Author's Notes: I'm convinced that Devon's messenger bag is a hammerspace pocket dimension. I keep making myself laugh at the idea of her just pulling out increasingly ridiculous or specific things, including stuff that shouldn't even be able to fit in that bag.

I don't think I need to tell what song Devon starts singing after she first meets Vargas. I also don't think I need to tell you that Disney owns that song and not me.

Devon could only stare in stunned silence as their teacher strode into the Potionology lab. The fact that he was wearing such an extravagant fur coat on such a warm day was enough to give her pause initially but what really caught her attention was his hair. It was parted to one side, the longer section white and the shorter section black. She wasn't sure if such a color pattern was natural or if he dyed it but it was certainly eye-catching regardless. The hair coupled with the black, white, and red color scheme of his clothes led her to only one conclusion. 'That's Cruella DeVil. Full stop, that is a male Cruella DeVil. So not only do we have Disney villains as historical figures, we've got people that resemble them too.' Another thought caused her eyes to widen slightly, though she tried her best not to make it obvious. 'Oh sweet snapdragons, please tell me his coat isn't made of puppy fur…'

"So you're the new litter of pups that will joining my class today," the man said as he looked out at the group of students. His narrow grey eyes landed on Devon. He strode over to her, the corner of his mouth curved upward into a smirk, as he took a strand of her hair between his gloved fingers. "Quite a rare fur color you've got, pup. Do make sure you're taking proper care of it."

Devon gave him a perplexed look. "Umm…sure thing." 'I wonder if I'd be bursting his bubble too much if I told him my hair was dyed…'

The man strode back to the front of the room. "My name is Divus Crewel. You may refer to me as Master Crewel." He snapped his fingers and in an instant every student (sans Grim) was wearing a white lab coat over their school uniforms, along with a pair of safety goggles and black rubber gloves. "Now then, hurry up and take your seats. It's time for class to begin." There was a scraping of chairs as the students found places to sit. Devon settled herself between Ace and Grim with Deuce sitting on Grim's other side.

"We'll start with the basics," Crewel continued. "I'm going to drill the names and appearances of over one hundred kinds of herbs, both medicinal and poisonous, into your tiny brains. We'll save the fungi for another time. Make sure to memorize these so you don't go poisoning yourselves by eating whatever's lying on the ground. Pups like you do have a nasty habit of putting just about anything in their mouths, after all." He pulled a long pointer from…well, Devon assumed it had been stashed in the infinite void that was this man's coat, and tapped it against his open palm. "I expect every single one of you to pass this class. To ensure I see no failing marks on any of your tests, your training and discipline will be strict and harsh."

"Well, this sounds like it's gonna be intense," Devon commented quietly. Zephyr pulsed in agreement.

"Yeah…," Deuce agreed. He leaned closer to Devon, lowering his voice even more. "By the way, what are fungi?"

"It means types of fungus," Devon whispered back. "Y'know, like mushrooms and stuff."

"Man, this is gonna suck," Ace complained, his voice also lowered to a whisper. "I've never been great at, like, memorizing stuff."

"The only thing that matters about eatin' plants is whether or not they taste good," Grim muttered.

"Lopez, hang back a moment," Crewel called after first period had been dismissed.

Devon nodded. "Yessir." She met Grim's eyes as he watched her from the doorway to the lab. "Does Grim need to stay too?"

"No, he is free to head to your next class," Crewel replied. "Don't worry, I'll keep this brief so you won't be late."

"I'll catch up with you guys, bud," Devon said to Grim. She turned back to her professor as her feline companion followed the rest of their classmates. "Is everything okay, sir?"

"I should be the one asking you that," Crewel replied, leaning against one of the lab tables. "The headmaster has informed the school staff about your…circumstances." He gave the over-sized school uniform she was wearing a quick once-over. "However, he did not inform us that he would be forcing you to wear such an ill-fitting travesty."

Devon couldn't help but snort out a laugh. "You said it, not me. I didn't want to sound ungrateful or anything since he could have easily turned me away with nowhere to go and it's not like I expected an all-boys school to have something tailored for a girl on hand immediately but," she gestured broadly toward the uniform. "something that feel so awkward to move in would be appreciated."

"Indeed," Crewel agreed. "Luckily, I had a feeling something like this would happen and I was able to get something prepared in time." He snapped his fingers again and the uniform Devon was wearing was instantly tailored to suit her frame; it wasn't tight-fitting by any means but was no longer hanging off of her any longer. A black vest appeared over her white dress shirt and her sneakers had been replaced with black ankle boots with a slight heel.

Devon's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out for a moment. Finally she managed to form a coherent sentence. "I…this is… Dang, that was awesome!"

Crewel smirked. "Don't look so impressed, pup. All I did was adjust the sewing; it's much easier than making something from scratch."

"Well yeah, but you also…," she gestured to the vest and shoes. "I mean, there's no way you could've known this, but I was telling my friends earlier that I was kinda jealous of the vests they had." She paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Like I said, I'm not trying to sound grateful or anything but…why did you go to so much trouble for me?"

