1.10 Victory
Over the next few weeks it became obvious to Lorna, Bree and Regina where not only ignoring her but also talking about her behind her back. As luck would have it most other Slytherin's didn't mind Lorna, so ignored the girls attempts at discrediting her. For what reason they did this, Lorna did not know, and as much as she would like to understand she ignored it. Vivian had once more vanished when not in classes and tired of working on her own in the common room, Lorna spent more of her afternoons in the library.
Back behind the restricted section, tucked in a corner of the library where large piles of books long forgotten where kept, Lorna studied. The dark quiet area featured an oversized faded red crushed velvet armchair and a small round table large enough to hold Lorna's books. Her parchment she balanced on the wide arm of the arm and there Lorna found a peace, akin to being home. If she finished her homework before dinner, Lorna would search through the books in the surrounding shelves. Never disappointed, Lorna always found the strangest books ever written, and she often wrote to her father about them.
In some books, between ramblings of trash, were references Lorna found might be useful and shared them with her father. Letters from Boris arrived every week. They were never long; simple letters telling Lorna where he was and how busy business kept him. These letters Lorna kept in her satchel with the small wooden snake and other personal items she didn't dare leave her side. Unlike the other first year girls Lorna shared her room with, Lorna did not display her personal items on her bedside table. Perhaps due to her upbringing, Lorna knew the dangers of strong attachments to items.
"Got many a witch or wizard killed," Boris once told her. "First thing anyone will do if they want you dead is to curse an item you treasure most."
Boris might be a shrewd businessman but when it came to cursed items, he knew more than any other witch or wizard. This fact made Lorna extremely proud of her father. He might not be a well-liked man but Lorna knew a side of him only a daughter could know and love.
As winter passed, and the days became warmer, many students flocked outside to enjoy the sun. Lorna enjoyed her time in the library and with no interruptions while there, she found even on weekends she would hide out, reading. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the opportunity to go outside, she simply had better things to do. One Sunday, having finished lunch, Lorna declined to join the second years. Vivian had already vanished and left to herself, Lorna happily made towards the library. However, no sooner had she left the great hall, Jasper caught up with her.
"Hello, where are you off too?"
Lorna considered telling Jasper about her secret place but thought better of it.
"The library."
"To study, is that where you've been hiding out. I didn't take you for the studious type."
"Really. And what type did you take me for?"
"Rebel. Mischief making. Minding other people's business."
"That would be you."
"Oh yeah. So it is. Anyway, we haven't had a chance to talk, and I thought you might like to hang with me for a while outside. You look like you could do with some sun."
"Are you intentionally trying to insult me, because that's twice now."
Jasper laughed. "What! No way. I would never."
Lorna gave a look of mocked disgust and Jasper laughed again.
"What about your friends? They don't like me, you know."
"I know but they can manage on their own today. I told them I'd be hanging out with you."
"Great." Lorna replied.
"Come on, let's head out by the lake."
Jasper took Lorna by the arm and all but dragged her out the front doors. Once outside, the warmth of the sun touch Lorna's skin, and she'd forgotten how nice it felt.
"Don't see much sun in Knockturn Ally." Lorna said.
"Why not, you should get outside more? Seriously, your skin is so pale."
"The position of the street doesn't allow much sun in. Even when the sun is high in the summer, there are only a few hours of sunlight in the street. Winter is worse, we barely see any light, one can be mistaken in thinking it night time in the middle of the day."
Jasper glanced at Lorna in disbelieve. "You're making fun of me."
"No. Seriously. You can come visit one day and see for yourself."
"I will."
They reached a quiet place near the lake and sat. In the distance the white marble tomb of Albus Dumbledore stood out. Lorna had heard about it and this was her first time seeing it.
"We can go look at it."
Lorna looked over at Jasper, now sitting beside her.
"No. It doesn't interest me."
"There's nothing much to see, anyway."
Lorna smiled as she dropped her satchel beside her.
"What do you keep in your bag?" Jasper asked.
"My drawings, your gift and some things from home."
"I didn't know you drew. Can I see?"
Lorna frowned at the request. She'd never shared her drawing with anyone other than her father.
"They're not that good."
"Let me be the judge of that."
Reluctant to share her drawings, it became hard to resist Jaspers pleading face.
"Fine, but it's only a hobby."
Lorna retrieved her sketchbook from her bag and handed it to Jasper.
Like a child with a new toy, Jasper eagerly snatched the book from Lorna and flicked through the pages. The first showed the dormitory Lorna had drawn on her arrival.
"Is this what your dormitory looks like?"
"Yes. I'm not sure you should be looking at that." Lorna reached over and turned the page. Images of gargoyles, grotesque creatures and monsters adorned many of the next few pages.
"These are… terrifying."
"I didn't think they were that bad."
