Sleep. I absolutely love it.
My dormmates however, apparently don't. As I was rudely awoken by my duvet being removed from my person by none other than Lyra Avery. I opened my eyes to see her standing over me with a look that I had come to know as the 'your late look'. Lyra was very much the mother of us sixth year Slytherins, she was the one you went to if you had a problem or if you needed help with an assignment. She had soft brown eyes, wavy golden locks that bounced whenever she moved and was a sweet, innocent, petite little thing, but if you got on her bad side you could say goodbye to sweet and hello to ruthless.
Behind her stood Natalia Mulciber, arms crossed and the permanent scowl on her lips as she looked at me with nothing but disgust. She had jet black hair that was always pin straight that went down to her waist and brown eyes that were the colour of chocolate. Natalia, unlike Lyra who really didn't give a shit if you were Pureblood or not, had been dead set on hating my guts ever since she found out I was Muggleborn and that both my best friends were 'Blood traitors' and in Gryffindor too. She agrees with her family on the fact that if you weren't Pureblood you weren't worth her time, whereas Lyra goes completely against her family. Yet the two seem to be the best of friends - the only person who could get a smile out of Natalia was Lyra. So before I could get a scolding, I begrudgingly got out of bed, grabbed my towel and uniform and headed into the bathroom. I set them down before removing my pajamas and stepping into the shower, turning it on and I felt the warm water wash away any bad thoughts or feelings I could've had.
After what should've been a quick shower, I got dressed, performed a drying spell on my hair, and exited the bathroom to find the dorm empty for the exception of the four poster at the end of the room which had its curtains drawn and you could hear soft snores coming from it. Deciding that it was about time I woke her up, I wandered over and pulled back the curtains to reveal a certain Charlotte Cunningham in a deep slumber.
"Charlotte" I said as I shook her. "Charlotte, breakfast will be over soon." She opened her eyes and sat up with a jolt, looking at me before jumping out of bed, rummaging for her uniform in her trunk before saying a quick thank you and rushing to the bathroom, shutting the door with a loud bang. I chuckled to myself, shaking my head at her usual and expected antics.
Charlotte was the fourth and final girl in the sixth year Slytherin girls dorm. There was only a few of us, some who didn't like others, but it was always the same. Lyra would wake me up whilst Natalia waited impatiently as she had already been up for hours no doubt. That was the thing with her, she was a mystery, one that only Lyra seemed to be able to figure out. As much as I knew Natalia and I weren't the best of friends, I sort of wished she could look past my blood status as it would quite honestly be weird without her odd but strangely comforting presence.
Anyway, after I had gotten ready I would wake up Charlotte as she was always sleeping in. Honestly, she is the most forgetful girl I have ever met, yet she never seems to have any trouble with schoolwork which quite frankly baffled me. She was also the youngest and the most cheeky out of all of us, as she was constantly playing pranks on people and never taking things seriously. We often hung out together as she wasn't the most liked girl due to all the pranking. She had Mousy brown wavy hair that didn't reach past her shoulders and mischievous blue grey eyes that lit up every time she did or found something remotely funny.
I left the dorm to the offkey sounds of Charlotte singing a muggle song that her Dad had probably introduced her to. She's a Halfblood, her Mum is a witch and her Dad is a muggle. I walked through the empty common room and out through the secret opening, and into the dungeon hallways and towards the great hall.
Once I reached the great hall I sat down next to a depressed looking Scorpius Malfoy who was glaring at his timetable like it was poison, and opposite an overly cheerful Albus Potter to which I inwardly face palmed.
Seriously, this early in the morning.
You want me to deal with him this early in the morning.
Why universe, why.
Neither of them had noticed my presence, to which I cleared my throat. They both looked at me, Scorpius with confusion and Albus with annoyance as though he didn't want to deal with me this early in the morning either. Well, at least the feeling is mutual.
"Why do you look like your about to set you timetable on fire?" I asked Scorpius whilst piling my plate with bacon, eggs and whatever other breakfast foods there were. They both looked like they were going to be sick just looking at how much I had on my plate.
"He just found out that we have double potions first." Albus said, smirking.
