Day 2: An Unexpected Visit

Sitting by the window of her dormitories in her pajamas, Margaret inspected the piece of parchment given to her by Elliot Evers; she wished she was asleep instead of-
BOOM
She flinched.
The girl glared at the fireworks right outside the window with impatience; thankfully her dormmate was out and wouldn't bother her or ask her what's wrong; she glanced back at the parchment, pinching her fingers hard.
The note, penned by the Headmistress herself, urged students to join Social Clubs to make friends and went on with mushy nonsense about love and friendship; Margaret rolled her eyes and sighed.
BOOM
She flinched again.
Clicking her tongue she checked her watch: it was well past midnight and with the odd Sino-scottish music blaring through the Castle she expected not to fall asleep anytime soon.
"Friendship..." she scoffed, wondering if she would let herself make the same mistake again.
"Maybe this is why I'm here..? To give me another chance..?"
Looking around the room, she spotted a Club Application on her dormmate's bedside table; judging by the names on the list she knew most of the students already, somehow, or maybe their ancestors.
She sighed, knowing it would be more trouble to avoid doing it than not, her heart filled with apprehension.

Standing in a corner of the Club Room, Margaret stared ahead of her, acutely aware of the looks she was getting; maybe the lack of sleep made her look scarier than usual, maybe it was because of her height, stature, hair colour? She noticed many familiar faces: a quidditch fanatic, a witch called stinky, a bird obsessed witch, almost all of the she could swear were in her original class.
A student wearing a suit that made him look like a penguin stepped towards her, a red tube of chips in his hand.
"Welcome aboard! I need two co-captains, you want in?" said the boy between bites.
"Sure." she said, inaudibly, with a nod; she couldn't bear the room's brouhaha anymore.
"Cheers. My name is Pringles." he held out a greasy hand.
"Margaret. I have to go." she answered, ignoring the captain.
Walking briskly through the Club Room she side-stepped, dodged and slithered her way out, avoiding faces lighting up at her sight, staring at her, gritting her teeth at the buzzing whispers the intensity of which increased exponentially, making her head feel like it was about to burst.
SLAM
She flinched as the door to the room closed loudly behind her.
"Couldn't they enchant it to be quieter..?" she thought, annoyed, as the loud creaking of the moving staircases filled the Castle.
She clenched her fists as she walked away from the omnipresent noise: she needed to escape, a quiet room, anywhere.
Exhausted from a restless night, her mind was focused on finding silence; she mindlessly walked towards spots she knew, spots that didn't exist anymore: she couldn't find the entrance to the Undercroft.
Clicking her tongue, she turned back abruptly and walked towards the Map Room.

Margaret was quite fond of the Dungeons, her parents had told her many stories taking place within their walls, they often described her the Slytherin Common Room and its beautiful underwater scenic view; it was disappointing she wasn't sorted in Slytherin but she didn't mind; she ended up learning a lot about herself, she enjoyed the solitude of being in the least popular House and the dormitories used to be very comfortable.
Walking briskly and biting her cheeks, she passed by a group of snickering Slytherin girls who pointed at her and her first year hat; she could make out the word "giraffe" and loud cackling.
She was glad she wasn't sorted in Slytherin, actually; their needless bickering and competition, their forced cockiness, she could only feel pity towards them: so insecure, so fake, so unnatural.
Taking a sharp turn, she scared a couple of first year Hufflepuffs who most certainly didn't expect a Gryffindor her size to jump out of a corner, especially not one wearing a black cone hat; she clicked her tongue and walked around them.
The Map Room was nowhere to be seen.

Her back against the wall that would lead to her destination, she let her body slide down its length; this spot was as good as any, she had finally found quiet and loneliness, though maybe a bit too humid.
Grasping her wand with trembling hands, she wondered about Ancient Magic; did it still work? What happened to the Gobstopper looking thing downstairs? She could still see the distinctive colour floating around her as she concentrated her magic; reflected in a puddle on the floor she could see an opal-like sheen in her hair and a glow in her eyes; she looked away.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the powerful magic coursing through her body, her wand producing water creatures as she pictured them in her mind: a swarm of butterflies, toads and frogs, squirrels and various rodents; her herd grew steadily as the enchanted magic illuminated her dark corner.

