Wicked Magic {sora & ashes}

[ashes]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She always got her best sleep with the soothing green hue of the lake coming in through the window next to her bed, Charlotte thought as she made her way to breakfast. Though her family's estate was lovely, there was something about the cool stone and plush rugs of the Slytherin common room that just felt comfortable. And while her bed at home was one of the best that money or magic could produce, it couldn't replicate the feeling of being at Hogwarts in her dorm. Charlotte Burke loved Hogwarts, as it gave her a place to excel, to win. Having three older sisters that had already graduated didn't leave her with much - her oldest sister had been the Head Girl, her second oldest sister had won the Quidditch Cup for Slytherin three years in a row, and her third oldest sister had scored near perfect on her O.W.L.s and her N.E.W.T.s. Her parents were never impressed with their youngest child, always treating her like a baby. But she was nearly 17 years old, and while she wasn't a Prefect or on the Quidditch team or great in class, she was still smart and talented and admired. Charlotte didn't need their titles, that was all. She could prove herself on her own terms.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Though many of the girls in her grade followed her around, Charlotte didn't trust any of them. She knew that they would stab her in the back without a thought if they could gain something, but she didn't blame them - she would do the same, after all. That's what being a Slytherin was, she thought, being ahead of the game and always watching your back. Two particularly annoying girls began chattering at her about how nice her hair looked and how they were glad to have seen her at Eloise's birthday gala over the summer break. Charlotte just smiled, not saying much, just enough to let them know that they were heard and that she was above such things. Exercising control over her classmates could be troublesome, but if she didn't then they would be just awful to deal with. They gathered around her at breakfast, which for Charlotte consisted of toast and jam. Which meant that all of the other girls had toast and jam.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After getting her schedule from Professor Snape at breakfast, she was happy to see that she had Ancient Runes first with the Gryffindors. She loved Ancient Runes, as the study of history was something of a hobby. A well-loved copy of [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Hogwarts: A History[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] sat on her side table, and she read it constantly. Plus the class was with the Gryffindors, and they were all pretty stupid, so she didn't figure there would be many that made the necessary O.W.L.s to continue her favorite subject into further study. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She greeted Professor Babbling, asking about her summer. She didn't care in the slightest about what the old bat had been up to, but getting in good with the professors was always beneficial. Sitting near a window by the far side, the few other Slytherins in the class surrounding her, she felt like a queen. With her head held high, the sun glittering off of her hair, she pulled out her favorite quill and inkpot. Surely nothing could make this year be anything less than perfect.[/BCOLOR]