lost in a wave of thought [open]

[Vanessa Sanderson]

Laying on her back, the room completely dark and empty except for one spotlight that seemed to be focused directly on her. Vanessa sang softly to herself, thinking that this room was probably the safest she could be, so late at night. Knowing she shouldn't be out, it was a wonder at all that she'd even made it up to the seventh floor, let alone the room of requirement, but then again, she had left just before curfew... she could possibly stay there the entire night and be safe until morning, and that's what the Hufflepuff planned on doing.

Softly, she continued to sing to herself, not a sad song, but not anything to fast or upbeat either. It was a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her to sway her to sleep at night. She wished she had brought a pillow and blanket, and as soon as she had, another spot light flashed next to her revealing what she'd just thought of. Laying next to her, where nothing had been just moments before, was a pillow and a blanket. Vanessa's singing has stopped when the light flashed, and seeing what was now before her, she smiled and thanked the room quietly... not asking for anything more than that of what she felt she needed.

Moving the pillow under her head, and the blanket above her, Vanessa covered herself and turned on her side as she usually slept and began to sing to herself again. She had just needed space and time to think. Her newest knitting needles had broke earlier that day and she had to send an owl to her mum to send her the rest of her supplies... she felt lost without something in her hands for her mind to focus on, so her singing was all she had.

Some boy had run into her in the hallway and knocked her books out of her hand that day... laughed at her, and then continued to walk. Why did people do that? Shouldn't he have helped her? Vanessa wasn't sure, nor did she really know if she wanted to be. People were cruel, and her peers almost seemed worse than adults at times. Her mother would concur for her that children were probably the cruelest of beings for no real apparent reasons. Parents could be blamed, but Vanessa wondered what they could have done so wrong to make their children that way... she just didn't and couldn't understand.

Laying in the dark room, one spotlight now remaining and still on her, Vanessa buried her face in her pillow and sang... she just sang.

[Open]

[Jeremy Adams]

Jeremy groaned. If there was nothing more that annoyed him, it was the feeling of not being able to sleep. To the teenager, sleeping was like a sanctuary. It was somewhere that you could resort to when you got tired of the world (no pun intended). And once you were asleep, there was nothing that could physically harm you... given that you were in a secure environment, which most of the time Jeremy was. Sleeping was easily one of his most cherished things, and he always made an effort to get the suggest amount of sleep. So you could rightfully say that he generally got a bit pissed off when he just couldn't sleep.

The teenager rolled over, looking at the clock on his bed side table. It was past curfew, so there was no way he could go for a walk about the school and not get caught. Though being new, the boy thought about using that fact to play up his innocence, and 'not knowing' that there was a curfew. The downside being that Jez wasn't a very good lier, and knew that any he probably wouldn't get off the hook entirely entirely. And at his first week at a new school? Well, lets just say that the Gryffindor wasn't at all keen on damaging his permanent record.

However, he still wasn't denying the fact that a small wander might do him good. Free up his body, prepare for sleep again. The boy sighed as he pushed away the covers, his bare feet hitting the floor of his dorm with a small thud. Jeremy wore flannelet pajama pants, red and black striped, along with a black plain tee shirt. He reached over to his bedside table and grabbed his black knitted beanie, pulling it over his head and pushing his fringe so it made a flicked effect over his forehead.

Not bothering with shoes, Jez crept out of his dorm, and through the Common Room. His bright blue eyes were already glassy with the look of having just woken up, despite the fact that it wasn't true. He was careful when thinking through where he could go. The Towers weren't far away, and a small amount of time in there wouldn't hurt? After all, he wasn't galavanting around the school, and might be able to use his 'newbie excuse'.

He decided to take a longer route, passing through the seventh floor and to the other side of the school. Having only been here for a week, this passage wasn't too familiar with Jeremy, so he retraced his steps now and then, back tracking from time to time to make sure he was going the right way. And in doing so, the Gryffindor managed to pass-by a certain wall a couple of times, when he noticed a door that hadn't been there yesterday. Or at least he didn't think it had been open. Curious, and feeling his instincts as a male kick in, the teenager approached the door, opening it ajar and slipping in. Once inside, he didn't know what to think. There was a spotlight on a motionless figure, covered in a blanket, whereas the rest of the room was covered in darkness. What in Merlin's name was this?

Jez stood there, frozen by both fear and curiosity. His blue eyes didn't move from the girl, as it was, all thoughts of words caught in their place. It would have been a good half a minute until he was calm enough to scrape words from his throat, and push them out of his mouth in a both uncertain and soft voice. "Uhm, hello?"

[Vanessa Sanderson]

Vanessa sang into the pillow for a moment before turning on her back and raising a knee, the blanket falling off of her ever so slightly revealing her yellow pajama bottoms and white tank top. Now that she had the blanket she felt too warm, or maybe it was just restlessness. Shutting her eyes, she had to focus on the song. It was that that would rest her mind and eventually put herself to sleep.

“Ways away, in a far away kingdom
the lass among lasses was sleeeeeeping…” Vanessa continued to sing the lullaby her mother had always sung to her softly.
”Her beauty was natural,
as was her breathing…” Vanessa could feel her eyes becoming heavy finally.
”Because it was her time for resting…” she finished the song, her knee dropping gently toward the ground and her body turning so that she was sleeping on her side. Finally, it seemed as if sleep would be hers.

