Title: All Roads Lead Home
Plot: The war was won, but at a great cost. Not wanting to refresh the memories of the ghosts past, Alexia (femHarry) and Ginny move to Forks to live with Alexia's newfound uncle and cousin only to find themselves thrown into another war. But when they come across the wolf pack, the remarkable happens and they are forced to choose, Love or Family?
Face Claim for Alexia 'Lexie' Potter: Emilia Clarke
Pairings: Lexie/Sam, Ginny Weasley/Alice/Jasper, Hermione Granger/Paul
Author's Note: So, this is already a story on Fanfiction that I have been trying to redo (I see grammar mistakes etc, so trying to have it updated) and thought why not turn into a soulmark fiction as Twilight Wolves imprint on those they're meant to end up with. So, this will be undergoing a bit of a redo and then I'll post this as a story.
Chapter One:
Lexie's POV
I looked around the small but modest room. It was quite different to the room that I shared with my best friends Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but it was cosy, and had room to improve. It was small, yes, but it had managed to fit in two twin beds, a vanity table with a mirror and a table that sat between the two beds. The quilt covers were white and patterned and the curtains were a deep blue, but the walls were white, and reminded me of a hospital room. Perhaps if I had the time, I would paint it, but for now, I was happy to have a space.
I hadn't planned on coming here - that is, Forks, Washington USA but the memories, along with the pain and loss that the Battle had brought upon me made me want to seek change - even if it was just a little bit. The battle wasn't just any battle and although we had won the war, we didn't realised that we had lost more than we won. I had lost more than I won. Defeating Voldemort had not been an easy task, but it was a necessary one. However, if I had known that I would lose almost everything in the process, I wouldn't have worked so hard to bring him down.
I sighed, sitting on the bed as the memories of the past year filled my head. The wedding, the downfall of the Ministry, the hunting of the horcruxes...Ron's death...I shook my head as I tried to subdue my sobs that were threatening to emerge. Not I had not wanted to cry, as that was all I could do these days, but I needed to stop and take a deep breath. Now was not the time to mourn, though my heart needed to cry for those I had lost. I heard footsteps and I looked up, only to see the soft warm blue eyes of my best friend, Ginny Weasley.
"Oh Lex..." she whispered softly as she sat down on the bed. She wrapped her arm around me and I gasped as the tears began to fall softly down my face. No sobs, just silent tears.
"Why did we come here? We should back at home, burying the dead but instead, we are here...why?" I wondered aloud. The question had been bugging me since the day Ginny and I decided to leave England.
At first, both Ginny and I didn't want to. With the massive clean-up and rebuilding of Hogwarts, and the burying of those who lost their lives, both Ginny and I had opted to stay - wanting to help those in need. But, if I was honest - there was nothing left for us there, as most of us that were left had already gone. Like I said, we had lost more than we had gained or won. Among the dead of those who lost their lives, were most of the people I had called family. Among the dead that were buried in the memorial grounds that Kingsley Shacklebolt had built near Hogwarts, were most of the Weasleys - Fred, Percy, Ron and of course, Molly and Arthur, the matriarch and patriarch of the Weasley family. Ginny, Bill, Charlie and George were all that was left of the Weasley Family. My adopted family...While I didn't share the last name nor have the signature red hair, I considered them family, and so did they in return, consider me their family.
After the war, Bill left the magical community, taking his wife Fleur and moving back to Fleur's home country of France. George left to live in the apartment above his shop in Diagon Alley. Charlie went back to his job in Romania, taming dragons though he kept in touch often with his siblings. I think the deaths of his family weighed on him heavily, and he needed to be sure his remaining family were and still staying safe.
Along with the other Weasleys, Hermione had left. She left England entirely, opting to be reunited with her parents in Australia because of what happened to Ron. Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and some of the other students that managed to stay alive, stayed behind in England. Neville was helping with the rebuilding of the school and Luna took over her father's newspaper company after he perished in the battle. And Ginny, well, she had wanted to stay - live in the home she grew up in but the deaths of her parents and brothers were a little too much. The battle had had left scars on all of us, and when she found out I was leaving, she opted to come with me. Although the battle of Hogwarts had been only three months ago, it still felt like happened only yesterday.
