New character: Fantasia. :D
She Said She Said
Chapter 2
Busby
Layla Fairuza sat sprawled against her overstuffed pillows, sighing
through pursed lips. She occasionally reached over to pet her so-far loyal companion, a grey and brown kitten named Fantasia.
Her bed consisted of a frame with three mattresses stacked on top of it. She liked it that way----after all, it had always been like that. Probably since her mother had somehow charmed their family into thrice as many bedroom supplies as necessary when Layla was a little girl.
Layla felt her eyelids weigh down on themselves. Fantasia stretched and yawned before taking a brave leap down to her bowl of milk on the floor. Layla turned over and lay on her side, blowing a raspberry. Fantasia mewed a response, which emitted a smile from her caretaker.
"C'mere, kitty," She whispered, and Fantasia clumsily jumped back on the bed, her front paws on Layla's stomach.
The young girl's room was fairly large, with a soft lilac paint covering the walls. Layla chose the light color, knowing it would make her room look a considerable amount bigger. Her bed was mahogany, with thick posts that nearly scraped the ceiling. She had taken a white lacey fabric and tied it around the top of each post, connecting them. Her walls were lined with posters of people she liked---Marilyn Monroe, old rock bands, wizards and witches that had made their way into the space in her mind reserved for the greats.
At the end of her bed was a chest that contained her school supplies, which she had bought a few nights before. The floor was hardwood with a few lavender rugs on either side of her bed, under her desk, and in front of her door. Next to her closet was a door that led to a bathroom with a shower, toilet, sink, and small vanity table. She had the bathroom done in a soft pink, which put her in the make-up sort of mood.
But perhaps the most important thing in Layla's room, at least to her opinion, was a mahogany bookcase that extended from floor to ceiling. When one walked into the room, the bed would be right in front of them, the closet and bathroom to the right, and the bookcase covered the entire left. Books on philosophy, poetry, art history, music history, all occupied the case, along with some Rice, Crichton, King, Burgess, Paliniuk, and other greats.
Windows with flowing white curtains were behind her bed. The night sky was a canvas to a few stars, as the streetlights prevented most of them to be seen. Layla looked to her box of painting supplies she had had to pack up.
As she drifted to sleep, her kitten lying against her, she remembered that she would be starting her first year at Hogwarts the next day.
~*~
As Harry stepped through the enchanted wall to reach platform 9 ¾, he realized this was his fifth time to ever do such a thing. Well, fifth time trying to, he thought with a smile. Still, it seemed like it had been only yesterday he had seen the boys in a redheaded family stepping through it, and shyly asked the mother how it was to be done.
He pushed his luggage cart down the platform, pausing to turn around to see if Ron was behind him. He saw his friend leaning down to pick up a box that had he had knocked off of his cart, laughing embarrassedly when he met Harry's gaze.
Harry smiled and shook his head, waiting until Ron caught up to him. They walked onto the train and made conversation while they were being seated.
"I wonder where Hermione is?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.
"Most likely already seated," He said. Ron grimaced.
"Prepare yourself for a lecture on punctuality," He sighed, aligning the boxes on his wobbly cart. "Shit, why did I have to choose the cart with half of a wheel missing?"
Harry looked down to see his friend's broken cart. "Oh, 'ere, lemme fix it," He said, pulling out his wand.
"We're about to get rid of these things anyway, it'll be all right for a few minutes," Ron assured him. Harry nodded. Realizing that they had been waiting a while, he looked around the train.
"Damn, not many seats open, eh?" He asked his friend. Ron nodded, eyebrows raised. Just then, a steward on the train turned to them.
"You'll have to get to the back, boys, we're expecting a lot at Hogwarts this year," He said, patting Harry's shoulder and pointing to the back of the train. The boys exchanged glances and shuffled down the train.
"Guess this means no lecture from Hermione," Ron said, sounding almost disappointed.
After going quite a ways, they saw that each of the boxes were filled. Finally, they got to the last box in the car. They slid the door open to find a girl sitting alone, and the two seats across from her unoccupied.
"Hey," Ron said, getting the girl's attention. She looked up and glanced at Harry, then back at Ron, Harry felt a jolt go through him as she did. "D'you mind if we sit here?"
"Not at all," The girl said, nodding towards the empty seats. The boys smiled graciously and sat down.
Looking out the window, Harry observed that they were now loading the rest of the passengers on different cars. "No Hermione."
Ron shrugged and stretched his legs out and resting them on the seat next to the girl. "More foot space."
The girl smiled slightly and looked down at his feet. Ron grinned bashfully and brought his feet back to him. Harry gave him a "tsk-tsk" sort of look.
Still blushing slightly, Ron turned to the girl. "Hey, what's your name?"
"I'm Layla," She said, smiling. She extended her hand to each of the boys, and they each recited their names. "Simply cosmic to meet you."
"Are you a fifth-year?" Harry asked, noting her strange, eccentric behavior. She shook her head in quick, wispy movements.
