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The balcony located on the fourth floor is one of the few balconies in the castle. In an opening along the corridor, on the opposite side of the castle from the library, is where you can find this particular balcony. If you ever need a break from doing that lengthy Arithmancy homework or need a place to relax with a friend, this balcony is a great place to get a few minutes of fresh air before getting back to work again.
You will notice that you are approaching the balcony when you can feel a slight change in temperature. During the autumn and spring seasons, the breezes that come through this opening are inviting. The winter months, however, bring forth a chill, even with the nearby torches being lit. No matter the temperature, the fourth-floor balcony always provides some of the most breathtaking sights of the grounds below and mountains beyond as well as a clear view of the Whomping Willow in all of her glory. Keep note that it does get a little wet here when it rains, so make sure you conjure an umbrella.
Poppy slowly made her way down to the fourth-floor corridor, occasionally looking out the windows to get a better look at the grounds. She wished to be outside enjoying the warm weather before it turned cold but found herself lost again. Whenever she thought she had figured out her way around this mountainous castle, she ended up somewhere new and that was how she ended up here, in this particular section of the corridor. She wondered if anyone could tell how lost she was by her frantic looks and how she occasionally stopped to look around.
At some point, she felt the temperature change as she neared the balcony and the breeze that swept across her face was exactly what she needed. Without thinking, Poppy quickened her pace until she wandered onto the balcony.
“Finally! Some fresh air.” She sighed to herself before taking a deep breath. She walked over to the railing and leaned over on tip-toe.
HeadGirlMC | Treddie & Trixiver <3 | Copy Girl | Katie's Ickle Minion | I love YOU more
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Marmalade
Poppy slowly made her way down to the fourth-floor corridor, occasionally looking out the windows to get a better look at the grounds. She wished to be outside enjoying the warm weather before it turned cold but found herself lost again. Whenever she thought she had figured out her way around this mountainous castle, she ended up somewhere new and that was how she ended up here, in this particular section of the corridor. She wondered if anyone could tell how lost she was by her frantic looks and how she occasionally stopped to look around.
At some point, she felt the temperature change as she neared the balcony and the breeze that swept across her face was exactly what she needed. Without thinking, Poppy quickened her pace until she wandered onto the balcony.
“Finally! Some fresh air.” She sighed to herself before taking a deep breath. She walked over to the railing and leaned over on tip-toe.
The weather was still remarkably warm for the time of year and the grounds were looking rather spectacular in their full summer bloom before the crispness of autumn took over. Apollonia had decided to take herself on a walk around the castle in between lessons, strolling up the few flights of stairs from her office on the first floor up to the fourth where the balcony view afforded her a perfect vista across the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately navigating the stairs wasn’t quite as easy as it had been during her schooling years or else she might’ve taken the effort to traipse up one of the towers. Her fellow Professors had the right idea with becoming an Animagus, using wings or four legs to take some of the load off but quite frankly she could not be bothered with the effort one had to go through to accomplish such great lengths.
Instead Fergersnout was quite satisfied with the location she had chosen and it was evident from the loud humming that was coming from the History of Magic Professors mouth. If it wasn’t obvious from the surprised look on her face as she stepped out ready to burst into a full operatic aria, the balcony was usually void of other people and yet there was a small student standing before her peering over the edge.
“Don’t look over too far, I haven’t used a cushioning charm in a number of years” she chortled. In fact she wasn’t sure if she could recall the incantation for it either, it never really came in necessary for her area of expertise. Thankfully the railing was high and the child was small and such an event was highly unlikely to happen.
The weather was still remarkably warm for the time of year and the grounds were looking rather spectacular in their full summer bloom before the crispness of autumn took over. Apollonia had decided to take herself on a walk around the castle in between lessons, strolling up the few flights of stairs from her office on the first floor up to the fourth where the balcony view afforded her a perfect vista across the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately navigating the stairs wasn’t quite as easy as it had been during her schooling years or else she might’ve taken the effort to traipse up one of the towers. Her fellow Professors had the right idea with becoming an Animagus, using wings or four legs to take some of the load off but quite frankly she could not be bothered with the effort one had to go through to accomplish such great lengths.
Instead Fergersnout was quite satisfied with the location she had chosen and it was evident from the loud humming that was coming from the History of Magic Professors mouth. If it wasn’t obvious from the surprised look on her face as she stepped out ready to burst into a full operatic aria, the balcony was usually void of other people and yet there was a small student standing before her peering over the edge.
