If you knew Roscoe Cortez at any degree, you were aware then that Roscoe Cortez was an astrophile. As such, it was a practical ritual for him to climb up to the astronomy tower after hours and to sit and just watch his beloved night sky. The only night this didn't happen was when the full moon occurred, which was a reminder of the other common fact about Roscoe Cortez. He was a werewolf, and open one at that, one who wasn't afraid to let people know what goes bump-in-the-full-moon-night and one who tried, on every occasion, to still be a human despite that one night. It's just one night, he would say, It doesn't count for the others. So he spent his other nights in that tower, or occasionally in the Hufflepuff commons being the class clown he sometimes was. Whatever it meant to show people he wasn't just one night every month – he was 353 days of humanity over 12 of monstrosity.
On these nights he stole away to the Astronomy Tower, he was likened more to the hopeless romantic. His first love were those giant balls of space gas up above. Scratch that, that wasn't a romantic thought... His first love were those celestial bodies of light, which dotted his night sky and kept him company and didn't judge him no matter what he was that night. Better, much better Cortez. Ross smiled to himself as he made out the constellations in the sky, recounted the names of the bright stars that made them up. This was therapeutic, this was true peace for the boy that was dealing with an incurable disease. And truth be told, Ross usually enjoyed these nights alone. Not always by choice, but because rarely did others come to enjoy the wide expanse of space above them like he had.
It was by surprise he could sense a presence behind him, but by choice he had not acknowledged them from the get go. He wasn't one to creep others out just because he had a slightly inclined sense of smell the closer it came to the dreaded night. That was, he figured, how one got to scare people. So he didn't say anything, not until there was a sneeze. Admittedly, he jolted, because perhaps he hadn't expected the other to make any sort of noise. Turning at the noise, he was about to respond when the other began speaking. Accepting the outstretched hand, he took the moment to respond, “So long as you're not here to assassinate me, I guess it can be forgiven. I'm Ross Cortez, nice to meet ya Reyes.”
He laughed, his regular loud and booming laugh, at the boy's next words, nodding his head enthusiastically and keeping a wide amused grin on his face. “Yes, an honest to god open werewolf. That would be me,” he confirmed. His eyebrows shot upwards at the next words toppling out of the boy, who fumbled nervously around his inner thoughts. Ross was luckily not an awkward person, and never bothered by the questions aimed his way. Better to educate than deal with ignorance, right? Nodding again, he patted the spot beside him on the ground. “Pop a squat, friend,” he said, “And answer away. I don't mind. Is this for a paper? Usually people ask me for help if it's for homework.”