Lonely silence

((I'd love someone around her age to join c: ))

Sighing the young girl settled by a table that stood in the library, which was quite silent at this point. It was getting late, and hardly any students thought of staying up to read books. However, Mary had discovered a book. As usually, the book had caught her straight on and she had tumbled over to the chair and settled down to read a few chapters before she'd head off to bed. She didn't want to be discovered out of bed after they were supposed to head to bed. She hadn't had any detentions yet, and she hoped she'd be able to stay clear of them.

"Notable Magical Names of Our Time", she whispered out loud, before turning the book. Inside someone had written with large letters; "Never and forever.", as if to remind younger generations.

Shuddering she turned the page over and read the very first notable person of the time. This one carried the title of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the mighty headmaster that had once ruled the castle. Eager about the new information, Mary stared at the moving frame of Dumbledore, then turned the page to read the history and childhood of the headmaster she had admired.

To her disappointment though, someone had ripped out the pages which should contain the most spectacular events of his life. All she could read, was an introduction about where he was born, and how his family developed, as well as his death. In the middle, several pages had been ripped out. Someone had obviously disagreed with what had been written right there. Shrugging she continued, although more ripped pages appeared on other large names, for reasons she couldn't understand.

"It's getting late, sweetie, are you sure you want to be in here?" the Librarian asked her as she walked in the library.

"I won't be long, Miss Poots," Charlotte told the blonde woman, with whom she had become quite friendly over the past year, due to so many visits to the library. "I really need to check out this book I found the other day, to complete my homework assignment."

The Librarian warned her about curfew, which was in a few hours, but let her go anyway. Charlotte's steps resounded in the quiet library as she searched for the book. Her assignment, due only two weeks later, was nearly finished - it had been finished, until a few days before, when she'd found a great book that had a few chapters on what she needed for her paper. She hadn't had time to look through it that day, and had chosen to come back later. But the only problem. . . where was the book now?

She could've sworn it was somewhere in this section, she knew it was, but the book was gone. Her face turned into a frown, getting tired of looking for it. I can leave it like it is, the Ravenclaw thought, for her assignment was, technically, done. But as soon as those thoughts hit her brain, she shook them off. She wouldn't leave her work like that, knowing now that there was information to make it even better.

"Aha!" the girl exclaimed as she spotted it, finally, . . . in the hands of a first year.

Completely lost within the book, Mary started turning pages quicker and quicker, surprised to see several more pages ripped out, about the ancient warriors of the past, who died decades ago. Someone who had been in the library earlier, had certainly disliked whatever had been written on those pages, and to her frustration it left out information that could be important for later homework.

Shutting the book tightly, Mary pondered at what could have happened to the book, when the sound of footsteps interrupted her, followed by a girl's voice. Surprised that anyone at all dared to head out of bed this late at night, she looked up from the neat writing that titled the book.

Her surprise seemed to ease slightly when she spotted the Ravenclaw girl. Of course. It had to be someone from Ravenclaw, who else would come to the library when night was so close? However, she was rather puzzled by the look the girl gave her, or rather the book. "S-sorry? Are you looking for something?" she asked, grabbing the book she'd been reading and getting to her feet. "This?" she asked again, and held out the book.

Frowning she looked at the girl again and then back down at the book. "It's hardly any use to read it. Several of the pages have been ripped out already", she dared herself to say. She had never been much of a social girl, and it frightened her to hear her own voice echoing in the walls of the magnificent library like that.

Charlotte looked at the younger Ravenclaw and nodded, "Yes, but you can keep reading it. I can have a look at it later - " She took the book, however, when the girl held it out for her and flipped through the pages. Ripped, a lot of them, but it hardly mattered. She only needed two chapters.

"I wonder who'd do such a thing to a book," she wondered out loud, trying to find the subject of her essay. Though she hadn't read the chapters, only flipped through them, she knew they had what she needed, "But I only need a few pages, anyway. It's for an assignment, you see."

