Thread: Fifth Year Complications *The Anonymous and Renewal*

Stephen wanted to get back to the common room early; stepping next to Joe, he asked, "What's the password this year?" However, his voice faded as he noticed his friend glaring at a Gryffindor prefect: "Weasley? Joe I can sort of understand, but who in their right mind made you prefect?"

"He's copying me." snarled Joe, then shook his head. "Okay, kiddy-winks! Follow us!" He and Pansy began to lead them down to the common room.

"The password's 'Puplis Vio.'" Pansy told him as she walked by. Josh snickered and began walking down with Stephen.

Entering the Slytherin's dungeon dormitory, after muttering the password to get in, Stephen entered the dorm, the crowd of first years behind him. Already, a few of the sixth and seventh years were lounging in the common room. Sitting down next to the fireplace, trying to get warm in the dank chill of the dungeon, Stephen watched as Joe and Pansy began describing life in Slytherin House for the little firsties.

OCC: Introducing a new character. That cool with you?

"People think they're better than you, mainly because they think we think the same as them." explained Joe, and Josh sighed, knowing some of the first-years would be confused. "Which is kind of redundant, really, because we can't remember who started it..." Luckily, Pany stepped in.

"The Dormatories are beyond these doors." she said, standing between the two. "Boys on the left, girls on the right. In the event of..." Josh stopped listening as a girl sat down next to him.

"Hey, Josh." she said, Smiling. Her skin was a delicate copper-brown, her hair dark and flowing. Her eyes were an emerald green, and beneeth her skin, there were the shapes of leaved and petals. Josh smiled, too.

"Hullo, Indigena." he said, reaching for her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. Some people, mainly those who refered Indigena Yaxley as 'The Thorn Bitch' looked at Josh strangly. Josh ignored them. "I trust your arrival was okay?"

"Yes, quite so." Indigena breather, and then looked at Stephen. "And who might this be?"

"Oh, forgive me." said Josh. "Indigena Yaxley, this is my friend and classmate, Stephen (insert last name here). Stephen, I believe you already know of Indigena?" He must've been living under a rock if he hadn't; Indigena was the worlds youngest master Herbologist, having been in several newspapers and magazines, and mentioned constantly on the Wizard Wireless. She had been in private tutoring for the past five years.

OOC: Yup. Let's mix things up xD.

Stephen poked his head out from under the metaphorical rock. "Yeah," he said shakily. Although he had certainly heard of Indigena, he had never paid much attention; after all, if she was so world famous, nearly as famous as Harry Potter himself, he would never personally meet her, so what was the point? Of course, coming to a crashing realization, Stephen remembered Potter had come to Hogwarts, too... He remained quiet, too shocked at meeting the famed Herbologist.

Indigena smiled "A pleasure to meet you." she said, extending her hand. A ring of thorns was wrapped around her wrist, apparently linked directly to her blood streem, and a shall, pinkish flower on the back of her wrist emitted a pleasent smell.

Eyes averted in shyness, Stephen gingerly grasped Indigena's hand. "Ditto..." Trying to maintain his composure, he asked, "So how did you meet these two?"

Indigena giggled, and a small puff of aluring cent wafted out from the flower on her wrist. "At first, they were meerly my adoring fans; sending me fanmail, coming to meet me in interviews, et cetera. But then, one day, they sent me a pack of seeds, from a pair of plants they crossbreeded." Her eyes widened in delight.

"They were absolutley superb; grew into bushes that bore fruit depending on the amount of magic in the air."

"We kept in contact ever sinse." said Josh. "She visited the orphanage, and we visited her mannor. Eventualy, we became friends."

Stephen shook his head, trying to clear the intoxicating smell from them flower from his mind. Dizzy, he said weakly, "Wow... never knew you two had any talent for Herbology. Maybe I should start taking lessons from you two..."

Josh and Indigena giggled simultaniously. Joe walked over, sharing a hug with Indigena, and then held his hand out to Josh. "Bed." he said simply.

"I am pretty ti... tired." he said between a yawn, then grasped Joe's hand and stood up. "We'll see you tommorow, Indie." he said, then looked at Stephen. "Coming?"

Stephen shook his head. "I just... want to soak it all in. It's nice to be back." He turned away, staring into the fire.

"...sure." said Joe and Josh together. With a final nod to Indigena, they left.

Stephen stared into the fire for a good ten minutes, trying to block out the world. He just wanted to soak the experience in. Some people, most often foolish Gryffindors, would call the Slytherin common room cold and creepy, but for Stephen, and all his fellow Slytherins, it was perfect. Home, for the school year at least. After a long while, as his eyes began to close and he began to yawn, he turned his head from the now-burned out fire, seeing if anyone was still up and around.

Surprisingly, Indigena was there. She sat at one of the round, black marble tables, singing under her breath to a potted plant as she trimmed it's leaves. Every now and again, the plant hissed, and Indigena scolded it softly.

Stephen stood up, planning to exit quietly, before sighing. He couldn't hope to avoid Indigena all year long, considering how close she was to the brothers. Screwing up his courage, he went over to talk to the prodigy. "What are you working on?"