Second Best View

[Silus Hollister]

Silus hadn't been feeling all himself of late. He hadn't been eating as much as he should, and the amount of sleep the boy got each week was simply preposterous. It was evening time, students were probably down in the Great Hall for supper by now, but Silus stayed behind, not wanting to venture far from his dormitories. As the air grew cooler, the dark of night came earlier, and he now stood slumped up against a ledge, watching as the last sliver of sun disappeared.

Dark shadows traced beneath his eyes, and he looked slightly sick, his skin taking on an unhealthy pale. He chewed numbly on his bottom lip and sighed as his stomach let out an angry growl. "No you don't, we're staying up here." Hr murmured randomly. His mind was a bit foggy. Silus was frighteningly unaware someone else was coming up the steps behind him.

 

[Professor Lyra Potter]

Having snuck into the kitchens for a late afternoon snack, Lyra wasn't particularly hungry when it came time for supper in the Great Hall. She had encouraged Falon and Link to go on without her. Not that her twin needed much encouragement. He seemed to never miss out on an opportunity to eat. Plus, Lyra always made him eat his vegetables, something he never did of his own accord. She was shocked that he wasn't as round as he was tall. As soon as the Gryffindors disappeared through the portrait hole, Lyra grabbed her favorite book with a picture of her parents shoved inside as a bookmark and a blanket. She threw both in a bag that she tossed over her shoulder. The Gryffindor snuck off to one of her favorite places technically in the castle.

The North Tower was were her mum said that she first fell in love with her father. The auburn haired girl enjoyed it because it made her feel connected to her dad and mum in a way. It was a special place with the best view in the castle. Lyra took the stairs two at a time with a smile on her face. She burst through the door, only to stop short when she saw a familiar face. He wasn't at dinner either but for what reason she couldn't imagine. The Gryffindor was almost certain he was avoiding her though she had no idea why. Maybe he was still cross with her from the Halloween Feast. No time like the present to find out. She put a smile on her face. "Hello Silus." Lyra said as she made her way to a bench by the wall.

 

[Charlotte Owens]

Despite how amazing the food had tasted in the Great Hall during supper time, Charlotte decided to skip it to go exploring again. She hadn't really had a good look at any of the towers yet and wanted to go back to the North Tower, mainly for the view. She was sure that no one at the Slytherin table would notice that she was missing (they never usually did) and skipped her way up the stairs with a grin upon her face, happy that she was able to freely go up to the North Tower alone again. She wanted to spend as much time as she could up there to take her mind off the pressure of exams and the fact that she was really missing her family back home. On the bright side, Christmas was coming up soon and it was almost her birthday in a couple of days so she was very excited for the presents her family would send her. Hopefully they will send her something that would stop her missing them a lot.

As Charlotte made her way to the top of the staircase, she was quite disturbed by the fact that she wasn't going to spend time alone in the North Tower tonight. Unfortunately, two fellow first years were up there too. Charlotte recognised both of them and was quite upset by their presence. Why is it that she can't ever spend any time alone at Hogwarts!? "Hey." she said, standing at the top of the staircase awkwardly, trying to not make any eye contact with them. She should've turned around and walked back down the stairs but stood there with her hands fiddling behind her back and looking straight at the ground. She was worried that she had just interrupted something.

 

[Silus Hollister]

Silus almost jumped out of his skin as he heard a familiar voice call greet him. His brows furrowed, he hadn't even heard her presence. He gave her a playful smirk -- all he could really manage, and spun around to face her. "Hi, Lyra." He said softly, though only partially out of politeness. He hoped his voice didn't sound as tired as he looked.

He hadn't really been meaning to avoid her lately, he just found himself doing it anyways. At the beginning he had, for he was unsure whether she was still mad about how he'd treated her at the Halloween Feast. Now he saw her again, he could have sworn he felt somewhat better. "Skipping meals?" He asked, his smirk turning more into a smile each passing second. Silus was a bit surprised that she wasn't down socialising with the others. His senses slightly back, he frowned. Someone else was coming up the steps.

 

[Professor Lyra Potter]

Maybe the Gryffindor had just imagined that Silus was avoiding her as he seemed to be perfectly friendly towards her now, but it seemed more likely that he was avoiding her. He turned to face her, and Lyra thought that she would never be able to hold a grudge against him. She probably should have still be angry with him, but she wasn't. The Gryffindor wasn't sure why, but there was just something about him that seemed to melt away her anger or ill-temper with him even when he deserved it. Lyra shrugged her shoulders at his question. "I'm not hungry." she said, knowing she really shouldn't skip meals as her small frame already needed all the nutrients it could get. "Besides, it looks like I'm not the only one doing it. What are you doing up here, Silus?" she asked curiously. "Still avoiding me?" she asked pointedly.

