"Your first name is King
Last name is dumb
Because you still believe
In everyone."
– Pharrell Williams – Freedom
Chapter Eight - Rivalries and Revelations
That Saturday, Ankaa had convinced little Annabelle Roker to join her at the Slytherin table instead of standing out in the rain to watch the Quidditch game. Annabelle, who generally preferred the quiet and calm to the hubbub of Quidditch, was quick to agree.
"I don't mind," she told Ankaa as she settled in the seat across from her with a gentle smile. "It gives me time to catch up on my work! I don't want to get sick being out in the rain like that."
Ankaa turned her attention to the ceiling in the Great Hall. It swam with murky clouds that came alight with the occasional bolt of lightning. It was certainly much worse outside.
"There are charms that keep you dry," Ankaa muttered, "but expending all that magic just to watch a ball being tossed around is not appealing."
"Not a fan of Quidditch?"
Ankaa shrugged a shoulder. "Within reason, I'd say." Certainly not as enamoured as Wood.
"Did all of your friends go to see the match as well?"
A snort slipped past the Slytherin girl's lips. "They wouldn't miss a chance to see Potter fail. I think they're hoping he falls off his broom."
Annabelle's eyes widened comically. "I'm sure he'll be fine! All the teachers are there watching too!" Annabelle glanced briefly down at Ankaa's clothes as if she expected to see the Slytherin emblem on her regular outfit before visibly shaking the intrusive thoughts away. "Do... Do you want to see him fall?"
"It'd be funny," But for Annabelle's sake, she added, "But no. I don't actively go looking out for people to get hurt."
Annabelle flushed at the knowing look Ankaa gave her. "That's not what I meant—I just... I thought since you get along with your friends so well, you might share the same views."
"In that case, shouldn't you be out with your friends supporting your house against Gryffindor today?"
The younger girl didn't answer, but her hands clutched her quill tighter, and her gaze wandered to the entrance, looking somewhere beyond. Ankaa watching the girl's expression flicker, turning from thoughtful to guilty to neutral, before she finally reached over a tapped Annabelle's hand.
"Not going to one game doesn't make you a bad person—and neither does putting yourself first," Ankaa informed her quietly, giving her a slight quirk of her lips. "You don't have to do everything your friends do. Neither do I—we're all different people."
Annebelle considered the words for a moment before her grip finally relaxed over the quill. With a deep sigh, she uttered, "Sometimes I feel like I'm not a good Hufflepuff."
Ankaa did not reply. Instead, she leaned back and started to pull her books out of her bag.
"I see you and your friends and you embody everything Slytherin House represents—"
"First of all," Ankaa interrupted nonchalantly, "All this House nonsense is garbage. All it does is make us think of our differences." Noticing Annabelle's bewildered gaze, Ankaa continued. "Ceph—that's my brother, he's a Slytherin Prefect, I'm sure you've seen him around. Anyway, he's got a few friends from around the world that he met while he was doing his little internships with our dad for the Ministry of Magic. He says a lot of schools don't have a house system at all. Their students are just sorted by year, and that's it."
"But then what about the points?"
"There are none."
"So what do they do for Quidditch?"
"I think the students for their own teams with whoever they want to. And then those teams are registered and they play amongst themselves." Ankaa paused, letting her friend digest the information, but she still looked conflicted. "See, the thing is, no one can really tell you what you should be like—especially not four dead witches and wizards who had a vague idea of what the houses shoulder represent. You're allowed to be your own person, otherwise, the Sorting Hat wouldn't care about where you want to go, it would just put you anywhere. It takes your decision into account for a reason."
"Is that what it did to you? It asked you where you wanted to go?"
Ankaa hummed. "Yeah, something along those lines. I don't remember it exactly, but it did say some nonsense about me being a good fit for Ravenclaw, but Ceph was in Slytherin, and so were my parents when they had been here, and I felt most comfortable there."
"Did your parents want you to go to Slytherin?"
"They didn't care where I ended up," Ankaa laughed. "As long as I was being a good student, they don't care which dormitory I go to sleep in."
"But doesn't it make you feel odd then when your friends—" Annabelle trailed off, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "What I mean is... I've seen how your friends get treated sometimes—especially Malfoy and Harry Potter. Everyone tells me they've had it out for one another since their first year."
