Morsus | saberwolf & Sailor Moon

[Saber]

Jade had genuinely felt bad for knocking Patchouli over, and when she helped the girl, she felt her mood wane slightly until the red head mentioned that her eyes had been glowing. The Slytherin tensed slightly before taking a step back from the Hufflepuff and her hands instinctively went up to her face even though she couldn't see without a mirror. That would explain why her eyes felt warm earlier when her blood pressure went crazy.

"Glowing...?" Jade muttered as she narrowed her eyes and felt her heart start beating harder again. She started taking rapid, shallow breaths before running past Patchouli and her friends, not really sure where she was going. Jade followed the path that led down towards Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest. She needed to get away, but she needed to see her reflection as well. In retrospect, she should've just gone back inside and into her dorm to find a mirror. But she wasn't thinking clearly and Jade wanted to be away from people. So into the forest she ran until she heard the rush of water. She followed her ears to a small crick of crystal clear water and bent down on her knees.

Patchouli had been right. Her eyes were glowing bright blue and she yelped in shock before scrambling away from her reflection. These were the beginning stages of her change into a werewolf. The temper, her eyes...even how she was able to find this stream in the middle of the forest. All her senses were starting to enhance and change to that equivalent to, or more than a wolf's. Jade wasn't sure how she was supposed to be handling all of this as only a fifteen year old girl. She wasn't sure how anyone handled it really, but it seemed like it was going to destroy her before she even changed. Her body had finally started to calm down as she sat in the dirt next to the stream and stared at the water. Jade didn't really know what else to do other than sit there and think about how her life was falling apart.

 

[envogue]

Patchouli's intentions weren't to offend or upset Jade. If anything, she wanted to be helpful, and keep Jade from drawing attention to herself. Lola and several others had witnessed Jade's running off, and walked over to Patchouli, standing beside her to look in the direction that Jade had gone. They gave Patchouli a look, and though they didn't say anything Patchouli could tell that they were all curious. Patchouli remembered how she'd run away from Jade, how Jade winded up chasing after her in the end to make things right between them.

"Hey, I'm going to make sure...everything's okay. Don't wait up for me." Patchouli started to walk away, turning about halfway to give them a slight wave and an apologetic smile. She knew they would all understand, but Lola could only take so much of being out of the loop before she started to get annoyed. Patchouli shook her head, as if it to rid herself of the negative thoughts as she followed Jade's trail into the Forbidden Forest.

The forest was much less menacing during the day, but the sunlight only provided a bit of security. Of all the places. Patchouli thought, her eyes scanning the area wearily. She knew Jade couldn't have gotten too far, but Patchouli considered that the newly bitten girl may have been able to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. She walked for a little bit, continuing in the general direction that Jade had run in, before stepping in a shallow crack in the earth filled with running water. Sticks and dried leaves crunched underneath Patchouli's feet as she followed the stream, until she found her distraught friend crouched in front of the water.

"Found you," Patchouli said, exhaling deeply as if she had just run a marathon. "Are you alright, Jade? I didn't mean to upset you." ​

 

[Saber]

Jade's eyes were closed as she knelt in the forest. She was trying to maintain her composure and the silence and chilled air seemed to be helping her. Her changes were trying their hardest to start to manifest and Jade was more worried than ever about losing her humanity. It was a ridiculous notion, since the wolf really only came out when she would shift, but she wasn't thinking rationally. That's what she needed, she needed to start thinking rationally again. She was a rational person after all. Jade was smart, level headed. Getting bit by a werewolf wasn't going to change the type of person she was. She could get over this.

"I'm still me." Jade muttered to herself as she opened her eyes and saw herself in the water. Maybe it was time to go see the Headmistress about getting some help with her symptoms. She didn't want to be this...anxious about it. Jade almost wished she could fast forward to the full moon so she could shift completely. At least after that, her nerves would start to subside. The Slytherin was about to stand until she heard foot steps approaching from behind her. She faintly heard the pants and growls wafting on the breeze. Her body instantly tensed. Someone had followed her.

The footsteps were getting closer and Jade sighed. Whoever it was must have known she was alone, but who go into the forest after her? She didn't recognize the scent...and she was a bit appalled that she could even think that. Still, whoever it was, she was going to be ready. Perhaps it was the werewolf that had bitten her, come back to finish what he'd started. The thought made Jade's muscles tense and her blood boil. If she ever saw that werewolf again....

Found you.

Jade didn't recognize the voice, and when she heard the person get close enough, she sprang into action. She grabbed the figure by the collar of their shirt and pushed them until their back was against a nearby tree. Jade felt her eyes warm and her muscles flinch as she held the person there. When she finally got a good look, she noticed it was Patchouli and instantly felt her stomach drop. "Patchouli." Jade muttered as she loosened her grip on the girl and took a couple steps away from her. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you. I didn't recognize your voice" She was still holding onto the girl's shoulders and Jade lowered her head, closing her eyes and exhaling heavily. This was starting to get out of hand.

 

[envogue]

The way Jade turned on Patchouli was so sudden that she hardly had time to react to any of it. Everything spun around as Patchouli's back slammed against the trunk of a tree with surprising force. A muted yelp escaped her as the air was forced from her lungs, and she looked back into the fiery orbs staring into her own.

"J-Jade...?" Patchouli squeaked, her fingers twitching as she debated going for her wand. There were plenty of ways to subdue the girl, but Patchouli hated the idea of attacking her friend. Thankfully, she felt the pressure around her neck releasing as her feet hit the ground. Patchouli gasped for air, crumpling to the ground when Jade finally let go. She wrapped her arms around her torso, eyes widening as she realized the height of the situation.

"You need to see someone Jade." Patchouli said, her voice stern. "What if it wasn't me? Someone could have seriously been hurt." Patchouli seemed to be coming to this realization herself as she spoke the words. She looked up at Jade, noting the shame on the girl's face. Seeing such a human emotion on Jade's face helped to ease some of Patchouli's worries, and she knew there was still hope for her friend.​

 

[Saber]

Jade was just staring down at Patchouli. The girl looked even smaller than she had before as she curled in on herself. Jade was still inhaling and exhaling, still breathing like she'd just run a marathon. She heard Patchouli's words, but they were muffled by the blood that was pounding in them. Her heart rate was steady, but... heavier. She felt every time it would beat and her whole body would pulse along with it. She knew that Patchouli was right, she needed to see someone. But would anyone here be able to help? Would McGonagall know how to help her other than pouring potions down her throat or casting spells to subdue her? Would she be put in room by herself and chained to the walls?

