Books and Whispers

[Professor Serafina Butail]

Ah the dungeons, they were dark, dank and dreary and to Serafina they were home. Or at least a big part of what she considered home, you weren't a Slytherin for seven years without developing an almost peculiar fondness for the darkest and creepiest places that the school had to offer. In all honesty Serafina had been over the moon to learn that she was this years Slytherin HOH and that she wouldn't have to leave the dungeons behind just yet, she'd said goodbye to her old dormitory but to be cut off from it all completely might just have left her feeling a little homesick.

As it was a big part of the dungeons was still home to her, for a large part of her time anyway, which is why she could now be found sitting in one of the dark and forgotten rooms that the dungeon had to offer. She had found one with a desk upon which she had spread a wide array of books, all displaying peculiar symbols, strange explanations and complicated looking calculations. She'd been planning topics for her lessons, who knew that trying to simplify and explain methods of divination to people could be so difficult. But there she was, the books displaying every strange method and a scribbled piece of parchment lay in front of her containing every which way things like the I Ching could be performed, none of which sounded particularly simple.

"Agh," Sera groaned, laying her head down on the old desk, "Why do I want to make things difficult for myself?" She muttered into the old and musty smelling wood. As she finished speaking she could almost have sworn that a whispered reply came from somewhere. Sera raised her head again and glanced around, whatever it was sounded like words, nothing she could quite make out but there had been some kind of whispering going on. Was she being spied on by some pesky ghosts, or worse pesky first years?

A stern look crossing her face she stood from her chair and stalked towards the door the door, throwing it open to see what she could find out in the dungeon corridor.

[Lara and open]

[Lara Desser]

The dungeons. Lara loved it there. With all the peace and quiet, it was the perfect place to get away from everything. A good place to relax. Plus, the darkness didn't bother her either. To be quite honest, she wasn't the biggest fan of the dark. I mean, a colourful world is better than a black one, but Lara could still stand it. After all, she was a Slytherin. Admittedly, not the stereotype Slytherin, but a Slytherin all the same. And that was good enough for her.

But anyway, getting to the point of the story, today, Lara felt like some quiet. To get away from things, you know. Like little annoying first years screaming or squealing. That hurt her ears, and she had had enough. Presumably, they were scared of the dark, and wouldn't be caught dead in the dungeons. So that was the place to be.

The fifteen year old wandered through the dungeon corridors. She was looking for a good place to sit and think, have a rest, maybe even sleep. Although the last wasn't likely. The dungeons weren't the most comfortable place, after all. During her search, Lara heard someone talking. It sounded like a girl saying "why do I want to make things so difficult for myself?". Then, straight after, she heard whispers. Though she couldn't make out the words this time, Lara guessed that it was the same girl talking.

'AH' Lara let out a sudden scream as a door right beside her burst open. 'Who's there?' she asked, unable to see the figure clearly. Damn that darkness.

[Professor Serafina Butail]

As the door flew open Serafina heard a quick shriek followed by a hurried question. The response had not been one she had been expecting, ghosts don't tend to jump nor ask questions most of the time, and the voice she heard sounded too mature to be that belonging to a first year. And still more curiously it sounded nothing like that of the whispering she had heard moments before.

Coming to the conclusion that it must be a student, probably one of her own house considering where they were other houses didn't often frequent the dungeons too much, aparantly they were a rather inhospitable place to be. Sera pushed open the door a little further and stepped out into the corridor, squinting at the shadowed figure she could see in the darkness.

Eyes slowly adjusting to the light Serafina was able to make out a face, vaguely familiar. She was right it was a Slytherin indeed, she couldn't quite put a name to the face at that moment which she should probably try and change, being HOH and all she should probably know who was who. The figure finally in better focus in the darkness, Serafina cast her eyes away and looked up and down the corridor for any other sign of life but it was deserted.

