Status: Currently on hiatus. Will finish one day. :)
Into the Stars
Marianne
My eyes opened slowly at the sound of the others getting out of bed. It was Thursday morning. One more day! I sat up with a burst of energy and looked over at Allie, who was still sound asleep. Her mouth was opened and she had formed a pool of drool on her pillow. I noticed that the dark circles under her eyes were starting to form. I shook her gently. She moaned and rolled onto her stomach.
“Come on. Time to get up.” I said cheerfully as I continued to shake her. She lifted her head suddenly and blinked her eyes a few times.
“It’s morning already?” She groaned before collapsing her head back onto her pillow.
“Allie, are you feeling alright?” I asked as I tried to comb out some of the knots in her hair with my fingers.
“Ugh... uh huh...” After a few minutes, I got her to roll over and sit up. She looked awful.
“Sweetheart, have you been sleeping?”
“Not well...”
“Talk to me.” I said as I sat across from her on her bed.
“It’s nothing, really. I just need to start going to bed sooner.” She said drowsily. I noted that she’s been going to bed at the same time as everyone else, but said nothing as she got up and went to get dressed.
Breakfast was rushed because of how long it took Allie to get up. The boys were almost finished by the time we reached the Great Hall. I sat next to Oliver and hastily poured myself some cereal. Allie sat next to George and immediately put her head down on the table.
“What took you guys so long?” Fred asked.
“Somebody wouldn’t get out bed.” I said grinning at Allie.
“Are you alright, Allie?” Oliver asked from across the table. She jerked her head up and smiled.
“Of course. Pass the orange juice, please.” I shrugged at them before trying to inhale my cereal. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish before it disappeared along with the rest of the food on the table. I sighed sadly before getting up to go to History of Magic with George and Oliver.
***
I sat in the back row next to Oliver, who sat next to George. The seat to the left of me had always been the only empty one in the classroom. I couldn’t blame anyone, though, because no one knew who I was when we first picked our seats. I remembered feeling proud of myself due to my newfound boldness when I chose the empty spot next to the handsome Gryffindor Keeper.
We sat in our seats and pulled out our books as we waited for Professor Binns to begin the lecture. He sat at his desk in the front of the room and stared at his notes. This was how class always started. After we were all ready to begin, he would just stare at his papers. He would adjust his glasses once... and we would wait for a few minutes for him to snap out of it and start talking. This time, though, it took forever.
After about ten minutes of complete silence, the entire class was startled to the door creaking open. Binns looked up expectantly and stood up slowly as the person entered. She was about my height, and her dark brown hair was long and obviously straightened with an iron. It draped around her tired looking eyes so it was difficult to see the rest of her face. She was even paler than I was, and that’s saying something.
“Welcome, Ms. Shepard.” Said Binns as he moved to the front of the classroom. The girl said nothing as she stood awkwardly with her books clutched to her chest. “You should do well not to show up late again.” He said with a frown before turning to face us. “This is Marianne Shepard. She has come to us all the way from America. Which state is it now?” He asked, looking at her. There was a long pause. She opened her mouth slowly and looked at the ground.
“Arizona.” She said in a low tone. She had said it so quietly I could hardly hear her.
“Yes... well, why don’t you take the empty seat in the back, and we can begin.” Binns said. He always sounded like a robot when he spoke.
Marianne scanned the room until her eyes reached the spot he was referring to. The spot next to me. She looked at me for a split second before dragging herself down the isle and plopping down next to me.
“Today, we will be discussing Hengist of Woodcroft. This was right before King Arthur’s time, as you may have suspected...” And on he went, bringing little to no attention of the students with him.
I turned to look at Marianne. She was looking straight ahead with a frown. I sighed inwardly, knowing that I had to do something. I knew what it was like to come into a place not knowing anyone; specifically, this place. I had to lean my head far forward to get her attention.
