Nocturnal

14 January, 2008 (4:08pm) - 24 February, 2008 (1:33am)
Link.

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Awakened by a nightmare,Rue sat up in his bed. Looking around his dorm room,he noticed his roommates were all still asleep. Shaking his head slowly as he slid out of his bed,he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep for sometime now. Gasping quietly as his feet hit the cold floor,he quickly got into his slippers,tossing his black hooded Bayer Leverkusen sweatshirt on before exiting his dorm.

Tip toeing down the stairs into the common room,he checked to make sure there was no one there to stop him from leaving. Seeing no one Rue made his way out of the common room and into the hall. He already knew where he wanted to go,he wanted to see the Mirror of Erised. He had heard other students talk about it and he wanted to see it for himself,what else was he going to do? He couldn't sleep and needed to get away from his bed.

After sometime searching for the room that held the mirror,he had finally found it. Pushing the door open just enough for him to poke his head in,scanning the room as best as he could. It was dark and that made it hard to see,but he saw it,in the corner furthest away from the door. Stepping into the room,he hadn't bothered closing the door behind him,his attention was on the mirror now.

When he got an arms length away,he sat down in front of the mirror. Sitting Indian style,he rested his hands on his knees,looking up at the mirror. All he saw was himself at the moment. "Is this it? How does this thing work?" he thought out loud.

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Aife lay in bed, caressing Dorian who lay dozing beside her. She held her book to her face, desperately trying to make herself tired enough for sleep. She stretched as Henry explained to Dorian the beauty of his once love's imaginary life.

The girl never really lived, and so she has never really died, said Henry. To you at least she was always a dream, a phantom that flitted through Shakespeare's plays and left them lovelier for its presence, a reed through which Shakespeare's music sounded richer and more full of joy. The moment she touched actual life, she marred it, and it marred her, and so she passed away. Mourn for Ophelia, if you like. Put ashes on your head because Cordelia was strangled. Cry out against Heaven because the daughter of Brabantio died. But don't waste your tears over Sibyl Vane. She was less real than they are. She pitied the aristocrat's ability to view life, and thus death, in such a way. She lay the book down, lost in thought, until a log fell in the fire, causing the bright orange flames to shoot up into the chimney.

Aife sat, glancing about the room. Her roommates sighed softly in their sleep, dark mounds barely visible through the bed curtains. Dorian's head lifted, looking at her curiously. She gave up, and, hoisting herself from the bed, grabbed her thin cotton robe to pull on over her shirt and pajama pants. She pulled the tie into a knot, and, grabbing her wand, opened the door a crack. There was no one on the hall, all was silent. She crept down the stairs, into the common room, the great fire's reflection flickering over the walls. She didn't stay long enough to ponder the shapes forming over the high walls, and slipped into the larger corridor outside. It was dark, almost haunting, as the high moon glowed through the tall windows at the end. A clock chimed distantly, the sound thronging through the hallways, one, two, three times. Aife didn't need to call light from her wand, the halls were bright enough by the moonlight.

She climbed the steep stairs at the end of the passage, her digits grazing the balustrade as she moved slowly forward. She passed corridors, one after an other, and came finally to a door in one of the walls. It was left open, an eerie glow coming from within. She peeked inside, slowly pushing the door open. The wide, towering windows allowed the blue moon light to course through the room, reflecting off a rather large, beautifully gilt mirror. She walked towards the mirror, noticing for the first time that a boy sat before it, his head in his hands.

"Rue?" she asked, recognizing him from her Dark Arts class. "What are you doing?"

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The voice had caught him completely off guard as he was lost in thought. He was startled,falling onto his back,he looked up and saw a familiar face from his Dark Arts class. "Aife? What are you doing here?" he asked from his position on the floor. Resting his hands on his chest,he showed no signs of wanting to get off of his back.

Realizing it was rude of him to ask her a question without answering the one presented by her. "I was um...checking out this mirror" he said,looking up at her with his dark brown eyes. It was dark in the room,but he had no problem seeing her,almost as if light was being provided by the mirror or some other source. Stretching his legs out,they just about reached the mirror.

