Empty Classrooms

[Professor Tahiri]

Many classrooms stand unused throughout the school, ranging from the dungeon all the way up to the towers. Some students use these room to gather and study in, when they're unlocked. More still are used as storage by the school, and sometimes, students even sneak into them at night to enjoy some quiet time in private. This is usually met with detention and House point reduction.

 

[Mellow Magpie]

{}{I hope it was okay to post here, so soon}{}



Charlotte eyed the windows as they rattled under the slaps from the chilly autumn wind that seemed stuck in the courtyard below. The halls were light with candles, as sun made it's last attempts to brighten the halls of Hogwarts before it slipped below the horizon. Yet, as older students and staff wondered by heading for meetings or to the library to study, Charlotte kept her position. She waited.

If he doesn't show up soon. I'm going to go back to my house common room and he can forget about getting the notes, she thought angrily as she glanced along the 2nd floor corridor. She had gotten clearance for this, had even asked two teachers if this was okay. If that boy screwed up their study time, she was going to flip.He had better arrive, she thought pulling and then glancing at her pocket watch.

Sighing, she went back to leaning against the stone wall out of the second floor empty classroom. Staring out over the courtyard, wondering if this was going to be a routine. When she had first gotten her letter, she wondered if magic would be a routine. Then she had visited her Aunt and wondered if cast spells would be routine. She had spent her summer deeply immersed in the wizarding world and had wondered if calling the normal world the 'muggle' world would be routine. Now here she stood wondering if studying magic and magical history is an empty classroom with her friend would be routine. I do believe I already know the answer to that question, she thought as she pulled out pocket watch.

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{{}{Springy 10 1/2 inch, Birch wood with a core of Jobberknoll feather}{}}

 

[Garden of Wisteria]

"Oh my, put that thing away. I'm not that late." Nott said with a grin as he wheeled around a corner slowing his hurried gait to his usual amble. No need to let her know that I was rushing. "I had to meet with my suppliers to get our stash for the night."

He patted his bag as he spoke where the bottles of butterbeer and packages of chocolate frogs were stowed away. Along with, of course, his parchment and quill so that he could get the extremely stimulating notes from History of Magic. Hopefully reading Charlotte's rendition, along with her lovely illustrations of owls and butterflies would make the process more enjoyable that listening to Professor Binns.

Gesturing to the door, he gave her a bow with one of his crooked little smiles. "After you." The classroom was just that. Though it was one of the unused classrooms so there was a variety of furniture stored in here. Catching sight of something, he dropped his pack with an "Ahha." and walked off to the side of the room. A lovely, albeit slightly dusty, chaise lounge was along the wall. As well as a few lumpy armchairs. Nott tried out each of the chairs and decided on the most broken (and therefore softest) one.

Grabbing the chair by the arms and giving it a great heave he flipped it up so the seat was resting on his head and the back was along his back and he carried it overhead like this to the open space at the front of the room. Then he pulled over the oval oak table and the chaise lounge on the other side of it. Since it looked like they were the only ones to use this room in a while, he doubted if anyone would mind them doing a little rearranging.

That done he opened his pack and pulled out four bottles of butterbeer, ten packets of Chocolate Frogs, two packages of Jelly Slugs, and two large wrapped items. Setting their feast up he gestured to the wrapped items. "These are Mupples, from the Three Broomsticks. Apparently they are a house specialty, some sort of apple cinnamon stuffed muffin. I thought it was worth a try."

Something felt strangely awkward about this. Nott couldn't understand why he would feel strange around his best friend but there was a strange tension, at least that he was feeling in the oppressive emptiness of the quiet, isolated room that held just the two of them.

Reaching in his bag he grabbed his parchment, ink and quill. "History of Magic first?"
.

 

[Mellow Magpie]

Charlotte opened the door, but Nott had made it comfortable. She had watched as he went about, trying out, arranging, and placing everything just the way he wanted it. Just what you would expected, she thought as she walked around looking at the other items in the room. There was a stand only chalk board, a few chairs and desk that had been piled up to the side opposite the windows. Turning around, she looked out of them, beyond was the stone bridge and the old wooden bridge. Just looking at it gave her a shudder, she couldn't understand how that things was still standing. Heck, I don't know why people use it...I've been trying to avoid it all ye-

Charlotte turned around upon hearing Nott, she frowned a little and then shrugged. She wasn't adverse to trying new foods and she kinda hunger, though dinner was about 2 hours away. Turning away from the view she said,"Well, glad to see you've made yourself comfortable... Right then, onto History of Magic."