The Ravenclaw kept flipping through it, a bit annoyed at the fact that there wasn't an index or something like it. It would certainly save her some time. "Here," she muttered, finding it, and thanked God that the pages she needed weren't ripped. Looking back at the girl, she bit her lip and held out the book, "Do you want to, uh, finish it? I can come back another day. The paper isn't due until two weeks from now. . ."

Mary watched the girl with a blank expression, simply studying her as she looked through the book. The ripped pages had left her in a state of shock. She always loved books very much, and seeing the pages ripped like that felt like something had torn her apart from inside. Books were her life, and was required to write as well. "I don't know. I won't thank them though, I might need info which they've ripped out," she said softly and sighed, studying the cover of the book. "I guess they disagreed with whatever had been written," she commented, assuming that would be the case.

She nodded acknowledgingly when the girl told her about an assignment, recognizing the situation. She had come to the library earlier to get information for topics she did not know enough about to write an essay about.

Her eyes lowered to look at the book that the girl was holding out for her, and a smile appeared on her face. "I'm not really in need of it just yet. There's nothing I can get from it, really, with it's pages ripped like that. I was hoping to find something about Dumbledore's past, youth and such. I've heard rumours, but... I'd like some handful proof. You can take it, finish the essay," she said and smiled, grabbing another book in which she had been reading, this time for a Potions lesson. She was reading up on the ingredients, and where they were most commonly found.

Scooping up the books from the table she stiffled a yawn and turned at the girl again. "Have any clue where I can most likely find Flobberworm Mucus? I can't seem to find it in the book anywhere, and I want to make sure I learn it properly in case we'll be questioned about it." she said and smiled softly again.

Professor Finch toddled out of the forbidden section carrying a massive volume of 'Darkness Of The Fauna' and locked the gate behind her. down the ailse she trod, 'tap tap tap tap tap', her heels click the wood.
She came upon the two girls and sweetly grinned.
"Hallo Mary darhling!" and looking to the other girl said, "And Hallo you! I say, I don't believe I've had you in class? Professor Finch here!"
"I say, Notable Magical Names of Our Time, that's quite a book, my dear husband Stratford makes an appearance in there!" she said excitedly, looking down to the book.
"Hope you lovelies are fairing well with classes.." She said, walked down a few shelves looking for some particular book or other....

Mary had hardly expected anyone else to appear in the library at this hour of day, and was surprised when Professor Finch appeared. Of course, she could hear her heels clicking across the floor long before the elderly woman came into view. She was halfly startled to see a professor, seeing that they were supposed to be in bed sooner or later. However, the teacher seemed awkwardly mild about it, and hardly questioned them at all. Smiling widely, she returned the professor's kind smile. "Hello, Professor Finch," she said politely and did a little dip of her head to show the respect she'd always had towards teachers.

Of course, being quite into books Mary had heard about Professor Finch before, although she couldn't possibly recall that she had been the wife of Stratford. Dumbfounded by the sudden fact that had been flung right at her, Mary was left staring at the professor with a mild surprise glistening in her eyes. Curious, she looked at the book which was still in Charlotte's hands. I'll have to look him up later. If I don't get to bed soon, I'll be sure to recieve a detention before I can say 'lesson', she thought and stuffed her wand into her pocket, together with her quill and ink bottle and shuffled the rest of her items into her hands.

"I'll be getting to bed already. Goodnight," she said politely to Charlotte and Ms. Finch before she made her way over the room, her footsteps so light they could hardly be heard. Then she continued off to the Ravenclaw common room, dearly wanting to get there before anyone realised she was gone.

Professor Finch's eyes sparkled brilliantly at the girl.
"Goodnight my little wingling. I say, if I were you, I'd use the staircase behind the portrait of the three hags, it's mush quicker to the Ravenclaw commonroom, just don't get caught!" she said and winked.
Elizabeth smiled to bid the girls goodnight and turned to take her books she required to tell Madame Poots she simply had to borrow them throught the night, why should an old lady have to sit in the drafty old library when she had a lovely emerald plush stuffed chair at her desk by a nice big fireplace in her chambers.
Oh! Her carpet bag! She turned to look for it, there it was down the aisle, she snapped her fingers and off she walked, the carpet bag following behind her....