"Is Erza-san always that scary?", Wendy asked innocently as they walked around campus, Charle snuggled to her chest. Jellal laughed.

"I think she hasn't changed from the past. It's really cute." Not that Lucy wasn't already aware, but this guy really had it bad. But him and the red-head were a perfect fit, in a way. She and Wendy giggled.

Jellal looked a bit surprised, but his expression soon smoothed into a small smile. "You get along well, don't you."

While Wendy smiled happily, Charle in her arms let out a somewhat reluctant sounding meow. The feline was giving it a pass for now, but she didn't seem to approve of Wendy's new-found friends just yet. If Lucy hadn't grown up with two cat-owners as brothers, the would have called herself crazy for reading so much into the white cat's behavior; yet after witnessing Lector's obvious admiration of Sting every day and Frosch's ditziness and habit of getting lost in almost every situation, Lucy was inclined to believe in the humaneness of these particular felines.

"So we're starting school next week, huh..." Today was only Thursday, so they had a few more days of doing practically nothing.

"Boarding students here are allowed to go to the city in small groups after school hours end. It has to be two people at least. I don't know how that rule applies to us right now, though."

Wendy perked up. "Maybe we could ask? Then we could go to town together... I-If you want to, that is!" The bluenette spoke timidly. Lucy observed how she looked to her feet shyly while they walked. This side of Wendy was something that wouldn't disappear that easily after all.

"We could go ask Mirajane, then", the blonde suggested in a soft tone. The thirteen-year-old's face lit up instantly. "Y-Yes!"

They entered the school building. They had been showed Mira's office yesterday, it was at the end of the corridor which was the 'administrative tract' (or so the sign said), a few doors away from the principal's office.

So they walked past the principal's office, the copy room, the staff room and some other doors behind which were rooms they didn't know the purpose of yet.

Jellal knocked twice and then patiently stood back with Lucy and Wendy. "Come in!", the familiar cheery voice rung out to them from behind the wooden door.

As they entered, they saw Mirajane carrying a stack of folders and papers from her desk to a shelf at the left side of the room. "Take a seat", she gestured to the four chairs in front of her desk, with a bright smile on her face, "I'll be right there."

They sat down and waited for the white-haired advisor to finished sorting in the documents or whatever they were. Lucy looked around the room. It wasn't huge, but not small either. The shelves made of oak wood and the white desk, together with the lavender painted walls gave the room a bright and welcoming feeling, which went surprisingly well with the faint, but present business-like atmosphere that was lingering in the air.

The blonde's attention turned towards Mira as she sat down behind her desk, smiling at them expectantly. "So? What can I help you with?"

"Ah, we only had a simple question", Lucy started. "We heard that boarding students here are allowed out after school hours, but..."

"You wanted to know if you can go out early, because you don't have any classes yet?", Mira finished for her.

"Yes", Jellal answered.

"I see. That shouldn't be a problem. But", Mira started to cram through the drawers of her desk; her face lit up as she found whatever she was searching for, "I want you to take this map with you, because I'm pretty sure you don't know your way around yet." She unfolded the map and pointed at a specific place. "This is Kardia Cathedral. You can see it from everywhere in the city, so use it as a landmark." They nodded in understanding.

"Also", the advisor continued, pulling out a cellphone, "I want all three of you to have my phone number. In case something happens, I want you to call me." She turned to Wendy. "Wendy, your number isn't in the data Cait Shelter gave us, so I assume you don't have a phone?"

"I-I do, actually. Since last week...", the bluenette replied, fidgeting.

"Is that so?" Mirajane gave her a reassuring smile. "Would you mind telling me your number then? The school has to be able to contact you in times of emergency."

"Of course!", Wendy exclaimed, hastily pulling her phone out of the pocket of her cardigan. After all of them had retrieved Mira's number and Wendy's was inserted into the computer on the advisor's desk, they excused themselves and left the office, Jellal with the map in his hands.

They were halfway down the corridor as the door opened behind them again. Mira peeked out and called after them, "I almost forgot; I would like you to contact me once an hour so I know you're doing fine. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course", the called back, answering Mira's small wave with their own. They could hear the door close as they turned around and resumed walking forward.

As Lucy and Wendy returned to their dorm room to pack a few things, Levy was sprawled across her bed, fully dressed, a thick book in her hands. She shut the book (not before putting a bookmark in between the pages) and sat up as soon as she noticed them.

"How mean of you two, leaving me alone in the morning", she pouted, but the laugh in her eyes showed she wasn't serious. "What were you up to?", she asked, leaning back. "It's only", she shot a look at the small alarm clock that stood on a stack of books on her nightstand, "nine thirty in the morning, you know?" The petite bluenette then noticed Charle, who leapt out of Wendy's arms to majestically throne on Levy's bed.

"Oh, you picked her up?" Levy tried to scratch the feline behind her ears, but the cat simply evaded her by turning its head to the side.

"Charle!", Wendy scolded.

Lucy went on to search for her purse and Wendy's backpack (the thirteen-year-old didn't have anything else, they were going to change that today, Lucy decided). Lucy and Sting's parents had made an arrangement with there lawyer in case anything happened to them while their son and daughter were still children; they were given a certain amount of money every month. The money had been just enough to pay for food and necessary clothing among other things, since the cottage was free of charge for them. Rogue had inherited his parents' money all at once, yet as he had always been a very responsible child, he had always been very careful spending it. But since they were receiving food and lodging for free now, Lucy had money left.

"What are you doing?", her best friend asked, throwing her a questioning look.

"We're going to town with Jellal now. We went to ask, and we are allowed to go since we down have school yet."

"Is Levy-san coming with us?", Wendy invited her fellow bluenette.

"If we're going to the bookstore, I'm in", Levy said while hopping of the bed.

They quickly finished packing up what they needed, including filling up their water bottles and packing an apple each.

They trio headed out of the front doors of Fairy Hills to meet up with Jellal at the gates of Fairy Tail.

Please review~

magical fanfiction: I want to hurry up and write that too~ but first things first~ :D