Secret Midnight Snack---SHH!!! [Open]

[emmawinters]

Emma had woken suddenly in the night, stuck to her bed with sweat. She had had another one of her nightmares, this time it was only worse. She kept dreaming of her dad and seeing his death over and over again. It was hurting her on the inside more than she would ever show. Like all the other times, she rolled over and groaned, trying to go back to sleep.

But sleep had stubbornly decided to go on vaction. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was exactly midnight. How odd... she thought to herself. Shrugging, she got up and quickly put on sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt on top of her PJ's, and then silently slipped out of the Hufflepuff common room, heading down to the kitchens for an ever so famouse midnight snack.

She reached the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards, searching for something, anything. She was about to grab a box of Vanilla Wafers, her favorite snack back in the Muggle world when she heard a noise. The Hufflepuff girl froze, her hand paused in midair.

She quickly dove under the nearest counter as she heard footsteps enter the room...

[josie]

Josie couldn't sleep, she had tried to sleep, sleep had rejected her. She had laid very very still and let her eyes drift closed, she had filled her head with soft dream like things and then her eyes had been wide open and with a frustrated sigh she had gotten up. She wasn't one to stay in bed if she couldn't sleep, really what was the point?

Pulling on a baggy Durmstrang sweater she had stolen from her brother last term she decided a hot drink might help her drift off. She didn't bother putting any shoes on and her bare feet made soft thumping noises as she made her way out of Hufflepuff tower and down the halls to the kitchens.

Entering the large room she made her way over to one of the many work surfaces and began boiling water and the likes to make the perfect sleep remedy.

"Cup . . . cup . . . cup," She muttered to herself what good would a drink be without something to put it in, she started going through the nearest cupboards hoping to get lucky, she'd never ventured down to the kitchens before, she had never seen the need there was water in the dorms and usually sleep wasn't a problem for Josie.

But tonight something had kept her awake she wasn't sure what it was and it was annoying as hell, she mulled it over in her mind as she continued to search for a cup. She wouldn't be able to rest until she'd figured it out.

[emmawinters]

Emma peeked out from her hiding spot and let go of the breath that she was holding. It was Josie, thank goodness! She quickly jumped up, "Hi!" she whispered, realizing too late that she might actually scare her fellow Hufflepuff. Her eyes quickly widened and she put a hand over mouth. "I'm sorry," she whispered again, apologizing. She turned back to the cupboard but she wondered what Josie was doing. Hand paused in midair once again, she turned to Josie, "You couldn't sleep either?"

[josie]

Aha! They should label the cupboards in this kitchen you could clearly get lost in it! It had taken a while but Josie had finally found a mug. Really it was amazing what a little determination would do. She reached up picking a bright yellow one from the midst, it seemed appropriate really, House pride and all that.

Her fingers closed around it at the exact time a whispered greeting came somewhere from behind her. Well Josie wasn't the most poised individual out there and she hadn't realised anyone else was in the kitchen, understandably she was taken a little by surprise. Dropping the china cup she spun round on her bare feet, the backs of her legs hitting the counter behind her and the mug smashing upon the kitchen tiles.

She looked at the girl standing before her, thankfully it wasn't a Professor or even worse her head of house. "You scared me!" Josie said finding it a little difficult to breathe, she couldn't help the grin that was forming on her face though, it had been pretty amusing.

And thankfully it had been a friendly face, Emma Winters, was her name if Josie's memory served her right, she'd seen her in a couple of classes but Josie remembered her from the Hufflepuff Quidditch Try-outs. She'd really shone and stood out in Josie's memory.

Retrieving a handy brush from the corner of the kitchen she began sweeping the remains of the yellow mug in to the corner by the bin. "Yea," She replied in answer to Emma's question, "I dunno what it is I'm really tired but sleep eludes me." She told her propping the broom back where she had gotten it from.

Going back to the cupboard she pulled out another mug, bright green this time. "You want one?" She asked her fellow Hufflepuff, "Might help you sleep." She offered.