"We are here, because not only do we want to get to know your uncle and your cousin a little more, we are to start afresh. Create new memories and live a new life. Maybe find our soulmates?" Ginny suggested.
A little hope throughout all the bad - the soulmarks that rested on various parts of the body with the names of the people we are meant to be with. However, mine was strange - I had a name, along with an imprint of a black wolf entwined with it that was inked just above my left breast - as if it was over my heart. Samuel...was all mine said. Hermione's soulmark was the same, except hers was a silver wolf with the name Paul was entwined with it, and her's was on her lower back. Ginny's was also different. While most soulmate names were marked in black ink, her soulmate names, and I say names as she had two, were the colour of an amber gold, the names Alice and Jasper entwined in an elegant script around her thigh. Only first names, never last names.
"Maybe we'll find them here or maybe not. We've got time..." I murmured.
She sighed, agreeing. "Yeah...that we do...I'm just glad that after all this, you managed to find some sort of version of a family...even if it was a little late..."
I nodded, thinking about the events that led to Charlie Swan, my uncle and my cousin, Charlie's daughter, Bella. It was a shock, but a welcomed shock. Charlie Swan was the half-brother of my father, James Potter. Apparently, my grandfather was quite the ladies' man and had gotten Charlie's mother pregnant with Charlie, before leaving America and starting a family with my grandmother, his true soulmate. I had found out after the battle, when I had come across a box of my parents' things hidden in the attic at Grimmuald Place. There, in the box, was a diary that my father had kept, detailing the events of how my father found out about his half-brother Charlie and the life his father had lived before settling down in England. My father, being the wizard he was, decided to track down his half-brother.
At first, my father was sceptical, given that during all of this, he was also fighting a war, but once he had found Charlie, he was grateful to have family. He then found out that Charlie already knew about magic, as Charlie's mother was a witch, making Charlie a squib. Charlie knew about magic, and now knew about his brother and about the magical community. And so, my father left details for me to find them should the need to arise. Charlie was shocked, to say the least when I called him with the phone number that I had tracked down and used, wanting to get to know him. I hadn't expected much, just a quick conversation and that would have been all, but Charlie welcomed me with open arms, and offered us to stay with him for a little while, just while we were healing from recent events.
"Yes, finding out that I had an uncle was a shock...but he may be related to me but he's not family...at least not yet...you however, are...You're my family...Hermione, wherever she is down under, is my family...Luna, Neville...they are family...we may have lost but we gained too..." I mumbled.
Ginny sighed. "I know...you know, it's been three months...today...exactly..."
"Yeah..." I breathed, thinking about the past.
Yes, it had been three months, three months since the battle, since the fall of Voldemort...since everything. Losing our loved ones had been the end of our old life, with finding Charlie and Bella the beginning of a new life. It was Charlie who had offered us the chance to stay with him and start fresh in Forks. Although he only knew parts of the events that had taken place, he knew that we needed a chance to start over and had graciously offered us his home. He thought that by bringing us into the house, it would be a good thing for Bella, as she had gone through something before we had turned up.
Bella had moved to Forks as way for her mother to spend time with her new husband. But since moving in with her father, she had gone through a series of events that led to a bad break-up and was in a zombie state for months. It wasn't until she found out about us that she got herself together and was there to meet us at the airport when they picked us up. It was an awkward first meeting, that's for sure, but that had been a week ago and she seemed nice. We could see the effects of the break-up, but we didn't look any better either. Both Ginny and I were thin, the ghosts of our pasts shown on our face and our bodies.
The house we all stayed in was nice. Charlie and Bella lived in a house near the Indian Reservation known as La Push. He didn't live on the reservation, just near it and he worked as towns' chief of Police. Bella attended the local high school and also hanged out with the residents in La Push. I had yet to meet any of the residents, but I suspected that would change soon, considering Ginny and I were getting ready for our first day of high school.