There was someone coming up the stairs behind them, and her green eyes glanced at the doorway. Lyra recognized the girl standing there and felt slightly embarrassed. She hadn't been in her usual cheerful mood when she met the Slytherin girl. However, Lyra smiled a friendly smile now. "Oh hello, Charlotte." she said, in a welcoming tone. She glanced at Silus, hoping he would play nice.

 

[Charlotte Owens]

The Gryffindor greeted Charlotte and Charlotte sent her a small smile. She remembered Charlotte's name but all Charlotte remembered was that she was famous somehow. It made Charlotte feel bad that she didn't remember the Gryffindor's name. She knew it started with the letter 'L' but couldn't quite get her mind around the rest of the letters. She wasn't going to ask for her name again and stood there as the Ravenclaw boy frowned at her appearance. She knew that the Ravenclaw wasn't exactly the friendliest person in the world and wasn't at all offended by it.

"The view is nice, isn't it?" Charlotte said, looking out at the darkening sky. "In fact, the view is exactly why I'm up here! Were you guys up here for the same reason? I mean, look at it! Who could ever resist such a view?!" She walked closer towards it and smiled. She was trying her best not to make the situation anymore awkward than it was and was hoping she was doing a pretty good job even though she really wasn't that good in situations like these.

 

[Silus Hollister]

Silus hid a smile behind his hand at Lyra's statement, and eyed her petite frame with amusement. His mirth however, dropped at her next statement. He lowered his gaze, not feeling strong enough to look her straight in the eyes. She always sounded so brave and smart. Lyra didn't beat around the bush, ever. He admired her for it, and was pleased to see she didn't seem the least bit angry. He couldn't help but feel like she should be.

"Oh, Lyra," He started, leaning back against the cool stone walls. He was a bit at a loss for words and he became cross at himself. Only she seemed to make him into a bumbling fool. A bumbling more human fool. The tips of his ears went red. "You noticed." He stated, his voice dry. He decided to change topics, and did his best to send her a kind look, hoping she'd understand why he couldn't really speak any further in the matter. "To tell you the truth, I think the Great Hall is goung to make me deaf. That, and it's simply far too crowded for my liking." He admitted.

He read Lyra's glance. It seemed to be a clear message of Don't screw this up to him. He bit his lip to contain a sigh and involuntarily crossed his arms, annoyed by the intrusion. At least it wasn't someone else. He couldn't find it in him to smile, but he'd do his best to be cordial. He simply nodded at her. "It is splendid view.. Though it falls short.." The last part trailed off into a mumble and his gaze was briefly directed at Lyra.

 

[Professor Lyra Potter]

Lyra rolled her emerald eyes at Silus as he confirmed that he had been avoiding her. "It wasn't exactly subtle." she pointed out before he changed the subject. She really had no idea why he avoided her for an entire month, and it seemed like she wasn't likely to get an explanation for his behavior, but the Gryffindor had almost come to expect that. Lyra grinned and shook her head at him. "Well you aren't much of a people person, are you?" she teased lightly, failing to notice that she seemed to be one of the few people that he tolerated. She let the conversation drop as Charlotte joined them on the tower.

"It is a lovely view." Lyra agreed. She missed the look Silus gave her. "I have it from a reliable source that it is the perfect spot for star gazing." she said, fondly. It was her mum that had told her that. Her parents had always been really into the stars. Apparently, their first real date had been star-gazing. Lyra's mum and dad had dragged them out of bed and into the yard any time there was something special happening up in the sky. Her mum had continued the tradition with the twins and Jemma even after James disappeared. "That's actually why I came up here. I think there is supposed to be a meteor shower tonight." she said, brightly and excitedly. "Want to watch the stars with me?" she asked, looking at Charlotte first before turning her bright eyes to Silus. Lyra hoped he would agree at least. She wasn't exactly sure that they could stay up on the tower so late, but it didn't make a difference in her decision.

 

[Charlotte Owens]

Charlotte could see clearly that the Ravenclaw did not like her presence. She pretended not to hear his statement about how the view 'falls short' as she did not know what exactly he was talking about and instead smiled brightly at the girl when she spoke. "I've never really been that interested in star gazing before coming to Hogwarts." she said. "But I've been listening to the professor in Astronomy and it is such an interesting subject when you think about it! It's amazing to think that there is a whole universe beyond this planet and that those stars up there are much bigger than they appear." She pointed up at the stars that were now starting to appear in the night sky. They really did look beautiful and star gazing was definitely something Charlotte had to do one day by herself when she had the chance.

