Alice stood in the library biting her bottom lip. Which book to read today? It was her most difficult decision.   
 
   "To study or not to study.." she had to decided whether she would read for entertainment or intelligence. Both it was. She grabbed two books. One on astrology and the other a romance. Sitting down she opened the astrology book and started reading. After about five minutes she was already bored and shut the book growling. She was at a table by herself and pretty secluded from people so she didn't worry to much about making noises.
     
     She opened the romance and began reading before hitting the table lightly. "Where does the romance come in?!"
   Her patience level was flawed at best which made reading books which were even medium paced basically impossible. She wasn't even in the mood to draw. Besides she already had enough bookshelf sketches. There wasn't even anything interesting to draw. She started succumbing to the boredom and layed her head down beginning to daydream.
     
    It was nothing to fascinating. She just imagined herself with a 3 page book that wasn't all that detailed. "Finallyyyy just straight to the point." She said aloud twitching in her seat.

Fauna hesitated in the stacks of the library, peeking around the corner to see if it was safe. She held the incriminating book to her chest as if it would fly away at any second and shout to the world what she was looking at. It wasn’t anything bad, even. But she felt embarrassed, and wasn’t sure she could plunk the book on Mr. Morgan’s desk and simply check it out.

No, it wasn’t a book about romance, boys, or kissing, though she desperately needed advice in those areas well. It was titled ‘Careers: Making the Best Choice after Graduation’. All things considered, many seventh years had probably consulted its pages before. Fauna, however, felt like she needed to hide away in her dorm until she’d read everything she wanted to.

She scanned the tables, passing quickly over the large groups of students huddled together and studying. Fauna wanted to sit where she wouldn’t be bothered. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a dark-haired girl resting her head in her arms. She was alone and sat in a more secluded area of the library. Fauna shuffled closer, relieved when she recognized Alice Anra, a Hufflepuff in her year.

She’d slept in the same dorm as the girl for seven years, but Alice was still a bit of a mystery to Fauna. Alice was quiet, talked to herself often, and seemed to live in her head a lot. Fauna, who was also a quiet person, wasn’t very good at drawing people out, so though they were pleasant enough to each other, they didn’t share secrets or giggle over butterbeers. Still, Fauna trusted Alice not to make a big fuss over her reading choices.

“Alice?” she said quietly, afraid of waking the girl, who had a habit of grumbling in her sleep (much like she was doing now). “Is it all right if I sit here?”

 Alice's head shot up as she sharply turned to the person that awoke her. Surprisingly it was Fauna, a girl from her house. One of the good ones. Alice had always wanted to have a full conversation with her but of course found it difficult to talk.

At being asked if Fauna could sit down Alice smiled.  "OH! Hello of course you can sit here. I don't mind at all." She chuckled wiping the drool from her chin. "Heh. I guess I was spacing out again. I hope I wasn't talking too loudly."
 
     She looked down at her book and tilted her head. "You can't decide what to be either? I can't even decide whether or not to get a magical job or a muggle job...It is a difficult decision I know." She shook her head chuckling. Alice was known for being mysterious but no one seemed to know that once they actually spoke to her she was an open book willing to just talk and talk for hours, of course, if she got the notion that one didn't want to talk she would leave immediately, feeling rude.

     "Do you want to be alone? I mean I know that the tables can fill up pretty quickly. It is really no problem at all if you want me to move." She mumbled looking at her feet.

Fauna bit her lip when she realized she had woken her. Smooth one. Alice smiled cheerfully at her, and if she was surprised to see Fauna, Fauna didn’t notice. She gratefully slid into a seat and put the book on the table with much timidity. It would be silly to hide the title. Alice was not the judgmental type.

“Sorry to wake you,” she said, chuckling as Alice mentioned that she was probably talking in her sleep.

Her face flushed when her housemate commented on the book, but Fauna quickly began to feel more comfortable when she realized that Alice could relate. She paused a moment, then nodded. It was a very difficult decision! She had never given it much thought, and simply assumed that when her seventh year rolled around, she’d know immediately what she wanted to do. At seventeen years old, she was supposed to know everything. Or at least, that’s what she’d hoped for since her first year. Unfortunately, choosing a career required planning and forethought like everything else in life.

Fauna frowned in surprise when Alice suggested that she could leave. “Oh! No! Um, no, feel free to stay,” she reassured her, embarrassed. Perhaps she was giving off aloof signals. “Uh, I just didn’t want to sit with a big group of people. I’d rather sit with another Hufflepuff,” she said, smiling a little at her.

