Study of Magical Beasts and Beings Class
9:30am, sunny with a few clouds.
"Bloody-" Kain swore as he fumbled into his trousers. He was late. For his own damn lesson. Wonderful. It just so happened that two nights before had been a full moon, and we all knew what that bloody well meant. He still had bags under his eyes - it had been a rough transformation. Lightwick really must have some kind of faith in him; was she off her rocker? Most great ones were, and Aurelia Lightwick was no exception. Everyone thought she was crazy when she'd appointed him as not only the Care of Magical Creatures professor, but the Herbology one as well. They were now combined into one class: Study of Magical Beasts and Beings. Quite a long name for his own taste, but he was rarely one to complain. Kainan - er, Professor Ellwood - pulled on his shirt as he went along, hurrying out of his quarters in a tizzy as he eagerly rushed passed the hordes of students. He noticed one thing about them, and it chilled him: most of them were at least fourth years. From what he had heard, only three first years had gotten out alive. The rest were still trapped. Shaking his head, Kainan focused on the task ahead of him: beating his students to his own class. It had been posted that today's lesson would be outside, right between the greenhouses and the forest.
Just as he had reached the outside of the grounds, there was a shrill yelp behind him. With a heaving sigh, Kainan looked to the source of the noise; his krup, Jack. "Well, come on then! I'm not bloody carrying you!" he told the dog severely, earning himself several off looks from the students around him. "Blimey, if I didn't know better I'd think you actually liked me." A few more very long strides and he was there, not to mention excited to find that he was the very first one. "Aha!" he exclaimed, and Jack gave him an odd bark as if to say, You idiot. Taking a few deep breaths, he readied himself for the day's lesson. He summoned the chalkboard from inside of the greenhouse, and began writing:
Find a place to stand: no books or wands needed today, only your wits.
Simple enough, eh? Professor Ellwood waited, leaning against one of the trees. The space between the side of the greenhouse and where the forest began was rather large, and provided an ample clearing for today's lesson. He really didn't have 'lessons' planned out, he was just going introduce them to as many creatures and plants as he could. Hopefully that would be enough. Jack barked loudly as the first student came around the corner, but not in an unfriendly way. He certainly did like the girls...
But it wasn't a girl. It was Damon Anglin, a sixth year Badger. How did he know this strapping young man? Well, he vaguely remembered the two of them standing on top of a bar, belting a Weird Sister's song at the top of their lungs. Damon had a fantastic voice. The professor grinned widely again, watching as Damon approached. The boy approached him, holding out his hand. Kain shook it firmly, giving him a sly wink. "Beautiful morning, huh? Professor." He bit back a laugh as memories of their little adventure flew back to him. Their encounter had occurred before him becoming a professor, of course.
"Beautiful morning indeed, Mr. Anglin."
"Wotcher, Damon!" Another Badger! The professor's smile widened as he saw Young Miss Weasley, who he had been warned about from Eleanor many times. Sure she loved them on the Quidditch Pitch, but as she put it, "the only other place you'll ever see them is detention." "'Oo's the dog? And 'ello to you Fessor." Kainan only rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
"That's Jack," he said by way of a very short introduction.
Finally, they were joined by their first Raven, a young lady by the name of Ren Woodcroft. "Morning, Professor," she said to him, and he nodded in returned.
"Morning."
More and more students began to fill in, including another Badger who was obviously the first one's twin."And 'oo are you? 'Aven't met you before, 'ave I?" Kain raised an eyebrow, that same grin still on his face.
"Professor Ellwood. And while you don't know me I've heard a great deal about you two," he said, eying the first girl as well. But it wasn't meant in any way but a tease. He really didn't think that it would be a problem today. Finally, another Lion joined them, and it was none other than Richard Donnohan.
"I'll be back in just a moment," he told the gathering group. Stepping back, he ducked away towards the forest. It comforted him some, as he watched the small class grow. Maybe there would be a nice turnout today? Looking up, he surveyed each of the students, watching them as they interacted. This would be quite a lesson, that was for certain. Crossing his hands behind his back, Kainan waited for a few more students to enter before beginning the lesson.
