Morsus | saberwolf & Sailor Moon

[Saber]

"Explore?" Why would anyone want to explore the Forbidden Forest? It was probably one of the most dangerous places on the Hogwarts grounds. From what Hagrid had told her after class earlier that day, she didn't want to come in contact with any of the creatures that would be lurking the forest on this full moon. Specifically the werewolves and centaurs that seemed to migrate when the moon was high. She almost dreaded running into them rather than the other beasts.

It didn't take them long into the forest before Patchouli found something and stopped Jade in her tracks with her hand. The Slytherin frowned as she looked down at the Hufflepuff's hand that was just above her bust and quirked an eyebrow as it crept lower. Jade sighed as she fought her blush and pushed the girl's hand from her body.

"Watch your hands." She muttered as she looked around the girl and saw the platypus looking creature that Patchouli had called a 'niffler'. "It looks like a duck crossed with a penguin." Jade took her wand out and silently cast the Lumos spell to shed some light on the little beast. He was holding something that shined under the light of her wand and tilted its head as it stared at them. "It's holding something."

Jade attempted to move forward to investigate what the little thing was holding, but something else must've caught its eyes as it rushed forward, shimmying its way up Patchouli before it snatched her glasses. The Slytherin chuckled as the niffler ran off towards a small hole in the trunk of a nearby tree. Jade moved forward, grabbing the red head by the wrist and pulling her along. Just assuming that Patchouli couldn't see much in the dark without her glasses. As she neared the small hole, she looked inside to see a number of galleons, pieces of various jewelry, a belt buckle, and of course, a pair of glasses.

The niffler appeared to be sorting everything. Rearranging even as it seemed to be looking for a place to put Patchouli's glasses. "A little hoarder, you are." Jade smirked as she reached in to take the glasses back but the creature held them close to his body. "Can I have those back? I sort of have a purpose in the forest and I need them back." The niffler continued to hold the glasses away from Jade's outstretched hands before the Slytherin reached into her pants pocket and offered the beast a very polished sickle. The niffler's eyes lit up as his grip loosened on the glasses and Jade offered the coin to him. "A fair trade I believe."

The creature didn't hesitate to drop the glasses and snatch the sickle from the girl before staring at it lovingly. Jade sighed before grabbing Patchouli's glasses and wiping them off before handing them back. The Hufflepuff wouldn't be any use if she couldn't see. And she certainly wasn't going to be doing this assignment alone, even though she was more than happy to. But Slughorn was right, four eyes were better than two.

"We should keep moving. I don't want to run into any centaurs while we're here and we still have a long ways to go before we reach the area Hagrid told me about."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli erupted into a fit of giggles as the niffler rushed up her arm and stole her glasses. It didn't seem as funny though once her vision had become so blurry that she couldn't see a thing, but it was still humorous to her hearing Jade have a conversation with the little thing. She had to admit, Jade had some serious negotiation skills. Patchouli wondered how Jade even got the little creature to part with her glasses once it had them, as nifflers were notorious for being stingy and their ability to hide in plain sight.

With her glasses secured behind her ears, Patchouli blinked around in search of the niffler. The niffler had already scurried off before Patchouli had a chance to catch it, but at least she got her glasses back. "Thanks," Patchouli said, just the faintest hint of blush on her cheeks. She moved past the darker haired girl, the tip of her wand pointed forward as it lit the way.

"The centaurs aren't usually too bad, you know. My grandmother told me so," Patchouli said, stepping over an overgrown tree root. She scanned the area, continuing their search for the black moonflower. She was eager to find the flower, but this expedition could take several hours before they found anything, and the fact that her niffler had escaped made her even more impatient.

Walking several feet forward, a deep purple caught her eye amongst a patch of green grass. Patchouli gasped. The flower was blooming, and though it was a deep color it still appeared vibrant against the moonlight. Patchouli instantly dropped down to a crouching position, adjusting her glasses and tilting her head. This was it. "We found it..." Patchouli breathed. She waved her wand gracefully, snipping the flower by it's stem and catching it with her free hand.

Patchouli heard a familiar noise and saw a glint of metal out of her peripheral vision. Her head snapped to the side, a mischievous grin on her face. Niffler! Her face fell, however, as she saw that the niffler was clutching onto her deluminator. She thought it was tucked safely away in her satchel, but somehow it had wound up in the hands of the niffler. Patchouli stood slowly, her wand pointed away from the niffler as she started to slowly approach it.

"Nice, niffler. Can I have that back, please?" Patchouli asked sweetly. She was fearful that the niffler would run off for good, this time with her deluminator. And it did. It took off running in the opposite direction, sending Patchouli chasing after it. "Wait!" Patchouli called, almost begging. The niffler was fast, but Patchouli was determined to keep up. She wasn't even thinking about where she was, or where they might end up.​

 

[Saber]

Jade rolled her eyes. Not many people knew much about centaurs, but the Slytherin knew that they weren't what they seemed. They were very tight knit and anyone that wasn't a centaur, much less a human, was basically shunned. Still, she had to assume they weren't all that way. Hagrid had told her several times that there were a couple that were friendly towards humans, one even taught at the school for a short amount of time. As she thought, she almost ran into Patchouli when the girl stopped suddenly. She was about to say something until she saw the Moonflower bathed in moonlight. The Hufflepuff wasted no time snipping the flower's stem and that's when Jade noticed the small duck-billed animal again.

"That thing..." It was waist deep in Patchouli's satchel and out again before the Hufflepuff noticed that it was holding something. "Patchouli just let it go. Whatever it has you can get another." The girl must not have heard her since she started sprinting after the niffler when it tried to escape. Jade inhaled deeply before bringing her hand up to massage her forehead. Hufflepuffs weren't supposed to be this stubborn.