Today was the first day at the muggle high school known as Forks High and it was also the school Bella attended. We did have the choice of going back to Hogwarts and continuing our studies there, but we wanted the fresh start, and so, with the help of magic and Charlie, we had enrolled into Forks High and gave the school a cover-story, saying that we were half-sisters that were home-schooled by our parents, until they passed away. It was partly true, and it was needed. Although Ginny was a year younger, we had managed to convince the school to place her in the same year as Bella and myself.
"So, first day of a muggle high school...I wonder what dad would say, if he saw me now. I bet he would say that it's a good idea that I'm learning about muggles and their way of learning education. He'd say to learn as much as I can and then report to him as soon as the day is done." Ginny giggled.
I smiled. "Yes, and then he would ask you the differences between a muggle school and a magical school, all the while still wondering about the function of a rubber duck!"
She laughed. "Yes! You never did explain the function of the rubber duck, despite us all asking you over the years."
We laughed, the memory of Arthur and his obsession with muggles. Ginny then stopped, her eyes glistening.
"You know, like you said, it's going to be okay. We can start fresh here...I don't know if I am in denial or just wanting to start everything over so badly but I know that we going to be okay here...there's something about this place that lets me know that we're going to be fine and that we will learn to heal..." I assured her.
"I know...I feel the same..." she nodded, then she frowned. "I don't know if I should bring this up, but did you hear her last night?"
I nodded. "Yes...it seems like she's been having bad dreams..."
Ginny scoffed. "We all have bad dreams...you and I both still have bad dreams. I wonder what happened to her that made her scream in pure agony..."
I shrugged. "I don't know...I reckon the day we found out about her break-up is the day we reveal our past. If I'm honest, I don't think I want to know. By the sounds of it, it pretty awful..."
"It was and I would appreciate you not talking about it..." Spoke a soft voice. We both turned to the doorway, only to see Bella, dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a brown t-shirt, staring at us.
"Bella, I'm so sorry...I..." I stammered, getting up and walking to her.
She raised her hands. "No, it's okay...you're curious...just like I am about you. All I know about you is that you're both witches and that's awesome, but I also know that your people had just won a war and of course that would leave scars...like the one on your forehead...which is an awesome scar by the way...but I can relate. And I agree...and I know have bad dreams, so do you...I may scream in my sleep, but so do you...when you tell me about the war, I'll tell you about Edward...my ex...well ex soulmate."
"I wasn't aware he was your soulmate. Do you still bear his name?" I asked.
She nodded. "That's why I haven't quite come to terms with it. And why I have nightmares...still trying to grasp the fact that my soulmate rejected me."
Ginny grimaced. "Ouch...what a dick..."
Bella nodded as I sighed. "What trio we make. Ginny and myself are survivors of a war and you're the survivor of a really bad break-up. Sounds like a punchline for a movie...Survivors! Oh, wait, isn't that a TV show?"
Bella stared at me, before bursting into laughter and Ginny followed suit. I rolled my eyes and huffed in mock annoyance.
"Oh, I think I am going to like getting to know you both. Listen, I am sorry about my behaviour when you guys first got here. I wasn't myself...I know that now. But I'm willing to make it up to you and first, we need proper introductions...the ones at the airport, was so lame." Bella blushed, and then held out her hand. "Bella Swan, your cousin...it's nice to meet you. I know that we have a long way to get to know each other, but I am looking forward to it."
What Bella was saying was true. She had been a bit out of it when she along with Uncle Charlie came to pick us up at the airport in the town of Port Angeles. At first I blamed the break-up but no-one could be that rude and snarky. But after Uncle Charlie threatened to return her to her mother, I noticed some changes in her. It's amazing though, as both Ginny and I had only been in Forks for a week, and had seen Bella miraculously change before our eyes. Yes, maybe Ginny and I did make a rash decision moving here, but with most of friends gone, we really didn't have a choice. During our week here, we had gotten to know Charlie well and although I could call him Uncle, I wasn't quite there yet.