The stern expression had fade but now a frown remained wrinkling her pale brow. "You weren't talking or something out here by any chance were you?" Sera asked. Where the whispering had come from was now beginning to bother her. Looking back to the shadowed figure she could now tell was a girl Serafina shook her head, "Sorry,"She said for dismissing the girls question, "I just thought I could hear someone out here and they didn't sound like you."

[Lara Desser]

'Whisper? Me? No.. I thought that was you..' Lara said, a little nervously. She hoped this was some kind of prank or something, because that was too weird. If it was just her, Lara would have said that she was hearing things. But it wasn't just her, there was someone else, saying they had heard the same thing. Freaky. Unless, this person was playing a prank on her. Lara didn't think it was the voice she heard, but for all she knew, there could be someone else in on it too. But lets not get too paranoid just yet.

'Yeah, I know. That's because it wasn't me..' Lara said honestly, glad that she was no longer being blamed for the mysterious whispering. 'But.. who are you?' Lara asked, as they had failed to answer the question previously.

'Are you sure it wasn't you whispering?' Lara asked. 'Becuase if it wasn't you, and it wasn't me, then there must be someone else around.. right?' she said, starting to look around for another figure in the darkness. Hmm, maybe they would be able to do some sort of a spell to light up the dungeons or something. You know, to get a better view of the place. 'Do you know a spell to like, you know, light up this place? Even just a bit.. that way we will be able to see if theres anyone else around.' Lara asked, hopeful.

She was sure that the whispering wasn't anything to worry about, and it wouldn't be anything that dangerous. Hopefully. but she hated not knowing things. Lara was always the curious person. Annoying, really. That fact got her into a bit of trouble sometimes. But it did some good, too. 'I'm sure the whispering is just a first year playing a joke or something' Lara said, still trying to convince herself. Fine, she was a little unsure about all of this. Just a little jumpy. Now you see, this is why she hardly ever went in the dungeons.

[Professor Serafina Butail]

Serafina frowned as Lara claimed the voice had definately not been her whispering outside of the door and that she had thought it was Serafina who'd been the muttered voice that they apprantely had both heard. "No definately wasn't me." Serafina said absently peering again up and down the corridor in the darkness.

"Oh sorry, I'm Serafina." She said as the girl asked again who she was, "Your new Head of House I do believe, you are a Slytherin right?" She asked not wanting to know, more wanting to reaffirm what she was sure she already knew.

"Lights? Now that would be an idea," She muttered drawing her wand and muttering a spell. The walls of the corridor was lined with old and barely used torches, with a few choice words and a wave of her wand these flared to life casting flickering shadows all over the stone passageway but it certainly made seeing things a little easier.

"There thats a little better." She looked at Lara with a small smile, "You and I had the same idea, I thought it might have been a first year or something, or a ghost of course....But I can't see either."

[Lara Desser]

'Oh. Really? Hi..' Lara said, a little suprised to hear who it was. So this was her Head of House.. 'I'm Lara' she said, giving Serafina a friendly smile (although, Lara didn't expect her to see it, seeing as it was all dark and everything). '..and yes, you're right. I'm in Slytherin'. That was a good guess, seeing as most people could never pick her house until she told them. But being in the dungeons changed things, most people in other houses were always too frightened to show themselves here. Maybe that was why Serafina could pick her.

Lara nodded her head in agreement. 'Ah, that is better' Lara said happily when Serafina lighed up the place a bit more. It wasn't the best, but it was a lot more easier on the eyes. As good as can be expected. Only, Lara still wasn't able to see anyone else around. Weird.

'Mmm, neither can I..' Lara said, getting more confused by the minute. 'But there has to be someone around, right? The noise couldn't have come out of no where.. and I'm sure I wasn't just hearing things. I mean, we both heard it!' she said confidently. 'They might be hiding in a corner or something. Or maybe they've already run off.. I don't know. Have you got any other ideas? There must be some kind of logical explanation for this..' Well Lara was out of ideas. This situation was way to confusing.

[Professor Serafina Butail]

"Nice to meet you Lara, I really should get to know the people in my house better." Serafina said with a smile, adding the final statement as more of a mental note to herself than anything else.

