Wake up and GIMME THE COFFEE!

[Kait Brooks]

Kaity was conditioning herself to wake up early every morning, what with school starting ever-so-soon. No more holidays and 10AM wake-ups, oh no. She had to be diligent, awake and alert at all times. So, starting today, she was going to get up at 8.

Only...well, it didn't really work out so well that first day. Everyone knows that it's foolish to assume you won't be tired.

Tired? Kaity thought grumpily, That's the biggest freakin' understatement of the century!

Though, fortunately, there were simple remedies to said tiredness. Coming from grains that came from beans that came from cherries that came from plants, was the magic (well, not actual magic) substance COFFEE.

And that was why there was a 12 year old girl in tracksuit pants and slippers trudging down towards the breakfast hall, looking like she would shoot anything in her way. Kaity pushed open the doors and almost ran in. She could smell the wonderful scent of coffee coming from...well, somewhere?

Mmm, yummy! Now, to find it.

...5 minutes later, she still hadn't been able to track the aroma back anywhere in particular. She was getting very, very frustrated. Scouring the whole place would be impractical, it would take far too long!

"I. Just. Want. Some. COFFEE!" She eventually screamed, sitting down on the nearest chair and hoping to God some would just magically (actual magic this time) appear in front of her.

[Ivy Hayes]

Ivy had been almost completely unable to sleep that night. She was finally at Hogwarts, FINALLY, the place she'd been waiting years to come to was at last her home for next year...well until the summer holidays started up and that was a long way off yet.

She'd spent a rather restless night up in the Gryffindor tower, unable to sleep due to the excitement of wanting to explore the castle and meet more new people. Once the sun started to creep in through the windows of the tower Ivy was unable to stand it any longer and just had to get up. She dressed quietly, for the rest of her dormmates were still sleeping soundly, and crept out of the tower and headed off to find the Great Hall again.

Breakfast seemed like the most sensible first stop of the day, can't explore and what have you on an empty stomach. It took her a while but Ivy found her way down all the moving staircases, retracing the steps she had taken from the night before, and headed into the Great Hall looking longingly at all the food selection laid out on the tables.

She hadn't realised quite how hungry she was before then. So Ivy took up a seat on what she thought was the Gryffindor table and proceeded to load a plate with eggs and toast. She wasn't far into her meal when a girl suddenly flopped down in the chair beside her.

"Are you ok?" Ivy asked, looking at the girl. She looked tired and had said something about coffee. "I think the coffee is in that big silver pot over there." Ivy said pointing out an pot that looked uncannily like the coffee pot her parents had on the breakfast table at home. She poured herself some juice, Ivy had still not developed a taste for coffee.

[Kait Brooks]

Kaity was moping when she she heard someone ask her if she was OK. Turning and looking at the girl (who had a full plate of eggs and toast - wasn't it too early to eat!?) she nodded in the affirmative, though she doubted it was very convincing. But then the girl said something about a silver pot a few feet away.

Kaity hesitantly reached over and opened the little lid on the pot. What if it was some sort of alien liquid? However, it wasn't. It was coffee!

"Yes! YAY! Oh, thank GOD!" Kaity cried, quickly pouring herself some, barely taking the time to add sugar and milk. She turned back to the girl who had talked to her before. It didn't take her long to realise she was a Gryffindor. Probably only a first year.

"Hey. Thanks for that. I don't know what I would've done otherwise! I'm Kaity. Kaity Brooks. Ravenclaw." She held out her hand for the Gryffie firsty to shake.

[Ivy Hayes]

The nodding didn't entirely convince Ivy, no the girl wasn't really ok. But then Ivy had seen her mother in the mornings before she'd managed to have her coffee and it wasn't often a pretty sight so she kind of understood the relief that the girl seemed to feel once Ivy had pointed out the coffee pot and she'd managed to pour a cup.

"No, problem." Ivy smiled brightly, "Not really a morning person then?" She asked brightly. "Nice to meet you Kaity, I'm Ivy a new Gryffindor. Am I sitting at the right table?" Ivy had to ask, if Kaity was a Ravenclaw then one of them was sitting in the wrong place, but then she thought about it some more. The hall wasn't exactly that busy at the moment so maybe people just grabbed whatever seat they wanted to mingle with their friends. She had a feeling Kait was slightly older so it was worth asking, she could always say she didn't know. "Or doesn't it really matter apart from when they do the big feasts?"

[Kait Brooks]

"Oh God no, mornings are pretty much my arch enemy! I swear, I'm actually really sweet when it's after 11." Kaity grinned.

She leaned over and poured herself a second cup, this time just for the taste. She made sure to add exactly two teaspoons of sugar and just the right amount of milk.

Slowly sipping her second beverage, she said, "Well, it's mighty nice to meet you, Ivy. Well, for breakfast there isn't really a 'right' table. Expect for the Slytherins, of course. They always HAVE to sit together," she rolled her eyes, "but you pretty much sit with your friends except for feasts and holidays. Are you making lots of friends?" She asked.

