The study room Cedric was assigned to was rather chilly this time of year, even with the windows closed and the fireplace going. Damn draughty towers. Cedric scooted his chair a little closer to the fire, trying not to catch Greylock's attention as he did - but Greylock looked up from his work to raise an eyebrow at Cedric anyway. Cedric grimaced and made a dismissive hand-waving motion.

At that moment, Sofia arrived, having sensibly worn her wool coat over the school uniform. "Afternoon, Mister Ceedric. Mister Greylock."

"There's no one around, no need for honorifics, Sofia!" Greylock said, without looking up from his work this time.

"Well, I do prefer their use. Though I'd rather you dropped them than continually get my name wrong. Miss Soap-phia."

Sofia giggled and sat down across from Cedric at the table. "All right, all right. No 'p' in my name, only one 'e' in yours. Should we get to business?"

Cedric nodded curtly, still grimacing slightly. "Any particular issues you've had since last week, or should we work more on general control?"

"Hm." Sofia bit her lip. "It wasn't something discussed in class, exactly. But it was assumed that everyone would have their familiar, and have had it for nearly a year now… Could we work on that?"

At that, Cedric's expression softened. "No problem at all. The first time you summon your familiar, you'll be doing a bit of work. Not nearly so much later. First, get the chalk, if you would, while I find the appropriate Octagram. Or is this one a Pentagram?" Cedric shrugged and went to the books on the wall shelves, until he found what he wanted and started flipping through it.

Sofia had the chalk long before he found it. He flipped back, and forth, and eventually realized there was a table of contents-but managed to look in the wrong chapter first.

"Here we go! You're going to need to draw this on the ground...here…" Cedric looked down to the cobblestone under their feet. "On second thought, the table's big enough. Greylock, get your smelly feet off the table, we need it. Also your papers. Must you study in here, anyway?"

Greylock nodded grimly. "Absolutely. I have been put under a curse by an evil sorceress, which allows me to only ever study here. In this exact location. On the night of a full moon." Sofia giggled.

"It's midday, you lout. You don't have to leave, but we do need the table, so you'd have to find one elsewhere."

Greylock shut his book with a clap, and quickly gathered the papers he'd scattered about, tucking them into the cover of the book and stowing the bundle in his bag. However, rather than leaving, he picked his chair up and moved it next to the fireplace. "Well. I'm not about to miss seeing what Sofia's Familiar is. And if I'm here without even a table to rest my feet on - or study at, I suppose - then I might as well be warm." He grinned and gestured for Cedric to carry on.

Together, Sofia and Cedric drew the complicated diagram on the table. "It doesn't need to be geometrically perfect," Cedric said at one point, "but it does need to be at least rather close. Thus, we need tools." He presented a metre stick and string. "We ought to mark important points, and later connect the dots, rather than draw willy-nilly. Especially not for something as important as your Familiar. I am sorry, by the way, that this isn't some sort of special ceremony. Tenth year, just before Wassalia hols, there's this-"

But Cedric was cut off by Greylock snorting. "Kendrick, did you just use a slang term?" Greylock stood up and walked over to Cedric and clapped him on the back. "We haven't much time, but I think we'll make a lad of you yet!"

Cedric squinted briefly at Greylock, wondering which of three possible ways that comment was meant, but eventually rolled his eyes. "Just before Wassalia holidays," he revised, "there's this sort of rite of passage. Lots of candles, very spooky, I suppose it's important to some people."

Sofia smiled warmly. "Nah, I'm good here. It feels more special to me if it's just...a few friends, and doing this especially for me, than some community thing."

Ohhh, Merlin's Mushroom. Cedric glanced at Greylock to see his expression, but the expected raised eyebrow was nowhere to be found. So was it just me who thought that sounded a little too...romantic for comfort? Yes? All right, then.

"And Greylock? If you're going to be over here, you could at least help with all this." The younger boy shrugged and nodded.

