The Prince and the Pea

[Connor Manning]

Connor looked around, blank faces staring back up at him. Laughter. He shook his hair out of his eyes, trying to get a clearer look at the people laughing at him. What did they want? He couldn't tell as he backed away from them slowly. And they followed.
He broke out into a sprint, kicking up rocks and dirt as he ran faster and faster. Into nothing. Suddenly he was falling, falling. It seemed to last an eternity.. Until...

Connor gasped, his lungs filling up with air that he seemed to have forgotten was necessary for life. He opened his eyes, quickly reaching for his wand and muttering, ' Lumos. ' His small area of the dorms flooded with light as he turned, now sitting on the edge of his bed. He pointed the light down to the floor, quickly found his slippers and slid them onto his feet. He tryed to remember more details about the dream as he slipped himself into a green faded hoodie and began walking. He didn't know where he was going, and was hardly aware that it was after curfew and he would surely be in trouble if he ran into a Prefect or Professor on their nightly rounds.

Feeling as though if he stopped something bad would happen he started up the stairs. ' One, two, three... ' Connor counted the steps to himself as he walked up them, giving himself something to do. He strained his ears for footsteps other than his own, for the whip of a moving cloak or for the light 'hum' of the energy of a ghost. Connor heard none of these things as he made his way up.

Connor looked down the stairs, finding himself at the top. It had taken him quite some time and he found that his pulse had since slowed to it's normal pace. He sighed slightly as walked down a corridor on the seventh floor, thinking, ' I just need a place to sleep... ' A sudden shaking sound coming from the wall brought Connor's attention to it. He was alarmed at first, thinking the great thundering would wake up someone and he would get caught. Thinking on it, though, he wasn't so sure he cared if he did care at all about being caught. He watched in awe as a section of the wall turned, revealing an old wooden door.

Connor glanced about before reaching for the handle and turning it, hearing the faint 'click' as it released and opened. He took a few hesitant steps inside, tilting his head slightly at the sight that greeted him. Beds. Tons and tons of beds. Soft plushy ones, firm masculine ones, any kind of bed he could think of. Connor climbed on top of an especially tall bed. The bed itself was standing at about 8 feet high, making Connor feel very tall as he stood atop the bed, and then flung himself down onto it, almost floating off to sleep. Almost. He had just been about to slip off to sleep when he heard the clicking of the door. Bloody hell. He thought to himself, crawling to the edge of the giant bed and peeking over to see who it was.

( Open [= )

[Matilda Wentworth]

She had absolutely no idea what time it was. She had absolutely no idea why she was where she was. She had no idea how to get back to her Common Room the easiest. One thing she did know however, was that basically, Matty didn't care. The Hufflepuff had been around the castle for some time now. The girl was seated with her back up against the wall of the sixth floor, starring out onto the moon lit ground. She assumed it was some time in the morning, but the girl wouldn't bet anything on that. The Hufflepuff Fourth year was wearing ugg boots, baggy pin-stripped pajama pants, a singlet top, and a black hooded jumper, two sizes too big for her. The girls hair was simply whacked up into pony tail on the side of her head, her fringe was falling out.

So the girl looked quite the mess right? She felt it too. What had happened to the ones she cared about? It was as if everyone had disappeared. She felt desperate. Matty needed something, or someone to reassure that things could still feel like home. Leto wasn't anywhere to be seen. Michael wasn't around much. Krissy hadn't been very active. Usually you couldn't get rid of her, which wasn't bad thing though. Matty hadn't seen Seanna in a few days. Devon and Jynx were defiantly gone. Verina... well, she hadn't been around for months. And worst of all, Tianne, her best friend, wasn't around either. So yes, Matty felt very alone in the castle walls. And the feeling of alone followed her. In her sleep, in her classes, when she was relaxing. Any time it could, it reminded Matty that she had lost allot of people she loved. And because the feeling penetrated her, she dreamed about it regularly. Tonight had been the worse of such dreams.

The girl had been walking into the great hall, and as soon as she had, all the noise had fallen. Hundreds of eyes glared upon her, questioning her appearance in the hall. All of her friends were seated at one table though, and she made her way to them. Within a few steps, the taunting started. Yells, screeches, shouts, calls. All were made along the lines of "Loner, no-friends, loser!" and such. Many stood, other threw food, and the entire hall erupted with hate. Everyone was united against her. She longed to leave, but her feet stuck the ground like cement. Eventually the scene faded, but only after that picture had been glued into Matty's mind. And that was the sole reason she refused to sleep. That girl would stay awake until morning came. For if she tried to regain sleep, that same picture popped into her head, and was as bright as a fluro light.