"What! No! I mean your drawings are good, it the subject that terrible."
Lorna understood what Jasper meant, she couldn't help teasing him
"They're scattered all over the school."
"No."
"Yes. If you look closely, you can see them."
Jasper looked over his shoulder towards the castle, squinting as he did.
"You're not going to see them from here."
"I'm terrified now."
Lorna reached over and took back her sketchbook.
"Then you won't want to see the rest."
"Why can't you draw flowers and birds?"
Lorna gave Jasper a deadpan look.
"What about you? You're doing Muggle Art. You must be good if you would choose to study that here."
Jasper shrugged. "Maybe. Give me your book and quill."
Lorna handed back her book and found her self-inking quill in her satchel.
Jasper found a blank page and taking the quill, sat facing Lorna, his knees up to steady the book. Lorna could not see what he drew, but he looked serious enough for Lorna not to distract him.
"Are you fitting in well now?" Jasper asked as he focused on the page.
"With the other Slytherin's. I think so. I spend much my time with the second years."
"Are they nice? Gannon seems nice."
"He is. You remind me of him sometimes. Only Gannon's less whimsical."
"I see." Jasper replied, not paying all that much attention.
"What's up with the other first years?"
Lorna shrugged, then realised Jasper had not seen her.
"Some are still bitter about the circumstances."
"We're never going back to how it was. Surely they must realise that?"
"They do. In time most will come around but there will always be those who will cling to the past."
They fell silent as the quill in Jasper's hand scratched against the surface of the paper. Lorna played with the end of her hair laid over her lap.
"Does it bother you?" Jasper asked and Lorna looked up, unsure what Jasper referred to. "Your hair. I've not seen anyone with hair that long before."
"Father doesn't like it. He makes me wear it up and tired back when working. A night I have to plait it back so it doesn't become unruly."
"Is that why Vivian's hair is the way it is?"
Lorna gave a chuckle. "You have no idea. I'm seriously convinced she does not own a brush."
"Maybe you could suggest helping her with it."
"Maybe. We don't talk much."
"I thought she was your friend."
"I'm not sure. She's barely around. I don't know what she does with her time."
"You're not good at making friends, are you?"
"Obviously."
"I dread to think what might have happened if I'd never approached you first."
"Maybe not be harassed by the other first year girls crushing on you."
Only then did Jasper look up from his drawing.
"There aren't any girls crushing on me."
Lorna's eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Please. You really are oblivious sometimes."
"Well. I'm not interested."
"Good."
"I'd rather be friends."
"Like we are."
"Exactly."
Lorna gazed off towards the lake. Vivian didn't know Jasper well enough when she claimed he liked her. The childlike quality surrounding Jasper gave a vibe of innocence. She only hoped he might stay like that for as long as possible. She'd seen too many boys with too much testosterone to know Jasper stood in the minority.
The sketchbook hit Lorna's lap, and she jumped.
"Finished."
Lorna glanced down at the open page to the perfect image of herself.
"Jasper." Lorna said, as she picked up the book to study the image. "This is unbelievable."
Lorna glanced at Jasper grinning back at her.
"You're so talented. I've never seen anything this good."
"Thank you." His smile faded, and he handed back Lorna her quill.
"Is something wrong."
Jasper shook his head. "Muggle Art is only one day a week, so I don't get the opportunity to draw much."
"What about in the evenings, in your common room?"
Jasper shrugged. "Homework."
Lorna nodded. "Yes, and with exams on their way, there'll barely be time for any of this."
"Let's not talk about exams."
Lorna stared down at her profile. "Would you mind if I sent this to my father?"
"Not at all. You can do what you like with it."
The drawing would be most welcomed by her father. Although paper could be cursed, the porous of the material often meant curses did not hold. It would be the perfect item for her father to keep near, without fear of it being used against him.
Slytherin's last game of against Hufflepuff, they won. The celebration that evening, enjoyed with Professor Slughorn, became an opportunity for reminiscing on past Slytherin victories.
"Did you see Henry Bash?" Jackson was shouting over the heads of those around him. "Hit that bludger right at the Hufflepuff captain and scored him a good one."
Henry, the Hufflepuff player who willingly joined the Slytherin team seemed rather pleased with himself, having knock Griffin Oswald out of the sky.
"If they don't pick Henry next year for the Hufflepuff team, we'll have to recruit him again."
The boys around Jackson laughed, Robin and Conrad among them. Neither Regina nor Bree were present, retiring to the dormitory rather than enjoy the celebration. Lorna had noted over the year how different the boys behaved when the girls weren't around. Why they continue to socialise with them, she did not know. It surprised Lorna to find Vivian join the celebrations. She sat quietly on the chair between the sofas, legs tucked up under her and she too listened rather than participate. Lorna sat on the sofa, next to Vivian, with Leroy beside her.
