Free & Wild (Patrol) | Rae

Friday, November 5, 1920
11:00 PM

"How did we get stuck with the forest?" Rosie muttered, her arm linked with Rae's as the two girls wandered off the wooden bridge, past the lanterns and into the tree-line where only terrors awaited them. She had never been a fan of Forbidden Forest, taking great heed of the first part of its name. She could only recall having visited it twice, and both were because the former Divination professor had forced her there for a grade.

She had never, not once, ventured here of her own willing. When she'd been assigned a patrol with Ruth Elliot, she'd been excited, not having nearly enough time recently with her wild friend as she'd have liked. In a school with dwindling numbers, Rosie clung to those that she felt understood her, or at least gave her the space to be herself.

Rae was one of those, who had never expected her to be anything but exactly what she wanted to be. Over the years, the younger girl had come to her for advice - love, usually, and she loved the bond they had created.

Her eyes wandered through the dark, ears alert for any sounds that didn't match their own. Her wand firmly in her back pocket, Rosalie was determined to focus on her wandless casting tonight if need be, resulting back only if it was dire.

It shouldn't be dire. As long as they didn't run into any centaurs. A shiver ran up her back.

"Seems like it should be a patrol the boys have to do." Seriously, why weren't one of the boys out here doing this one, while she and Rae patrolled the gardens or Great Hall where it was relatively safe?!

"How did we get stuck with the forest?"

What Rosie considered 'stuck', Rae considered a stroke of great fortune. The Slytherin had never waited for permission to wander into the forest. It wasn't her usual hangout spot, but it wasn't a place of foreboding either. That said, her patrols typically saw her by the lake with all its comfort and familiarity. It was nice to shake things up every now and then, and what better person to do that with than Rosie? With how busy everyone was, getting things back in order, it felt like she didn't get to see as much of her friend as she liked or used to.

A daring stroll into the forbidden forest, supposedly on the lookout for rulebreakers, was just the remedy they needed...even if it left Rosie a little apprehensive.

"Seems like it should be a patrol the boys have to do."

"And let them have all the fun? No way. Let them keep the kitchens or the fifth-floor corridors," or wherever else the night may have tossed them, "we're in for a good night."

Rae already had a feeling they would. Linked arm in arm with Echo prancing on ahead of them into the darkness, the girl didn't think she had much to fear. It wasn't her first, nor would it be her last trip within these dark and ominous trees. Aside from the responsibility that came with this walk, Rae chose to view it as a stroll with a friend.

As they walked, Rae tried to feel every crunchy leaf and dried twig beneath her bare feet. The girl who was already used to going barefoot had discovered that it would be useful in her animagus training. She was going to have to be mindful of every cell in her body. Every nerve ending, every joint. Billie said she could end up only half-transforming otherwise. So that's what she was doing. Taking the walk at a leisurely pace, feeling out the different textures of the earth against her skin while she tried to follow the rhythm of her heart. She even tried to be mindful of the warmth that passed between her and her friend where their elbows linked.

It was all a balancing act, but she couldn't balance if she didn't know what each part felt and sounded like.

"How's your wandless coming along?"

"And let them have all the fun? No way. Let them keep the kitchens or the fifth-floor corridors. We're in for a good night."

Rosie giggled, tightening her arm around Rae's a little. "You and I have very different ideas of what constitutes 'fun', then." The girl loved an adventure, especially if it came with an adrenaline rush, but the Forbidden Forest held the types of thrills that could slash her open with one good swipe of a claw.

Over the past couple of years, the girl's natural timid and skittish nature had lessened and evolved into something that was beginning to resemble courage. After the things she'd seen and experienced, there really wasn't much else that could happen, she figured. People were terrifying, but her studies over the past year had elevated her ability to read them better and anticipate where interactions might be heading.

Creatures? Especially centaurs that hated students and liked to kill them if they wandered into their territory? Not so much.

"How's your wandless coming along?"

"Really well!" Rosalie heard the excitement in her own voice. "I'm practicing almost every day and there's several spells I can manage now. It's difficult, but it makes me feel...confident, you know? That if something bad happens again I can..." she trailed off, letting the words die on her lips. She was accidentally saying too much, and she forced a small smile on her face. "Want to see?"

She stopped momentarily, withdrawing her arm from Rae's. She lifted her hand with a soft, "Protego."

"You've left your shoes behind again," she nodded down at the girl's feet as she dropped her hand, watching as the shimmery clear bubble wrapped itself around the younger girl. Rae was barefoot more often than not. "Aren't you worried you'll get splinters?" It was probably the least of their worries, if Rosie thought about it, but she wouldn't.

