Midafternoon on Saturday the 23rd


Like normal Effie was holed up in the library, the pale nearly sickly appearance of her skin did not come easily or without effort. She was making it her school life goal to read every text in the library before she was done with school. Unfortunately it was harder than one might imagine with classes and homework to attend too. Euphemia was not about to ignore her schoolwork to get an edge on accomplishing her reading desires, but she figured she would take a break from studying to do some casual reading.

Effie had opened up a book and been scouring over the text, it was making her much more intrigued to peer into the Restricted Section. It mentioned in passing something about horcruxes and she was particularly curious. She continued reading hoping to uncover more information, but she was beginning to feel defeated as she was nearing the end of the book. Despite it being a book to check off her list of books to read, and the slightly interesting topic of horcruxes she felt it was almost a waste of time. It was almost like reading from the muggle studies section. She had picked from that section once before, feeling terribly embarrassed as she did so. Effie dreaded the day she had to tackle that section completely and feared someone seeing her in the process.

As she closed the book she sighed in slight annoyance. “The one good topic was skimmed over and with no information.” She now was going to have to find a reason to be allowed to read through the restricted section. This meant she was going to need to be much more devious and find a Professor willing to sign off on it. Trouble being it would probably be a little difficult persuading a professor that a first year needed access to the restricted section. Euphemia was annoyed by the truth to the thought; it was going to prove difficult.

Hannah hung out in the library possibly more than the average first year should.

It was not because she particularly liked books, although they were quite nice sometimes when one was in the mood. It was not even entirely because her brother was the librarian and therefore gained her almost the free run of the place (or at least he never sneered at her like the others, and she had help with her homework whenever she wanted it) although, that really helped. No, Hannah found the library calming and kind of pretty, a place almost always bereft of her loud fellow first-year boys, a room so huge that she could easily find any corner she wanted and go undiscovered for hours. She was a big girl, fine, but she still liked to hide and feel like she had a secret. Embarrassing, kiddy behavior - but no one had caught her yet.

And disregarding her mother, Hannah was used to having alone time. Both brothers were either grown up or at Hogwarts most of the year - now, both - so she was used to having the run of her house, sleeping in her own room, being able to slip away to the nooks and crannies she'd discovered as a child where her mother wouldn't dare come for fear of dust. Hogwarts, on the other hand, was insanely public - she slept in a dorm with other girls, she went to classes day in and day out. Hannah liked having friends and she liked having fun, but it was nice to have calm places, too. Landis being here made it better, because he wouldn't seek her out unless she first sought him but still his presence made it safe.

She was not hiding today. She was walking about, not in that mood where she wanted to be alone but on the contrary quite happy to have some company if she could find it. She saw fellow firstie Effie sitting at a table, alone - and Hannah, raised confidently, never-questioning her own blood status, and with half a foot in Slytherin house already because of her brothers' connections - went to join her. Hannah saw Effie in here a lot. Well, it was inevitable given that they both spent some of their extra time here.

The girl looked a little annoyed, but Hannah didn't let that throw her off. Annoyed sometimes seemed to be Effie's default state.

"Hullo," she said, giving the other girl a smile. "In here again?"

Who dares spoke to her? Most of the time while hidden away in the library it was easy to avoid conversation. Usually the fear of the librarian left people uneasy about talking. It appeared that this one, whoever it might be, did not quiver at the idea of being shushed. Effie’s curiosity got the better of her and she looked up from the front cover of the text in front of her. She wanted to see the face of the person who approached her. Half the time her state of annoyance kept people at a distance, it was intended. Once she saw the owner to the familiar voice she sighed, Hannah Harper. Of course it would be her, she was another first year regular of the library. Effie supposed discussion and interaction was bound to happen, and she was not proven wrong at least.

“Obviously,” she said as she reached for the second book she had grab from the shelves. Effie was much more interested in going to seek out a way to get into the restricted section, but that would require some plotting and thought. She wasn’t about to waste the rest of the day, so she opted to read the other text she had pulled off the shelves. It seemed that she was going to be forced to check the textbook out though, with the fact Hannah decided it was social hour.

“I suppose the same could be said to you.” She paused, “Oh and Hello.” Despite the fact she was cold and generally annoyed with everyone it did not mean there were not times for politeness. Effie was not silly, she was aware of Hannah’s assumed blood status, of course she had never taken the care to ask, but in any event she was a far sight more acceptable to talk to then Turkey her roommate. How dreadful it must be to share a space with Turkey. Effie couldn’t imagine being in any other house having to mix more readily with muggleborns. From what Effie could gather of the first years in her dorm, they were not that filthy of blood.

Looking up at Hannah she gave her a half smile, well for the regular state of Effie’s face it was probably a full fledge smile as far as Hannah was concerned. “What is that you want?” She couldn’t assume it was any of the books she had because chances of her accomplishing the same feat as herself was slim. On second thought she was in here a lot. “Did I have a book you require?” Effie tried with a question; perhaps the interaction could end quicker this way. Honestly though Effie had not given Hannah much of a chance before being that she was a Gryffindor and all.