September was finally here, and with it came Lucy's seventh and final year at Hogwarts School or Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year was N.E.W.T. testing and that meant many nights spent with her nose in a book with Icicle vying for her attention the whole time. It was the first Saturday of the year and Lucy was woken up early by Icy's purring in her ear. It was lucky that her common room was right near the kitchens, because she could use a nice cup of tea.

Lucy threw on a cozy black robe and barefoot, picked up Icy and headed towards the kitchen. The house elves bowed to her when she entered and she shook her head insisting she'd told them many a time not to do so. She wasn't royalty and shouldn't be treated as such. They muttered apologies and she smiled. "No apologies necessary, just remember I consider us equals, alright?" The house elves nodded. Lucy sat down at one of the tables and set Icy down, who immediately ran to a saucer of milk a house elf had set out for her. "You're such a spoiled cat." She muttered with a smile on her face. A house elf approached her with a cup of breakfast tea and Lucy accepted it graciously. "How did you know?" She said with a smile. The house elf offered her different treats to eat, but she insisted she could get it herself and set the tea on the table, standing up and walking over to a bowl of fruit, from which she picked a ripe golden delicious apple.

Once she'd finished her breakfast of tea and fruit, she looked around for Icicle and found her being pampered by a pair of house elves who were brushing her silky fur and giving her treats. "Icy you are spoiled rotten!" Lucy laughed. "You know your way home." She said and thanked the house elves for their kindness before leaving the kitchen. Once she had showered and dressed, Lucy grabbed her bag filled with quills, ink, parchment, and all her assignments for the weekend and headed to her favorite place...the Library.

Once inside the Library she headed to the way back, finding one of her favorite corners and settled down on the floor in-between shelves of books that reached ceiling high. She smiled with a soft sigh. "Home sweet home."

When working with protective charms, the stronger the desire to protect the person on which the charm is performed, the better the overall effect...

Rereading the passage, he traced the printed words with a long finger, noting where it was and making sure that it was one of those all-important factoids he should be marking down in his notes. It was Felix's routine - one that he had been at for an hour already that morning, and had been putting to good use for the previous six years. Read, Reread, note and write - and repeat several times after that. It was arguably his favorite part of homework-doing, mainly because it was something you didn't really need to think about, or mean, but remember.

With his free hand he scrabbled for the self-inking quill that remained just within reach. The parchment was already littered with cramped shorthand and odd notations that only he was able to read, but he found a relatively clear spot to squeeze in more of his written code, noting it's important with an inky flourish, before he set the quill down and shutting the textbook with a muffled snap. Mornings in the library - particularly September mornings - were by far his favorite. Nobody was too panicked about getting their work done yet - compared to May, where it would be hard to find a single table for himself. Interruptions were few and fare between - which was how he liked them.

One down, several hundred more to go. Even he was beginning to feel slightly daunted about the task of NEWTs at the end of the year. He had six years of knowledge to re-retain - and a new year's to master, as well as spells and charms which were hardly his strong suit. So he thought that book cramming was by far the best to start with - get the easy stuff out of the way, so to speak. Retriving the book from the table top, he pushed his chair back and made to put it back on the shelf, replacing it on the uppermost shelf he'd retrieved it from an hour ago. But rather than snap up the Transfiguration's Encyclopedia next to it, he paused - listening in on a slightly familiar voice in the next aisle.

He grinned. Should've known that his reprieve in the library wouldn't last that long. At least it wasn't someone who was particularly noisy. Shoving a section of books aside, he made a window for himself - one that he could just peer through.

"Home, eh?" He started, without so much as a hello or how or you. "I should have knocked then, yeah? I swear I didn't mean to break and enter - and I'll return everything, promise."

Not long had Lucy been reading her charms book when a voice snapped her from the page. A boy was staring at her from the other side of the shelf through a window of books. He made a joke about not meaning to break in and enter her 'home', and that he'd put things back the way he found them. Lucy blushed. She hadn't imagined anyone had heard her speak. She stumbled for a few words to say, cursing her shy disposition. "Don't worry about it. So long as the door is unlocked, you're more than welcome...just don't go writing in any books." She said with a small smile. She wished the blush would just go away, and that she could find better words to say rather than tripping over her own tongue. It was always more difficult for her to speak with boys. She didn't understand them, and she didn't know how to talk to them. Also, being a muggle-born, she'd grown up in an entirely different society than most others at the school and even after 7 years at the school, she still didn't know quite how to act.

