Roommates & Soulmates

Ch99: Maia's Hogwarts

September had finally arrived, and with it, the blissful return of school. It was all rather Harry Potter if you thought about it. Who else - aside from the boy that lived and herself - looked forward to the start of school this much? Maybe that was why Maia had loved those books so much. She'd liked the idea of someone hated by their family, become so important and meaningful.

Maia couldn't believe how excited she was. Her first school year out of dorms, and only two more years till graduation and freedom from her parents.

The moment she arrived back on campus, Maia met up with Izzy. She'd expected 'apartment hunting' to be about looking at prospective apartments, but as it turns out, what Izzy had meant by 'apartment hunting' was showing up to sign the licence of the place she'd already picked out.

"I have certain minimum standards," Izzy explained, as she signed the papers first. "So I figured since I had to have the expensive place, I'd pay ⅔ of the rent. Deal?"

"Sounds fair," Maia agreed, taking the second key from Izzy. After all, with Izzy paying ⅔ it was the same rent as paying half the places she could afford. She was getting more for the same price. Why would she complain?

"Perfect," Izzy said. "I really didn't fancy living alone. It's just so depressing you know."

"I hear you," Maia replied. "Though, I think living alone would be preferable to my parents place."

"Oh?" Izzy inquired. "Are your family really that bad?"

"Have you read Harry Potter?" Maia asked.

"Who hasn't read Harry Potter?" Izzy chuckled.

"You'd be surprised," Maia smiled. "Anyway, my family are the Dursley's."

"Urg," Izzy sympathized.

"Right!" Maia replied, grinning. It really was so great to be back at school again.

"So we have," Izzy checked her watch. "About two hours to kill until the movers have everything done. Do you wanna see a movie?"

"Sure," Maia replied.

It was wonderful to be back here, spending time with Izzy, and generally not being with her parents. They slowly made their way to the movie theatre, talking as they went. It didn't take long for Maia to notice how little Izzy wanted to talk about herself. She mentioned having Magnus and Alec at her place over the summer, and how much fun she'd had riding her horses again, but nothing more.

"Are you okay?" Maia asked her as they got out of the rather mediocre movie.

"Of course," Izzy replied a little too quickly.

"Well, you seem kinda sad is all," Maia explained.

"That movie was a waste of two hours," Izzy said. "That's worth being sad about if you ask me."

Still, Maia wasn't convinced. Izzy had seemed off before the movie, but Izzy clearly didn't want to talk about it. She changed the topic with her next breath, speaking on the features of their new apartment. Maia knew something was wrong, but if Izzy didn't want to talk, there really wasn't anything Maia could do about it.

The movers would be done offloading now, and they made their way back to find their new home full of boxes. Izzy spent a while directing which room to put the furniture in, and then they were alone. It was a two bedroom place which was really nice, but the best part was that it also had two bathrooms. Maia would have a bathroom all to herself for the first time in her life. It really was the simple things that made all the difference.

"I'm just so sick of sharing a bathroom with like anyone!" Izzy explained when Maia inquired after the reason for their luxurious accommodations. "Sharing that bathroom with the entire floor in the dorms sucked! It was like torture."