Beginnings Already Began Finished

[font=Comic Sans MS]Wren's breaths were coming in rapidly. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering around impatiently, making her a little uncomfortable. A million thoughts were running in and out of her head, as the moment where she'd be sorted into her house was coming up. She had wondered for so long what house she'd get into. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. It felt like she could fit into any of them. She didn't think that she'd be a Hufflepuff, since they are all about kindness. Wren had lost all thoughts about being in that house after her first experience with magic. Ravenclaw seemed like a possibility, since she liked learning spells. But from what her brother, Merrick, told her about the Ravenclaws, she wouldn't get in that house. Gryffindor was a big possibility. She was brave and adventurous, so there was a really good chance. She had once hoped to get into this house, but every time a thought returned to her. Her whole family, with the exception of her brother, was in Slytherin and it had been pressed upon her to follow with that. Wren had never really wanted to be in Slytherin, but she had always been nervously aware that there was a good chance.

Wren suddenly felt something hard push against her. The stone floor felt hard and cold against her hands.

"Would you watch out? I'm trying to get through here!" said an angry voice from behind Wren. Looking behind her, Wren spotted a first year girl. Her hair was quite long and a rather boring brown color. Her eyes were a dull green, and they seemed to reflect her anger. Wren instantly knew this was not the person she'd want to hang out with. She cast the girl a small glare and pushed herself to her feet.

"Sorry. You know if you want to prevent things like that from happening, you might want to think about watching where you're going." Giving the girl a sly smile, Wren started to walk away, maneuvering around people with ease as if to demonstrate how it's done. She couldn't help thinking that she looked like a Slytherin with the sly smile still etched on her face. Now towards the front of the line of first years, Wren could see Great Hall better. There were two tables on either side of them, the benches packed with students. They smiled encouragingly, and Wren felt a burst of hope. Maybe this would be the place where she fit in, unlike her old muggle school. Wren quickly pushed away the thought, as the names of first years were starting to be read.[/font]

"I wasn't actually aiming for you," Paisley retorted, but the girl was already walking away.
Paisley stood alone for a moment, wondering if there were a soul in this who entrance hall who were kind enough to be her friend. Everyone else she had met, or ran into, seemed rude and annoying. Was this how Hogwarts was going to be?

Soon the first years traveled into the Great Hall, where the sorting was to be done. Many children sat upon the four tables, and Paisley wondered wearily if the benches would ever break. Of course not, they're magic dummy! she told herself.

When the first name was called, Paisley felt butterflies rise in her stomach. Her legs wobbled beneath her, and she nearly fell into the girl again. She was sure she was going to puke right then and there. Why couldn't I have had a better last name, like Zane or something? Is Zane even a last name? I sure wish it were, Brown means I'll go soon! A little too soon!

Two more children were called, and each time Paisley thought it would be her. She had narrowed down the two houses: Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. But which was her's? She liked them both, they each had their good sides and their bad sides. It was up to the sorting hat.

At last her name was called. No! Paisley thought, and she wanted to run in the opposite direction. Instead she walked up to the stool gingerly, hoping she wouldn't throw up in front of the whole school. Why did they have to go up in front of the whole school anyway? They would all surely see how shabby she looked. The full moon was tomorrow night!

The patched, ragged hat was placed upon her head. She breathed in deeply, and could hear the hat muttering to itself quietly. She couldn't make out any words, and she was sure she was the only one who could hear them. Was the hat speaking inside of her head?

At last the hat opened it's mouth to speak. Paisley squeezed her eyes shut tight. She didn't want to be a Slytherin, or a Ravenclaw. She wanted to be Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. Please please please please please... she thought inside of her head.

"Gryffindor!"

Paisley leapt out of the seat at the applause from her table and went to go sit down quickly. Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes! All thoughts about the rickety table left her mind. All she could think about now was the wonderful house she had just joined. I just hope that the girl doesn't get in here too...

