Midweek Breakfast ||Completed||

[dorcas]

Dorcas pulled her hair up into a pony tail and tied a dark blue ribbon around it using her wand, it was too tricky to do it the normal way and why bother when you had magic to help you in every day life? Dorcas liked doing things the muggle way most of the time but magic really was a useful tool for a teenage witch.

Adjusting her uniform Dorcas headed out of her dorm and down the stairs to the common room. It was virtually abandoned and only a few students were there, all with books cracked open, studying their little hearts out, Dorcas had other plans, plans that involved food!

She headed down towards the great hall. First lessons for the day had just started but for Dorcas, she had a free period. She probably should have been doing homework or studying like the others but she liked to have a lie in and it rarely happened when you were at school so she took advantage of her spare time, staying up late to do homework, sleeping a little and then getting up a bit later and having breakfast in the quiet hall.

Dorcas got to the great hall just as a couple of girls were rushing out, the blur of crimson gave them away as late Gryffindor's and Dorcas was glad she didn't have to rush for a lesson.

The breakfast food would soon be gone and so Dorcas took a seat at the end of the Ravenclaw table, right near the main doors, she'd see anyone and everyone that came in and they'd see her, unless they were otherwise occupied, but she doubted there'd be many more people to come in now, they were probably all here and she was the last so they'd probably just all be leaving the hall. Dorcas didn't care, she took a couple of pieces of bacon, a slice of toast, some scrambled eggs and fried tomato and put it all on her plate before tucking in.

[quof2]

Alice couldn’t believe it. She had done it again. After so many years of a nearly perfect track record, she had lost her assignment. Her only remaining hope was that it was in the Great Hall, as she was pretty sure she’d looked over it at breakfast this morning, but maybe that had been her potions homework. She wished it had been that class, as professor Slughorn was a lot more sympathetic towards these types of situations than Professor McGonagall was.

She headed toward where she had been sitting, checking all around the benches, amongst all the leftover breakfast plates, and under the table. Nothing. She checked all around the Gryffindor table, but still nothing. She sank down unto the table and put her head in her hands. Professor McGonagall was going to kill her. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she wasn’t a prefect, who was supposed to set an example. She sighed and sat up again. She used to lose her assignments all the time, but she worked hard to get over that and she hadn’t lost a single one since third year. And now here she was in sixth year and it was starting all over again. She supposed it was partly because she’d been so stressed out lately. She didn’t even know why she was stressed out, just that she was and had been for a while now.

With another sigh she got up from the table. There was no use delaying the inevitable, she figured. She was so frustrated that she couldn’t help but stare at her feet, and she was so distracted that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. She stumbled over something and her hands reached in front of her, knocking into something warm and soft. A person.

“Oh,” Alice leapt back hands flying to her mouth. Whoever it was had been eating, and she’d just pushed them into the food. “I’m so sorry, I--,” she couldn’t finish the sentence, finding that she was suddenly threatening to cry, and trying desperately to hold the tears back.

[dorcas]

Dorcas was contented eating her breakfast alone. She didn't always need someone to talk to, occasionally it was nice to just sit alone even though Dorcas was a social sort of girl but it didn't matter today, a bit of alone time never hurt anyone.

Then there was searing pain across the bottom half of Dorcas' face as her face collided with her plate unexpectedly. She had food all over her chest as the top of her lips had hit the far edge of the plate. She'd been leaning in for a mouthful and thankfully had missed stabbing herself in the face with a fork.

Dorcas sat herself up and felt her mouth with the tips of her fingers. Her lips were tingling a little and she suspected they'd swell within an half hour. She heard an apology and she turned her head to see Alice Prewett, a sixth year Prefect. Dorcas furrowed her brow and waved her hand as though dismissing the incident. "It's okay" She dabbed her fingers across her lips again and looked at her finger tips. "there's no blood so it's not that bad." It was then that Dorcas noticed the girl seemed really upset.

