AN: Hooray! Finally guys an update! I'm sorry I'm so behind, life has started to get the better of me and y'know...takes up most of my free time for writing. But Yay! NEW OFC :D I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER :)
Chapter 10: When the Wolves Descend
Fleur was only slightly worried. It was Friday, Hermione had said she would talk to Jade, but she hadn't heard anything back from the brunette. Granted, it had barely been a day, but that didn't stop Fleur from worrying. Without even noticing her own actions or feelings, she'd grown fond of the American and was conflicted on how to handle it. Fleur Delacour didn't want any friends, at least, not until her only one had left.
The Prefect was walking towards the Great Hall that morning for breakfast when she noticed the Headmaster standing with Professor Snape. Fleur's eyes narrowed slightly as she neared and noticed a brunette girl standing between the two men. That was curious, a new student perhaps? Or maybe just someone Fleur had failed to recognize to her lack of socialization.
"Ah, Miss Delacour." Dumbledore spoke calmly as she approached and a soft smile graced his lips. "You're just in time to meet our new student."
"New student?" Fleur repeated softly as she narrowed her eyes at the dark brunette that stood next to Snape.
"This is Rin Riley." The Headmaster flourished his arm and the girl stepped forward and glanced at Fleur with piercing green eyes. "She's a new transfer, her family just moved here from America."
"Quite the name." Fleur replied as she extended her hand towards the shorter girl who smiled, but the annoyance in her eyes wasn't lost to the Slytherin.
"My parents have a thing for alliteration." Rin answered firmly as she shook the Prefect's hand and smiled. "May I ask yours?"
"Fleur Delacour." Now, of course Fleur had an issue with communication, but there was something about this girl that threw her off. She felt she needed to be cautious as their hands disconnected, a sweet smiled staying glued to Rin's lips. "I'm the fifth year Prefect for Slytherin."
"Rin will be starting her fifth year in Slytherin as well," Snape interrupted as he stepped forward, hands folded behind his back and a stoic expression on his face. "I need you to escort Miss Riley down to the dungeons so she can get situated in the dorms."
Fleur nodded to the professor as she watched Rin fold her arms over chest and sigh. The Prefect nodded once and the Headmaster continued on for a moment, telling Rin about the castle and handing her a class schedule. There was a strange aura radiating from the shorter girl that Fleur found familiar, and threatening at the same time.
"So," Rin piped in as Snape and Dumbledore waltzed back into the Great Hall. "Are you going to show me to the dorms?"
"Right." Fleur turned on her heal and didn't say another word, and as expected, Rin just followed in silence. There was already a tension between the two girls, not to mention the fact that Fleur was already in a bad mood from the altercation with Jade. "This is the quickest way to the dungeon, there are a few other routes, but they're a bit more complex because they were old pipe ways."
"So you guys actually do live in the dungeon." Rin muttered as she looked around with an emotionless face. "Strange." Fleur decided to ignore the girl, rather than humor her with a response.
"The password is dracone," The Veela continued as she walked into the common room and motioned towards the girl's dorms. "The fifth year girl's dormitories are that way, your luggage should already be there." Fleur nodded as Rin did and moved to leave, she still had yet to eat breakfast.
"I have a question." Fleur paused slightly as she passed Rin and the brunette glanced over her shoulder.
"What is it?"
"Do you know Jade McHale?" The question fell hard on Fleur's shoulders as she tensed and tried to hold her composure. She didn't turn around, but instead, nodded once and then continued on her way. "Nice to meet you, Fleur." There was a teasing lilt in Rin's voice as Fleur escaped and inhaled deeply. How did that girl know Jade?
Her jaw clenched as she ascended the stairs and her brow furrowed in thought. Rin was American, maybe she knew Jade before she came to Britain? Fleur shook her head slightly as she neared the Great Hall and saw Hermione coming from the opposite direction. Her heart leapt slightly at the sight of the Gryffindor and the thoughts of the new student, and Jade, were momentarily snuffed.
"Hey, Fleur." Hermione smiled as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear and the blonde nodded back. "How are you this morning?"
"I'm well, thank you, Hermione." The girls turned and walked into the Great Hall where other students were busy chatting as they ate. "Did you by chance talk to Jade?"
"I did." For some reason, Fleur was a bit nervous. She didn't know what Hermione had said or how Jade could've reacted, and what was stopping Hermione from lying just to spare her feelings? Would she do that? "And, she was still a bit miffed about what had happened, her and I actually ended up in a small row."
"She didn't hurt you, did she?" The blonde moved forward a quarter of a step and Hermione blinked a few times before shaking her head, trying to hide her smile towards Fleur's concern.
