Rickon's shout could be heard throughout the entire house.
"The letters from school are here!" He firstly tore his own open, with the help of Shaggydog, then proceeded on to the rest of his family's before Arya came and stopped him.
"What do you think you're doing?" She snatched her piece of paper from his small hands. The print was small and uniformed, identical to the other seven letters. At the top of the page was a red dragon, circled by seven different objects of nature; wolf, eagle, lion, stag, rose, sun and fish. This was the emblem of Kings Landing Senior school, where all five of the Stark children were educated, the same as their ancestors had been for years and years and years. In two days, the family would be making the lengthy journey from the North East all the way to London to begin a new year at the school. Arya sighed at her younger brother as he tried to explain himself.
"Opening your letters of course, trying to be helpful. Unlike you'll ever be!"
And with that he stuck his tongue out at her and bounded away, Shaggy close on his heels. Skimming through the pointless notices and boring information, Arya kept her eyes peeled for the name of her new roommate, although she already knew who it would be. Funnily enough, she would be sharing with two other girls. Myrcella and Shireen Baratheon. Cousins. Both were her complete alter-ego, Myrcella was like a princess, beautiful and regal in her actions and appearance. Shireen on the other hand, was a quiet shy girl who mostly kept herself to her books. Arya didn't care, she'd been sharing with these two since she started in the prep school, eight years ago, and they all got on like a house on fire. In fact, one bonfire night, they actually had set the activities shed alight.
"Hmm, same old?" Sansa appeared over her shoulder, her own letter in hand "I'm with Margaery this year, I hope Jeyne doesn't get annoyed…" To ensure no conflict arose, Sansa grabbed her phone and began to frantically text her friend. A door abruptly slammed upstairs and Arya heard thuds as three pairs of feet raced across the landing and thudded down the staircase. Soon enough Robb, Theon and Jon hurtled into sight. They rushed through the hallway, hollering loudly, upsetting several pairs of boots before making their way into the large, comfy sitting room. The girls glanced at each other and followed them in
"Guess what year it is!" Robb shouted as they all piled on the sofa.
"Um, 2014?" Arya pondered.
"Nope!"
"The year Jon gets laid?" Sansa smiled sweetly
"No!" snapped Jon "That was 2013!"
Theon grimaced "Yeah alright, alright, simmer down… It's our last year! At school! EVER!"
"Yeah!" The other two boys shouted.
"Oh god as if we'd forgotten…" Arya sighed. For the past eight weeks of the summer holidays, the boys had continuously speculated about their forthcoming final year in the upper sixth. Plots, pranks and schemes had been deviously devised and it looked as if no-one would be allowed a moments peace.
A brunette head appeared around the door, her eyes a vivid blue and wise looking.
"I suppose the letters from school have arrived? I heard a certain someone shouting…" Catelyn rolled her eyes and jerked her head back towards wherever Rickon had gone. She stepped through the doorway and went over to the fire, awaking the embers with a prod of her boot.
"So, what's the goss?"
"Please don't use that word…" Sansa cringed
Catelyn waved her hand around, signifying she couldn't care less "who are you all rooming with this year?"
It turned out that aside from Sansa and Arya, Jon was with Samwell and Grenn, Theon was with Gendry Waters and Willas Tyrell and Robb was with Sandor Clegane…
"Clegane!?" Theon hooted "Good luck mate! I heard he has this obsession with eating chicken,"
"Oh yeah, last year a boy in year 10 bet him that he couldn't finish the plate of chicken drumsticks at the Christmas Ball and he ate the whole thing, the whole thing!" Arya added.
"I think he's probably really nice, but just doesn't talk much." Sansa nudged Robb "Be kind to him, you know his brother's a twit."
"And don't talk about his scar, according to Gendry that really sets him off."
"Don't smirk Theon. Poor boy, I've heard some terrible things about his family. You must tell him he's always welcome here Robb."
Robb shrugged "I don't know why you're all worrying about me, Theon's room is next to Loras and Renly's!"
"Expect some sleepless nights," smirked Jon. He pointed to a diagram showing the floor plan of Stormlands House and sure enough their rooms were parallel.
"Oh, I forgot you're all in Stormlands this year!" said Sansa "Jeyne, Margery and I are all in Dorne House with the rest of the year 11's girls. I'm glad we left Vale House last year, Aunt Lysa was so annoying!"
"Now Sansa…" muttered Catelyn, but she had run out of excuses for her sister long ago.
Sansa grinned at Arya anyway "Unlucky, you've got it all to come in year 10. What house are you in now?"
"Riverlands, is it good?"
"Yeah, you get Miss Tarth as your house mistress!"
"Everyone knows she's a lesbian though," said Robb.
"Robb!" Catelyn glared at him "Brienne is a good friend of mine and I think it's very impolite and insulting of you to say something like that. Anyway, you have no evidence that she is."
Theon laughed at her last point but Sansa silenced him "She can't be a lesbian, it's so obvious that she fancies Mr Lannister!"
There were murmurs of agreement as Ned walked in, pushing Bran in front of him. He set the wheel chair by the fire and then sat himself down in the great, grey armchair that was his, and his alone.
"What have we missed?"
Arya rolled her eyes "only who we're sharing with and a certain teachers sexuality,"
"Sounds riveting. Bran and I were just discussing who we think has packed and who we think hasn't…?"
Of course Sansa had, she had had her things ready days ago. Robb was the same, and Jon was nearly there but was having trouble finding his guitar and the all the songs he had written for Ygritte over the summer. Arya had thrown a few scrunched up clothes in and Nymeria had found her blazer and school shoes for her. Theon didn't even know where his trunk was.
Ned settled back in his armchair and closed his eyes "Two more days…"