She glanced further into the forest, craning her neck a bit to see ahead of them. "What do you think? No one would be stupid enough to go any further in, right?" Maybe they could leave and say they completed the patrol.

"And yet we have fun in a bunch of the same ways," Rae pointed out. Rosie had a diverse collection of ways to spend her time. She baked and liked to hang out with Cassian while he did weird theatre things. But she also liked Quidditch--a sport they both adored and enjoyed--and they both had an appreciation for the girly things. It was one of her favourite things about her Gryffindor friend. They hadn't gotten on very well the first time they'd met over at the conservatorium, but once Rosalie became a full-fledged Hogwarts kid and snagged herself a goofy boy, the girl had mellowed out nicely.

Now, Rae had someone she could enjoy the silly and simple things with. Long afternoons doing each other's hair and nails, trying out a modest amount of makeup, and hoping the professors never noticed, and they got to talk about boys!

Rae didn't have many girl friends. Whether back on the streets or after starting at the castle, the pattern had remained consistent. Most of her company happened to be of the opposite sex. It hadn't been a problem, not at first. As she got older and was determined to soften, however, it became very clear that she'd needed to diversify her company. As it turned out, the boys didn't care much for flower crowns or the cuter things. It left her starved for the more delicate connection to her feminine side that Rosie satiated effortlessly.

"I'm practicing almost every day and there's several spells I can manage now. It's difficult, but it makes me feel...confident, you know? That if something bad happens again I can...Want to see?"

She heard it, the way Rosie hesitated as her sentence tapered out. Not for the first time, Rae wondered what had really happened when she and Cassian had made a run for it a year ago. It had been bad--had to be. Neither of them had come back the same, and neither had been willing to talk about it. A year later, they still weren't willing to talk about it! But Rae also knew no amount of prying would get it out of her. It hadn't been a lack of trying; Rosie was simply and extraordinarily tight-lipped. Rather than pressing and making the conversation uncomfortable for them both (without getting any answers in the end) Rae grinned wide and nodded eagerly. "Show me!"

In a flash, there was a shield, and her eyes widened with delight. "That's incredible. I can't do a wretched thing without my wand--not anymore. That's one thing I miss about my life before Hogwarts," though she didn't miss much more. "Magic's more consistent now, but if I don't have my wand, it's pretty pointless." She waited for the shield to fade. "Can you do anything else?"

"You've left your shoes behind again. Aren't you worried you'll get splinters?"

"Nothing I can't fix with a few spells," Rae declared, lifting one foot and wiggling her toes. "Besides, I'm training again. Animagus stuff. I'm trying to be more in tune with my body--every inch of it--so that nothing gets left behind whenever I change."

While she spoke, she tried to be aware of her breathing and the flow of air in and out of her lungs. It was less comfortable because she was paying attention to it. That was always how it went when she took over what was meant to be a thoughtless, involuntary process.

She focused on the gentle breeze that brought with it a chill and the way it caused her curls to tickle her ears. It was all important, probably.

Rae followed Rosie's gaze as she peered further into the forest. With a playful roll of her eyes, she tugged the girl forward. "You've been friends with me and Benji too long to be asking questions like that. Come on, we have to make sure we do a thorough job patrolling."

While enjoying the night. It was all very legit.

"And yet we have fun in a bunch of the same ways."

Rosie smiled easily, nodding her head in agreement. They really did. For two girls who had seemed so starkly different when they first met, it was interesting how much they actually had in common. She had found, once she had set aside her first impressions - which to be fair, had been egged on by her power trip - Rae was as sweet and bubbly as they came. She had a soft spot for creatures, a love of exploration and Quidditch, and enjoyed laying about and making flower jewelry as much as Rosie did.

When they'd first discussed boys together, Rosie had had a crush on Cassian, and Rae on Benji. They'd sat together, doing makeup and talking about love and what it looked like and felt like. Neither girl had been sure if that's what was happening at the time. She remembered, looking back that Rosie thought Benji was an interesting choice for Rae to pursue, but knowing her cousin as well as she did now, there weren't two people (besides her and Cassian of course) that were more well-suited for each other.

They both brought out each other's softer side, and Rosie was happy to think that maybe even in the smallest way, she had played some part in it. Even if it was just an encouraging smile or some spicier advice.

Overall, Rosalie was happy she and Rae had become such close friends. In the absence of all those she had lost with Holloway's exposure, Ruth Elliot had been a sweet beacon of light to surround herself with.

Always cognizant and observant, the younger girl didn't press Rosie for information, instead encouraging her to show off her new skills a little.

