DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.
~ high tide (came and brought you in) ~
Aurora Sinistra loved all of the stars in the night sky. And it was a good thing that she did, since being the astronomy teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would have been an enormously inconvenient position for her otherwise.
One would think that the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts Castle would be the ideal place from which to observe the stars. But one would be mistaken in that assumption, since the heavens were vast and therefore it was best to observe them from as many possible angles and positions as possible.
In fact, one of Professor Sinistra's favorite places from which to observe the constellations happened to be the shore of the Black Lake. One would not tend to think that spot was an advantageous one for that particular purpose. But, again, one would be mistaken in such an assumption.
Perhaps, to a casual observer, it might seem strange that the astronomy professor would often spend summer nights sprawled on the shore of the Black Lake, staring up at the stars. She was still running on a nocturnal schedule - the complete opposite of most people - even during the summer. It didn't make sense to reverse her sleeping habits for one season out of the year, after all, even if that meant she lacked for human companionship for nearly the full duration of her waking hours.
Without the students around, there were no classes for her to teach, and none of the other teachers tended to be up and about past midnight. Aurora did get a bit lonely during the summer months, without any children roaming the castle. Attempting to socialize with the Hogwarts ghosts was an option, but that was just not the same as interacting with living beings.
That was one more reason that the Black Lake was her favorite spot from which to stargaze - one of her dearest friends in all the world just so happened to live within the lake.
Technically he had no real name, as everyone tended to refer to him as the Giant Squid, but Aurora had taken it upon herself to give him a nickname. That was a thing friends did, after all. She had taken to calling him Periscope. Her cephalopod friend seemed quite pleased with his nickname, as his tentacles became noticeably more wiggly when she used it. Of course, that was only the case if the intensity of his tentacle wiggling was indeed an indicator of happiness. If it was actually an expression of irritation instead, then she would be mistaken in her assumption.
Professor Sinistra might belong more to the scientific side of the magical community, but she was far from being an expert in the body language of animals. However, the fact that the Giant Squid continued to meet her by the edge of the lake night after night, sometimes reaching out a tentacle to curl about her outstretched hand, she felt confident in her assessment that they were happy wiggles and Periscope enjoyed his nickname.
~end~