Astride
She had woken up pretty early that day, not from excitement but from pure fear. Her uniform, which she struggled so much to put on, was the first thing she had done. She quickly understood that the chambers of Hogwarts had been made for pure comfort, from the sudden apparition of a shower in a corner of the wall to the gigantic mirror that followed her. And when she finally decided to go down the stone stairs of the rooms to the common room, she realized how early she was. She sat on a red sofa that faced a warm fireplace and let her mind wandered. Even if the entire room was empty, she had never felt so warmed by the cosiness of the dim light, the reddish fabrics and the many pillows. She foolishly smiled to herself. She felt safe right here on that sofa in this empty room. Safe but not entirely at home…
“Hello” said a joyful voice behind her.
Astride had a sudden shiver as she thought only her could be awake at this early hour. She turned to face a young women with bushy brown hair.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry” She added.
She had a gigantic pill of books in her hands and few parchment in the other.
“No it’s okay. I just thought I was alone…”
The girl smiled as she approach an armchair that faced her sofa. She took few second, rearranging her books and notes, before glancing at Astride.
“Never saw you around”
“I arrived yesterday actually”
The girl stopped her activity. She seemed quite nice yet her eyes studied her for a few seconds leaving the room completely silent and awkward. Before feeling any shame she remind herself that she would have to deal with many staring eyes and judgy looks.
“That’s new...I mean you are new then”
“Yes, I guess”
The girl began to scribble a tiny note on the very end of her parchment with a white feather.
“I’m Hermione by the way, Hermione Granger”
Her eyes hadn’t left her notes yet a warm smile spread across her cheeks.
“I’m Astride”
Hermione gave a glance before continuing to write. Strangely enough, this morning silence didn’t bothered her as much as she thought. Hermione Granger seemed to have an incredible sense of focus and Astride enjoyed the crack of the fireplace as much as the noise of the scribble notes of the girl. A warm and comfortable person that embodied so much the room, Astride felt as if the girl could of crawled out of the many paintings.
“If you need any help around, me and my friends could use some company” Added Hermione.
Astride notice how her tone changed when she said that. The end of her phrase came as a whisper.
“I could really need some company also to be quite honest, thank you so much” She said trying to hide the sudden sadness of her friend. Or how well she could recognize it.
After a few minutes, few student came downstairs. Some were still wearing pyjama’s, others rushed to the door to eat their breakfast as Hermione explained. Their small talk continued throughout the morning with the same comfortable yet reserved atmosphere. Astride learned that she was Muggle born. She couldn’t explain it to her, but that made her sure that Hermione Granger was one of the closest persons she had ever encounter in this castle.
“Where do you come from Astride? Must of been far away since you missed all those years”
Her face had not move an inch from her paper yet Astride could feel the sudden curiosity.
“Mmh...France”
That was a lie.
“Don’t tell me you were in Beauxbatôns.”
Her brown eyes stared at her. What even is that, thought Astride.
“No just...France”
“South?”
“Yes…”
She could feel the urge to run away fill her veins. Had she just encountered the nicest girl she could ever imagine then proceed to lie to her, yes. As her head went back to her books, Astride restrain herself from punching her own face. How long before someone finds out, she asked herself.
“Wait. Are you studying? I thought the first day was just two days ago” She asked moving a bit closer to the little study table Hermione had prepared for herself.
“It’s never too early to study.”
Strangely enough, that phrase didn’t came as a mantra or anything sympathetic. It was question.
“Actually” Murmured Astride as she took one of her unopened books “Can I (she nodded with curiosity) I think you are quite right Hermione”
And that was no lie. Had she not begged, fought and sweated just to have a chance to study in this Castle. She remembered the words of that strange and old hat “passionate for knowledge”. It was no passion, neither cleverness. What Astride Nereus lived on was from pure hunger for answers only books and classes could give her. At least that was what Professor Dumbledore had said.
She read few pages of Hermione’s ancient runes book. As much as the grammar, spelling and writing bored her, she couldn’t stop reading the many excerpts from old stories and long forgotten languages. Forgotten languages that were either her mother tongue either texts she knew by heart.
Suddenly, a red hair boy approached Hermione, scaring her and leaving with a joyful smirk.
“That joke never gets old” He murmured as he sat on the floor near the fireplace.
Hermione was packing up her books and stuffs as another boy approached the sofa. He seemed worried about something as his eyes wandered near the fireplace. When the crack of the wood made some fire spread all other one of the branch, he tilted his head a little to look for something in it.
“Guys, this is Astride Nereus. She’s new”
Hermione was now standing, waiting for her friend to politely welcome her. Which they both did.
“I’m Ronald.” Said the ginger boy as he offered his hand. “Wait, you cannot be, actually, new?”
She calmly shook his hand.
“Well actually I am”
The boy gave a concern look to Hermione before gibbering some welcome’s. Astride knew the policies of the school and how you received a letter before. She also knew how rare it was for people to be miss their first day, first few days or even weeks. But apparently, no one had ever miss few years. But she wasn’t concerned about the curiosity or the excitement, she was worried that the look of concern people had wasn’t any type of questioning and more like some fear of something she did not yet understood. Why where they all afraid?