"That's true. And I agree that Malfoy isn't the greatest of people at times, but he's thirteen. What do you expect? Besides, you're a first-year, so let me ask you; how would you feel if someone judged you after one meeting and kept that impression of you for years?"
"... I wouldn't like that at all."
"Not all Slytherins are nice people, I know, but neither are all people in general. Come to think of it, Sirius Black, who murdered all those people—he was in Gryffindor, wasn't he?"
Annabelle nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right."
Neither of them said anything for a while. Ankaa continued working on her Potions work, barely paying any attention to the Hufflepuff girl across from her. Every so often, Ankaa would be brought out of her concentration with a scratch of the quill on Annabelle's parchment, or when the girl shuffled from side to side. But other than the fleeting sighs and soft exhales, Annabelle did not say anything. Almost twenty minutes passed in such silence before Annabelle finally spoke.
"I'm sorry if I judged you."
Ankaa looked up at her, eyes full of mirth. "Did you?"
"Didn't I? I was worried you'd be exactly like your friends, even though you've been nothing but nice to me." Annabelle refused to meet her eyes, keeping them trained on her parchment in shame.
"Well, thank you for the apology, Annabelle." Ankaa gave her an easy smile. "For future reference, you also don't need to feel guilty about not being a good Hufflepuff just because you put yourself first sometimes. And if anyone gives you grief over it, you let me know and I'll deal with them."
Annabelle's eyes widened, and she snapped her head up when she noticed the older girl cracking her knuckles. "No, no, n—"
"Just joking!"
The girl relaxed at that, giving Ankaa a small, genuine smile. This time the silence that stretched between them was far more comfortable. Annabelle worked on her essay diligently, even asking for clarifications here and there, looking slightly in awe at being in the company of an older student.
"Maybe we should take a break," Annabelle suggested finally, bringing her hands up and performing a cat-like stretch. "I'm almost done with my essay."
Ankaa gave a tired huff, her head coming down with a dull thud onto the solid wood table. Some of the parchment fluttered around her, but she remained face down. "I've still got that Defense essay."
"What's it on?" Anna asked curiously, peeking over at Ankaa's book.
"Werewolves," Ankaa mumbled. "We weren't even studying them when Snape covered the class. Lupin must've been sick that day."
The sudden vision of Professor Snape bringing that smoking goblet to Lupin's classroom filled her mind's eye. Ankaa could almost feel as if she was back in that moment, peering over the goblet and trying to discern what had been inside.
"What've you got there, sir?"
"None of your concern, Miss Rhyther."
Annabelle nodded, thinking nothing of Ankaa's lapse. "In this weather, I can understand. It's been dreadful all week. I was hoping the weekend would be better, but it seems to have gotten worse." Both girls glanced up in unison, noting how the ceiling had turned almost black, and the lightning flashes had become a lot more frequent.
Ankaa returned to her work, but only half-heartedly. Her eyes were trained on her textbook, rereading the same line on Werewolves but not truly comprehending it. Snape wouldn't poison a teacher, no matter how much he hated them. That much Ankaa knew. But if it wasn't Poison, what was in the goblet?
And worse, if Lupin really was sick and needed some remedy... Why didn't he go to Madam Pomfrey?
Snape's are of expertise deals largely with—
Oh, Merlin.
With sudden dexterity, Ankaa flipped forward a few pages, and her eyes scanned over the pages quickly. With a frustrated growl, Ankaa got up and looked at Annabelle.
"I have to get a book from the library. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Annabelle did not have the chance to respond before Ankaa had grabbed her Defense Against the Dark Arts book and was racing out of the Great Hall and towards the library. Ankaa skidded to a halt inside when Madam Pince looked up at her with a fierce scowl. The Slytherin gave her an innocent smile and made her way over to the scowling librarian.
"I was wondering if you could help me find books about werewolves?" asked Ankaa politely. "Got an essay to write."
Madam Pince's black eyes narrowed and she looked Ankaa up and down. Her eyes narrowed at the way Ankaa was clutching her worn copy of DADA, and immediately Ankaa moved the copy behind her and gave the librarian a sheepish smile.
"It's my brother's old copy," she explained. "I don't actually mistreat books, I swear."