"It's fine...and the name is Potter, Lexie Potter. Yes, I know, a James Bond reference but please keep in mind that I am British and I tend to have the humour of Simon Pegg...or so I wish." I smirked, grabbing her hand and shaking it. Bella rolled her eyes and held out her hand to Ginny.
"Ginny Weasley...at your service." Ginny smiled, shaking Bella's hand.
"Nice to meet to you both...and I'm sorry, for the loss of your family and friends. From what Charlie, sorry Dad, told me, he said that your war was devastating and that you lost a lot of people. I can't imagine losing my parents...even though one is like in another state but I still can't imagine not ever being able to talk to my mother or have dinner with Charlie...so, I'm sorry." Bella murmured to us.
I sighed. "Thanks Bella...now, shall we, as you Americans say, get this party started?"
"Honestly Lexie, seriously?" Ginny grunted.
"What? What is wrong with that saying?" I grumbled.
"You know if Hermione was here, she'd be scolding you." Ginny pointed out.
I shivered, knowing she was right. In fact, Hermione had been all for us getting out of England. Once she had found out about my new family, she was over the moon and was the one to encourage me to find them and get to know Charlie and Bella. She had returned to us from her stay with her parents just to help us move to America after finding out that Charlie had offered us a place to stay. We had placed charms over both the Burrow and Grimmuald Place, knowing that one day we would be back and converted more than half of our savings at Gringotts into muggle money and helped us open a joint account. With myself being sole beneficiary of Sirius's savings and my own family savings, we didn't need Ginny's and so she packed hers away safely and really, we both had money to last us several lifetimes. Hermione had even suggested that we'd buy a place instead of moving into Charlie's three bedroom house but Charlie wouldn't hear it. I then suggested that if she would come, then we would buy a house then. But she didn't, although I still had the hope that one day she would join us.
"So true...but she is not here and I will continue like the loon that I am..." I said simply, nodding my head and crossing my arms.
"Are you sure that she's seventeen and not twelve?" Bella asked Ginny.
"Some days I don't even know...I mean, I'm sixteen, a year younger and even I don't act that childish. I think the war did her head in..." Ginny teased.
Although I was annoyed at their teasing, my heart leapt a little when she joked about the battle. I gave her a small smile and she returned it, somehow knowing what I was thinking. Although Ginny and I weren't as close as Hermione, Ron and I were, we had become closer and I considered her a sister. After everyone had either left or passed away, she and I were the only two left and stuck together. She may not have been with me during my time on the run and the hunt for the horcruxes, but she was here with me now and I wouldn't have it any other way.
"So...school?" Bella suggested. Ginny and I nodded to her.
We had gone shopping the day before for all our school supplies, plus clothes to help us fit in at school. I don't think that robes were exactly appropriate school attire and so we had brought things to make us fit into our new lifestyle. For today, I had on a long grey maxi skirt, a white patterned shirt and my book bag was leather and brown. I put my feet in beige coloured flats and slipped on my denim jacket, checking myself in the mirror. My ebony hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and I had on a pair of contacts, which had been magicked to stay in place. Ginny suggested I should have had a healer look at my eyes but I loved the feeling of wearing glasses, or contacts. I guess I still wanted somethings to stay the same. My lightning bolt shaped scar still rested above my forehead and I wondered if I should glamour it, but shook my head no. There were other scars that were visible on my body and it would seem strange to just glamour the bolt and not the others. I rubbed the scar that was on my hand, wondering if I should glamour that. While the bolt may seem strange, having the words 'I Must Not Tell Lies' permanently on my hand was even stranger. Instead of using a spell, I just pulled the sleeve down and hoped that no-one would take notice.
Ginny must have sensed my worry. "It's just a scar...just like the bolt...yes, it says the words 'I Must Not Tell Lies' but I have one too...so it's okay...at least you're covering the others."
