Hufflepuff Common Room

Her books were stacked neatly, her bag lay at her feet and she was clothed neatly in her Hufflepuff uniform.  Her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail that was neatly displayed in organized disarray.  Her notebook was open and a pen lay ready to be used.  She groaned and pushed her notebook away, her mind was blank and she had to write an essay.

She pulled her Care of Magical Creatures book close and grabbed her pen.  She read two words and her mind drifted to the courtyard, were she could be flirting and not doing homework.  She groaned again at her own choice of activity and glared fleetingly at the text, hoping that just this once the words would jump off of the book and onto her notebook.  Or maybe someones owl had used her notes and the current chapter to nest.  Or maybe she had hurt herself, running from some horrible sort of menace of course, and was unable to complete her homework.

Matilda shook her head to rid her mind of her errant thoughts and turned to the first student she saw.  

"Is it me or is it impossible to study in this room... It's so..." she grasped for a word as she turned fully to her housemate for help. She was the friendly sort of Hufflepuff and didn't think twice before addressing the other student.

Christian was beyond ready to graduate. It was nearly time, and there were just a few more exams to take and one or two last essays to write. Lifting the strap of his bag higher on his shoulder, the younger Zabini twin walked into the Hufflepuff common room and started looking for a table so that he could sit himself down and try to get some work done. As much as he disliked the idea of actually sitting there and doing it, he figured sooner was better than later. If nothing else, he might have more time for things like the party he and Apollo had been considering.

He was surprised, however, when another student at a nearby table spoke up, apparently trying to catch his attention. Christian paused next to her seat, a smile pulling at his cheeks. "So dull?" he suggested. "It's hard to be underground when it's so easy to think about going up to the library where there are windows. I get distracted sometimes, but more often than not I study with someone if I can. Makes it easier. That way you sort of hold each other accountable."

Christian shrugged, then gestured to the chair across from hers. "D'you mind if I join? Maybe it'll be helpful."

"So dull?"

An older classmate had answered her. She turned to take in the student. Her smile didn't falter though she hadn't talked to him before. It didn't deter her she just nodded and dropped her book. She hoped he didn't notice how eager she was for a distraction so she looked done at the text for a second. She was bluffing, she could care less.

"It's hard to be underground when it's so easy to think about going up to the library where there are windows. I get distracted sometimes, but more often than not I study with someone if I can. Makes it easier. That way you sort of hold each other accountable."

She made a face slightly at the notion of going to the library, but it was exam season so she nodded almost gravely. She laughed and gestured to their surrounds "Although the badgers lounge does have it's a appeals!" She glanced around the room but the few students that were around weren't paying the pair any attention.

"D'you mind if I join? Maybe it'll be helpful."

She nodded but as soon as he was seated she smirked and stated "Although I should warn you that my problem is paying attention. I've no interest in the care of any magical creatures. What would be the chance I would need that in the real world? I'm not sure how accountable you can hold me to this none sense". She looked affronted at the text then back at her housemate.

She pointed out the fact that the common room did have its perks, and Christian followed her gaze. A few students playing Wizard's Chess let out a loud laugh when a first year made a horrible mistake and lost one of their bishops. The seventh year's mouth lifted in a smile before turning back and giving her a shrug to show that he agreed, even if he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. He wasn't one of the more outgoing Hufflepuffs, oddly enough. He had his group of friends and stuck to it, but it was better to befriend someone later rather than never, wasn't it?

Christian sat when she agreed that he could, allowing a chuckle to escape at her reply. "I think that depends. I know a friend who wants to work with magical creatures. So for them it makes perfect sense. After your OWLs, though, you can start picking which classes you want to avoid. So that might be more your cup of tea, eh?" he asked, lifting his book out of his bag.

"I'm working on Transfiguration, myself." Christian explained. "Professor Hayes teaches it well, I think, but I can admit that I've been thinking about graduation more than about classes."

He opened his book to the chapter they were writing their final essay about, then glanced up, realizing that he didn't even know his housemate's name. "I'm sorry. I should have said. I'm Christian Zabini, the younger and less annoying twin. I don't think I remember your name."

Matilda admitted to herself that she didn't have many friends. She had acquaintances and people that she hung out with but no friends. She listened to him talk about his friend and made a face. She didn't answer though, she wasn't sure what she would do with her life, heck she didn't know what she would be doing with herself next week. She was a charismatic prankster, she shrugged at his question and muttered "Maybe", but their was an obvious lack of enthusiasm in her answer that was quickly gone.

He continued and she found herself smirking, a 7th year. She ignored his apology as she smiled and spoke completely ignoring his introduction "That's pretty cool. Graduation, big, what do you think you'll do?". The few acquaintances that she had found herself around more then a few times always told her how short her attention span was. She wasn't being mean or mysterious, she simply had moved on from the subject of names, she did note his name and catalogued the things she had heard in passing about the student. Her smirk turned into a smile as her eyes light up showing that she was genuinely interested in his answer.