[emmawinters]

Emma's eyes widened and she flinched when she saw the mug drop onto the floor. It broke, obviously, and went flying across the kitchen. "Oh no! I'm so sorry!" she said again, helping Josie sweep up the remaints of the yellow mug. She was so relieved that Josie hadn't gotten angry with her, she already had enough on her mind.

Trio's Hogwarts couldn't be any better but she had been missing her family, especially her dad, and it had taken an emotional toll on her. She wasn't sure if at this time at night she could keep up the pretense that something was bothering her. And she knew if anyone had gotten angry at her, she would just go and blow her top off, which would not be good seeing that if her temper was unleashed there was no stopping it.

But thankfully the older Hufflepuff hadn't been mad and she gratefully took the green mug from her friend. Well that's what she considered her anyways, I mean, who couldn't like missus Josie Felling? (That's a retorical question ya know.)

"Thanks," she said smiling, and went over to get some cold milk. She noticed that Josie already had water boiling and was extremely grateful that hadn't tipped over. "Making tea?" she asked. "Or something else? I'm not much of a fan for hot drinks, though I like hot cocoa. Tea and coffee though, blegh!" she made a face.

Pouring hte 2% milk into the mug, she went and finally got her package of Vanilla Wafers. She got down and absentmindedly dunked some of the cookies into her milk. "Want some?" she offered, refering to the wafers.

[josie]

((You keep calling me Sophie lol and I'm Josie :s just so you know lol))

Josie smiled, "Don't worry about it," She said in reply to her apology, "I've heard the odd scare is good for the heart." She threw her a teasing smirk and handed over the mug, reaching for another, hmm purple. She set about making her hot chocolate.

She laughed as Emma told her about her dislike of tea and coffee, "I share those thoughts," She told her, "Drinking tea in Divination is torture I really cant stand the stuff. I'm making hot chocolate if you want some?" She asked her as she spooned some coco powder in to her mug.

Josie loved hot chocolate, her mum would always give her some when she felt sad and they would sit up with their mugs steaming and talk about whatever the problem was, sometimes she didn't even have a problem they would just sit and chat, Josie really missed that the drink made her think of her mother.

Mixing the water and a little milk in to the mug she stirred it all together and blew on it, raising the mug to her lips she smiled in satisfaction as the liquidy goodness slid down her throat, "Perfect." She smiled. Hot Coco really did make everything better.

Taking a seat opposite Emma she wrinkled her nose as she offered her . . . what? A biscuit she didn't know she'd never seen them before. "What is it?" She asked her pulling random inquisitive faces. She took another sip of her Coco and peered at Emma over her mug, was it Josie's imagination or did she look a little sad.

Josie automatically wanted to cheer her up. She was compassionate by nature but Emma was a Hufflepluff and a younger one at that Josie kinda felt like a big sister to her. Weird maybe but Josie was the youngest back home and her two brothers always looked out for her, she just felt like now she wasn't the youngest she should be looking out for someone herself.

"Hey, " She started unsure of how to approach the subject, she didn't want to offend her or shock her in to silence, it was nice to have some company. "Sorry if I'm outta line here." She continued, "But you look a little sad, is everything alright?" After all it was up to Emma if she answered. She just wanted her to know if she was there if she needed her. It was strange but she did consider her a friend even though this was the first time they'd really spoken.

She continued to sip at her Coco waiting to see what Emma had to say.

[emmawinters]

(AGH!!! So sorry!! I had been posting with Sophie-Ann just before I came here, I feel terrible now!!! I fixed my post!!)

Emma smiled when she saw that JOSIE was making hot cocoa. "Sure, I'll take some," she said, getting another mug out of the kitchen cabinet. My goodness, the house elves would certainly have a hard time finding any mugs if they came down looking for some! Emma poured some of the dark powder into her pink mug and stirred in the hot water with a spoon.

