.

After a two-sided mirror discussion with her mum and Lily bringing over a few things, Zoe constructed the basket. It had some healing potions Zoe managed to convince Joy out of, a hair potion and non-pimple potion from her own trunk, and a bottle of elf-made wine Lily had made herself. It also had a small parchment card with 'Welcome to Hogsmeade' written in gold ink. It seemed like a pretty good welcome basket, except they usually had food too. Swiping some rolls or fruit from breakfast didn't seem right, so the young witch decided to get something from Honeydukes. Hopefully the person inside the house wouldn't be able to tell she had just bought it.

The Ravenclaw carried it with her on the next Hogsmeade trip, bringing Snowy as well. If these were dangerous people the white cat would probably be able to tell. That and weekends were the days that Snowy got out of the common room, Zoe couldn't bring herself to leave the cat in the common room for another day. On the way to the house Zoe stopped at Honeydukes and bought some chocolate frogs and pumpkin pasties, adding them to the basket.

It was unclear how she should approach it. Should she go up to the house and knock? Just leave it on the doorstep? Leaving it on the doorstep seemed like the better option, but then again she wouldn't be able to know who lived inside if she did. The sign did say to be quiet, so she'd just stand there with the basket on one arm. If no one came for several minutes then she'd put the basket down onto the doorstep and watch from afar.

Zoe held the basket, waiting on the doorstep. She looked all around it, trying to take in every detail while standing there. Perhaps there would be some clue of what was inside. The Ravenclaw was content to find it. Snowy wound around her legs and rubbed against them. Whoever came was hopefully going to come fast, or else this would look awfully strange. And hopefully that person would be friendly enough and not try and hex Zoe off of their property. Either way it'd be interesting.

---

Though the door was barred and the windows appeared to be curtained, there were ways of knowing who had tripped the security spells. A glance out the upper window, glass enchanted so that you could look outside but only see an empty room inside, told Hexy that it had just been one person at the stoop.

"I'll handle this, Dingy," she said, settling into her character. There needed to be no trace of 'Casey' to be tied to this little cottage. She pulled on her red hoodie over her shirt, left it unzipped, and hustled down the stairs. With a flick of her wand the back door opened for her and she resealed it afterwards. She crept around the corner, edging to peer at the front step. She hadn't been noticed yet. Wand trained, Hexy whipped around the corner, closing the gap.

It was Zoe Torret. With a basket. What the heck was she doing here? As it wasn't anyone connected to the O'Doherty family, people who could threaten Darla, Hexy relaxed but kept a firm grip on her wand.

"What did you want Tor--Zoe," Hexy asked, checking herself on the speech pattern. "Can't you read?"

Snowy was the one to notice first. However, the young witch didn't notice and the white cat turned to watch where she had heard movement, where Hexy had poked her head around to look at them. Zoe just kept looking at the front door, but footsteps behind her made her turn. It was a girl. This must be who lived in the house, or one of the people that lived in the house.

Zoe smiled and opened her mouth to say hi, but the girl spoke first. Her smile turned into a confused look when the person first started to address her as her last name, but then did instead using her first name. She ignored the second sentence. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" was the first thing she said, still utterly confused. The Ravenclaw was sure she'd have never seen the girl in her life.

Snowy was the first one to move closer to the mysterious girl, looking at her suspiciously. Did the cat see something Zoe did not? Perhaps she was trying to signal that think person was untrustworthy, the young witch thought. If it was a warning she dismissed it. "My Grannie and Grandad told me about this house, they live here in Hogsmeade too." The first part of that was a lie. Zoe paused, holding up the basket. "It's a welcome basket. I thought you guys would like it."

Seeing now that the girl had a wand, Zoe held up her empty hand. "I'm not going to hurt you. If it make you feel better I can take my wand out of my robe and put it down in plain sight." This wasn't going as well as it could have. It had been a risk afterall. Better to just ride out the consequence.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Too much! Too much too soon! Catching her off guard is not worth the potential of her scrutinizing the cover. If at any point she doesn't believe the role the Kneazle is out of the knapsack! Hexy rolled her eyes. "What, is there a rule against third years hearing about fourth years?"

This was one instance where shorter end stature would help to pass off as a year younger student. Although to get out of this snare intact it required memory of every interaction, rumor and tale from Dingy about the other elves that orbited around the castle. "I've seen you sitting at the Ravenclaw table and you 'own' that free elf." Hexy actually added the quotation finger flexes.

So Zoe was told by relatives that lived in the village. What was with the level of grandparents that retired to Hogsmeade? Didn't seniors prefer hot locations to settle down?

"A welcome basket...um, thanks?" Hexy couldn't think of any reason to prompt this gesture. Zoe didn't even live in the village so the neighborly custom seemed and odd thing to prompt them standing there on the stoop. She was also put off by the wand, already surrendering. Zoe was going to be such a pushover in Dueling Club.

"No, you're fine." Hexy scrunched the wand up her sleeve. It wouldn't be as much fun hexing Torret if she didn't so something disagreeable. Except for bringing along a damn cat. Hexy's nose wrinkled as she tried not to breathe the dander and trigger the sneezing. "We just like privacy."