I dropped my fork that had just finished shovelling some eggs into my mouth, it landed on my plate with a loud clang. I swallowed my eggs and looked at him with my mouth hanging open so much that Scorpius had to close it.
"What!" I practically squeaked. Albus just sat there smirking at my expression. I turned to Scorpius who had finished trying to mentally burn a hole through his timetable and was now happily chewing on a piece of toast.
"Tell me he's lying." I begged. " Please tell me that we haven't actually got double potions first."
"Mr Potter is correct Miss Jones." Professor Slughorn, my head of house and potions teacher, said as he appeared next to me, handing me my timetable from just over an arms length away, his pot belly stopping him from walking any closer.
I snatched my timetable from him, scanning the contents to try and prove Albus wrong as Slughorn waddled off grumbling about the lack of manners in teenagers nowadays. I outwardly groaned as I saw that Albus was right about the fact that we had indeed got double potions first. He laughed at me and Scorpius, who had now once again resorted to telepathically attacking his timetable, whilst I just sat there grumpily eating my breakfast.
Its fucking alright for him, he's Slughorn's favourite. He only liked Albus because he taught his Dad. Okay, well that's a load of shit. Although I'll never admit this out loud, but Albus is fucking amazing at potions. He's the best in our year. Hell maybe even in the school, another thing that makes him fucking perfect.
After a while Dom came bounding over, Rose not too far behind, from the Gryffindor table.
"You lot got double potions too." Dom said unenthusiastically, I nodded as she sat down on my right. Whilst Rose sat down on Scorpius's other side giving him a kiss on the cheek to which he responded by kissing her on the lips for longer than was necessary at the breakfast table.
"Can you not do that in front of me please?" Grumbled Albus, his face contorted into a look of disgust.
"What, don't like seeing your best friend and your cousin give each other affection, Potter?" I asked, trying to provoke him.
"No Jones, I don't." He replied.
"Oh shut up, Albus." Dom said. "We would be okay if it was you and Lissa." Albus and I snapped our heads towards Dom.
Yuck. Ew. Gross. No. Way.
Besides, I could do so much better.
"As if!" We both protested.
I whipped my head round to glare at him, he met me half way. But when we locked eyes the electricity from the train was back, but stronger. It was like I was being electrocuted except without the pain. The searing heat spread throughout my body causing a shiver to snake its way down my spine. Eventually, I managed to pull myself from the depths of his irises and back into what was now the cold reality.
"We should get to class." I said quickly.
Grabbing my bag, I got up from the table, Dom following closely behind. We walked to potions in silence neither of us saying anything about what just went on. I would be naïve to think that she hadn't noticed what happened and that she wouldn't grill me about it later.
The only thing on my mind was how cold I was without the warmth of Albus' earlier gaze.
When we arrived at the potions classroom, after taking the scenic route, which ended up with Dom and I being late, everybody was lined up against the wall watching Slughorn with confused faces, whilst probably wondering as to why they were stood up and not sat down preparing to sleep through this lesson.
"Ah, Miss Jones, Miss Weasley, how nice of you to finally join us." Professor Slughorn said with a pointed look at each of us. "Please wait against the wall as we have a new seating plan."
At that, everyone in the room groaned and started complaining to Slughorn about how it wasn't fair that we had to sit next to people we don't like. I felt someone nudge my arm, I turned to see Dom with an unimpressed look on her face.
"This sucks." She said.
"I know, now I actually have to do the work." I said.
"I'm gonna end up with some weirdo boy that's got a stalker like crush on me." She said exasperated at the fact that some guy might have an odd type of crush on her.
As you can tell, Dom is not modest in the slightest.
"I know, having every guy that's straight and unrelated you fawn over you must be terrible." I said sarcastically whilst putting the back of my hand to my forehead and sighing. To which Dom, ever so maturely, gave me the middle finger and stuck her tongue out at me.
At this point, the complaining and the swear words had risen in volume so much that Slughorn was trying to maintain control by attempting to shout over the moody teenagers. Which wasn't working very well as his walrus like mustache got in the way every time he opened his mouth to speak. Eventually, when he'd got his facial hair out of the way, he cleared his throat and bellowed.
"ENOUGH!" He took a deep breath and continued,"You all know the rules, new school year, new seating plan."