"I have to agree with you." Sera said nodding her head and stepping further out into the corridor, "If we both heard it then I hardly think it was just our imaginations, not sure synchronised daydreams is a very common occurance." She smiled trying to make light of the situation. It wasn't exactly worrying her, a lot of strange things could go on around the school, but it was certainly puzzling.

"A logical explanation?" Serafina said looking back to Lara who she could now see properly in the dim and flickering light of her torches. "Normally I'd like to agree, unfortunately though in this place you never do really know what could happen, so much magic flying around and everything. Strange things tend to happen." She said a frown crossing her brow as she thought. "Still something had to be the cause of it, no matter how strange or whatever it actually was."

[Lara Desser]

'Yeaah, it's nice to finally meet you too.' Lara said, laughing at the last statement. 'Well that might be an idea.' she said, smiling at the professor. 'But how have you been enjoying being Head of House, anyway?' she asked, curious. Lara thought it would be a fun job. Getting to hang out with students in a more casual way than the classroom, and just being a part of Slytherin. It was the best house, after all. How could anyone not like that job? For one thing, Lara knew that she would love it. Maybe not be so good at it, but love it all the same.

'Exactly.' Lara said. But this subject was kind of starting to bore her. 'Maybe lets not try to work out what it is today, though' Lara said. It seemed to be an endless road. They were going no where on this, and it wasn't like they had heard the voice again since. It might of just been a one off thing. But if they heard it again, that would be another story. Lara had to admit though, she was very curious to find out what it was. Only, it didn't seem possible. 'Unless, you want to work out what it is, of course. Then I'd be happy to help. But I don't think it will be as easy as I origianally though.. so lets leave it here?' Hopefully, Lara was making sence to Serafina. Because she couldn't understand herself, thats for sure.

'What brings you down here to the dungeons anyway?' she asked Serafina. Her attempt at starting conversation... not so good.

[Professor Serafina Butail]

Serafina shrugged and shook her head, "No you're right, if whatever it was wants to be found then it will be otherwise we'd probably just be wasting our time." She said with a vague smile, it was just puzzling and had interupted her train of thought as she tried to work. If it had been a first year or a student of any kind Sera had been all prepared to berate them for disturbing her but Lara was the only other one there and she knew for sure that it hadn't been her.

"Hmm, what brings me down here. Oh I was just trying to get some work done on my lesson plans for this term." She said realising that her reply was probably incredibly dull and that she really hadn't been doing anything particularly interesting at all. "Im not overly fond of the library, and down here I thought I'd definately get some quiet work done. Or at least I thought I would." Sera smiled, though admittedly the interuption had been a welcome one, it had been getting a little tiresome.

"Now that I've stopped though I'm not all that keen to go back," Serafina shrugged, "What about you, what brought you to lurking the dungeon corridors?"

[Lara Desser]

Lara nodded. 'I see. Yeah, I don't really like the library either..' she said honestly. 'Oh yeah, thats a shame then. This wouldn't be a bad place to work. With the quiet and all' she said. Although, it wouldn't be the first place Lara would choose, as the darkness would get a bit straining on the eyes. But then again, her eyes never were very good. She figured it depended on what kind of person you were, or something. 'What class do you teach?' she asked, as she hadn't paid attention as to who taught what class, other than the ones she took.

'Welll, just the quietness. I mean, it's nice to have some quiet, relaxing time every now and then. I just thought that the dungeons were the best place to go, as most people don't like it down here, and I can tolerate it myself so yeaah..' she told her. 'Oh, and I don't spend all that much time in the dungeons either, so I thought that I would check it out..' she quickly added, missing out the fact that it was one of the first times she stepped foot down there. As that was a bit sad. It was her fifth year in the school, being a Slytherin and all.

'So tell me, what's it like being a professor and Head of House?' she asked again, as Serafina seemed to have missed it the first time.