There was another pause as Fauna fidgeted with the book- opening it, closing it, and finally looking at Alice. “It is hard,” she confided in her. “I haven’t even planned my classes around anything… specific. I just… took the ones I liked, you know?”

  Alice had always liked Fauna. Though they didn't know eachother well, she had always seemed down to earth and not annoying. She made a mental note to stop asking people if they wanted her to leave. They had come up to her and started a conversation. She needed to try not screwing that up.
   
      " I sat here to escape the crowd too don't fret." She nodded starting to nibble on her index finger nail. It seemed Fauna was really bummed about not knowing what to do with her life. Truthfully neither did Alice. She did the same thing Fauna did just never told people.

     "Look, you just need to calm down and don't let it stress you so much. If you keep getting to stressed over this you'll be forced into a career you hate." Her face completely serious.
"Now tell me what your main interests are and we will figure this out."

    Alice didn't know why she was even giving advice when she needed to be asking for it. All of her classes were just things she liked, but she had thought about working in theater in the muggle world. Probably not acting but backstage was appealing.

     "I won't let you leave here until we get this whole mess sorted out alright?"

Fauna blinked at her, then let out a chuckle. She was touched and somewhat taken aback by Alice’s determination to help her.

Thinking for a moment, she decided to start by telling her about the muggle career choices. Fauna rested her chin in her hand and leaned forward, voice low.

“Okay, well…  my sis, you know, she’s a singer,” Fauna frowned slightly. Moira was trying to make it as a singer, but spent most of her time waiting tables. “She’s hinted… sorta… that she wants me to join up with her when I graduate. Playing the piano and helping her write songs… sorta like a duo.”

Fauna bit her lip and looked away. She hated to disappoint anyone, especially family.

“But, I don’t really like performing.” It was true. She always got extremely nervous before Hogwarts choir concerts, and that was when she was in a large group. “It’s something I do with, um, family and friends. To relax. Same thing with art. I don’t really want recognition for any of it.”

She paused, wondering if this had to do with her confidence issues. Perhaps she’d like it if she didn’t get so nervous about it. Still, she couldn’t help but feel that art and music were more private activities, for her.

“You said you couldn’t decide on a magical or muggle job, either?” Fauna asked, hoping to find out more about Alice and deflect some of the attention away from her. She felt surprisingly comfortable talking to her housemate, but she didn’t want to dominate the conversation, and was truly curious about what Alice was interested in.

Alice looked at Fauna, listening to her story. "It must be difficult to think you're disappointing people so close to you but you don't want to be miserable your entire life."

     She looked up having to answer about her life. It wasn't that she didn't want to she just got the feeling that Fauna needed to talk more. "Well yeah. I mean I grew up in the muggle world but I really belong in this one. I don't know...maybe a magic theater." She chuckled. " I also might go to a university in the muggle world so I can have a little more time to think about it. Either way my parents are supportive."

    Her parents were very supportive. They always said they would help her out whatever her decision was. Help her with her bills and studies.

     "Well so you can sing and play the keyboard? You should gimme some lessons sometime. I don't have a keyboard though but it would be nice if we could talk and not have to whisper." She said lowering hr voice even more noting how Fauna seemed nervous.

   " I'm actually pretty loud if we can have a real conversation. I would like to have a real friend to wave at in the hallway...If you want I mean."

Working at a magic theater sounded plenty interesting to Fauna. She’d done some of the set work and backstage preparation for the Remembering Day play last year. It had been fun, but stressful. She could see why Alice would enjoy something like that.

Fauna smiled at her. “Magic theater? Sounds exciting. And you’d really get to be creative. But.. it’s good that you’re thinking about muggle university, too. There’s just so much out there…” So many choices. Fauna supposed it was better to have too many choices, than too few, however.

She glanced around the library anxiously, realizing that their voices had become less hushed over the course of their conversation. Alice seemed to notice this as well, and commented on it after asking for a music lesson sometime.

Rising from her seat, she paused when Alice suddenly asked her to be friends. Or at least, that’s what Fauna thought she was asking. She hesitated in confusion, glancing at her to try and figure out if that’s what she meant.

Fauna offered her a shy grin, happily surprised. “Um, yeah. That would be great,” she replied awkwardly, picking up the book about careers. She wanted to show more enthusiasm, but Fauna just didn’t know how to express it. New friends were always welcome though, and she liked Alice.