I nodded, putting the strap of my bag over my shoulder and then I noticed my phoenix feather and holly wand and I picked it up, placing it in the inside of my denim jacket. I noticed that Bella bit her lip and I frowned.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Look, I know you are witches but are you really sure that you should be bringing that? Not that I mind, but what happens if someone spots it or something?" She inquired.
I shrugged. "Don't worry, we have spells to erase someone's memory. I mean I know that you know about us but if someone spots it, we can just obliviate their memories..."
"Oh...okay..." Bella said, shocked.
"Don't worry Bella...we may be attending a muggle school but we know enough to keep our secret." I assured and she smiled.
I looked to Ginny, who was pulling on her brown leather boots. She was wearing black jeans, a white tank shirt and a rust cardigan. Her book bag was black and it was a backpack. She picked up her black wood wand and placed inside her boots and smiled at us.
"So, ready?"
0*0*0*0*0
Ginny's POV
Forks High was, in other words, massive. Well, it felt like that as Lexie and I left the head office, on our way to our first class. Bella had been kind enough to drive us to school and we had arrived, we were shown to the head office, where we met the principal and got our timetable for our classes. Both Lexie and I were relieved to know that most of our classes were with Bella, and that Bella was apparently our 'buddy', which was the person who had to show us around the school and help us settle in. It was quite overwhelming, being in a muggle school. So unlike Hogwarts...
I so wished I could go back, but I needed a new start. The death of my parents was hard, not just on myself, Bill, Charlie and George, but on Lexie too, as she had considered Mum and Dad as her own parents. But although I missed them, I couldn't bear to be in the house that bared their memories. The war had been over, for just over three months, but it still felt like yesterday. So, when Lexie asked me to accompany her to America, I said yes, grateful for the opportunity. Lexie Potter was truly a brave soul with the heart of a lion, even though her animagnus was a dire wolf. I bet that if she was a male, she'd be a lion. I giggled to myself as I thought of my best friend as a male.
I saw Lexie frown. "What are you laughing at?"
"Just imagining if you were a boy..." I whispered to her.
She rolled her eyes. "I'd be a handsome one...jet black hair, green eyes...yeah, I'd be handsome..."
I laughed and we continued to follow Bella, who laughed as well. We then reached a classroom, and it looked like small science classroom. Students were already sitting at the tables that were lined up and the teacher, a man with a moustache smiled at Bella, who introduced us to the teacher, whose name was Mr Molina. Bella nodded to us and walked away, heading to an empty seat next to a boy with blonde hair.
"Class, please make a warm welcome to Alexia Potter and Ginny Weasley. They are from England and will be joining this class. Girls, there's an empty table behind Bella there, so just head there." He spoke.
Both Lexie and I gave a small wave to the students who just looked absolutely bored. Lexie shrugged, and together we made to the empty table. As we sat down, the blonde boy turned to us, smiling at me before staring at Lexie.
"Ladies...how's it going? I'm Mike...I'm sure Bella has told you all about me...we basically best friends..." Mike told us. I cleared my throat to stop my laughter while Lexie just stared.
"No she didn't...but it's nice to meet you...anyway, we have a class...shall we learn?" Lexie grimaced, forcing the smile on her face. Mike blinked, shocked at her attitude but nodded his head and turned around.
"Bloody hell, barely here five minutes and already, there is someone trying to get in me knickers..." she whispered to me.
I giggled. "Told you. Would never had happened had you been born a bloke."
Lexie grunted, agreeing with me. I smiled, turning my attention back to Mr Molina. He had just started explaining about the digestive system and I blanked out, wondering why on earth muggles needed to know about the system that digests our food. I nervously played with my hands as I tried to understand what it was that Mr Molina was saying. I knew about the body of course, but then again, I also knew what spells and potions can do to the body and this was not learning how to cure yourself from warts and such. No, this was totally different.
"Maybe it was bad idea to start learning at a muggle school..."
