The Observation Deck
 

Amy <3/Slate
 

Wearing Al's Durmstrang hoodie, and armed with a large flask of hot chocolate and some marshmallows from her trunk, Sam was all set for an evening of star-gazing and catching up. Probably most of the latter. Maybe a little fire magic, if her bestie wasn't feeling too overworked.

For now though, she just fell back on to one of the comfy sofas, and smiled softly as she sought out the brightest star of Canis Major, Sirius. It didn't take long, being one of the first constellations she'd been taught, and she hugged her knees to her chest. "Miss you," she murmured quietly to herself.

Dora was overworked and lots of other things, but whatever. Heh. Making her way over to the observation deck she paused to grab a blanket from the trunk before making her way over to Sam. "Gross," she said as she heard the murmured Miss you. If they were going to be sappy at the holidays they could count her out. For sure.

Pulling a jar from her bag, the blonde cast a quick and silent bluebell flame spell before setting it on the sofa between them. "Sorry I was late." To school... to their meeting... just in general.

She had, after all, disappeared and not really let anyone know where she was.

Of all the moments that Dora could have chosen to appear, that had to be the one. Of course it was. "Don't know watcha mean," she replied, smile curling on her lips as she turned to see the Gryffindor setting out a bluebell flame. Her gaze lingered on the flames flickering in the jar for a moment, the extra warmth not needed, but appreciated all the same.

"Only just. I haven't been here long." She shrugged lightly, not picking up on the subtext. Probably a good thing really; she had no real desire to recall her train journey to the castle. Probably wouldn't have seemed half as lonely, nor been as upsetting, if Dora had been there. "I brought hot choc'late and marshmallows."

"If you're going to be all mushy and loved up at the holidays... I can't hang out with you both. " And she didn't mean it in a hateful way... just telling the truth, really. Watching the flames flicker, she frowned slightly tO herself.

"I'm sorry I abandoned you at the end of summer and didn't ride the train or come to the feast. I got caught up somewhere." She had ridden the train with her every year, after all. And well, she hadn't been in touch either... Al had to find out from their father and come hunt her down after all. "Just... sorry. "

Sam gave a little frown. "Can't guarantee it, but we'll try not to be in yeh face 'bout it." She knew things might be a little weird this Christmas holidays, making sure everyone got their fair share of everyone else. And that included Robin. He'd seemed a little put out before she'd caught the train, like he somehow thought the Umbridges were claiming her as their own, and she was neglecting him. Sigh. Regardless, Dora couldn't complain too much about mushiness - she was sure she'd had to put up with the Gryffindor and Casper on more than one occasion.

"Japan...India...Bali?" Sam gave a wry smile, pretty sure it was one of the above. "S'okay. You did what yeh had to do...although an owl mighta been nice. Just promise me some of the ride home, yeah?" Hopefully angry Slytherins wouldn't be after her for that ride, and she could enjoy their last one together in peace.

anyone?
 

Floating into the circular room known as the Observation Deck the pearly-white, gaunt faced with black staring eyes spectre known as the Bloody Baron looked around. It was quiet. No students around. Prefect. He could groan, sulk and clank his chains in peace.

Peeves was always a thorn in his eye, but now the Friar too. He HATED it!

Groaning loudly and clanking his chains just as loudly because he could the Baron floated over to the nearest windows to look out. How was he going to get the Lady Helena once and for all to return his eternal love for her?

Slate wandered out onto the observation deck. Only a few days back and the dungeon was already feeling... like a dungeon. Every now and then he felt the need to escape to open areas. He walked around before spotting Stephanie, who looked like she was already hard at work.

"Who starts studying this early in the term?" he asked with a half smile before helping himself to the spot next to her.

*claims*
 

Flynn had planned on taking a nap before his next class; however, the younger kids in his house had other plans. Yes, the younger kids that he disliked for many reasons other than how annoying most of them were. He disliked them even more when they were hyped up on sugar and all he wanted to do was nap.... on the couch.... IN PEACE. Was the too much to ask???

He slipped into the observation deck, making a judgement call on whether he wanted to nap in here or not based on how many people were in the room.

Hmmmmmmmm.