"Bold of you to assume this gesture was entirely for your sake, pup," Crewel chided lightly. "If you're going to wear the Night Raven College uniform, it should be worn impeccably. An ill-fitting uniform is grossly unflattering towards one's figure and the school's reputation as a whole; your appearance is the first thing people judge you on, after all." He took a step closer to her, studying her face carefully. "It seems you take impeccable care of your hair and skin and now that you have a properly fitting uniform, you're truly worthy of the Night Raven name."

Devon smiled. "Well, thank you. I really appreciate-" She was cut off by Zephyr pulsing rapidly at her, moving down from her shoulder to hover near her messenger bag and urging her to look inside. She opened up the bag, pulling out a black skirt. She looked up at Crewel, letting the unspoken question hang in the air between them.

"Just something I've been curious about," Crewel explained. "Fashion is all about experimentation, after all, and I'd been wondering what a more…feminine take on the uniform would look like. Now that I've got a female student to model it, it seems there's no time like the present. Of course, you don't have to wear it if you aren't comfortable with it but it never hurts to have options."

"I'm plenty used to wearing skirts but…is it okay for me to wear one here?" Devon asked. She remembered the Wisps' warnings about how…unruly some of the Night Raven students could be. She looked askance, refusing to meet her professor's eyes before she continued. "Wouldn't it just be asking for some sort of trouble?" She didn't elaborate, hoping he would understand what she was trying to say.

"Listen to me very carefully, pup," the man ordered, pulling Devon's gaze back to him. "I understand where you're coming from, but wearing a particular article of clothing, no matter what it is, isn't "asking" for anything. If you yourself aren't comfortable wearing something, that's one thing, but don't stifle yourself because you're afraid of how someone else is going to read into it." His grey eyes landed on Zephyr, who had moved back to Devon's shoulder. "However, in the unlikely event that some sort of harassment did occur…," The look in his eyes grew mischievous. "Well, you've only been put in charge of supervising Grim, correct? Making sure he doesn't get into trouble?" He nodded toward Zephyr. "Your friend there falls entirely outside your jurisdiction, isn't that right?"

"Are…are you giving Zephyr permission to throw hands if anything happens?" Devon asked incredulously.

Crewel shrugged. "I am merely suggesting that, while fighting with magic is against the school rules, the faculty can't do much about Wisps that move on their own. They aren't students, after all, so we have no real authority over them. The headmaster also made us aware of what happened at Dwarf's Mine; it would appear that you're rather capable yourself. I doubt anyone would kick up a fuss if you were put in a position where you needed to defend yourself." The sound of the warning bell ringing pulled them from their conversation. "Ah, I suppose we'll have to end this here. You'd best head to your next class."

"Yessir. And thanks again," Devon replied, tucking the skirt back into her bag.

"One more thing," Crewel called out before Devon could leave the room. "The headmaster mentioned to me privately that you're taking some sort of medication. May I ask what it's for? I normally wouldn't pry into such matters but considering the circumstances…"

Devon shook her head. "It's fine. It's medicine for an underactive thyroid. I've got enough to last me about a month but I'm not sure what I'll do after that. Like, I won't die or anything if I don't take it but I get really lethargic and gain a lot of weight without it." A shadow passed briefly over her face, her voice lowering to almost a whisper. "I'd really rather not relive that…"

"Understood. I'll speak with the school nurse and see if there's something we can do after your medication runs out. Thyroid issues aren't terribly uncommon here, so I'm sure there's some sort of treatment for it," Crewel assured her before gesturing toward the door. "We can talk more about this later. You'd best be off or you really will be late."

Devon smiled and gave him a quick salute before leaving the room. However, she was surprised to see a familiar head of messy red hair as she stepped out into the hallway. "Ace? You didn't go with Deuce and Grim?"

"I made it about halfway before I decided to double back," Ace told her, pushing himself off of the wall he'd been leaning against as Devon walked toward him. "I was wonderin' what Crewel was chewin' you out for." He eyes swept over Devon's form as she took off her lab gear. "When did you get new clothes?"

"Didn't," Devon replied. "Professor Crewel just made adjustments to what I was already wearing. I'm glad he did; I'm not really a fan of oversized clothes unless I'm deliberately schlubbing it." She was about to place her gear in her messenger bag, but Zephyr zapped it with a tendril of magical energy and it disappeared. She squeaked in surprise before shooting the Wisp a questioning look.

"What was that about?" Ace asked as the green orb pulsed to answer Devon.

The girl was silent as she waiting for Zephyr to finish. "You can do that?" Zephyr pulsed a confirmation and Devon let out an impressed whistle before turning back to Ace. "They just teleported my lab stuff back to my room."

"Damn. Talk about handy," Ace marveled. "I'm gonna have to carry mine around until I'm able to get back into the dorm." He side-eyed Zephyr. "Unless my favorite green ball of magic wants to help a buddy out~" Zephyr's only response was float to Devon's other side, moving further away from the redhead. Ace huffed a laugh. "Can't blame a guy for tryin'."

