The sun had set a mere handful of minutes ago, darkness spreading across the grounds of Hogwarts. Ricky knew he’d get weeks worth of detention if he was caught outside the castle at this time, especially for where he was heading.
The Forbidden Forest was banned from students, for there was a number of dangerous things lurking in it’s vast expanse of nearly endless trees. The Gryffindor boy wouldn’t normally dare get even this close, let alone take an actual step into the woods. If not for the growing concern and confusion his friend was causing him he wouldn’t be out here right now.
Rowan had been Ricky’s good friend since their first year, it wasn’t hard for Ricky to take notice of the other boy’s strange behaviors. He’d respected his friend’s privacy, never bringing it up as Rowan certainly never offered up any explanations for his oddness or seemingly constant string of illnesses. It was Rowan’s business and Rowan’s business alone as far as Ricky was concerned...except when that business took his friend to the Forbidden Forest at nightfall. Then it became much too worrisome to ignore.
Which is why Ricky is willingly entering these dark woods. Having spotted the other Gryffindor enter not too long ago while he was heading back from a visit with the groundskeeper. I thought he was smarter than this, he thinks to himself, shivers running down his spine from the chill in the air, hugging his cloak tighter to his body.