Since her observation on her arrival back to Hogwarts after the winter break, Lorna had confirmed no one ever look directly into Leroy's eyes. She had still not asked Gannon about it but had learned to direct her gaze off to the side when Leroy spoke to her. It made any conversations they had slightly uncomfortable, yet she no longer experienced the pull of her body. If Leroy noticed the change, he said nothing.
"Move over." Gannon asked, coming to sit between her and Leroy and they both moved over to make room for Gannon.
"How are you Leroy? Enjoy the game?"
"You did good Gannon. They'll make you captain before you know it."
"I know. I'm that good."
"Don't let it go to your head," Leroy replied.
Gannon turned to Lorna and asked, "Did you enjoy the game?"
"I did. You all played hard. You deserved the win."
"Thank you. Are you enjoying the celebration?" He asked.
"I've never been part of a large celebration before. It's extremely overwhelming."
Gannon laughed.
"Last year, we had a full house, there were so many people here you'd barely be able to move."
"What was it like? Being here last year."
Gannon shrugged, yet his eye sparkled. The older students barely talked about the previous year and Lorna had never been confident to ask until now.
"It was exciting."
Gannon turned towards Lorna as he leaned back in the sofa.
"It was like everything was coming together. Power through knowledge. Even the most timid had the confidence of a giant. I was scared when I started but it faded quickly. There was a feeling of unity that drew us all together. When we were forced to leave we were being torn from the greatness we had built up. I suspect this might be one of the reasons so many didn't return. It's hard to come back to a place where nothing but great memories linger, never to be repeated."
Lorna glanced around at the students in the common room. Over the course of the year there had been evidence of missed friends and loneliness. Where there were smiles were often followed by regret.
"Are we doing right by being here?"
"I think so. It's like Roger says, be damned if we'll let the Slytherin house vanish."
Lorna smiled. "I've never really thought about it. If this hadn't all happened, I doubt I would be here. Father would have educated me from home and I'd have been happy with that."
"Why did you come then?"
"One less thing the Ministry could hassle my father over."
"You'll find almost all of us here are in the same situation. Can't be helped. I personally planned on returning. Wouldn't have bothered me if I was the only Slytherin here."
"I'd have returned." Leroy said.
"Then I'd have had one other person here with me." Gannon wrapped his arm around Leroy and gave him a half hug.
Leroy eyed Gannon's in a fierce show of annoyance and Gannon came to an immediate holt. Lorna didn't quite understand until she realised Gannon's eyes had caught Leroy's.
"Hopefully," Lorna started, "With this win it will give us the motivation to pass our exams."
It broke whatever spell Leroy had on Gannon as his body slumped and he turned to sit back against the sofa; his head back against the rest.
"Exams. I hate exams." Gannon moaned.
"Why are we talking about exams?" Jackson asked coming to sit between Neema and Matilda, who had been discussing another topic, rather than the game, opposite them.
"We're not talking about exams?" Matilda told him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and drawing him back against the sofa.
"You're not talking about me, that's for sure. Did you see me win the game?"
Jackson returned describing his amazing manoeuvres to snatch the snitch from under the Hufflepuff's nose.
"We'll be hearing about this for days." Gannon murmured to Lorna, but he didn't interrupt Jackson, allowing him to once more relive his victory.
The lead up to exams became a traumatic affair for many students. Lorna wasn't worried; exams were a revision of the information she already knew. The second years spent every waking moment in the Slytherin common room cramming. Lorna didn't understand why they were concerned, she had heard on multiple occasions they were all smart. Yet, the look of stress and the anxiety they each displayed made Lorna curious. Leroy seemed to be the only one who didn't look perturbed by the up and coming exams.
Vivian spent more of her time in the common room at Lorna's table, studying. They still spoke little but the silent bond sealed over the year gave them an odd friendship. Lorna found herself content being in Vivian's company. They both looked out for each other, went to classes and meals together, and worked together on homework in the evenings.
"Mind if we join you." Matilda asked one evening, days before exams were due to start.
Lorna glanced up from her revision and nodded. Matilda sat beside Lorna, as Neema sat beside Vivian.
"How is your studying going?" Lorna asked.
"Better if we didn't have to put up with Gannon and Jackson all the time." Neema remarked.
Only now did Lorna find the time right to ask, "You've all been getting top marks with your homework, I don't get why you're all so worried about exams."
Matilda and Neema passed a look between each other.
"It's the pressure." Matilda replied. "We've not good with it."
"It's easy to do homework when you're given the time to research but exams; let's say we don't do well."
"When have you ever done homework?" Vivian asked.
Lorna glanced at Vivian and until then she'd never thought much about the other students doing homework.
"When you're not around, wandering the school like a thief." Neema responded sarcastically.
"I'm not a thief." Vivian snarled back.