"A meteor shower!?" Charlotte exclaimed, her eyes lighting up when the girl mentioned that one was to happen tonight. "I've never seen one of them before! What do they look like? How do you know when it starts? What does it do?" She was very excited and was practically jumping up and down on the spot. It sounded magnificent and Charlotte praised herself for going up to the North Tower the right night as she really did not want to miss it. She sat down on the cold stone ground with her legs crossed, looking directly up at the sky. She really wanted to see her first meteor shower and would stay there all night if she had to.

 

[Silus Hollister]

Silus gave the room a quick survey. To his mild disappointment he didn't spy any chairs or anything that would substitute for one. Not that he'd ever show it, but he was still feeling a bit weak. He instead, continued to use the walls for support. A small smile crossed his lips at the mention of a star gazing. The night sky was surely was a beautiful thing to see. He'd spent many a night getting acquainted with them back at home where he slept under them.

He was a bit piffed that they would be joined by another, but was too tired to say anything in protest. Besides, he was sure that wouldn't go well with Lyra, and he thought he'd tested the girl's patience enough. "I've ever witnessed a meteor shower either. I imagine it'll be a sight to see." He smirked and couldn't resist rolling his eyes at the other girl, who was doing nothing to hide her excitement. Silus knew there was a decent size chance of them getting sent back to their dormitories, but hopefully someone wouldn't think to check the North Tower. As long as they were quiet.

 

[Professor Lyra Potter]

"It's beautiful." Lyra said with a cheerful smile. Charlotte seemed agreeable enough, and Silus was behaving himself for now at least. She could tell he was a little annoyed by the other girl, but she didn't know why. Charlotte seemed nice. Much better than the last time Lyra met her, but that was really Lyra's fault, not the other girl's. "It looks like the stars are raining. It is so cool. You will love it. I promise!" Lyra answered Charlotte's questions with a bright grin on her face. "I haven't had astronomy yet, but my mum and dad loved star-gazing. It was their first date so I think it just became a tradition." Lyra explained, looking at Silus. He looked really uncomfortable leaning on the wall.

Charlotte had already settled herself on the ground as Lyra pulled out the blanket from her backpack. She had come prepared since this had been her plan all along. She spread the blanket out on the flagstone and she sat down in the middle. There was plenty of room on the blanket for Silus and Charlotte to both join her. She looked up at the Ravenclaw boy where he towered over her. "Would you like to sit down? It's hurting my neck to look up at you." she teased him lightly. She turned to look at Charlotte. "There's plenty of room if you want to sit here instead of on the stone." she offered with a smile.

 

[Charlotte Owens]

Charlotte tried to imagine a sky full of raining stars. She was quite confused how the stars were able to fall down from the sky like rain and wondered where they went afterwards but kept it to herself. She knew that it was still going to be very beautiful and it would be a great experience for her. The night sky definitely looked very beautiful on its own so Charlotte really couldn't wait.

She watched as Lyra (she remembered her name!) laid out a blanket that was big enough for the three of them to sit on. The ground was slowly getting cold on Charlotte's backside and was quite thankful for Lyra's offer. She crawled over to the blanket and sat right next to Lyra. "Thanks." she said, giving her a smile. The Ravenclaw looked uncomfortable leaning against the wall and Charlotte hoped he'd make his way over to the blanket too. It was almost like a picnic but all they needed now was food.

 

[Silus Hollister]

Silus smiled, amsused by Lyra's description of a meteor shower. No matter how weary the boy grew that evening, he would make sure he got to see the d*mn thing. It obviously meant something to Lyra, and he found himself wanting to appease her for once instead of going against her wishes.

His eyes sparked for some reason as she mentioned star-gazing happened to be her parent's first date. His mouth quirked up at the corners and then he found himself even more upset than ever that they weren't the only ones up here.

He stared into the girl's lovely green orbs as she invited him to sit beside her on the blanket she'd spread. Silus couldn't help but grin at her remark -- it was great being tall. "Forgive me, Miss. I do hope I haven't caused your neck too much discomfort." He replied with a playful wink. Eyeing the blanket sceptically, he doubted it would grant much comfort from the cold stone floor, but he'd be a fool to decline her offer. Acting oblivious to other girl's presence on the other side, he swiftly made his way over to the blanket.

Once he rested there, he was pleasantly surprise to find it far more comfortable than he'd originally thought possible. He thanked Lyra and did his best to resist the temptation to lay down on the soft fabric, aware he'd fall into deep sleep once he did so.