[font=Comic Sans MS]"Paisley Brown!" Wren watched as the girl who bumped into her walked up to the sorting hat. She looked like she was going to throw up as she sat on the stool and the hat was placed over her head. No more than a second later the hat announced her house. She ran quickly over to the Gryffindor table, and the sorting ceremony continued.

The ceremony felt like an eternity. A cruel way to make her worried. Wren couldn't stop thinking about what house she'd be in. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin... The words echoed in her mind as she debated with herself.

"Wren Windgazer!" a voice broke through her thoughts. Wren jumped as her name was called. She hadn't realized she was so close to going. Being one of the last to be sorted, the group of first years left was thin. It felt like everyone was staring at her, and she was just now aware of how badly her hands were shaking. This is it. Taking a shaky breath, Wren moved between the last couple first years and up towards the sorting hat. You'll do fine. You'll get in Slytherin, you'll get in Slytherin. Just be brave and get it over with. She let the thought run over and over in her head. The walk up to the hat was much longer than it seemed, but she was careful not to let it show. She walked proudly up, a small smirk upon her face. Wren tried to ignore the sound of whispering in the great hall, which she could have sworn were about her 'mean' look.

She looked out at everyone while the old, ragged sorting hat was placed on her head. It felt like the world was holding its breath as they waited for the house to be announced. Please Slytherin. Please sort me into Slytherin. She remembered her brother saying the hat read your thoughts, Wren thought it was at least worth a try. She desperately wanted to get in Slytherin. Her whole family was in that house, and she felt it was the place for her as well. Please, Slytherin...

"Gryffindor!" The world seemed to go dark around her as her house was announced. This couldn't be right... It just couldn't. Gryffindor? It felt just as lonely and empty as her muggle school. She could barely hear the clapping as she walked over to the Gryffindor table. Sitting down, Wren tried to avoid Paisley's eye as the sorting ceremony continued on.

The rest of the evening went on in a daze. She barely tasted the food, which was the constant talk of the first years. All she could think about was what her family would say. How many times had she been told about the Slytherins in her family? How many times had she wanted to get into that house? How many times had it been pressed upon her to follow with the reputation? Wren was starting to give herself a headache, and the suddenly loud noises weren't helping anything.

Finally giving up the debate, Wren heaved a sigh and looked up from the table to find the great hall empty. When had they all left? She couldn't believe she'd been left behind. Not exactly a great way to start at Hogwarts. First night and I get detention for being out of bed after hours. Getting up from the table, Wren started to sneak out into the hall. No one was out in the halls, which she couldn't decide whether it was good or bad. She would have no trouble going to the dormitory without getting caught, but she didn't know where the Gryffindor common room was. She continued around, her footsteps making no noise even in the echoey halls.

Wren quickly hid in the shadows as footsteps sounded behind her. Completely hidden, she took a look at who was coming. A wave of shock swept over her as Paisley came into view. What was she doing out of bed? It was a common thing for Wren to sneak out, but Paisley? Wren was incredibly stealthy, skilled at hiding and getting away if needed. Paisley, on the other hand, didn't seem to have that skill. Then what's she doing wandering the corridors? Moving from her hiding spot, Wren walked silently over to Paisley.

"If you want to sneak out, you might want to practice being quieter. With this noise you could be heard from miles away." said Wren mischievously. Her sly smiled returned as Paisley jumped at her voice.[/font]

Paisley had to admit she felt bad for Wren. She had obviously gotten into the wrong house. She moped around all dinner, seemingly blocking out all sights and sounds. She hadn't even noticed when the prefects had lead everyone to their dorm, and everyone had left the room.

The werewolf on the other hand had a great time. She laughed along with everyone else. She enjoyed the food, and was even able to put her troubles out of her mind for a moment. It was a sweet, wonderful night, but every good thing has to end a bad way. At least, that's what Paisley thought.