"That's incredible. I can't do a wretched thing without my wand--not anymore. That's one thing I miss about my life before Hogwarts. Magic's more consistent now, but if I don't have my wand, it's pretty pointless."

"I can practice with you, if it's something you're interested in?" Rosie asked earnestly. "According to all the books I've been studying, wandless is something anyone can do with enough focus and practice." James could do it, as could her granny and Uncle Arthur. It wasn't an entirely uncommon practice, but most witches and wizards preferred the comfort of their wands. Rosie did too, if she were honest, but she knew the dangers of relying on it and not having it.

At Rae's request, Rosie smiled and raised her hand in a semi-circle in front of them, "Cave Inimicum." The charm burst outwards from her palm in a pretty flash of blue light, setting a boundary around them that would keep anything on the other side from hearing or seeing them. "I've been working on a lot of protective charms before offensive. I think next term I'll need to focus on those more." Her ultimate goal was being able to cast a patronus without a wand. That would be something incredible.

Rae lifted her foot and wiggled her toes at Rosie, causing the older girl to shriek and gently bat her away.

"Besides, I'm training again. Animagus stuff. I'm trying to be more in tune with my body--every inch of it--so that nothing gets left behind whenever I change."

"Can you show me? Are you able to transfigure at all yet?" The idea of Animagi was one that interested Rosie greatly. Someone who could be both human and creature. A duality of lives that could coexist harmoniously - where one wasn't sacrificed for the other. There was something really beautiful in that idea, one that Rosie both envied and admired. "Do you know the form you're taking on yet?"

"You've been friends with me and Benji too long to be asking questions like that. Come on, we have to make sure we do a thorough job patrolling."

Rosie groaned as Rae tugged on her, relinking their arms again. "Honestly," she whined a little, but went willingly, "When did you become the goodie-goodie of the two of us?"

Was it something she'd ever considered? Rae realised very quickly that it was. Rosie's offer reminded her of the prior term and the duels she'd had. The semi-finals had been a mess that had rattled her confidence in herself, reminding her that even with her strictest practice regimens, she could still--rather easily--be reduced to nothing.

"I'll have to think about it," Rae said, her tone making it clear she would do more than think. "Not sure I'll have much time for now with my own training going on, but maybe after that I can look into it. You'll probably be an expert by then, casting bombarda with just a flick of your wrist." And how wicked would that be? Rosie wasn't one for wanton destruction; it had never been her thing, but having the possibility was good enough for a start.

And just like that, she was being delighted by more spellcasting without a wand. It was the way nature had intended, she was sure. Why else would kids have been able to have random bursts of magic that suddenly died with the introduction of their wands?

It couldn't have been a coincidence.

Rae applauded, an awkward action with the way the two were still linked at the elbow, but she didn't care. The girl was positively besotted with all the progress her friend had already made since she'd first found out she was practising this kind of magic.

"Can you show me? Are you able to transfigure at all yet?"

"Well," Rae said, settling down again. "It doesn't actually work like that. It's not transfiguring in pieces like Metamorphmagi can do. It's the sort that's all or nothing and you can end up really fucking yourself up if you're not ready for that transformation. It's what all this training is for. Discipline. At least, that's what Billie says. I have to sharpen my transfiguration magic and have to be perfectly in tune with every inch of my body to prevent what could be permanent disfigurement. Can't choose the form either. Like a patronus, it's already in me."

Rae had thought, after hearing all that, that maybe she'd change her mind. Permanent wasn't what she liked to hear when it came to the consequences of her actions--especially ones that were just a mistake. But, no. The fear had lasted no longer than an afternoon before Rae was ready to begin the work. There was no changing her...mind...

"Do you hear that?"

Rae gestured her friend quiet, letting the stillness of the night take them again while she listened. It was muffled, but there was definitely a sound up ahead. Someone...rather...some ones were in the forest with them, and they sounded like they were having a great time off in their own little world with the faint sound of hushed giggles.

"Told you we needed to come in further," she whispered, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes.

"Not sure I'll have much time for now with my own training going on, but maybe after that I can look into it. You'll probably be an expert by then, casting bombarda with just a flick of your wrist."

Rosie grinned at the thought, imaging the looks on her parents' faces when she showed them she could bring the whole of Arundel Castle to its foundations with just a flick of her wrist. She wouldn't, of course, but the idea of it was something that sent a thrill through her. She'd never been a girl that stood in the spotlight or carved out space for herself, especially within her family. Her place was one of silence and politeness.