The Slytherin sighed heavily, her legs growing weak as she let them collapse and she sat down on the ground in front of Patchouli. Jade didn't want to hurt anyone, but at this point, it was almost inevitable that it was going to happen. "You're right." Jade muttered as she brought her hand up and put it over her face. "But I don't know if anyone will be able to help me at this point. The closer the full moon gets, the worse my...symptoms will become. The most they could do is brew an elixir that will calm my nerves, but it might not even work."

Jade sighed again, it felt like she just couldn't get the sufficient amount of oxygen her body needed. She needed to pull herself together. If she lost her mental strength, it wouldn't take much for the wolf that was waiting to overpower her humanity. It happened often, people losing their sanity when they were bitten, not even being human when they weren't transformed. It was a form of disease, or so some magical researchers thought. An anomaly where the venom of the bite didn't fuse well with the human DNA and it overcame it. Jade dreaded that outcome. She didn't want to turn into a blood thirsty beast every month, but at least she'd have her mind when the moon wasn't full.

"Will you walk with me, to see the Headmistress?" Jade asked Patchouli as she slid her hand down her face. She stood, holding her hand out to Patchouli. "I am sorry for...attacking you. Perhaps I should think up of something that will help me recognize you?"

 

[envogue]

Patchouli saw that Jade was remorseful, and she truly felt sorry for the girl, but there was no way Patchouli could just excuse what Jade had done. The consequences if it had been some unsuspecting student made the Hufflepuff sick to her stomach. She was thankful, at least, that Jade had agreed with her about needing help.

"As long as you're still willing to get help, I'll help you." Patchouli mustered a sympathetic smile, her arms folding across her chest."I can't imagine what you're going through, Jade. I mean, I've read quite a bit about it, but... it's different seeing it for myself. Textbooks don't often tell things from the victims' perspective." She lowered her gaze towards the ground as they walked back to the castle.

Patchouli felt a twinge of guilt. After all, she played a role in Jade's fate now, and she had been quite harsh to her back in the forest. "Accidents happen. I'm just glad it was me and not some other girl." Patchouli's eyes got big as she realized what she had just said and waved her hands frantically in an x-formation across her body. "Not like that, obviously! It's just someone else...may not handle it as well."

The pig-tailed girl hurried to walk ahead of Jade, but not too much. She just wanted to hide her face, as she felt the heat rising to the tips of her ears. She hadn't been looking where she was going, and someone opened the door leading into Hogwarts right into Patchouli's face. There was a resounding smack, and a dull thud as Patchouli fell backwards onto the floor like a ragdoll.​

 

[Saber]

Jade followed Patchouli back towards the castle, a few steps behind just contemplating how her life had gotten to this point. She heard what the red head was saying, but she still felt bad for how she'd reacted. She knew she couldn't control it, but that wasn't how she wanted to keep seeing it. She wanted to be able to control herself. She wasn't a mindless beast yet and she refused to be one on any day or night that wasn't the full moon. As they neared the castle, Patchouli mentioned something about her being glad that it had been her Jade had attacked and not some other girl. Now, the Slytherin knew what context Patchouli meant the comment in, but the Hufflepuff must've thought otherwise as she started to blush and flail, quickly correcting the possible misunderstanding.

After that, Patchouli quickly turned around and briskly walked towards the courtyard entrance into the castle. That's when Jade saw the door opening. "Patchouli, look out!" But it was too late. The heavy wooden door connected solidly with the shorter girl's face and the two girls that had opened it looked around the door just in time to see Patchouli fall back onto the floor. Jade just sighed and shook her head. Poor girl just couldn't catch a break when she was around.

"We are so sorry!" The girls were in Gryffindor robes, younger, maybe second years. They almost looked scared of Jade, but that was most likely because she was a Slytherin. "We didn't know you guys were coming in!"

"It's ok." Jade answered quietly as she knelt down and scooped Patchouli up into her arms. "She's not having the best day today as it is. So don't worry about it." She just nodded slightly to the girls and they nodded back, looking a bit awe struck as Jade moved past them carrying the Hufflepuff in her arms. She didn't really want to go back to the infirmary, but she was sure that Patchouli would probably need to see Madam Pomfrey after a hit like that. So she made the trek up to the third floor, a path now she could make with her eyes closed. When she entered, the Headmistress was speaking to the Medi-witch, but they both turned and looked as Jade pushed the door open with her back.

"What happened?" McGonagall asked as she turned towards Jade and walked over to her to inspect Patchouli.

"She got hit in the face with a door." Jade answered as Pomfrey ushered her to the nearest bed and the Slytherin set Patchouli down. "It was just an accident, she wasn't paying attention." McGonagall just shook her head and sighed as Pomfrey began inspecting Patchouli's face, a warm orange glow emitting from the tip of her wand. "I was actually hoping to speak with you, Headmistress." Jade admitted as she lowered her gaze to the floor and began wringing her hands together. "I...I think I'm ready to take whatever help you can offer. I just...I don't think I can handle many more of these changes without any sort of...guidance."

McGonagall's mouth dropped open slightly as she nodded and cleared her throat. "Of course we can have Slughorn make you some sort of elixir to help cope with the mood changes. And if you'd like, we could have Hagrid come up and educate you a bit more on werewolves. He's dealt with them personally, you know." The Headmistress could see the distress in Jade's posture and she moved forward, gently laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I will help you to the best of my abilities, McHale."

Jade just nodded, the weight of her fate coming down hard on her shoulders now that other people were trying to help her as well. This was the last thing she wanted to do, or to admit that she was scared, but she was. She was only fifteen after all. This wasn't something she had calculated in her life, so any sort of coping mechanism went out the window.

"Ok, Headmistress."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli was out for only a minute or so, when she woke up to the sound of Jade and McGonagall's voice not too far from her. She remained lying still, listening in to their conversation curiously. She was relieved to hear that Jade had actually done what they originally sought out to do, and that McGonagall had been so accommodating. She waited for the them to finish their conversation before lifting her head up.

