PV Koko Riddle The Sound of Silence Finished

Koko was leaning against the side of the wall, right near the doors leading out of the castle. This area wasn't in her specified patrolling areas, but it was in between some of them. She needed a bit of rest, and this, in her opinion, was the best way to get it. She was about to give up for the night and go back to the Common Room before it hit 11:05 - it was really late, and the blonde girl was already yawning.

She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out her Marauder's Map to check it one last time before she went off to sleep. Maybe there'd be someone interesting on there, like Professor Lear killing a Hydra or something like that. However, what she saw was quite different from their reverent Headmaster: Piérre Marchonné.

That didn't sound like a Professor's name at all, and Koko didn't think that it was one of her fellow prefects. Was it possible that a student was out at nearly midnight without repercussions? Koko did not think so. Koko sighed. She would go explore; as people sometimes said, 'Curiosity killed the cat - but the satisfaction made it come back.' Perhaps this would lead the little girl to an interesting discovery.

Koko's usually pale cheeks were flushed by the early September heat; sweat was making her golden hair stick to her face, but still she persevered in her task, pushing herself away from the dusty wall and venturing into the grounds. "Lumos," Koko whispered, pulling out her wand and lighting it. Her leather-clad feet tip-tapped on the grass which was soon to die, and the night's breeze whistled past her ears. Her robes swayed in the wind, a badge with a shining 'P' resting on her chest. It certified her to be out this late - though if it certified her to be out of the castle this late, she could not say.

The twelve-year-old's heart was pounding against her ribcage as she drew closer to the name labelled on the Map. Piérre... Where had she heard that? He was a student, for she knew the names of the professors, but was he a prefect? It wouldn't hurt to look, would it? The dark sky was nearly cloudless, providing a good vantage point to one who looked from high enough up. Koko would probably have been able to see quite a lot from the top of the Astronomy tower.

There were whispers of wolves in the shadows, of possible feet crunching the leaves behind her. The sensation made goosebumps appear on her arms, and a chill ran up the blonde-haired girl's spine. It was so eerily quiet that Koko was making up things to hear. It was the silence that lead her to jump whenever a sound like water splashing echoed throughout the clearing. What was it? Where was it coming from? Koko's gaze darted from tree to stone to bush in order to find the culprit hiding. Did they have an Invisibility Cloak?

The Slytherin inched further to the East, judging direction based on where the moon was resting in tbe sky. Koko's navy blue shirt caught on her knees as she began to run, and she tripped. Damn. With a grumble, she got up and began walking. Her hair was now all over the place, and a sour look rested on her otherwise pretty face. If she found someone here, she would be pissed.

A few heaving breaths and twisted footsteps more lead her to a place where the lake slid up to meet the grassy land. She heard water trickling, as well as crickets chirping. This place was beautiful.

The only thing that ruined the moment was seeing a head in the water. Koko peeked at the Map once more; it was supposedly Piérre. Koko walked forward, her feet tapping the ground quietly but still rustling the grass. "Who are you?" she asked, her high, cold voice echoing. "What are you doing out so late, and why are you in the lake?" Both of those things were against the rules and grounds for detention. Koko would at least give him a chance to explain himself, as she had learned from last time. She blinked tiredly and crossed her arms over her chest. Koko would wait all night for an answer if she had to, though she might get in trouble. She was doing her job.

Reducio

Sidenote: Piérre’s not really swimming, he’s just waded in a bit. Just wanted to let you know

Piérre had slowly made his way further out in the water, the cool waves of the lake now lapping at his knees, just below his pant legs. Knowing lakes, it couldn’t possibly slope slowly down forever, it would drop off somewhere. He wasn’t a good swimmer, despite playing at the Mediterranean beaches where he hadn’t once lived. Maybe, if he wandered a little farther...

The sound of crunching grass and heavy breathing scattered Piérre’s thoughts and he allowed himself to stop breathing as he began to pick out what he could from the approaching figure. It was black as sin out here, really anyone could be there, watching him, sizing him up, preparing to attack him. Piérre bit his lip as the sounds came closer and closer, and his left hand trailed close to his pocket, which was where he had left his wand. He doubted that he could do any damage to the person or thing that was coming close to him, but maybe he could distract them for a bit while he made a getaway.