Sighing quietly,he was glad he wasn't alone anymore. The mirror had provided nothing for him. He had heard stories of the mirror had shown others they wanted or desired,but all he saw was himself. Is that what he wanted? Himself? No,it couldn't be,Rue wanted friends and family being as he lacked them for the most part,with the exception of Aife here and a few others.

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Aife sat beside Rue, level with his head. She glanced at the mirror, which towered over them a good seven feet. She looked into it, noticed their hazy reflections, and the blurred windows behind them. It seemed the room was meant only to store the mirror, and allowed plenty of viewing space. There was a fog, and it seemed like she could almost make out more than what was really there. She wasn't sure what, though. She turned to look at Rue, who asked what she was doing up.

"Oh, erm. I just couldn't sleep", she said. Shrugging her shoulders, she leaned back on her hands. "I tried to read, you know, thinking that might help, but yeah. It didn't. Obviously." She gazed into the mirror, inspecting the foggy parts, while others seemed quite clear. It must not be a very good mirror, she thought. She looked down at Rue. "What's up with this mirror, anyway?" she asked. "Why have they assigned it a whole room for storage?"

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He had agreed with her. It wasn't a very good mirror,was it? He knew what it did,but didn't know why it was granted its own room. He could think of over things that could of used their own room,but not this mirror. He sat up slowly,groaning quietly as he sat level with her now. "I was told that its supposed to show what you desire or want most,but all I see is me and you now" he said.

The mirror was a waste of time,unless he knew how to get it to work. He reached over and gave it a open palm smack against the side "work I say!" he exclaimed with a chuckle. A smile had formed on his face once he had done that.

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Aife's jaw dropped as Rue hit his palm against the glass. "Rue!" she whispered loudly. "Don't do that, it could be Madam Maxime's for all you know." She giggled. "I see our reflections, and the room's. The only thing different is the fogginess. It isn't foggy in here", she noted. She moved onto her knees, crouching before the mirror, as she peered in, willing it to show her something. She dropped back on her bum. "Nothing", she said.

She inclined her head to survey the guilt frame. "Maybe it's twenty-four karat gold, or something", she said. "Or maybe the mirror itself is made of diamonds." She pressed her hand to the cool glass, it felt like ice beneath her fingers. She shook her head. "Nope, diamonds radiate heat. That's how you can tell if they are real or not. The mirror is freezing." She withdrew her hand, and folded her arms into her lap.

Aife looked at Rue skeptically. "You came here, at three in the morn, to check out a mirror?" she asked, her lips curving upward in a grin.

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"Well Madam Maxine should get a mirror that works" he replied,giving the glass another hit with his palm. He hadn't noticed the fogginess at first,but now,he started to notice it. Why was it foggy in the mirror but not in the room,what exactly was this mirror he wondered. He looked behind him to make sure the room wasn't foggy,thinking it was his mind playing tricks on him.

He didn't notice how cold the mirror was until he rested a hand on the glass,immediately pulling it back. It felt as if he stuck his hand in a bucket of ice water. "Man,that is cold" he remarked as he sat like her,except he was rubbing his now cold hand,trying to re-warm it. "What do you think its made of?" he asked.

"Yeah,I figured no one would be here at three in the morning" he said "But apparently I was wrong" he added,giving her a gentle nudge to her side with his elbow,laughing quietly.

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Aife laughed. "Yes, very wrong", she repeated. She leaned her back against the glass, tucking her robe in tighter. "The castle is so interesting at night", she said. "It's a little eerie, but almost..." she trailed off, trying to find a good word to complete the sentence. "Dreamlike?" she tried. "Yeah, dreamlike. That's it. You know, what with the bright halls and everything, you don't even need to light your wand." She looked out the window, noting the nail clip of a moon, and the few stars, dim against it's brightness. She sighed. "Erg. I feel tired, like I want to sleep, you know?" she told Rue. "But I just can't. It is so annoying."

