With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 17, 2019 11:39:53 GMT
Stupid. Stupid. She was so stupid. The word kept racing through Grace's mind over and over as she tore out of Madam Puddifoots like a bat out of... well, you get the picture... because people were already staring at her. Of course they were, she was crying in the middle of a teashop like some idiot over a boy who had left her there without a second thought.
But once she was out of Madam Puddifoots, she was onto the streets and she couldn't exactly start sobbing in the middle of where anyone could see her, could she? She didn't want anyone to see her, see how utterly humiliated she was for being so naive and trustworthy and hopeful that someone had liked her when really, they had just wanted to use her to get to her family and her friends, to pump her for information and...
Turning the corner into the Three Broomsticks, Grace kept her head down, trying her best to navigate the room, her vision blurry with tears. She didn't stop to apologise to anyone she bumped into because she was on a mission. She had to reach the bathroom and finally, she made it there to her safe haven. She didn't have to try and hold it together anymore, she was alone and with a stuttering voice, she locked the door with her wand (or so she thought), bracing her hands on the cold ceramic of the sink as a sob escaped her lips, everything else she was feeling spilling out with it as the memories of what had just happened ran through her head again and again.
'It is too early for all this hustle and bustle', he thought to himself. 'Only for you,' his older brother's voice responded, 'you slept until noon, Rodrik.'
'I was up all night, doing homework! Don't give me such a hard time,Vaughn!'
'It's high time you learned how to plan your time, brother. And sleeping at a pub...'
THUD. Rodrik's forehead smashed against the age-old wooden table. He groaned out loud and pushed himself up, leaning back into the chair and rubbing his face with both hands. That's going to leave a mark.
Indeed, Rodrik had fallen asleep at the Three Broomsticks after a long night of writing essays for Ancient Runes. His 6th year had barely started, but now he wore 'big boy pants' and his workload had increased almost tenfold. He'd fallen asleep at 4 in the morning, barely recalling how he even made it to his own bed, and woken up in a completely empty dorm, with the sun already high in the sky.
The Gryffindor had decided to use the day to relax, and he couldn't think of a better way than going for a pint of butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. He absolutely adored the beverage, and even now the scruff underneath his nose had bits of foam in it.
Alas, his drink was empty and he'd dozed off. I should head back, perhaps have a bath... His thoughts trailed away into mundane topics as he made his way to the bathroom. Humming a cheerful tune, the boy pushed open the bathroom door.
His humming stopped abruptly as he stumbled upon a girl. Her whole body was shaking as she sobbed, hands gripping the porcelain sink and Rodrik forgot why he had even entered the room. What to do, what to do... Ah!
"Uh, hello?" he spoke up, gently putting an open palm on the girl's shoulder, hoping to comfort her. At the same time, he pulled his wand out of his jean pocket and turned it to the bathroom door, muttering a closing charm.
"Hey, I locked the door for you." Rodrik said, his voice gentle and quiet. Tucking his wand back into his front pocket, he took the chance to lean lower and glance in the mirror.
He knew her! Grace Longbottom, a Hufflepuff from his year. They'd worked in class several times over the years, and Rodrik thought of her as a rather sweet and clever, yet nervous character. His concern grew tenfold.
"Hey, Grace? It's me, Rodrik. Can I help you at all?"
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 18, 2019 12:34:21 GMT
The sound of the door being creaked open didn't register to Grace's ears and her grip on the sink only tightened, tears flowing from her eyes, her body shaking as hard as a leaf in the wind. She couldn't stop replaying it. The way she'd taken so long to figure out what Wolfgang had actually wanted. The way the words too insecure and naive and useless at most things had fallen from his lips like poison. But the worst thing about the whole situation was that Grace knew he was right. She'd been calling herself all those ugly words for years in her mind, and he'd only reaffirmed that everyone else viewed her as those things too.
