Once at the door of the refectory, she stood still, the silence falling like a sheet around her. The fifty or so veela seated at the table all turned towards her at the same time, their aura far too mixed and numerous for her to be able to interpret anything. Myo took a deep breath and walked through the door. "Good evening, I'm Myosotis," she said shyly, waving her hand in greeting. After a second of silence, all hell broke loose.
All their attention was focused on her, the excited voices and conversations turning into a wall of questions coming down on her as around twenty of the youngest and most excitable got up to walk or run in her direction. And that's not to mention the dozens of intertwined auras forming an ocean of thoughts, sensations and emotions, which a few seconds ago had been calm, but was now rising up like a storm shaken by the arrival of her own aura. Myo was bewildered, unable to remember the names of the veela presenting themselves to her, some shaking her hand, others hugging her, rendered almost catatonic by the intensity of the auras concentrated on her. Fortunately, the vast majority of the emotions assailing her were joy, affection and curiosity, otherwise Myo had no doubt that she would have fainted on the spot.
It took a few far too many seconds of this cataclysmic chaos for Myo to be saved. A shrill cry rang out, an aura of anger and indignation eclipsing all others. A hand was placed in front of her eyes, blocking out the light and chaos, the sensation of wings surrounding her. The aura she was in contact with was so intense that all the others were just background noise. "Move back! Make some space! You're scaring her!" said Aline's indignant voice. A few exchanges in French, too fast for her to understand, and the hubbub had died down to a bearable level.
Myo let out a deep sigh, all her muscles relaxing, a few seconds earlier she'd been ready for fight or flight, now she was leaning limply against Aline's warmth, one hand gripping her tunic, clinging to her in search of security. "Hush now, it'll be alright," said Aline in a gentle voice as she ran a hand through her hair, the anger in her aura completely gone, replaced by protective affection. 'It was made clear, though, that we were not to pester you too much..." she mumbled before asking. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," said Myo in a trembling voice. "It was too much, all of it, I..." She hesitated for a moment, a sudden urge to go and take refuge in her little Scottish tower far away from everything, with Luna and Eldur, suddenly seizing her. She shook her head to rid herself of the idea, she was partly here to learn to be a veela, to be with other veelas. The vision of her moments of happiness within the Delacour flock came back to her, of what it felt like to dance in the air with her sisters at nightly dinners. Of the hours spent learning to sew with Adèle and her other students in her workshop while telling stories to each other, of flying together between the sharp mountain peaks. The feeling of completeness she had experienced during the rite of the deans, of her link with the land of the flocks. In contrast to all this, her little isolated tower, though reassuring, seemed a cold and lonely place, as if she were still in her little shed and intimidated by the outside world, despite the powerful call of the sky. It would be like learning to fly! Her wings had ached, the task had seemed insurmountable, and yet now she could fly higher than the clouds, higher than the frozen filaments where the sky loses its bluish hues even in the sun.
"Myosotis?" Aline asked, concern in her voice and aura.
Myo took a deep breath before hugging Aline around the waist and pressing her cheek against her chest to give herself courage, the plumage of her raven-blue wings puffing up, small blue flames emerging between her hair, under and on her skin, reassuring. She felt Aline flinch against her as their auras mingled, but ignored it, preferring to raise her head and give her biggest smile. "I'm fine, just a bit overwhelmed. How do you dine here? I haven't had time to hunt today."
Her cheeks strangely rosy, her breathing short, Aline stammered. "I... I..." Then she regained her composure. "Follow me, there's a service where you take a tray and whatever you like from the menu, then we'll sit down at a table to eat. I'll introduce you to my friends."
"Can I hold your hand?" asked Myo, releasing Aline from her embrace.
"Of course."
As the two of them made their way towards the counter, Myo was finally able to see inside the refectory. It took up an entire floor of the tower, opening in the middle onto the central hole of the tower and outwards through multiple openings. It was illuminated by countless small luminescent dragonflies giving off an orange glow, some flying around the room, others resting on pillars. Dozens of round wooden tables covered in coloured tablecloths were scattered around, many of them occupied by between two and eight veela dining. Well... those who weren't busy staring at her with wide eyes as she passed.
When they were halfway there, Aline said. "You know, your aura is really strong, almost hypnotic, it's hard to take my eyes off you. Are you learning to control it?"