The infirmary was empty for the most part, which meant Patchouli could go about her day without any more check ups from Pomfrey. She'd only had a small bump, and there were much worse things that had happened, if she was being honest. She grabbed her things off of the floor beside her bed and walked out of the infirmary. Hopefully her niffler and Plum wouldn't be too alarmed, as she was getting back a lot later than planned.

~~~

About a week had passed since Patchouli's run in with Jade in the forest. They seemed to be getting along better, though Jade was still somewhat of a mystery to Patchouli, she appreciated the extra effort Jade had made talking to her. She felt like they were actually on their way to a genuine friendship, not just one based off of Jade's secret. Of course, Patchouli realized she could possibly be reading into things too much, since they were recently assigned as partners again in Slughorn's class. It was possible this was all McGonagall's doing.

"Miss Fields? A question?" Slughorn asked, as his eyes landed on Patchouli.

Patchouli realized she'd been staring during Slughorn's lecture, and what's worse, is her lips were slightly parted giving her the appearance of being lost. Slughorn, and anyone else who saw would surely think she was an idiot.

"Ah. No, s-sorry." Patchouli replied, lowering her gaze to the open page on the book. She could hear a couple of boys whispering behind her, and her ears seemed to almost stand up as she became aware of it. They probably weren't even talking about her, but Patchouli sometimes worried about the wrong things. She sighed softly, pulling on the ends of her pigtails gently as Slughorn resumed his lecture.

"Now, you may begin. Do take extra care now with the ingredients, but in the case of any mishaps, Madame Pomfrey is ready and waiting in the infirmary. " Slughorn said, amused by this fact.

Patchouli stood up at her table, the others following suit as the class began by pinching a bit of the first ingredient between her fingertips. "Just...a teeny tiny bit," Patchouli muttered, as she slowly sprinkled it into the cauldron. She glanced over at Jade, curious to see how she was doing.
​

 

[Saber]

Jade sighed softly. She was in potions and honestly, not paying too much attention. Though most of her symptoms had seemed to ease the closer the full moon got, she knew it was only temporary. A cruel joke by nature, she assumed, like a calm before the storm. So even though her nerves were a bit better and she was less paranoid, her body was starting to ache. Any other time she just would've figured they were growing pains, but this wasn't an alternate universe where she hadn't gotten bitten by a werewolf in the Forbidden Forest.

The Slytherin snapped to attention when Slughorn advised them to start brewing their potions. Patchouli, her partner of course, started adding ingredients immediately. Jade, on the other hand, looked in the book to read the instructions on how to properly prepare the rest of the ingredients. If the full moon wasn't enough to worry about, Jade had her first quidditch match tomorrow against Gryffindor. It's not that she was particularly worried about winning, Gryffindor was never too difficult to beat. But she was more worried about her performance. She'd missed a couple practices and as a chaser, she needed to be in sync with the rest of her team.

Shaking her head to try and rid herself of quidditch and focus on potions, she grabbed a mandrake root and began to cut it up carefully with the small knife they were given. The girl glanced up to see Patchouli trying to sneak a peek in her direction. A small smirk playing on the dark haired girl's lips as she went back to cutting. Patchouli wasn't an overly popular girl, in fact, before Jade met her she didn't know the red head existed, as bad as it sounded. As she finished cutting the root, Jade moved it towards the Hufflepuff so she could add it to the concoction.

"Say, Patchouli," Jade started as she took a horned slug and crushed it with the side of the knife before dripping its insides into the brew. "What are you doing tomorrow? If you're free you could come to the quidditch match. We are playing Gryffindor tomorrow and I'm sure it'll draw a crowd." The blue eyed Slytherin glanced at Patchouli with a small grin. "Unless you have other plans, of course."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli did her best to ignore Jade after they inevitably made awkward eye contact. That, was much harder said than done though, as Jade called Patchouli and almost caused her to drop a flask. Patchouli blinked at the dark haired girl, swallowing thickly, her heart still pounding in her chest. "Y-Yes, Jade?" Now, Patchouli wasn't the best at potions. In fact, it was the only subject that Patchouli wasn't in the top of her class. Still, she had memorized the entire potions book, and then some of next year's reading, so she only assumed Jade had a question about what they were brewing. That was the only time anyone really spoke to her during class.

"What are you doing tomorrow? If you're free you could come to the quidditch match. We are playing Gryffindor tomorrow and I'm sure it'll draw a crowd. Unless you have other plans, of course."

That was the last thing Patchouli ever expected Jade to ask her. The Hufflepuff blinked at the girl once more, and then again. She was clutching the flask of troll blood now, threatening to crack it and have it burst all over the two of them. After a moment, the pigtailed girl was able to regain her composure and turned towards her cauldron, carefully pouring it into the black pot.

"I did plan to go out collecting some more plant samples for my collection, but I think I can make time for your extracurricular." Patchouli replied, calm. She smiled warmly, glancing at the dark haired girl then adjusting her glasses with the tip of her fingers. "I'd be happy to come, actually. I've never been interested in any sorts of sports before."

"I'd like to see what your world is like," Patchouli said, chuckling. "By the way, I may bring Lola just to keep me company. She's always talking about Quidditch and stuff."

"Oh, and I don't think you put enough horned slug in. Your measurements weren't correct, were they?" Patchouli said, hesitant. She didn't want to offend, but they were partners after all. ​

 

[Saber]

It was a bit of a surprise when Patchouli had agreed to go to the match, but it was quickly squashed when the Hufflepuff asked if Jade had used the right measurements for their potions. The dark haired girl frowned slightly, raising one eyebrow and sighing.

_________________________________________________________________________​

Jade sighed heavily as she sat at the Slytherin table the next morning for breakfast. The hall was abuzz with students chatting about the quidditch match and trips to Hogsmeade, but Jade was a little nervous. This was the first match of the season and of course it had to be against Gryffindor. She was even a bit surprised that she had been allowed to play with the three practices she'd missed before the match. Still, she knew she wasn't rusty, but she didn't feel as part of the team as she normally would. She felt detached and didn't really know what to do about it accept try to focus as much as she could on the game.

