Annabeth, Chapter 7
Chapter 7, Year 1
Albus and Annabeth have all their classes together both being first year Gryffindor's. They even sat next to each other in their potions and defense against the dark arts classes. In both of these classes Albus would try to start a conversation with Annabeth even though he was never one to talk out of turn. Albus has always been extremely shy; even around his family.
He couldn't talk to her at lunch because he knew his cousins would make fun of him; especially James and Fred. Luckily Albus couldn't sleep one night and decided to go to the kitchens for a midnight snack.
Well, he was in the kitchens, but he wasn't actually eating. More like dancing on one of the elves work tables while singing into a wooden spoon.
Annabeth had had a nightmare as well and as usual went down to the kitchens so she wouldn't wake up any of the other girls in her dorm. But when she got close to the kitchen she heard this awful sound. It was the equivalent to the sound of high pitched meowing. She walked forward gingerly, trying not to make too much noise.
She took out her wand just in case. When she finally got to the open kitchen doors she saw something horrific. A boy in her class named Albus was dancing and singing, badly by the way, on the work tables for the elves. He was wearing dark blue cotton pajamas and a robe was loosely thrown on the ground near him. Annabeth was clueless as too what song he was trying to sing.
She suddenly said laughing "What are you doing?" Albus turned around so fast she was surprised he didn't hurt his neck.
"Nothing," Albus hastily dropped the spoon and it clattered onto the table.
"It didn't look like nothing." Annabeth said still chuckling, crossing her arms in the doorway.
"Well it was," Albus said, carefully hopping off the table. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Just-, Just don't tell James." Albus pleaded.
Annabeth stopped chuckling and the smile on her face slowly vanished. "Why would I tell your brother? He seems kinda mean."
"Yeah, well he is." Albus mumbled bitterly.
Annabeth stayed quiet, "You know," She finally stated, "You just put your feet right where the elves will be making breakfast?"
"No," Albus said, "But how would you know?"
"I was eating on that table the other night and one of the elves told me not too. He said that they would have to clean the table an extra time." Annabeth said, "He told me that the food might be contaminated." She mumbled.
"Do you come down here often?" Albus asked.
"Just when I have nightmares." Annabeth spoke quietly.
"Oh did you have a nightmare tonight?"
"Well, I'm done here aren't I?" Annabeth said calmly but Albus took it the wrong way.
"Sorry," Albus sighed but Annabeth couldn't hear him. She went to the fridge where the elves keep the desserts and took a large carton of something and heaved it up out of the fridge.
"Get some spoons," Annabeth ordered. She walked over towards a clean looking corner and plopped down; carton in tow.
"For both of us?"
"Well, do you want any ice-cream?"
"Yeah, Where are they?"
"Ugh," Annabeth sighed getting up. She walked over to a drawer. "Here," she smiled giving Albus a spoon as well as herself.
"Thanks," Albus said. He wasn't so sure she was happy or not that he was here. "What kind of ice-cream is it?"
"Brown," she answered from the floor.
"Chocolate?" Albus asked sitting down next to her.
"Is that what it's called?" Annabeth asked confused.
"You've never had chocolate ice cream before?" Albus asked appalled.
"I've had brown," Annabeth offered.
"This is chocolate." Albus forced a chuckle.
"Okay, then I've had chocolate." She accented the chocolate.
They ate for a while after that and this time Albus broke the silence, "You know, Chocolate's my favorite ice-cream flavor."
"Brown's mine," Annabeth teased with a small smile on her face.
Albus sighed, "So you really didn't know it was chocolate?"
"No, Where I used to live before I used to classify a lot of things by colors." Annabeth said taking one last spoonful and then putting down her spoon.
"You done already?" Albus asked shocked. She had only had 3 small spoonfuls.
"Yeah," Annabeth sighed, "Not hungry I guess."
"You don't really eat that much. Even at meal times. My grandma would— " Albus rushed out, "Sorry none of my business."
"No it's," Annabeth paused, "You noticed? Am I really that noticeable?"
"No, I just noticed. I doubt anyone else – "
"Okay," Annabeth smiled. "We should go back to the dorms. Don't want Filch to catch us." She started cleaning up the ice-cream and spoons. Once everything was done she gave Albus a small smile then tried to exit the kitchens. '
"Where are you going?" Albus asked catching up with her.
"Back to the Dormitories." Annabeth said slowly; still walking.
"But you'll get caught."
She stopped, "How did you get down here?"
"I used my dad's cloak," Albus said. Annabeth just realized that what she thought was a robe was actually a reddish brown cloak. "It turns people invisible."
"That's so cool."
"Yeah isn't it? Well let's go." Albus then wrapped the cloak around them.
They both got back to the dormitories and opened the door but they didn't go in yet.
"Thanks," Annabeth said quickly then scurried into the common room and disappearing up the girls dormitory stairs.
Albus walked in after her clutching the cloak. "What was that all about?" A familiar voice said from the corner. Albus turned around surprised but calmed down when he saw the faces of Teddy and his cousin Victorie cuddled on the couch.
"Nothing," Albus said quickly.
"uh-huh," Teddy teased.
"Don't be mean," Victorie chastised, she gave Teddy a stern look. "Do you want to turn him off from girls forever?" Albus left to go upstairs while they pretend fought. They had been together since September and were still disgustingly cute around each other.
Annabeth quietly got to her bed and thought that maybe it wouldn't be too bad having a friend. For the first time in a long time she was excited for tomorrow and what it might bring.