Myo nodded. "Isabelle, my healer, explained to me that it wasn't safe for me to try and restrict my aura, not until I was fully grown. My aura needs to understand that it's not alone any more, that it doesn't need to seek out the auras of other veelas, it's something that happens to veela children who spend their childhood alone." Myo frowned. "I think she explained that to me a long time ago." From what she remembered, Isabelle had also insisted a lot on the fact that her aura mustn't be constrained, or anything like that, otherwise she'd never be able to fully adapt to life in a flock.
As they picked up some fine wooden trays and placed decorated ceramic plates and shiny metal cutlery on them, the sheen of which distracted Myo for a moment, Aline said. "So, I suppose you've already heard, but everyone cooks and cleans here. There's a paper on the information board at the main entrance to the tower where it says who and when is on cooking duty, tidying up, cleaning up and so on. It's a way of learning the spells that are useful in everyday life" She then introduced her to Marine and Julia, who were serving this evening, both of whom were about Aline's age and shared the same room on a regular basis, if she had understood the implications of the discussion correctly. Although to tell the truth, she was more focused on the fillet of pike with cream and tarragon that had been placed on her plate, accompanied by a frichti of fondant carrots, courgettes and beans, with a large muffin for dessert, and a small bowl of onion soup as a starter, the tantalising smell of which made her mouth water. With all her excitement, she hadn't realised that she was so hungry.
Once Aline had been served, she was led towards a large round table not far away with a blue tablecloth around which four other veelas were already seated. Each of them raised their heads at their approach, observing her from every angle, so she slowed down to move partly hidden by Aline.
Once at the table, they placed their trays in the empty seats, Myo choosing a stool with a cushion to accommodate her tail and ensure it wasn't blocked by a backrest.
She had once tried the technique of eating with the back of the chair facing the table and sitting astride it, but it hadn't worked out so well.
Myo did her best not to wince as she sat down, the weight of auras curious, intrigued, affectionate, ... calculating? Suspicious? Her gaze met that of one of them with autumn orange eyes, before the sensation evaporated, as if restricted. "Good evening, Aline, aren't you going to introduce us to your new protégé?" asked the tallest of the four.
"Of course I am. Myosotis, this is Chloé Tournai, she's the oldest of us. If I can't answer a question, don't hesitate to ask her." Says Aline
"Welcome," said Chloé. She was considerably taller than the others, her long black hair framing an angular face, but with a gentle, affable expression, her small pointed nose giving her a very distinguished look, her brown eyes busy inspecting her, as if she hoped to learn something important. Unlike the others present, she had no wings, but the two beautiful white feathers in her hair and her aura as calm as the surface of a pond left no doubt as to her veela nature. Myo immediately took a liking to her, the calmness of her aura having something soothingly pleasant about it. It was enough for Myo to slide a little closer to her on the cushion of her stool. She was then all the more surprised when Chloé put a hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead, leaving her confused. "That's how we greet each other in the Tournai flock, I hope we get on well."
Without really knowing why, Myo found herself unable to reply other than to let out a melodious whistle.
"This is Lina Belleforte." Aline continued, indicating with one hand a young veela whom Myo thought was a year older than she was. She was skinny, barely taller than she was, and dressed in one of the most beautifully made tunics Myo had ever seen, almost in the style of Adèle's work. Her brown wings were folded behind her back, some of the feathers a different colour, as if they had been dyed. Her eyebrows were furrowed, her orange gaze turning away from hers as they met again. Lina merely nodded in her direction before returning to her plate, her aura strangely silent.
"Don't mind her, she can be grumpy sometimes." Aline sighed. "You could make a bit of an effort, though," she added for Lina's benefit.
"Why do you feel obliged to take in every stray who crosses your path?" Lina murmured too low for Aline to hear. Myo frowned, Lina didn't seem to like her very much. Maybe she just needed presents, like Mr Snape, or more affection! Cuddles perhaps... She had to start thinking of a plan. After all, as she couldn't see Mr Snape any more, it was quite possible for her to adapt the 'Cheer up Mr Snape' plan a little.
Aline raised her eyes to the sky before waving her hand at a little veela whom Myo assumed to be about the same age as herself, her big blue eyes sparkling with energy, her red hair and red wings with white edging vibrating on the spot, her excitement tangible from her aura. "This is Margot Plumis, she's ..." Aline was interrupted by her rising from her seat to walk around the table and take Myo's hands in hers. "Say, say! Is it true that you flew all the way from Scotland? Without a break!?"
Somewhat disconcerted, Myo took a moment to reply. "Yes? Why?"
"Oh, that's so cool! I'd love to be able to fly for so long". Margot said, her wings now quivering, as if they were ready to take flight.
"Believe me, she wasn't too proud when she arrived, the flight had completely drained her." Said Aline, nodding in exasperation.