A hand brushed her shoulder and Grace shrieked because who was that? Who was touching her? Whirling around, her face an absolute red and blotchy mess, she came face to face with Rodrik Belanger. A Gryffindor in her year that was funny and confident and kind. A boy who she could barely string two sentences around in a normal setting, and here he was, seeing her in one of the worst moments of her life. All Grace could manage to murmur in her shock was, "You have foam on... on your moustache, um... stubble," before falling quiet.
The words 'can I help you at all?' left Rodrik's mouth a moment later and immediately, Grace burst into tears again because she wasn't... he didn't have to help her. He knew that, right? It wasn't like - she didn't want to waste his time, and she told him as much, "I'm sure you have... have more important things to do like... and I'm fine. I'll be fine. I'm just so... I'm silly but I'm fine." She was not fine, and that much was clear but if she kept saying the phrase over and over then maybe that would change, right?
His sudden appearance had startled the poor girl, as she screamed upon feeling his hand on her shoulder. He stumbled backwards, giving her space to turn around, and, boy oh boy, she was a mess.
And then she pointed out his foam mustache. I guess we're both messes, then? He chuckled softly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Oh dear, I fell asleep with that on my face! Well, I hope someone got a good laugh out of it."
Offering her his help only made Grace cry more, and Rodrik immediately knew to ignore all her claims of being fine. You aren't fooling anyone, Grace. Not while looking like this.
"There, there." he gently pulled her towards him, embracing her in a soft hug and rubbing her upper back. "I'm not in a hurry. Let it all out."
He leaned his head down, closer to her ear, and kept muttering reaffirmations. "I'm not going to leave until you're smiling. Unless you really want me to, that is." Then he moved on to encourage her to do breathing exercises. The back rubs didn't stop.
After a few minutes of letting her sob, he released the hug and opened the water tap. "Come now, lets get you cleaned up, Grace."
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 18, 2019 13:05:56 GMT
Grace smiled weakly at Rodrik's joke, reaching up to wipe at her drenched face with her sleeve and in the process, smudging mascara all around her eyelids. "I don't... I don't think anyone would laugh at you. I mean, everyone... everyone likes you. I don't think..." Grace trailed off, aware that she was babbling and talking was one of those things she was useless at, wasn't it? She was painfully aware of that, and so she fell quiet.
But then Rodrik was pulling her into his arms and if she'd thought she'd been crying too hard before, then she was wrong as she nestled her head into the warmth of his shoulder, her entire body quaking by the pure force of the sobs that were being wrenched out of her. Rodrik's words, soft and reaffirming in her ear combined with the way he was rubbing at her back... they made her feel better until finally, the sobbing had subsided. She didn't feel like her heart hurt so much anymore, and she was only sniffling now.
"I don't want you to leave," she said softly, answering his question now she had calmed down enough to talk again. She glanced at the tap as the steady stream of water echoed in the bathroom, and grabbed a piece of paper towel before dampening it. Dabbing beneath her puffy eyes, clearing away the remnants of her mascara, Grace was struck by a thought that had her worrying her bottom lip. "Why are you... you don't... why are you helping me? Are you... did you... did you want something from me? Is that why you're being so..." Nice. Like Wolfgang had been.
For several minutes the only sounds in the room were those of ragged breathing and soft whispers. For several minutes the Gryffindor tried to figure out what could have upset his classmate so terribly. Knowing Grace, it could have been a lot of things, so he decided not to speculate and just ask, once she felt up to talking. Until then, he'd stay there and offer his support the best way he knew how.
"Hey, I fell asleep at a pub with a foam mustache. It would be a crime not to laugh at me." He said, once Grace had leaned over the sink to clean her face. "In fact, I woke up only because I fell over." He hadn't even noticed when his pain had gone away -- helping Grace was all that he was focused on. He was sure there would be a painful bump, but he'd had plenty of those and would have plenty more.
When Grace questioned his motives, why was he helping her, Rodrik's brows furrowed and his expression was utterly baffled.
