Chapter 21
Their first week of lesson's proved interesting and they had soon settled into the rhythm of classes and studying. Storm had found herself in a strange situation in her first Herbology lesson alone with Hermione and Ancient Runes afterwards hadn't been any less bizarre. She had remained quiet as the brunette who had taken up the seat beside her in each had submerged herself in the lessons.
Hermione had offered to help Storm with her homework for both subjects as soon as the classes had been dismissed and they were collecting their things up. She had extended the offer to Ginny as they had all sat in the library on Friday evening. The pair sat either side of her and they were both quietly scratching away at their own essays. Ginny was sat forward, long red hair pulled up into a neat ponytail and light eyes were fixed intensely on the words she was writing down. Hermione on the other side was much the same. The candles that lit the room were casting a flickering orangey glow over the entirety of the library and it was far too quiet.
Storm had found it almost impossible to concentrate on anything much as she rested back in the chair she had commandeered; unable to hold herself still for long at all. Her quill was dripping ink all over the parchment she was trying to scribble an Ancient runes essay onto and there was a vacant look in her eyes as she stared blankly at the window. Hermione had already snapped at her a few times since arriving after dinner for being too fidgety. She hadn't managed to get much done at all, but had made decent progress throughout the week. The thought of losing Ginny for a few hours the next day to a Captains meeting to arrange for tryouts and practices after held the prospect of catching up on whatever she missed.
She hadn't spent so long cooped up in one space since before the Easter Holidays of their sixth year. She could feel her skin crawling and nerves twitching uncomfortably just below the surface. She couldn't find it in herself to settle at all, much less concentrate. The view from the window they had sat beside was far too tempting, far too tantalising and she wanted to get out. Get out of the castle, out of the stuffy claustrophobia that came with having to limit her shifts.
Though everyone knew what she was now, it was still quite inappropriate to use her ability willy nilly. She didn't want to make a show of herself and didn't want to draw too much attention. She had hoped to fly under the radar for the year and just get it done without much hassle. For how long that might last was entirely unknown, but she would try.
Making a snap decision she dropped her quill down into the ink pot and pulled her bag up from where it was thrown under the table before settling it in her lap in order to scoop all of her supplies into it haphazardly. Twisting the cap onto her ink bottle and thrusting that into her satchel lastly before clipping it all shut and standing with a stretch. Her body vibrating now with excitement of what was to come.
"Where are you going?" Hermione questioned as she looked up to glare at the Shifter who had disturbed her work. Her tone was tense as if she was personally offended by Storm's sudden movement. Dark eyes were sharp and narrowed as she watched the shifter stand, stretching out her muscles. Storm was all but bouncing as she looked over her shoulder towards the library's door.
Ginny was watching her as well, though there was no malice in her gaze and nothing written across her face to suggest she was mad. In fact, a small smile was tugged across her lips as she sat back in her own chair after dropping her quill into the ink pot she had set out for herself. "For a run" She spoke for the shifter before Storm could even get her words out, dark eyes flicking between her comrades and freedom just beyond the windowpane.
"What do you mean she's going for a run? It's getting too late to be out, it's almost curfew" The bookworm quipped as a matter of factly as if that in itself would sway Storm's decision at all.
"I can't be cooped up for one second longer Hermione" She stated simply, easily as she slung her bag over her head, the strap falling across her chest as she shrugged her broad shoulders heavily. "Don't wait up" She called to Ginny then as she turned on heel, a grin tugging it's way across her features as she strode away before the brunette could argue any more. At this point she didn't care really if Hermione gave her a detention, or several for her clear disregard for the rules the bookworm held so dear.
The halls were pretty empty and her footsteps echoed and bounced off of flagstone as long legs brought her quickly to Gryffindor tower. She raced up the staircase towards the girls dormitories, thundering as she went and all but threw her bag down beside her own bunk. She wasted no time in getting changed, folding up her school clothes to set in her trunk for the night. There was nobody in the dorm yet, and she was free to do what she needed to do uninterrupted.
She pulled on a long sleeve t-shirt and a baggy oversized hoody afterwards. Tugging a pair of shorts up over her legs and a pair of well worn trainers onto her feet before pulling a thick hat on low over her ears. It wasn't really cold at this time of year, but the nights were a little chillier. She didn't have to worry too much about the cold, but nevertheless the wander back through the castle after had to be comfortable.
