It's late, I'm tired, and I want to finish this so I can go to bed...
katrina - I did think about the wings. I'm just trying to decide if
they're too cliche to put in or not.
webweaver - Wow, that was in depth. Thanks for the wish of luck! Yeah,
I figured that Snape saw Harry while he was in Harry form, since he's
easier to identitfy then. When he shifts to Weapon, he's pretty much
a completely different person, and it would be much harder to identify
him as "The Boy Who Lived".
Harry Potter belongs to someone who is not The Itch.
---
Blackened Sunrise
Chapter Seventeen: Fennec
The Itch
---
Ron Weasley was officially Freaking Out.
His sister wasn't _anywhere_ he'd checked. His best friend wasn't
_anywhere_ he'd checked. It was like they'd vanished on him. He'd even,
once checking the Shrieking Shack, gone tearing back into Hogwarts to
see if they'd gone back. Nope, neither was there, and nor was Harry's
Invisibility Cloak.
The feeling that Ginny was in trouble just kept getting stronger. What
was going on? What could possibly make him feel like... oh dear, sweet,
Merlin. Please, oh please, don't let it be that.
His legs ached as he hurtled back down the stairs from Gryffindor
Tower, flinging himself out of the doors at a dead run, and bolting
towards the Forbidden Forest.
Please Merlin, don't let it be what-- _who_-- he thought it was...!
---
When Sirius pulled himself back into consciousness, he decided he was
just going to laze about for a few minutes. Good Merlin, he hadn't felt
this good since... since before Azkaban!
Eventually, though, he roused himself enough to shove himself into a
sitting position, and yawn loudly, stretching. A deep chuckle and a
hissing laugh were his responses, and he cracked open one ice-pale eye
to glare evilly out at whomever was making fun of him.
He jumped to his feet, automatically falling into a fighting stance
when he caught sight of Harry and... was that _Draco_?
The boy was as pale as moonbeams, his grey eyes standing out shockingly
against his skin and the flowing white muggle vest-thing he was
wearing. It was held shut with those clasp things-- frogs, were they?
Muggles and their odd names for things!-- from collar to hips, where it
fell open to his feet. At his hips, the fabric split, right down the
sides of his legs, and from the way the breeze kicked up the parts,
likely down the center of his back, continuing the line of his spine.
Beneath that he wore black silk pants, and a pair of thick black
dragon-hide boots. Not that he looked like he needed them, given the
fact that aside from the ice colored hair on his head-- which was no
longer muggle-gelled back, but rising up off his scalp like some great
dragon's crown, excluding a small wisp that felt dancing in front of
those grey, grey eyes would be fun-- their wasn't a scrap of hair left
on his body. Instead, the sleeve-less tunic Draco wore bared his pale
arms to the world, and Sirius could see the sparkle of white and
diamond scales decorating them.
And by the gods above and below... was that a _tail_ lashing about his
legs?!
So startled was he, that he didn't pull out of his investigation of the
other boy, up until he felt his godson roughly yank on his ear, "Ow!
Harry!"
"Don't be so shocked over the Dragon's change of appearance," the
Weapon grinned ruthlessly, "when you should be shocked over what _you_
look like."
There was another hissing laugh from Draco's position, and the boy went
back to playing with the Power. Sirius was a bit surprised that he
could _feel_ the fact that Draco was manipulating the energy, and quite
a bit more at the fact that he could understand what the rippling
weaves in the power meant. How curious-- he wondered if he could see
normal, wizarding, magicks like this. Maybe not... Harry didn't seem to
be able to break though any just spell cast on him. The wards were a
bit obvious on that part.
It probably only worked on other Weapons, he decided with a sharp nod
to himself, and then yelped when he felt his ears... flopping around.
Shaking hands lifted to his head, and his eyes widened as they
connected with a pair of huge, fluffy ears, "What the bloody..."
"You look rather like a Fennec," his godson gave him a smile that was
all teeth, "but not exactly. Maybe it's just how large your ears are."
