Open It's a little too quiet

[Alana Cosgrove]

It felt good to get out of the dungeon every once in a while and Alana didn’t do it nearly often enough. She hadn’t yet caught the bug to explore the castle as she still felt like she was finding her bearings. The urge to get out had come sudden, so sudden she had been in bed almost ready to fall asleep when she suddenly found herself alert and restless. She didn’t know where that feeling came from because it certainly wasn’t something she inherited from her father, perhaps her mother was more adventurous than she had let on to her.

The castle looked different at night, it was Alana’s first time seeing it at a time she wasn’t supposed to be. The corridors were so silent she could hear the scurry of the smallest creature, the distant chatter of ghosts and every so often she could see the lights from torches carried by prefects, once she saw those she quickly, and quietly, scurried in the opposite direction.

Hours of avoiding ghosts and prefects later and Alana wasn’t completely sure where she was, only that she was high up. She was at the top of one of the schools many towers, she just wasn’t sure which one. It held a spectacular view of the castle, it was just a shame there wasn’t a little more light to illuminate the surroundings. It would have made a beautiful photo to send home, even if both her parents had no doubt seen that very view countless times before.

 

[Percival Zephyrmoon]

Percival was making his way to the owlery with a letter in hand. The night was his preferred time, the stillness allowing him to enjoy the stars without interruption. He often took these late night walks, appreciating the quiet and the opportunity to stargaze. Tonight was no different, save for a brief detour to send off his correspondence.

As he climbed, he noticed a figure standing, gazing out over the castle grounds. He squinted, trying to make out which student it was in the dim light, recognising them as one he had taught. Clearing his throat, he stepped forward, unsure of how to approach the situation and wished there was some sort of script for a professor to follow in this situation. "You're up past your bedtime, Miss Cosgrove," he said, his voice awkward and halting. He just wanted to post his letter but now he had a student to deal with.

 

[Alana Cosgrove]

Alana hadn’t put much thought into the possibility of getting caught, it was naïve of her to be so careless but the stories she had heard from her parents so rarely involved consequences when they had snuck out at night that Alana had begun to wonder if teachers even patrolled the corridors after hours. The sudden appearance of Professor Zephyrmoon soon proved that theory incorrect however. “Sorry Professor,”

If she had a good reason to be out of bed, perhaps she could have spun a yarn that might have got her out of trouble, but she was fresh out so she only really had the truth on her side. “It just never feels like I get time to see it during the day, not properly, I just wanted to get a good look before the year ended and I go home for the holidays,”

 

[Percival Zephyrmoon]

Percival looked at Alana with a mixture of understanding and mild annoyance. He was a night owl himself, drawn to the stars, which was one reason why he often found himself more tired during the day. He listened to the student, letting her explain before replying with, "Oh, I see." Percival let his expression fall sterner than he actually felt. He could appreciate that the Slytherin students missed out on a certain nighttime charm at Hogwarts due to the position of their common room, and having once been a young budding astronomer himself, Percival couldn't be angry at someone sneaking out for a nighttime view. The inconvenience of dealing with a student after hours was more irksome than any genuine concern for her welfare or motive. She seemed fine, just curious, and he did not see anything wrong in that.

"I do quite agree. The view is remarkable," he said, glancing at the window she had been looking out of. "However, Hogwarts has a curfew and I'm supposed to take rule breakers to their head of house." He sighed inwardly, thinking of the long walk escorting the student back to the Slytherin common room. "But I have an important owl I must send first." he briefly waved his letter at the student. "If you're still here when I return, we'll go wake Professor Castillo. If not, I'll assume you saw sense and returned to your dormitory."