The girl's first sentence of responce made Zoe think. She didn't remember seeing this girl being sorted in her second year. Obviously she wasn't in Ravenclaw either, or the young witch would surely have remembered seeing her sometime. Snowy however came closer to the girl. The white cat walked a full circle around the girl's left leg, then jumped her front legs onto the girl's leg. Snowy now had her head slightly lower than the girl's knee, and pawed at her.

"Snowy what are you doing?" It only took one nudge from Zoe's empty hand for Snowy to get off. The cat didn't seem happy, but lay down at Zoe's feet, still facing the girl. "Sorry, sometimes she gets a little overpretective. It's the kneazle in her," the Ravenclaw explained.

The next comment from the girl made Zoe give an amused smile. "I'm guessing you know Casey then." It was the first person she could think of who would talk about Lily if asked about Zoe, or would just spread that bit of information to others. "Whatever nasty thing he said about me or her I can give a different side on." If this girl did get information about her from Casey she began to understand why the first thing that she had said were so rude.

"That's fine, I didn't want to barge in," Zoe replied to the girl's final comment. She decided to try and find a little more about this girl before she handed over the basket and left. "Since you know my name and house I guess it's only fair I know your own."

Hexy wiggled her leg trying to dissuade the cat. And not sneeze. She was not going to have a stupid allergy foul things up. "Shoo." At last she backed up, Snowy dropping to all fours but continuing to peer at her. She avoided the gaze. That was another thing. Why were there so many cat and kneazle mixes? And why didn't they have lion tails, they were nearly indistinguishable from regular cats.

"Hmm," Hexy grunted when Casey was mentioned. Do I need to insult myself? "Seen him and his elf in the basement sometimes. Kind of a jerk."

The moment of truth. Hexy had a calculated response based on the plight of Aunt Suanach. "I'm Hexy. Hufflepuff." The name 'Hexy' had no single identifiable origin but it had stuck. Maybe from the first year escapades when Casey had been out to secretly hex people. Hufflepuff was an identifiable house. Located close in the lower levels of the castle. Hexy had asked Dingy about it's features since the elf had been charitable when moving in luggage. Plus the house was getting loaded with freaks, people to draw attention away. The perfect place to get lost amongst the Hufflepuff finders.

Zoe n0dded on Hexy's comment of Casey. "He is. Try being in class with him for three years straight." The young witch left it at that, deciding not to go on a whole rant about him. That was not the sort of thing you said when you first met someone.

The white cat stood up after Hexy introduced herself, looking up at the girl and lowering her ears a little. Snowy then walked over to Zoe, meowed, and pawed at her shoe. She then jumped her front legs onto Zoe's leg, as she had done with Hexy, only she didn't paw at Zoe and gave a pleading face a cat would use when they wanted food. This was a sign she wanted to be held.

Zoe noticed this, put down the basket, and picked Snowy up. "Happy now girl?" The white cat purred in responce. However, after Snowy did that she turned her neck to face Hexy. It was easier to watch the Hufflepuff's face from up there, but Zoe only saw it as the cat wanting attention.

"My best friend's actually a Hufflepuff. Ayla Collins, I'm sure you've seen her before," the Ravenclaw replied. "I go by the Hufflepuff table to say hi sometimes, I'll try and find you there next time I do." This obviously wasn't the best place to talk, so the young witch wanted a better place to continue this conversation. "But here's the basket for now." She pushed it with her right foot to Hexy's feet, as she was holding Snowy in her arms.

Hexy rolled her eyes so she wouldn't have to address that comment. But she was put on the spot trying to remember Ayla Collins. Who? Oh, that Collins. "The kitchen frequenter." Another tale from Dingy, Ayla's other gossip was never credible information.

"Well, if you see me at the Hufflepuff table. I usually eat alone." Though there had to be enough heads along that table that Zoe would tire of looking halfway through.

Hexy stooped to pick up the gift basket. Cosmetics and a bottle of wine. Everything was recognizable until she got to the hair potion. "What's this for?" she asked, lifting it out.

So don't look for Hexy by the groups of people. And since this girl was only a third-year, she'd be younger than most of the people, and shorter. It'd be hard to look for her. Maybe asking Ayla about Hexy was the better route.

When the Hufflepuff asked about the hair potion Zoe smiled, though it was from holding in a laugh. "You put it on your hair and it makes it sleeker. I like putting some on my hair brush every morning and brushing it through my hair to get rid of bed head," she replied. "If you know anything about non-magic things," the young witch continued, not knowing whether this girl perhaps had a muggle parent. "It's like the equivilant of a straightening iron."

Figuring she shouldn't overstay her welcome on property she shouldn't even be on the Ravenclaw added, "I guess I should be going now. It was nice to meet you Hexy."

Hexy unwittingly ran her fingers a bit around her hair. The wig wasn't that tangled.

