Located at the far end of the upper dungeon corridor, the second storage room on the first floor is occupied with broken portraits in need of repair, destroyed and recycled broomsticks are stored here until the end of the year when repairs are being conducted.
Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 3:18 pm
c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ✖ Sıиgłe ✖ LookingModestin the Storage Room with - - - xxxғeelιngxxx Calm xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ This shouldn't be overly difficult... ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
Aиđ ωe'łł иeνeя вe яøчαłš ( я ø ч α ł š )◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxxxxxxxx Iт đ ø и ' т я υ и ıи øυя в ł ø ø đ◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxxxxx Tħαт κ ı и đ ø f ł υ χ e נυšт αıи'т f ø я υ š◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxx We ¢яανe α đ ı f f e я e и т κıиđ øf в υ z z◊ ◊ ◊xxx ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
spaceLori had found the room easily enough, and had no trouble getting inside. You'd think the school would be more concerned about security... Then again, considering what it was full of, broken odds and ends and the like, she supposed there wasn't much worth protecting down here. Well, that suited her just fine. It was highly unlikely that anyone would find her and Tristan down here, which was exactly what she was aiming for. Sitting down on the floor, she took a few things out of her bag, mostly papers with scribbled bits of a plan on them. Sometimes she wondered if she overthought these little excursions, but then, it never hurt. This particular one she was determined to get right, because if their attempt was successful, there was a chance it could be repeated, which was exactly what she had in mind. It wasn't as though she could read every book in the restricted section in one night, after all.
spaceThe Slytherin glanced at the door, curious as to how long it would take her housemate to show. He had proven to be rather reliable, which had honestly surprised her somewhat. She didn't think poorly of him, not at all, but she'd not really thought he'd be so loyal. Was that the word? She supposed it fit better than anything else. Whatever the case, loyalty was a trait she greatly prized in her companions, and so by proving himself thus, Tristan had greatly endeared himself to her. Not that he would ever know it, she didn't make a habit of broadcasting that around. But she trusted him, which was not something she could say about a good many people. It helped that he was a remarkably honest person, which had thrown her for a loop when she'd realized. She'd worried about it somewhat, given his job as her standing look out, but thus far they hadn't had any problems. She hoped the trend continued... She very much wanted to look through some of those books.
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════ xxx◊ ◊ ◊Leт мe вe чøυя яυłeя ( я υ ł e я ) xxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Yøυ ¢αи ¢αłł мe Q υ e e и B e e xxxxxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Aиđ I'łł яυłe ( I ' ł ł я υ ł e I'łł яυłe I ' ł ł я υ ł e ) xxxxxxxxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Leт мe ł ı ν e тħαт f α и т α š ч
Tristan rushed through the spiraling descent into the dungeons; the air was thick and moist and the chill penetrated the thin fabric of his summer robes, gray jumper, and white button down, until it seeped into flesh and drilled deep into the bone. His heavy footsteps were muffled as he attempted to run on the tips of his feet, so as not to slam the balls of his heel down and announce his echoing presence to every pair of ears down in the bloody dungeons. He only barely made it unscathed passed the Slytherin prefects, luckily, they seemed a bit more interested in each other than the fact he missed the turn for the Slytherin corridor and continued down the path to the latest rendezvous—each one was different, after all—Hogwarts has too many eyes and ears to ever stay in one place for too long. ”Sorry for being late.” (It was only four minutes past.) But Tristan huffed the words out all the same as he rounded the corner of the doorway, but not before he cast a suspicious glance down each end of the corridor and shut the door behind him. The boy had never considered himself a punctual person, but if anyone's willing to spend their free time with him then he owes it to them to not waste their time. (It does help that his internal clock is rather impeccable too.)
