Curiosity Killed the Cat (Blake and Jessica)

"The Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden."

Those words had echoed in Nina's ears since she had been at Hogwarts. She knew Sarah would try to not make her go, so alas, she didn't tell her. Since they had been sorted into different houses, it was easy to avoid her. Not that she wanted to, but since she was breaking the rules... Nina acted like she was just a curious first year wandering around the castle on the nice day it was. She didn't want to make it obvious that she was breaking the rules... That would get points deducted,and a possible detention for her, which Sarah would lecture her about later. So she acted like she was going to the Quidditch Pitch to look around.

She didn't exactly know what Quidditch was, but had heard a lot of people talking about it in her house. She made her way past the Quidditch pitch and by the lake. She had heard rumors about mere people living in it, but didn't believe them. She stared into it's depths, but the water was so mucky, she couldn't see the bottom. So, now she was at her destination. The Dark Forest. Her heart started pounding, and she felt an adrenaline rush coming. She didn't know why... She wasn't breaking the rules...yet. She looked around to see if anybody was watching her, and took another step forward. She was about to go fully in, but then she heard voices behind her. Apparently, she wasn't alone...

Blake knew this day was coming; he had felt the mysterious lure of the forbidden forest for some time now and knew he would have to give in at some point. He was out in the grounds, enjoying the much cherished time off of class and decided it was ideal to work on his complexion, seeing as the sun was out for once.  Blake was sauntering around the grounds, torn between returning to his common room and visiting the forest. He knew he shouldn’t, but he did just want to glimpse it and see what was actually so dangerous about a forest everyone made such a big deal about it.

Blake was a few hundred yards from the outskirts when he seen a little girl looking as if she was about to enter. He couldn’t let her do that. He quickened into a jog, wondering if the girl realised what dangers she was in. As he got closer the outline of the girl became more prominent and he recognised her as a first year from his own house. Well that explained something, maybe she didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to be in there. Ok now he was making excuses for her, everyone knew they weren’t allowed in!

“Hey!” Blake shouted out when he wasn’t more than a few metres away. He was about to grab the girl's arm, but she had registered him calling out and turned to face him by the time she had reached him. “Don’t you know that’s the forbidden forest? We’re not allowed in!” Although Blake did want to go in, maybe just a little. He turned to face the forest and tried to see past the first few rows of trees. He couldn’t though the whole place was just pitch black. A shiver travelled down Blake’s spine as he felt enthralled and mesmerised by the magic that the forest beheld. But maybe he didn’t want to venture in there after all. He was slowly changing his mind as he was now getting a foreboding feeling standing  this close to it as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Nina nearly jumped when she heard a voice from behind her. She turned around quickly and noticed that it was a second year in her house. She didn't recall his name... But had seen him around a lot. He called her out on being near the Forbidden Forest. She said smartly, "Why are you here then? If this forest is so forbidden?"

She hadn't heard of anybody going in or out of it yet this year, and she wondered what it was like. She was, after all, a very curious first year. She thought it would be fun to play a little game with him. She said, "I dare you to go in." This was going to be fun. And she knew one-hundred percent that Sarah would frown upon this. And she thought that that was the most fun part.

“Does it look like I’m wandering aimlessly and stupidly in” Blake retaliated. Stupid first years these days. He had always wanted to go into the forest since day one, but he had the common sense to at least wait until he was older! “Anyway suit yourself. If you want to go in and get yourself killed your loss. I was only trying to help.” He said shrugging, going to turn away when the first year piped up again.

Blake raised his eyebrows in amusement at the girl. “You dare me? How old do you think I am?” He scoffed. Although, the girl was probably going to pick up on his unwillingness to actually enter the forest. He wasn’t too sure if he was still keen on it now that he was this near. He was getting the chills standing this close to the entrance, that was probably due to the tress blocking out the sun. Damn, he had come out to enjoy the sunshine, not shirk away from it and be pestered by a first year. He approached an outer tree of the forest, gripping it and squinting though the darkness, toying with the idea of actually entering. What if he did go in and he couldn't find his way back out? There didn't seem to be a clear pathway...

He looked back over to the girl, looking at her closer now and he noticed how defiant she seemed. She wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions either. “Were you actually going to go in?” He questioned, disbelief clouding his voice.

Jessica was really curious about The Forbidden Forest and same time she was really scared to go there since because of tales what she did heard about that forest. But she couldn't any more wait longer, she needed to go and visit that place for sure. She didn't care right now if she gets in trouble because of it or not. Girl did take deep breath when she walked out to grounds. She walked quietly towards the The Forbidden Forest.

She tried not to get very much attention to herself. Girl help walking and soon she was near the forest. Jessica soon was near the forest and she saw there one boy and girl talking. She didn't know what to do now. She just did stand some steps away from them and thought what to say or do now. Girl wasn't really very brave or anything, she was rather shy than brave. Girl sighed and looked at the forest. "I guess my plan to go and explore did fail," Jessica thought there.

Nina stared at the boy. He was asking if she was really going to go in. HA! Of course she was... She loved adventure after all. Maybe she just didn't want to go in by herself. That part was a little bit scary. But she would do it for bragging purposes if need be. She stood up a little taller to let the boy know that that she wasn't entirely afraid of going in by herself.

She said, "Duh. I'm not just standing here enjoying the view... What about you? What are you doing here anyways?"

She nodded at her brave response. Sarah would've frowned at her for that and told her off later. She awaited for the boys response. She put her hands on her hips, but looked behind her. She couldn't help but feel they were being watched...

Blake noted, with a hint of smugness, that he still towered over the little first year even when she stood up straighter. Well, what did that achieve besides the fact that he now knew her full height barely reached his shoulders.

