Morsus | saberwolf & Sailor Moon

[Saber]

The streets of Diagon Alley were always packed the day before school started and Jade was dodging younger students as they rushed through the street collecting their supplies. If there was one thing the blue eyed girl couldn't stand, it was large crowds of people, and people in general, if she was to be honest. Still, she walked down towards Flourish and Blotts to finish buying her books.

When she opened the door she was almost trampled by a horde of, what she could only guess, first year students and their parents. She rolled her eyes as they finally passed her and walked through the door, making her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts section. Jade's parents were pretty lenient, which was helpful to her not to have them trailing her and adding more stress to this already stressful endeavor. She wasn't really paying attention as she walked with conviction, and as she turned a corner down an aisle, she ran into something solid.

Jade, not really in the mood to talk (or apologize) continued on her way. She wanted to get her books and get going to the train station so she could get a good seat. So instead of stopping to see if said solid mass was injured, Jade continued on her way to get the final book she needed to be on her way. Thankfully, it didn't take long to find since most of the Hogwarts curriculum was set out in plain sight for students.

@Sailor Moon


Jade McHale

​

 

[envogue]

Patchouli stood in the least crowded aisle of Flourish and Blotts, nose buried deep in a book about the various creatures of the Wizarding world and where to find them. There was so much chatter around that it was a wonder how anyone could concentrate long enough to read, but she was completely engrossed in the pages. Nothing could affect her, it seemed. She barely moved, except to turn a page, or to adjust her glasses along the bridge of her nose.

Patchouli finished with her book and closed it, smiling as she tip toed to put it back in it's place. Just as she was doing that, someone or something had bumped into her, knocking her right off of her feet and onto her butt. Patchouli frowned and looked over in the direction that the person was going and saw the girl who had run into her walking away. She didn't even stop to help her up, or at the very least apologize. Patchouli was honestly too stunned to say anything to the woman, but if she saw her again she would definitely have some words for her.

Her parents were just coming around the corner, and both appeared concerned about why their daughter was on the floor. They didn't say anything though. "Just rude," Patchouli grumbled as she got to her feet. Patchouli was quite clumsy all on her own and her parents knew she didn't need anyone knocking her off her feet to wind up on the floor.

"Come on, honey. We're running late, aren't we?" Mrs. Fields said, an arm around Patchouli's shoulders. She led the girl away, while Mr. Fields walked beside them with all of Patchouli's school supplies in his arms, and her mammoth of a cat, Plum. They squeezed through the students crowding inside of the book store and out into Diagon Alley, which was a breath of fresh air compared to Flourish and Blotts.

Patchouli took the fastest route she knew to the station for The Hogwart's Express. It wasn't as crowded, but that was to be expected since most of the students had already boarded the train. Her parents pulled her in for a quick embrace, and Plum was shoved into her arms by Mr. Fields, while Mrs. Fields pushed Patchouli onto the train afterwards

It was even worse on the train than it looked from the outside, but Patchouli was determined to find herself a seat. She moved towards the back, hazel eyes scanning over seats until she found a compartment with only one other girl in it. As Patchouli got a closer look at the raven haired girl, she realized it was the one that had knocked her over in Flourish and Blotts. She guessed the girl had been in some sort of rush, but perhaps it had worked out in her favor since she now had a spot on the train.

"Mind if we sit with you?" Patchouli asked, a warm smile on her lips. Suddenly, Plum shifted in her arms and leaped onto the back of the seat, falling off the edge almost immediately. "Plum!" Patchouli scolded, earning a meow from the giant cat before he turned his head. She frowned and moved to take a seat, hoping she hadn't intruded at all on the girl. Either way, it wasn't like she owned the seats, Patchouli had only asked out of politeness.