Lucy brushed a bit of hair from her face and looked up at the boy, about to stumble on a few more words. "Are you really that tall, or are you standing on something?" A flash of embarrassment raced over her eyes. She needed to quit speaking, it would only make things worse for her. If only she had the confidence she'd seen on others. She really needed to get over her shyness or she would never go far in life. Lucy fiddled with the pages of her charms book and silently hoped that she didn't look as insane as she thought she did.

"Moi?" Unseen, Felix clasped his hand against his chest in mock consternation, but he was careful to look hurt. "Write in a book? Merlin, I'd never think of doing such a thing! Because if you didn't catch me I'm certain Pince would - and I'm fairly certain she scalps library ne're do wells." He was able to keep up his act for long though, and his expression slipped back into one of mild curiosity. She looked somewhat familiar in that 'I think I might have been starring at the back of your head in charms class for the past six years way'. She wasn't much young than he was if she wasn't one of those classmates had hadn't bothered to harass at some point in his academic career.

At her question as to his height, he shrugged - forgetting that most of him was still hidden behind a substantial amount of literature."Nah - it's all me." He added, and stepped back from the stacks, taking a short jog around the bookcase and into her aisle. "See. Don't really need to stand on things if you've already a human giraffe, eh? All the height and none of the grace of majesty. Da calls it the Macmillian curse - though I don't know how that is seeing as I've had a good foot and a half on him since I was fifteen. That's me, by the way. Well - Felix Macmillian. Not 'my da' - that'd be awkward."He wondered if he should be introducing himself in a more formal manner - it was something his mother would have definitely liked, to know that those ettiquette lessons she had forced him to sit through hadn't gone to waste. But something about the other girl, and the way she was acting made him stop.

"Hey, I didn't scare you or something, did I? Didn't mean anything by it, honest."

Lucy allowed herself a bit of an amused smirk at his mock hurt over writing in books. After her question of his height he ran around the bookshelves to where she was and spoke about some family curse and stuff, and then introduced himself. Felix Macmillian. Yes, that sounded familiar. He was in her year, but in Ravenclaw, she didn't really know him, but she'd had classes with him for six years. He spoke again after introducing himself; "Hey, I didn't scare you or something, did I? Didn't mean anything by it, honest.".

Lucy frowned and shook her head. She set her book aside and stood up, walking towards him. The top of her head reached about his shoulders and she gathered he was about a foot taller than her. Intimidating maybe, but it was time she sucked up some courage and got over this shyness. "No, Felix, you didn't scare me." She stuck out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Lucy. Lucy Litcott." She bit her lip slightly and shrugged. "I'm just cursed with an incredibly shy affliction that makes me insanely awkward, so I apologize. I don't mean to off-put you."

She shook her head, which immediately helped him to feel a bit better. It might have been bad etiquette to not offer her his hand - 'as a proper gentleman might do to a lady' - but it was definitely off the mark to totally horrify them by some means or another. His mother would never let him hear the end of it, if that was the case.

"Well, tha's good - because I don't reckon I'm that scary a bloke - but everyone's entitled to their opinions, I 'suppose."He grinned, casually leaning back against the bookshelf he'd been peering through a moment before, crossing one of his legs in front of the other in an oddly casual stance. "It's nice to meet you Lucy, then - name to a face and all that. It's sad that some of us get so buried in the books you can hardly remember your yearmate's even if you can recite all of the elements of Germanic rune translation, because really that seems loads more important if you're going out into the world, don't it."

Admitting that she was apparently 'cursed' with shyness made him snicker - although that probably made him sound like a right berk for laughing at someone's faults. "Ah, shyness is no curse - at least, it's not the worst sort. Ever pick up a muggle fairytale - all their princesses are getting cursed with endless sleep, or turned into birds and deer and who knows what because they're pretty or unlucky or, admittably, right dumb - I mean how easy's it not to touch anything pointy, I ask you? - In most cases I bet shyness would be right useful. And, as you see - hasn't really put me off, has it? You'll have to try a lot harder than that if that's what you're trying to do!"

Lucy gave a small shy smile, at the mention of muggle fairytales, and simply because of the fact that he just talked so much it made it a little easier for her to be quieter. "I grew up with those fairytales." She admitted softly. "Though I don't deny they're ridiculous and the princesses are rather dumb. Sometimes there may be a lesson to learn in there, but most of the time it's just telling young girls to wait for a prince to save them which is a rather awful thing to teach because only one of of three million or so people will actually have that happen to them." Lucy's mouth snapped shut as she realized how much she had spoken in the past couple minutes or so. Something about Felix made her able to speak, she figured it was the fact that he spoke a lot on his own and wasn't judging her.

