Finished Solitary PV Bridget Collins Part 1

At long last, exams had concluded. It had been exhausting, not to mention stressful. The First Year exams had seemed to be the determiner of whether or not someone belonged at the magical school. Now, all there was to do was wait for the results, hoping to prove that one was a capable witch or wizard.

Bridget found herself once again outside near the Great Lake. People were just so loud sometimes, and today they seemed to have somehow found a way to be even louder. She didn't have any friends to celebrate with anyways, so Bridget decided to go to her favorite spot.

Her favorite spot was right here--a sturdy weeping willow with branches dangling down over the steel blue surface of the Black Lake. Usually she would climb up into the trees branches, but today she sat with her back against the trunk, facing the Lake. She didn't even feel like drawing right now--no, all she wanted to do was fall asleep until the results came in next week. Bridget had lost a lot of sleep recently studying to do as well as possible.

Her ears, being used to the near silence by now, picked up a sound. It appeared someone else had decided to relax in front of the lake for a bit of alone time. The person came into view, sitting down several feet to Bridget's left, directly in front of the water's edge. The person was a short girl with wavy auburn hair. Neither of them were wearing their robes as it was far too hot, but Bridget knew which House she was in anyways. The girl was Thora Larkston, a fellow Slytherin First Year she'd met a week ago after falling asleep while studying for exams. The girl had woken her up, saving her from missing the midnight Astronomy lesson. Their interaction had actually gone quite well despite its embarrassing start, and Bridget had to admit Thora was by far her favorite person at Hogwarts, maybe even a future friend.

Hoping not to startle Thora, Bridget decided to say hello. They both might have been outside to be alone, but maybe they could enjoy each other too.

Bridget, although she didn't really want to leave her comfortable spot against the tree, rubbed sleepiness out of her eyes and walked over, standing next to the sitting snake.

"Hi again Thora," she began. Terrible introduction, but they both were pretty awkward in social interactions so Thora probably wouldn't care. "How do you think exams went?"

Exams were certainly a topic Bridget could discuss, so hopefully Thora could too.

The wind drifted by, blowing Thora's auburn hair into her face. The young girl tucked a couple stray strands of hair behind her ears, not wanting to tear her eyes from the book. Thora's light eyes skimmed over the slightly yellowed pages, seemingly much too fast to process the words. But years of reading had allowed the Slytherin to read extraordinarily fast, while drinking in the words. 
As time seemed to stop, Thora read and read. The snake had reached page 84 when she heard rustling around her, as if there was something lurking within the grass. Of course, Thora decided to ignore the soft noises, thinking it simply her wild imagination. After all, even the meanest kids at Muggle school grudgingly agreed Thora's stories were simply amazing.
"Hi again Thora," a voice piped up from next to the young witch. The auburn-haired girl almost flew up in fright. Immediately, she recognized the small girl standing above her. Bridget Collins was a brunette, almost as short as Thora was, and a fellow Slytherin. The redhead didn't really know Bridget that much--in fact, the only time the two Slytherins had spoken to each other was when Thora had awoken Bridget from dozing off, so the brunette would be on time to the late-night Astronomy class. Thora couldn't help stifling a smile, hoping this exchange wouldn't be as awkward as the one in the Slytherin common room. As Thora fought to regain her composure, the other girl continued, "How do you think exams went?"
"Oh--," Thora began quite awkwardly, "It was pretty good for me, I mean, I don't think I'll get O's in all of them, but I tried my best..." the redhead willed herself to keep talking, although she had already blurted out more than she had meant to. 
The Slytherin had pushed herself harder and harder to study for all her exams. Even though Thora, of course, hoped for O's, she knew it might be a little out of reach, despite her fanatic studying. With a now-genuine smile on face, Thora asked, "How about you? Exams, I mean..."

Thora hadn’t heard her coming. Honestly this wasn’t unusual—Bridget could maneuver herself with a silent grace few could boast of. Then again, the other snake seemed to have completely shut out the world, instead in whatever universe the book she was reading had transferred her to. Thora’s reaction was therefore as expected, jumping several feet from shock.