"Because it is the nice thing to do?" he said. Surely Grace knew this! If anything, she was the kindest person he'd met at Hogwarts in the 6 years he'd been there. "Why would I just walk away when you obviously need comfort?"
"Grace, what happened?" he asked, once again placing his hand on her back. He didn't like the sound of this, not one bit.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 18, 2019 13:40:32 GMT
"Why did you fall asleep?" Grace asked, making idle chatter as she dabbed at the dried tears on her cheeks, before her eyes widened because he'd fallen over? He'd hurt himself? Her eyes roaming over him, Grace's first instinct was to look for injuries because she could help him with that, right? Then she'd feel better and... and she wouldn't be acting so self-centered, crying like an absolute mess in the bathroom. "Can... can I help you, or... I have, um... I have healing bag in my bag somewhere if you need it?"
Grace avoided the expression on Rodrik's face after she'd asked him why he was helping her because it could all just be an act, right? After all... she'd thought Wolfgang had been kind before today with the way he'd smiled at her in the library and... and spoken to her like she was actually worth his time but it turned out to be a lie. Who was to say Rodrik wasn't doing the same?
But then Rodrik answered her question and she thought back to all of the times she'd seen him being kind to others just because... all the time they'd spoken, and he hadn't laughed at her or... or anything. Maybe it was naive of her to trust him, maybe she'd be led astray again, but just because Wolfgang had been a rotten apple that didn't mean Rodrik was too, right? She had to have hope that he wasn't. "I'm sorry," she ended up saying, shaking her head as she glanced down at her hands. "I'm just... I don't... it's been a really rough day, and I thought... I thought someone was good but they really, really weren't."
'What happened?' The question had Grace hesitating for a moment because she said quietly, voice barely above a whisper, "I... I got asked out on... on a date by Wolfgang Kallenbach. I've never been on one before and I thought... I was really excited, but we were talking and he kept asking me about Teddy Lupin and his dad and... the last time we spoke, it got brought up too and... he asked if I could introduce him and... it just... it didn't feel right, and so I asked him if that was the only reason and..." Glancing up at the ceiling, blinking away the tears that shone in her eyes once again, Grace's voice cracked as she spoke next, "I thought he liked me but that was just... it was stupid to think that, right? I'm so stupid. Why would someone like him like someone like me?"
"I made the grave mistake of signing up for Runes at N.E.W.T. level," he said, scratching the back of his head. It was tough, but his father had insisted that it would help him land a well-rewarded job, and as much as Rodrik despised the thought of running after money, his father did have a point. He'd enjoyed Ancient Runes ever since he signed up way back in his third year, but N.E.W.T. levels were an entirely different beast.
Without missing a beast, Grace began to fuss about Rodrik hurting himself. He smiled, and shook his head, squeezing her shoulder. "It is fine, it is only a bump. I was resting my head on my hands while sleeping, and I must have slipped. It really is okay, Grace."
His face fell when she tried to apologize for being upset. Before he could reassure her, she began telling her of the day's events, so he closed his mouth and stood there, waiting for her to finish.
Wolfgang Kallenbach? The Ravenclaw Quidditch player? What's his deal? Rodrik was rather puzzled. It was another classmate of his, same age as him, albeit they rarely interacted. He had always had an air of superiority around him, always polished, even when they were kids. He'd broken Graces heart. And for what? That Rodrik didn't understand, and, frankly, didn't care to. What's done is done, and he didn't have the power to reverse it. He could help Grace pick up the pieces, though.
"Oh, Grace, I'm so sorry he lead you on like that." Rodrik said, slowly rubbing circles on her back, "People can be cruel, especially our age. I'm sure he regrets it," In all fairness, Rodrik wasn't convinced about it, but he didn't want to write Wolfgang off after just one incident. Love was a peculiar thing, one he didn't understand, and hadn't experienced, not in the grown up way, but he'd read plenty of books and heard plenty of songs, and dreamed plenty of dreams to know that it could make a person lose their senses.