She walked over, as she pulled out her History of Magic notebook from her shoulder bag. Once she had seated herself on the lounge, she placed it on the table. She glanced over at the muffins that Nott had mentioned, and wondered if they could have been magically tampered with However nothing appeared to be moving in the wrappers, so she assumed they hadn't. Turning her attention back to her notebook, she flipped it open saying, "Now, during our break. I want ahead and organized my notes so that they were chronologically placed. It starts with the 3000 to 1000 BCE. It covers most of what he said, you know. The fact that the muggle and wizarding worlds were once one, wizards were respect and at point revered for they're abilities, that magic was a common sight, etc."

She paused grabbing for one of the muffins as she curled up in the lounge. Breaking off a bit, she chewed it cautiously and then smiled, Oh, good. It appears normal... she thought as she looked back down towards her notebook. She swallowed before she said,"Now I just need to warn you, that half way through, I let my quality quotation quill start taking notes...the bits that I think are important are on the page opposite."

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{{}{Springy 10 1/2 inch, Birch wood with a core of Jobberknoll feather}{}}

 

[Garden of Wisteria]

Nott sighed as he flipped through all of the notes that he had to copy. That had been a long class. Dipping his quill, he started from the beginning, deeming his notes, even the early ones, subpar to Charlotte's. He tried to concentrate on writing but the smell of the muffin Charlotte was eating wafted over to him and tantalized his tastebuds. He had put in a whole two minutes of copying notes.

"Study break!" He chimed, grabbing the other muffin and unwrapping it hastily. In fairness to him, he had missed dinner and his stomach was threatening to mount an attack on all of his vital organs if it didn't get food soon. Taking a monster bite he moaned through a mouthful of muffin. "Derrrrr Gawwwwd hiiis ees guuuud."

Popping the top off of a butter beer with one hand, still having a firm hold on the muffin with the other he chewed and washed the crumbs down with a long swig. "Ah!" smacking his lips enthusiastically with a smile.

Looking over to Charlotte he raised an eyebrow. "Listen here, before you say anything. I'm ravenous. You're lucky I took the time to remove the wrapper."

Taking a somewhat more mannerly bite and setting down the bottle he scanned the notes. "This class is going to be the death of me."

 

[Mellow Magpie]

Charlotte gave Nott a disapproving look as he consumed the muffin in a huge bit. It was gross and very uncouth. Sucking her teeth, she didn't say a word out loud. She simply picked up a napkin trying to pick up the crumbles that had collected on her lap. Internal she thought, Wouldn't have the problem if you just went to dinner on time...Gah, I wonder what he was doing. Probably wasting time do something foolish.

As Nott continued stating that History was going to kill him. She couldn't help, but roll her eyes. Picking up a butterbeer she struggled to open it as she said, "Well if it isn't History of Magic, than it will be your lack of study skills. You've only been study a full three minutes. I can understand falling a sleep, but really?"

She finished with a grunt, still struggling with the top. She blink her lips together straining against the metal cap. Pulling her hand, she waved it trying to ease the sting before switching hands. Sucking her teeth again, she pulled her other hand back. "Oh," she said as she put the bottle down and prepared to use her robe sleeve to help open it. "In truth the class you should be worried about is Astronomy. Between the charts and the star gazing...you'll be finding it pretty hard to complete. Even if you do fancy the teach-er. Oh, I give up."

Smacking the bottle back onto the coffee table, she slumped back into the lounge and then took an irritable bit out of her muffin.

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{{}{Springy 10 1/2 inch, Birch wood with a core of Jobberknoll feather}{}}

 

[Garden of Wisteria]

((Bah!! Edditing))  

[Garden of Wisteria]

Nott took another bite of his muffin, as he did he reached across the table with the other hand and flipped the top off of her bottle with little more than a practiced flick of his wrist and thumb. "Lsshten." he chewed quickly and swallowed. "How can you blame me? She is so...so...I mean wow. Come on, put yourself in my shoes. You are a guy, there is a beautiful woman in front of you. Are you not supposed to appreciate her?"