She recovered quickly though, answering Bridget’s question. “Oh--,” Thora began. “It was pretty good for me, I mean, I don't think I'll get O's in all of them, but I tried my best...”

Thora trailed off. They both had obviously had a past that had been well... reclusive. Thora was just as inexperienced in making friends as Bridget was, perhaps even more so. Bridget knew how to make friends, but actually doing it was the issue. Letting her guard down and trusting people was hard after her experience with disloyal friends in elementary school.

“How about you? Exams, I mean...” Thora continued. Bridget thought they both felt pretty similarly about the exams. They were both Muggleborns, after all, so the whole magical world was new to them and exams had extra pressure as they wanted to feel they belonged in this unfamiliar place. Bridget had studied as hard as possible and wanted top grades, but she had the feeling it wouldn’t happen.

“Er... They went fine. I hope I did really well but I’m not sure... Transfiguration was really hard...” Bridget said. Exams were fine to talk about, but could Thora use this against her? Would she tell everyone that she’d done badly? Bridget thought Thora was really nice but she couldn’t be positive—after all they’d only meant once...

With such thoughts coursing through her mind, it was no wonder she hadn’t made friends at Hogwarts yet. Her eyes strayed back to the lake, and she wondered what it would take for her to put herself out there or for Thora, or anyone for that matter, to gain her trust.

Trying to stop the walls that were already going up, Bridget decided to change the subject. She had thought discussing exams would be fine, but apparently not.

“What are you reading?” she asked. After all, the book seemed to be a very good read.

“Er... They went fine. I hope I did really well but I’m not sure... Transfiguration was really hard...” Bridget answered Thora's previous question. The red-haired first year cringed as her fellow snake, following her statement, seemed to retreat, as if becoming defensive. After all, Thora hadn't meant to make the other girl feel worse--she had just redirected the question. Thora closed her book and, remaining seated, forced herself to focus her full attention on the other girl. The auburn-haired girl knew she could stand up, but, after all, she was short, so sitting down wouldn't make much of a difference. Of course, staring at Bridget was past awkward for the young Slytherin, so Thora just glanced up quickly, noticing the other girl's eyes dart to the Great Lake. Solitary for the entirety of her childhood, Thora had no problem quietly observing another's behavior. However, the girl tried to refrain from this, as whether or not she would admit it, Thora wanted a friend. And Bridget seemed like a perfect candidate. 
“What are you reading?” Bridget asked abruptly. Caught off guard, Thora floundered for an answer.
"Oh...it--it's Heidi," Thora answered, face flushing with embarrassment. The redhead was capable of reading books much more difficult and more advanced than this one, but she had brought it along since it was one of her favorite childhood reads. That, and not to mention, Heidi was obviously a Muggle book, albeit a good one. Knowing that Bridget was also a Muggleborn however, from their previous conversation, brought the girl some comfort. Locking her fingers together to stop fidgeting, Thora smiled at the other girl, not knowing what to say. Hopefully, Bridget would be willing to continue the conversation. Evidently, neither of the girls had improved, social-wise, from the last time they had talked.

"Oh...it--it's Heidi," Thora answered. She was fidgeting with her fingers, which she interlocked to keep still. They were utterly failing at keeping the awkwardness level down.

Bridget realized with a start that the awkwardness was mostly her fault, especially since she was still standing up, which was just weird. She quickly sat down, trying to make it look normal and not like she was scrambling to do what she should have already done. The grass, scorched dry from the hot June weather, was thankfully dry, albeit prickly.

Heidi was definitely a good read, as Bridget had assumed based off the speed Thora was reading. It had been several years since she'd read it, but she still remembered a thing or two, like how Heidi was actually quite similar to herself: curious and intelligent, the biggest disparity being their self-confidence. Then again, when Bridget was younger she was confident too.

Bridget hadn't had much time for Muggle fiction this year. The only fiction she'd read had been Percy Jackson, her favorite Muggle series, and several wizarding fiction books, just out of interest to see what their fiction was like. Fantasy for wizards, after all, was more like realistic fiction.

