Zoe roamed the bookcases of the library, an elf in a little pink dress at her side. "Do you think you'd be able to come and apparate me there?" The girl said without looking down at Lily, picking a book off the shelf on wand making. Most of the wand crafting books were in the Restricted Section, the Ravenclaw was trying to find the few that weren't. In her arms she held one other book on the subject, as well as a few on fairies she had checked out after first getting Rose for her Creatures project.

"Lily could do that for Mistress. Why does Mistress Zoe need to visit Mistress Joy's mother and father?" Apparation to Hogsmeade was a very short distance, and Lily had never been requested to do such a task. It made the elf curious.

The Ravenclaw hesitated as she added the book to the stack in her arms. "I just need to talk to Grandad about something, and it can't wait until the Christmas holiday." Her posture shifted to support both the books and her book bag. "I could wait until the weekend, but I figure sooner is better than later." She hoped Lily would poke with further questions, as her intent was supposed to be a secret.

"Would Mistresss like Lily to carry those books for her?"

"No, it's alright. They really aren't that heavy."

The two turned at the end of one bookshelf and started down the next row. Zoe's eyes scanning the shelves for the last book she knew wouldn't be in the Restricted Section. "So if you came after Herbology I'd have around an hour and a half before I had to get to lunch, and even that I could skip."

"Or Mistress could use the Room of Requirement."

It was then that Zoe looked down at Lily over the books she was holding. "The what?"

Lily smiled at the girl. "The Room of Requirement. Lily heard about it through house elf rumor in the kitchen. It's on the seventh floor." The elf hated going in the kitchen, but one learned a surprising lot from simply hearing conversations while one prepared food.

Zoe thought for a moment. "Oh, yes, that's the place people used as a hideout during the Second Wizarding War." If it was on the seventh floor it would be easy to get to without rousing suspicion. A quick detour going to her common room from Herbology. "That's actually a good idea. Show me where it is later, will you? I don't think I've seen a door to it yet."

Into their conversation, the two beings didn't notice that they approached a table in the row, much less that a girl sat at that table and could hear what they were saying.

"You shouldn't be talking about the Room of Requirement in such public places. In any case, not before making sure the area is clear of unwanted... spectators" the silver-haired Slytherin said, in a glacial almost threatening tone, yet not even moving her sight from the book in front of her.

Amara had been scourging the library, yet again, for any information on foe-glasses. Her Runes presentation was approaching rapidly, and despite her project being almost finished, she still wanted to verify her findings with some written information, any written information! And yet, all attempts at finding such research proved fruitless. Not even the extensive Báthory library managed to shed some light on the subject. It was frustrating and it made for a very irritated Amara, as if she wasn't unpleasant enough, in general.

She was reading a book that she hoped might hold the answers to her questions when she heard two voices, seemingly approaching her location. One calm feminine voice, that sounded rather familiar and the other, quite high-pitched, was reminiscent of some cartoon character Amara vaguely remembered seeing on muggle television in her childhood. She tried to tune them out and fought the impulse to get up from her seat and point them to the signs that indicated one should not raise their voices in the library.

She managed to ignore the obnoxious conversation, until three small words struck a chord: Room of Requirement. Amara froze instantly and listened carefully to what the house-elf -because apparently it was a house-elf and a human girl in conversation- was saying about the R.O.R. Freija had led her to it, one night about two years ago, and since then, the silver-haired witch has been using the room as her haven and personal training grounds. She knew not many had knowledge of  the room or not its exact location, at least, and that reassured her, because her activities inside the room were sometimes quite dubious in nature. But now someone was talking about it nonchalantly, as if it were the girl's bathroom. "Fourth door on the left, Miss" she thought to herself while mentally scoffing. And apparently the "Mistress" had no previous knowledge of the room before this conversation, which made Amara even more irritated.

She eventually ripped her eyes from the book to look at the two that had caused her irritation. She recognized Miss Torret from their lessons together but quickly turned her look at the small creature in a... pink dress? Her family had been against the use of house-elves, at least for the half century or so. The Romanian magical society had different views on magical beasts and creatures. The persecution of witches and wizards, as well as all beings from the magical world had been much harsher in Eastern Europe where folklore and religion governed most views and life styles of the muggle population. It led to a sense of solidarity, an unspoken agreement and a general state of respect between all magical creatures, both human and non-human.

"There isn't a door to it" she said while looking intently at the elf. She had no idea why, despite her outrage she was actually telling the girl where to find it, but the sight of the house-elf intrigued her. "The entrance is across the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching the trolls ballet. If you cannot figure out the way into it, then you probably aren't in such great need of the room."

"Hello" she then blurted out of the blue, still looking at the elf.

What in the... Zoe looked over her books. "Amara?" She'd recognize  Whthe silver-haired witch anyway. Yes, it was indeed her. Why in the world did she care so much about the Room of Requirement. "I'm sorry," Zoe said, annoyance clear in her voice. "I didn't know it was some room in danger of discovery."

