Title: Felis Domesticatus vs Canis Lupus
Alternate title: Of Cats and Dogs
Rating: T (for swearing and lewd comments, cattishness)
Authoress: Rena Kaerutsukai
Summary: The cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts position has been refilled again, this time by a young woman. She does something that no other holder of this position has done, though: goes to the only available previous DADA professor for advice. That ex-professor is Remus John Lupin, who thinks that the new professor is a bit off her rocker. But they may just have more in common than he thinks. (implied SBRL)
Warnings for this chapter include: Swearing, name-calling, foot molestation, heinously bad puns, implied vampire death, implied character death, gore, depression, severe angst, slightly anti-America sentiments, and a lack of anything resembling a non-original character. (Except for the concept of Aurors, but even they're mostly OCs since the ones in this chapter are American.)
(Note: the author of this fic in no way agrees with the views and opinions expressed in this chapter. She would also like to mention that the anti-American sentiments are not directed toward the muggle government, but rather the American Federal Bureau of Magic.)
It's Felicia's past. Yes, you heard me right. Totally skippable, don't worry. The only thing mentioned in the next chapter is what can already be inferred: that Felicia's friends and her boyfriend are dead.
I know that I swore I wouldn't write another OC chapter for a while, but here's another one. Really, isn't seven chapters a big enough gap? Just imagine that...um...some version of this is coming out of Felicia's mouth into Remus' ears over tea. Yeah. But of course, you get the full and unedited version, as it appears in Felicia's memory. If you actually are reading this, prepare for complete and total crap angst to the highest degree. With poetic punning, and just downright bad punning to boot. But, if you're sure you want to read it, then with no further ado, I present...
Chapter 8: Bygones and Herstory
The four laughed, sitting around the tiny table. Each held cards in their hand, and four new cards were dealt out onto the table. Yes, this means that they were playing kemps.
"Stop kemps!" The boy/girl duo yelled in unison. The other two, both girls, groaned in defeat.
"You two are unstoppable." The youngest of the four said.
"We just have the groove, Naname." The girl in the boy/girl duo said, grabbing the boy's hand across the table.
"Yeah right, Felicia." The third girl said. "You and Seth are just signing by playing footsie. I know it." As if to prove the point, the two started molesting each others' feet underneath the table.
The four teens, Felicia Mayfair, Naname Kohito, Seth Darski, and Nascilla Tigris, were enjoying one another's company on a hot, balmy Sunday. Seth had snuck in, due to the fact that Felicia, Naname, and Nascilla attended the New Salem Witches Academy, which was, as the name implies, an all-girls school. They were sixth years, all four of them, and they were just having a little fun while the rest of their schools explored the wizarding community of Salem. As long as Naname and Nascilla were there, Felicia and Seth would behave themselves...well, for the most part. They loved spending time together, and were it not for the suggestion of a friendly game of kemps, they would be cuddling. Jokingly, Seth had once written on Felicia's prized Firebolt "I'd rather be cuddling." Felicia had gotten permission to stay behind, because that night was the full moon.
Evening rolled around, and the four were wrapped in a game of Password (with the score being Felicia and Seth: 350, Naname and Nascilla: 10), paying no attention to the time. The moon came in through the window, and mid-word, Felicia clutched her head with a groan. Seth picked her up with ease, his gaze worried. He could feel the fur prickling through her skin.
"Don't just sit there, she's transforming! Get the door open!" Seth yelled, as Felicia weakly thrashed and moaned in his arms. Naname jumped up and opened the door to the sleeping dorms, and Seth rushed in with Felicia. Naname and Nascilla sat down in the common room, waiting patiently. Seth set Felicia down on the bed, and transformed to his animagus form, allowing his fur to be clenched and tugged as the painful transformation took hold of Felicia. Soon, the white werecat was fully transformed, and Seth, his form being that of a small tuxedo cat, gently licked her face. She stood up, and rubbed her head against his. They rubbed against each other for a while, until finally Seth pulled away and jumped down off the bed. The werecat followed, with as close to a smile as a cat can get. They descended the stairs, and made their appearance before Naname and Nascilla.
"Misto! Vicky!" Naname exclaimed. "Hey Nascilla, it's Matched and Set!" The two cats rubbed against their friends' ankles, enjoying the pettings that they were getting because of it. Set's comforting presence kept the urge to attack Naname and Nascilla far away from his Matched's mind. The two cats curled up next to each other on the chair, purring contentedly. He served as her tie to her humanity, as they entwined their paws. Naname and Nascilla amused themselves, until the time came when the rest of the school was starting to return.
Matched and Set had fallen asleep together, awaiting the moon's set. When Naname and Nascilla were ready to retire for the night, they each picked up one of their friends, carrying the two cats up to the dormitory and setting them on Felicia's bed. The two cats resumed their cuddling, staying in that position as their friends slept. When they awoke in the morning, Felicia was curled around the feline form of Set. She shook him awake.