”Any progress so far?” Though his voice was hopeful, he had his doubts. Tristan and Lorelei were just second years, after all. It didn't hurt to try and plan, but really, they'd be better off trying to find the bloody Chamber of Secrets than pilfer the Restricted Section. It certainly helped that Lori's older brother provided just enough clues for her to sleuth through (because Merlin knows he never could) and it'd been surprisingly easy to discover most of the passages; like the one beneath the one-eyed witch statue or the one by the statue of Gregory the Smarmy. As Tristan passed through the room, he dropped his satchel on the floor and crossed his legs beneath him to take a seat beside her, hardly glazing over the scattered bits of parchment and absorbed instead by the strip of beef jerky he rummaged from his belongings and was currently nibbling on.
c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ✖ Sıиgłe ✖ LookingModestin the Storage Room with - - - xxxғeelιngxxx Calm xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ This shouldn't be overly difficult... ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
Aиđ ωe'łł иeνeя вe яøчαłš ( я ø ч α ł š )◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxxxxxxxx Iт đ ø и ' т я υ и ıи øυя в ł ø ø đ◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxxxxx Tħαт κ ı и đ ø f ł υ χ e נυšт αıи'т f ø я υ š◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxx We ¢яανe α đ ı f f e я e и т κıиđ øf в υ z z◊ ◊ ◊xxx ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
spaceLori didn't so much as twitch when Tristan entered the room; they'd chosen it specifically because the odds of anyone else bothering to use it for anything were astronomically low. She highly doubted if it could have been anyone but her housemate who'd entered. At his apology, she smiled faintly, eyes not leaving the papers she'd spread out on the floor. She'd been organizing them, attempting to collect her thoughts. Already, there was a small stack of crumpled sheets she'd deemed unnecessary."Don't worry about it. As always, you're almost perfectly punctual,"she replied, finally looking up to offer him a grin. 'Almost perfectly punctual' actually described him quite well, she thought. Never exactly on time, but close enough. Of course, her biological father would've had a field day if he'd been so much as four seconds late, but then, that was one of many areas in which they were of differing opinions. So long as the boy showed within a reasonable amount of time from the one set, she was happy to see him.
spaceA quiet,"Mm,"was the only answer she gave him for a long moment, eyes falling back to the papers. She shuffled them around a bit, and then retrieved another from her pack, this one a calendar."I'm mostly trying to figure out a good time to do it,"she told him, frowning slightly."Exams being what they are, obviously we want to be careful. You never know when some upperclassman is going to try and sneak up for last minute studying. Or if they've fallen asleep at a table,"she said lightly."I think that, if we are intending to do this now, and not put it off, we should try for some time in the next couple of weeks. Of course, we'll have to take into consideration your availability... I do believe the full moon is coming up, after all."She paused then, glancing at her calendar for a moment before pulling out her Astronomy homework. One of them, and she wasn't sure which, was wrong, off by three days for when the moon would be full. Hmph. She'd have to double check her homework. Though, this wouldn't be the first time her calendar had been less than reliable. They did print these things rather far in advance, after all, mistakes could be made. But it was rather inconvenient, all things considered. Then again, it wasn't as though Tristan wouldn't be aware of what the correct date would be; he had a vested interest in keeping track of the moon's phases, she'd imagine.
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════ xxx◊ ◊ ◊Leт мe вe чøυя яυłeя ( я υ ł e я ) xxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Yøυ ¢αи ¢αłł мe Q υ e e и B e e xxxxxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Aиđ I'łł яυłe ( I ' ł ł я υ ł e I'łł яυłe I ' ł ł я υ ł e ) xxxxxxxxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Leт мe ł ı ν e тħαт f α и т α š ч
With an ear trained on the doorway, the rest of his attention had wandered about the deserted storage room. Splintered broomsticks had gathered dust in the corner; who knew how many years they've been forgotten there, and with the twitch of his nose resisting a tickling sneeze, he could only guess it's been a while. Tristan entertained himself easily enough, content with the ramblings of his own thoughts as he chewed on the dried, stringy meat and eyed the broken oddities stacked on a leaning cupboard missing one of the knobs to its glass door cabinet. He was used to this by now; the waiting. It was better if he didn't distract her, he had found, even if he couldn't help himself most of the time. ”Ne'er as punctual as you, though,” he sung between the chewing of his jerky, waving the strip of meat in the air for emphasis only to rip into and tear off a shred.
