Airplanes in the night sky Pv|Siobhan M. Finished

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Date: 04/11/25 | Time: Late Evening | CC:#A94064

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Step, step, step. Click clack, click clack. The sounds of their nearly syncronized steps echoed off the walls of the castle and into Siobhan's ears, reminding her of where the walls were. As she held Toaster to her chest, she was unable to use her hand as a guide against the wall which made her reliance on Prat's leadership through the halls all that more important. She didn't want him to feel as though she was a burden but it truly helped to have a figure to follow.

They walked for a moment through the castle until Prat veered down a pathway she seldom walked unless it was towards the potions classrooms. It took her a moment, but she figured Prat wanted to stop by his dormitory to grab something but she wasn't sure where to wait for him. Her steps slowed to a halt as they passed the point where she knew the castle and into a hallway she felt out of place walking down.

Prat's footsteps disappeared only to return minutes later with the sound of something jostling against his side. Perhaps a bag? She could see a bundle in his arms and assumed it was potentially his pet puppy, Neoth. Toaster wasn't a fan of the dog but she knew that Toaster would be nice if she told him to be.

The two walked a familiar path up to the Astronomy tower. It took her a little more effort due to Toaster's chunkiness and the heaviness of the armour she was wearing. She didn't want to inconvienence Prat by asking to go to the Gryffindor tower to change so she decided to just stick it out.

They found their last spot in the Astronomy tower and took a seat together, looking out into the newly born night sky. The wind was a comforting welcome wagon to her as it reminded her of where she was as Prat asked her if she remembered their last little adventure up to the tower in search of treasure. She let out of her arms to crawl around on the ground and play with Neoth as she let out a soft snicker.

"I remember. We never really found anything did we?" She smiled, greatful for the funny memory to think about. Prat had shown that he was horrible with stars and astrology which had made her feel proud to excell over him at something. She wondered if the stars would be very visible when it grew dark enough. She didn't ask Prat if the stars would be out. He'd been nice enough to mention the sky before but she didn't think he would answer again.

"A lot has happened. For me at the most part. I hope your life hasn't been so...eventful." She said wth a half-laugh. Not to be rude but she really hoped his had been better than hers.

Prat was quiet for a few moments before he asked a question about aeroplanes. She looked towards him and saw the vague shape of him trying to bribe Toaster with food and shook her head.

"Ay, I have once. Or I guess twice? I have an uncle who lives in San Diego, California. We flew there for a summer when I was seven."Siobhan mused as she thought about the memory. It was wonderful to visit Uncle Euen and the beaches of California. They had even been so lucky to see a muggle movie star at lunch one afternoon! But she figured Prat wouldn't know about movies so she kept that memory to herself.

"You know about aeroplanes? I'm surprised." She spoke softly as she watched the darkness of the sky. She wondered if aeroplanes ever flew over the sky and they were just too busy to see them. "I don't usually expect non-muggleborns to know about our previous lives as muggles."

A couple minutes passed and she wondered if he would answer a question she had for him.

"What did you do for schooling before Hogwarts? I went to primary school but do purebloods or wizard born students have any other formal education?"

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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Prat Pass | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

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Monday, 11th April; Astro Tower

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"A lot has happened. For me at the most part. I hope your life hasn't been so...eventful."

"Well, you know i wouldn't say my life's been a festival either," Prat replied as he managed a wry smile to hide the sting of his recent and collective failures. He'd lost the previous duelling stage, against opponents who were his peers. Students who weren't supposed to be that far ahead of him. The weight of disappointment from his own self and the echo of his mocking laughter lingered in his ears. "But I've head some great moments too," he added in an attempt to sound more upbeat than he felt in the present moment. The truth was however, he was desperate for a victory, something that could probe he wasn't just a loser, someone who had no skills to match the mouth.

Each defeat chipped away at his confidence on his own abilities, leaving him with a burning desire to turn his luck around somehow. A desperate attempt to fight and claw his way back to the top. The desired place for someone of his beliefs. Yet he would rather keep the fire within him tucked safely, not intending to make Siobhan a witness of his grit and determination; not letting his innate desires consume him.

