Nighttime Wanderings

Vivianna sighed in irritation as she walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. According to the tempus charm she'd cast a few minutes prior, it was just a little bit before one in the morning. It wasn't rare for the teen to go on nighttime wanderings, but it was fairly rare for her to leave the school when doing so. The Slytherin hadn't been able to help herself though, and had wandered outside before fully realizing what she was even doing.

There was only the tiniest bit of frost covering the ground, and this saddened the redheaded girl. Vivianna had always been fond of snow, and knowing that it would be gone for months of sun caused her lips to tighten inadvertently. Her intention had been to enjoy what was left of winter, and perhaps gather some knotgrass, maybe some nettle as well, both of them being potion ingredients that grew in the forest. Considering that it was the full moon, if the teenager saw any fluxweed she would surely collect it as well, but the girl was hardly going to go looking for it, considering how hard the evasive plant was to find.

Looking up from her thoughts, Vivianna spotted the silhouette of another person. Curiosity overtaking her, the witch decided to approach the other being. Finally getting within recognizable distance, Vivianna realized that it was the newest transfer student. Plastering on a light smirk, the fifth year approached the other girl.

"Sky's clear tonight." Rika murmured softly.

This isn't good, you know. You need to start sleeping indoors. You could fall in trouble.

"Its a new place Bren." Rika's eyes skimmed restlessly over the starry heavens, even as her right hand adjusted the knob on the brass telescope propped up on a curiously flat rock. "And you know my issue with enclosed spaces."

What do you NOT have an issue with?

Rika pursed her lips slightly. "Do me a favour and shut up, will you?" Then she stiffened slightly.

Hear that?

Footsteps. Rika whirled around, and came face-to-face with an auburn-haired girl, smirking lightly at her. The green-and-silver tie peeking out from under her cloak announced she was a Slytherin. Rika fidgeted slightly. The Forbidden Forest was well.....forbidden, and she hadn't read good things about the House of Snakes. This girl wasn't a Prefect or something, was she? Bloody hell, was she going to get expelled? A traitorous part of Rika's mind felt despair at the thought, yes, she did want to get out of this place as fast as possible....but...Hogwarts was fascinating. Yes, the staircases moved, for God knows what reason, walls pretended to be doors, her new dorm-mate was a nightmare, a classic witch of yore, but Rika didn't fancy not even lasting a night in this place.

Rika unconsciously assumed an almost defensive stance, her voice carefully neutral, "Uhm...hello."

"Hello," Vivianna returned neutrally, eyeing up the girl in front of her as well as she could in the darkness. The Slytherin relyed so much on her ability to read other's faces, that she hadn't even considered that such a thing wouldn't be possible for this encounter. If the teenager hadn't already been displeased, she definately would be now with her lack of foresight. The moon provided enough light to see all but the smallest of details, so it would look very odd for her to light her wand.

"Breaking curfew on your first night here, are you positive you're a Ravenclaw and not a Gryffindor? Or perhaps it was Ravenclaw curiosity?" the witch asked teasingly. Vivianna had always been very good at gravitating towards what she considered interesting people, and someone who joined the school this late in the year, was definitely something to be interested in.

The witch had been about to open her mouth to say something further, when a twig snapped from not far behind the two girls. Whirling around, Vivianna smiled when she realized that it was only her cat, Strike. The teenager was about to lean down to pet the creature, when she noticed that he carried what looked like a dead bat in his jaws. Wincing a bit as Strike proudly dropped the dead animal in front of her, the girl let herself chuckle for a moment.

"Strike," she said softly, "you really don't need to show me all your kills, I am more than aware how well you can look out for yourself." Her pet, who was slightly larger than the average feline, was something of a scary bedtime story in the Slytherin house. The animal had been spotted, more than once, taking down prey at least his own size, and had a tendency to leave scars on all who dared approach him but his owner. Vivianna still hadn't decided whether to be horrified or amused at the whole situation.

Ok, careful now. Don't say anything, anything at all, to make things look suspicious. Rika had already been treated to a gawk-fest earlier this morning in the corridor, focus of which was her of course, and she needed to say something nice and simple which would eliminate her as a point of interest. She began carefully, "I like outdoors. Outdoors are good. I watch stars. Stars are nice."

Well done, asshat. What about a sentence which, oh you know, DOESN'T sound like one from primary school?

Rika gritted her teeth, and oh joy oh joy, the cat arrived on scene and the girl turned away, so Rika was free to whisper rather furiously, "I'm trying to be normal here Bren, can you shut your trap for one bloody second?"

Too loud.

Ugh. Rika resisted the urge to stomp her feet in fury. Maybe she should publish an ad in the wizarding version of the Times- Prophet right? "Imaginary friend required. Calm, quiet, respectful Astronomy-enthusiast, with the ability to know when her opinion is not required..

The girl turned around again, and Rika smiled quickly, voice tending to harried. "I'm...I'm sorry if I'm breaking any rules. I just came out here to stargaze. I'll go away if you want." Then in a side-voice to Brenda, "Non-primary enough for you?"

As Vivianna's back was turned, she heard the new girl say something lowly. Straining her ears, the teenager managed to make out the name Bren. Narrowing her eyes, was there someone else there? The girl made a mental note to keep an ear out. She turned back around.

The new girl rushed out something about breaking rules, stargazing, and leaving. Vivianna could have sworn that there was something else tacked onto the end, but if there was she didn't catch it. "You don't need to leave, it's not like I'd report you, I'm breaking the rules too," the Slytherin said, amused.

