I woke up the next morning to the sound of my alarm, and quickly turned it off so as not to wake up the other girls. They had all been asleep when I had come up to the dormitory last night, and they all still seemed to be sleeping heavily now.
I groaned at the thought of getting up and spent ten minutes thinking about the very strange feeling of deja vu I had experienced the night before when I had been on top of Sirius. I didn't remember ever saying that, yet I was still positive that I had.
The world isn't there for you to understand, Sirius.
Deciding that I would probably regret it if I didn't get up, I rolled out of bed and tip toed to my trunk which I had not unpacked the night before. I opened it and rummaged around 'til I found my training gear, careful not to make a mess like Peter and Sirius had done.
Fifteen minutes later I was on the grounds. I had ran down the stairs of the school to warm up and was now stretching out before my jog. I had laid my staff down on a large rock, and was just about to start running when I heard someone yell, "Wait!"
I turned around to see Sirius running towards me, clutching his stomach.
"Do you want to join me?" I asked.
"Oh, no," He said sarcastically, "I just really enjoy running after people early in the morning to disrupt them."
I ignored him and tutted, "Looks like you've got a stitch before we even start." I pointed at his hand on his stomach.
He immediately straightened up and tried to silence his heavy breathing. "I'm ready as a boiled cup of tea," He said.
I rolled my eyes and said, "Well then, let's go."
"Jolly hockey sticks!"
Once again, I rolled my eyes, and started running towards the gathering of trees and bushes on the side of the castle that wasn't part of the Dark Forest. I looked around at the lush surroundings and began planning ways to use it as a part of my training plan: which trees I could climb, branches to swing over and under, and other ways to activate my entire body. Half an hour later, we were back at the large rock, catching our breath before starting the routine. Sirius moved towards a bush and pulled out a long stick.
"No," I said.
"No?"
I blushed, feeling I was being bossy, "It's best to learn it and become comfortable with the routine before introducing a new aspect. I trained without it for almost two years before starting with the staff. You need to really be able to go deep into yourself and release yourself from everything but the motions."
He nodded, and threw away the stick.
We started the routine, and I felt myself retreat far into myself. It had been a while since I had been able to do it properly, and it felt wonderful. I was fully aware of each muscle, each breath, and every thought in my mind. I was vaguely aware that Sirius finished a while before me and was stretching out a bit after the exercise, watching me. I finished the last motion, brought myself out of the place of deep concentration, and smiled at Sirius.
"You look so graceful when you do it, I bet I look like a scarecrow in the middle of a storm." He said.
I laughed, "It doesn't matter. It'll come with practice. You've improved since last time, have you practised?"
"Yeah, but I find it hard to do that thing you do where you sort of go into another place in yourself."
We started to walk up to the school.
"I sort of imagine I leave a room which is this world, walk through a dark hallway and enter a black room where I can concentrate and function to the best of my ability. It's tough to unlock it, but once you have it'll get easier and easier to enter. I still struggle to get there, but it's dead useful, you can use it for all sorts of things, like tests. Information seems to come much easier in there, when you're not distracted by other things."
"It's really interesting," He said, looking out across the lake, "I hope I'll be able to use it."
"Don't worry, it'll come," I paused, "Sirius?"
"Mhmm?" He hummed.
"Have I ever said something like 'The world isn't there for you to understand'?"
He looked quickly at me as if he were analysing my face. He let out a breath and said, "I don't think so, why?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, "Was that a lie?"
He smiled and laughed, "No, it was not a lie, Olimpia Heatherstead, I was just remembering every thing you ever said to me to double check."
I wasn't entirely convinced, but let it go. "It would be a rather strange thing to say, wouldn't it? True, but strange nonetheless."
"Yeah, I suppose it would be."
We walked through the entrance and decided that we would eat breakfast first to get all the good food while it was still fresh then go shower.
I swapped my plate out for a bowl, filled it with rolled oats and strawberries, and was using my bread knife to cut a banana into thin slices when Sirius asked with laughter in his eyes, "You still eat that?"
I dropped the pieces of banana into the bowl and squeezed honey over it. "Well yeah, it's healthy and it tastes good. Lots of nutrients to get you through the day."
He looked at me, almost exasperatedly. "How can a person who shoved that much confectionery last night talk about eating healthy?"
I smiled and answered, "One must make up for their flaws in one way or another."
He laughed.
"Oh there you are, Ollie!" Lily had entered the great hall and came to sit beside us in the otherwise empty hall.
"Hey Lily."
"James sends his regards." Sirius said, smirking at her.
Ignoring Sirius, she said, "Where were you? You were gone last night and gone this morning." Her eyes narrowed at Sirius and I, "You two haven't- haven't been-"
"What, no!" I yelled, my face firing up, "Nothing like that. Last night I was at Dumbledore's to choose my subjects and stuff, and this morning I got up to go for a jog and Sirius joined me."
"You three are up early. I take it you are all motivated for the new school year, excellent," McGonnagal was now there, a whole bunch of papers floating in front of her. She flicked her wand and one each floated towards Lily, Sirius and I. Another flick and ink appeared on them, forming our timetables.
"I shall see you all in transfiguration later, have a good morning." Then she walked up to the staff table and poured herself a cup of coffee, opening a book.
"She's so sweet," I said, "Very stern, obviously, but a little sweetheart, really."
"I don't know about sweet, but Minnie McGee certainly is a cool teacher." Sirius said, and I laughed at the nickname.
"How come you don't have DADA with us, Ollie?" Lily asked, comparing our timetables.
"Oh, uh-"
"It's because she's too good for us," Sirius cut in, smirking again, "She's got special defence against the dark arts with the seventh years."
"Do you really?" Lily asked, impressed.
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Oh, she's so modest, our Ollie," Sirius said, "She says she's 'not any smarter than the rest of us', but I bet she could blow us all up without even raising her wand."
"That's not true!" I said, feeling thoroughly embarrassed, "I just- it's just,"
"Oh stop teasing her, Sirius," Lily scolded, though she was smiling, "Though it really is an achievement, O. You should be proud of it, don't be afraid to show off a bit. Hang out a bit more with Mr. Smug there beside you and James, and it should develop naturally."
Sirius smiled, apparently not fazed at all by indirectly being called big-headed, "Yeah, Ollster, you should be more like me."
"That is not what I meant." Lily retorted.
"Oh, but it is." He grinned wider.
"It almost sounds like the two of you are flirting," I chimed in, watching the two's faces morph into horror at my words amusedly.
"I would never flirt with James'-"
"I am not James' anything!" Lily said before he could finish.
I snickered and finished my last spoonful of food, then shimmied out between the two of them to get out of the bench-table area and went to go for a shower, leaving the two to bicker about nothing after they had both called "see you soon" to me.