“Don’t look over too far, I haven’t used a cushioning charm in a number of years” she chortled. In fact she wasn’t sure if she could recall the incantation for it either, it never really came in necessary for her area of expertise. Thankfully the railing was high and the child was small and such an event was highly unlikely to happen.
Poppy eyes were wide with awe as she surveyed the grounds. It was amazing, she couldn’t wait to have more time to explore. Nothing was better than spending time outside and enjoying everything nature had to offer. She would have been down there right now had she not gotten lost, but finding this balcony had more than made up for it. It had allowed her to see exactly where she wanted to go.
Wait! What? Did that tree move?
She was still staring at the Whomping Willow when a laughing voice spoke behind her. A little startled, she quickly turned to face the Professor, fully returning her feet firmly to the ground. “I won’t Professor,” Poppy replied with a friendly smile. “I couldn’t resist trying to get a better look at the ground.” Even with standing on tip-toe, the likeliness of falling was slim to none.
“I was on my way down to the entrance hall but I umm got lost,” Poppy admitted. You would have thought that her next question would have been to ask for directions, but instead, she pointed to the moving tree. “That tree moved!”
HeadGirlMC | Treddie & Trixiver <3 | Copy Girl | Katie's Ickle Minion | I love YOU more
Apollonia hadn’t intended on startling the poor first year, she assumed that her loud humming was indicative enough that there was someone coming. Nor was she telling the child off, it was more of a joking warning. “The view is even better from the Astronomy tower, if you have the energy or motivation to climb up there” she chuckled. “Your young bones might be okay but these old knees need a break halfway.” That was her excuse anyway and she was sticking to it.
Fergersnout wasn’t surprised that the first years often found themselves lost in the maze-like corridors of the castle. She could recall herself as an eleven-year-old Hufflepuff wandering into the Wizard Card Collectors Club accidentally one day and the rest was history. “I wouldn’t recommend exiting from this floor” Not unless she had a broom handy. She was about to offer directions down to the entrance hall when Poppy’s attention was drawn to the tree.
Had the History of Magic Professor not known exactly what the youngling was talking about she might’ve made a joke about the wind doing that to trees. “The Whomping Willow? Yes, it has a mind of its own. Careful if you approach though, it’s very defensive.” Apollonia was no Herbologist but she wouldn’t take the risk.
Brandon had been to this balcony many, many times in the past couple months. His sister had described it as a good place to be alone, and it was. In his first three years, he hadn't felt the need to be alone, or go anywhere without his two best friends, but things had changed. Xander and Evy were still the same good friends they always were... but Brandon had felt so strange after being trapped in the mirror. He needed more alone time now, time to brood think about life. So here he was.
Wearing a warm coat, with a bandage on one hand and a glove on the other, Brandon had taken a stack of healing and potions articles out on the balcony along with a warm steak sandwich and a thermos of cocoa. It wasn't exactly schoolwork... but he was done with that already, and this was how he wished to spend his free time. Alone. Doing work. In the cold. Sitting on the balcony floor, and looking at the view only sometimes. He seemed to like it.
He took a bite out of his sandwich, cold nose buried in an article about the various uses of dittany.
Brandon had been to this balcony many, many times in the past couple months. His sister had described it as a good place to be alone, and it was. In his first three years, he hadn't felt the need to be alone, or go anywhere without his two best friends, but things had changed. Xander and Evy were still the same good friends they always were... but Brandon had felt so strange after being trapped in the mirror. He needed more alone time now, time to brood think about life. So here he was.
Wearing a warm coat, with a bandage on one hand and a glove on the other, Brandon had taken a stack of healing and potions articles out on the balcony along with a warm steak sandwich and a thermos of cocoa. It wasn't exactly schoolwork... but he was done with that already, and this was how he wished to spend his free time. Alone. Doing work. In the cold. Sitting on the balcony floor, and looking at the view only sometimes. He seemed to like it.
He took a bite out of his sandwich, cold nose buried in an article about the various uses of dittany.
The library wasn’t exactly one of Sloane’s favourite places to be but she did sometimes have to go there, even if it was just to take out a book for class, today being a prime example of this. Dressed in a baggy hoodie that came down to just above her knees, her hood covering her reddish blonde hair, she wandered down from the library at a snail's pace. The slowness was a necessity so that her eyes could roam the corridors for one of those famous and apparently hard to find short cuts so she wouldn’t have to carry her backpack full of books back to her common room. This didn’t last long however due to the boy hiding away on the balcony.
Part of her was so confused because the weather had taken a plunge and it was not warm outside at all, and yet, here was this hufflepuff boy standing out on a balcony with a sandwich. Usually, she would have ignored this nonsense and just continued on her way but it had taken her off guard, so much so that she just blurted out the first thing that popped into her head.
