Round Two WINNING Submission Entry
written by Jessiqua

Queenie let out a nervous laugh, hoping it was disguising her weariness. The end-of-day lethargy, not just physical but mental, was pounding down around her head. She needed a sleep, but first she needed to deliver her bread. And here was Aidan Cobb making grabby hands at her cob.

“Uh honey, you okay?” she asked, taking another step back. Why was he out here like a security guard singing that song?

“Oh fine.” It seemed the question popped something inside of him. Like a helium balloon meeting its demise with a pin. His shoulders slumped but he didn’t take his eyes off her bread.

Queenie looked at him. She could just… no, she didn’t want to do that. Besides, the bread was slowly cooling in her arms. “Okay well I’ll be around if you needa chat, okay hun?”

He made no move, not even as she slowly side stepped around him and into the Pukwudgie common room. She knew there weren’t many people in here, at least nobody that would bother her. A mug of cocoa and a sleeping draught would be her ticket to sleep tonight. But she could feel Aidan behind her. Ignoring him, she walked further into the common room, tucking the bread back in the starched white napkin the kid had pulled back. She had to run her delivery, but couldn’t very well do it with this kid behind her.

“What is it kiddo?” she asked as she turned around to face him.

He swallowed hard. “You know that song right? You reckon you could sing it with me?”

Sing it with him? “Well you see when I said I knew the song it was more that I had heard it. I don’t think I know the words to it.”

His face fell a little and she knew he was upset. Something was on his mind. But it was a castle with teenagers, everyone had things on their minds. Including her. “What’s wrong?” she asked with a gentle tone. Sure, she’d spent hours perfecting the mixing, kneading, and baking charms, she could spend a little longer perfecting the toasting charm.

“Come on Aidan,” she said, inclining her head to the fireplace, where the warm squishy chairs would comfort her body in the absence of being able to help her head.

“Y-you know my name?” he asked.

“Well of course, honey. Why wouldn’t I?”

He shrugged as he sat on the chair, “I dunno, I s'pose you’re older and you big kids don’t really know much about us younger kids.”

She gave him an empathetic smile. “I know they don’t. It was the same when I started too. But I’m not them.”

He studied her face a moment before giving her a smile. “I know. You don’t seem like them.”

“Now are you gonna tell me what’s going on or do I have to read your mind?” It felt good to be able to say if, even if Aidan would take it as a joke.

He giggled. And then his face fell. “I just miss home. That song, Too ral loo ral loo ral too ral loo ral…” he sang quietly, “My mom used to always sing that to me.”

Queenie could understand this. The only other person she had, only other family, was her sister. They weren’t even in the same house. She missed her a lot. “I miss my parents too. It’s good you have that song, you know? It’s something you can sing to yourself to remind you of home when you’re feeling most homesick.”

He hadn’t looked up at her, and she noticed the wet tracks running down his face. “What is it?” she probed, gently.

“She died a few weeks before I had to come to this stupid place.” He was emitting a mixture of grief and anger.

“Hun I’m so sorry.” What was she supposed to do now? She placed the bread on the table and scooted over to him, giving his shoulder a gentle pat. “You know, me and my sister lost our parents too. They died.”

Aidan looked up at her. “They did? And you had to come here all by yourself?”

“Well I had Tina, but besides her I was all by myself.”

“What did you do? Didn’t you feel lonely?”

Queenie smiled. “I did.” She dropped her voice and whispered “I used to get up at night and explore the castle.”

His deep inhale of breath made her laugh. “What did you doooooo all around the castle? Didn’t the Professors catch you?”

Queenie shook her head. “I got reeeal good hearing, I can hear for miles. First noise I heard, I went to one of my hiding spots. Sometimes I met one of the ghosts and got to talk to them. They answered some of my questions, you know. About what happened once they died. I think it helped me understand what happened to my parents.”

He had a look of deep concentration on his face, but he needn’t tell her what he was thinking. Anyone could have seen it on his face.

“No,” she said before he had a chance. “I’m not gonna help you break rules, Aidan.”

“But why did you tell me then?”

“Well I can’t stop you from doin’ it, I’m not a prefect. But I don’t wanna get in trouble.”

He did his sad face again, and even though she could see right through his facade, she rolled her eyes. It would be fun to get out of the common room. It was loud, with all those thoughts. “Fine. Just give me a sec, I need'a take this bread up.” She ran to the top of the girl’s dormitories, placed the bread on the nightstand with a quick note, and ran back to meet him.

“Rules.” Yes, Aidan, of course there were rules. “No speaking loudly. Professors will hear it. No touching of anyone’s things. No stealing, moving, destroying… nothing. You got it? Nothing that would break rules during the day. We’re exploring the castle as observers. You got it?”

He nodded with great enthusiasm, and all Queenie could do was take a deep breath and exit the common room with this unlikely partner in castle exploration.