The contemplative hum had garnered a curious glance from the young boy, craning his neck now to align his vision with the bits of parchment and discarded his interest once he realized it was only a calendar. ”Upperclassmen are all twats too, best avoid them.” He agreed while leaning backwards, then tilted his head back to count the stones on the ceiling with a fresh new strip of jerky hanging from the corner of his lips as he chewed. ”Yeah I—aughkk!“ Tristan choked. The jerky slipped and lodged down his throat and he doubled forward, coughing into a panic and struggled for breath while chunks of jerky and spit sprayed rampant across their notes. ”Wh-What? No, I-I... Yo-You're insane...” Tristan was chewing the inside of his cheek again, he always does it when he's lying. ”What the hell...?” He whispered so desperate; he'd been so careful! He should have known better than to get too close, than to get—”How..?” So many questions gambled on the tip of his tongue. It was too late to deny it now, and really, would he even want too? But dammit, all he could think to say was 'you're wrong!' But she's not...She's not... ”No,” Tristan laughed shortly and rose to his feet; balled fists hanging at his side as he recoiled away. ”No... No, you're not supposed to...” he kept an even tone while his heart screamed to fight. ”......How long?” Fear bubbled and simmered into denial, rising to the pressure of anger until paranoia devoured him whole. If she knows, who else does? ”How long have you known!?” His voice cracked in his hushed tone, trying not to scream but Merlin, did he want to scream. All his life, it'd been drilled into him that he'd never be accepted, that he'd always have to live on the run, that no one could ever know the truth. And when he next spoke it was only half a moment later and infinitely softer. ”...Why aren't you...” he gesticulated something wild with his fingers, something his own words could never say aloud.
c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ✖ Sıиgłe ✖ LookingModestin the Storage Room with Tristan xxxғeelιngxxx Ashamed xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ Way to go, genius. ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
Aиđ ωe'łł иeνeя вe яøчαłš ( я ø ч α ł š )◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxxxxxxxx Iт đ ø и ' т я υ и ıи øυя в ł ø ø đ◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxxxxx Tħαт κ ı и đ ø f ł υ χ e נυšт αıи'т f ø я υ š◊ ◊ ◊xxxxxx We ¢яανe α đ ı f f e я e и т κıиđ øf в υ z z◊ ◊ ◊xxx ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
spaceLori smiled faintly at Tristan's comment on her own punctuality, shrugging at him."I didn't have much choice in the matter,"she told her housemate wryly."I grew up in a household where 'if you're early you're on time, and if you're on time you're late.' I tend to arrive at least ten minutes early to everything, and if I cut it closer than that, I get anxious. It's not particularly fun."She understood the practicality of attempting to arrive early to appointments, but she could have done without the neurosis that resulted from any failure to do so. 'Anxious' was a bit of an understatement; being late was one of the only things that really set her on edge. Even when she knew that it didn't actually matter.
spaceShe didn't respond to his comment on upperclassmen being 'twats', thinking that was a generalization she didn't much care for, but not really knowing any upperclassmen well enough to refute his claim. She didn't know much of anyone, really, other than the students in her year and house. She hardly even knew their other classmates, despite being in lessons with them for the past two years. She thought it was probably safe to assume that at least a few upperclassmen were relatively nice. But, it seemed pointless to say so, since his statement only supported her assertion that they should avoid them at all costs while attempting the trip to the restricted section.
spaceWhen he began sputtering at her, she blinked oddly, looking up at him. It took the Slytherin a long moment to realize why he was so upset, and she felt a small stab of guilt. She hadn't been thinking when she'd spoken, hadn't recalled that, while she'd known about his status as a werewolf for a little over a month now, she hadn't ever informed him of that fact. To be honest, Lori hadn't really known how to go about doing so; it seemed like there was no right way to tell your companion that you knew a secret they clearly didn't want spread around. She flushed slightly, wanting to slap herself for her moment of idiocy."Apologies, I didn't mean... I forgot. That I hadn't talked to you about it. I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry."She frowned, looking down at her papers, unable to meet his eyes."I've known a little over a month. It wasn't hard to figure out... I didn't mean to. But we do spend rather a lot of time together. And I have a tendency to solve puzzles without realizing I'm doing so, until the pieces are together."She looked sheepish, feeling bad. It wasn't as though she'd outed him to anyone. But, she'd done enough reading to know that being a werewolf tended to make things difficult on people, and she didn't blame him for not wanting anyone to know."It doesn't really matter, if that's what you're worried about. I don't care. But... if you're uncomfortable, I understand if you wish to discontinue our arrangement. I won't tell anyone. It's not my secret to share, and I abhor gossip,"she told him, finally looking back up to attempt to gauge his reaction. She realized, with no small amount of regret, that she might have succeeded in alienating herself from Tristan, which was something she absolutely had not wanted to do. He'd proven to be a very good friend over the last year, though she'd hesitate to refer to him as such out loud. For precisely this reason; she highly doubted if he considered them friends, especially now. She'd invaded his privacy, discovered something she shouldn't have. She doubted very much if he'd care to associate with her anymore. The Slytherin was somewhat annoyed at herself to realize she'd miss hanging out with him more than she'd miss having him as a lookout.