0*0*0*0*0
All in all, and with a few communication issues on my part, Lexie's and my first day of school went off without any drama. After our biology class, we had calculus, then English and then at lunch, we got to meet the group of friends Bella often, well sometimes, hanged out with. Angela was nice, as was Eric and I could admit that Mike was okay too. Lauren got on my nerves a little but we didn't see much of her as she took off and as for Jessica, I couldn't really tell with her. One minute she as all bubbly and the next, she stared absolute daggers at Bella.
Bella then explained to us later that she had went to the movies one night with Jessica and it had ended a little badly, plus Bella believed that Jessica was a little jealous of her, which I could see. I could tell that Lexie noticed too, and had the same feelings as me when it came to Bella's friends. While I struggled to learn the muggle ways, Lexie was okay. I think that's because she was used to muggle ways, and had learnt their ways during her years. Knowing Lexie, she could learn anything and still be okay. Bella's friends had asked the normal questions, and I could tell that they were curious about the scars that were on our body, especially Lexie's bolt and our scars on our hands but we kept quiet, just telling them little details about our lives in England. Most of them were lies, but we didn't care.
During lunch, I couldn't help but notice that Bella was staring at an empty table. I wondered to myself if that's where she used to sit with her ex-boyfriend. Although we knew that they were gone, I couldn't help but wonder if Bella was hoping that they would just suddenly show up. It was shitty, what her ex-soulmate had done to her. I thought soulmates were supposed to last forever, given that the names are basically branded onto us for the rest of our lives. But I guess things don't always work out for the best.
We had just finished our last class for the day and were heading home in Bella's orange pick-up truck. The car was a piece of junk, but Bella loved it. On our way home, we noticed a sign and two bikes that were in no condition to drive. Bella saw the bikes, and pulled over. Lexie and I frowned at each other, wondering what she could be up to and followed her out of the truck.
Bella was observing the bikes, all the while telling us that the area was a junkyard. Not that I cared, but it did look like a junkyard. Along with the bikes, there were various items scattered around that were free for people to take. Bella kept looking at the bikes and then she looked at us.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"I think that they are death traps and are in no condition to ride." I told her. I had seen a bike before and while I had always wanted to ride one, the bikes that laid before me were in no condition to be driven on.
"I know that...don't worry, I have a friend who's a mechanic that can help us fix it. He's around our age and he just so happens to be a really good mechanic..." Bella assured us.
"Us?" Lexie questioned.
Bella nodded. "Well yeah...think of it as a bonding thing that we can do as cousins..."
"Right...Are you out of bloody mind?!" Lexie screeched.
"Lexie! No...look, Jacob is a capable mechanic. We fix them up and viola, learn to ride them and it can be a bonding thing. Come on, Lexie, live a little..." Bella pleaded.
Lexie sighed. "Fine...only, if we get to meet this Jacob."
Bella nodded. "Of course. Jake will be excited to meet you...now, help me get these things in in the back of the truck."
Lexie looked at me and then pulled out her wand.
Bella took a step back. "Lexie, are you crazy?! What if someone sees you with that?"
"Oh relax Bella, I'm just using a simple spell to help us levitate these things into the truck and besides, there is no-one around...I think we are fine...there is no way that I will use my hands to lift that..." Lexie assured her.
Bella nodded and stood aside, but still kept on eye on the road. I pulled out my own wand from inside my boots and together, Lexie and I chanted "Mobiliarbus!" and the bikes lifted up, and we managed to move them onto the back of the truck. Bella pulled a grey tarp over them and smiled to us.
"Wow, so that's what magic looks like." Bella whispered in awe.
"Didn't you see magic when your grandmother was alive?" I asked. We knew that both Charlie and Bella knew about magic and that Grandma Swan had been a witch, but we didn't know if she had been exposed to the magic.
"Not much, as I spent most of my time with my mother, but I knew. Nana liked to use magic and I know that it goes against your 'Statue of Secrecy' that your world has in place but I kinda knew about magic since I was a kid. I might not know all about it, as Charlie was a born a no-maj, which is like your word for muggle or squib. Though, I don't what that makes me as I know I don't have magic but yet, my grandparents were of magic." Bella informed us.