Glaring at the boy for making light of his plight, he automatically
tugged the power into the weave he wanted it to go. There was a
shimmer, and he held a mirror. He didn't even noticed the surprised
looks of his godson or his male sparring partner. Draco hadn't managed
even summoning his clothing for a good forty minutes! How in the world
had Sirius managed in the moments following his awakening?
Weapon and he shared a look, and the former titled his head in thought.
Perhaps this was Sirius' way of accepting the Power? Each and every
Weapon had a different way. He didn't know what Draco's was yet-- he
felt it would be best to ask once everyone had recovered from their
first Channeling-- but he knew what his was. And he knew what the way
every other Living Weapon accepted was, as well. It helped to be
informed; he wondered for a brief moment why he hadn't realised that
when Hermione was trying to jamb the concept into his head.
Sirius was busily inspecting himself in the mirror he held, ignoring
the world around him. His eyes were paler than he remembered-- soft,
baby blue to an ice-pale shade that bordered on white. His ratty,
greasy, unkempt hair was soft and straight, not a split end or knot in
sight. It was also swept back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck,
showing off the rather proud looking dark chocolate ears that stuck out
of his head. Large, conical ears, the bases running from a an inch or
so away from the center of his scalp, down to where his ears had ended
along his jaw when he was fully human.
Upon testing a theory, he found that yes, he could indeed swivel them
around independently of one another, and it was really quite neat.
For some reason, he wanted to get them pierced now, and resolved to do
just that once he left for Russia. It would be an interesting look.
Noting that there were no other changes to his face, he banished the
mirror and took further inventory of his body. Clothing was gone,
having been burnt away, most likely during the summoning. Harry _had_
mentioned something about melting their weapons, and now he was quite
glad that he hadn't kept some of his darts on him like he'd originally
planned.
His feet were changed, as from hip, a soft chocolate fur had developed,
and swept across his legs. There was no obvious change to the legs
other than that-- above the knee. Below, his bones and muscles had been
rearranged to remind him of his animagus form. They were larger, and
more stronger than in his other form, thankfully, so that he could walk
properly, but it was still odd to see them.
Odd, he mused, but not unnatural. How utterly confusing.
He was as muscular as he could remember back when he'd been taking
classes with James, Lily and Remus. The corded, iron muscles that he'd
so carefully crafted back during his teenaged days had dwindled and
left him during his twelve years in wizarding prison, and for the past
three he'd been on the run from the Ministry, never having the time to
regain that lost power. He'd thought himself to old for it, any ways.
But now... his muscles were back. They weren't the same as they were
back then, a bit smaller, a bit less corded, a bit less iron, but that
didn't matter. He could easily work back to it. He was almost weeping,
grateful to have that part of him back. It would be easier to escape
the Ministry now, when he was good and strong.
Shaking himself free of his thoughts, Sirius did a final check of his
body to search for any more changes. His arms appeared the same as
before, and there was nothing on his back. He didn't have a tail-- he'd
checked. So he was apparently a half human half... fennec? Is that what
Harry had called it?
"Hey, Harry?"
"Yeah?" the green eyed boy snapped out of his own musings.
"What's a 'Fennec'?"
His lips quirked, "Muggle animal. A small desert fox, with large ears
to help with cooling down in the heat. I believe they're nocturnal."
"Oh." well, that would explain why he didn't know what it was. He just
knew the basic muggle animals, being more preoccupied with the
wizarding animals that could kill him while disguised as the Grim.
Stretching out, he crawled to his feet, his ears twitching to one side,
"What in the... what's that?"
Draco had returned to playing with his new power, but Sirius could see
the tension in the boy-- his tail had stopped lashing, and only the
very tip of it twitched occasionally, in the same direction Sirius
could hear movement in. He managed to grind out, "Human. He's been in
and out of the castle four times already."
Harry nodded absently, "Pry just looking for someone."
"Did you ever think he could be looking for _you_?" Sirius wondered of
his godson. Harry paused, blinked, and grinned.
"Nope. Never occurred to me."
"Harry, Harry, Harry, how in the world are you going to survive with me
in Russia?"
"Hmmm... Poorly?"
