Where the Night Leads
Soon to meet up with @Lily Isobel McCoire
Sunday, 29 March 2026.
Simon had been in his dormitory finishing up an essay for the next morning. He was so close to finishing - all he needed to do was wrap it up and get to his ending but it would have to wait until after a break. He had been dragging his quill across that parchment for over an hour and both his hand and mind needed a break.
He reached for the pocket watch his father had given him and checked the time. It was around 9PM and he knew that the Hufflepuff Common Room, the corridors, and all of Hogwarts would begin settling down for nighttime within the castle.
He turned the pocket watch over in his hands a few times, studying it, before he became aware that he was doing so. He was brought back to the Christmas of 2024 when his father had given it to him. He still remembered his words: "Treat it well, Simon; time. I do not speak of the pocket watch. Become a master of it and shape it and mold it and cherish it. You can have all the time in the world and realize that you have wasted moments, missed out on moments. Some should be used for work, for learning, for love, for rest. Everything, in time."
"Everything, in time."
Perhaps that had been the only valuable take-away lesson Simon Kincaid ever got from Adrian Hawthorne. The rest was.... well, the rest was lessons in what not to do or how not to conduct oneself.
Simon glanced around his dormitory, feeling a bit of a blur of emotions. Maybe a walk would help. He pulled his enchanted satchel over his shoulder and headed out to wherever it seemed his body would take him. Maybe it would be out to the grounds, maybe just wandering the corriors. But he found himself heading up to the Astronomy Tower and when he got there, he headed straight for the circular wall to look out on the expanse of the Scottish Highlands and all that could be seen to the horizon. And then he glanced upward at the stars above that already were sprinkling the sky despite there still being a bit of light.
He was taken back again, but this time to last summer where he had an unexpected camping trip with a group of centaurs. "When you gaze upon the expanse, do any stars call to you as they do us?" one of the centaurs had asked of him.
Simon looked upward. He didn't have the gift of sight as his girlfriend did, but he still wondered....were the stars trying to say anything to him?
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
Where the Night Leads
Lily had changed a little more over the months. Her fourth year was upon her and honestly, the only thing she felt like she was doing was...homework. A LOT of homework. The teachers were obviously preparing them for the O.W.L.s next year but still. It was a whole year away!! And that also means next year will be even more homework.
Lily sighed as she slammed her school textbook closed and got up. She stretched trying to get some feeling back into her legs after hours of sitting on them. She looked over at her clock, stifling a jaw breaking yawn. It was 8:40 surprisingly. When she started it was only 6. Lily stalked over to the window and stared out it glumly. It had been so long since she had been outside. It was a beautiful night, though. The stars were shining and the sky was completely clear of those pesky clouds. For a moment, Lily just looked up at those twinkling balls of light. Then she decided....she'd head up to the Astronomy Tower and spend some time in the fresh air.
She got dressed warmly, it was still March, and headed out. It didn't take her very long to get there but once she did she realized that she was not along in wanting to stargaze. Lily plastered a small smile on her face...it had been a while since she had seen Simon and honestly that made her want to immediately get the shittiest friend award. For real. "Hi, Simon! How are you doing?" She inquired going to stand beside him, and looked up at the stars. "It's a beautiful night, isn't?"
WC:274
@Simon Kincaid
Last edited by Lily Isobel McCoire on 11 Apr 2026, 12:52, edited 1 time in total.
"Where's the bloody rum?" -Captain Jack Sparrow
Lily McCoire/ Alicia Matthews
Where the Night Leads
Talking with @Lily Isobel McCoire
He heard her coming just before she spoke and turned around, smiling upon recognizing it was his friend that had joined him at the Astronomy Tower. "Lily. It's been awhile. Good to see you," he said genuinely. "It is a lovely evening but was too quiet." He couldn't even hear any of the creatures around the Great Lake making noise. Simon didn't like it when there was silence or alone - at least when it was that way for too long.
It had been that way for too long between he and Lily. He was so glad to see her now.
"Come, sit, chat," he said as he patted the space next to him and then he himself pushed up to go sit along the stone wall. Sure, it was somewhat risky, but if either should fall he had his wand he could quickly snatch from his pocket and soften it - as probably did she. A witch or wizard rarely went anywhere without their wand as they had become an extension of themselves.
"Tell me all about your current days. The good, the bad, the trials and tribulations." He just wanted to know what was up with his firend. Maybe they could catch up and keep in touch.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
Where the Night Leads
Lily sat down next to Simon on the wall, crossing her legs to give her more to steady herself. After all, the last thing she wanted to do was fall. Lily was quiet for a moment after Simon invited her to talk about her days. Shrugging, she replied, "Nothing much is going on, honestly. I've just been trying to catch up on all the homework the teachers have given me. I haven't had much time for friends and extra curricular activities." She looked out over the battlements to the grounds below. "What about you? How is everything with you? AF doing okay?" It had been awhile since she had seen AF...or honestly anyone. Even Colin had been busy...with his new girlfriend, as Lily constantly teased him. It was her duty as his cousin and little sister to tease him until he was about ready to pull his hair out. And she did her best that's for sure. They enjoyed being family and Lily enjoyed being able to have a family, even if her parents weren't there anymore at least she still had Colin's parents. Which reminds her...."Oh, Simon, how are you and your dad getting along? Didn't you say once that you had finally met your dad? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, though."
