Wandering Thoughts & People PV Airlia Winter

First Airlia had been following the prefect of Hufflepuff to be taken to the dorms with the other first years. Then she'd gotten lost in her thoughts, followed a blue butterfly someone had conjured and petted a ginger cat. Then she'd briefly spoken to a Slytherin that owned said cat and as she waved goodbye she finally realized that she wasn't with the group anymore.

Any person with more intelligence and a longer thought span would have noticed earlier, actually, anyone else would have been able to follow the group without straying away.

With a sigh Airlia looked around feeling annoyed, this was the second time she was lost during one day, first when she was in London looking for King's Cross station and now looking for the dorms. It was getting pretty late too and in an hour or so the curfew would start and Airlia didn't want to get in trouble on her first day at Hogwarts! Feeling like a complete airhead Airlia started walking along corridors, admiring everything and deciding that she would just ask for instructions from the first student that came across her.

She rounded a corner and suddenly a girl ran right into her, falling to the ground from the impact. Airlia swayed in confusion, she'd just and just been able to grab the handle of a torch on the wall and catch herself before she could fall down. "Sorry." Airlia said politely and offered her hand to help the girl up. She wondered what the girl's hurry was until she noticed that the girl could not have been any older than a first year.

"Hey, you're in Hufflepuff like me. I recognize you from the sorting ceremony... Umm... Morgan? Right?" The girl looked a little lost and worried. She had long brown hair and the cutest bangs Airlia had ever seen. She had big blue eyes and a kind face.

But if all first years were meant to be at the common room already then what was the girl doing here, running along halls?

Annie still slightly dizzy with confusion, nodded. She shook her head too quickly and groaned. "It's okay.. that's gonna leave a mark in the morning though." Her bright blue eyes blinked and went still for a second before lighting up. "Ah, yes Morgan's my last name, first name Annie, do you by chance know how to get the common room?" As quickly as her eyes lit up, tgeg darkened once again and a small frown made it's way onto her face. She facepalmed and sighed. "That was stupid if you knew where it was at we wouldn't be lost out here right, unless you aren't lost and just randomly bumped into me.." Annie contemplated that while biting her lip. "Oh, excuse me where are my manners, you already know my name but I haven't gotten the pleasure to know yours?" While waiting for a response she glanced around the corridor they were currently in. It was quickly getting dark and she had no clue what floor they were on or even where the Hufflepuff common room was. Annie returned her gaze to the girl, she had light blonde maybe even white, wavy colored hair with bright blue eyes and a perfectly shaped face with bold features.

Airlia giggled, this girl was funny without knowing it. She looked hilarious facepalming and making conclusions. Airlia smiled kindly and answered: "My name is Airlia Winter. I'm new here just like you."

"I don't know where the common room is since I'm lost too. I seem to be getting lost quite a lot these days. I know that this isn't a really desirable situation and I don't mean this in a bad way but it seems we're both quite clueless here, so I'm glad I'm not lost on my own."
Airlia spoke with a soft tone and her voice echoed a little in the empty hall. There were no sounds coming from anywhere and that just confirmed it to her that they were lost here all alone. No one was walking around these parts so asking for help wouldn't probably be an option.

She wondered if they could maybe go find a headmaster but thought of that as the last resort. She didn't want to bother the well-respected man that must already be busy looking after a whole school. Airlia was also worried about starting her school journey on the wrong foot by admitting that she'd already messed up and disobeyed orders to stay with the prefect on her first day. "Maybe we could try to find the common room together? Since strength is in numbers and everything."

Airlia smiled again and looked at both ends of the hallway: "If you want to look with me, I think I'll go that way." Airlia said and pointed to the darker end of the hallway. "Do you think the common room could be there?"

Honestly, Airlia wasn't really sure about which was to go, she couldn't even piece together which way she'd come from. The darker end looked rather ominous and scary and she really didn't feel like going there but she'd once been told that; 'you need to face your fears to find what you're looking for', and since she was of the simpler nature, she took that advice literally.

Annie listened as the girl, Airlia, she found out was her name, spoke to her. "Nice to meet you Airlia. For being lost you have such confidence behind your words, are you sure your not Gryffindor?" She made a light joke before Airlia spoke again. Annie turned her head to look towards the direction the girl suggested they go. She shrugged, slightly skeptical. "If you insist.. but at this point I have no clue where the common room is, surely if we come across another student or even a professor they would feel sympathetic for us and help right?" Annie pursed her lips in deep consideration before sighing. "Hope will only get us so far, and I really don't want to be in trouble our first night here so, lead the way." Annie motioned for Airlia to start forward into the darkness. This really is stupid, were just going to get more lost. I mean as long as we don'tget caught were fine right? Her brain was quite chatty probably because of her nerves. Annie mumbled a quiet "shut up" to her brain before continuing on. The corridor was very quite, dark and eerie especially with the shadows of the torches only reflecting the smallest amounts of light to see in front of themselves. Not only that, but this girl, Aurlia was kind, smart and beautiful. How unfortunate to get lost in the dark on her first night only to be stuck with me, the sarcastic, idiotic loner.

"I don't feel much confident at all, truth be told." Airlia said when they had been walking a while in a definite silence.