 

[Professor Lyra Potter]

Lyra smiled as Charlotte crawled over to sit on one side of her. "You're welcome. I'm happy to have company." she said truthfully. Looking at the stars had always been a family occasion, and it would have been weird if she was here alone. The Gryffindor hoped that her brother would show up after dinner. She had left a note on his pillow. She hadn't spent nearly as much time with him as she used to, and she missed him despite his annoying behaviors.

As Silus sat down beside her, Lyra grinned at him, visibly pleased. He seemed to really be making an effort tonight to be agreeable, and she was grateful. "This is better." she said, only slightly kidding. The Gryffindor girl leaned back so she was lying flat on the blanket. It was a clear night tonight which was perfect for looking at the stars. "It should start in a half hour or so." she told her companions. Or at least that's what her mum's letter had said. "Are you guys going home for Christmas?" she asked casually. She was familiar with Silus and already counted him as a close friend. She knew that he didn't have the best home life and had been considering inviting him home with her if he wasn't planning on staying in the castle. He shouldn't have to go home to the hag.

 

[Charlotte Owens]

There was something about the whole situation and how Silus was reacting that made Charlotte think that maybe Silus hated her because she intruded on something that he thought was going to make a magnificent night with just him and Lyra. She saw his eyes sparkle at what Lyra said and knew that there was definitely something going on between the two of them. Nonetheless, Charlotte was quite glad that Silus was still ignoring her company and watched as he sat on the other side of Lyra, trying to be polite. In all honesty, Charlotte had never thought that a guy like Silus would ever call someone 'Miss' or even just simply apologise to them and it made Charlotte wonder if Lyra was also trying to hide the fact that she wanted Charlotte to go as well and was simply saying that she was happy to have company to be polite. Maybe Charlotte should've left when she had the chance?

"Yes, of course I'm going home for Christmas!" Charlotte replied excitedly, giving a small sarcastic smile over to Silus who was comfortably lying next to Lyra. There was something about that guy that made Charlotte want to rip his throat out. "I think all my family back home would be missing me so I guess they'd be really excited to see me! Neither of them were very happy with me being sorted into Slytherin but I'm sure they'll get over it eventually. I mean, we're family and hopefully they aren't considering disowning me or anything." Her sentence ended slowly and the last words were barely audible. One of her biggest fears were getting disowned by her parents and she couldn't believe she said it out loud. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was just... you know..." Charlotte slowly turned her back away from the two, fiddling with her thumbs nervously. Sometimes she just needed to keep quiet.

 

[Silus Hollister]

Silus nodded once, acknowledging the time the meteor shower should come to pass. Oh, yes. He could make it in a half an hour or so, he assured himself seeing the look on Lyra's face. He watched as she laid back in the blanket and now it was at least twice as tempting to simply do the same as her and close his eyes for just a bit. Not able to fight the urge off completely, he instead leaned back in one side and rested on his elbow. He smiled contentedly. This was all so nice, he almost forgot that other student was there with them. Almost. He caught her giving him a sarcastic little smile, and it made Silus's eyes eyes narrow just slightly. That girl, while she wasn't attempting to strangle him or anything, he sort of got the feeling she might want to.

Briefly shooting her a suspicious look, he settled a little further into the plush blanket. Lyra's question made the boy scowl a bit. Go home for Christmas! He barely contained a snort. He conjured an image in his head, his mother looking not so much like a hag, wishing him a Merry Christmas, and pecking him in the cheek. He stifled a chuckle at the thought. No, he would do anything to avoid going back there. Eyebrows furrowed, he answered her truthfully. "Not at all. That place isn't good for the mind. In all honesty, Charles ****ens would suffer from a stroke if he saw a Christmas in my town. It's pretty much non-existent. I suppose I'll just stay here for the holidays." He spoke humorously at first, but the last sentence was spoken with a subtle bitterness not many would be able to detect unless the listener knew him well.

When the other girl began to ramble, Silus had honestly tuned her out, though he looked like he was paying attention on Lyra's behalf. She got his attention however when her speech starte to falter. He subtly shifted so neither of the two girls could see the annoyed sneer on his lips or the roll of his eyes. "Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff. They do not define a person's true self. They are only silly little school labels that cause nothing but hostility. Besides, looking at you, it's clear your parents would never disown you." He said a bit crossly. He'd been so pissed off to be sorted in with the house he had. There shouldn't be any houses, or students should be entitled to choose who they wanted to associate themselves with. Silus didn't think of himself as a Ravenclaw. He was just Silus.

 

[Professor Lyra Potter]

"Disown you for being in Slytherin?!" Lyra exclaimed with shock. How horrible it must be to feel that way about your parents. Her mum would never, but her twin brother might have died if they had been placed in Slytherin. "Surely not! You can't help where the Sorting Hat puts you!" she said, indignant on Charlotte's behalf. "Besides, my grandfather says one of the bravest men he's ever known was a Slytherin so the house can't be all that bad." Lyra said, confidently. She took her grandfather's words as fact.