The Slytherin started running after Patchouli as they ventured deeper into the forest. In the back of her mind, Jade knew that they shouldn't be going farther into the Forbidden Forest, it was forbidden for a reason and what Hagrid had told her earlier in the day made her want to leave Patchouli to fend for herself. But the girl did have the flower and without it she wouldn't get a grade in Potions, or brew whatever Slughorn had planned for it. So she kept running after the Hufflepuff even though her instincts were trying to remind her of self preservation.

"Patchouli! Slow down!" Jade was starting to lose sight of Patchouli. The deeper they got into the forest, the dimmer the light of the moon became, making it harder to see. Finally, Jade had to stop. Her muscles were burning and she couldn't catch her breath. She stopped next to a large tree in a small clearing and hunched over, breathing heavily. When she could finally breathe again, she looked around and tried to figure out where she was, which wasn't very helpful.

Jade had never explored the forest before, so she didn't really know where she'd come from, or how to get out. She sighed heavily before grabbing her wand and casting a Lumos Maxima spell. The bright ball of light lifted into the air and hovered over her head a few feet, illuminating an area about six feet in diameter. A branch snapped off to her left and Jade whipped around, aiming her wand in that direction.

"Patchouli?" Jade called into the darkness as she tried to squint her eyes to see anything that could've resembled a person. She caught a glimpse of movement and took a few steps forward. "Is that you?" Footsteps could be heard on the ground and it wasn't a pair of human feet. Jade began backing up when the light of her spell illuminated a pair of glowing yellow eyes. "Shit."

There was a loud snarl before the beast lunged at Jade and the Slytherin dodged out of the way. Her light still hovering over her as she got back on her feet. In front of her was a werewolf, but not the ones she had been taught about in school. This one was massive, fur covering its entire body and not scrawny or sickly like the werewolves in her textbooks. The creature let out another chilling roar before attacking again. Jade wasn't sure how she was going to fight a werewolf, they hadn't gotten that far in Defense Against the Dark Arts and learned nothing in the Care of Magical Creatures. She had no idea which spells would be best to weaken it.

"Incendio!" She flourished her wand and fire erupted in front of the werewolf which impeded it's movement for a moment. "Diffindo!" The cutting curse flew from Jade's wand and hit the werewolf, but he seemed unfazed by it. Instead it lifted its head and howled, leaping over the flames and slamming hard into Jade. The girl gasped as the air was forced from her lungs and she was pinned on the ground. There was saliva dripping from the beast's jaws and Jade turned her head away as it growled before biting down.

There was a searing pain that ripped through her right shoulder. She hadn't even felt the initial bite, but the pressure and tearing of her flesh as the werewolf gnawed on her was indescribable. Jade didn't know she was screaming, she couldn't hear anything other than the tearing of muscles and the growling from the werewolf's throat. But she wasn't going to die like this. Somehow she managed to point her wand up that was under the beast's torso.

"B-bombarda!" There was a small explosion, but at such close range it launched the werewolf off of her and Jade yelped when the teeth were torn from her body. She heard the werewolf whimpering and then the sounds of it galloping off into the forest. Jade groaned, she didn't want to look over, in fear that her arm had been severed from her body, but the fact that she could still move her fingers told her it wasn't. She looked up, exhaustion taking over as her blood was flowing steadily from her body. She knew she had to stop it, but she couldn't get her wand from her right had in the state she was in.

So she just laid there, hoping that maybe Hagrid would come looking for her since she hadn't returned yet. Her eyelids were getting heavy as she stared up at the full moon that was partially visible through the canopy of the trees. Her lumos spell was finally starting to fade as the white ball of light hovered over her body. If it went out completely, there would be a very small chance that anyone would find her.

 

[envogue]

Patchouli was never the most athletic witch, yet, here she was on a high speed chase after a niffler. "Oh. You couldn't have taken anything besides that, could you?" Patchouli asked between breaths. Her pace began to slow, and she stopped suddenly as her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. The niffler glanced back to see that Patchouli had stopped. It was almost like it wanted to be chased again, or maybe it was seeking out another opportunity to rummage through her pouch. Whatever it was, Patchouli wasn't going to let the niffler get away with anymore of her belongings.

"Stop...right there!" Patchouli commanded, pointing an accusatory finger at the niffler. The niffler froze with it's hands up, and Patchouli was distracted only for a second at how adorable it was. Her eyes were soon drawn to the deluminator, which glistened brightly under the bit of moonlight that peeked through the thick branches overhead. There was a sudden explosion from somewhere in the forest, and Patchouli's neck snapped in the direction where she'd heard it.

It was then that Patchouli realized Jade was no longer with her. Jade? She stared into the darkness, only able to make out the faintest light in the distance. Patchouli glanced down to find that the niffler had escaped after only a few seconds of looking away. She shook her head quickly. Jade was far more important than a family heirloom. That's what Patchouli believed, at least. She turned on her heel, kicking up dirt as she pushed off the ground.

Patchouli gasped for breath as she willed her legs to go as fast as possible. The light up ahead, which she recognized as a lumos spell, was fading at an alarming rate. She had to get to it before it faded. Almost there... She thought to herself, as she covered the rest of the distance between them.

Horror struck Patchouli's face as she came upon Jade's body lying in a pool of...blood?! There was so much of it. "Jade!" Patchouli cried, falling to her knees at the girl's side. "Wh-what happened? Wh-who did this?" Patchouli wasn't expecting Jade to answer. She was asking more for her own sake, fearful that whoever did it might still be around. She bit her bottom lip, heart beat racing. "Hold on, Jade..." Patchouli brandished her wand.

As Patchouli weaved her wand through the air, she saw something peculiar happening. She gasped suddenly, hands trembling as she covered her mouth. Her eyes went wide as Jade's wounds began to close up. She hadn't even cast a spell yet and Jade's body's was already starting to mend itself.

