Good to be Back (OPEN)

Damian piled food onto his plate. For him, the winter holidays had been far too long. He was back, now, though. Back in the place where he belonged, and he couldn't wait to see what marvelous things he would learn next.

The boy listened idly as people came and went, though, a conversation between a couple upper year Slytherins was particularly interestin... until they started talking about that. The eleven-year-old grimaced. Older students were weird. He rubbed at his right ear, as though that could help him unhear the conversation. Sometimes, having enhanced hearing proved problematic...

Damian glanced around the room, silently hoping that the noise volume wouldn't get too loud. He kept watch for people he knew, munching happily.

Seth was hungry so he decided to go to the kitchen and then head to the great hall. After he had gotten his food he started to head for the Hufflepuff Table.

Oh man it's noisy in here, he thought, guess it will take some good while before I am used to these new ears.

He noticed as he was walking to the table that Damian was back from his break. He walked up and said "Hey buddy how are ya" before taking a seat next to him. "Is you hearing still as..umm..screwy still?

Damian smiled up at the other boy in greeting. "Hey, Seth," he returned, taking a drink of his pumpkin juice. He shook his head. "No, not screwy - that sorted itself over hols, the rest of the way. I just... heard something I wish I hadn't." Damian grimaced.

"How was your break?" he asked. "You stayed here, right? Bet it was nice. I had to go back to the stupid muggles."

"Yeah it does get annoying hearing stuff you would rather not hear," Seth said rolling his eyes.

"Yeah I stayed here. I certainly didn't want to stay at home where all the guys could get to me. Even though it was pretty boring here it was a lot better then at home. Plus the Christmas feast they had here was AMAZING."

"How was your break? I can't imagine it was too fun," he said tearing into a piece of chicken.

"You didn't explore or anything?" Damian asked in surprise. "I would have! Oh, well, I suppose this way we do so together." He grinned at the thought, then wrinkled his nose.

"I didn't go outside much, but I still had to listen to the neighbors talk about how horrible I am and how I 'terrorize' their kids. Stupid muggles had to stand out on the front walk to gossip about me. Then, of course, my mum and dad were wondering if they shouldn't have just left me here with Theo. Wish they would have. I'd stay here over summer, too, if I could.

"It was boring. I think I finished reading all my textbooks before break was even half done," Damian groused. "There was an interesting movie on the telly, though. All the rest were ancient re-reruns."

He looked towards the doors leading out to the Entrance Hall. "Where do you suppose the rest of our House are?" he murmured curiously, though, he didn't suspect that Seth knew anymore than he did.

"The weather didn't exactly make for good exploring weather the whole break," he said, "but the castle was fun to explore in. I bet I didn't even touch a third of what this castle holds, it's such a maze."

"Ugh they think they are so better then us but in reality we can kill them with just 2 words. They are so pathetic!" he said shaking his head.

"Is there a reason you aren't allowed to stay here during the break?," he questioned.

"I don't know really, I thought they would have all come done by now but I guess not" he said confused.

J. J. walked into the great hall, and looked around. She wasn't sure if she was going to find anyone she knew. Her aquantences and friends had grown, but...
She was relieved when after a few moments she saw Damian and Seth. She rushed down the rows of tables and slipped shyly beside them.
"Hi boys," she smiled, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Hi, J.J." Damian greeted the girl with a smile of his own. "We don't mind. We were just wondering where everyone was at." He gestured between Seth and himself.

"How was your break? Did you go home?"

J. J. smiled as she grabbed some food, "It is rather quiet isn't it."

"I had a good break," her smile faltered slightly, "I stayed here... my parents thought it might be best if... the neighbors were able to put two and two together and... but I had a good break none the less."

She had spent most of it hiding in her dorm, going over every photo and letter she had of home, but the boys didn't need to know that...
Though now that she thought about it, Seth was around Hogwarts too so he probably did know it.

Zach had sent her a letter almost everyday of the break, trying to pretend that she wasn't miles away - What was christmas without family anyways? -She shook her head. It wasn't her way to sulk any longer than she had to... or at least let others know she was sulking.

"How about you?"

"It's weird," Damian stated agreeable, though, it was a bit nice. After all, he wasn't quite so fond of noisiness as he might once have been.

He wrinkled her nose when she returned the question. "I went home," he sighed. "It was awful - boring mostly. Wish I'd stayed here."

"Maybe they all know about some secret food hall, that we don't," J. J. joked about the lack of people.

It seemed nobody spent their christmas break the way they wanted to.

"You can't always get what you want," J. J. muttered as the words of an old, old song she had heard once filtered into her head. "It was a little loney here. Not many people to talk to," Not that I tried J. J. repermanded in her head, "I'm assuming you didn't do much on your break then."

"At least you're back now," J. J. smiled kindly.

Damian laughed at J.J.'s suggestion that there was a secret food hall.

"I spent most of it inside watching old telly reruns," the boy confirmed with a sigh, then brightened. "Yes. It's good to be back!"