Brandon was usually a pretty friendly person, but he really had come here to be ALONE and furthermore, this wasn't even a friendly interruption. No hello Brandon, no what are you doing right now?, no wow aren't you cold? Just an immediate 'you're so stupid'. Seriously? She sounded like his father.
His head snapped up from the page he was working on, and for a few seconds the look on his face could've killed. But Brandon was nothing if not restrained, and didn't say anything until he was sure it wouldn't come out sounding angry. The anger in his eyes faded into... something else far away, and he went back to looking at his article. "Do you always introduce yourself like that?" he asked calmly. "It's very rude. And I'm not stupid." She could count herself lucky that he did not have a short fuse or low self esteem. And now, if she'd excuse him, he had dittany to read about and a warm sandwich with cocoa to look after.
Brandon was usually a pretty friendly person, but he really had come here to be ALONE and furthermore, this wasn't even a friendly interruption. No hello Brandon, no what are you doing right now?, no wow aren't you cold? Just an immediate 'you're so stupid'. Seriously? She sounded like his father.
His head snapped up from the page he was working on, and for a few seconds the look on his face could've killed. But Brandon was nothing if not restrained, and didn't say anything until he was sure it wouldn't come out sounding angry. The anger in his eyes faded into... something else far away, and he went back to looking at his article. "Do you always introduce yourself like that?" he asked calmly. "It's very rude. And I'm not stupid." She could count herself lucky that he did not have a short fuse or low self esteem. And now, if she'd excuse him, he had dittany to read about and a warm sandwich with cocoa to look after.
Sloane watched as he turned, her expression blank and cold, much like the weather on the balcony. His reaction, whilst not surprising, did seem a little…extreme to her. Was being called stupid that bad? Raising an eyebrow, she tilted her head tilted to one side as she eyed his sceptically. Maybe the cold was getting to him.
“i’M being rude?” How could he not see the irony here? Rolling her eyes, she decided to elaborate a little further, as a favour to him. “yOU’RE sitting on a balcony in the cold. It’s stupid.” SOme may have looked at her words as mean but as ever, she only ever spoke matter-of-factly. “aND no, I don’t introduce myself tHAT way. dO you always do sTUPID things?”
Sloane watched as he turned, her expression blank and cold, much like the weather on the balcony. His reaction, whilst not surprising, did seem a little…extreme to her. Was being called stupid that bad? Raising an eyebrow, she tilted her head tilted to one side as she eyed his sceptically. Maybe the cold was getting to him.
“i’M being rude?” How could he not see the irony here? Rolling her eyes, she decided to elaborate a little further, as a favour to him. “yOU’RE sitting on a balcony in the cold. It’s stupid.” SOme may have looked at her words as mean but as ever, she only ever spoke matter-of-factly. “aND no, I don’t introduce myself tHAT way. dO you always do sTUPID things?”
Yes, being called stupid was that bad. To him. Brandon chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking about his anger management strategies and remaining calm and why it was wrong to shout at younger students when he was a fourth year. He tried his best to use a soft voice and not yell. "I came here because I needed to be alone. And you don't decide what's stupid or not. You know nothing about me." He took a deep breath, trying to get rid of all the... sounds. He wasn't feeling the best, alright? He was... struggling. He didn't want to deal with mean first years on top of everything else. "I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling amazing right now, and if the only thing you have to say to me is that I'm stupid, then I'd prefer to be left alone. I'm trying to read about the uses of dittany." He gestured at his papers, which he was obviously quite invested in. He was already over ten pages in.
While Sloane may have just seen her words as curious and blunt, to Brandon her words came off as a mean-spirited dig at him personally.
Yes, being called stupid was that bad. To him. Brandon chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking about his anger management strategies and remaining calm and why it was wrong to shout at younger students when he was a fourth year. He tried his best to use a soft voice and not yell. "I came here because I needed to be alone. And you don't decide what's stupid or not. You know nothing about me." He took a deep breath, trying to get rid of all the... sounds. He wasn't feeling the best, alright? He was... struggling. He didn't want to deal with mean first years on top of everything else. "I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling amazing right now, and if the only thing you have to say to me is that I'm stupid, then I'd prefer to be left alone. I'm trying to read about the uses of dittany." He gestured at his papers, which he was obviously quite invested in. He was already over ten pages in.
While Sloane may have just seen her words as curious and blunt, to Brandon her words came off as a mean-spirited dig at him personally.
