Starlight and Ashes Closed

Ashlyn had walked up to the astronomy tower, unable to sleep. She did not see the other girl up there so she just walked to the edge and started to sing, since it was one of her pastimes.

(If we have each other - Alec Benjamin cover- music by alexandria)

She put all of her heart into singing and eventually she had started crying, though she wasn't sure why, that song just made her very sad, especially when she had a lot on her mind; it was times like this that really made her show the emotional side that she swore to herself not to show anyone else, afraid of what they might think of her, afraid of them thinking that she was "soft", afraid of being humiliated and never finding friends. Of course, she would think about all of this on the astronomy tower, for it was her favorite part of the school so far and as it seems, the astronomy tower has a way of calming her down and cheering her up, although, for some reason, it could not calm her right now, nor could it being her joy being up there. She honestly wasn't sure what could, other than a friend, but she was yet to claim one of those kind people that she had seen earlier as "her friend."

Macie had begun to read her favorite book for the millionth time, it was a very old book she had brought from home, the book was about the life of the Wizard Merlin and his life, while reading she was unaware she was no longer alone until she heard singing and it snapped her out of her thoughts, this worried Macie because she knew she was out of bed after hours and it was detention if she was caught however Macie realized it was another student that was singing and not a professor macie was relieved and a bit uneasy because she feared the other student would attract the attention of a patroling professor or prefect and get them both into trouble.

Macie decided to alert the other student of her presence as it seemed the other girl was unaware of Macie, then softly said" I beg your pardon but if anyone hears you singing we may both be in trouble" Macie then went back to reading her book soon finishing the chapter she was on and softly shut the book and looking back out the window again.

Macie let out a soft sigh and then turned to the other girl and said" Hello, I'm Macie winkle" Macie extended her hand towards the other girl in a friendly handshake.

" Hello, I'm Macie Winkle "
That snapped Ashlyn out of her thoughts. She was startled by the sudden sound, but still, she managed to talk.
" I'm Ashlyn. Ashlyn Winters, pleasure to meet you. ", she said shyly. She then smiled at the girl, a small smile, but it had to show some significance, right? She then shook the girl's hand as the girl began to talk again. Ashlyn tried to listen, but all she could do was wonder 'could this be my first friend?' As the girl- Macie, as Ashlyn remembered her, started to talk, Ashlyn was filled with excitement. She had not actually talked to anyone since she had gotten to hogwarts, and that had her feeling lonely. Heck, the entire reason for coming up here in the middle of the night in the first place was because she felt lonely and she couldn't get any sleep.
'Oh my god! Could we even be best friends?!?', she thought to herself. Honestly, if she wasn't thinking about her, Ashlyn might have forgotten that Macie was even there. As she was thinking all of this, a smile crept up on her face, but quickly disappeared as she got the idea that Macie was only a figment of her imagination or a ghost, as there were many of those at Hogwarts. Of course, all of this showed on her face without realization until Macie spoke up.

While Ashlyn was trying to start a conversation with "Macie", as she called herself, she heard another girl walk to them and say, "What are you doing here?" Upon hearing that, Ashlyn was honestly very thankful. Macie hadn't really been talking. Therefore, no matter how cold the girl's voice came out, she decided to answer. After all, if she was going to have friends, she needed to talk to people, right? She had hoped to find other people here when she came up to the astronomy tower tonight, but of course she didn't expect them to be here as it was well past curfew and she had been coming here almost every night, unable to sleep, and every night, there was not a single person out of bed. That had made her quite sad, of course, but what could she expect? She really needed to start just hitting up the common room whenever she wanted friends.... As she was thinking all of this, the same girl's voice from earlier spoke, a bit softer this time, but still a cold tone. " May I ask what's going on here? ", the girl said, and Ashlyn finally looked up from the ground. " Hi, I'm Ashlyn Winters, and her name is Macie. I was trying to start a conversation with her when she went brain dead. ". Ashlyn said that last part with much sarcasm, as she was known to be quite sarcastic and rude sometimes. After speaking, Ashlyn decided to further observe the girl in front of her, but when she looked up at her hair, she couldn't believe what she saw. The girl had the same shock of pink hair as her, even the same length. Ashlyn stood there, astonished, before coming to her senses and laughing almost immediately.

Lyra had rushed down the stairs of Ravenclaw tower in her pink PJs and oversized sweatshirt and ran to the Astronomy tower, tears racing down her face. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her face of her tears and stepped to the Astronomy tower. Walking to a corner, in her opinion the one with the best view, she breathed in the fresh air and closed her eyes as a slight breeze swept over her tearstained face. The Ravenclaw had woken up screaming, having had the same nightmare yet again. She kept seeing them- writhing in agony- No. I’m gonna stop thinking about it now. Think about Oak. About your favorite book. You can do this Lyra she told herself. Luckily, she hadn’t woken up her roommates and went to one of the few places that soothed her. The Astronomy Tower. There she could see everything.