To be honest, Kainan hadn't had a clue what he was going to plan for his first lesson. When he had asked Eleanor for advice, she hadn't been able to come up with anything either, and it wasn't for lack of trying on either of their parts. The two had sat there for quite some time, bouncing ideas off of each other. It was actualy Aurelia, the Headmistress, who had given him the idea. As he watched the students enter the area, he kept an eye on them. From inside the forest, he could hear the soft hoof beats, the impatient sighs of the beasts just behind the barrier of the forest. And today was a perfect day for it - dark and overcast. When it was getting close to class time, he looked at his Krup, Jack. "Keep an eye on them, eh mate?" he said to the dog, who let out a hushed bark in reply. Kainan then turned and stepped into the forest. They were only a few steps away from him, waiting for his signal, his command. Kainan always had a way with animals, especially with dogs and horses. This herd seemed to especially like him, with the way they followed his every move, listened to him and tried to follow him everywhere. A hand on his muzzle was all that was needed to guide the creature out of the forest. He was the only male of the heard, and Kainan fondly called him Sirius.
"Alright, class." he said, calling the entire group's attention. He wondered how many of them would be able to see the Thestral that he led. Siruis followed him obediently, and behind him were two females and foal. The little tyke was running just to keep up with his father and Kainan, oblivious to the students around him. Unlike most other professors, Kainan didn't need a piece of raw meat to get these animals to follow him. Parting the crowd, he made it to the center, with everyone around him in a circle. He knew that this would catch everyone's attention, even if it would be hard on them. If they had survived Hogwarts, and if they were going to survive the rest of the war, they would have to face facts. Kainan waited a few moments as the class gathered their wits, stroking the animal's hide. "I would like you all to meet Sirius and his herd. I want to see a show of hands," he said, his tone low and serious, "of how many people can see Sirius. If you cannot, step forward. If you can," Kainan said, turning to look at all of his students, "then it means you have faced the most concrete and absolute thing on this earth. Can someone explain to the class what Sirius is, and why you can or cannot see him?" he asked, looking around the clearing.
That was when he saw her. Kainan froze, his eyes meeting hers, his brain going zero to a hundred. Sawyer. In his class. Because she's a student. It was a good thing that he had chosen there to stop, because for several seconds he was completely unable to speak. Shock had struck him and he simply stood there. He didn't know how long it was registerable on his face, but he did his best to hide it. He was teaching a class, for Merlin's sake. A class that Sawyer was in. Because she is a student. Because she is his student. Sirius nudged him impatiently, and he knew that he couldn't just stand there like a bumbling idiot. Taking a deep breath, he forced his gaze away from her face, his heart wrenching terribly. As high as his hopes had been, they were now crushed completely. His attention went to Sirius while he listened to the student explain, and tried to think of what a mess he had created.
"They're Thestrals. Usually attracted to the smell of blood. They are completely invisible to anyone who has not seen death. People used to think they were bad omens, that seeing them was bad luck, but all it really meant was that you had watched someone die." Kainan's eyes moved to Wesley Potter, who had spoken up. Always the kid with the answers. Kainan knew him from before his classes, from before Patronus Academy. There were a few kids who they called "kids of the Order," and Wesley was perhaps the most infamous one. His father, James Sirius Potter, had been killed over a decade ago, but Kainan knew his mum well, and looked up to and respected her. Other kids of the Order were the Weasley twins, Richard and Patrick Donnohan, and a few others that weren't in his class today.
"Good answer, ten points to Lion house," he said, nodding. He was a good kid, he really was. When he brought the Thestrals out, even the Twins had gone quiet. At first he thought it might have been a bad idea, but then he looked at all of the hands raised, and knew that this lesson was better than any. It got his mind off of a certain Lion, and he had to try very hard to stay focused or he would lose it. But then, a Raven student spoke up. It was some kid named Azrael Weston, and he was also someone that he had been warned about. "Professer," he drawled, "don't you think it's rather crass of you to be drudging up such horrible memories for all of... them?" If anyone else had said it, maybe he might have listened, but Kainan only narrowed his eyes at the boy as he walked forward. Instantly, the Thestrals tensed, and Kainan had to herd them back, away from the idiot Raven. "Anyways, I can't see them professor. Guess I'm lucky I didn't have to see any of my mates die eh? Good thing. Guess I'd be feeling pretty lousy right about now."
