Charlotte Weasley

Chapter 15 - Home Sweet Hogwarts

I woke up to someone shaking me awake. " Charlotte it is lunchtime!" I opened my eyes  - it was Miss Chang - the nurse. In my 'shocked' state before I had never really noticed what she looked like; she had long black hair, dark eyes, and slightly tanned skin. She looked young and was rather pretty but faintly recognizable. 

"I can leave now?" I said excitedly. Miss Chang nodded and helped me out of bed - I was still a little sore but not so much anymore. 

"Your friends are waiting for you  outside the door and make sure you don't get lost!" I blushed and Miss Chang winked. 

It felt good to get outside of the hospital wing and to see some familiar faces. Brit and Andrew were waiting for me outside- well more like Brit was waiting for me. Andrew was sitting on a bench a little ways away, tousling his amber hair so it looked like a quiff. 

"Andrew!" Britt coughed. He jumped up and hurried over. "Feeling better?" she asked.

"Yeah," I was actually feeling much better. 

"I actually have to go to the bathroom," Britt said.

"I'll come with because I really need to wash up!" I said with a grimace.

"Now don't get lost!" Andrew said smiling. I scowled at him and followed Brit to the bathroom. 

Once inside, I looked in the mirror uncertain what I would see- typically when I was sick, my 'metamorphmajiness' would go haywire and who knows what I may look like. My hair was shoulder length and bright ginger, my eyes were emerald green - alot like Jacob's when I thought about it, and I had a scattering of freckles dotted across my face. I decided to change, I scrunched up my face and thought of a new style. I opened my eyes, now I had dark brown hair that reached my waist and was wavy, big blue eyes, and no more freckles. I was satisfied. 

Britt stepped out of the stall, saw me, grinned and said, "Nice one." I smiled and we walked out after she washed her hands. On the way down to lunch, Britt told me about how my story had gone throughout the school in a matter of hours. 

"Yeah, everyone knows, even the houselves!" 

We reached the great hall in a matter of minutes- everything was much easier to locate in the day time. The ceiling in the hall was a bright blue scattered with large fluffy clouds. The head of gryffindor house, Professor Longbottom, was walking towards them, "Ah, you must be Charlotte!" I nodded and he handed me a course schedule, "Classes start tomorrow, and try not to be late." he smiled and left me to pour over my schedule. 

They found some seats at the gryffindor table next to Lacey and Valerie. Andrew left them to join some friends at the Ravenclaw table. 

"Feeling better?" Lacey asked. I nodded and she smiled, "That's good to hear!"

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I spun around - it was Jacob. I smiled, "Hi,"

"May I speak to you?" when I didn't say anything, he added, "Privately." I got up from my seat and followed him out of the hall. 

He was running his fingers through his dark, curly hair nervously, "I just wanted to apologize about last night... I know that it was my fault, if I hadn't asked you to come with me, if I had stopped you..."

 "It wasn't your fault, if anything, it was mine. I was being careless and didn't notice the water. You were actually very kind, you wrapped up my head, and carried me around everywhere. I should be the one apologizing." Jacob looked a bit happier after this, but still a little guilty, "Come, sit with us," he followed me back into the hall and sat down next to me at the table. 

Lacey was looking at us suspiciously when we reentered. To fill the awkward silence I spoke up, "How is the common room? Is it nice?" 

"Oh, it's very nice, we can go there after lunch." I agreed to this and ate up as quick as possible. 

Lacey and Valerie decided to walked around the lake becasue it was so nice out and Jacob joined them on their way up to the common room. 

I walked to the portrait hole and Britt told the newly returned fat lady the password, "Dumbledore's army"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask, what happened the fat lady?"

"She got drunk with her friend Violet and got lost somewhere on the seventh floor." Jacob answered her.

"But why did they take it so seriously then?" I asked him.

"I heard one of the teachers telling another about something about this happening when 'Serius Black' was on the run or something..."

The portrait hole swung wide open to reveal a cozy room almost completely decorated in crimson and gold. A fire danced in the grate in a fireplace against one wall and large squashy armchairs were placed all over the room along with countless fraying rugs layered over the stone floor. Two staircases were placed on one wall each with a sign that read on one"Boy's Dormitory" and "Girl's Dormitory" on the other. 

"Come on!" Britt dragged me over to the girl's dormitory staircase and sprinted up to the top. Last year's seventh years had had the top floor so now it was replaced by this year's first years- us, and we would stay there until seventh year. 

When I finally reached the top, Britt was already there, heaving open a large wooden door. The inside was very nice; windows were inbetween the four-poster beds, a fireplace was against the wall that had the door, and  another door next to the one I had just come out of led to the bathroom. 

"Wow, this is really nice!" I said outloud to no one in particular. My trunk was at the foot of one of the canopy beds and I noticed that Britt's bed was on one side of mine, and on the other it was Valerie. Next to her was Lacey. 

"Home sweet Hogwarts," Valerie said, grinning. 

"Yeah," I agreed, "Home Sweet Hogwarts."