Portraits
 

It was time for a break in her day and Chloe found herself wandering around the corridors instead of going outside. Now that it started getting colder the second year was only going out for quidditch or to head to the greenhouse. She wasn't going to go out unless she needed.

The not even five-foot blonde found herself near the corridor of portraits and her green eyes looked up at them all. They were always so interesting and she couldn't help but walk slower reading their little signs that had information on them.

Wondering how people ended up with a portrait in a school Chloe stopped and sat down on the floor looking up as she thought about these questions.

Ewan couldn’t help but wander these days. Anything to keep himself busy. Wandering the corridors looking for hidden passageways was one of his favourite things to do although today had not been a successful day in that aspect. But he wasn’t about to give up. That was until he almost knocked someone over. With a small gasp, he fell to the floor in a big heap.

“I’m so sorry, I... Oh, Hey Chloe!!”. Ewan couldn’t help but smile at his fellow Ravenclaw, his mind going back to the time she got stuck outside of the common room the year previous. The lanky 5’7 Ravenclaw really was all tied up in a ball in the floor. “W... what were you doing on the floor Chlo?", his voice stuck between amusement and slight annoyance.

She had been looking at the portraits and not really paying attention when all of the sudden someone was on the floor in front of her and she yelped and curled her little legs into a ball. Being one of the shortest in her class and not even five foot yet she could easily get herself into a very small ball.

When she recognized the voice she felt even worse that he had fallen. Ewen was always so much taller than she was so she knew the fall to the floor was further. "I'm okay, are you okay?" She got up quickly and reached for him to help him up.

"I.. I was just watching the portraits. They are fun to watch at times and talk to. I learn so many interesting things from them. Some days I like to just come here and sit and watch them interact." Was that odd? She really hoped it wasn't.

Watching portraits? Huh. He’d never really thought of that before to be honest. Rubbing his head a little now, a small bump was slowly forming on his head that he knew was going to hurt later. With a small chuckle, Ewan pushed himself up onto his elbows and started to laugh, her expression priceless. “Watching the portraits? Don’t you have anything else to do?” his head slightly tilted now. He didn’t mean it in a mean way, he was just honestly curious.

She had been watching a little girl twirl in her portrait, Chloe was determined that the little girl knew Chloe was watching and she was showing off a little. She didn't mind though and enjoyed watching that was until Ewen's words hit her and her eyes snapped to look at him.

"Well.... yes I guess I should be studying and trying harder to be a better Ravenclaw." She knew she was awful at it and she wasn't gaining many points for her house, but she didn't realize that maybe the rest of them felt like she wasn't doing a good enough job or maybe she did feel that way all the time, but maybe this was confirming it.


"I'm sorry... I mean I'll go study or something."

Chloe
 

“W…what? No, don’t be silly Chlo!” Ewan spluttered as the blonde girl went to go and leave. “I’m just joking around. You know, that thing that friends do around each other?” he continued, smiling at her now as he said the last part. He had honestly not meant to sound mean or offend her or question why she was there. I mean, it was up to her what she did in her own time after all and well, he’d spent time doing worse things that were obviously a waste of time. He couldn’t help but think back to the time he’d spend in the room of requirement doing nothing in particular.

Standing up now, his legs somewhat sore from the trip he’d taken to the floor, he smiled down at her. “You really shouldn’t be so…” he paused for a second. “Timid? I dunno”. Running his hand through his hair slightly now, he couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for making her feel sorry for something that wasn’t her fault. Reaching back for his backpack now, he reached in and pulled out a chocolate frog. One of the many things he’d been saving for a rainy, detention filled day but now seemed like the perfect to eat it. He held his hand out towards her, palm open with the chocolate frog placed in the middle, waiting for her to take it.

"Here... take it"

What had brought Mark down this Hallway. Moving Staircases of course. He was trying to get back to his Common Room, but the Stairs which leading up moved while he was on them and sent him down. As it was still only 2 months into the School Term, Mark hadn't been down all the many corridors that this castle had to offer.

He was headed up to his Dorm to begin some Homework, but he still had plenty of time until curfew so some general exploring wasn't out of the question.

Mark hit jackpot.

a Hall of Portraits, all the moving ones to... He stopped at each and everyone of them inspecting their work spending about 3 minutes between one. If any of them wanted to speak to him he was welcome to it. He was going to ask them about their creation. All Mark had ever really mastered was art with regular old boring paint, or pencil. This would be great if one of the Portraits told him the process.

Then something else caught his eyes.

An Older Gryffindor. Taking it to the system. Eating an APPLE and his School Uniform was so unkempt, and he seemed so unfazed by this. Had Mark decided to stick to the system he would be have thought to much into it and tried carrying dozens of apples down a corridor with his tie affixed to his forehead.

See caring a dozen apples would have been just weird for him since he would never need that many. Plus if he was sneaking food back to the dorm his pockets it would have been a better place. Either way that was too much thinking for this gryffindor. He was halfway through his apple already and waiting for the portraits to say something to him.

Eh, nothing yet. He was really looking for conversation or something cool they did. He has not been this corridor in years since why would he need to seriously. The seventeen-year-old continued walking not noticing the first year or whoever else was down this corridor.

He stopped in front of an ugly looking portrait and just stared at it

He shouldn't be judging but he totally was.

The Colonist Rebels during The American War of Independence didn't dump one barrel of tea into the Boston Harbor then call it a night. Bunch of Jerks. But they made a good point in what he was trying to get across. More Apples meant a better rebellion. Alas, this point would be unable to be given as there was no actual conversation going on. Weird Right?

Mark continued down the corridor attempting to now coax a conversation out of any of them. "What style of painting are you"..."Was your Artist a Realist"..."How is that your are so life-like?"

He then stood next to the Older Boy looking at the Ugly looking Portrait. "Ew no, thanks" He didn't want to ask this one any questions.

Too bad this dumb gryffindor was worse at history than an first year. That was the weirder. Still he could do for another apple so maybe he should have gotten more and hid them in his robes. Huh seems someone else was trying to talk to the portraits and if he had to guess he would be a ravenclaw just going by stereotypes.

He looked down at him as he finally made his way to where Théo was in front of the ugly one.

"Exactly what i was thinking. Maybe there is a cooler one around"

He hoped so if not this trip was a waste excluding the apple but that was the great hall.