This was an advanced form of healing, no one would be able to achieve something like this in such a state, let alone a fifteen year old witch. Patchouli noticed a a scar on Jade's right shoulder. It hadn't healed, though, physically Jade seemed to be in perfect condition. "Tergeo." She whispered. The blood on Jade's body began to clear up, and Patchouli leaned a little closer to get a better look at the scar. Patchouli's face began to pale as she studied the canine markings on Jade's shoulder.

"No. No, Jade..." Patchouli shook her head back and forth. There was no denying what those were. Even if Patchouli wanted to forget all she knew about magical beasts, she couldn't. She knew that Jade had been bitten in these forests, on the night of a full moon.
​

 

[Saber]

When Jade woke, she was engulfed in darkness. She wasn't exactly sure if she was even in the Forbidden Forest anymore. And it was cold, cold enough that she could see her own breath. The Slytherin sat up slowly, inspecting her healed arm and perfect clothing. This had to be a hallucination. She stood, trying to get a bearing on her surroundings and figure where she was. There was an odd feeling on the back of her neck as she tried to see through the darkness. When she turned around, she was face to face with a massive black wolf. The girl froze as the wolf lowered its head and growled, blue eyes glowing int he shadows. Jade tried to back up as the wolf moved towards her, but as soon as she took a step back, the beast leapt towards her.

Jade bolted up, a cold sweat forming over her body as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. There was a faint light coming from the left and the Slytherin realized she was in the infirmary. Someone must've found her in the forest. That's what she remembered what had happened. The werewolf, the almost loss of her limb. She was almost afraid to see the damage that had been done to her arm. There was no pain, but she figured that was from Madame Pomfrey's work to heal her wounds. There was a slight burning in her shoulder where she had initially been bitten, but other than that, she felt great.

"Good, you're awake." Jade turned to see Madame Pomfrey coming from her office. "We were afraid you weren't going to wake until the tomorrow after what happened." The medi-witch wasted no time pouring some sort of viscous green liquid from a large bottle into a small glass and offering it to the Slytherin. "Drink up, now. It will help keep your body from going into shock. You haven't eaten anything since last night and the sun is just starting to come up."

Jade took the proffered glass and drank the liquid, which was almost not a liquid at all. She would've categorized it more as a solid, similar to jello. Still, she swallowed it down in a couple gulps and exhaled heavily before handing the glass back to the elder witch. "How did I get here?"

"Hufflepuff girl brought you here at almost one in the morning." Pomfrey seemed more annoyed than anything when she'd answered Jade's question. "She'd said you'd been attacked by a werewolf." At that moment, Jade wondered if Madame Pomfrey had even inspected her at all since she seemed a bit bewildered by the last statement. But the attack was still very fresh in her mind and it wasn't going to be easily forgotten. "I'm sure the Headmistress will want to speak with you when you feel up to it. To find out what really happened."

The Slytherin just nodded as she looked down at her hands. "I'd like to speak with her as well."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli's dorm mates were all gathered in a semicircle around Patchouli's bed. She wore a nervous smile, and was seated on the edge of the bed while her peers shot off questions about the night before. "Oh. Won't you tell us what happened last night in the forbidden forest?" Lola said, a frustrated enthusiasm in the girl's voice. After Patchouli had entered her room last night covered in blood the girls had tried to figure out what had happened to their friend, but they weren't able to get Patchouli to utter a peep about anything.

"I can't, Lola," Patchouli replied, before looking away from Lola and at the ground. She didn't mean to be so curt, and she could tell that they were just concerned for her well being. They were good friends, Patchouli couldn't deny that. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for causing such a scene last night, but we have to drop it. The professors have it handled..." She said, flashing an unconvincing smile. It wasn't that Patchouli didn't believe that things would be taken care of, but she was still recovering from seeing Jade's mangled body heal itself. If the girls really knew what happened they wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

"Speaking of professors, I have to get to class." Patchouli chirped, pointing a finger up as if remembering something. She stood up, smoothing her skirt, and moving through the space between the girls. It was just big enough for her to squeeze through, but the girls didn't seem all that eager to let Patchouli leave. They couldn't exactly hold her hostage or force her to speak, so they just watched as Patchouli left the hufflepuff dorms.

Patchouli breathed a sigh of relief when she made it outside. She held her bag close to her side, glancing around cautiously as students passed in the halls. There was a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, like everyone knew what happened, and was secretly blaming her. Patchouli shook the thought from her head, acknowledging it as nothing more than paranoia. She took off down the hall, avoiding eye contact with the others as she made a bee line for the infirmary.

The infirmary was empty, except for Jade, who Patchouli's eyes were instantly drawn to. She frowned as the memory of finding Jade lying in a pool of her own blood flashed before her eyes. Somehow, Patchouli managed to shove it down and approach Jade with a a much more pleasant expression. "Jade," Patchouli said gently, "You're looking much better after a night's rest," she added, with a shaky laugh. Patchouli wanted to keep things light if she could. "Are you feeling alright?"
​

 

[Saber]

Jade was lying in the hospital bed and staring up at the ceiling. The potion that Pomfrey had given her had indeed calmed her, made her a bit lethargic, but not completely tired enough to fall back asleep. A heavy sigh escaped her lungs as she heard the doors to the infirmary open and shut. She heard footsteps and just assumed that it was the headmistress coming to speak to her since Pomfrey left almost an hour ago to go fetch the elder witch. As she sat herself up, she turned to her left and saw Patchouli walking towards her. Last night's event flashed in Jade's mind, the werewolf, the teeth and the searing pain through her body. She absentmindedly shrugged and rolled her neck, as if making sure her body was still functioning.