So as the girl sat there, keeping her mind from wandering, she started to hear things very clearly. The ghosts going by. Peeves chucking a tantrum. The creaks of the suits of amour. Somehow though, she managed to hear the sound of footsteps. That wasn't too impressive. The echoed from the floor above. Either it was a professor, a student, or a prefect. Curiosity got the better of her, and Matty started up the stairs very quietly, to see where the footsteps had gone to. She paused around a corner, and heard shifting of bricks, knowing that someone how obviously gone into the room of requirement. Yes, she knew about it. The girl didn't really think this situation o be suspicious, as she had gotten out of bed to go to the room times before. The door stood cold for a second. Once she thought things were safe, she crept up to it, and put her hand on the doorknob, so it wouldn't close up right away. Matty turned the handle, and peered inside. She snuck through the door way, her bright green eyes trying to make out what was inside.

Beds. That was odd.

[Connor Manning]

Connor peered over the edge of the bed again, bunching up a part of the blanket in front of his face so the person wouldn't be able to see him. He quirked his head to the side a bit as he looked at the girl. She looked to be about his age, and in a total and complete mess. None the less, though, she looked nice. And nice was something Connor was looking for currently due to his dream. It wasn't the first time he had had the dream and he didn't know what it meant. He always felt it had something to do with his family, maybe, or perhaps Jeremy and his friends? That was probably more likely. A loud sigh escaped him as he thought about this, and then upon realizing that he did it he backed away from the edge of the giant bed, wondering if he should reveal himself to the girl or not.

He glanced back over the edge before finally deciding to reveal his presence to the girl. It would be easier than hiding from her, he really had no reason to. She hadn't done anything to him, after all. Connor was still hesitant though as he jumped down from the bed, landing with a soft ' oomph. '

He turned towards the girl, now noticing her bright green eyes now. He also noticed that she looked even more of a mess up close. Connor reminded himself that appearances weren't everything as he said, " What brings you here to the land of beds? " It was his attempt of a somewhat humorous statement, although at the present time he didn't feel in the mood for too many jokes. " I'm Connor. Who're you? " He asked the girl curiosly, brushing his hair out of his hazel eyes as he did so.

[Matilda Wentworth]

Matty's heart began to beat allot faster once she heard a soft sigh escape from... alright, so she didn't know where it came from, but it was creepy all the same. She bit down on her bottom lip, and stuck her hands into the pocket at the front of her jumper, where her wand was safely stashed. Then, out of the dim light, a figure jumped out from rather high bed. Matty flinched and took a step back wards. Once the boy settled himself, the girl recognized him... slightly. He looked about her age. 'What brings you here to the land of beds? he stated, before adding 'I'm Connor. Who're you?' Conner. That rung a bell. "Land of the beds, huh? I'm guessing your the king, then?" she grinned, her face seeming more alive that it had before. "Conner? Do you mean Conner Manning? I think we've met before," she said, before remember to actually add her name. "I'm Matty." she said flicking her fringe from her eyes. The girl flashed him another small smile. If this was the boy she had briefly met before, he was a kind boy at that. Slythin... if she could recall. The girl gazed around at the room, with dozens and dozens of beds. "Um.. whats with all the beds?" she asked, strolling over to the closest one and touching the wood of the frame. It was amazing to see how well the room could come up with things.

Her mind still pondered on why he was actually in here, but at the moment that really wasn't the appropriate question to ask. If it wasn't this Manning boy, then to ask a stranger such questions would be kind of rude. Well, in Matty's books anyway. She turned back to the boy, a soft smile still on her face as she brushes back her fringe to sit behind her ear.

[Connor Manning]

Connor bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, stepping from left to right as the girl talked to him. He chuckled slightly as she mentioned him being the King in the land of beds. He nodded and then responded once she was done.
" Only the Prince. " He commented, chuckling once again. Connor then went on with a light smile, " Yes, the very same. Yeah..I think I remember you now, though.. " He said trailing off, remembering meeting the girl. She was.. a fourth year? If he remember correctly then she was a fourth. He couldn't recall which house she was in, though.

He leaned back, sitting down on a black futon bed with a light colored wooden frame and silk sheets. It was soft against his hand as he pressed it to the surface. He glanced back up at Matty, nodding slightly to her question and answering, " I dunno what's up with this room. I was just walking by, thinking about how I needed a place to sleep and Poof. Here comes this door out of the wall. Full of beds. " He smiled somewhat as he went on. " What brings you here? " He questioned, toying lightly with one of his ear rings with his free hand as he glanced back at the girl.

