Fifth year was difficult, and they expected a lot from you. Mimi knew, not because she was an intuitive, but because the professors kept saying so – over and over and over, as if she hadn't heard the first time, or the second, or the ninety-eighth. She'd lived her whole life in anticipation of very important exams – if her life had been different, not much would have changed in that regard. Alternate Universe Emilia, who was a blissfully ignorant muggle schoolgirl boarding in London, would be sitting for just as many tests as her Present Universe counterpart. It was October, however, and the exams seemed rather far away. Why did they have to pressure everyone all at once, as if they hadn't known that these exams were coming? Hadn't students been testing at the end of fifth year since the medieval times? Couldn't the pressure have been gradual rather than sudden and crushing? Being the sort of student who liked to get all of her work done, even if it couldn't be perfect, Mimi was feeling it hard. She was tired – and not necessarily the happy, fulfilled sort of tired she enjoyed. She was working on finding a balance. Luckily, her Monday's weren't too strenuous, and provided a fine opportunity for an overworked witch to catch her breath.

She loved the Hufflepuff common room, really and truly, but sometimes the space wasn't ideal for homework – and when you didn't like being alone, and couldn't concentrate when it was too quiet – that more or less left the Great Hall. Emilia was hunched over a school book, taking notes on the care of all of the plants she'd chosen for her garden project in Herbology class. She'd kicked off her shoes and left them below the table and, perched neatly between her shoulder blades, almost like a carefully curated fashion accessory, was a slight owl, who kept pulling hairs out of her springy ponytail with its beak. It wasn't hers – it was a school owl. This, she'd learned, was what happened when you fed them... and she wasn't entirely opposed to it. Yet...

“Gracious!” she exclaimed, reclaiming her ponytail in her hands like a mother taking something sharp from a toddler, “If you can't play nicely,” she chided, tying her hair up in a bun, “You may not play at all. I don't have treats for you. Behave.” She could have shooed the bird off. It would have been simple – but Emilia Hatherley wasn't one to deny love to a creature or company to herself, even when it involved talons in her back.

And on her head.

She froze. The weight hadn't shifted from her back at all, so that must've meant...

She lifted her eyes. Yes, there was an owl on her head – slightly larger than the first. She remembered him – the hawk owl. He was greedy. 

“Are you here to finish this assignment for me?” she asked  the bird– a bit loudly, in the off chance that he'd startle and fly off. No such luck. “By all means!”

Was school easy? When had school ever been easy?

As the plump Hufflepuff sat at her house table in the middle of free/study/open period, whichever it was, she was beginning to consider just had busy school had gotten. Granted, she knew they were all not first years anymore. Though that had kinda been the feeling during her second year.

Third year? Nope. School was already busier now that Third Years has new subjects and thus new courses. Which meant more workload. Which meant Obderedria might have sweated the green splotches from her hair from stress alone if that was even possible.

And that was a nope as well. The sweating out her multicolored hair part, that magical accident had been permanent since she found out she was a witch and had persisted many a shower, swim and washing.

Was that even a topic, magic'd hair? Obderedria didn't know at this point between homework for charms, potions, creatures and divination that all involved heavy reading. And that wasn't when she had been helping Heliotrope catch up on muggle studies terms, which were second nature to her being muggle born/raised/ish(?)

But Obderedria, for all she could give, was starting to tire of all that helping with Helio's homework thus why she had left the confines of the common room for studying. At least snacks were left out on the house tables at this hour. Which is why, head in a book as she reached towards a bowl of crackers Obderedria first thought that the grip on her back was that from her roommate. "Not now H--" but she stopped when realizing the grip on her back was sharp, not swampy, and distracted she tried to turn her head and that was when something nipped at her fingers.

"Ow!" she exclaimed. Next to Obderedria's homework were three owls, one tan and fluffy one tall and grey and one barn, which was the only breed she could readily identify without reference, all dipping into the cracker bowl. Were owls that omnivorous? That question fell by the wayside as the green and brown haired Hufflepuff realized there were far more owls about then she had ever seen outside of breakfast postal delivery, not only be her but accosting another student as well.

The owl on her back shuffled in place but staying put, leaving Obderedria with nothing to do but have a helpless look in her chocolate hued eyes.