"Don't you dare!" PV Scott Alexander Closed

[quote]Fifteen minutes until curfew.

Scott, despite having been a Prefect for quite some time now, still found he was consistently made hyper-aware of time whenever that hour of the evening came about... Every other minute from 9.30 and onwards he'd check his wristwatch with some anxiety for an update, this most likely being an instinct he developed during his first year, and that still hadn't budged- even though he was now supposed to be out...

It was his job.

But so, looking up from his clock a fourth time for the night, Scott found himself in one of the long corridors on the bottom floor. He usually worked this way up the castle, on his patrols... keeping through his assigned areas before eventually reaching his own dormitory in the tower, some time later. For a boy who thoroughly enjoyed walks, and particularly solitary ones these last couple of weeks, this didn't feel so much like a duty as it did something he could almost look forward to.

As long as he kept his mind at bay, that is... Should it start to wander there was usually no telling what mood it'd push him into. And one wants to go to bed happy. Because of this, Scott had almost begun wishing he'd stumble across a student or two whom he could remind of the time, each night. They served as great distractions, and busied his head.

This is why he was struck with some mixed feelings when he, upon entering the outer archways of the castle, could spot a smaller student make her way over the grass in the setting sun, from between the tall pillars.

Quickly swallowing whatever exclamation he'd first thought of to call after her in order to get her attention, Scott steered towards the courtyard himself as he realised he didn't want to make any unnecessary noise so late at night... Because it was late. 9.50 pm, now. In fact, it was a real good thing he'd spotted the girl just when he did, because with the slowly growing darkness around, there was no telling when she would've disappeared out of his sight.

Well out on the grass himself, and picking up the pace behind her, Scott caught up with the girl just after she'd taken to a halt. Which, mind you, was a very wise decision- since Scott could see that she'd stopped right before where the first trees belonging to the closest patch of forest grew. The forbidden forest. Forbidden forbidden.

Scott had absolutely no wish whatsoever to enter those woods tonight, and so the young witch better not either.

But as she stood there, with her back turned and staring into the blackness between the tall trees... Scott was struck with a quite awkward realisation: standing as he was, about ten steps behind her, the risk that he'd accidentally scare the dazed girl out of her mind was unfortunately very significant.



"WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Laughing light-heartedly to contrast his raised voice as obviously as he could, Scott took the remaining steps left between the two of them with a smile. But from this distance, he could also safely say that the poor girl was a first year... Perhaps the yelling had been a bad call.

"Ah well. Chances are you're just a proper optimist, I suppose! Both in the sense that you dare stand this close to the edge of the forest without fear of being eaten alive, but also in that you trust you can make it back to your common room in..." Scott checked his watch. "-eight minutes.

Well, if you believe in you, then I believe in you. Come on now!"

Opeila made another two steps towards the forest, trying to see through the trees. Maybe her cat stopped? Could she possibly lure him back out to her? After checking her pockets she scraped that plan as well. The cat biscuits were down in her dormitory, in a bag on a table next to her bed.
"Loras?" Don't make me come after you, please... The Slytherin really didn't want to enter the forest. She got tricked to enter it once before- because of a kid running after their cat ironically- and then got threatened that the other would leave her behind. Luckily she hadn't encountered any of the forest's inhabitants then and she wasn't very eager to do it now either.

Opeila sighed. This would totally end up with detention for her. She had only just finished that thought, when a loud voice made her jump. A male voice yelled at her, asked her what on earth she was doing. With her eyes widened, she looked at the smiling boy walking in her direction. He looked older than her, probably a third or fourth year and... a prefect, she noticed by a look on his badge. Yes, detention it would be. At least it was not Nico Shymane or Professor Jensen, they would have most likely both gotten her expelled. Not like she didn't deserve it, Opeila was very aware of that, still it was a good thing, that this boy caught her, he didn't know who she was and probably had not heard about her previous crimes either.

The boy checked his watch, remembering her of where she was and how long she had until she had to be in the Common Room. Opeila looked at the forest again. "I- Yeah, I know I am later, but... My cat ran in there!", she told him a little helpless.
This was totally not his problem, but maybe he would not be as strict if he heard the reason. Maybe she was lucky and he cared enough.

OOC: I just assumed now that he wears his badge, if he doesn't, I can change my post.

@Scott Alexander

"I- Yeah, I know I am late, but... My cat ran in there!"

The girl, who to Scott's surprise had seemed much more reluctant to run along with him than students her age usually were this time of night, suddenly left her startled state to reveal some legitimate worry to him...

Ah yes. The cat issue.

Scott hadn't faced it many times himself, as his own pet had never once protested against following him tightly to bed to lay by his feet every night since the day he bought her... And though he knew for a fact that she'd leave for her own adventures during the rest of the night, he'd never needed to worry she wouldn't be there again in the morning to come.

But he did realise everyone wasn't so lucky. He knew plenty of cats himself that weren't half as... easily managed as his own. And he applauded their patient owners, he did, but couldn't also help but wonder what the appeal was with a cat so restless. Leo was the same, wasn't he? And though Scott loved that cat to death, as well, he could never have maintained him himself.

For this reason among many.

"Ran into the forest, did he? Well, I suppose it's possible that nobody told him it was forbidden... Might've missed the briefing."

While Scott stepped up to the worried girl and laid a hand on her shoulder (so to show he still needed her to get back to the castle), he tried to keep his voice as light-hearted as possible, even though he couldn't help but look into the dark woods himself, over her head. He didn't want the cat to get lost, or hurt, either...

"Has he done this before? Run off, I mean? Cats are very clever creatures, you know, and they know better than to walk right into danger... I bet he's still staying close! Might even come out on his own in a minute. Not that we have that long..."

Sighing, Scott held his hand up to redundantly direct her to the castle which still shimmered in the remaining light.

"You shouldn't worry. A friend of mine-" Scott swallowed. "I know someone whose cat goes absolutely wild across the grounds. Nothing will happen to him, I bet he's not even ten feet away from us as we speak.

I'm Scott, now please come with me. Wouldn't want to lose sight of you, too..."

Loras was not stupid. He knew that he had to come back to get fed. He knew that it was warmer in the castle than outside. The cat would be back by tomorrow, sure he would.
Still, the forest gave Opeila a bad feeling and she wanted her cat to be safe. It was strange. Opeila and Loras had a strange relationship. While both showed each other their dislike whenever possible, both always looked after each other. Was that normal? Likely not, but what was ever normal in Opeila's life?

The prefect joked about Loras having missed the briefing and laid a hand on her shoulder. Opeila understood that he had to get her back to the castle- that was his job. He asked if the cat ran away before. "Yeah, all the time. Just not at night. He always comes back before curfew.", she said, still staring into the woods.

The boy held up a hand, directing her back to the castle and Opeila reluctantly turned away from the forest. He told her about a friend who's cat went wild on the grounds. "Yeah, that sounds like my Loras." Oh yeah, she was very familiar with that behaviour. Her cat was always crazy outside. Ran away and chased everything that moved, may that be mice, frogs or even owls. Opeila had found him bleeding twice after he annoyed one of the birds until it pecked him.

As long he was back the next morning it was okay. He had to come back.
The boy introduced himself as Scott and asked her to come with him. "I'm Opeila. Don't worry, I won't run off." She sent him a short smile and once more looked at the trees over her shoulder.

@Scott Alexander