Closed fools to go it with two

[Lumos Walden-Cade]

Lumos knew his way around the castle, both in and out of it. Perhaps that was why he was able to find his way around almost blindfolded as he headed to the Forest edge, though it wasn't actually curiosity that had pulled him out tonight, it was the fact that he'd seen someone skulking around, and when he'd really looked, he noticed it was not just anyone, but a Hufflepuff, and one he knew quite well. He wasn't quite sure why exactly he was following him, since it was probably better to let just one get in trouble instead of two, but he also knew it was probably likely that if he was there too, he might be able to talk them out of trouble if he winged it, he talked his way out of it before, so perhaps it would all work itself out? He hoped anyway. So he followed Jonah to the treeline, and then called out to him. "Jonah... you know you shouldn't be in there, right?" He wasn't sure what the Hufflepuff boy was doing, but he didn't want him to get into trouble either, it would probably cause him more problems than he thinks it will, and Lumos figured he could maybe help by figuring out what the problem was. At least he hoped.​

 

[Jonah Edogawa]

Jonah hadn't yet dared to venture out into the Forbidden Forest until tonight. It had been an idea that he'd been toying with though, as often as he found himself gazing out and just staring at the Forest. He didn't really have an interest before. The last few months of the last semester had made the urge quite strong though, but he hadn't been able to with the tight hold his siblings had on him. It felt almost suffocating sometimes. With his grades barely making the mark last semester however, they've all sort of let him be for a while. He had no doubt that Elijah would at some point take him prisoner to have him study things he'll never understand anyway. Unless, of course, he finds a way to escape the castle. He wouldn't be doing that now of course. But it was a... a just in case. It couldn't hurt. Still, he hesitated at the foreboding aura of the forest while he skulked along just barely past the treeline before someone called his name which made him jump. He recognized the voice, but it was a bit too dark for Jonah to make sure. "Lumos? That you?" he trusted the twins to correct him if he ever switched them up, he hoped he could be forgiven if he mistook them in the dark. "I... I just want to look around," he didn't know how to explain his reasons for being here, how it felt like the forest called to him sometimes. "You'll get in trouble if you stay. You should go back," he didn't want Lumos to be in trouble because of him after all.​

 

[Lumos Walden-Cade]

"Yeah, it's me," he said, not getting to close to the forest inner, Jonah was already too close to the edge for comfort and if he couldn't talk Jonah back out he supposed he didn't have much choice but to follow him in, but the hope was that he could have Jonah come back out this way. At this point, he didn't really care if he got into trouble, because as he'd observed, people didn't listen when trouble was happening. After all, if they did, surely someone would have noticed Jonah by now, not that he was really sure what the problem was, he just knew that his friend wasn't happy and whilst he didn't know how to figure it out, and he didn't know how to fix it, he could at least be there for his friend, right? Jonah was his friend, wasn't he? He considered him one. "I often get into trouble so, that's okay," he said, just to let Jonah know he wasn't about to run off without him. He knew asking Jonah to come back right now wasn't quite the right thing to do, because honestly? Everyone had been telling Jonah what he was supposed to be doing, and no one really bothered to ask him what he wanted to do and whether or not they could help. "What do you want to do out here? Are you just looking around, or were you trying to see what was so special about it? I came here last year, my dad caught me, so maybe I can help you if you need something, otherwise we can just stay out here and look together if you want." It wasn't like Slytherin needed the help with points, they'd won the house cup last year, hadn't they? Maybe if he lost enough, someone else could win. Sure he had some house loyalty, but it wasn't for house points, he thought that was rather childish.​

 

[Jonah Edogawa]

Jonah didn't understand the relief he felt when he'd guessed right that it was Lumos standing there. He shouldn't be relieved because Lumos standing there meant Lumos could get in trouble. In trouble for being out. In trouble for being near the forest. In trouble for trying to stop Jonah. And he might say that it was okay because he got into trouble a lot, but he'd never really been in trouble with Jonah. Or because of Jonah. And that wasn't okay. It was fine for Jonah to get in trouble because no one really expected anything of him. But he was sure that Lumos' family knew just how brilliant he was. And Lumos' dad already hated him enough without him getting Lumos into trouble. And he was so nice, asking Jonah what he wanted to do as if he would let Jonah do whatever he wanted and even help him do it. He wasn't even asking why. And so Jonah walked towards the treeline and out of it to where Lumos was standing. He felt like his throat was closing up, and his chest felt like it would cave in, and he wanted to cry even if no tears were coming. "Let's go back," he said as he gently held the Slytherin's sleeve, tugging on it a little. Because it really felt like this was the only way he could avoid bringing Lumos into trouble. And that was okay. The forest could wait another day. Lumos was more important than anything in the forest. Even Jonah.​

 

[Lumos Walden-Cade]

Lumos wasn't sure why Jonah wanted to be in the forest, but if that was what he wanted then who was Lumos to tell him he couldn't be in the forest? Sure, it was against school rules, but if they were that worried about it they probably should have had better patrols, or any patrols at all to be honest. He knew a lot of students came down here and Lumos himself had been frequently enough so as to just pop there and back without anyone realising. He and Demi had a sort of thing they liked to do, going on investigation quests. That was their whole thing, and they needed something to quest about right? The forbidden forest was the most normal thing to investigate, there was always more to learn. He nodded when Jonah said that they should head back. "Okay, can I ask you a question actually, since you're out here and I have you alone?" He hadn't wanted to ask him when they were having charms lessons together because he didn't want to distract Jonah and honestly he was kind of worried the Hufflepuff might say no to him and then he might think it would be awkward so he didn't want Jonah to think that he wouldn't want to spend time with him, or distract him when he was working so hard on spells. "Did you... want to go to the Halloween party with me?" He didn't normally go to them because he was born on Halloween and people always sort of gave him joke presents and never really did anything special for his birthday, so he didn't like it all that much, but if it might cheer Jonah up, he would like to go. "It's okay if you don't want to, I just... well I don't really like going but if it's with you I think it would be nice to go." Please cheer up Jonah. Please.​

 

[Jonah Edogawa]

It was a relief for Jonah when Lumos had agreed for them to go back, though he hadn't bothered to let go of the Slytherin's sleeve, still holding on to the end. He was curious what Lumos wanted to ask him, especially since this wasn't the first time they'd been alone. Perhaps it was only a question he could ask if Jonah was outside at night? Which was a weird time - well not weird, but perhaps a little odd - to ask a question. Whatever Jonah thought the question would be, it was definitely not an invitation to go to the Halloween Party. Honestly, Jonah had forgotten all about it. The last party he'd gone to in Hogwarts was the Yule Ball and that was only because Eurydice had forced him to go. He'd gone to Halloween with Eurydice and Rose last year and it had been okay. He didn't have anything against Halloween. Only... recently, he hadn't quite liked being around people. Sometimes it felt suffocating, and he thought that perhaps that was how Rose felt sometimes. And so he'd done all he can this semester thus far to avoid crowds. So while he didn't mind Halloween, going to a party was... And then Lumos admitted that he didn't really like going to the Halloween party anyway so Jonah didn't know why they should go. He did smile a little, a small, small smile, when Lumos said that perhaps it would be nice to go because it would be with Jonah. He wanted to say yes. But both of them didn't want to go to the party. And besides... that was Lumos' birthday. "I... What if... what if we just spend your birthday together?" he asked unsurely. "I... We can eat dessert and play games yeah? You and me and anyone else you like," because it was Lumos' birthday so he should get to spend it with whoever he wanted.​