"No, she didn't hurt me." The brunette smirked as Fleur visibly relaxed and took another step back. "We just argued, but she agreed to speak with you. When she will though, I'm not really sure." Hermione was about to say more when the Slytherin watched her attention get drawn to something behind her.
Fleur turned and frowned to see Rin walking towards them with a calm smile on her face. The darker brunette was shorter than Fleur, but still taller than Hermione and her demeanor shifted as she approached the Prefect once more. Hermione seemed a little dumbstruck as she stared as the emerald eyed student walked by and into the Great Hall.
"Hello again, Miss Delacour." Rin greeted with a slight nod and the two other students just stared as she smiled, heading towards the Slytherin table for breakfast.
Now, Hermione wasn't normally a jealous person, but the way that that girl had looked at Fleur had sparked something inside of her. Not to mention the way that Fleur stared back and watched her all the way to the Slytherin table. She cleared her throat and the blonde turned back towards her with narrowed eyes.
"Who was that?" Hermione asked quietly as she moved closer to Fleur and the blonde pinched the bridge of her nose with a groan. "Someone you know?"
"Barely." Fleur answered as she ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "She's new, just met her this morning…a few moments ago, actually. All I really know about her is that she's from America and knows who Jade is."
"Well, that's something." The Gryffindor mumbled as she folded her arms over her chest. The conversation went no further as Harry and Ron had approached and Fleur bid Hermione a chaste farewell, deciding to skip breakfast to find Jade instead.
x—x
Jade sighed as she sat in the empty Runes classroom, telling Professor Babbling that she needed a few moments to go over her work before class started. Of course, coming from a model student like Jade McHale, why would any professor assume that the real reason the Ravenclaw wanted in the classroom was to sleep. Jade had been lacking sleep lately and it seemed the only time she could sleep was when she was in complete silence.
"Well, and here I thought I wouldn't find you until later." Jade froze upon hearing the familiar voice behind her. She straightened up slightly and heard a chuckle ring through the air. "Not even going to say hello to an old friend?"
"Rin…" The wolf blinked a few times, making sure that she wasn't hallucinating from lack of rest. But there was the brunette, advancing towards her with a slight sway to her hips as she neared. "Wh-what…Why are you…?" The brunette smirked before moving to sit on the desk in front of Jade and crossing her legs.
"Are you always this articulate?" Rin grinned as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and cradling her chin in her hands. Her green eyes sparkled as she eyed Jade from head to toe as the lycan seemed to be paralyzed under her gaze. She chuckled before leaning forward and brushing her fingers against Jade's jaw. "I see you're as beautiful as ever."
Jade seemed to snap out of her stupor at the touch and stood abruptly, knocking over her chair and backing into the desk behind her. It had been years since she'd seen Rin, and now, out of nowhere, here she was. In her classroom as if it was an everyday occurrence. She shook her head slightly and narrowed her crystalline blues at the girl.
"What are you doing here?" Jade snapped as she finally found her voice and Rin sat up straighter, slipping her dark locks over her shoulder. "I don't see you for two years and all of a sudden you show up in Britain? At the school I happen to go to?"
"Coincidence?" Rin mused as she smiled and hopped off the desk, taking half a step towards Jade. The wolf's gaze hardened as she watched the shorter girl carefully. "Would you accept that I missed you as a sufficient answer?"
The Ravenclaw sighed as she lowered her head to her hand and shook it slowly. This was too much of a coincidence to actually be a coincidence. Jade groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose and felt a warm hand gently cradle her cheek. She looked up into softer viridian eyes and sighed softly.
"You can't tell me you haven't missed me as well." The brunette whispered as she leaned up and looked into Jade's eyes.
"Of course I missed you. Is that what you want me to say?" Jade conceded as she glanced over her shoulder and saw Professor Babbling walking towards the open door. "We…we shouldn't talk here." The blue eyed wolf stood and gently grabbed Rin's wrist, moving swiftly towards the door as they passed the professor.
"Ah, Miss McHale!" Babbling called as they passed. "Met the new student I see?"
"Erm, yeah," Jade muttered as she halted momentarily and scratched the back of her neck. "She uhm…she needs to go to the bathroom so…I'm taking her."
"Sure, sure." The professor waved dismissively as she headed towards her desk.
As they exited the classroom, Jade caught a flash of blonde hair and looked to her left to see Fleur walking towards them. She paused to turn as their eyes locked and Fleur opened her mouth to say something, until her sapphires landed on Rin. The Slytherin Prefect's jaw immediately tightened and her gaze iced over. Her posture composed and she raised her chin slightly as she neared.
