A First Closed

Feeling bad and able to relate to her situation, I placed my spare ink and a wad of paper towels on her desk. I remembered how my good friend had helped me when my thousands of books came crashing down like an avalanche on a mountain, and I didn't see why I couldn't do the same for this girl. I brushed back my long, wavy bright red hair and placed my big, black geek glasses over my big gold doe eyes before I started to clean the ink. Glancing at her robes, I could see that she was a Slytherin. That would explain why I hadn't seen her before. I didn't know a lot of Slytherins, despite almost getting sorted into the house. I hoped the girl wouldn't feel embarrassed by her issue since I believed that everyone experiences accidents and that it was a part of life.

When I saw her crying, I wasn't sure what to do. For one, I don't understand how someone could cry about making a simple mistake. It was just an ink splatter and even though people witnessed it, they probably endured the same thing. While digging into her bag for tissues, she asks, "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

I glance up at the girl, really confused. “I-I’m fine.” I mumble, obviously not telling the truth. I’ve made many mistakes in the past that are so much worse than this that even the smallest mistakes I make make me so sad and upset. I wipe my tears and stare up at the person before me.
“I cry a lot on a daily basis. I’m very emotional and highly sensitive. People like to mention my messed up ankles and make fun of them, which I don’t mind since it’s a part of me that makes me special in a way.” I mumble, my voice small and filled with curiosity.
My big, sky blue eyes swim with tears but are filled with wonder. “Thanks for the help. I didn’t catch your name though.” I mumble, looking at my book that I tossed to the floor in all my clumsiness. “I’m Amber. Amber Pierce.” I mumble, as I pick up my book and set it back on the desk. Some groups are leaving the room as some new groups file in, talking and laughing like nothing bad has happened which I’m thankful for in many ways. I eventually look back at you, refocusing on the conversation.

Ember had watched the two girls for a while. One of them, the student who had cracked her ink pot and spilt a blue mess all over her robes, had silently started crying. A few heads turned around and Ember felt sorry for her; the young Slytherin didn't seem to be the kind of person who liked being the centre of attention. 
A hot wave of embarrassment surged into her head and made her turn as fiercely red as her hair when she realized she, too, was staring at the girl. She felt the strong urge to turn back towards the teacher, but stopped as she saw that Tina, a Ravenclaw she vaguely recognized from the day of their Sorting Ceremony, leaned over to the crying student and started cleaning up the ink. That's nice, Ember thought. And indeed. It seemed to be cheering the poor girl up, the tears still welling up in her eyes but not spilling over. She heard them talking in quiet voices, but wasn't able to distinguish the words. Nevertheless, she wanted to see if she could help in any way. "Hi" she whispered. "Um, are you OK? Shall I ask for a new ink pot or something?" She gave the girl a friendly smile. 

I look at the girl across the area and give a small smile that had a tint of sadness in it. “I’d love that. You’re Ember right?” I whisper, unsure of my surroundings. I look around at the people staring at me and I start to tremble, ducking below my desk in hopes of hiding from the cruel eyes around me. I know most of them are accusing me of being weird and others are just giving me sympathy.
“Oh no... so many people. Too many people.” I mumble, not wanting to be seen, wanting to turn invisible and never return to normal. But what is normal? There’s no such thing so what’s the point of even trying? Ugh.
I wipe at the stain on my robes and sigh. “It’s no use, what’s the point of even trying to get it out? It’s ink.” I mumble. I grab my book from the desk and put it in my bag, checking over it before to make sure it doesn’t have ink in it. “I’m really clumsy if you haven’t notised.” I mumble with I little giggle. I tie my shoes before standing, knowing my ankles won’t like that I’m standing and will probably give out later after basically running to this classroom.

Ember smiled softly. "Sure, it's no problem at all. I suppose you wouldn't really like more attention being drawn to you..." she gave a little bright chuckle, "so I'll ask the teacher when the lesson's over. And yes, I'm Ember... sorry, what's your name? I'm afraid I haven't seen you before."
As she waited for an answer, another idea suddenly sprang to her mind. "I - I think there's a spell for situations like this... Scourgify or something like that? I can try it if you like, but I would recommend asking the teacher. I have only read about it, it would be my first time and I don't want to set you on fire or whatever could happen..." Again, she grinned. 
Ember watched the Slytherin girl tie her shoes and stand up, seemingly ready to leave. "Hey", she stuck out a hand in reflex, then quickly drew it back again as not to seem rude, "where are you going? The lesson isn't over yet, you know? ..." Her face morphed into a slight frown as she curiously looked at the girl. 

“Who said I was leaving?” I mutter with a smirk. “I’m Amber Pierce. And I’m pretty sure the spell you’re talking about is Spongify.
I’m pretty sure it soaks up stuff. I think I read about it in one of my boos but I don’t know how to cast it. I can just get new robes for all I care. It’s no biggy.” I mumble, talking fast. I doubt anyone is listening to the lesson anyways.
I stumble back to my desk. Wiping what’s left of my tears on the edge of my messed up robes and look at tears. I watch as people mumble to each other and sometimes they do stupid stuff that’s normal for friends I guess. But they aren’t normal, either. They’re special and lead happy lives. I give a small smile at this, knowing that’ll get easier one day, just not today.
I turn and pull my winter cloak over my small body and look back at you, hoping you didn’t see what I was doing before. I fastened the cloak around my neck and look up at you. “Sorry, I was cold. This place is getting cold as the days go by. Is it just me?” I ask quietly.

“Wait, you’re Tina! I know you. I saw you on the train ride here!” I exclaim, shivering as I wonder who opened the window. “Wow, you’re pretty smart, Tina. And that’s not a bad thing because you’re also quite pretty.” I mumble, looking back at my feet.
I pick up the small spare ink pot and slide it into my bag, tucked away carefully so it won’t break. “Anyways, sorry I’m such a hastle at times. I’m not exactly the most agile creature in the world.” I mutter, with a smirk. It had been a while since I’d talked to anyone. I’m so afraid of talking to people, I still shake. Even now, I tremble in fear and the cold.
“So how long have you been taking this class? This is my first time here so I’m wondering if any of you have been attending this class longer than I have because I sure need help. I’m so confused on what to do. I often get lost in this place. Oh, but first, tell me how your days have been, please. You both seem to be having a good day.” I mutter, slightly intrigued to find out more about these new people even though I’m afraid.

I felt even worse since I didn't remember seeing Amber on the train ride. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing her until today. Luckily, she didn't think her intelligence was a bad trait and gave my looks a compliment. I felt my cheeks turn slightly pink, overwhelmed by the flattery I was receiving. 

"You might be more agile than you think. I hear spilling ink can build and develop hand to eye coordination, " I joke with a small smile across my pale face. I didn't want her to feel so bad about making an honest mistake since it's what makes us humans.

"I've been taking this class for awhile, but it's been so long that I can't remember the exact number of days. I would be happy to help  you around the castle since I know where most of the rooms are. Is there any place you had in mind?" I ask as I shift my weight, too nervous to stand still. I didn't want to leave Amber, but the more I stood there, the more I worried I wouldn't complete the class assignment. Reluctantly I answer, "My day has been tedious and uneventful. There's s much work to do. What about yours?"