He came to the decision that this place was better than his common room right now, and he walked over to one of the couches. Just as he was about to get comfy, he noticed the Bloody Baron looking.... well, looking sadder than usual.

"You ok, Sir B?" Flynn actually liked the Bloody Baron, so he had no problem sparking up a conversation with it. "I have some younger kids in the common room you can scare if you want something to do." Ayyyee, then he could nap on his couch while the little firsties ran and hid. Aha.

*gatecrashes*
 

"Don't let Vivian hear you saying that, Flynn."

Felicity had entered the Observation deck just in time to hear the boys suggestion to the Baron, and she had to force herself to keep a straight face as she regarded him, only allowing herself to smirk for a moment when she turned her back to him and got herself settled onto a chair. "It's positively cruel." Which she did genuinely think, and she would have hated letting him know that his comment had amused her. "Anyway, I'm sure you have much more important ways to spend your time than pestering first years, don't you, Baron?"

After all, were they even really worth the effort?

Staring out through the windows the Baron had assumed the students who saw him there would know what was good for them and would give him a wide berth to sulk in peace. Sadly that didn't seem to apply to the students in his own house it seemed.

Slowly gliding around to face the intruder his bloodiness grumbled hotly "Not funny Mr Kowalski! I don't scare anyone for sport!" Hmmf! Aside from Peeves. The Baron was not interested in a long conversation with this particular fifth year youth.

The Baron was about to glide out of the observation desk all together to find another place to sulk and think about her ladyship's love in peace, when the boy got reinforcements in the form of Felicity Harrington. At least that girl didn't seem as thick headed and it showed. Grumbling he turned his staring eyes on the girl "I do actually. I keep Peeves in line among other things. Shouldn't you be in class?"

.................

Flynn turned to look at no other than Felicity Harrington, who got an unwelcoming face instead of a polite greeting from the boy. "You know what's cruel?" He replied back. "You being a party pooper." Surely, there was another party she could pooper instead of HIS.


"You know damn well that scaring the first years is a fun pastime, Felicity," he added as an after thought to his fellow housemate. Now, she could either get on board with it or leave him alone.

He looked back over at the Baron, frowning at his response. "It's not for sport. You could.... I don't know, do is as a favor for me?" He paused, realizing that he did not know what favor he could do for the Baron in return. "Then I could do something for you." Merlin, he felt like he was going to regret that statement if, in fact, the Baron wanted him to do something. He could not take his words back now though.

Flynn's unwelcoming look was met with a Felicity face pull that said she didn't care if he didn't want her here, she was staying and that was that. "And I live for that type of cruelty, Flynny." Hence her sarcasm and use of the teasing nickname that she knew he'd hate. She settled into her seat and placed her book on a cushion on her lap, before meeting his eyes again. "Do I really? I'm curious as to how much more you know about me."

Because, although hopefully her voice didn't give her away, he was kind of right: she wouldn't scare them directly, but watching him do so... Well, it kind of amused her. A lot.

See? The Baron totally had better things to do than help you out, Flynn whose-surname-Felicity-still-couldn't-pronounce. "Free period," she managed as an answer to his question, about to open her book when the boy offered to do the Baron a favour. She had to see how that suggestion panned out.

It was DIFFERENT now that it was her brother, though. Her twin brother. A different version of herself. How weird...

Anyway. "Sneaking around to be together might be fun. You should try that." She was only being like a quarter way serious. Honestly. She didn't mind them so much. It was what she had fought for, wasn't it? For the two most important people in her life to be happy and together. Yes indeed.

"And Durmstrang. That's where I was last. And Al came to India to find me. He is an idiot." HUFF. Dora pulled her blanket up over her lap and sighed too. "But yeah, I am sorry. I just needed to be away. I got to shadow Mohammed Sanhoun in the ICW and went to work with Grandpa Charles at the Japanese Ministry. It was great." And she had been away and thinking and just alone.

"I will definitely be with you on the ride home. My final train ride. I couldn't miss that." Although, she had missed one final thing already. Ha.

Curling up with the blanket more, Steph pushed her red hair back and continued reading. The observation deck was flooding with more students and she found it a bit unusual. But she still didn't pay much mind to them. The Hufflepuff was too into her book too even bother with people at the moment. Unless they suddenly talked to her like Slate did.

