Nap Time

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After living seventeen years with a truckload of children always running around the house, Paige often found herself bored upstairs in her dorm, all alone. She’d sometimes go down to the stables, or the kitchen, but usually she’d end up in the television room with a book in hand. Paige was always a multitasker, and found she actually read better with noise in the background; she didn’t like the silence.

That’s where she was today, curled up on the couch with a pile of other students around her. The conversation had originally started when the News had come on with the story about the Harry Potter book abduction, but soon the abduction had been forgotten and Harry Potter himself had taken over. Paige smiled to herself as she read, animatedly adding in a quip or two when she felt the need.

Eventually she notices Alison leaning on the frame of the doorway, somehow unnoticed by the other students as they talk animatedly. Arms wrapped around herself, she stands out of general sight, eyes closing tiredly with each slow blink. When she realizes Paige has noticed her, she holds the girl's gaze for a moment - and then smiles faintly, and gives her a faint nod. She looks down, and Paige can see the edge of a powder blue envelope tucked under her elbow.

Paige smiles, trying to keep her forehead from crinkling too much in worry over the tired state of Alison. She juts her chin slightly to the side, indicating out of the room, and raises her eyebrows in question.

Alison's lips quirk faintly in reply, and she shakes her, nodding briefly at Paige's book instead. She then tilts her head upwards indicating the upper floors, and closes her eyes for a moment.

Paige has to set her book down for her next movement, and tents it in her lap; mildly amused, somewhere in the back of her mind, that no one has witnessed this game of charades yet. She creates the symbol of sleeping, hands together and against her cheek, but keeps her eyes open to give Alison a stern look. Lips pierced in determination, Paige drops her hands, but cocks her head to one side, making sure of agreement or at least defeat on Alison’s part.

Blue eyes gleam at her in amusement, tired shadow fading ever so slightly as Alison nods obediently. Miming the gesture back, she smiles one final time and pushes off the doorframe, disappearing from sight as she heads upstairs for a nap.