picture perfect memories

Charlotte leaned on the balcony and gazed at the moon and stars, shining so brightly in the sky. It was really a perfect night. Not as cold as the previous days had been, a full moon, no clouds could be seen. She raised her camera and took a picture - not the Muggle pictures, one of those moving, magical ones. She had finally figured out how to do that and, ever since, those were the only kind of pictures she took.

She'd have to send them to her parents later. They were wanting pictures of her lately. Her life, her school, her friends. . . She bit her lips and frowned - did she have any friends? She talked to a couple of students, sure, but where were her real friends?

Jess breathed out a heavy sigh as she reached the top step of the clock tower. It only took long enough. The walk from the dungeons to the top of this place wasn't one to be taken alone in the dark, she decided as she pulled her cardigan tighter around herself. It was cold to her. But so were most things. Even sitting by the fire felt cold these days...

It took for the Slytherin to nearly knock Charlotte over to realise she was there. Wandering aimlessly was always a hobby of Jess's, even if it was just around a small room. "Sorry, didn't realise you were here," she half-smiled and looked up at the stars. "How are you not freezing to death?"

At the sound of footsteps and heavy sighing, Charlotte's eyes went from her camera to the Slytherin girl walking up to the clock tower. She didn't think many people would be out and was surprised to find that the girl was actually Jessica. She hadn't seen her in a while.

Lost in the thought, it seemed, the girl nearly crashed into her before finally realizing she was there. The Ravenclaw hadn't even noticed she had been that quiet. "It's okay," she gave her a smile and shrugged, "It's not that cold. At least, not to me." She did have a long-sleeved shirt on, and jeans, but that was it. And, to her, that was more than enough. Apparently, not to the other girl.

Suddenly, thoughts flooded Jess's head. She hadn't spoken to anyone in ages. She'd rarely left the Slytherin Dungeons, come to think of it, and really that wasn't the best thing for her to do. Why hadn't she even bothered to do anything all year? Why hadn't she Owled her dad yet? Was her dad even still sane? Probably not... He hadn't been right lately. He was probably right on the way to a mental institute. That was, if he was even still alive. Once again, probably not.

"What're you doing up here then? I thought your tower provided quite the view," she smiled as she watched something shoot across the sky. It must be nice to be able to go anywhere you want. Freedom. Yeah, that sounded fun... "Eh, maybe it's just my cold blood making me feel frozen, then," she laughed.

Charlotte shrugged and looked back at the sky, leaning on the balcony once again to watch the stars. "Too crowded," she told her, "Plus, I like the fresh air, the cool breeze in the night... Not that the common room isn't nice, it's pretty perfect if you ask me, but everyone needs a break sometimes."

"What about you?" she asked, turning to the girl, "I know you can't see the stars from the dungeons, but I've always wondered what the view from your common room was. Is it true you can see inside the lake, or are people just making up stuff, again?"

She smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Cold blooded just because you're a snake?"

"Yeah, crowded rooms sorta suck. It sounds dumb, but I always feel alone in crowded rooms, you know? And the fresh air thing, I totally get. People in my house wear WAY too much perfume," she said with a light laugh. It was true, the place reeked of expensive, thick, rich perfume and ugh, it made the Slytherin want to vomit all over the place. Why did they even feel the need to smother themselves in it anyway? Do they not need to breathe?

"Well, I just needed space. I get a bit claustrophobic stuck in there, all underground and stuff. Yeah, we can see under the lake. I swear that giant squid has feelings for me," she laughed again, leaning against a railing and crossing her arms. "He always comes to the glass when I'm in the common room, you see. It's sorta dark in there, and if it's pitch black then it's sorta creepy. Good place to play murder in the dark, I guess," she added with a twinkle in her now light blue eyes.

With a grin, Jess returned the other girl's expression. "No, cold blooded because I'm me."

She smirked a little.

"I know the feeling," Charlotte nodded in agreement, "But then again, it may be because I don't know many people, and I don't feel comfortable starting a conversation with strangers." She chuckled and shook her head, "Thank God we don't have that in our common room, must be an awful smell. Most of the Slytherins are purebloods, though aren't they? Maybe they're rich and trying to show everyone else they can buy fancy perfumes."

