Thanks for the review, TheMutualEnemy! I'm glad I made things clear, I have problems with that. Thank you for reading too. I was clapping in excitement for such a nice first review, much to the amusement of my Muggle family. You know how those Muggles are…
Chapter 2: Stories
~Sage's POV~
Oliver, the prefect, looked around at us first years. "Where is everyone else?"
"Amy had to tie her shoe and Kate stayed with her, and Jack and Lee had to go to the restroom. I imagine they got lost."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"They said they'd be back really fast, so I didn't bother. So I guess it's my fault. Sorry, sir."
"I'd report this and have Professor Anderson take a point from Gryffindor," Oliver's fellow prefect, Crystal, said, "But I have a feeling that's not what really happened. Did they ask you to cover for them?"
"I told you it's my fault." I said, sticking to my story.
"Hmm. Well, off to bed." Oliver said.
"I'd like to wait up for them."
"If Anderson catches you up, he'll take our badges." Crystal said. "Besides, you'll be late for class if you sleep in."
I sighed and trudged up the steps. The other girls had only left three beds open. I took the one in the corner and examined the drapes around it. Grr, burgandy.
My trunk was sitting neatly under the bed, so I opened it and looked for my books. The turnk was halfway packed neatly and to the fullest advantage of the space, and then the rest of it was haphazard where I'd gotten bored and started practicing with my wand, before I realized I was late packing it and freaked out.
I found my pajamas, black flannel pants and a matching top, and changed. Jessica was wearing skimpy satin lingerie and Britney was probably dressed in similar fare, but she was already under the covers wearing a facemask of a pasty yellow substance (I recognized it as Dermella's Nighttime Potion) and slices of salem fruit over her eyes with her hair wrapped in a fluffy white towel.
"What is this, a spa or a dormitory?" I muttered under my breath.
I heard Megan giggle again, then flush hot pink. I flashed her a wicked grin and continued trying to make my textbooks fit into my school bag.
Just then I heard Crystal lecturing the girls about warning them before they take any detours and staying where they are whenever they get lost in the castle. The door swung open. Amy and Kate were grinning sheepishly.
"Alright, this is your dormitory." Crystal said. "I assume you can find your beds without getting lost?"
I laughed, then returned to shoving Hogwarts, A History into my bag.
The sixth year crossed to me, her beaded braids swinging prettily. Oooh, shiny… "Here, let me." Right. Packing a bag. Not looking at the shiny beads. (You are getting very sleepy…)
She tapped my bag and murmured a spell. The books fell in and clattered to the bottom. I reached in. I could probably fit a broomstick or maybe a dragon in there.
Ooh, a dragon in my school bag. Convenient.
I closed the bag and climbed into my bed as the other girls got ready. Even though I didn't feel tired at all, I pulled the covers up and closed my eyes. I was asleep before I had a chance to register that the beds were incredibly soft.
x-x-x-x-x
"Potions with the Slytherins, Herbology with Hufflepuffs, Charms with Ravenclaws, and then Defense Against the Dark Arts with more Slytherins." I read. "Oh, fun."
"Why Double Potions in the morning?" Jack whined.
I had to laugh. He reminded me of my brother, except I actually got along with him. My brother was in Slytherin like my dad, since my family is chock-full of ambitious purebloods. We'd been at odds for ages, with several amusing, light-hearted-yet-heated arguments each day.
Probably the reason for what my dad called impudence and my best friend Molly called spunk: my inability to shut the heck up when I was challenged.
"Well, I'm going to head towards the classroom. See you, Jack."
"Bye, Sage."
I pulled my bag over my shoulder and headed off. The class wasn't all that far away, but I wanted to explore. I'm not stupid enough to try sneaking off to explore after lights out, but I needed to know this place inside and out if I wanted to use it to my full advantage.
After a long straight stretch in a side corridor, I came to one of those blasted intersections that leave you wondering which way to go.
"If you're looking for Potions, young Gryffindor, you ought to be headed thataways." A ghost said, gliding out of a wall.
I didn't jump (much); our house elves randomly pop into rooms and start speaking, so I'm used to the occasional unexpected arrival. "Hello, Sir Nicholas."
"I suppose you're off to find some trouble to get mixed up in."
"Oh, I don't go looking for trouble, that's naïve. But I don't run away from it like a coward. If it finds me like usual, it finds me."
He laughed. "Okay. Watch out for Peeves, though; he's been quiet for a while; he must be planning something." And with that, Nearly Headless Nick floated off through the opposite wall.
I looked around and decided to start my map. If I ever needed to tell someone where to go, the map stored in my brain wouldn't be much good.
After a moment of studying the rough sketch I'd already started, I realised the four branches from the circular room they intersected through were located at north, east, south, and west. It was the center of the castle.
Good to know. I looked up and decided on north. (Why? you ask… Why the heck not?) Within a few steps, I felt that familiar and unfortunate sensation of my socks getting soaked. Great…
I looked down and examined the water on the floor. It was coming from the abrupt end of the hallway, a green and brown wall. Except it wasn't a wall.
I'd spent a fair amount of time in the Weasly's Wizarding Wheezes shop in Diagon Alley. I knew an Expandable Swamp when I saw one.
"Ooh, a little firstie."
Ah, that explained it: Peeves. I heard a pop not unlike a house elf Apparating and the poltergeist appeared.
"How goes it, Peeves? I see your latest prank is a growing success."
"Want some swamp mud? It does wonder for the complexion, and you certainly need it."
I laughed as he pelted me with mud. "I probably do." He was annoying, but the swamp thing was funny and I knew how to siphon surfaces clean. Besides, he wanted a rise. And call me crazy, but I didn't want to give him what he wanted.
"You're no fun." He accused.
"I know. But there's this hot-headed Slytherin guy," Emphasis on hot. Ahem. "You can't miss him, amber eyes and auburn hair."
"Very amusing."
Great. Vin was standing right behind me, wasn't he? Of course he was.
"Heya, Vin."