What was even more odd was that Amara told her how to get to it. At first Zoe was sure she was being given bogus directions, but Lily nodded, looking plainly uncomfortable from falling under the girl's gaze. "Yes, that's it. One has to walk past it three times while thinking about what they need."

"Amara, stop looking at Lily like that. You're scaring her." Zoe said, trying to shift the books in her arms to get one arm free. This only seceded in making a book fall from the top. "Oh for Merlin sake." The Ravenclaw bent to pick it up, but the elf reached for it first.

"Lily's got it, Mistress." The elf picked it up and held it in her arms.

"Thank you Lily." She settled the books so no more would fall. "Come on, the last book should be in the next aisle." Zoe turned to go, but Lily was stopped by the sudden greeting.

"Um... hello Miss.... Amara." Lily looked at the ground, scuffing one of her flat pink shoes along the carpet. The elf inched towards her Mistress. Zoe faced Amara once more, fixing her eyes on the Slytherin.

"If you're going to make fun of you you might as well stop now, okay? She's had enough of that to last her her times." Just that fact that Amara was a Slytherin made her words more harsh. "Especially from the snakes."

Amara completely ignored Miss Torret and looked at the elf. Her shyness was adorable. Amara then smiled at her, a small smile, almost imperceptible, but a smile nonetheless. Her rational brain was curious about what Miss Torret might want with the R.O.R, or what books she was talking about, but there was a magical creature in front of her, so any rationality and logic turned off that instant.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I am Amara Ecaterina Báthory " she extended her arm to the elf. "Are you a free elf, Miss? Or a family elf?" at that she turned to Miss Torret, with an obvious disapproving look.

Lily was slightly embarrassed by Mistress Zoe's protectiveness but, judging by the girl's lined green robes, she was indeed a Slytherin. It went in line with what the elf had grown up believing, from the Second Wizarding War to meeting Casey: Slytherins were mean, cruel people, and they were the population whose families owned house elves.

This girl seemed different. No one ever held out their hand to shake with an elf. Lily took it cautiously, and tried her best to greet Miss Amara in a polite fashion. "Hello, Miss Amara. Lily's name is Lily." The length of the girl's name compared to hers made her slightly uncomfortable, but the elf was used to such.

Being called 'Miss' really made her uncomfortable. Her Master and Mistresses never called her 'Miss', other than the time when Mistress Zoe was too young to be called Mistress and the two would play tea party. "Lily is both," the elf said quietly. "But Lily is not a house elf. Lily was freed by her Master and serves her Master's family."

"That is very good to hear, Miss Lily" she smiled at the elf. "I find it disconcerting that some people choose not to give the respect owed to all magical creatures, elves included. My family doesn't accept house-elves for servants. Don't misunderstand me, however. I accept the fact that most house-elves are actually keen on serving, I simply do not approve of inhumane treatment of them."

She closed her book and raised herself from the chair, straightening the creases on her skirt. "Miss Torret, I don't believe we've been formally introduced" the Slytherin said while extending her arm "Amara Ecaterina Báthory. You may call me Amara however" she added in her usual expressionless voice, yet trying to show the girl a smile of sorts.

"I have always been fascinated by elves, I've never really had the opportunity to converse with one, tho. Fascinating beings, aren't they? And they're magic is truly special and unique..." she said while absently looking at the small creature in the pink dress. She snapped out of her reverie and focused her view on the elf. "Would it be too presumptuous to ask if you may at, one point, entertain the idea of having a conversation with me about your kind?" she asked the elf while smiling. 'That of course, if Miss Torret wouldn't mind?" she added quickly while looking at the girl.

It was a plot twist Zoe would have never expected. A Slytherin, from a house founded on fondness for pureblood, against house elves?! Zoe's expression went from surprise to disbelief to a slight smile, watching Lily grapple with being social with a stranger.

"Oh yes," The elf's ears lowered slightly and she began talking to the carpet. "Lily has seen house elves Masters and Mistresses be.... mean. Lily... Lily doesn't like to watch house elves punish themselves." Lily could hear the cries of pain rings in her ears.

Zoe was much more experienced with being social. She took Amara's hand and shook. "Call me Zoe, please. We're not in class, professors call me 'Miss Torret'." Amara was usually cold, distant, it was odd to see the girl smile and show this type of interest. It seemed to make her warm herself.

Lily, humbled by the girl's enthusiasm, seemed slightly less shy. The elf managed to look up. "Yes. Lily would like to talk. Lily is not sure what she can provide about house elves, but Lily can talk about herself if Miss Amara would like to hear about Lily." Most everyone thought Lily's style of life was odd, wrong, unnatural. It was nice that this girl seemed to like it.

"Oh, and of course I don't mind," Zoe said once she realized she was being asked her approval. "Would there be a specific time or place?"

