#6 // Inquiry in the Kitchens

Meav stopped before what she assumed was the entrance to the Hogwarts kitchens. She had to ask a housemate where she could find it and the idea of her not knowing it unnerved her. Meav mentally told herself to invest more interest into finding out every nook and cranny of the castle. The useful ones, at least.

The Slytherin needed some raw meat for the Braxorn habitat. Meav had a soft spot for all animals, magical or otherwise and the post on the Slytherin's noticeboard convinced her to help, as little as she could. She had an idea on where to get the apples, they ought to be on the tables during meals, but Meav had trouble thinking of where to get the raw meat. She figured she might as well ask the creatures who took care of the food, namely, house-elves.

Her family never had house-elves, couldn't afford them really, so Meav had no idea how to treat the creatures that ran the Hogwarts kitchens. In the end, she decided on how she treated all that she met for the first time, with careful indifference.

"Excuse me," Meav said loudly, not sure which house-elf to stop or who to bother. "I need some raw meat," she added, then stopped, wondering about what else she might ask now that she was already here. "And I need three apples, can I get them here as well?"

As she waited her the answer from the house-elves, Meav stood straight and uncomfortable by the wall of the kitchen nearest to the exit, her eyes following the flurried movements of the house-elves.