"I thought about other students and teachers too. But students don't know the locations of common rooms other than their own. Wouldn't much help to come across a Gryffindor. A teacher is our only chance but also the one thing that'll really get us in trouble."

Airlia sighed and it once again echoed in the halls.

Airlia walked next to the brunette, the shadows, and lights or the torches glimmering on their skin. It truly was getting colder and Airlia had a bad feeling that they were going in the wrong direction or walking in circles. She peeked through a few doors only to be disappointed in seeing storage spaces and such.

That saying; 'not a soul in sight,' came to her mind and she bit her lip in the uncomfortable silence.

"This isn't really what I thought my first night in Hogwarts would be like." Airlia said and tried to sound like she wasn't whining. She wrecked her brain for a plan but came up with nothing. Maybe one of those storage spaces would be a comfortable place to sleep? Probably not. Had the Hufflepuff prefect even noticed that they were missing?

"Did you hear that?" Airlia asked as she suddenly said and seized. It was like small faraway thumps along the hallway, growing slowly louder and approaching. "Footsteps."

Annie shook her head at the young witch's reply about confidence. "Your a lot braver than I am to say the least. Before you came along and found me I was silently crying, I felt so.. hopeless." She bit her lip to stop her eyes from watering. They continued to walk in silence as Annie became lost in her thoughts.

No wonder you were put in Hufflepuff.. your a coward! Her thoughts hissed at her as her hands started to tremble. Your mother lied to you about being a great witch, your nothing, how dare you let her down! Annie's chest tightened as her heartbeat picked up. "A-Airlia.." She let out a small whisper before falling to the ground and curling herself into a ball as her shoulders shook with silents sobs. Her senses were overflowing and her mind kept taunting her.

This had only happened once before to Annie when she was a lot younger due to a traumatic incident no one knew about but her parents and herself. She was having a panic attack. Her breathing had changed paces and was now laboured. The flame's shadows danced around her making her flinch back in fear.

Annie heard footsteps approaching and her entire body froze. Who was it? Were they going to help her and Airlia or would they be in trouble. She lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy she screamed out. "No, don't take her, not yet!" The footsteps seemed to come closer and Annie awaited them, like an old man waits for death.

Airlia saw the girl have a panic attack of some kind, she dropped on her knees next to the girl and ran a hand down her back: "Shh... What's wrong? Are you okay?" She asked unsure on what to do to help the girl that was shaking and crying on the floor.

Airlia was taken aback when the girl yelled and sobbed even harder.

With wide eyes she hugged her and yelled toward the steps were coming from: "I think she needs help!"

She could hear the nearing footsteps pick up space.

"Hey, everything's going to be okay. You'll be fine, I'm getting help, okay?" Airlia spoke sweet nothings to the girl, thinking that it might help the girl get through whatever was happening.

Airlia looked up and saw an older looking Hufflepuff running towards them: "We got lost and I think she's having a panic attack. We need to get to the common room."

Helping Annie up, Airlia started walking along the halls to the direction the student was guiding them to. They only had a brief conversation but the other student seemed to be worried over Annie too.

Soon they entered the badger's common room and Airlia felt relieved when she got the girl on a sofa.

Annie had fallen unconscious during the middle of her panic attack. She could hear Airlia's comforting words but couldn't move, speak or see. Annie wanted to comfort her, tell her not to worry but due to her condition, she was the center of attention. At one point, she felt herself being picked up and a lower masculine voice, perhaps an older student, or worse a professor.

It felt like ages of her being carried. A quiet murmur between Airlia and the other person's voice echoed but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Her head was still screaming insults at her even when she was blacked out. She squeezed her eyes shut even though they were already closed and tried to block the voices from reaching her ears with her hands. Nothing worked, but soon enough her hearing started to slowly fade out even her hearing. Annie fell asleep, all the worry disappeared and her exhaustion weighed down on her like a pile of bricks.

She woke up with a start on a.. sofa? Her body was numb, her face from crying and limbs from being carried and still. Her first reaction was to curl up into a ball and hug her knees, her second was to ask Airlia what had happened. But, Annie already knew what happened as the thoughts rushed back to her mind. Right now, she didn't want to be alone. She stood up and nearly knocked Airlia over with a forceful hug. I'm sorry..My baby sister and the nightmares.. I'm so so sorry." Annie only got out a few words, but she was strong, she didn't cry, instead she just kept standing there and embracing Airlia.

Airlia was unsure of what to do and glad to get the help of an older student beyond all doubt. She kept petting the hair or the unconscious girl as she slept.

Someone had run out to get the nurse so the girl's health could be checked.

She would most likely spend the night at the hospital wing with calming potions and a dreamless sleep draught in her belly.

Airlia was quite sure the girl was having nightmares. She ached and moaned in her dreams, apparently sad or in pain.

Airlia went through the events that lead to the situation with some older students. They seemed to understand and reassured her in telling her that they weren't the first people to get lost in the castle and that technically they didn't do anything wrong since they even made it back to the common room before curfew started.

Getting in trouble was the farthest thing from Airlia's mind when she looked after Annie. The girl had freaked her out.

Airlia felt relief when the nurse rushed into the common room with a student and started examining the girl, eventually levitating her to the hospital wing and reassuring everyone that Annie would be just fine the next day.