Up the stairs, down the stairs, back up the stairs, back down the stairs. Merlin, this was a workout.

Thornton sighed and dropped his bag, taking a moment to lean against the wall. He'd been carrying the vast majority of his books everywhere he went, so that he would not have to run back up the stairs if he found himself with a moment to study in the library, or between classes on, say, the first floor.

"This is ridiculous," he mumbled, staring at the bag practically bursting. Rubbing his left shoulder, he looked up the hall toward the common room, then down the corridor back toward the stairs.

"You'd think someone would have figured out how to make this easier," he grumbled, kicking his bag, assuming that no one was paying much attention to him. Books spilled out of the bag and across the floor. Sighing, Thornton bent down to begin picking them up.