insomnia and other bad ideas PV Ophelia V.

Natasha threw her blankets off her, staring up at the starry ceiling of her dormitory. Her second year had barely started, and her sleeplessness had returned. This time, the cause, however, was not homesickness, but rather anticipation. She could feel something waiting to happen. Sitting up, she glanced around, the soft snores of her dormmates filling her ears, with moonlight faintly illuminating the bedframes. She stared out the window towards the Great Lake, and a rather impulsive idea entered her mind. She tried to ignore it, but it held firm, and she knew, without a doubt, it was time for a 3 AM swim.

Tiptoeing around the dorm, she quietly got dressed. Too lazy to actually pull out a swimming costume, she wore a tank top and shorts underneath her outfit, grabbed a towel and change of clothes, and slipped out. She walked out of the dorm and downstairs to the common room, avoiding the stairs that squeaked as she reached the portrait hole.

Slowly climbing out, she stood in the shadows, waiting to see if anybody heard her. Satisfied at the lack of company, she made her way down the dimly lit castle, hiding in the shadows whenever footsteps sounded nearby. The portraits lining the corridors were unusually quiet, most of their occupants fast asleep. She sneaked out into the grounds, letting the cold night air brush against her skin. A soft, amused laugh escaped her.

Hurriedly clasping her hand over her mouth, she neared the Great Lake, marveling at the stillness of the water and the starlight lighting up its dark surface. The only sound was the gentle lapping of water as it hit the shore.

Placing her change of clothes and towel onto a clean rock nearby, she took off her shoes, the grass damp with dew beneath her feet. Walking to the water's edge, she tentatively put her toes into the water, testing the temperature.