Post by Deleted on May 25, 2014 0:00:09 GMT -8
Five. Alice fluttered the end of a long emerald green feather quill in front of her. She was trying to pay attention, but her heavy eyes kept her just past the point of actual focus. Four. God would this class never end? Professor Adams had only been back a day and it was obvious that he was still recovering from what ever had taken him away for the weekend. Three, Alice was thinking she looked about the same as the professor; tired and strung out. Two. The color of the quill reminded her of Rabastan and her eyes flitted open thinking just briefly that she heard his voice. One. Alice was smart. She knew that. Smart enough to know he wasn't here. Smart enough to know there was something she didn't know. The clock tower chimed, but Alice didn't move.
This knowledge had been picking at the very edge of her idle thoughts. She trusted Rabastan with her life. He meant so much to her, and she'd seen so much of who he really was. How could she let an itchy feeling, lurking in the corner of her mind, ruin what her heart knew for certain? It had to be lack of sleep. Alice absolutely hated staying away from Rabastan for too long. Nights were much easier to sleep through when she shared a bed with the other half of her heart. As the rest of the students filed out of the classroom, Alice was planted in her seat, staring at her quill a moment longer. It wasn't until Professor Adams cleared his throat in a contrived cough, looked from her to the door and then flashed her an awkward smile. Alice startled into awareness and swept her books from the desk, looped her bag over her shoulder and hurried out of the classroom.
Checking the dainty watch on her wrist she thought a long moment. Down the left was her shift at the library for the after noon; to the right, the stair case leading down to the entrance hall and out to the path to the Hogsmeade. In less time than it took to blink, Alice turned right, and hurried down the steps. The library would understand. Madam Pince had often told her that if she was going to sleep through her shift instead of work then she should just take the afternoon off. What was a few hours missed? It wasn't like she got paid for it. Her need to see Rabastan was much greater than the need to organize books.
With her shoes splashing in the puddles on the way into the village, Alice ignored the wet sensation filling her socks. The goose bumps prickled at her exposed kneecaps and the wind tugged at her pleated skirt, but Alice was determined to make it there. The porch of his home only gave her the most minimal amount of cover from the blustery weather, and it was only now she was cursing herself for not having brought a jacket or a cloak. Alice knew better than to knock. Rabastan had given her a key ages ago it seemed, so she let herself in and shivered as she closed the door behind her. Hanging her book bag on the hook by the door she kicked off her shoes, and yanked off her socks, wiggling her pale bare feet in the open air. "Rabastan??" She glanced around a little, shaking out her slightly rain-damp hair. "It's me... I decided to take the night off... Hello??" Her best guess was to look for him upstairs in the spare bedroom where he liked to brew his potions.