"I've had enough excitement over boredom in comparison however." he said, hoping to mask the intensity of his struggles with a casual tone.

He had been eyeing Sio's cat for a while now as he waved a small bag of catfood at the feline creature. "Ay, I have once. Or I guess twice? I have an uncle who lives in San Diego, California. We flew there for a summer when I was seven."

"How is it inside there, do they all look similar from within?" he inquired, referring to the plane. "I recall the last time I was in one, it was quite spacious. The view of clouds and mountains was breathtaking. Like a sea of white fluff." he sighed as he contemplated the differences between broom and flights.

"Broom rides are good for a short distance, but the luxury of an airplane is quite nice. The ability to stretch and sleep while being in the air is a really cool advantage."

"I don't usually expect non-muggleborns to know about our previous lives as muggles."

He took a deep breath. Deciding to share some parts of his life with the girl. "I've had my fair share of muggle experiences that may end up surprising you. I even have a few toys, excluding the batteries. Mother said I can not bring batteries with me." he said with his eyes brightening from enthusiasm. "I've even used some tools to take apart some of the contraptions and tried putting them back together. Surprisingly, some of them worked even after I put them back together."

He chuckled, "I even tried my hand at parkour once, I saw it in this thing called a television. The "Manager" as they called him was seen jumping around places while yelling "parkour" with a few oh his employees. They sold paper or something like that; I don't know."

But none of it ever gave Prat the rush that being a wizard did. There was something about casting spells and seeing what seemed impossible to a whole section of humanity be turned into a possibility.

Prat received a question from Siobhan he hadn't expected to answer this night.
"What did you do for schooling before Hogwarts? I went to primary school but do purebloods or wizard born students have any other formal education?"

He took a moment to gather his thoughts, nostalgia hitting him like a train before he began answering back to her. "Before coming to Hogwarts, I had a series of private tutors." His voice remained tinged with nostalgia as he continued. "They taught me fundamentals of spells and potions while also teaching me about the very history of magic."

"But enough about my past, are you feeling better now?"

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@Siobhan McCartyXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSiobhan

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Date: 04/11/25 | Time: Late Evening | CC:#A94064

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"I don't like flying. I'm scared of heights and spent most of the flights hiding in my hands or sleeping. But there is some space. More space than a broom I suppose." Siobhan mused in response to Prat's question about a plane's interior. She had liked the flight attendents though, and the Pilots had given her a set of plastic pilot wings for all of her siblings and her.

It surprised her to know that Prat was quite versed in Muggle technology and items. Even going so far as to mention a tv show. Her eyes widened, even though it felt tight to do so and she nodded slowly. Toaster plonked himself down inbetween her and Prat and rolled over, albeit with much effort and meowed loudly demanding to be pet.

Siobhan smiled and ran her hand over Toaster's silky black fur. She had made him take a bath earlier and Toaster quite liked the bubbles that floated in the air. And now he was all clean and presentable for people but he was happily cuddled up to both of them.

It also interested her to know that pure-bloods, and those who were born with magicical heritage had some advance knowledge about the world around them. It made sense honestly, they had to have been in some sort of schooling just to keep up with the muggleborns who had ten or so years of schooling before this. She'd never really liked school for the social aspect, but learning was always drawing her back to education. Maths had never been a good subject but here at Hogwarts, she hadn't found anything that she didn't like other than flying.

"What kind of toys? Like action figures? Trucks? Cars? My brothers like LEGO's." She said as she put her hands on her jaw to prop her face up on her knees. Unfortunately, slouching in armour did not feel good, so it wasn't long before she had started to discard the gloves and fumbled with the chestplate that she was wearing. From what she could tell, Prat wasn't wearing the one he had been when they were down in the garden.

Speaking of the Garden she couldn't see it anymore. It was too far out of sight and she felt very far removed from where they had been.