"It's Anna, right? No, Alice, sorry, Alice isn't it? Dorcas wasn't all that great with names to faces, she knew most people's names only she got their names and faces mixed up with others. "Are you okay?" Dorcas looked concerned for the girl, it seemed as though she was teetering on breaking point, surely someone shouldn't get that upset about bumping into someone else. Admittedly it was quite a bump but Dorcas hoped Anna, no, Alice, wasn't just worried about Dorcas, hopefully something else was worrying the girl. Well she hoped it was nothing major obviously.

[quof2]

Alice was surprised to see how gracious she was about the whole affair. Sure, Alice may not have injured her, but she had still completely ruined her breakfast and her shirt. She couldn’t remember the girls name though, but for some reason the face stuck in her head as someone who was pretty friendly, so that was good. She could have bumped into one of the mean Slytherins.

She knew her name? Alice didn’t think too many people knew her name. Sure, she was a prefect but still. Now she felt even guiltier for not knowing this girl’s name. She raked her brain. It seemed she may have heard it once, but she couldn’t recall, her memory had never been the greatest.

And now she was asking if Alice was okay, even though she had been the one to knock into her. It almost made her want to feel terrible, except she couldn’t. She couldn’t deny that right at that moment, she needed someone to be just a little understanding.

She tried to smile, and found that it was easier than she’d expected. The water receded from her eyes and she found that she could breathe and think normally again. “I’m fine,” Her soft smile may have made that sound convincing, she wasn’t sure, “But really, I’m so sorry, I can, well, let me fix your shirt.” People sometimes associated Alice with not being very good at spells, but that was only because most of them had heard about her explosions in potions. When it came to charms and transfiguration, she was actually fairly decent. Still though, she was a little bit nervous, but she tried not to let it show.

She was pleased with the results though, it wasn’t perfect, but at least the girl no longer had food dripping down on to her lap.

“I really am sorry,” Alice usually overdid it with the eapologies, and today was no exception. “I just, I lost my assignment and I was running back here to find it and I couldn’t and so I was just kind of…” she was rambling. She pressed her lips together. If she continued like this she was going to scare the other girl off.

[dorcas]

Dorcas listened to the girl. She seemed to either be putting on a brave face or completely fine. Dorcas hoped it was the latter and just shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine, been through worse." Dorcas had a tendency to stick her nose in where it didn't always belong and didn't always come out on top. She wasn't a gossiper or anything exactly like that, she just didn't like to see people getting bullied and so ended up on the wrong side of a hex or two every now and then, it only gave her more encouragement to improve her wand work and maybe even start learning how to fight with her fists.

Dorcas lifted her head up a little and watched Alice's wand work. Dorcas admired Alice's wandmanship. If that was even a word. Still the spell Alice cast seemed to get rid of most of the food and icky marks. Dorcas examined her top and smiled up at Alice. "Thanks! And seriously, it's not a problem." Dorcas looked down at her top again and back to Alice. She was frazzled over a lost essay? Dorcas shrugged her shoulders and slid up the bench a little bit, taking her messy plate and her goblet with her, making space for Alice.

"Have a sit down for a bit, recompose yourself, have a little drink of water or something." Dorcas suggested as she poured out a goblet of water and nudged it a little in Alice's direction. "If you think you've lost it in here why don't you give accio a try? Might work if you're specific enough, otherwise you might end up with a hundred different essays flying at you from all different directions." Dorcas kind of wished she hadn't added that last bit but on the bright side she hadn't added her after thought of 'and a hundred annoyed students to boot'. She didn't want to shake the girl up any more, she still seemed a little on edge what with the borderline excessive apologising, but Dorcas had to admit she could sometimes be the same way, usually when she was caught off guard and did something totally embarrassing. Probably if she'd done something like Alice had, but she wouldn't tell the girl that, she didn't want to make her feel any worse.

[quof2]

Alice tried to force herself to relax, too smile, but it was hard when she still felt so guilty. But this person clearly didn't care much and Alice had learned that people didn't like it when you continued to fawn over something that they'd already let go.

So she forced herself to calm down and stop thinking about it. She smiled gratefully and took her invitation, though she didn't eat or drink anything. It felt wrong when she was supposed to be in class, even though it wouldn't hurt her to take anything. She was just in one of those weird places where everything you wanted to do you couldn't and everything you could you didn't wan too, or something.

