*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
A sharp rapping on the door woke Loki up from his dreamless slumber causing him to flip around on the bed at odd angles.
'Why is someone waking me up when it's so dark?'
The lights in the room began to emerge in a soft glow, giving the room a cool colour.
"Loki wake up! It's time to leave!"
Loki awoke with a start as he realised it was Dominic who was speaking on the outside.
"Coming!!!" Loki shouted and quickly ran into the washroom undressing at record speed before jumping into the shower.
Taking a quick shower that only lasted a few minutes, Loki stepped out of the shower naked and opened his trunk to pick out clothes.
'Oh! Now I can't express myself properly since I have to wear a uniform. How bland.'
Loki pulled on the shirt, pants and vest that he had to wear, donning the robes after it and stuffing his wand into the back pocket of his pants.
'Won't it break if I sit on it or fall down and land on my butt?'
"Loki!!!"
Hearing the shout Loki snapped out of his thoughts, picked a satchel that was filled with his books as his bag and then pushed aside the trunk that was blocking the door.
Once done, he gave himself one last appraising look in the mirror and opened the door.
"I'm here Dominic!" Loki shouted and then said, "Stop screaming!"
"Good." Dominic said and without any delay started walking out of the dormitory.
"Do we have to leave this early?" Loki asked with unwillingness in his steps.
"Early!? It's six in the morning for god's sake! Classes start in two hours and I need to finish my summer homework! It's late damn you!"
"You need to do your homework? Aren't you the head boy? Why didn't you finish your homework earlier?"
"Bah! It's homework! It's meant to be finished a few minutes before the deadline I say!"
Loki snorted and pulled himself to match Dominic's pace as they stepped into the common room.
There were a few older students diligently studying here and there, fewer glared at Loki when he stepped into the room, but seeing Dominic there no one said a word.
Exiting the rather silent common room, Loki followed Dominic as they began to crawl through the dungeons.
But then Loki suddenly shouted, "Wait!! Can we go back I forgot my pocket watch!!"
Dominic only ignored him and continued walking, so Loki gave up and followed after him.
"You're free to go around wherever.", Dominic said seeing Loki still following him after they stepped out of the Medusa-themed door.
"Where are you going?" Loki asked trying to figure out what to do.
"The Library, want to come with? But you'll have to stay away and not disturb me."
"Sure. I got nothing better to do anyway." Loki said and followed Dominic up a shortcut through the floors to the third floor.
"*Huff* *Huff* Damn, these stairs, why are there so many!?" Loki cursed as he held his hands on his knees causing Dominic to wait impatiently for him while tapping his legs.
"Come on!" Dominic urged and Loki looked at him with exhaustion, "How are you not tired at all!?" Loki asked with confusion and Dominic smirked.
"Hehe, a little thing called the levitation charm, apply it to your clothes just enough and you'll end up a lot lighter."
"Damn! That's one good use of it! How did I not think of that!?"
"'Cause you're dumb." Dominic plainly stated and started walking which Loki followed.
Once they arrived at the library, Dominic greeted Madam Irma Pince with a soft smile which she followed.
"Only you'd be dedicated enough to come to the library so early, Dominic."
"Oh please mam, I'm much worse than you who are here every day even before me."
Loki stuffed back the urge to cringe and managed to maintain a soft smile throughout, although if one paid attention it was twitching wildly.
"Who have you brought along with yourself?" Madam Pince asked and guessed. "Your family?"
"No mam, he's from Slytherin, just upset the wrong bunch and now needs to be protected."
"I see. I don't want trouble to follow you into the library alright? These books here are a heritage that needs to be protected and taken care of." Madam Pince warned Loki with narrowed eyes and he immediately nodded.
"Don't worry mam, I'm sure Dominic will show me the ropes around here."
"Good." Madam Pince nodded and went back to doing her work which was keeping track of the books in the library in some sort of ancient register.
Selecting a desk in the corner that Dominic seemed to prefer he said, "We'll meet here after we select our books, the deeper into the library you go, the more esoteric the books are. Some of them are only dissertations on unproved theories so do take them with a grain of salt."
"Understood." Loki nodded and went on his way to search for an interesting book to read.
'Well I called Mione a nerd, but here I am reading books in the library befor- or not.' Loki thought spotting a certain bushy dirty blond-haired girl near Madam Pince's seat.
Seemingly noticing a gaze on her Hermione turned around and spotted Loki looking at her and after a little bit of confusion broke into a wide smile.
"Loki!" Hermione whispered excitedly after moving to Loki at breakneck speed. "You're here to read books too?"
"Haha~ yeah." Loki said dryly.
"Oh? Already found someone to spend your life with Loki?" A voice from behind him teased.
"Oh god Dominic, not this. I'm eleven for god's sake." Loki reasoned.
"What are you two talking about?" Hermione asked, putting on a small pout, unhappy at being left out of the conversation.
"Nothing." Loki quickly covered with a wave of his hand, using his Jedi powers to change the topic of the conversation.
"What are you doing here?" Loki asked Hermione.
"Reading extra material for our classes of course."
"Oh? Rarely find a first year that serious about their studies. Good for you." Dominic said and went to sit down in his chair, cracking a book open and taking notes on a parchment.
"Who's he?" Hermione asked with suspicion.
"The head boy." Loki dryly responded.
"Oh? Why are you following him then? I hope you're not in any trouble?"
"Trouble? Of course not, it's just that after the stunt I pulled off in the great hall yesterday there might be a threat to my life, so I'm being protected. I even have detentions with all the professors for the rest of the year."
"Oh no! Are you going to be alright?" Hermione asked worried that her first friend was in trouble. "And why were you so rude to them anyway? You should've known better!"
"Eh. I felt like it. I didn't like that prat anyway, he and his dad left a poor impression on me in Madam Malkin's store. But I would also have to warn you, don't linger around me too much in public, or they might make you a target to hurt me too. And that might include your loved ones too." Loki warned.
"...I understand", Hermione reluctantly agreed since she considered Loki her first friend, yet she was forced to stay away from him.
"See you later then.", Loki said with a nod and went along his way, exploring the library for something interesting to read.
As time passed, Loki scoured the library, looking at books that ranged from the 'Basics of Magical Theory' to 'Advanced Tips and Tricks in Silent Spellcasting', but he couldn't find a single book that would sustain his interest for longer than a page.
In the end, Loki wandered too far into the dissertation section where most books were written in ancient languages and needed to be translated.
There, after randomly walking around, Loki stumbled on a book that he thought he needed the most.
"A Newbie's Practical Guide to Occlumency."
'Why's this here? All the way in the dissertation section?'
The book was written in the runic language and Loki found it rather difficult to translate, but the book appealed to him, more than just because of its topic, it appealed to him in a spiritual sense.
He felt a certain sense of familiarity with it as if it were calling him.
'Is this a book related to beyonders?'
'But why?'
'Now that I think about it, why is this the only book on the subject of Occlumency in this entire library!? Shouldn't it be a priority to protect your minds against mind Jedi?'