Oddly enough, it was very soothing. Prat's idea to go somewhere quieter had been a good one. At least this time they weren't in danger of being caught and thrown in detention since the professors and prefects were likely at the ball. Unless Prat was planning on throwing her under the bus...

"I do feel better actually. Thank you." She mentioned as she looked in the dark vague direction of Prat's voice. "This was a nice idea."

A moment passed before she snickered lightly and spoke again. "You know, when I first met you, you annoyed the bejeesus out of me. But you're really not so bad. Just a bit of a... well a bit of a prat." She laughed, feeling much better then she had been earlier. She didn't mean it rudely but it wasn't her fault he had such a fitting name. Her name meant something along the lines of 'graciousness' which she assumed she fit in with. She was gracious for a lot of things. The earth, Toaster, her family and parents, and her friends. Especially the ones who had been taking care of her despite her sense of hostility towards them over this situation with her eyes.

Sadly, she wasn't sure if everyone who she considered friends considered her to be one of them. She had that bad habit when it came to thinking things. The overthinking monster in her head liked to remind her that.

She straightened her legs out and looked up at the sky. Or what was the sky to her, wanting to be a star for a bit. Stars were bright, they had family and friends, and they burned so brightly that there wasn't anyone who couldn't look at them and feel happy when they saw them. Thats all she really wanted, was to be regarded as highly as they were.

Fanatical thinking, she thought to herself. Just fanatical thinking.
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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Prat Pass | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
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Monday, 11th April; Astro Tower

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Prat reacted to Sio's questions with a gentle laugh, a sound mixed of amusement and feigned disdain and unfamiliarity. "Action figures, trucks, cars and LEGOs? I do not know what either of those muggle things are." he exclaimed. "I've truly long grown these trivial past times." His eyes twinkled with mischief. He paused for a beat, savoring the curiosity with which she had managed to ask him a question. "I'm kidding, my favourite toy, if you can even call it that, is this car that turns into a humanoid structure. I received it as a gift during one of my Birthday celebrations." he confessed, his voice dropping to a whisper, carrying the weight of words he'd rather not repeat soon.

"But it's not just any toy tho, mind you, he's sleek, transforming and more beautiful than most of the mundane toys you might find in the market." His smile grew wider "But you can't tell anyone about it or I'll have to kill you." He joked.

From the corner of his mouth, if Sio could see, she'd witness his expressions brighten. The shadow of doubt and sadness momentarily dispelled by her teasing words. He felt a strange sense of warmth spreading through his chest, the past mention of his failed duelling attempts no longer a concern that ate away at his being. The change in scenery from the garden to this balcony had indeed worked in his favour.

It had been a while since he truly felt happy or allowed to rest. The idea of her finding some comfort in his company was one he hadn't entertained previously.

"You know, when I first met you, you annoyed the bejesus out of me. But you're really not so bad. Just a bit of a... well a bit of a prat."

Prat's slight smile didn't quite reach his ears as he absorbed her remark. The warmth in his chest giving way to a similar ache of annoyance. He'd always hated being a little too transparent for his own good. And he had just been a little too transparent here hadn't he?

"I see, so that's how it is," he said feigning a sigh of disappointment. "I've been called worse" he added with a shrug, trying to play off the sting of her words. He understood she didn't mean it, it was probably her way of poking fun at him. It didn't really affect him anyway, a defense mechanism he had built over the years.

Getting closer to the fat cat toaster, he shifted his focus towards him. "This one here is the better of the two of you. The better sophisticate of your bunch" he said as his hands reached out to stroke the feline's soft fur. Prat was envious of the creature's ability to find comfort so easily, to allow itself rest without accomplishing nothing significant. "This one looks like it knows the value of a good nap." he murmured as his fingers continued their gentle ministrations over the feline's fur.

For a moment he had found a place to rest, basking in the simple pleasure and soothing voice of the cat's purr. The sound acting as a soothing noise to his frazzled nerves. Then, with a final headpat to toaster's head, he turned back to Sio. His features back to being arranged in the neutral expression he usually carried.