"Fleur," The blonde ignored her friend as her gaze stayed trained on Rin who smiled sweetly. "This is Ri-"
"We've met, actually." Fleur interjected coldly as she glanced at Jade and the ice in her eyes melted slightly. "She's in my house." Jade had been so distracted by Rin's arrival, she hadn't noticed the silver and green tie around her neck. "Are you two headed somewhere?"
"Just to catch up a bit before class." Rin offered as she stepped up next to Jade and smiled. "Jade and I are old friends, you see. It has been years since I've spoken to her. I'm sure you understand, don't you?"
Fleur didn't understand. As much as she wanted to, and knew it was rational for old friends to catch up. She neither comprehended, nor wanted to know where Rin had come from and the whole situation sat sour with her. That's when she was it. The faint spark in Jade's eyes when she looked at Rin. There was something more between them, that much, the Veela could read. So she lied.
"Of course." She answered shortly as, if possible, the grin on Rin's face widened and she glanced at Jade. "Just be back before class starts or I'll have to take points." With that said, Fleur turned gracefully on her heel and made her way into the classroom.
Jade's brow furrowed slightly as she watched the blonde's back, but shook it off quickly as Rin gently tugged on her arm in the opposite direction. She did not intend on going back to class.
x—x
"So this is where you've been hiding out all these years?" Rin asked calmly as they sat in an abandoned classroom on the fifth floor. "Bit dreary, isn't it?"
"Compared the sunshine of Santa Fe you're used to?" Jade shook her head and sighed before glancing at the green eyed girl with a smirk. "Yeah, it is, and I like it that way."
"You always were more prone to darkness." The brunette hopped up to sit on an empty desk before crossing her legs and staring at the wolf. "Why did you leave?"
Jade's brow furrowed slightly as she turned away from her friend and rubbed the back of her neck. She had honestly thought she would never see Rin again, let alone have her show up in Britain. It was strange and somewhat confusing. The last she knew of Rin Riley was that her pack was permanently settled in New Mexico, posing as a group of mercenaries.
"I don't know if I can give you a satisfying answer." The wolf shrugged as she turned to see a curious expression on Rin's face. "I was only twelve when I left, Rin, and I didn't know why. I don't really know still, but, my grandfather said it was necessary"
"And you listen to everything that old man says?" Jade's jaw clenched slightly at hearing her grandfather, her alpha, referred to in that manner. But as long as she'd known the brunette, she didn't hold respect for the hierarchy. "You could've come with me."
"And be a mercenary?" The raven haired girl chuckled at the thought before running her fingers through her locks. "I'm not like you, Rin, I can't kill for money. For recognition." Jade saw a scowl begin to form on the younger girl's face before she shook her head. "Why are you here?"
"Aren't you happy to see me?"
"About as happy as I am suspicious, Rin Riley." The wolf took a few steps forward until she was standing in front of the seated figure. "Who sent you here? And for what purpose?"
"Hm." Rin hummed with a smile as she glanced down and sighed. "You know me too well, Jade."
"We were part of the same pack for twelve years, Rin." Jade scoffed as she folded her arms over her chest.
"But you are happy to see me," The Slytherin pressed. "Aren't you." It was a statement, a fact even, if Rin were so bold to say it out loud. The confidence in her voice told Jade that it was evident. They hadn't seen each other in almost four years, and they had more than history together. "You were always easy to read, Jade."
Jade glared at Rin as their eyes met again and the bright eyed wolf's eyes darkened slightly before they shimmered. Three years was a long time to change. Long enough for Jade to learn how the world outside of a pack worked. How humans worked. And even though you'd never tell the difference. Lycans were not human, and she despised the deceit and lies that came along with both species. So to say she had no patience for Rin's games was an understatement.
"I'm not the same as when you knew me, Riley." Jade snarled as she narrowed her glowing eyes and clenched her jaw. "I'm not like you anymore." The blue eyed girl turned away from the brunette as Rin hopped down from the desk and scoffed.
"What?" She egged as she followed Jade out of the classroom until she was at her heels. "You've been the lone wolf since I've known you, Jade. So what has changed you? Hey!" Rin grabbed the taller girl by the shoulder and whipped her around, her green eyes narrow as they glared into bright topaz. "I am your mate, answer me."
Jade tensed and bared her teeth at Rin. It had been a long time since she'd heard that word, and it tore at her very being as it rang in her ears. Rin was still glaring, her eyes starting to glisten and Jade wasn't sure if it was from anger or anguish.