That's just great (open)

J. J. came pounding down the stairs skipping a few as she went. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, but she wanted to get there as fast as she could.

She was just antsy today - there was no way around it, and the only way to get rid of that was to doing everything at full force.

The only problem with that was she was not at her most graceful when she rushed.

Not very graceful at all.

As she ran her foot just missed a step, skimming the edge and of course making her lose her balance. She fell with a thud onto the hard stone steps, bouncing painfully off the edge of one and sliding down the last few before she settled onto the floor of the Entrance Hall.

"Ow," she moaned slightly before letting her head fall back eyes closed.

why me? she thought pitifully hoping beyond all hope that since it was halfterm there were enough students gone that no one had been around to witness that.

"Oi, clumsy!" Iva sashayed across the hall towards the girl, a bitter laugh in her voice. She stood above the girl, making her small stature appear much greater than it really was."Are you well, comrade?"

Flipping her braid over her shoulder, she held out a hand to the girl, J.J., she believed. They had never met, but Iva had noticed this girl before. Right now, she seemed silly and weak, lying across the hallway. Almost pitiful, actually.

Against her true nature, she smiled at the girl, "Do not be embarrassed, yes?" This was almost a command, her Russian accent giving her words a more urging tone, so she added a smile to make herself seem more... friendly.

J. J. opened her eyes as distictive Russian accent called out to her. A slytherin was standing above her. From this angle the girl looked quite impressive, but she couldn't actually base a strong opinion off of that.

She wasn't exactly happy with being called clumsy, but it was true so she wasn't going to take much offence to it.

"Never better," she smiled taking the girl's hand.

Her eyes widened slightly at the phrase which sounded a bit like an order, but she saw the girl make an effort to smile and softened it, so she figured she would just go with it.

"Nah, why be embarrassed by what appears to be second nature to me?" she laughed shaking it off. She hadn't been particularily thrilled by the idea of being caught falling down the stairs but now that she had there really was no point in sulking over it.

"I am glad you are not hurt," She nodded, brushing off her hands on her fluffy pink scarf as if she had touched something dirty."Do not do it again, yes? Your head could have been cracked, clumsy child,"
Clumsy came out as a nickname, almost mockingly.

Iva looked outside with a distant gaze, frown lines creasing her forehead. "Worse things have happened here before, you know,"

J. J nodded slightly at the other girl. She was an interesting person. Her words were kind enough though there was still an undertone of... something people it. She hadn't missed the hand thing either.

Still she guessed that for a Slytherin the fact the girl was being kind was as good as she was going to get.

"well I wouldn't want my head to get cracked, so... I guess I'll comply," she smiled ignoring the fact that she seemed to have aquired the oh so great nickname 'Clumsy".

She followed the girls gaze as she went off on a odd tangent.

She scrunched up her brow.

"What happened here?"

"Oh, you know," Iva waved her hand dismissively, " They say that people have died here, yes? That's what the older children said. I do not know. Maybe it is lie. D-do not listen to me."

She flipped her hair again and adjusted her dress, slightly flustered. She really shouldn't be babbling about these things; stories were fun things and they had no place in school.

"My name is Iva. Iva Popov," She nodded at the girl, hoping to distract her from the earlier non-sequitor, "Year 2 Slytherin,

"Well, there was a war here so..." J. J. said and trailed off. It wasn't exactly a pleasent topic and she was perfectly willing to let it go.

"Hello Iva," she smiled, "That's a pretty name - I like it. I'm J. J. Year one Hufflepuff." She jestured to her robes since she always felt slighlty silly announcing it, when her close techniqucally said it for her.

"Iva is short for Ivan." Iva looked outside into the autumn day, a bit bored. She skipped most of her classes. Well, actually, all of them, but no one seemed to notice. Not that she cared. My father wanted a boy to inherit his company, so he named me Ivan. My mother got mad and changed it to Iva. "
She shrugged casually as she ran her fingers over her Slytherin badge. How would her house feel if they found out that she was talking to such a.... clumsy Hufflepuff? Iva didn't even know if this girl was Pure Blood or not. She shook her head to clear her thoughts of betrayal before saying bluntly,
"J.J. is an odd name, yes? It is letters, not a name. It has no meanings. It is silly."

