Shining a Light on a Dark Situation

It was well after bedtime, but Ryan had plans of his own and they did not involve sleeping. Exploring the castle at night was spooky yet exciting, which gave him a rush of adrenaline. He wasn't worried about getting caught, he could take a detention. He had heard about the vampire that once roamed the halls, it got capture but what if there were other things going bump in the night? He was a bit nervous after the warnings from the Fee, but he wasn't one to back out.

He just couldn't get caught by any roaming professors and prefects. Why did they have to go to bed so early anyway? With his wand in his hand, he left his dorm quietly and keep going until he got to the hall. It was quiet and dark. "Lumos," he whispered. The tip of his wand lit up and he was ready to go.

Prefectship was supposed to be fun but Fiona found some aspects of it such a bore. One of those were night-time patrols. What did they think was going to be out and about at this hour? Rats? Well there were some students who thought sneaking out was fun. Fiona, who loved her sleep to much, didn't. And this was cutting into her minimal study/sleep time. She yawned as she walked down the unlit hallway. No need to light up and make it easier for any rule breaking students. She almost laughed at that with the number of rules she'd broken over the years.

Fiona stopped in her tracks as she caught a light flare up ahead of her. "Trying to break into the Cerisier dorms or do you live there?" she asked the owner of the lit wand. Another downside to night time patrols. If she did find someone there were no house colours on display to tell. Fiona had to rely on her memory instead.

He knew he was caught when the Montagnard prefect came up to him. He had to play it innocent even though he knew he wouldn't get in much trouble. He could make a run for it, but that meant more trouble for him. Playing innocent was a better idea. He had to think of something on the spot or he would totally get caught in the lie. "I...I had a nightmare and the only person that helps me calm down is my brother." No names, no figuring out who he was.

"Well, are you going to get on my case for trying to calm down from a terrible dream?" Turning the tables was a good idea. "Or are you going to let me go see my brother?" He knew how to cry on demand to get people to feel sorry for him, tears came to his eyes and he sniffed. "Isn't there someone you look up to? They make you feel better by just being there." Of course his brother made him feel better just by his presence, but he didn't need his presence at the moment. He wiped the tears from his eyes and pouted. "May I please go see my brother?"

Fiona felt a pang of compassion for the boy. "I've never had a nightmare but it must have been rather terrifying. However, you really shouldn't be out walking the halls at night. You may find your nightmares become reality." She may have felt compassion but Fiona had no idea how to handle someone who was upset by bad dreams. "There are some wonderful prefects in the Cerisier dorms whom I'm sure could do as good a job. At least one of them isn't on patrol. You are in Cerisier aren't you?"

She considered his request. "Well," she began slowly, "I am going back to the Montagnard dorms about now. You can come with me. It's the only way you'll be allowed to go anywhere through these corridors." There was a niggling feeling though that even going with her rules were still being broken. The curfew to leave the other house dorms was past but Fiona also thought rules needed to be broken in times of need. And this boy looked like he was in need.

"I should be getting to my brother," he crossed his arms and pouted. "It's not my fault he's in the other house." Her warning didn't affect him, he wasn't scared of the consequences of being caught out of bed. "I want my brother," Ryan repeated. No way was he giving out any information, if he did she would know more about him. And he didn't plan on seeing her after today. "I'm going to get my brother."

He was starting to actually want his brother, he would make the girl go away and leave him alone. "I will go by myself, I don't need help. I'm a big kid, I can fend for myself." He began to walk away, away from the Cerisier dorms. He didn't need anyone's help and he wasn't about to get in trouble. He wasn't planning on going to his brother's dorm, but the girl didn't need to know that.

"Oh stop acting like a little brat," Fiona said irritably. This kid was worse than Grace and Fiona had a very strong urge to hex him or at least bind him up and send him back to bed in the Cerisier dorms. It was obvious by now that was where he was from. Fiona no longer cared that he had a nightmare. She just wanted to be rid of him, preferably not in a place where she might get into trouble for missing a truant on her rounds.

Fiona huffed and stormed after him. "I don't care that you don't need help. This is about school rules. Not you wanting your own way you little delinquent. And you are not a big kid." She stepped closer to him. "I am bigger than you and magically stronger. I could bind you up with ease and put you back into your dorm. What's more I wouldn't get into trouble for it because I was doing my job. Dare to risk it now?"