WC:219
@Simon Kincaid
mentioning: @Colin McCoire], @Emily Shephard, and @AngelFyre McCubbin
"Where's the bloody rum?" -Captain Jack Sparrow
Lily McCoire/ Alicia Matthews
Where the Night Leads
Rambling to @Lily Isobel McCoire
"I'm doing alright - been also doing a lot of schoolwork to prep for the NEWTs. I know they're not until next year but....I really want to get into St. Mungo's. I've been doing an internship with them on breaks and I've learned so much and helped so much alaready in what little capacity I can do - I can only imagine what I could when allowed to do more." But St. Mungo's was a pretty competitive place and it didn't only matter who he knew. This wasn't a connections sort of game, although that certainly couldn't hurt, but it would come down to his knowledge of magical medicine and his marks at Hogwarts.
"AngelFyre is intelligent and witty and beautiful as ever," he said as he looked over to Lily and smiled now. That boy did love his girl. "She's on the Hufflepuff broom racing team with me now so we get to spend even more time together than before. To be honest, I'm glad she's not duelinig anymore. She was great at it, you know her with a wand - scary....." he laughed, "and I'm not saying broom racing is without dangers but duelling just seemed extra, you know?"
He was going to ask about Lily and her family situation, how she was getting along. It must be odd being emersed with such a large group but that could also be a good thing. Simon adored the idea of a big family.
But she mentioned his father and for the second time that evening his mind became focused on that which was Adrian Hawthorne. "Yea, yea, I uhhh....I met him and I uh, I foolishly thought I needed to get to know him," he began. That pretty much showed right there that it wasn't the best of experiences. "It was interesting at first to get a glimpse of him, to see small snippets of who he might have probably been at one point in time. And then it morphed into a chaos that changed so many lives. He was cold and distant and then became manipulative and controlling."
"It's....a long story. I thought I'd gain so much from knowing him and I did. I gained an understanding that I'm not a half vampire. Half vampires don't exist in the world of vampires because they don't consider us vampires. We are, a hybird, something of ourselves. We are dhampirs and.....I'm grateful for that because I've learned I don't want to be anything like him. I gained that. I gained a sister.....there was a girl who lived nearby that needed a family and Aunt Maggie took her in, Clara. She's precious. I gained a good friend named Vanessa who was one of the vampires in my father's coven."
"But I lost my father. There was a fire at the end of this past summer in his castle. He either died from the fire or the light of the sun in attempting an escape. All I know is that he's gone as is his entire coven, as is that friend. And in that same situation my certainty to trust myself left. I never ever would have thought that in choosing to get to know my father that I would put AngelFyre's safety at risk but I did. I'm the one that should protect her, not put her in harm."
"I just.... well, as I said, it's a long story. It's complicated and I suppose.....I suppose it's over. We move on, you know? We deal with what we have right before us," he glanced out to the stars. Not the future of what the stars may or may not tell him. Not with the horrors of the past. With the now.
"You've been doing some of your own adjusting through your own journey. How's it been being with Colin's family? I mean, I know they're your family but it's different than before."
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
Where the Night Leads
Lily nodded as Simon mentioned that he really wanted to get into St. Mungo's. "Your get in. I'm sure of it." She smiled a little as he started talking about AF. "Duelling can be dangerous but all in good fun. My time duelling was awesome. I think i duelled against AF once actually. Colin is in broom racing. What if one of you falls off you're broom though? At least with duelling you're on the ground and can be revived." Lily shrugs, trying not to giggle at her reasons. But that dies the minute Simon starts talking about his father. Lily patiently listens as he rants about it and when he stopped and asked about her family, she sighed and backed the conversation up. "I'm so sorry about your father, Simon. I heard bits of pieces of concerning information from Colin, not a lot but some. I didn't know things were this bad." She laid her hand on his arm in a friendly gesture. "If you want a hug, or anything, let me know. I'm never too busy for a friend in need. Okay?" Her eyes searched his face, a little anxiously. 'Seriously. I'll always be here for you." Lily said in a soft voice
WC:205
Interacting with: @Simon Kincaid
Mentioning: @AngelFyre McCubbin and @Colin McCoire
"Where's the bloody rum?" -Captain Jack Sparrow
Lily McCoire/ Alicia Matthews
Where the Night Leads
Turning the conversatison on @Lily Isobel McCoire
"That's easy, if you fall off your broom; you just get back up on it," Simon said with a smile as if it were nothing but obvious. Of course one sometimes didn't always find their broom straight away, sometimes you were still on the ground motionless or withering from your injuries, and no matter what you always lost time in the race - but still; if you could - you just got back up on your broom. Such was life, was it not? Whether it was losing your entire extended vampire family including manipulative father and a very good friend - you just got back on your broom to continue the race; no matter the damage.
