A/N: Hello, um, so, I updated finally, that's good. Hopefully I'll be able to publish more since this chapter was basically created in a day so that's possible. Also, I hadn't decided if Adrian was going to be a recurring character until now so more information about him will be introduced in upcoming chapters. Thank you for reading and reviewing. I love review, they make me extremely happy that I published this story in the first place. Thank you so much. I think that's all so good night since I am finishing this at almost midnight (I need to stop doing that). Have a great life. Until next time, bye.
Disclaimer: If it looks familiar than I probably don't own it.
If you ask one of my patients, they'll tell you I'm the most patient person alive. I can remain cool and collected no matter how long it takes for a test to be run or for a bone to heal. However, if you ask any of my sibling, they'll say that I can't wait for anything to save mine, or someone else's life. I become a complete mess when I have to wait for news on a friend or in this case, sit in the equivalent of the principal's office, waiting for the Head Misteress speak. Though it's not entirely my fault. How in the world am I supposed to concentrate on my possible expulsion when there are a thousand different doodads spinning, flashing, and looking generally interesting all around the room. Not to mention the fact that the photos on the wall move and keep whispering very loudly about me to the portraits next to them. It's only inevitable that I tap my foot and play with my hands as I crane my neck to take everything in.
"Where you aware that it is against Hogwarts policy for students to sit at house tables other than their own?" she finally speaks. I thought I was going to die from silence.
"Yes." I hang my head hoping that she might be more lenient if she thinks's I feel guilty. I don't.
"And yet you still sat at the Slytherin table no less."
"Yes?" I don't know why it matters that it was the green table I sat at.
She leans back in her ornate chair and smiles. "Mr. Solace," Oh no, here comes my punishment. "would you like some tea?"
"Excuse me?"
"Normally I would offer you a biscuit, but seeing as you were just at the feast, I thought a calming tea would be better suited for this situation."
"Okay," What is going on here? I thought I was in trouble. "I guess tea would be nice."
"Wonderful." she pulls out her wand and wordlessly gives it a swish. Tea cups and sauces are summoned along with a tea pot that pours itself. I don't think I'll ever get used to magic.
"Thank you." I accept the cup that landed in front of me on the desk. Before taking a sip though, I send a quick pray to my father that it isn't poisoned or if it is that it doesn't kill me. Ms. Mcgonagall is watching me so I quickly take a drink so that I don't look suspicious. Good news, it isn't poisoned. Bad news, it's lavender. I'm not a big fan of lavender tea. I don't take a second sip.
"If I confess, I am a little confused. Why did you choose to sit at the Slytherin table? Are you having trouble with the Hufflepuff house?" the teacher gets back to the original topic, thank Zeus.
"No, not at all. The Hufflepuffs are great!" That was louder than I meant it to be. "The other transfer student, Nico di Angelo, has a bad habit of not eating and since I'm his doctor I decided to sit with him to make sure he didn't skip the feast," I explain the best I can without going into detail about Nico's time in the jar or any of the other horrible events he's lived through.
"If a student has an eating problem then you should alert the school nurse."
"No!" Now I'm yelling. When did I get so loud? "I mean, Nico doesn't like people knowing about it and I have experience with his stubbornness. There's no reason to bother anyone else." Also, if a nurse gets involved then they might want to give him a check up and discover all his scars. I don't know how we would be able to explain those.
Mcgonagall purses her lips, obvious not liking the idea of letting a student handle things alone. "Very well, you can sit at the Slytherin table for lunch and breakfast, but I must insist that you stay at your own table for supper."
"Of course." I didn't think I would actually be allowed to continue sitting at a different table. "Does this mean I'm not in trouble?" It doesn't hurt to ask, hopefully.
"I won't punish a student for looking after his friend's health, so no. Though please keep in mind that I won't allow you to bend the rules so much in the future," she warns.
Yes! I am not in trouble.
"It's getting late, and I'm sure you would like to get to bed. I'm have someone come and escort you to your room." she grabs and rings a small bell that was hiding among all the other knick knacks. I don't know what it's supposed to do,but I get my answer when a short, part gremlin, part Sant's elf creature appears with an audible pop. Wait, Nico told me about these creatures, they're a wizard helper called house elves. "Winky, please escort Mr. Solace to the Hufflepuff eighth year dorm room."
Winky turns her huge eyes towards me before enthusiastically nodding her head. "It would be Winky's honor." The house elf takes ahold of my hand and pulls me out of the office.
She leads me through enough hallways for me to be thoroughly lost before stoping in front of a pile of barrels and tapping out a melody on them that reveals a hidden doorway. From there I'm told to go up a staircase and open the last door on my left where I find a room filled with beds and sleeping boys all about my age. Looks like introductions will have to wait until tomorrow morning. I change into my pajamas and crawl into the open bed that had my trunk sitting in front of it.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
The next morning I wake with the sun meaning that I'm somehow the first one awake in the dorm room. I could awkwardly lay in bed waiting for someone else to wake up, but I don't know how long that would take. Classes start today so I assume it won't take long, but still, I don't feel like waiting. Instead I use the connected bathroom to change and get ready for the day then head to the common area for the house. Maybe someone will be down there and willing to guild me to the great hall. There's no way I would be able to find it by myself.
I'm in luck. Someone else is awake at this hour having decided to apparently scribble on a piece of paper by the fire. "Hello," I greet happily making the boy jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"What are you doing up?" It's the same boy who helped answer my questions last night. He straitens his papers and pushes his pale brown hair out of his face. Over all, he looks a little worn down.
"Early riser, you?"
He shrugs, "I didn't realize it had gotten so late, early, whatever."
"You haven't slept at all?" he shakes his head. "That's not healthy." I inform him just incase he somehow doesn't already know.
"Eh, it's too late now to change it." he shrugs again. Does no one in this school care about their health. "Well, want to head to breakfast? Maybe they'll have something to boost my depleted energy supplies." He smirks at me like he just told a joke only the two of us know, but I must have missed the punch line.
"Lead the way," I sigh. "there's no way I'll be able to find it myself."
My lack of direction makes him laugh. "Yeah, sometimes I think the Hogwarts founders designed the castle to be confusing on purpose. It's like their one goal in life was to make new students get lost and end up late for class." He gathers together his papers and shoves them between the pages of his book. "Lucky for you, I've had eight years to study the labyrinth like hallways. Just follow me. I'll be you tour guild Adrian." He pauses to give me another smirk. "But you can call me Rian if you want. All of my three friend do." I open my mouth to answer, but he's already out of the common area door.
Left, right, two more lefts, down a set of stairs, up another. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" I can't help asking. "I think we've already passed this set of armor."
"I know," He throws over his shoulder smugly.
"So we're lost?"
"Nope, I'm taking us in circles on purpose."
"What? Why?"
"Because we left the common room eight minutes ago and it's so early that the great hall only opened five of those minutes ago. I was wasting time by showing you more of the school." Okay, that makes sense.
"Then how do we get to breakfast from here." I'm so confused I couldn't get us back to the Hufflepuff common area.
Adrian suddenly stops causing me to run into the back of him. He has to grab my arms to make sure that I don't fall and doesn't let go until I get my balance back completely. It takes longer than it should. "Simple, it's right here" he says, motioning to the set of oak doors from last night and choosing to ignore my flushed cheeks from when he touched me. I think the smell of either his shampoo or cologne is still lingering and making me woozy. He smells like lavender.