"But still! It's so cool! Say, say! We've got an acrobatic flying club! Would you like to join?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Pfft, you only do that to show off when you perform in front of the school." Lina said derisively.
"You're just jealous because you can't muster an ounce of grace when you fly!" retorted Margot, glowering at Lina.
To Myo's surprise, Chloé spoke up. "Stop it, you two! You can bicker later! Margot's off to sit down, Lina's going to stop messing about with Margot."
"But! The acrobatic flying club?" Margot whined.
"Tomorrow is the first day of school, all the clubs are having their exhibition, she'll choose whether or not to join you then," said Chloé.
"All right then," sighed Margot as she sat back down. "Myo, can you promise me that you'll go and see the acrobatic flying club tomorrow, please? You could be our trump card against the Haut-roque team!" she asked, her eyes and aura full of hope.
Her curiosity piqued, and her heart already touched by Margot, Myo nodded. "All right, I'll go and see, but I'm not promising anything." It was true that flying was one of the best things in the world, and she loved above all the feeling of freedom, of being one with the sky, of feeling the air in her feathers. So much so that just thinking about it made her flames quiver under her skin. But she would have to see what acrobatic flying really consisted of before making any decisions. Hermione had told her enough times not to do the first thing that came into her head, like the time she had stopped her from stealing all the silverware at Hogwarts when she had noticed that by braiding forks together and soldering them with her flames she could create things of the most beautiful effect.
She was drawn out of her thoughts by Aline's voice. "And finally, I would like to introduce you to..."
"EEEEEEPPP" was the cry Myo gave as she felt herself being lifted off her stool by someone holding her by the sides before being drawn into one of the most vigorous hugs she had ever known. She would have struggled and tried to get away, if the aura encompassing her at that moment wasn't so overflowing with affection that it made her dizzy. "Oh, Aline, how did you ever find such a sweetheart! You could be a princess, you know? With such well-groomed plumage." Said the rapping voice of a tall, broad-shouldered veela with chiselled muscles, long dark green braided hair and wings so big their tips almost touched the ground.
"Heloise... can't you behave yourself for once?" sighed Aline, rolling her eyes.
"I look after my feathers several times a week," Myo grinned as he turned her head to catch a glimpse of her interlocutor.
"It shows" cooed the girl Myo supposed to be called Héloïse. "They're soft, fluffy and smell lovely. My name is Héloïse Delmaciel, and I'm pleased to meet you. You know, everyone's been talking about you coming over the last few days. I can't believe that THE Myosotis Potter is coming to study at Beaubaton, and even better! That you're a veela! You know, my father was a hostage during the war, without you I don't know what would have happened to him."
Myo felt a little uncomfortable; if she couldn't feel Heloise's reassuring, loving aura, she would surely have run away. But in this situation, she found the courage to say. "You know, I don't remember any of it, I did nothing." Her earliest memories went back to the time when she was alone, in a tiny cupboard, marvelling at the beauty of the little blue flames dancing in her hand, their warmth whispering to her that everything would be all right.
"Héloïse!" Aline exclaimed, her voice outraged for a reason that escaped Myo.
"You don't remember, but thanks to you, my pops is fine and at home with Mum." Héloïse said, ignoring Aline. "Would you like to come to my room? I've got a great collection of pretty stones and jewellery!"
At these words, Myo straightened up, a gleam of interest in her eyes. Sparkly stuff! Surely Héloïse would let her have one or two. "Oh, I'd love to!"
"Only if I'm there." Aline said, glowering at Héloïse.
"Yes, yes of course." Héloïse said demurely.
"Can you put me down now?" Myo asked, a little irritation making its way into her aura, her flames flaring. The cuddle was nice at first, but Heloise was squeezing too hard, and was too hot. A cuddle from Luna was a thousand times more enjoyable.
"Oh, sorry..." said Héloïse, putting her back on her stool with a contrite air before sitting back down.
"Frankly, you have no tact whatsoever." Aline growled as she glared at Héloïse, who rubbed the back of her head with a guilty smile.
"Otherwise, I'm sure you've got lots of adventures to tell." Said Chloé before taking a bite of her fish.
The fish! With all that, Myo had almost forgotten her plate, it must have got cold. Poo! With a wave of her hand she let her flames cover her plate for a moment until its contents were smoking again, causing the whole table to jump. "Yes! I hunted a narwhal! It was great, it was big, beautiful and delicious! I'm going to make a magic staff with its tooth... " She said between mouthfuls.