Not to mention the fact that she had invited Patchouli to the match as well. That was something her mind kept wandering to for some reason. She knew the girl was supposed to be keeping an eye on her, but since they had been spending more time together, it didn't feel as much as Patchouli was her keeper and Jade was the ward. Most of the major awkwardness was gone now. Though that didn't stop things from being awkward every now and again.

"So, are you ready?" Jade snapped out of her thoughts as Odette sat down next to her before grabbing a couple pieces of toast. The brunette looked tired, probably up all night studying or some nonsense like that. "First match against Gryffindor, you know you have to crush them."

"No pressure." Jade sighed as she sipped on her pumpkin juice and poked at her eggs. She just wasn't as hungry as she thought she should be, but then again, she had eaten a late dinner the night before. Regardless, the Slytherin shoved two pieces of toast into her mouth, and as quickly and cleanly as she could before bidding farewell to Odette. "I'll see you at the match, yeah?"

The brunette just nodded as she stuffed her face and Jade rolled her eyes before heading out of the Great Hall. As she did so, she happened a glance at the Hufflepuff table and spotted Patchouli. The red head said that she would go, but Jade wasn't sure if Patchouli would actually enjoy the match. It was more contact than actual sport between Gryffindor and Slytherin. And Patchouli didn't really seem the type to be entertained by physical violence. Still, Jade was a bit happy she was coming. Even though she had other friends, Patchouli was the only one that knew what had happened to her. So really, the only one that Jade could speak to freely about her condition and symptoms.

Jade walked out of the Great Hall and out down to the trail that led to the pitch. It was a grey morning, not uncommon for Britain, but on the upside, it wasn't raining. When she reached the locker rooms, she changed into her quidditch robes and grabbed her broom. A Silver Bolt, it wasn't extremely new, but it was fast and maneuverable, which is what she needed as a chaser. As the rest of her team started to file in, the captain gave the team their "pep talk" then sent everyone out to the field. Jade inhaled deeply before they lifted off the ground in their formation.

After a few warm ups, the team was called to the middle of the pitch to start the match. Madame Hooch gave her normal "clean game" speech before tossing the quaffle into the air and Jade rushed to it. She twisted slightly, wrapping an arm around the oddly shaped ball and zipped towards the opposite end of the pitch. Her teammates didn't take long to catch up to her and as they did, so did the Gryffindor chasers. Jade dodged a bludger and passed to the ball to her teammate to the left before flying around to avoid the other team.

They weaved like this for a bit until they got closer to the hoops. Jade caught the ball once more, speeding towards one of the hoops before passing it off again, tricking the keeper and giving her fellow chaser the chance to score a goal. Not a bad way to start the match. As the game continued, Jade did her best to try and focus, but somehow, either thanks to her enhanced eye sight or just dumb luck, she spotted Patchouli in the crowd when they were lining up once more. Jade hoped it was coincidental at best, but for some reason, seeing the Hufflepuff made her a bit nervous.

 

[envogue]

Even arriving half an hour early Patchouli found that the stadiums were already packed. She frowned lightly, looking up and side to side at the stands leading into the side that unofficially corresponded with the rival teams. She belonged to neither Gryffindor nor Slytherin, but since they were there to see Jade it only made sense to sit amongst the sea of black and dark green. Patchouli gathered her wits and started to walk away, then felt a tug on her hand pulling her in the opposite direction.

"I found us a spot. Come on," Lola chimed in, pulling Patchouli away from her destination and up the other set of stairs. "I'll be back, 'kay?"

The auburn haired girl followed freely, deciding it probably wasn't a big deal as long as they found a spot before the game started. She brought a book for back up, just in case the game was too slow or boring, but judging by the amount of people in the stands and the pre-game roars Patchouli doubted she would need to use the book. It got her excited too. Before she knew it, she saw Jade flying out on her broomstick, along with the rest of the team.

Patchouli had to admit that it looked pretty cool. While she could never imagine herself doing anything like that, the appeal was there.

"I bought us some popcorn." Lola said, holding her popcorn out to the side. Patchouli hadn't been hungry, but the buttery goodness made her reach over and take a handful anyway. She tossed a few pieces into her mouth, eyes wide as the game started.

Both Lola and Patchouli were watching intently and they were well in the match. Patchouli found that the rules were simple enough, so she actually didn't wind up asking Lola as many questions as she thought she would.

"Jade is good. I wonder why I never noticed before," Lola said quietly over a mouthful of popcorn. She looked starstruck, but Patchouli remember how much of a fan girl Lola was for quidditch players.

"Yeah. They're all really good, right? Looks like Slytherin might win this one, but I guess it's too early to call." Patchouli replied, not taking her eyes off of the game.

There was laughter behind them all of a sudden, and while Lola turned back to look, Patchouli ignored it. Her ears burned at the sound, and she just rolled her eyes, shoulders tensing as it continued. Those voices were all too familiar, she just hoped they hadn't noticed her there.

"Patchouli, those guys are staring at you." Lola said, as she turned back to face Patchouli. "One of them is kind of cute. Do you know them?"

"Ugh. No, and you'd well to stay away from those types." She answered nervously, her gaze set on the game. There was movement behind her and a few grunts, like someone being shoved out of the way. Not even a second later, Patchouli felt a tug on the back of her head, like someone was pulling at her hair. When she didn't budge, they pulled harder.

"Leave me alone." Patchouli whipped around angrily, blushing as she spoke louder than she'd meant to, drawing in the attention of the surrounding students. If only there was a professor or something nearby, then this wouldn't be happening.

"Don't be so mean. I thought you liked me," Lionel teased, a smug look on his face as his friends chuckled. It pleased him to get a rile out of Patchouli.

"I'm warning you, Lionel. If it happens again, you'll wish you'd have listened." Patchouli said, her voice and tone quite unconvincing. She turned back around, Lola leaning on her in a comforting way.

She's not so tough when her guard dog isn't around. Patchouli heard Lionel say to his friends. The hufflepuff bit her lip as the laughing continued. The sounds of their voices was grating and ruining her experience. It wasn't like her to snap over something so little, but when she felt yet another tug at her hair, she lost. She moved to stand up, the surrounding crowd gasping as she did so.

"Patchouli! Watch out!" Lola cried, as she threw herself out of the way.