Returning his attention back to Sio, he reached into the depths of his enchanted satchel and pulled out a pack of chips, the crinkling sounds echoing in the open balcony. Placing between them, he produced two gleaming glasses, filled to the brim with a vibrant orange liquid. One that smelled faintly of sunshine and citrus. He tapped her shoulder, offering her one of the glasses with his hands outstretched. "It's not water, it's Juice. I don't know if you can see that."

He clinked her glass with his, the sound of them chiming like bells from a distant clock tower. He took a sip, the sweet tanginess of the juice was a delightful surprise to his palate, bringing him back to the nostalgic feeling of summers at his parents' ranch.

Sipping his juice thoughtfully, Prat had ran out of topics to speak of, he hadn't expected to be here in the quaint little balcony overlooking the castle. Sipping his juice, Prat turned back to her, "If you could see this sky today, you'd spot Ursa Major aka the big dipper. It's a constellation. A guidepost for lost wanderers and stargazers alike." He raised his hands, pointing towards it as if she could magically see stars that far off in the night sky. "It's always been one of my favourites, a reminder of no matter how dark things get, there's still a bit of light to navigate by."

Their conversation had taken a serious turn, and it was time to pull back from the edge before it was too late. He did not enjoy sharing vulnerable moments of his life.

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@Siobhan McCartyXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSiobhan

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Date: 04/11/25 | Time: Late Evening | CC:#A94064

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She could tell that Prat was trying to remain as invisible in terms of sharing anythin about himself. She tried not to draw attention to it but she felt as though this was a downside to his personality. If he didn't learn to be vulnerable with people, he wouldn't make it very far in his life or career. She didn't say that though, he seemed to be too uncomfortable for her to bring it up. She just hoped in her heart that one day he would realize it.

It wasn't like he was trying to be invulnerable. But she could tell that it was coming from some sort of need to appear more put together than he was inside. She felt the same way sometimes, especially given her heritage and her now deteriorating eyesight. It was normal to want to hide what you were from people when the possibility of them spitting your difficulties back in your face were too likely to happen.

It was hard. But he was trying. And she appreciated that.

They sat in silence for a while, sipping their juice and enjoying the quiet. It was quiet in both her environement and her head. She didn't feel like it was overwhelmingly obstinante in its attempts to ruin her night like it had earlier. Instead it was more of a dull thud in the back of her head which she chose not to listen too.

Instead, she focused on Toaster, and Prat listing off the stars that he liked and asking if she could see them. She couldn't really, though from the constellation he was describing she had a fair idea of where it was in the sky. She too liked this constellation for the exact same reasons he had listed. Light would always shine in the darkness if one knew where to find it.

"Thats a nice way to think about it... My favorite constellation is- was- whatever. It's Lepus- the Moon Rabbit." Siobhan explained. "It should be right under the south star of Orion." She tried to point it out but she faltered, afraid she would look foolish for trying to do so.

So much for being vulnerable.

"The stars have such interesting stories and remnants of who they once were. I hope to be part of a constellation one day." Siobhan said with a smile. Aside from her plants and her Garden, the stars were her next favorite thing. To exist as something so constant and above her as shining beacons reminded her that her life was outstandingly her own and one day she would shine as brightly as they did. Somewhere in a successful field. She had always hoped it would be with her plants but now she had no idea what the future would hold for her if she was even able to accomplish anything worthwhile.

She had at one point, thought perhaps her passion and knowledge of Herbology and Potions would lead to her owning her own Apothecary but she wasn't sure how much she could promote herself as an accomplished potioneer if word about her accident got out. Shops were risky but she could perhaps own a flower shop instead.

The time seemed to cross their paths slowly and it wasn't until Toaster crawled into her lap and pawed at her shoulder that she became aware of time and it's passing. His head gently bumped her own face, wanting to go back to the dorm. It must have been getting really late if Toaster wanted to go to bed. It kind of saddened her. She was finally enjoying her night.

