It was late and his dorm mate had been asleep ages ago, but James, having always been a night owl, was not quite ready for bed just yet. Despite it being almost midnight, he decided that he would go for a walk, explore the University a bit more. Already a week into lessons, he had caught up with all his extra homework and assignments, and as such was more free to do his own things at night, rather than work.
Closing the door to his room quietly, he debated going out to the grounds, but finally decided against it; who knew what creatures lurked around the area at night. At least at Hogwarts the knowledge was there: thestrals and the like, but here, in a new setting, practically anything could be out there! Moving towards the Astronomy towers that he had claimed as his private space, seeing as nobody else really went there, he clambered up the staircase.
Stepping out into the fresh cool air, he took a deep breath and smiled to himself. The skies were clear - remarkably so - and already he could see the sparking jewels that seemingly danced against their dark backdrop, mere hints of the vast universe that lay beyond the earth. Stepping forward to get a better view, he caught sight of some movement on his left and turned sharply, realizing for the first time that he wasn't alone.
A man, a fellow auror in training, stood there, and James offered a tentative smile. It seemed he wasn't the only one who was awake. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked casually, not really minding the company.
