Late Night Company ((Crystal))

[leland]

The grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were dead, just as the night it seemed. A soft late night autumn breeze floated through the grass, skimmed the lake, ruffled the tree's leaves, and soon found its way up to the midnight sky to continue it's unless dance around the first blue moon of the past three months. Most of the lights were dimmed in the castle as night fell on it's residents. A crispy feeling filled the castle's halls as a reminder of the winter months soon to come. Surely, Common room fireplaces were lit to satisfy it's dwellers of the night. Tonight, the Slytherin Common room was vacant. The Black, Grey, and Green wall hangings shielded some of the chill from expelling into the great room. Push chairs and couches, circled the fireplace in hope of catching a hint of warmth into the heart of the fabrics. The fire was lit low. Bright burning embers throbbed with heat, settled at the bottom. But, whether or not the fire was lit, no one could take the certain murky feeling of the dungeon.

Mid-year, most student's fell under a certain routine of sleep. Going to bed at a certain time to be fully charged for the day ahead of them, waking up with enough time for breakfast and a few lost minutes to converse with friends between classes. But, this routine was not so true for one Slytherin. Leland Astor walked in the corridor with his wand in one hand, and his other dabbing his lip. Cursing under his breath, he looked at his hand as he pulled it away from his bottom lip. A few traces of blood laced his index finger. Licking his bottom lip, he could taste the entrails of blood. "Bloody Lovely." he murmured to himself. Pointing his ebony wand toward the fire, it erupted with flame and soon relaxed inside it's stone walls. Walking casually to the couch facing the fire, he sat down with a huff. Folding over, putting his elbows on his knees he started to inspect his wrists. Bending his right wrist forward and back, his blue eyes watched his skin stretch and fold. A slight twinge of pain was felt from the inside of his hand, but figuring it was minor, a grin passed over his face. Leaning back onto the back of the couch, he folded his hands behind his head, as he let it fall back slightly. Closing his eyes he started to replay the last few hours in his head.

Professor Suivant was mediating a Dueling Club duel between Leland and Michael Lash, Ravenclaw 7th year. The duel began at 9:30p.m. and just recently ended, which was slightly over two hours later. The duel was brilliant. Both pupils being up on the same level was quite entertaining. Michael and Leland both excelled in dueling, and found pleasure in grappling every once in awhile. The two became acquaintances through their passion and now called upon each other for private duels, but the two looked at it more as a game to see how many one could win over the other in several different trials. Tonight, the two challenged each other in a duel without any defense charms. The duel could only be done by fighting back with force, no blocking. Under the supervision of Professor Suivant, the two were turned-on by the idea. Never intending the duel to last so long, the two felt joy in knowing they lasted such a long time fighting physically. Leland was sore in his right arm, wrist, and shoulder blades on top of minor scrapes and bruises. But, Michael felt slightly worse. A few scrapes and bruises were the least of his worries. At the moment, he was sent to the hospital wing for a broken tail-bone. Feeling a bit of remorse for losing his dueling partner for a week was a minor fee he had to pay. The honor of walking away from such a duel was great enough.

Opening his eyes, Leland stood up from the couch. Slipping his arms through his cloak, he threw it over the back of the couch. He began to sit down as he un buttoned the cuffs on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. The warmth from the fire was comforting onto his warn skin. Folding down again, he relaxed his elbows on his knees and relaxed his head lowering it down. Scratching the back of his neck, he felt the heart from the fireplace trace his neck, and flow down his collar. The feeling was ideal. Closing his eyes, he relaxed and listened to the silence of the common room.

[crystal]

Of course I understand. You can't gain access to the Restricted Section without permission from a professor... Crystal thought to herself, feet slowly treading down the corridors from the library. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the three books she had borrowed from the library. Shoulder length, wavy brown hair fell around her face and bounced slightly as she moved. Deep brown eyes changed subtly as she moved, ending at a soft hazel. Slytherin robes pulled tighter than usual in some places and a couple inches short at the bottom, showing that they were several years old as opposed to brand new. It wasn't as if she didn't have the money to buy anything she wanted, she did, but she didn't care to. She was more focused on other things, besides she didn't find money to be as important as a lot of other people. Sure it was different coming from someone that could have whatever she wanted all she had to do was ask, but the thing was she didn't want any money from her father. Didn't want anything from anyone. Crystal was independent...crazy independent at some times. She wanted to know how to do everything herself, before she let others do things for her. She wasn't the type of girl to just sit around and do nothing, letting others wait on her every second of every day.

Now, as Crystal slowly moved through the corridors hoping to hide herself from anyone and everyone that might be walking down the hall. It wasn't as if she'd get in too much trouble, she had permission from her professor to do so. It was actually a common thing for her, to spend her hours locked away in the library, not necessarily studying, but sitting in silence, the kind of silence that only the library could offer. She wasn't a good student, half the time she didn't care. She studied when it was necessary and spent the rest of the time hiding from everyone. People...her biggest fear. She hated talking to people, hated being seen by people. Fading into the background of life was her specialty. It always had been. Her father had forgotten about her long ago, just after her mother died. It was that day that she disappeared from the world and it was that day she rarely opened her mouth to speak. Silence was golden after all.

Soft padding of dress heels on stone echoed faintly around her as Crystal descended into the dungeons, the Slytherin common room not far off as step by step she prepared herself from the agony of close quarters and sleeping girls her age. It would be a wonder if she’d even be able to step inside the room. Then again it wasn’t as if a lot of people knew who she was. Sure there were a select few…a select few she now avoided. She was a hermit to say the least, an outcast, created by her own fear of interaction. It was probably the reason why her grades were only so-so. Of course she didn’t care, it wasn’t like she was bad in any class, she just wasn’t good in any class either.

Crystal’s thoughts stopped abruptly as the password fell softly from her lips and the secret opening was revealed. She moved through the opening quietly and entered into the common room. Hazel orbs turned brown as they fell on the other occupant. She meant to make a quiet escape to the girls’ dormitory, meant to do everything without being seen, but things never seemed to work out for her as her ankle twisted in the small-heeled shoe and she stumbled trying to save herself. Books hit the ground with a crash and she landed beside them in horror. Not only had her clumsy self drawn attention to herself, but also now she’d have to buy new robes as her eyes fell on a long tear that ran up from the bottom of her robes. Cheeks flushed red and orbs became a deep brown. “Figures,” she muttered to herself.