“Hey, do you want to head to the common room? We can actually, well, talk.. in normal voices there,” she suggested, waiting for a response before walking towards the checkout desk. Fauna put the book on the counter, waited for the librarian to check it out, and hugged it to her chest again as she paused a moment for Alice.

As they exited the library, Fauna thought back to what Alice had said about music lessons. “I can definitely give you a piano lesson sometime,” she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “I don’t have the best voice, to be honest. My sister’s the real singer. But I’ve got mad piano skills,” she wiggled her fingers comically at her and let out a giggle.

Alice smirked grabbing her things and stood up."Yes the common room sounds perfect." Her eyes lit up at the thought of a new friend. She always did that when talking with someone she liked in the muggle world. She would talk for a bit and then ask to be their friend instead of just continuing the conversation and seeing what happened from there. Even if she seemed not completely sure about it Alice still smiled and nodded.

     When they were walking through the old hallway Fauna brought up the music lessons again. "Oh I can't sing either. I was hoping the lessons would be for piano myself actually. I would just like to finish something for once. My sketchbook is full of halfway finished drawings. I even skim some of the books I read. Ugh and you should see my homework. There is always at least one problem unanswered, but essays are usually fine."

     She looked at the walls walking past things. Hogwarts was her favorite place to be. Everything just looked so new in her eyes. There were so many things to explore. That's why she walked into people so often, she was always enjoying the scenery. It was among the reasons why people found her so strange.

     "Fauna, will you tell me if you think I'm weird?...Or maybe off putting? I mean I know I don't talk to people often but they don't even try to talk to me. You seem like you would have a lot of friends. Do you hear things? I mean Do people tell you why?" It was the first time she had ever brought the subject up really with anyone before.

     

Fauna chuckled when Alice talked about not being able to finish things. “I don’t blame ya, with the homework. I mean, I think everyone goes through a little bit of that. And drawings… drawings can take a long time to finish.” At least they did for Fauna. She’d always been curious about what Alice drew in her sketchbook, but she’d never asked about it before. Perhaps they could share sketches sometime.

They walked down the familiar corridors, past the portrait of Sir Luckless, and they’d just reached the stairs when Alice suddenly asked her a lot of questions. Fauna hesitated, her foot hovering over the first step. Her mind was still processing it all, but she turned towards her and gripped the banister (something she’d learned to do since her first year. One never knew when those staircases would shift).

“I… what?” she said lamely, clearly befuddled.

Fauna started to step down the stairs, glancing at Alice every so often. “Um.. no, I don’t think you’re weird.” She paused, thinking. “Maybe you’re a little quiet at first, but.. there’s nothing wrong with that, you know? You warm up to people quickly.” Alice seemed to talk pretty freely now that she and Fauna had gotten past whatever barrier that had kept them from being friends before.

“And I haven’t heard anything, well, bad about you… if that’s what you’re worried about.” Fauna didn’t really pay much attention to gossip, but the ones who did the gossiping weren’t worth Alice’s time, anyway. She marveled at Alice’s statement that she must have a lot of friends. Fauna had a few very close friends, that was true. However, with Darcy and Ollie both expelled, Mysti was the only close friend that remained here at Hogwarts.

She suddenly felt sympathetic for Alice. The girl seemed lonely. “How come? I mean, why do you ask? The Slytherin girls aren’t ganging up on you, are they?” Her voice took on an edge. It bothered her to think that someone might be pestering Alice, and she immediately jumped to conclusions and assumed it was the group of girls who always gave Fauna such a hard time.

Alice smiled at the thought that she wasn't some sort of pariah but her smile fell suddenly when she realized she had made Fauna a little uncomfortable. Was she already turning away her new friend?

     "I just didn't know why people don't try talking to me..It isn't that I particularly care what people think but it's just about everyone." She wouldn't look Fauna in the eyes.

   "The Slytherin girls don't even waste their time with me actually. Maybe everyone thinks I'm crazy because I talk to myself but there are far crazier people here than me." She immediately felt awful for bringing it up.

    "I'm sorry I shouldn't have just assumed you listen to all of that crap anyways. It's beneath you I'm sure." She smiled helping the mood. She did have a problem idealizing people and had to work on that immediately if she was going to keep up the friendship.

   It turned out being a lot of fun just having someone to talk to about anything without them finding her crazy.

“Beneath me?” Fauna giggled. “I, um… I wouldn’t say that. I’m more like… purposefully oblivious. The less I know, the less I can get hurt,” she shrugged again, embarrassed for a moment by admitting that. It was a long walk down all those staircases to the ground floor, and Fauna spent the time thinking, hoping she could help out Alice a little. She normally leaned on others, not the other way around. But it also made Fauna feel useful, and she wanted Alice to know she cared.

