➵ Choice ➵ {DM and HP)

➵ Chapter 4 ➵

Layla Clarke

Quinn Zabini

Audrey Watson

Sofia Wilson

Eleanor Thomas

Eloise Foster

At my name, I wave a quick goodbye to Benjamin Carter and push open the door to the dormitory. I don't know what I was expecting, but it's not this.

The room is a beautiful deep brown wood, matching the serene color from the common room. Six four-poster beds line the room, with deep blue covers and wispy twilight drapes. The ceiling is painted a deep indigo, and painted stars dot the dark canvas. They twinkle slightly, impersonating the real night sky that lays just beyond. Windows line the walls, glimpses of the moon's gaze seeping through the glass. The room gives such a sense of clarity and calm, making me want to lay on my bed and curl up with a book.

This serene sanctuary is so different from the organized chaos of the Beauxbatons dormitories. Twenty girls shared a dorm, making it a hellhole of gossip and giggles. Girls would chatter late into the night, and if you didn't have a friend group to go to, you were doomed to stay alone in your bed, listening to their jolly laughs. The dorm always had to be sparkling clean, and though the room was beautiful, with an arched ceiling and elegant beds, it always looked like no one lived there. It didn't feel like a home, more like a prison.

Another important difference to point out, is the population of the room. There, the twenty girls made it impossible to escape the bullying. It followed me everywhere, in the hallways, the library, in class. But here, there's only 5 other girls to run from, not counting the ones they may recruit along the way. I can escape 5 or so girls, and anyway, Hogwarts is a big school, I'm sure there are many places to hide.

I spy my trunk sitting at the foot of one of the beds and collapse onto the soft blanket. Before I can let any more worries crawl into my head, the door opens, snapping me up. In walks four of the five girls. They're chattering away like magpies, invested in their conversation before one of them notices me. She nudges the others and suddenly they all stop talking.

After a short moment of silence that lasted centuries, one girl with short, wavy blonde hair steps forward, taking the reins of the situation,

"Hello, I'm Eleanor, Eleanor Thomas, you're Eloise, right?"

I'm skeptical at her sudden niceties. Why was she being nice to me?

"Um, yes." Is all I say. Damnit, why am I so socially awkward?

She smiles, a genuine smile, "It's nice to meet you. This is Layla Clarke," She motions to a girl with curly dark hair, who smiles at me. "and this is Sofia Wilson." She indicates a girl with long chestnut hair. "and this is Audrey Watson." The last girl has brown hair with matching bangs.  

After she's finished, they watch me as if awaiting my signal.

"Oh um yes, hello, it's very nice to meet you all."

Smooth Eloise, starting it off strong. Now they'll think you're weird.

Thankfully, the girls just smile kindly at me and they turn to unpacking, resuming their conversation. I'm surprised at the lack of questions but I shrug it off and turn to my own trunk.

I'm halfway through unloading my trunk when the door flies open, scaring the crap out of me and the girls around me. In walks the girl I had followed at the train station, slamming the door loudly behind her and turning to us, a wide smile drawn across her face. Her black, voluminous hair bounces with the movement and her eyes flash.