She noticed Wren all throughout dinner. She looked troubled and sad, not at all the girl Paisley had talked to before. Even though she didn't like Wren, the young Gryffindor decided she'd try and help this fellow student.

When the prefects came and asked everyone to follow them, Paisley stood up along with everyone else. She tried to keep an eye on Wren, but she was lost in the tide of people. I hope she didn't catch me staring during dinner! Paisley thought, suddenly alarmed.

As they were led back to their dormitories Paisley searched for the other new Gryffindor. She looked throughout everywhere, and couldn't find them.

Slowly, Paisley doubled back behind the group. When at last she was out of sight, she started running. If only I remembered her scent. she thought, and then scolded herself for not recalling it. Darn it, that'll make this search really hard- Paisley was brought out of her thoughts as she almost collided with Wren.

"Oh my gosh!" she said, moving backwards. She couldn't believe she had almost ran into Wren again!

[font=Comic Sans MS]"Oh my gosh!" More of Paisley's footsteps sounded as she turned around to face her. Wren shifted sharply to the left so she could see her fellow Gryffindor better. It was dark enough in the corridors as it is, and despite her left eyesight being really sharp, being blind in her right eye didn't help anything. Hoping that Paisley hadn't see that, she tried to turn the subject away from her.

"Are you trying to give yourself away, here? You're making an awful lot of noise." Wren paused for a moment. She remembered Paisley saying something about liking to sew at dinner. She'd seemed very proud of it. Wren felt a fresh wave of hatred for the girl as she recalled the conversation and Paisley's almost cocky voice. It had been a bad enough night with Wren being sorted into Gryffindor, but the conversation took it to a whole new level. It was like Paisley was trying to get on her nerves. No wonder she likes sewing. She's so much like a needle, the prickly little bragger.

Pulling herself away from the memory, Wren continued on, "So, why aren't you in bed, Needles? Got lost, I assume?" She could tell she had struck a nerve. Paisley looked angry enough to have smoke coming out of her ears. Her face seemed become shadowed, almost, and her nose seemed to be twitching. That's weird... Wren had never seen anyone do something like that before. Was it just a habit she had, or did it mean she was really angry? Wren began feeling slightly uncomfortable, but didn't step back. She wasn't going to show it had freaked her out, but it didn't stop her from thinking about it. The suddenly shadowed face had been oddly familiar. She thought really hard for a moment, going through as many memories as she could until she figured it out. Her younger cousin, Bailey, the one who shared her name... She immediately gave herself a shake to get rid of the thought, for it was one of the memories she refuses to remember. Pulling herself back to reality, Wren turned to look back at Paisley.[/font]

To Paisley's surprise Wren seemed determined to dislike her. Fine, you want to be that way. Two can play at that game.
"Are you trying to give yourself away, here? You're making an awful lot of noise." Paisley didn't respond right away, just looked down to the ground, her hands tightening into fists by her side. Tears almost sprung into her eyes. After the exciting day, this girl was not helping at all. She pushed the tears down; she refused to cry at school.
"No-" she paused cooly, trying to smirk but failing.
"So, why aren't you in bed, Needles? Got lost, I assume?" Paisley almost exploded in anger. She wanted to pounce on Wren for being so annoying. What was the 'needles' thing about? Had Paisley even mentioned sewing. You probably did, pillock. It's the only thing you ever talk about! You and your sewing, gosh, anyone would think your wedding was tomorrow. The familiar mean chatter rose in Paisley's head and she tried hard to pipe it down. It was hard, though, when it seemed to be right. She knew it was her own thoughts that were speaking to her, but it didn't sound like her voice.
"I just thought you'd want some help getting back to the common room. If you don't, I can leave."
Paisley turned on her heel, expecting to leave. She started off down the hall, and was a good way's away from Wren when she realized she had no idea where she was going. She was completely lost. Not even the coat of arms offered her any directions when she asked them politely, but then again, Paisley wasn't entirely sure they could speak.
Dang it! Are you kidding me...
Paisley trudged back over to Wren, her face heating up into a bright shade of scarlet. She couldn't believe she was coming back to Wren.
"Shut up-" she muttered as Wren snickered at her.