"Hey," Jade answered as she slumped back against the bed. "Yeah, I...I'm feeling a bit better. A lot, actually." The Slytherin glanced down at her hands and then back to Patchouli. Just as she was about to ask how the Hufflepuff was doing, the doors opened again and in walked Headmistress McGonagall with Pomfrey following in tow. The Headmistress always had an air of authority about her, but in all, she was pretty calm and understanding, unless she got mad. "Headmistress."

"Miss McHale." McGonagall greeted as she moved past Patchouli and stood next to Jade's bed. "Poppy tells me that we have some things to discuss about last night." Jade's brow furrowed as she lowered her gaze back to her hands and McGonagall sat down in the chair next to the bed and exhaled softly. "You don't look like you've suffered too much. Are you in any pain?" Jade just shook her head, not raising her head to look at the Headmistress.

"I know what being bitten by a werewolf means, Headmistress." Jade finally turned to face the Headmistress and frowned. "If you're going to kick me out of school, I'd rather you just get it over with."

"Oh child, I'm not going to expel you." McGonagall's posture changed slightly and the look on her face softened. "There's just...a few things we are going to need to discuss. The professors will be informed of your...condition, and you will have to check in with me every night on the full moon for your own protection. As well as the students', you understand." Jade just nodded as the Headmistress continued to tell her about what was going to have to happen from now on. One small thing was sticking out in Jade's mind that she thought needed to be mentioned.

"Headmistress, there was something about the attack that was...strange." The elder witch nodded and grew silent, waiting for Jade to continue. "The werewolf that attacked me, it wasn't like any I'd ever seen from the textbooks. This one looked, strong and...like a wolf. Not scrawny and hairless like others I've seen or heard of. Do you think that means something?" The Headmistress brought her hand to her chin and hummed. That was interesting to the Slytherin, if anyone would know anything about werewolves, she thought it would be McGonagall. She was the go-to person for transfiguration and lycanthropy, while and actual disease, delved into that subject.

"I will discuss it with Professor Denning." Professor Denning was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, though he was young, he seemed to be well educated. Jade had heard he'd traveled the world learning about the Dark Arts. So maybe he would know something. "Until I get any information, just, try and keep your chin up. The students won't know, other than Miss Fields, of course." The Headmistress stood and turned towards the Hufflepuff . "And she will keep this information discreet, correct?"

 

[envogue]

Hearing the doors open behind them, Patchouli turned to see Madame Pomfrey accompanied by the headmistress. She instinctively lowered her gaze, as she was sure they had heard the news about what transpired in the forbidden forest. The truth was that it was all Patchouli's fault, and she did deserve to be scolded, or even expelled for her actions. She was almost sure that that's what they had come in to do, but instead the headmistress glossed right over her and went straight to Jade.

Patchouli listened in to their conversation, debating on whether or not she should quietly slip away. As she lifted her foot to do so, McGonagall turned to her, causing Patchouli's eyes to go wide. "Oh. Y-yes. Um, of course!" She replied nervously, glancing between Jade and the headmistress. "My lips are sealed, headmistress."

"Very well, then." McGonagall replied, a hint of skepticism in her voice. "In the mean time, you should keep an eye on Miss McHale. Changes such as this can be hard to bear alone," She added, in a lower tone.

"You'll need to have Miss Fields assist you around campus from now on, Miss McHale. It seems you two already have quite a few classes together." Pomfrey said after McGonagall.

Patchouli smiled softly in response to Mcgonagall, though she wasn't sure what she would be able to do for Jade. Being present for whatever Jade was going to through next would be her main priority, though. She smiled brightly at Pomfrey and the headmistress, nodding her head. "I will do my best, professors."

"Have you eaten yet, Jade? Perhaps we should stop by the dining hall?" Patchouli said, as she turned to Jade. "You'll need to keep your strength up." ​

 

[Saber]

Jade wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment. She felt...almost sick. The news of what had happened...what would her parents think? And if anyone else at the school found out, she was be a pariah. She narrowed her eyes and scoffed. As if being a Slytherin wasn't hard enough, now she was going to be a crazed beast once a month without being able to control it. Blue eyes glanced down at her hands and clenched them into fists. Her muscles fired as she flexed and felt her blood start to boil. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her fourth year at Hogwarts. She'd wanted to lay low and graduate and study abroad. Now she had a target on her back and most likely wouldn't be able to advance anywhere with her...condition.

Jade snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Pomfrey and Patchouli speak. She wasn't hungry, but maybe that was just because she was too angry...or because she was too worried. Either way, eating might be helpful, if she didn't take the chance now she wouldn't be able to eat again until lunch. Though she really didn't want to deal with all the people that were going to be there for breakfast. Was food enough motivation to be around people? At that moment her stomach grumbled and made her decision for her. She turned towards Patchouli and nodded before slowly moving her legs over the side of the bed. Standing took more energy than she thought it would. Her legs were weak, but she managed to stay up and get her bearings back.

"Breakfast sounds good." Jade answered as she saw the sun peaking over the mountains. "Although I don't know how long I'll be able to stand all the other students." She was only answering truthfully. Now was not the time for her to be surrounded by prying Slytherins. Jade moved towards Patchouli before Pomfrey shouted at them.

"No classes today, Miss McHale!" She pointed a finger with a stern look. "That potion will wear off soon and you'll be exhausted. Best to just stay in your house and sleep." Jade just nodded in response as she moved towards the door.

"I imagine your night was a bit less exciting?" The Slytherin asked Patchouli as they exited the infirmary and she could already hear other students moving about the castle. Could she always hear that? Maybe it was just so early in the morning that the echoes were louder than normal. At least that's how she justified it.

 

[envogue]

"I suppose you could say that," Patchouli replied as they entered the busy dining hall. She scoped out a spot at the one of the tables with enough space for the two them, and began walking towards it while ushering Jade over with a delicate grab of the other girl's elbow. The professors told Patchouli to assist Jade, and that is what she aimed to do. As they approached the table, Patchouli noticed that some of the students were staring at them, whispering amongst themselves. Some, Patchouli recognized as bystanders when she had fallen on top of Jade.