[Matilda Wentworth]

The girl let out a small giggle as he commented on her King accusation. Her white teeth creped out from behind her lips and she began to feel more comfortable already. The girl nodded as he said something, before trailing off. He was quite the interesting chap. The girl watched him as he sat on a futon bed, which looked rather comfy. The girl glanced around, taking in all the different bed kinds. One in particular caught her eyes. She walked over to a set of bunk beds, climbed up the ladder, and seated herself on top, her legs hanging over the side. The bunk wasn't that far away from where Conner was, so it wasn't hard to hear him speak again. 'I dunno what's up with this room. I was just walking by, thinking about how I needed a place to sleep and Poof. Here comes this door out of the wall. Full of beds.' Matty grinned. "Fair enough." she said, feeling the cotton sheets with her fingers. "Me?" she repeated, thinking for a second. "I had a dream a few hours ago, and couldn't get back to sleep. So I've been sitting in a corridor for most the night." she shrugged. "Then I heard what must've been you, and I couldn't help myself." she said. After a few moment, the girl asked "How come you couldn't sleep?" in a polite tone. She doubted he was going to snap at her.

[Connor Manning]

Connor watched with amused eyes as Matty looked around the great room and then chose a bed. A bunk bed to be precise. It was comfortable looking, and it had the allure of childhood, at least in Connor's eyes.
He rolled over onto his stomach, propping his head up with his hands in front of him as he looked up to where the Huffle was sitting now, her legs hanging over the side of the top bunk. He nodded along slightly as she told him about her dream that prevented her from sleeping. Sounded a lot like his situation, only difference being that he wanted to get back to sleep, a restless one albeit, while she seemed to not want to go back to sleep at all. It made sense though. Connor wondered what her dream had been about if it made her want to not go back to sleep at all. He pondered this as he heard her ask, How come you couldn't sleep?

" I.. guess I had a bad dream. " He said, shrugging slightly as he said the words aloud. " And I didn't really feel like staying in one place. So I left. Which probably wasn't a good option. Honestly, I thought you were a teacher or something coming to carry me off. " He said the last bit with a half grin.

[Matilda Wentworth]

Matty didn't really mind telling Conner why she was up. Everyone had bad dreams. Everyone also had different cures for them. Usually Matty would try and go back to sleep, but this time she thought trying to live through the night would be slightly easier than having to deal with that picture in her mind again. As the Slytherin explained that he too had experienced a bad dream, the girl couldn't help but mysteriously smile a bit. It seemed as if bad dreams were abundant these days. When the boy said 'Honestly, I thought you were a teacher or something coming to carry me off.' Matty too grinned. "Well you're lucky I wasn't then, huh?" she teased. The girl eyes him for a second, before her green eyes glanced to the door.

"Did you hear that? I think someone's coming." she stated, trying to hear the grin on her face as Matty snatched a pillow from her bed and aimed it at Conner. Yes, it was very childish and random, but the Hufflepuff thought that lightening the mood might help them both a bit. Sure, he would have to have actually fallen for statement for the pillow to take him by surprise, and her aim would have to be good enough to reach him. In the next few moments those two things would either come into place... or not come into place. A grin was firmly set on the younger girls face as she placed her arms behind her, leaning on the bunk bed top.

[Connor Manning]

Well you're lucky I wasn't then, huh? Connor laughed and said, " Well, yeah. " He toyed slightly with the edge of the silk sheet as he talked, glancing back up to the girl every now and then. Connor's hazel eyes glanced back around as she said she heard someone coming. " Not again.. " He muttered, mostly to himself and partially to the girl as he looked back over to the door, wondering if someone had heard or seen either him or Matty entering the room. It wasn't very probable, but Connor had never broken any rules before, so he didn't want to get caught now.

' Oomph! ' Was all of the Slytherin's reply as he got hit in the face with a pillow. Granted, it was nice soft pillow, but it was still a pillow to the face all the same. He scrunched his nose at the girl before grabbing a pillow from the top of the bed he was currently sitting on. He chucked it, aiming high because Matty was still on the top bunk of the bed.

" That.. was not so nice. " He said, hiding behind the very tall bed in which he had previously been laying before Matty had arrived. Connor grabbed a random pillow shaped like a smiley face and looked round the corner of the bed. He quickly pulled back behind the bed again, reading himself. ( haha) He waited a few seconds before jumping out from behind the giant bed and chucking that pillow at Matty. He was pretty sure that it wouldn't hit her, it was an off throw, but he guessed you never know. Connor stood there, a slight smile on his face, wondering if the girl was going to retaliate or not.

[Matilda Wentworth]

A smirk tugged at the edges of Matty's lips, as she eyed Conner, then the door. She honestly hoped that no one else was coming. Because that would really suck... although it would be quite the trick to be able to get them in the room, if the intruder didn't know the reason of it's current presence. But, after a few moments, the pillow collided with Conner, and that sent a mischievous grin onto Matty's face. The let out a small laugh as the Slytherin scrunched up his nose. But before the girl could get any more ammo, the boy threw a pillow in return at her. The girl opened her mouth in fake shock, before grabbing two soft cushions at the end of her bead, roughly the shape of quaffle.