"Fourth," She replied.
"Oh, we're-," Ron began.
"Fifth, I figured," Layla said, smiling amusedly. Ron nodded. "After all, everyone keeps track of the 'Tenacious Trio'."
Harry laughed, "They have a name for us now?"
Ron shrugged. Moments later, a small grey and brown puffball fell from the shelf above Layla. It landed on her lap, and she began petting it.
"Is that your animal?" Harry asked, seeing it was a kitten. Layla nodded.
"Harry, Ron, meet Fantasia," She said warmly. The kitten chewed playfully on her fingers. Seeing neatly-trimmed, long fingernails, Harry was reminded of Hermione.
"Remember when Hermione wanted longer fingernails, and she tried a spell for it?" Harry snickered. Ron burst out laughing.
"She seemed to poke everything within a two-mile radius," The boys laughed. Layla gave them a perplexed look, but seemed to give it no other mind.
Ron studied Layla for a few seconds before he asked her what her last name was.
"Fairuza," She replied. Ron bit his lip.
"I think I've heard of you," He said matter-of-factly.
"Oh?" Harry and Layla said in unison.
"Yeah.yeah, you're that girl they call the 'Redhead-That's-Not-a- Weasley,'" He said, motioning toward her long, auburn tinted hair. Layla raised her eyebrows. "You're the one that everyone listens to all the time...don't you give speeches or something on campus?"
Layla laughed. "I wouldn't call them speeches. They're debates, and they're not planned. I just start talking with someone, about a particular subject, and I tend to get deeply engrossed in my arguments."
Ron chuckled. "Well, so do many people, I hear. Ginny, my sister, maybe you know her? She's a Gryffindor."
"I'm a Ravenclaw, but I know her, yes," Layla nodded.
"She listens to you sometimes. She says people think you're some sort of wizarding disciple or something."
Layla shrugged. "I'm hardly that, I'm just opinionated."
Harry had been witnessing the conversation in silence. Finally, he spoke up. "Ravenclaw, eh?"
Layla nodded. "Though I was nearly put in Gryffindor. They're constantly considering switching me, even the Sorting Hat says so. But they always approach me with the option in the middle of the year, and I don't see the point in having to get re-situated, you dig?"
Ron blinked. "I.dig..."
The rest of the trip was spent in conversation about teachers, holidays, and other such things. The three of them bought treats when the cart came around, and soon they were at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
As the boys took their luggage, Ron turned to Harry. "Did you miss Hermione much?"
"Yeah, but it was fun to meet another girl."
She Said She Said
Chapter 2
Busby
Layla Fairuza sat sprawled against her overstuffed pillows, sighing
through pursed lips. She occasionally reached over to pet her so-far loyal companion, a grey and brown kitten named Fantasia.
Her bed consisted of a frame with three mattresses stacked on top of it. She liked it that way----after all, it had always been like that. Probably since her mother had somehow charmed their family into thrice as many bedroom supplies as necessary when Layla was a little girl.
Layla felt her eyelids weigh down on themselves. Fantasia stretched and yawned before taking a brave leap down to her bowl of milk on the floor. Layla turned over and lay on her side, blowing a raspberry. Fantasia mewed a response, which emitted a smile from her caretaker.
"C'mere, kitty," She whispered, and Fantasia clumsily jumped back on the bed, her front paws on Layla's stomach.
The young girl's room was fairly large, with a soft lilac paint covering the walls. Layla chose the light color, knowing it would make her room look a considerable amount bigger. Her bed was mahogany, with thick posts that nearly scraped the ceiling. She had taken a white lacey fabric and tied it around the top of each post, connecting them. Her walls were lined with posters of people she liked---Marilyn Monroe, old rock bands, wizards and witches that had made their way into the space in her mind reserved for the greats.
At the end of her bed was a chest that contained her school supplies, which she had bought a few nights before. The floor was hardwood with a few lavender rugs on either side of her bed, under her desk, and in front of her door. Next to her closet was a door that led to a bathroom with a shower, toilet, sink, and small vanity table. She had the bathroom done in a soft pink, which put her in the make-up sort of mood.
But perhaps the most important thing in Layla's room, at least to her opinion, was a mahogany bookcase that extended from floor to ceiling. When one walked into the room, the bed would be right in front of them, the closet and bathroom to the right, and the bookcase covered the entire left. Books on philosophy, poetry, art history, music history, all occupied the case, along with some Rice, Crichton, King, Burgess, Paliniuk, and other greats.
Windows with flowing white curtains were behind her bed. The night sky was a canvas to a few stars, as the streetlights prevented most of them to be seen. Layla looked to her box of painting supplies she had had to pack up.
As she drifted to sleep, her kitten lying against her, she remembered that she would be starting her first year at Hogwarts the next day.
~*~
As Harry stepped through the enchanted wall to reach platform 9 ¾, he realized this was his fifth time to ever do such a thing. Well, fifth time trying to, he thought with a smile. Still, it seemed like it had been only yesterday he had seen the boys in a redheaded family stepping through it, and shyly asked the mother how it was to be done.