"Patchouli!" A voice called out from not too far away. Patchouli turned around to see an excited Lola, with three other huflepuff girls in tow. She internally groaned, not because she didn't like Lola, but because she knew that Lola would have all sorts of questions to ask. Patchouli smiled brightly, waving at them as if she shared their same excitement. This was Lola's cue to completely close the distance now separating them. Before she knew it, Lola and the others were right in front of her.

"Patchouli, we have to tell you something!" Lola started, nearly bursting at the seams now. Her arms were linked with the other girls in a show of camaraderie, and she looked at the hand that was resting under the Slytherin girl's elbow. She seemed confused, though intrigued with who this new girl was. Lola knew Patchouli, and she had never heard Patchouli mention any Slytherin girls. She brushed it off for the moment, deciding that what she had to say probably more important. "I overheard some boys in the library saying that they know your secret. They mentioned something about a creature..." As Lola explained, she cupped her hand over the side of her mouth, and whispered the last part.

"What? Wh-what secret?" Patchouli stammered, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. She was freaking out, though she did an excellent job of keeping it all contained as her mind fired off question after question. Her worst fear was coming true. Someone in Hogwart's knew that Jade was a werewolf, and that it was all her fault that the Slytherin had been turned.

"Beats me. You better be careful though, Patchouli," Lola said with a shrug. Seeing that Patchouli was worried, Lola decided to change the subject to alleviate some of the stress. "Is this your friend from class? Did she go with you into the forbidden forest?" ​

 

[Saber]

Jade followed Patchouli into the Great Hall where all the other students were having breakfast. The Slytherin had never been one for crowds, but after last night, she was more put off than ever. If anything, her anxiety was at the boiling point, borderline spilling over. The chatter of the students was filling her ears and she felt the eyes of a few on her as she and Patchouli entered. She was thinking, too deep in thought to feel the Hufflepuff guiding her by the arm to one of the tables and she sat down when the red head did. Blue eyes were staring down at the empty plate in front of her before she heard the voice of another girl. She glanced up for a moment to see a girl with blonde hair kept back in a headband with lavender eyes. One of Patchouli's friends, she assumed. Jade tried not to pay attention until she heard the girl say they knew something involving Patchouli and a creature.

The Slytherin tensed before turning her head to look at Patchouli. Had she told someone already? In the short amount of hours that they had been separated and back into the school. How could she have told someone? And how many people knew about it now if it was out? Jade clenched her jaw and balled her hands into fists before turning back towards her plate until the other Hufflepuff addressed her, or rather, spoke in her direction, but not to her.

"We're not friends." Jade muttered as she side eyed the girl that was speaking to Patchouli. "We just had an assignment together, that's all. And what do you know about what happened in the forest? Did Patchouli say something to you?" Jade McHale was usually an even tempered girl. She never got overly angry or sad, or any emotion, really, but ever since the incident, her nerves had been shredded. She couldn't handle everything that was happening, that was going to happen to her in the very near future. Now the possibility of what had happened to her could be circulating through the entire school. The Slytherin stood then, moving away from the table and turned to walk towards the exit. "I'm not hungry."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli knew that Lola was only trying to be a good friend by telling her about what she'd heard, but it only made things worse, which was the last thing Patchouli needed at the moment. As if to rub salt in the wound, Jade completely disregarded their friendship, and the hurt look on Patchouli's face when Jade walked away from her said it all. She inhaled a deep breath, heart beating in her ears. "I didn't tell anyone," Patchouli said calmly, while Jade was still within hearing distance. Lola and the others looked on, wondering what would happen next.

Patchouli followed while Jade walked away, then shook her head and rushed to catch up with her. She wrapped her hand around the girl's arm, a bold step on her part. "I'm sorry that someone knows our secret, but I promise I would never tell anyone. I don't know how they know." She released Jade's arm, leaving it up to her to decide whether or not she would believe her."But if you don't want to be my friend, then I'll just...stay away from you." The auburn haired girl lowered her gaze, a frown on her lips as a lump began to form in her throat. Patchouli couldn't shake the idea that everyone knew what had happened in the forbidden forest, and that it was all her fault. She ruined Jade's life.

"I'm sorry, Jade." Patchouli whispered. She suddenly took off running down the aisle, towards the double doors leading out. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the great hall burning into her back, judging her as she passed. The faster she could get away from them, the better. She heard Lola call for her, and then shut her eyes. When she opened them, she was outside of Hogwarts and on the hill overlooking Hagrid's cottage.

​

 

[Saber]

Jade had heard Patchouli as she walked past, but how could she be telling the truth? How else would anyone know? There weren't any other people around them in the forest and the Hufflepuff was the only one who knew other than professors. She heard Patchouli follow her into the hallway and then felt the tension on her arm. The Slytherin glanced over her shoulder and paused, glancing at the shorter girl who had a hold of her. Her eyes narrowed when Patchouli let go and apologized. Jade kept her eyes forward, her anger was getting out of hand, something she wasn't used to dealing with and it was hard to keep it under control. She took a few deep breaths as Patchouli continued to speak. When she heard the sincerity in her voice, Jade began to feel...apologetic.

"Patchouli, I'm..." Jade turned to see the red head running off outside. The Slytherin sighed, it was her fault that Patchouli felt guilty, she hadn't meant to lose her temper like that. And it wasn't fair for her to take her rage out on her. So she went after the girl. "Wait!" Jade started running after the auburn haired girl outside and through the courtyard until they were on the hill that over looked Hagrid's hut. She stopped when she saw Patchouli stop and huffed, trying to catch her breath.