"I rather liked that book, but it's been a long time since I've read it. I believe though... isn't there someone named Brigitta? Sorry, I'm not sure who, but I remember because her name is similar to mine," Bridget said. Once again, they found themselves in silence, broken only by chatter from the castle and hilariously a few crickets chirping somewhere. Bridget didn't mind silence, but the problem with this silence was she felt like she had to keep a conversation going.

What could she share that would be interesting? Her fingers, resting on her satchel, brushed against her leather-bound sketchbook. No way was she sharing that--it was way to private. But maybe what she needed in order to trust someone was to start by, well, trusting them. If Thora proved to be trustworthy with something small, Bridget would be more comfortable getting to know her.

Her journal didn't feel like 'something small' though. Sure, all it had were some drawing of the Hogwarts castle and grounds as well as of a few people, a preliminary sketch of Thora included...

Somehow, Bridget managed to pull the sketchbook out of her satchel. Usually she would never do something like this, but as a mark of how much she wanted a friend here, she took the risk.

Now, how was she to introduce the topic? Wait awkwardly for Thora to notice and then shove it at her to look at? That wouldn't work at all. She'd have to say something, but what...

She almost found herself returning the sketchbook to her satchel, but at that moment Thora noticed it and there was no going back.

"Er… this is my sketchbook. My parents gave it to me before I came here. You can... you can look at it, you know, if you want..." Bridget trailed off. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea after all, but nevertheless, she held it out, hoping Thora would take it and prove herself trustworthy. Oh, and not think she was totally weird.

The two Slytherin second years sat awkwardly staring out to the Great Lake, when Bridget broke the ice-like silence. "I rather liked that book, but it's been a long time since I've read it. I believe though... isn't there someone named Brigitta? Sorry, I'm not sure who, but I remember because her name is similar to mine." Bridget said as she sat down beside Thora. 
"No, I don't think so..." the redhead answered. How to say this without making Bridget feel awkward? Thora struggled to pull words out of her mouth, finally answering, "I'm pretty sure there isn't a character named Brigitta. Maybe you're thinking of Clara?" Shooting the brunette sitting beside her a smile, Thora finished, "But you're right, Brigitta's definitely close to your name." Hopefully Bridget doesn't consider me absolutely hopeless now... thought Thora, trying not to look dejected.
The auburn-haired girl continued to sit quietly, noticing out of the corner of her eye Bridget's seemingly uncomfortable state. Hope I haven't done anything wrong... the redhead worried. The other Slytherin seemed to be poking at her satchel, fidgeting with it. Finally, an old, beautifully bound leather sketchbook was drawn out of the bag. As Bridget seemed rather nervous about something, Thora tried to look like she hadn't noticed the journal. But of course, the redhead couldn't help but turn her head, eyeing the book in interest.
"Er… this is my sketchbook. My parents gave it to me before I came here. You can... you can look at it, you know, if you want..." Bridget extended the book. 
"Um, sure..." Thora answered, smiling. It seemed that the two had more in common, then. Although Thora didn't exactly appreciate sketching, she loved to paint. Flipping through the surprisingly crisp pages, the redhead's eyes widened in amazement. Bridget's drawings were impressive--much better than Thora could've ever done. A portrait of the Great Hall was clearly drawn at Christmastime, with stars suspended from the ceiling. Another portrayed the Library, with all its dusty glory. The auburn haired second year's mouth dropped open as she observed the portraits of second years--same age as her. The portraits were mostly of Slytherins that Thora recognized from both classes and the common room, with a couple of Gryffindors. Although a few sketches had obviously been left unfinished, all of them exuded a real-life feeling that was breathtaking. 
Smiling, Thora recognized a familiar face among the pages--actually, it was her own face. Although the drawing was only pencil lines, it was obviously herself. 
Trying not to make either Bridget or herself feel even more awkward than they both evidently felt, Thora tore her eyes from the page and smiled at the brunette. "These are really good," Thora complimented Bridget. "They're so--so real..." 
The other Slytherin had obviously given up much to share this with Thora. On their previous meeting about a week before, Bridget had seemed nice, but extremely reserved. All the redhead could do was to hope to repay her somehow. After all, she would love to have Bridget as her friend. Loneliness and not having any friends really did bother Thora, even if she did her best to not show it.
"I actually really like to paint," Thora blurted out. "Maybe sometime I can show you my paintings?" Well, this exchange was kind of spiraling down in terms of awkwardness. Better to admit, I guess... the redhead thought. "Sorry, this conversation is really awkward," Thora said, smiling at Bridget.

