Noun; an ardent longing, as for something lost
Alice was feeling uninspired.
It had only been a few days since Tabitha had gifted her the journal, and Alice, rather foolishly, she could acknowledge, had been hoping for a mystery to just sort of plop right into her lap. It was a naive wish, but it's what always seemed to happen to literary characters, so Alice figured that perhaps some of that same plot magic could occur in her favor.
However, since that had yet to happen, she was currently on the patrol for leads whilst daydreaming in History of Magic. The class actually happened to be one of her favorites, and a little part of Alice was proud that she could claim that honestly. She was already obsessed enough with muggle history, a result of accidentally finding her fathers old history textbook from university years ago. Because of that, she was able to make connections with it and magical history, something which Professor Binns greatly appreciated, thus making Alice one of his favorite students.
However, at the moment, Binns would be greatly distressed by the current mindscape of his favored student, for it was not at all focused on the curriculum. Alice instead was staring absentmindedly out the window, trying to think of things to snoop about, but in a casual way.
The pretty Slytherin girl in front of Alice was picking at her ear. The Ravenclaw down the aisle was tapping his quill on the table, and Alice began to time her breaths with the taptap tap taptap.
Inhale taptap tap taptap, exhale taptap tap taptap.
Outside the window, the sun was shining. She'd have to get out for a bit today, maybe Di and Tabbie would want to take a hadn't done that yet. Heavens knew they had things to talk about, such as the young lad from Hufflepuff who had asked Diana out just yesterday. They had a Hogsmeade visit coming up, which always brought on a slew of invitations for Diana, a few for Tabitha, and a whopping total of none for Alice. It was shit, sometimes, to be the "ugly" one in the friend group.
Alice knew she wasn't exactly ugly, per se, but she certainly wasn't as attractive as her friends. She was also quite tall, so that had eliminated any possibility of being asked out by a boy before fifth year, the bloody cowards. The pimples hadn't helped.
It really was a lovely day out, warm and buttery like a good piece of toast. The sunlight spilling across her desk was warming her hands and bent head, illuminating the dust particles floating through the air, making them seem like something far more romantic and ethereal than dead skin cells and bits of lint.
Alice's eyes slipped shut, slowly...
….and the bells chimed from the center courtyard.
Alice snapped to attention, chin lifting from her bent hand. She swept her papers into her satchel and her loose hair behind her ear, tugging her oxford shirt straight as she left the room, fingers clasping the leather strap of her bag. The halls were bustling as she made her way to Muggle Studies, her second to last class of the day. It was an elective, so it was with students from every house, which was actually quite fun, as much as she could tell from the introduction earlier in the week. Since it was an elective, much less one deemed useless by many, the few students who took it were hopefully genuinely interested in it, something that not many other teachers could claim.
The door was already open when she made it to the classroom- which, it must be said- was one of the coolest rooms in the whole school, in Alice's humble opinion.
The outside was unassuming enough, appearing to just be like every other classroom in Hogwarts, but the inside was another story. The window on the left wall actually had a drape, likely to do with the film projector hanging from the ceiling, one of the only electrical devices that worked inside the school's impenetrable walls. Alice had partially signed up for the class hoping for the opportunity to see some muggle films since her mother didn't allow them in the house, along with the majority of other muggle items. There was also a red telephone booth, a bookshelf filled with muggle textbooks and pleasure reading alike, a bicycle leaning against the wall, shelves filled with cameras, games, lightbulbs, a plethora of random kitchen devices, and more foreign tchotchke. Suspended from the ceiling was a kite, its long tail perpetually in motion, a result of a spell, was Alice's best bet.
Not even the desks were normal, Alice relished, as she took her usual seat at the back of the class. Well, that wasn't true technically, the desks were the same as all the others. Thick, sturdy, wooden, and carved with the graffiti of students prior. No, the desks were the same, but the chairs were completely different. Instead of the typical barely-padded wooden seats, there were lawn chairs, sinking and wonderful.
Alice tugged out her copy of Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles by some chap named Wilhelm Wigworthy (if Alice herself didn't have a mockable name, she would have pitied the gentleman, but since she did, Alice silently allied herself with the author), and flipped it open to the inside page and carefully penciled her name in the upper corner, then sighed and proceeded to erase all she could from the kids who had owned her book before her, initials, swirls, and crude doodles.
Diana always asked her why she bought used textbooks, and the answer had been simple to Alice. She saved money, helped the environment, and she got a book with a history, which was quite fun if the last owner was someone interesting. Like- last year, Alice had had a book in which the previous owner had composed poems about all the people in their house, which had in turn inspired Alice to do the same- wait.
That was it.
She could figure out who it was, the mysterious poem writer.
Excellent idea, Birdie applauded herself. It would require a minimum amount of digging, most of it coming from something she already owned, and it wouldn't appear suspicious at all, only as though she was studying a rather absurd amount from a Divination textbook- and if Alice was being honest with herself, no one, other than her friends, paid enough attention to her to question it.
Only one problem though- the book was still at home, lined neatly on the shelf in Alice's bedroom where she kept all her old textbooks.