"Hey Set, wake up. You need to get back to your school before you're missed, honey." The tuxedo cat turned around and licked Felicia's face, before jumping out of her bed and dashing down the stairs. Felicia fell back asleep with a smile on her face.
Two years later, the four friends had graduated from their respective schools. Felicia and Seth had top marks in all but one of their subjects: Potions. Naname and Nascilla each had a particular strength: Naname's being Potions and Nascilla's being Charms. None of the four had had good enough marks on their O.W.L.s, N.E.W.T.s, and C.A.T.s to qualify for the elite rank of United States Auror. So they decided to combine their strengths in a company of their own. They became Matched Set, their name coming from the nicknames of the cofounders, Felicia and Seth.
Generally, all that Matched Set really did was dispel boggarts from underneath beds and in closets. They lived for the nights when something exciting happened, like a grindylow in Central Park. Eventually, they earned enough fame to be called on as backup by the Aurors. None of them would ever forget the night that the vampires banded together in a revolt. The numbers had been five to one, with the Aurors and Matched Set being the minority.
"I like those odds," Felicia had said as she splashed her friends then herself with garlic juice.
Matched Set had taken on their twenty opponents and then some, fighting more as a team than any of the Aurors, their black and white robes complementing the striking royal violet of the Aurors' robes. Between the twenty total participants on the side of Matched Set and the Aurors, they managed to keep the vampires at bay until morning, when the revolt ended abruptly. After that, if the Aurors needed help they would immediately call Matched Set. And Matched Set, happy to be seeing some Auror action, would bound to the scene like hyperactive puppies, oblivious to the condescension of the Aurors.
The call that sealed the fate of three of the four members of Matched Set came half an hour before moonrise on a foggy full moon's night. Felicia was already starting to feel queasy due to her impending transformation when the Auror Emergency Line rang. She raised her wand, having been given orders to stay on the couch for now, and muttered 'Accio phone'. The phone flew to her hand, and she put it to her ear.
"Matched Set, Miss Matched speaking." She said somewhat dryly. Seth came up behind her, having snuck in. He took the phone from her and set the banana split that he'd run out to get for her in her hand.
"This is Mr. Set." Seth said. A few nods, and a worried expression settled on his face.
"Are you sure? Right now?" He asked. A few more nods.
"A-alright," Seth faltered, "we'll be there soon." He hung up the phone, and turned to Felicia.
"The Aurors need us. The werewolves and the newest vampires are revolting together, and it's not going to be pretty." Seth explained. Felicia, eating her banana split, nodded.
"I'm staying here with you." Felicia almost choked.
"What? No! I'm not worth endangering Naname and Nascilla!" She blurted. Gaining control over herself once more, she tried again. "I'll be fine alone. What do you think I did before I met you? It sounds like the Aurors will need all the help that they can get, and that means you need to go." Felicia said logically.
"If you're sure you'll be alright..." Seth said uncertainly.
"I'll be fine, Seth." Felicia said. "Go."
"Naname, Nascilla! We've been called out! Come on, let's go!" Seth yelled. The two other witches ran out, pulling their black and white robes on.
"What about Felicia?" Naname asked. Felicia grinned.
"I'll be fine. It's you guys' turn to shine tonight." She said. "Shoo. Go. Now." She said, making shooing motions with her hands. The three, in their robes, went toward the door.
"See you later, Felicia. Good luck." Naname and Nascilla said cheerfully.
"I love you." Seth said softly.
"I love you too." Felicia said with a smile. And with that, the three left, leaving Felicia alone a mere five minutes until moonrise.
That night was blur of chaos, confusion, and loneliness. For the first time, Felicia didn't fall asleep at all, but stayed awake through the night, pacing anxiously and waiting for her matched half to return.
She was awake even when the moon set and she transformed back to herself. By that point, she was too worried about her friends to get the sleep that she needed, exhausted as she was by the pain of the transformation. They should be back by now. She sat by the window, too nervous to fidget and too calm to lose focus. Finally, when a knock came to the door, she ran as fast as she could, hoping against hope that it was her friends. Naname and Nascilla were both prone to losing their key, and Seth might have lost his in the battle. Yeah, Felicia reasoned, that's probably what happened. She opened the door, and her messy white locks seemed to stand out from her head even more. Her eyes widened and her mind shut down as it felt like her heart had stopped beating and sunk like a stone to the pit of her stomach. Her would-be gasp hitched short and caught in her chest.
At the door was a young Auror who had graduated from New Salem Witches' Academy the year before Felicia, Naname, and Nascilla. The young woman's heinously bright violet robe was stained with dark blood, and in her arms was an all-too-familiar black and white robe. The two Aurors standing behind the one who had knocked, both former classmates of Seth's and ex-boyfriends of Naname and Nascilla, each held a bloodstained black and white robe as well.