"I'm Patchouli, by the way. And you probably guessed already, but this is Plum." Patchouli said, extending her hand to shake.​

Patchouli Fields

Plum​

 

[Saber]

The way back to King's Cross Station was thankfully an easy walk. There were a lot of people, but that was London for you. She left her trunk in the designated area, as well as a covered cage before crouching down and lifting the cloth over it. "Try not to antagonize any of the other birds, all right, Violet?" Instead of an owl, Jade's father had gifted her a Merlin Falcon when she'd been accepted into Hogwarts and it made it much easier if she ever needed to get a letter out to her family faster than the average owl. The falcon in the cage chirped loudly at her before ruffling its feathers.

Besides being the only falcon at Hogwarts, Violet was also the most boisterous little thing with wings. She always thought it best to show off when she was delivering mail or just making sure that everyone was looking at her when she preened her feathers. Either way, being in a cage covered with a blanket wasn't ideal. Jade rolled her eyes as she stood and moved to board the train. There were hardly any students that were boarded, but that would change in a few minutes. So she did as she did every year and made her way to the back car and picked a compartment.

As she entered, she threw her shoulder bag in the over head storage and sat down, resting her elbow on the window pane. It was only a few minutes before she started seeing more students flooding into the station and soon the chatter of people began filling the train car. Jade scoffed to herself and sat back, folding her arms over her chest. With her reputation at school, she knew anyone that came into her compartment would turn right around. She enjoyed her privacy, and a lot of people knew that.

It didn't take long for everyone to get boarded, and as the whistle blew, signaling the train's departure. The compartment door slid open and Jade glanced over to see an auburn haired girl, along with a very large cat step through. The girl asked if she could sit with Jade, and before she could answer, the monster of a cat jumped from the girl's arms and onto the opposite seat. Blue eyes glared at the cat, Jade wasn't very fond of the creatures. Not out of disdain of course, she just had never had them very present in her life.

"I'm Jade McHale." Jade moved to the edge of her seat to take the girl's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Patchouli, you said your name was? That's a bit...odd. Is this your first year at Hogwarts? Most people who know me are afraid to even speak to me."

Violet

 

[envogue]

Patchouli placed her hands on her lap with a smile after shaking Jade's hand. "Oh. Um. I'm actually a fourth year..." She responded, her smile fading and her face turning red with embarrassment. It was no wonder no one wanted to sit with the girl, but even Patchouli had to admit she hadn't ever heard of Jade. Her face was always glued to a book, and with all of her studies, Patchouli didn't have the time to make any new friends, or keep up with the latest gossip.

"Anyway, I'm not much of a talker. You don't have to worry about me speaking to you, if you don't want." Patchouli said quietly. She looked out the window, glad to see the familiar country side passing by. If Jade didn't want to be bothered, then Patchouli would respect her privacy. She was just glad to have a place to sit, with a decent view.​

 

[Saber]

Jade raised an eyebrow at the girl sitting across from her. A fourth year? Even though she wasn't very social, she thought she would've at least seen the girl that was sharing her compartment before. Despite her demeanor, Jade was very active at Hogwarts. She was a chaser for the Slytherin quidditch team and active in the Dueling Club, though almost no one ever wanted to be on the wrong end of her wand.

"Fourth year?" Jade repeated as she folded her arms over her chest and sat back against the seat. "Funny I've never seen you in any of my classes." The blue eyed girl glanced out the window as the countryside whipped by and sighed as she glanced back at the large cat that was sitting idly next to Patchouli. Jade furrowed her brow at the beast and rolled her eyes. Fate must've had a funny sense of humor seating her with a girl who didn't know her and owned a cat.

"What house are you in?"

 

[envogue]

Patchouli noted Jade's skepticism at her being a fourth year, and the red that had previously been on her cheeks deepened as she looked away. She wasn't sure whether to defend herself, or to point out that obviously out of the hundreds of students at Howarts that she could easily slip by undetected. Just the thought of having to talk to this girl any more was beginning to stress her out. It didn't help that Jade clearly did not like Plum, which meant they would probably make horrible friends, anyway. Patchouli could not be associated with someone that was so rude to her Plum.