The pair settled into a comfortable silence as they walked to their next class. They'd made it about halfway when a thought struck Devon and she turned to look at her friend. "Level with me, Ace. Did you actually come back just to eavesdrop? Because there's no way you would've caught much of that conversation from where you were standing." Ace didn't answer her and he refused to meet her gaze, keeping his eyes focused on the direction they were walking. Devon let out an exaggerated gasp and elbowed him gently in the side. "You were worried about me, weren't you~?" She wrapped her arms around his middle, pulling him into a hug. "See, why couldn't you have been this sweet when we met?"

"Sh-Shut up…," Ace stammered as he tried and failed to get out of Devon's grip. "It's just that everybody associates me with you, Deuce, and Grim thanks to that chandelier thing. If you ended up being that freshman that got lost on the first day, it would reflect badly on me too."

"Mmhmm~," Devon hummed, nuzzling into his chest before letting him go. "Just admit you like me, Trappola. 'Emotionally constipated' isn't a good look."

Ace and Devon made it the rest of the way to their History of Magic class without incident, though Devon could feel more than a few pairs of eyes on her now. She shook it off as best she could, sliding into a seat beside Grim.

"What did Professor Crewel want?" Deuce asked from Grim's other side. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Devon replied as Ace slid into the space next to her. "It wasn't anything serious; he just wanted to let me know that the teachers know about my situation."

A loud meow pulled their attention to the large desk at the front on the classroom. An older man wearing long maroon robes over a black suit and a cravat-like garment around his neck held in place by a turquoise pendant. He was carrying a chubby long-haired black cat that had white patches on its chest and the tip of its tail. "My name is Mozus Trein," the man said. He set the cat down on the desk. "This is my familiar, Lucius."

The cat stared at them apathetically.

'Okay, so now we've got Lady Tremaine and Lucifer,' Devon thought.

"I will be in charge of your history lessons," Trein continued. "In this class, you will be the history of magic and how it shaped the world you all take for granted." The cat let out another loud meow. "Your grade will be determined based on class participation as well as written work." He looked at the class sternly. "Do not let me catch you sleeping."

"So we can sleep so long as he doesn't catch us?" Ace whispered to Devon, who gently elbowed him in the side, hiding her laugh behind a cough. She glanced toward the professor to see if they'd drawn his attention. Luckily, they hadn't but Lucius appeared to have noticed Zephyr. His yellow-gold eyes stayed locked onto the floating orb but he made no move to get closer.

"Open your textbooks to page 15," Trein instructed, giving the students a moment to do what he'd asked before continuing. "We will begin with the discovery of magic crystals in Dwarf's Mine during what was originally a routine excavation." Lucius meowed again, just as loudly as before. "Knowledge of magical energy was spread throughout the world at this discovery, leading to what came to be known as Year One of the Magic Age." Lucius let out another long, loud meow, this time sneezing at the end.

Ace yawned. "Man, I knew this was gonna be boring but I didn't think it'd be this dull," he muttered to himself.

"Speak for yourself," Devon whispered back, nodded toward Deuce. Their blue-haired friend was muttering to himself while dutifully taking notes…apparently including all of Lucius's meows as well. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested herself; everything about this place was new to her and she wanted to learn as much as she could while she was here.

Grim fidgeted impatiently next to her. "Mmgh, when do we get to the classes where we blow stuff up with magic?"

"Hey, Dev? I've been wondering about something," Deuce said as they made their way to the school's athletic field for P.E. "How are you planning to…y'know," He looked to the side and gestured toward her, his face flushing a light pink.

Devon quirked an eyebrow, giving her friend a flat look. "I don't know, actually. You just gestured to all of me."

"How are you gonna…," Deuce tried again before trailing off, his cheeks turning even pinker as he refused to make eye contact with her.

Ace heaved an exasperated sigh. "I think our favorite awkward turtle here is trying to ask how you're planning on changing into your gym uniform. I'm almost positive there aren't any women's changing rooms here."

Devon hummed in thought. "That's a very good question…and one that I hadn't considered until right now." She glanced in the direction their classmates were headed in. "I guess I could just wait until everyone has finished." She tapped her index finger to her chin. "Come to think of it, do I even have a gym uniform? I didn't see one with the stuff Crowley-" Before she could finish her sentence, Zephyr zapped her with magical energy, much like they had done with her lab gear, causing her to squeak in surprise. The zap didn't hurt but it did make her feel a very slight pins-and-needles sensation, like a less intense version of a person's leg falling asleep. The sensation was over as quickly as it began and when Devon looked down at herself, she saw that she was wearing a black jumpsuit with a white t-shirt underneath. Her black and white sneakers were back on her feet; it was a lucky coincidence they matched the rest of her outfit. She let out an amused laugh. "Well damn, that's convenient. Where'd you pull this little getup from, bud?" Zephyr pulsed a response. "From Crewel, huh? He really does think of everything. Is this another reason you were so dead-set on coming with us today?" Zephyr pulsed in agreement.

"Looks like you're all set, then," Deuce commented. "We'll catch up with you guys in a second."

