Sad Song CLOSED

Katie had heard someone singing, as she was looking for the library. She was still a new wide-eyed first year with too-long sleeves and a baby face. She looked even smaller then most kids here, even the ones in her year.

But she heard singing and walked into the open door, peeking around to see a girl in a red cloaked uniform. Griffin-puff. Or... slither-door... no. Griffin door. Or whatever. The brave one.

She listened to the song, sitting against the wall, silent as a mouse. She always had been adept at being quiet, but that was due to shyness more than anything else.

When the song finished, Katie was sitting with closed eyes and knees to her chest. She was swaying slightly, in tune of the song, and in full view of the now stopped brave one. The little rave claw took a moment to open her eyes, blinking, and looked up. The girl was staring at her. Was she mad? Had Katie been an intruder here??? Katie immediately blushed a deep red, which appeared to be her default setting whenever she got slightly nervous.

Yeah, it’s true. She was never known for making friends. Or bravery. She sure wasn’t a griffin-door.

Annabel wandered down the recently polished, yet old hall, tucking her wavy blonde hair behind her ear. Her black dress shoes were silent against the wood flooring. As she walked, she was fiddling with the green and silver Slytherin crest on her robes when she suddenly stopped next to the ballroom doors.

There were strange sounds coming behind the door. Annabel turned her head to the right and studied the Alder wood of the closed ballroom door as she listened. It wasn't just any sound, she realized, it was music.

Being Muggle-born, Annabel initially thought that a radio was playing. As she listened harder, however, she noticed that someone was singing.

She opened the door just a crack to amplify the sound. Listening for a few moments she concluded that the song was about losing somebody. But what did this mysterious singer lose? Did someone die? Had she confessed feelings to someone, only to be heartbroken?

Annabel opened the alder door silently and studied the singer, who was facing away from Annabel. The first thing she noticed was the girl's red hair. The girl's robes were scarlet and gold. She was a Gryffindor.

Gryffindors are known for their bravery and pride, Annabel remembered from the sorting ceremony, surely this redhead wouldn't mind me spying?

The Gryffindor turned her head towards the side so that Annabel could make out her face. There were tears in her eyes, but the girl blinked them away as she was staring at something. Annabel followed her eyes to another small girl sitting with her knees to her chest. This girl had robes of blue and bronze. A Ravenclaw.

The Ravenclaw had fear and shyness in her eyes and looked to Annabel for help. Now the Gryffindor's eyes were on her, too.

Annabel was put on the spot and didn't know what to say.

"I... like your singing." She said to the Gryffindor. As a Slytherin, Annabel knew this was the best thing to say. Tell a Gryffindor a compliment and their pride will lead the way. Annabel followed up with, "Who was that song about?" She hoped she wasn't being blunt, which was one of her weaknesses.

Luna was going around Hogwarts because she was too bored. She just wanted to look around the place here, because there were many interesting places - due to the books. While she was still wandering around, she heard someone who was singing. She couldn't hear clearly but if she wasn't wrong, it came from the ballroom.

Luna looked at a Slytherin who was standing there. Seems like this girl hears the song too... Luna thought and when the girl entered the room, she bit her lips and stood in front of the door. "This is Hogwarts, not a creepy place. I am sure that nothing can be wrong here... And it was just someone who was singing, Luna, have courage"

The little girl slowly opened the door and looked around. There were four people, including her, in the ballroom. The girl who was singing was a Gryffindor, and there was a Ravenclaw. Not to mention the Slytherin that she saw before...

Luna just stood there and listened to the song. The melody was sad, and... "A..." She quickly wiped her tears, however, she couldn't stop crying. Luna turned around and kept wiping her tears.

After hearing what the Slytherin girl just said, she smiled, "I agree. It was really beautiful..." She wasn't lying about this. This girl, this Gryffindor girl was a gem. In addition, Luna could feel the emotion that the girl put in it, the sadness.

Veronica opened her eyes after she finished singing, only to be met with the shy eyes of a young Ravenclaw girl. "Hello, miss. I didn't hear you come in!" Roni gasped when she heard the other two girls behind her. Hearing their compliments caused Veronica to plush. She didn't have much of an ego to feed, and she was put down by her mother, so it was nice to hear someone give her a compliment. "Thank you both!" She looked over her shoulder to see that the other two girls were Slytherins, and she instantly, shrunk. She was told that Slytherins weren't the nicest people, but hearing them made her think differently.