She set the mug down on the table and then began searching for marshmellows in the cupboards. "They need to label these or something," she muttered to herself. "Ah hah!" she said triumphantly, holding a jar of Fluff. She took her spoon out of the mug and dished some of the marshmellow-like substance into her cocoa.

After putting it back, she sat down across from Josie and stirred her cocoa slowly, still thinking about her father. Seeing her puzzled expression when she offered her a Vanilla Wafer, Emma laughed. "It's a wafer! I don't really know how to describe them...um...they're sort of sweet and crunchy. Have you ever had vanilla cake? It's like that except hardened and pressed into a circle."

Emma was surprised when Josie asked her if she was okay. She had thought she hadn't shown how depressed the dream, and the absence of her father, was making her. She sighed, setting her cocoa down. "Yes, I suppose you could say that everything's not alright." She knew that she needed to talk about it but she didn't want to heave all of her pain on Josie. "But I don't want to just put all my problems on you. Just tell me if you don't want to hear it and that's fine..." she mumbled.

[josie]

((Lol its fine :]))

Josie laughed as Emma searched the cupboards, "It's like a treasure hunt in here." She commented after Emma suggested Labels, it was a fair point really how were you expected to find anything? The kitchen was enormous to cater for the whole school, lord knew how the house elves managed it.

Josie listened as she described the biscuit thing to her. Didn't sound to bad. What harm could it do? She did like Vanilla cake after all and according to Emma they were practically the same, that was enough for her, smiling she took one, "Thanks," She said before taking a bite.

She chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds and when she had swallowed she grinned at Emma, "Thats really nice," She told her, Josie was such a fussy eater this was an accomplishment in its self.

Josie shook her head as Emma told her she didn't want to what was the word, Burden her perhaps with her problems, ppsshhhttt! "Don't be silly." She told her kindly. It looked like Emma really needed to talk and Josie was really good at listening, she might even be able to help her in someway, she didn't know but she knew she could be there for her. "If you want to talk about something I'm not going anywhere." She told her with a comforting smile.

Josie figured whatever it was was pretty bad and probably the reason the younger Hufflepuff couldn't sleep.

[emmawinters]

Emma sighed. "My mom did tell me I should talk about it..." she trailed off. Looking up, she realized that Josie wasn't just saying that to just...well, say it! She actually was there and willing to listen. Emma took a deep breath:

"About a couple weeks ago, more like a month and a few weeks now, my dad died," her voice quivered with emotion as she went on. "It was really hard on my family, especially me. I don't think my mom will ever be the same, but she had to be strong for me and my little brother, Jake. I didn't really help at all around the house, even though I should have. She took on 3 different jobs and I just moped around the house all day, not doing chores and refusing to go to school."

"It was during those long days home that strange things began to happen," she continued on hesitantly, not quite sure of this part. "I could move things with my mind if I really concentrated on it, I could catch glimpses of what another person was thinking. I basically was able to play weird games with my mind. It scared my mom, she tried to get me help, even though I didn't want it."

"That never really worked out, all the adults that tried to help me quit, they didn't want to be around me anymore." She took another breath. "Then, one strange night, an owl came through our kitchen window while we were eating supper. It had a letter in its talons and it gave it to me and then flew away. I opened it, and there was an invitation to Trio's Hogwarts, school of wizardry. My mom was somewhat shocked, but after a few minutes she began to look happy. She saw it as a chance to help me get out of my depression, and be with people that were...well, like me."

"So I was shipped off to Hogwarts the following week, with an owl we had gotten, books, quills, parchment, wand, and robes. I arrived here during term break, and read all that I could, so I wouldn't feel left out because I was just an ordinary Muggle, or so it seemed. Low and behold, I turn out to be a witch. But it wasn't because I was born with it. I was told when I arrived that I had gotten this...gift of magic, when my dad died. It confused me and forced me to start thinking about him again, when I hadn't for such a long time."

