Ravenclaw Common Room
The Ravenclaw common room is a very inviting and cozy
room; even the nostalgic student would feel more at home upon entering this
room.
The walls are painted a deep blue, trimmed with
shimmering bronze paint, representing the colors of the Ravenclaw house. The room is square, with stairs and halls
leading off to the dorms. A few tall
windows are placed around the room, iridescent bronze-coloured curtains letting
the sunlight filter in. The 'mascot' of
Ravenclaw, a beautiful grey eagle, has been portrayed in a banner, which is
draped high above the stone floor. An
inviting fireplace has been installed in the western most part of the room, and
comfy bright blue armchairs have been placed in a circle around the room where
the students of Ravenclaw may mingle.
Two open doorways lead to staircases which lead up and
down to two other rooms attached to the common room, which are the boys and
girls dorm rooms. The third door in the
room leads you back out to the hallway.
Last night, Cho did return to the Tower later than usual,
but most people were already in bed, so likely very few noticed. The most
noticible thing though was the fact that she went to breakfast again and acted
like nothing happened. At least, until the mail came... Enough students got
copies so that whispers started up, and even Cho, who refuses to read such filth
usually, caught wind of it. As soon as she did she went straight back to
Ravenclaw's common room, where she sits at one of the chairs near the fireplace
and pointedly avoids most of the gossip. And that's where she still is, her
kitten sleeping in her lap and a book in her hands.
Stella, looking slightly miffed, makes her way over to
Cho, gently tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. "If it's any
consolation at all," she says softly, "I don't believe a word of
it."
Cho glances over at the other girl and bites down on her
lip for a moment. There's a pause, then she nods, "I know, most of you
don't believe it. And I'm sure Draco will smash down anything that the Slytherin's
try to say about it, but..." She shakes her head and looks back down at
her book. Yesterday had actually been nice too.
Stella looks worried. "Please, don't let it bother
you." She can't help feeling bad
for Cho.
Cho shakes her head, "It's just.. enough of that
article /was/ true that it's that much more awful." She quickly adds, not
looking up, "But a lot of it is highly exaggerated, if not completely ludacrice.
I'm more worried that it'll end up hurting someone else."
Stella raises her eyebrows, wondering exactly what
portion of the article was true. "Well..." she crosses her arms.
"I'm sure Mr. Malfoy isn't losing much sleep."
Cho glances up and offers a soft smile, "Oh, I know
he'll be fine. It's not Draco I'm worried about." Though there is some
indication that it isn't completely accurate. But it certainly seems truthful
enough. He isn't the cause of most her worries over that bloody article.
Stella looks a bit confused. She lowers her voice substantially.
"Who then?" she asks, "If not Draco?"
Cho takes a light breath, and then she admits after a
moment, "I'm worried about Harry." She's sure she won't have to
explain which Harry. "He's been going through so much this year already;
he doesn't need to have something like this thrown in front of him. Especially
not now, with his friend is still... missing."
Stella suddenly recalls Harry's feelings for Cho. She
rubs the bridge of her nose. "Harry...and Hermione....This year is turning
out to be such a mess." She sighs.
Cho nods slowly, "I just hope he doesn't believe
what that Skeeter woman wrote." Even if some of it has facts to back it
up... sigh.
Stella's tone turns snippy. "I certainly don't. Rita
Skeeter represents every wrong with journalism now." She sniffs.
Cho nods slowly, "That's true. I do wonder how she
manages to get her scoops though. Last year was understandable; she was at
least here..." She shakes her head, wondering how on earth she knew the
things in that story that /did/ happen.
Stella hmphs. "Probably some sort of informant. A
Slytherin, I'd bet. Last year they seemed all to willing to talk to her."
Cho pauses, suddenly thinking something that she hadn't
given thought at all to before. "You don't think that Draco might have
told her all those things, do you?"
Stella purses her lips. "Honestly, I wouldn't put
anything past that slimy little wanker. He seems to exist to create misery in
others' lives, so I'd say it's a definite possibility he just concocted the
skeezier details and went off to tell her." She nods.
