Chapter Two!
Thanks for all of your reviews! I love it when I get all your feedback~
And now, the next chapter!!
***********************************
"Whoa," Ginny muttered to Cynthia after Mr. Lewis' little talk had ended, "Kinda uptight around here, don't you think?"
"Yeah," she shrugged, "But what can you expect? No one pays attention to those rules, anyway."
"And they just let it slide?"
"Oh, heavens no. If you're caught, you're out."
"But I thought you just said--"
Cynthia gave her a silencing look as Mr. Lewis himself, (the old man that she had met upon her arrival at Benilde), came within earshot. Ginny was completely confused, but she decided that Cynthia could fill her in later. She turned quickly to try and get Hermione's attention, but her good friend was walking somberly out of the hall, eyes trained on the floor.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Ginny shook her head and reminded herself that Hermione had spent the last year without her two best friends, (due to these bizarre rules), and seeing as she is often very intimidating to those who do not know her, she probably had not made any new ones.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her arm, and Cynthia began to steer her out of the Greeting Hall. The two of them walked in silence, along with the rest of the students.
Ginny was strongly reminded of a cult. A cult devoid of brainwashing, mindless worship, and abuse.
It was nearly six o'clock, and the two girls were informed that it was time for dinner. They hurried up to their dorm to prepare. Ginny was planning on taking down her hair, and possibly putting on a hint of makeup.
But as the arrived at their door, they found two small, brown packages waiting for them. Cynthia bent over to read the card on one of them, and a look of disgust flew across her face.
"Uniforms?" Ginny spat out, "They're going to make us wear uniforms?"
Cynthia shook her head and threw the two bundles into the room before them.
"I thought I was finished with these when I left school," the blond murmured under her breath.
*
*
The two girls finally located the Dining Hall, and took a seat at a nearby table. Ginny was in the middle of scanning the room for her brother when he appeared at her side.
"Hey, little sis," he said in a loving voice, giving her a kiss atop her head, "And you are...?"
Cynthia held out her hand and said, "My name's Cynthia Rixe."
"Nice to meet you," he nodded, before Hermione came up beside him and slipped her hand discreetly into his.
No doubt, she felt threatened by Cynthia. But Hermione and Ron had been seeing each other for over two years, and judging by the fact that Ron never shut up about her, Hermione had nothing to worry about.
Cynthia seemed to get the message as well, and whispered to Ginny, "Don't know what's got her panties in a twist, I already have a boyfriend..."
Ginny let out a small laugh and turned to greet Harry, who had just walked up as well.
"Hey you guys," he said in a casual (yet oh-so-sexy) voice, "What's new?"
"Hey, Harry," Ginny replied, "How's it going?"
He gave her his signature smile and stepped so he was standing behind her, "Pretty well, Gin. Haven't seen you in a while..."
His hands rested on her shoulders as he gave her a welcoming squeeze.
This was the kind of relationship Ginny and Harry shared. They were extremely friendly, and there was always an air of flirtatiousness between them. They talked about the most personal things, sometimes things that even Ron and Hermione didn't know about. But nothing romantic had ever happened between them, and Ginny was sure that if it did, Ron would have more than a few things to say to his best friend.
"Why are we all just standing around, then?" her brother asked.
Harry laughed and pulled up a seat next to Ginny. Ron and Hermione sat across the table from Cynthia, and Hermione placed her napkin politely on her lap. She was being oddly quiet.
"So is this place for real or what?" asked Ginny, referring to the unusual standards that were revealed in the welcoming-speech.
Harry let out a small laugh and Ron said, "You bet. And if mum gets word that you got kicked out of this place..."
Ginny heard a loud snort come from the boy to her left, and Harry leaned over to whisper, "Don't pay attention to him. He's been sneaking out with Hermione since Day One."
She bit her lower lip before replying, "I suspected as much."
Ron seemed to know what they were saying, because as Harry started to laugh at Ginny's last statement, he threw her an impossible look and said, "Ginny, they're really strict about this stuff here."