When she suggested that Alice use the summoning spell she actually smacked her hand to her fore head. "Oh, I can't believe I didn't think of that! I am a disgrace to witches everywhere." She had meant that to come out as a joke, but she was still too tired and stressed to pull it off and so it came out kind of depressing. She bit her lip and looked away, blushing, then she looked back.

"I didn't even think of that, but I think it be okay, if I specifically look for my essay." Mostly she didn't want to dash her hopes after they'd been lifted.

She raised her wand, bracing herself, and then said it, using the exact title of her essay. She waited, but, nothing. She sighed, turning back to the girl and giving her a sad smile.

"well, thanks anyways," Resting her head in her hand, not in a depressed way, more in a, I'm just really tired right now way.

"really, thanks I uhh...I don't even know your name." she admitted.

[dorcas]

Dorcas was a fairly laid back person most of the time and accidents didn't get to her. Sure they could be an inconvenience but they were accidents, never done on purpose and what was done was done so there was no use in complaining, only getting on with your day, just as Dorcas was doing and in the process she felt as though she was making a new friend so it would all work out well.

Dorcas thought Alice was being a little harsh on herself, Dorcas tilted her head a little to the left and smiled a little. "It takes more than that to be a disgrace to witches everywhere. Providing you're not up to anything evil I'm sure you're a shinning example to all. You're a prefect after all, aren't you?" Most people knew who the prefects were, especially those that always got busted after hours. Dorcas wasn't the type to be out and about after hours all that often, but everyone gave it a go once in a while, didn't they?

Dorcas watched as Alice tried finding her spell but nothing came. "Oh, sorry, I'm Dorcas. You never know, someone might hand the essay in for you. If you left it over at your table maybe they posted it on the common room message board for you." Dorcas had never misplace an essay of hers but that was probably because if it wasn't in her bag, she was writing it in her dorm or common room. There were few places Dorcas could lose her essay's. "Which lesson is your essay due?"

[quof2]

Alice smiled. She supposed she could be a little self-critical, but usually people just ignored her, or maid some comment without really meaning it. She gave Dorcas another small smile. She wasn't sure she was right, but it was nice to know someone was willing to say that anyway.

"Well, I supposed you are right, disgrace to witches and wizards would be those who used their magic to harm others." She sighed, trying to keep her thoughts from drifting over the dozens of people to whom that description could be applied too, some of whom even went to this school...

When she said her name Alice felt that familiar click in her brain as she suddenly remembered. "That's right, I've heard the other fifth years talk about you." She paused, then added hurriedly with a slight blush to her cheeks, "only good things I promise."

She gave Dorcas another grateful smile, but she felt another stirring of guilt. Not only had she ruined the girl's shirt and breakfast but now she was ruining her morning as well. She probably had problems of her own, and she didn't need Alice laying all of her self-inflicted and ridiculously unimportant issues on her. She should leave and allow her to finish her breakfast in peace. she lifted herself off her hands and..

At her last question though she felt another jolt of dread and dropped back down against the table.

"Transfiguration," she said glumly, "Professor Mcgonogall will kill me!" She said with a surprising amount of emotion before she realized what she had burst out and clamped her mouth shut.

She gave her yet another half-smile, "I mean, you know how she is about stuff like this." She attempted to joke, but it fell flat.

[dorcas]

Dorcas nodded her head and smiled. "Exactly! And you do not seem the sort to be into using your magic for evil and badness and horrid things in general." Then again no Prefect seemed the types to do that, at least not ever in Dorcas' experience, even with the Slytherins. Though she did try to avoid them, if she didn't bump into them then she couldn't form an opinion of them and sometimes that was just easier.

Dorcas was a little surprised to hear she'd been talked of amongst other houses, but then again wasn't that what teens did? It shouldn't have surprised her really but it did, only because she'd never thought of it before now. "That's good, that it's only good things!" Dorcas smiled, it was actually a kind of comforting thought that people talked kindly of her. Then again Alice really could only be saying that, regardless, ignorance and naivety could be bliss!