However, she knew it was very possible that it would change, seeing that she'd just openly offered her status as a muggle-born, and she could tell by the way he spoke about the 'muggle fairytales' that he was not. Though most awful purebloods she ran into at the school were in Slytherin and she'd gotten used to their taunts about her blood status. She'd gotten good at putting on a brave face and calling them out for being the products of inbreeding and perhaps that's why their eyes are crooked. Lucy twirled a bit of her hair in her fingertips, awaiting the next move in play.

Although he firmly believed that being shy was hardly a sad case, he had to admit - it did put a slight damper on the ongoing conversation. Felix was actually getting annoyed at the sound of his own voice - but he didn't say anything like that.

He hadn't even realized she was a muggleborn - but if she'd grown up with those stories, and not the classics he had known - well, she must be. Not that it particularly bothered him. In fact, if he admitted anything to himself he was a little excited to know that he was talking to someone who was raised in a completely alien environment, compared to his oldest friends and the people he grew up with. Although...if that was actually politically correct, he wasn't sure. In this day and age it was hard to know what anyone was thinking unless you were a legimens - which Felix was definitely not. He'd play it safe, and acted like he hadn't heard her, or that if he had, it wasn't that big a deal at all. Like being a redhead, or left-handed.

"Well, they're pretty cool. Although us folk don't usually get a good rap. And nothing will beat the classics." His reading into muggle literature had just been one of those things - but he had been born and bred on slightly different tales - knights and kings and talking animagus and the like. Essentially - the tales of people he'd never really get to be until he figured out exactly what it was he was going to do with himself out of school.

"It couldn't be all that bad though, finding a prince?" He added, with a shrug. "I mean for a bird - not for me, not exactly...you know. But there's worse things than going off with a prince, no? Especially if they're all so bloody charming. It'd be better than just us regular blokes."

Lucy shrugged and shook her head. "I suppose it wouldn't be all bad, but it wouldn't be my first choice in future either." She admitted. "I'd imagine that the charming bits were all an act and that truth be told, princes were stuck up pompous pricks, perfect for some Slytherin purebloods..." Her eyes widened momentarily at the realization of what she'd just said. She hoped it didn't offend him in any way. "Besides, I'm not fit to be a princess. Princesses are supposed to be prim and proper, which I may be able to pull off, but they're also supposed to be dumb, pretty, and able to speak well...even if what they say is completely idiotic. That, I cannot compare to, and do not plan to try." She sighed.

"Well maybe I can. As I'm sure my babbling sounds completely dumb and idiotic to you. I'm sorry." Lucy was not a dumb girl. She was just too socially inept that she seemed as such. Either you couldn't get her to speak, or she wouldn't stop speaking and the words that came out of her mouth ran like a train on a racetrack, and jumbled up making very little sense at all. She wished there were a confidence spell and that Felix Felicius wasn't so rare and expensive and dangerous to try to make.

"Well - I suppose things have changed a bit from those olden-time days...but you're telling me that...that if, you know...Godric Gryffindor came waltzing in with his sword and his wand and his...I dunno...riding a lion or whatever you wouldn't turn to mush?" He might - although for slightly different reasons, involving bowing as low as he could and probably pleading for some sort of mercy. "Mind you, no one'd be asking you to give yourself up completely - if you were allowed to be one of those feisty princesses. The ones that could save their own ass if they wanted to, but figure they might as well let the guy do all that work. What then?"

His easy smile faded slightly, as he wasn't sure if he should be slightly insulted about the 'prickish Pureblood' crack. "Nah, they'd have to be charming - that's the whole point. Charming, chivalry and all that is all prim and proper with those knight and princely fellows. Brains is probably what'd end up lacking. And there are a few princesses who end up rescuing themselves, right - the ones that say 'hell with this, I don't wanna be a milkmaid anymore, let me snag a rich one'! Bet'cha could be one of those, easy!"

He didn't realize that he was probably make Lucy uncomfortable until she seemed to bring it up, again. "Nah - I'm a Ravenclaw, remember? One person's idiotic babbling is our 'intellectual discussion'. You're hanging on swimmingly, by the way." He added, the smile returning to his face. "Not bad for a shy girl."