"There is always some sort of residual magic in people, even if both their parents were non-magical, yet your grandparents were. So you may not have the magic that Ginny and I have, but there could be some sort of magic in you." Lexie suggested.
Bella frowned, as if she was remembering something but then shook her head. "Who knows? Now, shall we go and meet Jake?"
I nodded, as Lexie smiled. We then felt the area lighten up and Bella looked up, noticing that the sun had come out. Ever since we had arrived in Forks, it had been cloudy, and very wet; not that we minded as England was like that, but it would have been nice for some sunshine and it seemed that we were standing in it.
"Wow...Forks is truly nice when the sun is out." Lexie commented.
Bella nodded. "Yeah..."
I frowned, noticing her change of attitude but thought nothing of it. If anything, I was thinking about how nice it would be to go for a run.
"Hey Lexie, perhaps we should go for a run?" I suggested.
She smiled. "Oh yes...let's..."
Bella frowned. "You guys run?"
"Not exactly..." Lexie said as she took off her denim jacket and ballet flats. She placed her wand inside her book bag and stood a few feet away from the truck. "Did your grandmother ever tell you about the animagni? Like, witches who could turn into animals?"
"Like a shapeshifter?" Bella questioned.
Lexie nodded. "Yes...kinda...well, both Ginny and I, and our other friend Hermione, we all have an animagnus. So, Ginny and I will have a run through the forest and meet you outside the reservation? I assume that Jacob lives on the reservation, because we didn't meet him today at school. So, we'll meet you there and you can take us in? I don't think the Indigenous people would appreciate two white woman just randomly showing up on their lands."
Bella nodded. "Yes, that is true but if you do happen to run into someone, just mention Charlie's name. So, what animal do you turn into?"
Lexie smirked, before suddenly shifting to a pure snow white dire wolf. Bella gasped as she stared at her cousin in her wolf form and laughed.
"Oh wow...this is so totally cool." She gasped, reaching out to touch the wolf.
She was hesitant at first but then Lexie shoved her head in Bella's hand and Bella laughed, running her hand through Lexie's fur. Lexie's animagnus was a truly beautiful sight. She was bigger than your normal average wolf, but still small enough to be considered as a normal dog. Her fur was snow white, with black paws and the eyes were Lexie's striking emerald green.
"What is yours?" Bella asked me, still running her fingers through Lexie's fur.
I nodded and then took off my cardigan and brown boots. While we could still wear clothes when transforming or in our animal form, I often opted not to wear shoes as I love the feel of the grass beneath my feet. I grabbed my wand and chanted the spell that help link my mind to Lexie's, so that we could talk telepathically in our minds if we wanted too and placed the wand in my backpack. I took a deep breath, and then transformed into my animagnus form, which was in the shape of a ginger reddish fox. I loved my shaped as a fox. My paws were black and the fur on the bottom of my slender body was white, where everything else was ginger. It suited me and I loved the feel of being a fox. I felt my clothes around me and I saw Bella shake her head, picking up my clothes as well as Lexie's. She ran her fingers through my fur and I shivered, enjoying the feel.
When was the last time we did this? I heard Lexie say to me.
A long time...
I heard Bella tell us that she was heading home first before heading to Jake's house and she got into her truck and drove off. Lexie and I turned to each other in our forms and we ran, running into the thick forest and through the bushes and trees. It was breath-taking, since the rain and the sun made it look magical. It was sight...a sight to remember.
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Lexie's POV
I couldn't remember the last time I was in my wolf form. I was proud of my animagnus form, as the dire wolf was rare considering they were mythical creatures. Though, I wasn't as majestic as Hermione's animagnus, as her form was even rarer - a phoenix. While it was impossible to figure out why or how she could become a phoenix, she didn't mind transforming into the majestic creature. But then again, when it came to Hermione, it did not surprise me that her animagnus form would be magical. At first, we all thought that her form would be an otter, as her patronus was an otter, just like mine was a stag and Ginny's was a horse, but patronuses and animagni could differ from each other. While Ginny loved horses, her fox suited her, just as the dire wolf suited me and phoenixes were loyal, caring and could carry heavy loads - which suited Hermione, as she was loyal, caring and she carried the load for many of us...mentally that is.