"Well even then it is still unique... and I like it whether you care or not," she smiled slighlty not entirely sure how the Slytherin would take it but finding that she didn't really care.

She laughed slighlty even thought the statement could have been taken as a bit of a insult, "That would be because it's not my name, or well not the one my parents gave me. My mother called me Juliet Jessica Jones... in the muggle world... I just decided I didn't like Juliet, and J. J. was easier so... I guess you could say that it means that, Juliet Jessica."

Damian practically ran up the steps from the dungeons and started across the Entrance Hall on his way outside. He was wearing a pair of muggle jeans and a t-shirt. Spotting J.J. and another girl, he broke from his path to head towards them instead.

"What happened to you?" he demanded as he drew closer and got a better look at his housemate. He brushed some dirt from her robes and picked... well, something from her hair. Crinkling his nose, he flicked it away. "Whad'ja do? Fall down the stairs or something?"

Finally, he turned his attention to the other girl. "Hello. I'm Damian." Wiping the dust from J.J.'s robes off onto his jeans, he extended his hand to her. "You're a Slytherin, right? I've seen you at the Slytherin table."

When trying to find Karma, happened to be the whole truth of the matter, but Damian wasn't about to say that aloud.

"Oh! I understand! -uliet -essica is your name?" She exclaimed, her accent leaving off the J's, "It is pretty, yes? Like, in that Shakespeare play!" Iva thought about how nice this girl was and how they could maybe hang out sometime.

Until the girl mentioned the muggle world. At the mention, Iva couldn't help but wrinkle her nose slightly. Her father certainly wouldn't like this. She, herself, didn't see any problem with muggle-borns, but her family was more of a cut throat way of thinking. I shall... pretend I never heard that,

The boy came up then, another hufflepuff. She had noticed him, ogling wide-eyed at Karma before. How odd. Karma obviously wasn't interested in him. She was too popular and beautiful for a first year.

But, she wouldn't tell him that.

"Da, I mean, yes. I am Slytherin. Iva Popov, Year 2," She looked at his hand and crossed her arms behind her back. The dust from J.J. was visible on his hands, making her skin crawl. Germs. Everywhere. "I do not shake hands.... I do not... know what you have touched," She said this as nicely as possible, but she knew it came off rude. Instead, she patted the boy's shoulder and gave a frail smile.

"If you must know," she said smiling slightly despite herself, "Yes, yes I did fall down the stairs."

Now that she was thinking about it her backside was a little sore from her ... incident. Iva was right, she really should learn to be less clumsy.

"Yepp, Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou and all that; my mother liked the play," she paused slightly to think, "I guess it is pretty, I haven't gone by that name in a long time to be perfectly honest, but I will answer to it. J. J., Juliet I guess they are all me. As long as you don't start quoting Shakespeare at me I don't mind either one."

"I wouldn't touch you either, Dame," she laughed, teasing the other Hufflepuff before turning to Iva.

"Technically you know he touched me but since I just had unidentifable objects pulled from my hair, I won't take it personally," she continued to laugh.

J. J. was getting used to Iva's mannorisms and was finding it quite easy to not take any offence from any statments that the Russian girl said that came out a little harsher than they might have with others.

Iva punches J.J.'s arm softly, smiling madly, "I love your name! It is... feminine! Beautiful!" Iva practically bounced up and down in excitement. Honestly, she had a hard time talking to people here, but J.J. was nice to her. Maybe she could finally talk to someone she didn't despise. Heck, she'd even be friends with the Damian. He had an... interesting face. And strange eyes.

Iva just wasn't sure if those were good things or bad things yet. She'd keep her eyes on him.

"I wish to be friends with you, please. If you do not mind," She paused, then shrugged, looking away from the girl into the Great Hall. "As long as my house does not find out. They do not like the Hufflepuff."

Damian scowled at Iva, shrugging away her hand when she patted him on the shoulder. He brushed off his shoulder. Well, I don't like touching anyone who wears so much pink, he thought sourly, but didn't say so aloud. It wasn't like his hand was covered in dirt - he'd just wiped it off, after all. She was nothing like her housemate. Karma might hardly know he existed, but at least she wasn't prissy.

Probably a snooty ol' pureblood, too, was his next uncharitable thought.