Cho pauses for a moment, frowning. He did seem to
suddenly act rather nice for a few moments. Was it all some kind of act to get
her to let her guard down after what happened a few nights back? "But
why?" That's the only thing that would honestly confuse her. "He has
just as much to lose from having that published as I do." Maybe she's just
too nice to think bad of even him right away, especially without any proof.
Stella wrinkles her nose. "Who knows." She
shrugs. "He may be telling his particular slant on the story to his fellow
Slytherins--making it sound like more of a conquest thing." She sticks out
the tip of her tongue. "I don't know if I told you, but I tried to talk to
him about it."
Cho looks off into the distance. She doesn't look hurt,
much, more disappointed. The very idea is enough to make her disappointed.
"I'm not /anyone's/ conquest." But that isn't really the point, she
looks towards Stella as she adds that last part, blinking, "When? Today?
About the article?"
Stella shakes her head firmly. "No, you certainly
aren't." she says. She draws in a large breath. "Before the
article...when you were still really upset, I figured Malfoy had something to
do with it, so I went and had a chat with him." She pauses, wondering now
if her behavior might have indirectly prompted the article. "I'm really
sorry--I was angry..."
Cho gives her head a quick shake, reaching up a hand to
touch the arm of the slightly younger girl, "No, it isn't anything you
need to apologize for." She is surprised that the fellow house-mate
managed to figure it out, but then again, they are Ravenclaws. "I'm sure
that nothing you said caused this to happen, even if Draco was involved."
Which it doesn't sound like she is completely sure he was.
Stella smiles at the touch, obviously pleased that Cho
doesn't think her responsible. "I suppose..." she stops to think.
"He wasn't nearly as angry as I was after we talked. He just seemed to
be...himself." She shrugs, "I can't figure him out."
Cho actually manages a genuine smile now, "He is
impossible to understand... I try to figure out what he's going to do next and
he does something completely different. Sometimes I wonder if he does that just
to confuse me."
Stella smiles in response to Cho's smile, though she
seems a bit thrown-off. "You've been trying to figure out Draco
Malfoy?"
Cho pauses, then says, still managing a smile, though
faded now, "The article was right. We do have some things in common. I just..
I tried to befriend him. I thought he might need someone who could understand
things.. more than just his cronies and tag-alongs at least. He.. wasn't very
receptive of the idea of friendship." Until last night... which is why the
article bothers her.
Stella remains thoughtfully silent for a few moments then
says, "Cho, that's really...noble." She smiles slightly. "Though
I'm not surprised he wasn't very receptive. He wasn't very nice to me
either." She squares her jaw--the mere memory of the conversation is
enough to make her angry all over again.
Cho gives a small shrug, "It almost seemed as if he
might accept last night though. I mean, he did. But if he was the one who told
Skeeter about..." She trails off, shaking her head. That disappointed look
is back. "I do know one thing, if he wasn't a self-centered asshole he
wouldn't be who he is." That's probably the harshest insult ever to pass
through her lips, but it's not toned as one at all.
Stella pauses, thinking. "He seems like a manipulative
person," she says. "But at the same time, people like that are often
the most in need of real friends. So what you're trying to do is really
noble..." she smiles. "And sweet. I couldn't do it."
Cho manages another smile, then finally puts away her book
and starts to nudge the sleeping kitten. She's obviously planning to get up.
"Well, I don't know about noble, but he certainly does need to understand
the concept of friendship. Either way, he's emotionally draining." Even
when he isn't in the room. "I think I'm going to go ahead and turn in. See
you at breakfast, Stella." She starts to stand up, hefting the kitten into
her hands as it squirms and yawns, obviously wanting to go back to sleep.
Stella smiles at Cho's kitten...what was her name...Kaui Hua?
"Good night, Cho," she says, smiling. "and good luck."
Cho offers a smile, and a nod. Kaui Hua just mews softly
and anxiously anticipates her little basket next to Cho's bed. "Good
night." she adds, then starts towards the girl's dormitories.