"How come I don't get a fancy gym uniform?" Grim whined as Ace and Deuce headed off with the rest of their classmates.

Devon shrugged. "Do you even need one? You don't wear clothes, man."

"It's the principle of the thing, henchman. The principle," Grim replied.

Once everyone had been successfully suited up and back on the field, a large and (disturbingly) muscular man with bright blue eyes and dark brown hair styled into a small pompadour made his grand entrance, flipping through the air and striking a pose as he slid to a stop in front of them. "Name's Ashton Vargas," the man said, standing up straight as he introduced himself. "It's my job to physically educate you bean sprouts and rebuild those scrawny muscles from the ground up."

'And a Gaston too, huh? This place is completely bonkers…and I think I'm startin' to like it,' Devon thought.

"Becoming a great mage starts by training your body!" Vargas continued. He began making a series of poses, flexing so hard the class was afraid his already strained jacket would rip. "Just look at the amazing muscles I've cultivated with a diet of raw eggs and lots of exercise! You can't become a mage without the stamina to go with it, so I want 20 laps around the track and 100 pushups from each of ya!" He blew the whistle hanging around his neck. "Get goin', bean sprouts!"

"Ya know, I don't dislike exercise, per se," Ace said as everyone began their laps. "but I've never been able to stand meathead teachers like Vargas."

"Sounds like someone's afraid he won't be able to keep up," Deuce taunted, looking uncharacteristically smug. "I've got confidence in my stamina and I'm pretty sure Devon could clear this with no problem!"

"Heh. Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence, my dude, but I doubt I'll be able to get all those laps and pushups done in one class period. Heck, I doubt any of us will be able to get it all done," Devon argued.

"What's even the point of running around in circles, anyway?" Grim complained. "Do I look like a hamster to you?"

To the surprise of absolutely no one (and to Vargas's disappointment), nobody even finished all the laps, let alone the pushups. Deuce and Devon were among the handful that got through about three-quarters of the laps before time was up, Deuce managing to make it all the way to 17 while Devon finished out with 15. Her final tally probably would've been lower had she and Deuce not started an unspoken competition with each other after the third lap, quickly leaving Ace and Grim in the dust as they kept trying to pull ahead of the one another. 'I mean, if we didn't actually say we were racing each other, can we really declare anyone a winner or loser?' Devon mused as she stood at the side of the running track.

The sound of Vargas's whistle pulled her from her thoughts. She turned toward the sound to see the man in question urging a few of the students he felt hadn't given it their all, Grim and Ace included, to complete a few more laps before they were dismissed. Devon couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she watched Vargas shout at the stragglers to put more energy into their running. 'He's definitely the most like his movie counterpart…I mean, assuming Gaston isn't another historical figure here and, y'know, without all the misogyny.' She took another glance at the man and started singing quietly before she could stop herself, smiling as Zephyr bobbed along to the lyrics. "There's nobody here as admired as you. You're everyone's favorite guy. Everyone's awed and inspired by you and it's not very hard to see why." She was confident she was far enough out of earshot that nobody would pick up on what she was doing, but she took a few subtle steps back just to be safe. Her smile widened as Zephyr's bobbing motions turned into weaving gracefully around her, almost as if they were dancing to her song. "Nooooo ooooone's…slick like Vargas, no one's quick like Vargas, no one's neck's as incredibly thick as Vargas. For there's no man in town half as manly. Perfect, a pure paragon. You can ask any Tom, Dick, or Stanley and they'll tell ya whose team they prefer to be ooooon~"

"Lopez," boomed a voice from directly behind them, causing Devon to flinch and Zephyr to freeze in place. Their aura stuttered for a split second before returning to normal, which Devon could only assume was an indication that they'd been caught off-guard as well.

"Ay basura," Devon muttered under her breath before schooling her features into a neutral expression. When she turned around, she found herself face-to-chest with Coach Vargas. "Yessir?"

"What was that you were singing a moment ago?" Vargas asked. "I could've sworn I heard my name."

'Mierda! I thought I was too far away for him to hear me!' Devon screamed internally. "Oh that? That's a song from my world and I was just trying something out." Giving too many specifics about where the song actually came from (and who it was about) would raise way too many questions. If Vargas was as true to his counterpart as he appeared to be, Devon knew just how to keep him from asking too many questions. She pulled in a breath, praying to the powers that be that this worked. "See, it was written about guy who also had really impressive muscles. They couldn't hold a candle to yours, of course, but they were still definitely song-worthy. I figured that, y'know, since your muscles are so much more impressive that the guy the song was written for, it was much better suited for you." She shrugged casually before sending him a small smile. "I wanted to see how the song would sound with your name in there instead. Personally, I think it's a much-needed improvement."

"Lopez," Vargas replied, looking down at her sternly. "That song…," A bright grin spread over his face. "WAS A MASTERPIECE!" His booming voice echoed across the entire field, causing some of the students still running to slow down and look over to see what was going on. "You're absolutely right, you know. It's much better suited for my impressive physique than anyone else's." He clapped her on the back with enough force to bowl her over.