Watching him react to her words was interesting, to say the least. She’d never met someone so touchy although that wasn’t surprising seeing as she spent most of her life around her brothers who could say far more hurtful things. Still, she didn’t set out to make him upset or whatever when she spotted him on the balcony.
“i’LL leave you alone. I just think you’re being stupid. I don’t need to know you to see that. You’re sitting in the cold on your own.” After pausing for a moment however, taking a few seconds to consider a newly formed hypothesis in her mind, she quickly corrected herself. “mAYBE I’m wrong. Staying out in the cold would be smart if you wanted to be alone. Although it’s still a little stupid because you’ll get ill and then won’t be able to read about magic herbs.” Either way, she didn’t feel the need to stay and talk to him in the cold, otherwise she’d have to call herself stupid, something she tried to avoid.
“Try not to freeze. There are warmer places to be alone,” she added as she turned to leave.
Watching him react to her words was interesting, to say the least. She’d never met someone so touchy although that wasn’t surprising seeing as she spent most of her life around her brothers who could say far more hurtful things. Still, she didn’t set out to make him upset or whatever when she spotted him on the balcony.
“i’LL leave you alone. I just think you’re being stupid. I don’t need to know you to see that. You’re sitting in the cold on your own.” After pausing for a moment however, taking a few seconds to consider a newly formed hypothesis in her mind, she quickly corrected herself. “mAYBE I’m wrong. Staying out in the cold would be smart if you wanted to be alone. Although it’s still a little stupid because you’ll get ill and then won’t be able to read about magic herbs.” Either way, she didn’t feel the need to stay and talk to him in the cold, otherwise she’d have to call herself stupid, something she tried to avoid.
“Try not to freeze. There are warmer places to be alone,” she added as she turned to leave.
Brandon wasn't usually this touchy, but he was when he was being called stupid. It was a very specific sore spot for him. "My coat and my clothes have a warming charm cast on it, so you needn't worry about my health or safety. I'm happy to cast one on you if you like." And really, was it stupid to sit on a cold balcony if you were toasty warm with cocoa and a sandwich? Plus, he had gloves and everything. As for the cold on his face, he rather liked it. It bit at him and reminded him that he was alive.
His face softened a bit when the younger year offered a new perspective on her earlier statement of 'you're so stupid', though she still couldn't refrain from using the word stupid again in reference to him. He cringed every time he heard That Word. "...I appreciate your new perspective. But I promise that I won't be getting sick out here." He had taken several precautions for the cold, which explained why he wasn't shivering. He didn't really mind whether she stayed or not, as long as she didn't keep calling him stupid, but he had offered a warming charm if she felt like she needed or wanted one.
Brandon wasn't usually this touchy, but he was when he was being called stupid. It was a very specific sore spot for him. "My coat and my clothes have a warming charm cast on it, so you needn't worry about my health or safety. I'm happy to cast one on you if you like." And really, was it stupid to sit on a cold balcony if you were toasty warm with cocoa and a sandwich? Plus, he had gloves and everything. As for the cold on his face, he rather liked it. It bit at him and reminded him that he was alive.
His face softened a bit when the younger year offered a new perspective on her earlier statement of 'you're so stupid', though she still couldn't refrain from using the word stupid again in reference to him. He cringed every time he heard That Word. "...I appreciate your new perspective. But I promise that I won't be getting sick out here." He had taken several precautions for the cold, which explained why he wasn't shivering. He didn't really mind whether she stayed or not, as long as she didn't keep calling him stupid, but he had offered a warming charm if she felt like she needed or wanted one.
It seemed that the silly boy was about as prepared as he could be but still, even she knew that it was better to avoid the cold. Either way, she wasn’t about to stand there and lecture him more than she had. “uH-HU. Thank you for the offer but I’d rather just spend the time somewhere a little warmer. I don’t know if you can tell but I’ve kind of mastered this look and y’know, just like magic, people leave me alone,” her face a mask of seriousness now despite the fact that she was indeed joking. Or was she? It certainly felt that way sometimes.
Stopping only momentarily to listen to his words, she turned again to leave, not one to force her company on someone who wanted to be left alone. “wELL, you have fun with that…” stopping because she didn’t even know balcony boys name.
“balcony boy…”
It sounded like some kind of lame superhero but it made this little second year Slytherin laugh on the inside. “i’M Sloane,” she added at the end, just so that he didn’t get any ideas about giving her a nickname. She reserved that right for a select few.