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He stretched his arms behind him,leaning on them,facing Aife. Every so often his eyes would gaze toward the mirror. Still he saw nothing but their reflections and that fog. "You're right,it is,but I never imagined I'd be spending part of my life in one." He said. "I haven't been able to sleep right for the past week or so" he added "It is annoying isn't it,when you can't sleep" he continued. For a moment,he thought he saw someone else in the mirror besides the two of them,standing up quickly,pointing to the mirror "There's someone in the mirror!" he exclaimed.

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Aife heard Rue's exclamation, and, turning her head, knocked her nose into the mirror. She cursed, struggling to stand. She gazed into the mirror, rubbing the tip of her nose. "I don't see anything", she said. She backed up until she was a few feet from the mirror. She squinted. There was a little something, a bit of movement, but that was probably just the fog. "Rue, I don't see anything", she said, placing her hands on her hips.

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"I swear,I just saw someone" he said as he got closer to the mirror,trying to inspect it,looking for the person he just saw. Realizing being directly in front of the mirror wouldn't help him,he took a few steps back. He still didn't see the figure he saw in the mirror. Was he seeing things? Was it due to how tired he was? Shaking his head in disbelief.

"Where did they go?" he thought aloud,turning around to look behind him. He saw nothing,the room was empty except for the two of them and the mirror,the door was still closed. "Aife,I saw someone,in the mirror,I'm not kidding" he pleaded.

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Aife folded her arms. "Do not kid me, Rue Ribbery", she said, tapping her foot. She glared at him, then faltered as his face fell. She sat down, pulling her legs up Indian style. "I'm sorry", she said. "I am tired, but I can't sleep, which always frustrates me." She set her head resignedly in her hands, and looked back to the mirror.

"Maybe it only shows things to certain people", she said. She watched as the smokiness wafted higher, curling gracefully. "Or, maybe, it is just that you can only see what you want, not what someone else wants." She frowned, considering her point. If it only showed you what you wanted, then what was it she wanted? Smoke? Or did it just mean that she didn't want anything? Feeling slightly confused, she leaned back, resting her weight on her hands. "What do you think?" she asked Rue.

((Sorry it isn't very long, I wrote a whole bunch, like, paragraphs worth, and then my connection reset, and I lost it. So this is the best that my fangled, technologically abused mind could come up with.))

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He shook his head furiously,"I'm not kidding" he said. He let out a sigh as he plopped down onto the ground near her. Folding his arms across his chest as he looked down. "Its alright,I'm tired too,maybe I'm seeing things" he said,staring at the mirror. He slumped forward a little bit,sighing again,why could he see it and she couldn't he thought to himself.

Taking what she said to thought,he leaped up onto his feet. "Aife,I got it! Stay in front of the mirror" he said as he jogged to the other side of the room. Leaning against the wall,he called out to her "watch the mirror! tell me if you see anything!". His voice echoed in the room.

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Aife stayed where she was as Rue ran to the other side of the room. She sighed. Nothing is happening with this mirror, she thought. If only... but she paused. The air behind the mirror was stirring, and she could sense movement. Which is weird, because when can you sense movement from a supposedly inanimate object? She peered closer, her body leaning forward.

Aife saw... two people. One was very tall, very broad. The other was very short and very slight. They came closer, walking very slowly, tentatively, even. Finally, the taller one stepped into the light, the other following cautiously. Aife stood, and walked slowly to the mirror.

Her father, still tan and very boyish, stood before her, his copper hair mangled carelessly, clashing with the business suit she still remembered him leaving for work in. Her hand touched the glass, the icy chill spreading through her fingers. He just grinned, looking at her with sparkly eyes.

Aife looked at the woman next to him, her grandmother. She looked strange... different. She was smiling. Grinning. She was happy. "Grandmama?" she asked. She looked back and forth, between the two, incredibly confused. Her grandmother wasn't dead. So how was she next to her father inside this mirror? Horror crossed her features as she wondered if something had happened through the night. She glanced at her grandmother, who was shaking her head. Did she know what Aife was thinking?

She remembered Rue, and shot him a horrified glance. "I don't... I don't get it. What is it?" she asked him. She looked back at the mirror, the two people watching her like she was a fish in an aquarium. Her eyes narrowed as she fought to comprehend the impossibility before her.