"That's got to be weird," she said and bit her lips with a small shudder, "I'm not claustrophobic or anything, but I really can't see how you guys can stand being down there. Just imagining a pitch black room, underground, with a giant squid makes me feel all weird." She shrugged, "But I guess being able to see the lake is fun."

The Ravenclaw's eyes met the Slytherin's and, after a few moments, she looked away, back at the stars. "You're not cold-blooded. I don't think so."

"I know plenty of people, but whether or not I like them is a totally different kettle of fish," Jess grinned, mentally listing all the people that she hated. By the time she'd gotten through all the Muggles in the neighborhood, she had to think of a response. "Yeah, I guess. I don't understand the insanity though, why would you make yourself smell awful just to make yourself seem cool? I thought that was what dressing like a boss was for? It smells awful in there," she chuckled, scrunching her nose up for emphasis.

"Oh, it is. It's nearly always empty, though, and I don't get why. It's a little awkward though, when you wake up from a nap and BAM, you find a squid just staring at you. Like I say, it can be pretty cool at times. It's not all black; we've got a fire going down there and you can see well enough. But spend too long down there, and then come up and look at the light, well... It sorta burns," she grinned. She'd never really talked to anyone this much before. But it wasn't so bad.

Jess looked back at Charlotte and, instead of resenting it and trying to deny what the Ravenclaw had said to her, just stayed silent. Inwardly, she'd always been sort of cold-hearted. And never given much of a stuff about anyone else...

"Thanks..." she said quietly.

Charlotte smiled along with her, but there was not a way she could relate. She didn't think there was anyone she hated, not even people like Sienna Campbell. While she disliked the girl, it was only because she had never been nice to her. If one day that changed, Charlotte was sure they'd get along well. She could never understand why Sienna was so rude towards her in the first place, she had never disrespected her in any way. "Some people don't understand that none of it even matters. Not the clothes, not the perfume," she shrugged, "Maybe they just think the stronger they smell, the more they receive attention." How could she know, anyway? She wasn't friends with those kind of people.

She nodded slowly and grinned, "Wonder what he must think of you lot... You're probably his only 'company', if you could call it that. Aside from whatever else lives in the lake, of course."

"No problem," the Ravenclaw replied easily and turned back to the girl, a small frown on her face, "Do you . . . believe it, though? That you're cold-blooded."

Jess nodded a little and took a deep breath to try and clear her head. At the moment, she sort of hated her father with a burning passion. It sounded harsh, really. The man had given her all she'd wanted in her life and then a little bit more, but she just didn't like him. Well, that wasn't going to change much now. Hate or love him, he wouldn't ever actually know. "Mm, yeah. Attention's pretty overrated. Why would you want everyone staring at you? It's just weird..."

"He must think we're absolutely insane," Jess grinned, adding a slight giggle before slamming her fist to her mouth. Eyes wide, she went through the words in her brain one more time. You don't giggle. You're not a girly girl. You're Jessica Lupin, and you don't giggle.

Jess turned to face the girl, a rare, deadly serious expression on her face. 'I... I don't know... Sometimes I do.' She thought of the words, and sent them to Charlotte's head. She didn't feel like saying them aloud. And plus, she didn't know if the Ravenclaw knew of her gift yet.

(ooc: just in case it didn't register, she has the power of mind messages )

Charlotte laughed softly and nodded in agreement, "Right? I don't feel comfortable with people's eyes on me, at all. They're just... staring. Watching your every move, judging whatever you do..." she trailed off and shook her head. "I'd rather just be in my corner, thank you very much."

She frowned at the girl's action and looked at her with concern, "A-Are you... um, are you alright? Did you- I don't- what's wrong?"

The Ravenclaw kept her gaze on the Slytherin, wondering what she would say. She didn't think of Jessica as cold-blooded and hoped the other girl didn't think that of herself as well. But perhaps she just saw the best in everybody - it was what her brother often told her. She gasped when she heard something in her brain and her eyes widened. "H-How... How did you do that?" she whispered.