Reading and mice and lonliness

Hester sat at the top of the clock tower with yet another book her mother had sent her, but she didn't feel much like reading it. She turned the pages mindlessly, not caring about the assassin boy withing who was battling for his life. And there were two more books in the series?! Really, what had her mother been thinking?

She dropped the book to the floor by her feet and then stood up. She moved to the window and gazed out, wondering why she felt so lonely. She had Lavender, she had her friends, she had her pets.

She reached into her pocket and took out Atlas.

"Hey little mouse," she whispered. The mouse squeaked and ran up her sleeve.

Hester turned; she heard footsteps on the stairs.

After she had passed two staircases, Phoebe knew that it had been a bad idea taking a walk without her brother. She had black glasses over her eyes, and in her hand she held a small, thin black cane. And all she was using was the touch on her fingertips; or she strained her ears for any sound aswell as any smell she could sense.

And that was what had gotten her to the top of the Hogwarts castle, but she had no idea where the hell she was. With her free hand, she tried to feel for anything that was familiar - the railing of a staircase, a wall or maybe be lucky enough a person.

"Hello?"

"Hey," said Hester, watching curiously as the girl in front of her felt her way forwards. "Uh... I'm Hester."

She felt a little awkward; she wasn't sure what to do, whether it was polite to help the girl or to leave her to her own business. She wasn't sure whether this was normal or whether the girl was struggling, seeing as she had never met her before.

After a moment, she realised, or guessed at least, that the girl must be blind, seeing as she didn't appear to be able to see anything.

"Do you need a hand?" she asked, hoping that she sounded polite, not charitable.

As she stepped forward warily, Phoebe heard a voice. "Hi, I'm Phoebe Watson," she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb anything, I just kind of landed myself here".

When Hester asked whether she could help, the Ravenclaw girl smiled, "Please," she said with a nod, "I usually don't go anywhere without my brother, but I don't want him to miss out anything just for me".

"What do you want me to do?" Hester asked, unsure of how she could help, now that she had offered.

She stepped forward so that she was closer; she guess that the girl wanted to be guided, but she was still unsure.

"And you didn't disturb me," she said honestly. The book she had been reading was rubbish.

Phoebe allowed herself to smile, "Could you just give me your arm? And I'll just follow, and seat myself beside you if that is alright," she hoped that the girl didn't mind her sitting there.

She felt a little accomplished to have gotten as far as there, wherever there was. "Oh and could you just tell me where we are?"

Hester smiled when Pheobe smiled. She took the girl's arm and helped her over the last steps.

"Just here," she said. "We can sit on the top stair. And we're in the Clock Tower. Top of the castle."

She grabbed her book from where she had dropped it and placed it next to her so she didn't lose it. Atlas had hidden up her sleeve again. Leo was up there somewhere as well. She could feel their tiny feet.

"Thankyou," she said when the girl had led her to the seating spot, "Right, top of the castle, clock tower".

Seating herself down, Phoebe breathed in some of the cool air, and felt the surroundings around her, trying to familiarise herself. When she knew that she was done, she grinned, "How long have you been here for?"

"Here at Hogwarts or here at the top of the castle?" asked Hester, a little confused. She decided to answer both questions.
"I'm a fourth year, and I've been sat here for about twenty minutes. You been here long? Like, at this school, I mean?" she asked. Pheobe looked a lot younger than her, a couple of years at least, and Hester hadn't seen her around before. She was guessing she was a first or second year.

Before Phoebe could answer the first question that Hester asked, the other girl started to talk, and the Ravenclaw found herself nodding with a slight smile on her face.

When she was asked a question the second time, Phoebe said, "Oh, I'm just a first year, just started here this year following my older brother".