Sighing, I roll over in bed, my insomnia kicking in as I try to get used to the new surroundings. My mind is still reeling over the day and all the "adventure" that already occurred with my little being here. I look up at the curtains hanging over my bed, my mind restless with the conversation earlier with Maria.

"So, he's your father…" She says again as we sit next to the crackling fire. The Hufflepuff common area was homely and comfortable, whispers and hellos coming from each corner of the area as friends greet each other with hugs and warmness. The first years had already left for bed, the time approaching close to 9:30pm and their small bodies finally got caught up in the fun of it all.

Maria looks at me, a worn blanket wrapped around my shoulders, my eyes staring into the fire. "It's a complicated story, but recently my mother told me about what happened with him and I wanted to experience where I was born," I glance at her, a smile playing on my lips. "I remember bits and pieces from when I was little, but not much. I've known about this for years, but due to some circumstances with extended family I wasn't able to come until now." I laugh a little, shrugging at her, "Better late than never, right?" It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either.

She opens her mouth to respond except some of her friends come up then, interrupting, talking animatedly about the new year and such. Maria gets caught up and smiles at me apologetically, but her eyes say everything. Trust.

I close my eyes as the memory continues to repeat in my mind. Can I trust her? It's barely even the first day at Hogwarts and could I have already made my first friend and confidant?

"Fuck…" I whisper to myself, sighing once again. I sit up in bed and roll my shoulders, tense with anxiety and worry. I rub my forehead and decide that going for a walk wouldn't hurt, besides I've been in worse situations than a midnight stroll. I quietly open my curtains and slide out of bed, softly putting on my slippers and grabbing a hoodie that I had left on top of my suitcase.

I poke my head back into my curtains and softly rub Hecate's head, who's lying on top of my headboard. She hisses softly and opens her eyes, which, if snakes could look sleepy, she certainly did. "Hey beautiful, I'm gonna go out for a walk, do you wanna come with?" She closes her eyes briefly before looking at me and nodding, slithering onto my arm and towards my shoulders again. Once she's securely around my neck, I carefully lift my hood over her, keeping her warm.

I reach over onto my nightstand and grab my wand and dagger, tucking my dagger into my waistband and my wand into my jacket pocket. I'll have to be careful about my dagger, but it was a source of comfort in this new world.

Looking around my room before I leave, I remember the food I had kept from dinner. I quietly grab the wrapped food and tiptoe down the corridor, trying to not disturb the peace in the dorm. They truly had built the Hufflepuff dorm like a badger den, with the winding corridor of bedrooms. I see the dim light shining from the fireplace as it roars sleepily, dying down by the couches. Kneeling down in front of the fire, I unwrap the food and carefully drop them into the fire, closing my eyes and reaching out to my mother, "Hello mother, I hope all is well. With these offerings I ask that you do what you can to keep my siblings safe. Please don't worry about me." I rest briefly, feeling a different kind of warmth wash over me compared to that of the fire. Nodding, I stand, dusting off my knees before walking out of the dorm.

Leaving the common room, I quietly shuffle my way into the corridor, staying close to the wall. I listen quietly, the snores and shuffling of the portraits in the background as I explore my surroundings. My fingers trace over the cracks in the walls, taking in the history that is literally engraved into the walls of Hogwarts. I feel her hum with magic and let it soak in through my fingertips, once again filling me with warmth. That's a good word to describe Hogwarts and her people. Warmth. It's all I've felt since I've greeted her.

I come to a stop by a large portrait of painted fruit, my head cocking slightly as I hear a pair of footsteps shuffling nearby. Whispering voices accompany the footsteps as I stop in front of the portrait. Maybe I've blocked their entrance? But to where? I look around and see a tapestry across the hall shift slightly. Hmm… I decide to continue walking along the corridor slowly, pretending to turn around the upcoming corner. Once there and I stop and poke my head around, trying to see who the hiders were.

Almost immediately two orange heads pop out from behind the tapestry, almost like a cartoon. They whisper to each other before walking out from behind and going up to the portrait. One of them then reaches up and tickles a part of the portrait, making it swing open, and the moment it does, they both walk through and into the secret room. I can't help but stare astonishingly. Not over the fact that there was a secret room, because a castle this large is bound to have even more secrets. Instead, I'm astonished because they tickled a goddamn fruit in order to get inside.

Shaking my head to wake myself (along with the help of Hecate's flickering tongue against my cheek wondering why I had stopped), I manage to get myself walking to the portrait I had recently abandoned.

A bowl of fruits.

My eyes roll over the portrait, trying to remember where I had seen his hand stretch to. My eyes land onto a common green pear. Shrugging, I reach up and let my fingers rest on it before "tickling" it.

If pears could giggle, this one certainly did before the portrait cracked open. This event would certainly haunt my memory for years to come. I sigh quietly to myself, rubbing my cheek softly against Hecate's head before sliding inside the room. Once inside I make eye contact with a pair of mischievous blue eyes, the sparkle in them making them bright. "Well lookie here, Gred! It's the new girl!"


A/N: Well there we go, the introduction a potential friend for Analuisa outside the trio. And maybe some George and Fred friendship?

I hope you're enjoying the story. I'm definitely planning on going through the chapters later on and adding some more details, but I feel like we're off to a good start so far.

signed,

oterol