Repello Muggletum: a Hogwarts Roleplay discussion

The Hallways and staircases of Hogwarts are filled from wall to wall with bustling students and wise (or misleading) paintings and portraits. Doors can lead anywhere within imagination, but bewarel-- secret passageways abound behind tapestries and paintings, and you might just end up walking into a wall pretending to be a door if you're not careful!

A curtain of thick, chocolate-coloured hair fell forward in its unruly mass to veil a certain new student's face, though the stunning green of her gaze seemed to pierce right through the dark locks, intensely studying a scroll of parchment that was clutched tightly in her long-fingered grip.

The blue-wash skinny jeans tucked into her tall moccasins were stained at the thighs with splatters of ink, though whether it was from an accident or an artistic license was hard to tell.

Dena Lesage flitted down the carpet-covered stairs of her new school, her feet moving quickly though she really had no idea where she was going. It wasn't like her to get lost so quickly, but all the infernal traps in this school were distracting and disillusioning, not to mention just plain annoying. Her plump upper lip was furled, disgruntled, as she tucked the parchment into her pocket - and promptly stepped into a trick stair.

She cried out in the sudden pain and shock as she desperately tried budging her foot from the trap, but to no avail. The portrait of a heavily moled witch cackled in glee as she watched Dena squirm.

"Um ... some help here?" Dena called out to no one in particular, waving her hand to the multitude of black-robed students flooding the stairs, some expertly skipping certain steps.

A quiet swear was released as Dena stopped struggling and bent down to carefully nudge her foot from the staircase. Meanwhile, the ugly witch in the portrait began cackling at a blonde sitting not so far away from Dena with her back turned.

"Used to be so pretty until all your prettiness washed away, dear!" A gleeful finger, gnarled and crooked, pointed to the back of the blonde girl.

Rolling those eyes of hers, Dena straightened and gingerly stepped out of the hole, wincing in pain as she stepped down the stairs and her foot ached. She was about to walk away when she suddenly (impulsively) turned around to address the painting.

"Your envy of youth and beauty is understandable, madam, but really, it's not good for the soul. Whatever soul you have left, that is."

Stepping forwards, hopping on her good foot, Dena closed the black velvet curtains gathered around the frames of the ugly painting, and the witch's grumbles and indignant cries were muffled.

"Harpy," Dena sniffed.

Quick-minded as always, Dena spoke before she turned around. "Hardly," she admonished, pushing back two of the small, skinny braids hidden in her mass of hair. "Harpies are old and ugly. Bitches come in all shapes and sizes."

A wave of pain overcame her twisted foot, and Dena's mouth went awry as she went over to sit by the stair below the blonde, removing her moccasin to massage the ankle. Upon closer assessment Dena realized the girl had been crying - normally glamorous makeup was streaked with tears. She looked like the alpha of a pack of queens: beautiful and vocal. And emotional.

"Are you okay?" Dena asked in a softer, almost warm tone.

Her glossy, dark eyebrows lifted, one curved downwards and the other up in an analytical glance.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." She'd forgotten what 'fine' meant anymore after everything that had happened last year, after the awful circumstances ...

"Where's the library?" she asked, her tone reverting to the quiet, practical musicality.

Doll?

Dena's expression turned somber and quiet as she allowed to be led by the girl, who was either her age or younger. How awful to transfer to a new school during the last year of education.

She terribly missed the cozy earthiness of her previous school, though the grandeur of this castle was all very well. It didn't capture the same tones of the reserve or the Academy.

[Yeah, sure.]

Anna looked around carefully, watching the students rushing past her and the paintings chatting fondly with each other. She walked past them, her steps quickening as she went down the stairs, to the entrance hall, and into the Great Hall.

"Now, honestly, is it so hard to stay still?" muttered Rosaline to herself, watching with frustration as her staircase to Transfiguration detached from the floor and swiveled away from her, just as she skittered to a halt before the edge with a group of other Slytherins.

Now she had to go the long way. Crossing the corridor, Rosaline followed a flock of Ravenclaws down it and descended a staircase.