---
End Chapter
Great, now I'm awake again. How in the world am I ever going to get
some sleep??
katrina - I did think about the wings. I'm just trying to decide if
they're too cliche to put in or not.
webweaver - Wow, that was in depth. Thanks for the wish of luck! Yeah,
I figured that Snape saw Harry while he was in Harry form, since he's
easier to identitfy then. When he shifts to Weapon, he's pretty much
a completely different person, and it would be much harder to identify
him as "The Boy Who Lived".
Harry Potter belongs to someone who is not The Itch.
---
Blackened Sunrise
Chapter Seventeen: Fennec
The Itch
---
Ron Weasley was officially Freaking Out.
His sister wasn't _anywhere_ he'd checked. His best friend wasn't
_anywhere_ he'd checked. It was like they'd vanished on him. He'd even,
once checking the Shrieking Shack, gone tearing back into Hogwarts to
see if they'd gone back. Nope, neither was there, and nor was Harry's
Invisibility Cloak.
The feeling that Ginny was in trouble just kept getting stronger. What
was going on? What could possibly make him feel like... oh dear, sweet,
Merlin. Please, oh please, don't let it be that.
His legs ached as he hurtled back down the stairs from Gryffindor
Tower, flinging himself out of the doors at a dead run, and bolting
towards the Forbidden Forest.
Please Merlin, don't let it be what-- _who_-- he thought it was...!
---
When Sirius pulled himself back into consciousness, he decided he was
just going to laze about for a few minutes. Good Merlin, he hadn't felt
this good since... since before Azkaban!
Eventually, though, he roused himself enough to shove himself into a
sitting position, and yawn loudly, stretching. A deep chuckle and a
hissing laugh were his responses, and he cracked open one ice-pale eye
to glare evilly out at whomever was making fun of him.
He jumped to his feet, automatically falling into a fighting stance
when he caught sight of Harry and... was that _Draco_?
The boy was as pale as moonbeams, his grey eyes standing out shockingly
against his skin and the flowing white muggle vest-thing he was
wearing. It was held shut with those clasp things-- frogs, were they?
Muggles and their odd names for things!-- from collar to hips, where it
fell open to his feet. At his hips, the fabric split, right down the
sides of his legs, and from the way the breeze kicked up the parts,
likely down the center of his back, continuing the line of his spine.
Beneath that he wore black silk pants, and a pair of thick black
dragon-hide boots. Not that he looked like he needed them, given the
fact that aside from the ice colored hair on his head-- which was no
longer muggle-gelled back, but rising up off his scalp like some great
dragon's crown, excluding a small wisp that felt dancing in front of
those grey, grey eyes would be fun-- their wasn't a scrap of hair left
on his body. Instead, the sleeve-less tunic Draco wore bared his pale
arms to the world, and Sirius could see the sparkle of white and
diamond scales decorating them.
And by the gods above and below... was that a _tail_ lashing about his
legs?!
So startled was he, that he didn't pull out of his investigation of the
other boy, up until he felt his godson roughly yank on his ear, "Ow!
Harry!"
"Don't be so shocked over the Dragon's change of appearance," the
Weapon grinned ruthlessly, "when you should be shocked over what _you_
look like."
There was another hissing laugh from Draco's position, and the boy went
back to playing with the Power. Sirius was a bit surprised that he
could _feel_ the fact that Draco was manipulating the energy, and quite
a bit more at the fact that he could understand what the rippling
weaves in the power meant. How curious-- he wondered if he could see
normal, wizarding, magicks like this. Maybe not... Harry didn't seem to
be able to break though any just spell cast on him. The wards were a
bit obvious on that part.
It probably only worked on other Weapons, he decided with a sharp nod
to himself, and then yelped when he felt his ears... flopping around.
Shaking hands lifted to his head, and his eyes widened as they
connected with a pair of huge, fluffy ears, "What the bloody..."
"You look rather like a Fennec," his godson gave him a smile that was
all teeth, "but not exactly. Maybe it's just how large your ears are."
