#20 - On a mission

Orla could hear a lot of voices as she walked closer to the Main Corridor, and as she rounded the corner her fear was confirmed - lots of students hurried to and fro or gathered in secretive clusters along the length of the corridor. 

It wasn't surprising really, it was a good place to meet. Despite the rain running in sheets down the window panes, there was a lot of light streaming in from outside and it was, after all, the main corridor. It was reasonable that people used this particular walkway to get where they wanted to go or catch up between classes. 

Orla was annoyed nonetheless - something about the message written on the parchment gave the impression that this was a very secret thing, and dozens of other students milling around was hardly giving the corridor a secretive air. 

She lingered along the end of the corridor, lips pursed in grumpy thought, before she decided to go to the middle window and at least see what might happen.

"Ah, sorry, can I just-?" She mumbled half apologies as she slipped in between two very talkative gaggles of students that stood in front of the middle window, trying to ignore their looks of distaste or annoyance, and leaned against the windowsill to wait.

Orla fixed her gaze on the wall opposite, watching the shadows of the rainfall ripple over the stone. It made it look as though water was running down the walls, and the shapes and rivulets caught her sleepy attention so effectively that when she shook herself and straightened, she was suddenly alone.

"Oh, I am knackered," she said, embarassed that she had zoned out so completely, but glad the corridor had emptied. She stretched her arms over her head and then touched her toes, always watching the opposite wall, then slipped her wand out of her sleeve.

She waited, and practiced some wand gestures to keep herself alert.