Her heart raced and fluttered with excitement as she marched with purpose over to the arched windows letting moonlight into the darkened space. She unlatched the lock and threw it open before stepping up and onto the windowsill. Dark eyes examining what exactly was underneath her for a moment before she swivelled to ensure she was still alone. The night air was already so fresh as it licked at her exposed skin and soothed the fire that was burning deep within her being. She took a deep, heaving breath and finally stepped out into nothingness.
Wind was rushing past her frame for only a moment as her free fall was short lived, a second after stepping into the night sky she had shifted into a large black owl. Spreading her wings as wide as they would go they caught her against the current of air flowing past her changing form. Her feathers ruffled as she glided down towards the dark grounds bellow, shadows seeping out from the forbidden forest like tendrils snaking along the grass in the distance.
The wall of trees was calling her name, it was tempting her into its depths as it's canopy visibly stretched on for an eternity over the horizon. But there was a destination she had in her heart, she hadn't been at all since coming back to school. Somewhere she knew she had to visit before going anywhere else, before giving into any other temptation.
There was a small patch on the grounds reserved solely for those who had perished during the battle. It was on the boarder of the land Hogwarts sat on and had enchantments around it to allow visitors from both Hogwarts and the outside wizarding world to attend the gravesites of loved ones that had been laid to rest there. Though, only the students could get to the castle.
She had only ever been here a few times before, but the image of her parent's gravestone was burned into her memory. Their names in bold white writing embossed perfectly into black marble, a photo she had chosen magically placed below the dates that represented their lives. Fred wasn't far from them and she knew Ginny had been to visit more often than she herself had. It had been one of the first things the redhead had done on her first free of the week.
Storm hadn't been brave enough, she hadn't wanted to go alone. She had put it off all week but knew it was time. She felt like she was finally ready, felt as if she could take on the task. She swooped down on the wind and the garden the graves were in became more visible, the flowers that lined the outer fences were blowing in a breeze that was rolling in off of the Great Lake. There was a distinct smell of rain in the air and she figured a storm was coming.
She flapped wide wings to halt her flight, hovering instead just above the ground before shifting to drop to her feet. The earth was soft as she landed and it silenced any noise that may have been made by her large frame making impact. Immediately before her sat the headstone she had often dreamt about. The white writing stark against the darkness around her.
She was struck dumb for a moment as she looked around, taking in her surroundings in their entirety. The moon had fully risen now and lingered in an almost full state high above. Casting elongated shadows that seemed to move all around her. There were clouds coming in from above the Lake, it's waters rippling visibly even from where she stood a fair distance away. It looked angry almost impeccably reflecting the war of emotions raging within her belly as she considered the situation she had literally dropped into.
There was smoke billowing out from Hagrid's chimney and his lights were on but they were dim. Storm figured it was quite late indeed and she didn't doubt he would be settling down for the evening. She knew he was often up at the crack of dawn to tend to the various creatures that the grounds held.
There was a multitude of plants that lined the garden that served as a graveyard for those who had perished, but their colours had been reduced to muted shades of grey in the darkness. There was a cobblestone path that ran right through the middle of the garden, winding through a wrought iron gate at either side. One led to Hogsmede and one to Hogwarts, though both were entirely void of any signs of life. She was alone, completely alone.
She reached up and tugged the hat she had pulled on further down her ears in an attempt to stave off the bitter chill that had come along with the breeze. Her dark eyes stung from the cold and Storm found her gaze flitting back along the headstones, reading off the names as she scanned them. Some of her classmates, fellow students, Fred, Tonks and Lupin were visible from her immediate position. It was a stark reminder of what they had gone through, a stark reminder of that night.
She could so easily have been one of the names, Ginny could have been, Hermione too, each and every one of them. Hermione had lost concentration for a moment, had turned her back to the battle and Storm had only seen the curse coming by chance and had managed to get them both out of the way; just barely. Ginny, Hermione and Luna had taken on Bellatrix herself. They had kept her busy and she had thrown a killing curse Ginny's way and had only lost out due to the redheads insane reflexes. She herself had almost had her head sheered clean off of her shoulders by a cutting curse that had rendered one of her arms almost useless for weeks while it heeled.
She had run past Lavender's body, had run past many of them as they lay where they had been slain. She had been unable to help, unable to save any of them. Flashes of the battle flicked through her mind at speed, racing across her heart as the memories whispered to her. A clash of thunder high above broke her out of her own head, pulled her free from the war waging between her ears.