After that, the conversation drifted towards Myo's various hunting exploits, then on to Hogwarts and what it was like there. Nice, but the people were really weird, oh yes! One of the teachers was a cat. Myo was surprised to learn that this wasn't so strange, as one of Aline's alchemy teachers was a cormorant. The conversation gradually turned to Beauxbatons, with each of her new sisters, apart from Lina who was as taciturn as ever, giving her advice and explanations. Which are the best libraries on campus, where to find the best lunch, inside which gardens you can find the best picnic tables. But also which teachers were the most understanding when it came to veela's problems, or where to find the best feather care products in the student town.
So much so that time seemed to fly by and soon she found herself full, her plate empty, licking her fingers of the icing on her muffin. Throughout the meal, she kept glancing at Lina, who spent her time with her head down, eating in silence, her aura barely perceptible. At the end of the meal, as everyone started to get up, Myo felt bad for Lina, why was she so sad? It couldn't be hunger, she'd just eaten. Lack of shiny objects? She had a silver necklace and some pretty rings! Affection? No, she had plenty of friends to eat with... Myo couldn't give her anything to help. Unless... As Aline urged her to follow her to explain how the showers on her floor worked, an idea crossed Myo's mind. She discreetly approached Lina, and gave her a kiss on the cheek before running off laughing, amused by her little cry of surprise and the extent to which her cheekbones had flushed! She hadn't turned as red as Luna had, but it wasn't far off. Myo had seen the veela from the flock kissing each other on the cheek to say hello or show their affection, maybe that would do Lina good.
"I'm glad you're not angry with her. Lina's not usually so cold." Aline said after catching up with her.
"She seemed to need it." Myo replied with a bright smile. She had been stressed about meeting so many new sisters, but in the end, she shouldn't have worried so much, as things had gone rather well.
"You're too kind." Aline said, stroking her head before launching herself into the great emptiness at the centre of the tower and rising into the air.
Myo was still exhausted from her long flight, but she'd rather take to the air and let her flames carry her than limp down the stairs with her talons, risking hurting her scales. If her studies at Beauxbatons were anything like this evening, then she was the luckiest bird in the world!
…
The shower on the floor off her bedroom was a large chamber enclosed by panels of varnished wood with a floor tiled in blues and greens. In the centre of the room was a large basin, at least ten metres in circumference, filled with steaming water that smelt subtly of lavender. All around were showers closed by curtains hung from the ceiling and held to the walls by ribbons. However, none of them had the plumbing that Myo was used to seeing in the Vernons' lair.
In places, there were seats and tables with mirrors, as well as a large bench on which Aline had placed her towels and bath products. Myo wondered why she had bothered to put up curtains, wasn't there a risk of the fabric getting soaked? And it wasn't as if she was the only one who seemed to think so, given that three of her sisters were busy showering without paying the slightest attention to the curtains. Myo found herself staring in fascination at the water in the shower of a sister of her age with purple plumage, the water seeming to fall directly from the ceiling in a thick shower over her.
Myo was more than curious to find out how the magic worked, but the desire to be under the hot water herself was stronger. She undressed, taking care not to bend any feathers when removing her tunic and not to let her trousers get caught in her claws. This proved to be a lost cause, so much so that she had to call Aline for help to remove the claws that had become stuck in the fabric. Once this was done, she folded the whole thing up and laid it down not far from her pyjamas.
Once she was ready, she approached the large central pool, the temptation to immerse herself growing stronger and stronger. The ash was good for smoothing her feathers and taking care of them, but a dip was still a necessity. Just as she was about to plunge one of her talons into the water, Aline's hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Not so fast! Before the bath, the shower. The bath is just to relax once you're clean."
Myo pouted, but nodded. "How do showers work?" she asked.
"Come on, I'll show you," said Aline as she stepped into one. Myo was impressed; all he had to do was press a round stone embedded in the wall, and the water began to flow at the perfect temperature. Touch the stone again and it stopped.
"Well, I'll leave you to it, see you in the bath, call me if there's any problem, OK?" Aline said as she started to leave, but before she could, Myo grabbed her wrist. "Can't we stay together?" she asked. Aline's aura was pleasant, gentle and calm, but seeing her leave now was not something Myo wanted, far from it. To be with her, in the steam of the shower, under the water falling like dancing rain, the auras of the other veela in the bathroom far away, as if smothered by the water and the heat.