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════ xxx◊ ◊ ◊Leт мe вe чøυя яυłeя ( я υ ł e я ) xxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Yøυ ¢αи ¢αłł мe Q υ e e и B e e xxxxxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Aиđ I'łł яυłe ( I ' ł ł я υ ł e I'łł яυłe I ' ł ł я υ ł e ) xxxxxxxxxxxx◊ ◊ ◊Leт мe ł ı ν e тħαт f α и т α š ч
Slow, haggard breaths struggled to keep an even pace as if his nostrils hadn't been flaring, as if his lips hadn't been pulled back tight into a snarl—and all he could he smell was fear. As Tristan wrung his hands together the cool sweat made his fingers slick, so he twisted tighter. Anxiety and paranoia crept into his mind with the footsteps of an old friend and greeted him dearly, but the werewolf wasn't so keen to let them back in his life just yet. And then, there it was, another apology! As if that would ever change a thing. He wanted to turn tail and run, he didn't want to hear the half arsed apologies cleverly disguised behind passive aggressive accusations. ”You—!” Puffing up his chest with a sharp breath, he just wanted to scream. But he didn't, he held his breath and dropped his gaze. How could she have known for a month? An entire month! And never mentioned it! And he had never noticed! How could he not have noticed? A low breath whistled free from his puckered lips like a deflated balloon, then his shoulders slumped too. ”What do you mean you don't care?” He couldn't stress this enough; tolerance was as foreign a concept as the female mind, and now the two are combined. ”And how could you not tell me for an entire month? It's my secret to keep, not yours,” he said, brows crossed and wrinkled. Never mind that he'd been keeping this secret for years, but it was his future—his life—at stake, not hers. Reeling backwards, Tristan's shoe caught in a crack on the stony floors and he skittered back until he fell on his bum and then for one harsh second, he almost wanted to cry.
This was another friend he would have to give up, another home he'd have to run from, another time to start fresh. He was so tired of running, tired of waking up on the dewy grass of the forest floor, tired of wretching up the meat of the fresh kill from the night prior, and tired of cleaning the mud and dirt from his bruised, raw skin and from underneath his fingernails. He was just so tired. And now he was flat on his arse staring pitifully at Lore, wanting so desperately to believe her but so conditioned against it. ”I don't want to get kicked out of school,” he said after a long pause, the crack in his voice could've been a choked sob or a mark of puberty; he wasn't sure which. And he knew, rationally, the headmaster wouldn't expel him now, at least not unless someone got hurt... But even with all the precautions, what if it happened? What if he hurt someone? Like Lori? Or Sybil? Or Savannah? Then what?
A crash of thunder and the streak of lightning outside signaled the coming of the end of a long process. Last year, Alice and Ella had started a class together to become Animagi and it was finally all coming to a head. After spending the first year of the class learning about the process and practicing all the elements of the spell, the second year had been about completing the process. They'd had to endure a lot in order to complete the process. From brewing the potion, to holding a mandrake leaf in their mouths for a whole month... the last portion of the process was waiting for an electrical storm to actually consume the potion. In the late fall, that process could take forever and if it progressed into winter, that could take even longer. Every morning and every night, they had had to recite an incantation while touching their wands to their hearts. Their potions were stored in a dark, quiet place while they waited for the lightning storm.
Alice had been sitting in the library studying when she heard the crash of thunder rumbling through the castle. Blue eyes went wide and she rushed to the window. Rain pelted the grounds and another flash of light crashed through the sky. It was time! Leaving her stuff behind, she took off in a sprint, headed down to the dungeons. She assumed that Ella, wherever she was, would be making her way down to the dungeons as well. The blonde moved faster than she ever had, practically tripping down the stairs as she ran. Wrenching open the door to the dungeon storage room, she headed into the room and grabbed the vial labelled with her name. The vial had finally turned a blood-red color. It was finally time! Alice held her wand in one hand and the vial in the other. All she needed now was for Ella to get here. They'd promised to do this together.
xx❀Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Dungeon Storage Room B xxx❀Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Alice xxxx❀Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Animagus Transformation xxxxx❀Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?I wonder what we'll be?