"Why, Miss Lily, that would be perfect! Yes, I would very much like to hear about you" she practically beamed at the elf. "Zoe" she said with some reluctance "as long as I might be able to fit it into my schedule, I am fine with whatever might work best for you, but seeing as during weekdays we have to prepare for classes might I suggest the weekend? Perhaps, we might even have some tea in Hogsmeade? I find the -lack of intimacy anywhere on the castle grounds quite unsettling" she added with  her brows furrowed.

She really couldn't fathom her brashness with Miss Torret, but the presence of the elf had turned Amara into her usual completely irrational self around all animals and magical creatures. She really didn't know all that much about the girl, sure they shared almost all their classes, but Amara wasn't one to pay attention to any human beings, unless fascinating by some of her standards. By all means, Zoe was quite ordinary both in appearance and mind, by what Amara had observed. But then again, Amara's perception of ordinary was passed through the prism of her own persona, and one couldn't put Amara anywhere near the word ordinary. She had a good mind like all Ravenclaws, and the silver-haired girl was always pleased to see a good mind at work. She seemed to have a normal to strong personality, which Amara again found admirable, but most of all the girl has a sense of propriety and common sense, something the Slytherin found was quite scarce these days and she felt it should be mandatory in the people she accepted around her.

Now, the girl also seemed to share her views on magical creatures, which was startling since she knew most magical folks didn't care at all about. It seemed her fellow purebloods took everything for granted and thought themselves the center of all things magical, but oftentimes muggleborns and halfbloods shared her own views. She presumed Miss Torret was probably the latter. By all means, Miss Torret seemed like someone Amara wouldn't mind to socialize with once in a while, if only to find out more about the darling elf.

The elf nodded. "Lily would like that, Miss Amara." Lily gave a smile and a respectful bow of her head.

Zoe's felt her opinion of Amara shifting and changing. The girl wasn't social, but she was nice at least. "Oh no, I don't have to be free. I can just mirror Lily of where to meet you and she could apparate." Lily looked up at her Mistress, seeming slightly wary of that, not quite ready to be alone with a stranger. The elf didn't speak up. "You two could even talk now, if you're not too busy and Lily doesn't have something to get back to at my house. But if you'd like to get tea, I'd enjoy that."

"Lily would like to meet at Hogsmeade," the elf said, finally holding a voice of her own. "Miss Amara could come to Mistress Joy's parents' house." A safe spot, private and with family to protect her.

"Oh, yeah, good idea. My grandparents live in Hogsmeade, you can't really get more intimate than that. Private too, if you really want a quiet place." Zoe had observed that Amara usually gravitated towards hidden and quiet places. "Grannie and Grandad wouldn't mind, I'm sure they'd be happy to have guests." It seemed like a good option for both her and Lily. "Would you be willing to do that?"

Amara's expression changed suddenly at the mention of grandparents. Her experiences with Alina, the only grandparent she truly interacted with were not always pleasant. But she kept in mind Elena's advice about choosing her words carefully when in conversation to make sure she would not offend.

"I don't mean to offend, but my conversational skills are not up to par, as you may have noticed..." she said in an apologetic voice. "Inadvertently, I find that oftentimes I provoke disturbance with my words or actions. Apparently, my perceptions are not -standard" she finished with a small chuckle. "Perhaps it might be best to first meet up in a more public place? Also, propriety demands, that the party that made the introductions -that would be you Miss Torret-" she still found it very awkward to call the girl by her given name "participate in the first few meetings. I believe it might also prove a rather pleasant, if not interesting experience?"

She gave them both a smile and checked her pocket watch. "I don't mean to be rude, but I should prepare for my next class and it is rather impolite to talk in the library" she furrowed her brows slightly, at the realization that she had been breaking one of her own rules. "Perhaps we can arrange our meeting when we're both clear of exams and presentations? You can owl me, or look for me in class to tell me what would work best for the both of you."

"Miss Torret, Lily, if you'll excuse me." She gave them a small smile and a nod and put the book back in place before she turned and walked away.

Amara had resorted back to her incapable-to-be-social self. What had Lily done that brought her out of it? Had the elf simply been, existed? "Alright, I'm fine with coming. Lily, you don't mind right?" The question was asked out of nothing but courtesy, it what the answer was.

"Yes, of course Mistress! Lily would like Mistress to attend." Lily bit her lip after the last line, hoping that the comment hadn't come off rude. "Um, Lily is looking forward to it, Miss Amara."

Zoe gathered her books once more so her arms were full, even taking the one Lily had been holding. "Of course. Wouldn't want to keep you." Ever though the Slytherin had been the one to approach her, she was just being polite. "I'm sure we can talk in class sometime." Feeling a bit too awkward to wish Amara farewell, she instead looked over the pages to Lily. "Come on. The last books in the next aisle." The Ravenclaw turned and walked away.

Lily nodded up to Zoe, began to turn to walk to the end of the row of books, but stopped to turn back to Amara and wave. Then the elf hurried along to walk alongside her Mistress.