"Miss Matched, is it alright if we come in?" The woman asked. Felicia nodded numbly, standing aside for them to enter. They stood inside with barely enough room for her to shut the door.
"Miss Matched, I know this will be difficult to hear, but I would like you to know that they likely didn't suffer." The woman began. Tears came to Felicia's eyes.
"They're...dead? A-all three of them?" She managed to choke. The three Aurors glanced briefly at each other, and then the woman nodded. Felicia's whole body lurched with the force of the sob that escaped her throat.
"Get out." She said firmly, her tone menacing even through the lump in her throat.
"But Miss Matched...um..." The woman made a nodding motion toward the bloodstained robe in her arms.
"Leave them. Get your filthy hands off them and get out of my house!" Felicia screamed desperately, snatching the savaged robe from the young Auror's arms. The two men set the robes that they carried down on the wooden chair next to them, and went out in the hallway.
"We'll be in touch." The woman said compassionately, escaping to the hallway with her escort, away from the crazed-looking Felicia. The werecat slammed the door as hard as she could, and then looked down at the robe that she held. It was Seth's robe, Felicia could tell from the pattern. Hers, Naname's, and Nascilla's robes had black on the left and white on the right, while Seth's was the reverse. She choked out a sob, clutching the bloodstained and tattered robe to her. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and all that she could whisper as she sobbed into the cottony fabric of the robe was 'Seth'.
Why had she made him go? If she hadn't insisted, he would have ignored the call. He wouldn't have sent Naname and Nascilla out alone. All of them would still be here. She would be clutching Seth, her Seth, to her instead of his savaged robe. She could still smell his scent, the unique scent of Seth, even through the coppery smell of his blood. Seth was dead. Naname was dead. Nascilla was dead. And it was all Felicia's fault.
Two days later, the Auror Emergency Line rang again. Felicia snatched it off the hook, and didn't even give the caller time to respond.
"IF YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU, THEN YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE KILLED MY FRIENDS YOU BASTARDS!" Felicia screamed into the phone, tears streaming down her cheeks. "NEVER USE THIS LINE AGAIN!" She slammed the phone back onto its cradle, and then feeling that that wasn't enough of a vent for her grief, she picked up the phone and threw it at the wall. A sob escaped her and she fell to her knees. It wasn't fair. Why did everyone who loved her have to die?
A week later, she got a visit from the chief Auror of the United States. When he left, she was holding three medals for bravery and martyrdom in the service of the country. In a daze, she left the house and went to the respective gravesites of Seth, Naname, and Nascilla. She dug down until she hit the coffin, and set the medal on top of it before covering the fresh grave over again, tears streaming down her face causing the dirt to stick to her pristine white gloves, but she didn't care. She was beyond caring about anything. She felt as though she could never love another human being. The caretaker of the cemetery where Seth was entombed found her asleep on his grave, having obviously cried herself to sleep. He offered to drive her home, and she just nodded.
As soon as she walked in the door, she collapsed out of exhaustion. She didn't wake up for four days and only then because a black leather boot was toeing her in the ribcage. A flash of vivid purple as the figure next to her squatted down, and immediately Felicia knew that it was another Auror.
"Miss Matched, I know what you're going through—" The Auror began.
"Never call me that again. That name died when my friends died. And you don't know what I'm going through, you bitch. You don't know at all." Felicia was beyond tears, beyond anger, beyond emotion.
"Er—fine, Miss Mayfair, then. I've come to say that your friends, with their bravery and selfless sacrifice for the good of our country, have earned the title of First Class Honorary Aurors." The young Auror said.
"We always wondered what we'd have to do to get that title." Felicia said with a dry, humorless laugh. "I guess now we know. Now we know that this damn country only pays any attention to you if you die." Felicia's green eyes were dull and emotionless, her voice lacking any feeling or passion that it might have once possessed. She had lost everything. The Auror was still there when she passed out again, and Apparated her to the nearby hospital for treatment. Though she was unconscious, or perhaps because of it, she experienced the pain of Side-Alonging much more acutely.
It had taken her three years to get over her depression. Three years in and out of hospitals, three years of her health waxing and waning with the moon. And it didn't help that the cat within her mind couldn't grasp the fact that her opposite number was never coming back. Every month the cat grew more and more listless, pining away loudly for the Mistoffelees to her Victoria. And the rest of the time, Felicia pined away silently for her matched set, for the love of her life to sweep her into his arms and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. Without him, there was no tomorrow, no today. Only yesterdays.
Without her Set, Miss Matched was mismatched.
Um, yeah. Obviously Felicia left out the fact that her friends had fought – and likely were killed by – werewolves. She may be freakishly insensitive (about Remus' broomphobia, for instance) but she's not that freakishly insensitive. And the poetic last few sentences were my doing entirely. All bad puns are mine too.