Getting Used to New People

Yumi sat in the common room, with nothing to do. She had a book that was sent to her by her "father" on the table in front of her, but she didn't want to touch it. It was already clear what the book was about. He loved to send her books that reminded her of her past. That she wasn't his real daughter. All the books he sent her were always about a girl how was orphaned when her parents were killed by a man she didn't know. Then he would take her in and raise her as his own.

That was exactly what had happened to her. He had killed her parents and taken her with him, as if she had a purpose to be with him. She thought about what kind of purpose she could possibly have that involved him.

She had her sketch pad in her laps and she was drawing a picture of a man and a woman, with a baby in the woman's arms. The man and woman in the the picture were supposed to be her parents, how she remembered them at least. The baby was her when she was just born. She remembered seeing a picture like that when she was younger. She sighed and continued to draw.

Mira wandered into the common room. Her book bag was slung over her shoulder, filled with the entire afternoon's class material. As years had progressed school had become harder and harder. Mira had never been challenged in her education before. She was a bright girl, with more virtues than beauty. But lately she had stayed up late into the night working by wand to get homework done.

Part of this delay in work was due to men of course. The last two years she really had blossomed, becoming the lady she is now. Now she attracted all sorts of men. Mostly bad ones. Ones who had problems with commitment and loving. Like Elijah. That man made her want to scream and pull her hair out. But at the same time there was an undeniable attraction. The whole thing confused her. How could you hate and love someone so much at once?

Sitting in a chair in the common room was Yumi. The two of them shared a dorm for six years but Mira had never really gotten to know her. That probably wasn't the most social thing to do. But of course her mind was always somewhere else. They weren't exactly the closest of dorms.

Mira walked up to Yumi and plopped down in the chair next to her. "Hey, Yumi" Mira said happily. "What's up?"

Yumi looked up from her sketch pad."Hey Mira." she replied plainly. "Nothing, how about you?" she asked her, her voice sounding happy, though she didn't feel happy at all. She sighed and looked back down at her sketch pad.

She continued to draw the man and woman with the baby in the baby in the woman's hands. But she soon stopped drawing not long after she began again. She felt her eyes begin to sting, meaning that tears were in forming in her eyes, she fought to keep them back.

The picture she drew reminded her to much of her parents, that's why tears came to her eyes, but they didn't spill over her eyes.

If there was one word you could use to describe Slytherin, it was dull. It was as though her entire house had not one iota of imagination to divide up between them all. Angelique glanced at Yumi's sketchbook as she passed, then stopped to lean and gawk over the younger girl's shoulder. She was not in the least surprised to see the drawing was of a family. It was probably the poor girl's future.

"Don't you hate that?" she asked. "The way they expect you to grow up and get married to some clutz and just pop out children for the rest of your life? Ugh. I can't think of anything more horrific."

She stood up properly and moved over to one of the other lounges. A nice three-seater that she could stretch out on properly, because really, the best part of being a seventh year was the entitlement that came along with it and the ability to treat the younger years like scum.

Once she'd got to lying comfortably on the lounge opposite, Angelique squirmed around to face Yumi and Mira once again.

"Have you heard about the Moor girl? She got taken up to St Mungo's in the middle of the night. She's giving birth to Krum's brat right as we speak."

"I feel a little bit sorry for her, you know? She obviously thought getting knocked up would stop him straying. As if anything could stop Elijah Krum straying! And of course a bastard like that wouldn't use any sort of protection. I wonder how many actual bastards he has?"

Yumi glared at Angelique after closing her sketch pad to prevent anyone else from looking at the drawings. "What are you talking about? That picture was of my parents, not of me" she said almost spitting at her. She hated when people poked their noses into something that didn't include them. Especially if they made comments about her sketches or something that had to do with her. "Don't you have anything better to do, Angelique? I mean other than gossip about other people?" she said trying to get on Angelique's nerves. She had heard about that Moor girl being taken to St. Mungo's to give birth to Elijah's child. She hadn't really given it much thought but now that Angelique had brought it up, she began to think about it. She actually did feel bad for her, having to give birth to another one of Elijah's kids.

Angelique quirked an eyebrow at that. Like most of their house Yumi couldn't help but say the most incredibly stupid things. It probably came of the inbreeding.

"How I choose to spend my time is none of your business, Zante," Angelique replied coldly. "Unless you want Julia to know how you spend yours?"

The implication was clear, of course. Angelique was quite willing to use her status in the Dark Followers to intimidate her peers outside of their clubhouse.

Yumi raised her one eyebrow and glared coldly at Angelique. "And just how do I send my time?" she said flatly. How would she know how Yumi spent her time? Yumi hardly ever even interacted with most people, she especially didn't interact with someone like Angelique. "Whatever you tell Julia, doesn't scare me. Go ahead and tell her whatever you want." she sneered. She wasn't really scared of Angelique and she could whatever she wanted to get Yumi in trouble, but it wouldn't scare her.She looked back down at her sketch and opened it up again to the same picture it was on before she closed it. She put her hand on the page and suddenly ripped it out of the pad. She crumpled it into a ball and held it tightly in her hand, as if she was getting read to throw it at someone.

Mira glanced at Yumi's sketch. It was good, but not as good as the numerous paintings and drawings that she ad laying in dust at the bottom of her trunk that she had either been given or stolen from Elijah. He may be a remarkable artist, but he was still a complete and terrible manwhore. "Nothing really" Mira said with a bored tone to her voice when Yumi asked how she was. Before the other girl could respond again Angelique Pyrites came up to them.

Mira had always liked Angelique. She was strong. Mira knew many a girl (and boy) hated her but Mira didn't know why. You just had to get used to her. The two didn't talk much but when they did they got along.

Mira nodded to the girl as she joined the pair, unwilling to contribute something to start a conversation. Before any words escaped her lips her two companions were off starting an argument about dark followers. Mira was instantly bored. She had no interest in joining that junior league of kids who couldn't do anything in the real world. But then again she could say the same thing for that 'Potters Army'. Mira supported keeping wizards pureblood, but speckles of red blood wouldn't look good on her pale skin.

Then the conversation turned to Elijah. Mira's ear perked up instantly, though she didn't show it. People knew that her and Elijah had a tragic past but most didn't know to what extent. Their recent encounter in the towers was still fresh in her mind. How could he love her but not? How could she hate and love him so? And what of Rafael? With such a kind, perfect boy in her sights how could she still be thinking of Krum? All of these questions rolled around her head, making her want to scream.

Mira shook her head a little, clearing it. As the room focused more clearly around her she saw the start of a fight coming between the two girls. "I wouldn't talk of any more dark follower business with me here" Mira said with a slight smirk. "I mean, who knows what I would let slip"

Angelique ignored Yumi completely. OWL students were notorious for thinking that just because they were suddenly doing a set of exams, that made them somehow as good as the seniors. Angelique found it was much more effective to pretend they simply didn't exist than it was to upbraid them for it.

In the meantime, Mira had joined in the conversation with the implication that she was going to dob on them. Right. Angelique laughed.

"You go right ahead, Mira," she said. "I'm beginning to wonder if any of the teachers in this school care what any of us get up to."