Devon stumbled forward but managed to keep herself upright. "I-I'm glad you think so, sir."

"I had a good feeling about you when the headmaster told about what went down at the mine and everything I've seen today just proves that my intuition, much like my muscles, will never steer me wrong!" Vargas exclaimed. "You may be just a scrawny little sprout now but you've got a solid foundation to build on."

"You really think so?" Devon asked with a placating smile. 'Not sure how I feel about that "scrawny" comment but it looks like he didn't mean anything by it…I think.'

"I know so! Trust me, kid," Vargas said. "If you follow my advice you'll be almost as impressive as me in no time!"

"Oh that's…awesome…," Devon replied, giving him a weak thumbs-up. 'No offense, man, but lookin' like you ain't up there on my list of priorities. Hell, it's not even on the list.' Vargas nodded to her before walking back to the remaining runners to dismiss them. Devon heaved a sigh as she looked over at Zephyr. "Okay…full disclosure, I did not expect that to work. Next time, we do an even tighter perimeter check before I break into song." Zephyr pulsed in agreement before zapping Devon back into her school uniform, causing her to squeak in surprise again. "Okay seriously, will you please warn me next time?!"

"Let's see. Looks like our next class is…" Deuce trailed off as he checked the schedule. The group was tucked into an alcove in one of the first floor's interior hallways for their midmorning break.

"Does anyone else feel a little let down?" Ace asked as he leaned back against the wall. "Night Raven College is supposed to be this prestigious school for mages in training, but so far it doesn't really feel any different from a regular school. Not being able to use magic hasn't been a problem at all."

"I was wondering about that too," Devon agreed. "I wonder if this place is set up like a lot of colleges in my world. The first year is usually just general education stuff and then you get to the more specialized classes later on." She thought for a moment. "Although, this place seems like it has a lot of high school-ish elements mixed into it too…"

Ace hummed in agreement. "What do you think, Grim?" There was no answer. The trio looked around for their furry friend but he was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, don't tell me…," Devon groaned.

"Wait! Look out the window!" Deuce exclaimed. "That furball's making a beeline through the courtyard!"

Devon and Ace looked out the window Deuce had pointed to and sure enough, the feline was scampering away on all fours as fast as his legs could carry him. "No way am I sitting through any more of those boring classes!" Grim called out. "I'm a genius! I don't need any teachers to tell me how to use my magic like a boss!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Devon exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He couldn't even last a single day?"

"He really never learns, does he?" Deuce agreed, shaking his head.

"Pfft," Ace snickered. "Wow, dude, wow. It's your first day as a dorm leader and you've already lost control of your only other resident." He dodged Devon's attempt to punch him on the arm before leaning his weight against her. "So… you want help catching Grim, New York?"

Devon looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously? Oh dude, that'd be amazing! I take back my attempt to punch you."

"What are friends for~?" Ace asked, the suddenly sweet tone of his voice making Devon uneasy. "I'll help you out…," He smirked at her mischievously. "in exchange for a chocolate croissant from the cafeteria at lunch."

"I'll help you too if you buy me an iced latte," Deuce chimed in.

Devon could feel her eye twitching in irritation. "I changed my mind about the punch. I wish I'd punched you both in your stupid faces."

Ace's eyes flicked toward the window, the smirk never leaving his face. "Uh-oh, looks like Grim's gettin' away. You gonna be okay with that?"

Devon growled low in her throat, her frustration mounting until her eyes landed on Zephyr. An idea began forming and she smirked inwardly as she schooled her features into a calm smile. "Fine. I'll buy you both lunch if you catch Grim for me."

"Sah-weet~! It's a deal, then!" Ace chirped with a smile. He turned to Deuce, the smirk back on his face. "So, Deuce, shall we clean up after our hopeless little cutie of a dorm head?"

"Sure thing, Ace~," Deuce replied, sporting an equally devious smirk. "I'm looking forward to lunch." He and Ace ran out of the alcove and into the courtyard, catching up to Grim quickly.

"Alright, furball," Ace called out as Grim turned around to face them. "Be a good little trash panda and head on back to class if you know what's good for ya!"

"You can't be serious. You're actually gonna try to haul me back?!" Grim exclaimed.

"For a free lunch? I'd haul you back twice!" Deuce replied as he readied his magical pen.

"The heck does that even mean?!" Grim shouted as he bolted away, Ace and Deuce hot on his heels. "I ain't goin' back those boring classes and you can't make me!"

Devon watched as Ace and Deuce chased Grim around the courtyard. She stepped out of the alcove to follow them outside, not noticing that the trio's conversation had attracted the attention of a bespectacled student with wavy silver hair and sea-blue eyes. She jumped when he leaned against one of the stone pillars next to her. "Geez, what is it with people and sneaking up on me today?!"

The boy chuckled. "My apologies. I didn't intend to startle you. I don't mean to pry, but I happened to overhear a bit of your conversation with those two Heartslabyul students. I also happened to catch a glimpse of your face when they shook you down for a free lunch." He studied her face for a moment. "The look in your eye tells me you have something in mind to pay them back for the…kindness they've shown you. I hope you'll forgive me for being a bit curious."

