A/N: Sorry for the incredibly long wait, gah its been over a month! But in my very feeble defense, I've had so many exams and coursework. But today was my last day before the Xmas Holidays! So I'll be updating all my stories loads. Anyway, enough of me babbling, chapter two, tada!
Princess and the Peasant
Chapter 2 - Clouding Judgment
So, after the whole ‘epitome of evil’ death stares I suddenly decided that maybe I didn’t need any more food.
I quickly excused myself and practically sprinted out of the hall as fast as my dainty legs could take me. Then I realised I had absolutely no idea where I was going. Not at all. I have a memory like a sieve.
I decided to wander the quiet hallways for a while, and rack my brain over whether to kill myself now or after the millions of insults that were going to be thrown my way by the entire population of the school, minus the Slytherins.
I wandered round for a bit, taking in just how big the school was, and being alone with my thoughts, not that I have many thoughts…
“Alexandra!! Hey wait up!” I whipped around to see Draco hurrying towards me.
“Hey, what’s up?” I said rather dejectedly.
“Just wondering how you are after that little…incident,” he said tentatively.
“Oh…that. Well, its not exactly enamouring to have people hating you on you first night but I suppose I’ll survive,” I sighed meekly.
Draco smiled and slung his arm over my shoulder, steering me in some random direction.
“Hey, it can only get better…” he said hopefully.
“Yep. I guess,” I said, still sighing defeatedly though.
“Come on, show a little enthusiasm. Although, you have just been sorted in Gryffindor so maybe you should be upset…” he smirked.
Grrrr.
“Hey, don’t diss the lions. Gramps was in Gryffindor!” I protested.
“Sorry!” He said mockingly, holding his hands up.
“That’s better,” I scolded, “where are we going anyway?” I suddenly wondered, as we passed swirling corridors and moving staircases.
“I’m taking you to your common room. After all, Gryffindors shouldn’t be out after hours on their own, not even royal Gryffindors,” he said smugly.
I hmphed but still let him lead me to a large portrait of a fat woman.
Draco stopped walking and stood outside the portrait, waiting for something. Eventually, he turned to me and gave me a puzzled look.
“What?” I asked.
“The password,” he urged.
“Oh, do I tell it to the portrait?” I asked confused pointing at a woman who looked rather put out with being ignored.
“Yep.” He waited for me to remember. See, the memory thing again.
“Blast ended screwts,” I said after a while of racking my brains.
To my amazement, the portrait swung open suddenly and revealed a dimly lit room occupied with students.
“Well, I shall take my leave now,” Draco smiled and bowed, mocking me.
“What?! You’re leaving me, I don’t know anyone!” I protested under my breath, anxiously peering into the room. In my over paranoid mind, they looked like an angry mob armed with pitchforks and lit torches.
“Alexa, you’ll be fine,” he said backing away calmingly.
“Draco, don’t you dare leave me,” I seethed quietly through my teeth, pointing threateningly at him. He just smiled.
By now, a few people had gathered around the entrance after seeing the portrait open and were staring through the door.
“I shall see you in the morning,” he picked up my right hand and kissed the back of it, “your royal highness,” he added as an afterthought.
Argh. As he walked away, I mentally kicked myself. Tomorrow I was gonna royally whoop his ass.
Bracing myself, I turned to face the entrance and started to walk into the common room. Hmm. What a friendly bunch. I decided to go straight up to the dorm and go to bed before I had to encounter any unpleasantries. I steered myself to the staircase and forced myself to walk up them, feeling gazes on my back until I was safely out of the way.
I entered the dorm and surveyed the room before me. The circular room was dimly lit like the common room. There were five mahogany beds accompanied with red drapes and nightstands. I could tell which one was mine as there were a number of unpacked trunks placed strategically at the bottom of my bed. I sighed. Normally I had maids to do my unpacking. Yes, I’m a spoiled brat I know. I closed the dorm door and shut out the boisterous noise emitted from the common room and breathed in the deep silent air. Right. Now to get unpacked. Sorting through my trunks until all my possessions were in order, I wondered how anyone could enjoy this job. I had rummaged around in the bathroom adjoined to the dorm and found five mahogany cupboards on the wall each baring the name of a girl underneath the mirror that hung on the door of the cupboard. I placed all my toiletries and makeup in, and after repeatedly trying to shut the cabinet door unsuccessfully, I resorted to throwing some unneeded hair products in the bin. Hey, who needs three bottles of hairspray? I then took out my photos and ornaments to place on my nightstand.
