Slumberparty

Maddie had dragged her bedding out of her bed and into the common room, setting up camp in front of the fireplace. She curled up on her blanket, leaning back against a sofa with a book propped up in her lap. She knew she really needed to get some homework done, as she had been neglecting it to spend time with Mason.

However, as she tried to focus on her studies, she found herself easily distracted. She picked up her wizgiz to see what everyone else was up to, but it didn't provide much in terms of entertainment. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she set the device back down and looked back at her book.

"This is stupid," Maddie muttered to herself, slamming the book shut. Her mind was clearly preoccupied with thoughts of Mason and other distractions, making it difficult for her to concentrate on anything else.

Hayden emerged from his dorm, looking like he was ready to call it a night. However, he was surprised to find Maddison still up and about. "Hey, Maddison," he greeted her, recognizing her from their class. "What are you still doing up?" he inquired, settling down on the floor next to her and snatching the book out of her lap. "Oh, that's boring," he commented, shaking his head in disapproval.

Hayden then shifted his attention to a more pressing matter. "Have you seen Cia?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern. It was clear that his friend was on his mind, and he was likely hoping to catch up with her before turning in for the night.

Ciara heard voices from common room, when she came back from bathroom. This is when she decided to see what it was all about, there she saw her best friend and other close friend. She looked at Maddie and Hayden there chatting. She smiled. She was glad they seemed to get along.

"I'm here," she said with a smile and sat down next to Hayden. "So what we doing here now?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Maddie began to respond, but her attention was drawn towards the entrance of the common room where Ciara had just appeared. "Oh, hey Ciara," she greeted her friend, lifting up her book as an excuse for not studying. "I just couldn't focus on it. I think I might be falling a bit behind," she admitted with a shy giggle, her cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink.

Noticing that Ciara was up and about, Maddie wondered aloud, "What are you doing up at this hour?" Her tone was friendly and curious, reflecting a genuine interest in her friend's activities.

A smile spread across Hayden's face as he heard Ciara's voice, and he beckoned her over to where he and Maddison were seated. "Hey, come sit," he invited her warmly, patting the spot next to him on the sofa. He scooted closer to Maddison, making room for Ciara to lean against the couch as well, before taking the book out of Maddison's hand.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but ask, "What were you working on?" One eyebrow raised in question, Hayden looked at Maddison, eager to know what had been occupying her attention.

Ciara looked at Hayden and just chuckled. The girl sat down next to her and just focused on their converstation. "Well I had to use this bathroom and when I went back to my dorm, I heard chatting. So figured to check it out," she said with a small smile on her face. Why she was still up. It was not like she wanted to be up, but this urge to use bathroom had been too big earlier.

Maddie let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Potions," she grumbled, "Vanishing potions to be specific. I really need to start paying better attention in class." She no longer wanted to look at the book Hayden took from her. "And on top of that, I have a ton of papers to write for almost every other class," she added, her tone exasperated. "It's too much, and we won't even need half of it after we graduate."

Hayden flipped to the page Maddison had mentioned on vanishing potions, and glanced up at Cia. "You're not planning on going back to bed now, are you?" he asked, half-jokingly. He quickly scanned the page, realizing that he needed to work on the potion as well. Bitterly, he thought to himself, Thank you, Father.

He looked back up at Cia and shrugged. "Can't we just buy the potions once we're out of school?" he asked, shaking his head.

Ciara nodded her head. "Yes I don't plan to go back to my dorm right now," she said with a smile. She was always up to spend time together with her friends. Her sleep was gone now anyways. So why not be up for a bit of the time.

"Well we can but it's good to know how to make them, when you might need them and shop is closed," she said with a small smile.

Maddison couldn't help but playfully roll her eyes at Hayden's comment. "Yeah, what Cia said was pretty silly, but I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some of those chocolates," she said with a grin. She shifted slightly, making room for Hayden and the other person on the blanket if they wanted to join her.

"I've got three more classes to catch up on too. I spent a little too much time sulking or hanging out with Mason," Maddison giggled, shrugging her shoulders.

Hayden's next question caught Maddison off guard. "What's going on between you two?" he asked. "Last year, you two were at each other's throats, and now you're sneaking off and snogging in your own little secret club."

Maddison just shrugged and giggled, feeling a little embarrassed. She wasn't exactly sure what was going on between her and Mason, but it was definitely something.