Glaring at the boy for making light of his plight, he automatically
tugged the power into the weave he wanted it to go. There was a
shimmer, and he held a mirror. He didn't even noticed the surprised
looks of his godson or his male sparring partner. Draco hadn't managed
even summoning his clothing for a good forty minutes! How in the world
had Sirius managed in the moments following his awakening?
Weapon and he shared a look, and the former titled his head in thought.
Perhaps this was Sirius' way of accepting the Power? Each and every
Weapon had a different way. He didn't know what Draco's was yet-- he
felt it would be best to ask once everyone had recovered from their
first Channeling-- but he knew what his was. And he knew what the way
every other Living Weapon accepted was, as well. It helped to be
informed; he wondered for a brief moment why he hadn't realised that
when Hermione was trying to jamb the concept into his head.
Sirius was busily inspecting himself in the mirror he held, ignoring
the world around him. His eyes were paler than he remembered-- soft,
baby blue to an ice-pale shade that bordered on white. His ratty,
greasy, unkempt hair was soft and straight, not a split end or knot in
sight. It was also swept back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck,
showing off the rather proud looking dark chocolate ears that stuck out
of his head. Large, conical ears, the bases running from a an inch or
so away from the center of his scalp, down to where his ears had ended
along his jaw when he was fully human.
Upon testing a theory, he found that yes, he could indeed swivel them
around independently of one another, and it was really quite neat.
For some reason, he wanted to get them pierced now, and resolved to do
just that once he left for Russia. It would be an interesting look.
Noting that there were no other changes to his face, he banished the
mirror and took further inventory of his body. Clothing was gone,
having been burnt away, most likely during the summoning. Harry _had_
mentioned something about melting their weapons, and now he was quite
glad that he hadn't kept some of his darts on him like he'd originally
planned.
His feet were changed, as from hip, a soft chocolate fur had developed,
and swept across his legs. There was no obvious change to the legs
other than that-- above the knee. Below, his bones and muscles had been
rearranged to remind him of his animagus form. They were larger, and
more stronger than in his other form, thankfully, so that he could walk
properly, but it was still odd to see them.
Odd, he mused, but not unnatural. How utterly confusing.
He was as muscular as he could remember back when he'd been taking
classes with James, Lily and Remus. The corded, iron muscles that he'd
so carefully crafted back during his teenaged days had dwindled and
left him during his twelve years in wizarding prison, and for the past
three he'd been on the run from the Ministry, never having the time to
regain that lost power. He'd thought himself to old for it, any ways.
But now... his muscles were back. They weren't the same as they were
back then, a bit smaller, a bit less corded, a bit less iron, but that
didn't matter. He could easily work back to it. He was almost weeping,
grateful to have that part of him back. It would be easier to escape
the Ministry now, when he was good and strong.
Shaking himself free of his thoughts, Sirius did a final check of his
body to search for any more changes. His arms appeared the same as
before, and there was nothing on his back. He didn't have a tail-- he'd
checked. So he was apparently a half human half... fennec? Is that what
Harry had called it?
"Hey, Harry?"
"Yeah?" the green eyed boy snapped out of his own musings.
"What's a 'Fennec'?"
His lips quirked, "Muggle animal. A small desert fox, with large ears
to help with cooling down in the heat. I believe they're nocturnal."
"Oh." well, that would explain why he didn't know what it was. He just
knew the basic muggle animals, being more preoccupied with the
wizarding animals that could kill him while disguised as the Grim.
Stretching out, he crawled to his feet, his ears twitching to one side,
"What in the... what's that?"
Draco had returned to playing with his new power, but Sirius could see
the tension in the boy-- his tail had stopped lashing, and only the
very tip of it twitched occasionally, in the same direction Sirius
could hear movement in. He managed to grind out, "Human. He's been in
and out of the castle four times already."
Harry nodded absently, "Pry just looking for someone."
"Did you ever think he could be looking for _you_?" Sirius wondered of
his godson. Harry paused, blinked, and grinned.
"Nope. Never occurred to me."
"Harry, Harry, Harry, how in the world are you going to survive with me
in Russia?"
"Hmmm... Poorly?"
---
End Chapter
Great, now I'm awake again. How in the world am I ever going to get
some sleep??