Aline seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding. "Well, all right," she sighed, before flashing her a smile. It was one of the best showers Myo had ever had, the warm water running between her feathers, Aline's hands massaging her head and wings and tail to put on the shampoo, oils and soaps specially made for feather care that Myo had never heard of. It would have been perfect if Luna had been with her, and Myo was certain that she would have enjoyed the moment immensely. But she couldn't let Luna into the tower, as that would be a betrayal of the trust of all her new sisters. Perhaps Luna would be open to the idea of taking a bath in a nearby lake? In this early autumn, the temperatures are still favourable for wild bathing after all.
Once clean, Myo trotted over to the large pool and slipped into the warm water, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt the warmth of the lavender water soak into her and relax her aching muscles. Not far from her, Aline also slipped into the water.
After a few minutes, Myo murmured. "Thank you for helping me like this." Without Aline, she would have been completely lost, and would probably have spent the evening hiding in her room, too worried to try and meet her new sisters. Tempted as she was to find the room, given the state she was in when she arrived.
"I've got little sisters to look after at home, I've got experience, you can count on me you know? You're not on your own. Even at Beauxbatons, being a veela can be difficult, that's why we stick together. You know, it's no secret what happened to you, and I'm especially happy that, despite everything, you manage to trust us." Said Aline, coming up to sit next to her and draping an arm over her shoulder to hug her side to side, feathers against feathers. Almost instinctively, Myo hugged Aline tighter, soothed by the calmness of her aura.
"For a long time I thought I was the only "bird thing" in the world, you know. Finding you was one of the best things that happened in my life." Myo said, resting her head on Aline's shoulder. After a few seconds, a question crossed Myo's mind. "Aline say, have you ever read " Around the World in Eighty Days "?"
oOOOo
It was pitch black, the corridors of the large dormitory immersed in a silence disturbed only by the regular clicks of an antique clock at the end of the long hallway, its pendulum glinting from time to time in the moonlight filtering through the wide windows opening onto the sleeping valley. Luna moved slowly through the gloom, her bare feet silently brushing the smooth floor, her white nightdress billowing around her, giving her a ghostly feel.
It had been hours since curfew, and she was supposed to be asleep in bed so that she would be in top form on the first day of school. But she hadn't been able to fall asleep, alone in her little room, in this unknown place, far from Mum and Dad... Myo. To say that she wasn't excited about starting school at Beauxbatons would have been a lie, the campus was stunning, its buildings beautiful and its gardens lush. She'd had confirmation after confirmation that she was ready, first from Melusine during their lessons, from Mum, Dad, Myo, Nym, even Hermione and her rigidly academic mind, tuned like fine clockwork, had recognised that she was doing well, despite the slightly too... unorthodox nature of her essays. Who knows what beautiful things she would learn about the world, what she would discover in the mountains and forests surrounding the school? It was a very pleasant prospect.
But it didn't change the fact that for the first time in her life, she was on her own, far from everything she knew. During the expeditions Dad had regularly taken her on, she had been just as disorientated, but he had been close by and Mum had often been there too. But this time, for the first time, she really had the impression of being alone. Myo in the dovecote with the other veela, busy reconnecting with her own, Nym and Elvetia in another dormitory, Hermione at home only coming during the day to continue her convalescence.
Rather than staying in bed, she had started drawing the night landscape a little earlier, finding the school under the moon a soft ephemeral beauty that she wanted to try and capture in watercolours, hoping that this would distract her from the dark recesses of her mind which, once alone, grew, as if fed by silence, whispering nasty things to her. Unable to stand still, she went outside, giving herself as reason her dry throat, which a big glass of water would quench.
As she came down the stairs to the kitchens, her steps velvety, her fingers brushing the wooden railing, she began to hum softly one of the old tunes she couldn't remember learning anywhere. Her voice so low and soft that it could be mistaken for the murmur of the night breeze.
With light steps, she crossed the hall, her hands clasped behind her back, the rustle of her light nightdress against her skin, as discreet and fleeting as a moonbeam. Facing the closed kitchen door, she placed her hand on the gnarled old dead wood, feeling against her palm the echoes of the lost life of the tree that once was. She responded to the echo in a whisper, breathing a little of her life into the dark wood, her request in the form of a whispered suggestion. Without a sound, the knots in the wood began to move, its lines parting in an opening barely big enough to let her through, revealing the large kitchen plunged into half-light, where only the glow of the last embers of the fire in the fireplace and the faint night light allowed her to make out the silhouettes of the tables, straw mattresses, ovens, sinks and cupboards.
