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Post by Ashley Hill on Mar 3, 2007 2:27:49 GMT
Ashley tossed on her stomach, pulling the covers up over her head. Her eyes shut closed, trying to fall back into a deep sleep. She laid there for a few moments, her back rising up and down with each breath she took in and released. The smell of fabric softener filled her nose as Ashley continued to try to fall back asleep. Her eyes closed even harder this time, waiting for that familiar feeling of soundness. She continued the same cycle for a little while longer. Breathe in and out, yawn loudly, and shut eyes harder. Nothing. Maybe counting sheep would be more effective? Sighing Ashley rested the side of her check on the pillow, her blue eyes staring into the dark room. All the other girls were sound asleep, which was clearly noticeable from he nasal snores and tossing in sheets. It couldn’t be that late, maybe midnight. Ashley did call quits for bed after finishing up a Care of Magical Creatures essay. She probably had that done sometime after dinner, so maybe midnight?
Yawning, Ashley turned over on her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. The bed shook slightly as she felt light paws climb up her legs. Looking over at Tigger she smiled at the cat as he curled up into a ball close by. Animals liked to lay close to humans for their company and that humans were around 97 degrees. Well, at least that what Ashley’s father told her when she ever asked him why Tigger always wanted to sleep right up against her. Setting the covers aside, she began to get out of bed until her bare feet touched the ground sending a shiver up her spine. Slowly setting her feet back down on the hard wood, Ashley stood up slowly from the bed, being careful that it didn’t make any noises. Slipping on a pair of knee high knitted socks, she also tugged on a white jacket from on top of her trunk. Pulling her arms through the sleeves, she zipped up the front before grabbing a letter off from the bedside table. Setting the letter carefully in the front of her pocket, she unfolded the covers, and picked up Tigger who didn’t seem quite too happy about being moved.
Heading out of the dorm room, into the common room where the fire was still crackling. Plopping herself onto the far end of the couch, Ashley set Tigger down on her lap, and brought her knees slightly to her chest. The cat just yawned tiredly, falling right back asleep, purring slightly. Smiling, Ashley took out the letter that was in her pocket and began to open it. Elina had sent it to her that morning during Breakfast, and she hadn’t had time to look at it at all. Her older sister sent Ashley letters of update about life back at home in London. So far, the only thing that was new was the wedding date. Just a summer ago, Elina had met an Italian guy in Italy and fell in love. Ashley knew her sister was going to find romance, but not the kind that ended up in marriage. Hearing the sound of creeping steps, Ashley crumpled the letter up in her pocket.
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Post by Bryce Alexander on Mar 5, 2007 23:50:23 GMT
Tick. Bryce laid in bed, starring up at the ceiling. Tick. His eyes were wide open tracing the lines on the wood. Tick. All of his roommates had been asleep for hours now. Tick. And the only thing that broke the silence in the room was the annoying sound of the second-hand on his watch. Tick.
Bryce let out a large sigh, attempting to keep it as quiet as he could. It was no use. He would lay there for another hour at least. His body and mind were too active for sleep. Five hours per night and a good hour nap during the day was plenty to keep him energized. Sometimes, his energy was even enough to rub off on to others. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he grabbed his t-shirt from the floor and pulled it over his head. Then, he slipped his feet into the Slippers his mother had sent him and stretched his arms high above his head. There was no point in sitting in the dark room, and so he grabbed a few books and headed out to the common room. If he was going to be awake and alone, he might as well use his boredom to get something equally boring accomplished. There was a book he had to read for History of Magic and a two page summary to go with it. Luckily it was on a series of werewolf attacks, and it was somewhat interesting to read. Although he found history boring, Bryce always did seem to enjoy controversial topics.
Creaking open the door from the boys dormitories, he stepped into the common room and saw the orange light from the fire bouncing from the floor to the wall. It was still somewhat dark in here too, and so he decided to move closer to the fire. When he walked around the couch that was near the fire, he was startled a bit to see a girl sitting there. "Oh, hey," he said, shocked. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. I just didn't realize anybody was here." He took a closer look at the girl and saw that there was a sleeping cat on her lap. "You're Ashley, right?" he questioned, thinking that his assumption was correct. "I just couldn't fall asleep and so I figured I'd get a start on the essay I have to do for History of Magic. He took a seat at the other end of the couch and was careful not to wake the cat. "I didn't realize that I wasn't the only person who paid visits to the common room this late at night."