"It's okay Toaster. We'll go to bed soon." She said as she gently gave him some nuzzles.
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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Prat Pass | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
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Monday, 11th April; Astro Tower

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Prat slightly tilted his head towards her as she spoke of Lepus, the Moon Rabbit. It wasn't a constellation he thought about much. His preferences usually leaned towards the brighter, more defined constellations. The ones that possessed bolder shapes and clearer, grander stories. But there was something soft in the way she spoke about it, something that compelled him enough to stop and truly look at what she intended to show him.

He followed her gesture, even though her hand seemingly faltered halfway through. She looked unsure, he could see that. But this was among the few times in his life he didn't feel the need to rush and fill space or correct her. He just leaned back a little and offered her a slow nod, letting her directions lead his gaze towards the sky.

"Moon Rabbit," he spoke, "That's oddly a poetic name for cosmos that are usually predator-dominated. Most of the famous ones are named after beasts or creatures that could maul you, or something worse." He gave her a quiet chuckle, and added, "Lepus is a cute choice."

Then came her voice once again, softer this time, "I hope to be a part of constellation one day."

Prat blinked at her, it wasn't a ridiculous thing to say, not at all, at least not by Siobhan's standards. But what shocked him was the very earnest tone of her words. A rare phenomena in a world where countless souls were used to covering sincerity in sarcasm, or worse, indifference. A flaw he too often resonated with. His brows furrowed at her slightly, glancing her way. She didn't look like she was joking. Not really, her tone bore something wistful, something akin to a smile masking hints of her pain. Perhaps this was at the loss of her sight, perhaps it was more. By his standards, they weren't close enough for him to inquire further.

He was at an impasse, searching for the right response only took him so far, yet a little short of a an appropriate response. Naturally, the boy defaulted to the next best thing in his repertoire , Dry Humor.

"Wellll.....," he began, swirling the last bit of his juice before setting it aside. "If I ever stumble across an undiscovered star, I'll be sure to name it after you."

His lips tugged up in a half-smirk, but his words bore no venom in the remark. Just an offering. An awkward, sideways one and almost non characteristic of him. But still, an offering nonetheless.

At some point during this exchange of their deeper self, Neoth had curled into his lap, twitching a few times before going still. The half-crup was out cold in Prat's lap, tiny breaths that remained steady and soft. His warm fur gently nudging against Prat's hands. It was grounding for Prat, way more than he had expected, a feeling he hadn't anticipated when Neo had came into his life.

Prat watched as Toaster nudged Sio, pawing at her. He watched the two silently for a moment, sitting as if time itself had decided to take a break. There was something incredibly gentle about the whole evening tonight, more real than most things he was used to encounter on a daily basis. Far more vulnerable too.

He checked the sky once again, the stars hadn't moved, but alas time did. It always does.

"It's late," Prat murmured, eyes flicking back to Siobhan. "Looks like they're smarter than us, we should head back inside."

Despite his forthright words, he didn't immediately rise. Part of his wasn't ready to break the moment. She looked at ease in a way he hadn't noticed in a while, so did he if only he could notice. No sharp remarks or witty comebacks, a lack of clever deflection rarely filled the space around them.

His hand moved over Neoth's back with gentle care, mindful not to wake up the little beast as he finally stood, stretching his legs with a subtle wince. "Do you...want me to walk you back to your dorms?" he asked her casually, but his words weren't without weight. "It's a bit of way between here and your place, wouldn't be great if you tripped into something else headfirst. I do not wish to be the last person associated with you before a life altering concussion."

He hesitated before adding further, more softly," And I do not want to just leave you here. That'd feel wrong." Looking down at her, he offered her a hand. Not forceful or assuming, just an offering. A simple gesture with no expectations.

