A Place to Hide-Open-

[starr]

As the Slytherin walked beside the Ravenclaw, she wondered if walking with her was a good idea. Ever since the tragic events that happened in her life, she preferred to be alone. Her Slytherin friends, luckily, were sensitive enough to give her some time alone. They knew that all she needed was space and some alone time and she’ll be alright. Well, that was what Starr told them, at least. And, up to that moment, Starr still did not know if that was a lie.

Starr rolled her eyes at the Ravenclaw and shook her head. After being nice and advising her not to listen to her stepfather and actually taking her side on the current topic, the Ravenclaw still run her mouth. Despite what she said, Starr understood her. She also had two fathers and unfortunately for the Slytherin, her real father was the one who was arrogant and very ‘out of touch’. Her fake father, Nathaniel Gnael was the one who worked for someone with power and authority and he was the one she really considered her father. Starr wanted to talk but she couldn’t. “You’re lucky to still have someone you could call father. If I were you, I would stop complaining about him.” Starr said to the Ravenclaw, sounding annoyed.

The moment they arrived at door, Starr had to stifle the urge to roll her eyes again as the girl looked too proud of herself and her house. She had a point. Professor Ravenclaw was indeed the most clever of the founding four. “You can’t be sure. Slytherin is cunning. He could have thought of making a secret room for his own personal use.” Starr said just to deflate the older girl’s big head. “It’s more than a second common room to me. What I love about this room is that you can design it yourself. It’s customized to fit your needs.” The girl’s question caught her off guard. “Everyone has secrets, Braden. I’m pretty sure Slytherin isn’t an exception. I wonder what the room would look like now.” Starr said before opening the room. “Whoa, did you request for a big giraffe stuffed toy?” Starr gaped at the scary looking stuffed toy.

[Anne Braden]

Anne coughed quietly. She had fallen a bit ill after letting herself wear shorter skirts. She knew it was still cold and most people saw it as improper but it was a very good distraction most of the time. Anne could tell what others wanted or needed, but was not always nice enough to give it to them. She had been meaning to go to the secret room alone when Starr so rudely came along seeking the same room. Now that they had initiated contact, Annie would never let Miss Gnael alone again until she grew bored of the Slytherin.

Anne did not like or find herself similar to her crazed step-father in any sense. The idea that she should be proud to have him was an insult to her. Anne tried to ignore Starr's response. She did not want to continue fighting. It was so boring to fight and was counter-productive of her goal with Starr. "I would not stop and hope he flew away. But I can only hope. What I would not do, is judge people I have never seen so much as met. I know you mean well, though. So, I forgive you." Anne smiled and made a high-pitched giggle. Both actions were fake but she was so good there was only a slight hint of dryness in them.

Anne pushed a few rogue elements of her hair from her face. She hadn't expected Starr to open the door so quickly. Anne nearly threw her wand across the corridor as she raised it. She readied it and trained it through the open doorway. Anne threw her head back when her hair fell into her face again to push it back away again. She gazed at the stuffed animal with disbelief. She did not know why it was there. Someone else might have been trying to use the room as well. Anne bit her lip. She had caught a few people using the room for things, some more nice than others. "Yes. It is mine. Let's get in before we're seen." Anne lied, simply to get Starr to hurry in. She wondered about the true origin of the stuffed giraffe though and decided she would inspect it. "Don't touch fluffles. He's mine." Anne marched through the door and over to the giraffe immediately. She wondered if she should have turned and run from this strange anomaly, but she guessed that Starr had something to do with it appearing and wondered if it might give her some insight on the Slytherin girl.

[starr]

Starr regarded the Ravenclaw for a while and quietly tried to think of the possible things that made her tick. By then, she knew that the older student was not just a typical Ravenclaw who just studied her brain out. It was obvious that the girl was someone hard to program, complicated even, and Starr could not help but be drawn to the older girl, but it was only because she was curious.

The girl had a point. She did not know her step father so it was quite wrong for her to say the words she just said. The Slytherin simply shrugged at the older girl’s reaction. If the was how she saw things, there was nothing that Starr could do. “Why don’t you try talking to your mother about him? If he isn't treating you right...” She suddenly said after a few moments of silence. The girl was not complaining about her mother so Starr figured that her mother was someone the older girl loved or at least respected.

Starr continued to stare at the giraffe stuffed toy. It was a gigantic stuffed replica of a giraffe and it looked really familiar. She knew she had seen it somewhere but she wasn’t sure when or where. It could be her friend’s toy or hers when she was young. But, somehow, she had a feeling that it was there for a reason… like to remind her of something she saw before… in a dream probably. Totally lost in her own world, she almost jumped when the Ravenclaw spoke. “Okay he’s yours. He’s yours.” The slytherin said impatiently, kind of annoyed at the way Braden reminded her twice about not touching as if she was stupid. “Don’t look at me. That giraffe is yours.” Starr shrugged as she watched her girl run away from ‘fluffles’. “So, what is this room for, exactly?” She raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin, curious and quite surprised at the random things she saw in the room as she took in her surroundings. “Is this where you practice ‘various’ arts?” She added, focusing back on the girl.