"Stars are cool, but I've always preferred to be up high and looking down at the view then the other way around," the witch informed simply, "what's your name? I'm afraid I've forgotten."

Vivianna had been paying attention to the gossip of a new Rawenclaw earlier, and the only new face in Hogwarts stood out enough, but the name had managed to slip her mind. It annoyed the teenager to no end when she forgot important details like that. From looking at her, the girl seemed around her age, so they'd likely share classes.

Rika felt the other girl's gaze sweep over her with growing anxiety. The Slytherin was suspicious. And smart. Not a good combination.

But looking at the brighter side, she was not a Prefect on her rounds, as she admitted to breaking rules too. Looking back on it, Rika felt a little foolish for assuming. Even if she was a Prefect, why the hell would she patrol the Forest? It was forbidden for all students, Prefects and likewise. Lost in her musings, Rika voiced in a rather unmindful tone, "Uh...Erika. Erika Dixon."

What a coward.

Rika's eyes narrowed. Her mouth barely moved while replying, "What did you say?"

Why in the name of all that's holy are you scared of her? Of everyone here? She's your own age for goodness' sake! What could she possibly do to you?

Rika's voice climbed in pitch, "I'm not scared of her!"

You could've fooled me.

"God, why don't you understand Bren?" An entire day of treading on thin glass, hanging on tenterhooks, was taking its toll on Rika. She couldn't be bothered to keep her voice down, "I wanna get out of here! She's a bloody witch, she could do anything, she could turn me to- "

God, you're a witch too Rika!

"NO I'M NOT! I'M NOT! DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN!" The scream echoed in the ringing forest. Rika was breathing fast, heavily, fists clenched so hard that her nails dug into her palm, knuckles turning white. She breathed frantically for a few seconds, before a cold hand gripped her heart.

The witch was still here. Standing in front of her. And unless she suffered from occasional, temporary bouts of deafness, she had heard...she had heard....

Rika wondered if it was possible to disappear into the ground.

When the girl introduced herself, Vivianna nodded. It hadn't been very intelligent of her to forget the student's name. The Slytherin's specialty was names and faces and backgrounds, the girl kept tabs on half the school! She'd prided herself in being able to learn the names of the entire Slytherin first year class, and a handful of other first years, before the Welcome Feast was over this year. Now she couldn't remember a single name? Clearly, she was loosing her touch.

The witch had knelt down to scratch Strike's one black ear, when Erika began talking again. Glancing up, the Ravenclaw appeared to be talking... to herself? Vivianna slowly stood up when she heard the name Bren, again. Vivianna almost took, but refused herself, a half step back when the new student started screaming.

The Slytherin's mind was racing a mile a minute. She'd heard legends of invisible ghosts who would only haunt one person, of curses that gave you extra voices in your head, even read an article on a little girl who's magic had created a poltergeist for her to talk to in the face of her loneliness. Was it possible that Erika could be the victim of one of these problems? Possible, yes.

Not wanting to isolate the girl, figuring that she was likely already confused enough about this Bren, Vivianna just smiled. "Can anyone else hear Bren?" the Slytherin forced herself to ask calmly, possibilities still running through her head.

Loony. Mad. Insane. Weird. Rika was prepared for everyone, and all of these insults.

What she wasn't prepared for was a somewhat calm, almost curious question of whether anyone else could hear Bren.

Rika blinked once, twice, then so many times that her eyelids were flapping down and about uncontrollably. She shook her head, banged on her right ear, then her left ear, and stared at the Slytherin girl again. Then an almost unnoticeable pinch to her left arm. Rika winced. Then her mouth dropped open when she realised that the question was neither misheard, nor dreamed. She hadn't ruled out possibility number three: Products of an over-active imagination, yet, but as there was no possible way of verifying that, Rika would just have to accept the question at face value.

"No." Rika was shocked to feel her mouth moving. "Only I talk to Brenda......Brenda Wilson. She's Canadian, blonde, loves toboga-" Rika bit her tongue, hard. Shock was doing dangerous things to her brain.

The next sentences were spouted off in a rush, "Anywaynicetomeetyoubye." She turned around, and began sprinting into the Forest.

At Erika's response, Vivianna mentally confirmed her own suspicions. Bren wasn't just something to call an invisible voice. It had a full name, appearance, nationality, likes, probably dislikes too. This was worse than the Slytherin had thought, something was definitely affecting this new student. The witch almost felt bad for the other girl, she probably thought she was crazy!

Before the teenager could even open her mouth to respond, the Ravenclaw had spat out something that sounded like was nice ta meet ya bie, and rushed off. Vivianna froze for a moment in confusion, before taking off after her. The new student probably thought that she thought she was insane. Well, the girl would just have to fix that.

Finally catching up with her year mate, panting slightly, the Slytherin grabbed the wrist of the other female to halt her. "Look," Vivianna said understandingly, "Bren goes where you go, so what?"

So what? So what?

Her head was spinning. Rika fought the urge to sit down where she was.

The situation demanded immediate response though, and she could not afford to be slow, "So...you're....okay with that?" Brenda growled in her head at the question. What's for her to be okay with? Its your head, your wish to talk to whoever you want!

Rika shook her head minutely though. Bren wouldn't understand. People around her were never okay with her talking to Brenda, even if it was her head and her wish. In fact, they made doubly sure to demonstrate to Rika on how exactly not okay they were with it, with jeers and insults and cries of 'schizo' and 'loony'. Rika winced, the pranks, the horrible, cruel pranks. And here was a girl who seemed like she could be neutral to the entire idea.... of course she had to ask the girl if she was okay with it.