"I'm clean," he muttered mutinously. He'd washed his hands just before leaving the common room.

"Hey!" Damian protested, a smile tugging at his lips at J.J.'s teasing. "I'd definitely go with a different color instead, next time," he returned. "Though, it might be better to keep it for just breaks.

"J.J. fits you better." He was mostly just being contradictory; feeling slighted tended to make him act that way. "Juliet just sounds too girly - you're cooler than that.

"Kar- uh, other Slyths don't seem to have a problem with Hufflepuffs," Damian declared. "It's mostly Gryffindors they don't like."



(OOC: Sorry, Iva - Dame's a bit temperamental. And he's a little quick to take offense. >.<)

J. J. laughed at both of their responses, although she made a valid effort to hide it since could see the other girls actions had already put Damian into a mood; she didn't really want to make him irked with herself too.

"Thank you for both those comments. Beautiful, but cooler than that," she nodded still smiling, "It is exactly how I'd want to be described."

She paues for a moment then smiled, "I've always felt more of a J. J. myself though it, is fun to hear Juliet every now and again."

"Of course," she laughed at the boy, "I'll make sure it goes to nice bright pink for you next time. It would suit you perfectly." She could tell from the 'girly' comment that he would just love the idea of that.

"I can never have too many friends, even if some Slytherin's wouldn't like it," she smiled. Despite her slightly ... prickily... attitude J. J. was starting to get fond of the girl.

Then again she liked almost everyone. She wasn't too hard to please.

"Though Dame is right... most of the ones I meet have a bigger problem with Gryff's- So maybe you should count your blessings that the most your digressing to is a ickle Hufflepuff."

Iva looked at the boy and scoffed. He almost said Karma there. How cute. "Excuse my words, but you do not live in Slytherin. You do not know their..." She moved her hands into circles, trying to think of the word in English.

"Gossip," She finally spit out, relieved. "But, yes, they do have more problems with the Gyffindor."

She decided to ignore his clean comment. She really didn't want to talk about her slight issues with germs with this guy. Why was he so snooty? He didn't know her! Who was he to judge her?

She turned to J.J. again. "Then I shall call you J.J., okay?" This girl was sweet, innocent. Iva really enjoyed being with her. Her house mates were never quite as interesting.

Well, she never really talked with them anyway.


(OOC: PSH, don't worry about it. Iva's supposed to be irritating and rough. She's just awesome like that)

Damian wrinkled his nose at J.J. "I meant change your hair color - instead of adding other stuff."

A frown settled on his face, his blue eyes narrowing. This was exactly why he didn't really care for most girls - always so full of themselves. Iva clearly had a problem with him. Who was she to judge him? His sister, Karma, J.J.; they were all okay. The rest of them? They all expected a guy to fawn all over them because they'll be able to have boobs and babies some day.

His frown deepened when it appeared she'd decided to ignore him altogether.

"You're rude." A diplomat, Damian Gray was not - at eleven, he had far too much temper for that.

He, too, turned to J.J. "You be friends with her, if you can," he said. "Apparently, I'm too dirty to friends with, anyway." The boy shot a glare at the Slytherin. He'd taken a year of being slighted - and far worse - just for being born with magic, he wasn't about to stand around and be insulted among his own kind.

Iva gasped softly, then frowned. "Rude? Rude? " She scoffed, "Fine then,"

She took off her cloak so she only had her dress on, then raised her hands to show she wouldn't block him. "If you have a problem with me, then let's fight." She stepped in close to him, smirking.

"Unless you are not manly enough to," Iva leaned in so they were almost face to face. A temptation. "I'm sure every Syltherin would love to hear how you wouldn't fight with a girl,"

J. J. mock pouted, "but I like having random unidentifiable objects in my hair."

She started to laugh, but act died on her lips as the tention rose between the other two.

She bit her lip worriedly as they bickered back and forth, ignoring Damian's comment towards her for she felt any comment she could make probably wouldn't do much to stop whatever was going to happen. It might even make it worse.

Then she paled slightly as Iva suggested they fight. J. J. hated fights - particularily useless ones like these.

What was either of them going to prove by punching - or casting spells - at each other? She just didn't get it.

