Miss Mystery. ((Caleb))

[sassy]

The common room was still, almost eerily so, but then again it was the Slytherin common room and it tended to have that feeling no matter what. The fire crackled in the hearth and the low rumble of the snoring portrait above it added to the atmosphere of foreboding. The room was still chilly despite the fire and Saski was seated on the couch, her legs up on the cushions and a blanket thrown over them. She was dressed in her nightgown and a robe and her hair was a little disheveled from the hour or so of sleep she had gotten earlier. She was reading, something she was sure not many thought she did, but again, people had no real idea about Saski and she rather liked that. She was reading a mystery/horror novel by Gilchrest Bones, and the book was clutched in her hands as her eyes scanned each word. The best part about reading Gilchrest’s books was the sounds that emerged from the pages of their own accord at the right moment to scare you. Saski was a fan of mysteries/horror and thriller fiction and this book had her about every night since she got it. She liked to read it alone at night when she would get the most out of the affects.

Her finger curled in her raven hair as she bit her lip and continued to read. Suddenly there was a draft, that if she hadn’t been reading what she was, wouldn’t have seemed odd in the slightest or sent as many goosebumps up her spine. She looked around the common room slowly, craning her head above the back of the couch to make sure she was still alone; she seemed to be. She went back to reading, her finger still occupied with her hair and her teeth with her lip. It was a rather different look for the extremely together seventh year female, and one very few had been privileged to see.

She’d been reading for maybe half an hour when her stomach informed her that it needed something. She always got hungry when she was up late and frightening the devil out of herself. She looked around, not a house elf in sight. “Bowdy!” she said firmly but not too loud as to wake the rest of the house. “Bowdy!” she called again. Bowdy was the name of the house elf she had basically scared into being her personal servant at Hogwarts since her first year. He was probably going to be so glad when she finally left. Saski would call him for any and everything; to pick up her clothes after she’d thrown them all over the place trying to decide what to wear, or makes notes for her for her classes, writing her homework for her, and getting her a late night snack like she wanted now.

Bowdy appeared before her, his eyes looked groggy as he asked what he could do for her. “I’d like a snack. A tuna sandwich on whole-wheat with tomato and lettuce, and I want warm chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa. Be quick about it,” she said as the elf disappeared. She was alone again and back to reading when she heard a noise behind her, at first she thought it was her imagination but soon she wasn’t too sure. She turned around and almost jumped out of her skin as she saw the person standing there.

[Caleb Donnelly S7]

((Don't worry about how long it took you to get it up. I realize life has become increasingly more hectic as the year dwindles to an end)).

Caleb stared up at the top of the fourposter. He was having trouble sleeping, again. Sleep had been eluding him for the past several months. No particular reason why, it just seemed that his mind was always racing. There was always so much to do and so little time to do it in. Especially since he was drawing ever closer to his 17th birthday, or at least he thought he was. He ran a hand through his black hair as he finally sat up, the covers sliding down exposing his bare chest. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands for a few seconds willing his body to sleep. He sighed in frustration when it did not yield to his command. He pulled back the curtains around his bed and softly let his feet connect with the cold ground. His black night pants swished against the covers as he moved.

With Caleb's feet firmly on the ground he glanced around the silent room. His fellow 6th years seemed to be in perfect slumber. How he envied them at that moment. His insomnia was growing on his nerves and the lack of sleep was beginning to effect his marks. He rubbed his face with his hands and stifled the yawn that came. He hung his head after the yawn waiting to see if his body finally decided to accept the offer of slumber. His stomach growled and Caleb sighed. Another sleepless night.

Caleb got to his feet grabbing a long sleeve shirt from the chair beside him. It was too chilly that night to be walking the castle half naked. Besides, it was easier to hide away in corridors if one was clad all in black as he now was. Caleb grabbed his wand from the side table placing it carefully into his pocket, before taking up his notebook and quill. He looked at the notebook in his hand and quickly flipped through the pages. Handwriting was scrawled across most of the pages. It was slanted to the right and written in cursive. Many places through the pages had a specific form of writing. He paused at some of these pages reading over the poetry written upon them. He smirked at one and closed the notebook. Some days his poetry just wasn't that great, but at least he got out the words that were bombarding his brain.