Pince did not look like she believed the young girl one bit. It took another ten-second staredown for her to finally move past the main desk and lead the way to the particular shelves. Even then, when she had found the books on werewolves, Pince turned to Ankaa and pinned her with her stare, scrutinizing her expression carefully.
"Now," she started, her voice high-pitched but still threatening."If I find you eating here, I will throw you out. Should you rip, tear, shred, bend, fold, deface, disfigure, smear, smudge, throw, drop, or in any other manner damage, mistreat, or show lack of respect towards any book, the consequences will be as awful as it is within my power to make them."
"I would sooner cut off my hand, Madam Pince."
The librarian didn't seem amused at all. Madam Pince gave Ankaa a hard glare before turning and walking away slowly. She kept turning back to glance at the girl, as if to tell her, "I'm still watching, you'd better be on your best behaviour," and Ankaa gave her a cheeky smile and a wave.
Ankaa placed her own copy of DADA on the table and got to work pulling out as many books on the subject as she could. She flipped through some, skimming the contents quickly before placing them back with a scowl. Some she placed aside to go through with a fine-toothed comb, trying to find more details on werewolves.
In another ten minutes, Ankaa had all the research she needed to confirm that Professor Lupin was, in fact, a werewolf. Like the books had said, in his human form, he would start to change in pallor and become sicklier looking.
Ankaa flipped open (a little roughly, thank Merlin Madam Pince was not around) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them and started reading about the werewolf and its possible treatments.
"There is no known cure, although recent developments in potion-making have to a great extent alleviated the worst symptoms. The Wolfsbane Potion is an innovative and complex potion that relieves but does not cure the symptoms of lycanthropy. The main ingredient is wolfsbane (which is also referred to as aconite or monkshood). This Potion is very dangerous when incorrectly concocted, as Aconite is a rather poisonous substance. A gobletful of Wolfsbane Potion must be taken for each day of a week preceding the full moon. The potion allows one to hold onto their mental faculties after their transformation which would otherwise not be possible. The potion was invented by Damocles—"
With a small sigh, Ankaa leaned back in her chair.
"Makes sense," Ankaa muttered to herself. "That's why Snape set the essay."
He didn't care whether the D.A.D.A. class was behind, or that Lupin's notes were scattered and his teaching lessons weren't as organized as he wanted them to be. He would have revisited the topic of werewolves even if Lupin had covered it himself.
He set the essay so the students could research and figure out that their teacher, the one they had grown so fond of, was a werewolf that was capable of turning into a monster with every turn of the full moon.
"All done?"
Ankaa turned to see Annabelle standing by the entrance of the shelves. She was clutching her bag to her shoulder tightly, looking around at all the books Ankaa had placed all around her. Noticing Ankaa's questioning look, Annabelle shrugged.
"You were taking longer than I expected," Annabelle placed her bag on the table next to Ankaa's, "So I decided to come and check for myself. Is everything alright?"
Was everything alright?
If Snape was right, and Lupin really was a werewolf, there could be some serious ramifications. Besides, if Snape knew and wanted people to find out, why would he help make the potion and give it to Lupin before his transformation? He can't be trying to help, is he?
Ankaa shook her head. To Annabelle, she gave a simple smile. "Everything's fine, Annabelle. Just needed some extra information."
Annabelle helped her place the books back into their rightful place before walking out of the library with her. Ankaa made idly conversation for a bit before telling Annabelle she would be heading back to the Common Room.
"Thanks for studying with me!" Annabelle gave the older girl a wide smile, waving at her as she ascended up the stairs and towards the Hufflepuff dormitory. "I hope we can do it again!"
Ankaa gave a light wave in return. "Sure," she mumbled, but it probably went unheard. Only when Annabelle had disappeared around the corner did Ankaa turn back, once again left to her own thoughts.
If he's really a werewolf, and Snape is helping him... Dumbledore must know. He must've asked Snape to help Lupin.
After all, Lupin must've been at Hogwarts around the same time as Snape. They must've known one another as students... and if the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry is intense today, Ankaa could only imagine how it must've been back then when Voldemort was still running rampant.
Tell Ceph... No... What would Ceph do?
He's always the more just out of the siblings, trying his best to see all sides of a story before taking action... Trying his best to help everyone. If Ceph was in this position... Well, he would look at the facts. One; Lupin is a werewolf. Two; Snape gives him the wolfsbane potion every month before the full moon. And three (also perhaps the most important); Dumbledore knows Lupin is a werewolf and has knowingly appointed him as a teacher. Four; Lupin had never actually hurt anyone at school, even though it has been months since they started and he must have transformed here already.