Devon quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you're certainly an observant one." She glanced at the Wisp ever-present at her shoulder. "Zephyr, you heard them, didn't you? Taking advantage of my own lack of magic to get themselves free food." Zephyr pulsed in the affirmative, apparently wondering where she was going with this. The boy remained silent, watching as Devon continued. "I don't know about you but that sounds an awful lot like extortion to me. And you remember what Professor Crewel said, don't you?" Zephyr pulsed mischievously, catching on to what Devon was hinting at. "Of course, I'd never ask you to get involved if you don't want to," Her gaze became icy, her tone like steel. "but if you were to snatch their prize away from them right before they get their grubby little hands on it," The calm smile was back on her face and the edge left her voice as quickly as it came. "I would be grateful." Her smile only grew when Zephyr pulsed in agreement. "Thanks, Zeph~! I knew I could count on you." She looked back out to the courtyard, Zephyr pulsing eagerly beside her, ready to pounce. "Not just yet. Let them tire each other out a little first."

Meanwhile, Ace and Deuce had managed to back Grim against the fountain in the center of the courtyard. "You guy are beyond annoying!" Grim whined.

"Just come back and start behaving for Devon already," Deuce replied. "Quit making this harder than it needs to be."

"I said no and I meant it!" Grim yelled. He blew a stream of blue flames from his mouth, causing Ace and Deuce to jump back to avoid getting burned.

"Not cool, man!" Ace shouted.

"I had a feeling this wouldn't be easy, but it's just getting ridiculous now," Deuce mused, brushing dirt off his blazer before picking up the chase again.

The Heartslabyul duo chased Grim around the courtyard for a few moments more. Slowly but surely, the monster began to slow down, panting as he kept trying to evade them. It wasn't long before Ace and Deuce managed to trap him at a dead end. Deuce was just about to drop a cauldron on Grim to prevent him from running off before they could grab him when a small twister sprung up around him. Grim was lifted off his feet and dragged toward Devon with Ace and Deuce following close behind. "Not again!" he complained, trying to claw his way out of the twister. Unfortunately for him, all that running had left him too tired to put up much of a struggle.

"And I believe that's checkmate, boys," Devon said, hitting them with a smirk of her own.

"How do you figure?" Ace asked. "We still get ourselves a swank lunch, courtesy of you."

"Do you, though?" Devon mused. "If I remember correctly, I only agreed to buy lunch for you two if you caught Grim for me. I was very careful to phrase it that way." She gestured to Zephyr. "You chased him around a bit but Zephyr was the one who actually caught him."

The boys looked dumbfounded. "I…But…Th-That was…You can't…," Ace sputtered.

"She actually can," interjected the boy with glasses. He'd been so quiet that Devon had nearly forgotten he was there. "I heard everything." He turned his gaze toward Ace. "She laid out her terms plain as day and you failed to meet them. She doesn't owe you anything."

"Who even are you?" Ace bit out, clearly frustrated with Devon's blatant loophole abuse.

"Ah, my apologies," the boy said. He bowed with a flourish, giving them a close-eyed smile. "Azul Ashengrotto, at your service. I do hope you'll forgive me for overhearing your little conversation earlier but I just couldn't bear to see a poor, unfortunate soul taken advantage of so blatantly. I was about to offer my services but it appears Devon was able to cook something up on her own."

Devon blinked. "You know who I am?"

"Everyone knows who you are, though I doubt they're as well-informed as I am," Azul told her. "The mess with the chandelier notwithstanding, you and that furry creature have been the talk of the school since the entrance ceremony." He looked over at Zephyr, who was still using their twister to contain Grim, the look in his eyes becoming almost covetous for a split second before returning to normal. "I pride myself on being in the know, so I took it upon myself to see if the Wisp rumors were true too. I'm pleasantly surprised to see my intel was correct."

Devon couldn't help the uneasiness pooling in the pit of her stomach the longer Azul continued speaking. She wasn't sure why but something about this guy seemed…off to her. The smile plastered on his face made him look kind and sincere but there was something about his gaze, something greedy, which gave her pause. Back in her world, someone who "prides themselves on being in the know" usually meant they were in everybody's business and weren't to be trusted. Her own closest friend from back home also prided herself on knowing everything about everyone…and she used that information to either keep people in line or ruin them entirely.

Fortunately for Devon, the bell rang to signal the end of midmorning break. "Oh gee, would you look at the time. We'd better get going if we don't want to be late."

"Ah yes, of course," Azul agreed, bowing to them one last time before turning to leave, calling back to them over his shoulder. "It was wonderful to meet you, Devon. I sincerely hope I'll be seeing you again soon."

"Yeah, you keep hopin', bud," Devon mumbled under her breath as Azul walked away. She let out a breath before nodding to Zephyr. The green Wisp promptly deposited Grim into her arms.

"Mmmgh, lemme go!" Grim complained as he struggled to break free from Devon's grip. Unfortunately for him, he was still too tired to do much more than weakly bat at her with his paws. "I don't wanna go back to those boring classes!"

