Second Floor Corridor
"Isn't it a bit cold to be running around like that?" Bakura took in Myrtle's blouse, skirt, and robeless, appearance with some concern.
"It's spring!" Myrtle rolled her eyes and laughed; she found the spring whether of early May to be quiet invigorating, and a trip to Hogsmeade an opportunity to shed unnecessary layers of clothing. But others apparently did not view it as such.
"It's chilly." Bakura's fingers played over the knot of his tie, as if tightening said accessory would hold in more body heat.
"You will have to get used to this; Hogwarts is far from being in the desert."
"Kamet could get cold, but at least we knew to wear a decent amount of clothing." Bakura sighed, rolling his eyes in mock irritation as his fingers ran along a cuff of the offending shirt.
Myrtle shivered, ever so slightly, under this touch of his skin, on her clothes, to her skin. "We're already late to Hogsmeade; we should get going before it's time to come back."
"It is not exactly the most exciting thing in the world."
"But it is ever so much more exciting then just sitting around here; so, what was it you wanted to show me?"
"If I told you, it would be much of a surprise would it?" Bakura's fingers clasping her wrist halted Myrtle as she moved past him.
"I guess not." Myrtle shrugged, watching the painting they were halted in front of as a unicorn chased a young man around a field.
Golden fingers, that had picked many a lock, danced around the edges of the frame; there was a click, a sliding sound, and the painting swung forward to reveal a decent sized hole in the wall.
"And whe-?" Before she could fully blink Bakura had jumped up, and was offering her a hand up; she blinked. "Does that lead?"
"All these questions." Bakura shook his head; taking her hand, he pulled her up into the stairwell; steep and narrow, Myrtle soon found herself in complete darkness.
"Is this like the inside of a pyramid?" Myrtle's fingers ran across rough stone as she climbed higher and higher.
"Sort of." Myrtle ran into Bakura, who had suddenly stopped at those words. Light appeared, and swallowed the darkness; taking her hand once more, Bakura lead Myrtle out onto a balcony high up on the roof.
The view was of almost the entirety of the grounds, and little dots of people moved slowly across the grass.
"I've only been this high up for astronomy, and then it's dark." Dizziness brushed against her for a moment, as Myrtle's breath caught in her throat.
"The stars are very similar." Bakura acknowledged, pointing downwards. There were carvings all along the bottom of the balcony.
"They're very crude." Myrtle leaned closer to inspect the jagged depictions of a snake.
"It was probably just some student." Bakura shrugged. "But it was sort of interesting."
Myrtle wasn't so sure; it was secret passage though, after all. It might be more useful some other time. Moving onto a carving of a rooster, Myrtle's mind began to wander quiet freely; inspiration struck.
"When is your birthday?"
"I was born some time between floods." At her blank expression he continued. "Some time in… Winter, I believe." This confessed, it was his turn to look clueless and wondering.
Well, I have to get you something; we only have a few hours before the Hogsmeade trip ends." Myrtle's enthusiasm suddenly skyrocketed, and her fingers quickly found hold around Bakura's for arm.
"What?"
"I have to buy you a birthday present; it won't be much, but I have to get you something." Myrtle continued, hardly noting the surprise that was written across his face.
"You give presents to a person on the day of their birth?"
"Yes, of co-" Myrtle stopped mid rush, finally catching on to his surprise. "Yes we do; sometimes we even throw a party to honor the person." Myrtle slowed down to explain; letting go of his arm.
"Oh," Bakura thought this over a moment. "But I did not get you anything."
"That doesn't matter, but you could get me something now, but we better get going." With that, Myrtle clutched at Bakura's hand and practically dragged him down the stairs. Maybe it was the lingering dizziness, or the way it reminded her of his less then perfect past, maybe it was the carvings that seemed to get more and more gruesome as they wove their way up to the ceiling, or maybe it was the simple fact that it was plain old boring, but Myrtle was all too happy to escape.
Myrtle could feel the water seeping into her shoes immediately after she jumped back down into the second floor corridor, the length of which was completely submerged in five centimeters of water.
"What kinds of things would you want for your birthday?" Myrtle broke into the relative silence of their squelching footsteps.
"I do not know." Bakura bumped into Myrtle as his shoulder dipped down. "Most of the things you seem to take for granted, I do not even know what they are; surprise me." Myrtle glanced up just in time to catch the tail end of a smile.
"Bakura!" The pair was passing through the Great Hall when Dumbledor's voice rang out across the expanse.
"Could you come with me to see the head master?" Dumbledore, while his face gave little away to Myrtle, seemed somewhat drawn as he quickly caught up to her and Bakura.