Patchouli's feet got caught on the bench and she twisted to the side, falling over as the stray bludger flew past her head and towards the group of boys that were just antagonizing her. Lionel spread his legs apart, the bludger destroying the wood there. He let out a squeal and his friends scrambled. Patchouli and Lola stayed close to the ground, as well as anyone else that was near enough to be hit.

​

 

[Saber]

The game was going rather well. Jade was consistently scoring goals and it looked as if the Slytherin seeker had seen the snitch. Jade ducked under a bludger as she carried the quaffle towards the Gryffindor hoops. As she did so, she caught sight, somehow, of Patchouli with the boy from the library sitting directly behind her. The Slytherin's focus wavered as she was shoulder charged by a Gryffindor chaser and lost her grip on the quaffle. She ground her teeth together and swung her broom around to give chase, but she couldn't shake the anxious feeling biting at the back of her neck. She turned back to where Patchouli and her friend were sitting and, with her newly enhanced vision, saw the boy named Lionel harassing the red headed Hufflepuff.

Jade felt her muscles flex as she flew towards the nearest beater and grabbed the bat from him. "Oi!" He shouted as Jade caught sight of the nearest bludger and flew after it. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing, or why she was acting this way. But the mere sight of Lionel set her teeth on edge and she needed to do something about it. As she neared the bludger, Jade got in front of it before striking it solidly in the direction of the stands where Lionel and Patchouli were seated. It only now occurred to the Slytherin that her reckless act could injure Patchouli. But it was too late. The bludger was launched towards the stands and Jade watched in anticipation as Patchouli spotted the bludger, ducking out of the way just in time for it to strike the seat in front of Lionel.

There was an odd sense of satisfaction as she saw the shocking fear strike through Lionel's face as he moved away, she may have even been smirking. Having almost forgotten about the game that was still going on around her, Jade flew back towards the beater, who was on his way to her, and tossed his bat back to him. He just gave her a confused look before racing back towards the action and Jade did the same. Hopefully no one had actually seen what she had done or she could get kicked from the game.

__________________________________________________________
​

Slytherin had won the game two hundred and ten to one hundred and thirty. The team was ecstatic, it was their first win of the season and of course since it was against Gryffindor, that made it all the sweeter. After getting a congratulatory speech from the captain, as well as the generic; 'don't get lazy' warning, the team was free to go. Jade exited the changing room still in her quidditch robes, her broom slung over her shoulder as she searched the crowd of people to see if Patchouli had stuck around. There were several of her house mates congratulating her and patting her on the back, but she didn't see the red head anywhere.

What she did see, was the dark haired Gryffindor who had one of the sourest looks on his face. One that Jade would lock away in her memory for future entertainment. A heavy sigh escaped her lungs as Lionel and his lackey, Thomas, walked over to her. She glared at the boy as he advanced on her and rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Lionel?"

"You don't think I saw what you did?" He hissed as he bent down slightly so they were glaring into each other's eyes. His hazel eyes were burning with rage and Jade just smirked before closing her eyes, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Haven't a clue what you mean." Jade answered calmly as she opened her eyes. "I didn't even notice a speck like you at the match. You sure you're just not being a sore loser?"

"I saw you." Lionel growled as he took a step closer and Jade's more animalistic instincts rushed forward to meet him. She narrowed her eyes and curled her lip slightly as if baring her teeth. "I saw what you did with the bludger, I know you aimed it at me. You could've killed me!"

"And yet here you stand." Jade mocked. "Fit as a wretched fiddle. I don't know what you think you saw, Lionel, but maybe you should get your eyes checked. Accidents with bludgers happen at every match. You should feel lucky you didn't get hurt." Jade's hand shot out and grabbed the boy by the collar before pulling him down closer to her. "If you don't leave her alone, next time it won't be a bludger."

Jade could've sworn she heard a deep growl rumbling between them, though who it came from, she couldn't tell. Lionel's eyes narrowed dangerously as exhaled sharply. "You don't know who you're dealing with."

"And I don't care." Jade released the Gryffindor, shoving him back so that he needed to take a couple steps to keep his balance. "Leave her alone. This is your final warning."

Every muscle in her body was tensed and ready to strike. She rolled her neck involuntarily as she shoved past Lionel, her shoulder connecting solidly with his and she started making her way to Hagrid's Hut where she was to meet Patchouli. She was hot, her body temperature felt like it was rising and she could've sworn she saw steam rolling off of her exposed skin. Jade tried to calm herself, tried to keep control of her muscles as they twitched and flexed, almost painfully. She tightened her jaw as she felt the warmth in her eyes and closed them quickly in case anyone saw. She had traveled far enough away from the crowd that was left over that no one would've noticed, but you could never be too careful.

Jade finally reached the stone steps that led up towards Hagrid's hut. That's when she was wracked with an intense, full body pain, as if she was having a muscle cramp in every one of her muscles at once. She heard her bones grind together as she rolled her shoulders and dropped her broom before falling to her hands and knees. Jade knew anger seemed to aggravate the condition, but it was harder now more than ever to control the volatility of her temper. She tried taking deep breaths to calm herself, and they seemed to help for a brief moment.

All she needed was to be able to make it to the Hagrid's . She maneuvered herself so that she was sitting on one of the stone steps and managed to get her muscles to relax. When that happened, it seemed everything else went along with it. Her temper subsided and she could take deep, controlled breaths that eased her anxiety. She sat there for a moment before feeling a single drop of rain hit her hand, which was soon followed by many more. The steady rhythm of the falling rain seemed to calm her even more, so she sat there for a moment, trying to take everything in that was about to happen. She needed to find McGonagall later and figure out what needed to be done in the terms of preparation. Tonight was the night that Jade had been dreading for the past month, and she didn't even know how to begin to deal with it.

 

[envogue]

The bludger had nearly taken off Patchouli's head and crushed something of Lionel's that...he would definitely have missed if the attack had been successful. The whole ordeal was more frightening than funny, which is why Patchouli was so relieved when the game was over, though she did happen to enjoy Quidditch more than expected. At least the night wouldn't be soured by Slytherin losing, since they did take the victory home and Jade had shined during the match.