A bolt of lightning illuminated the night sky in the distance and she saw more clearly where she was standing. She saw the faces of her parents smiling up at her from the little moving photo she had personally selected to commemorate their lives and capture their essence. She figured now that she was here, she didn't actually know what she should do, or what the purpose of this exercise was.
She had come empty handed and had nothing to lay on their gravesites. But she figured they weren't actually there; there was nothing but a memory now. This was for her, not for them and she guessed she could do whatever made her feel better. With that thought she flopped down into the grass in front of the headstone, long legs crossed at the heel as she sat back on her elbows. Resting for a moment as she shut her eyes against the sting of the wind starting to pick up it's pace.
Her mind reeled as she sorted through the events of the week, as she sorted through what had happened during the classes. She thought on the homework they had been given, and the prospect of a few hours to get it completed while Ginny sorted out Quidditch. She was excited for the season to start, she was looking forward to getting up in the air and playing properly. There was no chance the Slytherin's would be allowed to get away with anything they had gotten away with the year before.
That was a delightful prospect, not having to worry too much about ending up in the hospital wing after a match with them. Half of their team had been taken out the last time they had played the serpentine house. It had truly been a train wreck of a match and she figured they'd have great opportunity to wipe the floor with them this year.
She considered whether or not the redhead would be as tough as she was, and figured that was really a silly thought. Ginny was a fair captain but she was brutal. There was no room for failure when it came to Quidditch for the redhead, and Storm would go to the ends of the earth to ensure Ginny was pleased with the outcomes of their games. She was confident in the redheads ability to put together a team that would win the cup, if anyone could it was Ginny.
She snorted quietly through her nostrils, an airy laugh escaping at the thought of the redhead maybe going easy on her. Of course she wouldn't, in fact she might actually go harder. Though, Storm thought that might actually be for the best. They didn't need people to accuse them of favouritism.
She considered the bizarre friendship she had formed with Hermione, the girl who previously couldn't quite stand her. She had made it obvious that she had found Storm's presence tedious and annoying at best in the years before. Often she had disappeared as soon as Storm had made an appearance in the common room, or simply glared when Storm was being too loud or even talking at all really.
But it seemed that had all been erased for now. Hermione actually sought out her company and stuck with her during their free periods. They had more time together than they did with Ginny and that fact was quite strange really. She had been surprised to find Hermione could actually take a joke, and return it wholly. It was nice, and the dynamic between the three of them had really grown into something so soothing.
Though, she was sure Hermione would have something to say in the morning. She had seen her anger as she wandered out of the library and so obviously broke the rules. She had seen the frustration behind her eyes as Storm put her in an awkward position.
Another clap of thunder echoed in the distance and another bolt of lightning illuminated the night sky. There were dark clouds looming closer, closing the distance. The smell of rain was getting stronger and she could almost taste it. It was fresh and as the droplets began falling from the sky she allowed it to wash away any stress that had bunched within her shoulders over the week.
It was heavy and cold as it soaked through her thick baggy hoody in mere moments. Chilling her to the core as she shifted her ears and pulled her hat to accommodate them, dropping her head back to look up into the onslaught of rain falling from dark clouds hovering high above. With a heavy sigh and a huff she finally made to move, shifting entirely until her form resembled that of a large shaggy dog.
Dark eyes took one last look at her parent's headstone before she was turning and bolting off towards the forest. Paws slamming heavily into the soaking ground as she ran and ran until her lungs burned and her muscles twitched with exhaustion. She ran until her heart was light and her limbs were heavy. She had wandered the grounds for what felt like hours before finally making to head back to the castle.
She shifted again into a much smaller form, a black tom cat stood where her large dog once had and she leapt up easily through a large stone archway and into the entrance hall. She ran then up through the castle, swiftly and quietly through abandoned hallways still lined with small fires magically suspended above their stoney mounts lighting the corridors. Her fur was soaked through and she couldn't wait to get into a hot shower and crawl into bed finally.
She paused for a moment in front of the fat lady, watching as the woman in the painting slept soundly. Storm shifted then, her body stretching until it was much more human than it had been for the evening and she cleared her throat. Running a hand up through her hair to push long and wet curls back and out of her eyes to drip down her back instead. Her hoody clung to her body and the cold was beginning to seep into her bones. The fat lady did not stir at all.
Storm rolled her eyes a little impatiently and cleared her throat again before speaking the password clearly for the woman in the painting to hear. Storm knew she wasn't asleep, she knew she was just being her usual awkward self. "Shouldn't you already be in bed" Came the scathing words from the larger woman, her eyes piercing as she fixed the Shifter with a glare. "Merlin knows I was trying to sleep" She snapped before the portrait swung open to allow Storm access to the common room.