However, it was then another had found her sanctuary and though the room was dark, there was a twitter heard from beside her. Vanessa opened one of her eyes only to see the yellow canary that came about at the worst of all times. It was as if it were telling her something, something about… Vanessa was too tired to even try to decipher the whistles of the small bird. Shutting her eyes once more, the bird, as it usually did, disappeared and something else was heard within the room.

It was then Vanessa’s eyes snapped open. There was something behind her. Curling into a tighter ball, holding her breath, the hufflepuff had no idea what to do. So, in turn, it seemed as if playing possum was the best thing she could do. A few moments later, a small, and almost nervous ‘hello’ was heard. Slowly, Vanessa lifted and turned her head toward the doorway of the room of requirement. Her eyes were wide, and she was internally freaking out. Who’d caught her?!

“Um… hi?” she said, almost as if asking a question rather than answering the boy she now saw standing behind her. “…I.. I’m sorry…” Vanessa began. “..We… were you.. you using the room, to… tonight?” she stuttered, trying to regain the beat of her heart, and hoping she’d not interrupted something that was actually going on in the room that night.

[Jeremy Adams]

Jez bit back his bottom lip, his eyes glancing around nervously again. What kind of room was this? He was positive it hadn't been here yesterday. By the looks of things, it could have been one of two sizes, either really really big, or really really small. The darkness just wasn't doing great things for him. The Gryffindor knew he should 'act like a lion' and be brave, but it such an odd and strange thing to the new student. He didn't know how many people decided to curl up in balls and lie in the middle of a room, a lone spotlight on them. Surely Hogwarts didn't keep students... prisoner like this, right? Merlin, he really was sounding ridiculous.

“I.. I’m sorry..We… were you.. you using the room, to… tonight?”

Jeremy automatically felt bad. She had been sleeping, obviously, and he had disturbed her. But why here, in his odd room? She wasn't a Professor. Perhaps she had a certain reason she was in here, like a detention? No, that was just plain stupid. Perhaps no one else knew about her? What if she was a ghost? The Gryffindor just didn't know, but he intended to find out. That is, after he applologised, he already felt rude and embarrassed for interrupting the girl. She even looked his age.

"No no," he rushed, taking a few steps forward, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck like he generally did when nervous. "It's just... I'm, new here, and I, uh, didn't think I saw this room yesterday. It sounds ridiculous I know, but I wasn't sure and, um, I decided to take a look and, well, you know the rest I guess." he gave a small nervous chuckle, a smile matching the way he was feeling. Slightly more at ease, but still a bit jumpy at the surprise of the room's contents. "I'm not interrupting you, am I? I can leave, of course..." he added quickly, glancing back at the door for a moment.

[Vanessa Sanderson]

It was obvious that the two students within the room of requirement were out at the same time for the very same reason… because they couldn’t get their minds to ease where they had been before. Vanessa smiled and giggled lightly as the boy took a few steps toward her and began to apologize, hers seemingly as nervous as his own. Why the two were there, Vanessa really didn’t know, but he’d walked into what as she looked around could only be that of a true prison… One she’d created without even realizing.

A spotlight now raised on the boy as well, he’d entered further in the room, unknowing even of what it was, and he was new at that. Tilting her head to the side slightly as she rose to a seated position instead of laying on the ground, Vanessa smiled warmly and shook her head. “You don’t have to go, this is a room that invites those whom are lost and wondering. If you’re here,” Vanessa explained in the only way she knew how. “…then you’re meant to be here.” Nodding, she shrugged and sighed contently. She was relieved that he wasn’t an authority of any kind, and even more relieved that he wasn’t going to hurt her.

“You’re not interrupting me, for I wasn’t doing anything that could have even been interrupted.” Vanessa folded her legs in a cross and wrapped the blanket around herself. “You say you’re new then?” Vanessa asked in a bit of wonderment. “Hmm, well then, I suppose introductions are in order first before anything…” Vanessa said out loud, mostly thinking to herself. Looking back at the boy and holding out her hand from underneath the blanket, she said to him, “I’m Vanessa, I live in Hufflepuff normally,” she giggled looking around at where she’d made her home for the night. “…and am currently just a restless soul that found its way into a dark room to lay and think. Who are you?” she asked playfully.

[Jeremy Adams]

If he was here, then he was meant to be here, eh? Well, at least she had put it in a way that Jeremy could swallow it, without choking and have to ask more basic questions about where he was, and why. The more thought he put into it, the more it made sense, really. As she had pointed out, he had been wandering, and probably partially lost at that. So when stumbling past the room, he had been invited in - most likely for the same reason she was in here? He wasn't too sure about that last thought, but he assumed it would make itself obvious throughout the conversation.

He was, however, relieved when she continued to confirm he wasn't interrupting her, and further went to introduce herself. A more comfortable, boyish smile made it's way to Jeremy's features, as he took another step to meet her outstretched hand. "Pleased to meet you, Vanessa. I'm Jemery, the new Gryffindor on the block." he said, before letting go of her hand gently. "I'm just a restless sixth year tonight, so I decided a walk would do me good." Jez stated.

He took another quick glance around at his surroundings. They felt more comfortable, even though nothing but the atmosphere between the two students had changed since he had first stepped it. A smile still on his face, Jeremy's attention turned back to Vanessa. She was a very attractive girl, he wouldn't deny that, which was probably half the reason he was nervous. Jez tended to feel slightly intimidated by pretty girls, and attractive guys even more so. But the way she presented herself and spoke to him made the Gryffindor feel more at ease with her, she seemed like a lovely and smart girl. "Do you mind if I sit?" he asked finally, gesturing to the ground before her.