She stood on tiptoe to open a cupboard, grabbed a glass and headed for the sink. Just as she was about to fill her glass, she heard murmurs coming from the hearth. Without a word, her curiosity getting the better of her, she discreetly approached. Hidden between the embers, two small flame creatures resembling human silhouettes were talking. For some reason, and for as long as she could remember, Luna was able to interpret the meaning of the little crackles and hisses in their language.
"Have you seen her? She's back today", said one.
"Yes, she's so beautiful. Is that why she wants it?"
"Maybe, who knows... she said her hands were golden."
"Ugh! Gold doesn't burn."
"It's not ours, she wants her, we won't burn her."
"It's the first time she has ever worn her eyes like that."
"Helping her is our role, or she'll blow us away, through fireplaces and candles, we'll be peering out, she wants to know...''
Increasingly curious, and not understanding a word the creatures were saying, Luna moved a little closer. "Good evening, what are you talking about?" she asked in a low voice, hoping to be part of this mysterious conciliabule.
"Ssssssss" hissed one as she went to hide behind an ember, the other frozen in surprise. It was the first time Luna had seen this kind of creature, the ones she was used to seeing had more animal forms and didn't speak. The Wrackspurt, for example, were just little shape-shifting things that went round people's heads and mingled their thoughts, but never said a word. The newly-named coliwu sleeping under her bed was just as mute, content to watch her with her many large yellow eyes, but didn't respond to anything she said.
"Wait! She smells good, she smells safe, she smells like us," said the one who had frozen in surprise instead of fleeing, addressing the other.
"It's true, she smells of embers, the moon, the night and the stars," said the one emerging from her hiding place.
"What do you mean?" asked Luna, her curiosity growing by the moment.
"You're just like us!" exclaimed one.
"At least partly!" said the other.
"You've been touched by our realms!"
"Maybe even one of the big ones."
"You've got to help us!" they squealed in unison.
"What do you need help with?" asked Luna. This was an unprecedented situation. If she could, she would have taken them in her hands to look at them more closely, but they both looked very hot.
"The one with the golden hands, a big one wants her!"
"Yes! She wants that one!"
"For her hands, her eyes!"
"We must watch her!"
"Sentinel her."
"The tall one asked for it!"
"She wants to know all!"
"All about her golden hands, her piercing eyes. Her works and colours!"
"You have to help us look after her, so that the tall one can take her away," they said again in unison.
"I don't mind, but..." began Luna.
"Yeee! "
"SSSssssSSSSSSsss"
With a fwoosh of flames, the two little creatures disappeared, leaving only the few embers of the fire still glowing behind them, Luna finishing her sentence in a vacuum. "... I don't know who you're talking about." She stood still for a moment, dumbfounded, her gaze plunged into the ashes, the meaning of what had just happened completely eluding her. Frustrated, she finally got up and filled her glass at the sink, before taking a sip, the coolness of the liquid spreading through her chest.
She walked silently back to her room, her mind occupied by what she had just seen, the silhouettes of the mysterious little flame creatures imprinted on her retina. Maybe she should ask Daddy, who knew so many magical creatures. But... these looked like the kind that are invisible to most people. Searching libraries? Perhaps, but that would take an enormous amount of time and she didn't even know where to start. Ask Mélusine! Yes, that already sounded more reasonable, she always took her very seriously when she told her about the many creatures that only she seemed to be able to see. And then, of all the people she knew, Lulu was the only one with contacts she suspected knew more about things happening outside most people's perception.
As she entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her, Luna shivered, a cold draught giving her goosebumps. The window was wide open, an icy breeze seeping into her room through the opening, the smell of the forest strong, but also of lavender? But she didn't have any lavender here? Shivering, clutching her arms, she went to close the window. How come it was open in the first place? She was sure she'd closed it properly after airing out her room today.
Once the window was closed, just as she was about to sit down at the little table to continue her nocturnal watercolour painting, a movement of air startled her. Before she could react, two arms were around her waist, two large, deep blue wings with particularly soft, downy plumage smelling of lavender all around her, the warmth of beautiful, familiar little blue flames warming her. "You scared me, Myo," she said with a hand on her chest, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart, fear dissipating into comfort and affection as she almost fell backwards to better enjoy the impromptu hug.
"I missed you," Myo grumbled, her face buried in the back of her nightdress.
"I missed you too." Said Luna, a smile growing on her lips as her fingers stroked the dark plumage.
"I'm tired, they were so enthusiastic you know! It's strange, I'm a bit more feathery than they are, but that's no reason to make a big deal out of it."
"You know, you need to get off my back if you want to get into bed for a more comfortable cuddle. How did it go apart from that? I was a little worried..." Luna said as she reluctantly extricated herself from Myo's embrace.