The Gryffindor felt that she knew Silus pretty well by now even if she couldn't ever predict how he would react or what he would do next. She sensed the bitterness in his voice at the end, despite the jokes that he tried to make. She wouldn't share his business with Charlotte. Not when it had been told to her in confidence as a sign of their friendship. "I talked to my mum. She said you are welcome at our house any time. You can spend Christmas with us if you like." she said, not meaning to be rude to Charlotte by not inviting her, but she didn't know the girl well enough for that.

Lyra thought that Silus' words were meant to comfort Charlotte, and a nice gesture at that. "I like being a Gryffindor." she said with a hint of stubbornness.

 

[Silus Hollister]

Silus nodded in agreement with what Lyra said about the sorting hat. It was all so very true. "You're a true lioness." He told her with a nod, finding her slightly stubborn tone a bit amusing."I, however, can't find anything in common with the others in my house." he said dully.

His icy blue eyes had previously been half-way closed when all the sudden, they shot open at Lyra's words. For brief moment, the boy was shocked speechless, his jaw dropped slightly. Silus didn't really know what to think. Looking down to conceal his eyes from her which were wet for some reason, he was finally able to regain his composure. Silus could feel his pulse speeding up. Lyra and her family were inviting him into their home for Christmas.

Grateful that it had gotten quite a good bit darker since they'd arrived, he was able to hide most of his reaction from the others, but he knew Lyra would be able to tell he was affected. "Thank you, Lyra." was all he managed, saying it quietly so only she would hear, his voice was thick with gratitude and something else.

 

[Charlotte Owens]

It was indeed true that Charlotte had wanted to strangle Silus. But Charlotte found his words comforting in a way that was hard to explain. She didn't think he'd ever say something nice to her let alone say anything to her at all. It was at this point that she wanted to take back the sarcastic smile and apologise for acting childish. In Charlotte's opinion, she found herself annoying and irritating and she was sure that if she ever did something horrible that her parents would disown her pretty quickly. She wasn't sure why Silus had said what he did but she had very much appreciated it.

"The bravest man he's ever known!? Did your grandfather tell you who he was?" Charlotte turned to Lyra, quite shocked at what she had said. All she knew was that the very own Lord Voldemort was sorted into her house and people that were sorted into Slytherin were mostly brave in getting what they wanted. She hadn't met many Slytherins other than herself that would ever do something considerate for anyone but themselves but both Lyra and Silus' words had slightly changed her outlook on things. Everyone had a soft side but some were just more hidden than others.

Charlotte smiled at the two first years when Lyra offered Silus to go to her house during the Christmas holidays. She felt glad for Silus and knew that his family must be very hard to deal with if Charles ****ens would suffer from a stroke if he saw Silus' family's Christmas. Lyra was definitely one of the nicest people that Charlotte had met since coming to Hogwarts and she hoped they would continue to always be friends.

"So, when is this meteor shower going to start?" Charlotte was now lying on her stomach, propped up on her elbows. After all, the main reason why she was still here was for the meteor shower.

 

[Professor Lyra Potter]

Lyra smiled as Silus gave her a compliment. She was proud to be in Gryffindor, just like her parents had been. She rolled her eyes at his comment. She could see more in common between Silus and the Ravenclaw house than he could. Sarcasm was a sign of wit, and Silus certainly wasn't lacking in that department. Lyra smiled at Charlotte as she asked who the man was. She nodded her head at the question. "Of course. My uncle is named after him. His name was Severus Snape." she said, not knowing if the Slytherin girl would know who that was, but at least it would give her hope.

The Gryffindor waited for Silus to say something to her offer. She wasn't sure what he might think about it as she could never predict his actions. In the dark, it was impossible for her to read his facial expressions. Softly, as if it was meant for her ears only, Lyra heard a murmured thank you. There was a strange tone to his voice, something she couldn't quite identify, but it was easy to tell that he appreciated it. Silus didn't give out words of gratitude easily. Lyra reached down and squeezed his hand. "So you will come then?" she asked, almost positive that the answer was yes. "I should warn you that my mum and Carter are having a large party with tons of family to celebrate their marriage. There will be dinner and dancing and socializing, and my twin brother." she said, giving him fair notice. Link really knew how to push people's buttons, but she wanted Silus to get along with her family.

Lyra grinned at Charlotte's question. She checked the watch on her wrist. "Uh..it should be in the next five minutes or so." she said.