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He walked jogged back over to her when he saw her glance. "Aife,you ok?" he asked her as he came to a stop next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder,expressing general concern. "You saw someone didn't you? I knew it,I'm not crazy" he exclaimed. Looking at the mirror,he saw no one however. Not even the figure he had saw earlier.

Why was it that he had seen a person earlier and not now. What is with this mirror he thought to himself. He tapped his lips gently as he tried to come to a conclusion,but he couldn't determine what it was that this mirror could do yet. "You said 'grandma'...did you see her?" Rue asked her,curious as to who it was she had seen. The shadowy figure he had seen hadn't revealed themselves to him yet,so he didn't know who it was he saw.

Looking down at the floor,Rue closed his eyes. He was racking his brain as to what this mirror did. "Maybe the mirror shows you who you want to see?" he thought out loud,looking to Aife for some input.

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Aife watched as the figures in the mirror faded as Rue came closer. She nodded, half listening to Rue, half searching the icy glass. They were gone. She looked at Rue, who was still speaking. "Erm, yeah. My grandmother. My dad, too", she muttered. She shivered, feeling very discombobulated. She was very confused. "It may be just people I would want to see", she said. "But why would it not show my mother, or my sisters?" she asked.

"This is too confusing", she said, shaking her head. She looked at Rue. "It isn't dead people, right? I mean, as far as I know, my grandmother is definitely not dead", she told him. She was still at odds, caught off guard by the mirror. The frost inside it still stirred slowly, but there wasn't anything there. She sighed. "Why don't you look, Rue?" she asked. "See if you can get anything." She walked away from the mirror, and leaned against the cold stone wall.

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He nodded at her suggestion,standing in front of the mirror,a few feet back. He slid his hands into his pockets,waiting for something or someone to appear. He didn't have to wait long however as the figure he had saw earlier had returned. The figure would grow closer towards him in the glass,he had to do a double take as the figure soon turned out to be his mother. She had a smile on her face,she always did,maybe thats where he got it from.

"Mom!" he exclaimed as he practically ran towards the mirror,an extended hand hit the glass of the mirror,stopping him from getting any closer. Thats when he realized she wasn't really there. She was only there because he wanted her there. Taking a few steps back before he fell back on his rear,he was stunned,there were countless things he wanted to say,but there was no point. He knew she was gone and what he was seeing was just a product of the mirror,it knew not of his mothers voice,her laughter,just her image.

His head sunk down into his hands,fighting back tears. What was the point of this mirror if he couldn't speak to the people he saw. Inside,he just wanted to break the mirror,but he knew he couldn't.

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Aife watched Rue, his expression hesitant, but expecting. There wasn't anything there yet, she knew. Finally, his eyes narrowed, his posture changing to one of impatience. She remembered her own figures, coming slowly, one stepping slowly into the light, and the other following. She knew what he was seeing. His eyes widened, shock registering on his face. He ran forward, crying the word mom. His outstretched hand clashed with an icy clang against the glass, his feet halted at the foot of the frame.

Aife's heart went out to him, as the different emotions fleeted across his features. She folded her arms, resting against the stone as she gave him space. She could almost sense the same drastic emotions she'd experience only minutes before, the tension ebbing from Rue, as he surveyed the face in the mirror. He gathered his face in his hands, his shoulders taught with anxiety.

She wasn't sure if she should say anything. She didn't know his past. She let him stand, the figure of his mother probably still poised within the massive mirror. Finally, she whispered his name, cautiously, hoping he was ok. She took a hesitant step forward, and stopped. He stood in stony silence, his posture hard as sarsen.

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"I'm...I'm fine Aife"he said,giving her a wave to come join him,sighing quietly. He lifted his head out of his hands for the time being. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve before she could got any closer. He didn't like people to see him in this state,he was always cheerful and to be seen like this...he hated it. "I think I figured out what the mirror does" he said to her.

He had come to the conclusion that the mirror provides you with what you want the most. He had desired to see his mother so he got his mother,the same with Aife he figured. What was the purpose of the mirror though he thought. "I don't get this thing" he said,still wanting to break it.

