James woke to someone jumping up and down on his bed, he groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. The jumping stopped and was replaced with a large amount of wait on his chest. James removed the pillow from his face and stared into a pair of blue eyes.
"You know Tigress if I ever woke you up by jumping on your bed in the morning you would kick my ass," said James sleepily.
There was an audible pop and an auburn hair girl was sitting on James's chest. Her eyes were the same color as her Animagus form. "You're right, I would kick your ass but luckily you never wake up before me so you don't have to worry about it," said the girl in a smug tone.
"Your lucky I like you Triss. Anyway why are you here?" asked James.
James had met Triss about 3 years ago in London. Triss was in a bad way because her father had disowned her because she was a Metamorphmagus and an Empath; she was living on the streets. When he had met her she obliviously had been beaten rather badly and had several broken ribs and was very sick. James being James healed her and brought her to Dragon who welcomed her with open arms. James had helped her train her powers and taught her how to be an animagi.
Triss reached into the pocket of her jeans and grabbed a letter. She handed the letter to James and got off his chest so he could sit up. James opened the letter, it read:
Dear Mr. Cage,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In closed is a list of school supplies that will be necessary for the up coming school year. First years please note that you may not bring your own broom. The Hogwarts express will be leaving from platform 9 ¾ on September the first at 11 a.m.
Sincerely Deputy Headmistress Lily Evans-Potter
James set the letter on the table next to his bed and got up. "Did you get a letter to Triss?" asked James. Triss nodded, got up and left the room so James could get dressed.
After a hot shower James threw on a pair of black jeans and a navy t-shirt and went to the kitchen. As he suspected Dragon and Triss were cooking up a storm, and to prove the fact a cloud of flour was forming above them. "You two are going to have a storm in here if you keep up with the flour," said James startling both of them.
Triss looked up at the cloud forming over here and then to James who was grinning wickedly. "James don't even thin… You are so dead Shadow!" Triss screamed as the flour cloud above her started producing rain.
At the mention of his nickname James turned into a sleek black panther and ran out the door and into the woods. Triss wasn't far behind in the form of an albino Siberian tiger. After a long run Triss finally caught up to James and tackled him, the two cats wrestled for a few minutes until Triss finally pinned James, being a bigger animal.
James changed back to human form and pushed Triss off of him. Triss followed James's example and changed back. "What's up James?" asked Triss sensing James worry.
"Nothing, we've just gone out side the barrier, I'm just making sure of our location. The barriers need to be renewed soon though, remind me to tell Dragon," said James changing into a silver wolf. Triss got the idea and raced James to the house in her tiger form. James, being a more agile animal beat her to the house.
Inside Dragon had finished cooking breakfast; he put a large plate of Pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs on the table. Once Dragon had sat down the kids dug in, both taking 1/3 of the food and leaving the rest for Dragon. After the meal Dragon started to talk. "When are you two going to Diagon alley?" Dragon asked. It was well known that Dragon was very strait foreword, James learned that the night Alex and Emma were killed.
"We'll go to day if you have our identity papers and vault keys," said Triss.
Dragon reached into his pocket and pulled out two envelopes, he handed one to Triss and one to James.
"In side those, is all of your information, vault keys, and descriptions. I took your inheritance from Alex and Emma and put into your vaults, James. I believe there is ten not including the one Triss is using. You should leave soon if you don't want to get stuck in the crowd and don't do anything drastic," said Dragon with a wink.
James and Triss went to their rooms to take anther shower to clean off the dirt from their earlier run. After James shower he walked to his desk where he had set the envelope. The identity and description paper read:
Full name: James Shadow Cage D.O.B: July 31, 1980Hair color: Brown
Eye color: Blue
Skin color: Mild tan
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 135 pounds
Build: Lean
James concentrated on the form and shifted. Since the paper didn't give a hair length James made his hair short and spiky, his hair in his real form was too long in his opinion but Dragon wouldn't let him cut it. James threw on a pair of dark kaki jeans and a shirt that showed an out line his stomach muscles.
After throwing on shoes James headed to Triss's room to see if she was ready yet. When he walked in she was putting the finishing touches on her hair, which was up in a high ponytail. She was dressed in a black mini-skirt with a matching black top and tight leather boots that came up to her mid-calf. It looked like Dragon didn't want her to change her description; she looked exactly the same as before.
"Going for the Goth look Triss?" asked James effectively making her jump.
"One of these times Shadow you are going to sneak up on me and I'm going to deck you," said Triss poking James in the chest.
"Are you read to go yet? We have the choice of apperating there and porting back or going in cat form and porting back," said James.
That was one of the ups of being a Will wizard, instead of teleporting everywhere and burning his energy Dragon had taught him to apperate. The only down side was even though you could apperate out of the house you couldn't apperate back in because of the protection barriers, so you had to port back unless you wanted to walk.
"Yes, and so you know my new name is Triss Tigress Summers. What's yours?" asked Triss.
"James Shadow Cage. What is your full first name?" asked James smirking.
Triss groaned. "Trisstessa, I hate that name! And James if you so much as make one comment about it I will kick your ass. Is that clear?" asked Triss.
On any normal occasion James would have made fun of her but with how close she was and the way her hand was twitching James knew she was serious. "Okay I won't tease you but I would like to know where your weapons are," said James.
For years Dragon had trained James and Triss on Martial arts and taught them to always have a weapon with them. Triss reached into a hidden pocket in here skirt and pulled out a small flat throwing dagger. "I've got four with me, I don't think I'd need more than those. Where is your weapon?" asked Triss for good measure.
James squeezed his hand into a fist and hit a trigger point; three 12-inch blades came out from the space between each knuckle on that hand. "Dragon had a friend install them about a week ago, they're Titanium, nice don't you think?" asked James looking at the titanium blades.
Triss just stared at him before saying, "James you watch the X-men to much. Dragon actually allowed you to get titanium claws installed into your hands?" asked Triss emphasizing the words titanium claws.
"For one watching a little bit of T.V. is good for you. As for the claws, Dragon is the one who suggested them, he said that it would be better for me because I can't always carry a weapon like you can," said James retracting the claws.
Triss nodded knowing that it was true that James could be unable to have a weapon for many reasons, one being that he could not change into his animal form and have things transform with him like Animagi could. "Well lets get going, I don't want to be stuck in the middle of a crowed with my gift and I'm sure you don't want to be either," said Triss walking out of the room.
James followed her and found they Dragon in the living room reading the morning paper. "We're going to go get our stuff, what time do you want us to be back?" asked Triss.
Dragon looked up from his paper at the two of them. "Anytime before 6 p.m. will be fine. If you are staying out longer let me know. You have your keys right?" asked Dragon like an over protective grandfather.
James reached into his pocket and showed him 11 keys, ten of which were his; the other was Triss's. "Yeah I have them. If you don't mind Triss and I will probably go to muggle London and get some muggle clothes for under our robes," said James.
"That's fine, just don't maul anyone," said Dragon looking directly at Triss.
"Hey, it's not my fault that that kid grabbed my ass. You'd have decked him too," said Triss.
"Triss no boy will ever grab my ass, I don't swing that way thanks," said James shivering.
Triss smacked him in the arm and said, "That is not what I meant and you know it. Let's go. I already have the starting of a headache and will only get worse in a crowd."
James nodded knowing that she couldn't hold a shield over her gift like he could. "We're apperating, right?" asked James. Triss nodded so James grabbed her waist and with a pop both were gone.