Caleb bent the notebook and quickly stuffed it into the back pocket of his pants like normal, placing the quill in his front pocket opposite his wand. Now he was set to go. He moved to the door silently and opened it. He felt the cool air from the dorm sweep past him and into the hall leading to the common room. Without a second thought he stepped out into the hall and closed the door softly behind him. Moving quietly down the hall he came into the softly lit common room.

A figure was positioned on the couch and Caleb cracked a small smile. He recognized the girl and, what was more, noticed that she was not in her usual collected self, even though he really had never met her, her reputation held her in high regard, especially her calm nature. But here, the strands of her hair were out of place and she seemed to be on the edge of her seat, not in the literal sense, but nervous. Caleb wondered why and his eyes fell on the book in her hands. Gilchrest. Caleb didn't know the author, but by the look of nervousness on Saski's face, he figured it had to be some sort of horror novelist.

Caleb was about to make his presence known when the girl called out rather suddenly giving him a slight start. He quickly moved back into the shadows wanting to stay hidden from whatever she might have called forward. He grinned in satisfaction when a house elf appeared. She certainly had her priorities worked out. He waited for the elf to leave and her to return to her book. He quietly went up behind her and looked over her and down at the book in her hands. He cocked an eyebrow at the sentence he was reading, but didn't get much further as Saski turned around and seemed to nearly have a heart attack.

"Hey, calm. Just trying to figure out what you're reading. One shouldn't read those kind of books if they're going to make themselves nervous," Caleb said with a small smile playing across his face as he made his way to one of the leather chairs and took a seat.

[sassy]

Saski clutched her book and her blanket to her as she sat up straight as her feet swung off the side of the couch in a start. Her eyes darted towards the boy as she grabbed her chest, the sudden pain of her trapped breath profound. She sighed deeply the release of oxygen easing the ache. What was he doing? Was he trying to scare her or did he just like sneaking around and sneaking up on people in the middle of the night. However, before Saski could lose it, the boy explained himself, lucky for him because if she’d asked him it wouldn’t have been in a very nice manner. Saski hated people scaring her, it was perfectly fine if she scared herself but none one, no one was to do that to her.

She took several more breaths before the pain in her chest subsided. Her eyes were still locked on the boy as she composed herself. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you it’s rude to sneak up on people, and to read over their shoulder?” she said coolly as she swung her feet back up onto the cushions. She ran a hand through her disheveled hair. He had actually frightened her; it served her right for reading that type of book at that hour and in the common room where any numbskull could come in. she wasn’t say this boy was, but Slytherin did seem to have a few of the thickskulled type running around, especially some of the boys.

She closed her book and marked the page before turning back to the boy who had now taken a seat in one of the leather chairs across from her. “I wasn’t nervous,” Saski replied indignantly. “You just caught me off guard,” she retorted, “besides why does it matter to you, unless you’re speaking from experience and trying to give me advice. If that’s the case then thank you, but I don’t scare so easily.” Saski hated seeming the slightest bit weak or fragile, she had a reputation to uphold and those were not the qualities she wanted to portray. She was a strong young woman, intelligent, opinionated, clever and a bit manipulative and completely uncontrollable, with a wicked fashion sense. That was what she presented to the world and she didn’t want that image to change and she would make sure this incident didn’t do so.

The boy’s presence had completely changed the ambiance of the room and there was no way she could possibly continue reading now, however there was no way she was walking up those stairs to bed. She wasn’t going to admit it but she still had to calm herself more before she trekked back to her room in the dark. Just then Bowdy returned with her snack, perfect! There was nothing to calm the nerves than food and she had selected the perfect combination, one involving lots of chocolate. Bowdy placed the tray on the table before Saski and then bowed to her and Caleb. “Is that all Miss Saski? May Bowdy go now or would the sir like something too?” Saski looked at the elf coldly, “That will be all for now for me, if I need you again I will call.” She looked at the boy, “If you want something you better get it now, he’s the only one of these things that seems to function at this hour,” she said callously before pouring herself some hot chocolate and cupping the mug in both hands as she took a sip, the whipped cream she placed on top sticking to her lip momentarily before she licked it away.

It was apparent that this boy had come down for some reason, and since she couldn’t see any visible sign of a book or some kind of work, she was curious as to why he was there. “So what brought you down? Bad dream or were you just in the mood for lurking?” she said mockingly.