The boy behind the sofa kindly proposed her to eat with them at breakfast. And as they were walking to the Great Hall, she realized that the boy was none other than Harry Potter. The Harry Potter. She tried, as much as she could, to let no shock pass through her emotions as she realized it. She simply thought that Harry had had no reaction to her arrival, no weird looks or curious questions. So she had to do the same for him.
“Is it tonight?” She asked as she took a sit in front of him in the Great Hall.
She had never saw as much food as in this room. If she could call it a room. Everything was as gigantic as sublime yet, strangely enough, the noise of shatterings and laughs that echoed on all the wooden walls made it warm, calm and joyful.
“Yes, we practically begged McGonagall to have the field first. She said yes off course since Katie’s the new head of the team”
He went on and on about this Quidditch try outs. Astride asked him a bunch of silly questions which he responded with more enthusiasm each times. For a second, she remembered some discussions she had with her mother where the name of Harry Potter was as poisonous as an ivy.
“So the point of those try outs are to prove that you haven’t rot during the summer is it?” She said with a smile as she drank that disgusting orange juice that she thought was actual orange juice for a minute.
Harry smiled.
“Yes, that’s kind of the point...Actually last year they was no quidditch matches so Katie’s gonna be a bit rougher”
“Why?” She asked with that same enthusiasm.
The three friends looked at each other. With embarrassment, Ron explained that there was a big event that stopped everything else. They all turned back to their plate and Hermione rapidly changed the conversation back to their classes. Astride was intelligent enough to know when to shut up, and that was one of those moments. She took a glance at Harry that had grown silent since her question and hated herself for it.
She understood pretty quickly that the three gryffondors she had in front of her were known by all. Students from all over the tables looked at them. Sometimes their eyes wandered from Harry to Astride. People whispered things to their friends, others pointed their fingers to the four of them. If Harry didn’t seemed to bother, Astride rapidly pretended to have class even though she didn’t even had her time table.
« Wait you’re not in our grade ? What age are you ? » Asked Ron while stuffing his mouth with some brownish pudding.
« Uhm…. No not really…» She mouthed as she got up.
She whispered a polite goodbye as Hermione told her to come back for dinner. As she walked away, she heard Ron murmuring to Harry.
« What does she means with ‘not really’ ? If you asked me that’s weird. »
« Ron, nobody is asking you » Responded Hermione.
She continued on her way, lowering her head at every curious look. Arriving in front of the large door of the refectory, Astride remembered that ,in the end, she did not know where to go at all. She looked at the grand staircase where hundreds of students were running towards their next classes then at the many doors and windows. As much as she enjoyed the ambiance of it all, every way seemed to be the same. The young woman decided to get closer to the nearest wall. That's it, she said to herself. She knew that behind the excitement of change and the beginning of a life she had now only dreamed of, there would be moments of solitude, disarray.
« I look like a lost dog… » She murmured.
« So it’s true then » said a voice a far.
Astride Neureus was opening one of her notebooks, wondering if by pure magic the supplies that had appeared in her room this morning had a schedule. She finally understood that a person was addressing her when a finger landed on her notebook, pushing it at the same time.
« Is the new girl deaf ? » The young blond boy asked mockingly.
Two boys his age laughed loudly before being silent. His aquiline face looked at her from top to bottom before adding in the same mocking tone.
« Pity she’s a fucking gryffondor innit… » His mouth opened again before a set of two ginger young mens appeared near them.
« Astride hun » Said one of them « We were looking for you everywhere »
She let out a nervous laugh. This situation was so very awkward she felt as if she could burst in tears of shame from just being here. The blond slytherin boy gazed at her before turning away.
« She’s not worth it anyway… »Murmured another boy as the four of them walked away.
How nice.
« So newby, don’t know where to go to ? » Said the other one.
Actually maybe it was the same ginger boy…They were the exact same and she couldn’t really figure out their differences.
« Do you know where I can find professor… »
« McGonagall ? » Asked the left one.
« No need to see her Stridy… » Smiled the other one.
« We just left her office actually »
Astride closed her notebook with force.
« Just spit it out already. »
« Feisty »
« Here you go » Said one of them, handing her a paper . « Hope you don’t mind Stridy but we’ve been looking at it »
« And you’re late hun »
She observed the paper that showed her timetable filled with classes.
« What ? » She whispered as one of the ginger boys pointed out a History of magic class.
« Third floor to your right, you’ll be very late if you don’t go now »
« If you don’t want to go, off course, you can come and join us on our »
« daily school skipping hour… »
She did not look up at them. How was that possible?! On the exact time at which she had just finished her breakfast was the beginning of a class. Her first class at Hogwarts that she would miss not pure stupidity. She was already going away but stopped and turned.
« Thank you by the way »
« You’re welcome Stridy, I’m George »
« Fred »
They both smiled as she climbed the stairs hastily. I will definitely not remember their names, she said to herself.