The Beginning of a Bleak Weekend

The silence was incredibly eerie. If one was to listen hard enough then they could have heard a pin drop. Re-shelving books was Rafael’s punishment for returning his late. It was a Saturday and while everyone else was in Hogsmeade he was confined to Hogwarts, much to his dismay. He wasn’t fond of the little village but he would have given anything to get out of the stuffy book-filled room. He wouldn’t have minded usually but today he was feeling slightly claustrophobic.

The one saving grace was that it was quiet. No one was slapping books around.

An ebony haired Slytherin had been in the library earlier, however, and a blonde had joined him not long after, causally sucking on a liquorice wand. Rafael had snuck behind one of the bookshelves and had listened to the conversation. Well, he had hardly snuck because he was already there but he’d moved forward to aid his hearing.

Names were being dropped quite frequently between the two boys and there was an incredible amount of malice between them. The ebony haired one took great joy in referring to the blonde as ‘dog’ and the blonde returned the gesture by calling the ebony haired one ‘kitty’. It was if they knew something about each other that was personal and close to their chests but each one was bound by their secret that the other was privy to.

The ebony haired on left first, packing up his books and storming out of the library. The blonde had lingered, cocking his head to the side and watching the other Slytherin walk away before he too vacated the library. This, once again, left Rafael alone. That had been an hour or so ago now and he was still stacking books. He was onto the ‘P’ section now. Rafael turned yet another hard-back over in his hands before slotting it onto the shelf.

“Divide and conquer,” Rafael murmured with a small smile and a glance at the books piled high on the trolley he’d been supplied with by the librarian. What a way to spend his Saturday.

Getting caught was nevered a good thing when you have to serve detention in the library while everyone else was having fun in Hogsmeade. Cursing silently to herself she walked into the library for her detention waiting for what she had to do. As the librarian to her she had to dust without using magic she looked around the library and sighed. "Great, can't wait to get bit by books in the magical creautres section or get yelled at by books in the Restricted Section. As the librarian handed her a feather duster she took and sighed. "Well you better get started."said the librarian shooing her away.

"What kill joy."Leslie thought to herself as she walked over towards the "P' section and started taking books off the self and dusting the self and book and putting it back on the shelf. As much as Lesalie loved reading she hated being here right now. The only thing good about the library was the quietness which was one thing Leslie loved. As she reached finished the top shelf she frowned as she was to short to reach the second shelf on the bookshelf. "Oh this is stupid!"said Leslie to herself as she a ladder and climbed onto until she reached the second shelf.

"Great Way to start the weekend by cleaning these bloody booksheleves and these books!"said Leslie cursing to herself. Cleaning off the area where the book stood she placed it bakc on the shelf and went to the next one sighing at how much she had to do. Reaching for the next book it accidently fell out of her hands heading towards the floor. "Watch out!"said Leslie to a boy who was stocking to the books below her. "Sorry I didn't mean to do do that, it fell out of my hands."said Leslie. "God I can be so clumsy at times."said Leslie. "Oh so rude of me, I'm Leslie, Leslie Darling."said Leslie softly.

There were many problems with the system the Library used. Rafael preferred the dewy-decimal system. It worked, books were easy to find and it wasn’t over complicated for the staff either. The Librarian seemed content to just sit at her desk reading the stock, however. She didn’t seem as devoted to her job as Madam Pince had supposedly been. Although harsh, the woman had cared about the library. If it wasn’t for student-labour, the room would have fallen into disrepair long ago.

Rafael rolled the trolley further down the aisle, oblivious to the ladder that was sweeping up towards the very top of the bookshelf. He grabbed a set of books and put a few back on the cart before reaching to his right, underneath the ladder, to get to the space which the books in his hands would fill. Rafael heard the sound of a book falling and he looked up, only to feel a hardback slam against his shoulder before hitting the floor. The fluttering pages now ceased in their previous movements and Rafael pushed his books onto the shelf using the tips of his fingers. He moved out from under the ladder and reached down, picking up the book as the girl spoke.

Rafael straightened himself up and turned the book over in his hands. He looked up at the girl and smiled slightly, “It’s okay; it happens to everyone once in a while.” Rafael held the book out to her and cocked his head towards the librarian. “I take it she’s got your working too?” She introduced herself as if she was talking to the weather, startling Rafael slightly. But nethertheless he smiled and returned the introduction, “Rafael Armstrong.”