[Caleb Donnelly S7]

Caleb nodded his head at Saski's comment. "I do apologize for frightening you. Although I must say that you brought it on yourself. Reading horror novels at this time of night can play with a person's imagination. And no I don't speak from experience," Caleb smirked. He held back the other comment he wanted to say. The poor girl had had a bad enough fright, he didn't need to make her angry with him. Besides it would be rude of him to press his luck with her. If it was one thing he learned from the Donnelly's it was to respect others. So he kept his mouth shut and plastered a polite smile across his face. "I, like yourself, don't scare easily. I have yet to meet anything or anyone who can scare me. I don't believe that people can truly be afraid of anything."

Caleb didn't finish his thought as the house elf from before returned with Saski's food. Caleb was impressed that Saski seemed to have wrapped this house elf around her finger. He looked at the disgusting creature. House elves were such gross little creatures that Caleb never seemed to understand. The creatures had power to do what they wanted and yet they served humans. The only problem was they weren't very good at it. They were always falling behind on their orders and never doing what they were told really. As far as Caleb was concerned the things were an abomination and he preferred getting his own food as to the ugly creatures, but since it had been offered he went along with it. "Yes I want a turkey sandwich on wheat with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. As well as a cup of hot tea. That'll be all," Caleb said as he flicked his hand at the elf. The elf disappeared quickly and Caleb focused his attention back on Saski.

Caleb smirked and nodded his head. "I do find lurking around the castle at night entertaining. I must say I can't tell you how many times I've sneaked up on unsuspecting fair maidens, reading horror novels, and scaring them half to death," Caleb said with a smile. He shook his head at that and his smile faded. He wasn't going to tell her the truth about why he was down there. There was no sense in that. Caleb hadn't actually even met the girl in front of him and there was no reason to start spouting off information about himself. So he just inclined his head as if to say that his first answer was the truth.

"I don't believe we've actually met and I apologize for being so rude earlier and not introducing myself. I am Caleb Donnelly. And if I believe correctly you must be Miss Saski Stark," Caleb said nodding his head to her. The introduction was brief, but Caleb had been at a loss for words while he tried to avoid answering her last question. This seemed the only viable way to change the subject without being too obvious.

[sassy]

((Sorry to take so long to reply my brain went numb ))


“I wasn’t frightened,” Saski retorted, never one to admit any kind of weakness on her part. “And whatever I may bring upon myself is my business,” she added for good measure, though in a nicer manner than a member of another house would have received. Saski didn’t appreciate being taken as an easy mark for a laugh easily and she wasn’t going to let this boy think he could do that again. Saski looked at him out of the corner of her eye, “Have you?” Saski asked curiously. “Perhaps you just haven’t had the right motivation for a fright?” she said with a small smirk. Saski was notorious for scaring the daylights out of people; it was one of those things that gave her immense pleasure once accomplished. “I say you’re wrong on that one. I know several people who have been genuinely frightened before…even to tears,” she added with a smirk. Those people had been the victims of Saski’s wrath, and it hadn’t been difficult to make one of those silly little first years cry for their mummies.

Saski sipped her chocolate as the boy made his order and Bowdy nodded his head to everything he said. She looked down at the elf and wrinkled her nose in disgust. He really was useless sometimes, but handy at others when she really didn’t feel like doing something herself. She couldn’t understand anyone who could have powers and still be made a slave to another. It could never happen to Saski, she was too defiant to be held down by anyone far less being made to serve another. House elves were around to fill their lot in life; to work for wizards and do their bidding, they didn’t need to think or speak as far as she was concerned, just to do what they were told. She turned her attention away from the elf and continued to consume her chocolate the rich cocoa very relaxing.

She smile slightly as Caleb to her he enjoyed lurking around the castle at night, that it fulfilled his need for entertainment. Her smile broadened slightly at his flattery, “You were lucky you found a maiden and not a dragon tonight,” she added as her face returned to normal. “I would have liked to see how you would have handled that.” There were few who would dare stand up to Saski and even less who did it with conviction enough to stir her interests. However, there had been a few, the smallest of groups who had managed to stir the full blast of her fury against them before waking up in the hospital wing unaware of what had happened to them. There was one who hadn’t yet ended up in a hospital wing, but who perplexed her greatly. Him, she simply didn’t understand.

Saski noted with little interest that her question wasn’t actually given a response, but a slight nod instead. It didn’t really matter; he was there and didn’t appear to be leaving in any hurry. Saski smiled politely, “That would be correct, Caleb Donnelly,” Saski responded as Caleb said her name. “I would say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I haven’t decided yet,” she added as she bit into a chocolate chip cookie that was just right.