Still, if they were to share a compartment together and Jade was willing to continue speaking cordially, then there was no reason to write her off completely. She could try and get to know this girl a little bit, at least until they arrived at Hogwarts.

"I'm a Hufflepuff," Patchouli replied, a gentle smile on her lips. She felt pride in being apart of Hufflepuff, but due to her housing she - like many others - was often overlooked. "That may be why we've never met, though I've managed to make a few friends in some of the others houses. I don't have any friends in Slytherin, however... " She trailed off for a moment, then pressed the tip of her index finger to her lips as she realized she had probably said more than was necessary.

"You're not in Slytherin, are you?" Patchouli asked, eyes widening at the revelation.​

 

[Saber]

"A Hufflepuff?" Jade glanced at the girl across from her and lifted an eyebrow. "You very much embody a Hufflepuff, in my opinion, though I would've guessed a Ravenclaw myself." The blue eyed girl offered Patchouli a smug grin before bowing her head. "And yes, I am a Slytherin. Same year as you, though it seems we have avoided each other quite efficiently until now." Jade glanced out the window to the open country they were traveling through and sighed. It hadn't been very long, maybe only an hour and a half, maybe more. There were still several hours until they reached Hogwarts.

Still, perhaps she needed to be a bit kinder to this girl since she was going to be stuck in a compartment with her for almost five more hours. Jade sighed and rubbed her forehead with her fingers before glancing back at the girl across from her. She tensed slightly when she saw the giant cat staring at her, its tail swishing back and forth lazily as they stared at one another.

"What breed is your cat?" Jade asked, without taking her off of the golden yellow eyes that stalked her. "He's very large, larger than any cat I've ever seen before."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli wasn't surprised that Jade mistook her for a Ravenclaw, since they were known for their intellect everyone assumed she would be in that house. She liked to think that she was a perfect fit for Hufflepuff. Hearing that Jade was in fact a Slytherin also didn't surprise Patchouli, there was just a certain air about those in that house. She didn't want to outright say that most of them were evil, because that wasn't always the case.

Patchouli watched Jade look out the window, noting her blue eyes and shiny black hair. Black hair and blue eyes truly was a unique combination, something Patchouli found very pleasing to the eye. Plum suddenly moved and curled up in Patchouli's lap. The giant cat watched Jade closely, tail swishing back and forth. Before Patchouli could tell Plum to stop staring, Jade had turned back to them. She smiled shly, wondering if Jade had noticed her looking at her.

"Plum? He's a Norwegian Forest Cat," Patchouli replied, scratching behind her cat's ears gently. "He was supposed to stop growing awhile ago, but he just won't stop... Maybe I feed him too much?" She said, then laughed nervously. Patchouli played with the end of one of her braids, thinking for a second or two of how to contribute to the conversation. "Do you like animals?"​

 

[Saber]

"I've never heard of a such a breed." Jade furrowed her brow at the still staring cat before finally turning her attention towards the aisle way outside the compartment. The Slytherin had heard Patchouli ask her if she liked animals, but she chose to take her time answering. Sure she had pets at home, but she wasn't always too eager to open up to anyone. This Hufflepuff was no exception. "I do, but not all animals."

Blue eyes glanced at the girl across from her and analyzed her slowly. She didn't look like a fourth year, a year younger maybe, maybe more, but that could've been just been the way she wore her hair or her softer features. Of course, just because Patchouli was a fourth year that didn't mean she was the same age as Jade. She was going to be fifteen in December, most of her classmates were just about to reach their fourteenth year.

The Slytherin wasn't exactly sure what else to say to keep the conversation going, not that she really wanted to, but she was trying her best to be polite. After all, being quiet didn't mean she was rude, though sometimes she couldn't control her sarcasm. Still, she thought it best to end the torture of forcing conversation sooner than later. So Jade rose, grabbed her bag from the storage and bowed her head slightly. She needed a change of scenery, even if it was just for a few minutes.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to go take a walk and find the food cart."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli enjoyed the rest of her ride in silence, save for the sound of the Hogwart's express riding along the rails. Jade hadn't returned from her walk, but Patchouli didn't seem to mind too much. She liked her own company, and with Jade gone there was no pressure on Patchouli to say, or do anything. It was obvious that she wasn't very good at making conversation, or being interesting. As soon as she could, she buried her nose in one of her books about famous wizards and witches until it was time to change into their robes.

