Merlins Beard

two birds, no stone

Marlene and Mary thought it was best to once again link arms with Eleanor while they walked to the Gryffindor common room after desert had ended. 

The masses of students surged out the door, eager to take refuge in their dorms after eating half their weights, their movements a bit more sluggish than when they had exited the train. Lily had left a few minutes before with the other prefects to lead the first years before the rest of the students. 'don't want the little runts to get trampled, now do we?' Eleanor had whispered to Marlene under her breath after Lily was out of hearing range. 

It was a three minute walk from the great hall to the common room, and Eleanor nearly fell to her death 4 times. Eleanor had decided that she could handle moving paintings, but moving staircases took the goddamn cake. Marlene was pleased to have learned two new swear words when they finally reached the Fat Lady, the portrait who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor tower. The entirety of Gryffindor house gathered behind the first years, who were watching the fifth year prefects demonstrate how to open the door. 

"Such pretty new faces!" The painting squealed loudly at the sight of the new students. "Welcome to Gryffindor! Shall I serenade the young dears for good luck on their journeys to come?" She opened her mouth impossibly wide and let out a shrill scream, and the crowd of elder students protested fervently. 

"Oh no, that's ok! I think we all just want to get to our dorms," Lily said quickly. "Abror." The Fate Lady pouted with a dramatic eye-roll, but the portrait swung open. 

"One time I forgot the password and she made me listen through her voice lessons. She was also the teacher." Mary said with a shiver when the girls filed through the portrait. A wave of warmth hit Eleanor in the face, and for what it seemed to be the millionth time that day, she was at a loss for words. The common room was unreal. The large space was adorned in red and gold, walls were lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves, and a wood burning fireplace lit the common room with a cozy warm glow. Students were already lounging on the sofas and chairs, recovering from the stress of the day, and catching up with their friends. A few simply laid directly on the rug covered floors.

"So," Marlene dragged the word out and did a little twirl, gesturing towards the common room. "Whadya think?" A wide smile was all Eleanor could muster in reply.  The trio slowly mad their way to the base of the stairs that led to the fifth year girls dorms so Eleanor could take her time studying every detail.

"I don't know how, but it just feels like..." 

"Home," Lily emerged from the staircase, having led the first year girls to their own rooms. "I know what you mean. Hogwarts can be alot, but the common rooms just feel like a warm blanket." 

"I was gonna say it feels like a hella good blunt rotation, but that works too," Lily laughed weakly at her idiot friends.

"I'm too tired to argue with that." 

"We're smoking? Where?" An excited voice behind Eleanors shoulder made her flinch away. She whipped around to defend her personal space, only to relax when the face belonging to the loud voice was familiar. Sirius greeted her with a large grin, and trailing after were  two of the boys he sat with at dinner. Missing from the trio was Remus, who Eleanor could only assume was still with the first year boys. Lily muttered a curse under her breath when Potter drew closer, an arm slung around the blond boy.

"Hide me," She whispered to Eleanor and ducked behind the other girl. In theory, this would have been an effective way to avoid being seen if Eleanor and Lily weren't the same height to begin with, both of them tapping out at five foot four. Instead Potter spied Lily instantly and made a beeline for the small group. Eleanor wondered if he had a special radar built into his brain just for her. Sirius was still looking between the girls expectantly. Lily rolled her eyes in annoyance.