"Oooo." Dorcas grimaced a little, noticing the upset in Alice's face, she seemed like the sensitive sort and Dorcas made a mental note to be careful about what she said, usually tact was not Dorcas' forté. "Yeah, she can be pretty mean sometimes, but I doubt she'll be that harsh on you." Actually Dorcas doubted it a little. McGonagall was a fair woman, she was mean to all houses and students equally. Dorcas really did hope that Alice would find her essay, she seemed like a sweet girl and did not deserve to get into trouble of the loss of one measly little essay.

"If you like, I could help you look for it, what time is your lesson?" Dorcas wondered how long Alice had to look for her essay. Maybe someone really had already handed it in or pinned it on the notice board. Gryffindor's looked out for one another, and most of them looked out for other houses apart from Slytherin so maybe they'd done a fellow house mate a favour.

[quof2]

Alice laughed a little at that, find that he mood was lifting a little bit. "Well, it's good to know that I don't give that impression, because I was worried, you know." Joking wasn't something she had a lot of experience with. Sure, she loved jokes, but she preferred to be the one laughing at them instead of the one making them.

But now still wasn't technically time for laughs. Every second that passed was another without her essay, another missed minute of transfiguration, another moment of Professor Mcgonagall wanting to know where she'd gone off too...

"Well, I can hope right?" She shook her head, "You know, She's a great head of house, but I will admit that sometimes I envy you Ravenclaws. I mean, Professor Flitflick is so cute and sweet!" And here she was getting distracted again. She forced the smile from her face. She needed to find her essay, she couldn't laugh until she found her essay. She couldn't be happy until she found her essay...

And with that Alice stood up. "Oh no, that's really not necessary, I mean, you've already been super helpful and I really don't inconvenience you further. That and my class is..right now." she said, an embarrassed flame in her cheeks and she took another step away from the table, preparing to leave.

[dorcas]

Dorcas laughed. Who worried about being evil? Evil people loved being evil and nice people didn't even think of themselves as being evil. To Dorcas, Alice seemed like a lovely person, someone Dorcas thought she could actually get on well with on a long term basis, in other words, a friend. Dorcas loved to make friends and she loved having friends in other houses. She had Zazzy in Gryffindor in her own year but it would be great to have Alice as well, a sixth year Prefect.

"He has his moments too, he's very fair but also very kind. He's a real nice head of house." Dorcas said, putting forward her opinion of her head of house. Professor Flitwick was great but he was a lot stricter than everyone seemed to think, though as generous as he seemed to outsiders, he was probably even more generous than he looked. Dorcas was definitely a fan of her head of house and always liked to stay on his good side, but then again she liked to stay on all the Professor's good sides!

"You're welcome! I guess you'd best be getting to class! You don't want McGonagall busting your chops for being late as well as temporarily misplaced homework!" She said, hoping she wasn't being too harsh sounding, she really didn't mean it as a mean thing, just a sort of warning because McGonagall could be harsh about those things, though surely she'd understand a Prefect wanting to find her homework for her class, right? "Have a good day Alice, I hope you find your essay." Dorcas said with a smile. Now what the heck was she going to do for breakfast? Maybe just toast was going to be cleaner.

[quof2]

Alice was used to people laughing at her, but she could never tell when she should she be happy about this or not. Dorcas's laugh didn't seam to be demeaning though, and she'd been nice thus far, so Alice allowed herself a small chuckle in response.

Alice nodded. It made sense that he would have that side to him, after all Ravenclaw's were on the best behaved houses, well, meaning they were better behaved than the Slytherin and Gryffindor's, and she had a feeling that with great wisdom also came great discipline. Well, that was extremely cheesy, but it true, wasn't it?

She sighed and stood up. "Yes, you're right." If she hurried she might not miss too much of the lesson, but she would have to run. People and a tendency to laugh at her when she did, but Alice didn't care much.

She looked at Dorcas over her shoulder, attempting to give her a final smile. "Thanks, and thank you so much for your help!" it had been a rather disappointing morning, but maybe something good could come of it, maybe next time they met Alice would be able to return the favor. It was a nice thought, and one that certainly eased her conscience.