On her way to the Common Room, Ankaa fingered the chain of her Time-Turner.
Just because he hasn't hurt someone yet doesn't mean he isn't capable.
Walking into Myrtle's bathroom, Ankaa pulled the Time-Turner out of her shirt and clutched it in her hand
This is a dangerous move, Her conscience told her. You'd be risking too much if you go back and check something minuscule like this. 1978 is a long way away.
She knew that. She knew that if she was to go back to Hogwarts during the time, she would risk ruining the timeline entirely. If her mother, of any of the people that were currently in her life who were present then, saw her it would mean there would be a chance she would cease to exist.
But I've done this before, She told herself. "I've done it here."
And that was the problem. Hiding from people here and hiding from people in the past were two entirely different things. A chill went through her at the thought of messing up, at being caught, at ruining the entire timeline and destroying everything she had worked so hard to build.
Shaking her head, she placed the Time-Turner back in her shirt.
Not now.
She would go to 1978, she definitely would. But first, she needed to research.
And research meant she needed to write to her mother.
In the days that followed her revelation, Ankaa could not help but be cautious around Lupin. A part of her mind was quick to remind her that the man had never done anything to hurt his students, but the logical and rational part of her mind, the part that always seemed to be most active, was also quick to remind her that the last thing werewolves are is dependable. After all, Ankaa knew next to nothing about the man, and certainly not enough to be able to vouch for him.
All that was left to do was write to her mother. Her Time-Turner had been used quite frequently that last week, and Ankaa had finally finished most of her assignments and got some free time. The quill and parchment sat before her in the Common Room, sitting untouched for a while.
How do I write to her without her becoming suspicious?
Knowing her mother, she would certainly suspect something. Ankaa was never one to pen frequent letters to her parents, as Ceph often did a marvellous job of keeping them updated with happenings around school. Besides, Ankaa doubted they would be interested at all in what she, Blaise, and Draco got up to.
What's the point of this, Ankaa wondered with a deep exhale as she leaned back in her chair. It's not like you're going to hand Lupin over to Dumbledore. Besides, if Snape's helping out... and he suspected Lupin of being dangerous, he would've done something already.
Yet the feeling of something being terribly amiss would not go away. If only for her own peace of mind, Ankaa needed to know more about Lupin, and especially about this connection he had with her mother.
Reluctantly, she reached for the quill and began writing.
Mother,
Sorry I haven't been writing to you all that much. Ceph told me you've been writing to him lots, so I just wanted to take some time to catch up with you. I've finally got some free time in my schedule... All those extra classes have had me by the neck.
I assume Ceph has already told you of Sirius Black trying to break into Gryffindor Tower a few days ago. And if he hasn't... well now you know. No need to worry, though! Everything is fine.
Apparently, he left the castle soon after decimating the portrait at the entrance of Gryffindor Tower. I've never seen her personally, but I'm sure you'll remember her. Apparently, you've been around Gryffindor Tower before? Visiting your friends and whatnot.
I got to talking with Professor Lupin the other day. He's a Professor here, as I'm sure you've heard. Teaches us Defense Against the Dark Arts, actually. I must admit, he's quite a lot better than Lockhart and Quirrell. But really, what's even more interesting is that he claims to have been your friend. He also claimed you had a tight-knit friendship with Potter's mother.
I'm surprised you didn't tell us anything about it. He sure had lots to say about you... Seemed to know you quite well, too. What was he like at school, I wonder?
Write to me when you can.
Love,
Ankaa
It was the most blasé way she could hint at knowing more about Lupin without giving anything away. Anything more, and her mother might suspect, and anything less would be out of character for her. On the other hand, Ankaa felt quite accomplished at being able to hide her contempt through the letter. There was precious little that got under her skin than being caught off guard, and her mother's supposed friendship with Lupin had done just that. There was so much Ankaa wanted to know... Why aren't they talking anymore? Does she know he's a werewolf? Did he hurt anyone during his time at Hogwarts? Why is Snape helping?
But all of that would have to wait. With one final glance, Ankaa placed the letter in the envelope and signed her mother's name on the top.