"My...um...well, my grandmother died a few months ago, and she was the best person that I had in my life, and now she's gone, and on top of that, my father walked out on our family when I was really young, so I never really had a father figure in my life." Thinking about her grandmother caused tears to swell up in her eyes, but she calmed herself down, blinking he tears away. "For some reason, I can always express myself through song, it's strange how safe I feel when I'm singing." Realization dawned on her as she looked between all three girls. "I'm so sorry, I've been so rude, my name is Veronica Turner, but I prefer to be called Roni." She smiled towards the three girls, hoping that they'd see past her rudeness. She was always taught to introduce herself when first meeting someone, to give off a good impression.

oh, so many people were here now.

this was one of katie's nightmeres. nobody framiliar, nobody in her blue and bronze to use as an ally... oh... and now they were all looking at her. the very small girl just shrunk further into the corner, pulling up her hood so she was just a pile of blue with eyes and red hair poking out. but at least the attention wasnt on here, right now. her eyes conveyed relief to the first girl who had walked in, saving her.

she didnt say a word, observing the three others in the room. the girl with the pretty voice, the brave one. her grandmother... oh, that's so sad! she frowned, looking to see how the others would react to this. the girls in green had saved her from having to say anything yet, or respond flusteredly through a convorsation, so she was eternally greatful. but she wasnt enjoying being in a room where the attention could be shifted onto her in any moment. there was nobody to hide behind except her robes, and katie decided she would be doing exactly that for as long as she could manage. if it ain't broke, dont fix it.

"My...um...well, my grandmother died a few months ago, and she was the best person that I had in my life, and now she's gone, and on top of that, my father walked out on our family when I was really young, so I never really had a father figure in my life." said the redhead. The girl's green eyes brimmed with tears at the memory, yet she was able to blink them away after composing herself with a few shaky breaths.

Annabel nodded and felt deep pity for the girl. She too had lost someone dear to her.

Flash. Annabel was in a small room. It smelled of disinfectant. Next to her was a monitor, slowly beeping a heart rate. Next to the monitor was an IV drip. She was standing next to a clean bed with her sick, tired father laying in it. Annabel's mother was sobbing onto a shoulder, but Annabel would stay strong and not cry. She could only helplessly watch her father slowly die. All those years of smoking, only for the heavens to strike down onto him with lung sickness. Flash.

Annabel was nine years old that day.

"I'm so sorry, I've been so rude, my name is Veronica Turner, but I prefer to be called Roni." said the girl, snapping Annabel back to reality.

Annabel nodded. "My name is Annabel Cooper... and I'm sorry for your loss." Annabel drew in a shaky breath, and continued, "I've lost someone, too. My father, a few years ago. Died from lung cancer."

Annabel gave the redhead...or Roni, rather, a reassuring smile to let her know that she didn't have to go through loss by herself.

Luna was a bit shocked when the Gryffindor girl didn't start a fight with her and the other Slytherin. She expected her to say something like, "It's none of your business!" However, this girl was nicer than she thought...

After hearing the Gryffindor girl, Luna felt really sorry for her. She has never lost someone in her life. In addition, she could talk with the picture of her family members that were already dead, so she didn't understand how does it feel when a person that you love die, but she still felt sad for the girl.

"I am Luna. Luna Choi... And I am sorry for your lost, Roni and Cooper... Luna bit her lips and looked at them. They must be really sad... She could feel their sadness just by looking at their face. "And I can understand what you mean, Roni... Playing piano helps me express myself too, and it makes me feel really safe. It is sure strange, but I don't hate it." She smiled a bit. Maybe she should change the detail, hoped that they won't feel sad anymore...

She turned her gaze to the little Raven, who was really quiet since Roni stopped singing. Luna was going to ask her name, however, the girl seemed like she didn't want to talk. Is it because she was too shy? Luna wondered and stopped looking at her.

Roni smiles at the two slytherins. Luna and Annabel seemed to be extremely nice girls. Nothing like the stario typical Slytherin. She enjoyed their company. Luna impressed her though. “You play piano? That is so amazing! I could never hope to be able to play that beautiful instrument. You have to play for me some time!” Roni then lost her smile as she remembered the loss that everyone has had. “I’m sorry for your loss Annabel.” Knowing a loss was one thing, but it’s another thing to loose a parent.

She’d conpletely forgotten that there was yet another girl in the room. She’d been so quiet that Roni hardly noticed her. ‘omg how could I forget, there’s another person in here!’ she mentally scolded herself for forgetting. Turning her attention to the Ravenclaw. Roni crouched down to her knees looking the Ravenclaw in the eyes. “Hello,” Roni spoke with a soft and quiet voice as not to spook the girl. Roni could tell that she was a shy one. “I’m Roni. What’s your name?” She knew who hard it is to get someone to speak when they’re shy, but it’s the only way to make friends, as far as she knew.

She watched them talk. A fly on the wall. Maybe if they would leave without remembering her existence it would all be okay. She would be okay. Of course, as soon as this was thought, she was seen.

DARN.

The girl, the nice girl in red, looked at her. Of course, if Katie were to lift her face her cheeks would be as red as the girl’s - Ronnie’s- outfit. As it was, only her ears were visible. And they gave it away.

The girl was kinda scary as she whirled onto talking to Katie. It made Katie scrunch further into the wall. But then she squatted down, looking into her eyes.

Ronnie spoke gently. She was kind, to Katie, and soft. It was like she was talking to a frightened animal.She spoke as if she genuinely cared about how Katie was, and that was why she was even ABLE to respond. It was quiet, and soft, and there was a stutter of nerves inside it, but she was able to get it out.

“K-Katie?” She whispered her name as though it was a question, quiet enough so only the nice griffin- girl could hear. It was muffled further so it would need to be straining on her ears to make out, but she had said it.