A/N: Another incredibly short chapter, but one with an important plot point
in it, as well as a bit of foreshadowing.
~ Chapter Six - Full Moon High ~
"AwrrrRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The full moon hung low on the horizon, casting its silvery light across snowy turf and casting deep shadows on the Whomping Willow. As the moon slowly sank out of sight, a wolf staggered out into the snow, writhing in pain as it slowly became an eleven-year-old girl.
It was ten days before Christmas. The snake in the walls had not been heard since late September, but the group of first-years had studied extra-hard in Charms and Transfiguration. By some gift, natural-born or lycanthrope- linked, Ael had made rapid progression with spells and curses. Upon hearing Harry remark that she was nearly at the point in the curriculum where he'd mastered the Patronus Charm, she had turned to learning that as well.
At this point, however, all she could do was trudge through the snow and make her way to the hospital wing, where Madame Pomfrey was waiting to give her Pepperup Potion and let her sleep in.
~~~~~~
When she woke up, somewhere around noon, she found herself looking at the Slytherin boy, Zelgadis Greywers. A few weeks before, Kat had introduced the withdrawn kid to her, and they had hit it off splendidly. Zelgadis, or "Zel" as she liked to call him, had some interesting views on Dark Creatures - as in he really didn't mind them, and actually held a certain fondness for lycanthropes - and had taken to making sure Ael was okay after each full moon. Of course, he had the added bonus of keeping her occupied when the overprotective Hogwarts matron wouldn't let her do anything, but he didn't exactly intend that from the start.
"Hey, Zel," Ael said, yawning as she sat up, cracking the joints in her back with a deliberate motion.
Zelgadis jumped in surprise, dropping his copy of 'Hairy Snout, Human Heart' in the process. "Ael, you're awake!"
"Oh, well spotted!" Yup, that was Ael - sarcastic and witty, no matter what circumstances. *Hmm, nothing broken,* she decided as she stretched. *Only minor bruises. Not a bad night, then.* "What time is it?"
"Lunch," Zelgadis answered, picking up his book. "Your friend...Connemara?...took notes in Potions and Herbology for you." He gestured to her bedside table, where there was a roll of parchment or two. "She dropped it off ten minutes ago, but you were still asleep. You gonna make it to your other classes?"
She nodded. "I've only got one more class, in the afternoon. I'm pretty sure I can do it." She kicked back the sheets and flopped back down on the pillows. "Mmm, sleeping in on Mondays. I could get used to this." She winked at him, prompting a shy smile from the brown-haired boy. "So," she continued, propping herself up on one elbow, "what's your plans for Christmas holidays?"
He shrugged. "Rezo and I are staying this year, just to see what a Hogwarts Christmas is like. Still exchanging gifts, just by owl. What about you?"
"I'm staying too," she told him. "My parents are sending me stuff by owl too, so I'll have to send Jewlz back to Randolph Ave soon. All my other friends are here, so no need to go home for that either." She looked over at him. "I've already got a gift for you," she teased.
Unfortunately - or perhaps it was fortunate - Zelgadis admitted that he'd also gotten one for her, something that embarrassed him to no end. He didn't often buy gifts for girls he hardly knew, although there was something beyond this one being a werewolf.
Although they were blissfully unaware of it, this marked the start of something more.
~~~~~~
"Ooooh! Zel, thank you!" Ael squealed on Christmas morning as she held up a pair of elbow-length deer hide gloves. She pulled them on and tackled Zelgadis in a thank-you hug, provoking a blush and a stammered "you're welcome" from the Slytherin boy.
As most of Slytherin had gone home for the holidays, Kat had gotten together with the other Slytherin first-years and invited their out-of- House friends to spend Christmas in their dorm. After a late night of staying up around the fireplace (despite the lack of plush couches and other nice furniture, like Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had in their common rooms) and drinking eggnog, the group of first-years had gone down to the empty dorm and slept in past noon (except Kat, who didn't quite have the same needs but went along with it anyway). Gift exchange had started not long after Connemara wandered back from notifying the house elves that there was a bunch of students in search of a good breakfast.
Ael had gotten a plushie wolf from her mother - something that amused her greatly, as her Muggle mother was quite frightened of werewolves - and a broomstick catalog from her father, with a note saying that if she was interested in trying out for Quidditch next year, she could have her pick of the broom.
She had also been amused at the gifts from her friends. Many of them had gotten her spellbooks and pewter figurines - something that startled her until she realized they weren't silver - while she had given out copies of 'How To Identify Werewolves' by Remus J. Lupin. ("One, he's wearing my clothes. Two, he's sitting in my chair. Three, his name's Remus Lupin.") Kat, who knew her better, got her an index of great prank spells and ideas - most of which would be used over the next few years.but that's later.
"That's not all," Zelgadis told Ael once his face resumed a normal hue. He handed her a rectangular gift, and she tore off the paper to reveal a copy of 'Parselmouths: A Factual History' by Szymon S. Serpens.
Shortly thereafter, Zel found himself blushing even more forcefully than before, as Ael had practically jumped into his lap and gave him a smooch on the cheek.
Needless to say, Ael's mischievous nature got a great chance to come out and play that Christmas. By the time the first-years went to bed that night, everyone had gotten a turn at being turned into random small animals, including squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons ("I know they're only American animals," she defended herself at the latter, "but I'm getting homesick!").