Patchouli was eager to meet up with Jade and congratulate her on her victory. Their plan was to meet up at Hagrid's hut after, but Patchouli wasn't interested in Lola tagging along.

The auburn haired girl glanced up at the sky, her glasses reflecting the moonlight as the wind pushed the clouds to reveal the full moon. Swallowing thickly, Patchouli placed her hand on Lola's shoulder and smacked her lips in disappointment as she began to say, "Shoot. Lola, I just remembered something important, why don't you go on ahead and I'll meet you back inside later." It was hard for Patchouli to lie, and the guilt of lying to her friend made her feel a little worse since it was getting to be a reoccurring thing with Lola.

"Well, alright, Patchouli. But it's getting dark, are you sure you don't want me to come with?" Lola asked, not budging a step. She knew something was up, it showed in her face, but she didn't want to pry.

"Don't worry about that. But, I'll try and make it snappy." Patchouli replied, walking backwards tentatively before waving good bye. She could hear Lola turning back around as the leaves crunched underneath her shoes, but not another word was exchanged between the two girls.

Smoke billowed up into the sky as Patchouli carefully made her way towards the hill leading Hagrid's hut. A droplet of rain landed on her eyelash, and she moved her glasses to wipe her eyelid, when it seemed to just start pouring rain all of a sudden. She grumbled to herself, walking quickly through and dragging along wet soil.

"Jade?" Patchouli called, spotting the raven-haired girl sitting on some stairs."Wh-what are you doing out here? It's pouring." She said, raising her wand above her head. Her wand seemed to repel the rain like an umbrella, but looking at it, you couldn't see a thing.​

 

[Saber]

Jade flinched slightly when she heard Patchouli's voice. The rain was still falling steadily and she barely lifted her head so she could see the Hufflepuff's muddy shoes. She wasn't really sure how much time had passed, but it was still grey and the air a bit chilled. Jade finally lifted her head, steam still slightly rolling off of any exposed skin. She furrowed her brow and glanced up at Patchouli, who was bent a little at the waist. That's when she noticed that it wasn't raining on her anymore, but around her. Her eyes flicked up to see the red head holding up her want to form an invisible umbrella.

"Patchouli?" That's when Jade remembered what she was doing and where she was supposed to be going. "Sorry, I was on my way to Hagrid's and I ran into Lionel after the game. We had a small...chat and I got a bit worked up."

The Slytherin stood and brushed off the back of her pants before looking down at Patchouli. She swallowed hard before combing her hands through her hair to try and rid it of the excess water. Patchouli didn't look nearly as waterlogged as Jade did, but she was smart enough to the use the charm she was casting right now. It was smart, something that Jade should've thought of, but then again, she was worried about more important things than rain.

"We should probably get to Hagrid's." Jade cleared her throat before gently urging Patchouli towards Hagrid's. "I'm sure he'll have a ton of rules for us to follow for tonight." Her eyes glanced at the shorter girl as they started walking. She wondered what the red head was thinking. Poor Patchouli had been thrown into this conundrum without even knowing who Jade was. Now the girl was basically her keeper, for all intents and purposes. Blue eyes narrowed slightly as she trailed behind Patchouli a step or two. "Are you nervous? Since McGonagall gave you the order to babysit me tonight."

 

[envogue]

Patchouli blinked at the mention of Lionel, a sour expression flashing across her face, and replaced with one of curiosity soon after. A chat? That sounded far more sinister for some reason, especially since the three of them didn't have the best history. Lionel was a jerk, and Jade had a short temper, so she was doubting Jade's use of chat at this point. She only hoped Lionel hadn't gotten hurt, or seen something he shouldn't have.

"I see..." Patchouli replied, her skepticism apparent in her tone. "I guess we should get going then." She held the umbrella over both their heads and led the way down the muddy hill leading to Hagrid's hut. The closer they got the more anxious Patchouli felt about the whole thing, but she knew that once this first transformation was out of the way that things would get easier for Jade. Her only hope was that the two of them would be able to handle such a change. It didn't affect Patchouli even half as much, but McGonnal had entrusted her with this task, and she had to do her best.

"I c-cant be nervous." Patchouli's voice shook just a little, but one could easily attribute that to the unstable walk down the hill. Her shoes were sliding in mud and wet grass. "But, I guess I am. I'm the one who'll be around when you change. It's a lot to handle, but on the bright side, I'll have plenty of time to research and study you in your shifted form."

As the pair approached the hut, a large silhouette of a man with a prominent beard could be seen from behind a window. The figure instinctively moved up the stairs when they approached door, but Patchouli raised her fist to knock just to be polite.

"Jade! Patchouli!" Hagrid couldn't hide his surprise as he set eyes on the two students. He caressed his beard for a moment in question, his forehead creasing.

"Hello, Hagrid. McGonagall told us you would brief us on Jade's...change." Patchouli said, reading his face for any signs of realization. "It's a full moon tonight."
​

 

[Saber]

Jade just listened as Patchouli and Hagrid spoke. She wasn't really up to having to pay attention as they spoke of the full moon and her change. It's not that she didn't want to try and make Patchouli feel better, but what was she supposed to say? I'm sorry you have to babysit me while I change into a horrible beast that could possibly kill you? Hagrid stepped aside and made way so the girls could enter. Jade went in and sat in the large arm chair, patting Fang who was sitting obediently next to it.

"I'm not exactly sure why the professor would want Patchouli to watch over me." Jade said as she stared down at her feet. "I could really hurt her if she gets too close, or if I even see her once I change. Isn't McGonagall worried that I might...kill her?"

She hadn't really meant to bring that word into it, but she was being realistic. That last thing she wanted to do was hurt the red head and if she did, she'd never forgive herself. Jade glanced at Patchouli and furrowed her brow. As if the pull of the full moon wasn't bad enough, and getting stronger, she was starting to feel guilty for something she hadn't done...yet. Hagrid moved towards her and gently patted her on the shoulder with his large hand.

"You're worryin' too much, Jade." He said gently. "I'll be there with Patchouli and to help her keep an eye on ya. She will be safe."

Jade nodded slightly as she rolled her shoulders. They felt like they were getting tighter, more tense and it was irritating her. Of course, she knew that was because of her impending change. "So where will this be taking place?" She asked as she looked around the small hut. "Not in here...right?"