((Having the staircase move would be the most awesome excuse for being late to class))
Glancing back (having sworn she heard something), Esther paused, joining her Slytherin friend behind them. She offered a smile.

"Staircase trouble?"

((Yes.))
"Yes," she replied shortly, before realizing it was Esther, although she'd seen her. Her temper was faster ignited than she could blink. Even in her mood, Rosaline still regarded Esther with apologetic eyes. "At least it wasn't a trap, like that one staircase that leads to nowhere."

"Oh God," she groaned. "I hate it. I took it once in first year. I thought it was a shortcut to the Astronomy Tower." Esther by then was accustomed to Rosaline's quick temper. It was a small flaw--easily overlooked.

"Where are you headed?"

"To Professor Jayfox. You know, I heard a rumour once that someone actually fell off of that staircase because they didn't look where they were going." Amusement flickered across her face, overriding her grumpiness.

"Doubt it. How could you not notice the staircase moving? They don't stop midway," Esther countered with a chuckle. Obviously it couldn't have been true. It just didn't make sense.

Rosaline shrugged, but the idea was still funny. After all, there were plenty of morons that could chance upon an untimely, staircase death. She chuckled with Esther. "Where are you going, then?"

"Arithmancy," she answered. Her teacher like her, at least. Perhaps she could get away with being a bit late.

"Oh, lucky." It was widely known that the young teacher was one of the nicest. "I've got to listen to Jayfox for what seems like hours, going on and on about turning a chair into a lawn mower or something."

Esther chuckled. Yes, arithmancy was an interesting class. She didn't mind Transiguration, though. Jayfox simply had a different way of teaching things. "I have her later, if that makes you feel any better."

"No," Rosaline said, sighing slightly. "But it was worth a shot. I've got Charms after and we're supposed to be learning a new spell, so I've got that to look forward to. So what's been going on lately with you, Esther?"

"How do you mean? I've just been doing the usual things," she answered with a shrug. The usual was undeniably painful at times. Studying, helping a few housemates, homework, reading. She had nothing else to do.

"So I take it not much has gone on. How's the fluffball?" Although Rosaline wasn't one to lose herself to 'squee', it was hard not to admit that Snowball was one of the most adorable things on four legs.

"Close to nothing," Esther confirmed. "He's fine. Been sticking his nose in other people's textbooks again." Her little kitten liked toying with the pages--amusing some students, annoying others.

"Cute little bugger, he is. Not like Eiriol, who pretty much doesn't want anything to do with me, grumpy old bird." He had been a present from her mother. Unfortunately, where the snowy owl had been affectionate with her mother, he regarded his actual owner with complete coldness. Sometimes Eiriol seemed to downright dislike her - like when he'd 'accidentally' knocked her pumpkin juice over.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After dropping off her books in her room, Rosaline had come back to the halls for her free period. She hasn't stayed in her room because of Cecil. Or more accurately, what he had said. She wasn't really that bad, was she? She was friends with Esther. Wasn't one enough?

On her way towards the Ravenclaw common room, Esther caught a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. Her brow furrowed in confusion. What was Rosaline doing out in the halls? More importantly, what was making her look so upset? "Hi, Rosaline."

"Oh, Esther, hi." Perfect timing. Rosaline smiled a bit, the genuine smile that only her friend ever saw. She was comfortable around Esther, and she didn't annoy her. Although, her thoughts still unnerved her. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. You?" Esther gave a small, reproachful smile. Something seemed to have been bothering Rosaline and she wasn't about to let it slip past quite yet. It seemed nothing bothered the Slytherin. Surely something must of happened.

"Same. I have a question, though, and I want you to be totally honest. Brutal, if you have to." Rosaline trusted Esther. Sure, they weren't the kind of friends that gossiped all the time and clung to each other, but that didn't mean they weren't close. "Do you think I'm dull? Like, too sheltered, boring? Not fun?"