“I… don’t know why people don’t talk to you,” she admitted, acknowledging that the girl had a point. “You’re nice, fun to chat with.” Fauna reached the bottom steps and continued down the corridors. “I know with me, sometimes people might not wanna talk to me because.. they think I don’t want to be around them. But I do. Most people, anyway. I’m just.. shy. I’m always worried about what someone will think of me,” she said quietly, glancing at her.

“But… I mean, if you watch people, and kinda pick out the trustworthy ones…” like the Hufflepuffs. “And you talk to them first, well, they’ll know what you’re really like. If that makes sense. And then it won’t matter what everyone else thinks.”

She looked at Alice as they neared the Hufflepuff common room. Fauna worried that she’d said too much or just confused her, but at the same time, it was a relief to get all her thoughts out.

Alice gave a sigh of relief. She actually really enjoyed having this talk with Fauna and could definitely see them being fast friends. 
   
      "I understand what you're saying." She smiled."I guess I just got a bit worried for awhile. I didn't know if I smelled or something, but I guess I have heard that people think I'm a little bit snobby." She hated that the most because she would talk to absolutely anyone who wouldn't mind it. The whole thought just made her queasy.

     "I trust you ya know? so far...I mean I know that you are actually a good person. I know not everyone is a saint but I think that we are pretty similar. Not with our taste but our problems and problem solving." She chuckled unable to fully form her sentences in her head before saying them.

     She didn't really want to sound weird by saying it but didn't think Fauna would take it that badly. She was getting praise after all. Alice took a seat in a chair and looked around. She wasn't in the common room very often so it was kind of a new experience. There were so many things she hadn't explored in there.

     "So what kind of music do you like to play? All I know is that you play piano but what genre of music?"

As soon as Fauna stepped into the common room, she flopped lazily on the couch and put her feet up. Home. She loved this room.

“You don’t smell,” she giggled, flinging a pillow with half-hearted force at the girl. Fauna propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her, frowning in thought. “I guess some people could mistake quietness for snobby-ness,” she mused, shrugging.

Fauna dropped the book on the floor next to the couch, planning to flip through it later. For now, she wanted to chat with Alice. “Genre? Oh, I’ll play almost anything, just to test it out… I like classical, but it’s not my favorite.” Many people assumed that everyone who played piano lived for the classical music. “I think my favorite is probably more folksy stuff. It’s not as difficult as the classical, for me, but I put more of myself into it.”

She shot her a friendly smile. “Do you like music? We could go to Reducto Records sometime. I know Tilly, the shop owner there. I worked for her on the weekends over the summer.”

Fauna had taught piano, mostly to kids, though there was that one time Devlin had stopped by and asked for a lesson…

Ayla sat in the common room in one of the comfy armchairs. Her legs were crossed under herself and since classes were done for the day she had changed out of the most of her uniform. She had switched her pleated skirt for a soft pair of pajama pants. Her tie was gone and her white blouse was unbuttoned showing the white tank top she had been wearing underneath. She didn't immediately look up when Alice and Fauna entered due to the fact that she was pretty preoccupied.

Sitting on the floor in front of her with her back to Ayla's chair and her knees holding up a book and a roll of parchment was Ayla's little sister Dahlia. Although her hair was pretty much down to the middle of her back Dahlia looked like a miniature version of Ayla. Most people didn't associate them as sisters until they were put in the same room together. Ayla was enjoying being able to be a big sister without the worry of having Erik terrorize them. Luckily for the two Collins' girls Erik had been sorted into Gryffindor and was terrorizing the girls there.

Dahlia was working on an parchment for transfiguration while Ayla braided her beautiful long hair. Ayla never admitted to her little sister that she was jealous of her hair. Ayla hadn't had the discipline when she was younger to be able to take care of having longer hair and had been keeping it only a few inches long since she was about seven. The look had grown on her and so she had never bothered to grow her hair out.

Ayla's attention was drawn up from her sister's hair when she heard Fauna tell Alice she didn't smell. She started to follow the conversation and despite her need to get her homework done Dahlia had been paying attention as well, "I think you're pretty." Ayla chuckled, having only been at Hogwarts for a few weeks now Dahlia had no idea how much Alice was viewed as a loner or an outcast, not that Ayla actually saw her as such. Ayla smiled and nodded to both Alice and Fauna, "Hey guys."