"Yes, very well, Aline is very kind and her friends helped me a lot, the baths are incredible and the room is very cosy. I haven't had the chance to meet everyone, but still, I imagine that will happen over time." Myo sighed, "Are you sure I can come? My talons could tear the sheets."
"Yes, come on, they're tougher than they look." Luna replied, opening the covers to give Myo access to the pillows. "I think that just having managed to talk and not having run away or gone into hiding is already great, I'm proud of you, Myo. Remember the first time we met, you were hiding behind a rock." Despite the darkness, Luna was more than certain to see Myo's face flush.
"That was a long time ago..." Myo grumbled as she joined her on the bed, snuggling up to the point where Luna was far more in contact with Myo's feathers than with the sheets of the bed. The fact that Myo had returned tonight was the best surprise of all; sleeping together was what she needed tonight. What's more, Luna couldn't lie to herself: the fear that Myo, once she was among her own in the big tower, would end up forgetting her was very real.
"Luna, how did your evening go?" asked Myo, her voice full of sleep.
"Better than I thought, some of the other students looked at me strangely when I tried to chase away the Wrackspurt that were circling around Claude's head, but apart from that, they were quite nice... even if I didn't manage to exchange much. I understand French well, but speaking it is still difficult." Said Luna, her eyes closing slowly as her body relaxed in Myo's warmth.
"Luna, I think we should make a nest, a place just for the two of us, not completely leave our dormitories like at Hogwarts, but where we can spend the night from time to time and find each other." Myo yawned.
"That's a wonderful idea." She murmured, a smile reaching her ears, already imagining herself plaiting wreaths together, in a big cosy nest hidden in the trees of the nearby forest.
"Hmmm..." was Myo's only reply.
Luna remained silent for a long moment, lulled by Myo's soft, steady breathing. Her mind rambled, the day's events flashing by in a blur. "You know, I saw some funny little creatures in the fire earlier, they..." she murmured before pausing. Myo's eyes were closed, her face relaxed, asleep.
Luna sighed and placed a kiss on Myo's forehead before settling back into bed, snuggling up to Myo, surrounded by her feathers, before drifting off to slumber.
oOOOo
To say that Myo was excited would have been an understatement. This morning, the Beauxbatons campus was in a festive mood. Today was the pre-entry day, with classes and the real timetable starting tomorrow, but now the day was dedicated to recruitment and the presentation of all the clubs, as well as specialities and optional courses. But that wasn't all, for the occasion, stalls had been opened, some promoting the clubs as planned, but others selling food and sweets, some were even representatives of Chouettecahier brands coming to advertise to new students to encourage them to visit the student city. The teachers were not to be outdone, some demonstrating their art from the balustrades.
Myo was walking hand in hand with Luna, humming happily, more relaxed than she had been for a long time. Sleeping with Luna was just the best. Eldur had wanted to stay in the tower though, preferring to sleep than join them, the slacker... Elvetia was by their side, discussing with Nym the best route to take to see everything. As for Hermione, she was absent, wanting to stay one last day with her parents before going her separate ways again. Myo had asked her how she planned to do the clubs, but Hermione had simply told her that she had already made her choices from the brochures. The critical reading club and the etiquette and good manners club would suit her perfectly.
In addition to the festive atmosphere of the campus, luck was on her side, the sky being clear except for a few fluffy clouds drifting lazily in the middle of the azure, the sun illuminating the valley with its golden rays. Earlier that morning, the first chill of autumn had made itself felt, but the temperature had quickly risen to a pleasant mildness, the air stirred by a gentle breeze.
Their little group moved slowly through the crowd of pupils, students, parents, teachers and visitors, stopping from time to time to observe the various stalls and stands.
"Which club are you most interested in?" asked Elvetia. Passing her the pamphlet. "I'm interested in swimming, duelling and archery!"
"I knew you were interested in archery and duelling, but swimming?" asked Myo, surprised by her friend's choice.
"Well..." Elvetia blushed, "I can't swim," she said so softly that Myo found it hard to hear.
"Me neither..." said Myo, "I can float, and splash around a bit, but I can't swim with all my feathers, they get soaked in water and weigh me down."
"Wait what?" exclaimed Nym. "You flew across the Atlantic without even knowing how to swim in case you fell in the water?"
"Trust me, Myo flies too well for that to happen," Luna said, squeezing Myo's hand tighter in hers and giving her a big smile. This was actually one of the reasons for Myo's good mood after the night spent together, Luna seemed much more relaxed and happy, nothing like the anxiety she had shown in the last few days before the start of lessons.