Oh whatever, she could just write Rosie and request it within the next few days, no harm no foul.
And yet…
The idea of writing her sister made Alice hesitate. She knew it was stupid, she knew it was petty and immature and all those nasty things, but a little part of Alice wanted- oh, she didn't know- for Rosalind to reach out first? To finally send her typical letter, filled with wit and warmth and love, smelling like that smell that was just her? To have her sister, her lovely, brave, smart sister finally realize the wall that was slowly being erected between them of their own volition, and make a move to tear it down?
Alice puffed out her cheeks and let her hair fall in front of her face as she leaned down to fish some parchment out of her bag, silently sighing at herself.
It sounded just as ridiculous as it had felt before that subconscious desire had materialized in her mind as a thought.
It just seemed like all Alice had been doing was reaching for her sister, all this past summer and even the time before that. Sure, Rosalind had been teaching her dueling and she saw her at mealtimes and such, but it had felt like an unbreachable chasm had opened up between them, a gap that only widened with every time Rosie brushed off Alice's questions and worries. She seemed so tense, and worried, and yet she moved with more energy and purpose than ever before. Her eyes- the same eyes that Alice had, the same eyes as their mother- just seemed… different.
It was worrying.
Alice snapped back to attention. She was being ridiculous. It was her sister for Merlin's sake. Nothing was unbreachable, at least not permanently.
Infused with a new vigor, and determined to annoy her sister back into her life, Alice focused on the teacher in front of her, Professor Shepard, a middle-aged witch with graying hair, smooth skin, and a wide smile, which she was currently flashing at the assembled students as she moved to shut the door. Her long skirt brushed against the floor and her light sweater was actually quite cute, Alice admitted. She herself would probably wear it.
Wait a second. Was that something Diana would tease her for?
Probably.
That's how you know it's a good idea, Alice laughed to herself. Her Diana-meter of disdain was never off.
Professor Shepard's bracelets tinkled softly and she began speaking, "All right is that everyone? Okay guys, welcome to-" she was abruptly cut off by the door, which she was currently attempting to close, suddenly rebelling against the pressure she was putting on it. There was a noise of protest from the corridor, and Professor Shepard yanked the door open to reveal one, rather embarrassed and a bit messy Remus Lupin standing on the outside.
Alice felt for him.
"I'm sorry, are you in this class? If not, I'll have to write you up, I don't recognize you from Tuesday, and I certainly don't appreciate the interruption," Shepard said. To the average onlooker, one may think her harsh, but it was obvious she was teasing Lupin, from the teasing glint in her eye to the way she put her weight on one leg.
Alice grinned. She was going to like this class.
Lupin, on the other hand, seemed a bit unsure as to whether or not the Professor was joking. He gave her a nervous look, his hand going to the back of his neck like every single teenage boy did habitually, and gave a frantic glance to the class over Shepard's left shoulder. Alice gave him a small thumbs up and a smile, trying to signify the comedy behind the situation, and Lupin returned it with a confused look, followed by a small look of relief.
"Sorry, Professor, I am in this class. I just got transferred- oh, here's a note from Professor McGonnagal- earlier this week. I can get the notes from someone, so don't feel the need to go over anything I may have missed again, Professor."
Shepard had been studying the note before looking up and gesturing for him to take a seat. "So you're Remus Lupin? Welcome to the class, now before you take a seat- you can have that one in front of Ms. Whippet- could you please explain to me why you're late? It's your first class and all, Mr. Lupin, and impressions are very important.
Lupin, who had started across the room, turned and gave a small laugh. "There was an...incident in Transfiguration, Professor. A friend of mine was irritating this girl, the argument got out of hand and… well let's just say I don't think that poor rat will ever be the same," Remus said, obviously trying to restrain a smile from his face, an attempt that was failing miserably. Some kids started to giggle, picking up on who the two unnamed students were, Alice included. Potter needs a lesson in no means no, honestly.
"Anyways, I stayed behind to help clean up the, erm, mess." Lupin finished, stoic expression somewhat intact.
"Well then, Lupin, though you were late- which does deduct some points- you were late for a somewhat honorable reason. Friends do come above all else, even when they've made a mess," she laughed, allowing Lupin to continue across the room towards the previously empty seat in front of Alice. "Friends and family folks, never lose them. You won't realize it until they're gone, and in times like these, we need them more than ever."
AN: HOLY HECKIN' HELL I GOT A REVIEW! FINALLY! Miss tea-spoon96, you are a blessing. I happen to know that 850 people have looked at this story, and not a single one has left a review, other than you, my sweet summer child, mwah darling.
Seriously though, that review made my day and really did give me a bunch of encouragement. I've been sick and a bit stressed; I start boarding school in less than a month.
Anyways, thanks for reading, love you guys (but especially you, tea-spoon96 :))
REMEMBER: YOU ARE A LOVELY HUMAN BEING REGARDLESS OF ANYTHING YOU'VE DONE THAT YOU REGRET, YOU DESERVE LOVE AND RESPECT, DON'T LISTEN TO ANYONE TRYING TO TELL YOU OTHERWISE.