Tea with Cinnamon [Alice]

[RHIANNON MNEMOSYNE HEATHCOTE]

It was almost noon when Rhiannon managed to pry her gritty eyes open. Thankfully it was a Saturday and she had the luxury of sleeping in, but then she never would have stayed up so late on a school night. It was hard to tell the time of day from within Slytherin's below ground dormitories but Rhian solved that problem with a bleary Tempus after dragging her wand from under her pillow. She groaned at her realization of the time and throttled her pillow halfheartedly. The empty beds around her should have given her some idea of how horribly late she had slept but no matter.

Freeing herself from the tangled blankets, Rhian managed to get herself out of bed and into the girls' bath to wake and clean up. She usually liked mornings but today the morning and her just weren't getting along. Although she felt more like a drowned rat then a Slytherin student by the time she was done, she returned to her little corner of the dorm to get dressed for the day. Tea, she thought rather desperately to herself as she wrung yet more water out of her hair. That decided her. She could join the rest of the bloody school in the Great Hall for lunch but she was very much not interested, especially after that not-quite-tiff she'd gotten into with half the Slytherin girls in her year the night before. No thanks.

Robes donned, hair pulled back and dried with a charm, and wand stowed, Rhian made her way down to the school kitchens. She lurked outside the door for a few minutes until the elves had sent the food up to the tables for the rest of the school. No point in being underfoot, after all. Once everything was sent up she poked her head in.

"Hallo," she said to the nearest elf. "Didn't want to bother with the Hall today. Could I tuck myself in a corner down here for a spot of tea?" Her family had a single house elf all her life and it was distinctly weird for her not to be able to address the odd little characters by name, though it didn't seem to bother the Hogwarts elves.

"Of course, miss," the little elf chirruped, beckoning Rhian to a spot by the fire where she promptly summoned a human table and chair for her. "Mizzy will fetch whatever Miss wishes!"

Seating herself, Rhian smiled and stifled a yawn. "A strong pot of tea with a cinnamon stick would be wonderful, Mizzy, thank you. And," she added as her stomach made a gurgling sound, "Something breakfasty- cream crumpets and eggs? Though toast would be just as good. I'm not too fussy."

Beaming, Mizzy nodded her head happily and whisked herself off. Rhian only shook her head in tired bemusement. Even with the meal served upstairs, the kitchens were a bustle of activity. She'd only ever popped down for the occasional midnight snack before and it wasn't this busy at that hour, at least. Yawning again, she stretched her back a bit before leaning her elbows on the table to rest her head in her hands. With the way these elves seemed to work it wouldn't be long of a wait.

[ALICE KEMPTON TURNER]

Alice kept her head down as she walked through the hallways, occasionally looking up and swerving out of her intended path in order to avoid a nasty collision with a giggling gaggle of girls or a couple snogging in the middle of the corridor. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she walked towards the grounds; she planned to go meet with the animals and care for them a bit before her next class started. "Alice!" a voice called out behind her. She looked up, spinning around and smiling as she realized that it was just Eliza. "I need your help." Alice frowned a bit, wondering what the younger girl could possibly need from her. Eliza had been one of her closer friends; even though the two were a year apart and had grown apart ever since...well, it didn't matter anymore. Alice was still on good terms with her, and she intended to keep it that way.

"What is it, Eliza?" she asked quietly. Eliza motioned her closer, pulling her into a nearby empty classroom. "I found...something. I don't know what it is, but it's hurt. I thought you might be able to help, since you know, you're so great with magical creatures." Alice gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "This is an animal?" Eliza nodded, and Alice's heart went out to the poor thing, wherever it was. She nodded, checking her watch. "Yes, all right. I'll meet you at midnight in the common room." Alice walked out of the room, hurrying to Potions. She had missed her chance to go out and see the magical creatures, but helping a hurt animal surpassed that any day.

It was almost noon when Alice got out of class. Even though it was a Saturday, she was doing so horribly in Potions that she had to take remedial lessons. This was the fifth cauldron that she had blown up this year! She could join the rest of the school in the Great Hall for lunch but she really didn't want to have to explain herself to those girls in the year below her, especially after they had seen her the previous night struggling over sixth year Potion work. Alice didn't particularly care what they thought of her, it was more that she didn't want to make a scene. She made her way down to the school kitchens, stopping outside of the portrait and tickling the picture in the proper place. The door opened, and Alice headed inside, looking for her favorite house-elf.

One came by, and she knelt down, smiling. "Could you fetch Mizzy for me, please?" The elf nodded happily, running away. As Alice looked around, she noticed a girl about her age with her elbows on the table, resting her head in her hands. She frowned at the girl, wondering why she was still sleepy. Mizzy came by, bowing to Alice. "What would Miss Alice like today?" she chirped. Alice smiled, shifting her books around in her arms a bit. "Something light that I can take outside," she said, thinking for a moment. "And some cinnamon tea in a thermos, if you don't mind. You can choose everything else." Mizzy nodded frantically, motioning towards the table. "Mizzy will get that right away, miss! If Miss could wait there for a moment, it will be done soon!"

Alice smiled as the little elf rushed away to make her request. She usually let Mizzy do whatever she wanted; sometimes, it seemed as if the little house-elf knew more about herself and what she wanted more than she did. Alice took a seat gracefully on the other side of the table, gasping when the girl raised her head. "Oh dear, I apologize! I'll be gone in a few minutes; I'm just waiting for my tea is all." Alice silently cursed herself for interrupting this girl's sleep, how could she have been so inconsiderate?