"Of course not. Why would you think that?" Had she done something wrong to make her think that? If Rosaline wasn't fun, Esther wouldn't have been friends with her. Surely she knew that.

"Really? Honestly?" There was nothing worse than having your feelings spared by a friend only to have them crushed by a complete stranger. "Also, it's not weird that I don't go to Hogsmeade, right?"

"Absolutely. I mean, if I didn't, I wouldn't be friends with you, would I," she replied. "It's not weird, but... why don't you want to go?"

"Because it's not all that fun," Rosaline answered, shrugging. Was she the only one who thought so? "Is it so strange that I stay here and do work?"

"It's not strange," Esther reassured. "You should take a break once in a while, though. Go out for a bit. Tomorrow's supposed to be nice out."

"I don't know," Rosaline said dubiously. It wasn't that she had a lot of work to so, but she didn't know what she was going to do at Hogsmeade. "What would I do there?"

"What ever you want to, really. Hang out, get a butterbeer, go down to Honeyduke's. It's just nice to get out of the castle," Esther replied with a small chuckle.

It didn't sound so awful when Esther said it. She barely had any work, as well. Perhaps it would be good for her. The way Graham had put it made her feel like an ostracized freak. Esther made it sound so much simpler.

"I suppose it wouldn't be bad. You're going, right? I could come with."

"Yeah, I am. We can meet at the base of the stairs and then head over with everyone else." Of course, she'd have to tell a few of her housemates she wouldn't be joining them, which shouldn't be a problem.

"Alright. Sorry for freaking out on you," Rosaline added after a moment. She had gone for Esther in a desperate frenzy, it seemed, and it was embarrassing. She wouldn't have done that normally. "Just - bad day."

"It's all right. Did something happen?" Obviously something had happened. There wasn't any other explanation for why her friend seemed so bothered.

Rosaline was quiet for a moment, a bit ashamed to the fact that she'd let someone get to her. Especially someone like Cecil, who was probably only doing it to troll her. "Cecil Graham happened," she said finally. "We were partnered up by some cruel twist of fate in Potions. The potion went wrong and I was upset, and he was telling me that I was uptight and needed to be less pessimistic."

"But it's not even like that. I mean, I don't sit around moping all day."

"Well he's wrong," Esther replied, nudging her slightly. "You're fantastic the way you are. Don't worry about him. He's not worth it."

"I know. I just - argh." Rosaline's hands made a frustrated motion like she was digging her fingers into the air. "I tripped him, though," she said, dropping her hands at her sides with a half-hearted laugh. "I didn't see, but I hope it knocked his ego down a notch."

Oh, Rosaline, she thought with a small chuckle. Although she didn't agree with tripping the Gryffindor, it was still a bit funny. "Did Nyx see it?"

"No, it was out in the hall. I wish Nyx would've seen it," Rosaline thought with a devilish grin. Not that he really wished it, but he probably would've laughed as well, with his sense of humour.

"Probably would have had something smart to say about it," Esther said. The potions teacher always did have a dry sense of humor.

"Right? He's great," she said, laughing. Most people didn't like Nyx, given that if you got on his bad side once he held the worst grudges. But Rosaline was a model Potions student and today had been a fluke. Next time, she was not going to get stuck with Cecil Graham. (view spoiler)[except she totally is though (hide spoiler)]

((forever and always))
"I love him," she laughed. His dry humor always incited a quiet chuckle from her, though it may have been because she had tried so desperately hard in her first few years at Hogwarts to get him to like her.

She nodded, straightening and visibly more relaxed now. The thing about Rosaline that she was expressive more with her body than her words, Esther being an exception. "So nothing's up with you? Anything interesting?"

"Not really, no. Snowball's been getting antsy, though. I might take him outside later. He's getting into people's stuff." Esther added. The little kitten was always getting himself into trouble.

"I'd rather have to look after a thousand Snowballs than deal with Cecil again. Snowball is much easier on the eyes," Rosaline said with that impish grin of hers. Graham wasn't bad-looking, to be honest, but he was positively infuriating.