How had it been a whole year since they began? Ella remembered the summer before sixth year, going home and asking her parents if she could take the Animagus class. Two-hundred galleons was nothing to sneeze at, after all. But she hadn't expected Serghei to be there with Linsey, and offer her the money needed. It was weird, but she did want to take the class, so she agreed. Especially after the drama they'd gone through, perhaps he was just glad she wanted to put the money toward schooling. And the only other person in the class was Alice, which was really nice. The two spent the whole of their sixth year studying the animagus process, filling out ministry forms, and preparing for whatever may come. Alice had - of course - asked Sebastian to be there as her support person for the first transformation. After a bit of worry, Ella had asked Lyric, who enthusiastically agreed.
And in seventh year, they began the process. They had to perfectly brew their potions, then started the whole mess of steps. The worst was trying to deal with having a mandrake leaf in her mouth for a whole month! But thankfully she was pretty good with sign language so she could still communicate. After that was just remembering to chant morning and night while they frantically checked the weather reports. They needed a storm with enough lightning to allow the process to conclude. It was a really complicated ordeal, and yet, she couldn't wait. Once it was over, she wouldn't have to do any of that anymore!
While she was reading in the Great Hall, the sound of rain began to fall over the castle. She looked up, eyes wide as lightning flashed over the sky. A bright smile lit up as the girl left her book behind, running as fast as her little legs would allow. She hurried downstairs to the dungeon, where she spotted Alice up ahead. The door to the dungeon room was opened so she hurried inside. She grabbed her potion, the electric red color reflecting in her honey eyes. Ella slipped her wand out of her pocket, then sent over a grin toward her best friend. "You ready to change our lives?" She clinked her vial against Alice's, preparing to drink as she heard the footsteps of at least one of the boys hurrying behind them. She placed her wand against her heart, then chanted one final time,
As Alice was looking at her potion, Ella came skittering into the room as well and the blonde smiled at her best friend. The girl also picked up her vial, then pulled out her wand as well. They were ready to become animagi. Alice needed this to work because then she could be there for her boyfriend all the time without worrying about infection. She needed this to work. Ella asked if she was ready to change their lives and the blonde nodded. She clinked her vial against Ella's with a wide grin. The boys weren't too far behind them, but Alice needed to do this now. Her nerves were on edge because she knew that the first transition was going to be painful, but she had to remind herself what she was doing this for. When Sebastian came into view, the blonde smiled. "I love you Sebastian," she said quietly, then touched her wand to her chest. She chanted the spell:
"Amato Animo Animato Animagus."
Then she quaffed the vial, smiling towards her boyfriend. A second later, she felt a spike of pain from her gut spread up through her spine. Crying out, Alice fell forwards onto the ground, curling into a fetal position. She needed to remain calm or the animal mind could take over, but the pain was intense. Gritting her teeth, she tried to calm herself. And then, she wasn't human anymore. Her features became vulpine and reddish-brown fur sprouted, her body shifting into that of a kit fox's. Her cries of pain became whimpers, then stopped as the pain subsides. Alice looked at her paws, then wagged her tail, her eyes watching curiously as the tail moved. Oh, that was her doing that! She could move the tail! If she was human, she'd laugh. Instead, a yapping sound escaped from her. Then she looked over at Sebastian and yipped at him. She tried to stand up, wobbling a little as she learned how to walk on four legs instead of two. Yipping at him again, the fox wobbled again, but she was quickly learning how to use her legs.
xx❀Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Dungeon Storage Room B xxx❀Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Alice, Sebastian, Lyric xxxx❀Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Animagus Transformation xxxxx❀Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?I'm a mouse!
As soon as the words had left her, a sharp pain lit up inside her. Wide eyes looked desperately at Alice, but it was clear that she was in pain too. Alice collapsed in pain, but for Ella, it just stirred up painful memories of her childhood. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat as fire lit up her spine. The teen slipped forward, falling to her knees. Her head was spinning and it seemed like she was... shrinking? Wait... was she getting smaller? Oh boy, what was she becoming?! She watched in shock as the transformation spun through, her soft whimpering turning into little squeaks.
