Nervously I taped my fingers on my leg, trying to remember to breath normally.
"Are you alright Miss Powell?"
"Yes, sorry. Nervous I guess."
"Ah don't worry, I'm sure you'll feel right at home here," the headmaster said to me with a smile. I sent him a withering look as I stood, slinging my meager bag over my shoulder and gratefully taking the bundle of material he handed me before turning to exit his... Office? Study? Magic gargoyle protected room?
Shaking my head I walked down the stairs, taking a minute to look wearily back at the statue that, not too long ago, had spoken.
Guess that's what I had too look forward to here.
Heaven help me.
Self consciously I walked down the halls, praying I wouldn't bump into any students since it was, from what the headmaster said, class time. Mindlessly I held the my bundle of new possessions to my chest, trying to hide the fact I was still in my oversized jumper and jeans from the strange train ride over.
I'm still trying to to think about that one.
"Who's that?"
I paused, turning to see who had spoken, but the hall behind me was just as empty as when I'd walked through it. Shaking of my no doubt declining mental health I pressed on through the hall.
"No, definitely haven't seen her before."
This time I pressed on. Walking through platform pillars, hearing voices in my head, what's the difference?
"Hey girl, what's your name?"
"Honestly girl, it's quite rude to ignore people when they're talking to you."
"Come now, we're just trying to figure your name!"
I whirled around, once more finding the hall empty. Taking a shaky breath I moved turn and probably sprint down the hall when movement caught my eye. My head whipped to the side to come face to face with... a painting.
"There, now's I've gotten your attention-"
"Oh my God," I gasped, my hand clutching my chest as I staggered back. My other hand covered my face as I worked on slowing my breathing. "They talk, the paintings talk."
"Well of course we talk, what else are we supposed to do all day?!" the woman in the painting asked indignantly.
"Fair enough," I said weakly, approaching the painting with caution.
"Now, as I was saying, what's your name girl?"
"Brione, Brione Powell."
"Lovely to meet you! Although we're a good two months into the year, how come you're just comin' now?"
"Long story," I mumbled pathetically, avoiding eye contact. Eye contact? Paint contact?
"Well I'm sure you'll have a lovely time here!" she said brightly.
"So people keep telling me," I muttered.
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing. Thank you. I should get changed before class gets out," I said awkwardly.
"Oh yes, you'll stick out like a sore thumb you will! You know where you're going, yea?"
"Yes thank you. Nice to meet you!" I said before quickly scampering off around the corner. Wearily I eyed the paintings around me, but finding with some relief that they were all conspicuously deserted of living figures. Pressing on down the hall I followed the mental map the Headmaster had explained to me, quickly finding my way at the bottom of a spiraling staircase. Steeling my nerves I made my way up to the handleless door that'd been described. Ok, more talking things.
"Um-"
"Pretend you know nothing of the appearance of an elephant.
You and two companions are walking through the wild when you happen upon a rhino and a hippo. One friend claims the rhino is an elephant, the other claims the hippo is and elephant. Whom do you believe and why?"
I balked, staring at the talking eagle door knocker. Ok, talking statues, talking painting, and now the talking door knocker, were my socks going to tell me what foot they preferred being on next?
Furrowing my brow I played the riddle through my head again, pursing my lips tried to piece together a logical conclusion.
"Uh, you said I don't know what an elephant looks like, not that I don't know what a rhino and a hippo looks like, so I should trust neither of them."
"Well reasoned," he (she?) said evenly, the door swinging open. Releasing a relieved breath I hurried into the room, lest the door close on me and I manage to strand myself in the stairway. All my thoughts left me though when I entered what looked to be a common room. It was a beautiful circular room with windows all around, and stars painted on the ceiling with bronze and blue silks draping down hug the walls. Spaced around the room were chairs and tables and bookcases and couches that looked like everything I'd ever dreamed of having growing up. Directly in front of me was a little alcove filled with books, the archway flanked by Bronze statues of eagles standing proudly on marble pillars, but what what caught my eye was the marble statue of a woman, just under the arch, one of her arms curled over her chest, the other reaching out. I walked closer to get get a better look, a door behind the lady caught my eye. Breathing a sigh of relief upon the sight of 'Girls' scripted on the door I quickly moved past the statue and pushed open the door and started up the tightly curled staircase until I reached the top just like the headmaster had instructed. Just my luck, one I had text books this trek was going to be a pain. Unless we didn't use text books. Do they have wizard text books?
I blew a piece of hair out of my face as I entered the archway, taking note of the relatively lofty dorm room. Pushed into nooks in the wall were the beds, large windows behind them with curtains on both side of the bed for privacy. Sticking out from the wall into the room like the spokes on a wheel were a desk and wardrobe, creating a good almost a little bubble for each individual space. From the looks of it, all the beds but one were occupied, the one immediately to the left of the door. Shakily I took my bag off my shoulder and tossed the pile of clothes on my bed, taking a minute to take in my new living space for the next few months. Curiously I opened the wardrobe, finding nothing more than empty hangers inside. The drawers were equally as empty so I turned to the desk in hopes of... something. Unfortunately the desk, having only two shallow drawers containing quills and parchment as well as a bronze letter opener, offered no more answers than the wardrobe. Anxiously pulling my hair away from my neck over one shoulder I spun slowly around, looking for anything to help put me at ease, but I found no familiarity here. Of course I probably wouldn't have felt any familiarity at a normal boarding school either.