"Patchouli...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose my temper. I'm...not the best at making friends." Jade scratched the back of her head and smirked softly. "And I suppose, technically we aren't really friends. I accidentally groped you when you fell on me and we held meaningless conversation the first time we met." The Slytherin paused again before moving to stand next to Patchouli's side. "But, I'm not opposed to becoming your friend."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli heard footsteps from behind her, and shook her head as Jade made her presence known. She wanted to be angry at Jade, but it wasn't like Patchouli to stay upset, especially when someone was offering a sincere apology. They'd both suffered a rough night, but Patchouli knew that Jade was the one who was truly affected by all of this, and yet she still found time to be lighthearted. "How could I forget?" There was a faint touch of pink on her cheeks as she remembered the groping. She chuckled nervously, glancing at the darker haired girl as she came to stand at her side.

"But, I'm not opposed to becoming your friend."

Patchouli raised her eyebrows in surprise, before turning to look at Jade. She was more shocked than anything that Jade would want to be her friend, especially with the possibility that someone at Hogwarts knew their secret. "B-but..." The auburn haired girl paused, as she was just about to start feeling sorry for herself. She clenched her fists. "I think we should go to the library. If there's someone there who is claiming to know our secret, we should find out just how much they know and what they intend to do with that knowledge." She gave Jade one final look to see if she was in agreement, and then turned to head back into Hogwarts.

"With any luck they won't see us coming, right?" Patchouli asked, her voice shaking lightly. There was no telling who these boys were or what they knew, which was the most nerve wracking part of it. As they approached the doors leading into the library, Patchouli stopped and turned to Jade. "Let's just act natural, okay? I'll go my own way and pretend to be browsing, and you scout for anyone suspicious."

Once Jade was in agreement with the plan Patchouli entered the library. She walked towards the forbidden section, where very few students hung out and where it was the easiest to get cornered. Her goal was to bait whoever was spreading the rumors into confronting her. She moved in front of one of the bookshelves and pretended to be searching for something, all the while listening for any footsteps or voices.

It had only been around ten minutes, but Patchouli was beginning to wonder if whoever Lola was talking about had already left the library. "This was a stupid idea, anyway..." Patchouli muttered. She was about to call it quits when two boys wearing Gryffindor robes turned the corner. They didn't appear surprised to see her, which clued Patchouli into who they were. She knew they were expecting her to be there, and she took a step back.

"I-Is there a problem?" Patchouli asked after a moment of silence. It was more awkward than scary, since they were all just standing there in some sort of showdown. Her gaze bounced between the two, as she waited for a response.

"Doesn't have to be," The taller of the boys replied, his hand going to his waistband where his wand was tucked. "No one has to get hurt, if you just show us what you did with it."

"Wh-what? You're not seriously going to... If this is about what happened in the forest, I...I don't know wh-" Patchouli stammered. She knew the Gryffindor boy had to be bluffing, but even his friend looked nervous for Patchouli. Would they really risk expulsion over this. "T-tell me what you want." Patchouli was baffled. She couldn't see what they had hoped to gain from any of this.

"Are you daft?" The other one spoke up, taking a step towards the girl. "Hand over the niffler!" He exclaimed, causing Patchouli to smile all of a sudden. When she saw the serious look on his face, her smile faded.

"Now why would I hand over something that I don't even have?" Patchouli asked, both hands going to her hips as she looked at them. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but now that she knew they didn't know the real secret, she gained a bit of confidence. "And just where do you get off thinking I would bring something like that into school? I should scream and tell everyone how deeply insane you two are." ​

 

[Saber]

Jade only nodded when Patchouli mentioned going to the library to find the boys that were spreading the rumors of knowing this 'secret'. She followed the girl silently to the library before she stopped and the Hufflepuff gave her some orders and Jade was surprised that she was telling her what to do. She supposed it wasn't only Gryffindors and Slytherins that could be bossy. A small smirk worked its way onto Jade's lips as she nodded, following Patchouli's suggestion, and once they entered the library, they split up. The Slytherin watched as the shorter girl walked towards the Forbidden Section, and Jade moved a few rows down in search of anyone that looked 'suspicious'.

If someone had indeed learned of Jade's secret, that meant that someone must've been in the forest and saw her get attacked. She knew that other fourth year potions students were out there, possibly around the same time, but had they been following her? If they had seen her get attacked, why didn't they help? Jade was deep in thought, so much so she had stopped walking and heard a pair of male voices before hearing Patchouli's. That was suspicious. She hadn't seen anyone else in the library so early this morning and they'd somehow been residing in the Forbidden Section.

The Slytherin moved quietly, or as quiet as she could be in an almost silent library to the Forbidden Section and peeked around a book shelf to see two boys, older than Jade. Sixth years, maybe. Both Gryffindors by the looks of their robes, one taller than Jade with black hair; and a shorter, rounder boy who had dusty blonde hair. Jade narrowed her eyes as the taller one drew his wand and aimed it at Patchouli. The Slytherin clenched her jaw and felt her blood start to warm in her veins as she moved forward. Her muscles were tense and her temper was rising before her hand grabbed the shorter Gryffindor by the shoulder and pulled him back. Effectively sending him sprawling to the floor before pushing her forearm into the taller boy's chest and pinning him up against the bookshelf.

"Bloody hell!" The dark haired boy had hazel eyes and they were wide with shock as Jade pinned his wand arm down. He glared down at Jade, his teeth gritted as she held him there, with a bit more strength than she even expected.

"Drawing your wand on an unarmed girl?" Blue eyes glanced down at the Prefect badge on the Gryffindor's robes and scowled. "A Prefect, no less. You're vile." The boy just smirked as he glanced at Jade with a bit of over confidence.