"Even exhausted, I can glide for dozens of miles with them!" Myo grinned as she proudly spread her wings, her plumage puffed up to take on more volume and look more impressive.
"Yes, yes, if you say so..." sighed Nym.
"By the way, Nym, what kind of club are you interested in?" asked Luna.
"Well... I was thinking of joining the one for gobstones, board games and acrobatic flight."
"Gobstones and games, I can see you there, but acrobatic flight? I'd heard it was a club full of veela who like to show off their flying skills, and broomsticks aren't even allowed there." Said Elvetia curiously.
"Hey, I want to join too!" exclaimed Myo. "One of my new friends from the dovecote was so excited about it."
"You're forgetting something," smiled Nym, before transfiguring the back of her robes to create an opening, and then closing her eyes for a few seconds to concentrate. As if on cue, two bulbs of molten light emerged from her back, their shape gradually becoming more refined, until in a final flash, two large wings with feathers of gaudy colours, red, blue, green, orange... appeared. 'Tada!' exclaimed Nym, winking at Myo.
"They're so pretty!" said Luna, her eyes full of stars. "I love the new colours."
"I've even managed to model the feathers properly at last." Nym said proudly.
Elvetia didn't blink for several long seconds before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. "You know that even for a metamorph you're absurd, don't you? How many hours did you work to achieve this result? And what's more! To fly properly you need to be able to change the structure of your body in depth!"
"Like having hollow bones. They're called aeriferous bones," Myo said wisely, nodding, remembering her books on birds and the ones she'd quickly leafed through on veela anatomy. It had struck her at the time how close she and real birds were.
"Um, long?" said Nym, scratching her head. "You know, I learnt little by little, step by step. Flying on a broom is great, but it's not as good as flying with wings."
"I have to admit that's true." Elvetia said thoughtfully.
"I like broomsticks." Said Luna. "You can just float when you're sitting on them, and with a good cushion, they can be very pleasant. Although I'd prefer to be able to fly on a little fluffy cloud. Imagine how nice that would be!"
"Maybe we can ask Pandora? There's probably been some research into broomless flying magic, or a potion that could do that, in which case ask Mum." Nym said excitedly.
"A potion?" Elvetia asked in disbelief.
"Yes, like a tame cloud that you put in a vial and release when you want to get on it."
"The idea has merit, but I still prefer my feathers, and with this kind of thing, I'd have no more excuses to take Luna flying with me." Myo sighed, Luna pressing herself against his side in reaction to her words.
"Even if there were, I wouldn't want to stop flying in your arms," said Luna.
"And what about you two? What clubs do you want to go to?" asked Elvetia.
"Magic painting, cooking, domestic arts and gardening." Said Luna. "I want to learn how to make pretty knitted things, and there are lots of fascinating plants out there, some of which can be used to attract and cure certain magical creatures! And Myo hunts and cooks, so I want to be able to help out more. I'm also pretty good at painting and drawing, but I can't make drawings move or enchant them." Luna said excitedly.
Elvetia sighed and pulled out a handful of hard orange sweets from her pocket, which she dropped into the open hand of a grinning Nym.
"I bet you'd take these!"Nym said proudly.
"Urg, I thought you'd take the ones I think Myo would have chosen to spend more time together now that you're separated by the dormitory system." Said Elvetia with an air of defeat, her pockets lighter with a good quantity of sweets, which nym was now popping into her mouth with relish.
"So Myo, we already know about the acrobatic flight, but are you interested in anything else?"
"Oh yes! Archery sounds like an interesting tool for my hunting. Also magic painting, I'm really interested in bringing my portraits to life, the ones at Hogwarts were fascinating to look at. And of course the choir, the one at Flitwick was great, but now there will be other veela, and singing together sounds wonderful." She said in a thrill of excitement.
"I thought you were going to duel too," said Elvetia, visibly surprised.
"Why?" asked Myo, tilting her head to the side.
"I mean, you killed a troll last year, and I've heard how you fought poachers, and THE Melusine Lovegood is giving you fighting lessons!" listed Elvetia with a flick of her fingers.'
Myo grimaced. "Spells are interesting, and they're useful if I run into bad guys, but I really don't like fighting, you know? If the troll hadn't attacked Hermione I'd probably have run off to get Luna to safety."
"I suppose... that makes sense." Said Elvetia.
"Nym, have you written everything down?" asked Luna.
"Yes, I've got the list, and according to the map, the nearest one is the archery club's stand!" she exclaimed before leading her little troop happily.