Leslie nodded and laughed. "Yeah especailly me, I'm so clumsy at times it's unreal."said Leslie softly as she took the book from and put it back on the shelf. Leslie looked around the dusty old library and looked at the librarian and sighed. Of course Madam Pince wasn't devoted to her job as much as the new librarian was but at lease she had time to stock the books. Leslie noded and sighed when he ask if the librarian had her working to. "Apparently so, I mean if it wasn't for us doing the library it would have apart ages ago."said Leslie softly taking another book down and dusting it off and then the shelf before putting it back on the shelf.

As he introduce herself she smiled. "Nice to meet you Rafael, sorry I didn't mean to scare you."said Leslie softly. "Sorry I'm talking to much, I usually don't talk to stangers I always to shy to."said Leslie honestly. "Ok... now I'm shutting up."said Leslie softly shutting up and went back to doing her duties for the library. Leslie did tend to be a blabber mouth but she when met nice people like Rafael she tended to talk alot she guessed she gotten that habit from Sophia her brothers friend. Letting silence fell in room once again Leslie pushed the ladder down further to finsh her work.

Leslie sneezed and cursed to herself and kept on working silently to herself for she hated dust more then anything for it made her sneeze really bad. "Great nothing like a dusty squalid room to get my allergies kicking in!"Leslie thought to herself. Not that Leslie hated the library and books she loved them but dusting them off was just a pain. Glaring at the librarian for her laziness and her devoted attitude to the library she kept on going and sneezed once again. "Perfect now I'm going to spend all day sneezing, how embarrasing!"Leslie thought to herself.

Clumsy girls; they were just what he needed. Rafael wasn’t bothered too much by her, she seemed nice enough, but he truly didn’t need someone dropping books on him for the rest of the day or however long the lazy librarian wanted him in there for. His shoulder hurt but it wasn’t unbearable, nothing that hadn’t happened before. Raina standing on the kitchen counters then falling into him hurt a little less. Rafael was just glad it wasn’t her getting hurt. He could deal with the bumps and bruises. It was what big brothers did for their little sisters.

“I think it is more mentally tiring than labour intensive this...service to the library,” Rafael said thoughtfully, slotting a book into its required place. “It’s a long, complicated process that we shouldn’t have to go through. She was hired for a reason. She should be let go for not fulfilling her duties that are in her job description.”

Rafael was a little bit shocked by himself. He’d never been so critical of someone before, unless it was one of Jaret’s school teachers critiquing him and doing nothing for him. Rafael got angry when he had to sit there and listen to them tear his brother apart. It was so frustrating for him. Nicolai and Raina were angels, it was just Jaret. Still, he was as critical of his brother as the teachers were sometimes. He was just defensive more often.

Rafael slotted another book onto the shelf and bit his lip. Rafael heard a sneeze from above him and he looked up. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and held it out for her. “Here,” he said, “It’s clean. It’s only there because it’s always been there I suppose. Use it, I don’t need it.”

((Oh lord I forgot about this!))

Older boys; wasn't a thing that Leslie needed for all they were heart breakers, cheaters and not to mention liars. Although Leslie wasn't bothered by him though, as a matter of fact he didn't bother at her for he was nice person. "Ok Leslie don't drop anymore books on him."Leslie thought to herself seeing how the last book she dropped hurt him pretty bad. "Are you alright? I'll feel horrible if your hurt and it's my fault."said Leslie softly. That's was one thing that Leslie hated about herself she was usually always so clumsy it was unreal it's a surprise she's a Gryffindor.

Leslie looked at him and nodded. "Yeah your right about that, it is tiring being here cleaning all these dusty old books."said Leslie softly. Leslie nodded. "Yeah I know, but you don't see her doing it do you?"Leslie asked alittle annoyed by the librarian. Leslie rathered be writing lines over and over again 'I will not sneak out pass curfew again' a thousand times them be here. Dusting off another book she slotted back into it's normal place before starting on another one.

As he handed her a handkerchief she took it and smiled. "Thanks Rafael, but I can't take it."said Leslie softly. "I probably need to carry one of those around with me when I'm around dust I guess I'm allergic to dust."said Leslie shrugging. It was possible but honestly she didn't know if she was or not but she was sneezing really bad.