"Oh... I'm probably thinking of another book. I'm pretty sure Brigitta was a minor character anyways, so she'd be easy to mix up..." Bridget trailed off. She'd tried to engage in a conversation and she mixed up her book characters. Honestly, she'd read so many books, it wasn't much of a surprise.

Thankfully, Thora took the sketchbook, flipping through the pages. Bridget ripped up dead grass in nervousness at what Thora would think. Would she like them? Would she think Bridget was an abysmal artist? Most importantly, would she prove to not be trustworthy?

Long moments passed, Bridget focusing on her breathing and staring out across the lake, peeking down at the drawings from time to time. She hated being around when people were examining her art, as it was really awkward. Bridget tensed as Thora flipped to the page bearing a pencil sketch of her. This really was the moment of truth...

Finally, Thora looked up at her, and to Bridget's relief, she was smiling. "These are really good. They're so--so real..." Thora praised, and Bridget's face turned pink. She wasn't embarrassed... no, just flushing at the praise. It had been a while since anyone had praised her, a whole year in fact, excluding teachers from time to time.

"I actually really like to paint. Maybe sometime I can show you my paintings? Sorry, this conversation is really awkward," Thora added. It was certainly awkward, but Thora was smiling and they were both, at least somewhat, enjoying themselves.

"Thank you. That would be great, actually. You know, seeing your paintings," Bridget said. A small smile emerged, which was pretty rare. She was starting to not only trust Thora but see how much they had in common. Maybe, if they just managed to come out of their shells a bit more... maybe they could be friends.

Bridget took back the leather-bound sketchbook. She was just about to tuck it back into her satchel when the pair was greeted by a cat. At least, Bridget assumed it was a cat, as it looked different from any cats she'd seen. The cat had tawny fur flecked with dark brown, huge ears, and a tail with a tuft of fur at the end that reminded Bridget of a lion's tail. Nonetheless, it was a cat and looked fairly friendly, so Bridget set down her sketchbook and reached out to pet the creature. She did, after all, have a liking for cats and was considering getting one for a pet if she had enough money.

The cat-like creature responded well to Bridget petting it, purring and slowly whipping its tail from side to side. "This is an odd-looking cat," Bridget said, turning to face Thora to see what she thought.

She instantly regretted taking her eyes off the supposed cat, because at that moment the cat snatched up her sketchbook and set off across the Grounds.

Bridget, seeing the cat streak by with her sketchbook, instantly jumped to her feet. Just what she needed, a feline to interrupt her attempt to make a friend. She raced after the cat, not even bothering to see if Thora was following. She couldn't risk losing sight--the drawings meant a lot to her and had consumed so much of her time...

Around the castle they raced until they arrived at a place Bridget had seldom visited. The cat trotted right up to a tree and disappeared through what she assumed was a tunnel in the ground.

But there was a problem in getting to the cat. The tree it had chosen to hide under was one Bridget had heard rumors about. Huge, knotted, with branches swinging wildly around: there was no doubt.

To retrieve her sketchbook, Bridget would have to go through the Whomping Willow.

"Thank you. That would be great, actually. You know, seeing your paintings," Bridget finally said. Inwardly, the redhead breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Bridget could be a friend... thought Thora. "Ok, I'll see when I can--"  

Thora's sentence was cut short suddenly as a cat--what was it??-- walked up to the pair of Slytherins. The redhead tried not to scramble away, as she had a mild allergy to cats and highly preferred other animals, like dogs, to the small felines. 

