home (reader at hogwarts)

twenty seven

you don't know what it is that makes you want to know more about him. you knew he was a convicted murderer, you knew he was best friends with harry's dad and was even potters's godfather.

what you wanted to know- was how on earth everyone believed that it was sirus to hand the potters over?

what did they think of the boy they taught all those years ago? the boy they knew would do anything for his friends, anything for james.

it was all so confusing- blurred and uncomfortable.

how could they believe it?

"y/n." professor flitwick smiles at you through the open door as you and professor sinastra wait outside.

"hello, sir. i was just walking professor sinastra here to your classroom." you say, smiling back at him.

"that's very kind of you." he says. "well, i know aurora is coming in to help me out- but, will you be coming in to watch?"

"i'm not sure, sir. there's still much of the castle i haven't got round to exploring." you say, shifting on your feet.

you don't want to be rude, but the charms classroom is a place you'll visit tomorrow anyways.

"alright then. see you in charms class." he nods stepping aside to let aurora into the open doorway.

"see you." you give a small wave and walk quickly through the corridor. making a turn and heading up a staircase.

you had no idea where you were going.

you were short for time.
the firsties would arrive and the sorting ceremony would start soon.

"hey!" came an echo-y voice from somewhere. you squinted your eyes forward in the corridor and looked for where the voice had come from.

you turn around and let out a yelp as you come face to face- no, nose to nose with a floating colourful man, handing upside down in mid air.

he laughs at you and spins back around a few times before hovering next to you.

"you're peeves?" you stutter. "aren't you?"

the colourful poltergeist grins. "how do you know?"

"you're very famous." you laugh. "you and your tricks."

"you're not a regular firstie are you?" peeves interrogates you, looking you up and down.

he spins around you to look at you in another angle, then spins around again.

"why's a firstie here so early?" peeves asks. "where's the rest of 'em?"

"not here yet. i arrived early with my father." you say.

peeves crossed his eyebrows. "hm. and who might that be?"

you smile. "severus snape."

peeve's eyes go wide and he lets out a booming laugh.

"severus snape! greasy, dungeon bat? snappy snape? oh, this is good!"
peeves does a flip in the air, grasping his belly.

you attempt a frown but can't help but giggle at his silliness. "peeves. that's not nice!"

he squints you. "you are a rare one, sympathising with him- the only other person who's eva' told me off for terrorising sour snape..."

he taps his head a few times and then gasps as he remembers the red head, with a fierce splattering of freckles and emerald green eyes.

"oh! that evans girl. sweet lillius the first."

you grin at the name. "why do you call her lillus the first?"

"she was the first and i had hoped- last, to defend snivellus." peeves told you, meanness written on his features.

you smile. "i've been told she was exceptionally kind."

"eva' too sweet." peeves nods. "made it ridiculously easy for me to pick on her. why, i rememba' getting gum stuck on her behind-"

he cackles and takes the ball off of his hat bouncing it off the floor and back into his hand, repeatedly.

"god, this place is boring before the kids arrive. i can't believe i'm saying this- but i'm so glad you're here." peeves sigss, looking down at his sleeves. "i've got colour again."

you tilt your head. "what does that mean? do you loose colour?"

"yes." peeves says, pouting. "it's a strange thing, it is- as soon as you little cretins leave- i start to loose my colour. it happens all the time, every year- but, merlin's beard it's never any less scary."

"i get it. you feel like you're fading. despite feeling the feeling so many times, you'd think you'd be used to it by then. but everytime, it feels like dying all over again."

peeves stares at you. "you- yeah. that's how it feels. that's exactly how it feels."

"your not alone in that peeves." you smile. "it's something i've felt before."

"do you- do you loose colour? start to fade?" he asks, coming closer and looking extremely calm for someone as eccentric as him.

"in a way." you answer quietly. "in a different way."

"well, i'm here." peeves says. "for a little firstie to feel like that- it really ain't fair."

you smile up at peeves and he grins at you before throwing the ball at your head. it bounces off and you laugh as he flies after it before it runs down the corridor.

"thank you peeves." you call after him.

he shakes his head and pops the ball back onto his hat. "go on, then. go talk to other teachers."

he starts to chuckle. "or go- talk to the grim reaper-"

"leave him alone!" you laugh.

"never eva' eva' eva' eva' "

peeves' voice echoes through the hall way as you continue walking through the castle.

you felt bad knowing he had been going through all of that for so long. nobody knew, but now that you did, you'd be checking up on peeves throughout the year now- making sure he was okay.

peeves was very funny and judging by the books he probably wouldn't be as nice to you as he had been just now. but it was fine, you would still ask him how he was doing even if you got spit balls thrown at you in return.

you skip towards a large stained window, not being able to restrain a giggle as you hear the faint screech and tumble of peeves- he groans, letting out a strong curse word as he crashes into what sounds like the trophy case you passed in the corridor on the way here.

you look through the window, through the image of what looks like a traditional chimera- the golden head of a lion, a shaggy goat's body and a sinister looking dragon's tail. you can see a large tree and kneeling somewhere beside it you see professor sprout, with her hands full of something you couldn't quite make out from so high up in the castle.

you turn your face away from the window, intending on making your way to professor sprout before you bump right into the only person you'd refrained from speaking tonight.

"wh-wh-why, y/n! did-didn't expect you t-t-to be wandering around so early."

it was nearly 11.

professor quirrel nervously twitched his hands, as if he didn't know where to put them.

you look into his pale blue eyes and he smiles lopsidedly at you.

god, he was trying so hard to seem innocent.

like he wasn't dangerous.

and as you lift your lips into a feigned smile- you realise you must do the same.