cardigan, h. potter

worst monday.

⤑‧₊˚🖇️✩ ₊˚🎧⊹♡

After what felt like hours, Genesis, Alethea, and a very sleepy Eudora arrived at the portrait of the fat lady.

Genesis muttered the password, which she'd discovered hearing a group of girls enter before her, "Mimbulus Mimbletonia," and the portrait swung open, revealing the ruby-colored room, occupied by many cozy armchairs, worn out sofas, and Gryffindor students, like herself.

She stepped in carefully, Eudora clinging tiredly to her arm. "Careful. Watch your step."

Alethea follows behind, admiring her fingernails that Genesis had just now noticed were a deep, wine red. Of course they were, though. Blood red had been Alethea's favorite color for as long as she could remember.

After the entrance sealed itself again, the trio walked into the jabber of the common room. It was as warm as she remembered — the walls decorated accordingly, a number of students scattered about the place. The two stone stairwells leading up to the dormitories. Gryffindor flags hung on the walls, just as they were in the years before.

Eudora, though practically asleep, insists on visiting and sticking around the common room. Genesis obliged, eyeing her attentively as she followed the droopy-eyed girl to the sofa.

The three girls plopped down onto the red couch, the flames burning slow before them. The wood in the fire was nearly charred white, so to prevent the fire from burning out, Genesis magicked another small log onto it.

"Eudora!" a high-pitched voice gasped from behind them.

Genesis turned, along with Eudora and Alethea, to see Lavender Brown, a few charms of her necklace jingling as she skipped towards them.

"Genesis! Alethea!" she added. "How are you?"

Lavender was a nice girl, just a bit too talkative to Genesis' liking. Of course, she was still friends with the girl, she could just be a tiny bit hyper at times.

"Good. How are you, Lavender?" Eudora says, trying to look like she wasn't well over half-asleep before.

"Oh, I'm okay, you know." she hums. "Ugh, Genesis! I am so sorry to hear about your mother. Are you alright?"

Genesis smiled generously at her. "I'm doing fine. Thank you."

"I hope you mean that." she gasps, clutching her heart. "You're stronger than I am, Genesis."

Genesis rolled her eyes jokingly, grinning sweetly at the caring girl. "Appreciate it, Lav."

Lavender touched her shoulder and beamed at Genesis tenderly. "So," she said in a cheerier tone, "Anything excited happen this summer?"

"Nothing." Eudora shrugged.

"Nothing at all." Genesis groaned. "Sat in my room all summer. My dad's been in a bad mood, so y'know."

"Nothing?" Lavender asks, as if she hadn't heard them right. "Wow, I feel sorry for you guys."

"I went to France for a few days with my mum. Business trip, though. I still had fun." Alethea says. She'd lettered Genesis about her trip, and apparently she ate a lot of French dishes, the majority of those being spaghetti.

"France! Wow!" Lavender exclaims. "I've never been anywhere but —"

A pair of students entering through the portrait hole has the whole common room go quiet. Lavender retracts from her sprawled out state, touching shoulders and leaning over the back of the couch. She now goes stiff, looking cautious.