#2 Lunch

Perce was looking forward to afternoon classes, but also hungry. He looked down at his schedule and saw that he had Care of Magical Creatures. It was there that he would learn how to take care of the creatures of the animal world. It wasn't Transfiguration, Arithmancy or History of Magic. But it was still pretty good.

Meanwhile, it was time for lunch. The meals they served at Hogwarts were better than the one Perce's house-elf, Darci, served at home, maybe because Perce got the impression that Darci didn't really care.

It was difficult for Evan to remain calm and composed once he reached the Great Hall. Especially when he saw his group of friends already sitting down and chatting over lunch. However, he forced himself to take one step at a time so that he didn't rush to them like an excited first year. Not only would it make him look ridiculous, but it would draw attention and make everyone wonder what was going on. He liked the spotlight every now and then, but he preferred to choose when and where he received attention.

Evan ran a hand through his hair just before he sat down on the bench. Two of his friends sat across from him, but they were focused on another one of their friends that sat farther down the table. He leaned forward and focused on the story too, but it soon became apparent that something was...off.
He wasn't quite sure what at first, but he finally noticed that no one else in the group would look at him. Evan shifted a bit closer to the friend that sat directly next to him, but she immediately scooted away. Closer to the others.

He knew for sure that something wasn't right with everyone when the story finally ended and he tried to speak up. Everyone acted as if they hadn't even heard him and spoke right over him. Evan huffed, but waited, assuming that this was either was a cruel game, joke or he'd done something to offend someone.

When the next lull in conversation occurred, Evan saw his chance and pounced on it. "Hey! I've been dying to tell you all about thi-" He recoiled when the girl beside him whirled around and snapped at him.

"Just stop! Okay!?" She said while she glared at him.

Evan opened his mouth to ask what was going on when another person in their group spoke up.

"It's pathetic, Evan. The way you keep reaching above yourself. As if you could ever be more than a mudblood." They sneered at him while the others cackled.

He wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed, furious, or both. Embarrassed finally won out though when yet another one of his so-called 'friends' slung another insult at him.

"You're just like you're father. My dad is always telling me about how he's begging every pureblood he can find to invest through him. As if that will make him any better than he is. He can't change any more than you can."

Evan hated how much the words actually hurt him. He thought that he didn't care about how his father acted and that he was his own person. Especially here at Hogwarts. However, it seemed like even that had been poisoned by his parents.

He pushed up from the table and took a deep, shuddering breath. He didn't bother looking them all in the eye. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he could manage it. So, he lifted his chin, turned around, and marched farther down the table. Their laughter raked through his pride like Hippogriff claws, but he clenched his hands into fists and forced himself to take a few more steps. Then he collapsed on the bench.

Even though every single part of him wanted to cry, Evan clenched his hands until they turned white and clenched his jaw until it was sore. He was determined not to show any weakness, no matter how much it hurt him.

The urge to sob took a few minutes to pass. When it finally did, Evan laid his arms on the table and then laid his head on top of them. He stared at the wood, oblivious to whom he sat next to or what was being said around him. Shock was starting to set in. He'd be lucky if he remembered to eat lunch at all now. Much less make it to his next class. Whatever it was...

Thomas strolled into the Great Hall amongst a group of second-year Gryffindors. They'd heard him singing and had sought him out to ask about Quidditch. Since he was always in the mood to discuss Quidditch, he tagged along with them and answered their dozens of questions. At least, he'd tried to. When they started asking if he had a team in mind yet and when try-outs would be, he did his best to answer as indirectly as possible.

Thankfully, right about the time they started asking the hard questions, they'd reached the Great Hall. Thomas grinned and waved at them as he plopped down on to the bench. The second-years waved back and then fell into a huddle farther up the table. There was no doubt in his mind that they were discussing the likelihood of each of them making the team. After all, hadn't he done the same at that age.
The memory made him shake his head and smile fondly. Then, he saw the food on the table and all other thoughts perished.

Thomas loaded his plate with three different sandwiches and a teetering pile of fried chips. After a contented sigh, he descended on the food as if he hadn't eaten in days.
He looked up a few minutes later when he heard some kind of commotion on the other side of the Great Hall. Thomas stuffed the sandwich he was holding in one hand into his mouth before he craned his neck to see over the other students. It wasn't clear what had happened, but it was clear who the 'victims' were.

Thomas snorted and dropped back on to the bench. The Slytherins had been got twice in the same day, and on the first day of classes, no less. And somehow, he hadn't been a part of either incident. The realization stunned, and chafed at, him. Was he slacking, he wondered silently, or was he just too busy trying to be a Quidditch captain to get up to his usual shenanigans.

He shrugged the bothersome thoughts off as soon as he saw Jacob. "Did you see it mate!? Did you!? I barely did, but I know the Slytherins got it again," Thomas said with a hoot of laughter.

Lucas made his way into the Great Hall, adjusting his tie as he walked. He noticed some commotion over at his house table and sighed. So much for sitting wherever he wanted. He deliberately avoided the whole event and headed to the quietest area, which turned out to be at the utmost back of the hall. Not many Slytherins gathered there so Lucas was pleased to have a moment to himself.

Granted, he'd had a lot of those lately and it wasn't very good for his social reputation - but what could he do? He'd rather be alone than with idiots who had any notions about seeking trouble rather than avoiding it. That ruled out at least half of the entire student body. More, if he were honest with himself. Which he wasn't.

With a sandwich in hand, Lucas peered over his schedule for the day as if he hadn't somehow managed to forget the afternoon existed. History of Magic? He groaned. They had a new professor but four years of Binns continued to linger, so the dread remained even as Lucas shot a glance to the head table. Which one was Professor Archerose again?

If someone bloody well mentions Goblin Rebellions to him one more time, he may have to scream into his pillow again later. Lucas moodily ate his sandwich as if its bread had offended him, and glared at his timetable with contempt.

She'd forgotten just how much walking she did this morning. Now her stomach was letting her know...loudly. Fortunately, she was at the Great Hall now, and already she could smell the spread that had been provided for everyone.

She glanced around, looking for Gerald. She hadn't seen the other boy since their morning class. Unfortunately, she didn't see him now either, so she took a seat across from another, older Ravenclaw boy (Perce). Maybe she could make a third (fourth?) friend?

But right now, she needed food. She grabbed a variety of things - a few vegetables, an apple, a bit of cheese, a handful of nuts...two handfuls of nuts, with one going straight to her bag for use in potions - and started to eat.

Having spent the free time in her dorm, Sinead wandered into the hall just in time to see a group of third year Slytherins bullying another member of their group. She hid a snort of laughter when retribution came from the direction of the Hufflepuff table. Satisfied that she wouldn't have to intervene, Sinead took a seat at the Slytherin table and looked over her afternoon classes as she ate. Before long the young girl was joined by her older sister, who engaged her in conversation, to which Sinead responded to happily as she always enjoyed spending time with the one person out of her family that she was very close to and who had always been there for her.