With one last weary glance at the door I peeled off my oversized jumper and tank top, grabbing the white button up shirt from the pile of clothes I'd been given. After pulling it over my head and buttoning the last few buttons I grabbed the tie, yes a tie, and slid it around my neck before tying it at my throat, pulling on the jumper last of all. Unhappily I picked up the skirt and tossed it on the desk, unbuttoning my jeans and pulling them down when I kicked something hard under the bed while I was trying to shimmy out of the familiar denim. After nursing my poor foot I knelt down, immediately coming face to face with a large green trunk. Hesitantly I pulled it out from under the bed, taking a deep breath before unlatching it and flipping open the lid.
I sat back on my heels as I looked at the strange contents of my trunk. What kind of school was this?
The magical kind.
Oh yea.
Something caught my eye though in the neatly organized trunk, a thick white envelope with beautiful dark letters staining the surface.
B. Powell
Well that's me. Accepting my fate I grabbed the letter opener and broke open the envelope, pulling out an expensively thick piece of paper with the same elegant cursive as the envelope as well as... stockings?
Oh God, oh God, oh God.
Dear Miss Powell,
so glad to have you. Take these.
~ I.A.
Awesome, I had people giving me letters with lingerie in them. Although I did have to admit the light material looked more appealing than the thick tights I'd been given. Still, day one and getting in trouble for dress code was kind of a bad thing. What the hellI rolled my eyes and pulled on the stockings without another thought, slipping on the black flats I'd been given to finish the ensemble.
Polyvore: ravenclaw/set?id=97719576
Ok now what?
To keep my hands busy I worked on putting away the few clothes that I had, leaving most of the space in my wardrobe empty no matter how I divided up the material. After that I rearranged the drawers to how I imagined they'd be most efficient. Honestly why a school that flew around on broomsticks still used quills was beyond me but, you know, when in Rome.
By the time I'd rearranged the strange contents in my trunk for the third time I finally decided to give up and put it away.
"Ooh, lovely view."
I jumped, the top of my head impacting the frame of my bed. Quickly I sat back on my heels, twisting my shoulders around to find the source of the voice, hopefully not another bloody painting. Instead of moving canvas though I was greeted by two girls.
"I'm sorry love, didn't mean to give you a fright," the dark haired girl said, her piercing blue eyes shrewd and observing.
"I uh, I think live," I said awkwardly. The girls in front of me didn't look any different than those I'd pass on the street. Definitely prettier than the average girl, but no glowing particles surrounding them or warts. Honestly I was feeling rather disappointed that The Wizard of Oz hadn't prepared me for this moment in my life.
"Irene, you're horrible," the little blond girl next to 'Irene' said. She smiled at me, reaching out an hand to help me up. "I'm mary Morstan by the way."
"Brione Powell," I replied, shakily accepting her hand and letting her hoist me up.
"That's Irene, pay her no mind, she's just shameless."
"What's there to be ashamed of?" the darker haired girl said with a grin, moving with an natural grace over to her bed on the opposite side of the door and laying down, letting her long, slender legs rest on the wall.
"So this makes three of us, who's the forth girl here?" I asked curiously.
"Not important," Irene said dismissively. "Mary be a dear and grab my book for me, will you?"
"Irene, can't you see that mummy's busy?" Mary said rolling her eyes. Across the room I heard the other girl huff, digging her wand out of her robe and pointing the stick at her desk, the book in question floating over to her.
"Anyways, that's Rebekah's bunk, but she hasn't used it since the first week of school. She always sneaks into the Slytherin's dorms to cuddle with that boyfriend of hers. I'm pretty sure there's more of Molly's clothes in that wardrobe than Rebekah's."
"Molly?"
"Oh yes, Molly! She's a good friend of ours from Hufflepuff. Irene convinces her to stay over here most nights because she's determined to corrupt the poor girl."
"I merely think she could do with a bit more excitement in her life," Irene sniffed, not bothering to look up from her book.
"So what classes do you have?," Marry asked, pointedly turning her back to her friend.
I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
"First year classes," Irene supplied.
"Yes, thank you," I muttered.
"First year?" Mary asked. "You've got to be at least-"
"Sixteen. Yea, I'm a bit behind."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she murmured, looking almost as embarrassed as felt.
"Yea, well my step dad was a priest and he roped my mom into his religious fanaticism, so when I got the freaky owl letter on my 11th birthday, I got shipped off to a convent."
"Mmm a convent girl-"
"Honestly Irene!" Mary said, chucking a book from her desk at the girl that she deftly caught, giving Mary a smirk before tossing it at the foot of her bed.
"Yea, well it turns out not even nuns could suppress my... um..."
"Magic," Mary supplied.
"Yea," I answered lamely.
"We'll get you up to speed," Irene said simply.
"I'm supposed to be in year six by now, yea? That's rather ambitious," I replied.
"I've always loved a challenge," Irene purred.
"Alright, that's it, enough's enough. I'm going to take Brione to lunch before you have her running off in the other direction, you can join us if you promise to behave."
Irene seemed to ponder the little blonde girl's offer before sighing dramatically and sweeping into a sitting position.
"I think, perhaps I can manage."