[font=Comic Sans MS]Paisley seemed to be struggling to keep quiet and not say anything rude. It was clear she didn't care for mischief and rule-breaking like Wren did. In fact she seemed like the total opposite of her.

"I just thought you'd want some help getting back to the common room. If you don't, I can leave." said Paisley. Wren felt a pang of regret that she had acted like she did. She hadn't meant to hurt the girl's feelings, and Paisley didn't really deserve it. It had been a very bad day for her, being sorted into Gryffindor and all the worrying that came before that. She hadn't really meant most of what she said, although, she wasn't sorry about calling her Needles. It fit her. She deserved that part, at least.

"Listen, not to be unkind or anything, but I don't need your help. I've been sneaking out of and around places for practically my whole life. I don't need anyone with me." She watched as Paisley walked off down the dark corridor. She was still watching, stepping back into the shadows so she was practically invisible, when Paisley stopped abruptly. She was a good distance away, and with her back turned there was no way to make out her expression. Wren became very amused as Paisley turned to a suit of armor, asking for direction. It was of no help. It stayed completely still, giving no sign it was alive except for a small click. She could have sworn it to was trying not to laugh, but very quickly changed her mind. It was very likely that it was just her imagination. Eventually after several minutes, Paisley seemed to realize it was a lost cause. With unmistakable annoyance in her eyes, she stormed back over. Wren couldn't stifle the laugh anymore.

"Shut up-" muttered Paisley, stopping in front of her.

"Need help finding help finding your way to the common room?" asked Wren, taking advantage of the moment. Not really waiting for a response, she started down the corridor.

"You coming or not?" she asked, walking backwards to see if Paisley was following her. She was still standing in the same spot. Not bothering to wait, Wren turned back around and continued down the hall. If she follows, fine. The corridor seemed endless, with hallways leading in every possible direction. The stone everywhere and the maze of hallways made it seem almost like a prison. But she didn't mind. In fact she enjoyed doing this. It made the school feel more like home. She couldn't remember how many times she'd climb out the window of her room and go explore outside. How many times she'd go off by herself after school, climbing trees and mainly just avoiding people in general. This was the happiest she had felt since coming to this place.

After what felt like hours, and probably was, Wren came to a staircase. It was the highest and most complicated one she had ever seen. None of the stairs stayed put. They changed constantly, switching where they led as they were trying to make it as hard as possible. Glancing around quickly to see if anyone was around, Wren stepped onto the first staircase. She was careful where she stepped, since she recalled a fourth year saying that there were some trick stairs. Stepping carefully, she slowly began making progress. Almost there. There was only a couple more stairs before she could step off and onto another staircase. She took another careful step. Wren felt her stomach lurch as she felt her foot slip through the stair. Pulling slightly to get it out, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of nervousness. She only slid farther into the stair. Suddenly remembering Paisley, Wren turned painfully around to see if she had come.

"Paisley, can you help? Please, I'm stuck." said Wren, praying that Paisley was actually there.[/font]

"Listen, not to be unkind or anything, but I don't need your help. I've been sneaking out of and around places for practically my whole life. I don't need anyone with me." Paisley scoffed disbelievingly. "Yeah, right."

When Wren began to leave, Paisley refused to follow. I don't know why I even thought of helping her in the first place! said the evil side of Paisley's conscience. Because you wanted to be nice. said the good side. Paisley shrugged, undecided.
Well, it can't hurt to follow her. See if she gets into trouble. Besides, this empty hallway is creepy. Paisley looked around swiftly and then continued on through the many hallways. She followed the sound of Wren's footsteps, but they seemed to be all around her.