The train pulled to a stop and Patchouli stood, with Plum hopping down from the seat and standing at her feet. He was far too big to be carried in this crowd, and Patchouli would need her hands to grab her luggage. She reached her arms up and arched her back for a second or two, a soft yawn escaping her lips. Patchouli opened the door leading out of her compartment and started down the aisle, careful not to bump or push anyone. Plum stuck close, as usual, but he was more than capable of hopping over the students heads to escape.

Patchouli finally made it to the front of the train. She started down the stairs leading off of the train, but not surprisingly, she tripped over her own two feet. There was only a slight scream, as she expected to face plant onto the concrete. Students turned around quickly and moved out of the way, securing Patchouli's fate.​

 

[Saber]

Jade had spent the last few hours of the train ride roaming the numerous cars. She'd indeed found the food cart, and purchased a chocolate frog to sate her hunger for the time being. As they neared the platform at Hogwarts, Jade sighed and held her bag snug over her shoulder. The train jerked to a stop and Jade held onto the railing inside the car where her compartment was, waiting for the doors to open. When they did, she stepped out easily, pausing while the other students poured out of the train cars so she could inhale the fresh air.

As she was standing there, enjoying not being trapped in a train car. She heard a small scream from behind her and just as she turned to see what the commotion was, the girl she'd been sharing a compartment with was falling towards her.

What the...!

Jade winced as she put her arms out in front of her, while other students were moving out of the way, to stop the girl from falling. Little did she know that Patchouli was falling from the train car, which meant she was a good foot or more higher than the ground. So instead of the Slytherin's hands catching the girl by the shoulders, she grabbed something much softer than she'd expected. When blue eyes saw where her hands were resting, Jade gasped and removed them immediately, causing Patchouli to fall on top of her and they both hit the concrete.

 

[envogue]

The slight scream was followed by a sudden gasp as two hands cupped her chest. She stared her culprit and savior in the face, cheeks rosy as she realize who it was. Suddenly, they hit the ground with a thud. Her glasses flew off somewhere and she felt her nose pressed against Jade's. They were so close that their lips nearly met, yet Patchouli didn't think that maybe getting up would do them both a favor. It was apparently better to just stay on the ground. Maybe everyone would go away, then?

Big arms wrapped around the petite girl's frame and lifted her up, then went to pick up Jade off the ground. "Looks like you two took a tumble," Patchouli heard a familiar voice say. She looked up through her blurred vision and saw a giant silhouette, though the distinct voice gave the man away much sooner.

"Move along. Nothing to see here," Hagrid said in a stern, yet gentle voice. He plucked Patchouli's glasses out of his coat and set them on her face, restoring the red haired girl's ability to see clearly.

"Thanks, Hagrid. So embarassing..." Patchouli replied, sighing towards the end. Since Jade was still in their presence Patchouli felt obligated to say something. The girl had saved her life, sort of. It was all so embarrassing, though. "Um. Thanks, Jade?" She finally said, before biting her bottom lip. Patchouli forced herself to make eye contact with the raven haired girl, her face swelling like a balloon. "And sorry about...falling on top of you." ​

 

[Saber]

Jade was practically frozen as she felt the parts of her body pressed against Patchouli's. She felt the warm breath of the other girl against her chin as their noses were pressed together and she kept her eyes shut until she heard Hagrid's voice. The girl on top of her was gently lifted and that's when the Slytherin figured it was a safe time to open her eyes. Jade blinked a few times as she sat up, rubbing her left shoulder gently as it throbbed. She hadn't exactly remembered falling, just hitting the ground. So the shock wave of that left all her muscles feeling a little battered.