Laying on the cold floor and surrounded by creatures who seemed to be mourning, Margaret was asleep, her face illuminated by a gentle blue glow.
"What do we have here..?" said Elliot Evers loudly, as he approached the girl, expecting her to stand up.
She didn't, his heart skipped a beat.
Lighting up his wand, he inspected her body: he hadn't noticed it before but she was unusually fit, and beautiful; he shook his head at the though and sighed in relief when he spotted her breathing.
The girl grimaced at the light; Elliot smiled, waiting for her to wake up; she turned around, intending to keep napping; he frowned and moved his light to her face again.
"Wake up."
Laying face down on the floor, Margaret clicked her tongue and answered. "What?"
"You'll catch a cold, come on." said Elliot warmly, holding out his hand.
She ignored him and stood up, popping her water critter with a flick of her wand.
"What a shame." he said, looking at the floor longingly, smiling. "Felt lonely?" he added.
"No, why?" she answered bluntly.
"Nothing." he chuckled "Let's walk."
She followed him wordlessly.
"What are you, Margaret Megamelons..?" thought Elliot.

Frantically pinching her fingers, Margaret followed her mentor through the castle, annoyed at his slow pace and feeling something similar to pain in her legs as she attempted to match his stride.
"So, I heard you joined a Social Club already?" Elliot finally broke the silence.
"They made me co-captain." she answered bluntly, with her monotone voice; the boy chuckled.
"Well, congratulations." he smiled "I actually made a little wager with our professors..." he looked at her, expecting a curious gaze or a smile.
She didn't look at him.
"How about a trip to Hogsmeade?" He kept watching her, she didn't react.
"Sure."
"Get rid of the hat." he pointed towards the black cone.

Attempting to feed the child's ego, Elliot explained how she wouldn't normally be allowed to visit Hogsmeade and congratulated her on winning them the wager; he kept sneaking glances but she never showed signs of pride, happiness, anything?
"Did this kid kiss a dementor..?" he thought, slightly annoyed.
Margaret followed him silently, by his side but slightly behind; he could sometimes see her staring at specific spots in the landscape, piquing his curiosity.
"Eager to explore the Highlands?" he remarked.
"Not really."
It was like talking to a wall.
"Almost there." said Elliot encouragingly.
She sighed.
"Getting tired?" he chuckled.
"Hm? No, I'm breathing." she answered.

Standing in front of Hogsmeade's main street with Margaret, Elliot smiled proudly.
"What happened to this place... It looks so... Bleak." remarked the girl, a quizzical frown on her face.
"What do you mean? I find it rather cozy." answered the boy, puzzled.
"It didn't look like this before..." she half-whispered; Elliot couldn't hear as he marched forward, proudly describing the village and its shops.
A quick trip around the village later, the duo took a break in the main street in front of the Three Broomsticks.
"So, fancy anything? Butterbeer? I noticed you kept looking at the Hog's Head." asked Elliot.
"The tea shop and Honeydukes, I suppose." answered the unimpressed girl.
"Puddifoot's?!" thought Elliot, confused by a mix of laughter and embarrassment. "S-sure... Ahem. Sure, let's go for some tea."
"Honeydukes is right here though." remarked the child.
"O-oh. Ahem. Sure." stammered her mentor, shaken.

"Now that's how a child should behave." thought Elliot, smiling as he watched Margaret peruse the candyshop with stars in her eyes, finding himself wanting to see her smile every time she spotted candies and pastries she didn't know.
The shop was significantly smaller than it used to be, but its green walls still reminded Margaret of her home, her mother, her fifth year, and for a second, she felt at peace.
Ms Flume was beaming, the girl's enthusiasm was a surprise and despite her Muggle-like ignorance she was quite knowledgeable when it came to sweets; the proprietress couldn't stop chatting with the girl she hadn't realized was still a First Year.
Her stone cold face contrasting heavily with her enthusiasm and impressive shopping list, Margaret paid for her hoard of her own pocket, making Ms Flume's eyes shine like a Niffler's.
Attempting to part with the overjoyed shopkeeper, the duo slowly walked towards the exit as she talked with Margaret excitedly; she waved and called out loudly as they finally escaped her grasp, no doubt the girl had left a strong impression on the kind lady.