How incredible would it be to command all their attention with a wave of her hand? "If I'm graduated by then," she said, giving Rae's hand a little pat, "We'll make time to visit and practice, if it's something you want." Rosie could only ponder on how much faster she would have learned and mastered wandless if she'd trained under James or Uncle Arthur, but she knew a piece of this power was in people - especially her family - not really knowing she had it.

"I have to sharpen my transfiguration magic and have to be perfectly in tune with every inch of my body to prevent what could be permanent disfigurement. Can't choose the form either. Like a patronus, it's already in me."

Huh. Rosie, admittedly, hadn't studied animagi much and really didn't know anything about them. Rae was the first person she knew of that was training to be one, and considering her Transfiguration skills were shoddy at best, it hadn't been on her radar. Still, it sounded incredibly close to ancestral and earth magic. "It reminds me of druids and seers, you know?" she said, sounding more like her older cousin in the moment than she cared to admit, "Julia's mum's family believes that some of the first animagi were druids in Africa and the Nordic seers. They believe they could take the form of animals during their rituals and visions." She gave a little shrug and smiled at her friend. "Who knows, but I love the idea that you're carrying that on. There is beauty in traditions."

She couldn't wait to see what Rae's form would be. Elegant and beautiful for sure with a bit of a firecracker beneath the fur.

"Do you hear that?"

Rosie stopped. She did hear that. Laughter, like a fun gathering in the distance. She looked at Rae as the girl got a strange glint in her eye that told her they were in for some fun. "Okay Rae, but if its centaurs, you promise we're running, right?" If there was anything that scared the girl to her core, it was centaurs.

The horror stories she'd heard. She waved her hand in the direction of the voices, trying to get a better idea of who they were. "Sonorus," she whispered.

"If I'm graduated by then. We'll make time to visit and practice, if it's something you want."

Rae wanted to take comfort in her friend's promise, but it brought to light an unpleasant phenomenon she'd been dealing with since her first year. At some point, like all the others, Rosie would leave. With each school year that ended, Rae found herself losing more and more of her friends. The state of the castle after Halloway aside, everyone graduated at some point, and her circle kept on shrinking for that sad fact.

"Yeah," she said, trying not to think too much about it. They still had nearly two years together. It wasn't time for her to start moping, not yet.

Echo continued on ahead of them, her footsteps obscured by the soft padding of her feet even against the brittle forest decay. Rae pondered whether she'd take on anything distinctively feline or, at the very least, something good at stealth. It would make a lot of her personal trips into the forest easier for sure. For now, she went barefoot in the hopes of honing that stealth. Whether it was possible or not, she didn't know. Hell, Rae wasn't even sure if this part of her 'training' even counted when the final form was out of her control, but until she could attempt the spell, the least she could do was try to prepare.

"It reminds me of druids and seers, you know? Julia's mum's family believes that some of the first animagi were druids in Africa and the Nordic seers. They believe they could take the form of animals during their rituals and visions. Who knows, but I love the idea that you're carrying that on. There is beauty in traditions."

"...Huh." Rae said thoughtfully, taking in the words Rosie had shared. She hadn't given it all that deep thought, never really considering the tradition behind it. It was fair to say that her reasons for wanting to be an animagus were far more selfish and internally motivated. "I wonder if Billie knows about all that."

Rae led the pair on, listening carefully for the muffled voices. In some ways, even this was an exercise in learning her body. Taking deep breaths, she tried to slow her heartbeat and focus in on the blood that already rushed into her ears. It might have been silly, she may have been overdoing it, but she'd rather too much than permanently end up with a tail.

"Centaurs are never this close to the edge of the forest," she assured. Rae stopped when Echo stopped, straining to catch even the faintest noise. Then Rosie had a brilliant idea. Amplify the noise, make it all easier.

There was another soft giggle then:

"Stop--are you sure we won't get cau--"

A girl. Her words were cut off suddenly when she realised they'd been amplified. She could see the figures spinning immediately, disoriented by the sudden intrusive.

"Shit, help me get my dress zipp--shit shit!"

They scrambled until the boy finally reached into his trousers and pulled out his wand to end the spell. Mortified, the pair of them took off back toward the grounds and presumably the castle. At once, Rae burst out into appreciative laughter. She both pitied them for the embarrassment they'd suffered and found the whole matter endlessly amusing. The girl was bent double with her laughter at some point, concerning even her half-kneazle before she finally straightened.

"Well done, Rosie," she said, clapping indulgently while her eyes pooled with mirth. "There's a pair that won't be having a happy ending tonight."

She linked elbows with the girl again, little giggles still spilling from her lips. "Come on, then. We'll see if there isn't anyone else's night we can't ruin."