Everybody, who had now processed the fact that they probably won't be sat next to their friends, calmed down and returned their gaze to the overweight professor at the front of the classroom. The earlier confusion replaced by a scowl.
"Now, Stevens and Mulciber." He motioned to the two of them to sit down, clearly unaware of Natalia's murderous glare and Lyra's encouraging smile.
"Miss Weasley and Wood." Slughorn gestured for them to sit down as Dom turned to me with anger and annoyance plastered across her face as she now has to sit next to Hogwarts's resident mute.
Alexander Wood was the only son of the great Oliver Wood. His Dad being Puddlemere United's star keeper and winner of Witch Weekly's Most Eligible Bachelor Award for several years running now. He however, hasn't uttered a single word to anybody in the six years he's been enrolled at Hogwarts and is pretty much the definition of 'lone wolf'. He is the complete opposite of his father, he doesn't play Quidditch and has probably never had a girlfriend in his life. Not to mention that he has no friends, hence people try to avoid him. Despite his constant loneliness he is rather attractive, with his Dad's brown hair and what's assumed to be his Mother's odd blue eyes and is one of those guys that girls say they don't like but secretly think is fit. The one thing him and his Dad have in common besides their looks is that he was in Gryffindor too.
"Mr Malfoy and Miss Weasley." Slughorn called. In the corner my eye I saw Dom mutter 'luck buggers' and sneak a glance at her odd but strangely attractive partner.
I zoned out as Slughorn began to go through the list of paired students. It wasn't until a few names later that the feeling that someone was watching me, like the one I got at Kings Cross, resurfaced but it left as soon as it had come as if it was like someone flipping a switch. As the list went on the more I wanted to figure out what that feeling meant and make it go away even though it wasn't even there anymore, it had left a lingering, dull ache throughout my body which was both unsettling and curious. Relief washed over me when I heard Slughorn say my name as I was beginning to think that dwelling on that feeling was only making me feel worse. My relief turned into annoyance as Slughorn said who I'd be paired with.
"Jones and Potter."
Oh dear god no.
I looked towards Albus and saw that he looked as pissed off about this arrangement as I was.
"Professor! I can't-" I protested but he interrupted me.
"No ifs ands or buts about it Miss Jones, these are your seats for this year." He said in a tone that clearly showed that he was serious and there was going to be no negotiating about it either.
Dom saw my expression and snickered at me as I sat down at the back of the class next to Albus, who seemed to have accepted his fate more willingly than I did. My response to Dom was the same as she did earlier, I stuck my tongue out and gestured to who she was sat next to, then proceeded to flip her the bird.
"I'm not that bad." Albus said.
I lifted my head from the table to glare at him but Slughorn called our attention in the form of very phlegmy throat clearing (gross).
"Now class, open your books to page 153 as we will be reviewing the cure for boils." He began his lecture.
I banged my head on the table in the hopes that it might kill me and I could ascend to the clouds and hang out with the likes of Merlin and Dumbledore, the universe however had other plans in the form of a headache and the torture of being forced to sit through the next two hours of living hell.
That evening, I was sitting in the Slytherin common room mentally cursing the person who invented homework into oblivion, when Charlotte came bounding in smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
"How's it going?" She asked as she plopped onto the thick black leather sofa.
"Shit." I replied.
"Already, but it's only the first day." She looked at me, eyes sparkling.
"Yeah. Tell that to the professors that set me fucking homework." I said, spitting out the last word like it was poison on my tongue.
"Oh that's gotta suck." She said leaning back into the comfortable leather.
"Yep." I sighed.
"Well, I've got to go meet Fred, have fun." She said hopping off the sofa and towards the opening that had just appeared due to the arrival of Albus and Scorpius.
Another thing I forgot to mention was that Charlotte was dating Fred Weasley Jr, Dom's cousin. He was a seventh year and in Gryffindor too. He had the same Weasley red hair and he shared his Dads love of pranks and mischief, which would be why he and Charlotte got on so well.
"Well, don't you look positively murderous." Scorpius said cheerfully as he plonked himself on the sofa with all the grace of a mountain troll.