The Shifter just shook her head, rubbing the back of her neck a little awkwardly as she stepped through; barely getting both feet in before the portrait was swinging shut again. Slamming behind her almost violently, the noise echoing in the empty room harshly causing her to wince.
There was a fire crackling as it usually did in the hearth and Storm made a beeline for it. Her fingers and toes were frozen and she could feel the welcoming embrace of the warmth from the flame even from the other side of the cavernous room. Though something had her stopping dead in her tracks as dark eyes still blurry from the rain and the sting of the cold fell onto a figure she had least expected to see at this time.
Hermione was sat in front of the fire, bright brown eyes already watching her. A book lay open in her lap, though it seemed as if it was forgotten now. "Where have you been? It's been hours!" The brunette scolded, her voice hissed out as she whispered aggressively. "I should give you a detention right now Storm!" She seethed, standing from where she was sat to point an accusing finger in the Shifter's direction.
The taller witch stood stock still, unable to really figure out what she might say in response. "Okay" She spoke then, her words coming easily. She had no intention of arguing with the bookworm stood before her, clad in a nightgown and robe tied tightly around her waist to stave off the cold already seeping into the castle.
"What do you mean okay?" Hermione spoke, folding her arms in front of her defensively as she eyed the Shifter before her suspiciously. She deflated a little bit, she hadn't expected the taller witch to give in so easily. She had expected some sort of argument, some kind of protest from the witch stood soaking in front of her, dripping water onto the carpet only a foot into the common room.
"I mean you have to do what you have to do" Storm shrugged then, stuffing her hands deep into the pockets of the shorts she was wearing. She wandered further into the room and around the overstuffed couch and flopped heavily into it's cushions. A huff escaping her lips as she landed. Dark eyes flicked up to watch the brunette still regarding her with thinly veiled confusion.
Storm wasn't the type of person to go down quietly. In fact, she had never done anything quietly. She was outspoken and blunt in most cases. To see her accept the situation so willingly was a little alarming and Hermione found herself perching back into her seat, sat forward as dark eyes flicked across the Shifter's features.
"You said it yourself Hermione, just because we're friends now doesn't mean we get away with breaking rules without consequence." Storm spoke again with a light laugh, a small smirk tugging at her lips as she kicked her feet up to rest on the table in front of the sofa, stretching her long tired limbs out. She was sated, comfortable now. The twitching and buzzing that had filled her entire being earlier on had subsided entirely. "You said yourself before I left the Library it was close to curfew as it was, and I know how you like to uphold the rules" She added as she flicked dark eyes over to the brunette sat on the other side of the sofa.
Surprisingly Hermione looked affronted, her eyebrows had furrowed together as she sucked her teeth in detest. "Don't be stupid. I don't care about the bloody rules you git" She snapped, her voice harsh again. "There is a reason there is a curfew and there is a reason the grounds are out of bounds after a certain time. Would it be so surprising to consider I was actually worried about your safety?" She seethed, sitting back into the overstuffed cushions of the sofa with a huff of frustration.
They sat in silence for a moment, the shifter was completely at a loss for what she might say. She had the decency to look sheepish. "You went to see your parents didn't you?" The bookworm questioned quietly then, her anger seemingly subsided. The question was a little pointless and they both knew she already knew the answer. Of course that's where Storm would go now, that's where she would go every time she needed to get out of the castle.
Hermione was wearing an expression Storm couldn't quite place. She almost looked as if she was afraid to ask the question. She seemed as if she was nervous for the answer she might get, or unsure if she should have asked at all. Her brows were furrowed deeply and her lips were tugged down into a small frown.
"I did" Storm clarified simply, letting her head fall back to land with a thud onto the back of the sofa. "Well, just the bit of rock that we're calling my parents now at least" Storm spoke a little bit darkly before laughing lightly at the small gasp that escaped the brunette's lips.
She rolled her head then in order to actually look at the bookworm sat staring at her wide eyed as if she had no idea what to say. She shook her head then, dark curls whipping around her shoulders for a moment before she ran her fingers through and pushed them out of her eyes. "Why aren't you in bed?" Storm questioned then, she hadn't expected anyone to be up at all. It was late, very late.