"Dam-" she opened her mouth to tell Damian not to do it, but then promptly shut it. She lived with boys her whole life. Telling them not to do something - particularily when they were in a violent mood - was going to do the exact opposite of what you want. Really that fact went for most people.

Sighing she ran a hand through her hair (glad that no more dust came off in it), "Guys I really think..."

She trailed off uselessly. What affect was her little passivist oppinons going to have on two angry children?

Damian scoffed right back. "It's clearly you that has a problem with me!" he snapped. "I came over and introduced myself - you're the one who said, 'I do not shake hands.... I do not... know what you have touched.'" He gave a fairly good impersonation of her accent.

"I'll warn you once." Damian's eyes had become chips of ice in his face and not a trace of his usual amiable personality was to be heard in his tone. "Back off, or I will fight you." His hands had clenched into fists at his sides and his jaw was set mulishly. He didn't want to hurt a girl, but he wasn't about to be bullied without fighting back. One girl was nothing - Damian could fight off four other boys and manage to survive being attacked by nine.

Growing up with 5 older brothers, all around six feet tall, Iva knew how to handle herself in a fight. She curled her fists, and gave a devilish smile, her blue eyes twinkling with a dark mischief. She could feel the anger bubbling in her stomach, accompanied by pure anticipation.

There was just something about a fight that made her smile. It made her feel... alive.

"Bring it on. I'm not afraid of you," To emphasize this, she spit into his face. "Loser,"

J. J. groaned. There really wasn't much stopping it now. She'd almost say they were enjoying themselves. Well maybe not Damian, he just seemed bloody well pissed, but Iva seemed to be getting some dark enjoyment out of the whole thing.

God, this would be getting out of hand soon, and it was really starting to irk her too.

How hard was it to be reasonable about situations?

"Seriously, will you two just," she finished that situation in a frusterated noise. They weren't listening to her anyways.

Arsic growled and apparated with a loud crack and sent Iva flying into the wall. "What is going on here?" He asked taking in all the students present. "WE NEVER SPIT IN ANYONES FACE. IF YOU THINK YOUR BIG ENOUGH TO FIGHT, FIGHT ME!" He snapped. "COME ON THEN." He said turning to look at Iva, no one fought in his school and they certainly didn't spit.

One minute, Iva was in Damian's face, coiled for attack. The next- she was against the wall, pinned there with pain so intense it was blinding. Somehow, she found the floor and slumped into it. Looking to her attacker, she found the headmaster. Oh, dear.

"N-no, sir," She muttered, looking away with distaste. "I do not want to fight you. I am not big enough,"

How easy this could be to blame on Damian. If she starting crying and whimpering about how she was only defending herself from the scary boy, she could escape punishment with ease.

But, she found she couldn't. Instead of the usual cunning, she found that it was replaced with shame. She was just a student trying to cause a scene. Hell, this thing was her fault.

She was just stupid, wasn't she?

"I-I am sorry, sir," Iva whispered, hair falling out of her braid into her face. Her accent became heavy and childish- exactly how she felt. "I should not fight in hall,"

J. J.'s first responce when the headmaster showed up was a completely childish one born form her present irritation.

Does everyone in this school just want to fight? it seemed to her mind that it was contradictory to state that no one fights in his school and then offer to fight a student.

Of course the headmaster probably always knew that Iva would never fight him anyways so possibly it wasn't a problem in the first place.

Her irritation though slipped as Iva meekly accepted blame for the situation. J. J. - despite the fact that she placed the blame firmly on the both of them only moments before - felt sorry for her. There just seemed something wrong with seeing the Slytherin so quiet.

She quickly slipped over to where the girl laid to see if she was alright.

"I think headmaster," she said after a moment's thought, "That it's all our faults, even mine - I could have done more to try and stop them instead of standing there sputtering like a fool. Tempers, I believe just got out of hand - for all."

She paused a moment bitting her lip. A thought came to her and she weighed the options before going for it.

"And just for future reference Dame," she spoke softly trying her hardest to make sure her voice didn't sound accusitory because she really wasn't accusing him of anything. His responce to Iva's comment had been completely rational, "I think it's called germaphobia; a lady in my town had it. She barely ever left her house because of it. Really its a big thing that Iva touched you at all; a lot of germaphobs can't even do that."