After a moment, the pain faded away, but she was way too close to the floor. Ella tried to ask what happened, but all that slipped out were a few soft squeaks. She looked around, finding a skinny tail and weird little hands? They weren't paws, but hands! What the heck was she!? Her wide eyes looked around, spotting a creature quite a bit bigger with reddish fur. Oh wow! Okay, so Alice was a fox! She was adorable! Ella squeaked happily, doing her best to figure out walking. "Oh wow! Look at you!" Ella turned to look at the sound and holy cow Sebastian was giant! She must be tinier than expected! He offered a mirror over to Alice, then moved to set in in front of her. She was a mouse! With perfectly round ears and little whiskers! Well, at least she wasn't something weird! The little mouse began to scurry, circling around the fox while sniffing her. This was pretty cool!
I felt what the pain from true sadness is like I really need your embrace I'm like a moth to a flame But when my feelings with you, I am longer confused I am teary-eyed, but with you, they start to dry
🍀☯🌷☮Lyric had gotten asked by Ella to be there for emotional support while she and Alice finished their animagus transformations and he had of course said yes. First of all, it was all just bloody cool, like seriously. They were going to become entire animals like. Magically! He'd once considered the class but the price tag had put a stop to his curiosity and while he was sure if he'd really wanted to, he could've worked out something with Eula or even Afon, but he didn't have the drive that the girls did, and he was ok with that. He'd watched with fascination as they brewed their potions and was amused when they had to suffer through a month of silence to keep a leaf under their tongue. It did allow him more practice with his BSL though so that was a surprise bonus! But then came the long wait for some super specific weather pattern (because magic) so he did his best to help with the wait but admittedly his best was just to make some paper stars so at least the wait could be crafty (hewasdoinghisbestok).
This particular evening though as Lyric was enjoying sitting with Ella in the Great Hall, he was startled both by the sudden flash of lightning but also how quick his smaller friend was able to leave and actually run out of the hall. He figured this was what they'd been waiting for and quickly grabbed her book and some hastily packed food (he hadn't read much on it but he had an inkling this type of magic could make someone hangry) before rushing out as well. Thankfully, he'd been told ahead of time where to meet, otherwise he would've panicked having already lost sight of his friend, and just rushed down to the dungeons just in time it seemed. He very narrowly avoided colliding with Sebastian as he slid to a stop in the room and watched as both girls suddenly collapsed seemingly in pain.
Then, the maigc-ha!-started and they both started to shrink and change and in just a few moments, there were two whole animals in front of them! "Completely wild," Lyric said in hushed awe as he watched the two become acquainted with their new bodies. He laughed as Alice, of course, began to yip excitedly in her fox form with her tail wagging cutely behind her. And with Ella. Well. "Omygosh, you're completely adorable! Lookit those ears! And your whiskers!" Lyric was no stranger to mice and other rodents from years of tending to crops and gardens, he had even considered getting one as his familiar, but this was almost too much. It was suddenly a struggle for him to not immediately scoop his friend up and coo at her (which would probably be weird once she turned back into a human, probably definitely weird.)
And when I fall apart And when my head is in pieces You pull me out the dark Always you and me, you and me, you're my dynamite You're my guiding star
xx☾Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Dungeon Storage Room☽ xxx☾Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Fox-Alice, Mouse-Ella, and Lyric☽ xxxx☾Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Animagus Time!☽ xxxxx☾Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?They're so dang cute!☽
Seb was way beyond excited for today. The weather had shifted, sending a whiff of petrichor throughout the grounds. Alice was up in the library somewhere, while Seb had opted to eat dinner with Adi and a few other Gryffindors. He figured he could go to the student kitchen and make her a meal. If tonight's rain didn't produce any lightning, she was likely to be annoyed (at best). But then a sharp crack of thunder sounded. Seb dropped his fork, gaze whipping over to the Hufflepuff table. Ella was already out of her seat and halfway to a sprint. Seb pushed up to his feet, praying his quidditch training would be enough to keep him on his feet for the run. He very almost tripped down the dungeon stairs, but managed to right himself, just in time to almost run into Lyric as they darted into the room.
