Memoirs of a Witch (In Bloom Book 1.5)

Swap Day Part 1

Dormitory Swap Day.

From morning until evening, students were provided the ecstatic opportunity to be part of a different dorm. The purpose of the swap was to encourage students to learn from each other and gain some new experiences. However, it was used by most as a small vacation from their dorm leaders. 

Although Ramshackle was not included as an option to swap, I was glad I would be able to participate along with the rest of my friends.

As he walked me back to my dorm after work, Malleus and I discussed the highly anticipated swap day taking place tomorrow.

"Which dorm will be going to?" he asked.

"I thought I'd try out Ignihyde."

Malleus' eyes shifted away from mine and his voice hinted grief, "I see...you don't want to come to Diasomnia."

"Wait, I can explain-"

He chuckled, "Not to worry, it was only a joke. Why did you choose Ignihyde?"

"I've seen all of the dorms except for Ignihyde," I was tempted to spend the day at Pomefiore, but I thought to try something outside of my comfort zone. Modeled after the Lord of the Underworld, Ignihyde housed students talented in magical engineering. Deuce and Epel would fanboy over the magical wheels the residents designed, specially manufactured vehicles which reached astounding speeds. I asked, "Will you be swapping?"

"Dorm Leaders and Vice-Dorm Leaders need to stay with their dorms, but Sebek and Silver will be swapping."

"Did I hear that right? Sebek is....swapping? To where?"

Though students were not required to swap dorms, I was shocked to hear that one of the guards who remained glued to the Crown Prince's side would be away from his post for an entire day.

"He settled on Octavinelle. He said something along the lines of 'learning compassion so it would benefit me as the future king of the Valley of Thorns,'" he gave my hand a small squeeze, "You never cease to amaze me, Enchantress."

I acted confused, "What're you talking about?"

"No need to play coy, I overheard your conversation."

"We were texting, how did you overhear?"

"Sebek read out loud your messages and spoke out loud his replies."

My friends attempted to persuade me to join their dorms for a day. So far they used bargains, bribery, and pleading. Sebek tried to get me to be in Diasomnia for a day and it ended with me convincing him to try another dorm. As much as he was against it in the beginning, all I had to mention would be the potential future benefits from his experiences towards Malleus. Though, I would never have expected Octavinelle to be his first choice. Then again, all of my friends were completely baffled when I decided to spend my day at Ignihyde.

I asked, "Do you know anyone who'll be going to Diasomnia?"

"There are none, so it will be a very quiet day at the dorm."

"Why are people so afraid of Diasomnia?"

He shrugged, "Whether they're afraid of what they might find in Diasomnia or of approaching me is their own business. All I know is they don't have your bravery."

"It's got nothing to do with bravery. I don't want to be narrow minded, so I try to learn about different things and encourage others as well."

Outside of the classroom, everything I learned came from books. It did not matter whether it came from a romance novel, grimoire, or a used notebook, I always wanted to learn more about the world around me. It was this knowledge that allowed me to quickly adapt and thrive in whatever situations I was placed in, like attending Night Raven College. I could also understand people's thinking processes and predict their next moves.

"People fear what they don't know, Cassie. The fact you're open to exposing yourself to such experiences and learning from them truly makes you valiant. Might I add, that's one of the desired qualities of a future ruler," a smile spread across his face, "I still remember the day we first met...you boldly called me a 'cinammon roll' in another language with that foxy smile of yours."

"Let's not talk about-wait, what? Foxy?"

"It's the smile you wear whenever you come up with a solution to a problem. It's quite endearing."

"Okay, we're not talking about me, we're talking about the dorm swap." I felt my heart pound a little harder against my chest. I began to fiddle with my crystal.

He chuckled, "Your cheeks are looking a bit rosy, Enchantress."

I let go of his hand to cover the sides of my face, "N-no, they're not," I slightly picked up my walking pace, but Malleus kept up, "Curse you and your long legs from your advantageous height."

"Well, it's my advantageous height that allows me to reach those high shelves for you."

I stepped in front of him, "Are you calling me short?"

"Well, the greatest things do come in small packages."

My arms folded over my chest, "For your information, five feet and five inches in height is considered above average for girls."

He tipped his head back in laughter, "Apologies for upsetting you, my lady," he gave me a pat on the head before he walked past me.

Having no further desire to continue with the banter, I joined at his side and intertwined my fingers with his.

At last, we arrived in front of my dorm. Malleus walked me to my doorstep, "Have a good night, Cassie. Enjoy your day tomorrow."

"You as well, rotolo. I'll see you after the swap." With our farewells exchanged, Malleus disappeared from sight and left behind several specks of green light.

As soon as I stepped inside my dorm, my phone rang. Vil's voice came through when I picked up the call, "Which dorm are going to tomorrow?"

"Hi, Vil, how are you? It's nice to hear from you. My day's going well, thank you for asking."

He let out a sigh, "My apologies, Cassie."

"To answer your question, I'm swapping to Ignihyde. Why do you ask?"

"Epel is going Savanaclaw."

I wasn't sure whether to be happy Epel got to live his dream or be worried for his safety.

Although I knew Leona would probably not allow the other residents to fight with Epel under his watch, a clash could occur behind the scenes. Jack told me his upperclassmen once tried to pick on him, despite Leona's direct orders to not squabble amongst each other. When Savanaclaw's Dorm Leader discovered their attempted scheme, the residents tried to turn the situation to favor them and proceeded to target their leader. In response, Leona made a show of his unique magic, which made the residents completely pass out from fright.

I tried to put the Pomefiore Dorm Leader at ease, "I know Jack isn't swapping. Since he and Epel are classmates, I could ask him to stay by Epel's side."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," there was a brief moment of silence before Vil asked, "Are you certain on your decision to go to Ignihyde? It's a rather stuffy environment."

"Yes, I'm certain. Besides, it's only for a day and I know I'll learn something new. Have fun with the students coming to Pomefiore."

"It's certainly going to be quite an interesting experience with some new potatoes to teach."