"Ooh," Cynthia interjected as she jumped into the conversation, "I heard they have spells on the rooms, counting how many people are in there at a certain time."
Ron raised one eyebrow at the new girl before Hermione spat out, "Now, that's just ridiculous."
Ginny knew something was definitely wrong with her. She tilted her head slightly and muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "Harry, what's up with 'Mione?"
He seemed unaware of her question at first, and just as Ginny was about to ask again, he pretended to drop his fork and bent behind her chair to retrieve it. He took this opportunity to whisper, "Her roommate got caught sneaking out a couple of weeks ago. Hallway Patrol got her."
"Is that how they find you?"
"Pretty much."
Harry sat back up in his seat, and started to eat his soup. Ginny was still processing the whole thing. So they had a Hallway Patrol? Well, they couldn't be much worse than Filch, and she'd been sneaking past him in the Hogwarts corridors ever since her fifth year. Ginny viewed it as a nice, new challenge. Perhaps a level or so up from the school caretaker, but conquerable nonetheless.
~~~~~~~~
Dinner ended shortly after, and Ginny followed Cynthia back to their room. She was aware that the only time she would be able to communicate with her brother and his friends was during meals, (unless, of course, she got around that increasingly annoying Hallway Patrol), and possibly special occasions.
The two of them were lounging about their bedroom, and Ginny was watching her roommate put up photos of her and her boyfriend.
"He's not half-bad, you know," Ginny said, complementing Phillip's good looks.
"I know," came the dreamy reply.
She started to lean back into her pillow, but there was more to Cynthia's response.
"Neither is your brother, though."
Ginny's eyes sprung open as she heard this, and said in a fake-calm voice, "Tough luck there, sweets. He's got a girlfriend."
"Oh, that's no problem," she muttered.
Ginny wanted to tell her how wrong she was. Hermione and Ron were so close, so perfect for each other...it's just strange that they hadn't noticed it before sixth year.
"Besides," Cynthia continued, "It's not like I'm looking for anything serious..."
Her roommate looked up at one of her pictures of her boyfriend and whispered, "G'night, Ginny."
"G'night."
Thanks for all of your reviews! I love it when I get all your feedback~
And now, the next chapter!!
***********************************
"Whoa," Ginny muttered to Cynthia after Mr. Lewis' little talk had ended, "Kinda uptight around here, don't you think?"
"Yeah," she shrugged, "But what can you expect? No one pays attention to those rules, anyway."
"And they just let it slide?"
"Oh, heavens no. If you're caught, you're out."
"But I thought you just said--"
Cynthia gave her a silencing look as Mr. Lewis himself, (the old man that she had met upon her arrival at Benilde), came within earshot. Ginny was completely confused, but she decided that Cynthia could fill her in later. She turned quickly to try and get Hermione's attention, but her good friend was walking somberly out of the hall, eyes trained on the floor.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Ginny shook her head and reminded herself that Hermione had spent the last year without her two best friends, (due to these bizarre rules), and seeing as she is often very intimidating to those who do not know her, she probably had not made any new ones.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her arm, and Cynthia began to steer her out of the Greeting Hall. The two of them walked in silence, along with the rest of the students.
Ginny was strongly reminded of a cult. A cult devoid of brainwashing, mindless worship, and abuse.
It was nearly six o'clock, and the two girls were informed that it was time for dinner. They hurried up to their dorm to prepare. Ginny was planning on taking down her hair, and possibly putting on a hint of makeup.
But as the arrived at their door, they found two small, brown packages waiting for them. Cynthia bent over to read the card on one of them, and a look of disgust flew across her face.
"Uniforms?" Ginny spat out, "They're going to make us wear uniforms?"
Cynthia shook her head and threw the two bundles into the room before them.
"I thought I was finished with these when I left school," the blond murmured under her breath.
*
*
The two girls finally located the Dining Hall, and took a seat at a nearby table. Ginny was in the middle of scanning the room for her brother when he appeared at her side.
"Hey, little sis," he said in a loving voice, giving her a kiss atop her head, "And you are...?"
Cynthia held out her hand and said, "My name's Cynthia Rixe."
