Out of the Blue (Remus Lupin, Marauder's Era)

Chapter 2: Gasconade

Noun; extravagant boasting

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Alice loved her mother.

          Ada Whippet, was a somewhat indecisive woman, Alice mused as she rose from her table to leave the Great Hall. She had many hobbies that she flitted to and from, but never seemed to take a serious interest in. Alice was equally indecisive, if not more, something that caused her, and literally all her friends and family, immense irritation every time she tried to make a simple decision.

          Alice walked out the stone arches that marked the entrance to the Hall, along with one or two more students who had decided to leave before the frantic rush that would inevitably happen when the professors would announce the end of the meal time. She always left early, it made everything easier; getting to class the main issue. Alice was an introvert, she knew that, and the loud noises and the constant press of the crowds made her nervous, so by skedaddling early, she killed two birds with one stone.

          Alice knew her friends were still in the hall, Diana probably surrounded by her teammates and Gryffindor friends, Tabitha frantically studying for a quiz that she didn't prepare for for some mysterious reason. Alice pitied her since she (luckily) had the quiz later in the day with the Slytherin's. However, Alice did hate Transfiguration with an unrivaled passion. It was all so meticulous and precise that Alice screwed up with an admirable consistency.

    Alice pushed up her shoulder bag as she strolled through the halls, on her way to Charms. She liked Charms, it wasn't her absolute favorite, but she was fine with it. It was fun, and Professor Flitwick wasn't rigid like McGonnagal, but cheerful and loose. She liked the short incantations and relaxed practice. The Slytherin's weren't bad either, Alice had made many acquaintances in the house, probably because of Slytherin and Ravenclaw being frequently grouped together for some strange reason.

 It was almost, well, funny watching the Gryffindors and Slytherins clash. They were so alike it was ironic, both being natural leaders and their shared boldness. The only real difference was that the scarlet house was more reckless and outgoing while the green house was more cunning and thoughtful. 

Alice had almost been put in Slytherin, like her sister Rosalind, but the Hat had made the decision that she would fare better in Ravenclaw, a choice that Jane was eternally grateful for. Being in a rivalry just sounded exhausting. Plus, Alice had many interests and was a generally curious and thoughtful person, or so Alice thought. She didn't like the spotlight, it was awkward and uncomfortable and only highlighted her flaws.

Alice entered into the Charms classroom, with its east-facing windows allowing the morning light to stream in. Professor Flitwick was there, sorting through some papers, along with a handful of other students. She gave the tiny teacher a wave, which he didn't seem to see, leaving Alice to (hopefully) very casually lower her hand and take her seat.

With the combination of being tall and having a last name starting with a later letter in the alphabet, Alice frequently was placed in the back, or in Charms' case, the top row. She preferred this, the idea of people staring at the back of her head made her uncomfortable.

She swung her bag down under the desk and pulled out the current book she was rereading. It was Anne of Green Gables, one of Alice's all time favorites. She knew it was for kids, but Alice tended to prefer children's literature, specifically muggle. It was easier and calming and wonderful.

After an uneventful Charm's class, she had Defense with Professor Alderfish, a young and vibrant teacher who Alice liked quite a bit. She was a fascinating woman, having traveled to study all over the world before coming to Hogwarts. She had beautiful ebony hair, the kind Alice wished she sometimes had, and was quite a bit shorter than the majority of her students, which made it somewhat funny to see her cast such powerful spells. Alice also happened to know that a shameless amount of the student population had some sort of crush on the teacher, something which Alice felt bordered on hilarious and creepy.