"You would too if all of your professors had given you homework." I said grumpily, crossing my legs and huffing.
"Cheer up, its Quidditch tryouts tomorrow." He said reaching out and ruffling my hair, grinning like a maniac.
"Mate, that's not a good thing. It gives you a reason to boss us about now that you're Captain." Albus chipped in.
"Dumbass over here," I gestured to Albus, "has got a point. Its good for you, absolute hell for us." I agreed.
"Hold on, did you two just agree on something? Its a bloody miracle!" Scorpius said waving his arms about and startling some first years that were quietly playing chess by the fire.
"That's what you took from that sentence?" Albus questioned.
"What can I say, I have selective hearing." He retorted, relaxing back and resting his arms on the back of the sofa.
"More like selective brain damage." I muttered and I could've sworn I saw a smile ghost Albus's lips.
"Oh Mel, Dom was looking for you." Albus said.
The fact that he called me by anything but my surname would be enough to catch my attention, but the use of the nickname that he hasn't called me since first year sent a shockwave through both Scorpius and I.
Albus looked as surprised as we did once he'd realised his mistake.
It wasn't a mistake.
I decided to ignore the voice inside my head and focused on Albus trying to cover his tracks.
"She said to, um tell you to come and find her, at the place. She also said you'd k-know what that means." He stuttered.
It was actually kind of cute, the Albus Potter was nervous.
Woah, did I just say that Albus Potter was cute.
No. You didn't.
Lets just forget that that ever happened.
"Right. I'll go find her then. Um, thanks for the message." I replied getting up from the sofa, the awkwardness hung in the air around us.
I left the common room to go and find Dom, trying so hard not to dwell on what Albus calling me by his old nickname meant. I didn't want to admit to myself that I wanted it to mean something. So I disappeared through the opening, leaving the boys and the awkwardness behind and into the darkness that was the Slytherin dungeons.
I found Dom and Rose in our 'place' . They were sat chatting about something, most likely the gossip they'd found out during the day. Trust me you'd be surprised how much happens in a day here at Hogwarts.
Our 'place' as we like to call it, is the Astronomy Tower. Every year in the evening of the first school day we come up here to sit and talk, mostly gossip, about what we did or what our classes were like. It's sort of a tradition. Something we do just the three of us. Its not just once a year, we go up there if we need advice on boys or homework help and if one of us is upset and nobody can find us we're usually up here. Its our sacred place.
"Hey." I said, announcing myself.
"There you are! Where have you been?" Dom demanded.
"I came as soon as I got the message." I answered.
"I asked Albus to get you over an hour ago. Honestly, boys are so unreliable." She huffed.
"How were the rest of your classes, Lissa?" Rose asked as I sat down on an available gold and scarlet cushion.
"Fucking shit. Homework in every single one." I replied.
"Christ on a cracker Lissa! That's ridiculous." Dom took a swig of the bottle of firewhisky in her hand.
"Tell me about it." I said, snatching the bottle from Dom's grip (much to her displeasure) and downing half of what was left.
"How many NEWTS are you taking?" Rose inquired, ever the scholar.
"6. Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense, Divination, Astronomy." I answered.
"Bloody hell." Dom said, cringing.
"Anyway, how where the rest of your' days?" I asked.
That was it. We talked and gossiped and drank until the early hours of the morning, taking advantage of the free time that we had before NEWTS studies got in the way. It wasn't till a few hours before dawn that we stumbled our drunken arses through the castle's hallways, awakening several portraits whilst trying not to get caught by Filch, on our way back to our respective dormitories.
The sun was beginning to rise as I collapsed onto my bed. Every thought, feeling or concern about the weird things that have been happening were gone from my mind, it was filled only with a few new memories that I'll treasure in the years to come.
I only had one thought as the last wave of sleep over took me.
I love my friends to bits, the idiots that they are.
AN:
Hi guys. So the second chapter is up within a matter of hours since I uploaded the first, I want to warn you now that this won't always be to case as the ideas take a while to emerge from the depths of my imagination. I would love it if some of you could let me know what you thought of this chapter, constructive criticism is always welcomed. Remember to R&R! Stay safe!
Until next time, happy reading!
Sincerely,
Purpleslytherin xx