"And who is gonna believe a Slytherin if you accused me?" The boy countered as he glanced at Jade's green and grey tie. "She and I were just having a little conversation." At this point, his shorter companion rose from the ground and drew his wand on Jade who just glared at the tubby blonde. "Put it away, Thomas."

"B-but Lionel, what if they rat us out?" The blonde named Thomas spluttered as he glanced from Lionel to Jade, and then over to Patchouli.

"You think they're going to believe two fourth years?" Lionel said as he glanced back down at Jade with a smug grin. "You should probably let me go now." Jade narrowed her eyes before letting the boy go and moving to stand next to Patchouli.

"If I see you around her again-" Jade ground out as she glared at Lionel who straightened his robes and put his wand away. He just glanced at her before turning towards his friend and pushing him towards the exit.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Slytherin." Lionel smirked again and Jade didn't know this boy, but she already wanted to wipe the smirk from his arrogant face. With that said, he and his friend exited the library and Jade turned back to Patchouli, her temper waning as she laid eyes on the shorter girl.

"Were those the two that were spreading the rumor?"

 

[envogue]

Patchouli gasped as Jade suddenly emerged from behind one of the bookshelves and grabbed the Gryffindor boy that had been threatening her. Seeing Jade rough the boy up, Patchouli worried that he may be seriously hurt. She knew that he deserved it, but she couldn't condone such violence, even if it was in her defense. Patchouli frowned and tensed up, unsure of what to do or how to diffuse the situation. Surprisingly, her hand went to her wand as well when the other boy drew his wand on Jade. She kept her hand resting over it, prepared to draw it and subdue him if necessary. Oh god. We're going to be expelled.

Panic was setting in, and Patchouli's hand began to tremble over her wand. Thankfully, the taller Gryffindor boy had enough sense to diffuse the situation before it could escalate further. She shot him a nervous glance, then looked to Jade once they were gone. She exhaled a gentle sigh of relief, and then leaned back against the bookshelf. That whole ordeal was exhausting, but she was glad to learn that they didn't know Jade's secret. She nodded in response to Jade's question, looking up at the taller girl.

"They are, which means we should be careful. I don't think they saw anything, though." Patchouli said, sighing. "It's really bizarre, but they were actually after a niffler. Can you believe that?" She added, with a light chuckle. She then took on a more serious tone. "I think this means that those two were in the forest that night. They must have only seen the part when I was chasing it, and totally missed the part where..." Her voice got quieter, and her eyes widened for a moment. Saying anything more was too risky, especially after what had just happened.

"Anyways. Thanks for getting those two off my back, Jade. It would have been funny to see how they would have reacted if I screamed bloody murder. They would have gotten into much more trouble, even if they don't think so." Patchouli laughed quietly, shaking her head in disbelief.

All of a sudden there was a rustling coming from inside of her robe, in the pocket where her grandmother's pouch was sometimes kept. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, stunned almost. There was more scurrying around, to the point where it looked like her robe was dancing around. Patchouli practically tore her robe off and threw it on the ground. A small lump appeared underneath the fabric and began moving around frantically.​

 

[Saber]

Jade was relieved to know that the two Gryffindors didn't know anything about her. That's the way she wanted to keep it. She got an odd feeling about the tall one named Lionel and she would be happy to never run into him again while she was attending Hogwarts, or maybe for the rest of her life. She shook her head as Patchouli spoke, trying to rid herself of the left over adrenaline that was still coursing through her body. The Slytherin wasn't exactly sure what had caused her temper to spike like it did. She was normally an even tempered person, but seeing him threat Patchouli who was unarmed seemed to ignite her anger. Maybe it was a side effect of being bitten, of what was lingering in her blood. If so, she was going to have to try and keep it in check. The last thing she needed was to have violent outbursts randomly for the rest of her life.

"The niffler?" Jade asked, chiming in on the conversation again. "Why would they think you have a niffler?" At that moment, Patchouli's robe began to move and the dark haired girl took a few steps back before the Hufflepuff ripped off her robe and threw it down. Jade's eyes narrowed as she took a cautionary step forward, seeing the lump that was hidden under the red head's robe. She quirked an eyebrow as the lump moved and Jade crouched down to lift the fabric up, revealing...nothing. "What the..?" Her brow furrowed in confusion as she retrieved her wand from her holster on her left forearm and cast a silent lumos spell. Still there was nothing, so she tried another idea. "Revelio." As the spell was cast, Jade's eyes widened before rolling along with a soft groan. She gently grabbed the thing she was staring at and held it out to Patchouli. "Well now I know why they thought you had a niffler, because you do."

The small creature was staying surprisingly still while Jade held it by the scruff of his neck. The niffler looked a little pathetic as she held it out to the Hufflepuff with an eyebrow raised, along with an unamused expression. "I wonder how this little scavenger managed to get in your robe without you noticing."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli watched intensely while Jade tried to capture the lump rummaging around her robe. She flinched away and nearly shrieked when Jade revealed what was under the robe. The Hufflepuff opened one eye, and her body seemed to relax as she set eyes on the niffler that was dangling from Jade's clutches. "The niffler..." Patchouli breathed, sounding relieved. A smile settled on her lips not long after laying eyes on the niffler, and she delicately took it from Jade's grip. "You're very sneaky aren't you? Must have latched onto me in the forest when I went looking for Jade." Patchouli couldn't help but to chuckle, as she used her free hand to retrieve the deluminator tucked away in her robe pocket. "You were so close to getting it, weren't you?"