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Aife narrowed her eyes, watching Rue's expression carefully. She didn't quite believe that he was fine, but walked slowly to his side as he gestured to her. She saw him move his sleeve across his face, but respectfully ignored the gesture. He's probably the type of guy to be manly and hide his feelings she thought. She forced a soft smile as she listened to his words. "What do you think?" she asked. "I mean, if it shows dead people, I'd like to know."

She thought for a moment. "Should I call Basil? I can send my grandmother a letter with him... but that wouldn't even get here for an other day..." Aife slumped to sit against the mirror, her words trailing off as her worries over took her. "I mean, what if something has happened? What if it's something that can't be helped... I mean, not that many people would hurt her, but I have a feeling some of those Muggle women didn't like her very much", she muttered forcefully. "Not that they could do much about her... she knows magic... she can beat them... oh my. What if she's sick? She can't go... what about my sister? She's just moved in there... she needs to do her lessons... how would I know what happened? I should have brought that damn mirror... the quickest way... why on earth... I would know immediately... I should have brought it... I am so stupid..." Aife's words traveled on carelessly, her mind creating endless means of demise for her grandmother. Her forehead wrinkled, her usually smooth features now stressed with lines.

Aife stood up, and turned to face the mirror, still muttering to herself. "I need to know... if she's ok. I mean, the mirror should tell me, right? She seemed to nod to me before..." her words jumbled together as she roamed her hands over the glass, trying to peer closer, to feel the smokiness... to find her grandmother, or even her father, for an answer. She began to tap on the glass, her palm slapping against the icy surface, her face frenzied with hope. She needed an answer... it was the quickest way. That was it... the quickest way. An owl would do her no good... she needed the mirror. If only it would work. She began to hit the pane harder with the butt of her palm. Smacking sounds filled the room as she filled with wild desperation.

Tears stung at the dams of her eyelids, overflowing as her need for the mirror grew. "Come on!" she cried. "Work! You damn mirror! Work work work!" she begged. She groaned... it was useless. The mirror was absolutely horrid. She hated it. Yet it was becoming almost impossible for her to tear herself away from the mirror, to regain control of her normally calm demeanor. She kicked at the frame and stubbed her toes on the hard metal. The pain urged her on, her anger strengthening her resolve. She felt like an interrogator... she needed something from the bastard of a mirror, and she was going to get it.

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Standing up,he rolled his sleeves up past his elbow. "It shows you who,and maybe what,you want to see." He offered her. He had come to this conclusion when he had saw his mother and she,her grandmother and her father. "I could be wrong,but it seems to be a solid theory." he continued. There was a good chance he could be wrong,but there could also be an equal chance that he was right,he was hoping he was right.

Before he could say anymore,he stood there in silence as she hit the mirror,stunned. He had never seen her,nor anyone he met here,act like that. Is that what the mirror did as well? Anger people? He shook that off,if that was the case,he too should be infuriated. Rue decided to give her a moment to realize that the mirror wouldn't help her.

The moment had passed and yet she was still assaulting the mirror. This is when he decided to step in,darting over to her,he grabbed her arm,but not too hard,just hard enough to get her to stop hitting the mirror. "Aife Aife,calm down,please" he pleaded,not wanting to let her arm go. "It doesn't work that way and hitting it certainly won't do anything but hurt you" he added. Rue had hated seeing people like this,especially his friends.

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Aife felt a soft tug on her arm, and looked down at the offensive pressure. She followed the arm, over the shoulder, and to the face of her friend. "I... I don't. What...?" she muttered in confusion. She looked at the mirror, then down at her hands. They were red, and sore. Her head cleared, as if she'd been in a fog. She looked back at the mirror, and took a deep breath. "I don't think I like that thing", she said. "No matter what it shows." Her breathing slowed, a dull head ache grew in it's place. She placed her hand on her head, applying pressure where she thought it might help. "I think... it messes with you", she said.

Aife turned away from the mirror, she didn't want to look at it anymore. She shook her head slowly, still trying to sort the feelings surging through her. "I don't know what to think", she said. She walked to the wall and sat down, carefully facing away from the mirror. "It isn't a good thing", she said. "That much is obvious."

