Rising Up From Ruin - Ziam (AU)

Chapter 1 - Welcome To St. Xavier's

Hello Everyone! I hope you're excited for this story...becuase I am!

READ ON!

Harry’s P.O.V.

8:00-Wednesday-December 26, 2012

            “Up, up, up! Get up boys!” Sister Elizabeth called from the middle of the dormitory. I opened my eyes just a bit and stretched my arms over my head. “We don’t have schooling today because yesterday was Christmas, but we have church at 9:00. Let’s go boys!”

            I yawned now, sitting up and looking at the room around me. This was the dorm for all boys 15 and up. There weren’t that many of us, because kids were normally adopted before this age. The nine beds were filled, each with a grumpy teenage boy. Niall, Louis, and Liam were all on the same side of the dorm as me, and across from us were the other five boys, who regularly fought with us. They were led by Griffin, an obnoxious and burly boy with an attitude and an unhealthy desire to escape the orphanage.

            Sister Elizabeth left so we could get ready for the day. I got out from under my warm blanket and let my bare feet hit the cold wooden floor. It was freezing. Maybe sleeping in nothing but my boxers was a bad idea. I ran quickly across the floor, like it was lava, and then into the showers that were attached to the room.

            Privacy was not something we were allowed here. All of the showers were connected, with no walls or curtain. Thank God I grew up here, or else I don’t think I would have ever grown accustomed to it.

            “Morning Hazza,” Louis said, walking into the showers beside me and undressing as I did. There was an unspoken pact in the showers, keep your eyes up, and there will be no problems. We both turned on our showers and began to rinse. I heard another set of feet patter into the showers, but I didn’t look to see who it was. Soon even more and more of them scuffled in and more and more showers were turned on. After I soaped and shampooed I grabbed a folded towel from the cabinet and returned in the dorm to dress for church.

            Just because I lived in the orphanage and attended church, didn’t mean I was religious. In fact, I disagreed with quite a few things that the church believed in. But because I lived here, I had to attend church and prayer group. It wasn’t an option.

            I dressed in nice slacks, a coat, and a bow tie. My normal church attire and the one really nice outfit I had. Then I ran my hands through my slightly damp curls and waited for the others to be ready.

            “I’m starving,” Niall said as he tumbled out of the shower, towel on his hips, looking even more innocent and child-like than normal. I smiled at him. We all kind of watched out for Nialler, because he was the youngest and the most vulnerable.

            “C’mon Niall, breakfast as soon as you’re ready,” I said. He nodded and started getting dressed—I looked away to give him some privacy. Liam and Louis came out of the showers then. “Morning Liam,” I said. Liam didn’t answer—not like I expected it. He just looked at me and gave me a half smile.

            Once we were all ready we left the dorm before Griffin and his followers could get out of the showers. I didn’t want to have to face them today.

            “You look good in that, Liam,” I said as we walked. Liam had gotten a nice grey vest for Christmas yesterday, along with a small something from the three of us—I think we all got him books. He smiled at me and then opened his mouth to say something. I could tell he was having trouble getting it out though. Sometimes his stutter was worse than normal. It seemed like one of those days.