"Did you not just hear the part where I said if you want to get attacked by the werewolves or, even worse the invisible thestrals  its up to you." Blake said, still acting as if he didn't care. Although the fact that he stuck around clearly contradicted his efforts. "Am I not allowed to wander the grounds without my motives being questioned by a first year?" He emphasised the word first, trying to remind the headstrong girl that she was indeed younger than him so he really didn't need to answer to her. He had decided that he wanted to enter the forest, but with someone to back him up just in case things got a little perilous. That someone could've been Hunter, not some first year that couldn't tell their wand from a stick.

Blake looked over the Gryffindor's shoulder's as he spotted someone else approaching. Great, another first year. He hoped this one wasn't as impressionable as the girl he was already talking to. Blake didn't know the girl so didn't call out to her. He seen Nina turning to face her so maybe she knew her since they were both first years.

Jessica just looked around her and she was sure that two both of them had realized that she was there. Girl did take a deep breath. She walked towards them and wasn't sure what to still. She knows that she can't ignore them. "H-hey," she said when she was near to them. She didn't know any of them.

"Y-you both plan to go in there?" she asked from them and pointed towards the forest with her hand. Girl had for a seconds even smile on her face but it faded away.

Nina nodded at the other first year named Jessica who came with them. She noticed that Jessica was was in Hufflepuff... Maybe she knew Sarah! She said, "Yes, I do anyways. I don't know about him. He seems to scared about the werewolves and invisable theastrals to want to go in. But I do. You want to come with me?"

“I am not.” Blake replied, immediately. His anger becoming apparent as his tone rose slightly. “I was just merely stating the fact that I wasn’t defending you from the animals when they decide to go on a killing spree and you walk right into danger. I was also clearly referring to the fact that you would have no defense to these creatures. I myself would have no such problems.” Blake added the last part with a hint of smugness in his voice. He knew he was good at DADA but he may have been putting too much store by his skills and his big headedness  was winning out as he fought to prove his bravery. He wasn’t about to look on as first years entered the forest. He looked over to the timid looking girl that had just joined them and raised his eyebrows in her direction. Wondering if she too had an abundance of annoyingly misplaced bravery.

Nina nodded and said, "Well thank you for your concern. Hey, Jessica, you wouldn't happen to know my twin sister Sarah would you? She's a first year Hufflepuff as well." She wondered again what Sarah would do or say at this point in their conversation. She would probably try and convince the three of them that going into the forbidden forest would get them into trouble.

But Nina said to Blake, "Ok, I'm sorry about everything. But aren't you curious as to what's out there? I mean, they don't call it the Forbidden Forest for nothing right?"

Jessica listened and nodded quietly there. "O-of course i still want to go. I'm not that afraid of these things. Curiosity is more bigger than fear," she told them and she couldn't tell if she was scared or what ever since she doesn't show it out easily. She planned to go in no matter what. "I have seen her around I guess but I haven't talked with her," she told then Nina.

“Nope, not curious in the least.” Blake said, in a rather sarcastic tone. Why else would he be here, enjoying the scenery? Which conveniently just consisted of tress. No one wandered this close to the forest unless they had some motive. “Are you two not sisters?” Blake blurted out before he could stop himself. Obviously not from the way they greeted each other, but they did have some distinguished similarities in their appearance

Blake had to smile at the Hufflepuff, despite himself. She had guts; he had to give her that. “Interesting quote you have there. Let’s hope it scares away some of the nasty creatures lurking in the dark.” He said, still thinking entering the forest with a bunch of first years was stupid, never mind social suicide. If it ever got out that he had decided to wander aimlessly in with a bunch of firsties, well he supposed it wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. “So are you going in first?” He turned to Nina, raising his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. "Don't worry I will defend you." Blake said, emphasizing the I part as if he was doing the girls a massive favour.

Nina said, "No, Jessica and I arn't sisters, but Sarah and I are." She then nodded at Blake as he asked about her going in. Without hearing the rest of his conversation, she finally did it. Nina waltzed right into the forest.

It was dark of course, but she wasn't scared of the dark. It felt like a whole new world in the Dark Forest. The trees went as tall as the sky, and darkness as far as she could see. Looking back at Blake and Jessica still standing on the edge, she asked, "You guys coming or what?"

She had officially done something this year that she could cross off her bucket list. Sarah didn't know about this list because half of the things that where on it, she would surly frown upon it. It really wasn't that bad in the forest. Sure it was a tad dark, but that's what wands were for right? She held hers up and whispered, "Lumos."

And a path of light shown with the glow from her wand.

Blake didn’t have the opportunity to stop Nina before she had entered the forest. She looked behind at the pair of them and asked them if they were going in, Blake just shrugged and made to follow after Nina glancing behind to see if Jessica was following. As he looked ahead of him he could only make out Nina’s outline even though she was only a few feet in front of him. Jeez, it really was dark in here. Nina had the bright idea of using magic to light the path and Blake quickly followed suit, feeling better with his wand in his hand.

Blake really hoped that no one had seen them entering although you would want really good vision to have spotted them from a window inside the castle and he hadn’t seen anyone else lurking around the forest. He didn’t want to lose any points for Gryffindor, that morning they were in pole position for the house cup and he didn’t want to have to take any blame if they were piped in the end. He knew entering the forest was at least a detention and quite possibly warranted losing a considerable amount of house points. It was called forbidden for a reason.

Jessica did follow them then into the forest quietly. She looked around and saw just darkness most of times here. She did take deep breath and smiled.

"Lumos," she said quietly when she had taken her wand out too. Now she could see much better where she was stepping. She did follow the other kids. She wasn't sure what to say or talk with them. She really wasn't that social one.