"You're..." Jade grunted softly as she got back on her feet and looked down at the shorter girl. "Uh, you're welcome, and I'm uh...sorry for groping you." The Slytherin mumbled out the last part before grabbing her bag and turning swiftly towards the carriages that would take all the students, other than the first years, to the castle. She didn't want to stick around to get embarrassed anymore than she already was. And as if it wasn't bad enough, she had practically groped another girl.

Thankfully, she got into a carriage that was with students she didn't recognize, nor did they seem to recognize her. Two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw, thank Merlin. The ride to the castle was the same as it was every year, boring and full of chatter by the other three passengers. Jade just stayed out of it and stared out the window at the lake as it passed. When they reached the castle, the students filed into the Great Hall and listened to McGonagall give her speech, welcoming the first years before the sorting started.

The sorting was boring and long, so Jade amused herself with transfiguring some of the cutlery into small white mice that sent some of the other Slytherin girls shrieking. When the feast finally started, she was more than happy to dig in. It seemed like she hadn't eaten all day and her stomach was starting to make it aware that it had been a while since anything of sustenance had entered her body. As Jade's blue eyes scanned the hall, watching the annoying first years croon and awe over the Great Hall, her gaze fell on the auburn haired girl at the Hufflepuff table. Her cheeks warmed when their fall rushed back into her mind and she shook her head and frowned before chugging a glass of pumpkin juice.

 

[envogue]

Patchouli's face reddened at the mere mention of groping. She guessed it was too much to hope Jade hadn't noticed where her hands had landed, but Patchouli was very well endowed, and her chest was a little hard to miss. Thankfully, Jade had left before Patchouli could embarrass herself further by repeatedly apologizing for the incident. She watched Jade walk away for a second or two, but after she was out of sight Patchouli went to retrieve her own things from the train's luggage compartment.

Some girls from Hufflepuff were waiting for her in the carriage, waving their arms excitedly to signal the pig-tailed girl over. They were classmates of Patchouli's. Plum mewed up at his human and pranced towards the carriage. Patchouli followed behind him, and after being helped with her luggage, she opened the door to the carriage. Plum hopped in before Patchouli, but was kind enough to sit behind Patchouli's seat since he was large enough to take up a whole seat by himself. As the carriage started to move Patchouli produced a book from a satchel that appeared far too small to hold it. She opened it up to the bookmarked page and continued from where she had left off, only stopping when the carriage arrived at Hogwarts.

Patchouli was reluctant to get off of the carriage as she found more students than usual staring and whispering amongst themselves. She knew they had to have been gossiping about what had happened at the train station. With her head hung low, she exited the carriage, partially shielded by her two Hufflepuff friends who happened to see the incident, but didn't care to know the details. They headed inside of Hogwart's and navigated to the great dining hall, reaching it just as the sorting ceremony was about to begin.

Unlike some of the other students at Hogwarts, Patchouli and her friends loved to watch the sorting ceremony. Gaining new students to their house, the possibility of making new friends. It was all very exciting to Patchouli, even if she wasn't the most social person around. She feasted on the various foods laid out for the students on the platter, until she was well and satisfied, and drank more than enough pumpkin juice for several students. By the end of the evening, she retired to her room with her room mates and curled up in bed after getting settled in.

Patchouli awoke with a quiet yawn and a stretch that made her howl up at the ceiling. Her roommates were already up, so they only giggled at Patchouli's noises. She slid out of bed and onto the floor, before hopping up on both feet with ease. She then grabbed her glasses off of the nightstand, restoring her vision as she looked around the room.

The robes, which Patchouli had laid out the previous night were hanging by the window frame. She freshened up in the bathroom, then returned to her room to get changed into her uniform. With it being the first day, Patchouli wanted to make sure she looked her best. Her hair was all brushed into place, and the two big pigtails she was recognizable for were perfectly braided down past her waist. She sat down on the edge of her bed and pulled on a pair of black over the knee socks, with the Hufflepuff insignia embroidered around the hem, though you couldn't see unless you were some sort of creep.

