A/N: Hello again! I'm planning on updating every Saturday/Sunday, in case you were wondering. I spend at least 30 minutes per day writing.
Guess what guys? This is a 1,980 word chapter without the Previously On and A/N. Probably one of the longest things I've ever written, about 600 words longer than my last chapter. Pretty cool, huh?
Disclaimers: are nuisances since you all know that I could never write the long HP books with my longest chapter being just under 2,000 words.
By the way: I changed my penname from MarineAstriella to HayleyGoth.
Short A/N. Enjoy! Please review afterwards!
Previously on The Dating Game:
I, being the sensible person I am (not), turned on my heel and walked up what I guessed to be the girls' staircase. There was a door that said 'Fifth Years', so I knocked. Manners were well ingrained into me, as you can tell.
"Come in!" Came a muffled squeak.
I lightly pushed the door in. Time to face my new dorm mates.
Wow. There were five other girls. That's a lot of Slytherin girls in our year. At least I think. If not, I really don't care. It's my thoughts that count, not yours.
Back on topic- walking in.
I was slightly scared. I mean, new girl? Psh, never been there before. I've only moved twice- Iceland to Germany, Germany to France. But never have I gone to a new school. One if the perks of having Wizarding parents, I guess.
Yet again off topic.
I stared at them, frozen in the doorway. This is extremely awkward, I thought.
They stared at me, seemingly frozen in place, too. I mean, honestly, why was it like someone had turned us all into statues? Too awkward for me to handle.
"Hullo," I greeted. It took me a minute to realise that, wait, I'd spoken in French again. Curse my nervous habits. You can't blame me, though. I've lived in France since I was ten, surrounded by French speakers. Then I went to a French school. I got more used to it than German, or even my original Icelandic.
"Sorry, I meant to say hi. Nervous French speaking, I guess." I laughed, hoping to diffuse the tension a bit. Harder than it seems, I tell you.
One of the other girls laughed too. "What other languages do you speak?"
"Only a few... German, Icelandic, French, Spanish, English... I can do American Sign Language and Morse Code, too... A bit of Greek and Latin..."
The girls stared at me in shock. "That's what you call a few?" A brown-haired girl asked. The others nodded.
"I mean, all my family speaks that many... Is that uncommon?" I was genuinely surprised. I thought that most families had Etiquette classes and learned how to carry a book on your head without it falling. It just seemed so simple and mundane. Maybe they learned different subjects? Maybe they even went to Muggle school! My mother did when she was young, but I wasn't allowed to, because our family had to keep 'Under-The-Radar'.
"That's just.. Amazing. I've only ever met one bilingual person, but you beat them by a long shot!" a blonde girl in the middle told.
I blushed deep red. "It's not that big a deal... I mean, some of the languages are a bit difficult, but I could teach you guys... Once you get into the rhythm it's really simple."
"Oh, could you?" Cried the girl who laughed earlier. The eager 'please's that followed told me they all wished to learn. I shrugged. "Sure, but tonight I'd really like to get to sleep early. Which bed's mine?"
It was the one on the far left, right next to the window. I love windows- unless there's a storm going on outside. I always feel like I'll blow away. But I was disappointed to find that, no, it's was just a view of the lake. Nothing exciting and no stars. I couldn't even open the window without flooding the place!
My trunk was already there. And a bed. How'd they do that so quickly? Maybe some of the staff?
I didn't ponder too long. I changed into my pyjamas and brushed my teeth and such before laying down.
With my curtains drawn and the lights off, I felt a few tears slip down my cheeks. I was so far from home, speaking a language I'm still a little shaky in at times, surrounded by strangers and people who know that I should be dead. What if somebody recognised me? I would be toast.
A silent laugh escaped me. Whenever I heard Old Dog mention Harry Potter in his British accent, it sounded like Harry Butter, so I always thought of the Wizarding World's saviour as Harry Butter Toast. Rude, yes, but a habit since I was young. As they say, old habits die hard.
I never got that 'die hard' bit. Shouldn't it be 'Old habits are difficult to break'? Die hard just sounded... Weird. But loads of sayings did.
My favourite French proverb was "L'arbre cache souvent la forêt", or "The tree often hides the forest". Most English know it as "Can't see the forest for the trees".
The proverb was so similarly related to everything. When you're too close to something, take a step back to see the whole picture. If you focus on one tree, you may never know you were in a forest until you leave. I try my best to live to this proverb, but I have found that aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait, or no sooner said than done. I try to no longer focus on those small details as life threatening, like what to wear, but I rather prefer to think, what will I get out of today to help me later in life?
That's why I've learned so many languages. I want to do something that has the possibility to help me, and I avoid most of the things that hurt me. But I didn't look at the forest once. I focused on chasing a hummingbird that made me crash in to a tree and deal with all the scrapes and bruises. I chased the bait and got hooked. I fell for the trick and got expelled. What was this terrible trick? It was loads of terrible mistakes meshed together to hurt me. It was the bullet that struck my arm and hurt, but didn't kill me.
