Alive

[Mima Scarlet]

Mima felt completely at a loss, at Hogwarts. She supposed it was a good thing that Stella had argued for her to go there, as opposed to Durmstrang, as she already felt lost enough here. She didn't have Alice to talk to, for one. Alice, she suspected, would be disappointed in Mima for being sorted in to Hufflepuff. Alice, of course, was a Slytherin. Mima had kind of hoped she'd be a Slytherin, but she supposed the hat probably had a point in that Hufflepuff was the best house for her. Still, she was a little disappointed. Marielle was especially disappointed, berating Mima for being a weakling. Mima did her best to shut it out. Marielle would just have to deal with it.
She wasn't sure, however, that she was keen on the idea of befriending people. And there were so many people around. Mima was used to the silence of the Scarlet manor, or the quiet of the park at Brightstone at night. Here, people talked. She wasn't used to all this talking. And she certainly wasn't used to the variety of people. Being a pureblood, wealthy family, the Scarlets only associated with those of equal standing, with "nice" families. Now, she was exposed to a range of people, and she didn't know what to do.
Sighing, Mima trudged through the grounds, scratching at her sides. Her uniform itched, and while it wasn't quite as bad as some of the dresses her aunt made her wear, it still wasn't exactly comfortable. She supposed she'd just have to get used to it, as she would with so many things in Hogwarts.
She halted when she came to a face of rock that dropped down in to the ocean. Blinking rapidly, Mima realised she was at the cliffs at the edge of the school grounds, and she smiled. It was quiet here, quiet apart from the distant sound of breaking waves. She liked this place already. The wind blew through her long, brown locks, and she smiled as she sat down on a rock. Even Marielle was silent. Unlike when she was alone in the manor, or alone in her dorm, here Mima felt comfortable. She wasn't lonely, she was relaxed and at ease. In fact, she felt happier and more alive than she had since arriving at Hogwarts.

 

[Kaitlyn Dunmore]

Kaitlyn knew where she was heading the moment she left the castle. After a fun day of scaring first years, though she was harmless really, she'd finally decided to go back to the cliffs. She used to visit them as a child, before she died. Though she could hear the howling wind as she approached the edge, she could not feel it. Her hair stayed where it was, not affected by the gale at all. That was when she stopped in her tracks. A young girl, probably another firstie, was sitting on a rock near the edge. She was taken back suddenly to her past, to what happened, and she blinked her eyes forcefully to get the image out of her head. She couldn't just let the girl sit there. She was way too close to the edge, especially as the wind could easily pick up and send someone off balance. The fact the girl was sitting made things slightly better, but not enough. She floated over to her side, looking out over the cliff and remembering why she loved to come here so much. The waves crashing against the rocks below; the sound of seagulls circling overhead. It was hard not to be amazed by this place. In fact, it was surprising that there was only one student here. She didn't appear to be lonely, though Kaitlyn certainly would have been. She used to visit the cliffs alone, but since her death, she'd felt more lonely than ever.
Snapping back to her senses, she turned her head to look at the girl. "You're a bit close to the edge," she muttered softly, but then looked out over the sea again. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Kaitlyn sighed, her hands fingering the white fabric of the dress she died in. The first year had reason to be scared. Most first years were. But she was trying to put her at ease as best she could, whilst making sure she wasn't going to hurt herself.

 

[Mima Scarlet]

I wonder how Alice is getting along without me, Mima pondered, missing the ghost terribly. Alice was her great aunt, and yet she was forever nineteen years old, having had a tragic accident while flying. Alice had always been a daredevil, but as a ghost, she was forever trapped in the Scarlet manor. Well, not quite trapped, she could access the gardens, and the park across the way, but she seemed forced to haunt the one place for the rest of her life. The young woman seemed immensely relieved to have Mima's company, for the young girl got quite lonely and was more than happy to talk to the ghost and spend plenty of time with her. She hoped someone was talking to her while Mima was gone.

Jolted out of her reverie, Mima looked around in annoyance, only to see a ghost. An omen, perhaps? Mima's expression softened, and she gave a small half-smile to the specter. "Oh, hello." She shuffled backwards slightly. She didn't really like taking orders from people, but she didn't exactly want to fall, either. "It's very beautiful. I've never seen a view like this before." In silence, she looked down at the ocean below, taking a deep breath. I could get used to this.

Turning away, Mima looked back at the ghost. She didn't look much older than Mima herself, which was sad. Alice made her very sad, to have died at such a young age. This ghost was younger than even Alice, which broke Mima's heart, a little. "I hadn't seen any ghosts here, I didn't know there were any," she said, matter-of-factly. "I'm Mima. What's your name?"