Eventually, the circle was done, and Sofia read the verbal components of the spell, doing her best to correctly perform the somatic components she'd only just learned from Cedric. And… it worked! Sofia jumped for joy and hugged Cedric, before quickly backing off and muttering, "Sorry!" At the same time, a grey and brown rabbit jumped from within the center of the octagram, where previously there had only been a dried four-leaf clover. Greylock gave her a hug instead, offering his congratulations.

Cedric cleared his throat and tried to look serious, but couldn't help a small smile, either. "You can dismiss it now, by simply saying 'Familiarus Gonicus.' To summon, it's Familiarus Comhericus.'" A small poof of smoke appeared by Cedric's side, and let out a slow caw.

Sofia giggled at that, then took the rabbit into her arms and sat down. "Hmm, what should I name… Him, apparently? ...Yes, I rather like Clover." She looked entirely too attentive to the animal, like he was involved in the decision process. Cedric rolled his eyes and took the last remaining seat. Girls, animals, and creative names. Oh well. It's not like Greylock's was much better, he supposed.

"Cedric, did you go to the Halloween Masquerade last weekend?" Sofia asked rather suddenly. "I mean, I know it's not really your thing, but I'd be willing to bet Greylock could have gotten you to go, if he wanted." She grinned at Greylock, who grinned back.

With a sigh, Cedric answered, "Yes, I did. Why." Wormwood landed on his shoulder and started to preen.

"Well," Sofia said, "if it were a regular costume party, I'd ask what you went as. But since the point of a masquerade is not to be known, I can't actually do that!"

Squinting his eyes, Cedric voiced what he was sensing, "Buuut…?"

"But I think it was a fantastic time over all, and hope you found someone to have a good time with. Perhaps a radiantly shining partner to complement your dark mystique?" She blinked wide eyes innocently, grinning and petting her Familiar.

Cedric tried to squint harder, but all that accomplished was blurring his vision with his eyelashes. Instead, he pouted and stared - still squinting, of course. He preferred darker colors in general, it was true, but it seemed telling that she mentioned this directly after Wormwood appeared.

"I did, in fact. After Grey-" Cedric stopped suddenly as he had a realization. Hm. She assumed right off the bat that Greylock had brought me along. And yet… "After a certain someone showed me their tail feathers, I was approached by a royally enchanting young woman. Glowing, even, especially her crown. I could almost see myself wearing something like it, even if it was a bit gaudy." Greylock badly stifled a laugh.

"Oh wonderful!" Sofia clapped her hands together, bright eyed and bushy tailed…figuratively. That was an important distinction at Hexley Halls. Though Clover had the literal sense covered. "I also spent time with someone intriguing. Tall, dark and handsome. Ah, but then, he ran away, migrating south for the winter."

"Did this mysterious gentleman leave any clue who he was? A shoe, perhaps?"

"No, but his bangs did start peeking out from behind his mask after dancing some."

Oh. Neptune's Nipples. Cedric looked over to where Greylock, no longer able to hold back, was doubled over laughing.

Sofia was also smiling, but managed to hold in the laughter. "I never actually decided if I hoped you had or hadn't figured it out. I'm glad you decided to play along, though, that was fun. Thanks."

She seemed to think she was being genuinely nice, rather than laughing at his expense. ...Though it was fun. However - "All right, she's explained, but what have you got to say for yourself, Greylock?"

"I don't know," Greylock said as emphatically as he could through his laughter. "I - I just - the way she said that, the just the sudden gotcha, the jump from, from costume references to 'this was clearly you'. It, it-" And Greylock was too deep into another fit of laughter to continue.

Cedric rolled his eyes and smiled. Youngsters. Yes, he was two whole years Sofia's elder, and only one for Greylock's. Still. "Well, Sofia, we should probably…" Cedric glanced at the wall clock. "...Clean up, if we don't want to miss supper. That took rather longer than I expected. In fact - cleaning manually builds character, but I'd like to have something to eat at least." Cedric took out his wand, made a gesture, and hummed a tune. A broom that was in the corner sprouted arms, and walked over to Cedric using its bent bristles as makeshift feet. "Tidy up this room, if you please." The broom saluted and got to work.

The trio left, though Greylock gave a last look into the room and said, "I see absolutely no way this could go horribly wrong."