"You're not stupid, Grace. Don't ever say that." He continued, now pushing up her chin so he could look at her. His brown eyes met with her blue, and he took her cold, wet hands in his, squeezing them lightly.
"Don't ever say such things about yourself, Grace. While I cannot explain to you why he did what he did, I can tell you that you aren't stupid." He took a deep breath before continuing, "We all make mistakes, it is just how humans are. You, Grace, are one of the kindest people I've ever encountered, and the kindness you show others, it's something we can all learn from."
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 21, 2019 14:46:32 GMT
"I signed up for too many classes too," Grace shared, lips turning downwards. She definitely understood where he was coming from - it was exhausting, worrying and studying so much for classes. It overwhelmed her more often than not. "Perhaps that's why we both made prefect - determined to succeed. Maybe we should have been Slytherins." A small smile twitched at Grace's lips at the thought - not because being a Slytherin in general was comical, no, but the whole idea of the two of them being Slytherins. The Sorting Hat had barely grazed her head when it announced Hufflepuff, didn't even consider another option.
It really is okay, Grace. Rodrik was talking about his bump, but in a way it felt like that was his approach to this whole... situation of her crying in the bathroom. He believe everything would be fine, and yet... Grace was certain that it would not be. "Arthur can't find out about this. He'll be so mad," Grace said, voice small. He didn't like the idea of her and boys as it was, but a boy hurting her feelings? He'd get a punch to the face, or worse. Arthur was overprotective to the point where it was too much but she loved him for it all the same.
Once her explanation was over and done with and Rodrik finally spoke, Grace's gaze that was staring steadfastly at the ceiling dropped to him. "I should have known. I... I was just so... so excited that someone could possibly take... take me on a date and want to hold my hand and... and... do other things," she admitted quietly, a flush to her cheeks because the prospect of a boy (or... a girl, even) kissing her was a pleasant thought, an experience she'd dreamed of happening for years and now she truly believed it would never play out in real life. Rodrik told her moments later that he was sure that Wolfgang 'regretted' what he had done and Grace was shaking her head immediately because, "He said... he said a lot of things, that... if you're regretful, you wouldn't say. He said I was... I was... naive and insecure and useless at most things and I know that I'm all of those things, but hearing someone else say it... it just goes to show other people think I'm all those things too, doesn't it?"
Rodrik's words were so kind and... and... lovely and immediately, before she could think it through and psych herself out, Grace was launching herself towards him in a hug because she needed it. She really, truly did. "You're the kindest person I know, and I... one day, you're going to make someone or... lots of someones really happy, you know?"
"You know, my oldest brother was a Slytherin," Rodrik mentioned, recalling the face of his brother Vaughn. He was a good 5 years older than both Grace and Rodrik, so there was no way she'd know him. "He's very business-oriented and kind of stale now. Don't think I would have made a good Slytherin." It was a weak attempt at a joke, but nothing else was coming to mind. "I think they made me prefect just because I look like a nice person."
"I won't say anything to your brother. Not even a peep. I promise." he said, giving yet another reaffirming squeeze to her hands. "I won't say anything to anyone else either. It will be our secret. And if anyone asks, I'll make something up."
Her ragged breathing, the way she looked and the way she spoke -- both the weakness of her voice and the words she said -- it made Rodrik's heart hurt. As if someone had stuck a needle right in it, a sharp, pulsating pain. His eyes started watering and he inhaled sharply, tossing his head back, putting a smile on his face.
"Now, now, Rodrik, it isn't your turn to cry." A chuckle followed the words as he gathered his thoughts. What Wolfgang had said didn't paint him in a good light, not at all, but there was a tiny glimmer of truth somewhere behind it all. He'd agree with the culprit on the insecurity bit, but Rodrik would never say it out loud. Not like this. It only tore Grace down.
