A Book in Common Finished

"Personally, I wouldn't make fun of her just cause she's deaf, also what does the Slytherin common room look like, I know others from different houses aren't allowed in any other common room but theirs. Also your a vegan cool, I've always wondered myself what the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian were, if I had to eat only fruit since coming here I would be sick of it too."

Mia smiled tightly at Mae.

"I guess I'm just not as nice as you. But us Slytherins generally aren't."

Mia turned and walked along the carpeted hallway, grabbing a wooden pyre. The light danced off the walls and Mia turned back to face the two girls, swinging the pyre left and right. It was heavy, and Mia had to grasp it with both hands, and even then it was tilting from left to right.

"I took this because we'll be walking along a darkish hallway and this will illuminate our way."

Mia took a breath and ventured deeper into the dark, making sure the other two girls were OK. They seemed fine, and Mia took another few steps towards the door at the end of the hallway. There was a painting of fruit next to it, and Mia knew that that was the only way in. She set the pyre down and ran towards the door, squeezing her eyes shut. She knew that it wouldn't be dark, but she didn't really like the fire-illuminated dark.

"I guess I'm just not as nice as you. But us Slytherins generally aren't." Mia said after Mae's response. "I took this because we'll be walking along a darkish hallway and this will illuminate our way." she added. Mae noted how the hallway was very dark and to her it was a bit creepy but then again they were near the bottom part of the school and she had to think to herself how much light they were really able to put down there. She wondered if Ami was bothered by it all as she may have had her common room down here as well. Mia seemed completely fazed by the darkness of the hallway as if it were a normal experience for her on the daily. Mae knew if she were put into Slytherin that she would never be able to walk down here without a friend at least. "Hey, well I think you could be about as kind as you want, I believe that house doesn't affect who you are as a person," Mae said "I even bet there are some really mean Gryffindors, or Hufflepuffs, no offense Ami and even Ravenclaws, it just depends on who you are as a person," she added, she really did hope that she hadn't hurt Ami's feelings. "Also if I was a Slytherin and I had to travel down this hallway I wouldn't do it alone without a friend or two, it's dark down here," Mae said looking around and holding her arms together closely to not touch anything. 

"Hey, well I think you could be about as kind as you want, I believe that house doesn't affect who you are as a person, I even bet there are some really mean Gryffindors, or Hufflepuffs, no offense Ami and even Ravenclaws, it just depends on who you are as a person. Also if I was a Slytherin and I had to travel down this hallway I wouldn't do it alone without a friend or two, it's dark down here."

Mia smiled at Mae and looked down the hallway. It was dark.

"Yeah. I wonder why they don't light it up better. The house elves have to come through this hallway..."

Mia looked around and crept up to the painting. She tickled it and it giggled, swinging open to show a small kitchen filled with house elves. They were small, wrinkled, and all of them faintly smelled of peaches. Mia smiled and tentatively stepped forward, raising her hands up in the air.

"Hello. I'm Mia Alexander. A Slytherin. I'm here for some vegan food, maybe tofu chicken? Or really whatever you have that is vegan and is not fruit or tea."

Mia smiled and back at Ami.

"Any other requests?"

Ami walked alongside her fellow students in silence, taking in the dark stone tunnel, the only light source being Mia’s torch. So this is where Mia’s fellow Slytherins resided. Interesting place, she thought, that Salazar Slytherin had chosen to place his house. The architecture and engineering expertise required must have been immense- or, the magic used would have been immense. She snapped back to the present when Mia asked, “Any other requests?”

“Uh… what?” Ami asked, blinking rapidly, realizing they were now at the kitchens. “Oh. Food. Um…” She hesitated, trying to remember what her mom liked to cook for her, what Thomas would give her at lunch. “Steamed vegetables is good, if you could put it in vegetable broth afterward, that would be really nice, too. I also don’t know how you choose to bake your bread…? But if you don’t add any animal products, like no milk or whey, if you guys have a spare slice of bread, that would really make my day,” she rattled off. “You guys usually set out coffee at breakfast, but not at lunch or dinner. Black coffee would be a good drink,” she finished off with a smile. “I mean, if it’s not too much trouble for you guys…” Ami trailed off, suddenly unsure.

Ami trailed off and Mia let out a nervous laugh. She wasn't sure if Ami was anxious, or just daydreaming. Mia turned back to the house elves, and placed a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear.

"Thank you so much for this my friend here"-Mia gestured towards Ami-"is vegan, and it's hard for her to eat here, as she doesn't know what's in everything."

