On Top of the Astronomy Tower PV Willow Blake Finished

"That's probably a silly question, but do you believe there are like some other beings out there? I mean like there's no way it's only us in the whole wide universe! There must be some other living things out there somewhere... Yeah, like some kind of Alien!"

Simon laughed at the funny depiction of how an Alien supposedly moved according to Willow. He took the same pose as she had before; he pulled his legs up to his chest and hugged his legs with his arms, noticing how his breath created a misty cloud in the cold air.

"I do, actually! It seems highly illogical that it should be only us, like you said. But if it is, then you're my favorite alien!", he said and laughed. Then he frowned and pretended to look worried as he continued: "But, please don't abduct me in your spaceship with your laser beam. I kind of like it here on Earth." He paused for a moment, his smile fading. “Anyway, that’s enough of me talking about space. So, what are your favorite subjects on Hogwarts, so far?" (Hoax returned after another short flight and landed on the backrest beside him). "Hey, boy", he whispered before looking back at Willow, smiling curiously.

Simon really enjoyed this moment. This was precisely that kind of recreation he needed to get a pause from all the hard work he had put in his studies during these first two weeks. Moreover, Willow seemed to have this particular ability of stripping him from all the facades and attempts of either fitting in, trying to prove himself or thinking about what was the most proper action in a given situation to not do anything wrong. He did not have friends like that in Edinburgh.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

"I do, actually! It seems highly illogical that it should be only us, like you said." Simon answered Willow's question laughing along at her silly actions. "But if it is, then you're my favorite alien!" She smiled and laughing harder when he continued, "But please don't abduct me in your spaceship with your laser beam. I kind of like it here on Earth."

When they're laughs finally faded out, Simon said, "Anyway, that’s enough of me talking about space. So, what are your favorite subjects on Hogwarts, so far?" She thought for a while as Simon sat down hugging his knees close to his chest, she could tell he was cold. She smiled a little as she saw Hoax coming back and perched next to him. Willow sat next to Simon mimicking his position, squeezing close to him and shifted the jacket so that it was on both of them, even though only half of their backs were under the jacket's warmth, it was better than seeing him getting cold when she's the one who forgot to get her jacket and he offered her his. "Hmm.... I think it would be Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, it's just seeing the magic happen right in front of you and learning how to be able to use it, it's so fascinating and exciting!" She stopped then added, "I mean two weeks ago I had no idea magic was even real! But here I am, right now, in a school For magic!"

She chuckled and thought how lucky she was, she could have easily turned out like her older siblings, but no, she was a witch, she had magic, and well, she was really thankful for that. She wouldn't be sitting here right now if it weren't for her having magical abilities. She smiled looking at Simon before looking back at the night sky. She was even more thankful for having him as her friend, she really felt comfortable in his company. Even though they barely met a day ago, she felt as if she had known him her whole life by the comfort she had in his presence. Usually, it would take Willow some time to warm up to others, but that wasn't the case with Simon.

@ Simon Tilia

When Willow put half of his jacket back on his back, he did not hesitate. It was quickly becoming cold in just his thin blue sweater, and besides, he preferred sharing it rather than taking turns. That seemed more like something two friends would do, and was a sign of their forming friendship.

"Hmm... I think it would be Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration", she said. "It's just seeing the magic happen right in front of you and learning how to be able to use it, it's so fascinating and exciting! I mean two weeks ago I had no idea magic was even real! But here I am, right now, in a school For magic!"

"Wait", said Simon. "You did not know...? Oh! You are a Muggle-born. You're from London, right? Judging by your accent." The fact that she must be a Muggle-born made Willow all the more interesting to him. He awaited her answer before continuing: "Tell me about your family, what is was like growing up there."

He realized there were so many things he did not know about her, and he was not going to find out unless he asked. All he knew about her family was that Willow had a lot of brothers, but just how many he did not know. (He still had that picture in his head where the brothers were running in a circle like bear cubs under a tree where Willow was sitting). He wondered if they too had dark brown hair and freckles. As that thought crossed his mind, his eyes wandered over the freckles over her nose and cheeks, looking almost like a reflection of the starry night sky behind her.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

"Wait! You did not know...?" Simon said as he looked at her confused before he got it, "Oh! You are a Muggle-born. You're from London, right? Judging by your accent." Willow looked at him smiling but had an eyebrow raised. "Well yeah...I thought you knew! But now that I think of it, it would be weird if you knew without me telling. Was I like supposed to?" She said all too fast, then she added, "And I assume you are a..." She didn't quite remember what they called them, but she tried, "...pure, pure...born , was it pure-born?... pure-wizard? I don't know, something like that..." She winced at how bad she was at this before looking at Simon and chuckling, she waited to see if she was accurate.

"Tell me about your family, what was it like growing up there." He asked her sounding quite interested. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of her family, her messy large family.