She didn't answer his question, because she simply wasn't studying. "Did you know that the zodiac constellations are based on what month we're in? That's why it's Virgo," She said, still not looking at him.

Slate blinked and then shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. I guess that makes sense." he replied. Because. It did make sense. He, however, didn't really think about it before that second.

"Is that what you're looking at right now?" He glanced at her book and then back up at the sky. "Wait. Do you believe that sort of stuff?"

"As a favour to you?" The Baron repeated suspiciously. "And why exactly should I do that? I didn't do favours for the most noble Draco Malfoy when he went here so why should I make an exception for you?" This boy was a can load of trouble that was for sure. Peeves had probably put him up to this. His bloodiness was not amused, he was going to have a long talk about that with that big headed geist later.

Grumbling, and rattling his chains the Baron floated right up to Flynn's face and asked interestedly "Is that so? You'd do anything for me if I just scared a number of first years?"

Rounding on the girl the Baron floated closer to look at the book in her lap "So what are you reading there miss Felicity? anything useful?" Or usual rubbish like all those Lockman books that used to float around the school years ago that everyone read.

Christmas felt a long way off right now, and Sam was quiet as she poured them both a cup of hot chocolate. "Maybe...we'll see, I guess." Technically they had three houses and five bedrooms to choose from when it came to space, so sneaking around didn't really need to happen. Whether it was fun or not, of course, was a different matter. They'd had both tent and house to themselves, so far, so no need to try it out. "Here yeh go." She passed over the hot chocolate, and took a sip of her own.

It took a moment for her to register why Dora had gone via Durmstrang, if Al had gone to India. "Right, Al and his man flu." Sam shook her head. "Why in Merlin's pants was he not wearing a coat?" He was an idiot, she agreed with a light nod. A very lovable one that had stolen her heart, but an idiot all the same. Had he forgotten that she and Dora had both faced Arctic temperatures last year, without a jacket between them? Sigh.

But yay for information about the rest of her travels. "The International Co-something of Wizards?" She couldn't remember the middle initial. "That's super cool. I realleh am thrilled you got to go do that...so d'ya think you'd like to do that after school?"

It was an EXCITING moment for Nigel, he was so eager to see the stars and what not, I mean it was so COOOOL! So, he grabbed some snacks from the kitchens and put them inside his backpack because food was important and headed towards the astronomy tower to meet Steph.

He walked all the way up till he reached the observatory. There was no one else. Good for him, he wanted to be alone for a sec before Steph showed up. He left his backpack on a couch and grabbed a telescope to randomly see anything in the sky. Stars and more stars. He knew a bit about constellations but he needed Steph's map to help him.

Bag full of snacks in her hand, Steph quickly made her way to the astronomy tower. Though, she probably shouldn't have gone too fast because now she was winded. She stopped short of the observation deck when she just laid on the floor to catch her breath. "I really should start working out," she mumbled to herself and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Or what she thought were seconds. The redhead had laid on the floor for about ten minutes before she finally got up and walked through the door. Maybe Nigel hadn't noticed that she was taking too long? Maybe he occupied himself while waiting for her?

Spotting him as she entered, Steph grinned towards the boy and sat next to him. "Did I take too long? I tried to be quick but holy Merlin do those stairs make you tired after few floors," She chuckled nervously. "But I've brought my map and lots of snacks,"

Nigel was looking through one of the telescopes, moving it around randomly just in case he could spot something other than stars or the black sky but basically he saw nothing.

He grabbed one of the snacks he brought, potatoes chips to be exact, he opened the bag and started to eat one by one waiting for Steph. Did she fall asleep? Did she left him all alone? WAS THIS SORT OF A PRANK? Not a nice one to be honest. He was being paranoid. It was fair though, he was new sooo....yeah. He shrugged the thought away.

And a few minutes later Steph appeared. "Hey" Nigel smiled "I thought you weren't coming" said joking "I have brought some snack too!" he pointed at his backpack "Sooo, let's start? I tried to see anything but it was a complete failure" the map was necessary.