Simon leaned into Lily and placed his arm around her. She said to let her know if he ever wanted a hug but it was Simon Kincaid and he would always take a hug from a friend. Perhaps Lily needed one, too. "I appreciate that you're here for me. Thanks," he said sincerely and then looked out and over the stars, his eyes scanning them for a moment.
"I do need something from you," he stated, glancing over to her. "I need you to quit deflecting to me when I'm asking how you've been and how it's been handling all the changes that you've been facing." He wasn't upset with her. He was merely a concerned friend.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
Where the Night Leads
Reducio
Credit goes to the amazing @Veda Lunar
Lily leaned into his hug, as she too looked out at the stars. Honestly, it had been awhile since she had a truly heartfelt hug, especially since she had started to close herself off for the whole year pretty much. She sighed a little as he pointed out that she was deflecting. He wasn't wrong...she did that a lot. "It's been a lot. I love Colin and his family, their amazing and always there for me. Not to mention Colin is hilarious. The teasing we do would have you laughing your head off." She looked down as she continued. "It's been two years since my parents died, and the pain is less than it was but still I miss them, you know? I thought going to America would help, but it didn't. It just made the grief worse to be honest. And on top of that I missed my friends from here." Lily shrugged, looking back up at the stars. "I did meet someone amazing though. Alphonse Toussaint. He's over here now at Hogwarts. He's like the only friend I made from Ilvermony." Lily looked over at Simon. "I'm just wondering if the grief will ever lessen when I think of them, you know? If it'll always hurt. I guess that's why I've been so distant this year from everyone. One part of my brain tells me I shouldn't but the others saying if i do then maybe if I do wind up losing more people it'll hurt less if I'm less attached." Lily looked away from him, trying to control the emotions that had risen up in her chest. Pushing them down and locking them in a chest always worked, even though she knew it was bad for her.
WC:290
Interacting with: @Simon Kincaid
Mentioning: @Colin McCoire, @Alphonse Toussaint
"Where's the bloody rum?" -Captain Jack Sparrow
Lily McCoire/ Alicia Matthews
Where the Night Leads
Further into the night with @Lily Isobel McCoire
"Yea," Simon said softly, indicating he knew what she meant but his motions said the other as he shook his head indicating a no. "I get that, I do. It's quite the paradox." No one enjoyed losing someone they loved or losing someone at all for that matter. Simon hadn't been attached to his father and he still mourned the 'what ifs' of the situation.
"But we have to remind ourselves that a connection's worth isn't determined by whether it lasts forever. The time spent together or the lesson we've learned, and especially the love we share are still valuable even if the relationship eventually ends."
"We're all just sharing this life together, doing the best we can. Don't go it alone," he said and was glad to see she was still at Hogwarts despite her hardships and still there beside him despite his prying for details. That was a good start.
"So now what? We could stare up at the skies and make up absurd constellations. Or we could point at the lit windows that we see in other parts of the castle and play 'What are people doing right now' and come up with rather absurd assumptions."
In the back of his mind, he was still thinking of his father as he had done so before climbing up all the steps to the Astronomy Tower. Had any value come from that connection? Yes, but minimum.
Thinking of his father made him think of something else. "Or we could play a version of 'Rapid Fire Questions' where we ask each other deep questions or highly ridiiculous questions." He was open to any of the suggestions or something else entirely.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
Where the Night Leads
Reducio
Credit goes to the amazing Veda Lunar
Lily nodded at what he's saying. "You have a good point. It's been hard but I'm trying to move on. I am happy to be back with all my old friends. You've all meant a lot to me over the years." As Lily listened to his suggestions, she couldn't help it she laughed. "Ridiculousness is my best middle name." She joked, nudging him with her shoulder, gently. His arm was still around her shoulders, and deep down, it was comforting. "Rapid Fire Questions sounds like fun. Never played it before." Her green eyes gleamed with something akin to excitement. It sounded fun and honestly, she felt it would make them learn more about each other as well as a little closer in friendship. "I want to go first. " Lily says with a small smile. "If there was one costume you would put on to make AF laugh, what would it be?" Lily honestly couldn't wait for his answer. He did say ridiculous questions, and this is definitely one of those guaranteed with a hilarious answer and mental image. Lily waited for the answer, amusement written all over her face. This was guaranteed to be a better night than she expected.
WC:201
Interacting with: @Simon Kincaid
Mentioning: @AngelFyre McCubbin
"Where's the bloody rum?" -Captain Jack Sparrow
Lily McCoire/ Alicia Matthews