"I've been so busy during the day, I don't have to think about him, don't really want to. It's like opening up an unhealed scar and digging into it with a knife." She shuddered. "But lately, he's been crossing my mind more than often at night, in my dreams. Or really, nightmares..." she stopped, her voice a hoarse whisper.

[josie]

Josie nodded encouragingly as Emma told her what her mother had said, "A problem shared is a problem halved, as my mother used to say." She told her with a smile. She took another sip of her Coco as she waited for Emma to continue, hoping she'd be able to help in someway.

Josie's smile faded as Emma told her the problem, no wonder she was so upset. Josie had thought it was going to be a small matter, she hadn't been prepared for this, but it was no wonder she couldn't sleep. She listened as Emma told her everything that happened since the death of her Father.

"Oh Emma," She said sympathetically. Josie could relate to what she was going through. She'd been there and done that. That kind of pain never really went away you just learned to live with it, but it was so new to Emma and the first year was always the hardest. You had to do everything you would normally do but without that person for the first time. And everyone would remind you of it. Which didn't help at all.

Josie remembered it well, "Oh its the first Christmas without your mother." She knew this why did people feel the need to remind her. Shaking her head slightly to bring herself out of her thoughts.

Reaching across the table she took Emma's hand hoping to offer comfort. "I wouldn't worry about not helping out at home, everyone grieves in their own way and your Mum would have known that." She told her taking each part of the story and trying to help Emma feel better about it.

"I've never really been around anyone who didn't understand magic, but I know that it can be quite a scary thing to process, especially if you aren't used to it so I wouldn't take peoples reactions to hardly." She added about the part where Adults seemed what scared of her? "Your an amazingly special person Emma, and even though you got your magic in quite an unorthodox fashion you still have it. It's a part of you now and I'm sure your Dad would want you to enjoy and make the most of it." She hoped she was making her see she shouldn't feel bad about having something so amazing even though something terrible had happened first.

"What are your nightmares about?" She asked her softly, she stoked Emma's hand reassuringly hoping she wasn't crossing the line, she just thought that maybe if she knew what was causing the nightmares she'd be able to help stop them maybe. She didn't know this was all new territory for her, she was just doing what everyone had done for her. It had worked for them she just hoped it worked for her and she could help Emma.

[emmawinters]

Emma relaxed when Josie took her hand. Not only because she needed the comforting, but because she realized that Josie honestly cared and wouldn't be one of those people that said, "Well, life's life, you get over it eventually." Ugh...

Emma managed a small smile while Josie was comforting her. "That's exactly what my dad would say," she said softly. "Thanks," she said with meaning, looking into Josie's eyes.

Emma's breath caught when Josie asked about the nightmares. Her first assumption was not to say anything, but she realized that she had nothing to lose by telling her. Besides, Josie honestly cared and Emma didn't want to push her away.

"They're pretty much the same every time. So I know what's coming but I can't stop it." She took a breath and continued. "In the beginning, my dad and I are just walking along in a forest. Birds are singing, and everything's fine. We always end up lost somehow, and then everything changes. In one dream I went to find directions and when I came back, he was dead. In another a wolf attacked us. The next night, he was shot. Tonight," her voice went down, almost so you couldn't hear it. "...he just...disappeared." She shuddered.

"You see," she said, her voice trying to gain control again. "We never knew how my dad died. He just went to work one day and then the next thing we know there's police at our door. They wouldn't tell us what happened, so we don't know how he died."

"I have a wild imagination. When I was little, I was always the one that came up with the great games and ideas. Well know my imagination is coming up with the explanations of my dad's death..."

[josie]

Josie nodded in understanding, inside her head was reeling, the similarities between their parents deaths were uncanny. She had no idea how her Mother had died either just that it had been suspicious, they'd been told once it was an accident but it just didn't add up. She really didn't know what to say, how could you stop something you didn't understand?

She mulled it over in her mind for a few minutes trying to come up with something . . . anything . . . that might be useful. Really Emma needed answers so her imagination could stop running away from her. But Josie didn't have them. She bit her lip, a habit she had when she was deep in thought. She still hadn't let go of Emma's hand. She figured she needed the contact, the reassurance that Josie was there and she wasn't going anywhere.