~
TBC...
~ Chapter Six - Full Moon High ~
"AwrrrRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The full moon hung low on the horizon, casting its silvery light across snowy turf and casting deep shadows on the Whomping Willow. As the moon slowly sank out of sight, a wolf staggered out into the snow, writhing in pain as it slowly became an eleven-year-old girl.
It was ten days before Christmas. The snake in the walls had not been heard since late September, but the group of first-years had studied extra-hard in Charms and Transfiguration. By some gift, natural-born or lycanthrope- linked, Ael had made rapid progression with spells and curses. Upon hearing Harry remark that she was nearly at the point in the curriculum where he'd mastered the Patronus Charm, she had turned to learning that as well.
At this point, however, all she could do was trudge through the snow and make her way to the hospital wing, where Madame Pomfrey was waiting to give her Pepperup Potion and let her sleep in.
~~~~~~
When she woke up, somewhere around noon, she found herself looking at the Slytherin boy, Zelgadis Greywers. A few weeks before, Kat had introduced the withdrawn kid to her, and they had hit it off splendidly. Zelgadis, or "Zel" as she liked to call him, had some interesting views on Dark Creatures - as in he really didn't mind them, and actually held a certain fondness for lycanthropes - and had taken to making sure Ael was okay after each full moon. Of course, he had the added bonus of keeping her occupied when the overprotective Hogwarts matron wouldn't let her do anything, but he didn't exactly intend that from the start.
"Hey, Zel," Ael said, yawning as she sat up, cracking the joints in her back with a deliberate motion.
Zelgadis jumped in surprise, dropping his copy of 'Hairy Snout, Human Heart' in the process. "Ael, you're awake!"
"Oh, well spotted!" Yup, that was Ael - sarcastic and witty, no matter what circumstances. *Hmm, nothing broken,* she decided as she stretched. *Only minor bruises. Not a bad night, then.* "What time is it?"
"Lunch," Zelgadis answered, picking up his book. "Your friend...Connemara?...took notes in Potions and Herbology for you." He gestured to her bedside table, where there was a roll of parchment or two. "She dropped it off ten minutes ago, but you were still asleep. You gonna make it to your other classes?"
She nodded. "I've only got one more class, in the afternoon. I'm pretty sure I can do it." She kicked back the sheets and flopped back down on the pillows. "Mmm, sleeping in on Mondays. I could get used to this." She winked at him, prompting a shy smile from the brown-haired boy. "So," she continued, propping herself up on one elbow, "what's your plans for Christmas holidays?"
He shrugged. "Rezo and I are staying this year, just to see what a Hogwarts Christmas is like. Still exchanging gifts, just by owl. What about you?"
"I'm staying too," she told him. "My parents are sending me stuff by owl too, so I'll have to send Jewlz back to Randolph Ave soon. All my other friends are here, so no need to go home for that either." She looked over at him. "I've already got a gift for you," she teased.
Unfortunately - or perhaps it was fortunate - Zelgadis admitted that he'd also gotten one for her, something that embarrassed him to no end. He didn't often buy gifts for girls he hardly knew, although there was something beyond this one being a werewolf.
Although they were blissfully unaware of it, this marked the start of something more.
~~~~~~
"Ooooh! Zel, thank you!" Ael squealed on Christmas morning as she held up a pair of elbow-length deer hide gloves. She pulled them on and tackled Zelgadis in a thank-you hug, provoking a blush and a stammered "you're welcome" from the Slytherin boy.
As most of Slytherin had gone home for the holidays, Kat had gotten together with the other Slytherin first-years and invited their out-of- House friends to spend Christmas in their dorm. After a late night of staying up around the fireplace (despite the lack of plush couches and other nice furniture, like Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had in their common rooms) and drinking eggnog, the group of first-years had gone down to the empty dorm and slept in past noon (except Kat, who didn't quite have the same needs but went along with it anyway). Gift exchange had started not long after Connemara wandered back from notifying the house elves that there was a bunch of students in search of a good breakfast.
Ael had gotten a plushie wolf from her mother - something that amused her greatly, as her Muggle mother was quite frightened of werewolves - and a broomstick catalog from her father, with a note saying that if she was interested in trying out for Quidditch next year, she could have her pick of the broom.
She had also been amused at the gifts from her friends. Many of them had gotten her spellbooks and pewter figurines - something that startled her until she realized they weren't silver - while she had given out copies of 'How To Identify Werewolves' by Remus J. Lupin. ("One, he's wearing my clothes. Two, he's sitting in my chair. Three, his name's Remus Lupin.") Kat, who knew her better, got her an index of great prank spells and ideas - most of which would be used over the next few years.but that's later.
"That's not all," Zelgadis told Ael once his face resumed a normal hue. He handed her a rectangular gift, and she tore off the paper to reveal a copy of 'Parselmouths: A Factual History' by Szymon S. Serpens.
Shortly thereafter, Zel found himself blushing even more forcefully than before, as Ael had practically jumped into his lap and gave him a smooch on the cheek.
Needless to say, Ael's mischievous nature got a great chance to come out and play that Christmas. By the time the first-years went to bed that night, everyone had gotten a turn at being turned into random small animals, including squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons ("I know they're only American animals," she defended herself at the latter, "but I'm getting homesick!").
~
TBC...