Once I was unpacked, I grabbed a quick shower and changed into some pyjama pants and a black wife-beater. I climbed into my bed and pulled the warm covers around my shoulders, flicking my wand and making the drapes around my bed shut tightly.
I stared into the dark space for almost twenty minutes before I began to feel remotely tired. Finally, my eyes started to droop and as I drifted into the land of slumber, I could hear the door creak open and the whisper of girl’s voices whistle through the air. This was my first night at Hogwarts and already I wanted to be home.
***
My mind was in mush as I woke up the next morning. I lifted my head from my pillow and I took me a few seconds to register exactly where I was. A wave of depression washed over me as a remembered I was now at Hogwarts. I checked the time. 6.45am. No one was up yet.
I pulled my drapes open meekly and scanned the room. No sign of life. Silently thanking myself, I crept out of bed slowly and tip-toed to the bathroom. I didn’t want anymore awkward moments, although I knew that I’d have to face my dorm mates soon.
The hot water from the shower trickled slowly across my skin as I wondered how my first day would go. I reminisced about my time at Durmstrang, and all my friends I had left behind when I transferred, until I noticed my skin starting to prune under the constant run of water. My feet tingled as I stepped onto the cold marble floor. This was going to be a long day.
***
I quickly checked my reflection in the mirror before darting out of the dorm and into the common room. I was wearing my school uniform, with black tights and a pair of ruched black suede pirate boots with a heel. Minus my robes, I never liked robes, I hardly ever wore them. My hair was in a loose bun with tendrils of curls flowing freely. It had taken me minutes to get ready thanks to my wand, and now I would be wandering the halls with nothing to do.
Exiting the common room, I made my way to the Great Hall. It was peaceful walking down the halls in silence, but there was also an eerie atmosphere. I strode into the Great Hall and saw the four tables littered with white sheets. Timetables. Walking around the table, I managed to find mine quickly and grabbed a piece of buttered toast before scooting out of the hall and to the library.
***
The pages rustled in the silent air as I flicked through a book I had randomly picked from a dusty shelf. To be honest, I was feeling sorry for myself. Back at Durmstrang, I had a group of close friends, and I was popular. Sure, some of that was to do with the fact I was ‘royalty’, and most of the students at Durmstrang were just concerned about having the right connections, but at least I was liked. And however vain and immodest it may sound, I liked being popular. I suppose I was just feeling sorry for myself because now I was at the other end of the spectrum. Well, I thought I was.
“Hmph.” I sighed as I turned another dog-eared page.
My feet were propped up on a round coffee table, and I was leaning back on a mahogany chair, using just two legs. I didn’t even notice the person walking behind me.
“Are you done with that book?”
“Gah!” The voice that appeared out of thin air startled me so much I leant back a little too far and my chair slipped from underneath me.
The chair hit the floor with a resounding thump, taking me with it.
Great. So, I was sprawled on the floor with an almost-broken back, staring up at some guy who was trying desperately not to laugh at my mangled body.
“A little help please?” I said grumpily, lifting my arm in the air.
“Sorry,” he said through muffled laughter.
I gave him a resounding death glare as he hoisted me back on to my nearly steady feet.
“So, um, are you done with that book now?” He asked finally as I straightened my clothes and tried to regain my rapidly disappearing self-respect.
My head shot up and I looked disbelievingly at him. Did I just hear right? Did this guy, after creeping up on me, startling me, making my jump out of my skin and take a near death trip to the carpet just have the audacity to ask if he could have my book? This was the famous boy-who-lived, that yesterday was my new friend and then BAM! A little complication and its like we never spoke.
He just carried on looking expectantly at me, as if waiting for me to hand it over. I studied him for a second, whilst trying to give him a very scary cold stare. His hair was tousled, and his glasses were slightly askew, he was wearing that amused-critical smirk that I usually see on Draco, his nemesis. What an arrogant prat.
About five seconds passed until he gestured for the book.
I was still waiting for an apology, but when I figured out I wasn’t going to get one, I huffed and slammed the book into his chest with all my might, turned on my heel and stormed out of the library.
Honestly, some people.
***
A/N: Anyway, hope you liked it, please review! Thanks, and I'll try and update every few days, in the spirit of Christmas, my favourite holiday!
- Ally
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