"Ah. Well, looks like we both win today." Patchouli stuffed the niffler back into her robe pocket, along with the deluminator. She waved her hand and sealed the pocket shut, before tucking it away again. "Now that I have this little creature, I'll need to see that he doesn't escape and cause any trouble. Maybe it'll want to hang around as long as I keep it entertained." The pigtailed girl seemed to be bursting with excitement, which she was trying to keep contained. It was difficult, though, and Jade would certainly be able to see how ecstatic Patchouli was for the new discovery. Patchouli walked away from Jade without saying good bye, instead, she could be heard whispering to her robe about possible names for her new pet. Just when she was almost gone, she turned back to Jade. "See you in class, Jade!" She said it a bit too loud, and earned several harsh shushes from students that were trying to study. Patchouli turned red in the face and gave an apologetic, sheepish smile, and then left the library. ​

 

[Saber]

The week that followed the niffler incident in the library had proved...difficult for Jade. Her moods had been erratic and hard to control when they'd hit. Her rage had been particularly hard to keep in check as the days went on. She'd done research on werewolves when she was younger, had found them fascinating at one point, but she also knew the side effects that came with the change. Jade would soon have a rage that was uncontrollable and irrational before she made her first change. Then she would start to lose parts of her memory. The parts when she would turn into a blood thirsty monster and wake up the next morning with no recollection of killing. The Slytherin huffed before closing her book, making a echoing bang in the common room as she tossed it on the floor.

"Where's this temper coming from, McHale?" Odette entered from the main entrance to the dungeons with her bag over her shoulder. "You've been skipping a lot of classes lately." The girl walked over and plopped down a pile of papers. "That is your Transfiguration homework, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, all due next week."

"Thanks, O." Jade muttered as she glanced at the pile of work and sighed. "But I can't seem to focus of late, my mind is jumbled." The Head Girl paused before going to her chambers and turned to look at the younger girl. "It's about to drive me mad." It was true, Jade always felt like her skin was crawling and her limbs would ache at night as if she was going through growing pains. It was maddening and always setting the Slytherin's teeth on edge.

"Why not go to see Madame Pomfrey," Odette offered, putting one hand on her hip. "Maybe she can give you something to help. I'm sure you're just stressed, Jade. Fourth year was a bit stressful for me too. Try not to worry too much, ok?" Jade just nodded as the Head Girl disappeared into her chambers.

Jade sighed, rubbing her hand over her face before standing. Her blood pressure seemed to be sky rocketing, perhaps Odette was right and she needed to see Madame Pomfrey for her ails. So she made her way there. It was Friday, the start of the weekend and evening no less. Students were roaming around, heading off to Hogsmeade and the like. She tried to ignore the loudness of their footsteps and voices, much louder than she remembered before she'd been attacked. Another side effect of her senses altering, she was sure.

Before she could make it to the staircases, she felt her blood pressure spike again and her body began to ache with the rising heat. Her vision was getting blurry and she turned towards the main entrance to the castle, making her way towards it. She needed fresh air, cold air and space. Jade pushed the doors opened and they creaked, she didn't even wait until they were opened fully before slipping out and running into the cool air. She didn't get very far before she ran into something solid and grunted before stopping. She looked down and with shock, saw Patchouli on the ground, as well as a few other girls she didn't know.

"Patchouli," Jade had only seen the Hufflepuff a handful of times since the incident and it hadn't been any sort of meet with conversation. She would ask how Jade was doing and the Slytherin would lie to keep her from prying. "I'm sorry, let me help you up." She offered her hand to the red head as the other girls around her were watching curiously.

 

[envogue]

Classes were out for the weekend, and like most students at Hogwarts Patchouli thought it would be perfect to spend her free time in Hogsmead. She and her friends had retired there in the morning for a couple of Butterbeers and light shopping. She was on her way back to the castle, clutching a new book she'd bought from Dervish and Banges, eager to return to the warmth of the castle and get nose deep in her new book.

Plus, it had been several hours since she had checked in on her Niffler companion and she wanted to make sure he wasn't getting into trouble. He had been making his self at home in her satchel, but he could easily escape and wreak havoc on the campus, so Patchouli kept it stocked with plenty of shiny things to keep him busy for awhile. Just the thought of filling her notebook with more information on the little creatures excited her, and she hurried to pick up the pace.

After the hellish events in the forbidden forest, she was grateful to do something that she enjoyed with no drama involved. The gruesome sight of Jade's bloody body was forever burned into her memory, but Jade had done a fine job of brushing her off. So much for friends. Patchouli wasn't mad at all, though. She remembered how easily angered the girl had been before, how she lost her temper with those boys in the library, and rightfully so. It just stung a little, was all. Patchouli took a deep breath, the crisp autumn air filling her nose and causing the heat that was rising to her head to slowly go down. There was no need to be upset, Patchouli knew that and tried to convince herself. We clearly have very different definitions of friends...

When she neared the doors leading into Hogwarts she saw Jade and instantly perked up. Her expression flattened somewhat, when she saw the look on Jade's face. She was running, a bad sign in Patchouli's eyes. "J-" The sound barely left her lips when Jade rammed straight into her, sending her hat flying off of her head, as well as the book she had been clutching near her chest. Her hair, which was usually braided into pigtails was a mess, and the waves of auburn lie every which way across her face. She groaned and sat up on the grass.

The collision must have looked worse than it felt, though nothing could hide the embarrassment that crept onto her face. "I-I'm okay," Patchouli muttered, as she looked up at the Jade. She hurried to grab her things off of the ground, then accepted the Slytherin girl's hand. "Don't worry about it, Jade." Patchouli reassured, brushing off the stalks of grass clinging to her clothes. "I-Is everything okay? You must have been in some kind of rush to be running that fast." She added, placing her hat back on top of her head. Her glasses had been sitting crooked on her face, and she gently adjusted them into place. Somehow, her glasses managed to get smudged and Patchouli removed them to clean them on her scarf. When she put them back on, she looked back up at Jade and noticed her eyes had begun to glow. She gasped softly, then grabbed the taller girl by the arm and led her swiftly under the cover of a tree. "J-Jade, your eyes. They're glowing."​