As she grabbed a few treats for Zeus, Ankaa heard Pansy from behind her, "Why aren't you ready for Hogsmeade?"
Daphne, who stood beside her, scrutinized Ankaa. "She wasn't going to go," she surmised, eyeing the letter and treats in the Slytherin girl's hands. "Seriously, Ankaa? How are you not the slightest bit bored at being cooped up in the castle at all times? Take a break! Let's go get some fresh air!"
"It's not like there isn't any air inside." Nott joined them, shooting a teasing look at Daphne. "If you want Ankaa to go to Hogsmeade so badly, just ask."
Daphne grimaced, looking affronted by the mere idea. "Vitamin D, then."
"I can get that from the courtyard." Ankaa stood straight and gathered the last of Zeus' treats. "Besides, you're all acting as if I never leave the Common Room. Fresh air and Vitamin D are easily accessible from the courtyard."
In the end, they didn't leave her in peace. Draco, who was always the first to get his way, bribed Pansy with some alone time at Hogsmeade so that she could race up the stairs and gather Ankaa's things for her.
"You have no shame," Ankaa grumbled when Pansy skipped down the steps and deposited a bundle of things into Draco's arms. "You have absolutely no shame."
"Don't look so put-out." Draco grinned, passing Ankaa her scarf and gloves. "Now, we'll be generous and give you some time to drop off your letter at the Owlery first. If you're not with us in ten minutes, I'll get Nott to hunt you down, and you know how he gets about someone wasting his time."
Nott, who was itching to leave, merely cast a baleful look towards Ankaa. The group walked out of the Common Room, splitting ways by the Entrance Hall so Ankaa could head to the Owlery. Blaise gave her a wave as they left, ignoring a jab in the ribs by Nott, who looked down at his watch meaningfully before narrowing his eyes at Ankaa.
Ankaa walked past Filch, who was busy yelling for stragglers to make their way over to the front so they could head out. He glared at the girl as she walked past, looking her up and down before eyeing the letter in her hand and turning away with a huff.
Ankaa had only just turned down the side hallway when she spotted a duo on the other side. Immediately, her eyes narrowed in suspicion at their snickering, and she almost turned back to leave.
It's torture enough writing to Mother, a part of her thought, I'd be risking losing more brain cells if I interact with those two.
Sadly, one of the twins spotted her.
"HEY! It's Ankaa!" George cried, waving his arms in the air like an excited little child. Beside him, red gave a cheeky grin and did the same, with surprisingly more enthusiasm.
The Slytherin girl glanced from the excited twins to some of the last stragglers in the hall who were watching the scene carefully. Luckily her Slytherin friends were not there, or Daphne and Pansy would have hounded her the entire ride down to Hogsmeade.
"Stop doing that," Ankaa mumbled, stepping closer to the two so they could not be overheard. "You both look ridiculous."
"You pronounced handsome wrong," said Fred. "But no matter."
Ankaa's lips quirked in a small grin. "You know, one day I aspire to be as confident as you are."
"Thank you—"
"—I mean, especially for someone who has accomplished next to nothing, you sure have a great attitude towards yourself."
Fred's wide grin did not falter for a moment, even despite his twin's snickering. Instead, his eyes lit up with amusement before he looked down at her. "Accomplished next to nothing, was it? Point me to two other notorious pranksters that have even Peeves enamoured."
Ankaa was loathed to admit that she couldn't find any. "Alright, fine. I suppose your definition of accomplishment differs from mine."
George and Fred gave her identical smiles.
"It's alright, Short-Stuff," said Fred, puffing his chest out to appear taller. "One day you'll understand why we're superior."
"Speaking of which," George glanced behind him. "We probably should get going before dear old Filch gets his hands on us."
The Slytherin girl eyed them warily. "What... did you two do?"
"Something that brings us that sense of accomplishment."
George nodded along with his brother. "I feel like our day isn't complete if we don't bother Filch in some way. He really has too much free time on his hands, I think."
"I agree. The day is dull if it isn't filled with his yelling."
A series of small explosions went off somewhere further down the hallway. The three of them turned to listen intently as the sound died down, and there was some shuffling along the now deserted hall followed by an enraged shout.
"I think that's your cue."