The crunching stopped abruptly, the being stopping at the shoreline of the lake. Piérre didn’t move. He knew he was probably spotted, but what did it matter if he had a semi-game plan?

...

He was totally going to die, wasn’t he?

A faint light glowed from behind Piérre, illuminating his shadow against the water’s surface as a high voice, cold and distinctly feminine, echoed through the glade, whispering through the trees which were shedding their leaves all around where Piérre stood. Tiny ripples were spreading across the surface of the black lake from where his submerged legs stood, and the water itself was sprinkled with stars and moonlight.

“Who are you? What are you doing out so late and why are you in the lake?”

Piérre slowly turned around, listening to the quiet burbles of the water as he looked into the blinding light of a wand.

Covering his face with a hand to shade his eyes and let them adjust, Piérre fingered his wand in his left hand again, which was at his side. The voice sounded very disappointed and rather exasperated. Oh well, may as well explain, at least a bit. Piérre spotted a scrap of paper illuminated by the light of the wand, and almost immediately saw his name in black ink. A Marauder’s Map. Cool.

”Piérre Marchonné.” He called back, not so loud as to alert the whole forest, but just enough so that the girl could hear him. ”But your Map can probably tell you that.” Piérre squinted a little more, trying to make out more about the girl which had he light on him. He could just barely make out long blonde hair and fair skin, but that was about it. ”Your light’s really bright.” He said quietly. ”Are you a student?” He took a few tentative steps out of the water, drawing a little closer without intending to frighten her and purposefully ignoring the second half of the question presented to him with an aggravating art. By now she would be able to see his green eyes and uniquely pointed ears, confirming that his identity was indeed what he stated it to be.

Piérre stopped a few inches from the sandy beach, trying to avert his eyes from the wand, which seemed to be burning through his pupils. Spots danced in his view and he shook his head, blinking in an attempt to remedy the brightness his eyes had had to dilate for. Why did the light have to get cast to brightly? It would drown out all the stars. Piérre had heard that Jupiter would be visible with the naked eye that night. That had actually been part of the reason he had gone out. Well, that and to contemplate the events that had transpired ever since he had first arrived at Hogwarts.

Koko's already cold and tired eyes narrowed. "Yes, I'm a student." She offered that much when she took another step forward, the grass crunching under her small feet. "Nox," she whispered, and the wandlight winked out suddenly. The clearing became lit by only moonlight, and it was serene for a moment. The serenity would soon be interrupted, but not yet.

The girl sighed, put her Map in her pocket, and crossed her arms with an impatient huff of breath escaping her thin lips. "I repeat, what are you doing out here?" In an attempt to make her words sound less like an interrogation, Koko added, "Don't you know that it's dangerous?" Her words, coated with a sharp English accent, were laced with a minatory undertone, but she would still appear to be concerned - if only slightly.

Koko noticed his green eyes, illuminated in the silver shine of the moon, and the way that the boy - who appeared to be a Slytherin - had hair that fell on a weird angle of his ears. Were they pointed? They certainly seemed to be. Koko's pale hand reached up to her collar to adjust her tie as she eyed him with a piercing gaze. "And being in the Lake without supervision - that could result in plenty of terrible things happening. I can't believe a Slytherin would be so idiotic. You should have known better." She was internally facepalming as she stared at him. He seemed like an adventurer, but he could have at least been smart about it, right?

And then there was the unspoken threat of detention. Koko had not yet brought it up, but it was resting on the tip of her silver tongue. She would weave it into a carefully planned sentence whenever she could, but for now, berating him would do. Maybe once he dried off, she would proceed in giving him a detention fit for the worthiest troublemaker.

After confirming her status as a student, the wand’s light winked out with the light-snuffing charm, a charm that Piérre was currently not familiar with yet. His class was a rather rowdy one, so it came as no surprise that they were somewhat... behind other classes.

Piérre could now see the girl fully, as his eyes were better in the darkness than in direct light. She had long, white gold blonde hair which came down to about her hips, and her skin was fair and pale. Not dearly so, like that of Vampire decent, but healthily, like a Victorian queen in a position of power during medieval times. Her eyes were a flashing gold, and though her brow was creased in agitation, it did nothing to negate the ladylike beauty and power her presence exuded. Her robes were green, a true Slytherin compared to Piérre’s facade, and upon her chest, a perfect purple ‘P’ glittered, a mark of the Prefect.