It seemed that the silly boy was about as prepared as he could be but still, even she knew that it was better to avoid the cold. Either way, she wasn’t about to stand there and lecture him more than she had. “uH-HU. Thank you for the offer but I’d rather just spend the time somewhere a little warmer. I don’t know if you can tell but I’ve kind of mastered this look and y’know, just like magic, people leave me alone,” her face a mask of seriousness now despite the fact that she was indeed joking. Or was she? It certainly felt that way sometimes.
Stopping only momentarily to listen to his words, she turned again to leave, not one to force her company on someone who wanted to be left alone. “wELL, you have fun with that…” stopping because she didn’t even know balcony boys name.
“balcony boy…”
It sounded like some kind of lame superhero but it made this little second year Slytherin laugh on the inside. “i’M Sloane,” she added at the end, just so that he didn’t get any ideas about giving her a nickname. She reserved that right for a select few.
"I see." Brandon looked at Sloane rather curiously, and with his head tilted a bit as he thought. The face she was making- and the names she was calling him- made him disinclined to talk with her. But he wasn't feeling conversational at all to begin with, which made him wonder why she felt like she had to dissuade him. "Is that what you want, for people to always leave you alone?" he asked genuinely. He guessed that somewhere, deep down, it was not, but he didn't know her well enough to really understand. He could understand wanting to be alone, but the way she phrased it made him pause.
He sighed when she chose to call him yet another name. "Brandon Fox. I would appreciate it if you called me by my proper name and not 'balcony boy', Sloane. I'm not a nicknames person." And sure, she didn't know his name before he said it, but she could have asked. He certainly hadn't thought to call her anything besides Sloane, since that was how she introduced herself. He didn't really give people nicknames unless they told him to.
"I see." Brandon looked at Sloane rather curiously, and with his head tilted a bit as he thought. The face she was making- and the names she was calling him- made him disinclined to talk with her. But he wasn't feeling conversational at all to begin with, which made him wonder why she felt like she had to dissuade him. "Is that what you want, for people to always leave you alone?" he asked genuinely. He guessed that somewhere, deep down, it was not, but he didn't know her well enough to really understand. He could understand wanting to be alone, but the way she phrased it made him pause.
He sighed when she chose to call him yet another name. "Brandon Fox. I would appreciate it if you called me by my proper name and not 'balcony boy', Sloane. I'm not a nicknames person." And sure, she didn't know his name before he said it, but she could have asked. He certainly hadn't thought to call her anything besides Sloane, since that was how she introduced herself. He didn't really give people nicknames unless they told him to.
She wasn’t sure if he did actually see but again, it didn’t really matter. ”That’s the good thing about the expression. You use it when you want to be left alone.” It wasn’t that she always wanted to be left alone, duh. Who wanted that really? It was just that she, self-sufficient as any twelve-year old, liked to be in charge and choose when she wanted to talk to people.
She didn’t have to consider his request. She too, didn’t like nicknames, with her choice of name calling only coming as he hadn’t introduced himself. “Sure. That’s fine Brandon. Maybe next time, introduce yourself earlier, like you asked me to.” And with that, she turned and headed down the corridor, leaving him there on the balcony in the cold. She appreciated that not everyone liked nicknames but he had, after all, chided her on the etiquette of introducing oneself, only to not do the same. It was a contradiction and if she’d stayed any longer, it would have turned into an argument.
Thinking about this, Brandon decided that she must really want to be left alone if she was looking at him with 'the no interaction face'. He, too, really wanted to be left alone. This... was a confusing interaction. She wanted to be alone, and he wanted to be alone, and yet they were still managing half a conversation. And conversation came in two parts, which meant that they were both contributing to one-quarter of a conversation. Neither of them were doing great at being left alone, he thought vaguely to himself. Then, his mind hooked on something else.
Sloane's response actually elicited a scowl from Brandon, which lingered on his face for several seconds before he smoothed it back into his usual Polite Brandon Nothing Wrong Here Mask. He had never asked for her name at all, nor had he been the first to introduce himself, but that didn't mean she could call him a stupid balcony boy. He chewed the inside of his cheek, holding back the things he had to say. Why was he letting a younger year make him mad? This was stupid. He should have more self control. He should be more secure. He shouldn't let things get to him. He should be the bigger person in every situation all the time, he reminded himself harshly. He was supposed to be composed, not tense and angry. He was supposed to... "Bye," he said as politely as he could manage (which was pretty polite because his father had made him take lessons in it), praying that there wouldn't be a next time.
Anyway, he was going to go question if he really was stupid and messed up read his papers in peace. It would totally be easy, because there was absolutely nothing wrong with his mood and he was fine and that was why he was so calm all the time. Obviously.
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