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@Siobhan McCartyXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSiobhan

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Date: 04/11/25 | Time: Late Evening | CC:#A94064

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Siobhan turned her face in embarrassment when Prat offhandedly mentioned that if there was ever a star that he found, he'd name it after her. What would even possess him to say something like that? How was she supposed to respond to something like that and what did it even mean? Goodness...

She rolled her eyes away from him and turned her head back to him moving the conversation in a different direction. But then Prat interrupted her again and mentioned that it was growing late. She would have to take his word for it as she could see it getting darker, but it wasn't something she couldn't tell on her own at the moment. Toaster hopped into her lap and managed to make himself comfortable, clearly tired of playing with the other pet that had accompanied them up to the tower.

Speaking of the Astronomy Tower, the last time that the two of them were up here, they had been caught by one of the Prefects and given detention. It had been one of the worst nights of her time here at Hogwarts. It permanently stained her spotless educational record.

Prat on the other hand, had seemed very indifferent about it. She wondered it that was why he suggested coming up here tonight...

To get her in trouble again. That must be it.

"I guess you're right... This has been a weird night. Sorry it wasn't very fun." She said as she picked Toaster up and stood up, wobbling slightly as she tried to find something to balance against as she regained her sense of stability. One of the harder parts of losing her eyesight was the inability to find her balance when she stood up. She had to concentrate even moreso to prevent herself from getting sick.

That would be a bad end to a weird night.

When Prat offered to walk her back to the dorms, she wondered if she could instead convince him to bring her back to the festivities. She really wanted to go... uh...

See if anyone new had shown up? Was that a plausible excuse to give him or would he see right through it? As much as she hated to admit it Prat wasn't dumb and he could easily see through the clouded eye of nonsense even if he had a penchant for his own.

Oh who was she kidding, if Matthew wanted to talk to her, then he would have sought her out. She really just wanted to go back to her dorm room and move on from the evening. So she took Prat's hand and tried not to think about how the night could have gone. Now that her hand was in Prat's she wasn't sure what to do with is. Was he guiding her or did he want to hold her hand?

She prayed it was the former. She had no idea what to do if he had expectations.

"Are you going back to the party? Or are you going back to your dormitory?" She asked softly as she felt her fingers relax against his. It wasn't uncomfortable and it did help to stop her from losing her inability to focus on balancing. It was helpful. Uncharacteristic for him, at least from her point of view. But it was helpful.
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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Prat Pass | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @ |
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

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Monday, 11th April; Astro Tower

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Prat gave her a small, knowing smirk when Siobhan rolled her eyes at his comment about naming a star after her. He didn't press it further, didn't need to. He wasn't even sure why he said it in the first place. Maybe he just wanted to say something nice and kind for once, not fight her. He did that sometimes, surprised even himself. But it wasn't exactly a lie either. If he found one, sure. Why not?

He looked over at his half-crup Neoth, who had now stopped growling at Toaster like he did initially and instead curled up a few inches away from him like they were old friends. Typical of Neo to fight like lunatics at first and then resting like sleepy acquaintances. Neo let out a small huff, content, with his tail thumping once against the stone floor.

When she said the night was weird and apologized, Prat shrugged, glancing up at the stars that were beginning to spread across the night sky. "Wasn't that bad," he said simply, almost a grunt. "Could've gone worse. No one's bleeding. You didn't push me down this tower and no detentions yet."

He watched as she tried to stand, steadying herself against the walls with a kind of careful grace he didn't quite have the words for. It reminded him, again, of how much she had to focus on her other senses to do things he never thought twice about. The stubbornness to keep up with others was almost admirable, but he wouldn't let her know that, or he'd never hear the end of it. He didn't feel guilty for getting her into detention last time, but something adjacent to it. He did not enjoy detentions.

When she reached out and took his hand, he stood there, quiet for a moment.

When he had offered to walk her back, he thought she’d just take his arm or he’d offer his sleeve. Or something equally awkward and forgettable.

But her hand found his as his fingers curled against hers.

Her hand was soft. Softer than he thought hands could be. Did all girls have soft hands? Was this normal? Should he be holding her hand tighter or looser or was letting go of her hands the move here?

