Alex pulled her suitcase behind her, the handle digging into the palm of her hand as she pulled it up the stairs.
"Welcome Gryffindors, to your common room." Mrs McGonagall's voice echoed throughout the halls.
Alex's attention quickly faded, no longer listening to whatever the witch that stood before her was saying. Instead, her mind had wandered off towards the girl across the staircase, looking rather confused.
A girl, with an uncoloured robe similar to her own, stood, suitcase in one hand and wand in the other.
"Follow me children." Mrs McGonagall continued as she walked through the painting on the wall.
Alex watched as, one by one, students followed her into the common room. She'd frozen for some reason, unsure whether to simply follow her professor or help this girl.
"What's wrong?" Alex found herself walking towards the girl, "you look lost."
"That's because I am lost. This place is like a fucking maze." The girl looked up as she spoke.
"Well what common room are you looking for?" Alex asked, already assuming the answer from the way she spoke and the way she acted. Slytherin.
"Slytherin. Sure you still wanna help me?"
Alex shot her a confused look, "Why wouldn't I? I can lead the way... if you'd like." She gestured her hand forward.
"Thanks. I'm Maggie Sawyer by the way." She smiled for the first time, placing her wand in her robe pocket and grabbing her suitcase once again.
"I'm Alex Danvers, Gryffindor."
The two of them walked down the stairs for a moment in silence, the only noise to be heard was the repetitive bang of their suitcases along the concrete steps.
They continued to walk for several minutes until approached by a stern looking man.
"What are you two doing outside of your common rooms? You shouldn't be wandering the corridors." He looked down upon them, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Sorry Professor- We-"
"I don't want to hear it. Houses?" He gestured his hand at the two of them impatiently.
"Gryffindor, Sir." Alex glanced up at him and back at the floor. He nodded before turning to Maggie.
"Slytherin." She looked directly into his eyes as she spoke.
"Slytherin follow me. Gryffindor get back to your common room. Now."
"I'll see you around Alex." Maggie smirked before following the professor down the corridor, her robe fluttering behind her.
~~
Alex slumped into her chair, her face rested between both of her hands.
"Hey, Danvers." Maggie sat down beside Alex, chewing gum rather loudly.
Alex Froze as did everyone around her. She looked across the table at the shocked faces of her new friends and back at Maggie.
"You can't sit here." A voice came from across the table as heads turned.
Alex looked across at a dark haired boy with glasses.
"This table is for Gryffindors. Not Slytherins." He continued before tilting his head slightly.
Maggie chewed her gum even louder, her eyebrows becoming more and more arched as the seconds passed.
"It's a fucking table. Chill out." She laughed sarcastically, placing her elbow onto the table and regaining eye contact with Alex.
"What's your next class?" Maggie smiled.
"Uhh... Herbology. I think." She laughed, the eyes of everyone around her were burning into the back of head.
"Same," Maggie chewed, "I'll see you there." She stared across the table at the boy who was previously rude to her, she thinks his name was Clarke.
As she stood up from her seat she took the gum from her mouth and smiled in the boys direction, sticking the slobbery blob onto the polished wood and sneering.
"See ya later Clarke." She stomped off towards the other Slytherins.
"Is she seriously your friend?" Clarke shook his head at Alex.
Alex looked back at Maggie and smiled, unsure of the answer of his question.
"Yes." She rested her elbow on the table as Maggie had previously.
"She's horrible." Clarke looked around at his friends in agreement.
Alex looked down at the gum on the table beside her and back at Clarke in disgust.
"She probably thinks the same of you. She isn't exactly incorrect." Alex stood up, her face now slightly flushed as she turned away from the table and made her way out of the hall.
