10 Jul 2020, 04:13
A Newcomer's Tent
Tent is open to more tenants.
Just owl me!
Backdated to 1st July, 2020
London Quidditch Stadium---
Aisling recalled the day when she'd receive her owl inviting her to Hogwart's summer camp in London. It arrived shortly after her invitation to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and both times she had exploded with excitement from her upstairs bedroom. Her parents might have spilled their coffee out of shock to her girlish shouting, but over the last few days had grown accustomed to her loudly flaunting about in glee. After all, how couldn't she be excited to find out she was a Witch?! There had been some growing pains with the news but her father was beginning to come around, while her mother was a bit more stubborn to the change. Thankfully, the neighbors had no idea why the rambunctious girl was so excited, and her parents intended to keep it that way.
In a rush to get downstairs, still dressed in her pajamas and sporting a messy bit of bedhead, she threw down the owl she'd received on the kitchen table and announced, "They're having a summer camp in London!" Her father, amused at his daughter's early morning energy, arched a brow and asked, "How soon do you leave?"
"It starts on the 1st of July." Blue eyes jumped to the calendar on the fridge. Realizing she didn't have much time she gasped and nearly shouted, "I need to pack!" Arthur laughed as Aisling scrambled back up the stairs to her bedroom, loudly searching for her traveling bag in her closet while tossing clothes on to her bed.
Carys groaned, rubbing her brow with the index and thumb of her right hand. "I wish I had her energy this early," she murmured quietly.
"Don't we all," her father quipped back.
---
She arrived with the rest of the students, her copper curls a wild mess from the portkey and her mind already spinning by what magic she'd witnessed thus far. Her very first portkey trip had left her feeling a bit dizzy as she wandered with the bustling mass of Hogwart's students towards the tents after being dismissed. Adjusting her bag over her shoulder she peered across the fields, watching with a bright smile as groups of friends broke away and moved in packs towards their selected tents. Not knowing anyone, but eager to get settled in, Aisling scurried about in search of an unoccupied tent to claim for herself. Thankfully, it didn't take her very long to find one and slip inside.
Unprepared for the transition she immediately paused upon realizing the tent was much, much larger on the inside. While she had been informed that the tents were charmed to be quite spacious within, it felt like she had been displaced, perhaps teleported (again) to a completely different place upon entering. The weight of her bag shifted, pulling on her shoulder before slipping off entirely to hit the ground with a resounding thud. The tent was huge- and decorated! Pressing a palm to her brow she peered around in dumbstruck wonder, slowly pacing through the dimly lit sitting area adjacent to a small kitchenette.
She slipped back out and stood up straight, brushing curls away from her eyes to double check her surroundings. All around her other kids selected and slipped into their tents without a second thought. If anyone else was just as shocked as she was they certainly weren't showing it! After a moment she took a deep breath and ducked back down, re-entering her tent without falling over in shock the second time.
Her fingers grasped for her bag, missing a few times before latching on to the cloth handle. Dragging it along she checked out the rest of the tent, bewitched by its interior. It wouldn't have been her first choice, especially if she had known that the inside was fully furnished, but she wasn't about to complain. Just beyond the kitchenette were connected bedrooms, each separated by thick curtains to allow some semblance of privacy. Of these, Aisling selected the brightest of the bunch. Still dazed from fascination she tossed her traveling bag to the floor at the foot of the bed and flopped face down on the sheets.
"What have I gotten myself into," she mumbled to herself as she fetched a pillow to cuddle. Lying still for several moments she closed her eyes, thoughts racing as she played the day back in her head. Remembering that she was going to be here for twenty days she buried her face into her pillow in order to muffle her excited screaming. Oh, she couldn't wait to tell her family about the summer camp, especially her brother- they were never going to believe her! Once her excitement dwindled she tossed her pillow away and slipped out of bed. Fetching her bag she began to unpack, neatly tucking her clothes and other personal belongings away into a nearby personal chest.
“If you're betwixt and between, trust the one with red hair.”
― O.R. Melling, The Hunter's Moon