"She's like a painting or...or something else that you are suppose to appreciate." he gestured vaguely.

"Anyway, what is a couple of charts next to this?" He said pushing at the weighty History of Magic text.

So far Astronomy had gone fine. He still wasn't too interested in the stars or anything further away than the professor's desk. But he was determined to do enough studying to do well in the class. Although he was also tempted to do poorly so that he could spend some time in her office asking for tutoring. But she seemed like the type that valued intelligence, so Nott knew that he would do best to study if he wanted to make an impression.

Taking a drink of his own butterbeer he gestured to Charlotte. "So besides feasting over there, what are you going to work on while I'm copying your desperately intriguing notes?"

He did hope that she wanted to work on Charms that night. DADA was starting to come together but he always felt awkward with Charms. Charlotte was so natural it was almost disgusting. But he was more than willing to swallow his disgust if she would help him out. Granted he wouldn't say it like that. But he would study her and how she did things and try to emulate it while acting cocky and self-assured. It took lots of careful planning to maintain his ego.

 

[Mellow Magpie]

Charlotte simple shrugged, reaching for her butterbeer bottle and take a swig of it as Nott went on about the wonder of Professor Evernight. It was dislike that she felt for the woman, it wasn't hate either. The Professor had proven to be well versed in her field and while her lectures were rather lackluster. She was nothing when compared to Professor Binn's. Still the the older lady hadn't warmed up to Charlotte and while Charlotte gave every attempt to be nice and ever asked for help from time to time, it seemed as if the lady disliked her, for what reason Charlotte could only guess as her eagerness to learn and her lack of drool. Though I know that other girls aren't drool either. Thus she has even less of a reason to dislike, unless she think I'm an 'obnoxious know it all'. Personally I've been trying to avoid that...so she fails there too.

Holding back her sigh, she opted to take another sip of butterbeer before she said, Well that is your take. Then I should join the secret clubs forming for Professor Grey and Yaslana. A group of girls in the lab, were talk about the clubs. Though I suppose you've already joined the Professor Grey fan club...maybe you should start the Professor Evernight club just so that you can admire her with others. Since you don't want to seem weird. As for History of Magic, at least the Owl's for it contain multiple choose. You have to fill in a whole blank stare chart for Astronomy and the properly label everything on it. At least that what I heard from two older girls."

Placing her bottle down, she reached for her bag. Reaching inside she pushed a few things aside in her search, in till with a sigh of triumph she pulled out a book. Pulling it out, she said, "Well outside of my feasting, as you put it. I've been talking with Xenos about Transfiguration, which I know you agree with me on. Really I feel kinda let down...Anyway, I managed to get a few copies out of the library before they closed it again."

She held up a thick book, with gold word etched into the hard cover. Putting it on her table next to her muffin, she continued, "I haven't even begun to read it yet...since Xenos suggest that I read through the A beginners guide to Transfiguration first, so that I don't end up with any accidents. Which could happen if I'm not focusing."

"After which I'm planning on skipping ahead a bit in Charms textbook...I've heard we aren't covering everything in it. So I just want to check over and see what we're missing," she said reaching into her bag and then pulling out the book. Smiling she placed that on the table as well, before she picked up her muffin and munched it. Swallowing she said, "You see unlike you, I spent my time between classes and Dinner actually doing work. Thus I'm free to do as please."

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{{}{Springy 10 1/2 inch, Birch wood with a core of Jobberknoll feather}{}}

 

[Garden of Wisteria]

"Charlotte, what can I say, the ladies need me." he said as though that was how he spent his spare time instead of studying or going to dinner. In fact he was spending every spare moment at the secluded spot down on the lake shore practicing Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. If he wasn't doing that he HAD been dedicating his time to Herbology texts. Though now he was also trying to fit in Astronomy and Potions studies. He felt like his head was going to explode.

But he couldn't let Charlotte know about that. Charlotte was so composed and studied a million things at once without batting an eyelash and was perfect at everything. Letting her know that he was killing himself studying and still performing like a schmuck was not an option. Better for her to think that he was wasting his time on the ladies and that was the reason for his poor grades.