The mood of his class shifted from greif to anger as every kid in the class began to get defensive. This kid's words hit home for nearly everyone. Kainan was about to give the boy some serious house-points deductions, but the Thestrals were sensing everyone's anger, and were getting a bit riled up themselves. His number one priority was everyone's safety, not some kid with a big mouth. Sawyer spoke up behind him, as Kainan began herding the Thestrals away from the kid, out of the group's way. There, they began to calm down a bit, and he listened to Sawyer's words as they began to forage the little patch of grass.
"On the contrary, while it'd be easy not to deal with what went down, it wold probably do us all some good to face the reality of it. Which is, we can't afford to be blind to what's out there, because it sure as hell isn't gonna go easy on any of us. We should learn from our past and let it strengthen us, not weaken us. So stop your whining and show some respect." A small smile crossed his face as he turned back to the students, but as he watched Richard launch himself at Weston, it vanished without a trace. He stopped for a moment, simply watching. Richard had gotten himself a good punch, breaking the boy's nose, but as blood started to gush out, the Thestrals could smell it.
"Keep it up, Weston," Richard said, an unbelievable amount of rage on his face. "And the only death you'll be seeing will be your own." It was obvious Azrael was getting a thrill from the reaction he'd caused, rather than being angry at the fact that his nose was now very much broken.
"Something I say bothering you Donnohan?" He managed to say, suddenly swinging at the other.
"As a matter of fact," Richard said through his teeth, "You did."
Kainan put up a shield charm over the Thestrals, a magical fence that they could not cross: they would be bound there so that they could not fly or run away. He could already see that the smell of blood was sending them into high alert. Kainan then turned to see Weston get in punch, before Richard flung himself at the boy.
"Stop!" Kainan commanded, his eyes dark. He rarely grew angry, but the students would feel his rage on the first lesson. His was was out before even he had realized it, magically separating the two boys. "Richard!" the professor said, "Take a walk. See me when you've calmed down," Ellwood ordered, and turned to the Raven. "Weston. Detention, tomorrow, noon. Get the hell out of my class, boy." His eyes narrowed at them both as he watched them leave, even though he was really only angry with one. He had to admit, he probably would have done the same damn thing in Richard's shoes - the kid had lost his brother and his father. But there was a reason he was a professor and they were students.
Turning back to the students once they were gone, he breathed a sigh. "Alright, students. Back to the lesson. Can anyone guess why only those who have seen death can see Thestrals? Someone besides Mr. Potter over here." It was his attempt at getting the class back to some kind of order. Everyone seemed to calm down once the two boys had left the class, and one Badger student had even spoken up.
"Perhaps those who have not witnessed death would be repulsed by the creatures appearances or mannerisms. If this is the case, it would be a natural way of protecting their existance, because those repulsed by the Thestral may intend to destroy them. And one who has witnessed death may be more experienced, more open-minded to things of this sort. More inclined to 'live and let live'." Kainan felt a soft smile spread across his lips for a moment.
"Very good answer, Miss Love. Fifteen to Badger House."
"Sawyer. See me after class."
Never in his life did Kainan need a drink more than he needed one right now. Running his hands through his messy hair, he screwed his eyes shut. For once, he had met someone who really accepted him, who didn't care that he was a bloody werewolf, and he could not have her. She was his bloody student. Kainan felt so stupid for not seeing it. Of course she's young, but he hadn't thought she was that young. Bloody hell, this was a mess. It was all he could do to go on with the lesson, to show the students Thestrals, how to find and ride one in case of an emergency. But he hadn't been able to look at her, to see her in his class. He had been so damn sure that this was going to work out. Sawyer had been great, he had even promised to take her out on a real date when he wasn't so busy. He'd been so damn excited, too. Sawyer had taken him and turned him all kinds of around in just a few meetings. It would have been different if he hadn't told her that he was a werewolf. Hell, it would have even been funny, but Kainan found no humor in this situation. None at all. His shack wasn't too far from where he had taught the lesson, so he took a brisk walk to it to clear his head. And to take a shot of firewhiskey. Probably not a good idea, but he certainly needed it right now. When he came back outside, he leaned against the bricks of his house, rubbing his face. This all had to be some kind of sick, twisted dream.