He watched in shock and terror as the girls succumbed to pain. Sure, he was used to it, but he'd never wanted any of that for Alice and Ella! They didn't deserve any pain, even if it was needed. They'd been working so hard on this... and Alice was doing it for him. It made their pain shift into a deep seed of guilt. But then.... poof. They were animals! Alice had become a little red fox and Ella was a teeny little mouse. "This is so cool! Look at you!" He pulled out the mirror from his backpack, holding it first in front of Alice, then Ella. Lyric was going gaga over Ella (which was totally fair!) and the little mouse stood on her back feet to put her paws on his leg. and wiggled her nose.
Seb reached out and gave Alice a pat, scratching her behind the ears. It was something he always wished he had hands for when he was in wolf form, so he figured it'd be something she'd like. He also moved to scoop her up, subtly taking a moment to try and get familiar with this scent. It was Alice, but also, it was different. Seb put a little smooch on top of Alice's head, a grin in place. After a moment, he set her back on the ground. "Do you guys need help with shifting back? I-I practiced the spell, just in case. I think you're supposed to try it solo first, though...." At least, that's what Alice had said when she was giving him very explicit instructions for today.
Alice was still getting the hang of these four paws and tail situation, but it was coming pretty quickly to her. Her sense of smell was also so much stronger and she could smell all the people in the room. Sebastian was really excited about her transformation and pulled out his sending mirror to show her her reflection. Alice could already tell that she was some form of quadrupedal mammal with a fluffy tail, but seeing her reflection queued her into the fact that she was a fox. That made perfect sense! She'd had some prophetic dreams about a fox and running through fields alongside her wolf compatriot. Now she was a fox! She was going to try running around to get a grip on her feet when Sebby reached down and patted her head, then scritched her ears. Oh my, that was amazing! Her tail wagged out of instinct and she yipped at him. Then he picked her up and she flailed, yipping loudly. Oh jeez, she was still not used to Sebby picking her up in her human and now he could pick her up much easier. She yipped loudly, still flailing a little. Then he placed a kiss on her head and set her back on the floor. He asked if they needed help shifting back and Alice looked over at Ella. Oh crap, right... We need to shift back and I don't have my wand. Closing her eyes, she focused on her human form. Shifting back was as simple as thinking about her human form and reciting the same incantation, though this time mentally. Amato Animo Animato Animagus, she recited, focusing on her human form. At first, she didn't shift back. She repeated the process several times, becoming more and more desperate. Oh no, what if I can't change back?!? she worried to herself. The fox drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. One more time. Amato Animo Animato Animagus! This time she shifted back, becoming the teen girl sitting on the floor... the cold, cold floor. "I'm back!" she cheered.
xx❀Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Dungeon Storage Room B xxx❀Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Alice, Lyric, Sebastian xxxx❀Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Animagus Transformation xxxxx❀Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?We did it!
Ella was excited to explore the world in her animal state. Everything was so... big and shiny! Her little paws pressed against Lyric's knee as Ella sniffed the air around him. It was so cool! Especially since he thought she was adorable... The little mouse looked over at her fox companion, squeaking softly when they were asked if they could change back. Ella had forgotten about that part, but it was essential. They couldn't call themselves Anamagi unless they could change in and out of the state correctly.
She scrabbled up onto Lyric's knee to watch Alice, her big ears twitching. Alice wasn't as confident with wandless magic as Ella had gotten, so she wanted to give her friend the first go. Thankfully, Sebastian and Lyric (should have) practiced the spell to shift them back. Ella squeaked encouragingly as Alice seemed to concentrate. It took a moment, but soon the blonde was safely back in her human form. Perfect! Ella squeaked, then hopped off her perch. She walked over to sit beside Alice.
Now it was her turn to concentrate. Focus on her center and become... herself. Amato Animo Animato Animagus, she thought, reciting the words. Within a second, she looked around, now sitting in the floor with her long hair a mess. Ella let out a happy laugh, brushing her hair free from her eyes. "We did it! Alice, we did it!" Ella wrapped her arms around her friend. "You did it! Now you can.... just do that whenever? Or are there more steps?" Hopefully it wasn't more time with the leaves... Ella grinned, then looked over at Lyric while Sebastian gave Alice a hug. "Thank you for being here for me," she smiled toward him, a little blush on her cheeks.