[Anne Braden]

Anne was getting used to Starr's prying questions. She almost expected this latest one. Anne did not think that solving her own problems was possible or worth thought at the moment. She ignored Starr's suggestion, "He may treat me how he pleases. I was being greedy and childish in wishing him away." Anne's grin spread wider.

Anne glared at the toy. She felt like a fool, wondering if this was a waste of time and effort. Much more could be accomplished alone, was something she always believed. She didn't know why but it seemed right. Anne twisted herself to look back at Starr, before turning to face the other girl. Anne flashed a wide grin, an attempt to make Starr more comfortable. Anne watched Miss Gnael as she stared at the giraffe. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to annoy you."

Annie looked around the room. She was not familiar with more than half the things in the room. Once again, she wondered how much Starr had influenced the room. "Egh. Not exactly. I just wanted a place to chat this time around." Anne went to Starr's side and put a hand on the Slytherin's shoulder. "I usually come here to learn how to cast spells. Do you come here for anything besides the stuffed toys?" Anne laughed at having admitted that she had nothing to do with the giraffe.

[starr]

Starr rolled her eyes at Braden’s response on her sincere piece of advice. Apparently, Braden never took anything seriously. If she was indeed being everything she had said in front of her stepfather, then maybe he was right in the way he was treating her. As she eyed the girl, she wondered what was making her act the way she was acting. Maybe her stepfather had a lot to do with it.

Starr grinned right back, tired of antagonizing with the girl. “It’s fine.” She said shortly after her apology, her eyes focused on her and then all around the room. The room was quite spacious and had a good ambience. Deep within, she wondered how much she and Braden influenced the room respectively. “Oh, well it seems to be a good place to chat. I have to admit this sofa looks comfortable.” She told Braden as she sat on the sofa at the center of the room. She then patted the spot beside her, urging the older girl to sit beside her.

Braden’s question caught her off guard. “So, you did not have anything to do with Fluffles?” Starr asked rhetorically. She tried to think of the time she saw ‘fluffles’ for a while. After a few moments of looking pensive, she realized it was indeed her stuffed toy when she was young, the one that came from her fake father’s friend, certainly it was from the former Baron. Starr scowled. “I often come here for peace and quiet. I usually create a room suitable for drawing. I like to draw you know.” She told the older girl after a few moments of silence, trying to evade talking about the stuffed toy. A few moments passed and she felt the need to vent out annoyance at the appearance of the giraffe stuffed toy of all things. “Fluffles is mine. He is one of the stuffed toys my great father sent me.” Starr finally admitted as she shifted on her seat. She let out a breath of annoyance, not knowing if she was more annoyed with herself for unconsciously making the giraffe appear or with the former baron for giving her the despicable thing in the first place.

[Anne Braden]

Anne watched sullenly as Starr moved away from her to sit on the chair. She felt nearly as bad as she did when her step-father mocked her. She was told that he couldn't be expected to care about her feelings much. But it still didn't help that she had to live with someone so cruel. She nearly hadn't noticed Starr welcoming her to sit as she had turned her head gloomily back to the strange giraffe. "Right. It does." Anne followed Starr's direction to the place next to her and sat. Anne's expression brightened, the sofa seemed to warm her as she sat upon it. She turned her head to Miss Gnael and wondered if it was not her instead. "Ah. We must've been standing out in the hall longer than I'd thought."

Anne sat, leaning against the arm of the sofa with her arm lying along it and her hand dangling off the front. She listened to Starr speak and was quiet the entire time. She was gazing lazily around the room. It seemed extravagant in her opinion. And though that added a certain discomfort to Anne, it also provided some in return. She had wondered if it would be possible to live in this room before. Her gaze came back to the stuffed giraffe. At Starr's query, Anne merely grinned wider and looked at the Slytherin girl. She did not find giraffes appealing in the least. Anne made a soft appraising noise at Starr's reveal that she drew. Anne was not quite so interested in that. She did finally speak up when Starr admitted the doll was hers. "I thought so. Unless someone was trying to use the room just as we were."

Anne sat upright once more and seemed to be deciding on revealing something for a moment. She opened her mouth and closed it without making a sound. She finally spoke slowly as she lay against the sofa's arm again. "Have you-" Anne put her other arm over the arm she had lying against the chair's arm, "ever been to the room-" she locked her fingers together and made them struggle against one another, "where all the stuff people want hidden is?" Anne's hands became unlocked and she turned her head to look at Starr expectantly.