Mia glanced at the crowd of house elves before her. They were all wrinkled and much smaller than Willy. Mia sighed. She missed him so much. Back at home, Mia would spend hours in her room, and Willy was the only one who would comfort her. Even Rachel would leave her alone when she got into those moods.

Mia snapped back to attention, and stepped closer to the small creatures, her nervous smile replaced with a genuine relaxed one.

"And also, I haven't had butterbeer in forever. Is there any way that you could make it for me? I know my house elf has the recipe, and I've seen him communicate in some strange way with other house elves, so if you don't have the recipe he is currently at the Alexander mansion in Lancashire."

Butterbeer? What the hell- ahem, bloody hell, was that? Ami crinkled her nose slightly at the thought of butter in alcohol, but made no comment. Wizards, she knew, were certainly a strange race (even if, yes, she was a part of them). Different people drank different things, and that was totally okay. But still, ew, butter.

Her eyes widened at the mention of a mansion- and one named after Mia's family, at that. Sweet Jesus, how the hell... What do her parents do for a living, if she's that rich? Also, Lancashire. Yes, she'd heard of the place before- a remote, non-metropolitan city that was as picturesque as a postcard. It must be expensive to live there, prettier places tended to have a tax to go with them, like a lake tax... 

Ami shook these thoughts away (they were so rude, and this wasn't how her parents had raised her) and turned to Mae. "Hey, Mae, do you want anything specific to eat?" she asked politely, realizing that Mae hadn't made any specific requests for food quite yet. "It wouldn't be fair if just the two of us-" she gestured to herself and Mia, "-found some home food to eat, and you didn't."

Ami, Mae and Mia reached the end of the hall to where they were in the kitchen. Ami seemed quite nervous and requested some fruit or tofu chicken. Mia saw that and she asked for some butterbeer. Mae stood there completely confused as to what butterbeer was and she had heard of tofu chicken but was sill unsure as to what it was. Then Ami turned to Mae "Hey, Mae, do you want anything specific to eat?". Mae snapped back into reality for a minute. "Yeah sure i'll have some fruit, and I have never tried a butterbeer so I guess I'll have one too," she said to Ami then she turned to Mia "I may be speaking for both myself and for Ami but what is a butterbeer?" Mae asked inquistively, since coming to the wizarding world she was unsure of a lot of foods here. She turned back to Ami "Actually specifically do they have any blueberries here, also I have heard of tofu chicken maybe once but if you don't mind me asking what's in it?" Mae said she was sure she would get a good answer from both Ami and Mia after all she was only 11 and didn't know everything yet.

Mia looked up at the cieling and tossed her hair, letting the ginger tinted mane fall down her back softly. She then reached into her robes and got a light green hair tie. She wrapped it around her hair. It was now in a messy bun, a few strands already floating down and going in front of her face. It always got in her face, and besides, she was in a kitchen here. It wasn't sanitary to keep her hair down.

Mia then turned to face Ami and Mae, opening her mouth to talk.

"Butterbeer is a heavenly beverage. It tastes...like less-sickly butterscotch, if you know what I mean. I like mine with gurdyroot, mallowsweet, butterscotch, water, sugar, and moondew. Butterbeer also has a bit of alcohol, so I never drink more than two glasses."

Mia then turned soley to Mae, ready to answer her question.

"Tofu chicken has extra-firm tofu, bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, nutritional yeast flakes, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. I used to make it all the time when Willy had his two weeks of paid vacation."

Mia shrugged and scrunched up her nose. She was not a whiz in the kitchen, and neither were her parents. So, on those days when they had no hired help, Mia would either go over to Scotts house, or fix herself a little something.

Thank goodness for Mia because right when she asked the questions she responded right away. Mae watched her turn to herself and Ami and said "Butterbeer is a heavenly beverage. It tastes...like less-sickly butterscotch, if you know what I mean. I like mine with gurdyroot, mallowsweet, butterscotch, water, sugar, and moondew. Butterbeer also has a bit of alcohol, so I never drink more than two glasses.". Alchohol, Mae had never had it before and was astounded that Wizarding parents had allowed their children to drink this stuff. Mia then turned to Mae "Tofu chicken has extra-firm tofu, bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, nutritional yeast flakes, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. I used to make it all the time when Willy had his two weeks of paid vacation.". That was one thing that sounded good to Mae, but her mind was stuck on getting her hands on those blueberries. "Wait Mia so do some Wizarding parents let their kids just drink butterbeer?" Mae asked she definitely needed to know the answer. "Also Tofu chicken does sound good, but I still have my mind on those blueberries," Mae said with a mmm and slowly closed her eyes for dramatic effect.