Ginny never waited up for her, she didn't worry about her. She knew Storm needed space sometimes and she knew the Shifter was more than equipped to protect herself if anything were to happen. Though she was sure anything of the sort was unlikely to ever happen again on these grounds.
"I wanted to make sure you were alright. I wasn't kidding Storm there are things in that forest even still. I told you I was worried about your safety" Hermione quipped easily, though there was a tenseness to her tone that had Storm's interest piqued. "Besides, if I am wrong and you didn't go into the forest at all" She paused and gave the shifter a pointed look before continuing "and you did just spend hours sat with your parents then I wanted to make sure you were alright because that's not much better is it really" she spoke honestly as she offered the shifter a warm, kind smile.
Doe like eyes met Storm's own coal like stare and the Shifter wasn't really sure what to say. She was caught off guard by the thoughtfulness that had gone on behind this act of kindness. She figured Hermione had just waited up to scold her, to yell at her for breaking the rules but she hadn't even thought of this at all.
"Thank you" Storm spoke quietly then, shaking her head a little in disbelief. "You didn't have to do that though, I'm okay. Besides, I am one of the things in the forest Hermione." She added simply, shifting until fangs were elongated past her bottom lip and her eyes glowed bright red in the dim light of the room. Her features had sharpened and become much more menacing looking but the brunette didn't even blink.
"I know I didn't have to Storm" The brunette retorted simply, shaking her head as she moved to grab her book that had been discarded onto the table in front of them. "You like to think you're some big bad wolf Storm, but come on. You are impossible in most situations, but you're not a villain" She added easily, a laugh escaping her lips.
"Whatever you say, you're the smart one" Storm quipped in return, shaking her head a little bit as she considered the situation she had ended up in. "I wish they had muggle televisions in this place, honestly" She added quietly, her eyes fixing themselves to a table in the corner a television would go so nicely on. She forgot how much she missed the luxuries that came with having a foot in each world.
While they were at Hogwarts there was no access to anything the muggles used, their technology didn't work in this place. The magic was far too strong and it disrupted anything that might actually be fun to have. "It would be nice" Hermione stated with a small sigh. She had been surprised to find Storm's mother had been muggleborn and the shifter had grown up between worlds.
She often missed the simplicity that came with the muggle world. "I bet you'd want to watch something boring like a documentary on one of the world wars or something" Storm muttered teasingly, throwing the jibe at the bookworm easily.
The blush that crept up Hermione's neck and spread across her cheeks told her she was bang on. She had called it and figured it was actually quite obvious when you thought about it. Though, she herself enjoyed a good documentary on anything about the natural world.
"And what would be your choice of entertainment then Storm? Action? Adventure?" Hermione quizzed seriously, interested in what Storm might watch if given the opportunity.
"I like Horror and cartoons." The shifter stated simply, crossing her arms over her chest as she considered the brunette beside her now wrinkling her nose in detest. Hermione shook her head, in a way unsurprised.
"How barbaric" She quipped easily with a light laugh, standing from the sofa then as a yawn took her lips. "Are you ready for bed? You'll catch a cold if you don't change out of those wet clothes" She spoke, moving to stand from the sofa slowly pausing to wait for the shifter.
"I'm coming" Storm muttered with a laugh, pulling her hoody away from her body. She had warmed up significantly, but she was still soaked through to the skins. She sighed deeply as she pushed damp curls back and out of her face as she moved to follow the brunette up the stairs, quietly discussing their favourite films until they wandered through the door to the dorm room. It was dark and quiet, only the sounds of light snoring met their ears.
Hermione bid Storm goodnight as she climbed into her own bunk beside Ginny's and shut the curtains as Storm quietly waved before moving to change into her pyjamas, leaving her clothes to dry out overnight. She debated whether or not she wanted to get into her own bunk or into Ginny's then. Wondering if she wanted to potentially wake the redhead though the decision was taken away from her as the curtains around the redheads bed slid open only slightly.
"Did you have a nice run?" Came Ginny's groggy voice as she reached out to grab Storm's hand in order to tug her through the gap in the drapes. It was warm and cosy as the redhead wrapped herself around the Shifter's larger frame.
"Yeah" Storm muttered as she stared up at the dark canopy above them. Sleep already threatening to take her as her body became too heavy to move at all. Part of her couldn't wait to get this year over and done with, couldn't wait to get away from the castle that had become entirely suffocating. No matter how much better this year would be there was a nagging in the back of her mind that would never go away, it would always serve as a reminder of exactly what had happened in this place.