“Hello,” I whispered. She turned her head every so slightly to look at me. The expression on her face stayed the same. “I’m Nikki.” I said with a smile. The corners of her mouth tugged, but she did not smile back. She nodded respectfully and turned back to face Binns. As if she could keep her attention on him. His lectures were murder.
I turned to Oliver and George, who were both looking at her like she was an alien. George ripped out a piece of paper in his notebook, causing the entire class to look at him. Except Binns, who would not let the distraction interrupt his speech about the battle between King Vortigern and the Scot and Pict rebels. George hastily wrote something on the paper, folded it, and passed it Oliver and motioned for him to give it to me. I eyed him suspiciously before unfolding the note and letting Oliver lean in to see as well.
“dont bother with her. she doesnt seem like she wants any friends” It read. I rolled my eyes, partially at his terrible grammar, but mostly at his pessimism. I reached across Oliver to give the paper back. I glanced back at Marianne and was shocked to see her writing furiously, almost filling up a second page of notes. Was she seriously paying attention??? I felt a tap on my elbow and looked over to see the same piece of paper with something else written on it. “forget the last part. get her to be our friend so she can help us pass the exam!” I scoffed before crumbling up the letter and throwing it at George’s face.
***
That night after supper, we made our way down the corridor to the fat lady, and were stopped in our tracks when we ran into a mass group of students gasping and talking quietly.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know!”
“What’s going on?”
“Potter killed Mrs. Norris!”
“He did not!”
“Argus!” Everyone fell to silence as Dumbledore and McGonagall made their way to wherever the end of the crowd ended. We stood on our tip toes to see what was going on, but we couldn’t. “Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately.” Said Dumbledore.
The crowd started moving and we were finally able to see. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood looking panicked, and on the wall behind them read: “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemy of the heir... beware.” My breath caught in my throat. It was written in blood. Our eyes were glued to it as we passed.
I went straight upstairs to the dorms instead of socializing in the common room as I normally did. Not only was the incident in the hall upsetting and confusing, but it was the night before my second date with Oliver, and I was going to make sure I looked perfect. I grabbed a face mask, foot soak, and many other products and spent the evening exfoliating, and soaking my hair in conditioner with Allie and a few other girls who decided to join in.
“Come on. Time to get up.” I said cheerfully as I continued to shake her. She lifted her head suddenly and blinked her eyes a few times.
“It’s morning already?” She groaned before collapsing her head back onto her pillow.
“Allie, are you feeling alright?” I asked as I tried to comb out some of the knots in her hair with my fingers.
“Ugh... uh huh...” After a few minutes, I got her to roll over and sit up. She looked awful.
“Sweetheart, have you been sleeping?”
“Not well...”
“Talk to me.” I said as I sat across from her on her bed.
“It’s nothing, really. I just need to start going to bed sooner.” She said drowsily. I noted that she’s been going to bed at the same time as everyone else, but said nothing as she got up and went to get dressed.
Breakfast was rushed because of how long it took Allie to get up. The boys were almost finished by the time we reached the Great Hall. I sat next to Oliver and hastily poured myself some cereal. Allie sat next to George and immediately put her head down on the table.
“What took you guys so long?” Fred asked.
“Somebody wouldn’t get out bed.” I said grinning at Allie.
“Are you alright, Allie?” Oliver asked from across the table. She jerked her head up and smiled.
“Of course. Pass the orange juice, please.” I shrugged at them before trying to inhale my cereal. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish before it disappeared along with the rest of the food on the table. I sighed sadly before getting up to go to History of Magic with George and Oliver.
***
I sat in the back row next to Oliver, who sat next to George. The seat to the left of me had always been the only empty one in the classroom. I couldn’t blame anyone, though, because no one knew who I was when we first picked our seats. I remembered feeling proud of myself due to my newfound boldness when I chose the empty spot next to the handsome Gryffindor Keeper.
