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Stack of Barrels https://i.postimg.cc/zDdR39Lv/stack-...ls-banner2.jpg In a nook on the right-hand side of the basement corridor stands a large stack of barrels. To most students, such a sight might seem unimportant. However, to those who were sorted into Hufflepuff, these barrels are invaluable. Concealed behind one of these barrels is the entrance to their common room, which has not been seen by a student belonging to another house in over a thousand years. |
@ Solomon the Valiant and not the Apologetic of the Glistening Waters The only way this could be better was that Solomon was also in Hufflepuff. The Slytherin common room wasn't too far at least, loads closer than Ravenclaw for sure, so it was still easy to see him and send enchanted paper airplanes his way with various invitations. Her paper airplanes had even evolved to not combust after a few minutes and her folds were a lot more crisp and precise as well. In FACT, she felt that the one she had sent to Solomon most recently asking him to meet her here because she had a surprise to share with him was the best one she had folded and charmed yet! Playing a bit of hopscotch with the stones in the floor while she waited, Anna bounced on her toes from one to the next while whistling. Or her attempt at whistling which was was mostly just puffed cheeks and air blowing out of her puckered lips. |
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Solly smiled when he spotted Anna doing some sort of dance on the stones. If only he had a video camera, he’d have caught some magical moments of his friend enjoying life to the fullest. Still, he didn’t want to embarrass himself by hop scotching behind her at the moment. “Thought I could smell vinegar.” He commented from behind her, joking, of course. |
Anna was just spinning around on one foot - pretending to be elegant like a ballerina or a fairy skating on top of some frozen ice -when she caught the subtle echo of approaching footsteps. It was entirely likely that were she not expecting Solomon she would have been completely spooked by his appearance and teasing words but he instead was greeted by a big smile and her nearly tripping over her own untied shoelaces as she quickly changed directions to greet him with a hug. "Soooooloooomoooon," she giggled while giving him a tender squish. "How did you know my surprise had to do with the vinegar?" Still in hugging position with arms clasped around his middle, she leaned back and put on as serious a face as she could muster. "BUT...you have to close your eyes first. That's like...the code of surprises, you know." |
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He didn’t realise she meant an actual surprise. Now he felt bad that he didn’t have anything to return for her. He sure hoped Anna had Goliath in a small box ready to present to him. That would be awesome right now. “Awh. Of course, wouldn’t be a proper surprise otherwise, would it?” Solly closed his eyes tightly shut, still holding Anna’s weight as she leaned back. |
She hadn't literally meant to throw herself at him for a hug but her feet and shoelaces had other intentions in mind. Thankfully Solomon was well equipped and accustomed to dealing with Anna and her Annaisms and therefore easily caught her AND gave her a delightfully tight hug that was very well received by the fun sized Hufflepuffle. "If you smell it it is NOT because of me! I haven't practiced yet but I bet there are all kind of vinegar puddles and stained stones all over the place. But I also bet the house elves do a lot of cleaning and de-stinkifying things." They were always super busy little creatures so it made sense. Beaming at his compliance, Anna bounced up and down on her toes for a couple of moments before literally wiggling herself out of his arms. She supposed that she could have managed to pull the surprise out of her bag without disturbing the warm embrace but it would have been a little tricky and she probably would have ended up elbowing him in the face on accident. Still only standing about a half a step in front of him, Anna pulled out the semi-translucent yellow raincoat she had so generously been given for her birthday and held it up so her arms were high above her head and it hung in front of her face. "Okay! You can look now!" |
Solomon raised an eyebrow when she claimed that the smell wasn’t coming from her, let that look linger, but then followed with a chuckle. “I’m just kidding, I can barely smell it.” The house elves had clearly done a good job or he was becoming too used to being around Hufflepuffs. He had entirely expected for Anna to release herself to get his surprise, mostly because he was expecting something big, something grand!!! He wobbled a little but maintained his balance before she was ready. He opened his eyes wide with a huge smile and… Oh. Points for random… “It’s a… raincoat.” He stated the obvious. Was it a gift for him????? Was it a clue for something???? “Cool!” He tried to remain excited for her sake. |
He could barely smell it now and it was very likely that he would not be smelling much of it in the future either! Despite him clearly being less than impress with her reveal, Anna was positively bubbling over with excitement to share this news with him. "It is! A yellow one," she reiterated just in case he couldn't tell or had somehow missed this obvious point. "Reuben gave it to me for my birthday. Now I can practice on the barrels and get squirt with vinegar plenty and my clothing won't smell and you won't have recoil!" It was ALL good news, see? And now, soon, he would never have to worry about being close to her and there being an unsavory smell! "Tadaaaaaaaa!" |
A flicker in his right eye made itself known when Anna revealed where her raincoat was from. Or whom it was from, rather. He wasn’t jealous of her friendship with Reuben, or maybe he was, it was weird. Solly hadn’t really connected with the guy. What he didn’t understand was why Anna was flaunting Reuben’s gift in front of him, as if she was trying to make him feel bad because he had totally forgotten her birthday. Solomon wasn’t much of a gift giving guy anyway - not because he didn’t care, but because he just didn’t know what to give people and hated the pressure of it. “That was nice of Reuben.” Solomon managed a smile, even more so when she explained what she wanted to use it for. “And… you want to show me, I take it? Is there room for me under there, too?” Now he was grinning. |
Would it surprise Solomon to know that the true answer was none of the above and even BETTER?! Though there was the tiniest glimmer of disappointment that he did not quite seem to grasp just how revolutionary this development was, Anna was not deterred in her own enthusiasm. "It was. For myself AND for you as well. I mean, I know your nose is terribly sensitive and when I am drenched in vinegar it can make things uncomfortable for you to spend time with me sooooooo now you need not fret about such things!" See? It really was a fantastic thing! "Oh, well..." she puzzled while holding up the raincoat by both of its arms. "I reckon if we squish in nice and close that we both could fit," she nodded while slipping her arm through one of the arm bits. "But not with you standing all the way over there." |
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