"Oh, I'd love to be in love, and to be loved some day too." he started, looking back at Grace. "Maybe he doesn't regret it today. Maybe he won't regret it tomorrow, or the day after that. But there comes a point in everyone's life when they regret their past decisions, and it's what they do with this regret... That's what shows who they are. I'm not trying to tell you to expect an apology," he hesitated for a moment. What was he trying to say? "Just...Don't shoot all the dogs down, just because one has fleas." A morbid comparison, but the only one he could come up with at the top of his head.
"I know there are people at Hogwarts that think that I am a loud, useless good-for-nothing who's going to spend his life busking on a street corner with my bagpipe..." Rodrik didn't want to point any fingers, but over the years he'd heard all of it. "Not everyone sees the world like you do, not everyone sees it like I do. What one sees as 'insecure', I see as developing. Would you call a flower insecure for not blooming in the early spring?" he let go of her hands and started gesturing as he spoke. "Naive? Look at us - we are barely sixteen, and personally I think it's a marvel that we aren't as world weary and tired as some. We are young!" his hands went up in the air as if celebrating the fact that he didn't have a single white hair in his beard (to be fair, he didn't really have a beard to start with).
"Useless? Maybe to him," he continued, "But you don't have to fulfill his needs. Hell, you don't have to fulfill the needs of anyone else!"
Then he put his hands back on Grace's shoulders, but before he could finish his improvised speech, Grace had buried her face in his chest and calling him the kindest person she knew.
"I like that thought, Grace. I think I would like a family one day, I just have to meet the right person." he said, moving one of his hands up to the back of her head, holding her a bit closer. "And I am completely sure that you will make someone very happy, too. We just have to meet the right people."
"And if by the time we are 100 we still haven't, then write me a letter, would ya?" he added, chuckling.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 22, 2019 11:16:57 GMT
At the mention of Rodrik's brother being a Slytherin, a small smile hinted at Grace's lips as she shared, "Arthur convinced me before my first year that I was destined to be a Slytherin because I was so 'mean.' It's funny now, definitely wasn't at the time though." That, combined with the thought of being away from her parents for such a long time, had drove Grace to a panic attack mere moments after the Hogwarts Express had departed during her first year. Luckily, Arthur had been there and managed to calm her down but it had definitely been an embarrassing first impression for his friends. "You have another brother, right? He's... a few years older, isn't he?" She vaguely recalled him, though the two of them hadn't been friends.
Grace's hands raised to her chest, clasping over her heart because she was just so grateful that Rodrik was willing to keep this to himself. She didn't like secrets, she didn't have many very often at all, and to hear that he was willing to keep this one for her? It was invaluable. "Thank you so, so much," she said, voice soft. "It's, um... you can just say that... that I was... in a rush, or... or you can say someone spilled something on me, maybe? I do like this dress, maybe I was upset it's stained?"
She didn't miss the way Rodrik's eyes welled up, filling with water like a dip in the road when it was raining, but gosh, she hoped he didn't cry. Mainly because it would set her off as well, and she'd already cried so much and the both of them didn't need to be two crying messes huddled in the bathroom together. The door was locked, but what if someone walked in? Merlin, what would they think? "I can't say we're both crying over food on my dress," Grace joked weakly as Rodrik chastised himself.
"I... gosh, I always thought by the time I was sixteen I'd be... I'd have aboyfriend or..." Even a girlfriend, she very quietly thought to herself sometimes but wasn't brave enough to admit aloud. "It's a bit... it's silly, I know it is, I just... as a kid, you read all this magnificent stories about two people bumping into one another and falling in love with each other's smiles and you think that one day you'll have that too, right? I just didn't think I'd have to wait for so long." The flush in Grace's cheeks only increased as she spoke because she did sound naive admitting all that. It was a fantasy, one that had clearly not been brought to life and likely never would be.