With her shoes buckled and her cardigan buttoned, Patchouli exited the Hufflepuff dormitories. She walked for a bit before merging with the flow of Hogwart's students rushing to get to their classes, and then broke off on her own to join a few stray students heading in the same direction. After a minute or so she passed through the doorway and into Professor Slughorn's classroom. She set her briefcase in front of her on the desk, then sat down just before class was to begin.​

 

[Saber]

The rest of the evening had gone by like any other night at Hogwarts that Jade had experienced. She finished eating, went to the Slytherin dorm and watched from the couch with some other fourth years as the first years were given the tour with wide eyes. The older student scoffed at their innocence, not that they shouldn't have it, but she hated to think she acted like that when she was a first year (of course she did).

The next morning was also the same, other than the class she had for first period, which was potions. With Slughorn being the head of Slytherin house now, she wasn't expecting too much on the first day, but the man did like to sniff out talent as soon as he could. So as Jade donned her uniform, black slacks, white button up, and Slytherin tie and sweater vest, she wondered what the Potion's Master would have them brew today. Something that wasn't too complex, she hoped. Jade gave herself one last glance in the mirror before exiting the girl's dorms and passing through the common room.

There was a mass of students maneuvering their ways through the corridors and staircases to get to classes. Luckily, first period Potions was only for fourth year students, so it wasn't hard to get to the floor she needed without knocking anyone over. She held the strap of her satchel tightly as she made it to Slughorn's classroom and entered, there were already a few people waiting at their brewing desks, surprisingly. As she glanced around the classroom, she spotted the hard to miss pigtails of the Hufflepuff she'd met on the train the night previous.

Jade instantly tensed as she remembered the girl falling on her and the embarrassing predicament they were forced into. Blue eyes rolled as Jade moved forward and took the desk behind Patchouli before setting her bag down on the desk. She pulled her potion's book out of her bag and opened it, skimming through paragraphs to try and ignore the girl in front of her. Hopefully she wouldn't be teamed up with Patchouli at any point in the semester.

After a few moments, and after the rest of the students, as well as Slughorn arrived in class. The man began to address all of the students. "Good morning, everyone!" He smiled broadly as he clapped his hands together. It was clear that Slughorn was aging, his memory hadn't been the best even when he was young, or so Jade's parents had told her. But now it was becoming more evident on his face than it had been three years ago. Of course, he had to be close to one hundred years old by now. "In case you're in the wrong class, this is Potions Class for fourth years." Two girls from Gryffindor got up and left. "Since this is the first day of classes, we will be starting off with just book work and studying ingredients for alchemy. Please take your books out and turn to page fifteen."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli was in the middle of taking some things out of her briefcase when Professor Slughorn entered the room. She hurried and set her things down, her eyes drawn to the slightly plump man standing in front of the classroom. Eager as always, Patchouli turned to page fifteen of her book. Night Flowers. She mouthed those words, intrigued. Being a bookworm and a lover of botany, Patchouli's knowledge of such things was already vast. She always had room to learn more though, and whatever Professor Slughorn had to say was gold.

Professor Slughorn began his lecture on the subject of page fifteen and Patchouli wrote down the parts she found most useful. She was a very talented witch, and she didn't need to write anything down. Her writing notes was to let the lecturer know that she was listening and alert. Professor Slughorn finished a few pages later with discussions on which potions could be used with the flowers that only bloomed at night, and then he perked up with a smile.

"Your assignment today is to bring me a Black Moonflower," Professor Slughorn said, linking his hands and slowly walking down the aisle of desks. "If you paid close attention you will know when and where they bloom. Of course four eyes are better than two when seeking a shy flower as dark as night, so I'll be assigning you all partners to help you complete your task." He adjusted his glasses and bent forward some. "Ah. You, and you..." He pointed at a random pair of students, both on opposite sides of the classroom.

