Closed And then there were two

[Mary Lou Layton]

*Set during the sorting ceremony

Mary Lou didn’t know what to do. Her sister’s name had been called. She couldn’t help her eyes glued to the back of her sisters head as she made her way up to the stool and took a seat. She was sitting with the other third years, but she was close enough to the fourth years, that she could see a couple of her friends, almost feel them pressed up against her. They wouldn’t make the connection because their names were different and she hadn’t spoken much of her family other than to say she missed them terribly. What was she going to do? She’d never thought she would see Cindy here, she thought she had more time! A knot of anxiety twisted into her stomach and she felt sick. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see her, she did, of course, but not like this? Why would she come here, they lived in America. How was she even here? This must have meant she had magic like Mary Lou, but how come she’d never said anything? When she’d read that letter, it hadn’t said anything about this, why wouldn’t she have mentioned this in her letter, maybe Mary Lou could have faked an illness or something. She wasn’t ready for this yet.​

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Her sister let out a screech and Mary Lou’s hand went to her mouth in shock and sympathy. She understood that sentiment only too well. There were definitely times when she wanted to screech too. Soon, Cindy was placed into Hufflepuff, and Mary Lou deftly averted her eyes before her sister could see her. It have been four years now, her hair was shorter and she looked a bit older. Mary Lou was caught between wanted to lift her hood over her head to hide and rushing over to hug her sister. Anxiety won out and she slowly lifted her hood, hiding her face in obscurity. She couldn’t do this now, she wasn’t strong enough.​

 

[Wendall Layton]

Wendall didn't really care to sit through the sorting ceremony. He didn't know anyone else coming through the school, and he didn't plan on getting to know the youngest students since he was now so much older than them. He would sit through it though patiently waiting to be able to eat his dinner, watching some of his friends around the room and debating whether he was the only one that was a little bit bored during this part of the school opening. In the corner of his eye he spotted a girl's hand fly up to her mouth, and followed Mary's Lou's gaze towards another blonde who took a seat at their table, further down the end. Wendall considered Mary Lou a good friend, since they got on well and worked together on the school paper at times, not to mention that Wendall felt a small need to look out for her ever since the incident on the grass. As she lifted her hood over her hair, he couldn't help but feel concerned that she didn't want to be spotted by the new girl.​

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A few minutes went past, and the remaining students were sorted into their houses. As the ceremony came to an end, the food was revealed and they were able to tuck in before heading back to their common rooms, and no longer being an amateur at this start of school marlarky, the fourth year hopped out of his seat and moved around towards his friend. "Hey," he patted the girl on the shoulder lightly, waiting for her to realise he was stood behind her. Maybe she didn't want to be here at all, in which case Wendall would try his best to lie their way out of dinner and escape early, but if she just wanted company then he would be there to talk to her too. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly, trying not to capture anyone else's attention.​

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

Perhaps it was a bit silly, but Mary Lou hadn’t realised she’d been noticed until she heard Wendall speaking to her. She inched a little further down the table as people moved about to reach the food and gave up a bit of space for Wendall to sit comfortably beside her. She didn’t want to have this conversation loudly - at all really - but it was Wendall and he was one of her favourite people, she didn’t mind talking to him about this… the only issue was that she wasn’t sure how he’d think of her about all of it. She’d never really talked much about her family with him or anyone so for it to come up like this was probably going to be a bit shocking.​

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“I’m… okay,” she said softly, staring at the potato salad that sat directly in front of her. She had to make sure she wasn’t getting her hair in the plate of the person sitting beside her and so she tucked her curls into her hood so they didn’t fall over the place. Her hair was always longer when she got back at the start of school because she didn’t cut it and she hadn’t cut it since she’d started attending Hogwarts.​

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She was sure being Rapunzel wasn’t a bad lot - locked away in a tower and seperated from her family by an evil witch that didn’t like her… sounded a little like her life at the moment minus the tower. Of course she didn’t actually think her Aunt was an evil witch, but if she was Mary Lou wouldn’t have been all that surprised. “Did… you see that girl? The one that shrieked?” She asked, trying to angle her body so that should Cindy look down this way she wouldn’t spot her. She was probably really conspicuous at the moment, but she just… couldn’t do it. This was her safety - that’s what she was telling herself. “Wendall I have to tell you something,” she said, looking up at him with eyes filled with sad hurt. Though she wasn’t sure if the hurt was her own… or Cindy’s.​