"Well..." She started, thinking of how she could describe it," It's so messy and... and crowded you can barely sit in your room for a minute before someone bursts in through the door" She laughed as she talked on, grinning," there's like barely any privacy... It's like never peaceful, even at night, you could be yelling to each other from their bedrooms having some random conversation about...Cats!", she laughed some more, "They can all be so annoying sometimes, like seriously, but..." she stopped laughing and her voice was softer, the same smile still plastered on her face, "But it's so cozy and safe when we're all together, It's like nothing can hurt you, cause they would always be there for you...We complement each other so well that...that it's like we're all one-person and each one of us is a body part and we need each other to function properly... " Her smile faded as she realized that she wasn't there with them, she hoped they were okay without her there. She shook her head out of her thoughts back to reality.

"What about yours?" She smiled brightly at him.

@ Simon Tilia

"And I assume you are a... pure, pure... born, was it pure-born? ... pure-wizard? I don't know, something like that..."

Simon chuckled. "Half-blood, actually!"

She was quite cute as she struggled to find the right word for it and he realized that despite his lacking knowledge and insight, having wandered on the edge between the Muggle world and the Wizarding world for so long, he realized that he must know more about the Wizarding world than Willow. He had not expected that given how brilliantly she seemed to be doing in class.

As Willow told him about her family, he wondered what it would be like to visit her in London, but thinking of the many brothers, he wondered if they would get any opportunity to be alone, or if there would only be these constant interruptions with teasing and fighting.

"... But it's so cozy and safe when we're all together, It's like nothing can hurt you, cause they would always be there for you... We complement each other so well that... that it's like we're all one-person and each one of us is a body part and we need each other to function properly... What about yours?"

"You really do seem like a nice and coherent family", he said with a smile, thinking that sort of bond was something he was lacking with his own big sister. "Well, my mother is a Muggle. She's from Norway and my father lived in London before they met. Then they moved to Edinburgh for her studies and had my sister. Her name is Clara. She is eight years older than me. Then she got an employment at the university, so they stayed. My dad works at the Ministry, but that is not a problem since he could just use the Floo powder network to –" He looked at Willow, unsure of whether she knew what that was. "Floo powder is like a... Like a magical dust you use to transport yourself between connected fireplaces. Yeah. So that's why I don't have a clearcut Scottish accent." He laughed a little. "It's like a mixture of dialects. My parents are great, perhaps dad is a bit boring but my mom is quite cool... So, yeah." Simon took a breather and smiled, before adding: "If you'd like, you could totally come visit us some time. I think my parents would have loved that."

Hoax flapped his wings.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

Willow smiled at Simon as he talked about his family. When he mentioned the Floo powder, she gave him a little confused look. He glanced at her and started explaining it in a way as simple as possible,"Floo powder is ...Like a magical dust you use to transport yourself between connected fireplaces." It was really interesting, it's like having superpowers well the whole magic thing was like having superpowers, and well, in that case teleportation...through fireplaces. She wondered if it works on every fireplace or only on like wizard made ones. 'It would be cool if I could teleport from home to anywhere in the world through only the fireplace. But he did say that they were connected so probably not...'

He continued a bit as he talked about his family and then finally added, "If you'd like, you could totally come visit us some time. I think my parents would have loved that." Simon smiled at her as she answered, "I'd love to! If that's okay with your family of course!" She tried to imagine Simon's family, and his daily life that was probably full of magic for the everyday tasks. She had an image pop in her head of the both of them standing in Simon's backyard brushing their teeth and stargazing with Hoax on there side. The night sky was probably so clear from over there. Another image popped in her head, but this one was of them at her house and so she said "And I'm sure that you could visit too if you want! Your always welcome to come whenever, you just have to show up at the doorstep or the fireplace in your case." She chuckled, "But you'd have to get used to the loudness, just a little and by that I mean a lot!" She gave him a sheepish smile.

@Simon Tilia

"I'd love to! If that's okay with your family of course!"

A warmness spread in Simon's stomach. To be willing to hang out with him even outside Hogwarts was a true sign of their growing friendship.

"Oh, yes. I wouldn't even have to ask. My parents are very hospitable", he said. "And I bet both of them would be really glad if I brought a friend from Hogwarts. I have never seen my dad so proud as when we realized I had inherited his magical abilities, and honestly, my mother was surprisingly happy too. They would be very curious to meet you."

"... And I'm sure that you could visit too if you want! You're always welcome to come whenever, you just have to show up at the doorstep or the fireplace in your case. But you'd have to get used to the loudness, just a little and by that I mean a lot!"

"I'd love that. And that's completely fine", Simon said, laughing. When his laughter faded he noticed something on the sky, in the corner of his eye. He instinctively looked. "Oh! Shooting star." He nodded in the direction, still with his arms around his crossed legs. "Did you see it?"

With his eyes still fixed on the sky, soon another shooting star struck through the sky. Then another. And a couple of them.

"Wow! Didn't think we would get to see a meteor shower tonight", said Simon with slight fascination, before looking at Willow. "Hey. Perhaps we can visit each other during the Christmas holidays?"

