Chapter 2
I navigate my way down to the kitchen corridor and tapped the barrel. My heart was always warmed at the sight of the roaring fire, warm holly and mistletoe draped along the yellow papered walls. Bronze candle holders engraved with our beloved badger led me to my dormitory where a circle of six brass framed beds lay. I reached around under my embroidered pillow to retrieve a copper wrought key and reached down to unlock the battered trunk under my bed. I transferred several rolls of parchment, a dead mouse, a quill, a new bottle of ink, a small green hair bow, my diary and some muggle books into my satchel before locking and sliding the trunk back. I grabbed my wand from the top drawer of my bedside cabinet, pulled the patchwork blanket from my bed. Leaving the common room past Helga's painting I looked up to see her soft eyes scrutinizing me.
"Alone again my dear?" she cooed in her mothering voice.
"I just have some things to mull over" I assured her and left once more into the cold, draughty corridor. Realizing I hadn't visited the house elves recently I tickled the pear and stepped into say hello.
"Hello Miss Fletcher, to what do we owe the pleasure?" a squeak came from Winky, a small, reasonably old house elf with a pink apron with white lace frills. She wore a blue polka-dot and a lemon yellow bow perched on top of a simple sweet bun which was exposed as she dropped in a curtsy, her long nose touching the tiled floor.
"I just popped in to say hello but I can't stay long I'm afraid. I assume you are well? Oh and I have a present for you!" I fumbled around in the bottom of my bag to present her with a slightly crumpled emerald, satin bow.
"Oh thank you O so very much Chloe! You know me well." She proceeded to attach the bow to her hair with the others, "I have quite the collection now, one to rival my old friends Dobby's of socks." The usually composed elf took a brief second contain her sniffle and blink watery eyes. The moment was saved by a troop of knee height elves carrying in a large tray over their heads of an assortment of fruit cakes, chocolate éclairs, pumpkin pasties and sherbet lemons; my favorite.
"Oh you shouldn't have! But thank you anyway, you're too good to me for I am only going to take your food and leave. Goodbye then!" Winky gave me a small brown bag and I filled it with enough éclairs and sherbet lemons to last the night.
"No thank you, Miss Fletcher, and do remind Miss Carrie to visit more often, I baked brownies just for her! Farewell!" And with that I left the kitchens. The elves were so good to me and never even realized it – they seemed to think it was the other way around! It's because elves are born serving, they are so selfless and rarely ask for much more in life, but the elves at Hogwarts are free, they could do other work and they do get paid but I think this is all they have ever known and if it makes them happy I won't question it. I walked through the quiet school, yet to be stirred from it's feast and found myself outside in the crisp, biting air outside. Climbing the path up to the owlry I hear a sound behind me but turn to see only the whisper of the wind in the night. I entered the tower like structure of the owlry and called up for Phil. He swooped in a downward spiral and perched on the nook of my arm with a screech and an affectionate nibble at my ear lobe. I pulled out the dead mouse and fed it too him. "There you are boy, Carries cat caught it for you, so you remember to thank her!" Phil shook his black and white feather and looked at me with his thoughtful blue eyes. "Well, I best be to work, I was thinking that charms essay first, them a bit of reading, and I might even bring myself to write more in my diary." I settled down in my usual alcove with cover from owl dropping listening to the creaks of the wooden door and the soft hoots of the owls above. Pulling out my parchment I begin work whilst eating the elves picnic. I work with the light of my wand and end up reading into the night.
I awoke softly, refusing to admit the day, my eyes closed holding onto my dreams of crackling fires and soft blankets. I stretched, and realize my blanked had been laid over me, I figured I must have reached for it in my sleep. I reach to my face, and peel off the book I must have fallen asleep reading from my neck, no doubt leaving prints on my face. I lift up my eye lids to reveal blinding light causing me to flick them shut.
Tentatively repeating the attempt, I look up to see inches from my face a pair of further blinding, dazzling, sea green eyes.