But the twins were already off, scampering in the other direction with loud, boisterous laughs. They turned back before rounding the corner, shooting her gleeful smiles and waving at her before they left. A mere second later, Filch races past her, smelling awfully like a dung bomb and muttering about how he wished nothing more than to 'string those twins up from the ceiling by their ankles'. Ankaa could not stop the laugh that bubbled out of her, shaking her head at their antics.
A hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around. Her amusement died just as quickly as it had come.
"How is it that you had ten minutes and you still didn't get to the Owlery on time?" Theodore glanced down at the letter at her side with suspicion. "Don't tell me you're the one that pranked the squib?"
Ankaa gently shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "No. I just got distracted."
Theodore only hummed, glancing between her and the empty hallway. "I'm sure," he muttered before stepping back. "Well, come on, then! I don't want to miss the carriages. You're not exactly the best company for a walk to Hogsmeade."
Unfortunately for Theodore, the last carriage had already departed by the time he pulled her along. Ankaa watched with great amusement as Theodore's face crumbled, watching the carriage roll past and into the distance. Hearing her snickering, he turned to her with a murderous expression.
"I hope you know what you've done," he told her. "I'm not tolerable if I don't have my supply of sugar."
Ankaa paused. "Wait... All this time—that was you being tolerable? I thought you were just being an asshole."
"Well, I'll be worse unless you find a way to get me to Hogsmeade." He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "And no I'm not walking with you."
"Why not? Don't you want to soak up the fresh air and Vitamin D... Or did you want to do that with Daphne?"
Theodore glared at her. "For your information, I'm not into Greengrass. I have much better taste than that." He cast a look around him. "Besides, I don't fancy walking when the Dementors are roaming around. Can't risk something like the Hogwarts Express again. I doubt you can conjure up a Patronus."
"Can you?"
He was silent, and the tips of his ears turned red in embarrassment. Ignoring her teasing grin, he turned back towards the castle. "Let's go," he said with a resigned sigh. "I guess I'll have to make do with something sweet from the Kitchens."
"Do you really hate my presence that much?"
He glared over at her once she joined him, though it seemed to her that it was almost halfhearted. "Sometimes," he relented. "Sometimes you say something so stupid that I wonder how you and your brother are related."
"And the rest of the times?"
"You're tolerable, I suppose." He shot her a small grin. "But right now, I hate your guts."
Ankaa laughed. "I thought as much," she said, taking him by the sleeve. "Come with me, I'll show you something. Though, keep in mind, after this you'll be indebted to me for the rest of your life."
"Sounds highly unlikely," Theodore muttered, letting himself be pulled along by the girl. "But I will admit, I am the slightest bit curious."
In the end, he seemed alright with missing the carriages when Ankaa showed him to the secret passageway that went straight to Honeydukes' cellar. Ankaa had severely underestimated his love for sweets, because the moment she peeked through the trap door and into the cellar, Theodore pushed past her to marvel at the crates of unopened sweets.
"Do you realize what you've done?" he muttered to her, barely glancing her way. It was the first time Ankaa had ever seen such an enamoured expression on his face. "This will be the death of me."
It took all her strength to pull him out of the cellar and into the shop. "Come on," Ankaa struggled, grunting with the sheer effort it took to pull him along. "If we get found out, they'll know about the passageway and shut it down. You don't want that, do you?"
The rest of the day, Theodore was absolutely and positively appreciative of Ankaa, to the surprise of all their friends. Even Ankaa, who had never been on the receiving end of his good graces, was shocked by the turn of events.
"You must've bought him a lot of candy to make up for missing the carriages," Draco remarked, casting a dull look at the happy boy over the rim of his glass. They had all settled into a cozy booth at the Three Broomsticks, chasing away the chill with a glass of butterbeer each.
"Something like that," Ankaa muttered. She shot a look towards Theodore as well, who only shared a secretive smile with her before happily drinking his butterbeer. "If I had known it only took some candy to get on Nott's good side, I would've done it a lot sooner."
Daphne snorted into her glass. "Trust me, it wears off. He's not going to be like this tomorrow, so let's all enjoy it while it lasts."
They bid cheers to that, ignoring Theodore's disagreements about the statement. Soon, they settled into their old rhythm of fun and teasing, and their laughter joined that of the other students mingling about in the pub.
Little did Ankaa know, it was all downhill from here.
Notes:
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