"Hmm, well I guess you must not want to become a great mage that badly then," Devon teased as she adjusted her grip on him. "We're going back to class and that's final."

"Grrrr, why are you being so strict today?!" Grim whined, helpless to do more than resign himself to more classes.

"I think it's safe to say that Operation: Keep the Witch Away is going smoothly," Harper said as they stood in the lunch line with Dominic. Madison had yet to make contact with any of them so far and they were hoping to keep it that way.

"For now. We've still got the whole rest of the day," Dominic reminded them. 'And possibly every day after that until either Madison loses interest or Devon gets back.'

"It's gonna be okay, bud," Harper said as they both got their food, gently patting Dominic on the back. "Even on the off-chance that she does try to corner you, you're not gonna have to face her alone." The two friends found an empty table and sat down with their food, making sure to leave enough space for Errin and AJ to sit with them as well.

"I know you're right. I'm sorry to be such a downer," Dominic apologized. "Let's talk about something happier." He smiled. "Are you excited for fall theatre season?"

"Obviously," Harper smiled back. "Twelfth Night is gonna be a lot of fun to do the tech work for." They glanced around before leaning in conspiratorially, lowering their voice to a whisper. "But to be honest I'm more excited for the spring show." They smirked. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors by now."

"Do you really think they're going to let us perform Hamilton?" Dominic asked, his voice lowered as well.

"No clue, but it would be an absolute dream come true," Harper replied.

"And what are we whispering about over here?" came a playful voice. The pair looked up to see Errin and AJ sitting down at the table. AJ was the one had spoken. "I thought I told you guys not to stop planning to take over the world without us. This is supposed to be a team effort here, you guys." He smiled when Dominic laughed. "Oh, oh, victory! That's the first time Dom's laughed all day! I win!" He turned to Errin. "You owe me a brownie later."

Dominic quirked a brow. "You guys were taking bets on who could make me laugh?"

Errin shrugged. "It started off as us doing whatever we could to make you happy again but…well, you know how competitive we are." She leaned over to wrap her friend in a hug. Her grip was tight enough to be comforting but not so much as to be suffocating and Dominic was once again surprised that someone with such a small frame could be so strong. "We know you're worried about your sister but we don't like it when you aren't happy."

AJ leaned over and gently took Dominic's face in his hands, his stare intense. "We are going to make you happy and there's nothing you can do about it."

Dominic snorted as he playfully swatted AJ's hands away. "Ominous positivity, huh? I like it."

Harper smiled and ruffled their friends' hair before turning to Errin and AJ. "To answer your question, AJ, we were just discussing the rumor that's circulating through the theatre crowd."

"Oh my goodness, please tell me it's true," Errin said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I will literally die if we get to do it."

"We won't know anything for sure until after Twelfth Night wraps up," Harper pointed out. "Let's focus on that for now so we don't get our hopes up."

"Right, right," Errin agreed. "Auditions are later this week and I'm gonna be ready no matter what."

"Which role are you auditioning for?" Dominic asked.

"I'm planning to audition for Olivia and Maria," Errin replied.

AJ smirked. "Maria's the one you're more excited for, though. You're just auditioning for Olivia because Liam's pretty much guaranteed to be cast as the Duke."

Errin smirked back. "I can neither confirm nor deny that." She shot a quick glance at Dominic, who had pulled his hood up as soon as Liam was mentioned. "But if anyone deserves to be knocked off their high horse more than Madison, it's Liam."

Dominic felt his cheeks heat up. "Are we really doing this again? I don't understand why you guys hate him so much."

"You know how you don't like how Madison treats Devon?" AJ asked. Dominic nodded. "Well, we don't like how Liam treats you."

"For real, dude," Harper added, lowering their voice again so as not to draw unwanted attention. "You've been pining after him since third grade and he's probably been taking advantage of you since about grade seven." They held up a hand when Dominic opened his mouth to protest. "Don't try to defend him, man. You know it's true. He does the same thing with all his other admirers; gets all sweet with 'em if he thinks they can get him what he wants and then ghosts them as soon as they aren't useful anymore."

"But he stays juuuust sweet enough that they stay loyal to him so he can inevitably use them again," Errin interjected, a look of disdain on her face. "I don't care if his groupies keep letting themselves fall, but you're too good for him. You deserve to be treated like the Adonis you are."

"Easy there, sweets," Dominic said, biting back a laugh. "I don't know about all that "Adonis" stuff." He sighed and poked at his food. "But you guys may have a point about Liam. It's obviously never gonna happen and I'm just hurting myself trying to please him so he'll want to be with me." He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Ya know, DJ and I actually just lectured Devon the other day about how sticking with Madison was just hurting her." He smiled weakly. "Maybe it's finally time I take my own advice, hmm?"

A shadow fell over the table. "I had a feeling I'd find you here, Dominic." Everyone looked up to see a girl with black hair standing over them, her green eyes narrowed. She was flanked by two blonde girls, one trying (and failing) to look intimidating while the other smiled and waved at them, only to start glaring when the first blonde elbowed her in the side.