He didn’t know how to proceed, strict grandfathers failed to teach this facet of life. But he also didn’t pull away from hers. Instead, he shifted his fingers a little to help her find her grip and looked down at their joined hands before clearing his throat.

When she asked where he was headed, he just gave her another light shrug as he looked away again.

"Garden" he said finally. "I was thinking of going back to the garden. There was some food and there's a few people I might run into. Maybe try some of that dessert my friends were on about. We didn't really get much of a chance to try out anything tonight."

There was a pause.

Looking back at her, not smiling but not cold either, he inquired, "Do you wanna go back?"

He didn't wait long for an answer before adding, "I don't care, just come with me."

It wasn't really a question, not at least in the way he said it. It wasn't a demand either, just a gentle directive; offered with the same calm confidence that he brought everywhere. "We'll walk through the place for a bit, enjoy some food and when you're done for the night. I'll take you back to your dorm and make sure you don't die in between. Safely."

His tone didn't change much, helping her get back wasn't something he had much to consider or justify to his own reasonings. It did not need to be contemplated. Neo yawned and stretched, barely giving a woof of agreement upon Prat's plans for the night.

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSiobhan

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Date: 04/11/25 | Time: Late Evening | CC:#A94064

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The fact that Prat had neither pulled his hand away, or made some sort of jibbing comment towards her muggle-born heritage for once made her feel more comfortable with continuing to hold his hand. She was about to tell him to forget everything and that she would be fine if he abandoned her to go back to the party but when he promptly stated that he didn't care what she wanted to do, she snapped her eyes towards the direction of his voice and opened her mouth.

But then he followed his statment of whatever, with a simple "come with me."

Go with him.

She had agreed twice in the evening and she wasn't sure if it was because she wanted to or if because she felt as though doing so was the only way to keep her sanity in terms of her sight. Siobhan didn't know if the reasons she blindly followed him, no pun intended, was because she felt safer with someone than without or if because she was actually beginning to enjoy Prat's company in terms of friendship.

She wasn't stupid. She wouldn't voice these thoughts to him. If anything, what he was doing was just because he wasn't a jerk like she thought he was. Siobhan listened as he fortold what sounded to be a lovely ending to the evening and while she could feel the desperate clawing of Toaster who in his own demanding demeanor, insisted that she go ahead and deny Prat's request/demand.

But the question of why he was offering this, on top of everything else he had done for the night and the offer to even spend time with her in the first place was all too pressing. Before they left, she had her own demands that she felt deep down she deserved some answers too.

"Forgive me, but I don't understand why you want to spend time with me. Or why you asked me to spend the evening here. We're at each others throats, academic rivals in several of our classes, you try on a weekly basis to thieve my cat away from me and... I don't know it just seems that you feel obligated to spend time with me." Siobhan started weakly as she looked down at their conjoined hands. "I just don't get it."

The air stung with both her words and her following silence as she tried to comprehend whatever the hell had possessed her to be so honest with Prat about how she was feeling. Perhaps it was just residual internalized pain from being blind. Maybe it was the fact that nobody but him would talk to her at the moment if it didn't require strategy planning or obligation.

It could have just been the fact that out of everyone who knew her and was aware of the situation ith her eyes that he was the only one to treat her with a whisper of anything other than pity. And maybe she appreciated it. Maybe it was everything she needed at the moment so as to feel normal and just as normal as other people- other kids their age.

She shouldn't have had to worry about wether or not every morning if she would be able to find her way to her trunk or to the mirror in the morning to check on her eyes. She shouldn't have worry about how she would complete her homework assignments or read the letters that her family would send her.

So to be treated the way that Prat treated her, felt good. In a very weird sense of the word. She felt respected even if that wasn't what it was that he was tryingto do with his demeanor.

"Don't answer quickly. Or at all. I was just talking. I'd like to have a walk about the Garden and a snack." She smiled weakly.
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