Well, apparently not everyone. Once Lyra had calmed down, she froze, hearing three other girls in conversation, and turned to them sheepishly, hoping that they hadn’t seen her as rude, but they probably had. Thank god I calmed down a little before coming in- “I’m so sorry for barging in! I didn’t see any of you there.” The Ravenclaw did her best to ignore the waves of panic rolling over her. She never cried in front of people, since it triggered her anxiety. And the one time she did, she came to a room with three girls, one looking particularly cold. Gripping the cold banister, she smiled what she hoped was a friendly smile and introduced herself as calmly as she could. ”Hi, I’m Lyra Lake, Ravenclaw. I apologize again for running here.”

Interacting with @Sky Evans , @Ashlyn Winters , and @Macie Winkle

Hello, I hope you don’t mind my joining!

Another end of the day means another sleepless night for the one and only Selene herself. Well, most of the time she could actually sleep well enough besides, it's for a fact that a child between the age of 11 should go to sleep at least from 7 p.m to 10 p.m, ask the internet not her. Although most people with common sense would know that, well most people with good habits and good parents would know that. Hah! As if she could relate. For a fact she could just went to the library to bore yet fill her mind with more knowledge than before, yet here she is wanting to have a peaceful starry night of her own. Even if it means going as far from the slytherin's common room and having to go up the tallest tower in Hogwarts. What was she thinking? None. She was tired enough to actually care, yet determine enough to sneak out her dormitory and walk the long road without having to get caught by a prefect of the sorts, worst fate would be meeting a teacher.

Selene let out a relieved sigh once she finally made it halfway of the approximately 12.2" tall tower. 'Holy crap,' She thought to herself as she leaned her back against the brick, dusty, old walls. She took a moment to regain and fix her ragged breathing. 'This is going to be the only time I exercise this month, no excuses.' And with that as a note to herself, she decided to sat down on the stairs. It was peace and quiet, just the way Selene likes it, no rambling no total nonsense, no idiocy happening. Well, for a fact that she knows and admit is that many of her 'comrades' or 'snek' children are one of the most intellectual masterminds as well as many with family issues but we don't talk about that. She was happy on being a slytherin..of the sort. Nevertheless, Selene took a deep breath as she could feel herself getting tired. Perhaps sneaking her way out of her dorm and going climbing one of the longest staircase she had ever seen her entire life was a great plan to make herself tired. Was it a stupid decision? Very. Did she regret it? Quite. She pinched her nose, 'This was a bad idea.' She once again thought in the back of her mind. 'Might as well make the most of it.'

Well, she already went all the way here, why not just make it worth it by looking up the stars? If she remembers correctly, a couple days before there was a full-moon, a strawberry full-moon. Unfortunately Selene herself missed it, but she believes there’s still a few traces of it left that could lift up her energy. The moon and the stars are a wonderful sight after all. As soon as she made up her mind, she sighed. God how many times has she sighed at herself, to be honest? She has to admit it to herself that this was a definitely 'not-so-good' idea. Before Selene could even stand up she swore on her grandmother's grave-if she's already dead, that she heard a sound coming from up the tower. She gulped, her eyes widening a bit. When you first enter Hogwarts, you perhaps would be surprised of the living paintings or the spirits that lingers here in Hogwarts. As a fan of scary games, movies or mysteries documents. It would be mind-blowing to find out that ghosts actually exist in this time of day. She's heard of many rumors about the death of each ghosts, but not any about a banshee inside the astronomy room! Selene calmed herself down once more, no, her mind was just too tired to process everything logically. There is no such thing such as a banshee that lives in the astronomy room, of course there weren't. If there were, a student or a staff team would have known in the first place. The only other reasoning for the singing that came from the top of the stairs would be another student arrived here first before her. Even if it was another student, who would actually sing in the dead of the night, without actually being worried about a teacher or a prefect interrupting? An idiot sandwich.

Slow, but steadily, Selene climbed the stairs quietly, of course trying to not make a sound. As soon as she was closer to the top, she heard footsteps coming up before her. Immediately, she tried to find a hiding place. For all she knows it could actually be a staff. She manage to hide behind some boxes or bunch of stuffs. Selene closed her eyes for a moment, furrowing her eyebrows and biting her thumb. ' This was a very bad idea to have.' Grasping the hem of her dress tightly, her blue eyes glanced up the cracks of the wooden floor. Hearing another girl's voice, asking what was going around here. By the looks of it, Selene was right. Of course, no such things as banshee's are even real, well, she hopes so. Then, finally the footsteps got slightly louder and louder. Turns out it was just another girl, Selene examined her features for a moment. Whoa, rough night huh? The girl's name was Lyra. She looked like she hadn't had a goodnight sleep her entire life, not to mention her eyes that looks like she's been crying. That's rough buddy. She let out a soft sigh under her breath, a relieved one. If she had to be honest tonight was pretty intense of the sorts.