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Post by Ashley Hill on Mar 13, 2007 2:58:26 GMT
Ashley crumpled the letter up digging it into the front of her jacket pocket. She always had this thing about people reading any private letter she was sent from home. It was just a weird pet-peeve she had. Resting the top of her chin on the sofa, Ashley’s blue eyes watched as the boy went down the stairs. He didn’t seem to be aware that anyone else was in the room. People could easily spot Ashley from a long distance from her curly, light blonde hair. Quickly glancing back at the fire, she watched as the embers crackles, listening contently to the silent roar. When the boy noticed her, Ashley glanced in his direction, a small smile plastered on her lips. “Don’t worry you didn’t startle me,” she began moving her foot in circles feeling it beginning to fall asleep. “The stairs are quite squeaky.” Ashley smiled playfully at him looking down at her lap, where the sleeping cat still laid. It was amazing that animals could sleep for almost all day and night. Her foot continued moving around in small circles as she heard him mention her name. Nodding her head at him, she looked more closely at his face. He did look quite familiar, a sixth year most definitely. Now Ashley remembered. “And your Bryce right? I remember you trying out for Beater.” Leave it up to Ashley to remember people by what sport or position they played in Quidditch.
Shrugging her shoulders barely, she glanced back at the fire. “It’s not really that late…” Ashley began changing her gaze back to the grandfather clock in the far corner of the common room. “Alright. Maybe it’s around two in the morning, but I’ll probably fall catch up on that sleep during any free period tomorrow…” Ashley’s face scrunched up as she realized that it was tomorrow. “I mean today.” Gently rubbing Tigger’s head, Ashley flattened out the cat’s orange coat. “Don’t you ever get those nights where you can’t fall asleep?” she asked looking back up at Bryce. “It doesn’t happen that often, but maybe around four times a month.” Looking at the boy’s lap she noticed that he had a History of Magic book. Picking the fat cat up barely, Ashley inched her way across the couch, stopping as she was only a foot away from Bryce. “I see you’re doing the History of Magic essay,” she pointed out as she glanced up from the book. “What was your main motive for continuing the course?” Ashley was still taking the course as well, but she wanted to learn more about the wizarding world before she moved into it after her seventh year.
Gazing back down at the Tigger who had awakened, she laughed as he jumped out of her lap, sitting down in the space between the two. “This here is my fat Tigger,” Ashley introduced smiling as the cat lay back down, curling into a ball closely to Bryce’s leg. “I think he likes you. Do you like cats Bryce?”
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Post by Bryce Alexander on Mar 15, 2007 3:09:03 GMT
Apparently Ashley had heard him coming, and Bryce smiled when she called him by the right name and explained that she remembered him from Quidditch tryouts. Of course, how could he forget Ash. She had been the other Beater who already had a spot on the team. Bryce remembered that day of tryouts. When he got the owl that said he had made the team, he was ecstatic. They hadn’t met as a whole team yet, but he heard rumor that Hufflepuff was supposedly having a match coming up. He and Ashley would need to be working well together as Beaters, so it was probably a good thing that they had the time now to get to know each other a bit before the first practice or match.
“That would be me,” he said finally with a yawn. It figured- he couldn’t sleep but now that he was in the common room instead of his bed the signs of sleepiness came upon him. Bryce laughed when she mentioned that it wasn’t too late, realizing that it was past two in the morning. “You’re right,” he said with a thoughtful look, “it is today, isn’t it.” He looked bitter at the thought. That meant that it was the same day that he had two quizzes and three other classes to sit through. Knowing his luck, he wouldn’t make it and probably give in to his sleep during one of the lectures. He couldn’t do that though. He was a Prefect, and that would just be terrible for a Prefect to lose points during class. It looked like it was going to be another long day for Bryce, but at least he had the weekend to look forward to. He could sleep in every day without worrying about homework.
As Ashely rubbed her cat’s head, she asked Bryce about having nights when you can’t fall asleep. “Ha,” he said, “you mean like right now?” He laughed before continuing. “Lucky you. It seems to be routine for me. I don’t know why my body insists on staying up so late and then it kills me throughout the day to try to stay awake in classes. So far, I’ve only caught myself sleeping in one class. It was Divination last year, but the batty professor was too busy handing out death assignments to notice. I dropped that class from my schedule this year.”
When Ashley lifted the cat from her lap and leaned over to see his History of Magic Book, his answer to her question came easy. “Well, I’m not the best at some of the more complex classes, and so I stuck with history simply because its just memorizing the facts. Facts are good for me since they are concrete. Some of those other subjects like Potions and Herbology, they take too much specific skill, ya know?” Bryce would admit he wasn’t the brightest student, but he at least tried when he could. It wasn’t a constant worry for him though like many students. If he did well, he did well, and if he didn’t, he took comfort in knowing that he tried.
“Hey Tigger,” Bryce said, rubbing the cat’s fluffy fur. “Sure, I like cats,” he replied to Ash’s question. “I’ve got one of my own.” The cat’s warm body felt good against his leg. “So, you have that Astronomy quiz tomorrow too?” he asked, trying to think if Ash had that class with him. Sometimes when Bryce felt like he was going to fall asleep in class, he would gaze around the room and try to memorize everyone who was in the class just for something to do. He was almost certain that Ash did have that class with him, but he could have been wrong. “Regardless, I’m sure that you have heard about how hard Professor Miller is though,” he added. “I mean, the class is interesting, but that lady is a star nazi!” he exclaimed with a laugh.
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