Cliffside View
 

https://i.postimg.cc/T3z1BMtR/cliffs...ew-banner2.jpg

What good is staying up on a mountain if you never enjoy the beautiful view below? At the side of the cliff leading down into the valley, you can have a look at the river and trees and landscape. If you happen to be by this cliffside at the right moment, you can see the natural magic that happens when the sun hits the valley just right and everything seems to come to life with that warm, golden glow.

Tread carefully by the edge, it's a long way down from here. Of course, there are charms put in place to prevent an actual fall, these charms are not the most pleasant and leave you with a nauseating feeling in the pit of your stomach; that's the first warning that you're standing too close to the edge. Should you persist beyond that point and fall, you will be caught by an invisible net that propels you back to your feet. This is also less than a pleasant experience, one that should be avoided.

Near the cliff, there are picnic tables and blankets set out, you need only bring your own supplies and snacks. There is a pit for bon fires. These are under heavy charms to prevent the spread of fire outside these pits but caution is still advised.

Anna but anyone else welcome to crash too :3
 

Fiona needed to spend some recreational time outdoors and the cliffs seemed like the ideal spot. In her satchel there was a Muggle novel that she had been given as a Christmas present a couple of years ago, a bag of Watermelon Strips and a flask of water. She spotted Abra near the cliff edge and sat down next to her.

"Hey, Abra. Ya don't mind me sitting here?"

The Gryffindor was one of the very few people that Fiona tolerated.

Enjoying the view, her closed book sitting in her lap, Abra heard the footsteps approaching before her companion sat next to her. She was happy to see Fiona. "Not at all," she said with a small smile. "How's your..." with a frown, she continued "where is it your house are staying?"

Fiona frowned slightly. "The Slytherins are staying in a broom closet that's been charmed with an extension charm. I thought the universe was playing some kind of joke when the Slytherin head of house informed us of where we'd be staying after the opening feast. It is a bit small but at least there are no Beauxbatons students to share with."

She reached into her satchel and pulled out her bag of Watermelon Straps. "Want one?" Fiona asked Abra, gently shaking the bag.

They hadn't been there too long, but Anna was already itching to explore the grounds. A positive about this whole thing was the French weather, which was much better than the Scottish one.

The Gryffindor Prefect had her workout gear on and was running through the grounds, looking around and sending long looks to some of the French kids as well as acknowledging with a wave the Hogwarts students she knew and didn't know well. At least now they all had something in common - they were the odd ones out.

She noticed the Gryffindor Rose twin standing there, seemingly watching something and slowed down into a jog. As she reached the girl, she kept jogging on spot for a few seconds before stopping to try and see whatever it was the girl was looking at. "Anything interesting?" She asked, hands on her hips as she caught her breath. The question had almost been 'Anyone playing Quidditch?', but she wasn't going there yet.

She was STILL to figure out what the French did in their spare time that didn't involve the arts.

The frown remained on Abra's face when she heard where they were staying. "A broom closet? The best that could accommodate an entire house in this Palace is a broom closet?" Abra couldn't believe it. They were lucky enough to have been crammed into the Purple house, but how was it okay to be crammed into a Broom Closet? Abra considered that though. She was stuck with double the amount of people she usually would have been, had they been at Hogwarts. At least the Slytherins were only together. "I guess you have a point." The French Students weren't so bad, but Abra hadn't ever learned how to speak or understand French.

Abra looked into the bag and took out a Watermelon Strap before offering her own bag of Fizzing Whizzbees to Fiona. "I have some of these too," she said as a way of offering them to Fiona. "What are you reading?"

"Well, there are only three houses in Beauxbatons so Slytherin drew the short straw. The broom closet's common room is very bright which apparently is the opposite of the Slytherin common room at Hogwarts judging by what I've overheard from students that have attended Hogwarts before."

Fiona helped herself to a couple of Fizzing Whizzbees. "Thanks. I'm reading Emily of New Moon. What book do you have there?"

If Carsyn had been any closer to edge she might have been at risk for being startled and falling to her death. Alas, she was startled but her athletic abilities and reflexes kept her on the ground. She turned to see who it was, although almost positive she recognized the voice.

"Oh hey, Anna, um ... no quidditch yet," she said by way of answering the unspoken. Cause if anyone enjoyed quidditch as much as her or her sister, it was definitely the Gryffindor Captain Prefect. "But gosh this view. Almost makes me want to transfer here for the remainder of my schooling. And this weather." Yup, she could definitely get used to this, given that she was in running shorts, a tank top and trainers. Only one thing left to figure out was where they played Quidditch, which she KNEW they had to given that there were Under 17 teams for France.

"Oh," she said. Hmm. "I think bright would be good for studying." But not sleeping, and probably not for hiding away.