Grace nodded as she listened to Rodrik speak about how Wolfgang may regret his actions at a later interval. Maybe he would, she just wasn't going to hold her breath as horrible as it sounded. But then Rodrik was making an analogy that made her wince because that was an awful picture that was painted in her head and not to mention... "I don't think there's a single dog out there that would like to... to... um, slobber all ov - no, wait. Not... who would like to... er..." This analogy thing wasn't going well and Grace, in all honesty, wanted to hide because every single thing that popped into her brain sounded weird.
"You're not a loud, useless good-for-nothing... and you're wonderful at playing the bag pipes. Do you have a kilt too? There's a story I've read about a man wearing a kilt and he has noth..." Nothing underneath it. Merlin's beard, Grace, get it together. Holy moley. Grace was nibbling at her lip yet again as she listened to Rodrik talk once more. His outlook on life really was amazing, and she wished that her brain was wired like that. She really did, because he just seemed so carefree and like he saw the positive in everything. She did generally when it came to other people's problems but her own? No chance. "How did you get so smart? Not that... I'm sure you've always been smart, but gosh. I just wish I could... you're just so... you know?"
Rodrik's chest was radiating warmth and comfort and the way he cradled her head made her want to stay there forever because she felt calm. "Who do you think the right person is?" she murmured, wondering if maybe Rodrik had already met his ideal soulmate. "I want a family too, one day. I just... I just have to meet them first. I'm not so sure that... well, maybe it's going to take longer than I think."
Grace's head lifted off Rodrik's chest ever so slightly, her eyes darting up and the corners of her cheeks lifting as he joked about writing her when she was 100 years old. "If I don't die doing my NEWTs first, I will," she joked back.
"You? Mean? Hah!" Rodrik just had to laugh. Grace didn't have a mean bone in her body! His brother's love for similar 'jokes' wasn't foreign to Rodrik, they were housemates after all.
"Yes, Damian, he's about two years older? Graduated this summer. " he confirmed. "There is also Hugo, the little bugger. Second year, and I still have trouble believing this," Rodrik shaked his head in disapproval, "he's a Hufflepuff."
Hugo was rather troublesome, and had landed in detention a few times for causing a ruckus. Rodrik wasn't completely sure why Hugo acted up so frequently, but this wasn't the time nor the place to ponder his familiar relationships.
He nodded in agreement to Grace's suggested little white lies. At the end of the day, nobody was entitled to any information she wasn't willing to divulge and Rodrik could always shut down any questions directed at him.
Then Grace started telling the boy how she thought that love would come as soon as she turned sixteen, and a soft smile appeared on his face. "Of course, in all the books it happens like that. Life... Life isn't a book. If it makes you feel any better, my parents didn't meet until they were well in their twenties."
So shy. Cute. Rodrik chuckled, when Grace became too embarrassed to state that The Scotsman was naked underneath his kilt. He cleared his throat, and in a ever so slightly throaty voice sang a few lines.
"And there, behold, for them to view beneath his Scottish skirt,
Was nothin' more than God had graced him with upon his birth!"
"If there is anyone waiting out there for the bathroom, they must be thinking they're going crazy by now," he remarked after clearing his throat. "To answer your question, I do have a kilt, indeed."
"Grace, you're too sweet." he said, "And I do hope I am myself. I wouldn't know how to be anyone else!"
They stood there, in a tight embrace, and Grace asked him the one question he'd been trying to figure out for the better part of a year. How do you know 'the one'?
"I..." he hesitated, "I don't know. I do believe that I'll know when the time comes. Perhaps I've already met them, perhaps I'll meet them tomorrow... All I know is that I trust my heart to show me the way."
After that they stood there, silent, for another minute or so. Rodrik was starting to recall why he entered the bathroom in the first place, so he released Grace and turned on the water again.
"I think we've occupied the bathroom for long enough," he said, nibbling at his lip as he could feel his bladder demand for attention. "Could you wait for me outside? We can go to the Joke Shop, or purchase some sweets, alright?"