Once again glancing through the woody flooring, from her examination or from what her eyes could see. Now, not two, not three, but four students having a gathering in the astronomy tower. 'Bloody hell,' she ruffled her hair, gritting her teeth. 'As if this couldn't get any worst.' Look, as a fact Selene doesn't mind being around a crowd, she would usually be there to help her Aunt while she becomes her Father's representative on events and such. One day, without no choice at all, she'll have to be the one to become the representative of her father. But when it comes to her alone time, she made sure to spend it wisely. Well, she's about to get found out immediately anyways so why not just go along with it? Besides, perhaps it could be interesting. But if by any chance her gut tells her something is coming, she'll just leave and continue wandering. It wouldn't benefit her in some sort of way, but well, who knows? The more acquaintance the merrier!

She finally decided to move out from the shadows, being very careful not to scare the Ravenclaw girl. Come on, she's not that cruel on someone who looks like they're having a heart attack. Selene cleared her throat, adjusting herself to make sure her voice is as quiet yet loud enough to be heard by the girls. She crossed her arms, reading the situation. "Well, I thought a ritual was going on with the voice of someone singing dead in the night. A cult perhaps, although that wouldn't be logical to do." She said in her usual voice, not calm nor was it harsh in a way. But just, neutral. After all, the trait of deception is real isn't it?

Let's see, two Slytherin girls that she knew had some classes the same as hers, of course. One had a defensive aura, from the looks of it at least for Selene the person seemed decent. Asking a question everybody is asking, 'Why are we all here?' Now that she took a clearer look at the girl. She notice she had a very odd hair-color, not that Selene thought of it as irregular no! In fact the Gryffindor girl that looked like she was crying sorrowful and homesick tears had the same color. She wanted to question whether they were dyed or not, but it wasn't any of Selene's business. The other one, had a book closely to her. From the green pajamas to the trainers, who wouldn't have notice they were from Slytherin?

"You know, the girl holding the book does have a point. Keep singing then don't be surprised if we all get caught." No, Selene's tone was a little harsh. Well not enough but just the right amount to either hear it as a threat or as a warning. Selene rolled her eyes. "But with all of us being here right now as we speak, the possibilities of getting caught is nevertheless the same." Selene looked out at the beautiful scenery from the open balcony, before going back to everyone. "And so it seemed everyone's already in introduction bases. Selene, Selene Ackermann. Tho I prefer you calling me by my last name." She mouthed quietly.

Interacting with: @Ashlyn Winters @Macie Winkle @Selene Ackermann @Lyra Lake

"Hi, I'm Ashlyn Winters, and her name is Macie. I was trying to start a conversation with her when she went brain dead. "

At this Sky, unusually found the temptation to laugh, something she was sure hasn't taken place in a long time. The corners of her mouth twitched instinctively and she would have replied, were it not for the arrival of another girl. She looked as though she had been crying too.

“Pft” Sky scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she surveyed the girl with a bored, exasperated look. How many people were yet to appear? Again the temptation of turning back to her dorm seemed inviting, though she couldn’t register the feeling in the back of her mind that somehow was persuading her to stay put. Here she was, running away from the idea of making friends, ugh did she even dare say that word? No. Acquaintances was the mere replacement for such a sickly term, much better.

“I’m so sorry for barging in! I didn’t see any of you there.”

It was in Sky’s nature, and she couldn't refrain from the comment that slipped from her mouth carelessly, as she leant on the frame of the door, her word dripping with conspicuous sarcasm, “Oh dear me, poor you. Don’t you look weepy, did you finally realise mommy and daddy weren’t there to help you after your little nightmare?” she voiced the last bit mockingly, cooing as though she were talking to a baby in a pushchair. It was plain rude of her, she was aware of that, yet she couldn't help herself. It was like a young baby being told not to touch the candy laid in front of their innocent eyes. Although this was far from innocent. “Honestly” she muttered under her breath, her voice back to her normal state again. “As I was about to say, pleasure to meet you Ashlyn,” she eyed the shock of pink hair the gryffindor girl possessed and gave a slight start. Wow, it seemed that it wasn’t just her who had taken a different move. Fascinating. “Uh, what was her name again..” Sky muttered under her breath, turning her gaze to the floor where she pondered for a second, her fingers on her lips, thinking. “Ah! Yes, Macie!” Uh nice to meet you too”

She wasn’t usually one to make introductions, friendly occurrences were rare in her book. Nevertheless, this time the greeting was almost genuine. The arrival of yet another student caught her attention before she could converse any further, and her attention was directed yet again, to the top of the stairs where a fellow Slytherin now stood glaring up at the rest of them. “What do you want?” Sky spat waspishly, her nose in the air as she took in her appearance. It was a common hostile response of hers, it did not necessarily mean that she had taken a disliking to the girl standing there, no.