"Godric Gryffindor? Riding a lion? No, I'd probably collapse into a fit of giggles at the image of such. Besides he's far too old, and many of the Gryffindors I've seen are just as full of themselves as the Slytherins. Of course not all of them are, but anyway." She shook her head. "No, if I were to melt for anyone, it'd be someone with intelligence, that I could talk to, that didn't care about blood status, brought me out of my comfort zone just enough, but still kept me happy, and cared for me for who I am." Another small look of shock momentarily passed her face, and she quickly covered it up with a smile. "But that's my own fairytale. My reality is not having a clue what I'll do once I graduate here, and probably will slip back into the muggle world never to be seen again." She shrugged.

"What about you? A Ravenclaw, so you're clearly smart. Planned what you'll do once you're out of here?" She was slowly warming up to the guy, getting more and more able to speak freely with him, with the occasional trip up of words. She was enjoying their conversation well enough, even if she did feel like a babbling idiot.

"Hey! Lions are cool - and rideable. I mean, so long as they've eaten I imagine you could coax one into giving you a lift. People've tamed stranger things." Even though about every member of his house would have gladly taken the mickey out of him for his apparent siding with the 'coolness' of another house, it didn't seem to bother him. "House stereotypes all of it. Sure, the Quidditch jocks can be right arses - but every houses' guilty of that I'm sure."

Leaning against the bookcase as he was, he shifted, slightly uncomfortable as the talk turned from metaphorical lion-riding founders and fairy-tale princes into something a little more...concrete. "Ah, well...I suppose for intelligence you'll be wanting to look for one of us, then..." He half joked, adding only, "Although for a supposedly smart lot you'd be amazed at how many louts you get. Sadly, I probably take after the more bird-brained side of house - lots of ideas and no bloody clue what to do with 'em. You're a funny sort, Lucy. You know that?"

Of course, this was the type of comment likely to get him smacked if he didn't follow up with the proper sort of explanation, which he was quick to provide. "I mean - not funny ha ha - funny...peculiar, I suppose. You say you're shy and then you're perfectly happy keeping up a conversation and making more sense than I daresay have the birds I've met. Dunno why you'd call that shyness."

Lucy shrugged. "I guess I'm warming up to you or something." A small blush crept on her cheeks. Truth be told, Lucy didn't know why she was comfortable talking with the boy, but the more they talked the more comfortable she became. "What sort of ideas? Maybe I can help figure out what you can do with them." She looked at him with curiosity. She figured he must have a lot of things to say, and his voice was nice, she figured she could listen to him for hours. It took her a little while to realize that she'd been staring at his deep brown eyes, to avert hers. She couldn't help but admit this tall boy was handsome, and she wanted to know more about him. She only hoped he was willing to talk to her more.

He didn't object to having her warm up to him - not at all. Frankly, he was of the opinion that school already put such an emphasis on being the best wizard you could be they tended to neglect the person, and well - that was a shame. Because while he was a rather shoddy wizard, he was pretty sure he was aces at being a good sort of person. As far as seventeen year old males had the capacity to be 'good' all the time.

"Well, I can't say I complain." He continued. It was by far one of the stranger, and yet more interesting conversation's he'd gotten into with a stranger who didn't immediately give him and odd look or suspect he was trying to pull something. "I mean - I suppose it's nice to be known as a bloke who a shy girl could warm up too, huh."

"I suppose you could! Two heads are infinitely better than one, after all." Besides, he was in no hurry to leave, or head back to his solo studying regime, now that he'd found a willing audience and cohort. Talking to Lucy would have been as good as the discussion he had held with Professor Flitwick about any possibility of a future career one step up from Magical Maintenance. It was getting slightly awkward though - even for someone like Felix who liked to lean and took secret pleasure in lording his height over some people - it made for good intimidation tactics, but it made his legs right tired. "Mind if I sit with you for a bit, though? I've already intruded enough, might as well go all in - if you don't mind.'"

Lucy smiled when he said he couldn't complain, and continued to listen to him speak. "Of course! If you don't mind sitting on the floor...or perhaps we could find a table if you'd rather?" She was happy to see that he was willing and eager to continue to talk to her, to even sit with her, when he could have left minutes ago. She waited for his decision on whether to sit here or move elsewhere and continue their conversation. Though while she waited another question popped into her curious mind. "Where do you find you do your best thinking? I mean...where do you come up with your many ideas?" She was curious to listen to all he had to say, and was excited to hear more. Excited that she may actually have a friend.