Arcane [Sirius Black]

Chapter 14 - A Pinch Too Peaceful

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BEING a house-elf was no easy task.

    That was why, at a quarter past 7 o'clock on a Wednesday morning, Diana had no objections to being woken from her dream-filled stupor to the sound of humming.

    She loved her sleep and hated interruption but she found it rather more exhausting to be slaving away in the Hogwarts kitchens as she felt she had been for the last several hours of unconsciousness.

    It also helped that the song being hummed was one she recognized as from the newest album of Fleetwood Mac — the same album she'd snuck down the road to the nearest record shop to have a listen at over that very summer.

    Muggle music was a godsend, something she thought might just outweigh her affinity for magical beasts and tie first place spot with her fondness for sweets.

    Oscar introduced it and he blessed her often with the inside scoop on newest releases. She'd never be able to otherwise, as although a record player wasn't unheard of in the wizarding world, she didn't really fancy sitting around listening to the newest releases of Celestina Warbeck or ruminate in the oh-so-soothing harmonies of a classical piano medley her parents might like.

    She cracked her eyes open to make out the blurry silhouette of Lily Evans running a brush through her hair. It was surprising to see she was the one humming away, but Diana supposed there was a lot more she didn't know about the girl.

    "I love that song," she mumbled sleepily.

Lily's head whipped to the side, surprised at the sudden voice, "You know it?"

"Of course," she spoke into her pillow, "I forgot you were muggle-born. That means you have to be my new music friend."

"Music friend?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Someone to share wonderful music with me and let me listen to their tapes."

Lily laughed, "Alright. I can do that."

"Lovely," Diana said as she rustled in her blankets to sit up drowsily, running her hands over her eyes, "I had the weirdest dream."

    "What was it?"

    "I was a house-elf in the kitchens and I kept trying to make this loaf of bread, but I kept burning it over and over and over. It was dreadful! I've never been so glad to wake up."

    Lily chuckled, eyeing the way Diana's hair curled up from sleep and how her eyes weren't quite able to open fully.

    She was beyond glad the girl had warmed up to her.

    "Sounds like quite the struggle," she commented, looking back at herself in the mirror. She couldn't help the frown when she noticed the slight bags under her eyes and the way her hair fell boringly straight. It would never be like Marlene's, who seemed to wake with perfect bouncing waves each day.

    "What's that frown for?"

    "Nothing," Lily put a smile on again, "I was just thinking about elfish welfare."

    "Oh, trust me, I know!" Diana fell back down on her bed, "Especially after the night I've had. It's quite straightly slavery. How am I supposed to even look at my toast without remembering the fear that sprouted having known I'd burnt it!"

Lily smiled as the girl went on in her sleepy voice. Though claiming to despise the mornings, Diana did somehow become her most talkative in that state.

-

"Come on, you've got it. Just walk up and ask. There will be no judgment, it's all perfectly fine," Diana muttered to herself as she attempted to work up the courage to approach her new study buddy.