𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑

the one with the common room

"You're always one decision away
from a totally different
life."

•

NOW THE THING IS, Fred and George ditched me on my way to the common room. Professor Remus Lupin was introduced to the school and I was grinning like an idiot. He's a whole werewolf! That's as fantastic as it can get. And a Marauder too. Talk about cool! And also mentioned how Dementors were guarding the school. I need to practice the Patronus.

Then I was lost and I wandered to the Ravenclaw tower. Luna Lovegood, this amazing second year sweetheart, she took me to the Gryffindor tower and told me to beware of nargles and she smiled when I said I would be. Probably she never found a person whose believed her. Ron Weasley was coming towards the dorm that time, alone, when he spotted me.

"Hello," he said as he grinned. "The password is Fortuna Major," he said as the old lady opened the door. The common room was buzzing with delight of people and fear of the first years. Harry and Hermione were huddled around the fireplace.

"Join us," Ron said as he grabbed my hands, blushed and left me. I mentally giggled as I went with them. Gingers.

"Hello," Hermione said as she noticed my approach. Harry looked up too.

"'Sup?" I asked sitting down. Ron was confused as fuck while Hermione laughed.

"It means 'what's up'," she said to Ron and was immediately engrossed in teaching him street language. Harry was staring deeply into the fire. I knew what he was thinking. He didn't know who Sirius was yet, and he didn't know yet how he was related to him. I thought of telling him. Something.

"You know, stressing your brain like that is not going to help you," I whispered, suddenly, without preamble. He looked at he startled. He was cute. He had features that were strangely similar to mine.

"What?" he asked,. blinking his big green eyes. What was similar? We had different eye colors, and different hair. Yet something was familiar between us.

"Will you believe me if I tell you something?" I asked, ignoring that weird feeling. The crowd in the common room was growing thinner and Ron and Hermione were quarreling now.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, even though he probably knew.

"I'm talking about Sirius Black," I whispered. This stopped him avoiding me and Hermione and Ron turned to me.

"What is it?" he asked, strangely antagonized.

"He's not a murderer," I said. Harry stared. Hermione did too.

"Who cares! Not like he owes us something," Ron said.

"Actually he does," I said stretching and walking towards the girls dorm. "You'll know in time. Good night!"

I was sharing it with Hermione, Parvati, Lavender. The hues of Gryffindor were warm, and strangely soothing. I almost felt like I belonged. But the feeling of missing out on Slytherin still panged my heart. But, nonetheless I felt it'd be a great journey.

I changed into my pj's, which happened to be a blue polka dotted full Bermuda and an oversized tee shirt. Neither lavender nor Parvati was here yet. So I fell asleep.

It's been a long day.

-

Early next morning, I woke up before any of the girls in the dorm. I got up slowly and got fresh in the washroom. I pulled up my ponytail into a bun and took bath. There were multiple taps. One that poured coloured water, another that poured foam, another bubbles and another sprayed perfume.

It was a long bath and then I got out, went to one of the changing cubicles and wore my undergarments, wrapped myself in towel and went back to the girls dorm. Lavender, Parvati and Hermione was up now and was sitting and going through a diary. Lavender and Parvati were not in the room.

"Good morning," she said looking at me before continuing her whatever she was doing.

I changed into the uniform - white shirt, black stocking and skirt with a polished black shoe. Probably because I took bath, I didn't feel too cold. So I avoided the sweater and put on the robes with the Gryffindor lion. It was weird wearing a robe. I put on the red and golden tie and tied my hair properly in a pony, trying to ignore the poof it made.

Hermione now closed her diary and got up.

"You took a bath? In this cold weather?" she asked changing herself. "You'd catch a cold. You should wait till noon. It's safer then."

"I can't stay without bathing. Starts my day," I said taking out my phone and seeing whether it worked or not.

It didn't. Disgruntled, and a little sad, I tossed it into my trunk.

"That's cool," Hermione said. "Unfortunately, the magic here addles with electronics. Let's go. Ron and Harry are probably waiting."

They were indeed waiting. I wished them good morning as the four of us walked out of the portrait hole.

"Since you are new, we hereby take the duty to guide you around," Harry said grinning. Sweet boy. Why did he look familiar!

"That'd be cool," I said. As we entered the great Hall, we were again met by cheers of children. People were having a good time. I noticed Draco was still not there. So we went and sat in the Gryffindor table and I felt myself being grabbed from two sides.

"She's mine," Fred said pulling me into him. I was taken by shock as I collided into him.

"No, mine," George said pulling me on the other end. I laughed and sat between Fred and Hermione. George pretended to be mad.

Then suddenly loud noises came from the next table, the Slytherins.

Draco was here and was making a ridiculous mimicry of Harry fainting under the wrath of Dementors, which attacked them last day in train when I was with Draco. It was ridiculous, as the Slytherin table was all the way across the Hall and he was making inhuman efforts just to get Harry's attention.

"Hey Potter! Potter! Dementors are coming Potter! Whoooo," Pansy shrieked. I was getting restless at this so I got up from the Gryffindor table making a loud noise in the table. Everyone turned to me as I moved from the seat, facing Draco for a while. They quitened at my stare. Just a freaking stare. But instead I walked to Professor McGonagall.

"Ah, Miss Firegold. You'll be having extra lessons on certain free periods so you may keep up with the rest. We'll be giving you a time table," she said handing me a time table of the third years. It didn't have the extra classes though. "It'll be on your bed by night. We'll be giving you a weeks time to adjust here."

I nodded, muttering a small thank you. Then I went back and looked at Draco for a while, hoping he'd get my signal, and walked out of the hall to the courtyard.

Soon Draco was here looking at me, waiting for me to talk.

"I'm a Gryffindor," I started as he sat beside me.

"So I noticed," he said smugly. I almost disintegrated.

"What does it make us?" I asked, collecting myself.

I didn't really know being in different, enemy houses would harm our friendship or not.

"I don't know," he said.

"Fun Fact. Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor were best of friends," I sing songed. He stared at me and then laughed.

"Then we'll try and follow their footsteps."