"...Remind me to never shop here again." chuckled Elliot, relieved.
"She was nice." said Margaret, unwrapping a candy while observing her surroundings, her eyes darted away from a shadowy figure. "Tea?" she asked.
"...Sure... Just a moment." said the boy, a concerned look on his face. "Don't move, I'll be back."
Reaching inside her bag, Margaret grabbed another candy and held out her hand towards the figure without looking at it.
It kept staring without moving.
"Come." she said, softly.
Wearing an oversized red scarf and tattered robes, a shivering girl approached, warily.
A strong stench hit Margaret's nose almost making her gag and sending stabs through her chest, along with an urge to hug the child.
"You're a werewolf..." she whispered.
The ginger gasped, freezing on the spot.
"Shh... It's fine." her soft voice was mesmerizing.

Side by side, the girls enjoyed the sweets in silence; Margaret wanted to do something more, she wanted to make the girl smile, she felt compelled to make her happy; regular people couldn't see Ancient Magic, right?
Pointing her wand at the sky, she closed her eyes and focused, summoning a gentle snowfall over the entire village under the amazed gaze of her classmate; Margaret tried looking at her and smiling, probably failing and looking odd.
The atmosphere warmed the children's heart: the quaint village, the glow of the streetlights with the beautiful magical snow... Even the villagers left their homes to enjoy the unique event.
The ginger smiled and opened her mouth to say something before running away abruptly.
"Who was that?" asked Elliot; Margaret shrugged.
"Anyway, tea?" he held out his hand; she nodded and ignored his hand.

Stepping inside the shop, Margaret cringed at the garish decor, at how cramped the shop was and how close the tables and seats were.
Madam Puddifoot enthusiastically seated them, misunderstanding their relationship, before leaving the room to fetch the pot and teas.
"I didn't expect this..." whispered the girl, apologetically.
"You didn't?" smirked her mentor.
"I just told you I didn't."
Alone in the shop, they waited in silence; Margaret wondered what was taking so long and hurried the lady mentally, clenched her fists under the table and gritted her teeth; uncomfortable sitting in a garish teashop with a loud ticking clock and strange music, not once looking at the grinning boy sitting in front of her.
Finally the plump lady broke the awkward silence with her long winded descriptions of fancy teas and compliments; she looked at them expectantly.
Elliot ordered first, a slightly fancy lemon tea.
Margaret ordered green tea, to which Madam Puddifoot asked many times if she wanted something more like sugar, milk or honey, to which the girl always answered with a blunt "No."
"Snow in September, huh?" asked Elliot, loudly, glancing at the shopkeeper while his mentee sipped her tea in silence.
"Unusual isn't it?" answered Madam Puddifoot, surprised the boy was talking to her, not his date.
"Would you believe she did that?" he added, grinning. "Simply fascinating."
"You saw that..?" whispered Margaret.
"You weren't exactly hiding, you know." he remarked.
"I know."

"What a strange couple you two make." smiled the plump lady.
"We're not lovers." interrupted the girl bluntly.
"She doesn't look like it but she's only 11" smiled Elliot.
"My goodness! My apologies! What a big girl!" chuckled Madam Puddifoot "One moment!" she said, as she rummaged through the desserts before bringing back two slices of cherry pie. "My eyes aren't what they used to be, you're so tall!"
"Thank you." smiled the boy; Margaret nodded quietly.

Sitting in awkward silence, they enjoyed the complimentary pie as they sipped their tea; Elliot Evers' mind filled with ideas fueled by the September Snow, barely paying attention to the child sitting in front of him.
Madam Puddifoot tried her best to hide her concern as she watched the boy closely.

Leaving the shop after her mentor paid the shopkeeper, Margaret took a deep breath and enjoyed the night's chill and the snow-covered scenery; remembering the many times she visited Hogsmeade in the past, heart filled with nostalgia.
"Why is everything so much worse nowadays?" she thought, as she glanced at the burnt down Hog's Head Inn.