Finally she spoke her voice was soft as if she was finding it hard to speak. "Do you think if you had answers that the nightmares would stop?" She asked her. She didn't know how they would get the answers or even if they would help, maybe they'd make things worse. Wow they were both in over their heads.

"Maybe talking about it will have helped." She added as an after thought. Isn't that what everyone told you getting everything out there and in the open helps you get closure or something, Josie hoped so as she wasn't sure how much help she was being. She thew Emma a small smile, "Sorry I know I'm not being much help." She told voicing what she was thinking. Emma's pain was so raw she hoped her being there was enough to help her through it, even if she only made it a little better.

[emmawinters]

Emma smiled faintly. "No, you're a tremendous help. Besides, even if it was lousy, I'd have nothing to compare it to, seeing this is the first time I've really talked about it."

"I don't know if that would help. It could make it better, or worse. What I really want to know is who did it. The police said it was an accident but I can tell it wasn't. My dad worked at a bank, he was a powerful man. Probably with powerful enemies," she said, sighing. "It's just so hard to picture living without him. He was always joking around so I expect him to pop up anytime and just, 'It's a joke! Gotcha!!' But that'll never happen." She took a little of her milk and poured it into the hot cocoa, stirring it with her spoon as she thought.

[josie]

Josie sighed softly thankful she was at least helping a little. She'd hate if they'd done all this talking and really all it had done was make things worse. Now that would be bad. And very unintentional.

She smiled, maybe a little sadly at Emma's next comment, "It gets easier." She told her truthfully. It was true it did, you never got over something like this and you never forget it but you do learn to live with it, learn to get on and remember the good times.

There comes a time when something will remind you of them and you wont want to cry, you'll be able to talk about them without feeling sad. It took a while but you did get there in the end and thats what Emma had to remember. It would get easier. Luckily there was alot of things here at Hogwarts to take her mind off it till she healed a Little.

[emmawinters]

"Thanks," Emma said quietly, truly hoping that the rest of her life wouldn't be like this. Taking a wafer, she accidentally dipped it into the hot cocoa instead of her milk. Sticking her hand down in the mug, she retrieved her now soaked vanilla wafer. She popped it into her mouth and chewed. Not bad, she thought to herself.

(Sorry, bad post.)

[josie]

((it's fiiiiiiine))

Josie giggled as Emma absent mindedly dipped her wafer in to the wrong drink, she did that alot, came with being easily distracted. She decided it was time to change the subject, Emma seemed to be feeling a little better and Josie hated awkward silences, it just made her want to talk and talk till someone stopped her.

"So, your quidditch try-out was pretty impressive." She said out of nowhere a grin on her face, "You really shone out there, how long have you been playing?" She asked her. She knew Emma was muggle born so she was intrigued as to how and when she had become so good at a very wizarding sport.

[emmawinters]

Emma was surprised at the sudden change of subjects, but also slightly grateful for it. "Oh, well thanks," she said, a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth. "Well, actually that was probably about only my third or fourth time playing."

[josie]

"Really?" She asked, Josie was a little surprised and genuinely impressed at Emma's raw talent. "Well thats . . . " She didn't really now what to say. ". . . Impressive." She finished. Feeling she was over using the word but hey it fit.

"Have you only played Chaser?" She asked before taking a sip from her hot Chocolate, "Or have you played other positions?" She finished.

Josie loved Quidditch and could talk about it for hours if given half the chance.

[emmawinters]

Emma smiled at the praise, it was good to hear. "Well, I'm not sure actually. I've always liked playing offense, that's one of my strengths, and I like working with teammates. So chaser seemed like the obvious position for me. It was also open, so that helps," she grinned. "I'd love to try Seeker. don't think I'd be too good at Keeper though, I'm great at dodging and that's what I'd probably end up doing."