[Professor Serafina Butail]

"Divination," Serafina replied with a smile, "It's great I'm loving it at the moment. I mean I loved being a student here but being able to actually take a class and teach what I want is even better. And being HOH is wonderful too, I was far too attached to Slytherin to leave it behind when I graduated so being made HOH was like being told I don't have to leave home just yet." She grinned, Slytherin had been her whole life for seven years and it was hard to let go, maybe next year if she didn't apply for HOH again or didn't get the job she would be ready to let it go but for now she was far too attached.

"Hmm yeah the quietness is always welcome. Thats the only trouble with this place, it's always buzzing so much with activity which is great but sometimes you just really need a break." Serafina replied thoughtfully, it was true the dungeons could be a sort of haven for Slytherins, especially if the common room was particularly crowded for whatever reason and you just needed some time to escape. "Really you don't spend all that much time down here? Hmm I almost lived down here when I was still a student, here and out in the forest or by the lake the three best places the school has to offer in my opinion."

[Lara Desser]

Lara nodded. This, Lara could understand. 'Yeah, Slytherin is a good house. I don't think I would want to leave it so quickly either..' And Lara's graduation was only a few years away now, which was a bit scary. Not something she felt like thinking about, actually..

'Well yeah thats what I thought' she said, smiling at Serafina. 'I guess I'm just not the biggest fan of the dark' she said honestly. 'I usually go to the lawns or lake, actually. But I just felt like something different today.' And thats all there was to it. To be honest, Lara didn't actually know why she had chosen to go to the dungeons today. But she did, and that was the point.

(( sorry I really can't think right now. ))

[Professor Serafina Butail]

Serafina laughed lightly, "Yeah after seven years you tend to grow more than just a little attached." She said with a grin, "What year are you in now?" Lara was older, not quite in her final year yet from the looks of her but also most certainly not still in her first few, somewhere in that confusing space in the middle where it grew far more difficult to judge.

"Ah well that is fair enough then," Sera said with a shrug, it was true not everybody was a huge fan of dark places, "But it is still a great place to either explore or find some peace and quiet, especailly when the weather is getting too cold to spend too long outside and in the summer it can be a great and very cool haven from the sun." She sighed, that time of year always became a little depressing as Sera loved the outdoors. Winter and Summer had to be the two worst seasons ever, one far too cold the other far too hot to spend anytime out in the grounds.

[Lara Desser]

'Mmmm, I can imagine.' she said, nodding. 'Fifth year' Lara said simply. Though, Lara felt like she should be saying "fourth", as she was never very good with the whole growing up thing. Fifth year, although it was the reality, it seemed a little unbelievable. But she was still happy where she was. Still, Lara wondered where all the years had gone. It didn't feel like she had been at the school for five years already.

'True' she said. 'But I don't really mind the heat all that much. If it gets all sticky and gross though, I'll know where to go; here, or possibly the lake for a swim. Personally, I think thats the perfect way to cool down.. esspecially when the weather gets a bit too uncomfortable' she said. And it was true, Lara much prefered the heat to the cold. Possibly because she felt the cold really easily, and often struggled to warm up properly. And besides, the sun was good for getting a good, natural tan. You've got to take that into account!

'So hows.. life?' she asked, changing the subject once more.

[Professor Serafina Butail]

"Fifth year? Ah so not too much longer to go." Serafina said with a smile, really to her it seemed like only yesterday she'd been a fifth year herself the years really did disappear very quickly. "So you looking forward to graduating when the time comes along or does the idea scare the crap out of you?"

Leaning casually against the doorframe Serafina stretched her arms above her head as she listened to Lara talk, what time could it have been? That was once thing about the dungeons, far too easy to lose track of time with the lack of daylight. "Ah well that's okay then, me I'm really not a fan of the summer. Sunshine and hot weather not exactly my cup of tea."

Sera smiled as she answered and then considered an answer to Lara's question. At that thought she smiled even more broadly. "You know at the moment things are wonderful, can't remember when I've been more contented with my life." She smilied, she wouldn't elaborate unless Lara asked her too, not wanting to subject the poor girl to her rambling on when she wasn't really interested that much. "How're things for you, everything going okay?"