He pushed his luggage cart down the platform, pausing to turn around to see if Ron was behind him. He saw his friend leaning down to pick up a box that had he had knocked off of his cart, laughing embarrassedly when he met Harry's gaze.
Harry smiled and shook his head, waiting until Ron caught up to him. They walked onto the train and made conversation while they were being seated.
"I wonder where Hermione is?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.
"Most likely already seated," He said. Ron grimaced.
"Prepare yourself for a lecture on punctuality," He sighed, aligning the boxes on his wobbly cart. "Shit, why did I have to choose the cart with half of a wheel missing?"
Harry looked down to see his friend's broken cart. "Oh, 'ere, lemme fix it," He said, pulling out his wand.
"We're about to get rid of these things anyway, it'll be all right for a few minutes," Ron assured him. Harry nodded. Realizing that they had been waiting a while, he looked around the train.
"Damn, not many seats open, eh?" He asked his friend. Ron nodded, eyebrows raised. Just then, a steward on the train turned to them.
"You'll have to get to the back, boys, we're expecting a lot at Hogwarts this year," He said, patting Harry's shoulder and pointing to the back of the train. The boys exchanged glances and shuffled down the train.
"Guess this means no lecture from Hermione," Ron said, sounding almost disappointed.
After going quite a ways, they saw that each of the boxes were filled. Finally, they got to the last box in the car. They slid the door open to find a girl sitting alone, and the two seats across from her unoccupied.
"Hey," Ron said, getting the girl's attention. She looked up and glanced at Harry, then back at Ron, Harry felt a jolt go through him as she did. "D'you mind if we sit here?"
"Not at all," The girl said, nodding towards the empty seats. The boys smiled graciously and sat down.
Looking out the window, Harry observed that they were now loading the rest of the passengers on different cars. "No Hermione."
Ron shrugged and stretched his legs out and resting them on the seat next to the girl. "More foot space."
The girl smiled slightly and looked down at his feet. Ron grinned bashfully and brought his feet back to him. Harry gave him a "tsk-tsk" sort of look.
Still blushing slightly, Ron turned to the girl. "Hey, what's your name?"
"I'm Layla," She said, smiling. She extended her hand to each of the boys, and they each recited their names. "Simply cosmic to meet you."
"Are you a fifth-year?" Harry asked, noting her strange, eccentric behavior. She shook her head in quick, wispy movements.
"Fourth," She replied.
"Oh, we're-," Ron began.
"Fifth, I figured," Layla said, smiling amusedly. Ron nodded. "After all, everyone keeps track of the 'Tenacious Trio'."
Harry laughed, "They have a name for us now?"
Ron shrugged. Moments later, a small grey and brown puffball fell from the shelf above Layla. It landed on her lap, and she began petting it.
"Is that your animal?" Harry asked, seeing it was a kitten. Layla nodded.
"Harry, Ron, meet Fantasia," She said warmly. The kitten chewed playfully on her fingers. Seeing neatly-trimmed, long fingernails, Harry was reminded of Hermione.
"Remember when Hermione wanted longer fingernails, and she tried a spell for it?" Harry snickered. Ron burst out laughing.
"She seemed to poke everything within a two-mile radius," The boys laughed. Layla gave them a perplexed look, but seemed to give it no other mind.
Ron studied Layla for a few seconds before he asked her what her last name was.
"Fairuza," She replied. Ron bit his lip.
"I think I've heard of you," He said matter-of-factly.
"Oh?" Harry and Layla said in unison.
"Yeah.yeah, you're that girl they call the 'Redhead-That's-Not-a- Weasley,'" He said, motioning toward her long, auburn tinted hair. Layla raised her eyebrows. "You're the one that everyone listens to all the time...don't you give speeches or something on campus?"
Layla laughed. "I wouldn't call them speeches. They're debates, and they're not planned. I just start talking with someone, about a particular subject, and I tend to get deeply engrossed in my arguments."
Ron chuckled. "Well, so do many people, I hear. Ginny, my sister, maybe you know her? She's a Gryffindor."
"I'm a Ravenclaw, but I know her, yes," Layla nodded.
"She listens to you sometimes. She says people think you're some sort of wizarding disciple or something."
Layla shrugged. "I'm hardly that, I'm just opinionated."
Harry had been witnessing the conversation in silence. Finally, he spoke up. "Ravenclaw, eh?"
Layla nodded. "Though I was nearly put in Gryffindor. They're constantly considering switching me, even the Sorting Hat says so. But they always approach me with the option in the middle of the year, and I don't see the point in having to get re-situated, you dig?"
Ron blinked. "I.dig..."
The rest of the trip was spent in conversation about teachers, holidays, and other such things. The three of them bought treats when the cart came around, and soon they were at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
As the boys took their luggage, Ron turned to Harry. "Did you miss Hermione much?"
"Yeah, but it was fun to meet another girl."