[Ivy Hayes]

Ivy had to laugh as Kait described mornings as her arch enemy. Surely no one ever found them that bad? Then again, her older brother had never been a morning person either, she had to wonder how he faired now having to get up even earlier every morning for work. She was actually quite glad he didn't live at home anymore, her mother reaching, bleary eyed for the coffee pot was bad enough she didn't think she could have coped with both of them.

"Hmm, my brother was always a bit like that. I used to tease him a lot when I was younger, I've always been an early bird so would go and wake him up at the weekends just to annoy him." You just had to do this things to your siblings, it was like the law or something. "Only downside is I don't think I'm going to be good at staying up late doing homework into the night if I have to. I think that might be what turns me to coffee."

Ivy listened to the explanation of the tables and nodded in understanding. It did seem like a better idea, especially if you had friends in other houses and not everyone was up for breakfast yet. But of course the Slytherin's would be different, that just seemed to make sense from all she knew about the house.

"Oh yes, I've met quite a few different people already. Couple of Gryffindors, so I know some of my house mates and my room mate is really nice. I met a Hufflepuff girl in Diagon Alley when I went shopping for my things. A few people on the train...and now you." Ivy grinned, "So far everyone's been really nice, just looking forward to classes starting now."

[Kait Brooks]

"The homework really isn't bad at all. Much better than muggle school, I think. And I promise you, when you learn to love coffee, your life will be a million times better! I didn't actually like it 'til half a year ago." Kaity said.

Now that the coffee had had the desired effect, Kaity began to realise that she was a bit hungry. She reached over and grabbed a piece of toast and buttered it, wolfing it down.

"Mm, this is good!" She moaned, and reached for another.

"Well it's good that you're making friends! I don't have a roommate, I think I'd annoy them too much - night owl here!" She grinned, "I think I'm kind of both nervous and excited for the term to start. I know that being a second year, the expectations won't be too high, but I really want to do well, ya know? Anywho, what classes are you doing?"

[Ivy Hayes]

"Well that's one good thing I suppose." Ivy replied before daintily eating another mouthful of her breakfast. "I don't mind the work, but if I'm up until all hours trying to get through it all then I might just not cope." Ivy liked hard work, and was all prepared for it but she also wanted to get a decent nights sleep as well, and if she wasn't getting to bed until early hours of the morning and her body clock still waking her at 7am or earlier it just wasn't going to work.

"But if need be I may have to learn to love coffee too." It seemed to work wonders, how strange it was a muggle drink and not actually something magical because that's how it seemed to work. Still Ivy was determined not to turn to it, not yet. If she could hold off until her OWL year that would be even better.

"Aww, that's a shame, you should have a room-mate. Someone like minded who's a night-owl too then it'd work just fine." Though admittedly Ivy had a feeling her own roommate might turn out to be somewhat of a night-owl. I would remain to be seen.

"I know what you mean, I really want to do well and not fail at anything. But I suppose they can't expect too much from us when we're just starting out to learn new things. And even at second year I imagine you've not got a huge number of spells you can do really easily." Ivy had been practicing a few charms and things, charms she was good at and her father had been encouraging her practicing. But other subjects were going to be harder, like potions for example.

"I'm taking, Charms/Transfiguration. I love charms so couldn't miss that one. Potions/herbology, which is worrying me slightly, I've never tried a potion in my life and it's a little daunting what might happen if it goes wrong, but well useful skill to learn. And um, oh Care of Magical Creatures. How about you?"

[Kait Brooks]

"I remember last year especially, the homework was basically non-existent. It was more a strong suggestion to learn about certain things outside of classes. Hard work gives you extra credit, but if you get worn out you can always relax a bit more. Until you get to OWL and NEWT years, of course." Kait explained.

Kaity had found that her first year, especially the first few months of it, was so exciting and brilliant that the fact that she had to get up early, and the fact that sometimes she *did* have to work hard didn't matter at all. It was completely worth it, always. Kaity then went on to explain about her roommate issues.

"It's not just that I'd keep them up..." Kaity confessed, "It's kind of a privacy thing. I'm fine with sleepovers and that kind of thing, but I don't think I'd be able to cope with permanently sleeping in the same room as someone."

Kaity completely agreed with Ivy about the low expectations from the teachers, however, she felt there was something that needed explaining.

"I think for me there's the added pressure of being a Ravenclaw. I know that that's probably a bad reason to feel pressure, and that stereotypes are bad yadayada, but I was sorted into Ravenclaw *because* I excel at academia."

Kaity was thrilled when she heard that Ivy was doing two of the same classes. To be honest, she hated Care of Magical Creatures, but the other two subjects Ivy was doing were her favourites.

"I'm doing Potions/Herbology and Charms/Transfiguration too! I'm also doing Defence Against The Dark Arts and Flying. I know I should've learned how to fly last year, but I was a bit scared."