"Well," Hagrid sighed as he went over to his table and opened the large burlap bag that was setting on it. "Y'see, when the sun sets, we will head out to the forest, one of the safer parts, mind ya," He dug in the bag and Jade her clanking. "And we'll tie ya up with these enchanted chains to one of the large trees." He pulled heavy iron chains from the bag and Jade's eyes widened. "Then Patchouli and I will get a safe distance away and watch ya."

"Chained to a tree." Jade repeated softly as she imagined a giant beast chained to a tree in the forest. "Great, at least I won't be able to go after anyone or anything, I hope." Jade glanced out the window to see the sun, though shrouded by a thin layer of wispy clouds, sitting lower in the western sky. "So, sundown," She glanced back at Patchouli, and then Hagrid. "Very dramatic. How far away is this spot exactly?"

"Not too far." Hagrid said as he hoisted the bag up after closing it. "But it will take a few minutes to get there, so if you two are ready, we should probably get going." He moved towards the door and held it open, waiting for the girls to exit the hut before shutting the door again. He took the lead once they were outside and Jade followed next to Patchouli. They stayed quiet for most of the walk, minus Hagrid who was humming tunes merrily.

Jade wasn't sure how Hagrid could be so calm right now, or how he could even find a bright side to the whole situation. But she supposed that once you live in the wizarding world long enough, and after the things he'd seen. Perhaps one of your students changing into a werewolf wouldn't be too bad of a situation. On the positive side, maybe they could learn a lot from Jade after she'd transformed. How she acted while she was changed, what her habits would be and how she'd act while she was still human. Coming from a semi-scientific view, it could be a bit beneficial.

Once they were in the forest, it was only about a mile walk before they came to a small clearing with a very large tree in the middle. It was very cliche looking area, not much plant life and the tree was dark and a bit lifeless. Very foreboding. Hagrid didn't waste any time getting the chains from the bag and linking them around the tree a few times. He yanked on them, to ensure their integrity, before sighing and glancing up at the sky. It had gotten a bit darker since the sun was setting, and Jade glanced at Patchouli before forcing a smirk.

"If this were a different situation," She said calmly with a soft chuckle. "I'd be making some jokes about you watching me while bound in chains." Jade sighed as Hagrid waved her over and she went to the tree. He shackled her wrists and ankles, before wrapping some slack around her torso as well. Jade grunted as she swallowed hard, the weight of the chains making it hard to move even just a little.

 

[envogue]

It only took a moment before Hagrid's memory was sparked by Patchouli's words, thankfully, and he led the two into his cottage. He looked outside curiously before shutting the door behind them. Patchouli positioned herself against the wall near the fireplace, and Hagrid stood between the two girls. At Jade's comment, Patchouli quirked a brow and looked over at the raven-haired girl. It was certainly strange to hear it, but Patchouli also wondered the same thing as Jade. Such a task would be better left to another professor or an older, wiser student. However, Patchouli couldn't argue with the headmistress, and she really was looking forward to studying Jade's werewolf form. Something about seeing Jade's mangled body that night had toughened Patchouli, and she wouldn't allow her fears of death to be more than a passing thought.

Patchouli was fairly confident leaving the cottage, but she wasn't the one going through a life changing process. Glancing over at Jade, she could see the tension, how forced her expressions seemed. She had to admit that as the sun lowered in the sky, that some of her confidence had waned as well. Patchouli took a deep breath as they entered a clearing, and she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she looked up at the large tree. It did appear lifeless upon first glance, but where some of the bark had mysteriously been scratched off was still a pleasing green. The tree was very much alive, which meant that it hopefully wouldn't topple over when Jade inevitably tried to free herself tonight.

"If this were a different situation," She said calmly with a soft chuckle. "I'd be making some jokes about you watching me while bound in chains."

Patchouli blinked rapidly at the Slytherin, a muted look of shock and confusion on her face. The red-head could hardly find the words to say, partly because the circumstances seemed so...inappropriate. "I'm glad that you can still find humor in this, Jade..." Patchouli says quietly, carefully touching the chains that were being used to bind the Slytherin. "I suppose if you can still make jokes then this night may not be so terrible after all."

"Can't say I've known too many werewolves with a good sense of humor, so we're off to a good start." Hagrid said, as he clasped the last shackle around her ankle and locked it with a key. "Sorry 'bout that."

Patchouli looked down at the chained mess that was Jade, and the corner of her mouth began to tug her lips into a frown. Seeing Jade captured like some wild animal hurt her, especially since she carried a lot of the blame for why they had to do this in the first place. Think positive thoughts, Patchouli reminded. She bit her bottom lip gently, before turning around to take a deep breath.

The crickets began to chirp in the surrounding area, and the sky was turning a deep blue as the last bit of orange melted against the horizon and the light crimp of gray in the sky. It was wet out, and the night air was chilly. Now that it was night time, the reality of what was happening had finally settled in. A hint of white light peeked out from underneath the clouds near the horizon, and Patchouli wasn't feeling so confident anymore. She turned around to see Jade bound to the tree, appearing at least to still be herself.

"Are you feeling alright, Jade?" Patchouli asks quietly, looking the girl over for any signs of change. She could only use the knowledge she'd gained from books to assess the situation, but she was still wholly unsure about what was taking place inside of Jade in that very moment. Patchouli only knew that it would be very painful, something that Jade wouldn't be able to hide, even if she wanted to. ​

 

[Saber]

Jade just nodded at Patchouli as she'd mentioned her still being able to make jokes while Hagrid shackled her to the tree. She rolled her neck slightly as she felt the full weight of the chains on her body. They didn't feel particularly heavy, but they were irritating. Or maybe that was just the moonlight, she couldn't tell anymore. Jade looked around the area for a moment as Hagrid moved about twenty feet away before opening the bag again and retrieving a large blanket, as if this were a picnic. Jade's brow furrowed as she watched the large man sit down and sigh before pulling out his crossbow. The Slytherin began to fidget before sitting down as carefully as possible against the trunk of the tree. Her body was starting to get warm as it got darker and Jade was starting to feel a bit anxious. And she couldn't tell if it was from her change, or the anticipation of her change. Either way, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"So," Jade said finally as she glanced at Hagrid and Patchouli, who had moved to sit next to the half-giant. "That crossbow, is that a precaution for me?"

