A little detour from this thread!


Aileen rarely volunteered to look ridiculous, yet here she was, leading Alice Hunter down the spiral staircase of the astronomy tower. The first-year's messenger bag bumped against her hip with every step - how did students tolerate these things? Aileen gripped the railing with one hand and held Miss Hunter's hand with the other, leading the way in front so that if the girl stumbled, she'd crash into Aileen rather than fall to her death.

That was the plan, anyway. Aileen hadn't quite thought this through. She just hadn't wanted the other children to miss out on Tapendra's lesson.

Tapendra most certainly owed her.

"This shouldn't take too long, Miss Hunter," the Runes professor attempted to reassure her. It was a good thing Miss Hunter couldn't see. She'd see right through the bollocks.

Alice walked slowly next to the nice professor. She wished that she wouldn't miss class. She was rather fond of it. But, what professor Trishina had said was true. It wasn't safe for her. This would be better. Or, at least she tried to convince herself that. It wasn't going to be the same. She'd miss the demonstration, and miss the lesson. And so close to the exams too!

"Alright professor. Thank you again." She rolled her neck. Being under the stress she had been for so long really was taking a toll on her neck muscles. She was so close to the textbooks today, completely folded up, trying to make out some of the words. "Did you have a nice day?" She asked the professor, trying to get rid of the awkwardness that seemed to float around them.

"Yes, I did," Aileen responded with the barest hint of surprise. Polite for a first-year. Of course, she could be sucking up only to distract from her sight problem, which Aileen still suspected she might have invented to get out of Astronomy.

It was exactly the sort of thing Aileen would have done as a student if she didn't like a class.

"I taught Runes with Professor Maras earlier today. The fourth-years are finalizing their scavenger hunt projects, while the NEWT students turned in essays about the Gringotts field trip," Aileen replied, paused, and then directed attention on the student.

"It's a shame you'll be missing this," she commented mildly. "You may not get another chance to see how moon-letters are created. It would be a change from what you're used to - much more fun if you're not fond of star charting."

Aileen glanced back at her, curious about the girl's reasons for missing out. Miss Rockwell did not seem too upset about heading back to her common room.

"I really wish I wouldn't miss class. I've been researching this for weeks! Just the idea of actually witnessing a moon letter is, well, exciting!" Alice raised her shoulders, a bright smile on her face. But her shoulders fell, as did her smile. "But I'll be missing it. Because of my glasses."

She looked to the left of the professor, not realizing that the professor wasn't were she was looking. "I won't have my glasses for another 2 weeks! Mom is probably processing the prescription now." She said, glumly. "I mean, I'm not looking for pity, of course. I guess I'm just tired, and frustrated."

"Your class seems quite interesting, however! I'd like to take it some day. I actually started studying runes on my own time, through a book I borrowed from the library." She smiled.

Aileen, unused to such open expression, felt startled at the variety of emotions flitting across the student's face. Miss Hunter wasn't even looking at her. Aileen began to believe the Hufflepuff was being genuine, as only Hufflepuffs could be, after all.

This was because of her glasses? Aileen raised her eyebrows in surprise. Two weeks seemed like a long time, but she supposed that was typical of muggles. She wondered if Madam Nagde would have anything to help her, but the thought temporarily slipped her mind when Miss Hunter complimented her class.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"Thank you," she fixed her gaze on the steps again. "Which book? Find anything interesting?"

Precocious youngsters! First Mr. Falkin, now Miss Hunter. If she were wise, her precociousness would not lead her into tombs or other forbidden places.

"I wish I could remember the name of it. I read a lot of books, and some just fall out of my memory." She admitted. "I wish I had an endless memory. to remember everything that I've ever seen, ever done." She said. "Do you think that'd be interesting?" Alice smiled up at the teacher. She was intelligent, and Alice always respected intellectuals. "I found The Eye of Horus riveting. The idea that they used a drawing for measurement is amazing! It's so intelligent!"

"I think when old symbols have double meanings it just, well, elaborates on the interest that the symbol gives me! Like, the more meanings one thing has, the more interesting it seems to me!" She said excitedly. A lot of things interested Alice. She loved a lot of things, and in a way, she was easily amused.

No, Aileen did not wish to remember everything she'd seen and done. Some of it simply wasn't pleasant. She humored her anyway with a polite nod.

Though precocious, Miss Hunter was much less articulate than Mr. Falkin. Perhaps even scatterbrained. However, her interest in reading and Runes seemed genuine.

"It is a good thing, to be curious," she told her as they reached the bottom of the staircase and began to walk the much easier walk down the corridor toward the main stairway chamber. Aileen let go of her hand and placed it lightly on her shoulder to guide her along.

"During the trip over the summer, we saw the Akhmim tablets[1] at the Cairo museum. They show Eye of Horus measurements and other calculations."

Aileen glanced at her, "If we plan another trip, you might enjoy attending. The students seemed to like sight-seeing, museum hopping, and creating chaos in the hotels," she joked dryly.

1.

Reference

Alice's face lit up. "A school trip? So I can learn during the summer as well as the school year?" She smiled. "That'd be amazing professor, truly amazing! Imagine all the things we could do! All the museums we could see!" Alice's mind started racing of the opportunity, and all the fun she could have. But then she started to think about what she'd miss out on. Lexi probably wouldn't want to go. She'd miss all the fun. And Alice could never have fun without Lexi.