Patchouli wondered if it would be simpler just to assign those in the same house, but Slughorn was a little quirky, her grandmother had told her that much. It was her turn now, it seemed, as he was now pointing at her and behind her. Patchouli turned around, her face getting hot as her gaze locked with a pair of glaring blue eyes. Her jaw dropped a bit, and she quickly turned around to face the front of the classroom before she got caught blushing. She wanted to turn around again just to make sure what she was seeing was the truth, but Patchouli was sure that was Jade sitting behind her.

"Now remember, everybody. Your flower is a key component in your potion, and without it you might as well be brewing pumpkin juice. Have it ready next class," Professor Slughorn said.​

 

[Saber]

Jade was looking through the chapter that Slughorn had been teaching about, Night Flowers. She had briefly been educated on the types of plants that only bloomed late at night. Mostly, under the light of a full moon. And of course Slughorn had this planned since tonight happened to be a full moon. Also, not surprisingly, they would have to go into the forest to search for this plant. Still, the Slytherin wasn't too bothered, really it couldn't get much worse. At least she thought that until Slughorn paired her with Patchouli.

"Do remember, children," Slughorn added when he wasn't finished pairing off the rest of the students. "You will have permission to enter the forest after dark, but you must check in with Hagrid before you enter and when you leave. I want to make sure all of you make it back safe and sound."

"Well that's not threatening." Jade sighed as she packed her book back into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She glanced at Patchouli as the clock tower ran to signal the end of classes. "I'll meet you outside of Hagrid's hut tonight at eleven thirty." The Slytherin said to the girl sitting in front of her before walking out of the classroom and on to her next one. Her next period was Care of Magical Creatures, and she knew that Patchouli would be following her soon, since all fourth years had the same schedule. But she wasn't going to wait around for them, she wanted to talk to Hagrid first.

As she made her way down the stair cases, and felt the air hit her face as she exited the castle. There were students who were returning from Hagrid's class and Jade avoided them masterfully as she descended down the stone steps. Hagrid was standing outside his hut waving to the students as they left, or arrived. When the half-giant spotted her, he smiled and started walking towards her.

"Hullo, Jade." Jade offered a smile, since really, Hagrid was the only professor that she actually enjoyed speaking with, outside of class at least. "You're here a bit early aren't ya?"

"You know how I like to be punctual." The Slytherin answered as she adjusted her shoulder bag. "So you know that the fourth years are going into the forest tonight, right?"

"That I do." Hagrid nodded his head, but his expression was serious. "An' I don't agree with it one bet, let me tell ya. I don' agree with sending fourth years into the Forbidden Forest at night of all times. To look for a flower."

"Well, Potions isn't all about the end results, Hagrid." Jade grinned as she noticed other students starting to make their way down towards them. "Just, quickly, can you tell me what to look out for? Werewolves obviously, with it being a full moon, and I know centaurs roam, but. What else should I be prepared for?" Hagrid sighed as he looked at the other students and put his hand on Jade's shoulder.

"Come speak to me after class."

 

[envogue]

It was a little after eleven when Patchouli left the Hufflepuff house. Hogwart's was mostly unlit, and Patchouli was sure that everyone who didn't have Slughorn would be sound asleep. She quietly made her down the various flights of rotating staircases and hurried outside, where she exhaled a sigh of relief. From where she stood she could see the smoke coming from Hagrid's hut, and the orange glow lighting up his fireplace through his windows.

Patchouli carefully made her way down the large hill that lead to Hagrid's hut. She remembered Jade saying they would meet outside of it, so she stopped in front of the stairs. Her raven haired partner hadn't arrived yet, but Patchouli was about five minutes early. She took a seat on the first step and whipped out a book from her seemingly never ending pouch. It would keep her occupied until they were ready to leave.​

 

[Saber]

"Black Moonflowers only bloom in the deepest parts of the forest." Jade nodded as she followed the Head Girl of Slytherin out of the dungeons and towards the entrance to the castle. "I remember having to gather ingredients for Slughorn when I was a fourth year, honestly surprised he doesn't have us still doing it." Odette Flint was a tall girl, a bit skinny, but still intimidating nonetheless, with long dark brown hair. Her grandfather had been a beater on Slytherin when he was in school and it seemed she followed in his footsteps. "Make sure to watch your back when you're in the forest. There are a number of things that could do you harm, all right, McHale?"