Not that his grades were poor. Well, not YET. His Charms class was suffering. But he was managing to keep his head above water in all of the others. But he didn't know for how long. The first major test in History of Magic was sure to wipe him out like a tidal wave. It wouldn't even matter if the lectures and subject matter were interesting, he was simply out of time and energy to absorb anything else.

But hopefully these study groups with Charlotte would keep him on track. He turned back to History of Magic, setting the remainder of his muffin aside as he got to writing. "So," he began offhandedly while he continued to write. "if I start a Professor Evernight fan club, does that mean you are in a Xenos fan club? Is that something the Ravenclaw girls have up and running?"

Regardless of how long he had been hearing about the guy, it still irritated him. Probably because it was always complementary and Charlotte was always finding fault with him. Like he could do nothing right and Xenos could do no wrong. Beyond frustrating, it was irritating. Nott had decided long ago that he hated the jerk. But he still had yet to meet him. Luckily.

 

[Mellow Magpie]

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she pulled the Transfiguration book out from under the Charms book. Flipping it open, she took a bite of the muffin stifling her sigh of exasperation. She knew that in truth Nott was as charming as he thought. There were girls, who might find his sharp tongue and humor cute and Charlotte agreed that sometimes it worked. Other times, left her sucking her teeth and rolling her eyes. Maybe there was something off with her, but she could see past his immaturity at time.

Not like Xenos...I'm sure he has his moments, but...I should focus, she thought as she trained her eyes on the book's first page. While she loved that Nott thought she was brilliant and tried her hardest to make it seem that way. She was struggling. Not with the class work or the homework. It was the world. Wizarding world, muggle world ideas, concepts, history, and everything in between was make her feel a bit overwhelmed at times. She had found that wizards could live to be in their 100's and sometimes a bit beyond if magically aided. She realized that her father wasn't going anywhere and that she would be at loss ends after her time here. She had 7 years to figure out her place the confusing slightly messy world of wizards and witches. Worst, was she had no idea where to start.

Gave her head a bit of shake, bring her focus back to the present. She had 7 years to decided, hopefully they would pass by slowly. Sighing, she reached for her butterbeer, only to pause and wonder which was her bottle. Grabbing one, she looked at it trying to judge when she heard Nott's offhand question. She gave him a dry look as she took a sip, placed it back down and then said in calm voice turning her gaze back the pages she hadn't read, "Xenos doesn't need a club. He is a assured of his value without one and those that admire him, understand this."

Pausing for a bit as she broke off a bit of her muffin, chewed, and swallowed before saying, "Plus don't you have a fan club forming? You should really ask one of those girl's for notes, since mine clear isn't holding your attention any better than Professor Binn's lecture."

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{{}{Springy 10 1/2 inch, Birch wood with a core of Jobberknoll feather}{}}

 

[Garden of Wisteria]

Nott chuckled as he wrote at Charlotte's last comment. She was partially right, History of Magic was just as boring to him on paper as hearing it from the professor's mouth. Okay, not just as boring. Nothing was as bad as Binns. But it had nothing to do with her quality of notes, which seemed complete and extensive. Nott kept on copying for a minute finishing of the first page of parchment.

"Well, while the ladies might be lining up to get some of this." He sat back gesturing to his awesomeness with a smirk. "but I would still rather hang out with you than all of them. It isn't the notes that are hard to follow, it's your presence that is distracting me. You are too wonderful to just ignore while I copy notes." Nott ended it with an uneven smile. He had meant it in his usual have jesting way, but what he said rang a little too true. Charlotte was without a doubt, his best friend. But sometimes he wondered if his interests didn't run deeper than that. But surely, her interests did not. She had made it clear several times that he was severely lacking.

Opening and closing his mouth, he simply turned back to the notes. "However, as I do need to pass my classes, I assume I will have to get this done."

 

[Mellow Magpie]

As Nott had spoken. Charlotte had just stared at him. She had pulled the textbook to her chest, since it was growing uncomfortably warm. While it seemed like backward thinking, one should put paper on top of a hot object, at the moment she just felt that there should something to cover it. She was already wish she had another book in her hands to hid her face.
...Rather hang out with you than all of them. It rang around her head for a moment and then she scrambled to get her book up so that she could read it. Though in truth, she was simply looking at blurry words and white paper.

