Gryffindor Tower.
The place where all the Gryffindors came to hang out and be together. The place where only they could go. It should be a safe haven for those of them who wanted to get away from the students in the other houses. Not only that, but it should be a place where they all felt safe no matter what. So then.. Why did she not feel like it was? Maybe because last year(?) the Gryffindors were left without a place to go because their tower was destroyed in a battle. Her image of the tower being the only safe place for Gryffindors came crumbling down along with the tower as she looked at the remains afterwards.
Now it seemed fine. But the thought that it could come down again scared her. Mostly because she knew it could. That's why she sat on the couch in the common room, her legs curled up against her chest as she stared at the fire before her. Her work had been finished the day before and she had nothing else to do but sit there and watch as the other students came in and out, rarely paying attention to her, with their friend and equipment for whatever they were planning to do.
She watched a group of first years, two girls and a boy, came down from their dorms and discussed what they were going to do. The boy wanted to play Quidditch but the two girls wanted to explore the castle. Obviously the exploration would win because it was two against one. Once he agreed, he turned his head away from his friends and pouted. Until he noticed Hitame was looking at them, that is. She smiled at him, telling him that exploring wasn't so bad. He stopped pouting and returned her smile quickly before looking at the two girls. "Later we'll play Quidditch though, right?" He asked.
The girls nodded, almost reluctantly, and the three of them headed toward the door. The boy stopped for a brief moment, looking back at Hitame who had turned her attention to the book that was on the table in front of her before taking a deep breath and running out of the common room. The Gryffindor girl reached out to grab the book, glancing in the direction of the kids and smiled gently to herself as she rubbed the cover of the book with her thumb. "I wonder how long they'll stay like that." She asked herself, thinking of when she was a first year.
She'd met her older brother that year. But she hadn't known that and the two of them became best friends. She wondered what ever happened to that. Now she didn't even know where he was. She assumed he was in school, but she never saw him. He did a damn good job at hiding from her, considering they were in the same house. She tightened her grip on the book, murmering, "I miss you Xem.." Softly as her vision starte to blur with tears.