Bridget, however, reached out to pet the cat, stroking its silky fur. "This is an odd-looking cat," she commented, turning to Thora. "Yeah..." Thora answered distantly. She had been thinking the exact same thing. Occasional visits to the zoo with her family had the auburn-haired girl familiar with most animals out there. Of course, the girl was no expert, but the cat looked uncannily like a baby lion, with golden fur and a tufty tail. 

Thora's silent reverie was interrupted as the brunette next to her jumped up and streaked off. 

"Huh?" Thora muttered. Her pale eyes widened as she noticed the weird-looking cat racing across the grass, Bridget's sketchbook clutched in its jaws. Thora ran off, chasing Bridget. Years of running wild across her family's expansive farm had made the redhead extremely fast, aided by her small frame. Trying to catch up to Bridget, Thora ran and ran, the scenery streaking past her. Reaching where the other Slytherin had skidded to a stop, the redhead pulled up short. 

"Uh-oh," Thora whispered as she watched the tip of the feline's fuzzy tail disappear. In front of the two Slytherins stood the infamous Whomping Willow. Knowing the drawings in the leather-bound book were enormously important to Bridget, Thora stepped up next to the other girl. "Um... I don't know what just happened... Can I help?" 

Bridget had to remind herself to breathe.

Sure, anyone would say there's no point risking your life over a sketchbook. Except to her, the leather-bound pages riddled with sketches were more than just a sketchbook. The art was a bridge to span the gap magic had created in her family. Hopefully the sketches could show them a bit of the wizarding world.

Also, those drawings had taken a lot of her time. Sometimes she'd use her free time in the afternoon to draw, often sitting outside and capturing what she saw, but the majority of work had been done at night. The truth was, Bridget was homesick. Before Hogwarts, she'd only done a few overnight camps and those had only been for a week at a time, but now she only got to see her family over Christmas and during the summer. Sometimes she would get under the covers of her bed in the Slytherin Dormitory and instantly be out, but often she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, instead crouched under her covers, wand illuminated in her right hand and left hand bearing pencils that scratched away at the pages of her sketchbook. If all that was gone, when she hadn't shared the works of art with a soul except Thora...

'Don't think that way,' she scolded herself. 'We're going to get the sketchbook back.' Because if there was one thing Bridget had, it was determination. She wasn't pretty, she was fast but her small frame gave her a disadvantage in physical competitions, and she wasn't popular. Most of the time, Bridget wasn't even the smartest person in the room. What she did have she got through working twice as hard as everyone else because she hated feeling like she wasn't enough.

'How to get the sketchbook back?' she asked herself, breaking off of her train of thoughts. Obviously, running straight at the tree would be suicide. If the Whomping Willow was a human, that would be worth a shot for the surprise factor, but the tree had no sentience other than to pummel whatever was in branch's reach. She tried to just think of this without the weird tree elements. If the cat was an average cat and hiding in its home in say, a crevice under some surfaced roots (which was what she assumed the cat had actually hidden in), how would she get it to come out? Maybe she could attach food to a rope, toss it to the entrance of the hole, and slowly draw the rope back. The problem was, the cat might leave her sketchbook behind, so they would still have a problem.

Bridget tried to think of some other solution, but she came up with nothing. She had her wand tucked into a belt-ish thing she'd constructed that held her wand in place at her waist for easy access and storage when she didn't have deep enough pockets. Nonetheless, her mind was devoid of any sort of plan whatsoever. She needed help.

Help, if she let go over her stubbornness, stood right next to her in the form of a short auburn-haired girl. A girl who, instead of just gawking at the scene, had asked how she could help and the first person at Hogwarts Bridget had even begun to trust. Someone who shared her love of art and hung out with her even though she was an outsider and terribly awkward.

Letting go of her need to always be enough, Bridget let out a deep breath. "I need your help figuring out how to get my sketchbook back." She was supposed to be the leader, the one with the plan, but here she was, not only asking Thora to potentially risk her safety, but also to help her even formulate an idea that would work.

And then Thora did something unexpected.