"I haven't heard of that one. What's it about?" Abra pulled out her own book, which she was half way through reading. "It's Nancy Drew. I'm up to book 59." It was The Secret in the Old Lace. Abra had slowly been making her way through them for a few years now. Her dad used to read to her, but now that he was... missing... she read them herself. Her Auntie Lou offered to read them with her but she didn't think that would be fair to her dad's memory.

Fiona nodded in agreement. "So, what about the Gryffindors' sleeping arrangments? What are your Beauxbatons housemates like?"

When Abra asked about the synopsis of Fiona's book, the young Slytherin thought for a few seconds before answering. "It is a book about a young orphan named Emily who goes to live with her aunts and cousin after the death of her father. I think it is the first in a trilogy of novels. My cousin Lucy gave it to me for Christmas about two years ago. I'm one of the few people she tolerates. Funnily enough, she shares her first name with the author of my book."

When Abra mentioned Nancy Drew, Fiona asked her, "Is that about a detective?"

Abra just swallowed a watermelon strap before saying "It's okay, there's enough room to sleep and not be too crowded. But I haven't really spent much time with them. Just the other first years." To be honest, she wasn't interested in spending too much time with people. Especially when most of them were so happy to be back with their friends, or just being at Beauxbatons.

"That sounds interesting." Perhaps she could see if the library had a copy. Abra had been pretty determined to get through her homework and do well at school, but she still had a lot of time to fill, and reading was one of the things she liked to fill it with. "Do you read much?" Abra had started to read more and more once her parents disappeared, mostly to fill her mind with something. "Yeah it is," she smiled. "She's an amateur sleuth and she solves mysteries."

"Oh, it is quite cramped in the dormitories. The first and second years share a dormitory, the third and fourth years share a dormitory and the fifth and sixth years share one. Only the seventh years have a dorm to themselves. I'm grateful for the privacy curtain around the beds and Silencing Charms." Fiona said slightly bitterly. She liked spending time alone and the situation that befell her and her serpent housemates didn't help matters.

"I read from time-to-time. I prefer drawing. Ya know, anything creative. Your book sounds really interesting. What type of books are ya into?"

"That sounds horrible," she said, before she thought about what she was saying. "We can only hope that we're not here for long." Not that Abra wasn't enjoying it, but she just wanted to be at Hogwarts. The place she had been thinking of since her parents told her about it. "Sneaking out and finding a secluded area would be good but probably frowned upon." And with risk of detention, too.

"Cool! What do you draw?" Abra liked drawing plants, but she wasn't particularly good at it. "Um I like mysteries, because they're the best at getting my mind off things and focusing on the book." Because she liked to try and guess who dun it, and that required her to get her mind out of life and into fiction.

"I hope we get to return to Hogwarts next term. My cousin was part of the group that originally investigated the mist not that long ago. It was horrible, apparently. Sneaking out does sound tempting but I wouldn't risk it." Fiona replied with her mind wandering slightly.

Fiona beamed when Abra asked about her drawing interests. "Anything depending on my mood at the time. I'd say portraits are my favourite. Mystery books are cool. I like those along with adventure books and stories about someone's life."

As soon as the girl replied, Anna let out a disappointed sigh. Not that she was exactly expecting Carsyn to point at the French school's Quidditch pitch or anything - though that would've been amazing -, but the simple idea of 'no Quidditch' was disappointing enough. "Well. We'll have to work something else out." Anna herself would NOT be imprisoned within that silly palace's walls, especially with this kind of weather, and, admittedly, such views.

The prefect gave the younger Gryffindor a half horrified, half shocked look when she said almost wanted to transfer there. Anna had to bite her tongue so to not ask Carsyn if she was mad. "Really??" Was her nicer question, but the look still showed the seventh year's exact thoughts.

Sure, the weather was nice, but... really???

Anna kept eyeing Carsyn - because really?? REALLY??? - and slowly turned her head back to looking at the view. Side-eyeing her fellow lioness for another second, she finally turned her gaze towards the, again, admittedly great view. "I, on the other hand, would've rather be at Hogwarts for my last year. Shame." She added, sighing.

Rowan hasn’t quite explored the grounds of Beauxbatons yet, as he had been hiding in his bed for the majority of the term so far (except for classes and meals).

Why? He wasn’t sure. Perhaps he was a bit homesick, and still shaken about the sudden change of plans of his first year of school being somewhere that wasn’t Hogwarts - the place he had been so excited to be at.

But today, he had decided there was no point moping in his bed. After all, how many students got to temporarily experience a different school? And such a fancy one at that! And so, after a bit of talking to himself, he finally put on a warm beanie (with a fluffy Pom Pom on top, of course), allowed his fluffy black cat Sassy on his shoulder, and found himself exploring the grounds. He stopped abruptly at the Cliffside, peering over at the magnificent view before him. A smile slowly spread across his face, as he quickly realized what he had been missing. He had been so scared to explore this foreign place but... all that worrying was for nothing. He slowly sat down, taking in the beauty around him, stroking Sassy who had curled herself into his lap.