[Ivy Hayes]

Ivy listened to Kait explain about the roommate issue. It was an interesting one, but certainly one she could understand, especially with two brothers at home. But Ivy had been glad of finding Meredith, her roommate. She'd felt a little lonely in that big old strange room by herself so having someone else there to brighten it up a little was nice. Besides she wasn't going to be doing much else but sleep there anyway.

"Hmm, well if that's the case then you should probably stick to a room of your own and just have your friends round to stay for a night or two." She chuckled slightly, a sleepover party whenever you wanted now that could be fun.

"The stereotypes aren't always exact like that though are they? I mean surely not ALL the Ravenclaws are going to get top marks in their exams. I know you have to display traits of a certain house to get put in it but still, there's got to be some leway. I mean Hermione Granger was a Gryffindor and she was said to be the smartest witch of her age." Ivy shrugged, "It can't be that cut and dry."

She was glad to hear that Kait would be doing a couple of the same classes as her, it would be nice to see a friendly face in there even if she was a year older and probably better at it that she would be. She also shuddered slightly at the mention of flying, that was probably Ivy's one biggest fear.

"I couldn't bring myself to take flying, heights terrify me and I just don't think I could do it....maybe in a year or two but I'd still have to see."

[Kait Brooks]

Kaity bit her lip and thought for a few moments, before suggesting, "Well, maybe you could come for a sleepover one night!" She beamed for a few moments before suddenly frowning. "No, scratch that, we'd probably get into too much trouble if you were caught in the Ravenclaw dormitory. Shame, though."

She listened to Ivy's point about Hermione Granger, before adding, "Well, I suppose you're right, but Hermione was a very special case I reckon, and the stereotype is still there. And I...well..." she lowered her voice to the tiniest whisper, "I kind of find the idea of being a super smart nerd...cool.

"And also, I want to make my parents proud. I've never been good at music or art or sport, but I've always been clever. So I suppose that's another reason why I should focus on it."

She chuckled lightly at Ivy's hear of heights. "Yeah, I was pretty scared last year too. But it was always super annoying when it felt like the rest of the year was doing it and I couldn't, which is why I'm doing it now."

[Ivy Hayes]

Ivy chuckled, but it was also true it probably wouldn't work out them having a sleepover, different houses and all they probably wouldn't be allowed. "That's kind of a shame actually, could have been fun." Ivy shrugged as she finished off her breakfast. "Oh well, we can always hang out any spare time we get, almost as good right?"

As she drank the last of her orange juice Ivy listened carefully to Kait explain why she was so determined to live up to the Ravenclaw stereotype. She could understand completely and, in fact, Ivy had been mildly surprised that the sorting hat hadn't considered her for Ravenclaw. "No I get what you mean. I feel like that too, I mean I know I've not got the stereotype to live up to, but I do feel like I've got to ace all my classes especially to make my dad happy."

The thought of flying still freaked her out. Ivy visibly shuddered as she thought about it, "No I don't think I could do it at all. I mean maybe I'll see how I feel in a year or two but...ugh, I wouldn't hold my breath about it. Good luck though, you're braver than me conquering your fears like that."

[Kait Brooks]

Kaitlyn burped when she swallowed the last bite of toast. "Mm, and in class!" She said to Ivy in reply.

"Parents are hard to impress sometimes, eh?" She laughed.

Kait grinned when Ivy shuddered at the thought of flying. "I think that by the end of this year you won't be able to say no to flying! And thanks, although aren't Gryffindors supposed to be the brave ones?"

((Sorry, my flu came back today and so I'm feeling a little bleh))

[Ivy Hayes]

"Mmm, tell me about it." Ivy said with a roll of her eyes as she downed the last of her juice. While she certainly had high aspirations for herself she didn't doubt her fathers were higher. "I'm sure Daddy wants me to be an Auror like he is, especially as my brother didn't follow that path, I mean he works at the ministry as well but not in anything so interesting." Ivy shook her head, "Not sure I really want to do that though. I'll keep my options open, but I want to do well so I can choose from pretty much anything I might want."

It seemed like a good plan, if you had to make a choice, make sure you had plenty of options to consider.

"Ha, supposedly so. Guess I don't fit that stereotype." Ivy said with a grin, "Or at least not when it comes to heights and flying."

((aww, no problem, hope you feel better soon))

[Kait Brooks]

"Yeah, I'm pretty much the same. I'm not too sure what I want to do, but if I end up wanting to do something that requires high grades, it'd be good to have the option of actually doing it, rather than just wanting it." She said.

She smirked slightly at Ivy's comment about the Gryffindor stereotype. "Maybe you're really brave at something else, then. Or maybe you would be brave if the situation called for it." Kait suggested.

The noise from the other students was becoming rather loud, so Kait said, "Hey, I reckon we should go soon, we're both done eating and I don't think here's the best place for loitering."

((Thanks. Also, I'm all better! I don't know if it was actually my flu or just something else...Hmm...))