He must be mad, she finally concluded as an odd silence settled over them. Only the sound of his quill scratching against his parchment filling it. She couldn't think of a thing to break it. She could only hope that eventually her attention would slip back to her book and she would be able to focus.

However as she re-read a page for the third time. She knew she couldn't bare it anymore. She had to say some thing or she would pop. Still, she couldn't think of what to say. She opened her mouth, but then closed it. Her mind worked through a ton of replies, however she wasn't sure how to break this silence when it was a boy friend. WAH! No not boy friend...like that. Wait I already know that, so why am I thinking this? she thought as she stared down at her book. However the silliness of the thought seemed to clear her mind. She smirked and then said, "Well...Well,I'm happy to hear that. I feared for a moment that I would eclipsed by your ego. You seem to enjoy having it around far more than you enjoy having others, including me, around."

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{{}{Springy 10 1/2 inch, Birch wood with a core of Jobberknoll feather}{}}

 

[Garden of Wisteria]

Why? Why was History so important. Maybe offer it as an elective but, by Merlin, this stuff was dull. He was quick with his quill though so he was working through it rather speedily. Which was doubly useful because going fast meant he had less opportunity for his mind to wander back into wild and dangerous territory.

He only smirked at her remark and kept on writing. After another few minutes he leapt upward with his fists high in the air in victory. "Yes! Done!" Granted the writing was only borderline legible, but it was good enough. He needed the boring stuff out of the way, it was going to liquefy his brain otherwise.

Reaching out he grabbed one of the Chocolate Frog packages. Opening it he expertly cupped the frog into his hand and popped it in his mouth still wriggling. Pursing his lips tight he tried not to bust out laughing as it frittered around in his mouth. He was just rocking back holding his stomach to resist racous laughter when 'ACK!' and his mouth flew open and the frog jumped out of his mouth. Coughing Nott shook his head. "The little b*****d kicked me in the uvula!"

The frog was losing steam but still managing to scamper up a set of old drapes. Flipping out his wand and pointing it in one smooth motion he shouted, "Immobulis!" And the Chocolate Frog exploded in a soft 'splat' on the heavy velvet drapes. Nott gave it one last glare. "Well, not what I had in mind but serves it right anyway."

Sitting back down he smiled sheepishly as he looked across at Charlotte. Looking like an idiot was fine, but looking like a failure did not feel so good. No wonder Charlotte was interested in a third year. How could Nott compete with someone like that. Charlotte was impressed by knowledge and the guy had two years of Hogwarts over Nott. Taking a long drink of butterbeer as he watched her read his eyes turned quizzical. Pulling his lower lip on and running his tongue over it his eyebrow shot up in confusion and he looked back to his bottle. It was HIS bottle, wasn't it?

"Are you wearing some sort of mint and honey lip balm?"

 

[Mellow Magpie]

Charlotte had watched amused as Nott attempt to eat the frog unfrozen. She didn't need a divination class to know what would happen, those little bugger had quite a bit of juice in them. This was proven correct when the frog bust from Nott's mouth, as he coughed and spluttered. Trying to hid a smirk her watched the brown mash creature jumped off to the table to the floor. It was starting to lose speed, but it seemed determined to get out. It had gotten to the drapes when Nott had recovered and found it. As he reached for his wand, she pointedly stared down at her book thinking, This isn't going to end well.

Again she was proven correct, as a soft splat sounds came from across the news. She didn't say anything, but chuckled from Nott comment. She glanced down, she didn't want Nott to see her smile. It was one of the cutest things about Nott, his over powered charms and spells were a nice sign of humility for him and in her opinion very good for his ego.

Turning her mind back on the book in her hands, she was soon wrapped in the complicate description of wand movement to change she was about to flip a page, when she looked up her smile fading to a frown. For a moment she didn't say anything than said, "Um...yes...I um wasn't sure which bottle was mine. They were side by side, so..."

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{{}{Springy 10 1/2 inch, Birch wood with a core of Jobberknoll feather}{}}