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He sat down with her,making sure to block her view of the mirror altogether. Horrid thing that thing was. He had no idea why people raved about it,those people obviously haven't suffered a loss he thought. "If it messes with you,why would the other students rave about it?" he asked her,he wasn't disagreeing with her,but he wasn't agreeing with her either. "The real question is why would they allow students to use such a thing" he added.

What a dumb idea he thought,thinking of his idea to come see the mirror. Of course over the course of his life he had various dumb ideas,this one took the cake however. The mirror had caused him a bit of pain he did not need,the same could be said for Aife. In a way,he felt partly responsible for how she felt at the moment.

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Aife shook her head, and mused over her friend's question. "I don't know..." she said. "But if they are glad of it, then what it shows cannot always be bad. Or maybe they just take it a certain way." She looked out the window, the moon was significantly lower than it had been when she'd first entered the room. "What time is it?" she asked. She pulled her timepiece out, her brows furrowed as she figured the time. She smiled at Rue. "Well... I guess I'm not sleeping tonight", she said.

She felt a bit tired, but strangely hyper at the same time. "I've pulled all nighters before, though. So it's all right", she said. She was sure it would be okay... she could go to class and then after her last one, she could go to sleep. The day after was Saturday, so she could catch up then. She looked out the window again, noting the sky's lighter shade of navy. "The sun will be up in a few hours..." she said absently.

Aife turned to her friend. "What do you have to do today?" she asked. She hoped she hadn't kept Rue from much needed sleep. It would be horrible if he had to walk around like a zombie all day, trying desperately to stay awake.

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He sighed quietly as he put a hand on her knee,rubbing it gently. A smile had returned to his face for the first time since they looked into the mirror. "The only thing I have to do today is make sure you're alright" he said,trying to reassure her. He was returning to his normal self,smiling,doing what he normally does. He could deal with a lack of sleep,he could deal with most things.

In reality,he had nothing to do that day. Sure he had class,but he didn't mind,he would sleep in the back of the classroom. School work could come later,when he had a nap or something. That was typical Rue,putting others before himself.

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Aife grinned, her eyes raising at Rue's comment. "I am positive I'm not the most important thing on your to do list today", she said, nudging him gently in his side. She picked absently at the fraying material of her pajama pants, thinking of what they should do now. A low grumble stirred her innards and she looked up at her friend. "Do you think the dining hall is open?" she asked. Her hands withdrew her timepiece from the pocket of her robe, it's silvery chain trailing after it. The creme face read nearly five o'clock, and she heard a distant chime echo the time.

Her eyes returned to Rue. "I guess it wouldn't be. But I'm feeling a wee bit hungry", she told her friend. She thought for a moment, considering their options. She'd heard that the house elves were particularly helpful to hungry students. "How about the kitchens?" she asked. "Would you like to go and get something to eat?" She studied his expression, trying to gage whether or not he liked the idea.

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He gave her a gentle nudge in return,chuckling a bit. "You're my friend,you're always on my to do list" he said with a smile. His stomach rumbled as well,seemed as if his stomach liked the idea of going to the dining chamber. "I don't think its open yet,its still too early" he responded,placing his hands on his stomach.

He nodded in response to her question. "That sounds good and I think my stomach would agree with you." He answered with a chuckle. The kitchens,that wasn't a bad idea. He wasn't that hungry,but he could always do with some food. After all,he was a growing boy.

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Aife smiled at Rue's comment. "Don't let Lizzy hear that..." she teased. His expression was shocked, so she held her hands up, laughing. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding... Don't hurt me", she cried comically. She frowned as he admitted the dining hall would be closed at this hour, but smiled when he agreed to run with her to the kitchens.

Aife stood, shaking dust off her robe and pants. "All right, let's go see what the elves have for us", she said, and opened the door to let Rue go first. He tried the awkward "ladies first" gesture, but she merely shook her head. "I don't really know where the kitchens are... you go ahead", she said. As they left the room, she turned one last time to glance at the mirror that stood innocently against the wall. She felt that she wouldn't mind it if she never saw the horrid thing again...