"It was a metaphor. Don't think we haven't noticed you're not around. If Professor Slughorn hadn't told us we'd have investigated months ago."
Vivian's body stiffened.
Lorna had no idea what they were referring too but the need to defend Vivian took over.
"It doesn't matter what she does with her time. It's her own business. And if you wanted to know, you could have asked. I'm sure Vivian doesn't have anything to hide."
"Now. Now. No need to get defensive. We know she spends time with Professor Slughorn and his stupid Slug Club. Better her than us." Matilda replied. "Now can we please study, I didn't come here to talk, that's the reason we left the boys."
Lorna stared across the table at Vivian, her body unreadable. Then Vivian dropped her head to continue reading the book in front of her. Lorna stared at the pages of her book as she considered their discussion. Professor Slughorn had invited Lorna to join him and she never took up his offer. Had that been what Vivian had been doing, and if Lorna had join would they have been friends sooner. It annoyed Lorna at how much this bothered her.
With the pressure of exams over, Lorna took one last opportunity to write to her father. In his last letter, Boris informed Lorna of his return home and she eagerly waited for her own return. Easily distract with classes and homework, helped Lorna to overcome her home sickness but now only days from leaving, Lorna wished for it to come faster.
Most students appeared to be in a similar state, packing of bags took place early and many were planning visits over the break. All Lorna longed for was the shop and working beside her father.
The day before departure, Lorna tracked down Jasper in the great hall with his friends. Reluctant to interrupt but determined to speak to Jasper before leaving the following morning, Lorna approached the Hufflepuff table. Jasper saw her and stood and came forward before she reached them.
"Hello. I'm glad I got to see you before tomorrow." Jasper said coming to stand before Lorna.
"Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting. I wanted to see you too."
"Not at all. Did you want to go somewhere to talk?"
Lorna looked passed Jasper at his friends, who all stared stoic towards them.
"Yes." Lorna replied, looking back at Jasper.
Lorna followed Jasper out the great hall, towards the front doors.
"Let's go for a walk." Jasper suggested.
Lorna fell in beside Jasper. "Did you do well with your exams?"
Jasper shrugged. "I guess. Muggle Art being the easiest."
"That's a given for you."
"How about you?"
"I did well. Herbology not so good."
"What, no."
"I guess I'm not good with plants."
"Our common room is surrounded by plants. They grow on you."
"They what?" Lorna asked.
"It's a Hufflepuff joke."
"Oh. Right. I get it."
They continued their walk around the perimeter of the school. Students dotted around the ground ignored them, and the sun provided warmth for those to enjoy.
"Do you have plans for the holidays?" Lorna asked.
"Not that I aware off. Sleeping in and drawing if I'm lucky. How about you?"
"I'll be working."
"Why would you?"
Lorna knew explaining to Jasper would not help him to comprehend. "One day you'll have to come visit. Then you'll understand."
"I guess I'll have too."
A big part of Lorna craved to be home, yet another smaller part would miss the friends she made at Hogwarts.
They gathered in the great hall before lines of students left the castle. Some took the horseless carriages back to Hogsmeade station, others chose to walk. Lorna found herself beside Vivian. Her satchel over her shoulder, clutched under her arm. The drawing Jasper had given Lorna gave her the idea to do something similar. Not near as talented as Jasper, Lorna hoped her sketch of the windows within their common room would suffice.
"Vivian." Lorna said, drawing her attention. "I drew this for you, to say thank you for being with me this year."
Lorna handed Vivian the sketch and Vivian stopped walking as she took the paper. It was difficult to see Vivian's response given her wild hair covering her features and without thinking; Lorna reached out and lifted her hair from her face. Shock at her forwardness, Lorna found herself looking at Vivian's pixie like face, large brown eyes and full lips. Why she wanted to hide such a sweet face Lorna could not fathom but to embarrassed to ask she quickly said, "I didn't know what to draw for you, but we did spent a lot of our time together in the common room; I hope this is fine."
"It is." Vivian replied, eyes darting over Lorna's face. "Thank you."
Lorna moved her hand away, sensing Vivian's discomfort and moved away to hide her own. Vivian rolled the paper and tucked it inside her coat pocket and they continued forward without further comment.
As they reached the station, Vivian asked, "Can I share a compartment with you."
"I'd like that." Lorna replied, and she followed Vivian onto the carriage.
There were many questions Lorna wanted to ask but was afraid too. But she had all of summer to grow her confidence and determined to return to Hogwarts less timid, Lorna planned the many scenarios over in her head at how she would achieve that.
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Unless end note: I wrote this because I wanted to. I'm no HP expert, I don't ship characters, I don't follow any fandoms. I just write what ever I want.
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This is the end of Book 1. I will be editing Book 2 in the coming weeks and will get it up when it's done. Thank you for reading.