All of the students were gone now. All of them except her, of course. Sawyer was there, with those dark eyes and dark hair and her bloody school uniform. He was so disgusted with himself that he couldn't even think about how beautiful he still thought she was.
"This really makes me look like a creepy old man. I'm not old, I'm only twenty one for Merlin's sake. Tell me you're not a fifth year or something," he said, his tone flat and pained. Kainan had never known this kind of rejection before. He had never known this kind of pain, It struck him deeply, and it was evident on his face. Being a werewolf? That was something that could be worked out in a relationship, as long as both parties were okay with it. Which Sawyer had actually referred to it as 'cool,' so it wouldn't have been a problem. Being in the Order? That was something else that could be worked through. Being someone's professor? That would never, ever be able to work. First off, it was wrong. Everyone would think him sick, a 'cradle robber.' Jack was no where to be found, which Kainan was grateful for. he didn't need him jumping in and barking at him right now. Looking up, he finally met Sawyer's eyes. Maybe they could just forget this ever happened.
He had been so stupid to think that a teenaged girl hanging out in Eternael wasn't a student at Hogwarts, but he was so used to thinking as if he were not a professor... Well, he just hadn't been thinking. And she didn't look like any of the students he had seen so far. Sawyer had been different from everyone - and she still was. Even though he had learned that she was a student, as much as it killed him he was still attracted to her. He still thought she was beautiful, funny, intelligent. Nothing had been changed except for his own opinion of himself.
"No, I'm not. I'm a seventh year... and will be turning eighteen in a couple months," she said, and cleared her throat. Great, so she was just as uncomfortable with this as he was. "And you're not a creep. You had no way of knowing... neither of us did..." Biting her lower lip, she closed her eyes and looked away for a moment, before forcing herself to meet his eyes squarely again.
"Yeah, I suppose there are a lot of girls your age wandering around Eternael who aren't students," he said, his biting sarcasm covering up his own mistake. She was looking away from him, causing a knot to form in his stomach. She looked.. well, she looked about how he felt, only he felt worse for her than he did for himself. He wanted to reach out to her and pull her close, his fingers even twitched, but he remained motionless. He was having a hard time imagining himself never being able to touch her again.
She shrugged her shoulders, and the gesture was as helpless as it looked. "What do we do now?"
What did they do? They pretended as if that day had never happened. That was what they did. but even as he thought it, Kain knew he would never be able to forget it. Every time he looked at her he would think of things that were far to inappropriate for a normal teacher/student relationship. Running a hand through his hair again, he let out a sigh. "What do you think, Sawyer?" he asked. "Go about our normal lives. Pretend nothing ever happened," Kain told her. He had to be strong on this one - there was no way he could just had a relationship with her. It was so wrong that even he could imagine it. But the look on her face cut him to the bone, the sadness.
"No," she said, and he felt her move closer. Kainan was always more aware of everyone else around him then normal people, for obvious reasons, so even though he wasn't looking at her, he could feel her move towards him. Oh Merlin. "I'm sorry, Kain, but I can't do that." Another step, and his fingers began to loosen, his jaw slacking. "I can't just pretend that nothing happened, because it definitely wasn't nothing to me." Finally, he looked at her.
"Miss Ashbury. Please stop, I will not ask you again," he said, his tone low and angry. The look of hurt that crossed her face was almost too much for him. "I will see you Wednesday in class, if you still wish to continue your lessons." His voice was detached, just as it should be. Sawyer looked away from him, her dark hair covering her face from view.
"Yes, sir."
Eleanor was going to kill him.