Zoe started to leave and Hexy stood there, dumfounded. An entire breezy conversation with Zoe Torret without insulting each other (minus the opening quip) and it had been that easy? Hexy was likable? The whole point was to brush Zoe off, get her away from here, yet her actions were neighborly. And suspicious. A free gift basket for 'moving into' a neighborhood? What was the catch? Being rich enough to, for all purposes, pay for anything left one assuming everything had a price, that nothing was ever really free.

Free stuff...pleasant...nice to meet you? It made no sense at all!

"Hold it!" Hexy could let Zoe leave but she wasn't yet satisfied. "Why did you come here bringing gifts? What's in it for you?"

Zoe gave a startled look when Hexy stopped her. Snowy lowered her ears, but the young witch gave the white cat a scratch behind the ears and she stopped. Her expression turned to confused when Hexy continued. What in the world was Hexy talking about? Did she know that Zoe had come here to try and find out about this place without trying to peek in?

"Um... meeting you I guess? I mean, I know most of the people who live in Hogsmeade, and I live in Hogswarts most of the year, which is sort of like being neighbors to Hogsmeade," Zoe replied slowly, thinking she had to be cautious with answering this. "I thought it would be nice to say hi, and since I didn't know whether I'd actually be meeting you I figured I'd bring something to leave if I didn't." As she was saying this, the Ravenclaw knew that this story was a half-truth. The young witch convinced herself that, for now, this was true. She had to be confident in what she said.

"Was I supposed to want something from you? Were you expecting something?" Maybe this had to do with why they wanted privacy. Obviously there was some reason, perhaps someone who lived in the house often got taken advantage of.

Someone seeking her out to be friendly. Even if she wasn't the one Zoe was after specifically, or even if she was barging her nose in where it wasn't wanted, the whole gesture was...refreshing. It made Hexy recognize just how open this persona was with no previous baggage attached. An odd kind of freedom. Freedom to not have to be Casey, disliked by so many.

That spark from that night in the Spellpunks club was ignited again. A growing confidence that the weekend was hers to grasp.

"Well then," Hexy's mouth twitched into a Sly grin, "after I take this inside did you want to do something? My treat. They don't give us these Hogsmeade Weekends often enough."

Zoe face lit up like a Christmas tree when Hexy asked her if she wanted to do something in Hogsmeade. Mission accomplished! Total success! The young witch couldn't have been happier for her friendly gesture to have had a very positive reaction. "I'd love to. Hogsmeade weekends are always the best times to have some fun."

The Ravenclaw paused and thought, trying to think of the best place for some friendly conversation. "How about Three Broomsticks?" The restaurant was the most ideal place to talk, sitting at a table you basically had to talk. Otherwise you'd eat in a very awkward silence. "It's my favorite place to eat in Hogsmeade."

Snowy, at this time not seeming very happy, jumped from Zoe's arms and simply began to walk off in the direction of Hogwarts. The young witch turned to watch the white cat, then back to Hexy. "She'll be outside the Ravenclaw common room when I get back. Or in it, if she can sneak past the ankles of some other Ravenclaw," Zoe commented with a slight laugh afterwards. "I never have figured out how she managed to memorize the way there."

"That's fine," Hexy said. The Three Broomsticks allowed for plenty of space to disappear should it be needed for changing. She eyed the cat as it waddled away. "Eh, pets adapt to Hogwarts well enough. Probably smarter than we think."

If that was the case here Hexy would have to do something about the cat. Although it was ludicrous to figure out how a cat could do anything with the revelation of one person with two roles.

"I'll get this inside, but stay out here!" There was an edge to the voice as Hexy backed up around the corner with the welcome basket.

---

Dingy was in an absolute state, polishing the same side table by the back door umbrella stand. Because Master...Casey had gone out, about a matter of security and had not yet returned. Dingy was not sure what to do because ever since coming to visit Mistress Darla Master Casey...had not been himself.

The back door opened a crack that nearly caused Dingy to faint. Hexy leaned in with a basket of goods. "Here. A gift. Mother would probably like some of them. I'm going out."

"Master Casey..." the elf began.

"Hush! It's just Torret. I've made sure she can't realize anything." The door closed and locked.

Dingy stood looking at the contents of the welcome basket for the longest time. Then the familiar domestic process helped him move. These went in the kitchen, those in the bathroom...

---

"Ok," Hexy walked up to Zoe. "I've got everything now. Shall we?"

---

Zoe noticed how Hexy told her to stay there. The Hufflepuff had backed away, as if Zoe would sneak behind her if she turned her back to the Ravenclaw. What was so secretive about that house? Did it hold wanted treasure? A hiding criminal? Illegal business? For a moment the young witch thought about how on edge Snowy was around Hexy. The white cat was never like that unless Zoe was near someone untrustworthy...

She looked out over the street of Hogsmeade from the house for Snowy, but the white cat wasn't in sight. Zoe felt a wave of uncertainty wash through her, but felt better once she remembered the two would be walking through the public streets of Hogsmeade and going to a busy place to eat. Hexy wouldn't try anything against Zoe no matter what.

Turning to see Hexy back, Zoe nodded. "Let's go."