Steady Damage

I closed my eyes loosely and tilted my head back, taking a long drag from my cigarette and watched the smoke in fasination until it eventually dissapeared before taking another drag and doing the same thing, watching the design it created. I sighed in content after I stubbed it out and just stared at anything and everything.

My door opened and dad poked his head in. "Hey!" His eyes popped out. "What have I told you about smoking? And in the house?! Dammit Renee." He grabbed my pack roughly out of my hand as I went to go lite up another.

"You told me not to." I replied in a calm I-know-what-you-said-but-you-know-I-won't-stop tone. He just rolled his eyes and sighed, handing them back to me in defeat. I nodded in appritiation, I really didn't want to have to get up and grab another pack out of a carton. "Be ready tomorrow. I don't need you being late to your new school. What house were you in again?" He stopped halfway outside my door.

"Slytherin dad." I drawled, slowly moving my eyes in his direction with a raised eyebrow. "Remember?" I asked, I knew he didn't. I had only briefly told him which house I was in. I didn't know why I was in that house but the hat was too confused and didn't know which one to put me in because honestly I didn't fit into any of them. My personality was a mix where as the hat told me the Hufflepuffs were shy and stayed out of peoples way, Ravenclaws were stuck-up know it alls except for a bunch and Gryffindors were outspoken brave people, where as Slytherins were ambitious, cunning and something else that my brain was having trouble remembering right now. Eh, it should come back to me tomorrow. If it didn't it wasn't the end of the world. I'd get over it and life would move on. Yippie.

I went to bed at nearly seven in the morning only to wake up twenty something minutes later. It was enough sleep for me. I learned to not get upset about it a few months after I was informed I had Insomnia. Now about each week I only got roughly two hours sleep. And that was for the entire week. Not each day, week. Since my parents weren't even up yet I laid back on my matress staring at my ceiling, trying to make out any odd shapes while The Beatles played on my radio, switching to Skid Row after the song was over. I was itching for a smoke but I only aloud myself a few at night time. I didn't want to become dependent on them. Afer that I showered and got ready. My stomach rumbled and I slightly poked it in hopes it would shut up and it did. I went down stairs for breakfast and grabbed a couple peices of bacon, toast and a cup of orange juice. I ate quietly, secretly observing my parents. They had bags under their eyes and looked tired which I didn't understand. They got the normal eight hours. Infact they got nearly ten.

We finished breakfast and walked to Kings Cross. We lived fairly close so there was no reason to waste gas or to apparate wince we still had time. Finally arriving nearly forty minutes later we ran through a brick that was supposed to be Nine and Three Quaters. Once we did mum and dad stared for a minute before ushering me to the train.

"Alright, now you have a good year and try to be social Renne! Ok?" Mum grabbed my face and kissed my cheeks while I nodded mutely. "Be good." Dads stern voice ordered me. Again I nodded and said goodbye to them both. Before I stepped foot on I sent a fleeting glance at them and waved before dispersing into the large crowd in the train. I ignored all the shoves because everyone was getting pushed. I would have imagined all of these kids proper and calm. Oh well, now I don't have to deal with that but I briefly wondered if this was going to be harder.

My hand twitched towards my pack of cigarettes and lighter but I refused and collected myself.

Ok Renee. Lets get this started shall we?