Her face started to fall, as she starting thinking about Lexi, and the coming summer. Could things return to normal, even after the attack? They'd never be able to camp again, that was for sure. Alice still was so shaky on the subject of Lexi. She didn't know how to react now that her and Lexi were different.

"My friend wouldn't be too interested in it though. She doesn't really like all that ancient stuff. I wish she did, though."

Aileen looked at her in open surprise and skepticism, suspecting sarcasm in the girl's enthusiastic tone, but when her face started to fall, Aileen reminded herself that this was a first-year. A Hufflepuff first-year. She actually seemed excited about the trip and visiting museums.

At her comment, the professor tilted her head curiously. Perhaps Miss Rockwell was in one of those group of friends who couldn't do anything without each other's approval. Aileen didn't remember what it was like to be a child very well, but as a teenager, she'd learned quickly not to make comments about how 'cool' traveling was and how much she liked history. Nerdy interests had only been acceptable for Ravenclaws like Trishna.

"That's a shame," she nodded, quiet for a moment. "But there are plenty of other students there that you could make friends with and get to know, Miss Hunter. It's easier than you might think," Aileen encouraged her. Her younger sister was proof of that.

"The trip wouldn't last the whole summer, mind. Before you knew it you'd be back home, full of stories and sporting a summer tan. If anything, your friend will be jealous that she missed out."

Aileen smiled slightly, unaware of the real problem.

"Yes, I suppose I could make new friends, I don't know. I've been Lexi's best friend all my life. We always do everything together. I don't know. I guess I just can't envision going somewhere without her." Alice looked up at the professor. "Have you ever had a friend like that? Like one that is so close to you that you can't do anything without them because you don't want to?"

"The trip wouldn't last the whole summer, mind. Before you knew it you'd be back home, full of stories and sporting a summer tan. If anything, your friend will be jealous that she missed out."

"Yeah, that's true." She reconsidered. "You know, I bet it wouldn't be so bad without her. And I haven't even asked her yet. For all I know, she could love trips like that." Alice smiled. "I think that'd be a lot of fun."

Merlin, the student was young. It was the way she talked, as if she’d lived one hundred years instead of eleven, and her belief that her friendship with Lexi would last forever. Perhaps the reason why Aileen couldn’t remember being a child well was because she’d never been quite so child-like. By eleven, her friendships had depended on her parents’ opinion and who she happened to like that week.

“I can’t say that I have,” Aileen admitted, but smiled slightly.

At least the student was willing to consider going somewhere new without her friend. For a Hufflepuff, she imagined that was difficult.

“This issue with your sight, Miss Hunter,” she brought up the thought she’d had earlier. “Have you tried visiting the Healer? Or perhaps someone has some spare spectacles you could use until your new ones arrive.”

Aileen had never paid much attention to the plight of spectacle-wearers. She just made fun of Tapendra whenever he misplaced his.

"Well, you see, I am, and pardon my language, as blind as a bat. I've always had poor vision, and the glasses, well, make it better, make it easier to see. I've seen the healer, but there isn't much she can do. I mean, nothing but my glasses can correct my vision to 20/20. She wants to try to give me a potion. But I don't know. I don't think it'll work," Alice admitted.

"See, the shocking thing is, not many people in Hogwarts have glasses. So few that, well, I honestly can't think of a single student who has them. I'd hate to be a bother and ask people for them, since usually no one has a spare pair of glasses, and I could never think of blinding someone else just so I can see." She smiled.

"I really just have to wait. This isn't the first time this has happened, though. Last year, I was pushed into a puddle, and someone stomped on my glasses. I had to wait two weeks to get the new glasses." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's just the thing I've got to do, sometimes. That's all."

“I see,” Aileen let the subject drop rather easily. She’d tried, and it wasn’t as if Alice was taking her class (yet). If it really became a problem, the student could visit the Healer again or figure out another solution.

“Another staircase,” she warned as they reached the grand staircase leading down into the dungeons. Aileen took her hand again and began to lead her down the steps.

“No one pushed you this time, did they?” Aileen wondered suddenly, glancing at her. She’d said last year, so that must mean at home, but there was something about the girl’s resignation that made her ask.

"Oh, no no. No one pushed me this time. It was an accident. My glasses fell off, and Emile stepped on them accidentally. It was alright, though. Just an accident." The professor started to guide Alice down the stairs. It was nice to have someone to help her down the stairs.

"At home though, people are like, in a sense, out to get me. I'm their target. And I understand that. I mean, well, I don't, really, but I guess I just accept that fact." Alice noted, with an accepting look.

“Out to get you?” Aileen raised an eyebrow. “Are you having trouble with your siblings? Or muggles in the neighborhood?”

Aileen was mildly curious though she questioned why she bothered to ask. If there were trouble at school, she could take practical action if she felt it necessary. Trouble at home was something she imagined Tapendra or Maiko dealing with better.

Anyone who dared push Aileen as a child (which she couldn’t recall ever happening) would have faced swift retribution from her family and likely lost any social status they might have had. So she couldn’t say she related  to Miss Hunter. No, she would have been the one doing the pushing.