"Just a precaution in general." Hagrid answered with a small smile as he patted the large weapon. "There migh' be other werewolves out tonight too and if you howl, they'll come runnin'." He then shrugged and looked around the area. "Not teh mention the other beasts that prowl the forest at night."

"Lovely." Jade sighed as she looked up at the night sky. It was incredibly clear and seeing the stars brought a strange sense of calm to her. Her muscles stopped twitching and she did't feel anxious anymore. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought? Her eyes glanced back at Patchouli and Jade tilted her head slightly. "I hope you don't fall asleep before the show, Patchouli."

Before she could say anything else, a painful jolt wracked her body and every muscle in her body tensed up. She suddenly felt like she was on fire and she let out a strangled gasp. She heard Hagrid stand and lifted her head to see him, hands firmly gripping his crossbow. "Patchouli, you stay back." He said as he watched Jade carefully. It was getting hard for the girl to focus on anything. Her senses seemed to be in overload as her sight started to blur and her eyes began sting. Jade clenched her teeth together before trying to stand and failed, falling to her knees.

The chains on her body were getting tighter as her muscles began to grow and she felt her bones growing. It was agony. She cried out in pain as she lurched forward, pressing her face against the ground as she squeezed her eyes shut to try and dull the pain in any way possible. She could hear her bones breaking and felt them moving beneath her skin. She dug her fingers into the dirt to lift herself just a little and watched her fingers elongate and grow. Claws sprouted from her fingernails while thick, black fur began growing along her body and Jade's head was suddenly on fire. She was breathing heavily and groaned as her ribs cracked and her spine grew and broke before mending again.

Jade had never wondered what shifting into a werewolf would be like, and even now, she couldn't really see what was happening. She'd blacked out at some point, but she never woke up. In her place was a now a large, black werewolf with thick fur and yellow eyes. The pain had finally stopped and the wolf huffed, exhausted from the change. Her breath was deep and ragged, the shackles around her wrists and ankles were tighter now, almost cutting into her skin. Her vision was different, enhanced even in the darkness, so it looked like it was the middle of the day, and she could see much farther than she ever could as a human. And her sense of smell was amazing. She could smell the dirt, the trees, even the season in the air. Not to mention the fear and anxiety that was rolling off of the two humans that were several feet from her. Her ears twitched as she heard a herd of deer moving through the forest a mile or so away.

She lifted her head and stared at humans that were watching. They were frightened, she could tell by their body language and their scent. She raised her nose higher into the air to catch more of it, catching the girl's scent first. There was fear, and subtle hints of parchment and fruity perfume. The newly changed wolf tilted its head slightly before inhaling again to take in the scents again, they were familiar. The wolf tried to take a step forward, but was stopped by the shackles. Glowing yellow eyes glanced back at the shackles and a deep growl vibrated in her throat before she yanked, effortlessly breaking the chains that were attached the tree. She stalked towards the pair, the half-giant raising his crossbow and the werewolf opened her jaws to roar, knocking the man back in fear.

The wolf continued to stalk towards the red headed girl and lowered its head, looking into her frightened eyes. The scent was what was drawing her in. The wolf was intrigued by it, sniffing more as she neared the girl. When she got another good scent, her memories suddenly returned to her. She knew this girl, they were...friends, and she wasn't a wolf. The wolf shook her head before taking a step back. She wasn't a wolf, she wasn't, she wasn't...

"Patchouli?" Yellow melted away into blue in the wolf's eyes as she began to regain who she was. Her mouth hadn't moved, but she'd spoken...werewolves didn't speak. Or at least, not in any research she'd read and they didn't have human consciousness. This wasn't normal.

 

[envogue]

"I hope you don't fall asleep before the show, Patchouli."

"I-I don't plan on missing a thing tonight." Patchouli said, before a sickening crack filled the air and Jade's body seemed to distort from some invisible force. "Jade!" Patchouli could only say, as her hands went to cover her mouth. Normally she would have her notebook open, jotting down any notes or information that she could, but it was too gruesome. Sure, there was no blood, but watching Jade's body bend and break, and the change in her eyes as she seemed to stare painfully into her soul was too much. It was a horrific sight. The only thing that could top this was seeing Jade's mangled body in the forest that night. Just thinking about it caused Patchouli to turn around, crouched down into a ball as the sounds from behind her almost made her lose her dinner.

When Patchouli heard the chains literally shattering behind her, she looked over her shoulder and saw a black beast stalking towards her. She lost her balance and clumsily fell forward onto the ground after the horrifying roar. She parted her lips to speak, but no words left her mouth and she could only watch the former Jade in disbelief. Trembling, she lifted her arm and began to reach out for the wolf, a curiosity awoken inside of her as the wolf approached without attacking. That action, or perhaps something else, caused Jade to back away from her.

"Jade?" Patchouli said softly when she heard Jade's voice echo in her mind. Her chest swelled as she held in a sigh of relief, before exhaling with a cautious smile. "It's okay, Jade. It's Patchouli and Hagrid, we're your friends." It was likely Jade didn't understand or care about friends, but judging from her previous actions Patchouli knew that Jade had some control over herself.

"Best not test her, Patchouli. She isn't herself right now." Hagrid warned, as he got himself up on two feet and went to lift Patchouli up onto her feet. She dusted herself off, and as she did, a howl filled the night air and carried through the forest. She moved closer to Hagrid, a gut wrenching feeling in her stomach as she reluctantly looked over to where Jade had previous been. There was another wolf nearby, possibly more given the time of night. "We have ta leave, Patchouli."

"But what about Jade?" Patchouli asked quickly, the upset apparent in her voice. "I don't want to leave her out here. I can't do that again..." She said sadly, though she knew Hagrid was probably right.

"This isn't like before, Patchouli. She can handle herself now." Hagrid assured her, taking the girl by the shoulders.

"But I heard her, Hagrid." Patchouli said in a hushed toned, knowing just how crazy it all sounded. She gripped the scarf around her neck as she heard loud panting from somewhere around them. Was it Jade? Or someone else?
​