Ginny and I ran through the forest, jumping over logs, rocks and branches. My paws pounded against the ground with every step and I relished the feel of the earth beneath my feet. I felt Ginny's small form besides me and I ran faster, trying to race her. As I ran, I noticed that something was following us, but couldn't figure out what but I could feel a presence watching as we ran. I tried to look for it but then suddenly, the trees began to thin out and we somehow had made it to a small clearing.
It was magical, almost meadow like, with purple flowers and brown green grass all over the place. I stopped, sitting down on my back legs and just taking in the sight. Ginny, being the playful fox, chased a bird that was flying around. I snorted, gave a sort of wolfy laugh and then just watched her.
I then felt the presence again, and I looked around me, trying to see if there was something in the forest.
Ginny...I think there's something watching us..
What do you mean?
I stood up on all fours and narrowed my eyes across the meadow. I then whined as I saw four massive wolves walk out onto the clearing and without thinking, I growled. I then tried to communicate with the wolves - as when we are in our forms, we could communicate with other animals but that didn't work. I then took a closer look at the wolves, noticing that these wolves did not look like any wolves I've seen. The wolves were massive, almost the size of a bear and slightly larger than my wolf. I could tell that there was a leader, and there were three followers. Each wolf were different in colour - while two of them had similar colours, they all looked different; two of them had silver and greyish fur and one had brown fur. The one I couldn't take my eyes off and reminded me of my soulmark, was the massive black-fur wolf - whom I could only assume was the alpha. They were staring at us, their teeth bared and ready to attack.
I had to act quickly, and so I transformed back into my human form, not caring that I had just exposed my face to them. I could hear Ginny besides me whine at my action but it was either that or running away and I knew we wouldn't get far. But it seemed my rash action worked as the wolves looked shocked to see a white dire wolf turn into a human girl. I decided to keep my eyes on the alpha, locking my eyes with its black ones, its wolf-face changing as it saw me stand up slowly, my long ebony locks moving with the wind. It then turned to the wolves on its side and then back to me. For some reason, I felt safe around the wolf, like it would protect me, but I shook my head and then turned to Ginny, who was beside me, still her fox form. The wolves were still in shock and were not moving until suddenly, the alpha shimmered, and I could see that it was transforming into a man. I gasped, not quite believing my eyes and so, I quickly transformed back into my dire wolf. As the wolf turned into a shaped of a man and stared at me with his warm eyes, I turned around, running into the forest with Ginny running behind me.
I heard a shout behind me, but I just kept on running through the forest, Ginny following me. After a little while, I could see Bella waiting by her truck, facing the forest in the place we had agreed to meet. I then sighed in relief, changing back into my human form and so did Ginny, causing Bella to jump as we quickly transformed back into our human selves. She then grabbed our shoes as we had both taken them off and I quickly put mine on as I pondered over the events that had just happened. Did I really see a wolf transform back into a man? Was he a witch? Or a mythical creature? So many questions were going through my mind and I could tell that Ginny had the same thoughts.
"So, how was the run?" Bella asked, snapping my out of my thoughts.
"Good...yeah...good..." I told her. As much as I wanted to tell her about the wolves, I knew I couldn't and so kept quiet. I turned to Ginny and she understood.
Bella smiled. "Well, now that's that done...let's go and meet Jake!"
I smiled at her. Although I wanted to meet her friend, I couldn't get my mind off the black wolf, and the man it turned into and the eyes...the soft warm eyes, telling me that I was going to be okay. But I could also feel something else, like a pull. A pull that was screaming inside me to go back into the forest and to find the man. I shook my head, ignoring the pull and got into the car. That was going to have to be something I would have to figure out later.