Then he hesitated for a moment, thinking he got ahead of himself. After all, it was a long time till Christmas, and they were only in the beginning of their friendship. He did not want to seem clingy or anything. Perhaps Willow and her family had other plans. Simon’s family rarely had, though, except for Christmas and New Years Eve.

"... I mean, if there's time. If it's possible. And if we, you, would want to. Yeah", he added, preparing to hear about their plans to travel to the Caribbean or something.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

"Oh! Shooting Star. Did you see it?" Simon said focusing his gaze on the night sky. Willow quickly turned her head towards it too. She had missed the one Simon had seen. When she was about to turn back at him pouting ready to tell him she missed it, another shooting star sped across the clear night. And it was followed by another and another. Willow had never seen something so pure, yet it gave of so much power. It was beautiful. And again, she felt as if her voice had been stolen along with her breath.

"Wow! Didn't think we would see a meteor shower tonight." Simon said as they both stared at it. Then he turned towards her and said, "Hey. Perhaps we can visit each other during the Christmas holidays?" She smiled but before she could answer he added, "... I mean, if there's time. If it's possible. And if we, you, would want to. Yeah"

She chuckled a little before answering, "Well on my side, it's technically A-Okay! During the holiday, my parents are traveling to the Caribbean, but they don't know that... It's a Christmas gift from us. Each one of us saved up so that they can have this trip, they really need a break you know. We also planned that each one will stay with someone they know, most of my brothers were going to their friends' houses, and well I was planning on staying at my aunt's. But I mean now that well you're, you know, em...well we sure can visit each other during the holiday..."

She continued after taking a breath, "Well, my parents will be here for Christmas though, so if you want you can visit for Christmas and I for New Year, if you don't mind of course, if you so I still have my aunt and well you know..." She blinked a couple of times, and chuckled at her awkwardness "Well, of course we can visit each other during the Christmas holiday!" She smiled as her honey eyes met up with his ocean blue ones.

@Simon Tilia

"... We also planned that each one will stay with someone they know, most of my brothers were going to their friends' houses, and well I was planning on staying at my aunt's. But I mean now that well you're, you know, em..."

You can come stay with us! Simon thought to himself. (If he had not bit himself in the tongue he would have said it out loud). This was the most perfect opportunity for them to spend time with each other during the holidays.

"... well we sure can visit each other during the holiday... Well, my parents will be here for Christmas though, so if you want you can visit for Christmas and I for New Year, if you don't mind of course, if you so I still have my aunt and well you know..."

He was not sure exactly where she was getting at, whether the aunt would be involved somehow or not, but that did not matter. The fact that Willow wanted him to come visit her in London, and that she was willing to visit him in Edinburgh, was all he needed to hear.

"... Well, of course we can visit each other during the Christmas holiday!", she added.

"That's so nice! I would love that. Truly", he said smiling from ear to ear. "And while we're in London, we could go see my sister. And I'm sure you can stay with us at New Years Eve, if you want to. Perhaps the fireworks aren't as special in Edinburgh as in London, but... I'll think you'll like it there too!"

Flashing images of him visiting Willow's family went through his head. Meeting her noisy brothers, her Muggle parents, seeing London again. Then packing their bags before going to his place where he would show Willow his house, the many rooms and artifacts his dad had collected from his various trips around the world, their big backyard, the lush forest around their home, which was beautifully covered in frost during the winters... But all that would have to wait. After all, it was still three months left until Christmas Break.

"Anyway. We should probably start heading back, don't you think?", said Simon, squinting with his eyes as a chilly wind blew by. "Before either of us catch a cold."

That was his rational mind speaking, because deep inside, he felt as if he could sit here and watch the stars all night.

Interacting with @Willow Blake

"That's so nice! I would love that. Truly." Simon answered smiling widely, Willow mirrored him a smile just as bright, "And while we're in London, we could go see my sister. And I'm sure you can stay with us at New Years Eve, if you want to. Perhaps the fireworks aren't as special in Edinburgh as in London, but... I'll think you'll like it there too!" A warm feeling consumed her, and some images crossed her mind.

She chuckled then said, "You know, my brothers are going to be so excited to know an actual wizard is staying at our house. Gosh they're not going to shut up about it for a while in the night convos when I inform them about your visit. Good thing I won't be there to hear them converse about it..." But deep inside she obviously missed her family, even the annoying mornings where you never need an alarm clock to wake you up because you have them shouting to one another, talking about whatever, or even their late-night conversations about the most random thought that crossed their minds.

Her Hogwarts Express of thoughts was cut off when Simon started to speak again, "Anyways. We should probably start heading back don't you think? Before either of us catch a cold." She nodded her head as she stood up from the jacket's slight warmth and she said hugging her arms together, "Yeah, and plus I think it's almost curfew." She glanced one last time at the beautiful view before they both made their way down the stairs. She waved at him as they bid each other goodnight and went their own ways towards each of their common rooms.

Willow made her way towards her dorm still thinking about this wonderful night she got to spend with Simon a smile plastered on her face.

@Simon Tilia