Closed Dangerous but Fun

[Isadora Novak]

It was easy to see why the cliffs were out of bounds for students, as they were very dangerous, but Isadora couldn't help herself, this spot at the top of the cliffs was one of her favorite parts of the Hogwarts grounds. She had been here a few times before, but not usually by herself. She hadn't really felt like seeking out company, and she was definitely avoiding her sister. Isadora headed to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the lake far below. She kept her feet firmly on the ground, but imagined for a moment the kind of splash it would make to jump into the lake from here. Though, she wasn't sure if a person could survive that. That thought was enough to make her step back, sighing deeply. She had been hoping for a distraction here, but nice as the view was, troublesome thoughts still crowded to the front of her mind. She kicked a rock off the edge, watching as it eventually splashed down into the water.

 

[Harper Alston]

There were many reasons why Harper found Professor Kingsley's choice to name her prefect bewildering. One of them was her affinity for the out-of-bounds areas of the school. When she was younger, she had spent a lot of time in the forest and at the cliffs. She'd cut back last year after receiving the badge and learning about the whole basilisk incident. But she still liked going to the cliffs, especially now that she'd resumed her early morning runs. There was no better place to watch the sunrise.

Right now, though, Harper was headed for the cliffs simply because she wanted a quiet spot to do some planning for the new year. It was usually deserted, so she was surprised to see a figure standing by the edge. Harper immediately froze, wondering if she could back away and pretend she hadn't seen the student. Disciplining people was by far the worst part of the prefect job, and she tried to avoid it whenever possible. But then she realised she knew the girl.

Not wanting to startle Isadora, Harper shuffled her feet through some dead leaves so as to alert the girl to her presence. "I'm pretty sure this place is off-limits," she said lightly, joining the younger Gryffindor by the cliff's edge. Harper peered down at the water before glancing back at Isadora, noting the expression on the girl's face. "You okay?"

 

[Isadora Novak]

Isadora heard some noise behind her and turned around, sure professor Kingsley had followed her or something. Instead, it was Harper. That was better, though she was a prefect. Isadora's tentative smile morphed into a grin as the girl kept talking and it became clear she was joking. "I don't think so." She said. "You're here, after all." She added with a smile. Then she sighed as Harper asked if she was okay. It seemed like it was obvious something was bothering her. "Eh." She said with a shrug. "Just... thinking. How are you?" She asked, hoping the question might distract her.

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper glanced around, pretending as if it had just occurred to her that she was also out of bounds. "True. But at least I can say that I was on patrol if anyone sees me. What's your excuse?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Though she was mostly joking, she was a little curious to see if Isadora had come up with an excuse before venturing out here. The girl clearly had a mischievous streak. Harper nodded as Isadora shrugged. "It's a pretty good spot for thinking, isn't it?" She decided to leave it at that; she figured that if Isadora wanted to talk about whatever was on her mind, she would. "I'm good. Also wanted to do some thinking. I've got a lot to do this year, including a big end-of-year prank, thanks to you," she said, glancing sideways at the younger Gryffindor with a grin.

 

[Isadora Novak]

Isadora couldn't help laughing at Harper's words, though she finally understood why someone would want to be a prefect. She still very much doubted she would ever be a candidate, though. "I don't need an excuse, I'm just not getting caught." She said with a smile. "By... anyone besides you, I mean." She added somewhat sheepishly. Isadora nodded when the girl said it was a good spot for thinking, grateful she didn't probe her with questions. She shoved her hands in her pockets, then looked up in surprise as Harper mentioned her idea. "Really? You're doing that?" She asked excitedly.

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper just gave Isadora a look, deciding to let her presence speak for herself. Still, she couldn't help finding the younger Gryffindor's carefree attitude amusing (and a little familiar), and she chuckled as Isadora corrected herself. "If someone does catch us, try and pretend like I'm in the middle of giving you a long lecture about how dangerous the cliffs are," she said with a grin.

Isadora didn't seem to want to share whatever was on her mind, so Harper decided to let it go. "Well, I'm going to try," she said with a light laugh. "I just have to come up with the right idea, something that won't annoy the professors too much. Don't want to lose my badge right before graduation." Despite her somewhat relaxed approach to the rules, Harper did feel a vague sense of responsibility as a prefect. If she did pull off a prank, she wanted it to be something fun, not bothersome.