"Nice to meet you," he nodded, before Hermione came up beside him and slipped her hand discreetly into his.
No doubt, she felt threatened by Cynthia. But Hermione and Ron had been seeing each other for over two years, and judging by the fact that Ron never shut up about her, Hermione had nothing to worry about.
Cynthia seemed to get the message as well, and whispered to Ginny, "Don't know what's got her panties in a twist, I already have a boyfriend..."
Ginny let out a small laugh and turned to greet Harry, who had just walked up as well.
"Hey you guys," he said in a casual (yet oh-so-sexy) voice, "What's new?"
"Hey, Harry," Ginny replied, "How's it going?"
He gave her his signature smile and stepped so he was standing behind her, "Pretty well, Gin. Haven't seen you in a while..."
His hands rested on her shoulders as he gave her a welcoming squeeze.
This was the kind of relationship Ginny and Harry shared. They were extremely friendly, and there was always an air of flirtatiousness between them. They talked about the most personal things, sometimes things that even Ron and Hermione didn't know about. But nothing romantic had ever happened between them, and Ginny was sure that if it did, Ron would have more than a few things to say to his best friend.
"Why are we all just standing around, then?" her brother asked.
Harry laughed and pulled up a seat next to Ginny. Ron and Hermione sat across the table from Cynthia, and Hermione placed her napkin politely on her lap. She was being oddly quiet.
"So is this place for real or what?" asked Ginny, referring to the unusual standards that were revealed in the welcoming-speech.
Harry let out a small laugh and Ron said, "You bet. And if mum gets word that you got kicked out of this place..."
Ginny heard a loud snort come from the boy to her left, and Harry leaned over to whisper, "Don't pay attention to him. He's been sneaking out with Hermione since Day One."
She bit her lower lip before replying, "I suspected as much."
Ron seemed to know what they were saying, because as Harry started to laugh at Ginny's last statement, he threw her an impossible look and said, "Ginny, they're really strict about this stuff here."
"Ooh," Cynthia interjected as she jumped into the conversation, "I heard they have spells on the rooms, counting how many people are in there at a certain time."
Ron raised one eyebrow at the new girl before Hermione spat out, "Now, that's just ridiculous."
Ginny knew something was definitely wrong with her. She tilted her head slightly and muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "Harry, what's up with 'Mione?"
He seemed unaware of her question at first, and just as Ginny was about to ask again, he pretended to drop his fork and bent behind her chair to retrieve it. He took this opportunity to whisper, "Her roommate got caught sneaking out a couple of weeks ago. Hallway Patrol got her."
"Is that how they find you?"
"Pretty much."
Harry sat back up in his seat, and started to eat his soup. Ginny was still processing the whole thing. So they had a Hallway Patrol? Well, they couldn't be much worse than Filch, and she'd been sneaking past him in the Hogwarts corridors ever since her fifth year. Ginny viewed it as a nice, new challenge. Perhaps a level or so up from the school caretaker, but conquerable nonetheless.
~~~~~~~~
Dinner ended shortly after, and Ginny followed Cynthia back to their room. She was aware that the only time she would be able to communicate with her brother and his friends was during meals, (unless, of course, she got around that increasingly annoying Hallway Patrol), and possibly special occasions.
The two of them were lounging about their bedroom, and Ginny was watching her roommate put up photos of her and her boyfriend.
"He's not half-bad, you know," Ginny said, complementing Phillip's good looks.
"I know," came the dreamy reply.
She started to lean back into her pillow, but there was more to Cynthia's response.
"Neither is your brother, though."
Ginny's eyes sprung open as she heard this, and said in a fake-calm voice, "Tough luck there, sweets. He's got a girlfriend."
"Oh, that's no problem," she muttered.
Ginny wanted to tell her how wrong she was. Hermione and Ron were so close, so perfect for each other...it's just strange that they hadn't noticed it before sixth year.
"Besides," Cynthia continued, "It's not like I'm looking for anything serious..."
Her roommate looked up at one of her pictures of her boyfriend and whispered, "G'night, Ginny."
"G'night."
