Finding The Secret Passage

"Is this it?" Hester asked quietly, as she pushed open a door. They had been searching for a while, and had only found empty classrooms so far. The door led on to a narrow corridor, lit by only a few floating candles. "It looks secret enough," she said with a smile.

She slipped through the door and then waited for Louis to enter after her.

The stone floor wasn't as clean as the rest of Hogwarts, and none of the usual rowdy portraits lined the walls. It was probably one of the only places in Hogwarts which was actually quiet. Except the room of requirement, she noted to herself. That had no paintings either.

"What do you think?" she asked. "This it?"

Louis stepped into the dark place that simply had to be the secret passageway.

"I think it is," he whispered, for, as quiet as it was, it simply seemed like the sort of place that you had to whisper in.

It was a strange place, the passageway. It was different than he'd expected. Of course, what had he expected, really? Warm cushions lining the floors? Cookies laid out for them?

"I really do," He added for good measure, his voice still quiet.

Hester was beginning to love this place. That almost stuffy feeling she got when she was in small places was one she loved, because it felt like the beginning of a warm hug. Perhaps that was an odd way to describe it, but it was how she felt. It felt similar to the airing cupboard at home, somewhere she loved to sit in and read her books.

"So," she whispered, because it was a place that simply asked for you to whisper in, like a library. "Did your family tell you about this passage?" She knew that he hadn't known where it was, but he had still mentioned it before. She wondered just how many of the secret places around Hogwarts that he knew of.

"Well, yeah, but they didn't tell me anything about the place... just that it was there." He said (whispered), "Actually, I didn't even ask them about where it was, I was determined to find it on my own. But finding it with you is even better, of course."

He swore he was blushing right about now, and thanked Merlin that it was dark in here. Maybe she wouldn't see it then, after all, how embarrassing would that be?

"And, just in case you're wondering, they did tell me about a few others. But they said even less about them, so I really wouldn't know where to start looking."

"I'm sure we'll find some awesome places," Hester said with a smile. It was dim in the secret passage, but Hester could have sworn that Louis was blushing. No, why would he be? No one would be embarrassed around her. Boys got embarrassed around attractive girls, in her experience.

She sat down against the wall and hoped no one else would find the passage while they were there.

"So what do you think of Hogwarts?" she asked. "Is it what you expected?"

It was the typical conversation starter, but she was honestly curious.

Louis grinned at her, now mortified a little from even blushing in the first place. He wasn't supposed to blush around anyone after all.

He was sort of amused by the curious way she asked it, but the question itself intrigued him.

Was it what he expected, exactly?

"No, not particularly," he answered honestly. "But it definitely isn't worse than I expected. I'd have to say that it's probably better, if I had to choose. I mean, just look at all of the wonderful people I've met."

He gestured at her as he said the last bit. She was certainly one of them.

Louis gestured at Hester, and now it was her turn to blush. She hid it by brushing her hair over her face, but she couldn't tell whether he had seen or not. She smiled at him. She wondered whether to say thank you, but then couldn't get the word out, just in case it hadn't been directed at her at all. Damn, this was the most awkward she had felt around a boy, like, ever. Normally she could just be herself- well, she was being herself, but normally she could say whatever she pleased without having to think- but there was something about his... She didn't even know. His face? Expression? Hair? Voice? His way with words? Whatever it was, it was affecting her in a way she had never felt before.

She ignored it. For now.

"I didn't know what to expect," she admitted. Now she had got to know Louis a bit, she felt more comfortable talking about blood status. "I guess I was expecting witches in pointed black hats cackling around giant cauldrons, using bots of frogs and stuff... Fairy tale witches. Or wizards with staffs, like Gandalf..." She tailed off, realising Louis wouldn't know who Gandalf was.

Louis was disoriented for a second. Was she blushing? Nah, she couldn't be. What would the reason be?

Then, Louis was confused.
If he hadn't been certain she was a Muggle-born before, he definitely was now.
What in the world was Gandalf? A disease of some sort? A famous Muggle? And what was a fairytale?

Yes, he was definitely confused...

"Well, I guess that leads to the next obvious question then... do you like it here?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Hester. "I like it a lot."

She paused. She wasn't sure what to say now. She felt a bit stupid about mentioning muggle stuff. It had no place in this world, and she would just have to forget her upbringing if she was going to fit in.

"I like the classes, they're really interesting. And I'm excited about graduation as well," she added, steering the conversation back onto common ground.

"Yes, I'm rather excited about that as well," he said, pondering a little.

He hadn't particularly thought about it, but graduation was slowly approaching.

"Funny to think that we'll be second years soon, huh?"

"Yeah..." It was odd, now she came to think of it. "A whole school year, just like that..."

"What are you going to do for the summer?" she asked, curious. She herself was a bit dubious about going home, about trying to fit in again like a muggle.

She did want to see her sisters again, in particular Hope. She hoped that the three year old wouldn't have forgotten about her big sister.