He was gonna get it now.

With a sigh, the girl put the Map into her pocket. When satisfied, she crossed her arms, pursing her lips as she huffed angrily.

"I repeat, what are you doing out here? Don't you know that it's dangerous?"

The second half of her statement, which escaped with a sharp and proper English accent, sounded slightly more concerned. Only slightly. She was unwavering in wishing to know Piérre’s intentions, which was fair enough, he supposed. He had broken a good amount of rules sneaking out as it was.

The girl’s eyes were unyielding as she continued, her voice just as even as before as she readjusted her green tie.

"And being in the Lake without supervision - that could result in plenty of terrible things happening. I can't believe a Slytherin would be so idiotic. You should have known better."

Piérre had to quash a smile from forming. His outfit had confused yet another student. Mark a win for him already, even if his adventures were to end in a detention.

”I haven’t happened upon anything dangerous yet. This isn’t the Forbidden Forest after all. I’ve half a mind to check that out when I’m done here, though.” Piérre carefully smiled, keeping tabs on the litheness of his tongue. Even though this was a perfect place for a well timed joke and prod, he really was metaphorically treading on eggshells with this serious, albeit lovely, girl.

A chill ran down his spine as the cool air suddenly shocked him, and he crossed his arms, rubbing them as he looked up at the sky. ”I heard that Jupiter is supposed to be visible tonight.” He said, not moving from where he stood. ”The Astronomy tower has a locking charm I can’t break yet, and even if I could, I would have a teacher to deal with if I were caught. I took my chance outdoors than in Hogwarts, even though the walls are better for seeing stars...” He trailed off as he observed the different constellations. His eyes settled upon the Big Dipper, and then with practiced eyes, found the Little Dipper and Polaris. He pointed towards the sky, tipping his head to better see the stars through the overhanging branches of the trees.

”Look. You can even see Polaris tonight. She’s really bright, isn’t she?” He whispered, voice slowly filling with awe. ”And there... the little red dot, that should be Mars, and a little over, the big white point. That’s not a star. That one’s Jupiter.” While talking about the sky, Piérre was subconsciously drifting back to his Italian accent. He and his adoptive muggle parents always watched the stars and the constellations, and Piérre couldn’t help but talk about them whenever there was an ear that either wanted or was there to listen to him.

Piérre smiled quietly, looking back to the girl. ”The lake is the best place to think. Patrolling this area, I think you know that by now. It’s always this quiet.” Piérre slowly turned back to the lake, back to the girl, and gently extended his arms over it, taking in the sound of the crickets and the fish swimming in the depths of the lake.

He turned back to the girl, not moving from his spot, but leaning with his upper body towards her as his green eyes glittered with a mixture of mischief and delight. ”Why don’t you wade out a bit? Before you take me back for my detention, you know. The water’s cool, and it doesn’t drop off for another ten feet. You can see the stars better from here than from under the trees.” He nodded to where she stood, shaded under the thick boughs of the native trees, which hid every star over her head.

Piérre was being genuine. The tone of his voice and the lack of laughter in his natural tremolo would prove that. He really wanted the girl to join him in looking at the perfect night. If she accepted or not, he could care less, but it was better to offer the chance than to immediately return without sharing the awe of the night sky. As well as that, Piérre guessed he was kind of stalling. It was going to be a long night any way he looked at it, but he was more concerned about seeing the sky as it was in all its splendour before he had to spend the rest of the night in a classroom writing lines or doing whatever punishment the prefect meted out for him.

Her arms were crossed over her chest as he spoke. She was inwardly grimacing and rolling her eyes - Slytherins were supposed to be smart and resourceful, not reckless! "The Forbidden Forest," she said after a moment of hesitation, more musing than anything else. In fact, she didn't know if she had actually said it aloud. The three words had echoed in her mind, but they hadn't thought to escape her lips - or so she remembered.

And this kid had the nerve to smile. In this situation? Was he serious? It only made sense that he couldn't be. Absolutely couldn't be. Koko was now gritting her teeth; it was the only part of her appearance that would show her discomfort other than her slowly darkening eyes. She listened as he made a comment about a planet... Jupiter? Wasn't that the large one with the red spot? It did make sense, but that was only because Slytherins wouldn't be able to see the planets from their dungeon. If it were any other House, they might be able to see the planets from a window in their own Common Room.