"Wren?" she whispered, creeping around. She didn't want to get caught. She couldn't get caught. Not on her first day. She needed to make a good impression on the teachers. She-

she crashed into a suit of armor. She said a few words in her head she surely should not have, and then froze at the sound of a voice. Oh good gosh, is that a teacher? She hoped with all her heart and soul that it wasn't.

"Paisley, can you help? Please, I'm stuck." Paisley whirled around as Wren's voice sounded in the distance. The young Gryffindor ran over as fast as she could, and then refrained from laughing as she saw what had happened to the girl. Her foot had dipped into the stairs, her position almost mimicking the constellation outside.

"Well, looked who we have here. The Little Dipper, stuck in the stairs. You don't need anyone's help, eh?" said Paisley, glancing at the window nearby. The Little Dipper was just visible in the distance, and the Gryffindor thought it would be the most suitable name for this nimble peanut in front of her. "So, you'll be needing help I assume? Here." Paisley walked over, trying to help Wren. Without looking where she was going, her foot sunk into the same stair as Little Dipper's.

"Ok, plan B." said Paisley in a calm-collected voice. The seconds ticked by, and the tension in the air was too much pressure. "I don't have a plan B!" Paisley practically burst with anger. "What the heck are we supposed to do here? Why do these stairs even exist?!"

[font=Comic Sans MS]Wren tried to pull her leg out of the stair again. It didn't help, and in fact made it worse. She was up to her knee in the stair now. It was starting to hurt, like if concrete was hardening around her. Turning around slightly, she caught sight of a girl walking towards her. Panic began to overcome her as the person drew close. Daring to take another look, Wren felt her fear of being caught begin to ebb away as she caught sight of the familiar boring brown hair and dull green eyes. Giving Paisley a half forced smile, Wren hoped the girl would return it and help her out.

"Well, look who we have here. The Little Dipper, stuck in the stairs. You don't need anyone's help, eh?" said Paisley. Wren barely hid her shock. That was not at all what she was expecting. And Little Dipper? Where did that come from? Wren was getting worried now. It didn't seem like Paisley would help her, so she would have to find a way to get out by herself. But thinking seemed impossible at the moment, and the pain from the stairs wasn't helping her thought process. Unsure of what to do, Wren tried pulling again, careful not to get her other foot caught. It just caused her to sink deeper. Paisley must have seen her struggle, for she took a step closer. How can that almost mean spirited attitude come from that kind-looking Hufflepuff-type girl?

"So, you'll be needing help I assume? Here." said Paisley, stepping closer to help. Letting out a sigh of relief, Wren waited for her to help. She could image the sensation of concrete around her leg cece, but it never came. Looking around, a humorous but very unfortunate sight greeted her eyes. Paisley had stepped to close and had gotten stuck as well. At least for her, it was barely to her ankle.

"Okay, plan B." said Paisley in a calm voice.

"You got yourself stuck on a rescue mission... do we really want your plan?" asked Wren, receiving only a glare. Wren just rolled her eyes in return. "Alright, Needles. What exactly is plan B? How are we going to get out?" They waited in silence for a moment. Wren looked at Paisley, her eyebrow raised in mocking curiosity, as she waited for her to respond. It was several minutes before anyone said anything, but eventually Paisley lost it.

"I don't have a plan B! What the heck are we supposed to do here? Why do these stairs even exist?!" Paisley was about to explode with frustration, and the awkwardness of being stuck was the only thing that kept Wren from bursting into laughter.

"Okay, calm down. We can get out, Needles. Now, you're barely in. I'll help pull you out. Once, you're free you help me out. Got it?" Paisley nodded. Counting to three, Wren grabbed hold of Paisley's ankle and pulled as hard as she could. Wren barely had time to think of what happened to Paisley.

"Oh great. Just what I need." said Wren annoyedly. She was bent over now with not only her leg caught but now both hands as well. She pulled really hard, but stopped almost immediately in fear that she might break her fingers.

"Alright, well, that didn't go quite as planned. At least you're out, Needles. Can you help me?"[/font]