'That... was not so nice.' Matty bit back her smile and laugh, before waiting for Conner to come out from his hiding place. Once he had done so (flinging a pillow at her as well) she managed to throw the two small pillows in his direction, narrowly missing his smiley faced one. The Huffle grabbed the smiley pillow, before jumping off the side of the bunk. "Oh, it's on now Conner." she said, hunching down and creeping along the opposite side of the Tallest bed. Matty aimed the pillow she was holding to go over the bed, and possibly hit him. She threw it, before ducking down to cover, her face beaming.

[Connor Manning]

Connor chuckled at the Hufflepuff's look of 'shock' as she got hit by the first pillow. He turned, pressing his bag to the bed as Matty jumped down from her place on the bunkbeds. There was no telling where she was going, but he figured having only 3 places to look( front, left and right ) would be better than four places.

He was taken by surprise, though, as he saw a pillow fly off to where he had just been standing minutes before. A light smirk played at his face, but it was quickly wiped off as a pillow went flyinh, hitting his head lightly before falling to the ground in front of him. He picked the pillow up, thinking that Matty had catapaulted the pillow from the other side of the bed. Smart. Connor thought as he flung the pillow back over the side of the bed. Just then he had an idea. He was going to build a fort... out of pillows. How wicked would that be? But he didn't think he could really do it by himself if the Huffle was still throwing pillows at him.

" Hey Matty... Wanna make a fort of pillows? " He asked the girl, peering around the corner of the bed and hoping she wasn't going to chuck another pillow at his face as he talked to her.

[Matilda Wentworth]

Matty kept crouched in her hiding position, waiting for a retaliation of any kind. When none came, she became a little bit suspicious. After a while, she heard Conner's voice again. 'Hey Matty... Wanna make a fort of pillows?' the Hufflepuff chuckled to herself, before emerging around the corner of the bed to find the Slytherin boy. "Sure." she smiled, leaning back on the covers of the tall bed. "Where did you have in mind to make this... fort, oh, Prince of the Beds?" she teased, a smirk taking over her smile. The 14-year-old paused for a few moments, before asking "And how do you plan to make it... pillows aren't exactly that strong, Conner." Matty raised her eye-brows to the boy, wondering he if knew how to do things or not. There was always magic, but she wasn't exactly sure on how that could help them in this situation. If he meant a fort as in... a great big wall to hide behind, that would be easy enough, but a place with a roof and all might prove to be a bit more difficult...

[Connor Manning]

" Ha. Ha. If I'm the Prince of Beds, what does that make you? Court Jester? " He joked to her with a light grin on his face as he walked over to stand in front of Matty, his hands empty, telling her he wasn't going to strike. " To answer your question, I was kind of thinking making it over there, " He pointed to a clearing where several small beds, children's size, were laying, looking like they could be used for his idea. " And we could use magic, or just.. making it. Did you bring your wand? " He asked her curiously, twiddling his own in his hands as he talked to her and sat down on a bed across from Matty.

Connor looked over to a pile of pillows from their ' throwing adventure ', and absently flicked his wand, sending the pillows in a nice neat stack to where the clearing was. The pile was about waist high, and with any luck, they could build it bigger. If she wanted to, that is. He brushed his hair out of his eyes as he glanced back at Matty.

[Matilda Wentworth]

Matty still had smirk on her face when he approached her, and made the comment about herself being the Court Jester. The Hufflepuff raised her eye-brows at him, before lightly punching him in the arm. "Shut up, Conner." The girl listened to what he had to say, her eyes trailing over to where the Slytherin pointed. When he asked her about a wand, she nodded. "I always keep it with me." Matty smiled, pulling out her Oak want, and feeling the smooth wood between her fingers. The teen leaned back on the bed behind her, watching the boys actions. As he moved the pillows to a cleared area, she began to get the idea of his fort.

"Alrighty, lets make a fort then." she said, smiling. The girl flicked up a few pillows, and stacked them next the Conners, beginning to make a wall of some sort. Matty waited on his next actions.

[Connor Manning]

" Ouch, Matty, jeez. That reaaally hurt, ya know? " He said sarcastically, sticking his tounge out at the fourth year after she punched him. In reality it hadn't hurt, but it was pretty funny to him. He felt a slight wave of hyper coming on, mostly brought on by sleep deprivation to be sure. He nodded as Matty told him that she always kept her wand with her, " Good, it'll be a lot faster doing everything by wand, anyway. " He said, making his way over to a bed that had a ton of pillows on it.

" Sweet. " He said, watching as she stacked a pile of pillows next to his own pile. He flicked his wand a couple of times and watched as a new pile of pillows landed right next to Matty's pile, making their makeshift wall bigger than it had been before. " See? It's working. " He said with an entertained look. Sure, a fort had been a random idea, but he liked the idea of making a fort comepletely out of pillows. " So, tell me somethin' about yourself, Matty? " He said to her as he looked back to her.