"Of course, Flint." Jade nodded as they reached the wooden doors and pushed them open. "This shouldn't be too daunting of a task or else he wouldn't have us doing it, right?" Odette just shrugged before turning and waving a hand good bye at the younger Slytherin. Jade sighed, Odette not giving her an answer meant that Slughorn could actually be sending them into danger knowingly. Of course, as a fourth year, they should be able to fend of most of the creatures that lurked in the forest. But only most, not all.

As Jade made her way down the hill towards Hagrid's hut, she saw the smoke still billowing from his chimney and the lamps lit inside his hut. Besides that, she couldn't see much else and she wondered if Patchouli was already down there. The Slytherin scoffed to herself, Hufflepuffs tended to be punctual so she wouldn't doubt it. She'd hoped the girl would be useful in the way of magic in case they did need to use it. She didn't really prepare for taking care of another student that couldn't handle themselves in needed situations. Jade sighed as she neared the hut and saw a figure sitting on the steps that led up to Hagrid's door.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised in the least that you're here early." Jade glanced down at her wristwatch and rolled her eyes, it was just barely eleven twenty. Hufflepuffs being Hufflepuffs, she figured Patchouli would be there early. Earlier than her, at the very least. Not that Jade was every late, but she was either a few minutes early or exactly on time. She glanced down at Patchouli, one hand clutching her shoulder bag and the other shoved in her pants pocket. "We should really get going if we are going to be out of the forest before the sun comes up."

Without waiting for Patchouli to answer, Jade whipped her wand out of the holster on her forearm and cast a silent Lumos Maxima, sending a small ball of white light floating from her wand. The Slytherin then walked up to Hagrid's giant door and knocked twice. "We are leaving, Hagrid."

"Be careful, you two." Hagrid's muffled voice could be heard from behind the door as Jade descended the large stairs and made her way to the forest, the small orb of light following obediently above her. Before she got to the tree line, Jade turned to Patchouli and furrowed her brow.

"Stay close, we don't want to get separated. It will increase our chances of getting lost."

 

[envogue]

Hearing footsteps approaching, Patchouli glanced up from her book. She did a slight double take as she saw Jade standing there, presumably ready to go and no less wittier than the day they had met. Blushing just a bit, she closed her book and shoved it into a pouch that looked much to small to hold anything but a few coins. It would serve her well on this journey into the forbidden woods, as she had much more to collect than just the Black Moon flower. Jade didn't have to know about any of that, though.

Patchouli stood up in front of Jade, dusting the back of her skirt off with a few swift pats. She seemed to remember something as she finished, and began to search the inside of her cloak. Relief flashed across her face, and she pulled out her wand, aa vibrant Laurel wand. The tip of her wand lit up brightly, casting a light so bright that it made Jade's look like a dying bulb. She gave a nod towards Hagrid and started in the direction of the forbidden forest, not a step ahead or behind Jade.

"I'll try my best, but it's not often that you get to explore the forbidden forests," Patchouli replied. She inhaled and looked up at the full moon, a cool breeze blowing that made her thankful for her cloak. "This moon means more for us than just a night flower, you know. Loads of creatures come out around this time, as well as rare plants." As she was speaking, something off in the distance caught her eye, and she put her hand out in front of Jade, her hand stopping just above the girl's left breast.

"Hold still!" Patchouli said, in a hushed tone. "There's a niffler. I've never seen one in person before." She moved slowly in the niffler direction, her hand sliding down from it's previous position as she headed for the niffler. She had no idea what she would do when they were face to face, but getting up close was crucial for her life's goals.
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