Closed Whispers in the walls PV

Grace has always been a morning person; for her, getting up at dawn was the perfect time to start the day in the best possible way. Getting up early was in her nature, getting out of bed early helped her to feel active right from the start. Her father used to tell her: The early bird catches the worm, and from these words she had made a real rule of life.
She got out of bed immediately after a satisfying stretch. Silence reigned around her, her companions were sound asleep and the silence was only interrupted by their slow, regular breathing. With a light step so as not to wake them, she headed for the choice of clothes. She had no special needs, she just wanted to feel comfortable, so she chose a soft red jumper, comfortable white trousers and light shoes. Once she had rinsed her face with cool, ice-cold water, she combed her hair, tying it into a soft bun. By now she was awake... Ready to face the day, she didn't feel like standing there waiting for her companions to wake up, and she certainly didn't want to risk waking them up with her usual morning routine. So she walked out of the dormitory with a light step, the corridors of the castle were practically empty, there weren't many living souls wandering around. A soft, golden light floated through the arched windows set in the rock walls.
Grace was enjoying the quietness of the school, with no definite destination, so she let her steps guide her, enjoying the tranquility that only the early morning hours could offer. And that is exactly how she reached the Small Hall, where the light changed. The lighting was soft, with a glow that increased towards the end of the room, where a large white stone fireplace dominated the room. Grace let her gaze wander around, above the fireplace hung an antique wooden chandelier, whose light gave the atmosphere an enveloping and intimate warmth. Along the walls were several portraits of wizards and witches who had left their mark on the history of Hogwarts. She noticed a dark-haired female figure, who seemed undecided as to what to do. She stood there for a moment, watching the girl silently, before approaching her with curiosity. The silence was palpable, interrupted only by the crackling of the fire crackling in the fireplace.
"Isn't it a bit early to be up at the weekend?"she asked with a barely-there smile, her words light but full of sympathetic observation. ""From what pulpit! I'm as awake as you are".

Virginia was never a morning person, as these reminded her of how little sleep she'd had and the weight of her exhaustion. But this morning was different. After another night of vivid nightmares, she'd given up trying to sleep any longer. The constant tossing and turning had exhausted her, and she knew there was no escaping the images lingering in her mind. She sighed and stood up slowly. The castle had a different atmosphere in the early hours - it was very quiet. She puts on a thick navy-blue vest over her Hogwarts uniform and set off to wander the corridors. She made her way to the Little Hall, where the fireplace made it nice and cosy. That's when she noticed two figures, one standing near the entrance, the other already inside, dressed in Gryffindor colors. Virginia approached curiously, listening to the two girls' discussion. Suddenly, one of them turned around, saw her and asked, “You couldn't sleep either? The question was simple and yet virginia couldn't find the words right away she who was by nature shy had to go over it twice to even put the ideas together in her mind. Then after an exercise that seemed most complex, she finally replied, “Yes, at the moment I'm having more and more nightmares. I don't really know why, maybe it's because I'm far from my family ! And you why are you up so early? "

𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Amelia Garnett, @Grace Mitchell| 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Small Hall| 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 & 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆: Oct 13th, around 7am|

Still undecided, Amelia stood in the same spot as before, when a girl approached her. The girl talked to her, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice and a faint smile on her dainty face. Or had Amelia imagined that? Amelia had no idea which house the girl belonged to, unless her red jumper was a hint. But that was no way to judge, of course.

Amelia was about to answer when another girl popped in and added to the conversation. Both seemed at ease despite of the early morning hour, while Amelia herself couldn't stop yawning. The new girl had long brown hair, and judging by her clothes, she could be a Ravenclaw.

But again, Amelia shouldn't judge that way. In fact, she shouldn't care about houses at all. Why was she even bothering with houses? Maybe it was this ungodly hour that had affected her, confusing her so much. She should just answer these two.

"Er, yeah, seems like we're all up pretty early." Amelia looked at the two hesitantly, her voice still a bit sleepy. They seemed young, around her own age. Could they be first years as well? "What year are you two in? What house?" Amelia inquired. Her curiosity won her over, even though she thought it inappropriate just a minute ago. She didn't ask for names, though, for now. She was sure she'd forget them anyways.

𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Virginia Blankenship, @Grace Mitchell| 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: The Small Hall| 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 & 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆: Oct 13th, around 7am| 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 233| 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒇𝒊𝒕: the jumper:)

Now they were no longer just two, but three....
Grace crossed her arms, intrigued, as she observed the two girls. Who knows for what reasons all three had found themselves in that very place and at that very hour, in the total silence of the still sleeping castle.

“Isn't it strange how the school seems...” she paused for a few moments as she looked around “... almost another place at this hour, isn't it?” she added, letting her gaze get lost on the walls lit by the warm light of the fireplace. She felt at ease in that quietness, completely different from the usual chaos of the school day. I wonder if they feel what I feel too.... maybe they are annoyed by this early awakening... Grace wondered.
While one still seemed uncertain, almost torn between letting herself be enveloped in wakefulness or giving in to drowsiness again, the other seemed to find more comfort in that silence.

Grace decided to break the stillness again “Apparently Hogwarts is busier in the mornings than I thought. ” She took a few steps forward.

“As for the year and the house...” she said, hinting at a smirk as she lowered her gaze and pointed to her own red jumper with her finger. “Let's just say that might be a good clue.” She paused again, then added in a joking tone; “But not necessarily, maybe, I might have stolen it from someone”.

That joke came out of her mouth, a way of dampening the moment, Grace certainly wasn't the most casual of people when meeting new people, but the relaxed atmosphere of the room given by the warmth of the fireplace made her feel more at ease.

“I officially introduce myself... My name is Grace Mitchell, first year, Gryffindor”, she then said in a friendly tone “It's a pleasure to meet you!”
After introducing herself, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and allowed herself a moment to observe the girls' reaction.

“Maybe we should take advantage of this calm while it lasts”, she continued, casting a glance towards the windows outside “Soon the sky will be filled with half-asleep students looking for some food”.
She shrugged his shoulders with a hint of a smile, then cast one last glance at the girls, maybe, somehow, those coincidences made sense.

But for now there was only the silence of the room, the crackling of the fire and the strange, fleeting complicity of the three girls.

Sorry it took me so long