Koko nodded, making a Mhm noise as she eyed him sceptically. It was still a detention to be out almost after the prefects' curfew, but she'd at least listen before giving him one. It didn't hurt, right? A cold breeze made the girl's hair fly backwards as it swished through the air. She shivered. It was a relatively warm night for September, but Koko had spent the majority of the summer out near a beach in America. She hadn't tanned that much, just a little, but the warmth she was used to made the Scottish Highlands seem very chilly.

The prefect's eyes darted upward when Piérre mentioned Polaris. That was the North Star, wasn't it? Nothing relating to the stars and the sky had ever come easily to her, but she could at least remember that name. She heard the boy's tone change a little - accent, not emotion - and it reminded her of herself. She had switched back and forth between her natural English accent and an American one during the summer, and now she found herself doing the same thing every once in a while. Koko sighed.

Listening to him go on about how this was a wonderful place to be, Koko couldn't help but feel as if she could have been him a year ago. If she hadn't been so worried about being caught, she would have been quite a troublemaker, doing 'bad' things just because she could. She had been a true Slytherin for a bit, ambitious and cunning, and now she was the other part of the House, selfish and resourceful. Yes, she was still ambitious, but she didn't act on her ambition like she used to. It was all because of fear, something she'd told herself she would get rid of. Koko's lips quirked, not smiling but not set in a line either. She hoped that this boy would never become too scared of authority to let it dampen his spirit, even if it would make more work for them.

"I wouldn't give you a detention tonight," she said, her voice less cold and more sweet-sounding. "And I don't think I'd wade into the Lake even if I weren't a prefect. It's quite chilly. It's a good place to think, but I wouldn't stay out until it was this cold, and I definitely wouldn't wade in." That was where she was calculating. Not in a cunning way, but rather in a resourceful way. She was always calculating the possibility of being caught, of things happening, that she was no longer doing things on a whim.

Koko reached out a hand, beckoning towards him. "Come with me." She began walking backwards, away from the Lake. "I will be issuing you a detention, but you will not be serving it tonight. It's too late. Besides, I've got a curfew, too, and I think I've stayed out too late." Now a real smile crossed her face, and a chuckle escaped her lips. She was genuinely amused. "However, I will owl you about it, and we'll be heading back to the castle now. Come on."

Reducio

OC - I'm very sorry for how late this is. It completely slipped my mind.

The prefect smiled quietly as she told Piérre that he would indeed be earning a detention, even if it would not be tonight. He could have even sworn he heard a small, gentle laugh from her. Despite having come out rather cold and stoic, Piérre knew better than to judge a book by its cover, and he was genuinely intrigued by the Prefect, even though his knew that his actions would be properly atoned for.

Looking back once over the glassy surface, Piérre sighed as he carefully waded out of the water at last, his feet cold from being wet as the brisk September breezes of Scotland dried him slowly.

”Okay.” He said, nodding as he looked about for his shoes. After retrieving them, he did not put them on. He would walk barefoot back to the castle in order to enjoy the soft grass beneath his feet, coloured silver in the dappled moonlight. ”Much as I hate to say that someone is right, you are. It could be dangerous out here, despite how pretty and unassuming it is.”

Piérre walked to the Prefect’s side, still smiling carefully. He looked at her as if she were nothing more than another person on the street. Her golden eyes, like his own green, were an odd color, but they complimented her spun blonde hair and fair features, just barely tanned. Piérre glanced up at the trees overhead, whose thick branches obscured most of the sky. While Piérre wasn’t claustrophobic, he was not extremely fond of being in small, enclosed spaces, cut off from the sky. Somewhere, he knew, out there, in the same sphere if the sky, Romeo was probably doing good in Durmstrang, Maddie was either knitting, reading a book, or enjoying the movement of the stars, and somewhere, somewhere, his parents were out there, alive or dead.

Did they know that their son was looking up at the night sky, wishing on every star he could find, that hey would finally come home and meet him again? Did they look up at the sky as well and pray that he would return to them?

Piérre smiled a bittersweet turn up at the branches, the slightest glitter of melancholy in his eyes before he remembered that he was in the presence of a Prefect. He refocused his attention to her again.