"You had a feeling you'd find me here? At school?" Dominic mocked, hoping he at least sounded confident. He stuffed his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie to hide their shaking. "Wow, you're a regular Sherlock Holmes, Madison."

"Ugh, whatever," Madison scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "You know what I'm here for so just tell me what I want to know so I can leave."

"Actually, I don't know what you're here for other than stinking up the air with your Abercrombie and Bitch perfume," Dominic shot back. "So you're gonna have to be a big girl and use your words." He could see Madison's face getting redder and redder and he was desperately hoping he'd actually see that vein in her forehead pop. Quick glances at his friends' faces told him they were likely hoping for something similar.

Sadly for almost all involved, Madison able to reign in her self-righteous fury. She pulled in some deep breaths and the redness drained from her face. "I'm here to ask what the hell is going on with your sister."

"Yeah," the first blonde interjected. "She, like, totally left us high and dry."

"She's sick," Dominic replied simply. "I don't know what to tell you, Marcy."

"So sick that she can't return any of my texts?" Madison fired back. "When I try to call her, it just goes straight to voicemail."

"Maybe because she's, I dunno, resting?" Harper snarked.

"You just don't get it," Marcy scoffed. "When you're a part of Madison's inner circle, when she calls, you answer. It's as simple as that."

Errin gave Marcy a flat look. "Wow. Just wow." She looked at Madison. "Great job brainwashing that one, Maddie."

"Do not call me that," Madison growled before turning her glare back to Dominic. "You know what I think?"

"No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me," Dominic replied.

"I think she's too scared to face me, so she's hiding," Madison continued.

"Are you serious? Are you that incapable of looking past yourself?" Dominic asked incredulously, though he already knew the answer. "Devon being absent has nothing to do with you, just like her quitting the squad had nothing to do with you."

"Though I'm sure seeing less of you is definitely a perk," Errin piped up.

"Why are you so obsessed with her, anyway?" AJ asked. "If you're so convinced she's a terrible person, why don't you just replace her with another one of your cronies?" He nodded toward Marcy. "I bet Ms. Thing over here would volunteer as tribute."

"Whatever. Clearly, I'm not getting anywhere with you losers," Madison bit out, pointedly ignoring AJ's question. She turned to the two girls behind her. "Marcy, Courtney, let's go." She took a few steps before looking back over her shoulder. "Make sure Devon knows there's going to be hell to pay when she gets back." Marcy turned to glare at them as well, while Courtney gave them a small, embarrassed smile and a quick wave before following.

"You're so right, Madison," Marcy said, still within earshot of Dominic's table. "Devon's been seriously lacking in the best friend department." She studied Madison's face, trying to read her mood before she continued. She took Madison's lack of response as a sign to go on. "Maybe it's time to…," she gestured vaguely. "let her go. Besides, I bet there's a much better replacemen-"

"Shut up, Marcy!" Madison shouted, causing the poor girl to shrink back and the entire cafeteria to turn towards them. Her eyes flashed with rage until she noticed how much attention she'd drawn. She pulled in a deep breath and schooled her features into a calm expression. She looked at Marcy again, the anger in her eyes contained but very, very present. "You don't understand." With that, she strode out of the cafeteria, not bothering to wait for the other girls to follow her.

Dominic and his friends watched the whole scene unfold back at their table. He let out a low whistle. "Sounds like your question got under her skin, AJ."

"Mmm," AJ agreed. "I almost felt bad for Marcy. And I definitely feel for Courtney. She's at least partially decent."

"I can't believe Devon's had to deal with that crap for so long," Errin said. "Marcy's a social climber but Devon's never really seemed to care if she was popular or not." She sent Dominic a concerned look. "As much as I hope your sister gets better soon, I wouldn't wish the hellstorm she's about to walk into on anyone."

"Yeah…," Dominic replied. 'Wherever you are, sis, I hope you've surrounded yourself with better people than the ones you did here.'

Ending Notes: Remember that wit and charisma Devon was blessed with as a baby? Something tells me she's gonna get a lot of mileage out of both of them at Night Raven. (I mean, her brothers were blessed too but they weren't tossed through a mirror so…)

Fun fact, I actually considered Azul and Ruggie as love interests for Devon when I was planning this story out, but I really love their platonic dynamics with her more. Hell, I love the idea of Devon becoming besties with the entire Octatrio after the events of Chapter 3. You can't tell me Azul wouldn't take advantage of how physically affectionate Devon is once he realizes Jamil's starting to catch feelings.

I'm really glad I got to explore more of Dominic's friend group in this chapter too. I'm trying to avoid a problem I've had in some of my other stories where, if my main character has siblings, the siblings end up becoming satellite characters just orbiting the main character. Since Devon is the main character here, the story is going to revolve around her to a certain extent but I don't want DJ and Dominic to just exist to further Devon's personal story. I want each of them to have their own stories too and I want to explore who the triplets are outside of their relationships with each other.

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are more than welcome! Geekinthepink, out!