Christian was slightly disheartened by her response, but if Care of Magical Creatures was not where her heart wanted her to go, he supposed he could understand the lack of interest that she was projecting. He couldn't really blame her, either, given his extreme distaste in Quidditch. After his accident, he assumed people would be able to forgive him for groaning when they brought the subject up. Particularly if they mentioned that he and his brother owned Quality Quidditch Supplies. But, he would just remind them that it had been their father's fault, not theirs. Or, not Christian's, anyway. Apollo had almost undoubtedly had a hand in it.

He was, however, bemused when she skipped over his almost-question regarding her name. To be fair, he hadn't phrased it as a proper inquiry. But it was still slightly odd. "Well," he began, trying not to make it clear how confused he was. He was someone who tried to be open and kind to others, so he couldn't exactly write her off after one likely mistaken interaction. "I'll likely focus more on the family business. I would like to expand and purchase another store, but that will depend on what is doing well, and what's available," he explained.

It didn't take long for Christian to realize that he could very easily start rambling about it. Business was something he actually excelled in, even though his father wished Apollo had been more that sort. The heir to the family was meant to be, weren't they? Apparently that trope would not be applying to the Zabini boys.

"I don't want to be irritating about it," he began more calmly, "but I would really like to know what I should call you. If I see you again before graduation, I would rather not have to say some variant of 'Hey, you!' to get your attention."

Matilda listened with a nod. The more he talked the more she placed him in her memory. While placing him she definitely placed his handsome older brother, the two looked the same physically, but Apollo had a way about him. Something that seeped from his pores that made the young teen blush. Something was just at the tip of her memory regarding Christian, but she still couldn't place it.

"Family Business?" she gave him another quick once over while trying to be covert, but not sure if she succeeded. She didn't want to label him just yet so she continued while storing the information for later musings, "What kind of business?"

"I don't want to be irritating about it," he began more calmly, "but I would really like to know what I should call you. If I see you again before graduation, I would rather not have to say some variant of 'Hey, you!' to get your attention."

Her smile faltered a bit at his words, her sister's voice plain in her head "If you don't pay attention Tilly, you'll miss your whole life!". She was honestly working on paying attention and being ... well more appropriate, so her smile turned sheepish as she muttered an apology. "Sorry," she stated as she peeked up through her lashes trying not to sound too chastised "My sister always says I have the attention span of a squirrel eating pixie sticks". She wasn't sure if he'd understand the analogy but it eased the tension she felt as she sat up straighter and finished playfully "Matilda, I think I remember you or something about you... I just can't place it at this moment".

"It isn't as exciting as it sounds," he replied with a laugh. "We are in the business of... well, owning businesses, I suppose. So far we only own two. One that my father runs - I sort of ignore it, considering it's to do with things I haven't taken the time to learn about. The other is Quality Quidditch Supplies. My father bought it for my brother, but Apollo thought it would be hilarious to give me partial ownership. Turns out I'm way better at managing anything than he is."

A smirk grew across Christian's face at his own words, absurdly, if not stupidly, pleased to have beaten out his brother in at least some small thing. Being skilled in business was bigger, though, than a grade on an exam or some talent they might both want to possess. It was a future set up and waiting for him, and Christian was thrilled.

He tilted his head at her analogy, but kept a smile on his face. Muggleborn, he mused. Squirrels he understood, but the other thing sounded like something one used to either whack or train pixies. He doubted it, but a part of him hoped that somewhere such things existed. Just because squirrels were a total nuisance.

"You hardly seem as irritating as a squirrel, if that is any consolation for you," Christian offered, grinning at her.

He wasn't sure what she would have been thinking of, but the first thing that came to mind was his accident. "Um, well, I guess most people know me because of my brother. Apollo is the heir, so I can get away with a lot more. But the other thing is that I had a Quidditch accident a few years ago. During one of the school games."

"I guess that depends as well because, business is about the only thing that interests me... Entrepreneurship in particular, I guess it would be nice to create a product for the public that I can only offer them," Matilda replied with a blush. She wasn't used to sharing actual information about herself to other students but Christian was easy to talk to, she normally just supplied superficial answers and let the other person do the talking, and most people loved talking about themselves.

She watched a smirk grow on his face and smiled at the thought of sibling rivalry. She was the youngest Mason, her sister Mary had graduated last year, and she was always trying to do everything better than her even though it was easy to please their father, and her mother was long dead. She matched his smirk while thinking of the last time she had pranked her sister.

Her smile turned into a laugh as she clarified "The squirrel isn't annoying it's what he's eating. Pixie sticks are a muggle candy... It's basically sugar in a stick, a little pixie stick. If you can imagine a squirrel hyped up after eating one of those. That is what my sister says my attention span is like."

Matilda nodded as the accident played in her mind. The witch was afraid of heights. She had been since she was a young child and had passed out at her first flying lessons. Since then she had found a way out of every flying lesson and she prided herself on that fact. She shuddered and nodded, looking at him as if he had just had the accident and she stated "I remember. Are you okay? I'd never get on a broom! I'm always been afraid of heights. I can't imagine why any witch or wizard would want to fly... we would have wings right?"