”So... since we’re a ways from the castle, would it hurt if I asked a few questions to make small talk?”

If the girl agreed, Piérre would ask her name.

Reducio

You’re good! I know what it’s like to forget to respond to something!

Piérre was smiling, which was beginning to irk Koko. If one was going to receive a detention, was it normal for them to be smiling? Koko thought not.

She tried to relish in the cool air of outside before she would enter the castle when she heard Piérre's voice. Koko sighed, breathing her pale hair out of her face. "Yes, you may." Her tone was level, but she was tired. It was an hour to midnight, there was a chance she would get into trouble for straying so far away from the castle.

If he were to listen to her short breaths and her quick footsteps, he would be able to tell that she was anxious. If he was not that observant, she would merely appear to be quite pissed off. It would be a long way back to the castle, full of possible items to trip over and other ways to get injured. It had been risky even coming out here, but it wasn't true that Koko completely regretted it - it was chilly enough to be relatively nice outside, but it was Hogwarts. Hogwarts was a place that could never be safe, not as long as Professor Lear was headmaster.

It would likely be a good five minutes back to the castle, but the trek would feel much longer due to being outside. Koko eyed Piérre and his wet clothing. "Hey," she said, "Are you chilly?"

Reducio

You said you wanted a detention - I'm here to give you one. I'll start the thread today or tomorrow and owl it to you - you cannot begin or join any new threads until it is completed, so I will make it relatively quick. We can finish this thread up with them heading back to the castle within the next two posts.

Koko, evidently that was her name, had agreed to let Piérre talk casually. It was evident, for her breaths were short and agitated, that she was far from happy to be here, but something about the way her eyes flicked about the trees and the shadows that they cast gave Piérre a small impression that she was either just as impressed with the woods around them or was irked that he would be so foolhardy as to sneak out, especially if he knew he was going to be caught.

It wasn’t a huge price to pay, though. Piérre had enjoyed being out alone, and it had given him an opportunity to reflect on himself and meet another person, even if it was in unpleasant circumstances. If he could do it again, he would, without another second’s heartbeat.

It became awkwardly quiet for a bit, and for a while, the only thing that seemed to call attention to the fact that there were two mortals in the Forest were their twin breaths and the quiet sound of pulsing blood echoing in Piérre’s ears. Still carrying his shoes in one hand, as he was going barefoot, Piérre trod over brittle leaves and soft patches of grass, listening to the difference in sound that his steps made on each. At one point, as he passed a tree, he put a hand on its bark and spun around it like a carousel, laughing before rejoining the prefect.

He knew that everyone hated it when he could be too chipper, but he couldn’t help but let a genuine, bright smile light up the forest. The thrill of freedom and the brisk air filled him and encouraged the maddeningly eccentric fellow to act without a care in the world.

Finally, as the strains of silence resettled, Piérre listened to the crickets tuning their violas and the other night creatures humming melodies lost to time. It was chillingly beautiful.

Lost in the sound, and probably in part due to his damp clothes, Piérre suddenly shuddered. It wasn’t a typical shudder that you would typically imagine, a small chill and then you feel the gooseflesh prickle. No, Piérre was odd in more than one way, and when he shuddered, his whole form shook until he had to shake out his hands and let out a small ‘Brrrr!’ of finality.

”Hey, are you cold?”

Piérre glanced up at the Prefect, who was looking him over with an inquisitive eye. No doubt curious of his sudden reaction.

”Nope!” Piérre shook his head, looking forward again and closing his eyes, willing the chill to come over him again. It had been fun. ”I’m okay.”

Piérre looked back to the Prefect, barely frowning. ”Why? Are you cold? Have you been out here ever since curfew? That’s a really long time to be staying out.” He looked at the ground. ”I wish I could stay out that late. I mean, I’ve done it in the past, and it’s no different now, but still.”

Piérre shrugged, crossing his arms and beginning to barely rub them. ”So... um... Are you looking forward to the Masquerade coming up? You got someone to go with?” Realizing how odd he sounded, Piérre shook his head, attempting to clarify. ”I mean, I’m not asking, I’m just curious, because you seem the type someone would want to go with.”

It would be a good place to maybe start a mini conversation, just long enough to reach the castle and prep for his incoming detention.

Piérre finishes the thread. I await your owl!