Bound by secrets

Chapter 9

Or so I thought...

Thursday morning came too soon. My alarm blared at 6 a.m., jolting me awake, and Nora groaned for me to shut it off. Begrudgingly, I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom, stripping off my pajamas as I went.

I put on my Chase Atlantic playlist, setting my phone down by the sink, and stepped into the shower. The hot water was a blessing, and as I lathered my cherry-scented shampoo and vanilla body wash, the fog of sleep began to lift. By the time I finished, I no longer felt like an extra on The Walking Dead.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I worked some product into my damp hair and wrapped myself in fresh white towels. Feeling more human, I headed to my dresser, rummaging for clothes. I pulled out a black lace bra and panty set, along with white socks, and started to get dressed.

"I'm shocked you're up and showered before 6:30," Pansy mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

"I'm shocked you've opened your eyes at 6:30," I shot back with a laugh while slipping into my clothes.

"I'd still be asleep if it weren't for your music," she yawned, stretching lazily.

"Better than waking up to that screechy alarm," I said, walking over to my wardrobe.

"Fair point," she agreed, sitting up more. "Where's Nora?"

"In the shower," I said, sifting through my wardrobe for my uniform.

"Can't hear a thing," Pansy said, glancing at the bathroom door.

"She probably did what I should've done—put a silencing charm on the bathroom so she wouldn't wake you," I smirked, pulling out my pleated black skirt and tossing my blouse on the bed.

"She's so considerate, unlike us," Pansy laughed.

"Yeah, she is," I chuckled. "I wonder what kind of potion practical we have today."

"Right? Finally, something hands-on. I'm tired of these recap lessons," she said, rummaging through her own drawers.

"I've had one DADA lesson and Snape's already made me reconsider life choices—like free-falling off the Astronomy Tower for fun," I grumbled, slipping into my socks.

Pansy snorted. "Honestly, Voldemort probably has more charisma than Snape, and that's saying something."

She marched over to the bathroom door. "NORA! It's 6:40! I need to shower, and we're leaving at 7:15 for breakfast!"

Within seconds, Nora emerged, steam billowing behind her, wrapped in towels as she made a beeline for her dresser.

"Sorry, Pans, I was having a concert in the shower," she giggled, rummaging for clothes.

"Do that later, not during your morning shower!" Pansy grumbled as she took her turn in the bathroom.

Nora shot me a look. "Not a morning person, is she?"

I laughed. "Not even close."

I finished getting ready quickly, using a hair-drying charm to avoid the time-consuming task of blow-drying. After a bit of makeup and a spritz of my Jimmy Choo perfume, I was done. The girls were ready soon after, and by 7:10, we were scrambling to get out the door. Shoes on, we dashed down the spiral staircase to meet the boys in the common room.

Predictably, they were already waiting, lounging on the green sofas. I glanced at my phone—7:14. We always seemed to cut it close.

"Come on, we've gotta go if you want something better than porridge," Theo said, jumping up and heading for the common room door.