Lots of deep metaphors, huh?
My tears slowed down and hardened on my cheeks. I really hate the feeling of dry tears. It's like they're trying to stay there forever, show everyone that you've had a moment if weakness that they'll never know about.
My thoughts began to slow as a melody played in the back of my head.
"We're not the same, dear
As we used to be.
The seasons have changed
And so have we.
There was little we could say
And even less that we could do
To stop the ice from getting thinner
Under me and you."
The song went on. It was very calming, one of my favourites. A Muggle song, but who cares? They have some great music.
Wondering about my lullaby? It's The Ice is Getting Thinner by Death Cab for Cutie. An American band, like loads of the other music I listen to. You can't blame me for being different! They're one of the reasons I learned English, my American bands.
As my lullaby played in my head, my thoughts slowed and the song in my head became the only thing left in the world. The black screen behind my eyelids and the song. My breaths began to slow and I drifted off into space, into the nothingness of sleep, with no dreams or pain or people or expulsions. Just the black and the lullaby.
"Hey, new gir, Black. Wake up." Someone said while shaking my shoulder. I yawned and groggily opened my eyes. Sleep felt so nice and peaceful I just wanted to close my eyes again...
Then I remembered- it was my first day at Hogwarts. I bolted up upright, wide awake, and swung my legs off my bed onto the green carpeted floor. "How long 'til I gotta go ta class?" My words slurred together, sounded strange. Then I realised I had put on my fake American-Country accent. One of my favourite pastimes: using cheesy fake accents. I've gotten better over the years, and it's easier with the fact that I have a mixed accent myself.
"You got twenty minutes, Black." It was the girl who woke me. She had dark cocoa skin and even darker brown hair. Her toast-coloured eyes matched. She stood with her arms crossed, looking around idly with a bored expression, like nothing could impress her.
I started to move around, grabbing my (already put together) book bag, changing into my robes, and brushing my crayon deep red-black hair into a high ponytail.
"Follow me, Black, and I can help you to the Great Hall." waker-upper told.
I traced her footsteps as she left our dorm and our into the long, cold common room. We got into the freezing dungeon hallways and went through many twists and turns and up a stairway to the dining hall we ate in last night. How I would ever memorise that path was beyond me.
"Try to remember the way. If you get lost, you probably won't be found for awhile. But there are no maps. Hogwarts is an Unplottable."
How does she walk so fast?
"You'll receive your schedule with the rest of us. Try to follow people with the same schedule as you. If no one has the same schedule, at least follow someone with the same next class."
I nodded as she paused for breath.
"I'm Coco Brown. And don't worry, I know you're Meissa Black."
I found her name rather ironic.
As we walked into the Great Hall I noticed that there were mostly Second years and up present, but some first years made it. It must be really hard to get here from the other common rooms, too, though I wondered where they all where. I knew the Griffindors were in a tower, as Old Dog told me. It was a wonder I wasn't able to break into the tower. All I needed was the password and I was there. Grandpappy hadn't told me as much about the Slytherin common room, but now I knew more of its secrets.
At least I think so.
Brown and I sat down at the Slytherin table at the far end, across from Potter and Malfoy. I wondered of they knew each other.
My thougt-question-thing was answered when Potter said "Hey, Chocolate. I see you were the guide for the new girl." Chocolate? Must be some nickname, I thought. Malfoy too busy finishing some work to pay attention. "Hey, do you guys know when our first Quidditch game will be? I don't know where to put it in my study schedule."
I raised my eyebrows. "Got a study schedule already? Shouldn't you wait to see how hard classes will be to determine how long you'll work?"
Malfoy looked up as if just noticing that I was there. "They're always the same. Plus, my dad already told me what our classes will be like this year."
"Oh, so you're going to breeze through the O.W.L.s with flying colours, now aren't you?"
"Rude, now aren't you?"
"Right back at you."
"Oy, I know you're cousins, but be nice," Potter interrupted. Malfoy scowled as he corrected Potter, saying, "As far as I'm concerned, we're third cousins." Brown just laughed. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm still surprised you're a Slytherin, Ravenclaw."
"Stop arguing and go to class with these schedules, a professor with a buzz-cut and pulled face snapped. "Make sure to show the new girl around." With a sneer he spun on his heel and left the Hall.
"That was Professor Antonio, Head of Slytherin. Really harsh. Teaches Potions. Even his House hates him," Brown supplied. I felt like she was the signs in the museum, in the group. Potter must've been their leader, and Malfoy just... Malfoy.
"Let's go, we've got Charms first." Brown dragged me up by the wrist.
As we all left the Hall, the only thoughts that ran through my mind were:
How will I ever fit in with them, or anyone?
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please review! Stay tuned for next Sunday's chapter of The Dating Game!
*Hayles