We sat in our seats and pulled out our books as we waited for Professor Binns to begin the lecture. He sat at his desk in the front of the room and stared at his notes. This was how class always started. After we were all ready to begin, he would just stare at his papers. He would adjust his glasses once... and we would wait for a few minutes for him to snap out of it and start talking. This time, though, it took forever.
After about ten minutes of complete silence, the entire class was startled to the door creaking open. Binns looked up expectantly and stood up slowly as the person entered. She was about my height, and her dark brown hair was long and obviously straightened with an iron. It draped around her tired looking eyes so it was difficult to see the rest of her face. She was even paler than I was, and that’s saying something.
“Welcome, Ms. Shepard.” Said Binns as he moved to the front of the classroom. The girl said nothing as she stood awkwardly with her books clutched to her chest. “You should do well not to show up late again.” He said with a frown before turning to face us. “This is Marianne Shepard. She has come to us all the way from America. Which state is it now?” He asked, looking at her. There was a long pause. She opened her mouth slowly and looked at the ground.
“Arizona.” She said in a low tone. She had said it so quietly I could hardly hear her.
“Yes... well, why don’t you take the empty seat in the back, and we can begin.” Binns said. He always sounded like a robot when he spoke.
Marianne scanned the room until her eyes reached the spot he was referring to. The spot next to me. She looked at me for a split second before dragging herself down the isle and plopping down next to me.
“Today, we will be discussing Hengist of Woodcroft. This was right before King Arthur’s time, as you may have suspected...” And on he went, bringing little to no attention of the students with him.
I turned to look at Marianne. She was looking straight ahead with a frown. I sighed inwardly, knowing that I had to do something. I knew what it was like to come into a place not knowing anyone; specifically, this place. I had to lean my head far forward to get her attention.
“Hello,” I whispered. She turned her head every so slightly to look at me. The expression on her face stayed the same. “I’m Nikki.” I said with a smile. The corners of her mouth tugged, but she did not smile back. She nodded respectfully and turned back to face Binns. As if she could keep her attention on him. His lectures were murder.
I turned to Oliver and George, who were both looking at her like she was an alien. George ripped out a piece of paper in his notebook, causing the entire class to look at him. Except Binns, who would not let the distraction interrupt his speech about the battle between King Vortigern and the Scot and Pict rebels. George hastily wrote something on the paper, folded it, and passed it Oliver and motioned for him to give it to me. I eyed him suspiciously before unfolding the note and letting Oliver lean in to see as well.
“dont bother with her. she doesnt seem like she wants any friends” It read. I rolled my eyes, partially at his terrible grammar, but mostly at his pessimism. I reached across Oliver to give the paper back. I glanced back at Marianne and was shocked to see her writing furiously, almost filling up a second page of notes. Was she seriously paying attention??? I felt a tap on my elbow and looked over to see the same piece of paper with something else written on it. “forget the last part. get her to be our friend so she can help us pass the exam!” I scoffed before crumbling up the letter and throwing it at George’s face.
***
That night after supper, we made our way down the corridor to the fat lady, and were stopped in our tracks when we ran into a mass group of students gasping and talking quietly.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know!”
“What’s going on?”
“Potter killed Mrs. Norris!”
“He did not!”
“Argus!” Everyone fell to silence as Dumbledore and McGonagall made their way to wherever the end of the crowd ended. We stood on our tip toes to see what was going on, but we couldn’t. “Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately.” Said Dumbledore.
The crowd started moving and we were finally able to see. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood looking panicked, and on the wall behind them read: “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemy of the heir... beware.” My breath caught in my throat. It was written in blood. Our eyes were glued to it as we passed.
I went straight upstairs to the dorms instead of socializing in the common room as I normally did. Not only was the incident in the hall upsetting and confusing, but it was the night before my second date with Oliver, and I was going to make sure I looked perfect. I grabbed a face mask, foot soak, and many other products and spent the evening exfoliating, and soaking my hair in conditioner with Allie and a few other girls who decided to join in.