September 4th, 1895 — Ravenclaw Common Room, near midnight

The last few days had been a whirlwind. She'd been sorted, met her housemates, and started classes—and now she was curled up on one of the worn-out sofas in the common room, blanket and pillow in tow. It wasn't like she disliked Alys Gower. It was just... a bit too soon after the incident.

Poppy had tried that first night to do the polite thing and sleep in the bed she had been assigned. It shouldn't have mattered that Miss Gower was in the bed directly next to hers. And yet, the only thing she could see whenever she closed her eyes was that white, round face, devoid of all life and yet eerily alive. She didn't think she'd fallen asleep at all.

Rather than risk a repeat the second night, Poppy had waited until all the other girls had gone to bed and then slipped out in the dark with her things. She needed sleep, and she couldn't think of any other way to get any. Now sleeping on a sofa in the common room was her new norm. She knew she could have written her mother—maybe should have—but this was her first real time away from home. She wanted to prove that she was grown and could take care of things herself.

Millie Potts

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   Alys Gower, Caroline Weasley, Ignacio Sidonia, Millie Potts

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There were some days this summer when Millie had never hoped to see the interior of this tower again. In her rush to prepare for OWLs last spring, there had been little time to savor her favorite places, and the memories made there, all in the fear that she might never have the chance again. And now that she had returned, they greeted her like friends. The shiny, worn banisters of the winding stairs, the uneven cushion of her favorite chair in the common room, it was like the young witch had only left for another, normal, summer away from her real home.

Her novel was new, starting as fresh into a new adventure just as surely as her new classes would provide. The pages opened curiously with an easy setting, hardly the usual stuff of mystery or fantasy that the young witch so often enjoyed. Perhaps the departure of Violetta DeCroix left some larger skirts to fill than expected. Millie thought it best to start the a romance novel here, in the quiet hours of the common room, than suffer the titters and glances of her dorm room, more intimate this year with their fewer numbers.

Millie found herself glancing around more this evening than before, vacillating between fatigue from her lackluster story and the hour of the night itself. She had to wonder if the lump on the couch had been there the whole time, or if someone had come down in restlessness while wading through the idle prose of her novel's endless pages. A chapter end couldn't come soon enough so she could feel satisfied in pausing for the night. Yet the more she strained to keep her attention on the book, trying to offer her courteous respect to the room's sleeping occupant, the more the young witch found herself her thoughts dwelling on them.

And shouldn't a prefect offer concern for her housemates, too?

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your own bed?" Millie asked when she came over, only setting a hand on the sleeper once to rouse them as gently as she could. The girl's ginger hair covered her face on the pillow, but from her stature Millie could guess this was one of her younger Ravenclaws. Not Autumn, but perhaps Miss Greene or one of the new first years. She thought there had been a redhead in the crop of this year's class, but the disruption at their table during the feast set everyone to talking about the indomitable artwork of Miss Gower and little else. "Are you well, Miss...?"

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Poppy MacFusty

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Poppy startled slightly, her blue eyes flashing open to what she just knew would be Alys hovering over her, a creepily sweet yet inhuman smile on her face. It was all she could see when she closed her eyes. The pale face, empty eyes, the scribbling... though it wasn't Alys who had woken her, she still couldn't help but shudder. With the relief on her face plain as day, she sat up so she could speak to Miss Potts, the prefect. She made a point to learn all the prefects names first, just in case she might need to request their help.

Then, all the bravery the relief had given her evaporated. Leaving her with only a bashful smile and eyes that looked somewhere over the older girl's shoulder. "M-MacFusty," She managed a glance of eye contact before she became very interested in one of the embroidered stars on her blanket. "Poppy MacFusty." Her pale fingers traced the shape of the stitches as she gathered enough courage to continue. Rather weakly (and still not meeting Millie's eyes), she frowned, "I-I.. I'm comfortable here." More comfortable than she was in her dormrooom, at least.

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   Millie Potts

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Club Membership in: Astronomy • Flying • Charms • Book • Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady!

MacFusty, as the girl introduced herself, which certainly made of one of the first years. The poor child seemed in want of something that would not be given voice, if it could at all. Standing by her side, Millie was taken with a sudden moment of clarity, as if she was both standing near the makeshift bed and lying upon it herself. Her necklace lay under her collar, and though she felt it there, no move was made to take it. Instead, the young witch leaned down closer to the MacFusty girl, following her gaze to the blanket's embroidery.

She could have sworn the stars there were made of the same silver as her necklace.

"Is there something bothering you, Miss MacFusty?" Millie asked gently, glancing only slightly past the girl's face. None would wish themselves to be the subject of interrogation by staredown, especially this late at night. Knowing that being under eyes herself only made her more keenly aware of mounting pressure to answer, Millie let hers wander over the design of the blanket itself as she asked it the questions instead. Perhaps the covers could tell more than the girl underneath. "Or someone? Did one of the other girls say something, perhaps?"

Those first nights at Hogwarts were some of pale memory for the young witch, though she remembered her books and necklace offering great comfort. She had never quite banished herself to the Common Room, however, and seeing Poppy here said more than the girl herself seemed willing. Millie wondered if she should step away to ask for Miss Paxton to intercede instead, but something kept her by Poppy's side. Perhaps she saw enough of herself in the first year to have enough confidence to share some with a kindred soul.

And if someone was bothering Miss MacFusty, then at least she had a right to intervene as prefect. Millie didn't entirely relish the idea of meting out discipline upon her own house, she didn't wield her authority quite as strongly as Miss Whymper might. Be that as it may, a new first year who might be so shortsighted to oust her own dorm mate from their room might as quickly be corrected by the impression of a prefect's power. And bringing a bully, however misguided as she might be, to heel was something that the young witch found she never lacked appetite for.

"I'm Millie Potts, and I'm quite good at listening."

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   Poppy MacFusty

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Poppy MacFusty

Miss Potts seemed rather concerned about Poppy's situation. She supposed she ought to appreciate it, but she was more worried about having to go back into her dorm room at the moment. At first, the redhead thought that maybe the prefect was a leglimens–it was almost as if she'd read her thoughts. Logically, she realized, there were really only so many reasons why a first year would sleep in the common room, particularly on their first night. She blushed again, her blue gaze fluttered to meet Millie's before she looked away.

"I-I don't want to get anyone in trouble," she confessed. It wasn't as if Alys had done anything to her specifically. In fact, she appeared to be making a special effort because she knew she had frightened Poppy.

The following 1 user Likes Poppy MacFusty's post:1 user Likes Poppy MacFusty's post
   Millie Potts

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Club Membership in: Astronomy • Flying • Charms • Book • Quidditch

Adorably sweet set by the amazing Lady!