"You know, the girl holding the book does have a point. Keep singing then don't be surprised if we all get caught." The tone which inhabited her voice was rather harsh, and Sky raised her eyebrows slightly in mild amusement, for this was usually something she would say. Tactless as it was, the girl was certainly someone Sky wouldn't put in her bad books.

"But with all of us being here right now as we speak, the possibilities of getting caught is nevertheless the same."

“Pft” sky scoffed again, standing upright and turning to face the newcomer, a smirk plastered mockingly on her face. “We won’t be getting caught if you all just keep your fat mouths shut, honestly, you speak as though you've never broken rules before.”

“Selene, Selene Ackermann. Tho I prefer you calling me by my last name."

“Bold of you to assume I would call you by your first name anyway” Sky retaliated, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “I call everyone, aside from close acquaintances and family, by their last name.” The statement showed nothing of false talk, it was unfortunately true that she decided to take this view, cold and reserved, she decided this was the better way to do things.

Rolling her eyes indifferently and strolling over to the window, she turned to face the rest of the girls. “Anyone weeping sorrowfully can get out of my sight, I want to be in peace, same goes for prefect-suck ups, wouldn’t want to have to jump to any conclusions." The names were insensitive throwaway comments, anyone who took them seriously certainly proved themselves a wimp in Sky’s opinion. In actual fact, to Sky’s usual standard, this was rather kind of the Slytherin, caring, dare she say, the fact that she hadn’t considered hexing any of them off the top of the tower.

Lyra turned around, hearing another girl coming up the stairs. This is quite a gathering the Ravenclaw thought to herself. Usually when she came, which admittedly was quite often, she had the whole balcony to herself. This peculiar night though, Lyra was the fourth girl to come up here, and she turned to the fifth with a friendly smile. Selene Ackermann, her name was. When she said she preferred being called by her last name Lyra nodded. It wasn't unusual after all. Whenever her mother took her to the Ministry, almost everyone was on a last-name basis. "Hello, nice to meet you." The first-year had been brought up to start by treating someone with kindness, especially if you didn't know them personally. Lyra must've missed her when she was coming up the stairs, although that wasn't surprising, considering the fact that she had been sobbing. The Ravenclaw reddened, wondering exactly how pathetic she looked in front of everyone. Apparently everyone here was kind enough not to mention it. That is until the Sky girl started talking. Lyra had seen her around, usually being disrespectful, although she had done her best not to judge.

“Oh dear me, poor you. Don’t you look weepy, did you finally realize mommy and daddy weren’t there to help you after your little nightmare?”. At the Slytherin's comment, Lyra turned towards her, resisting the urge to throw a telescope at her. She usually wasn't the violent sort, but her temper could rise alarmingly fast, and when she came across a cruel person, or nature rather, she reciprocated the feeling. As Ackermann introduced herself, Evans said "Bold of you to assume I would call you by your first name anyway” "Anyone weeping sorrowfully can get out of my sight, I want to be in peace, same goes for prefect-suck ups, wouldn’t want to have to jump to any conclusions." she continued.

The Ravenclaw was quick to reply "In case you hadn't noticed, you're not alone here, so I'd say it's rather conceited of you to assume that she was talking to only you in the first place. If you want to be in peace, no one's stopping you. I dare say this castle must have at least one nook or cranny that isn't occupied. You're welcome to leave anytime." With that, the brunette stepped aside and gestured to the door. She was, weirdly, grateful to the Sky girl though. It was pretty hard to explain. The Slytherin had helped her come back to her senses and compose herself, and Lyra was tempted to apologize for her rude reply, then inwardly chided herself. Lyra, it's not like you asked her to be rude to you. Sure, you did barge into their conversation, but like c'mon. Just ask for me to leave and I will. She bit her lip to prevent an apology from coming out, but still shot an apologetic look to everyone else in the room for having, presumably, ruined their night. Assuming that she was a wimpy little girl was a pretty big mistake for someone to make, though.

Interacting with @Sky Evans , @Selene Ackermann , @Macie Winkle , and @Ashlyn Winters

Dont worry, no hard feelings! Sky's actually a really fun character to roleplay with.